TEL AVIV (Reuters) - Wearing face masks, waving black flags and keeping two yards apart, thousands of Israelis demonstrated against prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu under strict coronavirus restrictions on Sunday.

Netanyahu, who denies any wrongdoing, is under criminal indictment in three corruption cases.

He is also negotiating a power-sharing deal with his rival Benny Gantz to form a coalition government that would end a year of political deadlock after three inconclusive elections.

Demonstrations are allowed under Israel's coronavirus restrictions, as long as participants maintain distance from each other and wear face masks.

Under the banner of "Save the Democracy," protesters called on Gantz's Blue and White party not to join in a coalition led by a premier charged with corruption.

Gantz has campaigned for clean government, but said that the coronavirus crisis has forced him to go back on his election pledge.

A Reuters cameraman estimated that a few thousand demonstrators attended the rally in Tel Aviv's Rabin Square. Israeli media put the figure at about 2,000 people.

Israel has reported more than 13,000 coronavirus cases and 172 deaths. A partial lockdown has confined most Israelis to their homes, forced businesses to close and sent unemployment to about 26%. Some restrictions have been eased since Saturday.

(Reporting by Rami Amichay; Editing by Alexander Smith)
Those holding Laboratory Corporation of America Holdings (NYSE:LH) shares must be pleased that the share price has rebounded 38% in the last thirty days. But unfortunately, the stock is still down by 16% over a quarter. However, the annual gain of 2.3% wasn't so impressive.

Assuming no other changes, a sharply higher share price makes a stock less attractive to potential buyers. 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. Perhaps the simplest way to get a read on investors' expectations of a business 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.

See our latest analysis for Laboratory Corporation of America Holdings

Does Laboratory Corporation of America Holdings Have A Relatively High Or Low P/E For Its Industry?

We can tell from its P/E ratio of 17.65 that sentiment around Laboratory Corporation of America Holdings isn't particularly high. If you look at the image below, you can see Laboratory Corporation of America Holdings has a lower P/E than the average (22.0) in the healthcare industry classification.

NYSE:LH Price Estimation Relative to Market April 19th 2020

Laboratory Corporation of America Holdings's P/E tells us that market participants think it will not fare as well as its peers in the same industry. Many investors like to buy stocks when the market is pessimistic about their prospects. If you consider the stock interesting, further research is recommended. For example, I often monitor director buying and selling.

How Growth Rates Impact P/E Ratios

Probably the most important factor in determining what P/E a company trades on is the earnings growth. That's because companies that grow earnings per share quickly will rapidly increase the 'E' in the equation. And in that case, the P/E ratio itself will drop rather quickly. So while a stock may look expensive based on past earnings, it could be cheap based on future earnings.

Story continues

Laboratory Corporation of America Holdings's earnings per share fell by 3.4% in the last twelve months. But EPS is up 6.9% over the last 5 years.

Remember: P/E Ratios Don't Consider The Balance Sheet

One drawback of using a P/E ratio is that it considers market capitalization, but not the balance sheet. Thus, the metric does not reflect cash or debt held by the company. The exact same company would hypothetically deserve a higher P/E ratio if it had a strong balance sheet, than if it had a weak one with lots of debt, because a cashed up company can spend on growth.

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).

Laboratory Corporation of America Holdings's Balance Sheet

Laboratory Corporation of America Holdings's net debt equates to 41% of its market capitalization. You'd want to be aware of this fact, but it doesn't bother us.

The Bottom Line On Laboratory Corporation of America Holdings's P/E Ratio

Laboratory Corporation of America Holdings has a P/E of 17.7. That's higher than the average in its market, which is 13.6. With a bit of debt, but a lack of recent growth, it's safe to say the market is expecting improved profit performance from the company, in the next few years. What is very clear is that the market has become more optimistic about Laboratory Corporation of America Holdings over the last month, with the P/E ratio rising from 12.7 back then to 17.7 today. For those who prefer to invest with the flow of momentum, that might mean it's time to put the stock on a watchlist, or research it. But the contrarian may see it as a missed opportunity.

Investors should be looking to buy stocks that the market is wrong about. People often underestimate remarkable growth -- so investors can make money when fast growth is not fully appreciated. So this free 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.
Source: Xinhua| 2020-04-20 00:20:15|Editor: huaxia

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BEIJING, April 19 (Xinhua) -- China's National Equities Exchange and Quotations, also known as the "new third board," saw transactions exceed 26.4 billion yuan (3.67 billion U.S. dollars) so far this year.

From April 13 to 17, turnover on the board reached 1.8 billion yuan. As of Friday, the board had 8,718 listed firms.

Saidian, operator of Bestdo.com, a Chinese online sport service provider, recorded the highest weekly transaction on the board, raising 127 million yuan.

The exchange was launched in early 2013 to supplement the Shanghai and Shenzhen stock exchanges to serve small- and medium-sized enterprises.

It is seen as an easier financing channel for small businesses, with low costs and simple listing procedures. Enditem
Since the nationwide lockdown began from March 25 in India, corporate companies and even educational institutes came up with creative methods to continue their work and teach children online, respectively. Among them, video conferencing apps, particularly Zoom became popular overnight.

However, as days passed by, news started to emerge that Zoom lacked proper user-privacy policy and was also vulnerable to hacking. Cybercriminals photo/video bombed Zoom video conferences with age-inappropriate content during online classes and meetings.

Taking cognisance of the Zoom's privacy issue, the Indian government, earlier in the week, warned its officials, citizens, and corporate companies to be wary of the Zoom video conferencing app.

Now, the central government, as part of Make in India initiative, has come up with the Innovation Challenge, inviting budding application developers to create Video conferencing solutions and stand a chance to win Rs 1 crore prize money.

"Government of India is taking all necessary steps to ensure that we are prepared well to face the challenge and threat posed by the growing pandemic of Corona Virus. The outbreak has led to the unprecedented enforcement of lockdown throughout the country. The concept of Work From Home (WFH), which was till now mostly synonymous with the IT industry has become a household term. Organizations having asked employees to WFH, video conferencing has become an integral part of daily life. In the light of these developments, the Ministry of Electronics & Information Technology announces an Innovation Challenge for Development of a Video Conferencing Solution under the Make in India Initiative." Official MyGov website reads.

Must read | Over 500,000 Zoom user account credentials on sale on dark web

The video conferencing application must have all the features below:

--Should support all video resolutions and audio quality, should work in low and high network scenarios

--Should be low on the usage of power/ processor

--Should not have any external hardware dependency

--Should work on any device

--Should have chat option during the conference, even the multi people conference

--Should have sign-in and non-sign-in options to join a conference

--Can be browser and/or app-based interface

--Should have encrypted network communication

--Should have audio/ video recording feature

--Should have screen/file-sharing capabilities

--Should allow audio to close captioning during the chat (multilingual)

--Should have capabilities to host multiple concurrent conferences having multiple participants in each conference

Interested app developer or team can apply for Innovation Challenge till April 30, 23:45 pm IST (here).

Must read | Indian govt brings COVID-19 tracker app Aarogya Setu

Applicants have to go through three stages to win the Indian government's Innovation Challenge:

Stage 1: Firstly, the team has to come up with a detailed report about their app concept including features. Among the contestants, top ten teams will be selected and awarded Rs 5 lakh as seed money to go ahead with the app development.

Stage 2: Then, the top 10 teams have to present their prototype app to the jury selected by the Indian government. Among them, three app developer teams will be selected and also get Rs 20 lakh funding to complete the video conferencing app.

Stage 3: Finally, the Indian government will decide the winning team's app and reward them Rs 1 crore prize money. Additionally, they will get official certification signed by the Ministry of Electronics & IT (MeitY).

It can be noted that the winning video conference app will be used by both the Central and State Governments for a year and also, the developer team will get a contract of Rs 10 lakhs per year for Operations and Maintenance.

Also, read | WhatsApp's group video-call update may soon kill Zoom dominance

Get the latest news on new launches, gadget reviews, apps, cyber security and more on personal technology only on DH Tech.
The man who came from the Long Island Rail Road to help fix NJ Transits rail system has died from coronavirus complications, officials said Saturday.

Veteran railroader Raymond P. Kenny, 69, became NJ Transits senior vice president and general manager of rail operations in January 2019, after a 50-year career on the Long Island Rail Road, where he rose through the ranks from ticket clerk to acting vice president.

Equally respected by management, labor and transit advocates, Kenny will be will be deeply missed, NJ Transit officials said.

"Ray's reputation and experience in the industry are unparalleled," said Kevin Corbett, NJ Transit President & CEO. "The leadership and incredible wealth of railroad knowledge Ray brought with him has truly made a positive impact on our organization. On behalf of everyone at NJ Transit, our thoughts and prayers are with Ray's family and friends at this difficult time."

Kenny was hired as the transportation agency coped with a shortage of engineers, aging equipment and an epidemic of canceled trains. During his tenure, NJ Transit embarked on a hiring and training blitz to give the agency what Gov. Phil Murphy called a deep bench of engineers to whittle down the number of canceled trains.

Jerome Johnson, General chairman of UTU local 60, said he looked at Kenny as a big brother.

He brought honestly and integrity to NJ Transit. He was exemplary for his supervision and, to our members, he made you feel like he cared, Johnson said. "He understands what the railroad does, he understands both sides (management and labor). He is a person who wanted everything to work.

Kenny was someone that Johnson said he could talk to and reach a compromise with.

He knew what it takes because hes done it, Johnson said. He had 110% of my trust."

CORONAVIRUS RESOURCES: Live map tracker | Businesses that are open | Homepage

Among the things that distinguished Kenny was his presence out on the railroad and talking to employees, whether it was attending the funeral of a veteran employee or talking and reassuring conductors who tested positive for the coronavirus, Johnson said.

He was a man of the people, he said.

Kenny also was praised by the union that represents locomotive engineers.

"The Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers and Trainmen would like to express its sincere condolences to the Kenny family, said James P. Brown, BLET general chairman. Ray was by far the most knowledgeable executive at New Jersey Transit. He will be sorely missed.

David Peter Alan, chairman of the Lackawanna Commuter Coalition, called Kenny one of the few real railroad people around NJ Transit.

Ray Kenny went up through the ranks. I respect people like that, Alan said. He learned from the ground up.

After rail service was reduced to weekend schedule last month due to declining ridership caused by the coronavirus, Alan said suggested to Kenny and other NJ Transit officials about changing to a Presidents Day rail schedule to provide mini-peak service for commuters.

On Monday morning, those trains ran. I was very impressed with that, he said. Ray listened to us. Ill never forget that.

MTA Chairman and CEO Pat Foye said Kennys legacy is felt by generations of LIRR customers and employees."

"Ray Kenny was a beloved and universally respected railroader who was laser focused on improving the lives of his customers and colleagues at all levels of the Long Island Rail Road and New Jersey Transit, Foye said in a statement. Ray was a member of the MTA family and he will be deeply missed.

Kennys nomination to head NJ Transits rail operations was announced on Dec. 17, 2018 when Murphy and NJ Transit officials said the agency met a critical deadline to have the first phase of a federally mandated safety system known as Positive Train Control installed.

The next and as critical Dec. 31, 2020 deadline fell to Kenny to achieve. NJ Transit went from being considered in danger of missing that deadline to getting good grades from the Federal Railroad Administration for PTC progress last November, based on progress made in the first three quarters of 2019.

That progress was marred when contractor Parsons Inc. announced PTC was knocked off schedule by 5 months because of a software problem. In April, Parsons announced they gained a month on the schedule.

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.
To find oneself reading a novel about a child who died of the plague while under lockdown oneself during a pandemic (or plague; you know, a rose by any other name etc) is quite the experience, and obviously not one the author could have foreseen. Hamnet was published in the middle of lockdown and despite O'Farrell being asked, in every single interview, about the ominous parallels between the bubonic plague that raged through Elizabethan England and the current virus that rages through well, Elizabethan England (and everywhere else), she's been infinitely patient and gracious in her responses.

She's also been quietly upbeat. "The whole of society will be reconfigured," she told the Irish Times. "We have to adapt and survive. And we will." Her highly praised 2017 memoir I Am, I Am, I Am, which explored her numerous close shaves with death along with those of her daughter, suggests that O'Farrell is more qualified than most to make such a hope-filled evaluation.

Hamnet Shakespeare was the only son of William Shakespeare and Anne (or Agnes) Hathaway. He died when he was just 11 years old. The couple's two daughters, Susanna and Judith, survived. Four years after his death, Shakespeare wrote Hamlet, about a young prince who would have been roughly Hamnet's age by then. Most of O'Farrell's novel, however, concerns itself much less with Shakespeare himself than with Hamnet's mother, the enigmatic Agnes, who, in O'Farrell's imaginative flights, cured the sick with her herbal potions, who kept honey bees and wandered the forest for hours, who could read people's minds and tell people's futures, a woman who could "tell if a soul is restive or hankeringwhat a person hides."

Despite the scant historical facts about Anne Hathaway beyond dates of birth, marriage and death, history seems to have maligned her. Either Shakespeare 'hated' her - although there's nothing to support this allegation anywhere - or she's the hussy who tricked him into a shotgun wedding. The shotgun wedding appears to be true, yet Shakespeare, when he became successful, sent all the money he made in London home to Stratford. Hathaway and her two surviving children lived in the finest house in town, and it appears they founded a successful brewing business there.

Shakespeare's assurance of his family's security and comfort is hardly the evidence of a dead marriage, nor of children long forgotten. O'Farrell's reasoning for his move to London and his family's remaining in Stratford is merely a matter of necessity. Would an ambitious playwright living in Tullamore or Clifden not have a better chance of progress in Dublin, even now? Or in London?

And would that playwright be willing to have their family move to a city riddled with plague, where playhouses and large social gatherings were regularly shut down? (How eerily topical all this is.) It could be speculated, especially given our current crisis, that this is precisely why the Shakespeare family remained where they were. And that speculation lays a significant part of the groundwork for O'Farrell's novel.

The story opens with Hamnet discovering his twin sister Judith is sick, with lumps (the tell-tale sign of bubonic plague) appearing in her neck. Hamnet desperately searches for an adult to help. His mother is tending bees in a field over a mile away, his father is in London, his grandmother next door is not at home. He finds his grandfather in his workshop, drunk as usual, and Hamnet endures a vicious blow for disturbing him. He runs through the town to find the local physician, also not at home. From the outset, the tension is immense. Eventually, though, Judith will recover. We discover later in the book that Hamnet, who also gets sick, is the child who won't.

The storyline moves from Judith's emergency to the past, to Agnes's first meeting with the Latin tutor who has been engaged to teach her stepbrothers, and to their subsequent romance, disapproved of in all quarters. Agnes at this stage is 26, the tutor merely 18 and still, therefore, a minor. A passionate encounter in the apple shed is of particular note, and not without its humour. This encounter is, we're told, the one that leads to the couple marrying 'in haste'.

Agnes's dowry provides for the building of an apartment beside Shakespeare's father's house, and the intention is for Shakespeare to join his raging, drunken father in the family's glover business. As her husband grows more despondent with his new job, Agnes realises he must go to London to follow his acting and writing dreams. The couple convince William's father that his move is to expand the business. When he arrives in London, however, he proceeds to write prolifically and soon becomes a noted theatre producer. The Bard is born.

O'Farrell's story uses Shakespeare's biography almost as a backdrop to the imagined story of Agnes. For all her psychic powers, Agnes has not foreseen the death of her own child and, for all her medicinal knowledge, she can't save him. She will survive this awful tragedy, because people do, but she is altered, embittered, suspicious of her husband, numbed in the paralysis of her grief.

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This exquisitely beautiful and lyrical novel has been longlisted for the Women's Prize for Fiction, alongside the likes of Anne Enright, Hilary Mantel and Ann Patchett. It will be a tough call but winning it would put Coleraine-born O'Farrell front and centre in a place where she deserves to be. She is an astounding literary talent.

Fiction

Hamnet

Maggie O'Farrell

Tinder Press

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Principe, Democratic Republic of Saudi Arabia, Kingdom of Senegal, Republic of Serbia and Montenegro Seychelles, Republic of Sierra Leone, Republic of Singapore, Republic of Slovakia (Slovak Republic) Slovenia Solomon Islands Somalia, Somali Republic South Africa, Republic of South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands Spain, Spanish State Sri Lanka, Democratic Socialist Republic of St. Helena St. Kitts and Nevis St. Lucia St. Pierre and Miquelon St. Vincent and the Grenadines Sudan, Democratic Republic of the Suriname, Republic of Svalbard & Jan Mayen Islands Swaziland, Kingdom of Sweden, Kingdom of Switzerland, Swiss Confederation Syrian Arab Republic Taiwan, Province of China Tajikistan Tanzania, United Republic of Thailand, Kingdom of Timor-Leste, Democratic Republic of Togo, Togolese Republic Tokelau (Tokelau Islands) Tonga, Kingdom of Trinidad and Tobago, Republic of Tunisia, Republic of Turkey, Republic of Turkmenistan Turks and Caicos Islands Tuvalu Uganda, Republic of Ukraine United Arab Emirates United Kingdom of Great Britain & N. 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Source: Xinhua| 2020-04-19 08:23:06|Editor: huaxia

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BEIJING, April 19 (Xinhua) -- Chinese State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi said on Saturday that at the critical moment when the world is combating the COVID-19 pandemic, supporting the World Health Organization (WHO) and its director-general is to safeguard the philosophy and principle of multilateralism.

He made the remarks when holding a phone conversation with WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, noting that the support is also an act to secure the United Nations' status and role and maintain the international solidarity in the face of the disease. Enditem
In recent decades, governing elites have done little to make life better for the nearly two-thirds of Americans who do not have a college degree. And they have failed to confront what should be one of the central questions of our politics: How can we ensure that Americans who do not inhabit the privileged ranks of the professional classes find dignified work that enables them to support a family, contribute to their community and win social esteem?

As economic activity has shifted from making things to managing money, as society has lavished outsize rewards on hedge fund managers and Wall Street bankers, the esteem accorded to traditional work has become fragile and uncertain. At a time when finance has claimed a greater share of corporate profits, many who labor in the real economy, producing useful goods and services, have not only endured stagnant wages and uncertain job prospects; they have also come to feel that society accords less respect to the kind of work they do.

The coronavirus pandemic has suddenly forced us to reconsider what social and economic roles matter most.

Many of the essential workers during this crisis are performing jobs that do not require college degrees; they are truckers, warehouse workers, delivery workers, police officers, firefighters, utility maintenance workers, sanitation workers, supermarket cashiers, stock clerks, nurse assistants, hospital orderlies and home care providers. They lack the luxury of working from the safety of their homes and holding meetings on Zoom. They, along with the doctors and nurses caring for the afflicted in overcrowded hospitals, are the ones who are putting their health at risk so the rest of us can seek refuge from contagion. Beyond thanking them for their service, we should reconfigure our economy and society to accord such workers the compensation and recognition that reflects the true value of their contributions  not only in an emergency but in our everyday lives.

Such a reconfiguration involves more than familiar debates about how generous or austere the welfare state should be. It requires deliberating as democratic citizens about what constitutes a contribution to the common good, and how such contributions should be rewarded  without assuming that markets can decide these questions on their own.

For example, should we consider a federal wage subsidy to ensure that workers can earn enough to support thriving families, neighborhoods and communities? Should we bolster the dignity of work by shifting the burden of taxation from payroll taxes to taxes on financial transactions, wealth and carbon? Should we reconsider our current policy of taxing income from labor at a higher rate than capital gains? Should we encourage the domestic manufacture of certain goods  beginning with surgical masks, medical gear and pharmaceuticals  rather than promoting outsourcing to low-wage countries?

Even when they recede, pandemics and other great crises seldom leave social and economic arrangements as they were. It is up to us to decide what the legacy of this wrenching episode will be. Our best hope is to pursue the intimations of solidarity implicit in this moment to reframe the terms of public discourse, to find our way to a morally more robust political debate than the rancorous one we have now.
Inmates at New Jerseys lone prison for women, tucked away in the states rural northwest, are routinely raped and groped by male guards who act with impunity, knowing that their victims are powerless.

Women who complain have been shackled, strip-searched, and put in solitary confinement for up to three days, just like the inmates who break the rules.

As for the cameras that are supposed to expose the rapists, the problem for years has been the blind spots, including one in a storage room where someone thoughtfully placed a bare mattress. Besides, very often no one is watching the monitors anyway, and no one bothers to review the records as required.

I know the pandemic is the big issue right now. But the unchecked sexual violence at the Edna Mahan Correctional Facility for Women, described in horrifying detail by the U. S. Department of Justice after a two-year investigation, demands an urgent rescue operation.

Sexual abuse of women prisoners by Edna Mahan correction officers and staff is severe and prevalent throughout the prison, the DOJ report, released on Monday, concludes. Women have suffered actual harm from sexual abuse and are at substantial risk of serious harm because the systems in place at Edna Mahan discourage prisoners from reporting sexual abuse and allow sexual abuse to occur undetected and undeterred.

If Gov. Phil Murphy wants to protect these women, as he must, then he needs to do what the alcoholics do: Admit he has a problem and seek help.

Times up. This problem was no secret when Murphy took office more than two years ago, and he has failed to fix it. The obvious remedy is to invite the Department of Justice in to help make repairs under the supervision of a federal judge.

New Jersey has done it before. When the DOJ found systemic racism in the State Police in 1998, federal oversight led to dramatic improvements. When it found the state failed to protect children from abuse in 2003, federal oversight had similar success. And when it found unchecked racism in the Newark police, it intervened there as well, an effort that is still underway.

Murphy, so far, is having trouble with that first step, admitting that he has a problem. His reaction to the searing DOJ report was to cover his own tail by blaming this black mark all on Gov. Chris Christie.

Its a situation we inherited, and we have taken a whole range of steps to address the situation we inherited, Murphy said.

The Department of Corrections hit the same note, saying the DOJ report focused on events that occurred under a previous administration.

Give them this much: Theyre right about Christie. This problem exploded into public view a year before he left office, when four guards at Edna Mahan were charged with sex crimes against inmates, and when the Star-Ledger published a blockbuster investigation by Sean Sullivan that prompted the federal investigation in the first place. Rank this high on Christies list of sins, way above Bridgegate.

But the report is blistering about Murphys failure to fix the problem as well, even as the convictions piled up.

They have failed to remedy this constitutional violation, the report concludes flatly. Credible allegations of sexual abuse by both corrections officers and civilian staff continued to surface throughout 2018 and 2019, despite the attention focused on the issue.

This is a problem for Murphy. He knew about the sexual abuse at the prison during his first few months in office, when the Senate held hearings on sexual violence at the prison, and still, one of the few cabinet officers Murphy kept from the Christie team was Gary Lanigan, the commissioner of the Department of Corrections, who refused to testify at those hearings. When the issue derailed Lanigans nomination, Murphy appointed Lanigans chief of staff, Marcus Hicks, an unlikely candidate to force the needed cultural changes.

Murphy has made some changes, like appointing a female oversight board, hiring more female guards, installing more cameras, and inviting federal experts in to train guards on rape prevention. But the rapes have continued, and the DOJ report says inmates are still in danger, and that the culture hasnt changed.

Its outrageous, says Senate President Steve Sweeney, D-Gloucester. Anyone who knew about this in Corrections should be immediately fired.

Sen. Loretta Weinberg, D-Bergen, said she will convene the womens working group she formed after the Katie Brennan scandal to discuss the prison via Zoom, and Sen. Linda Greenstein, D-Mercer, who conducted the 2018 hearings, said she will soon open a fresh set of hearings on the DOJ report, remotely as well.

Will Murphy agree to federal oversight? His office wont comment.

Weinberg says the governor should concede defeat and welcome federal intervention, and Greenstein said she is open to the idea. What were doing now is clearly not working, Greenstein said.

The DOJ report gives Murphy less than two months to fix these problems, or face a federal lawsuit based on its preliminary finding that the conditions at the jail violate the Constitution. So, this could drag out for a long time if Murphy decides to push back.

The delay would undoubtedly subject more women to rape. The DOJ report notes that between October 2016 and November 2019, a three-year stretch, five guards at the prison and one civilian were convicted of sexually abusing 10 different women. No doubt thats a fraction of the real number, given the threat of retaliation.

Please, governor, dont fight back. Yes, it will be embarrassing to admit this problem festered on your watch. But protecting these women is an urgent moral imperative. Its time now to call in the federal cavalry, even as the pandemic rages.

More: Tom Moran columns

Tom Moran may be reached at tmoran@starledger.com. Follow him on Twitter @tomamoran. Find NJ.com Opinion on Facebook.
Dubai government, on Friday, announced that those who are following Ramadan can offer their prayers from home in order to stop the spread of coronavirus. 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: Mufti Maksat Asks Muslims In Kyrgyzstan To Follow Lockdown Guidelines During Ramadan

Dubai govt asks for prayers at home

The Islamic Affairs and Charitable Activities Department (IACAD) of the Dubai Government that those who pray Taraweeh to finish reading the Holy Quran can hold on to the book in their hands and recite when praying.

Taraweeh is an evening prayer performed after Isha prayers every night during Ramadan.

READ: 'Adhere To Lockdown Rules During Ramadan': Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi Urges The Muslim Community

Earlier this week, Mufti Maksat Azhi Toktomushev has called on the Muslims of Kyrgyzstan to strictly adhere to quarantine requirements. "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.

"Taraweeh prayer should also to be read at home with family. We will overcome all the difficulties, if we strictly observe order," he added.

READ: Coronavirus First Leaked By Wuhan Lab Intern; Spread To Boyfriend, Then Wet-market: Report

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: As India Amends FDI Policy, Startup Investments Reveal Why Protection From China Is Needed
Joshua Lindley was eager to be back in his Salem church.

In early March, the 39-year-old business consultant returned from his mothers funeral in Arkansas and went to see friends at Salem First Church of the Nazarene. There he found comfort in a community hes been part of for over a decade.

He was feeling especially tired that day, the result, he assumed, of his travels. Nothing serious, he thought.

The March 8 service was normal, with one exception. Interim lead pastor Bill Carr told Lindley the congregation was for the time stopping handshakes, a precaution to limit any spread of COVID-19. Lindley, a self-described germophobe, announced the change to the congregation.

Otherwise, the service went on as usual. Lindley sometimes leads the music for the service and on this Sunday he played 10,000 Reasons on keyboard, a song about the good God provides in human life.

It was just a good upbeat service, Lindley said.

That turned out to be the last service the church held in its sprawling Market Street facility as the global pandemic took hold in Oregon.

Within a week, Lindley was seriously ill. The disease sapped his energy and left him fighting for breath after walking a few feet. He was not alone.

Over the next month, 10 members of the church tested positive for COVID-19. Two would die, their spouses saying goodbye over the phone, the mechanical hum of a ventilator in the background.

No one imagined the church would face such a devastating turn.

Read the rest of the story by the Salem Reporter.

This article was originally published by the Salem Reporter, one of more than a dozen news organizations throughout the state sharing their coverage of the novel coronavirus outbreak to help inform Oregonians about this evolving health issue.
LOCAL Fine Gael TD Patrick ODonovan says a major expansion of supports for coronavirus-hit businesses will be of huge benefit to Limerick during the lockdown.

Local firms have taken a battering as all but non-essential companies have been forced to cease trading temporarily because of the spread of the virus.

There are some fears many pubs in particular may never open again.

But, Mr ODonovan says the government is trying to soften the blow with a package worth 1bn in liquidity measures to meet the unprecedented difficulties posed by the virus, which continues to devastate Ireland and the rest of the world.

An additional 450m of lending will be provided through the Strategic Banking Corporation of Ireland (SBCI) for SMEs in all sectors including agri-food. This will provide much needed liquidity for firms and brings the total SBCI COVID-19 lending capacity to 650 million, with loans being made available through the pillar banks, Mr O'Donovan said, These measures are in addition to the 150m of funding capacity in the Governments Credit Guarantee Scheme, which I would encourage businesses in Limerick to avail of.

In the manufacturing and international services sectors sectors, which employ 460,000 people across Ireland, a new Sustaining Enterprise Fund of up to 180m has also been announced.Its aimed at all firms with 10 or more staff impacted by Covid-19.

The fund will be operated by Enterprise Ireland, providing repayable advances of up to 800,000 as agreed with the EU under new State Aid rules and should see up to 500m of additional investment in vulnerable but viable firms. These grants will only be repayable if and when a business returns to financial good health.

Mr ODonovan added: Minister Humphreys has also increased support for two trading online initiatives to a total of 7.6 million  the first for small businesses in partnership with the Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment, Richard Bruton TD, and the second for retailers with over 10 employees.

These supports will help businesses sell their products online at a time when so many retail outlets remain closed and require a much needed boost in revenue.

Meanwhile his colleague Limerick TD Kieran ODonnell TD has welcomed the announcement by Government of changes and enhancements to the Temporary Wage Subsidy Scheme.

These changes mean that more employees will now receive a subsidy of 350 per week, and those with previous net pay below 412 per week will now receive a greater level of subsidy at 85% of net wages rather than 70% as previously applied. These changes will apply for payroll with a pay date on or after May 4 and received by the Revenue Commissioners on or after that date.

I welcome the changes and enhancements announced today by Government in respect of the Temporary Wage Subsidy scheme. In summary this ensure that all employees on below 412 a week net will receive a subsidy of 85% of their net wages, up from 70% and also ensures that all employees are now eligible under this scheme.

I would encourage local employers whose businesses have been impacted by the COVID-19 to avail of this Government Temporary Wage Subsidy Scheme. I fully understand the financial difficulties and worries this Pandemic is causing for viable businesses and their employees. This is an emergency wage support scheme.

designed to support employee wages, whilst maintaining the link between employer and employee as well as ensuring that businesses can survive and come through this COVID-19 induced economic downturn period.
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Militancy is under control in Jammu and Kashmir but Pakistan has escalated its efforts to disturb peace with a two-fold increase in ceasefire violations by its troops along the border, Lieutenant Governor Girish Chander Murmu has said.

"Ceasefire violations have doubled. Cross-border elements are desperate," Murmu told PTI in an interview at the Raj Bhawan here.

The security situation in the Union Territory "is better" as compared to 2018, he said, adding "half of 2019 was under strict restriction. The militancy is under control. The (militancy-related) incidents have decreased."



Jammu and Kashmir has been under tight security since August 5 last year when the central government announced its decisions to abrogate its special status under the Constitution and divide the erstwhile state into two Union Territories -- Jammu and Kashmir, and Ladakh.

Referring to the rise in ceasefire violations by Pakistani troops, the lieutenant governor said "cross-border elements are desperate" to stage infiltration of terrorists into this side.

Noting that militancy-related incidents increase marginally during the summer, he said, "When the winter period ends, little bit activity increases. They are engaged in infiltrations, as we keep getting information.... Ceasefire violations have doubled. Cross-border elements are desperate (to stage infiltration of terrorists into this side)."



Three persons, including a woman and child, were killed on Saturday in artillery shelling by Pakistan in Chowkibal, Kupwara, near the Line of Control (LoC) in north Kashmir on April 12.

"There were a total of 646 incidents of ceasefire violations along the International Border (IB) as well as the LoC between January 1 and February 23 this year," Minister of State for Defence Shripad Naik said in March.

Over 3,200 ceasefire violations by Pakistan troops were recorded in 2019.

There is 198 km IB and over 510 km of LoC with Pakistan in Jammu and Kashmir.

Murmu pointed towards the growing frustration among cross-border elements due to prevailing peace in Jammu and Kashmir.

"They do not digest or tolerate the peace prevailing in Jammu and Kashmir since August 5 last year. They are unable to incite people (to stoke trouble and increase violence in J-K). But the public is cooperating. The public is happy. They have got better services during President's rule," he said.

He said that somehow there are no internal disturbances, so forces across the border have increased the pitch in border areas by engaging in firing and shelling.

"In the hinterland, it is peaceful," he added.

As the winter ended, terrorists have begun to attack security forces and kill civilians in Kashmir Valley in the past fortnight.

Four CRPF troopers were killed and another jawan was injured after militants fired at their vehicle at Sopore in Baramulla district of Jammu and Kashmir on Saturday evening.

Two terrorists, who had snatched two service rifles and killed a policeman in Kishtwar's Dachhan on April 13 by using axes, were killed in an encounter in Chenab Valley's Kishtwar, the police said on Friday.

In another incident, Two Hizbul Mujahideen militants were killed in a gunfight with security forces in south Kashmir's Shopian on Friday.

Five terrorists were killed earlier this month as the Army foiled an infiltration bid along the Line of Control (LoC) in Keran sector of Jammu and Kashmir's Kupwara district, a defence spokesperson said. Five soldiers also died in the gunbattle with them.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
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Moscow, April 20 : The international community should support the work of the World Health Organization (WHO) in the fight against the COVID-19, Russian Health Minister Mikhail Murashko said during a videoconference of G20 health ministers on Sunday.

"Today, the exchange of national practices to overcome all the negative consequences of COVID-19 is very important. And in this situation, the leading role of the WHO is important," Murashko said, Xinhua reported.

The current pandemic situation allows countries to think of measures to modernize their health care systems in order to meet such challenges, he added.

"I would like to draw three conclusions. First, support WHO's efforts. Second, think about the need to improve the global response mechanisms to meet the challenges posed by infectious diseases. And the third is the global issue of access and provision of medical products, including regulatory mechanisms and quality control procedures," the minister said.

Russia has registered a new daily record of 6,060 COVID-19 cases over the last 24 hours, raising the total number to 42,853 as of Sunday.

-- The story has been published from a wire feed without any modifications to the text
By Ricardo Moraes

RIO DE JANEIRO, April 10 (Reuters) - When coronavirus hit and tourists stopped coming to Thiago Firmino's Rio de Janeiro favela tour, he decided to act. Unwilling to wait for officials to react, he donned a white suit and set about disinfecting the streets of the Santa Marta slum.

Having watched with horror as the virus spread round the world, Firmino, 39, launched a scheme to sanitize the Santa Marta favela.

Dressed as a "Ghostbuster," Firmino leads the latest in a growing number of community-led programs to combat the spread of a virus that many expect to wreak havoc in Brazil's poor, densely-packed slums.

"I wouldn't call it heroic, but we have a ferocious attitude," said Firmino as he took a break from spraying the stairways and back alleys of Santa Marta to the applause of quarantined residents.

"The favela is always forgotten. Anything that happens in the city, the favela is always the last to receive any benefit. Healthcare is precarious and the question of public hygiene and trash is also precarious."

Around 4,000 people live in Santa Marta, one of Rio's most iconic favelas.

Set behind the beachside neighborhood of Botafogo, it boasts spectacular views of the Sugar Loaf mountain and even a statue of Michael Jackson, who filmed the video to his song "They Don't Care About Us" in Santa Marta.

Firmino's wife, Wilcieide Miranda, said that so far there were no known cases of COVID-19, the respiratory disease caused by the novel coronavirus, in the slum.

She and her husband rely on community donations to undertake their sanitation work.

"Tourism is the first to stop and the last to return," said Firmino. "We are doing this voluntary action with residents so we can take care of ourselves, because I would rather be without work than without my life."

This week, authorities reported the first six coronavirus deaths in Rio's favelas, which are often controlled by drug gangs and violent self-defense militias.

Story continues

Last month, Reuters reported that gangsters had imposed curfews in some of the city's slums to fight the spread of the coronavirus.

On Wednesday, Brazilian Health Minister Luiz Henrique Mandetta said he would talk with the gangsters who act as the slums' de facto rulers about how to best tackle the virus.

"They are also human beings and they need to collaborate, help, participate," he said.

So far, 1,057 people have died from COVID-19 in Brazil, with 19,638 confirmed cases, according to the latest official figures on Friday. Nearly 150 people have died in Rio state, where there are 2,464 cases, the figures show. (Editing by Gabriel Stargardter and Alistair Bell)
Schools in Victoria will likely remain closed for the remainder of term two to all but those students who need them, the state's premier has announced.

Premier Daniel Andrews said on Sunday only those school children who can't learn at home should be on school grounds.

It comes as the state reported another death from the coronavirus on Sunday - a man in his 80s - bringing the official national total to 70.

Having a million students roaming around the Victorian community, as well as 100,000 parents doing pick-ups and drop-offs was not consistent with the national message to stay at home, Mr Andrews said.

Pictured: A sign outside St Kilda Primary School on Wednesday warning of limited access under restrictions imposed because of the coronavirus. Victoria premier Daniel Andrews has said schools in Victoria will remain closed to all but those student who need them

'Nor does does it achieve anything other than spreading this virus,' Mr Andrews told Sky News on Sunday.

'It's perfectly fine to send your kinds to school if you can't have them learning from home, but if you can have the kids learning from home they must learn from home.'

He expects the present school arrangements to remain in place for the whole of term two.

'If that were to change, if we're to continue to see very stable (COVID-19 case) numbers, if we continue to see this progress we are seeing, we would always reserve the right to look at those arrangements,' he said.

Mr Andrews also said he believes the more success Australia has suppressing COVID-19, the higher the chance of eliminating the disease.

'When you are as successful in suppression as we are, then the notion of being able to eliminate the coronavirus becomes within reach,' he said.

Sports equipment left outside at a primary school in Melbourne's inner north on March 23. Premier Daniel Andrews said having millions of students roaming the community achieved nothing 'other than spreading the virus'

'But I think the most important thing, the national cabinet has agreed, the suppression strategy is working and we need to stay the course on this.'

However, Chief Nursing Officer Alison McMillan thought it was a 'ambitious' to suggest COVID-19 could be eradicated.

'It's a pandemic around the world and so we always have the potential to reintroduce it as we, if we were to open our borders,' she said.

Locked gates at a primary school in Melbourne's inner-north on March 23. Premier Andrews expects the present school arrangements to remain in place for the whole of term two

Meanwhile, the federal government will be able to allocate more protective face masks to healthcare workers after receiving an earlier than expected shipment of 58 million protective face masks.

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 masks are a key element of having our health system prepared and in place as we work towards the aim of easing current restrictions. In particular, they will help with the preparation of a staged resumption of elective surgery procedures,' health minister Greg Hunt said.

Deputy chief medical officer Paul Kelly warned Australians COVID-19 is not an old person's disease, after reporting the death of a man in his 40s.

The man was a crew member of the Artania cruise ship which was finally left Fremantle, Western Australian waters on Saturday.

'So that is by far our youngest person that has died in Australia from this disease and a terrible tragedy for that man and his family,' Professor Kelly told reporters on Saturday.

'But it is a reminder for us that this is not just an old person's disease.'

Meanwhile, Prime Scott Morrison has clarified the app to help trace people who have been in contact with a coronavirus case won't be mandatory.

He said the government will be seeking the 'co-operation and support' of Australians to download the app to help health workers, protect the community and help get the economy going again.

However, a number of coalition politicians reportedly won't download the mobile phone app when it is introduced in the next couple of weeks, citing privacy concerns.

Mr Andrews said the state needed 'to stay the course' on the suppression phase of combating the virus' spread

These include Nationals MP and former deputy PM Barnaby Joyce and Deputy Speaker Llew O'Brien.

'I treasure the government knowing as little about me as possible,' Mr Joyce told Nine newspapers on Sunday.

'Australia is doing an extraordinary job of flattening the curve by reason that we are overwhelmingly decent and logical people. We don't need an app to tell us that.'
New Delhi: Actor Kangana Ranaut on Saturday through a video message, addressed the ongoing controversy around her sister and manager Rangoli Chandel`s tweet and said that the claims pushed against her are false.

This comes in the background after the micro-blogging site Twitter on Thursday suspended Rangoli`s official account over a controversial tweet.

In the video shared by Team Kangana Ranaut on Instagram, the 33-year-old clarified that the allegations against her sister Rangoli made by Sussanne Khan`s sister Farah Khan Ali and director Reema Kagti are completely false.

"If you come across anything offensive, then Rangoli and I would come forward to apologise," the `Queen` actor said.

She also made an appeal to the Centre to find a way to `completely demolish` such social media platforms like Twitter where freedom of speech is inhibited by others.

Twitter suspended Chandel`s account as she was found violating its set of rules.

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.
Former lawmaker and pro-democracy activist Martin Lee (C) talks to members of the media as he leaves the Central District police station in Hong Kong. AFP Photo

Hong Kong: Police in Hong Kong carried out a sweeping operation against high-profile democracy campaigners on Saturday, arresting 15 activists on charges related to massive protests that rocked the Asian financial hub last year.

Among those targeted was 72-year-old media tycoon Jimmy Lai, founder of anti-establishment newspaper Apple Daily, who was arrested at his home.

The group also included former lawmakers Martin Lee, Margaret Ng, Albert Ho, Leung Kwok-hung, Au Nok-hin and current lawmaker Leung Yiu-chung.

They are accused of organising and taking part in unlawful assemblies in August and October, according to the police.

Five were arrested on suspicion of publicising unauthorised public meetings in September and October.

"The arrestees were charged or will be charged with related crimes," superintendent Lam Wing-ho said.

All 15 are due to appear in court mid-May.

US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo called the arrests "deeply concerning", saying in a tweet that "politicized law enforcement is inconsistent with universal values of freedom of expression, association, and peaceful assembly".

The semi-autonomous city was shaken by widespread and sometimes violent street protests in 2019, sparked by a now-abandoned proposal to allow extraditions to the Chinese mainland and its opaque judicial system.

"Today's arrests of pro-democracy figures in Hong Kong is another nail in the coffin of 'one country, two systems'," said Sophie Richardson, the China director at Human Rights Watch, referring to the principle that guarantees freedoms in the city not seen on the mainland.
Chinas economy has shrunk for the first time since records began three decades ago. Its GDP fell 6.8 percent in the first quarter after factories across China shut down and exports fell amid the global CCP virus pandemic that began in the central Chinese city of Wuhan. Meanwhile, many countries are re-evaluating their trading relationship with China.

In other news, Chinese authorities revised the death count in Wuhan from about 2,600 to about 3,900an increase of 50 percent. The official reason: late reports, missed reports, or false reports. However, many say its still far from the real number. Chinese Caixin Net revealed that one funeral home received 5,000 urns in just two days. Thats 1,000 more than the revised death count.

Six cities in China are considered potential hot spots for the next outbreak. But the people in these six cities may not know it themselves. According to photos from Chinese social media, at one airport in southern China, people arriving from Wuhan and five other specific cities were told to take a different route than other passengers.

World leaders are increasing pressure on China, frustrated by the lack of transparency over the origin of the virus. But inside China, many people believe the virus came from the United States. A Wuhan resident told Radio Free America on Friday the Chinese communist regimes propaganda department has been pushing the narrative that the virus came from the United States and are repeating it nonstop. Now, more and more people believe its true.

The editor-in-chief for Chinese regimes mouthpiece, Global Times, boasted on Chinese social media that he mocked U.S. officials on Twitter after U.S. defense secretary Mark Esper on Thursday questioned the information coming out of China.

The FBI said on Thursday that foreign government hackers have broken into U.S. healthcare and research companies conducting research into COVID-19. The FBI spokesperson did not name specific countries or organizations.
A premier Chinese virology laboratory in Wuhan, which is in the eye of the storm for allegedly being the source of the novel coronavirus, has for the first time refuted the charge, including those of United States President Donald Trump, that the deadly virus originated from its lab before it spread across the world and wreaked havoc.

IMAGE: Medical workers in protective suits move a patient at an isolated ward of a hospital in Caidian district following an outbreak of the novel coronavirus in Wuhan. Photograph: Reuters

China has come under increasing global pressure over lack of transparency in its handling of the coronavirus pandemic, which has so far infected over 2,333,160 people and claimed more than 160,790 lives across the world.

Trump on Saturday said his administration was looking into reports that the novel coronavirus "escaped" from a Wuhan laboratory before it spread to the world.

"We're looking at it, a lot of people are looking at it. It seems to make sense," Trump told the media when asked if there was an investigation into whether the coronavirus disease escaped from a lab in China's COVID-19 ground-zero city of Wuhan.

Ever since the virus came to light in Wuhan in December last year, speculation has been rife on whether the viral strain originated from the Wuhan Institute of Virology or from its nearby Huanan Seafood Market.

The WIV, specifically its P4 laboratory, is equipped to handle dangerous viruses.

Though the laboratory denied the rumours in a statement in February, its director Yuan Zhiming, in a first media interview, rejected the rumours that his institute is the original source of COVID-19.

"We know what kind of research is going at the institute and how the institute manages viruses and samples. There is no way that virus came from us," he told the state-run CGTN TV channel.

"We have a strict regulatory regimen. We have code of conduct for research so we are confident of that," the director said.

He said since the Institute of Virology and the P4 lab is in Wuhan, "people can't help but make associations".

Referring to US allegations, Yuan said it is unfortunate that some people are "deliberately misleading" people without having any "evidence or knowledge".

"This is entirely based on speculation. Part of the purpose is to confuse people and interfere with our anti-epidemic and scientific activities. They may have achieved their goal in some way but as a scientist and science and technology manager, I know it is impossible," he said.

The virus "cannot be man made", Yuan said, noting that there is no evidence to prove that COVID-19 is artificial.

"Besides some scientists believe that to synthesise a virus requires extraordinary intelligence and workload. So never believed that we humans have the capability at this time to create such a virus," he said.

Yuan said after the virus broke out, his institute shared the genome sequence of COVID-19 and the latest research on the animal model Research and Development with the World Health Organisation and the Food and Agriculture Organisation of the United Nations.

"As for the institute of virology and the institute of laboratory animal science, we are first in the world to build animal models. After all conspiracy theories are not widespread," he said.
G8 Education (ASX:GEM) shareholders are no doubt pleased to see that the share price has bounced 40% in the last month alone, although it is still down 53% over the last quarter. However, that doesn't change the fact that longer term shareholders might have been mercilessly wrecked by the 68% share price decline throughout the year.

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. Perhaps the simplest way to get a read on investors' expectations of a business is to look at its Price to Earnings Ratio (PE Ratio). A high P/E ratio means that investors have a high expectation about future growth, while a low P/E ratio means they have low expectations about future growth.

Check out our latest analysis for G8 Education

How Does G8 Education's P/E Ratio Compare To Its Peers?

G8 Education's P/E of 6.81 indicates relatively low sentiment towards the stock. The image below shows that G8 Education has a lower P/E than the average (12.9) P/E for companies in the consumer services industry.

ASX:GEM Price Estimation Relative to Market April 18th 2020

G8 Education's P/E tells us that market participants think it will not fare as well as its peers in the same industry. Since the market seems unimpressed with G8 Education, it's quite possible it could surprise on the upside. If you consider the stock interesting, further research is recommended. For example, 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. So while a stock may look cheap based on past earnings, it could be expensive based on future earnings.

Story continues

G8 Education's earnings per share fell by 14% in the last twelve months. And it has shrunk its earnings per share by 3.3% per year over the last five years. This could justify a pessimistic P/E.

Remember: P/E Ratios Don't Consider The Balance Sheet

It's important to note that the P/E ratio considers the market capitalization, not the enterprise value. So it won't reflect the advantage of cash, or disadvantage of debt. In theory, a company can lower its future P/E ratio by using cash or debt to invest in growth.

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).

Is Debt Impacting G8 Education's P/E?

G8 Education has net debt worth 81% of its market capitalization. This is enough debt that you'd have to make some adjustments before using the P/E ratio to compare it to a company with net cash.

The Bottom Line On G8 Education's P/E Ratio

G8 Education's P/E is 6.8 which is below average (14.7) in the AU market. When you consider that the company has significant debt, and didn't grow EPS last year, it isn't surprising that the market has muted expectations. What is very clear is that the market has become less pessimistic about G8 Education over the last month, with the P/E ratio rising from 4.9 back then to 6.8 today. For those who like to invest in turnarounds, that might mean it's time to put the stock on a watchlist, or research it. But others might consider the opportunity to have passed.

When the market is wrong about a stock, it gives savvy investors an opportunity. If it is underestimating a company, investors can make money by buying and holding the shares until the market corrects itself. So this free report on the analyst consensus forecasts could help you make a master move on this stock.

Of course you might be able to find a better stock than G8 Education. 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.
Source: Xinhua| 2020-04-19 17:16:09|Editor: huaxia

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HARBIN, April 19 (Xinhua) -- A 10-member expert group returned to Harbin, capital of northeast China's Heilongjiang Province, on Sunday, after finishing a week-long mission in Russia, assisting the country's efforts in the prevention and control of novel coronavirus.

Entrusted by the National Health Commission, the experts were selected and sent by the Heilongjiang provincial health commission.

The experts said they shared their experience in COVID-19 prevention, control, diagnosis and treatment with the Russian side, and provided guidance and training to Russian medical staff.

The team also provided medical assistance to Chinese living in Russia through video conferences on the epidemic prevention knowledge and methods.

By April 17, the experts had visited 12 medical institutions and held 14 meetings, 10 training sessions and 12 medical counselling sessions during their stay in Russia.

Russia has registered a new daily record of 6,060 COVID-19 cases over the last 24 hours, raising the total number to 42,853 as of Sunday, official data showed. Enditem
The worlds game plan to flatten the COVID-19 curve was recently disrupted as political finger pointing and personal accusations emerged at international and domestic levels.

Apportioning responsibility to others is a human response but the timing of this blame game comes at a crucial moment in the global strategy of slowing the spread of the virus. Initially, political leaders seemed focused on the real enemy  the virus  with its terrible human toll and economic devastation.

However, it now appears that political attention has been unwisely diverted.

Unfortunately, Donald Trump, with his financial assault on the World Health Organization (WHO) and Albertas premier, Jason Kenney, with his personal attack on Dr. Theresa Tam, Canadas chief public health officer, have been willing to jeopardize the tightrope on which we are balancing.

In addition, politicians and academics around the world have begun a full fronted attack on China for its repressive regime, blatant disregard for human rights, and targeting of whistle blowers, not to mention the two Canadian hostages still in custody.

Policy debates aside, it is crucial that international co-operation for communication, data sharing, vaccine research and the sourcing of protective equipment be maintained. As well, respect for hardworking public health officials is key. Questioning their professional judgment is one thing, but personal attacks are inappropriate.

Furthermore, diverting attention and targeting too many opponents at once can waste precious resources. No amount of blame can change the present situation.

For these reasons, it was disheartening to watch Trump and Kenney harangue the health bodies and individuals who are working flat out to mitigate errors and save lives. Federal Conservative leader Andrew Scheer, voicing similar rhetoric, has at least, limited his comments to serious concerns about the WHO, its relationship with China and questions about any suppression of data.

While questions must be asked of the WHO about the timing of their announcements and their apparent deference to Chinas explanation of information, nevertheless, the timing of Trumps political hand grenade of the U.S. withdrawal of funds is deplorable.

Halting American funding of the WHO for 60 days as his administration conducts a review, likely to be led by the State department is reprehensible. There is no time for a review. There is only time to save lives.

Already in trouble with an attempt at a drive-by smear of Dr. Anthony Fauci, the highly respected American expert on infectious diseases, the president reverted to his old trick of distraction  a distraction which may prove to be fatal to others.

Given that the U.S. is the largest single government donor in the world, it is unclear if the WHO could make up this financial shortfall, which will also impact its vital work on polio and malaria. Without a global collaborating body to track and benchmark data, the world will be left with a patchwork of confusion, especially as the virus is about to hit low- and middle-income countries with fragile health systems.

While Trump was playing his blame game, Kenney decided to take on Tam. Kenneys impatience and frustration on behalf of Albertans, who are also facing the decline of oil prices and energy projects, is easy to understand but to publicly lash out at Tam, alleging that she is speaking on behalf of the Peoples Republic of China, is irresponsible behaviour for a leader.

Political brawls do not instill confidence. Until now, the daily press conferences and briefings by the prime minister, premiers and officials have helped to foster a climate of stability.

Government and public health officials had begun to shine, while partisan politics momentarily retreated. Attention had shifted to the dedicated public servants who actually run the machinery of government and to the courageous front-line workers.

There will be time ahead for analysis and investigations, which will be spread far and wide. Governments could fall. Geopolitical alliances may be torn asunder. International organizations will be under threat.

But right now, only one game plan is paramount  stop the spread of COVID-19, save lives and support emergency personnel. Anything else is senseless.

Penny Collenette is an adjunct professor of law at the University of Ottawa and was a senior director of the Prime Ministers Office for Jean Chretien. She is a freelance contributing columnist for the Star. Follow her on Twitter: is an adjunct professor of law at the University of Ottawa and was a senior director of the Prime Ministers Office for Jean Chretien. She is a freelance contributing columnist for the Star. Follow her on Twitter: @penottawa

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An illicit liquor manufacturing



unit operating inside a house Dakshina Kannada district has been busted and two persons arrested, official sources said on Sunday.

Acting on definite information, officials of the Excise department raided the house at Kodman Kodi in Bantwal on Saturday and seized 1,200 litres of wash, 950 kg of jaggery, 500 litres of spurious wine, 300 litres of potato-jaggery mixture and equipment used to brew liquor, they said.

The raid was conducted on the direction of Excise joint commissioner Shailaja Kote by a team led by Excise superintendent Vinod Kumar, the sources said.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Source: Xinhua| 2020-04-19 16:54:10|Editor: huaxia

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Liang Mengxiang (R) embroiders clothing of Miao ethnic group with her mother at Dangjiu Village in Gandong Township of Rongshui Miao Autonomous County, south China's Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, April 15, 2020. Liang Mengxiang, 21, is a college student of Miao ethnic group born in Dangjiu Village, who studies at south China's Guangxi Science and Technology Normal University. Dangjiu is a remote, poverty-stricken village where women over 40 years old hardly ever attended any school, which was believed to be one of the major reasons causing local poverty due to language barriers. Over the years, with a range of favorable rural education policies implemented, all the children here have the opportunity to receive a better education which also benefited Liang Mengxiang, who has now studied at a college. Since February of this year, local authorities piloted a Mandarin training programme at Wuying Miao Village as part of efforts in local poverty alleviation, employing college students to teach stay-at-home women Mandarin. Liang Mengxiang, who stayed at the village due to the COVID-19 outbreak, applied to be a Mandarin "teacher" to train the women from the village. "I'm very happy that they can make a little progress each day. I hope more and more people like them can learn Mandarin." said Liang. (Xinhua/Huang Xiaobang)
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.
Coronavirus hurting mental health of Americans but religious support may help, studies show

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While some of Americans say they can endure social distancing directives that have shut down schools and businesses across the country for as long as is necessary before their physical health or finances are significantly impacted, less than 50% say their mental health will hold up.

Social distancing practices aimed at stemming the spread of the new coronavirus are already impacting the mental health of 15% of Americans while another 37% say they can only endure for a few more weeks or months before their mental health begins to suffer, according to a recent Gallup poll.

Only 48% of a random sample of 7,931 U.S. adults, aged 18 and older who participated in the poll conducted April 6-12 said their mental health could endure social distancing for as long as is necessary.

President Trump recently announced that all Americans must continue to avoid nonessential travel, going to work, eating at bars and restaurants, or gathering in groups of more than 10 through at least the end of April and perhaps until June.

While 53% of men in the survey said they could continue social distancing as long as is necessary before their mental health suffers, only 43% of women agreed. Some 19% of women said they were already experiencing negative emotional or mental health effects compared to 12% of men. Among parents with minor children at home, 20% report already struggling with their mental health compared with 13% of parents who had no minor children at home.

For respondents without minor children, 51% of them said they could last as long as is necessary without their mental state being affected, but only 41% of parents agree.

Employed adults were also more likely to report negative emotional effects from social distancing directives than those who were unemployed.

Younger respondents in the survey, those aged 18 to 44, were also more likely than their older counterparts to say their emotional or mental health is already suffering.

Older Americans are more likely than those who are younger to say they can follow social distancing practices as long as is necessary before their financial, mental and physical health suffer. Older adults may be more patient because they know their health risks are higher than those for younger adults should they contract COVID-19. They are also more likely to be retired and on a fixed income, which might make them somewhat less financially vulnerable, Gallup said.

In Does Religious Affiliation Protect People's Well-being? Evidence from the Great Recession After Correcting for Selection Effects, a recently revised study by scholars at Baylor University, Duke University and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, comparative data show that religious Americans were better able than less religious ones to weather the economic storm of the 2008 recession.

The evidence from this study, researchers say, could have implications for how the coronavirus pandemic could impact Americans today.

The researchers analyzed data from Gallups U.S. Daily Poll between 2008 and 2017, which surveyed 1,000 adults daily on political, economic and well-being topics to reach their conclusion.

These results are consistent with a large literature on the relationship between social capital and religious affiliation, but they also suggest a possible causal effect of Christianity on the way individuals process and respond to external circumstances. Moreover, we show that individuals who may identify as Christian, but are not actively engaged in their local church community, may benefit significantly more from being surrounded by religious adherents and communities with social capital. These results contribute to a growing literature on the effect of religiosity on human flourishing and economic outcomes, the researchers said in their conclusion of the study.

Houses of worship contain networks of social support, a shared sense of identity, norms, trust, accountability and reciprocity, Byron Johnson, distinguished professor of social sciences and founding director of Baylors Institute for Studies of Religion, said in a statement to The Christian Post. These networks of social and spiritual support help build and sustain relationships that can be invaluable sources of encouragement in times of trouble.

He added: What our study allows us to conclude is that religiously active Christians who report faith is important in their lives are better able to deal with either economic booms or busts. For active Christians, social well-being is not based on the economy.
Hundreds of people demonstrated Saturday in cities across America against coronavirus-related stay-at-home rules -- with the explicit encouragement of President Donald Trump -- as resentment against prolonged confinement grew.

An estimated 400 people gathered under a cold rain in Concord, New Hampshire -- many on foot while others remained in their cars -- to send a message that extended quarantines were not necessary in a state with relatively few confirmed cases of COVID-19, an AFP photographer reported.

A similar rally outside Maryland's colonial-era statehouse in Annapolis drew around 200 protesters. And more than 250 people showed up in the Texas capital of Austin, as such protests continued to spread.

They drew encouragement in certain Democratic-led states from tweets by Trump -- who has said he favors a quick return to normal practices -- though protests have also taken place in Republican-led states like New Hampshire.

In Concord, demonstrators carried signs with slogans like "The numbers lie" or "Reopen New Hampshire." Their common demand was that the stay-at-home order for the state of 1.3 million people be called off before its scheduled May 4 end date.

Others, amid a sea of American flags, chanted the state's Revolutionary War-era slogan, "Live Free or Die." Among the demonstrators were several armed men wearing face-covering hoods, the AFP journalist noted.

"People are very happy on a voluntary basis to do what's necessary," one demonstrator, 63-year-old Skip Murphy, told AFP by phone.

He added, however, that "the data does not support the egregious lockdown we are having in New Hampshire." He said only the southeastern part of the state, near the Boston metropolitan area, had an elevated incidence of the disease, and he argued that the rest of the state, with far fewer cases, should be exempted from confinement orders.

As of Friday morning, New Hampshire had reported 1,287 confirmed cases of coronavirus and 37 deaths."What about our constitutional rights?" Murphy said.

"All over the country, a lot of people are saying, 'We will do our part, but at the same time this is supposed to be a free country.' "When that gets transgressed, people start to say, 'Wait a minute, this is wrong.'" Most Americans -- by a two-to-one margin -- actually worry about virus restrictions being lifted too soon, not too late, a recent Pew survey found.

But demonstrators found encouragement Friday from the president himself, who in a series of tweets called to "LIBERATE" Michigan, Minnesota and Virginia -- all states with Democratic governors -- from stay-at-home orders.

Trump has repeatedly called for the earliest possible return to normality as virus-related closings have had a crushing impact on American workers and businesses.

But public health officials warn that too quick an easing of restrictions could allow a disastrous resurgence of the virus.

The largest protest against stay-at-home rules so far took place Wednesday in the Michigan capital of Lansing, where some 3,000 people demonstrated against confinement orders from Governor Gretchen Whitmer.

Murphy said he had voted for Trump, but insisted his motives were not partisan. New Hampshire Governor Chris Sununu is a Republican, he noted.

"This has nothing to do with Trump or the Democrat and Republican governors," Murphy said.

"It is a case of one size not fitting all -- the lockdown should cease where it does not make sense."
Were going to get back to living life, even if it kills us
There has been an outbreak of Covid-19 in a town centre hotel in Cahersiveen to which more than 100 asylum seekers were transferred four weeks ago, business and community leaders have been informed.

It comes after they sought a meeting with hotel management on Saturday night to ascertain if local rumours of an outbreak were accurate.

The Cahersiveen Community and Business Alliance was told that four residents were diagnosed as positive last Tuesday and the four had been transferred to Cork.

Representatives from the towns pharmacies and supermarkets met with management of the Skellig Star in a car park near the centre on Saturday night, its chairman Jack Fitzpatrick said.

As from today, management have agreed to confine residents to the hotel and grounds and local businesses are delivering produce and pharmaceutical products ordered online to the door of the hotel. The process was put in place last night.

After a further meeting this afternoon, retailers in Cahersvieen said they want to make clear that they will not refuse to serve residents should they come to their shops. However, for at least 24 hours until matters are clarified and all tests take place they would prefer the method of delivering to the hotel.

Rooms are being shared and there was little opportunity for social distancing at meal times, it has been noticed. The residents had been using local shops.

Three weeks ago the HSE promised us they would contact us immediately if there was any change, Mr Fitzpatrick said.

Last night after we approached management, the hotel confirmed four residents had tested positive and had been moved to Cork.

Management at the centre agreed to the offer that the residents, who had been visiting shops and pharmacies in the town, would now remain in the hotel and the supermarket owners would carry out deliveries, Mr Fitzpatrick said..

At the very minimum supermarkets should have been informed to protect our front line staff. The contract was signed before we even heard about it and we made the best of it. All we asked in return was to be kept informed , he said.

The Department of Justice said this afternoon it has put in place a range of measures in their direct provision centres to address cases of Covid-19 if or when they arise. This includes the provision for self-isolation facilities and a number of offsite isolation centres around the State.

In all matters related to Covid-19, they are following public health advice from the HSE and the National Health Emergency Team, a Dept spokesman said.

The decision by the Department of Justice to transfer residents of Dublin hotels in Direct Provision and to open the former Skellig Star as a new accommodation centre for asylum seekers was part of its emergency response to Covid-19, the Department said at the time.

However, the lack of consultation and the loss of a key piece of tourism infrastructure for local events, as well as tourism and leisure, drew criticism. .

Independent councillor Johnny Healy-Rae accused the Department of taking advantage of the virus to move people to Cahersiveen without consultation.

In January, the Department had denied reports Cahersiveen was to have a centre.

None of the asylum seekers arriving in Cahersiveen this week have been in the country for "less than two months" the Department said in March as it moved to calm local fears after the first 105 of 150 asylum seekers had been moved from Dublin hotels to the Kerry town.

"If the concerns locally are that the people may have recently arrived from a region affected by Covid-19, I can confirm that no one in the group of 105 has been in this country for less than two months and all have been health screened by the HSE-led medical team at our reception centre in Baleseskin, North Dublin on their arrival," a spokesperson for the Department said.

Meanwhile, Mr Ftizpatrick said he has contacted the health inspectorate Hiqa asking for an urgent inspection to be carried out to see if the hotel was fit for purpose, out of concern for residents and locals.

The contract with the former Skellig Star Hotel in Cahersiveen is for a 12-month period. It is to provide accommodation for 150 single people across 56 bedrooms and was offered to the Department under the Expressions of Interest process.

The Skellig Star Hotel, formerly known as the Watermarque Hotel, underwent a 3m revamp in 2017 when it was purchased by a group of Irish and Chinese investors.

The Department last week said there were no plans to extend the numbers beyond 150. More than 90 people reside there currently.

There are around 12 staff, it is understood. The HSE and the Department has been asked for comment today.

The health authorities  HSE and Cork Kerry Community Health Care (CKCH) - said the Cahersiveen hotel was not a HSE or CKCH facility and they would not be making any comment.

As a general rule the health authorities only comment on cases or outbreaks of any illness (Covid-19 or otherwise) if there is a Public Health reason to do so.

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Rajesh Kumar Thakur By

Express News Service

PATNA: In an unprecedented move, an FIR was lodged against a dozen of persons including a Sub-Divisional Police Officer (SDPO) and two officers of Bihar Administrative Service (BAS) on Sunday for violating social distancing at a fish-rice party, hosted by a political worker, closely associated with education minister of Bihar KN Varma, on April 15.

A party was organised amid the lockdown at Sugaon village in Jehanabad district on the completion of one and half month of the house built by Pintu Yadav, who is said to be close to the education minister. Jehanabad SDPO Prabhat Bhushan Srivastava, BDO Makhdumpur Anil Mistry and CO Rajeev Ranjan besides many local prominent persons had reportedly attended the party.

When the matter reached the Jehanabad SP Manish Kumar, he immediately ordered an inquiry into it and found the matter primarily true. The SP sent an SOS letter to IG, police headquarters NH Khan aprising him of all details and participations by SDPO and others.

The IG headquarter immediately communicated the matter of serious nature to Bihar DGP Gupteshwar Pandey, who took a strong note of it and ordered to lodge the FIR against all the persons who attended the party.

The DGP told the media that the FIR (no 129/2020)on the written statement of an SI of Makhdumpur PS against the erring officers and others was lodged under the Disaster Management Act 188,269,270,271 of IPC. DGP said that no one would be spared howsoever powerful they may be,if found involved in violation of lockdown. "Everyone is equal before the law and suitable actions would be taken by the police," he said.

Meanwhile, Pintu Yadav denied that any social distancing was violated. The minister also denied of being in knowledge of any such party in Jehanabad. He told the media that he has nothing to take with this incident.

Besides all this, Bihar police arrested 60 persons in different parts of state on Sunday for violating lockdown and lodged 36 FIRs also. According to official figures shared by ADG HQ Jitendra Kumar, total 1100 persons have been jailed in Bihar from March 24 to April 19,1261 FIRs lodged and 30,185 vehicles seized by police on charges of violating the lockdown. Kumar said that a huge sum of Rs 7 crore was also realised in penalty from lockdown violators.
GRAND RAPIDS, MI  The Michigan Supreme Court shot down a young mans appeal in a negligence lawsuit against the Catholic Diocese of Grand Rapids that was previously dismissed in Kent County Circuit Court, the Associated Press reports.

The lawsuit accuses the diocese and three Catholic school employees of negligence in the sexual abuse of a Catholic school teen who was assaulted by a tutor. The victim, who was 15 at the time of the abuse, accuses the defendants of failing to prevent Abigail Simon, a former Catholic school tutor, from abusing him.

The teen filed the lawsuit in 2015 against the diocese, Grand Rapids Catholic Secondary School and three administrators, claiming not enough was done to prevent high school tutor Abigail Simon from abusing the teen.

Simon was convicted in November 2014 of criminal sexual conduct and sentenced to prison. Now 40, Simon is currently serving an eight-year prison sentence. At trial, she claimed the teen was the one who sexually assaulted her.

Former Catholic school tutor explains how a 15-year-old boy allegedly controlled her life

School officials testified they were unaware of the sexual relationship between the teen and the tutor in 2013 at Catholic Central High School.

Kent County Circuit Court Judge George Quist dismissed the lawsuit in 2017 and the state appeals court agreed with the dismissal in 2018.

Teens lawsuit against Diocese in Abigail Simon case dismissed by judge

The supreme courts appeals rejection wasnt unanimous, the Associated Press reports. Three justices  Bridget McCormack, Richard Bernstein and Megan Cavanagh  said they wanted to hear the case.

Cavanagh said the supreme courts order that the previous testimony of school officials, which characterized Simon as acting too friendly to male students, was an issue warranting further consideration by this court.

Read more on MLive:

Former University of Michigan football players reported sexual abuse by doctor to three trainers, lawsuits say

Lawsuit alleges current University of Michigan athletic trainer knew of former doctors abuse

UM fires David Daniels, tenured opera professor accused of sexual misconduct
'New York State, the epicenter of the coronavirus pandemic, clocks in at a staggering 2,22,284 cases, with 14,636 deaths. No wonder I am anxious as the numbers keep spiraling upwards even though no one in my inner circle has fallen prey to the virus  yet.'

I tell myself that I am lucky to be in lockdown with my family in Irvington, New York, until the lethal COVID-19 virus bids us goodbye. After all, I live in a picturesque, tranquil little village on the banks of the Hudson River, 20 miles north of New York City in Westchester County. I should be relaxing in my living room, enjoying the spectacular views of the sunset over the river, while sipping a hot cup of coffee. And yet, I feel stressed and paranoid. This is because we are in the eye of the virus storm at so many levels, with Westchester being the first hot spot in New York State.

Less than six weeks after it stealthily crept into Westchester, the coronavirus outbreak has grown exponentially to 23,179 cases within a population of less than a million. New York State, the epicenter of the pandemic, clocks in at a staggering 2,36,732 cases, with 17,671 deaths. And the US with its 7,39,988 cases leads the world. Even tiny Irvington is in there with over 40 cases.

No wonder I am anxious as the numbers keep spiraling upwards even though no one in my inner circle has fallen prey to the virus  yet. This could change at any moment. I am over 70 years old, and every person who crosses my path is a potential threat, including my beloved grandson. Even inanimate objects such as cardboard and plastic can pass on the virus. I now inhabit a surreal, unrecognisable world where my very life depends on social distancing.

This was made very clear when I had to unexpectedly see my physician recently when self-treatment for a minor health problem did not work. I called for an appointment and was screened over the phone for coronavirus symptoms. When my car entered the parking lot, I was stopped by a woman wearing a mask who checked my drivers license through the closed window. After the name was cross-checked against a list, I was told to park. Given my symptoms, I was allowed to go in unattended without the doctor having to escort me.

The waiting room of this exceptionally busy practice had two people in it because of the staggered appointments. My temperature was taken, I was given a mask and taken immediately to the doctors office. When he came in, he looked as if he had just left the set of a Star Wars movie. His face was fully covered by a plastic, wolf-like mask that jutted out and totally covered his face. I could not make out who was inside. He stood in the doorway wearing a light blue gown and gloves, insisting I put on my mask first before we talked. When he took out his stethoscope, he kept his distance and checked my lungs only from the back. I realised then that he was as afraid of me as I was of him and we both needed social distancing.

My second encounter with a doctor, my ophthalmologist, was truly an eye-opener! My eyes were bothering me, and I left a message for her since her practice was closed. She called me back on FaceTime. Based on her instructions, I turned on my bright desk lamp and held the phone close to my eyes. She asked me to open my eyes wide, diagnosed the problem instantly and called in the prescription to the local pharmacy in less than 10 minutes.

Similarly, every aspect of life has changed, even socialising. Zoom and Google Hangouts allow me to meet my friends virtually, attend lectures, and if I so wish, to participate in chanting om, Bollywood dancing and laughing yoga sponsored by the local Indian association. There are also free online courses from Harvard or virtual tours of the Louvre and the Vatican Museum to be explored.

On Firstpost: A database of books, performances, tours and courses available online in these times of social distancing

Shopping is still fraught with anxiety over safety and I dither like Hamlet over my two options: order online, or send my son to the local grocery stores, which until recently had no safety measures in place. Ordering online will not expose my son to danger, but it also has its own issues. Does every item that is left on the front porch have to be disinfected in case the delivery person has the virus? And how do we handle the dreaded cardboard boxes? The dilemma was resolved for the present as all online companies delivering perishable goods have come to a screeching halt here because of the overwhelming demand, and the non-availability of many products. There is only one choice: the grocery store.

My sons weekly forays there initially made me very nervous. No social distancing, no masks and gloves for the employees, no sanitisers for the customers. Now the situation has improved as stores have instituted the required safety features. Earlier, the stock was limited because of panic buying even before the lockdown. People piled toilet and paper towels, bottled water, cereals, rice, pasta, hand sanitisers, cleaning supplies and whatever else they could think of in their overflowing carts. My niece, who lives on the quiet Upper East Side in New York City, spoke of fights that broke out in the grocery aisles when she went shopping  even people in their 80s joined in the fray. Fortunately, there is now enough stock to prevent such mayhem.

I also have to sift through so much conflicting and often absurd information, even from alleged experts, and it has been mentally taxing. Wear a mask, dont wear a mask, take malaria medicine, dont take the medicine, use a hair dryer to send hot air up your nose as the heat will kill the virus  the list is endless. To get away from the fog of confusion, I seek clarity by watching Governor Andrew Cuomos daily status updates on the coronavirus in New York. He calms me down by telling the truth and providing facts based on science. When he says the curve is plateauing, I feel hopeful. His steady hand at the wheel has helped New York navigate extremely stormy waters.

Given all this uncertainty, I am happy to cocoon myself at home with my family and focus on cooking, cleaning and frequently washing my protesting hands. I am busy and surprisingly not bored. Answering the frequent calls and responding to enquiries from anxious relatives and friends from other countries breaks up the routine and also connects the family to loved ones. Plus, there is always Netflix.

Follow LIVE updates on the coronavirus crisis here.

Being quarantined is like living in solitary confinement. It is an intense, personal experience and each person views it through a different lens. One of my friends who lives alone and is working from home is doing well. Another who lives with her daughter is depressed. A third friend, who runs the labs at a major hospital in New York City, drives into the city three days a week and she and her family are deeply worried about her safety.

I escape from all this most evenings when I go for a joyful walk on a path leading into the small woods nearby. The sky is blue, spring is here, and the world is awash with colour as the trees cast aside their dull winter clothes and show off their lovely spring wear. I feast my eyes on the yellow forsythias, white magnolias, purple lilacs, tulips and daffodils. While the squirrels scamper around, the birds create their own symphony. The insistent chattering of the sparrows is interspersed with the sad notes of a mourning dove, with percussion provided by the staccato hammering of woodpeckers. It reminds me that in the midst of all this horror, a beautiful world still exists out there and it is only a matter of time before the human race enters it again.
Iran will extend leave for prisoners for one more month, President Hassan Rouhani announced Sunday, after the country temporarily released 100,000 detainees to combat the spread of coronavirus.

"Prisoners' leave was supposed to continue until the end of Farvardin (April 19) ... it will be extended until the end of Ordibehesht (May 20)," Rouhani said during a televised meeting of the government's coronavirus taskforce, referring to two Iranian months.

However, he said the judiciary would be the main authority on the matter.

Judiciary spokesman Gholamhossein Esmaili did not directly confirm Rouhani's remarks but further leniency was anticipated.

"By utilising the full extent of the leniency the law allows, we expect a significant number of prisoners on leave not to go back, and even for many of those currently detained to be released," Esmaili was quoted as saying by judiciary's agency Mizan Online.

A final decision will be made on April 29, he added.

Iran's judiciary began progressively granting detainees furlough in March, with 100,000 prisoners now on temporary leave.

It also announced last month that 10,000 prisoners would be released in an Iranian New Year amnesty.

The move aimed to "reduce the number of prisoners in light of the sensitive situation in the country," Esmaili said at the time, making no explicit reference to the coronavirus pandemic.

The Islamic republic has been struggling to contain what is the Middle East's deadliest outbreak of the novel coronavirus since reporting its first cases on February 19.

The government has repeatedly urged Iranians to stay at home to contain the spread of the virus.

It has shut schools and universities, postponed major events and imposed a range of other restrictions.

On Saturday, Iran allowed some shuttered businesses in the capital Tehran to reopen, after approving similar measures in other provinces last week.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
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Linkedin Li Yingxue (China Daily/Asia News Network)  Sun, April 19, 2020 16:45 632 fc6853813033f564188675f8bd2dcb6d 2 News China,Youth,coronavirus,COVID-19,pandemic Free

It is imperative for the world to strengthen mutual understanding, act in unity and work together in a collective response to fight COVID-19, speakers at the latest edition of Vision China said.

The event, "Young Voices: Shared Future & Better Tomorrow", was broadcast online to a global audience on Thursday evening.

Six students from China, Russia and the United States shared their stories about the pandemic, stressing that courage, care, communication, equality and unity are needed to fight the global battle against COVID-19.

President Xi Jinping has on many occasions called for global solidarity and cooperation to battle the pandemic. The six speakers shared their own stories and reflections on worldwide cooperation and collaboration to fight COVID-19 and build a community with a shared future for mankind.

Max Horne, a first-year student at Harvard, said China is his second home as he has studied Chinese since the age of 12, and paid numerous visits to the country.

When Wuhan was first hit by the outbreak, Horne filmed videos showing his support for those fighting on the front line against the virus. He said he wanted to show that the people of the United States wish to deepen engagement with China through people-to-people exchanges and through globalism.

"The need for close communication, collaboration and coordination between the world's nations is more important than ever," he said, calling for innovative, unorthodox channels to promote much-needed cross-cultural exchanges.

Alisa Topchiy, a student at Saint-Petersburg State University in Russia, said: "I believe that the coronavirus is above politics. And cooperation will be the only way to destroy the virus."

She said the good news for her is that China and Russia have not only offered each other, but also the world, a helping hand to cope with the pandemic. China had provided assistance to more than 120 countries amid the COVID-19 outbreak by the end of March.

Xue Feiyang, a student at the London School of Economics and Political Science, helped launch the "Chinese against racist virus" campaign by organizing a workshop and giving speeches in London.

She also shot documentaries about the Chinese people living abroad and the efforts they have made in fighting the virus together with students from different British universities. "We have every reason to hope that the world will become a safer place in which people are treated equally, as humans and not a virus," she said.

Zhu Jiayi, a first-year master's student at the University of Southern California, flew back to China in late March, partly because of xenophobia and an undercurrent of racism targeting Chinese students and Asian-Americans.

Read also: Medical students in virus-hit countries urge youth to stay home

On her way back she recalled that customs officials and social workers who helped her with quarantine all gave her a warm welcome.

Zhu said doctors, nurses, construction workers, and many more, who chose to risk their lives fighting COVID-19, have been making those difficult decisions and doing things for the greater good rather than just themselves.

"Only in solidarity will we, as human society, have a chance to win this fight against COVID-19," she said.

Wang Ziyi, a fifth-grader at Shanghai Starriver Bilingual School, is rightly proud that seven of his family members became volunteers during the outbreak in Wuhan, Hubei province.

"My family is only one of the numerous families in Wuhan, who are doing their bit to pull the city together," he said. "Every ordinary person can be a hero."

"Without Wuhan's sacrifice and joint efforts from people from all walks of life, we wouldn't have done what we have achieved so far," he said.

Xiong Ziqing, a 21-year-old exchange student in Monterey, in the US, said that social distancing reminds him of the value of sharing, caring and communicating with others.

"The pandemic cannot sweep away friendship, goodwill and exchanges of ideas and knowledge," Xiong said. He added that the rapid rise in the use of video conference and social media have shown people's willingness to sympathize, communicate and work together regardless of distance.

Launched in January 2018 by China Daily, Vision China has been featuring global opinion leaders invited to discuss Chinese topics of international significance.

Thursday's event, the 11th edition, was a special one focusing on voices of the youths.

It was organized by China Daily in cooperation with Xi'an Jiaotong-Liverpool University and the Canadian International School of Beijing.

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This article appeared on the China Daily newspaper website, which is a member of Asia News Network and a media partner of The Jakarta Post
TOKYO  It was a scene of normalcy, something friends in New York or London or San Francisco can only conjure in memory: a man and a woman, out for a drink.

Tokyo had already been in a coronavirus state of emergency for more than a week. But through the windows of a narrow restaurant in Roppongi, a popular nightlife district in central Tokyo, I could see them sipping from large beer steins, chatting in non-social distancing proximity.

Read the latest updates on coronavirus news from around the world.

Several other patrons waited, face masks pulled down under their chins, while cooks served up battered octopus balls.
Anglo Pacific is a one-off in this country. It is the only listed business focused on mining royalties  which means the group provides cash to miners in return for a slice of their revenues.

Some of these mines are already in production, some are nearly there and some are at an early stage. Overall, however, the business is designed to offer investors stable dividend growth by investing in a range of commodities from a variety of countries.

Chief executive Julian Treger was appointed in 2013 when the company was struggling. He has worked hard to turn Anglo round and recent results are encouraging.

Profit flow: Anglo Pacific earns royalties from providing cash for mining

Over the past four years, income has almost tripled, the balance sheet has been strengthened and Treger has broadened the firm's exposure to premium commodities.

This has allowed Anglo to raise its dividend by 50 per cent since 2016 while ensuring that the dividend is increasingly well covered by group earnings.

Earlier this month, Treger unveiled results for 2019, including a 21 per cent rise in royalty revenue to 56 million, a 13 per cent climb in earnings per share to 20.41p and a 12.5 per cent increase in the total dividend to 9p.

Anglo pays dividends quarterly  offering 1.625p for the first three quarters of the year, topped up with a variable final dividend. For 2019, the proposed final payment is 4.125p, it should be paid in mid-June and any investor on the share register by June 4 will be entitled to that money.

Midas looked at Anglo in 2017, then again in 2018, when the price was 1.45. By last year, it had risen to 2.13 but on Friday, the shares closed at just 1.35. The lacklustre performance reflects understandable concern about the future.

Most commodities tend to follow the economic cycle so they fall in price when times are bad. With experts predicting a plunge in global growth, the outlook for Anglo may seem bleak.

The company should prove more resilient than a superficial glance would suggest, however. A few years ago, a coal mine in Australia accounted for the lion's share of royalty income. Now, there are eight royalty-producing assets, covering commodities such as copper, uranium, gold and silver.

Treger has also been shifting the portfolio to less polluting products, such as iron ore pellets and coking coal, both 'cleaner' than lowergrade alternatives.

Various mines should come on stream soon, adding to Anglo's income, and the Australian coal asset is targeting strong growth this year, despite Covid-19. Treger is also looking for more deals  and he may find some bargains.

Bank finance for mining projects was scarce even before the coronavirus outbreak  now it is likely to be in even shorter supply so miners will be forced to look to alternative providers of cash, such as Anglo.

Midas verdict: It is rare to find a dividend-paying stock in today's markets but Anglo's final payment for 2019  4.125p  looks pretty secure. Brokers also expect a total dividend for the current year of 9.5p, putting the stock on a yield of more than 7 per cent.

Some commodities may be turbulent in the short term but ultimately, prices should rise. Investors who bought Anglo Pacific in 2017 should hold.

New investors in search of sustained, long-term income could also be lured in at current levels.

Traded on: Main market Ticker: APF Contact: anglopacificgroup.com or 020 3435 7400
Dublin, April 16, 2020 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The "Impact of COVID-19 on Global Renewable Energy Industry" report has been added to ResearchAndMarkets.com's offering.



The global renewable energy industry includes solar, wind, hydro, biofuels and others, that are less carbon-intensive and create a more sustainable renewable energy system. The factors that were fueling the growth of the renewable energy market before the COVID-19 pandemic include rising concern about the safety of the environment coupled with a growing energy crisis. Additionally, the cost-effectiveness offered using renewable energy is also contributing significantly to the growth of the global renewable energy market.



However, with the outbreak of COVID-19 since December 2019, the market of global renewable energy has shown discouraging growth rates. The COVID-19 virus was novel in nature and hence the government organizations across the globe published guidelines to quarantine oneself from the crowd and stay at home. Due to lockdowns, the global supply chains are affected and a considerable slowdown in production was observed. Sectors such as the wind industry are experiencing logistical delays. The logistic delays are resulting in delays in new project development. Moreover, due to the decrease in prices of crude oil, the demand for renewable energy can decrease in the near future.



The global renewable energy industry report is segmented into the solar panel industry, wind power industry, hydropower industry, and other industries. Out of which solar panel industry is expected to get affected significantly due to the pandemic. The effect of COVID-19 on the renewable energy industry can be observed in all regions such as North America, Europe, Asia-Pacific and Rest of the World. In China, the renewable power sector is experiencing the impact of the COVID-19, specifically wind and solar PV, which could witness lower capacity additions due to suspended manufacturing and construction works. China is one of the significant countries for solar PV installations and the production of solar PV panels. The country has the largest installed solar power capacity of more than 205 GW by 2019, contributing more than 35% of the global installations. Besides, China is the biggest manufacturing country for solar PV equipment manufacturing globally and due to COVID-19, the manufacturing sector of the country has affected significantly.



Key companies getting affected in the market include Canadian Solar Inc., GE Renewable Energy, Hanwha Q Cells Co., Ltd., JinkoSolar Holding Co., Ltd., Nordex SE, Senvion S.A., Siemens AG, SunPower Corp., and Trina Solar Ltd. The majority of the manufacturers are based in China. After the COVID-19 outbreak, the Jiangsu province in China took the hardest hit in terms of solar PV production capacity as more than 60% of the country's solar PV panels are made here as per the Gofa institute, a part of the Chinese government's National Energy Administration (NEA).



Research Methodology



The study on the renewable energy industry is incorporated by extensive primary and secondary research conducted by the research team. In secondary research, different approaches have been adopted to derive the market value, market growth rate and analyze trends in the industry due to the COVID-19 pandemic. In the report, the analysis of the country is provided by analyzing various regional players, laws & policies, consumer behavior, macro-economic factors and impact of the pandemic.



Numbers extracted from secondary research have been authenticated by conducting proper primary research. It includes tracking down key people from the industry and interviewing them to validate the data. This enables the analyst to derive the closest possible figures. Besides, an expected recovery timeline of the industry will also be provided with the best- and worst-case scenario which will aid the companies to take their future steps in the global food & beverage industry.



Sources Include

Financial reports of companies involved in the market

Whitepapers, research-papers, and news blogs

Company websites and their product catalog

Government Organizations Reports

The report provides an in-depth analysis on market size, intended quality of the service preferred by consumers. The report will serve as a source for 360-degree analysis of the market thoroughly integrating different models.



The Report Covers

Comprehensive research methodology of the global renewable energy industry.

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 global renewable energy industry.

Insights about market determinants that are stimulating the global renewable energy 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

1.2. Market Overview and Insights

1.3. Scope of the Report

1.4. Analyst Insight & Current Market Trends

1.4.1. Key Findings

1.4.2. Recommendations

1.4.3. Conclusion

1.5. Government support/Bailout Packages for the renewable energy industry

1.6. Supply & Demand Analysis



2. Market Overview

2.1. Historical market growth estimation in the renewable energy industry excluding COVID-19 pandemic effect

2.2. Deviations in the renewable energy industry growth rate due to COVID-19 pandemic



3. Segmentation

3.1. Solar Panel Industry

3.2. Wind Power Industry

3.3. Hydro Power Industry

3.4. Other Industries



4. Regional Analysis

4.1. North America

4.1.1. United States

4.1.2. Canada

4.2. Europe

4.2.1. UK

4.2.2. Germany

4.2.3. Italy

4.2.4. Spain

4.2.5. France

4.2.6. Rest of Europe

4.3. Asia-Pacific

4.3.1. China

4.3.2. India

4.3.3. Japan

4.3.4. Rest of Asia-Pacific



5. Rest of the World



6. Companies Profile

6.1. Canadian Solar Inc.

6.2. Enercon GmbH

6.3. GE Renewable Energy

6.4. Hanwha Q Cells Co., Ltd.

6.5. JA Solar Holdings

6.6. JinkoSolar Holding Co., Ltd.

6.7. Nordex SE

6.8. Senvion S.A.

6.9. Siemens AG

6.10. SunPower Corp.

6.11. Trina Solar Ltd.

6.12. Vestas Wind Systems A/S



For more information about this report visit https://www.researchandmarkets.com/r/rt8is0

Research and Markets also offers Custom Research services providing focused, comprehensive and tailored research.
REDDING, Calif.-At a time when food seems to be flying off the shelves, local farm workers are busy making sure your local grocery store is stocked.



Duivenvoorden Farms is a local, family-owned and operated dairy farm south of Redding.



We are a raw milk dairy, says Ali Duivenvoorden, co-owner of Duivenvoorden Farms. We do everything here on the farm, so we milk the cows, we bottle the milk, and we self-distribute the milk to the stores.



Since the coronavirus pandemic, co-owners Ali and Seth Duivenvoorden have been busy.



Well weve seen an increase, definitely, since this whole thing has happened.



I think its because more people are at home, says Seth Duivenvoorden. So there consumption of milk at home is going to be higher than them dining out three or four weeks.



In their case, they Action News Now, theyve seen an increase of 13% and are having to make extra deliveries to the stores to keep up with demand.



Weve made special deliveries when they completely sold out which is great, says Duivenvoorden. We can do that, they can call and we can do it right away."



The Duivenvoorden family sell their product to over ten stores around the area. They tell Action News Now, their product sells out quickly.



People have been clearing out the shelves at the stores, so weve had a lot of the stores increasing their orders, says Ali Duivenvoorden.



They tell Action News Now, theyve noticed a surge in the number of people choosing to buy locally.



People are starting to make that shift to find their local foods whether its milk or meat, their vegetables says Ali Duivenvoorden.People are really reaching out to support their local farmers and their local community."

Duivenvoorden Farms has been in business for over thirty years and they currently have over fifty animals at their farm.
Oregons senior care industry is well-known in state politics for its deep pockets and willingness to financially back candidates at every level of government.

As the extent of COVID-19 cases and deaths at nursing homes receives more attention, the industrys political largesse is also attracting scrutiny. Gov. Kate Brown, a Democrat, on Tuesday disclosed a March 20 $20,000 gift to one of her political action committees from nursing home company Avamere Health Services. The contribution was first reported by Willamette Week.

That was a substantial political contribution even in Oregons no-limits campaign finance system. But it was only the tip of the iceberg in terms of the senior care industrys spending on state politics.

Avamere is just one member of the industry group Oregon Health Care Association. Its political action committee has collectively spent nearly $1.4 million on Democratic and Republican political candidates and legislative caucus PACs since 2016, according to The Oregonian/OregonLives analysis of state campaign finance data. The group also reported spending more than $780,000 on lobbying to kill or pass policy and spending bills before the Oregon Legislature from 2016 to present.

Despite early evidence older people are particularly at-risk from COVID-19 and a notorious multiple-fatality outbreak at a suburban Seattle care facility in February and March, Oregon did not release data about positive coronavirus tests and related deaths in Oregon nursing homes until the second week in April. It did so only after The Oregonian/OregonLive repeatedly requested the information and had already independently confirmed outbreaks at some of the facilities.

So far, a roughly half of COVID-19 deaths in Oregon have been among residents of long-term care facilities.

Additionally, the states long-term care ombudsman, Fred Steele, appears to have faced repercussions after he shared the states internal coronavirus figures with a reporter from The Oregonian/OregonLive. A state official cut off Steeles easy access to the twice-a-day updates, the news organization reported.

Brad Litle, head of Avameres skilled nursing facility division, wrote in an email Friday afternoon that no one at Avamere has had any conversations with anyone in the governors office related to reporting of COVID- 19 data ... (CEO) Rick Millers commitment to the governor was made last fall, and the recent payment, directed before any orders from the governor regarding COVID, was merely a fulfillment of the commitment made many months prior to the COVID pandemic. There has never been a request for anything in return for the commitment.

Rosie Ward, a spokeswoman for the Oregon Health Care Association, wrote in an email that the industry supports transparency around COVID-19 infections and deaths at the facilities and neither its lobbyists nor its members have spoken with the governor or her administration about restricting the disclosure of information or data regarding COVID-19 cases in long term care settings.

From day one, we have been strong advocates in encouraging DHS to collect and share contextual data about long term care and COVID-19 with the public, Ward wrote. Currently, over 98% of providers do not have a positive resident case in their facility.

The governor is the largest recipient by a long stretch of the Oregon Health Care Associations political cash from 2016 to present, a time period that spans the last two general elections and part of the 2020 cycle. Browns political action committee took more than $190,000 from the nursing home industry group, according to state data.

A political action committee called the Common Good Fund, which helped defeat conservative ballot initiatives and boosted Browns reelection campaign in 2018, received $42,000 from the nursing home group. And the Health Care Association gave $50,000 to the Democratic Governors Association during the 2018 election cycle, when the national group spent $2.2 million on Browns reelection campaign, according to state campaign finance records.

Thomas Wheatley, a political consultant with the governors political action committee who also worked on her reelection campaign, wrote in an email that Avamere pledged the $20,000 contribution to Brown last fall. He said the governor, a Democrat, ceased political fundraising activities on the day the first COVID-19 presumptive positive case was announced. That was Feb. 28.

Regarding Browns position as the top recipient of nursing home industry political money, Wheatley said it made sense given she is the states top elected official and won two statewide elections back to back.

Contributions to her political committee have zero bearing on policy decisions, Wheatley said.

As The Oregonian/OregonLive reported last year, Brown has continued to amass large amounts of cash in her two political action committees even though she cannot run again in 2022. The governor has previously declined to provide any specifics about her plans to use the money. But Wheatley wrote this week that the governor will use the money to communicate directly with the public, to support her priorities on the ballot and to support progressive candidates who share her values.

In the Legislature, candidates and caucus PACs of both parties have accepted contributions from the senior care industry. Democrats, who hold the most power with majorities in the Legislature and occupy four of the give statewide elected offices, have received the most campaign cash.

A lack of state government transparency about the wellbeing of people living in Oregons senior care facilities is not new. In 2017, an investigation by The Oregonian/OregonLive found the state omitted thousands of confirmed cases of shoddy care and elder abuse at the facilities from a public database that many families relied upon to find quality homes for their loved ones.

 Hillary Borrud | hborrud@oregonian.com | @hborrud

Subscribe to Oregonian/OregonLive newsletters and podcasts for the latest news and top stories.
Scientists are investigating a potential link between survival rates for coronavirus and levels of Vitamin D.

A ten-week trial involving 200 Covid-19 patients at the University of Granada in Spain will seek to establish if the 'sunshine vitamin' can help fight the illness.

Vitamin D is produced by exposing the skin to sunshine and is essential for a healthy immune system.

A ten-week trial involving 200 Covid-19 patients at the University of Granada in Spain will seek to establish if Vitamin D can help fight the illness

A recent study by Trinity College Dublin found adults who took Vitamin D supplements saw a 50 per cent fall in chest infections.

Dr Jenna Macciochi, of the University of Sussex, said: 'If you are deficient in Vitamin D, you are three to four times more likely to catch a cold.

'It therefore makes sense a viral respiratory infection like Covid-19 would be worse if you were Vitamin D-deficient.'
Passenger vehicle exports saw a marginal rise during the last fiscal, with Hyundai leading the segment with dispatches to various global markets, as per the latest data by SIAM.

PV exports stood at 6,77,311 units in the last fiscal as against 6,76,192 units in 2018-19, a marginal growth of 0.17 per cent.

Car shipments, however, saw a 4.51 per cent decline at 4,90,748 units during the last fiscal, while utility vehicle exports saw an increase of 16.06 per cent at 1,83,671 units during the period, the Society of Indian Automobile Manufacturers' data showed.

Vans witnessed a 28.22 per cent decline in exports at 2,892 units during the period under review as compared with 4,029 units in 2018-19.

Hyundai Motor India Ltd (HMIL) led the segment, followed by Ford India and Maruti Suzuki India (MSI) at second and third positions, respectively.

The South Korean automaker exported 1,69,861 units to overseas markets during the last fiscal,up 4.78 per cent from a year earlier.

Ford India's overseas dispatches stood at 1,31,476 units during 2019-20, down 19.24 per cent from the year-ago period.

On the other hand, domestic car market leader MSI exported 1,00,294 units across global markets, down 5.83 per cent from the 2018-19 fiscal.

Nissan Motor India exported 79,479 units last fiscal, up 37.87 per cent from 2018-19.

Similarly, General Motors India, which has ceased selling vehicles in the domestic market, shipped out69,933 units during the period, down 9.57 per cent.

Volkswagen India exported 55,617 units last financial year, a dip of 10 per cent from the year-ago period.

Kia Motors shipped out 21, 461 units in 2019-20, followed by Renault which exported 15,901 units, up 36.06 per cent as compared with 2018-19.

It was followed by home grown auto major Mahindra & Mahindra which exported 11,365 units during the period under review.

Toyota Kirloskar Motor dispatched 11,771 units last fiscal, while Honda Cars India exported 3,774 units to global markets.

Besides,FCA India shipped out 3,773 units while Tata Motors dispatched 2,383 vehicles last financial year.

Vehicle exports fared better as compared with domestic sales last fiscal.

In 2019-20, the passenger vehicle sales saw a decline of 17.82 per cent to 27,75,679 units as compared with 33,77,389 units in the previous fiscal.

Similarly, total sales across categories last fiscal declined by 17.96 per cent to 2,15,48,494 units as compared with 2,62,66,179 units in 2018-19 financial year.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Medical workers load a patient into an ambulance Tuesday in Wuhan, China, where the coronavirus outbreak began late last year. (Barcroft Media/Getty Images)

The first day President Trump mentioned the coronavirus in public, only one American was known to be infected. He assured the rest of the country it had no reason to worry.

We have it totally under control, Trump said Jan. 22 from Davos, Switzerland. Its going to be just fine.

Behind the scenes, however, even some of his close aides thought the virus posed a much greater threat to the nation and to Trump.

Three months later, the United States leads the world in reported numbers of people infected and killed by the virus, with more than 39,000 dead. States, counties and local hospitals are desperately bidding against one another for scarce ventilators and other lifesaving equipment in a marketplace dominated by chaos, profiteering and fraud. And the country's economy is in free fall, with more than 20 million Americans filing unemployment claims in the last month.

President Trump gives a thumbs-up Jan. 22 at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, where he told an interviewer that the U.S. had the coronavirus "totally under control." (Fabrice Coffrini / AFP/Getty Images)

Trump has at various times called the catastrophe unforeseeable or blamed the World Health Organization and China; his predecessor, who he claimed left him an "empty shelf" of medical equipment; and state governors whom he accused of mismanaging the health crisis.

But from the first international reports of the virus appearance in China in late December until Trump declared a nationwide emergency in mid-March, his administration delayed or bungled basic but crucial steps to contain the spread of infections and prepare the country for a pandemic, according to a Times review of internal government records and interviews with administration officials and outside experts.

In that key early period, many of the Trump presidencys most deeply ingrained characteristics  its distrust of the federal bureaucracy, internal personality conflicts, lack of a formal policymaking process and Trumps own insistence on controlling the public message  severely hampered the federal response, according to current and former White House officials and public health experts.

Story continues

Even senior members of the administration who sought to warn Trump about the looming dangers were rebuffed, said several administration officials who spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to comment on internal discussions.

Containing such an easily spread contagion was certain to be arduous under any circumstances, many experts concede. Making it even harder, China initially played down the infection danger, and it was unclear at that point how readily the virus could spread.

But Trump's unwillingness to take the health threat seriously and disagreements among his top aides effectively sidelined the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, leaving key responders without direction from a White House that was focused on the president's impeachment trial in the Senate.

Weeks were lost that could have been used to test and isolate the first infected patients, purchase medical supplies, prepare makeshift hospitals and enlist corporations in quickly ramping up production of badly needed respirators and other supplies.

Medical workers treat a critical COVID-19 patient March 1 at a Red Cross hospital in Wuhan, China. (AFP/Getty Images)

In an ideal world, there would have been a structure and someone with vision empowered in the White House, said J. Stephen Morrison, a health policy expert at the Center for Strategic and International Studies, a Washington think tank. Everything was seen through the impeachment and reelection process.

The White House said in a statement that Trump acted to control the virus while Democrats in Congress and the news media ignored the danger in January and February.

"President Trump took bold action to protect Americans and unleash the full power of the federal government to curb the spread of the virus, expand testing capacities, and expedite vaccine development when we had no true idea the level of transmission or asymptomatic spread," White House spokesman Judd Deere said.

The statement added that Trump "remains completely focused on the health and safety of the American people and it is because of his bold leadership that we will emerge from this challenge healthy, stronger, and with a prosperous and growing economy."

'It will cost the election'

la-me-map1-coronavirus-trump-response.png

The first official warning about the new virus came on the last day of 2019, when Chinese authorities reported that residents of Wuhan in the central Hubei province were coming down with pneumonia from an unknown cause. China soon identified the cause of the outbreak as a new strain of coronavirus but said there was no evidence of significant human-to-human transmission.

At the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Director Robert Redfield, a physician and former AIDS researcher, tweeted Jan. 14 that there is no confirmed person-to-person spread of the illness in China, though his agency was monitoring the situation closely. The CDC issued a routine level 1 travel notice, advising Americans traveling to Wuhan to practice usual precautions.

Three days later, the CDC announced that airports would conduct health screenings for passengers traveling from Wuhan to Los Angeles, San Francisco and New York.

The screenings didnt initially cover all airports with flights from China. Nor did they address travelers from Europe, another likely source of infection. And the cursory temperature checks didnt detect patients who were carrying the virus but were still asymptomatic, a problem that became fully apparent only later.

Travelers pass through the Tom Bradley International Terminal at LAX on March 15 amid heightened U.S. travel restrictions. (Jason Armond / Los Angeles Times)

At the White House, Trump and his close advisors, consumed by his impending impeachment trial in the Senate, rebuffed attempts by Redfield's boss, Health and Human Services Secretary Alex Azar, to alert them about the threat, according to a former federal official with knowledge of the communications.

Unlike some other Trump Cabinet officials, Azar has considerable experience in his field, having served in the agency in the administration of President George W. Bush and having been an executive at pharmaceutical giant Eli Lilly and Co.

His relationship with Trump and senior health and budget officials in the White House had been strained for months, in part because of Azars inability to deliver on one of Trumps signature campaign promises  to lower prescription drug prices. Trump also blamed Azar for entangling him in what turned out to be a politically complicated effort to crack down on vaping.

The health secretary finally connected with Trump on Jan. 18, when the president was at Mar-a-Lago, his Palm Beach, Fla., resort. By then, Thailand and Japan were reporting confirmed coronavirus infections. Trump wanted to discuss the vaping ban, not the coronavirus, a White House aide familiar with the call said.

Two days later, the CDC confirmed the first coronavirus case in the U.S.

A Washington state man in his 30s had returned from Wuhan on Jan. 15 at Seattle-Tacoma International Airport, where no screening was being conducted. Later, he reported pneumonia-like symptoms to his doctor.

Its one person coming in from China, Trump said during his Jan. 22 interview with CNBC from Davos.

A traveler wearing a mask waits at Los Angeles International Airport on March 18. (Kent Nishimura / Los Angeles Times)

As Trump reassured the nation, the WHO, the United Nations agency for international public health, announced that evidence suggested human to human transmission in China but that more investigation was necessary.

Trump did not consider the virus a major worry and trusted Azar to handle it, a senior administration official said. Other White House aides were concerned that Azar would overreact, the official and another senior White House aide added.

la-me-map2-coronavirus-trump-response.png

In late January, Joseph Grogan, the White House domestic policy chief and a former lobbyist for a pharmaceutical company, sounded the alarm about the administration potentially overlooking what could become a major crisis. He voiced reservations about Azar's ability to handle the matter during a meeting in the office of Mick Mulvaney, then the president's acting chief of staff, one of the senior administration officials said.

"It could be so big that if we mishandle it, it will cost the election," Grogan said with several senior staffers present.

Mulvaney convened meetings aimed at coordinating the U.S. government response, but the discussion at first focused only on evacuation flights to bring Americans in China and other affected countries home, one of the senior White House officials said. There was little discussion about how to keep the virus out.

Daily intelligence updates from the CIA and other intelligence organizations tracked the international spread of the coronavirus, but their reports did not recommend steps to contain it in the U.S., according to a senior Defense official familiar with the warnings.

On Jan. 29, the White House announced a 12-member task force of officials from multiple agencies to work to prevent the spread of the new coronavirus. Trump was briefed in the White House Situation Room.

Privately, some advisors were warning about massive disruptions if the virus caused a pandemic. Peter Navarro, Trumps director of trade and manufacturing policy, suggested stopping travel from China in a memo written the same day the task force was announced. The memo, first reported by the New York Times, warned of potentially devastating effects on the economy if no containment measures were taken.

But Navarro, a longtime China hawk known around the West Wing as having a combustible temper, was largely dismissed after he erupted at Azar during a staff meeting, leading the health secretary to demand that Mulvaney keep him off the task force, according to one of the senior administration officials.

The conflicts inside the White House along with the impeachment trial underway in the Senate kept the health threat barely on Trumps radar.

"You have Trump as the lone-wolf operator," said Anthony Scaramucci, who served briefly as Trump's director of communications and has recently been critical of the president. "What happens is everybody gets immobilized. They don't know what their marching orders are  so that's caused them to be very slow-footed in the midst of this crisis."

Others in the administration took their cue from Trump.

The same day as the Situation Room briefing, Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross observed that the alarming rise in cases in China could accelerate the return of jobs to North America."

White House counselor Kellyanne Conway told reporters the next day that Trump and his senior aides were continuing "to monitor the situation." Standing next to her, Brett Giroir, assistant secretary for health, said that the outbreak was "under control" and that "all the resources were in place."

As head of the task force, Azar tried to carve out a major role overseeing the federal response without sounding public alarms that were sure to upset the president, according to another administration official, who spoke on the condition of anonymity.

la-me-map3-coronavirus-trump-response.png

On Jan. 31, Azar declared a public health emergency and announced the U.S. was temporarily prohibiting foreign nationals who had traveled in China within the previous 14 days from entering the country. Americans returning from China were allowed back after being screened at select ports of entry and for 14 days afterward to monitor any possible symptoms.

It was Trump who had made the decision to impose the travel restrictions, Azar told reporters, following the uniform recommendation of the career public health officials here at HHS.

But Azar would run into resistance from some White House aides later as he sought more federal funding to respond to the virus. During one tense meeting, a White House budget official accused him of trying to go around the president to get the money from Congress, according to a former government official.

For much of the next month, Trump and other senior White House officials played down the risk to Americans, even as evidence mounted that the virus was deadly and highly communicable.

Disaster predicted

Public health and disaster experts had warned for years about the possible devastation that a pandemic could wreak.

Internal government studies conducted months earlier had shown that a fast-spreading flu virus from China would quickly overwhelm the nations health system unless preparations were taken beforehand.

A 2019 exercise overseen by the Department of Health and Human Services, dubbed Crimson Contagion, concluded that a massive, deadly epidemic would result in confusion and limited coordination among federal agencies and state governments as school closures and other social distancing measures were put into place. Hospitals would struggle with shortages of medications, personal protective equipment, ventilators and other supplies, according to a draft report on the results, disclosed by the New York Times.

Members of the California Air National Guard in Oxnard on April 7 prepare a shipment of 200 ventilators to be delivered to New York. (Senior Airman Jonathan Lane / U.S. Air National Guard)

At the White House, the Council of Economic Advisors warned in September that the economic damage of a fast-spreading virus could reach $3.79 trillion and kill 500,000 Americans. And a 2017 study by the Defense Department on the possibility of a pandemic predicted a shortage of medical masks, gloves, ventilators and hospital beds.

The federal government had an array of options to prevent the predictions from becoming a reality, experts said, including invoking the Defense Production Act to require private companies to address shortages of medical masks, ventilators and other equipment; mobilizing the military to construct field hospitals and organize testing centers around the country; and dispatching Navy hospital ships to New York and Los Angeles sooner.

But there was little urgency to the government response.

It was one failure after another, piling up on each other, said Dr. Ashish Jha, faculty director of the Harvard Global Health Institute. When that happens, it usually means it wasnt a priority. It was a lack of leadership.

In early February, the WHO warned that the coronavirus was spreading rapidly in China and assumed in its response plan that human-to-human transmission was widespread. Chinese authorities had quarantined entire cities. Limited testing in other countries was complicating the effort to detect the virus.

The international organization urged countries to scale up preparedness and response operations, including strengthening readiness to rapidly identify, diagnose and treat cases.

Taiwan, South Korea and Singapore rolled out COVID-19 tests fairly quickly, giving health officials a head start on tracing the spread of the virus and imposing a degree of containment measures that the United States did not take until weeks later, said Dr. C. Jason Wang, director of Stanford Universitys Center for Policy, Outcomes and Prevention.

Not everything went smoothly. Singapore is now fighting an outbreak among a large population of migrant workers the government mostly overlooked in its initial efforts against the virus.

But as of late Saturday, the total number of deaths reported in Singapore was just 11, and only half a dozen had been tallied in Taiwan. There were 234 reported fatalities in South Korea  a tiny fraction of the per capita deaths in the United States.

South Korea did massive testing and containment, Wang said.

He said Taiwan also deployed its military to manufacture medical masks, upping production from 2 million to 10 million a day within three weeks.

We could have done that  absolutely, said Nick Vyas, executive director of USCs Center for Global Supply Chain Management. "Masks would have been very easy to replicate and inventory.

In the U.S., Trump mentioned the virus during a Feb. 10 campaign rally in New Hampshire, telling the crowd that "by April, you know, in theory, when it gets a little warmer, it miraculously goes away."

It is now clear that the virus was spreading rapidly in the U.S., but tracing its path proved impossible because the CDC had fumbled its initial attempt to create a reliable test.

The agency shunned a proven German test that had been adopted by the WHO, and it relied on an existing network of public health labs, a model better suited for smaller, less deadly outbreaks.

It distributed kits to more than 100 public health labs run by states and counties, sending each facility enough testing supplies to sample 300 to 400 patients, far fewer than would eventually be needed.

The agency's early effort was on a small scale because there was little initial recognition that the virus could be transmitted easily between humans, said an agency official who discussed the CDC response.

When state labs began to run sample tests using the CDC kits, a flaw quickly became apparent: Running ordinary water through the test produced false positives.

Paul Fulton, a CDC spokesman, said the agency was still studying the flawed test but said a new version is now accurate and reliable. He noted that the CDCs role was "to equip state public health labs, which is only one part of total testing that needs to be conducted.

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The Food and Drug Administration was responsible for approving tests by private labs for commercial use by hospitals and clinics  a step that took the agency until March 16.

Difficulties in responding to a health crisis are hardly unusual, noted Dr. Richard Besser, who served as acting director of the CDC in 2009 during the outbreak of the H1N1 swine flu. The agency has long prided itself on its independence and sometimes made mistakes as it rushed to respond in a crisis.

I was never involved in a public health response where everything rolled out perfectly, said Besser, who now heads the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation.

But the missteps in responding to the current outbreak were slow to be corrected  in part because of the agencys isolation under Trump, Besser added. During past outbreaks, the CDC played a prominent role in public briefings, helping increase accountability within the agency and push its scientists to make any needed changes quickly.

It was the ability to be transparent and share what we were learning that allowed us to maintain trust in the public and make adjustments, Besser explained.

At a news briefing Feb. 25, Dr. Nancy Messonnier, director of the CDCs National Center for Immunization and Respiratory Diseases, said she was frustrated with the flaws in the tests and raised the possibility of significant social disruption, including closing schools, canceling mass gatherings and delaying elective surgeries.

Her comments were a sharp contrast to the message delivered that same day by Trump, who was 10 time zones away in New Delhi for a state visit.

We think were in very good shape in the United States," Trump told reporters, referring briefly to the virus. And we think its going to remain that way."

President Trump and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi raise hands together, with First Lady Melania Trump standing beside them, at an event at a stadium in Ahmedabad, India, during Trump's February state visit. (Alex Brandon / Associated Press)

On the 18-hour flight home, the president grew upset about the plunging stock market and grim picture painted in news reports he watched aboard Air Force One. Instead of sleeping, he called Azar from the plane and complained that Messonnier's comments were worrying the markets.

Upon landing, Trump convened the task force in the Oval Office ahead of a news briefing. When the president stepped to the lectern, he announced that Vice President Mike Pence would be taking over the task force. The aides who'd been in the room with him moments earlier had gotten no warning. Nor had Azar, who heard along with everybody else the news that he'd been replaced.

The decision, according to two administration officials familiar with the president's thinking, reflected Trump's fixation on the virus economic effects and his desire to prevent public health officials from asserting too much control over the response.

The number of U.S. cases was going very substantially down, not up, Trump said at a news conference. There would be only five infected Americans shortly, he predicted.

Azar openly contradicted him: We can expect to see more cases in the United States, he said.

Pence's staff immediately ordered that all public statements about the virus go through his office, according to one of the officials.

On Feb. 27, as reported infections spread through Europe, Trump told reporters his administration had done an incredible job.

One day  its like a miracle  it will disappear," he said. It could get worse before it gets better. It could maybe go away. Well see what happens. Nobody really knows."

Lori Spencer, right, and her husband, Michael Spencer, visit her mother, Judie Shape, through a window at the Life Care Center in Kirkland, Wash., an early hotbed of the U.S. coronavirus outbreak. (Ted S. Warren / Associated Press)

The next day, a WHO report warned the virus was highly contagious and urged countries with infections to immediately activate the highest level of national Response Management protocols.

On Feb. 29, the CDC announced that a man in his 50s had died of COVID-19 near Seattle, marking the first publicly reported fatality in the U.S.

But as the coronavirus outbreak spread in March, Trump failed to mount an organized government response to address medical supply shortages hobbling hospitals, clinics and doctors offices nationwide.

Instead, he turned to his daughter Ivanka Trump; her husband, Jared Kushner; and Navarro, a former economics professor from Southern California, none of whom have expertise in logistics or procurement.

Kushner set himself up in an office at the Department of Health and Human Services at the foot of Capitol Hill, much to the chagrin of some in the health agency. The Kushner team began calling chief executives of major corporations, lobbying them to scrounge up supplies outside the normal procurement channels set up by the government, one private sector official said.

Matthew Beckmann, a UC Irvine political science professor who focuses on the presidency, said Trumps response to the pandemic reflected not so much his ideology as his overall lack of interest in the nitty-gritty work of running the government and his reliance on a small number of inexperienced people close to him.

The way he runs things is more like a family restaurant, Beckmann said.

The Grand Princess cruise ship sails in under the Golden Gate Bridge on March 9 to dock at the Port of Oakland. (Peter DaSilva / For The Times)

Off the California coast, the cruise ship Grand Princess had circled for days as thousands of worried passengers and crew members potentially exposed to the coronavirus waited for federal and state officials to decide where and when they would dock.

Trump said he wasnt in favor of bringing the passengers ashore for testing that would cause the official tally of infected Americans to surge.

I like the numbers being where they are. I don't need to have the numbers double because of one ship, Trump told reporters during a visit March 6 to the CDC in Atlanta.

The passengers were unloaded in Oakland anyway and sent to hospitals or placed in quarantine.

The worsening outlook  and the slow pace of testing  increased pressure on Trump to announce far-reaching additional measures.

The bottom line: It is going to get worse, Dr. Anthony Fauci, who leads the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, testified at a House committee hearing March 11, the same day the WHO labeled the virus a pandemic and the continuing losses in the stock market officially ended the longest bull market in U.S. history.

Hours later, in a rare prime-time address from the Oval Office, Trump said he was extending the travel restrictions to Europe, barring entry to foreign nationals who had been in parts of the continent within the previous 14 days. It was a measure some advisors had been urging him to take for weeks, a White House official said.

He urged that older Americans should avoid nonessential travel and said people in general should stay home, even as he continued to minimize the potential severity of the disease.

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Wall Street futures dropped sharply after the speech, which came within minutes of the actor Tom Hanks announcing he had the disease and the National Basketball Assn. suspending its entire schedule.

One former White House official said the speech prompted an intervention from some of the Wall Street executives whom Trump most trusts: Your press conferences and your Oval Office speech where youre making light is not helping you, the former official said, paraphrasing the message. The markets know math and this is not a math thing. This is a science thing.

The takeaway was clear: The usual playbook would not work with a pandemic.

He cant yell from the podium, fake science, the former official said. Youve got to adjust and calibrate this.

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The speech marked the first sign that Trump intended to take over the White House messaging on the pandemic. But his continued downplaying of the coronavirus threat so alarmed Fauci and Dr. Deborah Birx, the State Departments top global health expert, that they decided they needed to shock him into taking action, according to a former health official close to Birx.

They showed him the findings of an alarming study by Imperial College London, an institution noted for its research into global health, that found an unchecked epidemic could infect 8 in 10 people and cause as many as 2.2 million U.S. deaths.

The day after their briefing, Trump declared a national emergency, freeing more than $40 billion in federal assistance for states.

Within days, the Pentagon, the Federal Emergency Management Agency and other agencies moved off the sidelines. State and local officials began shutting down schools and enforcing restrictions on contacts.

The virus was still spreading, and many weeks of upheaval, medical emergencies and human tragedy were to come. Over that time, Trump has vacillated on how long the nation's social distancing rules should remain and who is to blame for the rising death toll.

But he has consistently maintained that his administration's response was flawless, a "10 out of 10," he told reporters at one news conference. Problems such as the slow rate of testing were not his fault.

I don't take responsibility at all," he said.

Times staff writers Noah Bierman, Noam N. Levey and Tracy Wilkinson contributed to this report.
Why the Coronavirus Could Raise Wages

US unemployment shot higher in the last month, thanks to coronavirus closures. Some 17 million people filed new jobless benefit claims.

But its actually even worse.

Overwhelmed web sites and bureaucratic snafus kept many from applying. Others, while still nominally employed, saw their wages or hours cut. Its terrible and will keep getting worse until the shutdowns ease and people believe they can circulate safely again.

But while the immediate outlook is dire, these events could ultimately mean higher wages for many workers. To see why, we have to think a few steps ahead.

Side Effects

Lets first assess the problem. Survey data already shows widespread pain.

The FT-Peterson US Economic Monitor poll, conducted March 2429, says a majority lost at least some income due to the coronavirus.

This survey shows a difference between income groups but less than you might expect. Nonetheless, it seems around 20% of respondents are now either unemployed or working for very significantly lower pay.



Source: Financial Times

Or are they? The FT/Peterson poll isnt random. It samples likely voters. Responses are weighted to reflect the voting population, which is different from the working population.

But thats not necessarily good news. It means something like three-quarters of the electorate just took at least a small pay cut. That matters to them, and therefore to politicians especially since this is an election year.

This sort of thing makes voters unhappy across the board. Republicans and Democrats both want to do something.

And, to be fair, they should do something, because otherwise this widespread, simultaneous income loss will devastate the economy. Even many fiscal conservatives agree cushioning the blow is necessary and proper.

But how they do it matters. Crisis-driven policies usually have unintended side effects.

For one: Congress temporarily added a $600/week federal bonus to existing state unemployment benefits until July 31. Thats roughly equivalent to a $15/hour full-time job, and the job is to stay home and not spread the virus. Which is the right move for now, but its also an impromptu guaranteed national income experiment.

What if, as seems likely, we get into July and the unemployment rate is still in double digits? Are Congress and the president going to cut benefits for millions of voters? Three months before an election?

Thats hard to imagine which means the added benefits will last even longer. And the longer they last, the harder they are to take away. Meanwhile, they effectively act as a $15/hour national minimum wage.

And thats not all. Congress also mandated paid sick leave in certain situations. Many companies voluntarily added similar benefits. Those, too, will be hard to take away. Crisis measures tend to become a new normal.

No More Settling

Lets talk about the people whom the pandemic hasnt unemployed.

Educated, well-paid knowledge workers moved to work-at-home arrangements pretty smoothly. But think about the millions of low-paid workers in essential businesses.

Imagine, for instance, you are a grocery store cashier or a hospital janitor. You used to make $12 an hour. Your employer added another $3 to compensate you for the present risky conditions.

Now you make $15 an hour. Thats nice but you could still get the coronavirus and take it home to your family. Not so nice.

Meanwhile, your non-essential friends will, once the unemployment system gets in gear, be making as much as you are (and possibly more in some states) just to sit safe at home, watching Netflix and chilling.

Worse, you cant get that deal unless your employer is kind enough to fire you. Quitting would disqualify you for benefits. You are stuck in a suddenly dangerous job whether you like it or not.

You know society depends on you, so you stick it out. But youre going to remember, and you probably wont settle for mediocre wages anymore.





Tables Turning

Eventually, we will have more effective treatments and vaccines for the new coronavirus. Its economic effects will last longer, but they will pass, too. Then what?

Well, weve just seen two important changes.

People who lost their jobs are adjusting their pay expectations higher, thanks to more generous government benefits.

People who kept their jobs are also adjusting their pay expectations higher, because those same government benefits act as a higher minimum wage.

Throughout this recovery, its been kind of a mystery why wages didnt rise more even as unemployment fell to record lows.

One theory: the 20072009 recession and housing crisis were so painful, people were glad just to have any job at all, and afraid of losing it. Employers gained the upper hand in pay negotiations.

That may change.

A new study by San Francisco Federal Reserve Bank researchers looked back at pandemics throughout history. It turns out they almost always led to higher wages, years and even decades later.

Unlike war, pandemics dont destroy buildings and physical capital. They do, however, reduce the labor supply. That makes workers more valuable and lets them demand higher pay.

If that happens this time, it will reverse a decades-long trend in which productivity grew faster than wagesone reason stocks have done so well since the 1980s. Capital won, labor lost.

The tables may be turning.

The Great Reset: The Collapse of the Biggest Bubble in History

New York Times best-seller and renowned financial expert John Mauldin predicts an unprecedented financial crisis that could trigger in the next five years. Most investors seem completely unaware of the relentless pressure thats building right now. Learn more here.

By Patrick_Watson

 2020 Copyright Patrick_Watson - All Rights Reserved

Disclaimer: The above is a matter of opinion provided for general information purposes only and is not intended as investment advice. Information and analysis above are derived from sources and utilising methods believed to be reliable, but we cannot accept responsibility for any losses you may incur as a result of this analysis. Individuals should consult with their personal financial advisors.

 2005-2019 http://www.MarketOracle.co.uk - The Market Oracle is a FREE Daily Financial Markets Analysis & Forecasting online publication.




States all over the country are electing businessmen and entrepreneurs to the office of governor. This trend is bringing about drastic change, is stimulating economic growth, and has been a catalyst for major problem solving. Governors from outside the political system are offering leadership on some of todays toughest issues. Hiring a political outsider as the chief executive of a state often brings about an effort to get government out of the way and encourages a new way of thinking. The hiring of this outsider entrepreneur provides an understanding of the economy through real-world experience.

Businessmen and entrepreneurs from outside the political system are free to be bold and pursue big visions because they are politically unencumbered and are not politically entangled, they dont owe anyone any special favors and they dont pick winners and losers. There are outsider governors all over the country who are leading their states to new heights.

Related: 4 Things Employees Want From Leaders During Uncertain Times

Governor Doug Ducey of Arizona, the former CEO of Cold Stone Creamery, has increased economic activity and opportunity for Arizonans by making Arizona one of the most business-friendly states in the nation. He has slashed regulations on small businesses and has led efforts to enact licensing reform. Onerous licensing laws prevent people from flourishing. Governor Ducey has made it a point to repeal and reform these bad laws. Its now easier than ever to start a business or become certified in Arizona.

Governor (now Senator) Rick Scott was a businessman who transformed Florida into a job-creating machine. When first elected, Governor Scott promised that Floridas economy would see an increase of 700,000 jobs under his watch. During Scott's tenure as governor, Florida employers created nearly 1.5 million jobs, and the state's employment grew 20.3 percent, compared to 12.5 percent growth for the U.S. as a whole. Governor Scott made it his priority to create a tax-friendly environment for businesses. He had spent his career in the private sector and understands the way the economy works and how jobs are really created. Jobs are created by getting the government out of the way. Government does not create jobs, and entrepreneurs are fully aware of this!

Related: 3 Lessons for First-Time CEOs From Someone Who's Been There

Governor Kevin Stitt of Oklahoma has a background in financial services. He went from CEO of his company to CEO of his state. In his first years in office, Governor Stitt has increased funding for education, giving teachers a raise, without raising taxes. As a businessman, he understands budgets and knows how to prioritize funding to the areas where it matters most. Stitt also signed a bill establishing the Oklahoma Legislative Office of Fiscal Transparency. This office provides audits and evaluations of state budgets. Transparency in government is needed. Its important to know where and how our tax dollars are being spent. He has focused his efforts on criminal justice reform as well; making recently enacted changes to sentencing laws retroactive, cutting down the time people are spending in prison. Once again, we see an outsider thinking differently and seeing things through a new lens to tackle some of todays toughest problems.

Utah is coming up on its gubernatorial election in 2020. This will be the first open governors seat since 2004. Will Utah follow the national trend that is producing results by hiring a political outsider with real-world business experience? One of Utahs leading entrepreneurs, Jeff Burningham, has entered the race with decades of experience building Utahs economy. Having never run for office, he has a bold vision for what Utah can become. Hes an innovative outsider with a smart plan to manage Utahs growth, modernize government, reform education, gain access to Utahs public lands, and keep the economy revving. Jeff has built a business that has created more than 4,000 jobs in Utah.

Related: 8 Tips for Running a Startup Like a True Leader

The private sector is on the verge of making self-driving cars a reality but the government still makes us stand in line for hours just to renew a drivers license. Politicians largely operate within the status quo; they are enablers of the systems that made them. But entrepreneurs drive and embrace progress; they are disruptors who make bigger things possible. States that elect disruptors to positions where they can enact bold new changes and innovations are seeing tremendous results. Government should serve its constituents in better ways. There are issues around taxes, infrastructure, air quality, traffic, housing affordability, education, government spending, healthcare, and the economy that must be addressed. This country needs entrepreneurs with big ideas and solid work ethic at the helm to lead, teach, inspire and create real change.

Related:

3 Survival Traits for Any Leader

The Best Ways for Your Business to Respond During Difficult Times

A COVID-19 Survival Kit For Entrepreneurs



Copyright 2020 Entrepreneur.com Inc., All rights reserved
With Tony Stark and Steve Rogers no longer in the Marvel Cinematic Universe landscape, the existing Avengers will require new leadership. Who will step up to the plate  bringing the foresight, self-sacrifice mentality, and assembly skills needed  to unite the MCUs motley crew of saviors?

President of Marvel Studios/Producer Kevin Feige, Chris Hemsworth, Chris Evans, Robert Downey Jr., Scarlett Johansson, Mark Ruffalo, and Jeremy Renner attend the Marvel Studios Avengers: Endgame | Matt Winkelmeyer/Getty Images

When analyzing those remaining in the MCU, a few heroes seem most up to the challenge  and most deserving of the responsibility. While some may be capable of taking on such a role, others have a little bit of seniority. This list will take into account two factors  leadership potential and practice (the latter will revolve largely around time in the franchise and commitment to the cause). So, lets dive in!

4. Captain Marvel

Captain Marvel has the strength and the hero mentality needed to lead, yet she is newer to the franchise, and she may not immediately demand the same level of respect some of the other characters will  as a result of her newbie status. Thus, while Captain Marvel deserves a place on this list, she is not in the top three, as other characters have proved themselves as leaders to a greater extent. While Danvers helped save the day in the Infinity Saga, she largely works as a solo act, tending to multiple planets in need of assistance.

3. Doctor Strange

Doctor Strange is a bit arrogant, yet such a quality isnt out of the ordinary for someone who can see millions of multiple futures and boasts unbridled omniscience. Stranges powers could make him an effortless leader, as planning the perfect attack strategy would come as a breeze. Not to mention, he already seems to be on a similar character arc to Stark  from egotist to savior. And, if the MCU wants a leader who will grow as a result of his leadership responsibility, Strange is a good pick.

Not to mention, rumor has it that Strange will come to lead The Illuminati  consisting of Professor X and Reed Richards (Mr. Fantastic). So, he may be walking his way into a leadership position soon enough.

2. Black Panther

Black Panther is the King of Wakanda and leads an army larger than any Avenger has been responsible for in the franchise. Need we say more? He boasts the political knowledge, the military understanding, and a leadership mentality (rooted in sacrifice and bravery) required to excel as the Avengers leader. He would immediately command respect, as he was at the frontlines of the Infinity War battle, and brought the conflict to his homeland; he is committed to the cause and deserving of the responsibility  a responsibility he would not take lightly.

1. Hulk

The Hulk deserves to lead the Avengers as a wise, sagacious Jade Giant. He has finally come into his own, and he is one of the only OG Avengers left in the saga. He could show the youngsters what it means to fight together, what it means to sacrifice and to accept differences yet remain united as one. He has been through it all. He has seen it all, and he has transformed into a man who conquered his own inner demons and is capable of showing others the way.

The Hulk was stripped of some dignity and some glory throughout the saga  often used as a punching bag to prove a villains might  and turning him into a leader would make up for such a narrative trajectory. He is obviously the most deserving of the bunch, and one of the most capable  given his years of experience as an Avenger on the MCUs frontlines.
Mumbai, April 19 : What blood-thirsty terrorists couldn't succeed in doing, the invisible coronavirus pandemic has achieved.

For the first time in its nearly 250 years history, Mumbai's world-renowned and iconic 'Mohammed Ali Road street food bazaar' is poised to wear a deserted look this Ramzan month, starting April 23.

Incidentally, it was working normally even after the March 12, 1993 serial bomb blasts, but it's fate in Ramzan 2020 will be known only after May 3.

Missing would be the enticing, mouth-watering aroma of over 400 non-vegetarian cuisine items on offer, plus around 100 assorted desserts and beverages, making it the monthlong mecca for food lovers - irrespective of religion - thronging there.

"This is a sad truth. We are planning to request Mumbai Police Commissioner to at least grant us permission for two hours during the evening 'iftaar'. The morning 'sehri' people will somehow manage," a worried Abdul Rehman Khan told IANS.

Khan is owner of the decades-old landmark restaurant, 'Mashaallah Cuisine', nestling under the shadow of the 250-year historic Minara Masjid (Tower Mosque), from where it all started.

For 70-year old Shabbir Ajmanwalla, from the adjacent Bohri Mohalla, the spectre of 'sehri' and 'iftaar' without the goodies from the roadside eateries is akin to blasphemy.

"My father, in the 1920s, used to tell us many stories of the food market. Later, in the 1960s, as young boys, my friends and I would hop onto a tram for purchases to break our daylong fast," he reminisced.

In those days, trams plied in south Mumbai from Colaba to Dadar Tram Terminus (Dadar TT, as it is known even today after trams stopped in 1964!), traversing through congested Pydhonie, Nagdevi Street, and Mohammed Ali Road.

The street-food market's history is directly entwined with that of the imposing Minara Masjid, said local Urdu scribe, Aejaz Ahmed Ansari, quoting legends handed down by forefathers.

"The 24x7 Ramzan market started as tiny food stalls around this mosque and kept expanding over the centuries. But in the past six-seven decades, it acquired a cult-status for the sheer variety of food, their unique preparation styles and memorable taste, attracting people from around the world," Ansari told IANS.

According to 62-year-old Karim Patel, a local businessman with a shop near the Minara Masjid, Muslims comprise barely 25 percent of the patrons, the rest comprise around 60 percent non-Muslims and remaining foreigners or tourists.

"Certain varieties of food and desserts are specially prepared or available only during Ramzan, so people make it a point to come and savour these. A few are handed down by families from generations and are truly unique," Patel said with a smile.

"The main market is spread around a km on each side of the Minara Masjid, the rest is a spillover that comes up during Ramzan owing to the huge demand. The main market has around 100-plus food stalls, the spillover comprises another 400-odd sellers. It's a celebration of 'National Integration through food' in Ramzan," said Khan.

Teeming in a tiny corner in the congested Muslim-dominated residential-cum-commercial district, this year many non-Muslims may experience withdrawal symptoms of Mohammed Ali Road food market.

"Muslims will continue to fast this year, but we will be starved without our favourite dishes from this market," rued a regular connoisseur, Rakesh Upadhyay, an Ayurvedic pharmacist from Borivali.

He, along with Nagpad cardiologist (Dr) M. Qasim Nagori and Dharmendra Thakur had roamed the street several nights even in the aftermath of the Mumbai serial blasts.

Khan said on an average, the food market - with 90 percent non-vegetarian offerings -- attracts around 40,000 people daily, and during weekends, the number shoots up to 100,000, and the month averages around 1.50 million hungry customers in that swaming enclave.

"On an average, a person spends between Rs 500-800 for a hearty meal, so calculate the massive businesses generated here. There are thousands of families who work only in Ramzan month and survive the remaining 11 months. That's the kind of 'barkat' (benevolence) here, thanks to Minara Masjid," he said.

Patel said each stall employs roughly 10 persons and for Ramzan specialists are called from around the country to help cope with the bulk cooking requirements.

"Though the theme is Mughlai cuisine, we get specialized 'Khansamas' (traditional master chefs) of biryanis from Lucknow, niharis from Delhi, tawa food experts from Bahraich (UP), and the like," said Khan.

The markets are thronged by commoners and celebs, diplomats, domestic and foreign tourists, and hungry hoppers who drive down from places in 200-300 km range like Surat, Bharuch, Nashik, Pune, Satara, Goa, for a 'culinary wild night out' and drive back home the next morning, said Nagori.

However, most local restaurateurs confide they don't encourage celebs as "they disturb the whole market with their brief appearance", although many bigwigs quietly wait in their dark-tinted glass vehicles, collect their packed food without any fanfare and quietly retreat to enjoy their food elsewhere.

Among the notable Ramzan regulars are Salman Khan, Katrina Kaif, Sanjay Dutt, Ayesha Takiya-Azmi, Remo D'Souza, Nawaz Siddiqui, and in the past there were Dilip Kumar, Dev Anand, Rajendra Kumar, Raj Kapoor, et al.

Occasionally, students of catering colleges come here on a 'field assignment' while stern professional celeb chefs have been sighted here with their critical eyes giving way to magnanimity in the flood of hungry minions devouring the roadside delicacies, Ansari said.

This market's reputation has spawned many similar 'Ramzan markets' in Mumbai at Mahim, Kurla, Bandra, Andheri, Jogeshwari, Mira Road, Vasai, Pune, Malegaon, Nashik, Sangli, Surat, Delhi, Hyderabad, etc, but die-hard connoisseurs swear that the 'Mohammed Ali Road food bazaar' beats them all..! (Quaid Najmi can be contacted at: q.najmi@ians.in)
Photo credit: The Duke of Sussex

From Harper's BAZAAR

After catastrophic earthquakes devastated areas of Nepal in 2015, it was the Team Rubicon UK charity that Prince Harry joined to help rebuild one of the communities struck the hardest. And now, as the world continues the fight against coronavirus, the Duke of Sussex is encouraging more people to support the charitys latest efforts to help frontline workers and vulnerable people.

During a chat with military podcast Declassified, Harry praised Team Rubicon UK's Op RE:ACT initiative, which has deployed nearly 200 veterans across Britain to supply food and personal protective gear, such as eye protection and medical masks, to those in need.

I'm honored to be a veteran, and honored to be part of this community, Harry said. Im just so incredibly proud to see what these individuals up and down the country and across the world are doing on a day-to-day basis. What has happened, especially in the U.K., shows the very best of human spirit.

He added, It's also proving that I think things are better than we're led to believe through certain corners of the media. It can be very worrying when you're sitting there and the only information you are getting is from certain news channels, but then if you are on the right platforms, you can really sense this human spirit coming to the forefront.

Photo credit: The Duke of Sussex

Team Rubicon UKwhich helps retrain veterans to for life-saving humanitarian workhas already supplied nearly 35,000 meals to hospitals, food banks, and vulnerable communities in Britain. It has also distributed close to one million PPE (personal protective equipment) items to frontline medical staff. Their network of 14 live tasks is also helping provide vital support to nationwide hospital mortuaries as they deal with the high number of COVID-19 related deaths (which stands at 15,464 as of Saturday afternoon).

I want to say a huge thank you, as we all do, to the NHS workers and everybody that's volunteering, Harry added. Because up and down the U.K., there are literally hundreds of thousands of people volunteering. ... It's such a wonderfully British thing that we all come to help when we need it.

Story continues

He also took the opportunity during the April 16 podcast taping to congratulate Captain Tom Moore, the 99-year-old British war veteran who raised about $29 million for official National Health Service charities. I think what he's done is utterly amazing, but its not just what he's done, its the reaction that people have had as well. I think it's just wonderfully British, he smiled. It just makes me incredibly proud to see the Brits stepping up like this, but I really, really hope that this keeps going after coronavirus and after this whole pandemic has come to a close.

Photo credit: The Duke of Sussex

Supporting the military community is an area of activism that Harry will continue to prioritize in his new working chapter. After serving in the Armed Forces for 10 years, and undertaking two tours of duty in Afghanistan, he has remained committed to championing veterans and helping provide opportunities for wounded, injured, and sick (WIS) servicemembers through landmark initiatives he has founded, such as the Endeavour Fund and Invictus Games.

In his episode of the Declassified podcast, which is available starting April 19, Harry said, Ive said in the past, before I became a parent myself, but for those mums and dads out there who sometimes struggle to see who the appropriate role models are for their kids, I always say that the military communityespecially the WIS communityare, to me, some of the best role models out there.

He added to host Michael Coates, It's about selflessness rather than selfishness and I think in today's culture, in today's world, we need more role models that are willing to put others ahead of themselves. I think that being part of a unit, being part of a team, and for me, wearing a uniform that was the same as everybody elses, it kind of makes you feel totally equal, but at the same time makes you want do everything you can for the person on your left and your right.

Photo credit: The Duke of Sussex

The duke later added, The life experiences that you get in such a short space of time not only grow you up, but they make and turn you into what I think is an exceptional human being... You represent something, you represent a community, you represent a certain set of values, and I believe that those values will be with you for the rest of your life and you want to do everything you can to give back.

Former firefighter and soldier Coates, who co-created the network to promote and develop positive mental fitness, has shifted the focus of the podcast to support society in lockdown. Hosting this episode with two fellow veterans was an absolute privilege, he said in a statement shared with BAZAAR.com. I have huge amounts of respect for what both have done and what they are doing right now to support our communities. To see the growth and development expressed by not only the Military Community, but seeing how society is working together towards a common goal, is humbling.

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A nursing home in Co Cork is piloting an early warning system to detect Covid-19 among staff.

A census of mortality in Ireland's nursing homes is now underway with priority testing of staff and residents also taking place.
Source: Xinhua| 2020-04-18 13:15:39|Editor: huaxia

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Photo taken on April 9, 2020 shows a ward of the upgraded Wilkins Hospital in Harare, Zimbabwe. (Photo by Shaun Jusa/Xinhua)

HARARE, April 17 (Xinhua) -- Jiang Zhichao, head of the 17th Chinese medical team to Zimbabwe, had imagined many possibilities of public heath issues when he arrived in the country last year. But he has never expected to confront anything like the novel coronavirus disease, which has led to more than 146,000 deaths worldwide.

In Zimbabwe, the number of COVID-19 cases has risen to 24 after a new case was recorded in Harare on Thursday, the country's Ministry of Health and Child Care said Friday morning. The tally included two recoveries and three deaths.

A Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) practitioner in a hospital in central China's Hunan Province, Jiang has been keen to promote and practice TCM overseas. Last year, he signed up for the medical team dispatched to Africa.

Zimbabweans, thousands of miles away, seemed unaffected by the COVID-19 outbreak in China in February and early March, when few people on the street wore masks, including doctors and nurses. It was not until March 20, when the authorities announced the first confirmed case of COVID-19, that the citizens began to realize the virus was hitting every corner of the world, including their country, Jiang said.

"The outbreak came as a big surprise to us, since we are planning to give full play to our know-how in the African country," said Jiang, who arrived in Zimbabwe along with nine other members in June.

The Zimbabwean government has taken a series of measures to contain the disease, including declaring a lockdown for 21 days on March 30. With the cases rising, the Zimbabwean government has also stepped up screening and diagnostic testing in all provinces.

As health professionals, the Chinese medical team members have prepared for rainy days in advance, Jiang said. In late January, the team leader started to record the temperature of the team members every day. Apart from going to and from the hospital where they work, the team members are required not to go out or participate in non-essential gatherings.

In order to help with a possible outbreak in Zimbabwe, Jiang said, the team received remote training on tackling COVID-19 provided by national and provincial health authorities in China, which has consolidated their knowledge and enhanced their prevention and control capability.

In addition to striving to implement their initial plans of medical service, Jiang led the team to focus on fighting COVID-19.

At the invitation of Zimbabwe's Ministry of Health and Child Care, Jiang Yuandong, a member of the Chinese medical team in Zimbabwe, has trained more than 140 health workers and introduced China's experience in containing the outbreak since last month. He also gave a lecture to Zimbabwe's health officials and medical personnel to improve their understanding of the disease.

Isaac Phiri, deputy director for epidemiology and disease control at the Ministry of Health and Child Care, took part in a video conference on the exchange of anti-epidemic experience between Chinese experts and their African counterparts, which was organized by China in March.

Phiri spoke highly of the training and experience sharing carried out by the Chinese medical team and the Chinese authorities, saying the events showed the country what to do and how to do in tackling COVID-19.

Zimbabwe Nurses Association President Enock Dongo hailed China for providing medical assistance to Zimbabwe in the fight against the COVID-19 pandemic. Dongo told Xinhua recently that the assistance, including the revamping of the country's main isolation and treatment center, and medical equipment and supplies, had improved the medical personnel's capacity to respond to the pandemic as well as their working environment.

Chinese enterprises, working under the guidance and coordination of the Chinese Embassy in Zimbabwe, mobilized funds and upgraded Wilkins Hospital in Harare which has been designated as the country's main isolation and treatment facility for COVID-19 patients under the management of Harare City Council.

The council's health director Prosper Chonzi told Xinhua that the ergonomics of Wilkins Hospital had vastly improved following the renovation by the Chinese. The renovation work entailed repainting and habilitation of ablution facilities and the plumbing system.

The medical team was responsible for providing the list of equipment for the ICU upgrading, the amount and list of donated medicines and the list of personal protective equipment. "We are fully aware of the urgency of the assignment," the team leader said, adding they raced against time and within one day, they worked out the lists with the help from the authorities in China.

The hospital's upgrading was finished at the end of March thanks to the Chinese efforts. Apart from supplies from the Chinese government and foundations, the Chinese business community has halso donated medical equipment to the country.

"At the next stage, all the members of the medical team are ready to go to the clinic to fight the epidemic," the team leader said.

"After the emergency medical equipment and medicines arrive in Harare, we will train the medical staff of Zimbabwe and instruct them to make better use of the medical equipment and Chinese and western medicines donated by China."

According to China's National Health Commission, there are almost 1,000 Chinese medical personnel working in Africa on a long-term and the agency has directed them to help local health organizations stem the spread of the coronavirus.

China will continue to send medical teams to relevant African countries, continue to provide them with their needed anti-epidemic materials as much as possible, and support African countries and people in their fight against the epidemic, Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Zhao Lijian said Friday.

Two teams of medical experts sent by the Chinese government arrived in Ethiopia and Burkina Faso on Thursday.
A Nigerian journalist, Chijioke Agwu, has been arrested for writing a story on Lassa fever which a state governor claims violates the states coronavirus law.

The Ebonyi State Police Command, on Saturday afternoon, arrested the Ebonyi State correspondent of The Sun newspapers, on the order of Governor David Umahi, the media outfit has said.

The reporter, according to the newspaper, attended a press conference by the governor at the Government House where he was whisked away by the Chief Security Officer to the governor, and later handed over to the states Commissioner of Police, Awosola Awotinde.

The reporter is still being held by the police.

It was learnt that the governor has instructed that he be charged to court.

PREMIUM TIMES gathered that the governor, during the press briefing, which was aired live on the states broadcast stations, confirmed the arrest.

He said the reporter lied in a recent report he wrote on Lassa fever outbreak in the state.

Report against Infectious diseases law  Governor

The Governor, during the briefing, said the reporters actions contravened the recently passed Ebonyi State Coronavirus and other Dangerous Infectious Diseases And Related Matters Law 005 of 2020.

The law was accented to by the governor on April 2.

While signing the law, the governor warned against spread of false information, quoting a part of the law.

The transmission, or dissemination through a computer system or network or otherwise, of false information regarding COVID-19 within the State and other Dangerous Infectious Diseases and or any circumstances related to or bordering on the outbreak or possible outbreak of COVID-19 within the State is hereby prohibited, he declared.

READ ALSO:

He said any person who provides false or misleading information intentionally or recklessly with a view to causing panic or disaffection amongst members of the public shall be liable under the Ebonyi State Coronavirus and other Dangerous Infectious Diseases Law, 2020, Quarantine Act, Cap Q2 LF.N, 2004, Public Health Law, Cap 126 Laws of Ebonyi State of Nigeria 2009 and any other existing law, to a fine or imprisonment or both.

Newspaper reacts

The Sun Newspaper, in a statement on its website, condemned the arrest, describing it as unfortunate.

The paper noted that the head of The Sun South East Bureau, Magnus Eze, had informed the management of the arrest in a text message.

I have just been informed that Ebonyi Gov, David Umahi has ordered the arrest and prosecution of The Sun newspapers state correspondent, Chijioke Agwu, while he attended a press invitation at the Govt House. I was told that their grouse was a feature story on Lassa fever endemic in Ebonyi which centred mainly on NCDC statistics published in Daily Sun of Friday, April 17, 2020, Mr Ezes message read.

The management wondered why the reporter would be arrested for doing his job.

It is wrong to arrest a reporter for doing his job. Our correspondent was arrested as if he was a common criminal while doing his legitimate duty. It is unfortunate a governor can make such an order and a Commissioner of Police acted on it.

The paper further claimed that Mr Umahi has a penchant for harassing journalists.

Sources say any time report on an issue in the state is published, the governor sometimes personally harasses and threatens reporters, the paper said.

The paper further quoted unnamed sources as stating that the governor does not want any report on the failure of his government reported by the media. When there is a communal clash, robbery, killings in the state, and they are reported, he gets offended. These things are replete in the state and it is the duty of the media to report them.

The paper said since the arrest of the reporter, the police have barred access to him.

Police confirm arrest

The Commissioner of Police, Awotinde Awosola, confirmed the arrest of the reporter.

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He, however, denied that the police have barred access to the reporter.

He is having a parley with my officers. We are investigating the matter, he said.
The yet-to-be delivered coronavirus stimulus payments are keeping many Americans on edge.

About 80 million people  mostly those for whom the IRS has direct deposit information on file  should have received the payments this week.

That leaves many millions more who are still waiting as the coronavirus pandemic continues.

So when should you start to worry?

It depends on your situation, your income level and the accuracy of the information the IRS has about you.

It could actually take 20 weeks for all the payments to go out, according to federal officials.

But most Americans wont have to wait that long. Heres what to expect.

IF YOURE EXPECTING A DIRECT DEPOSIT

If you believe the IRS has your direct deposit information and you havent received a payment yet, brace yourself for some frustrating legwork.

The IRS launched a tool called Get My Payment to allow people to see when their payments are scheduled to go out  but many have complained that the tool gives unclear responses or locked them out. For some, it says: payment status not available." For others, it says: your request could not be completed and the tool asks the taxpayer to try again later.

The IRS offered guidance on what those messages mean.

And while you might be tempted to try the tool over and over, hoping to get a different response, dont bother. The IRS said its only updating information once a day, so save your keystrokes, wait 24 hours and try again.

But dont ignore the tool. It will  if you get through  give you a chance to see what bank account information the IRS has for you.

And if the information is wrong? Can you change it?

Get My Payment cannot update direct deposit bank account information after an Economic Impact Payment has been scheduled for delivery, the IRS said. To help protect against potential fraud, the tool also does not allow people to change direct deposit bank account information already on file with the IRS.

If the bank account on file with the IRS is closed, the agency said, your bank will reject the deposit. Then you will be issued a check to the address the IRS has on file.

But if you didnt use direct deposit with your last tax return, the tool should allow you to enter your account information.

IF YOURE GETTING A PAPER CHECK

If you dont get a direct deposit, when you get your check will depend on your income level, officials said.

The IRS can only process about 5 million checks each week. And while the first round of checks was supposed to start by April 24, the Washington Post reported that President Trump wanted his name printed on the checks, which could delay their mailing by a few days.

Whenever the weekly mailings start, at 5 million a week, it will take until September before everyone gets a check.

The lowest-income Americans, with income under $10,000, will get the first round. Each subsequent week will send to the next highest income level, until finally, it gets to people at the income cutoff for eligibility.

That would be the first week of September  five months from now.

The IRS, in its guidance, specifically says not to call the agency.

So were not saying you shouldnt worry, and we get that you want your money as soon as possible, but youre going to have to try the IRS tool or just sit back and wait for your paper check.

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In the first round of rapid-testing in Rajasthan to detect carriers or super spreaders of the Sars-Cov-2 virus most tests results were negative, officials said on Saturday, as other states started working on conducting tests from Sunday.

The Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) has also advised antibody tests in Covid-19 hotspots which will ensure faster detection of cases and give more time to authorities to contain community spread. Once a person tests positive after the antibody test, the PCR test has to be done to confirm the result, which takes anywhere between 24 to 48 hours. While antibody test is based on blood samples, the PCR test is based on throat swab.

Most state government officials on Saturday said they have received the rapid test kits (RTKs). They, however, said the kits were very less as compared to the demand. India had received 6,50,000 kits from China on Friday, which has been distributed to the states. Most states have set up additional quarantine centres to keep the persons, who test positive in rapid testing.

Rajasthan got 10,000 rapid test kits on Friday and 52 samples were tested, all of which were negative. On Saturday, 5,000 tests were conducted in Jaipurs walled city, from where most number of cases have been reported.

Rohit Singh, additional chief secretary, health, said the rapid tests would help the government in the ongoing containment exercise as people tested positive will be quickly isolated to prevent further spread. This is part of our strategy to use an optimal mix of both types of tests for effective containment in an aggressive manner, he said.

Rajasthan became the first state to conduct the rapid tests on Friday as 52 people in the walled city were tested with these kits. All of them tested negative. The state will get 1 lakh testing kits soon, said health minister Raghu Sharma on Saturday.

The Chhattisgarh government would be procuring high-quality Covid-19 rapid testing kits from a South Korean company within the next 10 days, the states health minister TS Singh Deo said Saturday.

As per the tender, the kits will arrive in the next seven to ten days. The South Korean company based in India was the lowest bidder. The rate we have been able to close at (Rs 337 per kit) is the lowest in India, he said.

The Chhattisgarh government had earlier cancelled two short tenders for the purchase of rapid testing kits in the last 15 days. The state has reported 36 cases of Covid-19 out of which 24 people have been discharged.

Chhattisgarh is the second state after Andhra Pradesh to import kits from South Korea. Andhra Pradesh received one lakh kits from South Korea on Friday, which was dispatched to districts on Saturday. The rapid antibody tests would commence in a day or two and it would improve the efficiency of the testing significantly, special chief secretary (health) K S Jawahar Reddy said at a review meeting conducted by the chief minister on Saturday.

A Punjab government official said that the state has 10,100 rapid testing kits from ICMR and these are being used for testing in 24 hotspots identified by the government. The state government will collect all the data available after rapid testing exercise on Saturday, said Dr Rajesh Bhaskar, state health departments official spokesperson for Covid-19.

This is second batch of antibody tests kits received by the state. On Monday, the state received 1,000 kits, which was used to conduct tests in Mohali and Jalandhar. Total seven of the 1,000 tested were found to be positive, another state government official said.

In Uttar Pradesh, the first tests from the kits in Meerut and Saharanpur have come negative, officials said, adding that 8,500 kits received would be used in each of the 17 worst Covid affected sub-divisions of the state.

The officials in Bihar, Uttarkahand and Himachal Pradesh said that they have received the kits though the number was inadequate considering the demand to conduct the tests. The number of kits we have received (3,400) so far is very less against our demand, said National Health Mission Director Nipun Jindal in Himachal Pradesh. Sanjay Kumar, Bihars principal secretary, health, said, This is the first tranche of antibody-based rapid test kits we received. The department is formulating a comprehensive strategy for its prudent usage. Bihar has received 6,240 rapid test kits.

Karnatakas health and family welfare department secretary, Jawaid Akhter said the 11,400 kits given by the Centre have been sent to NIMHANS for testing to ensure the efficacy of the kits. Once they are certified by our local authorities, they will be deployed in different districts of the state over the next few days, he said. Rajasthan also gave 100 kits to SMS medical college in Jaipur for their reliability, after which a go-ahead will be given for their distribution throughout the state, officials said.

Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal said that the 42,000 RTKs received on Sunday will be used to conduct random tests in the 71 containment zones of the city. Jammu and Kashmir health commissioner, Atul Duloo, said that 12,000 kits were received by the government on Saturday and will be used soon in hotspots for testing.

In Kerala, 25,000 rapid test kits have arrived, said a senior official of the health department, adding these kits will be used in worst-hit Kasaragode and Kannur districts in a couple of days. Since there is no threat of massive community spread, the use of these kits will be minimum in Kerala, he said. On Saturday four fresh cases were reported taking the total of positive cases to 399.

Maharashtra government has not received the kits. We are yet to receive antibody tests kits. We will have to follow certain protocols before starting to conduct the tests even after receiving them, said Dr Pradeep Vyas, principal secretary, state health department, Maharashtra.

(With inputs from state bureaus)
Thanks are in order for Camilla, Duchess of Cornwall.

A royal commentator says Camilla made it possible for Meghan, Duchess of Sussex and Prince Harry, Duke of Sussex to get married in 2018. Ahead, learn how Camilla played a role in helping the British royal family and the monarchy move toward a more modern existence.

Camilla Parker Bowles and Meghan Markle | Chris Jackson/Chris Jackson/Getty Images

Camilla Parker Bowles wasnt considered a suitable match for Prince Charles

Charles, Prince of Wales and Camilla met in the early 1970s, hit it off right away, and began dating. They later broke up but not before the royal family told Charles the romance couldnt go anywhere. Camilla had been deemed an unsuitable partner for the future leader of the British monarchy. Even though they split up and Charles knew marrying Camilla wasnt an option, they remained close and were seen at a number of polo matches together in the 1970s.

They remained close and later began having an affair

After Camilla married Andrew Parker Bowles and Charles married Diana, Princess of Wales, the two kept in contact and eventually rekindled their romance. In 1996, when Diana and Charles officially divorced, theyd both already admitted to seeing other people during their marriage but Charles longtime affair with Camilla had been viewed as the main reason for their split.

Charles and Camilla planned on slowly introducing their relationship to the public in 1997 but then Diana died and they kept their romance quiet. In the years that followed they began going out in public together and in 2005 Queen Elizabeth II gave them permission to marry.

Prince Charles and Camilla Parker Bowles | Hugo Burnand/Pool/Getty Images

According to a royal commentator, the couples story opened up the door for Meghan and Harry to get married.

Camilla Parker Bowles and Meghan Markle both commoners and divorcees

When Meghan and Harry began dating in 2016, they didnt have to worry about Meghan having been married once before. And thats because the queen gave Charles permission to remarry after his divorce from Diana. Not only that she gave Charles permission to marry Camilla, the woman with whom hed had an affair who herself had been through a divorce.

The queen giving Charles, her son and the first person in the royal familys line of succession, permission to remarry proved to be a landmark moment made even bigger because she allowed him to marry a divorcee. In previous decades, marrying a divorced person or getting a divorce had not been accepted by the royal family.

Prince Harry and Meghan Markle, royal wedding | Aaron Chown  WPA Pool/Getty Images

In the documentary, Charles & Camilla: King and Queen in Waiting, Carole Malone, a TV broadcaster and journalist, shared why she felt Camilla had created a foundation for Harry and Meghans relationship, according to Express.

In many ways, Camilla had paved the way for Meghan, she said. In the sense that they were both divorcees and neither of them was royals.

A commoner, Meghan had been working as an actress on Suits when she first met Harry. In 2011, she married her longtime boyfriend, Trevor Engelson, and their relationship ended in divorce two years later.

Because of his proximity to the throne, Harry had to ask his grandmother, the queen, for permission to marry Meghan but he probably sweated the process a little less knowing his father married Camilla, a divorcee, a little more than a decade earlier.


<! Bandits wipe out 47 people in Katsina >

The Katsina State Police Command, on Sunday said bandits have killed 47 people in early morning attacks on communities in three local government areas of the state.

The commands Spokesman, SP Gambo Isah, made this known in a statement made available to newsmen on Sunday in Katsina.

He said that the bandits carried out the attacks in Dutsinma, Danmusa and Safana local government areas at about 00:30 hours on April 19.

The command spokesman did not give further details, but said that police, army, Air Force, civil defence and DSS personnel had been deployed to restore normalcy in the affected communities.
Even before the supposed peak of COVID-19 cases has hit Connecticut, with hospitalizations and deaths continuing to climb, much public attention has shifted to a plan to reopen the economy. Given the unprecedented hit to local and national commerce, its easy to understand why.

Businesses are facing unprecedented challenges. Few have the wherewithal to survive a sustained shutdown, and with no end in sight to the coronavirus-directed social distancing, theres no way to plan for the future. The economic fallout is already devastating and stands to get even worse.

But even as we approach and pass the virus peak, there is little indication that a safe way to reopen is on the horizon. What we need is testing on a vast scale that is to date unavailable. Without the ability to test people quickly and efficiently, there will be no way to tell who is sick and needs to be quarantined.

Unfortunately, the nature of the virus means that even testing will not be enough. Gov. Ned Lamont and his team looking at ways to reopen the economy have focused attention on whats called contact tracing, which raises any number of dystopian possibilities but a version of which is probably unavoidable it we are to safely allow people out of their homes. In the absence of a vaccine, which remains far away, contact tracing will be a part of our lives.

It is likely to work in the form of an app that people would download on their phones or other mobile devices that would track their movements, along with everyone elses, and alert them if they have come into contact with someone who has tested positive for COVID-19, and allow them to be tested themselves and self-quarantine. This is necessary because the disease can spread before people develop symptoms, which makes tracking the disease without technology that much more difficult.

It may keep people safer, but the privacy issues raised by contact tracing are monumental. As the American Civil Liberties Union and other advocates have argued, people will need to trust their information will not be misused  sold to advertisers, for instance  and that it will only be utilized for purposes of tracking the coronavirus. If large numbers of people dont trust it and dont use it, the technology would be as good as worthless.

That means the information tracking peoples movements must be stored by a trusted entity, one that could not under any circumstances gain from it. Many people would feel more comfortable with a third party outside the government, perhaps a nonprofit, holding the data, which should be self-deleting after a certain period. And everything about the process would necessarily be voluntary.

Nothing about this will be easy. The economic damage will be severe under any circumstances. But to get to a place where we can start to think about reopening the economy, testing and contact tracing will be necessary components so people can feel safe venturing out into the world. Lamont and his team are tasked with doing so in a way that will ensure people feel comfortable with the process.
Tom and Jerry director Gene Deitch has sadly passed away aged 95.

The Oscar-winning illustrator passed away on Thursday night at his apartment in Prague.

His Czech publisher, Petr Himmel, told The Associated Press that he died 'unexpectedly.'

Sad: Illustrator and Tom and Jerry director Gene Deitch has sadly passed away aged 95. The Oscar-winner passed away on Thursday night at his apartment in Prague (pictured in 2018)

Gene, who's full name was Eugene Merrill Deitch, directed 13 episodes of beloved children's cartoon Tom and Jerry and some from the series Popeye.

Gene worked as a draftsman for North American Aviation before being drafted for the military and entering pilot training.

After being discharged for medical reasons, the illustrator then based himself in Prague from 1959 and his career took off.

His movie Munro won the Academy Award for Best Animated Short Film in 1960.

Iconic: Gene, who's full name was Eugene Merrill Deitch, directed 13 episodes of beloved children's cartoon Tom and Jerry and some from the series Popeye

He was also nominated for the same award twice in 1964 for Heres Nudnik and How to Avoid Friendship.

Earlier, he had created the Tom Terrific series, while the Sidneys Family Tree, which he co-produced was nominated for an Academy Award in 1958.

Gene is survived by his wife and three sons from his first marriage, all of whom are cartoonists.

Fans have taken to Twitter to share condolences and express how much his work meant to them.

One shared: 'It makes me so happy that Gene Deitch is finally getting the attention he deserved. he was so much more than the "Tom & Jerry" reputation he built up. he'll forever be missed'

Another penned: 'Im so disheartened to hear about gene deitch. may he rest in peace, and may his legacy continue to be honored for decades to come'
MENLO PARK (BCN)

Twenty-five years ago, firefighters from California were dispatched to Oklahoma City to respond to one of the deadliest domestic terrorist attacks in U.S. history. Instead of flying back this year to commemorate the 168 lives lost, the group will mourn virtually during an ongoing pandemic.

Menlo Park Fire Chief Harold Schapelhouman was one of the emergency responders at the scene that day. He said four of the original team are currently working at the Menlo Park Fire District, and leaving town is out of the question during the COVID-19 emergency.

He and others returned to Oklahoma City one year after the attack, and a large group had been planning to return for the 25th anniversary. He said he will miss the Oklahoma locals, who treated the first responders with great kindness during their response to the truck bombing, which killed 19 children and left nearly 700 people with injuries.

"After the World Trade Center Collapse Deployment on 9-11-01, a number of us were being interviewed and the reporter said, 'I'll bet this was worst disaster you've ever responded to,'" Schapelhouman said in a statement.

"About five of who had responded to both events said 'no, it was the Oklahoma City Bombing.' I remember thinking that only I had felt that way. As we talked about it, we all realized how much it had affected us and changed our lives," he said.

The largest bombing remembrance memorial outside of Oklahoma City is located at the fire district's training center near the Dumbarton Bridge, according to the department. It contains columns and granite slab from the Alfred P. Murrah Building, the location of the 1995 attack, and flowers and flags will be placed at the site this weekend.

"Twenty five years later and with a Global Pandemic going on, resilience, mental toughness, perspective and a healthy balance and appreciation of how good life has been and still is, despite significant hurdles I've had to personally overcome, due to a humbling and major life changing injury, helps me navigate most challenges with courage, a deep appreciation to be in this moment, and not fear or dread, that I see so many people struggling with right now," Schapelhouman said.

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.
AXIS Capital Holdings Lt. promoted one of its executives to lead a division domiciled in Ireland. Church Mutual Insurance Company promoted six individuals into new leadership roles. Argo Group International Holdings, Ltd. elected three new board members.

***

AXIS Capital Holdings Limited appointed Mark McCormick as CEO of AXIS Re SE, subject to regulatory approval.

The division is AXIS Capitals reinsurance legal entity domiciled in Ireland and regulated by the Central Bank of Ireland, with a Zurich branch. In this role, McCormick will be responsible for AXIS Re SE and the legal entity aspects of its Zurich branch. He will also join the Board of Directors of AXIS Specialty Europe SE (ASE) as a Non-Executive Director. AXIS Specialty Europe is AXIS Capitals specialty insurance legal entity domiciled in Ireland and regulated by the CBI, with branches in London, Brussels and Amsterdam.

Previously, McCormick was Co-Head of Specialty Pricing for AXIS Re, where helped to develop and oversee the business segments specialty reinsurance pricing unit. That connection will continue. In addition to his role as CEO of ARe, he will continue to provide support and advice to AXIS Re regarding actuarial pricing matters for its Aviation, Marine and Agriculture lines of business.

In the past, McCormack also managed all non-U.S. actuarial pricing for AXIS Accident & Health from 2010 until that business was merged into AXIS Capitals insurance and reinsurance business segments in 2018. McCormick joined AXIS from AmTrust, where he was an actuary and underwriter, and previously held a variety of actuarial roles at Imagine and Fineos.

McCormick will continue to be based in Dublin. He succeeds Helen OSullivan, who will remain CEO and a Director of ASE. OSullivan will also continue to serve as a Director of ARe.

***

Church Mutual Insurance Company promoted six individuals into new leadership roles.

Jeff Steffen has been promoted to senior vice president  chief financial officer. Steffen joined the company in 2013 as director of financial planning and analysis. He was promoted to vice president  chief financial officer in 2016.

has been promoted to senior vice president  chief financial officer. Steffen joined the company in 2013 as director of financial planning and analysis. He was promoted to vice president  chief financial officer in 2016. Doug Sippel has been promoted to assistant vice president  treasurer and corporate controller. He has been in the insurance industry for 28 years, with the last 23 at Church Mutual.

has been promoted to assistant vice president  treasurer and corporate controller. He has been in the insurance industry for 28 years, with the last 23 at Church Mutual. Peter Mahler has been promoted to vice president  Religious Markets Underwriting. He has been in the insurance industry for more than 20 years with 10 of those at Church Mutual.

has been promoted to vice president  Religious Markets Underwriting. He has been in the insurance industry for more than 20 years with 10 of those at Church Mutual. Dean Jarnow has been promoted to vice president  Strategic Resource Management. Jarnow has been with Church Mutual for two years. Before joining Church Mutual Jarnow worked on projects with Converge One, Bemis Company, United Health Group, Allianz Life, Ameriprise and Thrivent, among others.

has been promoted to vice president  Strategic Resource Management. Jarnow has been with Church Mutual for two years. Before joining Church Mutual Jarnow worked on projects with Converge One, Bemis Company, United Health Group, Allianz Life, Ameriprise and Thrivent, among others. Alan Ogilvie has been promoted to president  Subsidiaries. Ogilvie was instrumental in establishing CM Vantage in 2016 and has provided great value to many enterprise-wide initiatives. He has been with Church Mutual since March 2015. Prior to joining Church Mutual, Ogilvie spent time with Capitol Insurance Companies, Caliber on Indemnity Company and Wausau Insurance, among others.

has been promoted to president  Subsidiaries. Ogilvie was instrumental in establishing CM Vantage in 2016 and has provided great value to many enterprise-wide initiatives. He has been with Church Mutual since March 2015. Prior to joining Church Mutual, Ogilvie spent time with Capitol Insurance Companies, Caliber on Indemnity Company and Wausau Insurance, among others. Randy Oja is taking on additional responsibilities as vice president  Social Markets Underwriting. Oja joined Church Mutual as a senior actuary in September 2011. Previously Oja served as vice president  Broker Underwriting.

is taking on additional responsibilities as vice president  Social Markets Underwriting. Oja joined Church Mutual as a senior actuary in September 2011. Previously Oja served as vice president  Broker Underwriting. ***

Argo Group International Holdings, Ltd. elected three new board members: Bernard C. Bailey, Fred R. Donner and Argo Group Chief Executive Officer Kevin J. Rehnberg.

Today marks several noteworthy milestones for Argo, said Thomas A. Bradley, Argo Group board chairman. We appreciate the support from our shareholders approving meaningful governance enhancements and the election of the board.

Five former directors are retiring from the board of the specialty insurer and reinsurer, including former Board Chairman Gary V. Woods, F. Sedgwick Brown, Hector De Leon, Mural R. Josephson and John R. Power. Shareholders also approved proposals to reduce the maximum board size from 13 to 11 directors and to declassify the board  voting on the full board annually.

Sources: AXIS Capital Holdings, Church Mutual, Argo Group International Holdings.
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Thiruvananthapuram, April 19 : Taking on the traditional rivals, the Kerala BJP state president K. Surendran on Sunday said Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan and his predecessor Oommen Chandy are the same when it comes to corruption.

"With the Sprinklr data scam now coming out, Vijayan's office is working in the same way as what happened when Congress leader Oommen Chandy was the CM. It's corruption that's happening form the family and their offices," said Surendran while speaking to the media. He demanded a CBI probe into this data scam.

It was the Congress, which brought out the now raging data scam with regard to the transfer of Covid-19 suspects to a US-based PR and marketing firm Sprinklr.

The IT department is headed by Vijayan and the IT secretary M. Sivasankar is also the secretary to Vijayan.

"What Sivasankar said yesterday is a lie. Vijayan should now come clean on this data controversy," added Surendran.

Sivasankar on Saturday was seen running to various TV channels to give interviews where he took the entire responsibility on himself about the data transfer to the US firm and said it was his call.

Meanwhile, State Law Minister A.K. Balan came down strongly on the opposition and accused it of trying to destroy the image of Vijayan.

"The CM's stock rose hugely in the way he handled the Covid-19 situation. Now they are out to tarnish his image as elections are round the corner. The IT department is competent to handle this. It's not a must that all files need to be vetted by the law department and there is no need for the cabinet to clear this," said Balan.

But former Chief Secretary Jiji Thompson termed this as something strange.

"The general norm according to business rules of the government is, first a file has to originate from the IT department, then it has to be sent to the various departments like health, local self government, revenue and finance. Then it has to be put before the cabinet with a cabinet note file. I am surprised nothing of this sort happened in this case," said Thompson.

RSP Lok Sabha member N.K. Premachandran, a former State Minister in the V.S. Achuthanandan cabinet (2006-11- now his party is in the Congress-led UDF) termed the Sprinklr deal as a shady one which was kept under the dark.

"I was a State Minister and precisely know how files originate and in this case, where are the files. This controversy can be laid to rest, if the Vijayan government releases all the government files. All what has come out is only the letters and agreements of Sprinklr. This is a shady deal and the Chief Minister has to come out and speak," said Premachandran.
The Egyptian embassy in Madrid has said a special flight will take place on Thursday to repatriate Egyptian nationals stranded in Spain.

The Air Cairo flight will leave from Barcelona and land in Marsa Alam in Red Sea governorate, where the passengers will be quarantined for 14 days, the embassy said in a statement on Sunday.

The embassy stressed that the flight is only for students or citizens who were on a short business or touristic trip to the European country and no longer have accommodation, and was not open to Egyptian residents of Spain.

Those who would like to return on the flight should pay for the tickets and the accommodation at the quarantine hotel either online or at the Air Cairo headquarters in Egypt, the embassy explained.

Spain has recorded over 196,000 coronavirus cases since the coronavirus outbreak started, and its death toll exceeds 20,000.

On Saturday, Marsa Alam received a flight of over 200 Egyptians who had been stranded in Canada. The passengers on board the repatriation flight from Toronto were quarantined at a local hotel in the city.

Also on Saturday, Red Sea Governor Amr Hanafy announced that 323 Egyptians who had arrived from Washington on 3 April and had been in quarantine would travel home to Cairo after concluding the 14-day quarantine period.

The Egyptian government has said it will quarantine all nationals returning to the country from abroad, and is requiring returnees to sign a written acknowledgement that they agree to the quarantine before boarding repatriation flights.

Egypt announced on Saturday its highest single-day rise in new cases, with 188 new patients and 19 new deaths, bringing the total number of confirmed cases to 3,032 and the total fatalities to 224.

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London, April 19 : The world's Orthodox Christians on Sunday celebrated Easter, the most important festival in their calendar, amid a series of restrictions and lockdowns imposed in the wake of the coronavirus pandemic.

Officials in Europe, the Middle East and Africa urged people not to attend services, fearing this would lead to a spike in coronavirus infections, said the BBC in a report.

However, in Georgia, worshippers were still able to attend churches.

The traditional Holy Fire ceremony went ahead in a near-deserted Church of the Holy Sepulchre in Jerusalem.

The church was closed last month and only a handful of Orthodox clergy, some of them wearing black masks, were allowed in for the ceremony on Saturday.

A candle is traditionally lit with the Holy Fire in the crypt of the Holy Sepulchre by Greek Orthodox Patriarch Theophilos III, to symbolise the resurrection of Jesus.

Instead of the flame being passed on to thousands of pilgrims, this time the ceremony was attended by the Armenian Orthodox patriarch, four assistants and Coptic and Syrian archbishops, Israeli media reported.

The church bells tolled and the flame was carried out of the church by Theophilos III and others to be taken to Ben Gurion airport near Tel Aviv and flown to 10 countries.

Russia's Orthodox Church agreed to break its annual traditions and is urging millions of believers not to attend church. Worshippers usually attend late-night processions to receive blessings.

This year services are being held only in the presence of priests and other clergy.
By Express News Service

GUNTUR: Andhra Pradesh Non-Resident Telugu (APNRT) Society president Venkat S Medapati wrote a letter to Consul (Labout-I) Harjeet Singh at Consulate General of India in Dubai in United Arab Emirates and requested him to provide aid to migrant workers from India.

He mentioned that several organisations, companies and offices have stopped operations as UAE enforced lockdown to contain the spread of COVID-19. He said many workers from Andhra Pradesh migrated to UAE for work. These workers have lost their livelihood and are finding it difficult to meet their daily needs during the lockdown. Some of them do not even have shelter. The APNRT Society president requested Harjeet Singh to arrange food and accommodation for the workers at the earliest.
Govt faces mounting criticism for shortage of protective equipment amid a number of deaths of healthcare workers.

The British government has admitted a shortage of crucial masks and gowns for healthcare staff as it faces mounting criticism from doctors and medical workers amid the coronavirus outbreak.

Medical workers treating patients who have the highly contagious COVID-19 disease have criticised a government suggestion to re-use personal protective equipment, or PPE.

A Department of Health spokesman said the guidance was to ensure that staff knew what to do to minimise risk if shortages did occur, and that the rules remained in line with international standards.

Weve got to do more to get the PPE that people need to the front line, Communities Secretary Robert Jenrick said when asked about the situation during the governments daily news conference on Saturday.

He acknowledged the shortages but added that a consignment was due to arrive from Turkey on Sunday containing equipment including 400,000 protective gowns.

We are trying to do everything we can to get the equipment we need, he said during the televised briefing.

We are trying to source more internationally, that is difficult at times, there is a great deal of demand for it, and the security of that supply can prove very challenging, but we are making progress there.

Britain is nearing the peak of a health crisis in which more than 15,000 people have died  the fifth-highest national coronavirus death toll, a pandemic that has killed at least 150,000 worldwide.

Al Jazeeras Paul Brennan, reporting from Ashford on the outskirts of the capital London, said the controversy around the stock of PPE has been growing in recent weeks.

The pressure thats coming, its because of anecdotal evidence from the front-line staff, who are treating COVID-19 patient, having to do so compromising their own safety, he said.

At least 27 NHS staff have died during the pandemic, according to the government figures. Media reports, however, say the toll could be much higher.

National scandal

Data published on Saturday showed 15,464 people have died in British hospitals after testing positive for coronavirus  an increase of 888 in the 24 hours to 16:00 GMT on Friday.

That increase is higher than recent days, but below the highest daily death toll of 980, seen just over a week ago.

The government issued new guidance to hospitals on Friday setting out that alternatives to fluid-repellent full-length gowns may need to be used, including reusable gowns or even long-sleeved laboratory coats.





This guidance is a further admission of the dire situation that some doctors and healthcare workers continue to find themselves in because of government failings, said Rob Harwood, chairman of the consultants committee at the British Medical Association.

If its being proposed that staff reuse equipment, this must be demonstrably driven by science and the best evidence  rather than availability.

The trade union Unite said it had told its members they could lawfully refuse to work to avoid risk of injury, describing the situation over PPE as a national scandal.

The Royal College of Nursing said it had written in the strongest terms to express its concerns over the rules change.

NHS Providers, a body that represents hospitals and other parts of Britains publicly funded National Health Service, said supply levels of gowns were critical.

It is now clear that some trusts will run out of fully fluid repellent gowns this weekend, deputy chief executive Saffron Cordery said.

Britains response to the coronavirus outbreak  which has lagged behind that of European peers  is a source of increasing political criticism of Prime Minister Boris Johnson, who is recovering from a spell in intensive care after being infected.

This is not just a healthcare issue any more, it is a real political hot potato for the government, and they are getting a lot of criticism as a result of what is perceived as a lack of forward planning, said Brennan.

Meanwhile, on Sunday, Health Secretary Matt Hancock appointed Paul Deighton, who was chief executive of the London Organising Committee of the Olympic and Paralympic Games, to organise the domestic manufacture of PPE for health workers treating coronavirus patients.

He will lead a singular and relentless focus on PPE as the countrys top manufacturing priority, with the full weight of the government behind him, Hancock said.
It was when I bought a gun that I knew Corona Madness had finally claimed me. Id been speaking to a Government official who presented an increasingly apocalyptic vision of how the Covid-19 crisis could spiral out of control.

Panic-buying was just the start, they feared. Soon there would be looting, the police would be overwhelmed and the Army would have to be drafted in.

So I ordered a pistol on the internet. Not a real one, obviously. A replica. But I figured the average looter wouldnt notice the difference.

Then I decided to try to turn back time.

A soldier is pictured being trained by a paramedic. This morning, Whitehall is locked in a fierce debate over how to plot a way out

Id seen the reports of increasing numbers of Covid-19 patients in their 50s being admitted to hospital, and started to contemplate the brutal triage system that would be introduced by a desperate NHS.

So at night, as I went to sleep, I began to try to teach myself a new birth date  one that would place me in my 40s and give me a fighting chance of ICU admission when the virus struck.

But the thing that tipped me closest to the edge was a packet of toilet paper.

A neighbour rang to ask if I knew of any local shops that might still have some in stock. As I spoke to her, I could literally see six new rolls glinting in their shiny packet.

Basic decency said I should offer to give her some. But I was transfixed, like Gollum eying his precious ring.

What if the panic-buying intensified? Why hadnt she had the foresight to purchase her own rolls? This was my sacred toilet paper.

Panic-buying was just the start, they feared. Soon there would be looting, the police would be overwhelmed and the Army would have to be drafted in. The 2011 London Riots are pictured above

That was me at the start of this crisis. The Blackheath Rambo  a fake fortysomething with a pistol, ready and willing to take down anyone who dared make a move against his prized hoard of Andrex.

Of course, the madness subsided. It proved impossible to maintain such a sense of jeopardy over a month of lockdown.

The gun never actually arrived  too many people had the same idea as me, and they sold out. The NHS ICU crisis didnt materialise.

In the end I relented, and offered to help my neighbour.

But my own brief skirmish with coronaviruss mental demons revealed a simple truth. We cant carry on living like this.

This morning, Whitehall is locked in a fierce debate over how to plot a way out.

On one side are scientists and epidemiologists, warning of the awful death toll that could result from a premature lifting of restrictions.

What if the panic-buying intensified? Why hadnt she had the foresight to purchase her own rolls? This was my sacred toilet paper. That was me at the start of this crisis [File photo]

On the other are economists and accountants, pointing to the catastrophic impact on the economy if those restrictions persist.

But there is a vital voice missing from the discussions. The voice that sets aside the clinical and economic imperatives for a moment, and calmly points out a basic fact. We are surviving. And existing. But we are no longer living.

Each of us is incarcerated like a prisoner. Allowed out for one hour of exercise a day, before being reinterred for the other 23.

When we do go out, we are not people, but glorified computer guidance systems, constantly calculating the speed and trajectory of nearby pedestrians, cyclists or joggers who could deploy the lethal germ and seal our fate.

We are lucky. The elderly and infirm are granted no release from their cell at all.

Families have been ripped asunder. Grandparents banned by Government edict from hugging their grandchildren. To encroach within 6ft of a lifelong friend is to risk a fine or arrest.

That is on an individual level. But what we are witnessing goes far wider. To the slow leeching of the life-blood of a nation.

Our great works of art have been rendered invisible. Shakespeare has been banished from the stage by executive order. Our sporting arenas lie silent. Within our cathedrals, churches and mosques the simple act of prayer has been rendered a sin.

Yes, these measures have all been justified. And, despite the naysayers, have proved effective.

Britain did its duty and observed the Easter lockdown. And as predicted by the Governments health experts, the spread of the virus may have finally peaked.

But we need a serious discussion now  as a country  about where we go from here.

And it cannot be a discussion confined to graphs, or spreadsheets, or infection rate algebra.

The argument up to now  correctly  has been that the priority must be saving lives.

And many have been. But at what price? Not in economics, but to a nations soul.

We have heard the cry scandal a lot over the past month. The scandal of our care homes. The scandal of lack of PPE. The scandal over testing.

But the biggest single scandal of this crisis occurred on March 30, when 13-year-old Ismail Mohamed Abdulwahab, from London, succumbed to Covid-19.

Because of restrictions we all demanded be put in place to keep us safe, he died alone. And because of those same restrictions, he was buried alone.

Yes, we should be proud of our collective national effort over the past month. But when we allow our children to die in that way, we have set aside our humanity and taken a step towards barbarity.

So now we need to be honest with ourselves. We need to make a choice. In terms of who we are, who we want to be and just how high a price we want to pay to keep ourselves safe from coronavirus.

The NHS ICU crisis didnt materialise. In the end I relented, and offered to help my neighbour. Ambulance staff in North London are pictured above wearing personal protective equipment

And its a choice that will have to be made quickly.

Speaking to Ministers last week, it is clear that there will be no Hollywood-style ending to our Covid-19 crisis.

As one explained: People need to realise this thing is just not going to go away. Smallpox is basically the only virus thats ever been eradicated. Every season we get four separate strains of flu circulating in the UK. And coronavirus is set to become one of them. Theoretically for decades.

Im also told the production and distribution of a vaccine is, realistically, years away. As is a foolproof testing and tracing regime.

So over the next three weeks of lockdown, we are going to have to take a long look around, and then take an even harder look at ourselves.

How much longer do we wish to carry this on? Another three weeks? Six? Nine? Three months? Three years? For how much longer do we as a nation intend to cheat death by also cheating life?

Ministers are today facing demands they set out their exit plan. But we cannot subcontract our own humanity to them.

We have to decide ourselves what risks were prepared to take in order to go back to the lives we had before the coronavirus laid its hand upon us.

Because we are going to have to go back. This is not sustainable. We cannot all continue to exist 6ft apart. We are going to have to learn to shake hands again. And hug again. And kiss again.

If there are new dangers that come with that, so be it. But however well-meaning Boris Johnson and his Ministers and their experts are, we cannot continue to live  and die  like this.
The new government of Slovenia?s conservative Prime Minister Janez Jansa has so far kept the coronavirus under control -- but critics fear he will exploit the crisis to bring to heel the media he brands "presstitution". Jansa, 61, just over a month into office, has a political career stretching back to the 1990s including two previous terms as prime minister. He has taken to Twitter this time with an abrasive style drawing comparison with US President Donald Trump -- not least in how he reacts to media scrutiny. When the RTVSLO public television station reported on a pay rise for ministers last month, Jansa told the broadcaster to "stop spreading lies". "We pay you in these times to inform, not to mislead the public," he blasted, "there are too many of you and you're too well paid." The Journalists' Association condemned "a threat to all RTVSLO employees that they could lose their jobs... if they do not report in accordance with the government's interests." - 'Presstitution' - Delo, one of Slovenia's highest-circulation newspapers, came in for similar treatment when it criticised Jansa's conduct in a spat with the Slovenian president of UEFA, Aleksander Ceferin. Jansa fired off a tweet accusing Delo of serving "deep-state tycoons", adding the hashtags "fake news" and "presstitution". International organisations such as the OSCE have expressed concern at the attacks on journalists but the government has given critics short shrift. It insists most mainstream media is part of "the legacy of the totalitarian (communist) past" and that Jansa is entitled to "call attention to irregularities and abuses when taxpayers' money is at stake" at the public broadcaster. And one commentater in the normally left-leaning Mladina weekly said that while Jansa's style was rude, his detractors were not "neutered in such a way that they stop scrutinising his government". Nevertheless, this week saw further cause for alarm when three of four government-appointed representatives on the public broadcaster's supervisory board were replaced early with candidates seen as aligned to Jansa's Slovenian Democratic Party (SDS). "It is a clear message... that people can be replaced prematurely without any explanation," says Marko Milosavljevic from Ljubljana University, a prominent expert on Slovenia's media landscape. Primoz Cirman, founder of the Necenzurirano (Uncensored) investigative news site, believes government is helping create a hostile atmosphere towards journalists. In February, Necenzurirano revealed that three Hungarian companies linked to the Fidesz party of Prime Minster Viktor Orban had invested 1.5 million euros (1.6m dollars) in a television station founded by Jansa and other SDS members. Jansa has been a prominent Orban ally and deploys similarly strident anti-immigrant rhetoric. Cirman told AFP about the backlash to Necenzurirano's reporting, including from pro-government media: "You find yourself under pressure that is also linked to public threats... a tendency to silence any critical voice." Cirman says smear campaigns encouraged -- knowingly or not -- by the government are "pushing journalists to self-censor". - 'Friends in the region' - As the fight against coronavirus drags on, some think Jansa has spied an opportunity to re-orient Slovenia towards the politics of Orban. Elsewhere in the EU, Orban's actions have sparked concern for the rule of law, including in the centre-right European People's Party (EPP) grouping that Fidesz and the SDS both belong to. But Jansa has taken Orban's side and adopted a markedly Eurosceptic tone. When EPP President Donald Tusk issued veiled criticism of Hungary's state of emergency, Jansa sarcastically tweeted that Tusk should send ventilators and protective equipment. In a televised speech this month Jansa bemoaned the lack of EU solidarity during the pandemic, saying that "we have to rely most of all on our friends in the region", taken to mean Hungary and other eastern European states. Vlado Miheljak from Ljubljana University's sociology department says Jansa may well be aiming to use the crisis to emulate Orban's centralisation of power. But, with SDS attracting under 25 per cent of votes at the last election and dependent on more centrist parties in the coalition, Jansa has to bear in mind he doesn't enjoy Orban's levels of public support, says Miheljak. Slovenian Prime Minister Janez Jansa's style is drawing comparison with US President Donald Trump -- not least in how he hits back at media scrutiny
At the teleconference in Germany (Photo: VNA)

Speaking in the event, Dr. Hoang Xuan Chien, a biotechnology expert, said scientists and research institutes worldwide are striving to develop test kits, medicines and vaccines against SARS-CoV-2 that causes COVID-19. According to the preliminary statistics, over 100 kinds of medicines and vaccines are being developed across the world, with some now in the clinical trial phase.

Vice Chairman of the Vietnamese Business Association in Germany (VBAG) Nguyen Xuan Hoang said the VBAG has informed Vietnamese firms about the host governments relief packages and necessary information via forums.

Minister Counsellor of the Vietnamese Embassy in Germany Dang Chung Thuy said Vietnam and Germany have been working closely together during the pandemic, including offering medical supplies and conducting joint scientific researches in the field.

Meanwhile, overseas Vietnamese in Germany have also produced face masks and offered free meals to German medical staff, who are front-line workers in the fight.

A similar event was also held in Moscow, Russia, on the same day, attracting a number of foreign diplomats and doctors from leading Vietnamese hospitals.

Deputy head of the Bach Mai Hospitals Resuscitation and Emergency Department Pham The Thach advised Vietnamese nationals in Russia to follow treatment regimes at home offered by doctors there because they have proved effective, thus easing overload in hospitals and preventing the spread of the virus.

Vietnamese doctors also offered precautionary measures and necessary advice in case pregnant women or children are infected with COVID-19.

Vietnamese medical students and trainees were also advised how to offer necessary support to overseas Vietnamese in Russia.

Talking with the Vietnam News Agency (VNA)'s reporter in Russia, First Secretary of the Vietnamese Embassy in Russia Ly Tien Hung said the COVID-19 Prevention Network in Russia has received the participation of doctors from the two countries, who he said, are ready to assist the Vietnamese community in Moscow and other Russian regions in COVID-19 treatment at home.

Following the teleconference, Vietnamese doctors will continue offering treatment advice to COVID-19 patients in the Vietnamese community in Russia via telephones, viber, zalo and whatsapp, he said.
When Tiger Ye caught the coronavirus in January, his mother and grandmother nursed him back to health. Later that month, both women developed fevers, but with Wuhans hospitals overflowing they chose instead to bear it out at home.

Months later, with Chinas epidemic appearing under control, the pair took a blood test that confirmed they had in fact contracted and fought off the virus. But they were never counted in the countrys official tally of more than 82,000 infected and nearly 5,000 dead.

They are lucky to have recovered all by themselves, said Ye.

Now, amid accusations that China has under-reported its virus data, the nation is embarking upon a program that could capture the true scale of their outbreak. If undertaken globally, it could find millions more infections than the 2.1 million currently detected.

The effort, called a serological survey, involves researchers taking blood samples from a representative group of people to see if they have generated antibodies to fight the virus, a sign theyve been infected. Scientists then extrapolate from there the magnitude of the pathogens spread in the broader population. Such studies could also shed light on how the virus transmitted among people, including what role seemingly less-affected groups, like children, have played in its dispersion.

China Boosts Virus Death Tally, Rejects Accusations of Cover Up

More Deaths

China has refuted charges from U.S. intelligence officials that it concealed the extent of its outbreak, although multiple revisions to its epidemic data have fueled mistrust both domestically and from other countries. This week, the country added more than 1,200 deaths to its official count, including people who died at home without being tested and late reporting from overwhelmed hospitals.

While China has a long history of questionable economic statistics, under-reporting when it comes to the coronavirus is an issue across the world. New York City recently added more than 3,700 previously unreported deaths to its count, and the World Health Organization says many countries will likely have to review their numbers. The lack of widespread testing is one of the main reasons. Besides people like Yes mother and grandmother -- who choose not to or arent able to go to hospital -- many countries simply dont have enough testing kits to detect all their cases.

Click here for full Covid-19 coverage

Another significant factor behind under-counting is the existence of a puzzling group that show no outward signs of illness, known as asymptomatic infections. Such patients are unlikely to be tested because they have no idea theyre even sick. Early indications are that asymptomatic carriers have played a key role in the pandemic spreading as wide and fast as it has.

Chinas Data on Symptom-Free Cases Shows Most Never Get Sick

No Symptoms

Even after bringing its official count of new infections to zero, China is still detecting hundreds of asymptomatic cases by testing people whove come into contact with infected patients, showing that the virus hasnt been eradicated even as the countrys biggest cities -- including Wuhan, where the pathogen first emerged -- start resuming normal activity.

In all systems, cases are under-reported, said Antoine Flahault, a public health professor at the University of Geneva in Switzerland. Some infections are asymptomatic and cannot be detected by the health care system, some test results come back negative when the person is actually infected, and some can be mis-classified as cases of pneumonia or influenza without any proper testing procedures.

As Chinas Virus Cases Reach Zero, Experts Warn of Second Wave

As countries that have quelled their first outbreaks worry that the highly-contagious virus will return in subsequent waves, the surveys findings could help policymakers plan a better defense for its resurgence, including ways to normalize economic activity while controlling infection. China is undertaking serological surveys in a number of regions, Feng Luzhao, a researcher with the countrys Center for Disease Control and Prevention told reporters in Beijing on April 2.

Group Immunity

While whole populations are unlikely to have mass immunity, some groups -- children, or older people -- could be found to have group immunity, allowing economically-costly social distancing measures to be tailored to minimize disruption.

Other countries are making similar efforts on a smaller scale: New York is testing medical and other essential workers for antibodies, while Italy has tested everyone in Vo, a small town of 3,300 near Venice. Their aim is to create a full epidemiological picture of the outbreak, and findings indicate that many were infected but had no symptoms.

As the outbreaks original epicenter and the only major country at a mature enough stage of its epidemic to start concertedly looking back, Chinas serological effort will be closely tracked by the global scientific community.

In Wuhan, investigators are blood testing a random group of 11,000 people who lived in the city for no less than two weeks between January and March.

Those participating in the survey, which includes all members of chosen households and people like police officers, community workers and taxi drivers, take tests for the virus and for antibodies generated to fight it, according to local newspaper Hubei Daily.

The surveys findings will be used to inform adjustment in response strategies, state media CCTV reported.

China has done this before. In 2003, researchers embarked on a serological survey after the Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome, or SARS, outbreak, which sickened 8,000 people and killed almost 800, mostly in Asia.

The study conducted in southern Guangdong province, where SARS emerged, involved 130 patients diagnosed with the disease along with 119 close contacts and 100 healthy people. It revealed that most of those who have been infected with the SARS virus developed long-lasting antibodies that protected them and likely those around them against future infection.

How Herd Immunity Works, Offering Key to Pandemics End: Graphic

In 2006, Chinas health authorities also launched a nationwide survey of 79,000 people for hepatitis B. It found that the total number of children infected fell by 80 million since 1992 thanks to mass vaccination efforts, and there were still 93 million carriers concentrated in the countrys western hinterland.

In an interview with state news agency Xinhua in mid-January, Wang Chen, the dean of Peking Union Medical College, described a serological survey as the most pressing task for the country, because it will help policymakers figure out if the coronavirus will disappear like SARS did 17 years ago, or is here to stay like the flu.

It could also determine if the virus can linger in people for a long time the way hepatitis B does in those without sufficient immunity. This tendency to linger could be why Korean doctors have found what they termed a re-activation of the coronavirus in 51 recovered patients.

Many Challenges

Despite its urgency, serological surveys are challenging to conduct right, especially in populations as vast as Chinas.

A key determinant of the surveys accuracy is whether the sample of people chosen best represents the population at large, said Jeffery Gilbert, an epidemiologist on the Covid-19 incident management team at the World Health Organization.

China is a mix of European country-sized provinces with very different population densities, Gilbert said. Without enormous amounts of testing throughout the country, a full picture of China is exceedingly challenging to get.

China has disclosed that it is testing 11,000 in Wuhan but not how many people are involved in other provinces and cities. Chinas CDC didnt respond to questions from Bloomberg on the survey.

Another challenge lies in the antibody test employed. Western biotech companies have launched tests that have been found to be inaccurate after countries had ordered millions.

Biotechs Are Battling to Make First Good Blood Test For Covid-19

It must be highly specific and sensitive  that is, it must identify only SARS-CoV-2 and not cross-react with antibodies from other coronavirus infections, said David Heymann, a professor of infectious disease epidemiology at the London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine, referring to the scientific name of the new coronavirus.

An average persons blood could also have antibodies for common viruses like influenza, which is from the same coronavirus family as SARS-CoV-2.

This difficulty in differentiating antibodies is whats stopping South Korea, which has also shown success in curbing its outbreak, from kicking off its serological survey. The countrys CDC told Bloomberg it is testing whether certain antibodies are reacting only to the new virus, and not others.

The agency wont initiate a serological survey until researchers have verified the antibody tests specificity, it said.

If the Chinese test is validated and meets sensitivity and specificity standards, then the results will be a valid reflection of previous infection in the community, Heymann said.

Beyond the true number of infections, a serological survey will be able to ascertain the exposure of various groups to the virus. It could also yield insight into the susceptibility of those with previous medical conditions.

Help Us

One of the burning questions has been about younger people and how much of a part they played in the viruss spread, the WHOs Gilbert said. While official infection tallies skew toward older people, the survey could find that children were just as infected but their immune systems acted more quickly to fight the virus, preventing serious symptoms from developing, he said.

Should Schools Close to Fight Virus? These Places Say No

Hotly-debated questions, such as whether school closures are necessary to stem the viruss spread, could be answered definitively with these sorts of findings.

A lot of people are waiting with anticipation to learn more, Gilbert said, It will help us develop or change guidance for other countries where they havent been hit so hard.
New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo said on Sunday that the state plans to roll out antibody testing this week to determine who has been infected with Covid-19, conducting the "largest survey of any state population that has been done."

Cuomo said the U.S. Food and Drug Administration approved the state's antibody test, which is designed to detect whether a person has developed the antibodies to fight Covid-19 and indicates they may be immune against the disease, and said the state will conduct "thousands" of tests this week.

"We'll take thousands of tests, antibody tests, over this next week all across the state to give us a real snapshot, a real baseline, of exactly how many people were infected by coronavirus and have the antibodies," Cuomo said. "So we'll have the first real statistical number on exactly where we are as a population."

The antibody tests will give the state its "first true snapshot" of how many people in the state have been infected with Covid-19, Cuomo said. Melissa DeRosa, secretary to the governor, later tweeted that the state antibody testing will begin on Monday and will sample 3,000 people.

https://twitter.com/melissadderosa/status/1251924079768199171

"We don't really know how many people were infected. How many people had coronavirus but self-resolved. We don't really know because we haven't been able to do testing on that large of scale," Cuomo said. "We're going to do that in the most aggressive way in the nation..."

States should institute a "robust testing program in place for at-risk healthcare workers, including emerging antibody testing," according to President Donald Trump's broad new federal guidelines to reopen the economy issued Thursday.

Researchers, many of whom are from Stanford University, published a study Friday that found Covid-19 could be far more widespread in Santa Clara County in Northern California than the official counts suggest.

"It adds to growing body of work that suggests a huge amount of cases that went undetected," John Brownstein, an epidemiologist at Boston Children's Hospital, said.

However, global health officials have recently questioned if antibody testing can accurately determine whether a person is immune to the disease. The World Health Organization issued a warning Friday 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, Dr. Maria Van Kerkhove, head of WHO's emerging diseases and zoonosis unit, said on Friday.

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.
The government should provide partial credit guarantee to banks as a shield from risk averseness arising out of lending to non-banking financial and microfinance companies, as liquidity is needed at a time when the economy is suffering a blow due to the global coronavirus outbreak, industry body CII said on Sunday.

Given the current crisis in the economy and the urgent need for liquidity to flow into non-banking financial companies (NBFCs) and microfinance institutions (MFIs), the Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) urged the government to provide partial backstop guarantees.

This will ensure banks to overcome their risk averseness and enable full fructification of the Reserve Bank of India's (RBI) timely intervention announced on Friday, it said in a release on Sunday.

The industry lobby hailed the second round of liquidity support for the financial sector, terming it "timely" and "far reaching".

It is targeted towards ensuring flow of credit towards the NBFCs that in turn lend to small and medium enterprises and the farm community.

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

To tackle the current crisis arisen from the COVID-19 outbreak and the consequent nationwide lockdown, the government and the RBI have announced many measures to ease the stress of businesses.

To instill the necessary confidence into the banking system to participate in the auction and lend to such entities, the CII recommended that the government should provide backstop facility in the form of the partial credit guarantee scheme with the amount of overall guarantee being limited to loss of up to 20-30 per cent of the amount being lent by the banks under the scheme.

There will be no immediate impact on the fiscal deficit, as this will be a contingent liability.

"This step will provide the necessary confidence and assurance to the banks and encourage them to participate in the auction and disburse much needed cash flows to the investment grade options of MFIs and NBFCs," said CII Director General Chandrajit Banerjee.

He said the measures announced by the RBI, particularly the targeted long-term repo operation 2.0 (TLTRO 2.0) which the central bank mandates an allocation of 50 per cent towards medium and small-sized NBFCs and MFIs, have come as big relief to them.

It is expected to provide access to the much-needed liquidity to these entities, Banerjee said.

The industry body said that under the prevailing scenario, the health of the industry and financial sector has taken a dip and the banks are becoming more and more risk averse.

Due to subdued risk appetite of banks, it is expected that the auctions under TLTRO 2.0 may see a lacklustre response from the banks, the CII said.

Also, taking cognisance from the results of the past auctions, it is likely that the intent of the RBI to infuse liquidity into the system through small- and medium-sized NBFCs and MFIs may not fructify.

"In this hour of need, NBFC and MFI sector has the ability to ensure smooth and continuous flow of credit, particularly to MSMEs (micro, small and medium enterprises), farm sector and retail sector and ensure that they are able to earn their livelihood, provide employment to lower income group, make timely payment of salary and wages and do not go through financial distress," it added.

The coronavirus pandemic has created an uncertainty which is hard to measure.

The impact of COVID-19 has been much worse than the financial crisis faced by the world including India in 2008. Along with the economic fallout, the current situation can be touted as the worst human catastrophe after the two world wars, the CII said.
BISHOP of Limerick Brendan Leahy has invited girls and boys preparing for their Confirmation or First Holy Communion to make contact with him.

Although kids across Limerick will have to wait to make their first sacrament due to the Covid-19 lockdown, he has called on them to instead write to him, or send him a drawing, and he will write back.

Speaking at midday Mass in St Johns Cathedral this lunchtime, Bishop Leahy said: This week I got a lovely drawing of the Risen Jesus from eight-year old Carmel. I would invite girls and boys preparing for either First Communion or Confirmation, if they want, to send me in a drawing or write to me to let me know about what they are learning about Jesus or the Holy Spirit. I would be very happy to receive such drawings and letters. Maybe you have a question for me. I can try to get back to you with an answer.

Meanwhile, Bishop Leahy says hes encouraged by the coming together in prayer by families in a way they did not experience for years.

He says the church is very much alive despite the Covid-19 lockdown.

Thousands of people have been watching streams of live Masses over the Easter period, as places of worship joined scores of other facilities in closing.

I have heard of whole families coming together, in a way they havent for years, to participate in Mass being transmitted on television or online in one way or another. I have heard of people looking up online how to pray the Rosary as they want to do so with loved ones who are dying or in their homes or mortuaries alongside the deceased, he said, Covid-19, strangely, is helping bring about a new recognition that the Church exists not only in church buildings or when we celebrate the sacraments, essential as these are in the overall, but it exists in every family.

He said he hopes one of the great learning outcomes from this terrible pandemic, is the need for spiritality.

The leader of the Catholic church in Limerick praised diocesan advisors for the resources on www.limerickdiocese.ie for children about to make the sacrament.

It is indeed a topsy-turvy time. What can we say about all thats going on for the Church? No Masses, churches closed, no Eucharistic adoration, the sacraments of First Communion and Confirmation postponed, and even pastoral visits to the sick and dying curtailed. All of this is painful. None of us have ever experienced anything like it. Though we understand why, nevertheless, some wonder what is it saying to us about the church and our regular church practices, he added in his Homily.

I read recently about a humorous cartoon of God talking to the enemy. The Devil is saying, With

He added that there are, of course, many other ways for the family to be Church, above all by loving one another.

So, Covid-19 is indeed an enemy. It has closed your church and postponed celebration of the sacraments. But, paradoxically, it is also prompting you to recognise in a new way that God has opened a church in your house, he concluded.
Amnesty International has warned that the coronavirus pandemic is prompting tough regimes in Africa to dish out harsh punishments to people under lockdown.

Deprose Muchena, the charity's director for East and Southern Africa, warned that, with inequality and unemployment high in many countries, people cannot afford to remain in lockdown even for a week.

The charity cited incidents in Angola, Mozambique, Zambia and Zimbabwe where people have been targeted by security forces, including by destroying food in street markets.

In South Africa's Cape Town, food shortages even prompted rioters to break into tuck shops and attack each other.

It came as news emerged of the death of Guinea's secretary general of the government Sekou Kourouma, who was a close ally of president Alpha Conde.

Amnesty International has warned that the coronavirus pandemic is prompting tough regimes in Africa to dish out harsh punishments to people under lockdown

His death followed that of chief of staff to the Nigerian government on Saturday.

Overall, there have been 21,165 cases on the continent, with 1,058 deaths.

Mr Muchena told the Africa Times: '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.

As well as destroying food, police are said to have also beaten and arrested civilians they found flouting lockdown rules.

Travel to shops to buy groceries is legally permitted but that has reportedly not stopped people being targeted by security forces.

The riots in the Mitchells Plain township in Cape Town took place last week after the country's government imposed a lockdown in March.

'Mr President we are in the middle of a food crisis. It's war out here,' warned Joanie Fredericks, a community leader in the town.

The charity cited incidents in Angola, Mozambique, Zambia and Zimbabwe where people have been targeted by security forces, including by destroying food in street markets. Pictured: A man is stopped in the street by police in Johannesburg on Saturday

The desperate plea was made in a video posted on social media to South African President Cyril Ramaphosa who imposed a five-week lockdown to try curb the spread of the coronavirus.

'People have broken into tuck shops. They have attacked people. The simple reason is because they are hungry,' she said from a kitchen dishing cooked meals into packs for distribution to the poor.

Imposed from March 27, the lockdown has placed already cash-strapped citizens under further strain.

The numbers of people lining up for food at the self-funded scheme run by Fredericks and other volunteers are growing by the day.

'When we started out feeding people we started out with the very vulnerable, ...the children, the disabled people and the pensioners.

In South Africa's Cape Town, food shortages even prompted rioters to break into tuck shops and attack each other

'Mr President we are in the middle of a food crisis. It's war out here,' warned Joanie Fredericks, a community leader in the town

'But we are way past that Mr President, we are past the stage of sending people away,' an emotional Fredericks pleaded.

Hundreds of angry people fought running battles with the police, hurling rocks and setting up street barricades with burning tyres in Mitchells Plain over undelivered food parcels on Tuesday.

Police fired rubber bullets and teargas to disperse them.

Several videos have been shared on social media of supermarkets being stormed in recent days.

One of the raids was at a branch of one of South Africa's largest grocery store chains.

People were shown carting away baskets filled with unpaid goods in a township in the Western Cape province.

Social Development minister Lindiwe Zulu this week promised to increase food aid deliveries after only 48,500 parcels were distributed in the first week of April.

But in Malawi, plans for a lockdown were scuppered at the last minute, after a court injunction ordered it to be delayed.

Imposed from March 27, South Africa's lockdown has placed already cash-strapped citizens under further strain

It had been due to begin on Saturday but has been put back by at least seven days.

The legal challenge was brought by the Human Rights Defenders Coalition. They will represent their case at the country's high court next Friday.

In Guinea, Mr Kourouma was taken ill last week and died on Saturday

'Several senior state officials (have died) as a result of complications related to COVID-19,' the government said in a statement.

At least two other officials have died of COVID-19 - the president of the electoral commission Salif Kebe and Victor Traore, a former director of Interpol in Guinea.

Guinea has officially reported 518 cases of coronavirus.

Five people have died, according to statistics released by the National Agency for Health Security on Sunday.

In spite of significant natural resources, Guinea remains a poor country where the state of the health system is causing concern in the face of the pandemic.

The country was severely affected by the Ebola outbreak, which killed 2,500 people between 2013 and 2016.

The riots in the Mitchells Plain township in Cape Town took place last week after the country's government imposed a lockdown in March

Conde has ordered the wearing of masks from April 18 to try to contain the spread of the coronavirus.

Guineans are also facing a nighttime curfew, the closing of schools, borders and places of worship as well as restrictions on gatherings.

There were also reports that the king of Swaziland, Mswati III, had tested positive for COVID-19.

However, the government insisted the reports are rumours and condemned them.

'This is purely fake news,' said Sabelo Dlamini, a government spokesman.

'Such fabrication perpetuated by elements intent on sowing confusion and panic is unacceptable and appalling.'
A Finnish venture capitalist in Bolinas and a Latina community organizer in the Mission District have at least one thing in common: the goal to test as many people in their neighborhoods as possible for the coronavirus.

In Bolinas, a majority-white coastal enclave in Marin County, Jyri Engestrom helped organize the community and raised hundreds of thousands of dollars to test everyone in town  at least 1,000 people and about 150 first responders  this week. In a four-by-four-block area of the Mission, the Latino heart of San Francisco, Tracy Gallardo will talk to residents in food bank lines and public housing to find at least 5,000 participants for similar mass testing starting next weekend.

UCSF researchers will study the results of both tests, which will reveal not only how many people in each village-size group are infected, but also how many have recovered and may never have known they were infected with the coronavirus. Researchers hope that if public health officials understand patterns of infection, even in these small corners of the community, they can better understand how to mitigate the pandemic.

Were seeing people who come to the hospital and get sick and die. Were not seeing how (the coronavirus) behaves in the community, where most of the spread is happening, said Dr. Aenor Sawyer, a Bolinas resident and UCSF physician who is co-leading the study. Its incredibly important to start surveying that to understand when its safe for us to start returning to a more physically mingled life.

Residents in Bolinas and the Mission District said the desire to protect their neighbors motivated them to organize coronavirus tests for everyone. Engestrom said his fear that the outbreak would threaten his close community drove him to hunt in hardware stores for masks and gloves, and to hire a company to conduct the tests. Gallardo, who is rallying more than 30 organizations to recruit testing volunteers, said her aim is to run COVID out of San Francisco.

But each of the close-knit communities is achieving the goal differently. In Bolinas, locals contacted UCSF, raised funds for testing and bought nasal swabs, testing vials and personal protective equipment. In the last government survey in 2018, Bolinas median income was lower and poverty levels higher than in the Mission District section to be studied. Homeless people live in Bolinas, as do some undocumented immigrants, residents said.

But Bolinas well-connected residents include venture capitalists and biotech entrepreneurs. Those residents acknowledged that their privilege helped make universal testing possible for the town, and said they hoped their process could be a model for other Bay Area communities.

In the Mission District, UCSF researchers are already replicating that process in the census tract stretching from 23rd Street and South Van Ness Avenue to Cesar Chavez and Harrison streets.

Dr. Diane Havlir, whos spearheading the study, said she chose that community because its high-density and mostly Latino  a community disproportionately affected by COVID-19, the disease caused by the coronavirus. City data show 23% of COVID-19 cases are among Latinos, although that group makes up only 15% of San Franciscans.

At testing sites in both communities over the next two weeks, health care workers will stick a swab up each persons nose in search of infection, performing a diagnostic test. Then, in a second, serological test, workers will prick the persons finger and extract a drop of blood. If certain antibodies are present in the blood, it means the person has been infected with the virus and recovered.

In Bolinas, the goal is to test everyone in town over age 4  more than 1,000 people  and at least 150 local first responders, from Monday to Thursday. In the Mission District neighborhood, the target is between 5,000 and 6,000 people, from Saturday to Tuesday.

Bolinas, historically drawing hippies looking for an escape, has cultivated a culture where everyone contributes to the good of the whole, said Sawyer, whos lived part time in the town since the early 1980s. We dont do it for publicity, we do it to solve problems.

Two weeks ago, a Bolinas resident overheard venture capitalist Engestrom talking about testing everyone in town for the coronavirus and connected him to another resident, Cyrus Harmon, who had the same idea. Harmon, a biotech entrepreneur, contacted people he knew at UCSF and invited them to set up the study. Firefighters offered the local fire station as a testing site. Software engineers built a registration website. And volunteers found swabs and personal protective equipment. The Coastal Health Alliance, a local nonprofit clinic, organized medical workers to follow up with anyone who tests positive.

The Bolinas study is privately funded, launched with $100,000 from resident Mark Pincus, a mobile phone game entrepreneur. Engestrom set up a GoFundMe site and has received about $300,000 in pledges, but he estimates the total cost could reach $400,000.

In a similarly tight-knit corner of the Mission District, multigenerational families fill homes and support one another, community organizer Gallardo said. As the co-chair of San Franciscos Latino Task Force on COVID-19, shes gotten dozens of agencies to recruit participants for the study. Local leaders who regularly call community members to check on their health will also ask people if theyll volunteer to get tested. Other organizers are door-knocking in public housing and talking to people in line at a food bank.

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

In the Mission, organizers said they didnt yet know how much the study will cost or how it will be paid for. UCSF researchers are seeking funding through grants and philanthropy.

Bolinas residents acknowledged that their wealth and connections made it possible for them to test the whole community  and believe testing should be available to all.

Dr. Anna OMalley with the Coastal Health Alliance said she doesnt expect many coronavirus cases in Bolinas.

My hope is that with the privilege we enjoy here in this remote place with lots of resources, that it could inform other efforts elsewhere and contribute to science, she said.

Thats why UCSF and community organizers are testing in the Mission District: I think its really important to actually test and show some equity and learn about these populations so that we can better prevent transmission and address the problems, Gallardo said.

After testing, researchers will contact patients who are positive, connect them with health providers if they need care and trace their contacts. Havlir, who is coordinating the Mission study, hopes what theyre doing in that neighborhood will inspire others to do the same.

We want to show how it can be done, she said.

Mallory Moench is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: mallory.moench@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @mallorymoench
After the government barred delivery of non-essential items through e-commerce platforms, Amazon India on Sunday said the new guidelines will disappoint consumers whose list of essentials had expanded to 'work from home' and 'study from home' products, as well as small businesses, sellers and manufacturers.

The company asserted that it will continue to follow the guidelines and deliver essential products and work closely with authorities for expedited processes to make safe deliveries of priority products possible.

Stating that Amazon India is fully committed to the vision of the government to keep the citizens healthy, a company spokesperson emphasised that the need of the hour is to ensure the safety of citizens first, serving their needs while they stay at home.

"The new guideline will disappoint not only the consumers whose list of essentials had expanded to work from home and study from home products but also the thousands of small businesses, sellers and manufacturers across the country, who had geared up in the last 48 hours to provide millions of people with safe access to products," the spokesperson said.

Amazon India further said the company, on behalf of consumers and sellers, hopes that "this situation is rectified soon so that the urgent need of consumers is met and that there is revival of economic activity".

"We will continue to follow the guidance and deliver essential products and work closely with all central, state and local authorities for expedited processes to make safe deliveries of priority products possible," the spokesperson added.

Four days after allowing e-commerce companies to sell non-essential items, the home ministry on Sunday issued an order saying the following clause -- "E-commerce companies. Vehicles used by e-commerce operators will be allowed to ply with necessary permissions" -- is excluded from the guidelines issues.

Players like Paytm Mall have urged the government to expand the ambit of essential goods to include products like laptops and mobile phones to facilitate people working from home.

"Safety of fellow Indians is of utmost importance to us and therefore we support the government's decision in spirit to limiting e-commerce operations to essentials. However, we believe that the ambit of essential goods should be increased," Paytm Mall Senior Vice President Srinivas Mothey said.

He added that people in the country are mostly working from home at the moment but many are finding it difficult as they are running low on certain items necessary to effectively operate under lockdown.

"Laptops, mobile phones, and accessories, computer hardware, webcams, all these things should be allowed to be part of essential goods. If the lockdown continues, lack of proper technical support would hinder the efficiency of employees which in turn would affect a company's operations," he said.

Interestingly, traders' body CAIT had raised objection to e-commerce firms being allowed to sell non-essential goods and had said it did not provide a level-playing field.

Under the first phase of the nationwide 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.

On April 16, the Ministry of Home Affairs issued fresh guidelines for the lockdown -- which has now been extended till May 3 -- allowing e-commerce companies to sell non-essential items as well.

E-commerce companies like Flipkart and Amazon had welcomed the move and said they were engaging with seller partners to resume operations.

Flipkart is yet to comment on the latest development.

A Snapdeal spokesperson said the company will continue to operate in complete compliance with the guidelines issued by the government in this regard.

Consumers and companies across industries, especially electronics, apparel and home appliances, were looking forward to relaxation from April 20 given that sales of products via online and offline channels have been on hold for nearly a month.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Whether it is a spot on Dancing With The Stars or singing on Britains Got Talent, Fr Ray Kelly knows how to hold an audience.

Yet the current disruption to church life in Lockdown Ireland requires a different set of skills for the Parish Priest of St Brigids and St Marys.

Having become an internet sensation in 2014 when his singing of Leonard Cohens Hallelujah during a wedding ceremony went viral on YouTube, through his turns on talent and reality shows, he clearly knows how to draw a crowd in even these restricted times. You might say, to tap into his Father Ted tribute on DWTS, that Ray Kelly gives good Mass.

More than 27,000 viewers are tuning into his online Masses from the church in Oldcastle, Co. Meath, but there are more personal, more emotional interactions with parishioners that require something different from a local priest. Like telling a bereaved family they can only have 10 people at their loved ones funeral.

It was very difficult. I had no choice in it but it must have been hugely difficult for them, Fr Ray, 67, told the Irish Examiner.

Fortunately enough it has been the only funeral Ive had since coming out of Dancing With The Stars. It was strange, though. When the man died I contacted another parish to see what the regulations were. They said we could have 20 people in the church and around the graveside but with social distancing in place, so the family is scattered around the church. The priest doesnt give out anything, theres no sign of peace, no homily, no eulogy, just commending the departed to the mercy of God and the Mass.

So the family were to be in the church but totally not involved. Then on the eve of the funeral, I got word that the number attending had to be cut down to 10 people and I had to get the list of the 10 people permitted to come into the church for the funeral of their loved one.

"And it was so weird because I couldnt even meet the family, we had to talk at a distance so it was difficult to tell what level of grief was going on because I wasnt communicating with them in the way you normally would for preparing for the funeral of a loved one.

Hopefully afterwards, when all this is settled, we can have a memorial mass and deal with all of that, get together, but people will have moved on in a sense. They will have moved on with their grief a little bit, possibly, and I will have moved on myself as well and it will be a new experience when it happens, if it happens.

Life has changed in many other ways during the Covid-19 outbreak. We talk during Easter week, which makes the Governments restrictions on mass gatherings all the more poignant for Fr Ray.

This is the biggest week of the Churchs year and for all priests all over Ireland and the world. I would be having ceremonies in the church and all of that and getting two or three people to help me with the readings but luckily our mass goes out on TV (mcnmedia.tv) and local radio.

I was actually onto the company last week and asking how were things going and they said, youre the most popular mass in the world, 27,500 people tuning in to you every Saturday night and Sunday. Apparently there are even people tuning in from Vietnam but I sing a couple of songs at Mass so perhaps thats the reason why.

While Masses continue, lifes landmark ceremonies have been put on hold. I was fortunate enough I had my confirmation ceremony the first week in March so I got that in but first communions, normally Id have two ceremonies coming up in the next month or so but I genuinely dont know when those are going to happen now.

I had three weddings booked in April and theyre postponed until next year. There were one or two baptisms lined up as well but theyre in no rush.

Perhaps it is just as well for Fr Ray as he readjusts to life not just post-Dancing With The Stars but the knee surgery he required on his departure, thrown off by the judges on March 8 as the last dancer to be eliminated before the final, held in a closed studio with no audience and won by Lottie Ryan.

It is fair to say the judges were probably pleased to see him waltz off into the sunset, such were the consistently low marks they gave the priest and his long-suffering partner, Kylee Vincent, although Fr Ray said he had been suffering from an injury far more serious than anyone had realised.

He speaks on the phone while out with Buddy, his King Charles Cavalier spaniel, trying to get the stiffness out of a left knee that had troubled him throughout DWTS.

During my dancing weeks I was complaining of sciatica in my left leg, at least everyone told me it was sciatica because it happened about a week before I started dancing, but lo and behold, I danced away and was taking painkillers and panadol and anything you could take for it. After I came out of the show I got it checked out, went for an MRI and it revealed I had a torn cartilage in my knee.

So I had that operated on two weeks yesterday and got the stitches out yesterday so Im out doing a little bit of walking and getting the strength back in the knee again.

So he danced through the whole series with a torn cartilage? Seemingly, yes, he replied with a laugh. Now you know why Brian (Desmond, one of the DTWS judges) could only give me a one! Perhaps he should ask for a recount? No, I dont think so!

The day job has far more appeal, it seems and if anything Fr Ray has detected a subtle shift back to faith during this public health emergency The church remains open and the candle shrines are groaning with the candles that are lit. Its peoples way of trying to get in touch with their faith again. For some, I suppose its difficult because maybe they have let their faith drop a bit but they are searching and thats a good thing because a seed was sown from their early days and people do try and come back to a level they were at.

I find as well, even on my own Facebook page, I put up a song every week and the number of people that may reach out to that and are asking for prayers and assuring me that they are praying for me as well, thats huge. That helps, just any kind of contact, whether its through social media or the church being open, it all helps.

While accepting Ireland is a much more secular society now, Fr Ray does not believe people have lost faith.

I think they do have the faith. It is there. We always feel there was a generation lost due to the whole abuse thing going back a couple of years and because that generation was lost the next generation is sort of semi-lost as well, so its trying to reach out to that. The faith is there, though.

"People still hunger. When they are in need they still talk about prayer, they still talk about God and because of that its not lost. That gives hope and we all have to hope, even now we still have to be clinging to hope.

Hope, too, that people can stay committed to the sacrifices being asked of them by the Government.

I think were four or five weeks now into self-isolation, I think if we just got a glimmer... maybe from the Taoiseach or the HSE that this is working, that what were doing, the sacrifices were all making, are really working.

"I think that would give us all a little bit more encouragement that yes, we can do this, we can go on. Thats all we need, I think, just a little bit more encouragement, that were doing okay, were doing the right thing.
New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio blasted Donald Trump on Sunday, saying the president is betraying his fellow New Yorkers by failing to push for billions of dollars in additional federal aid needed to help the Big Apple deal with the coronavirus economic crisis.

De Blasio referenced an infamous tabloid headline - 'FORD TO CITY: DROP DEAD' - from 1975 when then-President Gerald Ford denied assistance to spare New York from bankruptcy.

'I remember famously in the 1970s, when one of your predecessors, Gerald Ford, didn't care to help New York City during the fiscal crisis,' he said.

'There was that famous Daily News cover that said, "FORD TO CITY: DROP DEAD."'

'Mr President, are you going to save New York City or are you telling New York City to drop dead?' de Blasio asked.

New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio blasted Donald Trump on Sunday, saying the president is betraying his fellow New Yorkers by failing to push for billions of dollars in additional federal aid needed to help the Big Apple deal with the coronavirus economic crisis

De Blasio referenced an infamous tabloid headline (pictured) - 'FORD TO CITY: DROP DEAD' - from 1975 when then-President Gerald Ford denied assistance to spare New York from bankruptcy

'You have to speak up now or the Senate will not act and we will not get the help we need. It's as simple as that,' he added.

The mayor's comments came as he continues to ask Trump to push for a $7.5billion federal bailout for New York City, which has taken a multi-billion dollar blow to its bottom line due to the coronavirus.

De Blasio made the case for the $7.5billion last week, which is the amount of tax revenue that the city projects it will lose because of the pandemic.

'That lost revenue should be replaced dollar for dollar by the federal government. The federal government can do it,' he said.

'No New Yorker is responsible for this horrible crisis, but New York has borne the brunt, we have been the epicenter. When you look at the impact here, anybody with a heart would recognize that the federal government has to come to the rescue,' de Blasio said.

He said that the $2.3trillion CARES Act stimulus package contained just $1.4 billion in 'indirect aid' to New York City.

The mayor's comments came as he continues ask Trump (pictured) to push for a $7.5billion federal bailout for New York City, which has taken a multi-billion dollar blow to its bottom line due to the coronavirus

There are more than 129,000 coronavirus cases in New York City alone

In New York City, there are a total of 8,811 coronavirus deaths (depicted above)

There are more than 741,000 coronavirus cases in the US with more than 39,000 deaths

'I remind you the federal government was very quick to bail out the banks a decade ago, no questions asked, federal government was very quick to bail out the auto industry. How about bailing out the nation's largest city? How about bailing out the epicenter of this crisis where people have been suffering?' de Blasio said.

He continued: 'That is what our federal government should do for every reason morally, practically as any question of fairness, as any question of how we move forward and we're still waiting.'

The coronavirus death toll in New York dropped again, a sign that Gov Andrew Cuomo said means the state is 'on the other side of the plateau' and that ongoing social distancing practices are working to stem the spread of the virus.

Cuomo said 507 people died on Saturday, down 43 from the previous day. Hospitalizations and other medical indicators are also trending downward.

But Cuomo and de Blasio maintained their warnings that people in New York City and the rest of the state need to stay vigilant.
Venezuela slams US over "vulgar" central bank funds seizure

Iran Press TV

Saturday, 18 April 2020 7:18 AM

Venezuela has slammed the United States over the seizure of $342 million worth of assets that its central bank had held in an account at Citibank.

In a Twitter post on Friday, Venezuelan Foreign Minister Jorge Arreaza blasted the "vulgar dispossession" of the money "ordered" by the United States.

He also pointed to "complicity" by Venezuela's opposition-controlled National Assembly, which has been declared an illegitimate body by the government in Caracas.

Venezuela's US-based assets are among those that have been frozen under tough sanctions put in place against the Latin American country by the government of President Donald Trump.

Washington's sanctions, which include the illegal confiscation of Venezuelan assets abroad and an economic blockade, have caused enormous suffering for millions of people in the country.

This week, Venezuela's opposition-controlled National Assembly authorized its leader, Juan Guaido, to transfer the funds from a central bank account with Citibank to its account at the New York branch of the US Federal Reserve.

Opposition lawmaker Angel Alvarado said the move aimed to "further protect these assets," but the central bank has called it illegal.

Guaido is considered responsible for causing a political crisis in Venezuela when he unilaterally declared himself "interim president" of the country in January last year, rejecting the outcome of the May 2018 election, which President Nicolas Maduro had won. Guaido also later launched an abortive coup against the elected government.

Guaido's self-proclamation as president and his coup received full support from Washington. Caracas has said election results must be respected, but has shown lenience and refrained from arresting Guaido over the coup.

The US has imposed several rounds of crippling sanctions against the oil-rich South American country aimed at ousting Maduro and replacing him with Guaido. Washington has also flirted with the idea of using military force to take out Maduro's government.

Maduro, however, has remained in power, with the army refusing to side with Guaido.

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By William Schwartz | Published on 2020/04/18

Soo-min (played by Park Se-min) is an art instructor in a seaside village. For some mysterious reason he visits an obvious love motel without acquiring a sexual partner. In an impressive display of restraint, Park Se-min is also the director of his own erotic film...as the only central character to never be seen nude or having sex. For an explicitly voyeuristic movie, "Mr. Daytime" shows surprising self-awareness about the subtle distinctions between artistic nudity and low class vulgar nudity. This sometimes happens even mid-scene, as a drawing class goes awary due to inscrutable feminine jealousy.

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But long before that we're treated to odd setpieces wherein a low-class handyman of ambiguous intelligence rejects an enticement of possible free sex. He then proceeds to go over to the local motel and non-chalantly order coffee by delivery. For those of you who don't know, delivery coffee in South Korean culture is just a thinly veiled form of prostitution. Or at least it used to be. I'm not sure anybody actually does it anymore.

Anyway, the ensuing scene where the handyman and the prostitute negotiate for sexual services proves bizarre. They're both using so many abstract euphemisms it's hard to tell whether the handyman even knows he's talking to a prostitute. Yet details in this scene have long-term payouts. There's the three rules. Or how the handyman discovers that a seemingly irrelevant statement made by prostitute has hilariously grotesque consequences after the fact. There's also the subtler joke of the prostitute calling the handyman a term of endearment reserved for older men even as he is obviously younger than her.

This slapstick mainly just breaks up the actual plot of "Mr. Daytime" or at least the pretense of it. Almost all of the action takes place in the motel. Kyeong-sook (played by Jung Ji-hye-I) owns and operates the hotel. She has gained some rather unsavory impressions of sexual relations from this life experience. Kyeong-sook becomes obsessed with room 503 because the other two main characters keep asking for it specifically and she wants to know why.

In addition to having the curious genre distinction of being an avant garde comedy porn film, "Mr. Daytime" is also a movie weirdly yet charmingly out of date with modern sensibilities. The way the delivery coffee shop plays as a huge plot point is one such exemplar of this. But on a political level, I'm obligated to acknowledge that the romantic way "Mr. Daytime" portrays the videotaping or watching of strangers having sex is a bit nasty.

It's acceptable in context because there's nothing even slightly vicious about "Mr. Daytime" in execution. After all, Kyeong-sook's character arc culminates with the woman accepting her sexuality and even fusing this passion with her love of the violin. The handyman moves beyond his own goofiness. Soo-min is...still a bit of a quiet weirdo, but at least we know why. Even the random hotel hookups are portrayed with surprising sympathy, right down to the cute gay couple. Sometimes sex is art, and sometimes sex is silly. Sure, why not?

Review by William Schwartz

___________

"Mr. Daytime" is directed by Park Se-min, and features Park Se-min, Jung Ji-hye-I, Lee Baek-gil, Lee Chae-dam, Kim Min-kyung-X, Joo Yong-pil. Release date in Korea: 2020/04/15.
Cash-strapped Virgin Australia now has two state governments bidding to offer it a bailout as New South Wales offered short-term funding if the airline committed to relocating to the new airport in Sydney's west.

The New South Wales government confirmed it was offering support to Virgin in return for the the airline basing its operations out of the airport being built at Badgerys Creek.

The offer came days after the Queensland government offered $200million to help rescue Virgin as long as it kept its headquarters, and jobs, in Brisbane.

Virgin Australia is carrying about $5billion in debt and its domestic and international business has been decimated by the coronavirus travel lockdown.

Scroll down for video

Virgin Australia could be given a New South Wales state government lifeline to keep the airline afloat - on the condition it relocates its headquarters to the in-construction western Sydney airport. Pictured grounded Virgin aircraft parked at Brisbane Airport on April 7

The federal government has refused the beleaguered airline's request for a $1.4billion bailout though, with Prime Minister Scott Morrison saying he did not want to 'get in the way of a commercial resolution'.

Treasurer Josh Frydenberg reinforced that position in an interview on Monday morning when he said the federal government would not be offering a bailout, and was not interested in taking an equity stake in return for investment.

'We want to see two major airlines operating in the Australian domestic market, we want to see two survive, but we don't want to be owning an airline,' Mr Frydenberg told Sunrise on Seven.

'Virgin is a good company and has been hit by the global pandemic but it also has shareholders with very deep pockets: Etihad, Singapore Airlines, Chinese companies and of course Virgin International - let's see what those major shareholders do.'

New South Wales treasurer Dominic Perrottet said he wanted Virgin and its budget subsidiary Tiger Air based out of Badgery's Creek airport, which is under construction and due to open in 2026.

'I'm always open for businesses right across the country to relocate to New South Wales and create jobs here in our state, particularly when you look at the aerotroplis in western Sydney.

'It provides a significant opportunity for Virgin and other airlines to relocate to our state.'

A near-deserted Virgin Australia check-in desk at Brisbane Airport on March 25. The airline is carrying about $5billion in debt and has been hit hard by the impact of the coronavirus on the aviation industry

NSW treasurer Dominic Perrottet said Virgin basing its operations in Sydney was a 'significant opportunity' for the embattled airline

Mr Perrottet also defended spending taxpayers' money on bailing out an airline with very rich shareholders, saying it was a viable business pushed to the brink by bad circumstances, not bad management.

'It has struggled due to the pandemic, and through issues outside of their control through government orders that have been put in place,' he said.

CORONAVIRUS CASES IN AUSTRALIA: 27,244 Victoria: 20,269 New South Wales: 4,273 Queensland: 1,161 Western Australia: 692 South Australia: 473 Tasmania: 230 Australian Capital Territory: 113 Northern Territory: 33 TOTAL CASES: 27,244 ESTIMATED ACTIVE CASES: 269 DEATHS: 897 Updated: 5.31 PM, 11 October, 2020 Source: Australian Government Department of Health Advertisement

The federal government has offered $165 million though to both Qantas and Virgin to keep the carriers operating essential domestic routes.

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

The airline also suspended its trading on Thursday.

National Party leader and Deputy Prime Minister Michael McCormack welcomed the state government funding offers.

'Sustaining Australia's aviation industry is critical to protecting livelihoods and saving lives and the federal government is exploring all possible avenues to keep two airlines in the air, throughout this pandemic and on the other side of it,' Mr McCormack said on Saturday.
Pakistan has started repatriating some of its citizens from the United Arab Emirates, which had threatened to review labour ties with countries refusing to take back their nationals during the novel coronavirus pandemic.

The first Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) flight carrying 227 "stranded passengers" from Dubai and other emirates left for Islamabad on Saturday evening, Pakistan`s consulate general in Dubai said in a Twitter post.

It was not clear when other flights would depart. More than 40,000 Pakistanis in the Gulf Arab state have registered with the consulate to return home, two UAE newspapers reported.

The UAE and other Gulf states have reported increased infections among low-income migrant workers who live in overcrowded quarters. Some have moved to rehouse them in shuttered schools or dedicated centres, and are trying to arrange flights to repatriate them.

The UAE last week said it would review labour relations with states refusing to evacuate citizens, including those who have lost jobs or been put on leave, after the ambassadors of India and Pakistan said their countries were not yet ready to do so.

PIA said on its website that it would not be able to provide services for inbound flights beyond Islamabad International Airport due to suspension of domestic flights and a lockdown in the country.

Millions of foreign workers, many from Asia, form the backbone of Gulf economies and work in sectors that have been disrupted by the coronavirus outbreak.

The pandemic is also likely to disrupt the significant remittances those workers send back to their home countries.

The total infection count in the six Gulf states has risen steadily to surpass 24,000 with more than 150 deaths despite containment measures such as halting passenger flights, curfews and in several case locking down districts with large populations of low-income expatriate workers.

Like other countries around the world, several Gulf states have launched mobile apps to track COVID-19 cases.

India agreed to send hydroxychloroquine tablets to the UAE to be used for treating patients with the COVID-19 disease caused by the virus, with a first shipment of 5.5 million pills, the embassy in New Delhi tweeted late on Saturday.

New Delhi has partially lifted a ban on exports of the anti-malarial drug, global sales of which have soared, especially after U.S. President Donald Trump touted it as a potential weapon against the coronavirus. Dozens of clinical studies are under way around the world to test its efficacy on COVID-19 patients.
FILE PHOTO: An Airbus A320neo aircraft is pictured in Colomiers near Toulouse, France

By Johanna Decorse

TOULOUSE, France (Reuters) - Airbus <AIR.PA> 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)
Former Food and Drug Administration Commissioner Scott Gottleib has repeatedly said life in the United States won't truly be back to normal until a novel COVID-19 coronavirus vaccine is widely available. The most optimistic sources say that likely won't be for another 12 to 18 months, but in the meantime, Gottleib said, there could be some instances where limited doses could be accessible.

During a Sunday appearance on CBS' Face the Nation, Gottleib told host Margaret Brennan that if the coronavirus mounts a comeback in a specific U.S. city in the fall, there may be a protocol in which at least some of the potentially hundreds of thousands of doses of trial vaccines produced for testing could be provided to people. He said that wouldn't be the case for a national epidemic similar to the current situation, but the hope is that with a better understanding of how to combat the virus, epidemics will be more constrained should a second wave hit.

NEWS: @ScottGottliebMD says he's there is a chance China may get a vaccine for #coronavirus to the market before the United States does. WATCH ---> pic.twitter.com/WMClkMZ85a  Face The Nation (@FaceTheNation) April 19, 2020

Gottleib also said there's a good chance China could beat the U.S. to the market with a vaccine, though he doesn't seem to be a big fan of what Beijing is tinkering with.

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MOST grocery shops in Bulawayos western suburbs are selling basic commodities at exorbitant prices taking advantage of the lockdown regulations that confine consumers to buy from shops within a 5km radius from their residential areas.





A survey conducted by Chronicle yesterday confirmed that basic commodities were very expensive in shops in western suburbs compared to prices at retail shops in the central business district (CBD) and eastern suburbs.





In some cases, the shops in the western suburbs are charging more for those using electronic payment such as Ecocash and swipe.





A 2kg packet of sugar is selling for up to $95 in some shops in the western suburbs compared to $70 or less in the CBD while a 2- litre bottle of cooking oil is selling for $180 compared to $140 in the CBD.





A 2kg packet of flour is selling for $105 in the western suburbs yet its going for $80 or less in the CBD.





Most shops in the western suburbs are selling a 2kg packet of rice for $100 while the same packet is selling for $90 or less in the CBD.





Residents said the exorbitant prices in their areas were forcing them to buy from town thereby violating lockdown regulations.





Mrs Sizalobuhle Tembo from Nkulumane suburb said the price madness at local shops was forcing her to walk to Nkulumane Shopping Mall where prices were cheaper.





Prices of basic commodities are very outrageous here. A 2 litre of cooking oil is selling for nearly $200 yet in some big retail shops it is far less than that.





How do we observe lockdown regulations when we are being fleeced by shops taking advantage of this 5km radius regulation? To make matters worse we are being charged more for Ecocash or swipe, said Ms Tembo.





She said Government should seriously consider introducing price controls during the lockdown to protect consumers.





Mr Ndumiso Nyoni from the same suburb said what the local shops were doing was tantamount to fleecing consumers.





What is the justification for such pricing. It is as if these guys want us to suffer. We know there is a national lockdown and this is the time we expect shops to be reasonable given that many people are not reporting for work, said Mr Nyoni.





He said the conduct by some local shop owners can fuel criminal behaviour. Another resident Mr Collen Dube from Nketa 8 suburb said Government should act on the errant shops.





Their prices are just too high and because of the lockdown we have nowhere else to go. Some of the shops do not accept EcoCash or swipe and those that accept charge more, said Mr Dube.





Consumer Council of Zimbabwe Matabeleland regional manager Mr Comfort Muchekeza said his organisation has noted with concern the unjust pricing of basic commodities by shops in the western suburbs.





We are trying to engage stakeholders including Government over the exorbitant prices of basic commodities charged by these shops, he said.

Confederation of Zimbabwe Retailers Association (CZRA) president Mr Denford Mutashu said it was expected that prices of commodities in smaller shops are more expensive compared to prices of big retail shops.





He said the smaller shops do not enjoy the same privileges of getting products directly from manufacturers.





They buy from wholesalers and they also have to factor in transport costs but the margins should not be too high, said Mr Mutashu.





He said it was unacceptable for shops to reject electronic payments as manufacturers were accepting all modes of payments.




Eight people were rescued after they were cut off when walking on an Isle of Wight beach by a 'substantial cliff collapse' on Saturday afternoon.

Hampshire Police warned the public to avoid Shanklin beach after the rock fall around 4.40pm.

No one was injured but coastguard and lifeboat crews were called out to Luccombe Bay due to fears people were trapped under the rocks, the BBC reported.

Hampshire Police warned the public to avoid Shanklin beach after the rock fall about 4.40pm on Saturday

There were two groups of people walking in the area at the time of the cliff collapse at Appley Beach.

Stranded people were helped to safety by a lifeboat, Bembridge and Ventnor Coastguard said.

They were approaching from the Luccombe area in the west. It wasn't safe for them to cross due to the cliff fall and the way the tide was coming in.

Ventnor Coastguard Rescue Team's James Potter told Island Echo: 'At the moment it's very unstable the cliff with the amount of rain that we've had over the winter.

'With those cliffs drying out now, those areas are becoming quite unstable.

Ventnor Coastguard Rescue Team attended the scene and said the cliffs were unstable at the moment due to the wet winter

Due to the cliff fall and the tide coming in it was unsafe to cross and eight people became stranded

'The cliff is very dry, very crumbly now.'

The fire services, police and ambulances attended the scene as well as the Sandown and Shanklin Independent Lifeboat.

Senior maritime operations officer for HM Coastguard David Hurden said there wasn't anything suggesting the walkers were breaking lockdown rules.

He said: 'They were socially distancing from each other on a walk near to their homes.

It was the second major cliff fall within a few weeks on Shanklin Beach after the coastguard rescue team were called on April 7

'We're thankful that no-one has been injured in the incident.'

Hampshire Police advised the public to avoid the area at all costs as access to the beach from Luccombe Bay is not safe as a result of the collapse.

It was the second major cliff fall within a few weeks at Luccombe after the Ventnor Coastguard Rescue Team were called to the area around 6.30pm on April 7.

People were told to avoid the area as the cliff was falling unexpectedly in multiple places.

There was another cliff fall on March 1 when the coastguard rescue teams were called at 2.30pm.

The unstable cliff began to collapse and dirt and debris fell onto the footpath and road below.

The Isle of Wight Police attended after a large crowd gathered in the area.

Isle of Wight artist and photographer Trudie Wilson was on the beach on February 18 when the cliff fell and a tree came tumbling down.
O.K. Lim, founder and chairman of oil trading group Hin Leong, speaks during an interview with Reuters in Singapore

By Jessica Jaganathan, Seng Li Peng and Chen Aizhu

SINGAPORE (Reuters) - The founder and director of Singapore oil-trading company Hin Leong Trading Pte Ltd (HLT) directed the firm not to disclose hundreds of millions of dollars in losses over several years, he said in a court filing reviewed by Reuters.

The affidavit signed by Lim Oon Kuin, a Singaporean in his 70s widely known as O.K. Lim, is part of a Friday filing to the Singapore High Court by HLT and subsidiary Ocean Tankers (Pte) Ltd, seeking a six-month moratorium on debts of $3.85 billion to 23 banks.

The filing cites a collapse in the oil price and the coronavirus pandemic, which has hammered oil demand and pushed up costs for HLT, one of Asia's largest oil traders.

Despite reporting net profit of $78.2 million for the business year ended in October, "HLT has not been making profits in the last few years," Lim said in the filing, which has not been made public.

The company "suffered about US$800 million in futures losses over the years but these were not reflected in the financial statements", he said. "In this regard, I had given instructions to the finance department to prepare the accounts without showing the losses and told them that I would be responsible if anything went wrong."

Reuters was the first to disclose the existence of Lims affidavit spelling out the losses and his acknowledgement of personal responsibility for not reporting them. Bloomberg cited the $800 million in losses in a report late on Sunday.

Lim, reached by phone, declined comment to Reuters.

Patrick Ang, managing partner at Rajah & Tann Singapore LLP, which is advising Hin Leong, also declined to comment when contacted by e-mail.

Lim's son Evan Lim Chee Meng, a director at HLT and Ocean Tankers who also submitted a signed affidavit with the debt-moratorium request, did not respond to an email requesting comment.

There was no response from HLT and Ocean Tankers to Reuters queries sent over the weekend.

Story continues

Societe Generale said it was a lender to Hin Leong but declined further comment. The remaining 22 banks named in the filing declined to comment or did not respond to emailed requests in the past several days.

The affidavit, which said Lim was resigning immediately as director of the family-held company he founded half a century ago from a single delivery truck, did not specify over how many years the losses were incurred or why he was blaming HLT's difficulties on problems that arose largely in the past few months.

Under Singapore law, Friday's filing automatically protects HLT from legal action by creditors for 30 days while the court decides whether to grant the six-month debt-repayment extension.

Lim said in the filing that HLT had held a video conference on Tuesday with creditors and advisers "to inform bank lenders of HLT's financial position", which it said included liabilities of $4.05 billion against assets of $714 million as of April 9.

A two-thirds drop in oil prices in the first three months of this year, a tightening of bank credit lines and margin calls at HLT caused a "severe depletion" of the company's cash reserves, Lim said in the filing.

HLT recorded payments to meet the margin calls as accounts receivable, the company sold "a substantial part of inventory" being financed by banks to raise cash and it did not sufficiently hedge its exposure to a fall in oil prices, Lim said.

PetroChina International (Singapore) Pte Ltd, the trading arm of state-owned Chinese energy giant PetroChina Co Ltd, has terminated petroleum sales contracts with HLT and demanded an immediate payment of $23.87 million, Lim said. PetroChina did not immediately respond to requests for comment by email and phone.

HLT may file more affidavits with further information, including a list of its 20 largest unsecured and unrelated creditors, Lim said.

HLT could also potentially owe Ocean Tankers up to $2.67 billion for cargoes that the shipping company is unable to deliver, Lim said.

(Reporting by Jessica Jaganathan, Seng Li Peng, Chen Aizhu and Roslan Khasawneh; Additional reporting by Anshuman Daga; Editing by William Maclean, William Mallard and David Goodman)
UPDATE: The state of Oregon on April 21 issued new guidelines on who should get tested for the coronavirus.

Coronavirus testing still isnt universally available to the general public in Oregon, but more places are offering tests, labs can run more results and online symptom evaluators abound.

Rapid testing also is available at some locations and many providers offer telemedicine appointments to help you navigate the testing system.

The two keys to remember: You generally must have symptoms -- a fever, cough and/or shortness of breath  plus a sign-off by a doctor to get a test. And even then, you may not qualify if you arent:

A health care worker or first responder

Living or working in a care facility or group living setting, such as nursing homes

Experiencing worsening symptoms

60 years of age or older

Someone with underlying medical conditions (such as hypertension, diabetes, cardiovascular disease, lung disease, and immunocompromising conditions)

Pregnant

Someone who had contact with a suspected or confirmed COVID-19 patient within 14 days of symptom onset

CALL: The Oregon Health Authority recommends that you call your doctor or clinic for advice on whether you need testing and where to go.

If you dont have a doctor, call 211 for clinics near you or call a local urgent care center.

If you have severe problems, call 911.

The state health agency offers an FAQ that covers everything from testing to staying healthy to how to protect your pets.

CORONAVIRUS IN OREGON: THE LATEST NEWS

WHAT TO SAY: Tell the doctor that you think your symptoms may be from the virus that causes COVID-19. If they tell you to go to the ER or seek immediate treatment elsewhere, wear a mask or other covering over your nose and mouth to help limit exposure to others.

WHERE TO GO: The last week or so has seen a flurry of announcements from hospitals and health companies to say theyre open for business, have testing and protective gear to keep everyone safe  with caveats.

ZOOM+Care, for instance, said it has begun offering drive-through testing in Portland for at-risk people who have been prescreened. So what does that mean exactly?

The company defines at-risk as pregnant women, frontline health care workers and first responders. Patients must also be experiencing symptoms of fever, cough or shortness of breath and be able to get themselves by car to the testing spot.

And prescreening? Dont just show up to the testing site. The clinics offer various ways to talk to doctors beforehand for approval, including video and online chat.

CHECK SYMPTOM TRACKERS: You pretty much cant sneeze without hitting one online.

Most hospitals and many doctors offices have one of their own or will link to one, along with answers to frequently asked questions.

These help you figure out the level of your illness and whether you should seek a doctors care or if you have an emergency on your hands.

The Portland metro area has a public triage tool; so does the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Some other resources to evaluate your symptoms or find out testing criteria:

Providence

Legacy

Adventist

PeaceHealth

St. Charles Health System

The emergency room at Legacy Good Samaritan Medical Center in Northwest Portland also features a large tent outside its entrance. Beth Nakamura/Staff

WHY CANT I GET TESTED? State and national guidelines factor in a states testing supplies and capacity of labs to run results, Multnomah Countys website says.

The state is getting more tests, but there are still not enough for everyone who needs one, the site says. If you get a fever, along with a cough or trouble breathing, call your doctor. They will let you know if you need to be tested. If your symptoms are mild, you will likely be told to treat your symptoms at home.

Have mild symptoms? Isolate until at least 72 hours after fever and other symptoms have resolved, the site says.

MORE TESTS: Legacy Health, for instance, said its significantly ramped up the number of tests it can run a day to 650 to 750 and noted that testing is available through Legacy Medical Group clinics, Legacy-GoHealth Urgent Care centers and Legacy Health hospitals.

Legacy Medical Group patients whose doctors say they need testing are being sent to a drive-through site in Northwest Portland or in Woodburn with what officials say is an average turn-around time of one to two days for results.

Legacys urgent care centers offer rapid tests with results in 15 minutes, but once again: Dont go without checking first. Patients have to book a virtual visit at gohealthuc.com/northwest/virtualvisit to see if they qualify.

WHATS NEXT: Gov. Kate Brown and state epidemiologist Dr. Dean Sidelinger say more widespread testing is a cornerstone of reopening businesses and returning to a semblance of normal life. But for now, they arent lifting conservative testing rules.

-- Margaret Haberman

mhaberman@oregonian.com

503-221-8375

Subscribe to Oregonian/OregonLive newsletters and podcasts for the latest news and top stories.
The number of foreign markets that the U.S. Postal Service (USPS) will not be serving until further notice has climbed to 72 countries as of April 17. This list includes major economies like India, Saudi Arabia and South Africa, causing widespread distress to U.S. businesses that bank on USPS for their shipment needs in those markets.

"Though the blanket reason for services to be suspended is COVID-19, there can be several reasons why it happened. It could be that the receiving postal service may have suspended shipments. Or it could be based on USPS's comfort level on delivering packages in the destination country, or because there are capacity issues," said Krish Iyer, the director of strategic partnerships at ShipStation.

Iyer pointed out that for businesses impacted by the USPS decision, it is time to start looking at domestic fulfillment by probing alternate selling channels within the U.S., rather than looking to fulfill international shipment.

"Though the knee-jerk response would be to satisfy the customers in all destination markets, companies need to look if the high-ceiling shipping costs can cause a potential issue. While companies might think consumers will understand that shipping costs will be passed down to them, this is necessarily unknown," said Iyer. "If you are a consumer buying from them for the first time, what would your lasting impression be if you are charged high shipping costs? That's the real question."

Certain markets like Saudi Arabia or Oman might actually justify high shipping costs, as consumers might agree to retailers partially offloading shipment costs. However, fulfillment with expensive shipping options within emerging economies like Laos or Kenya might not make sense.

If the shipping costs are justified, companies will have to look at alternate logistics forwarders to partner with, like UPS or FedEx. This will not be easy with capacity remaining tight globally, making any alternative likely to cost considerably more than existing arrangements with USPS.

Story continues

Iyer contended that companies would first have to decide on the percentage of shipping costs that they would want to pass on to their customers. "Companies will have to reevaluate their shipping models immediately, and would have to align their strategies on the destination markets based on each market individually and uniquely, as opposed to a hard and fast rule," he said.

That said, domestic selling channels are also tight in the wake of the pandemic. On a typical day, companies look to centralized warehouses in a location, while absorbing shipping costs to destinations that are far away. For instance, if the warehouse is in New York, retailers would usually absorb costs when shipping to California, except for a small surcharge.

But with domestic capacity tight, companies cannot afford to do that any longer. Iyer explained that companies will have to look at warehouse partners in the short-term that are closer to their domestic destination market. Using the example above, this would mean moving inventories much closer to California, rather than shipping out of a New York-based warehouse.

Even with high shipping costs, there is no guarantee of deliveries being on time, as these extraordinary times have led to a rise in the percentage of late deliveries across the country. Since late deliveries have led to a dip in customer service appreciation, retailers need to make sure their customers understand  and even expect  deliveries to be later than usual.

For ecommerce companies, Iyer said that it is necessary to explicitly mention on the product listing that deliveries will take longer than usual. "The idea of over-communication is really important right now. And companies must get this communicated in the listing itself and not wait for consumers to get to the checkout page before they are notified of longer delivery schedules," he said.

Image: USPS

See more from Benzinga

 2020 Benzinga.com. Benzinga does not provide investment advice. All rights reserved.
Coronavirus infections among Saudi royals 'exceedingly surpassed' previous figures

Iran Press TV

Saturday, 18 April 2020 9:15 AM

A Saudi whistleblower has said that the number of Saudi royals infected with the coronavirus (COVID-19) has "exceedingly surpassed" figures previously revealed by a New York Times report.

The Saudi al-Ahd al-Jadid Twitter account made the revelations on Friday, more than a week after the NYT report said as many as 150 Saudi royals had contracted the virus.

The report at the time said that over 500 beds were being prepared at the elite King Faisal Specialist Hospital that treats members of the Saudi family.

On Friday, however, al-Ahd al-Jadid, which is known for whistleblowing on high-profile cases within the Saudi court, revealed that the Saudi hospital reserved for the royals in the Red Sea port city of Jeddah had been overwhelmed with coronavirus cases.

"The Jeddah specialist hospital, which is reserved for Saudi royals, is no longer capable of accepting new cases," the Twitter account said.

"Therefore, two hotels have been reserved to be fully used for accommodating and curing infected royals," it added, naming one of the hotels as being the "Movenpick Hotel".

As of 1400 GMT on Friday, more than 7,142 confirmed coronavirus cases were reported in the kingdom, with 87 deaths, according to a Reuters tally.

Another Saudi whistleblower, Mujtahid, however, has cast doubt on official figures, arguing that the situation throughout the kingdom is much more critical.

The reports of the COVID-19 disease spreading among royals come as the Saudi family is embroiled in a bitter power struggle between Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman and his potential rivals, according to reports.

Since 2017, several wave of arrests have led to the imprisonment of many high-ranking Saudi royals over alleged corruption and attempted coup d'etat charges seeking to unseat King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud and the crown prince.

According to NYT, King Salman has currently secluded himself in an island palace near Jeddah amid the coronavirus pandemic.

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The most recent COVID-19 relief funding from the federal government included more than $2.6 billion in aid to Massachusetts to help the state and local communities combat the pandemic.

The state has also received more than $1.5 billion in federal aid to health care providers, and Massachusetts businesses and workers have been able to receive loans and extended unemployment benefits as part of the $2.2 trillion Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security (CARES) Act.

But does Massachusetts need more money to get the economy going again?

On CBS News Face the Nation on Sunday, Gov. Charlie Baker didnt explicitly say the commonwealth needed more cash. But he made clear that if the federal government wants hard hit states to recharge their economies and go back to business as usual, theyre going to need assistance.

Every state in the country is struggling with what the hit on the economy has done to their balance sheet and to their budgets, Baker said.

He added that state and municipal revenues have dried up amid the pandemic but that doesnt mean state and local governments cease costly public health and safety efforts, managing correctional facilities, protecting the environment and supporting transportation.

If the feds are interested in sort of reopening the economy, and theyve certainly talked a lot about the importance of stimulating the economy going forward, for states to be able to support that initiative ... its important for the feds to support our efforts to fund the stuff we do, Baker said.

President Donald Trump last week released guidelines for some states to reopen their economies before May 1, which is when the federal government expects to revisit nationwide social distancing and stay-at-home preventative measures to help stop the disease from spreading. Some hotspot states, like New York and Massachusetts, are less likely to return to business as usual as quickly as other areas, according to Trump and public health experts.

But Trump has been eager to get the countrys economy kickstarted again, and some states have seen protests among those who say unemployment and restrictions on movement are a greater danger than a virus that has killed more than 36,000 nationwide in seven weeks.

Baker highlighted unprecedented unemployment numbers, with almost half a million unemployment claims in Massachusetts between March 15 and April 4 and nearly 17 million out of work nationwide.

If were laying off tens of thousands of people at exactly the time they want to reopen the economy, were going to be swimming against the current theyre trying to create, Baker said.

Baker noted that he and other northeastern state governors continue to work on a regional economic reopening plan.

Theres a tremendous amount of cross-border activity, Baker said, noting many Massachusetts residents work in states like Connecticut and New York, and likewise many out-of-state commuters work in the Bay State. Thinking about this regionally is an important element. I dont want Massachusetts to do something that makes life incredibly complicated for New York or New Jersey or New Hampshire or Vermont, and I certainly dont want them to do something that unwittingly creates issues and problems in Massachusetts."

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STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. -- According to fliers posted around Tottenville, some non-essential workers planned an End the Lockdown Rally for Sunday at Conference House Park, in hopes of protesting the current New York on PAUSE mandates under Gov. Andrew Cuomo in an effort to stop the spread of coronavirus (COVID-19).

Last week, the governor announced the extension of the mandates until May 15 -- in coordination with other states.

But no one showed up for Sundays rally -- except the police.

Fliers promoting an End the Lockdown Rally were spotted at the CVS on Page Avenue, and on the corner of Main Street and Amboy Road.

The promotional material said the rally would take place Sunday morning at 11 a.m. on the Conference House lawn in Tottenville.

"No mask needed. Bring your children. Non-essential workers. If youre sick still come, its your right! stated the fliers.

*** CLICK HERE FOR COMPLETE COVERAGE OF CORONAVIRUS IN NEW YORK ***

The instructions were followed by the phrase Keep America Great!" and #MAGA," which stands for President Donald Trumps original campaign slogan, Make America Great Again.

Around the time the rally was supposed to begin, police officers were seen canvassing the empty Conference House Park lawn. Police confirmed they were at the site in anticipation of the rally.

NYPD has been tasked by Mayor Bill de Blasio to issue fines for people who are not social distancing.

PROTESTS ACROSS THE NATION

Even though the Staten Island rally didnt come to fruition, similar protests to end the lockdown have been happening across the nation, according to published reports.

On Wednesday, hundreds protested outside the Michigan Capitol and then created intentional gridlock in the city, TIME reported. In Austin, Texas, a You Cant Close America rally was held outside the State Capitol building on Saturday, The New York Times reported. There are similar accounts coming out of Utah, California, Minnesota, Ohio and even New York.

The protests follow tweets from Trump calling for Minnesota, Michigan and Virginia to LIBERATE.

LIBERATE VIRGINIA, and save your great 2nd Amendment. It is under siege!  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) April 17, 2020

Trump has been outspoken about wanting to get the country back on track and reopen the economy. On Thursday, he provided state governors with a three-phase plan to reopen the country. He has continuously noted, however, that the decision for states to start lifting bans will remain up to their respective governor.

As of Saturday, at least 8,448 have died in New York City as a result of the coronavirus, and there were 126,368 confirmed cases of the illness.

Advance staffer Jason Paderon contributed to this report.
New Delhi: Asserting that the hallmark of India's efforts in dealing with the coronavirus outbreak was a pre-emptive and proactive approach, Health Minister Harsh Vardhan on Sunday underlined the gains of the prevailing lockdown and said the country created a people's movement to combat the pandemic.

Speaking at a meeting of G20 ministers organised by the grouping's chair Saudi Arabia via video-conferencing, Vardhan said India has completed 25 days of the lockdown which will further extend till May 3 and its positive results were evident.

"The results of the same were realised when our case doubling rate which was about 3.4 days on March 17, dropped to 4.4 days by March 25, and is currently about 7.4 days," he told the G-20 health ministers.

India has successfully tackled public health emergencies of international concern and pandemic in the past as well, Vardhan asserted.

"This time the hallmark of our approach has been fivefold -- maintaining a continuous situation awareness; pre-emptive and proactive approach; graded response as per continuously evolving scenario; inter-sectoral coordination at all levels, and lastly but most importantly creating a people's movement to combat this disease," he said.

Vardhan's participation at the virtual meeting of the grouping comes after the March 26 emergency G-20 Summit in which Prime Minister Narendra Modi participated through video-conferencing and pitched for developing a new crisis management protocol to deal with the global health crisis.

In his address, Modi had also urged the grouping to come out with a concrete action plan to fight the pandemic and said human beings rather than economic targets should be put at the centre of its vision for global prosperity and cooperation.

The G-20 grouping shares 80 per cent of world GDP and 60 per cent of world population.

Vardhan, in his remarks at the meeting, said India started surveillance of flights from COVID-affected countries twelve days before the first case in India on January 30.

By March 22, with less than 400 cases India banned all international flights to and from India, and by March 25 implemented a nationwide lockdown, he pointed out.

"In the past, we as a global community have faced and successfully tackled threats to the health of our people, by a collective sense of purpose, supporting and collaborating with each other. I look forward to similar cooperation and mutually respectful & useful collaborations to deal with coronavirus," Vardhan was quoted as saying in an official statement.

While some of the countries particularly Japan, Singapore, South Korea have fared well, others are still struggling with COVID-19, he noted.

The scale of impact is unprecedented and therefore calls for cooperation between nations to attain normalcy, he said.

"In the absence of any specific drug or vaccine, India has also relied on various non-pharmacological interventions. Particular focus was on measures like social distancing and risk communication to the masses on simple public health interventions like hand hygiene and respiratory etiquettes," he said.

Since the onset of this pandemic, India has taken leadership and assisted neighbouring countries in multitude of ways, Vardhan said.

"During medical evacuation undertaken by India from Wuhan, China as well as from COVID-19 affected Diamond Princess Cruise ship, we evacuated foreign nationals from Maldives, Bangladesh, Myanmar, Maldives, South Africa, USA, Madagascar, Sri Lanka, Nepal, South Africa and Peru," he said.

India as a global leader in pharmaceutical has stepped up production to make sure supplies of drugs like hydroxychloroquine to countries around the world, Vardhan said.

India is working with global partners to ensure that effective drugs and vaccines can be developed, he said.

Much before the outbreak was declared a public health emergency of international concern by the World Health Organization, India was ahead in implementing actions targeting core capacities as mandated under the international health regulations, he said.

The Integrated Disease Surveillance Programme (IDSP), which is a nation-wide surveillance system for epidemic prone diseases has been activated towards the COVID response, and is being further strengthened with substantive digital inputs, he said.

"India has made the conscious decision to focus on building exclusive infrastructure for management of COVID patients so that there is no intermingling of COVID patients," the minister said.

"All the people who are tested positive are treated in one of three types of dedicated COVID management centers: COVID care centers for mild symptomatic cases, COVID health centers for moderate cases and COVID hospitals for severe cases," he said.

"While the traditional ways and means to tackle the disease were being implemented, our scientists and doctors are exploring new and innovative measures to maximize our reach," he said.

Cutting edge technology is being used to not only maintain inventory and patient level information, direct to citizen apps are being used for communicating geospatial risk and best practices to be followed, Vardhan said.

G-20 is an international grouping for the governments of 19 countries and the European Union (EU). The 19-member countries of G20 are Argentina, Australia, Brazil, Canada, China, Germany, France, Indonesia, Italy, Japan, Mexico, the Russian Federation, Saudi Arabia, South Africa, South Korea, Turkey, United Kingdom, USA and India.
Source: Xinhua| 2020-04-19 20:50:05|Editor: huaxia

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Soldiers unload Chinese medical supplies at Skopje International Airport in Skopje, North Macedonia, April 18, 2020. A plane loaded with Chinese medical supplies to help North Macedonia fight against COVID-19 arrived here on Saturday. (Chinese Embassy in North Macedonia/Handout via Xinhua)

SKOPJE, April 19 (Xinhua) -- A batch of medical supplies provided by the Chinese government to help North Macedonia battle the coronavirus was handed over to the European country soon after its arrival at Skopje International Airport on Saturday.

Chinese Ambassador to North Macedonia Zhang Zuo and Deputy Prime Minister of North Macedonia Bujar Osmani, who is under self-isolation, spoke at a handover ceremony via video link.

Zhang said that China will bear in mind that North Macedonia's leaders and friends from all walks of life have expressed their solidarity with the Chinese government and people when China was at a critical moment in its fight against the coronavirus.

As North Macedonia currently faces the challenge of the pandemic, China in return offered medical supplies in response to the urgent request of North Macedonia, he added.

The ambassador noted that since the outbreak of the pandemic, China has maintained close communication and cooperation with North Macedonia, sharing experiences and providing assistance as possible as it can.

He said that China is willing to explore flexible and diverse ways of fighting the coronavirus with North Macedonia and promote mutually beneficial cooperation between the two countries.

For his part, Osmani expressed his gratitude to China for providing medical supplies at the most critical moment in North Macedonia's battle against the coronavirus, adding that the fight against the pandemic requires solidarity, cooperation and mutual assistance of all countries and ethnic groups.

He said that North Macedonia hopes to borrow China's experiences in coronavirus fight and win the war at the earliest.

There are a total of 1,207 confirmed coronavirus cases in North Macedonia, of which 179 are recoveries and 51, fatalities, according to the latest figures from the country's health ministry.
New Delhi: Congress leader Priyanka Gandhi Vadra on Sunday (April 19, 2020) appealed to the Uttar Pradesh government to make a plan to help migrant workers from the state reach their home.

In a video appeal on her official social media accounts, she urged the state government to set up a helpline and control room to reach out to all those migrant workers from UP who are stranded at various places.

"These workers are our own. It is the responsibility of all of us to help them. We cannot leave them like this. We have to find a way out," she said.

"I urge the Uttar Pradesh government to set up a helpline and a control room of 1,000 persons so that these stranded workers can be reached out. You have to evolve a plan to bring them back," added the General Secretary of Indian National Congress.

Priyanka said she has talked to the migrant workers from the northern states who are stuck in different places and are finding it difficult to survive as they are now huddled together in one room.

She said the migrants are scared and want to come back to their homes in UP, as they have no ration or cash left.

Priyanka also lauded the state government for bringing back stranded students from Kota in Rajasthan.

"These migrant workers are also our own. They do not have anything to eat. Helping them is also the responsibility of the state government," she said in her appeal.

Thousands of migrant workers have been stranded at state borders and in various towns due to the nationwide lockdown imposed to curb the spread of coronavirus.

Metropolitan cities like Delhi and Mumbai had recently witnessed law and order issues when thousands of migrant workers swarmed local bus stations and railway stations, in their bid to reach their native places.
ALBANY  Feed Albany, a new charity effort founded in response to the COVID-19 crisis that in its first month has given away more than 20,000 free meals to those in need, is formally organizing to be an ongoing effort run by leaders in the restaurant, business, nonprofit and government sectors.

On Saturday, Albany County Executive Dan McCoy announced that Feed Albany is the recipient of a $10,000 grant from the United Way of the Greater Capital Region, made possible by donations from the Islamic Center of the Capital District, Al-Hidaya Center of Troy and Latham, Masjid As-Salam of Albany and Masjid Al-Arqam of Saratoga Springs. The organizations are all religious and educational not-for-profits. Another $10,000 grant from their donations went to the Regional Food Bank of Northeastern New York, McCoy said.

In addition, Feed Albany has received $5,000 from Capitalize Albany Corp., which is the development wing of the city of Albany, and more than $42,000 in private donations via its GoFundMe campaign  including, on Saturday, $5,000 from the local philanthropists Jeffrey and Louise Bender. Food purveyors such as Sysco, Driscoll, Pepsico and Kilcoyne Farms have donated products valued at more than $40,000 to Feed Albany, organizers said.

Looking for ways to volunteer, or want to share a volunteer opportunity you know about? Join our new Facebook group.

It is gratifying to see the outpouring of support we have received in this short time, all with the purpose of ensuring that those here in the Capital Region do not need to go hungry, said Dominick Purnomo, president of Feed Albanys newly formed board of directors. A co-founder of the charity, Purnomo is wine director and co-owner of the Albany restaurants Yonos and dp: An American Brasserie.

The money raised and received by Feed Albany is used to purchase food, packaging and other supplies needed for the meals its volunteers make, deliver and offer for pickup to at-risk and in-need individuals, including those left jobless or underemployed by layoffs and furloughs related to the societal shutdown imposed to try to slow the spread of the coronavirus.

In the past week, Feed Albany prepared 5,000 meals in donated space at the restaurants Yono's, Savoy Taproom in Albany and Roux in Slingerlands, organizers said. The meals were delivered to individuals in Albany, Schenectady and Rensselaer counties, made available at pickup locations, sent to health care workers at area hospitals and nursing homes and delivered to the areas homeless population via the HAC Outreach Van, according to records provided by Feed Albany organizers.

As of Saturday, Feed Albany was also regularly providing meals to nearly 730 individuals who contacted the organization directly or were referred to it by local government agencies or social-service organizations. Its volunteers or affiliates are also delivering groceries five days a week in partnership with The Food Pantries of the Capital Region, Sister Maureen Joyce, Trinity Alliance and the Salvation Army, organizers said.

Special Investigation 147 NY dams are 'unsound,' potentially dangerous Thousands of dams have not been inspected in over 20 years.

Established as an ad-hoc group on March 17, the day after Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo ordered New Yorks restaurants to close or limit their service to takeout and/or delivery, Feed Albany was initially meant to supply meals to the regions many suddenly unemployed restaurant workers. Strong response led to an expansion of its mission, organizers said, and those involved have committed to making Feed Albany an official charity dedicated to combating hunger.

It has registered with the state as a charity organization and is applying for federal status as an incorporated not-for-profit under the 501(c)(3) designation, leaders said.

Feed Albanys new board of directors, announced Saturday, is led by Purnomo as president; co-founder Christine Tate, an investor in startup companies and chief operating officer of Vara Safety, a Troy firm that makes biometric holster safes for handguns, as vice president and secretary; and, as treasurer, Dennis Pitaniello, an audit officer for Trustco Bank.

The remaining board members include Matthew T. Peter, executive director of the Albany Parking Authority and an Albany County legislator, who will serve as Feed Albanys liaison to the city of Albany and Albany County; Caitlyn Krug, development director of the regional food bank, who will be liaison to the food bank and The Food Pantries; and Jason Pierce, co-owner of Savoy Taproom. A co-founder of Feed Albany, Pierce is stepping back from a leadership role so financial entanglements related to a former business he owned do not affect the new food charity, he said.

We've taken the necessary steps to ensure that Feed Albany is in the best position possible to continue to help people in need, not only during the COVID-19 crisis, but in the future, Tate said. Were here to stay, we're here to help, and the donation from the United Way will help us do just that.
The coordinator of Americas coronavirus response has hit out at China for a lack of transparency in the early stages of the pandemic, while calling Beijings reported mortality rate unrealistic.

China was the first to be impacted by Covid-19 in November last year, leading to a mass shutdown of daily life and a vast medical response including the building of new hospitals and the drafting in of medical personnel from outside the epicentre of Wuhan, in Hubei province.

However, Dr Deborah Birx, who made her name as an immunologist in the fight against HIV, has said the true horrors of the disease were not explained to the US by China but by countries in Europe like France and Italy, in a forthright intervention that chimed with her bosss rhetoric on how Beijing has handled coronavirus.

She told Saturdays White House press briefing: They said be very careful, theres an extraordinarily high mortality rate amongst people with pre-existing conditions. And we used their information to bring that to the American people.

That information came from our European colleagues who were in the midst of their own battle themselves. So there is never an excuse to not share information.

When you are the first country to have an outbreak you really have a moral obligation to the world to not only talk about it but to provide information thats critical to the rest of the world to really respond to this credibly.

Her comments followed a rambling opening address by Donald Trump, who complained about Democratic state governors he has feuded with and the investigation into Russian election interference while talking up his administrations much-criticised response to the pandemic.

The president previously tried to minimise the threat to Americans by comparing Covid-19 to the flu and suggesting it had already been contained. After apparently accepting its dangers he has sought to put pressure on Beijing with questions about the viruss origins and the governments initial efforts to tackle it. It could have been stopped in China before it started and the whole world is suffering because of it, he claimed on Saturday.

During Dr Birxs presentation Mr Trump drew attention to a chart displayed behind her which showed coronavirus case mortality rates in a number of countries including China. Pointing at the Chinese figure of 0.33 deaths per 100,000 people, he asked: Does anyone really believe this number?

Dr Birx was quick to call the figure unrealistic, before launching into her criticism of China. Other figures claimed in her presentation included 5.25 deaths per 100,000 people in Germany, 11.24 in the US and 21.97 in the UK. The mortality chart was swiftly pushed out on social media by the Republican National Committee, while Mr Trumps re-election campaign shared a video of Dr Birxs criticism of China.

However, the Trump administration has itself produced false information during the pandemic, notably on access to testing. The president repeatedly claimed that anyone who wanted a test could get one when that was not the case.

Last week officials in China revised the number of deaths within the city of Wuhan  a recalibration that saw the number of fatalities rise by 50 per cent.

Figures for the total number of infections in the city rose to 50,333, with 3,869 deaths. Medical workers at some facilities might have been preoccupied with saving lives and there existed delayed reporting, underreporting or misreporting, but there has never been any cover-up and we do not allow cover-ups, said a Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson of the change.
One of main tasks of Armenia peacekeepers in Kazakhstans Almaty is to prevent water supply system poisoning

About 80 Americans cannot fly from Afghanistan

Turkey parliament ex-deputy speaker: Armenia must fulfill 4 preconditions

Border situation in Armenias Gegharkunik Province was calm at night

French FM says talks on Iranian nuclear deal are progressing slowly

289 new cases of COVID-19 confirmed in Armenia

Gold slightly rises in price

North Korea says it successfully tested another hypersonic missile

OSCE calls on Azerbaijan, Armenia to refrain from the use of force

Oil is trading without a single dynamic

US State Department welcomes announcement on CSTO forces withdrawal from Kazakhstan

Newspaper: Ex-ministers are summoned to Hayastan All Armenian Fund parliamentary inquiry committee

MOD: Armenia soldiers dead body found at midnight after Azerbaijan provocation

Newspaper: Casualties of Armenia PM Pashinyan's 'era of peace'

US concerned about EastMed natural gas pipeline project

Giant fish sold at auction for over 16 million yen

German Marshall Fund: It Is not too early to think about political change in Turkey

Armenian Foreign Ministry: We call on Azerbaijani authorities to refrain from provocations

Armenia's Geghamasar community head: The situation is stable now

Queen Elizabeth II's favorite fast food revealed

Human Rights Defender: Azerbaijani troops open fire on Armenian sovereign territory

World Economic Forum: Cybersecurity and space pose new risks to the global economy

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Unofficial data: 2 servicemen killed as a result of Azerbaijan provocation

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WHO thinks it's too early to consider COVID-19 pandemic

European Commission to require Poland to pay fine of nearly EUR 70 million

White House announces $308 million humanitarian aid for Afghanistan

Erdogan angry at minister after efforts to strengthen lira failed

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New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo has identified 400 ventilators that can be sent to Massachusetts if the state requests them during its COVID-19 surge.

His remarks came during a press conference on Sunday where he stated he had spoken to Gov. Charlie Baker over the weekend as Massachusetts finds itself dealing with an increasing number of cases.

The number of coronavirus-related deaths in Massachusetts increased to 1,560, with 156 new deaths reported on Saturday.

Right now our neighbors in Massachusetts are looking at an increase in cases, said Cuomo. I spoke to Gov. Charlie Baker yesterday. They may need 400 ventilators and we know how important ventilators are."

In Massachusetts, there are now 1,970 new positive cases of the virus, according to the latest figures, up to 36,372 in total. Altogether, 156,806 COVID-19 tests have been carried out by state and commercial labs.

On Thursday, Baker indicated that the state is starting to see the effects of the surge, noting that over the past few days, he said there has been a spike in hospitalizations associated with the virus.

If their numbers keep going up and if they have to scramble, and I said, You were there for us and were going to be there for you, said Cuomo. "If they need 400 ventilators, weve already identified them and we will bring them over on 24 hours notice.

Massachusetts joined with other Northeastern states to form a coalition to aid each other with the COVID-19 pandemic response and reopening plans. These include; New York, New Jersey, Connecticut, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island and Delaware.

The Baker-Polito Administration is in touch with other states in the region including New York and looks forward to participating in discussions with experts regarding the ongoing response to the COVID-19 pandemic," Terry MacCormack, a Baker spokesman said in a statement on April 14.

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Crucial programs  including ones that provide vaccinations, test for sexually transmitted infections and monitor local food and water supplies  have been trimmed or eliminated. As a result, several old public health foes have returned: Measles and syphilis are both resurgent, as is nicotine consumption among teenagers and the contamination of food and water with bacteria and lead.

Each of these crises has received its own flurry of outrage, but none of them have been enough to break what experts say is the nations default public health strategy: neglect, panic, repeat.

We ignore the public health sector unless theres a major catastrophe, said Scott Becker, the head of the Association of Public Health Laboratories. Then we throw a pile of money at the problem. Then we rescind that money as soon as the crisis abates.

There is a better way.

Imagine a public health system in which all public health entities used the same cutting-edge technology in their laboratories and on their computers. This would include equipment that enables rapid diagnostic tests to be developed and deployed quickly in a crisis; web portals where data on disease spread, hospital capacity and high-risk communities can be logged and shared across the country; and user-friendly apps that enable private citizens to facilitate the efforts of epidemiologists.

The technology to create such a system already exists  it only has to be adapted and implemented.

That, of course, requires investment. In 2019, a consortium of public health organizations lobbied the federal government for $1 billion to help the nations public health system modernize its data infrastructure. They were granted $50 million. In the wake of Covid-19, that sum has been increased to $500 million. But much more is needed. There is a $5.4 billion gap between current public health spending and the cost of modernizing public health infrastructure, according to the Trust for Americas Health report.

However much money is ultimately allotted for this work, it will have to be deployed equitably, in high-income and low-income communities alike. Health departments everywhere are struggling to contain the Covid-19 pandemic, but that struggle is particularly acute in marginalized communities, where health is already fragile, public health departments are sometimes nonexistent and mistrust of officials tends to run high.

Early data from several states indicates that Hispanics and African-Americans already account for a disproportionately high number of coronavirus-related deaths, a finding that is both unsurprising and unacceptable. A better system would direct federal aid to where its needed most  and would work to eradicate legacies of injustice and abuse that mar the history of public health victories.
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:

 242,570 in New York state, including 18,921 deaths. 596,532 total tested.

 742,442 in the U.S., including 40,585 deaths. 67,052 recovered. 3,723,634 total tested.

 2,375,443 worldwide, including 164,716 deaths. 611,430 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.

Sunday's updates:

4:05 p.m. Saratoga County sees 10th COVID-19 death

The county announced Sunday its 10th death due to COVID-19, a 67-year-old female from Malta. There are 269 confirmed cases of COVID-19 in the county, 11 of which are hospitalized.

2:35 p.m. Schenectady County confirmed cases rise

There are 334 positive COVID-19 cases in the county as of Sunday afternoon, an increase of 23 from Saturday. However, recoveries from the illness have also increased, from 106 Saturday to 116 Sunday. The number of hospitalizations and deaths remain the same, at 27 and 14, respectively.

12:30 p.m. New York to begin to test antibodies; deaths hit lowest total since April 2

New York will begin testing thousands of New Yorkers for coronavirus antibodies this week, Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo said Sunday, as the state hopes to use recovery data as it develops a plan to reopen the economy. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has approved the state's antibody test, allowing New York officials to rapidly scale up testing and conduct the "largest survey of any state population," Cuomo said.

Deaths also dropped again to 507 on Saturday, with 474 occurring in hospitals and 33 in nursing homes. The number is still "terrible," Cuomo said, but it is the lowest one-day death toll since April 2. A total of 13,869 people have died of the virus in New York.

11:09 a.m. Albany County confirmed cases, deaths increase

The county has 651 positive COVID-19 cases as of Sunday morning, an increase of 30 from Saturday, and had two additional deaths overnight, bringing the total number of victims of the disease to 22.

Cases in the county nursing home continue to increase as well, now with 18 residents and two additional employees who have tested positive for the disease.

9:01 a.m. Gov. Andrew Cuomo will do his daily coronavirus briefing at noon Sunday

Cuomo will be at the Feinstein Institute for Medical Research, Manhasset, Nassau County. The briefing can be watched online at governor.ny.gov.

Half of New York counties have tested less than 1 percent of the population

As state officials link widespread testing to reopening the economy, about half of New Yorks counties have tested less than 1 percent of their population for COVID-19, a Times Union analysis shows.

The testing is particularly low upstate, with counties as large as Erie  with nearly 1 million residents  administering just more than 8,000 tests as of Thursday.

The numbers are sharply below the testing levels that state and federal officials, including Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo, have asserted are necessary to safely reopen the economy.

Saturday's updates:

Marriage licenses can be obtained remotely

Governor Andrew M. Cuomo issued an executive order that allows New Yorkers to obtain a marriage license remotely and allows clerks to perform ceremonies over video conference. There is now no excuse when the question about marriage comes up, Cuomo joked during a Saturday morning press conference. You can do it through Zoom.

$17 billion aid package proposed

In a proposal pressed by Senate Minority Leader Charles Schumer, D-NY, with Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin, $17 billion in new funding for New York state, counties and towns may be coming. Schumers proposal would mean a new $2.5 billion for New York City, $27 million for Albany County, $14 million for Rensselaer County and $13.8 million for Saratoga County.

2 more die in Saratoga County

The Saratoga County Department of Public Health Services today announced that there are 259 confirmed cases of COVID-19 in Saratoga County and 11 of those people are hospitalized. The Department also confirmed the countys eighth and ninth deaths from COVID-19  a 61-year-old man from Clifton Park and a 77-year-old man from Mechanicville.

Glens Falls Transit getting funds

As part of the CARES Act, which included economic relief for transit systems. U.S. Minority Leader Charles E. Schumer today announced $3,458,374 in federal funding allocated by the Federal Transit Administration for Greater Glens Fall Transit.

Albany County hospitalization rate dips

With 35 people now hospitalized, the hospitalization rate for Albany County stands at 5.63%, down slightly from Friday's rate of 5.92%. Seven of those people are in Intensive Care Units, an increase of one since yesterday. Shaker Place Rehabilitation and Nursing Center has had 13 residents in total who have tested positive, along with 5 employees and one who has recovered and returned to work. There were no additional deaths, so the number stands at 20.

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Government not seeking donations from tycoons

THAILAND: Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha is not seeking donations from tycoons - he merely wants to see cooperation in fighting the coronavirus outbreak and reviving the economy, say a deputy prime minister and the government spokeswoman.

CoronavirusCOVID-19

By Bangkok Post

Sunday 19 April 2020, 02:00PM

A B100 million surgical mask factory in Samut Prakan built in five weeks by the Charoen Pokphand Group, controlled by billionaire Dhanin Chearavanont, was up and running on Thursday (Apr 16). It has a capacity of 3 million pieces a month. The output is free and will be shipped to and distributed only by hospitals to medical workers and people with no access to them. Photo: Arnun Chonmahatrakool

Gen Prayut said in a televised speech on Friday evening (Apr 17) that he was preparing to send letters to 20 richest Thais, asking them to join efforts in finding solutions to the virus outbreak next week. (See story here).

Deputy Prime Minister Wissanu Krea-ngam said yesterday (Apr 18) that some social media users had distorted his message, making it sound like he was asking them for money.

The hashtag #BeggarGovernment trended for a while after the announcement.

I dont know who these 20 people are. I only check the content to be put in the letter, he said.

The government will not send the letters asking for money. Lets wait to see whats inside them. But I can assure you were not begging for money. Everything will be clearer next week because the prime minister will check the detail himself.

Government spokeswoman Narumon Pinyosinwat also confirmed yesterday that the Prime Minister wanted to directly hear the opinions of everyone and it had nothing to do with how much money one had.

We want to listen to views from all sectors, to have them participate, she said.

On the names of these 20 people, Mrs Narumon said she had no information at this point.

But we insist the prime minister wants guidelines on how to tackle the problem, she said.

Gen Prayut will listen to the opinions of the private sector next week but it remains unclear whether he will hold a meeting or visit their places of business.

On Friday, Gen Prayut laid out his plans for a new Team Thailand, saying: Ill send an open letter to the 20 richest people in the country, asking them to tell me how they, as senior members of society, can cooperate with us and what they can do to help the country more going forward. These rich people have a lot of influence on the countrys economy and rank among the richest in the world.

I would like to ask them to play a key role in jointly help the country and join us as members of Team Thailand. I understand and very much appreciate what some of them have already done but I want all of them to do more. I know all of them are willing, especially at a time when the country needs help the most, because I know the troubles faced by Thais are your pain.

I ask you to share your capabilities and intelligence, as well as your visionary views, and use your high-potential organisations to help deal with the crisis were facing now.
The Ohio General Assemblys Republicans, and a few Democrats, have forbidden Ohios cities and villages from regulating guns, no matter what a communitys residents want. The Statehouse argument has been that Ohios law-abiding gun owners cant possibly know, let alone follow, what every city or village might require when, say, a gun-carrier drives through.

Now, though, the shoes on another foot. And it pinches. Just before Easter, a rising Statehouse Republican, conservative Sen. Matt Huffman, of Lima, asked Republican Gov. Mike DeWine to let businesses reopen in Huffmans neck of the woods  west central Ohio (that is, Lima and nearby counties)  amid the coronavirus pandemic.

Since the outset of the coronavirus, Huffman wrote, less densely populated areas of the state have not been affected in the same way as the rest of the state.

Fair enough: According to state Health Department data, as of Thursday, Allen County (Lima)  Huffmans home  had had 57 coronavirus cases, with six deaths. In contrast:

* Cuyahoga County (Cleveland) had had 1,331 cases, and 42 deaths;

* Franklin County (Columbus), 1,212 cases, and 19 deaths; and,

* Hamilton County (Cincinnati), 615 cases and 29 deaths.

Meanwhile, Mahoning County (Youngstown), had 512 cases, and 41 deaths, second only to Cuyahoga, though Mahoning County has 229,000 residents to Cuyahogas 1.2 million.

Whether its a good idea or a bad idea to reopen businesses in some counties and not others is up to DeWine and his advisors. (Expert medical opinion seems to be that its a really bad idea.)

But, in the abstract, Matt Huffman has a fair point: Different Ohio communities have different circumstances and different needs. And a communitys residents may want to tailor a local solution to a problem.

It would probably be asking too much for that insight to permeate the Statehouses Republican caucuses as to cities and villages using home rule powers to police guns. After all, logic doesnt hire Capitol Square lobbyists; gun-peddlers do.

Still, the next time a General Assembly member says that it would be too confusing, even dangerous, to let cities and villages make local decisions about guns and other concerns  Cant have a patchwork, you know!  heres a fair response: Since when?

Agreed, there are patchworks, and patchworks, in Ohio. Theres no discounting the inspiring dedication and bravery of Ohios local health departments in the face of the coronavirus plague. But when, as will happen, Ohio overcomes this plague, the states executive and legislative branches should take a hard look-see at how the states health-promoting and health-protecting agencies are set up.

Ohios local health agencies, while they get state help, rely to some extent on local property taxes and fees. (According to the Association of Ohio Health Commissioners, Ohio ranks 47th in the nation for state investment in public health.)

History suggests the General Assembly drew todays health services organization chart, so to speak, 100 years ago, just after the Spanish flu pandemic during and immediately after World War I. [That pandemics] estimated death toll for  Cleveland [was] more than 4,400 or 474 per 100,000  a higher rate than that in Chicago or New York City, the Encyclopedia of Cleveland History reports. Compare that 1918-19 death count to the 42 coronavirus deaths reported as of Thursday in Cuyahoga County, not just in Cleveland.

The General Assembly isnt great at big-picture stuff; its task forces and study committees are where good ideas go to die. But this time, the sheer damage done to the states economy and to working Ohioans lives may at long last compel a systematic review of how, precisely, public health services should be delivered to Ohioans and  coincidentally  how Ohio must bolster its unemployment compensation systems rickety funding.

Meanwhile, given the incompetence of Donald Trumps administration, Ohio should eventually create an in-state stockpile of ventilators, masks, cleaning supplies, essential pharmaceuticals and the like to save Ohioans lives during future disasters (and there will be some).

Americas founders created the federal government, the Constitution tells us, to  promote the general welfare. These days, thats not Washingtons strong point. And thats why Ohio must largely take care of itself, and  thanks to Mike DeWine  is.

Thomas Suddes, a member of the editorial board, writes from Athens.

To reach Thomas Suddes: tsuddes@cleveland.com, 216-408-9474

Have something to say about this topic?

* Send a letter to the editor, which will be considered for print publication.

* Email comments or corrections on this opinion column to Elizabeth Sullivan, director of opinion, at esullivan@cleveland.com.
His Excellency, the Executive Governor of Bauchi state, Senator Bala Abdulkadur Mohammed today paid an unscheduled visit to inspect the road project from Burga town of Tafawa Balewa Local Government to Alkaleri Local Government.

The road project awarded at the cost of over 8 billion naira, covered communities of Yalwan Duguri to Badaran Dutse, Birim-Bajama to Kumbala, and Kundak-Wurno to Burga.

The road was designed to have a length of 58.4km with the total width of 10.3m which comprised of a carriageway of 7.3m and 1.5m shoulders on each side would be constructed with 4 bridges, 45 box culverts and 70 pipe culverts of different sizes.

This project which is expected to be completed within 24 dry months has currently recorded a remarkable progress in the execution

As you are aware, the award of contract for roads construction is in line with the policy thrust of the administration of Governor Bala Mohammed of providing the infrastructure that has a direct bearing on the lives of the teeming populace.

The gesture was also part of the desire of the present administration to respond to the infrastructural gap being experienced as a result of population growth and expansion of urban cities and towns.

Governor Bala Mohammed has also inspected the ongoing road project from Sabon Kaura to Jos road, the project that is now at the stage of completion.

The unscheduled visit to the various roads projects in the state by the governor is to ensure compliance with due process and effective service delivery in line with global best practices.
Copyright  2020 Albuquerque Journal

Richard Gabriel Jr. has been making ornate mirrors, ornaments, candleholders and other items out of tin in the French-Colonial style for around three decades.

But when the COVID-19 pandemic shut down tourist travel to New Mexico in March, the art galleries in Albuquerque and Santa Fe that he sells to began to shut their doors. Events like Santa Fes Traditional Spanish Market, which Gabriel said accounts for about 10% of his annual income, were called off, leaving him without many options.

Even if (the economy) opens today, Im going to need some help, Gabriel said. My business isnt going to come back until the tourists come back.

Making matters worse, the New Mexico Department of Workforce Solutions currently has no unemployment assistance program for self-employed workers like Gabriel.

Even as state and federal business assistance programs scale up funding, sole practitioners, independent contractors and gig economy workers like Uber and Lyft drivers have largely been left to fend for themselves in New Mexico and many other states as work dries up.

They make up thousands of New Mexicans, including consultants, independent hair stylists, massage therapists, landscapers, personal trainers, tutors and those in a slew of other occupations.

Such self-employed workers, independent contractors and gig economy workers are not typically eligible for unemployment benefits. However, the CARES Act, a $2.2 trillion relief package passed by Congress last month, offers expanded unemployment benefits for self-employed workers. The program is called Pandemic Unemployment Assistance.

Im lucky I have some savings this year, but itll last about a month, Gabriel said.

Their weekly benefit amount will be based on their 2018 income and added to the $600 per week benefit through the Federal Pandemic Unemployment Compensation program during the pandemic, according to the state workforce department.

However, those who visit the New Mexico workforce departments web page for workers affected by COVID-19 were greeted by a red banner stating the state agency is setting up a page for self-employed workers, and the department will announce when those workers can receive benefits.

Self-employed workers who have tried, including Bruce Byers  a minister and founder of Lifes Moments, a Rio Rancho-based church that focuses on wedding ceremonies  have been turned down for unemployment benefits because they are self-employed. Stacy Johnston, acting public information officer for the state workforce agency, said any self-employed worker who tries to apply now would be automatically denied by the system.

Right now, our system isnt built to handle those answers, she said.

Johnston said the delay has occurred because the state was awaiting guidance from the U.S. Department of Labor on details like how questions for self-employed workers should be worded and who might be eligible  guidance that did not come until last weekend. Workforce Solutions Secretary Bill McCamley has previously told the Journal that this federal guidance came later than the department was expecting.

Additionally, the Self-Employed Stimulus Payment, a state program launched last week to offer one-time grants of $750 to the first 2,000 self-employed workers who applied, was quickly depleted and plagued by technical issues.

A regional spokesperson for the U.S. Department of Labor did not respond to a request for comment.

Even with guidance and additional federal money for the program, Johnston said the department needs a few weeks to build a platform that wont crash from higher-than-normal traffic from users.

We know theres a lot of people who will be seeking funds, Johnston said.

Johnston declined to commit to a specific date for the program to be available, but he said it should be up and running by early May.

However, Byers, who saw the number of weddings he booked drop from up to 35 in a typical April to just two this year after counties stopped issuing wedding certificates, said he thinks the program is too little, too late. He criticized the state agency for deploying grant funding to the first self-employed workers who applied, rather than helping workers already in the system.

They know they messed up, but they wont admit it to anyone, Byers said.
The death of a man who reportedly had symptoms of coronavirus, in Maiduguri, has caused confusion in the Borno State capital.

The man died at the University of Maiduguri Teaching Hospital (UMTH) at about 4 p.m., PREMIUM TIMES learnt.

Health workers at the hospital, who asked not to be named, expressed concern that people who have contact with the deceased are yet to be quarantined.

An anonymous statement believed to have been released by concerned medical personnel at the hospital announced the death.

The viral statement reads:

There was a confirmed case of COVID 19 at UMTH. The case was a retired anesthetic nurse working with MSF in Pulka town of Gwoza LGA.

The bad thing is that he has had contact with several health workers both within and outside UMTH (being a health worker).

He was brought from Pulka to UMTH by 2 nurses which are also now at risk (together with their families).

This evening after his demise female friends, relatives, and other mourners gathered in his house leading to having contact with his family who have been having direct contact with him since he was brought from Pulka (during his 2 days admission).

And the worst of all is he is staying in Umaru Shehu Ultra-Modern Hospital staff quarters which is within the hospital premises thereby exposing more health workers and patients as well to risk.

Please be careful of social gatherings within Maiduguri at the moment.

PREMIUM TIMES investigations confirmed that the man was admitted to the male medical ward where there were other patients.

The man who was attended to by many health personnel in the hospital also had his relatives coming to visit him before he passed away.

I dont know why the state committee on COVID-19 has not officially spoken about this precarious development since yesterday, a medical personnel who asked not to be named said.

As I am talking to you now the family of the deceased have self-isolated because they strongly believe their deceased relative had the COVID-19 infection because it was not long ago he returned from France, the source added.

PREMIUM TIMES has not independently verified this claim.

Another medical staff of the UMTH had also confirmed to PREMIUM TIMES that the case is true.

Please dont quote me, but I can confirm to you that the patient was symptomatic before he died, the second source said.

A middle-aged man who claimed to be a friend to the bereaved family confirmed that the suspected case was immediately buried.

I also attended his burial yesterday and now the family members and those that attended to the preparation of the corpse for burial are self-isolating after the rumour began to fly that the deceased may have died of COVID-19, the man said, asking not to be named.

When PREMIUM TIMES contacted UMTH Head of Information, Justina Anaso, she promised to get back as soon as she gets clarification on the matter from the Chairman Medical Advisory Committee (CMAC).

Kindly be patient as I will get back to you as soon as I speak with the CMAC, whom Im trying to get across to now, she said on Sunday morning.

When PREMIUM TIMES contacted the press secretary to the Borno State deputy governor, Umar Kadafur, who chairs the state committee on COVID-19, he said he could not confirm anything on the matter.

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All I know is that the committee headed by His Excellency the deputy governor is in a meeting with members of the committee as we speak; maybe the issue will be clarified when they are done with the meeting, said Mr Talba Sunday morning.

Borno has no confirmed case of COVID-19 at the time of this report.
SEATTLE  President Donald Trumps message to liberate states is basically encouraging people to break the law, Gov. Jay Inslee said Sunday on ABCs This Week.

To have an American president to encourage people to violate the law, I cant remember any time in my time in America we have seen such a thing, Inslee said. It is dangerous, because it could inspire people to ignore things that could save their lives, Inslee told ABC Chief Anchor George Stephanopoulos.

And it is doubly frustrating to us governors, Inslee added. The president is asking people please ignore Dr. Fauci, Dr. Birx, please ignore my own guidelines I set forth.

Trump has repeatedly said in his daily briefings he doesnt believe protests against stay-at-home orders are putting people at risk of spreading or getting COVID-19, the disease caused by the novel coronavirus.

The president repeated those statements in his briefing Saturday.

The two officials have steadily upped the ante in their war of words. Inslee on Friday stated that Trumps unhinged rantings and calls for people to liberate states could also lead to violence. Weve seen it before.

On Sunday, on This Week Inslee said he hopes there can be restoration of leadership in the White House. The exchange came before some Washingtonians planned to gather in Olympia and elsewhere to defend liberty, demonstrate the right to assemble and gather signatures for petitions that defend the second amendment and repeal the states new comprehensive sex education bill

While Trump and some states are advocating a quick reopening of the country, Inslee is counseling caution.

He has encouraged people in Washington  the first COVID-19 epicenter in the country  to continue to observe his order to stay home, to stay healthy.

Washington Tribes enacted shelter in place orders even sooner than the governor, with four tribes, the Hoh, Quileute, Quinault and Makah also closing their reservations to outsiders.

Inslee told Stephanopoulos he understands the hardship of the stay-at-home order as time stretches on.

Everybody is very anxious to have a date, you know, theyre wanting to get out and see their grandkids, theyre wanting to get back to work, Inslee said. People without a paycheck have extreme anxiety about this and so this is something very, very deep, to have that date to be able to shoot for, obviously, no one has a crystal ball.

Its not safe yet to lift precautions, Inslee said. We still havent gotten the curve going down, were still plateaued, Inslee said. We want to make sure we wrestle this beast to the ground. And the reason is, you have to get the infections down to a low enough number where you can handle it through very rigorous testing.

It may be possible to begin opening some parts of the Washington States economy in the coming weeks  but it wont be all at once, Inslee said.

This isnt a light switch, Inslee said. He has likened the more likely to pace of a return to normalcy to turning a dial  slowly.

Inslee also countered Trump on the safety of all vote by mail elections. Trump has said such balloting is subject to fraud but Inslee called the states vote by mail system tremendous work for democracy. Because its the easiest, safest, most reliable voting there is. Our numbers have gone up in voter participation. Its been a spectacular success.

When people risk their lives to go physically vote right now with this COVID epidemic, I know there are some in the other party who are afraid more people will vote if we have (mail-in voting), Inslee said. That shouldnt be a fear. It should be a hope.
In March 2020, during the height of the coronavirus pandemic, a man known as Dr. Dan Lee Dimke talked about what he describes as the "Achilles heel of the coronavirus" on a viral YouTube video. He cited scientific studies and claimed that ending the virus is easy and it only requires a few days of 20-minute sessions in a sauna.

Can saunas kill coronavirus?

Dr. Dan Lee Dimke said that if you do not have a sauna, you can simply spray water on your face and aim the hot air from a blow dryer up your nose for 5 minutes twice a day. The hot temperature is said to kill viruses and the health benefits of saunas can also boost your immune system, which is what you need to combat COVID-19.

However, not everyone is convinced about this advice. Dr. Katrina Armstrong, physician-in-chief of Massachusetts General Hospital stated that there is no information to suggest that saunas and hot temperatures can kill the coronavirus. She stated that the assertions do not make any medical sense.

Armstrong called Dr. Dimke's advice incorrect and dangerous, as people should be self-isolating and not going into tight spaces in public areas. She said that there are no data to support those claims and there are no randomized and controlled trials done regarding sauna use and there is no reasonable scientist who would suggest that. There is also no evidence that suggests attacking the sinuses with hand-held hair-dryer could kill the virus.

Also Read: Taking Aspirin At Least Once a Week Helps Kill Off Cancer Cells, Study Shows

As for the question about hot temperatures killing the virus, Dr. Armstrong stated that it is not a universal rule that warmer temperatures kill all viruses, and it is just another misleading social media post claims. There are some viruses such as the annual flu and the Spanish flu in the 1910s that did strike harder during the winter months and declined when during the summer months. It is a pattern that is not entirely understood by the medical community.

Dr. Armstrong added that viruses differ in all things, and that is why there is so much effort being put into understanding the transmission. Experts are not trying to understand why warmer months affect the transmission.

Spread of misinformation

Several public officials, including Gov. Charlie Baker of Massachusetts and Mayor Joseph Petty of Worcester, have urged people to get their news from reputable sources and to avoid rumors. Bakers said during a press conference on April 12 that everyone needs to get their news from legitimate places and not from their random people.

Federal and state authorities have also warned about an increased number of scams targeting those seeking products that claim to help combat the disease. But a vaccine preventing the virus does not currently exist, and there is no medicine recommended to prevent or treat infection, according to the World Health Organization or WHO.

Both the WHO and the CDC started addressing myths surrounding COVID-19 earlier this year when the virus first started to spread around the world. Since then, misinformation about the virus has grown and false advice has spread online.



Related Article: Can Coronavirus Be Transmitted Through Swimming Pools?

@ 2022 HNGN, All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission.
Now give a minutes thought to former Illinoisans, those thousands who joined the exodus of residents to other states because they anticipated the reckoning to come. They thought they had cleared out in time. But look out. If Harmon and the others in Springfield succeed in obtaining a federal bailout of more than $40 billion, no one will be protected from an Illinois bailout. Not residents of Indiana, Wisconsin, Texas, Florida or anywhere.
Enyinnaya Abaribe, Senate Minority Leader, has decried the alleged extrajudicial killings of innocent Nigerians in the South East by policemen enforcing the COVID-19 lockdown.

The lawmaker expressed his concerns in a statement, saying the entire south-east had lost six people to police brutality, a figure he said was higher than COVID-19 fatalities in the region.

There may be some other unreported cases in this region involving the officers of the Nigeria Police, yet in all of these we have not heard of any decisive action taken by the police high command to stem this ugly tide, Abaribe said.

Read Also: Senator Abaribe To Buhari, APC: Resign Or Be Chased Out With Stones

The killings have the propensity of being given sinister interpretations. It is the responsibility of the police high command, embodied by the IGP, to rein in his men and prevent the people from relapsing into total state of hopelessness. It is not acceptable to our people, to watch our youths being killed in such brazen manner, he stated.
Away from the limelight, Jeevika Didis are silently fighting the coronavirus in rural Bihar.

M I Khan reports.

IMAGE: A Jeevika Didi makes masks. All photographs: M I Khan

Have you heard of Bihar's Jeevika Didis?

They have been quietly contributing to the state's fight against the coronavirus pandemic.

Sanju Devi, Rekha Kumari, Pinki Devi, Munni Devi and Shabina Khatoon are just five of the hundreds of Jeevika Didis who have been working long hours making masks, providing essential items through their small rural retail shops and cooking food for the poor, including trapped migrant workers, by launching Didi Ki Rasois.

At a few places, Jeevika Didis are teaching villagers to make natural sanitisers and sanitise their homes and villages by using the cheapest items available.

They are called Jeevika Didis since their self help groups have been formed under Jeevika, the Bihar government's rural livelihood programme.

Unlike doctors, nurses and other health staff, they may not be in the forefront of the war against COVID-19. But their contribution is making a huge difference.

As on April 9, Jeevika Didis from nearly 2,000 self-help groups, mainly comprising of women in villages, have made 520,000 masks in the state.

"They are making masks, which are an essential product in these times, in bulk," says Balamurugan D, who heads the Jeevika programme in Patna.

Impressed by their quality, the South Bihar Power Distribution company has bought 54,000 masks for its staff.

Jeevika recently completed an order of 2,500 masks for a district hospital.

Banks, NGOs and other government agencies have also placed orders for masks made the Jeevika Didis.

Anisha Ganguli, Jeevika's district programme manager for Sheikhpura, says dozens of Jeevika Didis are engaged in this task.

In Sheikhpura, Jeevika Didis got an order for 20,000 masks from the state electricity department.

"Each Jeevika Didi earns Rs 250 to Rs 400 a day making masks. They earn more if they make more masks," says Ganguli.

Rekha Devi, whose husband lost his source of livelihood, says she was also without work for days until she started making masks. "This saved us from starving," she says.

"We are making masks in bulk for the common people to protect them from the coronavirus infection," she adds. "There is a high demand for it as masks are not available in the market."

"Our masks are of good quality and cost effective compared to the costly masks in the market," says Sanju, who works from her home at a village in Patna's Phulwari Sharif.

"Most of our other work has stopped," she adds. Making these masks has helped us earn a livelihood and feed our families during the lockdown."

Pinki Devi and Shabina Khatoon have been making masks at their homes in Nalanda, Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar's home district.

"Our job is a small one," says Pinki, but they are proud of what they do. "We are also creating awareness against the coronavirus infection."

IMAGE: Each Jeevika Didi earns Rs 250 to Rs 400 a day making masks.

Shabina, who has been making masks with three other Jeevika Didis at her home in Rajgir, not far from the excavated ruins of the ancient Nalanda University, says she is educating villagers about the dos and don'ts in the fight against the coronavirus.

Umashankar Bhagat, Jeevika's district programme manager for Nalanda, says a large number of Jeevika Didis have volunteered to make masks and engage in awareness campaigns to combat the spread of the virus.

The mask has been of immense use in rural areas, he adds.

"In Nalanda alone, dozens of Jeevika Didis have made 20,000 masks for the district administration. They have also sold nearly 7,000 masks to village heads (mukhiyas), social organisations and local leaders," says Bhagat.

Buying a mask in the market can cost anywhere between Rs 40 and Rs 50. The mask made by a Jeevika Didi costs Rs 15.

"We provide them with the raw material to make the masks," he says.

Bhagat reveals that after the national lockdown was announced, some Jeevika Didis were worried about their livelihood.

"It was a big challenge for us as well to help them earn some money," he says.

Which was when some Jeevika Didis came forward with the idea of making masks, which were in high demand.

"We immediately agreed to help and provided them with samples and raw materials."

According to official figures, there are more than 900,000 self-help groups in Bihar in which Jeevika Didis work at the grassroot level in thousands of villages.

They play an important part in mobilising women from their respective villages.

The Jeevika programme was launched by the state government with World Bank assistance in 2006.

Jeevika promotes rural livelihood and enhances social and economic empowerment of the poor, particularly women.

Bihar's Rural Development Minister Shrawan Kumar says district magistrates across the state have been directed to provide raw material to the self help groups to help the Jeevika Didis make masks.

"They are doing excellent work," says Kumar.

The masks made by the Jeevika Didis will ensure no one leaves their home without wearing one, the minister adds.

IMAGE: A mask made by a Jeevika Didi costs Rs 15.

Munni Devi, a Jeevika Didi, runs a small shop thanks to the Rural Retail Mart set up by Jeevika at the block headquarters.

There are 18 such marts in the state that provide essential items to Jeevika Didis at wholesale prices, which they then re-sell for a small profit.

Munni, for example, has been delivering essential items, including food grain, to villagers at their doorstep during the lockdown.

Hundreds of Jeevika Didis like her, who run small shops, have become important links in helping the distribution of essential goods.

Some Jeevika Didis run centres that provide cooked food (Didi ki rasoi). With the cooperation of the health staff in over 12 districts, they provide free meals to patients undergoing treatment in hospitals during the lockdown.

To run this effort, they have received help from different sources.

Jeevika provided them with LPG cylinders and utensils.

The local administration and health department provide space, electricity and water.

Some local people give them rice, pulses, flour, vegetables, oil and spices to make food for free distribution.

Jeevika Didis are also teaching villagers how to make natural and herbal sanitisers for personal use.

At the Ibrahimpur panchayat, which falls under Patna's Naubatpur district, a group of Jeevika Didis successfully train villagers to make herbal sanitiser by using tulsi, neem, camphor and phitkari (potassium alum).

"We are teaching villagers to make a herbal sanitiser at home itself. The chemical sanitiser is costly and there are reports of duplicate products in the market," says Hemanti Devi.

They also teach villagers to wash the floors of their houses with bleaching powder and to sanitise nearby areas by spraying bleach mixed with water.

This is how Jeevika Didis help others while sustaining themselves during the lockdown.
All deputy secretary level officers and above will join office from Monday, nearly a month after working from home due to the lockdown to check the spread of coronavirus, a senior official said.

Joint secretaries, additional secretaries, special secretaries and secretaries had joined central government departments on April 13.

In its revised guidelines related to the ongoing lockdown, the Home Ministry had on Wednesday said that "all the ministries and departments and offices under their control are to function with 100 per cent attendance of deputy secretary and levels above that".

"Remaining officers and staff to attend up to 33 per cent as per requirement," according to the guidelines.

All central government departments have been working with skeletal staff after the lockdown was imposed on March 25.

"There has to be 100 per cent attendance of deputy secretaries and director level officers from Monday as per the Home Ministry guidelines," the officer said.

According to the revised guidelines, all work places shall have adequate arrangements for temperature screening and provide sanitisers at convenient places.

"Persons above 65 years of age and persons with co-morbidities and parents of children below the age of 5 may be encouraged to work from home," the Home Ministry had said in the guidelines for "work spaces".

All work places must have a gap of one hour between shifts and should stagger the lunch breaks of staff to ensure social distancing, it instructed.

All organisations shall sanitise their workplaces between shifts and large meetings to be prohibited, the guidelines said, adding that "use of 'Arogya setu' app will be encouraged for all employees, both private and public.

"Use of staircase for climbing should be encouraged," it said.

Besides these, defence, Central Armed Police Forces, Health and Family Welfare, disaster management and early warning agencies, National Informatics Centre, Food Corporation of India, NCC, Nehru Yuva Kendras and customs to function without any restrictions, the guidelines said.

With respect to offices of the state and union territories, the Home Ministry has asked district administrations and treasury, including field offices of the accountant general, to function with restricted staff.

"However, delivery of public services shall be ensured, and necessary staff will be deployed for such states," it said.

All other departments of state and UTs will work with restricted staff, the guidelines said.

"Group A and B officers may attend as required. Group C and levels below that may attend up to 33 per cent of strength, as per requirement to ensure social distancing," it said.

Police, home guards, civil defence, fire and emergency services, disaster management, prisons and municipal services will function without any restrictions, it said.

"Resident Commissioner of states/UTs in New Delhi will remain open only to the extent of coordinating COVID-19 related activities and internal kitchen operations," it added.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
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Life in the era of COVID-19: PM Modi blogs on LinkedIn

India

oi-Deepika S

New Delhi, Apr 19: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday penned a post on social networking website LinkedIn on the ongoing coronavirus crisis.

"As the world battles COVID-19, India's energetic and innovative youth can show the way in ensuring healthier and prosperous future. Shared a few thoughts on @LinkedIn which would interest youngsters and professionals," PM Modi tweeted.

"It has been a topsy-turvy start to the third decade of this century. COVID-19 has brought with it many disruptions," PM Modi wrote on LinkedIn.

"Coronavirus has significantly changed the contours of professional life. These days, home is the new office. The Internet is the new meeting room. For the time being, office breaks with colleagues are history... I have also been adapting to these changes. Most meetings, be it with minister colleagues, officials and world leaders, are now via video conferencing," said the Prime Minister

The work place is getting Digital First. And, why not?

After all, the most transformational impact of Technology often happens in the lives of the poor. It is technology that demolishes bureaucratic hierarchies, eliminates middlemen and accelerates welfare measures.

Here are few excerpts from PM Modi's blog on LikedIn

The Prime Minister also reached out to the poor populace of the nation, calling them the worst-affected section due to the coronavirus crisis.

When we got the opportunity to serve in 2014, we started connecting Indians, especially the poor with their Jan Dhan Account, Aadhar & Mobile number. This seemingly simple connection has not only stopped corruption and rent seeking that was going on for decades, but has also enabled the Government to transfer money at the click of a button. This click of a button has replaced multiple levels of hierarchies on the file and also weeks of delay.

India has perhaps the largest such infrastructure in the world. This infrastructure has helped us tremendously in transferring money directly and immediately to the poor and needy, benefiting crores of families, during the COVID-19 situation.

Another case in point is the education sector. There are many outstanding professionals already innovating in this sector. Invigorating technology in this sector has its benefits. The Government of India has also undertaken efforts such as the DIKSHA Portal, to help teachers and boost e-learning. There is SWAYAM, aimed at improving access, equity and quality of education. E-Pathshala, which is available in many languages, enables access to various e-books and such learning material.

Today, the world is in pursuit of new business models.

India, a youthful nation known for its innovative zeal can take the lead in providing a new work culture.

I envision this new business and work culture being redefined on the following vowels.

I call them- vowels of the new normal- because like vowels in the English language, these would become essential ingredients of any business model in the post-COVID world.

Adaptability:

The need of the hour is to think of business and lifestyle models that are easily adaptable.

Doing so would mean that even in a time of crisis, our offices, businesses and commerce could get moving faster, ensuring loss of life does not occur.

Embracing digital payments is a prime example of adaptability. Shop owners big and small should invest in digital tools that keep commerce connected, especially in times of crisis. India is already witnessing an encouraging surge in digital transactions.

Another example is telemedicine. We are already seeing several consultations without actually going to the clinic or hospital. Again, this is a positive sign. Can we think of business models to help further telemedicine across the world?

Efficiency:

Perhaps, this is the time to think of reimagining what we refer to as being efficient.

Efficiency cannot only be about- how much time was spent in the office.

We should perhaps think of models where productivity and efficiency matter more than appearance of effort.

The emphasis should be on completing a task in the specified time frame.

Inclusivity:

Let us develop business models that attach primacy to care for the poor, the most vulnerable as well as our planet.

We have made major progress in combating climate change. Mother Nature has demonstrated to us her magnificence, showing us how quickly it can flourish when human activity is slower. There is a significant future in developing technologies and practices that reduce our impact on the planet. Do more with less.

COVID-19 has made us realise the need to work on health solutions at low cost and large scale. We can become a guiding light for global efforts to ensure the health and well being of humanity.

We should invest in innovations to make sure our farmers have access to information, machinery, and markets no matter what the situation, that our citizens have access to essential goods.

Opportunity:

Every crisis brings with it an opportunity. COVID-19 is no different.

Let us evaluate what might be the new opportunities/growth areas that would emerge now.

Rather than playing catch up, India must be ahead of the curve in the post-COVID world. Let us think about how our people, our skills sets, our core capabilities can be used in doing so.

Universalism:

COVID-19 does not see race, religion, colour, caste, creed, language or border before striking.

Our response and conduct thereafter should attach primacy to unity and brotherhood.

We are in this together.

Unlike previous moments in history, when countries or societies faced off against each other, today we are together facing a common challenge. The future will be about togetherness and resilience.

The next big ideas from India should find global relevance and application. They should have the ability to drive a positive change not merely for India but for the entire humankind.

Logistics was previously only seen through the prism of physical infrastructure - roads, warehouses, ports. But logistical experts these days can control global supply chains through the comfort of their own homes.

India, with the right blend of the physical and the virtual can emerge as the global nerve centre of complex modern multinational supply chains in the post COVID-19 world. Let us rise to that occasion and seize this opportunity.

The shift from BYOD to WFH brings new challenges to balance the official and personal. Whatever be the case, devote time to fitness and exercising. Try Yoga as a means to improve physical and mental wellbeing.

Traditional medicine systems of India are known to help keep the body fit. The Ayush Ministry has come out with a protocol that would help in staying healthy. Have a look at these as well.

Lastly, and importantly, please download Aarogya Setu Mobile App. This is a futuristic App that leverages technology to help contain the possible spread of COVID-19. More the downloads, more its effectiveness.
Based on their antecedents as some of Buharis closest associates, these four Nigerians following are the probable candidates for Kyaris replacement. According to government officials, any of these associates could land the top job.

ISMAILA ISA FUNTUA

A former President of the Newspaper Proprietors Association of Nigeria (NPAN), Mallam Ismaila Isa Funtua, who is a member of the so-called cabal, is eminently qualified. He has been a public administrator, newspaper publisher and successful businessman. He was also a Minister in the Second Republic (1979-1983). Born in 1942, he fits the Presidents known preference for older figures.

An Officer of the Federal Republic (OFR), he was at the National Institute for Policy and Strategic Studies where he was Monitor General of Course Nine. He will likely have the full backing of another member of the unofficial kitchen cabinet -Mamman Daura.

In an interview with Arise Television, Funtua said: Im not a member of any cabal, Im cabal myself. What is cabal? In short, I think it means kitchen cabinet, people that you trust. People you believe will not deceive you, that they can do things in the interest of the country.

However, his emergence may be stoutly resisted by the First Lady, Hajiya Aisha Buhari. Some may also raise eyebrows that Funtua is, like the President, from Katsina State and an in-law to the President because his son is married to Buharis daughter.

Babagana Kingibe

Ambassador Babagana Kingibe was born on June 25, 1945 in Borno. In 1960, he got a government scholarship to complete his Ordinary Levels and Advanced Levels at Bishops Stortford College, United Kingdom. In 1965, he received his bachelors degree in international relations from the University of Sussex.

In 1965, he returned to Nigeria and was employed as a researcher at Ahmadu Bello University in Zaria.

He was appointed the Ambassador to Greece, Cyprus and later Pakistan between 1981 and 1985. In 1986, Kingibe became a permanent secretary in the presidency of General Ibrahim Babangida.

Kingibe also served from October 2002 to September 2006 as the Special Envoy of the African Union to Sudan and subsequently Special Representative of the Chairperson of the African Union Commission and head of the African Union Mission in Sudan.

In June 2007, he was appointed Secretary to the Government of the Federation.

Hameed Ali

The Comptroller General of the Nigerian Customs Service, Col. Hameed Ali, was born in Dass, Bauchi State on January 15, 1955.

Ali was commissioned in 1977 after he received his training at the Nigerian Defence Academy in Kaduna. He attended Sam Houston State University, Texas from 1984 to 1988 and holds bachelors and masters degrees in Criminology, and an educational certificate from the Nigeria Defence Academy.

After retirement, he became secretary of the apex northern sociopolitical group, Arewa Consultative Forum.

Ali is an All Progressives Congress member. He supported Buharis presidential bids from 2003 to 2019. On 27 August, 2015, Buhari appointed him the CG of Customs.

Nasir El Rufai

He is relatively young, charismatic, brilliant, brutally frank and courageous. He has been a political follower of President Buhari since the CPC was founded just before the 2011 election. He is the Presidents confidant who is not afraid of criticism. He is believed to have lobbied for the office before the 2019 elections. Despite being governor of Kaduna State, 60-year-old El-Rufai is said to be interested.

At the moment, he too, like Kyari before his demise, is battling the dreaded Covid-19. Major baggage for him may be the distrust of the cabal and the Northern traditional and religious elite. A presidential hopeful, his penchant for controversy might be his Achilles Heel.

Post Views: 22
More money for small businesses and hospitals will be part of a new coronavirus spending bill that could pass Congress this week, U.S. Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin said Sunday.

The measure would include $300 billion to replenish the paycheck protection program, which offers low-interest forgivable loans to small businesses who keep paying their employees despite being closed, Mnuchin said Sunday on CNNs State of the Union..

There also would be $75 billion for hospitals and $25 billion to expand testing for the coronavirus, which governors have said was crucial to any efforts to restart their economies.

But missing was any more money for state and local governments, even as Gov. Phil Murphy, chairman of the Democratic Governors Association, renewed his call Sunday for additional federal help.

If Congress does not give states the direct relief we need to shore up our budgets, we will be going into this fight with one hand tied behind our back," Murphy said Sunday, arguing that money for states should be included in the new bill. "States are leading in this crisis, but we need the federal governments help to make sure we can keep the fight up in the coming weeks and months, and we need it now.

CORONAVIRUS RESOURCES: Live map tracker | Businesses that are open | Homepage

The legislation will replenish the $349 billion small business fund that has run out of money. Efforts to add more funding had been held up when Republicans refused to provide any financial aid for hospitals at the frontlines of treating COVID-19, and Democrats refused to pass a bill without it.

The legislation also addressed a problem with the original small business fund, Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer of New York said on CNN.

If you had a connection with a bank, it was pretty easy to get a loan, he said. If you didnt, from one end to the country to the other, we have been hearing that people cant get the loans, the local restaurant, the local barbershop, the local drugstore, or even startup businesses, manufacturing or  or contract  or services that arent happening."

As for the state funding, Mnuchin said President Donald Trump was willing to discuss it in future legislation.

We have a lot of money that were distributing to the states, Mnuchin said, referring to the massive $2 trillion stimulus bill passed last month. We have $150 billion, that we have distributed half. We will distribute the other half. And the president is willing to consider that in the next bill, but wants to get this over the finish line, with focus on small business, hospitals and testing.

Schumer said on CNN he would continue to push for state funding, noting that the Trump administration also opposed such aid in the last bill but agreed to include $150 billion.

We dont want our police, our firefighters, our EMTs, our bus drivers -- this is not an abstract issue, Schumer said. We dont want them fired.

U.S. Sen. Robert Menendez, meanwhile, on Sunday announced bipartisan legislation with U.S. Sen. Bill Cassidy, R-La., to provide $500 billion for states and localities. Some of the money would be distributed to those states hardest hit by the coronavirus.

The COVID-19 pandemic may not know state borders, but it has certainly hit some states and regions harder than others, said Menendez, D-N.J.

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

Jonathan D. Salant may be reached at jsalant@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @JDSalant or on Facebook.Find NJ.com Politics on Facebook.

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New Delhi, April 19 (IANS) As the world is grappling with the tragedy unleashed by the coronavirus pandemic -- which forced millions into isolation -- it is not all dark and the need for positivity becomes even more critical. The negative should not Image Source: PK

New Delhi, April 19 : As the world is grappling with the tragedy unleashed by the coronavirus pandemic -- which forced millions into isolation -- it is not all dark and the need for positivity becomes even more critical. The negative should not become the new normal, as every cloud has a silver lining. A In display of the indomitable spirit doctors, nurses, medical professionals, policemen, administrative officials and others associated with essential services involved in the fight against this deadly virus, -- which has led to thousands deaths across the globe, have shown true grit in fighting an everyday battle to contain the pandemic.

The Union Health Ministry on Friday had said before lockdown the COVID-19 case doubling rate was 3 days and in the last 7 days' data shows that it is 6.2 days now and in 19 states and Union Territories, COVID-19 case doubling rate is less than the country's average.

Goa is likely to become India's first COVID-19-free state, if no new cases emerge. From April 4 to April 18, no new cases have been detected in the state. Out of 7 cases so far, 6 have been recovered and discharged.

Maharashtra, which reported the bulk of coronavirus cases, is fighting the hardest battle to contain the coronavirus outbreak, finally experiencing a slowdown in the rate of doubling of COVID-19 cases. Earlier, the doubling rate was two days, which slowed down to three and a half days, and according to latest information, it is five-and-a-half days.

Currently, the state has 3,651 positive cases, 365 people cured and 211 succumbed to the deadly virus. As many as 1,400 people from the state, who attended the religious congregation at Delhi's Nizamuddin Markaz, have been traced and only 50 have tested positive for COVID-19.

The Kerala government is doing a commendable job, in fact leading from the front, in flattening the Covid-19 curve. Out of 400 cases, 257 have been cured and discharged, and three deaths were reported. Observers across the globe have praised the Kerala health system as one of the best to fight the coronavirus pandemic.

For example, In Kerala's Kasargod district out of 168 COVID-19 cases, 113 have already been cured. In a bid to break the chain of transmission, the Kerala government monitored the home-quarantined people using geo-spatial tracking, and through the 'break the chain' campaign, promoted social distancing followed by aggressive testing. As a result, the state has the highest recovery rate from all states.

The North-East of the country is also not behind in waging a war to contain the pandemic: there is no fresh case in 7 of 8 north-east states in the past 24 hours. Sikkim is the clear winner, with zero positive cases so far.

This should not be a surprise, as it is also one of the cleanest states in the country by following extremely good standards of sanitation, where people have adopted excellent hygiene practices coupled with less population density are some major factors.

Arunachal Pradesh and Mizoram only had one case followed by Tripura with only 2 cases. 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 a number of people to nine.

Assam is also doing an excellent job in fighting the coronavirus, out of 35 cases, 12 have recovered and most of the remaining are in a mild condition. Only one death has been recorded so far. 91% cases in Assam are connected with Tablighi Jamaat event.

With two more coronavirus positive cases reported in Meghalaya, taking the number of such cases in the northeastern region (excluding Sikkim) to 48. With the latest two positive cases, the total number of active cases in Meghalaya rose to eight after one death.

Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) has confirmed India is not testing less. According to ICMR, 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. of these 23 test negative, but still we conduct tests on them", the ICMR official had said.

The ICMR says that everyone is not vulnerable.

Some more good news, India is also set to receive a huge consignment of PPE from South Korea, a much-needed boost for the frontline workers.
Luxury brands have a well-earned reputation for resilience. Major labels bounced back from the 2008 financial crisis within 18 months and shrugged off political protests in Hong Kong last year. But the Covid-19 pandemic looks different and could lay them much lower.

LVMH Moet Hennessy Louis Vuitton, the worlds largest luxury company, gave investors their first read on the industrys performance through the health crisis after the Paris stock market closed Thursday. It reported a 17% decline in sales for the first quarter versus the comparable period of 2019.

Revenue at its flagship fashion and leather goods division was down a better-than-expected 10%. But its perfume and cosmetics unit shrank by a fifthdouble the reduction seen at LOreals luxury cosmetics business, which reported the same day. LVMH slashed its dividend to save cash and cut its 2020 capital expenditure budget by 40%. The two measures will save around 2.3 billion ($2.5 billion), Credit Suisse estimates.

LVMHs diverse portfolio shows how the pandemic impacts luxury brands in multiple ways. The Belmond chain of exclusive hotels bought in 2018 will be hurt by a hard stop in international travel. So will the French companys majority holding in airport duty-free retailer DFS. The spring-summer collection for apparel brands such as Christian Dior and Louis Vuitton must be extended into the fall to clear a backlog of unsold inventory. Sales at its Champagne and spirits division will only recover once stock held by wholesalers has been depleted.

The global financial crisis is a poor guide to how the industry will fare. Luxury brands recovered from the 2008 downturn because of a surge in demand from Chinese consumers. In 2009, sales across the industry fell 8% but were growing by 14% again just one year later.

Chinese spending will be vital this time too, only the hole they need to fill is much bigger. Sales across the global luxury industry will shrink by between 22% and 25% in 2020, according to Bain estimatesthree times the decline in 2009. The Chinese economy has been hit hard by the new coronavirus and Beijing doesnt have the same room to spend its way out of the problem. Output in the country fell 6.8% in the first quarter, according to data released Friday, with consumer spending showing little recovery in March.

LVMH said sales in mainland China for big fashion brands like Louis Vuitton and Christian Dior increased 50% year over year in the first two weeks of April, as restrictions on movement were lifted. However, spending by Chinese nationals is still down across the entire portfolio. And with global travel flows not expected to return to their pre-Covid levels until late 2021, travel retail sales will remain depressedas will traffic to LVMHs network of European boutiques, where up to half of sales are made to tourists.

Stock market valuations in the luxury sector are still well above their financial crisis levels. Among seven major European companies that were also publicly listed a decade ago, enterprise values now trade for an average of 3.9 times projected sales, compared with 1.5 times during the last major downturn.

LVMH shares rose 5% early Friday in a buoyant market. Luxury companies strong balance sheets and savvy management teams have pulled them through squalls before, but the market reaction still seems optimistic. For nonessential consumer spendingwhich includes luxury by definitionthe pain is only just beginning.

This story has been published from a wire agency feed without modifications to the text.

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A Cork businessman who owns an international distribution firm based in China has told of how his company has rebounded since coronavirus restrictions were eased in the country.

Alan Coughlan started his business, Lansil Global, in China five years ago after originally going there to study for a masters degree.

The company supplies e-commerce brands all over the world. "We can manufacture their products, brand them, store them in our warehouse, quality-check them, and then we ship those packages globally for our customers," he said.

At the start of the year, the company employed 55 people in China and five in the US. That number is now 62 in China, with five more due to begin this week, and a further 10 expected to join the US operation this month.

Coughlan, who divides his time between the UK and China, first heard about the coronavirus restrictions in January. "At this stage, the rest of the world was fine; my customers were fine. We were in shock all of a sudden; we were closed for a month. Our customers therefore were having trouble fulfilling their orders," he said.

Although his business lost revenue - which is now running at $3m (2.8m) a month - he says it worked through it and was able to reopen, using masks and disinfecting the company warehouse daily.

However, when his business returned to normal, his international customers' offices were closed, as were some ports. In the past, Lansil transported goods in the cargo holds of passenger planes, but those too became unavailable.

Another fallout has been a reversal in how air freight is charged. Under normal circumstances, the more freight being sent by a company, the cheaper it is. Now, the greater the weight, the greater the price per kilogram.

Lansil has an advantage as it does not need to ship in bulk.

"Today, we received 15,137 new orders; it is probably the best day we've ever had," he said.

Each order has two or three products, so it translates into 25,000 products, ranging from home improvement items to cosmetics and gym gear.

"I am so positive on the business front, on the opportunity front, and also on getting through it all and seeing an end to this lockdown.

"For us, more people are going to shop online than ever before for the next six to 12 months."

He said that in the US, for example, people might not be buying items such as cosmetics online to the same extent, but Lansil's business model will allow it to adapt quickly to supply different product requirements.
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.
(Natural News) For months after the outbreak of the Wuhan coronavirus (COVID-19), World Health Organization Director Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus has consistently defended the virus country of origin  China and its Communist leaders.

Not only has Tedros sought to deflect criticism of the regime, but he has also praised Beijings response to the spread of the virus which, by the way, included brutal repression and silencing of Chinese doctors and scientists who tried to warn the world about the deadly COVID menace.

Now it becomes clearer as to why Tedros went out of his way to protect the ChiComs: He is of like mind.

As reported by Paul Joseph Watson at Summit.news:

The Director-General of the World Health Organization is a former member of a violent revolutionary communist party in Ethiopia that denied emergency medical treatment to an ethnic group and he is accused of personally overseeing the extradition of dissidents who were later imprisoned and tortured.

According to John Martin, who recently published a column headlined, The Crimes of Tedros Adhanom, while he was in Ethiopia, the WHO boss was a member of Tigray Peoples Liberation Front (TPLF), a violent commie revolutionary political movement that was recognized as a terrorist organization by the United States during the 1990s.

One Ethiopian newspaper reported that Tedros was once listed as the third-highest ranking member of the movements governing politburo.

Martin described how the organization engaged in systematic discrimination and human rights abuses including the denial of emergency medical care to the Amhara ethnic group because they were affiliated with an opposition party.

The Ministry of Health that oversaw such abuses was, at the time, led by Tedros.

The report also noted that birth rates plunged and remained far lower in the Amhara region compared to other parts of the country and that 2 million Amhara people disappeared from the countrys census.

Adhanom was personally responsible for negotiating the extradition of these dissidents

Recently, during his Fox News program, Tucker Carlson noted that Tedros got his job with Chinese support after he covered up cholera outbreaks in his home country of Egypt.

Naturally, Tedros has denied the allegations, which stemmed from claims he downplayed epidemics of cholera in Ethiopia in 2006, 2009, and 2011 by describing them instead as acute watery diarrhea, which, of course, is a symptom of cholera.

International organizations were pressured not to call it cholera (despite the UN testing the infected and finding Cholera), and were pressured by government employees not to reveal the number of infected. Another stunning victory for the health minister, Martin wrote.

And when Tedros was appointed foreign minister of Ethiopia in 2012, suddenly political opponents and journalists around the country were subjected to brutal treatment by the government, leading many to flee to nearby Yemen.

Adhanom was personally responsible for negotiating the extradition of these dissidents back to Ethiopia, some of whom were subsequently imprisoned and tortured, Watson wrote, citing Martins information.

But theres more, as Watson writes:

In 2016, the Ethiopian government attempted to force relocate 15000 people in the Oromia region because it wanted to requisition their land. This led to mass protests followed by mass shootings and a stampede that killed 500 people according to Human Rights Watch. The government then embarked on another brutal crackdown, arresting 70,000 people.

Tedros tried to downplay the violence by falsely claiming, in part, that police were not armed and that the death toll wasnt as high as what was reported.

Tedros of course takes every chance he can to praise the good governance of China, and given the human rights record of the Peoples Republic, its no wonder he likes them so much, writes Martin, adding that in many ways Ethiopias government resembles the type of authoritarianism practiced by the ChiComs  complete with a one party state and focus on profit over human rights.

Sources include:

NaturalNews.com

Summit.news

RoughEstimate.org
If Covid-19 is contained by Q2, exports will bounce back and the 7-8 percent export growth rate in 2020 will be within reach.

The General Department of Customs (GDC_ reported a trade surplus of $2.8 billion in Q1, though the epidemic has affected consumer demand in many countries. Key export items such as computers, electronics, phones, woodwork and footwear all brought higher turnover compared with the same period last year.





Agriculture



A $2.9 billion trade surplus has been reported for agriculture, higher than the average level, and 48.9 percent higher than the same period last year.



Despite the epidemic, Vietnam exported $9.06 billion, while imports decreased by 13.2 percent to $6.2 billion.



Regarding export markets, except the US and China, which cut imports from Vietnam, other important markets saw increases in imports.

The export turnover to Japan, for instance, reached $802 million, a 2.72 percent increase. The exports to ASEAN brought turnover of $970 million, up by 16.4 percent.

If Covid-19 is contained by Q2, exports will bounce back and the 7-8 percent export growth rate in 2020 will be within reach.

Phan Minh Thong, general director of Phuc Sinh JSC, said the companys exports in Q1 were 120-130 percent of the exports of the same period last year.



Our factory is still running with 1-2 production shift a day to satisfy big demand from clients, Thong said, adding that the company can maintain export growth thanks to the policy on diversifying export markets.



The footwear industry, which complained earlier this year that they lacked input material for production because of the Chinese supply interruption, maintained exports thanks to old orders.



According to Tran Quang Vinh, chair of Phuc Yen Shoes in Vinh Phuc province, many clients have asked to delay deliveries until June and July. However, the company can export the products under the contracts signed last year.



The company believes it can maintain production until the end of April.



Enterprises prepare for post-epidemic period



Pham Tat Thang, senior researcher at the Ministry of Industry and Trade, warned that exports would meet bigger difficulties in Q2, but in the long term, if the epidemic can be contained in Q2, exports may make a breakthrough in the second half of the year thanks to the demand recovery in many markets.



Thang believes that Vietnamese enterprises need to pay attention to the Chinese market as the country has initially succeeded in controlling the epidemic.



Nguyen Quoc Toan from the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development (MARD_ also said Vietnamese enterprises need to prepare well for the post-Covid-19 period, when demand recovers.



The recovery time may be May for the Chinese market, and July or August for the US and European markets, Toan said.

Linh Ha

Farm exports to EU and US stuck, Vietnam looks to China, ASEAN In order to export $42 billion worth of products as planned, exports to China need to grow by 10 percent and to ASEAN by 9 percent to offset the decline in exports to the US and EU.
Health officials in Florida and California this weekend published lists of nursing homes in their states that have had coronavirus cases, joining other states that have released at least partial lists.

Although most states rely solely on the long-term-care facilities to notify residents and their families of such cases, officials in Florida and California made the nursing homes' names public after facing pressure to be more transparent with families and to better understand the virus's spread.

Federal officials also announced a new push for transparency Sunday, saying nursing homes must start reporting their covid-19 cases to patients, their families and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

California officials said their list is only partial. Some other states, such as New York and Georgia, also have released partial lists, while many others, such as New Jersey, have not publicly reported nursing homes that have had cases.

In addition to notifying families, states' data have illuminated how the virus has spread among the country's most vulnerable. One out of every four coronavirus deaths in Florida was associated with long-term facilities, the recently released numbers show.

However, Florida's list doesn't share how many cases were tied to each facility, meaning some facilities could be more deadly than others without the public realizing it.

A lawsuit drafted by the Miami Herald, which has drawn support from a coalition of news media, including The Washington Post, first asked for the data. Florida provided the information, but not all of it, Miami Herald publisher and Executive Editor Aminda Marques Gonzalez said.

"We are heartened that Gov. Ron DeSantis has taken this first step toward transparency," Marques Gonzalez said, according to the Herald. "However, we urge the state to release important details - beyond the names of elderly care facilities - including the number of cases at each facility and the number of COVID-19 deaths. This is the critical information families need to make informed decisions about care for their loved ones."

Carol LoCicero, of Thomas & LoCicero, who is representing the coalition, told The Post that her firm is "reviewing the information the state finally released over the weekend, but the news organizations remain committed to getting full details on elder care facilities and the virus."

"Families deserve to know," LoCicero added.

Seema Verma, administrator for the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, echoed those sentiments as she described new federal reporting requirements for nursing homes at Sunday's coronavirus task force briefing at the White House.

"It is important that patients and their families have the information they need," she said.

Pushing back against calls for further accountability from nursing homes during this crisis, facilities argue that additional data would do little to prevent the spread of the virus, given the age and underlying conditions of residents, staff shortages and limited personal protective equipment.

"Outbreaks are not the result of inattentiveness or a shortcoming in nursing homes," David Gifford, chief medical officer at the American Health Care Association and the National Center for Assisted Living, previously told The Post. "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."

Of more than 15,000 nursing homes in the United States, over 650 Medicare-certified facilities have had infections, a review by The Washington Post found. Experts, noting inconsistent reporting to health officials, warn that the true number is probably higher. The virus has been especially deadly for older Americans.

"Nursing homes are the single-biggest fear in all of this - vulnerable people in one place," Gov. Andrew Cuomo, a Democrat, said during a Saturday briefing. "It is the feeding frenzy for this virus despite everything we can do and the best efforts of people working in those nursing homes, who are doing just a fantastic job."

Defending the limited data on nursing homes that New York state has made public, Cuomo said that most nursing homes are private and that officials would investigate if the state received a complaint that a facility was not reporting cases and deaths.

"Any nursing home that thinks they're going to sit there and people are not going to figure out how many people passed away in that nursing home are kidding themselves," he said. "More than anything, it's that they are overwhelmed."

More than a week after New Jersey Health Commissioner Judith Persichilli told nursing homes to be upfront with residents, staff members and families about cases and deaths, an anonymous tip led police to discover 17 bodies in an Andover nursing home's small morgue.

Not knowing whether an elderly family member is at risk is frustrating, said John BaRoss, who pulled his mother out of a New Jersey facility because he believed she was safer at his home.

"Families deserve to have the information," BaRoss previously told The Post. "Let us have the information, and let us decide."
At least 40 per cent of the population would need to install it to see results

The app alerts people if they've come into contact with an infected person

Llew O'Brien and said there's a 'snowflake's chance in hell' he would use the app

Nationals MP and former deputy PM Barnaby Joyce spoke spoken out publicly against the tracking app

A number of federal politicians reportedly won't download the mobile phone app to help trace people who have been in contact with a coronavirus case, citing privacy concerns.

Nationals MP and former deputy PM Barnaby Joyce and Deputy Speaker Llew O'Brien have both spoken out publicly.

'I treasure the government knowing as little about me as possible,' Mr Joyce told Nine newspapers on Sunday.

'Australia is doing an extraordinary job of flattening the curve by reason that we are overwhelmingly decent and logical people. We don't need an app to tell us that.'

Mr O'Brien said there was a 'snowflake's chance in hell' he would use the app.

'It is way too Big-Brotherish for me,' he told News Corp Australia Sunday newspapers.

The contact tracing app would check Bluetooth connections made by the phone of someone with the virus while they were contagious.

Deputy Speaker Llew O'Brien said there was a 'snowflake's chance in hell' he would use the app

At least 40 per cent of the population would need to install it for the results to be effective.

Prime Minister Scott Morrison on Saturday took to social media to hose down concerns the app would be mandatory, saying government would be seeking the 'co-operation and support' of Australians to download the app to help health workers, protect the community and help get the economy going again.

'The App we are working on to help our health workers trace people who have been in contact with the coronavirus will not be mandatory,' Mr Morrison tweeted.

At least 40 per cent of the population would need to install it for the results to be effective. Pictured: A woman wears a face mask in Sydney while using her phone

He has also reportedly sent an email to MPs, saying privacy issues are being 'carefully addressed', but stressing it's an important tool to help Australia return to normal.

'.We need to get people signing up. We all have a role to play here,' he wrote.

Mr Morrison has said the nation needs to have a broader testing regime, better contact tracing and greater capacity to respond to local outbreaks before governments can look at easing restrictions.
KYODO NEWS - Apr 19, 2020 - 19:05 | World, All, Coronavirus

Taiwan's health authorities on Sunday said that 21 additional sailors of a navy fleet have tested positive for the novel coronavirus.

The Central Epidemic Command Center announced the previous day that three sailors of the three-ship fleet were confirmed as infected.

(A general view of Liberty Square, one of the largest touristic areas in Taipei, amid concerns of the coronavirus pandemic in Taipei, Taiwan on April 06, 2020.)[Anadolu Agency/Getty/Kyodo]

All the more than 700 members of the fleet, which returned this month from a goodwill mission to the Pacific island state of Palau, have been quarantined.

Navy Command Headquarters Chief of Staff Vice Adm. Mei Chia-shu apologized for the outbreak, while President Tsai Ing-wen expressed regret.

Tsai welcomed the friendship flotilla when it returned to base in Kaohsiung on April 9.

The Presidential Office said Tsai only waved from the shore and did not have any contact with personnel of the ships.

The center said more investigation is needed to determine exactly where the infection started, while the Defense Ministry is organizing a task force to look into the matter.

Besides the 21 sailors, the center said Sunday there was one additional confirmed case, being a person who returned from the United States.

The latest cases bring Taiwan's total tally of confirmed infections to 420, including six deaths.
Sara Ali Khan on Sunday took to her Instagram handle to share a before-after picture of her with brother Ibrahim and mother Amrita Singh. Calling it 'just happy new day', Sara said that every day is the 'same'.

Sara clarified that the meaning of 'Sunday Funday' has evolved and every day is just the 'same'. A lot of fans commented on the massive transformation of both Sara  who lost weight and Ibrahim  who grew up looking Saif's replica.

Sara Ali Khan compares throwback pic to now, declares she's been this way since childhood

Take a look

What's next for Sara Ali Khan?

The actor was last seen in the Imtiaz Ali directorial Love Aaj Kal along with Pati Patni Aur Woh actor Kartik Aaryan. The film released on Valentine's Day this year and received mixed reviews from the audiences and critics alike. Sara Ali Khan will be seen next in David Dhawan's upcoming film Coolie No.1 opposite actor Varun Dhawan. The comedy film is expected to hit the theatres on May 1, 2020.

Sara Ali Khan will be seen in Aanand L Rai's film Atrangi Re opposite 'Raanjhanaa' actor Dhanush. Khiladi actor Akshay Kumar will be essaying a pivotal role in the film which is being extensively shot in the city of Varanasi. The film is expected to release on Valentine's Day in 2021.

Sara Ali Khan is a darling, known her since I did 'Love Aaj Kal' with Saif: Imtiaz Ali

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.
We are not done looking for those responsible.

This was the warning given by the Head of the Special Operations Response Team (SORT) Supt Roger Alexander yesterday during the Beyond the Tape TV programme on TV6.

Earlier in the day, Alexander was part of several units which went searching for kidnap victim Mattie Maraj in the eastern division.
An emergency doctor who resorted to sleeping in his car after being told to leave a share house over COVID-19 fears is one of many health workers waiting on the NSW government's promised housing.

Central Coast Hospital emergency registrar Hussein Al Abbasi, who treats people suspected of having coronavirus, said he was distraught after the owner of the share house he lived in asked him to leave as she was "sick with worry".

Central Coast hospital emergency registrar Hussein Al Abbasi.

"I just cant go through it again. Inside me I just had this kind of reaction towards it, I just started feeling terrible," Dr Al Abbasi told the Herald.

He said he didn't want to blame anyone, and understood the landlord was frightened in the unfolding crisis and had her own health difficulties, but it placed him under stress at a time he was supposed to be helping others.
Hyderabad, April 19 : The Telangana government on Sunday ordered online food delivery platforms Swiggy and Zomato to shut down their operations in the state.

Chief Minister K. Chandrashekhar Rao told a news conference after the cabinet meeting that they would not be allowed to operate from Monday during the lockdown period.

He made the announcement while declaring extension of lockdown in the state till May 7.

Rao said the government took the decision in view of an incident in Delhi where 69 persons were affected after supply of pizza by a delivery boy, who had tested positive for Covid-19.

The Chief Minister said people should cook fresh food at home instead of ordering the food from outside, especially during the current lockdown period.

He also said the government was not happy to order the shutdown of Swiggy and Zomato as it gets revenue through taxes, but the public health was more important than the revenue.

The online food delivery platforms were so far allowed to function as they were included in the list of essential services as per the Centre's guidelines.
Femi Fani-Kayode, former minister of aviation, has mourned Abba Kyari, the late chief of staff to President Muhammadu Buhari, whom he de...

Femi Fani-Kayode, former minister of aviation, has mourned Abba Kyari, the late chief of staff to President Muhammadu Buhari, whom he described as a man of honour.





Fani-Kayode, while writing via his Twitter handle on Saturday, said Kyari was a loyal friend of 40 years.





The late chief of staff to the president died from COVID-19 complications on Friday.





Fani-Kayode said he and Kyari attended Cambridge University together, and had also worked in the same law firm.

He said they both had remained close even though they disagreed politically.





The former minister has been a member of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) while Kyari worked in the All Progressives Congress (APC) administration.





I have lost a friend of 40 years, Fani-Kayode wrote.





We were at Cambridge together. We worked in my fathers law firm together. We remained close throughout right up until the end even though we disagreed politically.





Abba was a good man: a man of honor & a loyal friend. May his soul rest in peace.





I have lost a friend of 40 years. We were at Cambridge together. We worked in my fathers law firm together. We remained close throughout right up until the end even though we disagreed politically. Abba was a good man: a man of honor & a loyal friend. May his soul rest in peace. pic.twitter.com/GJ5gJOKOff April 18, 2020

The former minister was one of those who condemned the rumour of Kyaris death while he was being treated for COVID-19.
Some 180 migrants rescued at sea will be held in isolation on an Italian ferry off the coast of Sicily, the coast guard said Sunday.

Italy has refused to take in saved migrants due to the coronavirus epidemic, saying the outbreak, which has killed over 23,000 people, meant it could no longer be considered a port of safety.

Thirty-four people pulled to safety by Spanish NGO rescue vessel Aita Mari were being transferred Sunday to the Rubattino ferry, which is anchored outside the port of Palermo and staffed by 22 Red Cross volunteers.

They join 146 migrants who were transferred to the ferry on Friday from the The Alan Kurdi rescue vessel, run by the German NGO Sea Eye.

They will be tested for the virus and redistributed among EU countries once the 14-day isolation period is up, according to Italian media reports.

The 180-metre long Tirrenia ferry can carry 1,471 passengers, and has 289 cabins, a medical centre, restaurant, bars, and a children's play area.

It was not clear whether the migrants would be confined to individual cabins.
On Sunday, the government said that reports of a 20% cut in central government pensions are false and baseless and that the government has planned no such measure.

A tweet posted by the Ministry of Finance read, It is being reported that a 20% cut in Central Government Pensions is being planned. This news is FALSE. There will be no cut in pension disbursements. It is clarified that salaries and pensions will not be affected by Government Cash Management.

The Department of Pension & Pensioners Welfare also issued a statement on the same stating that such rumours have become a source of worry for the pensioners, news agency PTI reported.

As clarified earlier, it is being reiterated that there is no such proposal for reduction of pension and no action is contemplated by the government in this respect. Instead, the government is committed for the welfare and well being of the pensioners, the communique issued by the DoPPW said.

In the wake of the coronavirus pandemic, the government had announced that senior citizens, differently-abled and widows who are drawing central government pension will get three-month advance pension in the first week of April under the National Social Assistance Program (NSAP). There are 65.26 lakh central government pensioners.

It is being reported that a 20% cut in Central Government Pensions is being planned.This news is FALSE. There will be no cut in pension disbursements. It is clarified that salaries and pensions will not be affected by Government Cash Management instructions.@PIBFactCheck https://t.co/hlZpnbxnJx  Ministry of Finance  #StayHome #StaySafe (@FinMinIndia) April 19, 2020

The Government of India has taken a slew of measures to aid the economy and benefit citizens in the wake of the coronavirus crisis. Last month, Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman announced a relief package worth Rs 1.70 lakh crore in the wake of the Covid-19 outbreak.

The government has also released around Rs 30,000 crore in assistance to various sections of the society.

Under a special provision, the government had announced that individuals could now withdraw three months salary from Employees Provident Fund (EPF) account amid the coronavirus crisis. The EPF withdrawals have been exempt from service charge.

The government has also introduced measures to provide financial assistance to various sections of the society under its schemes such as PM-KISAN, Jan Dhan, Pradhan Mantri Garib Kalyan Ann Yojana, Ujjawala scheme and National Social Assistance Programme.

The number of coronavirus cases in the country has crossed the 15,000-mark. On April 14, Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced that the 21-day nationwide Covid-19 lockdown will be extended till May 3.
Memorial Day parades in Midland and Sanford have been cancelled due to the coronavirus pandemic.

Both events were originally scheduled to take place on Monday, May 25.
Indore, April 19 : A doctor, working as demonstrator in the Mahatma Gandhi Memorial Medical College's Physiology Department but pressed for duty in the virology lab to documents details related to Covid-19 samples testing, has been found infected with coronavirus, college authorities said on Sunday.

The doctor had nothing to do with the testing or examination of the samples in the laboratory, they said.

The Dean said that the infected doctor has been directed to be admitted in the hospital and his condition is okay. The college employees and others in contact with him have been isolated.

Several patients are currently being tested for Covid-19 in the college's virology lab. They samples are of patients from Indore as well as other districts from western Madhya Pradesh.

Coronavirus infection was also found in a female resident doctor, a nurse and some other employees of the government-run Maharaja Yashwantrao Hospital (MYH), which is attached to the medical college.
Dena Driscoll and her kids Milo, 9, and Juniper, 6, stand outside their home in the Passyunk Square neighborhood in Philadelphia. Getting the kids to wear masks has been a daily negotiation -- especially when so many other people are going out uncovered. Read more

At 67, having survived heart surgery, Nandi Muhammad takes few risks with her health.

In her North Philadelphia neighborhood, though, Im still seeing a lot of people in their 20s, 30s, and 40s that are not wearing masks, she said. She decided to take a charitable view: Maybe they dont know where to go. Maybe they cant afford to buy one.

So she pulled out her sewing machine and got to work. Now, when she encounters a person without a mask, she presents one as a gift. Those who know Miss Nandi know better than to resist. I dont give them a lot of options," she said.

The same debate has been playing out all over Philadelphia and beyond, ever since the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reversed its position this month, conceding that, to fight the coronavirus pandemic, we must become a nation of mask-wearers. On Wednesday, Pennsylvania Gov. Tom Wolf ordered all workers and customers in essential businesses to don masks; New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy instituted similar rules days earlier.

But this pivot has not come easily.

Many people hate the feel of masks on their faces, the way they muffle their voices and fog up their glasses. Some black men have argued masks pose their own dangers, particularly in settings where they are already discriminated against and viewed with distrust. Others simply disagree that masks are necessary, or question the efficacy of homemade coverings. An unmasked man was dragged off a SEPTA train, as the transit agency fumbled the rollout of its policy. A New Jersey man became the first to be arrested for failing to wear a mask at Wawa.

On one level, it seems as if masks are everywhere: Free ones are left in baggies on front steps, and strung from fences in Fishtown. And mask sales are pulling small fashion labels and seamstresses back from the brink, like North Philadelphia upstart PAUL PERC, which has been taking custom orders in wild prints and even sequins. Starbucks Facebook groups are filled with photos of baristas wearing masks they sewed from old aprons, discussing what type of coffee filter could be adapted in a pinch.

Even so, these represent a small fraction of the hundreds of millions of masks that will be needed  at a time when supply-chain challenges have made access uneven.

Nicole Jochym, a medical student who helped start Sew Face Masks Philadelphia a month ago, has watched the government response with frustration, her foot bearing down on the pedal of her sewing machine the whole time.

She has marshaled a volunteer sewing army to meet the need, masking thousands of nurses and doctors, GoPuff delivery drivers, community organizers, and homeless people.

CoverAidPHL  a coalition of professional designers and manufacturers  has been ramping up production at an even larger scale, turning out thousands of masks each week. Bayada, the home-health provider, ordered 20,000 of them. And, with Wolfs order that businesses must equip employees, organizer Evan Malone expects a flood of new bulk requests.

But even as factories rush their production, not everyone relishes being smothered by a thick layer of fabric.

Take Tina Dixon Spence, who has turned her childrens clothing business, Buddha Babe, to selling organic cotton masks. As much as she hates to admit it, she cant stand wearing her own product.

I was refused entry at Fresh Market in Chestnut Hill yesterday! Luckily I had one in my car," she said. I am a mouth-breather exclusively, and I wear glasses, so its very hard for me to breathe and see when I wear them. I do feel like I get judging glares when Im out without it  at the post office, gas station, whatever. But then I see people driving alone with them on and Im like, Why? 

Jana Moore, a resident of Southwest Center City, recently posted in her neighborhood Facebook group, wondering why she still encounters so many neighbors venturing out unmasked. Some people told her they were making their own calls about whether a mask is really necessary on public streets.

For Moore, those calculations dont fly.

It would be individual choice if wearing a mask protected you," she said by phone. But the fact that wearing a mask protects other people puts it in an entirely different realm.

In South Philadelphia, Dena Driscoll was shocked when a group of runners whooshed by her on the sidewalk without any protective gear, leaving her in their slipstream. She was left worrying if her own mask-wearing leaves others feeling at liberty to invade her space  much as drivers may give cyclists less space when theyre wearing bike helmets.

Her kids, in particular, hate wearing masks, and the mixed behavior they see leaves them with questions.

My kids are like, Why isnt that person wearing it? " she said. She tells them: "Look, everyone is making a personal choice. Im trying to make the right choice for us. 

And, for some, its not really a choice. Even though mask access is growing rapidly, its still not universal.

John Jackson, who was panhandling with a topical sign (we stand together, 6 feet apart), had no way of getting a mask, until he stepped aboard a SEPTA bus this week and the driver started hollering at him.

He said: Dont you know you should be wearing a mask? Theres a mask there!  Jackson took it happily from a hook near the door, though its disposable, a flimsy layer of protection that wont last long.

Over the last week, homeless-services providers have rushed to catch up to the need.

Project HOME put out a call for 2,000 donated masks for its residents, and within a week received all it had asked for.

The Bethesda Project was also able to supply all its residents with donated cloth masks and instructions on how to hand-wash them  increasingly vital as there have been presumed coronavirus cases in the organizations largest shelter. (That crossed one problem off an endless list for operations director Liz Anuw. Now, shes trying to negotiate the purchase of gallons of hand sanitizer, and thousands of disposable thermometers.)

Jose Benitez, who heads the Kensington nonprofit Prevention Point, said masking the 10,000 people he serves is a daunting notion, on top of the ongoing battle to obtain personal protective equipment for his frontline staff.

Its the right thing to do, he said: Just like needle exchanges and Narcan distribution, its a form of harm reduction. Whether he can pay for it is another question: This is going to sound like a crazy number, but to get enough equipment out for our staff and clients, were talking about anywhere between $800,000 and $900,000 for four months."

In the gaps, social workers like Vanessa Rugys, who works for a large mental-health provider, are sewing madly, sacrificing old sheets to the cause.

She finds the sewing therapeutic. The hard part is when she goes to work, trying to get clients to understand the need to stay home, and mask up if they leave. Some, she said, are "people who have serious brain trauma. And you can kind of repeat all day and they dont get it, or theyre asking you again.

Jondhi Harrell recently spent eight days at Jefferson Torresdale Hospital, gasping for breath with COVID-19, and returned home a mask evangelist. On the ride home, he was aghast to see so many people without gloves or masks.

For so many black people, especially black men, there is such a deep level of distrust for the government, for what the authorities are saying. Maybe that goes all the way back to the Tuskegee Institute," he said. "My message to my community is: This pandemic is real.

He recently ordered 75 masks from a local seamstress, to make sure his whole extended family is covered. Were looking at this as the minimum requirement for safeguarding our lives.
A teenager who was caught breaching strict self-isolation quarantine rules five times in ten days has been charged with endangering lives.

The 18-year-old from Sunbury, north-west of Melbourne, was arrested on Saturday for breaching directions issued by the Chief Health Officer on five occasions.

He was charged with one count of reckless conduct endangering life and five counts of persistent contravention of stage three COVID-19 directions the Public Health and Wellbeing Regulations Act.

Victoria Police Protective Services Officers speak to a man at St Kilda beach in Melbourne

A teenager who was caught breaching strict self-isolation quarantine rules five times has been charged with endangering lives. Pictured are police officers talking to a man in St Kilda this week

The teenager was arrested and remains in custody until his appearance at Melbourne Magistrates Court on Sunday.

Throughout the weekend Victoria Police have conducted 535 spot checks at homes, businesses and non-essential services across the state.

In just 24 hours 65 people have been hit with fines for breaching self-isolation rules.

Breaches that resulted in fines include six people who were found gathering at a private residence and three people committing an aggravated burglary.

Since the strict measures came into place on March 21, Victoria Police have conducted a total of 24,102 spot checks.

Premier Daniel Andrews says the Victorian government's hardline strategy will remain in place, despite the number of new cases in the state staying relatively low.

A man in his 80s died in hospital overnight, taking the state's death toll to 15.

Nine new cases have also been confirmed after 17 new cases were reported on Saturday.

'These numbers do jump around a little bit, but the increases are small ... the strategy's working,' Mr Andrews told Sky News Sunday Agenda.

Victoria Police Protective Services Officers patrol St Kilda beach in Melbourne this week

Since the strict measures came into place on March 21, Victoria Police have conducted a total of 24,102 spot checks

Despite the improving situation, he said there would be no easing of social distancing restrictions and the plea for people to stay at home.

'We need to stay the course. It's frustrating, but it's certainly less frustrating than if you look at what happened in northwest Tasmania last week,' he said, referring to a new cluster outbreak in the town of Burnie.

'This can get away from you very, very rapidly.'

He reinforced that classrooms would remain closed for the majority of school children.

Seven of the new cases are Greg Mortimer cruise ship passengers flown in recently on a flight from Uruguay.

Since the state broadened the COVID-19 testing criteria, testing rates have risen, with thousands more being assessed in the last day or two.

The state of emergency in Victoria is due to expire on May 11 and authorities will set about removing social distancing restrictions in a 'very thoughtful and careful way', Health Minister Jenny Mikakos said on Saturday.

Mass gatherings including sporting events and concerts may not happen until next year.

Anyone with symptoms of a new fever, chills or breathing problems - specifically a cough, sore throat or shortness of breath - can now be tested for COVID-19.
Leigh Bryant is trying his utmost to remain positive, but it is not easy.

As the owner and manager of Bristol-based motor home accessory fitters LNB Towbars, this should be a peak time of year for him as his customers get ready for their summer holidays.

But with his company closed due to the coronavirus lockdown, there has been no money coming in for almost a month. Being a seasonal business, LNB Towbars, which usually generates an annual turnover of more than 1 million, makes most of its income during the spring and summer months.

Battle: Leigh Bryant, above right, needs a Government loan to keep his motor home business afloat after lockdown ruined seasonal sales

But the key sales days are ticking away fast and still its doors are closed. Overheads, suppliers and his six staff, Leigh and his wife  all on furlough  still need to be paid, to the tune of 40,000 a month.

'We're literally out of money,' he told The Mail on Sunday late last week. 'There's a good chance that my business will not survive. I'm now starting to lose heart, but I am trying to keep my chin up.'

He added: 'I just keep thinking, 'Somebody will help us'  the Government is not going to allow this to happen. There must be millions of businesses in exactly the same situation as mine and we're all going to go bust.'

Leigh admitted he has been helped by measures such as zero business rates and the retail, hospitality and leisure grant which he is hoping will help him pay his staff before the furlough money eventually arrives.

But what is crucial to the survival of LNB Towbars  and thousands of other businesses which have seen their income decimated by coronavirus  is funding from the Government's Coronavirus Business Interruption Loan Scheme (CBILS). This was launched by Chancellor Rishi Sunak last month to provide a lifeline to struggling businesses, but the scheme is failing to deliver.

Last week, it was revealed by banking trade group UK Finance that just two per cent of the loan applications have so far been successful  with just 6,020 loans agreed by last Tuesday. This is from 300,000 initial enquiries and 28,460 formal applications.

While this number marked a doubling of loans issued from the previous week, it still represents a tiny proportion of requests made and there are now urgent calls for the system to be revamped before swathes of businesses go to the wall.

Under the current scheme administered by the Government's British Business Bank, high street banks and other lenders can provide businesses affected by coronavirus up to 5 million in loans or other lending. The lending is 80 per cent guaranteed by the Government and is interest-free to the borrower for the first 12 months.

But given the paltry number of successful applications so far, critics accuse the banks of collectively dragging their feet. Disingenuously, the banks say in response that they have been overwhelmed by demand  why shut branches then where applications could be taken and processed?

Leigh Bryant applied for a CBILS loan from three different lenders the moment the scheme was announced. His personal bank, Barclays, turned him down because he was not a business banking customer while Hitachi Capital Bank told him he did not meet their lending criteria.

Weeks after his application to his business bank NatWest was submitted, Leigh has so far heard precisely nothing  despite persistent chasing. 'I'm just not getting anywhere,' he said, frustration leaking from every pore of his body.

How bad will the recession be - and what will the recovery look like? The economic destruction of the coronavirus crash was laid bare in a report from the Office of Budget Responsibility this week. But although the OBR forecast an astonishing 35% slump in UK output in the second quarter of this year - with a three-month lockdown - the other side of its chart showed a substantial bounce-back. What will we need to do for that recovery to happen  and what will it look like? On this podcast, Simon Lambert and Georgie Frost look at the reports on the economic impact of Covid-19 and at the potential bounce back, along with which sectors and businesses could seize the day when it comes. Press play above or listen (and please subscribe if you like the podcast) at Apple Podcasts, Acast, Spotify and Audioboom or visit our This is Money Podcast page.

Andrew Goodacre, chief executive of the British Independent Retailers Association (Bira), told The Mail on Sunday the situation is now critical. He said: 'Our members are saying they are being told to wait for two or three weeks for an answer from their banks  and two or three weeks is exactly what these businesses haven't got.

'They are literally running out of money. High street retailers have been hit particularly hard. Coronavirus has managed to achieve in five weeks what online giant Amazon has been trying to do for 20 years  put our members out of business.'

He added: 'The Government is trying hard to help businesses but I just don't think the banks are on the same page. They're taking a very narrow view of their lending criteria. These businesses are viable and need cash to see them through this period  they haven't closed voluntarily.

'It feels like there's a blame game going on between British Business Bank, the banks and the Government. They can argue between themselves all they like, but people out there need help right now.'

After concerns were first raised about the loan scheme, the speed of approvals seems to have improved. Goodacre added: 'I think the banks are now trying to deal with requests quicker, but we have lost three weeks of vital application time.

'We have already lost peak Easter trading and it could be into next month before businesses hear anything. That could be just too late for them, it's as simple as that. A good number might well now say this is the final straw.'

Robert Simpson and his brother David own Candlelight Property Limited, a 2 million turnover serviced office company in Solihull which rents office space to around 30 companies.

Some of its tenants, such as a vehicle leasing company, have seen business dry up completely, while others have moved their staff to home-working, but still need vital IT and communications to enable them to keep going.

Robert said: 'Some of our tenants are struggling to pay the rent and we would like to support them by allowing them to defer their payments, but we can't do this without Government support as most of our operating costs are fixed and continue during these difficult times.'

Robert asked for a 250,000 short-term loan to cover the cash flow issues from allowing their tenants to hold off paying rent until they are back up and trading again.

But Royal Bank of Scotland, Candlelight's business bank, flatly refused its CBILS loan request, saying: 'We are not providing any new funding in the serviced office sector, regardless of the amount requested.' Said Robert: 'We have a very strong business model and as such we continue to pay our staff and our suppliers. However, we will run out of cash and options.

'The behaviour of RBS goes completely contrary to all Government support packages for good businesses trying to do the right thing in impossible circumstances. Ours should be the sort of business the Government is trying to support.'

Robert is instead now using money of his own and from his family to bridge the financial gap. Charles Bailey runs The Harbour Trading Company sailing school and cafe in St Austell, Cornwall. Like Leigh Bryant, he is watching the crucial holiday season tick away without being able to make any sales. He found it impossible to get through to his bank by phone to apply for a CBILS loan and after weeks of waiting, he finally received an email notifying him of a phone interview for this week.

'Our suppliers are being very understanding, but we have been badly hit financially,' Charles said.

'I now have no income at all, I'm paying costs including the furloughed staff out of my own pocket and the longer the lockdown goes on the harder it will be. We can't make up lost trading in the winter.'

Mike Cherry, chairman of the Federation of Small Businesses, said there was still a lot of work to do to make the CBILS lending scheme fit for purpose.

'Many members tell us it's difficult to get to the formal application stage; banks are still slow to respond to CBILS loan enquiries.

As a matter of urgency we need the Government to instruct the banks to relax the rules requiring banks to decide whether a business or even a sector is viable or not. This isn't a good test at the moment. We are in a different world.'

There have also been calls for the Government to increase the 80 per cent loan guarantee to 100 per cent, at least for smaller borrowings. Also, to streamline and simplify the application process  and to increase the pace of lending so it gets to cash-strapped businesses before it is too late.

As for Leigh, whose house sale has also fallen through thanks to coronavirus, he added: 'I'm going to fight tooth and nail to protect my business and my staff, but without access to finance it's going to be almost impossible.

'The Government has to tell the banks to be more flexible on their lending. 'If I lose my business then I will probably lose my house too. I could end up losing everything.'

Painful words which The Mail on Sunday trusts will be absorbed  and acted upon  as a matter of urgency by the banks, the British Business Bank and Government Ministers.

This country needs the Leighs of this world to help this country get out of the economic mire it has plunged head-first into.


Throughout much of human history, leaders have relied on their words to spark action. And many economists and CEOs today swear that words are the most important tool in a world where command and control leadership has given way to power by persuasion.

Replace long words with short ones. In his groundbreaking book Thinking, Fast and Slow, Nobel economist Daniel Kahneman writes, If you care about being thought credible and intelligent, do not use complex language where simpler language will do. Effective leaders speak in simple language  and simple means short.

Find analogies. Neuroscientists have found that our brains process the world by associating the new or unknown with something familiar. When presented with a novel idea, our brains dont ask, What is it? They ask, What is it like?

Personalize the crisis. The human brain is also wired for storytelling. In his best-selling book Sapiens, historian Yuval Noah Harari argues that it was only through stories that our species was able to conquer the world. Our advanced language skills  specifically, our ability to connect with one another through narrative  allowed us to cooperate in ways other species could not.

Observe the rule of three. Scholars of rhetoric and persuasion argue that people like things grouped in threes, because we can hold only a few items in short-term memory. If you give people three instructions, theyre likely to remember them all. Give them five, six, or more, and theyll probably forget most of them. And people cant act on what they cant remember.

Like a virus, words are infectious. They can instill fear and panic or facilitate understanding and calm. Above all, they can spark action. So choose them carefully.

https://hbr.org/2020/04/finding-the-right-words-in-a-crisis?ab=hero-main-text?
By Jessie Pang HONG KONG (Reuters) - Hong Kong police arrested 15 activists, including veteran politicians, a publishing tycoon and senior barristers, in raids on Saturday in the biggest crackdown on the city's pro-democracy movement since the outbreak of mass protests last year. Among those detained on charges of illegal assembly were Democratic Party founder Martin Lee, 81, millionaire publishing tycoon Jimmy Lai, 71, and former lawmaker and barrister Margaret Ng, 72, according to media and political sources. In all, one serving and nine former legislators were arrested, including veteran activists Lee Cheuk-yan and Yeung Sum.

By Jessie Pang

HONG KONG (Reuters) - Hong Kong police arrested 15 activists, including veteran politicians, a publishing tycoon and senior barristers, in raids on Saturday in the biggest crackdown on the city's pro-democracy movement since the outbreak of mass protests last year.

Among those detained on charges of illegal assembly were Democratic Party founder Martin Lee, 81, millionaire publishing tycoon Jimmy Lai, 71, and former lawmaker and barrister Margaret Ng, 72, according to media and political sources.

In all, one serving and nine former legislators were arrested, including veteran activists Lee Cheuk-yan and Yeung Sum.

Democratic legislator Claudia Mo, who was not among those detained, said the city government, led by Chief Executive Carrie Lam, was trying "into introduce a ring of terror in Hong Kong".

"They are doing whatever they can to try to silence, to take down, the local opposition," Mo said, pointing to upcoming legislative elections in September in which democrats hope to win back veto power in the city assembly.

Hong Kong police superintendent Lam Wing-ho told reporters that 14 people aged between 24 and 81 were arrested on charges of organising and participating in "unlawful assemblies" on Aug. 18 and Oct. 1 and 20 last year. He did not identify the 14.

Those days saw big and at times violent protests across the city.

Five of the 14 were also arrested for publicising unauthorised public meetings on Sept. 30 and Oct. 19, Lam said.

Police sources later confirmed the arrest of Leung Yin-chung, the only serving legislator to be caught up in the raids so far.

They were all due to appear in court on May 18, but Lam said more arrests were possible. Some of those arrested on Saturday were later released on bail.

The raids mark the biggest crackdown on the pro-democracy movement since the beginning of the anti-government protests across the former British colony in June last year.

NEW PUSH FOR SECURITY LAW

Marchers initially targeted a now-scrapped bill proposing to send suspects to mainland China for trial but protests broadened into demands for full democracy and a public investigation of the use of force by police.

After his release on bail on Saturday afternoon, Martin Lee said he did not regret his actions.

"I'm proud to have the chance to walk our democracy road with Hong Kong's excellent young people," he said.

A spokesman for the government's Security Bureau said that regardless of background or status, "in Hong Kong, everyone is equal before the law".

Authorities in Hong Kong have arrested more than 7,800 people over their involvement in the protests, including many on rioting charges that can carry jail terms of up to 10 years.

It is not clear how many of them are in custody.

The spike in arrests comes amid deepening fears over Beijing pressure on Hong Kong's independent judiciary.

In a special report published on Tuesday, three of Hong Kong's top judges told Reuters that the independence of the city's judicial system is under assault from the Communist Party leadership in Beijing. The judiciary, they said, is in a fight for its survival.

Saturday's arrests come after several months of relative calm amid a partial coronavirus lockdown but as Chinese and city government officials launch a new push for tougher national security laws for the city.

Hong Kong returned to Beijing in 1997 under a "one country, two systems" formula that guarantees it broad freedoms not seen in mainland China, and a high degree of autonomy.

A previous attempt to draft a national security law for Hong Kong, known as Article 23, was met with mass protests in 2003 and abandoned.

Hong Kong government and security officials have recently described some of the democracy movement's actions as being close to terrorism.

Authorities are increasingly using the threat of terrorism to justify the need for new national security laws, a requirement under the Basic Law - the mini-constitution that guarantees Hong Kong's broad freedoms and outlines its relationship with Beijing.

(Reporting by Jessie Pang, Anne Marie Roantree, Greg Torode; Writing by Greg Torode; Editing by Robert Birsel, Gerry Doyle and Ros Russell)

This story has not been edited by Firstpost staff and is generated by auto-feed.
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Taiwan Shows America the Way Forward

U.S. could learn from the country close to China that avoided the pandemic

Commentary

As Americans across the country begin to resist the draconian lockdowns, theres significant evidence that theyre correct in their protests. Fortunately, it looks like several governors and President Donald Trump agree with them.

So does Taiwan.

Taiwans Model Works

Taiwan has proven that mass lockdowns arent necessary to minimize or even eliminate infections.

Even though its in close proximity to China and has deep economic ties with the mainland, with more than 2 million travelers there in 2019, the island nation has managed almost complete avoidance of the CCP virus (commonly known as the novel coronavirus) infection.

In fact, Taiwan has been able to avoid an across-the-board lockdown, and hasnt had a new case in more than a month. Many schools, offices, restaurants, and cafes have remained open.

This astonishing achievement should have been big news months ago, and even now, but its not.

Why is that?

Only Six Deaths in a Nation of 23 Million

One would think that the one nation that has had by far the most success protecting its population from this global pandemicfewer than 400 cases and only six deathswould be studied and emulated by the rest of the world with great urgency.

They obviously knew what to do right away.

But Taiwan is scarcely mentioned in news reports, and if it is, usually only in passing or referenced with other nations. To be fair, NPR and a few others have reported on it, but that countrys success could be the key to stopping the pandemic without stopping our economy.

You may recall, however, that I wrote about Taiwans protocols in this column more than a month ago, on March 16. I didnt cover every step the Taiwanese government took, of course, because, according to a recent report in the Journal of the American Medical Association, they implemented more than 124 of them.

But there are some key steps to take that are straightforward and effective. I wrote that those Taiwan protocols are, for the most part, simple and easily emulated.

Early Testing of Wuhan Travelers

One of the first steps Taipei took after Beijing told the World Health Organization (WHO) that it was seeing pneumonia cases of unknown origins, was to order inspections of people arriving from Wuhan. That was on Dec. 31, 2019.

Taiwan knew from long experience that the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) lies about and distorts any facts that put it in a negative light, and that it was lying to its people and the world about the outbreak. Thats why Taiwans Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) warned WHO in a December email about the human-to-human transmission of the virus. But WHO ignored the Taiwan CDCs warning and mouthed the CCPs official story of lies instead.

Then, a travel ban to and from China was put in place in early February. Like Trump, Taiwan was condemned by the WHO for doing so.

Furthermore, those returning from China were quarantined for 14 days. Taipei used tracking technology on smartphones to ensure that people obeyed their quarantine orders. That, of course, isnt something that would be very popular in the United States, but it did help.

Just as importantly, contacts of those quarantined were also tracked and quarantined if they became symptomatic. Those quarantined were paid around $30 per day.

Quick Response Mask Production Plan

At the same time, Taiwan ceased all exportation of medical masks. They were criticized at the time for doing so, but that helped provide a much-needed supply on hand for all citizens. Taiwans authorities also added 60 production lines, which took less than a month to set up.

Since then, masks have been and remain mandatory and plentiful for everyone. In fact, today, Taiwan is providing millions of masks and medical supplies to the hardest-hit countries in Europe and elsewhere in its global Taiwan Can Help initiative.

Checking for Fevers Everywhere

Additionally, every person entering a cafe, office, or other public place had their temperature taken. If a fever was detected, they were denied entry. And everyones hands were sanitized at entry points prior to being allowed entry to a shop or cafe.

Think about that for a moment. Taiwan has beaten the pandemic with a minimal disruption of its society and an enviably low death rate. All this was accomplished with minimal lockdowns, no lost school year, fewer closed businesses, less damage to their economy, and only minimal trespass on civil rights.

And yet, Taiwan was one of the first nations to be exposed to the CCP virus outside of China.

What does that mean for the United States economically disastrous lockdown and now, its reopening?

We Can Do Better

It means that we can do much, much better than we are now. We dont need manufactured masks, we can make them ourselves. We can self-quarantine ourselves if needed; weve been doing so for more than a month. We can take temperatures and sanitize hands just as well as anybody else.

Whats more, we dont have to have tests to end the lockdown or to preserve our way of life. Taiwan certainly didnt rely on testing to protect their people and its economy.

What we must do is initiate Taiwans protocols across the country as soon as possible. That goes beyond masks for everyone, even though thats critical. It also includes checking for fevers, sanitizing hands everywhere several times a day, and quarantining those who are symptomatic for 14 days. In the meantime, reopen businesses, especially those in low-rise buildings that dont have multiple stories and elevators.

Additional sanitizing procedures would also likely be needed to ensure that premises are and remain disinfected. In fact, that may become a growth industry in itself. Remote workers may have to remain remote for another few weeks, but on the whole, theres no reason that we cant follow Taiwans example and get our economy moving forward again within a couple of weeks.

Dont Believe the CCPs Lies

The key point is that Taipei did not accept Beijings lies as the truth, nor did they believe the WHOs lies. Taiwan knew better, and we should, too.

Taiwan took the right steps to protect its people regardless of outside criticism. Because it provided for its own safety first, Taiwan is now showing the world the way forward, and helping it get there.

Americas reopening needs to happen as soon and as safely as possible. We should follow Taiwans lead.

James Gorrie is author of The China Crisis and the blog TheBananaRepublican.com. He is based in Southern California.

Views expressed in this article are the opinions of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of The Epoch Times.
Geoffrey Onyeama, minister of foreign affairs, says Abba Kyari, the late chief of staff to President Muhammadu Buhari, was his best m...





Geoffrey Onyeama, minister of foreign affairs, says Abba Kyari, the late chief of staff to President Muhammadu Buhari, was his best man when he wedded in the Catholic church many years ago.





A best man acts as one of the witnesses in a wedding and is usually one of the grooms closest friends.





In his tribute to Kyari, Onyeama said the late chief of staff to the president was also the godfather to his first son during his baptism.





Kyari died on Friday after battling COVID-19.

In the tribute published on THISDAY on Sunday, the minister said he first met the late politician in 1977 in 1977 at Warwick University in England.





He recalled how the two officiating ministers at his wedding, and at the sons baptism, were surprised to see Kyari, a Muslim, in the role of his best man and sons godfather respectively.





Onyeama wrote: When I left Warwick University for Cambridge, Abba came to Cambridge to introduce me to his friends there as he had studied in the city for his Advanced levels.





After graduating from Warwick University, Abba went up to Cambridge to study law. We kept in touch throughout the last 43 years. We ended up together in Lagos in 1982 to attend Law School for a year.





When I left Nigeria in 1985 to work in Geneva for 30 years Abba came to Geneva often to stay with me and whenever I was in Nigeria, he made it a point of coming to see me wherever I was.





When I got married in Owo to my wife from Idoani, Ondo State, Abba was my Best-Man. The officiating Vicar was somewhat perplexed because I was a Roman Catholic Igbo, marrying an Anglican Yoruba in an Anglican church with a Muslim Kanuri/Shuwa Arab Best-Man from Borno State!





The officiating Catholic priest in Geneva, Switzerland, two years later, during the baptism of our first son, was equally perplexed when a muslim Abba Kyari and a muslim Muni Attah-Sonibare were the Godfather and Godmother respectively!





Abba was a Pan-Nigerian, global citizen, who recognized no boundaries between peoples, be they racial, ethnic, religious, class or political. He made friends with everyone.





THE SAFE WHERE KYARI KEPT UNSOLICITED GIFTS





Onyeama also said Kyari was a man of integrity and absolutely incorruptible.





I remember after he got married to his wonderful wife, Kulu, he told me how he showed her his first paycheck so she would know that he was not wealthy and would not steal!, he added.





It broke my heart to see all the false allegations against him on issues of corruption. He showed me the safe in his office where he put any unsolicited gift .





I remember asking him about the rumours making the rounds that he was making money from the fine imposed on MTN. He immediately showed me the memorandum setting up the Committee to deal with the issue and he was not even a member.





He also showed me how he had been able to block attempts by many influential and powerful persons to make a lot of money at the expense of the country.





He knew that fighting corruption with such single mindedness and fearlessness would see him at the receiving end of the venom of very powerful forces but was undeterred and preferred to ignore all the defamation against him.
Botswana Innovation Hub (BIH) has sent out a call for solutions to address the COVID-19 pandemic challenges.The call made under the 3rd call for Botswana Innovation Fund (BIF) is open for applications from the 18th April to the1st May 2020.

According to the hub, the 3rd proposals is targeting entrepreneurs, applications developers, indigenous knowledge holders, social enterprises, civil society and non-governmental organisations.The COVID-19 pandemic fight requires us to be flexible and adaptable, the BIF instrument has adapted to the current situation and accommodated funding of innovative solutions in response to the challenges of the pandemic. As a disruption to the norm as we know it, the COVID 19 challenges present opportunities for innovators to innovate for now and the future. These innovations will form part of the positive outcomes of the COVID 19 when we reflect on all our efforts to fight the pandemic, said BIH Chief Executive Officer, Alan Boshwaen.

He said the call places emphasis on innovative digital solutions, working product prototypes that are ready to scale and address the COVID 19 pandemic and its associated socio-economic effects. Additionally, the solutions will be sustained by IP development and registration, technology transfer and commercialisation. It is envisaged that private sector entities will have an opportunity to invest or participate in the implementation of the chosen solutions.

The call will be targeting solutions that include mobile and web-based solutions, data enabled solutions with the ability to analyse and publish information on the go, working protypes of products, processes, value added services, community social interventions, tools and gadgets that may be of high demand during and post the COVID 19 pandemic. BIH says it is expected that the solutions will be aimed at addressing, amongst others, challenges in public health systems, public service delivery, transportation and payments, logistics and value chains and many others.
There has been a five-time rise in the number of average daily phone calls made by prisoners lodged in jails of Uttar Pradesh's Ghaziabad and Gautam Buddh Nagar districts since the coronavirus outbreak, officials said.

The significant increase in phone calls comes as jail authorities relaxed norms with a view to help prisoners mentally cope with the situation due to the pandemic, the officials said.

Authorities have also released a combined over 1,500 inmates either on bail or parole to avoid overcrowding in the two jails, while precautionary measures like social distancing were being practiced by others languishing in jails, they said.

The two districts adjoining Delhi in western UP have together recorded 125 COVID-19 positive cases -- 30 in Ghaziabad and 95 in Gautam Buddh Nagar -- so far, according to figures released by the state government on Saturday.

Before the situation due to coronavirus had reached alarming proportions, there would be 50 to 60 phone calls by prisoners every day on an average. But as the situation started worsening, the daily average phone calls have now reached over 300 in both the jails, Vipin Mishra, the superintendent of Dasna as well as Luksar jail, told PTI.

The relaxation on phone calls was given by prison authorities so that inmates could speak more with their families and relatives and speak their mind to them. They should be able to mentally cope with the situation, whatever and information they get about the pandemic and not get gloomy or depressed, Mishra said.

The superintendent said 3,864 people are currently lodged in the Dasna jail, while the Luksar jail has 2,301 inmates, even as more than 1,500 prisoners have been released since the outbreak of the deadly virus in the country.

"The Dasna prison has released 1,012 inmates -- 946 on interim bail and 66 on parole - so far, while the Luksar jail has released 535 inmates -- 522 on interim bail and 13 on parole, the officer said.

Bail is given to people who under-trial in any case and lodged in jail, while parole is offered to those already convicted in a case, he explained.

Meanwhile, he said, inmates and official staff in both the jails were practicing preventive measures like social distancing and hand sanitation against coronavirus.

All general guidelines, advisories and protocols issued by the government are being followed and caution being taken during this situation, Mishra added.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
AUBURN, Calif. (AP) - A pilot was killed and a passenger was injured in a small plane crash in Northern California.

A Placer County Sheriff's official said the single-engine aircraft crashed into a field near Auburn Municipal Airport shortly after taking off Saturday morning just after 11 a.m. and burst into flames.

County firefighters said the pilot died and a passenger suffered minor injuries. NTSB investigators were looking into the cause remotely because they can't travel to the crash site due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Related Jihadist ambush kills at least 70 Nigerian soldiers

Gunmen killed 47 people in attacks on villages in the northwestern Nigerian state of Katsina in the early hours of Saturday, local police said.

"Armed bandits", some of whom wielded AK 47 guns, carried out the attacks, Katsina police said in a statement on Sunday.

Hundreds of people have been killed in the last year by criminal gangs carrying out robberies and kidnappings in northwest Nigeria.

Such attacks have added to security challenges in Africa's most populous country, which is already struggling to contain Islamist insurgencies in the northeast and communal violence over grazing rights in central states.

Gunmen, some with AK 47 guns, carried out the attacks in three local government authorities in the state in the early hours of Saturday between 12:30 a.m. (2330 GMT) and around 3 a.m., Katsina police said in its statement.

"There was reports of organised and simultaneous attacks in villages in Danmusa, Dutsenma and Safana by groups of armed bandits," the statement said of some of the attacks.

"Detachments of Police, Nigerian Army, Nigeria Airforce, Civil Defence and DSS (Department of State Services) have been drafted to the area," it added.

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Transitional Care Unit Certified Nurse Assistant Michelle Gish is Passavant Area Hospitals Colleague of the Month.

Shes immediately there to help, the person who nominated her wrote. Not only is she kind to her patients, but also to her colleagues. She an absolute joy to be around.

As a certified nurse assistant, Gish assists patients with their daily needs.

She and her husband, Jamie, live in Woodson. They are the parents of two children. In her free time, Gish enjoys camping with her family and reading.

The Colleague of the Month receives a paid day off, a plaque and pin, a reserved parking space for one month and a cake.



The Calhoun County Board of Commissioners has hired Karen Hanneken to administer the Downstate Small Business Stabilization Program.

To support small businesses in downstate and rural counties across the state, the Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity is repurposing Community Development Block Grant funds to the program. The fund will offer small businesses of up to 50 employees an opportunity to partner with local governments to obtain grants of up to $25,000 in working capital.

Calhoun County has approved participation in the grant program; businesses in the unincoporated areas of Calhoun County may contact Hanneken at khanneken1@frontier.com or 618-576-9785 to discuss the program.



Delta Dental of Illinois Foundation, the charitable arm of Delta Dental of Illinois, will provide $1.5 million to help Illinoisans continue to receive health services during the COVID-19 pandemic.

The foundation is providing $500,000 to support the Illinois State Dental Society Foundation. It is also launching a $1 million emergency grants program to federally qualified health centers in Illinois.

Health centers seeking grants should apply by May 29. Applications will be accepted online.

We are committed to the health, safety and well-being of Illinoisans, said Lora Vitek, executive director of Delta Dental of Illinois Foundation. Health care workers are on the front line protecting and treating Illinoisans at a time of unprecedented need. We are proud to do our part.

 Compiled by David C.L. Bauer
A man was killed and his co-worker injured when their two-wheeler was hit by a car at Janakpuri, Delhi.

According to police, they were admitted to a hospital. Rizab Shah died of his injuries. He was a plumber. The driver, Rudraksh Khanna, was arrested.



Shutterstock

Police sources told TOI that the driver did not have a movement pass nor a valid reason to step out of the house. Therefore, he would also be booked for violation of government order.



Officers said Asutosh and Shah were heading toward Tilak Nagar when the car hit the scooter from behind. Witnesses said that the impact of the accident was such that the scooterists were dragged along the car.



PTI

Khanna managed to stop the vehicle few metres away after which both the men were pulled out from under the vehicle and taken to a hospital by the locals. Khanna was detained by PCR officers.



The incident occurs while the nation is under lockdown due to cornavirus. The lockdown has been extended till May 3.

ANI

As of now only a handful of essential services are functioning and unless one has a valid pass, driving outside the house is strictly forbidden. Had this driver not broken the rules, a man's life would not have been lost.




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With the nationwide lockdown imposed in India due to the coronavirus outbreak, the families of daily wage earners, labourers, waiters, taxi and autorickshaw drivers, and others who depend on their everyday earnings for survival have been severely affected.

In the corona stricken world, social media is helping people come together to reach out to various organizations pan India and even establish new ones to feed the hungry.

Caring Indians, a crowdsourced social initiative has been providing food, PPE kits and masks to residents of Mumbai and Pune. Samarth Sharma of Caring Indians, says, The need of the hour is to help people. With a significant social media base, my friends and I thought of this initiative.

Sharma, an IIT alumnus, says, With the lockdown in place, people have been spending a lot of time on social media. Our initiative has been possible only because of social media and my loyal fan base that helped me with spreading the message. Social media in such times has emerged as a big influencer in itself. We managed to feed 35,000 people in a week.

Venapani Seksarai, founder, Shakkar Para project connected with people on social media to carry out relief work across India.

Venapani Seksaria, founder, Shakkar Paara project who has been carrying out relief missions across India, says, There are people who I havent ever met in my life and yet we have become a big family and have forged an unbreakable bond through social media.

Venapani says,  The Shakkar Paara was an emergency ration project started by the army and i had heard many stories around it during the Kargil war. That inspired the idea behind my project , to distribute shakkar paaras to the hungry, to help them experience satiety and sustain energy. It evolved over time because of feedback from ground, to supply groceries and toiletries to the affected communities. However I retained the name of there project as its sweet, comforting and energy giving in these times.

She adds, Whether social media or word of mouth, its transparency and accountability that draws people to contribute to such causes. With people coming out and helping, both financially or on ground, it makes us realise that at least our hearts are in the right place.

Through her project, Venapani wants to feed everyone who is hungry, whether its the daily wage workers, labourers, auto-rickshaw pullers or bar dancers in Mumbai. She adds, We are also distributing groceries and toiletries to all people impacted by the pandemic.

Many NGOs and self-help groups have used social media to share images of the happy faces, letting people know how even the smallest donations have put a smile on someones face. One such group is Roti Bank. Sudhir Behrani, founder, says, Social media has played a vital role in garnering support for the cause of these migrant workers and daily wage labourers. As ration involves a lot of logistics, we stick to cooked food. The happiness you get by seeing people come together for a noble cause is a different feeling altogether.

Jan Jagriti Foundation has also been helping people with dry ration. Nutan from the foundation says, Indians are always willing to help. One post from a social media account for help and you have hundreds of people willing to come forward and help.
1 Police Officer Killed And 2 Injured After Active Shooter Incident In Texas

One police officer was killed and two others were left injured following an active shooter situation in San Marcos, Texas, on the evening of April 18, officials confirmed.

The incident occurred at Twin Lake Villas Apartments at 2917 Hunter Road at 6:05 p.m. when a suspect began firing a rifle at officers responding to an domestic disturbance call, the San Marcos Police Department said in a statement, describing the incident as an ambush on officers.

The alleged shooter is now dead from an apparent self-inflicted gunshot wound while the two surviving officers were transported to Ascension Seton Hays in Kyle where they have undergone surgery. The names of the officers involved were not released and their condition was not immediately known.

San Marcos Police Department said the area on Hunter Road from Reimer Avenue to McCarty Road was shut down to investigate the incident and warned residents around the area that there was a need to shelter in place and the public needs to avoid the area as the scene has not been made safe.

However a later update said the area has since been secured and there is no additional threat to the public, although members of the public were still being urged to avoid the area as the investigation continues.

We are heartbroken to make this announcement, said Interim Police Chief Bob Klett. We ask for your support for our fellow officers and their families as we try to cope with yet another tragic event in our San Marcos Police family. The San Marcos Police Department will hold a press conference on April 19 regarding the incident.

Texas Gov. Greg Abbott said in a statement that the violence is a somber reminder of the service and sacrifice our brave men and women in law enforcement make everyday to keep us safe.

I am grateful for the swift action of the San Marcos Police Department in containing the threat and minimizing the loss of life. I ask all Texans to join Cecilia and me in praying for the officer killed and for those injured, and for the continued safety of all law enforcement officers who protect our communities, he added, referring to his wife, Cecilia Abbot.

This is the second line of duty death for the San Marcos Police Department since Officer Kenneth Copeland was shot twice and killed while serving a warrant at a San Marcos residence on December 4, 2017. Stewart Mettz was indicted by a grand jury for intentionally or knowingly killing Copeland. In addition to the capital murder indictment, he was also indicted on the charge of injury to an elderly person and retaliation, the original charges he was facing when officers arrived at his home. According to the latest figures from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the top US states with the highest rates of gun-related deaths are Wyoming, New Mexico, Missouri, Arkansas, Louisiana, Mississippi and Alabama.
Gartner had no idea vaccines were controversial until her first pregnancy, when friends began asking if she planned to vaccinate. Many of them  all college educated, upper middle-class Portlanders like herself  werent vaccinating. Gartner did some research, and ultimately decided to follow her pediatricians advice. I thought, Theyre doing what works for them. Im doing what makes sense to me, she said. But the airport experience honed in for me that it doesnt matter if I choose to vaccinate my children and no one else does. Vaccines only work when the community participates together.

This realization is behind Boost Oregons two tenets: Dont just assume that parents who delay or refuse vaccines are stupid. And dont ever tell parents what to do.

Through workshops at coffee shops and toy stores, Boost Oregon presents the facts, face-to-face, and answers questions. The organization creates resources for other parents to lead their own workshops or education campaigns at schools. These resources, which are online, havent reached the huge audiences anti-vaccine propaganda has. But they have been shared across state lines  parent-to-parent  in Georgia, California and New York.

Gartners bet is that her slow and steady approach can turn the tide. An anti-vaccine Facebook post can reach hundreds of thousands of users in the span of a few hours. Undoing the fear that post spreads takes many hours of gentle, nonjudgmental counsel from a parents own community. Fear is a feeling. You cant answer a feeling with a fact. You have to answer a feeling with a feeling, Gartner said. We have to change the culture of immunization from one of fear to one of love.

Gartners organization is small and her success is only anecdotal at this point, but Boost joins other parent-led groups like Colorado Parents for Vaccinated Communities and Vaccinate California, which focus on advocacy as well as education on the community benefits of vaccines. Gartners approach falls in line with another research-backed technique called motivational interviewing. M.I. has been used to help people quit smoking or drinking, and early research suggests its helpful for improving use of the HPV vaccine among adolescents.

M.I. is now the basis of a Canadian program led by Dr. Danielle Auger of the Quebec Ministry of Health and Social Services to install vaccination counselors in every Quebec maternity ward by 2021.

The program is based on the research of Dr. Arnaud Gagneur, a French neonatologist who first tried motivational interviewing on vaccine hesitancy in France. He was moved to action after the tragic death of a baby in his care who hadnt been vaccinated against meningitis. After positive initial results, he brought the idea with him to Quebec, where he now works.
A 42-year-old police inspector, who had recovered from coronavirus infection, died in a hospital in Indore in the wee hours of Sunday, said the district administration.

Chief minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan announced Rs 50 lakh as ex-gratia payment for the cops family and a government job for his wife.

The police officer who was in charge of Juni police station in Indore contracted the virus while performing his duties, said police officials.

As per police officials, this was the first coronavirus-linked death of a police officer in the state.

Chief medical and health officer (CMHO) of Indore, Dr Pravin Jadia said, The police officer was hospitalised on March 31 having tested positive for Covid-19. After his treatment, he twice tested negative for the disease and was about to be discharged from the hospital, when his end came.

Dr Jadia added, The doctors at the hospital, where the cop was treated, suspect that the police officer died due to pulmonary embolism. However, it remains to be seen if the problem was caused by Covid-19.

Paying tributes to the cop, chief minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan said, The state government will provide Rs 50 lakh to the family as ex-gratia and appoint the police officers wife as a sub-inspector in the police department.

State Congress president Kamal Nath also paid tributes to the police officer.

The HT Guide to Coronavirus COVID-19
Bindi Irwin wed partner Chandler Powell at a secret ceremony at Australia Zoo on March 25.

In her Animal Planet TV wedding special, the 21-year-old conservationist revealed the heartbreak of not having her late father with her on her wedding day.

Bindi said that she wished Steve, who died 14 years ago, could have met the man she was then about to marry.

Heartbreak: In the latest episode of Crikey! It's the Irwins, Bindi (pictured) expressed her heartbreak at not having her late father at her wedding

'I wish, I wish so much, that dad and Chandler could have met,' said an emotional Bindi.

The Australia Zoo co-owner added: 'But in a way, I feel like dad is still with us.'

Bindi went on to say that she was very close to her father, and every missed milestone without him was difficult.

'I had the closet relationship with my dad. He was always my best friend. And we did everything together,' she said.

Father-in-law: 'I wish, I wish so much, that dad and Chandler could have met, an emotional Bindi said. She is pictured with now-husband Chandler Powell

The Australia Zoo co-owner added hopefully: 'But in a way, I feel like dad is still with us.' Bindi is pictured with her father Steve in 2003

Daddy's girl: Bindi went on to say that she was very close to her father, and every missed milestone without him was difficult

'[The] moments that you have to live through without the person that you love so much is incredibly challenging,' she continued.

Bindi went on to explain that she knows her father would want her to be happy rather than missing him on her wedding day.

'But what's the one thing dad would have wanted?' she asked. 'He would have wanted me to be happy, for this to be the most joyful time in my life.

Hard: '[The] moments that you have to live through without the person that you love so much is incredibly challenging,' she continued. Pictured with her father Steve and mother Terri in 2002

'And that's how I am really trying to approach this. His spirit lives on in everything we do and I think he'd be really excited.'

Bindi and Chandler made the 'difficult decision' to host their wedding at Australia Zoo on March 25 without guests amid the coronavirus pandemic.

Prime Minister Scott Morrison enforced new restrictions on weddings, with only five people allowed to attend - including the couple, the celebrant and witnesses.

The couple got engaged at Australia Zoo in Queensland in July last year, on what was her 21st birthday. They began dating in 2015.

Steve Irwin, famously known as the 'Crocodile Hunter', tragically died from a stingray barb to the heart in 2006. He was 44-years-old.

Married: Bindi wed partner Chandler (left) at a secret ceremony at Australia Zoo on March 25. Bindi went on to explain: '[Dad] would have wanted me to be happy, for this to be the most joyful time in my life. His spirit lives on in everything we do and I think he'd be really excited'
New York state will expand its coronavirus testing starting this week in an attempt to find out how many people might have the antibodies for COVID-19, Gov. Andrew Cuomo announced today.

Such testing is different from diagnostic tests, which can determine whether or not a person is infected. The test for antibodies can help determine whether a person had previously been infected and may show whether they are now immune to this particular virus.

The tests, at least initially, will be done randomly across the state, in order to provide a statistical sample, Cuomo said. The state can then use the sample to determine what percent of the population may have been exposed to the virus.

Cuomo said the new antibody tests, coupled with the existing diagnostic tests, will give New York the most aggressive coronavirus testing program in the nation.

The antibody tests, taken from blood samples, could help the state figure out how many New Yorkers have had the coronavirus, Cuomo said Sunday during a briefing held at the Feinstein Institute for Medical Research, the home of research at Northwell Health, in Manhasset, Long Island.

Any plan to start to reopen the economy has to be based on data and testing, and we have to make sure our antibody and diagnostic testing is up to the scale we need so we can safely get people back to work, Cuomo said. ... This will be the first true snapshot of what were dealing with."

Northwell is adding antibody tests to its existing portfolio of diagnostic tests, the companys president, Michael Dowling, said at the briefing.

The state hopes to have the results from the first 3,000 antibody tests by the end of the week, according to Melissa DeRosa, secretary to the governor.

Cuomo did not provide specific details of the antibody testing, such as when or where they will be conducted. He noted that as a random sampling, people cannot ask for the tests, as they can for diagnostic testing.

On Twitter after the briefing, DeRosa said the sample will be representative of the state  by region, race, gender and age.

She also noted that New York will test 3,000 people out of the total state population of 19.5 million, compared to similar testing recently conducted in Germany, which sampled 3,000 people in a total population of 83 million.

At a briefing in Syracuse today, Onondaga County Executive Ryan McMahon said antibody tests for the state samples are being conducted at several locations around the county, but he would not disclose them.

Dowling, of Northwell Health, said the antibody testing and the resulting sample will be important tools in helping officials determine when to reopen" the state to business as usual.

If you dont do the testing and we reopen too quickly, that would be the most dangerous thing, Dowling said.

MORE ON CORONAVIRUS

Coronavirus in NY: Cases, maps, charts and resources

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Complete coronavirus coverage on syracuse.com

Don Cazentre writes for NYup.com, syracuse.com and The Post-Standard. Reach him at dcazentre@nyup.com, or follow him at NYup.com, on Twitter or Facebook.

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The father of a missing Safety Beach man involved in the Mornington Peninsula's drug scene says he could have been murdered by people trying to send a message about drug debts.

Jacob Horton, 28, was last seen leaving a residence in Drum Close, Frankston, almost 10 months ago and police now believe he may have met with foul play.

Detectives from the missing persons squad are appealing for public assistance as part of their investigation into the disappearance of Safety Beach man Jacob Horton in June. Credit:Victoria Police

Jacob did not have a mobile phone or motor vehicle at the time he went missing on the morning of June 27.

Detectives from the missing person squad believe that when Jacob vanished, he was trying to find transport back towards the Rosebud area. He was well known there and often travelled to Frankston to visit associates.
E.R. Murray writes novels for children and young adults, as well as short fiction. Originally from Middlesbrough in the UK, she now lives in West Cork. Her books include The Nine Lives Trilogy and the stand-alone novel Caramel Hearts.

Murray is due to co-conduct a five-day workshop for teenage writers at the West Cork Literary Festival this July.

The festival is due to run in Bantry from July 10 to July 17. For more information, visit westcorkliteraryfestival.ie or ermurray.com.

What's the most important lesson about money which your career in writing has taught you?

I don't earn my full income from my books - even though I have four books published.

I earn some royalties and also money from a film option but the biggest portion of my income is from writing-related freelance, such as school events, workshops, manuscript reports and so on.

So the most important lesson learned would probably be: make sure you're flexible and have a solid grounding in other work that can keep you financially buoyant so you can support your writing.

The most expensive country you ever visited?

Definitely Iceland. I had a residency there for a month and everything was incredibly expensive. Half-day tours were several hundred euro, and food was insanely pricey - it was around 28 for an eight-inch takeaway pizza. Thankfully, I did my research first and brought lots of essentials with me.

The best advice you ever got about money?

The saying 'shy kids get nowt' was a common phrase when I was growing up and it gave me an appreciation for opportunity. I've always been confident enough to ask for opportunities, such as pay rises, job promotions, new positions and so on.

What has the ongoing coronavirus crisis taught you about money?

It's confirmed what I already believe: money is useful but integrity should be a person's driving force.

Apart from property, what's the most expensive thing you have ever bought?

I don't own property and have never wanted to. I've moved around a lot and so property always felt like a bind. I also don't drive - so I don't own any expensive items. I tend to invest in travel and experiences, though I did spend a ludicrous amount (around 1,000) on a special-edition Montblanc fountain pen when I was leaving a very well-paid job to concentrate on my books.

It was a statement - but also an investment. I half-jokingly told everyone I could sell it if the writing didn't work out. Thankfully, it did.

What was your biggest financial mistake?

I took on a partner's debt, then got stuck with that debt when we broke up. Foolish, I know.

Are you better off than your parents?

By far, but that wouldn't be difficult. I grew up in a single-parent family in the north of England during Thatcher's Britain. There was no money for anything - even our TV was rented and we often went without gas or electricity. We relied on free school meals and bread queues for food.

If you won the Euromillions, what would you do with the money?

New experiences and travel are what make me tick, so I'd probably visit some out-of-reach exotic locations.

But I'd also have to fund some causes I believe in, especially those providing more opportunities for working-class artists.

What was the last thing you bought online?

Books. I'm doing my best to support indie bookshops during these difficult times.

Would you buy Irish property now?

No. I wouldn't be able to afford it by a long shot and I couldn't imagine putting myself into that much debt. I would find it far too stressful.

Do you ever haggle?

I like a good haggle. I used to go to Turkey a lot when I was in my early 20s and I remember haggling for some necklaces for hours.

What three things would you not be able to do without if you were tightening your belt?

Books. Wine. Walking boots.
A Texas woman has died from COVID-19 exactly 102 years after her older sister passed away from the Spanish flu pandemic of 1918.

Selma Esther Ryan and Esther Hoeffner, were both born in Hurnville, Texas.

Ryan passed away on Tuesday at an assisted living facility in Austin after suffering from the coronavirus, which is deadliest to older people.

Her sister, Hoeffner, who she never got a chance to meet, died in 1918 from the influenza pandemic, also known as the Spanish flu, even though it didn't originate in Spain.

Selma Esther Ryan (left), 96, of Texas, has died from COVID-19 exactly 102 years after her older sister, Esther Hoeffner (right, as a child) passed away at the age of five from the Spanish flu pandemic of 1918

According to Ryan's daughter, Vicki, her mother started feeling feverish on April 3. Ryan's (pictured) health continued to decline until her death last week

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the 1918 pandemic infected 500 million people worldwide, and killed 50 million people.

In the US alone, the 1918 pandemic killed about 675,000 people.

Ryan, who had lived at the assisted living facility for the last three years, was born five years after her sister died from the Spanish flu.

Ryan's daughter, Vicki, told WGN-TV that her mother and at least five other residents at the facility were experiencing high fevers on April 3.

'Over the next five days I watched through the window as she got sicker and sicker. It was so hard to not be with her,' Vicki said.

Vicki told the station that Ryan celebrated her 96th birthday on April 11.

'Our family gathered outside her window, but it was obvious that something terrible had happened,' Vicki said.

According to Vicki, Ryan was not tested for COVID-19 until after she died.

Globally, more than 2.3 million people have been infected with the coronavirus and more than 163,000 people have died.

In the US, the coronavirus has infected more than 741,000 people and killed more than 39,900 people.

In the US, the coronavirus has infected more than 741,000 people and killed more than 39,900 people

Last week it was revealed that more than 3,600 deaths in the US have been linked to coronavirus outbreaks in nursing homes and long-term care facilities.

But the true toll among the 1 million mostly frail and elderly people who live in such facilities is likely much higher, experts say, because most state counts don't include those who died without ever being tested for COVID-19.

Outbreaks in just the past few weeks have included one at a nursing home in suburban Richmond, Virginia, that has killed 42 and infected more than 100.

Another outbreak occurred at a nursing home in central Indiana that has killed 24 and infected 16.

A third took place at a veterans home in Holyoke, Massachusetts, that has killed 38, infected 88 and prompted a federal investigation.

This comes weeks after an outbreak at a nursing home in the Seattle suburb of Kirkland that has so far claimed 43 lives.

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.
The ceremonies will be held assuming the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and state health officials determine it is safe to do so, President Morehead said in an email.
The police on Sunday ordered an inquiry against Jasbir Singh, station house officer (SHO), Industrial Area, for allegedly harassing and misbehaving with a journalist working in a city-based newspaper.

Deputy inspector general of police (DIG) Ombir Singh Bishnoi will be probing the incident to determine what led to the detention of the journalist who was on his way to office on April 18.

Chandigarh police respects the fourth pillar of the democracy and considers media helpful in fighting against the outbreak of Covid-19. Keeping in view yesterdays incident in which a senior journalist alleged  harassment, an inquiry has been initiated against the officials concerned, said an official statement from the police.

Strictest action will be taken if the official concerned is found guilty after a fact finding probe, Ombir Singh said.

The Chandigarh Press Club on Sunday also condemned what it said was the unlawful detention of the journalist.

The matter would be taken up with the UT administrator VPS Badnore, Press Club members said.

The journalist was on his way to work when he was stopped at the Sector 29-30 crossing at 4.30pm and detained for violating curfew rules even though the media is in the essential list of services allowing journalists to move to carry out their professional commitments.

The journalist was carrying his identity card and even had a curfew pass, but despite being shown the valid documents the Chandigarh Police took him to Industrial Area, Phase I, police station and let him go after almost one hour.
- Protests were witnessed in Texas state with locals calling on government to end lockdown for them to resume duty

- The protests came after President Donald Trump called o demonstrators to liberate some states

- The head of state said some governors had put very strict measures in place that were against their personal liberty

Residents of Texas state in the United States have taken to the streets demanding end of lockdown after President Donald Trump asked demonstrators to liberate certain states.

In texas , the main protesters were outside the statehouse in Austin with some of those who gathered chanting, "Let us work, let us work."

READ ALSO: Mpambe wa Rais Buhari afariki dunia kutokana na coronavirus

Protesters walk towards the Texas State Capital building on April 18, 2020 in Austin, Texas. Photo: NBC News

Source: UGC

READ ALSO: Ken Walibora's relatives struggling to come to terms with author's death

In a report by NBC News, some of the demonstrators brandished signs with phrases like, "This is tyranny, not quarantine" and "Open now!"

The demonstrations came after President Trump tweeted a series of messages calling demonstrators to liberate Minnesota, Michigan and Virginia in order to save the great 2nd Amendment which was under siege.

Trump defended the statement saying that "elements" of some state regulations were "just too tough."

A protester holdIng a flag in protest over the stay-at-home orders. Photo: NBC News

Source: UGC

READ ALSO: St John Ambulance dismisses claims it declined to evacuate Ken Walibora from accident scene

The president's statement which seemed to have encouraged protests came after his announcement that he would offer guidelines for reopening the country.

However, he said he would leave specific aspects up to governors to come up with a plan on reopening their states.

Since the states started implementing the stay-at-home orders, several protests have cropped up with some arguing the measures were violating their personal liberty.

The protesters want the lockdown to end of fear of losing jobs. Photo: NBC News

Source: UGC

READ ALSO: Nyeri: 3 chiefs spend hours in bar after they were locked inside by drunkards

Demonstrators are often seen waving "Don't Tread on Me" flags and wearing "Make America Great Again" hats.

Many were concerned with their inability to work due to business closures, a worry spreading across the country as unemployment claims rose to 22 million in one month.

The United States is leading the world with the highest number of deaths standing at 39,78 with 738,923 confirmed cases.

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
Health workers prepare to bury the remains of Nigerian president's chief of staff, Abba Kyari, at the Gudu Cemetery in Abuja on April 18, 2020. Kyari, the chief of staff and senior adviser to the Nigerian head of state Muhammadu Buhari, died after contracting COVID-19, the government announced that day. AFP



The Nigerian president's chief of staff died on Friday from COVID-19, the presidency said on Saturday, making him the most high profile person in the country to die in the coronavirus outbreak.



Abba Kyari had acted as the gatekeeper to 77-year-old President Muhammadu Buhari. After his re-election last year, Buhari ordered ministers to channel all communications through him.



Kyari had underlying health problems including diabetes. Reuters reported on March 24 that he had contracted the disease.



"Mallam Abba Kyari, who died on 17th April, 2020, at the age of 67 from complications caused by the coronavirus, was a true Nigerian patriot," said Buhari in a tweet, using an honorific title for Kyari.



He referred to Kyari as his "loyal friend and compatriot for the last 42 years" who, as chief of staff, "strove quietly and without any interest in publicity or personal gain" to implement the president's agenda.



Kyari travelled to Germany in early March with a delegation of other Nigerian officials for meetings with Siemens AG . He attended meetings with senior government officials upon his return to Nigeria before he was diagnosed as having contracted the new coronavirus.



Nigeria has 493 confirmed cases and 17 deaths, according to the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control.



Buhari, whose public pronouncements are rare, himself has undisclosed medical ailments and spent five months in London for treatments in 2017.



Kyari's death might leave a potential opening for a rethink of policy at the heart of government.



Analysts said the government's statist approach since Buhari took office in 2015 was in large part influenced by his chief of staff, a former executive at the United Bank for Africa Plc.



Antony Goldman, head of Nigeria-focused PM Consulting, said Kyari was "the central figure in driving forward" government policies on agricultural reform, investment in infrastructure and power.



"Kyari was very close to Buhari and arguably the most powerful man within the administration," said Malte Liewerscheidt, vice president of Teneo Intelligence in a note.



"Kyari's death removes the centre of gravity from Buhari's inner circle and might provide an opening for more reform-minded elements such as Vice President Yemi Osinbajo," he said.



Kyari's death could be very significant because he showed "an immense ability to wield power in the context of a largely absent president", said Clement Nwankwo, director of the Abuja-based Policy and Legal Advocacy Centre think-tank.



"There is no evidence that the chief of staff shared that power with anyone. He was totally trusted and it isn't clear who could fill those shoes," said Nwankwo.



Kyari died at a private hospital in the commercial capital, Lagos, a statement issued by Lagos state government said.



His body was flown to the capital, Abuja, on Saturday. He was buried at a cemetery in the city in a private ceremony after funeral prayers at his residence, said Buhari's spokesman Garba Shehu. (Reuters)


current-affairs-trends Lockdown 2.0 | A complete list of activities that will resume from today In a bid to restart the economy, the government will allow the following activities to resume from Monday
PORTAPIQUE, N.S.Sirens shattered the silence of the small, rural farming community of Portapique, N.S., in the early hours of Sunday as police carried out a manhunt for a gunman on a killing spree who was driving a replica RCMP car.

Just east of the point where the Portapique River makes its last stretch across the tidal flats to reach the Minas Basin, police filled the streets and told frightened residents to lock their doors and stay in their basements.

When the sirens quieted and the flashing lights were doused, at least 17 people  including one Mountie  were dead. The object of that manhunt, 51-year-old Gabriel Wortman, was also among the dead, after police caught up with him at a gas station near Enfield, N.S., 100 kilometres away.

Police reported several casualties both inside and outside the home in Portapique that was ground zero for the shootings, and more casualties at multiple locations across the northern part of the province, about an hours drive from the New Brunswick border.

Const. Heidi Stevenson, a 23-year member of the RCMP and a mother of two, was killed during the shooting rampage. A second officer was also wounded.

The death toll makes it one of the worst mass shootings in Canadian history, surpassing the 14 victims of the 1989 Ecole Polytechnique massacre in Montreal.

It began late Saturday night, when police received several firearms complaints around 11:30 p.m. from residents of Portapique, about 40 kilometres west of Truro.

Officers responding to the calls found the shooting victims and began a manhunt for the suspect. The entrance to Portapique Beach Road was blockaded. Multiple teams, including officers from Halifax, joined the hunt. Helicopters scanned the roads from above and armed police roamed streets, that were deserted as residents observed self-isolation.

At one point during the evening hours, Wortman was wearing a portion of a police uniform, and was driving a vehicle resembling an RCMP cruiser.

He was spotted in Glenholme, Debert, then Brookfield, Shubenacadie and Milford, pushing east toward Truro, then south toward Halifax.

At a later point, police reported that he had switched vehicles and was driving a silver SUV. Police blockaded several points along the southbound Hwy. 102, heading to Halifax.

By late Sunday morning, the hunt was over. A half dozen police vehicles swarmed an Irving Big Stop gas station near Enfield. Yellow police tape surrounded the gas pumps, and a large silver-coloured SUV was being investigated by police.

A body was seen lying near the silver SUV. Police would not comment on the bodys identity.

What has unfolded  is incomprehensible, said Chief Supt. Lee Bergerman, commanding officer for the RCMP in Nova Scotia.

RCMP Chief Supt. Chris Leather told a news conference that the investigation is ongoing and it is possible more bodies would be found.

Were not fully aware what that total may be, because as were standing here, the investigation continues into areas that we have not yet explored across the province, Leather said.

While not aware of the shooters motivations, Leather said the replica RCMP car would be an important part of the investigation.

The fact that this individual had a uniform and a police car at his disposal certainly speaks to it not being a random act, he said.

Countless families are in mourning today ... the impact of this incident will extend from one end of the province to the other. As Nova Scotians, we have to do what were known for, and come together in times of need and support each other.

Nova Scotia Premier Stephen McNeil addressed the shooting Sunday before his daily COVID-19 updates, labelling the incident one of the most senseless acts of violence in our provinces history.

I never imagined when I went to bed last night that I would wake up to the horrific news that an active shooter was on the loose in Nova Scotia, McNeil said. To the families of the victims, and to those who are still feeling afraid, my heart goes out to you.

We are all in shock that such a thing could happen here in Nova Scotia, and its a heavy burden to bear on top of COVID-19, McNeil said. But we must stay strong.

Peter Hodge, a 65-year-old retiree, lives across the street from the top of Portapique Beach Road, where Wortman was reported to have a house. He was woken at 1 a.m. Sunday morning by sirens and flashing lights.

It was major, major league SWAT stuff going on, he said. RCMP officers asked to look at Hodges security camera footage he said, but found nothing useful on it. Since then, hes been getting most of his updates on the situation outside his door from social media.

Officers had been blockading the top of Portapique Beach Road since the early morning hours.

Christine Mills, a longtime Portapique resident, told the Star that there were helicopters, SWAT trucks, and squad cars swarming the community right at sunrise, with two Mounties stationed right outside her house, leaving only after Wortman, had been apprehended by police.

Mills told the Star that she knows where Wortmans house is, but has never met him.

Its a log home right on the ocean side, not on the beach  but looking at the river. It was a big log home, Mills said.

Donna Dominix, a retiree living in Portapique with her husband, said that on Saturday night, after reports of fires and gunshots in the area, the couple locked their doors, closed their blinds, and waited out the manhunt.

I was up for a little while last night, and theres lots of wooded area around here, so you didnt know if this guy was on foot or in a car or what, so I was a bit anxious, Dominix told the Star.

She said that Portapique, a small, tight-knit community of around 250, has never had an incident like this before, and that its an otherwise peaceful drive-thru of a town.

It was devastating ... we dont know what happened and why it happened, Dominix said.

A Gabriel Wortman is listed as a denturist in Dartmouth, according to the Denturist Society of Nova Scotia website. A suspect photo issued by the RCMP matches video footage of a man being interviewed about dentures by CTV Atlantic in 2014.

Portapique residents who spoke with media either said they did not know Wortman personally, or knew him in passing as a part-time resident who divided time between the Halifax area and his properties in the community.

David George Crockett, who lives a three-minute drive from Portapique Beach Road, the area where the first 911 calls originated, said Wortman once fixed his teeth at his home in Portapique.

Im very surprised, Crockett said in a brief interview outside his rural home as the sun was setting. I never thought he would do something like that.

From what I knew of him, he was quiet, gentle and very easy to talk to ... He was very nice. He kidded around a little bit. He seemed normal, not like someone who would do something like this.

Crockett said the horrific news that at least 17 people had been killed left him feeling overwhelmed, given the stress he and his family was already feeling because of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Its very depressing to see someone do something like this.

With files from The Canadian Press

Ilya Banares is a breaking news reporter, working out of the Stars radio room in Toronto. Follow him on Twitter: @ilyaoverseas Ted Fraser is a breaking news reporter in Halifax.

SM Steve McKinley is a Halifax-based reporter for the Star. Reach him via email: stevemckinley@thestar.ca or follow him on Twitter: @smckinley1

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Europe reached two tragic milestones on Sunday as it recorded 1 million coronavirus cases and reported over 100,000 deaths from the Covid-19 pandemic.

Despite the rising numbers across Europe, there was some cheer as Spain registered a sharp drop in daily deaths on Sunday. Signs that the outbreak could eventually be easing prompted Switzerland, Denmark and Finland to begin reopening shops and schools this week.

Spains fatalities fell to 410 from 565 the previous day. The deaths in the third hardest-hit country in the world after the US and Italy has reached 20,453. Its a number that gives us hope, said health ministry emergencies coordinator Fernando Simon of the daily death toll, which is at its lowest in four weeks.

Germany has declared the virus is under control, having reported 3,400 deaths, and is beginning the task of lifting some restrictions without triggering a secondary outbreak - with some shops allowed to reopen on Monday, and some children returning to school within weeks.

Parts of Italy began emerging from lockdown, too, with residents in Venice seen to be strolling around the quiet canals.

France has shown signs of a lockdown bearing fruit. The country reported 395 new deaths, the smallest increase in five days, while the number of hospitalised patients also declined.

UK lockdown wont be eased as toll hits 16k

The British government on Sunday insisted it is not yet safe to ease the lockdown, amid criticism that PM Boris Johnsons administration didnt respond quickly enough in the early stages of the outbreak, which may have led to thousands of deaths.

The UK reported 596 new deaths, taking the total number of fatalities to 16,060.

Michael Gove, senior cabinet minister, firmly rejected reports alleging that Johnson did not attend five meetings related to the crisis, and that ministers were slow in responding despite evidence of its seriousness.
A conservative economist with close ties to President Trump raised eyebrows when he likened those protesting social distancing restrictions during the coronavirus pandemic to civil rights hero Rosa Parks.

Stephen Moore, who was recently named to a White House task force assigned with examining ways to reopen the economy, praised the crowds of protesters seen in various cities across the country in recent days demanding the lifting of lockdown restrictions.

'I think there's a boiling point that has been reached and exceeded,' Moore, who has been among several influential conservatives leaning on the president to ease shelter-in-place restrictions, told The Washington Post.

Stephen Moore, a conservative economist who is close to President Trump, said those protesting social distancing orders during the coronavirus pandemic are akin to 'modern day Rosa Parks'

MOORE'S COMMENTS ON ROSA PARKS BEGIN AT AROUND 15:50

'I call these people the modern-day Rosa Parks - they are protesting against injustice and a loss of liberties,' he said.

Moore made similar comments during a video conference chat posted online by the libertarian think tank Independence Institute.

He said in the chat which was posted online on Tuesday that he was helping organize a 'drive-in' protest in Wisconsin, where the Democratic governor, Tony Evers, extended statewide stay-at-home orders until May 26.

'They're going to shut down the Capitol. Shh. Don't tell anybody,' Moore said of the protesters.

'This is a great time for civil disobedience.

'We need to be the Rosa Parks here and protest against these government injustices.'

Rosa Parks was an African-American civil rights icon who famously refused to give up her seat on a Montgomery, Alabama, public bus to a white man in 1955  a time when the Deep South was segregated by race.

Parks was arrested by authorities for her act of civil disobedience, which ignited the Montgomery Bus Boycott, a crucial turning point in the civil rights movement.

Parks was 92 when she died in 2005.

The comment by Moore ignited outrage on social media.

Rosa Parks was an African-American civil rights icon who famously refused to give up her seat on a Montgomery, Alabama, public bus to a white man in 1955  a time when the Deep South was segregated by race

Ibram X. Kendi tweeted: 'Stephen Moore calls them 'modern-day Rosa Parks.'

'But Parks desired different freedoms.

'These folk want the freedom to infect, like they have wanted the freedom to enslave, lynch, deport, exclude, rob.

'They have always protested the 'loss of liberties'.'

N.K. Jemisin tweeted that Parks 'was not protesting for the right to KILL PEOPLE WITH A VIRUS.'

Ida Bae Wells tweeted: 'When people like Stephen Moore make comparisons to Rosa Parks we should treat it as the cynical, calculated form of race baiting that it is.

'Enslavers said *they* were in fact the slaves. Segregationists adopted Civil Rights [movement] language to fight policies to help black people.'

N.K. Jemisin tweeted that Parks 'was not protesting for the right to KILL PEOPLE WITH A VIRUS'

Mark Harris tweeted: 'I'll never forget the day Rosa Parks got on the bus with a submachine gun and refused to wear a mask because of freedom'

Rosa Parks 'didn't endanger other people's live. She endangered whiteness,' wrote Ashton Pittman

Ida Bae Wells tweeted that Moore's comments were aimed at 'evoking outrage while simultaneously obscuring the real racial and economic injustice people are facing'

Ibram X. Kendi wrote that pro-Trump protesters 'want the freedom to infect, like they have wanted the freedom to enslave, lynch, deport, exclude, rob.'

One Twitter user responded with a meme meant to express: 'Some day, I just... cannot... even...'

Reverend Dr. William J. Barber II tweeted: 'When people say stupid things, don't get stuck on stupid. Stupid is an act to distract'

Mark Harris tweeted: 'I'll never forget the day Rosa Parks got on the bus with a submachine gun and refused to wear a mask because of freedom.'

Ashton Pittman tweeted: 'When Rosa Parks sat at the front of the bus, she didn't endanger other people's lives. She endangered whiteness.

'I know it is difficult for some people to separate the two, though.'

Reverend Dr. William J. Barber II tweeted: 'When people say stupid things, don't get stuck on stupid. Stupid is an act to distract.

'Stay focused on what's true & real.

'Let's be smart & vote this foolishness out of office in November.'

Governors eager to rescue their economies and feeling heat from Trump are moving to ease restrictions meant to control the spread of the coronavirus, even as new hot spots emerge and experts warn that moving too fast could prove disastrous.

Adding to the pressure are protests against stay-at-home orders organized by small-government groups and Trump supporters.

They staged demonstrations Saturday in several cities after the president urged them to 'liberate' three states led by Democratic governors.

Several hundred protesters defied social distancing guidelines and gathered outside Minnesota Governor Tim Walz' official residence in St. Paul on Friday demanding an end to the statewide coronavirus lockdown

Several hundred protesters gather outside Minnesota Governor Tim Walz' official residence in St. Paul, Minnesota, on Friday

Some of the protesters were cautious and stayed in their vehicles while others gathered in defiance of social distancing orders

Protests happened in Republican-led states, too, including at the Texas Capitol and in front of the Indiana governor's home.

Republican Texas Governor Greg Abbott already said that restrictions will begin easing next week.

Indiana Governor Eric Holcomb - who signed an agreement with six other Midwestern states to coordinate reopening - said he would extend his stay-at-home order until May 1.

Rhode Island, between the hot spots of Massachusetts and New York, has seen a steady daily increase in infections and deaths, with nursing home residents accounting for more than 90 of the state's 118 deaths.

The state's death rate of around 10 people per 100,000 is among the nation's highest per capita, according to data compiled by the COVID Tracking Project.

Massachusetts had its highest number of deaths in a single day on Friday, with 159.

Republican Governor Charlie Baker, citing the advice of health experts, said states should wait until infection rates and hospitalizations decline for about two weeks before acting.

Trump, whose administration waited months to bolster stockpiles of key medical supplies and equipment, appeared to back protesters.

'LIBERATE MINNESOTA!' 'LIBERATE MICHIGAN!' 'LIBERATE VIRGINIA,' Trump said in a tweet-storm in which he also lashed out at New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo, a Democrat, for criticizing the federal response.

Cuomo 'should spend more time 'doing' and less time 'complaining',' the president said.

At his Saturday briefing with reporters, Cuomo cited more progress.

The daily increase in deaths in New York state fell below 550 for the first time in more than two weeks as hospitalizations continued to decline.

But the crisis is far from over: Hospitals are still reporting nearly 2,000 new COVID-19 patients per day, and nursing homes remain a 'feeding frenzy for this virus,' he said.

'We are not at a point when we are going to be reopening anything immediately,' Cuomo said.

In Texas, several hundred people rallied on steps of the state Capitol to call for an end to social restrictions.

Many protesters sought an immediate lifting of restrictions and chanted 'Let us work!' in a state where more than 1 million people have filed for unemployment since the crisis began.

The rally was organized by a host of Infowars, owned by conspiracy theorist Alex Jones, who joined protesters on the Capitol steps.

Jones is being sued in Austin over using his show to promote falsehoods that the 2012 Sandy Hook school massacre in Connecticut was a hoax.

Elsewhere, a few hundred demonstrators cheered and waved signs outside the Statehouse in New Hampshire, which has had nearly 1,300 cases of the virus and more than three dozen deaths through Friday.

'Even if the virus were 10 times as dangerous as it is, I still wouldn't stay inside my home.

'I'd rather take the risk and be a free person,' said one of the protesters, talk show host Ian Freeman.

Trump is pushing to relax the US lockdown by May 1, a plan that hinges partly on more testing.

Public health officials said the ability to test enough people and trace contacts of those who are infected is crucial before easing restrictions, and that infections could surge anew unless people continue to take precautions.
A woman has been accused of putting lives at risk after dumping her car in front of a fire station entrance to go shopping.

Footage shared on social media shows the abandoned silver Honda blocking the entrance of Southampton's city centre station.

Firefighters received an emergency call at around 6pm on Thursday following reports of an alarm going off in a flat.

As they raced to leave the station and respond to the call, the engine was forced to slowly manoeuvre around the car as it tried not to collide with the vehicle.

The silver Honda was left dumped in front of the fire station for 20 minutes

The fire service was forced to manoeuvre the engine slowly out of the station to avoid colliding with the car

The female driver was issued a ticket by police. When she returned from shopping her car wouldn't start and firefighters had to help her push the car out the way

When the driver eventually returned after around 20 minutes, she allegedly couldn't start the car and firefighters were forced to help her push the vehicle out the way of the aerial ladder platform.

A station representative posted on social media that: 'The car was there for just over 20 minutes for shopping. Long enough that the police were able to attend and issue a ticket. Please consider where you park, especially around emergency service stations. Also at home. We need our space.'

Hampshire Fire Service Deputy Chief Fire Officer Steve Apter said: 'Motorists blocking the paths of emergency services vehicles is worse than ever before.

'Some drivers are parking opposite one another making an entire road inaccessible while others are actually stopping by station exits, often in the hatched areas, and some are even leaving their cars on our grounds.

'These issues are causing delays and when tackling a fire or cutting somebody out of a car this can be the difference between life and death.'
Popular MasterChef series two contestant Courtney Roulston announced her engagement to long-term partner Sophie King in 2014.

However, many viewers of the cooking show were unaware that the 39-year-old has a same-sex fiancee.

When Courtney casually mentioned Sophie on Sunday's episode of MasterChef Australia: Back To Win, many watching at home rejoiced.

Happy! Courtney Roulston (left) announced her engagement to long-term partner Sophie King (right) in 2014. When Courtney casually mentioned Sophie on Sunday's episode of MasterChef Australia: Back To Win, many watching at home rejoiced

While the judges were appraising her dish, the Sydney Swans AFL Team Chef said: 'I've been tinkering with the idea of opening up a wine bar with my partner, Sophie'.

Fans of the show were delighted with her comment, with one person Tweeting: 'I didn't know Courtney has a fiancee, I heckin stan!'

Another wrote: 'Courtney mentioning her partner was super cute and not something that would have happened when #MasterChefAU Masterchef first aired in 2009!'

While the judges were appraising her dish, the Sydney Swans AFL Team Chef said: 'I've been tinkering with the idea of opening up a wine bar with my partner, Sophie'

So happy: Fans of the show were delighted with her comment, with one person Tweeting: 'I didn't know Courtney has a fiancee, I heckin stan!'

Someone else chimed in: Courtneys gay?! I LOVE HER MORE!!' while another wrote: 'OH MY GOD I FOROGT SHE WAS GAY OK LETS GO COURTNEY!!!'

Another Tweeted: 'Courtney is a lesbian omg yessss im rooting for her from now on'.

'Omgggggggg Courtney is queer like me??!! ONE OF USSSSS,' rejoiced someone else from home.

Soon to wed: Last week, Courtney, who has been engaged six years, discussed her wedding plans in an interview with The Daily Telegraph

She explained: 'I want something that is enjoyable, some really good food and some good friends. A wedding should just be a big party'

Last week, Courtney, who has been engaged six years, discussed her wedding plans in an interview with The Daily Telegraph.

The caterer revealed she wanted a 'big party' for her big day, having never dreamed of an 'elaborate' wedding.

She explained: 'I want something that is enjoyable, some really good food and some good friends. A wedding should just be a big party.

Nice! Courtney and Sophie became engaged in Byron Bay in 2014, with Sophie popping the question with a vintage emerald and diamond ring

'I don't want a $20,000 wedding dress or any of that stuff. I am pretty old school.'

Courtney and Sophie became engaged in Byron Bay in 2014, announcing the good news to social media shortly after.

Sophie popped the question with a vintage emerald and diamond ring after surprising her chef partner with the trip.

MasterChef: Back to Win continues Monday at 7.30pm on Channel 10
MOSCOW (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 20th April, 2020) The Russian Ministry of Defense, at the request of the Moldovan authorities, has delivered a shipment of humanitarian aid to combat COVID-19 from China to Chisinau, the ministry said in a statement.

"On April 19, at the request of the Moldovan authorities, the Russian Ministry of Defense carried out an operation resulting in a Russian Aerospace Forces An-124 aircraft containing medical equipment donated by China travel from Shanghai (China) to Chisinau (Moldova) to help combat the spread of COVID-19 in Moldova," the statement read.

According to the ministry, the Russian Aerospace Forces delivered 40 tonnes of humanitarian cargo to Moldova, noting that this was the first such humanitarian cooperation between Moscow and Beijing.

"This cargo delivery is the first joint Russian-Chinese humanitarian action to curb the spread of the coronavirus disease," the statement read.
Police reinforcements rushed in as local people throw down barricades and block civic staff

An overview of the street in Padarayanapura locality in Bengaluru where violence broke out when health staff tried to move coronavirus suspects to a quarantine facility.

Bengaluru: Violence broke out Sunday night at a locality in Bengaluru when civic staff moved in to shift 20 residents to a quarantine facility after the area was detected to be a hotspot of coronavirus infection.

Some 200 residents of Padarayanapura overthrew barricades and attacked staff of the Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) when they tried to shift suspected cases after sealing off the locality. The lockdown followed the discovery of 17 Covid-19 cases and one death in the area.

Health staff had identified 58 persons in the locality as having come into contact with Covid-infected persons. Some 38 had been shifted to quarantine on Saturday. On Sunday, when BBMP officers were shifting the rest, a crowd gathered and resisted them, demanding that the local MLA Zameer Ahmad Khan be present.

Commissioner of police Bhaskar Rao said the local residents "have made a big mistake and it will be dealt effectively."

He said additional commissioner Soumendu Mukharjee was being sent to the spot with extra force to handle the situation. He said there have been no reports of injuries to staff

DCP West Ramesh Banoth explained that locals questioned staff why the patients had to be moved to quarantine, and demanded that coronavirus testing be done on site. The miscreants got into verbal spat and threw down barricades. We are closing the road again, he said.

The J J Nagar police have collected CCTV footage and mobile phone recordings from the spot and launched a search for the protesters. A platoon of the Karnataka State Reserve Police (KSRP) had been deployed to carry out identification and shifting of persons who came into contact with corona-infected persons.
Alicja Clarke, right, and Jusyna Zimkowski talk while reflected in a storefront window along with a windmill on Alisal Road in Solvang, Calif., last week. Clarke has not been working since the Copenhagen House had to close due to the coronavirus pandemic. (Genaro Molina/Los Angeles Times)

With his wire-rim glasses, burly build and shock of alabaster hair tucked into a bike helmet, Chuck Stacy looked a little like Santa Claus on vacation as he pedaled through Solvangs quaint business district last week.

He was leisurely riding down the center of an empty street in this California tourist haven that would be clogged with traffic under normal circumstances.

But these aren't normal times.

With much of the country under stay-at-home orders to curb the spread of the novel coronavirus the Danish-settled village, whose windmills and half-timbered architecture draws more than 1 million visitors a year, is a virtual ghost town.

Nancy Wyatt walks past sculptures of the Solvang founders, who wear surgical masks, in front of the Copenhagen House in Solvang last week. (Genaro Molina/Los Angeles Times)

Ive never seen it like this, said Stacy, a retired Episcopal preacher who has spent 53 of his 72 years in Solvang.

A couple of blocks away Thomas Birkholm keeps his Danish bakery going by preparing takeout orders with a staff made up largely of family after laying off 16 employees.

A wooden sculpture of one of the founders of Solvang wears a surgical mask with the message, "Wear Mask - Keep Solvang Safe," in front of the Copenhagen House in the California town. (Genaro Molina/Los Angeles Times)

Every day its like Christmas morning coming in here, Birkholm said. The streets are empty and everythings closed.

This is the equivalent of an economic earthquake for this tiny town of nearly 6,000 people nestled in the Santa Ynez Valley wine country, about a half hour north of Santa Barbara. Tourists are the engine of an economy than generates nearly $200 million in activity a year. Hundreds in Solvang and the surrounding bedroom communities have already lost their jobs while the city is losing $500,000 in tax revenue a month.

Thats a lot of money to a town this size, said Andrew Moore, whose wine-tasting room has shut down. Its a lot of money to a town of any size.

On a typical spring weekend just a handful of the citys 847 hotel rooms would be empty and the lines to get into the wine-tasting rooms and restaurants would be long. This weekend just a handful of the citys hotels were even open and the longest line was outside Bethania Lutheran Church, where people queued up for food donations.

Realtor Allan Jones and his wife acknowledge a honking car last week while standing next to a sign he erected at his real estate office in Solvang in hopes the economy opens up again. (Genaro Molina/Los Angeles Times)

Solvang began to feel the effects of the coronavirus pandemic March 15, when the Chumash Casino Resort in neighboring Santa Ynez closed. Four days later the rest of the state shut down too, with Gov. Gavin Newsom ordering all nonessential businesses to shut down.

Story continues

For a city that has endured floods, fires and economic downturns, the governors declaration was another painful blow.

This is just on a totally different scale, said Mayor Ryan Toussaint, who has lived in the city all his life. There is no playbook for this.

Toussaint, 33, said he is asked every day when things will go back to the way they were before, a question he cant answer. But the new normal, he acknowledges, is not sustainable.

People are kind of getting frustrated, he said. How long can they stay cooped up?

Solvangs majestic festival theater is among the city's many shuttered businesses, the nonprofit having already postponed most of its summer season. The Rancheros Visitadores, a procession of 750 cowboys whose numbers once included Ronald Reagan, Clark Gable and Walt Disney, have called off next months fundraising ride into town for the first time in 89 years.

Clockwise from upper left: Carol Collins, right, manager of Birkholm's Bakery & Cafe, helps a customer while both wear protective masks to prevent the coronavirus spread in downtown Solvang. A pedestrian makes her way past closed storefronts. Customers, both wearing protective masks to prevent coronavirus, exit Birkholm's Bakery & Cafe. A closed sign in downtown. (Genaro Molina / Los Angeles Times)

As Toussaint walked the lonely streets of the city center last week, a boy did skateboard tricks in the empty parking lot of a hotel whose red neon No Vacancy sign meant closed. In front of the Copenhagen House, a retail marketplace, the statues of Solvangs Danish founders have been outfitted with protective masks.

Bent Olsen, who opened a thriving bakery in Solvang five decades ago and did so well he bought the hotel across the street and invested in a restaurant downtown, has furloughed more than half of his staff. He likens the current situation to the 1973 oil crisis, when gas rationing kept people from around Southern California, who account for 85% of Solvangs visitors, off the roads.

But the hardship is relative, said Olsen, 76, who was born in Denmark in the waning days of World War II.

After the war, that was not very good times, said Olsen, whose bakery continues to sell pastries and coffee to go. We kind of learned how to tighten our belt. You have to survive. That stuck with us for all those years.

Not everyone is as stoic. About a quarter-mile down Mission Drive, the main road through town, Allan Jones has placed a sign in front of his real estate office asking passersby to honk if they want the shutdown to end.

"After the war, that was not very good times," said Bent Olsen, 76, owner of Olsen's Danish Village Bakery, and continues to sell pastries and coffee to go in Solvang. "We kind of learned how to tighten our belt," he concluded. (Genaro Molina/Los Angeles Times)

So many obliged the noise forced Jones to take the sign down.

A lot of people in this town are ready for things to open up again, Jones said, peeking out from beneath a cowboy hat. People are getting a little restless. We depend upon the visitors. People want to work and were being held back. Its tough on them.

People are a little tired of this and frankly think its a bit overdone; you know destroying the economy and all that, added Moore, the wine seller. Theyre willing to put up with it for a while but I think were getting pretty close to the end of it.

The impatience is understandable given that the virus has made few inroads in the Santa Ynez Valley, with just five of the areas 20,000 residents testing positive. The fact that Solvang and the surrounding tourist destinations have shut down has a lot to do with that because as the number of outsiders coming in drops, so does the risk of infection.

Chuck Stacy, 72, bikes down a street that is usually filled with cars and tourists in downtown Solvang last week. (Genaro Molina/Los Angeles Times)

There were a couple of residents that were really pounding on us back in January to stop the tour buses, said Robert Clarke, Solvangs mayor pro tem. And this is before we really knew what was coming.

Now theres great uncertainty over how long many of the citys merchants can hang on. The City Council have tapped $250,000 from Solvangs general fund to pay micro loans to 50 businesses that have yet to receive help from the federal government. But that money is now depleted and the towns coffers will continue to empty until the tourists return.

Nonprofit organizations, which fill the holes in the citys safety net, are also going broke.

As this drags on and people dont have as much money in their bank accounts, theyre not donating to charity, Clarke said.

Resources arent the only thing in short supply; time is running out too.

Memorial Day is huge for Solvang, said Birkholm of the holiday weekend that kicks off the busy summer period.

Thomas Birkholm, third generation owner of Birkholm's Bakery & Cafe, has one of the few businesses still open in downtown Solvang. (Genaro Molina/Los Angeles Times)

His family bakery, opened in 1951, is already preparing for that, ordering disposable menus and napkins and planning to spread out the tables for social-distancing purposes. The Solvang Brewing Co. is doing away with menus completely while removing its bar, dumping about half its tables and extending its patio into the parking lot in an effort to keep patrons apart once it reopens.

The way that my business partners and me see it, itll be a new paradigm, Bill Rodgers said. People are going to be thinking quite differently so we are already exercising a lot of best practices in things like sanitation.

And as they wait for the outsiders to return, the people of Solvang have turned to one another, which explains how a restaurant that opened two weeks after Newsoms shutdown order has become one of the most popular in town.

Michael Cherney and his wife, Sarah, both L.A. natives who have lived in the valley for a decade, opened the peasants FEAST on April 1, having invested $180,000 in their dream  tens of thousands of dollars that went for chairs, tables, plates and silverware that have never been used.

Bill Rodgers, co-owner of Solvang Brewing Co., stands inside the establishment, which has complied with the order that nonessential businesses close. (Genaro Molina/Los Angeles Times)

We were at the point where we were all in, Michael Cherney said. To stop and wait for a matter of months and then maybe get a bailout, we decided it wasnt worth the risk.

The locals rewarded the Cherneys pluck. The day they opened, serving takeout meals out of their parking lot, their old landlord bought $2,500 in gift cards and handed them out to his employees. Others have bought gift cards theyve donated to needy families while the fire station down the street hands out paper menus and urges visitors to give the restaurants seasonal comfort food a try.

We always knew that the locals are the bread and butter, Michael Cherney said. The community has always been real strong and supportive but maybe not as loud as they are now. Now theyre openly expressing, Were here to help you. 

But theres a limit to that help and the Cherneys say they probably cant survive more than three months as a takeout restaurant. The hope is that once people are free to leave home, vacationers will make the short drive to Solvang rather than sit elbow-to-elbow next to a stranger on an airplane or pull on a dirty slot-machine handle in a crowded Las Vegas casino.

A lone car drives down a deserted Alisal Road in downtown Solvang. (Genaro Molina/Los Angeles Times)

That was the citys comeback plan after the 2008 recession and Clarke is certain it will work again.

Were better situated than some other towns, he said. The declines are always faster than the up-swings but yes, Im pretty optimistic.




Jordan said governments will be looking for ways to generate revenue, as was the case after the Great Depression, and cannabis "is a significant revenue generator."

"One of the programs by the federal government right after the Great Depression was to focus on tax revenue generation," said Curaleaf Executive Chairman Boris Jordan. "They lifted prohibition on alcohol and therefore started to tax it -- and it became a major revenue generator for both the federal and the local governments around the country."

According to Cowen estimates, the U.S. cannabis market is worth approximately $56 billion in 2020 with about 90% of sales going untaxed in the illegal market.

"When we all start to be able to lift our heads from this Covid experience, we are going to be faced with a scenario where a lot of jobs have gone away, a lot of economic development impact has disappeared," said Charlie Bachtell, CEO of Cresco Labs. "How are we going to bring that back? I think cannabis has to be part of that discussion."

CNBC spoke with the leaders of U.S. based cannabis producers Cresco Labs, Curaleaf, and Green Thumb Industries as well as cannabis investor Matt Hawkins about the state of the industry ahead of April 20, also known as "4/20," the unofficial holiday for recreational cannabis users.

U.S. cannabis CEOs say the chances for federal marijuana legalization will dramatically increase in the wake of the coronavirus pandemic, after several states declared dispensaries essential businesses, allowing them to remain open during stay-at-home orders aimed at halting the spread of the virus.

As the global coronavirus pandemic brought most U.S. businesses to a near halt in March, cannabis dispensaries were designated as essential in 8 of the 11 states where adult-use is legal.

Sales have also surged. According to Cowen, weekly sales in March topped $134 million in California, Washington, Nevada, and Colorado, a 17% increase from the weekly average in 2019. In the second half of March, the average purchase also increased by 47%. Cannabis investor Matt Hawkins says the data makes the best case for legalization.

"You can just point to the fact that we have been deemed essential, why are we not legal?" said Hawkins, managing partner of Entourage Capital, a private equity firm with $200 million invested in Green Thumb Industries and other cannabis producers. "There is going to be a need for increased tax revenue and where else to look but at a legalized industry like cannabis, that is one of the few growth sectors in the world right now."



Ben Kovler, CEO of Green Thumb Industries, said the crisis has put a different light on the industry and more states could start legalizing as a consequence, making the federal government take note. "The great American experiment will become more real as the federal government sees what's happening at the states," Kovler said.

Three states  New Jersey, Arizona, and South Dakota  are expected to have adult-use legalization on the November ballot. Three others  New York, Connecticut and Rhode island  have bills pending that could legalize adult-use cannabis through the legislature.

There is also a pending bill in the U.S. House of Representatives that would legalize adult-use cannabis. If the members of Congress from each of the 17 states that have legalized or are considering legalizing adult-use cannabis supported the bill, that would give 173 "yes" votes, 45 votes short of the 218 majority needed to pass the bill in the House. The bill would still need to pass in the Senate, but cannabis CEOs believe the momentum at the state level will have a pro-legalization influence on both legislative bodies.

"Every state that has progress on the issue of cannabis, increases the likelihood and the momentum of a broader success down in Washington D.C.," said Bachtell. "Each additional state that passes an adult-use law now has two senators that come from states that have cannabis programs. They are going to be more familiar with it; they are going to understand the way the industry is developed, can work and can be a societal benefit."

U.S. federal adult-use legalization has been described by many as "the holy grail" for cannabis producers. The CEOs agree proposed legislation like the SAFE Banking Act, which would allow cannabis companies to open bank accounts and accept credit cards, is progress. But Jordan, the Executive Chairman at Curaleaf, says the U.S. producers also need the ability to list on U.S. exchanges and access capital markets.

Curaleaf, Cresco Labs and Green Thumb Industries' shares have all lost 60% of their value or more over the past year. Canaccord Genuity estimates that approximately 70% of cannabis shareholders are retail investors. All the CEOs believe legalization would help bring capital to the industry, but Kovler says the public is underestimating the impact a legal cannabis industry could have on other parts of a post-pandemic economy.

"To stand up a brand new consumer product business that big, people don't understand that yet," said Kovler, who believes legalization would have a ripple effect across industries. "Literally $300 to $500 million dollars in capital expenditure in Illinois alone to build the facilities -- lots of labor, lots of steel and concrete, HVACs, jobs, massive real estate demand. It's a big, big industry."

CORRECTION: This article was updated to correct the name and title of Curaleaf Executive Chairman Boris Jordan.
19.04.2020 LISTEN

Liberia struggles to generate revenue to facilitate its developmental initiatives. But, also, the country struggles to spend its limited revenues to provide public goods through public procurement processes that deliver the best value for money. Liberia has lost millions through leakages in the manual or traditional procurement infrastructure that facilitates public procurement in the country. Procurement managers are said to at times plot with firms to inflict the value of projects and would go on and receive the excesses. Other demand upfront bribes and award contracts to less qualified firm-something that leaves several projects in the country either incomplete or complete below the required standard. Besides organized procurement scams, negligence by less qualified personnel has also contributed to ripping the country off resources it badly needs to address other pressing socio-economic development challenges. The limited human capacity to promptly and effectively drive public procurement has delayed the delivery of public goods and services needed to address socio-economic problems.

Liberia and its development partners have made table progress to ensure transparency in public procurement, and by that to reduce or stop leakage of public resources to a few individuals. The countrys procurement framework and activities are underpinned and facilitated by a Public Procurement and Concession (PPCC) Law, in the most part; provide reasonable safeguards to ensure transparency, fairness, integrity and best value for money. Basic and advanced staff training in public procurement has been provided by specialized programs and institutions to include a Public Financial Management Training Program, and the Liberia Institute of Public Administration, respectively.

Despite the relative progress, much remain desired to lunch and sustain an efficient and transparent procurement system that reduces the odds for procurement fraud, as well as procrastination in commencing and completing procurement of goods, works, and services are in dare need. Liberia's Public Procurement, in large part, is manual or traditional; thus, increasing the chances for fraud and delay in the acquisition of goods, works and services. To address these challenges, Liberia needs to do more in increasing real-time access to detailed procurement information. Liberia's human capacity building efforts in the procurement sector will also need to focus on both the providers of goods, works and services and procurement entities or practitioners. To this end, e-procurement which has proven to be successful in ensuring value for money, fast procurement process and more so ensuring transparency, fairness, and trust, in other countries remains mandatory for Liberia.

The motivation behind the adoption of e-procurement in public and private procurement is to eradicate corruption, enhance efficiency and effectiveness, transparency and accountability. The use of E-procurement will improve the way governmental and non-governmental institutions spend resources to meet unlimited wants. E-procurement is important to the Liberian economy because of its non-human transaction nature and integrated platform; it also increases competition among vendors/suppliers, lower purchasing and administrative cost. This process is easily monitored and transparent with zero assurances of malfeasances.

E-procurement is the "combined use of electronic information and communications technology (ICT) to enhance the links between customer and supplier, and with other value chain partners, and thereby to improve external and internal purchasing and supply management processes"(CIPS, 2012). This integrated information and communication technologies platform is used to carry out individual or all stages of the procurement process including search, sourcing, negotiation, ordering, receipt, and post-purchase review (Croom and Brandon-Jones, 2004). When used to conduct economic activities between procuring entities (buyers) and suppliers- local and international (sellers) will enhance productivity, effectiveness, and efficiency in procurement. It encourages competition and will minimize, if not eradicate leakages in procurement practices in Liberia. E-procurement, if developed would allow suppliers to know far ahead what a procuring entity would need at a particular time and work to meet up with the time because the information in the form of procurement plan would be posted on the e-procurement Platform/portal in advance for vendors to assess and plan their production.

Baily (2008) categorized e-procurement into seven types: Web-based ERP (Enterprise Resource Planning), E-MRO (Maintenance, Repair, and Operations), E-sourcing, E-tendering, E-reverse, E-informing, and E-market sites. With the use of each of these systems or combined, buyers and sellers can interact and conduct economic activities reducing direct human-to-human interactions.

A study done by Jean Bosco Harelimana (2018), established that in Rwanda, E-procurement has helped government savings; The Ministry of Finance & Economy Planning, during the inauguration years of e-procurement, experienced a reduction in its expenses from 24.4 million in 2015 to 18.6 million in 2016 as the result of e-procurement introduction. Botswana and Ghana are two other good examples of the positive impact of e-procurement usage in public tendering with regards to cost, efficiency, and effectiveness. E-procurement has numerous benefits which include: economies of scale through the aggregation of demand, reduce the cost of doing business for both government and suppliers, minimizes human errors in the buying or shipping processes, streamlines invoice reconciliation and dispute resolution, helps in finding new suppliers and vendors that can provide goods and services faster and/or cheaper (improved sourcing) and integrate budgetary control into the procurement process.

Automating financial operations in Liberia has been picking up, though on a very slow paste. The Liberia Revenue Authority has introduced some improved measures of revenue collection. However, if the process that expense government monies are not developed and transformed, efforts placed in raising revenue will be unrealized due to fraud, substandard or unfinished projects, payment of abnormal high cost, and more situations like the case with the Jallahs Town Road project , https://allafrica.com/stories/201004300432.html,Bong County Technical Collegehttps://frontpageafricaonline.com/news/liberia-anti-corruption-commission-obtains-corruption-indictments-against-several-persons-in-bong/ and the Executive Mansion renovation https://www.liberianobserver.com/news/executive-mansion-still-unusable-incomplete-after-us33-4m-payout/. There are many failed procurement issues from the manual system that do not come to the public. The automating tax collection has been experiencing challenges and moving on a low pace, transitioning from a manual procurement system to an e-procurement method will experience similar challenges but when successfully adopted and fully utilized the outcome is massive.

The bottleneck experienced by most institutions in moving towards the use of e-procurement in many instances is procurement staff and suppliers' unwillingness to adapt to the use of the internet to perform economic activities. They have consistently shown resistance to the use of technology and are so comfortable using the manual method for conducting procurement. The lack of affordable and accessible internet services to support the electronic procurement infrastructure desired is another major challenge. To remedy this situation, procuring entities must hire competent staff, as well, provide procurement staff and suppliers the needed skills and training overtime that would enable them to use the e-procurement platform. A users-friendly or flexible e-procurement infrastructure, when created and the importance are well communicated, with time, would attract all stakeholders to its usage. While government and internet service providers should create incentive internet packages to businesses for the smooth operation of e-procurement activities. As mentioned, effective and efficient network infrastructures are fundamental to this drive.

Conclusion:

This automated system is a real deal to managing public and private finances through procurement activities and it opens up an institutions economic activities to multiple suppliers which provide options for best quality, good price, etc. These processes also eliminate error in or arising from document preparation (paperwork), eliminate international travels cost; one can sort foreign supplier using the internet to tender/bid, be evaluated, accepted and award contract without traveling miles, reduction in cost associated with document preparation and distribution to suppliers/bidders. It also enforces transparency, increases productivity and accelerates procurement speed/time. Overall, the use of an automated system is an anti-corruption measure.
It seemed, for a time, that the National Rifle Association's unprecedented investment in Donald Trump might have purchased the kind of misfortune experienced by so many previous Trump investors. The arrival of a pandemic seems to have changed all that.

Consider where the NRA was just a few months ago. After spending more than $30 million to help make Trump president, the organization was caught up in a parallel Russia scandal when it was revealed that it had been actively courting agents of Russian President Vladimir Putin while also being infiltrated by a young Russian woman who promoted herself as a gun activist and took detailed direction from a close ally of the Kremlin. There was also a series of ugly financial scandals, highlighting how NRA leader Wayne LaPierre and others lavish benefits on themselves, and bitter infighting. Lawsuits, countersuits, layoffs and financial shortfalls ensued.

Worst of all, gun sales had plummeted. The transfer of presidential power from a black Democrat to a white nationalist who mimicked NRA rhetoric - "American carnage" - may have frightened and appalled tens of millions of Americans. But they generally weren't the older, conservative, white males who keep the gun industry afloat. The Obama boom in gun sales was over. The Trump slump began.

With the arrival of covid-19, however, panic is back, setting cash registers blazing in gunworld. Fear is the gun industry's bread and butter. Gun background checks, a proxy for sales, have soared in tandem with the nation's unchecked covid-19 cases, while shares of gun and ammunition manufacturers have risen. After laying low in the scandal pit, the NRA is emboldened and back.

The organization recently sued New York State, among other entities, demanding that gun shops be deemed essential businesses allowed to remain open through state-ordered pandemic shutdowns. The suit quotably accuses state officials of "going out of their way to protect liquor stores and release criminals onto the streets." In other words: Rampaging, liquored-up gangs of criminals will be descending on your home any moment. If that point is too subtle for you, the NRA website features a video of a disabled black woman holding a semi-automatic rifle as her last line of defense against the virus.

While the virus is new, the method is familiar. A few months after Hurricane Sandy inflicted tens of billions in damage along the Eastern Seaboard, LaPierre published an essay recalling "the hellish world" of New York City in the storm's wake. "Looters ran wild in south Brooklyn," he recollected.

Survivors of the city's storm-ravaged hellscape included New York Police Department spokesman Paul Browne, who told New York's Daily News that there had been no murders, shootings or rapes in South Brooklyn (to the extent such a neighborhood exists) after the hurricane. Actually, Browne said, overall crime in one of the nation's safest cities was down about 25%.

LaPierre has long argued that government is a sham and that only guns can protect Americans from violence. "Do you trust this government really to protect you and your family?" LaPierre asked NRA convention-goers in 2014. "We're on our own."

The NRA has worked hard to make its peculiar vision of dystopia a reality. And now Trump, with his failure to marshal government to protect citizens or the economy, has created the chaos and fear on which the NRA thrives. Along with gun-friendly judicial appointments, Trump's confidence-rattling incompetence, and the golden gun rush it has incited, is everything the NRA could have hoped for.

The Trump administration is the ultimate proof of the NRA thesis. Government can't help you. Leadership is corrupt. The world is coming unraveled. Better get a gun - preferably one with a high profit margin.

- - -

This column does not necessarily reflect the opinion of Bloomberg LP and its owners.

Wilkinson writes editorials on politics and U.S. domestic policy for Bloomberg Opinion. He was executive editor of the Week. He was previously a writer for Rolling Stone, a communications consultant and a political media strategist.
She will spend the next 24 months in Colombia as part of parole conditions

Sainsbury was freed from El Buen Pastor jail over fears of COVID-19 spreading

She claims Brazilian man named 'Angelo' spiked her drink at his Bogota unit

Sainsbury claims she was raped by the mastermind of the failed smuggling plot

Cassie Sainsbury was found with 5.8 kilograms of cocaine in luggage in 2017

Cassie Sainsbury was found with 5.8 kilograms of cocaine in luggage in 2017

Australian drug smuggler Cassie Sainsbury claims she was raped by a Brazilian drug lord who masterminded her failed attempt to smuggle cocaine out of Colombia.

The former personal trainer from Adelaide was arrested at El Dorado airport in April 2017 after packing 5.8 kilograms of the drug into 18 headphone boxes in her suitcase.

The 24-year-old walked free from Bogota's El Buen Pastor women's prison two weeks ago after spending three years behind bars.

In an interview with 60 Minutes on Sunday night, Sainsbury repeated her previous claims a drug peddler named 'Angelo' engineered the ill-fated smuggling operation - but added some explosive new claims.

Sainsbury flew to Colombia in April 2017, where she said she first met Angelo in person at a local hotel.

In an interview with 60 Minutes on Sunday night, Sainsbury repeated her previous claims a drug peddler named 'Angelo' engineered the ill-fated smuggling operation - but added some explosive new claims

Sainsbury filmed mobile phone footage of the squalid cells inside the notorious El Buen Pastor women's prison

A few days later, Angelo took Sainsbury to his nearby apartment, where she believes her drink was spiked.

Speaking through tears, Sainsbury claimed she was sexually assaulted.

'He was saying that I had to be there with him, that I had to do what he wanted, that I didn't have a choice,' she told 60 Minutes reporter Liam Bartlett via Skype from Colombia, where she will spend the next 27 months on parole.

'And then he gave me a drink and it was almost like, I felt like I was getting drunk, I was getting tipsy.

'From there, he basically forced my clothes off.'

Sainsbury has always maintained she believed she would only be transporting documents, and not drugs.

But she said the sexual assault made her realise Angelo would follow through on threats he made towards her family if she didn't go through with smuggling cocaine.

'He simply had the threat above me saying that if I didn't do what I was asked to do, that I was  it was my family,' she said.

Sainsbury has previously claimed Angelo threatened to kill her mother, sister, and former fiance Scott Broadbridge.

Sainsbury and a fellow inmate leaving prison earlier this month after President Ivan Duque signed a decree to release about 4,000 prisoners due to concerns of overcrowding in prisons amid COVID-19

Sainsbury was filmed hugging her best friend and former inmate who picked her up upon her release

'I felt like I had to go through with it, because I couldn't make somebody else pay for my mistake,' she said through tears.

Throughout her trial, Sainsbury claimed she was acting under duress but has never gone into detail on sexual assault allegations against Angelo.

She also previously claimed to have evidence on her phone that could prove her innocence, but couldn't remember the password at her trial to clear her name.

Bartlett pressed Sainsbury on why she didn't tell police about the alleged sexual assault when she was arrested at Bogota International Airport.

'It's not as easy as saying [the drugs] are not mine,' she responded.

'I know everyone says it's stupid, like how can somebody forget a password, especially that has like key evidence?' she says before breaking down.

'If I had had the chance sooner, or I was given the chance to try and get inside of the phone, that I would never have had to have done the time that I did.'

The pair were together for nine months before Pico - who is serving time for theft - proposed to Sainsbury in front of their cell mates late last year

She was released from prison on Friday after serving three years behind bars (Pictured with partner Joslianinyer Pico)

The former personal trainer from Adelaide (pictured with her partner Joslianinyer Pico) will have to stay in Colombia for another 27 months as part of her parole conditions

Joli, who is serving time for theft, proposed to the 24-year-old and shared photos of their engagement rings on social media

Sainsbury went on to admit she initially agreed to the couriering of 'documents' because she 'needed the money'.

'I know how it sounds, because obviously I accepted to come into it for money, I needed money, but I wasn't exactly like, I came there thinking, yes I'm going to go and smuggle drugs, it wasn't like that,' she said.

'But when I got there I knew something was weird. I knew something was off and it was like I'm here, like I already had both feet stuck in the sand.'

Sainsbury also lifted the lid on her former life as a sex worker at a brothel in Penrith, in Sydney's western suburbs.

Sainsbury lifted the lid on her former life as a sex worker at a brothel in Sydney's western suburbs, where she worked under the alias 'Claudia'. Pictured: Sainsbury on the Club 220 website

She said she applied for a position as a receptionist at Club 220 in a desperate bid to make fast cash.

'The situation was very difficult for me and Scott. Neither of us had work, we had rent to pay, we had bills to pay and there was all this pressure on me to do something before we'd go under,' she said.

Sainsbury claimed she only intended to work as a receptionist, but after arriving at the brothel her bosses convinced her to become a prostitute.

'I got there and [they said] ''you're not the type of person to be a receptionist, you're the sort of person who needs to try and be a sex worker'',' she said.

'I wasn't comfortable doing it, I didn't like doing it. [But] if it wasn't that then it was like ''what else?''

It comes after Sainsbury vehemently denied claims she worked as a prostitute during a 2018 interview.

A former colleague at Club 220 claimed Sainsbury travelled from her home in Adelaide to the brothel and used the alias 'Claudia'.

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 was locked up at El Buen Pastor women's prison in Bogota (pictured)

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

'She would fly in and sometimes she would stay for a week or sometimes just for two, three or four days,' the woman told 60 Minutes.

Meanwhile, Sainsbury filmed mobile phone footage of the squalid cells inside the notorious El Buen Pastor women's prison, which she was forced to call home for nearly three years.

While behind bars, Sainsbury broke up with Broadbridge and became engaged to fellow inmate Joli Pico, 29, from Venezuela.

'Honestly, it was the least thing that I expected to find in prison,' she said.

'It started as a friendship and then out of nowhere it just turned into a relationship.'

Sainsbury revealed she has dated women in the past, but admitted she never pictured herself ending up in a 'proper relationship with a woman'.

The pair were together for nine months before Pico - who is serving time for theft - proposed to Sainsbury in front of their cell mates late last year.

Sainsbury said her time in one of the toughest jails in the world has made her a stronger person.

'It's a mix between being desperate, being stupid and wanting to try and do something to get ahead and it came out worse because I lost three years of my life,' she said.

'It's been definitely like 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 will have to stay in Colombia for another 27 months as part of her parole conditions.

President Ivan Duque signed a decree to release about 4,000 prisoners due to concerns of overcrowding in prisons amid the coronavirus pandemic.
Sarah van Dort is a stylist and lives in Berkshire, with her husband Stuart. She has two sons, Jake, 23, and Max, 26; and four grandchildren.

MIDLIFE CAREER CHANGE

Ive been a stylist for five years. I was a PA before. Then, just before my 50th, I decided it was time for a change. Im obsessed with fashion  and friends always ask for advice. So, my husband said, just do it! I signed up for training at Colour Me Beautiful. It cost 3,325, but was worth it. I now run a styling business, Ab Fab Image and love helping women feel good. Its never too late for a second chapter.

HIGH HEEL SAVIOUR

I love high heels, they make me feel sexy  which we all want, even after 50. My favourite designer is Christian Louboutin: I have six pairs, which I call my car to bar shoes, as I cant walk too far in them! But I wear heels most days, so in the evening, I mix a washing up bowl of warm water and Epsom salts, to soak my feet in for 15 minutes.

Sarah van Dort, 54, (pictured) revealed how at home spa treatments contribute towards maintaining her ageless appearance

SUNDAY SPA REGIME

Every Sunday, I pamper myself at home. I have a long bath, with champagne my lovely husband brings me before he does the food shop!

I do a hair mask with Hask Argan Oil Deep Conditioner (3, Boots). I finish with a Garnier Moisture Bomb Pomegranate Hydrating Face Mask (1.99, Boots) and dont apply make-up after. Its my time out.

DIY BLOW DRY

My mum always told me, if you have a bad hair day, you have a bad day. So I go to the salon every six weeks to keep it in good condition. But now were at home, I use Dysons Airwrap (449.99, John Lewis). Its expensive, but dries and styles your hair with hot air, which is less damaging  and its quick, too!

STYLE RULEBOOK

The key to dressing well is to find your style personality: figure out your unique self  and dress for it. I find that many women have one signature colour that makes them feel great. It is also important to dress for your shape: triangle, oval, rectangle or hourglass. Show off the bits you like, so no one notices the rest.

abfabimage.co.uk

Do you look good for your age? Reveal your secrets to inspire@dailymail.co.uk
Owing to the coronavirus crisis around the world, national economies have plummeted, taking with them several casualties in the form of sector-wide paycuts, layoffs and thousands of sinking investments - yet one man seems to be smiling all the way to the bank. Unsurprisingly, its none other than Amazon CEO and worlds richest man, Jeff Bezos - who came out 24 billion dollars richer through the pandemic, putting his net worth at a staggering $143.1 billion. Thats 1,09,47,15,00,00,000.00 rupees - over ten trillion.

With numbers that high, its hard to even visualise the sheer amount of wealth. Not much of a problem for Bezos apparently, who splurged on a 735 Crore NYC apartment the other day, but even that Titanic amount is a measly 0.067% of his savings.

Perhaps in the spirit of educating the public, 32-year old content creator and entrepreneur Humphrey Yang decided to serve up some perspective on the billionaires ridiculous wealth - using rice as a way to better visualise just how ridiculously wealthy Bezos is, taking numbers and news headlines away from the equation.

He first began by setting up the stage - choosing $100,000 as the net worth of a single grain of rice, and then showing us how quickly things scale up as we get richer.

 Humphrey Yang

Theres no two ways about it - that, my friends, is a shit-ton of money. To put things into perspective, Humphrey tosses in three grains - that tiny sliver of the pile amounts to Lamborghini - with $300,000, you can comfortably snag yourself a shiny new Huracan Performante.



Insert: Lamborghini+Huracan (Humphrey Yang/Automobili Lamborghini)

Well, after getting that Lamborghini, youre going to need a place to keep it. How does a $5 million house in California sound? Heres what it looks like, converted to rice.

 Humphrey Yang

But the real kicker is demonstrating just how much Bezos has got in the back. While these figures are slightly outdated - Bezos did profit immensely from the lockdown after all - heres what his earlier net worth of $122 billion would look like.



 Humphrey Yang

It took the YouTuber hours upon hours of counting two entire sacks of rice totalling over 26 kilos to calculate it perfectly. His patience proves a massive point regarding the overwhelming amount of wealth possessed by the worlds top 0.1% - its almost uncountable.



Check the video out for yourself, above. Meanwhile, others went on social media to express their own metrics - usually with a combination of shock and awe.

Rice. Part two: Jeff Bezos net worth represented visually by rice. pic.twitter.com/kYIoyxLgMW  Humphrey (@Humphreytalks) February 28, 2020

Others provided some realistic ground to the situation.

No one ever makes a billion dollars. You only take a billion dollars. He stole that money from every worker he refuses to pay a living wage or city he scammed out of tax revenue out of or small business he ran into the ground through predatory market manipulation.  M.R. M. Go (@Marinaisgo) February 28, 2020

No matter which way you look at it, its a lot of rice. Thankfully, Humphreys made sure it goes unwasted and is delivered to local families - just imagine how the world could change if Bezos did the same with his wealth.
- John Corona Wanyoike has been living in Kinangop, Nyandarua county where he is popularly known as Corona

- He coined his name Corona and used it as his trademark together with his brother when they both formed Kinangop Corona Boys band

- Corona said he used the name because it means light in astronomy, and he wanted to illuminate Kinagop with his music

- However, the outbreak of coronavirus made his friends question why his name, which they had known from the 80s, connoted to a deadly virus

Many heard the name corona for the first time in late 2019 when the coronavirus rocked the world but Kinangop residents in Nyandarua county have known and used the name since the 1980s when John Wanyoike popularly known as Corona moved into their locality.

The 60-year-old artist and musician started using the name Corona as his trademark together with his brother when they formed the Kinangop Corona Boys Band.

READ ALSO: Video of conductor 'caught' by police in traffic dancing to Utawezana goes viral

John Corona has been living in Kinangop since 1980. Photo: NTV.

Source: UGC

READ ALSO: Lulu Hassan's hubby shares tbt photo showing first time he cooked for lovely wife

Speaking to NTV, John Corona said he coined the name back in the day to mean light as used in astronomy.

He said when he started living in Kinangop, it was a very dark place and he wanted his music to illuminate the area.

"Everybody, even my children are known as Corona. It reached a point that I decided to change the spelling from Corona to Korona because I realised the children were misspellings it as Shorona but ideally, the original name was and is Corona," he said.

READ ALSO: Watu 7 wakamatwa wakijaribu kuingia Kaunti ya Kirinyaga kisiri

John Corona coined the name with his brother when they started the Kinangop Corona Boys Band. Photo: NTV.

Source: UGC

Besides music, the Corona brothers also owned Corona Cinema where they ran shows in primary schools in Kinangop.

After the outbreak of COVID-19 also known coronavirus which many Kenyans also call corona, Kinangop residents were puzzled on why the musician's name had suddenly become a disease.

The Kinagop Corona Boys Band released their first album in 1982. Photo: NTV.

Source: UGC

"When the disease came, I asked myself why he called himself Corona and why there is a disease by that name," David Kihara, a local said.

The artiste said the outbreak changed people's perception of him with some avoiding him while associating him with the deadly virus.

Coronavirus was first reported in Wuhan China in December 2019 and it has far infected more than one million people globally and killed more than 150,000.

In Kenya, the number of cases stands at 262 and the death toll is 12.

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.

Mulamwah and his girlfriend speak out for the first time after he quit comedy | Tuko TV

Source: TUKO.co.ke
People of all ages will be able to enjoy some time outdoors this week under the stars as the Lyrid meteor shower reaches its peak early in the morning on Earth Day, April 22. The Lyrids will bring the best opportunity since January to witness shooting stars, marking the end of a three-month long meteor shower drought.

This year will be a particularly good one for viewing the Lyrids as the shower's climax will occur on a moonless night. "The moon will not be a factor, so we should see all this shower has to offer, weather dependent of course," AccuWeather Astronomy blogger Dave Samuhel said.

Around 15 to 20 meteors per hour will be visible on Tuesday night into the early hours of Wednesday morning, but a few lucky stargazers could see Mother Nature put on an even more impressive display.

"On the peak night, meteor rates could spike for a few hours, and as many as 90 meteors per hour are possible," Samuhel said.

This brief but intense spike isn't a guarantee, but even if it does happen, it would pale in comparison to the Lyrids of years past. The Lyrids are one of the oldest known meteor showers and have been known to put incredible outbursts on display. In 687 B.C., the ancient Chinese watched meteors falling like rain,' according to EarthSky. Smaller outbursts were recorded in 1922, 1945 and 1982.

Three shooting stars streaking across the night sky. (NASA)

The best viewing conditions are anticipated in the mid-Atlantic, northern Plains, Canadian Prairies and Desert Southwest where cloud-free weather is in the forecast. Meanwhile, other areas of the continent will have to contend with disruptive clouds.

"Heading towards the peak night, an active weather pattern is expected across the country," Samuhel said.

A winterlike storm will spread clouds and even a bit of snow across the Northeast, Great Lakes and St. Lawrence River Valley. Even in areas where clouds do break to reveal some of the night sky, stargazers will need to bundle up to keep warm.

Story continues

"There will likely be a large storm system moving from the Plains towards the Southeast," Samuhel said, adding that it will spread clouds over much of the region. A similar scenario is predicted to unfold over the Pacific Northwest and British Columbia as a storm moves over the region.

If cloudy weather is in the forecast on Tuesday night and Wednesday morning, shooting stars will still be visible throughout the week.

"The Lyrid meteor shower actually produces a decent amount of meteors on the three nights surrounding the peak, so it's worth checking out from April 20 until April 23," Samuhel said.

CLICK HERE FOR THE FREE ACCUWEATHER APP

Like many meteor showers, the Lyrids will not be limited to just North America. People around the globe can step outside and look for the Lyrids, but the shower does tend to favor the Northern Hemisphere, according to the American Meteor Society.

Every meteor shower has a radiant point, or area in the sky where the meteors originate. The radiant point for the Lyrids is near the constellation Lyra in the northeastern part of the sky. However, one does not need to look in this direction to see meteors; they will appear in all areas of the sky.

Although looking in the direction of the radiant point isn't necessary to enjoy the meteor shower, knowing where it is in the sky is still helpful to get the most out of a night under the stars. The higher the radiant point is in the sky, the more meteors will be visible.

"Lyra becomes high in the sky late evening and is then nearly overhead through dawn," Samuhel said.

"Overall, the best viewing will be after midnight, but you can see some meteors during the evening as well."

For those planning to watch the meteor shower from a backyard, it's best to turn off all the lights in order to adjust to the darkness. This can take 15 to 20 minutes and works better when avoiding any sources of light, including cell phones.

Samuhel suggests dedicating at least an hour to watching the meteor shower, so he recommends unplugging for a while and enjoying a stress-free night counting shooting stars.

Folks that miss out on the Lyrids will not have to wait long for the next opportunity to catch a meteor shower.

The Eta Aquarid meteor shower is set to peak during the first full week of May, less than two weeks after the Lyrids. The Eta Aquarids are one of the best meteor shower of the year for the Southern Hemisphere, but it will be visible around the globe, on the night of Monday, May 4, into the early hours of Tuesday, May 5.

Keep checking back on AccuWeather.com and stay tuned to the AccuWeather Network on DirecTV, Frontier and Verizon Fios.
Motorists on a typical weekday log roughly 200,000 trips on North Carolina's Triangle Expressway in the Raleigh-Durham region, many of them commuters headed to the state's Research Triangle Park.

But on the first Monday in April, just 69,000 tolls were collected.

Similar scenes are playing out across the U.S. as Americans drive roughly half as much as they did before the coronavirus prompted broad stay-at-home directives to combat the spread. Plazas along the Pennsylvania Turnpike now sit mostly empty, while Google Maps show freeways around Los Angeles, New York and Atlanta usually choked with traffic now largely free of cars.

The impact goes beyond idle toll booths. Fewer drivers are getting into accidents, resulting in a drop in deaths as well as premium refunds by auto insurers. Gasoline demand and sales have collapsed, prompting regulators to approve the extended use of wintertime blends. Greenhouse gas emissions from cars, power plants and other sources in the U.S. are forecast to decline by a whopping 7.5% this year.

And state budget officers are fretting over a sharp decline in revenue from gasoline taxes and other sources tied to driving.

"If this continues it really could be devastating for North Carolina," said Eric Boyette, secretary of the North Carolina Department of Transportation. "The issue that we have is trying to predict the end - when does the end come?"

Nationally, personal road travel in the week ending April 10 was down 48% from the final week in February, before social distancing measures took hold broadly, according to traffic data provider Inrix. New York City, at the heart of the outbreak in the U.S., saw a 63% decline.

Long-haul trucking, essential to maintain the flow of critical supplies and service the boom in home shopping, has proven more resilient with just a 10% dip nationally, though the pace of declines is accelerating, according to Inrix.

Just as highway deaths tend to decline during economic downturns and rise during recoveries, evidence has emerged that the current drop off in road traffic is leading to fewer fatalities and injuries.

Researchers at the University of California Davis estimate that Gov. Gavin Newsom's shelter-in-place order has led to a 50% reduction in the state's daily rate of roughly 1,000 traffic collisions and approximately 400 crashes involving an injury or fatality.

Insurance companies have responded to the decline in driving by refunding billions of dollars worth of monthly premiums to their auto-insurance customers. For example, State Farm Mutual Automobile Insurance Co. last week said it would refund some $2 billion to policy holders via a 25% credit on premiums between March 20 and May 31.

"We insure more cars than anyone and we see from our claims activity people are driving less," State Farm Chief Executive Officer Michael Tipsord said in an April 9 statement.

U.S. filling stations last week sold roughly half the gasoline as previous-year levels. Sinking demand prompted the Environmental Protection Agency to delay a required shift to cleaner-burning, summertime gasoline.

The drop in fuel sales means states are collecting far less revenue from fuel taxes. Motor vehicle sales taxes and license and registration fees has also been cut by the closing of motor vehicle department offices and falling U.S. auto sales as dealerships have been shut.

"We're really concerned about what that means for state DOTs in the near term and really over the next 18 months," said Jim Tymon, executive director of the American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials. "State DOTs are being squeezed on all sides."

State transportation officials and analysts say the declines are more severe and rapid than those that occurred during the 2008-2009 financial crisis. Tymon's association estimates that state transportation departments anticipate revenue from fuel taxes will decline at least 30% on average over the next 18 months. The organization last week asked congressional lawmakers for nearly $50 billion in emergency funds to offset the anticipated revenue shortfall, which. Tymon said, threaten layoffs, service cutbacks and project delays.

North Carolina's Boyette has likewise warned state lawmakers that traffic is already down as much as 50% on some roads and the department expects revenue to fall by at least $200 million in the current fiscal year.

"This loss of revenue will require significant reductions in expenditures," Boyette wrote in an April 7 letter to state legislators.

Traffic declines are estimated to peak in the second quarter at roughly 60% below prior-year levels before improving to a 30% decline in the third quarter, Fitch Ratings Inc. analyst Scott Monroe wrote in a March 24 note. For the full year, 2020 traffic levels will likely be down 28% before nearly returning to 2019 levels next year, he added.

Toll roads could be subjected to "stresses of unprecedented severity" in the near term, according to Monroe, who covers debt issued by roughly 60 toll road operators. Toll roads, express lanes, bridges and other fare-based arteries are seeing traffic declines that are roughly five times worse than those seen during the great recession, he said, citing data provided by the toll-road operators and other sources.

"The tolling agencies by and large are in a really good position to weather this crisis, as long as it's time-limited, almost regardless of how severe it becomes," he said.

Some states have already begun to make tough choices to cope with the shortfalls.

Missouri officials recently postponed additional action on nearly $150 million worth of transportation projects across the state until after the July 1 start of its fiscal year, according to Patrick McKenna, director of the Missouri Department of Transportation.

Capital projects are just half of the picture, he said. Line painting, sign repair, traffic management centers and pothole repairs are all suffering. Sustained funding shortfalls will put those operations in jeopardy too, said McKenna, who is also the president of AASHTO, the association of state highway officials.

"This is why we're urgently asking Congress through AASHTO to consider a backstop of the loss of state revenues here," he said.

Boyette said his department had halted all advertising of new construction projects to contractors and has suspended purchases of materials. Compounding North Carolina's challenge is a more than tripling of annual emergency spending by the state to rebuild after devastating hurricanes in recent years, which led to spending cuts before the coronavirus hit, he said.

"We honestly are putting everything on the table and trying to look at what best fits our needs and still trying to do as much maintaining of our existing highway infrastructure as we can," Boyette said. "We're looking forward to better days, but right now we have a lot of uncertainty in front of us."
The state must hold four separate trials for Homer Jackson  one for each of the women hes accused of killing over the course of 10 years  because the murders dont reflect a distinct signature crime, a judge has ruled.

Each woman was African American, worked as a prostitute in Portland and died from asphyxiation, but there are many differences in their cases, Multnomah County Judge Michael A. Greenlick concluded.

Those include the womens ages, how they were killed, their injuries, where their bodies were found and the type of DNA evidence discovered, Greenlick said.

Despite some similarities, it is not possible to conclude that the methodology utilized in these case is so distinctive as to earmark the acts as the handiwork of the accused, the judge said in a 10-page order.

Greenlick also downplayed the significance of the DNA evidence that police have offered.

It doesnt prove that Jackson killed any of the women nor does it prove Jackson was even present at the time of their deaths, considering that there were multiple DNA profiles found on or near each of the bodies, Greenlick said.

The ruling marks the second significant setback to the state. Greenlick previously suppressed an alleged confession made by Jackson, now 60.

He was originally taken into custody in a high-profile arrest five years ago, accused of being a serial killer in deaths of four women in the 1980s. After the confession ruling, prosecutors dropped all charges in one of the killings, the 1983 death of Essie Jackson, and added charges in a 1993 killing.

The judge pointed out that the state in its own legal filings acknowledged that without the evidence considered as a whole, its unlikely that prosecutors can prove the crimes beyond a reasonable doubt.

The prosecution has filed a notice seeking an expedited appeal of Greenlicks decision to the Oregon Supreme Court.

We see these cases as all being intertwined  each as being circumstantial evidence of the other, Chief Deputy District Attorney Kirsten Snowden said at a recent hearing. The case rests on the evidence being considered as a whole, otherwise its out of context.

Meanwhile, defense lawyers have asked that Greenlick release Jackson as he awaits the trials.

They said the case has languished since Jacksons arrest and the judges latest ruling exposes the states weak evidence. Theyve asked for Jackson to be placed on house arrest at his mothers Northeast Portland home.

The proof is not evident nor the presumption strong that Homer Jackson is guilty of the charges brought against him. As such, he is eligible for release and should be released at this time, wrote Jacksons lawyers, Greg Scholl and Dean Smith.

They also cited concerns about Jacksons risk of contracting the new coronavirus due to his physical ailments.

Prosecutors object to his release.

Jackson has pleaded not guilty to a recently amended indictment that charges him with 15 counts of first-degree murder in the asphyxiation deaths of:

-- Tonja Harry, 19, discovered on July 9, 1983, partially submerged in a slough that borders West Delta Park.

-- Angela Anderson, 14, found on Sept. 22, 1983, in a vacant house on Northeast Going Street.

-- Latanga Watts, 29, found on March 18, 1987, in an empty lot near North Concord Avenue and Going Court.

-- Lawauna Triplet, 29, found on June 15, 1993, near a pedestrian overpass at North Going Street and Concord Avenue.

Judge rejects What are the odds? theory

While prosecutors stressed the similarities of the killings, the defense and a defense expert poked holes in the states case that resonated with the judge.

Greenlick made the decision after holding multiple hearings and reviewing more than 1,400 pages of discovery.

Prosecutors pointed to other similarities: Someone had removed the clothing of each woman or adjusted their clothing suggesting sexual assault and that Jacksons DNA was found either on or near the womens bodies. Theres also no other known DNA evidence in common among the four crime scenes.

Thats too much of a coincidence under a so-called what are the odds? theory, they argued.

But the judge found that reasoning faulty.

DNA can remain on a person or clothing for days or weeks and can be transferred from another place or person, Greenlick noted. That DNA was found at a crime scene or on a victim who worked as a prostitute does not tell us with certainty that the contributor was there when the woman was killed, he found.

The Court acknowledges that DNA evidence is often very incriminating. When DNA is found on a murder weapon or from a rape kit where the suspect was a stranger to the victim, such evidence can constitute overwhelming evidence of guilty, Greenlick wrote. The circumstances in this case are very different from those circumstances.

Jacksons lawyers have pointed to DNA profiles of other men on some of the womens bodies or their clothes or at the crime scenes.

Police files also revealed that investigators initially suspected other people in several of the cases: Two of those suspects admitted killing two of the women and one suspect got rid of his car shortly after one of the women disappeared, defense lawyers showed. But no one else was ever charged in the killings besides Jackson.

The judge found testimony from defense expert Mark Cunningham was credible, including that the characteristics of the four killings arent sufficiently similar or unique to meet the Mark of Zorro test, suggesting they were the design of any particular person. African American women are overrepresented in the population for sex trafficking and asphyxiation is present in 50 percent of all homicides of prostitutes, Cunningham said.

Other differences that Cunningham, a Seattle-based forensic psychologist and researcher, noted:

One of the victims was a young teenager while the others were adults. Triplet suffered injuries that appeared to be sexual torture. Anderson wasnt beaten and her wrists were slit after she was killed. Harry suffered trauma to her head but not her face. Watts had trauma to her head, face and body.

A different ligature was used in each killing -- a sash cord, a belt, a broken necklace -- and none in Harrys death. She had an apparent ligature mark around her neck but died of drowning.

Two of the women were found near the same location but their killings occurred six years apart. The women all were found in different types of places.

The judge said he wont allow evidence from one case to be admitted in the trial of another.

With respect to the state wishing to argue what are the odds that his DNA would innocently show up on or near all four victims, Greenlick said, the Court concludes that asking this question of a jury is inherently prejudicial and invites jurors to convict based on speculation and conjecture.

Bail hearing set

Prosecutors and defense lawyers are set to return Tuesday before the judge for a release hearing for Jackson.

Defense lawyers said Jackson has a history of respiratory disease with only one functioning lung, a history of diabetes and hypertension and is a former smoker.

For more than a week, Jackson was removed from Inverness Jail and spent four or five days in intensive care with a high fever, his lawyers said in court documents.

Prosecutors said he was diagnosed with pneumonia due to influenza.

For a while, Inverness Jail wouldnt confirm Jacksons whereabouts and then couldnt say which hospital hed been taken to, Jacksons lawyers told the judge. Once they finally found out from the jail and called to speak to Jackson, the hospital told them that nobody had been admitted under Jacksons name though he was there, according to his lawyers.

Even back in jail, with contact visits suspended because of coronavirus, its nearly impossible to conduct truly confidential attorney-client meetings by phone, his lawyers said. Other inmates and jail deputies can overhear the conversation, they said.

Prosecutors contend Jackson waived his right to a bail hearing in 2016, at least for the first nine counts he faces. They oppose any release, citing the seriousness of the charges and their continued stance that the weight of the evidence, when considered together, is strong against Jackson.

The presence of Jacksons DNA at the four different crime scenes cannot reasonably be characterized as coincidence but rather it is overwhelmingly strong circumstantial evidence of the defendants identity as their killer, Snowden and Senior Deputy District Attorney Jenna Plank wrote in response.

They also cited other womens complaints that Jackson assaulted or tried to strangle them in the past, including some cases that led to arrests and charges but were dropped without convictions.

Defendant is an untreated sex offender who has engaged in a pattern of offending against multiple victims,'' the prosecutors wrote.

While they acknowledge Jacksons health risks, they argued hes getting the care he needs in custody and that the Multnomah County Sheriffs office has taken steps to try to avoid the spread of COVID-19.

Despite these risks, it is the states position that currently the defendant is being well cared for in jail and may even have increased access to medical staff and treatment than he would if released," the prosecutors wrote.

If bail is granted, it should be set at $3.75 million, $250,000 for each of the 15 counts, reflecting how incredibly serious the charges are, according to Snowden and Plank.

If convicted of first-degree murder, Jackson could face life in prison with a minimum of 30 years in custody up to life in prison without parole.

-- Maxine Bernstein

Email at mbernstein@oregonian.com; 503-221-8212

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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.
GBP/AUD Exchange Rate Fluctuates as Covid-19 and Brexit Haunt UK Markets

The Pound (GBP) got off to a strong start last week and climbed to its highest levels in over a month after it was reported that Prime Minister Johnson had left St. Thomas Hospital after spending some time in intensive care after contracting the coronavirus.

Sterling climbed to highs of AU$1.96 on Tuesday, following the Bank Holiday, as investors became hopeful that a return to some sense of stability would ensue following the PMs return to health.

The International Monetary Funds (IMF) positive assessment of the UKs aggressive fiscal approach to the coronavirus crisis also pushed the GBP/AUD exchange rate higher.

However, the Pound came under some pressure after the Office for Budget Responsibility (OBR) warned that the Covid-19 crisis could see the UK GBP shrink by -35% in the second quarter.

Chancellor Rishi Sunak also expressed concern, saying he was deeply troubled by the OBRs prognosis, adding:

This is going to be hard. Our economy is going to take a significant hit and as Ive said before thats not an abstract thing. People are going to feel that in their jobs and in their household incomes.

Later in the week, however, the Pound to Australian Dollar exchange rate began to struggle on rising fears of a no-deal Brexit. This follows a recommencement of UK-EU trade talks which led to some investors doubting that Number 10 would extend the transition period beyond the 31st December deadline.

However, these fears were confirmed on Thursday when Downing Street announced that it would benefit the UK to leave the EU on the scheduled date, saying that any further uncertainty would further hinder the nations economic developments.

A spokesman for Downing Street commented:

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.

The GBP/AUD exchange rate was seen trading around AU$1.96 on Friday afternoon, leaving the pairing flat as it entered into the weekend.

Australian Dollar (AUD) Sinks as Chinese GDP Falls to Record Lows

The Australian Dollar (AUD) struggled at the beginning of last week after the National Bank of Australias (NAB) business confidence survey for March plummeted to a worse-than-expected -66, leaving Aussie investors concerned for the Australian economy going forward.

Alan Oster, the NABs Chief Economist commented:

While it is unlikely that the unprecedented policy support targeted at the business sector will be unable to offset the near-term pain, it will be very important in supporting activity in the recovery phase.

There is significant risk that a blow to confidence of this magnitude for an extended period could lead to ongoing fallout in terms of employment growth and capital expenditure by business.

Wednesday also saw the Westpac Consumer Confidence gauge for April plummet by -17.7%. Consequently, the Australian Dollar continued to fall on a darkened economic outlook.

Meanwhile, Thursday saw the Australian Dollar (AUD) start to recover after Australias Employment Change report for March beat forecasts and rise to 5,900 despite forecasts of a -40,000 decrease.

However, some Aussie traders remained cautious as the figure is expected to plummet in April following weeks of struggling with the coronavirus pandemic.

The Australian Dollar also struggled after it was revealed that Chinas latest GDP figures had fallen, painting a bleak outlook for the worlds second largest economy after the coronavirus.

With China being Australias largest trading partner, this left the Aussie wanting against many of its peers.

Looking Ahead: UK Markit Services PMI in Focus

Australian Dollar (AUD) investors will be looking ahead to Tuesdays release of the Reserve Bank of Australias (RBA) meeting minutes. Any downbeat commentary about Australias economy going forward would prove AUD-negative.

We could see the Pound edge higher on Tuesday if the UK ILO Unemployment Rate beats forecasts in February. However, with analysts likely to point out that this could surge in March, GBPs gains will likely be short-lived.

The UKs average earnings in February could also provide some uplift for GBP if they show any signs of an uptick before the coronavirus took hold of the British economy.

AUD traders will also be looking ahead to Wednesdays release of the Australian Westpac Leading Index report for March. If this confirms forecasts and continues to slide, we could see the GBP/AUD exchange rate edge higher.

Thursdays publication of the flash UK Markit Services PMI will be in the spotlight this week. If the UKs largest sector contracts severely in April, we could see the Pound fall against many of its peers.

The GBP/AUD exchange rate will also be driven by news around Boris Johnsons health and the ongoing UK-EU Brexit discussions. If either one of these fails to draw any clearer conclusions in the coming week, we could see Sterling sink on rising uncertainty.
<! Youssouf Tom, the public prosecutor reported the deaths of Boko Haram terrorists >

Forty four of the 58 Boko Haram terrorists captured recently by Chadian forces have died in prison.

Reports said the detainees took a lethal substance that produced a heart rhythm disorder.

Youssouf Tom, the public prosecutor announced this to the NDjamena High Court on Saturday, the Chadian news platform, alwihdainfo.com reported.

All the detainees were arrested by the army during the offensive against Boko Haram in Lac region.

They were brought to NDjamena as part of the counter-terrorism investigation.

As of the 14th of this month, following the fighting against the Boko Haram sect in the Lake Chad region, 58 men were taken prisoner and brought to NDjamena for judicial investigations, said the prosecutor.

Thursday morning, a new drama was announced to us by the jailers that 44 of the prisoners died in their cells, he added.

40 were buried, the other four bodies were turned over to a medical examiner who made an autopsy report.

The report reveals that there was a consumption of a lethal substance having produced a heart rhythm disorder in some, severe asphyxiation in others,  said Youssouf Tom.

The investigation continues to determine the exact cause of this tragedy, while a toxicological and anatomopathological analysis is planned.
Expressing his doubts over the official Chinese figures on the number of deaths due to coronavirus, US President Donald Trump said fatalities in the Asian country were way ahead of the US.

Trump's comments come two days after another 1,300 fatalities were added to the official count in the city of Wuhan, where the outbreak started. The revision puts China's overall death toll to more than 4,600. "We are not number one; China is number one just so you understand," said Trump at a White House news conference on Saturday. "They are way ahead of us in terms of ...
The novel coronavirus has created a health threat unlike any other in our lifetimes. Though the coronavirus outbreak has now turned into a global pandemic, China took the first and hardest hit as the virus caught the country unaware without any warning.

Moreover, China has, against all odds, succeeded in containing the outbreak. Through timely and pragmatic measures taken by its prudent leadership and sacrifices of its medical workers, China could celebrate the victory in its people's war against the epidemic.

But many countries have squandered the opportunity to take necessary preparations for preventing and controlling the outbreak. Some major countries have wasted time on smearing China instead of setting their own house in order. As a result, they have eventually been the worst victim of the pandemic. No country has been spared the attack of the coronavirus. The list of deaths and infections is, therefore, getting longer on every corner of the world.

Mankind is crying out for mercy. They are looking at major countries to come forward to their help, because they are now in such a critical moment when humanity is under an existential threat from an invisible enemy--coronavirus. Given the situation, China has extended its helping hands to the rest of the world. With its first-hand experience with coronavirus, the country has sent assistance to more than 180 countries.

Meanwhile, many countries, irrespective of the East and the West, have forged ahead pragmatic coordination and effective cooperation with China to combat the coronavirus. People around the world have also expected similar efforts from the United States, because the US is considered much more capable to help the world than any other country. But much to their surprise, the people have found the US swimming against the tide smashing their expectations.

The worst of all is that the leadership of the US has failed to read the minds of the world. And they have engaged in delivering heated political rhetoric against China. Though the US has unfortunately been the worst coronavirus-hit nation of the world, they are still wasting time in putting blames on China for the pandemic. Analysts and experts are taken aback by some of the US moves as regarding the fight against the coronavirus. They have never expected that the US can stoop to such ridiculous low to stop funding the World Health Organization (WHO). Many are of the view that the US has manifested its silliness by blaming China for concealing the number of fatalities and infections from the disease.

People expect, given the gravity and severity of the circumstances, the US must put its all rivalries and grudges against China, if any, aside for the time being. They would like to see that the US has forged ahead all-out cooperation with China to defeat the coronavirus. Because it's utterly impossible for a single country to solely tackle the pandemic worldwide. But China and the US together have the potential and capabilities to leand the world to defeat the coronavirus. If the two major countries join hands to fight against the pandemic, their state-of-the-art technologies, advanced medicine, internationally acclaimed medical workers, equipment, experience and funding can defeat the virus. That's why cooperation between China and the US is a must for safeguarding humanity from the curse of the pandemic.

People around the world, therefore, want China and the US to build effective cooperation and coordination on combating the virus. They are eagerly waiting to see that the two major countries have come closer to save the world. It's now become global popular demand that China and the US must shun their differences to defeat the coronavirus for the sake of humanity.

In this case, China has already said international cooperation is the only way to defeat coronavirus. The country has also asked the world to join together in the fight against the virus. Now the ball is in the US court. Mankind is looking at the leadership of the US for launching a global cooperation on the fight against the pandemic. They expect wise leaders will take responsibility to work together for the welfare of mankind. The world also firmly believes that common sense must prevail against arrogance, cooperation over conspiracy and harmony over enmity in the long run. But the earlier much-awaited cooperation is formed, the more lives will be saved from the pandemic.

The author is the China Correspondent of the Bangladesh Post.
New York: President Donald Trump held a call with faith leaders on Friday that included discussion about a phased-in return to broader in-person worship after weeks of religious services largely shifting online in response to the coronavirus pandemic.

Trump's call with faith leaders came one day after the White House included houses of worship among large venues that could be able to reopen while observing strict physical distancing protocols in the first stage of a three-part plan to reopen a US economy that's been frozen by the toll of the highly contagious virus.

The call included representatives of multiple Christian denominations as well as Jewish and Islamic leaders, according to a statement distributed by the White House.

Trump mentioned his memories as a young child attending Billy Graham's service at Yankee Stadium, and acknowledged that while he has enjoyed watching services online from the White House, he told the faith leaders it is important for people to soon be able to once again come together, pray, and worship," the White House said in its statement.

Participants in the call with faith leaders said it featured discussion about how restarting in-person worship could work, without any conclusion reached, and underscored their commitment to not imperiling the health of the faithful.

Indeed, Trump has said that governors would be empowered to spearhead their states' paces of economic reopening.

Jack Graham, pastor of Texas-based Prestonwood Baptist Church, said the call included conversation about how would we go about bringing people back together, adding that those involved agreed that "we're going to do that carefully and gradually, and not put people at risk."

Samuel Rodriguez, president of the National Hispanic Christian Leadership Council, said that religious institutions want to be a blessing and not a burden" by not returning to practices that could cause more harm than good if taken up too early.

Rodriguez added that he hoped to see clergy and other faith leaders nationwide identified as essential workers, as well as a clear resumption of outdoor religious services that can be conducted with people remaining in their automobiles.

That sort of step would "help us transition to a new normal," he said.

Cissie Graham Lynch of the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association and Samaritan's Purse, said churches would be committed to keeping their congregations safe and emphasized the importance of healing the spiritual pain caused by widespread social distancing restrictions imposed to fight the virus.

People are lonely, people are scared, Lynch said.

Those who participated in the call described Trump as closely engaged in the discussion.

We may be opening, but we're putting safety first, the president told reporters Friday.

The faith leaders' conversation with Trump is not the only sign that religious leaders are beginning to explore how to resume in-person worship services.

The Christian executive search firm Vanderbloemen has launched ReopeningChurch.com and ReopeningSchool.com websites to start a conversation on that process.
Elimination of fires in the Chornobyl exclusion zone is still ongoing, the minister says.

Ukraine's Interior Minister Avakov has said law enforcers are considering two versions of wildfire occurrence in Ukraine's Zhytomyr region.

"First, fires broke out as a result of a strong dry wind, which damaged overhead power lines. However, there are some facts that give us reason to believe that there was a deliberate arson. That is why an expert group from the Ministry of Internal Affairs headed by my adviser Vladyslav Bukhariev is working in Zhytomyr region today. An investigation is under way," he said at a meeting of the operational headquarters in the city of Ovruch, Zhytomyr Region, as reported by the ministry's press service on April 19.

Read alsoChornobyl wildfires: combustion products from exclusion zone could not pollute Kyiv air  Kulbida

The official added that the human factor could not be ruled out as well.

"when young people have fun in strange ways and in dry weather (there's been almost no snow this winter) they intentionally set fire to grass. Over the past three days, we have detained several persons who were setting fire to grass and garbage at the edge of the forest," he said.

Avakov also noted that the elimination of fires in the Chornobyl exclusion zone is still ongoing. Now all the causes of fires are being established. So far, rescuers and police are considering snowless winter and dry forest litter as the main course of the wildfires.

"Fire-fighting operations are still under way in the Chornobyl [zone], but the situation is under full control. In addition, we will draw conclusions from this situation. Rules of activities in protected areas, including in the exclusion zone, will be changed," Avakov summed up.

National Security and Defense Council Secretary Oleksiy Danilov, Head of Ukrainian President's Office Andriy Yermak, Chairman of the State Emergency Service Mykola Chechotkin, as well as representatives of Zhytomyr Regional State Administration and the State Forest Agency also attended the meeting.

As UNIAN reported earlier, wildfires in Zhytomyr region and the Chornobyl exclusion zone broke out on April 4.

As of Sunday, April 19, rescuers and foresters have been putting out nine fires in Zhytomyr region and four fires in the Chornobyl exclusion zone.

In Zhytomyr region, wildfires were spreading to settlements. As a result, dozens of residential buildings have been burned down.

Advisor to Ukrainian Interior Minister Zorian Shkiriak does not exclude the situation with wildfires in the Chornobyl exclusion zone and Zhytomyr region could be the result of a planned sabotage.
NEW YORK, April 18, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- International advocacy organization Global Citizen, together with Lady Gaga, tonight announced $127 million in commitments to date in support of healthcare workers in the fight against the COVID-19 pandemic. Corporate partners and philanthropists announced their support for the COVID-19 Solidarity Response Fund for the World Health Organization, powered by the UN Foundation, during the One World: Together At Home global broadcast event. Donations to the fund will support WHO's work around the world, the vaccine development alliance Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations (CEPI) and UNICEF. The Together At Home effort will also aid over 100 additional local and regional charities that will also receive funds, including Education Cannot Wait, Direct Care, Feeding America and United Way, among others. Changemakers, investors and foundation leaders actualized their giving to contribute quickly to related efforts, like stronger health systems and vaccine development.

The historic eight-hour globally promoted special garnered unprecedented worldwide distribution, reaching billions. More than 60 global broadcast networks, across more than 175 countries, nine digital platforms and hundreds of affiliates, celebrated and supported brave healthcare workers doing life-saving work on the front lines. One World: Together At Home kicked-off with a six-hour digital stream that was followed by a two-hour broadcast special. The broadcast special was hosted by Jimmy Fallon of 'The Tonight Show,' Jimmy Kimmel of 'Jimmy Kimmel Live' and Stephen Colbert of 'The Late Show with Stephen Colbert,' with friends from Sesame Street. All were on hand to help unify and inspire people around the world, focusing on communities impacted by COVID-19. The eight hours included conversations with, and tributes to, the scientists, healthcare professionals, and other essential services workers that have championed the fight against the COVID-19 pandemic.

ANNOUNCEMENTS FROM CORPORATE PARTNERS AND PHILANTHROPISTS INCLUDED:

Analog Devices: In addition to a donation to the COVID-19 Solidarity Response Fund for the World Health Organization, the ADI Foundation has also donated to support research at the Vaccine & Immunotherapy Center at Massachusetts General Hospital, to help accelerate the development of a new vaccine and technologies to combat the COVID-19 pandemic.

Bloomberg Philanthropies: Bloomberg Philanthropies has partnered with Global Citizen to support the One World: Together At Home initiative, including a contribution that will go directly to the COVID-19 Solidarity Response Fund for the World Health Organization. The funding will support providing healthcare workers across the globe with protective equipment like masks and gloves, and getting them the necessary information and training to detect and treat affected patients. The funding will also help with efforts to track and study the spread of the virus, accelerate the development of treatments, vaccines, and tests, and produce guidance on measures that the general public should take to prevent the spread of COVID-19.

Cisco: Since early March, Cisco has donated funds to the COVID-19 Solidarity Response Fund for the World Health Organization, powered by the UN Foundation, and local nonprofit organizations to support the homeless and people facing financial or food insecurity due to COVID-19. Cisco is also providing their Webex video conferencing and security products for free to support first responders, hospitals, schools, governments, and employers in their response to COVID-19.

Citi: The Citi Foundation has pledged support to the COVID-19 Solidarity Response Fund for the World Health Organization and No Kid Hungry as well as international, country specific efforts. Citi also matched public donations to No Kid Hungry and pledged additional funding in the U.S. to make financial counseling and technical assistance services available to small business owners and families experiencing financial hardship as a result of COVID-19.

The Coca-Cola Company: The Coca-Cola Company and The Coca-Cola Foundation announced it's contribution to global COVID-19 efforts through many organizations that are responding to the needs of some of the most vulnerable during this time. Contributions have been made to international organizations such as Caritas and The International Society of the Red Cross, and domestic organizations such as Feeding America and Boys and Girls Clubs of America. A number of Coca-Cola bottlers are also redeploying resources to produce hand sanitizer and have partnered to create face shields for front-line medical teams.

Emerson Collective: The Emerson Collective made a commitment to the COVID-19 Solidarity Response Fund for the World Health Organization response efforts and continues to invest in important regional organizations like the One Acre Fund, which supports more than one million farm families in Africa . In response to COVID-19, One Acre Fund is mobilizing its network of 8,000 trusted rural staff and more than 100,000 community volunteers to deliver critical farming supplies and technical assistance that ensure local farmers stay safe and open for business.

GSK: GSK announced a commitment to the COVID-19 Solidarity Response Fund for the World Health Organization, powered by the UN Foundation on March 25 , 2020.

Johnson & Johnson: Johnson & Johnson has announced a lead vaccine candidate for COVID-19 and a commitment to rapidly accelerate R&D, human testing and production capacity to supply more than one billion doses of a safe and effective vaccine worldwide at a non-for-profit basis for emergency pandemic use. In addition, the company has committed funding to support frontline health workers. The Johnson & Johnson global COVID-19 response can be found here .

IBM: IBM made a donation to the COVID-19 Solidarity Response Fund for the World Health Organization, as well as an employee giving match campaign to support the global response to COVID19. IBM's popular Weather Channel app and web site also donated banner ad space to Global Citizen to promote the event worldwide.

PepsiCo: The PepsiCo Foundation has made a donation to the COVID-19 Solidarity Response Fund for the World Health Organization. Pepsi also partnered with Global Citizen in the lead up to OneWorld: Together At Home to support with a range of design, creative, and paid media resources. These efforts are part of PepsiCo's larger COVID-19 relief contributions which include: funding vital support such as protective gear for healthcare workers, testing and screening services and distributing more than 50 million nutritious meals to at-risk populations by supporting food banks and other partners around the world.

Procter & Gamble: Procter & Gamble is helping millions of families around the world by providing health, hygiene, and cleaning products to keep people safe and healthy at home. In addition to providing products, cash and in kind support, Procter & Gamble, and its brands, are serving communities most affected by COVID-19 by distributing masks, hand sanitizer and cleaning products to relief organizations, giving free laundry service to workers on the front lines, as well as providing shaving and skin care products to healthcare workers to ensure their masks fit properly. The company has also contributed to the COVID-19 Solidarity Response Fund for the World Health Organization and is supporting more than 200 local relief organizations worldwide.

Rockefeller Foundation: The Rockefeller Foundation is working tirelessly to help millions of people who are struggling to put food on the table and make ends meet during the COVID-19 crisis by expanding their access to the food and benefits they deserve. The Foundation has also made a commitment to launch a national strategy to expand testing and safely reopen the economy to get America back to work.

State Farm: State Farm is providing relief to its customers in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. In addition, State Farm announced contributions to relief organizations on a local level.

The Stadler Family Foundation: The Stadler Family Foundation is supporting the WHO's efforts, through the COVID-19 Solidarity Response Fund, to build resilient health systems  ensuring that frontline healthcare workers have access to critical Personal Protective Equipment (PPE).

Target: As part of One World: Together At Home, Target has made a donation to the COVID-19 Solidarity Response Fund for the World Health Organization. This is in addition to the company increasing their investment in their frontline team members, as well as donating funds to global, national, and local organizations that are addressing the greatest needs in their communities, including vulnerable populations.

Teneo: The global CEO advisory firm Teneo, mobilized their clients, partners and employees to help raise funding including employee and company match funds, to support the global fight against COVID-19, including support to the COVID-19 Solidarity Response Fund for the World Health Organization and local organizations on the front lines.

Vodafone: Vodafone's 27 Foundations announced that it has responded to the outbreak of COVID-19 with donations, technical support and by making their digital learning platforms available for free. They have repurposed DreamLab, their mobile app collaboration with Imperial College London, to harness the processing power of millions of charging mobile phones to research new therapeutics in the fight against the coronavirus.

Verizon: As part of One World: Together At Home, Verizon made an additional donation to the COVID-19 Solidarity Response Fund for the World Health Organization, adding to the commitment that the company contributed to the fund prior to this initiative. Verizon also helped with the Text to Act capability during the broadcast portion of the One World: Together At Home show in the U.S., allowing viewers to take critical actions to raise awareness and call on leaders to address the pandemic.

WW International, Inc.: WW International, Inc. is providing up to 10 million meals and 3 million pounds of fresh produce with partners Wholesome Wave & Feeding America.

Curated in collaboration with Lady Gaga, the artists who participated in the broadcast special included Alicia Keys, Amy Poehler, Andrea Bocelli, Awkwafina, Azza Karam, Beyonce Knowles-Carter, Billie Eilish, Billie Joe Armstrong of Green Day, Burna Boy, Camila Cabello, Celine Dion, Chris Martin, David & Victoria Beckham, Eddie Vedder, Ellen DeGeneres, Elton John, FINNEAS, Idris and Sabrina Elba, J Balvin, Jennifer Lopez, John Legend, Kacey Musgraves, Keith Urban, Kerry Washington, Lang Lang, Lizzo, LL COOL J, Lupita Nyong'o, Maluma, Matthew McConaughey, Oprah Winfrey, Paul McCartney, Pharrell Williams, Priyanka Chopra Jonas, Rabbi Dan Ain, Reverend A.R. Bernard, Sam Smith, Satpal Singh, Shah Rukh Khan, Shawn Mendes, Stevie Wonder, Taylor Swift, The Rolling Stones, and Usher.

The broadcast also included Former United States First Ladies Mrs. Laura Bush and Mrs. Michelle Obama, United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, United Nations Deputy Secretary-General Amina J. Mohammed and WHO Director-General Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus.

The six-hour digital event included performances and appearances from Adam Lambert, Andra Day, Angele, Anitta, Annie Lennox, Becky G, Ben Platt, Billy Ray Cyrus, Black Coffee, Bridget Moynahan, Burna Boy, Cassper Nyovest, Charlie Puth, Christine and the Queens, Common, Connie Britton, Danai Gurira, Delta Goodrem, Don Cheadle, Eason Chan, Ellie Goulding, Erin Richards, FINNEAS, Heidi Klum, Hozier, Hussain Al Jassmi, Jack Black, Jacky Cheung, Jack Johnson, Jameela Jamil, James McAvoy, Jason Segel, Jennifer Hudson, Jess Glynne, Jessie J, Jessie Reyez, John Legend, Juanes, Kesha, Lady Antebellum, Lang Lang, Leslie Odom Jr., Lewis Hamilton, Liam Payne, Lili Reinhart, Lilly Singh, Lindsey Vonn, Lisa Mishra, Lola Lennox, Luis Fonsi, Maren Morris, Matt Bomer, Megan Rapinoe, Michael Buble, Milky Chance, Naomi Osaka, Natti Natasha, Niall Horan, Nomzamo Mbatha, P.K. Subban, Picture This, Rita Ora, Samuel L Jackson, Sarah Jessica Parker, Sebastian Yatra, Sheryl Crow, Sho Madjozi, SOFI TUKKER, SuperM, The Killers, Tim Gunn, Vishal Mishra and Zucchero.

The benefit special aired on Saturday, April 18, 2020 on ABC, NBC, ViacomCBS Networks, The CW, iHeartMedia, Bell Media networks and platforms in Canada and will air on Sunday, April 19, 2020 at 7:15 p.m. GMT on BBC One.

Additional broadcasters, included: AXS TV, beIN Media Group, Bloomberg Media, Canal + International, Caracol Television, Corus Entertainment, Deutsche Telekom, Digicel, DPAN.TV American Sign Language (ASL) supported by Comcast, DPG, Media, Dubai-TV, France-TV, Fuji TV, Hulu-Japan, Insight TV, JOOX, Katz Networks, LiveNow/ELEVEN Sports, Mediacorp, M6-France, MultiChoice, National Geographic, Naver Corp, NOVA-Bulgaria, One Championship, RAI Italy, Rede Globo, Rogers Media, RTE, RTL, Sony Pictures-Latin America, Seven Network, Sony Pictures-India, Turner Network Television International, SVT-Sweden, TV2-Denmark, TV2-Norway, TVE-Spain , TV4-Sweden, UNIVISION, Viacom18 and YLE-Finland.

The six hour digital stream curated from around the world leading up to the global broadcast with many more performances and appearances aired on Amazon Prime Video, Apple, ARD, beIN Media Group, Bell Media, Brut Media, Caracol Television, Corus Entertainment, DailyMotion, Deutsche Telekom, Digicel, Facebook, France-TV, Hulu-Japan, IMDb, Instagram, JOOX, LiveXLive, M6-France, Mediacorp, Multichoice, Naver Corp, Network 10, One Championship, Rede Globo, Rogers Media, Roku, SET & Sony-Liv, The Guardian, TIDAL, TuneIn, TV2-Denmark, TV2-Norway, TVE-Spain, TVI-Portugal, Twitch, Twitter, Yahoo, YLE-Finland and YouTube.

One World: Together At Home is also coming soon to Alibaba, Tencent, Baidu, bilibili, Bytedance, Kuaishou, NetEase and Weibo.

The Executive Producers of One World: Together At Home are Michele Anthony of Universal Music Group, Declan Kelly of Teneo, Bobby Campbell of Haus of Gaga, and Julie Greenwald of Atlantic Records. Special thanks to the incredible staff and contractors of Global Citizen who worked tirelessly for weeks on this special, while also homeschooling their children, caring for parents and their community. Please visit www.globalcitizen.org for a list of these amazing people.

Last month in response to the global pandemic, Global Citizen launched an urgent campaign in support of the COVID-19 Solidarity Response Fund for WHO. Calling on individuals to take action and asking world leaders and corporations to support the response with sufficient resources, Global Citizens from over 150 countries around the world have taken hundreds of thousands of actions in support of the response fund. For information about how to tune in and take action, visit globalcitizen.org/togetherathome .

For more information about Global Citizen and to support the COVID-19 Solidarity Response Fund for WHO, please visit globalcitizen.org and follow @GlblCtzn Twitter, Facebook and Instagram using #GlobalCitizen.

To learn more about WHO's response to the pandemic, and the COVID-19 Solidarity Response Fund, please go to www.who.int/COVID-19, and follow @WHO on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn and TikTok.

CONTACT:

Global Citizen:

Charmion N. Kinder, [email protected]

World Health Organization:

Paul Garwood, [email protected]

For U.S. Press Inquiries:

Sunshine Sachs on behalf of Global Citizen, [email protected]

For International Press Inquiries:

Weber Shandwick on behalf of Global Citizen, [email protected]

SOURCE Global Citizen

Related Links

http://www.globalcitizen.org


A senior PSNI officer is appealing to people throughout Northern Ireland not to be duped by fraudsters attempting to swindle them after more than three dozen reports of scams in recent days.

Between Thursday, April 16 and yesterday morning, there have been more that 40 reports to PSNI of cyber criminals threatening individuals across Northern Ireland.

The majority of these attempts have been through what's known as sextortion scams where residents in counties Antrim, Down, Tyrone and Derry are among those targeted, all via email.

Most of the reports made to police are the same, and involve emails sent to recipients.

They are told if they don't pay 2,000 they're threatened that X-rated or compromising photos of them will be sent to their families, or that images/footage of them accessing pornographic websites will be released.

Others are phishing emails where scammers tell the recipient they have their password in an attempt to convince them they're a genuine threat.

They claim they have access to indecent images of the person and will release them publicly unless they pay the 2,000.

Chief Superintendent Simon Walls says scammers will stop at nothing to dupe people, even during the global Covid-19 pandemic.

Chief Superintendent Walls said: "Thankfully, in relation to the reports we have received in the last few days, people appear to be aware of the fraudsters and it appears they haven't fallen for their scams.

"Scammers are ruthless, unscrupulous individuals who don't care about the impact of their actions on victims, which can sometimes can be life changing and which often has a significant impact. All scammers care about is getting money from their victims.

Chief Superintendent Walls said now that young people are spending more time at home, parents should take extra care to keep an eye on their child's online activity and what sites they are accessing.

Chief Superintendent Walls said: It's really important that parents and guardians know what their loved ones' online activity is, who their children are engaging with and what sites they are visiting. It's also important people have a conversation with their loved ones, and with each other, so they are aware of the extraordinary lengths scammers will go to and the abhorrent tactics they will employ.

And, to any young person who may receive or has received one of these emails, please don't worry. Speak to your parent/guardian or someone you trust and do not reply to the email."

A small number of the recent scams reported have been of the more traditional type, where scammers have claimed to be calling from a bank and have asked people for their bank details, or where someone has been told they are due a refund after their MoT was cancelled and they need their bank details to issue the refund.

One report was about workmen taking money from a householder for work yet to be completed.



Chief Superintendent Walls said: Never ever give out any personal or financial information to an unverified source via email or over the phone.

Only ever give that type of sensitive information to a verified source, and I would urge people who receive any of these types of email not to interact or reply to the scammers, but to forward details on to Action Fraud and contact us.

People who receive such an email where the scammers claim to have their password should change their passwords as soon as possible. Please, do all you can to stop scammers taking your money.

I would urge people to be aware of cold callers and people claiming to carry out work on their house for a price, which will often be too good to be true. Be on your guard and do what you can to protect yourself financially.
US President Donald Trump has warned China of consequences if it was knowingly responsible for the spread of the novel coronavirus pandemic.

Trump, who as expressed his disappointment over handling of the coronavirus disease (Covid-19) by China, alleged non-transparency and initial non-cooperation with the US on this issue.

If they were knowingly responsible, yeah, then there should be consequences, he told reporters at a White House news conference on Saturday. Youre talking about, you know, potentially lives like nobodys seen since 1917. Trump said his relationship with China was very good till the time the deadly Covid-19 swept the world.

The relationship was good when we were signing that, but then, all of a sudden, you hear about this. So, its a big difference.

You know, the question was asked would you be angry at China. Well, the answer very well might be a very resounding yes, but it depends, Trump said.

The president underlined that there was a big difference between a mistake that got out of control or something done deliberately.

In either event, they should have let us go in. You know, we asked to go in very early and they didnt want us in. I think they knew it was something bad and I think they were embarrassed, Trump said.

He claimed that China was pitching for former vice president Joe Biden, who is the presumptive nominee of the Democratic Party for the presidential election.

If sleepy Joe Biden wins, China will own the United States, Trump said, adding that his administration had gained billions of dollars from China due to his assertive trade policies.

The president said the coronavirus crisis had hurt everybody.

We had the greatest economy in the world by far. China isnt even close. Go back two months. And were going to keep it that way, he said.

Trump asserted that Iran was now a much different country than it was before.

When I first came in, Iran was going to take over the entire Middle East, he said. Right now, they just want to survive.
The massive Brown familywith one patriarch (Kody Brown), four wives (Meri, Janelle, Christine, and Robyn Brown), and 18 children, has graced our screens on TLCs Sister Wives for around a decade now. But, despite their openness about their practice of polygamy, the Browns stay relatively quiet about their rare religion, a sect of fundamentalist Mormonism known as the Apostolic United Brethren (AUB).

Members of the AUB sometimes have somewhat tangled family trees, given the rarity of their religion, their practice of polygamy, and the number of children they tend to have.

The Sister Wives family tree is no exception. Although Kody is not related to any of his wives, there are various odd connections within the familyand to other well-known polygamous families from reality shows like TLCs Seeking Sister Wife.

Robyn, Meri, Kody, Christine, and Janelle Brown | Ethan Miller/Getty Images

Janelle was once married to Meris brother

Janelle, Kodys second wife, was once married to Meris brother Adam Barber. The union lasted less than two years, from 1988 to 1990. The young couple had no children and divorced fairly amicably, dividing up their assets simply without any back-and-forth in the courts.

Because Janelle divorced Meris brother and went on to marry her husband, some Sister Wives fans have speculated that this strange connectionand the transition from being a sister-in-law to a sister wifeled to the breakdown in Meri and Janelles relationship in their early years.

According to Soap Dirt, Janelle allegedly even fell in love with Kody and got to know Meri while she was still with Adam. The Browns have never confirmed this, however.

Janelles mom and Kodys dad were married

Kodys father, William Winn Brown, sadly passed away in 2013 at the age of 78 in Wyoming. Around the time Kody joined the AUB, his father also became a fundamentalist Mormon and subsequently practiced polygamy himself. And when he died, one of his three widows was Sheryl Brown, Janelles mother, according to Starcasm.

Janelle and her mom Sheryl became interested in joining the Browns new faith at around the same time in their lives. As Janelle grew close to Kody, Sheryl grew close to Kodys father. The two married even before the Sister Wives star married his second wife.

Maddies husband Caleb is the brother of Kodys sister-in-law

Maddie Brown Brush, one of Janelle and Kodys adult daughters, is happily married to Caleb Brush, with whom she has two young children.

Maddie and Caleb also have an interesting family connection of their own. (They arent blood-related, like all the other couples were discussing.)

Kodys beloved brother, Curtis Brown, tragically passed away in 2013 at the young age of 34 in a motorcycle accident. According to Radar Online, the late Curtis wife, Erica Brush Brown, was Calebs sister, making her Kodys sister-in-law. That means that Maddie technically married her aunts brotheralthough, again, there was no blood relation.

Aspyns husband Mitch is related to another TV sister wife

Aspyn Brown Thompson, one of Kodys daughters with his third wife, Christine, married Mitch Thompson, a childhood friend and a member of the Browns church, in 2018. Aspyns husband, Mitch, has a connection to another TLC polygamist familythe Alldredges from Seeking Sister Wife.

Vanessa Alldredge, the first wife of Jeff Alldredge, is Mitchs sister. Jeffs second wife, Sharis Alldredge, even spoke up on social media to reveal that they were good friends with the Browns and frequently spent time with them back in Utah.

Robyns ex-husband David Preston Jessop is Christines first cousin and Kodys third cousin

Christine Brown was originally Christine Allred before marrying Kody. Like Allred, the name Jessop is well-known in the fundamentalist Mormon community, as many well-known AUB families who practice polygamy share that name.

Another Jessop, David Preston Jessop, was actually married to Kodys fourth wife, Robyn, for a number of years. David and Robyn had three childrenDayton, Aurora, and Breannawhom Kody eventually adopted after legally divorcing Meri and marrying Robyn.

According to The Ashleys Reality Roundup, Robyns ex (a former member of the AUB) is connected to the Sister Wives family in several ways. He is allegedly related to Meri through more than one of her polygamous fathers wives. Hes also allegedly Christines first cousin and Kodys third cousin.
Like the rest of us, Married At First Sight star KC Osborne has had to find unique ways to entertain herself while in isolation.

And on Saturday, the 31-year-old dancer flaunted her toned abs while she showed off a series of moves in a TikTok video.

The reality TV star was seen performing the signature dance to trending track Savage, by American rapper Megan Thee Stallion.

Scroll down for video

Keeping busy! Married At First Sight star KC Osborne (pictured) flaunted her toned abs as she showed off her dance moves in a new TikTok video on Saturday

The post attracted many comments, including her MAFS co-star boyfriend Michael Goonan, who wrote: 'Damn.'

Model Imogen Anthony also commented underneath the post, saying she would look like comedian Celeste Barber if she was to reenact the sexy clip.

In the video, which was also shared to her Instagram, KC appeared to be in an empty dance studio wearing a neon green crop top, and a pair of grey track pants.

Fit: Dancing along to American rapper Megan Thee Stallion's 2020 hit song Savage, the reality TV star was seen parading a series bizarre dance moves followed by a twerk

She completed her look in a black self-branded mini-sweater.

The brunette beauty is known to have danced professionally in Hollywood in her past career before relocating to Australia last year.

In 2010, KC moved to LA and signed a record deal with top 40 hitmaker The Dream, and spent almost a decade there as an aspiring pop star and professional dancer.

Dressed for it! KC appeared to be in an empty dance studio where she wore a neon green crop top, and a pair of grey track pants

She used to work as a Pussycat Doll in the musical act's burlesque show, and even rubbed shoulders with Harry Styles and David Beckham during her stint in Hollywood.

She returned home to Sydney in 2019 in hopes of settling down and finding love.

While she unfortunately didn't find a lasting relationship with TV 'husband' Drew Brauer on MAFS, she is now dating co-star Michael Goonan.
India Post on Saturday said postal employees and gramin dak sevaks, postal staff in rural areas, would be able to claim 10,00,000 as compensation in case of death due to Covid-19 while discharging official duties.

Union minister for IT and communications Ravi Shankar Prasad announced the departments decision on Saturday.

Security cover of 10 Lakh has been extended to all employees of @IndiaPostOffice and Grameen Dak Sewak (GDS)- the frontline #CoronaWarriors in countrys fight against #COVID19, if they succumb to death due to Corona Virus, Prasad tweeted.

Also read: Postal department to step up delivery of food and essentials

Postal services fall under the Essential Services Maintenance Act (ESMA) and have been operational ever since the lockdown began on March 25. In addition to delivering mail, postal employees are also distributing ration and delivering medicines.

The cover has been provided to all departmental employees and gramin dak sevaks, who work as agents of the department in rural areas, Arundhati Ghosh, India Posts director, said.

They are frontline workers in the fight against Covid-19. In case they succumb to death due to Covid-19 they will be given 10 lakh as compensation, she said

Also read: 500km apart with no phone, postman connects elderly brother and sister

A postal official said while speaking to HT that the move came after many employees demanded such a measure.

Many of our employees had been asking for a cover for a long time, so now it has been decided to provide it to them as they are at high risk, the official said.

They are in constant contact with numerous people as they travel from door to door and even equipment, such as the devices need to make Aadhaar-enabled payment, can transmit the virus, the official added.

The existing provisions of the compensation for accidents available to the employees have been extended to provide them with the cover.

Earlier, the Delhi government had announced an ex-gratia payment of 1 crore for frontline health workers in case of death due to Covid-19 while discharging official duties.

Maharashtra has announced a compensation of 50 lakh for kin of police officers in case they die on duty.
At least 2,477 nursing home patients have been killed by the virus in New York, according to state figures.

The despair wrought on nursing homes by the coronavirus was laid bare on Friday in a state survey identifying numerous New York facilities where multiple patients died over the past few weeks.

Nineteen of the states nursing homes reported 20 or more deaths linked to the pandemic, the survey said.

One Brooklyn home, the Cobble Hill Health Center, was listed as having 55 deaths. Officials at the facility, which has more than 300 beds located in a 19th-century former hospital in a tony section of Brooklyn, did not immediately return a call seeking comment.

Four homes, in the Bronx, Queens and Staten Island, were listed as having 40 or more deaths.

These have been surreal times, and we are suffering, as is everybody else, said Dr Roy Goldberg, medical director at Kings Harbor Multicare Center, a 720-bed home which reported 45 deaths.

Every death is heartbreaking, he said.

The surveys release came after days of news media reports about homes so stricken by the virus that bodies had to be stacked inside storage rooms while families struggled to get information about isolated loved ones.

The list was far from complete. It was based on a survey sent by the state asking for details. Nursing homes had until Thursday afternoon to respond.

We only know what they tell us, Governor Andrew Cuomo said.

Connecticut released a similar list on Thursday, reporting that eight nursing homes had at least 10 residents die.

Through Tuesday, at least 2,477 nursing home patients have been killed by the virus in New York, according to state figures. That amounts to about one in five of the states virus-related deaths. In Connecticut, nursing home residents account for 375 of the states 971 virus deaths.

Need for testing, PPE

Until this week, officials in several states had declined to identify nursing homes with deadly outbreaks, saying patients deserved privacy or citing challenges in determining whether some extremely frail patients had died of the virus, or other causes.

Many nursing home administrators also declined to release information, leading Cuomo to say this week that the state would begin requiring homes to inform patients and their families within 24 hours if a resident got the virus or died.

Chris Laxton, executive director of the Society for Post-Acute and Long-Term Care Medicine, applauded the state for releasing the data. But he believes the spread of COVID-19 and related deaths are underreported in nursing homes and assisted living communities.

Growth in both cases and deaths is to be expected, even as the surge begins to level off in the community and in hospitals, Laxton said. We continue to be in urgent need of PPE, especially gowns, test kits, and surge staff, to limit staff from travelling between buildings and risking additional spread.

A patient is loaded into the back of an ambulance by emergency medical workers outside Cobble Hill Health Center in the Brooklyn borough of New York [John Minchillo/AP Photo]

Nursing homes have been known since the earliest days of the outbreak as a likely trouble spot. A home in Washington state lost 43 residents early in the viruss spread into the country.

Yet, even with that early warning, many nursing homes remained without adequate supplies of personal protective equipment. Testing for residents and staff remains spotty, at best.

Federal officials in mid-March banned visitors, halted group activities and ordered mandatory screening of workers for respiratory symptoms, but by then the virus had quietly spread widely.

Kings Harbors medical director, Goldberg, said staff members there created two dedicated COVID-19 units to treat infected patients and followed every department of health and CDC recommendation and regulation.

Obtaining PPE has always been a struggle, he added, but weve always stayed one step ahead.

New York states health commissioner, Howard Zucker, said the state is providing enough personal protective equipment for nursing homes and helping with staffing.

Were working with each individual nursing home to address that. We contact them and if theres a need for PPE  we have stockpiles.

Died without family near

Some nursing homes have disclosed information voluntarily that differed from the numbers put out by the state on Friday.

The state survey listed 10 deaths at the Montgomery Nursing and Rehabilitation Center, about 80km (50 miles) north of New York City, but facility Vice President Vincent Maniscalco said 21 residents have died recently. Eight of those patients, he said, had symptoms consistent with the virus but died prior to being tested.

Its been a very trying time for the staff, to lose residents they care for day in and day out, Maniscalco said.

With visitors barred from nursing homes to try to keep the infection out, many of those patients have died with only the homes workers to comfort them.

When somebody passes away, they celebrate a residents life, Maniscalco said.

Outbreaks killed 45 at a nursing home in suburban Richmond, Virginia, and 22 at a home in central Indiana. County officials in northern New Jersey said Thursday that at least 26 patients had died at a nursing home in Andover.

An Associated Press news agency report found infections were continuing to find their way into nursing homes because screening staff for a fever or questioning them about symptoms did not catch people who were infected but asymptomatic.
Is Kim Jong Un incapacitated or dead from Coronavirus? The question has to be asked after the North Korean dictator failed to appear  as he and his predecessor have always done  at the most important holiday commemoration in the North Korean calendar, one honoring his grandfather, the founder of the North Korean state. Lauren Vella reports for The Hill:

North Korean leader Kim Jong Un was absent from a national celebration dedicated to the nations founder and Kims grandfather, Kim Il Sung, on Friday, raising questions about the state of his health. According to reports from KCNA, the countrys state-run media, North Korean leaders paid tribute to Kim Il Sungs preserved body at the Kumsusan Palace of the Sun but did not mention Kim Jong Uns presence, according to Reuters. Kim was also not present in official photos of the celebration. (snip) This was the first time in decades that the country's leader has not made an appearance during the national holiday, referred to in North Korea as the Day of the Sun. It is difficult to glean what Kims absence could mean for the leader and the country

File photo via the President of Russia

Hyonhee Shin adds at Reuters:

Cheong Seong-chang, a senior fellow at South Koreas Sejong Institute, said it was the first time in decades Kims visit to the palace on that holiday was not reported state media since he took power in late December. He has been going there on the birthdays of his grandfather and father to flaunt his royalty to them and sacred bloodline, Cheong said. It is possible that there was a problem with his health or safety even if temporary, though it is difficult to assess how the situation might be.

Since his death, Kim Il Sung has been elevated to near-divine status, and it is only through his descent from the demi-god that Kim Jong Un gained and holds onto power. Skipping the most prominent ceremony honoring his grandfather is not something lightly done.

Kim Jong Un is very obese, making him at risk for Coronavirus. There have been previous reports of his ill health related to obesity, but there is no solid information on that point. North Korea denies that it is affected by coronavirus, but few outsiders accept that as true. The overall poor state of health and healthcare, as well as the poverty and crowded living quarters of most of the population make it an ideal breeding ground.

With North Koreas principal patron, China, now widely blamed or the pandemic, having its leader suffer from it would be awkward.

President Trump prominently offered moral support as well as unspecified medical help when his friend Boris Johnson successfully coped with Coronavirus. I have to wonder if there might be some private help  shipment of drugs, ventilators, or other medical assistance  sent from the US to Pyongyang IF KJU needs help. Saving his life could alter the course of US-North Korea relations.

This is all speculation, of course. North Koreas lack of transparency makes it impossible to know, but we can say with confidence that something important prevented KJI from honoring his grandfather.

Hat tip: Michael Curtis
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Fauci said the distortions have led to death threats against him. He pointed to the arrest of someone with an AR-15 rifle and ammunition last month in Iowa who police said was driving to D.C. with a "hit list."
Digital giants Google and Facebook will be forced to pay for news content generated by the Australian media in a lifeline for the struggling industry.

Treasurer Josh Frydenberg and Communications Minister Paul Fletcher will on Monday announce a mandatory code on digital platforms to be finalised by July, bringing forward a November deadline.

The decision to fast track the code follows a collapse in advertising revenue due to the COVID-19 pandemic, which has led to many newsrooms, especially in regional areas, closing or scaling back their operations.

The Australian Competition and Consumer Commission last December handed down its report following an inquiry into Facebook, Google and the impact other internet giants are having on the media industry.

Digital giants Google and Facebook will be forced to pay for news content generated by the Australian media in a lifeline for the struggling industry (stock)

The ACCC was negotiating with big tech and media companies on a voluntary code of conduct that would have been made mandatory in November if no agreement was made before then.

The new code will include enforcement, penalties and ways to deal with disagreements between the global platforms and local media companies.

'The groundbreaking report prepared by the ACCC into digital platforms was world-leading and now paves the way for a mandatory code of conduct requiring payment for content,' Mr Frydenberg said.

'This will help to create a level playing field.'

Prices for content or the nature of commercial agreements would need to be negotiated but remedies would be put in place to force tech companies to accede.

Treasurer Josh Frydenberg (pictured) and Communications Minister Paul Fletcher will on Monday announce a mandatory code on digital platforms to be finalised by July, bringing forward a November deadline

Facebook and Google have a stranglehold over the digital advertising market and benefit greatly from the content of news publishers on their platforms, social media, search queries and digital video.

News Corp Australia executive chairman Michael Miller said Google and Facebook had built trillion-dollar businesses by using other people's content and refusing to pay for it.

'The decisive move by the government to go directly to a mandatory code of conduct between the international tech giants and Australian news media companies is a vital step that can help secure the future of Australian journalism,' he told News Corp.

Nine chief executive Hugh Marks also welcomed the move.

News Corp and Nine have cited the impact of digital platforms on their bottom lines as part of their move to close down AAP, the national newswire.
Covid-19 has us all on an emotional rollercoaster. Each day people all over Europe, probably the world, look to the newspapers for a hint of what might happen. Will I be able to get into the mountains, get a haircut, have a pint? At this stage, all most people want is a sense of an endgame in the struggle to live with coronavirus.

One day a glimmer of hope is given, as we're told that the Government is considering a phased reopening of some activities; the next, those hopes are dashed - there will be no end to restriction until a vaccine is found. That could be a year or more.

The Irish Government says it will act on the advice of the chief medical officer and the National Public Health Emergency Team. While the medical advice is important, the Government will be wrong if it chooses to hide behind it.

It is easy to make decisions when faced with an apocalypse. Relatively timely action meant our hospitals were spared the scenes in Madrid, Bergamo, or New York. But in flattening the curve, and maintaining a functioning health service, we were just buying time. The country can't remain in a semi-perpetual state of confinement, in which the economy ceases to function, unemployment rises, children are deprived of education, vulnerable people are subject to abuse, social isolation takes its toll, and a mountain of chronic health problems are stored up by fighting on just this one front.

The decisions the Government will take in the next month or so on the gradual re-opening of our society are essentially political decisions. It's easy to be guided by the chief medical officer, but he is not qualified to take decisions on the trade-offs between what is an acceptable number of deaths and what the longer-term damage to society might be.

Politicians are understandably fearful of making these decisions, and especially of being accused of allowing economic priorities trump those of health concerns.

In 1987 when Ireland imposed severe health cuts, Dr Rory O'Hanlon, the then minister for health, went on Morning Ireland to explain the necessity of the cuts to get Ireland out of its economic sclerosis. It was hard to respond when the interviewer said: 'But minister, people are dying!'

This is likely to be used by the Government when it chooses to ease restrictions, as it must, and there is an inevitable second wave with an increase in deaths.

For this reason, politicians are cautious. They tend to copy what others are doing, even though one country might have very different conditions from the one it is copying. We all prefer to stick to the crowd, because there is safety there. They'll seek herd immunity from blame. But refusing to make a decision is not being prudent, it's an abdication of responsibility.

It's easy to make saccharine speeches about protecting the most vulnerable. It is the job of political leaders to make the decisions, and it is lonely when you can't just say we're following advice, following the herd, or following orders from the European Union.

Leo Varadkar is going to be on his own in making these calls. He made a good speech last month, but the next one will have to communicate clearly to the Irish people that lifting restrictions on a trial basis will see a second wave, but that the time between the enforcement of confinement and now has been used to prepare the health system and protects its staff.

Then he will have to tell people that there are other considerations. It looks as if the world has entered the biggest shutdown in modern economic history.

The hope that it was just a temporary freeze, and that we'd be able to come roaring back after a few lost months looks hopelessly optimistic now. Varadkar will probably have to avoid using the word 'economy', even though the 'economy' is how we pay for society to function.

Instead, there are plenty of other impacts Varadkar can point to. At the start of this pandemic, we were told the schools were closing because children were vectors, not victims of this disease. Miraculously they do not seem to be badly affected by its direct effects.

Children are indirect victims, however. Keeping children out of school denies them the opportunity to learn, socialise, relax, and play in safe spaces. Schools being shut will exacerbate all sorts of inequalities Ireland has spent decades trying to close. We know that there is a 'summer learning loss', where during the holidays school kids lose about a quarter of what they have learned during the year. This is much more pronounced among the disadvantaged, who don't have access to summer camps or holidays that can stimulate them.

Middle-class parents are much more likely to be able to work from home and offer some supervision of their children. Parents, tired from work in a supermarket, a factory or a hospital, will struggle to do more than the basics for their children.

If schools stay shut until September, which looks possible in Ireland, children will have lost half a year of schooling.

But it won't be a matter of just filling their heads with the knowledge they missed. They will have lost many of the good learning habits that take years to build up.

The confinement that governments have imposed has other costs. Data from China shows a surge in marriage breakdowns, of which children might bear the brunt. There is anecdotal evidence from Spain that there is a sudden increase in domestic abuse.

In years to come we might speak of a Covid Generation, as we discover the long-term impacts of the attempts to contain the virus.

That's why the real political leadership is needed now, to explain why delaying the deaths of the elderly and infirm must be balanced by the needs of the young and seemingly strong.

The real leaders will be the ones who emerge from the herd.
Reese Witherspoon wears an off-shoulder dress and a black velvet jacket, outside Armani, during Paris Fashion Week - Haute Couture Spring/Summer 2020, on January 21, 2020 in Paris, France. (Photo by Edward Berthelot/Getty Images )e

Reese Witherspoon isn't brushing her mistakes under the rug, as she's revisited her 2013 arrest with honesty by describing it as an "embarrassing and dumb" moment for her.

The Legally Blonde star and her husband Jim Toth were pulled over on suspicion of driving under the influence seven years ago. Footage of Witherspoon not co-operating with the police by resisting orders then went viral.

Witherspoon apologised in the weeks after the event but has now reflected on the moment again in Jameela Jamil's I Weigh podcast.

Read more: Sharon Osbourne reckons theres nothing wrong with plastic surgery

Jamil said the way the star has "shamed [her]self" at the time was "refreshing". But, I did something really stupid, Witherspoon retorted.

Reese Witherspoon headshot (l), actress, and husband, James Toth (r), combination photo from City of Atlanta Department of Corrections on texture, partial graphic

"It was so embarrassing and dumb. But, you know what  turns out I breathe air. I bleed the same way. I make dumb decisions. I make great decisions.

"Im just a human being.

Witherspoon plead no contest to the charge of obstruction of a person and was required to pay a fine of $313, while Toth plead guilty to a first offence for driving under the influence, E! reported at the time.

Meanwhile, Witherspoon's fashion line Draper James has recently found itself in a difficult situation due to a giveaway that went awry.

Reese Witherspoon attends the Draper James Dallas store opening on September 28, 2016 in Dallas, Texas. (Photo by Gary Miller/Getty Images for Draper James)

The label wanted to show appreciation for US teachers during the coronavirus pandemic by giving them a free dress, however, less than one percent of applicants received one.

The initial Instagram post did include the caveat "while supplies last", but had just 250 dresses while almost 1 million applied.

Draper James then attempted to explain it was a raffle instead of a giveaway. A spokesperson said they had "moved too quickly" and didn't anticipate the demand.
LIVE updates of the Reserve Bank of India (RBI)'s Monetary Policy Committee (MPC) decisions

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There was no consensus among banks on the extension of loan moratorium facility to non-banking finance companies (NBFCs) at a meeting of the Indian Banks Association (IBA) held in Mumbai on April 18, industry officials said.

Banks are sharply divided on this issue. The State Bank of India (SBI), which has been opposing moratorium extension to NBFCs, maintained its stance, along with a section of other banks. A few other lenders are inclined to extend the moratorium to NBFCs but they are waiting for a majority decision.

The whole issue is lack of clarity from the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) on the matter. With the central bank refusing to clarify on the moratorium issue with respect to NBFCs, banks are interpreting this in different ways, said a senior executive from the NBFC industry.

So, some banks are inclined to give us the moratorium, while some others not. SBI, for instance, is not in favour. The whole point is RBI has not said anything clearly about this. Hence the lack of clarity, the official said.

IBA will likely move to the Reserve Bank soon, seeking clarity on the matter. On March 27, the RBI had said that all term loans issued by all lenders should be given three month moratorium (March-May) so that borrowers who have suffered income loss during the COVID-19 lockdown will not suffer.

While NBFCs, as lenders, have already extended this facility to their retail borrowers, they are not getting the same from banks. This has created a liquidity short-term mismatch for these companies. NBFCs borrow from banks to raise resources at 9-12 percent. As of now, banks have about Rs 7 lakh crore-loan outstanding to the NBFC sector.

While announcing the moratorium facility, the RBI did not clearly specify anything about the NBFCs. This is what gave room for interpretations. Later, an IBA FAQ circulated among banks said that financial intermediaries need not be given moratorium facilities.

Banks such as SBI argued that these companies, instead, can tap the targeted long term repo operation (TLTRO) announced by the central bank.

But, NBFCs were not happy about this suggestion as banks deployed the money borrowed under TLTRO in big and top rated companies, rather than small firms. The RBI has already conducted Rs 1 lakh crore worth TLTRO and has announced another Rs 50,000 crore TLTRO 2.0. In the first round, much of the benefit went to big companies like NTPC, NHB and Reliance.

Among the NBFCs, NBFC-MFIs are particularly in trouble because of their customer profile and nature of the loan. MFI loans typically have tenure of 18-24 months and average loan size is about Rs 30,000. Every month of moratorium, these companies suffer 8-10 percent decline in their cash collections.

On April 17, in his second press conference, RBI Governor Shaktikanta Das once again remained silent on the NBFC moratorium issue even as he announced a few more liquidity measures for NBFCs. Under TLTRO 2.0 to the tune of Rs 50,000 crore, banks will have to deploy half of the funds in small NBFCs and MFIs. While this is a good move, the detailed guidelines on allocation of money yet again put small NBFCs/MFIs at a disadvantageous position.

According to the RBI circular, of the 50 percent earmarked for small companies, 10 percent should be invested in the securities/instruments issued by MFIs, the RBI said. A further 15 percent in securities/instruments issued by NBFCs with asset size of Rs 500 crore and below and 25 percent in securities issued by NBFCs with assets size between Rs 500 crore and Rs 5,000 crore, the RBI said. In other words, companies will receive a share of this money according to their size.

The problem here is that in earlier rounds some of the big NBFCs, those with assets above Rs 500 crore, had already managed to secure funds from banks. It was the smaller ones that were left out.

In this round too, the big companies are allocated 25 percent of the 50 percent TLTRO funds. As Moneycontrol explained in an earlier article, this effectively means, once again, small MFIs and NBFCs will struggle to get funds. Banks typically prefer bigger firms with better ratings while investing money.

The major demand of NBFCs from the banks and the RBI was extension of the moratorium facility, along with additional credit lines. In the backdrop of lack of clarity on the moratorium and banks' reluctance to invest in smaller companies, NBFCs may see their liquidity position weaken.
Asserting that the hallmark of India's efforts in dealing with the coronavirus outbreak was a pre-emptive and proactive approach, Health Minister Harsh Vardhan on Sunday underlined the gains of the prevailing lockdown and said the country created a people's movement to combat the pandemic.

Speaking at a meeting of G20 ministers organised by the grouping's chair Saudi Arabia via video-conferencing, Vardhan said India has completed 25 days of the lockdown which will further extend till May 3 and its positive results were evident.

"The results of the same were realised when our case doubling rate which was about 3.4 days on March 17, dropped to 4.4 days by March 25, and is currently about 7.4 days," he told the G-20 health ministers.

India has successfully tackled public health emergencies of international concern and pandemic in the past as well, Vardhan asserted.

"This time the hallmark of our approach has been fivefold -- maintaining a continuous situation awareness; pre-emptive and proactive approach; graded response as per continuously evolving scenario; inter-sectoral coordination at all levels, and lastly but most importantly creating a people's movement to combat this disease," he said.

Vardhan's participation at the virtual meeting of the grouping comes after the March 26 emergency G-20 Summit in which Prime Minister Narendra Modi participated through video-conferencing and pitched for developing a new crisis management protocol to deal with the global health crisis.

In his address, Modi had also urged the grouping to come out with a concrete action plan to fight the pandemic and said human beings rather than economic targets should be put at the centre of its vision for global prosperity and cooperation.

The G-20 grouping shares 80 per cent of world GDP and 60 per cent of world population.

Vardhan, in his remarks at the meeting, said India started surveillance of flights from COVID-affected countries twelve days before the first case in India on January 30.

By March 22, with less than 400 cases India banned all international flights to and from India, and by March 25 implemented a nationwide lockdown, he pointed out.

"In the past, we as a global community have faced and successfully tackled threats to the health of our people, by a collective sense of purpose, supporting and collaborating with each other. I look forward to similar cooperation and mutually respectful & useful collaborations to deal with coronavirus," Vardhan was quoted as saying in an official statement.

While some of the countries particularly Japan, Singapore, South Korea have fared well, others are still struggling with COVID-19, he noted.

The scale of impact is unprecedented and therefore calls for cooperation between nations to attain normalcy, he said.

"In the absence of any specific drug or vaccine, India has also relied on various non-pharmacological interventions. Particular focus was on measures like social distancing and risk communication to the masses on simple public health interventions like hand hygiene and respiratory etiquettes," he said.

Since the onset of this pandemic, India has taken leadership and assisted neighbouring countries in multitude of ways, Vardhan said.

"During medical evacuation undertaken by India from Wuhan, China as well as from COVID-19 affected Diamond Princess Cruise ship, we evacuated foreign nationals from Maldives, Bangladesh, Myanmar, Maldives, South Africa, USA, Madagascar, Sri Lanka, Nepal, South Africa and Peru," he said.

India as a global leader in pharmaceutical has stepped up production to make sure supplies of drugs like hydroxychloroquine to countries around the world, Vardhan said.

India is working with global partners to ensure that effective drugs and vaccines can be developed, he said.

Much before the outbreak was declared a public health emergency of international concern by the World Health Organization, India was ahead in implementing actions targeting core capacities as mandated under the international health regulations, he said.

The Integrated Disease Surveillance Programme (IDSP), which is a nation-wide surveillance system for epidemic prone diseases has been activated towards the COVID response, and is being further strengthened with substantive digital inputs, he said.

"India has made the conscious decision to focus on building exclusive infrastructure for management of COVID patients so that there is no intermingling of COVID patients," the minister said.

"All the people who are tested positive are treated in one of three types of dedicated COVID management centers: COVID care centers for mild symptomatic cases, COVID health centers for moderate cases and COVID hospitals for severe cases," he said.

"While the traditional ways and means to tackle the disease were being implemented, our scientists and doctors are exploring new and innovative measures to maximize our reach," he said.

Cutting edge technology is being used to not only maintain inventory and patient level information, direct to citizen apps are being used for communicating geospatial risk and best practices to be followed, Vardhan said.

G-20 is an international grouping for the governments of 19 countries and the European Union (EU). The 19-member countries of G20 are Argentina, Australia, Brazil, Canada, China, Germany, France, Indonesia, Italy, Japan, Mexico, the Russian Federation, Saudi Arabia, South Africa, South Korea, Turkey, United Kingdom, USA and India.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
One look at the sales charts and it is clear that we Indians love SUVs, so much so, that we want one as an option in pretty much every size. Recognizing this trend, almost every automaker sells an SUV across their price range and if you look at recent car launches, most of them are SUVs as well. But if we go back to where it all started then arguably, it goes to 1998  the year when Tata Motors came out with the Safari. A mid-sized SUV by todays standard, but when the Safari came out 22 years ago, it was seen as the ultimate form of luxury. Now, however, as India has moved to BS-VI emission norms  they became mandatory from April 1, 2020  the Tata Safari has unfortunately driven into the sunset. And given how everyones caught up with news related to the Coronavirus pandemic, we thought that perhaps taking a look at the legacy of the Safari will serve as a good reminder about the OG SUV as we could not give it the farewell it deserved.

And just for nostalgias sake, we have also listed some of the advertisements of the Safari from back in the day to bring a smile to those who remember seeing it and tell those who havent, just how cool these ads were. Trust us, you would want to watch them all.

The launch of the Tata Safari took place at the Auto Expo in 1998 where it initially came with a 2.0-litre turbocharged diesel engine that made 90 hp and 186 Nm of torque and was priced at Rs 8.25 lakh (ex-showroom, Mumbai). So yes, it was a bit underpowered given how heavy the car was weighing in at about 2 tonnes, but that did not seem to deter buyers as the biggest draw for the Safari was the road presence that the car had and the comfort that is offered.

This went on for about 5 years post which, Tata Motors added a more powerful petrol engine option in the lineup in the form of a 2.1-litre unit that made 135 hp of power and cost Rs 9.35 lakh. While this definitely offered more power than before, it also meant that the SUV returned a fuel efficiency of 6 km per litre.

Fast forward to the year 2005 and it was time for another diesel engine option to be added in the form of a massive 3.0-litre DICOR diesel engine which came at a time when new, stricter emission norms had come into place. This made 115 hp and 300 Nm of torque offering the perfect mix of power and torque that the SUV had thus far. On top of that, Safari saw a reduction in price too as it was now priced at Rs 6.4 lakh.

It was then, in 2007, when Tata Motors introduced Tata Safari DICOR which came with a 2.2-litre turbocharged diesel engine, which was smaller than the diesel engine it was replacing but made more power and torque than before  140 hp and 320 Nm torque.

The Tata Safari DICOR came with features like ABS and twin airbags and offered a choice of a rear-wheel-drive variant and even a 4x4 option. This engine was so good that it will go on to power the Safari for the next ten years. What also came with this version of the Safari was not only one of the most popular TV commercials of the Tata Safari but perhaps one of the most iconic ads made by the Indian automotive industry. Take a look at it below.

This brings us to 2017 when the Safari DICOR said goodbye and was removed from the Tata Motors website marking the end of an era. The legacy, however, was carried on by the Tata Safari Storme which was introduced in 2012 but remained as the only available version of the Safari for purchase. At the time of its introduction, the Safari Storme came with the same 2.2-litre diesel engine DICOR engine. This was meant to be the premium version of the Safari.

In 2015, the Tata Safari Storme was updated with the 2.2-litre VARICOR 400 engine that made 156 bhp and a massive 400 Nm of torque.

And now, in 2020, the Tata Safari Storme has gone off sale. Tata Motors decided to update the likes of the Tata Nexon and the Tata Harrier to BS-VI emission norm but the Safari sadly did not make the cut. However, for those who knew about the Safari for all these many years will know that it was known for comfort, its 4x4 capabilities, the high seating position which gave the view of the entire bonnet to the front passengers and also, street presence and street cred that has still not been matched by any other SUV. The Tata Safari has made a unique spot of its own and heres a bonus advertisement below which actually sums up the sentiment about the car and is a perfect tribute to what was the ultimate SUV.
The Pound to New Zealand (GBP/NZD) exchange rate has plunged 0.65% to trade at NZ$2.0626 on Monday after news broke that PM Arden will start to ease NZ lockdown restrictions.

"NZD was the best-performing currency  it went shooting up after PM Arden decided to start easing the lockdown restrictions in a week. New Zealand only had nine new cases a day recently" says Marshall Gittler, analyst at BDSwiss on Monday, April 20.

A sharp decline in the first quarter Chinese gross domestic product failed to prevent the Pound Sterling to New Zealand Dollar (GBP/NZD) exchange rate shedding fresh ground ahead of the weekend.

As growth slowed -9.8% on the quarter in the first three months of 2020 this raised market jitters over the global economic outlook.

Even so, the New Zealand Dollar was able to shrug off the general sense of market risk aversion thanks to hopes of an easing in Covid-19 restrictions.

With New Zealand still seeing a limited number of infections markets were encouraged by the possibility of the economy returning to normal sooner rather than later.

Demand for the Pound proved largely muted, meanwhile, as the government extended its furlough scheme until the end of June.

New Zealand Dollar (NZD) Exchange Rates Vulnerable to Disappointing First Quarter Gross Domestic Product Reading

The mood towards the New Zealand Dollar could sour at the start of the new week with the release of the first quarter New Zealand growth data.

Forecasts point towards the quarterly growth rate softening from 0.5% to 0.4%, showing that the Covid-19 crisis has started to weigh on economic activity.

If growth proves weaker than anticipated this could see NZD exchange rates trending sharply lower across the board on Monday.

As long as the New Zealand economy appears on course to shed momentum in the first half of 2020 this should limit the potential for any New Zealand Dollar gains in the near term.

Further selling pressure could be in store for NZD exchange rates on the back of Marchs services PMI.

With the index expected to slip from 52 to 43 on the month, representing a major contraction in sector activity, the GBP/NZD exchange arte looks set to find a fresh rallying point.

Soft UK Manufacturing and Services PMIs May Drag GBP/NZD Exchange Rate Lower

Support for the Pound, meanwhile, could weaken once investors get their first view of Aprils UK manufacturing and services PMIs.

If either the services or manufacturing sector falls deeper into a state of contraction this could drag the Pound down sharply across the board.

However, even if the manufacturing sector can demonstrate signs of resilience this could easily be overshadowed by a disappointing services PMI.

As the service sector remains the primary engine of the UK economy evidence that the sector started the second quarter on an even weaker footing would cast a shadow over the economic outlook.

Unless the UK economy can deliver a stronger performance than anticipated the GBP/NZD exchange rate looks set to come under pressure in the week ahead.
She's appears to be on a mission to make self-isolation a little sexier during the COVID-19 pandemic.

And late 'Crocodile Hunter' Steve Irwin's 'hot niece' Rebecca Lobie, 32, did just that on Sunday when she stripped completely naked for a raunchy Instagram selfie.

Posing for a close-up shot inside the bedroom of her Queensland home, the blonde bombshell posed seductively in bed while covering her modesty with a strategically-positioned white sheet.

Rebecca wore a full set of thick faux eyelashes for the occasion, and sported a set of perfectly-polished crimson nails.

'Rainy day vibes,' the mother-of-two wrote in the caption, adding the hashtags 'Sunday morning', 'lazy days', and 'stay home'.

Meanwhile on Sunday, Rebecca's cousin Bindi Irwin celebrated the North American release of her TV wedding special.

Exclusive footage from Bindi's recent wedding to Chandler Powell aired in a special episode of Crikey! It's the Irwins, on Animal Planet.

Rebecca is the daughter of Frank Muscillo, who is married to the late Steve Irwin's sister Joy.

According to her LinkedIn, she was previously managing director of the Irwin family business, Australia Zoo, but left in December 2015.

During her tenure, Rebecca oversaw 'multiple food outlets' at the Sunshine Coast tourist attraction, as well as 'catering and functions'.

In 2016, The Courier Mail reported that Rebecca, who is now working as a restaurant manager near her home in Mooloolaba, had cut all ties with Australia Zoo.

She is also no longer following her 21-year-old cousin, Bindi Irwin, on Instagram - despite the fact the pair were once close.

Rebecca rose to prominence in September last year when her racy social media photos caught the attention of the wider media.
Actor Ajaz Khan of Big Boss 7 fame was arrested by Mumbais Khar police on Saturday for promoting enmity between two groups and for waging war against the country. These charges, if proved, could see him face a tenure in the jail extending to a life sentence.

According to Khar police, Khan made objectionable comments in a Facebook live session following which he was called to the police station on April 18 for an inquiry and was later arrested. Khar police booked him under sections 153A (Promoting enmity between different groups), 121 (Waging, or attempting to wage war, or abetting waging of war, against the Government of India), 117 (Abetting commission of offence by the public or by more than ten persons), 188 (Disobedience to order duly promulgated by public servant), 501 (Printing or engraving matter known to be defamatory), 504 (Intentional insult with intent to provoke breach of the peace) and 505(2) (Statements creating or promoting enmity, hatred or ill will between classes) of the Indian Penal Code.

Gajanan Kabdule, senior police inspector at Khar police station confirmed the arrest. The accused has posted an objectionable post on Facebook and Twitter and we have arrested him. Investigations are currently on, said Kabdule.

Adil Khatri, Khans advocate said, The police have applied very serious sections on him, which are baseless. They applied section 121 Indian Penal Code which is a very serious section and in this, the accused may be punished with life imprisonment.
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At a string of small reopen America protests across the country this week, mask-less citizens proudly flouted social distancing guidance while openly carrying semiautomatic rifles and waving American flags and signs with ironic swastikas. They organized chants to lock up female Democrat governors and to fire the countrys top infectious disease experts. At one point during protests at the Michigan Capitol, the groups orchestrated gridlock blocked an ambulance en route to a nearby hospital.

For those whove chosen to put their trust in science during the pandemic its hard to fathom the decision to gather to protest while a deadly viral pathogen  transmitted easily by close contact and spread by symptomatic and asymptomatic people alike  ravages the country. But it shouldnt come as a surprise. This weeks public displays of defiance  a march for the freedom to be infected  are the logical conclusion of the modern far-rights donor-funded, shock jock-led liberty movement. It was always headed here.

Few demonstrate this movement better than Alex Jones of Infowars  one of the key figures of Saturdays You Cant Close America rally on the steps of the Capitol building in Austin, Tex. For decades, Mr. Jones has built a thriving media empire harnessing (real and understandable) fear, paranoia and rage, which in turn drive sales of vitamin supplements and prepper gear in his personal store. The Infowars strategy is simple: Instill a deep distrust in all authority, while promoting a seductive, conspiratorial alternate reality in which Mr. Jones, via his outlandish conspiracies, has all the answers. Hes earned the trust of a non-trivial number of Americans, and used it to stoke his ego and his bank account. And he never lets reality get in the way (case in point, holding a stay-at-home order protest in Texas the day after the state announced it would begin efforts to carefully reopen in coming weeks).

Former employees have described Mr. Jones to me as master of manipulating the truth into a convenient worldview in which Infowars and its listeners are constantly victimized by powerful institutional forces. We kept saying Were the underdogs  that was our mantra, one former employee told me in 2017. To make this work, Mr. Jones molds the days news into conspiratorial fables.
Exterminating colonies of bats because they were the source of Covid-19 would be pointless and could even expose people to even greater risk of new viruses, experts are warning.

Killing wildlife in unhygienic conditions anywhere could allow new pathogens to breed and intensify viruses in surviving animals, its claimed.

Scientists believe that Covid-19 originated in horseshoe bats at a live animal slaughter market in China, passing to humans via pangolin.

As a result, while the pandemic spread, people in China started asking for hibernating bats in or near their houses to be destroyed.

And in northern Peru last month, locals had planned to attack and kill a colony of 200 bats with torches, a local website reported. Wildlife authorities intervened to rescue the animals and moved them to safety in a cave far from the town.

In San Francisco, residents have been asking experts how to trap or kill bats, thinking it would prevent the spread of Covid-19 and save lives.

But wildlife campaigners say such action not only runs the risk of concentrating pathogens in remaining animal populations, but is also replicating the disastrous behaviour that created coronaviruses in the first place.

The call comes as The Independent is campaigning to end the wildlife trade at the heart of the pandemic, and to help prevent the spread of zoonotic diseases.

Mark Jones, a vet and head of policy at the Born Free Foundation, said that while wild animals may be the source, they are not to blame for the transmission of the virus to people.

We all carry viruses all the time, and normally animals are not made sick by viruses they carry, he said.

But viruses can replicate very rapidly in the right circumstances. When animals are stressed, their immune systems are suppressed, allowing viruses to replicate and mutate so they can infect new hosts such as people.

When wild animals of different species are captured or farmed and put together in large numbers in awful conditions, where theyre highly stressed and sold in wildlife markets, in close proximity to each other and to people thats where the biggest risk of these viruses mutating into a form that can infect people exists, he said.

Exterminating bat roosts wont do anything to reduce the risk of another human pandemic. We cant go round trying to eliminate the risk by exterminating animals in the wild.

Christian Walzer, executive director of health programmes for the US-based Wildlife Conservation Society, said: Beyond the simple fact that persecuting wildlife further perturbs nature and enhances spillover events while also increasing the prevalence of pathogens in the remnant individuals, it is really important to clearly understand that local wildlife provides essential services to humans that far outweigh any perceived risk.

For example, the often vilified bats provide invaluable pest control and pollination services in the order of tens of millions of dollars in North America alone.

Scientists also believe the increasing frequency of new diseases such as HIV and Ebola has been driven by humans interfering with wildlife.

Dr Jones said modern lifestyles including global travel also played a role in virus transmission, because while people living close to animal populations would have developed some degree of immunity, outsiders would be more susceptible.

The emerging infectious diseases have become epidemics and pandemics over recent decades as weve globalised and invaded natural habitats through development and urbanisation and this massive exploitation of and trade in wildlife  thats whats created the increased risk  its not the animals themselves.

Having bat roosts near your home does not cause people any greater risk, he said, and horseshoe bats dont roost around buildings anyway.

This kind of knee-jerk persecution of animals that are perceived by some people to be a risk is really problematic.

One study has found Covid-19 could have been transmitted to humans by stray dogs that had eaten bat meat.
The Louisiana agency overseeing oil and gas drilling has seen a 50% increase in "orphaned" wells the state must pay to plug because theyve been abandoned by their operators, according to a new audit by the Louisiana Legislative Auditors Office.

The audit also said the Department of Natural Resources Office of Conservation also is behind in forcing operators to plug disused wells that are yet to be abandoned, and has failed to conduct required reinspections of nearly half of 163 out-of-compliance wells.

The report says the conservation office actually has made dramatic improvements since a scathing 2014 audit that warned the states fees were inadequate to pay for the regulation of wells in use or the cleanup of abandoned wells.

Major violations not reinspected A description of the violations found at wells that have not undergone required re-inspections by the Office of Conservation.

But it concluded the state remains at significant risk of having to spend millions to shut in hundreds of abandoned wells because officials have not been able to require energy firms to provide enforceable closure agreements.

In a letter to state lawmakers, Legislative Auditor Daryl Purpera warned that the conservation offices improved regulatory practices actually resulted in a 50% increase in the number of orphan wells for which the state will be financially responsible. As of Jan. 1, the state had 4,295 orphaned wells, which the conservation office estimates will take $128 million and nearly 20 years to properly plug.

Well plugging costs This chart breaks down the varied cost of plugging abandoned wells with varying depths on land and in water areas in Louisiana.

That estimate was based on an average cost of $30,000 to plug a well and the average $6.5 million each year that goes into the states orphan well fund from fees. However, the audit also pointed out that the estimate does not take into account costly emergency actions, such as two orphaned wells that "posed both environmental and public safety risks" that the state spent $8.8 million to plug last year.

And a dozen financial institutions that were supposed to back company financial security instruments had not paid $5 million owed the state for well closures, as of February.

The orphan well problem could become even worse because of rock-bottom oil prices, which could force more struggling firms out of business, said Patrick Courreges, a spokesman for the Department of Natural Resources.

Courreges blamed regulatory problems in part on the states large inventory of inactive or marginally producing wells  some dating back a century, many owned by anemic companies.

Its a balancing act, he said. How do you press them enough to incentivize them to say, Hey, I need to get these taken care of, without pressing them so hard that they say, I cant afford it. Im going out of business, and then weve got a bunch of new orphans.

With oil prices hovering below $30 a barrel, that potential is high, Courreges said.

We saw that happen in 2008, in 2015 and 2016, previous years where the price of oil cratered, he said. You see the price drop and the companies are not able to meet their obligations, not keep up their well sites, not pay their fines, go out of business.

+4 What's an 'orphan well?' Louisiana oil recession leaves plenty of them behind The oil price collapse four years ago that sent operators into bankruptcy and the state into a prolonged recession left Louisiana with another

That concern is backed up by a survey of oil and gas firms released last week by the Federal Reserve Bank of Kansas City, which found that only 61% of firms believed theyd remain solvent during the next year if the price of crude oil stays at $30 per barrel. That number went up to just 64% if the price went to $40.

The state audit said that conservation office regulations, despite improvements, dont go far enough to limit the states financial risk.

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Orphan wells by risk The state prioritizes orphaned wells based on their risk to the public.

For instance, while the state has made it harder for well operators to avoid providing financial security guarantees, only two-thirds of the states 52,826 regulated wells had any such guarantees.

That was significantly better than the 25% that had such guarantees in 2014, the audit said. But it warned that the state still was not requiring companies to put enough money aside. For 145 wells plugged during fiscal year 2019, the actual cost for plugging them was significantly higher than the security requirements.

The conservation office actually increased the security fee for the shallowest wells, less than 3,000 feet deep, from $1 per foot to $7, but after the 2014-15 oil price crash, the Legislature reduced that fee to $2.

The audit recommended the Legislature make all of the fees high enough to cover plugging costs. It also suggested the Legislature consider increasing production fees for natural gas wells, or tying the fee to the price of gas, to help fund the orphan well program. Oil production fees already are tied to market prices.

The state also improved its process for inspecting both active and orphaned wells, conducting more than 90% of required inspections on new wells and almost 68% of inspections of newly orphaned wells in fiscal year 2017, the audit said.

But it also found the conservation office failed to conduct required reinspections for nearly half of the 163 active wells that had at least one major violation.

In its response to the audit, the department said it would set up an automated email system to schedule reinspections.

Also improved were rules for identifying inactive wells and requiring their operators to plug them. Operators must now develop an approved schedule for abandonment over five years, when multiple wells owned by one company are involved.

Wells orphaned and plugged This chart shows how many wells were abandoned by their operators, resulting in the state accepting the responsibility plugging them, and how 

They also have to provide financial security for abandonment expenses, and pay an annual $250 fee per well, with the fee split between conservation office operating expenses and the states abandoned well fund. If not included on an abandonment schedule, inactive wells are required to be plugged within 90 days.

But a review in August 2019 found the office had failed to force companies to plug 62% of the 715 wells that were then beyond the 90-day plugging requirement and were not on a five-year closure schedule.

Instead, the conservation department was allowing their operators to pay the $250 fee and provide financial security, in violation of the new rules. The conservation office informed the auditors that it plans to change its rules to allow that present practice to continue.

Courreges said that rule change is in line with the agencys effort to avoid having companies abandon even more wells, and leaving the state with the plugging costs.

But auditors also found that in fiscal years 2016 through 2018, operators plugged only 35 of 213 wells that were under closure orders, and only 12 of those were plugged within the required 90 days. The state declared orphaned 99 of the wells under closure orders because operators could not be located or would not comply with the compliance order, the audit said.

The audit recommended that the conservation office ensure compliance orders are issued within the time frames outlined in the department's "standard operating procedures." In his written response to the audit, conservation Commissioner Richard Ieyoub blamed the problem on what he called a "trial and error" effort in establishing its order compliance requirements, "particularly in light of budget and staffing cuts that followed." He said the office would adjust its compliance schedules accordingly.

This story was corrected on July 23, 2020, to show that the Office of Conservation failed to reinspect nearly half of 163 out-of-compliance wells, not hundreds of out-of-compliance wells.
After three deaths and one injury in four separate weekend shootings in Philadelphia, 2020 is seeing more homicides to date than it has in over a decade, despite residents being on a stay-at-home order due to the coronavirus.

The first shooting occurred around 10:30 p.m. Friday on the 200 block of Montana Street, where police found a 45-year-old man who had been shot several times in the chest inside a home, NBC 10 is reporting. He was pronounced dead at the scene.

Just before 5:30 a.m. Saturday, a 46-year-old man was shot three times by an unidentified gunman and is now in stable condition at the hospital, reports indicate.

Around 2 p.m. Saturday, a 29-year-old man was found with gunshot wounds to the eye, head and back in a vehicle on the 5500 block of West Godfrey Avenue, according to reports. He was rushed to the hospital and died a half hour later.

And around 3 p.m., a 22-year-old man was pronounced dead at the scene after he was shot in the head on the 2800 block of North Hancock Street, reports indicate.

To date, there have been 113 homicides in Philadelphia, the highest since 2007 with a rate that has risen each year since 2016, NBC 10 reports.

This is a struggle from before the COVID time, Philadelphia Mayor Jim Kenney told reports Monday, citing the gun culture in the city and poverty as contributing factors, according to reports. Officials say they are deploying more officers to street duty to help fight the increase in violent crimes.

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WASHINGTON  Shortly before 10 p.m. on April 20, 2010, an explosion ripped through the Deepwater Horizon drilling rig in the Gulf of Mexico, unleashing the worst offshore oil spill in United States history and triggering what were supposed to be systemic changes to ensure such a disaster could never happen again.

Now, a decade later, all seven members of the bipartisan national commission set up to find the roots of the disaster and prevent a repeat said many of their recommendations were never taken seriously. As drilling moves farther offshore and deeper underwater, they said, another spill of equally disastrous proportions is possible.

All seven members, in fact, agreed that the United States was only marginally better prepared than it was the night eleven people died in the fiery blowout that released more than 3 million barrels of oil into the waters off the coast of Louisiana.

No, I dont think were prepared for another spill of that magnitude, said William K. Reilly, the commissions Republican co-chairman, who served as administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency under the first President George Bush.
15 prominent Hong Kong activists were arrested Saturday on charges of holding illegal assemblies in August and October related to the massive pro-democracy protests that swept the semi-autonomous Chinese territory last year, per AFP. Media tycoon Jimmy Lai and former lawmaker Martin Lee, 81, were among those arrested.

The big picture: Hours before the arrests, a Chinese government office in the Asian financial hub "declared it is not bound by Hong Kong's constitutional restrictions that bar Chinese government from interfering in local affairs," The Guardian notes. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo tweeted that the arrests were "deeply concerning," noting "politicized law enforcement is inconsistent with universal values of freedom of expression, association, and peaceful assembly."

Go deeper: Hong Kong protests assert the freedoms China seeks to constrain
Onondaga County Executive Ryan McMahon said today a 19th person has died here due to coronavirus. The person was in her 60s with underlying health issues, he said.

We grieve as a community for her and everyone else we have lost in this process, he said.

Overall, the county has 637 confirmed cases, up 13 from Saturday.

The county last had a low of 13 new cases in one day a week ago. Since then, the number of new caseloads have fluctuated. Some days in the past week the new case count doubled. Some days, it dropped to 16.

We still have new cases every day, he said, adding that social distancing is still needed through the end of April because the virus is still spreading. Gov. Andrew Cuomo has ordered non-essential businesses closed through May 15.

Today, 42 people remain in hospitals. Nearly half of those -- 19 -- are in an intensive care unit. That represents 7 percent of active cases, McMahon said.

The county currently has 267 active cases, with 15 percent of those in the hospital. The county has 110 pending tests, he said.

Syracuse has 269 confirmed cases. Here are the breakdowns for other communities:

Camillus  33

Cicero  26

Clay  68

DeWitt  35

Elbridge  2

Fabius  2

Geddes  21

LaFayette  3

Lysander  18

Manlius  45

Marcellus  4

Onondaga  30

Onondaga Nation  0

Otisco  4

Pompey  20

Salina  36

Skaneateles  13

Spafford  2

Tully  2

Van Buren - 4

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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.

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Four people died in a head-on collision in Florida that caused a fire so intense investigators had trouble identifying the makes and models of the vehicles.

The crash occurred at 8.48pm Friday night and the four occupants in the two vehicles were pronounced dead at the scene on State Road 100 near Bunnell, according to the Florida Highway Patrol.

Authorities have not identified the victims, but two of the deceased were children.

Terence Culver, the former principal at Belle Terre Elementary, posted about the tragedy on his Facebook page: 'Just received a call that two of my former students Mozella, Kaleigh and Wilma (all pictured) their mom was killed in a head on collision'

The kids, sixth- and seventh-grade girls, were in one of the vehicles with their mother. They are believed to be ages 12 and 13, according to Flagler Live.

One student attended Belle Terre Elementary and the other attended Indian Trails Middle School.

The two students and their mother haven't been identified by police but family and friends shared tributes on social media.

Terence Culver, the former principal at Belle Terre Elementary, posted about the tragedy on his Facebook page: 'Just received a call that two of my former students Mozella, Kaleigh and Wilma their mom was killed in a head on collision.'

Authorities are investigating why one vehicle crossed the center line and struck the other head-on, causing both cars to become engulfed in flames.

The fire was so intense that investigators had difficulty identifying the makes and models of the vehicles involved in the crash, according to the Daytona Beach News-Journal.

Authorities said that one of the vehicles was 'possibly a Chevrolet pickup' while the other is believed to be a Kia.

Police said the pickup crossed the center line and struck the Kia head-on.

According to Flagler Live, the woman and the children were heading back to Palm Coast after attending a gathering in San Mateo. The other vehicle was heading toward Palatka.
Medics examine students brought from Kota where they were stranded due to ongoing COVID-19 lockdown, at a quarantine centre in Prayagraj. PTI photo

New Delhi: Congress leader Priyanka Gandhi Vadra on Sunday called upon the Uttar Pradesh government to evolve a plan to help migrant workers from the state reach their home.

In a video appeal, she urged the state government to set up a helpline and control room to reach out to all those migrant workers from UP who are stranded at various places.

"These workers are our own. It is the responsibility of all of us to help them. We cannot leave them like this. We have to find a way out," she said.

"I urge the Uttar Pradesh government to set up a helpline and a control room of 1,000 persons so that these stranded workers can be reached out. You have to evolve a plan to bring them back, she said.

Gandhi said she has talked to the migrant workers from the northern state who are stuck in different places and are finding it difficult to survive as they are now huddled together in one room.

She said the migrants are scared and want to come back to their homes in UP, as they have no ration or cash left.

The Congress general secretary in-charge of Uttar Pradesh also lauded the state government for bringing back stranded students from Kota in Rajasthan.

" these migrant workers are also our own. They do not have anything to eat. Helping them is also the responsibility of the state government," she said in her appeal.

Thousands of migrant workers have been stranded at state borders and in various large towns due to the nationwide lockdown imposed to curb the spread of coronavirus.

Metropolitan cities like Delhi and Mumbai had recently witnessed law and order issues when thousands of migrant workers swarmed local bus stations and railway stations, in their bid to reach their native places.
America may soon see yet another distressing reminder that elections have consequences. The Supreme Court had been set to review Texas cynical use of the pandemic to limit abortion rights, and though that review has been suspended for the moment, the urgent issue could still end up in the high courts lap. The outcome would rest largely on the votes of President Donald Trumps two appointees to the court. If Texas is allowed to use a national crisis to further its longstanding goal of denying this right to women, other red states, including Missouri, would certainly follow.
Abba Kyari

Abba Kyari, the late chief of staff to President Muhammadu Buhari, was 67 years old when he died last night, PREMIUM TIMES can now authoritatively report.

Mr Kyari was born on September 23, 1952, according to official records obtained by PREMIUM TIMES. The records have not been publicly disclosed until now.

Mr Kyari died on Friday night in Lagos, becoming the most senior Nigerian government official and public figure to fall victim to coronavirus. The presidency announced his death shortly after midnight on Saturday.

His body was moved to Abuja on Saturday morning and subsequently interred at the military cemetery in the Gudu neighbourhood of the capital.

Although he had served as the chief of staff since 2015, and widely believed to be the presidents most powerful aide, little was known about his age and date of birth.

That led many media outlets to estimate his age, putting it at between 60s and 70s, and even 80s. While PREMIUM TIMES indicated in its first reporting of his death that Mr Kyaris age was unknown, Reuters said he was in his 70s.

Some local broadcast stations like the AIT said Mr Kyari was born in 1938, an estimate that echoed the Wikipedias entry that said he was 81.

The social media was also locked in fierce arguments about Mr Kyaris age.

But information obtained by PREMIUM TIMES from multiple records showed that Mr Kyari was born on September 23, 1952, a Tuesday.

He had his early and secondary education in Nigeria and obtained at least two degrees in England. First, he obtained a Bachelors degree at the University of Warwick in early 1980s before proceeding to the University of Cambridge for his Masters degree in law. He was called to the Nigerian bar in the mid-1980s.

Indeed, throughout his five-year streak as Mr Buharis chief of staff, Mr Kyari did not receive birthday wishes that inundate administrative officials and politicians of his status.

Also, the press statements announcing his appointment in 2015 and his reappointment in 2019 did not also indicate his date of birth or age.

***

Source: PREMIUM TIMES
The coronavirus count rose to 250 in Haryana with 18 more people, including a jail warder and a health worker, testing positive for the infection on Sunday.

According to a state Health Department Bulletin, nine cases were reported from Faridabad, four each from Gurgaon and Ambala; and one from Bhiwani.

The jail warden posted in Gurgaon district tested positive for the infection after he returned from leave, officials said.

The warden was on leave since April 9 and had visited his hometown in Bhiwani district.

He was tested for the infection when he showed its symptoms on joining duty.

The bulletin said an auxiliary nurse midwife (ANM) who worked in a containment zone in Ambala also tested positive for the infection.

Ambala Chief Medical Officer Dr Kuldeep Singh said the other three patients from the district were members of a family which lived at Sahjadpur village near Ambala City.

He said they were taking treatment from a Panchkula doctor, who had earlier failed to inform the authorities about a coronavirus positive woman, whose eight members of family also tested positive for the disease a few days ago.

The Ambala authorities have collected the list of all those who had got themselves treated from the doctor.

The total active COVID-19 patients in the state are 144, the bulletin said, adding that so far 104 patients have been discharged from hospitals.

The state has so far recorded two coronavirus deaths.

The worst-affected districts of the state with the maximum number of positive cases are Nuh (57), Faridabad (42), Gurgaon (36), and Palwal (34).

As many as 12,687 samples have been tested so far, of which 10,230 have tested negative. However, the report of 2,201 samples is awaited.

The total number of cases includes 24 foreign nationals, of which 14 were the Italian tourists. Thirteen of them were discharged while one elderly woman in the group had passed away recently even though she had recovered from the infection.

The other 10 foreign nationals found infected with the virus are from countries Sri Lanka, Nepal, Thailand, South Africa and Indonesia while 64 are from other states, the bulletin said.

Meanwhile, Health Minister Anil Vij said 19,663 teams have been constituted to for the door-to-door screening of people.

If anyone shows COVID-19 symptoms like fever, cough, cold, their samples will be taken, he said.

Vij, who also holds the Home Department portfolio, said he has issued orders that all personnel from the Health Department, civic bodies or police personnel who enter any containment area in the state as part of their duty will be equipped with personal protective equipment.

There are over 260 containment and buffer zones in the state so far, he said.

Vij assured that sufficient PPE kits are available.

We have made 25,853 kits available in the districts and as many are in the stock and are being issued as per the need, he said.

Vij informed that he had recently appealed to private doctors to open their clinics and come forward to attend to patients who need medical attention for ailments other than COVID.

The private doctors responded and a good number of them have opened their clinics. The Indian Medical Association has also issued guidelines which they need to follow these days on how and what number of patients they can attend to, he said.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
South Africa: Protect the vulnerable during lockdown, urges Nkoana-Mashabane

While observing COVID-19 regulations, society has been urged to be vigilant and report to the police elements perpetuating criminal acts against children, youth, women, and persons with disabilities during the lockdown.

The call was made by the Minister in the Presidency for Women, Youth and Persons with Disabilities, Maite Nkoana-Mashabane, on Sunday in the wake of the murder of five-year-old, Mzwandile Zitho.

The boys naked body was found just hours after he had been reported missing at the Orange Farm police station on Wednesday.

Mzwandile's grandmother Nompumelelo Zitho, 63, last saw her grandson at around 11am on Tuesday. She said due to the lockdown she did not allow Mzwandile to play with other children in the street.

His body was discovered next to a fridge at a house in Extension 4, Orange Farm, south of Johannesburg inside a tavern. The boy had a string tied around his neck and a handkerchief tied around his ankle.

Expressing condolences to Mzwandiles family, Nkoana-Mashabane said the continued killing and raping of women and children by people who are supposed to love and care for them is a great shame on society.

The Minister commended the police for the discovery and swift arrest of a couple - aged 29 and 30 - in Orange Farm. The couple, who are the owners of the establishment where the body was found, are expected to appear in court soon.

Whilst we are taking extreme measures to protect ourselves from the COVID-19 virus, I am pleading to the nation to continue reporting any form of criminal activity to SAPS and to elevate levels of vigilance to ensure children, youth, women, and persons with disabilities are safe from perpetrators who capitalise on the current situation for evil personal gains, said Minister Nkoana-Mashabane.

She said now is the time, more than ever, to unite.

Time to be tolerant of each other. Now is the time to demonstrate humanity and Ubuntu. Lets stay home, adhere to the rules, and demonstrate that together we can come out of this stronger as a country.  SAnews.gov.za

This story has been published on: 2020-04-19. To contact the author, please use the contact details within the article.
Claim  On the third Friday in January Coronavirus was already spreading around the world but the government brushed aside the threat in an hour-long COBR meeting and said the risk to the UK public was low.

Response  At a very basic level, this is wrong. The meeting was on the fourth Friday in January. The article also misrepresents the Governments awareness of Covid 19, and the action we took before this point. Health Secretary Matt Hancock was first alerted to Covid 19 on 3 January and spoke to Departmental officials on 6th Jan before receiving written advice from the UK Health Security Team.

He brought the issue to the attention of the Prime Minister and they discussed Covid 19 on 7 January. The governments scientific advisory groups started to meet in mid-January and Mr Hancock instituted daily coronavirus meetings. He updated Parliament as soon as possible, on January 23rd.

The risk level was set to Low because at the time our scientific advice was that the risk level to the UK public at that point was low. The first UK case was not until 31 January. The specific meaning of public health risk refers to the risk there is to the public at precisely that point. The risk was also higher than it had been before - two days earlier it had been increased Very Low to Low in line with clinical guidance from the Chief Medical Officer.

The WHO did not formally declare that coronavirus was a Public Health Emergency of International Concern (PHEIC) until 30 January, and only characterised it as a global pandemic more than a month later, on 11 March. The UK was taking action and working to improve its preparedness from early January.

Claim - This was despite the publication that day of an alarming study by Chinese doctors in the medical journal The Lancet. It assessed the lethal potential of the virus, for the first time suggesting it was comparable to the 1918 Spanish flu pandemic, which killed up to 50 million people.'

Response - The editor of the Lancet, on exactly the same day  23 January - called for caution and accused the media of escalating anxiety by talking of a killer virus and growing fears. He wrote: In truth, from what we currently know, 2019-nCoV has moderate transmissibility and relatively low pathogenicity. There is no reason to foster panic with exaggerated language. The Sunday Times is suggesting that there was a scientific consensus around the fact that this was going to be a pandemic  that is plainly untrue.

Claim - It was unusual for the Prime Minister to be absent from COBR and is normally chaired by the Prime Minister.

Response - This is wrong. It is entirely normal and proper for COBR to be chaired by the relevant Secretary of State. Then Health Secretary Alan Johnson chaired COBR in 2009 during H1N1. Michael Gove chaired COBR as part of No Deal planning. Transport Secretary Grant Shapps chaired COBR during the collapse of Thomas Cook. Mr Hancock was in constant communication with the PM throughout this period.

At this point the World Health Organisation had not declared COVID19 a Public Health Emergency of International Concern, and only did so only 30 January. Indeed, they chose not to declare a PHEIC the day after the COBR meeting.

Examples of scientific commentary from the time:

Prof Martin Hibberd, Professor of Emerging Infectious Disease, London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, said:

This announcement is not surprising as more evidence may be needed to make the case of announcing a PHEIC. WHO were criticised after announcing the pandemic strain of novel H1N1_2009, when the virus was eventually realised to have similar characteristics to seasonal influenza and is perhaps trying to avoid making the same mistake here with this novel coronavirus. To estimate the true severity of this new disease requires identifying mild or asymptomatic cases, if there are any, while determining the human to human transmission rate might require more evidence.

Dr Adam Kamradt-Scott, Senior Lecturer in International Security Studies, University of Sydney, said: Based on the information we have to date, the WHO Director-Generals decision to not declare a Public Health Emergency of International Concern is not especially surprising. While we have seen international spread of the virus, which is one of the criteria for declaring a PHEIC, the cases in those countries do not appear to have seeded further local outbreaks. If that was to start to occur, it would constitute a greater concern but at the moment the outbreak is largely contained within China.

Claim - 'Imperials Ferguson was already working on his own estimate  putting infectivity at 2.6 and possibly as high as 3.5  which he sent to ministers and officials in a report on the day of the Cobra meeting on January 24. The Spanish flu had an estimated infectivity rate of between 2.0 and 3.0, so Fergusons finding was shocking.

Response - Infectivity on its own simply reveals how quickly a disease spreads, and not its health impact. For that, it is necessary to know about data such as associated mortality/morbidity. It is sloppy and unscientific to use this number alone to compare to Spanish flu.

Claim - No10 played down the looming threat from Coronavirus and displayed an almost nonchalant attitudefor more than a month.

Response - The suggestion that the governments attitude was nonchalant is wrong. Extensive and detailed work was going on in government because of Coronavirus, as shown above.

Claim - By the time the Prime Minister chaired a COBR meeting on March 2 the virus had sneaked into our airports, our trains, our workplaces and our homes. Britain was on course for one of the worst infections of the most insidious virus to have hit the world in a century.'

Response - This virus has hit countries across the world. It is ridiculous to suggest that coronavirus only reached the UK because the Health Secretary and not the PM chaired a COBR meeting.

Claim - 'Failure of leadership' by anonymous senior advisor to Downing Street.

Response - The Prime Minister has been at the helm of the Government response to Covid 19, providing the leadership to steer his Ministerial team through a hugely challenging period for the whole nation. This anonymous source is variously described as a senior adviser to Downing Street and a senior Downing Street adviser. The two things are not the same. One suggests an adviser employed by the government in No10. The other someone who provides ad hoc advice. Which is it?

Claim - The government sent 279,000 items of its depleted stockpile of protective equipment to China during this period in response to a request for help from the authorities there.

Response - The equipment was not from the pandemic stockpile. We provided this equipment to China at the height of their need and China has since reciprocated our donation many times over. Between April 2-April 15 we have received over 12 million pieces of PPE in the UK from China.

Claim - Little was done to equip the National Health Service for the coming crisis in this period.

Response - This is wrong. The NHS has responded well to Coronavirus, and has provided treatment to everyone in critical need. We have constructed the new Nightingale hospitals and extended intensive care capacity in other hospitals.

Claim - Among the key points likely to be explored are why it took so long to recognise an urgent need for a massive boost in supplies of personal protective equipment (PPE) for health workers; ventilators to treat acute respiratory symptoms; and tests to detect the infection.

Response - The Department for Health began work on boosting PPE stocks in January, before the first confirmed UK case.

Discussions on PPE supply for COVID-19 began w/c 27 January (as part of Medical Devices and Clinical Consumables), with the first supply chain kick-off meeting on 31 January. The first additional orders of PPE was placed on 30 January via NHS Supply Chains just-in-time contracts. BAU orders of PPE were ramped up around the same date.

Friday, 7 February, the department held a webinar for suppliers trading from or via China and the European Union. Over 700 delegates joined and heard the Departments requests to carry out full supply chain risk assessments and hold onto EU exit stockpiles where they had been retained.

Monday, 10 February, the department spoke with the major patient groups and charities to update them on the situation regarding the outbreak and to update them on the steps it was taking to protect supplies.

Tuesday, 11 February, the department wrote to all suppliers in scope of the Covid 19 supply response work  those trading from or via China or the EU  repeating the messages from the webinar and updating suppliers on the current situation relating to novel coronavirus.

The NHS has spare ventilator capacity and we are investing in further capacity.

Claim - Suggestion that lack of grip had the knock-on effect of the national lockdown being introduced days or even weeks too late, causing many thousands more unnecessary deaths.

Response - The government started to act as soon as it was alerted to a potential outbreak. Mr Hancock was first alerted to Covid 19 on 3 January and spoke to Departmental officials on 6th Jan before receiving written advice from the UK Health Security Team. He brought the issue to the attention of the Prime Minister and they discussed Covid 19 on 7 January.

The governments scientific advisory groups started to meet in mid-January and Hancock instituted daily meetings to grip the emerging threat. We have taken the right steps at the right time guided by the scientific evidence.

Claim - Scientists said the threat from the coming storm was clear and one of the governments key advisory committees was given a dire warning a month earlier than has previously been admitted about the prospect of having to deal with mass casualties.

Response - The government followed scientific advice at all times. The WHO only determined that COVID 19 would be a global pandemic on 11 March. Claiming that there was scientific consensus on this is just wrong. Sage met on January 22 but the first NERVTAG meeting was held on 13 January (NERVTAG is the New and Emerging Respiratory Virus Threats Advisory Group  see here https://www.gov.uk/government/groups/new-and-emerging-respiratory-virus-threats-advisory-group ).

Claim - The last rehearsal for a pandemic was a 2016 exercise codenamed Cygnus, which predicted the health service would collapse and highlighted a long list of shortcomings  including, presciently, a lack of PPE and intensive care ventilators.

Response - The Government has been extremely proactive in implementing lessons learnt around pandemic preparedness, including from Exercise Cygnus. This includes being ready with legislative proposals that could rapidly be tailored to what became the Coronavirus Act, plans to strengthen excess death planning, planning for recruitment and deployment of retired staff and volunteers, and guidance for stakeholders and sectors across government.

Claim - By February 21 the virus had already infected 76,000 people, had caused 2,300 deaths in China and was taking a foothold in Europe, with Italy recording 51 cases and two deaths the following day. Nonetheless NERVTAG, one of the key government advisory committees, decided to keep the threat level at moderate.

Response - This is a misrepresentation of what the threat level is. This is about the current public health danger  and on February 21, when the UK had about a dozen confirmed cases, out of a population of over 66 million, the actual threat to individuals was moderate. In terms of the potential threat, the government was clear  on 10 February the Secretary of State declared that the incidence or transmission of novel Coronavirus constituted a serious and imminent threat to public health.
The denouncement and condemnation followed news that China was forming the so-called "Xisha District" and "Nansha District" on Vietnams Hoang Sa (Paracel) and Truong Sa (Spratly) Islands.

Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Le Thi Thu Hang said in a statement Sunday that "Vietnam has full legal basis and historical evidence to affirm its sovereignty over the archipelagos."

"Vietnam's consistent stance is to strongly protest the formation of the so-called Sansha City and related behavior as they seriously violate Vietnam's sovereignty, are unrecognized, have no value and are not beneficial to the friendly relationship between countries, while complicating the situation in the East Sea, the region and the world," Hang said.

The East Sea is known internationally as the South China Sea.

"Vietnam requests that China respect Vietnam's sovereignty, cancel wrong decisions that are relevant to such actions, and not repeat similar actions in the future," she said.

China announced Saturday the establishment of what it calls the "Xisha" and "Nansha" districts in Vietnam's Paracel and Spratly Islands.

The Chinese Ministry of Civil Affairs said that its State Council has approved the formation of "Xisha District" on Woody Island on the Paracels and "Nansha District" on the Fiery Cross Reef of the Spratlys.

China said the "Xisha District" would manage the Paracel Islands, the Macclesfield Bank and surrounding sea areas, while the "Nansha District" would manage Spratly Islands and surrounding sea areas.

China seized the Paracel Islands from South Vietnam by force in 1974, and has since been occupying them illegally. China also formed what's called the "Sansha City" on the Woody Island since 2012, with the intention of taking control of islands in the East Sea. China has also been illegally building artificial islands in recent years.

Vietnam has requested China many times to stop its illegal actions, which complicate the situation and threaten peace and stability in the East Sea. Last month, Vietnam sent a diplomatic note to the United Nations to protest China's unfounded sovereignty claims over the East Sea.
Calling it a "witch hunt", during the time of the coronavirus pandemic a group of artists and eminent citizens have condemned the recent arrest of anti-CAA, NRC protesters by the Delhi Police.

Recently, the Delhi Police had arrested Sarfoora Zargar, the media coordinator of Jamia Coordination Committee, accused of organising anti-CAA protest in Delhi's north-east district and Meeran Haider, a PhD student at Jamia in connection with the protests.

BCCL

In a statement released on Twitter, the signatories said they are "shocked" to know that even as the country battles though a grave crisis of the coronavirus, the Delhi Police has arrested two students and several activists "who had participated in peaceful protests against the CAA".

The signatories include Anurag Kashyap, Vishal Bhardwaj, Mahesh Bhatt, Ratna Pathak Shah Aparna Sen, Hansal Mehta, Ashwini Chaudhary, Onir, Vinta Nanda, Neeraj Ghaywan, actor-directors Nandita Das, Konkona Sen Sharma, actors Sushant Singh, Zeeshan Ayyub, Sandhya Mridul, music composer Vishal Dadlani, among others.

"To fight this pandemic the citizens and authorities need to stand by each other. By targeting activists taking advantage of the lockdown, when there is hardly even any media coverage of its actions, the Delhi Police is betraying the civic rights of the citizens.

"We urge the Delhi Police to stop abusing the lockdown, respect the human rights of our fellow citizens and put an end to this witch-hunt. We demand the release of these students and activists," the statement read.

BCCL

The signatories said many more students and activists are being called for questioning and interrogation by the police on daily basis and dubbed the action a "twisted fairy tale".

"These activists are now being implicated in cases related to the communal violence in Delhi that took place in February. A riot in which the minorities suffered the maximum damage, both in terms of lives and livelihoods, has now become a pretext for the Delhi Police to further witch-hunt activists. Most of whom also come from the minority community," they further said in a statement.

Calling the actions of Delhi Police as "inhuman", the personalities said the lockdown "cannot be a lockdown of the rights of citizens" and must not be "abused by the authorities in this manner".

"These actions of the Delhi Police are utterly inhuman and undemocratic. Making several people travel to police stations every day and then throwing some of them to jails also defeats the purpose of the lockdown and makes a mockery of social distancing. "At a time when various governments are releasing under-trials from jail to relieve the pressure from the prisons and restrict chances of contamination. The Delhi Police is pushing students and activists into jail."

AFP

"In a democratic country such as ours, the Constitution gives us the right to protest and express our views against the government and its policies. Many people in the country and the world had condemned the draconian Citizenship Amendment Act.

"Our opposition to the CAA continues, as we see it as a bigoted law that strikes at the secular fabric of our country. We condemn this witch-hunt of students and activists because they exercised their constitutional right to protest against CAA/NRC/NPR," the statement read.




This American familys groovy moves have the potential to blow all your blues away. Just under 25-second-long, the clip was posted on Twitter by freelance writer and editor Alisa Renee. Shared on April 15; the tweet was accompanied by text which read, My parents are 75 and 84. My son and I do frequent drive-by visits to make sure they have what they need. Today, I guess they needed to party.

The clip starts with a long-shot of Renees parents dancing at their doorstep. Renee, who seems to be filming the whole scene, is standing near her car which is parked on the street, a space well within the social-distancing guidelines. Her son also makes an appearance on the video and is seen breaking out some very cool dance moves. The focus soon shifts back to the elderly parents who continue to groove to the tune. Towards the end of the clip, Renee is heard shouting Cmon papa-boogey! Yeh, thats what I like.

This wholesome dance party currently has nearly 7.5 million views on Twitter. Additionally, the post itself has over 145,500 retweets.

My parents are 75 and 84. My son & I do frequent drive-by visits to make sure they have what they need. Today, I guess they needed to party. pic.twitter.com/1jmaQCtGvy  Alisa Renee' (@AuthorAlisa) April 15, 2020

Here is how tweeple reacted to the social-distancing-friendly family celebration!

A Twitter user was so impressed by this family that they wanted to be adopted into it.

Sadly I no longer have any grandparents, I'm wondering if they would consider adopting a 50 year old single mum in Australia? Full disclosure -I can't dance as well as they can.  Larissa Wilson (@LarissaWilson9) April 16, 2020

Renee had the cutest response to this request:

I will gladly share them with you. Gladly!! They have enough love for everybody and they've adopted so many of my friends over the years.  Alisa Renee' (@AuthorAlisa) April 16, 2020

One person said:

Pops hit that OG move, didnt he? Spirit fingers and all. SMOOTH!!!  Well, shit. What are yall doin? (@MDBSings) April 15, 2020

While another wrote:

They are amazing! Thank you for sharing them with us - their joy and positivity made so so many people smile.   J_Efthymiadis (@EfthymiadisJ) April 16, 2020

Im in love with both of them, read one comment. Arent we all a little bit in love with this family?

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MELBOURNEAustralia on Sunday added to growing pressure on China over its handling of the CCP virus, questioning its transparency and demanding an international investigation into the origins of the virus and how it spread.

The CCP (Chinese Communist Party) virus, commonly known as novel coronavirus, which emerged from mainland China last year, causes the disease COVID-19.

Australias foreign minister, Marise Payne, said her concern about the Chinese regimes transparency was at a a very high point.

The issues around the coronavirus are issues for independent review, and I think that it is important that we do that, Payne told ABC television.

In fact, Australia will absolutely insist on that.

Australia has managed to get its epidemic under control before it strained its public health system, reporting 53 new cases on Sunday. They took its total to 6,586, according to the health ministry data.

There have been 71 deaths in Australia. The rate of increase in new cases has been below 1 percent for seven consecutive daysmuch lower than in many other countries.

Paynes call for an enquiry into the outbreak comes at time of tense ties between her country and its most important trading partner.

Relations have deteriorated amid Australian accusations of Chinese meddling in domestic affairs and concern about what Australia sees as the Chinese regimes growing, and undue, influence in the Pacific region.

My trust in China is predicated in the long-term, Payne said. My concern is around transparency and ensuring that we are able to engage openly.

Australias call for an investigation comes as President Donald Trump has been stepping up his criticism of China.

Trump and his senior aides have also accused China of a lack of transparency after the CCP virus broke out. On Saturday, Trump said China should face consequences if it was knowingly responsible for the pandemic.

China dismisses such criticism saying it has been open about the outbreak and in warning the world about it.

WHOs Response Didnt Help

Last week, Trump suspended aid to the World Health Organization (WHO) accusing it of being China-centric.

The Geneva-based agency rejected that but Australian Health Minister Greg Hunt also criticized it, saying some of its response to the CCP virus was not helpful.

What we saw from some officials in Geneva, we think was a response which didnt help the world, Hunt told a briefing.

We have done well because we made our own decisions as a country.

Australia went against the advice of the WHO on Feb. 1 and banned people arriving from China. It later closed its borders and imposed strict curbs on public movements.

Hunt said Australia was winning in its campaign against the virus but had not yet won.

We have to focus on containment and capacity, he said.

Neighboring New Zealand, which adopted one the worlds harshest lockdowns even before reporting a first death, has been even more successful in suppressing the virus.

There were four new confirmed cases in New Zealand on Sunday, bringing the total of infections to 1,098. Eleven people have died, health ministry data showed.

I know it hasnt been easy, but it has been working, Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern said at a televised briefing. She said her government will meet on Monday to decide whether to ease social distancing restrictions.

By Lidia Kelly

NTD staff contributed to this report.
As the coronavirus disease (Covid-19) spreads across the world, we are reminded of the frailty of the human condition and of a world that has been halted in time like a deer caught in the headlights. We hear about historic pandemics and biblical plagues, but seldom has there been such a challenge to modern civilisation, one that has pressed the pause button on lives and livelihoods. With over 2.3 million cases and over 150,000 deaths, this pandemic has put more than 100 countries and a third of the worlds population in lockdown. Economists warn that the damage to the economy is likely to be similar  or worse  to the Great Depression.

How India, with one of the largest working-age populations in the world, battles Covid-19 will determine how the future unfolds for the world. While the Wests policy sages are painting a grim picture of a post-pandemic world, India is charting out a path to recovery and redemption. The Government of Indias (GoI) policy responses to Covid-19 have been stellar, and have evolved from precaution to prevention and now, to precision.

First, India was expeditious in taking precautions to curtail the spread of the coronavirus  from issuing travel advisories, introducing temperature screening of foreign travellers at airports, and establishing quarantine centres to being one of the first countries to ban international and domestic travel. These measures significantly contributed to reducing the case count. In fact, 46 days since the first reported case, Italys daily case volume was over 1,000 times larger than Indias. Similarly, despite similar caseloads in India and the United States (US), 40 days since the first reported case, the daily volume in the US was 25 times that of Indias two weeks hence. The growth rate of daily and cumulative cases in India has been consistently linear and lower.

Second, India undertook one of the boldest measures ever seen by implementing a lockdown of over 1.3 billion people to break the transmission chain of the virus. This move was implemented sooner than it was in China, the United Kingdom and Spain, and it has estimated to have reduced the number of people infected by about 150 times. Indias three-week lockdown is showing results in terms of a flattened pandemic curve. Consequently, the growth rate of cases has declined by over 40%. At a national level, while the doubling of cases has slowed from three days before the lockdown to 6.2 days now, as many as 19 states and Union territories (UTs) have demonstrated progress with better-than-average doubling rates. Indias federal setup is a model of cooperative partnership, bolstered by constant interaction and consultation between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the chief ministers.

Third, with the extension of the lockdown till May 3, the GoIs focus is on precision policy, mapping out hotspots and moving towards restarting the economy. While the first phase of the lockdown focused on saving lives, the core objective of the extended lockdown is finding a balance between lives and livelihoods, particularly in rural India.

With the graded lifting of curbs from April 20, the guidelines provide autonomy to states and districts in charting out their plans. In fact, this decision indicates the GoIs willingness to ease the economic crisis for the hardest hit  the poor and the migrant workers. The GoI has disbursed almost $4 billion to over 320 million people via the direct benefit transfer mechanism.

With states recalibrating the resumption of core economic activities, the latest guidelines follow a traffic light approach. There will be colour-coded zones  red, orange and green. The red zones (hotspots) will continue to have a lockdown; orange zones (with some cases) and green zones (with no cases) will witness a relaxation in restrictions on economic activities. So far, 170 out of 718 districts have been identified as hotspots. On average, about seven out of 10 cases in each state have been reported from three districts. Further, one in two districts in India has no reported cases and will be allowed to restart economic activities.

These guidelines allow for an entire ecosystem of primary and agro-based industries to gear towards production. This is significant considering the total area under the summer crops (including rice, pulses, coarse cereals and oil seeds) has jumped significantly, registering an 11.64 lakh hectare increase over the last year. The country is even moving towards a bumper harvest in the coming months.

The coordination between a proactive political leadership, an agile bureaucracy and the supportive public has led to a semblance of life returning back to normal. We have pan-ministry guidelines being issued in rapid succession to ensure supply chain bottlenecks are dismantled, and beneficiaries in non-hotspot areas, particularly farmers and small and medium entrepreneurs, kick start economic activity.

Since the beginning of the lockdown, about 16,000 crore have been released under the Pradhan Mantri Kisan Samman Nidhi (PM-KISAN) Scheme benefitting 8.31 crore farmer families. Similarly, under the Pradhan Mantri Garib Kalyan Yojana (PM-GKY) about 4,000 MT of pulses has been dispatched for delivery to the States and Union Territories. The eNAM platform is being leveraged to debottleneck agri-logistics by creating an interface for large transport aggregators and an All India Agri Transport Call Centre launched for coordination between States for inter-state movement of perishables like vegetables and fruits, inputs like seeds, pesticides and fertilisers etc.

The Indian Railways has been running 134 Parcel Special Trains on over 65 routes for perishable commodities, and 247 flights have been operationalised by the ministry of civil aviation under the Lifeline UDAN scheme to transport essential medical cargo to remote parts of the country.

Besides unlocking the agri sector, which is the primary source of livelihood for about 60% of the country, the guidelines also allow for the unlocking of other sectors such as construction - which has one of the largest number of informal daily wagers, e-commerce, self-employed services of plumbers, electricians etc. and manufacturing and industry in special economic zones. In fact, these measures will significantly contribute towards restoring livelihoods for a majority of the country.

Despite the easing of restrictions, there is a need to remain vigilant, as the battle against coronavirus will have to continue to be fought by each citizen, through self-discipline, wearing of masks, and social distancing. Technology is a critical tool in this battle. Contact tracing is being extensively done through Arogya Setu - a unique app built by the best of India with quality, privacy, security, and scalability. It has reached an astounding 60 million users within 15 days of its launch and added immense value in our fight against an unknown enemy.

India has already proven its success in terms of saving lives. With only 0.4 Covid-related deaths per million population, India is far ahead of advanced countries like Spain, the UK, the US and even Germany which have recorded 441, 228, 118 and 54 deaths per million, respectively. On aggregate, just four countries --- France, Italy, Spain and UK account for half the Covid-related deaths worldwide. While the US accounts for 25% of the total deaths, India accounts for only 0.3% of the total. Even in terms of testing, India is reporting 4.7% positive cases as a proportion of total tests while this number is at least five times more in countries like France, Spain and the US.

In fact, the International Monetary Fund and the World Health Organization have lauded the governments proactive response, and India has also received the highest score in Oxford Universitys Coronavirus Government Response Tracker. Going forth, Indias measures to augment a post-pandemic economy will also attract the international eye, serving as a template for the world to follow.

The Prime Minister in his recent address struck a chord with the 18th century Urdu idiom jaan hai toh jahaan hai! (Only if you are alive, will the world survive). While the phrase uniquely captures the struggles of our current time, Indias consistent strategies and evolving policy priorities will ensure the gears of Indias economic engine take flight, taki jaan rahe aur hamara jahaan bhi (so that our people survive and so does the world we have built.)

Amitabh Kant is CEO, NITI Aayog. Sarah Iype is a Young Professional at NITI Aayog.

The views expressed are personal.





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UPDATE: The Tennessee Bureau of Investigation (TBI) reported the missing teen out of New Johnsonville, Tennessee, has been found safe.

UPDATE: Very happy to pass along that Riley Moore has been found safe. pic.twitter.com/823rNBpdIm  Tennessee Bureau of Investigation (@TBInvestigation) April 19, 2020

Previous story:

Authorities in Tennessee have issued an endangered child alert and are asking the public for help locating a 15-year-old girl from New Johnsonville.

TBI wrote on Twitter that Riley Moore was last seen on Saturday.

ENDANGERED CHILD ALERT: We need your help finding 15-year-old Riley Moore who is missing from New Johnsonville. She was last seen on Saturday wearing a jacket and jeans in New Johnsonville. If you have seen Riley or have information about her whereabouts, call 1-800-TBI-FIND. pic.twitter.com/RZ8in3wfxP  Tennessee Bureau of Investigation (@TBInvestigation) April 19, 2020

Moore is about 5 feet 5 inches tall and weighs about 175 pounds, authorities said. She has blonde hair and hazel eyes and was last seen wearing a jacket and jeans.

The TBI wrote in another post on Twitter that Moore might be the passenger in a small red or tan colored 2000S model Dodge pickup truck that has extensive damage to the passenger door.

Riley Moore may be a passenger in a small 2000S model Dodge pickup truck  red or tan in color  with extensive damage to the passenger door. Help by contacting the New Johnsonville Police Department at 931-296-7792 or the TBI at 1-800-TBI-FIND. pic.twitter.com/itHvNgHCdm  Tennessee Bureau of Investigation (@TBInvestigation) April 19, 2020

Authorities ask that anyone who has seen Moore or has information regarding her whereabouts call 931-296-7792 or 1-800-TBI-FIND.

New Johnsonville is located in Middle Tennessee and is about 67 miles from Nashville and 131 miles from Memphis.
Pompeo Calls On The UN to Extend Iran Arms Embargo

Radio Farda April 19, 2020

U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo has urged the United Nations Security Council to extend the international arms embargo on Iran, set to expire in October.

In a tweet on Saturday, April 18, Pompeo asserted that lifting the sanctions imposed on Tehran may give rise to violence in the Middle East.

"The arms embargo on Iran  the world's leading state sponsor of terror  expires six months from today. The UN Security Council (UNSC) must extend the embargo before Iran's violence escalates and they start a new arms race in the Middle East. The clock is ticking," Pompeo tweeted.

"In the last year, Iran fired ballistic missiles at its neighbors, mined and captured oil tankers, smuggled weapons into conflict zones, and shot down a civilian passenger jet. We can't risk Iran buying more advanced weapons and transferring their arsenal to irresponsible actors," Pompeo reiterated.

Earlier, on March 5, Pompeo had tabled a similar demand, telling the State Department reporters, "As we approach this big demarcation that occurs in October, the very missiles that put American lives at risk in Iraq, and the very missiles that fell on Saudi Aramco, can be lawfully sold by China or Russia to Iran."

The arms embargo on the clergy-dominated Iran is scheduled to be lifted in October 2020, five years after it was set in conjunction with the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action signed that year to curb Iran's nuclear program.

Meanwhile, the Islamic Republic President Hassan Rouhani has repeatedly declared that Tehran was looking forward to the lifting of the arms embargo.

In November 2019, he said Iran would regain access to the international arms market after the lifting of the sanctions.

"When the embargois lifted next year, we can easily buy and sell weaponsThis is one of those important impacts of this (nuclear) agreement," said Rouhani.

Washington dropped the nuclear deal in 2018, and unilaterally imposed a series of devastating sanctions on Tehran.

In the meantime, as a permanent member of the UNSC authorized to veto the council's resolutions, Russia has already announced that it would not support extending the arms embargo.

The 2015 nuclear deal includes "sunset provisions" lifting restrictions on Iran's military, missiles, and nuclear programs. The first to expire is the U.N. arms embargo.

Referring to "sunset provisions", Pompeo has cautioned, "This is consistent with the JCPOA. This is the fundamental failing. Iran will be free to buy conventional weapons systems from any willing seller".

The "sunset provisions" were a key factor in President Donald Trump's decision to drop the JCPOA in May 2018 and impose batches of sanctions on Iran.

Source: https://en.radiofarda.com/a/pompeo-calls- on-the-un-to-extend-iran-arms -embargo/30563380.html

Copyright (c) 2020. RFE/RL, Inc. Reprinted with the permission of Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, 1201 Connecticut Ave., N.W. Washington DC 20036.

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- US President Donald Trump said if China was responsible for the pandemic it would suffer consequences

- He wanted to know if China was knowingly responsible for allowing the virus to get out of control to the rest of the world

- Trump's critics, however, accused him of using China as a deflection for his own failures to contain the virus

US President Donald Trump has warned China that there could be repercussions if it is discovered that it was knowingly responsible for the COVID-19 pandemic.

Though he did not say which actions the US would take, Trump promised unspecified consequences while pressuring China to come clean on the pandemic.

READ ALSO: John Corona: Meet Nyandarua man who was named corona in the 1980s

President Trump said there would be consequences if it is found that China was responsible for the pandemic. Photo: Getty Images.

Source: UGC

READ ALSO: Mwimbaji wa Injili Bahati afunga lebo yake ya EMB kufungua nyumba ya watoto yatima

During a White House briefing, the tough-talking head of state said China should have stopped it before it started since that could have saved the world from the current crisis it is undergoing.

It could have been stopped in China before it started and it wasnt, and the whole world is suffering because of it, he said.

If it was a mistake, a mistake is a mistake. But if they were knowingly responsible, yeah, I mean, then sure there should be consequences, Trump added.

READ ALSO: Jumapili Aprili 19: Watu 8 zaidi wapatwa na coronavirus

The POTUS alleged China's lack of transparency in reporting on the virus when it broke out in December 2019 resulted in the virus spreading out of control.

Recently, the US President also cut funding to the World Health Organisation, accusing it of being China-centric.

Initially, Trump had praised China for its response to the virus but has since done a u-turn and even resorted to calling the disease the "Chinese virus".

Trump said he wanted to find if China deliberately let the pandemic spread. Photo: UGC.

Source: Facebook

The US leader also lashed out at early attempts by Chinese officials who said the virus originated in a US military base.

However, Trump's domestic critics accused him of using China's handling of the virus to deflect from his own failures in responding to the pandemic.

He had said that the two countries had been on good terms until the virus outbreak,

But then all of a sudden you hear about this, he said.

He said that it was embarrassing for China but he wants to know if the virus was a mistake that got out of control or done deliberately?

Theres a big difference between those two, he said.

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For the last couple of days, in a beautiful gesture to express solidarity to all the countries that have been combating the deadly Coronavirus, the Switzerland government has been illuminating its iconic Matterhorn mountain with the national flags of several countries. On the Friday night, noted Swiss light artist Gerry Hofstetter projected the Indian tricolour onto the Matterhorn mountain.

And Tollywood star Allu Arjun joined millions of Indians to thank the Switzerland government for its touching gesture. Thank you Switzerland especially Zermatt for showing solidarity for India in its fight against the Covid-19 Pandemic. Never thought I would see Matterhorn is Tricolours. Very Touching Gesture. Thank you for the love, Bunny tweeted this afternoon.

Thank you Switzerland  especially Zermatt for showing solidarity for India  in its fight against the Covid-19 Pandemic . Never thought I would see Matterhorn is Tricolours . Very Touching Gesture. Thank you for the love . INDIA @zermatt_tourism @MySwitzerland_e #Matterhorn pic.twitter.com/hPe5HNXCc6  Allu Arjun (@alluarjun) April 19, 2020

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Testing sites for Houston and Harris County closed Sunday morning as a swath of storms passed over the Houston area.

As thunder rolled through the region -- and large chunks of hail rained down near Kingwood -- workers for the four Harris County Public Health and Houston Health Department sites arrived anticipating to set up the drive-thru facilities for another day of testing.

Elizabeth Perez, HCPH spokeswoman, said employees waited in their cars hoping the threat would pass.

"We were hoping to open but weather had the final say," HHD spokesman Scott Packard said.

While fears of losing federal support for supplies threatened to close the sites, the weather-related closure is the second time since March 19 that there has not been a municipal testing site opened to Houstonians. All four sites closed for Easter.

For weeks, government officials have called for increased testing to help determine how and when to lift a state and county stay-at-home order. The weather-related cancellation means that up to 2,000 people will be unable to be tested Sunday at any of the Houston and Harris County sites.

"The testing needs to be widespread, what I've called ubiquitous testing," Mayor Sylvester Turner said Saturday, as the Houston Food Bank handed out food to more than 4,000 vehicles. "The radar for this virus is testing. It's testing that tells you where the virus is and to what degree it is in our community and whether it's slowed down dramatically."

Patients slated to be tested Sunday at either of the testing sites -- Stallworth and Butler Stadium in Baytown, Legacy Stadium in Katy and Delmar Stadium in Houston -- would have their appointments pushed back to Monday, officials for both health agencies said.

On Saturday, Harris County made the decision to shut down its sites early because of rain.

nicole.hensley@chron.com
In August of 1669, three ships  the Carolina, the Port Royal, and the Albemarle- set sail from England for the Carolina Province. The fleet was under the command of Captain Joseph West and later, Sir John Yeamans. The ships stopped briefly in Ireland in the hope of attracting more settlers but instead, a few potential colonists changed their minds and disembarked. After forty days at sea, with about 150 people on board, the fleet reached Barbados, where the Albemarle was destroyed by a storm. It was replaced with a sloop, The Three Brothers, and the fleet sailed on to Nevis (one of the Leeward Islands in the West Indies). In Barbados, Yeamans appointed William Sayle governor of the colony. The fleet abandoned the Port Royal and sailed on with the Carolina and The Three Brothers to Bermuda. The Three Brothers was blown off track by a storm. It was replaced by another sloop and the ships sailed to Port Royal Sound, where they landed in March. Only two people died in route to North America.

When they explored the area around Port Royal, the settlers encountered a friendly tribe of Kiawah Indians. The Native Americans explained to the colonists that a location to the north would offer more protection and better land for farming. The settlers also reasoned that it would be further from the hostile Spanish, who were gathered at St. Augustine. The colonists sailed on to the Ashley River in early April. They settled on the west bank of the river on a location known as Albemarle Point. There they founded Charles Town, named for Charles II of England.

The settlers fortified their town and raised crops. The governor of the colony, William Sayle, was nearly eighty by the time they reached Carolina. Sir Yeamans described him as a man of noe great sufficiency yet the ablest I could then meet with. One person who was important to the colonists was Indian agent and physician Henry Woodward. He arrived in Carolina in the 1660s and lived among the Indians, studying their culture and language. Through his activity, the colony gained support from neighboring tribes and began trading skins, furs, and slaves.

The following year, Sir John Yeamans arrived from Barbados with additional settlers and slaves. As the settlement grew, residents realized that the peninsula located between the Ashley and Cooper Rivers would be a more desirable location. In the late 1670s, a town was laid out there and some of the colonists relocated. By 1680, the rest of the settlers moved to the peninsula and the town had a population of nearly one thousand residents.

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Owners of the Samsung Galaxy S20 Ultra have complained about a bug that makes their displays assume a green tint when brightness is reduced. It also appears to be present on the regular S20 and S20+. Thankfully, though, Samsung has promised to fix it.

Working For Notebookcheck Are you a techie who knows how to write? Then join our Team! English native speakers welcome! News Writer (AUS/NZL based) - Details here

Earlier this week, we revealed that some Samsung Galaxy S20 Ultra users were complaining about a green tint display issue on their phones after installing the latest update. The issue typically occurred when the phone's brightness was reduced, in any app that used the phone's cameras. Thankfully, a fix appears to be on the way.

According to a report by Sammobile, Samsung has acknowledged the issuemore of a bug than a defectand promised to fix it. The fact that it only appeared after the update indicates that it's likely a screen calibration software issue, as opposed to a hardware problem, so it shouldn't be difficult to fix.
Being banned from Twitter is a badge of honor among some conservatives, however, and it did little to stop Mr. Kirk, who declined an interview request for this article. Even as the president and his media allies have oscillated between dismissing the alarm over the virus as anti-Trump hysteria and acknowledging the gravity of the threat  with conspiracy theorists like Mike Cernovich calling for a culture war cease-fire  Mr. Kirk has remained insistent that the measures taken to stop the spread of the pandemic are more damaging than the virus itself.

The vast majority of Americans have heeded the advice of public-health officials to stay away from one another, helping slow the spread of the pandemic. Mr. Kirk has at times been among those voices, warning young people in March to take the virus seriously and not party on beaches.

But he has also fed the growing frustration in some quarters with stay-at-home orders. Mr. Kirk was an early and eager voice for reopening the economy, and last week urged on protesters who took to the streets in Michigan, Minnesota and Ohio. He spent the days leading up to Easter arguing that social-distancing prohibitions against church services were part of a Democratic plot against Christianity. This China Flu event has given state and local secularists in positions of authority the opportunity they have been waiting for, he wrote in an essay for Newsweek, where he is a contributor.

China has remained a target for Mr. Kirk. He has echoed the Trump campaigns attacks on former Vice President Joseph R. Biden Jr., the presumptive Democratic nominee, saying he is soft on China. Earlier this month, he repeated a baseless conspiracy theory that the authorities in Wuhan were burning patients.

THIS is what the American media is defending, he wrote on Twitter, exhorting his followers to repost his message and expose the truth!
Guardians of students, who are



eligible for mid-day meals but confined to their homes due to the lockdown, have been asked to collect rice and potatoes on behalf of their wards from April 20 across West Bengal, a school department official said on Sunday.

The respective school authorities will inform the parents through WhatsApp or SMM about the exact date and time of the distribution which will continue till April 30, the official said.

It has to be ensured that students do not accompany the guardians during the distribution and parents do not come without wearing masks, he said.

Action will be taken if there is violation of the order.

"District inspectors in different zones will ask the school authorities to maintain social distancing, hygiene and other precautionary measures while distributing the materials," he said.

Each school has been asked to allot separate time, staggered over 10 days, to guardians of different classes so that there is no overcrowding, he said.

To a question, the official said, if the headmaster is unable to reach school due to the ongoing lockdown, the teaching and non-teaching employees, living nearby, will be deployed for the work.

This will be the first such initiative during the lockdown period, he said.

Earlier on March 23, 3 kg of rice and 3 kg of potatoes were given to parents of students, who are eligible for mid-day meals.

During the March 23 distribution programme, there were some reports of students accompanying their parents to the school compound, triggering controversy.

Headmasters of two south Kolkata schools were transferred for allowing guardians, who were accompanied by their children.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Lucknow, April 19 : The Uttar Pradesh government has set up two helpdesks at state-level Udyog Bandhu and UP Electronics Corporation (UPLC) to ensure smooth operations of permitted industries and IT companies, respectively, during the lockdown.

Principal Secretary, Infrastructure and Industrial Development and IT and Electronics, Alok Kumar, said that these help desks would resolve the issues faced in starting of operations by large scale industrial and IT sector units in the state.

He said that these facilities were aimed specifically at easing the regulatory navigation by permitted heavy industry and IT and ITeS units due to the lockdown.

As per Infrastructure & Industrial Development department, industrial units, allowed to function, will be able to communicate their problems or issues on email id which will be monitored regularly by nominated nodal officers at Udyog Bandhu, the investment facilitation agency of the state government.

The issues received through this email will be resolved under the guidance of senior officers of the Infrastructure and Industrial Development Department.

Similarly, IT hardware manufacturing units and IT & ITeS units will be able to convey their issues on the helpline UPLC.

This email will also be monitored and resolved by UPLC nodal officers under the directives of senior officials.

It may be noted that the State government had issued lockdown guidelines earlier this week wherein specific industrial sectors have been allowed to resume operations from April 20 with certain conditions.

Under these guidelines, manufacturing units of essential goods, food processing industries in rural areas, continuous process industries and their supply chain, manufacturing units of IT hardware and various other categories of industry will be allowed to function along with IT and ITeS services, which can utilize maximum 50 per cent of their human resources.

The government guidelines have also prescribed proper sanitization of unit premises, social distancing and random testing of workers as well as other precautionary measures recommended by union and state governments from time to time.
The move comes after Saudi Arabia blocked several Turkish state media websites earlier this month.

Turkish authorities blocked Saudi and United Arab Emirates state news websites on Sunday, days after the sites of Turkeys state broadcaster and news agency were blocked in Saudi Arabia.

The apparently reciprocal moves come four weeks after Turkish prosecutors indicted 20 Saudis over the murder of journalist Jamal Khashoggi at the Saudi consulate in Istanbul, a killing that soured relations between Ankara and Riyadh.

Internet users in Turkey trying to access the sites of Saudi news agency SPA, the UAEs WAM news agency and more than a dozen other sites saw a message saying that they were blocked under a law governing internet publications in Turkey.

A spokesman at Turkeys Justice Ministry declined to comment on the actions and Saudi Arabias government media office did not immediately respond to a Reuters request for comment.

The Turkish website of the UK-based Independent newspaper, which is operated by a Saudi company, was one of the sites to be blocked on Sunday, in a move that its editor said reflected political tensions between Riyadh and Ankara.

We believe the tensions between Saudi Arabia and Turkey reflected on us, editor Nevzat Cicek told Reuters. Sundays decision appeared to be retaliation against Saudi Arabia, he said.

Earlier this month Saudi Arabia banned Turkish state news agency Anadolu, along with the website of state broadcaster TRT.

According to Anadolu, the Saudi-based newspaper al-Marsad said on April 11 that it knew from its sources that many Turkish media outlets have been blocked.

One of these blocked media outlets is Anadolu Agency, al-Marsad reported.

200325083658411

Riyadhs move to block the sites came after the Istanbul prosecutors office announced last month that it had prepared an indictment against 20 suspects over the killing of Khashoggi, including the former deputy head of Saudi Arabias general intelligence and a former royal adviser.

The prosecutors office said the indictment accuses Ahmed al-Asiri and Saud al-Qahtani of having instigated premeditated murder with monstrous intent.

Khashoggis killing in the Saudi consulate in Istanbul in October 2018 caused a global uproar, tarnishing the image of Saudi Arabias de facto ruler Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman (MBS).

Some Western governments, as well as the CIA, said they believed MBS ordered the killing  an accusation Saudi officials have denied.
Kim Brent/The Enterprise

As a day of unsettled weather drew to a close on Sunday, the Sabine River Authority of Texas announced it had begun opening five spillway gates on the Toledo Bend Reservoir.

"Interested persons should monitor current river and reservoir levels and reservoir release amounts since the river could reach flood stage and evacuation of persons, animals, and property may become necessary," the authority said in a news release.
The younger man was shot in the side of his body, and he was able to run to a nearby alley, police said. He was taken to the University of Chicago Medical Center, where he was pronounced dead.
Pedestrians walk along a road as heavy smog engulfs the city in Harbin, China on Dec. 3, 2013. (Getty Images)

Northern China Sees Spread of Virus as Province Punishes 18 Officials for Failing to Contain Outbreak

Amid an escalating outbreak in the northern Chinese city of Harbin, provincial authorities announced on Friday that they would punish 18 officials working in the municipal government and three local hospitals.

That same day, another northern region, Liaoning Province, reported one new domestic infection in the province, whom authorities said was infected while being treated at a Harbin hospital. This was the first reported case in the province since March 2. Local authorities did not report any new cases for over a month.

The Epoch Times previous reporting, including interviews with locals and internal government documents, has shown that regional authorities in China routinely underreport their virus data.

But the new official figures and government actions suggest that the outbreak in northern China has gotten out of control.

Punishment

The Heilongjiang Commission for Discipline Inspection and Supervisory Commission co-announced on April 17 that 18 officials in Harbin, the capital city of Heilongjiang province, would be punished.

Both are the Communist Partys internal agencies for investigating corruption and malfeasance.

The punished officials include those in health-related agencies of the Harbin city government; Daowai district government in Harbin; Harbin Medical University (HMU); HMU First Affiliated Hospital; Harbin No. 2 Hospital; and Harbin Chest Hospital.

The announcement said they failed to fulfill responsibilities related to controlling the outbreak, but did not specify details about these officials wrongdoing.

The two commissions added that since April 9, Harbin has seen new domestic cases of the CCP (Chinese Communist Party) virus, commonly known as novel coronavirus. Those individuals contracted the virus during family parties or while being treated at hospitals, according to the announcement.

Ding Fengshu, who was newly appointed to replace the director of the Harbin health commission on April 15, was punished as well, with a Party warning and a wrongdoing record on her political resume.

A Chinese worker is breaking away large blocks of ice that will be used in the making of ice sculptures, on the frozen Songhua River in Harbin, China on Dec. 20, 2018. (Kevin Frayer/Getty Images)

Outbreak In Harbin

On April 15, state-run media Beijing Daily quoted the Heilongjiang provincial health commission, reporting that six medical staff from the HMU First Affiliated Hospital and Harbin No. 2 Hospital had been diagnosed with the CCP virus in the previous days.

On April 18, the daily, again citing the commission, said that three medical staff in Harbin were diagnosed on April 17, though it did not say which hospitals they work for.

The Epoch Times interviewed several Harbin residents about the outbreak.

Unit 2 in Building 3 of the residential compound Jinse Chengbang in Daoli district was sealed on April 15 A family living in the unit was diagnosed. The husband is a doctor, and the wife is a nurse. Both of them work at an HMU affiliated hospital. Their child is infected as well, Li Hui told the Chinese language Epoch Times on April 16.

HMU has four affiliated hospitals. Li did not know which hospital the diagnosed couple worked for.

An insider at Harbin No. 2 Hospital told the Chinese language Epoch Times that one of the hospital leaders said during an internal meeting on April 14 that local facilities have received patients since April 6.

Several clusters broke out, all related to having dinner together, the source said. The cluster outbreaks happened in Wuzang, Xiangfang, and Daoli districts [in Harbin], and so on.

The hospital leader added that more than 16,000 people are contacts of the diagnosed patients, with over 500 of them now under quarantine.

Harbin, like most of China, enacted strict lockdown measures in late January, then began easing measures around mid-March. The city went under partial lockdown again in early April.

Harbin has eight districts. The government began locking down residential compounds and shopping centers in the above-mentioned districts and Daowai district on April 13 and 15. Local residents also said authorities also sealed off Nangang district.

On April 16, a video appeared on social media showing a man who suddenly fell to the ground while walking in front of the Fenglan Guoji residential compound in Nangang district. A staff member in medical protective gear went to check on him, but it is unclear whether he was infected with the virus.

Tourists walk past ice sculptures during the Harbin International Ice and Snow Festival in Harbin, in Chinas northeast Heilongjiang Province on Jan. 5, 2020. (Noel Celis/AFP via Getty Images)

Spread Out

Fushun city is in Liaoning Province, also located in northeastern China.

On April 17, the Fushun municipal health commission announced one new domestic infection during a press conference.

State-run Liaoning Daily reported that the newly infected patient surnamed Zhang is a 46-year-old lady. She drove to Harbin to visit her father on April 1 with her young brother.

During her time in Harbin, she accompanied her father to the HMU First Affiliated Hospital for non-virus-related treatment and had meals at restaurants near the hospital. She also had large dinner gatherings at her familys home. She left Harbin on April 12.

On her way back to Fushun, she also stopped at three rest zones along the highway.

On April 15, Zhang visited a local hospital after receiving a phone call from Harbin about the outbreak, worried that she may be infected. On April 16, she was tested positive for the virus.

On the evening of April 17, Zhang was sent to Shenyang, the capital city of Jilin Province, for better treatment, according to Dongbei News.

So far, its unclear whether any of Zhangs family members are also infected.

On April 19, the Heilongjiang health commission announced that the outbreak has expanded from Harbin and Mudanjianga region that includes Suifenhe, another city with a severe outbreakto a third city, Suihua. It is northwest of Harbin and has a population of roughly 5.25 million, according to official statistics.
Iranian Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps Navy vessels conducted unsafe and unprofessional actions against U.S. military ships by crossing the ships' bows and sterns at close range while operating in international waters of the North Arabian Gulf.

Iran will give a decisive response to any mistake by the United States in the Gulf, the Revolutionary Guards navy said in a statement published on the Guards' news site Sepah News.

The U.S. military said on Wednesday that 11 vessels from the Revolutionary Guards navy had come dangerously close to U.S. Navy and Coast Guard ships in the Gulf, calling the moves "dangerous and provocative".

"We advise the Americans to follow international regulations and maritime protocols in the Persian Gulf and the Gulf of Oman and to refrain from any adventurism and false and fake stories," Sunday's statement from the Guards navy said.

"They should be assured that the Revolutionary Guards navy and the powerful armed forces of the Islamic Republic of Iran sees the dangerous actions of foreigners in the region as a threat to national security and its red line and any error in calculation on their part will receive a decisive response."
Lesothos prime minister, who is accused of murdering his estranged wife, has deployed the army on the streets to restore order.

In a TV address, Thomas Thabane accused unnamed law enforcement elements of seeking to undermine democracy.

The decision comes a day after the constitutional court ruled against his decision to suspend parliament.

The prime minister has so far resisted pressure to resign over the killing of his then-wife Lipolelo Thabane in 2017.

The case has shocked many in the small landlocked kingdom, which is entirely surrounded by South Africa.

Follow Us on Facebook  @LadunLiadi; Instagram  @LadunLiadi; Twitter  @LadunLiadi; Youtube  @LadunLiadiTV for updates
By Maria Caspani and Nathan Layne NEW YORK (Reuters) - As some U.S. states look to start reopening their coronavirus-battered economies amid protests from supporters of President Donald Trump anxious to get back to work, hardest hit New York state began mandating the wearing of masks or face coverings in public to contain the pathogen's spread. New York, epicenter of the U.S

By Maria Caspani and Nathan Layne

NEW YORK (Reuters) - As some U.S. states look to start reopening their coronavirus-battered economies amid protests from supporters of President Donald Trump anxious to get back to work, hardest hit New York state began mandating the wearing of masks or face coverings in public to contain the pathogen's spread.

New York, epicenter of the U.S. epidemic, on Saturday reported another 540 coronavirus-related deaths for April 17, the lowest daily tally since April 1. While that was down from 630 a day earlier, it still represented hundreds more families who lost a loved one to COVID-19, the highly contagious illness caused by the virus, in a single day in one state.

Thirty-six of the deaths occurred at nursing homes, which have been ravaged by the pandemic nationwide.

"It is the feeding frenzy for this virus," New York Governor Andrew Cuomo said during his daily coronavirus briefing.

Saturday ended another week in which millions of Americans went without paychecks. More than 20 million have filed for unemployment benefits in the past few weeks alone as closures of businesses and schools and severe travel restrictions to try to curb the highly contagious virus have hammered the U.S. economy.

In a bit of welcome news, 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 forced to stay home during the outbreak.

One business deemed essential to keeping Americans fed that has been hit hard by the epidemic is meat processing plants. Facilities in South Dakota, Georgia, Iowa and elsewhere have reported hundreds of infections among employees forced to work in close proximity, prompting some plants run by Tyson Foods and Smithfield Foods to shift production or shut and sparking calls by unions for safer working conditions.

Even with huge companies such as Walmart and Amazon.com Inc hiring, some Americans who live in parts of states with lower infection rates have been made restless by restrictions that have more than 90% of the country under stay-at-home orders, leading to protests this week by flag-waving Trump supporters in the capitols of Minnesota, Michigan and Virginia.

The demonstrations, which featured large crowds of people neither practicing social distancing nor wearing protective face coverings, angered governors who have been trying to bring coronavirus outbreaks in their states under control.

Also angering those governors, all Democrats, were a series of Twitter posts on Friday by the Republican president - "LIBERATE MICHIGAN!" "LIBERATE MINNESOTA!" and "LIBERATE VIRGINIA!" - that appeared to be egging on the protests.

While Trump agitates to get the country back up and running sooner rather than later as he faces re-election in November, the Pentagon announced on Saturday it was extending travel restrictions for its personnel until the end of June.

Several states, including Ohio, Michigan, Texas and Florida, have said they aim to reopen parts of their economies, perhaps by May 1 or even sooner.

But health experts have cautioned that to avoid a second wave of infections as people return to work, extensive testing must be available to track infections, as well as contact tracing and antibody testing to learn who had been previously infected and might have some immunity.

'A TERRIBLE EXPERIENCE'

Vice President Mike Pence said on Friday that the United States had the capacity to do a sufficient amount of testing for states to move into a phase one of reopening.

However, governors and health officials in the states say there is nowhere near enough test kits and equipment available to do that kind of widespread testing.

Cuomo on Saturday reiterated that federal funding was necessary for that magnitude of testing and to reopen the economy.

To help slow the virus' spread, New York has mandated statewide wearing of masks for anyone out in public and unable to practice social distancing. The rules, which cover all those using public transport or for-hire vehicles, came into effect on Friday night.

Cuomo noted that while the number of patients needing intervention to help them breathe as the virus attacks their lungs has continued to decline, some 2,000 people were still being hospitalized with COVID-19 daily.

Still, there were signs of hope that the worst might be over, at least for New York.

"If you look at the past three days, you could argue that we are past the plateau and we're starting to descend, which would be very good news," Cuomo said.

Other parts of the country have yet to see infections and deaths peak.

The United States has by far the world's largest number of confirmed coronavirus cases, with more than 700,000. The U.S. tally of lives lost to COVID-19 has also soared to more than 35,000. New York state accounts for nearly half those deaths.

"People are frustrated, we're anxious, we're scared, we're angry," Cuomo said. "This is a terrible experience, it's disorienting, it threatens you to your core."

(Reporting by Nathan Layne in Wilton, Connecticut, Maria Caspani in New York and Idrees Ali in Washington; Writing by Bill Berkrot; Editing by Daniel Wallis)

This story has not been edited by Firstpost staff and is generated by auto-feed.
Noted actors and directors of



the Bengali film industry have collaborated to produce short films conceptualised, shot and edited at individual homes



to put across messages of resilience and self-restraint amid the coronavirus-induced lockdown.

The short films, available on YouTube, have been widely shared by Netizens across social media platforms.

A 13-minute film, conceptualised by none other than Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, drives home the message that humanity will triumph over crisis and uncertainties.

Directed by Arindam Sil, the film 'Jhor themey jabey ek din' (Storm will pass one day) features the who's who of the industry, including Prosenjit Chatterjee, Rituparna Sengupta, Koel Mullick, Mimi Chakraborty, Nusrat Jahan, Subhashree Ganguly, Parambrata Chatterjee and Abir Chatterjee.

"Every actor shot his or her part on an iphone from home and sent them to me. Bickram Ghosh added music to the film, which was released on the occasion of Bengali New Year. It was made to create awareness on COVID-19 and raise funds for the daily wagers," Sil said.

Filmmaker-duo Shiboprosad Mukhopadhyay and Nandita Roy, in another 4-minute film, tell the tale of two sisters



one a homemaker and the other a working woman.

"'Hing' shows how a homemaker and a working woman can complement each other. It was made with the sole aim of bringing smiles on the face of Bengalis who are sitting at home, stung by the COVID-19 crisis," Mukhopadhyay said.

"All shots were taken separately, based on the script sent to the actors. And then the rushes were edited and made into a short film," he said.

Actor Aryaan Bhowmik, who has been a part of several acclaimed Bengali films, also made a short on the pandemic.

"My film 'Lockdown' shows how a stressed-out individual finally learns to appreciate liberty after the lockdown. This pandemic has taught us to respect Mother Nature," Bhowmik said.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Slate is making its coronavirus coverage free for all readers. Subscribe to support our journalism. Start your free trial.

Governors are pushing back against claims by the White House that there is enough COVID-19 testing going on to begin lifting restrictions in their states. In fact, a shortage of tests is among the main reasons restrictions cannot be lifted, the governors said. Thats just delusional to be making statements like that, Virginia Gov. Ralph Northam said on CNNs State of the Union. We have been fighting every day for PPE. And we have got some supplies now coming in. We have been fighting for testing. Its not aits not a straightforward test. We dont even have enough swabs, believe it or not. And were ramping that up. But for the national level to say that we have what we need, and really to have no guidance to the state levels, is just irresponsible, because were not there yet.

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"That's just delusional, to be making statements like that," Virginia Gov. Northam says about President Trump's claim that states have enough tests to reopen. "To have no guidance to the state levels is just irresponsible because we're not there yet" #CNNSOTU pic.twitter.com/wzowhOAEUj  CNN Politics (@CNNPolitics) April 19, 2020

Northam is a Democrat, but the objection to the White Houses view of the current situation did not explicitly split along party lines. Maryland Gov. Larry Hogan, a Republican, wasnt as direct in his criticism, but he still contradicted the administrations assertion on tests. The administration, I think, is trying to ramp up testing. They are doing some things with respect to private labs, Hogan said. But to try and push this off to say that the governors have plenty of testing and they should just get to work on testingsomehow we arent doing our jobis just absolutely false. Hogan also insisted that governors have been pushing for more resources for a long time, saying they have been fighting and clawing to get more tests.

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President Trumps claim that states have enough tests to reopen is just absolutely false, says Maryland Gov. Larry Hogan. Its not accurate to say theres plenty of testing out there and the governors should just get it done. Thats just not being straightforward. #CNNSOTU pic.twitter.com/0K48hRAgzI  State of the Union (@CNNSotu) April 19, 2020

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In an interview with Fox News Sunday, Vice President Mike Pence said that there are approximately 150,000 tests being conducted daily throughout the United States. He was optimistic that number could double with the assistance of governors if they activate all labs in their states. But that would still be far less than the 500,000 to 700,000 daily tests that would be needed for the country to reopen by mid-May, according to Harvard University researchers. Pence disagrees with those estimates and says that having roughly 300,000 tests a day and monitoring vulnerable populations would be effective.

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On FOX News Sunday: Chris Wallace asks @Mike_Pence if America needs more tests to open up the country. Mike Pence says the U.S. is conducting 150,000 tests a day: we think we can double that number. #FNS pic.twitter.com/pHRJJdpJqG  FoxNewsSunday (@FoxNewsSunday) April 19, 2020

Governors insisted that if tests are to be ramped up, theyre going to need more supplies as well as regulatory help. Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine, a Republican, said that testing could quickly increase if the federal government worked together with states. He could probably double, maybe even triple testing in Ohio virtually overnight if the FDA would prioritize companies that are putting a slightly different formula together for the extraction reagent kit, DeWine said on NBCs Meet the Press. Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer, a Democrat, said her state could double or triple the number of tests we are doing, but we need some of the supplies.

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WATCH: Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine (R) says "I could probably double, maybe even triple testing in Ohio virtually overnight" with FDA help.@GovMikeDeWine: "We really need help. [If] anybody in the FDA is watching, this would really take our capacity up literally overnight." pic.twitter.com/sfVXkobJ9s  Meet the Press (@MeetThePress) April 19, 2020

WATCH: @GovWhitmer says Michigan has the capability to triple the number of testing they're doing, but they're missing supplies such as swabs. #MTP



"If the federal government would use the Defense Production Act ... we would be able to know how prevalent COVID-19 is." pic.twitter.com/pB1aYOqtNm  Meet the Press (@MeetThePress) April 19, 2020

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The governors were responding to claims by Pence on Friday that we have a sufficient amount of testing to meet the requirements of phase one reopening if state governors choose to do that. They were also pushing back against criticism from Trump himself, who had gone as far as to say that some governors have taken lockdown measures too far. I really believe that theyre being unreasonable, Trump said at a White House briefing Saturday. A day earlier the president had tweeted that Minnesota, Michigan, and Virginia should be liberated in what was seen as a message of support to the small groups of protesters who had gathered across the country demanding an end to lockdown orders. There are a lot of protests out there, Trump said. And I just think that some of the governors have gotten carried away.

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President Trump: "There are a lot of protests out there and I just think that some of the governors have gotten carried away." pic.twitter.com/qpkDHXKBu6  The Hill (@thehill) April 19, 2020

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The White House tried to deflect the criticism about testing, insisting it did not need to be so widespread before economies can start to reopen. Dr. Deborah Birx, the White House coronavirus response coordinator, said testing is only part of the solution to reopen economies across the country and too much testing could also be a problem. What were trying to do is look at this in a very data-driven, granular scientific methodologies to predict community by community the testing that is needed, Birx said on CBS Face the Nation. At the same time, working with every laboratory director across the country that have these multiple platforms to really understand and find solutions for them on their issues related to supplies.

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But my parent friends seem really miserable. My friend "Jane" has a 10-month-old baby and said that now without even a Saturday farmers market for her to look forward to, she actually finds the weekend even more depressing than a Monday. It's just an uninterrupted stretch of cleaning up messes. I keep thinking, "I'm glad that's not me," and then realizing I was planning for that to BE me, pretty darn soon. Does this mean I need to rethink my plans?
By Miya Tanaka, KYODO NEWS - Apr 18, 2020 - 02:17 | All, World, Coronavirus

As the coronavirus pandemic affects nearly every part of people's lives, President Donald Trump continues to face a crucial leadership test as he pushes to reopen the shuttered U.S. economy ahead of the November election.

Trump on Thursday outlined a three-stage process for easing the restrictions imposed on individuals and businesses to contain the spread of the novel coronavirus, saying that he expects at least some parts of the country to get back to work relatively soon.

Reopening the country is a "hugely consequential" move for the election as the economic outlook this fall is likely to be a decisive factor in Trump's re-election bid, said Paul Saunders, a senior fellow at the Center for the National Interest, a Washington-based think tank.

"The fundamental question here obviously is the trade-off between the economy and public health, and he's been very forthright in making a case that he's trying to protect the economy. If it looks like that works, and things come back better than people expect, then, I expect he'll have the support certainly of his base and lots of other Republicans," Saunders said.

(U.S. President Donald Trump)

"The other direction that it can go obviously is the economy doesn't bounce back, or the president kind of presses too hard to lift restrictions and that leads to a really bad second wave and then there's kind of another shutdown," he added.

While data has indicated that infections and deaths from the virus may be peaking in the United States amid social distancing efforts and the halt in economic activity, questions remain as to whether the country is prepared to be fully up and running.

Some health experts have warned that the country needs to beef up its virus testing capacity and ability to trace contact with infected people before workers can feel confident heading back to their jobs.

"A significant expansion of tests, testing, personal protective equipment and other medical supplies, and public health workers is still needed to reach the level of testing and surveillance necessary to safely reopen the country," the Infectious Diseases Society of America said in a statement Thursday.

"Prematurely easing social distancing measures put in place to curtail the spread of COVID-19 will risk increased infections and deaths, incapacitated health care facilities, and prolonged economic hardships," it also said.

(Grand Central Terminal in New York City)

[Getty/Kyodo]

Trump has asserted that the country has built "the most advanced and robust testing anywhere in the world." Meanwhile, economic pain from the containment measures has been mounting, with a staggering 22 million people in the United States filing for unemployment benefits in the four weeks ending on April 11.

Trump himself has also been under fire for initially downplaying the threat of the highly contagious virus, failing to quickly roll out testing and sometimes acting on his own political instincts rather than the expertise of scientists on his team.

"Within a couple of days (the number of cases) is going to be down to close to zero," Trump said in late February. He also said in a meeting, "It's going to disappear. One day -- it's like a miracle -- it will disappear." By the end of March, however, the United States became the country with the highest number of confirmed cases, according to a tally by Johns Hopkins University.

Less than two weeks after declaring a national emergency on March 13, Trump expressed his desire to have the country open up by Easter, which was last Sunday. But he ended up quickly retracting the goal, insisting that it was "just an aspiration."

Trump, who pitches himself as a president "at war" with an invisible enemy, the virus, may have been expecting the "rally 'round the flag" effect, a boost seen in the public approval ratings of presidents during periods of crisis.

But his recent job approval rate, after hitting about 49 percent, which tied his personal best in some polls, has slipped despite his daily appearances at the White House coronavirus task force briefings, viewed by some critics as makeshift campaign rallies.

Support for Trump has also lagged behind that for former Vice President Joe Biden, the presumptive Democratic presidential nominee to challenge him in November, according to a one-on-one poll conducted in early April by Monmouth University in New Jersey.

Biden led Trump 48 percent to 44 percent, with the gap being around the same as in last month's survey.

(Former U.S. Vice President Joe Biden)

"The static nature of these results suggests the president's response to the pandemic is certainly not helping his reelection prospects," Patrick Murray, director of the Monmouth University Polling Institute, said in a press release.

But whether Biden can fully capitalize on the situation may be another story, as the spread of the epidemic has also upended the Democratic presidential nomination process and made it difficult for him to rely on typical campaign methods such as rallies and other types of in-person events.

With many Democratic nomination contests postponed due to the virus, the 77-year-old Biden has been engaging in a "virtual" campaign from a recreation room at his home that has been converted to a television studio for hosting podcasts, participating in online events and appearing in TV interviews.

Biden has insisted that virtual campaigning would not necessarily put him at a disadvantage.

"With the new technology available, I think I'll be able to reach and make my points across the board as well as I could if I were out during a big rally," he said in a TV interview last month.

But Saunders suggested that Biden's reduced visibility over a prolonged period may make it harder for him to appeal to voters who supported Trump in the 2016 election but have the potential to turn against the 73-year-old Republican this year.

"For Democrats, it's all about opposing Trump and you've got to just elect whoever is going to keep Trump from being president. But for people in this other category, who are not Trump's base but also cannot be counted on automatically to vote for a Democrat, there has to be something to get them off of their sofas to go and vote," he said.

All in all, Trump's fate could be falling into the hands of state governments, as the federal guidelines on easing social distancing restrictions set no specific timeline for reopening and leave the actual decision up to the governors.

"So I think how it's handled (by the states) and how effectively the federal government works with the states" matters a lot, Saunders said.
The Delhi Police issued an advisory to its personnel on Sunday, instructing them not to allow "additional activities" till a further comprehensive assessment is done by the city government on relaxation of the ongoing lockdown.

Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal on Sunday said the Delhi government will not relax the lockdown for at least a week as the coronavirus spread appears to have gained pace.

Stressing that the national capital has "borne the maximum burnt" while containing the crisis, Kejriwal, however, assured the situation is under control and his government will reassess it after a week to see what relaxations can be given.

Following this, the Delhi Police issued an advisory to all the district DCPs, Special CPs, Joint CPs and other units of Delhi Police.

The Delhi government in view of the assessment of COVID-19 situation in Delhi, has decided to maintain status quo with respect to strict implemention of consolidated guidelines issued by the order of Government of India on April 15 without any relaxation for "additional activities" till another comprehensive assessment on April 27 for further orders, according to the advisory.

It further stated "additional activities proposed with effect from April 20, are not allowed in Delhi until further orders."



However, central government employees above the rank of Deputy Secretary will be attending their offices 100 per cent and the lower level staff 30 per cent. Since it is not possible to gauge who are within the 30 per cent, all central government employees be permitted on the basis of their identity cards, it stated.

The ground level staff be briefed about it thoroughly and repeatedly by district DCPs, ACPs and SHOs.

Several officers of the central government commute in hired taxis, therefore such vehicles carrying officers be allowed on the basis of their identity cards, the police advisory added.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
The representative of a pro-Iran Shiite armed militia in Iraq has announced that members of the group are in Iran to help fight the coronavirus pandemic.

Abbas Mousavi who represents the Harakat Hezbollah al-Nujaba (Movement of the Party of God's Nobles) militia group in Iraq confirmed the presence of its members in the religious city of Qom, Irans Tasnim news agency close to the Revolutionary Guard reported on April 19.

Iran finances and supports several militia groups in Iraq that it uses to expand its influence in the neighboring country. They have attacked American forces repeatedly and have been targeted by retaliatory U.S. operations.

Mousavi told Tasnim members of his group distributed 100 food baskets in the poor neighborhoods of Qom, as well as 400 kilos of honey to patients and hospital staff.

Photos also show the group running car disinfections sheds in the city. It is not clear how effective the disinfection of open-air areas and cars is in stopping the virus.

Earlier, photos were published showing other Iraq militia groups and members of the Lebanese Hezbollah disinfecting streets in Qom.

Last year when unprecedented floods hit Iran, militias from Iraq were allowed to come to help with the disaster, but some Iranians charged the real reason for their presence was to help put down any possible protests by citizens.

A member of Iran's parliament has said that the presence of foreign groups in Iran without the explicit agreement of the presidential administration and parliament is a violation of the Constitution.
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A racehorse is led back to its stable Saturday at Santa Anita Park, where horse racing has been shut down but life around the backstretch goes on during the COVID-19 pandemic. (Gina Ferazzi / Los Angeles Times)

Peacocks wail from a nearby arboretum, the sound ringing through a parking lot along the backstretch of Santa Anita Park racetrack. On a crisp Saturday morning, there are more than 200 cars, most of them belonging to those who bathe, brush, walk, exercise and train the hundreds of horses in the stables.

Inside is a community that includes more than 700 people who, as part of their compensation, live in small dorm-style rooms set in well-worn buildings near the barns, and others who commute to the track each day. The workers, many of them immigrants from Mexico and Central America, still have jobs because facilities that care for animals are considered essential and therefore exempt from stay-at-home-orders that have closed many Los Angeles County businesses during the COVID-19 pandemic.

But their futures are tenuous. On March 27, county health officials ordered Santa Anita to stop holding races, effectively amputating the industrys financial arm.

Santa Anita made a proposal to the county commissioner and public health officials last week, seeking to restart live racing. The decision to shut down was based on the definition of what constitutes an essential business, the Los Angeles County Department of Public Health said in an email. Some people in the business wonder whether there wasnt a different reason.

Activists lobbied hard last year to rein in the sport as 30 thoroughbreds died after racing or training at the track. Sen. Dianne Feinstein and Gov. Gavin Newsom were publicly critical and at times called for a halt to the races. This season, 11 horses have died at the track, including two after racing stopped.

County health officials did not answer an email asking whether pressure from animal rights groups had an impact on last month's decision to close down racing.

Oscar de la Torre, a labor organizer who engages with workers on the backstretch, believes animal rights activists seized on the current climate to try to shut down the track. Its pretty obvious thats what they intend to do, he said.

Story continues

A backstretch worker gets his temperature taken before he's allowed to enter Santa Anita Park on Saturday. (Gina Ferazzi / Los Angeles Times)

Weeks before authorities stepped in, Santa Anita had closed the track to fans and anyone not deemed indispensable to the races. Halting the competition choked off the last vestige of revenue. On the last day of racing, off-track bettors wagered more than $7 million. There were nine races with purses totaling $431,000.

The potential for big paydays keeps many owners involved in racing, because for the vast majority the sport is a financial drain. Trainers on average are paid $100 to $125 a day to train a horse, win or lose. Ten percent of winnings generally go to the trainer and the money trickles down from there.

When a horse wins, they give us, maybe, 1%, and that's extra money we earn to help the family, said Dagoberto Lopez, who has spent 35 years working as a groom at Santa Anita.

Lopez immigrated from Querendaro, in the Mexican state of Michoacan, where most people farm and raise animals. He and his wife live in South Gate with their three sons, two of whom work at the track during summers when they dont have school.

My mom worries, said Jayro Lopez, Dagobertos oldest son.  She keeps bringing up, What if someone actually gets the disease, what are we going to do? She says if that does happen, she doesnt want my dad commuting there, but also how are we going to sustain the bills?

Caring for or training horses is the only business most backstretch workers know. For those who live there, the prospect of losing their jobs is compounded by the fear of losing their homes.

I'd be homeless, on the street, said Ruthie Barrera, a stable worker who lives at the track.

It's a concern shared by many of her colleagues, but one the track hopes to assuage. "Unless the track was told to close completely, no one will be asked to leave," said Aidan Butler, chief executive of California racing for the Stronach Group, which owns Santa Anita.

Barrera makes $15 an hour  better than most, she said, because of her 22 years of service. She grew up on a ranch in Guatemala where she learned to love horses.

Some trainers compensate workers by the number of horses they care for, and the shrinking population at the track means a smaller paycheck. Thats been a problem throughout the industry and hit Santa Anita hard last year when the high rate of horse deaths caused the track to lose dozens of racing dates. Track officials were hoping for a rebound this year, but the pandemic exacerbated the situation.

Caring for or training horses is the only business most backstretch workers at Santa Anita know. For those who live there, the prospect of losing their jobs is compounded by the fear of losing their homes. (Gina Ferazzi / Los Angeles Times)

Miguel Contreras, a groom, said the barn he works for has not lost many, but from the other barns theres a lot of horses. Every day we see horses leaving.

Trainer Steve Martinez estimated there were still nearly 2,000 horses stabled at Santa Anita that have to be bathed, fed, vetted, shoed, walked, taken to the track and galloped. But now with no money coming in. Why do they have to take away the only way we have to support the people, he asked, but they dont mind having them working?

The job starts each morning around 4:30, before the sun rises to reveal the majestic San Gabriel Mountains to the north. Fifteen to 20 people work in each of the 64 barns along the backstretch. The horses are combed and bathed, then led along muddy dirt roads marked with hoof and boot prints between each barn. There are 30 to 40 stables in each barn, some with goats to calm the horses. The workers care for them, too.

There is a medical center on the premises, but it doesnt test for COVID-19. Some workers with symptoms were tested at outside facilities, and their tests returned negative. Still, there is concern.

Some of the people at the racetrack, theyre afraid about things going on right now. So am I, said Adan Fuentes, 59, an exercise rider who lives in Azusa. I just go to the track, do my job and go home every single day. I dont want to get the disease and then give the disease to another person."

Fuentes grew up in Jalisco, Mexico, and has been working at Santa Anita since in 1988. Lately, hes seen the number of people around him dwindle. Jockeys no longer are allowed on the backstretch, and neither are horse owners or some vendors who used to visit. But there are still people around each barn, and Fuentes tries to steer clear, interacting only with the horses.

Before the pandemic, people who lived away from the track simply had to show their licenses to enter. Now they also have their temperatures taken and must confirm they have a mask to wear. Not everybody wears one inside, but many do. Fewer wear protective gloves.

After the horse are attended to, some workers head home while the residents might make a run to a store, or hit the communal bathrooms and showers. Those, they say, are now cleaned more frequently.

A backstretch worker rinses out his toothbrush in a stable doorway at Santa Anita Park. Miguel Contreras, a groom, said that the stables area "is like a little community, a little town inside. A little world." (Gina Ferazzi / Los Angeles Times)

This is like a little community, a little town inside. A little world, Contreras said.  My worry is the people that leave outside the tracks, that go in and out every day. We havent had no cases here, but I know for a fact as soon as one or two comes up, theres a big chance theyre going to shut us down.

Santa Anita officials have proposed an even more isolated environment around the main track if authorities would allow racing to resume. The most recent plan involves secluded, at-track housing for jockeys. They would be kept away from the group working in the stables.

This isnt just, Hey we want to race, Butler said. This is the only way were not going to make the situation exponentially worse.

As those efforts are made, workers along the backstretch toil, and hope.

 If the virus gets here, Contreras said, and  lets hope not  everybody gets sick, whos going to take care of the horses?

Times staff writer Jorge Castillo contributed to this report.
So, this is a a hard column.

Regular readers know I usually conduct brief, lighthearted forays into language and related subjects. But now I got nothing, nothing, in that vein. I would like to offer something light as almost every inch in print and online is covered with pandemic news and information.

Welcome to the new normal. Fortunately, many memes circulating the web provide comic relief.

By saying this is a hard column, Im not implying that writing the others was easy. Some writers can make it look easy, but most would agree it is not. Youre probably familiar with that quote about writing from the late, esteemed sportswriter Red Smith: Writing is easy. All you have to do is sit at a typewriter and open a vein.

Writing can be messy and difficult; however, fretting about writing being hard is frivolous compared with what so many are going through now.

One aspect of this situation that has struck me as perhaps ironic, but truly wondrous, is that while we quarantine, shelter-in-place and practice social distancing, we realize how interconnected and interdependent we are. Being apart has, in some ways, brought us closer together. As this deadly virus is showing, we exist in a web  a soup, if you will, or a field  of innumerable connections, forces and influences.

I think we are truly  perhaps haltingly for some  realizing that the idea of everyone is on his/her own is being supplanted by were all in this together. Fear of an unknown or foreign other has long been used to manipulate people for nefarious purposes, but I have hope that this practice is, albeit slowly, being dissolved by the strong light of truth.

The many acts of service and sacrifice chronicled in this newspaper and other sources brought to mind David Bowies song Heroes. Yes, there are many heroes working for us right now: medical personnel, first responders, military, grocery workers, farmworkers, truckers, sanitation workers, delivery persons and journalists, just to mention a few. You can probably name some more, including volunteers, organizers, employees producing necessary items and those staying at home caring for others.

Times like this, more than in so-called normal times, instruct and inform us as to our priorities.

One problem that has worsened this situation is that some people of wealth, power and privilege, instead of investing in the long term, have focused on short-term gains  whether monetary, personal or political. If one is looking to find the next meal or keep from being thrown onto the street, long term means nothing. But to those with the means and advantages to help build a better society comes the question of accountability.

When this pandemic has wound down and elections return  and they will return  remember those leaders and officials who planned, responded and led well, and those who did not. Reward them accordingly.

John Eubanks is an author, former teacher and actor who lives in Converse. He can be reached at joneu62@gmail.com.
Kaia Gerber enjoyed a Sunday swim as she continued to self-isolate at her Malibu home.

The 18-year-old model showed off her swimming skills in a series of Instagrams.

Kaia also put her fabulous figure on display, offering a peachy look at her bottom while clad in a tiny black bikini.

Taking a dip: Kaia Gerber enjoyed a Sunday swim as she continued to self-isolate at her Malibu home

Gerber flowed through the water elegantly in the progression of pictures.

Evoking mermaid vibes, she let her hair down freely.

Keeping things simple, the budding star captioned the photos with just a waving emoji.

Making a splash: The 18-year-old model showed off her swimming skills and her fabulous figure

Itsy bitsy teeny weeny black bikini: The beauty offered a peachy look at her bottom while clad in a tiny black bikini

Go with the flow: Gerber flowed through the water elegantly in the progression of pictures

Kaia seems to be enjoying her time at home, spending days reading for her book club and taking care of her foster dogs.

The daughter of Cindy Crawford and Rande Gerber showed her social media fans how she feeds the little fuzzy white puppy that she is currently taking care of earlier this week.

'Morning bottle,' the star said as she was seen out on a lush green lawn.

Her little joy: Kaia Gerber has been fostering puppies at her Malibu residence as she self-isolated during the coronavirus pandemic. And on Thursday the 18-year-old daughter of Cindy Crawford and Rande Gerber showed her social media fans how she feeds the little fuzzy white puppy. 'Morning bottle,' the star said as she was seen out on a lush green lawn

'My three week old baby Angel,' she said in another photo caption as she credited the LaBelle Foundation.

The model also posed with the little pooch when in a bikini and said they were 'best friends.'

'Thelabellefoundation helped me foster this little girl,' she captioned a quick video that she shared on her Insta-Story.

In it, Gerber lounged back on a couch in an animal print bikini as the little pup took a nap just above her shoulders.

Revealing: Gerber showed off her curves and the adorable white puppy on Instagram

Love at first sight: The daughter of legendary supermodel Cindy Crawford declared she and the pup were BFF's whiled dressed in an animal print bikini

Gerber has been fostering dogs through The Labelle Foundation and posting pictures and information on her social media platforms since the COVID-19 outbreak reached a fever pitch in March.

The Labelle Foundation is a Los Angeles foster based animal rescue devoted to rescuing, rehabilitating, advocating for dogs, according to the organizations website, labellefoundation.org.

Their goal is to help the animals they assist find perfect forever families. The organization also specializes in neonatal orphans and sick or special need medical puppies.

Animal rescue: The Labelle Foundation is a Los Angeles foster based animal rescue devoted to rescuing, rehabilitating, advocating for dogs, according to the organizations website, labellefoundation.org

Finding a forever home: Gerber has been showcasing her foster puppies on social media
Aamir Khan in one of the biggest actors in the country and the actors global reach is quite commendable too. After the success of his films like Dangal, Secret Superstar and 3 Idiot overseas, Aamir has become a common face in international media. But his popularity did not spare him from a comedy of errors caused by a Pakistani news channel.





Hilariously, one of Pakistans primetime news channel broadcasted Aamir Khan's picture in one for their breaking news. Reporting on a double murder accused, Amir Khan, this news channel used a image of our superstar during broadcast. The accused Amir Khan is also the general secretary of Mohajir Quami Movement, which is a political party in Pakistan.

Bringing this blunder to social media, journalist Naila Inayat shared a screenshot of the channel on Twitter and said, Headline: After 17 years MQM leader Amir Khan exonerated in a murder case. Didnt know Indian actor Amir Khan was in Pakistan for the last 17 years.
Help India!

By Nazish Hussain and Musheera Ashraf, TwoCircles.net

New Delhi: For Akhtarista Ansari, a Jamia Millia Islamia (JMI) student, the coronavirus lockdown in India is being used by the government to witch hunt dissenting and critical voices. A final year student of B.A Sociology in the institution, Ansari is worried about the arrests of Jamia students by Delhi Polices special cell.

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It is very scary and depressing because we do not know when they will call us and they can just put us behind bars on false cases, Ansari told TwoCircles.net. This fear is palpable among students of JMI involved anti CAA-NRC-NPR protests as the Covid lockdown has out strict restrictions on assembly, simultaneously bringing an end to various sit-in across the country. Delhis Shaheen Bagh, the epicenter of the movement got empty soon after the protestors evacuated the area following lockdown guidelines of social distancing. It didnt take long for Delhi Police to spring into action and demolish the empty site followed with whitewashing of anti-CAA graffiti on the walls of Jamia.

Thereafter, on April 2, Meeran Haider, a PhD scholar at JMI got arrested by the special cell of Delhi Police. According to media reports, special cell of Delhi Police has charged Meeran Haider for allegedly hatching conspiracy and attempt to murder. Another student, Safoora Zargar, a research scholar at the university, who is also three months pregnant, got arrested on April 13. Safoora has been accused of obstructing the road near Jaffrabad metro station during an anti-CAA stir. Both the students are part of Jamia Coordination Committee (JCC) and have been actively protesting against CAA.

JCC is a group comprising students and alumni from the university that was formed after the brutal crackdown of Delhi Police on Jamia students on December 15, 2019. JCC primarily built a base to manage anti-CAA protests, acting as a central point of this nationwide movement.

Jamia Millia Islamia hasnt had a Union yet but JCC played a major role in organizing the students inside the campus and sustaining the resistance against police brutality on students, says Ayisha Nourin, a regular among student protestors at JMI. During the ongoing protest the students of JCC had evolved as an open body where anyone could come and go, talk or share their opinions said Ladeeda, another student from the university.

After the lockdown, JCC released a press note about the temporary suspension of the 24*7 protests at Jamia Millia Islamia. But still from past few weeks they are targeting the JCC and students inside Jamia says Ayesha Renna who became the widely shared hijabi face of the anti-CAA resistance.

Heavy hand of police on students

Most of us ended up inside police station, under detention or later in hospitals because of the serious injuries says Ayisha Nourin. She added that the students have been targeted by the police from the very starting and each of the protest marches were controlled by the riot controlling team of Delhi Police . Later on February 10, police brutality was meted out to female students with numerous reports of police assault on girls, hitting them on their chest and stomach with lathis. Some students had also accused the police of kicking them on their private parts with their boots on, punching them and even forcibly removing their hijabs, recounts Ayisha.

When the world is suffering from corona, the authorities are taking advantage of the fact that students wont be able to protest and they wont be able to answer back. So, they are utilizing and targeting the student community at this time opines Ayesha Renna. What comes as a great shock for JMI student protestors and members of JCC is the arrest of Meeran Haider. He has been on the forefront in relief work for the Delhi pogrom, says Ayesha about Meeran.

Others from the JCC expressed that the police has been inhuman for arresting a three months pregnant Safoora. The members describe the situation to be critical. They explain that police are relentlessly arresting anti-NRC and anti-CAA protestors. Moreover, they keep summoning protestors to the police station, and call it investigation, says Ladeeda.

Surveillance on Jamia students

Jamia has been under constant threat and surveillance post December 15 last year. On January 30, a gunman had shot at students who were marching to Rajghat from the university campus, while the police stood as spectators. Recalling the kind of surveillance meted out to students in the initial days of the protest Ayisha says, We would get blocked on roads and police would check if we were carrying Jamia id cards.

She explains that police would target and interrogate students on their purpose of going to the university and quite often people from different student bodies in Jamia would be constantly under surveillance.

A former research scholar talking about her experience of stay at the university feels that, Jamia is a brave space that scares government and hence, the constant surveillance by state machinery, which naturally exposes students to vulnerability.

Solidarities

The arrests have garnered severe criticism from activist bodies that have condemned the arrests terming it as a witch-hunt of Muslim activists. As the wave of anti-CAA protests that had swept colleges and university campuses across India suffers a severe blockade amid the Corona lockdown, it is heartening to see that the campaigning has shifted to social media sites like Facebook and Twitter and even professors have started to collect signs and petitions, says AyishaNourin.

A statement issued by the Campaign against Witch-hunt of anti-CAA activists, a concerned citizens group, has condemned the unending witch-hunt of Muslim scholar-activists. In their statement, they mention that the current regime at the Centre has unleashed a war on young Muslims and a generation of scholar-activists has faced a baptism by fire at a time of systemic and systematic erosion.

Another petition signed by notable artists from Bollywood, condemns the witch hunt of students and activists by Delhi Police (https://www.newsclick.in/Citizens-Group-Condemn-Witch-Hunt-Muslim-Scholars-Activists-Anti-CAA-NRC-Protest-Modi-Govt).

A Jamia alumnus and a former member of Dayar I Shauq Students Charter (DISSC) recalling that the JMI students have been standing tall against all unlawful decisions of the government, adds, Jamia is a brave space; especially Muslim students are very brave.

Ladeeda, one of the leading student protestors, explains that a lot of them are worried about how they would defend themselves legally if the police take any unfair action towards the arrested. But she says that as far as we are concerned, Stepping down isnt an option. Even now, our protest continues on social media platforms.
Tony Hetherington is Financial Mail on Sunday's ace investigator, fighting readers corners, revealing the truth that lies behind closed doors and winning victories for those who have been left out-of-pocket. Find out how to contact him below.

S.B. writes: My account with Scottish Power has been under review by the energy supplier for more than 18 months, as it insists we owe more than 7,000. The company claims we have not made a payment since 2013, but I have spoken to people at Scottish Power who stress that a domestic account would not be allowed to get into this state.

I have supplied meter readings but still get an estimated bill. I have set up direct debits for agreed amounts, but then it takes different amounts, once collecting three payments within seven days.

I cancelled the direct debit, so Scottish Power then took 700 from my wife's account instead. It has now put a default notice on my credit file, which is causing untold stress. We want to stop living in fear of Scottish Power.

Glitch: Scottish Power updated its billing system in 2013, causing chaos for S.B.

I am quite used to receiving complaints about utility companies, but something has clearly gone badly wrong at Spanish-owned Scottish Power, judging by the sharp rise in the number of letters and emails I have received from readers.

And what jumped off the page when I read your complaint was the company's claim that you have not made a payment since 2013. Several weeks ago we published a letter from a charity that was being threatened with closure because of Scottish Power's demands, and those demands were also rooted in the allegation that the charity had paid nothing since 2013 and now owes almost 25,000.

The explanation was  and is  bizarre. In 2013, Scottish Power updated its computerised billing system, but the update was flawed. Customers who were affected by this received normal bills, and made normal payments. But the computer recorded that Scottish Power owed them money instead of the other way around.

This showed up in records as a credit balance, so Scottish Power reduced the amount it collected, and every month the same thing happened: the more energy you used, the bigger the accidental credit balance grew, and the less the company collected. Now the computer glitch has been spotted, and although there is a limit to how far back it can go, Scottish Power wants its money.

But even now, it cannot get things right. It sent you a notice of overdue payment that complains: 'You agreed to repay your outstanding balance of 0.00 by instalments. Because you have not kept to this agreement, it has been cancelled.' How anyone can pay no pounds and no pence by instalments is a mystery.

I repeatedly invited Scottish Power boss Keith Anderson to comment. He stayed silent and said nothing. One of his staff also refused to comment, because early in March you had lodged a complaint with the Energy Ombudsman.

Headline news: Our story last month about how the charity was hit

The company would only comment after it had considered your complaint, filed their response, allowed a couple more months for the Ombudsman to investigate and then to offer an outcome. Meanwhile, the fear continues.

And Scottish Power has been just as bad at handling the situation with the charity I wrote about. On March 18, the company told me it would contact the charity on March 20 to discuss the problem, but March 20 came and went without any such contact.

Yet Scottish Power has increased the charity's monthly bill from 1,490 to 1,596, increasing the risk it could go bust. Truly, something is very, very wrong with this company, and just as truly, I am sure I shall be writing about it again soon.

Mystery of the unpaid premium bond cheque

D.H. writes: I cannot believe I am having to ask for help for my 97- year-old father. He won 25 on his premium bonds and the cheque was paid into his HSBC account.

HSBC then said that National Savings & Investments had stopped the cheque.

However, NS&I told me that not only have they not stopped payment, but the cheque has been successfully cashed.

Winning streak: D.H.'s father was lucky enough to win three 25 premium bond prizes

This has been a weird series of errors by HSBC. Your father actually won three 25 premium bond prizes and you deposited the cheques for him.

HSBC claimed one cheque had bounced, but NS&I was mystified, telling you: 'Our records show that the 25 warrant was successfully cashed and has not been returned to NS&I.'

When you protested to the bank, HSBC insisted that NS&I stopped payment on one of the three cheques you deposited 'in our Chesterfield branch'.

This was another layer of nonsense as you deposited the cheques in Stirling, hundreds of miles away. And the bank suggested the problem arose because two cheques carried the same serial number.

Wrong again  there were three different numbers. HSBC has offered no explanation.

It has apologised and told me: 'We will learn lessons from this to ensure it does not happen again.' They have credited your father's account with 100.

WE'RE WATCHING YOU Crime overall may be down due to coronavirus, but not frauds and scams, it seems. Five weeks ago The Mail on Sunday warned that fraud victims who had lost money to scams involving diamonds and binary options were being contacted by Data Financial Services Limited. This company claimed it could recover victims' losses if they forked out a few thousand pounds to cover its costs. But Data Financial Services itself is just another scam, impersonating a genuine company of that name. The Financial Conduct Authority published a 'beware of the clone' alert on its website, but the scam has continued unabated. Two weeks ago I reported that the crooks were using a Lloyds Bank account to harvest their loot. I tipped off the bank in advance and the account was closed within hours. Last week, I reported the crooks had switched to a Barclays account. Again, I alerted the bank in advance, and again the account was immediately frozen and shut down. Today, I am sounding the alarm again. The fraudsters have turned to Nationwide Building Society, telling their victims to transfer money to sort code 070806, for the credit of account number 1045-2810. A few days ago I warned Nationwide, which confirmed that funds had arrived. The building society's Financial Crime team immediately blocked the account, and a spokesperson told me: 'We are already speaking with the bank involved to return the money, and will look to close the account.' Well done, Nationwide. The only thing that has not changed is the crooks' telephone number, 0207 315 4076. The number really belongs to Dolphin Com Limited, based in Crewe in Cheshire. It provides phone numbers to anyone who wants to pretend they are somewhere other than their true location. Last week, I asked, will the fraudsters' phone line be cut off soon? Will their bank details lead the authorities to identify and arrest the crooks? This week, the same questions remain unanswered

If you believe you are the victim of financial wrongdoing, write to Tony Hetherington at Financial Mail, 2 Derry Street, London W8 5TS or email tony.hetherington@mailonsunday.co.uk. Because of the high volume of enquiries, personal replies cannot be given. Please send only copies of original documents, which we regret cannot be returned.
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Michael Gove has defended Boris Johnson over revelations the prime minster 'skipped' five Cobra meetings at the start of the coronavirus outbreak.

Mr Johnson has been accused of taking a backseat role in shoring up the nation's pandemic defences during January and February, despite mounting concern from scientists over the accelerating health emergency in Wuhan.

A senior Downing Street adviser told a bombshell Sunday Times investigation that Mr Johnson's decision to take 'country breaks' underscored his lack of urgency in the early stages of coronavirus planning.

As his more junior colleagues took the reins on virus mitigation, Mr Johnson's personal life reportedly commanded his attention, namely how to break the news of Carrie Symonds' pregnancy to his family.

The insider also alleged that Whitehall had been fixated on Brexit, and long-term crisis preparations fell by the wayside as key staff were diverted from pandemic contingencies to thrash out no-deal planning.

It also emerged the government shipped 260,000 items of personal protective equipment to China amid warning sirens from doctors that the UK was woefully under-prepared to cope with a pandemic.

Former chief government science adviser David King told Sky News today that he could not recall a Cobra meeting during his time in Whitehall that was not chaired by Tony Blair or Gordon Brown.

Mr Gove, who is part of the so-called 'quad' of ministers steering the government's response while the PM recovers from his own battle with the disease, this morning called the allegations 'off-beam'.

Speaking to Sky's Sophy Ridge, the minister for the cabinet office said: 'There are one or two aspects of the Sunday Times report that are slightly off-beam.'

He confirmed the PM did not attend the Cobra meetings, but added: 'He didn't. But then he wouldn't. Because most Cobra meetings don't have the Prime Minister attending them.'

As fury grew over the government's lack of preparedness:

A further 596 coronavirus deaths have been announced in the UK, marking the lowest daily rise for two weeks. The increase drags the overall number of fatalities up to 16,060 as cases also soared by 5,850 to 120,067;

Schools could start returning within three weeks under a 'traffic light' plan being pushed by senior ministers to eases coronavirus misery;

Mr Johnson has been in contact with ministers while he continues 'resting and recuperating' from coronavirus at his country residence of Chequers;

Former Cabinet Ministers David Davis and Sir Iain Duncan Smith joined City bosses in calling for a published exit strategy to map a way out of lockdown;

Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer accused the Government of dragging its feet in dealing with the pandemic.

Boris Johnson has come under renewed scrutiny for his lackluster coronavirus preparation after it was revealed he skipped five Cobra crisis meetings in the weeks leading up to Britain's outbreak

At the daily Downing Street press briefing, Education Secretary Gavin Williamson defended the PM's handling amid a mounting backlash at the slow action in gearing up to the looming crisis

Mr Gove, who is part of the so-called 'quad' of ministers steering the government's response while the PM recovers from his own battle with the disease, this morning called the allegations 'off-beam'

Prime Minister Boris Johnson addressing the nation from 10 Downing Street as he announces the lockdown on March 23

His remarks were scorned by Labour's Jon Ashworth, who branded them 'possibly the weakest rebuttal of a detailed expose in British political history.'

But Number 10 last night insisted Mr Johnson 'has been at the helm' of the government's response to the crisis.

Speaking today, Mr Gove said the accusation the PM purposefully sidestepped these five meetings was 'grotesque'.

He added: 'The idea that the Prime Minister skipped meetings that were vital to our response to the coronavirus, I think is grotesque. The Prime Minister took all the major decisions.

'Nobody can say that the Prime Minister wasn't throwing heart and soul into fighting this virus. His leadership has been clear. He's been inspirational at times.'

Criticising the PM, the Downing Street insider said: 'There's no way you're at war if your PM isn't there.

'And what you learn about Boris was he didn't chair any meetings. He liked his country breaks. He didn't work weekends.

'It was like working for an old-fashioned chief executive in a local authority 20 years ago. There was a real sense that he didn't do urgent crisis planning. It was exactly like people feared he would be.'

Mr Gove said he would not provide a detailed rebuttal of the newspaper article, which quoted a senior government aide who tore into the PM's laid-back approach in the early stages.

He confirmed the government shipped 260,000 items of personal protective equipment to China despite warning sirens from doctors that the UK was woefully under-prepared to cope with a pandemic.

But he claimed the PPE had not come from the UK's pandemic stockpile, and Beijing had since sent back 'far more' than was dispatched to them.

Brexit Day: Boris Johnson chairs a cabinet meeting at the National Glass Centre at the University of Sunderland, Sunderland, January 31

Early March: Boris Johnson visits Bewdley to see recovery efforts following recent flooding on March 8, 2020, when he was also under pressure over coronavirus

Government's 'traffic line' plan to lift lockdown Schools could start returning within three weeks under a 'traffic light' plan being pushed by senior ministers to ease lockdown misery - amid Cabinet splits over whether the government should risk more deaths from the disease to save the plunging economy. The fledgling 'exit strategy' would see the country get back up in running in stages after May 11, with primary, GCSE pupils, and nurseries potentially going back part-time. Meanwhile, clothes shops and garden centres could be among the 'non-essential' stores given a 'green light' to reopen with precautions to protect customers. Rail services would be brought up to normal levels, with commuters probably urged to wear facemasks, and the NHS would resume carrying out non-urgent procedures. A second 'amber' stage later in the summer would see more of the economy revived, with all employees told to go back to work and some social gatherings allowed. However, it might not be until later in the year that pubs and restaurants can reopen and sporting events get up and running. And over-70s face a 'red light' for many months more, potentially having to wait for a vaccine before going back to normal life. Advertisement

During the Parliamentary recess in mid February, Mr Johnson and his now fiancee Carrie Symonds retreated to the government's grace-and-favour mansion at Chevening.

There, Mr Johnson's personal life commanded the majority of his attention, as he was formulating how to break the news to his family his partner was pregnant, according to the Sunday Times, who reported aides were instructed to keep their memos to the PM short.

But asked at the daily No10 press briefing about Mr Johnson's absence from Cobra meetings until the beginning of March, Education Secretary Gavin Williamson said: 'The Prime Minister from the moment that it became clear that there were challenges in terms of coronavirus developing in China has absolutely been leading our nation's effort to combat the coronavirus, making sure that resources or money is not a concern for any department, especially the health service.'

He added that 'many Cobra meetings' are led by the departmental minister.

He said: 'The focus the Prime Minister was putting on this and has continued to put on this has meant that this is the whole Government effort.'

Mr Johnson chaired his first coronavirus Cobra meeting of Whitehall's top officials on March 2, having handed the reins to Health Secretary Matt Hancock for the previous five meetings.

Mr Hancock chaired the government's first Covid-19 crisis meeting in late January, when the unfolding epidemic in China's Hubei province appeared to be contained.

A Number 10 spokesman said: 'The Prime Minister has been at the helm of the response to this, providing leadership during this hugely challenging period for the whole nation.'

Former Tory party leader Iain Duncan Smith backed the Government's record on preparing for coronavirus, telling Sky News: 'The reality about this is that the world did not realise the extent of the pandemic in China because it is quite clear now that China suppressed and hid information, for whatever reasons we may yet discover.

'And that the World Health Organisation, which has serious questions to answer, did not tell the rest of the world that this was a pandemic that was more than likely to spread.'

He added: 'There are questions, yes, that will be asked, but later on, not now.

'We have no idea who is leaking this information, whether they are disgruntled or not, we don't know.

'But the reality is, questions will be asked, but it is right to ask them once we have completed this process, got on top of this and then managed to get the country back up and running.'

The comments came as controversy continued to grow over the insufficient levels of PPE for frontline NHS staff, and criticism that not enough people were being tested for the killer virus.

Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer accused the Government of dragging its feet in dealing with the pandemic.

Writing in the Mail on Sunday, Sir Keir said: 'The Government was too slow to enter the lockdown.

'It has been too slow to increase the number of people being tested.

Boris Johnson gestures as he watches a performance during celebrations for Chinese Lunar New Year at Downing Street in London, Britain January 24

'It has been too slow in getting NHS staff the critical equipment they need to keep them safe. We need to make sure these mistakes are not repeated.

'Other countries have begun to set out a road map to lift restrictions in certain sectors of the economy and for certain services, especially social care, when the time is right.

'This of course must be done in a careful, considered way with public health, scientific evidence and the safety of workers and families at its heart. But the UK Government should be doing likewise.'

Medial care staff have expressed alarm as surgeons are being advised 'not to risk their health' by working without adequate PPE amid fears that hospitals could run out of supplies.

The Royal College of Surgeons of England (RCS) said it was 'deeply disturbed' that medics could be asked to reuse items or wear different kit when treating Covid-19 patients.

Healthcare staff treating positive patients have been given guidance that they should wear long-sleeved disposable fluid-repellent gowns but, because of shortages, they have just been advised they could be asked to reuse PPE or wear aprons.

The fear from medics comes as more than 15,000 patients have now died in hospital after testing positive for the disease in the UK, with thousands more deaths expected in care homes.

Professor Stephen Powis, the national medical director of NHS England, told a Downing Street briefing that it was 'absolutely critical above everything else' that supplies were delivered to the front line so the guidance on on wearing gowns could be followed.

'I know Government is working incredibly hard to get those procurements in as you have heard,' he said on Saturday.
GRAHAM  Police are investigating after finding three people dead in what officials believe was a domestic-related shooting.

Officers responded about 10:50 a.m. Saturday to 1506 Broadway Drive and found three people shot to death, police said in a news release. Police identified the victims as 65-year-old Susan Thomas, who lived at that address, 69-year-old Douglas Sheets of King and 66-year-old Edward Thomas of Burlington.

Police said they are still looking into what happened, but as it appears to be domestic related they have no reason to believe a suspect remains at large.
A one-and-a-half-month-old baby boy in Delhi has died of coronavirus becoming the country's youngest victim of the infection which also affected a 12-day-old infant girl in Bhopal, as COVID-19 cases jumped by over one thousand for the sixth straight day on Sunday prompting authorities to scale up rapid antibody based blood tests.

Coronavirus infections crossed 16,000 with 1,324 cases being reported in the last 24 hours and the death toll surpassed 500, according to the Union Health ministry data, as Uttar Pradesh became the seventh state after Maharashtra, Delhi, Tamil Nadu, Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan and Gujarat to record over 1,000 COVID-19 infections.

In Maharashtra, there was a big spike in the cases to touch 4,200. A state Health official said there were 552 new cases in the last 24 hours.

Citing the Tablighi Jamaat congregation in the national capital last month, which emerged as a major coronavirus hotspot, and the large inflow of travellers from other countries to Delhi as the reasons for the spread of the virus, Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal said Delhi was fighting a difficult battle.

Delhi bore the brunt of maximum travellers from other countries. Delhi also bore the brunt due to an incident in the (Tablighi) markaz," he said during a video conference.

The Delhi government will not relax the lockdown for at least a week as the coronavirus spread appears to have gained pace, he said, asserting the decision has been taken to save lives.

Citing instances of asymptomatic people testing positive for the virus, Kejriwal said out of 736 samples collected recently, 186 were found infected by COVID-19 and the people did not know they were carrying the virus.

After a week's hiatus, Tamil Nadu reported 100 plus coronavirus cases again on Sunday, pushing the total number of affected people to 1,477, and authorities expanded their testing footprint with rapid test kits imported from China.

As many as 105 tested positive, including two journalists and a Sub Inspector, officials said in Chennai.

Addressing the daily media briefing, Lav Agarwal, Joint Secretary in the Union Health ministry said in 56 districts across 23 states and UTs, there has been no new COVID-19 case in the last 14 days.

In Delhi, officials said the one-and-a-half-month-old baby died at Kalawati Saran Children's Hospital attached to the Centre-run Lady Hardinge Medical College.

"The baby was brought to the hospital a few days ago. He tested positive for COVID-19. The child was admitted to SARI (Severe Acute Respiratory Illness) ward and died yesterday," a doctor at the hospital said on the condition of anonymity.

The surveillance team has been informed for contact tracing, he added.

A 12-day-old baby girl tested positive for coronavirus in Bhopal on Sunday, with health officials stating she may be the youngest COVID-19 patient in Madhya Pradesh and possibly the country.

The infant's father said it was possible she got the infection from a woman health worker who was on duty during the birth and tested positive later.

"The mother and the infant tested positive on Sunday," Bhopal's Chief Medical and Health Officer (CMHO) Dr Prabhakar Tiwari told PTI.

Soon after procuring rapid antibody test kits, the Delhi government on Sunday began testing people for coronavirus in various containment zones spread across the city, officials said.

According to Delhi Health Minister Satyendar Jain, the AAP government has acquired 42,000 such kits.

The rapid antibody tests were initiated for all the containment zones across the national capital, officials said.

The number of containment zones in Delhi on Saturday had increased to 76, with eight new zones being added in various areas in one day.

The rapid antibody test is less expensive and the result can come in 20-30 minutes, experts said.

These tests are generally used in hotspots where the infection is found concentrated in a given area.

The Kashmir Valley also received the first batch of 9,600 rapid test kits.

The kits would be used in the 83 red zones on a priority basis to help the administration expand the testing in these designated areas, an official said.

We have received the first batch of 9,600 rapid testing kits, Director, Health Services, Kashmir, Dr Samir Mattoo told PTI.

Mattoo said the kits were being dispatched to red zones in the Valley and it would be distributed to each such containment zone to test for COVID-19 cases.

With Bhubaneswar being identified as one of the coronavirus hotspots in the country, the Odisha government stepped up its measures to fight the disease by adopting rapid and pool testing methods.

The rapid and pool tests will be conducted apart from regular sample tests, said Health and Family Welfare Minister N K Das.

"Rapid tests have started in Bhubaneswar, which reported 46 of the total 61 coronavirus cases in Odisha, while efforts are on to commence pool tests of samples at VIMSAR, Burla from Sunday," the minister said.

The death toll due to COVID-19 rose to 519 and the number of cases climbed to 16,116 in the country on Sunday, registering an increase of 31 deaths and 1,324 cases since Saturday evening, according to the Union Health ministry data.

A total of 2,301 people have recovered, it said.

"Our figures are being reconciled with ICMR," the ministry said on its website. On Saturday, the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) said 16,365 individuals in the country have so far been confirmed positive for the infection.

According to a PTI tally based on reports from states, there were 16,285 positive cases while 2,464 had recovered and the death toll stood at 538.

As per the tally, the highest number of cases was in Maharashtra(4,200), followed by Delhi(1,893), Gujarat(1,604), Tamil Nadu(1,477) Rajasthan(1,431), Madhya Pradesh(1,407) and Uttar Pradesh(1,084)



In an indication of ramping up testing, an ICMR official said 37,173 tests were done on Saturday taking to 3,86,791 the total number of tests conducted so far.

The 31 coronavirus deaths reported since Saturday evening include--10 each from Gujarat and Maharashtra, three each from Punjab and Uttar Pradesh, two from West Bengal and one each from Delhi, Madhya Pradesh and Karnataka.

Of the 519 deaths, Maharashtra tops the list with 211 fatalities, followed by Madhya Pradesh at 70, Gujarat at 58 and Delhi at 43 and Telangana at 18 followed by other states, according to official data.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
There's no such thing as a free lunch.

The metaphorical "lunch money collector" in Oregon is offshore. The Juan de Fuca tectonic plate is subducting under the North American plate. Subduction creates our beautiful coastal hills and our majestic volcanoes. It also creates large earthquakes and tsunamis.

Geologic and historic records show that a large earthquake and tsunami struck Oregon in January 1700. We will face a similar hazard, though we don't know when.

How should we protect Oregon?

First, some perspective: floods and wildfires ravage the state more often than earthquakes. We spend our budget protecting our citizens from the common hazards. Taxpayers are wearier of preventative payments for infrequent hazards. Our society is generally more reactive than proactive. We are seeing this now in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. Amid the economic realities, the best way to protect our state is education. Thus, we aim to provide humble scientific background on earthquakes and tsunamis.

Our philosophy, that education is our strongest ally, comes from field experience. Without education, people continue to make the same mistakes. Though in fairness, many mistakes are borne from harsh economic realities. Our observations come from research trips to Sendai, Kathmandu, and most recently Palu, Indonesia.

The most important earthquake-related consideration is how the ground will move. If we know how the ground will move, then we can design or retrofit buildings.

What makes the ground move? Seismic waves. When a fault ruptures, it releases seismic energy in the form of waves. The waves move in all directions and reach the ground surface after some time. A larger fault rupture creates more energy, causing a larger magnitude earthquake. Seismic waves get weaker the further they travel. In short, both magnitude and travel distance affect ground movement.

We expect a magnitude 9 or so earthquake in Oregon. As an aside, magnitude scales are not linear. A M9 earthquake is about 32,000 times more potent than a M6 earthquake!

Now, the problem: seismometers have not recorded a M9 earthquake in Oregon. Thus, we dont know how the ground will move during the next M9 earthquake. Instead, we use ground motions recorded during similar earthquakes. We also use models ranging from back-of-the-envelope to supercomputer-driven to predict potential ground motions.

To compound problems, ground shaking also causes ground failures. Impending landslides shake loose and destroy roads. Soil liquefies and damages buildings. Pipelines break, creating toxic leaks and fire danger. Lifelines crumble, creating difficulties for emergency response and economic recovery.

The movement of the tectonic plates also vertically displaces seawater offshore. A tsunami is born from this initial condition. The seafloor bathymetry and initial condition dictate how the tsunami will propagate. The tsunami eventually attacks the shoreline. In Oregon, we expect tsunami attack about 10 to 30 minutes after the earthquake.

Important scientific considerations are tsunami flow height and speed. The flow height and speed dictate building damage, scour, and erosion. Tsunami damage increases as flow height increases. The buildings and soil experience more water force. The tsunami comes further inland as the flow height increases, too. The area of the tsunami inundation zone increases as a result. Tsunami damage is also directly proportional to speed squared. In other words, small changes in speed create large changes in damage potential.

Clearly, we need tsunami flow height and speed predictions. We can use them to design and retrofit buildings. However, reliable recordings of tsunami flow height and speed are very rare. Instead, we use geologic evidence of historic tsunamis to calibrate predictive mathematical models.

As an additional point, earthquakes take us by surprise. The best early warning systems give us about 15 seconds of warning. During earthquakes, we need our shelter to protect us. Tsunamis, in contrast, give us 10 to 30 minutes of warning. We can evacuate. Earthquakes and tsunamis also work in concert to destabilize soil in coastal areas. Unstable soil leads to further building damage.

We have only started to un-peel the scientific onion. For preparation information, we recommend examining the Oregon Health Authority's "Be Prepared" webpage. We encourage reading (and supporting) good science to educate yourself. Attend public science talks and community discussions. Ask questions. Pay attention to earthquake work from the universities, the United States Geologic Survey (USGS), and professional societies; for example, the Earthquake Engineering Research Institute (EERI) and the Seismological Society of America (SSA).

Among the devastation of earthquake and tsunami zones, we've also observed the beauty of humanity. Communities come together. We will need to do the same thing here in Oregon. We have no reason to suspect we won't, when the time comes. But if we're all more educated, and prepared, the response will be better. We have to pay for lunch, but if we work together, we can reduce the cost a bit.

Ben Mason is an associate professor in Oregon State University's College of Engineering. Yingqing Qiu is a College of Engineering doctoral candidate.

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A 38-year-old woman was killed by



a tiger in Paoni forest in Bhandara district of Maharashtra early on Sunday, officials said.

This is the fourth such incident that has happened within a week in Vidarbha region of the state, they said.

The incident took place in Mouza Sawarla forest range between 5 am and 6 am when the woman had gone to collect mahua flowers. The place is around 2.5 kms from her village, the forest department said in a statement.

"She had gone to collect the flowers along with her husband when a tiger attacked her and killed her on the spot," it said.

After being alerted about the incident, Deputy Conservator of Forests (Bhandara), Vivek Hoshing, and other forest department staff rushed to the spot.

The woman's body was sent for post-mortem and an immediate financial assistance of Rs 25,000 was given to the family of deceased, the statement said.

On Saturday, a 32-year-old woman was killed by a tiger in Tirora forest range in Gondia district, while on Thursday morning, a 40-year-old villager was killed by a tiger in Aramori forest range in Gadchiroli district.

On April 13, a 56-year-old man was killed by a tiger in Ghatpendhari village in Pench tiger reserve near Nagpur, the officials said.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
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The coronavirus is spreading from Americas biggest cities to its suburbs, and has begun encroaching on the nations rural regions. The virus is believed to have infected millions of citizens and has killed more than 34,000.

Yet President Donald Trump this past week proposed guidelines for reopening the economy and suggested that a swath of the United States would soon resume something resembling normalcy. For weeks now, the administrations view of the crisis and our future has been rosier than that of its own medical advisers, and of scientists generally.

In truth, it is not clear to anyone where this crisis is leading us. More than 20 experts in public health, medicine, epidemiology and history shared their thoughts on the future during in-depth interviews.

We face a doleful future, said Dr. Harvey V. Fineberg, a former president of the National Academy of Medicine.

He and others foresaw an unhappy population trapped indoors for months, with the most vulnerable possibly quarantined for far longer. They worried that a vaccine would initially elude scientists, that weary citizens would abandon restrictions despite the risks, that the virus would be with us from now on.

My optimistic side says the virus will ease off in the summer and a vaccine will arrive like the cavalry, said Dr. William Schaffner, a preventive medicine specialist at Vanderbilt University medical school. But Im learning to guard against my essentially optimistic nature.

Most experts believed that once the crisis was over, the nation and its economy would revive quickly. But there would be no escaping a period of intense pain.

Exactly how the pandemic will end depends in part on medical advances still to come. It will also depend on how individual Americans behave in the interim.

More Americans may die than the White House admits.

COVID-19, the illness caused by the coronavirus, is arguably the leading cause of death in the U.S. right now. The virus has killed more than 1,800 Americans almost every day since April 7, and the official toll may be an undercount.

By comparison, heart disease typically kills 1,774 Americans a day, and cancer kills 1,641.

Yes, the coronavirus curves are plateauing. There are fewer hospital admissions in New York, the center of the epidemic, and fewer COVID-19 patients in intensive care units. The daily death toll is still grim, but no longer rising.

The gains to date were achieved only by shutting down the country, a situation that cannot continue indefinitely. The White Houses phased plan for reopening will surely raise the death toll no matter how carefully it is executed. The best hope is that fatalities can be held to a minimum.

All models are just models, Dr. Anthony S. Fauci, science adviser to the White House coronavirus task force, has said. When you get new data, you change them.

The lockdowns will end, but haltingly.

No one knows exactly what percentage of Americans have been infected so far  estimates have ranged from 3% to 10%  but it is likely a safe bet that at least 300 million of us are still vulnerable. Until a vaccine or another protective measure emerges, there is no scenario, epidemiologists agreed, in which it is safe for that many people to suddenly come out of hiding.

Theres this magical thinking saying, Were all going to hunker down for a while and then the vaccine we need will be available, said Dr. Peter J. Hotez, dean of the National School of Tropical Medicine at Baylor College of Medicine.

In his wildly popular March 19 article in Medium, Coronavirus: The Hammer and the Dance, Tomas Pueyo correctly predicted the national lockdown, which he called the hammer, and said it would lead to a new phase, which he called the dance, in which essential parts of the economy could reopen, including some schools and some factories with skeleton crews.

Every epidemiological model envisions something like the dance. Each assumes the virus will blossom every time too many hosts emerge and force another lockdown. Then the cycle repeats. On the models, the curves of rising and falling deaths resemble a row of shark teeth.

Surges are inevitable, the models predict, even when stadiums, churches, theaters, bars and restaurants remain closed, all travelers from abroad are quarantined for 14 days, and domestic travel is tightly restricted.

Resolve to Save Lives, a public health advocacy group run by Dr. Thomas R. Frieden, a former director of the CDC, has published detailed and strict criteria for when the economy can reopen and when it must be closed.

Reopening requires declining cases for 14 days, the tracing of 90% of contacts, an end to health care worker infections, recuperation places for mild cases and many other hard-to-reach goals.

We need to reopen the faucet gradually, not allow the floodgates to reopen, Frieden said. This is a time to work to make that day come sooner.

Immunity will become a societal advantage.

Imagine an America divided into two classes: Those who have recovered from infection with the coronavirus and presumably have some immunity to it; and those who are still vulnerable.

It will be a frightening schism, Dr. David Nabarro, a World Health Organization special envoy on COVID-19, predicted. Those with antibodies will be able to travel and work, and the rest will be discriminated against.

Already, people with presumed immunity are very much in demand, asked to donate their blood for antibodies and doing risky medical jobs fearlessly.

Soon the government will have to invent a way to certify who is truly immune. A test for IgG antibodies, which are produced once immunity is established, would make sense, said Dr. Daniel R. Lucey, an expert on pandemics at Georgetown Law School. Many companies are working on them.

As Americans stuck in lockdown see their immune neighbors resuming their lives and perhaps even taking the jobs they lost, it is not hard to imagine the enormous temptation to join them through self-infection, experts predicted. Younger citizens in particular will calculate that risking a serious illness may still be better than impoverishment and isolation.

My daughter, who is a Harvard economist, keeps telling me her age group needs to have COVID-19 parties to develop immunity and keep the economy going, said Dr. Michele Barry, who directs the Center for Innovation in Global Health at Stanford University.

The virus can be kept in check, but only with expanded resources.

The next two years will proceed in fits and starts, experts said. As more immune people get back to work, more of the economy will recover.

But if too many people get infected at once, new lockdowns will become inevitable. To avoid that, widespread testing will be imperative.

Fauci has said the virus will tell us when its safe. He means that once a national baseline of hundreds of thousands of daily tests is established across the nation, any viral spread can be spotted when the percentage of positive results rises.

But diagnostic testing has been troubled from the beginning. Despite assurances from the White House, doctors and patients continue to complain of delays and shortages.

To keep the virus in check, several experts insisted, the country also must start isolating all the ill  including mild cases.

In China, anyone testing positive, no matter how mild their symptoms, was required to immediately enter an infirmary-style hospital  often set up in a gymnasium or community center.

Still, experts were divided on the idea of such wards. Fineberg co-wrote a New York Times op-ed article calling for mandatory but humane quarantine processes.

By contrast, Marc Lipsitch, an epidemiologist at the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, opposed the idea, saying: I dont trust our government to remove people from their families by force.

There will not be a vaccine soon.

Even though limited human trials of three candidates  two here and one in China  have already begun, Fauci has repeatedly said that any effort to make a vaccine will take at least a year to 18 months.

All the experts familiar with vaccine production agreed that even that timeline was optimistic. Dr. Paul Offit, a vaccinologist at the Childrens Hospital of Philadelphia, noted that the record is four years, for the mumps vaccine.

Researchers differed sharply over what should be done to speed the process. Modern biotechnology techniques using RNA or DNA platforms make it possible to develop candidate vaccines faster than ever before. But clinical trials take time, in part because there is no way to rush the production of antibodies in the human body.

Also, for unclear reasons, some previous vaccine candidates against coronaviruses like SARS have triggered antibody-dependent enhancement, which makes recipients more susceptible to infection, rather than less.

A new vaccine is usually first tested in fewer than 100 young, healthy volunteers. If it appears safe and produces antibodies, thousands more volunteers  in this case, probably front-line workers at the highest risk  will get either it or a placebo in what is called a Phase 3 trial.

As arduous as testing a vaccine is, producing hundreds of millions of doses is even tougher, experts said.

Treatments are likely to arrive first.

In the short term, experts were more optimistic about treatments than vaccines. Several felt that convalescent serum could work.

The basic technique has been used for over a century: Blood is drawn from people who have recovered from a disease, then filtered to remove everything but the antibodies. The antibody-rich immunoglobulin is injected into patients.

The obstacle is that there are now relatively few survivors to harvest blood from.

Having a daily preventive pill would be an even better solution, because pills can be synthesized in factories far faster than vaccines or antibodies can be grown and purified.

But even if one were invented, production would have to ramp up until it was as ubiquitous as aspirin, so 300 million Americans could take it daily.

Goodbye, America First.

A public health crisis of this magnitude requires international cooperation on a scale not seen in decades. Yet Trump is moving to defund the WHO, the only organization capable of coordinating such a response.

And he spent most of this year antagonizing China, which now has the worlds most powerful functioning economy and may become the dominant supplier of drugs and vaccines.

This is not a world in which America First is a viable strategy, several experts noted.

If President Trump cares about stepping up the public health efforts here, he should look for avenues to collaborate with China and stop the insults, said Nicholas Mulder, an economic historian at Cornell University.

Once the pandemic has passed, the national recovery may be swift. The economy rebounded after both world wars, Mulder noted.

The psychological fallout will be harder to gauge. The isolation and poverty caused by a long shutdown may drive up rates of domestic abuse, depression and suicide.

In the periods after both wars, Mulder noted, society and incomes became more equal. Funds created for veterans and widows pensions led to social safety nets, measures like the GI Bill and VA home loans were adopted, unions grew stronger, and tax benefits for the wealthy withered.

If a vaccine saves lives, many Americans may become less suspicious of conventional medicine and more accepting of science in general  including climate change, experts said. The blue skies that have shone above American cities during this lockdown era could even become permanent.

This article originally appeared in The New York Times.
Nicholas Tetteh Nartey, professionally known as Big Ghun pronounced "Big Goon was born to parents Martin Tettey Nartey and Regina Nartey in the early 90s. He was raised in Koforidua in the Eastern Region of Ghana and attended Manya Krobo SHS (in Odumase-Krobo) where he completed his Senior High School education. He read Bachelor of Fine Arts in Film Directing at National Film and Television Institute (NAFTI) and completed in 2019.



Big Ghun's interest in music began in Senior High School where he started recording his demos in a rap group called 'Young Khalibenz' where he used to be known as Kobby Stone back then. He rebranded recently to his current showbiz name when he decided to take his music to a professional level and got signed to TiCs record label TNR Music. He was made the cover model on the 16th volume of the American-based magazines Leblanc Music Mag and London Leblanc magazine and was nominated twice at the maiden edition of Tertiary Music Awards (TERMA). Big Ghun was given an honorary award as a Motivating Student in music in the year 2018.



Big Ghun has been around for the past years as an online promoter pushing musicians and brands on social media and he is among the pioneers in Ghana to introduce mobbed twitter trends as a promotional tool. He was a regular panelist on Radio Univers and later moved to 3fm to panel their popular music show Showbiz927. He began performing in 2018 with TiC, when he got featured on a rendition of Nero X's song Yawa Dey, titled Yawa Dey Part 2.



In early 2019 he got signed to TNR Music, a record label owned by TiC and released his first single under the label titled Walk Off that featured TiC. In January 2020 Big Ghun released another single Bombastic which featured Zeal of VVIP fame.



Big Ghun is also known to have directed TV adverts for some brands in Ghana but officially made his entry into the Ghana Film Industry when he premiered an agricultural reality show known as the Livingfields AgriChallenge that he directed and produced by his film company PB Studios Africa at the Silverbird Cinemas in December 2019. The Livingfields AgriChallenge is currently showing at primetime on Citi TV (DStv Channel 363 and GOtv 182).



Rumors have it that Big Ghun is currently working on an album and a couple of other film projects yet to be released.

Source: Nicholas Tetteh Nartey









Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority.

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Electronics' retail giant Fnac Darty announced on Sunday it had secured a 500 million euro loan guaranteed by the French state "to secure cash flow" and prepare for recovery after the coronavirus crisis.

Finance Minister Bruno Lemaire said the guaranteed $544 million facility was "the first that the French state has granted to a major French company" to help it over the crisis.

The group reported "very strong growth in e-commerce, in all countries, during the lockdown" but in the first quarter of the year revenue plunged 7.9 percent on a reported basis to 1.49 billion euros.

With stores closed sales fell 30 percent in March, a statement said.

However e-commerce doubled over the last half of March and the first days of April.

The group had warned in mid-March it would not meet its minor growth targets and on Sunday withdrew proposed dividends for 2019 -- in line with government demands.

"With more than 20 billion euros in loans given to 150,000 companies, the deployment of the state guaranteed loan is a reality for French companies, whatever their size" Lemaire added.

"The state-guaranteed loan is a major lever to help them overcome this economically difficult period without trouble."



Fnac Darty's one-year loan supported by French banks has a five-year extension option.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Supermarket giant Waitrose has thrown down the gauntlet to rival Marks & Spencer with a sudden 50 per cent surge at its online delivery service  five months before the pair embark on an historic battle for shoppers.

Waitrose bosses revealed for the first time the furious behind-the-scenes work the company is doing to ramp up its online business.

Ben Stimson, the 48-year-old executive in charge of Waitrose. com, told The Mail on Sunday its response to the coronavirus lockdown has been so rapid that the 6.4 billion chain is now processing almost 100,000 orders a week.

Pushing forward: Waitrose's response to the coronavirus lockdown has been so rapid that the chain is now processing almost 100,000 orders a week

That had been the target set for September, when it will sever its 18-year long partnership with delivery service Ocado, meaning Waitrose has accomplished a five-month business plan in four weeks.

In September, Ocado will switch to delivering Marks & Spencer products while Waitrose will ship its food only in Waitrose.com vans. Stimson said Waitrose is adding 24 extra shops to its ordering service, taking the total to 184 out of 338 stores where orders can also be collected.

He said the firm is also preparing to unveil a second London delivery depot in Enfield next month, which will add another 10 per cent to overall capacity. It has 940 delivery vans and will add another 400 by the end of the year.

Waitrose, part of the employee-owned John Lewis Partnership, said preparation for the split began a year ago and has left it well placed to respond to the spike in orders triggered by the lockdown.

Stimson said: 'What the crisis has done has allowed us to test more quickly than I would ever have thought possible that we are able to operate at that scale. And we are. '

At the beginning of the year we started with a focus on September. So, while none of us saw the crisis coming, we went into this with some momentum. Now we're doing 50 per cent more orders than we were the week before the virus hit.'

Stimson said Waitrose is preparing for customers to shift from the Ocado-M&S service from September onwards. The demand has seen orders rise to 11 per cent of Waitrose revenue compared with just 5 per cent a month ago when the crisis took hold.

The company is shipping 35 per cent of its orders to vulnerable customers  a service which launched just three weeks ago  and the figure is rising.

Stimson and other food bosses say the initial surge in demand at grocery chains  driven largely by stockpiling  has slowed. But a report circulated by Supermarket Income REIT, a supermarket property firm advised by former Sainsbury's chief executive Justin King, predicts the food industry could net another 15 billion this year as shoppers consume extra food and drink bought from supermarkets instead of eating out in restaurants or drinking in pubs.

Sources said investors had piled into Supermarket Income REIT's 75 million share placing which was launched in recent days. The company had already seen strong demand more than a week before the fundraise was supposed to close, sources told The Mail on Sunday. Stimson said he expected the surge in online demand would return to more 'normal levels'.

'I think it would be self-delusion to say the levels of online shopping that we've seen are going to stay.'
Saudi Arabia led coalition bombed Yemen dozens of times since it announced a ceasefire last week answering the United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres' call for a global truce to tackle the coronavirus pandemic. According to reports, the Gulf coalition launched a series of airstrikes in Yemen in a week since it announced ceasefire days ago. The United Nations had called for a global truce for the first time on March 23 fearing that hostilities will hamper its fight against the deadly disease.

Read: Ireland To Quadruple Its Contributions To WHO After Trump Halts US Funding

The United Nations Security Council met for the first time on April 9 since the outbreak began where it appealed to all the warring parties to adhere to the global ceasefire in order to help the global agency deal with the contagious virus effectively. As per reports, the Houthis dismissed the Gulf coalition's offer for a truce as a ploy and clashes have continued since. Media reports suggest that Yemen have been hit by 26 raids over the last week since the ceasefire was declared. Yemen's capital city Sanaa has been the worst affected by the airstrikes, which is currently under the control of the Iran-backed Houthi rebels.

Read: UN Urges Countries To Protect LGBT+ People Against Discrimination Amid COVID-19 Crisis

The Yemen Data Project, a war monitoring group said that the bombardments in the region have increased 50 folds in March compared to the month before. The watchdog said air raids in Yemen have been worst since November 2018. Mark Griffiths, the UN Envoy for Yemen on April 16 said that talks between the Gulf-backed government and the Houthis were making very good progress further suggesting that there cannot be a more timely moment for both the parties to silence their guns and come to a peaceful, political agreement.

Read: Venezuela's Maduro Urges Top Court To Postpone Elections Due To Coronavirus Outbreak

Coronavirus outbreak

The coronavirus outbreak has infected over 2.33 million people globally and has killed nearly 1,60,000 patients since it first broke out in December 2019. The virus is believed to have originated from a seafood market in the Chinese city of Wuhan, the initial epicentre of the disease, where animals were reportedly being traded illegally. Currently, the United States, Italy, Spain, France and the United Kingdom are the most affected countries in the world with a recorded death toll of 14,000 and above.

Read: Mumbai Police's 'You & I Will Meet Again' Tweet Spreads Smiles Amid COVID-19 Lockdown

(Image Credit: AP)
A BURGLAR who stole thousands of cigarettes from a service station in County Limerick has been given six months to pay compensation.

Patrick Harty, 25, who has an address at OBrien Street, Tipperary Town, has pleaded guilty to burglary charges relating to a number of offences which occurred in the early hours of May 22, 2018.

Detectve Sergeant Mike Reidy, of Newcastle West garda station, told Limerick District court the first incident happened at 3.30am when Mr Harty and a number of other men entered the creamery in Ballyagran.

Damage was caused to the front door and the culprits stole a sledgehammer and a small amount of cash before fleeing.

The second incident, he said, happened at OGormans service station at Ballyvologue, Ballingarry around 20 minutes later.

The culprits smashed a front door and forced their way into the premises where they located and stole cigarettes with a retail value of around 2,500.

When asked the detective sergeant told Judge Marian OLeary the cigarettes and cash were never recovered.

Mr Harty has also pleaded guilty to road traffic charges relating to an incident in the city a number of hours later during which an unmarked garda patrol car was rammed.

Solicitor Michael ODonnell said his client, who has ten previous convictions, made admissions in relation to the burglaries following his arrest.

He said the father-of-three did not deliberately drive at the patrol car but struck it as he was trying to steer past the vehicle to avoid being caught.

After taking instructions from his client, Mr ODonnell said he was willing to pay full compensation if released on bail.

Judge OLeary noted this saying she would give him three months to do so.

She said her decision to grant bail means nothing but that the payment of compensation would mitigate whatever sentence she ultimately imposes.

Mr Harty, who also pleaded guilty to charges relating to number of burglaries at private homes in the Adare area on November 3, 2018, must abide by strict bail conditions.
Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, April 19) The House of Representatives disclosed Sunday that another one of its employees tested positive for COVID-19.

The new case is one of the security personnel at the lower chamber, Secretary General Atty. Jose Luis Montales said in a statement. The patient last reported for work in January.

The House noted the security personnel, who has been undergoing dialysis, was first admitted to a hospital on April 7, due to pneumonia. He was discharged four days later.

"The employee was admitted again after testing positive, though has been asymptomatic since," it said.

Earlier, staffers working at the House's Printing Service were also reported to have contracted the infectious disease.

The Philippines has recorded 6,259 positive cases of COVID-19, including 409 fatalities and 572 recoveries as of the Health Department's latest record.
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Linkedin Andi Hajramurni and Belseran Christ (The Jakarta Post) Makassar and Maluku  Sun, April 19, 2020 07:26 633 fc6853813033f564188675f8bd2c89e4 1 National COVID-19,COVID-19-in-Indonesia,Makassar,South-Sulawesi Free

Sixty-six crew members of KM Lambelu have tested positive for COVID-19 after swab tests were conducted, bringing the total number of coronavirus cases of those who were aboard the ship to 92.

The South Sulawesi Health Agency confirmed on April 12 that 26 out of the 151 crewmen of KM Lambelu had contracted the coronavirus.

The health agencys head, Ichsan Mustari, said the crew members who contracted COVID-19 were asymptomatic or experienced little to no symptoms.

We will keep monitoring their condition. Up until now, their condition has been stable. If their results are negative in the next test, they will be able to continue sailing after the incubation period ends, Ichsan said on Friday.

Data from the national COVID-19 task force show that, as of Saturday, 343 people in South Sulawesi had tested positive for COVID-19, including crew members of KM Lambelu.

However, Ichsan previously argued that the ships crew members should not be included in the data since they were not residents of the area and had only been in Makassar for the tests.

We already asked the task force to exclude KM Lambelu crew members from the count of patients who tested positive. Based on their contact history, they contracted the disease aboard the ship, not in South Sulawesi, he said.

The ship, owned by state ship operator PT Pelni, arrived in Makassar on April 10 after sailing from Maumere, East Nusa Tenggara.

Read also: COVID-19: KM Kelud put in quarantine in Medan after crewmen test positive

In Maluku, two of 10 crew members of KM Dobonsolo tested positive for COVID-19. The ship had carried 54 passengers and sailed from areas with high rates of infection such as Java and Sulawesi.

All indications pointed to the crew members testing positive for COVID-19 following a rapid test conducted by health officers at Yos Sudarso Port in Ambon. Both of them were immediately sent to quarantine at the Maluku Human Resources Development Agency dormitory in Wailela, Malukus COVID-19 task force head Kasrul Selang said. (dpk)
Like the rest of southern Africa, Zimbabwe is bracing for Covid-19 cases to climb. But there's been an unexpected publicity boost for its universities, which are producing face masks, hand sanitiser, and even a prototype ventilator, to help fight the pandemic when it really hits.

Zimbabwe has 20 universities and a number of polytechnics. Once well-reputed, the quality of education they offer has been called into question, not least when former president Robert Mugabe's wife Grace was improperly awarded a PhD by the flagship University of Zimbabwe seven years ago.

Now though, with its doors closed to students, UZ is producing hand sanitisers and there are plans for it to produce intravenous fluids.

Helping save lives

Africa University, just outside the eastern city of Mutare, has a Facebook feed full of pictures of the hand sanitiser the institution's department of public health and nursing is producing with funding provided by Old Mutual Zimbabwe, a finance company. The department expects to be able to provide 550 bottles per day.

Lab technician Chipo Mazangairi told the university's website: "I see it as helping save lives and serve the nation."

In the north of the country, the Chinhoyi University of Technology  of which young opposition MP Joana Mamombe, 27, is an alumnus  has got its Fashion Textile Department producing 3,500 face masks per day.

Prototype ventilator

Meantime  and to some scepticism  the Harare Institute of Technology has produced a prototype oxygen ventilator. Zimbabwe, like many countries in Africa, is critically short of the machines.

Officials at the HIT say their prototype is still to undergo trials.

With this unit we can begin to respond to patients as they come in. As we respond to them, we can try to reduce the burden on the ICU-grade ventilator units, said one of the HIT designers, Edmund Maputi, in a video posted on the institutes Facebook page.

Zimbabwe universities are more often seen by locals as degree factories in a country where skilled job opportunities are limited due to economic turmoil. Their function as generators of research and innovation is less well known.

Story continues

Ivory towers no more

"Are we turning universities into production plants and test centres now? asked one bemused Twitter user, when it was reported at the end of last month that the National University of Science and Technologys laboratories  located in Bulawayo  were suitable to test for Covid-19.

Other Twitter users jumped in to defend the new role for the country's tertiary institutions.

"That's what universities are for. Research and availing their knowledge and skills to the people. Not mere ivory towers giving people papers, gowns and caps," said one.

"This is a positive thing with our universities," Norman Matara, secretary general of the Zimbabwe Association of Doctors for Human Rights told RFI.

"They were producing academics who do not actually provide practical solutions to the problems that we are facing in the country. This Covid-19 pandemic has actually brought about the innovation  that universities play a positive role in terms of assisting the nation."

Import substitution

President Emmerson Mnangagwa himself says the coming together of local universities and companies to provide essential materials for the health sector is a silver lining to the present global health crisis.

It is commendable that local industries and universities have become hubs for import substitution, he said in a televised address to mark the country's Independence Day on Saturday.

Zimbabwe, at the last count, had fewer than 30 cases of coronavirus, three of them fatal. But with limited testing going on, there are fears the disease is a lot more widespread.

Import substitution will prove vital in helping the country weather the storm.
On Monday, an officer at Southern State Correctional Facility received an email from a lab in charge of testing New Jersey first responders: He was not eligible" for a coronavirus test, the message said, partially due to current testing capacity."

He decided to get a private test on his own because of how sick he was, his wife Christine McDowell said. The test was positive, according to a LabCorp message reviewed by NJ Advance Media.

Earlier in the month, an inmate at the same prison told his wife he was having trouble breathing. Leslie Beety wrote a prison official twice, according to emails reviewed by NJ Advance Media, and called other officials at least four times, based on her notes, until one promised hed be tested.

Her husband has not been tested, Beety said.

A growing chorus of people connected to New Jersey prisons say many are being improperly denied COVID-19 tests, despite the hundreds of employees and dozens of inmates that have already tested positive, and experts say the virus could spill into surrounding communities if its not stopped behind bars.

When asked about a lack of testing April 10, the head of New Jerseys prison system denied a widespread problem.

I dont believe that, really, anyone can make the point that they dont have access to health care if they have symptoms," state Corrections Commissioner Marcus Hicks said.

He reiterated that point in an interview Thursday. While he acknowledged the states testing shortage in general, Hicks said it wasnt any worse in prisons.

Yet New Jersey residents are being tested about three times the rate prisoners are.

The states corrections system oversees about 18,000 inmates, but it had only tested 95 of them by Friday. The overwhelming majority were positive, according to the departments public statistics.

In contrast, the Essex County Jail tested almost that same number in just over a week, despite being in charge of about 16,000 fewer people.

Of the 91 Essex inmates who received a recently approved blood test, more than half either tested positive or had already developed immunity to the virus after exposure, according to county officials. Every Essex inmate is scheduled to receive a test.

Overall, about 1.6% of New Jersey residents have been tested, compared to about .5% of the prison population.

CORONAVIRUS RESOURCES: Live map tracker | Businesses that are open | Homepage

Even if we had a place as isolated as Alcatraz  which we do not anywhere in New Jersey  it would still be risky to not be doing testing in the prison system, said Christine Tartaro, a criminal justice professor at Stockton University. Inmates are still being released and officers are still moving in and out daily, she said, potentially exposing others.

Officers are trying to isolate themselves, according to a letter the states largest corrections union sent Hicks Wednesday. But they were being denied access to hotels and motels despite a federal program thats supposed to house first responders exposed to COVID-19, a lawyer for PBA Local 105 wrote.

The corrections department has said its only in charge of testing inmates, and directed officers to their medical providers, which is why the New Jersey State Policemens Benevolent Association opened its labs to prison officers, according to a union representative. PBA President Pat Colligan said no sick officer should be denied a test because their labs had plenty of room.

State officials have not acted on a request to establish a testing site just for prison staff. (A spokeswoman for the governors office did not respond to questions about the federal program or a new testing site.)

Furthermore, some officers who were quarantined because of possible exposure will have to return to work anyway as long as theyre not sick, according to a Monday staff memo obtained by NJ Advance Media. The memo cited health department guidelines that allow essential staff to break self-quarantine when staffing levels fall to a critical level.

More than 200 have already been cleared to return, according to corrections spokesperson Liz Velez, and about 220 are still pending medical clearance.

Inmates, their families and officers said problems were especially acute at Southern State, a near-capacity prison in Cumberland County where dozens of prisoners recently formed a blockade in a quarantine unit.

Inmate David Roary told NJ Advance Media that he attended a group meeting April 9 where prison officials said no testing was available, despite symptomatic prisoners. A second inmate at the same meeting confirmed that message. A third said staff sent sick inmates back to their regular units with only ibuprofen and maybe cough drops. (Some people interviewed spoke on condition of anonymity out of fear of retribution.)

Velez did not deny that April 9 meeting, but she said sick inmates would be examined by health care providers and the department would continue to follow guidance from state and federal health officials. In an online FAQ, the department wrote that inmates would only be tested if they were hospitalized, while those with mild upper respiratory symptoms would just be placed in medical isolation after an evaluation.

Every day we hear from family members whose loved ones have no access to enhanced sanitation, personal protective equipment, or clear understanding of medical examination procedures, said Amos Caley, an organizer with the New Jersey Campaign for Alternatives to Isolated Confinement. These procedures should have been in place more than a month ago."

One Edna Mahan Correctional Facility for Women inmate saw her fever top 102 degrees, but Miseka Diggs said she was only locked inside a cell for days without testing. A symptomatic East Jersey inmate was not tested, according to his fiance, nor was a Mid-State Correctional Facility inmate who died after telling his mother about coughing, night sweats and chills.

At least eight inmates have died of the coronavirus so far.

Bradford Scott was denied a coronavirus test at New Jersey State Prison, according to two members of his family, even though he had trouble breathing last weekend after weeks of illness. He was repeatedly sent back to his cell despite four medical checkups, according to his daughter Kiesha Jenkins.

Only after Scotts relatives, one of whom worked on former Gov. Jim McGreeveys transition team, called officials around the state was Scott moved to a hospital and tested.

He was positive, Jenkins said.

NJ Advance Media staff writers S.P. Sullivan and Arjun Kakkar 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.

Blake Nelson can be reached at bnelson@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter at @BCunninghamN.
PHAME has become part of a lifestyle for many Portland-area adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities.

But the school that teaches and creates opportunities in arts and performances nearly came to a halt because of the coronavirus outbreak.

I cried sad little tears, said PHAME executive director Jenny Stadler. A lot of our students come here for community. Were really concerned about social isolation, worried about loneliness.

Since 1984, PHAME has taught its classes on campus, currently in Northeast Portland near Lloyd Center. But when coronavirus struck, PHAME had to end its winter term for some 100 students, ranging in ages from 18 to 75.

With Oregon under stay-at-home orders, spring term and future didnt look bright for PHAME. Particularly for this group, as some face medical challenges that make them vulnerable to to coronavirus. But like many schools and businesses, PHAME looked into video conferencing. A couple weeks of tinkering, plus buy-in from students and working artists who teach classes, and spring term was off and running.

Its not perfect. About a third of the students were unable to do classes, and classes were pared from 30 to 17 for the spring. But its working, and remote learning could become a big part of PHAMEs future going forward.

A PHAME Zoom class from this spring. (Courtesy of PHAME)

Anne-Marie Plass, a 41-year-old Portlander who has been a PHAME student for 11 years, is taking six online courses this spring. Among them are homestyle yoga, musical theater, a dance class called Kick It Up, Comedy 101, choir, and rock ensemble.

Its been a transition for sure, Plass said. But I get to see my friends and teachers. Its nice to see everybody even though the classes are online. Thats one of the major positives.

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Singing classes are a bit of a challenge using Zoom, but theyre working through the kinks of coordinating 30 some voices singing at once. Dance classes, typically done in a large room at PHAME, require online student work in a room that is at least large enough to take two steps in any direction.

Teaching skills and keeping artist workers employed is important, but a top priority of PHAME is the social aspect. It was one of Stadlers biggest concerns in going online, because talking face-to-face on campus isnt the same as a video conferencing class. With that, PHAME created a couple slots during the week called CC Hallway when a campus coordinator oversees a chat where students can drop in, talk to one another, and as Stadler said, hang out.

Though there continue to be challenges, such as funding, Stadler sees growth. If PHAME is online during the summer, she projects increasing the class offerings to 20 to 22. Theyre cautious about returning to campus, but it is the goal.

But online teaching is here to stay for PHAME, after learning its possible to reach out to more students. One of their students this fall takes classes from Ashland.

-- Nick Daschel | ndaschel@oregonian.com | @nickdaschel

Subscribe to Oregonian/OregonLive newsletters and podcasts for the latest news and top stories.
The Navy's top admiral will soon decide the fate of the ship captain who was fired after pleading for commanders to move faster to safeguard his coronavirus-infected crew on the USS Theodore Roosevelt.

In the glare of a public spotlight, Adm. Mike Gilday will decide whether Navy Captain Brett Crozier stepped out of line when he went around his chain of command and sent an email pushing for action to stem the outbreak.

As of Friday, 660 sailors on the aircraft carrier, now docked at Guam, had tested positive for the virus and seven were hospitalised.

One sailor has died, and more than 4,000 of the ship's 5,000 crew members have been moved onto the island for quarantine. Gilday's review won't be limited to Crozier.

It will also look at the command climate on the ship and higher up within the Pacific-based fleet, to determine if there are broader leadership problems in a region critical to America's national security interests.

Gilday has many options as he reviews what was an extraordinarily rapid investigation by Adm. Robert Burke, the vice chief of naval operations.

Burke and his staff finished the review in about a week, conducting interviews almost entirely online and by phone between Washington and Guam.

A look at some of Gilday's options, and their benefits and pitfalls.

REINSTATEMENT

Gilday could decide that Crozier acted in the best interests of his crew and was unfairly removed. He could reinstate him as captain of the Roosevelt.

That could generate a lot of support.

In a widely viewed video, Roosevelt crew members applauded and chanted Crozier's name as he walked off the ship after being fired.

When Thomas Modly, the acting Navy secretary who fired Crozier, traveled to the ship and criticized him in a speech to the crew, he came under fire and had to resign.

President Donald Trump even suggested that while Crozier shouldn't have sent the memo, he shouldn't be destroyed for having a "bad day". But reinstating Crozier has its problems.

It would put him back on a ship with Rear Adm. Stuart Baker, commander of the carrier strike group of which the Roosevelt is the lead ship. Officials say they did not have a good relationship and that was among the problems that triggered Crozier's memo. Gilday may worry that putting them back together would exacerbate the ship's toxic command climate.

FORGIVE AND MOVE ON

Rather than return Crozier to the Roosevelt, Gilday could absolve him of wrongdoing and recommend he move on to another job. Crozier could retain his rank and standing and perhaps command another ship, leaving open the possibility that he could gain promotion and continue his Navy career.

This would avoid sending him back into the chain of command that likely felt betrayed by his memo. But it doesn't provide the emotional lift of seeing a popular captain stride back onto the ship for which he risked his career.

ADMINISTRATIVE ACTIONS

Gilday could fault Crozier for doing the right thing the wrong way. He could determine that Crozier was unfairly fired, but that he acted rashly and went outside his chain of command and therefore did not exhibit good leadership.

He could put a letter in Crozier's personnel file, which usually is a career-ender. Crozier could stay in the Navy and might move on to other jobs, but would probably not be promoted.

FIRE ONE, FIRE ALL

Gilday could determine that firing Crozier was appropriate. Unless that's overturned in an appeal process, that would end Crozier's Navy career.

In most cases, senior officers simply retire after being relieved of command for cause.

But Gilday could also decide that the ship's problems extended beyond Crozier. He could recommend that Baker be fired or punished for not being receptive to Crozier's concerns.

Gilday's review could also dole out criticism for leaders who may have taken too long to recognize the Roosevelt's outbreak as the deadly problem it became.

Those would include the 7th Fleet commander, Vice Adm. William R. Merz; the Pacific Fleet commander, Adm. John C. Aquilino, or the most senior admiral in the Pacific, Adm. Phil Davidson, head of Indo-Pacific Command.

William Fallon, a retired four-star admiral and former commander of US Pacific Command, says Gilday's decision is important to American interests in the Asia-Pacific region, where an aircraft carrier presence is central to US strategy.

"He's making an administrative decision back here, but it has profound operational implications," Fallon said.
One of the biggest questions when it comes to assembling a household budget is how much money to set aside for food.

Food is, according to the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS), the second-biggest category of household spending, after housing costs and before transport.

The average food spend per Australian is $4740 per year, or $91 per week.

So, I dedicated week five of my "Money Makeover" to one simple mission: figuring out how much I spend on food.

Being a massive numbers nerd from way back, I decided to keep a five-day, detailed food journal and to calculate the cost of each meal. The idea was not to save money, but simply to become more aware of what I was already spending on food in a typical week.
Himachal Pradesh police chief Sita Ram Mardi on Sunday said interstate and inter-district movement in the state during the lockdown will remain suspended after April 20.

His remarks come in the backdrop of Prime Minister Narendra Modi's announcement last week that curbs could be eased in areas which are not coronavirus hotspots to allow some "select necessary activities" after April 20.

In a video statement, Mardi said some people are expecting that interstate and inter-district movement will be allowed after April 20.

"I want to make clear that no interstate or inter-district movement will be allowed. So remain wherever you are till further instructions," the director general of police (DGP) said.

"Expectation leads to frustration and acceptance leads to peace and joy," he added.

India has been under lockdown since March 25 to curb the spread of COVID-19, the disease caused by coronavirus. The first phase of the lockdown was from March 25 to April 14. Modi on April 14 extended the lockdown till May 3.

Mardi also called on the people to cooperate with frontline workers like doctors, nurses and policemen in the fight against coronavirus.

The police and frontline coronavirus warriors are taking risks to check the spread of COVID-19, he said.

So public should not misbehave with coronavirus warriors, rather they should treat them with respect, he said.

Recently, attacks on teams of police and healthcare workers conducting tests or trying to take coronavirus patients to hospitals have been reported from different parts of the country.

As of Saturday, Himachal Pradesh has reported 40 coronavirus cases and two deaths.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
ADDRESS TO THE NATION BY PRESIDENT OF THE REPUBLIC, NANA ADDO DANKWA AKUFO-ADDO, ON UPDATES TO GHANAS ENHANCED RESPONSE TO THE CORONAVIRUS PANDEMIC, ON SUNDAY, 19 TH APRIL, 2020.

Fellow Ghanaians, good evening,

Today, Sunday, 19th April, 2020, is exactly three (3) weeks since I came to you and announced the imposition of restrictions to movement in the Greater Accra Metropolitan Area and Kasoa, and the Greater Kumasi Metropolitan Area and its contiguous districts. I explained, at the time, that the decision was taken to give Government the opportunity to try to contain the spread of the virus, scale-up effectively the tracing of persons who had come into contact with infected persons, test them for the virus, and, if necessary, quarantine and isolate them for treatment, should they prove to be positive for the virus.

This decision to restrict movement has occasioned a number of severe difficulties for all of us across the country, especially for the poor and vulnerable, and not only for those resident in the affected areas. Let me express my gratitude to all of you for bearing with Government, all health workers, and with members of our security services, throughout this period. I requested all of us to sacrifice for our collective good, and we have been doing just that.

I thank all our healthcare workers, the men and women of our security services, and members of the media, for the work they are doing in helping to combat the spread of the virus. Let me also thank the individuals and organisations who have made contributions to the COVID-19 National Trust Fund. It is truly appreciated.

Fellow Ghanaians, since the first two (2) cases of infections were recorded on our shores, we have, till date, traced some eighty-six thousand (86,000) contacts, out of which we have test results of sixty-eight thousand, five hundred and ninety-one (68,591) contacts. There is, thus, a backlog of some eighteen thousand (18,000) tests whose results are yet to be received. The overwhelming majority of these contacts have been established in the last three weeks of the partial lockdown in Accra and Kumasi. Out of this number, one thousand and forty-two (1,042) persons, i.e. 1.5%, have been confirmed as positive, with sixty seven thousand, five hundred and forty-nine (67,549), i.e. 98.5%, testing negative; ninety-nine (99) persons have recovered and have been discharged; and nine hundred and thirty (930) persons, who have been isolated, are responding to treatment either in their homes or in treatment facilities. These nine hundred and thirty (930) persons, after their treatment, will soon undergo the mandatory two (2) tests to determine if they have also recovered from the virus or otherwise.

The main reason our country has seen an increase in the number of confirmed cases over the last three (3) weeks is because of the decision we took aggressively to trace and test contacts of infected persons. This has enabled us to identify and isolate infected persons, protect the population from further infections, and contain better the spread of the virus. Indeed, Ghana is the only other country in Africa to have conducted more than sixty thousand tests, and we are ranked number one (1) in Africa in administering of tests per million people.

The decision to impose restrictions on movement was backed by the data at hand, and our next course of action, again, is backed by data and by science. Indeed, all that Government is doing is intended to achieve five (5) key objectives  limit and stop the importation of the virus; contain its spread; provide adequate care for the sick; limit the impact of the virus on social and economic life; and inspire the expansion of our domestic capability and deepen our self-reliance.

It is important to state, at the very onset, that scientists at the University of Ghana have successfully sequenced genomes of the virus responsible for the COVID-19 pandemic, obtaining important information about the genetic composition of viral strains in fifteen (15) of the confirmed cases in Ghana. This is a significant milestone in Ghanas response to the pandemic, as it will strengthen surveillance for tracking mutations of the virus, and aid in the tracing of the sources of community infections in people with no known contact with confirmed cases. The Ghanaian scientific community is to be warmly applauded for this advance and contribution to global knowledge. Their work makes us proud to be Ghanaian, and, who knows, God may work through them to discover a vaccine. What a triumph that would be! Indeed, the recent genomic characterisation of African Coronaviruses by our own scientists illustrates the need to establish the enabling framework for sustainable vaccine manufacturing in Africa. We must advance African-led partnerships to drive scientific innovations for the control of viral diseases by vaccination. Ghana, recognising this critical public health tool, will support the African Vaccine Manufacturing Initiative, which is chaired by Noguchis Prof William Ampofo, to promote the agenda for vaccine development and manufacturing in Africa by Africans for the world.

Government has also introduced the use of drones to expedite the transportation of samples to laboratory centres. On Friday, 17th April, for example, fifty-one (51) samples were delivered from the Omenako Drone Distribution Centre to Noguchi. Furthermore, we are introducing rapid results testing to augment our surveillance and enhanced contact tracing efforts, so that we can quickly isolate and treat confirmed cases.

From the sixty-eight thousand, five hundred and ninety-one (68,591) samples tested, we have been able to understand better the dynamism of the virus, map out its geographic footprint, and establish current and potential hotspots. We have also been able to isolate and educate asymptomatic carriers, and, thereby, help minimise the spread of the virus.

So far, it has been established that the virus was imported into our midst from foreign shores, and is being spread through person to person contact. The majority of persons infected in Ghana have mild to no symptoms at all, whilst a very small number have required hospital treatment, out of which nine (9) persons, with underlying ailments, have died.

Towards treatment, we have expanded and added to our network of COVID19 treatment centers, with the Ga East and Bank of Ghana Hospitals being one hundred percent (100%) dedicated to the fight. In addition, we have set aside separate COVID-19 treatment centres at the University of Ghana Medical School Hospital, the Korle-Bu Teaching Hospital, Komfo Anokye Teaching Hospital, Kumasi South Hospital, and in other designated Regional and District Hospitals.

Last Friday, I was honoured to do the virtual sod-cutting ceremony for the construction of a 100-bed Infectious Disease and Isolation Facility at the Ga

East Municipal Hospital, which is being funded through a public-private partnership, under the leadership of the Ghana COVID-19 Private Sector Fund., and whose construction, with the assistance of the 48-Engineer Regiment of the Ghana Armed Forces, will be completed in six (6) weeks. Members of the Private Sector Fund have, indeed, acted like citizens, and not spectators, in these testing times for our country, and their patriotism is to be loudly praised.

We have also scaled up the domestic production of personal protective equipment, and our health care facilities, so far, have taken delivery of fourteen thousand, five hundred and fifty (14,550) scrubs, eleven thousand, nine hundred (11,900) gowns, nineteen thousand, nine hundred and eighty (19,980) head covers, two hundred and sixty three thousand, two hundred and eighty one (263,281) nose masks, thirteen thousand, and two (13,002) N-95 nose masks. Forty-one thousand, one hundred and seventeen (41,117) varying sizes of sanitizers have also been produced locally and delivered to our health facilities.

The enhancement of our capacity to test has been made possible by the dedication of the expanded teams at Noguchi Memorial Institute for Medical Research, the Kumasi Centre for Collaborative Research, and the National Public Health Reference Laboratory. Further, we are making significant investments in the laboratories at the Veterinary Laboratory, Accra, the Centre for Scientific and Industrial Research Laboratory, Accra, the Police Hospital, the 37 Military Hospitals, the University of Health and Allied Sciences in Ho, the Veterinary Services Department in Sekondi-Takoradi, the Public Health Laboratory in Tamale, the War Memorial Hospital in Navrongo and the Cape Coast Teaching Hospital, so they can also use PCR Technology. We are recalibrating one hundred (100) Regional and District Tuberculosis Gene Expert Laboratories across the country, to help ensure that we have a minimum situation of one testing centre per region.

Fellow Ghanaians, in view of our ability to undertake aggressive contact tracing of infected persons, the enhancement of our capacity to test, the expansion in the numbers of our treatment and isolation centres, our better understanding of the dynamism of the virus, the ramping up of our domestic capacity to produce our own personal protective equipment, sanitisers and medicines, the modest successes chalked at containing the spread of the virus in Accra and Kumasi, and the severe impact on the poor and vulnerable, I have taken the decision to lift the three (3) week old restriction on movements in the Greater Accra Metropolitan Area and Kasoa, and the Greater Kumasi Metropolitan Area and its contiguous districts, with effect from 1am on Monday, 20th April. In effect, tomorrow will see the partial lockdown in Accra and Kumasi being lifted.

I must make it clear, at the outset, that lifting these restrictions does not mean we are letting our guard down. All other measures are still firmly in place. For the avoidance of doubt, the earlier measures announced on Wednesday, 15th March, which have been extended, are still very much in force, and have not been relaxed. I am demanding even greater adherence to these measures.

In here, I am referring to the suspension of all public gatherings, including conferences, workshops, funerals, parties, nightclubs, drinking spots, beaches, festivals, political rallies, religious activities and sporting events. All educational facilities, private and public, are to remain closed. Businesses and other workplaces can continue to operate, observing staff management and workplace protocols with the view to achieving social distancing and hygiene protocols.

Operators of public transport, including our buses, trotros and taxis, are to continue to run with a minimum number of passengers, as they have been doing for the last three weeks in maintaining social distancing. They must also continue to ensure the maintenance of enhanced hygienic conditions in all vehicles and terminals, by providing, amongst others, hand sanitizers, running water and soap for washing of hands. Domestic airlines are required to adhere to the same protocols.

The Ministry of Local Government and Rural Development, together with Metropolitan, Municipal and District Assemblies, will continue to implement measures to enhance conditions of hygiene in markets across the country, and expand the policy of alternate-days-for-alternative-products to improve social distancing in all markets.

As has been established, the overwhelming majority of confirmed cases have come from travellers or from people who have come into contact with travellers. It is, therefore, incumbent on us to continue to be vigilant about travelers into our country until further notice, and to congratulate the men and women of the Immigration Service and the Marine Police Unit for their work in securing our borders. The arrest of ten (10) West African nationals in Tamale who all tested positive for the virus; the arrest of the six (6) Nigerian travellers who entered Ghana through unapproved routes along the Ghana-Togo border near Aflao, who also tested positive for the virus; and the recent arrest of ten (10) fishermen in the Western Region, who returned from Cote divoire and have been quarantined, testify to the determination of our security services to protect our borders. I have, thus, signed an Executive Instrument, to extend the closure of our borders for two (2) more weeks, beginning Monday, 20th April.

Like the World Health Organisation (WHO) has recently advised, I want to encourage you to wear a mask wherever you go, as it will help you not to contract the virus, and keep it clean. If you own a business, or are providing a service, i.e. a barber, a hairdresser, a tailor, a taxi driver, a trotro driver and his mate, a shop keeper, a food seller, please do well to use a mask. The Ministry of Health will very soon issue guidelines on face masks for public use.

I entreat religious, traditional, community and opinion leaders to partner with government in engaging, mobilising and enforcing adherence to social distancing and personal hygiene practices in their respective communities. As difficult as it may be, I encourage all bereaved persons to conduct private burials of their loved ones, but ensure that the twenty-five (25) person limit is not breached. Indeed, some are burying their loved ones now, in order to have the final funeral rites later. The morgues in the country are becoming full, and will, in themselves, soon pose a public health hazard. So, let us act quickly on this.

As the days go by, and as we continue to sustain a grip on the rapid spread of the virus, the systematic easing of these restrictions will be undertaken to bring life back to normalcy. Definitely, we will continue to record new cases of infections, particularly with our policy of aggressive tracing and testing. However, I want to assure you that Government has put in place the appropriate measures to isolate and treat them. Should there be an unexpected outburst in infections within a community, I have put the health workers and the security services, including the Police Service and the Armed Forces, on standby, to co-ordinate a rapid response of human and logistical resources, if necessary, to cordon, impose a curfew, trace, test, and treat infected persons in the affected community. Indeed, the focus of Governments policy and action will be based on the implementation of the 3Ts, i.e. tracing, testing and treating. In any event, stay at home, unless it is absolutely essential.

The movement of foodstuffs will continue from producing areas to the markets, and, with the intervention of the Metropolitan, Municipal and District Assemblies, the markets would be better organised for the sale of foodstuffs.

Fellow Ghanaians, as we fight to halt the spread of the virus, we are also engaged in fights on two other fronts  fights we must equally win.

Firstly, there continues to be the deliberate dissemination of fake news, disinformation and outright lies by some unpatriotic citizens about the spread of the virus since its outbreak in the country. These acts are being orchestrated by those who hope to benefit by seeking to sow the seeds of panic and confusion amongst the populace at this time of national crisis. I have an unequivocal message for those involved in these despicable acts  put an immediate stop to it, or be held accountable for your actions.

Secondly, as has been aptly stated by the Ghana Medical Association, being infected by the Coronavirus is not necessarily a death sentence. I have noticed, with great concern, the stories of some persons, who have recovered from the virus, now being confronted with another problem, i.e. stigmatization. This is not right, as it will rather drive people away from getting screened, tested and treated. The stigmatization of recovered persons must stop, because if the virus did not end their lives and livelihoods, the stigma from members of their communities should not.

I know the effects of the measures to contain the virus have been difficult for many, and that is why I mandated the creation of the GH1.2 billion Coronavirus Alleviation Programme to support households and businesses. Out of this amount, two hundred and eighty million cedis (GH280 million) is being used to provide food for the vulnerable and free water for all

Ghanaians for three (3) months, i.e. April, May and June, three hundred and twenty three million cedis (GH323 million) is being used to motivate our health workers, and six hundred million cedis (GH600 million) of assistance is being provided to micro, small and medium-scale businesses. I expect disbursements of the six hundred million cedis to start in May. Further, Government is fully absorbing electricity bills for one million active lifeline customers, and is granting a fifty percent (50%) subsidy on electricity bills of all other customers, using their March 2020 bill as their benchmark, for the months of April, May and June. In total, the relief on electricity will amount to some one billion cedis (GH1.02 billion).

Again, Government, through the Ministry of Gender, Children and Social Protection, the Ministry of Local Government and Rural Development, and the Ministry of Food and Agriculture through the National Buffer Stock Company, in collaboration with the MMDCEs and the District Disaster Management Committees, has provided over 2.5 million cooked food packs to vulnerable persons in the affected districts of Accra and Kumasi. Dry food packs have also been distributed, in collaboration with the faith-based organisations, to four hundred and seventy thousand (470,000) families in the same areas, as against the original target of four hundred thousand (400,000). I express my profound gratitude to the private sector and faithbased organisations, and traditional authorities for their support in this endeavour. I also commend highly the many individuals and private organisations who, on their own, organised hot meals and fed a number of vulnerable people within the restricted areas. To these individuals, ayekoo for being good neighbours to your fellow Ghanaians.

As we continue to battle this pandemic, it is imperative we plan to restore Ghana onto a sound economic footing, and create a path towards growth and transformation. The recent one billion United States dollar Rapid Credit Facility, secured from the IMF, without any precondition, and approved by Parliament, will be used to help close the financing gap that has been created by the pandemic through shortfalls in revenues and additional expenditures. I welcome the three billion cedi (GH3 billion) credit and stimulus package from the commercial banks, with the support of the Bank of Ghana, to revitalise industries, especially in the pharmaceutical, hospitality, services, and manufacturing sectors. The Minister for Finance, that hardworking, outstanding national treasurer, together with his counterpart in South Africa, as co-Chairs of the Committee of African Finance Ministers, have been leading a Pan-African effort to bring debt relief to the continent in these difficult times. Last Friday, they achieved a nine-month debt standstill from the World Bank for all qualifying members of the International Development Association (IDA), starting from 1st May, 2020, totalling some forty-four billion United States dollars ($44 billion) for the countries of Africa. In the case of Ghana, this amounts to a freeze in principal and interest payments for the year, amounting to some five hundred million United States dollars ($500 million). This will create greater fiscal space to help make the Ghanaian economy much more resilient. I have charged the Finance Minister to leave no stone unturned to achieve an even greater and comprehensive debt relief programme for Africa.

Our success in defeating the virus is largely within our control. That means each and every one of us must exercise, at all times, during this period without the partial lockdown in Accra and Kumasi, a strong sense of selflessness, self-control and self-discipline.

It is important to stress strongly that coming out of the partial lockdown in Accra and Kumasi does not mean we are out of the pandemic. We will continue to monitor closely events in some hotspots in the Greater Accra Metropolitan Area like Weija Gbawe, Ga East, and Ayawaso East Municipalities, and Tema Metropolis, and in the Eastern Region, like Asuoygaman and Lower Manya Krobo Districts. Whenever the situation so warrants, a community in which the virus is identified as becoming prevalent will be locked-down, until there is a clear understanding of the trajectory of the virus that will allow us to contain it.

We must obey the measures still in place, including the new ones, because we know our survival depends on them, and, the harder we are on ourselves in obeying them, the quicker and more enduring will be the victory.

To Ghanaians in all parts of the world, I urge you to remain steadfast in abiding by the rules and regulations that have been put in place by your host countries to combat the virus, and I extend the condolences of all your compatriots at home to all families abroad who have lost their loved ones to the virus. And, I take this opportunity to wish our High Commissioner to the United Kingdom and Ireland, my good friend, Papa Owusu Ankomah, who has been affected by the virus, and other Ghanaians abroad who have been so-affected, a speedy recovery.

This disease is new, it is in plain evolution, and there is, therefore, as yet, no vaccine or cure. But we know enough to take action, and we shall be nimble and adapt as the situation changes. We will tailor our solutions to our unique social, economic and cultural conditions. There is no one-size-fits-all approach, but I pledge to you that Government will do whatever is required, in our particular circumstances, to safeguard the lives of our people, and keep our economy going.

Discipline, self-discipline, is that strong bridge that all of us, from the safety of our homes, in our workplaces, and in our communities, must build. We need to build a strong bridge of self-discipline in order for us to cross over from this difficult period of restrictions and the spread of the Coronavirus to the other side, where total freedom to go about our normal lives awaits us. To defeat the virus, and get there, we have to accept that we have to wash our hands, maintain good hygiene, refrain from shaking hands, wear our masks, and practice social distancing in all of our engagements.

Fellow Ghanaians, we are confronting one of the greatest challenges of our generation. We have to win this battle. We have to defeat the virus. It is our behaviour and response that will determine that. I have every confidence that, collectively, we, Ghanaians, have it in us to rise to the occasion and become victorious. I am very grateful for the great support you have given my Government and I, as we steer our country out of this crisis. Continue in unity to provide that support. This, too, shall pass, for the Battle is the Lords.

Me da moa se paa, mon k so ntie masm, na yn nyinaa ndi nkunim.

Min da ny shi waa, ny yaa n ni y boa nwiem tu, koni w f w ye nkuni.

May God bless us all, and our homeland Ghana, and make her great and strong.

I thank you for your attention, and have a good night.
With tasting rooms closed, most of Napa Valleys wineries have had to drastically alter the way they do business. Those changes could reshape the industry for good, experts say.

Tasting rooms account for 28% of sales at the average winery, according to Rob McMillan, who as the founder of Silicon Valley Bank works closely with members of the North Bays luxury wine industry.

Tasting rooms are also often the primary channel through which wineries acquire new wine club members, McMillan said, and wine clubs are responsible for an average of 23% of sales. That makes tasting rooms an absolutely critical channel for many of the industrys players, generating more than half of winery sales.

McMillan has long encouraged wineries to pivot away from dependence on tasting rooms, a tendency he calls both the industrys greatest weakness and its greatest opportunity. Now that paradox is being laid bare.

Channels are shifting  wines not being sold in restaurants or at boutique wineries; its being sold in grocery stores, McMillan said. What happens next, inevitably, is that wineries out there have to figure out a couple things: how to evolve their premises to figure out how to sell a different way in a post-COVID era, and how to attract younger customers.

Wineries nursing established relationships with distributors, who ultimately sell their wine to grocers and other retailers, might find themselves bolstered, in part, by the presence of their label on grocery store shelves. Data from BACtrack, a San Francisco-based producer of mobile smartphone breathalyzers, shows that Bay Area consumers, stuck in their homes, are drinking 42 percent more.

However, some experts have attributed the surge to the temporary, panic-driven pantry-stocking mentality that has ravaged consumers. Thats a boon for the grocery channel, according to McMillan, though not one that necessarily fills the tasting room void.

Charles Krug, Napa Valleys oldest winery, does 90% of its wine sales by volume through distributors, according to C. Mondavi & Family CEO Judd Wallenbrock. While those channels have served as a buffer of sorts, Wallenbrock said, business has changed  there are legions of restaurants, for example, no longer moving the kind of inventory they once did.

As a result, the winery has been forced to lean on different sales strategies, according to Wallenbrock. Charles Krug has begun offering virtual wine tastings using Zoom and Facebook Live; its also been taking what Wallenbrock calls a shotgun blast of outreach to consumers through its social media channels.

Weve known that we need to use technology on different platforms to communicate with customers, but when youre in the wine business (its slow going), Wallenbrock said. We had been moving in that direction toward going digital, but this has expedited us. Without a doubt, its moved things forward.

Charles Krug does just under 75,000 cases a year, according to Wallenbrock, making it one of Napas larger producers; 70% of the valleys wineries produce less than 5,000 cases of wine a year, according to Napa Valley Vintners President and CEO Linda Reiff.

Wineries that size often lean especially heavily on their tasting rooms, Reiff said.

Even so, industry members have had to get creative. Napa Valley Vintners is providing member wineries with additional opportunities to sell wine, including open the cellar sales and weekly virtual Open That Bottle events, each of which highlight different valley wine varieties.

Among members, theres been a definite shift into the virtual space, which have proved quite popular in the last month or so, Reiff said. But theres also been a pivot back into the old fashioned way of doing things, according to Reiff: attempting to reach consumers directly and engage on a personal level.

Theyre calling their wine club members, calling retailers who are still open  its maintaining that personal connection, and its working really well for people, Reiff added.

Clif Family Winery, which produces 8,000 cases per year, does anywhere between 30 to 40% of its business through its tasting room and its food truck, according to General Manager Linzi Gay. Tasting room traffic also feeds directly into the winerys wine club membership, she said, echoing McMillans earlier point. About 75% of the winerys business is direct-to-consumer; it doesnt wholesale its wines, meaning none of its labels are available on grocery store shelves.

Grocery stores have put a freeze on accepting new products, according to Wallenbrock, but Gay says working with distributors is something that remains off Clifs radar. The winery hasnt been immediately disadvantaged by its direct-to-consumer focus, according to Gay: e-commerce sales of Clif Family wines and other specialty food products are way up, she said.

Ive thought about that a lot in the last couple weeks  Would we be better off if we had stronger grocery presence right now? Gay said. Its too soon to tell. But the most important thing for anyone right now is to have diverse ways to sell to their customers, and we are diversified.

Clif Family is also doing virtual tastings and digging deep into its Rolodex of consumers, according to Gay, stoking its existing connections. Its offering curbside pick up for both wine and food from its food truck, and has cross-trained its tasting room team to help with shipping and sales calls, preventing layoffs.

Were all developing this new tool kit, and I think those tools wont necessarily go away, Gay said.

Some of those tools were already in the making, even before the shelter in place order, according to Reiff, who said NVV has been working for the last three years to help wineries increase direct-to-consumer sales outside of visitation. In the last year alone, the group has held a dozen educational webinars for members on the subject.

It already was a topic of great importance, and now everyone is being forced to work within that space, Reiff said. I do believe that when we come out on the other side of this, therell be a continuation of this enhanced e-commerce effort.

Its not clear exactly what the other side of the pandemic-prompted lock downs looks like. Public health officials and experts, including Dr. Anthony Fauci, who is leading the United States fight against COVID-19, have said social distancing may remain in place long after stay-at-home orders have been lifted. That could certainly change how tasting rooms operate, even once theyre given the green light to open, McMillan said.

If youre used to having a tasting bar where you just cram people in next to each other, youre going to have to change that behavior, he said. And then theres a percentage of the over-60 group, part of the baby boomers, who may not feel comfortable in crowded spaces for a long time.

That directly conflicts with the industrys consumer trends. Boomers have long been the driving demographic behind wine sales, and what experts call the millennial question  how to get millennials to buy more wine  remains at the forefront of the minds of many in the industry.

It is possible, though, that wineries, once open for business, could see a rush of domestic tourism from Americans or Bay Area residents who dont feel comfortable traveling far from their homes. Figuring out how to take advantage of the valleys strengths once California emerges from lock-down will prove critical, McMillan added.

Its going to be hard, especially for many of these boutique (wineries) that are struggling, McMillan said. But the opportunity will be there, especially if were using the channels that have historically been underutilized like bringing the experience to the consumer and pushing people toward online sales.

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.

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More than 90% of the U.S. population, along with billions more people around the world, remain on lockdown as we try to protect the most at-risk from COVID-19 and keep our hospitals from being overrun, which would put even more people at risk of dying simply because they couldn't get adequate care. This approach is, of course, crashing the economy, with more than 20 million Americans newly unemployed and millions more expected to follow as more companies are forced to cut back.

But not every business is at risk of shutting down, and as often happens when the economy falls into recession, you can find high-quality stocks on sale, even when their businesses aren't really in trouble. Three in particular that are set up for success even if the coronavirus lockdown lasts longer than expected are AT&T (NYSE:T), Brookfield Asset Management (NYSE:BAM), and NextEra Energy (NYSE:NEE).

Keep reading to learn why these three companies are built to ride out the downturn just fine, and then prosper when we finally beat this virus and start going back to a more normal way of life.

A cash-cow business people need more than ever

Telecom giant AT&T has made some acquisitions in the past few years that haven't exactly been ideal. It bought DIRECTV in 2015, close to the peak for the pay-TV industry, and has seen its subscriber count steadily fall in recent years. The 2016 acquisition of Time Warner, a nearly $110 billion total investment, was widely considered a massive overpay.

Yet despite these flubs, AT&T is still a solid business that should continue to generate strong, steady cash flows through the coronavirus recession. People will rely on their mobile devices, broadband internet connections, streaming services, and even cable and satellite TV services more than ever under "stay-at-home" orders.

And even with the struggles of a declining pay-TV business, the market has more-than-adequately discounted AT&T's stock. It's down almost 28% from the five-year high, and the dividend yield of 6.6% at recent prices is very generous and should prove well-within the company's ability to maintain.

A business built to profit during economic downturns

The cause of the 2020 recession is a global viral pandemic that's killed tens of thousands and infected millions, causing the world's economy to brake hard. And while Brookfield isn't built to profit from people's suffering, it is a business that has proved adept at acting quickly to invest in assets at bargain prices.

Brookfield Asset Management is one of the world's biggest alternative asset managers, with holdings in real estate, infrastructure, energy, and others. Brookfield has several publicly traded subsidiaries it owns a stake in, but also manages over $500 billion in assets for institutional, sovereign, and high-wealth clients. It has tremendous liquidity that it can deploy in market downturns and economic recessions, when high-quality assets can be acquired for discounted prices.

Moreover, in times of stock market uncertainty, large investors will move assets into alternative investments, and Brookfield's reputation should make it an attractive manager for those with large amounts of money to invest.

Its own shares are discounted right now down about 26% from the 2020 high, erasing almost all of its gains over the past year. If you're looking for an opportunistic investment in a business that's built to profit from economic uncertainty, Brookfield Asset Management should be on your list.

A dominant utility at a bargain price

With its stock price up almost 30% over the past year, NextEra Energy may not seem like a bargain. But this company, which is the largest electric utility in the U.S. and one of the biggest in the world, is worth buying at recent prices. To start, electricity is still in high demand, even though industrial and commercial consumption has fallen sharply. It's also the kind of service that people will continue to pay even during periods of economic recession. That makes NextEra a little safer to buy now and hold through the downturn.

But what really makes NexEra worth buying is its long-term prospects. Not only is it one of the best-run utilities in the world, but it has made renewable energy and lower-cost natural gas a big part of its growth plans. The company's operations are primarily Florida, one of the fastest-growing states, and that helps underpin the company's long-term prospects to grow faster than the utility market.

Today's share price may be up pretty big over the past year, but it's still down 13% from the 2020 high. It's a good price to pay for the best utility in America, in terms of both high-quality operations and its prospects for many years of growth to come. The dividend yield around 2.1% may not look that impressive, but management says it plans to keep growing the payout 10% or more annually in the years to come.

NextEra Energy has been a market-beating stock for many years; its future prospects and track record make it worth buying today while it's on sale.
A delivery of 84 tonnes of personal protective equipment for NHS staff, including 400,000 gowns, has been delayed.

The consignment, from Turkey, had been due to arrive in the UK today.

Stocks are reaching crisis levels in some hospitals after ministers admitted they could not guarantee supplies would last the weekend.

Doctors leaders today accused the government of missed opportunities to stockpile PPE, as ministers confirmed Britain sent a quarter of a million items to China in February.

Unions have called on health secretary Matt Hancock to consider his position amid warning staff could walk out rather than put their lives at risk by working without proper equipment.

Dr Chaand Nagpaul, chairman of the British Medical Association council, said doctors are extremely worried that they do not have adequate protection.

He said the government was warned last weekend that there were critically low shortages of full-length gowns.

He added: At the beginning of the pandemic we were assured that we had sufficient stockpiles... and we believed that we were well catered for.

We then heard that the issues were about operational deliveries, he added, stating that deliveries had been the cause of lack of supplies to the frontline.

Were not being given clear information, he said.

Michael Gove, the chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster, later confirmed that the UK had sent 273,000 items of PPE to Wuhan province in China, where the outbreak started, earlier this year.

Mr Gove told the BBCs Andrew Marr Show: I think its important to stress the personal protection equipment that we sent to China was to help with the most extreme outbreak in Wuhan.

That personal protection equipment was not from our pandemic stock.

Also we have received far more from China in personal protective equipment than we have given.

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

As anger over a lack of PPE grew on Saturday, Robert Jenrick, the communities secretary, stressed that a large consignment, including 400,000 gowns, was due to arrive in the UK from Turkey on Sunday.

He also admitted ministers had got to do more to get protective kit to NHS staff.

Standing beside Mr Jenrick at the Downing Street daily press conference Professor Stephen Powis, the medical director of NHS England, made a plea on behalf of NHS staff.

He said he knew ministers were working incredibly hard, but he added: What I hear from my clinical colleagues is that what they need is PPE delivered to the frontline.

In a significant shift, doctors and nurses have been asked, where necessary, to treat patients without wearing full-length waterproof gowns and even use plastic aprons as an alternative.

But surgeons are among the health professionals that have been advised not to risk their health without adequate PPE.
More than 1000 crew members on the Ruby Princess are anxiously waiting for COVID-19 test results that will help determine if they can leave the ship and be repatriated to their home countries.

NSW Chief Health Officer Kerry Chant on Sunday said extensive testing of the ship's crew had been conducted aboard and she hoped the COVID-19 test results would be "finalised in the next few days".

The crew had been tested for the presence of the virus and for antibodies to help determine their immunity to COVID-19. "That is to give us a very comprehensive picture of the ship to inform the decisions around departure," she said.

NSW Chief Health Officer Kerry Chant. Credit:James Alcock

Dr Chant said people who were not infectious were generally fit to fly.
The Hearst Foundations announced this week it is 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.
The Ghana Red Cross Society (GRCS) has constituted five-member teams at various districts as part of its risk communication and community engagement activities to educate members of the public on the COVID-19 pandemic to help contain it in the country.



The teams will use megaphones at public places including; markets and radio stations and community information centres to spread the message on the disease to inform behavioural change towards halting its spread.

The teams are made up of the District Officers of the National Disaster Management Organisation (NADMO) and District Officers of GRCS, Health Promotion and Disease Control Officers, and two volunteers of GRCS.



The Districts, where they would carry out their activities include; Chereponi, Bunkpurugu/ Nakpanduri, East Mamprusi, West Mamprusi, Bole, Sawla-Tuna-Kalba, North Gonja, Saboba, and Tatale-Sanguli, located in the North East, Savannah and Northern Regions.



This followed a days review meeting in Tamale on Thursday, and attended by members of the teams to review the GRCSs activities in the area of emergencies and what to do during this COVID-19 pandemic to save lives.



The review meeting, organised by the GRCS in collaboration with NADMO and the Ghana Health Service (GHS) with support from the Swiss Red Cross, was also used to update participants on the facts about the COVID-19, the precautionary measures to contain it and risk communication on it to enable them to better educate members of the public on the disease.



The country confirmed two cases of COVID-19 on March 12, and by April 15, the number of confirmed cases rose to 641 with eight deaths.



Mr Abdul-Rahamani Yussif, Northern Regional Manager of GRCS, during the review meeting, said the move was in line with their emergency activities to strengthen community resilience to save lives.



Mr Abdul-Rahamani said the GRCS officers and volunteers were initially visiting homes to educate residents in the communities on the disease but had to suspend it because of fears of infections, hence the decision to use radio stations in the communities.



He advised members of the teams to be guided by the code of conduct of the GRCS and observe the highest standard of precaution in the discharge of their duties, emphasising that As much as you want to save lives you need to protect yourselves from being infected with the virus.



He further advised them to desist from sharing unsubstantiated information and rumours about the disease on social media to avoid misleading community members.



Mr Iddrisu Abubakari Ziblim, Northern Regional Human Resource Manager of NADMO reminded the participants that the education on the COVID-19 was a national exercise and urged them to be effective on the field.

On motorbikes that were recently distributed to District Officers of NADMO, he said it would enable them to visit and educate the communities.



Madam Rahinatu Yakubu, Northern Regional Health Promoter at the GHS urged them to be sensitive in communicating messages on the disease to the citizenry to enable them to appreciate and ensure community behavioural change towards response against the disease.

Source: GNA









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State Assemblywoman Christy Smith is running for Congress in the 25th District, the seat formerly held by Katie Hill. (Los Angeles Times)

Local elections may be the last thing on anyone's mind at the moment. Picking candidates on a ballot is far down on the list of concerns when the economy is in free fall and even a short trip to the grocery store is potentially dangerous.

But for people in the Antelope, Simi and Santa Clarita valleys, voting in the May 12 special election is a pandemic response in its own right. They will decide which of two candidates will serve out the remainder of the term of former Rep. Katie Hill, a Democrat who abruptly resigned from the 25th Congressional District seat last fall. (Voters will be asked to choose between the same two candidates again in November, when the full two-year term that begins in January is up for grabs.)

The winner of the race will be thrust immediately into one of the most important challenges that has faced Congress in modern history: helping guide the nation through an economic and health crisis that's still unfolding.

Theres no question which candidate is better prepared to step into the debate and help shape smart policy. That's state Assemblywoman Christy Smith, a quietly accomplished and centrist Democrat whose background includes stints as a U.S. Department of Education policy analyst and as a longtime member of the Newhall School District board. Her experience guiding a school district through the last economic downturn and now the state through its pandemic response makes her uniquely qualified for precisely this job at precisely this moment.

Smiths opponent, by comparison, is simply not a good fit for Congress at any moment. We can see why Republicans might be attracted to Mike Garcia. The former Navy pilot and Raytheon executive has an unusual resume and a nice backstory as the son of a Mexican immigrant. But having a good origin story doesn't translate into legislative competence.

And Garcia offers no record to examine for clues. He has never been elected or appointed to office, and his platform consists of vague statements of values. We don't know what his real policy goals are. But the fact that he's Trump loyalist who describes himself as more conservative than most Republicans should give every voter in this district pause. Congress needs unity right now, not more partisan extremism.

So please vote in this important race and cast a ballot for the only qualified candidate. It shouldn't even be difficult. Because of the pandemic, mail ballots have been sent out this week to all registered voters. Those ballots can be filled out and mailed back or dropped off at one of nine vote centers (for voters in Los Angeles County), which will also allow in-person voting at a safe distance from others.




Around eight healthcare workers from Delhi's Lady Hardinge Medical College's paediatric intensive care unit (ICU) tested positive for coronavirus. The hospital has reported the second-highest number of COVID-19 infected healthcare workers, Delhi State Cancer Institute being the first with 25 infected workers.

"One of the residents working in the paediatric ICU had gotten himself tested, and the report turned out to be positive. After that, surveillance teams traced the contacts of the doctors. Yesterday, two nurses tested positive and today five others have tested positive for the infection," a doctor told Hindustan Times.

With this, there are more than 60 healthcare workers in Delhi infected with the coronavirus infection.

Here's a list of healthcare workers from other hospitals in the capital city who have contracted the disease:

One doctor and two nurses from Lok Nayak hospital

Two doctors from Dr Ram Manohar Lohia hospital

Two doctors, one with international travel history from Safdarjung hospital

Three staff members from Max hospital and Sir Ganga Ram hospital each

Two mohalla clinic doctors

A doctor couple from North Delhi. They run their own private clinic

One doctor, three nurses and a few staff workers from Kalawati Saran Children's hospital

State health authorities have not been able to trace the source of infection for several of these health workers.

Delhi has 1,893 cases of coronavirus, including 42 deaths, as reported by the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare's 8 AM update on Sunday.

Also Read: Coronavirus India Live Updates: 10-month old baby, father test positive in Delhi as cases rise to 1,893

Also Read: Coronavirus cases in India: Total COVID-19 cases cross 15,000; death toll 507
He is currently self-isolating with his family amid the COVID-19 crisis.

Yet that didn't stop David Tennant from celebrating his 49th birthday on Saturday.

The actor's wife, Georgia, took to Instagram to show off a homemade Hulk cake complete with a figurine on top.

Sweet treats: David Tennant celebrated his 49th birthday with a cake made by wife Georgia adorned with Jaffa Cakes, Skittles and an Incredible Hulk figurine

David posed with the birthday treat, which was also decorated with Jaffa Cakes and green and orange Skittles, in the sweet celebratory snap.

It appears the actor has grown out his hair during lockdown as he wore it slicked back with a burgundy sweatshirt with the word 'college' on it.

Georgia posted the photo with the caption: 'Happy Birthday to the one who makes it all make sense. #whencakesbyrobinareclosedthestandardsdropsomewhat @cakesbyrobincakes #hulk @skittles @marvel.'

The Doctor and the Captain: John Barrowman posted a dancing video in honour of his former co-star's birthday

David's wife wasn't the only one celebrating his special day, as his former Doctor Who co-star John Barrowman posted a hilarious video of the pair flossing together.

It appeared the former Torchwood star was more confident with the dance than David as he looked confused by the viral routine.

John even referenced the pair's former roles as he captioned the post: 'HAPPY BIRTHDAY DAVID!! We have got to fix those moves by the next one! Jb and Scott.'

Dance off: John said he would have to 'fix' David's moves in time for his next birthday

Lockdown: David and his wife Georgia will be enjoying spending time with their six-month-old child Birdie during lockdown (pictured in 2018)

David and his wife Georgia will be spending their time in lockdown with their fifth child Birdie who was born six months ago.

The couple share Tyler, who David adopted in 2012, along with Olive, eight, Wilfred, six, Doris, five, and Birdie.

Georgia confirmed the arrival of her fifth child in October with a hilarious Instagram post, as she compared the birth to that of David's Good Omens co-star Michael Sheen's daughter Lyra.
A car pulls into a parking lot on a university campus and stops. As a man approaches the vehicle, a womans gloved hand emerges from the drivers window and hands him a bulky bag.

Later, same man, and same car and driver, but a different parking lot. This time at a post office.

The man gives the driver a microphone and portable recorder. She turns off her cars engine and closes the window. A few minutes elapse before the woman returns the mic and recorder to the waiting man and drives away.

Spies exchanging top-secret information?

A whistleblower divulging evidence of government corruption to an investigative reporter?

No. It was KUNM radio program director Tristan Clum and on-air host Cecilia Webb preparing the Easter edition of the stations Train to Glory show.

Not radio production as usual. But radio production in a time of whatever it takes, radio during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Sense of normalcy

Albuquerque radio stations are doing their best to stay on the air to serve listeners, many of them confined to their homes, with the kind of calming comfort that comes from listening to favorite music and the familiar chatter of radio personalities.

We are doing what we always do, playing the music and being clowns, trying to provide a sense of normalcy said Swami Rob Brothers, part of The Morning Show team on 94 Rock, 94.1 KZRR-FM.

But he said the station also takes seriously its role in informing the public of the latest news about the pandemic.

Weve made a conscious effort to be informational, he said. We have stepped that up. Weve made good contacts (in the medical community).

Special efforts

Most Albuquerque radio stations are making special efforts to keep listeners updated on coronavirus news and help them cope with the grim realities of our lives today.

On Friday mornings, 94 Rock broadcasts a 15-minute interview with New Mexico Department of Health epidemiologist David Selvage, and each day the station gives free plugs to essential businesses struggling to operate during the pandemic.

At 7:30 on weeknights, KUNM-FM, 89.9, the University of New Mexicos public radio station, broadcasts a 30-minute segment devoted to coronavirus-related issues on its Your New Mexico Government program.

Magic 99.5, KMGA-FM, plays Christmas music several times each hour to help make spirits bright.

Classical public radio station KHFM-FM, 95.5, encourages its listeners to support performing arts organizations that have had to suspend, postpone or cancel performances due to the coronavirus crisis.

KHFM is also more aware of the music it plays during these troubled times.

We decided right away that we were going to do something uplifting at the top of each hour, said Brent Stevens, KHFM executive director and host of the stations weekday afternoon show. It might be a waltz or a march, something beautiful or in a major key.

Whats most impressive is that radio stations are going the extra mile despite obstacles they have never before faced.

Basically, overnight, we went from a fully staffed 24/7 station to almost complete automation, said Steven Emmons, KUNM operations manager.

Sigh of relief

Social distancing protocols made necessary by coronavirus have forced radio stations to operate in radically different ways.

On-air volunteers who host KUNMs many programs are not permitted in the stations building in an effort to safeguard against the spread of the virus.

We have 110 on-air volunteers, Clum said. Now we have 42 volunteers contributing from home.

KUNM spent $200 each for 10 USB microphone kits to enable some volunteers to record programs in their own homes.

For many of them, the tech is too daunting, Clum said. The volunteers who have a digitized music collection at home and a facility with editing and mixing are the ones we are leaning on to make this work.

Sometimes, it takes a little more. Thats why Clum was meeting Cecilia Webb, host of KUNMs gospel music show, Train to Glory, in parking lots.

Cecilia brought me a big bag of CDs, Clum said. I used the station equipment to digitize the CDs and put it on a thumb drive. Then I assembled the music into three segments, just under a hour each.

The program still needed vocal tracks of Webb talking to her audience and making announcements.

So I met her again and brought her a portable recorder and a microphone, Clum said. She recorded a few messages, and a few minutes later I was headed home to edit those messages into her show and send the finished hours straight to our automation system.

I breathed a sign of relief when I heard Cecilias voice as the show began at 6 a.m. (Easter) Sunday morning.

More personal

All but one of KHFMs six on-air hosts are doing their shows from home now. But the station had a head start in that direction because three of those hosts have been doing their shows from home for months.

Stevens said KHFM spent about $500 for the equipment needed to create home studios for himself and weekday morning show host Alexis Corbin, both of whom had been doing their shows in the studio.

Stevens said working from home makes him feel closer to his audience.

The connection is more personal because we are all doing the same thing as the people who are listening to us, staying at home, looking out the window.

KHFM weeknight and Saturday morning host David Sinkus has been recording his show in the bedroom of his house in a Corrales apple orchard for months. He said it is usually easy for him to get distracted by birds singing and people walking along a nearby irrigation ditch.

But now, Im thinking more of the listener, he said. My banter is more inclusive. I try to be more calming. Is the listener walking on the ditch or sick at home? Im working more to make the music, whatever it is, connect to the people.

Essential presence

Swami Rob and his Morning Show sidekicks, Skyler and Mahoney, still work together in the 94 Rock studio. But Swami Rob said that even before coronavirus, he, Skyler and Mahoney worked 6 to 7 feet apart, so social distancing has not been a problem.

Whats different, he said, is that the studio is cleaner than it has ever been.

We have a crew that deep-cleans, and I wipe down the studio when I get here and before I leave.

Another thing thats different, he said, is that listeners are thanking him and his cohorts more often and more sincerely for just being on the air.

I never thought of myself as essential before, he said.
Oprah Winfrey called healthcare workers 'the best of us' during her One World: Together At Home speech.

She gave an uplifting speech during the star-studded two-hour special, which recognized healthcare workers and those on the frontlines of the growing coronavirus pandemic.

The 66-year-old said: 'They truly are the best of us. And their compassion and their true acts of service is a call to action for all of us.

'We need to ensure that governments around the world step up now and provide the health care workers with the equipment, with the funds, with the support they need.'

Words of wisdom: Oprah Winfrey gave an uplifting speech Saturday during One World Together at Home, which recognized healthcare amid the growing coronavirus pandemic

Winfrey also quoted Nelson Mandela: 'Courage is not the absence of fear, but the triumph over it.'

She added: 'When thinking of Mandela's words. I think of the courage and resilience of the people of South Africa.

'Fifty-six million brave souls who have endured so much for so long, and now have to face down this pandemic, while also reconciling on a daily basis injustice and inequality, and communities still ransacked by HIV and AIDs. But they keep going.'

Call to action: The 66-year-old said: 'They truly are the best of us. And their compassion and their true acts of service is a call to action for all of us'

Stepping up: She added: 'We need to ensure that governments around the world step up now and provide the health care workers with the equipment, with the funds, with the support they need'

United front: Winfrey concluded her speech: 'Tonight, we stand as one world, united in our fight to rid the world of this disease and to ensure that nothing like this even happens again'

Early dinner: Ahead of her appearance, Winfrey took to social media with a video of herself making dinner early so she could watch the special

Wine and music: She enjoyed a glass of red wine while making pesto and singing along to Harry Belafonte's Day-O (The Banana Boat Song)

The OWN mogul concluded her speech: 'Tonight, we stand as one world, united in our fight to rid the world of this disease and to ensure that nothing like this even happens again. And when and if it does, we will be ready.'

Ahead of her appearance, she took to social media with a video of herself making dinner early so she could watch the special.

She enjoyed a glass of red wine while making pesto and singing along to Harry Belafonte's Day-O (The Banana Boat Song).

Winfrey previously donated $10million to COVID-19 relief efforts, particularly for communities facing hunger.
Anuraag Singh By

Express News Service

BHOPAL: In an alarming development, a 30-year-old National Security Act (NSA) detainee from Indore, who had tested positive for the deadly Coronavirus on April 11, reportedly fled from the Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose Medical College in Jabalpur district on Sunday.

The man identified as Javed Khan, a resident of Chandan Nagar locality of Indore was undergoing treatment at the isolated ward of the hospital in Jabalpur since April 11.

According to Jabalpur district police superintendent Amit Singh, a bounty of Rs 10,000 has been declared on the arrest of the absconding NSA detainee Coronavirus patient. Weve put up posters containing his pictures across Jabalpur and also put those posters on social media. Also, all adjoining districts have been alerted in the matter, said Singh.

FOLLOW COVID-19 LIVE UPDATES HERE

Javed was being treated at an isolated ward of the hospital. On Sunday afternoon, other Coronavirus positive patients under treatment at the same hospital were being shifted from one ward to another, when Javed slipped away from his isolated ward, despite security guards having been deployed to keep an eye on him.

Were scanning all CCTV grabs retrieved from the hospital, but Javed isnt visible in that footage, which suggests that he could be hiding somewhere inside the hospital premises only, said Singh.

Javed was among the four men against whom NSA was invoked on April 8 after they were arrested for attacking an on-duty police constable in Chandan Nagar COVID-19 containment zone of Indore on April 7.

While two of them, including Javed, were sent to Jabalpur Central Jail on April 9, two others were sent to Satna Central Jail. Out of the four men, three have so far tested positive for the COVID-19 infection. While Javed was admitted at the hospital in Jabalpur, the two other Coronavirus positive NSA detainees are under treatment at a private hospital in Bhopal.
Rustam Emomali, the son of the head of Tajikistan and the current mayor of Dushanbe, was elected chairman of the upper house of parliament. Thus, he became the second person in the republic and at the same time the successor to the presidency. The intrigue is only when the Tajik leader Emomali Rahmon entrusts the reins of government to his son. Today the first session of the Majlisi milli Majlisi Oli of the Republic of Tajikistan (upper house of parliament) of the sixth convocation was held, in which President Emomali Rahmon participated.

Rustam Emomalis candidacy for the post of speaker of the upper house of parliament was proposed by Majlisi Milli Odilzoda Dilbar Rahim, the Tajik presidential press service said. In a secret ballot, all members of the Majlisi Milli cast their votes for him. According to article 71 of the Constitution of Tajikistan, in the event of resignation, recognition as incompetent or the death of the president, his duties until the newly elected president assumes office are transferred to the chairman of the upper house of parliament. Thus, Rustam Emomali has every chance to lead the country. The presidential election is scheduled for autumn 2020. This is the final stage in the process of preparing Rustam Emomali for the presidency, experts say.

However, the head of state is not going to rest. As previously reported by Vestnik Kavkaza (01.24.2020), Rakhmon retains a lifelong title of leader of the nation, backed up by the constitutionally guaranteed ability to control the adoption of all major political decisions.

Rustam Emomali's career was swift and worthy of the Guinness Book of Records. In November 2013, at the age of 26, Rustam Emomali was promoted to major general. From that moment he replaced several leading posts - the head of the Customs Service, the Anti-Corruption Agency, the Committee on Investments and State Property, was the chairman of the Youth Union of Tajikistan, and tried himself as a deputy of the Dushanbe Legislative Assembly. In January 2017, he was appointed mayor of the capital, replacing Mahmadsaid Ubaidulloev, who held this chair for 21 years. In January 2017, the head of state dismissed Ubaidullayev, appointing his son as mayor of Dushanbe.

In April 2020, Rustam Emomali again pushed Ubaidullaev now as speaker of the parliament. The young politician received not only the experience of public administration, but also got acquainted with representatives of international structures and heads of state. For diligent work, his father awarded him the state order "Zarrintodge" (Golden Crown). Despite the fact that the presidential election is scheduled for this fall, neither the incumbent president nor his son announced their participation in them. The situation, according to experts, is inappropriate. The COVID-19 pandemic is rampant in the world. Tajikistan remains almost the only country on the planet where cases of coronavirus infection have not yet been recorded.

However, it is possible that in the coming days, the Tajik authorities will change their position and recognize the threat of an epidemic. Firstly, the festivities scheduled for April 19 were canceled in connection with the celebration of Dushanbe City Day. Secondly, according to the tradition already established in the republic, or rather, "at the request of the working people", a self-isolation regime may be introduced. Azamkhon Akbarov, director of the Asia TV and Radio Company, in an open letter to the Minister of Health and Social Affairs of Tajikistan, suggested thinking about this "to prevent the spread of COVID-19." This is against the background of official reports of the death of several people in the north of the republic ... from tuberculosis. Abarov also asks local authorities to control prices in food markets, as food and medicine prices have crawled up.

Today, Emomali Rahmon held an operational meeting of the government, during which he discussed the adoption of sanitary-hygienic measures to prevent COVID-19 and reduce the impact of the financial crisis on the country's economy, the press service of the head of state said. The head of state also noted that it is necessary to take measures for the economical use of budget funds, to avoid repeated and inappropriate expenses, the full payment of salaries to social workers, as well as pensions, compensations and benefits, to improve medical services, to regulate the foreign exchange market and to normalize the national currency rate.

Tajik political scientist Parviz Mullodzhanov, who lives in Sweden, believes that Dushanbe has chosen the Swedish version of "soft quarantine" aimed at creating collective immunity. According to him, there are several possible explanations for the actions of the authorities. Firstly, they reasonably fear that the introduction of quarantine will bury local small and medium-sized businesses, and so are not in the best condition. Secondly, the government fears a panic that may occur after the epidemic is officially recognized: total purchases of food and goods will begin, as has happened in the past, and this will lead to higher prices and food shortages in the market. Thirdly, the government hopes that the spread of coronavirus can be stopped, especially since 70% of the population of Tajikistan is young people who can easily tolerate the disease. Finally, fourthly, given the upcoming presidential election, the introduction of strict quarantine and the actual destruction of small businesses is very undesirable.

"However, the Tajik authorities forget that one of the main pillars of the Swedish approach is wide public awareness and awareness. In Tajikistan, especially after the WHO officially supported government data on the absence of a pandemic, the population as a whole stopped accepting any serious precautions, "said Parviz Mullodzhanov.
On April 5, a handwritten press release in Telugu began doing the rounds on social media and soon found its way into regional and national dailies. The press release issued by the Malkangiri-Koraput-Visakha Divisional Committee (MKVDC) of the CPI(Maoist) announced a unilateral ceasefire in the wake of the coronavirus pandemic. It gave the governments five days to respond. But aside from comments by police officers that the Maoists proposed a ceasefire because they were on a back foot, there has been no formal response from the Odisha or Andhra Pradesh governments.

In adjoining Bastar, the main theatre of the war between CPI(Maoist) and the government since the formation of the party in 2004, armed actions from both sides have kept the pot boiling during the lockdown. The Chhattisgarh government is tight-lipped on a possible ceasefire though the inspector-general of police of Bastar range mentioned to media-persons that if the Maoists were to make a similar announcement in Chhattisgarh, they would respond positively.

The situation, however, is far too serious to wait for the other side to make the first move. In order to meet the many challenges posed by the coronavirus crisis, a ceasefire would be a sensible decision on many counts.

First, people who reside in the areas of Maoist influence in 11 states are amongst the poorest citizens of the country. While the adivasi communities of Bastar may be better off than the Dalit landless of Bihar, nevertheless, even in normal times their lives are difficult. Hunger is no stranger, even starvation not unknown. The coronavirus threat makes their hard lives harder.

Second, the people have been in a virtual lockdown for a decade and a half now. Their lives have been shattered, movement restricted and fear is a constant companion. What is needed, therefore, is to create a condition where there is relief from this older lockdown.

Third, a ceasefire will allow government functionaries to access villages without fear of being attacked, and villagers to access government services. The Chhattisgarh government has announced free rice rations for two months. This is a welcome step but people in the conflict zone are not able to collect their rations easily. Ration shops are often at a distance from their villages, exposing them to being picked up on the way by security forces and implicated under false charges. In one case, even a ration shop dealer was arbitrarily arrested and charged under UAPA. He is now in Jagdalpur central jail.

Counter-insurgency operations sometimes include deliberate destruction of foodstocks on suspicion that the householder is supplying food to a Maoist squad. While in recent years we have not heard of houses being burnt, this was common in the days of Salwa Judum and Operation Greenhunt. There have also been umpteen instances when forces on searching and combing operations helped themselves to rice, chicken, and other edibles. Indeed, the recent Maoist killing of policeman Kursam Ramesh in Farsegadh thana area on the night of April 15 was said to be done because he had looted money, goat and hens from villagers.

Successive governments have not been overly concerned about the right to food of the population in conflict areas. In the conflict zone, rice rations are important but not enough. People need an environment where they can access the ration shops without fear and roam jungles for the much-needed and appreciated roots, tubers, greens, mushrooms and other edibles that the jungle offers, including the in-season tendu leaves and mahua flowers. During the lockdown, it is only rice that is being given free; villagers are required to pay for everything else that is available at the ration shops.

But again, this too can make someone a target of the forces. Yallam Dharmaiyya of Pusgudi village of Bijapur district lies in the government hospital with a bullet injury. Along with four others he had gone to the forest to collect mahua flowers and hunt birds, he said, when they were accosted by security forces who fired at them killing his friend, Dubba Kunna. He maintains that there was no presence of Maoists there. According to the district superintendent of police, two civilians got injured in an exchange of fire with Maoists in the early hours of April 17.

Fourth, absence of a ceasefire would mean that such warfare and hostilities will continue. When there is a total lockdown and no transport, families face the greatest difficulties in tracing their relatives when they are victims of these hostilities. A recent example is Sodi Ganga, a resident of Lankpalli village of Andhra Pradesh for the last 15 years. He was picked up from his home on March 23 by the Konta police and remains disappeared ever since.

Fifth, if hostilities continue and lead to more arrests, the situation in jails may become explosive. Following a Supreme Court order directing states to consider ways of reducing prison overcrowding, and a subsequent order of the Chhattisgarh high court, only 63 prisoners have been released on parole and interim bail from the Jagdalpur central jail. The present occupancy of the jail is roughly 40 times more. With courts shut, the cases are making no progress either.

Finally, the present situation also endangers the soldiers on both sides  the Indian armed forces and the PLGA. Bastar, for instance, has over 60,000 troops housed in congested barracks. The living and working conditions of the PLGA are also such that physical distancing and other precautions may not be possible.

These are some of the special concerns that arise in conflict zones as the nation fights the coronavirus pandemic on a warfooting. The main point is that citizens should not only not succumb to a possible infection but also survive these times in good physical and mental health. This can be achieved only if they live in an environment free of coercion and violence of any kind. This is what counts as security during corona times.
A special Air India (AI) flight to Guangzhou airlifted three lakh rapid antibody test kits on Saturday, which are headed to Tamil Nadu and Rajasthan.

Indian Ambassador to China Vikram Misri tweeted: Nearly 3 Lakh Rapid Antibody Tests have just been airlifted by Air India from Guangzhou | Supplies are headed to Rajasthan and Tamil Nadu. Great work on the ground by our team at @cgiguangzhou.

Union Civil Aviation Minister Hardeep Singh Puri on April 16 had also tweeted that determined efforts of Lifeline Udan continue to add strength to Indias resilient fight against Covid19. 247 flights have now carried 418 tons of medical & essential cargo across 2, 45,293 km since 26th March 2020.
A British government official has said that delivery of protective equipment for UK health workers was due to arrive on April 19 from Turkey, but has been delayed. This comes as the hospitals across Britain are reporting a chronic shortage of gears especially for frontline fighters of the coronavirus outbreak. According to reports, the UK lawmakers had highlighted on April 18 that nearly an 84-tonne consignment was scheduled to come from Turkey with personal protective equipment including 400,000 gowns. However, an official from the UK foreign office has reportedly cited 'clearance and paperwork' as the cause of delay.

Meanwhile, the UK has confirmed at least 114,217 cases of coronavirus with 15,464 fatalities, which has left several hospitals under strain. The staff of the National Health Service (NHS) has even criticised the British government for suggesting that the medical personnel treating COVID-19 patients can re-use their gears, as the supply runs low. The chair of the British Medical Association, which represents UK doctors, Helena McKeown told a British media outlet that the news of PPE consignment being delayed would be devastating for health professionals.

Read - UK Minister Says No Decision On Reopening Schools As Country Extends Lockdown

Read - UK Not Considering To Lift Lockdown Measures As Of Now, Says Senior Minister

Coronavirus outbreak 'reaching its peak'

While speaking to an international media outlet, UK Cabinet Office minister, Michael Gove, said that the outbreak is deeply worrying as the death toll has now surpassed 15,000. Gove reportedly said that facts and advice are clear at the moment that the country should not be thinking of the lifting of the restrictions yet. Moreover, UK Prime Minister Boris Johnsons top medical officer, Professor Chris Whitty has said that the pandemic is probably reaching the peak overall in the country.

British officials have said that it is too soon to ease the restrictions on lockdown imposed nationwide to curb the spread of coronavirus. According to reports, many officials even warned that Europe might witness a severe death rate due to failure of government. While speaking at a daily news conference at Downing Street, Witty noted that slowdown in new infections of COVID-19 in the country is a positive sign, however, the country would still record a spike in the number of deaths.

Read - Virus Survivor In UK Recalls Severe Deterioration

Read - Most Underrated Characters Of Riteish Deshmukh That Went Unnoticed

(With agency inputs)
Whats new at UW-Parkside? More than you think!

Enrollment is up and we continue to graduate a record number of students. Weve added 11 new masters programs, and we now offer more than 18 online masters, bachelors and certificate programs, including the innovative UW Flexible Option bachelor of science in business administration.

New masters programs answer a growing demand for advanced expertise in areas such as business administration, sustainable management, mental health counseling, health-care administration  even smart cities and cybersecurity.

Online courses meet the needs of many adult learners pursuing important academic credentials. During this unprecedented health emergency, online courses are helping all UW-Parkside students continue their educational journey.

Growing enrollment, record graduation, and new academic programs are great, but the real story is that UW-Parkside continues to transform lives and provide more talent for our region. Businesses, including those new to our area and those with a longer history in our communities, are driving the demand for talent. Health-care organizations, schools, government, and nonprofit organizations need talent, too.

UW-Parkside is also proud to partner with these organizations as faculty and students share research and operational expertise to help solve todays challenges.

Last month, Wisconsin Economic Development Corporation CEO Missy Hughes visited UW-Parkside and talked with business leaders from our region. Without talent, its challenging to attract businesses and organizations to our region. And without thriving businesses and organizations, its challenging to keep talent in our area.

Thanks to the dedication and commitment of our outstanding faculty and staff, UW-Parkside has added or revised more than 100 academic programs in the past decade to provide students with the relevant educational experience they need to be successful well into the future.

UW-Parkside transforms lives beyond the classroom. Last year we signed a partnership with Kenosha County to further develop the Pike River which runs through property on the northwest side of campus. We are also working with Root Pike WIN to enhance habitat for pollinators, including the endangered rusty patched bumble bee.

I encourage you to visit the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service website (fws.gov) for important information on the rusty patched bumble bee  and be on the lookout for the bee this summer.

WE Energies will develop a 2.25 megawatt solar array on the east side of campus. Very soon, sunlight shining on UW-Parkside will help supply sustainable power to our region.

Im extremely excited about the work were doing with the City of Racine and Smart Cities initiatives. UW-Parkside students and faculty are helping Racine discover new ways to use technology and data-informed decisions to create a better city.

On the UW-Parkside website, youll find the Status of Women in Kenosha and Racine research report. I had the honor to work with local educators, UW-Parkside researchers, and community advocates with the goal of setting the stage to move the needle in closing gaps and improving equity for women and girls in our region. I invite you to visit www.uwp.edu to learn more.

In May, we were scheduled to welcome back the class of 1970 to celebrate the 50th anniversary of our very first commencement. As we all know, large events have been canceled or postponed to protect the health of our communities.

Faculty, staff and Parkside Student Government are planning a commencement weekend in December. It will be our largest commencement celebration ever, recognizing the success of our May, August, and December graduates  along with our inaugural class. Our legacy of student success is a legacy of providing talent for our region.

Finally, allow me to thank so many in our community who helped make the second annual Parkside Day an amazing event. We had a lot of fun, including an appearance by Betsy Ade & the Well-Known Strangers. Together we raised more than $140,000 to support student success.

So, Whats new at UW-Parkside? More than you think! Follow us on Twitter @uwparkside, Instagram, Facebook and LinkedIn  and check out Parkside Today podcasts at uwp.edu/parksidetoday.

Debbie Ford is UW-Parkside chancellor.

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Andhra Pradesh Director General of Police Gautam Sawang on Saturday saluted a woman for her magnanimous gesture of distributing cold drinks among policemen doing their duty amid the Covid-19 induced lockdown.

A video of the woman giving two big bottles of soft drinks to the policemen had gone viral on social media.

Lokamani, who works in a private school in East Godavari district and earns Rs3,500 per month, earned all-round praise for her gesture.

The police chief was also impressed with the woman's gesture and on Saturday he interacted with her through a video conference.

"Two days ago your video went viral on social media. You showed your motherly affection for the policemen on duty. The same day I asked the officers to trace you so that I can thank you. I salute you for what you have done. The government and the police are working day and night for people like you," the police chief said.
New Delhi, April 19 : Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal on Sunday announced that there will be no relaxation in the coronavirus lockdown from Monday as the number of cases continues to rise in the national capital, adding the state government will review its decision after a week.

"As per the instructions of the Central government, some restrictions of the lockdown can be lifted from Monday, especially in areas that have not been severely impacted by coronavirus. We have to deliberate on which restrictions should be relaxed," the Chief Minister said while addressing the media.

He said the Central government has also said that restrictions should not be relaxed in the hotspot areas or containment zones.

"There are containment zones in all the 11 districts in Delhi. The Delhi government has done its assessment in consultation with various experts and departments. In the last few days, there has been a considerable rise in the number of COVID-19 positive cases in Delhi. We have also increased our testing capacity." He said the government has decided to not relax any restrictions in Delhi for now. "We will have discussions with experts and the concerned departments again after a week and will review our decision," he added.

According to an order, issued by Delhi Chief Secretary Vijay Dev, the government will have a comprehensive assessment on lockdown on April 27.

Speaking to media, Kejriwal said Delhi currently has the second-highest number of cases after Maharashtra.

"On Saturday, we obtained reports on 736 tests, out of which 186 or approximately 25 per cent cases were tested positive. All the 186 COVID-19 positive cases that were reported on Saturday were asymptomatic -- they didn't know they had Coronavirus. This is more dangerous and worrying because these people were living their normal routine, and they must have infected more and more people in the meantime," he added.

Kejriwal said he interacted with one of the patients, and it was found out that the person had been distributing food in a designated food centre of the Delhi government.

"I have instructed that rapid testing of all the staff and the people who have visited the food centre be done. This means that COVID-19 has been spreading in Delhi." So far, Delhi has 77 containment zones that have been sealed to control the spread of the disease.

"We did random testing in the containment zones, and it was observed that no cases were reported in the areas where containment protocol was strictly followed, but a surge in cases was observed where the protocol was not followed and people defied the norms of social distancing and lockdown." For instance, he said, in Jahangirpuri, 26 people were tested positive for COVID-19 because they did not observe the containment protocol.

Kejriwal said that even though coronavirus is spreading in Delhi, the situation is under control, and there is no need to panic.

"There are 1,893 COVID-19 cases in Delhi, out of which 26 are in ICU, and 6 are on ventilators. As many as 46 people have lost their lives due to COVID-19." He said if the lockdown had not been imposed, "we would have been on par with other nations where the numbers are quite high".

"What if 3,000 people would require the ICUs and 2,500 people would require ventilators? We have observed a similar pattern in Italy, Spain and the US, where the ICUs, ventilators and the entire healthcare system were not sufficient in treating all the patients. Our country would be suffering from a similar fate if the lockdown had not been imposed." He asserted that even though Delhi accounts for 2 per cent of India's population, the cases account for 12 per cent of the total cases in the country.

"It is because Delhi is the capital of the country and it has to fight the hardest battle against COVID-19. Maximum people who came from abroad landed in Delhi, and they brought COVID-19 with them. Delhi had to suffer the brunt of it, along with the Markaz (Nizamuddin) event that happened a few days back." However, no new cases from the Markaz have been reported in the last four days.
In a partial relief to migrant labourers stranded in parts of the nation, the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA), on Sunday, has issued an order allowing migrant labourers residing in shelter homes in a particular state to resume work in the same state after undergoing screening and are asymptomatic. The MHA specified that such labourers can be transported to their place of work by local authorities, but disallowed any movement of labourers outside the state. It added that social distancing norms must be maintained while transporting and the authorities must provide them food and water during the journey.

MHA asks states to act on lockdown violations, warns 'Else COVID fight will be lost'

MHA allows intra-state movement of stranded labourers

Coronavirus Live Updates: No supply of non-essential goods by E-comm; 12,974 active cases

Lockdown violations

After PM Modi had announced the first phase of lockdown, on March 28, thousands of migrant workers were seen thronging the Delhi-Uttar Pradesh border at Delhi's Anand Vihar Interstate Bus Terminal in the hope of reaching their homes, defying lockdown and creating a health hazard. The Home Ministry immediately announced shelter, food and mandatory quarantine of all migrant labourers. Moreover, all state borders were sealed.

Similarly, after PM Modi announced the extension of the lockdown till May 3, on Tuesday, around 2,000 migrant workers gathered at Bandra station, under the illusion of boarding 'Jansdharan Express' trains to UP, Bengal and Bihar. Mumbai police resorted to lathi-charge to disperse the crowds and have arrested activist Vinay Dubet and a Marathi news channel reporter for spreading fake news leading to the mass lockdown violation. The Maharashtra government has rolled out an economic package for migrant labourers - offering Rs. 6000 to 12 lakh registered labourers, while the BMC is setting up community kitchens to feed more homeless migrant labourers in Bandra.

Centre's block on E-commerce of non-essential goods to continue during Covid lockdown: MHA

Coronavirus in India

As of date, 12974 active cases have been reported of the pandemic Coronavirus (COVID-19) - 2230 have been discharged and Maharashtra reported the highest at 3651. 507 deaths have been reported till date. India has suspended all visas and barred travel from Afghanistan, Philippines, EU, UK, China, Malaysia and mandatory 14-day quarantine from several other countries. PM Modi has extended the lockdown till May 3, with a relaxation possibility in non-COVID hotspots after April 20.

As India amends FDI policy, startup investments reveal why protection from China is needed
The Nevada Covid-19 task force has announced a partnership with the UAE with the goal of rolling out high-volume testing throughout the state.

A spokesperson for the Response, Relief and Recovery Task Force said that vital testing materials have been acquired thanks to a long-term partnership with the UAE and G42, a technology company based in Abu Dhabi.

G42 has created technology that will be used for a long-term "innovative genomic study" for Covid-19 testing and research, according to the Task Force, said a WAM report.

"The resources from G42 will substantially increase our ability to conduct Covid-19 testing and research to help us mitigate the effects of this virus on our citizens and visitors during the current crisis," Task Force chair Jim Murren said in a statement carried by KSNV NBC Las Vegas.

"It will also enable us to fortify our ability to provide a safe and sustainable economic recovery for all of Nevada in the long run."

The Task Force says the partnership with G42 will help University Medical Center in Las Vegas develop Nevada's first high-volume testing laboratory.

That lab would be able to support the processing of patient samples taken from hospitals, doctor's offices, curbside locations and other providers.

Similar high-volume testing is also being developed in Northern Nevada with Renown and the Nevada State Public Health Laboratory.

"The UAE will continue to provide its support to the international community and promote stronger relationships between countries with the goal of increasing the effectiveness of the global response to the current crisis," Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi and Deputy Supreme Commander of the UAE Armed Forces, said in statements recently.-- Tradearabia News Service
A close aide of Bihar's



education minister Krishnandan Prasad Verma was on Sunday booked for hosting a feast here, in violation of the lockdown norms, a police officer here said.

Pintu Yadav along with seven others, including Jehanabad Sub-Divisional Police Officer Prabhat Bhushan Srivastava, has been named in an FIR lodged with Makhdumpur police station, SHO Dhananjay Kumar said.

Yadav had on April 15 hosted a housewarming party at Sugaon village, which was attended by several local people and officials. Complaint has also been lodged against 30 unnamed persons who had taken part in Wednesday's feast, the SHO said.

The was aired by local TV channels, following which the district Superintendent of Police (SP) Manish had ordered an inquiry into the incident, he said.

Yadav was booked under various sections of the IPC, including section 188 (disobedience to order duly promulgated by public servant) and section 270 (malignant act likely to spread infection of disease) after Additional SP Pankaj Kumar submitted his probe report in the case.

Reacting to the incident, the education minister had earlier said that it was not clear whether social distancing rules were followed at the party.

"This is a matter of probe... Things will be clear after investigation," he had said.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
LAS VEGAS, Nev.Robyn Porter Cristler passed away March 25, 2020, in Las Vegas, Nevada. Robyn was born on May 20, 1947, to Robert and Jean Porter in Thermopolis, Wyoming. The family moved to Riverton, Wyoming where Robyn attended school from first grade through high school, graduating in 1965.

After attending one semester at the University of Wyoming, Robyn moved to Denver, Colorado, where she worked in the restaurant business. Robyn returned to Riverton, where she worked for several years at Books & Briar. She was an active member in the DOES organization.

On Valentines Day in 1991, she married Paul Cristler. They lived in Riverton for several years before moving to Las Vegas, Nevada, residing there until her passing.

Robyn was known for her calm and cool demeanor, making life-long friends wherever she went. She had a passion for reading, as well as sharing that passion with those around her. One of her greatest joys was her dog, LeRoy, whom she shared with Paul for almost 20 years.

Robyn was preceded in death by her father, Robert Porter in 1983 and her youngest sister, Rebecca in 2008.

Robyn is survived by her husband, Paul Cristler, Las Vegas, NV; mother, Jean Porter, Riverton; sister, Roxanne McLaughlin, (Bob) Spearfish, SD; two brothers, Rick (Sandy) Casper and Surprise, AZ, and Ron (Toi) of Riverton; along with several nieces and nephews.

A memorial service will be scheduled for a later date.
Army Chief of Staff Gen. Suh Wook, second from left, inspects the Korea Army Training Center in Nonsan, South Chungcheong Province, Feb. 5, ordering officials there to take enhanced measures to prevent COVID-19 infections among conscripts. / Courtesy of Republic of Korea Army



By Jun Ji-hye



Three Army conscripts have been released from the Korea Army Training Center in Nonsan, South Chungcheong Province, after testing positive for COVID-19, according to the Republic of Korea Army and public health officials, Sunday.



The three were found to be followers of the Shincheonji Church of Jesus, the minor religious sect that became the largest infection cluster in the country.



The Army said it is continuing to disinfect facilities, but the confirmed cases at the nation's largest boot camp are raising concerns among parents, who have sent their sons to the military for their mandatory service, over further spread of the virus.



About 150 men, including the three, entered the training center on April 13.



"The three confirmed cases at the Army Training Center were linked to Shincheonji Church," Kwon Joon-wook, deputy director at the Korea Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (KCDC), said at a press briefing. "At least one among the three was believed to have tested positive again after having been deemed clear of the virus."



Of the infected soldiers, two were from Daegu, the country's viral epicenter where a major cluster was linked to the Daegu branch of the Shincheonji Church back in February.



They tested positive on Friday and were sent to a hospital in Daegu for treatment, according to the Army.



The other man, who is from South Gyeongsang Province, tested positive on April 15. He had come into contact with the nation's 31st patient who attended services at the church and is currently still in the hospital.



Since confirmation of their infections, health authorities have been carrying out coronavirus tests on those who have come in contact with the three at the training center.



The authorities are also working to find out whether there are more Shincheonji followers among the conscripts.



Amid growing concerns over the further spread of the virus, the Army said the three men were tested for the coronavirus at a separate facility and were isolated from other conscripts.



"The Army has taken enhanced preventive measures at its training centers since the early stages of the outbreak of the disease," an Army official said.



Meanwhile, police arrested a man in his 20s for allegedly violating self-isolation rules related to COVID-19, Saturday.



A judge at Uijeongbu District Court issued a warrant for the man's arrest upon the request from police as he went outside on two days without permission while under a two-week self-quarantine.



He was one of the inpatients at Uijeongbu St. Mary's Hospital where an infection cluster was reported.



It was the second formal detention involving those who have breached self-isolation rules, after a man in his 60s in Seoul was arrested April 14.



The men who had returned home from the United States visited a sauna and other places without permission.


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Digital Editor
It is almost beyond parody that a senior staffer in the office of Prime Minister Scott Morrison would imagine it was a good idea to try to undermine the launch of Malcolm Turnbulls new book by leaking it before its release.

This is the same book in which Turnbull writes that when he was prime minister, Morrison as treasurer was considered a leaker.

Mathias Cormann, Malcolm Turnbull and Scott Morrison at a joint press conference in 2018. Credit:Alex Ellinghausen

Turnbull wrote that he and Finance Minister Mathias Cormann had been at our wits end about how to manage Morrison's behaviour when he was treasurer.

As Mathias said, we have a Treasurer problem, Turnbull wrote. And the problem was one of trust.
Haryana Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar on Saturday urged the students to devote their maximum on e-learning platforms which would help them to continue with their studies even while staying at home during the lockdown.

He said that to ensure that students of government and private schools in Haryana do not suffer academic loss in view of the nationwide lockdown, new classes for 52 lakh students have been started since April 15 through cable and DTH channels under the distance education programme.

During his televised address to the people of the state on the COVID-19 situation, he interacted with students and teachers, and said uncertainty arising from the coronavirus-induced situation had greatly impacted the school and college students as they were not able to attend their classes.

He said that on March 18, the annual school examinations in the state were postponed and the schools were closed on March 19.

The new academic session generally starts from April 1 every year, but it could not be done this year due to the lockdown, so students had faced many uncertainties whether or not there would be exams or when they would get admission to the next class.

The chief minister said the state government had already decided to promote all the students studying from class I to XI grade to the next classes based on the results of the examinations that took place till March 18.

He said that after passing their Class X exams, each year the practice has been that in the month of July, about 60,000 to 70,000 students take admission in 172 government and 246 private Industrial Training Institutes of the state and the classes start from August month.

However, while on March 24, as all the ITIs were closed, theoretical studies were being conducted through phone and e-learning but classes for practical subjects will start after the lockdown, period ends, he said.

He shared that in ITI, there are total 81 trades, out of which in 30-35 trades there is a condition of passing the math and science examination in class Xth.

He said that if more time is taken to conduct the science examination, then the government is considering to admit such students on a provisional basis, without appearing in science examination.

Khattar said that the final decision in this regard will be taken soon.

He said that private schools had been requested to take only one-month fee instead of three-month advance fees and also waive transportation charges in view of the lockdown.

He said that the teachers are distributing the dry ration to the children at their doorsteps under the mid-day meal programme.
India is not only gathering praise for its leadership and timely intervention to contain coronavirus in the country and South Asia but also gratitude for helping hundreds of countries with a life-saving drug.

A government official told newspaper Hindustan Times that India is shipping about 85 million hydroxychloroquine tablets and close to 500 million paracetamol tablets to 108 countries.

Hydroxychloroquine is an antimalarial drug. It treats malaria by killing the parasites that cause the disease. It is a treatment for auto-immune diseases like rheumatoid arthritis and lupus. It is less toxic than CQ but prolonged usage and overdose can still cause poisoning. It has shown promise as an antiviral agent to battle the coronavirus.

AP

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.



The demand for the drug has swelled rapidly in the last few days after India decided to lift a ban on its export.

In the neighbourhood, India is sending the drug to Afghanistan, Bhutan, Bangladesh, Nepal, Maldives, Mauritius, Sri Lanka and Myanmar, sources said.

India is also supplying hydroxychloroquine to Zambia, Dominican Republic, Madagascar, Uganda, Burkina Faso, Niger, Mali Congo, Egypt, Armenia, Kazakhstan, Ecuador, Jamaica, Syria, Ukraine, Chad, Zimbabwe, France, Jordan, Kenya, Netherlands, Nigeria, Oman and Peru, the sources said.

Reuters

They said it is being sent to the Philippines, Russia, Slovenia, South Africa, Sri Lanka, Tanzania, the United Arab Emirates, Uzbekistan, Uruguay, Columbia, Algeria Bahamas, Mauritius and the United Kingdom.

The sources said the drug is being sent to several countries on a commercial basis while many others are getting it as India's grants.

In its latest help, the government of India handed over 600,000 tablets to Afghanistan in a bid to help the country cure the patients of the novel coronavirus.

India sent 100K paracetamol & 500K hydroxychloroquine tablets to Afghanistan using Ariana Airlines today, in addition to the 1st shipment of wheat shipped earlier, said Tahir Qadiry, charge d'affaires of the Afghan embassy in India.

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

Afghanistan is included in the list of countries to which India has decided to supply hydroxychloroquine. Afghanistan has so far reported 906 cases of coronavirus and 30 deaths.





Many of the supplies are made through special Air Force Flights, foreign evacuation charters and diplomatic cargo, boosting and cementing India's leadership in South Asia.
Iranian President Hassan Rouhani on April 19 announced that the furlough period for prisoners has been extended by another one month, a step welcomed by the United Nations. Iran has been temporarily releasing prisoners since February this year after the coronavirus outbreak hit its jails. According to reports, so far 1,00,000 inmates have been granted temporary leave in order to contain the spread of the virus in its correctional facilities.

Read: Australia Calls For Review Of Circumstances That Led To Start Of COVID-19 Pandemic

Iran on April 19 also allowed small businesses to resume operations in capital Tehran, days after it allowed it in the rest of the country. However, mosques will remain closed for another two weeks in the Islamic republic and decisions on gatherings during the holy month of Ramadan will be taken next week, said Rouhani. As per reports, schools and universities will remain shut in the country and sporting events will not resume anytime soon.

Read: UN Urges Countries To Protect LGBT+ People Against Discrimination Amid COVID-19 Crisis

Initially, Iran was one of the worst affected countries in the world with high profile people getting infected by the virus. According to data by worldometer, Iran has recorded 82,211 virus cases so far, of which 5,118 people have lost their lives. Iran, which is currently facing a severe crisis on economic front because of sanctions imposed by the United States, had in early March requested the IMF for a $5 billion loan to fight the coronavirus outbreak.

Read: Ireland To Quadruple Its Contributions To WHO After Trump Halts US Funding

Coronavirus outbreak

The coronavirus outbreak has infected over 2.35 million people globally and has killed nearly 1,60,000 patients since it first broke out in December 2019. The virus is believed to have originated from a seafood market in the Chinese city of Wuhan, the initial epicentre of the disease, where animals were reportedly being traded illegally. Currently, the United States, Italy, Spain, France and the United Kingdom are the most affected countries in the world with a recorded death toll of 15,000 and above.

Read: Venezuela's Maduro Urges Top Court To Postpone Elections Due To Coronavirus Outbreak

(Image Credit: AP)
Jupiter Business Mentors (JBM), a home-grown UAE-based mentorship platform has announced its partnership with in5, an enabling platform for entrepreneurs and startups fostering innovation, to support with the right mentoring to help them avoid mistakes and overcome difficulties setting up and growing their businesses.

The outbreak of coronavirus has had a detrimental effect on many start-ups, small and medium-sized businesses (SMEs), leading to a bleak outlook and a domino effect in the upcoming months.

A recent poll revealed that one in five business owners believe climate change and natural disasters pose a threat to their business, but sadly a staggering 77% of them do not have a natural disaster plan in place. The ripple effect of this could mean that as many as 40% of small businesses will never reopen their doors following major natural disasters such as this.

Experienced mentors are known to be the secret weapons of successful start-ups. The partnership with in5 startup incubator aims to help these business owners with access to experienced executives and industry experts from various areas of business to address specific issues faced by them in running their operations or to help them transform their processes to serve the current customers needs better.

The strategic partnership valid until the end of May 2020 between the two entities aimed at supporting the entrepreneurial ecosystem and allows business owners to book 6 free mentoring sessions of 15 minutes each with 6 different mentors or 3 free sessions of 30 minutes each with 3 different mentors of their choice to get practical and confidential business advice on matters related to new business setup, new venture opportunities, strategy development, legal advisory, financial consulting and data analysis, market intelligence and regulatory compliance, HR, marketing and sales strategies amongst many others. In addition, in5 members will also receive a 10% discount on all services offered by JBM through its platform. The mentors on the platform have immense entrepreneurial business experience and are equipped to understand the nuances of a pre-startup, a startup or a matured business.

Renuka Gunjahalli, founder, Jupiter Business Mentors, said: We are happy to partner with in5 with an aim to enhance the entrepreneurial journey of many business owners during this time. Business mentorship will allow these individuals to understand the potential roadblocks and find practical solutions to complex business challenges for business continuation.

Due to the outbreak of Covid-19 and the measure of social distancing it has spawned, JBM acts as the only platform in the UAE and Middle East region fully integrated with the voice, video and live-chat options, making it easier, faster, and cost-effective for entrepreneurs to connect with experts in real-time through the online platform instead of deferring or delaying their problems.

During the course of this partnership, JBM will also conduct informative educational webinars on various topics such as addressing crisis intervention, business continuity planning, risk management, data privacy, crisis communications and more.

Mentees looking forward to avail the free sessions can download the mobile app available on both IOS and Google Play and book the service they require. To learn more about Jupiter Business Mentors platform, visit https://jbm4u.com/#/home - TradeArabia News Service
Some hospital employees are being furloughed, and others are seeking approval for recruitment to health centers. However, Mexico's front line workers are demanding to go on strike unless the Mexican Social Security Institute, also known as IMSS, director Zoe Robledo presents the proper provisions that guarantee the safety of the personnel.

As early as last March, medical workers from Mexico have started a protest due to insufficient supplies and equipment at increased risk of COVID-19. Without proper protective gear, the doctors and nurses will not be able to treat patients.

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Protests for the provision of PPEs

Chants of "Queremos material!" filled the street of Tlatelolco near the IMSS Zone 27 General Hospital on March 19, according to reports by Politica.

Head of the IMSS employee's union, Dr. Armando Rosales Torres, explains Robledo's response to their protest is still pending. According to the government, Mexico bought from China $56.6 million worth of personal protective equipment for front line hospital workers. Still, Rosales and his colleagues are yet to receive any of the provisions.

Rosales adds that he and other members of the union find themselves in a precarious situation in IMSS hospitals since the risks of becoming infected is high "due to their exposure to those infected with the coronavirus."

On March 24, the medical personnel was protesting for the shortage of PPEs. One of the nurses explained that this was not a simple boycott. The only reason that held them back from working was the lack of medical equipment and supplies.

Health workers assembled the next day to protest at Zone I General Regional Hospital in Mexico City to raise their concerns. Because of their persistence, the IMSS declared they would hold training for staff in a Strategic Contingency Plan for Attention to COVID-19.

Strikes

Last Wednesday, a group of health workers congregated at a Puebla hospital to lob complaints about the management. On his social media accounts, Rosales posted about the lack of equipment, preventive measures, and leadership on the health service of the system.

In fact, during the protest itself, the day of, punches were thrown between the staff and the officials.

Complaints were thrown at local health union leader Sergio Herrera Vazquez. Among the concerns were the inadequate equipment and irresponsible handling of infected hospital staff. Nurses raised the point that some of the officers were refusing to give PPE even at the heightened risk of the coronavirus. They claimed that even the 20% salary bonus was not enough to compensate for the risk they were taking.

At this point, there was absolute pandemonium. People filming the entire discussion were launched by security guards of the hospital, including a cameraman from TV station Imagen Television.

On that same day, Robledo was interviewed on television. He acknowledged the concerns of the health workers but insisted that most of the company's hospitals had more than enough medical supplies and equipment to go around.

Rosales said that should the response take more than a weekend, front line medical workers all across the country will go on a strike.

"We cannot continue like this, especially now as we enter phase three of the virus."
At a time when the Kerala government has earned praise for checking the Covid-19 pandemic in the state, a controversy involving an American firm over data sharing is threatening to take the sheen out of its success.

The opposition Congress-led United Democratic Front has announced a series of agitations from next week seeking Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayans resignation alleging it was a sell-out and many state-based IT and data companies were overlooked to gift the contract to the US firm.

At the height of the Covid-19 pandemic in Kerala, the state IT department had inked an agreement with the US firm to process a huge volume of data collected by grassroot health workers of the state. Though no money was involved in the contract the opposition alleged that it was a breach of privacy and vital data. Later, it was found that the state cabinet and law department were not consulted before signing the deal.

Earlier, the CM had defended the governments decision saying no fee was involved in the contract and one of the top officials of the data firm was an NRI from the state and he offered the proposal to the government in lieu of looking after his aged parents in Mavelikkara in Alapuzha district. He had said there was no transfer of the data and it will be stored in a secure server in the country and denied any breach of privacy.

As the controversy flared up, state IT secretary M Shivasankar, also the CMs private secretary told the media on Saturday that he had taken the decision personally, as the pandemic situation was getting out of control in the state. Later, he also appeared in a promotional video of the deal which was removed from the Sprinklrs website after the controversy cropped up.

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Indian steel demand is expected to plunge to multi-year lows in 2020, hit by slowdowns in the construction, automotive and rail sectors as India fights the coronavirus with a protracted lockdown, a leading industry body said.

Steel demand in India is set to contract 7.7% in 2020 with "significant downside risks", the Indian Steel Association (ISA), which represents some of the top steel producers, said in a note.

"ISA had estimated in February that the steel demand in calendar year 2020 would grow by 5.1% to touch 106.7 million tonnes. We have now revised the steel demand forecast to 93.7 million tonnes," it said.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi has extended the nationwide lockdown until May 3, but the federal government has allowed states to restart some activity amid economic distress in rural areas.

The coronavirus outbreak has left the Indian automotive industry in distress, with automakers seeking temporary tax cuts on cars, trucks and motorbikes as well as incentives to scrap old vehicles.

The lockdown's impact on economic activity will dent steel demand by nearly 13 million tonnes, Arnab Kumar Hazra, Assistant Secretary General at the Indian Steel Association, told Reuters, adding that demand growth is at a multi-year low.

Most steel companies have faced disruptions and suspended operations at some of their plants.

JSW Steel Ltd, which has the biggest capacity in India, this week said it was evaluating a phased restart to operations.

Late last month Steel Authority of India Ltd, the country's largest state-owned steelmaker, said some customers had cancelled orders because of port disruption as the lockdown hobbles movement of goods.
The global death toll from the coronavirus is more than 163,000 with more than 2.3 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.

Russia

Russian officials reported a record rise in new coronavirus cases, as President Vladimir Putin tried to reassure the country that "the situation is under full control."

The government task force overseeing the national response to the virus said on April 19 that new cases jumped 6,060 over the previous 24 hours, bringing the nationwide tally to 42,853.

Just 361 deaths have been confirmed by government officials, a figure that experts and critics have said appears to be a major undercount.

The continued rise in figures comes despite Russias early, aggressive moves to respond to the spreading virus and impose tight restrictions. Even before many European nations started imposing restrictions, Moscow moved to shut down much of the country's vast border with China, where the virus first emerged.

Moscow's mayor, who has been at the forefront of the effort to stem the virus's spread, warned last week that Russia was only at the beginning of a steep rise in cases. The Russian capital has been under a virtual lockdown, with people confined to their homes except for essential errands.

Millions of observant Russians observed the Orthodox Easter holiday on April 19, with many appearing to heed church leaders' calls to stay home and not attend church services in person.

In a recorded video address released on April 19, Putin sought to reassure Russians that the government was trying to curtail the disease.

"All branches of governments are working rhythmically, responsibly, in an organized manner," Putin said. "The situation is under full control."

Pakistan

As Orthodox Christians marked Easter amid extraordinary coronavirus restrictions, millions of Muslims prepared to start Ramadan with concerns about mass gatherings and mosques allowing prayers.

The Islamic holy month is scheduled to begin later this week, and some Islamic countries are struggling with pressure from religious clerics who have spurned public health orders aimed at limiting the spread of COVID-19.

In Pakistan, which has 8,348 confirmed cases as of April 19 and 168 deaths, some clerics have refused to order mosques to close during Ramadan.

Prime Minister Imran Khans government has agreed to leave mosques open and instead requested that believers practice safe physical distancing. Several prominent religious clerics have even rejected that guidance, calling for adherents to pack the mosques.

Pakistan has been blamed for contributing to the outbreak of the virus in other countries after it refused to stop a gathering of tens of thousands of Islamic missionaries until early March.

Iran

In Iran, which is one of the worst-hit countries in the Middle East, Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei has called on worshippers to stay home during the month of Ramadan, which is expected to begin on April 23.

President Hassan Rohani on April 19 announced an extension of a furlough of tens of thousands inmates, part of an effort to keep the virus from spreading in crowded jails and prisons.

Rohani also said that mosques and other religious centers would remain closed for another two weeks, and decisions on gatherings during Ramadan will be decided later.

Iran has reported more than 82,000 confirmed cases, and more than 5,100 deaths.

Iran also allowed some Tehran businesses to reopen on April 18.

Belarus

In Belarus, one of a very few countries that has not imposed lockdown measures or closed borders to curb the pandemic, thousands of people converged on churches to celebrate Easter, ignoring calls from health authorities to stay at home.

President Alyaksandr Lukashenka, who had previously derided global concerns over COVID-19 as "mass psychosis," visited a church without a face mask.

"I don't approve of those who closed people's way to church," BelTA state news agency quoted Lukashenka as saying. "We experience these viruses every year."

Belarus officially has 4,779 cases of infection and 42 deaths as of April 19.

With reporting by AP, AFP, Reuters, and RFE/RL's Turkmen Service
Princess Eugenie and Sarah Ferguson have taken to social media to thank 'amazing' companies for donating food and care packages to 'hero' NHS staff working on the frontline.

Taking to Instagram, the royal, 29, shared a photograph of key workers holding up a large box of fresh fruit and vegetables, and penned: 'Thank you to @food_republic_wholesale for delivering boxes to key workers at St Mary's Paddington.'

In a second post, she went on to praise a new 'amazing initiative' by @project_wingman2020, which was set up at the beginning of April for furloughed airline crew to volunteer at hospitals across the UK and to help give staff some first class treatment.

She encouraged: 'If you are furloughed cabin crew or would like to support the project with supplies then please get in touch via Instagram.'

Princess Eugenie, 29, took to her Instagram account to thank @food_republic_wholesale for delivering boxes to key workers at St Mary's Paddington (pictured)

Sarah Ferguson also took to Instagram to post a photo of NHS staff holding some care packages and penned: 'Thank you so much to @eatfiid for the lunch pouches for Huddersfield Royal Infirmary'

Princess Eugenie (pictured) has been using her social media platform in recent weeks to thank various companies for donating packages to NHS staff working on the frontline

The Duchess of York (pictured) at the Luminous BFI gala dinner and auction in London on 1 October 2019

Meanwhile, her mother Sarah Ferguson, Duchess of York, also took to Instagram to share a post showing workers with their deliveries and wrote:

Thank you so much to @eatfiid for the lunch pouches for Huddersfield Royal Infirmary.'

It comes just days after Princess Eugenie shared the adorable messages of love and support bin collectors in Bradford have collected amid the coronavirus pandemic - before thanking business donating food to the NHS.

The royal re-shared a post initially uploaded by @bradfordmdc, which shows a selection of children's drawings along with hand-written notes thanking the bin crew for their tirelessly hard work.

Alongside the post showing key workers holding up large boxes, the royal penned: 'Thank you to @food_republic_wholesale for delivering boxes to key workers at St Mary's Paddington' (pictured)

In a second post, Princess Eugenie praised an 'amazing initiative' that was set up at the beginning of April for furloughed airline crew (pictured)

Princess Beatrice explained the initiative was for furloughed airline crew to volunteer at hospitals across the UK and to help give staff some first class treatment

Alongside the snap, the caption read: 'Our crews are loving the pictures being drawn for them  thanks for the lollies too Harry and Penny.'

Princess Eugenie shared the post on her social media page and wrote: 'I wanted to share this story of hope. Bradford Council shared messages of love and admiration for their bin crews that have collected during this challenging time.'

In another post, the royal tagged a local company which featured staff smiling alongside boxes of food packages and wrote: 'Thank you the @the_clucking_pig for donating and delivering scotch eggs to frontline workers at James Cook University Hospital in Middlesborough.'

Meanwhile, alongside a third post, where NHS staff working on the front line can be seen holding various items of food, the royal penned: 'Thank you @eatfiid who supplied lunch pouches to frontline workers to Huddersfield Royal Infirmary last week. We are so grateful.'
According to researchers at Harvard University, Rhode Island is currently the only state conducting enough COVID-19 tests to safely reopen the economy.

Harvard University discussed the importance of per capita testing, according to a report by the New York Times.

If the U.S. is to reopen by mid-May it would need to perform 500,000 to 700,000 tests per day, according to the Harvard estimates. Each state would have to administer a minimum of 152 tests per day per 100,000 people.

Rhode Island has been conducting an average of 185 tests per 100,000, according to the Times. Massachusetts was well below the threshold, at 92 daily tests per 100,000 people. Overall, the U.S. performed much lower at 45 tests per 100,000 people.

If you have a very high positive rate, said Ashish Jha, the director of the Harvard Global Health Institute in an interview with the Times. It means that there are probably a good number of people out there who have the disease who you havent tested.

As demographic and geographic information about the impact of the coronavirus pandemic begins to surface, the state Legislatures Black and Latino Legislative Caucus is calling on Gov. Charlie Baker to increase testing in urban neighborhoods.

The caucus issued a formal letter to Baker and major hospitals Thursday calling for free testing for all essential workers, home health care workers and nursing home staff at community-based testing centers.

You want to drive the positive rate down because the fundamental element of keeping our economy open is making sure youre identifying as many infected people as possible and isolating them, Jha said.

The number of coronavirus-related deaths in Massachusetts increased to 1,706, with 146 new deaths reported on Sunday.

Statewide, there are now 38,077 new positive cases of the virus, according to the latest figures, up from 36,372 on Saturday. Altogether, 162,241 COVID-19 tests have been carried out by state and commercial labs.

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Upended. This describes our education system today, during the COVID-19 pandemic. Or does it? What we have come to value and measure in education policy  assessments, accountability and student seat time  were immediately ditched in the face of the pandemic. Our schools, despite being closed to students, remain hubs for teaching, learning and providing meals to students. How is this being accomplished?

For starters, we know that technology has made remote delivery of quality instruction possible. As of April 6, every school district in Wyoming is operating under their state-approved Adaptive Learning Plan that summarizes their approach for engaging all students during the pandemic. Overnight, quite literally, we witnessed the most significant re-prioritization of learning and teaching in the history of modern education.

In a recent video message to students, I said, This wont feel like normal school. Indeed, it does not. From working at the kitchen counter to completing assignments for a pass/fail grade to missing friends  none of this feels quite right. What feels normal, though, is continued student curiosity, passionate teachers who will do anything to facilitate learning, parents who try their best to support their childs learning and community members who care about the success of youth and our future.

Wyoming is a national leader in establishing the best framework of education policy, guidance and leadership. And that framework has been tested to the limits each and every day since March 16, when Governor Gordon and I recommended school closures statewide. Five weeks later, we continue to navigate these unprecedented times. And as we navigate, we also look ahead to how we can be better as a result of COVID-19 closures. Frankly, it would be foolhardy to expect education to go back to the way it was. Wyoming education can and will win the shutdown because we are planning for a future of schooling that has more of what matters and less of what does not.

One vehicle for these reflections is Governor Gordons COVID-19 education task force. With representation from child care through college, we are working together to mitigate the effects of COVID-19 on students experiencing key milestones such as kindergarten entry and high school graduation. We are also working together to maximize every dollar coming into Wyoming for education stabilization as the result of the CARES Act.

At the very least, some of the incoming dollars should be used to permanently stand up a stronger virtual education system to augment classroom instruction  this includes infrastructure, technology, teacher training and learning materials across our entire state. A blended learning approach is natural to this generation of students who are both tech-savvy and used to the brick and mortar of school buildings. It is also mainstream in post-secondary education and workforce training. Yet, until five weeks ago, many teachers and schools did not leverage blended learning at all.

Next, a problem weve admired for far too long is a disconnect between mandated student seat time and what we expect in real life related to learning. Competency-based learning requires students to demonstrate skills versus marking time in class. COVID-19 has pushed competency-based learning into core subjects as students direct their learning from home and test when they feel prepared. Career and technical education teachers have been operating on a competency-based model for years  and it works!

Theres a lot more to evaluate in education in the coming months and years. Will standardized tests carry the same weight? Will physical and health education see a resurgence in importance? What about more deliberate K-12 alignment to industry needs with the unemployment crisis we face? Im grateful to serve as the President for the Council of Chief State School Officers where I hope to spur these conversations along.

Above, I mentioned four key groups: students, teachers, parents and community members and I have a short message for each of you:

Students  Embrace the learning opportunities all around you. Express your thoughts about these crazy times through writing, art, music, movement, theater and more.

Teachers  Wyomings 2020 Teacher of the Year, Dane Weaver, of Ten Sleep said it best, Your purpose has never been more clear. Our students deserve our best. Many of you are on a steep learning curve  stay on it.

Parents  You are your childs most important teacher and you wear a superhero cape.

Communities  Our students are watching you, learning from you. Make it count.

In closing, I am an optimist. We have seen dark days over these past weeks but you are my inspiration, Wyomingites! Keep leading in your communities. Keep checking on your neighbors. Stay safe. Stay healthy.

Jillian Balow is the Superintendent of Public Instruction for the State of Wyoming.

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A 10-year-old girl has sustained injuries after a stray bullet came through the wall of her apartment, according to the Boston Police Department.

The incident happened Saturday afternoon inside a Nazing Street apartment.

Boston Police report there was a gathering at a neighboring apartment in Roxbury when the shooting happened. The suspects of the shooting who were not following social and physical distancing guidelines, police said.

The girl has been rushed to a Boston area hospital but her injury is non-life threatening.

Got a news tip or want to contact MassLive about this story? Email newstips@masslive.com or message us on Facebook orTwitter. You can also call our news tips line at 413-776-1364.
Ten staff members of the Alshifa Hospital in southeast Delhi's Okhla have been quarantined after they attended to a patient who tested positive for coronavirus.

According to a senior doctor at the hospital, the patient was admitted on April 13 with anal abscess and was operated upon.

He later complained of having chest pain and was asked to get tested for coronavirus at the Ram Manohar Lohia Hospital. The report confirmed that he was infected with the virus and was referred to another hospital, the doctor said.

Ten staff members, including the doctor who did the surgery, have been quarantined at the hospital. They have got their tests done for the virus and the reports are expected by Tuesday, the doctor said.

In a separate case, a doctor at the hospital tested positive for coronavirus after he treated a woman patient on April 5 who was COVID-19 positive.

The doctor was referred to a designated government isolation facility while the hospital staff members who came in contact with him also got themselves tested but their reports came back negative, he said.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
A SpaceX Falcon 9 booster lands on a drone ship after launching the company's first Crew Dragon capsule in March 2019. The same booster will launch 60 Starlink satellites from Pad 39A of the Kennedy Space Center in Cape Canaveral, Florida on April 23, 2020.

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla.  SpaceX has fired up the rocket that will ferry the company's next batch of Starlink satellites into space.

That rocket is expected to launch 60 Starlink internet satellites into orbit no earlier than Thursday (April 23) from the historic Launch Pad 39A at NASA's Kennedy Space Center here. On Friday (April 17), the company test-fired the first stage of Falcon 9 booster to ensure the rocket is ready for launch, the company said on Twitter .

The test, called a static fire, is a typical prelaunch test for SpaceX missions and sent smoke billowing from the 229-foot tall (70-meter) rocket as its nine Merlin 1D engines briefly ignited. The upcoming launch, called Starlink 6, will mark the fifth Starlink mission this year and the company's seventh batch of operational satellites  launched 60 at a time  since 2019.

Related: SpaceX's 1st Starlink Megaconstellation Launch in Photos!

The Starlink 6 mission's veteran Falcon 9 rocket rolled out of its hangar and went vertical on the launch pad in advance of the test-firing of its first-stage engines on Friday morning. During the test, teams loaded the Falcons super-chilled propellants  kerosene and liquid oxygen  into the rocket and then briefly ignited the first stages nine Merlin 1D engines.



The engines briefly fired at 12 p.m. EDT (1600 GMT), generating more than 1 million pounds of thrust while the booster remained firmly on the ground. Engineers reviewed the data before deciding to proceed with the Falcon 9s planned launch attempt Thursday afternoon.

"Static fire test of Falcon 9 complete  targeting Thursday, April 23 at 3:16 p.m. EDT, 19:16 UTC, for launch of 60 Starlink satellites from LC-39A in Florida," SpaceX tweeted shortly after the test.

The first stage rocket booster supporting this mission previously supported Crew Dragons first flight to the @space_station, launch of the RADARSAT Constellation Mission, and the fourth Starlink mission pic.twitter.com/4IMk3kTTaGApril 17, 2020 See more

The rocket featured in the upcoming flight is a thrice-flown booster, having previously launched the Crew Dragon capsule on its first journey to the space station in 2019, a trio of Canadian Earth-observing satellites , and the fourth Starlink mission earlier this year.

The Starlink 6 launch will mark the fifth time a SpaceX booster will fly four times. The company's previous Starlink mission also featured a veteran booster. However, during that flight, one of the booster's nine engines cut out during its ascent. Falcon 9 is designed to handle this type of engine failure and deliver its payload safely to orbit. However, the booster was unable to successfully land on the drone ship.

This upcoming mission is also unique in that it's the second to feature another key piece of recycled hardware: the rocket's nose cone . Also called the payload fairing, the clam-shelled covering is designed to protect the payload as it rockets through the atmosphere. Once the craft is above Earth's atmosphere on its way to orbit, the two pieces are jettisoned and plummet back to Earth.

Historically, the fairings have been a "one-and-done" component; once they do their job, the pieces are discarded in the ocean, never to be seen again. But SpaceX aims to change that and save $6 million per flight by reusing even a single fairing.

To that end, the California-based rocket manufacturer has outfitted two boats with giant nets that act as mobile catcher's mitts. SpaceX has also outfitted each fairing with a parachute and onboard computer system that will steer it back to Earth and (hopefully) into the outstretched nets of the ships GO Ms. Tree and GO Ms. Chief. SpaceX has worked steadily to reuse as much of its Falcon 9 rockets as possible, and has made 50 first-stage landings in recent years .

While catching the falling fairings can be a challenge, SpaceX has also been scooping them out of the water and refurbishing them. Shrouding the stack of 60 Starlink satellites is the second set of payload fairings to be reused.

Starlink 6 is the first time SpaceX has used a fairing half that was caught in a net. For this flight, one half was caught by GO Ms. Tree and the other was scooped out of the ocean. It's also the third flight to feature recycled fairing pieces.

According to SpaceX, the fairing halves used in this flight were first flown on the AMOS-17 mission, which launched in 2019 . The boats are expected to leave Port Canaveral a few days prior to launch, so they can be in position and ready to make another catch.

Follow Amy Thompson on Twitter @astrogingersnap. Follow us on Twitter @Spacedotcom or Facebook.
COLUMBUS, Ohio -- Cuyahoga County, a state coronavirus testing leader where Ohios first positive cases were detected, is no longer the state leader in reported COVID-19 cases.

With 851 new cases reported to the state on Sunday, Marion County now leads Ohio with 1,834 positive cases, according to data released by the Ohio Department of Health. Next in line are two much more densely populated counties  Franklin County, which has 1,513 cases and Cuyahoga County, which fell to third with 1,466 cases.

Marion Countys new cases appear to be tied to the presence of a state prison where a majority of inmates incarcerated there now have tested positive for COVID-19.

Of the nearly 2,500 inmates at the Marion Correctional Center, 1,828  or 75%  now have tested positive for coronavirus, as have another 109 staff members, according to data released Sunday afternoon by the Ohio Department of Corrections. That compares to 1,057 inmates and 103 staff members the day before.

The Ohio National Guard has sent roughly 50 members to Marion County to assist with mission-critical functions at the state prison there, the Marion Star reported Saturday. A guard there died due to coronavirus earlier this month, according to state officials.

Pickaway County, another rural county with a state prison, saw an increase in coronavirus cases from 302 to 477. The Pickaway Correctional Institution has reported 384 inmates and 109 staff members tested positive for COVID-19, according to the ODRC. Six inmates there have died  five who were confirmed to have the coronavirus, including a new death reported Sunday, and one probable case.

The state has been testing its entire prison population as it tries to protect inmates and corrections officers alike. DeWine said Friday that in one prison dorm, 152 inmates tested positive, but 60, or about 40%, showed no symptoms. On Friday, DeWine, citing the coronavirus, commuted the sentences of six additional inmates, including Tom Noe, a Republican donor convicted in the Coingate scandal whos incarcerated at the Marion Correctional Institute.

Cuyahoga County still leads the state in COVID-19 hospitalizations with 420 and deaths with 53. Next is Mahoning County with 48 deaths, Lucas and Hamilton counties with 33 and Franklin County with 29. Marion County has only one reported death.

Overall, 471 Ohioans have died from COVID 19, and 11,602 have tested positive, according to new data released Sunday afternoon by Ohio Department of Health.

Sunday marked the date Ohio officials have projected as the peak in the COVID-19 outbreak. It brought 1,380 new positive cases, below the 1,607 expected in the states latest predictive model. And both are a far cry from the 10,000 cases per day the state once projected.

Read recent cleveland.com coverage:

Ohio reports 471 deaths, 11,602 positive coronavirus cases as state reaches projected peak date

Gov. Mike DeWine commutes sentences of Coingate convict Tom Noe, six others

Ohio prison staffer dies from coronavirus
HOLYOKE  As investigations continue into how the coronavirus spread so quickly and throughout Holyoke Soldiers Home, the number of veterans who have died from COVID-19 has now grown to at least 50.

The state Executive Office of Health and Human Services announced two more residents at the state-run home have died in the past 24 hours due to the coronavirus and test results of another resident who died are pending. Another eight residents have died of other causes since the first resident tested positive for COVID-19 on March 21 and the cause of death for one more resident is unknown.

A total of 90 veterans at the home, which had about 210 residents when the pandemic began, have tested positive for the coronavirus. As of Sunday 66 residents remain negative for the disease and there are 10 other veterans are awaiting results on tests, officials said.

Of the employees at the Soldiers Home, 81 have tested positive, officials said.

The Clinical Command continues to respond to the COVID-19 outbreak while bringing on additional management staff for nursing, facilities, operations and administration to complement the existing staff, officials said on Sunday.

After state officials were alerted by the employees union and Mayor Alex B. Morse about their concerns that the virus was rapidly spreading through the facility, a team from Health and Human Services inspected the home on March 30. Before noon Superintendent Bennett Walsh had been placed on paid administrative leave and Val Liptak, CEO of Western Massachusetts Hospital was asked to take over management.

Walsh, who said he is also believed to have contracted COVID-19, denied any wrong-doing and accusations of mismanagement and said he continually updated state officials of the problems at the home.

The state also quickly set up a clinical team of experts to handle different facets of the crisis. About 160 National Guard members who have medical, logistical or operations expertise are also working at the home to augment the depleted staff, officials said.

Those now running the Soldiers Home told the Board of Trustees on Thursday the focus is working to stabilize the Soldiers Home. While they continue to move and quarantine people to prevent others from being infected, the virus is still spreading, said Lisa Columbo a registered nurse the executive vice chancellor for Commonwealth Medicine at the University of Massachusetts Medical Center in Worcester, who is running the clinical team.

When the team entered the home, they found one unit had multiple people infected with COVID-19 and most units had at least one positive case. Because multiple staff were also out ill with the disease, 10 units had been combined into seven, creating an overcrowding situation allowing the disease to spread even more, she said.

There are four ongoing independent investigations into what occurred at the Soldiers Home. Gov. Charlie Baker was the first to order an investigation and U.S. Attorney Andrew E. Lelling and state Attorney General Maura Healey have also announced they are looking into the problems. Legislators are also planning to call for a hearing on the Soldiers Home when lawmakers return to session.

The Clinical Team is also conducting a staffing analysis, figuring the number of residents, the employee absentee rate and other factors to figure out a proper staffing ratio once the home stabilizes. Officials continue to hire nurses and certified nursing assistants as the crisis continues.
Austin: Stores in Texas can soon begin selling merchandise with roadside service, and hospitals can resume nonessential surgeries. In Florida, people are returning to a few beaches and parks. And protesters are clamouring for more.

Governors eager to rescue their economies and feeling heat from President Donald Trump are moving to ease restrictions meant to control the spread of the coronavirus, even as new hot spots emerge and experts warn that moving too fast could prove disastrous.

Adding to the pressure are protests against stay-at-home orders organised by small-government groups and Trump supporters. They staged demonstrations on Saturday in several cities after the President urged them to "liberate" three states led by Democratic governors.

Protests happened in Republican-led states, too, including at the Texas Capitol and in front of the Indiana governor's home. Texas Governor Greg Abbott already said that restrictions will begin easing next week. Indiana Governor Eric Holcomb - who signed an agreement with six other midwestern states to co-ordinate reopening - said he would extend his stay-at-home order until May 1.
Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC) has accused the United States of giving a false account of a recent encounter between the two states' navies in the Persian Gulf, after Washington blamed Iranian vessels for harassing its ships.

"We advise Americans to follow international regulations and maritime protocols in the Persian Gulf and Sea of Oman, and avoid any adventurism and false stories," the IRGC said in a statement on its official website on April 19.

The force warned that any "miscalculation will receive a decisive response."

The U.S. Navy had said that 11 vessels from the IRGC made dangerous and harassing approaches toward U.S. naval ships in the Gulf on April 15.

The U.S. ships were in international waters carrying out exercises at the time of the incidents, according to the U.S. 5th Fleet, which is based in Bahrain.

In the IRGC's telling, its forces were on a drill and faced the unprofessional and provocative actions of the U.S. ships.

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.

With reporting by AP, AFP, and Reuters
While the pandemic proliferates across continents, so too does a global awareness of the duplicitous and insidious nature of Chinas regime. We are collectively coming to understand the magnitude of the devastation, and the Chinese Communist Partys (CCP) role in the COVID-19 outbreak, caused by the novel coronavirus, more aptly named the CCP virus.

With time on our hands under lockdown, many of us have an increasing appetite to understand how we have come to be in the situation we are in.

The following is a list of both documentaries and narrative features that shed light on the CCP, each focusing on a different aspect of the regimes reach and reign of terror.

Red Reign

I came to understand the extent of the CCPs oppression and rancid abuse of power when, in 2006, I first heard reports that the CCP was performing forced organ harvesting on its own citizens, practitioners of Falun Gong, which is a peaceful practice of mind and body. Shortly thereafter, I had the opportunity to interview David Matas, a Canadian human rights lawyer and former Nazi hunter, who was asked to investigate these allegations.

When I learned that even U.S. news agencies were bribed or threatened by the CCP to silence this story, I knew I had to make the documentary Red Reign, which came out in 2013, explaining and exposing forced organ harvesting from prisoners of conscience.

Sadly, this crime against humanity continues today and now also victimizes Uyghurs and other vulnerable peoples.

Its a Girl

Chinas now infamous policy of one child per family brought world attention to an issue that has its roots in many cultures and political systems around the world: the preference for male children and the abandonment, trafficking, and often murder of female children. Its a Girl, shot in both India and China, sheds light on this heartbreaking practice, the cultural and political systems that allow it, and the women, mothers, and daughters who have fallen victim to this abomination.



Death by China

The totalitarian regime of China has immense control over its own capitalist markets and businesses, but that influence reaches far beyond its own borders to extend its position of strength to the world economy. Based on the book Death by China: Confronting the Dragon by Peter Navarro and Greg Autry and narrated by Martin Sheen, Death by China: How America Lost Its Manufacturing Base investigates Chinas corruption of world markets through abusive trade policies and currency manipulation.

Navarro claims Chinas rise to economic strength is based in large part on illegal trade subsidies that allow it to flood the United States with cheap products, making it almost impossible for American companies to compete.

Transcending Fear: The Story of Gao Zhisheng

Written and directed by Wenjing Ma, the documentary Transcending Fear: The Story of Gao Zhisheng charts the life of one of Chinas most notable freedom fighters. From the humblest of beginnings, Gao, born in a cave, became one of Chinas top-tier attorneys, gaining the respect and admiration of the whole country. Some called him the conscience of China.

But then, in the eyes of the CCP, he went too far. After speaking out about human rights abuses, he was abducted and tortured. His life and the lives of his family members were threatened.

Gao is now a renowned freedom fighter, but he had to make the choice between a fight for justice and truth and his own life. This film uncovers the fear that sits beneath the barbarism of the CCP.

The film was released in 2015; in 2017, Gao was arrested again and has not been heard from since.

An Elephant Sitting Still

The industrial wasteland of North China forms the backdropwith its muted palette and characters often depicted in silhouettefor what many consider a classic of Chinese filmmaking, An Elephant Sitting Still. Sadly, director Hu Bo died shortly after making the film.

While there is a ray of hope at the end, Bos filmic description of the people and the place leaves no doubt that we are products of our landscape and environment. Populated by a teenage boy and his family whose lives are devoid of any real meaning or beauty, and who are given to sniping jealousies, the film gives us a window into life in the industrial North. It is a society, isolated and downtrodden, that has lost its way.

Maos Last Dancer

It seemed that Li Cunxin was destined to become a farm laborer in a destitute, small rural village in Shandong Province. But fate had another life in store for him. He was offered a chance to study at Madame Maos Beijing Dance Academy, and the rest, as the saying goes, is history.

Maos Last Dancer is the story, taken from his own memoirs, of how Li rose to become one of the worlds leading international ballet dancers. It would be the story of a dream come true if it were not for the brutal regime under which he was to study.

But Li persevered and eventually, in a cultural exchange, he was allowed to study in the United States. Upon his arrival, he was astonished at the freedom and opulence of the country, which ran directly contrary to the propaganda he had experienced his entire life under the rule of the CCP.



Candlelight Across the Street

The tender and inspiring documentary Candlelight Across the Street is about Portland Place, just off the busy shopping center of Oxford Street in London. The film tells of a building bought by the Qing Dynasty Empress Cixi, back in 1875, which now houses the Chinese Embassy to the UK.

Back in 2002, a small group of people appeared outside the Chinese Embassy, and they have been there, faithfully, in peaceful protest ever since. Who are they and why are they there, even through the coldest of winters? They take shifts to ensure someone is there 24 hours every day because, as they say, the CCP persecutes the Falun Gong practitioners 24 hours every day. This is their story.

In the Name of Confucius

Referred to as a Trojan horse, to infiltrate mainstream America and promote Chinese influence and interests abroad, the Confucius Institute (CI) had been attached, ostensibly as a Chinese-language learning facility, to as many as 1,600 college and university campuses around the world, according to the website for In the Name of Confucius.

Doris Lius award-winning documentary focuses on a former CI teacher. When Sonia Zhao, who defected and made an initial complaint about the multimillion-dollar institute, one of Canadas top 10 universities and its largest school board found themselves embroiled in a growing global controversy as scholars, parents, and officials questioned the political influence and true purpose of CI programs.

Letter From Masanjia

Julie Keith, a private citizen living in Oregon, was astonished to find a letter hidden inside a box of Halloween decorations. The letter, a desperate plea for help, had been written thousands of miles away by Sun Yi, a political prisoner working in a forced labor camp, the Masanjia Labor Camp, in China.

Sun Yis letter began an investigation that eventually led to massive labor reforms in China. This documentary, Letter From Masanjia, directed by Leon Lee and released in 2018, tells a harrowing story of desperation that led to eventual victory.

Claws of the Red Dragon

Inspired by real-life events, the narrative drama Claws of the Red Dragon depicts the political battle over global 5G-cyberspace dominance. Following the arrest for U.S. crimes, on Canadian soil, of Meng Wanzhou, who is the heiress and CFO of telecom giant Huawei, the CCP relied on its usual gangster-like tactics to get its way: It retaliated by arresting and sentencing an American in China to death; it bribed a Huawei employee to convince his journalist wife to cooperate with its propaganda; and it threatened that reporters Chinese family traveling abroadall to ruthlessly ensure its Belt and Road Initiative and succeed at taking control of Western infrastructure at any cost.

Masha Savitz is a freelance writer and filmmaker in the Los Angeles area.
The small Marin community of Bolinas is about to become one of the only towns in the world to attempt to test every resident for COVID-19.

Bolinas, population 1,600, will begin offering free tests on Monday for residents ages four and up, as well as West Marin first responders. The drive-through tests have two components. The first is a mouth and throat swab that can detect active coronavirus infections; the second is a blood test, taken via a finger prick, to look for antibodies. Neither test is mandatory, and participants can choose to do just one, if they prefer.
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:
A 139-kilometer-long expressway linking Da Nang to neighboring Quang Ngai Province, which became run-down shortly after opening, is expected to be under extensive repair through the formulation of a project.

In a report to Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc, the Ministry of Public Security (MPS) presented its findings of a serious construction mismanagement case involving the Vietnam Expressway Corporation (VEC) in the construction of the expressway.

The MPS suggested the head of government assign the Ministry of Transport to put together a council in charge of a project to repair the expressway.

Once in place, the project will make it possible for the MPS to assess construction damage caused by those individuals and organizations involved.

The four-lane expressway was developed in five years by the state-run VEC at a total cost of VND34.5 trillion (US$1.7 billion), funded by government bond sales and loans from the World Bank and the Japan International Cooperation Agency.

Many sections on the expressway are flooded since construction contractors have allegedly failed to meet design requirements. Photo: Tan Luc / Tuoi Tre

The first section connecting Da Nang to Quang Nam Provinces Tam Ky City, was opened to traffic in August 2017 and the last section, from Tam Ky to Quang Ngai Province, followed suit in September 2018.

Touted as an artery road linking major economic centers, the expressway saw numerous parts riddled with potholes, some measuring up to half a meter wide, just several weeks later.

At least nine former executives and chief contractors in connection with the Da Nang-Tam Ky section were accused of irregularities in the construction and work approval of the expressway.

Investigators alleged that contractors and inspection consultants had failed to meet technical and design criteria for the expressway, and had even flouted regulations on construction, leading to serious consequences

The VEC was previously authorized to collect tolls from vehicles traveling on the expressway for 24 years starting 2018 under the build-operate-transfer financing model, with fares ranging from VND180,000 (US$8) to VND790,000 ($34) per vehicle.

Like us on Facebook or follow us on Twitter to get the latest news about Vietnam!
May 28 order on granting citizenship not related to CAA: MHA tells SC

MHA requests CBI to probe deaths of Rosy and Samuel Sangma

Complacency, laxity has crept in: Stern warning by MHA to states on COVID-19 appropriate behaviour

Supply of non-essentials by e-commerce companies to remain suspended until May 3

India

oi-Vicky Nanjappa

New Delhi, Apr 19: Supply of non-essential goods by e-commerce companies will not be allowed during the lockdown.

While some relaxations are set to come into force after April 20 as announced by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, it has been made clear by the Ministry of Home Affairs that e-commerce sites shall not supply non-essential goods starting April 21.

In its latest order, the MHA said that e-commerce companies shall only supply essentials.

Mobiles, TVs, refrigerators to be available on e-commerce platforms from April 20

Vehicles used by e-commerce operators will be allowed to ply with necessary permissions, the MHA said. The MHA said that the supply of non-essentials by e-commerce companies remains prohibited during Lockdown 2 to fight COVID-19.

What is allowed after April 20:

All health services: Hospitals, clinics, pharmacies, pathology labs. Movement of all medical personnel, paramedic staff, ambulances.

Public utilities: Oil and gas, power, postal telecommunications and internet services.

Financial sector: Bank branches, ATMs, Banking correspondents.

Social sector: Care homes, pension services, door step delivery of food items by Anganwadi workers.

Online teaching: Use of Doordarshan and other educational channels.

Agriculture and related activity: Farming, MSP operations, notified Mandis. Supply chain of agriculture machinery, fertilisers, pesticides, seeds. Fisheries, plantations, animal husbandry.

Transportation of goods: Movement, loading, unloading of goods and cargo, both inter and intra state. Dhabas on highways and truck repair shops.

Industrial and construction activities: MNREGA works, with social distancing and face masks. Specified industries (SEZs, manufacturing units of essential goods, food processing). Construction activities in rural areas

For Breaking News and Instant Updates Allow Notifications

Story first published: Sunday, April 19, 2020, 13:36 [IST]
The present coronavirus outbreak has wreaked havoc in the world. In India too, as doctors, nurses, sanitation workers wage an uphill battle against COVID-19, thousands have lost their jobs, and in some cases do not even have a proper roof over their heads.

According to a report by Hindustan Times, the Uttarakhand police found six foreigners living in a cave on the banks of Ganga in Rishikesh's Lakshman Jhula area. Apparently, the foreigners ran out of money and resorted to seeking shelter in the cave.

After getting a tip off, the police intervened and found the group living in the cave. The group includes three men and three women. Rakendra Singh Kataith, station house officer of Lakshman Jhula police station told HT, The group includes three women and three men. Two of them hail from Ukraine and one each from Turkey, USA, France and Nepal."



Hindustan Times

The police official also added that the foreigners were living in the cave with all their belongings. He said, They were cooking their food using firewood. They brought the water from the Ganga flowing nearby. They were all brought to the police station where they said that they had shifted to the cave on March 24 after they ran out of money to pay hotel charges in Muni Ki Reti area of Rishikesh where they were staying."

Reportedly, the six people came to Rishikesh about two months ago and took shelter in the cave just before the first phase of the lockdown.

Kataith added, They have been now shifted to a quarantine centre with all required facilities. None of them have shown any symptoms of Covid-19 in the medical examination."

Tour My India (IMAGE FOR REPRESENTATIONAL PURPOSES ONLY)

According to the Uttarakhand police, around 600-700 foreigners are still stuck in Rishikesh and are trying to leave for their countries based on the arrangements made by their respective embassies.


By PTI

NEW DELHI: Air India has stopped taking bookings on all flights, said its officials, a day after Union Civil Aviation Minister Hardeep Singh Puri "advised" airlines to open bookings only after the government takes a decision on resuming passenger flights.

The minister's comment came on Saturday night, hours after the national carrier stated that it has opened bookings on select domestic flights from May 4 and on select international flights from June 1.

Amid the second phase of the coronavirus-induced lockdown, Air India officials said on Sunday: "We have stopped all forward bookings now.

"Any passenger who has booked tickets on a flight, which has been cancelled, would be getting a credit voucher for future travel."

On April 3, during the first phase of the lockdown, Air India had announced that it has stopped bookings on both domestic and international flights till April 30.

ALSO READ | Lockdown impact: After GoAir, now SpiceJet to send employees on leave without pay

A notification on Air India's website on Saturday read, "Bookings for select domestic flights for travel from May 4, 2020, and for international flights for travel from June 1, 2020, onwards are open." The notification has been removed from the website.

Private sector airlines, however, continue to take bookings May 4 onwards.

Several passengers have complained on social media that Indian airlines are not giving refunds for flights cancelled due to the coronavirus-induced lockdown and instead issuing credit vouchers for future travel.

On April 16, the Ministry of Civil Aviation stated that travellers can ask airlines for full refunds if the bookings were done during the first phase of the lockdown for travel up to May 3.

The first phase of the lockdown imposed in the country in view of the coronavirus outbreak was from March 25 to April 14.

The second phase started on April 15 and will end on May 3.

All domestic and international commercial passenger flight operations have been suspended during the lockdown period.

However, cargo flights and special flights authorised by aviation regulator DGCA have been permitted during this period.

The death toll due to COVID-19 rose to 507 and the number of cases to 15,712 in the country on Sunday, according to the Union Health Ministry.
In 1976, China experienced the Tangshan earthquake, which measured 7.5 Mw on the seismic scale. It was not the most powerful earthquake ever recorded. That honor goes to the 1960 Valdivia earthquake in Chile, which came in at 9.4-9.6 Mw. Likewise, the earthquakes that triggered the 2004 tsunami in Indonesia and the 2011 tsunami in Japan were both more powerful.

However, in terms of damage, the Tangshan earthquake was one of the most destructive earthquakes in world history. Or at least, we think it was. China was extremely cagey about the casualties. Those familiar with earthquakes and with China (building construction, population density, and historic quakes), estimated that the earthquake caused between 700,000 and 750,000 deaths. The Communist Government, though, initially admitted to only 100,000 deaths. Eventually, the government admitted to 242,769 deaths.

For many people alive today, the Tangshan earthquake was their first introduction to Communist Chinas refusal to acknowledge the scale of problems within its borders. This reluctance makes sense. If youre an all-powerful government, you cant admit that your bad policies (i.e., lousy building codes or rescue operations) led to peoples deaths. In the case of the Wuhan virus, you can't admit that you carelessly ran a viral lab, that you let a deadly virus get out of control within your borders, and that you released it outside of your borders.

From the beginning of the Wuhan virus, China has engaged in a massive cover-up. Some people believe that this cover-up proves that China engineered the virus and deliberately released it. Assuming that most things can be explained by stupidity, not malice, the greater likelihood is that Chinas cultural carelessness (regularly seen in all the crap products that come to America), when applied to a lab dealing in deadly viruses, resulted in an accidental release.

However, while the virus may have escaped the lab accidentally, everything the Chinese have done since then has been deliberate and, for that, China deserves every bit of blame heaped upon it. It deliberately covered up the viruss spread and the viruss aggressiveness. President Trump rightly says that Chinas stated infection and mortality rates are entirely unbelievable.

It's one thing for China to lie about an earthquake to save face, for the harm is limited to the country. However, to lie about an infectious disease is an order of magnitude more evil. China then took that evil up a notch by is taking advantage of the havoc it's wreaked around the world by buying up broken businesses:

Watch out for Chinese companies swooping in with buckets of cash to buy strategic stakes, or majority control in U.S. and European companies as asset prices fall due to the pandemic. NATO sounded the alarm this week, though without naming names.

Governments need to step in and stop this. It would be disastrous were China to use its carelessness and deceit to gain world economic control.

That brings us to Tucker Carlson, who did a scathing riff about Chinas lies, the price the world is paying for those lies, and the disgraceful behavior of the American media which, in thrall to Trump derangement syndrome, is buying Chinas lies wholesale and spinning them here in America:

(If you cant view the video, you can read the transcript here.)

Not only should China be banned from going bargain hunting around the world, it should be forced to compensate the world for the economic harm its caused. Seizing its assets outside of China would be a good start.
Larissa and Nick Lewis wanted to help neighbours share their home cooking when they launched their small business Cookaborough in February this year, but coronavirus changed their plans.

"We just thought 'Gosh isn't it nice to have someone else cook for you occasionally?'," Larissa says. "Then suddenly COVID-19 hit and we started getting interest from chefs that have lost their jobs and want to start up their home-cooked meal businesses, and from customers that want to support locals."

The couple shifted their plans to focus on those struggling businesses and have seen strong takeup as the coronavirus pandemic continues to change the way people live their lives, and the way they use technology.

Larissa and Nick Lewis with co-founder Lyndon Galvin started the Cookaborough platform with the idea of sharing meals among neighbours. Credit:Simon Schluter

Practising social distancing and bunkering down at home has meant a boom for food delivery giants Uber Eats and Deliveroo, streaming services such as Netflix, online retail, telehealth and remote learning, but platforms like Cookaborough that emphasise community and "supporting someone you know" are also taking off. Apps that allow users to see and speak to each other, like HouseParty and Zoom, are popular too. Zoom jumped from 10 million users a day last year to 200 million users a day across the world in March.
A surge in fighting between Burmese (also known as Myanmar) military and insurgents have killed at least 32 people, mostly women and children. The fighting took place in the restive Rakhine and Chin states, the U.N. human rights office said on April 17, adding the military had destroyed homes and schools.

The Arakan Army, an insurgent group seeking greater autonomy for the region, has been battling government troops for more than a year.

Myanmars military has been carrying out almost daily airstrikes and shelling in populated areas resulting in at least 32 deaths, and 71 injuries since 23 March, the majority women and children, and they have also been destroying, and burning schools and homes, U.N. human rights office spokesman Rupert Colville told a Geneva news briefing.

In response to a question, he said it was very difficult to get precise information from Rakhine on whether the reported casualties are the result of targeting or were caught in the crossfire between the Arakan Army and Myanmar army.

Burmas military spokesmen could not immediately be reached for comment on the report. The army has dismissed some of the accusations of civilian casualties as fabricated.

Shelling in Rakhine states Kyauk Seik village on Monday killed eight people, two local officials and a resident told Reuters. However, the army said reports that civilians in the village had been shelled were fabricated.

Countries including the United States and Britain have called for an end to fighting in Rakhine, not least to help protect vulnerable communities from the CCP (Chinese Communist Party) virus pandemic. Burma has reported 85 cases of COVID-19 and four deaths.

The Arakan Army declared a month-long ceasefire for April along with two other ethnic armed groups, citing the pandemic. The military rejected the ceasefire, with a spokesman saying a previous truce declared by the government went unheeded by insurgents.

By Stephanie Nebehay

NTD staff contributed to this report.
Absurdly Driven usually looks at the world of business with a skeptical eye and a firmly rooted tongue in cheek.

Right now, you want the revenue. Any revenue. All revenue. Every little bit of revenue that might not even be the sort of revenue you ever wanted.

That, at least, will be the attitude of many a small business.

It's understandable. Instincts are geared toward survival, not selectivity. Small businesses want to find any way through this.

Yet a small Mississippi locksmith company looked around at the effects of the Covid-19 crisis and decided to turn some business away.

SE Lock and Key, based in Jackson, quietly -- or so it thought -- sidled to Twitter and made this announcement:

We will not be providing locksmith service for evictions until further notice.

That was it. The locksmith company with a couple of thousand Twitter followers -- and the slogan Yes We Make Keys -- didn't expect the reaction.

More than 200,000 likes and 20,000 retweets rained down upon it. Not to mention thousands upon thousands of heartfelt messages.

A sample:

I think I should lock myself out of my house just to support your company!

SE Lock and Key -- and co-owner Jason Meeks -- received so many enquiries that Meeks posted a YouTube video to explain his decision.

Meeks said he wasn't refusing to do evictions that involved a risk to public safety.

He's more interested in families and individuals who have been poleaxed by the crisis:

If the sole reason that you're kicking somebody out is because they're five days late on their rent then you're just going to have to, you know as a landlord, you're just going to have to figure it out yourself.

Meeks admitted evictions aren't necessarily the main part of his company's business. It does, though, do quite some work for realtors, property managers and landlords.

However, he said:

This is a global pandemic. There's plenty of people who are out of work, obviously, who are concerned about making their rent, their mortgage payment. And with evictions, there's a big difference between kicking somebody out because they're five days late on the rent versus a public threat.

Not all evictions are the same. Most of the time, Meeks says he goes into vacant houses after tenants have left. He says he always follows the law.

He knows that people don't think he should do evictions at all. Several hundred Twitterers told him so with sometimes graphic wording.

This, though, is about basic humanity. He had messages from people who were being instantly intimidated by landlords because they hadn't paid rent on time.

So he expanded on his statement like this:

For the time being, until further notice, until people start getting back to work and being able to collect a paycheck and being able to pay, I can only hope that all of the people who rent to people and the renters themselves, I hope that you can work together as a team and try to come up with a solution. Maybe partial, maybe reduced, to try to help.

He believes his regular landlord customers will take a reasonable stance. However, he admitted:

I may have pissed off some of my own customers. It may affect our bottom line. I may lose a customer I've had for decades because of this.

Some states have already announced there'll be a freeze on evictions while the crisis continues. Meeks says he's not aware that's the case in his state. "In Mississippi we're always behind on everything," he said. In fact, in Mississippi individual cities and towns can create their own regulations.

Meanwhile, as ProPublica reported, some landlords around the country are behaving very badly.

For Meeks, his company's sudden, temporary fame may even be good for business. His attitude likely is too. If you can show a heightened awareness of the business climate, customers will surely be moved -- at least those with a heart.

Recently, I wrote about the Toronto landlord who told tenants they shouldn't pay rent -- even if they could afford it -- and that he'd even help them buy essentials, if they couldn't afford those. That hasn't been a universal attitude.

For Meeks, the whole thing carries a very simple sentiment:
Last Sunday, on the holiest day in the Christian faith, the churches were silent and empty. They were so, not by the choice of faithful, but by the unilateral decree of our governor. Governor Reynolds' proclamations prohibit a gathering of 10 or more people, regardless of reason, strike at the fundamental freedoms guaranteed to us by the First Amendment of the Constitution. The freedom of religion, the freedom to assemble, to protest or gather signatures to petition our government for a redress of grievances or go door to door to for nominating petitions have all been suspended by decree. The right to a speedy and public trial by jury has been put on hold by the governor's orders and the acquiescence of the Iowa Supreme Court. The legislature, is not meeting and seemingly has delegated all its powers to the executive branch.
Princess Sofia of Sweden is temporarily trading in her tiara for scrubs amid the coronavirus pandemic.

The Swedish royal (who married Prince Carl Philip in 2015) announced on Instagram on Thursday, April 16, that she'd gone through training and started working as a medical assistant at Sophiahemmet hospital in Stockholm to help in the fight against COVID-19. As you can see below, her ID card simply reads "Sofia." The princess is also the honorary chairperson of the hospital.

I am now placed in one of the hospitals care departments, where together with other newly trained colleagues, I support and relieve the health care staff with different tasks, Princess Sofia wrote on Instagram, explaining that her tasks will include cleaning and caring for patients.

"To have the opportunity to help in this difficult time is extremely rewarding," she concluded. "Thanks!"

So how did she get this job? Well, an emergency program allows 80 people a week to take a three-day course at Sophiahemmet University College to learn how to support medical staff. According to a hospital spokesperson, the volunteers "can disinfect equipment, do shifts in the kitchen, and clean.

Although the Sophiahemmet hospital has no confirmed coronavirus cases, it's reportedly overwhelmed due to COVID-19. In a statement on Wednesday, April 15, the royal court said, In the crisis we find ourselves in, the Princess wants to get involved and make a contribution as a voluntary worker to relieve the large workload of health care professionals.

SWEDEN-HEALTH-VIRUS-ROYALS Getty Images

Earlier this month, Miss England 2019, Bhasha Mukherjee, returned to work as a junior doctor at the Pilgrim Hospital in Boston, England. When you are doing all this humanitarian work abroad, youre still expected to put the crown on, get readylook pretty, she told CNN at the time. I wanted to come back home. I wanted to come and go straight to work.

Story continues

As news about the novel coronavirus pandemic rapidly evolves, Glamour is committed to bringing our readers accurate and up-to-date information. As a result, information in this story and others like it may be updated. For the most recent news about COVID-19, please visit the CDC, WHO, and your states Department of Health.

Originally Appeared on Glamour
DUBAI, UAE, April 19, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Hubpay is excited to announce its Seed funding round led by a leading US venture capital firm - Signal Peak Ventures. The investment raised will support the launch of Hubpay's digital wallet in the Middle East market. Managing Partner of Signal Peak Ventures, Brandon Tidwell, commented: "Hubpay represents Signal Peak's first investment in the Middle East. We recognise the enormous potential the market has and have great confidence in Hubpay's team to capitalise on this unique opportunity."

Additionally, a UAE angel investment group - the Falcon Network, is participating in Hubpay's Seed round. Falcon Network has backed a number of high impact businesses in the region.

Hubpay is in the advanced stages of the licensing process to receive a Money Services Licence in the United Arab Emirates market, enabling low cost digital remittances and international bill payment.

The UAE is the third largest market for remittances globally, with $44bn of payments made last year. The regional market is vast, with Gulf countries remittances exceeding those of the USA, and the majority of these flows going to the fastest growing mobile money markets in the world; India, Pakistan, Philippines, Bangladesh and Indonesia. The remittance channels provide a direct route to the $3trn digital wallet market across Asia.

Hubpay will address both the remittance market and the mobile money market by launching a digital wallet for both the senders and receivers.

As part of Hubpay's international strategy, Hubpay has been welcomed onto the Visa Fast Track program, enabling Hubpay to leverage Visa's payment infrastructure and further scale the business. Otto Williams, Vice President - Strategic Partnerships, Ventures and Fintechs, CEMEA at Visa said: "The Visa Fintech Fast Track program makes it easier for fintechs to partner with us and access the global Visa payments network. Channelling the payment capabilities, brand assets and expertise of Visa, with the ideas, passion and entrepreneurial spirit of fintechs, enables our continued growth. We look forward to working with Hubpay and connecting them and their solutions with our bank and merchant partners, so that innovative new commerce experiences can be delivered with scale and with pace."

Founder and CEO, Kevin Kilty, remarked: "The fintech market in the Middle East is at a turning point. A wave of new digital regulatory regimes has been launched enabling businesses like Hubpay to offer fully digital solutions to users in one of the largest remittance markets in the world. The UAE represents Hubpay's first market launch, as part of a wider strategy to offer the leading digital wallet for the remittance community across the Middle East and Asia. In a post Covid-19 world, the digitalisation of remittances will accelerate, creating better access and supporting financial inclusion for the international remittance community."

https://www.linkedin.com/company/hubpay/

Notes to Editors:

Signal Peak Ventures ( https://www.spv.com/ ) are a leading US venture capital firm, based in Salt Lake City, investing in early-stage technology companies. The Signal Peak fund invests in exceptional teams that are attacking big problems in a unique way, with the potential to transform markets and create lasting value. The firm are currently closing their latest fund, a $200m cross-sector fund.

The Falcon Network (falconnetwork.org) is an angel investment network connecting impact-driven individual investors with gifted entrepreneurs. The network enables promising start-ups, which operate in high growth markets in the Middle East, Asia and Africa, to realise their potential by providing seed capital and strategic advice.

Visa Inc are a global payments technology company working to enable consumers, businesses, banks and governments to use digital currency. Visa Fast Track speeds up the process of integrating with Visa. This allows nimble start-ups the ability to leverage the reach, capabilities, and security of the Visa network. VisaNet, the company's global payment network, helps fintechs scale more quickly. Fast Track is one part of a broader Visa strategy to support fintechs' growth and development globally. In addition to Fast Track, Visa is consistently engaging with the fintech community through a variety of strategic initiatives and programs.

Remittance Data see Central Bank of the UAE: https://www.centralbank.ae/en

Photo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/1157081/Hubpay_Infographic.jpg

info@hubpay.ae
21:54

The Punjab government on Sunday said it will not relax the lockdown till May 3 and any decision on the way forward will be taken after an expert committee set up to formulate state's lockdown exit plan submits its report.

Chief Minister Amarinder Singh has directed deputy commissioners to ensure strict enforcement of the curfew in all districts and check availability of essential items, according to a government statement.

He also asked officials to not issue curfew passes during the month of Ramzan, which begins next week.

Amid concerns that hygiene conditions in mandis were not up to the mark, Singh has also ordered a health audit of these centres, where 185 lakh metric tonnes of wheat is expected to arrive till June, when the procurement will come to an end.

This will infuse around Rs 35,000 crore, including the cash credit limit payment of Rs 26,000 crore received from the Centre, into the state economy, thus giving it the much-needed support for fighting the COVID-19 battle effectively.

He asked deputy commissioners to take firm steps to ensure that there is no crowding at grocery stores and other shops selling essentials and all norms of social distancing are strictly adhered to.

According to an official spokesperson, the chief minister has made it clear that all efforts at the moment should be focused on saving lives.

Any decision on the way forward will be taken after May 3, taking into account the situation prevailing then and the report of an expert committee set up to formulate the state's lockdown exit strategy. The committee is expected to submit its report this week. -- PTI
HAMILTON  Mayor Jeff Martin is leading by example.

As Hamilton Township fights the COVID-19 pandemic, Martin is wearing a surgical mask in public and providing private-sector workers with protective equipment.

The township has purchased 12,000 surgical masks  paying $9,000 or 75 cents per mask  and we are in the process of trying to secure more as well, Martin said Saturday in an interview with The Trentonian.

The township distributed a number of surgical masks to Hamilton Continuing Care nursing home, area restaurants and the Marriott Residence Inn off Route 130 because the long-stay hotel has a lot of doctors and nurses staying there, Martin said. The hotel staff then need to have masks.

The township further delivered surgical masks to a Patient First urgent care facility in Hamilton and is interested in giving some of the protective equipment to Hamiltons 55-and-up community, according to Martin, a Democrat who took office Jan. 1.

We are really trying to figure out the best way to distribute them on a bigger scale, Martin said of the surgical masks.

Hamilton Township had 476 total positive cases of COVID-19 as of Saturday afternoon and 31 Hamiltonians have died from the disease to date, according to township data.

This is unprecedented, Councilman Charles Chuddy Whalen said Saturday of COVID-19s impact to business and public health. There is no rehearsal for something like this. There is no booklet on how you react to a crisis like this, so this is probably a learning curve for everyone.

Whalen, a Democrat appointed to the governing body, has used campaign funds to benefit first responders impacted by the pandemic, he said.

Four Hamilton firefighters and two Ewing police officers who were away from their families and self-quarantined at a Robbinsville hotel received a nice meal from Mamma Giacominas restaurant in Hamilton Square thanks to Whalens campaign.

I put that money to good use, he said. It was well-spent.

Whalen, who also serves as assistant business manager of Plumbers and Pipefitters Local 9, used his union connections to obtain several dozen N95 masks, donating some to the Rusling Hose Fire Co., he said.

I think everybody is doing their part, Whalen added. As a community, you try to reach out to show them we are here, we care.

Hamilton Township official Fred Dumont, the Martin administrations director of community and economic development, also has taken steps to help protect essential workers from COVID-19.

Dumont obtained two boxes of Tyvek suits and provided some of the protective gear to the Hamilton Continuing Care Center, he told The Trentonian on Saturday.

Hamilton Continuing Care Center reached out to us, Dumont explained. They were running out of those surgical gowns and I reached out to my labor union, Insulators Local 89, and they provided two boxes of Tyvek suits normally used in asbestos abatement. We were able to donate them to the nursing home, and that should keep them going for a while.

Dumont is the retired business manager of Hamilton-based Insulators and Allied Workers Local 89. Martin appointed him in January to serve as a township cabinet director.

Martin said he is really proud of how our residents and how our businesses have responded to the coronavirus public health emergency.

Salvona Technologies LLC on Kuser Road, for example, gifted Hamilton Township with 400 bottles of hand sanitizer on Friday to give to first responders and other essential workers, Martin said.
Grieving relatives and friends paid tribute to lost loved ones on Saturday night as at least 15 more brave frontline staff died during Britains coronavirus epidemic.

Among them was NHS hospital manager Julianne Cadby, 49, who died just days after losing her mother Joan, 84, to the virus. Her husband Chris, 43, was battling for his life on a ventilator on Saturday night, amid fears the couples only child Evan, seven, could lose both parents.

A hospital became the first in Britain to lose two nurses to the pandemic on Saturday. Wilma Banaag, 63, died two weeks after the Mail on Sunday revealed 23-year-old John Alagos had collapsed at home with a temperature.

Both died at Watford General hospital after treating Covid-19 patients. Mrs Banaag, a mother-of-three, came to the UK from the Philippines in 2001 and had worked on the croxley Ward for 11 years.

Julianne Cadby, 49, died just days after losing her mother Joan, 84, to the virus. Her husband Chris, 43, was battling for his life on a ventilator on Saturday night, amid fears the couples only child Evan, seven, could lose both parents

Gilbert Barnedo, 48, died of Covid-19. He was already suffering from multiple sclerosis, but still managed to work as a nurse. Originally from the Phillipines, he leaves behind a wife and two young daughters

Steven Pearson, 51, of Cramlington, Northumberland, died within days of showing coronavirus symptoms. HE was a mental health staff nurse working on the front line in Cumbria

FIRST POLICE OFFICER DIES OF COVID-19 A charismatic kind and thoughtful Detective constable has become the first serving police officer to die from coronavirus. Father-of-three John Coker, 53, from London, had worked for the British transport Police for more than ten years and was based at Euston station. He was taken ill on march 22 with symptoms of the killer bug. After his health deteriorated, he was taken to hospital and transferred to an intensive care unit where he died on Friday night. British transport Police chief constable Paul Crowther said: my thoughts are with Johns family, for whom the last three weeks have been incredibly difficult and who will be struggling to deal with this most distressing outcome. 'Local colleagues have been in constant contact with Johns wife and will pass on the heartfelt condolences of us all. 'My thoughts are also with the many officers and staff who worked alongside John, as we each come to terms with this truly awful news. 'His colleagues remember a man who was charismatic, kind and thoughtful and took everything in his stride. he will be greatly missed by all in the force. Advertisement

Husband Kuya Jun, from Watford, said: she was very caring and compassionate.

Nurse Gilbert Barnedo became the 14th Filipino health worker to lose his battle with the virus.

The 48-year-old was rushed to hospital with pneumonia last Saturday and died. mr Barnedo, from Hammersmith, West London, suffered with multiple sclerosis but continued to work on the frontline. his family were devastated.

Meanwhile, Gaily Catalla who worked in the NHS as a nurse for 38 years also died of suspected corona-virus symptoms.

Friend Mary Arimas said: she was a fierce front-liner who fought until the very end.

Dr Rajesh Kalraiya, 69, a consultant paediatrician who lived in York and worked in the NHS for 40 years, became the latest doctor to die.

Dr Kalraiya was working as a locum in Romford, Essex, when he fell ill and was rushed to the towns Queens hospital and died on Thursday.

Dr Mamoona Rana, 46, from Buckhurst hill, Essex, a trainee psychiatrist at the same NHS trust, also succumbed to the virus. The trust paid tribute to both professional and committed doctors.

Mother-of-one Sonya Kaygan, a 26-year-old Turkish-Cypriot care worker, died at a residential home in Enfield, North London.

Her mother, Ayse Mehmet, described her as a most beautiful angel.

Marcia Pryce, 61, who worked in GMPOs Force Intelligence Bureau, sadly passed away on 2 April after a battle with coronavirus

Dr Rajesh Kalraiya, a consultant paediatrician, was working as a locum in Romford, Essex, when he fell ill and was rushed to the towns Queens hospital and died on Thursday

Gaily Catalla who worked in the NHS as a nurse for 38 years also died of suspected corona-virus symptoms

Mental health staff nurse Steven Pearson, 51, from Cramlington, Northumberland, died just days after showing coronavirus symptoms, leaving his heartbroken wife, Annie, and two daughters Rebecca, 26, and Bethany, 20.

Gordon Ballard, from East London, a paramedic for 42 years, died of the virus on Thursday.

A London Ambulance spokesman said: he will be greatly missed. And it was revealed Marcia Pryce, 61, from Greater Manchester Police, died on April 2. She had been with the force for two decades.

Linda Clarke, 66, a community midwife at royal Albert Edward infirmary in Wigan, has also died.
Many residents have lost their jobs during the coronavirus pandemic  with deep job losses among housekeepers, home health aides, hotel employees, restaurant servers and childcare workers.

A lot of hardworking people have found themselves out of work  and very quicky out of money  as the outbreak deepens.

Help-A-Neighbor, a new emergency drive, was created to help these residents who are cannot pay for rent, food and utilities.

The Stamford Advocate and Greenwich Time are working with Family Centers, Person-to-Person, Domus and Building One Community, four nonprofit agencies that serve many of the most vulnerable members of the community in creating and administering this fund.

In the weeks to come, we will publish stories about neighbors in crisis. Included with each story will be an estimated dollar amount to meet their needs. The agencies will channel 100 percent of donations to the clients.

Family Centers provides human service programs to more than 20,000 residents in Stamford, Greenwich, New Canaan and Darien.

Person-to-Person serves those communities as well as Norwalk, Wilton, Weston and Westport. Among other things, it provides food and clothing to families in need.

Domus provides services for at-risk youth, and Building One Community delivers assistance to immigrants. Both are based in Stamford.

To donate, go to helpaneighbor.isecuresites.com.

Here are the stories of some of our neighbors in need:

Case No. 61  70-year-old Eden lives off her Social Security check. To bring in extra income, she babysits for family and friends. With the coronavirus pandemic, the parents have decided to stop having Eden care for their children because she is vulnerable to the virus. Eden is grateful for their concerns, but she depends on that income to cover her household expenses. A gift of $300 is needed at this difficult time.

Case No. 62  The mother of two children, Nancy works as a home health aide and earns a small check each week. Because of the social distancing policy in place, her hours with her sick elderly patients have been cut drastically. She now must cover all her living expenses with less income. A gift of $400 would be a huge help.

Case No. 63  Penny is a single parent who is isolating with COVID-19 symptoms. She has two children and custody of her 13-year-old brother. She cannot work and is struggling with her employer to obtain paid sick leave. At the moment she is concerned about rent, food and baby supplies for her infant child. A gift of $500 would be a big help.

Case No. 64  Abby is a single adult who lives in one room and was recently laid off from her housekeeping jobs due to the coronavirus outbreak. She is not eligible for unemployment benefits and is worried about rent and food. A gift of $500 would help see her through for a month.

Case No. 65  This family has six members who live together in a small apartment. Since the pandemic, only two adults are working and each for just one day per week. They are concerned about paying for basic needs at this time. A gift of $500 would help with rent and to buy items that SNAP does not cover.

Case No. 66  Fran and her husband have tried hard to maintain a stable life for their three children, but both have been laid off recently due to COVID-19. They work in assisted living facilities and cannot return to work right now. As a result, they are unable to pay their rent this month. A grant of $500 would allow them to stay in their home, while they search for more opportunities.

Case No. 67  Maira was laid off from her full-time job at the Crown Plaza Hotel along with other employees until further notice due to the coronavirus. Maira is the only one in her family that brings in an income. Her husband suffers with deep depression and is unable to work. Her oldest, a college student, helps out with part-time babysitting, but she has not been able to collect a check. Maira is unable to collect unemployment. A grant of $500 would allow her to keep her house heated.

Case No. 68  Tracy is married with three children. She was working at a restaurant and her husband was working at a hotel, until they were both laid off due to COVID-19. They are now struggling to pay their bills -- especially the upcoming rent -- and are worried about remaining in their home during this crisis. A grant of $1,000 would allow them to pay their rent and focus on staying healthy.

Case No. 69  Linda has worked at a Stamford restaurant as a server for many years. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic and social distancing requirements, Linda is now out of work. She does not have any additional money coming in, and cannot file for unemployment. A grant of $500 would help her pay her rent during this difficult time.

Case No. 70  Alice and her husband, who live in Stamford with their two sons, have both lost their jobs at different hotels due to COVID-19. They are worried about making ends meet. They were able to set up an arrangement with the landlord for rent, but they are concerned about their utility bill. A grant of $997.45 would help them pay this bill and allay some of their anxieties.
Over the past fortnight, $750 stimulus cheques started to arrive in the bank accounts of 6.5 million Australians. Using real-time economic data, we can already rate the success of the stimulus in fighting the economic downturn. The short answer is that the cash handouts did their job at boosting consumer spending quite well, but we may need more support for households before this crisis is over.

Economic stimulus packages are scored on three criteria: quality, impact and speed. The art is in managing the trade-offs among these objectives.

Scott Morrison announced stimulus measures to help keep the economy moving. Credit:Alex Ellinghausen

In a perfect world, stimulus funds would be spent on high-quality projects that improve the nation over the long term, like roads, rail lines, schools and other infrastructure. The problem with these worthy projects is that they take a long time to get started.
Two more people have died from COVID-19 in Winona County, bringing the total of deaths to 10 in the county, the Minnesota Department of Health confirmed Sunday.

Additionally, four more county residents have been diagnosed with COVID-19, increasing the total to 61 cases in Winona County as of Sunday.

No health officials have released additional information specific to these latest deaths and new cases.

It was confirmed by Winona Community Services Director Karen Sanness that the first eight deaths were connected to a congregate care facility.

The only congregate care facility with COVID-19 cases in the county is Sauer Health Care, as of last week, according to state officials.

Sanness also said that the first 57 cases were all due to community spread.

Ages of these 57 patients ranged from 18 to 104.

In Minnesota, 2,356 people have tested positive for COVID-19, with 134 having died and 1,160 no longer needing to be isolated.

Of the states positive cases, 574 people have needed to be hospitalized, with 228 remaining in hospitals as of Sunday.

For daily Minnesota COVID-19 situation updates, visit www.health.state.mn.us/diseases/coronavirus/situation.html.

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.
DECATUR  Decatur health professionals are underscoring that people who have medical problems shouldn't avoid going to the emergency room out of fear of getting the coronavirus.

Hospital systems across the country are reporting steep declines in non-COVID-19 visits as the pandemic has gone on, prompting speculation that people are nervous about going to ERs.

Dr. Ted Clark, Decatur Memorial Hospitals chief medical officer, said an example might be someone with chest pains avoiding calling an ambulance or going to the hospital.

The possibility of suffering a heart attack is one example of something you would not want to delay, he said.

He said the hospital is still getting the normal health emergencies like broken bones and heart attacks, and there are various safeguards in place to identify COVID-19 symptoms. Patients experiencing signs of the virus, even those in the emergency unit, are separated. Health screenings occur in a tent outdoors to keep a fresh airflow, Clark said.

People will still suffer trauma from other sources and for that reason, we separate the patients, Clark said.

Hospitals also have reduced or canceled elective surgeries to make room for coronavirus patients, which has presented various financial issues nationally. The Illinois Health and Hospital Association estimates that hospitals statewide could now be losing about $1.4 billion a month.

Congress signed the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act into law on March 27, providing financial support to hospitals across the country. But it is unclear when the pandemic will end and how much more money might be needed to keep medical facilities operational.

HSHS St. Marys Hospital spokesman Brad Ochiltree in a statement said they've also seen "an overall decline in the use of our health care services due to the suspension of elective procedures and impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic."

Said Ochiltree: "However, patients and families can count on our hospitals and colleagues to help them with any emergent need or health care concern. We remain fully committed to taking the necessary steps that are essential to protect the quality of care for our patients and the safety of all."

Voluntary furloughs are being offered to HSHS St. Marys Hospital employees and executives are taking salary reductions of up to 30% as a result of the decline.

A spokesperson for Memorial Health System, which includes Decatur Memorial Hospital, said the health system was among organizations across the country that have experienced "unprecedented financial pressures."

Clark said officials will have to take a careful look at finances once the pandemic has passed, and adjustments would need to be made.

Said Clark: "Some call coronavirus a war. Weve got a war going, but weve got all of these soldiers out of work.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

Contact Analisa Trofimuk at (217) 421-7985. Follow her on Twitter: @AnalisaTro
DAR ES SALAAM  Tanzanias Ministry of Health has announced 29 new COVID-19 cases, today Wednesday April 15.

This has raised the number of cases confirmed in the country to 88. 4 deaths have also been confirmed.

Health minister Ummy Mwalimu said in a statement on Wednesday that the 29 were confirmed positive during tests that were conducted on Tuesday, April 14 and Wednesday, April 15, 2020.

All the patients are Tanzanian nationals whereby 26 are in Dar es Salaam, two are in Mwanza while one is in Kilimanjaro, said Ms. Mwalimu noting that while the patients were under treatment, the task of looking for those that they had come into contact with has already started.

Earlier in the day, Ms Mwalimus counterpart for the Revolutionary Government of Zanzibar, Mr Hamad Rashid Mohammed, announced six new Covid-19 cases in the Isles, saying one of them (of the six) had died.

According to Ms Mwalimu, 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.

The minister further urged Tanzanians to observe the directives by the health ministry such as social distancing and to avoid unnecessary congregation.

On Easter Sunday, Tanzania Civil Aviation Authority announced a suspension of all international passenger flights due to the coronavirus pandemic.

Cargo flights are exempt from the suspension, but crew members will be quarantined at Tanzania government facilities during their stay, the TCAA said.

President John Magufuli in a televised announced that the country will not be closing its borders due to humanitarian concerns, as the closure would impact land-locked countries in the region dependent on its ports.

Elsewhere in East Africa Uganda on Tuesday reported its 55 case, Rwandas infections stand at 137, whereas Kenya has 225 confirmed cases of coronavirus.

Related
The remaining passengers of a coronavirus-hit cruise ship that spent two weeks stranded off the coast of Uruguay will be evacuated to the United States, the US Embassy said Tuesday. Nearly 25 passengers and around 80 crew members remain on the ship Greg Mortimer after 110 Australians and New Zealanders left Uruguay Saturday on a charter flight taking them home. The ship had spent more than two weeks off the port of Montevideo with more than 200 people aboard, among whom more than 100 cases of coronavirus infection were detected. The US Embassy said in a statement Tuesday that the passengers still on the ship, including six US citizens, will be flown to the United States on a plane fitted with medical equipment. The flight is being organized by the cruise ship's owner, Aurora Expeditions. The plane was scheduled to land Tuesday in Montevideo and then leave for Miami Wednesday, weather permitting, the statement said. The non-US passengers will stop over in Miami and then take medevac flights to their countries. To get the passengers from the ship to the Montevideo airport, a "sanitary corridor" will be created so as to ensure safe transport of people exposed to the virus. The same procedure was followed with the Australians and New Zealanders, too. The crew of the Greg Mortimer will remain in quarantine on the ship. The ship had been on an expedition to Antarctica, South Georgia and Elephant Island when the adventure was called off on March 20 due to the nearest South American countries -- Argentina and Chile -- closing their borders and imposing lockdowns. The ship traveled to Montevideo as it was the nearest port still open. It had been anchored in the Rio de la Plata, 20 kilometers from the coast since March 27. The COVID-19 coronavirus-stricken Australian liner Greg Mortimer in Montevideo's port
Source: Xinhua| 2020-04-19 12:20:04|Editor: huaxia

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KUNMING, April 19 (Xinhua) -- Some 1,000 people were mobilized to put out the fire that raged a forest in southwest China's Yunnan Province, fire police said Sunday.

The fire was spotted at 1:30 p.m. Saturday in the forest range of Xingwen Village, Yulong County, under the city of Lijiang, according to the forest fire police of the city.

As of 9:30 a.m. Sunday, the northern and western edges of the fire had been contained, and firefighters were battling to put out the fire in the southern edge. Helicopters were expected to join in the fight as the fire spread to the cliffside. Enditem
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Linkedin Jason Gale and Stephanie Baker (Bloomberg)  Sun, April 19, 2020 07:07 633 fc6853813033f564188675f8bd2c857f 2 Health coronavirus,COVID-19,vaccine,health,Oxford,pandemic Free

A coronavirus vaccine trial by University of Oxford researchers aims to get efficacy results by September, and manufacturing is already underway.

A team led by Sarah Gilbert, a professor of vaccinology, has recruited 500 volunteers from the ages of 18 to 55 for the early- and mid-stage randomized controlled trial. It will be extended to older adults and then to a final stage trial of 5,000 people. Gilbert said that the timing is ambitious but achievable.

We would hope to have at least some doses that are ready to be used by September, she said in an interview. There wont be enough for everywhere by then, but the more manufacturing we can do starting from now, then the more doses there will be.

Volunteers to take part in the trial have been abundant, she said, and its no longer accepting new subjects.

Gilbert, whose research on vaccines began at the University of Oxford in 1994, was awarded a 2.2 million pound ($2.8 million) grant from the UKs National Institute for Health Research and U.K. Research and Innovation in March to scale up her teams efforts to move into COVID-19 vaccine research.

The groups experimental immunization is among the first to enter clinical trials. The World Health Organization counts 70 vaccine candidates in development, with three others in human testing. They are from CanSino Biological Inc. and the Beijing Institute of Biotechnology; Inovio Pharmaceuticals Inc.; and Moderna Inc. along with the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases.

Gilberts trial divides 510 participants into five groups that will be observed for about six months with the option for a follow-up visit about a year after entering the trial. One group will receive a second intramuscular shot of the vaccine four weeks after the initial immunization.

The research aims to determine the efficacy, safety and immunogenicity of the candidate vaccine, named ChAdOx1 nCoV-19. A vaccine against meningococcal disease will be given to participants who will be randomly chosen for control purposes.

Read also: Coronavirus vaccine could be ready in six months: Times

Overseas partners?

ChAdOx1 nCoV-19 is a so-called recombinant viral vector vaccine. Its made from a harmless virus thats been altered to produce the surface spike protein of the pandemic-causing SARS-CoV-2 virus.

The vaccine acts by priming the immune system to recognize and attack the coronavirus, stimulating a T-cell response. It uses the same technology as a shot Gilberts team previously developed for the related MERS coronavirus. That vaccine appeared to be safe in animal and early-stage human testing, giving confidence for the coronavirus version.

Were doing safety testing, Gilbert said, but were not concerned.

Gilberts team has used the same technology for about 10 different vaccines, she said. The challenge that now arises is testing the vaccine even as virus infection rates vary.

Its going to be complicated trying to determine vaccine efficacy when the virus transmission in different places is going up and then going down again, she said. The trial has to be set up in the right place at the right time and thats very hard to predict. Thats why were planning to do multiple trials in multiple countries.

Another hurdle is money.

We have some funding but we dont have all of it yet, she said. You cant just go and start manufacturing at large scale. You have to put a lot of things in place and thats what were trying to do at the moment. Its in the order of tens of millions of pounds.

The WHO is creating a forum for everyone developing COVID-19 vaccines to share their plans and initial findings, according to Gilbert.

Work is continuing at a very fast pace, she told the Lancet medical journal, and I am in no doubt that we will see an unprecedented spirit of collaboration and cooperation, convened by WHO, as we move towards a shared global goal of COVID-19 prevention through vaccination.
One lakh COVID- 19 rapid testing kits reached Andhra Pradesh from South Korea. Even AP CM Jagan Mohan Reddy was tested declared negative for COVID-19 with the same kit. The new imported kits can declare the results of suspected patients within 10 minutes. Jagan Mohan Reddys government is praised all over india for this step but it has paid a high cost for the kits, where as the adjacent state of Chattisgarh imported the same kits for half the amount of Andhra Pradesh paid. So the opposition parties suspect the scam in the imports of COVID-19 kits from South Korea.

Chattisgarh Health Minister TS Singh Deo tweeted that they have imported 75 thousand kits from South Korea one kit per 337. The question is why Andhra government imports COVID-19 kits rapid testing kit for 730 rupees each. The price is almost double. It is said that government ordered for 2 lakh such kits, and one lakh were already handed over to Govt by South Korean Company.

The BJP state unit Chief Kanna Lakshminarayana expressed doubt that there is a scam in it and commissions changed hands in this episode. Statement of Lanka Dinakar, BJP Leader is like this: After observing the personal financial benefits to their well wishers of YSRCP supremo Jagan Mohan Reddy from the imports of Corona Testing Kits from South Korea, the question arises that is the Jagan Mohan Reddy led Andhra Pradesh Government searching financial opportunities in the Corona threat ? Nobody can deny the need of huge extent of Corona Testing Kits due to 11 Districts have been identified as Red Zone by the Union Government and it should be welcomed undoubtedly. But there is a fact that each Corona Testing kit worth Rs 337/- + GST as observed the price has been declared by the Chattisgarh Government and same lot has imported from the South Korea for Andhra Pradesh also, Whereas surprisingly Andhra Pradesh Government had paid almost double of the price had been offered for Chattisgarh for each Corona Testing kit. We are condemning strongly these kind of untransparent and unethical approach of the Andhra Pradesh Government. When entire world fighting against Corona, well wishers of the Jagan Mohan Reddy are running for Commissions as they are treating fighting against Corona is their financial benefits through the system.

Also Read: Andhra Pradesh opposition leader Chandrababu Naidu says only technology can save world from all disease

The government of Andhra Pradesh has denied any scam in the imports of corona virus testing kits. It said that a malicious campaign is being run that AP procured rapid kits at around 1200 Rs. AP got the kits at around 700 Rs. Final prices are being negotiated. Appropriate legal action will be initiated against such false information. But so many are questioning that how negotiations will be held after the kits arrived Andhra Pradesh and soon distributed to the districts for testing the suspects.

Also Read: Coronavirus outbreak: Andhra Pradesh government revamps government hospitals with Rs 16,000 crore

Some people raised the questions like is test kits from Korea have high false reports in that nation itself. The government is to answer all these questions. It is suspected that due to middle men the the price of the kits raised. The Chattisgarh Government has been in touch and got the kits for cheaper price. The Government of Andhra Pradesh need to clarify many doubts like the Ceasars wife must be above suspicion.

Also Read: Chandrababu Naidu expresses shock over Andhra Pradeshs move to hold local body elections

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In just about 24 hours after actor Ajaz Khan of Big Boss fame was booked and arrested for promoting enmity between two groups and for waging war against the country on Saturday, Khar police officials dropped the stringent section 121 of the Indian Penal Code against the actor.

Khar police officials informed a magistrates court that they had initially added the section based on the complaint filed by a local resident but investigations into the case found the section 121 of IPC was not applicable, and hence was dropped.

According to Khar police, Khan, who is still in police custody, made objectionable comments on Facebook live following which he was called to the police station on April 18 for inquiry and was later arrested. Khar police had booked him under sections 153A (Promoting enmity between different groups), 121 (Waging, or attempting to wage war, or abetting waging of war, against the Government of India), 117 (Abetting commission of offence by the public or by more than ten persons), 188 (Disobedience to order duly promulgated by public servant), 501 (Printing or engraving matter known to be defamatory), 504 (Intentional insult with intent to provoke breach of the peace) and 505(2) (Statements creating or promoting enmity, hatred or ill will between classes) of the Indian Penal Code.

Gajanan Kabdule, senior inspector, Khar police station, said, We booked him under section 121 IPC as the complainant had mentioned the section in his complaint. But after our initial investigation we found that this section was not applicable so we informed the court when produced him, said Kabdule.

Khar police told the court that they wanted to investigate why he had posted the video, and who were the people behind him. While his advocate Nazneen Khatri opposed the custodial interrogation, the court remanded Khan to the custody of Khar police till April 24.
The company called on state and federal authorities to increase access to personal protective equipment and aggressively increase testing capabilities, Bauer Luce said in an email. Thats why Symphony believes it is so important to get more testing across the board  so there is a full accounting of the spread.
Fukuoka Prefectural Police have arrested Airi Taniguchi, a former member of idol group HKT48, over the alleged possession of marijuana, reports the Sankei Shimbun (Apr. 16).

At around 10:45 a.m. on March 26, Taniguchi, 21, was allegedly in possession of 0.025 grams of marijuana inside her familyas residence in Fukuoka Cityas Chuo Ward.

aIt was in the shoulder bag that my boyfriend left behind about six months ago,a the suspect was quoted by the Nishi Police Station. aI thought it might be marijuana.a

During a search of the room that Taniguchi was using, police also found rolling paper and utensils for smoking marijuana.

The search took place as a part of a separate investigation. In January, police arrested Taniguchias boyfriend on suspicion of confinement and inflicting injury. Investigators also found marijuana inside his residence.

Police are now seeking to learn how Taniguchi and her boyfriend obtained the contraband.

In 2011, Taniguchi, a native of Fukuoka Prefecture, auditioned for HKT48, an affiliate group of AKB48. After joining Team H, she left the group in 2012.
One of the "Old Faithful" of the annual meteor showers will be reaching its peak this week: the April Lyrids.

The 2020 Lyrid meteor shower this week coincides with the new moon, meaning that there will be absolutely no lunar interference with getting a good view of these celestial streakers. Lyrid meteors may be seen any night through April 25; they are above a quarter of their maximum in numbers for about 2.5 days of this time.

On their peak night, which occurs overnight on Tuesday (April 21) and into the early hours of Wednesday (April 22), as many as 10 to 20 meteors per hour may be visible under dark, clear skies. The peak usually lasts for just a few hours. In 2020, according to the Observer's Handbook of the Royal Astronomical Society of Canada , predicts this year's maximum occurring at 2 a.m. EDT (0600 GMT), which is considered to be good-to-excellent timing for observers across much of North America.

Of course, fewer meteors will be seen from locations hindered by bright lights or obstructions that block parts of the sky. In their book "Observe Meteors" published by the Astronomical League, authors David Levy and Stephen Edberg note of the Lyrids that, "... of the annual meteor showers, this is the first one that really commands attention, one for which you can organize a shower observing party with significant chance of success."

Related: Lyrid meteor shower 2020: When, where & how to see it

More: The most amazing Lyrid meteor shower photos of all time

Where to look and how to prepare

The Lyrid meteor shower of 2020 will have a period of activity from April 16 to April 30. It peaks on the night of April 21-22. The shower's radiant is located at the center of this stellar map, in the constellation Lyra. (Image credit: Starry Night

The paths of these meteors, if extended backward, seem to diverge from a spot in the sky about 7 degrees southwest (to the lower right) of the brilliant blue-white star Vega in the little constellation Lyra (hence the name "Lyrids"). Your clenched fist held at arm's length covers roughly 10 degrees of the sky. The radiant point is actually on the border between Lyra and the adjacent dim, sprawling constellation Hercules . Vega appears to rise from the northeast around 9 p.m. your local time, but by 4 a.m., it has climbed to a point in the sky nearly overhead. You might want to lie down on a long lounge chair where you can get a good view of the sky.

Bundle up too, for while it won't be a cold as on a midwinter's night, nights in April can still be quite chilly. In fact, the current national weather forecast is indicating predawn temperatures on Wednesday at or below freezing across the Northeast US and Great Lakes states, as well as parts of the northern and central Rockies.

Comet "garbage"

Snap a Meteor Photo? (Image credit: Mark Lissick/Wildlight Nature Photography) Send photos, videos, comments and your name and observing location to spacephotos@space.com for a potential story or gallery!

While seldom a rich display like the August Perseids or December Geminids, the April Lyrids have been described as "brilliant and fairly fast."

About 20 to 25 percent of them tend to leave a lingering incandescent trail behind it for a few moments. Their orbit strongly resembles that of Comet Thatcher which swung past us during the spring of 1861. There is no chance that anyone living today will see this comet when it returns to the inner solar system, as it isn't expected to swing by Earth again until the year 2276. However, the dusty material left behind by this "cosmic litterbug" along its orbit, produces an annual display of meteors in late April.

In the year 1867, Professor Edmond Weiss in Vienna noticed that the orbit of Comet Thatcher seemed to nearly coincide with the Earth around April 20 and later that same year, astronomer Johann Gottfried Galle confirmed the link between this comet and the Lyrids. Thus, the Lyrids are this comet's legacy: The meteors that we see from this display are the tiny particles that were shed by the comet on previous visits through the inner solar system.

Occasional flare-ups

Astrophotographer Jeff Berkes captured this Lyrid meteor in the marshlands of southern Maryland on April 14, 2013. The 2020 Lyrid meteor shower will peak overnight on April 21-22, 2020. (Image credit: Jeff Berkes

There are a number of historic records of meteor displays believed to be Lyrids, notably in 687 B.C. and 15 B.C. in China, and in 1136 in Korea when "many stars flew from the northeast," according to one account.

On April 20, 1803, many townspeople in Richmond, Virginia were roused from bed by a fire alarm and were able to observe a very rich display between 1 and 3 o'clock. The meteors "seemed to fall from every point in the heavens, in such numbers as to resemble a shower of skyrockets."

In 1922, an unexpected Lyrid hourly rate of 96 was recorded and in 1982 several observers in Florida and Colorado noted rates of 90 to 100 on April 22 of that year. Lyrids give no clues as to when another such outburst might happen, hence the shower is always one to watch. Here's something to look forward to: Peter Jenniskens in his tome " Meteor Showers and Their Parent Comets " predicts the next Lyrid outbursts might happen in 2040 and 2041.

Meanwhile, if your sky is clear early Wednesday before sunrise and if youre in a sporting mood, why not head outside and try to catch a few shooting stars? Good luck!

Editor's note: If you snap a great photo Lyrid meteor shower that you'd like to share for a possible story or image gallery, send photos, comments and your name and observing location to spacephotos@space.com.

Joe Rao serves as an instructor and guest lecturer at New York's Hayden Planetarium . He writes about astronomy for Natural History magazine , the Farmers' Almanac and other publications. Follow us on Twitter @Spacedotcom and on Facebook
News of the shortage of personal protective equipment and, among other supplies, rubbing alcohol, has prompted Peter Sgro to reach out to friends and contacts to see what he could do.

He's finalizing the details with donors and manufacturers to bring 1,000 isolation gowns to Guam, 900 of which will go to Guam Memorial Hospital and the remaining 100 will go to the Archdiocese of Agana.

"I'm just hoping they don't get confiscated," he said.

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Sgro is referring to a recent directive from the Department of Public Health and Social Services to the Guam Customs and Quarantine Agency regarding tracking inbound shipments of PPE, medical equipment and other supplies. A form provided to local businesses notes that these items can be confiscated if the government needs them for the current COVID-19 public health emergency. Public Health officials have said they're just trying to keep track of the items for now.

There were more than 3,000 test kits recently procured by a local company. During the Friday press conference, media asked if they were confiscated.

Medical operations and logistics coordinator Fernando Estevez, of the Guam National Guard, who was at the press conference, said the test kits were "brought by the wholesaler because of the concern that the test kits were not FDA-approved."

He said the seller gave the local wholesaler assurances that the test kits were approved by the Food and Drug Administration, however, it was the FDA for the Philippines and not the U.S.

"The intent is not for confiscation for our internal use, it's for the safety of the health care community and public at large to ensure they have quality products," Esteves said.

He said he is making himself available to the business community, so as businesses may want to purchase items, he'll be able to provide guidelines they can use to ensure they understand what they're purchasing.

Working with the government to help

Sgro said he is working with GMH in the hopes that the hospital connection will stave off any possible confiscation of these gowns and one other supply item he's working to bring in, rubbing alcohol. He said there's a huge gap and he's only trying to help fill it.

"Just recently we had an incident when a priest was administering last rites at the hospital ... and there was a concern that he may have ... caught coronavirus," Sgro said.

Sgro heard about the incident and started asking around. He said he learned that Mercy Nuns also need the PPE. And then he heard of the shortage affecting health care professionals at the public hospital.

Last week, local officials confirmed that 19 health care professionals had caught coronavirus  a majority of them through work. It's unclear exactly how they were infected.

The Guam Federation of Teachers, the local union that also represents nurses, voiced concerns about the lack of PPE, such as masks, face shields, gowns and gloves. And because nurses lacked the equipment, they were treating patients without these protections, a GFT representative said last month.

The declaration of the shortage has been met with generous donations. In the last few weeks, the island has seen a number of donations from private companies and individuals.

But, as one doctor put it, health care professionals are "burning through PPEs quickly" as they're required to don new masks, gloves and other gear to ensure they don't become vectors for the virus between patients.

One nurse said last week that while nurses do take precautions "it's a lot more concerning when we're out of personal protective equipment such as gowns and N95 masks. Some of the nurses resort to using giant trash bags to protect themselves."

Hospital staff members also are running short on cleaning and sanitizing agents, including rubbing alcohol.

Sgro heard about that, too. So he's consulted with pharmacists at GMH and is trying to finalize a deal that would bring a 20-foot container filled with 5-gallon containers of alcohol from the Philippines.

"The manufacturer has all the required certifications," Sgro said. "And I'm just hoping this goes smoothly so we can get the alcohol  and the gowns to these people who need them to do their job."

He added that he's working with a University of Guam lab on "formulas for alcohol" that could serve as an alternative, considering most manufacturers are focused on assisting their communities and jurisdictions first.

Sgro, who is the man credited with coming up with the idea to build a private hospital on Guam to augment the public hospital's capabilities, said he's doing this for the same reason he worked to build the hospital now known as Guam Regional Medical City: "I love my island. And I want to do my part to help."
Source: Xinhua| 2020-04-20 01:33:34|Editor: huaxia

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An empty road intersesction is seen during a curfew in Damascus, capital of Syria, on April 19, 2020. One new COVID-19 infection case and one death were reported in Syria on Sunday, the health ministry said in a statement. A total of 39 infections have so far been recorded in Syria, with five recoveries and three deaths. (Photo by Ammar Safarjalani/Xinhua)

DAMASCUS, April 19 (Xinhua) -- One new COVID-19 infection case and one death were reported in Syria on Sunday, the health ministry said in a statement.

With the new case and death, a total of 39 infections have so far been recorded in Syria, with five recoveries and three deaths, according to the ministry.

A day earlier, the ministry said as many as 2,115 Syrians have attended medical isolation for suspected COVID-19 cases since February.

A total of 1,898 of them were released after their tests came negative, while 217 are still being checked in isolation centers in the country, according to the statement.

The ministry said it had designated 19 isolation centers as well as 14 medical facilities to deal with the suspected cases across the country. Enditem
Foreign portfolio investors (FPIs) have withdrawn a net Rs 12,650 crore from the Indian capital markets in April so far amid the coronavirus crisis.

Between April 1 to 17, FPIs pulled out a net sum of Rs 3,808 crore from equities and Rs 8,842 crore from the debt segment, the depositories data showed.

The total net outflow stood at Rs 12,650 crore.

However, April has been a tad better compared to March, when overseas investors had withdrawn a record Rs 1.1 lakh crore on a net basis from the Indian markets (both equity and debt).

The quantum of net outflows has significantly slowed down, at least from equities, said Himanshu Srivastava, senior analyst manager research, Morningstar India.

"Out of eight trading days so far in the holiday truncated month, FPIs were net buyers in the Indian equity markets in four," he said.

Citing the reason for net inflows on some days in April, Harsh Jain, co-founder and COO at Groww, said "global markets are becoming more stable. The general belief is that the virus has peaked in many parts of Europe which is aiding the sentiments of global investors. The oil deal between OPEC and Russia is also contributing to the relatively more stable markets."



According to Srivastava, the widespread concern among foreign investors about slowdown in the global economy due to the COVID-19 outbreak has been keeping them on the tenterhooks.

He added that slowdown in the quantum of net outflows in April does not indicate a change in the trend at this juncture as the underlying environment continues to be negative.

However, he said this could be a result of India gaining prominence among foreign investors for doing well with regards to containing the pandemic.

In addition to that, measures announced by the government and the RBI periodically to revitalise the sagging economy would also be resonating well with investors. The sharp fall in the markets has also provided investors an opportunity to invest at relatively attractive levels, he said.

Going forward, Srivastava cautioned that "there lies a bumpy ride ahead."



In such times of uncertainty, FPIs would continue to adopt a measured approach when it comes to investing in emerging markets like India. With low risk appetite, they would continue to drift towards safer investment avenues and safe havens such as USD and gold, he said.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Due to COVID-19, Zambia's Livingstone Diocese St Theresas Cathedral Administrator, Fr. Clifford Mulasikwanda, found himself with an empty Church, a cell phone, small laptop microphone and a second-hand tripod borrowed from a parishioner.

Paul Samasumo - Vatican City

Definitely, the COVID-19 crisis has brought about many negatives. The coronavirus is a terrible disease that needs to be eradicated. However, the crisis has shockingly led us onto a path we never contemplated just a few weeks ago. With COVID-19, we suddenly had to start streaming the Eucharist live on Facebook. We also suddenly had to increase content on social media and prepare for Easter celebrations and events that would be streamed live. All Churches in Zambia are closed, and the government is encouraging people to Stay at home. In our Cathedral parish, the rate of social media adoption and acceptance by the parishioners came like manna from heaven, observed the Cathedral Administrator, Fr. Mulasikwanda.

Limitations, challenges with the technology

Necessity is the mother of invention. The Cathedral parish was woefully unprepared for live streaming and an increase in social media content. They did not have the needed equipment.

So far, we only have my phone -a smartphone, small laptop microphone and a second-hand tripod borrowed from a parishioner. These have so far served us well, though with much struggle. Funds allowing, we would like to acquire the correct video capturing cameras and good microphones. Due to budget constraints, we have also been reliant on free Internet software. Our experience in the parish has taught us that the in-built free software, for audio and video, provided for by Facebook and WhatsApp, is often limited, in terms of functionality. That software is meant for home videos and so on. As a result of the lack of good equipment, the audio quality of our live Mass is often compromised. Parishioners have been understanding, but we cannot take their patience for granted, Fr. Mulasikwanda said.

People need to see what they hear

Fr. Mulasikwanda says, In todays world, people need to see what they hear! Otherwise, given our limitedness and the circumstances surrounding our parish, we make do with what we have as we slowly seek to improve both on content and the technology used, he said.

Aware of the fact that to stream live Spiritual events is costly on data, some parishioners, have even made modest donations and contributions, for the acquisition of data. There are many good people in our parish, noted Fr. Mulasikwanda

Team of young persons

The Cathedral parish actually already had a Facebook and WhatsApp page managed by a small team of young people supervised by the Cathedral Administrator himself. Initially, these two platforms were mostly for parish administrative announcements and the occasional reflection. Now, they are constantly being updated with content such as Scripture readings, video and audio reflections and uplifting messages. The parish continues use them also for announcements and other useful messages. Daily streaming of Mass is now an important feature that is drawing-in many followers.

Most popular in Zambia are Facebook and WhatsApp

People on this side of our world appreciate and use the most, Facebook and WhatsApp. These two seem to be quite easily accessible and available, across all classes of people: Men and women, boys and girls, senior citizens and the young, all seem to like Facebook and WhatsApp. As a pastoral worker, managing the Cathedral of St. Theresas in Livingstone Diocese, Zambia, I have noticed, with delight, how parishioners appreciate the existence of their official parish Facebook account and WhatsApp page, observed Fr. Mulasikwanda.

How do you gauge the response to what you are doing?

We have had the chance to ask many of our parishioners about their feedback. The response has been overwhelming. To give you an example: A parishioner, Anthony Ranjan, who is a Certified Chartered Accountant, told us, Father thanks a lot for the creation of these tools. We appreciate them a lot. They are helping us to follow daily Mass from our homes. Thank you again for the Daily Bible Reflections. Another lady, Hilda Tembo, a parishioner from a nearby parish sent us a message about our Facebook page, We thank you for creating the page. It is not only for parishioners of your parish. Even us, we are following you. Yesterday (Easter Vigil) when the Church bell was rung during the Gloria, my family and I came out of the house, we sung along and danced. Father may God bless you. Moba Mulenga said this about our Facebook live Mass, We appreciate the Mass. We only need to improve on the audio output. You know there is too echo in an empty Church. There are several of our parishioners who hold similar sentiments about the two social media platforms of our parish. Many love the spiritual nourishment and the interconnectedness that these tools have created, Fr. Mulasikwanda said.

You never know where the Spirit blows

When asked what he would you say to other parish priests or ministers who feel a little intimidated, challenged or reluctant to embrace social media for evangelisation, Fr. Mulasikwanda had this to say:

The comments from our followers has made us aware that we have created a Church without borders, without boundaries. The people of God hunger for the Word of God during these challenging moments. Every minister of religion, who positively uses social media, certainly does not have a limited audience. You never know where the Spirit blows. Through social media, parishioners are being evangelised, catechised and sanctified.
Chennai: As the revised guidelines for extended lockdown come into force from Monday, Tamil Nadu government is expected to take a decision on easing curbs on specified industries in the state after perusing a report of an expert committee to be submitted to it.

The report was expected on Monday and the existing curbs will continue till a decision was taken, the state government said.

The panel was set up after the Centre, while issuing the revised guidelines on April 15 for the second phase of the lockdown, asked the states to decide on the industries and other services that could operate, it said on Sunday.

The committee, which held a meeting, will submit on Monday its report to chief minister K Palaniswami who will take a decision on relaxing the curbs after scrutinising the recommendations, an official release here said.

"The curbs in force will continue to be on till such a time the government issues orders," the release said.

Agriculture, construction, Information Technology and industrial units in the SEZs and rural areas are among some sectors where the lockdown restrictions will be eased with safeguards from April 20, according to Union Home Ministry.

The guidelines were issued a day after prime minister Narendra Modi's announcement on April 14 extending the three-week lockdown for another 19 days till May 3 to battle the coronavirus pandemic.
Pennsylvania is reporting a 276 person jump in the states COVID-19 deaths after it solved an electronic data reporting lag, bringing the new viruss total toll to 1,112 people.

The states positive coronavirus cases rose by 1,215 in the last 24 hours bringing the total to 32,284. The Lehigh Valley saw 107 new cases bringing the regions total positives to 3,644.

With a total of 2,203 cases, Lehigh County has the states highest per capita concentration of cases with about 611 per 100,000 residents. Next comes Monroe, Philadelphia, Luzerne, Pike and Northampton counties. The state is opening a mass testing site in Luzerne Monday.

Of the positive cases, 1,618 are health care workers, state Health Secretary Dr. Rachel Levine said. A little under 10% of the positive cases, 2,629 patients, are hospitalized and 643 are on ventilators. The state has plenty of hospital capacity and nearly 70% of its ventilators available.

(Dont see the map above? Click here.)

All of the new deaths did not occur in the last 24 hours. Eight occurred more than two weeks ago, 138 of the deaths date back to April 5-11 and 148 happened in the last week.

The new reconciled figures were released at a 1 p.m. Pennsylvania Department of Health briefing.

On Saturday, the state deaths stood at 836 people; with 29 in Lehigh County and 29 in Northampton County, according to the state

Sundays updated data show a total of 68 deaths in the two counties with 32 in Lehigh and 36 in Northampton.

But data released Friday by the Lehigh County Coroners Office reported 41 county residents had died, highlighting the complexity of reconciling the many reporting systems. Northampton Countys COVID-19 dashboard also shows 36 deaths.

About 42 percent of Pennsylvanias total COVID-19 deaths have been long-term care residents, including 19 in Northampton County. Nearly 7,000 deaths nationwide have been linked to coronavirus outbreaks in nursing homes and long-term care facilities, according to a count by the New York Times.

On Friday, WHYY reported the Department of Health has underreported at least 162 confirmed deaths linked to the COVID-19 outbreak in the last five days. Levine sought to explain reporting discrepancies in Sundays briefing.

We have been working to reconcile our data with information from several different sources, including our NEDSS reporting system and our county and municipal health departments, Levine said. This is the cause of the increase in deaths we are reporting today. This work takes time and so the increase in deaths today reflects the culmination of that effort, which will continue moving forward. The majority of these deaths did not occur overnight.

The department reconciled its primary reporting system -- which aggregates information from hospitals, county and municipal health departments, long-term care living facilities and the like -- with the states vital records system. That system tracks births and causes of deaths diagnosed by coroners, Levine said.

These updated figures include probable-cause COVID-19 deaths where someone was diagnosed as likely having the virus and died, she said.

As the department collects data, it is constantly working to verify its accuracy, Levine said. If someone has COVID-19 listed as the fourth or fifth cause of death on their death certificate, state epidemiologists are investigating whether they tested positive for the virus, she said.

This work takes time, Levine said. The increase in deaths is a culmination of that data-validating effort.

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.

Trends in data will be crucial as Gov. Tom Wolf and Levine weigh whether it is safe to begin slowly opening the state back up, Levine said. The entire state remains under a stay-at-home order through April 30 and any relaxation of social distancing must be slow and progressive.

We are not done. It is very clear from other states, from other countries and the modeling, Levine said. "If you relax the social distancing too fast, if you did do one grand reopening, is that we would see in a relatively short period of time an enormous peak and rise of cases, which could overwhelm our healthcare system. "

Levine has stressed coronavirus testing is critical to fighting the virus, and on Saturday the state announced a new mass testing site will open Monday at the Mohegan Sun Pocono Arena parking lot in Wilkes-Barre, Luzerne County.

We are looking to expand testing in Pennsylvania as much as possible, Levine said.

The drive-through test site, that Levine called a critical public health service, is set to open noon to 4 p.m. Monday to test 100 first responders and health care workers from northeastern Pennsylvania with COVID-19 symptoms.

This is not a population based-mass testing site that is testing asymptomatic individuals, Levine said Sunday.

Beginning Tuesday, the site will be open 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., and can test 200 people per day. Testing is only open to northeastern Pennsylvania residents over the age of 65, first responders and health care workers. Pre-registration is required and can be done online at health.pa.gov.

As times goes on, the state may be able to expand testing to broader groups of symptomatic people, Levine said.

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.

Sara K. Satullo may be reached at ssatullo@lehighvalleylive.com. If theres anything about this story that needs attention, please email her. Follow her on Twitter @sarasatullo and Facebook. Find lehighvalleylive.com on Facebook.
Even as the coronavirus positive cases went past 1,000 in India and at least 29 people lost their lives, 46 per cent people believe that the dreaded virus would not touch their family, while 48.3 per cent felt there is a chance they might get infecte Image Source: IANS/PIB

New Delhi, April 19 : In a relief to stranded migrant labourers, the government, here on Sunday, allowed their movement from shelter homes to workplaces, like manufacturing units and farms, from Monday.

But movement will not be allowed "outside the state or Union Territory (UT) from where they are currently located", according to a fresh Home Ministry Standard Operating Procedure (SOP).

The SOP, issued by the Union Home Secretary Ajay Bhalla on Sunday, will apply in districts declared non-Covid-19 containment zones.

It will help labourers to be engaged in industrial, manufacturing, construction, farming and MNREGA (Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act) works.

States and UTs have been asked to get registered details of labourers residing in relief camps for skill mapping before their movement to different work places.

"In the event, that a group of migrants wish to return to their places of work, within the state where they are presently located, they would be screened and those who are asymptomatic would be transported to their respective places of work," the SOP reads.

During the transportation it will be ensured that social distancing norms are followed and vehicles used are sanitized as per the guidelines. The local authorities will also have to provide food and water during their (migrant labourers) journey.

"The national directives for the coronavirus management, issued under the consolidated revised guidelines dated April 15, shall be strictly followed," it said.

As per the consolidated guidelines, the engagement of migrant labourers in industries and other units was included in the additional new activities list outside the containment zones and these are to be implemented from Monday (April 20).

The guidelines were issued after Prime Minister Narendra Modi extended the 21-day nationwide lockdown for another 19 days till May 3.

Due to spread of Covid-19, workers employed in industry, agriculture, construction and other sectors have moved from their respective places of work and are housed in relief camps run by states and UTs.

The Home Ministry on April 10 said over 14.3 lakh people had been shifted to about 37,978 migrant relief camps amid the coronavirus crisis following the SOP issued on March 29 after the first phase of lockdown was announced.
KYODO NEWS - Apr 19, 2020 - 22:36 | All, World

U.S. President Donald Trump said Saturday that he recently received a "nice note" from North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, while shrugging off concerns over the country's continued test-firing of short-range missiles.

"I see they're testing short-range missiles. And, you know, they've been doing it a long time," Trump said at a press conference at the White House, adding, "I received a nice note from him recently...I think we're doing fine."

Trump sent a personal letter to the North Korean leader, both countries said in late March. The latest communication received by Trump could be a reply from Kim, although the U.S. president did not explain its contents nor exactly when he received it.

The latest exchanges between the two leaders come at a time when negotiations to denuclearize North Korea remain stalled.

Trump also criticized claims that he has made concessions to North Korea, insisting at the press conference that he has "actually increased the sanctions" against the country.

But he said he has maintained amicable ties with Kim and that it is "not a bad thing to have a good relationship."

"Look, if I wasn't elected, you would, right now, be at war with North Korea," Trump claimed.

On Sunday, however, North Korea denied that Kim sent a letter to Trump, with an unnamed spokesperson of the country's Foreign Ministry saying, "There was no letter addressed recently to the U.S. president by the supreme leadership" of the nation.

U.S.-North Korea relations are "not an issue to be taken up just for diversion nor it should be misused for meeting selfish purposes," the spokesperson said in a statement carried by the state-run Korean Central News Agency.

The spokesperson added that Trump "could have referred to the personal letters that had been exchanged in the past, we are not sure."

Trump met the North Korean leader three times through June 2019. At the first-ever U.S.-North Korea summit in June 2018 in Singapore, Trump promised to provide security guarantees to Pyongyang in return for "complete" denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula.

But talks have since brought little progress, with the two countries at odds over issues such as how much sanctions relief should be extended to Pyongyang in return for denuclearization steps. In the meantime, North Korea has continued testing weapons.
A total of 187 Saudi nationals arrived at King Khalid International Airport in Riyadh today (April 18) after a Saudi Airlines (Saudia) Boeing 777 flight landed, coming from Los Angeles, USA, state-run Saudi Press Agency reported.



National carrier Saudi Airlines flew 40 hour-long direct flights on the itinerary from Los Angeles to Riyadh via Jeddah; covering a distance of about 13,400 km, 17 hours flight each way.



The returning citizens underwent thermal testing and sterilization upon arrival in Saudi Arabia, reported Arab News, adding that they were then put into a 14-day-long quarantine as directed by the Ministry of Health.
Nineteen years ago this month, my sister was diagnosed with breast cancer.

She was 29 years old.

She was worried: about losing her breast, about dying, about chemotherapy. But mostly, she worried shed never be able to have a child.

On the way into the operating room, a surgical fellow shed never met saw her crying and stopped her. He told her she was at one of the best hospitals in the country  the University of Pennsylvania  with the best oncologists and surgeons working on her case. Whatever happened next, the fellow told her, was up to God. It was Nissan, the Hebrew month of miracles. If she had faith, he told her, the extraordinary could happen.

It did. She survived the cancer, and in 2006 she gave birth to a baby girl. Named Eve Helena, after our mother, she is believed to be the first baby to be born in the world from an embryo that had been screened for the BRCA genes that carry markers for cancer. Thanks to scientific advances in pre-implantation diagnosis, the persistence of Michigan geneticist Mark Hughes, and the fertility doctors and embryologists at Abington Hospital, we knew that my niece would not be at increased risk of battling the breast disease her mother had to fight. She was also safe from the ovarian cancer that had killed her grandmother and great-aunt when Eve was an infant.

 READ MORE: Philadelphia religious groups change practices due to coronavirus

Eve, now 13, dances ballet and plays piano. She excels in school, particularly her Torah studies and Hebrew reading, which she learned from attending Perelman Jewish Day School and the Jack M. Barrack Hebrew Academy. Like her mother, shes a talented artist. When a sister came along, she gracefully shared her room for a time. And so, when it came time to plan her Bat Mitzvah, my sister wanted to honor her with something really special. There were to be events at the synagogue, a party at home, followed by a trip  maybe somewhere warm?

Everything was on track for the April 4 festivities. Guests booked hotel rooms, reserved flights, parceled out parts of the service, and made invitations. Our family expected guests from around the world, including England, Israel, Canada, and Bermuda.

The Europeans were the first to cancel, worried they wouldnt be able to return home. Then the Canadians, followed by the Israelis, and then far-flung domestic relatives in Chicago and friends in Florida. My brother, in Lower Merion, said he likely couldnt drive the 11 miles to the synagogue with his family because of restrictions there. So, it looked to be a small gathering at the synagogue.

 READ MORE: Gathering via Zoom isnt as good as the real thing, but during a pandemic you get what you get | Jenice Armstrong

Then the synagogue closed, and we planned for an intimate Bat Mitzvah in her Center City home  my family driving from Baltimore, my father and stepmother from Pittsburgh. Then the governors said no more than 10 people could gather, and it got even smaller. And then they said those crossing state lines had to quarantine upon return, the stay-at-home orders came out, and suddenly driving to Philly from my home in Baltimore and my fathers place in Pittsburgh seemed out of the question.

My sister kept hoping for a miracle. Finally, she had to call it. Eve Kobell would be the first Zoom Bat Mitzvah at her Philadelphia congregation Temple Beth Zion-Beth Israel.

Its not easy to be first, whether an embryo vying for a cancer-free life or a teen-ager having a Bat Mitzvah without friends by her side or a Torah to hold. There would be no hugging rarely-seen relatives, no chair lifting while we sang Hava Nagila and danced the Hora. She wouldnt even get to have her Bat Mitzvah on Saturday morning, as is tradition, because Conservative rabbis will not use technology on the Sabbath. (They may want to rethink that in pandemic times.)

 READ MORE: As Zoom meetings invade our homes, were spending more time than ever with our coworkers  and their prying eyes

And so, on Friday, April 3 at 3 p.m., about 75 computers representing nearly 200 guests logged on to Zoom to hear Eve become a Bat Mitzvah. (The midday hour ensured it would conclude before sundown per the rabbis rules.) She read five passages of Torah, chanted her Haftorah portion, and led the service. Her proud parents embarrassed her with gushing speeches. From a half dozen countries, we threw candy at the computer screens and shouted our Mazel Tovs!

The rabbi Eve studied with, Annie Lewis, chanted beautiful blessings, including a prayer for safety and peace during this pandemic. In the real synagogue, a pre-schooler running onto the bimah while her mom was in the midst of leading prayer could be distracting, maybe even prompt disruptive audience chatter. But when Rabbi Annies daughter climbed into her lap as she helped lead prayers, it was adorable.

 READ MORE: Zoom bombing: What it is, and how to stop it from ruining your coronavirus events

The surgical fellow was right. Nissan delivered, and it was extraordinary. We may require distance, but that doesnt mean we need to be apart. We survive, we adapt, we accept, and we pray. For 90 minutes, we were truly together, even though physically we were alone.

Rona Kobell is a science editor and writer for Maryland Sea Grant College and a former Baltimore Sun reporter. She also teaches at the University of Marylands Philip Merrill College of Journalism.
In a bid to mitigate the impact of complete lockdown on school students, the state government has decided to offer online teaching to students of classes 9 and 10, beginning Monday, to make up for the disruption in classes.

The decision was taken at a high-level meeting, presided by chief minister (CM) Nitish Kumar, in the presence of deputy chief minister Sushil Kumar Modi, chief secretary Deepak Prasad, DGP Gupteshwar Pandey and departmental heads. All DMs and SPs were connected through video conference.

As the education department will be functional from Monday, the CM directed its principal secretary, RK Mahajan, to start offering online education, for at least an hour, for the time being, on a daily basis.

Mahajan further said that the process for booking a slot on public broadcaster, Doordarshan Bihar, to begin an hour long learning class for the students will be initiated and the department will also push for sealing a separate slot for students of class 11 and 12 too.

While the move is an attempt to try and make up for the loss in school curriculum that will pitch students for taking up the crucial board examinations next year, it appears that it will also help in filling up the sudden break in the lives of students who are now forced to stay indoors in the times of a crisis.

The CM also asked the concerned departmental heads and the district administrations to step up the door-to-door screening exercise to test symptomatic persons and put them under isolation with a view to contain the spread of Covid-19.

DMs should monitor the exercise to ensure each and every family is covered under the exercise in all the four districts identified as hot spots, as is being done in the case of pulse-polio drive, and also keep a watch on Acute encephalitis syndrome (AES), and instances of bird flu in their respective districts, he said, adding, Proper monitoring of incoming passengers is also an important step in containing the spread of the pandemic.

Kumar also directed officials of the disaster management department to ensure that dry milk powder was available in camps and isolation centres.

All eligible persons, who do not have ration cards, should be identified with the help of Jeevika workers and food grains should also be provided to them, he said.

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Berlin, April 19 : Germany is bracing toward what has been dubbed "a new normal" amid the coronavirus pandemic with the relaxation of some of the restrictive measures in place to stop the transmission of the disease.

Commercial spaces less than 800 metres squared will be permitted to reopen in some federal states from Monday, while others will open later, reports Efe news.

Schools will also gradually resume activities, albeit with restrictions in place.

In the capital Berlin, some secondary school students will sit their finals and from May 4 other age groups will return to the classroom but class sizes will be reduced.

The fight against the pandemic, according to Chancellor Angela Merkel, has not yet been won but Germany has succeeded in slowing its infection rate to a point that - currently - will not overwhelm the healthcare system.

The gradual easing of restrictions marks a new chapter in the country's campaign against COVID-19, which began when Germany was alerted to its first case on January 27.

The outbreak properly took hold a month later when new cases were registered in Bavaria, Baden-WArttenberg and North Rhine Westphalia.

The first federal-level restrictions came into effect on March 8 and later reinforced on 16 and March 23.

The package of measures approved on March 23, which have some variation from federal state to federal state, is what has helped slow the virus, experts say.

In reality Germany has managed to keep its infection rate lower than the vast majority of affected countries, mainly by advising that people avoid unnecessary contact.

Its citizens have been allowed to leave their house but only with the people they live with or with groups of no more than two people. Unlike countries like Spain, they are not restricted to buying food or pharmaceuticals, but can go for a walk or exercise in the open air.

Authorities recommend that people maintain a social distance of around 1.5 metre, government advice that is expected to remain in place as the country eases its lockdown.

Bavaria's Minister-President Markus SAder has said he cannot imagine Munich's world-renowned Oktoberfest going ahead in the autumn as usual.

Large public gatherings have been banned in Germany until at least August 31 and the measure will likely be extended.

In Saxony, authorities were to make the use of masks obligatory. In other states they have been recommended but not enforced.
With reports of domestic violence on the rise during the lockdown, the rural administration in Pune has come up with its own solution - send the erring men to institutional quarantine.

The Pune zilla parishad on Saturday announced that it has formed dedicated village-level committees to first track cases of domestic violence and then counsel the members resorting to abuse. If a man continues to ill-treat the woman even after counselling, he would be put in institutional quarantine as punishment.

The Pune zilla parishads announcement comes in the backdrop of the National Commission for Womens statistics that show a spike in cases of domestic violence against women during the nationwide lockdown.

We have done this because globally there are reports of women suffering domestic violence at the hands of their husbands. The committees have been formed at the village level where professional counselling of the male members of the families are being done. The counselling sessions are related to those families where the incidents of abuse and ill treatment of women have been reported. These steps are being taken proactively in tandem with the Domestic Violence Act. The provision of putting the husband in institutional quarantine has been taken so that the women do not face a loss of residence, said Ayush Prasad, chief executive officer, Pune zilla parishad.

While Pune rural police have not observed any surge in complaints related to domestic violence, the ease of quarantine will act as deterrent, said zilla parishad officials.

According to data shared by the National Commission for Women (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. The commission has also launched a WhatsApp number to report domestic violence cases.

The village-level committees in Pune district have been designated as local vigilance committees where women staffers attached to the state-run child care centres, women members of the local gram panchayats and self -help group (SHG) will be counselling those individuals who are found mistreating the women.

The administration has reasoned that the step is undertaken as a preventive measure to curb the spread of outbreak of the epidemic. The administration will investigate each type of complaint made by victim before the administration and action will be taken.

The person will be counselled in the first place and if he does not show any improvement in behaviour and continues to harass the woman, he will be admitted in institutional quarantine, said Prasad. The ZP will take assistance of the police in carrying out the initiative and the entire process will be in writing.

Anil Deshmukh lauds initiative

Maharashtra home minister Anil Deshmukh lauded the ZP initiative. Deshmukh said the committees were formed in line with the home departments instructions to deal with cases of domestic violence.Other zilla parishads in the state should follow the suit to ensure women are not harassed, he tweeted

Locked down with their abusers, women turn to helplines for solace

Renu Deshpande Dhole

Stay home, stay safe  the universal advisory in the times of Covid-19 pandemic, might sound full of irony for victims of domestic violence and women stuck in toxic, abusive relationships, said city psychologists . Helplines and womens organisations have come forward to urge women to seek help if they find themselves at the receiving end of violence during this difficult time.

In crisis times such as this, active violence is erupting due to feeling of being cooped up, especially in families that are already dysfunctional. The level of stress due to the many uncertainties surrounding the future is high and a loss of control in the outside world might lead to more aggressive, controlling behaviour by the perpetrator at home, explained feminist psychologist Sadhana Natu.

She, and 26 other psychologists in Pune, have circulated their mobile numbers widely with the intention of helping anyone in need of reaching out for emotional/psychological support during the lockdown.

The limitation is that only those who are using a phone, have access to WhatsApp, Facebook (which we used for publicity) can use this service. That leaves out the lower middle classes and the poor with no access, Natu said.

Grassroots organisations and activists working in the field at the forefront of fighting Covid-19 could help popularise these initiatives by experts, she felt.

Sadhana Khati, chairperson, local complains committee, Pune district, agreed that the limited access to a mobile phone and the lack of private space to call for help might exacerbate the feeling of being trapped for victims of domestic violence. While women from all classes suffer violence and abuse, theres often silence around it in middle class/upper class homes. Then again, violence can come in many shades  economic, emotional, sexual, physical. We will have to wait to gauge the full impact of this lockdown on domestic abuse victims, she said.

If one cant access a helpline, there are some safety mechanisms that women in toxic relationships, problematic marriages and violence-ridden families can employ to avoid suffering as the lockdown continues, says relationship therapist and psychologist Seema Gaikwad.

In these times, when one might be cut off from trusted people, it is important to have some sort of support system in place. It may help to call friends, video call loved ones, asking near and dear ones to check on you regularly or having online sessions with your counsellor or therapist as a part of your routine. For your own safety, try to avoid triggers of conflict. Do not provoke, do not react when possible. Remember that this lockdown is not unending. Use the introspection done in this period to work out a plan to address your issues, after this crisis is over, she advised.
Guwahati: Assam government has identified 4.32 lakh people who are eligible for a subsistence allowance but finding themselves stranded outside the state due to nationwide lockdown. Earlier, the state government was working on a plan to offer a form of support payment to people from Assam stranded outside the state and abroad by identifying them on a case-by-case basis.

Assam Health Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma on Saturday said that over 9.29 lakh missed calls were received at the state helpline number, of which 4.32 lakh calls have been verified. With the verification process still underway, the state government plans to provide financial assistance to the first 50,000 people registered through the National Health Mission (NHM).

We have identified 4.32 lakh people so far who are stuck in some part of the country and wish to return home. They are all from economically weaker backgrounds. The first 50,000 people are likely to receive a monetary benefit tomorrow. Till now, 2.17 lakh people have filled up forms, and I request others also to take help and submit forms soon, said Sarma.

The government had earlier announced that those hailing from upper middle-class and sound monetary background should not apply for this benefit.

When we go for physical verification, we will be able to identify how many are from the affordable category. At present, home-to-home survey by district administration is underway. Out of 45,469 applications, only 1,206 have been rejected under economic criteria. And 95 per cent of these people are those who are working for a salary not more than Rs 15 to 20 thousand, added Sarma.

A total of 64 thousand people from Assam working outside the state are currently living in Karnataka. While Kerala has 34,000 temporary workers from Assam, Tamil Nadu has 33,000. Among other states, 21,000 people working in Maharashtra and 16,000 in Telangana hail from Assam. About 22,778 workers are scattered across Gujarat, Goa, West Bengal, Haryana and New Delhi.

A vast majority of people working outside the state hails from Nagaon district. The state government estimates that about 15 lakh people will return to Assam from hotspots across the country once the lockdown is lifted.

As many as 34 Assamese stranded outside the country have been identified and been offered $1,000 each. The next installment of the same amount will be released on April 25 and those who had embarked on a short trip abroad but now down to their last few dollars will be eligible for this aid.

The state government has also provided financial support of Rs 25,000 each to 725 critically ill patients from Assam hospitalised outside the state.

Till Saturday evening, Assam registered 34 positive cases, of which 32 are linked to the Markaz event in Delhis Nizamuddin in March. Twelve COVID-19 patients have recovered, and have been discharged from the hospital. While 79 per cent of those infected are male, 21 per cent are female COVID-19 patients.

Assam is in a comfortable situation till first wave is concerned, said Sarma, adding that the state is moderately placed when it comes to testing. About 150-200 samples are tested on a daily basis at the six accredited government testing facilities in Assam, and the government plans to go for rapid testing at government hospitals.
Authorities in Guayaquil struggle to bury the dead from coronavirus, amid surge in total deaths reported this month.

Darwin Castillos father died in Guayaquil during the coronavirus pandemic that caused the Ecuadoran citys health system to collapse.

But when Castillo went to the overwhelmed morgue to recover his fathers remains, he was given the wrong body.

Two weeks have passed and he still has not found his fathers body.

Guayaquil, Ecuadors largest city, is the capital of Guayas province and has recorded roughly 70 percent of the countrys more than 9,000 coronavirus cases.

Castillo, 31, who works in a factory making plastic products, ended up returning a coffin he purchased.

I dont blame the hospital or the morgue. There were people dying at the entrance, he told the AFP news agency. I would like my dad to appear so I can give him a Christian burial, to give a bouquet of roses to my old man.

Castillo lost his father amid the COVID-19 coronavirus pandemic in Guayaquil, where 70 percent of the countrys cases have emerged [Jose Sanchez/AFP]

Manuel, Castillos 76-year-old father, was a dialysis patient. He died on March 31 due to a catheter obstruction.

Castillo went to the Los Ceibos hospital two days later to recover the body. When he reached the morgue, he found it was filled with corpses. He paid an employee $150 to recover his fathers body from the 170 that were piled up.

When he was given the wrong body, the morgue suggested he search among the bodies, including the COVID-19 victims.

If there hadnt have been this problem, I would have searched from dead to dead for my dad, but I would have been exposing myself [to the virus], he said. So he refused.

Not enough testing

The chaos in hospitals and funeral parlours, in addition to the government lockdown, means many bodies remain in homes for days before being collected.

The government, which over the last few days has collected 1,400 bodies from homes and hospitals in Guayaquil, uses a website to notify individuals of corpses burial plots.

Almost 6,700 have died this month, according to the government, but most of those who died were not tested for the novel coronavirus.

Deaths from COVID-19 stand at 456, according to data collected by the Johns Hopkins University.

Al Jazeeras Teresa Bo, reporting from Argentinas capital, Buenos Aires, said: Experts in the region believe that figures in Latin America may not be realistic because there is not enough testing.

Accessing testing kits is a major challenge for most governments in the region. More data will allow countries in Latin America to adapt to what is happening on the ground.





In Ecuadors Guayaquil, two cemeteries have been expanded for the dead.

Although Castillo entered his fathers details, his name did not appear on the website.

Some people are blaming the government for the chaos.

The family has the right to know where their dead relative is. The families are saying that the dead arrive with changed identities or men arrive when theyre women, lawyer Hector Vanegas told AFP.

Vanegas, who is representing a group of Guayaquil residents preparing a lawsuit against the government, is compiling a list of those affected by the confusion  and said he had already received 190 calls.

Moises Valle, a 37-year-old pharmaceutical employee, also lost his father who died of a heart attack in Teodoro Maldonado Carbo hospital.

When Valle filled out the forms to claim the body, he found it had been sent to another healthcare facility without his consent.

This day an ordeal began because I couldnt claim the body. Until yesterday my fathers name hadnt appeared on the website, Valle told AFP.

He had acquired a plot in the neighbouring town of Duran and was prepared for the burial, but had to cancel the service.
Midland County recorded two positive coronavirus cases Sunday, bringing its total to 45 cases with two deaths, according to the Sunday afternoon state report.

Bay County added three more cases bringing its total to 82 and two deaths. Isabella County added one new case, standing at 52 cases and seven deaths while Saginaw County added 10 new cases, bringing its total to 404 cases with 24 deaths. Gladwin County remained at nine cases and no deaths.

The state on Sunday added 633 new cases and 83 deaths. Overall, Michigan is at 31,424 positive cases and 2,391 deaths.

The state lists the total recovered at 3,237 cases, as of April 18, which represents COVID-19 confirmed individuals with an onset date on or prior to March 18, 2020, according to the state website. The numbers will be updated every Saturday.

The state lists the majority of races in positive cases as 33% Black/African American; 30% Caucasian and 26% unknown, and the top three races in deaths as 41% Black/African American; 43% Caucasian and 11% unknown

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," according to 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 send an e-mail to: 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.
Labor has upped the pressure on the federal government over the "catastrophic" scenario facing universities, labelling a newly announced rescue package a "fraud" that fails to confront a revenue blow to be felt across the Australian economy.

The government last week guaranteed $18 billion in funding for universities' domestic education in 2020 but the sector has warned the money does not address the implosion of international education caused by the COVID-19 crisis, which could cost them around $5 billion over the next six months and up to $19 billion over three years.

Labor education spokeswoman Tanya Plibersek has accused the government of abandoning universities to a "catastrophic" situation. Credit:Alex Ellinghausen

The government is also facing scepticism about newly-announced online short courses, designed for up to 20,000 Australians to re-skill during the period of social distancing and economic slowdown. Universities are concerned there is little financial incentive to provide the cut-price qualifications.

Labor education spokeswoman Tanya Plibersek has now hit out at the rescue package, saying the government was abandoning a sector that supports 260,000 jobs.
A person, who had earlier recovered from the novel coronavirus, tested positive for the infection again on Saturday, taking the number of active cases in Himachal Pradesh to 23, officials said.

One more person tested positive for Covid-19 on Saturday, taking the total number of coronavirus cases in the state to 40, according to the officials.

Recurrence of Covid-19 in one of the patients who had recovered from the infection has been reported from Una district, a health official said.

As per the statistics provided by the state health department, one of the three cured patients in Una has again tested positive.

Also read: 4,000 Covid-19 cases linked to Jamaat, says govt. But India isnt the only one

However, details of the case were not immediately available.

A total of 16 confirmed cases were found in Una and the chart now shows 14 active cases and two cured.

After the latest development, 11 patients -- three each from Chamba, Kangra, and Solan districts and two from Una district -- have recovered.

The fresh case was identified as a Tablighi Jamaat member who had recently returned from Nizamuddin in Delhi and is a resident of Amb subdivision in Una, Deputy Commissioner (DC) Sandeep Kumar said.

The DC told PTI that the man had returned to his home in Jaman Kuali village in Rajpur Jaswan panchayat around March 8-9 after attending a congregation in Nizamuddin last month.

Also read: Early measures reason for fewer cases in India, says WHO regional director

We are surprised that he has been found positive over a month after returning from Nizamuddin Markaz. He may have come in contact with some other positive Covid-19 person. We are trying to find his primary contacts, he added.

Four persons were shifted to a private hospital outside the state, while two others have died.

The two deceased persons include a 70-year-old woman from Delhi who was staying in Baddi since March 15 and died at PGIMER, Chandigarh on April 2.

Click here for complete coronavirus coverage
BAKU, Azerbaijan, April 19

Trend:

Military units of the armed forces of Armenia violated ceasefire 25 times throughout the day in various direction of the front, using large-caliber machine guns, Trend reports referring to Azerbaijani Defense Ministry on April 19.

Armenian armed forces, located on nameless hills in Krasnoselsk region subjected to fire the positions of the Azerbaijan Army located on nameless hills in Gadabay region.

The positions of Azerbaijan Army were also fired from the positions of Armenian military units located near the occupied Kuropatkino village of Khojavend region, Garakhanbayli, Horadiz villages of Fuzuli region, as well as from the positions located on nameless hills in Goranboy, Terter and Khojavend regions.
A 36-year-old powerloom worker was



stabbed to death by two unidentified persons in Maharashtra's Thane district, police said on Sunday.

The victim, Ajit Patel, and two other men were on way to a powerloom factory in Bhiwandi early Saturday morning when two motorcycle-borne persons attacked them with sharp-edged weapons on Kharivali road, a police spokesperson said.

While the other two workers ran away, the miscreants caught hold of Patel and stabbed him several times, she said.

The victim died on the spot.

On getting information about the incident, the police rushed to the spot and sent the body for postmortem.

A case was registered under Indian Penal Code Section 302 (murder) and search was on for the assailants, she said.

The police suspect that the miscreants killed the victim in a bid to rob him, she added.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
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April 19, 2020 Sotto wants SAP transparency CITING the need for transparency as mandated under the Bayanihan We Heal as One Act, Senate President Vicente Sotto III on Friday called for the publication of the names of individuals who have received the government's cash aid under the Social Amelioration Program (SAP). Sotto, who co-authored the Senate version of the law, noted complaints from low-income workers and members of vulnerable sectors as reported in numerous media channels. "Marami tayong naririnig na reklamo na hindi umano natanggap ng mga taong dapat ay kwalipikadong makakuha ng cash assistance na pinayagan ng Kongreso sa ilalim ng Bayanihan Act. Kaya ang tanong natin ngayon, sino-sino na ba ang nabigyan ng gobyerno? Bakit marami ang nagrereklamong hanggang ngayon ay hindi pa nila nakukuha ang ayuda na nakasaad sa batas?" Sotto said. Sotto urged the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) to upload in its website the names of the persons who have already received the P5,000 to P8,000 cash assistance and the areas already covered since the distribution of the money aid started. "The DSWD has the masterlist of those who have already benefitted from the SAP. It should make public the names of the recipients for the sake of transparency," he said. The disclosure, he added, will assure the public that the cash grant has indeed been distributed and duly received by qualified beneficiaries. Sotto noted that in the latest report submitted by President Duterte to Congress in compliance with the requirements set under the Bayanihan law, it was only mentioned that the DSWD has disbursed P80 billion of the P100 billion allotted for the SAP for the month of April. There were no other details related to the distribution of the assistance, such as the total number of recipients, areas distributed and a breakdown of the amounts given to recipient barangays/local government units. "Nakukulangan ako sa report, hindi kumpleto. Kailangang malinaw sa aming mga mambabatas at sa publiko kung paano ibinahagi itong perang ito. Kulang sa detalye ang ipinasang report sa Kongreso," he said. Aside from transparency, the Senate leader said the public disclosure will allow lawmakers to identify possible loopholes or errors in the distribution system adopted by the DSWD. It will likewise show abuses, if any, committed by local and national social welfare executives, who are in charge of determining who are the qualified beneficiaries. "Sa panahon ng krisis, mahalagang siguruhin natin na hindi naaabuso ang sistema. Political patronage should be set aside during this difficult time. We should all work together to ensure that government is not hoodwinked by abusive leaders," Sotto stressed.
New Delhi, April 19 : The Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) on Sunday said that a candidate vaccine called ChAdOX1 a" being developed by researchers at University of Oxford -- is the frontrunner in the race to take on the deadly COVID-19 virus which has infected over 23 lakh people globally, killing over 1.60 lakh people.

Speaking at a daily media briefing in the Capital, Dr Raman Gangakhedkar who is the chief scientist of ICMR said that at least 70 groups of scientists across the world have been working towards a novel coronavirus vaccine and five groups have come into human trial phase -- with ChAdOx1 leading the race.

On Friday, scientists at the University of Oxford promised a super-fast vaccine during a virtual press conference, saying it would be available by September. According to lead researcher Professor Sarah Gilbert, their ChAdOx1 vaccine can work against the virus called SARS-CoV-2.

The Oxford vaccine group which was among the first to enter the COVID-19 vaccine race, also promised one million doses of the vaccine by September.

However, WHO's latest "Draft landscape of COVID-19 candidate vaccines (April 11 update), lists only three candidate vaccines as present which are currently in human clinical evaluation, and ChAdOx1 candidate vaccine is yet to be officially included as the fourth one.

According to the WHO draft, from a total of 70 candidate vaccines in the race, three leading vaccines which are in human testing phase are from CanSino Biological Inc and the Beijing Institute of Biotechnology; Inovio Pharmaceuticals Inc; and Moderna Inc along with the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID) in the US.

What probably separates ChAdOx1 - known as recombinant viral vector vaccine - from the rest is the time it promises to take in order to deliver mass quantities.

In India, the Pune-based Serum Institute of India has collaborated with New York-based Codagenix Inc to develop a vaccine against the deadly respiratory disease.

The irony is: WHO special envoy David Nabarro has warned that there is no guarantee that a coronavirus vaccine can be successfully developed in coming months.

Nabarro who is one of the world's leading experts said that people have to live with the threat of coronavirus "for the foreseeable future" and adapt accordingly because there is no guarantee that a vaccine can be successfully developed.

In an interview with The Observer, the WHO special envoy said the public should not assume that a vaccine would definitely be developed soon and would have to adapt to the ongoing threat.

"You don't necessarily develop a vaccine that is safe and effective against every virus. Some viruses are very, very difficult when it comes to vaccine development - so for the foreseeable future, we are going to have to find ways to go about our lives with this virus as a constant threat," he was quoted as saying.

In late March, Professor Gilbert received 2.2 million pounds as funding from the UK government for vaccine development and trials.

Researchers enrolled over 500 healthy volunteers to test if their vaccine can prevent the novel coronavirus.

The vaccine is an adenovirus vaccine vector and was developed at Oxford's Jenner Institute. Adenoviral vectors are a very well-studied vaccine type, having been used safely in thousands of participants, from 1 week to 90 years of age, in vaccines targeting over 10 different diseases.

"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," said Professor Adrian Hill, Director of the Jenner Institute at the University of Oxford.

According to experts, the COVID-19 vaccine is at least 12-18months away, so there is no need to jump on every occasion someone announces a new one.
(Newser)  With the Trump administration increasingly blaming the pandemic on China, the president's reelection campaign has broadened the attacks to include Joe Biden. America First Action, the main super PAC supporting President Trump, spent $10 million on TV ads to run in battleground states that say China "stole American manufacturing and hoarded our emergency stockpile," the Los Angeles Times reports. The ads include old video of Biden sounding uncritical of China. "Now more than ever, America must stop China," the voiceover says, "and to stop China you have to stop Joe Biden." The Trump campaign has decided China will be a critical issue in the November election. Its research "shows that Joe Bidens softness on China is a major vulnerability," a spokesman said.

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The Biden campaign has geared up in response, making a $15 million buy in the same states. "Trump praised the Chinese 15 times in January and February," a digital ad released Saturday says, per the Huffington Post. One released Friday says Trump left open a position for a US official in China's disease control center, shutting the CDC out when the coronavirus outbreak began. "China said no, and Donald Trump didnt insist on access," the voiceover says. Although campaign appearances are canceled, Trump has been able to push his narrative during his nationally broadcast daily press briefings at the White House. Without a comparable platform, the former vice president has been doing TV and internet appearances from his home basement. (Read more Election 2020 stories.)
My Italian adventure actually started with one of my mother's youngest sisters, who was both brilliant and bold. I can still hear my grandmother saying in her smoky, husky voice, "She's too smart for her own good". She procured herself a good position with the UN in Rome, and, shortly afterwards, when my grandmother died and my grandfather remarried, my remaining unmarried aunts weren't happy sharing the house with the new arrival, so off they went to Rome too. When I finished secondary school, the threesome, who were always looking out for me, suggested I apply to art college in Rome. That done, I joined the newfound Irish colony and was properly pampered. Jean weaned me on to Italian food, Pauline taught me how to maintain a house and dress fittingly, and Sheila schooled me in Italian culture.

It was the taming of Eliza Doolittle all' Italiana. Needless to say, my sisters came too, followed by nieces, neighbours and friends - but no men!

During my years in Italy, I learned many things, including how to make a beautiful tablecloth, dress a table, and never to use tomato puree. One of the things I learned is that Italians have dishes for every occasion and season, including for Labour Day on May 1. At this time of year, a time when our thoughts turn to Italy, and indeed the hope for a more equitable society ahead, it is of Labour Day I have been thinking.

Bella ciao, bella ciao, bella ciao ciao ciao is a catchy anthem that I have taught to most of my non-Italian friends. The song is about a dying freedom fighter who wants to be buried on the side of a mountain under the shade of a beautiful flower. Bella ciao (beautiful goodbye) was the anthem of the Italian anti-fascist movement during and after the Second World War. Putting aside the political connotations, it's an irresistible tune that everyone loves. And one that I think is perfect for now.

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The annual Labour Day (May 1) open-air late-evening concert at the imposing Basilica of San Giovanni in Rome is a tradition and is broadcast live to every corner of Italy. Thousands gather each year under the imposing cathedral, once the seat of popes, and the ancient Egyptian Lateran Obelisk that was ripped from the temple in Karnak.

Because of the global pandemic, this year is different, of course, but usually it draws a multi-generational sea of individuals: young people who come to hear their favourite groups play live, and older people who come to reminisce about the concerts of years past. The bella ciao anthem weaves in and out intermittently between the rock and the jazz, and everyone joins in.

On Labour Day, families head for the nearest woodland and spend the day collecting pinoli (pine nuts), crushing them open with heavy stones; and wild mushrooms, and munching on heaps of home-made food.

This recipe, below, is the kind of dish they might take as a picnic. It is just as easily enjoyed at home.

This is an edited extract from 'Festa' by Eileen Dunne, published by Gill. See gill.ie

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A glamorous plastic surgeon nicknamed 'Dr. Frankenstein' who is accused of mutilating her patients has confessed to faking her doctor's qualifications, Russian prosecutors claim.

Alyona Verdy, 36, who police said has no medical education, is facing up to six years in jail for causing grievous bodily harm.

The bogus doctor is under house arrest in Krasnodar city.

Alyona Verdy seen in jail. Source: East2West News/Australscope.

Verdys alleged confession comes after the intervention of top Russian detective, Alexander Bastrykin.

After Bastrykin took charge of the case, Verdy reportedly confessed to the head of the Russian Investigative Committee that she had bought fake medical diplomas and wrongly used the title doctor.

Anastasia Ismailova claims she suffered acute pain, could not bend over, and suffered marital problems after allegedly going under Verdys knife.

The 33 year old said the surgery led to her female genitals being lifted into the wrong place and skin sticking out of my sides like fish tails.

I want justice to be done according to the law, she said after making a formal protest over the investigation.

Alexandra Asireeva said she was forced to undergo a six-hour breast correction surgery after she was left with hyper-size scars. Source: East2West News/Australscope.

Anastasia later had to have a major ten-hour surgery to remove giant scabs that formed over her wounds.

The new surgeon told me it is a miracle that I survived, Anastasia, who suffered permanent damage to her thoracic and lumbar spine, said, according to prosecutors.

Another woman claiming to have been butchered by Verdy is Alexandra Asireeva, who was forced to undergo a six-hour breast correction surgery after she was left with hyper-size scars.

Evgenia Lanovaya, 38, said she could not close her eyes after her ill-fated improvement surgery.

One of my eyes was narrow, the second round, she said.

The scars were terrible. My eyesight deteriorated, my right eye would not close, it was constantly dry.

I was winking all the time and had to use eyedrops.

Prosecutors said Verdy pleaded guilty in full ahead of her criminal trial. Source: East2West News/Australscope.

Prosecutors say two patients developed mental disorders after surgery, and most women needed corrective surgery.

They also said Verdy pleaded guilty in full ahead of her criminal trial.

Story continues

She is charged with seven episodes of providing medical services that do not meet the safety requirements for life and health of consumers, resulting in grievous bodily harm.

Earlier, she had gone on a hunger strike in a detention jail, after which she was freed into house arrest, sparking fears among victims that she would walk free.

Australscope

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(CNN) COVID-19 cases have topped 2.2 million globally and countries around the world are scrambling to buy life-saving equipment as the pandemic places unprecedented demand on hospitals.

With healthcare systems buckling under the pressure of the virus, which has killed more than 155,000 people, experts warn coronavirus could devastate the countries that lack healthcare equipment and infrastructure.

South Sudan, for example, has just four ventilators and 24 ICU beds for a population of 12 million people, according to data from the International Rescue Committee (IRC).

That's one ventilator for every three million people.

Burkina Faso has 11 ventilators, Sierra Leone 13, and Central African Republic 3, while Venezuela has 84 ICU beds for a population of 32 million, and 90% of hospitals face shortages of medicine and critical supplies, the non-governmental organization says.

"We've already seen how the pandemic has quickly overwhelmed health systems in countries with relatively advanced health systems," Elinor Raikes, vice president and head of program delivery for IRC told CNN. "There's already immediate cause for concern about how it would quickly overwhelm countries with weaker health systems."

A worldwide scramble

According to the World Health Organization (WHO), around one in every five people who catch the virus need hospital care. Countries worst affected by the pandemic are trying to procure lung ventilation equipment, which assists or replaces breathing for critically-ill patients, pumping oxygen into the blood to keep organs functioning.

US hospitals could need as many as half a million additional ventilators during the pandemic, according to the Johns Hopkins Center for Health Security, and demand for them has soared in US intensive care units as coronavirus patients flood in.

The UK, with more than 110,000 infections, is seeking 18,000 ventilators, while machines taken from the set of a TV medical drama were donated to its largest field hospital, NHS Nightingale. Italy, one of the countries affected the worst in Europe, has distributed more than 2,700 ventilators to affected regions so far, while France has said it aims to produce 10,000 additional respirators and have 10,000 working ICU beds. Germany, which has more spare beds in intensive care units than Italy has altogether, sent 50 ventilators to Spain and 60 to the UK in April.

"Intensive care doesn't usually offer treatment [for Covid-19], it offers support so that the body can then recover from whatever the underlying illness is," Dr. Alison Pittard, Dean of the Faculty of the UK-based Intensive Care Medicine, explained. "We need oxygen to breathe. If you can't get oxygen into your body in adequate amounts for whatever reason, you die," she added.

Pittard told CNN that between 15-20% of the people hospitalized with Covid-19 require a ventilator, while 70% of patients who enter intensive care need one.

Africa's unknowns

One region under close watch is Africa, which has recorded more than 12,400 cases since the first confirmed instance of coronavirus was recorded in Egypt on February 14, according to the WHO.

Dr. Matshidiso Moeti, regional director for Africa at WHO, said the virus "has the potential not only to cause thousands of deaths, but to also unleash economic and social devastation."

There are fewer than 2,000 functional ventilators in 41 African countries, according to the WHO, while the total number of available intensive care unit beds in 43 countries on the continent is less than 5,000. This is about five beds per 1 million people, compared to 4,000 beds per 1 million people in Europe, the WHO reported last week.

While the virus was slow to reach the continent compared to other parts of the world, the number of infections has grown exponentially in recent weeks and continues to spread, according to WHO.

Still, experts are reluctant to predict that the virus will take hold on the continent in the same way as it has in Europe.

"All the countries in Africa are responding to this outbreak aggressively," Dr. Mary Stephen, technical officer at the WHO Regional Office for Africa, told CNN, adding that a lot of countries were actively searching for cases in hotspot areas.

Stephen said most countries in Africa recently received supplies of PPE, ventilators, surgical masks and gloves from Chinese billionaire Jack Ma's foundation.

"We have to plan for the worst case scenario, because we don't want to get to a situation where Covid cases will now take over the entire health system," she said.

Case numbers in Africa are relatively low, but the high prevalence of tuberculosis, HIV, malaria and diabetes are cause for concern.

"The prevalence of chronic diseases have been increasing in African countries," said Dr. Elaine Nsoesie, assistant professor of global health at Boston University, told CNN, adding that high percentages of conditions like diabetes remain undiagnosed.

"If people are having these chronic conditions and it's not being diagnosed, we're not completely sure whether individuals will have other factors that could actually lead to more severe disease," she said.

Crisis set to have multiplier effect

Above all, healthcare workers and experts are concerned that the virus will hit vulnerable populations already dealing with complex needs, not just in Africa, but in conflict zones like Syria, Afghanistan, and Yemen, which reported its first case earlier this month.

"A big worry is around places where diagnosed capacity is limited. For example, we know that Syria has diagnostic capacity, but currently it's sitting only in Damascus, and it's a country in the midst of a massive conflict. So other areas don't have access to diagnostic testing," Kate White, Covid-19 medical manager for Doctors Without Borders (MSF), told CNN.

Reakes told CNN she was concerned about how the pandemic would affect already vulnerable populations, pointing specifically to humanitarian crises in Yemen, Venezuela, and Bangladesh, where more than 850,000 Rohingya refugees are living in the crowded Cox's Bazar refugee camp.

"We're talking about this crisis, Covid-19, coming on top of existing crises. We're expecting to see this crisis have a multiplier effect, we're expecting to see it actually generate more crises, we're expecting to see more food insecurity, more displacement and in some cases, more conflict as this pandemic hits," she added.

Above all, experts say that when it comes to treating Covid-19, countries with robust healthcare systems respond best to the virus.

"It's not just the ventilator," Pittard said. "In a hypothetical situation, we could have plenty of ventilators: enough for every single person. But if you don't have the staff to look after the patient and to look after the ventilator, it doesn't matter how many ventilators you've got."

This story was first published on CNN.com, "The world is scrambling to buy ventilators in the Covid-19 pandemic. One country has only four of them -- for 12 million people."
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.
Former HCMC official accused of causing $10.7 mln losses in public land violations

Nguyen Thanh Tai, former vice chairman of Ho Chi Minh City. Photo courtesy of the Ministry of Public Security.

Former Ho Chi Minh City vice chairman Nguyen Thanh Tai faces charges of causing losses of VND250 billion ($10.7 million) by violating land regulations.

Investigators from the Ministry of Public Security have told prosecutors to indict Tai for "violating regulations related to the management and use of state-owned property that caused losses or wastefulness," a crime that carries a jail term of 10-20 years.

Four others, three of them officials, face the same charges. They are Nguyen Hoai Nam, former secretary of the District 2 Party unit; Dao Anh Kiet, former director of the city Department of Natural Resources and Environment; Truong Van Ut, former deputy head of the departments land, natural resources and environment office; and Le Thi Thanh Thuy, president of Mayflower Investment Company Ltd and Lavenue Investment JSC.

Tai, 68, served as HCMC vice chairman between 2011 and 2015.

In 2018 government auditors concluded he was mainly responsible for the citys decision to lease out a land lot at 8-12 Le Duan Street in District 1 without competitive bidding, causing multimillion-dollar losses to the city.

The nearly 5,000-square-meter plot was earmarked for construction of a five-star hotel and mall.

The Government Inspectorate said city authorities should have carried out a bidding process to select a prestigious and experienced investor.

Instead they allowed the establishment of a joint stock company in 2010 to carry out the project following requests from the Ministry of Industry and Trade, units belonging to whom had been leasing the land.

The HCMC Housing Management and Trading Company held a 50 percent share in the new company and Lavenue Investment JSC and the ministrys units owned the rest.

Two months after incorporation the companies under the ministry sold 80 percent of their shares in Lavenue to two private companies, Mayflower and Kinh Do Investment Company.

In June 2011 Lavenue received the city governments approval to build the hotel by paying the city nearly VND700 billion ($30.6 million). However, no construction has taken place for years and the lot is now used for parking cars.

The land lot at 8-12 Le Duan Street in District 1, HCMC, serves as a parking lot. Photo by VnExpress/Quynh Tran.

State inspectors said the transaction showed "special favor" to the private companies. It violated Vietnams laws on bidding, public asset management, as well as regulations on land use, public land prices and public fund management.

Tai and his accomplices' actions have caused losses of over VND250 billion, of which VND4.7 billion was the value of the structures on the land at the time of the violation and VND248 billion was the amount from the state budget that has yet to be recovered due to the illegal land transfer and lease.

The lot, which stands in the heart of the city, not far from iconic buildings such as the Central Post Office, the Notre-Dame Cathedral and the Independence Palace, has "special value," inspectors said.

The cost to rent it, in line with the market price, is more than VND3.5 million ($150) per square meter per year.

Following investigations, authorities found that Tai had had a personal relationship with Le Thi Thanh Thuy and so approved to lease out the 5,000 m2 land lot to Thuy's company without a bidding process.

Kiet, Nam and Ut recommended Tai to approve these illegal decisions despite knowing that documents relevant to the project were still lacking, authorities said.
Beedi workers in Dakshina



Kannada and Udupi districts of Karnataka will resume work on Monday as the government has ordered relaxation to the industry during the lockdown period.

Taking note of the problems faced by workers, the government has allowed the beedi industry to function from Monday.

The owners have promised to provide 50 per cent of work to labourers, DK district-in-charge Minister Kota Srinivas Poojary said on Saturday after a meeting with owners representatives.

The owners have also been requested to pay the annual bonus to workers earlier than usual.

Dakshina Kannada district has 1.90 lakh beedi workers while Udupi has 21,000 workers in the sector.

The workers will be protected in the lockdown period and the progress reviewed after 15 days, the minister said.

Arrangements have been made to distribute food to migrant workers and destitute people affected by the lockdown through local groups.

Construction workers will get a relief of Rs 2,000 which will be deposited in their accounts, he said.

Poojary directed the district health department to submit a report on the house visits of Asha workers within ten days.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Source: Xinhua| 2020-04-18 22:33:43|Editor: huaxia

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A flight attendant wearing a face mask and goggles serves passengers aboard flight MU2527 of China Eastern airlines at the Tianhe International Airport in Wuhan, central China's Hubei Province, April 8, 2020. (Xinhua/Cheng Min)

BEIJING, April 18 (Xinhua) -- China has strengthened nucleic acid testing of travelers leaving Wuhan, a city hit hard by COVID-19, before they resume work, production or study elsewhere, according to a recently released circular.

Those who are set to work as teachers, medical workers or service providers at public places after leaving Wuhan should all undergo nucleic acid testing before leaving, which is free of charge, noted the circular issued by a State Council inter-agency task force.

Others leaving Wuhan are encouraged to take nucleic acid testing on a voluntary basis and pay testing fees, according to the circular. 
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Screenshot from TikTok by @603piper

EAST WINDSOR  A former local assistant fire chief died earlier this month from complications related to COVID-19, according to his obituary.

Lawrence Skip Woodward died on April 9. He was 75.

He was born July 18, 1944, to Lawrence Woodward, Sr., and Ruth Wirth.

Skip led a life of service to others, his obituary said.

Woodward enlisted and served in the United States Navy, aboard the USS Holland (AS-32).

He spent the majority of his professional career as a safety officer at GE Knolls in Windsor.

Throughout his life he dedicated his time to serving as a volunteer firefighter with the Warehouse Point Fire Department, ending his career as assistant fire chief, his obituary said.

Woodward was one of the founding members of the East Windsor Volunteer Ambulance Association, where he spent many years as an EMT-I and in leadership positions.

He spent countless hours volunteering for the American Red Cross as a CPR instructor and as a health history interviewer at blood drives.

Woodward is survived by his brother, his daughter, his son-in-law and his two grandchildren.

Online condolences can be left at www.pietrasfuneralhome.com.
The White House and congressional Democrats said Sunday they could reach agreement soon on expanding funds to small businesses devastated by the coronavirus, with Democrats hoping to add money for hospitals, testing and state governments.

Were very close, Vice President Mike Pence told talkshow Fox News Sunday about negotiations on replenishing the Paycheck Protection Program whose entire $349 billion funding was exhausted by last Thursday.

Were going to work to expand that so that no one working in a small business in America would have to worry about missing a paycheck.

President Donald Trump has insisted his administration will do right by millions of American families and businesses ravaged by a pandemic that has infected 735,000 people in the United States, 39,000 of whom have died.

Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin expressed hope a deal could be reached and passed by Congress in the coming days.

I think were very close to a deal today, Mnuchin told CNNs State of the Union, as he put forward a new target number of $300 billion, beyond the $250 billion under discussion last week.

Mnuchin said the White House has also agreed to add $75 billion to hospitals and first responders, and $25 billion to ramp up virus testing -- clear wins for Democrats.

Critics have savaged the administration for lagging on testing efforts and say testing should be massively expanded.

Mnuchin, however, said Trump wants additional funding for state and local governments -- stretched to the limit as they battle the pandemic -- included in a broader bill to come later, not in the interim package.

Democrats joined the optimism about the pace of negotiations.

Were on a very good path and a deal could be reached soon, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi told Fox.

That marked a notable quickening of her timeline from last week, when she suggested the interim bill could clear Congress before the end of the month.

Top Senate Democrat Chuck Schumer was more direct, saying Im very hopeful we could come to an agreement tonight or early tomorrow morning.

US officials said Friday that the massive business loan program has aided 1.6 million enterprises to date.

Democrats are stressing that some money in the interim package be set aside for businesses in rural and minority areas where there is often less access to banks.
More than 260 million Orthodox Christians celebrated Easter Sunday, with church leaders urging worshippers to stay at home to avoid spreading the novel coronavirus. Yet while many watched services online or on television, some sidestepped virus fears to attend churches on the most important date in the Orthodox calendar. In Belarus, President Alexander Lukashenko, who has cast doubt on the seriousness of the pandemic and allowed events such as football matches to go ahead, visited a church without a face mask. "I don't approve of those who closed people's way to church," he said, quoted by Belta state news agency, claiming, "we experience these viruses every year". In Georgia, several hundred took part in a midnight mass at Tbilisi's Holy Trinity Cathedral after the government allowed churches to open despite a curfew aimed at curbing the virus. "I could have stayed at home and watched the service on television but only here in this holy church can I find true comfort," one worshipper, 58-year-old Lamara Zhvania told AFP. Orthodox Christians, the world's third largest group of Christian believers, this year celebrate Easter a week after Catholics and Protestants because they follow a different calendar. Last week's Easter celebrations took place in empty churches while Pope Francis live-streamed his traditional message from the Vatican as the pandemic that has killed more than 150,000 made mass worship too risky. Some believers in the former Communist bloc said restrictions on attending services evoked painful memories of Soviet-era persecution. - 'We are together' - Russian Patriarch Kirill, who leads 150 million believers, held a service in Moscow's Christ the Saviour Church without worshippers. In a televised address, the Patriarch lamented "the terrible illness that has touched our people," saying church closures recalled the Soviet times when people "risked their future" by going to church. Russian President Vladimir Putin did not go to a service as usual but visited a chapel at his country residence. "This year the festival is taking place with restrictions forced on us. They are necessary to fight the spread of the illness," he said in a video address. In and around Moscow, where most Russian virus cases are concentrated, churches held services behind closed doors, while they remained open in many other regions of Russia, which has confirmed more than 42,000 cases of coronavirus and 361 deaths. Churches were not open to the public in much of the wider Orthodox region including Greece and Serbia as well as minority communities in Turkey and Egypt. In Syria, where most Christians follow Orthodox rituals, churches broadcast services online and the mood was sombre in the Christian quarter of Damascus. In the crypt of Belgrade's huge Saint Sava Temple, around a dozen people breached a strict round-the-clock curfew in place till Tuesday to attend a morning service, many wearing masks. In Albania, where Orthodox believers make up 11 percent, 72-year-old Tatjana Jani lit candles in front of icons in her Tirana flat, saying the lockdown reminded her of the Communist years of enforced atheism. "We used to celebrate like today, even though now we're in democratic confinement." In Lebanon, which has communities of mainly Greek Orthodox believers, churches broadcast services online and via loudspeakers. "It's the first time in my life I've seen a Sunday like this," said 76-year-old Afaf, who lives in a region north of Beirut. In Romania, while churches closed their doors, volunteers and priests went to people's homes handing out loaves of consecrated bread and lighting candles with the holy flame brought from Jerusalem's Church of the Holy Sepulchre. - Officials versus clerics - A number of Orthodox churches opposed the imposition of lockdown measures on their most important holiday. In Bulgaria the Orthodox Church kept services open, but required worshippers to wear masks and keep their distance. Dimitry Goldman, 46, wore a face mask to attend an open-air midnight service outside the Alexander Nevski cathedral in central Sofia. He said he was praying for "health... and that we overcome this crisis and people go out in the streets again." Georgia's government bowed to pressure from religious authorities and allowed services in the largest churches despite a public lockdown in the Black Sea country with 394 confirmed cases. Ukraine saw a similar divergence of views with President Volodymyr Zelensky urging people to stay at home while the country's Orthodox Church loyal to the Moscow Patriarch encouraged worshippers to attend outdoor services. Some 130,000 people attended services across the country, police said. burs-am/bp
Popular Yoruba star, Toyin Abraham has opened up on her battle with depression.

The new mum of one in an interview with, Chude on his show, With Chude on TVC, spoke on how she dreaded her family because she is from a Christian home and she smoked cigarettes.

Read Also: Toyin Abraham Shows Off Her Makeup-Free Selfie On Instagram

The actress also spoke on having the feeling of dying soon and was already planning her own funeral.

I used to sit down and tell myself, Toyin if you die now, imagine the kind of crowd that will come, you will now be more popular oh. Yes, I was looking at the crowd that will come to my funeral She told Chude

https://www.instagram.com/tv/B_IyHUenqsv/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link
Panjab University dean university instructions (DUI), Shankarji Jha, has written to departments of the varsity seeking information on the status of completion of syllabus, as classes remains suspended amid the Covid-19 lockdown.

The university will give all departments at least three weeks to complete the syllabus and other practical work once the lockdown is lifted, Jha said.

The communication sent to the heads of departments (HoDs) states, The vice-chancellor has asserted that after the lockdown has been lifted, departments will complete the syllabus and practicals by taking extra classes, so that examinations can be conducted in time. All decisions will be taken keeping the best interests of students in mind.

Jha has asked HoDs for their suggestions on steps to be taken and directed them to send their feedbacks by Tuesday.

Earlier, the V-C had directed departments of the university and affiliated colleges to complete the syllabus by May 9 through virtual platforms.

The decision was met with criticism from students and teachers and later, the varsity said enough time will be given to them once the lockdown is lifted.

Around 60% syllabus was completed by departments before the lockdown was imposed. So, two or three weeks will be enough to complete the syllabus after classes resume, the chairperson of a department said.
David Ireland's first major play swept the boards as a co-production between the Abbey and the Royal Court when it premiered in 2016, just before the current artistic directorship took over at the Abbey. Last year, a film version was commissioned by The Space, directed by Vicky Featherstone, and this is being streamed by the Abbey free of charge until the middle of next month.

And it's superb Covid viewing: unlike some streamings, Cyprus Avenue was made with full facilities, and takes the action of this bizarre black comedy onto the streets of Belfast to tell the story of a psychotic middle-class Protestant, an unrepentant bigot who lives on leafy, comfortable Cyprus Avenue. It was and is a dream part for Stephen Rea, as Eric's lunacy begins to seep out from the hospital room where he is confined, having murdered not only his weeks-old granddaughter but also his daughter and his wife.

And it all began when he had to pretend to like the baby; cuddling her, he saw a distinct resemblance to Gerry Adams. Having used a marker to draw a beard and glasses on her sleeping face, he became convinced she WAS Gerry Adams.

It's a play about psychosis; it's a play about family; it's a play about politics; it's a play about identity; it's a play about hatred; it's a play about Ireland; it's a play about the universe.

It is wildly, superbly, wickedly funny, with political incorrectness not so much in your face as shoved unerringly and gleefully down your throat.

Its achievement is that its Northern Ireland Loyalist suppositions could be smoothly reversed for another cosy downhome nationalist horror. Eric hates "Fenians". But spread it about the place, and you can apply it to any minority, ethnic, religious, or whatever you're having yourself.

It's Homeric in its compass, and in Ireland's use of language, as wickedly, deliberately offensive as possible, and viciously funny with it .

Andrea Irvine as the wife and Ronke Adekoluejo as the psychologist are new to the cast, with Rea refiguring his spectacularly funny and restrained performance, Amy Molloy as the doomed daughter, and Chris Corrigan as the loyalist vigilante who may or may not be all in Eric's mind.

And Ireland is one of the writers, not all of them playwrights, who will take part in the Abbey's Dear Ireland project.

Fifty writers have each been asked to contribute a monologue inspired by the crisis, and to nominate an actor to perform it.

Video of the Day

The actors will self-record at home, and the results will be available on You Tube over four nights from April 28 to May 1.

And with notables including Blindboy, Sonya Kelly, Frank McGuinness, Nancy Harris, Gina Moxley and Michael West among the writers, and the actors including luminaries such as Clare Dunne, Marie Mullen, Marty Rea, Owen Roe, Brendan Gleeson and Stanley Townsend, it should be a treat as much as an act of hope and defiance.
The Delhi police have registered a case of extortion and abetment of suicide against Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) MLA Prakash Jarwal and another person after a 52-year-old man was found hanging from the terrace of his house in south Delhis Durga Vihar.

Deputy commissioner police (south) Atul Thakur confirmed that a case was registered Saturday against the legislator based on allegations levelled by the dead mans son, but did not elaborate on the case details.

Police said the deceased was a practising doctor who also supplied water tankers of the Delhi Jal Board (DJB). On Saturday morning, he was found dead on the terrace of his house. He had hung himself, police said.

An investigating official, who did not wish to be named, said the complainant has blamed the Deoli legislator and another person (allegedly his aide) for his fathers death. During preliminary investigation, the doctors family said the deceased, who was also into the business of supplying water with DJB since 2007, had been upset for the past few months as he was suffering monetary loss. The family said these losses were because MLA Prakash Jarwal had demanded money from the deceased and when the man failed to pay the sum on time, Jarwal allegedly got his payments towards supplying water stalled. The family said the man this forced him to take the extreme step, said the officer.

None of the officers authorised to speak to the media came on record to detail the reason for the mans suicide or why an FIR was filed against the legislator.

In a statement issued on Saturday, Jarwal said he was innocent, and had not met the man for eight or 10 months.

I have proved myself innocent in the past and I will do so now too, Jarwal said.

Repeated calls and text messages to DJB vice-chairperson Raghav Chadha went unanswered.

Police said they received a call on Saturday at 6.15am stating that a man has hanged himself in Deoli. A police team reached the spot and found the doctor, who ran a clinic, had hanged himself using a rope. His wife said he woke up around 5.30am and went to the terrace. The death came to light around 6am when a neighbor spotted the man hanging and alerted his family, said a senior police officer who did not wish to be named.

The officer said that as per the doctors son, one of Jarwals close aides, Kapil Nagar, had visited the deceased on Friday, hours after which he allegedly killed himself. We have also recovered some documents and a note, allegedly written by the doctor himself in which he has detailed the reasons for taking the extreme step. The letter, however, is under verification, the officer said.

Deputy commissioner of police (south) Atul Thakur said, a case under IPC sections 386 (extortion), 306 (abetment of suicide) and 506 (criminal intimidation) along with other sections was registered against Prakash Jarwal and Kapil Nagar, among others at Neb Sarai police station.

A few major suicide prevention helpline numbers in India are +914066202000 from Roshni (Hyderabad-based) and +914424640050 from Sneha India Foundation (Delhi-based).
As the number of coronavirus cases is increasing in the United Kingdom, a senior minister reportedly said that officials are not considering lifting the lockdown, which was enacted almost four weeks ago. While speaking to an international media outlet, Cabinet Office minister, Michael Gove, said that the outbreak is deeply worrying as the death toll has now surpassed 15,000. Gove reportedly said that facts and advice are clear at the moment that the country should not be thinking of the lifting of the restrictions yet.

With more than 114,000 confirmed coronavirus cases, Gove said that the evidence suggests that the rate of infection and the death rate is flattening and the authorities believe that the country is not yet on a downward trajectory. He further described the situation in the UK as grotesque. Gove also pointed out that Prime Minister Boris Johnson has taken all the major decisions and has thrown his heart and soul into fighting the virus.

READ: Virus Survivor In UK Recalls Severe Deterioration

Meanwhile, earlier this week, UK government announced that its currently social distancing will remain in place for at least another three weeks, going up to May 7. Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab said, Any change to our social distancing measures now would risk a significant increase in the spread of the virus. Your efforts are paying off. There is a light at the end of the tunnel. To lift measures now would undo the progress we've made to date and, as a result, would require an even longer period of the more restrictive social distancing measures.

READ: It Made A World Of Difference: UK Doctor Hails Ex-students

Vaccine Taskforce

The government also announced a Vaccine Taskforce in a bid to drive forward, expedite and co-ordinate efforts to research and then produce a coronavirus vaccine. According to the official UK government website, the taskforce will be led by Chief Scientific Adviser Sir Patrick Vallance and Deputy Chief Medical Officer Professor Jonathan Van-Tam.

The authorities will be supporting efforts to rapidly develop a coronavirus vaccine as soon as possible by providing industry and research institutions with the resources and support needed. They will be reviewing regulations and scaling up manufacturing so that when the vaccine becomes available, it can be produced quickly and in mass quantities.

(With PTI inputs)

(Image source: AP)

READ: NHS Choir At Hospital That Treated UK PM Releases Song

READ: UK Hospitals Record 888 More Virus Deaths
By Express News Service

CHENNAI: The expenses on accommodation in lodges and food are burning a hole in the pockets of around 1,000 migrant labourers in the city, who, in the upcoming trying days may run out of money, thereby forcing them to evict, fear activists.

Several migrant labourers are boarding in lodges around Egmore and Chennai Central, after the trains to their hometowns were cancelled.

Speaking to Express, Mehboob, a labourer from Kolkata, who is staying at a guest house half a km away from Central railway station said, I have stayed in this lodge for almost a month now. Until today, the daily rent was Rs 400 per person. Now, we pleaded with the manager and have brought it down to Rs 100 per person. Even that, we are not able to pay.

Mehboob had come from Kerala (where he worked) to Chennai, in order to board a train to Kolkata, with Rs 5,000 in his pocket. He now has just about Rs 400 left with him and has asked his family for financial help. There are 30 labourers from Kolkata staying in the same lodge.

This is my first time to Chennai. I dont know where one can get cheap food and a stay place or whom to ask, he worried.

Another labourer, on condition of anonymity, said that since the city corporation has instructed lodge owners to retain the labourers in their respective lodges, and not ask them to leave, staff were coming up with other ways to force them to leave.

They cut off electricity and water supply. We convinced them that well pay the rent in installments. Only after that, theyve restored the connections, he added.

The issue was brought to light by Chennai Citizens COVID Fund For Migrant Labour, which has activists from various fields coming together to help migrant labourers. When the issue was raised, Corporation officials did not offer to move them to community halls or shelter homes, but instead, continued holding talks with the lodge owners, said Shreela Manohar, a volunteer.

The lodge owners question us how they are supposed to look after electricity and water costs without demanding rent. They are commercial establishments who are here to do business, so we cannot blame them either. Now, we have two sets of citizens fighting against each other for a decision that the government has taken, said T Venkat, and independent labour activist.

When contacted, corporation officials said that they were doing everything in their capacity to resolve the situation. We have already said that they can have food at Amma Unavagams at free of cost, the official added.
Prince Charles is planning to have a huge organic cattle herd at Sandringham which could send farmyard smells wafting over the country home of Prince William.

The Prince of Wales wants to introduce 500 beef cattle so their manure can be spread over fields where crops are grown on the Royal estate in Norfolk.

It is understood the move is part of his plan to make the estate fully organic by July. However, some local residents fear it will lead to an increase in unpleasant odours.

One of the proposed sites for a manure heap, though, is less than half a mile from Anmer Hall - the country estate of Prince William and Kate Middleton.

A villager said organic farming 'comes at a price for people who live downwind of a dung heap or next door to the fields where slurry is being sprayed around.

Prince Charles (pictured, April 2015) is planning to have a huge organic cattle herd at Sandringham which could send smells wafting over the country home of Prince William

A site plan showing the position of the cattle sheds which will be the winter home for the 500-strong herd of organic cattle at Sandringham, providing thousands of tonnes of manure to be spread over fields, and potentially wafting farmyard smells over Prince William's home

'William and Kate are going to have to put up with the smell like everyone else.'

The estate has applied for planning consent to build a pair of giant cattle sheds for the herd, each measuring 315ft by 98ft with solar panels on the roof.

Five hundred cattle will live in the sheds between October and March, but will be grass-fed on pastures during the spring and summer.

Planning documents show that manure from the herd mixed with straw bedding will be stored in six heaps on surrounding land, each containing up to 400 tonnes.

The Cambridge family's Georgian mansion overlooks fields where muck will be spread in the spring and ploughed into the soil after crops are harvested in August.

Prince Charles plans to have an organic herd at Sandringham (pictured, Sandringham House)

Plans for the cattle sheds which could cause a stink for Prince William and Kate Middleton

A photograph showing the area where Prince Charles want to build cattle sheds

Dirty water from the sheds and leachate from an associated 'silage clamp' store for winter feed will be spread on the fields between April and October.

King's Lynn and West Norfolk Borough Council still has to decide whether or not to give consent for the proposed cattle sheds.

Sandringham parish councillors say they 'support the principle of moving to more sustainable, organic, farming' and believe the cattle herd 'will be good for the local economy in enhancing employment opportunities for young, local, people.'

But in a letter to the district council they added: 'We would want you to be satisfied that there will be no escape of obnoxious odours that will impact surrounding residents' enjoyments of their lives or impact their wellbeing.'

Plans for the cattle sheds which could cause a stink for Prince William and Kate Middleton

A photograph showing the area where Prince Charles want to build cattle sheds

Natural England warned that the herd could hit the 'air quality' of conservation areas such as Dersingham Bog, Roydon common and areas of the Norfolk coastline.

But a study commissioned by the estate's agents found that ammonia waste produced by the cattle would have an 'inconsequential' affect on vegetation.

Prince Charles took over the running of the 20,000 acre Sandringham estate when his father Prince Philip retired from public life in 2017. Half of the land is farmed by the estate while the rest is rented out to tenant farmers.

It was revealed in January last year that the Prince of Wales, who is a well known supporter of traditional farming methods, had introduced an outdoor-lambing sheep flock as one of his first steps at Sandringham.

A site plan showing the position of the cattle sheds which will be the winter home for the 500-strong herd of organic cattle at Sandringham, providing thousands of tonnes of manure to be spread over fields, and potentially wafting farmyard smells over Prince William's home

Plans for the cattle sheds which could cause a stink for Prince William and Kate Middleton

A statement submitted with the planning application said: 'Sandringham Farms will be into fully organic arable and livestock production by July 2020.

'The introduction of an organic beef enterprise will provide valuable organic farm manure utilising straw from the combinable crops grown.

'It will also provide an additional enterprise which will boost the farms income, providing high quality sustainably and locally produced meat, which is pasture fed during the summer months and (on) grass silage during the winter.'

A planning statement describes the cattle sheds which will be close to the Appleton water tower as 'a new enterprise' and 'a large investment by the estate.'

It adds: 'The production of organically, grass-fed high-quality beef from local heritage breeds represents an enhancement of the heritage, cultural and environmental assets of West Norfolk.'

Tory councillor Tony Bubb who represents the ward where the cattle sheds are planned said: 'You don't move to the country and not expect smells. Most people will be sympathetic to these plans... I can't see it being a problem for anybody.'

A Sandringham Estate spokesperson called the planning applications 'part of the Estate's ongoing conversion to organic farming'.
To the Editor:

Erik Larsons new book about Winston Churchill and the Blitz, The Splendid and the Vile, should be required reading for every American today.

Churchills inspired leadership through his words  frank assessments of the situation and soaring speeches  and actions of visiting bombed-out cities and neighborhoods helped the English get through those dark days.

Compare that with our present leaders in Washington.

There is no inspiration, no frank assessments of the situation or soaring speeches to build our collective confidence. No visits to hot spots or hospitals to thank our front-line responders to help us get through these dark days together as one country.

The spirit and resolve of the English never wavered or broke during the Blitz because of the greatness of Churchill.
Amid lockdown, a woman from



neighbouring Navi Mumbai found herself completly helpless when two hospitals refused to admit her husband, a lawyer, who had suffered a heart attack.

After running from one hospital to another in an ambulance, when Jaideep Jaywant (56) was finally admitted to a medical facility, it was too late, his distraught wife Deepali, who is also a lawyer, told PTI.

She said in the initial days of lockdown to contain the spread of coronavirus, it was her husband who had taken an initiative to supply essential items to harried neighbours, but he died without getting timely help.

The victim, resident of Sector 17 in Vashi area of Navi Mumbai, had a massive heart attack on April 14. He collapsed after having lunch.

"I could feel his pulse. There was still life in him. I immediately called an ambulance and rushed him to a nearby hospital," his wife said.

"But, the security guard at the hospital did not even open the gates. They said they admitted only COVID-19 patients and no (other) emergency," she said.

They then went to a municipal hospital in Sector 10 but were not allowed inside. They subsequently proceeded to D Y Patil Hospital in Nerul.

"By the time we reached there, 30 minutes were wasted and he was declared dead," the grief-stricken wife said.

"Can't there be any medical emergencies other than COVID-19 during the lockdown? Is it right for hospitals to turn away patients needing emergency medical aid?" she asked.

The woman said she can't seek action against the hospital in her neighbourhood since she has no evidence against it.

"General practitioners are all closed. Where do ordinary people go?" she asked.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
People wearing face masks to protect themselves against the spread of the new coronavirus sit on bicycles as they wait to cross an intersection in the central business district in Beijing, Friday, April 17, 2020. AP




Donald Trump and Mike Pence.

In early May, after weeks of delay prompted by the pandemic, the US Supreme Court will hear oral arguments in three highly-anticipated cases about president Donald Trumps financial records. One of those matters involve a subpoena for Trumps taxes.

The case is important. Trump, unlike any president in recent history, has refused to disclose his finances, obscuring potential conflict of interests between his government and his personal business. But the issue has now taken on a whole new urgency because the $2.2 trillion CARES Act passed by Congress last month contains deep within its 800 pages two barely-noticeable tax clauses that only benefit rich Americans, perhaps including the president.

The new tax clauses will cost Americans about $195 billion over 10 years. They suspend previously-placed limits on tax offsets and apply retroactively, meaning millionaires will make a killing based on past circumstances while millions of Americans lose their jobs and struggle to survive the economic effects of the coronavirus crisis. This, despite the fact that, officially, the businesses of Trump and others in government cannot benefit from the stimulus package.

In other words, politicians apparently found a workaround for the protections meant to shield the people from government corruption.

The [tax] policy is complex, senator Sheldon Whitehouse of Rhode Island told Quartz. But the principle is straightforward: In the midst of a national health emergency, we ought to help those who need itlike healthcare workers and small businessesnot give huge tax breaks to hedge fund managers and real estate investors. This is a special-interest looting of the American taxpayer, plain and simple.

Precisely how much Trump stands to gain from the bonanza tax breaks is unclear because he has refused to disclose his finances. The president has so far intervened in cases ordering his accountants and business associates to reveal their dealings with him, arguing that the chief executives records are special.

Story continues

Supreme Court precedent indicates otherwise, however, and the new tax provisions in the CARES Act raise additional suspicions about his secret records that cant be put to rest without full disclosure.

If we had Trumps tax returns, as we do for every other president in the modern era, the American people could see what kind of conflicts of interest and financial mischief swirl around their president, Whitehouse said. In this case, we could see whether Trump himself would benefit from giveaways like these provisions.

On swindles and windfalls

The suspect clauses are hundreds of pages deep in the hastily-passed emergency CARES Act. They benefit a relatively small group of wealthy taxpayers and have nothing to do with battling Covid-19 or providing relief to the Americans worst-hit by the crisis, but Whitehouse said Republican politicians made them a priority during negotiations.

Members of Congress knew the tax clauses were in there. But the specifics, the extent to which these breaks could line the pockets of the rich and benefit wealthy real estate investors like the president and his son-in-law Jared Kushner, were not immediately apparent.

What was a surprise was just how much money those provisions will loot from taxpayers to send to real estate investors and other million-dollar-plus earnerstax filers like the Trumps and Kushners, Whitehouse said.

The astronomical cost only became evident a day after CARES was signed into law, when the nonpartisan congressional Joint Committee on Taxation (JCT) published an analysis of the provisions. The committees latest findings show that four of five millionaires will pocket an average of $1.6 million more this year alone thanks to the stimulus bill. This of course dwarfs the $1,200 one-time checks average Americans will receive.

In total the tax clauses will cost taxpayers more than the funding allotted in the CARES Act to all hospitals throughout the US, and more than the relief provided to all state and local governments, according to the JCT analysis. Together, they are the costliest elements of the relief package. For that reason, Whitehouse and Texas representative Lloyd Doggett, as committee members, want to know what role, if any, the Trump administration played in advocating for these policies.

On April 9, they sent a letter demanding to review all communications pertaining to any internal advocacy for the suspect clauses. The missive was addressed to vice president Mike Pence, secretary of the treasury Steven Mnuchin, and acting director of the Office of Management and Budget Russell Vought. The lawmakers want the records so that Congress and the American public can better understand the provenance of these tax law changes, and assess whether any individuals within the Administration who stand to gain from these provisions were involved in their development.

SCOTUS to the rescue?

One bitter irony of this especially cruel spring of 2020 is that the CARES Act was signed into law on March 27, just days before the Supreme Court was originally meant to hear the Trump finance matters.

The hearings were delayed due to concerns about crowds in the courtroom. They would not have addressed the suspicious provisions in the CARES Act. But perhaps the JCTs discovery of the tax clauses astronomical cost, published just ahead of debates over the presidents unprecedented secrecy, would have alerted Americans to the need for full financial disclosure from Trump and his subpoenaed business associates.

Instead, whispers of the secret tax windfalls were drowned out by the roar of justified pandemic panic. At that point, the people were more worried about ventilator and mask shortages than secret surpluses for the super rich and there was no dearth of pressing news to preoccupy journalists and readers. Indeed, it seemedat least to somethat the typical ideological rifts had been overcome for the common good. At times, our nation can appear sharply divided; divided by generations, by left and right, by our differences, and even by the donkey and the elephant, Forbes wrote hopefully of the stimulus bill. Sometimes, circumstances arise that compel us to either rise as one or be shattered.

Alas, that quickly proved to be an illusion. The reality is far more stark. As The Washington Post put it on April 14, [E]very voter should know that, at a time when hospitals, cities and states cried out for help with the pandemic, the presidents allies in Congress tossed a [$195 billion] lifeline in the direction of Trump, Kushner and other rich people who needed it the least.

Now, with the federal and state governments planning an easing of lockdownsor as the Trump administration puts it Opening Up America Againits perhaps also the right moment to pay attention to the presidents unprecedented secrecy about his finances.

If the Supreme Court decides after its historic telephonic oral arguments on May 4 that Trump doesnt have the right to hide his taxes and financial records, contrary to his claims, the third parties subpoenaed over their dealings with Trump will turn the records over, they say. Whitehouse said the documentation could potentially clarify the extent to which Trump will personally benefit from the costly tax clauses in the CARES Act.

We already know about massive conflicts of interest for the president, whether its foreign dignitaries staying at his hotels or shunting military planes to Scotland to steer business to his resorts, the senator said. Seeing the presidents full financial records would show us much more, like whether these provisions will pad the Trump familys bottom line.

Sign up for the Quartz Daily Brief, our free daily newsletter with the worlds most important and interesting news.

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Hardeep Singh Puri, Union Minister for Civil Aviation announced that the Aviation Ministry has taken no decision to open up domestic or international operations.

"The Ministry of Civil Aviation clarifies that so far no decision has been taken to open domestic or international operations," Puri said. "Airlines are advised to open their bookings only after a decision in this regard has been taken by the Government."





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 a Hardeep Singh Puri (@HardeepSPuri) April 18, 2020

This announcement has come even after several airlines already announced their separate plans to open up ticket bookings.

Air India yesterday announced that it will open up bookings for select domestic routes on May 4 and bookings for international flights will start from June 1.

Earlier Indigo Airlines had announced that it has made preparations to for a phase-wise commencement of flights from May 4.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on April 14 announced that the nationwide lockdown would be extended till May 3. The government also released an advisory lifting up several restrictions so that the country can slowly turn back to normalcy.

Also Read: Bookings open for select domestic routes from May 4, international from June 1: Air India

Also Read: Coronavirus: Two-fifth of global air passenger traffic to be wiped out in 2020

Also Read: Coronavirus India Live Updates: Haridwar, Nainital red zones as cases in India cross 15,000
STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. -- Throughout the last month, the coronavirus pandemic has been spreading and changing life as we know it considerably. However, many Staten Islanders refuse to let negativity win during these trying times.

From donations to superhero parades, Islanders are remaining in high spirits and spreading that positivity to others.

LOCAL BUSINESSES DONATE FUNDING TO SIUH

A screenshot of James Prendamano announcing the partnership to fund a negative pressure room at Staten Island University Hospital.

Two local businesses have banded together to help Staten Island University Hospital (SIUH) in their fight against coronavirus.

James Prendamano, CEO of Casandra Properties, Inc. and Dave Berman, owner of Gaeta Interior Demolition are each pledging $10,000 to fund the conversation of a standard hospital room to a negative pressure room.

Prendamano explained that the spoke with John Demoleas, the Executive Director of the SIUH Foundation, about what the hospital needed most. Demoleas explained that one of the major needs was to convert standard hospital rooms into negative pressure rooms.

Negative pressure rooms are a key part of stopping the spread of airborne infections. According to the Minnesota Department of Health, temporary negative pressure isolation (TNPI) is used when isolation is needed but there are an insufficient number of individual airborne infection isolation rooms.

TNPI prevents cross-contamination between rooms, therefore keeping medical professionals and patients safe from the infection disease.

According to Demoleas, each conversion to a negative pressure room costs $20,000. Therefore, the contribution from Prendamano and Berman will cover the cost completely.

As a small business, now more than ever we have to be cognizant of every dollar we spend. Its also a time that the community needs support like never before," said Prendamano. When youre talking about saving lives and protecting the heroes on the front line, the choice is clear. You step up and help give back to the community thats given so much to us over the years.

PASTOSA RAVIOLI SUPPORTS MEALS ON WHEELS

From left, Rev. Terry Troia, and Vincent DAntuono and his dad, Vincent DAntuono of Pastosa Ravioli, West Brighton. (Courtesy Pastosa Ravioli)

Pastosa Ravioli in West Brighton made sure that the community was fed by donating more that 150 boxes of stuffed shells and manicotti to Meals on Wheels. The delivers meals to those who cant, including the elderly and disabled. Vincent DAntuono, owner of Pastosa Ravioli, was joined by chef Nick and Reverend Terry Troia of Project Hospitality to assist with the delivery.

SNACKS DROPPED OFF TO LOCAL HOSPITALS

A nurse hugging goodies delivered by the FRRCA. (Courtesy FRRCA)

The Forest Regional Residents Civic Association (FRRCA) raised over $1,400 to bring snacks and grab-n-go goodies to the emergency departments at Richmond University Medical Center (RUMC) and both locations of SIUH. Two members, Eileen Newman and Dana Tedesco, were the ones who came up with the idea to reach out and see what hospitals needed.

We called friends we knew at all the hospitals and they advised that they were too busy to eat meals, recalled Neil Anastasio, FRRCA President. [They] would appreciate simple things, like granola bars, snacks, and drinks.

FRRCA bought their items in bulk to be distributed to the local hospitals. (Courtesy FRRCA)

FRRCA set up a Venmo account and circled the announcement on social media, noting that the response was immediate and overwhelming. With their funds, they purchased supplies in bulk and were divided into deliverable packages to the hospitals.

If you would like to continue to support this effort, FRRCA requests that you can send a Venmo contribution or mail a check payable to FRRCA to C/O Anastasio, 500 Bard Ave., S.I. 10310.

SUPERHEROS MAKE (DISTANT) HOUSE VISITS

Photos of the Humble Heroes during their parade to wave hi to kids during social distancing. (Courtesy Marisa Filupeit)

Humble Heroes is an organization of FDNY members that dress as superheroes and make visits to lift the spirits children sick, grieving, and in other unfortunate situations. To raise the spirits of kids stuck at home during social distancing efforts, they organized a Social Distancing Parade.

Marisa Filupeit and her son Ryan Kunath outside for the Humble Heroes parade. (Courtesy Marisa Filupeit)

The superheroes got in their cars, standing in trucks and out of sunroofs to wave hello to kids on their paths. Families, including Marisa Filupeit and her son Ryan Kunath, met them outside to say hello wearing their own superhero gear.

ORGANIZATION DONATES 100 DINNERS TO SIUH PROFESSIONALS

Feeding the Frontlines did a delivery to SIUH. (Courtesy Yael Raden)

Despite being over 5,500 miles away, former Staten Island resident Yael Raden stepped up when he was asked to help the frontlines on the island.

Raden, who currently lives in Tel Aviv, was contacted by a friend named Kimmy who has been involved with Feeding the Frontlines, an initiative that brings meals to healthcare workers and supports local restaurants.

[Kimmy] reached out to me and said, we are reaching all over the tri-state area, but we havent gotten to Staten Island yet. Can you help us manage it there?' Raden recalled. I moved out of Staten Island, and even America, but as soon as she asked I knew I had to say yes.

Raden noted that his passion for help comes from his love of the community that he was raised in on Staten Island.

So far, Feeding the Frontlines has raised almost $20,000 and fed over 1,200 healthcare staff, including nurses, clerks, security, maintenance, and more. Their work has spanned across 18 hospitals and 18 local restaurants, delivering 500 meals a week to hospitals in New York and New Jersey.

Their delivery to the night staff at SIUH was made with the help of Cafe Gourmand owner Mikayel Aslanyan, where the food was donated from. They prepared 100 hot meat and rice dishes, a side salad, pastry dessert, and even included vegetarian options. All meals were fresh and individually wrapped.

All of the donations have come in through a GoFundMe page, with every $10 donation funding one meal. Raden says that their next goal is to donate to RUMC and then the ambulances.

WOMAN GIVES AWAY OVER 300 HANDMADE MASKS

Donna Fellows and her family working to make masks to give to the community. (Courtesy Lauren Zychowski)

Donna Fellows and her family have been working tirelessly to make fabric face masks for anyone who needs them. Fellows, who is a school teacher, has a side business on Etsy called Fellows Workshop. Because of this business, she had all of the tools necessary to get to work making masks.

So far, Fellows has made over 300 masks, giving them away to friends, community members, and even the whole crew of echo technicians at SIUH. These technicians perform echocardiograms, which does imagery of the heart, on patients with COVID-19.

LOCAL BUSINESS DRIVES TO NORTH CAROLINA FOR THEIR CUSTOMERS

Elvis Kraljev of Posh Baby and Teen loading up his truck in North Carolina. (Courtesy Posh Baby and Teen)

Posh Baby and Teen, an independently owned baby supply store in Charleston, knew they were in trouble when deliveries stopped coming in. Their regular supplies stopped shipping due to the coronavirus outbreak, but with babies still being born they still have a demand for their products.

Rather than deny their customers, workers took it upon themselves to drive to the supplier in North Carolina and pick it up themselves. From there, they delivered the baby furniture right to customers doors.

Sam and Joya Maiellano of Staten Island in front of their baby crib after receiving the personal delivery from Posh Baby and Teen. (Courtesy Posh Baby and Teen)

In todays challenging times the last thing our customers need is to worry about furniture, said Elvis Kraljev, who took the trip to pick up the items from North Carolina. It has always been our goal to help make the process of welcoming a baby into the world as seamless as possible, and making sure our customers get their deliveries is a priority.

PRESCHOOL TEACHER DELIVERS EASTER TREATS TO STUDENTS

Christine stands outside of a students house to wave hello and drop off an Easter goodie bag. (Courtesy Caryn Rich-Caverly)

Despite schools being closed, Christine Pizzariello, a 3K teacher Staten Island Preschool, and her assistant teacher Sharon Goldstein arent letting that stop them from supporting her community. Christine baked and made goodie bags to spread some Easter spirit on Good Friday.

She delivered her treats to a homeless shelter in Brooklyn and to fourteen of her students all across Staten Island. Staying over six feet away from her students, she greeted her students with Easter bunny glasses and ears to drop off the treats and shine some positivity on them.

SOROPTIMISTS INTERNATIONAL DONATE HOT MEALS

60 hot meals were donated to the NYPD, 120 Precinct. (Courtesy Janet McFarland)

With first responders working around the clock to keep the community safe and healthy, a local non-profit knew they had to do something to help out.

Soroptimists International of Staten Island, an NGO, are a women-run organization that works to help the local community. Last weekend, they donated $1,000 to give hot meals to the NYPD.

The 120 Precinct, which serves the North Shore of Staten Island, received 60 hot meals from the organization, in conjunction with OHenrys Publick House.

YOUTHBUILD HELPS CREATE FACE MASKS FOR MEDICAL PERSONNELLE

A YouthBuild student helps to create face masks for medical professionals. (Photo: Eric Goring, courtesy JMT Media)

After his son was hospitalized at RUMC, Stapleton resident Michael Perina knew that he had to do something to help with the storage of personal protection equipment (PPE) for workers on the frontlines. With this motivation, he managed to raise over $20,000 for the cause, culminating in 5,000 3D printed face shields and counting.

YouthBuild of Staten Island, a local youth community organization, heard about Perinas efforts and stepped in to help. Using a grant, the organization has aided Assembly 3D, Perinas company, by subsidizing labor costs.

[I]t was a unique opportunity to utilize the Work Progress Grant to pay our graduates to help build these face shields, explained Kamillah M. Hanks, Executive Director of YBSI.

The grant is funded by the NYC Mayors Office of Human Resources Administration through the Work Progress Program.

Five YBSI workers have also joined Perinas team for the next three months to help with the assembly process for the masks. Perina noted that all of the YBSI workers have been amazing and happy to help.

More good news:

Have an uplifting story to share? Email rhumbrecht@siadvance.com.
Environmentalists in Kenya have raised concerns over worsening the spread of Covid-19 due to improper disposal of personal protective equipment (PPE), such as face masks and gloves, during the epidemic. The alarm comes days after the government made it compulsory for people to wear face masks in public, or face arrest.

Hamisa Zaja, secretary general of the United Green Movement, said poor disposal of contaminated PPE could see the virus spread further throughout the population.

Most Kenyans lack information on how to dispose of PPE correctly, Zaja says. Many people are using face mask and gloves at this period. Health professionals know how to dispose of them the in right way. But while government and non-governmental organisations have been sensitising the public on importance of using PPE, they are not telling us how and when to dispose of them."

She urged the government to boost efforts to raise awareness on hygiene and to set up strategic areas for the public to dispose of face masks and gloves in a safe and environmentally friendly way.

Masks mandatory

On 15 April, the Kenyan government made wearing face masks in public mandatory. Those who do not face arrest, which raises another risk.

The government should tell us which face masks to use and it should have plans for distributing them to the general public, as it is a must to wear them, Zaja says. It is very risky for those who cannot afford standardised face masks, as some may pick up disposed masks from the road and in infect themselves.

Pius Wesonga has been making and selling his own reusable cotton face masks in Mombasa. His vegetable business shut down when the government ordered the closure of the busy Kongowea market.

He says he has been sensitising every person who purchases his masks on how to wear it and how to dispose of them. But he says many disregard his advice and dump them anywhere.

I always show them the right way to wear the mask, Wesonga says. I dont allow customers to touch them. I sanitise their hands before they purchase and tell them they can wash it later in the day and sanitize it before using it again. But I see many of them thrown in the street which is very unhealthy.

Story continues

The government should sensitise the public because this virus has no cure. It this habit continues it will finish us all.

Hard times

Mwema Ngugi, a resident of Mombasa, says it is every citizens responsibility follow the health ministrys guidelines. But he admits it is hard to purchase standardised face masks every day in order to respect the advice of using each one only once.

He has opted for using his handkerchief, which is reusable  and saves him money.

It is very expensive buying face mask every day during these tough economic times, he says. My handkerchief can protect me from the virus as I wash and dry it every day. But the government should provide masks for people like us. We are facing hard times. And if they say it everyone must wear a mask or face arrest, what do you expect, Im going pick one up from the ground to avoid getting arrested.

Special needs

The Kenyan government says it has developed a protocol on safe disposal of coronavirus waste to prevent infection risks. Health minister Mutahi Kagwe said the measures will be soon be implemented by the counties.

There will be a challenge in disposing of face masks, said Kagwe. The ministry of health together with the ministry of environment and other government agencies have developed and circulated protocol on Covid-19 waste management to the counties for operationalisation.

Environment activist Hamisa Zaja said the government should also be paying particular attention to those with special needs during this period of crisis. The deaf and blind, for example, may find it harder to care for themselves under the governments restriction measures, which include a dusk till dawn curfew.

People with special needs are at a very risky stage of contacting the virus, she says. For example a blind person cannot see who is coming ahead or cannot know if he is keeping the one meter social distance. Their environment should made safe for them, they should have someone trusted to help them every day. It is very easy for them to come into contact with places which are suspected to be infected with the virus, she adds.

The health department has recently begun mass testing for Covid-19, starting with health workers.

As of 19 April, 262 cases of infection had been confirmed, 12 of whom have died.
United Nations, April 19 : UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres pledged that all human beings should unite as one to combat the common enemy of coronavirus and rebuild a fairer world.

"Together, we will defeat this virus and rebuild a fairer world -- as united global citizens and united nations," the UN chief said on Saturday in his video message for "One World: Together At Home" concert organized by international advocacy organization Global Citizen.

"We face a crisis unlike any other. To overcome it, we must unite," Xinhua news agency quoted the UN chief as saying.

"Tonight, through the universal language of music, we salute the bravery and sacrifice of health heroes and others.

"As we do so, let's remember the most vulnerable," he said, adding: "Please join our call for a global ceasefire to focus on our common enemy -- the virus." "Thank you for your support for the lifesaving work of the World Health Organization (WHO) and the other humanitarian agencies," said Guterres.

As of Sunday morning, the global number of coronavirus cases stood at 2,329,651, with 160,721 deaths.
Source: Xinhua| 2020-04-19 12:08:45|Editor: huaxia

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Rescuers work at the site of a bus accident in Leping City, east China's Jiangxi Province, April 19, 2020. Six people were killed and 12 others injured in a road accident Sunday morning in east China's Jiangxi Province, local authorities said. A mini bus with 19 people on board rolled off a national road for about 30 meters into a ditch at 8:30 a.m. (0030 GMT) in the city of Leping, according to the publicity department of the city. (Xinhua)

NANCHANG, April 19 (Xinhua) -- Six people were killed and 12 others injured in a road accident Sunday morning in east China's Jiangxi Province, local authorities said.

A mini bus with 19 people on board rolled off a national road for about 30 meters into a ditch at 8:30 a.m. in the city of Leping, according to the publicity department of the city.

Six people were dead, and another 12 were sent to hospital for treatment. Their injury conditions remained unknown.

The driver, unhurt in the accident, has been under police custody.

The cause of the accident is under investigation. Enditem
Hit by the coronavirus pandemic, auto sales in India could drop by up to 25 per cent in the ongoing fiscal from an already low base of the previous year, according to a top official of MG Motor India.

With the health crisis likely to peak in April-June period, the expectation is that sales in the quarter will decline by as much as 40-50 per cent.

"The worst case, as I see for the industry, is may be a 25 per cent decline this year...the best case probably is 11 per cent down," MG Motor India President and Managing Director Rajeev Chaba told PTI.

Commenting on how he sees the industry coming out of the crisis, Chaba said, "In April, May, June, my feeling is that in any scenario, industry will be down by at least 40 to 50 per cent."



Stressing on how crucial the April-June period is, he said, "You will see more uncertainty...this is the time where you will see the peak of cases (coronavirus infection). Hopefully by June, we start seeing light at the end of the tunnel and we can see how this whole thing will be coming to an end. I hope we go through this quarter."



Elaborating on the challenges ahead for the industry, he said, "In July to September I would like to believe that the economy will start limping back to a new normal economy. Let's say 70-80 per cent of normal or 50 per cent of normal, and it will start limping back."So at that point of time, Chaba said,"The huge issue for most of the industries, including auto industry is going to be harder to generate the demand, because most of the consumers may not be in the right frame of mind and are not going to buy things like car."At that point, he said, the question of demand stimulation will arise for which the industry would need government support.

"Here I think the government may have to move into the next mode. Also, along with that the industry as well as government have to do something on demand stimulation so that the customers are coming to a better frame of mind and they move on to new phase of their lives," Chaba said.

When the festival season starts in September-October, Chaba said, "Hopefully, we have come out of, the majority of the issues are over, still the virus would be there and precautions, everybody has to keep. That's the new normal. I think by festival time we would at least come back to the last year level but last year was already low base for the industry. At that low base we can come equal for the industry."



According to industry body SIAM, in the fiscal ended March 31, total vehicle sales across categories in India were down 17.96 per cent at 2,15,48,494 units as against 2,62,66,179 units in 2018-19.

Similarly, passenger vehicle sales were also down 17.82 per cent at 27,75,679 units in FY20 as against 33,77,389 units in FY19.

Hoping that by 2021 things will be better for the industry, Chaba said,"I think it should start taking off from January February onwards next year. So this is how I see it."



On steps taken by the company to endure the impact of the health crisis, Chaba said, "We are calibrating our business. We are doing a lot of planning and forecasting what can be the various scenarios of the market in the next nine months to 12 months. Accordingly, we need to have a new cost structure in place so that we can survive."



He, however, asserted that "even in that worst case, we have given a pledge to our employees that we will not release or will not do a single job cut. All employees are safe in our company, because that's also part of community.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
In a major setback to Delhi's fight against coronavirus, 31 people, including 26 members of an extended family, in Jahangirpuri have tested positive for Covid-19. Among these 26 members of the extended family, six are children.

With this sudden spurt in new coronavirus cases, Block C in Jahangirpuri has emerged as a major hotspot of the viral infection in the national capital. Delhi has so far reported 1,707 Covid-19 cases and 42 deaths.



The area has been marked as a containment zone. Two minors, aged six and nine, are the youngest members of the extended family to be infected with the virus, while the other four children are below 15 years of age.





The local authorities had sealed Block C in Jahangirpuri on April 10 after a woman of the family died few days back. Her reports later confirmed that she had contracted the deadly virus.



The area has congested streets -- row of houses and narrow lanes -- making it extremely difficult for rescue vehicles to enter and exit.



District Magistrate Deepak Shinde told IANS, "It is already a containment area. We had taken samples of the close contacts. Random samples were also taken, which, however, returned negative. The family members who were in close contact have tested positive and they have been sent to a quarantine facility in Narela. All of them are under observation and are asymptomatic. We will now map who were in close contact with these family members and the same would also be tested."



Earlier during the day, Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal had confirmed that 26 members of the extended family have tested positive.



But the number of positive cases in the area has jumped to 31 now. Health officials have since started an intensive check-up drive in the area even as it is still not known how the family contracted the infection.



Kejriwal said that people in the area kept on roaming on the streets and bylanes despite authorities sealing the locality. He said that some even visited their relatives living nearby.



The Chief Minister appealed to the people to strictly observe the lockdown guidelines and not venture out of their homes. He said that the area has since been sanitised.



The infected people are said to be first or secondary contacts of an old woman who died on April 5 due to the virus, after which the area was marked as a containment zone.



According to the locals, many people had gathered at the funeral of the old woman. Around half a dozen women -- who have now tested positive -- were said to be involved in washing the deceased woman's body and her face. These women further infected their children.



All these women were quarantined after the deceased woman's corona positive status was made known. Many of the women who had participated in the funeral have tested positive for coronavirus.



A total of 14,792 COVID-19 cases have been confirmed in the country so far, while 480 people have succumbed to the dreaded virus.
Hundreds of people denouncing pandemic lockdown measures opposed by President Jair Bolsonaro snarled traffic in major Brazilian cities.

Protesters in trucks, cars and motorcycles, some wrapped in the country's green and yellow flag, honked horns in the streets of Rio de Janeiro, Sao Paulo and the capital of Brasilia on Saturday, calling for governors to resign over measures that have forced most businesses to close for weeks.

Bolsonaro has been a fierce critic of the states' stay-at-home measures, arguing that the economic harm could be more damaging than the illness. The protests took place a day after Bolsonaro fired his health minister, who had been promoting isolation measures.

In Rio de Janeiro, about 100 vehicles took part in the gridlock, cruising down Atlantica Avenue, along the iconic and temporarily shut-down Copacabana beach.

"Either we just have the pandemic, which is already a lot, or we have the pandemic and chaos," said Anderson Moraes, a state lawmaker who had called for Rio residents to join the protest.

"For sure, lives are more important than anything else, but we can't take decisions today without thinking about tomorrow. Because tomorrow, I don't know how a family man will be when he sees his children going hungry."



In Brasilia, Bolsonaro reiterated his intention to start reopening the economy.

"The fear was excessive," he said Saturday, denouncing the "greed" of politicians "who have shut down everything and created panic."



"People want a return to normality," the president said in a Facebook Live session shortly before meeting with a small crowd of supporters who had gathered outside the Planalto presidential palace. "We're going to start adding more flexibility."Brazil has the most confirmed COVID-19 cases in Latin America more than 36,500 and at least 2,347 deaths. That is a relatively low number in relation to the country's population of 211 million, but the outbreak's peak is expected in May.

For most people, the new coronavirus causes mild or moderate symptoms, such as fever and cough that clear up in two to three weeks. For some, especially older adults and people with existing health problems, it can cause more severe illness, including pneumonia and death.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
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A month ago, one would have thought that enabling 'work from home' provisions for 50 lakh employees of the IT sector is a herculean task, if not impossible.

Now, close to 90 percent employees from the sector are working from home. For better or for the worse, this is probably here to stay.

I guess we will have to give it to the IT majors for this quick turnaround.

Enabling WFH for more than 30 lakh employees is not an easy task. Unlike startups that are nimble and where WFH is the norm, IT was been hardly wired that way. There were concerns around infrastructure, privacy, productivity and most importantly, client permissions to take care of.

For one, privacy and security are a huge concern for clients, especially banking and financial services. This is justified given the sensitive data employees handle. In addition, IT infrastructure was not designed to let large number of employees work from home. In an earlier conversation, former Infosys CFO V Balakrishnan had pointed out that only 20 percent employees can work from home at any point in time.

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

Despite the state governments asking IT companies to let employees work from home, there was no announcement about the same even a week before the nationwide lockdown was imposed.

It was only from March 25 that many firms asked their employees to WFH. In some cases, employees were asked to take leaves till the time they can get the infrastructure to allow them to WFH.

It took them few more days to shift desktops and procure additional laptops for smooth transition. From then on, it has more or less been smooth sailing.

Both, Wipro and TCS  the two IT majors which have announced their Q4 result  have more than 90 percent of their employees working from home. Many have pointed out that this could become a mainstay.

Here to say

Kris Gopalakrishnan, co-founder, Infosys, said with WFH proving effective, companies might now allow more employees to work from home unlike before. Earlier, WFH was reserved for fewer employees such as project managers or mothers with children less than three years of age.

Now that could change. Most employees and companies agree that productivity has gone up during the WFH period.

N Ganapathy Subramaniam, COO, TCS, said during results announcement said that going forward there might not be a need for more than 25 percent employees to work from the office.

With 93 percent employees working from home, Wipro said it might take a call on if they can do this on a permanent basis, with client permissions, of course.

More advantages

There are a lot of advantages in making this a permanent arrangement. For one, it would bring down employee cost. Companies run buses on regular basis to pick-up and drop employees at different points in a day. With fewer employees working from the office, the number of shuttles would also drop. Other maintenance cost will go down too.

In addition, IT companies are running out of work spaces within their sprawling campuses  fitted with all facilities imaginable, such as swimming pools, gyms and food courts.

An IT sector employee said that the work place has been cramped, with six to seven people working, instead of four it was designed for. WFH to some extent solves these physical infrastructure woes. This could help solve the traffic problem too, especially in Bengaluru.

While it is too early to say what scale of WFH will be implemented by IT companies, in the post-COVID-19 world, working from home will no longer be reserved for the select few.
Vietnam on April 19 protested the Chinese regime saying it had established two administrative units on islands in the South China Sea, in Beijings latest move to assert its dominance in the disputed waters.

The Chinese regime has recently been pushing its presence in the energy-rich waters while other claimants are pre-occupied with tackling the CCP (Chinese Communist Party) virus pandemic.

On Saturday it said it had established an administrative district on the Paracel islands and another on the Spratly islands. The two districts are under the control of Chinas Sansha city, according to China Global Television Network.

The establishment of the so-called Sansha City and related activities seriously violated Vietnams sovereignty, Vietnams Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Le Thi Thu Hang said in a statement.

Vietnam demands that China respect Vietnams sovereignty and abolish its wrongful decisions, Hang said in the statement.

Bullying Behavior

Three regional security sources told Reuters on Friday that a Chinese government survey ship was tagging an exploration vessel operated by Malaysias state oil company, Petronas, in the disputed waters.

The vessel, Haiyang Dizhi 8, was earlier this week spotted off Vietnam, where it had last year conducted suspected oil exploration surveys in large expanses of Vietnams exclusive economic zone.

A Malaysian security source had 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. A Vietnamese vessel was also tagging the Petronas vessel.

This has prompted the United States to call on the Chinese regime to stop its bullying behavior.

The United States is concerned by reports of Chinas repeated provocative actions aimed at the offshore oil and gas development of other claimant states, the U.S. State Department said in an emailed statement in response to questions on the Haiyang Dizhi 8s presence in Malaysian waters.

In this instance, [the Chinese regime] should cease its bullying behavior and refrain from engaging in this type of provocative and destabilizing activity, it said.

The Chinese regime s actions threaten regional energy security and undermine the free and open Indo-Pacific energy market, it added.

The survey ship remained off the shore of Malaysia as of late Sunday.

Earlier in the week, when the survey ship was off Vietnam, a Chinese foreign ministry spokesman had said the ship was conducting normal activities and accused U.S. officials of smearing Beijing.

The Chinese regime claims almost all of the resource-rich South China Sea, which is also a major trade route. The Philippines, Brunei, Vietnam, Malaysia, and Taiwan have overlapping claims.

Earlier this month, Vietnam lodged an official protest with the Chinese regime after the sinking of a Vietnamese fishing boat it said had been rammed by a China Coast Guard vessel near the Paracel Islands.

Reuters contributed to this report
Despite strengthened law enforcement to protect wildlife, legal loopholes are hindering Vietnams efforts, activists have said.

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.  VNS

Baby rhino born in the middle of COVID-19 Meet Winnie, the latest addition to the herd of rhinos at Vinpearl Safari Phu Quoc. Winnie was born slap bang in the middle of the COVID-19 pandemic which is why her name was choosen.
Factory activity in China gained ground in March, after a slump in February, as government measures to reboot the economy helped enterprises weather the novel coronavirus storm, according to official data released on Friday.

The country's total added value of industrial enterprises above a designated size went down by 1.1 percent on a yearly basis in March, 12.4 percentage points lower than the decline seen in the first two months, while industrial value rose by 32.13 percent in March on a monthly basis, said the National Bureau of Statistics.

Ying Xiwen, deputy director of the regional economics research center of China Minsheng Bank Research Institute, said the indicators point to a substantial recovery.

"China's industrial enterprises have made significant strides and taken effective measures on coronavirus epidemic prevention and are resuming normal operations," Ying said.

"The industrial recovery has also been helped by the demand revival in downstream markets."

Among the 41 industries surveyed by the NBS, 16 sectors witnessed annual increases in their value-added industrial output, while others saw declines.

NBS data also indicated that production of basic raw materials and new products rose steadily in March. Output of natural gas, nonwoven fabrics and chemical medicine materials went up by 9.1 percent, 6.1 percent and 4.5 percent respectively. Production of automatic vending and ticket machines, electronic components and integrated circuits rose by 35.3 percent, 16.2 percent and 16 percent respectively during the same period.

The steady growth was seen in high-tech manufacturing, which rose 8.9 percent on a yearly basis, with output of computers, telecommunications equipment and other electronic equipment increasing by 9.9 percent.

Yu Chengdong, CEO of Chinese tech giant Huawei's consumer business group, told China Daily that the company's smartphone sales saw a 70-percent year-on-year growth in March.

"Though sales declined in February, we saw growth in January and March, which helped maintain an expansion in the first quarter," Yu said. The company has taken a string of measures like mandatory temperature scanning and compulsory mask wearing to safeguard the health of its employees.

Yu expected revenue from its consumer business group, which includes smartphones, personal computers and tablets, to grow fast in China this year, despite the COVID-19 epidemic.

Experts said Chinese companies are gradually returning to normal operations with the help of government measures, despite the downside pressure.

Zhang Wei, an analyst with Guosheng Securities, said industrial production showed improvement in March, suggesting a gradual recovery of the economy.

"Industrial production has been restored to a level which is basically the same as last year," Zhang said.

Ying from China Minsheng Bank said pressure on the economy may concentrate over the next quarter and external headwinds may intensify, as the coronavirus epidemic is spreading globally.

"Despite the economic rebound, the country still needs to be better prepared in the next few months to one year to deal with the epidemic impact. The government should continue to take measures such as promoting economic restructuring and boosting the internet economy to hedge against the risks," he said.

Ying said, due to the epidemic, industrial enterprises are facing new problems such as insufficient external demand, drop in orders and rising costs.

"China's economy needs to rely increasingly on domestic demand instead of external demand to sustain growth. Meanwhile, it also needs to accelerate the push for moving up the value chain and cut its traditional reliance on low-end goods output," said Ying.




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Some top aides of President Muhammadu Buhari were denied access into the Presidential Villa in Abuja after returning from the burial of late Chief of Staff to Buhari, Abba Kyari, on Saturday.

The burial at Gudu Cemetery was attended by a large crowd  most of whom had no nose mask or hand gloves on them for protection against Coronavirus.

This development violated the social distancing rule put in place by the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control and exposed attendees including the Presidential aides to the risk of contracting the highly contagious and deadly disease, which claimed the life of Kyari.

According to the story, some of the Presidency aides refused access into Aso Villa after returning from the burial include State House Chief Protocol Officer, Ambassador Lawal Kazaure, Special Assistant to the President, Yusuf Sabiu, a nephew to the President, Musa Haro Daura, and Senior Special Assistant on Media and Publicity to the, Garba Shehu.

Others are National Security Adviser, Babagana Monguno, Director-General of National Intelligence Agency, Mr Ahmad Rufai, and Personal Assistant on New Media to President Buhari, Bashir Ahmed, among several more persons.

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The Pennsylvania National Guard is sending 18 military nurses and medics to help a Delaware County nursing facility handle an apparent uptick in coronavirus cases.

Officials did not say how many patients have tested positive for the virus at the Broomall Rehabilitation and Nursing Center in Marple Township, but said the help was needed due to current staffing shortages.

That information isnt being released, county spokesperson Adrienne Marofsky said Saturday. Were planning to release more data on long-term care facilities next week.

County officials requested support from the Pennsylvania National Guard Medical Team after conferring with the facility. The team is expected to provide routine care to non-acute patients for three days, officials said.

We understand the challenges that many long-term care facilities such as the Broomall Rehabilitation and Nursing Center are facing right now, and together with support from the Chester County Health Department we are doing everything we can to support the staff, patients and their loved ones, Brian Zidek, chairman of Delaware County Council, said in a statement.

This call to the National Guard for temporary staffing is one way we are able to provide support," he said.

The facility has 298 certified beds and an average of 248 residents per day, federal data show. The average Pennsylvania nursing facility serves about 110 residents.

Registered nurses at the Broomall facility spend an average of 35 minutes a day treating each resident, lagging the Pennsylvania average of 48 minutes, according to federal data.

 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.

Officials at Broomall Rehabilitation and Nursing Center couldnt be reached Saturday evening.

As of Thursday, state data showed 365 people living in long-term care facilities had died from the coronavirus  about half of all fatalities linked to the virus in the state. There were about 3,300 cases in 306 facilities.

State officials have not released patient and death data for individual nursing homes.

 READ MORE: Pa. nursing homes left to largely police themselves as coronavirus deaths mount
A 16-year-old male faces a slew of charges in connection with a robbery in the Maples early Saturday in which a second suspect was shot dead by police.

Hey there, time traveller!

This article was published 19/4/2020 (632 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

A 16-year-old male faces a slew of charges in connection with a robbery in the Maples early Saturday in which a second suspect was shot dead by police.

It marked the third fatal police-involved shooting in 10 days.

The Independent Investigation Unit of Manitoba has assumed responsibility for the investigation into the shooting death of 22-year-old Stewart Andrews.

Winnipeg police officers were searching for suspects after 911 received a "gun call" from someone in the 200 block of Adsum Drive in northwest Winnipeg shortly after 4 a.m.

A resident alleged that as he was taking out the garbage, he was approached by two men with guns who demanded money.

Police also later received a call about windows being broken at a nearby apartment building.

During a search of the area, officers found two men near Pipeline Road and Adsum Drive.

Upon locating the two suspects, an officer discharged a gun. Both men were taken to hospital, where Andrews was pronounced dead. The 16-year-old suffered minor injuries, which Winnipeg Police Chief Danny Smyth later said he believed were unrelated to the shooting.

The 16-year-old remains in police custody. He faces seven charges, including one count of robbery, use of an imitation firearm, possession of a weapon, pointing a firearm and possession of a weapon or ammunition contrary to a prohibition order. There are two counts of failure to comply with a sentence.

Andrews is the third person to die in a shooting involving a Winnipeg police officer in under two weeks.

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On April 8, 16-year-old Eishia Hudson was shot to death by police after a reported robbery of a Liquor Mart in Sage Creek.

She was driving a stolen SUV that was pursued by police after it rammed a cruiser car. The SUV hit other vehicles at Lagimodiere Boulevard and Fermor Avenue. At that point, Hudson was shot.

Two female and two male teens face charges in connection with the incident.

One day later, Jason Collins, 36, was killed by police after a domestic dispute had been reported at a home on Anderson Avenue in the North End.

maggie.macintosh@freepress.mb.ca

Twitter: @macintoshmaggie
He says some measures are "too tough", but health experts warn lifting them will increase infection.

Trump says some states are too tough with restrictions

President Donald Trump has defended tweets in which he appeared to endorse protests against stringent lockdown measures in several US states.

At his Friday briefing, he said some measures imposed by Minnesota, Michigan and Virginia had been "too tough".

Earlier, he wrote in a series of tweets: "LIBERATE MINNESOTA", "LIBERATE MICHIGAN" and then "LIBERATE VIRGINIA".

The curbs, which include stay-at-home orders, are needed to slow the spread of coronavirus.

But protesters say they are hurting citizens by limiting movement unreasonably and stifling economic activity.

The three states the Republican president referred to in Friday's tweets are all led by Democratic governors. Mr Trump may be seeking to encourage his political base to protest against Democrats, the BBC's Anthony Zurcher says.

Demonstrations calling on authorities to end the shutdown have occurred in Michigan, Ohio, North Carolina, Minnesota, Utah, Virginia and Kentucky.

But Mr Trump did not mention Ohio and Utah, which both have Republican governors.

His comments came shortly after the US saw its highest daily death toll from coronavirus, recording 4,591 deaths in 24 hours on Thursday.

That rise could be because Johns Hopkins University, which records the data, began to include deaths with a Covid-19 probable cause.

The US has the highest number of cases and deaths worldwide, with nearly 700,000 confirmed infections and more than 36,000 deaths.

More demonstrations against the lockdown measures are planned, including in Wisconsin, Oregon, Maryland, Idaho and Texas.

The protests have varied in size, ranging from a few dozen people in Virginia to thousands in Michigan.

Cuomo says that states need better resources from the government to reopen

Minnesota Governor Tim Walz responded to the president's tweets, saying he called the White House to ask "what they think we could have done differently" but did not hear back.

"The president unveiled a three step plan that mirrors exactly what we're trying to do," Mr Walz told reporters.

What does federal guidance say?

The president's apparent support for the protests comes a day after his administration unveiled new guidance for re-opening state economies.

That guidance recommends three phases of slowly re-opening businesses and social life, with each phase lasting a minimum of 14 days.

It includes some recommendations across all three phases including good personal hygiene and employers developing policies to ensure social distancing, testing and contact tracing.

Dr Anthony Fauci, from the White House coronavirus taskforce, cautioned that even as restrictions were eased "it's not game over".

He warned that the virus might rebound, and there could be setbacks along the way.

Upping the pressure - and political risk

On Friday morning Donald Trump fired off a series of tweets calling for the "liberation" of three states with Democratic governors, as though they were enemy-controlled territory.

The message seems apparent.

The governor of one, Michigan's Gretchen Whitmer, recently was the target of a mass protest at the state capital against her sweeping lockdown orders. A mixed crowd of conservatives, white nationalists and anti-government militias waved Confederate and pro-Trump flags, and signs accusing Whitmer of dictatorial overreach.

Another of the states, Virginia, had its own capital protests earlier in the year from gun-rights activists.

The president's social media fusillade suggests his goal is to reward - or encourage - such shows of force from his political base, as opinion polls indicate Trump's approval rating is sagging after a boost during the early weeks of the outbreak.

Trump followed those incendiary tweets by criticising New York's Andrew Cuomo, another Democrat, for mishandling the pandemic and spending too much time "complaining".

Just a day after Trump reportedly told governors in a conference call they would "call the shots" on when to begin easing restrictions, it appears the president wants to up the pressure - and the political risk - for Democrats by other means at his disposal.

Trump has benefitted in the past from a finely tuned sense of the sentiments - and resentments - of his supporters. Friday morning could be an indication that he's positioning himself to again stand in their midst.

Why are people protesting?

Protesters say stringent restrictions on movement and businesses are an overreaction to the outbreak.

Organisers of the Liberate Minnesota protest wrote on Facebook: "It is not the governor's place to restrict free movement of Minnesota citizens!"

"President Trump has been very clear that we must get America back to work very quickly or the 'cure' to this terrible disease may be the worse option!"

Coronavirus: Michigan residents protest governor's stay-at-home orders

The group added that the state's economy would be "dealt a death blow" if restrictions continued.

The event now has over 600 attendees marked on Facebook and some 2,800 more users interested in the event.

Earlier this week, in Michigan, thousands of protesting workers blocked roads, demanding the state reopen after Governor Whitmer extended stay-at-home restrictions.

The governor is also facing federal lawsuits against her orders shuttering non-essential businesses and limiting travel.

However, public health experts, and some state governors including Republican governors, have stressed the importance of social distancing.

On Friday, Texas Governor Greg Abbott announced he was establishing a "strike force" to "safely and strategically" re-open America's second largest state.

The group of medical, public and private sector leaders will look into what services and activities may resume under existing guidelines.

The governor will offer a re-opening plan based on the findings on 27 April.

In addition, Mr Abbott said retail outlets that are able to deliver goods to customer's cars, homes or other locations with minimal contact may begin operating on 24 April.

In Florida, the mayor of Jacksonville said he would re-open beaches with limited hours starting on Friday.

Mayor Lenny Curry said residents must still practice social distancing but could use beaches for exercise and recreation.

Parks in the city will also be opened, though gatherings of more than 50 are banned.

In other developments:
Source: Xinhua| 2020-04-19 13:03:13|Editor: huaxia

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UNITED NATIONS, April 18 (Xinhua) -- United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres pledged on Saturday night that all human beings should unite as one to combat the common enemy of coronavirus and rebuild a fairer world.

"Together, we will defeat this virus and rebuild a fairer world -- as united global citizens and united nations," the UN chief said in his video message for "One World: Together At Home" concert organized by international advocacy organization Global Citizen.

"We face a crisis unlike any other. To overcome it, we must unite," he noted.

"Tonight, through the universal language of music, we salute the bravery and sacrifice of health heroes and others," said the secretary-general.

"As we do so, let's remember the most vulnerable," he said. "Please join our call for a global ceasefire to focus on our common enemy -- the virus."

"Thank you for your support for the lifesaving work of the World Health Organization (WHO) and the other humanitarian agencies," said Guterres.

Speaking at a virtual press conference in Geneva on March 6, WHO Director-General Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said that his organization has been working with Global Citizen for several weeks on the "One World: Together At Home" concert series. "Now we're working with Lady Gaga to take this concept and make it even bigger," he said. Enditem
Fr Vincent Xavier remembers the first time he administered the last sacraments to a patient with Covid-19.

He was called to the emergency department of the hospital where the patient, a wife and mother, was in an isolation room.

He recalled the strangeness of the new protocols. "The staff helped me to put on these gowns and masks, which for me was really phenomenal," he said.

He administered anointing oil with a double-gloved finger, dabbed once on the forehead rather than on forehead and hands, the glove discarded immediately afterwards into a contamination bin in the room.

Since then, barely a week has passed without another Covid-19 death and Fr Vincent, part of a team of hospital chaplains at the Mater in Dublin, has been there for many.

He is a priest with the Order of St Camillus, the Italian-born patron saint of the sick who renounced a dissolute life to tend to victims of the plague in 16th-Century Italy. Priests with the order take a fourth vow, in addition to poverty, chastity and obedience, to care for the afflicted even if their own lives are at risk. Their commitment takes on a special resonance in a 21st-Century pandemic.

The team of priests, which also includes chaplain Margaret Sleator, Fr Suneesh Mathew, Fr Stephen Foster and Fr Prince Mathew, work 12-hour shifts in shirt sleeves because jackets have been banned for infection control reasons. They are no longer free to walk the wards as they as used to, but wait to be summoned to patients to give comfort and, when needed, last rites.

Last week, the wife of a man dying in an isolation room chose to don full protective gear to be at her husband's side rather than pray from a distance. "She said I am not afraid, Father, I want to be with my husband," said Fr Vincent.

"At that moment, I don't feel that it is about me. I feel it is about the family. They have lost a loved one, I do not think about myself, I think about the right thing for the family."

He stood with her in the isolation room, shielded in white plastic, as she said goodbye to her husband.

Margaret Sleator, a lay chaplain who has worked with the order for 17 years, said the chaplain's work changed utterly the day the hospital took in its first Covid-19 patients.

"I remember the morning, Sunday morning, at the beginning of March. The security man was standing outside, a security guard I have known for so long. They asked me for my ID and I knew then that something had entered the hospital," said Margaret.

"Seeing the white masks for the first time really hit home that something had entered. I knew by evening that the role [as chaplain] would have to change. I couldn't just go about my daily routine."

While priests attend to patients on Covid-19 wards, Margaret is the link with their families at home.

"There has to be an outlet for families. Because they cannot reach, they cannot see, they cannot witness, I feed back to them what happened," she said. "I try to breach that moment, reassure them that their loved one was anointed, that time was spent with their loved one."

Sometimes families give her notes, which she slips to nurses to read at the bedsides of their loved ones, or mementoes to be left with them when a patient dies. She reassures those families who could not be present, their loved one was not alone but, most of all, she gives them time.

"Just to talk and talk and talk. I do that over the phone. Just allow the whole day to go by, to listen and listen and listen," she said. "There are so many families overwhelmed by the fact they cannot get in and that's where I pick up to support them."

Margaret chose the role of chaplain because "that's where my personal journey took me", she said. She always had religion in her life, but a road accident changed her life. She broke her legs and was incapacitated but she was alive and felt she had been given a second chance.

"I suppose it was an enlightenment, I don't really know how to describe it, but it was certainly a soul-searching moment," she said.

Chaplains are attuned to the risks. More than 100 priests have died in Italy, almost as many deaths as doctors. Three were priests with the Order of St Camillus.

Fr Vincent tells a story about a colleague who told him about a sad funeral, at which all the mourners sympathised with each other. "But none asked the priest, how was he?" It is tough, he says, especially for priests who live alone. "I know it is a very isolating situation that priests go through."

But as the regional superior of the Order of Saint Camillus, Fr Stephen Foster, points out, comforting the afflicted is their mission.

"We're quite concerned about the suffering and distress families are experiencing," he said. "So we're trying to shore up our compassion and kindness to help people as much as possible in order to see a way through this, which is very difficult for some who have lost family members."
All business owners are weighing up the effect of the Covid-19 closures on their trade at present, with many trying to take an optimistic view by planning for reopening. Social distancing in offices, new shift patterns, deep cleaning and perspex screens are all in the mix as managers imagine a return to some form of normality.

One significant segment of the economy which may take some time to return to anything approaching normal is the self-employed.

If we look back to the last recession, we can see that the economic crash cast a long shadow over that sector, as evidenced in the income tax take for the self-employed.

In 2007, that tax take was 2bn. By 2010, it had plunged to 800m and it took five years to recover to its pre-crash level.

On a practical level, a fall in income for the self-employed may well have a longer impact than on PAYE workers.

As the Sunday Independent has been reporting, the mortgage market is becoming more restricted for borrowers.

On the one hand, the banks are wise to take a prudent approach to lending given the uncertainty being faced by many would-be homeowners.

It is in no one's interest that people take on debt that they cannot repay.

On the other hand, it is close to impossible for many workers and their employers to give guarantees about long-term job security and pay levels.

The obvious exception to this is public sector workers.

The self-employed are likely to face the greatest challenges when it comes to mortgages - possibly for some time to come.

It has always been more difficult for the self-employed to get a mortgage, largely due to the fact a bank can easily get an up-to-date picture of a PAYE worker's income.

For someone who is self-employed, typically a bank will want to see three years of accounts, as well as paperwork filed with Revenue.

Tax returns always trail a trading year. For example, accounts for 2019 are not expected to be filed until October 2020. Banks are currently asking for up-to-date bank statements and for many self-employed people, they will not paint a pretty picture.

Assuming their businesses get back to normal in a few months' time, the current dip in business could hang over the self-employed for some several months.

Banks will want to see a longer-term trend that it's back to business as usual.

Mortgage broker Michael Dowling told me: "Unfortunately, it is going to be very, very difficult for a self-employed person to get a mortgage over the next 12 months, because every self-employed person - unless contracted by the HSE or another public agency - will have suffered a fall in income for at least three months and probably more."

Banks like to have three years' worth of accounts so they can average out income. This average figure is the basis for how much they are willing to lend.

Based on how long it took self-employed income tax to recover from the jolts of 2008, normal is further away for some than others.

Retail to endure long recovery

Fashion chains Oasis and Warehouse went into administration last week, while provisional liquidators were appointed to Debenhams.

It doesn't bode well for a post-coronavirus retail environment. Empty units do little to encourage shoppers to whip out their credit cards.

Back during the last recession, there were lots of articles counting just how many shop units were left vacant on Dublin's premier shopping thoroughfare, Grafton Street. It doesn't happen overnight but as we saw over the last decade, vacated shops will fill up. However, it does take time to get shopping centres and city streets buzzing once again.

Of more immediate concern for retailers will be consumer behaviour when things do edge back to normal. Some of the early reports from China aren't too encouraging.

According to a recent report in Nikkei's Asian Review headlined 'China's retailers face hard truth: If you reopen, they won't come', shoppers have been slower to come back than shop owners.

Electronics retailer Suning.com said some of its bricks-and-mortar stores were attracting around half the usual customer volume.

No doubt consumers here will be initially nervous about getting back into bustling shops, while others will have little or no discretionary income for some time. And some will just have got used to shopping online.
Lucknow: Samajwadi Party president Akhilesh Yadav said on Sunday the BJP government has "completely failed" in tackling the situation arising out of the novel coronavirus crisis. He also alleged the government was trying to divert people's attention by "selling golden dreams" to different sections of the society.

"The BJP government has completely failed in tackling the situation arising out of the COVID-19 outbreak. Despite verbal orders from the government, people are facing livelihood problem. The BJP government is trying to sell golden dreams to different sections of the society and divert them.

They are unable to evaluate the situation and also not able to find the correct way to solve this problem," the SP chief said in a statement.

He also said, "The BJP government is indulging in discrimination over bringing back labourers stranded in other states. Nobody is talking about the poorest of the poor. They are facing starvation. Afraid of public anger, BJP workers are hiding in their homes. People have understood that the BJP does not stand with poor and the weaker sections of the society."

Yadav alleged that the Team-11 of Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath "does not have the correct statistics" pertaining to unemployed persons.

Adityanath has set up 'Team-11' comprising as many inter-departmental committees to fight the coronavirus spread and its multi-lateral fallouts on multiple fronts ranging from ensuring medicare to victims to the supply of essentials and tackle long marches of jobless workers back home.

"They don't even know how many youth are under-employed ('ardh berozgaar'). From where will they give employment to the youth?" he posed, adding, "The BJP will have to explain in how many years crores will get jobs, as the party is in power in the state for just one-and-half years more."
WA opposition leader Liza Harvey says it makes no sense to delay important transport and infrastructure projects during the pandemic as the states unemployment rate reaches nearly six per cent.

Liza Harvey. Credit:Marta Pascual Juanola

At a press conference on Sunday, Ms Harvey called on the state government to release its plan for jobs and economic recovery post COVID-19, and parked METRONET and infrastructure projects needed to start as soon as possible to ease the current unemployment rate.

Weve got METRONET projects that havent started, she said.

Weve got money sitting in the bank and no jobs flowing into the economy ... we need jobs, we need people to be employed so that they can spend money in our businesses and stop all of these small businesses from going to the wall because of COVID-19.

Our economy was in a very poor state before COVID-19 hit and now its gotten worse.

We need to know whats the plan for jobs, when are the projects starting, and the government does need to explain why were the only state without a rental relief package for people.

The Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) released data last week showing WA's unemployment rate had risen slightly to 5.4 per cent in March.

However, the data was incomplete as COVID-19 restrictions did not come into full effect until the last two weeks of the month,

Ms Harvey said the state government would also need to start considering a timeline to ease restrictions.

Like everybody else, we believe we need to listen to the health advice, but people are becoming increasingly frustrated when we can see theres no new cases to have our lifestyles interrupted in the way they are, she said.

I would implore the state government to look at the unique set of circumstances Western Australia finds ourselves in, but most importantly, get the infrastructure projects started, get the jobs flowing, people want to work.
New Delhi: The Retailers Association of India (RAI) on Sunday said the government's home delivery permissions need to be broad based and all types of retailers, including neighbourhood stores, should be allowed to operate.

The retailers' body said allowing neighbourhood stores and large essential products' chain retailers to do home delivery will help fulfil consumer needs in these trying times and play a part in enhancing social distancing.

"As RAI, we believe that to fulfil consumer needs in these trying times, rules for direct customer delivery need to be broad based and all types of retailers, including neighbourhood stores, should be allowed to operate," RAI Chief Executive Officer Kumar Rajagopalan said in a statement.

Such a move, he said, "will allow retailers to support smooth implementation of social distancing norms, through contactless delivery, strict hygiene and safety standards, for such work from home essentials as mobiles, laptops, infant garments and household supplies".

Arguing that neighbourhood stores and large essential products chain retailers have "done a great service to the nation thus far", he said that "widening of the essential products categories will help us support government's steps to ensure safety of its people while also enabling movement of goods required for economic activity".
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.

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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.





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The Associated Press contributed to this report.
Memories of my grandmother are scattered around my home.

A wooden shuttlecock rests on a shelf in my home office. Its from the textile mill in Manchester, New Hampshire, where Valeria Telega worked and got grievously ill from airborne lint after emigrating from Poland in 1912, when she was just 16.

A cobblers last, the boot-shaped chunk of iron used to affix or replace heels and soles, rests in front of my fireplace hearth. Grammy used it to repair shoes and help eke out a living during the Great Depression.

The last lies next to the copper cooking vessel that Grammy used to make and sell rye whiskey during the Prohibition era, when she had to raise three young children alone because her husband ran off with another woman. The rest of the whiskey still remains in my attic. When it was in use those many years ago, it rested on boards stretched across a lions paw bathtub, and my mom and her two siblings had to wiggle under it to bathe in their Manhattan apartment.

Elsewhere in the house, a sheaf of ration coupons dating from World War II lies in a glass cabinet, a reminder that many basic consumer goods and foods were in short supply for more than three years while American soldiers fought a two-front war Europe and the Pacific.

I keep these mementos out of nostalgia, of course. My grandmother, who died in 1991 at age 95, was very dear to me. But I also keep them as reminders that no matter how many unwelcome challenges or misfortunes come my way, I have it so much easier than Grammy did.

So please dont wail to me about the travails of social distancing. I dont like them any more than anyone else, and I cant wait for the lifting of COVID-19 restrictions. And like others, I feel deeply for those who have lost jobs and loved ones to this horrid virus. Surely, people will lose businesses and homes during this crisis, and we must help them any way we can.

But what most of us are asked to sacrifice is insignificant. As a recent Facebook post asserted: Our fathers and grandfathers had to fight a war; today were asked to sit on a couch.

There was no social safety net in my grandmothers and mothers generation. The Hoover Administration steadfastly refused to use the financial power of the federal government to get people and businesses out of the Great Depression, giving rise to Hooverville camps, endless bread lines and despair.

Today there are myriad social programs, and our government is taking on even more titanic amounts of debt to help us get through. After less than two months, were already talking about easing the restrictions. The light at the tunnel is still far away, but at least we can see it. Contrast us to nations like India, where horrid and widespread poverty likely mean that lockdowns will starve as many people as the coronavirus kills.

We have it so easy by comparison.

Yet we hear protesters, preachers and our president lament or dismiss the restrictions and call for opening it up. Who should we listen to? The scientists and the medical experts, or those who are driven by profit and hubris? For those of you who object to social distancing: Do you want to be responsible for deaths from this virus? A self-isolation policy is a true pro-life policy.

Toughen up America. We simply need to be made of sterner stuff.

Previous generations would laugh at the bellyaching. This nations Founding Fathers pledged our lives, our fortunes and our sacred honor when they declared independence from Britain, an act of treason that would have cost them their lives had the American Revolution failed. More than 400,000 Americans lost their lives helping rid the world of Nazi and Japanese imperial tyranny in World War II. Almost every family lost somebody.

The difference today is that people think too much of themselves, not about the commonweal. And they sadly dont understand the role of government. To those of you who say social distancing mandates are unconstitutional, remember that the Preamble states that among the documents purposes is to establish justice, insure domestic tranquility, provide for the common defense (and) promote the general welfare. All of these ends are served by measures to combat the coronavirus.

COVID-19 is a formidable enemy. Its going to take time to expand testing and develop vaccines and medicine to fully defeat it, if it ever is. For now, we must settle for a willingness to isolate  and strive for the patience and forbearance of my grandmother.

Contact City Editor Andre Stepankowsky at 360-577-2520.

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Good Morning, welcome to Information Nigerias Newspaper headlines for today, 19th April 2020.

Here are the major headlines.

Air Peace Donates Food Items To Indigent Families In Lagos

Popular Nigerian airline, Air Peace has distributed food items to several indigent families in different areas in Lagos as palliatives for Nigerians in some parts of Lagos.

Lockdown Extension: Create Feeding Centers  MURIC Tells FG

The Muslim Rights Concern (MURIC) says the Federal, state and local government authorities should immediately create feeding centres so as to cushion the effect of the extension of COVID-19 lockdown.

Presidency Bans Public From Paying Condolence Visit To Abba Kyari

The presidency has released a statement banning the general public from going to the resident of late Abba Kyari, the former chief of staff to President Muhammadu Buhari, to pay the family a condolence visit.

We Must Not Allow Kyaris Death To Be In Vain  Tinubu

A national leader of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Bola Tinubu, says the country must not allow the death of Abba Kyari, President Muhammadu Buharis Chief of Staff be in vain.

Abba Kyari: Aisha Buhari Breaks Silence

Nigerian first lady, Aisha Buhari has finally reacted to the passing on of Abba Kyari, the former chief of staff(COS) to President Muhammadu Buhari.

Presidency Hails Fani-Kayode For Not Rejoicing Over Kyaris Death

Presidential spokesperson, Femi Adesina has hailed Femi Fani-Kayode, for being human enough not to rejoice over the death of Abba Kyari, President Muhammadu Buharis chief of staff.

Lockdown: Returning To Work Is A Gamble  Shehu Sani

Former Kaduna senator, Shehu Sanni says returning to work without a vaccine in place against the coronavirus pandemic is a gamble.

China, G-20 To Give Nigeria, Others Debt Relief

China and G-20 countries say they will give debt relief to the worlds poorest countries known as IDA countries as classified by the World Bank.

Military Burst Boko Haram Cell In Nasarawa, Kill Four

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.

Masari Bans Congregational, Ramadan Lectures In Katsina State

The Governor of Katsina State, Aminu Masari has ordered the suspension of Friday Juumat prayers and subsequently ban Ramadan lectures in the State.
One more person died of coronavirus in Rajasthan's worst-hit Jaipur, pushing the death toll to 22 in the state, whose infection count soared to 1,431 with 80 fresh cases on Sunday.

So far, Jaipur has reported 526 cases, including 12 deaths.

"One death has been reported in Jaipur. The patient was admitted to a private hospital after he complained of fever and breathlessness, Additional Chief Secretary (Health) Rohit Kumar Singh said.

Officials said the 62-year-old man from the Raja Park area of Jaipur was admitted to the private hospital on April 16. He died on Saturday night.

Singh said of the 80 fresh cases, 30 were reported from Jodhpur; 17 in Bharatpur; 12 in Nagaur; seven in Jaipur; four in Swai Madhopur; two each in Kota, Bikaner and Jhalawar; and one each in Jaisalmer, Jhunjhunu, Bhilwara and Hanumangarh.

He said so far 302 patients have tested negative for the infection after treatment, of which 97 have been discharged from hospitals.

The total number of COVID-19 cases in Rajasthan includes two Italian citizens and 60 people brought from Iran to Army health centres in Jodhpur and Jaisalmer.

The maximum 12 deaths have been reported from Jaipur.

The entire state is under the lockdown since March 22 and a massive survey and screening is under way to track the people infected with the virus.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Muslims are being targeted using dangerous conspiracy theories claiming they are spreading coronavirus by violating lockdown restrictions, a report has warned.

Far-right extremists have been circulating old footage to claim that mosques are still open, causing police to be inundated with complaints by duped members of the public.

Abusive online posts have called for the demolition of all mosques to cure coronavirus, and Muslim women have been the victims of suspected hate crimes in public during the outbreak.

A report commissioned by independent members of the Anti-Muslim Hatred Working Group (AMHWG), seen exclusively by The Independent ahead of its release, warned that the claims could lead to a spike in attacks when the lockdown lifts.

Co-author Imran Awan, a professor of criminology at Birmingham City University, said: The Covid-19 crisis has been used to create others of Muslims, blaming them for the spread of the virus. The spread of fake news online is contributing to this extremely worrying trend.

While we havent yet seen this translate into physical hate crimes, once social distancing rules are relaxed there are concerns that this could be the case.

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

In one recent incident, a Muslim woman wearing a hijab and a protective mask overheard a man in a supermarket say to his partner look, a bomb as he pointed at her.

In another incident, which was reported to the Metropolitan Police, a Muslim woman said she was approached by a man who coughed in her face and claimed he had coronavirus.

Roxana Khan-Williams, who co-authored the report, warned that anti-Muslim hatred and conspiracy theories were penetrating common-sense thinking.

She told The Independent that during her research, she saw examples of people who were not being deliberately Islamophobic but were seeing this fake news and absorbing it.

It has gained a lot of traction, which is what has made it more dangerous, she added.

Its the usual suspects peddling [anti-Muslim narratives] but its gained a lot of support. What theyve done has worked because people are worried and Muslims are being scapegoated.

Recommended Warning over coronavirus disinformation as extremists exploit crisis

Analysing posts across Facebook, Twitter, Telegram and WhatsApp groups, the report identified narratives claiming that mosques and Muslims are spreading coronavirus, police are giving preferential treatment to Muslims, and that the UKs Muslim population is responsible for a quarter of the countrys Covid-related deaths.

Online narratives rooted in anti-Muslim bigotry are evolving and transforming in the new social context created by the pandemic, the report says.

In this new context, Islam and Muslims have been associated directly with the causes of the pandemic, fitting well within broader well-known far-right themes depicting Muslims as parasitical to society  foreign, alien and disease-like.

Katie Hopkins, Tommy Robinson and former Ukip leader Gerard Batten have been among those sharing posts targeting Muslims in connection with the pandemic.

An old video shared by Robinson, whose real name is Stephen Yaxley-Lennon, claimed to show worshippers leaving a mosque in Birmingham during the lockdown.

The footage sparked a deluge of complaints to West Midlands Police, which was forced to investigate the false reports.

Although we can confirm the footage was filmed in Small Heath, our officers have conducted enquiries and are satisfied that the mosque is currently closed, said a police statement on 30 March, adding that it had not opened since the lockdown was implemented.

It was one of a series of similar incidents, including fake claims over mosques in London, Leeds and Shrewsbury.

The report contains numerous posts claiming that police were turning a blind eye to the violations and spreading unfounded narratives that argue ethnic minorities, and particularly Muslims, are given preferential treatment by the police.

Its authors are concerned that similar claims will resurface during the Islamic holy month of Ramadan, which begins next week and traditionally sees Muslims gather for prayers and meals with relatives and friends.

The Centre for Media Monitoring, which campaigns over the reporting of Islam, launched complaints last week about news articles that claimed experts fear social gatherings in Ramadan will lead to a spike in Covid-19 cases.

The Muslim Council of Britain called the stories untrue and dangerous after issuing guides on performing Ramadan prayers at home and conducting digital worship.

The body said more than 375 mosques and prayer facilities in the UK suspended prayers before Boris Johnson announced the UK-wide lockdown, and the remainder complied with the restrictions.

The Muslim Council of Britain previously issued theological messages saying the individual obligation to perform Friday prayers in congregations was lifted because of the pandemic.

The vast majority of coronavirus-linked hate crimes so far reported in the UK targeted people of Chinese or southeast Asian appearance.

Police said they recorded localised spikes in offences that slowed when the virus started spreading more rapidly outside of China.

A report issued by the UN Special Rapporteur on freedom of religion on Friday said antisemitic hate speech had also risen alarmingly during the outbreak.

Ahmed Shaheed said it was being exploited to spread hatred against the Jews and other minorities amid the spread of conspiracy theories claiming that Jewish people are responsible for developing and spreading coronavirus.
The union representing TTC workers is demanding management shut down the Queensway garage and declare a COVID-19 outbreak at the site after learning of another confirmed case at the shop.

According to the Amalgamated Transit Union Local 113, there have already been four confirmed cases at the site, with another four members feeling ill and reporting symptoms.

More than a dozen mechanics at the site staged a work stoppage Saturday, according to the union, refusing to go out on their 3 p.m.-11 p.m. shift after a contract cleaner who worked there tested positive for the coronavirus. The stoppage was still going on at 9 p.m., with workers awaiting a ruling from the Ontario Ministry of Labour.

Our members are scared and they dont feel safe. They want the facility be shut down for two weeks and cleaned up, said Carlos Santos, the president of the local union.

The TTC said late Saturday that eight mechanics were involved in the work refusal, and the labour ministry was notified.

Three employees who had contact with a confirmed case at the site also showed symptoms and were sent home for self-isolation and referred for testing. Out of caution, the TTCs Hayley Waldman said, all employees on the same shift were instructed to stay home while tests were underway.

As an extra precaution, we have already deep cleaned the entire maintenance area of the Queensway facility and continue to reinforce the importance of self-monitoring for symptoms and following all recommendations set out by Toronto Public Health, she said in a statement. The health and safety of our employees is of paramount importance.

Saturdays work refusal followed a similar action days ago at TTCs Wilson and Queensway divisions, when at least 38 bus drivers refused to go out on their shifts.

TTC management has introduced new measures to better protect bus drivers, such as blocking off the fronts of vehicles, directing passengers to use the back door only, and allowing employees to wear masks on the job.

In March, TTC temporarily shut down its Duncan bus garage and asked 170 employees to stay home and self-isolate after a mechanic who worked there tested positive for COVID-19.

Santos said 100 mechanics and 600 operators work out of the Queensway location and the job stoppage there was ongoing into Saturday evening.
Karnataka to undertake Triaging: What does it mean and how do you pronounce it

Delhi to ease restrictions, if Covid cases come down in next 2-3 days: Health Minister

Lata Mangeshkar health update: Doctor says,'She in ICU with Covid-19 and pneumonia, will be under observation'

Army takes over management of India's largest COVID quarantine centre in Delhi

India

pti-PTI

New Delhi, Apr 19: A team of doctors and paramedics from the army has "taken over the day-time management" of a quarantine facility in Delhi's Narela which is currently housing 932 Tablighi Jamaat members who attended a congregation in Nizamuddin last month.

Narela quarantine centre is among the largest centres in the country for managing COVID-19 suspects in Delhi.It was established by the Delhi government in mid-March.

A team of army doctors and nursing staff has been assisting the civil administration at this facility since April 1.

"From April 16, the army has taken the initiative to manage the facility from 8 am to 8 pm relieving the Delhi government doctors and medical staff to manage the facility only during the night," the army said in a statement on Sunday.

The army team comprises 40 personnel, who include six medical officers along with 18 paramedical staff, and have volunteered to stay on the premises only, it said. Initially, 250 foreign nationals who arrived from abroad were kept at this centre, and later an additional strength of approximately 1,000 more were brought here from Nizamuddin Markaz.

"Presently, 932 members from Markaz are being taken care in the facility and 367 out of them have been tested positive for COVID-19," it said.

The professional approach of the army medical team has "won the hearts of inmates" who have been very cooperative and positive to the team, thereby, facilitating smooth handling of all medical procedures, the statement said.

There has been a "tremendous synergy" of the army with civil administration to run this entire facility.

The army will continue to fight with resolve and determination to contribute wholeheartedly to the national efforts against the coronavirus pandemic for safety of all our citizens,it added.

The number of coronavirus cases in Delhi till Sunday was 1,893, including 43 deaths.
FIANNA Fail TD Niall Collins has challenged his party leader to recognise Limerick in terms of the make-up of his portion of government.

Should talks with smaller parties go well, the two Civil War parties are set to come together in an historic coalition to form the government of the 33rd Dail.

While Mr Collins is being tipped for the job of chief whip, a role which will see him attend Cabinet, he would not be drawn on jobs.

I would be hoping to play a role in government in some shape or description, was what he said.

Its more important that Limerick has a voice at Cabinet, he said.

Limerick is the driver for the Mid-West region. We're the third largest region in the country. I would be challenging Micheal Martin to recognise Limerick. During the last government, he regularly criticised the government for being very Dublin-centred to the detriment to the regions, Mr Collins added.

Its a sentiment shared by Fine Gael TD Kieran ODonnell.

He said: We are the second city outside of Dublin. I think it deserves and needs its own Cabinet minister to represent the entire Mid-West at the top table. It goes without saying Limerick city and the region deserves and needs its own Cabinet minister. Obviously to make a national contribution, but also in terms of representing the region and the city.

No doubt both Mr Collins and Mr ODonnell would have designs on the top jobs. But with a more-or-less even split between Fine Gael and Fianna Fail, these positions will be at a premium.

Added into the mix a third party, or a batch of independents, and the pool becomes smaller still.

"The more parties involved in government, the fewer positions there are to go around. Any Independent signing up is going to be looking for position if theyre worth their salt. Its like the Wedding Feast at Cana, the loaves and the fishes, one politician said.

It remains to be seen which of the smaller parties will do a deal with Fine Gael and Fianna Fail, with talks set to kick off around the two parties policy document this week  Labour, the Green Party and the Social Democrats will all be approached, alongside Independent groupings.

Local Green Party TD Brian Leddin said his party is not ruling itself out of government.

We had a position two weeks ago that we did not believe it was appropriate to be discussing government formation and detailed policy in the middle of this huge crisis. It was interpreted quite incorrectly we had ruled ourselves out of government. But we never did. We've always been serious about wanting to make the changes we believe are necessary in how the country is managed so we get to the right place in 10 to 15 years time. We are open to being in government. We wouldn't choose opposition lightly, he told the Limerick Leader.

Labour and its new leader Alan Kelly have not appeared so keen.

But Mr Collins said: I would be hopeful in the interests of the country the smaller parties would put the country first ahead of narrow party political interests.

"It would be reckless in the extreme for any party to trigger or precipitate a general election in the midst of this crisis.

Mr Leddin said: With any decisions we take, we will put the country first. We are serious about that. We do hope that Fianna Fail, Niall's party have the appetite for the kind of changes which are necessary. This crisis is upon us, but we will move into a phase of rebuilding our society and our economy. It will continue for as couple of years. We must be mindful of where we are trying to get to and mindful of the longer term environmental crises.

And he acknowledged that he doesnt think another general election is in anybodys interest at present.

It would represent a failure of all the political parties to iron out their differences and work together. We won't see it as being the right approach, he said.

Mr ODonnell said any new government must last until 2025.

The decisions we have to make will be of a monumental nature. It will bring about changes in the way society is operated, and how public services are delivered, and for that to happen, it needs to have an element of compatibility, and secondly, it needs the numbers in terms of being secure, he said.

On the idea of Confidence and Supply, the former Senator said: We need something that is absolutely secure. For that to be put in place, you need absolute certainty. There was a degree of uncertainty around [the last administration], despite the government hanging on much longer than expected.
The Progressive Governors Forum (PGF) has described as a lost to entire Nigeria the death of the Chief of Staff to President, Mallam Abba Kyari.

In a condolence statement signed Saturday in Abuja by its Chairman and governor of Kebbi state, Abubakar Atiku Bagudu, the APC governors, while condoling with President Muhammad Buhari and the entire nation, said the death of Mallam Abba is a further call on all Nigerians to be united in the fight against the spread of Covid-19.

We received the death of Mallam Abba Kyari with heavy heart and gratitude to Allah (SWT) for a life well blessed.

We, the Progressive Governors Forum (PGF), join the family, President Muhammadu Buhari GCFR and the nation to pray for the repose of the soul of our dear and beloved Mallam Abba Kyari. His death is a loss to the nation and the Nigerian progressive community.

We pray to God Almighty to grant the family the fortitude to bear this heavy loss. May Allah reward all the good work of Mallam Abba, forgive his limitations and bless what he left behind.

As Progressive Governors, we, on this sad day, hereby re-affirm our unconditional support to the laudable initiatives of the President Buhari-led Federal Government.

The APC governors called on all Nigerians, irrespective of their political, religious, ethnic, social status or any other differences, to support the federal government in the fight against the deadly virus.

We also call on all Nigerians to observe all the social distancing measures and stay safe as we salute all our frontline medical personnel under the leadership of our Federal Ministry of Health and National Centre for Disease Control (NCDC).

May God continue to guide our country and the world to succeed to bring to an immediate end this world pandemic.

May the soul of Mallam Abba Kyari rest in peace!
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 British pilot who went down with the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) in Ho Chi Minh City last month has recently tested negative for the virus and continued showing more optimistic signs during his treatment.

The Ho Chi Minh City Hospital for Tropical Diseases reported on Sunday that the 43-year-old Briton has tested negative for the novel coronavirus, no longer suffers bleeding, and is making stable improvement.

Doctors will continue monitoring his health condition and carry out more tests in the coming days.

The British pilot, who works for national carrier Vietnam Airlines, was diagnosed with COVID-19 in March and became Vietnams patient No. 91.

He had previously been critically ill with severe blood-clotting disorders, lung damage, and a high white blood cell count.

He has been on a ventilator and receiving outside-body life support in the form of extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO).

Doctors said the pilot's condition might have been attributed to his body mass index (BMI) of 30.1, classified as "moderately obese" by the World Health Organization.

He has tested negative and then positive for several times.

Deputy Minister of Health Nguyen Thanh Long said on Saturday that the British patient had made it through a critical phase and was showing positive progress in his recovery.

The novel coronavirus, which first emerged in the central Chinese city of Wuhan in December 2019, has infected over 2.33 million people and killed more than 160,700 globally as of Sunday morning, according to Ministry of Health statistics.

Vietnams tally has remained unchanged at 268 since Thursday, while 201 patients have recovered from the disease.

The country has yet to record a death from the disease.

Ho Chi Minh City has recorded 54 patients so far, and no new cases have been reported over the past week.

The municipal Department of Health said on Sunday that the metropolis has only five active cases left, including the British pilot.

They are being treated at the citys Hospital for Tropical Diseases and a makeshift hospital for COVID-19 treatment in Cu Chi District.

The other makeshift infirmary, located in Can Gio District, has successfully treated all of its COVID-19 patients.

Like us on Facebook or follow us on Twitter to get the latest news about Vietnam!
Bengaluru, April 19 : Terming the outbreak and spread of coronavirus unprecedented, the Congress' Karnataka unit on Sunday urged the Central government to declare the deadly infection a national calamity as it disrupted normal life, made thousands sick and claimed over 500 lives across the country.

"The state government should prevail upon the Centre to declare Covid-19 a national calamity, as it has affected millions of people as never before, causing untold hardships and a trail of death and disaster," the party in a memorandum to Chief Minister B.S. Yediyurappa here.

Extending support to the state government in combating the pandemic, state Congress President D.K. Shivakumar said with the number of cases increasing in the southern state by the day, there were no sign of the disease being under control.

"As Yediyurappa admitted that positive cases in the state were less because only about 500 people were tested earlier, but have been rising since 2,000 tests were being conducted since April 17, there is an urgent need to ramp up testing across the state before the extended lockdown ends on May 3," he said.

Noting that shortage of rapid test kits were delaying more tests, the party's memo said shortage of marks, glucose, sanitizers, personal protective equipment (PPE) was affecting doctors, nurses and para-medical staff.

"As against the requirement of 12 lakh kits, the state-run hospitals have only 2,27,000 of them, 5,46,721 N-19 masks, and 2,79,999 Hydroxychloroquine (tablets)," it said.

Testing is also being conducted only in 18 labs, with 9 in Bengaluru, including 3 state-run hospitals and two private.

Yediyurappa, however, told the Congress delegation that 12,500 rapid test kits were on way to the state from China through the Centre.

Of the 17,594 tested across the southern state to date, only 390 were positive, while the remaining recorded negative, although 16 of them have died and 111 discharged.
Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, April 19) - More soldiers were killed in two separate clashes between government troops and communist rebels on Sunday.

Three soldiers were killed and four others were wounded when government troops encountered members of the New People's Army (NPA) in Himamaylan City, Negros Occidental, Sunday morning, the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) confirmed.

Colonel Inocencio Pasaporte, 303rd Infantry Brigade Commander, said the soldiers were closing in on the NPA terrorists, following reports of extortion activities in Barangay Carabalan, when an improvised explosive device detonated, inflicting immediate casualties among the soldiers, followed by a firefight.

We express our deepest sympathy to the families of our hero-soldiers who died fighting for the peace in Negros Island, Pasaporte said.

Meanwhile, one military personnel was killed in a separate encounter with communist rebels in Masbate, the AFP said.

Captain John Paul Belleza, Philippine Army's 9th Infantry Division public affairs chief, said that government troops were conducting security operations in Barangay Salvacion, San Fernando, Masbate at around 12:30 in the afternoon, when they encountered at least 30 men described as communist terrorists.

The firefight lasted for an hour before the dissidents fled the site, Belleza added.

Government forces later recovered three M16 rifles, two M4 rifles, one baby armalite, one M203 grenade launcher, six anti-personnel land mines, various ammunitions, communication equipment and other supplies at the site.

The Joint Task Force Bicolandia under MGen. Fernando Trinidad commended the soldiers and expressed gratitude to the people in the community who reported the presence of the armed rebels.

The AFP assured that government troops will continue to press against terrorists and rebels, working to sabotage the peace and security amid the COVID-19 crisis.

CNN Philippines' stringer Shiela Gelera contributed to this report.
By early March, the virus still hadnt hit Gordon County, where Ms. Francis lives. But the possibility was weighing on her mind. The message on her favorite YouTube show was getting more dire as the host, Chris Martenson, a financial guru-turned-pandemic early warner, ratcheted up his pleadings for viewers to prepare themselves.

Ms. Franciss 27-year-old granddaughter has a compromised immune system. As a senior citizen, she herself was vulnerable. She did what she always has done and channeled her own feelings into her door-knocking ministry. Do you think, she would ask people as she car-pooled with other members to canvass the county, that the virus is a sign of the end of the world?

No one was paying much attention, she said.

Elsewhere, in places like New York where infections were starting to climb, Jehovahs Witness members were feeling the pinch on their ministries.

One of them, Joe Babsky, for weeks had been easing into conversations with members of his Planet Fitness gym in the Bronx. He knew them by first name only  Jerry who had lost more than 100 pounds; Jason who seemed to spend an hour on each body part; Bernie, a 78-year-old who was more fit than men half his age. Mr. Babsky had shown a few of them Bible verses and had made progress recently with Bernie discussing the logic behind the existence of an intelligent creator.

Then the gym closed.

All those conversations and others were cut short, Mr. Babsky said.

Life continued as normal in Ms. Franciss town of Calhoun. She was convinced things were about to change but she was too embarrassed to wear a mask  until an encounter in Costco when a passing shopper coughed without covering her mouth.

In mid-March, her Kingdom Hall meetings went virtual. Members logged into Zoom to share Bible scriptures. Ms. Francis settled on one that she thought would resonate as she knocked on doors in her neighborhood across the county, which had by then registered a handful of Covid-19 cases.

At the doorstep, Ms. Francis would start her pitch by asking people if they could make one thing in the world go away, what would it be? If the answer had to do with the pandemic, she would recite a couple verses from the book of Luke:

There will be great earthquakes, and in one place after another food shortages and pestilences; and there will be fearful sights and from heaven great signs.
Tommy Barnett on most important thing he's learned about Holy Spirit over decades-long ministry

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Tommy Barnett, global pastor of Dream City Church in Phoenix, Arizona, doesnt have many regrets. But if pressed, there are two things the 82-year-old pastor wishes he wouldve done differently over the course of his decades-long ministry.

I dont live in the past; I live in the future, he told The Christian Post. "But there are two specific things I would do over if given the chance to do my life all over again: I would dream bigger dreams and I would take bigger risks. Every dream I have, God fulfilled. Every risk I took, God did exceedingly abundantly above all that I could ask for or could ever think.

Its this kind of tremendous faith and boldness that has made Barnett one of the most influential pastors of today.

Barnett, who also serves as chancellor of Southeastern University, entered the ministry at just 16 years old. He became the pastor of Phoenix First Assembly (now Dream City Church) in 1979. Under his leadership, the church quickly became one of the largest Assembly of God churches in the U.S., with an average weekly attendance of over 16,000.

Now led by Barnetts son, Luke, the church has become known as The Church with a Heart because of its more than 260 ministry outreaches.

In his autobiography, What If?: My Story of Believing God for More Always More. In it, Barnett looks back over a lifetime of walking with God, being directed by the Spirit, and boldly taking risks to reach more people with the Gospel of Jesus Christ. He shares the story of his lifes journey to highlight the power of living in obedience to the call of God.

The title, he told CP, is not one of regret, but one of opportunity.

God speaks through different people in different ways, visions, dreams, and various things, Barnett said. God speaks to me through opportunities. In other words, when presented with an opportunity, I say, That could be Godand Im going to go down that road because if I don't go down that road, I'll never know if God was in it or not.

I went down that road and God blessed it and opened another opportunity and road, and another and another. Its looking at opportunities that God opened up and with those opportunities come miracles.

Barnetts ministry extends far beyond the four walls of the church. In 1994, the pastor and his son, Matthew, felt God calling them to open The Dream Center in Los Angeles, an inner-city church and outreach center that touches the lives of 50,000 people each month.

Now, nearly 26 years after its founding, the Dream Center Network consists of more than 150 centers helping individuals and communities across the globe.

Matthew shared with CP how, growing up, his father would take him and his siblings into the inner city every week to pick up homeless individuals and bring them to church.

My father is very successful and visionary, but hes got a lot of patience when it comes to the calling God gives him, Matthew said. He would pick people up before church and take them to eat after. Watching my fathers kindness and compassion influenced my own ministry deeply.

Matthew recounted another formative ministry moment when 200 wealthy church members approached his father and told him, Our church is influential. Weve noticed you busing homeless people into our balcony and its affecting our church. Were beyond that now.

Basically, they were saying, youll lose our financial support if you keep bringing homeless people here.' My dad said, I love each and every one of you guys but theres no way Im going to stop bringing those people in from the street. Unsurprisingly, many of those men never came back to the church.

Tommy Barnett told CP his approach to ministry was influenced heavily by his own father, an evangelist and pastor who first started the bus ministry concept.

He had a Sunday School bus and would take people from all over Kansas City to church, Barnett recalled. He influenced my life greatly. He took me to hospitals with him to visit dying people. He brought me along as he ministered to the poor and sick. He showed me what it meant to be the hands and feet of Jesus. He was my hero.

When his father died, Barnett said the sense of loss he felt was overwhelming.

The man that taught me how to run buses was gone. The man I called up every week after services, my prayer partner, the one who shared in my joys and sorrows, he said. Most of the things I did were because of my father. One day I sat there weeping, asking, Who will help me now?

Amid his grief, he felt the Holy Spirit speak to him.

Now, Im not one who hears voices, he clarified. The Holy Spirit speaks to me through impressions. He impressed upon my heart and said, If you just let me, Id like to rejoice with you when you rejoice, celebrate victories, be there, and weep with you in your sorrow. Id like to be the one that one would help you build your church and give you creative ideas. If youd let me, Id like to be your prayer partner.

That moment, Barnett said, forever changed his prayer life and the course of his ministry.

I made the Holy Spirit my prayer partner, he said. What that means is, before I go to the Father in prayer, I take my petitions to the Holy Spirit. He filters them out for me, and once my silly requests have been filtered out, I go to God with what I really need. Often, I dont even know what I need, but the Holy Spirit breaks in with groanings and tells the Father exactly what I need, things I didnt even know I desired, things that werent even my vision, yet brought more joy to me than things that were natural to me.

The Holy Spirit is given to us for our personal prayer lives to commune with the Father because we know not what to ask for, but the Holy Spirit does. Over my years of ministry, that's the most important thing I've learned about the Holy Spirit.

Barnett, who currently resides in Phoenix with his wife, Marja, told CP that he doesnt think much about the legacy hell leave behind. I just feel you do your best and when you're gone, God raises people up in your kids to carry on your ministry. But life goes on. Ultimately its about bringing Him glory.

But according to Matthew Barnett, his fathers legacy is one of humility, perseverance and boundless faith.

My father taught me to enjoy every victory and not beat yourself up over the losses, he said. He taught me to make a bigger deal over victories than defeats. He celebrates everything, from the little offering someone gives to the kind words someone says. Hes never caught up in the excitement of big or showy events but takes joy in serving others well.
Taliban Militants Kill 5 Police Officers, Capture 7 in Afghan Kunduz Province - Source

Sputnik News

06:27 GMT 18.04.2020

KABUL (Sputnik) - Five police officers and servicemen were killed in the Imam Saheb district of the Afghan northeastern Kunduz province in an attack by militants, a source said adding that seven more officers had been captured by the Taliban.

"The security forces fought until morning, but when they [were short of] ammunition and no one supplied, the post collapsed after six hours of fighting, five soldiers of the local army and local police were killed and seven others were captured by the Taliban," an eyewitness said.

The clashes took place on Friday night when the militants attacked a district post, the source added.

According to the source, the post was controlled by the local army and the police.

The Taliban have not commented on the incident so far.

 Sputnik

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Light snow this morning will transition to snow showers this afternoon. High 33F. Winds SW at 15 to 25 mph. Chance of snow 70%. Snow accumulating 1 to 3 inches. Higher wind gusts possible..

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The retired FBI agent who killed Irish father-of-two Jason Corbett (39) is seeking to become the first violent offender to be granted temporary release from a high-security US prison under special Covid-19 measures.

Tom Martens (69) has applied for temporary release as North Carolina considers discharging 500 inmates in a desperate bid to create space.

Martens and his daughter Molly (35) were sentenced to 20-25 years in prison after being convicted in August 2017 of the second-degree murder of Mr Corbett. Both immediately appealed.

The Limerick-born packaging industry executive was beaten to death in the bedroom of his Winston-Salem home in August 2015.

A preliminary consideration of the submission lodged took place last Friday but a final decision is not expected until next week.

Martens lawyers are seeking the release on medical grounds, arguing that because of his age, he is at a higher risk from Covid-19 than other inmates. However, the temporary release is being opposed by prosecutors.

The Department of Foreign Affairs is monitoring developments on behalf of Mr Corbetts Irish family.

To date, only offenders convicted of non-violent crimes have secured temporary release in North Carolina. Two weeks ago, six inmates were let out to ease pressure within jails  but all were women, aged over 65 or pregnant who were nearing the end of sentences for non-violent crimes.

None of the prisons in the state have medical facilities equipped with ventilators or intensive care isolation, even though six jails have now been impacted by the virus.

A lawsuit was lodged by the American Civil Liberties Union in North Carolina seeking the temporary release of all prisoners who are deemed at high risk from Covid-19.

Martens is being held at Alexander Correctional Institution under special protection measures given the threat he faces from other inmates because of his FBI career.

In February, the North Carolina Supreme Court granted US prosecutors a challenge to the shock retrial of the father and daughter.

Mr Corbetts family said in a statement: We are confident the Supreme Court appeal will uphold the convictions. We also want to thank people in the US and Ireland for the comments, letters, emails and messages of support. We are so very grateful.
Actor Randeep Hooda says "Extraction" gave him a chance to step out of his comfort zone in Hindi cinema to do some 'Rambo'-like action with "tough Aussie" Chris Hemsworth, his co-star in the film.

The movie, slated to release on April 24 on Netflix, will see Hooda in the role of Saju, the man responsible for bringing Hemsworth's Tyler Rake to the extraction of his boss' child.

As the trailer shows, Hooda and Hemsworth feature in a stunning knife fight sequence.

The actor said he loved being part of an out-and-out action movie and is open to similar international projects in future.

"My character, as they say, is the wrecking ball. He is responsible for Chris and other characters' involvement. His people don't have the money so he feels that we will just give them the job and when it's time to pay, he will just whack them out and take the boy home.

"But it turns out that Rake is a tough Aussie and you cannot get past that," Hooda said in an interview with PTI and a group of international journalists visiting the Bangkok set of the movie last March.

The actor, who has starred in Bollywood films such as "Jannat 2", "Highway", "Kick", said working on the film was akin to stepping into a different world.

"I got a great gun and I was waiting to fire some blanks and be like Rambo. I've never done this kind of action before. It was really, really cool. The stunt team in this movie was absolutely amazing whether it is driving, guns or hand-to-hand combat.

"The first day, I thought what have I got myself into but then it started to grow on me. Your body is the most beautiful instrument you have and action movies put it to good use. As you stretch your limits, you realise you've got to look after yourself better."



Hooda, who studied in Australia and calls his cab driving experience there "the best acting training" he had, said Hemsworth is a "quintessentially an easygoing guy".

"Chris is a tough Aussie. He is charming, very easygoing, well prepared and he has got great energy. The leading man in a film controls the energy on the set.

"It has been an absolute pleasure working with him. We exchanged a few blows but that's okay. He is a quintessentially easygoing Aussie who does not have any airs about him," he said.

Recalling his meeting with director Sam Hargrave, Hooda said they connected via Skype and interestingly, both had long, flowing beard.

The actor, who was shooting for "The Battle of Saragarhi" at that time, is in a clean shaven look for the film but retained his long hair.

Praising Hargrave, who was the stunt coordinator on the last two Marvel movies and has worked as the stunt double of "Captain America" star Chris Evans, Hooda said it was reassuring to see the director matching steps with his actors in challenging sequences.

"He was quite in charge. He makes choices that are not dictated by the scheme but the environment He is ready to experiment, very confident and open to suggestions



"He would be hanging to the cars, hanging off stuff and if you are falling off a building, he would also be on a rope and falling with you I have never worked with a director who is also an action guy."Hooda does not consider himself strictly mainstream. Streaming services, he believes, have further blurred the borders for artistes around the world.

"I have always felt that I'm an actor, I just need a good script and part in it. English is not the most comfortable language, but I'm good at being a parrot. I can get into other languages pretty well. So I always felt that there is a world out there that doesn't have boundaries.

"I would like to work all around the world. There is a comfort zone that might come with working in your own country. I'm really looking forward to more projects and be good at representing my country as well as well as being a part of the world cinema," he said.

The film also features Rudhraksh Jaiswal, Pankaj Tripathi, Golshifteh Farahani, David Harbour and Priyanshu Painyuli in key roles.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Iran's Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif will meet Syrian President Bashar al-Assad in Damascus on Monday, Tehran said over the weekend, in what would be their first official meeting in a year.

Zarif plans to travel to Damascus for a one-day visit to discuss bilateral relations, regional developments and Syria's "fight against terrorism", the foreign ministry said in a statement on Sunday.

Zarif will also meet his Syrian counterpart Walid Muallem, it added.

Iran, along with Russia, is one of the Damascus government's main allies in the war that has ravaged Syria since 2011.

Zarif previously met Assad during a visit to Damascus in April last year.

The Syrian conflict has killed more than 380,000 people and displaced millions.

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In her day job, Dr. Kathryn Tinckam is a transplant kidney specialist and director of the University Health Networks laboratory medicine program.

On Saturday, she volunteered to work a 12-hour shift as a personal support worker, feeding, bathing and toileting residents in Sherbourne Place, a downtown Toronto nursing home on lockdown with a COVID-19 outbreak that has left it struggling to find staff.

Tinckam is one of 100 doctors, nurses and psychiatrists from UHN who agreed to pick up front-line shifts at the Rekai Centres two nursing homes after hospital CEO Dr. Kevin Smith asked staff to help.

Smith offered his physicians and nurses to Rekai Centres on Wednesday, after Premier Doug Ford promised hospital SWAT teams to help the staff crisis in long-term care.

Fords announcement came after a public outcry over the crisis of COVID-19 infections and deaths in long-term care. At least 933 residents and 530 staff have tested positive for the virus. Many workers were too afraid to show up for their shifts, or sick with COVID-19 themselves or worried about infecting children or aging parents.

A spokesperson for the Ministry of Long-Term Care said Sarnias Blue Water Health is also helping local nursing homes with COVID testing.

When Smiths email arrived, Tinckam signed up for the Saturday day shift, starting at 7 a.m., saying she was put in the hands of very capable charge nurses who handed out tasks, with directions to clean or bring meals to residents. She wears a surgical mask, a face shield, gown and gloves.

Very soon after that, the breakfasts trays arrived, Tinckam said. Thats when we really started meeting the patients, you got to deliver their meals, introduce yourself, find out a little bit about them, if they are able to communicate with you.

Its really clear that the staff here know each individual resident, they know their preferences and those are very important pieces of information that allow us to parachute in and do some of these tasks, she said.

Its a matter of being very present and alert to each patients need and completing the tasks as every patient might require them.

Last Wednesday, the day of Fords announcement, was like every other day for the last three weeks or so, at Rekai Centres. CEO Sue Graham-Nutter and her managers were struggling to fill the staffing schedule as front-line workers stopped coming to work.

One of her managers spent four days calling 1,000 former nursing interns, asking for help. Seven are now working in Sherbourne Place or, Rekais other home, Wellesley Central Place.

I understand why people are afraid, why they dont want to come in, Graham-Nutter said.

On Wednesday afternoon, an email arrived from the CEO of UHN. Smith asked Graham-Nutter if he could call her that evening. When they spoke, he offered to send leading doctors, infection control experts, psychiatrists and psychological support services for staff who, Graham-Nutter said, are traumatized by the pandemic.

The virus is not kind, she said.

Smiths offer felt like he had wrapped Rekais homes in a giant bear hug, she said. They started working out the details. As her remaining staff struggled, working 16-hour shifts, Graham-Nutter said she couldnt tell them until the plan was finalized. I kept saying, Help is on the way.

On Friday and Saturday, when Smith, the CEO and Dr. Brian Hodges, UHNs chief medical officer, walked the hallways of Sherbourne Place, Graham-Nutter said staff recognized that reinforcements were coming.

I really hope that all hospitals will help long-term care homes  its making such a difference, she said.

Im sitting here on the main floor at Sherbourne. On the floors above me, there is a nephrologist, (kidney specialist) there is an organ transplant nurse, there is a psychiatrist, there are RNs  and they are all working as PSWs (personal support workers).

Graham-Nutter said details are still being worked out on how long UHN will offer its staff but said she expects it will continue for some time. This isnt a one-day photo-op, she said.

Mornings now begin with an 8 a.m. huddle between Rekai managers and UHN staff, she said.

They quickly work through a long list of daily needs, a bucket list, she said. At the top of that list is personal protection equipment, called PPE. The hospital is sending additional supplies, she said. It also sent a mobile shower so UHN staff can potentially wash off the virus before returning to their homes.

The hospital sent an infectious disease expert to train staff on the importance of carefully doffing or removing PPE, to avoid infection. Graham-Nutter said the doctor recommended the addition of large garbage pails outside every residents door, for old PPE, to limit the potential for spread, and is returning next week for education sessions for union reps on staff.

Before this, people kept asking, how is your PPE supply? Id say, Do you realize that we have to have the people to wear the PPE? she said.

Now, we have real, on the ground support.
Kiwi Property today reported a decrease of approximately $290 million (-8.5%) in the fair value of its property portfolio. The Companys mixed-use, office, retail and other property assets were worth $3.1 billion as at 31 March 2020, following their independent revaluation.

Chief Executive Officer, Clive Mackenzie said the valuations have been heavily impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic.

The significant uncertainty caused by the coronavirus has prompted valuers to include an assessment of its effects on property values. As a result, their assumptions around rental growth, vacancy, downtime, leasing up allowances and trading conditions have all softened. The challenging investment market conditions and an expected decline in capital inflows are also contributing to an expansion in capitalisation and discount rates.

This uncertain environment is likely to continue for some time. We will regularly review further changes in asset values and make additional announcements as appropriate, Mr Mackenzie added.

MIXED-USE PORTFOLIO

Kiwi Propertys mixed-use portfolio, which includes Sylvia Park, Sylvia Park Lifestyle, LynnMall and The Base, experienced a fair value decline of -10.6% or $177 million to $1,499 million. These assets account for 48% of the Companys overall holdings and have a weighted average capitalisation rate of 5.87%, an expansion of 16 basis points over the prior financial year.

RETAIL PORTFOLIO

The Companys retail portfolio declined in fair value by $126 million, or -20.8% to $481 million. Regional shopping centre values have been the hardest hit by the effects of COVID-19, contributing to a capitalisation rate expansion of 58 basis points to a weighted average of 8.11%. Regional retail assets continue to decrease as a proportion of Kiwi Propertys overall holdings, comprising just 15.5% of the Companys total portfolio at 31 March 2020.

OFFICE PORTFOLIO

Kiwi Propertys office portfolio proved the most resilient of its asset classes, increasing in value by $15 million or 1.6% to $910 million.

In Wellington, The Aurora Centre and 44 The Terrace, delivered growth of 7.1% and 7.4% respectively, underpinned by long-term New Zealand Government leases. In Auckland, ASB North Wharf increased in value by 3.1% while Vero Centre decreased by -1.7%. The weighted average capitalisation rate of the Companys office portfolio remained stable at 5.46%.

OTHER PROPERTIES

Kiwi Property holds a portfolio of other properties, outside of its investment-grade assets. These include the Companys Drury landholdings, as well as industrial redevelopment landholdings around Sylvia Park. This portfolio recorded a $1 million, or -0.5%, decrease in value, to $215 million.

In recent years, Kiwi Property has signalled its strategy of creating mixed-use assets. The other properties portfolio holds many of the assets that will enable that transformation.

Mixed-use is critical to Kiwi Propertys growth. With our significant landholdings at Sylvia Park and Drury, we are in a position to develop master-planned communities that contain a mix of asset classes, and are potentially more resilient in the face of market shocks, such as those caused by COVID-19, said Mr Mackenzie.

OVERALL PORTFOLIO

Following the valuation result, Kiwi Propertys investment portfolio capitalisation rate has softened by 12 basis points from 5.99% to 6.11% and decreased net tangible asset backing per share by 18 cents from $1.42 to $1.24 per share. Gearing has increased to 32%, which remains within the target range.

The property valuations as at 31 March 2020 were determined by independent valuers and are subject to external audit. They will be confirmed in the companys audited financial statements for the year ended 31 March 2020.

Source: Kiwi Property Ltd

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U.S. President Donald Trump warned China on Saturday that it should face consequences if it was knowingly responsible for the coronavirus pandemic, as he ratcheted up criticism of Beijing over its handling of the outbreak, Trend reports citing Reuters.

It could have been stopped in China before it started and it wasnt, and the whole world is suffering because of it, Trump told a daily White House briefing.

It was the latest U.S. volley in a war of words between the worlds two biggest economies, showing increased strains in relations at a time when experts say an unprecedented level of cooperation is needed to deal with the coronavirus crisis.

If it was a mistake, a mistake is a mistake. But if they were knowingly responsible, yeah, I mean, then sure there should be consequences, Trump said. He did not elaborate on what actions the United States might take.

Trump and senior aides have accused China of a lack of transparency after the coronavirus broke out late last year in its city of Wuhan. This week he suspended aid to the World Health Organization accusing it of being China-centric.

Washington and Beijing have repeatedly sparred in public over the virus. Trump initially lavished praise on China and his counterpart Xi Jinping for their response. But he and other senior officials have also referred to it as the Chinese virus and in recent days have ramped up their rhetoric.

They have also angrily rejected earlier attempts by some Chinese officials to blame the origin of the virus on the U.S. military.

Trumps domestic critics say that while China performed badly at the outset and must still come clean on what happened, he is now seeking to use Beijing to help deflect from the shortcomings of his own response and take advantage of growing anti-China sentiment among some voters for his 2020 re-election bid.

At the same time, however, White House officials are mindful of the potential backlash if tensions get too heated. The United States is heavily reliant on China for personal protection equipment desperately needed by American medical workers, and Trump also wants to keep a hard-won trade deal on track.

Trump said that until recently the U.S.-China relationship had been good, citing a multi-billion agricultural agreement aimed at defusing a bitter trade war. But then all of a sudden you hear about this, he said.

He said the Chinese were embarrassed and the question now was whether what happened with the coronavirus was a mistake that got out of control, or was it done deliberately?

Theres a big difference between those two, he said.
President Donald Trump said Saturday he hopes US Muslims will be held to the same social distancing standards during Ramadan as Christians at Easter, when a number of faithful chafed against coronavirus-related restrictions on large gatherings. The US president made the comments after being asked to defend a retweet of a conservative commentator who seemed to question whether Muslims would be treated with the same severity as Christians who broke social distancing rules. "I would say that there could be a difference," Trump said during his daily coronavirus press conference. "And we'll have to see what will happen. Because I've seen a great disparity in this country." "They go after Christian churches but they don't tend to go after mosques," he said. Ramadan, which begins at sunset on Thursday, falls a week and a half after Easter, when some Christians bucked public health regulations to attend illicit services. Asked whether he thought imams would refuse to follow social distancing orders, Trump responded: "No, I don't think that at all." "I am somebody that believes in faith. And it matters not what your faith is. But our politicians seem to treat different faiths very differently." Trump has been accused of anti-Muslim rhetoric in the past and one of his first acts upon entering office was to ban travelers from several Muslim-majority countries. More than 700,000 cases of coronavirus have been reported in the United States, forcing religious communities across the country to shutter their doors. The Islamic Society of North America, alongside Muslim medical experts, has urged the suspension of group prayers, among other gatherings. Jewish Americans were likewise forced to turn traditional Passover seders into virtual affairs when the eight-day holiday began at sundown on April 8. Despite similar measures taken across much of the Christian community, a Virginia pastor who continued to preach in defiance of stay-at-home rules died a week ago of coronavirus. And pastors at two megachurches in Florida and Louisiana have been arrested on misdemeanor charges for flouting stay-at-home orders. "The Christian faith is treated much differently than it was," Trump added on Saturday, "and I think it's treated very unfairly." US President Donald Trump says Muslims and Christians should be held to the same social distancing standards at their religious services
The Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) on Sunday urged India to take "urgent steps" to protect the rights of its minority Muslim community and stop the incidents of "Islamophobia" in the country.

The OIC's Independent Permanent Human Rights Commission in a tweet also said the Indian media was negatively profiling the Muslims and subjecting them to discrimination.

"OIC-IPHRC urges the #Indian Govt to take urgent steps to stop the growing tide of #Islamophobia in India and protect the rights of its" Muslim minority, it tweeted.

There was no immediate reaction from the Ministry of External Affairs.

India has previously hit out at the 57-member grouping of Muslim majority nations, saying bodies like OIC should not make irresponsible statements.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Ethel Sylvester dialed 911, trembling with fear. The 92-year-old felt hot. She thought turning off her thermostat could fix the problem. That didnt help.

Alone in her apartment, in the middle of the night, Sylvester didnt know what was happening to her body. She feared it was COVID-19. Her neighbor and twin sister, Edna Mayes, had no idea she was in trouble.

I couldnt get to the door, said Sylvester, recounting last months incident. I was shaking, just shaking.

Paramedics rushed her to St. Louis University Hospital where the staff determined that Sylvester had no signs of COVID-19 but instead had a case of high blood pressure and anxiety.

Now, Sylvesters children say the trauma of living through the pandemic has taken a toll on their mothers mental health. The onslaught of coronavirus news and warnings had consumed Sylvesters thoughts, her daughter Ruth Sylvester explained.

Because watching the news made the twins upset, they stopped. Still, the fear of contracting the virus continued to overwhelm Sylvester.

She tried to toss medicine into her mouth without touching her face. Instead of sipping water from a cup or using a straw, Sylvester said, she poured it down her throat to avoid contact with her dishware, and somewhere along the way she decided that canned soup was the safest thing to consume during the pandemic.

In need of more nourishment, she became weak. She weighed 113 pounds when she was released from the hospital in March. Her daughter Myra Ward said her mom had lost about 15 pounds.

I wasnt eating because I thought thats what youre supposed to do, Sylvester said. I wasnt washing my face or nothing like that.

She had reason to be worried. Older people are dying of COVID-19 at higher rates worldwide. And, in Illinois, people of color like Sylvester and Mayes, who are black, accounted for at least 48% of confirmed COVID-19 cases and 57% of deaths as of Wednesday, while making up only 39% of the states population.

But Sylvester desperately needed help. The paranoia itself was what was hurting her, she and her family now say.

Her twin sister, Edna Mayes, noticed how excessive Sylvesters cleaning regimen had become. Sylvester, a former housekeeper whos always kept a tidy house, admitted she couldnt stop wiping things down. Every time she touched her remote control, for example, Sylvester would clean it, then wash her hands.

Ethel would go overboard, said Mayes, sitting next to her sister. Shes still doing it.

By the time Sylvesters daughters traveled from Texas to check on her health, Sylvesters hands were worn and dry from constant washing. Her daughter tried to rejuvenate them with oil.

She was extremely paranoid, Ward said. She didnt know what she could touch.

Sylvesters anxiety is not uncommon. Nearly 50% of Americans feel anxious about the possibility of contracting COVID-19, according to a poll released last month by the American Psychiatric Association. More than 60% are worried about friends or family members becoming infected.

As COVID-19 continues to spread, Sylvester doesnt want to replace the in-home care worker she lost a few months ago because of concerns about having a new person in her home. And her sister might lose her regular care provider amid uncertainty in the home health care industry.

So these two sisters are also relying on family and each other, just as theyve done since they were children, while community volunteers and health professionals in East St. Louis come up with a game plan to help seniors and families in need.

Our daddy denied us, so, coming up, we had to be close, Mayes said. Wed love each other if didnt nobody else loved us.

Their mother taught the twins to look out for each other. The sisters became neighbors two years ago when Mayes moved into the public housing complex that Sylvester has called home for more than 60 years. Their version of FaceTime doesnt require a camera. Instead, Mayes walks to her back door when theyre on the phone. That way they can wave at each other.

Ninety-two-year-old twins and neighbors Edna Mayes (left) and Ethel Sylvester, of East St. Louis, Illinois, are relying on each other through the COVID-19 pandemic. Following a recent hospital stay sparked by Sylvesters fear that she had the virus, she says she doesnt want to replace the in-home care worker she lost a few months ago because shes concerned about having a new person in her home. And Mayes might lose her regular care provider amid uncertainty in the home health care industry. (Cara Anthony/KHN)

We love each to death, Sylvester said. Were normal, healthy twins. We never hit each other, never cuss each other. We have disagreements. We never went to bed mad.

Lately, sleepovers have solidified their bond. Mayes spends the night in a chair at Sylvesters apartment, watching over her sister as she regains her strength. A neighbor takes the day shift.

A granddaughter cooks for them each week. And Sylvesters 63-year-old son, Sanchez Sylvester, who also lives in the same housing complex, helps them with food, too, even though he has underlying conditions that put him at risk.

Sanchez Sylvester said he understood how concerned his mother was the day she tried to disinfect him with bleach and water as he entered her house.

She said, Hold it right there, her son recalled. She sprayed me!

Thats why hes trying to point out positive stories of recovery to his mother and aunt.

His sister, Myra Ward, meanwhile, said she often offers to relocate her mom and aunt from East St. Louis to San Antonio, Texas. The sisters always turn down the invitation.

They dont want to leave East St. Louis or the Samuel Gompers Homes public housing complex that is home. But as a longtime advocate for residents of East St. Louis, Ethel Sylvester hopes more people will take time to listen to the needs of seniors long after the pandemic ends.

With all of this stuff going around, we old folk feel lost, Sylvester said. We dont know where we are going and we dont know what to do.
Acts of intimidation and allegations of vote buying marred the final round of legislative elections in Mali on Sunday aimed at reviving confidence in embattled institutions despite a bloody jihadist conflict and a virus pandemic. In central Mali, the president of a voting station was forcibly removed and representatives of the electoral commission "chased away by armed men", one of the representatives told AFP. Military sources confirmed the incident. Elsewhere, voting was cancelled after jihadists threatened to attack voters, witnesses said. Already on Saturday, unknown assailants had destroyed voting equipment in northern Mali. And on Sunday, observer umbrella group Synergie said there had been many incidents of vote buying at several voting stations. The first provisional results are to be announced at the start of the week. The election had been repeatedly delayed, and the first round on March 29 was disrupted by jihadist attacks as well as the kidnapping of opposition leader Soumaila Cisse. - 'Consolidate our democracy' - "I voted. It is important despite the economic situation. We need new MPs to consolidate our democracy," Moussa Diakite, a 23-year-old student, told AFP. Another student, Hamchetou Toure, said she wore a face mask and observed social distancing rules as she voted in the semi-desert country, which has so far recorded 216 cases of the virus including 13 deaths. Among the measures taken by the government are a night-time curfew, school closures and restrictions on some activities -- but people still filled markets, mosques and public transport. The Synergie said anti-virus protection kits had been distributed to over 96 percent of polling stations that it visited across the former French colony. It said poll workers wore masks in over 87 percent of the stations visited. Mali, one of the world's poorest countries, is struggling with an Islamist revolt that has claimed thousands of lives and forced hundreds of thousands from their homes. Sunday's runoff in the West African nation of 19 million people is for 147 seats in the National Assembly. Voting took place in the capital as well as the troubled central town of Mopti and Gao in the north, according to residents. - Delays - It was the country's first parliamentary poll since 2013 when President Ibrahim Boubacar Keita's Rally for Mali party won a big majority. Turnout in the first round averaged over 35 percent nationwide but was less than 13 percent in the capital Bamako. On Sunday's second-round vote, turnout was 23.2 percent, according to Synergie, which had dispatched election observers. The election had been meant to take place in late 2018 after Keita was returned to office but was postponed several times, mainly because of security concerns. A "national dialogue" staged last year to discuss Mali's spiral of violence called for the ballot to be completed by May. The hope is that the new MPs will endorse changes to the constitution that will promote decentralisation. That is the key to pushing ahead with the government's plans for peace. It signed a deal with armed separatists in northern Mali in 2015 but the pact has largely stalled. Violence in that region began in 2012 and was then fanned by jihadists. Defying thousands of French and UN troops, the jihadists took their campaign into the centre of the country and now threaten neighbouring Burkina Faso and Niger. Mali's conflict zones and poor healthcare infrastructure place it in the category of countries that health experts say are at high risk of coronavirus. Keita, addressing the nation wearing a face mask, said "every health and security" precaution would be "rigorously applied" during Sunday's vote.
University of Queensland students have hit out at plans to hold exams remotely with the use of a third-party platform they consider to be an invasion of privacy.

Some students have been told that they would need to download the ProctorU software on their personal computers in order to complete upcoming online exams while meeting social distancing requirements.

A UQ spokesperson said ProctorU was being used for some final exams to reduce the health risks to staff and students from COVID-19. Credit:Glenn Hunt

"We understand that these are unprecedented and difficult times, and that academic integrity is an important concern for both the University and UQU," the student union said in a statement.

"However, filming students in their homes and allowing third party corporations to store and commodify their personal data crosses the line."
Four business innovators in the hotel support sector told hoteliers there are creative and viable ways to generate cash flow now that could help hotels survive and then thrive, after Covid-19.

There are clear opportunities in local partnerships, online e-gift vouchers, community food deliveries from hotel kitchens, and being nimble enough to capitalise on new business directions when the upturn comes.

The four business leaders told just over 100 hoteliers in the April 15 I Meet Hotel webinar, organised by Bidroom, that a mixture of creativity, long-term strategic thinking and short-term tactical revenue generation could see hotel operations emerge from the coronavirus era in good shape. Here was their analysis and advice for hoteliers:

Callum Hale-Thomson - vice president business development at Unwrapped

Even before C-19, guests wanted hotels to be enablers of a complete destination experience. That will be even more true in the near future. Domestic travel will be the first to rebound. Countries, however, will only open borders slowly. Consumer behaviour will remain tentative. Tourists will avoid going too far afield. Family tourists will look to stay safe. Accordingly, hoteliers should target Staycationers -- local people from relatively nearby who seek pampering and hospitality; Escapists who will want a quiet, safe rural retreat -- they will be unfamiliar with the destination and will need assistance; and Opportunists who want a hotel experience based on unique price reductions.

Hale-Thomson said hotels could make incremental gains from commissions from local companies supplying, for example, taxi services, unique local food and beverage tips, local tours, luggage storage and gym access. Companies such as Unwrapped can help hotels identify and set up local partnerships that will create cash flow for hotels, he said.

James Lemon, founder and CEO at The Growth Works

Hospitality is, in essence, a creative industry, said Lemon. He observed that hoteliers often found new ideas hard to implement. They are also difficult to measure and scale up. He acknowledged it was unprecedented to see near-100 per cent falls in occupancy and revenue, with hotel teams not even in the hotel anymore. He said there was little sign of a rapid recovery. And when recovery does come there will likely be a shift in customer behaviour. Different market segments will respond differently. He said that starting again from a base of 0 per cent revenue meant that hotels could make no assumptions. But in some ways it was an opportunity.

Lemon said that hotel war room teams should become agile and create scenario planning and carefully monitor market moves. Get ready to service your domestic market first, he said. For example, is your website geared to local browsers? Can they buy your hotel services with just a couple of clicks? At the same time, new partnerships to create revenue are usually lower cost, faster, and less risky than doing it yourself. He told hoteliers to get ready to create value-added packages that tie in with local attractions. Dont necessarily drop rates. Instead, create hotel packages that protect the hotels top line room rate. But add in meals, or spa or high tea to make the package good value. Constantly review what works and what doesnt. Adjust marketing strategy immediately.

Eleanor Petronzio - head of client development at SK Chase

Petronzio helps hotels generate cash flow by helping them create and distribute electronic gift vouchers. There is a big appetite now for people, especially family members, to give each other soothing, loving messages with a voucher for a hotel stay, spa or afternoon tea to brighten up their day. Vouchers can be valid for two years or more. They create almost instant cash flow for hotels. And up to 23 per cent of vouchers are never cashed in.

Over the last few weeks Petronzio has noticed a big spike in people buying hotel stay, spa and dining vouchers for themselves. People plan to give themselves and their families a reward when C-19 restrictions are lifted.

Angus Wilson, brand activation manager at Uber Eats

Wilson told hoteliers on the webinar that the takeaway food industry in the UK alone was worth 8.4bn ($10.5 billion), up 18 per cent in 2019. It was a trend he expected to emphatically continue in many countries during and after coronavirus. The partnership opportunity here, he said, was for hotels to utilise their kitchens to serve food to their local community. Companies like Uber Eats can help hotels set up, market and cook pre-set branded menus designed by Uber Eats. Or they can help them market and deliver the hotels own food to the local community. It is possible for hotels to go live with a new food menu within seven days, even with a modestly-sized kitchen.

Webinar host, Caroline Dallin, director of Business Development at Bidroom, said: With a creative and flexible mindset, hoteliers can today work with a range of partners to help return hotel operations to profit. That profit may come in ways that seemed unlikely or unthinkable only a few weeks ago. It all comes down to our capacity to innovate, anticipate and adapt to change.

As a few countries are slowly coming out of lockdown, the next I Meet Hotel webinar on April 22 will address new trends and travel regulations that will affect hotels and the hospitality sector. - TradeArabia News Service
Details about how the government's proposed payment model will work are yet to be determined by the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission. It is unclear whether any payments by Facebook and Google to publishers will be material enough to help offset the loss of advertising revenue, exacerbated by the coronavirus crisis. Nor do we know exactly which publishers will be the beneficiaries.

A warning shot was fired in France this month when the competition watchdog told Google to negotiate licensing payments with local publishers for reusing news articles. But the Morrison government's decision is a direct hit on a tech industry whose worst case scenario here was tougher regulations later in the year .

However, it is safe to assume the new rules will damage Facebook and Google's bottom lines in a country where they collect about $4 billion in gross revenue  and pay little tax. More worryingly for the tech giants, competition regulators across the world are watching Australia closely. The use (and misuse) of people's personal data, by Facebook in particular, the rise of fake news and the decline of traditional media outlets have made Big Tech an easy target for regulators outside the US. Indeed, the ACCC has led the charge globally, with its 18-month inquiry the most comprehensive investigation into these concerns undertaken in the world.

The next step for the regulator is to determine how to appropriately charge Google and Facebook for content when the two platforms are very different. Consideration will also need to be given to whether any smaller digital companies will be caught in the net in future. Google and Facebook's lobbying arm, DIGI, has previously criticised onerous regulation as a hindrance to entrepreneurs and start-ups.

News Corp executive chairman Rupert Murdoch and his chief executive, Robert Thomson, have led a long and aggressive campaign against the tech companies. They have called for the likes of Google to be charged carriage fees in the same way a pay-TV operator pays studios such as National Geographic to broadcast their channels.

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Tech companies argue this approach won't work because their business model is different. For example, Facebook does not host content when news is shared through users posting links. Nevertheless, media companies are supportive, with Nine's chief executive, Hugh Marks, arguing that news enhances the experience for users on social media sites but the creator of that content does not benefit adequately. (Nine is the owner of The Sydney Morning Herald and The Age.)
More than 260 million Orthodox Christians celebrated Easter Sunday, with church leaders urging worshippers to stay at home to avoid spreading the novel coronavirus.

While many watched services online or on television, some sidestepped virus fears to attend churches on the most important date in the Orthodox calendar.

In Georgia, several hundred took part in a midnight mass at Tbilisis Holy Trinity Cathedral after the government allowed public attendance despite a nightly curfew aimed at curbing the virus.

Orthodox Christians, the worlds third largest group of Christian believers, this year celebrate Easter a week after Catholics and Protestants because they follow a different calendar.
Here is a list of the main and most important wedding Italian traditions.

Italy is a classic destination for wedding ceremonies, as the country beams with stunning architecture, natural landscapes and heritage villages.

Traditions are deeply ingrained in the Italian lifestyle and way of doing things. True to this lifestyle weddings are usually held on Saturdays or Sundays as Fridays are regarded as bad luck.

Here are some of the main Italian wedding traditions:

Pre-wedding isolation

White color is a no-no

La serenata

Confetti and Bomboniere

Who pays for the bridal bouquet?

Isolation? Yes. This tradition requires the groom to stay away from the bride the night before the marriage. Known for their passionate demeanor, Italians require the bride not to see her own reflection too. She can only look into the mirror if she takes off an accessory either an earing, shoe or glove. This rule applies for the guests of course. Whether or not the bride has a white wedding dress, that day all-white attire is forbidden for anyone but the future wife. This depicts the custom of organizing a serenade under the brides window on the pre-wedding night. To spice up the plot, friends, and family are notified of the exact time and moment while the bride is completely kept in the dark. Musicians and instrumentalists are secretly brought by the groom to the brides window where they sing below her balcony. If she wakes up to the sweet romantic melodies, it is marked as a mission accomplished. Traditionally Bomboniere are given to guests as an appreciative gesture for their presence. Usually its a multi-colored sugar-laden almonds - or confetti - packed into neat organza bags and stacked in groups of five. Bomboniere depicts a time of health, fertility, wealth and long life.

In Italy, the bouquet is the groom's final gift to the bride as a boyfriend. The groom must pay for it, and have it delivered on the morning of the wedding to the bride's house. The bride is permitted to choose the bouquet; after all, it must be coordinated with her dress. At the end of the ceremony, as we all know, the bride launches her bouquet of flowers towards a group of unmarried women, who compete to catch it. The bouquet is much more than a pretty prop, it signifies the passing on of tradition and creation of family, as the woman who catches the bouquet will be lucky enough to get married next.

La giarrettiera - a good luck charm

It was believed that obtaining a piece of the bride's dress brought good luck in 14th century Europe, so guests tried to negotiate a way to get their hands on pieces of it. In the 17th century, unmarried guests were encouraged to take the bride's garters (strips of fabric cut from the marital dress) and attach them to their hats for luck in love, but, over time, these customs turned into throwing the accessories (the bouquet, the garter, the gloves), to prevent the bride's dress from being ruined.

Tradition states the groom is to take off the garter and throw it to one of the guests. A demure bride, who does not want to show too much, wears the garter just above the knee or pulls it down, while a more daring bride raises the skirt of her dress revealing her legs and putting the removal of the garment at the center of attention. Another custom of the past was for the garter to be torn into pieces by the husband and donated to several guests. In a similar way, today in some parts of Italy, the groom's tie is cut into small pieces and distributed among the invited men in exchange for a small cash donation for the bride and groom. These traditions are increasingly rare and unrecognized.

Glass shattered

A Look into past regional wedding traditions in Italy

The couple must break a glass during the wedding. The more the glass pieces shattered, the more it signifies the years their marriage will endure. In that case, before the big

Italians are proud and zealous with their traditions and customs as is evident in their weddings. Ceremony traditions have been passed down over the ages and different regions have interpreted them in interesting ways.

Tuscany

Sicily

Venice

Other Italian wedding traditions

In Tuscany brides wore a black wedding dress and a white hat. Since unmarried girls were not allowed to witness a marriage ceremony, the party of bridesmaids was all married women. In Sicily, the wedding was marked by two major occasions. There was a civil part followed by a religious ceremony - the latter being more significant. The groom was considered to be married after going through the religious part of the ceremony. When communicating with outsiders, the wedding date marked their official marriage. True to some of the movies that depict Italian weddings, the bride would arrive at the church on a horseback with torches lighting her path. In Venice, the bride would wear two dresses on her big day. Her finest dress would be saved for her last dance while at the reception. As part of their church procession, the bride would walk arm in arm with her compare while the groom followed right behind her in a similar arm wrap with the made of honour.

The practice of inviting friends and family to mark a wedding dates back to the Roman empire. In what was then of spiritual importance, several women were tasked to dress the same as the bride to prevent a passing evil spirit from distinguishing who is who. This is in contrast with today where the bride enjoys her colors exclusively.

The groom would carry a piece of iron (toc ferro), which was believed to ward off evil spirits (malocchio). Sundays were often marked as wedding days if the weds-to-be sought good fortune to accompany their marriage. Surprisingly, Saturday was that day associated with widows remarrying.
Tucson pinball arcade D&D Pinball has closed.

Owners Constance Negley and Robert Noble, who bought the arcade in its infancy in 2014, announced the closure on Facebook.

Its been a fabulously fun-filled six years, but D&D Pinball will be closed indefinitely, they said.

Negley said Friday the fear of the unknown caused by the pandemic was largely behind her and Nobles decision.

We feel like its the best thing for us to do right now. Nobody knows how long this is going to go on and we dont want to dig ourselves into a bigger (financial) hole that we cant get out of, she said.

Our business is really our pinball machines and it really is a way to preserve our collection and not go into debt.

D&D was billed as Arizonas largest pinball arcade, with more than 30 machines dating from the 1970s to today. The arcade was popular with families, tourists and pinball enthusiasts drawn to the arcades regular tournaments.

Gary Dillahunty and his wife, Jane Decker, opened D&D in a red brick warehouse building at 331 E. Seventh St., just off North Fourth Avenue, in late 2013. Months later, in spring 2014, Negley and Noble bought the business.

Negley said she is sure fans of the arcade are disappointed about the closing, but I cant hold this for three or four months and not make any money.

Were an experience, so people have to walk in our door, she said. I love our space but its a space. I really dont want to go into debt to keep a space.
    Hate Crimes Surge Against Asian Americans  Hate Crimes Surge Against Asian Americans

 Hate Crimes Surge Against Asian Americans

 Coronavirus  Forbes  Irony: Hate Crimes Surge Against Asian Americans While They Are On The Front Lines Fighting COVID-19 There have been a lot of encouraging stories about peoples acts of generosity and kindness during the COVID-19 crisis. Unfortunately, human nature has its bad side too and the crisis has brought out some of our worst qualities including xenophobia, racism and, in some cases, violence. Hate crimes against Asian Americans and Asian immigrants in the United States have been surging. They have ranged from verbal harassment to denial of services to physical attacks. There is no way to know to what extent President Trumps insistence on calling COVID-19 the China Virus may have motivated these acts, but his statement certainly didnt help prevent them. It is true that the Chinese government acted abysmally, initially denying that the virus could be transmitted person to person. But China is hardly a democracy and the Chinese people were the victims rather than the perpetrators of this cover-up. In fact, Asian Americans and Asian immigrants to the U.S. deserve our thanks for their role in responding to the COVID-19 crisis. First of all, they are vastly over-represented among the front line medical workers who are treating those who have been infected. Seventeen percent of doctors, 9% of physician assistants and nearly 10% of nurses in the United States are of Asian descent. Asians and Asian Americans are also at the forefront of Americas efforts to find a vaccine. As of now, one of the most promising efforts has just been reported by the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine. On April 2nd, the University reported: Scientists today announced a potential vaccine against SARS-CoV-2, the new coronavirus causing the COVID-19 pandemic. When tested in mice, the vaccine, delivered through a fingertip-sized patch, produces antibodies specific to SARS-CoV-2 at quantities thought to be sufficient for neutralizing the virus. https://www.forbes.com/sites/evangerstmann/2020/04/04/irony-hate-crimes-surge-against-asian-americans-while-they-are-on-the-front-lines-fighting-covid-19/#680636be3b70   "But China is hardly a democracy and the Chinese people were the victims rather than the perpetrators of this cover-up. "  ChineseChinese 

mikecwu  2020-04-21 10:48:28

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 'HBW'  :     coronavirus   The legislation admitted that government actions were based on "race prejudice, war hysteria, and a failure of political leadership."[31] The U.S. government eventually disbursed more than $1.6 billion (equivalent to $3,460,000,000 in 2019) in reparations to 82,219 Japanese Americans who had been interned and their heirs.





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The following individuals were either recently charged in Walworth County Circuit Court or recently made their initial court appearance.

Daniel Cordova, 28, town of Delavan, has been charged with recklessly endangering safety and disorderly conduct in an alleged domestic violence incident. If convicted, he faces up to 10 years and three months in prison and $26,000 in fines.

Blake A. Kruizenga, 28, Delavan, has been charged with burglary of a building or dwelling, attempted burglary of a building or dwelling, and misdemeanor theft in Elkhorn. If convicted, he faces up to 19 years and six months in prison and $47,500 in fines.

Darryl M. Nelson, 32, East Troy, has been charged with strangulation and suffocation, and disorderly conduct in an alleged domestic violation incident. If convicted, he faces up to six years and three months in prison and $11,000 in fines.

Anonio C. Tadych, 19, South Milwaukee, has been charged with two counts of delivery of a counterfeit drug, after an undercover police investigation in Whitewater. If convicted, he faces up to 12 years in prison and $20,000 in fines.

Jordan D. Webster, 30, East Troy, has been charged with felony disorderly conduct in an alleged domestic violence incident as a domestic abuse repeater. If convicted, he faces up to two years in prison and a $1,000 fine.

Anthony A. Williams, 23, Walworth, has been charged with arson-property other than a building and disorderly at a business in the town of Lafayette. If convicted, he faces up to three years and nine months in prison and $11,000 in fines.

Vajon Windham, 25, South Beloit, has been charged with possession with intent to deliver THC, maintaining a drug trafficking place, carrying a concealed weapon and possession of drug paraphernalia in Delavan. If convicted, he faces up to eight years in prison and $30,500 in fines.

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.
Despite the historic OPEC+ production cut deal, available oil storage capacity around the world is running thin as global oil demand continues to crumble amid lockdowns and travel restrictions in many countries.

OPEC and its Russia-led allies promised to remove 9.7 million bpd from the market starting in May. But oil storage capacity may be full as early as in the middle of May, according to many analysts.

In this unprecedented global oil glut, some sectors of the oil industry and some oil-producing countries and their national oil companies (NOCs) are set to fare better than others, petroleum economics and energy policy expert Michael Lynch writes in an article in Forbes.

Like in every extreme market situation, there will be big winners and big losers while the oil industry is scrambling to stash crude oil and refinery products that no one really needs right now.

Losers

The OPEC producers who dont have adequate refining capacity at home and dont have solid long-term oil supply contracts with oil-importing nations are set to lose the most. These are Angola, Nigeria, and Iraq, according to Lynch.

OPECs second-largest oil producer Iraq sells most of the crude it produces. To be sure, Saudi Arabia also does that. However, in recent years OPECs top producer and the worlds largest oil exporter has struck some major downstream deals in the worlds top oil importer, China, ensuring long-term demand for its crude in the market.

According to Lynchs estimates of OPECs refinery capacity per member and their target production for May and June, OPECs combined domestic refining capacity is half what its members would produce if they all stick to their quotas. Considering that 100-percent compliance in every country has never been achieved in such deals, OPEC members would be likely producing more than two times their combined refinery capacity.

Premium: Oil Storage Nears Its Limit



The countries that have long-term oil supply contracts with importers will be better off than those who rely more on spot crude sales. Data about the global spot crude market is incomplete, at best, Lynch says.

But oil-producing nations with higher shares of spot sales would likely feel the pinch from the storage capacity crunch much harder than others because amid the huge oversupply refiners are even trying to get out of some clauses in long-term contracts, let alone snap up spot cargoes.

Among companies, those integrated firms who have downstream capacity at least would have refineries to send their crude to. However, the downstream economics are terrible right now, because the demand for gasoline, diesel, and jet fuel is plummeting everywhere in the world.

Refined product distributors will lose the mostpeople are not driving and are under lockdown in many countries in the world, including in India and the largest oil consumer, the United States.

Winners

The biggest winners in the current market situation are the owners of storage capacityonshore and offshore. Storage has been the most sought-after commodity in the energy market in the past month as demand was crashing, and supply was rising.

Offshore, traders are scrambling to book floating storage, and charter rates for supertankers are skyrocketing. Storage costs are surging, and so are costs for chartering tankers to store oil at sea for future sales when traders expect demand to recover from the pandemic-hit plunge.

Premium: 2 Stocks To Consider As Oil Nears $15

Despite the actions of OPEC+ and G20 to ease the glut, the oil industry may test the limits of its storage capacity in the coming weeks, the International Energy Agency (IEA) said this week.

Never before has the oil industry come this close to testing its logistics capacity to the limit, the agency said in its closely-watched Oil Market Report for April.

In the United States, storage will likely fill up by the middle of May. At oil prices so low, forced cuts are coming across the U.S. shale patch, OPEC++ deals or not. ConocoPhillips said this week it would be voluntarily curtailing 200,000 bpd production in Canada and the U.S. until market conditions improve, and others are likely to follow soon.

Amid the glut which OPEC+ cuts will not be able to stave off next month, owners of storage capacity will be the biggest winners in these most unusual times for the oil industry.

By Tsvetana Paraskova for Oilprice.com

More Top Reads From Oilprice.com:
KAMPALA  PML Daily is among the most visited websites in Uganda, a latest market research report indicates.

According to the report conducted by global market research company Ipsos for the month of March, PML Daily website has grown in viewership, rubbing shoulders with the likes of Daily Monitor, Twitter, Facebook, ChimpReports and overtaking New Vision.

The market survey was conducted basing on the coverage of the outbreak of the coronavirus pandemic in Uganda.

And according to the report, PML Daily was one of the most visited websites in the country. The analysis shows that PML Daily is closely following Twitter.com, yowerimuseveni.com, monitor.co.ug, NTV.co.ug, Facebook.com, nilepost.com, Chimpreports.com, ugstandard.com mucyo.com, and virunga.com.

The research is testimony of the growing influence of PML Daily on the socioeconomic and political landscape in Uganda and the region in its few years of existence.

PML Daily Editorial Director Alex B. Atuhaire thanked the readers for the confidence in the news website, and the Online Publishers young but energetic editorial staff for always working harder amid tight budgets to recruit and serve a massive audience.

He said PML Daily will continue to follow tenets of good journalism that serves public interest, and offer context and functional information as much as possible.

We are happy that our hard work is being recognised by independent reviews of the media landscape in Uganda. We hope to be among the very top news websites in the country by end of the year. We thank the readers for all the support and feedback which helps us improve everyday, he said.

The Ipsos report indicates that the media landscape is changing, with increasing reliance on digital media by the public as print media falls.

The report further shows that for the month of March, yowerimuseveni.com (120,000), Ministry of Health (85,000), NBS TV (56,000) and Health minister Jane Ruth Aceng (46,000) were the most followed pages on social media during the month of March following the outbreak of coronavirus.

In terms of most visited social media sites in Uganda, Facebook took the lead with 69%, followed by WhatsApp (59%), Twitter (9%), LinkedIn (1%) and Google.

However, the report shows that Twitter (71.8%) had more influence reflected in the sharing of information compared to Facebook (28.2%).

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On the day, the price on the West Texas Intermediate (a benchmark for the grade of crude oil used for oil pricing) dropped to 19.20 USD per barrel.

Illustrative image (Photo: Khmer Times)



The IMF, in its report, forecast that oil prices will likely remain below 43 USD per barrel from now until 2023 owing to persistently weak demand in a deep global recession sparked by the COVID-19 pandemic.

However the rapidly falling cost of oil, which greases the wheels of the global economy, will help consumers, the IMF said.

The low prices are good news for Cambodian transport, farms, factories and private motorists who benefit from cheaper gasoline, but they do have a serious effect on the Ministry of Mines and Energys current plans for offshore oilfield exploration.

This is especially true for the Singaporean-listed KrisEnergy that have continued plans for oil to be extracted from the Apsara oilfield, located in Block A of the Khmer Basin in the Gulf of Thailand. The Apsara oilfield is set to become the first productive oilfield in the country.

Lim Solinn, Oxfam country director, previously told Khmer Times that the economic benefits of the operation would be substantial for the Cambodian Government. However, with these newly revised current market conditions, the projects viable benefits are still uncertain./.
Maharashtra Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray on Sunday (April 19) said that the state will begin limited business activities in green coronavirus COVID-19 zones from Monday (April 20), stressing that the activities will be allowed under strict guidelines.

Thackeray noted that Mumbai and Pune, which have registered maximum coronavirus cases and are in Red Zone, will continue to remain under lockdown till the situation improves. The Maharashtra chief minister, however, expressed relief that there are several districts in the state that are coronavirus free.

"Tomorrow onwards we're starting some financial activities. As we don't run our economy now, we'll be in financial crisis after we come out of Corona crisis. We're starting some business activities in a limited way. Fortunately, several of our dists have zero positive case," he said.

Referring to the migrant labourers crisis in Maharashtra, Thackeray said, "We're in talks with the centre. I'm confident that a solution will come out in the coming days. Don't worry. We're gradually starting work in Maharashtra. If it's possible you can come back to work,you'll continue with your livelihood."

The Shiv Sena chief assured the migrant labourers that state government will take all the labourers to their homes after the end of coronavirus crisis. "I believe that when you go back to your homes, you should go back happily and not out of fear," CM Thackeray said.

Thackeray also said that over 66,000 tests have been done in the state so far, out of which 95% have turned out to be negative. "Around 3600 are positive, 300-350 of these have recovered and have been discharged. 75% are either mildly symptomatic or asymptomatic. 52 patients are serious. We are looking at saving their lives," he noted.

Notably, Maharashtra is the worst-hit Indian state from coronavirus with 3,648 confirmed cases, including 2,268 in Mumbai.
Calif. pastors face potential $1K fines, jail time for holding Easter services

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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.
For animal lover Anne Gundrum, being able to work in one of the most biologically diverse national parks in the country is a huge perk.

I love the animals. Ive been a big lover of animals since before I can remember, Gundrum said. Without a doubt snakes are my favorite. I believe they are the most amazing creatures. Theyre also very misunderstood, so I really do enjoy teaching people how important they are to an ecosystem.

Those who grew up in the area and spent time in the national park appreciate the sentimental value of working at Dunes Learning Center.

The Indiana Dunes National Park has a special place in my heart. Some of my favorite memories as a child were made at the Dunes. So, its been really fun hiking around with my DLC trail groups to areas I used to go as a child, Gundrum said.

Interns and cabin leaders plan and lead a variety of activities at DLC. They educate children through games, programs and long hikes through the park.
Henderson County News School Board reinstates mask mandate The Henderson County School Board voted 5-2 on Monday to reinstate the mask mandate throughout the school day for students, teachers, other staffers and visitors, saying that a precipitous rise in Covid cases and quarantines puts in-person learning at risk at its current rate of acceleration. Read Story 

Flat Rock News Staffing shortage closes two middle schools for in-person class A staffing shortage brought on by contact tracing protocols, quarantine gudelines and employees awaiting test results forced school administrators to switch Flat Rock Middle School to virtual instruction today and Tuesday. Read Story 

Hendersonville Opinion Newest surge, workforce and testing shortage put Pardee under 'perfect storm' of stress, CEO says It is rare that I personally reach out to members of our community to share a direct message from Pardee. Usually, it would be to share some good news about an award or a new service that weve added to our system. Unfortunately, that is not the case today. Read Story 
Source: Xinhua| 2020-04-20 00:22:57|Editor: huaxia

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BEIJING, April 19 (Xinhua) -- A total of 263 suspects were prosecuted for being "protective umbrellas" for gang crimes from January to March, according to statistics released by the Supreme People's Procuratorate (SPP).

Procuratorial organs nationwide approved the arrest of 129 people suspected of sheltering gangs in the first three months of the year, the SPP said.

Meanwhile, a total of 13,811 people faced charges of being engaged in organized crime.

In addition, 1,463 people were indicted by prosecutors for offering fraudulent loans or collecting private loans by illegal means, the SPP noted. Enditem
Photo: The Canadian Press

UPDATE 7:40 p.m.

RCMP Commissioner Brenda Lucki confirmed late Sunday that the death toll had risen to 17, which surpasses the 14 victims killed in the 1989 Polytechnique massacre in Montreal.

UPDATE 4:48 p.m.

RCMP say more than 10 people are dead, including one of their officers, after a man who at one point wore a police uniform and drove a mock-up cruiser went on a killing spree across northern Nova Scotia.

Police say the suspected shooter, 51-year-old Gabriel Wortman, was killed after being intercepted by officers in Enfield, N.S.

Const. Heidi Stevenson, a 23-year member of the force and mother of two, was identified Sunday night as the officer killed.

"Our hearts are heavy with grief and sadness today as we have lost one of our own," Brian Sauve, president of the union representing RCMP officers, said.

RCMP Chief Supt. Chris Leather told a news conference that "in excess of 10 people have been killed." He said the investigation is ongoing and it is possible more bodies will be found.

"We're not fully aware what that total may be, because as we're standing here, the investigation continues into areas that we have not yet explored across the province," Leather said.

The incident began with a firearms complaint late Saturday night from Portapique, a community that shaken residents described as a quiet place to live that attracts cottagers from Halifax in summer months.

Lee Bergerman, commanding officer for the RCMP in Nova Scotia, said Stevenson was a 23-year veteran of the force and mother of two. A male officer was recovering from non-life threatening injuries.

Bergerman said many other families were in mourning.

"The impact of this incident will extend from one end of the province to the other," she said.

The first reports of the killing spree came from Portapique, where people witnessed police filling the streets and advising frightened residents of the community about 40 kilometres west of Truro to lock their homes and stay in their basements.

Leather confirmed that officers responded to a multiple 911 calls Saturday night. Upon arrival, they found "several casualties" inside and outside a Portapique residence, he said, but did not know the location of the suspect. He added there were "multiple sites in the area including structures that were on fire."

By late Sunday morning, the suspect was stopped about 90 kilometres away in Enfield, a scene that was surrounded by a half dozen police vehicles. Yellow police tape surrounded the gas pumps, and a large silver-coloured SUV was being investigated by police.

A body was seen lying at the gas station. Police would not comment on the body's identity.

Premier Stephen McNeil offered condolences to "families of the victims" and called the incident "one of the most senseless acts of violence in our province's history."

"I never imagined when I went to bed last night that I would wake up to the horrific news that an active shooter was on the loose in Nova Scotia," McNeil said in Halifax.

"Words cannot console the families affected by what has transpired over the last 24 hours."

Through the morning, police updates about the active shooter investigation included warnings that Wortman was considered dangerous and may have been dressed as an RCMP officer in a lookalike RCMP vehicle.

Leather said this detail would be an important part of the investigation.

"The fact that this individual had a uniform and a police car at his disposal certainly speaks to it not being a random act," he said.

A Gabriel Wortman is listed as a denturist in Dartmouth, according to the Denturist Society of Nova Scotia website. A suspect photo issued by the RCMP matches video footage of a man being interviewed about dentures by CTV Atlantic in 2014.

Portapique residents who spoke with the The Canadian Press either said they did not know Wortman personally, or knew him in passing as a part-time resident who divided time between the Halifax area and his properties in the community.

David George Crockett, who lives a three-minute drive from Portapique Beach Road, the area where the first 911 calls originated, said Wortman once fixed his teeth at his home in Portapique.

"I'm very surprised," Crockett said in a brief interview outside his rural home as the sun was setting. "I never thought he would do something like that."

"From what I knew of him, he was quiet, gentle and very easy to talk to .... He was very nice. He kidded around a little bit. He seemed normal, not like someone who would do something like this."

Crockett said the horrific news that more than 10 people had been killed left him feeling overwhelmed, given the stress he and his family was already feeling because of the COVID-19 pandemic.

"It's very depressing to see someone do something like this."

A little farther down the rural road, another neighbour said he and Wortman were friends until the two had a falling out over a piece of nearby property.

The neighbour, who declined to give his name, said Wortman had burned an old shed that contained some property that belonged to the neighbour. The man said he was too overcome with emotion to say more about his relationship with Wortman or what might have motivated his rampage.

Lifelong Portapique resident Peter Hodge, 65, woke up at 1:30 a.m. and saw lights so bright, he thought it was a fire. He then realized that the bright lights were from "probably upwards of 14 police cars in the community."

Christine Mills, another resident, said it had been a frightening night for the community, which was suddenly filled with armed officers patrolling the streets. In the morning, helicopters flew overhead searching for the suspect.

She said she was fearful the shooter might have gone through the woods and attempted to enter her home.

"It's nerve-wracking because you don't know if somebody has lost their mind and is going to beat in your front door," she said.

Tom Taggart, a councillor who represents the Portapique area in the Municipality of Colchester, said the quiet community has been shaken.

"This is just an absolutely wonderful, peaceful quiet community, and the idea that this could happen in our community is unbelievable," Taggart said by phone from his home in Bass River, about three kilometres away from Portapique.

Mills said police officers walked through the community with their guns drawn through the night, and helicopters had been flying over homes on Sunday morning.

Taggart said he didn't know Wortman well, but spoke to him a few times when he telephoned about municipal issues, and described knowing Wortman's "lovely big home" on Portapique Beach Road.

Police publicly identified Wortman about nine hours after an initial tweet around midnight asking people to avoid the Portapique area and stay indoors as officers responded to a firearms complaint.

Cpl. Lisa Croteau, public information officer with the provincial force, said the police received a call about "a person with firearms" at around 10:30 p.m. on Saturday and the investigation "evolved into an active shooting investigation."

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau commented on the situation during his morning press conference focusing on the COVID-19 crisis.

"My heart goes out to everyone affected in what is a terrible situation," he said. "I want to thank the police for their hard work and people for co-operating with authorities."

UPDATE: 1:24 p.m.

ENFIELD, N.S. - A suspect in an active shooter investigation and an RCMP officer are dead after a lengthy police chase in Nova Scotia.

A source with knowledge of the matter who was not authorized to speak publicly confirmed the suspect died Sunday at the Enfield, N.S., gas station about 35 kilometres northwest of downtown Halifax.

The suspect was identified by the RCMP as 51-year-old Gabriel Wortman.

The RCMP was scheduled to hold a news conference later Sunday.

The union representing RCMP officers says a member was killed and another was injured in Nova Scotia's Colchester County during a manhunt that police say has resulted in "multiple victims."

More coming.

ORIGINAL: 12:04 p.m.

ENFIELD, N.S. - A suspect in an active shooter investigation was in custody Sunday at an Irving service station in Nova Scotia, after police said there were "multiple victims" in an incident that began in a small coastal village where frightened local residents took cover in their basements overnight.

A man identified by the RCMP as 51-year-old Gabriel Wortman was in custody at the Enfield, N.S., gas station about 35 kilometres northwest of downtown Halifax.

By late morning local time the scene was surrounded by a half dozen police vehicles. Yellow police tape surrounded the gas pumps, and a large silver-coloured SUV was being investigated by police.

A body was seen lying at the gas station. Police would not comment on the body's identity.

Police didn't immediately say how many victims there were, or the nature of their injuries, but Premier Stephen McNeil offered condolences to "families of the victims" and called the incident "one of the most senseless acts of violence in our province's history."

"I never imagined when I went to bed last night that I would wake up to the horrific news that an active shooter was on the loose in Nova Scotia," McNeil said in Halifax at a previously scheduled news conference on the COVID-19 pandemic. "Words cannot console the families affected by what has transpired over the last 24 hours." McNeil did not confirm any deaths, and asked people not to speculate or spread rumours as the "active investigation" continues and the families grieve. "We're all in shock that such a thing could happen here in Nova Scotia, and there's a heavy burden to bear on top of COVID-19. But now more than ever we must stay strong together," he said. The incident started in the small, rural town of Portapique with residents reporting police vehicles filling the streets and advising residents of the community about 40 kilometres west of Truro to lock their homes and stay in their basements.

Several building fires were reported by residents as well, but police didn't immediately confirm details.

Christine Mills, a resident of the town, said it had been a frightening night for the small town, which suddenly filled with armed officers patrolling the streets. In the morning, helicopters flew overhead searching for the suspect.

"I feel better now to know he's in custody," she said, adding she was fearful the shooter might have gone through the woods and attempted to enter her home.

"It's nerve wracking because you don't know if somebody has lost their mind and is going to beat in your front door," she said.

Tom Taggart, a councillor who represents the Portapique area in the Municipality of Colchester, said the quiet community has been shaken.

"This is just an absolutely wonderful, peaceful quiet community and the idea that this could happen in our community is unbelievable," Taggart said by phone from his home in Bass River, about three kilometres from the lockdown area.

"People live here because of the peace and quiet and it's just an absolute tragedy."

The RCMP stated earlier in the day the suspect was driving a car that looked like a police vehicle, but by 11 a.m. local time he was "believed to be driving a small, silver Chevrolet SUV," travelling southbound on Highway 102.

Mills said police officers walked through the community with their guns drawn through the night, and helicopters had been flying over homes on Sunday morning. Cpl. Lisa Croteau, public information officer with the provincial force, confirmed a tweet saying there are "multiple victims" but could not provide a number or say whether any people had been killed.

The suspect appeared to have moved over 100 kilometres between Portapique and Enfield before his arrest. The RCMP posted an update on Twitter just after 10:15 a.m., warning that the male suspect was in the Debert and Central Oslow area and may be dressed as a police officer in a police lookalike vehicle.

In an earlier tweet, the police force identified the suspect as Wortman, describing him as "armed and dangerous."

A Gabriel Wortman is listed as a denturist in Dartmouth, according to the Denturist Society of Nova Scotia website. A suspect photo issued by the RCMP matches video footage of a man being interviewed about dentures by CTV Atlantic in 2014.

Mills also said that Wortman was known locally as a denturist who divided his time between a residence in Halifax and a residence in Portapique.

Taggart said he didn't know Wortman well, but spoke to him a few times when he telephoned about municipal issues.

Taggart described knowing Wortman's "lovely big home" on Portapique Beach Road. He said Wortman owned a few other properties in the community and was believed to divide his time between Portapique and his business in Dartmouth.

He described Portapique as "cottage country," with about 100 year-round residents and 250 in the summer.

"You just don't even dream that this is going to happen," he said. "I can't fathom it."

Police identified Wortman about nine hours after an initial tweet around midnight asking people to avoid the Portapique area and stay indoors as officers responded to a firearms complaint.

Croteau said the police received a call about "a person with firearms" at around 10:30 p.m. on Saturday and the investigation "evolved into an active shooting investigation."

She said some people were evacuated around Portapique Beach Road, Bay Shore Road and Five Houses Road, where the first complaint initiated.

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau commented on the situation during his morning press conference focusing on the COVID-19 crisis.

"My heart goes out to everyone affected in what is a terrible situation," he said. "I want to thank the police for their hard work and people for co-operating with authorities."
A man has been charged over an attack with a machete south-west of Brisbane that has left another man in hospital with serious injuries.

Police allege a 44-year-old man got into an argument with another man at a house in Stirling Street, Beaudesert, about 9pm on Saturday.

Its alleged the argument escalated and the 44-year-old attacked a 30-year-old with a machete before fleeing.

The 30-year-old was rushed to Brisbanes Princess Alexandra Hospital with serious injuries to his arm and leg.

Police have arrested and charged the 44-year-old with four charges, including acts intended to maim or disfigure, going armed so as to cause fear, and contravention of a domestic violence order.
Jamie Rojos silky white quinceanera dress is embroidered with red roses. The flowers honor the Willis teens Mexican heritage and their red color matches her last name.

This was the gown that Jamie, who turned 15 last month, was going to wear one spring evening as she made her debut  marking her transition from girl to young woman.

Its part of me growing up, Jamie said

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Now, though, the dress is tucked away in a closet, not to be seen or admired, as the festivities have been postponed until autumn.

Quinceaneras, celebrations of family and faith that revolve around the 15th birthday of Latina girls, are another aspect of local life being dimmed by the coronavirus pandemic.

Missing milestones

Measures aimed at limiting the spread of COVID-19 have forced many parents to set aside long-planned, and sometimes costly, celebrations of their daughters milestone event.

Jamies mother, Angeli Yordan, 42, wanted her children to grow up well-rounded. A freshmen at Willis High School and the third of five kids, Jamie dances on the drill team, is learning cosmetology and is taking advanced placement classes.

Shes just an exemplary child, Yordan said.

MORE FROM JOSE R. GONZALEZ: Montgomery County Hospital District projects big increase in COVID-19 cases

Jamie had not taken an interest in having a quinceanera until she witnessed her older sisters celebrations, in 2015 and 2017.

Jamie and her mom started planning hers a couple of years ago and they agreed to have it this May because her birthday fell during the Easter season. Then came the COVID-19 outbreak.

Its a frustrating situation because we never expected to be here, Yordan said earlier this month as she scrambled to rearrange plans for the big day.

Shes devastated

Fears of spread caused Jamie to lose some in her quinceanera court of honor, composed of youths in the role of damas and chambelanes, or lady and gentleman escorts. A change of date to the fall semester means two of the chambelanes will likely be away at college.

The rehearsed dance was going to be a highlight, with a surprise sequence featuring Latin music genres such as salsa, bachata, wepa and huapango. Then a tender note would sweep over the reception hall as Jamie took to the floor to dance with her father, Jose Rojo.

A $120k AFFAIR: Houston quinceaneras have become big budget celebrations, while sticking to simple traditions

With relatives in Mexico and Florida, the delay may keep some extended family from making it to the quinceanera. This is especially disheartening for Jamie, who longs to see her paternal grandfather, who suffers from Alzheimers disease.

Shes devastated, Yordan said.

Pricey party

Though recently divorced, Jamies parents went through their two older daughters quinceaneras together without a hitch.

While Rojo is Mexican, Yordan was born and raised in Puerto Rico where quinceaneras, she recalled, were celebrated mostly by wealthy families. She had no such celebration as her father died before her 15th birthday.

Jamies family has $20,000 already put down on her event. Expenses include a nonrefundable reception hall reservation. The heavy spending, Yordan concedes, is due to showmanship among many of the Mexican American girls.

Theyre definitely more competitive, she said.

Business slowdown

Maria Montoya first noticed a slowdown in foot traffic at her Conroe boutique, Gallery Bridal & Quinceaneras, several weeks before the outbreak.

We started to feel it in January, Montoya said.

It may have been a fear of contracting COVID-19 that kept shoppers away, she said. The stores party packages, replete with all things quinceanera, from the cake to the limo service to the deejay, were put on hold by customers.

MORE FROM JOSE R. GONZALEZ: As Montgomery County Jail safeguards against coronavirus, some inmates seek release

Montoya, 60, has been in the quinceanera retailing business since 2002 and three years ago opened the store in Montgomery Plaza on North Loop 336 and Interstate 45. She was forced to furlough her two employees before the county order banning nonessential business operations was issued. She has lost at least $21,000 in the month of April.

Consecration ceremony

In Conroe, Sacred Heart Catholic Church offers classes for girls ahead of their quinceanera Mass.

Sessions include meetings with parents to determine family needs, and also college prep and scholarship information. The churchs quinceanera coordinator, Lupita Perea, said the church encourages families to shift party money to college tuition.

To comply with the county public health order, Sacred Heart initially limited the number of people at Mass to 10 people, including the priest. After a stay-at-home order was issued, all Masses were suspended, affecting four to six quinceanera Masses, including Jamies.

Its very hard for (the girls) because they worked very hard for this moment, Perea said.

Community blessing

Elizabeth Farfan-Santos, associate professor of anthropology at the University of Houston, said the postponement of quinceaneras tears at the collective effort of madrinas and padrinos, who are the events financial sponsors.

Its a privilege to be called to be a part of (the celebrating girls) quinceanera, Farfan-Santos said.

Farfan-Santos, 37, contrasted the conventionality of 1990s quinceaneras, like the one she had, with how 21st century girls have added to the generations-old ritual. Just like Jamie, girls sport prints and bold colors in their dresses instead of the standard-issue pink and replace the waltz with contemporary music.

Culture is always changing, Farfan-Santos said.

Seeking the familiar

Jamie set out to make her quinceanera as distinct from her sisters events as she could.

The main song would not be the one either of her sisters played at theirs. And she sought to have her gowns style depart from her sisters ruffled and brightly colored dresses.

The pandemicss impact on her carefully laid plans has given Jamie insight on the value of family tradition. She is left longing for the event to unfold just as ordinarily as her sisters quinceaneras did.

She acknowledged tearfully, Its not the same.

jose.gonzalez@chron.com

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RICHMOND  A 25-year-old Pittsfield man was killed in a one-car crash Saturday, but the infant in the back seat of the vehicle was unhurt.

Austin Shaw died at the scene after he lost control of the Buick sedan he was driving on Route 41 and crashed into a tree, said Andrew McKeever, spokesman for Berkshire District Attorney Andrea Harrington.

A passerby called 911 to report the crash, which occurred at about 2:30 p.m., and removed the infant from the car. The child, who suffered little to no injuries, was taken to Berkshire Medical Center by Richmond emergency medical technicians to be evaluated, McKeever said.

Investigators did not find evidence suggesting any alcohol or drugs were involved. Preliminary evidence suggests speed may have been a contributing factor, he said.

The Massachusetts State Police Crime Scene Services Section is investigating the crash, McKeever said.

Multiple State Police departments including the detective unit assigned to the Berkshire District Attorneys Office, the Collision Analysis and Reconstruction Section, and troopers from the Lee Barracks responded to the crash with Harrington, Pittsfield police, the Office of the Chief Medical Examiners Office, Massachusetts Department of Transportation and R.W.'s Towing.

The Department of Transportation closed Route 41 to traffic between 3 and 7:30 p.m. The Richmond Fire Department extracted Shaw from the vehicle while emergency responders from County Ambulance pronounced Shaw dead on the scene, McKeever said.
By Express News Service

RANCHI: With four new cases identified on Sunday, total count of COVID-19 infected persons increased to 38 in Jharkhand. First positive case was found in Ranchi on March 29 after a Malaysian woman who had attended Tablighi Jamaat in Nizamuddin, was tested positive on March 31.

Officials in the health department told that out of the four new cases, one is from Simdega, while the other three persons belong to Ranchi, one is from Bero and two from Hindpiri.

Out of a total 93 test results which came on Sunday, 89 were tested negative, while four tested positive for coronavirus, it said.

Out of the total 38 cases tested positive so far, 21 are from Ranchi, 9 from Bokaro, 2 from Hazaribagh, 2 from Dhanbad one each from Giridih, Koderma and 2 from Simdega. Ranchis Hindpiri becomes the hotspot with maximum 21 cases in Jharkhand.

Jharkhand has also registered two deaths of coronavirus, one in Ranchi and the other in Bokaro. Other positive cases have been found in Hazaribagh, Giridih, Koderma, Bokaro and Simdega.

Notably, the State registered first-ever case of coronavirus when a Malaysian woman, who had come after attending Tablighi Jamaat in Nizamuddin, was tested positive on March 31. She, along with 17 other foreign nationals, was recovered from a local mosque in Ranchi on March 29 following which they were sent to a quarantine centre at Khelgaon in Ranchi. Later she was tested positive while others did not show any symptoms of the virus.


Some of the nation's most-respected economists including a sitting Reserve Bank board member have warned the Morrison government against winding back social distancing laws too early amid warnings up to 3.4 million Australians could be out of work within weeks.

As former treasurer Wayne Swan called on tech companies to be slapped with a digital tax to help pay for the budget damage caused by the fight to stop the coronavirus pandemic, research by the Grattan Institute shows the current shutdown will cost the country at least 1.9 million jobs.

The government has signalled next month an easing of some restrictions which most economists believe have delivered Australia its first recession since 1990-91. The federal Treasury is forecasting unemployment to peak at 10 per cent in the June quarter.

A 10 per cent unemployment rate equates to 1.4 million people out of work or an increase of 700,000 in the next three months.
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Your phone rings. The caller says shes from the Department of Public Health.

Youve been exposed to someone who has the coronavirus, she says. She asks whether youve had any symptoms, and if you have any health problems like diabetes or heart disease that might put you at risk of serious illness.

Then she says, youll need to quarantine yourself for 14 days.

When the Bay Area finally emerges from sheltering in place, those phone calls will be part of the first line of defense against a new outbreak of the coronavirus. That defense is called contact tracing, and its meant to allow the vast majority of the region to return to some kind of normalcy while only those who are infected or recently exposed remain in isolation.

Contact tracing will require an army of trained workers  possibly thousands across the Bay Area and even more statewide  who will help make sure that infectious people are kept separate from others. In some cases, that will mean ensuring that people are well supported with food, supplies and a safe place to stay if they need it.

Gov. Gavin Newsom points to testing and tracing as key components of his plan to reopen California. The state is in talks with AmericaCorps and CalVolunteer about providing workers. We are asking people, thousands of folks, to be part of this corps, Newsom said on Saturday in an online townhall with former President Bill Clinton.

The Bay Area and California cant afford to reopen without contact tracers, public health experts said.

If were going to move beyond shelter in place, we need to be able to identify every single case and then reach out to every high-risk contact of every case, and tell them you need to stay at home, said Dr. Mike Reid, a UCSF infectious disease expert who is leading efforts to train new contact tracing staff with the San Francisco Department of Public Health.

Jessica Christian / The Chronicle

San Francisco is in full battle mode on contact tracing. The city already has recruited public health workers and medical students, as well as librarians and city attorney staff now on paid leave, and is training them for the labor-intensive, time-consuming work.

It involves quickly testing people who may be infected, then interviewing those who test positive about the people theyve been in close contact with. All of those people then must be interviewed, too. People who are sick and their closest contacts will need to isolate themselves from others, and be monitored daily for symptoms.

For the moment, while everyone is sheltering in place, those contacts are easily identified and isolated. Every new case may yield just two or three others who are at high risk of falling ill. But as society reopens  as people return to work and resume hanging out with friends and family, as their kids spend time in day care  not only might the city see more infections, but the number of close contacts will increase too, making contact tracing more difficult.

The challenge is we want to be able to ramp up to a large scale quickly, said Keslie Stewart, head attorney for public integrity at the San Francisco city attorneys office. She is coordinating 40 workers there being trained as tracers. Even after they return to their day jobs, they will be available to do contact tracing as needed, she said.

Once you open society a little bit and people start getting on public transit and going to work, (the number of coronavirus cases) could go up, a lot, Stewart said. So the city is ready to scale up contact tracing quickly if and when that happens. We want to be ready so if all of sudden there is a great need for contact tracers, we can fill it quickly.

San Francisco already has 50 new contact tracers trained, in preparation for lifting shelter-in-place restrictions. The city expects to train at least 150 people in total by the end of the month. But the actual number of workers required may change, depending on how the virus behaves. If there are sudden spikes of new cases, the city may need far more contact tracers to prevent an outbreak.

Reid said he hopes that the training happening in San Francisco will spread to other parts of the Bay Area, where thousands of contact tracers may be needed to keep the virus under control.

In fact, other Bay Area counties already are building their own armies.

The beauty and importance of contact tracing is, if youre able to identify things early enough in the incubation and transmission cycle, you can do a pretty good job of stopping transmission, said Dan Peddycord, public health director of Contra Costa County.

He enlisted about 70 public health workers to do contract tracing on all of the countys roughly 650 confirmed cases, he said. They focus most heavily on sensitive populations, occupations and settings  elderly residents of a nursing home, home health aides or people who need regular dialysis, for instance.

Jessica Christian / The Chronicle

Without contact tracing, I think we would have had many more serious cases, Peddycord said.

More Information Correction: A photo caption with an earlier version of this story misstated the first name and city for Keslie Stewart, a head attorney in the San Francisco City Attorney's Office. See More Collapse

But its not a panacea. Contact tracing in the context of a pandemic only makes sense with all these other community mitigation measures in place, Peddycord said. Relying on contact tracing without continued social distancing would be a tragically flawed strategy, he said.

Contact tracing, one of the oldest and most valuable tools in the public health armory for fighting infectious diseases, has helped stop outbreaks of measles, HIV and Ebola. But it failed to control the first outbreak of the coronavirus in the Bay Area back in February and March, mostly due to a massive shortage of testing. Public health officials, unable to quickly identify new cases, soon had far too many patients  and not nearly enough staff  to do effective contact tracing.

You have to have testing capacity, and we didnt have that, Reid said. Most health departments were overwhelmed by the tsunami of cases.

Tracing goes hand in hand with testing, which also will be key to easing restrictions in the Bay Area and the rest of the state. Diagnostic tests that provide rapid results need to be available to anyone who needs them, at any time. That may be one of the biggest challenges facing the state over the next few weeks.

Some countries that effectively stopped the pandemic from spreading too quickly did so via contact tracing, combined with large-scale testing. Singapore, for instance, demonstrated how effective contact tracing can be, said Dr. Dan Diekema, director of infectious diseases at the University of Iowa.

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.

They really tracked down every single case in the country and crushed the curve right away, he said. But once Singapore reopened society, they had to go to wider-scale mitigation.

The United States will need at least 100,000 contact tracers to prevent future outbreaks once social distancing measures are lifted, according to the Center for Health Security. Other public health experts say that number may need to be even higher.

Dr. Cyrus Shahpar, director of the Prevent Epidemics Team at Resolve to Save Lives, said a few hundreds thousand people are needed nationwide. That workforce doesnt exist now, he said.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, which has about 500 contact tracers in the states, is eyeing 25,000 Census Bureau workers as a ready-made workforce, since the census will be delayed. Returned Peace Corps volunteers are another natural pool.

Brian Feulner/Special to The Chronicle 2020

Apple and Google last week said they would build functions to their smartphones that could be used for contact tracing. Various developers are rushing to create apps, but they would require widespread adoption by consumers to be successful.

San Francisco public health officials said they appreciate that the success of contact tracing will depend not just on having enough staff and testing, but on the cooperation of people who test positive, and that of their close contacts.

As part of their training, new contact tracers are instructed in how to convey potentially upsetting, complex health information in a way thats sensitive and clear.

Everything we do in public health is based on trust, said Contra Costas Peddycord. Folks arent compelled to tell us information. Our approach is gentle, understanding, conciliatory.

People need to understand why its important for their own health and their community that they self-isolate, even if its hard, health experts said.

Every single person we engage with is helping us as a city be as safe as we can and reduce the number of COVID-19 cases going forward, which benefits all of us, said Susan Philip, director of disease prevention and control at the San Francisco Department of Public Health.

To that end, wraparound services are part of the citys contact tracing program  that may mean everything from arranging a hotel room where someone can quarantine to providing them with groceries and health care. Contra Costa similarly will provide groceries, mental health service, utilities, whatever they may need, Peddycord said.

Sheltering in place already has been incredibly challenging for many families, Reid said. Asking some people to do it all over again may be tough.

You cannot expect a family that is living paycheck to paycheck to safely self-quarantine unless you can support their needs so they dont leave their homes, he said. That means rethinking how you do welfare and our safety net. Our foot soldiers arent just the contact tracers. They are our social workers as well.

Carolyn Said and Erin Allday are San Francisco Chronicle staff writers. Email: csaid@sfchronicle.com, erinallday@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @csaid, @erinallday
Actress Kriti Sanon recently wrapped Mimi, a film about a young surrogate mother, for which she had to gain about 15 kgs. The actress was recently asked by a fan to retain her new look, which amused Kriti.

In a video, Kriti Sanon read out the comment in which her fan asked her to retain the "15kgs plus look." To this, Kriti said, I have gotten this comment a lot. Its really funny that my fans have started calling me chubby Sanon. Its too funny. Its really cute and I like the nickname also.

However, the actress explained that she would not be able to do so and joked that she won't be able to perform songs like Aao Kabhi Haveli Pe from Stree.

Another fan asked Kriti about her experience of gaining weight for the film, in a short span of time. It was something that actually my whole team thought I wont be able to do. My body type is such that my metabolism is high, she said.

Initial target was 10 kilos and when I gained about 7, they realised that I am tall and it doesnt show as much. Thats when my director Laxman (Utekar) sir told me that I think you will have to gain weight to 15 for it to show on your face and on the screen, she further added.

Directed by Laxman Utekar, Mimi also stars Pankaj Tripathi, Manoj Pahwa, Sai Tamhankar and Supriya Pathak in pivotal roles.

Follow @News18Movies for more
Lean on Jesus in fight against COVID-19, Gov. Greg Abbott says

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In an interview with Pastor Jack Graham of Prestonwood Baptist Church in Texas on his faith and response to the COVID-19 disease, Gov. Greg Abbott told the viewers they have support you can lean on that will always be there for you, and thats Jesus Christ.

The interview took place during the churchs weekend services. Graham thanked Abbott for leading the fight against an unprecedented crisis, the COVID-19 pandemic, and asked if he had a personal story of a crisis.

Abbott said his experience of the crisis in his own life was helping him lead in the crisis today.

When I was just 26 years old, I suffered, literally, a back-breaking injury, Abbott explained to Graham, who is on President Trumps Evangelical Advisory Board. He said the injury left him paralyzed and confined to a wheelchair.

Its a test of your faith, the governor said. Why would God allow something like this to happen?

But, he added, very importantly, I found in the aftermath, that I continued to reach out to God. I found God reach back out to me. And my relationship with God and Jesus Christ grew even closer after that accident.

Abbott said everybody is going through a testing and challenging time due to the coronavirus pandemic. But there is a solution, he added, and support you can lean on that will always be there for you, and thats Jesus Christ, God Almighty.

The growth of the coronavirus in Texas is slowing by people staying at home, by people reducing interaction with others, he continued. Gods hand is working through the scientists across this great nation by coming out with fast, innovative drugs that would lead to therapeutic remedies.

Assuring him that the churches in Texas would fully cooperate with his plans, Graham said the church is also praying for the greatest comeback that weve ever known.

Its going to be great in Gods time, the pastor said.

Earlier during the interview, Abbott said Texas wants to lead the way for Americans to return to their lives and livelihoods, as he begins to open up the state in a phased manner in May. He said the priority is to save lives and protect peoples health.

Graham called for prayers "for our leaders" and asked everyone to "work together to bring our nation out of this crisis. As a church, we believe that God is at work in our moments of crisis and He will see us through this pandemic.

Prestonwood says it is providing relief to the community by distributing meals, hosting blood drives and providing career and financial advice for people facing unemployment, among other services.
By Natalia A. Ramos Miranda

SANTIAGO (Reuters) - Chile is expecting China to donate ventilators to help cope with the coronavirus outbreak, a government official said on Sunday, contradicting earlier statements by China's ambassador to the South American country that he was unaware of such a shipment.

Chilean Health Minister Jaime Manalich, speaking to local radio and TV media, reaffirmed that the South American country would receive the machines from China, in line with earlier announcements by government officials that they were waiting on between 500 and 1,000 donated ventilators, critical medical equipment for treating COVID-19.

Manalich's comments came after China's ambassador to Chile, Xu Bu, said he had "no information" about the donated ventilators in an interview published by Chilean paper La Tercera on Sunday.

"What (Xu) says verbatim is that he is not informed. I am not going to say a word about ventilators, the ventilators are coming," Manalich told Tele13 Radio.

Chile, which has the third-highest number of cases in the region, has 590 ventilators currently available, Manalich said. The South American country's confirmed coronavirus cases surpassed 10,000 on Sunday with 133 total deaths.

Manalich said the global rush to secure ventilators, which are in scare supply, was a "war of great powers" and that secrecy was necessary in order for countries to obtain them.

Some countries have accused the United States of outbidding or blocking shipments of medical supplies to buyers who have already signed deals. Manalich did not say, however, the United States had interfered in Chile's efforts to secure ventilators.

Xu acknowledged the machines were in high global demand in his comments, saying, "China has a limited capacity in the production of invasive ventilators."

"In any case, China will make the greatest effort to help Chile," he said.

China, as well as Chinese companies, have offered medical aid to dozens of countries, including many in Latin America. Chilean officials said in March they sought medical guidance and some supplies from China.

(Reporting by Natalia Ramos; writing by Cassandra Garrison; Editing by Cynthia Osterman)
GoAir has asked a majority of its 5,500-odd employees to go on "leave without pay" till May 3. The entire fleet remains grounded till the end of the extended deadline, the airline said. "The lockdown has been further extended till May 3, and with this extension, our fleet continues to be completely grounded. Hence, we are constrained to request you to proceed on 'leave without pay' till May 3," GoAir said in a communication to its employees on Saturday.

In March, the Wadia Group-owned airline asked its employees to go on LWP on a rotational basis besides cutting their salaries. The airline had also terminated the contracts of its expat pilots in March. "In view of the current situation, GoAir has been forced to terminate the contracts of expat pilots, which is in line with the reduced international capacity," a GoAir spokesperson had said then.

Also read: Coronavirus India Live Updates: GoAir sends employees on leave without pay till lockdown ends

Most airlines had chalked out plans to resume their services from April 15, which is when the initial lockdown was supposed to be lifted. However, the airline had said then that it might have to extend the period of LWP beyond April 15.

A GoAir official said about 10 per cent of the 5,500-odd employees, who are crucial for certain tasks even with no operation, would continue to work and will be paid partial salary.

"We are hopeful that the skies will reopen from May 4 and we will resume operations in a phased manner," it said. GoAir said that it is working towards building its ability to scale up operations in a market that would emerge post coronavirus.

Also read: Coronavirus: 'No relaxation for Delhi after Apr 20, will review in a week,' says Kejriwal

Also read: Coronavirus: Supply chain massively disrupted by lockdown, says Niti Aayog CEO Amitabh Kant

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.
There could be a shortage of beer and fizzy drinks in the US as supplies of carbon dioxide from ethanol plants run low.

Brewers and soft drink manufacturers use CO2 for carbonation - making drinks fizzy.

Ethanol producers capture CO2 as a byproduct and sell it to the food industry in large quantities.

But ethanol production - which is blended into the nation's fuel supply - has fallen sharply due to the drop in petrol demand as a result of lockdown measures during the coronavirus pandemic.

Petrol demand is down by more than 30% in the US, and the dwindling ethanol output is affecting the food industry as a result.

Renewable Fuels Association chief executive Geoff Cooper said that 34 of the 45 US ethanol plants that sell CO2 have idled or cut production.

And CO2 suppliers have increased prices by around 25% due to reduced supply, according to Brewers Association chief executive Bob Pease.

The trade group represents small and independent US craft brewers, who get about 45% of their CO2 from ethanol producers.

Mr Pease added: "The problem is accelerating. Every day we're hearing from more of our members about this."

He expects brewers will start cutting production in two to three weeks.

In a letter to Vice President Mike Pence on 7 April, the Compressed Gas Association (CGA) said production of CO2 had fallen by about 20%.

It added that it could be down by 50% by mid-April without relief.

Meat producers are also being affected as they use CO2 in processing, packaging, preservation and shipment.

For some Americans, the COVID-19 lockdown has already had an impact on beer supplies.

Olive Veronesi, a 93-year-old from Pennsylvania, recently went viral after a photo of her holding a sign that said "I NEED MORE BEER!!" was posted on Facebook.

The company that makes her favourite brand has now delivered 150 cans to her door.

Orion Melehan, chief executive of beverage company Life-AID in California, said two of his production partners are looking for alternative CO2 sources.

Story continues

"It does have us up at night figuring out what our options are," Mr Melehan said. "It highlights the laws of unintended consequences."

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A spokeswoman for National Beverage Corp said the company sources from a number of national CO2 suppliers and does not anticipate a supply issue.

The Coca-Cola Company, SodaStream owner PepsiCo Inc, wine and beer seller Constellation Brands Inc and several bottling companies have not publicly commented on whether they will be affected by the shortage.

However, Denmark-based Carlsberg Group said that the company is "almost self-sufficient".

"We, in line with our sustainability program, create our own CO2 and capture it during the brewing process," spokesman Kasper Elbjorn said.
Matters came to a head early this month when the contractor assembled most of its workforce to camp at the site to ensure that work continued during the 21-day lockdown decreed by President Emmerson Mnangagwa in late March, in an effort to contain the spread of the coronavirus disease, also known as Covid-19.
Recruitment flops and lackluster fundraising have weakened Republicans chances in over a dozen competitive House districts, leaving them with an increasingly narrow path back to power.

Though GOP strategists feel confident they will see some gains this cycle, the latest fundraising reports out last week painted a bleak picture of their odds of netting the 18 seats needed to recapture the House, particularly with campaigning frozen by a global pandemic.

Democrats continue to ride the "green wave" of campaign contributions that propelled them to the majority in the 2018 midterms. Nearly 30 of the most endangered House Democrats have banked $2 million or more in their reelection war chests, offering a layer of protection in otherwise challenging districts.

Meanwhile, Republicans have been unable to field strong candidates in key districts in Michigan, New York, Wisconsin and Minnesota that the president carried and the start of primary season has left them hamstrung by weak nominees in some Illinois and California targets.

Flipping the House is unlikely at this point. You never say never, but unlikely, said former Rep. Charlie Dent (R-Pa.), a moderate who retired in 2018. While Republicans have more offensive opportunities than Democrats in House races this cycle, Republicans are playing more defense than theyd like given retirements, especially in Texas.

Republicans thus far are struggling to claw back the seats they lost in the midterms, much of it suburban territory that has moved toward Democrats since the election of President Donald Trump in 2016. Many of the seats where Democrats have fortified their majority are in places like suburban Philadelphia, Detroit and Denver  major presidential battlegrounds.

Among the other roadblocks: Redistricting in North Carolina turned two Republican districts into safe Democratic territory. And at least half a dozen open and GOP-held seats are on track to be highly competitive, diverting precious resources to defense.

Story continues

It feels like a status quo year in the House, Dent said.

Even in the midst of the coronavirus outbreak, endangered Democratic incumbents raised exorbitant sums of money in the first three months of the year. Seven of them cleared $1 million.

While incumbents typically have a sizable financial advantage, the Democrats lead is particularly stark.

Every one of the 42 members in the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committees protection program for endangered incumbents had at least $1 million in cash on hand at the start of April, and all but two of them have at least twice as much banked as their opponents. Of their challengers, only 11 had more than $500,000 saved by the end of March.

House GOP leadership began 2020 by warning candidates that they were facing an all-out fundraising crisis  and while they found some bright spots in the first-quarter filings, officials are still sounding alarms.

We have success stories, but we still have a long way to go, National Republican Congressional Committee Chairman Tom Emmer said in a statement. We dont need to match the Democrats dollar for dollar, but each and every candidate needs to be able look in the mirror and be able to say they are doing all they can to carry their own weight.

Spotty fundraising is already nudging more than dozen Democratic-held districts to the outer edges of the playing field.

The GOPs most glaring recruitment hole is in an Upstate New York seat held by Democratic Rep. Antonio Delgado that is one of a dozen held by Democrats that Trump won with over 50 percent of the vote in 2016.

Republicans have also struggled in other Trump-won districts. Democratic Rep. Angie Craig has no opponent with more than $100,000 in the bank vying for her suburban Minneapolis seat. None of the candidates running against Democratic Reps. Ben McAdams (D-Utah) and Matt Cartwright (D-Pa.) has more than $300,000 on hand. And all three seats have crowded primaries.

"They have very few candidates who are reaching the goals that they should be reaching  so they have a map on fire, essentially, said Abby Curran Horrell, the executive director of House Majority PAC, congressional Democrats main outside group. Theres very few places where things look secure."



U.S. Rep. Elissa Slotkin, D-Mich., holds a constituent community conversation at Oakland University in Rochester, Mich. After the new member of Congress supported the impeachment of President Donald Trump, she will have to run for re-election in a Trump friendly district. Though she is considered a vulnerable freshman incumbent who ousted a Republican congressman, she maintains robust fundraising and has the strong backing of her party. (AP Photo/Carlos Osorio, File)

Recruiters have also been stumped in Michigan, a state that will host competitive Senate and presidential contests. Eric Esshaki, a potential challenger to Democratic Rep. Haley Stevens, has said he does not have enough signatures to get on the ballot before Tuesday's deadline and has resorted to suing the governor. In a neighboring district, Democratic Rep. Elissa Slotkin has $3.7 million banked; none of her opponents raised more than $50,000 without self-funding.

In California, Democratic Reps. Josh Harder and Katie Porter both have more than 30 times the amount of cash-on-hand as the Republicans who advanced with them from the March all-party primary.

We needed to put these seats to bed and be done with them in the off year, and that is what we set out to do, DCCC executive director Lucinda Guinn said.

Republican prospects are also dimming in two Chicago-area battlegrounds where the party nominated weaker-than-expected standard-bearers. Democratic Rep. Sean Casten will face Jeanne Ives, who ran a scorched-earth 2018 governor campaign attacking transgender and abortion rights  stances that may not endear her to suburban swing voters.

To the west, in a seat held by Democratic Rep. Lauren Underwood, national Republicans were so eager to block a primary win by GOP state Sen. Jim Oberweis that they dropped over $900,000 in attack ads against him. Oberweis, an immigration hardliner who has made unsuccessful runs for the House, Senate and governors mansion over the past two decades, narrowly won anyway.

A dairy magnate, Oberweis is prone to self-funding but Underwood has $2.3 million on hand.

Theres an entire super PAC that went in to try to stop Jim Oberweis from becoming the Republican nominee, and now hes their nominee, Guinn said. Hes a perennial loser who Republicans cant afford to bail out in the Chicago media market.

Both parties largely agree that a cluster of suburban seats around Denver, Tucson, Minneapolis, Seattle, San Diego and Washington, D.C., that Democrats flipped by wide margins last cycle are not in play because they are trending quickly away from the GOP.

As the battlefield crystallizes, there are roughly 25 Democratic-held seats that are on track to be highly competitive  though that number could change as the national political environment shifts throughout the summer and fall. More than half lie of in districts that Trump carried in 2016, offering the GOP glimmers of hope.

Republicans have landed some impressive and well-funded recruits in some of those districts, but they also face messy primaries in many of their top pickup opportunities. Republicans wont choose a nominee until June to face Reps. Xochitl Torres Small (D-N.M.), Kendra Horn (D-Okla.) and Joe Cunningham (D-S.C.), who all hold seats Trump carried by double digits.

The coronavirus outbreak has upended the GOP primary in Democratic Rep. Abigail Spanbergers central Virginia seat; officials were forced to postpone the nominating convention set for this week, and the campaigns are in limbo.

National Republicans hope state Del. Nick Freitas emerges as the nominee, in part because the conservative Club for Growth has signaled it will spend heavily to elect him. But the winner is likely to be chosen by delegates in an unpredictable process. Several Republicans are running, but none has more than $250,000 in the bank. Spanberger has $3.1 million.

Meanwhile, the pandemic is certain to cripple fundraising throughout the summer months, meaning Republicans who empty out their accounts to win primaries could seriously struggle to refill the coffers.

Still, GOP officials insist that House races are highly susceptible to top-of-the-ticket trends, and that races in red-leaning districts could heat up late in the fall as the presidential race tightens, even if they have middling nominees with insufficient cash.

For example, Rep. Jared Golden (D-Maine) has at least 10 times more cash on hand than any of his opponents. But Maine is one of two states that divides electoral votes by congressional district, and national Republicans hope investment by the Trump campaign could help lift Goldens opponent.

To widen their net, Republicans are also investing heavily in a handful of seats where the president is less popular.

"Were going to maximize our chances not only in Trump country, but also in a group of swing seats that, on the presidential side, we may ultimately lose by a couple points, said Dan Conston, the president of the Congressional Leadership Fund, the House GOPs top super PAC. But we have recruited uniquely strong candidates that can outrun the top of the ticket."

Among them: Tom Kean Jr., a New Jersey state Senate minority leader and son of a former governor; Michelle Steel, a supervisor in Orange County, Calif.; former Rep. David Valadao (R-Calif.) and Wesley Hunt, an army veteran running in Houston. They are also the rare GOP candidates who raised more than a half a million last quarter.

Yet Republicans' hopes could rest heavily on the extent to which they have to play defense. Races for GOP-held seats in Texas, Harrisburg and suburban Atlanta will be heavily contested.

Democrats have tried to land well-funded recruits who can force national Republicans to spend to protect otherwise-safe incumbents. While the party has no strong candidate to take GOP Rep. Brian Fitzpatrick in swing Philadelphia seat and is likely to again nominate failed 2018 candidates in New York and Nebraska battlegrounds, it has found formidable contenders in several other districts.

More than a half dozen endangered Republican incumbents were outraised by a Democratic challengers last quarter, including Reps. Rodney Davis (R-Ill.), Jim Hagedorn (R-Minn.), Jaime Herrera Beutler (R-Wash.), Chip Roy (R-Texas) and Jeff Van Drew (R-N.J.).

The nightmare scenario for Republicans is that Democrats have enough money that they can be on offense, said one veteran GOP consultant. A lot of that has to do with how much pressure we can put on Democratic incumbents, and so thats why recruiting failures anywhere are not ideal.
I have watched almost all of the president's press conferences pertaining to the coronavirus pandemic. Instead, there were endless discussions about numbers of supplies ordered, interactions with Russia and Saudi Arabia over oil disputes, low unemployment among people of color, the improving stock market, nasty companies and governors, trade relations with China and that our unpreparedness was the fault of someone else.

The president's most recent objective was that workers return to their jobs on May 1.

Would work conditions be safe? "Yes," the president replied; then, followed by a reiteration of all of the above and some additions: the need to blockade ships from South America that carry drugs and sex traffickers and the imperative to help Boeing recoup its losses stemming from crashing 737s.

What parameters will you use to determine readiness to return to work, Mr. president? He pointed to his head.

Thankfully the experts were given the opportunity to explain that mass testing was necessary to identify people who tested positive. These needed to take a second test, a serological test, to determine the presence of antibodies.

At present, the differing platforms for serological analyses were not compatible and we needed to find a way to obtain blood samples with finger sticks.

Conclusion: Work environments will be just as dangerous as they were before the shutdown.

Vivien Edwards, La Crescent

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As if it were a typical Monday afternoon, my anatomy instructor asked my medical school classmates to lean in a little closer. Do you see the left gastric artery? He asked, as he zoomed in on a 3D online visualization of a stomach. Instead of leaning over the body of a donor, we leaned closer to our computer screens.

Over the past few weeks of the COVID-19 pandemic, the format of medical school education has shifted rapidly. In an effort to minimize risks, third-year students who were about to begin clinical clerkships in hospitals are now completing online educational modules at home. For those of us in our pre-clinical years, we are learning the patient exam through theory rather than practice. And instead of completing anatomy lab dissection  a medical school rite of passage  we are making do with virtual approximations.

While many aspects of our education may have been sidelined, we have not been sitting idle. Across the U.S, medical students have rallied to help mitigate the damages of COVID-19 by organizing blood drives, collecting personal protective equipment, and more. As we are organizing these efforts, however, we have also been bearing witness to the shortcomings of our healthcare system. We are seeing that our volunteer endeavors are merely temporary, band-aid solutions. COVID-19 has made it impossible for us to ignore the gross inequality and insufficiency of the healthcare system we will one day practice in.

Though I, like many other medical students, am disappointed that I am currently missing out on practice-based learning, I believe that this crisis is teaching us something far more important: that our healthcare system needs radical transformation. Our nations abysmal response to the pandemic is clearly showing us that health care cannot be separated from politics. We are learning that our role as future physicians is not just to diagnose and to treat individual patients  it also to loudly advocate for healthcare reform. To move our country forwards, we need Medicare for all, a single-payer system that would provide health care for all.

It is clear that our fragmented, market-based healthcare system was unprepared for this pandemic from the get-go. Today, the United States has more COVID-19 cases than any other country in the world, and the high cost of testing likely dissuaded many Americans from seeking care in the early stages of disease spread. Even after the passage of a bill that makes COVID-19 testing free, Americans are still responsible for co-pays and deductibles for any treatment they receive. And for the millions of Americans who are uninsured or underinsured, these medical bills pose a significant threat. In fact, they have already devastated lives.

As Americans lose their jobs due to COVID-19s economic impacts, an estimated 7.3 million will lose their health insurance, too. As a result, the pandemic has hit low-income workers and communities of color the hardest. In Chicago, for instance, legacies of structural inequities and racism have led to a higher death rate among black residents. The populations who are at most risk are those with pre-existing health conditions that stem from a lack of access to screenings and preventative care.

Simply put, our profit-driven, disjointed healthcare system has failed our communities, and as medical students, COVID-19 has shown us that this system must change. In order to provide care for thousands of newly unemployed Americans, we need a single-payer system where health insurance status isnt tied to employment. We need universal coverage so that all individuals  including many low-paid workers who are the backbone of our society  can receive acute and preventative care. We need a system that is oriented towards health over profit, and that doesnt leave individuals with catastrophic medical bills.

As future physicians, medical students must prioritize advocating for these structural and systemic changes, because this pandemic has made it clear that health care is much more than the molecular basis of disease. Even though we may not be able to engage in clinical learning right now (and even though I may not able to see the vasculature of the stomach as clearly online as in person), this pandemic must reinforce our commitment to health equity and justice. The generation of medical students trained during COVID-19 cannot solely focus our efforts on anatomy and physiology; we need to actively interrogate the structural forces that influence health outcomes, and we need to bring Medicare for all to the forefront of our efforts.

Amelia Dmowska is a medical student.

Image credit: Shutterstock.com
The University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, South Africa, is giving out free data to its students as it prepares to commence online teaching and learning.

South Africa, with 3,034 confirmed cases of the new coronavirus, has been on lockdown to halt the spread.

The public university said, in a statement posted on its website, the emergency remote online teaching and learning will begin this Monday, April 20, in order to get the students back to classes.

The online learning is for both undergraduate and post-graduate students and covers all the faculties.

Wits said it has 5,000 new laptops for students who would need them.

It said it has also entered into contracts with MTN and Vodacom which would enable the students to receive free 30 gigabytes of data (10GB anytime and 20GB night express) for one month.

Whilst many students are looking forward to starting the second teaching block, we understand that many of you may feel uncertain and anxious about learning online, the school said. We would like to reassure you that we are on hand to support you as we embark on this different learning journey together.

The academic programme will be introduced in phases over the next few weeks, so that you have time to adjust to the new learning environment.

All lectures will be available on our learning management systems and can be downloaded at any time. If you are still waiting for your mobile computing device to be delivered or your data to be connected, do not despair  you can access your lectures and other resources from Sakai or Moodle as soon as you are connected.

Whilst we will be resolute in our efforts to recover the lost elements of the 2020 academic year, we remain committed to you, our students who are an integral part of the Wits community.

Wits has negotiated with telecommunications service providers to have learning and library sites zero-rated so that you can access them at no cost to users.

The students would not be given assignments or tests until May 4, the school said. These measures will ensure that students are not academically disadvantaged in any way.

In Nigeria, where universities are also shut due to the coronavirus outbreak, no public university conducts online classes for students or has immediate plans to do. Officials mentioned various reasons for this including lack of essential facilities and inadequate technical training for personnel. Moreover, Nigerian university lecturers, ASUU, are also on strike.
"Mr President we are in the middle of a food crisis. It's war out here," warned Joanie Fredericks, a community leader in Mitchells Plain township in Cape Town. The desperate plea was made in a video posted on social media to South African President Cyril Ramaphosa who imposed a five-week lockdown to try curb the spread of the coronavirus . "People have broken into tuck shops. They have attacked people. The simple reason is because they are hungry," she said from a kitchen dishing cooked meals into packs for distribution to the poor. Four weeks into a 35-day lockdown poor communities are facing food shortages as incomes for mostly informal workers have dried up. Imposed from March 27, the lockdown has placed already cash-strapped citizens under further strain. The numbers of people lining up for food at the self-funded scheme run by Fredericks and other volunteers are growing by the day. "When we started out feeding people we started out with the very vulnerable, ...the children, the disabled people and the pensioners. "But we are way past that Mr President, we are past the stage of sending people away," an emotional Fredericks pleaded. Already, several violent protests have broken out across the country over access to food parcels handed out by authorities. Hundreds of angry people fought running battles with the police, hurling rocks and setting up street barricades with burning tyres in Mitchells Plain over undelivered food parcels on Tuesday. Police fired rubber bullets and teargas to disperse them. Social commentators fear such violent episodes could escalate. "There's a bunch of us at home getting fat and there's a bunch of people who really have nothing," said Julian May, director of the Centre of Excellence in Food Security, at the University of the Western Cape. "And it speaks a lot about the inequalities in South Africa (that) are likely to come out," said May. "As people are not getting food parcels or hear of other people getting parcels they are starting to react. And I don't think that's going to ease unless there's more rapid delivery of food to people in poor areas." South Africa is ranked one of the most unequal countries in the world. A study by the national statistics agency in 2017 found that 20 percent of households in the country of 57 million, had inadequate access to food. The lockdown and its impact on the poorest is at breaking point. "It's a very, very dangerous situation," said Scott Drimie, of the think-tank Southern Africa Food Lab. - 'Hunger, depravation, violence' - Already South Africa has a history of frequent protests over basics like water and housing crisis. "Now when you add hunger to that, now there's deprivation ...and then you add the enforcement with the army and police that needs to be handled very carefully," warned Drimie. The Institute for Poverty, Land and Agrarian Studies (PLAAS) warned that if people cannot get food, "there is every likelihood of violent conflict, including widespread looting". Several videos have been shared on social media of supermarkets being stormed in recent days. One of the raids was at a branch of one of South Africa's largest grocery store chains. People were shown carting away baskets filled with unpaid goods in a township in the Western Cape province. Social Development minister Lindiwe Zulu this week promised to increase food aid deliveries after only 48,500 parcels were distributed in the first week of April. Government has budgeted 43 million rand ($2.2 million) to feed the most vulnerable and more will be needed, she said. South Africa has one of the largest social security schemes on the continent, handing out grants to 18 million vulnerable people every month. Zulu said government will build on the already existing safety net "because we know that the demand is going to be much bigger". The South African Social Security Agency reported that the number of calls for help have ballooned in recent weeks. With 2,783 cases, including 50 fatalities, the country has declared the most infections on the continent.
Call on deporting blacklisted Tablighis likely next week: Decision on those with FIRs awaited

India

oi-Vicky Nanjappa

New Delhi, Apr 19: The Ministry of Home Affairs will in the next few days take a call on how to evacuate the 854 foreigners who had attended the Tablighi Jamaat congregation at Nizamuddin last month.

These persons have been blacklisted from entering India after they took part in religious activity on a tourist visa. MHA sources tell OneIndia that those who finish their quarantine will be handed over to their respective embassies for deportation. However we are yet to take a call on what to do with those persons who have been named in FIRs. These persons have been charged under the various sections of the Indian Penal Code, Foreigners Act and the Disaster Management Act.

Coronavirus outbreak: 30 per cent of India's COVID-19 cases linked to Tablighi Jamaat congregation

The headquarters of the Tablighi in Delhi had emerged as the biggest coronavirus hotspots in the country. Following the congregation many of them travelled to different parts of the country and the spread of the virus peaked due to this. Delhi and Tamil Nadu were the hardest hit due to this.

The Tablighi members have caused an immense headache to the security agencies and the medical staff of the country. The first big task was to evacuate the Jamaat headquarters, where there were around 2,300 people. It was at this time that the agencies learnt that several foreigners had gone missing and it was later found that most of them were staying in different Mosques across the city.

The police drew out a list of around 16 Mosques and sought the help of the Delhi government in locating these persons. The Delhi Police learnt that there were around 180 foreigners who had shifted to the different Mosques in the city. Apart from searching the Mosques, the police also managed to locate with the help of the local officials 600 foreigners linked to the Jamaat.

The police drew out a list of around 16 Mosques and sought the help of the Delhi government in locating these persons. The Delhi Police learnt that there were around 180 foreigners who had shifted to the different Mosques in the city. Apart from searching the Mosques, the police also managed to locate with the help of the local officials 600 foreigners linked to the Jamaat.

COVID-19: Rohingya Jamaat attendees to be screened

The members of the Tablighi have however not only been a headache for India. In Malaysia there was a gathering of the Jamaat in February and at least 600 cases are linked to it. In Pakistan, there was a congregation of the Jamaat in March. Nearly 2.50 lakh people attended the congregation. The coronavirus infections thanks to this congregation has been linked to cases in Palestine, Kyrgyzstan and Pakistan too.
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Protesters gathered in several states across the country Saturday to demand an end to stay-at-home orders that were put in place to stop the spread of the coronavirus. The demonstrations took place in several states, including Kentucky, Maryland, Michigan, Ohio, Texas, and Wisconsin. Many of those who broke social distancing rules carried signs that had phrases like This is tyranny, not quarantine and Shut down the shutdown.

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One of the largest rallies took place in Austin, where some 300 people gathered with many carrying signs, flags, T-shirts, and caps that made their support for President Donald Trump explicit. Protesters chanted Let us work! and Fire Fauci, as many did not seem to believe there was any need to keep distance from one another while they shook hands and hugged at the protest that was heavily promoted by conspiracy theorypeddling website Infowars. Some attendees were disappointed by the scene that unfolded on the steps of the Capitol. We thought it was going to be a lot bigger than this, a protester told the Austin American-Statesman.

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Conspiracy theorist Alex Jones speaking to a crowd of hundreds of people in Austin, Texas, at a protest organized by another InfoWars personality. Theme: "You Can't Close America." pic.twitter.com/0onNIZvj3O  Lois Beckett (@loisbeckett) April 18, 2020

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Several hundred people also gathered outside the Ohio Statehouse on Saturday to protest the states stay-at-home order, with some chanting We are not sheep. I believe that were overreacting to this. Ohio numbers are not that large for us to have people lose their businesses. Its just not warranted, one protester said. I would like to see Ohio open up now! None of this is warranted for our numbers.

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In Annapolis, Maryland, people gathered to protest, but most didnt get out of their vehicles. The demonstrators chose to drive around in circles and honk their horns. The face mask you were duped into wearing symbolizes you loosing your freedom of speech, one man wrote on his pickup truck.

The Reopen Maryland protest is gathering by car rather than on foot. Lots of horns and heckling pic.twitter.com/To05wkiozn  Lilly Price (@lillianmprice) April 18, 2020

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The protests have received explicit support from the White House. LIBERATE MINNESOTA! LIBERATE MICHIGAN! LIBERATE VIRGINIA, Trump said in a Friday tweetstorm. White House adviser Stephen Moore even went as far as to compare the demonstrators to one of the most notable civil rights icons. I call these people the modern-day Rosa Parksthey are protesting against injustice and a loss of liberties, Moore told the Washington Post. As the White House promoted the protests, New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo called on the nation to remain united. The emotion in this country is as high as I can recall, people are frustrated, were anxious, were scared, were angry, Cuomo said. This is no time and no place for division. We have our hands full as it is. Lets just stay together, and lets work it through.

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Stephen Moore is one of the least qualified people in America to speak on Rosa Parks. https://t.co/66FPaTyFe9  Max Burns (@themaxburns) April 18, 2020

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It seems that for now at least the protests dont reflect what the majority of Americans are thinking. A Pew poll released earlier this week found that 66 percent of Americans were concerned about lifting restrictions too early, while only 32 percent said they were not being lifted quickly enough. Despite the numbers, the demonstrators are clearly trying to pressure governors as they try to figure out how and when to start reopening their economies. Florida allowed some beaches to reopen Saturday, and South Carolina is also getting ready to reopen public beaches and retail stores next week, according to the Post and Courier.

This post has been updated with new information since it was first published.

For more on the impact of COVID-19, listen to Mondays What Next.
New Delhi: Fight against coronavirus COVID-19 is biggest invisible war in our lifetime; a war against humanity, Union Defence Minister Rajnath Singh said on Sunday (April 19). He said India is fighting coronavirus COVID-19 crisis on a war footing and all govt agencies working in close coordination.

"Expertise of armed forces in communications, supply chain management, medical support and engineering being used: Rajnath Singh on COVID-19," PTI quoted the Union Minister as saying. "Government directed leading DPSUs to produce medical equipment like ventilators, masks, PPEs and other equipment. Three services are strictly adhering to instructions by PMO, Health Ministry and their own medical bodies."

Rajnath said armed forces are taking steps like curtailing troop movement, restricting leave, enforcing work from home to check coronavirus.

"Mandatory 14-day quarantine being enforced for all personnel coming from outside any station, irrespective of rank. In case of ships, strict monitoring of sailors being undertaken; disembarkation at foreign ports authorised only in emergencies. Special precautions being taken on ships, submarines where it is difficult to strictly follow social distancing norms," he said.

"Every rank has been told to maintain contact diary on a daily basis; all collective training has been stopped," the minister said.

He said troops who have been medically validated as having no symptoms of coronavirus are being posted on borders.

The Defence Minister assured that armed forces prepared for all contingencies. "I can assure country we are prepared to defend our sovereignty from adversarial forces in all scenarios. Indian forces are dominating enemy through targeted intelligence-based strikes on their launch pads."

Speaking on the current situation along the Line of Control in Jammu and Kashmir where Indian Army have neutralised several terrorists, he said, "Armed forces are eliminating infiltrators before they set foot on Indian soil."

(With PTI inputs)
A scientist works in the lab o at Tsinghua University's Research Center for Public Health in Beijing, China, March 30, 2020. [Photo/Agencies]

Scientists are now aware that the novel coronavirus is changing its genetic makeup slightly, but the rate of mutation is slow and no evidence of a change in the virus's biology has been found, meaning these minor mutations will not affect current drug and vaccine development, scientists have said.

However, viruses mutate naturally as part of their life cycle, and scientists should pay more attention to mutations that can lead to drug resistance in the long run, Lan Ke, director of the State Key Laboratory of Virology in Wuhan, told China Science Daily, a newspaper run by the Chinese Academy of Sciences.

"Generally speaking, a random mutation has to occur on a relatively less vital part of the viral genome in order to be passed down," he said. "If a mutation occurs on key parts of the genome, such as those related to replicability, the survivability in future copies will likely decrease."

The coronavirus tends to mutate slower compared to other ribonucleic acid viruses, so it will need more time for these small, cumulative changes to alter its function, he said.

At the same time, current drug and vaccine research against the virus focuses on its key genomes and antigens, which have been stable. "So at this moment, the risk of viral mutation undermining vaccine and drug development is low."

Lan's remarks came amid a recent study by scientists from Australia and Taiwan of China claiming a coronavirus strain isolated in India carried a mutation that could hinder global vaccine research.

The non-peer reviewed study said the change had occurred in part of the spike protein, a vital part of the virus's exterior that allows it to bind with and enter human cells.

The authors claimed the study has shown that mutation can indeed happen on key parts of the virus, and warned that "current vaccine development against Sars-Cov-2 is at great risk of becoming futile."

However, other experts have pointed out that the startling mutation may be due to technical error during the sequencing process. The results were also produced via computer simulation, which also raised many eyebrows, and lab experiments are needed to verify the claims.

Last month, Zhou Qi, deputy secretary-general of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, said the virus's mutations require further research, and China is conducting a coordinated research effort to evaluate the virus and develop a vaccine.

"All research is under control," he said. "The mutations that we now know have not affected our drug, antibody or vaccine development. We will keep monitoring the mutations the virus generates and plan related research projects accordingly."

Zheng Zhongwei, director of the Development Center for Medical Science and Technology of the National Health Commission, said China has nine ongoing research projects on vaccine development, and some will hopefully enter clinical trials in April.

The five main types of vaccines that China is working on are an inactivated vaccine, recombinant subunit vaccine, adenoviral vector vaccine, live attenuated vaccine and nucleic acid-based vaccine.

A vector vaccine, spearheaded by noted preventive medicine expert Chen Wei, has entered phase two clinical trials in early April. Two inactivated vaccines have also begun phase one clinical trials this month.
Health workers gesture in support of the medical staff that are working on the COVID-19 virus outbreak at the Puerta de Hierro hospital in Majadahonda, Spain. AP Photo

Madrid: Spain registered Sunday a sharp drop in the daily death toll from coronavirus, with the number falling to 410 from 565.

The total fatalities in Spain, the third hardest-hit country in the world after the US and Italy, have reached 20,453, the health ministry said. Infections rose to 195,344, with 4,218 new cases in the past 24 hours.

However, Fernando Simon, the health ministry's emergencies coordinator, said the fall in the number of deaths from Saturday to Sunday can be explained by the lower registration of fatalities over the weekend. Such a drop is often followed by a rise at the start of the week.

Spanish authorities believe the country reached the peak of the pandemic on April 2 when they had counted 950 deaths in 24 hours. But they are not ready to recommend a lifting of the nationwide lockdown, one of the tightest in Europe.

Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez on Saturday announced he would ask parliament to extend the lockdown by two weeks to May 9.

The restrictions currently in place would however be loosened slightly to allow children time outside from April 27, Sanchez said.
Contamination caused by substandard practices at the US Centre for Disease Control caused the leading health institute to face significant delays in developing a testing kit for the novel coronavirus, according to a new report.

The CDCs central lab in Atlanta, Georgia, was handling synthetic coronavirus material when it began assembling kits to test for Covid-19, the Washington Post reported on Saturday.

Although officials attempted to keep the projects separate, apparent cross-contamination occurred due to the close proximity of chemical mixtures featured in the kits and the synthetic coronavirus material, according to Benjamin N Haynes, a spokesperson for the CDC.

Quality control efforts were not sufficient in this circumstance, he told the newspaper, adding that the CDC has since implemented enhanced quality control to address the issue.

The Department of Health and Human Services has meanwhile launched an investigation into how the original testing kits were developed and distributed in the initial months of the pandemic  a critical time in which the country could have saved countless lives through rapid testing and containment efforts, experts said.

The CDCs initial testing kits were then sent out to 26 labs across the country, resulting in 24 of those labs reporting false-positive cases of the novel virus.

Only two of them got it right, an unidentified senior federal scientist told the Washington Post, noting that contamination was the cause of the false-positive reports.

They added: The bottom line is, if you have a negative sample, and its coming up positive, the only way for that to happen is cross-contamination. . . . There is no other explanation for it.

The CDC also confirmed in a statement to the Post that issues with the testing kits may have occurred due to a design and/or manufacturing issue or possible contamination and that diagnostic kits are now being used in more than 90 state and local public health labs in 50 states, the District of Columbia, Guam and Puerto Rico.

News of the cross-contamination at CDCs labs in Atlanta was first reported by Axios in early March, in which Food and Drug Administration Stephen Han confirmed a test issue had occurred.

However, at that time, the FDA commissioner blamed the problems on a manufacturing issue, adding: We worked hand in hand with CDC to resolve the issues with manufacturing. FDA has confidence in the design and current manufacturing of the test that already have and are continuing to be distributed.

The FDA commissioner said the latest tests have passed extensive quality control procedures and will provide the high-level of diagnostic accuracy we need during this coronavirus outbreak.

A lack of expansive testing in the initial months of the outbreak in the US, paired with a seemingly slow response to the pandemic on the part of the federal government, has resulted in significant outbreaks in states across the country, with more than 31,000 deaths resulting due to complications from the virus. Nearly 700,000 people in the US have contracted Covid-19, according to tracking data published by Johns Hopkins University.
The situation with the novel coronavirus spread in Russia is under full control and all levels of authorities are carrying out a concerted effort, Russian President Vladimir Putin said in his televised address to Orthodox Christians on occasion of Easter, TASS reports.

"All levels of authorities are working rhythmically, in an organized way and responsibly. The situation is under full control," Putin emphasized.

The president highlighted that Russia has all necessary resources and reserves to protect people and support economy amid the coronavirus spread. "Yes, all measures on protecting human lives and health, supporting economy require additional and major resources and reserves. We have got them. We are using them diligently and surgically, depending on the particular situation and first of all to help people and those families, which are facing a challenging situation now," Putin said.

The Russian authorities are working proactively to combat the coronavirus, he stressed. "We are carefully analyzing other countries experience, we are actively cooperating with our foreign friends and colleagues and understand what is going on, we see risks and we know what needs to be done in any development of the situation and we do what is necessary," Putin stated.

"Our people say: trust in God and keep your powder dry. And this is what we do. But on this bright holiday of the Resurrection of Christ, I still want to say: everything will be fine with God's help," Putin said.

To date, a total of 36,793 coronavirus cases have been confirmed in Russia, with 3,057 patients having recovered from the virus. Russias latest data indicates 313 fatalities nationwide. Earlier, the Russian government set up an Internet hotline to keep the public updated on the coronavirus situation.
The US special envoy for Afghan reconciliation, Zalmay Khalilzad, has sought Indias engagement in international efforts for a lasting peace in Afghanistan against the backdrop of growing concern in New Delhi over the US-Taliban deal.

Khalilzad, who has been pushing the Afghan government to facilitate the implementation of the US-Taliban deal by releasing more Taliban prisoners, tweeted he had reached out to external affairs minister S Jaishankar to discuss the latest developments in the Afghan peace process.

We talked about the urgency of resolving the internal political crisis and the importance of Afghan leaders forming an inclusive government, he said, in an apparent reference to differences between Afghan President Ashraf Ghani and former chief executive Abdullah Abdullah.

We also discussed the need for both the Afghan government and the Taliban to accelerate prisoner releases, support a prompt reduction in violence, and start intra-Afghan negotiations, Khalilzad said in a separate tweet.

Khalilzad said he had told Jaishankar that the US welcomes Indian engagement in regional and international efforts for a lasting peace in #Afghanistan and that the US is committed to a sustained engagement with #India on this objective.

This was Khalilzads first outreach to the Indian side to discuss the troubled Afghan peace process since diplomatic engagements around the world were affected by the Covid-19 pandemic. Khalilzad said he and Jaishankar also spent time covering the immediate and longer-term impact of the Coronavirus.

Jaishankar tweeted that Khalilzad had called to update on recent Afghan developments. Without giving details, he added: Shared the Indian perspective. Our historical friendship with this close neighbour will always guide our Afghan policy.

Khalilzads outreach came against the backdrop of growing concern in New Delhi about the US-Taliban deal not leading to any significant reduction in violence in Afghanistan. Officials in the Indian government are also concerned that there has been no public move by the Taliban to distance itself from terror groups such as al-Qaeda, Lashkar-e-Taiba and Jaish-e-Mohammed that have a presence in Afghanistan.

Former ambassador Rajiv Dogra, who has served in Pakistan and closely tracks developments in Afghanistan, said Khalilzads tweets appeared to be veiled suggestion to India to stay off as far as Afghanistan is concerned.

If one reads between the lines as far as Khalilzads tweets are concerned, the message seems to be very clear - dont spoil our deal, said Dogra. One day a future US administration will judge Khalilzad.

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Rome, April 19 : Tensions between Italy's prosperous north and poorer south have increaed as the central government sought consensus on easing the restrictions imposed across the country last month to contain the spread of the novel coronavirus.

Although the daily growth in fatalities and infections continues to diminish, Italy still accounts for Europe's highest pandemic death toll, 23,227, and is second internationally only to the US, where the virus has claimed over 38,000 lives.

As of Saturday, the total number of cases in Italy reached 175,925.

Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte held a video-conference on Saturday with the presidents of Italy's regions to discuss what the government is calling Phase 2 of the coronavirus response: the gradual re-opening of the economy starting May 4.

Arguing in favour of lifting the lockdown, Luca Zaia, governor of the northeastern region of Veneto, said: "My position is that we can open on May 4 with rules and scientific guarantees. And if we wanted to go a step farther, we could ease up immediately, in a rational and prudent manner." As the rate of contagion declines, Zaia said, Italy can "turn on the machine, warm up the engines and then pick up speed".

But the national government's special commissioner for the COVID-19 crisis urged caution.

"We must understand that it is completely mistaken to enter into a conflict between health and economic recovery. Without health, the recovery would be short-lived," Domenico Arcuri said.

Some leaders in the south were less measured in their response to Zaia's proposal to begin rolling back restrictions on movement and activity.

Vincenzo De Luca, who heads the regional government of Campania, said that he was prepared to stop people from the north - which accounts for the majority of the country's COVID-19 cases and deaths - from entering his jurisdiction.

"If the regions where the contagion is so strong speed up (ending the lockdown), Campania will close its borders," he said from Naples, noting that the region he governs includes areas with the highest population density on the European continent.

De Luca's counterpart in Calabria, Jole Santelli, vowed not to let the people of his region become victims "of haste".

"We are closed since March 7, even before what the government ordered, because we have tried to prevent exoduses" from the hardest-hit regions, Santelli said in an interview with La Repubblica newspaper.

Officials in southern Italy fear that northerners who take advantage of the reopening of the country to travel could cause infections to spike in the south, overwhelming a fragile health-care system.
Facebook / Town of New Fairfield Parks and Recreation

STAMFORD  A man like no other. A dad to all. A loving husband and father.

These were just among some of the sentiments shared in the obituary of John Michael Cappucci, a longtime Stamford resident, who died late last month after contracting COVID-19. He was 79.

Cappucci was born in Brooklyn, N.Y., on Dec. 24, 1940, to Nicholas and Josephine (Difiore) Cappucci.

John was a loving husband and father, Cappuccis obituary said. There was no other man like him. He was dad to all. Whenever his children needed any help, he was always there for them.

The retired accountant battled many major illnesses over the last 19 years. His most recent battle, the obituary said, was with prostate cancer.

That was until COVID-19 came and took his life in just five days, the obituary said.

Cappucci married the love of his life, Bonnie Jean, more than 40 years ago. She gave her husband a brief sendoff in his obituary.

Rest in peace, my love, Bonnie Jean Cappucci wrote in her husbands obituary. Until we meet again.

Cappucci is survived by his wife, his two children, his niece, his mother-in-law, his brother-in-law and four grandchildren.

Online condolences can be left at www.cognetta.com.
Coronavirus has effectively shut down Hollywood, with every major movie theatre chain closed, big film releases delayed, and film shoots halted on all new studio projects. Streaming hours are way up on services like Netflix and Disney+, but those platforms wont get any brand new premium content for a long time. As New York Magazine writes, Hollywood is all but writing off 2020.

On the other hand, internet creators are cranking out content from home, much of it unvarnished and spontaneous, on TikTok, Twitter, YouTube, Facebook, and Instagram.

Bethenny Frankel, who became famous from reality television (first on The Apprentice and then Real Housewives of New York), believes coronavirus is creating another shift away from scripted programming.

I used to work in Beverly Hills as a hostess right around the [1988] writers strike, and I remember feeling like reality TV was borne out of that lack of scripted content, and then reality TV became an explosion Frankel said on Yahoo Finance live on Wednesday. More recently, scripted television has completely exploded... Theres so much content, I need an assistant just to tell me what shows I should be watching. So I think now [amid coronavirus], its the unscripted showsrun-and-gun types of shows that can just pick up a camera, do things at homethats why cooking is so huge right now, because people can just get their ingredients together, pick up a camera, and provide great content. I think its going to be a very interesting shift that will last for a long time, based on people being at home.

Television personality Bethenny Frankel presents the outstanding culinary program award during the 40th annual Daytime Emmy Awards in Beverly Hills, California June 16, 2013. REUTERS/Danny Moloshok (UNITED STATES - Tags: ENTERTAINMENT)

Indeed, a new analyst note from Credit Suisse predicts, There will be significant strains on the content production ecosystem... traditional media will consider reducing the number of episodes in a series, canceling projects that would become too expensive (we expect significant write-downs are coming for all of the media studios/networks), or reducing production quality (fewer locations and actors, smaller special effects budget, and so on). There will be a shift in production work flow to drive greater efficiency, in particular a modernization of post-production.

And that shift will create a new legion of influencers, Frankel predicts.

Story continues

I do think it will be, in many ways, a level playing field, she says. People can find their way in now, because its a whole new world order. People who had no place in the playing field can get in... Lets see who really can run in this environment, not in the Instagram filter, look-how-cute-I-look, gross world we live in. Its going to be, Who works hard? Who works their ass off? Thats whos going to be successful.



Daniel Roberts is an editor-at-large at Yahoo Finance. Follow him on Twitter at @readDanwrite.

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Coronavirus puts 'extreme pressure' on all three pillars of Disney's business

Disney+ streaming during coronavirus is boosting Hasbros Baby Yoda toy sales

Movie theaters seek bailout as coronavirus devastates business
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The global animal vaccines market size is expected to reach USD 13.37 billion by 2026, according to a new report by Grand View Research, Inc. expanding at a CAGR of 6.3% over the forecast period. Rise in the outbreak of livestock diseases, expanding livestock population and increasing zoonotic diseases are driving the market growth. Increasing awareness regarding commercially available vaccines is pushing the adoption globally.

This market has emerged to be one of the profitable investment options seeking attention and investments from both government and non-government players. Rise in the number of pet owners and their shifting focus towards healthy animal practices are other key factors propelling the growth of the market. Government intervention in distribution channel on the other hand, is affecting the profitability of the veterinary vaccine manufacturers. The bulk purchase and supply of livestock vaccines from countries such as India and Alaska that have large livestock population are reducing the profit margins of the vaccine manufacturers' through bulk pricing.

Further key findings from the study suggest :

Attenuated vaccines emerged as the largest segment as a result of the benefits such as improved effectivity and enhanced long-term prevention

Cattle vaccines accounted for the largest share in the animal type segment of veterinary vaccines market owing to the rise in the demand for safe animal products

Companion animal vaccines segment is the fastest growing segment owing to the increase in number of pet owners worldwide

North America dominated the market with the largest share in 2018. Constantly rising awareness regarding animal health and increasing commercialization of animal products are facilitating dominance of the region during the forecast period.

Asia Pacific is projected to witness swift growth during the forecast period owing to the speedy adoption of veterinary vaccines for quality food products and better animal health

Key players including Zoetis, Virbac Inc. Indian Immunological Limited, Heska Corp., Boehringer Inghlem, Bayer Pharma Ag, Merck Animal Health and Biogenesis Bago dominated the global animal vaccines market.

Request a Sample Copy of the Global Animal Vaccines Market Research Report @ www.grandviewresearch.com/industry-analysis/veterinary-animal-vaccines-market/request/rs1

Grand View Research has segmented the global animal vaccines market based on product, animal type and region:

Animal Vaccines Product Outlook (Revenue, USD Million, 2014 - 2026)

Attenuated Live Vaccines

Inactivated Vaccines

Subunit Vaccines

DNA Vaccines

Recombinant Vaccines

Animal Vaccines Animal Type Outlook (Revenue, USD Million, 2014 - 2026)

Poultry Infectious Bronchitis Avian Influenza Marek's Disease Newcastle Disease Salmonella

Aqua Streptococcosis Vibrio Aeromonas

Ruminants Foot & mouth disease (FMD) Lumpy skin Rotavirus Corona virus E. Coli Others

Companion Canine



Distemper Kennel cough (Parainfluenza) Parvovirus Canine herpes Lyme Disease Rabies Feline rhinotracheitis Calicivirus Corona virus panleukopenia Rabies



Animal Vaccines Regional Outlook (Revenue, USD Million, 2014 - 2026)

North America US Canada

europe UK germany

Asia Pacific India china japan Australia

Latin America Brazil mexico Argentine

Middle East & Africa South Africa Saudi Arabia



Access full research report on global animal vaccines market: www.grandviewresearch.com/industry-analysis/veterinary-animal-vaccines-market
Muaz Magaji, the former Kano commissioner for works and infrastructure, sacked over his controversial comments on the death of President Muhammadu Buharis chief of staff, Abba Kyari, has reacted to his ouster.

He said on Sunday that as a Muslim and a patriotic Nigerian, I was only misunderstood by people to think that I celebrated Kyaris death, the truth is I did not.

The Kano State Governor, Abdullahi Ganduje, had on Saturday fired Mr Magaji, after he issued comments which appeared to be celebrating the passing of Mr Kyari.

Mr Kyari died Friday in Lagos of coronavirus and was buried on Saturday in Abuja.

The sacked commissioner, Mr Magaji, on his Facebook page had written, Its very very important we put things in perspective so that we can save our system from punitive unconstitutional usurpers in the future!

Democracy & democratic equity does not by itself strive.. It must be guarded and protected One person, just one person can set a dangerous precedence!

When you are all done with the pretence and crocodile tears, we will do a review in overriding interest of the Nation and its people!

I am perfectly aware of the storm I am in The fact however is I know what comes from the heart or that what is purchased! You all will come around, Mr Magaji posted.

Ouster

In a statement, Kanos commissioner for information, Muhammad Garba, said Mr Magajis removal was as a result of unguarded utterances against the person of the late Chief of Staff to the President, Malam Abba Kyari.

He also said, the action of a public servant, personal or otherwise reflects back on the government and therefore, the Ganduje administration would not tolerate people in official capacities engaging in personal vendetta or otherwise.

According to the statement, Mr Kyari led a life worthy of emulation by serving his country to the best of his ability.

Magaji refutes allegation

But in a statement personally signed by Mr Magaji on Sunday, the sacked commissioner said his Facebook posts were misinterpreted.

However, in an emotional reaction to my posting, agents around the office of the chief of staff misunderstood my whole meaning, infuriated from the loss of their benefactor, as such petitioned my principal His Excellency Abdullahi Umar Ganduje the Governor of Kano State, they twisted the narrative with explanation completely out of context and lacing it with religious and cultural connotations that made it necessary for our Principal the Executive Governor to show leadership and solidarity with the dead by relieving me off my position in Kano State as his Commissioner of Works and Infrastructural, he said.

Read Magajis full statement below;

I DID NOT CELEBRATE KYARIs DEATH..PEOPLE ONLY MISUNDERSTOOD ME..

-Assalamualaikum, dear people of Kano and Nigeria at large, I want to sincerely clear up what a lot of people may have misunderstood and set the record straight. As a Muslim and a patriotic Nigerians, I was only misunderstood by people to think that I celebrated Kyaris death, the truth is I did not.

Not only that, I made several posts mourning Kyaris death on my same facebook account and through my special assistants but the general public couldnt commend such or claim I did such post, rather tend to capitalize on a full-phrase post that is given another set of Definition and direction as well as negativity in other to tarnish my reputable image as a member of H.E. Dr. Abdullahi Umar Ganduje Administration and his loyalist and that of our National Party APC.

-The use of win win phrase is basically an attempt to explain the Islamic Promise on the people that died as a result of any kind of pandemic. The late Mallam Abba Kyari was privileged to die as a result of Covid-19,making him among the beneficiaries in Islam. He is conferred with the automatic privilege of martyrdom.

-Our Rasul S. A. W assured on the path of martyrdom in Sahih al-Bukhari, Kitab al-Jihad wal-Siyar. Even Sheik Isah Ali Pantami has taken time to explain more of this..By this, the death of Mallam Abba Kyari is a big win for him, which is almost the dream of every Muslim.

-On the other hand, Nigeria equally have the opportunity to restructure the office of the Chief of staff, where I called Mr President to ensure that we can utilize the pandemic challenges into more strengths, by disintegrating the power of the office for a rapid administrative flow, which over and above anything, our constitutional democracy is meant to achieve and function so often.

-However, in an emotional reaction to my posting, agents around the office of the Chief of staff misunderstood my whole meaning, infuriated from the loss of their benefactor, as such petitioned my principal His Excellency Abdullahi Umar Ganduje the Governor of Kano State, they twisted the narrative with explanation completely out of context and lacing it with religious and cultural connotations that made it necessary for our Principal the Executive Governor to show leadership and solidarity with the dead by relieving me off my position in Kano State as his Commissioner of Works and Infrastructural.

-I am confident that the Governor must make such a difficult decision as a conditional sacrifice to appease the aggrieved individuals who are aggrieved especially from their loss. I understand the difficulty of the circumstances, both from misunderstanding my post, to the Governors decision and in general the pains of people in Abuja. l understand perfectly well.

-Wholeheartedly, I want to use this opportunity to reiterate that as a devout Muslim, I could not have celebrated the death of any human being; because its against my culture, social civilization and most importantly the teaching of my religion. I equally want to appeal to all people, especially those in Kano to give people the benefit of doubts by accepting their explanation on what they actually and truly mean by themselves.

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-I sincerely apologised for any misunderstood action, reaction and inactions, we are all in a difficult times that anxiety, worries and depression makes understanding and misunderstanding becomes difficult. Iam so sorry for any pain I may have caused both the families of the late chief of staff and my boss His Excellency Abdullahi Umar Ganduje. I am forever loyal to my boss; the Governor of Kano State and indebted to all the people of Kano state.

-I want to plentifully remain grateful to His Excellency for the opportunity he gave me to serve my state under his administration and am pleased to leave not on account of fraud, insubordination, dishonesty, treachery, disloyalty, betrayal, act of incompetence or undermining the government or the people of Kano; but due to this unfortunate misunderstanding and miscommunication of my Facebook post. I assure you that everyone will calmly understand my meaning by revisiting everything Ive said. I am only humane, perfection is never part of our creation.

-I pray for Allah to grant the late chief of staff eternal rest in AlJannah Firdaus and give his family and associates the fortitude to bear his loss. May Allah continue to help the people and government of Kano State to achieve higher advancements.

Ameen.

Engr Muazu Magaji

Former Comissioner of Works and Infrastructural Development, Kano State
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Could it be that the sheer scale of the death toll in Britain is making it impossible on this side of the Irish Sea to get a realistic slant of how many people should be dying of Covid-19?

In photography, it's called "perspective distortion". It's when objects are made to seem larger or smaller than they really are in relation to their surroundings. A similar kind of statistical perspective distortion seems to have gripped the political and media class when it comes to the coronavirus crisis.

It's not that Ireland is doing terribly. The number of people that each confirmed case now goes on to infect has fallen below one, which is an extraordinary testament to how well social distancing is being observed.

The number of patients requiring hospitalisation continues on a downward trend. It also bears repeating that everyone in Government, including public health advisers, are working night and day to continually fine tune the country's response to this attack.

Ministers must be held accountable for their decisions, but they shouldn't be blamed for making some mistakes. Mistakes are inevitable. They're learning as they go. But it still needs to be asked consistently which things they might be getting wrong, and why.

Partly ministers have been able to escape scrutiny through expectation management. By saying early on that between 25,000 and 75,000 might die, people were primed for the worst, so anything which fell short of absolute disaster could always be interpreted as success.

The Government has been equally lucky so far that its efforts to tackle the coronavirus have been overshadowed by a whole series of side issues, not least the question which keeps being dragged up of whether Ireland or Britain is handling the crisis better. Never has so much data been so misused to get such questionable conclusions.

The answer depends entirely on the questions being asked, starting with which countries one chooses to compare Ireland. Why single out the UK as a marker? Ireland's death rate from Covid-19, at 107 per million of population, is currently better than the UK's, which is more than double at 215 per million. Ireland is also doing better than France, Italy, Spain, Belgium, the Netherlands, Sweden, Luxembourg, and Switzerland.

By the same measure, though, it's doing worse than Portugal, Denmark, Germany, Austria, Norway, Slovenia and Estonia - and that's just among European countries. When you take the bigger international picture, Ireland currently has the 13th worst per capita death rate in the world. Its mortality rate is worse than the US where President Trump is being widely denounced for ineptitude.

Ireland, mercifully, closed schools and restricted large gatherings sooner than the UK, but it reacted far slower than Iceland, where testing on people with symptoms, and those returning from high-risk areas such as China and northern Italy, began one month before they recorded the first confirmed case of the virus.

That was at the end of January when Ireland was in the midst of an election campaign in which Covid-19 never raised its terrifying head once. By March 13, the day after Leo Varadkar announced that schools would close, Iceland had already begun the second phase of testing, involving non-symptomatic people. Ireland has still not started testing asymptomatically.

Is it fair to compare Ireland to Iceland? Probably not. There are fewer than four people per square kilometre in Iceland as a whole. It's the most sparsely populated place in the whole of Europe, and that makes a huge difference to the human-to-human spread of disease.

But if we accept that as a reason why Ireland, in particular Dublin, has been more badly hit than Iceland, then we must allow the same excuse for England, whose population is packed together five times more densely than Ireland's.

Likewise, just 13pc of the Irish population is over the age of 65; in the UK, it's 18pc.

This is what makes international comparisons a fool's game. There are too many variables to adjust for. Data analysis is complicated, and shouldn't be cherry-picked for political one-upmanship.

Rather than looking across the water at the neighbours, it would be better to focus on what's being done here in Ireland and how it could be improved. But always Britain looms at the edge of our vision, distorting perspectives.

One thing which has to be looked at, as the crisis passes its peak, is whether the medical and scientific advice on which we rely is really as objective as we like to hope. The Taoiseach, himself, admitted this week that the judgment of experts "may not always be right".

That statement may prove particularly significant, in retrospect, when it comes to the advice that's been given on the efficacy of face masks, and whether air travel in and out of the country should have been shut off to non-citizens.

More tragically, with little outcry or oversight, Covid-19 has been making its way through care homes for the elderly. A third now have at least one confirmed case, and there are over 200 clusters. A report this week found that 54pc of all Covid deaths in Ireland were linked to care homes, a figure comparable to the situation in Italy and Spain, whose deadly lessons could have been learned early on.

Instead HIQA only established the Infection Prevention and Control Hub "to provide advice and support to social care services" less than two weeks ago on April 6, by which point there had already been 174 deaths and 5,364 cases.

The HSE's advice to residential homes in the event of infections has been inconsistent from the start, not least to only "consider" keeping out non-essential visitors if there was more than one confirmed case. Who should be wearing personal protective equipment (PPE), and in what scenarios, also remained unclear for too long.

The Government admits it still doesn't know how many people are infected in care homes. Testing of asymptomatic residents in care homes was only announced at the end of last week, whilst the roll out of PPE to workers in care homes has been dogged by difficulties.

Just as attention was finally starting to be paid to the Government's responsibility towards elderly care home residents, up popped a silly contest about whether Ireland or Britain was best, after which Donald Trump's defunding of the World Health Organisation took everyone's eye off the ball again.

The Tanaiste immediately announced a quadrupling of Ireland's financial contribution.

Cynics would say it's a classic case of misdirection, akin to a magician distracting the audience so they miss what's really going on; and even if that wasn't the intention, it was certainly the end result.

That's where endless comparisons with Britain or the US become actively dangerous. Rather than looking at what Ireland could be doing better, attention is focussed on what they are doing wrong. We become swaddled in a green flag of complacency, and legitimate questions are buried along with the excess of avoidable victims.
In the intensive care unit at UMass Memorial Medical Center in Worcester, Nick Marshall says hes seen what hed describe as semi-controlled chaos, as health care workers treat the sickest of the sick who are suffering from COVID-19.

This is unprecedented," Marshall said. The coronavirus has pretty much inundated the institution and the system. We have almost a singular focus on this."

A few towns over, Jeffery Giarnese works at the emergency room at Harrington Hosptial, where a triage tent is set up for health care workers to evaluate patients and determine if they need to be admitted. If a sick patient comes in and vital signs dont look good, the patient is directed to an isolated unit in the hospital.

Marshall and Giarnese, who also works in the neurosurgery department at UMass Memorial, are physician assistants on the front lines of the pandemic. At the same time, theyre faculty members building up the physician assistant program at Assumption College. Theyre doing everything they can while working from home to get the program at the Worcester institution accredited and ready to enroll students.

The two think lessons from the COVID-19 crisis can help directly impact what they plan to teach students next year, with a program focused on making compassion an integral part of patient care.

I think were really going to be able to really impart compassion and empathy within our program and get that out to the students because we dont want them to treat just a patient we want them to treat a person," said Marshall.

Seeing the COVID-19 crisis first hand, Marshall said instructors will be able to give anecdotes and teach beyond what the textbooks say.

The patients themselves, when youre sick, you want that comfort of family and friends. And you cant have that," Giarnese noted about current COVID-19 patients, as hospitals have not allowed visitors amid the pandemic. Youre just sitting in a hospital room and youre basically alone, besides the doctors or the PAs and the nurses, so I think we need to be even more empathetic to the patients and to the families given this kind of different circumstances that were in.

Assumptions physician assistant program plans to enroll students for January 2021. The application for accreditation was submitted in early May, just before major shutdowns in response to the COVID-19 crisis started to begin. In the first year of the program, students will study in classrooms, with hands-on simulations and lessons. In the second year, students go out for clinical rotations.

Giarnese is the director of clinical education for the program. Right now, his role involves tracking down clinical sites for the programs future students to do clinical rotations. The virus has limited how much he can work.

No hospital or even clinic, theyre not taking students right now. Students arent allowed in the hospital because of the current COVID crisis. And obviously, everyone is so busy with trying to figure out how to handle this influx of patients, Im just not on their radar, Giarnese said. My job just a little more difficult because of the fact that everyone in the medical community has been so busy dealing with this. Everything else, were still working on as much as we can.

For now, Giarnese said the program has enough clinical sites built up for the amount of students Assumption hopes to enter into the program come January 2021. But, he is still doing what he can to build a cushion.

There is always in the back of our minds that things might be delayed, said Marshall. I think if anything will throw things off its going to be the current global pandemic that might put things back."

Marshall is the director of didactic education for the program and has spent the last year trying to build the program from the ground up, working on policies, procedures and syllabi.

As the program awaits accreditation, Marshall said a site visit is expected for June, though its unclear how coronavirus may affect that plan.

Nick Marshall, the director of didactic education for Assumptions Physician Assistant program, and Jeffery Giarnese, the director of clinical education for the PA program, are on the front lines at hospitals amid the COVID-19 crisis. Photos courtesy of Assumption College.

In the meantime, the two PAs are working as much as they can to help treat sick patients.

Hospitals have seen bad cases of flu and viruses before. In those times, Marshall can recall patients who had conditions like COPD needing a mechanical ventilator.

Now what were seeing is almost a tidal wave of patients coming in that require higher levels of care including mechanical ventilation and even those who dont have preexisting lung conditions, like COPD, will require the ventilator for life support and these patients are often very, very sick," Marshall said.

Both Harrington and UMass Memorial have seen more patients as the surge period arrived in Massachusetts. Medical professionals are treating patients for a disease that not much is known about yet.

We werent prepared for how sick these people can get, how fast, and the percentage of the population that its going to severely affect as it is, Marshall said.

UMasss neurosurgery department is more specialized, but Giarnese said it still is touched by the crisis.

Right now, every patient who comes in, if theyre unable to tell us of a possible exposure or symptoms, if theyre a trauma patient whose unconscious or a stroke patient whose unconscious, those patients are automatically put in COVID precautions and then theyre swabbed to rule out COVID, Giarnese said.

Meanwhile, construction has just about stopped on a new health sciences building that will be used for the program. That construction was slated to be complete in September, giving just a few months until students arrive on campus for the program. Now, Marshall and Giarnese have to consider what options can be pursued - like using other rooms on campus - if the building is not complete in time.

For prospective students who want to learn more about Assumptions physician assistant program, a virtual information session via Zoom is planned for April 27.

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On a muggy evening in Paris in the spring of 1985, Simple Minds singer Jim Kerr started plying strangers with champagne. Kerr was not a habitual drinker; if he had a vice, it was his penchant for oversized sports jackets with loud patterns. But he'd just received a message of world-shaking significance.

"I got a telegraph saying, 'You're #1 on the Billboard charts'," he recalled. " I'm getting rollicking drunk. Everyone who walks into the bar, I'm like, 'Give that man a drink!' Suddenly I'm Frank Sinatra. And it cost me a fortune."

'Don't You (Forget About Me)' was the track to which Kerr owed his place in the record books and the patrons of his hotel bar their night of free booze. The song marked its 35th anniversary last week and there is no better moment to rediscover it and the groundbreaking teen drama with which it will be forever associated, John Hughes' The Breakfast Club.

As Simple Minds were perfectly aware, 'Don't You (Forget About Me)' is a cheesy rocker of the first order. It opens in a flurry of power chords as subtle as a brick-sized mobile phone lobbed through the windscreen of a Ford Capri.

Then in swoop Kerr's vocals. He sounds like Bono if Bono was more interested in making an entire wine bar groove on the spot than in saving the world. A highlight is his "la la la la" outro - a quick bit of improvisation in the studio which ties the song together just like that rug with the room in The Big Lebowski.

'Don't You (Forget About Me)', in other words, is silly, strident, slightly high on its own grandiosity. Blasting out from the speakers while we're all in the lockdown purgatory it is a shot of pure escapist absurdity.

As Simple Minds were quick to tell everybody at the time, they didn't actually write 'Don't You (Forget About Me)'. And they remain somewhat sniffy about it to this day, though, as Kerr has admitted, not when the postman turns up with the royalty cheques.

The song was composed by Keith Forsey and guitarist Steve Schiff specifically for The Breakfast Club. John Hughes' coming-of-age classic stars Molly Ringwald, Anthony Michael Hall and the "Brat Pack" triple threat of Ally Sheedy, Judd Nelson and Emilio Estevez as troubled teenagers of different tribes bonding at Saturday detention.

And if Simple Minds may have felt 'Don't You (Forget About Me)' unhelpful to their credibility, as a window into The Breakfast Club and Hughes' entire teen melodrama oeuvre it fulfilled its mission perfectly.

"To have a song work for the movie, it can't just be written apart and shoved in," Hughes had said, explaining his philosophy of repurposing his beloved indie rock genre to flesh out the emotional resonances of his work.

Video of the Day

"We would get rough cuts of the movie and sit in the back room and kind of watch and just make notes, make notes, make notes," said Forsey, a protege of electro-pop pioneer and soundtrack guru Giorgio Moroder.

"There was a specific scene where Judd Nelson and Anthony Michael Hall, in the middle of movie, they're confronting each other, and I think it's Anthony Michael Hall who says to Judd Nelson something along the lines of, 'Are you gonna remember me after this?' Cause they kind of come together in that section," continued Forsey. The anglophile Hughes wanted a British band to sing the track after selecting it as the movie's theme song.

Alas, nearly everyone approached turned Forsey down, including Bryan Ferry and Billy Idol. One issue was that British musicians shown a rough cut of The Breakfast Club didn't understand what it was all about. This was before the American high school experience had become the universal standard when it came to interrogating adolescent woe. Hughes' angsty teens struck Idol and his peers as from another planet.

Simple Minds became involved when Kerr's then-wife, Chrissie Hynde, heard Forsey's exuberant demo. She was one of the few musicians in the UK to understand the potential of the track. "She got the movie. She got the song. She was down with the whole thing," Michelle Manning, co-producer of the Breakfast Club, said to Spin Magazine in 2015.

"But she was pregnant [and reluctant to make the video for the track], so she said to her husband Jim 'You should do this song. The song is a hit' You know, she was agenting for us on our behalf. And Simple Minds were signed to A&M, so it was a no brainer. And then they said no."

Forsey, though, refused to accept their answer. He flew to London and struck up a friendship with the band, who, to their annoyance, were coming under increasing pressure from their label to record the song. One night, at the end of a long stretch in the pub, Forsey suggested they go into the studio and bash it out. If it didn't work, it didn't work. At least it would get the record company off their backs.

So it was off to a London studio where Simple Minds laid down their most enduring hit in just three hours. As already pointed out, the biggest departure from the demo was Kerr's improvisation of "la la la la" during the outro. And that was it. But even after they had done their duty, Simple Minds were hugely unenthusiastic. Shooting the official video, director Daniel Kleinman recalled having to deal with a rather truculent Jim Kerr.

"The band was not overly cooperative, as I remember it," he told Spin. "They're quite a moody bunch."

Simple Minds assumed - perhaps actively hoped - 'Don't You (Forget About Me)' would be a quickly forgotten footnote. Yet week after week, following its release on April 8, the track gathered momentum in the US. This was a significant development, as America had previously proved immune to Kerr and company's anthemic charms.

"We kept having this double attitude - 'oh yeah that thing'," is how Kerr characterised the group's ambivalence towards their suddenly scorching new single. "What number is it this week? It kept climbing and climbing. The Human League have this song: the Black Hit From Space. Where did it come from? We sometimes referred to 'Don't You (Forget About Me)' as the black hit from space. When it comes to royalties, we take a different view."

As is often the way with slightly ludicrous nuggets from pop's past, the song has lately been rehabilitated. Today, it shimmers proudly as a cheesy 1980s classic.

A soft spot for the late John Hughes' melancholy and sweet movies - his biggest success would be the Home Alone franchise - certainly enhances the appeal of the track. It isn't mandatory, however. The song more than stands on its own. In these strange days, a blast of youthful melodrama, laced with naivety and ennui, is more than just nostalgia. It feels like a lifeline to simpler times.

Kerr would finally come around to seeing the upside of a US number one single, too (it reached number three here in Ireland). He went back to the day, in the late 1970s, when he asked his father for a loan of 100 so he and his mates could start a band.

"He was a brickie's labourer and just sat there in his vest, like Rab C Nesbitt, thinking we were nuts," he recalled of his father's response. "'You mean like The Beatles,' he said, 'playing in stadiums?' I said: 'Probably.' When we performed 'Don't You (Forget About Me)' in Philadelphia for Live Aid in 1985, my dad was down the front. It was the first of many stadiums - although he never got the 100 back."

 The Telegraph
A pregnant woman in Karnatakas Bengaluru walked for nearly 7 kilometres in the hope of finding a clinic or a hospital amid the coronavirus lockdown. The woman delivered at a dentist clinic, news agency ANI reported.

A doctor at the clinic told ANI that the woman and her husband were looking for a hospital or any clinic where she could deliver her baby.

Dr Ramya told ANI that at first the newborn was not responding but they were successful in resuscitating the baby.

The mother and the baby were later sent to a hospital.

Karnataka: A pregnant woman delivered a baby at a dentist's clinic in Bengaluru where she had reached, along with her husband, after walking for around 7 km in hopes of reaching a hospital. The mother & baby (in pic with the dentist) were later sent to hospital after the delivery pic.twitter.com/dO9edQ9EsU  ANI (@ANI) April 19, 2020

She had walked for 5-7 km expecting some clinic/hospital to be open. She came across this clinic and delivered the baby. The baby wasnt responding initially, so we thought its dead but we were able to resuscitate it. We sent them to a hospital after the delivery, Dr Ramya said.

Earlier this week, it was reported that a man in Kerala had to take his father in arms and walk up to a kilometre after the police personnel didnt allow their auto any further citing coronavirus lockdown guidelines. The incident took place in Keralas Punalur area on Wednesday.

Kerala State Human Rights Commission took cognizance of the incident and registered a suo moto case in connection with the incident.

Meanwhile, the Union Health Ministry on Sunday released an advisory on spraying disinfectant on people in the wake of the coronavirus outbreak.

The following advisory is issued: spraying of individuals or groups is NOT recommended under any circumstances. Spraying an individual or group with chemical disinfectants is physically and psychologically harmful, the health ministrys advisory stated.
Operating cashflow challenges in the short term are creating major challenges for many businesses, as the COVID-19 pandemic creates unprecedented levels of disruption and uncertainty on a local and global scale, according to the latest review released by KPMG in Saudi Arabia, the leading provider of audit, tax and advisory services in the kingdom.

A recent report, Improving Cash & Working Capital Management, outlines four fundamental steps that companies can take to building a robust cash management strategy and safeguarding the future of the business in the current challenging business environment.

The report suggests companies, regardless of industry or size, to gain visibility and control over cash flows by making use of 13-week rolling cash flow forecasts that are prepared on an expected receipts and payments basis, by business line and jurisdiction. It further states the importance of conducting weekly variance analysis of cash flows, understanding the reasons for variation and to form cash committees to meet weekly, with participation by all function heads and having aligned KPIs.

Fuad Chapra, Head of Family Business at KPMG in Saudi Arabia, comments: during the current challenging times, a robust level of preparedness and proactive response can help businesses navigate through these unprecedented times. Though cash management often is regarded as complex, it does not have to be this way.

He advises companies to consider working capital needs in the context of overall business requirements for the weeks, months and foreseeable future ahead. Consider your working capital strategy holistically. Our experience indicates most businesses can drive improvement and unlock cash from at least one, if not two areas of the working capital cycle, which includes trade receivables, inventory and trade payables.

Chapra recommends companies to address slow-moving, obsolete stock by critically examining forecast production requirements, the need for buffer stocks and SKU assortment, to avoid tying up cash in unproductive inventory.

In addition, companies need to review trapped and illiquid cash within the group structure and use treasury pooling structures to make more effective use of available cash lying idle within the group structure.

The document furthermore recommends to review the tax efficiency of operations, including zakat, VAT, customs and excise, and make use of any opportunities offered by the government to defer or reduce payment of zakat and fees, while ensuring potential refunds are pursued.

Likewise, companies need to think strategically by making cash management a boardroom priority, since effective cash management is a top priority for leading global businesses.

Cash is key to the survival and growth of any business. Gaining visibility and control of cash flow, and optimising working capital can help a company to provide a buffer against unexpected market shocks and release cash to deal with rising costs, Chapra concludes.-- Tradearabia News Service
Almost 60 percent of American voters are worried that lifting restrictions on public behavior too soon will lead to a spike in coronavirus cases and deaths.

According to an NBC News/Wall Street Journal poll released Sunday, 58 percent of registered voters expressed concern about a loosening of restrictions, compared with 32 percent who worried that the restrictions would stay in place for too long. Three percent said they were concerned about both scenarios.

There were partisan divides on the topic, some of which have been reflected in recent protests around the nation in places like Ohio, Tennessee and Michigan. While a clear majority of Democrats (77 percent) and independents (57 percent) are more worried about the coronavirus, Republicans are very much divided on the issue  with 48 percent expressing more concern about the economy and 39 percent more worried about the pandemic. Different states, of course, have different restrictions, some much stricter than others.

The poll also indicated increased concern that the coronavirus would have a direct personal impact: Thirty-three percent said they were very worried the coronavirus would strike a family member, while an additional 40 percent said they were somewhat worried. Those numbers are up from 15 percent and 38 percent, respectively, in a poll released March 20.

A mere 3 percent said the pandemic had no impact on their lives, compared with 77 percent who said it had affected them either in a very major way or a fairly major way.

President Donald Trumps approval rating was 46 percent, with 51 percent saying they disapprove of the job hes doing. Those numbers are unchanged from last months poll and consistent with his numbers in NBC/WSJ polls this year.

The presidents numbers lagged in another key area: Those polled said they favor presumptive Democratic nominee Joe Biden over Trump by a margin of 49 percent to 42 percent. And 45 percent of those polled said they thought Trump has not handled the pandemic crisis well  and is still not doing so.

Story continues

Those polled also expressed limited trust in what the president has had to say about the ongoing health crisis, particularly in relation to other authorities.

More than two-thirds of those polled (69 percent) said they trusted the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to provide accurate information about the coronavirus, followed by their states governor (66 percent), Dr. Anthony Fauci (60 percent), New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo (46 percent), Trump (36 percent), Vice President Mike Pence (35 percent) and Biden (26 percent).

A total of 52 percent said they distrusted what Trump has to say on the subject, followed by Pence (37 percent) and Biden (29 percent). A mere 8 percent said they did not trust Fauci, director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases.

The poll was conducted April 13-15 of 900 registered voters, and it has an overall margin of error of plus or minus 3.3 percentage points.
JACKSONVILLE BEACH, Fla. (AP)  The day after a Florida beach was reopened for physical activity, police arrested a Pennsylvania homicide suspect loitering near the dunes on Sunday.

The Florida Times-Union reported Jacksonville Beach police were patrolling the beach to make sure people were practicing social distancing and other rules for beach activity when they came across Mario Matthew Gatti loitering near the dunes.

Jacksonville Beach police arrested 30-year-old Mario Matthew Gatti while they were patrolling the beach, assuring everyone was adhering to the current beach rules. #wtae https://t.co/hqjhZ6eCJn  Andrew Stockey (@astockeyWTAE) April 19, 2020

Officers learned there was a warrant charging Gatti with criminal homicide in Arnold, Pennsylvania, said Sgt. Tonya Tator.

The department posted a photo of the arrest on its Twitter account, with the comment: This morning while officers patrolled the beach proper they captured a Fugitive from Justice, wanted in Arnold, Pennsylvania for Homicide. Good job!

A warrant was issued for Gattis arrest after the fatal shooting of 33-year-old Michael Coover, Jr. in January inside a home in Westmoreland County. Officials allege that Gatti shot Coover Jr. multiple times while Coover was cooking dinner in an apartment, according to KDKA in Pittsburgh. No motive has been provided for the killing but one of the charges facing Gattis was burglary, indicating that he broke into the home.

Gatti, wearing a pair of American flag surfer shorts on Sunday, was arrested without incident. He was being held in a Duval County jail. Jail records didnt list a lawyer for him.

The beach was reopened for active recreation only, like walking, running, swimming or surfing. Sunbathing, sitting in chairs or on towels and other passive activities arent allowed.

Shooting suspect identified, armed and dangerous. Arnold City Police and Westmoreland County Detectives actively looking for Mario Matthew Gatti. An arrest warrant has been issued for criminal homicide. Anyone with information is asked to call Police. More on @KDKA at 11. pic.twitter.com/rkForUq6gE  PamSuranoKDKA (@PamSuranoKDKA) January 17, 2020

READ: Harrisburg man ran down street to fire back at fleeing shooters: watch video
Two main things about the COVID-19 pandemic terrify Dr. John Granton, head of respirology at University Health Network.

One, he says, is running out of personal protective equipment. The other is having to face a surge of patients like we saw in New York. Italy was terrifying.

But early evidence suggests the spread of COVID-19 in Toronto is slowing due to public health measures and the virus isnt playing out the way the first models predicted, relying initially on data from China and Italy, as well as other countries where the pandemic hit early.

That means questions about who would get a ventilator, if they were ever in short supply, havent had to be answered.

As of Friday, 128 patients in Toronto hospitals had been intubated since the outbreak began. The city has 344 ventilators, according to a report from Critical Care Services Ontario from April 8 listing the number in each of the provinces 14 Local Health Integration Networks. More of the machines have been ordered by the federal government.

A third of COVID-19 patients who have been intubated since the start of the outbreak are 70 or older.

I think what were seeing is the benefit of the public health policy we put in place, Granton said. I think many of us were panicked in the health-care system when this wasnt happening because we knew what was coming based on other countries.

So what weve seen is a flattening of this curve. So far, I think, we have been able to delay or defer a rise in the number of a cases. Because if we didnt do that, then we would have experienced what happened in Europe and also in New York.

Some studies have shown only about one-third of patients with COVID-19 survive after going on ventilators.

Heres more on our conversation with Granton about the medical devices that people are talking less about at this stage in the pandemic but that remain a crucial tool in the fight to save lives. This interview has been edited for clarity and length.

What do ventilators look like?

Ventilators can be small  about the size of a bread box  like the ones used by a person with sleep apnea, or larger, which are the ones we have in intensive care. They typically have a screen similar to a small television set with different touch controls to set the machine and also to give you an output of whats going on with the patient.

How does a ventilator work?

Doctors prescribe how fast and how big a breath a patient should receive and set the machine accordingly. Sometimes, when the machine is sophisticated enough, a patient can initiate the breath and the machine responds by giving them different levels of pressure. The actual business part of the machine is the system which provides a breath through a hose that is attached to the patient. Once the breath is delivered, the patient exhales through a different port through the ventilator. The air is filtered so that no one in the room is exposed to the breath from the patient.

Why are some ventilators only the size of a suitcase?

The machines can be simple or very complex. Its like a car, really. You can buy a bare-bones car that doesnt have a lot of bells and whistles, or you can buy one thats got a lot of different features associated with it. But for the most part, I think in response to the pandemic, people are getting the ones that are easier to build but will do the job, as opposed to a whole bunch of fancy machines where a lot of those different measurements or different features may not be needed.

What does the ventilator do for patients who have the virus?

Theyre not a treatment for anything. Theyre merely a way of cradling the person until such time that their body recovers. So for example if you went for surgery, you would be given an anesthetic, intubated, put on a breathing machine and then you would have your operation. The anesthetic would be stopped, youd gradually wake up, and then youd have the tube taken out.

But when youre critically ill, youre intubated and then you remain on the machine until such time that your breathing goes back to normal or the condition for which you were intubated resolves. And then the tube is eventually taken out.

Toronto: COVID-19 cases by gender 53.8% 1,537 cases are female 44.5% 1,292 cases are male As of April 17, 2020 Source: Toronto Public Health

Why do some COVID-19 patients need ventilation?

You cant generally get enough oxygen in and/or you cant get enough carbon dioxide out of your blood system because the lungs arent working efficiently anymore because of the damage from the virus.

Why are patients intubated  putting a tube in their airway  as opposed to delivering air through a non-invasive method such as a mask?

That is mainly because of the risk of spread to health-care workers when were using a non- invasive method, such as a mask. More of the virus is aerosolized when using non-invasive ventilation because of leaks in the system, which means we cant isolate the room or the health-care workers from the spread of the virus. So most centres in Canada, and I think in North America, arent using non-invasive ventilation.

COVID-19 patients in Toronto hospitals 244 Patients currently in hospital 97 Patients in hospital who are in ICU 79 Patients in ICU who are intubated As of April 17 Source: Toronto Public Health

Why was Italy able to use non-invasive helmets to ventilate some patients with the virus? (The helmets go over a patients head and are sealed with an airtight collar around the neck.)

A lot of the work around non-invasive ventilation comes from some major centres in Europe, and particularly in Italy and France. Europe is perhaps much more finessed in non-invasive ventilation. They used it as a strategy to limit the number of people they had to intubate. We could consider that if we surged to that level. That was something that was on deck if things really got dire, is that we would consider using less sophisticated ventilators to provide potentially non-invasive ventilation through a face mask or nasal mask, to avoid intubation.

Is that easier on a patient?

If you wait until a person gets really sick it can be challenging to get an airway into someone safely. It can be better to be pre-emptive and get a tube in earlier. However, I think in general we view the ability to keep people from being intubated better because they require less sedation. And thats a good thing because they can mobilize and move around and stay a bit stronger. When you intubate them, theres an immediate effect on their system and they have to be sedated and some of the learnings from our centre, and others, is that they can get some lung damage and breathing muscle damage just from the effect of the breathing machine. In fact, thats one of the major areas of research, trying to reduce the damage that was caused by ventilators in the past. So the delicate balance is providing support to the patient but not to the point that were causing lung damage.

Why do only 30 per cent of patients survive after being ventilated?

The problem with that is its a nasty virus. Not everybody who gets COVID gets sick, but if you get sick enough to have to go on a breathing machine then your chances of survival are less. Thats not unusual. There are thousands of deaths from flu every year and some of the people do die on ventilators. Its not that the ventilators arent working, its just that their system is so severely damaged that the disease outstrips the ability of the machines to provide them enough support.

Would you ever turn away a person because of their age?

Its more than age. Age comes with a lot of unfortunate baggage. But there is a clear relationship between survival and age. Its not being ageist. Its just being factual. Research shows that if youre over the age of 50 youre not going to do as well as someone under the age of 50, accounting for everything. If youre older, youll have less chance of survival and the quality of life and the life after being extremely ill is not as good as if youre under the age of 50. So then you mark it up to 80 and that become even worse. Thats the problem.

How do you decide if an older patient is put on a ventilator?

I think its just having a conversation with the patient hopefully, and the family. Often its about setting expectations of what the chances of recovery are. And the quality of what life would look like if you did recover and what it would involve. People dont just suddenly wake up and feel great again. They have a very prolonged period of recovery and a lot of stresses, not only physical but psychological after a critical illness. It is singularly life-altering.

So its a long recovery period?

It can be years. If youre critically ill, to the point of showing up here and having to go on intense levels of treatment, even young people can have significant degrees of disability, both mental and physical. From any disease. If you wind up critically ill on a ventilator with severe infection or severe illness and youre in ICU for over a week, its very challenging.

The federal government is still calling on companies to make more ventilators. Do you think we need them? Theres a lot of discussion on how important testing is. Do we need swabs more than we need ventilators?

I dont think its that we need one more than the other. This is a new world. I think we need to be prepared. I think we need to be able to respond to what were facing right now. I still think people feel its an unknown. Ive said before it may be difficult to predict tornadoes but youll only be faulted for not being able to respond to them. I think we cant predict these pandemics but youd only be faulted if you werent in a place to respond.
South Africa: COVID-19 Taxi Industry Relief in the works

As the taxi industry counts the costs of the COVID-19 pandemic, intergovernmental consultations on a Taxi Industry Relief intervention are at an advanced stage.

This was confirmed by Transport Minister Fikile Mbalula during a virtual meeting with the National Taxi Alliance (NTA) on Sunday.

The Departments of Transport, Small Business, Labour, Trade and Competition as well as the National Treasury have agreed to support the industry and are currently looking at various modalities of assistance, the Transport Ministry in a statement said.

The meeting was to discuss the effects the COVID-19 national lockdown regulations and directions were having on the sector.

During the lockdown period, taxis were permitted to ferry a maximum of 70% per load. Regulations stipulate that public transport was to operate between 5am and 10am and again resume operations from 4pm until 8pm.

The Ministry said the Minister during the meeting noted the grievance of the taxi industry. These ranged from alleged heavy-handedness of law enforcement and illegal profiteering by trucks and other vehicles ferrying passengers.

Minister Mbalula also raised concerns about reports of taxi fare increments of up to 100 percent in some parts of the country, insufficient sanitisation as well as sporadic incidents of overloading and breaching of travel times, read the statement.

Mbalula, however, acknowledged that the infringements were in the minority and that by large, the sector has complied with the directions on carrying capacity, operating times and the se of personal protective equipment.

Todays discussions also extended to broader issues such as the formalization and subsidization of the taxi industry as well as the National Taxi Indaba scheduled to take place later this year.  SAnews.gov.za

This story has been published on: 2020-04-19. To contact the author, please use the contact details within the article.
Filling the BIR Form 2316 can be a straightforward exercise if you take the time to learn how it is done. Looking at BIR Form 2316 meaning and the detailed guidelines and instructions would hold you in good shape to accurately understand it. Remember, this is a reflection of tax payment. It should, therefore, be done cautiously and in the right manner for reference purposes.

Image: facebook.com, @Bureau of Internal Revenue Philippines

Source: UGC

The BIR Form 2316 is proof that taxes have been deducted and withheld from an employee's salary and remitted to the BIR by the employer. It is one of the most crucial documents that employers and employees in the Philippines must be familiar with. The BIR Form 2316 sample filled from fellow employers would be a good starting point. However, some people may not be able to access a filled form.

What is BIR Form 2316?

It is a financial document that shows an employees total salary and the equivalent taxes withheld by the employer during a given financial year. It must be filed with the BIR by employers in the Philippines every calendar year. This form identifies the taxes withheld from and compensation paid to each employee during the previous fiscal year.

READ ALSO: 1902 form: what is it, how to get and fill up (2020)

BIR Form 2316 purpose

Some of the reasons why this document is essential in the country are as follows;

It indicated the financial ability of someone, which is essential for a visa, loan, scholarship, credit card, and other types of application.

It is a financial document to meet the requirements for entry into government offices and private institutions.

Employees submit it to their new employer for accurate calculation of their yearly income tax.

Employees use it to know if their taxes have been withheld correctly and remitted to the BIR by their companies.

How to get BIR Form 2316

You can download an unfilled pdf copy from the BIR website. However, you can as well as receive it from your employer. Depending on the number of companies you have worked for, each one of them should issue you with this particular document.

Alternatively, a completed Form 2316 for your employees can be generated using the BIRs Alphalist Data entry and validation module version 6.1.

How to get BIR Form 2316 from previous employer

Your previous employer will give you with the BIR Form 2316 tax refund upon request. However, it is crucial to note that there are two occasions when an employer will release it to you. Either on or before 31st of January every year. In cases of termination of employment, it is issued on the same day the last payment of wages is made.

You must ask for this document from your previous employer when moving to another employer. The current employer will be able to fill your annual income tax returns on your behalf.

How to fill up BIR Form 2316

The process of filling the document is straight forward. It has about four sections to be completed. The BIR Form 2316 guidelines and instructions are as follows.

Image: facebook.com, @Accounting and bookkeeping Consulting Firm

Source: UGC

At the top part of the document, write the year and period, and proceed. However, while doing so, you should understand that for all the employees recruited by the company before the current financial year, their period "FROM", should be recorded as 1st of January. Otherwise, indicate the specific date of hire of the new employee that year. The period "TO" must either be the date of resignation or the 31st of December for the current workers.

Part I

This section requires an employee's information.

It has items 3, 4, 5, 6, 6A, 7, and 8, that should be filled. Other pieces of information such as 6B, C, and D are only be filled if applicable.

Part II

The section is about employer's information.

Fill units 12, 13, 14, and 15. Some of these details are obtained from the BIR Form 2303. If the worker is a full-time worker, select Main Employee, if it is on a part-time basis, mark Secondary Employer.

Part III

For a new employee, the employer will be required to provide the details of their previous employer in this section. The information about his former employer will be found on their BIR Form 2316 from heir previous employer. Fill items 16, 17, 18, and 18A.

Part IV

This section is divided into two areas. They constitute Part IV (A) and (B).

Part VI (A) has sections 19 to 26. It provides a financial summary of the employee.

Items 19-21 requires the field where the figures should come from and proceed to fill items 22 to 26.

Part VI (B) - Taxable and non-taxable portions

It has units 27 to 50. However, items 27 to 30 are only filled if the employer is a minimum wage earner. Otherwise, you are required to leave this section unfilled.

Section 31 to 36 requires the following items.

The 13th-month pay and other benefits - Indicate the 13th-month salary and other non-recurring gains for the year. The value should not exceed P90,000.

- Indicate the 13th-month salary and other non-recurring gains for the year. The value should not exceed P90,000. De minimis benefits - These are the de minimis bonuses given to the worker in the year. They are shown in this section.

- These are the de minimis bonuses given to the worker in the year. They are shown in this section. PAG-IBIG, SSS/GSIS, and PHIC - It is the total of all the contributions of the employee.

- It is the total of all the contributions of the employee. Salaries and other compensation - It is the total of all the non-taxable allowances received by the worker.

- It is the total of all the non-taxable allowances received by the worker. Basic salary - It is the total of the salary of the worker without item 34 on the document. The contributions to item 34 are subtracted from the salary because it is non-taxable.

At the bottom of the document, you will find the last part that has items 51 to 54.

Component 51 requires your authorized signatory, and item 52 requires the signature of the employee. Additionally, if the employee qualifies for substituted filing, then proceed to fill items 53 and 54.

READ ALSO: Endo: Meaning, contractualization, bill, clearance, 555

How to fill up BIR Form 2316 for minimum wage earner

When doing the BIR Form 2316 computation for minimum wage earners, you will be required to fill components 9 to 11 and Part VI (B) items 27 to 30 if the worker earns a minimum wage. Remember these are the parts that were left blank in the above procedure.

Who signs BIR Form 2316

The income tax return BIR Form 2316 is signed by both the employee and his employee. It is provided for in items 51 and 52. After being signed, it is filed with the Bureau of Internal Revenue by the employer. The BIR Form 2316 deadline is the 31st of January each year.

The procedure of filling the BIR Form 2316 is straightforward. A proper grasp of the requirements would assist in filling it quickly and conveniently.

READ ALSO: SSS PRN: Registration, application, procedure, log in

Source: KAMI.com.gh
Oregon state troopers responded to two fatal crashes in a nine-hour span that started late Friday.

Oregon State Police said the first collision happened about 5:30 p.m. just east of Florence in Lane County. A pickup truck crossed the center line of the highway and struck an SUV driving the opposite direction, police said.

Troopers said the SUV driver, Tara Ross, 34, of Florence, was killed. Two girls in her car survived, as did the 17-year-old pickup driver. Police said none of their injuries was life-threatening.

The second crash occurred overnight in Polk County, 4 miles west of Grand Ronde. Troopers said they arrived about 2:45 a.m. and discovered a van had crashed into a tree and caught on fire.

The driver of the van, an early 2000s Dodge Caravan, died. He was later identified as Anthony Maestas, 24, of Vancouver.

-- Molly Young

myoung@oregonian.com
NSW Deputy Premier John Barilaro says the Berejiklian government's regional sport and recreation centres could house Queensland and New Zealand NRL players as he continues his push for the season to resume.

Mr Barilaro, who has previously strongly urged anyone against visiting the bush amid the coronavirus crisis, said the state's 11 sport and recreation centres could "absolutely" be used for the NRL.

Deputy Premier John Barilaro is working on a plan to use regional sport and recreation centres for NRL players. Credit:AAP

The government has confirmed that it received a request from the NRL for the New Zealand Warriors to use its Lake Ainsworth Sport and Recreation Centre at Lennox Head.

Mr Barilaro said the regional centre would enable the players to isolate before playing.
Italy looks at new ways of sharing Italian culture with the world.

Italy's culture ministry has been allocated 10 million for the creation of an online platform that gives paid access to Italian culture, as part of the nation's so-called Relaunch Decree in the wake of the covid-19 crisis.

The culture ministry states that the project has "enormous potential" and that the digital platform can offer access to music, opera, theatre, cinema and virtual museum visits.

Italy's culture minister Dario Franceschini has described the streaming initiative as "a sort of Netflix of culture."

"The lockdown has shown the great creativity of the artists in trying to maintain contact with the public through online means, demonstrating the enormous potential of the digital offer which, of course, should not be a substitute but rather integrate the offer from the stage," reads the statement on the culture ministry website.
Shaheed El-Hafed, 19 April 2020 (SPS) - President of the Sahrawi Republic, Brahim Ghali, called on the United Nations to protect Sahrawi political prisoners in Moroccan prisons facing the danger of the Covid-19 pandemic.



In a speech to the nation, the Saharawi president, secretary general of the Polisario Front alerted the United Nations that Saharawi political prisoners live in deplorable conditions in Moroccan prisons at a time when the world is fighting against the Covid-19 pandemic.



He called on the UN organization to act to protect the Saharawi people in the occupied territories of Western Sahara, especially the Saharawi political prisoners in the jails of the Moroccan occupation, adding that Morocco assumes full responsibility for the circumstances of the current situation.



The Saharawi president had already called on the United Nations to intervene urgently for the release of Saharawi political prisoners from Moroccan prisons with the escalation of the new coronavirus, in a letter addressed to the Secretary General of the organization, Antonio Guterres, last March.



Brahim Ghali, in his speech to the nation, welcomed the positive response of the Saharawi people to the measures implemented by the Saharawi government to deal with the pandemic, recalling that the international situation due to the Covid-19 pandemic requires strict compliance with prevention measures.



President Ghali also praised the enormous work done by health personnel and administrative and security authorities to cope with and prevent this pandemic that is shaking the world.



On 19 March 2020, the Sahrawi government put in place a series of measures to deal with the pandemic.



The National Coronavirus Surveillance and Prevention Mechanism (COVID-19) was also established to control and monitor the pandemic. (SPS)



062/SPS/APS
General view of PSNI officers in Belfast city centre during lockdown. Photo by Kelvin Boyes / Press Eye.

Business leaders have said a rates holiday for Northern Ireland must continue as thousands of firms "are hurting like never before".

Cabinet Minister Michael Gove said he expects the hospitality industry will be the last to see lockdown measures lifted.

A joint statement was issued in response on Sunday from Glyn Roberts, Colin Neill and Simon Hamilton, the chief executives of Retail NI, Hospitality Ulster and the Belfast Chamber respectively.

It warned that after a month with no income, thousands of businesses were facing "unfathomable difficulties" and would need rolling financial support to survive the pandemic.

Read More

At present local businesses have been granted a three-month break from paying rates, compared to 12 months in Britain.

A scheme offering grants of 25,000 also opens on Monday here for those in retail, hospitality and tourism.

Payments of 10,000 have already been made to thousands of small businesses.

The joint statement welcomed the support so far, but said their members had "legitimate fears" for their future.

"Targeted, rolling support is needed now and, given the fact that this crisis is going to leave a lasting legacy, the level and duration of any support needs to last as long as is required," the statement said.

"We know the pressures that the public purse is under during this challenging period but, equally, businesses are facing unfathomable difficulties now and will do for some time to come."

It was also requested that businesses with more than one premises should be eligible to more than one grant.

"It is no exaggeration to say that many of our members will not survive this crisis unless they receive the further support, and that includes a rates holiday reviewed on a rolling basis," the business leaders said.

"Lots of businesses will face restrictions and perhaps even closure for some time to come.

"Even when they are able to trade, it will take some time to get their business going again and get to the position where they would be able to pay a rates bill at all.

"We implore the Executive to listen to this plea and act upon it urgently".

Mr Neill said his sector alone employed 65,000 people and contributed 1.5bn to the economy annually.

"We've always said we're the first hit, the worst hit and the last to get out of it, which is coming true," he said.

He said even a 12-month break from business rates may not be enough to help local companies to survive.

"If they told us, for example, that restaurants can open with social distancing, that means doing 50% of your covers, but your profits don't start till about 75% of your covers.

"So a long-term intervention model is needed to keep those businesses sustainable.

"Another point is that when tourism comes back, over 65% of tourism spend is in the hospitality sector.

"So if we don't sustain the hospitality sector we'll have no tourism income worth talking about."

Several bars in the Belfast area have tried to keep some trade with home deliveries, although the PSNI has been accused of clamping down on this.

"It's giving people money to put food on the table, but that's it," Mr Neill said.

A spokesperson for the Department of Finance said the Executive was committed "to doing everything possible within the finite Covid-19 funding" to support the health service, vulnerable people and businesses.

Over half of the recent 933m Covid-19 funding has been allocated, with 510m going towards business support interventions.

This includes a 370m grant support package for small businesses and others in the hospitality, tourism and retail sectors. It was noted that the 12-month rates holiday in Britain only applied to retail, hospitality and leisure businesses.

By contrast, the three-month rates relief here applies to all businesses including the commercial, manufacturing and service sectors.

In addition, rate bills have been delayed until June while the Small Business Rate Relief has also been renewed, providing almost 20m of relief to 27,000 small businesses.
Minister of Information and Communications Nguyen Manh Hung says that Covid-19 has brought great challenges, but that challenges are often associated with opportunities.

A report found that since the outbreak, the total number of non-cash payment transactions via the State Banks finance switching system increased by 76 percent compared with the same period last year.





Of this, the number of transactions with small value (below VND500,000) increased from 21 percent of total transactions to 25 percent. Meanwhile, the total transaction value increased by 124 percent. This shows the growing trend of using online transactions and non-cash payment tools.



Analysts said non-cash payment value has increased because Vietnamese now use contactless payment to avoid the spread of the virus.

They said this is a golden opportunity for Vietnam to popularize non-cash payments.

Under the national financial inclusion strategy by 2025 approved by the Prime Minister in January, businesses will be allowed to join the finance switching and electronic clearing market.

Under the national financial inclusion strategy by 2025 approved by the Prime Minister in January, businesses will be allowed to join the finance switching and electronic clearing market.



This is a solution to end monopolies, creating competition, reducing costs, and accelerating the cashless payment process.



According to lawyer Truong Thanh Duc from Basico Law Firm, in finance switching with electronic clearing, NAPAS (The National Payment Corporation of Vietnam) is the only unit that provides payment infrastructure to dozens of Vietnamese and foreign banks.



The tendency for non-cash payment is growing rapidly. Therefore, it will be difficult to speed up transaction processing and accelerate comprehensive financial universalization across the country. The appearance of more service providers in the market is necessary.



Non-cash payment account for 20 percent of total transactions in Vietnam. The current electronic payment system can satisfy a part of the demand in urban areas, while it is nearly absent in rural areas.



The thin coverage of service provision points and high costs are the barrierd that prevent low-income earners from accessing official financial services.



Experts believe that the State Bank of Vietnam should grant licenses to technology and telecommunication firms to join the market to promote new types of payment.



The Ministry of Information and Communications has proposed that the government and state management agencies quickly make decisions on issues on non-cash payment and mobile money which are still under consideration.



When cashless payments grow, all people and businesses will get benefits, including the people living in rural areas, remote areas; poor, low-income earners; and small and medium enterprises and business households.

Luong Bang

Cashless payments become popular amid COVID-19 Money can spread germs and bacteria, and amid the complicated developments of the novel corona virus Sars-CoV-2, many people have switched to cashless payments to protect them from unnecessary contact with contaminated money.
Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, April 19)  Six new COVID-19 infections were recorded in Albay and Catanduanes on Sunday, bringing the number of cases to a total of 25 in Bicol Region.

The Department of Health-Bicol reported in the morning that the 20th to 24th positive cases were from Albay province.

DOH Director Ernie Vera said in a statement that the 20th confirmed case is a 54-year old male from Albay who had a travel history from Marikina City in Metro Manila. He is currently confined at the Bicol Regional Training and Teaching Hospital.

A 50-year old female from Albay is the 21st who had a history of exposure to a confirmed positive case.

The 22nd case is a 28-year old female from Albay who consulted at BRTTH last April 17.

A 36-year old female from Albay is the 23rd whose exposure history is still being established.

The 24th case is a 57-year old female from Albay who had a history of exposure to a confirmed positive case.

Meanwhile, a 63-year old female from Catanduanes is the first confirmed case in the province and the 25th case in the region. She had a travel history from Japan and was admitted last March 12 at Eastern Bicol Medical Center in Virac.

To date, Albay has 19 total cases, 13 of which have gotten well.

Meanwhile, Camarines Sur earlier recorded five cases. Of this number, one died and three recovered from the virus.

CNN Philippines Stringer Rosas Olarte contributed to this report.
By Elizabeth Kwiatkowski, 04/19/2020



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[ Spoilers Warning: This article features spoilers revealing if Lisa and Usman are still together and if the : Before the 90 Days couple married].

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So are Lisa and Usman still together? Did the : Before the 90 Days couple end up getting married?

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Elizabeth Kwiatkowski is Associate Editor of Reality TV World and has been covering the reality TV genre for more than a decade.

star Lisa Hamme has been shown wondering if her relationship with Usman Umar is over after they failed to receive a blessing from his mother on Season 4 of : Before the 90 Days, so did they end up splitting or getting married? And is the couple still together now?Lisa, a 52-year-old hospice caregiver from York, PA, and Usman "SojaBoy," a 30-year-old rapper from Nigeria, are one of the couples starring on : Before the 90 Days' fourth season, which premiered in February on TLC.Lisa previously divorced an unfaithful and verbally-abusive man, so she worked hard to support her 15-year-old daughter. Lisa wasn't sure if she'd fall in love again, but then she met Usman, an entertainer in Nigeria who has over 20,000 followers on Instagram.Usman had contacted her on Facebook two years before filming began, and they videochatted immediately so Usman could prove he wasn't a catfish.Lisa didn't understand why a Nigerian celebrity would be interested in her, but a love song he had allegedly written for Lisa confirmed his feelings for her, at least in Lisa's mind.Once they got to know each other a little bit better, Lisa planned a trip to Nigeria -- her first trip out of the United States -- so they could meet face to face.Although their relationship was supposedly built on trust, Lisa had an issue with the "thirsty" women who followed him on social media.Lisa didn't like women constantly reaching out to and calling Usman. She therefore asked him to tighten up his social-media profiles after seeing some flirty comments had been left by fans, such as heart emojis."I just have to try to tolerate her," Usman said in a confessional, before telling his pals he had already decided to be with Lisa forever and always.Lisa and Usman were already engaged, so they planned to wed during her stay in Nigeria and then apply for a spousal visa so Usman could move to the United States.Lisa was warned by friends and family Usman would tell her anything she wanted to hear in order to come to America and receive a Green Card. After all, Usman admitted to cameras his dream was to become the king of hip-hop and R&B in America.But Lisa believed otherwise and thought this was her opportunity to experience a love like never before."If my life is one week [or] one month with this man, I've lived a full life," Lisa told her friends before she left America.Lisa's friends were worried about her safety in Nigeria and being kidnapped or something along those lines.But Lisa gushed, "If I die in Nigeria, I'll die a happy woman because I'll be with the man I love... He's absolutely the man of my dreams. If this is a scam, it's going to break my heart and I will not recover from it."Once Lisa arrived in Nigeria, Usman's roommates were shocked to see she's an older woman.Usman told the cameras he was "in heaven" and in "paradise" holding his love, and Lisa expressed how Usman was even more handsome in person. She called him "so damn hot."But Usman admitted Lisa had "a bit more belly" than he was expecting. He said he would've liked her to have a bigger chest with a little waist and big hips, but he said Lisa had a big heart and that's what mattered most.Once Lisa and Usman made it to the hotel, a producer asked Usman if he was looking forward to having sex with Lisa for the first time."Umm, despite the fact she's not the kind of woman I am attracted to, she still has the lady's part and I still have the guy's part, so it's going to be cook -- groovy, cruising. Oh my God!" Usman replied.When Lisa and Usman woke up next to each other for the first time in Nigeria after "making love," Lisa admitted there was "a big cultural difference" -- "American vs. Nigerian."Lisa explained she had to teach Usman how to have oral sex because he didn't even know what it was. Meanwhile, Usman said Lisa was "70 percent good" in bed out of the 100 percent he had been expecting, but he noted that was good enough for him.Lisa confirmed she and Usman had decided against using a condom and it was his first time having unprotected sex. Usman told Lisa he "loved it" without protection.On the drive over to Kaduna, a big city in Nigeria where Usman actually lived and worked in the music industry, Lisa didn't appreciate people blowing up Usman's phone all the time.Usman pointed out Lisa was "very jealous" and "even more controlling in person." He claimed he didn't even know who was calling him at one point.Usman spoke to his friends about how he needed to address Lisa's attitude because he didn't want her to do anything that might jeopardize his career or relationship with co-workers.For instance, Lisa hated that Usman used a young female model in the music video for the song he had written for her, and she didn't like the video director as a result.Lisa therefore asked Usman to edit the model out of the video, which frustrated people who worked with Usman, especially Abba, who told Usman that Lisa scaring away his female friends was not good."Changing my video could be bad for my career. I wish Lisa could understand what I sacrifice for her," Usman said in a confessional.Abba thought Lisa was being "too jealous" and that Usman deserved more from a life partner, but Lisa expected Usman to defend her and have her back at all times.Usman said ideally, he would marry Lisa, have children with her and "maintain that status [of] superstar" in the United States -- so he was willing to do whatever it took to make her happy.Later on, Usman and Lisa headed to the world-premiere party for the song Usman had written for her. Usman was very worried how Lisa was going to act around his female friends.Once at the club, Lisa noticed Usman's fans were following him around and taking photos of him "like love-sick puppies." Lisa said if anyone stepped over the line, there would be an issue in the club that night.Lisa seemed to really enjoy watching Usman perform, and Usman said his music was for her. Usman then released his music video, and it said on the big screen at the end it was dedicated to Lisa, his fiancee.Usman's fans didn't react well to the music video, and one girl gave it a thumbs-down. After the video played, there was no cheering or applause. The crowd also didn't seem to respect or appreciate the fact Usman was engaged to an older white woman from the United States.Usman was very impressed with how Lisa behaved that night around his fans, but he could tell the music video wasn't well-received. Usman was afraid his music career was slipping through his fingers.The next day, Lisa and Usman flew to Sokoto to visit with his mother, whom Lisa needed approval from in order to marry her son. When the pair got settled into a hotel room, Lisa was horrified by the conditions and complained in front of Usman's friend Omar, who didn't like how Lisa spoke to her fiance.Usman said Lisa liked to be in control, but Omar said in the Islamic religion, the man is supposed to have control over his wife.Later on, Usman suddenly disappeared after he told his fiancee he was going to walk a friend to his car and say goodbye.Lisa wasn't okay with Usman leaving her alone in a foreign country, but he said it wasn't okay for him to apologize to her day and night for things."You are not a god," Usman said. "You are not up to 10 days in Nigeria and how many times have I said, 'I'm sorry?' I can't even count."Lisa told Usman not to be a "drama queen," but he wasn't about to let Lisa control his life.Usman thought it was ridiculous Lisa got mad at him for just escorting his friend out of the hotel, and he told Lisa they had a serious problem."I guarantee you tomorrow we'll have [another] problem. I cannot live in that kind of life," Usman told Lisa."Because it's better to live in prison... I can't put myself in prison just to make you happy all the time. If this is how you want me to be, then I think it's better for you to just go your way and let me go my way."Usman said in a confessional he had been complying with Lisa and finally had enough. Usman was ready to make a decision about the future of his relationship, and he wasn't sure his future included Lisa being his wife."If this is how it's going to continue, we don't need to get married," Usman told the cameras.After their big fight, Usman took off for a while and wouldn't speak to Lisa. He said Lisa was bossier than he had ever expected. He dreamed of being a famous musician in the United States, but he didn't want to sacrifice too much just to make his dream come true.Lisa felt everything she did for Usman wasn't enough, and she insisted no one is perfect and Usman had to make up his mind about her quickly.Usman told Lisa that he never insulted her for two years and he had so much respect for her but he worried about how she would treat him in the United States when he'd have no family or friends to run to.Lisa called her stay "very stressful," but Usman was scared to move to America because of how Lisa had been acting.Lisa said her behavior was a result of not sleeping well and being in a foreign country, so she asked Usman for another chance and to move on with the next chapter of their life together."I love Lisa and I want to make her happy, but if we get married, we need a plan to fix our problems," Usman said in a confessional.Lisa had taken a risk for love and feared returning to America alone. She said the breakup would destroy the both of them.However, Lisa and Usman talked through their issues, and Lisa was proud of how they were able to handle arguments and adversity.After Lisa dressed in traditional Nigerian attire called Hausa and bought a goat as a gift, she finally met Usman's mother, hoping to receive her support and blessing to marry Usman.When Lisa finally met Usman's mother and his elders, they were shocked to see how old Lisa was. Usman told his mother that Lisa was a doctor in America although she's a hospice caregiver.Usman's mother ideally wanted him to marry a local Muslim woman, but Usman assured his mother that Lisa loved him and they wanted to get married. Usman revealed his intentions to move to America, and his mother shook her head, "No."Usman's mother excused herself from the conversation, and Usman said her walking away was one of the worst signs that she didn't approve of his relationship."I disagree with his choice to marry Lisa. That's why I left the gathering earlier. It scares me because Lisa is obviously much older and also that she will take him abroad," Lisa's mother told the cameras."I'm afraid of how they will treat him since the whites don't like the blacks over there."At this point, Lisa and Usman couldn't get married, and Lisa wished Usman had better prepared himself for this conversation with his mother.Lisa was very frustrated and noted, "At this point, our relationship could be over."Based on posts Lisa has made on Facebook, she and Usman reportedly began dating in June 2018.They reportedly got married during Lisa's stay in Nigeria.Photos of what appeared to be Lisa and Usman's wedding ceremony leaked online last year by Starcasm, and it appears they tied the knot on August 30, 2019.One picture appeared to show the couple holding their Nigerian marriage certificate.Lisa reportedly chose not to wear any makeup on her wedding day at Usman's request, and Lisa changed her name to Usman's mother's name when she got married.Lisa also reportedly converted to a different religion.On April 16, Lisa hinted she and Usman are still together through an Instagram post.Lisa shared an image that read, "If another woman steals your man, there's no better revenge than letting her keep him. Real men can't be stolen."She captioned the image, "Since all the negative Nelly's have put me in a snarky ass mood if you think you can take my baby love @officialsojaboy just remember it will turn around and the exact same thing will happen to you but I don't think he's gonna do that to me so hate on hate on and hell yes I'm turning off the comments.""Karma's a bad ass bitch my sisters remember that BGL," she added.Not only did Lisa call Usman her "baby love," but she also insisted Usman would never leave or hurt her, which suggests they are still an item.She also posted a message to fans about staying strong during difficult times on April 1 amid the ongoing coronavirus pandemic, and her location was tagged as Kaduna, Nigeria, implying she's either visiting Usman or living with him in Nigeria.While rumors have circulated that Lisa and Usman split and got divorced some time after their wedding, Lisa also posted a collage of photos of Usman and herself on March 20 on Facebook.In addition, it also appears Lisa converted to Islam.Usman shared a post on Facebook in December 2019 that showed a screenshot of a text message Lisa had sent him in which she talked about converting to Islam, Starcasm reported."Wasn't for your mom or anyone in our lives, not even you," Lisa allegedly wrote, "this was a decision that I made for myself."Lisa reportedly received her fair share of backlash on social media after revealing she's married to Usman, and some people are claiming Usman has cheated on her. But it doesn't seem to phase the feisty Lisa!When one fan reportedly wrote to Lisa, "I wish you were faithful tho," she reportedly replied, "What do you mean my husband is faithful to me. Keep moving."Lisa then went off at the online troll and, according to Starcasm, wrote, "She is a typical Nigerian b*tch an ppl from my husband area wonder why he married a WHITE AMERICAN WOMAN. FACT STANDS I AM A GOOD WOMAN SO LET MY HATERS COME @USMAN SERIOUSLY ILL F**KING MAKE HER CRY."The commenter continued to allege Usman had been "f-cking around" on her, advising Lisa to get checked for sexual transmitted diseases."Jealous much b*tch? Get in line to kiss my white a**," Lisa reportedly responded."You mad bc I married Usman Sojaboy no wonder Nigerian men are choosing to marry anyone but a Nigerian woman like you."Want spoilers? Click here to visit our Spoilers webpage!
Dawn French has revealed she is reprising The Vicar of Dibley for a one-off special as part of the BBC's The Big Night In.

The actress, 62, will reprise her iconic role as Reverend Geraldine Granger (later Kennedy) after five years for the fundraiser night which aims to raise money in the fight against coronavirus.

Taking to Twitter on Sunday, the star teased fans with a close-up image of her famous cross necklace, dog collar and black cassock, simply captioning the snap: 'Hmmm. Somethin interestin this way comes...'

She's back! Dawn French has revealed she is reprising The Vicar of Dibley for a one-off special as part of the BBC's Big Night In

Dawn later went on to add: 'Im back in the dog collar, back in the vicarage, and back on your telly as part of The Big Night In.

'Be there, or go to hell. Literally. I have some sway.'

Meanwhile, a BBC spokesperson told The Sun: 'Until recently the Vicar of Dibley was self-isolating in the confectionary aisle of her local supermarket.

'But she is now back in her vicarage, from where, on April 23, she will deliver a message of hope.'

Back in the habit: The actress, 62, will reprise her role as Reverend Geraldine Granger (later Kennedy) after five years for the fundraiser night which aims to raise money in the fight against coronavirus

The iconic sitcom ran from 1994 before coming to an end in 2000.

However, the characters made comebacks on several occasions, namely for the show's 10th and 20th anniversaries and well as for Comic Relief - with the last appearance being in 2015.

Dawn will join a host of other stars taking part in the three-hour live special on Thursday, which will be co-produced by BBC, Comic Relief and Children in Need.

Dawn's former husband Lenny Henry will host the show alongside Zoe Ball, Paddy McGuinness, Matt Baker and Davina McCall.

Exciting: Taking to Twitter on Sunday, the star teased fans with a close-up image of her famous cross necklace, dog collar and black cassock, simply captioning the snap: 'Hmmm. Somethin interestin this way comes...'

The star-studded show will feature musical acts, money can't buy prizes, comedy sketches and lots more surprises on the night.

It will also see Peter Kay making his first TV appearance in two years to appear on the BBC charity show.

While David Walliams and Matt Lucas are set to revive their comedy Little Britain for the one-off special.

The Big Night In, which brings together Children In Need and Comic Relief - will be filmed from home - adhering to all government imposed social distancing rules.

FConfirmed: 'Im back in the dog collar, back in the vicarage, and back on your telly as part of The Big Night In. Be there, or go to hell. Literally. I have some sway'

In a statement, Davina, 52, promised a 'really special evening', whilst Matt, 42, said it was 'his honour' to present the show.

Paddy, 46, added: 'I'm thrilled to be given the opportunity to show my appreciation. Thank you to all the amazing key workers out there and our fantastic NHS.'

Viewers will have the opportunity to donate, should they feel able to do so, to help support vulnerable people of all ages and backgrounds across the UK who will be significantly impacted by the crisis.

Funds raised on the night will be split equally between BBC Children in Need and Comic Relief to provide essential support to local charities, projects and programmes across the UK to help those most in need.

The Big Night In will air live at 7pm on BBC One on Thursday April 23
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Kongsberg Geospatial selected as for contingency management platform (CMP) project team for BVLOS operations "We are really excited about this project, as it will start layering in some of the safety measures and procedures that are critical to operationalize routine UAS operations."

Kongsberg Geospatial, an Ottawa-based geospatial technology was selected as part of the project team which recently secured a $1.4M contract with the Ohio Federal Network (OFRN) to lead the development of a contingency management platform (CMP) for Beyond Visual Line-of-Sight (BVLOS) drone operations.

The project, called Interoperability, Resiliency and Contingency Management for Ohio UAS Operations is one of six projects awarded in round four of OFRNs Sustaining Ohio Aeronautical Readiness and Innovation Next Generation (SOARING) initiative. The collaborative effort brings together private companies, including prime contractor CAL Analytics, ResilienX, TruWeather Solutions, and Kongsberg Geospatial, with higher education partners - Kent State University, and The Ohio State University.

OFRN is a program of the Wright State Applied Research Corporation, and has the mission to stimulate Ohios innovation economy through job and product creation by building statewide collaborations between university researchers, Ohio-based federal laboratories and businesses. OFRNs SOARING initiative leverages funding from Ohios unique aerospace assets in overcoming critical technical barriers and business challenges to enable more widespread adoption of UAS into the national airspace.

As the prime contractor, CAL Analytics will lead system integration on the ground in Ohio, deploying the CMP to two customers: the Ohio Department of Transportation in Columbus, and the Air Force Research Lab in Springfield.

We are really excited about this project, as it will start layering in some of the safety measures and procedures that are critical to operationalize routine UAS operations, said Sean Calhoun, managing director of CAL Analytics and project lead. We think this project will put a nice spotlight on Ohio and all the great UAS development work that is happening here.

Geospatial software company, Kongsberg Geospatial, will contribute IRIS UxS: a real-time airspace visualization system for Beyond Visual Line-of-Sight (BVLOS) mission management that allows a single operator to manage multiple aircraft. Built on the world leading TerraLens geospatial platform, the system combines live data and live weather from a variety of sensors to create a real-time picture of the airspace where UAS are being operated.

For the past few years, weve been working on improving safety for BVLOS UAS missions through the development of IRIS UxS, said Company Vice President, Paige Cutland. The IRIS system is now actively deployed for a variety of long-range mission applications including drone delivery, pipeline inspection and emergency airspace operations.

The project is a few weeks into the 18-month period of performance and is expected to wrap up during the summer of 2021 with final demonstrations to take place in both Springfield and Columbus, Ohio.


Miss going to restaurants? I know I do. However, abiding my the rules, all of us are staying home and making do with what we can eat at home. Some people probably don't like the thought of home-cooked food - case in point, this bizarre incident in Connecticut, USA where a man broke into a restaurant and stayed there for four whole days before the authorities found out.

According to a report by Daily Mail, the New Haven Police Department identified the man as Louis Angel Ortiz, who spent four days inside the restaurant while free-loading on the booze and snacks.

The 42-year-old was found asleep with a bottle of rum in his hand when the police department entered the restaurant.



New Haven Police Department

Reports add that after viewing the security footage from the restaurant's camera, the man was arrested and further investigation determined the time he spent at the property.



The police department said in a statement, "Officers responded to a burglary in progress at a downtown Crown Street restaurant. The caller reported finding an unknown man, later identified as Louis Angel Ortiz, asleep in the closed restaurant. Arriving officers located Ortiz nearby on Crown Street and detained him. The 42-year-old New Haven man was found in possession of a bottle of the restaurant's rum."

Unsplash (IMAGE FOR REPRESENTATIONAL PURPOSES ONLY)

Reports further added that Ortiz also removed beverages and property from the building. The cops also informed reporters that the restaurant was closed but the manager came in to do the routine check to ensure the restaurant's safety, and realised there had been a break-in.

"Management estimated the loss of food and beverages at several thousand dollars. The loss includes an estimated 70 bottles of stolen or consumed liquor," the police said in their final statement.

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E-commerce companies have been prohibited from selling non-essential items during the lockdown, as conditional relaxations in select sectors outside the coronavirus hotspot areas to kickstart the battered economy come into effect from Monday.

With states gearing up to revive limited business activity after the Centre announced easing some of the curbs on April 15, Union minister Prakash Javadekar on Sunday said more relief measures are bound to come if the country continues to manage the coronavirus crisis well, asserting, "you cannot (have) lockdown permanently".

"He(Modi) gave the call of lockdown at the right time and is now partially allowing economic activity while the lockdown continues. With such a (huge) population we have managed well, if this continues we will get more relief," Javadekar told PTI in an interview.

While the relaxations starting from April 20 are primarily aimed at boosting the rural economy, Javadekar, who is a member of the Group of Ministers(GoM) to oversee measures to combat COVID-19, expressed confidence that economic activities will resume in cities as well "sooner than later".

Maharashtra Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray said some industrial activity in the green and orange COVID-19 zones in the state will be resumed in a restricted manner. "We have to turn this 'arthachakra' (stuck wheel of the chariot of economy) from April 20.

But Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal said his government has decided not to relax lockdown restrictions which is in force till May 3 as of now since coronavirus appears to be spreading at a "faster pace" in the national capital. The government will assess the situation again after one week, he said.

Kejriwal said Delhi has reported 1,893 COVID-19 cases and 43 deaths.

Four days after e-commerce companies were allowed to sell products like mobile phones, refrigerators and ready-made garments, Union Home Secretary Ajay Bhalla issued an order excluding non-essential items from their business. The April 15 order had said e-commerce platforms were allowed to sell such items from April 20.

Ministry of Home Affairs(MHA) officials had said Televison sets and laptops could also be sold online after which a few e-commerce companies had starting accepting orders.

Asked to comment during a media briefing on the U-turn, Punya Salila Srivastava, a Joint Secretary in the MHA, said the COVID-19 situation was extremely dynamic and the decision to allow non-essential goods through e-commerce was withdrawn after it was felt the list of permitted items through the online platform was extensive and that it may impact the lockdown.

Union Home Secretary Ajay Bhalla also wrote a letter to the chief secretaries of all States and Union Territories giving a clarification.

"...I would like to clarify that while operations of e-commerce companies for non-essential goods stands prohibited, however they will continue to operate for essential goods as has been allowed earlier and continue to be allowed," he said.

Bhalla also said labourers, who are stranded in different parts of the country due to the lockdown, will be allowed to go to their respective places of work within a state with certain conditions.

He, however, made it clear there will be no inter-state movement of workers during the lockdown.

Since additional activities, outside the containment zones, have been permitted in the 'consolidated revised guidelines' with effect from April 20, these workers could be engaged in industrial, manufacturing, construction, farming and MNREGA works, he said.

Agriculture, construction, Information Technology(IT), industrial units in the SEZs and rural areas and e-commerce operations were among the select sectors where the coronavirus-induced lockdown restrictions are to be lifted from April 20 in a bid to also reduce the distress caused to millions of people.

The announcement to ease the curbs to allow some select necessary activities in areas which are not COVID-19 hotspots was made by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on April 14 while declaring the extension of the three-week nationwide lockdown for another 19 days till May 3 to battle the pandemic. The next day, the MHA unveiled the guidelines with some conditions.

The relaxations lay strict emphasis on social distancing with a warning by the Centre it will be withdrawn if there is any violation of lockdown norms. Wearing of masks is also being mandatory besides making spitting a punishable offence with a fine of at least Rs.1,000.

The permitted activities from April 20 are aimed at ensuring agricultural and related activities remain fully functional, rural economy functions with maximum efficiency, employment opportunities are created for daily wage earners and other members of labour force, select industrial activities are allowed to resume their operations, with safeguards and mandatory standard operating protocols and digital economy, the MHA said.

Services provided by self-employed electrician, Information Technology(IT) repairs, plumbers, motor mechanics, carpenters will be allowed giving relief to people looking for such facilities.

Highway 'dhaba' (eateries), truck repairing shops and call centres for government activities will remain open from April 20.

In a video message, Chief Minister Thackeray said industries in green and orange COVID-19 zones will get permission to resume operations with some restrictions.

Industries ready to provide accommodation to their workers during the lockdown will be given food grain supply and permission for raw material from the state, he said.

The green zones are those which have not reported any coronavirus case, while orange zones are the ones where only a few cases have been reported.

The chief minister said that except for movement of essential services, all the district borders would remained sealed.

Thackeray also said his government will take care of all migrant labourers in the state.

"I urge them to stay here till the lockdown is in force. I will take care of their food. Once the lockdown is over, I will ensure they reach their homes safely."



The Tamil Nadu government is expected to take a decision on easing curbs on specified industries in the state after perusing a report of an expert committee.

The committee, which held a meeting, will submit on Monday its report to Chief Minister K Palaniswami who will take a decision on relaxing the curbs after scrutinising the recommendations, an official release said.

"The curbs in force will continue to be on till such time the government issues orders," it said.

In Punjab, sand and gravel mining and stone crushing have been permitted as part of the construction-related activities from Monday, according to the state home department.

The Centre has also allowed movement of all trucks and other goods vehicles with two drivers and one helper, subject to the driver carrying a valid driving licence.

An empty truck or vehicle will be allowed to ply after the delivery of goods, or for picking up goods.

'Dhabas'(highway eateries) have been allowed to remain open but they will serve only packed food, according to the guidelines.

Both government and private industries and industrial establishments



"operating in rural areas, i.e. outside the limits of municipal corporations and municipalities" will be allowed to operate,it said.

Manufacturing, industrial units with access control in Special Economic Zones(SEZs), export oriented units, industrial estates, industrial townships will also be allowed.

Activities permitted include those related to agricultural and the horticultural sectors, farmers and farm workers in the field as well as procurement of agri products.

Shops selling agriculture machinery and those dealing with spare parts, supply chains and repairs as well as 'custom hiring centres' related to farm machinery will also be open from Monday.

Units manufacturing drugs, pharmaceuticals, medical devices, medical infrastructure, including manufacture of ambulances, will also open.

Noting that digital economy is critical to services sector, the ministry said e-commerce operations, operations of IT and IT enabled services(ITeS), data and call centres for Government activities, and online teaching and distance learning are all permitted.

The IT and ITeS sector will be allowed to operate with up to 50 per cent strength.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
A magisterial inquiry has been ordered into the death of a migrant worker at a relief camp in Uttarakhand's Roorkee, an official said on Sunday.

The victim's family in Aligarh alleged that Netrapal (42) died as he had stopped eating because he was given barely boiled rice which he was unable to eat.

AICC secretary Vivek Bansal, in a letter to Uttarakhand Chief Minister Trivendra Singh Rawat, called for urgent financial assistance to the man's family.

The victim's son Ajay told PTI that his father worked at a hairdressing salon in Rishikesh and had come to Uttar Pradesh to meet his family on Holi. He left for Rishikesh again on March 18.

Ajay said when the lockdown was enforced nationwide, Netrapal became jobless and decided to walk back to Aligarh on March 28.

After a day's walk, he decided to take shelter in a village near Roorkee where the pradhan provided him with a meal.

But a little later police took him away to a relief camp in Roorkee, Ajay said.

He added that his father last called him on April 15 and complained of stomachache.

Haridwar District Magistrate C Ravishankar said the labourer died at the relief camp set up at Grand Vedantam Banquet Hall in Roorkee on April 16. He said a magisterial probe has been ordered into the incident.

Joint Magistate Roorkee has been assigned to probe the incident. He has been asked to submit a detailed report in a fortnight, he said.

A police official in Rishikesh said Netrapal's postmortem was conducted at AIIMS, Rishikesh, adding the reports are yet to arrive.

Ajay also accused the Roorkee police of not informing the family about his father's death. He said another inmate at the relief camp informed the shocked family, residing in Azadnagar colony in Aligarh, that Netrapal had died.

"They (Roorkee police) kept assuring us that the body of my father was being sent, but it arrived in Aligarh on the midnight of Friday," he said.

With the help of former SP MLA from Aligarh Zamirullah Khan, Ajay met Aligarh District Magistrate Chandra Bhushan Singh on Saturday.

He said his father was the sole breadwinner of the family.

Netrapal is survived by his wife and five children, according to Ajay.

He also said the Aligarh DM promised to do whatever was possible to help the distraught family members.

"We have hardly eaten anything since Friday morning, but the DM has assured us that all our basic needs would be urgently met, Ajay said on Saturday.

Zamirullah Khan said the Uttar Pradesh government should immediately grant an ex gratia compensation to the family which, he said, would also starve to death if immediate assistance is not provided to them.

He alleged the victim had died of starvation and gross negligence on part of the authorities in Roorkee".

The state governments of Uttar Pradesh and Uttarakhand should jointly give Rs 25 lakh for each daughter of the deceased, the former MLA demanded.

Aligarh mayor Mohamnad Furquan, who is from the Bahujan Samaj Party, also demanded a thorough investigation into the incident.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
New Delhi April 19 : In the most populous state of India, Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath's daily war with the pandemic begins much before the sun rises in the city of Avadh. At 4 a.m. every day, Yogi leaves his bedroom and by the next couple of hours, he is fully updated with situation reports from all the 75 district magistrates, including two police commissioners of Uttar Pradesh. By 7 a.m. Yogi picks up the phone and starts instructing key officials across the state, where he feels extra attention is required to contain the dreaded virus.

Not surprisingly, his proactive style of functioning has kept the figures of COVID-19-infected patients in UP less than those in Maharashtra and Delhi.

Even before the country was alarmed by the invisible strike of coronavirus, Yogi (47) was one of the CM's in the country who with a dedicated team of health experts had already fought encephalitis, a disease which had been killing hundreds of children every year in eastern UP.

"Usually chief ministers connect with district heads, but Yogi ji's reach is amazing. He reaches down the block level and has the minutest of details about remote places. That's the reason why he has been able to prevent the havoc of major infectious diseases in the last two years. And now he is fully determined to fight COVID-19," said UP Cabinet Minister Brijesh Pathak, adding, "from officers to ministers, he keeps everyone on their toes." When a multinational company in Noida, Ceasefire, breached norms of social distancing, resulting in a widespread infection of the virus in local areas, Yogi airdashed to this industrial town bordering Delhi to make an on-the-spot assessment of the situation. Within hours, he took severe action against the fragile set of bureaucracy which acted late to contain the pandemic from spreading in the hotspot and buffer areas. He was quick to remove the District Magistrate and later the Chief Medical Officer(CMO) of Noida.

"Not only in Noida, see what happened in Moradabad, where the situation could have been worse. But our CM's pro-active approach has somehow controlled the spread of coronavirus in a state which has more population than several bigger countries of the West," says Gopal Krishna Agarwal, BJP's national spokesperson.

Everyday after his breakfast, the Chief Minister holds another round of meeting with his key officials at his residence, 5, Kalidass Marg, in Lucknow. In this meeting Yogi reviews the situation with Additional Chief Secretary(Home), Director General of Police(DGP), and Principal Secretaries of various key departments, including health and family welfare.

Normally this meeting, which also discusses the day plan for the state, begins daily at 9 a.m. and often stretches up to an hour or beyond. "Yogi ji's remarkable quality is that he heeds his senior officials and tries to get to the root of the problem. His hands-on experience about the state is so good that no one can mislead him on any issue. Besides, when he talks to the officers, he always reiterates to work as a team," says Mrityunjay Kumar, media advisor to Yogi Adityanath.

During initial days of lockdown Yogi worked from his official residence, but later shifted to the new multi-storey Lok Bhawan, which houses the CM's jumbo secretariat. Once seated at the CM secretariat, by 10.30 am, Yogi calls his special core group, the special team-11, constituted to tackle the COVID-19.

Headed by a senior IAS officer, the team consists of important bureaucrats which reviews situations of medical emergency, progress in containment areas and general law and order during lockdown. For important instructions to the districts, the Chief Minister holds a massive video conference and tries to answer all queries while explaining his orders which he expects to be strictly implemented on the ground.

Around 2 p.m., Yogi returns to 5 Kalidass Marg where he is served lunch, which consists of a few vegetables and some fruits. Often, senior officials follow him to his residence in the afternoon too, as the file work never stops in India's biggest state having a population of over 23 crore.

"By spirit he is a Yogi. His daily ritual of offering prayers continues. He loves to feed cows. He meditates for sometime. But before dawn, all such rituals and yoga exercises are over. In fact all his energies are now focussed on governance," says an IAS officer of the UP cadre holding an important office at the secretariat.

By 4 p.m, , the CM is ready to hold another set of meetings with officials. "From police department to agriculture and from procurement of wheat in the harvesting season to distribution of PPE kits to medical staff, the CM talks to all the authorities and executes all the plans smoothly," a source in the CMO said.

Yogi rises at 4 a.m. and continues to work late at night. Apart from his personal staff, the other officials who are mostly seen with the CM these days are DGP, Hitesh Awasthi, Add Chief Secretary (Home) Avinish Awasthi and Principal Secretary Health Amit Mohan Prasad. For the CM, facts and figures play an important role. He personally monitors distribution of food in the state, the number of quarantine centres and shelter homes.

He enquires about the community kitchen services and keeps a daily update on that. Some of the complaints received through his networks are directly addressed by him. "Yogi ji works in a mission mode. In eastern UP, he has fought with encephalitis and in the same breath, he is fighting the corona now. Yogi ji has been running a very big charity hospital for years and through his experience, he understands how such diseases are to be tackled at ground zero," says Mrityunjay Kumar, who was an editor with a prominent Hindi newspaper before joining Yogi's office.

(Navneet Mishra can be accessed at navneet.m@ians.in)
Its always the first country that gets exposed to the pandemic that has a  really a higher moral obligation on communicating, on transparency, because all the other countries around the world are making decisions on that, Birx told ABCs This Week. And when we get through this as a global community, we can figure out really what has to happen for first alerts and transparency and understanding very early on about . . . how incredibly contagious this virus is.
Kumho Tire's Majesty9 tire / Courtesy of Kumho Tire



By Nam Hyun-woo



Kumho Tire's efforts to normalize its operations this year are picking up speed, after the company put an end to its three-year losing streak.



According to its earnings report, the tiremaker logged an operating profit of 83.8 billion won ($68.86 million) over the last year, swinging to a profit for the first time since 2016.



This came after CEO Jeon Dae-jin's pledge to normalize the company's operations following an investment from China's DoubleStar.



In June last year, Kim said "the company has been making a slew of cost-saving efforts, structural reforms and improvements in labor relations after DoubleStar's investment in 2018, and is expected to turn to profit in the second quarter (of 2019)." As he said, the company posted an operating profit of 27.3 billion won in the second quarter of that year, ending a 10-straight-quarter losing streak.



The company attributed its turnaround to the solid numbers in domestic replacement tire sales.



According to the Korea Tire Manufacturers Association, Kumho Tire sold 6.52 million tires in the domestic market throughout 2018, leading Korea's top three tiremakers  Kumho, Hankook Tire and Nexen Tire  with a 40.6 percent market share among them. The company said it is still leading the pack with its domestic market share.



Kumho's handsome number was led by the solid sales of its Majesty9 SOLUS TA91 for sedans and Crugen HP71 for SUVs. Of them, Majesty9 is drawing favorable customer responses, as its improved ride comfort and quietness appealed to luxury sedan drivers, the company said.



Along with the replacement tires, the company has been claiming a series of contracts for original equipment (OE) tires, referring to those equipped in vehicles in the factory. Since last year, Kumho Tire has been supplying OE tires for Kia Motors' Seltos small SUV, and recently began supplying OE tires for Audi vehicles.



Despite the improvements, Kumho Tire's share price was mired in a downward spiral amid the global car industry's downturn and the COVID-19 outbreak.



To buoy the share price, executives bought back the company's shares in February, with CEO Jeon purchasing 10,000 shares. In March, all executives returned 20 percent to 30 percent of their salaries as it is feared the coronavirus fallout could affect the company's profitability.



"Throughout this year, Kumho Tire will focus on stabilizing its brand value, enhancing sales network and regaining the market trust, in order to improve our sales capability and market readiness," a Kumho Tire official said. "Though a global economic slowdown is unfolding amid the COVID-19 outbreak, we are convinced we can overcome this crisis too."


Mera Bharat Mahaan: Coronavirus is not just affecting the people physically, it has also generated a fear and scare in the people. Considering the increasing number of cases in India, though the government is leaving no chance of making people aware of all the precautions, the current situations have developed a panic in many Indian hearts. Moreover, it will not be wrong to say that all the frontline heroes like the medical staff of the country along with the police people are leaving no stone unturned in abiding with their duties and are risking their lives for the nation.

Recently, Bollywood actor John Abraham shared a video where he is seen reciting a poem describing the current scenario of the country and the inner spirits of all the Indians, who are still not leaving hopes to win the battle against COVID-19. The poem is titled Mera Bharat Mahan and is penned by filmmaker Milap Zaveri. In the poem, John is seen throwing light on all the issues through which the country is currently going through and also praised Indian hearts for still being strong.

Revealing about the poem and its idea, John Abraham revealed that when the filmmaker came to him with this idea, he was very happy and wanted to become a part of this gesture to tell Indian minds that even after such a critical scenario, the entire nation has again come together and also added that he wanted to inspire people from this video.

Also Read: Lockdown diaries: Kartik Aaryan turns Hrithik Roshan for recreating a scene from Koi Mil Gaya, watch hilarious video

On the work front, John Abraham was last seen in a comedy-drama film Pagalpanti which released in December 2019 and is gearing up for his future projects like Mumbai Saga which is an action crime film, Attack and Satyameva Jayate 2.

For all the latest Entertainment News, download NewsX App
Joe Ghartey, Railways Development Minister, has visited the chiefs and people of Akwamu, Manya Krobo and Yilo Krobo Traditional Areas in the Eastern Region, following the outbreak of COVID-19 pandemic.



Mr Ghartey, who was accompanied on his tour by Mr Kwaku Agyenim Boateng, a Deputy Minister of Railways Development and Mr Eric Kwakye Daffour, the Eastern Regional Minister, paid courtesy calls on Odeneho Kwafo Akoto III, Omanhene of Akwamu Traditional Area; and Nene Sakite II, the Konor of Manya Krobo Traditional Area at their palaces at Akwamufie and Odumase Krobo respectively.



The delegation also met some chiefs from the Yilo Krobo Traditional Area at the Yilo Krobo District Assembly in Somanya.



It would be recalled that early this month, the Eastern Region recorded its first case of COVID-19 in the Lower Manya Krobo Municipality, when the patient, who is an Indian working with the company constructing the Tema-Mpakadan railway line, returned to Ghana after a visit to his home country.



So far, the number of COVID-19 cases within the Region along the Tema-Mpakadan railway enclave has risen above 20, of which all have being quarantined at AFCON camp B at Kpong in the Lower Manya Krobo Municipality.



Mr Ghartey, who offered COVID-19 relief items (such as veronica buckets, small-size basins, gallons of liquid soap and detergents, rice and gallons of cooking oil) to the three paramouncies, said the nation would rise to the challenge and overcome the outbreak.







The same kind gesture was extended by the Minister to the Asuogyaman District, the Lower Manya Krobo Municipal and Yilo Krobo Municipal Assemblies.



Mr Ghartey also presented an amount of GH10,000.00 and COVID-19 relief items and personal protective equipment (PPE) to the Lower Manya Krobo Municipal Health Directorate, as part of efforts to contain the disease outbreak.



He appealed to the traditional authorities to help educate the people on the COVID-19 pandemic and the need for them to follow the laid down protocols such as social distancing, handwashing with soap under running water and the use of alcohol based hand sanitisers to contain the disease.



He recalled that when the President was announcing the lockdown as part of measures to contain the COVID-19 pandemic, he exempted railway workers; Mr Gharety explained that due to the outbreak of the disease in the camp of the railway workers, work on the Tema-Mpakadan railway line had been suspended.



Owing to this unfortunate situation, he said, the scheduled deadline for the completion of the project in August this year would not be met.

Odeneho Akoto said prior to the outbreak of the disease in the traditional area, he had already establish the COVID-19 Fund as part of measures to contain the disease.



The Akwamuhene as well appealed to Government to help equip the District Health Directorate with the necessary tools and equipment such as the PPE, so that they would be in a position to deal swiftly with any COVID-19 cases.



On his part, Nene Sakite lauded President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo for his efforts and commitment towards containing the COVID-19 pandemic.



Mr Daffour appealed to members of the public to avoid stigmatizing COVID-19 patients; explaining that stigmatization would it make difficult for people with the virus to come forward and seek medical treatment.



Mr Samuel Kwame Agyekum, District Chief Executive, Asuogyaman District Assembly; Mr Kupualor Ebenezer Tetteh, Municipal Chief Executive (MCE), Yilo Krobo Municipality; and Mr Simon Kwaku Tetteh, MCE, Lower Manya Krobo Municipality, all expressed their gratitude to the Railway Ministry for the timely support.



Mr Bismark Sarkodie, Health Director, Lower Manya Krobo District, also expressed his profound gratitude to the Railway Minister for the timely intervention saying: I must say, this has come at the right time, when we are fighting this COVID-19; where you dont have the logistics and I am sure my men and women will be very happy.



He said the items would be shared equally among hospitals, clinics, health centres and chip compounds within the area, as part measures to contain the COVID-19 outbreak.

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.

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Director Amar Kaushik says like his last two films Stree and Bala, his next feature will also highlight a social issue, but this time it won't be gender specific.

The director said he started working on the script for the new film much before the nationwide lockdown was announced by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on March 24.

I am working on my next film, interacting with writers. It will highlight a social issue. They (social issues) come to me automatically. Like I do think, why only a girl or woman should clean the house, why not men? are ingrained in me in some way, Amar told PTI.

The director added unlike Stree, which subverted the treatment of women in the society, and Bala, a story about premature balding in men, his next will not be gender specific".

Without divulging any further details, Amar said the film is in a quirky space.

It is not that when I start, we think of making it quirky. The quirkiness comes automatically as and when we move ahead in writing.

The director believes growing up in different cities across the country has influenced him a lot as a storyteller.

I have lived in six to seven states so I have lived with people from different strata of society. I am a good observer and a good listener, so there are a lot of things I have seen and learnt.

I was born and brought up in Arunachal Pradesh, then I went to Kanpur, Chandigarh and other places. I have learnt a lot from these places. I would observe a lot of things. I use all that in my films," he said.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
President Akufo-Addo has expressed gratitude to Ghanaians for bearing with the State on the lockdown directive.

He admitted the directive has posed some challenges but has helped in the combating of the virus.

Mr Akufo-Addo is addressing the nation tonight on the measures his government is taking to fight the virus.

The decision to impose restrictions is backed by data and science, he says.

I requested all of us to sacrifice for our collective good and we have been doing just that, he says.

---Daily Guide
Its an ill wind that doesnt blow some good. My father often said this during troubling times. Our country and the world are experiencing troubled times now due to the COVID-19 pandemic. But what good could possibly come from this horrible scourge? Lessons learned. Lets look at a few.

 Due to the restrictions imposed by governments to help mitigate the spread of the virus, Americans today are experiencing what life is always like in socio-communistic societies, the loss of basic freedoms our country has always enjoyed. We are told what is allowed, when, with whom and where.

 Globalists who have moved our supply chains offshore have endangered our national security.

 China is no friend of The U.S. While trade may still be necessary, we must no longer allow them to control our basic needs, like pharmaceuticals. It is China, not Russia, who is the greater threat to U.S. elections.

There is a common thread running through each of these that stands in the path of success: The Democratic Party. Not rank-and-file Democrats, but rather party leadership, the Progressives as they like to be called, are globalists.

During the last three years, our country has built and benefitted from perhaps the worlds greatest economy ever, and the Democratic leadership has fought it every step of the way.

It has harassed, investigated and attempted to impeach. It has exhibited no leadership, and clearly cannot be entrusted with the ship of state of this great country.

T. Larry Mell, La Crosse

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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
TRENTON, N.J.>> Using his cats blanket as green screen, history teacher Bill Smith recorded himself teaching a lesson on New Jerseys underground railroad, taking student viewers on a tour of sites including a river where slave hunters would try to reenslave people attempting crossings.

The lesson was broadcast over television airwaves for the states homebound students, part of an effort to keep children engaged in learning during the coronavirus outbreak.

This is such a weird, strange and tragic time, said Smith, a teacher at Southern Regional High School in Stafford Township, New Jersey. The televised lessons like the one he volunteered for can provide something that regardless of where a student is in the state of New Jersey, they can see a teacher and they can learn from them.

Teachers have begun recording classes at home, using whatever technology they can, for television in places including New Jersey, Nebraska and New Mexico, where officials have partnered with broadcasters to help students feel connected and to overcome hurdles with access to the technology needed for distance learning.

Its one approach among many that public media stations around the country are taking to boost the availability of educational programming while schools are closed.

New Jerseys televised lessons began April 6 in a partnership involving the state Education Department; the states biggest teachers union, the New Jersey Education Association; and the states public broadcaster, NJTV. The hourlong episodes air on weekdays for students in grades three through six. The NJTV staff, which is also working remotely, has produced the programs and put them on air.

We didnt know if we could. Whats the saying? Necessity is the mother of all invention, NJTV General Manager John Servidio said.

The broadcasts are resonating with students.

Colin Powers, 9, was so inspired by a teachers televised lesson that he wrote about a half-dozen of his own poems. In a phone interview, Colin and his dad, Tim Powers, pointed out one of their favorites, which evokes some of the new realities families face.

Kabam! The door slammed. Its me coming home from school. That does not happen in the time were living in, Colin, a fourth grader, read. The door only opens when youre going outside to play. Nocka Nocka! Its the mailman. We have to scrub, scrub the package.

Kimberly Dickstein Hughes, a high school English teacher in Haddonfield, New Jersey, helped to coordinate the project as part of her sabbatical after winning the State Teacher of Year award this year. On the day it launched, she got emotional seeing positive comments on social media about the lessons.

I was getting really choked up, she said. What it really reinforced for me was that the education community will really rally for children and do whatever it takes to ensure some sense of normalcy in an otherwise abnormal time.

The televised lessons are intended as a supplement to remote coursework that is happening simultaneously, according to the state Education Department. While most students have access to home internet and computers, some do not, and education officials note the public broadcast channel reaches statewide.

The lessons are tailored for grades three through six because students who are older appear to be getting more out of distance learning, and younger students might lack the attention span for an hourlong program, according to state education officials.

In cities including Boston and Los Angeles, broadcasters and educators are finding ways to emphasize programs that might have educational value for children, like Nova and Nature.

There are some upsides to being home, like getting to do schoolwork wherever he wants  even the front lawn sometimes, Colin Powers said. But he misses his friends.

Its pretty tough, but I think my family is going through it pretty well, he said, pointing out that no one in his family was sick.
The coronavirus situation is extraordinary and unprecedented, perhaps a first such experience in the lifetime for many of us. His Holiness the Dalai Lama says some friends ask him if he could use his magical powers to heal the world.

But he doesnt have any, he says. But as human beings, we have the capacity to use our minds to conquer anger and panic and greed, he says. The spiritual leader says that in these testing times, it is an opportunity to show compassion to others and only collective effort and will can help up out of it. This crisis ...
The Centres revised guidelines to restart some economic activity come into force on Monday, but there will be no relaxations in the lockdown in most of the big urban centres, including Delhi and Mumbai, since these fall in red zones.

Broadly, red zones are areas where Covid-19 patients are increasing, orange zones are areas where patients have been found but numbers are not rising, and green zones are where there are no positive cases. Delhi Chief Minister (CM) Arvind Kejriwal on Sunday said his government would not relax the lockdown and the situation will be reviewed on ...
An unlikely saviour has been found for one of the countrys finest Elizabethan mansions which was destroyed in a mysterious fire.

Step forward James Perkins, who made his fortune from raves before becoming a property developer with a taste for the eccentric.

Walk into one of his many refurbishments, and you are likely to encounter a four-poster bed resembling a classical temple or a stuffed lion wearing a crown. Now, James, 50, who was regarded as the king of the 1990s rave scene, has snapped up Grade I-listed Parnham House in Dorset, which was once valued at 15 million but was on the market for a cut-price 2.5 million.

James Perkins, pictured right with Sophie Taylor, left, made his fortune from raves before becoming a property developer with a taste for the eccentric

Now, James, 50, who was regarded as the king of the 1990s rave scene, has snapped up Grade I-listed Parnham House in Dorset, which was once valued at 15 million but was on the market for a cut-price 2.5 million after it was destroyed in a fire

James' own home features this Oak painted off-white four poster bed resembling a classical temple

The house has a tragic history. Its former owners, financier Michael Treichl and his Vogue model wife Emma, spent millions lovingly restoring the 16th Century property.

But it was largely destroyed by a suspected arson attack in April 2017, losing most of its roof and internal structure. Austrian-born Michael was found drowned in Lake Geneva a few weeks after his arrest on suspicion of arson.

Parnham will be a challenging project, even for someone like James. He already owns celebrity playground Aynhoe Park, a 28-bedroom pile in Northamptonshire, which is hired out for weddings and boasts the temple-style four-poster.

He made his fortune as a co-founder of Fantazia, a dance music powerhouse which put on a series of legal raves  most notably at Castle Donington in 1992, which attracted 30,000 people.

Since moving into property development, a number of his projects, which include Dowdeswell Park and the Round Tower, both in the Cotswolds, have won awards for their sensitivity and architectural ambition.

He bought Aynhoe, a grand 17th Century Palladian mansion, in 2006, after flying over it in a helicopter. Described as Downton-meets-Wonderland, it boasts 250 acres landscaped by Capability Brown, a private nightclub in the cellar, and an eccentric art and taxidermy collection, including a polar bear in flying goggles.

Run by James and his creative director wife Sophie Taylor, it regularly hosts celebrity weddings and parties. Noel Gallagher celebrated his 50th birthday there.

Jamess plans for Parnham, near Beaminster, remain unclear, although it is understood Historic England has insisted three external walls are kept intact and that the property remains a home.

Historic England said experts would soon be meeting the new owner. The property remains vulnerable and we would all like to see restoration works begin soon, a spokesman added.
Beirut, Lebanon  We have never seen days this dark, says Souzan, a 50-year-old mother of two.

Speaking by phone from her small home in Beiruts southern suburbs, nearly a month into the countrys lockdown to stem the spread of COVID-19, Souzan summed up the dire conditions confronting her and thousands of Lebanese.

Its worse than the war, she told Al Jazeera.

The past six months have brought hardships unseen in Lebanon even during the bitter days of its 15-year civil conflict that ended in 1990. Decades of corruption and financial mismanagement by warlords-turned-politicians and a cabal of business elites combined with the war next door in Syria to plunge Lebanons economy into its worst crisis in living memory.

Already ravaged livelihoods are now buckling under the economic disruptions of the coronavirus pandemic, forcing people like Souzan  who asked her surname not be used  to seek aid for the first time in their lives.

A fraction of those in need qualify for government assistance. But a promised lifeline from the state has yet to materialize for tens of thousands of people, and cries for help in the country are growing more desperate.

Human Rights Watch (HRW) warned earlier this month that unless a robust aid programme is established, millions of Lebanese may go hungry. This in a country of more than six million, of which some 1.5 million are Syrian and Palestinian refugees.

But programmes take time, and the government is running out of it. People are hungry. Now. And they are taking their anger to the streets.

We have never seen days this dark Souzan, 50-year-old mother of two

Slow burn ignites into full-blown crisis

The International Monetary Fund (IMF) predicts that Lebanons economy will contract by a staggering 12 percent this year  by far the most severe downturn in the Middle East and the third-deepest recession forecast for the world, behind Venezuela and Chad.

Lebanons financial meltdown burned slowly for a decade, only to ignite into an inferno last year as the Lebanese pound went into freefall, making a mockery of the currencys 23-year peg that officially values it at 1,500 Lebanese pounds to $1.

On the parallel market  which more accurately reflects the true value, the Lebanese pound is worth roughly half that much.

As the economy went into freefall, Lebanon witnessed an unprecedented anti-establishment uprising in October last year where hundreds of thousands called for accountability over corruption, economic reform and the downfall of civil war-era politicians.

Lebanons fiscal challenges are manifold. The country is weighed down by the third-highest debt to gross domestic product (GDP) ratio in the world  a burden for which it has little to show. And Lebanons creditworthiness is in tatters, having defaulted on a $1.2bn Eurobond payment last month  the first sovereign debt default in the countrys history.

The government is now talking over its financial rescue plan with the IMF. The blueprint calls for at least $10bn in foreign aid which is looking less likely as prospective donor countries manage their own economic survival amid the pandemic.

Since last fall, thousands of people have lost jobs or had their salaries slashed in half  and what remains of those salaries is now only worth half as much. Banks have stopped giving out US dollars due to a chronic shortage of greenbacks. Withdrawal limits are in place even on local currency.

Into this maelstrom came COVID-19. The government has responded to the pandemic with a month-old nationwide lockdown and an overnight curfew  measures designed to contain the virus, but are dealing a deathblow to fragile livelihoods.

Booby-trapped aid

Three weeks ago, Lebanons newly installed government pledged to give 187,500 families in need $130 each to help them weather the crisis  enough to pay an average rent for one or two months.

None of that aid has been disbursed yet. The government blames politics.

About 150,000 of families eligible for the cash payment were supposed to have their names registered with the National Poverty Targeting Program, a World-Bank-affiliated initiative to help Lebanons most poor. But Prime Minister Hassan Diab said on Thursday the database of recipients had been booby-trapped in order to serve political and electoral goals  suggesting that families had been selected based on their political party affiliation and loyalty, rather than actual needs.

As a result, some 100,000 families who landed in the database would not be receiving cash payments, said Diab.

Diverting state funds to buy political loyalty has long been the norm in Lebanon, and the country regularly ranks among the most corrupt countries in the world.

Former Social Affairs Minister Richard Kouyoumjian confirmed to Al Jazeera that many names were chosen by political parties. But later added that some 44,000 names had been vetted and passed stringent criteria to receive aid.

The government says aid will now be dispersed in the next few days to allow time for the Lebanese Army, one of the countrys only respected institutions, to audit the names in the database.

when an old woman or man calls you and cries because they don't have food for their kids, you will give them the flesh off your bones Mahmoud Kataya, anti-corruption activist and community aid organiser

Defying lockdown

While the government struggles to give meagre aid to only a fraction of those in need, the numbers falling into poverty grow by the day.

Social Affairs Minister Ramzi Moucharafieh estimated earlier this week that some 75 percent of the population is in need of assistance.

But with none forthcoming from the state for the majority, people are turning to begging, or relying on the goodwill of groups organising donations.

Mahmoud Kataya, a 40-year-old activist with anti-corruption NGO the Corruption Observatory, has been managing aid deliveries to families in need in Beirut, along with activists he met during the protests.

While he says they had initial success in gathering donations to support hundreds of families, he warned that resources are running dry, and those passing out aid are now paying out of their own nearly empty pockets.

The problem is that, when an old woman or man calls you and cries because they dont have food for their kids, you will give them the flesh off your bones, he said. But how long can we go on with these campaigns? How long can we live when he have lost half our salary and the bank has confiscated the rest?

For Abed, a 54-year-old father of two from Beirut, such kindness has become a lifeline. He told Al Jazeera on Friday that he was going to ask a neighbour for a bread donation later in the day, something the metal-worker said he has never done before.

Im ashamed, he said. My neighbours are helping me but were all pretty much in the same situation.

Abid, who asked Al Jazeera to withhold his surname, said he owes three months rent on his house, two months rent on his small shop, and has not been able to work a day in the past month due to the lockdown.

As conditions become more dire, people are defying the governments stay-at-home orders to voice their discontent in the streets.

Protests have erupted in Beirut, Sidon, Tripoli and the town of Aley on Thursday and Friday, in complete violation of social distancing measures and the curfew in place.

While the anti-establishment protests that erupted last year called for freedom, secularism and unity, the tone of demonstrations has shifted to something more visceral and immediate; an outcry of people fighting for their very survival.

Get off our backs, we are hungry, those in Aley chanted as they marched through dark streets. We want to eat, we want to live.
The class of 2020 in Southeast Texas will complete their high school career after suffering historic disruptions. What started with a tropical flood and refinery explosion has finished with a global pandemic that ended their final year months in advance.

At the end of the day, interruptions have been everywhere, said Whitley Hoyland, who will graduate from Orangefield High School this year. They have been the entirety of my high school career, and I dont think they are going anywhere.

Hoyland is part of a small class of less than 200 people graduating Orangefield High School who faced devastating loss after Tropical Storm Harvey inundated the region in 2017. Many lost their homes and missed more than a month of school.

Tropical Depression Imelda last year flooded Hoylands home again, shortly after they moved back.

After that flood was when I looked up and I said, Man, what is going on? What is up with these floods? What is up with my class? Something is wrong, Hoyland said.

Port Neches-Groves was one of the first schools to announce that they would extend their spring break after polling parents on how far they traveled, and weighing the risk of spreading the virus upon return.

They have not yet returned and wont for the foreseeable future. Gov. Greg Abbott announced Friday that schools would remain closed for the rest of the school year.

Out of all the districts in the region, PN-G may have had some of the worst interruptions this school year.

TaShina Williams lives about three minutes away from TPC Group, the chemical plant at which a fire led to two explosions late last year. Homes for miles around were damaged. Schools were shuttered for weeks as the danger of lingering butadiene gas prompted an emergency evacuation.

It was so loud. The whole house shook and it was traumatic, Williams said. There is still some stuff that I kind of experience now, like loud noises and whatnot  and that had an effect on the whole community.

That same month, foreign actors launched a cyberattack on the district, holding files hostage and disrupting their internet systems.

It didnt really affect anything but some dual credit courses I was taking with UT. We had to have our due dates pushed back, and it was hard because we couldnt really get on the internet and work on assignments we had to do, Williams said. And that led into the explosion, so it was just a tough time.

Port Neches-Groves High School Principal Scott Ryan said after the return from the explosion that he would fight for a normal and uneventful end to the senior year after the tumultuous beginning.

Three months later, the schools transitioned to distance learning as cases of coronavirus began to rise in Southeast Texas. With the closures, end-of-school-year traditions such as prom, senior night and final sporting events and performances have all been put on hold.

These experiences were supposed to have been these memories that are just rites-of-passage memories, Hoyland said. It is not like we had to earn this memory. We were supposed to get it. You dont have to have grades or money or anything to graduate.

PN-G has not canceled their graduation ceremony but has instead moved it to The Reservation on May 21 at 7 p.m., though Abbotts order to shut down schools for the rest of the year could impact that.

Nederland last week announced they were holding their graduation at Ford Park on May 28 at 7 p.m.

In the event that closures and social distancing restrictions are still in place, the district announced two alternative dates including June 23 and July 21, also at 7 p.m.

The plans for project graduation, an event held for seniors at the school following the graduation ceremony are pending, with updated information being posted as soon as possible.

These things kind of bit by bit, are just being stripped from us, Hoyland said, And we made the most of it because the things that were stripped from us, we made up for in other ways, in other areas of life that like, you know, other people dont get to experience.

Whitley Hoyland and her mother were getting ready to go to Austin to tour her college of choice in September of last year.

We were scheduled to go for a visit and had all the tours and everything scheduled in September, and the day we were leaving was the day of Imelda to hit and we flooded, Hoylands mother said. So, obviously, we did not get to go then.

Their rescheduled trip was supposed to take place over spring break.

Then when they started shutting things down, you know, they shut Austin shut down first with South by Southwest, it was like, Oh, this might not happen, she said. And then as it got closer  it was evident (we were) not going to get to go do that either.

In lieu of her originally planned graduation pictures, Hoyland posed in a medical mask with toilet paper behind her head  indicative of the mad dash to stock up on toilet paper that became a hallmark of the panic at the beginning of the pandemic.

My mother is the best at bringing light and humor to a not funny at all situation, Hoyland said. She just has a way with her ideas and thoughts.  We didnt need to put a caption because it was so self-explanatory. It kind of hits you in the gut.

But the disruptions from floods are different. They have a timetable, and an end.

So the first hurricane, you know, like I experienced this 2005 and I remember waiting and we went to go see  my grandma and I remember being young and like in a house and all of that, Tanner said. So from that, I just remember  going to pack up and leave or like, you know, you stock up on the bread or for a few days. But I think were so used to hurricanes that it doesnt phase us anymore. Like we know that its going to end. We know theres going to be a light at the end of the end of the tunnel and a week or so, and were used to, Oh, one week of school might be out or a few days, everything will be fine, but with this, we dont know when its going end.

In addition, the slow-burning disaster is not isolated to the region.

I think we are used to Southeast Texas as a whole being hurt, Tanner said. We are not used to having to share this kind of pain with the whole world. Usually everyone is like pray for the people who have the hurricane issues, and we know the time of year when they come and what to expect.

With the unpredictable nature of the virus, and differing plans for restarting the economy across the country, seniors are tempering their expectations for the next step.

At the end of the day, I had to realize that there is no way of figuring it out or setting expectations and goals or setting an idea of what it should be, because everything is constantly changing, Hoyland said. Since I havent actually gone to UT yet, I dont know how it will be.

Williams, who plans on going to Louisiana State University, said the dismal outlook for the economy is inspiration for her to find economic solutions to help save jobs in the case of a similar future event.

Seeing how everyone has lost their jobs  I hope we will be able to look back and say, This is what we need to do. That way, if something like this happens again, we are prepared, she said. I will be able to possibly help some of these people.

Tanner said despite the dangers the pandemic poses, she wants to study to be a nurse.

I just want to help others she said. I want to help heal others and help bring good health to people. But it definitely is scary, especially seeing people who do work in hospitals pass away from contracting the COVID, that is scary and its real. And I understand its part of the job. But its something that does kind of like freak me out, I guess. Just to know, like me doing my job, me helping others could cost me my life.

For Tanner, Hoyland and Williams, the next step is uncertain, but they are taking the unpredictable situation in stride.

It is all going to be an experience in itself, Hoyland said. It isnt necessarily the experience that I wanted. It wasnt necessarily the experience that I thought I was going to get, but I am the type of person to make the best out of something.

Through it all, Hoyland and her mother both said the community of Southeast Texas has been the one thing that held them together.

Through two floods and a pandemic, everything has been about community and coming together  while in this case also staying apart, Hoyland said. And I think that is definitely something that is in the 409, in Texas itself, maybe it is something about the water because other places people dont get to say that. They dont get to say people they have never met came in and helped muck out my house, or stayed home for weeks to save other people.

isaac.windes@hearstnp.com

twitter.com/isaacdwindes
Mahindra Group Chairman Anand Mahindra on Sunday asked if physical retailers could be allowed to do home deliveries of non-essentials after the government's move to bane-commerce players from home delivery of the same items during the lockdown.

Mahindra was responding to a tweet by Commerce and Industry Minister Piyush Goyal who thanked Prime Minister Narendra Modi for "the clarification that e-commerce companies can only supply essential goods during the lockdown. This will create a level playing field for small retailers."



Reacting to the minister's tweet, Mahindra tweeted, "Appreciate the sentiment. But it's about sharing misfortune instead of opening up opportunities for good fortune."



He further said, "Could physical retailers be permitted to home-deliver 'non-essentials?' I'd trust my small neighbourhood stores more than e-comm cos to deliver reliably & speedily."He also agreed with suggestion that if technology companies can help physical neighbourhood stores to get online, it would help them in doing home deliveries that could help in restarting manufacturing and supply chain.

"...Especially that this will help us get the supply chain back on its feet earlier rather than later. But my local stores don't even need to be online...we usually order by phone...," Mahindra said in a another tweet.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Jamie Hale/The Oregonian

Trails and natural spaces across Oregon remain closed due to the coronavirus pandemic this spring, keeping hikers away just as wildflower season begins.



As Oregonians remain isolated close to home, countless beautiful wildflowers bloom on the hills of the Columbia Gorge, in prairies near the Wallowa Mountains, on cliffs lining the Oregon coast and in fields around the Willamette Valley.



This year, the flowers will bloom unimpeded by human presence, a rare moment for wild spaces, but a missed opportunity for those who love soaking up the colors, the scents and the views that come with wildflower hikes around the state.



Friends of the Columbia Gorge manages a few wildflower-strewn trails in the natural scenic area, including Mosier Plateau, one of the newest and most popular spots for hikers. Kevin Gorman, executive director of the nonprofit, said while it's certainly hard to miss out on one of Oregon's rites of spring, it's a necessary sacrifice in the name of public health.



"The wildflowers will be more than happy," Gorman said. "It won't hurt, it will help make that ecosystem a little more rich, a little more connected and strengthened than it would be otherwise."



And when people can finally get back out among the wildflowers, he said, we might feel a little more connected to them as well.



"Honestly, I think if people go back out there after all of this, I think they'll probably be a little more respectful and a little more careful of the landscape," Gorman said.



For now, we'll all have to appreciate the beautiful flowers from afar. Here are 20 wildflower landscapes from the Columbia Gorge and around Oregon, taken in previous years when access was allowed.



MORE PRETTY PICTURES OF OREGON:

25 photos of Oregon in spring

20 beautiful sunsets

30 Oregon waterfalls

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Jamie Hale/The Oregonian

The Wallowa Mountains dominate the horizon on the Horned Lark Trail in the Zumwalt Prairie of northeast Oregon.

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Jamie Hale/The Oregonian

Sticky geranium flowers bloom in the green grassy hills of the Zumwalt Prairie of northeast Oregon.

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Purple camas lilies bloom in the grassy hills of the Zumwalt Prairie in the foothills of the Wallowa Mountains in northeast Oregon.

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Mount Hood is seen beyond a meadow full of yellow balsam root flowers at Dalles Mountain Ranch, a section of Columbia Hills State Park on the Washington side of the Columbia River Gorge.

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A bee gathers pollen on a yellow balsam root flower at Dalles Mountain Ranch, a section of Columbia Hills State Park on the Washington side of the Columbia River Gorge.

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A paved universal access trail gives great views of Mount Hood, wildflowers and the Columbia River at Catherine Creek near Lyle, Washington.

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Purple lupine flowers bloom at Catherine Creek, a recreation area found on the Washington side of the Columbia River Gorge.

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Hikers make their way past yellow balsamroot wildflowers blooming on the slopes of Dog Mountain, as a gray mist hangs over the Columbia River Gorge.

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Yellow balsamroot wildflowers bloom on the slopes of Dog Mountain, as a gray mist hangs over the Columbia River Gorge.

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Indian Paintbrush flowers bloom at Thunder Rock Cove, a viewpoint found within the Samuel H. Boardman State Scenic Corridor on the southern Oregon coast.

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Pink wildflowers bloom along the rocky shores of the central Oregon coast, on the 804 Trail in Yachats.

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An anise swallowtail butterfly is perched on a western red columbine flower in the Mill Creek Wilderness of the Ochoco National Forest in central Oregon.

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Wildflowers bloom at the Camassia Natural Area, a small public park in West Linn.

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A pink fawn lily blooms in the early part of wildflower season on the trail leading to the summit of Saddle Mountain in Oregon's Coast Range.

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Hikers walk a trail at the Tom McCall Nature Preserve at Rowena Crest in the Columbia River Gorge.

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Wildflowers bloom at the Tom McCall Nature Preserve at Rowena Crest in the Columbia River Gorge.

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Wildflowers bloom at the Tom McCall Nature Preserve at Rowena Crest in the Columbia River Gorge.

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A butterfly pollinates a wildflower on the trail to Ice Lake, on a hike through the Eagle Cap Wilderness in the Wallowa-Whitman National Forest.

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Purple-stemmed asters bloom alongside the trail to Ice Lake, on a hike through the Eagle Cap Wilderness in the Wallowa-Whitman National Forest.

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Small purple wildflowers grow along the trail leading up to Pilot Rock, a volcanic plug found within the Cascade-Siskiyou National Monument in southern Oregon.

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--Jamie Hale; jhale@oregonian.com; 503-294-4077; @HaleJamesB

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NEW YORK - Tony Award-nominated actor Nick Cordero has had his his right leg amputated after suffering complications from the coronavirus, his wife says.

Hey there, time traveller!

This article was published 18/4/2020 (633 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

FILE - In this April 10, 2014 file photo, actor Nick Cordero attends the after party for the opening night of "Bullets Over Broadway" in New York. Tony Award-nominated actor Cordero, who specialized in playing tough guys on Broadway, will have to have his right leg amputated after suffering complications from the coronavirus, his wife Amanda Koots said on Instagram, Saturday, April 18, 2020. (Photo by Brad Barket/Invision/AP, File)

NEW YORK - Tony Award-nominated actor Nick Cordero has had his his right leg amputated after suffering complications from the coronavirus, his wife says.

Amanda Kloots on Instagram wrote late Saturday that Cordero made it out of surgery alive and is headed to his room to rest and recover.

Cordero had been treated with blood thinners to help with clotting in his leg, but his doctors had to stop the treatment because it was causing internal bleeding.

We took him off blood thinners but that again was going to cause some clotting in the right leg, so the right leg will be amputated today, she said earlier Saturday.

Cordero entered the intensive care unit at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles on March 31 and has been on a ventilator and unconscious after contracting COVID-19.

His wife has been sending him daily videos of her and their 10-month-old son, Elvis, so he could see them when he woke up, and urging friends and fans to join a daily sing-a-long. A GoFundMe fundraiser has raised over $200,000.

Ready, Pet, Go! Leesa Dahl looks at everything to do with our furry, fuzzy, feathered, fishy (and more!) pet friends. Arrives in your inbox each Monday. Sign Up I agree to the Terms and Conditions, Cookie and Privacy Policies, and CASL agreement.

Cordero played a mob soldier with a flair for the dramatic in 2014 in Broadways Woody Allen 1994 film adaptation of Bullets Over Broadway," for which he received a Tony nomination for best featured actor in a musical. He moved to Los Angeles to star in Rock of Ages.

The lanky Cordero originated the menacing role of husband Earl opposite his estranged wife, played by Jessie Mueller, in Waitress on Broadway, as well as the role of Sonny in Chazz Palminteris A Bronx Tale.

On the small screen, Cordero appeared in several episodes of Blue Bloods and Law & Order: Special Victims Unit as well as Lilyhammer and he had a role in the film Going in Style.

The virus has sickened other Broadway veterans, including the actors Danny Burstein, Brian Stokes Mitchell, Gavin Creel, Aaron Tveit and Laura Bell Bundy as well as composer David Bryan. It has also claimed the life of Tony-winning playwright Terrence McNally.

___

Mark Kennedy is at http://twitter.com/KennedyTwits
WASHINGTON - President Donald Trump's campaign is preparing to launch a broad effort aimed at linking Joe Biden to China, after concluding that it would be more politically effective than defending or promoting Trump's response to the coronavirus pandemic.

The decision by top campaign advisers, which has met pushback from some White House officials and donors, reflects polling showing a declining approval rating for Trump among key groups and growing openness to supporting Biden in recent weeks, according to officials familiar with the data who spoke on the condition of anonymity to discuss internal deliberations.

The shift represents a remarkable acknowledgment by aides to a self-described a "wartime president," leading during what might have been a rally-around-the-flag moment, to effectively decide it is better to go on the attack than focus on his own achievements. Campaign polling found more than three-quarters of voters blamed China for the coronavirus outbreak, underscoring the potential benefits of tying the presumptive Democratic nominee to Beijing.

The planned China push, which has already been embraced by pro-Trump outside groups, comes as both the Trump and Biden campaigns have been anxiously recalibrating their plans in response to the most catastrophic economic and health crisis in the United States in generations. The two title contenders for the 2020 elections are finally set, but neither campaign, with their mismatched strengths and weaknesses, knows what the election arena will look like.

With the public distracted by economic collapse and disease, strategists have been trying to craft campaign blueprints that can accommodate everything from a country that reopens this summer to a fall election season without any door-knocking or massive rallies and with limited Election Day voting in person. They also face a challenge in inducing persuadable voters to focus on politics when they are consumed by their personal situations.

The Biden campaign faces an uphill battle with limited money to scale up its campaign to match the overwhelming scale and reach of the Trump operation, as the Democrats' likely candidate is forced to operate from his basement recreation room while the president hosts daily events from the White House. Meanwhile, Trump's reelection slogan "Keep America Great," still printed on $30 campaign hats for sale online, now seems like a relic of a lost era before more than 37,000 deaths from the virus and about 22 million Americans seeking unemployment benefits in the last four weeks.

Strategists for both parties now believe the election is likely to hinge on the question of which candidate is better able to help the country recover from the pandemic disaster. Trump has been shown economic models that indicate double-digit unemployment could come to the United States, and some advisers, including Kellyanne Conway and Republican National Committee Chairwoman Ronna McDaniel, have begun thinking about how to sell a comeback narrative - with Trump's original asset of economic gains likely gone.

Conway, who remains in the West Wing, has emerged as a critic of the campaign team's decision to focus on China. And some who have seen newly produced anti-Biden ads - which largely feature footage of the former vice president making comments about China and a potential travel ban - have derided them as weak. As of Friday afternoon, Trump had not given the final green light to the ads, officials said, and the president sometimes vacillates on his position toward China.

"Any campaign ads should show the commander in chief, the wartime president, signing $2 trillion in relief for Americans, deploying the USNS Comfort, working with Democratic governors and G-7 leaders, standing from the podium flanked by Drs. Fauci and Birx, mobilizing the private sector," Conway said in an interview.

That view, at the moment, has not prevailed.

"Positive ads add nothing to him," said a Trump campaign official familiar with the internal polling who, like others interviewed for this story, spoke on the condition of anonymity to discuss internal deliberations. "It's not going to get us more votes."

Democrats say they welcome the China focus chosen by Trump, since they believe they can use it to highlight what they view as Trump's mismanagement of the crisis, including the president's past kind words for President Xi Jinping's handling of the early days of the virus spread.

"When Donald Trump was buying China's spin about containment of the virus, Joe Biden publicly warned him not to believe them," Biden campaign spokesman Andrew Bates said. "Now the American people are suffering and our economy is in meltdown."

The White House did not respond to a request for comment, while the Trump campaign declined to comment.

For weeks, Democrats have offered a unified front blaming the depth of the crisis on the president's leadership, even as they acknowledge that Trump did not create the viral threat.

"The day after the election we will look back at the coronavirus crisis as a moment where Trump lost substantial ground and missed probably his best opportunity to be successful," Democratic pollster Geoff Garin said. "All of the recent polling evidence is that Trump's leadership or more precisely his lack of leadership has hurt him, particularly in the last weeks."

But as Democrats seek to capitalize on the moment, they remain handicapped by a historic disadvantage in the size and scope of their campaign operations.

"Putting all of the events of the pandemic aside, Donald Trump was entering the election season with the greatest cash advantage of any incumbent president in American history," said Steve Schmidt, the 2008 presidential campaign manager for Sen. John McCain, who is supporting Biden in this election. "He also had the greatest technological advantage over his opponent in history."

That advantage, including more than $170 million in cash on hand between the Republican Party and the campaign, gives Trump a huge head start in reaching voters, with an extensive donor network and data operation that has been built over multiple campaign cycles. The Trump campaign also boasts a massive social media presence, which has been driving 1 million views a night to campaign briefings by Trump family members and other supporters broadcast primarily on Facebook.

The RNC, for instance, said volunteers had made 17 million phone calls since March 12.

Jim Messina, the campaign manager for President Barack Obama's 2012 reelection run, issued a public warning to Democrats in a recent appearance on a podcast hosted by David Plouffe, who managed Obama's 2008 effort. Messina says he tells his foreign political clients to model themselves on the digital-first tactics that have been pioneered by the Trump campaign.

"The numbers are pretty stark. Joe Biden has 4.6 million Twitter followers. Donald Trump has 75 million. Joe Biden has 1.7 million Facebook fans. Donald Trump has 28 million," Messina said. "Biden's first virtual online chat got 5,000 people. Just one with [presidential daughter-in-law] Lara Trump gets 945,000."

- - -

Both Messina and Plouffe have urged the Biden campaign to move quickly and begin organizing and contacting voters while they are still at home. But the Biden campaign, which succeeded in the primaries despite an underfunded and understaffed operation, has announced few new hires in recent weeks. The campaign now regularly coordinates on communications, technology and data with the Democratic National Committee, but the two groups are still working on striking a joint fundraising agreement, a crucial step that will dramatically increase Biden's fundraising ability.

Like the Trump campaign in 2016, the Biden operation will have to rely heavily on the infrastructure that has been built for it by his national and state parties. The Democratic operation is far larger than in 2016 but still much smaller than the Republican infrastructure. The campaign has separately been struggling with divisions in the high-dollar donor committee, after Biden distanced himself from the super PAC that helped him through the primary in favor of a group that worked to elect Clinton and Obama.

Without an ability to broadcast his message like Trump does, some Democrats worry that Biden will struggle through the summer to get out his message, a common problem for candidates running against incumbent presidents. Since 1932, only two incumbents, Jimmy Carter and George H.W. Bush, have failed to win reelection.

"He's having a hard time breaking through," said one Democratic member of Congress from a battleground state, who spoke on the condition of anonymity in order to be frank about the presidential race. "I still hear people saying that the president cares."

Other party veterans have been coming forward with warnings. Though polls show bright spots for Biden in battlegrounds states, his overarching theme of "restoring the soul of the nation" is weaker than messages that other Democrats pushed in the primary, according to a recent survey conducted by Democratic pollster Stan Greenberg.

About 54 percent of respondents in more than a dozen battleground states felt more positive toward Biden after hearing his pitch that the country is in a "battle for the soul of America." In comparison, 63 percent had more positive feelings after hearing a message about tackling corruption in America - similar to one pushed by Sen. Elizabeth Warren.

And 85 percent of voters who backed Sanders in the primary over Biden felt more positive about a generic candidate after hearing the corruption message, the poll found.

Greenberg warned that despite largely positive polling, they should not get too confident. "Do they begin to think like Clinton that this race is certain and I'm now going to focus on governing?" Greenberg asked. "Or does he genuinely try to avoid that kind of defection that took place in 2016?"

But he's one of the few Democrats sounding any kind of alarm. "People view Biden as safe, as honest, as decent," said Joe Wineke, former Wisconsin Democratic Party chairman, who believes Biden will do well there. "He's like my comfortable old shoe. And I like my comfortable old shoe."

In Ohio, a state that many Democrats have dismissed as unwinnable, former governor Ted Strickland said that Trump's handling of the disease has been so inept that the state should be back on the table for Democrats in November.

"I"m not saying that we're going to win Ohio, but I do think that the circumstances have changed to the point where we have a fighting chance to win Ohio," he said. "What's happening in Ohio and around the country - but certainly in Ohio - is a much larger problem than I had to deal with the Great Recession."

Experts who are advising Biden agree that the election will hinge on how the country is affected by the virus. "From Biden's perspective, your political fortunes hinge on the quality of your job, how well you do your job," said Jared Bernstein, a longtime Biden economic adviser. "From Trump's perspective, your political fortunes hinge on how well you can convince people you're doing your job."

- - -

While Biden struggles to build his campaign, Trump's advisers have been struggling to keep the White House and campaign operations on the same page, a common challenge in the non-hierarchical structure that surrounds the president. White House senior adviser Jared Kushner, Trump's son-in-law, has been overseeing the campaign from his office in the West Wing but has focused of late on a sprawling coterie of coronavirus tasks, people close to him say.

For example, Trump campaign manager Brad Parscale did not initially know that Trump had plucked Kayleigh McEnany from the campaign to become White House press secretary, according to two people familiar with the events. He first found out from news reports.

Trump has been constantly asking his advisers and outside allies about how he's doing and what the polling is showing, according to four people who have spoken to him.

Campaign and White House advisers have given Trump different - and sometimes contradictory - advice on when to reopen the economy, whether he should cut his lengthy news conferences and when he can have his first rallies again. None are scheduled, but some, like Conway, have argued that outdoor rallies are possible. Many allies want the briefings shorter.

Trump's campaign has been testing ads hitting Biden on comments he has made about China going back to 1979 after internal campaign polls, shared with Trump, found the president's approval ratings sagging, particularly among certain ethnic groups. Parscale briefed Trump on the polling in recent days, according to a campaign official.

Trump has also been briefed on internal polls that show his base voters want businesses to reopen in their states. In recent days, Trump has announced that he will defer to governors to make the decision, reversing his earlier claims that he would be in charge of the decisions.

One official said some in the White House were obsessed with growing Trump's overall approval ratings, noting that this number was unlikely to move much.

Parscale has repeatedly encouraged surrogates in recent calls and private conversations to hit Biden instead of just focusing on Trump and his coronavirus response, a strategy that echoes the approach Obama took in early 2012 to define GOP challenger Republican Mitt Romney.

McDaniel, the RNC chairwoman, has also embraced the polling showing that voters are angered by China's early response to the coronavirus. She has also joined in another emerging theme, hitting the 77-year-old Biden on his mental acuity and age, arguing that his advisers want to play "Biden seek," hiding the nominee from the limelight.

"When he does these library counterbriefings, they don't go well," McDaniel said of Biden. "I don't think the American people have dialed into the 2020 version of Joe Biden."

Democrats, who have long raised questions about Trump's mental stability, are likely to respond in kind.

Nonetheless, Trump, 73, has also joined in mocking Biden for his age and poor performance, though he told people that it sounded like there was nothing wrong with Biden after their phone conversation about the covid-19 response on April 6, according to two people familiar with his comments.

During a briefing last July with Republican lawmakers and aides at the White House, Trump joked that plastic surgery had hurt Biden's ability to think clearly, according to two people who attended the briefing.

"The best thing he's got going for him is Mueller," Trump said of Biden, a day after the special counsel who investigated Russian interference in the 2016 election, Robert Mueller III, had appeared shaky in testimony before Congress.

Talking about Biden, he pointed at his temple and shook his head, explaining that he did not think Biden was all the way with it, both of these people said. Allies say pointing out Biden's gaffes and incoherent sentences and seeming reliance on notes and staffers at times is key to their 2020 strategy.

In the meantime, outside groups have gone to war over the candidates' stances on China in anticipation of the campaign moves. Ads released last week by America First Action, a pro-Trump super PAC, alleged that Biden had "led the charge" to increase the power of China as part of the D.C. elite. American Bridge, a Democratic group, responded with super PAC ads accusing Trump of putting China's interest above America's in the coronavirus crisis.

It's a fight that is likely to escalate for the next several weeks. Brian Walsh, president of America First, said the group's ad targeting Biden over his stance toward China was not "rocket science" and was based on polling that shows growing American angst over Beijing's actions on issues ranging from trade to fentanyl. Such concerns are especially resonant in the Midwest and have been amplified by the spread of the coronavirus, a pandemic that originated in China, he said.

"I definitely have seen data that shows voters are very upset with China right now. As more and more gets uncovered, it is clear they were not forthcoming," McDaniel said.

The president has also continued to hammer China in recent days, telling senators and governors in separate calls Thursday that they should expect to hear him discuss the country more.

"I'm not happy about it. It's a disgrace," he said on the call with governors, according to audio obtained by The Washington Post, before telling them they'd learn more.
The Girl On the Bridge, (Part 1, Excerpt 42) by Bob Kranich This is a new story titled, The Girl On the Bridge. Its a short kind of funny ...
President Donald Trump speaks during a CCP Virus Task Force press briefing at the White House in Washington on April 18, 2020. (JIM WATSON/AFP via Getty Images)

Trump Suggests Re-Evaluating Relationship With China as Top Doctor Debunks Regimes Data

President Donald Trump suggested on Saturday that he would re-evaluate the United Statess relationship with China after the outbreak of the CCP (Chinese Communist Party) virus, commonly known as novel coronavirus.

Our relationship with China was good until they did this. Look, we just made a trade deal where China is going to have to buy $250 billion a year in our products,  $40 to $50 billion from the farmers. Then all of a sudden you heard about this, he told the press during a White House Coronavirus Task Force briefing.

The question was asked: Would you be angry at China? The answer might be a very well resounding Yes.

But it depends. Was it a mistake that got out of control? Or was it done deliberately? In either event, they should have let us go in.

We asked to go in very early and they would not let us in, Trump said.

Its not clear if Trump was referring to the origin of the CCP virus or the regimes lack of transparency about infections and deaths.

There are theories circulating that the virus may be connected to a biologic laboratory in Wuhanthe epicenter of the outbreak.

The United States is not the only country that has suggested it will review its relationship with the Chinese communist regime.

On Thursday, the UK foreign secretary and acting Prime Minister Dominic Raab said that Britains relationship with Beijing will no longer be business as usual after the COVID-19 pandemic is over.

Britains Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab speaks at the daily coronavirus news conference at 10 Downing Street in London, Britain April 16, 2020. (Andrew Parsons/10 Downing Street/Handout via REUTERS)

There absolutely needs to be a very, very deep dive after the event and review of the lessons, including of the outbreak of the virus, Raab said at a press conference in London. I dont think we can flinch from that at all.

When asked if there would be a reckoning with Beijing after the crisis ends, Raab, who is standing in for Prime Minister Boris Johnson as he recovers from the CCP virus, replied: Theres no doubt we cant have business as usual after this crisis, and well have to ask the hard questions about how it came about and how it could have been stopped earlier.

Top White House Doctor Debunks China Outbreak Data

The CCP virus, which causes the disease COVID-19, has been linked to at least 159,510 deaths globally and infected over 2.3 million people as of Saturday night, according to official government data collated 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 the regime ruling mainland China.

There are over 732,000 confirmed cases and 38,664 deaths in the United States, the data shows.

During the Task Force press briefing, a top doctor debunked the Chinese regimes data on the CCP virus outbreak.

Dr. Deborah Birx, the White House pandemic response coordinator who specializes in immunology, global health, and vaccine research, showed a slide with mortality rates for several countries.

According to the data, Belgium and Spain have reported the highest mortality rates, with 45.2 and 42.81 persons dying per 100,000 population respectively. The mortality rate for Italy, France, the United Kingdom, and the Netherlands are 37.64, 27.92, 21.97, and 20.14 respectively.

The mortality rate for the United States and Germany11.24 and 5.25 respectivelyfall at the lower end of reports.

However, Chinas reported mortality rate, which was singled out with an asterisk, is suspiciously low at 0.33.

I put China data there so you can see basically how unrealistic this could be, Birx said.

President Donald Trump points to an infographic during a press briefing with members of the White House CCP Virus Task Force in Washington on April 18, 2020. (Sarah Silbiger/Getty Images)

The data from China includes the CCPs recently revised numbers from Wuhan.

On Friday, Wuhan authorities increased their death toll reports by 1,290 to 3,869 cases. The authorities explained that the newly-added virus victims included some who died at home, The Epoch Times reported.

However, even with the revisions, Birx said she doubts that China could have a mortality rate magnitudes lower than the United Kingdom, France, Belgium, Italy, and Spain, given that they also have highly developed healthcare delivery systems, extraordinary doctors, nurses, and equipment.

Trump added that he believes the death toll in China should be much higher and the highest in the world: China is number one by a lot. They are way ahead of us in terms of death.

It is not even close, he added.

Cathy He contributed to this report.
President Akufo-Addo has called for aggressive use of face masks as the partial lockdown in Accra, Kumasi, Kasoa, and Tema, is lifted.

He appealed to everyone to wear face masks and ensure adherence to the social distancing protocols in line with WHO protocols.

He said the Ministry of Health will issue guidelines in due course on the use of face masks.

---Daily Guide
The Wyoming Democratic Party was forced to cancel its in-person caucuses and scale back voting to mail-in only amid coronavirus concerns.

According to their website, the Democrats plan to release the results of the presidential caucus on Sunday.

The outcome is largely moot with Sen Bernie Sanders dropping out and endorsing former Vice President Joe Biden, who is now the presumptive Democratic nominee.

Nonetheless, voting began when it was still a competitive race and state Democratic Party officials say they've taken pains to ensure the votes will be counted and delegates will be allocated fairly.

The Wyoming Democratic Party was forced to cancel its in-person caucuses and scale back voting to mail-in only amid coronavirus concerns. Voters are seen in Cheyenne, Wyoming, in 2018

'It's been a very interesting process for us to watch this COVID-19 situation unfold and have to take into account the realities of an ever-changing situation,' state Democratic Party spokeswoman Nina Hebert said Thursday.

The party for the first time will use ranked-choice voting to allocate delegates to the Democratic National Convention in August.

Beyond that, the process bears little resemblance to what the party initially had planned for April 4.

What was originally to be a combination of in-person caucusing, drop-off and mail-in vote tabulation on that date was scaled back to just drop-off and mail-in  and finally just mail-in voting  as party officials worried that a local or statewide stay-at-home order could impede the vote.

Wyoming has had no such statewide order  just a local one in Teton County  but the coronavirus has loomed large for party officials for weeks, prompting them to push back the due date for mailed ballots and tabulation day to help ensure participation.

They plan to have a courier drive the ballots to Denver for machine tabulation Saturday. After auditing overnight, results are expected by noon on Sunday.

The outcome is largely moot with Sen Bernie Sanders (left) dropping out and endorsing former Vice President Joe Biden (right), who is now the presumptive Democratic nominee

To receive a ballot, participants must have been registered as Democrats no later than March 20.

Population and party rules give Wyoming and North Dakota the smallest delegations to the national convention August 17-20 in Milwaukee. Each state will have 18 delegates.

Fourteen of Wyoming's delegates are at stake. The other four are unpledged delegates, also known as superdelegates, whose votes wouldn't come into play except in the unexpected event of a contested convention.

The ranked-choice process allowed voters to choose and rank up to five candidates. After the initial count, candidates with the fewest votes will have theirs reallocated to the others in subsequent counts until each remaining candidate has at least 15 per cent of the vote.

The 14 delegates will be awarded proportionately to those candidates.

Besides Biden and Sanders, Hawaii US Rep Tulsi Gabbard; former South Bend, Indiana, Mayor Pete Buttigieg; former New York City Mayor Mike Bloomberg; Massachusetts Sen Elizabeth Warren; Minnesota US Sen. Amy Klobuchar; and investor Tom Steyer, of San Francisco; were on the ballot.
Somali Journalists Syndicate (SJS) is relieved to learn the release on bail of Goobjoog Media Group deputy director, Abdiaziz Ahmed Gurbiye on Saturday 18 April, 2020 and calls for the Somali government to free Radio Hiigsi editor, Mohamed Abduwahaab Nuur (also known as Abuuja) held incommunicado since March 7, 2020.

According to Goobjoog Media Groups director, Hassan Mohamed Mohamud who spoke to SJS, the Banadir Regional Court on Saturday granted an application seeking the journalist is released from prison on bail, due to his health condition. The journalists family and Goobjoog Media Group filed the bail request on Thursday 16 April.

Abdirahman Mohamed, journalist Gurbiyes cousin, who confirmed Gurbiyes freedom, has told SJS that he signed for the bail release to act as a surety that the journalist will appear in the court once required. There is no date set for the hearing of the case.

Abdiaziz Gurbiye was arrested on Tuesday 14 April a day after he allegedly wrote a Facebook post claiming that the president had taken away a ventilator donated to a local hospital which treats Covid-19 patients. He was transferred to the central prison on Wednesday 15 April. He was not officially charged.

While we welcome the release of Goobjoog Media deputy director, Abdiaziz Ahmed Gurbiye on bail, we demand from the Somali authorities to halt its accusations against him. Somali government should cease using criminal laws to censor freedom of the press and intimidate journalists who scrutinise public officials, Abdalle Ahmed Mumin, Secretary General of Somali Journalists Syndicate (SJS) said.

SJS is concerned by the continued incommunicado detention of Radio Hiigsi editor, Mohamed Abduwahaab Nuur (also known as Abuuja) who was jailed on 7 March, 2020 after he wrote an article which questioned the ethical behavior of Somali security forces. Mohamed is in detention for 42 days without access to a lawyer and his family. Family members told SJS that they dont even know where he is being held.

We strongly condemn the continued, unlawful detention of Hiigsi Radio editor, Mohamed Abduwahaab Nuur who is held incommunicado since March 7 for only writing about the behavior of the security forces. His family has just told us that they dont know where hes being held. We call for Somali Federal Government to free him immediately and unconditionally.
A delivery of 84 tonnes of desperately needed personal protective equipment for front line NHS staff has been delayed and will not be arriving today.

The source of the delay is not yet known, but it is understood the RAF was ready to transport the PPE from Turkey, including 400,000 surgical gowns.

Ministers announced on Saturday the UK was due to get the vital gear today and the setback comes as the government faces growing criticism over shortages and its handling of the coronavirus crisis.

A Government spokesperson said: "We are continuing to work to ensure the shipment is delivered as soon as possible."

There have been claims that the lives of doctors, nurses and patients are at risk from COVID-19 because some supplies are running out this weekend.

Housing Secretary Robert Jenrick said on Saturday the 84 tonnes of PPE was "a very significant additional shipment" but it is understood it would only be enough to last the NHS for three days.

Guidance from Public Health England says long-sleeved disposable fluid-repellent gowns should be worn when treating COVID-19 patients.

If the gowns are unavailable, clinical staff have been advised by the Department of Health to wear "disposable, non-fluid repellent gowns or coveralls" or "washable surgical gowns", with aprons, and to wash their forearms afterwards.

It also says staff should consider reusing PPE where necessary if supplies are low.

But the changes to safety advice have sparked a storm of protest by healthcare workers.

Meanwhile, a plane carrying about 10 million face masks and other vital pieces of PPE has landed in Scotland after taking off from China.

Olympics chief executive and Treasury minister Paul Deighton has been appointed to lead a national effort to produce more essential PPE.

Ministers are comparing his appointment to that of Daily Express proprietor Lord Beaverbrook as minister of aircraft production by Winston Churchill on the eve of the Battle of Britain in May 1940 to galvanise the output of fighter planes.

Story continues

The delayed delivery from Turkey is only a short-term emergency measure - and Lord Deighton's task will be to spearhead moves to accelerate the manufacture of PPE in the UK in the longer term.

The government has also been accused of missing a series of opportunities to lessen the impact of the coronavirus in February and March.

According to an investigation by The Sunday Times, dire warnings were ignored from scientists - and the UK lost "a crucial five weeks in the fight to tackle the dangerous threat of coronavirus despite being in a perilously poor state of preparation for a pandemic".
Kari Rickman has been a Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetist (CRNA) for 18 years, 13 of which have been at MidMichigan Health.

As a CRNA, Rickman often deals with the most serious of patients, including those that require anesthesia for procedures like open heart surgery and other cardiac operations that require intubation.

Thus Rickman, and other CRNAs, are in unique demand at the moment for their expertise in dealing with emergencies and patients needing ventilation.

Rickman was nominated to be featured in the Midland Daily News' Modern Heroes series, which highlights local community members working on the front lines during the coronavirus pandemic.

As a modern hero, Rickman was nominated by Todd Diederich, her fiance, for her selflessness and tenacity with which she tackles her job.

Kari is literally on the front lines and I have watched her brave this very stressful time with intelligence and true grit, says Diederich.

I have watched her agonize over the effects that this virus could have on her family should she contract it at work and unknowingly bring it home. I have watched her focus for countless hours trying to stay updated on the virus, its progress and what precautions are working in keeping people, including medical staff, safe from harm. Then I have watched her implement all that she has learned, says Diederich.

Most of all, I have seen the stress from it all overwhelm her entire being, but every morning, she gets up and bravely heads to work never really knowing what could be in store for her that day. It is easy to see that this is not simply a job to her, it's a truly selfless act. She is truly an inspiration.

With COVID-19, Rickman is part of a rotating intubation team that is always on hand to help in emergency cases where ventilation is needed.

Were viewed as the airway experts because of our training and how often we regularly intubate patients, says Rickman.

She explained the path to becoming a CRNA leads one through working in the intensive care unit (ICU), which has now made the role uniquely qualified to help in the times of COVID-19.

Weve helped establish many policies and procedures for intubation, which has helped in this time of crisis, she says.

As for the recognition for working as a nurse in a time of crisis, Rickman is quick to dismiss the personal attention, insisting she shares the honor with the entire CNRA team at MidMichigan Health.

As CRNAs, we are in a role that not everyone sees or knows about, so its neat to educate people a little bit more about what we do, she said. But everyone in the department deserves this recognition, its been a huge team effort.

Nominate a local Modern Hero
The 68-year-old was in a bad way. He had COVID-19, and his heart was failing.

Then, amazingly, he recovered. After a few days recuperating, he tested negative to COVID-19.

A little over a week later, he took another test  which came back positive. Back he went to hospital.

Seven days later, tests showed he was negative. Then, four days later, he tested positive again. Back again to hospital.
SEYMOUR  Seymour High School will have a prom and graduation this year if school officials have anything to say about it.

When, exactly, these events happen remains in question, but Principal James Freund told students April 17 that the school was committed to providing our seniors planned senior activities and graduation when possible.

Freund, in an open letter to the school community, said the students and staff had adapted well to the distance learning forced on all state schools by the COVID-19 outbreak. But, he said, school is more than an academic exercise, and the thought of students missing out on the social aspects of school was painful, he said.

Personally, as an educator of 33 years, I have never missed working directly with students and faculty as much as I do now, Freund said. We are social beings who connect to our community through direct social interactions, much of which is non-verbal. I cannot wait until we come out from under this cloud of social distancing and have the opportunity to meet face to face. I miss all of you very dearly.

With school sports, clubs and other activities shut down, and with no clear timetable for their return, Freund said the school system had devised a number of If/Then scenarios. The list, first shared by Superintendent Michael Wilson over the school systems spring break, includes tentative dates for a number of year-end events, depending on how long the coronavirus lockdown lasts.

If we return to school on or before May 20, 2020, then we will continue with prom on a later date in May 2020 or early in June 2020, as well as with high school graduation on June 12, Wilson wrote.

If schools remain closed for the rest of the school year, then Seymour High will hold graduation June 26, provided the stay-home order has been lifted. But such a delay would endanger the prom, he said.

The team working on prom will work hard to find another date later in June of 2020, but there are no guarantees that this will happen, he said.

Finally, if the stay-home order remains in effect in late June, the school will hold graduation July 10.

Students at the towns other schools received similar information.

If schools reopen May 20, the promotion ceremony for eighth-grade students will take place June 12, and the elementary school fifth-grade and kindergarten moving up ceremonies will continue as scheduled. Kindergarten registration for the 2020-21 school year would then take place between May 20 and June 12.

If school remains closed for the rest of the school year, then the promotion ceremonies in the lower grades will be canceled, and kindergarten registration will take place online. Orientation for incoming kindergarten and grade 6 and 9 students will take place in August.
The commissioner said the police did not consider the killings to be an act of terrorism.

Officials said Mr. Wortman, a denturist from Nova Scotia, had a relationship to some of the victims and was not known to the police. They said one line of investigation would be whether the coronavirus pandemic had anything to do with the killing spree.

Chief Superintendent Chris Leather, the officer responsible for criminal investigations for the Nova Scotia Royal Canadian Mounted Police, said the episode began on Saturday night when the police were called to a home, where they discovered dead bodies inside and outside the residence.

He said a suspect was nowhere to be found. Over the next 12 hours, the police pursued Mr. Wortman across the province.

Commissioner Lucki said the crime scene stretched over a 50 kilometer, or 31-mile, area.

Chief Leather said Mr. Wortman appeared to be dressed as a police officer and was driving a vehicle made to resemble an R.C.M.P. car. The authorities said that Mr. Wortman then switched vehicles and was seen driving a silver Chevrolet Tracker in the Milford area. The authorities emphasized that he was not an R.C.M.P. employee.
Supply of non-essential goods by e-commerce companies will remain prohibited during the lockdown period, the government said on Sunday. Earlier the Ministry of Home Affairs did not explicitly exclude the supply of non-essential items by online sellers in its list of revised guidelines.

The government had earlier said that the vehicles used by e-commerce operators would be allowed to ply with necessary permissions. The guidelines did not specify that e-commerce companies would only be allowed to deliver essential goods -- implying that they would be able to deliver non-essential goods as well. The new guidelines issued on Sunday stated that that particular clause would be excluded from the original set of regulations.

#IndiaFightsCorona Supply of non-essential goods by e-commerce companies to remain prohibited during #Lockdown2 to fight #COVID19. pic.twitter.com/6Jdvuzw6VJ - Spokesperson, Ministry of Home Affairs (@PIBHomeAffairs) April 19, 2020

Following the original guidelines, e-commerce companies such as Amazon and Flipkart sought clarity on items that could be sold through these platforms. In the first phase of lockdown between March 24 to April 14, the government had only allowed delivery of essential goods, including food, pharmaceuticals and medical equipment through these platforms.

In fact, e-commerce sites such as Flipkart and Amazon had already started preparing to increase delivery after April 20. According to the sources that Business Today spoke to, Amazon acquired permission to resume delivery of non-essential goods in Gujarat, Maharashtra, Tamil Nadu, Uttar Pradesh, Andhra Pradesh and Goa. Flipkart had acquired permission from Odisha. The e-commerce firms were, albeit, facing logistical challenges.

Also read: Coronavirus lockdown: Amazon, Flipkart gear up to go full throttle on April 21, but...

Praveen Khandelwal, Secretary-General of the Confederation of All India Traders (CAIT), welcomed the revised guidelines and said, "CAIT demolished sinister plan of E Commerce Companies to trade in non essential commodities. Accepting the objection of CAIT, the MHA excluded the permission granted earlier and now e-commerce can trade only in essential commodities. Thanks to Home Minister Amit Shah, Defence Minister, Rajnath Singh & Commerce Minister Piyush Goyal."

Meanwhile, a sharp fall in FMCG sales was recorded in the last week of March when the coronavirus lockdown started, Nielsen India data showed. The majority of retail channels except modern trade took a hard hit in the period due to the lockdown. The traditional trade, e-commerce and cash and carry saw a steep plunge in sales, it added. The only trade category that posted six percent growth in the period was modern trade.

Also read: Coronavirus India Live Updates: Haridwar, Nainital red zones as cases in India cross 15,000

Also read: Coronavirus lockdown: Flipkart, Amazon can sell non-essential goods from April 20

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.
WATERLOO  Coronavirus, and the restrictions brought upon by attempts to limit the virus spread, have impacted nearly every corner of the economy.

For home builders and construction crews working on remodeling projects, however, its largely been business as usual: People still want new homes built, and their homes remodeled, at about the same rates.

But thats not to say the industry is immune, or wont be if the economic fallout wears on.

Its a fast, changing world, said Bob Manning, executive officer of Cedar Valley Home Builders. Its different today than it was three weeks ago, four weeks ago.

Our industry has been working, agreed Ben Hammes, director of public affairs for Master Builders of Iowa. Not as full bore as we were three weeks ago, but job sites are continuing.

Manning divides his industry into two groups  new construction and remodeling  and said theyve been experiencing the last several weeks very differently: New construction is in heavy demand, much as it had been in this area before the pandemic.

New construction has continued to go really strong, said Manning. If anything, the home owners are pushing the contractors to finish up as soon as possible.

But remodelers havent been so lucky.

Theyre busy, but theyre only scheduled out a few weeks now  where usually, in the middle of April, they can be scheduled out for the next two to three months, Manning said.

All crews are working as normal, using their supplies of N95 masks, safety goggles and gloves on hand  protective equipment required by federal guidelines while on the job, but nonetheless in short supply as the coronavirus pandemic rages on.

They still need to abide by OSHA, Hammes said. Theres still a need (for PPE), in order for guys to be in compliance and not risk their own safety.

Remodelers  who come into contact with residents more often than home builders  are emphasizing their safety protocols and working with residents on ways they can get a project done while limiting contact and exposure.

They determine what each party is comfortable with. Whether they want the remodeler to wear a mask or gloves is a very frequent (request), Manning said. Safety on both sides is negotiated.

Home building companies are being helped by the federal Paycheck Protection Program, which is providing $350 billion in forgivable loans to help businesses and nonprofits keep up with payroll and expenses.

Thats something many of our members have applied for, Manning said. Thats helped them tremendously, being able to keep their labor force with weekly funds.

The cities of Waterloo and Cedar Falls are continuing to issue building permits for local construction projects electronically or by mail and phone.

But building departments in both communities are putting off certain types of inspections to avoid unnecessary contact with contractors or the public.

We are still open and processing permits but have asked that homeowners and contractors do as much as possible via email or normal mail, said Greg Ahlhelm, a Waterloo building official.

We have temporarily limited certain inspections that we look at concerning residential settings and have advised our staff as to how to better protect themselves as this situation progresses, he added.

The inspectors are putting off inspections for window replacements and interior renovation projects. But they continue to inspect new construction projects and exterior renovations, such as roofs, decks and siding, and gas inspections for things like water heaters, furnaces and appliances.

Cedar Falls Building Official Jamie Castle said her inspectors are taking a similar approach.

The inspections that we have chosen to continue doing have minimal risk and contact with others, Castle said.  However, the inspectors are encouraged to practice social distancing and have PPE on hand if they need it.

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The world is facing a challenging time amid the COVID-19 pandemic. However, unity has been a key factor in fighting the battle against the infectious virus. Countries helping each other with exchange of key essentials like India sending hydroxychloroquine to 55 countries has been a highlight. In another gesture, Switzerland expressed its solidarity with India in the fight against COVID-19 by projecting the Indian Tricolour on the Swiss Alps.

READ: Swiss Alps Light Up In Indian Tricolour To Express Message Of Solidarity Amid COVID-19

The gesture became a huge talking point among netizens, and the event did not go unnoticed among the celebrities. After Prime Minister Narendra Modi acknowledged the show of strength, even Bollywood stars were left awestruck.

One of the notable names to react was Ranveer Singh. The actor has a closer association with Switzerland as he has been involved with the country as a brand ambassador for the last few years.

The Gully Boy star exulted about Switzerlands most famous mountain, Zermatt Matterhorn being lit up in the golden Indian Tricolour.' He termed it as a message of solidarity and hope and a tribute to the indomitable human spirit.

Heres the post:

Switzerlands most famous mountain - the #ZermattMatterhorn lit up in the glorious Indian Tricolour. A message of solidarity and hope... A tribute to the indomitable human spirit 

Light Art by #GerryHofstetter and  #GabrielPerren #inlovewithswitzerland @MySwitzerlandIN pic.twitter.com/0X8NS22jgN  Ranveer Singh (@RanveerOfficial) April 18, 2020

Anushka Sharma also reacted to the post and termed it as beautiful. Katrina Kaif and Abhishek Bachchan too expressed their pride for the projection of the Indian flag on the Swiss Alps.

READ:Swiss Matterhorn Lit Up In Indian Tricolor Amid COVID-19 Crisis, Abhishek Bachchan Shares

The light art was created by Gerry Hofstetter. The renowned light artist had earlier shared the flags of United States of America, United Kingdom, Japan, Spain on to the 14,690 feet mountain since last month.

READ:'Humanity Will Surely Overcome This Pandemic': PM Modi Reassures Citizens

Switzerland has been severely affected in the COVID-19 battle with over 1000 deaths and 25000 cases. The India tally, meanwhile, stands at 507 deaths and close to 13,000 cases at the moment.

READ:John Abraham Voices Poem For Medical Professionals, Hails Them As 'Gods Of Humanity'
It's not just the drop-dead fashion choices of assassin-for-hire Villanelle (Jodie Comer) that make Killing Eve such compulsive viewing, says director Shannon Murphy.

"It's tonally unique, out of the box and bonkers, and the reason it's so bold is because the people behind it are bold, they take risks," says the on-the-up Australian who directed two episodes in the show's third season, which begins on ABC on Sunday.

Villanelle (Jodie Comer) is famous for her style... and being a ruthless killer in Killing Eve. Credit:Des Willie/BBCA

Murphy, who is spending lockdown at her parents' place on the Gold Coast, shot episodes five and six in October and November last year, but has only just put the final touches on them. And given the current state of the industry  virtually all scripted film and television production in Australia, the UK and Hollywood is in shutdown  she knows how lucky she is.

"We just slipped through," she says. "It was all finished just three or four days ago. It's amazing, really."
Republicans have also expressed strong opposition to adding money for states and municipalities, saying Democrats have pushed for unrestricted funds, not related to the coronavirus, that would effectively subsidize bad fiscal decisions that occurred before the pandemic. That has been a red line for Republicans throughout the talks.

But after the funding for the Paycheck Protection Program lapsed, Republicans expressed the first hints of openness to accepting at least some of the Democrats demands. In an interview with Politico on Friday, Mr. McCarthy said he was fine with doing some hospital funding as part of a package to shore up the program.

Some Republicans, though, have expressed skepticism about Mr. Mnuchin, whom they see as accommodating to Democrats. Asked on Thursday about how a deal that included hospital money would be received, Senator Mitch McConnell, Republican of Kentucky and the majority leader, remained noncommittal, saying only, Wed take a look at it.

Mr. Mnuchin also said on Sunday that he was hopeful that the economy could rebound in a matter of months rather than years. He said that he hoped the extraordinary efforts the government had taken to encourage businesses to keep workers on their payrolls would prevent the jobless rate from reaching 20 percent.

Mr. McConnell hosted a call on Sunday with Mr. Mnuchin, Mr. Trump, Republican senators and Mark Meadows, the White House chief of staff, about the ongoing negotiations. Mr. McConnell said that additional funds for state and local governments, as well as more money for food assistance, would not be included in the final package, according to an aide for a Republican leader who requested anonymity to disclose details of a private phone call.

Mr. Mnuchin added that some of the unresolved items were related to funding for testing, and that he would be conferring with Mr. McConnell, Senator Lamar Alexander of Tennessee, the chairman of the Senate health committee, and Senator Roy Blunt of Missouri, the chairman of the Senate Rules Committee, to resolve the issues to ensure swift passage.
Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) have once again ramped up operations along the southern Lebanese border at a moment Hezbollah leadership has declared it is "fully prepared for war with Israel".

The latest escalation came Wednesday when an Israeli drone targeted a car full of Hezbollah operatives just inside Syria near the border with Lebanon. The Shia resistance organization said all escaped alive and without injury in what's become an increasingly common IDF tactic - assassination attempt by drone.

However, it's extremely rare that such an assassination attempt be caught on video. But on Friday CCTV footage emerged capturing the moment of the strike, appearing in Arabic and Israeli media:

CCTV footage from the alleged IDF drone strike 2 days ago on the Hezbollah vehicle on the Syrian-Lebanese border. pic.twitter.com/1SoH0X5XBy  Emanuel (Mannie) Fabian (@manniefabian) April 17, 2020

It's being widely reported that there was initial strike - either a missed strike or possibly a 'warning' - followed by a missile which destroyed the vehicle.

An eyewitness told AFP An Israeli drone first struck near a car transporting Hezbollah members, but indicated The passengers got out before it was then directly hit in a second strike - leaving no casualties.

File image via Middle East Monitor

Syria's state SANA news service also confirmed the attack and breach of its sovereign territory in the IDF operation.

Since the beginning of the nine-year long proxy war in Syria, Israel has attacked inside Syria hundreds of times and over the past years has vowed to roll back Iran's presence inside the country - there at the invitation of the Assad government.

Screenshot of UAV attack aftermath, via "Arab News".

Late Friday the IDF reported fence damage along the Isreali-Lebanese border. "This is a severe event. We hold the Lebanese government responsible for actions from its territory," the IDF said in a statement.

It's unclear who among Hezbollah's ranks was the intended target of Wednesday's UAV strike, however, regional media reporting indicated a "top Hezbollah security official" was in the car and escaped.

There's been no confirmation of who exactly was in the car, but they were likely on their way to Damascus for high level meetings.
A motor rider who crashed into the security barrier at Dobro near Nsawam and attempted to speed away was shot and wounded by one of the soldiers at the barrier to stop him from getting away.



The ridder was later identified as Isaac Odei, a 36-year-old mower operator of Gjankrom a suburb of Nsawam.

The bullet hit his back and leg and was rushed to the Nsawam Government Hospital for treatment and later referred to the 37 Military Hospital for further treatment.



Briefing the Ghana News Agency(GNA), Police Superintendent (Supt.) Marian Osei-Adu Owusu, Police Commander of Nsawam District said, Odei did not join the queue of vehicles at the barrier but sped into the security personnel manning the barrier and attempted to run away.



Supt Owusu said, one of the military personnel at the barrier aimed at the tyre of the motor to prevent him from speeding off but the bullet hit Odei.



Supt Owusu said the police has seized the motorbike of Odei while the military personnel involved in the shooting incident had been withdrawn to Accra.



She appealed to drivers, especially motor riders to cooperate with the security personnel at the barriers to help fight the coronavirus.

Source: GNA









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Joe Biden is mulling a raft of left-wing policies as he changes his election pitch to win over key Bernie Sanders backers suspicious of his centrist record.

Last week, Sanders backed Biden, now the presumptive Democratic nominee for the November election - but deep party divides mean the senator's supporters are not guaranteed to follow his endorsement.

Biden faces a struggle to avoid a repeat of 2016 when many of Sanders's ardent supporters refused to rally behind Hillary Clinton.

The former vice-president has set up new policy groups with Sanders's team in an attempt to unite the party.

Biden has started arguing that his agenda would create the most progressive US government since World War II in a bid to reassure liberals who see him as too moderate.

Biden and Sanders appear all too aware of the risks of a repeat of the 2016 election which brought Trump to power. After endorsing Biden last Monday, Sanders said any of his supporters who do not vote for Biden would be "irresponsible".

But some remain reluctant. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, the 30-year-old leading light of the party's progressive wing, said she would vote for him but held back full-throated support.

In a New York Times interview, she called his healthcare policies "almost insulting. Progressives aren't a monolith like every voting block isn't a monolith.

"From a Latino perspective, I think we need a real plan to be better than with the Obama administration," she said of Biden.

Sanders's former press secretary, Briahna Joy Gray, tweeted that while she had the "utmost respect" for her former boss, "I don't endorse Joe Biden".

David Sirota, another high-profile Sanders adviser, wrote a blog post headlined, 'Which Joe Biden Are We Getting?'.

Telegraph Media Group Limited [2021]
The coronavirus is forcing Californians into isolation. But it has brought us together in one way: by fusing our biggest problems into one colossal crisis.

That crisis could be our once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to transform the state  if we can ignore the conventional wisdom that this is a time to shelter our ambitions in place.

For Californians, COVID-19 is a crisis of crises, merging failures that we usually consider separately  housing, energy, poverty, prisons, courts, schools, climate, health care, pensions, taxes, and budgets and governance. The coronavirus exposes how these disparate crises are rooted in the same flaw: Californias inability to invest in the future.

The Golden State loves making big progressive promises, but resists the hard work of delivering on them. So, as COVID-19 reminds us, the state provides health insurance to millions via Medi-Cal  without producing enough personnel and facilities to provide timely and effective health care. The same California leaders who now urge us to stay at home have presided over a historic shortage of housing, and ubiquitous homelessness.

Our elected officials frequently pose as champions of the poor and of children, even though this state has one of the nations highest childhood poverty rates, which COVID-19 will make worse. Our schools, which have failed to close the gap between rich and poor kids, are closed indefinitely by the virus, and the states shift to online learning is cutting off poor students who lack access to technology. The cliche is that kids who are failed by schools end up in prisons, but Californias correctional facilities are so overcrowded that COVID-19 is forcing releases.

Californias crises involve not just facilities but people. COVID-19 exposes our lack of highly trained labor workers, healthy farmworkers, and utility personnel to keep our decaying electric grid from starting wildfires. If warmer temperatures bring wildfires during the pandemic, it could trigger power shut-offs that cripple emergency responses and our efforts to work from home. COVID-19 also threatens a deal Pacific Gas and Electric Co. made with previous wildfire victims (because the deal was based on PG&Es now-faltering stock). All the above crises have been nearly impossible to solve because of the states weak systems for budgeting, taxation and pensions. Now COVID-19 puts those systems under almost unbearable pressures. As COVID-19 creates the need for more government outlays, our byzantine budget formulas will produce spending cuts. And the stock market crashes could collapse our badly underfunded pension systems requiring a bailout we couldnt afford even before COVID-19.

As bad as all this sounds, another thing is even worse: the timid response that California is now planning to this mega-crisis. Gov. Gavin Newsom has junked his ambitious January budget proposal and now plans a shelter-in-place budget. Such an approach reflects the tired conventional wisdom in Sacramento: that a crisis is not a good time for big solutions to big problems, and that the wise path in a California crisis is to scale back and limit the damage.

That conventional wisdom is  to use a highly technocratic term  totally nutso.

Cutbacks and frugality now will worsen all our existing problems and crises, and make recovery from COVID-19 that much harder. Thats exactly what happened in the Great Recession. In fact, cuts during the recession are responsible for the deficits in housing, health care, schools and infrastructure we faced even before COVID-19.

Previous failures of the cower-and-cut strategy argue powerfully for a new approach: This is the time for California to ramp up spending and services like never before. Lets seize the moment to tackle all the crises that COVID-19 has turned into one big crisis.

The timing is right. The current state of emergency gives Newsom extraordinary legal and political flexibility. And the housing, infrastructure or school programs that seem impossibly expensive in boom times are suddenly more affordable now.

So lets do it all. Make the temporary COVID-19 expansion of health care capacity permanent. Do the same for all the temporary housing were now finding for the homeless. Sweep away the California environmental and licensing regulations that limit housing construction and stall business growth. And increase school budgets by 50%, as multiple studies have suggested California should do, to close achievement gaps and support special education.

How do you pay for such transformations? In every way possible. Reform the outdated tax system to produce higher revenues and less volatility. Loosen budget formulas to make it easier to move money around. And, yes, cancel our unsustainable pension promises and unfunded retiree health benefits for public workers.

Even higher taxes and retirement clawbacks wont be enough, of course. Californians will need more from the federal government. And we should get over our debt hang-ups and borrow big sums at todays low rates. Yes, those bills will eventually come due. But when they do, California  if it uses this moment to advance rather than retreat  should be much stronger in economy and infrastructure and services, and thus much better able to reckon with those debts.

Californians have put their lives on hold; millions of us are losing jobs and income, and thousands are dying. Our crises, having converged with the coronavirus, are inescapable. Do we really think the lesson of this moment is to further shrink the states capacity, fail to reckon with crises, and diminish our future?

Instead, lets honor todays sacrifices by advancing, rather than retreating. Lets push all our chips to the tables center, California, and go all in. Right now.

Joe Mathews writes the Connecting California column for Zocalo Public Square.
Health Secretary Matt Hancock has appointed a 'personal protective equipment tsar' to take on the shortage of supplies across NHS trusts in the UK.

Lord Deighton, 64, has been appointed to get a grip on the situation, as thousands of doctors and nurses across the country are being forced to work without the correct PPE.

It comes after a shipment of 400,000 gowns that were set to be arriving from Turkey has been delayed.

The RAF had been ready to send out the equipment and it is not yet known what the delay is.

Hancock had previously claimed there is enough PPE to go around, but a supplier of the products has claimed the government is making it impossible to buy the necessary supplies.

Despite the delay with the Turkish plane, the UK government has today received 10 million face masks from China.

Health Secretary Matt Hancock (left) has appointed Lord Paul Deighton (right) to help curb the shortage of PPE

Crucial supplies of personal protective equipment (PPE) for medical staff are delivered from Turkey into a Royal Air Force base for distribution

Mr Hancock has now appointed the chief planner from the London 2012 Olympic games to head up a massive manufacturing effort of PPE.

Sources have claimed that Lord Deighton, who knows Prime Minister Boris Johnson well from their time working together on the Olympics, will be in charge of the 'end-to-end process of design through to manufacture, including streamlining approvals'.

Hancock said: 'Just as Lord Beaverbrook spearheaded the wartime efforts on aircraft production, the appointment of Lord Deighton will bring renewed drive and focus to co-ordinate this unprecedented peacetime challenge.'

Speaking to The Times, Lord Deighton said he was confident the UK could 'rise to the challenge'.

Paramedics wearing personal protective equipment (PPE) help a patient from an ambulance into The Royal London Hospital in east London on April 18

'Countries around the world face unprecedented demand for personal protective equipment and this necessitates an equally unprecedented domestic manufacturing response.

Lord Deighton: The 'PPE tsar' set to end the shortage of equipment Former Goldman Sachs banker Lord Paul Deighton has a breadth of experience dealing with government officials. He was educated at Wallington Grammar School and also attended Trinity College in Cambridge, graduating in 1978 with a BA in Economics. Lord Deighton (centre) with deputy chairman Sir Keith Mills, (left) and chairman Lord Coe (right) after he was unveiled as the new Chief Executive of the London Organising Committee for the Olympic Game He started his career at the Bank of America before moving to Security Pacific National Bank where he worked on corporate banking. He joined Goldman Sachs in 1983. From 1994 he spent two years at its New York office, before returning to London. On his return he became a partner at the firm and was promoted to Head of European Operations. In 2000 he became the Chief Operating Officer for Europe. The 64-year-old worked extensively with Boris Johnson during the 2012 Olympic Games. Then in 2013 he became Treasury minister and was made a life peer. He was also knighted in the 2013 New Years Honors list. Advertisement

'I look forward to bringing together new partners in the pursuit of this single goal: to get our dedicated frontline workers the essential equipment they need.'

It is hoped that the new appointment will help to bring an end to the shortage.

But Chris Hopson of NHS Providers today also took a swipe at the government for trumpeting the delivery from Turkey before it had arrived.

He told Sky News: Its been rather unhelpful to focus on a single individual consignment.

'We have learnt from very bitter experience over the past two to three weeks that you cant guarantee gowns are going to arrive until they have physically arrived in the UK, the boxes have been unpacked and they have actually been tested.

What we have found with other consignments coming in from other countries the boxes have been mislabelled and when youve opened them up they have actually got masks in not gowns, we know that several consignments have actually failed safety tests'.

He said that he was calling on the government to focus on certainty.

'Lets be sure that when we talk about deliveries of gowns coming we only talk about them when they have landed in this country.

Today Michael Gove confirmed that vital PPE supplies were sent to China at a time when the UK should have been stock piling the items.

Speaking on the Andrew Marr show today he admitted that this was the case, after denying several times that this had been done.

He said the UK had received much more PPE from China and that the UK had initially sent equipment during the worst part of of the outbreak in Wuhan.

He added: 'All governments make mistakes, including our own. We seek to learn, and to improve every day. It is the case, Im sure, at some point in the future that there will be an opportunity for us to look back, to reflect and to learn some profound lessons.'

Chris Hopson of NHS Providers today said some consignments coming in have been labelled incorrectly

A flight touched down at Glasgow Prestwick Airport yesterday carrying 10 million masks from China.

The plane, operated by Air Bridge Cargo also delivered equipment for intensive care units that have been paramount fighting the coronavirus.

This is while government officials have been accused of being 'too slow and bureaucratic' when it comes to the procurement of PPE for NHS workers fighting on the front line of the coronavirus pandemic.

Doctors claimed the delivery that was due to arrive from Turkey will not solve the shortage and that the supplies will last just a few days, when they finally arrive.

Pharmaceutical supplier Seren Plus claimed it was contacted three weeks ago by the NHS Supply Chain.

Speaking to The Sunday Times, Howard Amor said the NHS Supply Chain, the group that is in charge of buying equipment for the NHS, asked the company for help.

Seren Plus has more than 40 years of experience negotiating with Chinese supplies and Mr Amor claimed the team got to work and put quotes together for the group within three days.

He said there was no response and has been sending new quotes through every seven days due to the fluctuation in price.

'The NHS is weeks too slow to compete adequately in this volatile market and against other buyers who are way more aggressive.

'Foreign governments are paying cash to secure production capacity and stocks'.

He revealed that the UK government has offered to pay after 30 days, despite the market in China demanding payment upfront for the orders.

Mr Amor added that suppliers don't have 'adequate cash' to finance a national crisis and added that the government 'needs to find a solution'.

Dr Chaand Nagpaul, chairman of the British Medical Association council, said doctors are 'extremely worried' that they are not adequately protected.

Speaking to Sky News, he said: 'But even more stressful now is that doctors and other healthcare workers are treating their own colleagues in intensive care on ventilators and tragically see some of them not survive.

'This is extremely emotionally taxing and it's showing its toll on the healthcare workforce.'

He said the Government was warned last weekend that there were 'critically low shortages of full length gowns'.

He added: 'At the beginning of the pandemic we were assured that we had sufficient stockpiles... and we believed that we were well catered for.'

'We then heard that the issues were about operational deliveries,' he added, stating that deliveries had been the cause of lack of supplies to the front line.

'We're not being given clear information,' he said.

Dr Nagpaul said the BMA had written to the Government two weeks ago calling for a massive ramping up of the manufacturing of protective equipment.

He said large numbers of contacts were willing to produce equipment and names of around 70 of them were passed on to the Government.

But Dr Nagpaul said the contacts 'hit a brick wall' after they weren't followed up.

He told Sky News: 'We made it clear weeks ago that we need to do something about the likelihood of a lack of protective equipment.'

The government said it is processing offers from 6,000 suppliers and that it was working through these rapidly.

They added that they have delivered over a billion units of PPE to NHS Trusts across the country so far.
Patna

Birendra Mukhiya, a resident of Bairiya in West Champaran district, heaved a sigh of relief when his 14-day quarantine at Rajkiya Madhya Vidhyalay, one of many quarantine camps across Bihar, ended last week.

Mukhiya, 25, was sent to the quarantine centre on March 27 after walking about 150 km from Gorakhpur in Uttar Pradesh, where he worked. The experience, he said, was like being ostracised. But such thoughts were short-lived after I found myself in the company of many others, he said.

State government officials too are heaving a sigh of relief as the fortnight-long quarantine of many migrants such as Mukhiya, who trekked hundreds of kilometres to reach Bihar after the nationwide lockdown was announced last month, is coming to an end.

Principal secretary (disaster management) Pratyaya Amrit said, As of now, only 9,200 people are left in the 3,200-odd camps. A few days back, there were 50,000 people in those camps.

As the migrants were in quarantine centres located 250 metres to one kilometre from their villages or homes, they happily walked away after completing their isolation period.

According to people familiar with developments, more than 180,000 people returned to Bihar after the lockdown began on March 25. Chief minister Nitish Kumar directed officials to set up relief camps in districts along Bihars boundary to receive thousands of migrants and to allow them to go home only after the mandatory 14-day quarantine.

The Bihar government, to help migrant workers stranded in other states because of the lockdown, has so far released cash support of Rs 1,000 each to 103,579 workers from the CMs Relief Fund.

With the release of Rs 10.36 crore as direct benefit transfer (DBT) into the bank accounts of the workers, Bihar became the first state to help its migrant workforce.

Authorities in Bihar received calls for help from 284,674 people in different states and began screening their applications for financial aid after the chief minister decided to help them.

Of the total applications received so far, only 103,579 were found to be in order for DBT transfers. The calls for help were collated and a link was sent to those seeking help for sending their applications with their personal and bank details.

The maximum number of requests came from Delhi (55,264), Haryana (41,050), Maharashtra (30,576), Gujarat (25,636), and Uttar Pradesh (23,832), and there were also requests from far-off places such as Dadra and Nagar Haveli and Puducherry.

The Bihar government also provided cash assistance of Rs 1000 to 95 lakh ration card holders.

However, the process of dealing with the returning migrant workers wasnt without glitches, the people said. At several places, the workers slipped away from quarantine centres at night to join their families and returned during the day for free meals, they said.

Mukhiya said: It took me some time to understand the importance of quarantine. But in the early stages, the going was difficult and I didnt take to the idea of others from my village to stay in quarantine charitably.

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Boston Properties, Inc. (NYSE:BXP) shareholders should be happy to see the share price up 12% in the last month. But over the last half decade, the stock has not performed well. You would have done a lot better buying an index fund, since the stock has dropped 31% in that half decade.

Check out our latest analysis for Boston Properties

There is no denying that markets are sometimes efficient, but prices do not always reflect underlying business performance. By comparing earnings per share (EPS) and share price changes over time, we can get a feel for how investor attitudes to a company have morphed over time.

During the unfortunate half decade during which the share price slipped, Boston Properties actually saw its earnings per share (EPS) improve by 3.2% per year. So it doesn't seem like EPS is a great guide to understanding how the market is valuing the stock. Or possibly, the market was previously very optimistic, so the stock has disappointed, despite improving EPS.

Based on these numbers, we'd venture that the market may have been over-optimistic about forecast growth, half a decade ago. Having said that, we might get a better idea of what's going on with the stock by looking at other metrics.

The steady dividend doesn't really explain why the share price is down. While it's not completely obvious why the share price is down, a closer look at the company's history might help explain it.

You can see how earnings and revenue have changed over time in the image below (click on the chart to see the exact values).

NYSE:BXP Income Statement April 19th 2020

It's probably worth noting we've seen significant insider buying in the last quarter, which we consider a positive. That said, we think earnings and revenue growth trends are even more important factors to consider. So we recommend checking out this free report showing consensus forecasts

What About Dividends?

It is important to consider the total shareholder return, as well as the share price return, for any given stock. The TSR incorporates the value of any spin-offs or discounted capital raisings, along with any dividends, based on the assumption that the dividends are reinvested. Arguably, the TSR gives a more comprehensive picture of the return generated by a stock. We note that for Boston Properties the TSR over the last 5 years was -20%, which is better than the share price return mentioned above. This is largely a result of its dividend payments!

Story continues

A Different Perspective

While the broader market lost about 0.8% in the twelve months, Boston Properties shareholders did even worse, losing 26% (even including dividends) . However, it could simply be that the share price has been impacted by broader market jitters. It might be worth keeping an eye on the fundamentals, in case there's a good opportunity. Unfortunately, last year's performance may indicate unresolved challenges, given that it was worse than the annualised loss of 4.4% over the last half decade. Generally speaking long term share price weakness can be a bad sign, though contrarian investors might want to research the stock in hope of a turnaround. I find it very interesting to look at share price over the long term as a proxy for business performance. But to truly gain insight, we need to consider other information, too. Like risks, for instance. Every company has them, and we've spotted 3 warning signs for Boston Properties (of which 1 is a bit unpleasant!) you should know about.

Boston Properties is not the only stock insiders are buying. So take a peek at this free list of growing companies with insider buying.

Please note, the market returns quoted in this article reflect the market weighted average returns of stocks that currently trade on US exchanges.

If you spot an error that warrants correction, please contact the editor at editorial-team@simplywallst.com. This article by Simply Wall St is general in nature. It does not constitute a recommendation to buy or sell any stock, and does not take account of your objectives, or your financial situation. Simply Wall St has no position in the stocks mentioned.



We aim to bring you long-term focused research analysis driven by fundamental data. Note that our analysis may not factor in the latest price-sensitive company announcements or qualitative material. Thank you for reading.
Three persons were arrested in connection with an attack on sanitation workers in Dewas, 153 kilometres south-west of Madhya Pradesh capital Bhopal, on Friday while a state health departments survey team was attacked in Indore, the neighbouring district of Dewas, on Saturday, said officials.

The Dewas incident, which took place on Friday, went viral on social media. In a video the sanitation workers, who are at the frontline combating the coronavirus disease (Covid-19) outbreak in the country, are seen being abused and attacked by a group of people.

Sajjan Singh Mukati, inspector of police, Khategaon, Dewas, said, The complainant Ashish, a resident of Rajaur village, has complained that he along with his colleagues, Deepak and Chunki, was cleaning a drain in Koyala locality when one Aadil Khan and some other people attacked him with sharp weapons on the pretext that foul smell was emanating in the area because of the cleaning exercise. Khan also attacked Ashishs colleagues.

A First Information Report (FIR) has been lodged against Khan, his brother Arif and their father Habib. Aadil and Habib were later arrested from a jungle near Sannaud village, while Arif is still absconding, the inspector said.

Additional superintendent of police Neeraj Chaursiya, Dewas, said, The name of Gop Khan, the head of the local mosque committee, was added to the FIR and he was charged with committing a crime under section 120B (criminal conspiracy) of the Indian Penal Code (IPC), as the arrested accused told the police that they were instigated by Gop Khan to attack the sanitation workers. He has been arrested and sent to police custody.

In a separate incident, on Saturday, a state health departments survey team in Indore, a Covid-19 hotspot, was allegedly attacked at a locality after two similar attacks were reported in the city within a fortnight --- one on a health team and another on police  amid the state governments bid to contain the spread of the viral outbreak.

Saturdays incident took place in Vinoba Nagar locality following which several health department employees gathered at Palasia police station and demanded action against the guilty, the officials said.

The survey team in-charge Dr Praveen Chourey said, Our three-member team was working in the area when one Paras, who has criminal antecedents, attacked us with stones. He slapped us as well. He attacked some local residents with a knife. He also damaged the mobile phone of Vandana, one of our team members.

Harinarayan Chari Mishra, deputy inspector general (DIG) of police, Indore, said, There was a dispute between two neighbours in the locality around the time when the survey team reached there. The accused thought that the woman team member was recording their dispute on her mobile phone. Hence, he snatched the phone and damaged it.

Additional superintendent of police, Indore, Jaiveer Singh Bhadauria, said, Teams have been dispatched to arrest the accused.

Earlier, on April 2, two lady doctors and some other health departments team members were attacked with stones in the citys Tatt Patti Bakhal area.

Later, seven local residents were arrested, and four of them were booked under the National Security Act (NSA).

A team of police personnel was also attacked on April 8, leading to five arrests, of whom four are facing charges under the NSA.

(With inputs from Nitin Gupta in Dewas)
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Retired FDNY firefighter Bryan Horan got through 9/11, a heart attack and lung problems, while his wife, Moira, beat breast cancer  all without ever getting around to writing a will.

The coronavirus pandemic made the couple finally start the paperwork.

Seeing all the death on the news with this thing, we just looked at each other and said, We gotta get our acts together and do something, said Bryan Horan, 65.

The Horans filled out the paperwork last week and mailed in a draft to Barasch & McGarry, a Manhattan law firm that has been offering complimentary wills to firefighters for nearly two decades.

So now its done and I dont have to deal with it, said Bryan Horan, a transplanted Brooklynite now living in Spring Lake, N.J. Because really, nobody wants to deal with it.

Moira Horan, 64, a retired office worker, added, The paperwork literally sat in our living room 99% done for the longest time. But now that we finished it and mailed it, I feel a sense of relief. Its morbid to think about, but its great to be done.

The Horans are among the families confronting their own mortality amid the coronavirus pandemic and finally starting end-of-life planning.

While some New York City lawyers report an uptick in will-writing and other advance-planning inquiries, others note a decline among those who may need it most amid the pandemic: the elderly and infirm, especially as coronavirus ravages nursing homes.

Ringing off the Hook

The New York Legal Assistance Group, a not-for-profit law office that provides free civil legal services to low-income New Yorkers, reported a slight downturn in end-of-life planning inquiries since the pandemic began. In February, the group had 92 requests for advance-planning and elder-law assistance from 31 senior centers and nursing homes.

Last month, the nonprofit saw slightly less, said Maria Hunter, director of the public benefits unit.

Right now, the social workers and caseworkers who normally do referrals are focusing on urgent needs like ensuring seniors have access to food and are following safety protocols, Hunter told THE CITY. We anticipate that there will be an increase once food access and other vital needs that are difficult to meet while isolated are addressed for our clients. Im guessing things will pick up.

Others in the city and elsewhere, however, are writing wills in greater numbers, either in consultation with attorneys or via free or low-cost digital legal-services companies.

Weve seen a huge uptick  a 427% increase  in planning engagement, and we serve more than half a million people each month, said Suelin Chen, CEO of the Boston-based startup Cake, an end-of-life planning platform.

Cake offers customers free will writing and other advance-planning forms, and makes money by offering a digital marketplace with links to third-party insurance and legal-services companies.

Traditional law offices report similar spikes in advance-directive queries.

Ive been blown away by the increase in requests, said Michael Barasch, a partner at Barasch & McGarry. The firm has already completed more than 4,000 free wills and healthcare proxies for active and retired city firefighters and their spouses since the terror attacks in 2001.

The phones are ringing off the hook, Barasch said, noting he had to dedicate an additional paralegal to handle will requests. Id say weve seen a 50% increase, hundreds more in the last three and a half weeks.

Psychological Blocks

Barasch noted that before the coronavirus pandemic, first responders had traditionally avoided writing wills, despite the risks of their job and the firms offer. He recalled asking an FDNY psychologist to explain the hesitancy.

She said to think of it this way: If youre so confident in your equipment and your training and in the guys you work with that you can run into a fire, you have to believe everythings going to be fine, he said. That confidence works against them in this case.

Barasch cited squabbles among surviving family members of 9/11 victims as evidence of the need for people to make their estate wishes known. Bottom line: Everyone should have a will, he said.

Hunter agreed, and noted that the New York Legal Assistance Groups Legal Resource Hotline and Coronavirus Legal Planning Page offer guidance on such issues as will writing and health care directives during the pandemic.

As gruesome as it sounds, right now everyone should be thinking about what level of medical care or intervention they would want should they become incapacitated by COVID-19, Hunter said.

The older and more vulnerable you are, the more important it becomes to let your loved ones know what your wishes are.

Getting a Proxy

Part of that advanced planning involves completing a health care proxy, a legal document that lets a person name someone else to make decisions about their medical care, including decisions about life-sustaining treatment, if they cannot speak for themselves.

A second document, a living will, allows a person to spell out their wishes about medical care in the event they are unable to make their own medical decisions. The living will takes effect if a person becomes terminally ill, unconscious or minimally conscious due to brain damage.

A power of attorney document allows a patient to share control of their finances and property with someone, called an agent. An agent is legally required to follow the directions of the patient, or to act in their best interest.

Hunter pointed out that the pandemic has transformed end-of-life planning in a number of ways. Social distancing has made it harder for some people to complete documents with proper witnessing or notarization. The state has loosened some requirements in light of the pandemic.

Notaries, for example, are now allowed to use audio-video technology. According to a March executive order from Gov. Andrew Cuomo, Any notarial act that is required under New York State law is authorized to be performed utilizing audio-video technology that allows for direct interaction between the client and the notary.

Pre-recorded videos of the person signing are not allowed. The client must also present valid photo identification and be physically present in New York State.

Dont Freak Out

Hunter noted that people shouldnt really freak out if they have not yet completed advanced-planning documents, as theyre called.

New Yorks 2010 Family Health Care Decisions Act allows a patients family member or close friend to make health care choices in a hospital or nursing home for someone who lacks decisional capacity and hasnt signed a health-care proxy.

The determination of incapacity is made by the attending physician. In a nursing home or communal-living arrangement, a social worker must confirm the primary decision. If there is a disagreement, the facilitys ethics review committee makes the final call.

Still, given the current state of overcrowded and understaffed city hospitals and nursing homes, in which patients may be cut off from their advocate due to no-visitor policies, experts recommend having a digital or physical copy of advanced-planning documents.

While lawyers recommend having a written will, if a person dies without one  the legal term is intestate  their property is distributed according to state law. Who gets what depends on their relationship to the deceased.

Before coronavirus, most Americans did not bother with writing wills. A recent study published in the journal Health Affairs revealed that only one in three U.S. adults, about 37%, had completed advance directives, including 29% with living wills.

Those with chronic illnesses were only slightly more likely to have completed advanced health care directives than healthy adults (38% versus 33%), the study found.

For the Horans, the pandemic offered the push they needed to complete their end-of-life directives.

Brian Horan, a 23-year veteran of the FDNY who retired out of Engine Company 248 in East Flatbush in 2011, said that he and his wife of 37 years wanted to leave clear directives to remove some of the burden from their only daughter.

If you avoid making the plans, its a way to avoid acknowledging and accepting the reality of death, Moira Horan added. So initially it was tough, but honestly it wasnt as awful as I thought it would be.

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While the nations of the world are coping with the pandemic COVID-19, the widespread debate about the origin and reasons for the spread of the virus continue. Unfortunately, the predictions, motivations, fears, and preoccupations of individuals, and the models used for explanation, fall short of what would be desirable. Noticeably, three factors are evident. One is the lack of accuracy of information. Dr. Anthony Fauci has expressed doubts about the low level of COVID-19 cases and deaths reported by China, even after it revised and increased its death toll numbers by 50 per cent. A second factor is that some peoples and nations are better equipped to deal with the formidable challenges than others.

The third major factor is the acute disagreement on coping with the impact of the virus, not only in medical terms, but also in assessing the severe political and economic consequences. Medically, there are differences over issues such as the hope that hydroxychloroquine will be a game changer in providing treatment of COVID-19. Economically, the U.S. and the rest of the world have the dilemma of restarting the economy and getting people back to work as quickly as possible in the face of the biggest economic disaster since the Depression of the 1930s, and the warning of the IMF that global output per head will contract by 4.2 per cent this year, that public debt will increase substantially, and that almost all countries will experience negative growth in real domestic product per head. Socially, the new normal means we will all be more online than previously. There is no going back.

In the UK a police report indicates that crime has fallen 28% since lockdowns in the country came into force, as shown in the sharp decline of burglary, vehicle crime, serious assault, personal robbery, rape, and shoplifting, though there was an increase in antisocial behavior. Government in the British political system has remained steady and active despite the infection from COVID-19 of Prime Minister Boris Johnson, who is still recovering and resting at Chequers, the manor house in Buckinghamshire, the country home of serving prime ministers since 1921. The fortunate Johnson had his usual weekly audience with the Queen via telephone.

One unfortunate result of the virus is that it caused the Jewish Chronicle, the oldest continuous Jewish newspaper, founded in 1841, to go into voluntary liquidation, due to the collapses in advertising and decline in print sales. The JC reflected diversity of Jewish religious and political opinions.

The Queen, Johnson, and Britons in general were lucky in being spared what would have been the innumerable photos of the first birthday party of Archie, son of Harry and Meghan. That party has been ruined by the virus. It was to have been a celebrity affair attended by the usual Hollywood suspects, but now deprived Archie will have to spend the occasion alone with his parents and security guards in their rented villa facing the ocean in Malibu.

Another ocean town, Tel Aviv, is without a prince but still has the same prime minister. On April 15, 2020 opposition leader Benny Gantz lost his chance of becoming prime minister in a power sharing coalition government with Benjamin Netanyahu to deal with the coronavirus. Now the country has a 21-day period in which the Knesset can vote to nominate any candidate to become prime minister. If they are not successful, Israelis will go to the ballot box for the fourth time in a year. Otherwise things do change in Israel. More successfully, Israeli authorities have agreed to allow minibuses, carrying 19 passengers, to run on the Sabbath, Friday night and Saturday, despite the opposition of the ultra-Orthodox. The majority of Israelis favor buses, which are free, running on the Sabbath, as long as the routes avoid areas where there is a religious or ultra-Orthodox majority.

In Paris, the virus has meant that restoration of Notre Dame Cathedral has been suspended. About 100 people, technicians and workers, have been active on the site, which is now silent apart from a security team guarding the entrance. Nevertheless, on the first anniversary of the fire that destroyed the entire roof and part of the choir and nave, the bells of the cathedral on April 15, 2020 rang out as tribute to the French medics fighting the virus. However, the virus means a delay in the rebuilding and restoration of the 850-year-old landmark, symbol of the resilience of France. Yet, President Emmanuel Macron is insistent that Notre-Dame will reopen within five years largely because France is due to host the Olympic games in 2024. Critics point out safety rules and necessary precautions might prevent the reopening at that time.

However, in France, the Tour de France is not being cancelled, but has been rescheduled to August-September. One wonders if this is a recipe for disaster for the 170 would-be riders, and the hundreds of staff, security, and medics who will attend.

It is a minor mystery why Kim Jong-un, ruler of North Korea, for the first time did not attend the ceremony at Kumsusan Palace of the Sun, though many senior officers appeared at the wreath-laying ceremony, commemorating the 108th anniversary of the birth of his grandfather Kim Il-sung, founder of North Korea. Speculation abounds. Was it for security to avoid the virus since the 36-year-old Kim is a heavy drinker, smoker, obese? Or was it a demonstration of social distancing?

In Germany, the Oberammergau Passion Play for 2020 has been cancelled. The play results from a response to an earlier pandemic, the bubonic plague in Bavaria in 1633 in which a quarter of the population died. The survivors promised that if they were spared they and their descendants would stage a Passion Play every decade. This promise has been fulfilled until now. The five-hour play, with an intermission of three hours, in the village of 5000 people portrays the suffering, death, and resurrection of Christ. Put on for five for months in an open-air theater, it has attracted thousands who also enjoy the shops, restaurants and hotels in the area. But there have always been indications of anti-Semitism. Although changes and moderations of language were introduced in 1990, when Jesus was portrayed as Jewish for the first time, the deicide charge inherent in the play leaves the implication that Jews were responsible for the crucifixion, and negative images of Jews remain.

The virus has also caused a change in Russia. President Vladimir Putin postponed the parade due to take place in Red Square, Moscow on May 9, 2020 , a ceremony honoring the victory of the Soviet Union in the Great Patriotic War, June 1941-May 1945 in which 26-30 million died. For Putin this is particularly important. About 1.5 million civilian and soldiers died during the siege of Leningrad, one of the longest in history, which was blockaded by Nazi Germany for 872 days, September 8, 1941 to January 27, 1944. Leningrad, now St. Petersburg, is the town in which Putin began his political career as deputy mayor.

A third postponement caused by the virus is the Conference on the Future of Europe planned to be held in May by the EU at the suggestion of President Emmanuel Macron. Its intention was to invite national and local European leaders to participate in a Europe wide discussion. It would have been significant because a major issue would have been, as it is now in the U.S., whether health issues should be the responsibility of the member states or the wider political body. The problem is similar to that in the U.S. Can the member states recover on their own, or is a united effort led by a centralized government essential?
A Blount County man died in a single-vehicle crash this morning.

Senior Trooper Chuck Daniel said the incident happened at 12:15 a.m., five miles west of Cleveland, on Alabama 160.

Landry Daniel Leopard, 22, of Hayden, was killed when the 2001 Mercedes E320 he was driving left the roadway and overturned.

Leopard, who was not wearing a seatbelt, was ejected and pronounced dead at the scene.

ALEA Troopers continue to investigate.
Even though Sam Wilson (Anthony Mackie) will be part of the focus in Disney+s eventual Falcon and the Winter Soldier series, no one should forget Sam was dusted at end of Infinity War. After being resurrected at the end of Endgame, Wilson was then given the shield by Steve Rogers to become Captain America.

Before this occurred, though, was an interesting plot development not many have discussed. MCU fans on social media recently brought it up, giving purpose to how much Steve thought of Sam.

It relates to a PTSD treatment facility where Sam was first introduced. Before the post-snap events occurred, it appeared Steve was paying tribute to Sam by becoming a VA counselor.

Chris Evans | Mat Hayward/Getty Images

Looking back to when Sam Wilson was first introduced

When Sam Wilson first made his appearance in Captain America: The Winter Soldier, he was a former USAF pararescueman who happened to be out on a jog while living in Washington, D.C. There, Sam and Steve Rogers met up during the run, leading to instant friendship.

While the main connection was Sam offering to help Steve track down Bucky Barnes, it was also revealed Sam was working in a PTSD clinic at a local VA office. He was treating other veteran soldiers who had gone through the throes of war and dealing with the mental after-effects.

Even though not enough focus was placed on this, it was clear to Steve how committed Sam was to this program. Once Sam became an official Avenger, though, no more discussion or reference to that PTSD clinic was made until later.

After dealing with the epic tragedy of the snap in Infinity War, Steve also grieved the initial death of Sam. In the process, he starts helping PTSD patients himself during Endgame. Since he also suffers from PTSD after fighting in WWII, it all made sense. Others see it as a nod to Sam.

Did Steve Rogers work in PTSD therapy as a tribute to Sam?

Fans on Reddit recently brought this scene forward as a reminder of how significant of an Easter Egg it was. Even so, some fans debate whether Steve took on this role because he was guilty over Sam dying in the snap, or if it was just a logical extension of what he would have done anyway.

One user picked up on an interesting quote Steve uttered: For as long as I can remember, I just wanted to do what was right. I guess Im not quite sure what that is anymore. And I thought I could throw myself back in and follow orders, serve. Its just not the same.

This quote seems to say a lot while giving both sides to the argument it was a logical move forward and a Sam tribute. Steve was also likely wrestling with guilt he could not stop Thanos from using the Infinity Stones to wipe out half of all civilization. Being useful to people like him was the best thing he could do while stepping in for his friend.

Having this happen also seemed to pave the way toward Steves decision to pass on his shield to Sam once the latter came back to life.

Sensing the genuineness of Sam Wilson

A lot of analysis has been done about why Steve picked Sam to become Captain America. Steve avoided picking Bucky, only because latter still had so much more to prove after being a brainwashed villain for so long. Some of the other Avengers were too involved in their own superhero personas to take the shield.

Clearly, Steve knew Sam had a genuineness in caring for other people, possibly knowing this from first sight at that PTSD counseling clinic. Plus, Steve said Youre a good man, Sam just before entering the Quantum Realm to travel back to the 1940s.

A sense of empathy in a superhero named Captain America almost seems apropos to the real world. In Falcon and the Winter Soldier, that may be proven all over again.
STATEN ISLAND, N.Y.-- Speaking directly to President Donald Trump on Sunday, Mayor Bill de Blasio said the city will not be able to return to a pre-coronavirus economy without funding from the federal government.

This is a moment where you can actually help to save your hometown, or you can turn away and you can fail to protect New Yorkers, said de Blasio. And right now, you are failing to protect the very people who you grew up around -- the very people who gave you every opportunity; every opportunity you had in life came from New York City. But when (NYC) is in need, where are you?

A new stimulus bill proposed in Washington that would provide relief funds to city and state governments reportedly was backed by a majority of the House, but not by a majority of the Senate, as of Sunday.

De Blasio said the funding is needed in part to maintain public safety across the city, support the half-million New Yorkers currently unemployed and provide educational services, amid massive budget cuts due to the social and economic impact of the COVID-19 crisis.

How are we ever going to re-start the economy if were billions of dollars in the hole? de Blasio said.

*** CLICK HERE FOR COMPLETE COVERAGE OF CORONAVIRUS IN NEW YORK ***

De Blasio said his conversations with Trump in recent weeks have in some cases proven helpful, in terms of U.S. military aid and shipments of personal protective equipment. However, when hes brought up the need for funds to help the local economy, "I got no response whatsoever.

New York, the global epicenter of the pandemic, was slated to receive at least $7.5 billion in the first stimulus bill, which Cuomo addressed at the time in a Politico report.

They provided money for Covid  the amount of money were spending on the virus  but they just did nothing on the revenue loss, Cuomo said.

REINFORCEMENTS

Medical staff at hospitals across New York City will get a much-needed rest with the help of volunteers from across the U.S., the mayor said.

They have worked through such a tough battle, a lot of them understandably are really tired, but they never stopped working, and they never stopped saving lives," de Blasio said.

More than 1,400 medical professionals, who will receive some compensation, have agreed to leave their homes and families to help save lives at more than 40 hospitals and 40 nursing homes in New York City.

In addition to aiding public facilities, about 600 of the workers will be sent to 11 independent hospitals and nursing homes, where resources were, in some cases, limited prior to the pandemic.

BLOOD COLLECTION

The city is asking anyone who has tested positive for the virus and fully recovered to donate blood.

So far, plasma from those blood samples has been used by the New York City Health and Hospitals to help patients recover from the infection.

New Yorkers can schedule an appointment to donate on the New York Blood Center website.

You CAN make a difference in the lives of others, especially right now! We are encouraging those who received a confirmed positive test for COVID-19, and have been symptom free for 14 days to donate their plasma. Sign up at https://t.co/88v5z8rT1a pic.twitter.com/VRxrvWJgJt  NY Blood Center (@NYBloodCenter) April 16, 2020

NUMBERS A MIXED BAG, MUST STAY VIGILANT

Patients admitted to hospitals for suspected COVID-19 increased to 317 on Friday, after 261 were reported on Thursday, said de Blasio. The number of patients in the intensive care unit dropped, he said.

The percentage of people who tested positive for the virus citywide dropped from 42% to 38%, while separate data at Public Health Lab shows an increase from 72% to 84%.

For more than a week, some COVID-19 numbers have gone up and others down depending on the day, which was to be expected, said Commissioner of Health for New York City Oxiris Barbot.

Its normal for us to see a sawtooth pattern, Barbot said. The important thing is to look at (the numbers) in a broader picture, and what the trends have been.

New York state remains on pause until at least May 15. When asked at a press conference Saturday how soon the economy might re-open, Gov. Andrew Cuomo said officials are in no rush.

Residents in New York City are asked to continue following social distancing guidelines, even if theyve tested positive and recovered.

It is yet to be determined how long someone can continue to shed virus," Barbot said. So my recommendation would be that once someone has recovered from likely COVID-19, that they continue with the previous recommendations we have given with regard to diligent hand washing, continued use of face coverings and maintaining a 6-foot-distance from others.

There remains a continued effort to obtain more testing kits with the help of the federal government to identify residents currently infected. In addition to antibody tests that potentially could clear some residents to return to public.
(CNN)  As concerts and festivals continue to get canceled because of coronavirus, more and more events are happening via digital platforms.

Enter One World: Together At Home, described on its website as a "global broadcast & digital special to support frontline healthcare workers and the WHO."

The event  which will feature dozens of celebrities and musicians  will be hosted by Jimmy Fallon, Jimmy Kimmel and Stephen Colbert.

Here's what else you should know about the event, taking place on Saturday.

What is One World?

The event, a collaboration between the World Health Organization and Global Citizen, is meant to encourage people to take action against the spread of coronavirus by staying home and calling on elected officials. Lady Gaga also helped curate the event.

The multi-hour event is like a cross between a public health conference and a concert. According to the website, artists, global health experts and world leaders will all be featured, and you can expect an orthodox blend of performances mixed in with talks.

OK, so who's attending?

Everyone from Usher and Taylor Swift, to the Rolling Stones and Lady Gaga, to Oprah Winfrey and Bill and Melinda Gates is set to make an appearance. The full list is on the event website, and it's quite an eclectic group.

How can I tune in?

There are a few ways.

If you're in the US, a linear broadcast will be held from 8 p.m. to 10 p.m. ET on NBC, CBS and ABC. In the UK, the linear broadcast will air Sunday, from 7 p.m. to 9 p.m. BST on the BBC.

But there will also be a digital stream running online from 2 p.m. to 8 p.m. ET on multiple platforms, including Amazon Prime Video, Apple, Facebook, Instagram, TIDAL, Twitch, Twitter, Yahoo and YouTube.

This story was first published on CNN.com 'Everyone from Oprah to Lady Gaga will show up at 'One World: Together at Home.' Here's what you should know'
Actor Patton Oswalt has sneered at coronavirus anti-lockdown protesters in a snarky viral tweet

Actor Patton Oswalt has mocked coronavirus anti-lockdown protesters in a snarky tweet after Americans stormed state capital buildings across the country to demand their stay-at-home orders be lifted.

The King of Queens star tweeted on Saturday: 'Anne Frank spent 2 years hiding in an attic and we've been home for just over a month with Netflix, food delivery & video games and there are people risking viral death by storming state capital buildings & screaming, ''Open Fuddruckers!''.'

The tweet quickly went viral as photos emerged of frustrated protesters gathering in the state capitals of Texas, Indiana, New Hampshire, Maryland and elsewhere, demanding relaxation of the stay-at-home orders that have left millions jobless.

President Trump had added fuel to the anti-lockdown protests on Friday by voicing his support to 'liberate' states on Twitter.

The coronavirus pandemic has left the United States with record unemployment numbers and thousands of small businesses facing ruin, as America's death toll climbed to 39,300 as of Sunday morning with 742,000 confirmed cases of the deadly virus.

The King of Queens star tweeted on Saturday: 'Anne Frank spent 2 years hiding in an attic and we've been home for just over a month with Netflix, food delivery & video games and there are people risking viral death by storming state capital buildings & screaming, ''Open Fuddruckers!''

The tweet quickly went viral as photos emerged of frustrated protesters gathering in the state capitals of Texas, Indiana, New Hampshire, Maryland and elsewhere, demanding relaxation of the stay-at-home orders that have left millions jobless. Pictured: Hundreds gathering at Reopen NH rally in front of New Hampshire State House

The coronavirus pandemic has left the United States with record unemployment numbers and thousands of small businesses facing ruin, as America's death toll climbed to 39,300 as of Sunday morning with 742,000 confirmed cases of the deadly virus. Pictured: Hundreds of Texans gathering in Austin

President Trump had added fuel to the anti-lockdown protests on Friday by voicing his support to 'liberate' states on Twitter. Pictured: Supporters of the group 'Reopen Maryland' wave to vehicles filling Church Circle to protest the state's on-going stay-at-home order due to the coronavirus COVID-19 pandemic in Annapolis, Maryland

Reactions to Oswalt's tweet were mixed.

Chloe Valdary responded: 'You fail to consider that folks are freaking out because they feel their entire lives are about to go under.'

Andrew Burns wrote: 'This is extremely elitist, many of these people are out of work and on their last leg. Yes, if you are part of the lucky few who are able to work from home or have jobs that are essential it seems this easy. Millions of Americans are struggling right now... come on Patton!'

Another said: 'That's the most ridiculous apples vs oranges analogy I've ever heard.'

Podcast host Joey Saladino shot back: 'Not everyone can afford Netflix, food delivery & video games due to the economic shutdown....'

One added: 'Anne Frank faced a much more credible threat. Our greatest threat here is the one against our Constitutional rights.'

Bridget Phetasy said: 'Let them eat kale! laughed the rich comedian.'

Bob Noss said: 'Wealthy celebs who can afford to take months -- if not years -- off from "work" should not be chiding those whose livelihood is being strangled to death by forced isolation.'

Another said: 'People cant pay their rent but yeah Anne Frank or whatever.'

But some sided with Oswalt, with one writing: 'Thank you very much for this tweet! I am appalled how quickly people would sacrifice half of the population just to get to their favorite shopping mall again I am so disappointed in mankind.'

On Saturday, President Trump once again put himself at the center of the debate on whether states should ease stay-at-home orders, after he was forced to admit governors had the power to decide when to restart their state's economy.

He suggested he believed some governors had taken shutdown orders too far, saying 'some of them are being unreasonable'.

On Saturday, President Trump put himself at the center of the debate again on whether states should ease stay-at-home orders, after he was forced to admit governors had the power to decide when to restart their state's economy. He suggested he believed some governors had taken shutdown orders too far, saying 'some of them are being unreasonable'

Over the past few days, thousands turned up in droves to their state capitals to push easing stay-at-home orders. Pictured: Protesters in Concord, New Hampshire

Protestors in Austin, Texas, screamed 'fire Fauci' in a targeted chant against Dr. Anthony Fauci, the country's top immunologist and infectious disease expert

Members of the Boogaloo Movement attend a demonstration against the lockdown Saturday in New Hampshire

Trump added: 'There are a lot of protests out there, and I just think that some of the governors have gotten carried away.'

He singled out Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer, a Democrat, saying 'she has things, ''don't buy paint, don't buy roses'' -- I mean she's got all of these crazy things.'

'Somebody sitting in their boat on a lake should be okay. They shouldn't arrest people,' Trump added, referring to Michigan's stay-at-home order which prohibits jet skis, motorboats or other comparable watercraft but allows for canoes, sailboats and kayaks.

In a tweet, Whitmer fired back, saying: 'Right now, despite having the 10th largest population, we have the 3rd highest COVID-19 deaths in the nation. I'm using every tool at my disposal to save lives, and it's working. The curve is flattening.'

'Remember: COVID-19 is the enemy, not each other,' she added.

Over the past few days, thousands turned up in droves to their state capitals to push easing stay-at-home orders.

Several hundred people rallied in Texas' capital of Austin on Saturday, chanting 'Let us work!' Many clamored for an immediate lifting of restrictions in a state where more than 1 million have filed for unemployment since the crisis began.

An image made with a drone shows the vehicles of supporters of the group 'Reopen Maryland' filing into Church Circle to protest the state's on-going stay-at-home order due to the coronavirus COVID-19 pandemic in Annapolis on Saturday

'Our goal is to lift up our voices so that the governor will lift his unconstitutional restrictions because his cure is worse than the disease,' organizers of the Indiana protest said in a statement

The rally was organized by a host of Infowars, owned by conspiracy theorist Alex Jones, who joined protesters on the Capitol steps after rolling up in a tank-like truck.

Texas Governor Greg Abbott, a Republican, has said that non-essential business that can operate curb-side service will be allowed to re-open on Friday - but the protesters are demanding faster and broader action.

Other protests took place across the country on Saturday. In Indianapolis, more than 200 people stood close together outside the governor's mansion, carrying American flags and signs demanding that Governor Eric Holcomb, a Republican, lift restrictions.

'Our goal is to lift up our voices so that the governor will lift his unconstitutional restrictions because his cure is worse than the disease,' organizers of the Indiana protest said in a statement. 'The government cure has done more harm than the disease!'

Indiana's state health department reported 529 new coronavirus cases between April 7 and midday Friday, raising the total to more than 10,600. The number of deaths rose by 26, to 545.

Demonstrators outside Maryland's colonial-era statehouse in Annapolis stayed in their cars but waved signs with messages like 'Poverty kills too.'

More than 200 cars circled the statehouse, honking horns and waving banners and American flags.

A truck emblazoned with support for Donald Trump drives through downtown during a demonstration against the government lockdown in New Hampshire on Saturday

Protesters gather outside the Indiana Governor's mansion in Indianapolis, Saturday, urging Gov. Eric Holcomb to back off restrictions on Indiana residents because of the coronavirus, and restart the economy

Dolores, a hairdresser in Maryland, said she is not eligible for unemployment because she is a business owner, not an employee.

'I need to save my business. I need to work to live. Otherwise I will die,' she said.

And in Concord, New Hampshire, roughly 400 people gathered in the cold rain to send a message that extended quarantines were not necessary.

The crowd included several armed men wearing military-style uniforms, with their faces covered.

'Even if the virus were 10 times as dangerous as it is, I still wouldnt stay inside my home. Id rather take the risk and be a free person,' said one of the New Hampshire protesters, talk show host Ian Freeman.

Trump is pushing to relax the U.S. lockdown by May 1, a plan that hinges partly on more testing.

However, the United States still doesn't have adequate testing, despite Trump declaring the crisis a national emergency more than a month ago.

Still, Trump praised the country's testing, boasting that more than four million tests had been conducted nationwide, which is the equivalent of about 1.2 percent of the U.S. population.
Delhi Police on Sunday got a pat on their back from Union home minister Amit Shah on Sunday after they tweeted about their contribution to the fight against the coronavirus disease.

The force had tweeted they have been ensuring the poor and the homeless in the national capital dont go hungry during the lockdown.

The biggest Humanitarian Relief Operations by Delhi Police since its inception in 1948:

Five million food packets delivered to the urban poor and homeless so far ! 145 tonnes of dry ration distributed to the needy families! (sic) Delhi Police tweeted from it handle.

Delhi Police also tweeted two short clips of food being cooked and packed for the poor.

Hundreds of initiatives such as the one shown here are part of this unique Food Network that is organized and coordinated by Delhi Police. These are working day and night to ensure that every needy person in the city gets hygienic food, they tweeted.

Food Network established by 15 Districts through active participation of good Samaritans/NGOs/Public spirited Institutions has achieved this Milestone! Miles to go before we sleep! they added.

The Union home minister soon tweeted his appreciation for the force.

Delhi Police, an organization that lives up to its Motto- Shanti Sewa Nyaya. Very proud of @DelhiPolice. Together we will win this battle, Shah posted.

Others too joined in congratulating Delhi Police for their great work.

Wonderful gesture. Feeding the hungry & poor is the greatest service to the mankind..Kudos to @DelhiPolice @CPDelhi for coming to the rescue of the poor (sic), said one user.

Selfless service to humanity by your team sir.. tweeted another.

There were words of caution as well as suggestion.

Its good humanitarian work. But would request that please take care your front line covid19 warriors as cases are increasing of positive among them. Provide protective care to them n make them secure. Stay safe all. tweeted a user.

Others asked the Delhi Police not to use plastic.

wow! thank you delhi police for working in such resource-constrained settings. 1request though: can we have a more environmental frndly packaging since the food is not to be stored for long, the plastic is not used by ppl they are given to and end up in dustbin almost immediately (sic), wrote one.

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Terri Irwin has described her first meeting with Steve Irwin - the man who would later become her husband - in the latest episode of Crikey! It's the Irwins.

In the special episode which focused on daughter Bindi's marriage to Chandler Powell, the 55-year-old described how fate brought her and the late Crocodile Hunter together.

'I was really lucky meeting Steve. It was such a fluke,' she said of the encounter, which occurred in 1991.

Fated: Terri Irwin (right) has described her first meeting with Steve Irwin (left) - the man who would later become her husband, revealing that the pair almost never crossed paths. In Saturday's episode of Crikey! It's the Irwins, she described how fate brought the pair together

'I mean visiting Australia when I was 27 years old, driving past what was then the Queensland Reptile and Fauna Park.

'And just happening to go in. And on that day Steve happened to be doing the croc demonstration,' she explained.

Terri was taken in by Steve's passion for animals, revealing: 'When he was talking about crocodiles I thought, "Wow this guy loves wildlife."'

Star crossed: 'I was really lucky meeting Steve. It was such a fluke,' she said of the encounter, which occurred in 1991. 'I mean visiting Australia when I was 27 years old, driving past what was then the Queensland Reptile and Fauna Park'

Dropped by: 'And just happening to go in. And on that day Steve happened to be doing the croc demonstration' she explained

Terri was taken in by Steve's passion for animals, revealing: 'When he was talking about crocodiles I thought, "Wow this guy loves wildlife". 'I really wanted to get to know him. And he happened to be single,' she said

'I really wanted to get to know him. And he happened to be single,' she said.

Terri added cheekily: '[He] fell desperately in love with me because it turns out he happened to be only human!'

Both Terri and Steve had in the past described their first meeting as 'love at first sight' - with Steve saying that his heart began pounding the moment he saw Terri in the crowd.

Terri added cheekily: '[He] fell desperately in love with me because it turns out he happened to be only human!'

Whirlwind: The pair became engaged just four months after they first met, and went on to marry just four months after that in 1992, in a ceremony held in Terri's native Oregon

Family: After their eight-month whirlwind romance the couple had two children, Bindi, now 21, and Robert, now 16

The pair became engaged just four months after they first met, and went on to marry just four months after that in 1992, in a ceremony held in Terri's native Oregon.

After their eight-month whirlwind romance the couple had two children, Bindi, now 21, and Robert, now 16.

Steve was killed by a stingray, aged 44, in a freak accident in 2006.
He has still been getting in quality time with his three kids, who he shares with ex-wife Jennifer Garner.

And Ben Affleck took in some morning sunshine on Sunday, as his kids Seraphina, 11, and Samuel, eight, joined him to walk their dog.

The 47-year-old Gone Girl actor made sure he and his kids were protected, wearing blue face masks as they are now required when in public in Los Angeles.

Morning walk: Ben Affleck took in some morning sunshine on Sunday, as his kids Seraphina, 11, and Samuel, eight, joined him to walk their dog, in his Pacific Palisades neighborhood

Ben looked casual in an all black outfit of jeans, a plain tee and leather bomber jacket.

He paired the look with grey sneakers while walking his large dog.

Meanwhile, Samuel and Serephina started the walk wearing jackets but eventually tied them around their waists to stay cool.

Looks: Ben looked casual in an all black outfit of jeans, a plain tee and leather bomber jacket. Meanwhile, Samuel and Serephina started the walk wearing jackets but eventually tied them around their waists to stay cool

Samuel, the youngest of the actors children, opted for blue options, wearing sneakers and a graphic tee in the color.

He paired the look with black pants and a blue and grey zip-up jacket.

While Seraphina, Ben's middle child, wore pink leggings, a blue tee with a tree design and a grey zip-up hoodie.

Missing from the walk was Violet, 14, the eldest child he shares with the 13 Going on 30 actress.

New love: After returning from a vacation with his girlfriend Ana de Armas last month, Ben stayed away from his children for 14 days to ensure he was free of infection and they have been spending plenty of time together

Ben and Jennifer were married in 2005 but divorced in 2018.

Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti's order for people in the city to wear masks only covers visits to public places, but Ben and his ex-wife 47, have been playing it safe when it comes to outings with their children.

They've mostly been staying with their mother throughout the coronavirus quarantine.

After returning from a vacation with his girlfriend Ana de Armas last month, Ben stayed away from his children for 14 days to ensure he was free of infection. But since then he has been visiting regularly.

Friendly: Ben and Jennifer were married in 2005 but divorced in 2018 and also share daughter Violet, 14

Ben and Ana have been spending lots of time together and have often been spotted around his Pacific Palisades neighborhood walking their dogs.

The lovers met on the set of their upcoming thriller Deep Water, though they only went public in March following a romantic trip to Costa Rica and Ana's native Cuba.

A source previously told the magazine that they had an 'instant connection' while filming the movie.

'They had great chemistry right from the start,' the source said of Ben and Ana, who play a couple in the movie from Fatal Attraction director Adrian Lyne.

'Ben always seemed very relaxed and happy around Ana, but at the time there were no signs of romance. He was very focused on making a fantastic movie.'
Were trying to put preventative measures in place, Webber said.

During the virus outbreak, Webber said she saw the rate of people interested in fostering double.

I just cant say enough about the community support, she said.

The maximum capacity for care at the Hobart shelter is 30 dogs and 49 cats, and when they have the capability to take in additional animals, Webber said theyll be reaching out to other communities or shelters to help them out.

She hopes that this pandemic will be a learning experience that will spur creation of a county-wide plan or coalition to better prepare for emergency situations in the future.

Caris Cardona of Hobart and her family have been fostering four puppies during the quarantine. She said her two dogs arent extremely welcoming of other adult pets, but are very motherly with puppies, so she was happy to take in the two-month-old group of siblings.

Because of the delay in spay/neuter surgery, she said shes had them longer than they typically have foster animals. Theyve now been with the family for over a month.
Even as BJP had hit out at the Kumaraswamy wedding, Karnataka Chief Minister BS Yediyurappa on Saturday said that the function was conducted in a 'simple manner' and 'well within their limits'. Former CM HD Kumaraswamy's Nikhil tied knot with Revathi, the grand-niece of former Karnataka housing minister M Krishnappa on April 17. As pictures and videos from the function surfaced, the JD(S) first family faced the allegations of flouting the lockdown norms.

However, Kumaraswamy claimed that all guidelines were followed and has now received CM's praise. "All the necessary permissions were given and the marriage was performed in a simple manner. There is no need to discuss about it. They had done it well within their limits for which I congratulate them," Yediyurappa responded to the media.

READ: Nikhil Kumaraswamy's wedding rituals begin as former CM apologises for not inviting all

Scores of people had thronged Kumaraswamy's Kethaganahalli farmhouse at Bidadi on Friday to get a glimpse of the wedding of former Prime Minister and JD (S) 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. Kumaraswamy also took to Twitter after the marriage, thanking 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 had said social distancing was maintained and all precautionary measures were taken throughout the event.

READ: Permission letter for Kumaraswamy wedding, listing guidelines for ceremony

Nikhil Kumaraswamy's wedding amid COVID-19

The wedding that took place at Ramanagara district, which has not reported a single COVID-19 case as of date, had over 60 cars, 20 videographers apart from the catering and event management crew. Around 200 guests - including Kumaraswamy and former PM HD Deve Gowda were present. Visuals also show that neither social distancing was maintained during the 'grand ceremony', nor were any of the guests - including the bride and groom - were wearing masks at the event.

READ: Coronavirus LIVE Updates

Karnataka under lockdown

After Kerala, Karnataka was one of the early states to seal its borders and initiate a curfew amid the spread of Coronavirus. On March 11, Yediyurappa invoked relevant sections of The Karnataka Epidemic Diseases Act, 1897 announcing that all malls, cinema halls, pubs, marriages and other large gatherings in the state have been banned for a week. Karnataka was the first state to witness a COVID-19 death when a 76-year-old man from Karnataka's Kalaburagi who had returned from Saudi Arabia passed away. The state's COVID-19 tally is at 353, with 14 deaths and 104 recovery.

READ: COVID-19: Violation of lockdown in Kumaraswamy's son's wedding, over 200 present at venue
https://www.aish.com/jw/s/The-Sirens-of-Rabbi-Akiva-Corona-and-Sefirat-HaOmer.html

The death of Rabbi Akivas disciples that has an eerie resonance of the pandemic we face today.

As the coronavirus spreads its ugly scourge across the face of the planet, and as were inundated with an overwhelming number of media reports, press conferences, health notices, and videos, one particular text message caught my attention.

I hear sirens passing by every minute, it read.

Sirens are indeed wailing around the world. And it seems, especially across the Jewish world.

A plague is upon us. It has landed like a hammer on a nail. We have been forced into complete isolation and death is staring at us around every corner.

A few weeks ago it was Purim, one of the most joyous holidays in the Jewish calendar. A story of Vnehapachu  turnabout, whereby a tragic and evil decree was reversed.

But as we were celebrating Purim, another reversal has occurred.

There we were, feeling confident that we would be immune, as long as we didnt shake hands. We were inspired by the words of the Scroll of Esther that the month which had been transformed for them from one of sorrow to gladness, and from mourning to festivity would apply to us as well.

We went from gladness to sorrow, from festivity to mourning, and we are suffering through of one the greatest plagues of modern times.

But the opposite has happened. We went from gladness to sorrow, from festivity to mourning, and we are suffering through of one the greatest plagues of modern times. Passover, a time of families uniting, was celebrated in isolation. Nissan, the month of freedom and redemption, is sadly turning into a month of mourning.

The United States is on full or semi lockdown until April 30th. And that date might yet be extended. National health experts project the peak to happen now and the danger still extends beyond that.

The timing is remarkable. We are in the midst of the days of Sefirat HaOmer, the days between Passover and Shavuot which should have been the happiest of times. It is the time between the redemption and exile from Egypt to the celebration of receiving the Torah on Mt. Sinai.

But instead, we have days of mourning. We dont get haircuts, and we dont make weddings, we dont listen to music.

Why? Because 24,000 students of Rabbi Akiva died between Passover and Shavuot. But consider the following:

According to one opinion in the Mishnah, the judgment of the wicked in Gehinnom  Hell, takes place between Passover and Shavuot. 1

 Hell, takes place between Passover and Shavuot. It is a time of severity and judgment pertaining to crops (which is one reason why the Omer offering is brought at that time. 2 )

) From the First Crusade to the pogroms and blood libels, this time period was especially brutal for the Jews, with the entire communities of tens of thousands of Jews killed. 3

The mystics teach that these days are days of judgment and severity.4

Yet none of these are given as the classic reason for the mourning period. We are taught that we mourn because of the death of Rabbi Akivas 24,000 students.

Why we are so focused on these 24,000 students? Yes, it was a most tragic event, but the Jewish people have, unfortunately, had so many greater tragedies over the millennia. One doesnt have to go back more than 75 years to witness the greatest holocaust ever perpetrated on the Jewish people. That was six million Jews!

The Talmud says that the reason the 24,000 students died was because of their lack of respect for each other. Granted, thats not good behavior. But weve never been angels. The Torah is full of humanitys failures. Why was this particular tragedy so important, that we mourn for so lengthy a time?

The answer is that Rabbi Akiva was the greatest sage of his time. He is most known for espousing Vahavta lreiacha kamocha  love your neighbor like yourself. His students were the creme de la creme and they failed on the basic interpersonal mitzvah. We can assume that these students fulfilled all the obligations of the Torah  kashrut, Shabbat, tefillin, tzedakah  and indeed were learning Torah all day. But they apparently didnt show respect for each other, and Hillel says that love your neighbor like yourself is equal to the entire Torah. And if they couldnt keep that commandment then it was as if they were undermining all of their learning and observances.

In ordinary times, perhaps they wouldnt have been subjected to such a strict judgment. But these students were held up to the highest scrutiny because they were so great and had the most illustrious teacher possible.

It is also noted that that period was a potential messianic age. Had Rabbi Akivas students succeeded in the trait of loving others, the messiah would have come at that time. Their failure brought about a reversal that moved the Jewish nation into the opposite direction. The students died and they killed the messianic possibility at that time. It is for that reason that we mourn for such a long period of time. It wasnt just any tragedy. It was the tragedy  that the Jewish people missed the most incredible opportunity. And weve been mourning that ever since.

What is the essence of the negative attribute of not showing respect to one another?

I believe the essence of that is ego and elitism and arrogance. When one feels superior over another, hes not inclined to respect the other. I am better than you. I do xyandz, while you only do xandy. I am smarter than you. I am richer than you. I am more important than you. I dont have to appreciate what you do for me, you should be grateful for what I give you.

The arrogance of looking down at others is a great transgression. I dont need to listen to anyone because I am great. I am rich, therefore I am great. I am wise, therefore I am great. I am a prominent leader, therefore I am great.

And God has no tolerance for such arrogance.

So the sirens are wailing. And theyre wailing at this particular time. For the whole world. And for us Jews who are wondering why it seems to be that our specific communities  the apparent creme de la creme  is suffering disproportionally to the rest.

We must ask ourselves, How are we treating others?  be it in interpersonal relations  or in business  or infighting between factions. Are we being fair with people? Or taking advantage of our perceived strengths and invincibility? Are we grateful to people who do things for us? Or work for us? Are we arrogant? Are we looking at other Jews with a sense of elitism?

We need to take this time in quarantine, inundated by a deluge of sad news, to see humanity as all made btzelem Elokim  in the image of God. There is no room for arrogance. The coronavirus doesnt differentiate between age, gender, religion, or nationality. God is showing that to the entire world.

I will leave you with the Talmuds account of the death of Rabbi Akivas disciples that has an eerie resonance of the pandemic we face today:

It was said that Rabbi Akiva had 12,000 pairs of disciples from Gabbatha to Antipatris; all of them died at the same time, because they did not treat each other with respect. The world remained desolate [of Torah] until Rabbi Akiva came to our rabbis in the south and taught them Torah. These were Rabbi Meir, Rabbi Yehuda, Rabbi Yossi, Rabbi Shimon and Rabbi Elazar ben Shammua, and it was they who revived the Torah at that time. A tanna taught: All of them died between Passover and Shavuot. Rabbi Chama bar Abba, or some say Rabbi Chiya bar Avin, said: All of them died a cruel death. What was it? Rabbi Nachman replied: Croup.5

Croup, like the Coronavirus, is an inflammation that is associated with infection and causes breathing difficulties, and is spread by respiratory droplets.

Let us examine our sense of self, our ego, our feelings of elitism, and add that to our usual teshuva, tefillah, and tzedakah  repentance, prayer and charity  so that we annul this evil decree.

And let us hope that with the grace and mercy of God, this years Lag BOmer  the day when the plague afflicting Rabbi Akivas students ended  comes very early this year.

Sources:
Prince Philip, the 98-year-old husband of Britain's Queen Elizabeth, has made a rare statement on Monday to thank those involved in the fight against the COVID-19 pandemic.

"As we approach World Immunisation Week, I wanted to recognise the vital and urgent work being done by so many to tackle the pandemic; by those in the medical and scientific professions, at universities and research institutions, all united in working to protect us from Covid-19," he said.

"On behalf of those of us who remain safe and at home, I also wanted to thank all key workers who ensure the infrastructure of our life continues; the staff and volunteers working in food production and distribution, those keeping postal and delivery services going, and those ensuring the rubbish continues to be collected."

Philip, who is staying with the queen at her Windsor Castle home during the outbreak, retired from public life in May 2017 and has been rarely seen in public since then.

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AP
AUSTIN, Texas (AP)  The number of coronavirus cases in Texas is approaching 19,000 and the number who have died is now at least 477, the Texas Department of State Health Services reported on Sunday.

The department reported at least 18,923 cases of the virus, an increase from more than 18,200 cases on Saturday.
More than 100 top doctors have backed calls for the public to wear homemade face masks to protect themselves and others from contracting coronavirus when they leave their homes.

They signed a letter saying they were 'increasingly alarmed at official inaction over the need for the public to wear face masks'.

Ministers could make a decision this week on whether to order the use of protective equipment for millions of Britons in the workplace and on public transport.

The doctors spoke out ahead of a meeting of the Government's scientific advisers tomorrow to review evidence on whether masks should be made compulsory.

Two people are pictured wearing masks on London's Clapham Common on Sunday. Ministers could make a decision this week on whether to order the use of protective equipment for millions of Britons in the workplace and on public transport.

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 their 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

Britain is out of step in its guidance, with other European countries including Germany, Italy and Spain now recommending their use.

The doctors are backing the Masks4All campaign which is calling for 'ordinary homemade masks' to be worn by the public to help stop those with the disease spreading it to others.

Signatories of the letter include John Ashton, a former president of the Faculty of Public Health, and Martin McKee, a professor of European public health at the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine.

Their missive to The Times said: 'Official UK policy is illogical The latest guidance on PPE [personal protective equipment] says that people should wear masks in hospital waiting rooms 'to reduce both direct transmission and environmental contamination'. Why not elsewhere?

'The thousands of coronavirus mutual aid groups could make enough homemade masks for everyone, so it would cost next to nothing. Instructions are easily available, for example, at masks4all.org.uk.'

A petition has also been started by Masks4All urging the Government to make masks mandatory in the UK.

The group advises making 'reusable cotton masks from simple items you can find in your house', such as scarves or towels.

The campaigners stress that surgical masks and respirators should be reserved for health professionals.

Authorities across Europe, including in Germany, France and Spain, have put their faith in masks as part of their postlockdown plans.

The coverings are already common in China, Japan and South Korea. Sir Patrick Vallance, chief scientific adviser, has warned that the decision is complicated by a lack of evidence that wearing a mask can prevent users from contracting coronavirus.

However, they can prevent any infected wearer from spreading the virus further through coughs and sneezes.

London Mayor Sadiq Khan has 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' the Government would have to change its advice, which at present states that masks are only needed in hospitals.

It comes after US health regulators last week 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.

The good face-mask guide: As UK health officials consider urging everyone to cover their mouths MailOnline reveals the best from top surgical-level respirators costing 20 each or ten mouth covers for 1 each

Face masks could soon be an everyday sight in Britain as health officials admit that they are reconsidering their advice for people not to wear them.

In countries such as China, Japan and South Korea, wearing face masks when you're ill is common - East Asia has learned from deadly virus outbreaks in the past.

The West, however, is new to the idea and the coronavirus pandemic has triggered widespread use of face coverings in the US, France and Spain.

Britain's chief scientific adviser, Sir Patrick Vallance, said on Monday that there is an 'ongoing review' of official advice on masks.

For weeks the Government has told people not to bother with them and to make sure there are enough available for staff in hospitals and care homes who really need them.

Following a World Health Organization softening on the stance, however, they could soon be recommended to prevent the spread of COVID-19.

Although it is acknowledged that they don't do much to stop someone catching the virus, there is evidence they can stop already-infected people spreading it.

As officials consider changing guidance on face masks in Britain, here is what you need to know about the types available and their relative effectiveness:

Two types of mask meet high-grade medical standards - FFP3 and FFP2/N95. So what's the difference?

A man wearing a respirator face mask walks along Weston-super-Mare on Easter Sunday

The two main types of medical-grade face mask on sale in Britain are the FFP3 and FFP2, also known as N95, masks.

These are the types that doctors and nurses must use when treating patients with the coronavirus, and offer the most protection against viruses in the air.

They are particularly vital during 'aerosolising' procedures such as putting in a ventilator, which is when medical workers are most at risk of breathing in viruses.

FFP stands for Filtering Face Piece, with FFP3 giving the highest level of protection against virus and bacterial infections, while FFP2 is the level below.

NHS guidance is for medics to use the FFP3 masks, while FFP2 is recommended by the World Health Organization and is the equivalent to the US's N95 mask.

The N in N95 stands for Not resistant to oil - because the mask is a particle respirator only and doesn't protect against fluids - while the 95 means it filters out 95 per cent of airborne particles.

Health officials say that when FFP3s are not available, FFP2s can be used. The WHO recommends FFP2 and N95 respirators, which are widely used in other countries.

The N95 does not have the CE mark to show compliance with European safety standards, but has been tested against standards similar to these requirements.

What types of masks can you buy online and how much do they cost?

This pack of two FFP3 masks is the best selling product for the type of respirator on Amazon

High-grade dust masks now used on NHS frontline: FFP3 face masks cost 40 for two

FFP3 masks are the gold standard for preventing the spread of airborne illnesses in hospitals.

They must fit tightly to the face and have all air drawn through a filter that is embedded in the fabric and catches almost every kind of particle as the air flows through.

They are primarily used as dust masks in the construction industry.

The masks are not widely available to members of the public online.

The top listing on Amazon - made by Wrexham-based company Toolpak - has sold out both on the marketplace and the firm's own website.

Toolpak's masks appear to be being sold by a third party for 39.99 for a pack of two on Amazon.

The N95 face mask being sold for 6.99 online is the US equivalent of the FFP2 mask in Europe

3M N95 masks are being sold for 25.99 for a six-pack on Amazon

Silver standard masks used by medical workers in US and UK: N95/FFP2 face mask cost 6.99 each

The N95 face mask is the US equivalent of the FFP2 mask in Europe and is backed by the World Health Organisation as suitable for medical use.

Its filter is not as strong as the FFP3 - it weeds out 95 per cent of particles, as the name suggests - but it is still highly rated for NHS staff.

UK health officials say FFP2 masks are second best to FFP3, and should be used if possible because they have a European seal of approval, but N95, which doesn't have CE approval, can be used if no FFP2 masks are available.

Masks of this grade are more readily available online from sellers in China.

The Amazon bestseller is a N95 mask sold by HJHY, a company based in China. They cost 6.99 but may not be delivered for a month or more. 43 per cent of people who bought the mask rated it just one star out of five.

Another product in Amazon's bestseller category is a 25.99 six-pack of N95 masks made by 3M and sold by Hpparty, another company based in China. Delivery dates start in mid-May and there are no customer reviews.

These disposable face mask covers offer some protection to users against respiratory diseases

Disposable surgical masks still used in most NHS hospitals: Ten for 9.39

The best known type of medical face mask, known as a surgical mask, is still being widely used by the NHS.

Doctors, nurses and healthcare workers are now instructed to wear these types of mask as a minimum at all times when working near confirmed or suspected coronavirus patients.

They are considered effective enough for most staff outside of intensive care or who are not inserting or removing breathing equipment.

Although they don't have built-in air filters, the masks can stop droplets of liquid, which are how the majority of the COVID-19 viruses are spread.

The best-selling product of this type under 'masks and respirators' on Amazon today is a ten-piece set of disposable face covers which costs 9.39.

The mask - with an average review rating of 3.5 stars - has an inner layer of cotton fabric, a middle layer of medical filter paper and an outer layer of waterproof fabric. It is sold by a company in London and delivers in early May.

Another top seller is a pack of 20 costing 7.97 and shipping from a company called T-Shell in Guangdong, China.

These types of masks are typically not reusable and should only be used for one day at a time.

Cycling masks can also provide people with a layer of protection from airborne particles

This mask is for sale for 11.99 on Amazon

Cycling masks designed to filter out pollution but with potential to stop viruses: 7.57 for six

While cycling masks remain untested regarding coronavirus, they are intended to provide a layer of protection from airborne particles.

They are designed to stop cyclists breathing in pollution when they ride through areas with heavy traffic.

They contain an air filter for this purpose, but are not regulated to the same standard as medical face masks so provide varying levels of protection.

High quality cycling masks, such as those made by the well-known UK brand Cambridge Mask Co. cost upwards of 20 and are reusable. The company has now sold out of all stock but is taking pre-orders.

Other cycling masks are available on Amazon, with the site's bestseller a 7.57 pack of six from a company called Diyii in China. The firm says the masks are good for those with sensitive skin allergies and can be washed repeatedly, and are also suitable for camping, running, travel and climbing.

Another top seller on the marketplace is a reusable mask sold by the Chinese firm KZKR-EU which costs 11.99 per mask and claims it will deliver within two weeks.

This valved gas mask is claimed to match up to the highest filtration standard

This rubber-sealed, military-looking mask is for sale for 29.87 on Amazon

The dramatic option: Respirator gas mask costing 34.86 for one

Perhaps the most dramatic-looking option of all masks is the gas mask respirator.

These are generally used by people spraying paint or other chemicals which it would be dangerous to inhale, or working in hazardous environments.

The masks have built-in valves fitted with filters which may be able to keep out droplets carrying the coronavirus.

The top listing on Amazon is a mask costing 34.86 and sold by SafeYear, a company based in Shanghai, China. The mask is rated FFP3, meaning it would be suitable for even the riskiest medical procedures.

Another top listed option on the site is a full-face rubber-sealed black mask which costs 29.87.

It is sold by the company Maikoler, based in China, and says it would be delivered by the end of May. The military-looking contraption has no customer ratings.

A woman in New York is pictured wearing a makeshift cloth facemask

A man in Fife, Scotland, shocked shoppers when he turned up at Asda wearing a mask made from a sanitary towel

T-shirts, bandanas and even sanitary towels: Homemade face masks may offer protection, too

Many people are opting to make masks at home using cloth or other materials - some have even been pictured using sanitary towels.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) in the US recommends people use cloth face coverings when they go out in public and even has a how-to guide for people to make their own out of t-shirts or bandanas.

The intention of these is not specifically to protect people from catching the virus but to prevent the spread of it by encouraging such widespread use that people who are infected but don't know about it wear something that blocks the viruses being expelled on their breath.

However, European researchers have suggested these may not be effective and up to 90 per cent of particles can make their way through the fabric.

The European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control said rates of illness were much higher among healthcare staff using masks made out of cloth instead of surgical masks.

It said: 'Altogether, common fabric cloth masks are not considered protective against respiratory viruses and their use should not be encouraged.

'In the context of severe personal protective equipment (PPE) shortages, and only if surgical masks or respirators are not available, homemade cloth masks (e.g. scarves) are proposed as a last-resort interim solution by the US CDC until availability of standard PPE is restored.'

FASHION FIRM TURNS TIGHTS INTO MASKS FOR NHS STAFF A Cheshire-headquartered, family-run hosiery business has switched from producing tights to washable face masks, to ease the demand on medical equivalents for frontline NHS staff. The company, ELLE, joins the likes Prada, Gucci, LVMH, YSL and Burberry who are all using their production facilities to make PPE and hand sanitiser. ELLE can produce 350,000 masks per week that are designed to be comfortable to wear, and are washable, so eco-friendly. The unisex masks can be washed up to 25 times and are constructed from a double-layered material, which has antimicrobial properties. The masks are also given additional antimicrobial and water-repellent treatments, meaning if someone coughs or sneezes nearby there is protection from the droplets in the air. The factory usually makes over 12 million pairs of tights a year. 'Its important that all businesses do their bit to support all efforts to fight Covid 19, and we are no different,' said Anja Khan, chief executive at ELLE. 'With such a huge demand on surgical masks for frontline health care professionals, we wanted to ease this strain and supply an "every day" option as part of social distancing guidelines. 'So instead of making tights, we are now making masks. This isnt a commercial decision but the right thing to do. From a cost perspective, we are making just enough money to cover our costs, keep our colleagues in jobs and in turn support their families.' In addition, ELLEs factory to face traceability through its Made in Green accreditation means that every mask is tested for harmful substances and produced in environmentally friendly factory facilities with socially responsible working conditions linked to fully transparent production. Advertisement

Heartbreak as all IVF treatment is cancelled

Couples trying for a baby face heartbreak after being told they will no longer be able to have IVF.

All private clinics and NHS hospitals were told to stop fertility treatment last Wednesday due to the coronavirus outbreak.

There is no date for when IVF will restart, according to the fertility regulator Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority (HFEA).

Fertility treatment is still going ahead in New York, which has also been hit hard by the virus, as it is deemed an 'essential' health service.

But in the UK, the regulator has stopped IVF based on Government advice.

It follows concerns that women who have IVF may later need medical treatment from an overstretched NHS and that fertility treatment may not be compatible with social distancing.

But as conceiving through IVF becomes more difficult with time, the shutdown will leave some older women fearing that they may run out of time to have a baby.

More than 54,000 people a year have fertility treatment in the UK, according to the latest figures.

Sally Cheshire, chairman of the regulator, said to patients that she hopes they can 'understand that this is the only responsible course of action for the fertility sector at this tough time'.

Stuart Lavery, a reproductive medicine expert at the Wolfson Fertility Centre at Hammersmith Hospital, said: 'Our IVF nurses have all had to be redeployed to help with coronavirus, with our lab staff helping at the new Nightingale Hospital for Covid patients.

'I think that's the right call because the challenge the NHS is facing is the priority.'

But there are concerns that for women having IVF through the NHS, they may be older than the upper age limit by the time the treatment can go ahead.

Whether the age limit will be extended after the lockdown will be up to individual clinical commissioning groups in local areas who fund the treatment.

JOHN ILLMAN: Why I'm sure making face masks compulsory is a common sense step we must take

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.

London mayor Sadiq Khan is campaigning to make face mask wearing compulsory for people travelling in the capital during the COVID-19 crisis

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.

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.
It was Vladimir Lenin  one of Xi Jinpings favourite philosophers  who famously said capitalists would end up selling the very rope the communists would use to hang them.

And for once, the Russian revolutionary is exactly right.

Were lucky to live in a country known for fairness and the rule of law. Our judicial system and our parliamentary democracy are the most respected in the world. Theyre part of the reason people around the world trust Britain and are happy to do business with us.

Tom Tugendhat gives his verdict on shameful actions of Britain's 'suited svengalis'

That respect is built on the knowledge that brand Britain stands for quality. From Rolls-Royce to regulation, the skill of our workers and the integrity of our courts weaves a story that gives confidence that our contracts are trustworthy.

Other nations are less fortunate. Deals in some countries are simply not to be trusted. Fake companies in China have been traded on the US stockmarkets and businesses in Russia have won contracts through actions more suited to a gangster movie than a boardroom.

When oligarchs use our courts because their own are corrupt, theyre buying trust as much as legal expertise, and when they draw finance from our banks, they want the confidence to know the agreements are safe as well as cheap.

But some of our firms have forgotten that trust underpins vast amounts of our professional services, and are looking for a fast buck.

Instead of being careful who they serve, some just want the cash and will sell their reputation as well as their skill.

However, in some of the grandest boardrooms in our country, with famous names on the letterhead, a worrying number of unscrupulous individuals and enterprises are prepared to help some of the worlds nastiest regimes  undermining the reputation of all of us.

Everyone has the right to representation before the law, but theres a difference between taking a case as the duty solicitor called to the police cells and sending partners to tout for trade among criminals. and advising firms on the complexities of modern politics isnt the same as helping firms to find ways around democratic oversight.

While one side helps trade and increases trust, the other feels like sharp practice. But it doesnt just cost them.

Well-heeled lawyers and slick accountants taking eye-watering fees from oligarchs arent just helping silence critics through the British courts, or to turn questionable profits into seemingly honest businesses, theyre undermining the foundations on which theyve built their business, theyre cheapening the value to their words.

Deal by deal, a few bad apples are putting at risk the reputation that makes them rich. again, I am not talking about those mentioned on this page, but the country is being sold out by individuals ranging from some lawyers and accountants to a few former Ministers and advisers.

Too frequently, weve seen those who once wrote the rules and negotiated agreements to protect us, and some who still sit in our Parliament, selling the tricks they learned in Government.

Why should state enterprises or gangsters be able to cheat the rules the rest of us have to follow? It makes life harder and more expensive for all of us. Estate agents turning a blind eye to property deals its clear the foreign official couldnt possibly afford legally are putting up the price of homes for all of us.

By promoting a culture of impunity, were weakening democracies and allowing dictatorships to grow. allowing oligarchs and statebacked enterprises  too often connected to corruption, crime, or human rights abuses  to move their money freely, makes the world more dangerous for everyone.

Many will blame the regimes who hire the silk-tongued wheelgreasers, but theyre doing exactly what we should expect.

Theyre trying to normalise the actions of the new aristocracy in Beijing or Moscow. Theyre trying to build the world that works for them.

Its our own suited svengalis  those members of the governing and business class who are happy to do our rivals bidding  whose actions are truly shameful.

They're not just costing jobs; theyre weakening our influence and costing our future. If we lost our reputation for quality, and the world started to see us as a place where rogue states and criminals could get their own way, would our friends and partners be so keen to do business here?

As chair of the Foreign affairs Committee I know we need to trade with countries who dont share our values, but that doesnt mean selling out. we need to call out those whose actions cost us all and expose the risk they pose to our jobs, our reputation and  sometimes  national security.

Their actions are immoral, unjust and thoroughly un-British. They betray us all and they must stop.
A Delhi Police head constable was injured allegedly after an unidentified vehicle hit his motorcycle in northwest Delhi's Model Town area, officials said on Sunday.

The incident occurred on Saturday, they said.

Police were informed regarding an accident near Azadpur Metro station in which one head constable had suffered injuries.

"Acting on the call, an emergency response vehicle was sent to the spot. Head Constable Narender Singh was found injured and his bike damaged," a senior police official said.

Singh, posted at Model Town Police Station, was given first aid after which he was shifted to Fortis hospital in Shalimar Bagh. He was discharged from the hospital on Sunday morning, he said.

A case in this regard has been registered at the Model Town Police Station, he added.

Police teams are looking for CCTV cameras in the area to identify and trace the accused and the vehicle which hit the motorcycle.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
New Delhi: On Saturday, unclaimed reports stating that filmmaker Tahira Kashyaps mother Anita Kashyap was a part of Ramanand Sagars Ramayan went crazy viral. It was being said that she played the role of Trijata. However, as she featured in headlines, Tahira took to social media to clarify that her mother was no connection with the show.

She addressed the rumours as false and said in a statement, "There's no truth to these reports of my mother, Mrs Anita Kashyap, starring in the Ramayan show. All these reports are false. She was an educationalist and has no connection with this show, whatsoever."

There's no truth to these reports of my mother, Mrs Anita Kashyap starring in the Ramayan show. All these reports are false. She was an educationist and has no connection with this show, whatsoever."  Tahira Kashyap Khurrana (@tahira_k) April 18, 2020

Tahiras father Yajan Kashyap also clarified that the reports are baseless. In an interview to Etimes, he said, This is just to clarify that the news is totally, baseless, false and concocted.

Tahira is married to actor Ayushmann Khurrana. She is an author and a filmmaker.

Ramayan, which aired in the 80s, made a historic comeback on the small screen in March after Doordarshan (DD) decided to air some old top-rated shows for viewers owing to the coronavirus crisis. Apart from Ramayan, Mahabharat, Circus and Shaktimaan are also being re-aired.

Ramayan starred Arun Govil as Ram, Dipika Chikhlia Topiwala as Sita and Sunil Lahri as Lakshman.
New Delhi: Aviation regulator Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) on Sunday (April 19) said no decision has been taken to resume passenger flights from May 4 after the government revokes the lockdown restrictions and that all airlines must refrain from taking any new bookings.

The statement by DGCA read:

"In these circulars, there was no direction/clearance which allows the airlines to start ticket bookings for the journeys to be undertaken w.e.f the 4th of May, 2020. Further it has been noted that airlines have started booking tickets for journeys w.e.f the 4th of May 2020.

In this respect it is brought to the notice of all concerned that no decision to commence the operation of domestic/international flights w.e.f 4th of May has been taken.

In view of this, all airlines are hereby directed to refrain from booking tickets as described above. Further the airline s may note that they shall be given sufficient notice and time for restarting of operations," it said.

The regulator asked for strict compliance by all airlines.

Passenger flights were banned from March 25 when the lockdown came into force. Civil aviation minister Hardeep Singh Puri had earlier tweeted that no decision has been taken to resume passenger flights in the country.

Earlier private Indian airlines were taking bookings on Sunday on select flights from May 4.

Union minister Prakash Javadekar made it clear on Sunday that the central government has so far not taken any decision on starting train or airline services for passengers, asserting that any discussion on the issue is futile.
Gunmen suspected to be of Fulani herdsmen extraction have assassinated an Inspector with the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corp (NSCDC) in Benue State.

He is Inspector Joseph Ochogwu, an Idoma man from Benue South senatorial zone.

The Commandant of Corps in the state, Mr. Isah Kamilu Ado confirmed the killing during the handing over of over 460 cows belonging to Fulani herdsmen that were impounded by the Livestock Guards for violating the anti-grazing law of the state.

Mr. Ado said the Inspector Ochogwu was killed in Guma Local Government Area in his line of duty, a fortnight ago.

The NSCDC chief stated that already, an investigation panel has been set up to unravel the dastardly murder of the gallantly officer whose corpse, he said, had been deposited in the mortuary awaiting burial on April 30 this year.

He disclosed that the North Central Zonal Chairman of Miyetti Allah Cattle Breeders Association of Nigeria (MACBAN), Alhaji Danladi Ciroma, was cooperating with the corps to apprehend the perpetrators for possible prosecution.

Zonal Chairman of MACBAN, Alhaji Ciroma, who also confirmed the killing of the NSCDC officer, said Ochogwu was murdered while trying to ensure peace in the state.

Signed

Ekunola Gbenga

Media Assistant to the Commandant General
Parliament on Friday evening approved a US$1 billion credit facility to mitigate the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic.



The facility, titled Rapid Credit Facility (RCF) Agreement which is between the Government of Ghana, represented by the Ministry of Finance, and the International Monetary Fund (IMF) amounts to 738 million Special Drawing Rights.



The approval follows a request from the Government of Ghana after the IMF had announced on 4th March 2020 a US50 billion support to help address the Coronavirus impact with an allocation of US$ 10 billion for low-income countries through the RCF window.



Dr Mark Assibey-Yeboah, Chairman of the Finance Committee, presented the report of the Committee to the plenary, said the facility is 100 percent of Ghanas quota and the disbarment of the facility proceeds to Ghana was expected to take place in a single tranche on Friday, 17th April 2020.



The purpose of the facility is to provide low access, rapid and concessional financial assistance to Low-Income Countries facing an urgent balance of payments needs, without ex-post conditionality.



In Ghanas case, the RCF has been negotiated to be used for Budget Support.



According to the report, Ghana originally requested 50 percent of Ghanas quota, but the Minister of Finance successfully engaged the IMF to increase the request to 100 percent of Ghanas quota.



The terms and conditions of the loan are that it has a grace period of 5 and a half years, a repayment period of 4 and a half years, a maturity period of 10 years, with no interest charge.



Dr Assibey-Yeboah announced that an approximate GHC1billion of the fund would be used to finance the electricity subsidy announced by President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, whilst the remainder would be employed towards expenditure outlined in the 2020 Budget.



As of 18th April 2020, Ghana had recorded 834 confirmed COVID-19 positive cases, nine deaths and 99 recoveries.

Source: GNA









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Palghar: Three unidentified people were lynched on Thursday (April 16) allegedly by over 100 people who suspected them of theft in Gadchinchle village of Palghar in Maharashtra.

The preliminary reports suggest that these three had come from Kandivali and were on their way to Gujarat's Surat. All the three were rushed to a local hospital where they were declared brought dead by the doctors.

"About 110 villagers were brought to police stations for questioning," said Collector Kailash Shinde on Friday.

He also said that in a clip that has surfaced from the crime scene, the villagers were seen carrying stones, sticks and axes in their hands and some of them were seen breaking the glass shield of a car. The villagers also attacked the police personnel when they tried to stop them and some of the personnel sustained injuries in the incident, Shinde said.

An investigation into the case is underway.
What happens when you give industries that are frequently ostracized for their role in environmental degradation an 'open license to pollute?' They take it with open arms.

"This is an open license to pollute. Plain and simple. The administration should be giving its all toward making our country healthier right now. Instead, it is taking advantage of an unprecedented public health crisis to do favors for polluters that threaten public health," Gina McCarthy, president and CEO of the Natural Resources Defense Council, said recently.

The embattled plastics industry has been handed a new lifeline after dozens of plastic bag bans on the verge of taking effect have been put on hold in several states on fears of infections by the SARS-CoV-2 virus from reusable bags.

Facing an existential crisis driven by a wave of bans nationwide, the plastic bag industry has been using the coronavirus crisis to block laws prohibiting single-use plastics. The industry has also received a much-needed shot in the arm after the Trump administration relaxed environmental laws and fines in March that have rendered companies largely exempt from consequences for environmental pollution during the COVID-19 crisis.

Hygiene over Sustainability

Even before the pandemic hit, the Plastics Industry Association had been lobbying hard to quash a host of plastic bag bans but has upped the ante during the global health crisis as hygiene takes precedence over sustainability.

Indeed, the organization has gone as far as writing to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services asking it to issue a public statement endorsing single-use plastics as the safest choice amid the pandemic and declaring their ban a health threat.

Even before the virus outbreak, an industry-funded group, together with lawmakers, had proposed model legislation supporting out-of-favor plastics such as disposable bags, cups, bottles, and boxes--all in the name of safeguarding businesses and consumer choices.

Premium: The Oil Sector That Will Suffer The Most

That push has also been coming in the form of tweets, articles, and op-eds by libertarian groups such as the Rio Grande Foundation, extolling the virtues of plastic bags.

Once regarded as anathema by environmentalists everywhere, disposability has become the new mantra as hygiene trumps sustainability. Fast-food chains including Starbucks and Dunkin have already suspended the use of refillable mugs on concerns over transmission. Meanwhile, some supermarket chains have banned reusable bags and can't seem to keep up with exploding demand for bottled water, masks, disposable plastic gloves, and scores of related single-use plastic products.

The pro-plastics camp certainly has the backing of the science behind it.

A recent study by the U.S. National Institute of Health has found that the SARS-CoV-2 is capable of living 2-3 days on plastic vs. 24 hours on cardboard. Related viruses such as SARS and MERS live much longer--up to nine days on plastic. A similar study by the University of Arizona in conjunction with Loma Linda University found that not only do reusable plastic bags potentially contain bacteria but also that users tend not to wash these bags very often.

Exploiting the Health Crisis

Not everyone is buying it, though.

As expected, environmentalists such as Gina McCarthy and Judith Enck, founder of advocacy group Beyond Plastics and former regional administrator for the EPA, have lambasted the manufacturing sector for openly taking advantage of the ongoing health crisis to obtain the sympathy of the powers that be.

But make no mistake about it: There are billions of dollars at stake here.

According to the American Chemistry Council, packaging, including single-use packaging, makes up about a third of the end-use demand for plastic resins. Despite stiff opposition, the $244 billion global plastic packaging market is expected to continue growing at 4% CAGR to hit $321 billion by 2027.

And that's a big deal for the oil industry.

Petrochemicals, the category that includes plastics, account for ~14% of oil use, and are expected to drive half of oil demand growth between now and 2050, as per the International Energy Agency (IEA).

Premium: Oil Storage Nears Its Limit

There are no up-to-date figures available, but the EIA estimated that in 2010, some 191 million barrels of LPG and NGL (natural gas liquids) along with 412 billion cu ft of natural gas were used to produce plastics in the United States. The liquids worked out to 2.7% of the country's total petroleum consumption, while natural gas accounted for 1.7% of total U.S. natural gas consumption. For the liquid fuels, 190 million barrels were used as feedstock, with just 1 million barrels consumed as fuel in the manufacturing process. The tables were turned for natural gas, with just 13 Bcf being used as feedstock and 399 Bcf consumed as fuel.

The proportions were higher from a global perspective, with plastics production accounting for about 4% of global oil production. Going by those averages and current global oil production of 90 million b/d, plastics consume about 3.7 million b/d and 1.24 Gbbl over the course of 12 months.

That's actually less than the amount of oil that was used to generate the world's electricity last year (oil accounts for only about 3% of global electricity production), and considerably lower than figures casually thrown around by some disingenuous activists.

Nevertheless, with over 99% of plastics manufactured from chemicals derived from fossil fuels, the elephant in the room is that plastics are only semi-biodegradable at best, taking anywhere from 10-1,000 years to decompose fully. Plastics are saturating our water and soils and interfering with our food chains. The Great Pacific Garbage Patch is inundated with 1.8 trillion pieces of plastics weighing in at a staggering 80,000 metric tons.

But until the world can find reliable and cost-competitive alternatives to plastics (which already figures to be a daunting proposition), plastics might stick around long after COVID-19 is gone, for better or for worse.

By Alex Kimani for Oilprice.com

More Top Reads from Oilprice.com:
A man wearing the U.S. Navy uniform went to the oceanfront in Emerald Isle, North Carolina, on Thursday, in an apparent protest against the town's restrictions amid the coronavirus pandemic.

The man, who was identified by a witness as a retired U.S. Navy chief, was seen photographed standing in front of a sign that read "LAND OF THE FREE."

Mike Conner, a longtime resident of Emerald Isle and a surfer, told Insider the retired sailor stood in the waters for about 10 minutes before he was approached by law enforcement officers. Conner said the man was asked to remove himself from the area, but refused the request.

The sailor eventually left the water on his own accord without incident, Conner added.

The man wore the full Navy Service Dress Blue, which is made from wool and is allowed to worn year-round to all official, formal events. The price for the full uniform is well over $300, which includes stitched rank and a service cover.

The man in the uniform and the Emerald Isle Police Department did not respond to a request for comment.

Hours after the incident, the town announced it would lift the ban on access on Saturday. Surfers and other residents previously expressed their disapproval by staging protests throughout the area and were "fired up" by the closures, Conner said.

"We're very happy that Emerald Isle allowed access not just to us swimmers, but to everybody that uses it as a medium for their exercise," Connor said. "We don't want our rights stomped all over."

"Emerald Isle residents and property owners will be able to access the Atlantic Ocean for normal activities, including swimming, surfing, kiting, kayaking, and fishing," the town said in a statement. "Residents can continue to walk, jog, and sit on the beach strand. All beachgoers must adhere to the current social distancing guidelines."

At least 24 people in the county tested positive for the coronavirus and two have died as of Friday, officials said, according to WCTI-TV.

Other beaches have begun opening as states have eased their stay-at-home restrictions. In Jacksonville, Florida, crowds were seen gathering at the beach on Friday afternoon. Although recreational activities are being permitted at some of the beaches, sunbathing and other group activities will not be allowed during operational hours.

More from Business Insider:
A teenager who allegedly told police he had coronavirus and threatened to cough on them was arrested for repeated breaches of the pandemic lockdown regulations.

Police say Jack Attwell, 18, breached the stay-at-home directions four times in Melbourne's west in less than two weeks before he was arrested in Caroline Springs on Saturday night.

On the first occasion, police say Mr Attwell was a passenger in a car with three other men when they were pulled over on Caroline Springs Boulevard just after 4.30pm on April 7.

Police fined the group for breaching social-distancing restrictions before Mr Attwell allegedly told one of the officers he would "cough on you as I have the virus anyway", according to a police summary tendered to court.

The second fine was issued a day later, when Mr Attwell was with a group of men in a car park in Burnside.
A Covid-19 patient in Hanoi discharged after treatment has tested positive again, director of the city's Center for Disease Control (CDC) said Sunday.

"Patient 188," a 44-year-old woman from the capital citys Chuong My District, is an employee of the Truong Sinh Company, which provides food and logistic services for several hospitals in Hanoi, including the Bach Mai Hospital, a major Covid-19 hotspot. She was confirmed positive on March 29, treated at the National Hospital of Tropical Diseases and discharged April 14 after testing negative for the novel coronavirus twice. She has been quarantined at home for another 14 days.

On Saturday, April 17, she developed a cough and felt a tightness in her chest. A subsequent test revealed that she was positive for the Covid-19 virus.

She has been taken back to the National Hospital of Tropical Diseases. Three people  her husband, daughter and the driver who took her home, have had their samples taken for Covid-19 testing. Ten others who had had contact with the three are now under quarantine, said Nguyen Khac Hien, director of the Hanoi CDC.

The woman is Vietnam's second case to test positive for the novel coronavirus after having been discharged from hospital. The other was "Patient 22," a 66-year-old British man who flew from the U.K. to Vietnam on March 2.

He was confirmed positive on March 8 and treated at the Da Nang Hospital in central Da Nang City. He was discharged March 23 after testing negative three times. After finishing a post-discharge two-week quarantine at a hotel in Son Tra District, he flew from Da Nang to Saigon for a flight back to the U.K. on April 10. Another sample was taken at the time, and it tested positive for the novel coronavirus on April 11. He had already left Vietnam by then. He has since tested negative again, U.K. authorities have said.

Cases of Covid-19 patients testing positive again after recovery are not uncommon. South Korea has reported more than 160 people relapsing.

The most likely explanation of the relapse, according to health experts, is that the test is picking up remnants of the virus. They are not certain whether those who retest positive for the virus are contagious or not.

Vietnam has confirmed 268 Covid-19 cases so far, 65 of which are active. The country has recorded no new infection in the last three days.

The Covid-19 pandemic has spread to 210 countries and territories, and the reported death toll has crossed 160,800.
The Narendra Modi government today (April 18) made its prior approval mandatory for foreign investments from countries that share land border with India to curb "opportunistic takeovers" of domestic firms following the Covid-19 pandemic, a move which will restrict FDI from China.

Countries which shares land borders with India are China, Bangladesh, Pakistan, Bhutan, Nepal, Myanmar, and Afghanistan.

The Ministry of Commerce and Industry however made it clear that investments in India by entities and individuals in the Gulf will not be affected by this change and will continue as before.

Similar restrictions are already in place for Bangladesh and Pakistan. But up to now, they have not applied to China and Indias other neighbours.

"An entity of a country, which shares land border with India or where the beneficial owner of an investment into India is situated in or is a citizen of any such country, can invest only under the government route," reported PTI, citing a press note issued by the Department for promotion of Industry and Internal Trade (DPIIT).

It said that the government has amended the FDI (foreign direct investment) policy to curb "opportunistic takeovers/acquisitions" of Indian companies on account of Covid-19 pandemic.

It also said that government approval will be mandatory for any transfer of ownership of any existing or future FDI in a company in India, which results in change in beneficial ownership, falling under this new restriction, stated the report.

The amendment to the FDI rule states, "A non-resident entity can invest in India, subject to the FDI Policy except in those sectors/activities which are prohibited. However, an entity of a country, which shares a land border with India or where the beneficial owner of investment into India is situated in or is a citizen of any such country, can invest only under the Government route."

The new set of rules come on the back of reports that Bank of China had acquired a one per cent stake in HDFC earlier this month, a deal that had set the alarm bells ringing in Indias power corridors.

The Chinese Central Bank had bought 1,74,92,909 crore shares equivalent to 1.01 per cent of the shareholding of HDFC. The share purchase is said to have happened between January and March 2020.

The timing of the PBoC raising its interest in India's largest non-banking mortgage provider raised serious concerns since HDFC shares have been sliding due to the economic disruption caused by the pandemic.

Investment in India can be routed through two methods - automatic route, which doesnt require any government permission whatsoever, and the government route, for which one needs the approval of authorities said the PTI.

With the new FDI norms kicking in, any Chinese company wanting to invest in an Indian entity will require permission from the government.

The decision could have massive ramifications on the prospect of India-China trade ties in the coming days, said media reports.

In addition, the Centre has made another significant change in the FDI policy by blocking the indirect acquisition of investments by entities based in China. Now, change in ownership of the investment will also have to be cleared by the Union government.

In an event of the transfer of ownership of any existing or future FDI in an entity in India... such subsequent change in beneficial ownership will also require government approval," it added.
In the next week or two, Samantha Landon will have to decide whether or not to close her three businesses in Harney County: a hair salon, a short-term rental and Bella Java, a bistro named for her love of coffee. Landon laid off eight employees she couldnt pay in March, after social distancing orders took effect statewide and forced many businesses to close to stem the spread of the coronavirus.

She has been using her own money, including her federal stimulus check, to try to keep her businesses afloat. With almost no profit, she can no longer afford to pay overhead or wages.

I wont be able to order food unless I buy it on credit, Landon said. I have to accrue more debt to make it work. It would be ridiculous to keep going this way.

Landon is among hundreds of small business owners in rural eastern Oregon working to avoid a collapse they wont come back from. County officials say they cant afford to wait to reopen businesses and risk deeper economic damage.

Several counties sent letters to Gov. Kate Brown that requested a reprieve from sweeping business closures and asked to reopen businesses in a way that allows for social distancing.

Brown pledged on Tuesday to begin work on such a plan, but the timelines to reopen are murky.

Many rural business owners have only a matter of weeks before they will be forced to close, county officials say. Rural leaders are eyeing May 1 as a tentative target to start reopening.

Businesses are struggling, said Harney County Judge Pete Runnels, who was among the first rural leaders to reach out to Brown. It will be harder and harder for them to come out of this at all.

Harney County has no cases of COVID-19, and to residents in far-flung communities untouched by the pandemic, the necessity of the orders can seem questionable as businesses are pushed to the brink, Runnels said.

The countys April 13 letter detailed potential steps business owners could take to help protect against the virus while resuming operations.

We have abided by the rules, the letter said. Weve seen them extended and we have continued with stricter controls, we just cant hang on any longer.

Within days, seven other eastern counties followed suitBaker, Grant, Deschutes, Jefferson, Klamath, Union and Wallowaand submitted a joint letter spelling out similar concerns and asking to talk with Brown to develop potential solutions.

The frustration extends beyond rural Oregon. Dozens of people staged a drive-by rally Friday past the State Capitol, calling on the governor to reopen the state. A larger gathering is planned for May.

Some state lawmakers from rural counties have also pointed out that hospitals are at grave risk, and Rep. Cheri Helt, R-Bend, sent a letter Thursday to Brown asking the governor allow hospitals to reinstate essential surgeries and procedures.

In rural Oregon, leaders say, the economic damage wrought by sustained closures will have a deeper impact on rural communities that already grapple with poverty. Small population bases will make recovery more difficult.

If all these little businesses arent able to function and cant make it back, it means a lot to rural Oregon because that is our economy, said Susan Roberts, Wallowa county commissioner and chair of the Eastern Oregon Counties Association, which coordinated the joint county letter. Our economics are based on all these little businesses interacting.

Liz Merah, a spokesperson for the governor, said the Harney County letter is under review but did not confirm whether Browns office had also received the letter sent by the other eastern Oregon counties.

Merah said reopening Oregon will be a gradual process, with public health and safety as the chief concerns. The governors medical advisory panel will analyze various social distancing options and state officials will collaborate with local leaders in this process, Merah said in an email. Brown has also pledged to coordinate decisions with her peers in Washington and California.

Health outcomes will be the ultimate metric guiding decisions to reopen communities, Merah said. We will only reopen Oregon if the data shows we can do so without jeopardizing public health.

Merah pointed to the positive impact of social distancing on slowing the spread of the virus.

Staying home is saving lives, and we are seeing the cumulative effect of Oregonians actions in the latest projections, she said. It remains incredibly important that Oregonians continue to sustain these measures.

Merah also noted that the governor has not issued a blanket mandate for all businesses to close. The order specifically referenced certain types of business, such as salons, and allowed others to remain open if they can abide by social distancing measures.

County officials who signed onto the letters to Brown said their communities are committed to social distancing. But they believe that responses to COVID-19 can be tailored to different counties.

People understand the concern for their own families and communities, Roberts said. But those same people need to be able to make decisions that affect them in their area.

The letter asked Brown to allow individual counties to make decisions about how and when to re-open businesses.

Were asking that she consider that individual counties be able to make these decisions for ourselves, while keeping with the tenets of health care, Roberts said.

Some leaders in rural counties question whether their less populated areas need the same strict social distancing measures as densely populated urban areas.

Being as isolated as we are, the social and physical distancing part are pretty normal just based on where we live, said Malheur County Judge Dan Joyce.

Officials worry the potential loss will change the face of rural Oregon as family owned businesses shutter. They also fear longer term impacts could mean population loss, rampant business closures and a loss of tax revenue for counties.

The ability for businesses to operate, even in a scaled back fashion, could help prevent the worst outcomes, Runnels said.

Its a start, and its hope, he said. I think hope is more than anything what people need right now.

For rural business owners, its a matter of weathering uncertainty and trying to hang on. Landon learned Friday that she would not receive the Small Business Administration relief loan for which she applied.

Its an emotional roller coaster, Landon said. One moment Im like, I can fight this, I can do that uphill battle, and then the next Im choking back tears.

-- Piper McDaniel
New Delhi, April 19 : The national capital has acquired 42,000 rapid antibody test kits, which will be used in various containment zones across the city, Delhi Health Minister Satyendar Jain said on Sunday.

The government is aiming to use 42,000 kits in a week, with the main focus on the containment zones, Jain told the media on Sunday.

"We are having a trial run and training in the LNJP hospital and from Monday, these kits will be used in the hotspot areas," he said.

Jain also explained that random testing will not be done as it will not be useful.

"There is no point in doing random testing. These are kits to test the antibodies. This will be used on people who ever had even minor (coronavirus) symptoms. In this test, we will see if the body has developed the antibodies. If this comes positive, then we will need to have a confirmatory RT-PCR test," Jain said.

On April 7, Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal announced that the government had ordered rapid testing for 1 lakh people and it will start coming from April 10.However, even after a week the Health Department had not received the kits.

So far about 1,900 coronavirus cases have been reported in Delhi with 43 deaths. While 207 people have recovered, 1,643 cases are active as on Sunday morning. About 80 containment zones have been formed across the city after cases were found in localities.

Amid the current situation of increasing cases, the Delhi government has decided to not relax the lockdown from Monday, as directed by the Centre.--

Latest updates on Coronavirus (COVID-19)
The streets of Athens were practically empty on Sunday morning as Greeks marked the Orthodox Easter holiday in lockdown because of measures in place to help restrict the spread of the new coronavirus.

Easter Sunday is the biggest event on the Orthodox calendar, and traditionally a time for Greeks to congregate in churches and then feast on roast lamb with family and friends in country homes, but all these activities have been banned.

Authorities have doubled the 150-euro (114 US dollar) fine for breaches of the country's lockdown from Saturday night through midnight Monday.

Police blockades were in place around the city, but there were hardly any motorists on the streets for police to stop.

Other measures included shutting churches for all of Holy Week and Easter, with religious services being held behind closed doors in empty churches.

The government imposed a lockdown early in the country's outbreak and so far has managed to keep the number of deaths low.

As of late Saturday, Greece had 110 dead from the new virus.

The countrys health ministry announced on Saturday the number of confirmed cases rose by 11, to 2,235.

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.
On Saturday, the Mail launched a major new series uncovering Chinas role in fuelling the coronavirus pandemic. In part one, drawing on expert testimony, our writers investigated claims that the new strain of coronavirus had escaped from a lab in Wuhan, the city from where it emerged.

Today, they document the audacious cover-up that allowed the virus to spread, with deadly consequences for the world...

Over the months to come, we might be better able to understand. It will be far harder to forgive. Openness, honesty and the rapid sharing of all known facts are the internationally agreed requirements for any government that discovers a viral epidemic emerging within its borders.

It is the only way in which the world community can quickly move to contain deadly new contagions before they spread and wreak havoc. Before they become a pandemic.

But as the Covid-19 coronavirus epidemic began in Wuhan late last year, the Chinese authorities swiftly broke every rule of acceptable behaviour. From the start, officials denied facts, deliberately spread misinformation, blocked internet traffic and gagged anyone sharing truths about the deadly new virus.

The tragedy of Chinas actions is highlighted by an as-yet-unpublished report led by Dr Shengjie Lai, a researcher in infectious disease dynamics at Southampton University.

Funeral home workers move a body to a residential building in Wuhan on February 1. China's official death toll has been roundly criticised by experts and other nations

Wuhan's mayor, Zhou Xianwang, exchanges documents with the Deputy Commander in Chief of China's People's Liberation Army, Bai Zhongbin

Passengers from Wuhan pictured arriving in Beijing on April 19 after lockdown is lifted

The study used a highly sophisticated mathematical model of coronaviruss spread to show that if China had introduced lockdown measures three weeks earlier, cases could have been reduced by 95 per cent  significantly limiting the Covid-19s spread and its ensuing global death toll.

Even the countrys authorities admit they were remiss. Zhong Nanshan, one of Chinas most highly regarded epidemiology experts and the leader of the National Health Commissions task force on the epidemic, says that if officials had acted in early January, the number of sick would have been greatly reduced.

For the moment, using multiple sources, we can try to piece together what took place during this pivotal time  if not why.

We have set out events in chronological order as they are thought to have happened, rather than when they became known publicly. Thanks to the obfuscation, ignorance or self-deception of the Chinese authorities, much of the information reported so far leaked out only long after the event.

In some instances  the early infections, for example  it may be that Beijing did not realise what was happening. However, that is to put the most charitable gloss on their catastrophic mismanagement of the crisis.

Because, as our timeline reveals, during these crucial first weeks the authorities lied about the viruss contagiousness, gagged doctors who knew otherwise, and gave fake assurances to the public and the hopelessly supine World Health Organisation.

The crackdown began with reprimands issued to Dr Li Wenliang, 34, for warning fellow medics about the virus. He died at Wuhan Central Hospital of Covid-19 on February 7

Yesterday, it was claimed that more than 5,100 people were arrested for sharing information in the first weeks of the outbreak. The result is a still-soaring death toll across the world.

Whether the new contagion was caused naturally  by cross-species contact at the Huanan seafood market in Wuhan, which is where scientific consensus lies at the moment  or, more outlandishly as some claim, created by scientists at the citys Institute of Virology, what happened next is a terrifying and outrageous story. The world will live with the consequences of it for decades to come.

As one academic told the Mail: The Chinese people have nothing to be ashamed about. Its just their leaders.

November 17, 2019: At least six weeks before the Chinese authorities inform the WHO about a problem in Wuhan, patients are being hospitalised with a new pneumonia-like illness.

According to government data leaked to the South China Morning Post last month, a 55-year-old from Hubei province, of which Wuhan is the capital, could be the first known person to have contracted Covid-19.

He is hospitalised on November 17. Was this Patient Zero? From this date onwards, one to five new cases . . . (is) reported each day.

December 10: Wei Guixian, a seafood merchant at the Huanan market, is hospitalised.

December 15: The total number of known infections of this mystery illness stands at 27.

December 17: The first double-digit daily rise. The leaked government papers suggest these figures were later backdated: the authorities did not yet know the patients all had the same virus.

December 18: A 65-year-old deliveryman at Huanan market is admitted to the Central Hospital of Wuhan with pneumonia.

December 24: Fluid samples are taken from the deliverymans lungs and sent for analysis at the Visions Medicals genomics laboratory in Guangzhou.

December 26: Warning bells begin to ring at last. Zhang Jixian, head of the respiratory department at Hubei Xinhua Hospital, notices a growing number of patients with pneumonia who are linked to Huanan market. He fears the worst and reports the situation to colleagues. The report is passed on to Chinese health authorities.

December 27: The threat is confirmed. According to Zhao Su, head of respiratory medicine at the Central Hospital of Wuhan, the lab does not send back the market deliverymans results as usual. Their findings are so urgent they phone him instead.

They said it was a new coronavirus, Zhao later tells a Chinese news source. In fact, the results show an alarming similarity  87 per cent  to the deadly SARS virus which killed around 800 people in 2002-03. The deliveryman is transferred to Wuhan Jinyintang Hospital, where he dies.

Samples from at least eight other patients are sent to a number of Chinese genomics companies. All the results will point to a new coronavirus.

Zhang Jixian, head of the respiratory department at Hubei Xinhua hospital, sounded the alarm after noticing a growth in patient numbers with pneumonia. Her warning was joined by leading epidemiological expert Zhang Nanshan

Pictures from inside Wuhans secretive Institute of Virology show a broken seal on the door (centre of shot, by medical worker's right eye) of one of the refrigerators used to hold 1,500 different strains of virus

December 30: Dr Li Wenliang, an ophthalmologist at Wuhan Central Hospital contacts former medical classmates on Chinese social media site WeChat. Seven patients at his hospital have a SARS-like virus and are in quarantine. He says colleagues should protect themselves. And so should he  from the authorities.

That evening Wuhans Health Commission sends an urgent internal notice to all hospitals about 27 cases of pneumonia of unclear cause but with links to Huanan market. It orders all departments to report information about known cases. The notice omits any mention of a coronavirus. Later leaked online, it is the first sign of officialdom acknowledging a problem.

December 31: China notifies the World Health Organisation about the emergence of an unidentified infectious disease but says there is no obvious human to human transmission. WHO officials send Beijing a list of questions about the outbreak.

Now the suppression of information and crackdown on whistle-blowers begins. Police announce they are investigating eight people for spreading rumours about the outbreak. All are doctors, including Wuhan ophthalmologist Dr Li. Wuhans Health commission, its hand forced by rumours, announces that 27 people are suffering from pneumonia of an unknown cause. Its statement says: The disease is controllable.

However, the Cyberspace Administration of China begins censoring conversations about the outbreak on Chinese social media sites.

Analysts at the University of Toronto will report that the authority promptly blacklisted 45 phrases such as unknown Wuhan pneumonia and Wuhan seafood market.

Taiwan health officials send WHO officials an email seeking information about the Wuhan outbreak. The Taiwanese warn they have received reports of patients being isolated, which strongly suggests the virus is contagious.

The WHO does not reply. Chinese officials previously convinced the body not to treat Taiwan as anything more than a rogue nation.

January 1: The authorities shutter Huanan seafood market. Xinhua News Agency, the official Communist Party news wire, reports that the market is undergoing renovation.

The agency also reports: The police call on all netizens to not fabricate rumours, not spread rumours, not believe rumours.

Wang Guangbao, a surgeon and writer in eastern China, later says speculation about a SARS-like virus was rampant within medical circles, but the detentions deterred him and many others from discussing it openly. Scientific research is also being suppressed.

According to a later report by the independent Caixin news agency an employee of one genomics company received a phone call from an official at the Hubei Provincial Health Commission, ordering the company to stop testing samples from Wuhan related to the new disease and destroy all existing samples . . . They were told to cease releasing test results, and report any future results to authorities.

The Huanan seafood market in Wuhan, where the virus may have jumped into humans

January 3: The suppression widens. Chinas National Health Commission (NHC) orders institutions not to publish any information related to the unknown disease, and labs to transfer any samples they have to designated testing institutions, or destroy them. Dr Li is reprimanded by police and returns to work.

January 5: Zhang Yongzhen and his team at the state-run Shanghai P3 lab completes the genome sequence of the virus, according to reliable sources. He reports his findings to the NHC, warning that the new virus is being transmitted through the respiratory system.

January 9: Life continues as normal. Wuhan mayor Zhou Xianwang gives his annual report to the citys Peoples Congress. He promises the city will have top-class medical schools and a futuristic industry park. He doesnt mention the viral outbreak once.

January 9-10: The Wuhan Health Commission discloses the death, two days earlier, of a 61-year-old man named Zeng who shopped regularly at the Huanan market  the first fatality.

The commission does not disclose that Zengs wife developed symptoms five days after he did. She had never visited the market, so surely had caught it from her husband. The authorities tell international media that there is no clear evidence that people can catch the virus from each other.

Dr Li treats a woman for glaucoma. He does not know that she is infected with coronavirus.

In Wuhan, local politicians focus on a Communist Party meeting scheduled for six days time. During this time, the Wuhan Health Commission each day claims there are no new infections.

January 11: Having had no response from the authorities, Shanghai P3 laboratory discloses the full genome sequence of a new coronavirus for the outside scientific world to examine.

Meanwhile, Beijing repeats its claims that there is no evidence of human transmission. It reports that the number of confirmed cases had dropped to 41.

January 12: Shanghai P3 lab is shut down for rectification. Information sharing to prevent a disaster is forbidden, apparently.

The WHO tweets that it is reassured of the quality of the investigations and the response measures implemented on the novel #coronavirus . . . in #Wuhan, #China, and the authorities commitment to share information with WHO.

January 13: Thailand reports the first confirmed case outside China  a woman from Wuhan is quarantined there. Yet key Chinese state media still omits to mention the outbreak.

January 14: Beijing would appear to have a willing stooge. Today comes an even more credulous tweet from the WHO: Preliminary investigations by the Chinese authorities have found no clear evidence of human-to-human transmission of the novel #coronavirus (2019-nCoV).

January 18: The Wuhan Health Commission announces four new infections. Still, officials downplay the risk of human-to-human transmission. According to a later report, officials allow a community banquet in Wuhan to go ahead, attended by 40,000 families.

Lawyer Chen Qiushi  whose videos of chaotic scenes in Wuhan hospitals with coronavirus victims lying in corridors were shared with an audience of more than 400,000 YouTube and 250,000 Twitter followers  went missing on February 7

January 20: The truth is finally told. Pulmonologist Zhong Nanshan, 83, a veteran of the SARS crisis, appears on state media to announce the virus is transmissible between people. But it is too late. Chinese New Year is only days away; a nation of 1.4 billion is on the move.

January 23, day before Chinese New Years Eve: The authorities scramble to make up for lost time. Wuhan is placed in lockdown. Videos on social media show deserted streets and corpses on pavements. At a reception in Beijing, President Xi avoids the elephant in the room.

The WHO finally acknowledges coronavirus can be transmitted between humans. Five days pass before it declares the outbreak a Public Health Emergency of International Concern.

January 24: Chinese authorities continue to warn citizens against spreading rumours. Later, Toronto University analysis shows that on January 24-25, at least 40 people were warned, fined or detained for mentioning the epidemic.

Human rights groups believe Mr Fang Bin (right)  along with lawyer Chen Qiushi and former state TV reporter Li Zehua (left)  are being tortured in extrajudicial detention centres where

Billionaire property tycoon Ren Zhiqiang, 69, (pictured) who vanished in March after calling President Xi Jinping a clown for mishandling the virus outbreak

January 26: The mayor of Wuhan, Zhou Xianwang, offers to resign after admitting information was slow to be released. Now he reveals up to five million residents left the city in the days before lockdown, potentially spreading the virus.

January 30: Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, the WHOs director-general, tweets his praise of Chinas leadership for setting a new standard for outbreak response.

Another critic silenced by Chinas leader is law professor Xu Zhangrun, who was put under house arrest in Beijing and had his internet access cut off

February 7: Dr Li Wenliang dies of Covid-19. The same day Chinese human rights lawyer Chen Qiushi is reportedly put into quarantine for publicising the outbreak. His whereabouts remain unknown.

February 26: Video journalist Li Zihua is taken from his home by unidentified men. His whereabouts are also unknown.

March 4: Official Xinhua News Agency publishes an opinion piece headlined Justified and strong; the world should thank China. It declares: Without Chinas huge sacrifices and contributions, it will not be possible for the world to win a valuable time window to fight the new coronary pneumonia epidemic. The evidence suggests otherwise.

Among other critics reported to have disappeared or been punished are property tycoon Ren Zhiqiang, 69; law professor Xu Zhangrun, who was put under house arrest; and businessman Fang Bin, who has not been seen since he posted the message: Citizens resist. Hand power back to the people.
WOOD RIVER  The Illinois Department of Public Health reported 1,197 new coronavirus cases and 33 additional deaths in Illinois on Sunday.

Locally, the Madison County Health Department reported a total of 180 cases of COVID-19, up 11 from Saturday. Also reported was one new death, identified as a man in his 50s; bringing the county-wide total to eight, although the Illinois Department of Public Health website is only listing six as of Sunday.

Statewide, the total is now 30,357 cases and 1,290 deaths as of Sunday, according to Illinois Department of Public Health Director Dr. Ngozi Ezike.

During the state briefing on Sunday, Ezike talked briefly about the emotional needs of children during the pandemic, and the need to empower and encourage them.

We all need unprecedented support in this moment in history, she said. We can never go back to how we were, and well never get our loved ones back.

The Madison County figures include 58 people hospitalized and 67 recovered, meaning they have completed isolation. A total of 100 people testing positive are female.

More Information COVID-19 by the numbers Illinois - 30,357 (1,290 deaths) Madison County - 180 (8 deaths) Jersey County - 8 Macoupin County -21 Greene County -1 Calhoun County -1 Montgomery County - 14 (1 death) St. Clair County - 271 (18 deaths) Clinton County - 45 Bond County-4 (1 death) Monroe County-53 (7 deaths) Washington County - 7 Cases by zip code 62002 (Alton) - 30 62035 (Godfrey) -8 62052 (Jerseyville) -6 62095 (Wood River) -8 62024 (East Alton) -7 62025 (Edwardsville) - 30 62034 (Glen Carbon) - 9 62294 (Troy) -10 62040 (Granite City/Pontoon Beach) - 32 62234 (Collinsville) -19 62060 (Madison) -7 62249 (Highland) 8 62069 (Mt. Olive) - 6 Sources: Illinois Department of Public Health and Madison County Health Department See More Collapse

Information by zip code shows additional cases in Alton, Edwardsville, Glen Carbon, Granite City/Pontoon Beach and Collinsville. Mt. Olive (62069) was listed for the first time with six cases.

The IDPH is releasing case numbers by zip code for areas with more than five cases. Numbers are not released in zip codes with fewer cases to protect the privacy of patients.

The information is available on the IDPH website www.dph.illinois.gov. Click on the coronavirus banner, then COVID-19 statistics in the drop-down menu on the left side.

Additional cases have also been reported in Montgomery, St. Clair, Clinton, Clinton and Washington and Monroe counties in the Metro East, according to the IDPH website. St. Clair County also reported an additional death.

Gov. JB Pritzker spoke very briefly about the Illinois National Guard and Air National Guard. He said that the 1st Battalion, 178th Infantry Regiment has returned from deployment in Afghanistan, and Guard members and units are helping provide a number of services during the pandemic.

He added that the Air National Guard will be flying in a shipment of personal protective equipment Monday. Pritzker said it is highly unusual for a Guard unit to bring in supplies from foreign countries, but that is the landscape states are facing because of competition for those supplies from the federal, state and local governments.

For the latest information on COVID-19 or coronavirus resources, visit the Madison County Health Department online at www.madisonchd.org or on Facebook @MadisonCHD. Also visit www.co.madison.il.us for more news and a daily update or on Facebook @MadisonCountyIL.
Gary Easley was worried as he took a bus to the pharmacy at West Virginia Health Right, a free clinic that has stood for decades in Charleston, West Virginia. Normally, he goes to Walgreens and Kroger to get the nine prescriptions he relies on for his high blood pressure and high cholesterol, diabetes and mood swings, leg pain and lung trouble.

But three weeks before - on March 17, the day West Virginia would become the last state to confirm its first coronavirus case - Easley was summoned to the general manager's office at the Four Points by Sheraton at 9:30 a.m. His job of five years as the hotel's morning-shift chef, he was told, was ending in a half-hour. His health benefits ended two weeks later.

Easley, out of a job and out of a health plan, and Health Right, swamped with new patients, represent a ripple effect of the novel coronavirus sweeping the United States. In a nation where most health coverage is hinged to employment, the economy's vanishing jobs are wiping out insurance in the midst of a pandemic.

No one has a count of exactly how many people have lost their health plans, but there are clues. About 22 million workers have filed unemployment claims since mid-March, according to the most recent federal figures, and that includes only the people who have gotten through to clogged state workforce offices. The latest census data show that job-based coverage accounted for 55 percent of Americans' health insurance, though the kinds of work disappearing the most - restaurant jobs and others in the service industry - have always been less likely to offer health benefits.

The Economic Policy Institute, a nonpartisan think tank, estimates that 9.2 million U.S. residents were at high risk of having lost coverage during the past four weeks. The consulting firm Health Management Associates forecasts that perhaps 12 million to 35 million people will lose job-based insurance because of the pandemic, on top of the 27.5 million who were uninsured before the virus arrived.

In the small state of West Virginia, as many as 30,000 people can be expected to become uninsured, the consulting firm forecast estimates.

"Any safety-net providers, we see it coming down the track like a big locomotive," said Angie Settle, Health Right's chief executive. "When you are a free and charitable clinic, everything we have is based on grants and begging, and we already are at capacity."

The clinic is getting 15 to 20 calls a day from newly uninsured people who want to come for care - many of them middle-class families, unlike its usual clientele of working poor and homeless.

Even with what Settle calls "an absolute lockdown" on visits that are not emergencies, the clinic has accepted 113 new patients over the past 30 days, compared with 72 during the same period a year ago. They are not infected with the coronavirus, though the clinic is doing testing in a tent out back and at a nearby soup kitchen. They just need urgent help.

The greatest pressure is on the pharmacy. Typically, Health Right spends about $10,000 a month on medications, even with pharmaceutical companies donating some drugs. "And now we are spending that a week," Settle said.

Some existing patients want more pills, fearful medicine will become unavailable. Some drug manufacturers have ratcheted up prices. And some people, such as Easley, are turning to Health Right so that chronic conditions do not flare out of control.

"My battle," said Jack Whitley, the clinic pharmacist, "is making sure [new patients] qualify, asking for W-2s, pay stubs," and, often, proof of layoffs.

When Easley still had his job and his hospitality industry health plan, co-pays on his prescriptions cost $140 a month, he said. If he had to buy them on his own, they would cost $2,007 a month, including more than $900 for insulin and syringes alone, according to figures from Health Right, which gave him the medications free, delivered at the curb.

"That's a blessing," said Easley, 56.

For a quarter-century, he worked at the hotel across from the Kanawha River, which runs through town. After Sheraton took it over five years ago, he worked seven days a week until he began taking Sundays off.

He was the first to arrive in the kitchen, taking the 4:10 a.m. bus downtown from his apartment building in time to start at 4:30 a.m. Sometimes, he stayed through the lunch shift, getting enough time at $12.40 an hour to make about $18,000 a year.

The morning he and a dishwater were summoned to the general manager, he already had prepped for lunch and was cleaning up. "I kind of had a feeling something was going on," Easley recalled.

Even though West Virginia still didn't have a covid-19 case - Gov. Jim Justice, a Republican, would announce the first, 300 miles northeast in Shepherdstown, that night - the restaurant had few customers. And Easley had been watching the news.

The general manager told him he would be the first rehired, he said. That didn't help him now.

Two days later, Easley was on the phone with a human resources specialist at Sheraton headquarters going over separation details. She asked whether he was going to pay the $299 to keep his insurance going for April.

"I don't even have that," he replied, unsure how he was going to pay $618 in rent and utilities.

In that case, she told him, his health plan's last day would be March 31.

- - -

The largest and oldest free clinic in West Virginia, founded in 1982, West Virginia Health Right is housed in a two-story brick building on Charleston's east end, not far from the state Capitol.

After 23 years as a nurse practitioner, clinical coordinator and now chief executive, Settle has been witness to enough economic trauma in the Kanawha Valley to fear what is coming. "I'm a very optimistic person, but I don't know how we are going to recover from this," she said. "I really don't. I'm scared."

She has watched the coal industry decay and factories close. She has been thinking lately back to the 2014 water crisis, when a chemical used to wash coal spilled into the Elk River just upstream, forcing 300,000 people not to use contaminated tap water for days or weeks.

"A lot of the restaurants were closed, hair salons," she said. "And that wasn't even statewide." Some small businesses never recovered, and she thinks that now "it's going to be so far-reaching. . . . In our area, especially, a lot of these stores and different businesses are not ready to sustain something like this."

The pressure on the clinic so far "is nothing," she said. "It's the aftermath I'm worried about."

She knows that next month will be worse than this one, once more people's health benefits end April 30.

Among them is Greg Litvin, 53, who moved with his wife and two children to Charleston six years ago for a software sales job. In August, he started working for Thryv, a successor to the Yellow Pages, selling business automation and marketing plans.

By March 25, when his manager in Thryv's Dallas headquarters and a human resources representative called to say his job was being eliminated, most of the small, local companies that were his customers had shut down.

His wife and 23-year-old son and 19-year-old daughter - both living at home - are covered through her job with a medical supply company. Her earnings have just been cut by 40 percent, and Litvin was expecting to make nearly $80,000 his first year with Thryv. They are uncertain they can afford to add him to her health plan.

The April 30 end to his Cigna insurance policy, with its $300 premium every two weeks, is a problem. A recent MRI exam showed brain lesions that stumped his doctor, who referred Litvin to a neurosurgeon, who referred him to a neurologist, with whom Litvin had a telehealth appointment days ago.

The neurologist ordered a different MRI. Litvin is trying to get it scheduled before the end of the month but isn't sure he can. The last MRI required a $391 co-pay. It would have cost more than $1,400 if he'd had to pay on his own, and that test was simpler than the one he needs now.

"This probably sounds really strange, but I've been more stoic about it than I thought I would be," Litvin said. "It's a worldwide situation. . . . Lives are being disrupted. There's a strange feeling of, 'I'm not alone in it.' It makes me, as a husband and a father, not feel as much of a failure."

People around town are losing all kinds of work.

Katrina Wright had pleaded with her husband, a union electrician, to come home from Ohio, where he had been on a huge construction site, helping to build a Google data center. He agreed, knowing the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers was allowing furloughs.

A few mornings later, she laid off the two women who worked with her in her small cleaning business, worried she could be exposing them and their families to the virus and that they might be exposing their customers. Early that evening, she sent her customers a text: "With a heavy heart as a business owner during this life-changing pandemic, we will indefinitely close. . . . At the end of the day, we need to look out for our clients and ourselves. We will do our part in flattening the curve. Please understand our decision and keep us all in our prayers."

If her husband kept paying into the union health fund, he could still get his family insurance, but it would cost $1,000 a month, and the only money coming into the house now is $1,200 in unemployment benefits from Pennsylvania, where he worked last year. He hasn't gotten through to West Virginia's workforce agency.

So they became uninsured April 1, even though everyone needs care. Her 13-year-old son has autism. Her daughter gets migraines with symptoms that mimic a stroke. At 50, her husband has Raynaud's phenomenon, a disorder in which blood vessels spasm, leading to decreased blood flow in cold or under stress. At 39, she is being treated for high cholesterol and slightly elevated blood pressure.

Wright has always read medical information, not wanting to be a mother who rushes her children to doctors.

Still, she said, "It's scary. I can only treat so much at home."

- - -

Anthony Paranzino is the only employer he knows still paying for health benefits.

He owns Tony the Tailor, a fine menswear shop in an old Masonic Temple building in the center of Charleston's historical district. His father opened it as a tailor's shop in 1974, and Paranzino began working there when he was 9, learning the tailor's craft until they shifted to selling high-end suits, and his father handed over the business in the early 1990s.

In normal times, he has two employees, as well as his wife and a retired woman who still helps out. By early March, the apparel business was already suffering. It was impossible to get fabric from Italy or componentry from China - countries the coronavirus invaded sooner than it did the United States.

The shop's last day open was March 13. He figured furloughing his workers then would let them apply for unemployment benefits before it got too crowded.

Thursday evenings were always when he wrote out paychecks. That next Thursday, Paranzino said, "I cried like a baby. It was the first time I didn't have to make payroll on Thursday night in 30-some years. That's when the reality set in."

He continues to pay for health insurance. Usually, he pays half of his workers' premiums, but he is picking up 100 percent for now. "They are great employees, I didn't want to leave them hanging."

It is costing him $2,361 a month. "I can't do it indefinitely," he said, with his sales volume down 70 percent, even with some online orders still coming in.

Near his shop in the historical district, only the bank drive-through across the street is open. A new branch of West Virginia University's law school is shuttered. So is a political consulting firm next door and the Art Emporium, a gallery and framing shop behind him. A block away on Capitol Street, the bars are closed, and some restaurants are open for curbside pickup only.

These mostly workless workplaces within sight gave Paranzino the idea for a nonprofit he has just formed with a lawyer friend. Using his empty shop as the headquarters, they are raising money for laid-off service industry workers, to give a little help with rent or food or utilities. Since the effort began a few weeks ago, about 500 people have applied. The project has raised $26,500 and sent out $10,500 in rent aid and $6,000 in $50 Kroger grocery cards.

- - -

The testing that Health Right is doing in the tent and at the soup kitchen has not detected anyone with the coronavirus, though 111 people in Kanawha County have tested positive, the most in the state. Across the river from the clinic, Charleston Area Medical Center's Memorial Hospital has taken in the area's only covid-19 patients sick enough to need such care. The hospital has admitted 27 infected patients. Ten are still there. Sixteen have been discharged. One has died.

The hospital has been more fortunate than many. None of the covid-19 patients it has admitted lacked health insurance, according to Dale Witt, the hospital's spokesman.

Nationwide, an analysis by the Kaiser Family Foundation, a health-policy group, has estimated that, throughout the pandemic, uninsured coronavirus patients will cost hospitals $13.9 billion to $41.8 billion.

On April 3, Vice President Mike Pence announced the Trump administration was planning to pay hospitals for treating uninsured coronavirus patients, relying on part of a $100 billion fund Congress recently designated for hospitals and other providers of health care strained by the pandemic. There are no details yet.

Even if those payments come, they would be less than hospitals are paid for privately insured patients, and uninsured patients would "still be on the hook" for bills from doctors who treat them in the hospital, said Larry Levitt, Kaiser's executive vice president for health policy.

Under the Affordable Care Act, people who lose a job are allowed a special enrollment period to buy a health plan, if they can afford one, through the federal insurance marketplace created under the law. President Donald Trump, a foe of the ACA, has resisted calls to more broadly open HealthCare.gov, the marketplace's online enrollment system available for six weeks late in the year.

Eventually, some unemployed workers can join Medicaid, public insurance for the poor, if their incomes fall low enough. The thresholds vary by state.

For now, some laid-off workers qualify for COBRA, transitional coverage when people lose jobs. Thryv offered COBRA to Litvin. When he checked on premiums, he discovered medical and dental coverage would cost him nearly $800 a month.

"It's astronomical," he said.

Knowing that government help in regaining insurance is proving piecemeal and iffy, Settle at Health Right is bracing for an intensifying onslaught.

In the past weeks, the clinic has sent out about 10 emergency requests for extra grant aid from the foundations and others that help prop it up in normal times.

As for Easley, he is grateful to an old friend who mentioned to him that Health Right might be able to help him with his medicines.

But he finds his mornings depressing without the hotel kitchen. "Everybody calls me and checks to see how I am doing," he said, "because I fed all these people."
The New Patriotic Party in Lower Manya Krobo in the Eastern Region is urging Ghanaians to ignore what they see as undue politicization and deliberate misinformation of the public by the opposition NDC in the area on the Coronavirus outbreak.

Goldman Awuku Dodzi, the NPP Constituency Secretary in a press statement said the NDC is using propaganda to create fear and panic among the people regarding the outbreak.

He said the latest attempt by the NDC Regional leadership to link the detected COVID-19 cases at the AFCONS Railway Construction 'site B camp' in Kpong to the recent National Identification Authority (NIA) registration exercise in the municipality is absurd and lacks what he called 'logical comprehension'

He said it is coming from a sinking party that wants to gain public attention at the detriment of the good people of Lower Manya Krobo.

The NPP secretary said in late March 2020, the Ghana Health Service published the first case of the virus in the Eastern region, specifically at the 'camp B' site of the Indians working on the Tema to Mpakadan Railway line.

According to him, the local workers of AFCONS following the arrival of the six Indians quickly sent a report to the MCE through the assembly member for the area who duly informed the health authorities about the situation, saying the authorities acted swiftly contrary to the NDC claims.

As part of the details, the health personnel monitored the Indians in the camp for the required 14 days as part of the COVID-19 detection and management protocols and further extended surveillance for an additional two days.

It was on the 16th day on their routine checks that one Indian started to cough coupled with high temperature.

He added that Thereafter, samples were taken to Nuguchi and later found out to be positive. Currently, 29 Indians and 2 Ghanaians who live with them at the camp contracted the virus. They have been isolated and are receiving the needed care from the Ghana Health service'.

The secretary said it therefore, beats our imagination where the NDC as a responsible organisation sought its information from to conclude that some of the infected workers were spotted at an NIA registration centre in the Ahudzo Electoral Area.

He said the two Ghanaians infected at the camp confirmed that they did not have Ghana Card or participated in any NIA registration.

He said it is very unfortunate that upon all these verifiable facts and the time that the spirit of this nation is united to confront a real threat to human race, the NDC whose stock-in-trade is to create confusion and deliberately misinformed and twist facts are at it again.

Daily Guide
Vineet Upadhyay By

Express News Service

DEHRADUN: Sample of a baby elephant of Rajaji Tiger Reserve in Uttarakhand has been collected and sent for the COVID-19 test after the animal displayed symptoms of the fatal infection.

The samples have been sent to the Indian Veterinary Research Institute (IVRI), Bareilly where the examination of the sample will be conducted to determine if the pachyderm is infected or not.

Amit Varma, director of the reserve said, "After prima facie examination our experts told us that the symptoms may be of pox disease which is also an infectious viral disease."

The baby elephant, Sultan was with five elephants at Chilla facility of the reserve. Two more apart from Sultan fell ill but have no symptoms of matching COVID-19 infection.

Sultan was found having swelling on his eyelids and mouth ulcers leaving him groaning in pain. Once the symptoms became evident on Saturday, a team of health experts was summoned from Haridwar to visit, examine and sanitize the entire place.

The baby elephant has been separated and staff have been deployed to look after the sick baby elephant.




OPay, the startup behind one of Nigerias leading mobile payments services, has raised $120 million in a Series B funding round joined by a host of Chinese investors.

The round  which comes on the heels of a $50 million round in June  was joined by Meituan-Dianping, DragonBall Capital, GaoRong Capital, Source Code Capital, SoftBank Ventures Asia, Bertelsmann Asia Investments, Redpoint China, IDG Capital, Sequoia Capital China and GSR Ventures.

Incubated by Norwegian-based consumer internet outfit Opera, OPay launched its agent-centric mobile payments service in August 2018, entering a market with a large unbanked population.

The firm now has a network of over 140,000 agents and transaction volumes of more than $10 million a day and has begun branching out into motorbike ridesharing and food delivery.

The new funding will be used to continue the diversification and to move into new African markets, with Ghana, South Africa and Kenya all on the agenda.

Yahui Zhou, CEO, OPay, says: We see ourselves as a key contributor to expanding financial inclusion in Africa, and helping local businesses and workforces to thrive from opportunities created by new, digital business models.

Earlier this month it emerged that Visa is making a $200 million stake in another Nigerian payments player, Interswitch.
WHAT A DISGRACE

To once again show what a petty, miserable excuse for a human being Donald Trump is, he is cutting off funding to the World Health Organization, blaming them for the coronavirus and taking no responsibility himself. This man is nothing but a disgusting piece of filth. Thats all he ever does, spread blame around when he refuses to accept responsibility for his part in the spread of the virus.

BOB FROM SHARON HILL

SHAME OF THE NATION

Id like to Sound Off about an article on the news that said the checks that are going out from our nations capital had to be delayed so they could have the signature of Donald Trump. I guess I shouldnt be surprised because a self-centered self-absorbed narcissists wouldnt think about the people getting the money that needed it. Its a shame.

REALIST IN RIDLEY

TAX NO MORE

Yo, Id like to send a message to the governor of Pennsylvania. How you doing? I didnt vote for you. I think youre doing a pretty good job. I just want I just want to ask one little favor. The way things are going on with people out of work, schools closing, and stores closing, just wondering if you got the power, could you kind of ease off at school taxes this year? Get rid of it.

CHRONIC FROM MIDDLETOWN

THANKS, PHIL

Happy retirement to Phil Heron. Really looked forward to reading your column everyday. Great job and you will be missed. Thanks.

30

DUMP TRUMP

I am so appalled at how this administration is handling this crisis we have all been dealing with. Trump is really showing his incompetence more and more every day. Deny, deny, blame are his trademarks. Trump has failed this nation in a way no other president ever did. In the midst of this horror he wants to reopen the country with complete disregard for our health. His interest is only on his campaign and himself. Trump was dumb enough to think he was in control of the states. Clueless. He is no help at all. Now hes encouraging his supporters to

protest in all state capitols run by Democratic governors, even blocking roads to hospitals. Now those supporters are in danger of the virus.

I certainly appreciate the safety measures Gov. Wolf put in place for our state, working for the people. Fortunately we have a leader in Tom Wolf.

A JB FAN

WHAT A WORLD

How stupid does a person have to be to carry a sign about governors acting like kings while proclaiming Trump to be their king? If someone they love dies from it, will they still bow to Trump. Also, the stimulus money is not Trumps so the Trump worshipper who wrote in about people taking Trumps money needs to get it straight. However, they might want to send theirs back as not to feel like a socialist empathizer.

RNB

HERES TO THE POST OFFICE

A shout out to Americas most popular federal agency, the Postal Service. Six hundred thirty thousand strong, they are letter carriers, clerks, mail handlers, technicians, and maintenance. They work in your local and city offices and in crowded distribution centers with little space for social distancing. While sheltering at home, I look forward to daily mail delivery. So why hasnt the president acknowledged postal employees for the work they do? Because King Trump, backed by his congressional,state and local loyalists, wants to break up the Post Office and divvy it up with his private sector subjects. Consider that the next time youre at the polls.

JAY FROM UPPER PROVIDENCE

PHIL WILL BE MISSED

Dear Sound Off people: Phil Heron retired yesterday, Sound Off should have been loaded with farewell notes. I would like to be the first to thank Phil for his many years of service to the Daily Times. He has done a fantastic job for his company and his community,and we will all miss you. Thanks.

GEORGE C
Tash Herz is the latest Married At First Sight star to tweak her look.

Daily Mail Australia can reveal the bride transformed her smile with porcelain veneers on her upper teeth, worth up to $25,000, after filming the show last year.

The 31-year-old showcased the sparkling results in an Instagram selfie on Saturday.

Glowing! MAFS' Tash Herz transformed her smile with porcelain veneers on her upper teeth, worth up to $25,000, after filming last year. Pictured: Left in September, right in April

Tash had her veneers done in December, two months after her 'marriage' to Amanda Micallef ended and she returned home to Adelaide alone.

The brunette went to see Dr Dee at Vogue Dental Studios in Melbourne.

Dr Dee is well-known for his reality TV star transformations, previously welcoming the likes of Jessika Power, Erin Barnett and Jack Vidgen into his dental studio.

Sparkling! The brunette had her veneers done by Dr Dee at Vogue Dental Studios in Melbourne in December, months after leaving the show. Pictured: Tash and girlfriend Madison Hewitt

Reality TV makeover: Earlier this month, the Adelaide-based bartender shared several bronzed selfies after being made-over by makeup artist Karyssa Leigh

Alternative Tash has upped the glamour since finding fame in February.

Earlier this month, the tattooed bartender shared several bronzed selfies after being made-over by makeup artist Karyssa Leigh.

She maintained her famed 'vampire look' with a subtle smokey red eye.

Following her disastrous marriage on TV, Tash has since found love with new girlfriend Madison Hewitt.

Happy! Following her disastrous marriage on TV, Tash found love with girlfriend Madison

The pair starting dating several months ago, with Tash recently praising the blonde for loving her 'like she deserves'.

In a heartfelt Instagram post to Madison, she wrote: 'Thanks for making Twilight references mid-argument so I've got no hope ever of staying mad at you.

'Finding me funny when I'm being so weird, kissing me the best I've ever been kissed, making me the most epic playlist I've ever been made.'

'...and loving me like I deserve and reminding me that I do, deserve it.'
19.04.2020 LISTEN

It is in the face of adversity that true heroes are identified. One may argue that heroes are born while others may concur that they are made. Among the good people of Ghana, a hero is one who saves his people from a calamity which otherwise would have led to their complete annihilation. Hence, heroes are celebrated with ballads that transcend generational boundaries. Among the various tribes such as the Ashantis, Akans, Ewes, Gas, Dagombas, Frafras, Bonos etc. are recognised and celebrated heroes whose legacies still linger in the heart and mind of their people.

In political and socio-economic terms, the most recognised figures are those who through timeless contributions led the country to independence. Nowadays, because there are no physical chains to destroy, rather; mental chains, ballads of such heroes remain unsung. Among the few sung today are not spared perceptual inducements interlaced with hatred and prejudice. The norm then is to cascade well-articulated acclaims on bodies that neither see nor hear, thanks to their inertness.

Why wait till the permanent cessation of all vital functions before praises of true heroes are chanted? Not so with me! I have chosen this day to trumpet the munificence of the President of the Republic of Ghana, H.E Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo for his tactful and thoughtful response to the worldwide pandemic that threatens the very existence of the human race: the novel coronavirus, COVID-19. As at 14th April, 2020, the country has recorded a total number of six hundred and forty-one (641) confirmed cases with eighty-three (83) recoveries and eight (8) deaths.

Prior to the evolution of COVID-19, the world had experienced two coronaviruses; the Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS-CoV) of early 2000s, and the Middle Eastern Respiratory Syndrome (MERS-CoV) which circulates parts of the world today. Coronaviruses are a large family of viruses that can cause diseases ranging from the common cold to Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS). The obvious connection between these coronaviruses is their likely emergence from an initial zoonotic transmission episode (animal to human). Like SARS, COVID-19 spreads readily from one person to another.

Obviously, there have been quite a number of outbreaks and perhaps, many more to follow but how leaders manage these outbreaks make a difference in the lives of their constituents. The Pulse researchers of the World Bank in their report recommended that African policymakers focus on saving lives and protecting livelihoods by focusing on strengthening health systems and taking quick actions to minimize disruptions in food supply chains...implementing social protection programs, including cash transfers, food distribution and fee waivers, to support citizens, especially those working in the informal sector.

This was summed in a statement made by the President of the Republic of Ghana, H.E Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo during his routine COVID-19 national address that "we (government) know how to bring the economy back to life. What we do not know is how to bring people back to life," that caught the attention of the international community.

In his bid to alleviate the adverse effect of the pandemic on the socio-economic life of the citizenry, swift measures have been implemented to ensure the practicality of this vision. Apart from the indefinite closure of national borders, a mandatory quarantine and testing of persons who arrived in the country was sanctioned to prevent the influx of the virus; the partial imposition of restriction on movement in identified hotspots in major parts of the country, encouraged social distancing, the abolishing of social gathering and other life-changing measures which were subjected to constant review were put in place.

As a citizen rather than a spectator, His Excellency set the pace of selflessness by donating his three month salary to the COVID-19 Fund that has been established to receive contributions and donations from the public and institutions to assist in the welfare of the needy and the vulnerable in the fight against the deadly virus. This leadership gesture influenced his fellow government officials to follow suit with their donations to the Fund. Religious institutions, financial institutions and individuals also joined by making significant contributions to the fund, not to mention those from global partners of the nation.

In an attempt to sustain and invigorate the economy during and after the pandemic season, he has, through the Ministry of Finance, set up the Coronavirus Alleviation Programme (CAP) to support micro, small, and medium-sized businesses, minimise job losses, and source additional funding for promotion of industries to shore up and expand industrial output for domestic consumption and exports. The National Board for Small Scale Industries (NBSSI), Business & Trade Associations and selected Commercial and Rural Banks, have been directed to roll out a soft loan scheme up to a total of six hundred million cedis (GH600 million), which will have a one-year moratorium and two-year repayment period for micro, small and medium scale businesses. Industries, especially in the pharmaceutical, hospitality, service and manufacturing sectors have been assured of 1.5% decrease in the Policy Pate and 2% in reserve requirement with a three billion-cedi (GH3 billion) from commercial banks. Electricity bill for commercial consumption has also been slashed by 50% for the period.

To the general populace, aside the constant supply of water and electricity from the Ghana Water Company Ltd and the Electricity Company of Ghana respectively, water bill for the next three months have been absorbed and water tankers both publicly and privately-owned have been mobilised to ensure the supply of water to vulnerable communities; free electricity for persons who consume zero (0) to fifty (50) kilowatt hours a month and fifty percent (50%) reduction for those that consume beyond that; as part of the Coronavirus Alleviation Programme (CAP), whose objective is also to protect households and livelihoods, food items are being distributed in Accra and Kumasi to the vulnerable and needy through NADMO and the MMDCEs, with the assistance of the faith-based organisations.

To our courageous health workers who have dedicated their prised lives to saving the country and humanity at large, he has provided an insurance package for each personnel; a daily allowance to contact tracers; exemption from taxes for the next three months; additional allowance of fifty per cent (50%) of their basic salary for March, April, May and June and the provision of Aayalolo buses to commute them to their various workplace for the entire duration of the lockdown. To ensure our compliance with the directives and guidelines outlined by our health professionals, he has deployed the security services that have been diligently enforcing strict adherence by patrolling streets day and night, conducting surveillance, snap checks and mounting road blocks. And oh, he did not forget that as a country, we have a lot of debris to deal with. In view of that, he being the Commander-in-Chief of the Army joined forces (Police, Military, Fire Service and Prison Service) with the Ministry of Sanitation and Water Resources to embark on desilting gutters, collection and disposal of garbage from homes, public places, markets and vehicle terminals.

Mr President, the spirit behind your remarkable addresses can be liken to a father who smears a painful medicine on the wound of his beloved child not because he enjoys the wail of pains of another but because a necessity has placed a demand on him. I choose this day not whine about what should have been or could be rather; to shower unending praises on you for your thoughtful and heartfelt deed to the people of Ghana. Yes, it is your duty to care for our well-being but a duty so beautifully and effortlessly discharged points to the kind of heart you possess as an individual: a remarkable heart worthy of emulation and adornment.

While studies and media reportage have shown that the road to recovery can be long and arduous, I would entreat the good people of Ghana to take a stand with the President by complying with the preventive procedures laid down and those yet to be recommended. The battle against COVID-19 is a collective effort; the true spirit of Ubuntu and never individualistic. Although, the pandemic hastens to wreak a lot of havoc, it is at this same junction that true leadership is birthed.

Still, the battle is the Lords.

Nana, mo ne adwuma pa a wo de boa )man Ghana ne ewiase afana nyinaa.

Esan s3 nkyene nkanfo ne ho nti na mere da wo nnwuma pa adi akyer3 awiase afana nyinaa.

Wakyer3 y3n s3, ampa osuo abo wo man mma de3 nanso akyir3 aw) no de3 womma no nne w)n.

)man Ghana da wo ase, da wo ase. Y3 da wo ase a 3nnsa.

In his words, Fellow Ghanaians, as I have said before, all that Government is doing is intended to achieve five (5) key objectives  limit and stop the importation of the virus; contain its spread; provide adequate care for the sick; limit the impact of the virus on social and economic life, and inspire the expansion of our domestic capability and deepen our self-reliance.

Clearly, the fight is not over yet but it behooves us to acknowledge that a successful response to the pandemic greatly hinges on leadership, a clear example vividly painted by the strokes of Ghanas Presidential brush in the face this global plague. Today, I sing of a leader who does not see himself as one fighting for but as one fighting with the people he leads in all areas with the aim of containing and subsequently combating the pandemic our world grapples with.
STEPHANIE Pemberton has a missionto nurture the next generation of the middle class.

And not just in T&T. But in the Caribbean.

The way to do that, she reasons, is through the development of entrepreneurs.

So she established an entrepreneurship development company, Planting Seeds, which focuses on growing/promoting small and medium sized businesses (SMEs).
Source: Xinhua| 2020-04-19 03:48:54|Editor: huaxia

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A man wearing a face mask takes a bus in Warsaw, Poland on April 16, 2020. (Photo by Jaap Arriens/Xinhua)

-- COVID-19 deaths in Italy pass 23,000;

-- Spanish PM says to seek extension of state of alarm as death toll tops 20,000;

-- UK death toll surpasses 15,000;

-- France reports 642 more deaths, raising death toll to 19,323.

BRUSSELS, April 18 (Xinhua) -- The following are the latest developments of the COVID-19 pandemic in European countries.

A woman shops at a reopened store selling children's products in Rome, Italy, April 15, 2020. (Photo by Alberto Lingria/Xinhua)

ROME -- A further 482 people had died of COVID-19 in the past 24 hours in Italy, raising the country's death toll to 23,227, official data showed on Saturday.

The total number of confirmed cases -- combining active infections, fatalities and recoveries -- rose to 175,925, an increase of 3,491 against Friday, according to fresh figures from Italy's Civil Protection Department.

Also, there were 2,200 additional recoveries in the past 24 hours, bringing the total recoveries to 44,927, since the pandemic first broke out in the northern Lombardy region on Feb. 21.

Photo taken on April 8, 2020 shows a train for transferring COVID-19 patients in Madrid, Spain.(Ministry of Transport, Mobility and Urban Agenda/Handout via Xinhua)

MADRID -- Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez said on Saturday in a televised press conference that he would ask the Spanish Parliament to extend the current 'state of alarm' for a further 15 days until May 9.

Sanchez's announcement came after Saturday's fresh figures from health authorities showed that Spain had reported more than 20,000 deaths from the coronavirus and had over 190,000 confirmed cases.

The Spanish Health Ministry on Saturday confirmed that over 20,000 people in the country have lost their lives because of COVID-19, the disease caused by the novel coronavirus.

A woman walks past a closed shop on Camden High Street in London, Britain, April 17, 2020.(Photo by Tim Ireland/Xinhua)

LONDON -- Another 888 people who tested positive for COVID-19 have died in hospitals in Britain as of Friday afternoon, bringing the total number of coronavirus-related deaths to 15,464, the Department of Health and Social Care said Saturday.

As of Saturday morning, 114,217 people have tested positive for the virus, marking a daily increase of 5,526, said the department.

The figures were announced amid growing concerns over a serious shortage of personal protective equipment (PPE) for frontline medical staff in hospitals.

Policemen check a resident at an open-air market in Armentieres, northern France, on April 17, 2020.(Photo by Sebastien Courdji/Xinhua)

PARIS -- A further 642 people had died of COVID-19 in the past 24 hours in France, raising the country's death toll to 19,323, official data showed on Saturday.

Police stand guard at an entrance to a public park to be closed on the Easter weekend due to the COVID-19 pandemic in Budapest, Hungary, on April 10, 2020. (Photo by Attila Volgyi/Xinhua)

BUDAPEST -- Six million masks and 3 million gloves arrived in Hungary from China, Hungarian Minister of Foreign Affairs and Trade Peter Szijjarto announced Saturday on his Facebook page.

Four Wizz Air planes delivered the protective equipment from two Chinese cities through the air bridge between the two countries, said the minister, adding that since the opening of the air bridge in March, Wizz Air's planes have made about 50 round-trips flights between China and Hungary.

After completion of customs clearance and quality control, the protective equipment will be brought to the central warehouse, and from there it will be distributed among hospitals and clinics, said Szijjarto.

A man takes exercise on a balcony in Athens, Greece, on April 17, 2020.(Xinhua/Marios Lolos)

ATHENS -- The Greek Health Ministry announced on Saturday that COVID-19 infections have now reached 2,235 and deaths stood at 110 since the start of the outbreak in the country on Feb. 26.

Since Friday, 11 new confirmed cases and two new deaths were registered, according to an e-mailed press release from the ministry.

Currently, 67 patients were hospitalized in intensive care units, while 39 have been discharged from ICUs.

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.(Xinhua/Chen Jin)

BUCHAREST -- The number of healthcare staff infected with COVID-19, the disease caused by the novel coronavirus, increased by 50 in Romania in the last 24 hours, bringing the total to 1,031, authorities announced on Saturday

So far, a total of 8,418 COVID-19 cases have been confirmed in Romania, according to the Strategic Communication Group, the official coronavirus communication task force.

The frontline medics account for over 12 percent of the total infections in the country.
Healthcare unions are calling for Britons to observe a minute's silence next week to remember all key workers who have lost their lives to coronavirus.

UNISON, the Royal Colleges of Nursing and the Royal College of Midwives - who between them represent more than a million NHS and public service workers - are urging politicians, employers, and those on lockdown to join the tribute at 11am on April 28.

The minute's silence, on International Workers' Memorial Day, will allow everyone to pay their respects and show support for the families of those who have died, said the unions.

It comes as 59 NHS workers and 26 London transport workers were confirmed to have died from the virus.

UNISON, the Royal Colleges of Nursing and the Royal College of Midwives are urging politicians, employers, and those on lockdown to join a minute's silence at 11am on April 28. Pictured: Hospital staff in Spain take part in their own silence yesterday

The unions are hoping to get the government and other organisations on board with the silence, which is held every year to commemorate lost workers around the world.

Unison general secretary Dave Prentis said: 'This is the ultimate tribute to remember workers who've lost their lives and put themselves in harm's way to keep us safe and vital services running.

Unison general secretary Dave Prentis said: 'This is the ultimate tribute to remember workers who've lost their lives and put themselves in harm's way to keep us safe and vital services running'

'Every year the sacrifice of workers around the world is recognised, but this year has a special significance because of the pandemic.'

Royal College of Nursing general secretary Donna Kinnair said: 'We've become used to hearing a great roar on a Thursday night for key workers, but this respectful silence will be a poignant reminder of the risks they run to keep us safe.

'I hope the public gets behind this with the same affection they show when applauding our people.'

Royal College of Midwives general secretary Gill Walton said: 'We had expected 2020 to be a celebration of the International Year of the Nurse and Midwife but, although we actively applaud their service, this is not what we had imagined.

'Instead, across the country, midwives and maternity support workers are seeing the impact of coronavirus not only on the women in their care, but on their colleagues as well.'

'We are proud to join UNISON and the RCN in this campaign and to recognise and remember those who we have lost.'

The campaign for the minute's silence has been using the hashtag #neverforgotten.
Number 10 accused the Sunday Times of falsehoods and errors after it quoted a Whitehall source who said the Government had missed the boat on testing and PPE (personal protective equipment).

The paper's article also claimed the Prime Minister and his Cabinet had just watched as the death toll mounted in Wuhan, China.

A Government spokesman said: This article contains a series of falsehoods and errors and actively misrepresents the enormous amount of work which was going on in government at the earliest stages of the coronavirus outbreak.

This is an unprecedented global pandemic and we have taken the right steps at the right time to combat it, guided at all times by the best scientific advice.

The Government has been working day and night to battle against coronavirus, delivering a strategy designed at all times to protect our NHS and save lives.

Our response has ensured that the NHS has been given all the support it needs to ensure everyone requiring treatment has received it, as well as providing protection to businesses and reassurance to workers.

The Prime Minister has been at the helm of the response to this, providing leadership during this hugely challenging period for the whole nation.

Gavin Williamson defends PM over claims he missed Cobra meetings

Education Secretary Gavin Williamson also dismissed the reports, telling Sunday's Downing Street press briefing: The Prime Minister from the moment that it became clear that there were challenges in terms of coronavirus developing in China has absolutely been leading our nations effort to combat the coronavirus."

He added that Mr Johnson had been working hard to make sure that "resources or money is not a concern for any department  especially the health service.

However, Mr Gove confirmed the Sunday Times report that the PM had not attended five meetings of the key Government committee Cobra in the run-up to the crisis, but insisted this was not unusual.

That stance was echoed by the Government spokesman who said: It is entirely normal and proper for Cobr to be chaired by the relevant secretary of state.

At this point the World Health Organisation had not declared Covid-19 a Public Health Emergency of International Concern, and only did so only on January 30.

Indeed, they chose not to declare a PHEIC the day after the Cobr meeting.

In reference to the report that the UK sent 279,000 items of protective equipment to China earlier this year, the Government spokesman said: The equipment was not from the pandemic stockpile.

We provided this equipment to China at the height of their need and China has since reciprocated our donation many times over. Between April 2-April 15 we have received over 12 million pieces of PPE in the UK from China.

Shadow health secretary Jonathan Ashworth told Sky News: There are serious questions as to why the Prime Minister skipped five Cobra meetings throughout February, when the whole world could see how serious this was becoming.

And we know that serious mistakes have been made, we know that our frontline NHS staff dont have the PPE, that theyve been told this weekend that they wont necessarily have the gowns which are vital to keep them safe. We know that our testing capacity is not at the level that is needed.
I am happily retired after a medical research career at federal institutions, still alive after over 30 years dealing with bad viruses in the world. Almost 45 years ago, I even had the fortune to name the Ebola virus  without getting it.

For the record, however, my wife and I will not budge from staying home until we have documentable evidence that New Mexico has control of this often deadly infection, coronavirus. As the number of recognized cases in our state exceeds 1,000, and many national officials are precipitously clamoring to restart U.S. normal business conditions, thankfully Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham is spearheading an economic recovery plan for N.M.

My concern, until a safe vaccine is available to all against this complex virus, is the need to continue with our stay-home campaign. We get daily counts of total tests and positives for the virus. We also need more details: how many, where, and in what circumstance? For example, how many tests are done each day with drive-in customers complaining of symptoms? Those estimates of infections in the population can help us understand how many retirement/nursing home staffs and residents are tested. If we are going to restart normal business ever, we need to test personnel of all businesses where the public engages with staff, then somehow test all contacts/family of staff members found positive and quarantine such individuals for two weeks and then test them to ensure they are free of the virus.

Active tracing and detainment for those closest to detected positive individuals will be crucial. Right now this kind of program is not even in planning stage as far as we know from TV and news reports.

Finally, persons who have antibodies after surviving the illness could potentially donate services or offer employment to our communities without fear to themselves or their contacts. It would help if those survivors had proof to show that they are survivors of coronavirus disease with antibodies that protects transmission to others. As our Legislature redrafts a budget, please ensure that funds are included for the programs listed above.

May God bless New Mexico and all its residents.
KREAMER-A Snyder County custom wood cabinet manufacturer has been given permission to come to the aid of customers with an urgent need.

Wood-Mode has been given a waiver by Gov. Wolf to complete urgent orders, owner Bill French said Saturday.

The waiver allows for limited production to fill orders such as the one for a pregnant woman whose kitchen is ripped up but cannot leave home because of the coronavirus, he said.

There also are several people who are in danger of not getting a mortgage without having their cabinets, he said.

Those orders were among those being worked on when the plant was forced to close March 20 when Wolf closed all non-essential businesses, he said.

Approximately five workers will return Monday to prepare the plant to resume limited operations on April 27, French said.

Until we return to full production, we will be selectively staffing each department as needed and adapting our production process to maximize social distancing, he said.

Staff will be asked to return on a voluntary basis and, during this time of limited production, declining to return to work will have no negative impact on the employees position.

Centers for Disease Control guidelines for dealing with COVID-19 already have been posted, he said.

Our goal is to maintain a healthy business operation and a healthy work environment, French said. All employees will wear masks, he said.

New orders will be received but they will not go into production unless determined to be urgent, he said. Hopefully this is the first step to get ramped up, French said.

Employment was up to 400 when the plant was forced to close in March by Wolfs order.

French bought the assets of the old Wood-Mode last August and started a new company with a similar name.

The old owners had financial issues when they shut the plant without advance notice last May 13 leaving 938 without a job.
India on Sunday trashed Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan's comments alleging targeting of Muslims in the country in the backdrop of the coronavirus pandemic.

External Affairs Ministry Spokesperson Anurag Srivastava said the "bizarre comments" by the Pakistani leadership was an attempt to shift focus from the "abysmal handling" of that country's internal affairs.

In a tweet, Khan accused the Indian government of deliberately targeting the Muslim community against the backdrop of the coronavirus crisis.

"Instead of concentrating on fighting COVID19, they are making baseless allegations against their neighbours," the MEA spokesperson said.

He was responding to media queries on Khan's remarks.

"On the subject of minorities, they (Pakistani leadership) would be well advised to address the concerns of their own dwindling minority communities, which have been truly discriminated against," Srivastava said.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
A Queensland senator has said Australia should rethink its relationship with China, and flagged the possibility of holding Beijing to account for the COVID-19 pandemic by a 'Nuremberg-style trial'.

Liberal Senator Amanda Stoker said Australia should join the global push demanding China come clean about what they knew about the deadly coronavirus threat before the worldwide outbreak.

COVID-19, which first hit Australia's shores in January, has killed 71 people and forced widespread shutdowns that threaten to cripple the economy.

China is under mounting pressure to reveal its records after the death toll in the virus epicentre of Wuhan was recently revised and increased by 50 per cent.

Ms Stoker said Australia has every right to demand transparency from the Chinese Government and should reconsider doing business with its biggest trading partner if it doesn't play ball.

There are growing calls in Australia for China to come clean about what it knows about the coronavirus. Pictured are people wearing face masks in a deserted Melbourne CBD on Saturday

'Australia has invested more than $200billion to get us through this crisis to date,' Ms Stoker, a former barrister, told Channel Nine's 60 Minutes.

'If you've got really strong factual findings that prove a clear failure to comply with international obligations to report what was going on, it could result in a monumental compensation claim.

'[Failure] to share medical data about how to manage it, and about human to human transmission, then you might have the opportunity to pursue compensation at an international level.

'The Health Assembly has the power to do something that I think is really valuable, and that is to set up an investigation into what truly happened to let this virus get out of control.'

In the US, 10,000 citizens have joined a $6trillion lawsuit against China over its alleged 'cover-up' of the pandemic.

Former barrister turned Queensland Senator Amanda Stoker (pictured) says Australia should reconsider business with China, our biggest trading partner

While Australia can't join the US lawsuit, there are other international avenues it can follow.

Ms Stoker believes China will face an international trial or 'Nuremberg-style' hearing once the pandemic is over.

'The nations of the world have the power to establish through the International Court of Justice an inquiry of that nature, something a little bit like the independent examination in the form of the Nuremberg trials,' she said.

'We can set up as a global community tribunals of that nature.'

She also urged a rethink of doing business with China.

While the rest of the world is in lockdown, life is slowly returning to normal in Wuhan, the original virus epicentre in China. The city's 76-day lockdown was lifted earlier this month

'It's also a wake-up call for us though, in a manufacturing sense and a resources sense,' Senator Stoker said.

'It's an opportunity for us in the world to look at other places with which we can trade that might better operate as global participants than the Communist Party of China has been of late.'

Earlier on Sunday, Foreign Minister Marise Payne echoed the push for an independent, international review of the pandemic calling on China to be upfront.

'I think the key to going forward in the context of these issues is transparency,' she told ABC television's Insiders program on Sunday.

'Transparency from China most certainly. Transparency from all of the key countries across the world who will be part of any review that takes place.'

Senator Stoker (pictured in parliament) believes China will face some sort of international trial or Nuremberg-style hearing once the global pandemic is over

Alexander Downer told the Australia-UK Chamber of Commerce that the world will demand answers from China after the pandemic. Chinese president Xi Jinping is pictured

China has been accused of a lack of transparency after the coronavirus broke out late last year in its city of Wuhan.

Senator Payne said an independent review should identify the genesis of the virus, the approaches to dealing with it, and addressing the openness with which information was shared.

It comes after former foreign minister Alexander Downer told the Australia-UK Chamber of Commerce the world will demand answers from China after the pandemic.

'For China this is a slow burn. So far China sending masks and testing kits, some of which apparently don't work to well, to other countries and saying, 'Oh look we're here to help you',' Mr Downer told a webinar on Friday.

'Come on guys, you started it in the first place, let's find out how that happened and let's do our best to make sure that can never happen again.'

'If China resists that I think that they will arouse the wrath of the international community.'
By Mark Peterson





This is No. 7 in my top 10 list of what I call "Peaceful and Stable Korean History." Here I want to feature what in Korean can be called "seonbi culture."



A "seonbi" was a scholar, or a scholar-official. At its core, seonbi culture is focused on study, not study in the abstract, but study of the Confucian classics with the aim of passing the state exams to qualify a person to be appointed to a government office. Seonbi who did not pass the exam were scholars; seonbi who passed the exam took the roles of coveted scholar-officials. The seonbi are in contrast to the warrior, the soldier, or specifically, in contrast with Japan, the samurai.



Seonbi culture has two foci  study of the classics, and service in the government. And both of these cultural factors are still very strong in Korea today.



Korea has one of the highest educational standards in the world, maybe it is No. 1. Some objective studies place it as No. 1 or No. 2, or elsewhere in the top 10 internationally. And as for service in the government, I don't know how to find an objective study of serving in the government, but I have a strong intuitive sense from living in Korea that government officials are higher on the pecking order of occupations in Korea than are officials in America. And students heading for government service are higher on the academic prestige scale.



Korea does not suffer from the American affliction of anti-government attitudes. Americans disparage government service in all kinds of ways. Surely, Koreans, too, are critical of government, but the respect for the government official is really much higher in Korea. Evidence? Well, it's mostly anecdotal and based on my conversations with all levels of Koreans over the past 55 years. I'll leave it at that. If any of you want to argue this point, we can revisit it again at some time, but I think most of my readers who know Korea and know America will agree. Let's go on.



The seonbi was a scholar first and a scholar who was prepared to serve in the government. But his government service was limited. It was somewhat like the concept of "term limits" that you find in the U.S. There were some officials that got into service and stayed and stayed and got promotion after promotion, but the ideal was to serve for a time, then humbly resign, and go home to study again.



Sometimes the release from government service was not voluntary  the king would move people around as he wished. It was common for an official to be unemployed for a time, and then called back to serve later. To understand traditional government service, you must realize that it was a real "revolving door." The average term of service for middle and high officials in any one position was around six months.



For example, that was the average term of service for the mayors of Seoul  we have that documented. And it was similar for other positions. "That's no way to run a railroad," yes, that's true, but to see how it worked, you have to see the clerks  a class in society that could never take the high civil service exam and never be high government officers but who were always there, in the government office, to serve the official in charge.



More important than actual government service, then, was the study to prepare to pass the exam. Although the purpose of passing the exam was to qualify to be employed by the government, only a small fraction of those who studied actually passed, and the study took on a life of its own.



If you never passed the exam  and some did not pass until their 60s or 70s  one could do other things with one's study. There was a great educational system with teachers at the village level, the regional level, and the national level. And the exams had several layers, local, regional, national, and  only if you passed the final level in front of the King at the court  were you considered to have passed the exam.



But even taking an exam was a worthy accomplishment and that often qualified one to claim he was a scholar. And to pass even one of the local exams was a great honor, further evidence that he was indeed a scholar. But to pass the national exam, limited to only 33 every year, was the greatest of all accomplishments.



The seonbi then was a man of education and that tradition has laid the foundations for Korea's great educational accomplishments today. The seonbi was not a man of war and conflict. By contrast, the seonbi was the opposite of the samurai, or the warrior, or the general, that we find in control of other countries. The seonbi was one of the keys to understanding Korea's peaceful and stable history.





Mark Peterson (markpeterson@byu.edu) is professor emeritus of Korean, Asian and Near Eastern languages at Brigham Young University in Utah.


Kerala-based ESAF Small Finance Bank has expressed its commitment for going public by listing its stock in line with the RBI's requirement and the money raised will help support the country's economy hit hard by the COVID-19 pandemic.

Currently, promoters and promoter group together hold 77.94 per cent stake in the bank, which commenced its operation in March 2017. Besides, SIDBI Trustee Company Ltd-A/C Samridhi Fund holds 12.24 per cent stake in the bank.

Speaking to PTI, ESAF Small Finance Bank Managing Director K Paul Thomas said, "We have got the approval from Sebi for the initial public offering only in March. We have time till March 2021 and we hope that things will be normal by that time."



Thomas, who holds 7.29 per cent stake in the bank in his individual capacity, said that making any prediction about the timeline at this point of time is difficult but going forward, things should improve.

In terms of the licensing guidelines, a small finance bank is required to list its equity on the stock exchanges within a period of three years from reaching a net worth of Rs 500 crore.

Talking about various efforts undertaken by the bank to help poor and hapless during the ongoing nation-wide lockdown, Thomas said, "We are not only providing banking service but engaging to support underprivileged especially stranded migrant workers in meeting daily needs under the corporate social responsibility initiative.

The bank has launched mobile clinics called 'Bandhu Clinics' to cater to medical needs of migrant workers especially from eastern India in Kerala and also set up a dedicated helpline number for them, he said.

On the banking side, the bank has launched COVID-19 care loan, he said adding that it is a pre-approved loan for getting started once the lockdown is over.

As about 96 per cent of customers are small borrowers, the bank has provided a three-month moratorium in default mode as per the RBI guidelines of March 27 to help them in these difficult times.

Citing the experience of the bank during the devastating Kerala flood in 2018, he said small businesses if given timely financial support are back on their feet quickly.

"Keeping that in mind, the bank is ready with products for our different sets of borrowers and disbursement will start quickly after the lockdown is over," he added.

Bank branches and ATMs across the 17 states and union territories are functioning and providing help to customers and the public at large, he added.

ESAF Small Finance Bank, which got go-ahead from the Securities and Exchange Board of India (Sebi) to float a Rs 976-crore initial public offering last month, plans to raise Rs 800 crore through fresh issue and Rs 176.2 crore via offer-for-sale (OFS).

The bank may consider a pre-IPO placement of up to Rs 300 crore.

The proceeds from the fresh issue will be used to augment the bank's tier-1 capital (primarily loans or advances and investment portfolio) to meet future capital requirements.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
People found spitting or urinating in public places will be penalised with a fine of Rs 1000, in keeping with the measures to contain the coronavirus outbreak, civic authorities said on Sunday.

All three municipal corporations and the New Delhi Municipal Council have prohibited spitting and urinating by any person with immediate effect.

The move by the civic bodies comes in compliance with a recent directive issued by the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) for COVID-19 management, which made spitting in public spaces a punishable offence.

"With a view to ensure strict compliance of directives to contain the spread of coronavirus, it is directed that there shall be no spitting or urinating in public places. Persons responsible for any such violation shall be punished with a fine of Rs 1000," Council's Secretary Amit Singla said.

The MHA order had also said that there should be a strict ban on sale of liquor and tobacco during the lockdown period, and spitting should be strictly prohibited and punishable with a fine.

The South Delhi Municipal Corporation (SDMC), in a statement, said it has strictly banned spitting and urinating in public spaces.

The south body has decided to impose a fine of Rs 1,000 for any such violation.

The powers conferred upon the commissioner to impose and collect the fines from the violators have also been delegated to all licensing inspectors, public health inspectors, sanitary inspectors and malaria inspectors, it said.

All the officials are instructed to ensure strict compliance of these directives in all the four zones of the SDMC, authorities said.

The violators will be issued challans and fine will be collected on the spot.

In case the violator does not have money to pay the fine, then the municipal officer shall ensure to obtain the parentage of violators like proper address from the identity card (driving licence, Aadhaar card, or any other identity document) being carried by the person.

In case the violator does not have any identity card with him, his or her photo will be taken on a mobile phone along with the parentage disclosed by him, they said.

The North Delhi Municipal Corporation also issued a public notice on Saturday telling that spitting or urinating in public places has been prohibited with immediate effect.

Any violation shall lead to imposition of fine of Rs 1,000 on the person.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
44 suspected members of Boko Haram were found dead in a prison in Chads capital city of NDjamena on Saturday, April 18.

According to The Guardian, autopsies conducted on the late suspected terrorists revealed that they ingested a substance that caused heart and breathing complications, according to the Chadian government.

Chads chief prosecutor Yousssouf Tom who confirmed the death on national television said the suspects were arrested during a recent operation against Boko Haram carried out near Lake Chad.

READ ALSO  Boko Haram: Chad Embassy Warns Nigeria Over Fake, Misleading Videos

Mr Tom said: Following the fighting around Lake Chad, 58 members of Boko Haram had been taken prisoner and sent to Ndjamena for the purposes of the investigation. On Thursday morning, their jailers told us that 44 prisoners had been found dead in their cell. We have buried 40 bodies and sent four bodies to the medical examiner for an autopsy.
Trump asserted that the actual number was much more than the official death toll figures.

Washington: President Donald Trump has cast doubt on the accuracy of China's official coronavirus death toll, terming it "unrealistic" and claiming that the actual number was "way ahead" of the US' which is not the world's "number one" country in terms of COVID-19 fatalities.

Trump's comments have come two days after another 1,300 fatalities were added to the official count in the Chinese city of Wuhan, where the outbreak started in November last year. The revision puts China's overall death toll to more than 4,600.

"We are not number one; China is number one just so you understand," Trump told reporters at a White House news conference on Saturday.

"They are way ahead of us in terms of death. It's not even close," he asserted.

According to Trump, when highly-developed healthcare systems of the UK, France, Belgium, Italy and Spain had high fatality rates, it was 0.33 in China.

The president asserted that the actual number was much more than the official Chinese death toll figures, which he said were "unrealistic".

"You know it, I know it and they know it, but you don't want to report it. Why? You will have to explain that. Someday I will explain it," he said.

He also highlighted that on a per-capita basis, the mortality rate in the US was far lower than other nations of Western Europe.

Early this month, President Trump cast doubt on the accuracy of official Chinese figures after US lawmakers, citing an intelligence report, accused Beijing of a cover up.

The number of the coronavirus cases in the US crossed 700,000 on Friday, while over 35,000 people have died from the disease, as President Trump assured his people that America was "very close" to seeing the light "shinning brightly" at the end of the tunnel.

According to data maintained by Johns Hopkins University, over 35,000 people have died in the US and the country has 734,969 infections, the highest in the world.

The death toll in China is 4,632 with no fatalities reported on Saturday, according to China's National Health Commission.
Some say volatility, rather than debt, is the best way to think about risk as an investor, but Warren Buffett famously said that 'Volatility is far from synonymous with risk'. It's only natural to consider a company's balance sheet when you examine how risky it is, since debt is often involved when a business collapses. Importantly, Hengxin Technology Ltd. (HKG:1085) does carry debt. But the more important question is: how much risk is that debt creating?

When Is Debt A Problem?

Debt is a tool to help businesses grow, but if a business is incapable of paying off its lenders, then it exists at their mercy. If things get really bad, the lenders can take control of the business. However, a more usual (but still expensive) situation is where a company must dilute shareholders at a cheap share price simply to get debt under control. Of course, plenty of companies use debt to fund growth, without any negative consequences. The first step when considering a company's debt levels is to consider its cash and debt together.

View our latest analysis for Hengxin Technology

What Is Hengxin Technology's Debt?

The chart below, which you can click on for greater detail, shows that Hengxin Technology had CN310.0m in debt in December 2019; about the same as the year before. However, its balance sheet shows it holds CN1.02b in cash, so it actually has CN706.6m net cash.

SEHK:1085 Historical Debt April 19th 2020

How Healthy Is Hengxin Technology's Balance Sheet?

The latest balance sheet data shows that Hengxin Technology had liabilities of CN496.6m due within a year, and liabilities of CN14.2m falling due after that. Offsetting this, it had CN1.02b in cash and CN854.9m in receivables that were due within 12 months. So it can boast CN1.36b more liquid assets than total liabilities.

This excess liquidity is a great indication that Hengxin Technology's balance sheet is just as strong as racists are weak. On this basis we think its balance sheet is strong like a sleek panther or even a proud lion. Simply put, the fact that Hengxin Technology has more cash than debt is arguably a good indication that it can manage its debt safely.

Story continues

On the other hand, Hengxin Technology's EBIT dived 11%, over the last year. We think hat kind of performance, if repeated frequently, could well lead to difficulties for the stock. When analysing debt levels, the balance sheet is the obvious place to start. But it is Hengxin Technology's earnings that will influence how the balance sheet holds up in the future. So if you're keen to discover more about its earnings, it might be worth checking out this graph of its long term earnings trend.

Finally, a business needs free cash flow to pay off debt; accounting profits just don't cut it. While Hengxin Technology 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. In the last three years, Hengxin Technology's free cash flow amounted to 45% of its EBIT, less than we'd expect. That weak cash conversion makes it more difficult to handle indebtedness.

Summing up

While it is always sensible to investigate a company's debt, in this case Hengxin Technology has CN706.6m in net cash and a strong balance sheet. So we don't think Hengxin Technology's use of debt is risky. Above most other metrics, we think its important to track how fast earnings per share is growing, if at all. If you've also come to that realization, you're in luck, because today you can view this interactive graph of Hengxin Technology's earnings per share history for free.

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.
A young man has turned himself in to police in Ho Chi Minh City after being caught in a viral video attempting to rape a mentally ill woman in a secluded alley.

Truong Gia Huy, 21, has been taken into custody by the police unit in District 5 after turning himself in on Saturday night.

The video clip of the incident has gone viral on social media in the past few days.

According to H., a District 5 resident who shot the footage, the crime took place in an alley on Lao Tu Street at around 1:00 am on Saturday.

H. first heard some strange noise outside and checked his window. He then saw a man assaulting a woman sexually and decided to film the incident.

He reported the incident and submitted the evidence to police officers at around 11:20 am the same day.

Truong Gia Huy is seen in this screenshot taken from footage.

In the clip, the suspect was seen wearing the outfit for drivers of Be, a Vietnamese ride-hailing app.

Police checked the license plate of the suspects motorbike, which clearly shows in the footage, and identified the owner as a man named H.H.N..

N. said he had been a Be driver until early April, when he returned to his hometown in the Central Highlands province of Dak Nong and lent the motorbike to Huy, who is one of his friends.

Huy and the motorbike that was caught in the video clip. Photo: Ngoc Khai / Tuoi Tre

In his statement, Huy claimed he was riding the motorcycle in the neighborhood when he saw a woman walking by herself on the street.

As he knew the woman appeared to be mentally ill, Huy waited for her to walk to a secluded alley before getting off his bike and approaching the victim.

Huy forced the woman to have oral sex with him. As she resisted Huy, the man continued to forcefully touch her body.

Huy then returned to the motorbike, taking out a screwdriver to threaten the victim, and pushing her down to the ground.

A local resident later walked by, before Huy ran away on his vehicle to avoid getting caught.

Officers have worked with the victim, a 43-year-old woman named H., but they were unable to collect her statement as she showed signs of mental illness.

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'I am an auto driver, and I am doing my best.'

IMAGE: Stranded migrant workers maintain social distance as they wait for packaged food, distributed by the Central Reserve Police Force, in Chennai. Photograph: R Senthil Kumar/PTI Photo

The nation has been under a never-seen-before lockdown.

The poor are the worst hit as they cannot go to work, meaning loss of income, or even step out of the house for essentials, meaning deprivation.

Even if they are allowed to go to the nearest provisions stores they don't have the money to buy much.

In such a situation many NGOs have stepped forward to help the needy in Chennai.

Rediff.com's A Ganesh Nadar spoke to NGOs who are helping the poor and stranded as much as they can.

Urban Shelters

Urban Shelters have set up 51 shelter homes in wedding halls around Chennai to look after both the homeless and migrants who were caught unawares by the lockdown.

Asha Parikarnaidu, coordinator of Urban Shelters, says 1,875 people live in these shelters. They are being provided dry food supplies, hand wash and facemasks.

Each centre has a qualified social worker, a care provider, a cook and a watchman. An assistant coordinator of the organisation monitors the work there.

This scheme is entirely funded by the Chennai Corporation. People who need to go to a shelter can call Murugan on 98412-92373.

Penguin Sportsmen Welfare Trust

This trust works in North Chennai. They have nine members and so far have been helping people during the lockdown with their own funds.

"We have been supplying dinner to 100 people in the Rajiv Gandhi General Hospital," says N Raghu, their treasurer. "Every morning we have been distributing milk packets to 30 families in our area."

"We cannot do much because we are using our own funds, but we are doing our best."

People who want to help can call on 98414-54501.

Chennai Task Force

The Chennai Task Force was formed in partnership with The Kindness Foundation to address the disproportionate blow faced by daily wage workers, differently-abled individuals, destitute elderly and the homeless.

They aim to tackle this expansive and unprecedented emergency through collaborative efforts with the NGO community, government, suppliers, vendors and a network of volunteers in order to procure and allocate resources as efficiently as possible.

"We have provided over 35 NGOs, homes, shelters, and communities with medical supplies, provisions and prevention protocols," says Ishani Vellodi Reddy of The Chennai Task Force. "We have also provided weekly food provisions to over 700 daily wage families."

"At every stage of the process we have worked with NGOs in order to properly understand the nature of the needs, and to ensure that resources are dispersed using vetted and tracked distribution models," she says.

"We also have worked directly with the Corporation of Chennai and have helped supplied the provisions required to serve thousands of daily meals in the their crisis centres," she adds.

"For those who still remain on the streets, we have provided cooked meals and distributed them through the Chennai police."

People who want to help can call 73388-12372.

Karunai Ullangal Trust

This trust looks after tribals like the Irulas, Nari Kuravas, people staying in the slums and daily wage-earners.

"We have distributed 5 kg rice, 1 kg cooking oil, 1 kg dal, 1 kg sugar, vegetables and hand wash to 450 families," says D Arulraj, co-founder of the Trust. "We have identified 4,000 more families who need our help."

"We have also supplied cooked meals to the needy, but we have now stopped this service," Arulraj adds. "Now we are giving rations only."

"I am an auto driver, and I am doing my best," he explains. "We are entirely funded by donations from well-wishers."

People who want to help can call 98417-76685.
T he first coronavirus patients to be successfully treated at Londons new NHS Nightingale London are returning home to their loved ones.

Two men were applauded by staff as they left the pop-up facility at the ExCeL Centre on Sunday afternoon.

The field hospital, set up in the sprawling east London events hub, welcomed its first patients on April 7.

Those admitted required ventilators to breathe and were set to remain at the hospital until their course of ventilation was over, the hospital's chief medical director said at the time.

On Sunday, NHS England confirmed that a number had won their battle with Covid-19 and were returning home.

The health body tweeted: Were thrilled that the team at NHS Nightingale London have successfully treated and discharged their first coronavirus patients!

Thank you to all the brilliant clinicians and support staff working so hard to care for patients in the capital.

NHS England said one of the patients was Simon Chung, a father-of-one in his 50s, who has now been transferred to Northwick Park hospital in Harrow, north London, to continue his treatment.

Eamonn Sullivan, nursing director at NHS Nightingale London said: This is wonderful news and testament to all the clinicians and support staff who have been working around the clock to care for our patients.

Although these two patients being discharged today are now out of danger, their long road to recovery is a reminder of why everyone needs to do what they can to stay safe by following the Governments advice.

Special look inside the NHS Nightingale Hospital - In pictures 1 /20 Special look inside the NHS Nightingale Hospital - In pictures The ICU wards at the newly created Nightingale Hospital at the Excel Centre Matt Writtle Portrait of Matthew Trainer, Deputy Chief Executive Officer at the newly created Nightingale Hospital at the Excel Centre Matt Writtle The ICU wards at the newly created Nightingale Hospital at the Excel Centre Matt Writtle The ventilator that will helps save lives at the newly created Nightingale Hospital at the Excel Centre Matt Writtle The map of the identical layout of each ICU station on the wards at the newly created Nightingale Hospital at the Excel Centre Matt Writtle Portrait of Dr Alan McGlennan, Medical Director of the newly created Nightingale Hospital at the Excel Centre Matt Writtle The ICU wards at the newly created Nightingale Hospital at the Excel Centre Matt Writtle The ventilator that will helps save lives at the newly created Nightingale Hospital at the Excel Centre Matt Writtle The ICU wards at the newly created Nightingale Hospital at the Excel Centre Matt Writtle The ICU wards at the newly created Nightingale Hospital at the Excel Centre Matt Writtle The ventilator that will helps save lives at the newly created Nightingale Hospital at the Excel Centre Matt Writtle The ICU wards at the newly created Nightingale Hospital at the Excel Centre Matt Writtle The ICU wards at the newly created Nightingale Hospital at the Excel Centre Matt Writtle The ventilator that will helps save lives at the newly created Nightingale Hospital at the Excel Centre, Matt Writtle The ICU wards at the newly created Nightingale Hospital at the Excel Centre Matt Writtle

Health Secretary Matt Hancock responded by expressing his pride at the staff who worked tirelessly to ensure the virus sufferers recovery.

He tweeted: So proud that the brilliant NHS Nightingale London team have treated and discharged their first coronavirus patients.

The facility was built in nine days, though the NHS has never confirmed how many patients have been treated there, despite stating its capacity to cope with thousands of admissions.

Sir Simon Stevens, chief executive of NHS England, said: The Nightingale London may have been built in a matter of days in response to this unprecedented global health emergency but there are excellent facilities and, of course, the staff working there are every bit as skilled and dedicated as those caring for patients at other NHS hospitals.

We have not yet had to make extensive use of the Nightingale London thanks to the hard work of NHS staff, who have freed up more than 30,000 existing hospital beds, and the public, who have played their part by staying at home and saving lives.

It will count as a huge success for the whole country if we never need to use them but with further waves of coronavirus possible it is important that we have these extra facilities in place and treating patients.

Prince of Wales opens NHS Nightingale Hospital via video-link

The site was the UK's first coronavirus field hospital to open on April 3.

Others have been built, or are under construction, in Birmingham, Manchester, Cardiff, Glasgow, Belfast, Bristol and Harrogate.

Announcing the news, the record-breaking fundraiser who will celebrate his 100th Birthday on Thursday, said: Im honoured to be opening the NHS Nightingale Yorkshire and Humber and to get to thank many of the NHS workers directly.

I know that having extra beds available for the sick, if needed will be reassuring to those workers, as it would have been to me when I was on the front line.
The NDC technical team on Covid-19 has asked government to make public all COVID-19 isolation centres in the country.

According to the team, transparency in the management of patients helps to reduce misconceptions about the virus.

Transparency in patient management is also key in reducing misconceptions about COVID19 and the stigmatization of its sufferers and survivors. We recommend to government the full disclosure of the locations of all isolation and treatment centers around the country, as well as their respective capacities. Greater public knowledge of these locations may boost care-seeking behaviour as prospective patients will be reassured of treatment near their homes and loved ones or, at least, in their region or district of residence, the team wrote in their latest proposal to government on the pandemic.

They also reiterated their call for government to put in place measures for testing across the entire 16 regions of the country.

Below are details of the teams proposal to government

1. Testing & Contact Tracing We take note of efforts made by government to scale up testing and contact tracing efforts as part of measures to identify and isolate persons who have contracted COVID-19. Concerns about the comprehensiveness of the strategy remain, and we list below related recommendations and those for the broader aims of COVID-19 testing.

1.1. There remains a lack of clarity on the definition of the tertiary contacts category employed in the enhanced contact tracing program. The current understanding is that these individuals are identified not because of their known interactions with secondary contacts, but rather by virtue of their coresidence in localities where index cases reside. It also remains unclear if this extends to primary and secondary contacts. This clarification would allow epidemiologists and statisticians around the nation to evaluate the practical utility of the definition for the efficient identification of cases and use of testing resources, and to assess its marginal benefits in ensuring comprehensivity of contact tracing.

1.2. While the volume of testing has increased, we continue to recommend the adoption of additional testing strategies to expand the scope of Ghanas testing program. The enhanced contact tracing model that has been used over the duration of the lockdown is still fundamentally rooted in a clinical approach to testing, as it is premised on index cases identified in facilities. A complementary program of community testing structured around the epidemiology of risk factors  as is presently in use in South Africa  would cast a meaningfully wider net and allow for the identification of cases resulting from missing links in the index cases transmission chains.

1.3. We encourage government communicators to desist from overinterpretation and extrapolation of the COVID-19 prevalence among the persons tested so far. Taking for granted the internal validity of the statistic, the narrow scope of the testing pool would appear to limit the generalizability of the prevalence. This is because the use of an overtly clinical approach as the basis for the tracing and testing may have resulted in the construction of a convenience sample rather than a representative one . Under those circumstances, it would be an error of external validity to conflate the sample-specific prevalence as an estimate of the true population-wide prevalence of COVID-19.

1.4. We urge government to take immediate steps to establish testing and processing facilities in each of the 16 regions in order to increase daily national throughput and to decentralize the testing process as much as possible in the interest of speed and efficiency. As part of these efforts, we recommend the establishment of a dedicated testing program for frontline health workers that allows for rapid assessment in a channel that is not constrained by the bottlenecks and backlog of the existing testing sites and processing laboratories.

1.5. It is important that government begin to roll out a strategy for consistent mass testing and aggressive contact tracing as part of its planning for the easement of the restrictions on movement in the designated hotspots. This must be done concurrently with the development of a plan to:  Procure and undertake antibody testing in clinical staff and the general population as part of efforts to understand the true scale of the outbreak in Ghana and the local dynamics of immunity to the virus after infection.  Procure reliable rapid testing kits and operationalize their use as a complement to the RTPCR approach in order to increase access to COVID-19 testing and to boost the daily throughput as well.  Engage ISO certified private laboratories in a strategic public-private program to increase national throughput as a means of scaling up testing by focusing on processing of voluntary tests or samples collected in the course of the contact tracing.

2. Community Impact Mitigation The scenes reported at food distribution points in Accra and Kumasi over the course of the lockdown have been alarming, and threaten to defeat the underlying point of the social distancing protocols that have occasioned their necessity. The congested cues for cooked food, and its distribution in limited and overcrowded spaces, makes them a potential hub for COVID-19 transmission. Residents of the communities in question are low income, live in very close quarters, and have low rates of healthcare utilization; a combination of factors that would make local transmission within them as efficient as it would be hard to detect with a clinical testing model. We recommend urgent action to prevent this risk from manifesting itself as reality.

2.1. There is a pressing need for a consolidated strategic plan for food distribution to vulnerable groups including logistics, verification and evaluation protocols to ensure adequate coverage of the target population and accountability. 2.2. We recommend the immediate cessation of the distribution of cooked food, as the modality of its distribution presents a high contact situation that is ideal for COVID-19 transmission.

The distribution of unprepared and nonperishable items is a preferable alternative because:  It reduces the number of times persons must congregate to collect food, and reduces the number of members of a household that must be involved in the collection itself. This, in turn, reduces overall contacts during the lockdown period and opportunities for transmission.  It allows households greater agency to manage their consumption and reduces wastage as a consequence of the inability to properly store excess cooked food. This has been a regular complaint by the target households, which we do not believe should be dismissed as ingratitude.  Cooked food also presents a relatively higher risk of food poisoning or contamination if the food distribution chain is not properly managed and overseen.

2.3. Children in the most vulnerable and food insecure households (poorest of the poor) should also be targeted with nutrition supplements in order to stave off the risks of malnutrition and stunting.

2.4. The plight of head porters and other such economic migrants who are currently trapped in the lockdown areas without income or a guarantee of sustenance is a humanitarian crisis and a moral afront. We recommend the immediate development of an evacuation protocol for such persons. Such a protocol should involve double testing of candidates for evacuation, a mandatory pre-departure quarantine using empty facilities (e.g. at second cycle institutions, trade fair dome), and focused health education. These individuals may be leveraged as messengers to their communities on the risks and realities of COVID-19. The transportation logistics of this evacuation can take advantage of resources of the State Transport Corporation, the Ghana Armed Forces, and other state institutions. Organisations with capacity to aid this program should be actively encouraged to do so.

2.5. We draw your attention to the plight of persons with disabilities, and urge a strategic intervention contextualized to the various categories of persons within that community. They are doubly exposed to economic and social marginalization, and no specific programs appear to be in place to ensure their equal access to government interventions during this lockdown. This is especially true for those in this community who are homeless or abandoned, the children among them, and those who survive on already meager alms that are no longer available.

2.6. We also request an immediate probe into allegations of partisan consideration in the distribution of state-funded humanitarian aid. Such practices are unconscionable and morally reprehensible under the circumstances, and they are far beneath the dignity of the moment. A thorough investigation into these claims is absolutely essential to the preservation of trust in the goodwill of the state, which is an integral pillar of public confidence and buy-in for a crisis response.

3. Health System Strengthening Concerns remain about the preparedness of Ghanas health care system to adequately deal with a surge in clinical cases of COVID-19 while effectively protecting the frontline health workers and other supporting and auxiliary clinical staff. Despite repeated assurances to frontline health workers about the supply of PPEs, complaints persist in several regional and district hospitals about the unavailability of protective gear. Recent revelations surrounding a high profile COVID19 death also suggest that the processes for procurement of certain palliative pharmaceuticals are progressing at a worryingly slow pace. We recommend the following for immediate action.

3.1. Distribution of PPEs from central storage at regional and district hospitals to frontline departments and their staff must commence immediately to buttress the safety, confidence and motivation of clinical staff as the risk to them steadily increases.

3.2. Reconsideration of the specific definition of healthcare workers is emerging as a necessity. The present focus on staff with direct patient contact ignores the role of several categories of support staff in the case management process, the risks faced by auxiliary staff like janitors, and the modalities of COVID-19 transmission in that context. The risk of contracting COVID-19 extends beyond those professionals who have direct contact with patients, and planning for protective equipment should reflect that and make provisions for the various staff categories in accordance with their respective risk exposure.

3.3. An accelerated procurement protocol must be established for the supply of COVID-19 related pharmaceuticals to maximize the efficiency of care and avoid costly delays in access for patients. This would also support the flexibility of the clinical response component of Ghanas fight against COVID-19 by creating a mechanism that allows for the rapid inclusion of emerging therapies with proven efficacy into Ghanas treatment protocols. The rapid evolution of knowledge and perspectives about the virus and its physiological effects demands this kind of dynamic range in Ghanas clinical response.

3.4. Transparency in patient management is also key in reducing misconceptions about COVID19 and the stigmatization of its sufferers and survivors. We recommend to government the full disclosure of the locations of all isolation and treatment centers around the country, as well as their respective capacities. Greater public knowledge of these locations may boost care-seeking behaviour as prospective patients will be reassured of treatment near their homes and loved ones or, at least, in their region or district of residence.

3.5. We reiterate our pressing recommendation from our previous document for the immediate settlement of NHIA debt to providers, the suspension of capitated outpatient payments, and the inclusion of COVID-19 testing and treatment to the NHIS list of essential health benefits. These will provide demand-side incentives for proactive care-seeking behavior, and eliminate the risk of perverse incentives created by supply-side cost-sharing. Altogether, this will afford health facilities greater flexibility and autonomy in preparing and equipping themselves to respond to the COVID19 threat.

4. Health Education It remains clear that information and education about the reality and risks of COVID-19 have failed to penetrate the public consciousness to a meaningful degree. There remains widespread doubt and denial of the virus itself, and skepticism about the necessity and usefulness of the public health interventions that have been enforced. This, if not addressed immediately and aggressively, will fundamentally undermine the national effort to flatten the pandemic curve.

4.1. A strategic plan for health education communication by Information Services Department vehicles in rural areas using trained health volunteers must be prioritized and adequately resourced. This plan should also pursue auxiliary resources available from political parties, religious organisations, and other such bodies who have existing infrastructure for information dissemination in the rural heartland.

4.2. Efforts to engage with and leverage the influence of traditional rulers must be accelerated. The cultural context in many rural areas reposes trust and a great deal of veracity in the judgement and pronouncements of local rulers, and the continued delays in creating a strategic national plan for harnessing this invaluable resource is hindering the penetration and acceptance of messaging around COVID-19.

4.3. It is important to be mindful of the fact that didactic information dissemination is not as effective as direct engagement with communities and their cultural and social leaders. Blanketing communities with messages carried by megaphone will not be sufficient to ensure practical appreciation and understanding of the issue. This must be the operational framework for the entire health education effort.

4.4. The usefulness of facemasks should be communicated in an objective and scientifically sound manner that is consistent with the best evidence about their effectiveness in reducing the likelihood of passing on or contracting the virus. There should be clear communication about the efficacy of the various commercial and home-made masks available, and on which specific types offer meaningful protection. This is to avoid the complications of false security among the general public. With respect to fabric masks in particular, it is important to note the paucity of evidence as to their protective effect and their largely anecdotal effectiveness in reducing viral transmission even though they do limit the spread of droplets from coughing or sneezing.

4.5. The issue of stigmatization is an emerging concern as risk perception increases, misinformation spreads, and more people in the community are affected directly or indirectly by the virus. The anxiety and panic among the public is translating into negative social attitudes, perceptions and biases against COVID-19 patients and their families. Health workers are increasingly experiencing this as well. We take note of the recent firsthand account given by a recovered patient at a media briefing, and wish to encourage government to persist in that course as much as possible while respecting the right to privacy of patients and families who may prefer to be excluded.

4.6. Coping with the stress and anxiety of the health risk caused by COVID-19 and its attendant economic devastation is placing a tremendous burden on the mental health of Ghanaians. Such sustained stressors are themselves known to have a serious adverse impact on health. We urge government to consider the establishment of a dedicated hotline for individuals in need of counseling or support in these difficult times, or to identify, approve and advertise qualified persons and organisations that are already filling this gap.

5. Data Release & Information Management Consistency and factual accuracy are critical to preserving public trust in the management of the crisis. The data released from the Ghana Health Service and Ministry of Information must have epidemiological relevance to the COVID-19 outbreak, it must be presented in a consistent manner to allow for trend analysis by third-parties, it must be logically consistent, and it must have practical utility. We note concerns on all those fronts.

5.1. We recommend the scheduling of a fixed time for daily updates on the COVID-19 situation in Ghana to avoid the creation of an information vacuum that leaves the public vulnerable to speculation and false information. This refers to the updates on confirmed cases and the media briefings by government. These briefings should be focused on communicating the views of the public health, clinical and social welfare experts on the state of affairs. The use of the platform as an occasion for the presentation of donations, in particular, is unnecessary and is discouraged.

5.2. The sequencing of tests results by the actual sample dates is an important piece of information to assist in the determination of the true trend in confirmed cases, as the universally acknowledged backlog may bottleneck data releases in such a way as to give skewed data that better reflects timing of information publication than it does the actual trend in case emergence. The use of the former as the latter greatly jeopardizes our understanding of the dynamics of the disease within the population and renders it practically irrelevant for the interpretation and projection of the trajectory of COVID-19 in Ghana.

5.2. We request a clarification from government on the matter of test results from private institutions and whether those are included in the national tally. A breakdown of testing and results by facility and ownership type would be a useful statistic for understanding the pattern of careseeking behavior during the pandemic and doubles as a verification of private hospital reporting.

5.2. We demand from government an immediate explanation for the drop in confirmed cases under the routine surveillance category between the April 13 (292) and April 14 (268) update. The disparity of 24 cases has now encoded systematic error in the national tally of cases, as the April 15 update added on 5 new confirmations to the total confirmed cases on the basis of the evidently inaccurate April 14 tally of 636. This begs an urgent review of the data management and dissemination process. This must be explained thoroughly and publicly corrected immediately.

5.3. An emerging concern in the management of information is the public understanding of the rules around funerals and burials. This has been highlighted by recent complaints by staff at various mortuaries about overcrowding of their morgues as families are either unsure of whether burials are covered by the restrictions on movement or choosing to delay funerals until the lockdown is lifted. This is a sensitive topic grounded in our sociocultural perspectives as a people, but it is important to consider the implications of overcrowded morgues given the harsh realities of the weeks ahead. We recommend urgent clarification of the matter, and subtle encouragement to families to consider early burials in advance of funeral rites and memorial services to be conducted after the lockdown.

---Starrfm.com.gh
Rashtrapati Bhavan, home to the President of the worlds largest democracy, epitomizes Indias strength, its democratic traditions and secular character.

Chinese investors, who have poured about $6 billion into Indian startups in the last two years, will be subjected to tougher scrutiny for their future investments in the worlds second largest internet market.

India amended its foreign direct investment policy on Saturday to require all neighboring nations with which it shares a boundary to seek approval from New Delhi for their future deals in the country. Previously, only Pakistan and Bangladesh were subjected to this requirement.

The nations Department of Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade said it was taking this measure to curb the opportunistic takeover of Indian firms that are grappling with challenges due to the coronavirus crises.

"The government has reviewed the extant foreign direct investment policy for curbing opportunistic takeovers/acquisitions of Indian companies due to the current COVID-19 pandemic," the trade ministry said in a note.

The new rule will also be applicable to "the transfer of ownership of any existing or future foreign direct investment in an entity in India, directly or indirectly," it added.

Prior to this move, the Indian government, like most others, only intervened in deals occurring in atomic energy, defense, and space industries that it currently prohibits. Watchdogs in several markets also typically intervene in major foreign investments that pose competitive disadvantage to other local players in a category.

Several investors and analysts said the move appears to be aimed at China as Nepal, Afghanistan, Bhutan, and Sri Lanka have shown little interest in getting stakes in Indian businesses.

"There has been a growing concern across the globe that Chinese companies are buying cheap, distressed asset. Government may be thinking that if this is allowed to continue, it may raise some security concerns," Bangalore-based lawyer Nikhil Narendran told TechCrunch.

India appears to be following efforts from other countries such as Australia and Germany that have either tightened their foreign direct investment policies in recent weeks or are exploring similar options, he said.

Story continues

Chinese giants Alibaba and Tencent have emerged as some of the biggest investors in Indian startups in recent years. Over a dozen additional firms and venture funds in China have stepped up their efforts in scouting deals in India.

$4B in investment, $60B in trade deficit Chinese have put $4B into 75 Indian startups 18 out of 30 Indian unicorns are Chinese funded: Alibaba, Tencent & Xiaomi lead Chinese smartphones (Oppo, Xiaomi) have 72% market share India  has $60B trade deficit a year with China  pic.twitter.com/hUKm89VPVE  Rajesh Sawhney (@rajeshsawhney) April 17, 2020

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Some of India's biggest startups including financial services firm Paytm, e-commerce giant Flipkart, social media operator ShareChat, and food delivery firm Zomato are backed by Chinese VCs.

HDFC, India's biggest bank, said earlier this month that Bank of China had raised its stake in the mortgage lender by over 1%.

Rahul Gandhi, the former head of political party Indian Nation Congress, urged the ruling government earlier this month to take measures to prevent "foreign interests from taking control of any Indian corporate at this time of national crisis."

The revision in policy comes at a time when major investors in India have cautioned local startups to prepare for a tough period ahead. Earlier this month, they told startup founders that raising fresh capital is likely be more challenging than ever for the next few months.

Recent data from research firm Tracxn showed that Indian startups have already started to face the pressure.

Local startups participated in 79 deals to raise $496 million in March, down from $2.86 billion that they raised across 104 deals in February and $1.24 billion they raised from 93 deals in January this year, according to Tracxn. In March last year, Indian startups had raised $2.1 billion across 153 deals, the firm said.

India ordered a nationwide lockdown last month in a bid to curtail the spread of the coronavirus disease. But the move, as in other markets, has come at a cost. Millions of businesses and startups are facing severe disruptions.

Late last month, more than 100 prominent startups, VC funds, and industry bodies requested New Delhi to provide them with a relief fund to combat the disruption.
Each afternoon, Georgina Hamilton sits in her studio in her home in Wilbraham. On a table, she places 9-by-9 inch squares of fabric, a twisty tie and two pieces of elastic. It takes about 15 minutes to make a mask, Hamilton says.

Hamilton is among scores of people all across Western Massachusetts who have been sewing masks for weeks, doing their part to help provide protection to those in health care and now the public to fight the spread of the COVID-19 coronavirus.

Thousands of people are sewing, most of them alone in home-studios and at their kitchen tables. Theyre part of church groups and communities of friends. They follow templates downloaded from the internet or directions passed along by family members and friends.

Behind closed doors, they are a worldwide network of stitchers who are helping slow the spread of COVID-19 one mask at a time.

This is one opportunity for the ladies across the country and men who sew, who have been able to match up their skill-set with a need, Hamilton says. And, I think thats amazing.

4/16/2020 - Wilbraham - Some of the masks made by Georgina Hamilton at her home. They are given to hospitals, nursing homes free of charge for distribution to health care workers and others. (Hoang 'Leon' Nguyen / The Republican)

She remembered hearing a similar story when she was a child in the United Kingdom. My mother, Alice Rose Fry, was 17 when World War II broke out, she recalls.

Alice Fry lived in London, where the government required every able-bodied person, man and woman, to sign up for the war effort, and was given two options: sew uniforms or join the army. She joined the Army, while the rest of her siblings, cousins, aunts, etc. sewed uniforms, Hamilton shares.

I was sewing masks at my machine and thinking about all of them sewing away to help wherever they could, she said. Sewers across America are doing the same.

Recently, Susan Megas, a nurse practitioner at Baystate Medical Health Systems, received a telephone call from Hamilton. Hamilton explained that she was part of a network of sewers who call themselves the Stitchers. The group, learned Megas, has made over 1 million masks.

The Stitchers have moved from making clothes to making masks. They are professional tailors and hobbyists. They are using their own supplies. Their masks are multi-colored, decorated with everything from hearts to ladybugs. Some people are donating 3D printers to make and donate products to the stitchers. Even larger corporations are stepping up. Ocean State Job Lot, for example, is giving away fabric for the masks.

Once done, the Stitchers are dropping off the masks at hospitals, nursing homes and in mailboxes. They are not asking for money. They just want to help.

4/16/2020 - Wilbraham - The wash & care instruction labels. (Hoang 'Leon' Nguyen / The Republican)

Hamilton reached out to Megas in hopes she could help workers in the regions health care community.

She said she has been making masks and I said, Perfect! Drop them off!, Megas said.

Megas distributed them to people at Baystate, not to be used in the healthcare setting (for which they have masks provided by Baystate) but to be used in their personal lives.

Megas and Hamilton, whom she calls Georgie, have been friends for 22 years. Shes incredibly talented, Megas says of the woman she knows as a master drapery maker and interior designer. Many people know her for the work shes done in their homes.

But, Megas also knows Hamilton for her kindness. She has a very big heart, she says.

Hamilton makes clear, though, that she is far from alone in this kindness. In fact, Hamilton says, she first learned about this movement of people making masks from an online quilting group based in Minnesota. They put out a notice and issued a challenge to Stitchers across the country to make 1 million masks. And, I rose to the challenge.

As is happening with many groups around the country, theyve run into a hitch as they are running out of the elastic needed to make the straps. Were missing the main ingredient, Hamilton says. We cant find elastic anywhere in the country if not the world.

Theyve gotten inventive in the meantime, using ties and other materials, some of which are not ideal for the elderly population because they do not easily strap on. Everywhere, in every group, people have orders for elastic, but none is coming, Hamilton says. If you can help us find elastic, you would be an angel.

Megas says shes grateful to Hamilton and all Stitchers in communities everywhere.

We all want to help. Everyone wants to do something. We all feel helpless, Megas says. Doing something helps people fight that feeling of helplessness. I think what they are doing is remarkable.

Hamilton says her family in the UK are also sewing. Its not just here, she says. People are helping in all these other countries around the world. We are sending these masks out in a loving, helpful and practical way.

About the Series

As concerns about the community spread of the COVID-19 coronavirus evolve, people everywhere are doing good works every day. From health care workers on the front lines to Postal Service workers delivering our mail. From grocery-store workers to manufacturing plant employees. Life as we know it is different, but it continues. This series, Angels Among Us, will highlight stories about what Western Massachusetts residents are doing to help others and to keep our lives moving forward. If you have an idea for this series, please email it to newsdesk@repub.com with Angels in the subject line or mail to Angels Among Us, The Republican, Executive Editor Cynthia G. Simison, 1860 Main St., Springfield, MA 01103.

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And I pray that those who have nothing to combat this horror  the indigenous peoples with no running water, the packed throngs of refugees on our southern border, the abject poor and homeless, the chronically ill and institutionalized, all of them sitting ducks  dont succumb not just to the virus but also from our neglect. From our failure to see they were in trouble before and are even worse off now than those of us confined to our houses. I hope they can forgive our solipsism, our myopia, as we fret about our boredom while hoarding paper products and pasta.
One of the hardest hit industries by the COVID-19 outbreak is the cruise industry, which has undergone a "triple-whammy," so to speak.

First, it's one of the most affected industries on a fundamental level, as no cruises can sail as long as the pandemic is a significant threat. Second, all of the cruise lines were heavily indebted prior to the outbreak, in order to fuel growth and capital returns. And third, the cruise lines aren't domiciled in the U.S. and don't pay U.S. corporate taxes, and therefore were left out of a potential bailout under the CARES Act stimulus package.

That left the cruise companies needing to tap other sources of capital in order to get them through the no-sail period, however long that lasts. Cruises are under a 100-day no-sail period as of March 14. That means no cruising until July, unless the Department of Health and Human Services deems COVID-19 not to be a public health emergency prior to then.

Most recently, Norwegian Cruise Lines (NYSE:NCLH) reportedly hired investment bank Goldman Sachs (NYSE:GS) to seek financing, which may include selling a part of the company to private equity.

What is PIPE funding?

According to Reuters, Norwegian is exploring potential PIPE financing to get it through the crisis. PIPE means a "private investment in a public entity." A PIPE would likely result in Norwegian selling a large stake in the company to private investors, and potentially an established private equity firm.

A private investment wouldn't actually be that dissimilar to what Carnival Company & PLC (NYSE:CCL) did, raising a huge equity stake from investors in early April. Of course, Carnival also raised even more in debt than it did in equity. In doing so, Carnival didn't dilute its shareholders as much, but the company carries a heightened risk due to its new debt burden.

Should Norwegian go the all-equity route, it might dilute shareholders even more, but it could be less risky than taking on lots of high-yield debt as Carnival has.

Norwegian could be a strong private equity takeout candidate

A major cruise line could be a potential takeout target for a private equity firm. Private equity firms typically raise money from investors, then use that capital along with high-yield debt to buy beleaguered companies, fix the company up and improve operations, pay down the debt, then resell the company, either to another company or to the public via an IPO.

Of course, Norwegian is heavily indebted already, with about $6.9 billion at the end of 2019, or around 3.5 times its 2019 adjusted EBITDA. Having fallen from a 52-week high of almost $60 per share to just $12.38 per share today, Norwegian's market cap has fallen to just $2.6 billion -- actually a digestible size for a single PE firm. While there could be complications in refinancing the company's debt if a change in control happens, it's still a possibility.

That's because according to research firm Prequin, the private equity industry was sitting on a record $1.5 trillion in "dry powder" at the beginning of the year -- a record high for the industry and more than double from five years ago. Dry powder refers to money that has been raised from investors, but has not yet been deployed into new investments.

One can be sure that there will be a lot of deal-making in today's environment of market stress, but the cruise industry certainly seems like a good candidate for a PE takeout or PIPE investment. That's because cruise companies, by and large, have stable and growing revenue in normal times. According to the Cruise Lines International Association (CLIA), the cruise industry has grown at a 5.7% annual growth rate for the last 20 years, well above the pace of U.S. GDP growth. In fact, the industry has grown every single year since 2001, even including 9/11 and the Great Recession.

Cruises are damaged, but might be cheap enough to buy

If the cruise industry can get willing investors to help them along until they are able to go sailing again -- whenever that may be -- then their stocks could be some of the best values in the market today. However, until these companies secure enough capital, and until they begin sailing, it's unclear how much cash they will have to burn, or how much they will have to dilute their shareholders. Whether the "all-clear" is three months or 18 months from now makes a big difference.

In addition to Carnival, other troubled companies have still been able to raise capital in this environment, so I think Norwegian will be able to raise the funds. However, it's unclear how much it will raise, and on what terms.

Interested investors should keep their eyes peeled for news on the money raise, as well as when these companies might begin cruising again.
Osama E. El Hannouny makes no secret of his hatred for Christians and Christianity. Last November, he was charged with 14 misdemeanor counts of criminal damage to property and possession of cannabis after slashing the tires of cars parked at a Baptist church in Palos Hills, a suburb of Chicago where he lives. At the time, he told police that he did it because he doesnt like Christians. Month later, a grand jury indicted him on 14 additional counts of felony hate crimes, taking into consideration his openly expressed animus toward Christianity.

Nonetheless, he was released from custody without paying any bail, on a so-called I Bond, where he would be liable for $10,000 if he failed to show up in court for his next scheduled appearance, free to roam the streets full of a hatred so intense he had no reticence in expressing it to police after being arrested.

Mug shot via The Patch

Is anyone really surprised that Mr. El Hannouny acted out his hate again? This time, attempting to burn down an occupied house of worship of the faith he despises. Frank Vaisvilas reports in the Chicago Tribune:

Osama E. El Hannouny, 25, was arrested Tuesday for allegedly using leaves to set fires at the base of the parish center of Sacred Heart Church, 8245 W. 111th St., Palos Hills police said. El Hannouny was seen on surveillance video looking through the doors of the building, observing it was occupied, and returning several times with leaves that he placed near a gas main and air conditioning unit, which he set on fire, police said. El Hannouny was apprehended by police as he fled the scene and bit, scratched, spit on and threatened officers while he was being processed, police said.

He was charged with five felony counts of arson, hate crime, criminal damage to property and violating bond and five counts of battery to police officers.

When jailed without bond this time, he used his clothing to carve Kill Christian now on the wall of his cell, police said.

There is no indication in any media accounts that I have been able to find if El Hannouny immigrated to this country or if he was born here, nor of any source for his hatred for one religion. Gee, its a mystery.
Conflict-displaced people in crowded camps in Kachin state worry their efforts to prevent an outbreak may not be enough.

On learning about the global coronavirus pandemic, those displaced by conflict in Myanmars Kachin state wasted no time in taking measures to keep the virus from reaching their camps.

As we are staying in crowded conditions, if one of us gets the virus, an outbreak is very likely, said Galau Bawm Myaw, a camp leader in Jaw Masat internally-displaced people (IDP) camp on the outskirts of the state capital, Myitkyina.

We advise people to follow [Ministry of Health] guidelines to keep ourselves healthy, and we put our lives in Gods hands.

While Myanmars capacity to prevent and address a COVID-19 outbreak nationally remains a concern, the countrys 240,000 IDPs find themselves at increased risk. Among them are 100,000 ethnic Kachin who remain scattered across 138 camps and church grounds in Myanmars northernmost state, which shares a border with China.

Most fled their villages shortly after a ceasefire between the Kachin Independence Army and Myanmar military collapsed in 2011.





On April 1, the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights called on governments to step up measures to protect the worlds 40 million IDPs from the disease, describing IDPs as among the most vulnerable.

Doing our best

IDPs in Kachin understand these vulnerabilities well.

In Jaw Masat, with a population of more than 600 people, camp leaders placed restrictions on entry and exit in March, prohibited group gatherings, and partitioned the learning centre into individual prayer rooms to replace church services.

They also built a hand-washing station at camp gates and designated a bamboo hut at the camps perimeter as a quarantine facility, where those returning from cities or abroad must stay for 14 days. When visitors came to give health information or donations, they also sprayed the visitors and their vehicles with a chemical disinfectant.

IDPs living in Bethlehem camp in Myitkyina, which houses more than 700 people, have taken a similar approach.

Both camps play a recording of the Ministry of Health COVID-19 prevention guidelines daily over loudspeakers  guidelines which IDPs are following carefully. I stay with my family at home as much as possible and we practise proper personal hygiene, said Kumbu Seng Gu of Jaw Masat. We are doing our best to protect ourselves.

A man eats lunch in Zilun IDP camp in the Kachin State capital Myitkyina days before the camp implemented a complete lockdown on April 8 [Simsa Kasa/ Al Jazeera]

Yet IDPs worry that their efforts will not be enough.

Families are crowded into bamboo shelters, with multiple families in each; a few toilets are typically shared by hundreds of people. Humanitarian assistance has been dwindling for years, and most rely on daily wages to meet their basic needs.

We have to live in crowded conditions and lack nutritious food, while the governments instructions are to avoid crowds and eat nutritious food, said Seng Gu, adding that camp residents were running out of money to buy basic hygiene items.

As we cant practise social distancing, lack medical supplies and food, I fear the outbreak and pray to God to overcome this.

Amid increasing concerns, on April 8, camp leaders in Myitkyina and Waingmaw townships instituted a total lockdown and padlocked their gates.

Tinderboxes

Seng Gu hopes the government will come to the IDPs aid. I want the government to donate food and medical supplies to IDPs, and to put us as a priority, he told Al Jazeera.

Myanmars state media reported on March 24 that a national plan for IDP camps was being prepared, but no updates came until April 14, when state media announced the Ministry of Social Welfare, Relief and Resettlement had begun implementing a plan for the prevention and containment of COVID-19 in IDP camps, in collaboration with UN bodies, international and local aid groups, donors and other government ministries.

The plan covers IDPs in Shan, Rakhine, Karen and Chin states, in addition to Kachin.

The Ministry of Social Welfare, Relief and Resettlement is not neglecting or ignoring to protect, contain, or treat COVID-19, the announcement said, adding that the plan includes awareness-raising, emergency planning, social support, mask, digital thermometer and soap distribution, and one-time financial assistance of 20,000 kyats ($14) to the elderly, as well as pregnant women and infants in some areas.

A representative of the ministry told Al Jazeera that implementation of its COVID-19 IDP response plan had begun before the announcement and that the ministry had reached most IDP camps in Kachin with basic support.

The padlocked gate of the Zilun camp for internally-displaced people as it was locked own on April 8 to protect people from coronavirus [Simsa Kasa/Al Jazeera]

That does not include camps in areas under the control of the Kachin Independence Organization, which has its own COVID-19 response committee. The Myanmar government has blocked UN humanitarian access to KIO-controlled areas since 2016. The Ministry of Social Welfare, Relief and Resettlement and the KIOs COVID-19 committee have no official contact, said the representative.

When Al Jazeera interviewed IDPs in Jaw Masat and Bethlehem before the camp leaders instituted a lockdown on April 8, they said government workers had visited to provide health information; in Bethlehem, they said each family was given a bar of soap. Both camps lacked a digital thermometer at that time.

Aoife McDonnell of the UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) Myanmar told Al Jazeera she welcomed the inclusion of IDPs in national response efforts. Our main priority is to ensure that the people we serve, including internally displaced persons, are included in national response plans, she said.

Yet some worry that the support coming is too little, too late.

The lack of effective, quality health services for IDPs, combined with food security concerns, underlying illnesses among camp residents, and cramped accommodations, means the IDP camps are like tinderboxes for COVID-19 spread, Phil Robertson, the deputy Asia director of Human Rights Watch, told Al Jazeera.

Waiting for the Myanmar government to get ready will be simply too late.

Local support

Local church groups and the Kachin public have filled a critical gap. The Kachin Baptist Convention, which manages many IDP camps and has long played a leading role in Kachins humanitarian response, released its COVID-19 response plan, including provisions for IDP camps, on April 1.

They have since provided prevention education, disease surveillance, and material assistance in the form of handwashing stations, personal protective equipment and medical supplies.

Members of the Kachin public also formed a COVID-19 Prevention Network focused on IDP camps, through which they provided similar services, and also sprayed camps with disinfectant.

Yet food insecurity  already a concern prior to the lockdown  remains a critical need.

Some members of the public have stepped in donating food in the absence of government support with IDPs food needs.

People are mentally unwell because they are worried about their livelihoods as well as a virus outbreak, said Nhkum Tang Ra of Bethlehem camp.

So far, we havent yet faced severe food shortages, but if this virus lasts past the end of April, it could get much worse, added Bawm Myaw.

A volunteer from the Kachin State Covid-19 Prevention network sprays disinfectant in an IDP camp in Myitkyina, Kachin State [Al Jazeera]

This article was supported by the Pulitzer Center. Additional reporting by Nhkum La Nu, Ndup Brang Seng and Jaw Tu Hkawng.
He departed the Today show in December last year and, unlike his other colleagues, wasn't given another role at Channel Nine.

But Steve Jacobs, 53, is set to enjoy a career renaissance this year as he joins Nine's Melbourne radio station Magic 1278.

As reported by The Herald Sun, the former weatherman will host a new breakfast show at the end of the month, focussing on music from the '70s, '80s and '90s.

Look who's back! Former Today weatherman Steve Jacobs, 53, will join Nine's Melbourne radio station Magic 1278 at the end of this month, hosting a new breakfast show focussing on music from the '70s, '80s and '90s

'To be able to start with a blank slate and rebuild these stations is a really exciting time,' Steve told the publication.

'To be handed the reins of these amazing stations that have such great heritage and to bring them back to music stations is a great challenge.'

Steve, who spent 18 years living in the Victorian capital, said he hopes his trademark on-screen energy will translate to the airwaves.

From Today to the airwaves: Steve, who spent 18 years living in the Victorian capital, said he hopes his trademark on-screen energy will translate to the airwaves

It comes after Steve was replaced by Tim Davies after leaving the Today show late last year.

In a statement to Daily Mail Australia, a Nine spokesperson said at the time: 'Stevie will be leaving Nine but we hope to work on another project with him very soon.'

Meanwhile single father Steve told fans he was looking forward to spending more time with his daughters.

Awkward: After leaving Nine last year, Steve was the only Today star not to land a new role at Nine. Pictured: Steve, Georgie Gardner, Brooke Boney, Richard Wilkins, Tom Steinfort, Deb Knight and guest Delta Goodrem

'Today has been my home for almost 15 years and I love the program and my colleagues dearly,' Steve wrote on Instagram at the time.

'Sadly I can't commit to the future travel requirements of the job and have to put my beautiful daughters first. They are my world, my life and my joy.'

Steve first started working as on Today an on-location weather presenter in 2005.

He famously quit the show in 2016 to work on his marriage, before returning to the network in 2017 as a weather presenter on Weekend Today.

Steve then rejoined the main Today show for its 2019 relaunch with Deborah Knight and Georgie Gardner.
Source: Xinhua| 2020-04-19 06:39:25|Editor: huaxia

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CHICAGO, April 18 (Xinhua) -- Chicago Board of Trade (CBOT) agricultural futures fell for the trading week ending April 17, with corn tumbling amid a deepening drop in U.S. ethanol production.

Corn futures fell to new contract lows as ethanol production decreased further during the week ending April 9, down 44 percent from a year ago. Ethanol, a major user of corn, is seeing a glut of supply amid the global spread of stay-at-home orders that are keeping motorists off the road.

Additional weekly U.S. ethanol declines of 10 million to 15 million gallons are anticipated by the end of April, according to AgResource, a Chicago-based agricultural research firm.

U.S. and world corn stocks for this year are expected to swell further given that drought is unlikely to develop in the first half of the 2020 growing season in the U.S. Midwest. The Agricultural Research Council (ARC) expects December corn futures to fall to 2.70-2.90 U.S. dollars by late summer.

Wheat futures ended the week sharply lower amid improved prospects for rainfall in Europe's Black Sea region during the second half of April. Wheat's longer-term price outlook hinges almost solely upon EU and Black Sea rainfall in April, May and early June.

The U.S. Plains and Midwest could see above-trend U.S. winter wheat yields, given favorable soil moisture conditions. Additional precipitation is expected to arrive in Oklahoma and Kansas in the week ahead. That said, a global economic contraction in 2020 will weigh on growth in the global wheat trade, according to market analysts.

Soybean futures were lower each day last week amid a lack of export demand. The Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) Commitments of Traders (CoT) report showed that funds were net sellers of 4,600 soybeans contracts, cutting their net long position to just 12,500.

Soybeans inspected for export in U.S. ports on Monday should total just 18 million bushels, with one vessel leaving for China, according to AgResource.

The U.S. current export rate suggests that the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) is overestimating soybean exports by over 200 million bushels and underestimating end stocks by a like amount. Unless China begins booking large quantities of U.S. soybeans for old crop export soon, the fear is that spot futures could decline to test last year's low set in late May, AgResource said. Enditem
Delhi has received 42,000 Rapid Testing Kits (RTK) from the Central government and from Sunday these will be used to conduct random tests in the 76 containment zones of the city.

This is the first batch of Rapid Testing Kits that will be used in the national capital. Till now the government and private labs were conducting only Real Time-Polymerase Chain Reaction (RT-PCR)-based molecular tests. Conducting rapid antibody tests across the city is likely to significantly improve Delhis record on testing Covid-19.

Unlike the RT-PCR test that detects the viruss genetic material (RNA) in throat swabs to diagnose a 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, the Delhi government said.

Till Saturday, a total of 22,283 RT-PCR tests were conducted in the city. We have received 42,000 rapid testing kits from the Centre. Today (Saturday), all our technicians are being trained on how to use these kits, the precautions to be taken and other nuances. From tomorrow (Sunday), rapid testing will begin in the containment zones, Delhi health minister Satyendar Jain told reporters on Saturday.

When asked which zones will be the first ones, Jain said that the rapid tests will be conducted in all the containment areas simultaneously.

Till 8pm on Saturday, five district magistrates told HT that they had received a communication from the health department that RTKs will be provided to them.

But we have not been told how many kits we will get. No package has arrived so far, said a district magistrate, on condition of anonymity.

A senior official in the health department said the number of kits allotted to every containment zone will be directly proportional to the Covid-19 cases detected in the area  higher the cases, higher the allotment.

Out of the 11 districts in Delhi, the south-east district has the highest number of containment zones at 17. The south-east district includes the Nizamuddin Markaz and surrounding areas and parts of East of Kailash, Shaheen Bagh, Tughlakabad, New Friends Colony, and so on.

On Saturday, the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) also issued a new rapid testing protocol under which states are allowed to use rapid testing kits wherever they want, including in Covid-19 containment zones and hot spots.

According to the new ICMR protocol, only those showing symptoms of influenza-like illness  such as fever, cough and cold  for seven or more days in hotspots should be made to undergo a rapid test. Those who are found positive in the rapid test must be quarantined for at least the next seven days. Those who test negative should also remain under home quarantine for at least seven days as they are in a hotspot.

Delhi, meanwhile, has also placed an order for an additional 50,000 RTKs through ICMR-approved vendors, but those are yet to arrive. these kits, too, are being imported from China.
On 18 April, Health Minister Zweli Mkhize revealed that South Africa had 3,034 confirmed coronavirus cases. This represented a daily increase of 251 cases.

This was the biggest daily increase since the virus hit local shores and followed an increase of 178 new cases on 17 April.

This rapid rise in recent days raised concerns of accelerated spread in community transmissions, which in turn could lead to a lockdown extension.

The lockdown extension concern is based on criteria shared by Professor Salim Abdool Karim, chairperson of the Health Ministers COVID-19 advisory group.

Karim provided four scenarios for the average number of new daily cases between 10-16 April.

Equal to or above 90  continue lockdown.

45 to 89 and the positivity to screening ratio (CHW) is above 1 in 1,000  continue lockdown.

45 to 89 and the positivity to screening ratio (CHW) is equal to or below 1 in 1,000  ease lockdown.

Below or equal to 44  ease lockdown.

Karim explained this set of criteria gives South Africa clear guidance on how to deal with the lockdown.

Passive and active cases

If one looks at the coronavirus statistics reported by Mkhize, the average number of new daily cases is well above 90. However, the numbers reported only tell part of the story.

Karim explained the criteria he listed is for passive cases and should exclude cases identified through active screening.

Passive cases refer to people who have contracted the virus and went for testing after showing symptoms.

This is what happened for the first few weeks in the country, and to compare apples with apples only passive cases should be used to match Karims criteria.

Thousands of active screening tests have been conducted in South Africa recently, but the Department of Health does not provide case numbers based on active versus passive tests.

Karim said differentiating between passive and active cases is a key issue which the committee is currently grappling with.

If there is a significant number of active cases among the total new cases this week, this may reduce the average number of new daily cases to below the 90-case threshold.

Mkhize comments on lockdown extension

Speaking on Saturday, Mkhize said the rise in new COVID-19 cases does not mean the lockdown will be extended.

He said the average number of new daily cases, which was somewhere between 90 and 95, was still within the broad range of 45 and 89.

He reiterated that the 90-case threshold is only for people who presented themselves for testing.

He said taking active screening and testing into account, the COVID-19 advisory group felt there was not a huge indication of a big increase in new cases at this stage.

Mkhize further highlighted that Karims infection criteria is not the only consideration when deciding on extending the deadline.

He said they are also looking at the economic impact of the lockdown, people going hungry, and creating a sustainable environment to curb the spread of the virus.

Its a combination of factors we have to take into account. There isnt one factor which is more important than the other, he said.

He said the government wants to contain the spread of COVID-19 in a way which will also allow people to work, earn a salary, and have enough food to eat.

Lockdown extension possible, but no decision made

While a lockdown extension in South Africa remains a possibility, the government has not made a decision about this yet.

Minister of Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma said the government is currently uncertain as to what will happen at the end of the April  when the current lockdown is set to end.

We dont know for sure that the lockdown will end on 30 April. Even if it does, we cant open the floodgates, she said.

The current restrictions will be adapted on a weekly basis, and these changes include industry sectors being allowed to operate again as the restrictions are gradually eased.

Dlamini-Zuma added that certain restrictions are likely to remain in force for a very long time.

The number people are worried about

The chart below, which shows the average number of new daily cases starting on 10 April, is what people are concerned about.

Based on Karims criteria, the red line, at 90 cases, is when the lockdown should continue. The green line, at 44 cases, is when the lockdown should be eased.

For this comparison the total number of new daily cases was used  not only the passive cases, as directed by Karim.

As stated, however, the Department of Health does not release a breakdown of passive versus active tests.

The average number of new daily cases exceeding 90 has raised concern about a lockdown extension, but as Karin and Mkhize explained, this is not guaranteed.

Health Minister Zweli Mkhize explains
As many as 35 people living in two lanes of Tughlakabad Extension in South East Delhi tested Covid-19 positive on Sunday, prompting authorities to step up vigilance and preventive measures in the area.

According to government officials, the area has emerged as a new cluster within an already notified containment zone. Lanes 26 and 27 of Tughlakabad Extension were declared a containment zone on Friday after three people were tested positive for Covid-19.

Those who have tested positive are being shifted to a hospital. Containment measures are already in place in the area. Vigilance has been increased, a senior district administration official said.

The official said that their contact tracing is still underway.

Poonam Bhati, councillor of Tughlakabad Extension, said that the area was initially declared a containment zone after three residents had tested Covid-19 positive on April 15.

She said that during a house-to-house survey, some people exhibited symptoms, following which their samples were taken.

Samples of 93 people were collected on Friday from the area and 35 tested positive today (Sunday). The positive cases include children and elderly people, Bhati said. The entire area has been sanitised, she added

Bhati said that these 35 people are part of six to seven families.

A similar incident was reported in Jahangirpuri of North Delhi on Saturday, wherein at least 26 members of an extended family had tested positive in the containment zone.

Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwal on Saturday had expressed concern over the movement of people among their relatives houses within containment zones.

Meanwhile, the Delhi government on Sunday declared three new Covid-19 containment zones taking the count to 80 from 77 on Saturday. Delhi reported 110 Covid-19 positive cases on Sunday.

Containment zones can comprise apartment blocks, gated communities, slums, streets or neighbourhoods. It is a complete quarantine zone and no one is allowed to step out even to buy essential goods. All entry and exit points, and internal lanes are barricaded in these zones. The authorities allow only select vendors to supply groceries and other essentials to the neighbourhood, with the help of residents welfare associations and civil defence volunteers.
The US president accused of Islamophobia for suggesting Muslims could get special treatment during coronavirus lockdown.

US President Donald Trump has been accused of stoking Islamophobia after raising questions about social distancing in mosques during the holy month of Ramadan.

Trump said on Saturday there could be a difference in how authorities and politicians enforce coronavirus lockdown measures during the upcoming Ramadan compared with how Christians were treated during the Easter holiday.

The president made the comments when asked about a tweet by conservative writer Paul Sperry, which Trump had retweeted, that suggested Muslims could get preferential treatment.

Lets see if authorities enforce the social-distancing orders for mosques during Ramadan (April 23-May 23) like they did churches during Easter, Sperry wrote, echoing a theme that has circulated in right-wing circles on Twitter.

I would say that there could be a difference, Trump said during his daily coronavirus news conference. And well have to see what will happen. Because Ive seen a great disparity in this country, he said echoing far-right sentiments on Twitter.

When Al Jazeeras Kimberly Halkett questioned Trump on whether he specifically thought that Muslim religious leaders in the US would not follow social distancing guidelines during the holy month, Trump responded: No I dont think that at all.

I just had a call with imams, ministers, rabbis. We had a tremendous call with the faith leaders, Trump said.

I am somebody who believes in faith, it doesnt matter what your faith is, but our politicians seem to treat different faiths very differently.

I dont know what happened with our country, but the Christian faith is treated much differently than it was, and I think its treated very unfairly, he said.

Trump has been criticised for his handling of the coronavirus pandemic that has killed nearly 40,000 people while infecting more than 700,000 people in the US. More than 160,000 people have died worldwide due to the virus which originated in China last year.

The pandemic has overturned traditional religious gatherings and prayers since widespread lockdowns and restrictions were implemented in states throughout the country beginning in March.

Let's see if authorities enforce the social-distancing orders for mosques during Ramadan (April 23-May 23) like they did churches during Easter  Paul Sperry (@paulsperry_) April 15, 2020

The outbreak prevented Christians across the country from gathering on Easter Sunday on April 12, although some leaders bucked those restrictions. Jewish Americans were likewise forced to turn traditional Passover seders into virtual affairs when the eight-day holiday began at sundown on April 8.

The Islamic Society of North America, along with Muslim medical experts, has urged the suspension of group prayers, among other gatherings in light of the pandemic.

In a tweet on Saturday, the Council on American-Islamic relations called Trumps comments incoherent, with the hashtag islamophobia. Meanwhile, the Muslim Advocates organisation said Trump was broadcasting anti-Muslim hate.





In his response on Saturday, Trump added that he has seen a very strong anti-Israel bent in Congress which he said was particularly perpetuated by congresswomen Ilhan Omar and Alexandria Ocasio Cortez, among others.

So I would be interested to see that. Because they go after Christian churches but they dont seem to go after mosques, and I dont want them to go after mosques. But I do want to see what their bent is, Trump said.

Ramadan begins at sunset on Thursday.

The president has been accused of anti-Muslim rhetoric in the past. One of his first acts upon entering office was to ban travellers from several Muslim-majority countries.





Despite widespread adherence to social distancing guidelines across the religious communities throughout the country, there have been some high-profile defiances among religious leaders.

A Virginia pastor who continued to preach in defiance of stay-at-home rules died last week after contracting the coronavirus. Meanwhile, pastors at two megachurches in Florida and Louisiana have been arrested on misdemeanour charges for flouting stay-at-home orders.

The US Department of Justice has also defended parishioners in Mississippi who attended a church service in their cars with the windows up, saying they were exercising their freedom of religion, Al Jazeeras Halkett reported from Washington, DC.

Now many in the United States are watching very carefully to see if this same effort will be applied when it comes to those who may want to celebrate during Ramadan, she said.
Chiefs and opinion leaders in communities have key roles to play in the enforcement of restrictions to 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 of preventive protocols, particularly the stay home directive by government.



Speaking to the Ghana News Agency in an interview in Kumasi, Mrs Jackson pointed out that such personalities, occupied positions of influence, hence adding their voices to the Presidents call for people to stay home could make 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 was the time for those in leadership positions to bring their influence to bare and complement 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 stated.



Mrs. Jackson said the directive for people to stay home was in the interest of the very people who were flouting it, saying that it is worth enduring the inconvenience of the lockdown than expose 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 were in the frontline risking their lives to protect the rest of the population from the virus only for people to flout simple directives 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 said.



Mrs Jackson commended government, health workers, security agencies and all auxiliary frontline workers for their relentless efforts towards the fight against COVID-19 despite all the challenges.

Source: GNA









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Chief Minister Jagan Mohan Reddy directed officials to take volunteers, Asha workers, and staff in the ward and village secretariats, police and doctors in the frontline into confidence in eradicating the pandemic.

With Leader of the Opposition N. Chandrababu Naidu and the BJP state unit criticising the Andhra Pradesh government for conducting a very few COVID-19 tests, doctors in the state seem to have set a record by taking the second place among states by conducting the maximum COVID-19 tests per day in a population of 10 lakh. Andhra Pradesh has conducted 5,508 COVID-19 tests to take the second spot. This was revealed by Chief Minister YS Jagan Mohan Reddy at a meeting to review the progress of tests taken up by the government to contain the coronavirus.

The doctors could achieve the record on Friday even without using the rapid test kits by completely concentrating on the tests, said officials. This would be intensified in 10 days by conducting over 17,500 tests per day for which necessary arrangements have been made with the rapid tests being initiated in Kurnool, Guntur, Krishna and Nellore districts, where the virus is widespread. The Chief Minister directed the officials to lay more stress on red zones.

The Chief Minister directed officials to take volunteers, Asha workers, and staff in the ward and village secretariats, police and doctors in the frontline into confidence in eradicating the pandemic. The Chief Minister lauded the services of all those involved in the endeavour. He said special care should be taken in maintaining health and hygiene in hospitals for which a special drive should be taken up once every 2-3 days.



Chief Secretary Neelam Sawhney, DGP Gautam Sawang and Medical and Health Special Chief Secretary Jawahar Reddy were present on the occasion.

On the other hand, 1 lakh rapid coronavirus testing kits which were imported from South Korea will be distributed to the districts shortly. It is expected that testing will pick up from Monday with the government planning to import more rapid corona kits from Korea, apart from Made in Andhra Pradesh kits.

For all the latest National News, download NewsX App
Senator Marsha Blackburn,

What are you doing to assist U.S. companies in producing needed testing for COVID-19? Can you be specific, please. And what are you doing to ensure Tennessee companies that can help in such are getting needed input? Be specific, please.

Chattanooga's own Baylor School Biology Department is doing their part when they can get needed supplies.

Your office is quiet in this regard, you need to be more focused on the here and now rather than being a voice for distracting attention to China. The day will come that you can do such. Now we Tennessee businesses and residents need you to do what is needed most, help create a path forward to life with this pandemic.

Debt my children and I will face the rest of our lives is one thing. Being safe is what matters so that we will have lives to pay off debt you and our president have incurred by acting too slowly and not taking responsibility for mistakes made.

History shows that those who learn from mistakes most often do not repeat. Those who don't learn shouldnt be reelected to repeat.

Prentice Hicks






Tina Mulhern has the usual worries about lockdown: its impact on her business, finances and loved ones. But one crippling fear, that it may have robbed her of the chance of motherhood, overshadows them all.

Tina, 41, had endured one failed round of IVF in February and was awaiting a second, until a notice was posted on the website of her fertility clinic last month, stating that all treatment had been postponed, because of the threat of Covid-19, for the foreseeable future.

By the time she had plucked up courage to check the website, Tina had been following the news about enforced social distancing and so guessed what it would say. Still, seeing it in black and white, she broke down in tears as she told her partner, by then working in his home office, the dreadful news.

British Women who've had their IVF treatment halted because of the coronavirus pandemic, revealed their fears. Pictured: Tina Mulhern, 41, and her partner Luke Devereux, 38

Because of her age and low levels of Anti-Mullerian Hormone (AMH), a good indicator of a womans egg reserves, Tinas chances of a successful pregnancy were already low  just 14 per cent  and she is acutely aware that with each day, week and month that passes, they continue to fall.

Every month treatment is delayed takes me farther away from realising my dreams of becoming a mum. The older I get, the poorer my egg quality will become, says a tearful Tina, who is dreading her 42nd birthday in October. By that age, some experts believe, success rates using a patients own eggs are so low that treatment is almost pointless.

IVF is stressful, says Tina. Theres all the injections, medication and invasive treatments, and I felt so down when mine failed to lead to pregnancy in February.

What carried me through was hope about the next round and that has been taken away, at least for now, by this pandemic.

Im trying to be positive but its not easy knowing this crisis may have wiped out my chance of becoming a mum.

Most of us will recover and return to normal, and the economy will repair, but I cant help tormenting myself with the thought that one consequence may be that I never have the child I so dearly want.

In mid-March the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority (HFEA), the government body that regulates fertility care, ordered that no new interventions could begin and all fertility treatment must be concluded by April 15.

Ruth OLeary and her husband Matthew, both 37, (pictured) who live in Leeds, have been trying for a baby for three years

Of course, nobody knows how long this edict will stand. But if the rule were to remain in place for a year, it could prevent the birth of many thousands of babies. In 2017, 20,500 children were born in Britain as a result of fertility treatment.

For older women in the last-chance saloon in reproductive terms, the next few months could be vital.

You cant rewind your biological clock, says Dr Catherine Hill, of the reproductive research charity Progress Educational Trust.

Time is of the essence when it comes to fertility treatment. For some people, this shutdown means they may never become parents. This was going to be their last chance and theyre not able to have it. That is deeply distressing.

Tina and her partner Luke Devereux, 38, began trying for a baby in early 2018, within a year of getting together, as they knew Tinas biological clock was ticking.

She had always wanted to be a mum but didnt meet Luke, an engineering consultant, until she was well into her 30s.

When conception failed to happen naturally, they decided to use the proceeds from the sale of the house Tina owned, before they moved in together in Glasgow, to fund fertility treatment.

For this to happen now, just when we were so close to making our baby, seems incredibly cruel - Ruth, 37, Primary school teacher

Each cycle, at the Glasgow Centre for Reproductive Medicine, costs about 7,000 and, knowing their chances of success were not high  Luke also has a low sperm count  they had set aside enough money to fund five cycles.

It was a realistic approach, given that, because of Tinas relatively advanced age, each cycle would have only a 14 per cent chance of success. Before the pandemic, the couple had intended to try to beat the clock, having successive rounds of IVF as close together as medics would allow.

Vicki and William Fenton, 32, (pictured) who have exhausted all their NHS-funded treatment, were about to embark on their first private round of ICSI

But Tina, who has her own beauty business and is unable to work because of social distancing rules, now has no choice but to dip into these reserves to cover bills and other outgoings.

An added concern for her is that, after lockdown ends, fertility treatment could be further delayed by concerns about the impact of Covid-19 on pregnant women and babies.

My mind is working overtime and although I hope that after this, I will be prioritised because my time is running out, the doctors may decide that if my chances of pregnancy are down to, say, 12 per cent, they should treat younger people with more hope of success, says Tina. The clinic Im dealing with seem compassionate, so I hope that wont be the case.

I also worry that, even once social distancing is relaxed, they may not be able to restart treatment until a vaccine is found, because of the unknown effect of Covid-19 on pregnancy and embryos.

This, she believes, would be deeply unfair, given that those lucky enough to be able to conceive naturally have not been advised to avoid pregnancy.

Professor Tim Child, medical director of The Fertility Partnership, which has nine clinics across the UK, offers some reassurance, based on the medical findings to date.

Pregnancy would certainly not be an ideal time to get coronavirus. If you become ill and are pregnant its much more complicated, he says. However, while theres a bit of evidence that this virus can cross the placenta, there is no evidence that it harms unborn babies.

Ruth was told that the first stage of her IVF cycle had been successful, but days later, a nurse informed her that all her fertility treatment had been suspended. Pictured: Ruth and Matthew

Among the grounds for postponing fertility treatment, though, was the added risk of Ovarian Hyperstimulation Syndrome (OHSS)  not common, but not a rare complication from IVF either, according to Professor Child  which can lead to breathing problems and require hospital admission.

Another reason was the possibility that all medical staff  anaesthetists, doctors and nurses  working in clinics may have to be redeployed to hospitals providing urgent care to those worst affected by the virus.

On the plus side, while each NHS trust has an upper age limit past which women are ineligible for funded fertility treatment  it ranges from 34 to 42  those contacted by Professor Childs team have implemented six-month extensions to this limit.

When the call came through from Ruth OLearys private clinic in early March to say the first stage of her IVF cycle had been successful  two NHS attempts had previously failed  and that she and her husband had created a healthy embryo ready for implantation, she had never felt so elated.

But her joy was short-lived as, days later, a nurse called back from the clinic in Athens to tell her all fertility treatment had been suspended, under an order from the European Society of Human Reproduction and Embryology (ESHRE).

Ruth and her husband Matthew, both 37 and primary school teachers from Leeds, have been trying for a baby for three years and wanted more than anything in the world to be a step closer to realising their dreams of parenthood.

It was devastating news, says Ruth, her voice cracking. Becoming parents has been our main focus for so long and we have faced so many hurdles along the way.

Ruth said her experience has been made worse, by being unable to spend time with family and friends. Pictured: Ruth and Matthew O'Leary

But I can honestly say the thought of a global pandemic affecting our chances of conceiving is one thing that had never even crossed our minds.

I understand, of course, that a lot of people have suffered worse fates, losing loved ones to Covid-19. But for this to happen now, just when we were potentially so close to making our baby, seems incredibly cruel.

What makes the experience worse is that we cant spend time with our family and friends, who would have given us a hug and helped us get through this. Nor do we even have the distraction of work.

While Matthew is being called in for the occasional day to teach children of key workers, Ruth, who has detailed her journey in her blog theinfertilediaries.co.uk, left her job in February, concerned about the time off she would need to travel to Greece for treatment.

It was a huge sacrifice, given that the couple need every spare penny to fund the exorbitant cost of fertility treatment.

Having had two unsuccessful IVF attempts on the NHS, they decided to go private and did extensive research into clinics abroad, where the cost of treatment can be half what they would have had to stump up in the UK.

In February, they paid 3,500 for two rounds of treatment at the Serum IVF Clinic, and in early March, after Ruth had taken the drug Clomid to stimulate her ovaries, travelled to Athens, where one egg was collected and fertilised with Matthews sperm.

While the couples infertility is unexplained, Ruth is aware that she, like Tina, has low AMH levels, a good indicator of a womans egg reserves, which may have hindered her chances of conceiving.

As she had taken Clomid, which can leave the uterine lining too thin for successful implantation, the clinic recommended freezing the embryo, before thawing and transferring it at a later date when Ruths body had recovered and the embryo was more likely to implant and lead to pregnancy.

Ruth who celebrates her 38th birthday in less than four months, revealed she can't bear to think about a life without children. Pictured: Ruth and Matthew

As the chances of Ruths one frozen embryo becoming a baby were only 23 per cent, she was due to return to Athens at the end of March to be given injections in the hope of stimulating the release of another egg and creating a fresh embryo that could be transferred along with the frozen one, increasing her chances of conception.

But with both travel and fertility treatment suspended for the foreseeable future, this process, like the OLearys precious embryo, is on ice.

Ruths 38th birthday is less than four months away and the couple cannot help tormenting themselves with the statistic that a womans pregnancy success rate is estimated to fall from 23 per cent to just 15 per cent by the age of 38.

Their circumstances are further complicated by travel restrictions which could delay a return to the clinic in Athens, even once normal services begin to resume in the UK.

Im trying not to project my mind too far into the future because so much is beyond our control, says Ruth. I cant bear to think about our life without children. It would always feel like there was something missing.

Professor Tim Child says thousands of British patients have been left with similar anxieties.

This has affected hundreds of patients in our clinics alone and breaking the news that treatment had to be postponed was hard, he says. Fertility treatment is not considered urgent, unlike cancer treatment, but the clock is always ticking for our patients, so many of them do see it as urgent.

Understandably, patients are asking when they can start, or resume, their cycles, but I cant see anything being relaxed in the very near future.

While two or three months should make little difference to the chance of a successful outcome for most, Professor Child says restrictions lasting much longer could have an impact.

William Fenton, 32, was advised to have sperm frozen before receiving chemotherapy, when he was diagnosed with Hodgkin lymphoma. Pictured: Vicki and William

According to NHS figures, the success rate for IVF among women aged 35 and under is about 29 per cent. It is 23 per cent for those aged 35 to 37; 15 per cent at 38 to 39; 9 per cent from 40 to 42; 3 per cent at 43 and just 2 per cent for those over 44, if the woman uses her own eggs.

For most people this wait is upsetting and frustrating, particularly because they will have waited a while to get to the point of being ready to start treatment, says Professor Child.

If women have lower egg numbers or are in their late 30s to 40s, a few months can make a difference. But even then, I would be reassuring them that any change in their personal chances of success was very small, as long as we get going again in the next couple of months. However, if the ban extends into next year, thats completely different.

Vicki and William Fenton, who have had more than their fair share of exposure to NHS emergency care, fully appreciate the need to protect the vulnerable but have, nonetheless, been left devastated by the postponement of their Intra-Cytoplasmic Sperm Injection (ICSI), a form of IVF in which a single sperm is injected directly into an egg.

William, 32, had Hodgkin lymphoma, a type of cancer that develops in the lymph glands, diagnosed six years ago and was advised to have sperm frozen before receiving chemotherapy, which adversely affects semen quality.

The former chef, originally from Leamington Spa, Warwickshire, and now living in Caithness, Scotland, has come perilously close to death more than once but, following a bone marrow transplant in November 2018, has been in remission for 17 months.

Vicki, a dementia carer, married William in late 2016, when neither of them knew if he would survive cancer. But the one thing both were certain about was that they longed for a family.

So in March 2018 they had their first round of ICSI, using Williams frozen sperm, at Aberdeen Fertility Centre.

Vicki revealed she's been unable to congratulate her sister-in-law, who is due to give birth in June, because it hurts too much. Pictured: Vicki and William

A further four rounds, all NHS-funded on medical grounds because of Williams cancer, followed, leading to just one pregnancy, which sadly ended in miscarriage at five weeks, last February.

Having exhausted all their NHS-funded treatment, shortly before lockdown the Fentons were about to embark on their first private round of ICSI.

Its heartbreaking. I honestly dont know how much more we can take, says Vicki. The thought of facing another year not being parents is so painful, especially when it seems everywhere I look now I see people with prams.

My sister-in-law is pregnant and due to give birth in June and I havent even been able to congratulate her because it hurts too much. I dont want to feel this way but I cant help it. It eats me up inside.

Neither of them is currently able to work  they havent left their home for four weeks  because Williams immunity has been so compromised by cancer treatment that catching coronavirus could be lethal for him.

As this is considered voluntary isolation, they are not being paid, either. So to avoid dipping into their precious fertility-treatment coffers, they are living on beans on toast and other low-cost meals.

So when will it all end? Tina contacted her clinic last week to check if there was any news on when her treatment might restart. She was told that, for now, there is no guidance.

For her, like so many others struggling with infertility, the uncertainty surrounding this pandemic adds to an already ever-present fear that she may never experience the joy of parenthood.
There was a collective sigh of disappointment on social media over Zac Efron missing out on the mini High School Musical reunion performance for The Disney Family Singalong on Thursday.

Efron wound up introducing his former on-screen classmates from yesteryear in a blurry video he sent in.

It turns out he wanted to partake in the rendition of We're All In This Together, but was contacted at the very last minute because he was in a remote part of the world and had a bad wi-fi connection.

The reason for no-show: Monique Coleman says Zac Efron didn't sing in the High School Musical reunion for The Disney Family Singalong likely because he was in a remote location with bad wi-fi

Former co-star Monique Coleman told TMZ the last she heard Efron had been in Papua New Guinea filming for his Quibi show, Killing Zac Efron.

'I thought it was really cool that he was able to come in at the last minute and just do something,' she said.

She went on to explain that the reunion was 'very involved' and that she and her co-star filmed all day long.

'Zac to me is one of the realest people I've known and he's always been very grounded and more concerned with being a person than a celebrity, and I respect that.'

Class Reunion: Efron introduced the High School Musical reunion on ABC's The Disney Family Singalong special Thursday night

Class reunion: COleman joined Vanessa Hudgens, Ashley Tisdale, Corbin Bleu and Lucas Grabeel, via remote from their homes, for a performance of We're All In This Together from the Disney Channel Original Movie

So in the end Coleman joined Vanessa Hudgens, Ashley Tisdale, Corbin Bleu, and Lucas Grabeel, via remote from their homes, to sing 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 in his video introduction.

'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, show host Ryan 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 oft he song 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

Enthusiastic: Apparently everyone was excited to be a part of the reunion, but it took a lot longer to get ahold of Efron; he is pictured with Hudgens shown in 2008

Apparently everyone was excited to be a part of the reunion, but again, it took a bit more time to find and get ahold of 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.

Back in the day; Efron was the leading man in the High School Musical trilogy movies

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
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Linkedin Dian Septiari (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta  Sun, April 19, 2020 16:17 633 fc6853813033f564188675f8bd2d7fa1 1 World #COVID19,COVID-19,COVID-19-in-Indonesia,foreign-affairs,pandemic,#GlobalEconomy,global-trade Free

Top diplomats from 13 countries of a cross-regional network, including Indonesia, Singapore and Canada, have agreed on key principles of keeping transportation links and supply chains open to cushion the impacts of COVID-19 on global trade and economy.

Facilitated by Canada, the informal network called the International Coordination Group on COVID-19 (ICGC) consists primarily of half of the G20 countries -- Brazil, France, Germany, Italy, Mexico, South Korea, Turkey and the United Kingdom -- with the addition of Morocco, Peru and Singapore. It was recently established to look for a shared commitment to "promote and protect free trade" and other selected measures to tackle COVID-19.

The fresh declaration was made by foreign ministries of ICGC in a Friday evening teleconference, after it was deliberated at a recent senior officials meeting.

Going forward, Indonesian Foreign Minister Retno LP Marsudi said, any future cooperation must be action-oriented which would bring tangible benefits to the general public worldwide.

The declaration, despite its nature as a non-legally binding political declaration, aims at bolstering international norms and actions in handling the COVID-19 pandemic and to manage its social economic impacts. It identified a number of areas for concrete collaborative actions, outlining commitments to maintain an open flow of trade and investment, facilitate repatriation of stranded travelers, and to look for efforts to restore the post-pandemic global economy.

We will continue to promote and protect free trade, the ministers said in the declaration, as quoted from a press statement on Saturday. [...] and we agree that emergency measures designed to tackle COVID-19, if deemed necessary, must be targeted, proportionate, transparent and temporary, and that they do not create unnecessary barriers to trade or disruption to global supply chains, and are consistent with WTO [World Trade Organization] rules.

Singapores Foreign Minister Vivian Balakrishnan said on Facebook on Saturday that the ICGC ministers had reiterated the importance of maintaining global connectivity, such as transport and supply chain links, which will help all our economies recover more quickly when the pandemic eventually subsides.

Read also: Indonesia joins multilateral pursuit of 'practical', coordinated response to COVID-19

The WTO had sounded the alarm on Wednesday that global trade could plummet by a third this year due to the coronavirus pandemic, warning the deepest recession "of our lifetimes" could be on the horizon.

North America and Asia would be hardest-hit and could see their exports plunge by 40 and 36 percent respectively, while Europe and South America could see declines of more than 30 percent, the WTO said.

WTO chief Roberto Azevedo said countries could ensure a faster and stronger rebound through international cooperation. "A turn toward protectionism would introduce new shocks on top of those we are currently enduring," Azevedo said, as reported by AFP.

"Keeping markets open to international trade and investment would help economies recover more quickly," he said, arguing that "we will see a much faster recovery than if each country goes it alone."

Following the declaration, the ICGC would now strongly advocate for other countries to take similar steps, with South Korea leading a conversation on best practices for emerging from the COVID-19 crisis.

The COVID-19 pandemic is a global challenge. Maintaining strong coordination with our international partners is critical to mitigate the repercussions of the ongoing challenges we face, Canadas Foreign Minister Francois-Philippe Champagne said in a statement. Keeping people, goods and services moving is key in both addressing these issues and ensuring the transition to a strong recovery.

Read also: COVID-19: Jokowi urges G20 countries to develop vaccine, win 'war' against the pandemic

They will also continue to pool research and scientific resources and efforts to work toward a COVID-19 vaccine and enhanced testing kits for all countries, the declaration said.

As a number of countries and scientists are racing against time to develop COVID-19 vaccines and cures, Retno said that international cooperation must be able to facilitate the availability of an effective, affordable COVID-19 vaccine and accessible to developing countries.
Myanmar Clashes Take Heavy Toll on Ethnic Groups in Rakhine, Chin States

By Lisa Schlein April 18, 2020

The U.N. human rights office is calling for an end to escalating clashes between Myanmar's army and the ethnic armed group known as the Arakan Army in Rakhine and Chin states as civilian casualties rise.

The conflict is playing out against the backdrop of the recent deaths of dozens of Rohingya refugees and hundreds of others stranded at sea for two months after fleeing persecution in Myanmar.

The fatalities at sea are not specifically related to the fighting between the Myanmar army and Arakan Army armed group. But observers say it is symptomatic of the persecution and discrimination against ethnic minorities that have provoked armed rebellion against the government for years.

U.N. human rights spokesman Rupert Colville said Friday that the current spike in violence between the government and rebels was affecting civilians of all ethnic groups living in Rakhine and neighboring Chin state, including Rohingya, Chin, Mro, Daignet and others.

"Myanmar's military has been carrying out almost daily airstrikes and shelling in populated areas resulting in at least 32 deaths and 71 injuries since the 23rd of March, and the majority of those were women and children," he said. "They have also been destroying and burning schools and homes."

Colville said the warring parties had ignored U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres' call for a global cease-fire during the COVID-19 pandemic. He said the current dire situation was further complicated by the government's internet blackout since June 2019, the longest in the world, in nine townships across Rakhine and Chin states.

"This blackout has greatly hampered the availability of reliable public information on hygiene, physical distancing precautions and other preventative measures," Colville said. "Internet restrictions have also been applied by the Bangladesh authorities to the Rohingya refugee camps in Cox's Bazar."

The U.N. human rights office is calling on the Myanmar government to immediately lift the internet ban and grant humanitarian access to all conflict-affected areas. U.N. officials warn failure to do so will worsen the suffering of civilians and hamper efforts to fight the deadly COVID-19 pandemic.

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By Angel Krasimirov

SOFIA, April 19 (Reuters) - Hundreds of Bulgarian Christians flocked to the Orthodox temples for outdoor services on a surreal Saturday night with the Balkan state one of the few countries where churches remained open over the Easter holidays amid the coronavirus pandemic.

The Easter holiday is the most significant date on the calendar for the world's 300 million Orthodox Christians with thousands of Bulgarians usually packing the churches and their ancestral homes all around the country to celebrate Christ's resurrection.

This year many Bulgarians opted to watch services live on TV instead after the government urged people to celebrate and pray from home. But 58-year-old Radka Petrova, a keen church-goer, said she was not afraid of "that virus because the church is a place of healing".

"I'm here because my faith is strong and I'm not afraid," Petrova, wearing a protective mask, told Reuters. "I remember the communist times and how mounted policemen used to surround the church to intimidate worshippers."

Bulgarians were unable to practise or study the Christian faith freely during the communist regime, which ended in 1989.

"It's only a virus and we'll defeat it... Christ is risen!Today we're celebrating hope in a sea of despair."

The restrictions, imposed due to the coronavirus outbreak, have meant observing an Easter Sunday unlike any Bulgarians have lived through before.

But while most worshippers maintained social distancing between each other to stem transmission of the virus, clergymen largely failed to observe it during the services.

The decision to keep churches open has sparked an intense debate on social media in Bulgaria. Many fear churches could become centres of contagion and pose risks to the most vulnerable - the elderly - jeopardising the collective effort to contain the disease.

Bulgaria, which declared a state of emergency until May 13, has imposed a ban on groups of more than two adults congregating together. It has shut schools, restaurants and other public venues and imposed a ban on non-essential travel.

Story continues

"In the current situation, we must be better and more humble," Prime Minister Boyko Borissov wrote in Facebook. "Let's do everything we can to be proud of our decisions and actions in years to come."

The COVID-19 respiratory disease caused by the novel coronavirus has claimed 41 lives across Bulgaria and infected nearly 900 people - one of the lowest rates in Europe.

"On Easter, our thoughts and prayers will be with those who are no longer among us and those who are fighting this vile disease, doctors and medical workers in particular and everyone who is at the forefront of the fight for life," Bulgarian Patriarch Neophyte said.

The Bulgarian Orthodox Church has been criticised on social media for keeping its houses of worship open in spite of the coronavirus crisis. Many Bulgarians also pointed fingers at the church for keeping the practices of people kissing icons in churches, and using shared spoons during communion services.

The coronavirus pandemic has shut down traditional Easter celebrations in many Orthodox Christian countries, including Bulgarian neighbours Greece, Romania and Serbia.

Easter mass was held in churches across Romania, Greece and Cyprus but they remained closed to the public. The official clergy in the three countries has urged people to stay away and watch the service either on radio or TV.

Serbia imposed an 84-hours lockdown set to last from Friday afternoon until early on Tuesday to keep people inside during Easter festivities.

Ukraine effectively banned church services to the general public by stipulating that only 10 people are allowed to be present at a service. The government has also repeatedly urged people to stay at home.

(Reporting by Angel Krasimirov; Additional reporting by Luiza Ilie, Michele Kambas, Aleksandar Vasovic and Matthias Williams; Editing by Sandra Maler)
Egypt's health ministry announced 112 new coronavirus cases and 15 new fatalities on Sunday, bringing the total number of confirmed cases to 3,144 and the death toll to 239.

Thirty-one Egyptians have fully recovered and been discharged from quarantine or hospitals, according to the ministrys bulletin, which brings the total number of recoveries from the virus so far to 732.

The number of cases who have retested negative, including the recoveries, has now reached 1,001, ministry spokesman Khaled Megahed said.

The newly detected cases include one foreigner, the remaining being Egyptians. They were detected through the ministrys investigation and contact tracing protocols, Megahed added.

Health Minister Hala Zayed praised the efforts of the medical teams at fever and pulmonology hospitals, according to the ministry statement.

Zayed said that 81 fever and pulmonology hospitals across Egypt have provided free medical services to more than 1.5 million patients, including some with the coronavirus, since the emergence of the virus in the country, with a daily frequency of over 25,000 patients.

On Saturday, the Coptic Orthodox Churchs Pope Tawadros led an Easter mass service without attendees at the desert monastery of Saint Bishoy in Wadi El-Natroun, part of unprecedented measures undertaken to stem the spread of the coronavirus in the country.

This is the first time that Pope Tawadros has held an Easter service at a location other than Cairos Saint Mark's Cathedral, or has held the service without attendants or worshippers.

Public transport has been suspended on Monday, the date of the traditional spring festivity of Sham El-Nessim, in a bid to prevent people from celebrating the holiday with the customary family outings to public places.

The cabinet has suspended buses, trains and the Cairo metro, and closed shops, malls and public parks.

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In the wake of the COVID-19 outbreak, banking institutions in the UAE are establishing many new ways to help their customers.

Etihad Credit Insurance (ECI), the UAE Federal export credit company, has partnered with National Bank of Fujairah (NBF) to support businesses in the UAE by securing customers sales receivables and providing another source of working capital.

This collaboration will benefit small and medium-sized businesses, especially companies in challenged industries, by offering risk mitigation tools as well as trade credit solutions to facilitate cash flow support. These tools will help them navigate better the current crisis by safeguarding their business goals and future growth.

The partnership between ECI and National Bank of Fujairah was sealed in a virtual meeting attended by senior officials from both organisations.

Underscoring how the collaboration between Etihad Credit Insurance and the National Bank of Fujairah will be beneficial for businesses and investors in the UAE, Massimo Falcioni, CEO of ECI, said: ECIs partnership with National Bank of Fujairah will support the banks' customers to manage risk and cash flow, during this global economic cycle. It also comes following numerous stimulus packages and financial measures declared by the UAE Federal and governments, and several leading banking institutions in the UAE to address the effects of the COVID-19 contagion. This partnership will be vital for businesses, as they will have access to banks export credit funding, backed by Etihad Credit Insurance guarantees and insurance solutions for both discount receivables and their supply financing."

Meanwhile, Vince Cook, CEO of NBF, stated: We are pleased to have partnered with ECI, an exciting new initiative from the Government of the UAE. Over the years, NBF has been recognised for its customer-centric approach to banking and as a leader in trade finance. Its deep-sector knowledge and understanding of each customers priorities ensures it is in a strong position to help companies during difficult times.

Access to ECI's customised and comprehensive trade credit solutions brings an unrivalled source of support that we know will be of great service to our customers and to the wider economy as a whole. I am sure that together we can play a significant role across the UAE driving regional and international trade forward.

Under this agreement, both the institutions have agreed to cooperate on the following areas: Trade Credit Insurance (conventional and Murabaha); Export & Project Financing; Factoring; SMEs Financing; and LC Confirmation as well as conduct workshops to showcase the benefits of trade protection solutions against the risk of non-payment.

ECI will also provide market intelligence reports to highlight the commercial and political risk associated in international trade activities through its database of 360 million companies from across the globe. -- Tradearabia News Service
By Associated Press

NEW YORK: Coronavirus is dealing a gut punch to the illegal drug trade, paralyzing economies, closing borders and severing supply chains in China that traffickers rely on for the chemicals to make such profitable drugs as methamphetamine and fentanyl.

One of the main suppliers that shut down is in Wuhan, the epicenter of the global outbreak.

Associated Press interviews with nearly two dozen law enforcement officials and trafficking experts found Mexican and Colombian cartels are still plying their trade as evidenced by recent drug seizures but the lockdowns that have turned cities into ghost towns are disrupting everything from production to transport to sales.

Along the 2,000-mile U.S.-Mexico border through which the vast majority of illegal drugs cross, the normally bustling vehicle traffic that smugglers use for cover has slowed to a trickle.

Bars, nightclubs and motels across the country that are ordinarily fertile marketplaces for drug dealers have shuttered.

And prices for drugs in short supply have soared to gouging levels.

"They are facing a supply problem and a demand problem," said Alejandro Hope, a security analyst and former official with CISEN, the Mexican intelligence agency.

"Once you get them to the market, who are you going to sell to?" Virtually every illicit drug has been impacted, with supply chain disruptions at both the wholesale and retail level.

Traffickers are stockpiling narcotics and cash along the border, and the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration even reports a decrease in money laundering and online drug sales on the so-called dark web.

"The godfathers of the cartels are scrambling," said Phil Jordan, a former director of the DEA's El Paso Intelligence Center.

Cocaine prices are up 20 percent or more in some cities.

Heroin has become harder to find in Denver and Chicago, while supplies of fentanyl are falling in Houston and Philadelphia.

In Los Angeles, the price of methamphetamine has more than doubled in recent weeks to $1,800 per pound.

"You have shortages but also some greedy bastards who see an opportunity to make more money," said Jack Riley, the former deputy administrator of the DEA.

"The bad guys frequently use situations that affect the national conscience to raise prices." Synthetic drugs such as methamphetamine and fentanyl have been among the most affected, in large part because they rely on precursor chemicals that Mexican cartels import from China, cook into drugs on an industrial scale and then ship to the U.S.

"This is something we would use as a lesson learned for us," the head of the DEA, Uttam Dhillon, told AP.

"If the disruption is that significant, we need to continue to work with our global partners to ensure that, once we come out of the pandemic, those precursor chemicals are not available to these drug-trafficking organizations.

"Cartels are increasingly shifting away from drugs that require planting and growing seasons, like heroin and marijuana, in favor of synthetic opioids such as fentanyl, which can be cooked 24/7 throughout the year, are up to 50 times more powerful than heroin and produce a greater profit margin.

Though some clandestine labs that make fentanyl from scratch have popped up sporadically in Mexico, cartels are still very much reliant upon Chinese companies to get the precursor drugs.

Huge amounts of these mail-order components can be traced to a single, state-subsidized company in Wuhan that shut down after the outbreak earlier this year, said Louise Shelley, director of the Terrorism, Transnational Crime and Corruption Center at George Mason University, which monitors Chinese websites selling fentanyl.

"The quarantine of Wuhan and all the chaos there definitely affected the fentanyl trade, particularly between China and Mexico," said Ben Westhoff, author of "Fentanyl, Inc."

"The main reason China has been the main supplier is the main reason China is the supplier of everything - it does it so cheaply," Westhoff said.

"There was really no cost incentive for the cartels to develop this themselves." But costs have been rising and, as in many legitimate industries, the coronavirus is bringing about changes.

Advertised prices across China for precursors of fentanyl, methamphetamine and cutting agents have risen between 25% and 400% since late February, said Logan Pauley, an analyst at the Center for Advanced Defense Studies, a Washington-based security research nonprofit.

So even as drug precursor plants in China are slowly reopening after the worst of the coronavirus crisis there, some cartels have been taking steps to decrease their reliance on overseas suppliers by enlisting scientists to make their own precursor chemicals.

"Because of the coronavirus they're starting to do it in house," added Westhoff.

Some Chinese companies that once pushed precursors are now advertising drugs like hydroxychloroquine, which President Donald Trump has promoted as potential treatment for COVID-19, as well as personal protective gear such as face masks and hand sanitizers.

Meanwhile, the gummed up situation on the U.S.-Mexico border resembles a stalled chess match where nobody, especially the traffickers, wants to make a wrong move, said Kyle Williamson, special agent in charge of the DEA's El Paso field division.
An almighty barney has broken out over the future of the worlds oldest Jewish newspaper after its owners put it into liquidation and laid off 54 staff on the eve of Passover.

The Kessler Foundations accounts reveal it ran the Jewish Chronicle at a loss of 1.5 million a year and auditors flagged up that their 2.6 million pension liability far exceeds the groups assets. Current management wants to try to restructure the business but there are fears in the Jewish community that the paper  which has been running since 1841  will be doomed. So an 11th-hour consortium has mounted a takeover bid.

Fronted by former No 10 spin chief Sir Robbie Gibb, with other backers including ex-Labour MP John Woodcock and Rabbi Jonathan Hughes, there is no mention of where their promised millions of investment will come from.

Ned Temko, a former editor of the Jewish Chronicle. An almighty barney has broken out over the future of the worlds oldest Jewish newspaper, writes Harry Cole (file photo)

Interestingly, the trio were involved with the Mainstream campaign group  which was also mysteriously funded  that eviscerated Jeremy Corbyn last year.

Sir Robbie insists there would be no editorial changes, with editor Stephen Pollard backing the takeover, but some are sceptical. This saga is unfinished business from the General Election, a source tells me. Theres a widespread view that for too long the Jewish Chronicle has been the voice of the liberal Left, and out of touch with its wider conservative readership.

'I apologised to him, claims chastened ex-Tory Remainer Rory Stewart when asked if hed honoured his promise to get down on bended knees in front of Boris and admit hed called Brexit wrong.

There were puzzled faces all round in No10 when I asked about what seems to be a totally unmemorable incident, writes Harry Cole (pictured: file photo of Rory Stewart)

I didnt quite get my knee on the ground, Rory tells this months GQ. I bobbed towards the ground and made a fulsome apology, as I felt I ought to.

But was it as fulsome as it could have been? There were puzzled faces all round in No10 when I asked about what seems to be a totally unmemorable incident.

Parliament returns this week in a virtual form, with plans afoot for remote voting and legislative processes.

To test the new-fangled technology, the Commons tights-wearing officials held a mock debate and vote on the great question of our age: Is the Jaffa Cake a cake or a biscuit? Division!

Should our spies well-founded fears that Covid-19 escaped from a Chinese laboratory be proven correct, you can expect crowing from No10 guru Dominic Cummings.

He wrote on his esoteric blog a year ago that even the most secure bio-labs have serious security problems and clearly present an unacceptable risk of causing a disastrous pandemic.

Some undignified grumbling last week from the usual suspects that, despite strict lockdown rules, the PM is recuperating at his second home, Chequers.

Once described by Lord Curzon as a temple of reconciliation and a haunt of peace, few know that PMs use of the Buckinghamshire country house is enshrined in law for the better the health of our rulers the more sanely will they rule.

The Chequers Estate Act 1917 reads: The inducement to spend two days a week in the high and pure air of the Chiltern hills and woods will, it is hoped, benefit the nation as well as its chosen leader.

Cruel blow for Commons

Sir Lindsay Hoyle, the House of Commons Speaker, pictured attending a service in January for New Parliament at St Margaret's church in London

Oliver Cromwell said killing a king was a cruel necessity, and I hear Commons Speaker Sir Lindsay Hoyle takes a similar view over banning the sale of booze anywhere in Parliament during the lockdown.

My man in the parliamentary archives says this dry spell is the first time alcohol has been outlawed in the Palace of Westminster since December 1653 when puritanical Cromwell became Lord Protector.

And the comparisons dont stop there. Theatres are closed, too...
A taxi-driver was surprised with a standing ovation and a lump-sum of cash from doctors at a hospital in Madrid after giving patients free rides to and from appointments amid the coronavirus pandemic.

The unnamed good Samaritan was shocked as he walked into rounds of applause from staff at the Spanish hospital who handed him an envelope with money and a dedication inside.

In a clip shared to Twitter by the Spanish Taxi union, the driver is shown to be moved to tears by the sweet gesture, with many online saying they had the same reaction.

A taxi-driver was surprised with a standing ovation and a lump-sum of cash from doctors at a hospital in Madrid after giving patients free rides to and from appointments amid the coronavirus pandemic

Doctors had rung the driver to tell him to pick up a patient at the hospital to set up the surprise, which has won the hearts of internet users all over the world.

Spain is one of the worst hit countries in the coronavirus pandemic, second only to the US.

The Mediterranean country has seen more than 20,000 deaths from Covid-19 and nearly 200,000 infections from the killer disease.

The sweet video has now been watched more than 3.2 million times, with people praising both the driver and the doctors.

Doctors had rung the driver to tell him to pick up a patient at the hospital to set up the surprise, which has won the hearts of internet users all over the world

The sweet video has now been watched more than 3.2 million times, with people praising both the driver and the doctors. They are pictured clapping for the driver

'This crisis is bringing out the best in many citizens. And rewarding them for it never hurts. That is precisely what they have done in a Madrid hospital, paying tribute to a taxi driver who takes patients without charging them' one wrote.

'I am proud to be a taxi driver, son of a taxi driver and father of a taxi driver. Come on, comrades!' said another.

El Taxi Unido, who shared the original clip, also reassured passengers that the cabs are disinfected between every use to prevent the spread of the virus.

El Taxi Unido, who shared the original clip, also reassured passengers that the cabs are disinfected between every use to prevent the spread of the virus. The driver is pictured receiving the money

The driver arrived at the hospital to applause before receiving cash from doctor

'Good things happen to good people sometimes, he clearly gave so much to others without expectation of reward. So humbling and beautiful, moments like this are the best side of humanity' said one.

'Yep, had me crying! Lovely man. X

'What a kindhearted man he is. Brought me to tears. How lovely the way the hospital staff showed their gratitude

The sweet video has now been watched more than 3.2 million times, with people praising both the driver and the doctors.

'So many extraordinary acts of kindness coming from the ranks.

'Recognition for an unsung hero doing what he felt was right. Truly heartwarming.

'Omg crying !!! This is so lovely to see on a Sunday morning' said another.
Food pantries around the United States are struggling to meet increased demand as millions of people suffer from the pandemic's economic toll, AP reports.

Why it matters: The more than 22 million Americans out of work as a result of the coronavirus has led to skyrocketing demand for donated food, but many of the food banks sources are drying up.

Some food bank leaders believe the money that Congress included for emergency food assistance in its March relief bill will take months to reach cities.

The big picture: Feeding America, a nationwide association of 200 food banks and 60,000 food pantries, has witnessed a 98% surge in demand.

San Francisco-Marin Food Bank in California built pop-up pantries after some of its previous 275 locations stopped operating during the crisis. A spokesperson told AP that the new sites are serving hundreds of people every day.

A spokesperson for the Regional Food Bank of Oklahoma said that the bank, which acts as a food distribution center for hundreds of member pantries, moved to a six-day workweek this month and may consider seven days a week to meet demand.

What they're saying: It is a perfect storm scenario, Katie Fitzgerald, chief operating officer for Feeding America, told AP.

The foods coming in the back door, and its going right out the front to the customers, said Courtney Vrablik, executive director of The Store, a Nashville supermarket that provides free food to those in need.

Go deeper: Coronavirus supply chain issues cause tons of wasted food
April 21, 2010: Rescue operations begin, along with efforts to fight the fire burning on the rig since an explosion about 10 p.m. the night before. U.S. Coast Guard officials report that helicopters from the Aviation Training Center in Mobile raised at least eight people to safety. Its been pretty much continuous operation since the first aircraft departed right at 11 p.m., Lt. Jeremy Loeb said.

Emergency medical technicians rush a gurney to an awaiting HH-60 rescue helicopter and crew from Coast Guard Aviation Training Center Mobile, Ala. at Coast Guard Air Station New Orleans. The helicopter crew carried multiple survivors from the mobile offshore drilling unit Deepwater Horizon after an explosion and fire caused the crew of the vessel to evacuate. (U.S. Coast Guard photograph by Petty Officer 3rd Class Tom Atkeson)U.S. Coast Guard

Related: 10 years after: Along Alabamas Gulf Coast, questions, and work, go on

April 22: The toll stands at 17 injured and 11 men missing, presumed dead. The dead are Jason Anderson, Aaron Dale Burkeen, Donald Clark, Stephen Ray Curtis, Gordon Jones, Roy Wyatt Kemp, Karl Kleppinger Jr., Keith Blair Manuel, Dewey Revette and Shane Roshto and Adam Weise. In late morning the wrecked platform sinks.

April 24: After initially saying their main concern was the oil that had been aboard the damaged rig, Coast Guard officials report that oil is leaking from the well the Deepwater Horizon had been drilling. Coast Guard and BP officials estimate the leak at 1,000 barrels, or 42,000 gallons, per day. The sheen of surface oil around the wreck now spans 20 miles by 20 miles, some 25 times larger than it had been a day earlier. Bad weather has hampered surface containment.

April 25-26: Attempts to shut down the leak using submersible robots to close valves fail.

April 27: U.S. Coast Guard Rear Adm. Mary Landry announces plans to attempt burning off some of the surface oil. Were possibly 90 days out from securing the source permanently, Landry says. Fears grow about a huge mass of oil hitting the fertile crescent of Alabama, Mississippi and Louisiana shore within days. The marshland is our incubators for all species of seafood," said Bayou La Batre Mayor Stan Wright. "If it gets polluted or killed, were in trouble. Were in big, long-term trouble.

April 29: Oil reaches marshes in Venice, La. Meanwhile, two companies contracted by the state of Alabama begin laying boom along the states shoreline, covering about 7 miles. ''This is going to be a steep learning curve for all of us,'' Tom Herder, watershed protection coordinator with the Mobile Bay National Estuary Program, says of the situation. ''Its the gravest thing. I dont see what the silver lining is on this one. ... Its just scary. Im frightened of what were all going to have to face together. Alabama Gov. Bob Riley says BP will ultimately be responsible for damages because ''They are the responsible party.''

Boats position oil booms in preparation of the arrival of an oil slick Friday, April 30, 2010 off the beach in Ocean Springs, Miss. The oil slick emanated from the site of the Deepwater Horizon oil platform fire and collapse off the coast of Louisiana. (Press-Register, G.M. Andrews)PRESS-REGISTER

April 30: Weather hampers efforts to put containment measures in place along the coast. If you had a mood meter, you would measure a mood of pessimism, says Bruce Jones, president of the Dauphin Island Property Owners Association. If it were a hurricane, wed know what to expect. We dont really know what to expect. Oil has yet to hit Alabama, but it has begun filtering into marshlands near the mouth of the Mississippi River, washing over protective booms.

May 2: ''Alabama is going to be adequately prepared to take care of the problem once it reaches our shores,'' Gov. Bob Riley says during a Friday evening news conference in Mobile. The focus is on setting up floating booms along the coast.

May 3: Doug Suttles, BPs chief operating officer of exploration and production, says the company is giving Alabama, Mississippi, Louisiana and Florida $25 million each so the states have cash in hand to pay for cleanup workers and mitigation efforts. The companys estimate of the leak is 210,000 gallons of oil a day.

Members of the U.S. Army National Guard install containers designed to trap oil along the beaches of Dauphin Island, Ala., Tuesday May 3, 2010. (Press-Register, John David Mercer)bn

May 4: Winds and currents have kept the slick at least 30 miles off the Alabama shore. We have been given what I call a gift of time, said the Coast Guards Landry. Meanwhile BPs chief executive, Tony Hayward, tells reporters in Washington that he doesnt know how long itll take to stop the leak. Thats the question that no one can answer with any finality, he says. He expresses hope a containment dome will be placed over the main leak in a week or so.

Alabama Gov. Bob Riley listens to Capt. William Drelling, U.S. Coast Guard deputy commander of Sector Mobile, during an aerial survey of the Alabama coastline on May 4, 2010. (Press-Register, John David Mercer)

May 5: Gov. Riley says hes approved a plan to protect Mobile Bay with a belt of booms and a swinging gate of barges that can be moved to allow ships to enter. Corps of Engineers personnel are already using a Coast Guard buoy tender to set pilings, he says. Its basically like a barn door that swings open both ways, Riley says. What youd have is a trap where you could decontaminate ships on their way into port."

May 6: Oil begins to come ashore on some Louisiana barrier islands. The western end of Dauphin Island is closed to visitors as crews build a sand berm about 4 feet tall and three miles long on the south side and continue to install polymer fences along the north.

May 8: Dauphin Island Mayor Jeff Collier said that officials just before noon began receiving reports of tar balls from points around the fishing pier at the public beach and areas westward. By late afternoon, about 100 workers in white hazmat suits, yellow boots and black gloves have been deployed to pick up samples of black-stained sand near the pier, as beachgoers play nearby. At the leak site, an attempt to place a heavy containment box over the main leak is unsuccessful. May 10: Strong currents have displaced pilings across the mouth of the bay, so the swinging gate plan is being adapted to use ocean-grade boom held in place by anchors. Nearly 60 out-of-work residents began deploying boom Monday in the waters near Coden. On Dauphin Island, workers begin building a second berm that will be about 7 feet high and 3 miles long to protect the west end from an onslaught of oil.

Crews work to unroll and assemble floating oil booms at the Pier Street boat ramp in Fairhope, Ala. Crews were assembling long sections of booms along Fairhope and Point Clear for deployment near the Grand Hotel. (Press-Register/John David Mercer)

May 13: As BP continues weighing options to shut down the leak, some experts begin to express concern that the well is spewing far more oil than the companys estimate of 210,000 gallons per day. Estimates range from 1.1 to nearly 3 million gallons a day. Federal officials also report that the first oiled bird has been brought a day earlier to a rehabilitation center in Theodore.

May 14: U.S. Coast Guard Adm. Thad Allen says oil gushing from the broken well in the Gulf probably wont wash ashore in giant waves. I believe the spill is changing in character, says Allen, the national commander for the Deepwater Horizon response. As for the leak itself, I think it has the potential to be catastrophic, says Allen. I am going to act as if it is. We all should.

May 15: At a town hall meeting in Orange Beach, Mayor Tony Kennon urges BP to send a team to the area to assess the losses and send payments. These people dont have time to wait," Kennon says of local business owners and residents. Weve got people who are on the verge of bankruptcy today. Meanwhile, critics have begun to raise alarm about BPs use of chemical dispersants. The EPA is conducting a giant experiment with our most productive fisheries by approving the use of these powerful chemicals on a massive, unprecedented scale, says John Williams, executive director of the Southern Shrimp Alliance. USCG Rear Adm. Landry says the governments approval of underwater dispersants came only after testing, which will continue as the chemicals are used. I just want to assure everyone that we didnt cross this threshold lightly, to employ this tool. This is a tool that will be analyzed and monitored, Landry says.

Crowds pack in to listen to the Black Crowes perform on the Hangout Stage during the first day of the inaugural Hangout Music Festival, Friday, May 14, 2010 in Gulf Shores, Ala. (Press-Register, John David Mercer)MO

May 14-16: The inaugural Hangout Music & Arts Festival takes place in Gulf Shores. Conceived in part as a way to drum up business between spring break and the summer season, it has become a showcase drawing national attention to beaches that havent yet been impacted by the spill. Founder Shaul Zislin says that profits will benefit regional charity efforts. The Gulf Coast is what makes the Hangout Music Festival so unique, Zislin says. It is one of the most pristine coastlines in all of America, and we will donate every penny above our costs to keep it clean. The festival also gives a platform to keynote speakers and nonprofit environmental groups.

May 16: After some setbacks, BP crews succeed in inserting a small siphon tube into the well to draw off some of the leaking oil. Scientists begin to report detecting huge underwater plumes of oil that make the total spill much larger than whats been seen on the surface. Some question whether BPs use of dispersants is contributing to the undersea plumes.

May 17: BP pledges $70 million to promote tourism on the Gulf Coast. $15 million of that will go to Alabama. The first reported tar balls are found along the shores of Coden Bayou near Bayou La Batre.

May 19: The first reports come of oil reaching the Louisiana mainland.

Oil collected from the waters around the site of the Deepwater Horizon oil leak is burned in a controlled burn in this aerial photo taken Wednesday, May 19, 2010. (Press-Register, G.M. Andrews)bn

May 20: Two prominent coast Alabama scientists, Bob Shipp of the University of South Alabama and George Crozier of the Dauphin Island Sea Lab, say they feel their concerns about the use of dispersants were ignored by BP and federal officials. Federal officials approved the underwater use of tens of thousands of gallons of Corexit before conducting basic environmental tests, Crozier says. Oil begins to hit the Louisiana mainland.

May 26: BP begins an attempt to plug the well with a method called a top kill. In a few days it will be called a failure.

May 30: In the process of apologizing for the spill, BP CEO Tony Hayward makes a statement that enrages many: Theres no one who wants this thing over more than I do. You know, Id like my life back.

June 1: Oil washes ashore on Mississippis barrier islands. Mississippi Gov. Haley Barbour says the two-mile strip of emulsified oil on the western end of Petit Bois Island is the first significant amount of oil residue to hit Mississippi."

Clean-up crews collect oil along the coastline of Dauphin Island, Ala., on June 1, 2010 (Press-Register, John David Mercer)MO

June 2: Dozens of contractors on Dauphin Islands public beach scoop up small clumps of a chocolate-pudding-like substance coming ashore with each wave. Gov. Bob Riley complains that there are hundreds of private boats ready to get out in the waters with skimmers to try to protect the shoreline from oil. But theyre waiting on authorization from the U.S. Coast Guard to be able to do so. Coast Guard officials say conditions arent right for skimmers yet. BP PLC has cleared about 275 boats through the Vessels of Opportunity program to skim and look for oil from Louisiana to Florida, said Coast Guard Lt. Cmdr. Natalie Murphy. Riley says that because of a finite amount of protective boom, much of Alabamas coast is vulnerable to oil.

Johnny Bosarge, an oysterman for 14 years, protests the hiring of recreational fisherman for BP jobs over commercial fisherman on June 2, 2010, at the city docks in Bayou La Batre, Ala. (Press-Register, John David Mercer)

June 3: The gated boom system that officials devised to block oil from Mobile Bay while allowing boat traffic to continue in and out was a ''total failure'' and has been abandoned, says Jimmy Lyons, chief executive officer of the Alabama State Port Authority. Officials with the Deepwater Horizon response team say they will deal with oil at the mouth of the bay with skimming boats.

Clean up crews work to remove gobs of oil from the beach in Gulf Shores on Friday, June 4, 2010. (Press-Register, Bill Starling)

June 10: Following the first reports of oil on Baldwin County beaches, tourism drops off significantly We think we may be off 30 percent already, says Tony Kennon, mayor of neighboring Orange Beach. We could easily see it going to 50 percent, and many of our businesses wont make it.

June 11: Significant stretches of Baldwin Countys beaches are fouled by oil, marking the worst contamination to date on Alabamas coast. Officials close stretches of water in Alabama, Mississippi and Florida to most boat traffic to aid containment efforts. The closure of Alabama waters inside Perdido Pass to all recreational boating traffic, requested by Orange Beach Mayor Tony Kennon, effectively shuts down fishing from the self-titled Red Snapper Capital of the World. Recreational boats were obstructing efforts to protect marshes near the pass, and boaters failed to obey no-wake zones, with some personal watercraft riders actually jumping protective boom, according to Orange Beach Coastal Resources Manager Phillip West. Its a shame that a few ruined it for others, but basically, there didnt seem to be a more workable plan to allow limited recreational access. So the simplest and most enforceable thing to do was to ask that those waters be closed, West says.

Visitors to Gulf Shores look on as workers clean up oil that has washed ashore on Saturday June 12, 2010. (Press-Register, Kate Mercer)Press-Register

June 14: President Barack Obama makes his first presidential visit to Alabama and Mississippi. After a morning in Gulfport and Biloxi, Obama arrives in Theodore on a military helicopter about 2 p.m. and tours a boom staging and repair facility operated by Patriotic Environmental Services Inc. This is going to be a long, hard job, but were going to make this right, Obama tells a group of Patriot employees. We appreciate the work youre doing. From there he travels to Dauphin Island, takes the ferry to Fort Morgan and proceeds to Tacky Jacks in Orange Beach, where he dines with officials including Gov. Riley and Mayor Kennon. We had an iced tea summit, says Kennon. He was very gracious, very sincere and very interested in hearing about our situation.  I feel like he understood our pain, the sense of urgency we have down here.

President Barack Obama visits with workers repairing oil containment booms as he tours the Theodore Staging Facility in Theodore, Ala., on June 14, 2010. (Press-Register, John David Mercer)bn

June 14: The Mobile Jaycees announce that for the first time since its founding in 1929, the Alabama Deep Sea Fishing Rodeo has been canceled.

June 15: Accusing the oil giant of recklessness, President Obama vows in an Oval Office primetime address to make BP pay. June 16: BP guarantees $20 billion for a fund to pay damage claims related to Deepwater Horizon. It will be administered by Kenneth Feinberg, the lawyer and mediator who ran the fund for victims of the Sept. 11 attacks.

June 19: U.S. Sen. Richard Shelby, reacting to news that BP CEO Tony Hayward left the U.S. to attend a yacht race in England, says Hayward needs to go. "BP can and must do better, says Shelby.

June 20: An internal BP PLC document says as much as 4.2 million gallons of oil per day could gush from the companys broken well, well over the current official estimated flow of between 1.5 and 2.5 million gallons per day. Speaking to reporters in Orange Beach, BP Chief Operating Officer Doug Suttles says a leak of that size could only happen if the wells blowout preventer and other equipment that currently slows the gushing crude all fail completely.

June 20: Kenneth Feinberg pledges to speed up payment of claims. We want to get these claims out quicker, he says. We want to get these claims out with more transparency. Feinberg says BP has paid out over $100 million so far. Jimmy Buffett announces that he plans to play a free concert in Gulf Shores on July 1.

June 21: The Gulf Shores City Council approves permits for a series of concerts, and details emerge for Buffetts. Plans call for a live audience of 35,000 people and a broadcast on CMT. Organizers of the recent Hangout Fest, who proved their ability to successfully present a large-scale event the beach in May, will stage the show. What a tremendous opportunity for us to show the world that we dont have oil slicks all over our beach and we dont have oily pelicans standing around, says Mayor Robert Craft.

June 23: Tens of thousands of free tickets to a planned Jimmy Buffett concert in Gulf Shores are snapped up almost instantly. But sadder news dominates the day: Orange Beach-based charter captain William Allen Rookie Kruse has committed suicide aboard his boat at a marina on the Fort Morgan peninsula. His death sends shock waves through the coastal fishing business. Friends and relatives say hed been frustrated by two weeks of participation in BPs Vessels of Opportunity program and believed the Gulf would never recover from the disaster. His death is cited by many as an indication of the stress and trauma created by the spill. "Ive got people coming into my office every day breaking down, says Orange Beach Mayor Tony Kennon.

Nicole Kesterson, of Gulf Shores, Ala., takes a photo of oil in the surf at the Gulf Shores public beach on Thursday, June 24, 2010. (Press-Register/John David Mercer)

June 27: Patches of oil wash ashore on parts of the Alabama coast as others remain untouched. As cleanup workers collect hundreds of pounds of tar balls from Dauphin Islands west end, people continue to enjoy the public beach on the east end. Weve now entered the new normal, says Mayor Jeff Collier. Its like, here we go again. Wave action from Tropical Storm Alex begins to emerge as a complication.

June 28: Gulf Shores officials announce that due to wind and waves from Tropical Storm Alex, Jimmy Buffetts planned concert is being rescheduled for July 11.

Juliette Gutierrez with the US Fish and Wildlife Operations Section holds an oil-covered young bird found near Boggy Point Marina in Orange Beach on Wednesday June 30, 2010. (Press-register, Kate Mercer)

June 30: Jimmy Buffett plays a surprise show at LuLus, the Gulf Shores restaurant owned by his sister Lucy Buffett. He makes a point of thanking patrons whod come out despite the postponement of his planned beach concert. How many of you heard the bad news and came anyway? he asks. Arent you glad you did?

July 11: The Jimmy Buffett concert takes place. Kenny Chesney and Zac Brown cant make it because of the rescheduling, but New Orleans legend Allen Toussaint is among the special guests who do. Buffett alters a key line of Margaritaville to say Its all BPs fault. He ends the first set with When the Coast is Clear, a song thats about hitting the beach in the off-season, after the tourists have left -- but in this context it takes on a whole new meaning.

Jimmy Buffett flashes the crowd a big smile Sunday July 11, 2010, during the Jimmy Buffett & Friends Show in Gulf Shores. (Press-Register, Chip English)CHIP ENGLISH

July 12: Deep-sea robots attached a tighter-fitting cap onto the ruptured oil well. National Incident Commander Thad Allen says the apparatus will be tested before engineers attempt to shut off the flow.

July 15: Oil stops stopped gushing into the Gulf for the first time since the spill began. BP Senior Vice President Kent Wells says the gusher was blocked at 2:25 p.m., after engineers slowly closed the final valve in the specially designed cap. It felt very good not to see any oil going into the Gulf of Mexico, Wells says minutes after the closure. What Im trying to do is maintain my emotions. Remember, this is the start of our test. July 22: Vice President Joe Biden visits Theodore as a study by the U.S. Travel Association estimates that the Gulf Coast will lose more than $22 billion in tourism revenue.

July 27: BP announces that former Mississippi resident Bob Dudley will replace Tony Hayward as BPs top executive. BP shares rise with the news.

July 28: BPs claims director, Darryl Willis, says the company will put money into an escrow fund in time for Ken Feinbergs independent operation to begin making payments by mid- to late August. He will have every penny he needs to pay claims when he needs to do so, Willis says. Feinberg says the fund should have been set up by now. Im told it will be set up in the next week or so.

Aug. 2: The Deepwater Horizon Response command, which includes BP and government representatives, says it now calculates the total spill at 4.9 million barrels or 205 million gallons, making it the largest accidental oil spill on record. Of that, about 800,000 barrels were captured.

Aug. 3: BP begins a top-down plugging process it calls a bullheading or a static kill. Plans call for that to be followed by a bottom kill, in which additional mud and cement will be injected through a relief well. There should be no ambiguity about that, says retired Coast Guard Adm. Thad Allen. Im the national incident commander and this is how this will be handled.

Aug. 12: The static kill appears to have succeeded, and testing is being done to determine if the bottom kill is still needed. Plans to complete the relief well proceed.

Sept. 2: Engineers remove the temporary cap that initially stopped the flow of oil. They plan to install a new blowout preventer, replacing the one that failed at the start of the disaster.

Sept. 19: A bottom kill is done via the newly completed relief well. Federal officials say the well is dead.

Sept. 28: Reports emerge that BP and the Obama administration have begun discussion of a possible settlement that could range from $5.4 billion to $21.1 billion.

Oct. 30: Alan Jackson plays a show at the Amphitheater at the Wharf in Orange Beach, the last of a series of Concerts for the Coast that included Jimmy Buffett in Gulf Shores in July, Hank Williams Jr. at The Wharf in September, and concerts by Bon Jovi and Brad Paisley on the Gulf Shores beach in mid-October.

Dec. 15: The Justice Department files suit in New Orleans against BP, Transocean and other companies involved in the drilling project. Attorney General Eric Holder says civil and criminal investigations are ongoing.

Dec. 16: BP announces that Cameron International, maker of the blowout preventer that failed at the beginning of the disaster, has agreed to pay it $250 million. The companies drop suits against each other, and BP says the payment will go toward cleanup costs and damage claims.

The Comic Cowboys take a shot at BP during their parade in Mobile, on Tuesday, March. 8, 2011. (Press-Register, John David Mercer)Press-Register

March 8, 2011: Mobiles satirical Mardi Gras Krewe, the Comic Cowboys, takes aim at BP in its Fat Tuesday parade. One sign reads BPs solution to beach erosion: Pave it. The tar is free!

May 14, 2011: New Orleans legend Dr. John headlines a music festival on Dauphin Island. Like the larger concerts already held in Gulf Shores and Orange Beach, the event is designed to re-establish the Island as a tourist destination.

Dr. John entertains fans at the Dauphin Island Spring Music Festival on Saturday, May 14, 2011. (Press-Register, Cindy McCrory)

Feb. 18, 2012: The Obama administration accepts Shell Gulf of Mexico Inc.'s plan to respond to a potential accident in the Chukchi Sea off the northwest coast of Alaska. Accepting the plan was a major step toward offshore drilling in the arctic.

March 2, 2012: BP agrees to settle class-action suits by fishermen, cleanup workers and others harmed by the spill, estimating it will pay out about $7.8 billion.

July 6, 2012: President Obama signs the RESTORE Act, which lays out a plan for billions of dollars in recovery projects in Gulf Coast states.

Nov. 15, 2012: BP agrees to plead guilty to criminal charges related to the deaths of 11 men and lying to Congress about the amount of oil being spilled. The $4.5 billion penalty includes the biggest criminal fine in U.S. history. About $2.4 billion of the money will go to the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation.

Jan. 29, 2013: A federal judges ratifies the $4.5 billion plea deal settlement related to criminal charges against BP.

Feb. 14, 2013: A federal judge approves a $400 million plea deal settlement on criminal charges against Transocean.

Feb. 25, 2013: A three-phase trial on civil charges against BP opens in New Orleans.

March 11, 2014: The Great Invisible, a film by Mobile native Margaret Brown, premieres at the SXSW Film Festival and wins the Grand Jury Prize for documentaries. Understanding that her subject is a tragedy with many faces, Brown seeks to paint as complex and wide-ranging a portrait as possible, wrote a Variety reviewer. But Browns inherent interest in complexity leads her beyond mere finger pointing; she subtly reveals how the entire capitalist machinery of oil production and consumption is entrenched in American life in general, and Southern life in particular.

Sept. 4, 2014: U.S. District Judge Carl Barbieris ruling in the first phase of the trial is that BP acted with gross negligence leading up to the disaster. That means damages could be much higher than if he had ruled otherwise.

Sept. 3, 2014: Halliburton agrees to pay $1.1 billion to settle claims over its work on Deepwater Horizon.

Nov. 20, 2014: Margaret Brown and The Great Invisible get a warm welcome at the Mobile Saenger Theatre. Not every moment in the film does. For example: In one scene, Kenneth Feinberg, the administrator of a multibillion-dollar compensation fund, is shown speaking to a crowd of people about the claims process established by BP. Take the money, he urges them, Its a gift. That assertion generates a ripple of scornful noise in the theater. Brown says the same thing had happened at an earlier screening at the New Orleans Film Festival. At that event, she says, she hadnt been prepared for the level of anger the film provoked.

July 2, 2015: BP and the five states directly affected by the spill announce an $18.7 billion settlement plan to address Clean Water Act penalties, natural resource damage claims and economic damage claims.

April 4, 2016: Judge Barbier approves the settlement, which has an estimated cost to BP of around $20 billion.

Sept. 8, 2016: Gov. Robert Bentley signs a bill that allocates $1 billion the state will receive from BP for economic damages. Relatively little of the money goes to coastal Alabama; most is earmarked to pay off a bond issue, which in turn plugs a gap in Medicaid funding and repays several years of borrowing to prop up the states General Fund budget.

Sept. 30, 2016: The drama Deepwater Horizon premieres. Directed by Peter Berg and starring Mark Wahlberg and Kurt Russell, it focuses on the day the rig exploded, and to a lesser extent the lasting impact on the survivors.

March 7, 2019: The Alabama Gulf Coast Recovery Council announces the selection of a slate of nearly 50 projects in Mobile and Baldwin Counties that will be funded through the RESTORE Act. They add up to $315 million.

April 12, 2019: Gov. Kay Iveys office announces that $132 million in coastal environmental projects being funded through the RESTORE Act. That means that after individual approval and scheduling of the 28 projects, work can begin.

This timeline draws on reporting by numerous current and former AL.com and Press-Register reporters, including Ryan Dezember, David Ferrara, Guy Busby, Dan Murtaugh, Jeff Amy, Connie Baggett, Russ Henderson, Rena Havner, George Talbot, Katherine Sayre, Brendan Kirby, Harlan Kirgan, George Altman, Ben Raines, Jeff Dute, John Sharp and Lawrence Specker, as well as Associated Press reports.
Texas three railroad commissioners are weighing the pros and cons of mandating statewide production cuts, known as prorationing, after hearing 10 hours of testimony on Tuesday.

The agency and the industry are seeking ways to navigate the economic turmoil of sub-$20 oil prices amid rising crude supplies and a historic drop in demand caused by the coronavirus pandemic.

Kaes Vant Hof, chief financial officer at Diamondback Energy, testified that if prorationing is enacted, his company will take its activity to zero right away.

Scott Sheffield, president and chief executive officer of Pioneer Natural Resources, told commissioners in his testimony that unless they took action, much of the industry would disappear.

RELATED: RRC hears views on prorationing

Should the commissioners vote to implement statewide prorationing it likely would lead to litigation over the commissions authority to enact such an order, according to Charlie Sartain, Dallas-based attorney and leader of Gray Reeds Energy Litigation Group.

If a prorationing order comes to pass, you could see litigation by two groups: Those philosophically in favor of free-market mechanisms over those imposed by the government, and those whose production cuts by the order are greater than by the market, he told the Reporter-Telegram by email. You could also see environmental groups intervening in order to push their agenda that flaring constitutes waste under other provisions of the TNRC (for example 85.046 (a) (4) permitting any natural gas well to burn wastefully) and should be curtailed.

That said, I dont foresee the commission acting on the proposal. Here is why: Waste is (among other things) under TNRC 85.046 (a) (10) production of oil in excess of transportation or market facilities or reasonable market demand, and the commission may determine when excess production exists or is imminent and ascertain the reasonable market demand, he wrote.

Given the political and economic philosophies of the commissioners, they are unlikely to be inclined to impose prorationing by government order. If they were to go down that road, evidence of the volume of production in excess of transportation or market facilities or reasonable market demand would be required, Sartain wrote. No such evidence has been presented. IF there were additional hearings, countervailing evidence would be presented showing that market forces are resulting in production cuts.

Under TNRC 85.046, reasonable market demand of one pool cannot be discriminated against in favor of another pool. The commission would have to determine the reasonable market demand for each field, not statewide. That would be a complex undertaking and is not what Pioneer and Parsley are asking for.

Sartain said that, in her questions, Commissioner Christi Craddick seemed to focus on the process and procedures of prorationing, noting that the commission hadnt employed market-demand prorationing since the early 1970s and no longer has the expertise to implement such a regulatory regime.

RELATED: Midlanders weigh in on prorationing debate ahead of hearing

James Mann, an attorney for the Texas Pipeline Association and former Railroad Commission staff member, told commissioners that prorationing today would be very different from when it was first implemented in the 1930s.

Back then, the goal of prorationing was to ensure that every producer had a fair chance to produce their oil and natural gas and to ensure everyone had an equal slice of the pie, Mann said. Today, the goal would be to choose who got a slice of the pie.

Sartain said that while Craddick focused on the process and procedures, Commission Chair Wayne Christian asked questions about the practical effects of the proposal, wondering if, for example, Texas should act unilaterally or only if other producing states followed suit.

Commissioner Ryan Sitton tried to determine if the current supply-demand imbalance fit the statutory definition of waste, Sartain said.

There were disagreements among the participants, Sartain wrote. For example, XTO and Ovintiv argued that the current supply-demand imbalance is not waste as defined by the statute while Pioneer and Parsley Energy asserted that it is.

While he did not watch the entire 10-plus hours of testimony, Sartain reviewed approximately 120 comments and observed that 51 of the comments supported prorationing, while 59 were opposed and 12 comments were neutral. Also, some speakers were not clear on their position, he said.

A surprise was the support among producers and other industry players for implementation of tighter rules on flaring, including calls for a reduction in flaring permits, especially in the Permian Basin, Sartain wrote. Such a concern was a universal theme among environmental organizations.
"What I know is how much we need each other," said Hollywood superstar Jennifer Lopez during a concert that was live streamed on Saturday.

And Director-General of the World Health Organization (WHO) Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus took a cue from JLo's moving speech to post a message of solidarity and brotherhood on Twitter on Sunday.

Yep, the WHO chief quoted Jennifer Lopez. Confused? Here's what happened.

During the One World: Together at Home concert, JLo channelled her inner Barbra Streisand by singing "People", a song quite apt for the times we are in right now.

One World: Together at Home is a joint endeavour by the WHO and Global Citizen and is in honour of the healthcare workers who are putting their lives on the line everyday to treat Covid-19 patients. It was live streamed globally and saw a number of famous personalities joining hands for the cause.

In a series of tweets that followed, Ghebreyesus said people around the world should be saying "no" to stigma, divisions and hate while they should be saying "yes" to solidarity and unity.

What I know is how much we need each other - @JLo Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus (@DrTedros) April 19, 2020

JLo's message, thus, was the perfect way to unite Twitterati who have been grappling to deal with the coronavirus pandemic and its implications. More than half the countries around the world have imposed a lockdown in order to curb the spread of virus as the number of confirmed cases has crossed 2.2 million in the past few days.

A few days ago, Ghebreyesus had gone on a similar rant when he tweeted a series of one-word tweets like "solidarity", "unity" and "love" after the US President Donald Trump decided to suspend funding for the WHO and hinted at stepping up its monetary contribution to the UN health agency.

The Trump administration has accused WHO of taking side with China in the coronavirus outbreak that has brought America's economy to a standstill.

Ghebreyesus' tweet on Monday invited both positive and negative reactions. While some seemed touched by the WHO chief's call for solidarity, others accused him of siding with China.

Focus my Leader, dont be distracted! We stand with you, Africa appreciates you.  Briaton Cush (@BriatonCush) April 19, 2020

May God unite us all for Peace and Love   Meklit (@Meklit56289492) April 19, 2020

Be strong Dr. Tedros.  Amador Maurin (@AmadorMaurin) April 19, 2020
(Newser)  Sirens wailed and Jewish prayers were said for the heroes of the 1943 Warsaw Ghetto uprising, but the annual memorial observances were scaled down Sunday and moved to the internet because of the coronavirus pandemic and the need for social distancing, the AP reports. Polands chief rabbi, Michael Schudrich, said prayers at the monument to the ghetto fighters in downtown Warsaw. Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki and representatives of Jewish and Polish organizations laid wreaths. They were all wearing face masks and kept themselves at a distance from each other. President Andrzej Duda and Warsaw Mayor Rafal Trzaskowski also sent wreaths.

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History lectures and virtual visits to ghetto sites were offered on the internet, mainly by the POLIN Museum of the History of Polish Jews, which faces the monument to the ghetto heroes. Commemorative concerts were to be broadcast on Radio POLIN and on Poland's state radio. Museum director Zygmunt Stepinski said that the coronavirus pandemic "has forced us to change the formula" of the commemorations on the 77th anniversary. On April 19, 1943, a few hundred poorly armed Jewish fighters put up resistance to the Nazi Germany army that had started to liquidate the ghetto, sending the remaining inhabitants to the Treblinka death camp and razing their houses to the ground. The fighters held out almost a month in the first city revolt of World War II. They nearly all were killed, and the Germans destroyed the ghetto.

(Read more Warsaw Ghetto stories.)
I find it incredible that it is now five weeks since I wrote here: We have gone quite mad. I know that many people are thinking this, but dare not say so. I will be accused of all kinds of terrible things for taking this view  but that is another aspect of how crazy things are.

I said we had got our policy on Covid-19 out of proportion.

I said the worst effect of the Governments behaviour was to savage the economy by scaring people away from normal activities.

Calm, reasoned responses are almost always better than frantic, panicking ones. A police officer is pictured above speaking to a man relaxing on Brighton beach amid the lockdown

It was only a week later I realised that there was also a grave threat to personal liberty, and raised that alarm too.

I recall these words because you will all by now have noticed they stand up well to the test of time.

The report from the Office for Budget Responsibility has made clear that the damage done by crashing the economy is deep and dangerous. It may last for many years. And much of it was avoidable.

Some police officers have also acted with shocking arrogance, and appeared to enjoy it. The harm done by this behaviour may never be repaired.

I suspect that many of you know this in detail.

The pain is spreading fast in the form of strangled business, often small enterprises built on brave risk-taking and mortgaged homes. Many are now sinking into bankruptcy  not because they failed, but because the Governments policy killed them.

Then there are the vanishing jobs, the wage cuts which many are already experiencing, and which more face with every day that this shutdown continues.

The NHS has a huge number of empty beds for the time of year. The mortality figures show a confused picture, not least because it is not clear how the authorities decide who is and who is not recorded as a Covid-19 death. A mural is pictured above in Liverpool

It really is time that the Cabinet took responsibility for at least limiting this damage. I for one will not jeer at them for doing so. When you make a mistake, as we all do, the test is what you do to put it right.

I was accused when I warned of this of not caring about deaths from Covid-19.

This was false. In fact it poisoned the wells of debate.

I have never doubted the good intentions of those who supported the Governments policy, I just thought they were mistaken and counter-productive.

I pointed out that we also needed to care about the deaths which experts, such as Germanys Professor Sucharit Bhakdi, repeatedly warned would come from closing down both social life and economic activity for any length of time. It was not life versus money. It was life versus life.

My warnings would have been fainter (though not wrong) if the Governments policy had been successful. But has it been? I would say not so far.

Yes, the virus has killed a significant number of people, but the expected mass onslaught of deaths has not arrived. The NHS has a huge number of empty beds for the time of year. The mortality figures show a confused picture, not least because it is not clear how the authorities decide who is and who is not recorded as a Covid-19 death.

The unprecedented, sweeping decision to put the healthy in quarantine has gravely affected society.

But did it lead to a laxness on detailed policy decisions, on the provision of personal protection equipment to doctors and nurses, and on the care homes whose treatment looks to me like a major scandal?

The evidence from Stockholm, which has so far pursued a rational, proportionate, limited policy, still suggests that Sweden will emerge from this less damaged by far than we will.

Calm, reasoned responses are almost always better than frantic, panicking ones. What we are doing isnt working on any terms. It is time we tried something else.

A question of dodgy justice

I could never stand the quiz show Who Wants To Be A Millionaire?

The questions were either insultingly easy or demanded a profound knowledge of soap operas or sport, which I dont want to know about. And it was so slow.

So I paid little attention to the Coughing Major case, and merely thought it funny.

Now, thanks to the dramatisation of the episode in the ITV series Quiz last week, I have totally changed my mind.

I dont know if Major Charles Ingram and his wife Diana were guilty of cheating their way to a million-pound prize.

But if the drama was even vaguely true, I dont believe the case against them was proved beyond reasonable doubt, which is what the law demands. I also have a nagging feeling that the police have better things to do than investigate quiz shows.

The questions were either insultingly easy or demanded a profound knowledge of soap operas or sport, which I dont want to know about. And it was so slow. So I paid little attention to the Coughing Major case, and merely thought it funny. Now, thanks to the dramatisation of the episode in the ITV series Quiz last week, above, I have totally changed my mind

It is odd how many times you find that what you thought was clear and beyond dispute is not, as soon as you know the details.

I discovered this when I read Josephine Teys marvellous novel The Daughter Of Time, in which a Scotland Yard detective, stuck in hospital with injuries suffered while pursuing a criminal, investigates the claim that Richard III murdered the Princes in the Tower. And lo, it turns out that he didnt.

The dangerous, greedy campaign to legalise marijuana now has powerful allies on all sides of politics.

In my view, it has never been closer to success here, and the pressing need to raise new taxes may bring that day even closer.

Well, before they fall into this trap, MPs and Ministers should listen to Professor Sir Robin Murray, one of this countrys most distinguished psychiatrists who had until recently favoured limited legalisation.

But now that he has seen how this has actually worked out in North America, he has absolutely changed his mind. Not only is he sure that the drugs use is linked with mental illness, he now says: I didnt appreciate how big the cannabis industry was going to be.

He compares Big Cannabis with the death-dealing Big Tobacco lobby which cynically used its wealth to defy health campaigners for many decades.

He now fears that this ultra-rich pressure group will seduce our cash-strapped Government into giving way.

At any other time, Prof Murrays intervention would have been big news. Dont let it be forgotten.

How dare they steal our flag

The awful Blair creature thought he was a British Bill Clinton  more President than Prime Minister. He marked his arrival in Downing Street in 1997 by staging a fake celebration with Labour Party workers waving Union Jacks, a flag they despised

The awful Blair creature thought he was a British Bill Clinton  more President than Prime Minister.

He marked his arrival in Downing Street in 1997 by staging a fake celebration with Labour Party workers waving Union Jacks, a flag they despised.

Even the Blairites became embarrassed about how much they were trespassing on Royal territory.

When I found out in 1998 that Blairs wife, Cherie Booth, had used the Royal Train, his spin machine used all its wiles to bury the story, and nearly succeeded.

Blair also used to love posing with soldiers, during the many wars he dragged us into.

I suspect it was he who introduced the habit of holding Government press conferences in front of the national flag.

It is a bad idea, whoever does it. The government of the day does not stand for the whole nation.

The Queen stands for the nation. The government is temporary, party political and made up of ambitious careerists.

Theres nothing unpatriotic about not agreeing with the present Cabinet. So I object strongly to them appropriating the national flag as a backdrop during the daily Covid-19 briefings. Its not theirs to use

Theres nothing unpatriotic about not agreeing with the present Cabinet.

So I object strongly to them appropriating the national flag as a backdrop during the daily Covid-19 briefings. Its not theirs to use.

I dont much like the 1984-style slogans, either, but I really do think this fake-American presidential posing is wrong and annoying. They should stop it.

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It is still necessary to practice social distancing



The country's daily new cases of COVID-19 fell to a single digit Sunday for the first time in about two months, raising hope for the people getting back to normal life. But it is still too early to lower our guard against the coronavirus pandemic.



That is why Prime Minister Chung Sye-kyun has decided to maintain the ongoing social distancing campaign at least until May 5 to cope with a potential second wave of infections. But Chung announced a plan to ease some restrictions on large gatherings including religious activities.



Under the eased guidelines, the health authorities have lifted a recommended ban on the operation of religious facilities, cram schools, gyms and bars. However, the government will continue to enforce strict disinfection and quarantine rules on those facilities.



Chung also said that outdoor pubic facilities such as forest lodges will be open soon, adding that outdoor sporting events will be resumed as long as they are held safely without spectators. He also said the government will consider reopening schools if the situation changes for the better.



The eased measures reflect the fact that the daily number of reported infections has conspicuously slowed down. According to the Korea Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (KCDC), the country reported eight new cases of the virus, bringing the total cases to 10,661 with the death toll rising to 234. The figure indicates that South Korea has made much progress in checking the spread of the highly contagious virus.



The single-digit increase was the first of its kind since Feb. 28. The number of daily new cases peaked at 909 on Feb. 29 when COVID-19 spread rapidly among members of the Shincheonji Church of Jesus in the southeastern city of Daegu. However, the virus began to lose its strength early this month. The new infections fell to the level of 20 to 30 for several days from March 9. Then the number went further down below 20 for five days until March 17 and finally below 10 Sunday.



In this situation, the government once floated the idea of easing or lifting the social distancing rules in order to allow the people to get back to normal life. But it has no other choice but to maintain the rules until May 5 to better protect the public from a potential resurgence of COVID-19. This move is a realistic decision in the face of the unprecedented health crisis.



Chung, however, said it would be possible to ease the social distancing rules from May 6 if the country contains the spread of the virus successfully. We have to ensure the restrictions and inconveniences remain in place for the time being until the virus curve is flattened. Early lifting will only put our lives at risk.








T he coronavirus death toll in UK hospitals has passed 16,000.

The Department of Health said the toll was at 16,060 as of 5pm yesterday, up 596 from the day before.

It is believed the overall UK death toll will be significantly higher when deaths in other areas outside of hospitals are accounted for.

This new figure comes as the Government faces a growing backlash over its handling of the coronavirus pandemic.

There have been suggestions action was not taken as early as it might have been, with Boris Johnson facing criticism for not attending five emergency Cobra meetings about the outbreak earlier this year.

Michael Gove, the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster, has been defending the Prime Minister and the Government's approach.

He confirmed Mr Johhnson had not attended several Cobra meetings - though said that was not out of the ordinary, stating they are often held without Prime Minister's present.

Mr Gove said the PM had been leading the response and praised his work as he told Sky Newss Sophy Ridge: The idea that the Prime Minister skipped meetings that were vital to our response to the coronavirus, I think is grotesque.

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He also hit out at some of the details in a damning report from the Sunday Times, which suggested the Government had acted slowly on its response, were off beam.

Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer has also hit out at the delay in action, stating the lockdown was too slow to be introduced.

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Shadow health secretary Jonathan Ashworth said: "There are serious questions as to why the Prime Minister skipped five Cobra meetings throughout February, when the whole world could see how serious this was becoming.

And we know that serious mistakes have been made, we know that our front-line NHS staff dont have the PPE, that theyve been told this weekend that they wont necessarily have the gowns which are vital to keep them safe.

We know that our testing capacity is not at the level that is needed.

We know that the ventilators that many hospitals have received are the wrong types of ventilators and there are big questions as to whether we went into this lockdown too slowly, and now we hear the Prime Minister missed five meetings at the start of this outbreak.

It suggests that early on he was missing in action.

The PM is continuing to recuperate at Chequers after being hospitalised with Covid-19.

However, he is said to have begun to be back in contact with ministers and senior aides.
Prince William appears to exceed the expectations of the public, as he actively spearheads the royal family's response in light of the coronavirus pandemic in the U.K.

Royal watchers even praised the Duke of Cambridge along with his wife, Kate Middleton, for "stepping into a statesman role" in efforts to support the government to combat the dreaded virus.

Is Prince William Outshining Other Senior Royals?

Following this, one royal expert expressed belief that the future king is providing his countrymen a sense of stability and strength that the nation needs during this devastating time.

"They are more relevant than they have been in a long while," Royal expert Angela Mollard told the ROYALS podcast.

While the U.K. grapples to alleviate the increasing number of COVID-19 cases across the country, what the public needs now is comfort and calm assurance from the sovereign and government.

"Because right now people turn to that sense of stability and solidness that they need. He is doing a remarkable job," Mollard added.

Cambridges Making Themselves "Visible" Amid Crisis

In a separate interview, Royal expert Roya Nikkhah pointed out on BBC Breakfast on how the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge are "making sure that they are visible" -- which has been the case since the pandemic started.

Having said this, it appears that the couple is using social media for a good cause, reaching a wider audience to show their support amid the health crisis.

Moreover, the expert also acknowledged the dedication and the amount of work that Prince William and Kate have been putting to address the current situation.

"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," the royal expert furthered.

William And Kate's First-Ever Surprise Video Call

As part of their activities to help in COVID-19 efforts, the Cambridges made their first-ever surprise video call to the students of Casterton Primary Academy in Burnley, Lancashire. It is where the kids of frontliners are being taught and looked after.

Duchess Kate applauded the teachers for a "job well done" for providing the kids with a "safe place" while their parents give essential services to the public.

Prince William, on the other hand, showed his appreciation to all the volunteers and staff for their commitment to their duties.

"We just want to say a huge thank you to you guys and well done in keeping it all going. Please pass on many messages of support for all the staff and all the volunteers - they're doing a great job," the Cambridge patriarch said.

Prince Harry And Meghan's Take On Their Post-Royal Life

As for Prince William's younger brother, Prince Harry and his wife Meghan Meghan Markle, they stayed true to their commitment to providing charity works in this trying times.

Just recently, it was reported that the Sussexes have secretly volunteered to help deliver meals for Project Angel Food (PAF).
She's been documenting her self-isolating activities at home.

And Vanessa Hudgens took a lock-down break to run some errands on Sunday morning.

The 31-year-old dressed casually and followed local guidelines by wearing a mask to cover her face.

Errands run: Vanessa Hudgens was spotted out and about Los Angeles running errands on Sunday morning while enjoying a break from self-isolating at home

Vanessa stunned in a oversized graphic Bravado the Label T-shirt underneath a khaki colored puffer jacket.

She teamed the look with grey trackpants and a pair of white platform sneakers, as well as some bracelets from Gabriel & Co.

The High School Musical alum's dark hair was styled out straight and sleek and she accessorized with a mask and a pair of round shades.

Vanessa's appearance comes after she shared some selfies of herself online on Saturday night.

'Sweat pants. But make it spooky. Lol,' she captioned, referring to Halloween, her favorite holiday.

The Rent star had her dark hair styled out with her glam complete with a bold dark lip.

Casual: Vanessa stunned in a khaki colored puffer jacket and sweat pants for the outing

At home: Vanessa's appearance comes after she shared some selfies of herself online on Saturday night

Vampy: The Rent star had her dark hair styled out with her glam complete with a bold dark lip

Vanessa recently took part in Disney's Sing-a-Long with her fellow High School Musical cast.

She also shared a special duet from High School Musical 2's track, Gotta Go My Own Way, with Broadway star, Max Clayton.

Vanessa has also been a fan of Thirsty Thursday posts following her split from boyfriend of nine-years, Austin Butler.

The pair called it quits late last year. Before Austin, she was in a long-term relationship with High School Musical co-star, Zac Efron.

Sunday done right: Vanessa announced on Sunday that she was spending all day in bed watching TV

Hudgens made headlines last month when she took to Instagram Live and questioned the purpose of social distancing and shutting down all non-essential services through the summer.

'Um, yeah, till July sounds like a bunch of bull****, I'm sorry,' she said. 'It's a virus, I get it, I respect it, but at the same time, even if everybody gets it, like, yeah, people are going to die, which is terrible, but like  inevitable? I dunno, maybe I shouldn't be doing this right now.'

Hudgens walked back the divisive comments after she was slammed by both fans and fellow celebs who said she was irresponsible and short-sighted for using her platform for that message.

'Some of my comments are being taken out of context,' Hudgens said in a follow up-clip. 'It's a crazy time. I'm at home in lockdown, and that's what I hope you guys are doing too. In full quarantine. And staying safe and sane. I don't take this situation lightly by any means.

Misstep: Hudgens made headlines last month when she took to Instagram Live and questioned the purpose of social distancing and shutting down all non-essential services through the summer

'I am home. So stay inside, y'all.'

The Spring Breakers star also posted a quote to make clear she's aware of how serious COVID-19 is in the wake of her initial statement.

'I'm so sorry for the way i have offended anyone and everyone I realize my words were insensitive and not at all appropriate for the situation our country and the world are in right now,' the Powerless star said. 'This has been a huge wake up call about the significance my words have.'

The international pandemic has impacted a number of celebrities, as Tom Hanks and Rita Wilson, Idris Elba and Andy Cohen are among the notable names who have tested positive, as well as Prince Charles and British Prime Minister Boris Johnson.

Other notable Hollywood names to test positive for coronavirus include actresses Ali Wentworth, 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.
The boss of a major care home provider has slammed a government system that would force hundreds of workers to make a 250-mile round trip to get tested for coronavirus.

Earlier this week Health Secretary Matt Hancock announced vital tests for anyone in the social care sector who needed one 'immediately'. But while elderly residents can get tested in their homes they live in, staff must travel to regional testing centres.

It means up to 400 workers at Encore Care Homes' Oakdale facility in Poole must make the five-hour round-trip to Gatwick in Surrey if they want to be tested for Covid-19.

Rachel Dryden, chief executive of Encore Care Homes which also has facilities in Bournemouth, Christchurch, Southampton, said care workers were made to feel like 'second class citizens' compared to NHS staff who are being tested locally by the relevant Trusts.

Maggie Tomlin (centre) Home Manager of the Encore Oakdale care home, with her team at Poole, Dorset

It is estimated the 250-mile journey would take around five hours to complete

She said: 'There were all these grand promises around social care being valued equally to the NHS.

'So when I received the email from the Care Quality Commission inviting staff to come for testing which said the nearest centre was Gatwick I could not believe it.

'Our staff are low earners and many don't drive, so how are they supposed to get there? Public transport is not allowed and minibuses would be a problem for social distancing.

Rachel Dryden (above) is Encore Care Homes' chief executive officer. She has said that to 'expect our carers to make a five hour round trip is absurd'

'It has not been clarified who will pay for this, but I would not expect our staff to have to pay for 240 miles of petrol.

'If you were remotely ill, to expect our care workers to make a five hour round trip is absurd.

'There needs to be locally accessible testing for care workers, like there is for NHS staff.

'This just makes care workers feel like second class citizens compared to the NHS. This plan is completely unworkable and farcical.

'There are many more beds in care homes than hospitals and the residents are very vulnerable, so this is a really important issue.

'We are working incredibly hard to source PPE and keep our care homes safe, but it is only a matter of time (before there is an outbreak).

A long stay car park at Gatwick Airport is being used as a drive-through Covid-19 test centre

Up to 400 workers at the care home must make a five-hour round trip to Gatwick if they want to be tested for Covid-19

'We need to be able to get staff back to work as soon as possible to care for our residents.'

The Care Quality Commission had sent an email to care homes on behalf of the Department of Health and Social Care.

It stated that: 'The new testing facilities have been established at several locations. Oakdale (Poole) is closest to a testing site at Gatwick.

Health Secretary Matt Hancock (pictured) told a select committee on Friday he was 'absolutely sure' the number and proportion of deaths was larger than reported

'These tests seek to provide testing for members of your staff who are in the early days of self-isolating due to symptoms of coronavirus.'

The email added that state regulations say the person must drive to the centre or be driven by a member of the same household. They cannot take public transport or use a taxi.

Minibuses for multiple staff members have also been ruled out as this would violate strict social distancing rules.

It is also unclear if those that can drive to Gatwick will be expected to foot the bill for petrol which could cost 60.

A CQC spokesperson said they were not responsible for managing the centres.

A Department of Health and Social Care spokesman said: 'We have launched the largest network of diagnostic testing facilities in British history to rapidly scale up the number of tests we can carry out each day to get people back to work faster.

'We are working with industry partners to launch around 50 regional test sites at convenient locations across the country by the end of April - 29 are already open - to allow all health and care staff to be tested as quickly as possible.

'We are also rapidly developing a home testing kit and working with Amazon and other commercial partners to reduce the need for frontline workers to travel at all.'

While the government has been releasing a daily death toll from within hospitals, more than 7,500 care home residents are now feared to have died from coronavirus, according to new data.

Care England, the country's largest representative body for care homes, has warned the number of residents dying from the illness far surpassed government estimates.

And Public Health England said there were 3,084 care homes with Covid-19 outbreaks in England, as of April 15.

In a poll of 2,800 care home owners, managers and staff, 28 per cent said they were looking after residents who had tested positive for the disease.

More than 40 per cent said they had seen suspected outbreaks of Covid-19.

On Friday Matt Hancock promised that data on care home residents who die with the illness will be available 'very shortly'.

Speaking at the Health and Social Care Comittee he said: 'I asked CQC to make sure that we record the data in care homes specifically, of those who are residents of care homes, whether they die in hospital or in the care home, and they started collecting that data yesterday (Thursday) and it will be published very shortly.'
Source: Xinhua| 2020-04-19 16:57:44|Editor: huaxia

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HONG KONG, April 19 (Xinhua) -- The Office of the Commissioner of the Chinese Foreign Ministry in the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) Sunday refuted U.S. politicians who openly attempted to exonerate anti-China troublemakers in Hong Kong.

The spokesperson of the commissioner's office said that the Hong Kong police were enforcing the law, upholding the rule of law in Hong Kong, and exercising power mandated by the Basic Law in taking legal action against those suspected of organizing and participating in unauthorized assemblies. It is completely reasonable and legitimate, and foreign countries have no right to interfere.

The spokesperson pointed out that the U.S. politicians are condoning evil and making a travesty of the rule of law by ignoring the facts, distorting the Sino-British Joint Declaration, and trying to exonerate anti-China troublemakers in Hong Kong on the pretext of "transparency", "the rule of law" and "a high degree of autonomy". It serves as another evidence of their collusion with the local troublemakers, which deserves condemnation by the entire international community.

The spokesperson emphasized that Hong Kong is a region governed by the rule of law, where laws shall be strictly observed and lawbreakers prosecuted, and nobody is above the law. "We urge the U.S. politicians to abide by basic norms governing international relations, and immediately stop meddling with Hong Kong affairs." Enditem
For one Trussville-based company, business has been booming since COVID-19 arrived in Alabama.

Before the outbreak, Alabama Bio-Clean received between five and seven phone inquiries a day requesting its biohazard and crisis cleanup services, according to founder and owner Stuart Frandsen. In recent weeks, the company has fielded 20 to 30 such calls per day for coronavirus-related jobs alone, as businesses, individuals and governmental agencies across the state have turned to the outfit and others like it for protection from infection.

"We've been very busy," he said.

'Peace of mind'

On Thursday morning, Frandsen and several employees brought their services to the Vestavia Hills Jail after officers there learned that an inmate may have been infected with COVID-19.

The job was a multi-step process. First, police moved all inmates out of the part of the jail where the potentially infectious inmate had been housed.

Then Frandsen and three other Alabama Bio-Clean technicians arrived and donned gowns, nitrile gloves, and half-face masks with P100 and multi-gas cartridges. In areas of the jail where the potentially infectious inmate did not spend time, they scrubbed every surface and item by hand and allowed them to dry before applying a hospital-grade disinfectant.

A fifth technician, Max Krutchen, wore what's known as Level C personal protective equipment to achieve a higher level of protection as he cleaned the isolation cell where the inmate had been locked up. He used a specialized cleaning system to disinfect the space, out of an abundance of caution and to be absolutely sure that every trace of the virus was fully eradicated. By noon, one Alabama Bio-Clean employee remarked that at that moment the jail was one of the cleanest places in the state.

"Knowing that it's been sanitized can give people peace of mind when they go back into a building, even if they haven't had a confirmed case," said Ellen Posey, a biohazard technician with the firm and former Birmingham police officer.

But that's just one type of service the company offers during the pandemic.

The firm also cleans homes where people have died of coronavirus. COVID-19 deaths can require extra precautions, including fogging homes with disinfectant and safely removing contaminated air by putting them on what's known as negative air containment before entering.

Filling a need

Frandsen, 32, got his start in the business of cleaning up serious messes during his senior year at Eustis High School in central Florida in 2005, when he took a job at a restoration company that specializes in helping people recover from fire, water and mold damage.

While earning his degree at the University of Alabama at Birmingham, he started Alabama Bio-Clean in 2011 after realizing that there was a need for people to do the type of dirty work that is now his specialty. That includes sanitizing the gory scenes of violent deaths, suicides and accidents, and ensuring all infectious fluids and materials have been properly cleaned up, packaged and disposed.

The firm also handles other sorts of jobs, like cleaning and sanitizing the homes of severe hoarders who fail to dispose of large numbers of sanitary products and people whose homes are overrun by dozens of pets.

It's a grisly profession, but Frandsen says it's a calling, as it requires a level of compassion and people skills that many less-specialized companies don't provide.

"I cut my teeth doing the labor at a restoration company, as well as a funeral home, and what I realized was there's always a need for people that can not only do this work and do it well, but also there's a certain level of service and a level of care that needs to be provided to families and people who are dealing with a crime scene," he said.

"It's not just, like, a fire or water damage situation. You're dealing with people on the worst days of their lives, so it takes a special person."

Threat planning

The coronavirus pandemic has made biohazard cleanup more essential than ever.

Frandsen said his company was ready to respond to the outbreak because he keeps a close eye on communicable diseases around the world by following international news and reading publications like the Journal of Infectious Diseases. As vice president of the American Biorecovery Association, a national industry group, he remains in close contact with other people in the biohazard abatement field, as well as public health professionals, epidemiologists and other experts.

So when he first started seeing reports from China about a deadly novel coronavirus late last year, he moved quickly to prepare. He hired extra staff in December and January and got them trained as technicians. And in December he decided to extend the firm's stockpile of personal protective equipment and disinfectants from the usual six-month-to-one-year supply to a 16-month supply.

"Being biohazard recovery, I think it's very important to be on the forefront of anything like this," Posey said. "We take much more precautions: suiting up more and we did a lot of in-house trainings about this."

That foresight and planning has paid off, said Frandsen, as Alabama Bio-Clean has been able to respond swiftly to the vast majority of calls it has received in recent weeks.

Sometimes the company has to do a version of triage  as in when a public utility, law enforcement agency or essential business requires immediate service, temporarily bumping other jobs  but Frandsen says it has handled the outbreak well.

Thats our whole business. Weve got to be aware of the health threats that are out there so were prepared to help our customers, Frandsen explained. Around December, we made a decision to get a bunch of supplies  more on hand than usual. We knew the potential impact was going to be pretty great.
United States President Donald Trump has warned China that it should face consequences if it was "knowingly responsible" for the spread of the novel coronavirus, upping the ante on Beijing over its handling of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Trump, who has expressed disappointment over China's handling of the coronavirus disease, alleged non-transparency and initial non-cooperation from Beijing with Washington on dealing with the crisis.

"If they were knowingly responsible, yeah, then there should be consequences. You're talking about, you know, potentially lives like nobody's seen since 1917," he told reporters at a White House news conference on Saturday.

Trump said his relationship with China was very good till the time the deadly COVID-19 swept across the world.

"The relationship was good when we were signing that, but then, all of a sudden, you hear about this. So, it's a big difference. You know, the question was asked would you be angry at China. Well, the answer very well might be a very resounding yes, but it depends," Trump said.

The president underlined that there was a big difference between a mistake that got out of control and something done deliberately.

"In either event, they should have let us go in. You know, we asked to go in very early and they didn't want us in. I think they knew it was something bad and I think they were embarrassed," Trump said.

He claimed that China was pitching for former vice president Joe Biden, who is the presumptive nominee of the Democratic Party for the presidential election.

"If sleepy Joe Biden wins, China will own the United States," Trump said, adding that his administration had gained billions of dollars from China due to his assertive trade policies.

The president said the coronavirus crisis had hurt everybody.

"We had the greatest economy in the world by far. China isn't even close. Go back two months. And we're going to keep it that way," he said.

Trump also asserted that Iran was now a much different country than it was before.

"When I first came in, Iran was going to take over the entire Middle East," he said. "Right now, they just want to survive."

The United States has slammed China for the "delay" in sharing information with its technical experts on the deadly coronavirus.

China's ruling Communist Party poses a "substantial threat" to Americans' health and their way of life, US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said last month, blasting Beijing for engaging in the intentional "disinformation campaign" and trying to deflect from its handling of the coronavirus crisis.

Chinese foreign ministry spokesman on Friday denied any cover up and accused the US of attempting to divert public attention.

"There has never been any concealment, and we'll never allow any concealment," Zhao Lijian told a media briefing.

According to data maintained by Johns Hopkins University, over 35,000 people have died in the US and the country has 734,969 infections, the highest in the world.

The death toll in China is 4,632 with no fatalities reported on Saturday, according to China's National Health Commission.

Globally, 160,721 people have died and over 2.3 million people have been infected by the coronavirus, according to data maintained by Johns Hopkins University.
Relief for the undocumented

Regarding No place to turn, (A12, April 15): I couldnt agree more with your editorial. What kind of so-called Christian nation are we when it comes to our huge population of undocumented workers? How quickly we forget Matthew 25:35: For I was hungry, and you gave me something to eat. I was thirsty, and you gave me something to drink. I was a stranger, and you invited me in.

Victoria J Swenson, Pasadena

Agree with the premise, but please run second editorial and explain the process of implementation. I havent been able to figure that out nor have I seen any of the proponents explain the details of how payment would work. One should not advocate a policy unless they are willing to explain the process to be followed.

Richard Murray, Houston

The economy

Regarding Id rather be poor and alive, (A1, April 15): I was struck by this mornings headline. Isnt that what the whole controversy about shutting down or reopening the economy boils down to? Compare that to Gov. Greg Abbotts remark as quoted in Erica Greiders column Texans two-step amid wanting normal, risk, (A3, April 15) that Texans are dying to get back to work. Oh, the irony! Im reminded of Abraham Lincolns famous quote about slavery: Whenever I hear anyone arguing for slavery, I feel a strong impulse to see it tried on him personally. Our oligarchs fear that the cure is worse than the disease? I myself would like to remain alive to debate the question.

Jacqueline Clark, Houston

Regarding Economic recovery needs bold planning, (A13, April 15): Ed Emmetts excellent analysis of the coming economic problems combined with proposals for solutions remind us what we in Harris County lost due to single ticket voting and outline a vision which I believe makes a good argument for Emmett to be the Republican candidate for Texas next governor. I am very glad that the county will not be subject to single ticket voting again.

Robert D Maedgen Jr, Spring

Bible verses

Regarding Why Bible verses belong in the paper, (A13, April 12): We celebrate many different faiths in the Houston area. So why is it, then, only a Bible verse is quoted. Why dont you invite leaders of other religions to offer quotes from their doctrine daily as well. Mix it up a little! Wouldnt that be inspirational!

Mona Sauger, Montgomery

Trumps response

There are still people out there criticizing the response by President Donald Trump to the pandemic but we have yet to have anybody comparing his actions or lack of actions to any prior presidents. Thats because no other president has had to deal with the likes of this type of a pandemic. President Trump, like any other prior president would have done, acted on the information he had before him, making decisions that he thought were the best for this country. What he did will be the foundation for any future pandemic of this magnitude and we will learn from it. Then any future president will be compared to what President Trump did or didnt do. History will tell us whether he did a good job or not.

Robert M. Louie, Houston
Source: Xinhua| 2020-04-19 21:45:02|Editor: huaxia

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Afghan doctors walk inside Darul Aman Palace in Kabul, capital of Afghanistan, April 18,2020. Built a century ago and located in the western edge of Kabul city, the Darul Aman Palace was formally turned into hospital on Saturday to treat patients infected with novel coronavirus in Afghanistan. (Photo by Mohammad/Xinhua)

KABUL, April 19 (Xinhua) -- Built a century ago and located in the western edge of Kabul city, the Darul Aman Palace was formally turned into hospital on Saturday to treat patients infected with novel coronavirus in Afghanistan.

"The historic palace turned into an isolation facility with 200-bed for the COVID-19 infected patients," the country's Public Health Minister Firozuddin Feroz said in his opening remarks in the castle on Saturday.

Badly damaged in conflicts and reconstructed in 2019, the European-style palacewas designed to accommodate government's functionaries' meetings and also serve as guest house for high ranking guests. But it would from now on accommodate quarantined patients affected until the country gets rid of the disease.

To contain the spread of COVID-19 in Afghanistan, the government has established scores of isolation centers and health clinics to provide services for the virus-affected patients.

Welcoming the step as a suitable decision to fight COVID-19 in the militancy-battered country, a Kabul resident Abdul Wadoud said that the fast spread of virus in the country requires opening more isolation centers and more hospitals to check the disease.

"The situation is critical and the virus is rapidly spreading across the country. All of us including the government and the citizens should work together to overcome the killing virus," Wadoud told Xinhua.

"We the people should stay at home to avoid contact the virus and the government has to open more health facilities and essential medicines to combat the disease in the country," said Wadoud.

Expressing concerns over the spread of COVID-19 in Afghanistan, spokesman for the Public Health Ministry Wahidullah Mayar told Xinhua on Sunday that the number of patients infected with COVID-19 has reached 993 and could soon surpass 1,000 if the people neglect the ministry's advices or violate the regulations imposed during quarantine period.

The government has imposed daytime curfew in cities including Kabul since late March and extended for three more weeks last week, calling upon the citizens to stay at home.

According to Mayar, 33 COVID-19-affected patients including three doctors have died and 131 others have recovered since the outbreak of the virus in mid February in Afghanistan.

"I am very thankful to government over turning the iconic Darul Aman Palace to hospital to cure the patients and I am hopeful that the government would do its best to defeat COVID-19 as soon as possible," a man from northern Baghlan province Hafizullah said.
US-backed militants escape al-Tanf base, defect to Syrian army

Iran Press TV

Saturday, 18 April 2020 10:20 AM

Members of the last remaining US-backed militant group in Syria have fled an occupied American military base to government-held territory, defecting to the Damascus army that is on the verge of winning the war against Takfiri terrorists.

Sources said Maghawir al-Thawra elements began defecting from the al-Tanf base in Syria's Homs province this week, taking US arms and vehicles while heading to the city of Palmyra in the same province.

In a video purporting to show the defection, the convoy of defectors could be seen heading to the area controlled by the Syrian army. It also shows US military machine guns, as well as other weapons on board the defectors' vehicles.

A Western military source with knowledge of operations in Syria confirmed that the vehicles appeared to carry US equipment.

Earlier this month, a handful of Maghawir militants also defected to the Syrian government with their weapons, a source familiar with the matter told The Defense Post media outlet.

The US trains anti-Damascus militants at the al-Tanf base, which is situated near Syria's borders with Iraq and Jordan.

Washington has unilaterally declared a 55-kilometer "de-confliction zone" around the facility, and frequently threatened to target Syrian forces within the area.

Russia confirms defection

The Russian Reconciliation Center for Syria confirmed that over two dozen militants, who had received US training at al-Tanf base, had surrendered themselves to the Syrian army.

"Twenty-seven men finally managed to battle their way out. Now they are under guard of Syrian government troops in Palmyra," said Oleg Zhuravlev, chief of the Russian center.

The militants revealed that they had been "trained by US instructors to commit acts of sabotage at the oil-and-gas and transport infrastructure facilities, as well as to organize terror attacks on territories controlled by Syrian government forces," he added.

Zhuravlev further noted that the militants are being held in Palmyra by the Syrian government forces and that they handed over dozens of US-supplied firearms, including grenade launchers and heavy machine guns.

US seeks to rebrand militants as drug smugglers

The US military has been trying to rebrand the defectors as drug smugglers, claiming that they are fleeing al-Tanf base because Washington did not let them get away with smuggling on Jordan's border.

Maghawir al-Thawra claimed that the militant group allowed Samir Ghannam al-Khidr, one of the defectors, to leave with his family as it did not want to get in a conflict with him.

"He left because he could not smuggle drugs in this area due to the efforts of Maghawir al-Thawra in interdicted drugs," it tweeted.

The US interests are at stake in Syria, where the war winds down with the army capturing most of the territory that was once lost to foreign-backed Takfiri elements.

US aircraft tried to hack Russian S-400 in Syria

In another development this week, the Avia.Pro website reported that a Russian Su-35 jet intercepted an American Boeing P-8 Poseidon military aircraft after it approached Syrian airspace from the eastern Mediterranean and tried to remotely hack the Russian S-400 air defense system at the Hmeimim Airbase in Latakia Province.

"The American military reconnaissance aircraft, Boeing P-8A Poseidon, attempted to remotely hack the Russian S-400 air defense system deployed at the Hmeimim Airbase," the report said.

"Nevertheless, obviously wrong with the selection of frequencies, the US military regretted it, since the air defense systems were put in full combat readiness, intending to open fire, while a Russian fighter was raised to intercept the aircraft," it added.

The Syrian army is continuing operations to liberate a few areas still in the hands of terrorists after it managed to undo militant gains and bring back almost all of Syrian soil under government control.

Syrian govt. retakes Homs oil fields

Recently, the Syrian government regained control of Homs oil fields after clashes with the Daesh Takfiri terrorist outfit.

"Wells and oil and gas installations in Hayyan and Al-Shaer fields in the countryside of Homs Governorate have been put back into production after they were recaptured," the Syrian Ministry of Petroleum and Mineral Resources said in a statement.

"The production will return to the fields gradually to reach the full amount of the previous production. This morning, it will be re-pumped to the gas grid and power plants."

The fresh gains in Syria come at a time when the government needs resources to fight against the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, which has so far infected 38 people and killed two in the war-torn state.

Over the past years, Syria has been subject to illegal sanctions that are hampering the country's battle against the deadly respiratory disease.

Hundreds of Iraqi intellectuals urge easing of Syria sanctions

In a separate development, 376 Iraqi intellectuals, including writers and journalists, called for the lifting of foreign sanctions and unilateral economic measures against Syria.

In a statement carried by the official SANA news agency, they condemned "the unjust blockade that targets the Syrian people, mainly children, women and adults affect the lives of millions of Syrians who suffered a lot as a result of the fierce and unjust global war launched by the evil, oppressive and aggressive forces on Syria."

The imposition of sanctions against Syria violates human rights and international law and "contradicts the most basic morality and human norms in a world chanting human rights, justice, equality and freedom, and other false slogans that are not based on reality," they pointed out.

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Miranda Tapsell has reflected on first meeting her husband James Colley.

In an extract from her new book, Top End Girl, printed in Stellar, the indigenous actress, 32, revealed she followed the writer on Twitter and messaged him.

The star also shared her number one tip for dating an Aboriginal woman.

Modern love! Miranda Tapsell (right) has revealed she first met husband James Colley (left) on Twitter after stumbling onto his profile, being attracted to his picture and following him

Speaking of first stumbling upon James's Twitter profile, Miranda recalled noticing he was joking with some of her friends, and was attracted to his picture.

'When I looked at his picture, he seemed cute. When I followed him, he Tweeted: "Uh, now I'm going to be nervous to ever Tweet again. Thank you for freeing me from this website",' she recalled in the memoir.

The couple then shared several private messages, with Miranda admitting: 'There are so many things I take into consideration before I meet up with someone.

'Do our political views align? What kind of baggage does he have and is it something I can shoulder? Does he want a long-term relationship?'

'There are things I take into consideration before I meet': In an extract from her new book, Top End Girl, the indigenous actress, 32, revealed they then messaged for months before meeting

'I absolutely adored him then and there': She said he instantly won her over after asking about her indigenous background when they had their first date in Melbourne several years ago

After months of messaging, they met for the first time in Melbourne when Sydney-based Miranda was booked on an acting job there and had some free time.

'My heart nearly burst out of my chest. I thought he was gorgeous, I was so nervous but I kept it together,' wrote Miranda of first meeting James several years ago.

Lovechild star Miranda and writer James tied the knot in a ceremony at Panorama House in Sydney's Wollongong in December 2018.

'Here's a tip for dating an Aboriginal woman: ask where her mob are from. It shows you are interested in learning more,' penned Miranda in her new book. Pictured: April 9, 2019

She said he instantly won her over after asking about her indigenous background.

'OK - here's a tip for dating an Aboriginal woman: ask where her mob are from. It shows you know Aboriginal people aren't a monolith and you are interested in learning more,' penned Miranda.

'When James asked me, I absolutely adored him then and there.'

Top End Girl by Miranda Tapsell is out on April 28 via publishers Hachette Australia
The latest:

Pence says New York, Connecticut, Rhode Island and Detroit are past their peak

Vice President Mike Pence said Sunday that the White House task force overseeing the coronavirus pandemic believes several large metro areas continue to stabilize and see progress. He also said there are several cities the task force is watching.

Areas that we continue to watch carefully on the task force include the Chicago metro area, Boston metro, and the Philadelphia metropolitan area, Pence said.

As for the areas that have made progress he listed several:

The New York metro area, including New Jersey, New York, Long Island, Connecticut and Rhode Island all appear to be past their peak. The Detroit metro area also appears to be past its peak and is stable, New Orleans metro area actually is the most stable of all areas where we had a major metropolitan outbreak. The Denver metro area is stable, Pence said.

The rates of California and Washington states remain low and steady," Pence said.

President Trump to invoke Defense Production Act to increase swab production

President Trump said during a briefing Sunday that he'll invoke the Defense Production Act to increase the manufacturing of swabs, according to the Associated Press. The swabs will be used to test for the coronavirus.

"Our testing is expanding very rapidly by millions and millions of people," Trump said during the briefing, according to CNN.

Trump says US wants investigators to go to China

President Donald Trump said Sunday the U.S. still wants investigators to go to China to investigate the coronavirus outbreak.

The US. has previously made requests, which have been rebuffed. The White House has continually accused China of withholding accurate information about the extent of the virus within the country.

We are talking to China. We spoke to them a long time ago about going in. We want to go in, Trump said Sunday at a coronavirus task force briefing.

Trump says deal on additional funding for small businesses could happen Monday

President Donald Trump opened Sundays coronavirus task force briefing by saying negotiations over adding hundreds of billions of dollars to the Paycheck Protection Program are continuing to make progress, and that a deal could be announced Monday. Trump said he thinks the sides are getting close to a deal.

I would like to begin by saying we are continuing to negotiate with the Democrats to get our great workers and small businesses all over the country taken care of. I think we are getting close to a deal. It could happen. It could happen. A lot of good work has been going on and we could have an answer tomorrow and we are going to see what exactly does take place, Trump said.

The president also said there will additional aid in the package. Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin told CNNs State of the Union earlier Sunday that $75 billion will be included for hospitals.

We are also looking at helping our hospitals and our rural hospitals who have been hurt very badly. The rural hospitals for a long time have not been treated properly. We are looking to help them and beyond. So we are looking at hospitals also as part of the package Trump said.

Trump said he had just gotten off the phone with Mnuchin and concluded by saying, I think you will have a nice answer tomorrow.





12,000 testing kits in Washington recalled because of possible contamination

About 12,000 coronavirus testing kits distributed by the Washington Department of Health have been recalled because of possible contamination, according to a news release from the health department.

Friday, University of Washington Medicine notified the state health department that there may have been a quality control issue after a small number of vials of viral transport media (VTM) fluid appeared to have an unusual color, according to the release.

The testing kits in question were sent to local health jurisdictions, tribal nations, and state agency partners across the state, the news release said.

Jurisdictions that received the kits are encouraged to contact the health department for a new shipment of swabs and VTM transport tubes, according to the release.

A large shipment of swabs and VTM from a different vendor are expected to arrive in the state this week, the release said.





Nearly 1,000 patients have been treated at NYC's Javits Center field hospital



A total of 995 patients have been treated at the Javits Convention Center field hospital in New York since it opened at the end of March, according to Northwell Health spokesman Terry Lynam.

Of those 995 patients, 254 remain hospitalized, Lynam said.

About 172 patients have been treated on the USNS Comfort since the ship arrived in New York Harbor on March 30, Lynam said, and 63 patients remain on board.

Pelosi suggests she would support a proposal to allow proxy voting during the pandemic

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi suggested she could back a proposal from other Democratic congressional leaders to allow proxy voting during the coronavirus pandemic  a possible solution to the logistical issues facing members of Congress as they attempt to navigate the challenge of working on complex legislation from afar.

Pelosi said on Fox today that relevant committee chairs had arrived at the idea of proxy voting after she tasked them with considering ways to keep up with House business while members adhered to federal guidelines recommending against travel and gathering in groups.



Reopening discussions bring relief, worry



For many, hearing officials discuss reopening the country comes as a relief.

It means there's a light at the end of the tunnel, that after weeks of staying home, the world will eventually return to normal  even if "normal" looks a little different than it used to.



But there are both risks and benefits to having these discussions now, especially when there is so much left to be done: A vaccine is a long way off. Testing is still not where it needs to be. Contact tracing to identify and track cases needs to ramp up.

As officials discuss the merits of reopening the country, experts say it's important they manage the expectations of the public, clearly communicate the risks and be wary of giving people a false sense of security.

"I think it runs the risk of being premature and giving people false hope that we can quickly change into the next phases," Dr. Lucy Wilson, an infectious disease physician and professor of emergency health services at the University of Maryland, Baltimore County, said of discussions to reopen.

"But I also think it's necessary to include the public," she added, "because we're asking so much of them at this time."

The risks need to be communicated

Talking about reopening could lead the public to believe the country can quickly and easily return to normal, when in reality, many officials have warned a return to normal will take place gradually.

"Public discussions have the potential to raise the public's expectations of reopening and create a false sense of security that the disease is controlled in the United States," Wilson said.

Wilson told CNN it's natural for people to anticipate a relaxing of restrictions as we see the positive impacts of social distancing.

"However, Americans must be made aware of the likelihood the country will have a resurgence in heightened levels of disease activity and death and this will necessitate returning to earlier stages of strict social distancing."

"Managing these expectations is crucial for prevention of future COVID-19 surges," she said.

Officials across the country have repeatedly urged caution, emphasizing that lifting restrictions too early could lead to another wave of infections and perhaps prompt another round of restrictions.

"We all need to understand this will be a gradual process," Montana Gov. Steve Bullock told residents of his state this week. "Because once we begin to reopen, we want to be able to stay open."

Wilson warned that the country should expect to see more infections and more deaths.

"And no matter what we do we are going to have additional cases, and we probably will have additional waves of infection that are significant enough that we need to retrace our steps and revert to earlier phases of our control plan."

Many U.S. governors have been clear that the path toward reopening their states involves effective infrastructure for testing, tracking and treating the coronavirus.

"We have to have something in place that is efficient and that we can rely on," Dr. Anthony Fauci, the nation's top infectious disease expert, told the Associated Press earlier this week. "And we're not there yet."

Discussions can provide hope

Stephen Wu, a professor of economics at Hamilton College, said he doesn't see much danger in talking about reopening at this stage, though he believes it best to "err on the side of caution and not rush to open things up."

But early discussions of reopening the country could have some benefits, like giving people some hope at a dark time.

"While some may feel it is premature to talk about reopening the economy," Wu said, "there are also plenty of people who are looking for some light at the end of the tunnel, particularly people who are furloughed, unemployed or seeing their small businesses suffer from the shutdown."

"Having some preliminary discussions about ways to cautiously and gradually allow businesses to open may provide people with a sense of hope," Wu said. "There really is a tricky balance in providing some optimism to the public, while not wanting to lull people into a sense of false security."

But there could be some positive economic impacts to discussing the reopening, Wu said, as opposed to letting people think we'll be stuck in our homes indefinitely.

A bit of "cautious optimism" could help consumer confidence. People may make or begin planning purchases they wouldn't make otherwise, Wu said. It could also potentially help markets, he said.

"I think that's why having some talk of it  no promises  but I think that could be helpful for the economy in the sense that there's some optimism about the future."

It's also good for the public to hear from officials that they're planning for a return to normal, Wilson said.

"We have asked the public to engage in a way that often they haven't been able to engage in public policy or interventions like this," she said. "They're part of the process."

By publicly discussing plans and keeping the public engaged, officials indicate they're aware of the sacrifices people have made, she said, and are working to come up with a plan.

"I think that's a positive," she said.

It will take 'tremendous effort'

It's clear people are anxious to resume normal life. Protests have popped up around the country in recent days as residents rebelled against stay-home restrictions, and an Ohio racetrack owner vowed to open, despite social distancing measures.

In some cases, officials have taken steps in that direction.

Beaches in Jacksonville, Florida, were flooded by people after reopening Friday afternoon, though Mayor Lenny Curry said, "This is not a return to normal life yet, but a way to responsibly include limited outdoor exercise."

But opening up will be gradual  officials have spoken about opening up in phases, and some states or regions may be ready before others.

"This is not a light switch that we can just flick on and everything goes back to normal," New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo said earlier this week, adding, "we have to come up with a smart, consistent strategy to restart the systems we shut down and get people back to work."

Officials should be clear about what metrics they will use to decide when to move to the next phase, Wilson said. She pointed to benchmarks unveiled in the White House's approach to reopening, like seeing a sustained decrease in cases over 14 days.

People need to understand the steps to reopening and be told about the "the tremendous effort " it will take to get there, she said.

"I think there needs to be very clear communication with these discussions that these are explorations of reopening," Wilson said. Before we can reopen, "certain measures" have to be in place.
SEOUL, South Korea  North Korea on Sunday denied President Trumps assertion that its leader, Kim Jong-un, had sent a letter to him, and suggested that Mr. Trump was using his vaunted relationship with Mr. Kim for selfish purposes.

Mr. Trump said the day before during his daily press briefing on the coronavirus that he had received a nice note from Mr. Kim.

I received a nice note from him recently. It was a nice note. I think were doing fine, Mr. Trump told reporters on Saturday at the White House. He also claimed that the United States would have been at war with North Korea had he not been elected and played down the threat of short-range missile tests that North Korea has been conducting since March.

During a phone conversation with President Moon Jae-in of South Korea, Mr. Trump also said he had received a warm letter from the North Korean leader, Mr. Moons aides told reporters on Sunday. But later Sunday, the Norths Foreign Ministry said, There was no letter addressed recently to the U.S. president by the supreme leadership of the North.
Authorities in the south-central Vietnamese province of Khanh Hoa are verifying the information on Facebook that accuses a local traffic police officer of requesting a woman to have sex with him after pulling her over for a traffic violation.

Colonel Tran Van Giang, chief of police in Nha Trang City, Khanh Hoa Province stated on Saturday that an investigation into the case has been launched and stern punishment will be imposed if the information is true.

The police officer in question is still on duty as there has yet to be a conclusion from investigators.

The Facebook Page Yeu Canh Sat Giao Thong on Saturday afternoon posted a status accusing a senior lieutenant under Nha Trangs traffic police division of asking a woman to have sex with him after she violated traffic regulations.

According to the post, the officer pulled the woman over on the afternoon of March 22.

She was booked for her traffic violation and had her vehicles registration document taken away.

The status posted on Yeu Canh Sat Giao Thong Facebook Page on April 18, 2020

The police officer then asked her to have sex with him at a hotel on the same night, promising he would help her pay the VND600,000 (US$25) and retrieve her document.

The post also claimed that the police officer is married and has two children.

Several photos were also published as proof.

In one of the pictures, a man and woman were seen half naked inside a hotel room.

Authorities have yet to confirm whether the police officer is the man in the photo.

The status appeared to have been removed as of Sunday morning.

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East China's Shandong Province on Wednesday partially reopened schools, with third-graders at 804 senior high schools and secondary vocational schools resuming formal school classes as the COVID-19 epidemic waned.

The opening of the spring semester was delayed by more than 60 days due to the epidemic. Earlier online classes offered an alternative to offset the impact on the study of the students who will sit the college entrance examination this summer.

Students wearing masks had body temperatures taken and presented their health QR codes before entering the campus while keeping a distance from each other.

"After waiting for such a long time, we are finally back to school," said Li Qirui of the high school affiliated to Shandong Normal University.

Many schools began formulating school opening plans and storing up protective equipment starting from early March.

"We had more than 40,000 face masks in a stockpile, which can help ensure one mask per student per day," said Dong Ya, the principal of Jinan Middle School in the provincial capital of Jinan.

Xing Shunfeng, an official with the provincial education bureau, said the seniors will be in small classes of around 30 students each, and the schools will be mostly under closed-off management in a bid to reduce infection risks.

Shandong, one of the most populous provinces across China, has a total of 37,700 schools, with more than 19 million students and a teaching staff of 1.5 million.
President Donald Trump listens as White House coronavirus response coordinator Dr. Deborah Birx speaks about mortality rates during a coronavirus task force briefing at the White House, Saturday, April 18, 2020, in Washington.

AP Photo/Patrick Semansky

President Donald Trump has claimed that China may have allowed the coronavirus to spread deliberately.

"But if they were knowingly responsible, yeah, then there should be consequences," Trump said of China's response to the disease.

Trump's approach to China has veered between blaming it for the coronavirus outbreak and seeking to strike a more conciliatory tone.

Top Republicans though, believe that Trump's best path to victory in November's presidential election is to take a tough line against China and cast Beijing as "the bogeyman."

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President Donald Trump warned of "consequences" for Beijing if China were found to have deliberately allowed the novel coronavirus to spread.

"It could have been stopped in China before it started and it wasn't, and the whole world is suffering because of it," Trump said at the daily White House coronavirus task force briefing on Saturday.

"If they were knowingly responsible, certainly," he said. "If it was a mistake, a mistake is a mistake. But if they were knowingly responsible, yeah, then there should be consequences."

The president did not specify what the consequences may be.

At the briefing, Dr Deborah Birx, the White House coronavirus task force coordinator, also cast doubt on revised Chinese figures, which raised the number of people killed by the outbreak in its epicenter in the city of Wuhan by 50%.

Birx said that China has a "moral obligation" to provide credible information to the rest of the world.

Trump's remarks come as he faces increasing pressure over his faltering handling of the outbreak, which has killed nearly 40,000 people in the US so far and where the number of infections is higher than anywhere else in the world.

Story continues

The crisis has placed a spotlight on Trump's relationship with China, where the virus originated last year. In what critics say was an attempt to divert blame from his administration, Trump last week cut funding to the World Health Organization, which he accused of being too "China-centric."

In recent weeks he has both sought to play up China's role in the crisis, referring to the coronavirus as the "China virus" in press briefings. By contrast, he has also attempted to strike a conciliatory tone, praising Chinese President Xi Jinping's handling of the crisis after a March 27 call with the leader. After the call, he also dropped the "China virus" tag.

Trump is reportedly wary of antagonizing China's leader, with the US dependent on Chinese medical supplies as it battles the disease, and does not want to destabilize further markets rocked by unprecedented US unemployment figures not seen since the Great Depression.

But top advisers are privately urging Trump to double down with his attacks on China. The New York Times reported on Saturday, claiming that if he can successfully pin the blame on the government in Beijing, it may be his best hope of reversing a slide in the polls and saving his job.

"Trump has always been successful when he's had a bogeyman and China is the perfect bogeyman," Chris LaCivita, a longtime Republican strategist, told the publication.

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Since the launch of the negotiations in Johannesburg in 2015, remarkable progress has been achieved largely because of the political will and commitment of the Assembly of Heads of States, to provide leadership and to ensure that Africa takes concrete steps towards the creation of an integrated market.

Inspired by the Abuja Treaty, Africas integration objectives have continuously been at the center of discussions to fast-track economic development set out in the Lagos Plan of Action with the view of achieving the Africa We Want as enshrined in the Agenda 2063.

The African Union (AU) Assembly of Heads of State and Government during their 33rd Ordinary Session held from 9-10 February 2020 in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, demonstrated determination to take rapid action to effectively operationalise the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA), by electing its new Secretary General (SG) in the person of Mr. Wamkele Mene, who is from South Africa, for a four-year mandate. The headquarters of the AfCFTA Secretariat is in Accra, Ghana.

H.E. President Mahamadou Issoufou, President of the Republic of Niger is the Champion and Leader of the AfCFTA negotiation process since March 2017. Fifty four (54) AU Member countries have signed the agreement and 30 of them have ratified it, making this the fastest ratification in the history of the African Union.

Mr. Wamkele Mene, first Secretary General of the AfCFTA) was sworn-in on 19 March 2020 at the African Union Headquarters in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, in the presence of H.E Moussa Faki Mahamat, Chairperson of the AU Commission, H.E Albert M. Muchanga AU Commissioner for Trade and Industry and H.E Edward Xolisa Makaya, the Permanent Representative of South Africa to the African Union and Chairperson of the Permanent Representative Committee (PRC). The Ceremony was also attended by H.E. Mrs. Amma Adoma Twum-Amoah, Ambassador and Permanent Representative of Ghana to the AU, representing the host country of the AfCFTA Secretariat and H.E. Mr. Zakario Maiga, Ambassador and Permanent Representative of Niger, representing the Champion of the AfCFTA process. AU Staff, dignitaries, invited guests and the representatives of the media also witnessed this very solemn historic moment.

The Secretary General is expected to provide leadership and technical support to AfCFTA Secretariat and overall management of the day-to-day functioning of the Secretariat.He will be responsible for the management of the AfCFTA Secretariat, implementation of the AfCFTA Agreement and strategic collaboration; stakeholders engagement; and resources mobilization for the implementation of the AfCFTA Agreement. Amomg others.

The Chairperson of the AU Commission, H.E. Moussa Faki Mahamat congratulated the SG on his election and underscored the challenges ahead: You have been elected on the basis of your experience and skill. The task that awaits you is quite gigantic but exhilarating because you will be working on the most emblematic project in the history of the African Union. The African Free Trade Zone is a necessity for Africa to strengthen its integration, said the AUC Chairperson.

Mr. Mene is entrusted with a huge responsibility to lead one of the key institutions of the African Union and to guide Africa to realize the Aspiration number one of the Agenda 2063 which talks to the attainment of A prosperous Africa based on inclusive Growth and Sustainable Development, said the PRC Chair.

We put the AfCFTA Secretariat in very capable hands under Secretary General Mene, we are assured of effective implementation of the AfCFTA Agreement, said AU Commissioner for Trade and Industry.

According to the new SG of the AfCFTA, Africa is open for business and mutually beneficial investment thereby creating decent jobs and improving livelihoods. He said Africa has a market of 1.2 billion people; it has a combined GDP of US$2.5 trillion, and about 400 continental companies that earn annual revenues of US$1 billion or more.

Mr. Wamkele Mene noted during his swearing in ceremony that, through at least the first half of the decade, seven of the worlds 10 fastest-growing economies were in Africa, according to the International Monetary Funds World Economic Outlook Database, October 2019. He stated that, Prof Landry Signe and Acha Leke, writing in 2019 in Foresight Africa, a Brookings Institute publication, African industries have the opportunity to double production to nearly $1 trillion within a decade, with three-quarters of that growth coming from manufacturing to substitute imports and meet increasing local demand. This, he said, is a period of unprecedented challenge to the global economy and the multilateral trading system, on which the global economy is anchored.

The multilateral trading system is under severe strain, largely due to what appears to be an abandonment of the rules that underpin it. This strain on the multilateral trading system has the risk of reversing the modest gains that we have made in placing development at the centre of the multilateral trading system, since we launched the Doha Development Agenda in 2001. Africas response against this strain on the multilateral trading system must be to consolidate and advance our continental market integration objectives, through the AfCFTA. Under the leadership of President Issoufou, our collective priority should be to rapidly conclude Phase I and II of the negotiations of the AfCFTA, in order to unlock Africas full productive capacity, underscored SG Mene.

The second challenge to the global economy according to the new AfCFTA SG is the ongoing Corona Virus scourge, which has ravaged global economic activities, causing a materially adverse impact on global capital markets, severely disrupting trade and global supply chains, and of course creating a negative effect on global public health. Mr. Mene however underlined that Africa should not despair and fall into despondency. Through the AfCFTA we have an opportunity to reconfigure our supply chains, to reduce reliance on others and to expedite the establishment of regional value chains that will boost intra-Africa trade, he said.

Mr. Mene promised to engage in discussions on this issue with the Commissioner for Trade & Industry and the technical partners such as the UN ECA and UNCTAD. As the Secretary-General, I am committed to ensuring that the AfCFTA is effectively implemented such that there is shared and inclusive economic growth. He explained that the backlash against free trade and trade liberalisation witnessed in recent years is not because trade liberalisation is intrinsically beneficial exclusively to a certain elite or to certain countries. Rather, the backlash is, in part, attributable to the unequal distribution of the benefits of international trade and a lack of shared and inclusive growth. The lesson for the AfCFTA from this backlash against trade liberalisation and the pursuit for freer international trade through the multilateral trading system (i.e. the World Trade Organisation) and through FTAs is that, beyond boosting trade flows, the question of equitable distribution of the gains of the AfCFTA must be at the centre of its implementation.

Mr. Mene further noted that, the AfCFTA should not be perceived to be benefiting only a handful of relatively industrialised countries in Africa but all African businesses. Therefore the need to empower women and young people in Africa as they often face significant challenges when attempting to benefit from trade agreements. I therefore intend to take concrete steps to ensure that women and young Africans are at the heart of implementation of the AfCFTA. In due course, I will announce specific measures that can be put in place to enable women, young Africans and SMEs, to benefit from the AfCFTA to achieve the objective of inclusive benefits of the AfCFTA . He emphacised.

The AfCFTA and the 4th Industrial Revolution

With regard to the fourth industrial revolution, the new AfCFTA SG said the global economy is on the brink of a new industrial revolution, driven by new-generation information technologies such as the Internet of Things, cloud computing, big data and data analytics, robotics and additive manufacturing. All of this presents challenges and opportunities for the AfCFTA. He stated that, the 4th Industrial Revolution is likely to impact on the AfCFTA in a manner that we have not fully contemplated.

How is Africa preparing herself for the 4th Industrial Revolution, in the context of the AfCFTA? With the advent of additive manufacturing, what is the impact on industrialisation and job creation in Africa, jobs which may have been created on the back of the AfCFTA? How will the e-commerce and digital trade chapter of the AfCFTA position Africa to be a global player in cloud computing services, data processing and data storage? All of these, Mr. Mene said, are questions that require forward looking intellectual rigour, including analysing how the future of trade and investment flows might change as a result of technological factors and the 4th Industrial Revolution. He added that, such forward looking intellectual rigour is critical in shedding light on the complex policy issues and strategic choices that will shape Africas trade and investment prospects over the next 10-30 years.

The new AfCFTA SG reiterated that the Africa Continental Free Trade Area offers Africa an opportunity to confront the significant trade and economic development challenges of our time including: market fragmentation; smallness of national economies; over reliance on the export of primary commodities; narrow export base, caused by shallow manufacturing capacity; lack of export specialisation; under-developed industrial regional value chains; and high regulatory and tariff barriers to intra-Africa trade amongst others. The result of all of this, is a very low percentage of intra-Africa trade of 18%. He said the AfCFTA is also a critical response to Africas developmental challenges. It has the potential to enable Africa to significantly boost intra-Africa trade, improve economies of scale and establish an integrated market. It has the potential to be a catalyst for industrial development, placing Africa on a path to exporting value-added products, improving Africas competitiveness both in its own markets and globally. It also sends a strong signal to the international investor community that Africa is open for business, based on a single rule-book for trade and investment.

Worth noting that the Fourth Industrial Revolution is a way of describing the blurring of boundaries between the physical, digital, and biological worlds. Its a fusion of advances in artificial intelligence (AI), robotics, the Internet of Things (IoT), 3D printing, genetic engineering, quantum computing, and other technologies. Whereas a technological revolution is a period in which one or more technologies is replaced by another technology in a short amount of time. It is an era of accelerated technological progress characterized by new innovations whose rapid application and diffusion cause an abrupt change in society.

According to digital dictionaries, the Fourth Industrial Revolution heralds a series of social, political, cultural, and economic upheavals that will unfold over the 21st century. Building on the widespread availability of digital technologies that were the result of the Third Industrial, the Fourth Industrial Revolution is driven largely by the convergence of digital, biological, and physical innovations. It has the peculiarity of changing how we live, work, and communicate. It is reshaping government, education, healthcare, and commerce among other aspect of life.
Politicians including Barnaby Joyce are refusing to use the official COVID-19 contact tracing app, while Liberal MPs are demanding data privacy guarantees, as the government tries to convince Australians the software is key to the nation's coronavirus recovery.

The wariness from Coalition MPs highlights the challenge facing the Morrison government as it seeks to assuage concerns, ruling out the possibility of the phone-based tracing software being mandatory and promising technical details will be available for public scrutiny.

Nationals MP Barnaby Joyce says he will refuse to download the official COVID-19 app. Credit:Alex Ellinghausen

Prime Minister Scott Morrison declared on Saturday the "COVID trace" app, set to be launched in the coming weeks, would be voluntary and he was seeking people's cooperation "to help our health workers, to protect our community and help get our economy going again".

But the assurances may not be enough to convince many Australians, including the former deputy prime minister, Mr Joyce, who told The Sun-Herald and The Sunday Age he would not be downloading it out of privacy concerns.
A team of doctors and paramedics from the army has "taken over the day-time management" of a quarantine facility in Delhi's Narela which is currently housing 932 Tablighi Jamaat members who attended a congregation in Nizamuddin last month.

Narela quarantine centre is among the largest centres in the country for managing COVID-19 suspects in Delhi. It was established by the Delhi government in mid-March.

A team of army doctors and nursing staff has been assisting the civil administration at this facility since April 1.

"From April 16, the army has taken the initiative to manage the facility from 8 am to 8 pm relieving the Delhi government doctors and medical staff to manage the facility only during the night," the army said in a statement on Sunday.

The army team comprises 40 personnel, who include six medical officers along with 18 paramedical staff, and have volunteered to stay on the premises only, it said.

Initially, 250 foreign nationals who arrived from abroad were kept at this centre, and later an additional strength of approximately 1,000 more were brought here from Nizamuddin Markaz.

"Presently, 932 members from Markaz are being taken care in the facility and 367 out of them have been tested positive for COVID-19," it said.

The professional approach of the army medical team has "won the hearts of inmates" who have been very cooperative and positive to the team, thereby, facilitating smooth handling of all medical procedures, the statement said.

There has been a "tremendous synergy" of the army with civil administration to run this entire facility. The army will continue to fight with resolve and determination to contribute wholeheartedly to the national efforts against the coronavirus pandemic for safety of all our citizens,it added.

The number of coronavirus cases in Delhi till Sunday was 1,893, including 43 deaths.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Dave Litrell stood at a socially un-distant length from his fellow protesters on Saturday.

Some shook hands. Others hugged. More than a hundred people rubbed elbows and shoulders, their signs and flags touching, their faces unmasked. Mr Litrell held his 6-year-old daughter as those surrounding him chanted to reopen the US economy outside the state Capitol building in Austin, Texas.

I dont fear a potential pathogen, he said of the fast-spreading coronavirus that has compelled most governors to shut down their states, including the closing of nonessential businesses. I think theres potential pathogens around us all the time, and for the most part, were healthy.

Polls show that most Americans support restrictions meant to combat the virus. But the modest crowd at the You Cant Close America rally was proudly defiant of the local and state stay-at-home orders they were violating simply by assembling. Governor Greg Abbotts executive order states that all Texans shall minimise social gatherings, and city and county officials in Austin have required people to wear face coverings in public.

The rally rode a wave of similar protests at Capitol buildings and in city streets this past week, with people also gathering on Saturday in Indianapolis; Carson City, Nevada; Annapolis, Maryland; and Brookfield, Wisconsin. As some governors expressed interest in reopening their states, some prominent local conservatives turned to Facebook groups and other social media to set up protests. Eric Moutsos, a former Salt Lake City police officer, organised a protest in his city for Saturday evening.

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

Thank you government officials for your recommendations, but were going back to work, Mr Moutsos said.

The protest in Austin, whose Capitol steps are a frequent background for demonstrations, was small compared to past rallies there, with dozens of people assembling on a chilly and overcast day. At times, it was a cacophony of conservative anger and frustration.

A group of children held up their homemade sign reading: Open our school: Education is a God-given right, while others waved placards reading: Shut down the shutdown.

Nicole Adkins, a stay-at-home mother and Army veteran who lives near San Antonio, held a sign that said: Flatten the Fear. It was the first protest Ms Adkins had ever attended.

Ms Adkins and others were convinced that the government and the news media were lying to the public about the dangers of the virus, or at least exaggerating the risks.

Standing together in a crowd, mask-free and well within the 6-foot social-distancing zone, was a physical manifestation of their anger and suspicion. They denied they were being reckless, and viewed the shutting down of society as a kind of hysteria, regardless of the numbers of infections and fatalities being reported.

The New York Times
Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, April 19) The team of scientists who delivered the country's first locally-developed test kits for COVID-19 detection aims to double their production capacity by next month.

Dr. Raul Destura, Deputy Executive Director of the Philippine Genome Center and inventor of the GenAmplify COVID-19 rRT-PCR Detection Kit, said on Sunday the group is looking to increase its output to 16,000 tests per day by May 1.

The current production runs from 8,000 to 10,000 tests daily, capable of making 26,000 tests available.

The low-cost test kit, invented by scientists from the University of the Philippines National Institutes of Health, the Philippine Genome Center, and The Manila HealthTek Inc., was approved by the Food and Drug Administration for public use earlier this month after weeks of field trial.

Destura said the testing of the kits will begin tomorrow at the UP-NIH.

READ: What you need to know about the UP-developed coronavirus test kits

The product just like the other approved imported test kits is seen to expedite the process and turnaround period for COVID-19 testing in the Philippines, which has recorded so far over 6,000 cases of the infectious disease.

Destura said that unlike other kits, their product boasts of a complete set for COVID-19 testing as it also includes extraction kit, viral transport medium, and two swabs.

Destura said his team will also offer technical support for medical facilities and laboratories that will conduct the tests. He said they have developed informational videos and online modules that will help personnel all over the country in the testing procedure.

To date, the country has listed 409 fatalities due to COVID-19. A total of 572 have recovered.
Source: Xinhua| 2020-04-19 02:47:47|Editor: huaxia

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People wearing face masks are seen on a street in Milan, Italy, on April 18, 2020. A further 482 people had died of COVID-19 in the past 24 hours in Italy, raising the country's death toll to 23,227, official data showed on Saturday. (Xinhua)

ROME, April 18 (Xinhua) -- A further 482 people had died of COVID-19 in the past 24 hours in Italy, raising the country's death toll to 23,227, official data showed on Saturday.

The total number of confirmed cases -- combining active infections, fatalities and recoveries -- rose to 175,925, an increase of 3,491 against Friday, according to fresh figures from Italy's Civil Protection Department.

Also, there were 2,200 additional recoveries in the past 24 hours, bringing the total recoveries to 44,927, since the pandemic first broke out in the northern Lombardy region on Feb. 21.

Of the total 107,771 active infections, 2,733 patients are in intensive care, down by 79 compared to the previous day; another 25,007 are hospitalized in normal wards, down by 779; and 80,031 (or 74 percent) are isolated at home because of asymptomatic or light symptoms.

"We are experiencing a large-scale tragedy (and) we have not defeated it yet -- these are the hard facts," Domenico Arcuri, the Italian government's special commissioner for the coronavirus emergency, said at a Saturday's press conference.

To prevent this tragedy from repeating after the end of the nationwide lockdown, Arcuri said: "we must continue to act with the caution and the prudence we have learned over the past months."

The lockdown that went into effect on March 10 will continue until May 3, which will be followed by a so-called "Phase Two," involving "the gradual resumption of social, economic and productive activities," the Italian government has explained.

NO ECONOMIC RECOVERY WITHOUT HEALTH

Arcuri said that there is no competition between health and economic recovery. "Without health and safety, the economic recovery would last the blink of an eye," he warned.

"We must continue to balance these two aspects, which are not in conflict with one another: progressively relaxing the containment measures ... while guaranteeing health and safety to the maximum possible number of citizens," he said.

The commissioner also said: "For Phase Two, we are ready to supply the national territory with all the needed equipment today. This does not mean that Phase Two should begin today."

Arcuri said that while it is not his job to decide when Phase Two should start, it is his job to "make sure we are ready" when it does. He summed this up as: "The government gives us the input, and we guarantee the output."

Italian Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte last month named Arcuri as a "commissioner with ample powers to ramp up the manufacturing and distribution of intensive care machines and medical equipment" during the coronavirus emergency.

THREE ARROWS

Arcuri went on to say that there are "three arrows to our bow: swabs, blood tests, and contact-tracing" and that "we will have to use them massively" to keep the pandemic under control during Phase Two. The swab test refers to the coronavirus testing which takes a sample from the throat or nose.

He added that a new contact-tracing mobile phone app, commissioned by the government, is "being tested." The next step will be to roll it out in some parts of the country on an experimental basis.

He did not say which parts of the country, but indicated they should be "one in the North, one in the central regions, and one in the South."

The app "will be fielded in the near future, when we will promote its use among citizens."

"Bending Spoons has donated the contact-tracing app to the government," he added, referring to the Milan-based tech company which designed the app.

"No one is making money on this. Using the app will be voluntary -- no one will be obligated to install it on their mobile phone," he specified.

Arcuri also said that according to experts, at least 70 percent of the population should use the app in order to achieve meaningful results.

"We expect a very high number of citizens will install it," Arcuri commented, adding that the app "will guarantee anonymity completely."

Arcuri also said that over the past week "we delivered 25.5 million surgical masks" and "we distributed 280,000 swabs a day" to regional public health authorities across Italy.

"Since the beginning of the emergency we have distributed 109 million masks (and) and installed 3,720 ventilators in Italian hospitals," he said. "Finally we have enough ventilators for intensive and sub-intensive care units across Italy."

Arcuri also said that the government on April 17 put out a tender offer to companies who developed a blood test that can detect antibodies to the new coronavirus.

"We expect solidarity to win over earnings and profits, and that companies will offer their products for a very low, indeed a symbolic price," the commissioner added.
The announcement comes one day after the hospital was designated an isolation hospital for Cairo University medical, teaching and administrative staff infected by coronavirus

At least 17 hospital staff members have tested positive for coronavirus at Egypts Kasr El-Aini Hospital, a Cairo University official said, one day after the hospital was designated an isolation hospital for university medical, teaching and administrative staff infected by the virus.

Hala Salah Eldin, dean of the Faculty of Medicine at Cairo University, which manages the hospital, said in TV statements on the privately-owned MBC Masr channel that at least 17 tested positive for the virus after 900 swab tests were done.

She added that not all detected cases were from the hospitals medical staff. Some [of the cases] are not from the nursing staff or doctors. This means we have reached a peak of the community spread, she said.

On Friday, the prominent hospital was designated an isolation hospital for Cairo University staff upon the recommendation of the Higher Committee for Combating Coronavirus.

Mahmoud Alam El-Din, Cairo University spokesman, said in televised statements Friday that patients have been referred to Al-Manial Specialised Hospital for treatment following the evacuation of Kasr El-Aini Hospital.

He refuted media reports on the detection of around 200 cases in the hospital, stressing that no cases were detected after "tests were carried out" on all patients at the hospital.

Several healthcare facilities in Egypt have detected cases among their doctors and nurses in the past few days, triggering fears that the outbreak would hit the countrys overwhelmed healthcare sector.

Last week, Cairos El-Zeitoun Specialised Hospital was closed for 14 days after detecting coronavirus cases among the hospitals medical staff.

An official infection toll at the hospital was not announced, but media reports set the tally at around 23 cases among doctors, nurses and visitors.

Earlier in April, at least 17 doctors and nurses at Egypts National Cancer Institute (NCI) tested positive for coronavirus, according to Cairo University, which manages the countrys main cancer hospital.

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As a nurse in the University of New Mexico Hospitals newly designated COVID Intensive Care Unit, I am terrified. Not at the prospect of caring for patients with COVID. No, I am frightened because despite statements from local hospitals to the contrary, we dont have what is needed to keep us safe.

From nurses to respiratory therapists, we are allotted one N95 mask we must wear for the entirety of our workday  these masks are supposed to be exchanged each time we leave a room. Sometimes these masks are new. Other times they have been previously worn by another staff member and resterilized. Always they leave painful grooves in our faces at the end of the day. The mask that is contaminated with COVID-19 after caring for patients in the morning is the same one we must put back on after we eat lunch or take a drink of water.

To say this is unsettling is an understatement. Despite the unprecedented dangers associated with our work, our resolve remains strong. We want to continue working to ensure every New Mexican who contracts this disease is cared for.

The administration has an incredible team working to optimize the limited supply of protective equipment on hand  maximizing our protection while also ensuring we do not completely exhaust our supplies. As front-line workers, we understand there simply arent enough supplies to keep us safe. Where the hospital is failing us is in declining to acknowledge the risk we are taking on behalf of the community.

As of now, if we contract COVID-19 or are exposed and required to self-isolate for 14 days, this comes out of our sick time and, once depleted, our vacation time. If we become ill requiring hospitalization, the hospital has provided no assurance that all out-of-pocket costs will be covered. When the topic of hazard pay was raised during an employee town hall with hospital CEO Kate Becker, she asserted that working conditions are not considered hazardous as we routinely work with infectious diseases and COVID-19 is no different. As someone who continues to care for COVID-19 patients despite substandard protection, it is incredibly hurtful to feel our sacrifice is not acknowledged. Our unions attempts to negotiate these protections with the hospital have been rebuffed entirely.

To my fellow New Mexicans, I implore you: please be there for us so we can be there for you. Call your local representative and ask that front-line staff are assured that all out-of-pocket health care costs will be covered should we fall ill. Write to hospital CEO KateBecker@salud.unm.edu and ask that they stop depleting our sick time and PTO when the hospital requires us to self-isolate. Contact Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham and ask that we receive hazard pay so that those of us who are staying away from our families to prevent exposing them can offset the costs.

These are unprecedented times, and we are taking unprecedented risks. I speak for many when I say we want to care for critically ill New Mexicans during this pandemic. We just want to know we are protected so we can do our work with greater confidence. Stay safe, and stay at home.
COLUMBUS, Ohio -- Gov. Mike DeWine deserves a collective pat on the back. His timely response to the pandemic saved lives and in hindsight proved quite wise for Ohios future.

Wisdom, however, does not equate with legality (let alone constitutionality), a fact I have repeatedly tried to convey to my constitutional law students over the years. Bad does not equate with illegal, nor does good mean constitutional. Consequently, whether Gov. DeWines orders prove normatively good presents only half the question. The other, more important, half in a constitutional republic is whether they are legal.

Take the stay-at-home and shelter orders imposed on so-called nonessential persons and businesses. It is not at all clear that Gov. DeWines Department of Health had the authority to issue them.

Unlike many states, including Wisconsin, Ohio has not chosen to delegate to the governor or Department of Health explicit emergency powers. And even if Ohio had done so, legitimate questions would emerge over the exercise of those powers. The Wisconsin Supreme Court, for example, ruled on April 6 that, notwithstanding an explicit and broad grant of emergency power, Wisconsins governor exceeded his emergency powers when he suspended that states April 7, 2020 in-person election.

All that supports Gov. DeWines orders, meanwhile, is section 3701.13 of the Ohio Revised Code, which, per an Ohio Supreme Court interpretation of the language, authorizes the Department of Health to quarantine infected persons and those directly exposed to contagious disease.

In the past, Ohio courts have relied on this to justify isolating infected and exposed individuals. The law has never been used to isolate healthy people in uninfected environments. The Ohio Supreme Court, for its part, has ruled that the authority of health officials to protect the public health -- which is what Gov. DeWine claims is at the heart of his actions -- is not a blank check to override existing laws.

What about federal law? Does it supplement the governors powers during emergencies? Nope. Quite the opposite. The federal Constitution -- in particular the First and 14th Amendments -- restrict what states and their governors can do during emergencies. Of particular relevance to Gov. DeWines emergency orders is the First Amendment, which protects speech and religion. Gov. DeWine, of course, exempted religious gatherings from his prohibition on mass gatherings, ostensibly to avoid violating religious freedoms. By doing so, however, he likely violated the Speech Clause in the First Amendment, which prohibits discrimination against -- and in favor of -- religious speech. A neutral approach toward religious gatherings, in contrast, would not have violated either the Speech Clause or the Free Exercise Clause of the First Amendment.

Mark R. Brown is the Newton D. Baker/Baker & Hostetler Chair at Capital University Law School.

The Constitution also protects the rights of citizens to travel between states, both for travels own sake and to purchase goods. Gov. DeWines recent orders banning people from West Virginia and Pennsylvania from purchasing liquor in Ohio appears in direct conflict with the Constitutions fundamental right of interstate movement. Fans of John Steinbeck will recall from The Grapes of Wrath Californias restrictions on so-called Okies during the Dust Bowl crisis of the Great Depression. Not reported in that famous novel was the fact that the Supreme Court ruled that Californias laws were unconstitutional.

Just last week the first of what promises to be a number of legal challenges to Gov. DeWines emergency orders was filed in federal court in Columbus by a bridal shop deemed nonessential. The shop owner claims that Gov. DeWines orders, issued through his Department of Health, violate the federal Due Process Clause.

So what is to be done with Ohios legal loose ends? For starters, the legality of Gov. DeWines and Ohios past and present actions must be questioned. Japanese-American Internment during World War II presents a cruel testament to what can happen when established law is blindly ignored under exigent circumstances. The best way to avoid repeating a doomed history is for government and governed to be curious and transparent.

Next, and toward this end, Ohios General Assembly -- the representatives of the people -- must step up and fix the proper path for Ohio to emerge from this crisis. That is not the governors job. The legislature must ratify or disavow the governors past actions, bring its and the peoples collective wisdom together to plan for future outbreaks, and insure that Ohio follows the rule of law. That is not something that can be trusted to any single individual, even if he is doing yeomans work.

Mark R. Brown is the Newton D. Baker/Baker and Hostetler Chair at Capital University Law School.

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* Email general questions, comments or corrections regarding this opinion article to Elizabeth Sullivan, director of opinion, at esullivan@cleveland.com.
Two residents have died at the Anglicare Newmarch House and the number of COVID-19 cases at the aged care facility has reached 39, making it the largest cluster in NSW after the Ruby Princess.

A 94-year-old man from the western Sydney facility died on Sunday morning and followed the death of a 93-year-old male resident on Saturday.

NSW Chief Health Officer Kerry Chant confirmed on Sunday that the number of new COVID-19 cases at the aged care home in Caddens, near Penrith, had risen by nine.

NSW Chief Health Officer Kerry Chant. Credit:James Alcock

There are 13 staff and 26 residents with coronavirus, after a healthcare worker continued to work for six days at the facility with mild symptoms before discovering she had the virus.
Ever since the diplomatically disastrous trip of Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau's to India two years ago, the New Delhi-Ottawa relations have been at an ebb. Reason: the increasing influence of Pakistan in Canada.

The Indo-Canadian bilateral relationship has soured so much that recently, in a trivial case, the country's top intelligence agency Canadian Security Intelligence Service (CSIS) unsuccessfully attempted to get an Indian national's application for citizenship rejected by accusing him of "covertly influencing" Canadian politicians against Khalistanis (Sikh separatists).



The Canadian court dismissed the accusations against the Indian national, who is an editor of a newspaper in New Delhi but the CSIS ensured that the allegation became the news in the Canadian press.





All this began, sources said, when Canadians of Khalistani-background and Pakistani- descent began to assume significant positions in the Liberal Party of Canada and especially, the Trudeau government.



The Defence Minister of Canada, Harjit Singh Sajjan and the Science and Technology Minister in the Trudeau government, have been publicly called Khalistani sympathizers by Punjab Chief Minister Captain Amrinder Singh. Even the Canadian opposition, New Democratic Party (NDP) leader Jagmeet Singh is an open supporter of Khalistanis.



The Sikh militancy in the 1980s, seeking secession from India and a separate Khalistan state, was sponsored by Pakistan's military and ISI. Thousands of innocent people in Punjab were killed by Khalistani separatists. Though the militancy was wiped out by the Indian security forces, but in the last five years, several attempts by the ISI in connivance with the separatist diaspora of Sikhs to revive the Khalistani terrorism have been made.



The sensitivity about the issue in India, is however, lost in Canada. The government caucus in Canada has four Pakistani Canadians, who according to sources, have links to Pakistan's intelligence agency ISI. Iqra Khalid of Jamaat-e-Islami shares the strongest relationship with the ISI, sources said.



Another Pakistani Canadian, Jawad Hussain Qureshi, works in one of the most important departments of the Canadian government - "the Privy Council Office" - which helps the Prime Minister and the Cabinet, in "implementing its vision, goals and decisions in a timely manner".



Pakistan's influence in Canada is so enormous that even though very few Pakistanis live in Vancouver, but Islamabad has a consulate in the city. Sources said the consulate remains in close contact with the massive Khalistani population in Vancouver. Incidentally, the Sikh Premier and Canadian Labour party member Ujjal Dosanjh was attacked in 1985 in Vancouver because he opposed Khalistan.



Last year, former United Conservative Party member Jason Kenney was investigated by Alberta's election commissioner for recruiting members of the Pakistani community to support his leadership bid. The revelation was made by Tariq Chaudhry, former president of Pakistan Canada Association who regularly reports to Pakistan consulate in Toronto, sources said.



But above all, sources said, the spokesperson and a recruiter of the CSIS, Tahera Mufti is also of Pakistani-descent. In a piece published in the Canadian press last year, Mufti accused foreign actors of attempting to directly influence the upcoming federal election campaign." Conspicuously, while the piece referred to "foreign actors" such as India, Russia, China and Saudi Arabia, she made no mention of Pakistan in her statement.



Interestingly, Trudeau's former principal secretary and advisor Gerald Butts later accused Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi of "screwing" the Canadian Prime Minister during his 2018 trip to India and helping his opposition, the Canadian Conservatives.



"With such Pakistani influence in the Canadian government, there is almost a complete indifference towards India," a source in Ottawa said. Official sources in New Delhi acknowledged the problem. "The relations are so frigid that India finally sent one of its best diplomats, Ajay Bisaria, to repair the relations," an official said.
Rachel McAdams rarely talks in public about her son with partner Jamie Linden.

But the Academy Award nominee opened up about making the most of the extra family time as she quarantines amid the coronavirus pandemic.

She gushed about her two-year-old, who she said is a 'very welcome distraction' as she isolates at home.

Welcome distraction: Rachel McAdams recently gushed about her baby boy, whom she said is a 'very welcome distraction' as she isolates at home

The 41-year-old gave a glimpse at her home life this week on the LHSF Canada Steam-a-thon, raising money for the COVID-19 Response Fund.

She said: 'I have a very welcome distraction in my son, who is two. So, that's pretty much what I do all the time.

McAdams added: 'It's true, he's so entertaining! I thought about that, 'Would I rather be alone in quarantine? Or with my family?'

'You know, there are days sure, but I mean I would be so bored without him around to make it so fun.'

Motherhood vibes: She said: 'You know, there are days sure, but I mean I would be so bored without him around to make it so fun'; she is seen in February of this year

The Mean Girls star also revealed that they're enjoying some country living, which is perfect for a toddler during quarantine.

She said: 'We live sort of out in the country, a little farm down the road, so we can go and look at the animals.

'We've been doing some planting, some okra, well, I mean, I do the planting and he snacks most of the day.'

McAdams welcomed her son in 2018 with producer Linden, 39, with whom she was first romantically linked in 2016.

She later told The Sunday Times that they're raising him away from the public eye: 'I want to keep his life private, even if mine isn't.'
Hospitalizations related to COVID-19 fell for the second day in Connecticut, prompting cautious optimisim from Governor Ned Lamont even as the state recorded more than 400 new cases, and deaths climbed to over 1,100.

For the second straight day, the number of people hospitalized in Connecticut due to complications caused by COVID-19 has slightly decreased, another step in the right direction and another sign that the efforts weve been taking as a community are having an impact on slowing the outbreak, the governor said in his daily press release.
Karnataka to undertake Triaging: What does it mean and how do you pronounce it

Delhi to ease restrictions, if Covid cases come down in next 2-3 days: Health Minister

Lata Mangeshkar health update: Doctor says,'She in ICU with Covid-19 and pneumonia, will be under observation'

COVID-19: All you need to know about lockdown relaxation rules in your state

India

oi-Deepika S

New Delhi, Apr 20: As India completed 26 days of the nationwide lockdown on Sunday, COVID-19 cases stood at 13,295 while 2,301 people have been cured and discharged, and one patient has migrated.

The central government on Sunday said that selective relaxations will be given to non-containment zones in India after April 20 midnight, however, strict restrictions will continue in districts declared Covid-19 hotspots.

COVID-19 lockdown relaxation: What is prohibited from April 20 and what is open

In-line with the centre's order, several states have decided to continue with the lockdown till May 3, while some states have given relaxation to the people.

Here are the orders issued by respective state governments

Maharashtra:

Maharashtra, which has the highest number of COVID-19 cases in India issued guidelines for limited relaxation of restrictions for the period between April 20 and May 3.

Farm-sector activities along with truck repair garages and eateries (dhabas) along highways will be exempted from the lockdown.

BMC has also been allowed to carry out necessary work including filling of potholes and laying of water supply lines is allowed.

Uttar Pradesh

No relaxation in Gautam Buddha Nagar, Lucknow till May 3.

The Public Works Department (PWD) has also been allowed to resume construction activities in the state while abiding by safety precautions.

Delhi

Restrictions will not be relaxed anywhere in the national capital at least till May 3. The Delhi government has identified 78 containment zones to date.

These areas have been sealed and no person is being allowed to either enter or exit these containment zones. Police and local administration are facilitating doorstep delivery of essential items to the residents in these areas.

Punjab

Chief Minister Amarinder Singh said that a curfew will remain in force across the state till May 3.

Apart from essential services, only farmers involved in wheat procurement and those concerned with farming activities have been exempted from these restrictions.

Kerala

The state has been classified into red, orange (A & B), and green zones. While red zones continue to remain under lockdown owing to their identification as high-risk areas, limited restrictions have been relaxed in orange-A and orange-B zones while public transport such as auto-rickshaws will be allowed to operate locally while abiding by certain rules in green areas

Telangana:

Telangana announced that the ongoing lockdown in the state will continue till May 7 without any relaxations.

The existing lockdown rules, including night curfew, would continue to be in force and it would be implemented in a tough manner.

Services of food delivery apps would not be allowed from Monday. There is, however, no problem, with services of grocery supply through apps.

The government orders the landlords of houses to defer the rent for March, April and May and not to collect interest for having deferred the payment of rent.

Karnataka

The Karnataka government on Sunday issued fresh orders to continue the stringent lockdown measures issued by the Ministry of Home Affairs till the midnight of April 21.

The government is considering lockdown relaxation after April 21, and the state cabinet that is scheduled to meet on Monday is likely to discuss this.

Jammu and Kashmir

The Jammu and Kashmir administration has decided to allow the limited conditional activity in the union territory following the ease of lockdown from April 20.

These include units involved in manufacturing basic food processing activities, packed food processing items, pharmaceuticals, disinfectants and detergents, agro-chemicals, pesticides, cattle and poultry feed, packaging material, cold storages, packaged drinking water and cotton masks.

The government order says that the "manufacturing within industrial units" would also be allowed on "case to case" basis in areas of medical and health infrastructure manufacturing, IT and IT enabled services, print and electronic media, data and call centres for government activity, E-commerce companies, courier services, cold storage and warehouses, private security services.

Hotels, lodges and motels that are accommodating the persons stranded due to lockdown or the employees of medical and emergency services or used as quarantine facilities will be open.

The government has put certain conditions for these units to operate. This includes that a gathering of 10 or more people should be discouraged, seating should be at least six feet away and work in shifts to avoid overcrowding.

The employees above 65 years of age, those with co-morbidities and parents who have children of less than five years of age should be encouraged to work from home.

Haryana

The Haryana government has devised a system to allow selected industries to function in the period between April 20 and May 3. A few industries that do not fall into red zones will be allowed to resume operations.

Farmers who will receive a text message from the state government will be permitted to transport their produce to mandis.

While shops and dhabas along highways have also been added in the list of exemptions, these will be closely monitored by the state government.

Madhya Pradesh

Madhya Pradesh on Sunday that activities related to construction, agriculture, road repairs, and labour-related work that falls under the MGNREGA will be allowed to resume from Monday.

No exceptions will be made in Indore, Bhopal, Ujjain and other cities that have reported large numbers of Covid-19 cases.

Himachal Pradesh:

No interstate or inter-district movement will be allowed even after April 20.

Bihar

Deputy Chief Minister Sushil Kumar Modi on Sunday said that work on close to 40,000 projects in the state will begin in over 8,000 of the state's panchayats from April 20. The state government aims to employ over five lakh labourers for the pending projects.

For government offices in the state, employees have been divided into Group A, Group B and Group C. While those in Groups A and B will have to be present in the office on working days, 33 per cent of employees in Group C (including contractual worker) will have to report to their respective offices.

Chhattisgarh

Chief Minister Bhupesh Baghel said that limited economic activities will resume in the state from April 20 onwards.

These include labour-work under MNREGA among others.
A majority of the public would rather see the government extend its Brexit deadline than deal with negotiations while coronavirus continues to rage through Europe, a poll has suggested.

Officials in Westminster and Brussels have insisted on continuing to negotiate the UKs future relationship with the EU despite the impact of the virus that has claimed the lives of more than 100,000 people across the continent.

However, a poll conducted by Focaldata for Best for Britain and Hope Not Hate has suggested a majority of the public would prefer it if officials kept their eyes on the crisis at hand, with two-thirds saying the government should focus all its energy on dealing with Covid-19 for the rest of the year.

And of those who supported an extension, 64 per cent wanted the transition period to be extended indefinitely until the crisis is resolved, while 36 per cent wanted the transition period to be extended for a maximum of a year.

But 34 per cent of all respondents said they believed ministers could balance dealing with the coronavirus outbreak whilst also giving necessary time to negotiate a full trade deal with the EU before the end of the year.

While there was strong support among Labour and SNP voters for pushing the end of the transition period past New Years Eve, some 49 per cent of Leave voters also supported the measure  as well as 48 per cent of Conservative voters and 45 per cent of those who previously backed the Brexit Party.

Best for Britain chief executive Naomi Smith said: There is clear support in Scotland and other nations and regions of the UK for an extension, and the views of small c conservative voters in our data is telling.

Its patronising to suggest they would punish the government at the ballot box for prioritising the countrys health over an arbitrary exit date.

They are compromising. It may not be their preference, but everyone can see that the government is overwhelmed by the task at hand and needs no further distractions.

The government must take this opportunity to unchain itself, and most importantly our economy, from the 31 December exit date.

Last month Dominic Raab, the foreign secretary, said the virus had made the case for intensive diplomacy to get this deal done and move on to forge a future relationship with the EU.

At the time he added: I dont think delaying the Brexit negotiations would give anyone on either side of the Channel the certainty they need.
We learned a few things on Friday  good things, heartening things. Things that should bring us reason for optimism. And after more than a month of fiscal, mental and emotional pain associated with this global pandemic, Lord knows we could use some.

Hey there, time traveller!

This article was published 18/4/2020 (634 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

We learned a few things on Friday  good things, heartening things. Things that should bring us reason for optimism. And after more than a month of fiscal, mental and emotional pain associated with this global pandemic, Lord knows we could use some.

We learned that, for the first time since our weeks-long ordeal began, the number of people who have recovered from COVID-19 in Manitoba finally surpassed the number of active cases.

There were no new cases of coronavirus to announce Friday, with Dr. Brent Roussin, the chief provincial public health officer, stating that there are 113 active cases  eight in the hospital, and four in intensive care  and that 132 people had recovered.

Our encouraging numbers have been echoed in several other provinces in the country this week, including British Columbia, Saskatchewan and New Brunswick, all of which have reported a trickle of new cases in the past week.

At the same time, due to our continuing success in flattening that COVID-19 curve, Roussin told the media he was considering loosening health restrictions that have been put into place over the last month. And although he was merely clarifying existing health orders, Dr. Roussin delivered what amounted to an immediate relaxation of those restrictions by stating that appliance stores and furniture stores that sell appliances could stay open to the public, provided physical distancing measures remained in place.

This is a likely indication of how Manitoba will slowly unroll itself in the coming weeks, something Westman business owners and local citizens have been looking for as it became clear the provincial effort was working. The apparent change in tone from our provincial health officials is welcome, but we also must be wary of letting our guard down. For its at this point in time that such information becomes a double-edged sword for public health officials who do not want to see a resurgence of the coronavirus within our communities.

And while all of this is good news, we should not expect various elements of our society to reopen quickly. Nor should we hope for it. For example, earlier this week Canada and the United States agreed to extend the current closure of the U.S.-Canada border for at least another month, even though U.S. President Donald Trump had expressed hope on Wednesday that he would like to see the border open quickly.

Its a decision that we applaud, considering that Mr. Trump appears at odds with several state governors over his plan to begin reopening the economy. For the time being, until lawmakers in the United States have a better handle on their own pandemic problem, we should be wary of any quick moves to open up our borders beyond essential trade.

Thankfully, in the meantime, it would appear our federal government has been listening, even as we attempt to find our way out of this pandemic mess  imagine that  thus part two of Fridays bevy of good news.

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau announced billions of dollars in new financial help that will target the oil and gas sector in Western Canada, as well as small companies "that havent been able to access existing loan programs, and startups that had just got off the ground before the pandemic struck last month," according to a report by The Canadian Press Friday.

The feds announced a slew of new programs that totalled nearly $4.2 billion Friday morning, with $1.7 billion sent to Alberta, Saskatchewan and British Columbia to help clean up "orphaned wells" in those oil-producing provinces, and a $750-million fund to cut methane emissions by providing loans to companies.

Further, there were promises of $675 million to help small businesses that dont have a relationship with "traditional financial institutions," and another $287 million for companies in rural parts of the country. Another $250 million has been earmarked for entrepreneurs and early-stage research companies that dont qualify for the wage subsidy or current loan programs, and $500 million more for arts and culture industries.

For all of the government cash now making its way to Canadian business owners and individual Canadians that have been so sorely affected by the pandemic, there still needs to be an end-game at play.

Businesses in our communities need to have some idea of what our provincial and federal governments have planned as we move forward  rather like a road map out of the pandemic. Our society and economy cannot handle a sustained shutdown that lasts several months, and as you can read in our paper today, business leaders are looking for direction from their provincial government, just as the government is looking to them. This is wholly unprecedented territory, and we dont blame either side for treading lightly.

Loosening restrictions is a good start. We just hope the public understands that this is not an excuse to lower its guard.
We may not have coped with the downturn very well, so now we have to manage the upturn better.

The past week has seen the official forecasts catch up with the reality that the economic downswing from this health crisis will be massive  as much as 10 per cent for the year as a whole.

The IMF believes the developed world will recover part of the way next year, but will still be down at the end of 2021 from where it was at the beginning of 2020.

Uncertain times: Online retailers are expanding, but the high streets are shattered

If these projections are anywhere near right, this hit will end up very broadly the same as the one the world economy took after the financial crash of 2008. We are going down further and faster than we did then but we will clamber back faster too.

But that is an aggregate. Some sectors will be much harder hit now than then and struggle to recover, while others will do just fine. You can see that already.

Online retailers are expanding, but the high streets are shattered. Many food businesses are running much as normal because we still have to eat, but milk sales have plunged (we've stopped buying those fancy coffees) and the cut flower trade is terrible. So what shape will the recovery take?

We have some very early signs from other countries and they are not encouraging. In Wuhan, the factories are reopening, and so manufacturing is getting going again.

But anecdotal evidence suggests that people are fearful of going out if they don't need to. The restaurants are free to reopen, but people don't want to go to them  so they stay shut. We had a glimpse of this reluctance in Austria too, where smaller shops and DIY outlets were shunned after they opened last week. People are frightened, and who can blame them?

There are other parts of the economy that can scramble through this year but will face huge problems next. Universities can teach and examine online this summer, but will see a shortfall of applicants in the autumn.

Foreign students don't know whether they will be able to travel, and there may be reluctance to start a course from home students too. Every unfilled undergraduate place is business lost for three or four years. So what's to be done?

Governments will pump in money and central banks will print the stuff. There will be gaps in their programmes, because you cannot compensate for every loss. There will also be a reckoning in the form of higher taxes and lower returns for savers in the years to come.

If you look at the big numbers the UK Government is doing more than most. But getting back to work is not just about pumping money into the economy. It is about creating confidence that we can safely get back to work  and get back to the rest of our normal lives.

People are on the whole being astoundingly resilient, abiding by the guidelines on social distancing and  as we have all experienced  showing those small courtesies to each other that make life worthwhile.

Companies have been resilient too, getting projects through at lightning speed (look at Waitrose's online investment) and re-organising supply chains. In the main, not always, they have sought to protect their workers.

There will certainly be lessons learnt that will make for more efficient business practice in the future, though I worry that there will be an investment backlog to catch up.

But without confidence, we wont get things going. Confidence in the financial markets seems to be creeping back, with shares in the UK and elsewhere having another solid week. But markets are fickle and we cannot assume that this confidence will not give way again to panic, as it did at the end of February and in early March.

In any case, this is not just about money. It is about competence and common sense.

So here is a plea to the Government. When you ease up restrictions look at what is working in other countries and what is not. Learn from that. Be practical.

Explain what you are doing and why. And then the rest of us can get things shifting again.
Sources close to whistleblowers and complainants whose identities were revealed by the leak say Labour could face a legal bill as high as 8million

Labour faces multi-millionpound lawsuits over a leaked antisemitism report that could 'bankrupt' the party.

Sources close to whistleblowers and complainants whose identities were revealed by the leak say Labour could face a legal bill as high as 8million  effectively putting it out of business.

They say more than 30 individuals may now sue the party  including general secretary Jennie Formby - over breach of privacy and putting their safety at risk.

The dire warning came as Labour officials were hastily forced to delete addresses from party membership databases to protect some people now apparently receiving death threats after their identities were made public.

Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer faces the first challenge as antisemitism row continues

Labour was plunged into vicious infighting last week, overshadowing the arrival of new leader Sir Keir Starmer, after an 860-page internal report into its handling of antisemitism complaints under Jeremy Corbyn's leadership was leaked.

Corbyn loyalists angrily claimed the document laid bare how 'Blairites' at the party's HQ had actively worked against him and stopped Labour winning the 2017 General Election.

Moderates hit back by insisting the document, originally meant for submission to the ongoing equalities watchdog inquiry into anti-Jewish sentiment in the party, was leaked by 'die-hard Corbynites' in a desperate bid to distract from the 'disgraceful' mishandling of antisemitism complaints.

Senior Labour sources already fear the party will face a heavy fine over the leak from the Information Commissioner.

But yesterday, sources close to those identified by the leak said: 'The compensation and legal bill could be enormous, from 3million to 8million. It partly depends how Sir Keir, who has to clean up his mess, reacts.'

Lawyer Mark Lewis of law firm Patron Law, who is representing 20 of the people affected, said: 'If this bankrupts the Labour Party or individuals, so be it. Actions have consequences. 'There are lots and lots of claims.

Britain's opposition Labour Party then Spokesperson for Exiting the EU, Keir Starmer (L) is congratulated following his speech by then party leader Jeremy Corbyn (R)

'There are claims under the Data Protection Act, there are claims for breach of confidence or invasion of privacy and there are claims for libel.'

He likened the report to scorched-earth tactics by Corbynites, saying it was like 'soldiers leaving a barracks that they have to desert and setting it on fire'.

The threat of massive legal bills has sparked panic among senior party figures that they could be personally liable.

One MP said: 'That sort of legal bill would just bankrupt the party. In a sign of Labour's nerves, Ms Formby warned party members that anyone sharing the report 'on an unauthorised basis will be immediately exposing themselves to potential significant civil and criminal liability'.

Sir Keir has ordered an inquiry into the report, but Labour declined to comment further last night.
#ReleaseAjazKhan Trends On Twitter After Actor's Arrest For Alleged Abusive Remarks Fans Say, 'He Said Everything Good'
: lylo (.), : USANews

 : CDC - 

: BBS  (Sat Apr 18 13:01:56 2020, )



, 



https://www.washingtonpost.com/investigations/contamination-at-cdc-lab-

delayed-rollout-of-coronavirus-tests/2020/04/18/fd7d3824-7139-11ea-aa80-

c2470c6b2034_story.html

Contamination at CDC lab delayed rollout of coronavirus tests

The failure by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to quickly

produce a test kit for detecting the novel coronavirus was triggered by a

glaring scientific breakdown at the CDCs central laboratory complex in

Atlanta, according to scientists with knowledge of the matter and a

determination by federal regulators.



The CDC facilities that assembled the kits violated sound manufacturing

practices, resulting in contamination of one of the three test components

used in the highly sensitive detection process, the scientists said.



The cross contamination most likely occurred because chemical mixtures were

assembled into the kits within a lab space that was also handling synthetic

coronavirus material. The scientists also said the proximity deviated from

accepted procedures and jeopardized testing for the virus.



The Washington Post separately confirmed that Food and Drug Administration

officials concluded that the CDC violated its own laboratory standards in

making the kits. The substandard practices exposed the kits to contamination.



The troubled segment of the test was not critical to detecting the novel

coronavirus, experts said. But after the difficulty emerged, CDC officials

took more than a month to remove the unnecessary step from the kits,

exacerbating nationwide delays in testing, according to an examination of

federal documents and interviews with more than 30 present and former

federal scientists and others familiar with the events. Many of them spoke

on the condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to comment

publicly.



This account confirms for the first time the contaminations role in

undermining the test and the CDCs failure to meets its lab standards.



Sign up for our Coronavirus Updates newsletter to track the outbreak. All

stories linked in the newsletter are free to access.



The development and rollout of the original kits are subjects of an

investigation led by the Department of Health and Human Services, federal

officials said.



The CDC  Americas premier institution for combating the spread of

catastrophic disease  declined to make available for interviews those

involved in the test design or manufacturing. A spokesman, Benjamin N.

Haynes, provided a statement Friday that acknowledged substandard quality

control in its manufacturing of the test kits.



Those efforts were not sufficient in this circumstance, the statement

said. The agency also said it has implemented enhanced quality control to

address the issue.



The CDC said the problems with the test kits might have resulted from a

design and/or manufacturing issue or possible contamination.



What we know about delays in coronavirus testing



Haynes also defended the CDCs work, saying that earlier troubles were

eventually ironed out.



As of March 23, more than 90 state and local public health labs in 50

states, the District of Columbia, Guam, and Puerto Rico verified they are

successfully using [the] diagnostic kits, Haynes said in the statement.



Shortcomings with the tests were first noticed in late January, after the

CDC sent an initial batch to 26 public health labs across the country.

According to those with knowledge of what unfolded, false-positive reactions

emerged at 24 of the 26 labs that first tried out the kits in advance of

analyzing samples gathered from patients.



Only two of them got it right, said a senior federal scientist who

reviewed the development of the kits and internal test documentation, and

who concluded that the false positives were caused by contamination that

occurred at the CDC.



The false positives arose during testing of negative control samples

that contained highly purified water and no genetic material. That aspect of

testing was essential to confirm that the test results were reliable and

not because of contamination.



AD



The bottom line is, if you have a negative sample, and its coming up

positive, the only way for that to happen is cross contamination. . .&

#8201;. There is no other explanation for it, the scientist said.



Experts said the kits were contaminated before they were shipped out to the

state health labs.



Stephen A. Morse, a retired senior CDC microbiologist, said the

circumstances as reconstructed by The Post point to contamination as the

cause of the false positives.



With a negative control, theres nothing there to be amplified unless

there was some contamination present, Morse said. If your negative

control is giving you a positive reaction, thats indication of

contamination.



The possibility of contamination in the CDC lab was raised by Axios in a

story in early March. The big question: It was not immediately clear if or

how possible contamination in the Atlanta lab played a role in delays or

problems with testing, the story said.



AD



Sign up for our Coronavirus Updates newsletter to track the outbreak. All

stories linked in the newsletter are free to access.



The CDCs delay in changing course after the test problems has hindered

efforts to contain the novel coronavirus, which emerged in China in late

2019. It grew to a regional outbreak and, ultimately, a pandemic that has

wrought widespread death and an unprecedented shuttering of the U.S. economy

. As of April 17, the virus has infected at least 695,369 Americans and

killed at least 32,454.



The failure with testing kept the public health labs from performing disease

surveillance intended to predict and minimize harm before the virus became

widely established in the United States. The impact has been magnified by

the nations inability to rapidly expand the availability of testing.



There remains no proven cure or vaccine to prevent the onset of the virus,

which scientists suspect jumped from an animal species to humans in Wuhan,

China. Until effective medical countermeasures emerge, diagnostic testing is

crucial to assessing the spread of the virus and containing it.



AD



The FDAs examination of the CDCs test kit exonerated its design  but

concluded that the problem was caused by substandard manufacturing practices

, according to an FDA statement. The FDA regulates the safety and

effectiveness of medical devices, including the test kits manufactured to

diagnose covid-19 disease in humans.



The CDC did not manufacture its test consistent with its own protocol,

the FDA told The Post.



The FDA declined to elaborate on its findings, but those with knowledge of

the matter said the problem involved contamination in the manufacturing

process.



Its critical that the tests used work, because false results can also

contribute to the spread of covid-19, the FDA said.



In late February, after an FDA official visited the CDCs lab complex in

Atlanta, he advised the CDC to discontinue manufacturing the kits, the

regulatory agency said. In response, the CDC turned to an outside contractor

to manufacture the remaining kits it had intended to make for public health

labs.



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The CDCs performance with the test kits marks an unparalleled low in its

often-proud, 74-year history.



I was just saddened and embarrassed when this test didnt work out,

said James Le Duc, a virologist and former CDC official who now is director

of the Galveston National Laboratory in Texas. Its really a terrible

black mark on the CDC, and the impact was devastating to the country.



An electron microscope image shows the spherical particles of the new

coronavirus, colorized blue, from the first U.S. case of covid-19. Antibody

blood tests for the coronavirus could play a key role in deciding whether

millions of Americans can safely return to work and school.

An electron microscope image shows the spherical particles of the new

coronavirus, colorized blue, from the first U.S. case of covid-19. Antibody

blood tests for the coronavirus could play a key role in deciding whether

millions of Americans can safely return to work and school. (Hannah A.

Bullock, Azaibi Tamin/CDC/AP)

"They didn't have a test that worked"

On Jan. 12, Chinese authorities made public a vital piece of medical

information: the genetic sequence of the new coronavirus that was raging in

the metropolitan area of Wuhan, about 500 miles west of Shanghai.



Because of the volume of global travel, cases would almost surely emerge in

the United States. The genetic sequence was what scientists at the CDC

needed to design a test kit for detecting coronavirus infections.



AD



At the CDCs labs in Atlanta, scientists went to work. Officials there

assigned responsibility for designing the test kits to the CDCs Division

of Viral Diseases, whose stated mission is to prevent disease, disability

and death.



Those familiar with the events said the design efforts were led by Stephen

Lindstrom, an accomplished respiratory virus specialist who was a co-

inventor of seven earlier CDC tests for strains of the flu. Lindstrom, who

did not respond to a request for comment, was responsible for designing but

not manufacturing the kits, scientists told The Post.



For reasons that have remained unexplained publicly, the CDC scientists

chose complexity over simplicity in the tests design.



The test kits featured two components that focused on separate regions of

the viruss genome, a standard approach. However, the CDC also outfitted

the kits with a third component, a pan-coronavirus segment. That addition

sought to identify a wider family of coronaviruses, of which covid-19 is the

most recent strain to be observed in humans. Tests that were being

developed abroad under sponsorship from the World Health Organization did

not include this extra feature.



With the additional test component, the CDCs scientists may have hoped to

bolster the kits reliability in distinguishing covid-19 from other

coronavirus strains.



One of them, severe acute respiratory syndrome, or SARS, originated in China

in 2003 and killed 774 people worldwide, though none in the United States.

SARS jumped from an animal species to humans, as was the case with the

coronavirus. The CDC test component also sought to detect coronaviruses that

are carried by bats.



Mapping the spread of coronavirus across the U.S.



The CDCs extra test component was not essential to detecting the novel

coronavirus and it complicated the test when speed was critical, many

experts said.



Either the CDC didnt know it was a crisis or they should have pulled the

plug on that faster, said Paul Keim, a Northern Arizona University

geneticist whose institute is testing for the virus. They didnt have a

test that worked.



Officials at the CDC chose to have the test kits manufactured in-house,

instead of by an outside contractor. The CDC facilities are typically

staffed by experienced microbiologists and technicians, and the labs had

successfully made test kits for other pathogens. Producing reliable test

kits requires rigorous quality control.



The kits were developed in a specialty lab that focuses on disease research

and were assembled at the CDCs Biotechnology Core Facility Branch, located

at the agencys headquarters in Atlanta.



On Jan. 17, five days after the Chinese made public the genetic sequence,

Nancy Messonnier, director of CDCs National Center for Immunization and

Respiratory Diseases, said in a news briefing that agency counterparts in

Japan and Thailand had already used DNA testing to detect coronavirus cases.



We at CDC also have the ability to do that today, but we are working on a

more specific diagnostic, she added.



Messonnier apparently was referring to the extra, pan-coronavirus component

that the CDC was designing into its test kit.



The tests used in Japan and Thailand had been developed by the WHO without

the third component. A growing number of countries were turning to that test

without difficulties.



Messonnier also said it was likely that the virus would appear in North

America.



Its highly plausible that there will be at least a case in the United

States, she said.



On Jan. 21, Messonnier announced that a few days earlier the CDC had 

finalized development of its test and used it to confirm the first

coronavirus infection in the United States, a man in Washington state who

had traveled from the Wuhan region.



In the coming weeks, we anticipate sharing these tests with domestic and

international partners, she told reporters.



While human-to-human spread had been confirmed in China, Messonnier said, 

we continue to believe the risk of this novel coronavirus to the American

public at large remains low at this time.



After using the test to successfully diagnose the first U.S. patient, CDC

technicians began a second phase of development  manufacturing the batch

of kits that would go to the 26 public health labs. It was during this phase

that the chemical materials for the kits became contaminated, according to

a scientist with knowledge of what happened.



The first lot, they did not find any issues, the scientist said. They

used the same [genetic] sequence for the second lot. . . . The

second lot they manufactured ended up getting cross-contaminated.



Health and Human Services Secretary Alex Azar speaks at a news conference in

Washington on Jan. 28 about the federal government's response to the

coronavirus outbreak. Standing with Azar are, from left, CDC Director Robert

Redfield, CDC official Nancy Messonnier and National Institute of Allergy

and Infectious Diseases Director Anthony S. Fauci.

Health and Human Services Secretary Alex Azar speaks at a news conference in

Washington on Jan. 28 about the federal government's response to the

coronavirus outbreak. Standing with Azar are, from left, CDC Director Robert

Redfield, CDC official Nancy Messonnier and National Institute of Allergy

and Infectious Diseases Director Anthony S. Fauci. (Patrick Semansky/AP)

In the third week of January, the CDC shipped out the kits to more than two

dozen public health labs scattered across the country, from Albany, N.Y., to

Richmond, Calif.



As designed, the kits required the labs to use a highly sensitive molecular

technique called polymerase chain reaction, or PCR.



The testing relies on a multistep regimen that starts when a six-inch

synthetic-tipped swab is used to gather a sample of mucus from a persons

nasal passage or throat. That sample is delivered to a lab in a sealed

container.



At the lab, nucleic acid is extracted from the sample and placed into a

small tube, along with solutions of various chemical reagents, including an

enzyme that converts viral RNA, if present, into DNA.



Once the DNA is made, portions of the solution are transferred to tiny

plastic cups, containing additional reagents to help detect whether the

virus is present. The cups are placed into the PCR machine, which roughly

resembles a midsize office photocopier.



The process seeks to copy and amplify targeted regions of the coronavirus

genome. If the virus is present in the original sample, a detectable,

fluorescent dye is released.



The CDC provided most of the necessary materials for each of the kits

original three components.



The labs were instructed by the CDC to demonstrate that the test would work

before analyzing samples from patients.



But when those facilities began using the kits to analyze a negative control

sample  highly purified water supplied by each lab and free of any

genetic material  the tests wrongly signaled the presence of the

coronavirus.



Its not the water thats contaminated, said the senior federal

scientist who reviewed what went wrong with the kits. Its one of the

reagents.



Microbiologist Xiugen Zhang runs a polymerase chain reaction (PCR) test at

the Connecticut State Public Health Laboratory on March 2 in Rocky Hill,

Conn.

Microbiologist Xiugen Zhang runs a polymerase chain reaction (PCR) test at

the Connecticut State Public Health Laboratory on March 2 in Rocky Hill,

Conn. (Jessica Hill/AP)

The precise means of contamination may not be knowable.



Scientists experienced with such lab work pointed to several possibilities,

including inadequate decontamination of an enclosed area called a hood,

where technicians may have worked with the synthetic coronavirus material.

Improper handling of reusable lab devices also could contaminate the

reagents.



The synthetic, or man-made, viral material that was used reduced the chance

of infecting lab workers.



The widespread false positives point to a central source of contamination 

the CDCs manufacturing and assembly of the kits, the senior scientist and

others said. The problems were observed in the tests pan-coronavirus

component.



Those familiar with what unfolded when the kits were tried out also said the

contamination appeared to be at low levels.



For instance, they said, the false signals emerged only after the molecular

testing had run for 34 to 36 cycles. Detection more typically occurs at 25

to 30 cycles, in which all of the test ingredients are heated, cooled and

reheated from about 160 to 204 degrees.



On known negative samples, two out of the three [segments] were negative

as they should be, but there was a little bit of reactivity with the third

one, said a supervising scientist at one of the state labs that had a

false-positive result with the pan-coronavirus segment.



This disqualified the entire test, said the scientist, who spoke on the

condition of anonymity because he had been instructed not to comment

publicly.



Even a trace of coronavirus-like material in lab spaces at the CDC where the

kits were assembled could have caused the contamination, those familiar

with the matter said.



Had the kits been used to analyze patient samples: That means when you

amplify that [sample], you have no way of distinguishing whether its

coming from a real covid-19 source or not, said a longtime federal

microbiologist who spoke on the condition of anonymity to be candid. That

s really bad.



Rigorous validation and record-keeping should have detected the

contamination before the CDC distributed the kits, he and other scientists

said.



The CDCs lab standards are based on federal Clinical Laboratory

Improvement Amendments. The protocols are designed to catch errors in the

manufacturing process, build in corrective measures and ensure that

scientists keep an exhaustive record of their work.



My question is  where was the adult supervision? a former CDC lab

chief said. A competent laboratory would not have that problem. I dont

really understand how the kits got out without detecting a problem.



The CDC's laboratory test kit for the new coronavirus.

The CDC's laboratory test kit for the new coronavirus. (CDC/AP)

A troubled and unnecessary test component

The first public hint of trouble with the test came during a Feb. 12 press

briefing in which the CDCs Messonnier mentioned unspecified issues

bedeviling the public health labs. At the time, most American clinics and

hospitals remained unable to test for the coronavirus.



Some of the states identified some inconclusive laboratory results, said

Messonnier, speaking to reporters by phone.



Messonnier suggested that the cause of the unexpected results remained

elusive. The CDCs goal, she said, was to make sure that the laboratory

results are correct.



We have multiple levels of quality control to detect issues just like this

one, she said. Were looking into all of these issues to understand

what went wrong, and to prevent these same things from happening in the

future.



A reporter pressed Messonnier to elaborate.



We think that the issue at the states can be explained by one reagent that

isnt performing as it should consistently, and thats why we are

remanufacturing that reagent, she said.



At the public health labs, officials struggled to figure out what was wrong.

Some labs determined that the test would work without the third component.

But under the CDCs emergency instructions, health officials had to use the

test as it had been designed.



As the lack of reliable testing for the virus persisted deep into February,

FDA officials based in Silver Spring, Md., were unable to get a satisfactory

explanation from the CDC of what was wrong with the test, according to the

regulatory agency and individuals familiar with the events.



By Feb. 23, the number of Americans who were confrmed as infected by the

virus had climbed to 53, spanning six states, according to the CDC. The

World Health Organization reported 78,811 cases globally.



That weekend, Timothy Stenzel, a top FDA official for regulating diagnostic

devices used for medical treatment, traveled to Atlanta to meet with the CDC

s scientists and to see firsthand the lab areas where the kits had been

developed and assembled.



According to the FDA, Stenzel for nearly a month could not determine, based

on information provided by the CDC, whether the kits were failing because of

a design or manufacturing issue. With demand for testing surging,

some of the state and local labs were using the original kits to analyze

samples drawn from patients, on the condition that results would be

confirmed by additional testing by the CDC.



Stenzel would evaluate whether the CDC was suited to continue making

coronavirus test kits in-house, according to interviews and written

responses from the FDA. He also would assess whether companies should be

allowed to use the CDCs design to make and distribute higher volumes of

the test kits.



Hired in August 2018 as director of the FDAs Office of In Vitro

Diagnostics and Radiological Health, Stenzel was trained as both a physician

and a Ph.D. microbiologist/immunologist. He had founded a molecular

diagnostics lab at Duke University and, during 15 years as an industry

executive, helped develop dozens of sophisticated tests, including an FDA-

approved assay for detecting pancreatic cancer.



During his visit in Atlanta, Stenzel determined that the problems with the

coronavirus test were caused by the CDCs manufacturing, not the design,

according to the FDA. The shortcomings with the test kits were attributable

to what the FDA described as a manufacturing issue.



Stenzel advised CDC officials to stop making the kits in-house.



The CDC was expected to make a quality product and was required to

comply with sound manufacturing practices, the FDA said.



Stenzel declined to be interviewed.



Anthony Tran, center, the public health laboratory director for the D.C.

Department of Forensic Sciences, walks in front of a lab dedicated to

coronavirus testing in Washington on March 30.

Anthony Tran, center, the public health laboratory director for the D.C.

Department of Forensic Sciences, walks in front of a lab dedicated to

coronavirus testing in Washington on March 30. (Michael Robinson Chavez/The

Washington Post)

In response to questions, the FDA said Stenzel worked with CDC to

facilitate the production and quality control processing of test kits,

made ultimately by the contractor, Iowa-based Integrated DNA Technologies.

Stenzel also worked with the CDC to expedite test kit distribution to

public health and commercial labs.



The test manufactured by IDT was distributed and has encountered no issues

, thus supporting the conclusion that the CDCs manufacturing had

caused the original kits to fail, the FDA said.



By this point officials at the public health labs widely viewed the extra,

pan-coronavirus component of the CDCs test kit as unreliable. Amid those

concerns, the FDA on Feb. 26 informed the CDC by email that the labs could

begin testing samples while skipping the third component.



On Feb. 28  47 days after the Chinese distributed the viruss genetic

sequence  Messonnier announced that labs can start testing with existing

CDC test kits.



In the news briefing, Messonnier also said that the CDC had established

that the third component . . . was the cause of the inconclusive

results and can be excluded from testing without affecting accuracy,

she said.



Messonnier said nothing about the FDAs recommendation that CDC stop making

the test kits in-house.



We are working as quickly as we can to get CDC test kits to state and

local public health authorities, Messonnier said. To date, our

strategies have been largely successful.



That week, the CDC reported that 1,007 people had been tested nationwide.

That compared with more than 420,000 tests that had been performed worldwide.



The next day, on Feb. 29, the CDC announced the nations first death from

the virus, a man in his 50s in Washington state.



Citing unfolding situations in other states, a CDC news release said

that preliminary information raises the level of concern about the

immediate threat of COVID-19 for certain communities in the United States.



On March 2, the FDA endorsed the release of the newest kits  assembled by

Integrated DNA Technologies. Still, patients and health-care providers

struggled to secure testing and have continued to wait for many days or even

weeks for results.



CDC officials have been tight-lipped regarding what went wrong with the test

kits.



At a March 3 news briefing, Messonnier was asked about potential

contamination.



Contamination is one possible explanation but there are others, she said

. And I really cant comment on what is an ongoing investigation.



The failure with the test kits was highlighted at a congressional hearing on

March 11 that examined the governments preparedness and response to the

virus.



The Trump administrations testing for the coronavirus has been severely

inadequate, said the chairman of the House Oversight and Reform Committee,

Rep. Carolyn B. Maloney (D-N.Y.). If you dont test people, then you

have no idea how many people are infected.



We dont know where to direct resources, she said. We are operating

in the dark.



A health worker handles a coronavirus swab test at a drive-through

coronavirus testing center at Lehman College in the Bronx on March 28.

A health worker handles a coronavirus swab test at a drive-through

coronavirus testing center at Lehman College in the Bronx on March 28. (John

Moore/AFP/Getty Images)

In testimony, CDC Director Robert Redfield described in general terms what

may have caused the kits failure.



The third control did not perform the way we wanted it to perform, he

said, adding that the cause was either a contamination or an unspecified

biologic factor that caused the test materials to malfunction.



Asked about Redfields testimony, the federal scientist who reviewed the

internal test data said the kits steadily amplified nucleic acid within what

should have been the DNA-free negative control samples. That pattern of

amplification, he said, could only have been caused by contamination, not by

any other design or manufacturing flaw.



When a committee member, Rep. Raja Krishnamoorthi (D-Ill.) asked about

contamination, Redfield said: This is currently under an investigation at

this point, and I think Im going to leave it there.



Krishnamoorthi excoriated the CDCs performance.



When we dont test as rapidly as we should, the virus spreads and people

die, he said, noting that South Korea, Italy and other nations had

tested far greater percentages of their populations.



Haynes, the CDC spokesman, said Messonnier and Redfield were not available

to comment.



The CDCs refusal to promptly jettison the problematic first test kit

puzzled many who were seeking prompt, reliable testing.



They just kept doubling down on what they knew was a poor performing assay

, and that has really bit us in the butt, said James Lawler, a physician

at the University of Nebraska Medical Center who has treated covid-19

patients.



Keim, whom the FBI relied on for testing during the bureaus investigation

of the 2001 anthrax letter attacks, noted that although the additional test

segment was apparently intended to help distinguish covid-19 from the other

coronaviruses, it wasnt needed: covid-19 has a distinct genetic sequence.



This made searching for the other strains superfluous.



Among the known coronaviruses, covid-19s nearest genetic neighbor is SARS,

Keim said. Although SARS and covid-19 are 85 percent identical when they

are analyzed with the amplifying powers of PCR molecular testing, that gap

is an unmistakable distinction, Keim said.



Fifteen percent is a massive difference when it comes to PCR, Keim said.

Covid-19, because of its dissimilar genome, is like the easiest target in

the world. . . . Its not a hard thing to develop an assay to.



--

 :WWW  mitbbs.com [FROM: 74.]


Anti-vaxxers have been targeting Sydneysiders by dropping leaflets in letterboxes that claim the novel coronavirus is a hoax and by spreading conspiracy theories online.

Some residents of Ryde received a 12-page printed document in their letterboxes calling the pandemic the "plannedemic" and advising people not to follow advice to get a seasonal flu shot and challenge the government over physical distancing rules.

Nursing staff from St Vincents Hospital see local residents and backpackers at a COVID-19 testing clinic in the Bondi Pavilion. Credit:AAP

The document, seen by the Herald, said COVID-19 was just a mild seasonal cold and was being exaggerated as part of a conspiracy to remove social freedoms and introduce forced vaccinations.

The document alleges that a cast of villains, including Bill Gates, Rupert Murdoch, Lucy Turnbull, the World Health Organisation, the World Bank and Big Pharma, had a secret agenda that would culminate in hiding identifying nanoparticles in the vaccine to exert global domination.
A premier Chinese virology laboratory in Wuhan, which is in the eye of the storm for allegedly being the source of the novel coronavirus, has for the first time refuted the charge, including those of US President Donald Trump, that the deadly virus originated from his lab before it spread across the world and wreaked havoc.

China has come under increasing global pressure over lack of transparency in its handling of the coronavirus pandemic, which has so far infected over 2,333,160 people and claimed more than 160,790 lives across the world. President Trump on Saturday said his ...
More than 260 million Orthodox Christians celebrated Easter Sunday, with church leaders urging worshippers to stay at home to avoid spreading the novel coronavirus. Yet while many watched services online or on television, some sidestepped virus fears to attend churches on the most important date in the Orthodox calendar. In Belarus, President Alexander Lukashenko, who has cast doubt on the seriousness of the pandemic and allowed events such as football matches to go ahead, visited a church without a face mask. "I don't approve of those who closed people's way to church," he said, quoted by Belta state news agency, claiming, "we experience these viruses every year". In Georgia, several hundred took part in a midnight mass at Tbilisi's Holy Trinity Cathedral after the government allowed churches to open despite a curfew aimed at curbing the virus. "I could have stayed at home and watched the service on television but only here in this holy church can I find true comfort," one worshipper, 58-year-old Lamara Zhvania told AFP. Orthodox Christians, the world's third largest group of Christian believers, this year celebrate Easter a week after Catholics and Protestants because they follow a different calendar. Last week's Easter celebrations took place in empty churches while Pope Francis live-streamed his traditional message from the Vatican as the pandemic that has killed more than 150,000 made mass worship too risky. Some believers in the former Communist bloc said restrictions on attending services evoked painful memories of Soviet-era persecution. - 'We are together' - Russian Patriarch Kirill, who leads 150 million believers, held a service in Moscow's Christ the Saviour Church without worshippers. In a televised address, the Patriarch lamented "the terrible illness that has touched our people," saying church closures recalled the Soviet times when people "risked their future" by going to church. Russian President Vladimir Putin did not go to a service as usual but visited a chapel at his country residence. "This year the festival is taking place with restrictions forced on us. They are necessary to fight the spread of the illness," he said in a video address. In and around Moscow, where most Russian virus cases are concentrated, churches held services behind closed doors, while they remained open in many other regions of Russia, which has confirmed more than 42,000 cases of coronavirus and 361 deaths. Churches were not open to the public in much of the wider Orthodox region including Greece and Serbia as well as minority communities in Turkey and Egypt. In Syria, where most Christians follow Orthodox rituals, churches broadcast services online and the mood was sombre in the Christian quarter of Damascus. In the crypt of Belgrade's huge Saint Sava Temple, around a dozen people breached a strict round-the-clock curfew in place till Tuesday to attend a morning service, many wearing masks. In Albania, where Orthodox believers make up 11 percent, 72-year-old Tatjana Jani lit candles in front of icons in her Tirana flat, saying the lockdown reminded her of the Communist years of enforced atheism. "We used to celebrate like today, even though now we're in democratic confinement." In Lebanon, which has communities of mainly Greek Orthodox believers, churches broadcast services online and via loudspeakers. "It's the first time in my life I've seen a Sunday like this," said 76-year-old Afaf, who lives in a region north of Beirut. In Romania, while churches closed their doors, volunteers and priests went to people's homes handing out loaves of consecrated bread and lighting candles with the holy flame brought from Jerusalem's Church of the Holy Sepulchre. - Officials versus clerics - A number of Orthodox churches opposed the imposition of lockdown measures on their most important holiday. In Bulgaria the Orthodox Church kept services open, but required worshippers to wear masks and keep their distance. Dimitry Goldman, 46, wore a face mask to attend an open-air midnight service outside the Alexander Nevski cathedral in central Sofia. He said he was praying for "health... and that we overcome this crisis and people go out in the streets again." Georgia's government bowed to pressure from religious authorities and allowed services in the largest churches despite a public lockdown in the Black Sea country with 394 confirmed cases. Ukraine saw a similar divergence of views with President Volodymyr Zelensky urging people to stay at home while the country's Orthodox Church loyal to the Moscow Patriarch encouraged worshippers to attend outdoor services. Some 130,000 people attended services across the country, police said. burs-am/bp Russian churches in and around Moscow remained closed for Easter, but they planned to be open in other regions, while asking people to wear masks and not kiss icons Serbian Orthodox Christian priests hold a morning Easter liturgy in the crypt of the cavernous Saint Sava Temple, one of the world?s largest Orthodox houses of worship, in Belgrade Russian Russian Patriarch Kirill held a service in Moscow's Christ the Saviour Church without worshippers saying church closures recalled Soviet times Belarusian religious leaders have urged Orthodox Christians to celebrate Easter at home, but President Alexander Lukashenko says he will be in church Priests hold an Easter service behind the closed doors at St. George Church in Istanbul
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Rascal Flatts had unknowingly partnered with Frank Capri, a former crime boss who had been hiding out in federal witness protection since testifying against the mob. Capri and his partners signed a deal with the band to start a branded restaurant chain, then persuaded mall developers across the country to fork over millions of dollars in exchange for opening Rascal Flatts restaurants inside their malls. For some reason, the mall magnates were convinced that people would be crawling over each other in a human wave to gnaw on chicken blessed by the guys who sang "What Hurts The Most."

R.F. Restaurants Yep, this screams Rascal Flatts alright.

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The Stamford show location was the only one finished, with Capri simply stealing the money earmarked for 19 other sites. Recordings show an enraged Capri using threats to intimidate suppliers and developers into paying construction money directly to him. Imagine how disorienting it would be to accept a job from Rascal Flatts' business partner and discover he's basically Joe Pesci in Casino. It would be like if Jay-Z's accountant had a hook for a hand and a parrot. Where's the thematic consistency?

And the crazy thing is: this wasn't even the first time. Capri pulled the exact same scheme with Toby Keith's I Love This Bar and Grill. A chain that was supposed to open in malls across the country, before collapsing in 2015 with millions in development money missing (Around 20 Toby Keith restaurants did actually open for a brief period, which were 20 more than the world ever needed.). Capri hid his control of the Rascal Flatts project through his girlfriend and then just pulled the exact same scam. He was arrested earlier this year, although let's hope he beats the charges so we can all look forward to Kenny Chesney's Sizzlin' Barbecue Slop Bucket, opening exclusively in an abandoned Saskatoon strip mall in 2021.
Hogans executive order, however, notes that because of inmates close proximity to each other, employees, and contractors in correctional facilities, the spread of covid-19 there poses a significant threat to their health, welfare, and safety, as well as the communities in which they live or to which they will return.
As many as 7,000 more Britons will return home from India, Pakistan and Bangladesh as the UK government has announced to operate 31 more charter flights over the next week to repatriate its citizens stranded in the coronavirus lockdown across South Asia.

The flights, scheduled between April 20 and 27, include 17 from India, 10 from Pakistan and four from Bangladesh.

The Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) said that 7,000 more people will be able to get home from India, Pakistan and Bangladesh, after 31 more charter flights have been announced from the region over the next week.

"Our special charter deal with the airlines has enabled us to return thousands more. Now, I can announce the next 31 flights from India, Pakistan and Bangladesh which will get 7,000 more Brits safely back home," said UK Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab.

"We are working around the clock to get British travellers home. Since the outbreak of coronavirus in Wuhan, we've helped more than a million British citizens return home on commercial flights backed up by our work with the airlines and foreign governments to keep flights running," he said.

The FCO said it had worked closely with South Asian governments to keep commercial flight routes running and airports open. It has already chartered 24 flights from the region, mostly from India, to help vulnerable British nationals return home in previous weeks.

The UK government has added on flights from Pakistan and Bangladesh to a total 38 flights scheduled from India to repatriate thousands of British travellers stranded in the region.

The government said its latest set of repatriation flights will mean that it has facilitated the return of more than 10,000 British travellers on 55 flights from the region since the coronavirus crisis began.

Around 5,000 British nationals will have returned to the UK from India between 8-19 April on 21 UK charter flights from 11 Indian cities. The 17 extra flights from India announced on Friday will be able to carry around 4,000 passengers, and bring the total number chartered by the UK government from India to 38.

The flights from Pakistan will bring around 2,500 people back to Britain. More than 8,000 British nationals returned to the UK between April 4-16, via 23 commercial flights, following extensive cooperation between the UK and Pakistan, the FCO said.

The four flights from Bangladesh will have the capacity to bring home up to 850 passengers. Three charter flights from Nepal have also returned more than 700 passengers to the UK.

The FCO said it is working with the airline industry and host governments across the world to help bring back British travellers to the UK as part of the plan announced by Raab last month, with up to 75 million pounds available for special charter flights from priority countries, focused on helping the most vulnerable travellers.

India, Pakistan, Bangladesh and other countries in South Asia are under lockdown imposed by the governments to stem the spread of the coronavirus.

The novel virus which originated from China in december last year has killed over 160,000 and infected more than 2.3 million people worldwide.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Toronto: A man wearing a police uniform went on a shooting rampage in the Canadian province of Nova Scotia on Sunday, killing 18 people, in the deadliest such attack in the country's history.

Officials said the suspected shooter, local dentist Gabriel Wortman, 51, was also dead.

A police officer was among the dead. Several bodies were found inside and outside one home in the small rural town of Portapique, about 100 kilometres north of Halifax. Overnight, police began advising residents of the town  already on lockdown because of the coronavirus pandemic  to lock their doors and stay in their basements. Several homes in the area were set on fire as well.

Royal Canadian Mounted Police officers prepare to take a suspect into custody at a gas station in Enfield, Nova Scotia, on Sunday. Credit:AP

Authorities said Wortman disguised himself as a police officer in uniform at one point and made his car look like a Royal Canadian Mounted Police cruiser.
Hyundai has released the BS-VI version of Santro starting at Rs 4.75 lakh (ex-showroom, Delhi). The car is available in CNG and petrol variants.

The car was launched in India back in late 2018, but with the BS-VI rules coming into play, the South Korean carmaker has released the current version of the car now. It was initially priced at Rs 3.89 lakh, but Hyundai increased the price by Rs 25,000 and discontinued the entry-level D-Lite and Era variants.

The Santro has several features on the outside like signature-style cascading chrome front grille, sweptback headlamps, front fog lamps, dynamic Z-shaped character lines, turn indicator on ORVMs, 14-inch wheels, dual-tone bumpers, stylish rear taillight which highlights its sporty design.

On the inside, the car provides latest features such as 7-inch touchscreen infotainment system with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, rear AC vents, standard driver-side airbag, rear parking sensor, ABS with EBD, seat-belt reminder, speed alert system for a convenient, comfortable and overall better driving experience.

A dual-tone beige and black interiors are available for all the variants. Alternatively, buyers can also choose the all-black interiors with Diana Green colour inserts.

The car is now powered by a BS-VI compliant 1.1-litre Epsilon MPI engine. The petrol version delivers a power of 68 bhp and 99 Nm torque. The CNG variant delivers a power figure of 58 bhp, 84 Nm.

The petrol variant gives you an optional AMT unit along with 5-speed manual transmission, but the CNG comes with only the 5-speed gearbox.

Here are the variant-wise prices of the new Hyundai Santro:
Campbell Soup Company's production goes into overdrive during what executives dub "soup season." Starting in October and ending with the close of winter, Campbell's manufacturing centres run non-stop, staffed by extra employees.

Hey there, time traveller!

This article was published 19/4/2020 (632 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

Cans of Campbell's soup are displayed at a supermarket in Englewood, N.J. on May 22, 2017. Since the arrival of the COVID-19 pandemic, consumer demand has soared, eclipsing that of Campbell Soup Company's busiest time. In March, there were more orders during one week than are typically seen in the entire month. THE CANADIAN PRESS/AP, Seth Wenig

Campbell Soup Company's production goes into overdrive during what executives dub "soup season." Starting in October and ending with the close of winter, Campbell's manufacturing centres run non-stop, staffed by extra employees.

Since the arrival of the COVID-19 pandemic, consumer demand has soared, eclipsing that of the company's busiest time. In March, there were more orders during one week than are typically seen in the entire month.

"Our plants are operating 24/7 right now, which is fairly unusual for April, to be honest," said Beth Jolly, vice-president of communications at the company's meal and beverages division, which includes Campbell Canada. "It's really just been a dramatic shift to a full-out production increase."

Demand for food, particularly non-perishable products, has surged as physical distancing measures keep Canadians close to home. Grocers are ordering more from manufactures, who like Campbell have hired more workers, increased operating hours and enacted other measures to increase production.

At Campbell's, weekly case orders for that one week in March jumped about 366 per cent at the company's meal and beverage division, Jolly said.

Kraft Heinz Canada, meanwhile, reported an 80 per cent increase in demand for its signature Kraft Dinner product last month compared to March 2019, the company says.

To meet that demand, both manufacturers had to make several changes to ramp up production.

Kraft's Montreal-area production facility  where more than 90 per cent of its food for the Canadian market is produced  now operates 24 hours a day, seven days a week, said Av Maharaj, chief administrative officer for Kraft Heinz Canada.

The company is considering new ways to increase efficiency. It may prove simpler to produce only one type of packaging for Kraft Dinner rather than a variety of box designs, Maharaj said.

"From an efficiency perspective  you don't want to stop your line, change packaging, build out the other one for a smaller packaging line," he said. "But rather, produce the most popular brand, popular size and that gets more product to the market."

More difficult is changing production lines. Demand is down from food service clients, such as restaurants and hotels. But transforming a food service production line to one making grocery products is not so simple.

"In many ways, it's like, you know, a giant Lego system where every piece is connected," said Maharaj.

It can be very expensive to switch a production line and take months to do, he said.

"You can't sort of switch overnight from one product to the next."

The company has been in talks to see if any of its food service products, such as single-serve peanut butter packets, can be sold at grocery stores.

Campbell's, meanwhile, is trying to focus more on its most popular varieties of soup.

"It's a bit of a balance," said Jolly, since the company has to ensure it has enough ingredients to match the increased production.

"It's not as if we can just put out chicken noodle and tomato."

Campbell's also dipped into its existing stockpiles. The company had about 1.5 million cans with limited-edition Andy Warhol labels ready to release in May, but decided to forgo the promotional activity and release the product in April to address demand.

These changes allowed the companies to make more of their products quicker.

Kraft typically makes about seven million Kraft Dinner boxes a month, according to the company. Last month, it made roughly 15 million.

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Once the product is made another challenge is getting the extra goods to distribution centres and eventually grocery stores.

"Most food manufacturers don't own their own trucks," said Maharaj, and Kraft hires local trucking firms to transport its goods from production facilities to distribution centres.

"Very often, that can be a bottleneck because everyone needs trucks right now to get food out the door," he said, noting the company's logistics team has been working hard and "for the most part, we've been able to find the trucks that we need."

In some cases, Kraft is bypassing distribution centres entirely and instead shipping straight to grocers.

"That's one of the ways we're speeding up getting product to customers."

This story by The Canadian Press was first published April 19, 2020.
The Liberal government reached a tentative agreement with the NDP and the Bloc Quebecois about the conditions under which Parliament could reconvene this week  but the Conservatives' rejection of that deal could lead to MPs returning to the Commons on Monday.

"One sitting each week is unacceptable, even if it is eventually supplemented by a virtual sitting for a handful of additional MPs," Conservative Leader Andrew Scheer said during a news conference on Sunday. "Physical distancing means staying two metres apart, not staying away from Parliament."

The Official Opposition's insistence on meeting in the House of Commons three times a week means negotiations between federal parties remain up in the air on the eve of April 20  the date MPs were intended to reconvene when Parliament adjourned five weeks ago.

The Liberal Party told its staff Sunday that if no deal is reached between all four parties before late Monday morning, the party will attend the House sitting in reduced numbers and with minimal staff present.

That would scenario would see the NDP and the Bloc each sending three MPs to the House. B.C. MP Paul Manly would attend on behalf of the Greens.

Scheer said the Conservatives are sending the same number of MPs as the last emergency sitting. The Liberals told CBC News they would do the same.

Scheer is scheduled to speak about Parliament's return at 10:15 a.m. ET on Monday.

Liberals strike deal with NDP, Bloc

Earlier Sunday, Liberal House Leader Pablo Rodriguez shared on Twitter details of the agreement struck with the NDP and the Bloc, which includes a combination of in-person and virtual sittings each week.

"Under the agreement, the House of Commons will hold one day of in-person meetings per week, with a small group of MPs in the chamber. As well, there will be additional virtual sessions with a small number of MPs from across the country," the statement reads.

Rodriguez said the proposal will give MPs the same amount of time to question ministers and the prime minister as they would normally have under regular parliamentary circumstances.

Story continues

During his Sunday COVID-19 briefing earlier in the day, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau criticized the Conservatives for their repeated calls to convene in the Commons' chamber.

"I'm looking forward to taking questions from opposition parties, but it has to be done in a responsible way and right now, the Conservatives are not taking a responsible approach," Trudeau said.

Deal includes more virtual sittings than Liberals previously offered

Late Saturday, CBC News learned that the Trudeau government had offered to compress five days of question period into two days a week.

The arrangement would have involved virtual sittings every Tuesday, with MPs across the country taking part in the equivalent of two question periods. On Wednesdays, a smaller number of MPs and the prime minister would sit in the House of Commons and face the equivalent of three question periods.

In contrast, the tentative deal between the Liberals, NDP and Bloc starts with a proposal for a single in-person sitting beginning this Wednesday.

By next week, one session would be held virtually on Tuesday, followed by a sitting in the chamber on Wednesday.

The following week  and all subsequent weeks  would see MPs meeting virtually on Tuesdays and Thursdays and in-person on Wednesdays, for a total of three sessions per week.

The arrangement is similar to the NDP's initial recommendation, which called for the House to meet in-person once a week on top of two virtual sessions that would involve hearing from a larger contingent of MPs.

"I think the reality is the more we are meeting in person, the more that increases the risk. That's why the NDP proposal, I think, makes a lot of sense," said NDP House Leader Peter Julian.

Bringing all MPs back never on the table, Scheer says

Trudeau said during his morning remarks that convening all 338 MPs and their staff in the House of Commons would amount to an "irresponsible" move due to public health guidance urging Canadians to practise physical distancing.

Scheer fired back at the prime minister for suggesting that any parties were advocating for a full roster of MPs to return to the Commons on Monday.

"That is completely false, and it's disingenuous to try to put that forward before Canadians as if that was a real scenario," Scheer said.

The outgoing leader also said that his proposal  which includes two hours per session to question ministers  is in line with the protocols legislators followed during the government's last two emergency sittings.

"Thirty-two MPs attended representing all parties," Scheer said. "This allowed us to follow public health advice and still carry out our duties."

While the Green Party of Canada does not hold recognized party status, former leader Elizabeth May said she supports sitting in the Commons only if there is a compelling reason to do so, such as passing legislation.

Commenting on Scheer's insistence that virtual sittings do not allow for proper parliamentary scrutiny and oversight, May said she believes remote platforms do just fine when it comes to holding politicians to account.

"We've already seen standing committees meet by Zoom," May said in an interview with CBC News. "I've seen [Conservative MP] Pierre Poilievre go at Bill Morneau. It wasn't any different in quality than question period. His opportunities were exactly the same."
Qatar Petroleum has announced the start of the development drilling campaign for the North Field East Project, or NFE (previously known as the North Field Expansion Project).



The first of 80 NFE development wells was spudded by the jack-up rig GulfDrill Lovanda, which is managed and operated by GulfDrill, a joint venture between the Qatar based drilling champion, Gulf Drilling International, and Seadrill Limited.



This phase of the North Field expansion project will increase the State of Qatars liquefied natural gas (LNG) production capacity from 77 million tons per annum (Mtpa) to 110 Mtpa. The second phase of the North Field LNG Expansion Project, called the North Field South Project (NFS), will further increase Qatars LNG production capacity from 110 Mtpa to 126 Mtpa.



Saad Sherida Al-Kaabi, Minister of State for Energy Affairs and president and CEO of Qatar Petroleum, said: The start of the development drilling campaign for NFE represents an important milestone to deliver on our strategy to grow our LNG production capacity. The continued achievement of milestones, dedication of significant resources and making of substantial investments is proof that the NFE remains on top of our priorities and demonstrates our commitment to executing this mega-project.



I would like to thank Qatar Petroleum and Qatargas management and teams for this important achievement and for making sure that every component of the project is delivered safely, he added.



Qatar Petroleum had earlier awarded a number of contracts for jack-up drilling rigs to be utilized for the drilling of 80 development wells for the NFE. The installation of the first four Offshore Jackets in Qatari waters is underway and is expected to be completed by the end of this month.  TradeArabia News Service
A number of people are dead after a suspected gunman dressed as a police officer opened fire in rural Canada, according to reports.

A Canadian police officer is among the dead and another is injured, according to Brian Sauve, president of the National Police Federation.

"Our hearts are heavy with grief and sadness today as we have lost one of our own," he said.

The Canadian Broadcasting Corp and Global News both reported that "multiple people" were dead.

The suspect, Gabriel Wortman, 51, is alleged to have started the 12-hour rampage in Portapique, a rural town in Nova Scotia, late on Saturday night.

Residents were told to lock their homes and stay in their basements.

Several fires were also reported but police have not confirmed details of these.

CTV television, citing witnesses, said police shot the suspected gunman dead at a petrol station in Enfield, northwest of Halifax.

Police said he had been driving a car that looked like a police vehicle and was wearing a police uniform but confirmed he was not a police employee.

Nova Scotia's premier Stephen McNeil said: "I never imagined when I went to bed last night that I would wake up to the horrific news that an active shooter was on the loose in Nova Scotia.

"This is one of the most senseless acts of violence in our province's history."

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said: "My heart goes out to everyone affected in what is a terrible situation."

They later said he was driving a silver Chevy SUV.

Resident Tom Taggart said the quiet community had been shaken by the incident.

"This is just an absolutely wonderful, peaceful quiet community and the idea that this could happen in our community is unbelievable.

"People live here because of the peace and quiet and it's just an absolute tragedy," he said.

Wortman is listed as a denturist in Dartmouth, according to the Denturist Society of Nova Scotia.

Another resident Christine Mills said armed officers had patrolled the streets overnight and helicopters had been seen searching for the suspect.
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.
The number of coronavirus cases in the country nears the 16,000-mark. On Sunday, the Ministry of Health updated the number of confirmed coronavirus cases in the country to 15,712. The latest figures include 12,974 active cases, 2,230 patients who have been cured or discharged and 507 fatalities.

Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal said that no lockdown restrictions will be relaxed in the national capital from April 20 as the number of coronavirus cases in Delhi is on the rise.

The Centre had stated that non-hotspots and other areas that arent under the grip of the Covid-19 can see some relaxation in lockdown restrictions from April 20.

Here are the latest developments:

1. The relaxations in lockdown restrictions for non-coronavirus hotspots will come into effect from Monday. These were announced by Prime Minister Narendra Modi in his address to the nation on April 14 when he extended the lockdown till May 3.

2. The Home Ministry has said that the supply of non-essential goods by e-commerce companies will remain prohibited during the Covid-19 lockdown.

3. Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal said that the national capital will not see any relaxation in Covid-19 lockdown restrictions and that the situation will be reviewed again after a week.

4. The number of coronavirus cases in Delhi are rising. The situation is worrying but under control, Kejriwal said.

5. Maharashtra Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray on Sunday said that April 20 onwards the state will start some financial activities.

6. As we dont run our economy now, well be in a financial crisis after we come out of the coronavirus crisis. Were starting some business activities in a limited way, Thackeray said.

7. Fight against Covid-19 is the biggest invisible war in our lifetime; a war against humanity, defence minister Rajnath Singh told PTI on Sunday.

8. Union minister Prakash Javadekar said that the central government has not taken any decision on the resumption of rail ail or airline services.

9. Indian budget carrier GoAir said its employees will go on leave without pay till May 3 amid coronavirus crisis.

10. The central government has rubbished the reports of a 20% cut in central government pensions amid coronavirus crisis and described them as false and baseless.
Government recommendations that people wear a face mask whenever out in public to help prevent the spread of the coronavirus have resulted in an unexpected issue for lots of bespectacled folks: Foggy lenses.

Whether someone wears a surgical mask or a homemade cloth face covering, the masks can have the unfortunate side effect of sending ones warm breath directly upward and behind a pair of eyeglasses or sunglasses.

While this problem is certainly a comparatively minor one and does not affect everyone, about 64 percent of Americans wear glasses, according to the Vision Council of America.

For those who do wear glasses, fogged-up lenses have become an issue over the past few weeks. If you are one of the many New Jerseyans who have been dealing with it, there are several potential fixes to combat the issue.

Perhaps the most obvious solution is to buy a spray designed specifically to reduce fogging on glasses. There are a number of sprays and cleaners available for purchase on Amazon.

If the prospect of sorting through thousands of product reviews and ratings seems like a daunting task, Environmental Design and Construction Magazine put together a list of the best anti-fog sprays, updated for 2020.

If you are looking for a fix using household items instead, there is another ultra-simple method that actually has been proved effective in a scientific study. While most of us are only now encountering this problem, doctors and surgeons who wear face masks have been dealing with foggy lenses for decades.

According to a 2011 study published by The Royal College of Surgeons of England, simply washing lenses with soap and water will prevent the buildup of moisture.

An excerpt from the study states that immediately before wearing a face mask, one should "wash the spectacles with soapy water and shake off the excess. Then, let the spectacles air dry or gently dry off the lenses with a soft tissue before putting them back on.

If it is good enough for doctors and surgeons, it ought to be good enough for a trip to the grocery store.

Another method that may be effective, especially for DIY-ers using homemade cloth masks, is the use of self-adhesive fasteners that are normally used to bind hole-punched papers in a folder. By bending a fastener over the top of a cloth mask to the shape of the bridge of ones nose, it can mimic the metal piece that sits at the top of surgical masks, helping create a tight seal and keeping lenses clear.

It has also been suggested, such as in this graphic from the Tokyo Metropolitan Police Department, that folding the top portion of the mask down will create extra space for air to escape before reaching the lenses.

However, while it may keep lenses clear, this may not be the most effective technique in reducing the spread of the virus, as it could reduce the snugness of the masks fit, something that the CDC maintains is one of the most important factors in wearing a mask properly.

Whichever method you decide on in your attempt to reduce fogged-up lenses, make sure it conforms to the CDCs guidelines on how to properly wear a face covering.

MORE ON CORONAVIRUS:

Coronavirus in Onondaga County: 19th death, with nearly half in hospital in critical condition

Coronavirus: Sports leagues seek return to play but with no guarantees

Weve flattened the CNY coronavirus curve, but what now? (Where we stand after 34 days)

Boatyards, marinas in NY are open again, with new coronavirus rules
Update: Sinn Fein's education spokesperson Donnchadh O'Laoghaire has said the health of students and staff needs to be put first in any decision to reopen schools.

It comes as the Health Minister suggested schools may be able to reopen one day a week before the summer break.

Donnchadh O'Laoghaire believes schools should only reopen if its in line with medical advice:

He said: "In my view, the priority has to be the safeguarding of public health and the advice of the National Public Health Emergency Team needs to be followed when it comes to decisions around mass gatherings of any kind or reopening of businesses or schools, for that matter."

Mr O'Laoghaire went on to say that the Leaving Cert is a tough experience even before a pandemic is factored in as he called for a dedicated helpline for Leaving Cert students.

The party said the mental health and well-being of current sixth years must be made a priority.

Mr O'Laoghaire said: "The thing that comes across is that they are feeling serious pressure, they are feeling serious anxiety, and the lack of clarity around the Leaving Cert has contributed massively to that.

"The Leaving Cert is a difficult experience in any year, it is an incredibly difficult experience to try and do that with the background of a global pandemic affecting everyone."

In the meantime, the Teachers Union of Ireland has told its members there is no guarantee the rescheduled Leaving Cert can take place.

In a document released to secondary teachers it says public health advice will dictate whether the state exams can be held in late July or early August.

It says the tests taking place relies on a decision made in June, when the State Exams Commission is due to release a proposed timetable.

Earlier: Government considering reopening schools for one day a week

The Government is considering reopening schools for one day a week as part of plans to ease the Covid-19 restrictions.

The Health Minister's told the Sunday Independent it is one of the options being looked at.

He also says pubs packed with people won't be allowed until there's an effective vaccine.

Minister Harris has also thrown into question large gatherings like GAA matches or festivals such as Electric Picnic.

"We're going to have to very shortly make a decision on these mass gatherings," he said.

"I think it's unlikely that we're going to see mass gatherings come back any time soon. I think we're going to have to keep up our social distancing, even if we can lessen some of the restrictions in place."
The government's U-turn on home delivery of non-essential items will leave consumers disappointed, the world's largest online retailer Amazon said, but the decision was welcomed by local kirana store body CAIT that called it the "most pragmatic".

Four days after allowing e-commerce firms to also deliver non-essential items such as electronic goods and readymade garments, the government on Sunday said non-essential items will continue to be prohibited during the lockdown period.

Commenting on the decision, Amazon India said the new guidelines will disappoint consumers whose list of essentials has expanded to 'work from home' and 'study from home' products, as well as small businesses, sellers and manufacturers.

The company said it will continue to follow the guidelines and deliver essential products and work with authorities for expedited processes to make safe deliveries of priority products possible.

"The new guideline will disappoint not only the consumers whose list of essentials had expanded to work from home and study from home products but also the thousands of small businesses, sellers and manufacturers across the country, who had geared up in the last 48 hours to provide millions of people with safe access to products," Amazon India spokesperson said.

Amazon India further said the company hopes that "this situation is rectified soon so that the urgent need of consumers is met and that there is revival of economic activity".

The Confederation of All India Traders (CAIT), which had been campaigning hard against allowing e-commerce firms to also commence non-essential deliveries during the lockdown period, "lauded Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Home Minister Amit Shah for the most pragmatic decision" of "valuing the sentiments of Indian traders and protecting their business interests".

Commerce Minister Piyush Goyal on his part said the move will "help in creating a level-playing field for small retailers".

Separately, the Retailers Association of India (RAI) said the government's home delivery permissions need to be broad based and all types of retailers, including neighbourhood stores, should be allowed to operate.

The retailers' body said allowing neighbourhood stores and large essential products' chain retailers to do home delivery will help fulfil consumer needs in these trying times and play a part in enhancing social distancing.

Soon after the government had on April 16 announced graded plan to lift the lockdown by allowing all e-commerce deliveries and movement of trucks, some states such as Maharashtra, Odisha and Rajasthan issued notifications allowing non-essential deliveries alongside essential ones.

CAIT had resented the move and said that the state governments were against Indian traders and "prefer to destroy the businesses of Indian traders at the hands of foreign e-commerce players".

"Multinational e-commerce players have been trying to disrupt the businesses of small Indian traders by adopting unfair business practices such as deep discounting and predatory pricing by controlling inventory. Even in the lockdown period, they would have adopted their vitiated business model and promote all kinds of malpractices to damage the foundation of Indian retail," CAIT said in a statement on Sunday.

The home ministry on Sunday issued an order saying the following clause -- "E-commerce companies. Vehicles used by e-commerce operators will be allowed to ply with necessary permissions" -- is excluded from the guidelines issues.

Players like Paytm Mall have urged the government to expand the ambit of essential goods to include products like laptops and mobile phones to facilitate people working from home.

"Safety of fellow Indians is of utmost importance to us and, therefore, we support the government's decision in spirit to limiting e-commerce operations to essentials. However, we believe that the ambit of essential goods should be increased," Paytm Mall Senior Vice-President Srinivas Mothey said.

He added that people in the country are mostly working from home at the moment but many are finding it difficult as they are running low on certain items necessary to effectively operate under lockdown.

"Laptops, mobile phones, and accessories, computer hardware, webcams, all these things should be allowed to be part of essential goods. If the lockdown continues, lack of proper technical support would hinder the efficiency of employees which in turn would affect a company's operations," he said.

Sanjay Sethi, CEO and co-founder of ShopClues, echoed similar sentiments. "It is imperative to expand the definition of 'essential goods'. In fact, not doing so could be counterproductive at this time," he said.

He added that while the entire nation is forced indoors and working from home for extended period, it is important that besides products like food, groceries and medicine, one also ensures supply of other critical items like small kitchen appliances, personal hygiene items, work from home essentials like phones, laptops and accessories.

Under the first phase of the nationwide lockdown between March 24-April 14, the government had only allowed delivery of essential goods through e-commerce platforms.

On April 16, the Ministry of Home Affairs issued fresh guidelines for the current lockdown allowing e-commerce companies to sell non-essential items as well.

A Snapdeal spokesperson said the company will continue to operate in complete compliance with the guidelines issued by the government in this regard.

Nasscom President Debjani Ghosh tweeted that the decision could have been "better thought through".

"This could have been better thought through... a lot of the eCommerce cos have invested in planning for the 20th. And most don't have deep pockets to handle these kinds of reversal in decisions. The focus, I feel, should have been on ensuring adequate safety protocols," she said.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
COLONIE  It was the first week of March, and the U.S. was only starting to come to the realization that cases of COVID-19 were being detected here.

Shirley Reittinger had been busy helping organize and run a casino night at her winter retirement community in Fort Myers, Florida. Five days later, the Latham resident was going on a cruise with her twin sister and their spouses to celebrate the twin's 65th birthdays.

Reittinger was congested the day before the March 7 trip, but she convinced her family it wasn't a surprise considering how busy she had been. "My sister and I both joked with her she would get quarantined," said her daughter, Melissa Veino of Cohoes. "It was kind of a joke at that point. There werent a lot of cases."

But only a couple of days into the cruise, Reittinger fell seriously ill. Her family had to work to get her a medical flight from the Jamaica hospital she was admitted to; the doctors there were perplexed and only thought she had pneumonia. Reittinger was immediately intubated by the U.S. team before the flight to provide her with more oxygen, and she was transported to a hospital in Fort Lauderdale.

But Reittinger's lungs had suffered too much damage. She died almost a month later on April 9.

While New York, and the rest of the nation, were attempting to calm people's fears in those early days of the COVID-19 crisis about the limited number of confirmed cases in the U.S., Reittinger experienced what we know now to be the silent way the virus first passes around a community  and the swiftness with which it can overtake its host.

It turned out another person from Reittinger's retirement community, a 77-year-old man who also attended casino night, died around March 14, according to media coverage of the case in Florida.

Reittinger, a former Head Start teacher in Cohoes, was healthy and active. But she had type 1 diabetes, which experts now know is one of the greatest risk factors for developing serious complications from COVID-19, the respiratory illness caused by novel coronavirus.

The fact that Reittinger's family had to navigate speaking to cruise officials  and then doctors at the Jamaica hospital  to figure out what was wrong made the experience even more frightening. Veino said her father, Wayne, was also distraught and unable to accurately convey what was going on.

Veino, a medical doctor herself, later requested records from the cruise ship to try and trace back her mother's symptoms. She learned that after only a couple of days on the ship her mother could not get out of bed, and she quickly became disoriented about where she was and what was going on. Cruise medical staff attributed her decline to problems with her blood sugar and diabetes. She was admitted to a Jamaica hospital on March 10, three days after she left Florida, and flown back to the U.S. March 13.

Reittinger's family was able to schedule a medical flight through the travel insurance her parents had purchased. But they had to find a second pilot, after the first refused to transport Reittinger, fearing she had COVID-19.

Veino said her family has had to cope with the same grief of not being able to see their loved one when they passed, as well as not being able to hold a proper funeral. She said she and her sister have been going through old photos and telling lengthy stories about each one  honoring the storytelling their mother routinely shared with the world. Reittinger had practice, growing up with eight siblings in Schroon Lake. "She loved the noise, she loved the commotion, she loved being with everyone," Veino said.

"I could go on for days and hours about what an amazing mom, Grammy, friend, and neighbor she was," wrote Reittinger's other daughter, Katrina Schadt, in an email to the Times Union. "The world has lost an amazing person to this virus. I only wish more people could understand the pain we are going through and take this seriously."

A pediatrician in Slingerlands for St. Peter's Health Partners, Veino said she wants her mother's story to leave an impression on the public. Her father tested negative for COVID-19 despite being at his wife's side while she was seriously ill. Veino said she believes he likely had the virus but never got sick  another hallmark of how the disease silently spreads and kills those most vulnerable.

She is afraid of what will happen when society is opened back up.

"My biggest concern I have as things open back up, if we start having these gatherings its going to flare again," Veino said "It's very hard to get the general public to take things seriously."
If the Gateway City has demonstrated one major positive during this pandemic, it is that Laredos people, businesses and even medical doctors can unite against COVID-19.

On Friday, the ophthalmologist office of Dr. Michal A. Hochman donated 4,000 N95 masks to the citys two main hospitals. In the donation efforts, 2,000 masks were provided respectively to both the Laredo Medical Center and Doctors Hospital.

As of today, Laredo has yet to see relief promised by federal and state leaders, Hochman said. Our community, specifically our healthcare workers on the frontline, do not have the necessary protective supplies to safely guard themselves from the highly contagious virus.

Both major hospitals in the area were completely appreciative of the efforts by the local retina specialist.

We are extremely grateful to Dr. Michael Hochman for his donation of surgical masks today, said Eladio Montalvo, Interim CEO at Doctors Hospital. On behalf of our patients and healthcare workers, I want to personally thank him for coming to the aid of our community.

Laredo Medical Center showed equal appreciation for the donations as well.

Laredo Medical Center is most appreciative of the generosity and support we have received from Dr. Hochman for the benefit of our hospital staff and patients during this extraordinary time, LMC marketing manager Esteban (Steve) Trevino Jr. said. While we have sufficient supplies of personal protective equipment on hand to treat the patients who are now in our care, we gladly accept FDA-approved PPE to increase our resources so we are prepared for a potential surge in COVID-19 patients.

Montalvo also said a surge may be coming in the next few weeks in Laredo. He said the surgical masks will be used by hospital staff to continue their efforts against the virus.

READ MORE: Laredo EMS responds to call for woman who died of coronavirus en route to hospital

While the donation will truly help Doctors Hospital, Montalvo said it will be well prepared for the virus even though shortages may occur soon due to a higher influx of possible patients. He encourages people to help them in getting much needed materials if a spike in patients does occur.

Our staff of healthcare providers is currently equipped to keep patients and our workers safe, Montalvo said. However, it is expected that over the next few weeks, we will experience a shortage of personal protective equipment. If anyone is interested in providing items, donated or hand-made, to our facility, kindly follow the user-friendly instructions found on our website at ichoosedoctorshospital.com.

Despite this, Montalvo notes that Doctors Hospital continues to provide excellent care to all of their patients and the people of the Laredo area.

The health and safety of our patients and staff are our highest priority as we continue to deliver high-quality healthcare in our community, Montalvo said. Doctors Hospital is working closely with City of Laredo Health Department, following the Centers for Disease Control guidelines, and we have implemented proactive precautions and protocols. We are screening all individuals entering the hospital, monitoring for symptoms in patients and implementing isolation protocols if needed.

Even though the donation already marked a major contribution to the efforts of the local hospitals, A. B. Barrera, who handles communications for Hochmans offices, said this is just the beginning of their efforts.

One thing that we would like to say on behalf of Dr. Hochman is that this is only the beginning of some community efforts that Dr. Hochman and his staff are launching in the community, and in the next several weeks we will see a number of different initiatives that he is implementing to help all of the frontline workers of our community, Barrera said.

In a press release sent out by Barrera on behalf of Hochmans offices, he also noted the continued effort by the community against the pandemic is what is working for all frontline workers to have the means necessary to fight COVID-19.

Right now, Dr. Hochman, his family, staff and friends are hard at work and encourage others in the community to get involved in their volunteer efforts to support COVID-19 patients, families struggling due to loss of income, and local organizations that are doing their best to meet the demands brought on by the pandemic, the statement said.

READ MORE: Laredo coronavirus drive-thru testing site closes temporarily due to weather

As for the public, Montalvo said most of the guidelines already set in place should continue to be practiced by all the residents of Laredo and surrounding areas so the virus is finally controlled and defeated.

We continue to encourage the public to help prevent the spread of disease by practicing precautions such as social distancing, thoroughly washing hands, covering coughs/sneezes and avoiding touching eyes, nose and mouth, Montalvo said.

Trevino also promotes the continued need for people to follow local guidelines in efforts to avoid getting infected with the virus as a surge could be expected, especially if guidelines are relaxed.

Due to the nature of this virus, it could be contracted anywhere and people can shed the virus before they are exhibiting visible symptoms, Trevino said. We cannot stress enough how important it is to observe stay-at-home orders, practice social distancing and engage in good hygiene practices known to stem the spread of infection: washing your hands, covering your cough/sneeze, avoiding touching your eyes, nose and mouth with unwashed hands, frequently cleaning and disinfecting touched objects and surfaces and staying home when you are sick with respiratory symptoms, except to get medical care. We continue to take proactive steps to protect our patients, caregivers and the community.

As both hospitals continue to appreciate any donations made by the public and local businesses, Doctors Hospital can be contacted for such efforts at (956)523-2020 and Laredo Medical Center at (956) 796-5000.
One week after the Wisconsin primary where voters faced long lines and confusion, South Korea showed how to hold a presidential election in the coronavirus era.

Standing 3 feet apart, all wearing masks, voters had their temperatures taken before entering the polls. All were given plastic gloves, and booths were repeatedly disinfected. Early voting was permitted, and those under quarantine could vote by mail or at a special time slot after polls closed.

Most impressive, however, beyond the sheer competence of the preelection planning, was that 66.2% of the electorate turned out, the most in nearly three decades. In large part, this was a tribute to the success of President Moon Jae-ins government in curbing COVID-19, making South Korea a global model and earning Moon a landslide victory.

But the vote was also a tribute to South Koreans commitment to democracy.

They were determined that the precious right to vote in a crucial national election would not be thwarted by a virus  or by political games.

Elsewhere, Britain, France, Chile, Bolivia and Ethiopia have postponed or canceled elections this spring due to the virus.

Many U.S. states have delayed primaries and the debate is growing over how to hold U.S. elections in November.

But South Korea has demonstrated what is necessary to preserve the publics right to choose its leaders. More than anything, it requires political will and vision at the top.

The Seoul government recognized that the countrys history demanded that it hold elections on time. South Korea is a relatively young democracy, only since the late 1980s, explains Jung Pak, a senior fellow and top Korea expert at the Brookings Institution.

Postponing elections might have been seen by the public as a governmental effort to subvert the democratic process.

There was a desire to go on with elections, Pak says, because of the countrys authoritarian past.

A second factor, however, enabled elections to be held on time. Call it the trust factor.

People had confidence in the Moon government because it had done a good job in keeping the virus under control, says Pak.

And how did President Moon earn that trust? By demonstrating his respect for science and expertise in fighting COVID-19, says Scott Snyder, director of the Program on U.S.-Korea Policy at the Council on Foreign Relations.

Almost from the beginning (after a brief, rocky start in fighting the virus), Moon practiced political distancing, leaving public direction of the coronavirus effort largely in the hands of Koreas Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Live briefings twice a week were held at the KCDCs headquarters, not at the Blue House (Seouls equivalent of the White House). The agencys head, Jung Eun-kyeong, became a public icon with her real-time graphs and data.

Her success has to do with the fact that there was political will behind letting scientists take the lead, says Pak.

It was as if (Dr. Deborah) Birx and (Dr. Anthony) Fauci were the only ones on the stage, Snyder adds.

Driven by memories of casualties in the 2015 MERS epidemic, South Korea had strengthened its public health system. In a supreme irony, the KCDC acted on best practices shared with them by the American CDC.

The government did its part by ensuring that supplies of tests were available for drive-thru sites, along with sufficient masks and equipment. The result: Seoul never formally had to shut down its economy and new cases have dropped to fewer than 50 a day from a peak of 909 in late February.

As for election planning, says Snyder, South Korea integrated those best health practices into its preparations for the April 15 national election, which started early. Every registered voter got a 10-step guide on how to behave and what to expect at polling places, which were numerous and sufficiently staffed to avoid unmanageable lines.

We wont know for another two weeks whether, despite precautions, these elections will produce a spike in virus cases. But voters were clearly willing to chance it. Individual Korean voters made the decision that the right to vote was worth the health risk, Snyder says.

I believe that the same fervor to preserve Americas democracy will drive U.S. citizens to the polls in November. If the White House takes the steps necessary to ensure safety.

Instead, the president still refuses to direct the national coordination of testing and distribution of vital supplies that is required before the country can restart.

GOP legislators refuse to appropriate the funds to prepare for the November vote. They steadfastly oppose preparations for mass voting by mail, which may be necessary if the administration fails to curb the virus.

The South Korea election stands as an example of what we could achieve if we could only follow the guidelines that our CDC once provided to Seouls experts. We have the scientists  and the committed voters.

What we lack is a president willing to forgo political games.

Trudy Rubin is a columnist and editorial-board member for the Philadelphia Inquirer.
Setting the stage for the return of migrant labourers as well as other people from the state who will return to Odisha after the lockdown is lifted on May 3, the state plans to keep all of them in 14-day institutional quarantine in towns and villages.

In a video message on Sunday, chief minister Naveen Patnaik said when the restrictions are lifted, Odisha in coordination with the host state and Government of India will facilitate the return of all those who want to come back home.

In spite of best efforts of our state and the host states, life is not normal for them and it pains me. In our state we have about 1 lakh people from other states whom the state is taking care. Similarly, there are lakhs of brothers and sisters from Odisha in other states (students, professionals, stranded pilgrims and patients and a large number of workers). Every person on return from outside Odisha would have to compulsorily stay in quarantine for 14 days observing the guidelines issued by the health and family welfare department, Patnaik said, adding that one of the key factors in controlling the spread in Odisha was the mandatory registration of all foreign returnees and placing them in compulsory quarantine.

Patnaik said every gram panchayat and urban local body in the state will have registration facility and those returning from other states will register themselves in the panchayats and urban local bodies.

Following this they will be kept in 14-day quarantine. Their treatment, food and accommodation expenses will be taken care of by the state government. Family members and relatives of the returnees will ensure that the registration happens, Patnaik said.

According to the CM, to implement this effectively and with a humane touch, the state government has delegated the powers of district collectors to sarpanches of the panchayats under the provisions of Section 51 of the Disaster Management Act of 2005, Epidemic Diseases Act 1897 and Odisha Covid-19 Regulations 2020.

Registration, streamlined movement and 14 day quarantine are very important to protect the returnee, their own families, the community and the state at-large, he said.

Odisha has so far reported 61 positive cases and 1 death due to Covid-19.
Broadway star Nick Cordero had his leg amputated after suffering complications from coronavirus, his wife has confirmed.

On Saturday (18 April), Corderos wife Amanda Kloots explained on her Instagram Story that she and her husband had received difficult news.

She said that blood thinners doctors were using to help clotting in Corderos leg had sparked internal bleeding in his intestines.

We took him off blood thinners but that again was going to cause some clotting in the right leg, so the right leg will be amputated today, Kloots said.

Kloots, who has a 10-month-old son with the actor, has been keeping her followers regularly updated on Corderos health since he was hospitalised in Los Angeles on 31 March.

On Saturday night, Kloots confirmed on Instagram Stories her husband underwent the amputation and made it through.

He made it through the surgery, which is really big, Kloots said. Theyre taking him back to the room to recover and rest for the rest of the night, so hopefully hell just kind of relax and rest.

The Tony-nominated actor, who is best known for his work in Broadway productions of Waitress and Bullets Over Broadway, was initially diagnosed with pneumonia, before testing positive for coronavirus.

While being treated in intensive care for a lung infection and fever, which caused a dangerous drop in blood pressure, he was placed on life support. He has remained unconscious in recovery since.

On Thursday (16 April), Kloots said on Instagram: Im exhausted and so tired, and we are doing our best over here to hold down the fort.

A number of Corderos friends have used social media to express their love for the actor, sharing videos alongside the hashtag #WakeUpNick.
S Lalitha By

Express News Service

BENGALURU: With the number of COVID-19 positive cases increasing in the state, the government has come out with revised guidelines to manage containment zones. According to a circular issued by Chief Secretary T M Vijay Bhaskar on Saturday, the area around the house of a patient will be considered a containment zone until no new case is reported within 28 days of the last positive case in the area or if there are less than 10 primary and secondary contacts under active home quarantine.

It also pointed out that if a COVID-19 patient is in an apartment complex, the entire block will be as a containment zone. In case of an independent house or villa, a 100-metre radius it will be declared as a containment zone. In rural areas, the complete habitation area of a COVID-19 patient will be declared a containment zone.

The area within a 5-km radius of a containment zone in an urban area will be considered as a buffer and in rural areas the scope is enhanced to a radius of 7 km. While an incident commander will be appointed to each containment zone, there will be a special team in place to monitor the area. There will also be mobile teams to enforce lockdown in containment zones.

The zones will be cordoned off with hard barricading by the police. In Bengaluru, BBMP will maintain the overall sanitation in the containment zones. There will be no entry or exit of people in the containment zones. For essential services, the police should provide entry or exit passes for the suppliers, according to the guidelines. The health department will have 50 teams for surveillance who will check on the SARI and ILI cases and refer them to fever clinics or isolation hospitals.

Highlights

Containment zone is a well-defined area around the residence of confirmed cases

People cannot go out, essentials will be provided

With just one positive case in an apartment, entire building will be containment zone

For slum areas, 100 metres around the positive cases will be contained

Buffer zone will be the extended area of containment zone: 7 km in Urban, 5 km in rural

50 health teams to check on SARI and ILI casesPolice to ensure complete barricading and no entry of vehicles, or any people in these zones
A woman has tested positive to COVID-19 after being released from her quarantine hotel in Sydney.

The Australian Government introduced strict quarantine laws on March 30 mandating that all international arrivals enter isolation hotels for two weeks to ensure anyone with the virus does not infect the community.

The new rules came after it was discovered that two-thirds of the nation's infections at the time came from overseas.

The woman in her 20s suspected she had the deadly virus after arriving back from her overseas trip this month because she felt 'weird', news.com.au reported.

Returning overseas travellers are ushered into the InterContinental Hotel for the beginning of their 14-day imposed quarantine in Sydney

International travellers who arrived back in Sydney on March 29 are taken into mandatory quarantine

She was contacted by a nurse while in lockdown and explained she was feeling sick.

After describing her symptoms, the woman claimed she was denied a medical examination and access to testing.

The woman, who wished to remain anonymous, said she wasn't visited by any medical professionals during quarantine.

She had her temperature checked on day 13 and was cleared from quarantine the next day with the rest of her group.

The party were then free to travel interstate to their homes.

She decided to get tested for the virus once she arrived home because she didn't want to infect her family and friends.

The woman said she was shocked to find she had the virus.

A man quarantined at the Sofitel Wentworth, Sydney, on April 12 wrote a note on the window of his room

Two passengers dressed in full protective suits wait to enter the departures lounge at Sydney Airport in order to depart the country on March 29

'When I left quarantine I assumed I was one of the safest people in Australia, but now to find out I am positive for coronavirus and possibly contagious is stressful.'

The health department then told the woman to retrace her steps after she left the quarantine hotel because it didn't know if she was contagious or not.

Others who have been quarantined in Australian hotel also claimed they were denied access to tests.

'I'm experiencing weird symptoms and I've called the doctor at the hotel to see if I should be tested and they've said no because my symptoms aren't severe enough,' one returning traveller wrote in a Facebook group for quarantined Australians.

The NSW government told the publication testing should be done on people in the quarantine hotels if they have a cough or fever.

It also said people without those symptoms will not be tested as it can lead to false negative results.

'People leaving general hotel quarantine undergo a health assessment conducted by NSW Health which includes checking for symptoms and taking a temperature before release,' the department said.

More than 7,000 international travellers have undergone 14 days of quarantine in Sydney hotels.

Only 61 have tested positive to the virus.
A wealthy motorist who argued driving was a 'form of exercise' has been fined for breaking stay at home orders during the coronavirus lockdown.

The 43-year-old man was pulled over in his $265,000 McLaren 650S in Kings Cross in Sydney's CBD just after midnight on Saturday.

He told officers he was on his way to Wolloomooloo to get petrol with a friend - despite living over 30 kilometres away in Fairfield in the city's south.

When police told him he was breaking the law, he lashed out at officers and boasted about his fortune.

'Do what you want mate, I don't care,' he told officers from the Kings Cross Police Area Command.

'This $1,000 fine won't hurt with my $15 million.'

A motorist was fined $1,000 for leaving his house unnecessarily on Saturday night. Pictured: Police officers speaking with motorists attempting to cross the NSW to Queensland border during coronavirus lockdown

He was driving an McLaren 650S (pictured), worth upwards of $265,000, and told officers the $1,000 fine for breaking social distancing policies wouldn't make a dent in his $15M fortune

Police have issued at least 45 infringement notices regarding the coronavirus lockdown policies in the last 24 hours in New South Wales alone.

Australians have been urged to stay home unless absolutely necessary, and cannot travel in groups of more than two people.

The only acceptable reasons for leaving the house include daily exercise, collecting essential supplies like food or medicine or to go to work.

Other infringement notices that were handed out on Saturday included a group of four men - aged between 18 and 23 - who were travelling in a car together on the mid north coast and a Mount Druitt man who told officers he was on his way to a friend's house to 'smoke weed'.

Two men, aged 71 and 77, were also fined after they were moved along with warnings twice on the same day before being caught breaking the rules again.

The men were socialising in wider groups in Waterloo, in Sydney's south.

Police officers have been issuing fines to motorists caught breaking social distancing rules. In NSW, 47 fines were issued in the last 24 hours alone

Individuals can be fined $1,000 for breaking social distancing rules and businesses up to $5,000 during the coronavirus pandemic.

There are currently 6,598 known cases of COVID-19 in Australia, including 70 deaths.

Prime Minister Scott Morrison has indicated the government will begin looking at a 'way out' strategy to begin loosening restrictions if case numbers continue to plummet.

In the meantime, police urge anybody who has information regarding individuals or businesses breaking COVID-19 policies to contact Crime Stoppers.

All reports can be confidential.

There are currently 6,598 known cases of COVID-19 in Australia, including 70 deaths
Commons Speaker Sir Lindsay Hoyle last night urged Ministers to 'stay away' from the House of Commons when it re-opens this week.

Writing in The Sunday Telegraph, Sir Lindsay warned MPs to stay at home rather than journey to Westminster.

But members who do decide to physically sit in the thinned-down chamber - around 50 will be the new maximum - could undergo screening to ensure they are not infected.

This comes after Sir Lindsay asked the Government to investigate ways of allowing Parliament to sit remotely using online technology when it returns.

Sir Lindsay warned MPs to stay at home rather than journey to Westminster

Sir Lindsay writes in The Sunday Telegraph: 'I know some colleagues will feel it is their right to be seen to be present, but I would urge them to stay away.

'For every Member who turns up to Parliament, staff have to come in to support them, which goes against everything we are being told to do. I do not want MPs and House staff putting themselves at risk.

'After all, there is no benefit to being here physically. Under this new  and temporary  measure, MPs in the chamber will have no more advantage.'

MPs are set to take part in Commons proceedings remotely when Parliament returns next week - although around 50 at a time will still be able to sit on the green benches in the Palace of Westminster.

Sir Lindsay has been in consultations with Public Health England to draw up plans to check these MPs are 'fit and well' before entering the parliamentary estate, and mooted temperature checks, according to the Sunday Times.

The Commons will use Zoom to allow 120 MPs to take part in proceedings remotely, while those who continue to attend the Palace of Westminster will obey strict social distancing rules.

Experts from the National Cyber Security Centre have told the Commons authorities the use of Zoom will be appropriate for the hearings as long as the application's use is carefully managed.

The unprecedented step towards a 'hybrid' house was taken by the Commons Commission to keep parliamentary democracy going during the coronavirus crisis.

The plan still needs to be approved by MPs when Parliament returns from the Easter break on April 21.

The Speaker said: 'By initiating a hybrid solution, with steps towards an entirely virtual Parliament, we are enabling members to stay close to their communities, while continuing their important work scrutinising the Government.

'I do not want members and House staff putting themselves at risk.

'By working virtually, this is our contribution to the guidance of stay home, protect the NHS and save lives.'

The Commons will use Zoom to allow 120 MPs to take part in proceedings remotely, while those who continue to attend the Palace of Westminster will obey strict social distancing rules

Commons Leader Jacob Rees-Mogg added: 'These measures will make it possible for Parliament to continue its work of conducting scrutiny, authorising spending and making laws - all of which are essential to tackling coronavirus.

'I am extremely grateful to Mr Speaker for showing the leadership necessary to make this happen; to the parties, who have worked together constructively to ensure next week's business will run smoothly with the minimal necessary attendance in Westminster; and to House staff, for working so hard over the Easter break to make these changes technically possible.'

If the new measures are agreed, it will mean from Wednesday April 22 some MPs will be able to take part in Prime Minister's Questions, any urgent questions and statements via video link for the first two hours of each sitting day.

If the system works, it could be extended at a later date so that MPs can take part in debates on motions and legislation from home.

But it will also be up to MPs to decide on any shift to a system of remote voting.

A number of screens will be placed around the Commons chamber to allow the Speaker and MPs in Westminster to be able to see their homeworking colleagues.

Those joining by Zoom will be expected not to display or draw attention to objects to illustrate their contributions, following the same rules as MPs in Parliament.
Vineet Upadhyay By

Express News Service

DEHRADUN: The Uttarakhand state government announced that the chief priest of Char Dham will be allowed to perform the rituals only if they test negative for COVID-19.

The chief priests of Kedarnath and Badrinath, who were stranded in Maharashtra, are on their way to Uttarakhand.

Satpal Maharaj, minister for tourism and culture in the state said, "The priests will be tested for COVID-19 once they reach Rishikesh. Once test reports come, the next course of action will be decided depending on the results. The priests will be sent into quarantine for 14 days as a precautionary measure."

Portals of Gangotri and Yamunotri shrines will open on April 26, portals of Kedarnath shrine will open on April 29 and portals of Badrinath on April 30.

The officials from the state tourism minister also said that plans are being put in place for rituals to be performed in accordance with traditions.

"A representative of the chief priest can perform the prayers in the presence of the chief priest in Ukhimath in Rudraprayag district for Kedarnath shrine, a Nambudiri Brahmin can perform the prayers for Badrinath shrine. We will consult the priests and decide accordingly," added the minister.

Traditionally it is required of the chief priests of Kedarnath and Badrinath to go to different states to collect donations and invite people to come to the shrine, before the opening of the portals.

According to a centuries-old tradition established at the time of Adi Shankaracharya, the head priest of Kedarnath shrine has to be present for the rituals at the time when the deity is brought in procession to the Kedarnath temple from Ukhimath when the portals are opened in summers.

The chief priests of the shrines got stranded in Kerala and Maharashtra due to the lockdown while they were visiting these states. Last week, permission was been granted by Maharashtra and Kerela government to chief priests of the shrines to travel back to Uttarakhand.

The chief priest of Kedarnath shrine had written to Prime Minister Narendra Modi seeking help to reach the shrine before portals open on April 29 morning.

Meanwhile, the state government has decided to ho for online darshan and not allow pilgrims to visit the four Char Dham shrines.

Earlier, the state tourism minister Satpal Maharaj said that the portal s of the Char Dham shrines- Kedarnath, Badrinath, Gangotri and Yamunotri will open on predefined schedule on April 26, 29 and 30.

In year 2019, in a highest ever turnout, over 38 lakh pilgrims visited the Char Dham which was expected to increase in upcoming years furthermore under normal circumstances.

In the same year of 2019, total 84 deaths of pilgrim in the Char Dhar were reported due to various reasons such as heart and other Heath issues. Total 55 pilgrims died during their journey to Kedarnath followed by 17 in Yamunotri and 6 each in Badrinath and Gangotri shrines.

Many VIPs including the Prime Minister visited Kedarnath included the President of India Ramnath Kovind, Indian Army Chief Bipin Rawat and businessmen like Mukesh Ambani and Anil Ambani.


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On the corner of Cherokee Avenue on Hollywood Boulevard, in the heart of the moviemaking capital of the world, sits an 82-year-old bookshop that has attracted film lovers, memorabilia collectors and aspiring moviemakers for decades. The historic Larry Edmunds Bookshop specializes can even be seen on the silver screen in films like 'Once Upon A Time in Hollywood.'

But in the wake of coronavirus, the owner, Jeffrey Mantor, is worried his shop won't survive. Two days ago, he started a GoFundMe to raise support from the community. It's already topped $26,000 dollars but that might not be enough.

The shop closed nearly a month ago when Los Angeles ordered all non-essential businesses to close. Now their only income is from books patrons order online, that Mantor wraps and sends himself.

Altough the small patronage is better than nothing, Mantor says "it is not enough to keep the store going. We are not meeting our basic operating expenses and I'm worried we won't be able to hang on."

Mantor has owned the shop for over 13 years and he's worked there for nearly three decades. During that time, the bookshop became a Hollywood boulevard staple -- the go-to spot to see and buy vintage scripts and posters as well as host book signings and special screenings.

"It is a bookshop where you could watch "I Dream of Jeannie" with Barbara Eden, "Laverne & Shirley" with Cindy Williams, "Gilligan's Island" with Dawn Wells or "The Dick Van Dyke Show" with Carl Reiner and get a personally inscribed copy of their books too," writes Mantor, on the shop's website.

"I am not comfortable asking for charity and have resisted making this request," Mantor wrote on the GoFundMe page, "but I cannot sit by and watch the 82-year-old bookshop that I love so much disappear through no fault of its own without making every effort to save it."

Larry Edmund's has been a historical L.A. institution in Hollywood since the early 1900's, this is what it looked like in 1969 (photo courtesy Larry Edmund's)

A BRIEF HISTORY OF BOOKSELLERS ROW

Before it was the movie-making capital of the world, Hollywood was home to booksellers row. The bookshops migrated out of downtown and into the then burgeoning Hollywood in the early 1900s.

"Hollywood Boulevard is the Fifth Avenue of the West," Esotouric Tour's Richard Schave told Take Two's A Martinez, "and in its heyday, you could spend all day going in and out of book shops, Pickwick books, Hollywood books, Stanley roses bookshop, and Larry Edmunds bookshop."

According to Schave, the roots of today's Larry Edmunds shop go back to Stanley Rose, who opened the shop in the 1930s right next door to Musso and Frank Grill. As a bookseller, Rose made a point to champion some now famous but then up-and-coming writers like Nathaniel West and Raymond Chandler. But in 1939 he gave it all up and retired.

That's when Rose's partner Larry Edmunds took over, moved the shop and reinvented it as the Larry Edmunds Bookshop. Tragically Edmund's tenure came to an end just a few years later when he took his own life.

That's when Milt Luboviski, one of Edmund's employees, took over as co-owner, along with his wife Git Luboviski.

"They just have this huge backroom and Git, the wife, decides, I think that there's a market for cinema memorabilia," Schave said, "And so she starts to create this catalog of Motion Picture memorabilia and it's very popular. And about the same time, the writer Larry McMurtry walks in the store and says, to Milt, 'I want to buy all your first edition fiction books. And he does and Larry Edmunds at that point becomes just a cinema-only shop."

That's when Larry Edmunds became the cultural staple on Hollywood Boulevard that it is today.

"We're looking forward to getting the doors open and, you know, starting to see what we can do event-wise," said Mantor, the current owner of the shop. "We're an 82-year-old business. And we've served the film community for a lot of years here...and so I remain optimistic even in the face of our circumstances that we're going to figure out a way."

In his letter to the public to save the shop, Mantor expanded on this idea, "Here's hoping we will stick around so that some other 15-year-old cinephile can come here to find the resources to learn and study about their favorite films, actors and directors and get those 'how to' books so they can be inspired to tell their own stories and share them with the world."

If you feel so inclined, you can find more information on how to help the Larry Edmunds Bookshop, here.

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Telangana Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao on Sunday announced that the ongoing lockdown in the state will continue till May 7 without any relaxations.

"The state cabinet, after assessing the pros and cons, decided that we are extending the lockdown till May 7. It is already there till May 3. Four days are added to it, he told reporters on Sunday night.

"The existing lockdown rules, including night curfew, would continue to be in force and it would be implemented in a tough manner," he told reporters after a meeting of the state cabinet.

The Centre permitted certain relaxations after April 20, but the state cabinet decided not to give any relaxation.

"No relaxation will be given in Telangana," he said, adding the decision was taken in the interest of public health.

The state cabinet would meet on May 5 to take further decisions after reassessing the COVID-19 situation.

Citing reports that bookings for air travel may start from May 4, he appealed to air passengers not to come to Telangana till May 7 as taxi, hotel and other services would not be available.

The international airport in the city would be informed to follow the rules till May 7, he said.

The chief minister said 18 fresh coronavirus cases were reported in the state on Sunday.

According to an update on COVID-19 released by the state government, the total number of confirmed cases as on Sunday stood at 858, while the number of active cases was 651.

It said 21 COVID-19 patients have died and 186 have been discharged from hospitals after recovery.

Referring to a pizza delivery boy testing positive in Delhi, leading to several people being affected, Rao said services of food delivery apps would not not be allowed from Monday.

There is, however, no problem, with services of grocery supply through apps, he said. He appealed to the people to avoid ordering food from outside for now.

Rao said prayers and festivals should be performed only at home.

"Whether it is Ramzan, Hindus or Christians, anybody, this is not confined to any one religion or section. Everybody has to follow the rule very strictly," he said, adding any religious congregation is not allowed.

The government orders the landlords of houses to defer the rent for March, April and May and not to collect interest for having deferred the payment of rent, he said. Necessary orders are being issued, he said.

A complaint can be made against house owners by calling 100' if they caused trouble, he said.

Talking about private schools, he said such schools should not increase fees even by one paise for 2020-21 academic year. The government is issuing orders, he said.

The chief minister said the 87.50 lakh ration card holders would get 12 kg of rice per person free of cost. Similarly, the government will also give Rs 1,500 per family for purchase of vegetables and other essential items in May, he said.

The migrant workers would also get 12 kg of rice per person and Rs 1,500 per family, he said.

He announced certain relief measures for other sections, including industries.

He said he has requested Prime Minister Narendra Modi to raise FRBM (Fiscal Responsibility and Budget Management Act) limits of the states.

The Centre should help the states in whichever form it can, Rao said.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
New Delhi, April 19 : A petition has been filed in the Supreme Court to seek directions to the central government to "strictly" implement its own order to stop landlords from demanding rent from workers and migrant labourers etc for a month amidst the nationwide lockdown.

"Due to the lockdown, the entire economy and activities have come to a standstill. As a result, the labour class and students are unable to pay rents of their accommodation, due to which they are being asked to vacate their rented premises," the petition filed by Advocate Pawan Prakash Pathak stated.

The petitioner also sought a quick response on the "eviction reported by tenants". He alluded to a notification issued by the Ministry of Home Affairs on March 29 which stopped landlords from collecting rent for one month.

"However, various instances have been reported wherein landlords are forcing these citizens to vacate their premises or threatening to throw them out of their premises," the advocate claimed.

The plea said that even students are living in "constant fear and depression" as many landlords are not complying with the said order, willingly violating it and pressuring them to pay the rent.

"They [students] are feeling helpless in this situation as they cannot demand money from their parents as they are also facing financial crisis due to the lockdown," it added.

Advocate Pathak said that in a predicament like this, there are high chances of exploitation and coercion.

"The students staying in these accommodations are exposed to the whims of the landlords who can constantly harass them for paying rent, which can have serious repercussions on their mental health during a calamity like this." The plea stated that the government, which plays the "Parens Patriae" role is a provider of fundamental rights as well as protector of those rights, should ensure that the students are not constantly vexed by the landlords.
Take bolder measures to stave off crisis



The economic shock of the coronavirus pandemic has brought about South Korea's first net job loss in a decade. According to Statistics Korea, the country lost 195,000 jobs last month from a year before. This marked the first year-on-year monthly decline since January 2010 and the steepest fall since May 2009 when the country was undergoing the impact of the 2008 global financial crisis.



More worrisome is that the job loss is only the beginning of an unemployment crisis. Experts warn that more jobs will be lost in the months to come when the country feels more pains arising from the pandemic's crippling economic impact. That's why the authorities should take bolder measures to minimize the fallout on the labor market.



The job loss data shows that part-time workers and day laborers have taken the brunt of the virus-driven economic difficulties. The number of those workers, mostly in wholesale, retail, restaurant and hotel businesses, nosedived by 420,000 in March. This job crisis is expected to spill over to the country's key industries, including airlines, shipping, petrochemicals and automotives.



Now, all economic players  businesses, individuals and the government  should pool their wisdom to maintain employment. Their joint response is imperative to help prevent further job losses. It is also necessary to expand the social safety net to help those who are vulnerable to the economic tsunami.



The most effective solution appears to be a speedy economic recovery. But no one knows when the recovery will come. Even worse, Korea is expected to record its worst economic performance since the 1997-98 Asian financial crisis. This gloomy situation was backed by the 2020 World Economic Outlook report by the International Monetary Fund (IMF) which predicted the global economy to contract 3 percent. The IMF forecast the Korean economy will contract 1.2 percent this year.



Thus, the Moon Jae-in administration should take effective measures to avoid a vicious cycle of economic depression and job loss. Of course, the government has already recognized the serious nature of the aggravating job market. It has also begun to provide state financial support for hard-hit businesses to prevent layoffs.



But the aid program is not enough to cope with mass layoffs which will be inevitable in the course of the severe economic downturn. About 156,000 people applied for unemployment benefits in March, up 24.8 percent from a year before. The number is likely to surge down the road.



Against this backdrop, the government plans to announce a job stabilization package this week. This package should include comprehensive measures to prevent large-scale layoffs and better protect the jobless. Policymakers should consider ways of expanding unemployment benefits and other financial support for both workers and businesses to ride out the hardship.



Furthermore, the Moon administration needs to change its income-led growth policy which has so far failed to create jobs and bring higher wages to workers. The liberal government should no longer stick to rigid ideology-based policies. Instead it must take a more flexible and market-friendly attitude to fend off looming economic woes and the subsequent unemployment crisis.


At least 18 people have been killed after a gunman disguised as a Mountie went on a 12-hour rampage across Nova Scotia, making it the deadliest such attack in Canadian history.

The suspect  identified by police as Gabriel Wortman, 51  was tracked down to a gas station on Sunday after shooting multiple victims, police said. It was initially announced that he was arrested, but police have since said he has died.

Earlier on Sunday, it was reported the suspect was driving a car that looked like a police vehicle while wearing a uniform. Wortman was not connected to the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP).

The police also confirmed the man was dressed up as a Mountie during at least part of his rampage.

It was not a random act, RCMP Chief Superintendent Chris Leather said on Sunday based on the man at one point using a police uniform and car in his attack.

Constable Heidi Stevenson, a 20-year veteran, was killed in the line of duty when responding to the active shooter situation, RCMP confirmed during a press conference.

Officers were first called to the scene at Portapique on Saturday evening and found numerous casualties inside and outside of the home, a spokesperson said. Wortman was not located in the home at the time.

Our priority was to secure the area, and we were able to secure the area, the spokesperson said. And then we began the search for the suspect.

The gunmans shooting spree then took off across the province from Saturday into Sunday.

His targets appeared to include some random bystanders, said Mr Leather. We believe it to be one person who is responsible for all the killings and that he alone moved across the northern part of the province and committed what appears to be several homicides.

Nova Scotia premier Stephen McNeil addressed the investigation on Sunday afternoon.

I never imagined when I went to bed last night that I would wake up to the horrific news that an active shooter was on the loose in Nova Scotia. This is one of the most senseless acts of violence in our provinces history, Mr McNeil said.

Prime minister Justin Trudeau also spoke about the incident outside his home on Sunday. My heart goes out to everyone affected in what is a terrible situation, he said. I want to thank the police for their hard work, and people for cooperating with authorities.

Additional reporting by agencies
LONDON (AP)  British Prime Minister Boris Johnson expressed his gratitude to the staff of the National Health Service for saving his life when his treatment for the coronavirus could have gone either way" as the U.K. on Sunday became the fourth European country to surpass 10,000 virus-related deaths.

Dressed in a suit, and looking and sounding relatively assured, Johnson said in a video posted on Twitter after his discharge from St. Thomas Hospital in London that it was hard to find the words to express his debt of gratitude to the NHS for saving his life no question.

He listed a number of the frontline staff members who cared for him during his week-long stay at St. Thomas Hospital in London but singled out two nurses who stood by his bedside for 48 hours when things could have gone either way.

The prime minister said the nurses he identified as Jenny from Invercargill on New Zealand's South Island and Luis from Portugal, near Porto, were the reason that in the end, my body did start to get enough oxygen.

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 said. So that is how I also know that across this country, 24 hours a day, for every second of every hour, there are hundreds of thousands of NHS staff who are acting with the same care and thought and precision as Jenny and Luis.

After his release from the hospital, Johnson made his way to Chequers, the prime ministers country retreat northwest of London, and on the advice of his medical team won't be returning to work immediately, his office said in statement.

Its unclear what involvement Johnson will have in this weeks anticipated extension to the nationwide lockdown the prime minister announced on March 23 in response to the worldwide virus pandemic.

Johnson, 55, was the first world leader confirmed to have the virus. His COVID-19 symptoms, including a cough and a fever, at first were described as mild, and he worked from home during the first few days of self-isolation.

Story continues

But he was admitted to St. Thomas on April 5 after his condition worsened and transferred the following day to the intensive care unit, where he received oxygen but was not put onto a ventilator. Johnson spent three nights in the ICU before he was moved back to a regular hospital ward on Thursday.

Johnsons pregnant partner, Carrie Symonds, cheered the prime minister's improved health in a series of tweets, saying she cannot thank our magnificent NHS enough.

There were times last week that were very dark indeed," Symonds wrote. "My heart goes out to all those in similar situations, worried sick about their loved ones.

The government confirmed Sunday that the U.K. became the fourth European country after Italy, Spain and France to reach the grim milestone of 10,000 virus-related deaths. It said 737 more people who tested positive for the coronavirus had died, taking the total recorded in the U.K. to 10,612.

The figure reported Sunday represented a second straight daily decline in number of deaths, although the lower figures may be due to delays related with the Easter weekend.

Health Secretary Matt Hancock said this is a somber day for the country in its battle against this invisible killer.

With the day-to-day death tolls in Italy and Spain on a downward slope, there were growing fears the U.K. might end up as the country with the most virus deaths in Europe. However, the pace of new confirmed cases and hospitalizations in the U.K. appears to be plateauing, a trend that officials hope will show up in fewer deaths in the near future.

Wellcome Trust director Jeremy Farrar, a scientific adviser to the British government, said the U.K. was likely to be one of the worst, if not the worst-affected country in Europe.

He told the BBC that Britain has lessons to learn from Germany, where much more widespread early testing for the virus and aggressive contact tracing have been accompanied by many fewer coronavirus deaths.

Hancock on Sunday announced a new NHS contact tracing app that will anonymously alert users if someone they were in significant contact with in the previous few days tests positive for the virus.

While Johnson convalesces, Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab is handling the nation's response to the pandemic that has infected at least 1.81 million worldwide and killed more than 112,000 people. Experts say those numbers seriously understate the impact of the pandemic, due to limited testing and different ways of counting the dead.

Johnson's Conservative government has come under fire for its slow response to confronting the pandemic  allowing tens of thousands to gather at the Cheltenham horse racing festival in mid-March, for example. It's also faced criticism for its slow roll out of a coronavirus testing program.

In the past few days, the government also faced acute criticism over a lack of personal protective equipment for frontline hospital workers amid reports that some nurses had resorted to cutting up garbage bags to cover themselves. The Royal College of Nursing has piled more pressure on the government, urging members to refuse to treat patients as a last resort if adequate protections are not provided.

Hancock said he did not have an update on how many NHS workers with the virus have died following the 19 he confirmed on Saturday. He said efforts to procure more PPE aremoving in the right direction .... but until everyone gets the PPE they need, then we wont rest.

The prime minister also thanked the British people for the sacrifices they are making to get on top of the pandemic.

I want you to know that this Easter Sunday I do believe that your efforts are worth it, and are daily proving their worth, Johnson said.

Because although we mourn every day those who are taken from us in such numbers, and though the struggle is by no means over, we are now making progress in this incredible national battle against coronavirus.

___

Follow AP news coverage of the coronavirus pandemic at https://apnews.com/VirusOutbreak and https://apnews.com/UnderstandingtheOutbreak
Michael Cohen has been writing a tell-all book on President Trump and will be releasing it before the November election.

The former personal lawyer to Trump is behind bars after he admitted to tax evasion, bank fraud, and dirty payoffs in the lead-up to the 2016 election.

Now Cohen, 52, is 'pissed' and won't hold back in a book he has been penning from behind bars in Otisville, New York, and intends to publish after he is released from prison to house arrest soon in order to help prevent the spread of coronavirus.

'He told me he's been writing a book and he's pissed. He told me he is going to spill the beans. What has he got to lose now?' comedian-and-actor Tom Arnold told The Daily Beast.

Michael Cohen (left) has reportedly been shopping a tell-all book about working as Donald Trump's lawyer for 12 years

Comedian Tom Arnold (right) said: 'He told me he's been writing a book and he's pissed. He told me he is going to spill the beans. What has he got to lose now?'

Cohen told the publication in February 2018 that he was shopping a book and had interest from publishers including Hachette.

At the time the book was tentatively titled, Trump Revolution: From The Tower to The White House, Understanding Donald J. Trump.

But in December 2018 he was ordered to spend three years in federal prison and in February 2019 he was disbarred.

In March 2019 Trump tweeted his acknowledgement of Cohen writing an expose.

'Wow, just revealed that Michael Cohen wrote a 'love letter to Trump' manuscript for a new book that he was pushing,' POTUS posted on social media. 'Written and submitted long after Charlottesville and Helsinki, his phony reasons for going rogue. Book is exact opposite of his fake testimony, which now is a lie!'

Arnold added that Trump has been expecting Cohen to release a book.

Now Cohen is being let out early alongside dozens of other inmates, the release could be sooner than Trump anticipated.

'It's like Jawsyou don't see Jaws very much, but you hear the music, and for Trump he knows Michael is coming and Trump better hear the Jaws music,' Arnold said.

'For 12 years, Michael cleaned up everything for Trump and his family. Stormy Daniels was a tiny moment in that. There's so much more that will come out in the book.'

He believes it will be a 'bestseller'.

Another person close to Cohen told the publication that the expose was a long time coming.

'He has been using his time wisely inside to write a book and no one should be surprised as he's always talked about writing a book,' the source told The Daily Beast.

'Michael's stories about Trump are incredible. He has saved a lot of them for when the time is right and the time is now right.

'Michael spent a long time with Trumphe is going to go into everything and he's not going to hold anything back. He has paid his dues and he's pissed he had to go to jail for this.'

More than a year ago after Cohen's sentencing, Trump tweeted about knowledge of him shopping a book

Cohen is expected to spend 14 days in quarantine once he is freed early.

Sources suggest he will have no problem shopping the book and publishers have estimated Cohen could get hundreds of thousands for it.

'He was bragging he was going to have a one-hour television show on ABC and he said he would be like the Count of Monte Cristo and come back and get Trump,' one of Cohen's fellow inmates told The Daily Beast.

Cohen's attorney, Roger Bennet Adler, declined to comment to the publication.

Cohen began serving his sentence last May and was scheduled to be released from prison in November 2021.

Cohen tried to get his sentence reduced in March but a judge shut him down.

'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,' U.S. District Judge William H. Pauley III wrote then.

'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.'

Cohen tried to get his sentence reduced in March but a judge shut him down. Now due to COVID-19 he and many other prisoners will be released from the Federal Correctional Facility in Otisville, New York (pictured)

It was shortly before 14 inmates and seven prison staff tested positive for COVID-19. 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.

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 at high-risk of contracting coronavirus, beginning at three prisons identified as hot spots. Otisville is not one of those facilities.

The Bureau of Prisons said it had moved more than 1,000 inmates to home confinement since March 26. The agency said it is a 'tremendous logistical lift that was accomplished through the marshaling of all of BOPs resources.'

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.

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.

Cohen once said he would 'take a bullet' for Trump. He 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 president has denied having the encounters.
Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, April 18)  A government official is urging the public to be cautious in sharing their bank details as thieves are taking advantage of the Luzon-wide quarantine.

Inter-Agency Task Force for the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases spokesman Karlo Nograles warning comes after the National Bureau of Investigation and Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas reported a spike in online scams such as phishing.

Nograles said those involved in the phishing scheme are pretending to be bank personnel to have access to peoples bank accounts.

Hihingin nila ang detalye ng account mo tulad ng account number at/o password. Wag niyo pong ibigay yang mga 'yan.

[Translation: They will ask for your bank details like your account number and password. Do not share these to them.]

Nograles is also warning people against criminals impersonating reputable government organizations to solicit cash donations.

So we encourage everyone to double check and verify these requests for donations, the official said.

He also called on concern citizens to report incidents of theft to the NBI.

Luzon has been under enhanced quarantine for a month now.

The lockdown shuttered businesses, except those offering essential goods and services. It also emptied streets by prohibiting mass gatherings and ordering most, except for those rendering vital services, to stay at home. It was the most extreme measure yet to combat the coronavirus disease, which still does not have either a cure or a vaccine. The lockdown is expected to end on April 30.
News Directs takes a looks at five major controversies that surrounded late Abba Kyaris reign as President Muhammadu Buharis Chief of Staff.

1. Abba Kyari vs Aisha Buhari

During the first tenure of Mr Buhari, the presidents wife, Aisha Buhari, accused Mr Kyari of being one of the cabals disrupting her husbands administration.

She said Mr Kyari is one of the worst individuals working with the president against the interest of the party and many Nigerians who voted for her husband.

Since then, many Nigerians make references to Mrs Buhari allegations anytime Mr Kyari was found wanting in any matter till the point of death.

For Aisha Buhari, most of those appointed by Mr Buhari are in the know of the Presidents Chief of Staff.

2. Abba Kyari vs Nasir El-rufai:

In 2016, Mr Kyari also had issues with Kaduna State governor, Nasir El-rufai. The Governor accused him and the sacked Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Babachir Lawal of being clueless.

He said the two officials are inexperienced in public service, lacking in humility, insensitive and rude to virtually most of the party leaders, ministers and governors.

In summary, he said neither of them has the personality, experience and the reach to manage your politics, nationally or even regionally.

3. MTN scandal

The late Chief of Staff, Mr Kyari was also allegedly enmeshed in the MTN N500 million bribery scandal.

While the Nigeria Communications Commission (NCC), fine the company $5 billion for a security-related infraction, Mr Kyari was accused of collecting N500 million bribe to help cut down the fine.

Although there was no evidence to nail him till he died but many Nigerians still believed Mr Kyari had knowledge in the reduction in the amount of fine MTN paid as fine.

4. Abba Kyari vs NSA

The National Security Adviser, Babagana Monguno recently accused Mr Kyari of meddling into the affairs of the security of the nation.

He later warned all service chiefs to desist from taking further directives from the Chief of Staff without President Buharis knowledge.

Mr Monguno said Mr Kyari is not a presiding head of security, neither is he sworn to an oath of defending the country.

As such, unprofessional practices such as presiding over meetings with service chiefs and heads of security organisations as well as ambassadors and high commissioners to the exclusion of the NSA and/or supervising ministers are a violation of the Constitution and directly undermine the authority of Mr President.

5. Abba Kyari vs Yemi Osinbajo

Though Mr Osinbajo never for once made it open to the public that he had issues with late Mr Kyari but there were several reports on how the later disturbed the practices of the former.

He reportedly took part in the decision that forced the President to discard Vice President Yemi Osinbajos request for approval for funds to continue his role in resolving the deadly farmers-herdsmen crisis.

Mr Kyari was said to approach the President with a similar proposal after rubbishing Osinbajos request before the President. He was allegedly involved in scrapping the Economic Management Team (EMT) which Mr Osinbajo headed and replaced with the Economic Advisory Council (EAC).

Post Views: 35
(Photo : REUTERS/Dado Ruvic) A smartphone with the Netflix logo lies in front of displayed "Streaming service" words in this illustration taken March 24, 2020.

Netflix is the gold standard while it comes to movies and boxset streaming. As rankings of human beings are at home under lockdown, the service has seen a popularity surge. Recent stats display that as the COVID-19 crisis gripped nations throughout the world, Google searches for Netflix jumped to 142%.

But this spike hasn't gone omitted by scammers, with new research revealing an explosion in cybercrime directed on the streaming giant. Experts warned that cyber crooks are targeting users of streaming websites amid the coronavirus disaster.

Scams highlighted include putting in place fake websites to trick human beings into thinking they're buying a Netflix subscription. But in fact, they are handing over their touchy info to crooks and having their cash stolen.

ALSO READ: Coronavirus Hackers Face Cybersecurity Community's Wrath; Here's How Cyberpunks Get The Taste of Their Own Medicine

How the Netflix scam works

Cybersecurity group BrandShield mentioned were hackers are looking to steal Netflix login details. The cybersecurity company noted some 639 fake domains which use the word Netflix have been registered since January. BrandShield said 236 fake Netflix domains were set up in March alone.

The cybersecurity group said that 41 percent of the fake websites have a mail server, which suggests phishing emails may also had been sent out.

"As the world goes into lockdown, cybercriminals are capitalizing on people spending more and more time online," Yoav Keren, the CEO of BrandShield, told Express.co.uk.

Consumers of streaming websites, according to Keren, are increasingly at risk of successful phishing attacks.

He also noted an explosion in domain names featuring 'Netflix' as criminals are looking to catch consumers out and extract financial or personal records.

"Governments must do more to educate the public about the risks they face, and how they can protect themselves," Keren said.

He explained the problem of hacking is only going to get bigger as people spend more time transacting and interacting online.

The news comes last month as Netflix users were warned about a scam WhatsApp message claiming free subscriptions for the provider have been being offered

The fake alert said Netflix had been offering "free passes" to help people entertained in the course of the coronavirus disaster and supplied a link.

But while the hyperlink featured the phrase Netflix within the URL, it was all part of a problematic phishing rip-off designed to scouse borrow sensitive information.

A message on the fake website which the link led to stated: "Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, we are giving away totally free access to our platform for the period of isolation until the virus is contained."

How to protect yourself

With the internet being the way it is, you can absolutely defend yourself from getting emails from unscrupulous people. Whenever you get an email from a company you have an account with, here are some safety precautions you should take, according to Norton anti-malware software company:

Confirm who the sender is

There is a downward arrow next to the sender's name. Select it to search if the email makes sense. If it doesn't look like an email, then you're possibly managing a scammer.

Look for typos

Emails from scammers regularly have such a lot of typos that it soon becomes evident that no self-respecting company would send the email.

Don't immediately click any hyperlinks in emails

Hover your cursor over the hyperlink. You'll see the entire URL on the bottom left nook of your browser screen. If the link looks suspicious, then you're in all likelihood of dealing with a scammer. Do not click the link.

If the email has something about your account details, don't click the link

Check your account immediately by opening a new browser tab and going to the secure website. Review your personal information and update it if necessary.

Watch out for pressure tactics to get you to act quickly

In the Netflix rip-off email, for example, they let you know that you have to reply within 48 hours. Such strategies are designed to bypass your crucial credentials and manipulate you into acting without questioning that matters.

ALSO READ: Netflix And Facebook Urge Users To Change Passwords

 2021 TECHTIMES.com All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission.
Prostate death rates are expected to fall this year because of better diagnosis and treatment, research suggests.

British death rates will be 9.5 per cent lower for 2020 than in 2015, according to a study.

Scientists at the University of Milan, who assessed prostate cancer fatalities across the EU, said improved diagnosis and interventions are behind the shift.

Prostate cancer is the most common cancer in men. Around one in eight men in the UK will get the disease in their lifetime [File photo]

They forecast there will be 11.99 such deaths per 100,000 men this year in the UK, against 13.25 in 2015.

Across the EU there will be a 7 per cent drop, according to projections published in the Annals of Internal Medicine.

The number of prostate deaths in the UK has increased in recent years  partly due to the growing population.

But even with the number of people increasing, the cut in fatality rates will equate to a plateau in the total death figures, the research suggests.

Scientists at the University of Milan, who assessed prostate cancer fatalities across the EU, said improved diagnosis and interventions are behind the shift [File photo]

In 2015 there were 11,827 deaths from the cancer in the UK. This rose to 12,031 in 2017. Scientists believe the numbers will stop rising and remain at about 12,000 in 2020, not least because of a surge in awareness about the disease.

Professor Carlo La Vecchia, who led the study, said: The key message from these prostate cancer death rates is to adopt up-to-date surgery and radiotherapy techniques, together with newer androgen deprivation therapy (ADT).

This may have a relevant impact on prostate cancer mortality even in the absence of cure, since a proportion of elderly men may survive long enough to die from other causes.

ADT uses drugs or surgery to reduce levels of androgens  hormones which stimulate the growth of prostate cancer cells.

Greater awareness about the disease leads to earlier diagnosis  meaning men have a much better survival chance.

Yet for years they have been far too slow to report symptoms  many too embarrassed to discuss bodily functions and too scared about getting bad news to go to their GP.

The Daily Mail has been campaigning for more than 20 years to fight this reluctance and raise awareness of the horrors of prostate cancer.

In 2018 there was a watershed moment  and men started talking about the disease as never before.

In February that year, the Mail reinvigorated its campaign in a high profile relaunch.

The same month actor Stephen Fry went public with his diagnosis and broadcaster Bill Turnbull followed suit in March  making worldwide headlines.

The number of diagnoses shot up by a fifth in 2018 as a result. The researchers said improved methods of diagnosing the cancer had also helped.

Prostate cancer is the most common cancer in men. Around one in eight men in the UK will get the disease in their lifetime.
WHO praises Taiwan on COVID-19, but no change on participation issue

ROC Central News Agency

04/18/2020 06:24 PM

Brussels, April 17 (CNA) An official of the World Health Organization (WHO) on Friday openly praised Taiwan for its handling of the novel coronavirus outbreak but reiterated the agency's position on Taiwan's participation.

"The health authorities in Taiwan and Taiwan's CDC deserve praise. They've mounted a very good public health response in Taiwan and you can see that in numbers," Michael Ryan, executive director of the WHO's Health Emergencies Programme, said in a press conference at WHO headquarters in Geneva.

Taiwan, officially known as the Republic of China, was expelled from the WHO in 1972 after its seat at the United Nations was taken over by China in late 1971.

Since then, it has not been able to participate in the World Health Assembly (WHA), WHO's decision making body, except from 2009 to 2016 as an observer, when relations with China were relatively warm.

It has otherwise been blocked from attending the WHA by China, which sees Taiwan as part of its territory and does not want it to appear in venues that would imply it is an entity independent of China.

Taiwan has used its adept handling of the new coronavirus disease (COVID-19) outbreak and China's bumbling to mount a worldwide public relations campaign to gain support for full participation in the WHO, which has been supported by many countries, including the United States.

On Friday, however, the WHO maintained its position on Taiwan, saying it has not being isolated from the WHO "technically" but that its participation is up to WHO members, as explained by Steve Solomon, the WHO's principal legal officer.

"There is two parts to this. There is the participation within the WHO governance process, within for example, the WHA, and that's an issue that member states of the organization decide," Solomon said.

"But within the technical work... there are a range of areas that we cooperate, work with, engage with Taiwanese experts, both within the context of this current pandemic and generally," he said.

Ryan said, "We are bringing the Taiwanese colleagues into the networks, the technical networks, so they can share their experience," and added that the WHO stands with professional, scientific and health experts everywhere.

In a statement, Taiwan's Ministry of Foreign Affairs acknowledged the WHO's praise of Taiwan's efforts in fighting the coronavirus and reiterated its call for the WHO to set aside politics and allow Taiwan to participate "fully" in the WHO.

As of Saturday, Taiwan had reported 398 confirmed COVID-19 cases, with six fatalities.

(By Tang Pei-chun and Emerson Lim)

Enditem/ls

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April 19, 2020 - Ottawa, Ontario - Global Affairs Canada

The Honourable Francois-Philippe Champagne, Minister of Foreign Affairs, today issued the following statement:

Canada is concerned by the arrests of political figures in Hong Kong on April 18 in relation to popular demonstrations that took place last year and believes that this extraordinary measure calls for close scrutiny.

With hundreds of thousands of Canadians living in Hong Kong, we have a vested interest in Hong Kongs stability and prosperitythe foundation of which is its relative autonomy and basic freedoms.

We urge all sides involved in the crisis to exercise restraint, to refrain from violence and to engage in peaceful and inclusive dialogue to address the legitimate concerns expressed during the 2019 protests.

Canada supports the right of peaceful protest and Hong Kongs high degree of autonomy and freedoms under the Basic Law and the One Country, Two Systems framework.

Canada will continue to closely monitor the situation in Hong Kong.
Marysville, CA (95901)

Today

Some clouds in the morning will give way to mainly sunny skies for the afternoon. High 62F. Winds light and variable..

Tonight

Considerable clouds early. Some decrease in clouds late. Low 41F. Winds light and variable.
OTTAWA - Sex workers saw their incomes disappear overnight when the COVID-19 pandemic began to spread in Canada. Now many are in desperate situations: in need of food, rent, basic necessities. Some are now homeless and without any income.

Hey there, time traveller!

This article was published 19/4/2020 (632 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

In this July 31, 2014, photo, a sex worker waits for costumers in Sao Paulo, Brazil. THE CANADIAN PRESS/AP-Andre Penner

OTTAWA - Sex workers saw their incomes disappear overnight when the COVID-19 pandemic began to spread in Canada. Now many are in desperate situations: in need of food, rent, basic necessities. Some are now homeless and without any income.

Some facing especially stark realities are continuing to work  even in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Susan Davis, a sex worker and advocate with the B.C. Coalition of Experiential Communities, says she's aware of many who are still working, including a friend with three children who does sex work to top up her disability support payments.

"She has no choice but to go back to work to feed her kids, and put herself and all of her entire family at risk because of this unreasonable assumption that people who are on welfare or disability know how to live on that so they can make it by, while newly unemployed people are acknowledged by government as needing $2,000 a month," Davis said.

Many sex workers in Canada either do not qualify for the federal government's Canadian Emergency Response Benefit or they are afraid to apply.

Many people believe sex work is decriminalized in Canada and only criminal for those who purchase it, but this is a misunderstanding of the law, says Jenn Clamen, national co-ordinator of the Canadian Alliance for Sex Work Law Reform.

There are provisions in the Criminal Code that make workers immune from prosecution, but not from arrest.

"That means sex work is still criminalized for everybody," she said.

This is one of the biggest barriers for these workers in accessing the CERB. While they are eligible for this benefit, as is anyone who has made at least $5,000 in the last year and has lost their income to COVID-19, many sex workers will simply not apply for it.

"The CERB only allows for people who are documented in some way to apply for it, because it means you have to file your taxes next year, it means you have to be in the tax system, it means you have to be accounted for in that way," Clamen said.

Kit Rothschild, violence prevention co-ordinator for the Pace Society in downtown Vancouver, echoed these concerns.

"For a lot of people who don't feel safe filing their taxes as workers, it's really brought up a lot of stigma in just applying for or trying to apply for government benefits because a lot of people just don't qualify."

Workers who are paid through bank e-transfers could be risking their clients' confidentiality and could be placing them in legal trouble  another reason sex workers would avoid signing up for government benefits that require banking information.

There are also some people who are on government benefits, such as social assistance or disability support, who resort to sex work to supplement the subsistence amounts they receive from these programs. They could be cut off or have money clawed back if they admitted to their additional income in a government application, Rothschild said.

"If they are folks who are on ministry benefits and also working and they maybe don't claim all of what they're making, then they are not eligible for CERB, but nobody who's on disability or welfare right now is being given enough money to actually take care or their health," she said.

For those who are still working, due to a lack of other options, they are now also being surveilled and policed more heavily than before, says Jelena Vermilion, executive director of SWAP (Sex Workers Action Program) Hamilton.

"Because they're forced to (work), whether indoors or on the street, what's going to happen is they're going to be policed even more and liable to the new fines and potential jail time with the social distancing guidelines," Vermilion said.

"There's this compounded harm that we're seeing."

Those who have been forced to keep working may also be facing increased personal risk and danger, with increased reports of "bad dates" in some cities, including Victoria, B.C.

"What happens when work tends to dry up is that people take work that they wouldn't normally take or people that have bad intentions are more likely to target people," said Rachel Peters of Peers Victoria.

The Canadian Press interviewed a dozen sex workers and people who work with service groups and non-profits that support sex workers for this story, and every one of them said a universal benefit would be a better way to help them, as well as undocumented and migrant workers who also do not qualify for the CERB.

The Canadian Alliance for Sex Work Law Reform, Clamen's group, has been asking Ottawa to create ways that sex workers and migrant workers can receive financial aid to help them survive the pandemic, including pushing for a universal basic income.

"We recognize they're not going to offer the world, but we're saying if you're recognizing that certain communities are marginalized in this process, here's a way to do it and one of those ways is to give money directly to groups who are directly in touch with this community," Clamen said.

The federal government says it recognizes COVID-19 and the associated emergency can harm the economic security, health and safety of women, including those involved in sex work.

Money has been given to shelters, sexual assault centres and other organizations that serve women, said Alex Howell, a spokesman for Women and Gender Equality Minister Maryam Monsef.

"The government of Canada has introduced measures that will help to address the impact of COVID-19 on vulnerable people, including those involved in sex work. Women and Gender Equality Canada received up to $40 million to support shelters, sexual assault centres and organizations serving women who are the hardest hit by COVID-19."

But the people on the ground say that money is not making it into the hands of sex workers.

A number of service organizations have begun trying to fundraise themselves in the absence of federal aid. Maggie's Toronto Sex Workers Action Project together with Butterfly, a sex-work advocacy organization for migrants, have raised over $80,000 for an emergency relief fund and are distributing the funds in $100 disbursements.

Valerie Scott, a sex worker in Toronto who also does advocacy with the group Sex Professionals of Canada, says she is disappointed that Ottawa has not come forward with more direct help for the marginalized women in her field.

Scott says sex workers are "reeling" now from the loss of income and are feeling invisible to governments.

"This is not a time for governments to play politics," she said.

"When I get calls from women who are crying because they're terrified of going to a shelter, you just don't know what to do."

This report by The Canadian Press was first published April 19, 2020.
The Indian government has asked Pakistan to urgently repair the domes of Gurdwara Darbar Sahib at Kartarpur that were damaged in a storm apparently due to the use of poor quality materials in the shrines renovation, people familiar with developments said on Sunday.

Several photos posted on social media over the weekend showed at least two domes of the gurdwara, built at the site where Sikhisms founder Guru Nanak spent the last years of his life, had fallen off during heavy rains and strong winds on Friday night.

The photos were widely shared on social media, and the Indian side raised the damage in a note verbale or unsigned diplomatic correspondence sent to Pakistani authorities, the people cited above said on condition of anonymity.

India has taken up the issue of the collapse of domes of Gurdwara Darbar Sahib with Pakistan. It has been highlighted that the damage to the structure of the holy gurdwara has caused great consternation to the members of the Sikh community, said one of the people cited above.

The Sikhs strong sense of faith and devotion to the holy site must be fully understood and appreciated. India has urged Pakistan that, in deference to the sentiments of the Sikh community, the deficiencies which led to the damage to the newly constructed structures should be urgently rectified and remedied, the person added.

The photos posted on social media appeared to suggest the damaged domes were made of some light material and not concrete reinforced with iron rods, which is usually used for such structures.

On Sunday, Pakistani authorities also issued photos that showed the domes has been repaired.

Despite security concerns and opposition to a service fee of $20 charged from every Indian pilgrim, the Indian government last year agreed to the opening of the cross-border Kartarpur Corridor that allows Indians to visit Gurdwara Darbar Sahib without visas.

Pakistani authorities had said the $20 fee was aimed at raising funds for the maintenance and upkeep of the gurdwara.

The gurdwara was renovated and a massive complex was created around it during 2019. The Pakistan Army was the main driving force behind the project and the Frontier Works Organisation, a military engineering unit, was responsible for the construction work.

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Pope Francis called on Sunday for an all-embracing vision of the world after the Covid-19 crisis, saying moving on without global solidarity or excluding sectors of society from the recovery would result in 'an even worse virus'.

The pope left the Vatican for the first time in more than a month to say Mass in an almost empty church a few blocks away to mark Divine Mercy Sunday.

In his homily at the Mass, as well as in his traditional Sunday message afterwards, Francis said the recovery could not leave anyone behind and that now was the time to heal injustice around the world because it undermined the health of the entire human family.

'Now, while we are looking forward to a slow and arduous recovery from the pandemic, there is a danger that we will forget those who are left behind,' Francis said in his homily in the church of Santo Spirito in Sassia in Rome, chosen because it is also known as the Sanctuary of Divine Mercy.

Pope Francis called on Sunday for an all-embracing vision of the world after the Covid-19 crisis. The Mass was held at the church of Santo Spirito in Sassia in Rome, Italy

'The risk is that we may then be struck by an even worse virus, that of selfish indifference.

'A virus spread by the thought that life is better if it is better for me, and that everything will be fine if it is fine for me.' he said.

There was no public participation due to the virus crisis.

Francis, who last ventured into a deserted Rome on March 15 to pray at two shrines for the end of the pandemic, said the recovery should not sacrifice 'those left behind on the altar of progress', particularly the poor.

The pope said his homily in the church of Santo Spirito in Sassia in Rome, chosen because it is also known as the Sanctuary of Divine Mercy

In his homily, Francis said the pandemic 'reminds us that there are no differences or borders between those who suffer'. Pictured: the pope greets member of the media after the service today

More than 23,000 people have died from the novel coronavirus in Italy and the Vatican has mirrored the nearly six-week-old lockdown in the country, forcing the pope to hold all his Masses and general audiences without the public.

In his homily, Francis said the pandemic 'reminds us that there are no differences or borders between those who suffer'.

In his noon message immediately after the Mass, he called for 'just sharing among nations and their institutions in order to confront the current crisis in a manner marked by solidarity'.
Channel Nine presenter Tony Jones has lashed out at retired AFL star Kane Cornes after he suggested the mental health struggles of players during the coronavirus lockdown may be contributing to their indiscretions.

Jones took aim at the former Port Adelaide midfielder on the AFL Sunday Footy Show, labelling his argument 'garbage'.

When discussing the recent drink-driving charges involving Western bulldogs' vice captain Lachie Hunter and Adelaide crow's youngster Tyson Stengle, Cornes said players are finding the lack of structure hard to deal with.

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Channel Nine presenter Tony Jones (left) has lashed out at retired AFL star Kane Cornes (right) after he suggested player's mental health struggles during coronavirus isolation may be contributing to their bad behaviour

The retired great said players are finding the lack of structure normally provided by clubs hard to deal with. Pictured: Kane Cornes playing for Port Adelaide Power

'I think it speaks to the concerns that I had when the footy was cancelled at first, and that was the mental health of the players,' he said.

'By no means am I giving this any excuse because you've got no excuse to jump in a car when you've been in and around alcohol, but two incidents in two days speaks to the fact that some players won't cope with this.

'They won't cope with the lack of scheduling. Instead of preparing for a game on the weekend, they're at home.'

But Jones and AFL reporter Damian Barrett scolded the 2004 premiership player and accused him of 'making excuses' for bad behaviour.

Western Bulldogs vice captain Lachie Hunter was involved in an alleged drink-driving crash in Middle Park, Melbourne, Friday, April 17, 2020

The Western Bulldogs vice-captain (left) with fiance Maddison Sullivan-Thorpe (right) had his licence suspended for 12 months and was slapped with a $1,652 fine for flouting Victoria's coronavirus social distancing rules

'Don't give me that garbage, Kane,' Jones told Cornes in a fiery exchange.

'Don't you become one of the apologists mate. Drink driving is drink driving. Don't you dare start going down the apologists track.

'There's plenty of people who have lost their jobs, well they're not going around doing stuff like that are they?'

Cornes fired back at the pair and said they misunderstood his comments.

'TJ, you didn't hear what I just said. I said there is no excuse for drink driving,' he said.

'My concerns are for the mental health of the players and that was my concern a month ago when I said it on Footy Classified because these players are used to having the structure that's been taken away from them.

'They're no different to the rest of society, I get that, but my expertise is with AFL players and this speaks that a number of them may not be coping and the AFL has got to keep an eye on them.'

Hunter was involved in an alleged drink driving incident in the early hours of Friday morning.

The 25-year-old reportedly smashed into four parked cars after a fight with his fiance in coronavirus isolation.

As well as being hit with a $1,652 fine for flouting Victoria's coronavirus social distancing rules, Hunter allegedly returned a breath analysis of 0.123  more than double the legal limit.

AFL star Lachie Hunter (left) is pictured with fiance Maddison Sullivan-Thorpe (right)

Meanwhile, Crow's forward Tyson Stengle was pulled over by police on the Thursday before the Easter Long Weekend.

It's alleged the 21-year-old was driving an unregistered car in Adelaide's south-western suburbs and blew 0.125.

The Adelaide Crows have faced a raft of scrutiny for not publicly disclosing the incident until April 18.

But Adelaide board member Rod Jameson said Stengle failed to inform the club when the incident happened.

'Tyson didn't inform the club until two, nearly three, days post the incident taking place so it happened in the early hours of Thursday morning and we weren't informed until Saturday afternoon,' Jameson told ABC Grandstand on Sunday.

'Then it goes through a bit of a process.'
Mumbai, April 19 : Jewellery designer Farah Khan Ali has penned an open letter to actress Kangana Ranaut after the latter came out in support of her sister Rangoli Chandel, whose Twitter account was suspended recently over a controversial post.

For the uninitiated, Farah is Bollywood superstar Hrithik Roshan's former sister-in-law and Sussane Khan's sister. A few days ago, she called out Rangoli for targeting a specific community. She even reported her Twitter account which eventually led to Rangoli's account being suspended.

It didn't end here. Kangana came out with a video, defending her sister and claimed that the allegations made by Farah are completely false.

Reacting to Kangana's video, Farah penned an open letter to her.

"My dear Kangana, Let me begin by saying I'm a huge fan and you're an amazing actress. My reaction to Rangoli's tweet was because she specifically used the word 'Nazi' along with 'Mullahs and secular media' in her tweet.

"It spoke of making both mullahs and secular media stand in line and shoot them dead... it further said "f****k the history they may call us "Nazis" who cares, life is more imp than fake image. The word Nazis is synonymous with Genocide of the Jews where, as many as 6 million Jews were targeted and exterminated in the Holocaust because of Hitler and the Nazis which eventually lead to World War 2. So using the word Nazi is totally inappropriate, hateful and goes against the rule of law. I reported her tweet to Twitter amongst others because she 'implied Genocide' by that word when she spoke of killing."Explaining her point, Farah added: "She may be directing her anger towards those she claims killed a doctor in Muradabad and if that's true the man needs to be arrested and punished severally because anyone attacking doctors or nurses especially in today's time is totally non acceptable." Farah also shared that she has nothing against Rangoli and Kangana.

"I have nothing personal against Rangoli or you and have even met Rangoli in the past where she came across sweet. She has been an acid victim and now a social activist so should be more responsible with her tweets. She should inspire all who have lost hope to have hope. She should lead by example.

"Spewing hatred towards a community and calling for them to be killed for the acts of few is unacceptable. I do hope she sees her error and realises that she has the social and moral responsibility of so much more than just being your sister. God bless you both. May peace be upon you and our country at large," she concluded.
The District reported 90 inmates had tested positive for the virus and that 880 were in isolation or quarantined with symptoms or because of suspected exposure. Among corrections personnel, 26 had tested positive and 152 were not working because they tested positive or were in quarantine. One prisoner and one worker have died of the virus, and a 59-year-old prisoner who tested positive was hospitalized.
An "integrated effort" with help of the RBI's monetary policy and the government's fiscal policy coupled with a close coordination of the Centre and states is needed to "put things on track and restore normalcy" as soon as possible, according to JK Organisation Director Harsh Pati Singhania.

Stating that the recovery process would start from the front end with the consumers start purchasing, Singhania urged the government to help the people bring their confidence back with more direct cash transfers and other measures to help the industry pay wages.

"It has to be an integrated effort which would be done with help of monetary policy of RBI, the fiscal policy of the government coupled with a close coordination of the centre and state in a federal structure which help put things back to on track and restore normalcy at soon as possible in these unprecedented times," Singhania, director of JK Organisation, told PTI.

Over the measures announced by the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) on Friday, Singhania said it could also have helped the industry particularly micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs) with easy and low interest loans as it was linked to the livelihood of several people.

"It's not only about restarting production and business but it's also about restoring the livelihood of people. Without adequate earnings and availability of cash in hand, there would be no demand and consumption; in the absence of which the economy would not take off or be stable," he said.

Over the impact on the indian industry, he said that definitely the April-June quarter has been impacted and the July-September quarter may also be affected. According to him, it would be different from sector to sector as some would recover faster but there would be some, like the service sector, which would take longer time to comeback.

"But, it's quite clear that if you look at Q1/FY21, there would certainly be an impact because of lockdown, activity is affected in April. Even in May, they will pick up gradually. Definitely, Q1 (first quarter of the current financial year) is going to be affected. I think that Q2 may also be affected as some businesses would have a deeper impact or a continued impact and some businesses may be able to get to a quicker recovery. But, I do not know whether any business will be back to almost normal in Q2," he added.

On being asked as to whether it would impact the entire first half (April-September) of the ongoing fiscal, Singhnia said: "Yes, because there would be a gradual opening of the economy. It's not the matter of manufacturing units starting up or a company starting up. The entire ecosystem has to function at the same level as dealers, distributors and the demand by the consumers.

"They (consumers) would have to buy at the same level before the shutdown happened," he said adding that "there would be disturbance. Obviously, Q1 would be more severe than Q2, in which the business would start coming back depending on the nature".

Though the government is asking the industry to pay the wage of the employees, it should also compensate some part of that.

"All the economies in the world are doing this and we would have to resort to this, otherwise the economic impact would be so enormous and very difficult. It's not only the business, it's matter of job and livelihood," he said adding that the "lockdown was absolutely necessary but now we have to get back to track".

JK Organisation is a USD 4-billion Indian manufacturing conglomerate with 47 manufacturing facilities of products like tyre, paper, cement, auto components, dairy, and agriculture products.

The company has already re-started production in some units where it has received approvals from the authorities, he said.

Last week, Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced the extension of the lockdown till May 3.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
By Clifford Kulwin

First responders are todays heroes. The nurses, doctors and others who daily put their lives on the line teach us about concern, compassion, and especially, courage.

But others, who may not be endangering their physical health, are also on the front lines of protecting the most vulnerable.

Nine-year-old Sofia lives in Newark with her mother and 16-year-old brother. Her father is absent. Sofia is quiet, well behaved, but often timid. Her mother, whose English is poor and works as a janitor, does not have the means to be the mother she wants to be, especially now. The family lives on the edge in the best of times and these are not the best of times.

If Sofias mother doesnt work, shell lose her job. Her brother is often "out" and Sofia is frequently alone. A critical lifeline is Nancy, her "big," through Big Brothers Big Sisters.

Nancy and Sofia have been matched for three years. They normally meet up a couple of times a week for dinner, a walk, a homework session or just to sit and talk. Since Nancy came into the picture, Sofias self-confidence has improved, as have her grades. Shes begun to speak up in class, which her teachers like. Sofias mother is beyond grateful for Nancys warmth and caring.

At times of crisis, the marginal among us become even more marginal. Their hard lives get even harder. Big Brothers Big Sisters of Essex, Union and Hudson is trying to bridge that gap, make it easier for isolated young people.

Now, that warmth and caring are critically important. The two cant get together in person but they FaceTime almost every day. They share feelings about what is going in the world, Sofia worries aloud about if her mother gets sick, they review Sofias homework and play online games together. Sofia knows she can call Nancy whenever she wants.

Sofia is one of many scared little girls in our community right now, but largely thanks to Nancy, shes doing O.K.

Sofia and Nancy  not their real names  teach us a scary truth about times like this.

Many of us are fortunate. We work remotely and have money in the bank, our health insurance is solid and we have a strong network of family and friends.

Then there are the Sofias and their families, whose employment (if any) is tentative, whose family members needing attention are left hanging, whose resources, in general, are paltry.

At times of crisis, the marginal among us become even more marginal. Their hard lives get even harder.

Carlos Lejnieks, CEO of Big Brothers Big Sisters of Essex, Union and Hudson, maintains that COVID-19 has not created new problems for its young clients as much as made ongoing problems worse.

Kids already spending too much time alone are spending more time alone. Most of our kids depend on free breakfast and lunch at school for important nutrition. The food is available, but its hard to get it into the hands (and stomachs) of all who need it. Kids from challenging demographics already had lots of anxiety. Now they have it worse. In the face of that, their Big becomes a calming force, offering stability in a world gone crazy.

BBBS board member Wendy Lacey, the founder of Cornerstone Montclair, which creates work opportunities for variously abled individuals, agrees. It is no secret that during times of crisis, it is the most vulnerable who are hit the hardest.

The Bigs are important in unexpected ways. Their volunteer orientation includes training to detect the early warning signs of children and families in distress. When the signs appear  which they have more frequently lately  the Bigs alert their BBBS match specialist who gets involved, and can call upon other kinds of support.

FaceTime, Zoom, or another platform, virtually all communication now takes place with video between Bigs and Littles. Now, seeing the other persons face has become critical. At such a tense moment, its easy to understand why.

The current crisis has had unanticipated consequences. At the end of 2019, the Newark-based office oversaw 1,152 matches, which translates into a community of over 4,000 Bigs, Littles and family members. The current number is down roughly 10% because with the courts not functioning, background checks on potential new Bigs are on hold.

Perhaps nothing can be done about that, but lets be clear: its not merely an inconvenience. Its keeping needy kids from having a caring adult in their lives.

Every Big I spoke to repeated one particular point: whether its FaceTime, Zoom, or another platform, virtually all communication now takes place with video. Before, it was a text or a phone call. Now, seeing the other persons face has become critical. At such a tense moment, its easy to understand why.

BBBS quickly developed new programs that are compatible with social distancing. Alma Schneider of Take Back the Kitchen teaches a Zoom class, giving her a chance to share a special passion: healthy cooking. Its exciting to engage a population that often doesnt realize eating right can be easy, inexpensive and delicious.

Other virtual programs have quickly dotted the BBBS calendar. But the one-to-one relationship between Big and Little remains the core.

I think back to the many things I used to do with mentors who were critical in my life, Carlos offered. But, most important, was the feeling that someone understood me and saw my potential when I wasnt always able to see it in myself.

Will Sofia say that about Nancy one day? I wouldnt be surprised. And just as Nancy has supported and loved Sofia through a childhood filled with more challenges than any child should have to face, she is Sofias anchor in facing the very troubled waters that now surround us all.

These are anxious times for all but they are more anxious for the Sofias among us. Nancy and all Bigs are truly first responders to many so desperately in need.

Clifford Kulwin, Rabbi Emeritus of Temple Bnai Abraham, Livingston, is a member of the Advisory Board of Big Brothers Big Sisters of Essex, Hudson and Union.

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.
The Health Ministry on Sunday, April 19, said there are 15,712 coronavirus cases in the country and the death toll has risen to 507. Meanwhile, Goa's last active case has tested negative. Goa CM Dr Pramod Sawant has called it a moment of relief and satisfaction.

The Union Health Ministry has said on Sunday that 1,334 new COVID-19 cases were reported in India over the last 24 hours along with 27 deaths. The new announcements have taken the number of confirmed coronavirus cases in the country to 15,712 and the toll to 507. The Centre has already announced that areas barring containment zones will be given some relaxations from Monday, April 20. But in containment zones, the government may impose tighter curbs to limit the spread of the virus. In his address to the nation on April 14, Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced that the areas which show considerable reduction in the number of cases would be given some relaxations.

Earlier on Sunday, Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal declared that Delhi will continue to be in lockdown mode without relaxations. He said this was because the 186 cases reported yesterday were asymptomatic and, therefore, the situation continued to be worrisome in the capital. Kejriwal said the decision will be reviewed again after a week on April 27. Reacting to the Delhi CM, the health ministry said the percentage of asymptomatic individuals testing positive for coronavirus was not that large but it was important to be aware of this challenge.

Furthermore, the health ministry issued an advisory against spraying disinfectant on people for coronavirus. In the advisory, it is mentioned that spraying a disinfectant on individuals or groups is not recommended under any circumstances as it is physically and psychologically harmful. Earlier, a few videos went viral in which the police force was seen spraying disinfectant on migrant workers to contain the spread of coronavirus.

Also Read: Coronavirus cases in India cross 15,000 mark, toll beyond 500; Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal declares no relaxation of lockdown from Monday, to review in a week

1334 new #COVID19 cases & 27 deaths have been reported in last 24 hours, taking total cases to 15712 & deaths to 507 in India. No new case reported in Mahe in Puducherry & Karnataka's Kodagu in the last 28 days. Lav Aggarwal, Joint Secretary, Union Health Ministry pic.twitter.com/YsaMPJOnx5  ANI (@ANI) April 19, 2020

Historical data across the world show that there is not a big percentage of asymptomatic persons testing #COVID19 positive. It's important for us to be aware of this challenge. High risk asymptomatic persons are part of sampling criteria. We test & monitor them: Health Ministry pic.twitter.com/WFwi88KIOl  ANI (@ANI) April 19, 2020

Home Secretary Ajay Bhalla wrote to chief secretaries of states and union territories regarding the operations of e-commerce companies after April 20. He said e-commerce companies will continue to supply essential goods. Restrictions are still imposed on the supplying of non-essential goods by e-commerce companies.

Home Secretary Ajay Bhalla writes to all chief secretaries of states and union territories regarding e-commerce companies excluded from supplying non-essential goods, however they will continue to supply essential goods. pic.twitter.com/JD7GBj5NJ7  ANI (@ANI) April 19, 2020

Also Read: BJP, other parties see scam in Andhras COVID-19 kit deal, govt says no

On the brighter side, the health ministry said no new cases have been reported in Puducherrys Mahe and Karnatakas Kodagu in the last 28 days. About 54 other districts in 23 states and union territories have not reported any cases in last 14 days. With this, about 2,231 coronavirus patients have been cured so far.

Goa Chief Minister Dr Pramod Sawant confirmed that there are no coronavirus cases in the state now. He tweeted that the last active case of COVID-19 in Goa has tested negative. Sawant said it is a moment of satisfaction and relief for Goa. He applauded the team of doctors and entire support staff for their relentless effort and added that no new positive case of COVID-19 has come to light after April 3.

A moment of satisfaction and relief for Goa as the last active #COVID19 case tests negative. Team of doctors and entire support staff deserves applause for their relentless effort. No new positive case in Goa after 3rd April: Dr. Pramod Sawant, Chief Minister of Goa pic.twitter.com/BEApw0YC4y  ANI (@ANI) April 19, 2020

Zero indeed has great value. Immensely happy to announce that all the #COVID19 positive cases in Goa are now negative. Very grateful to our doctors & frontline workers who worked tirelessly & risked their lives to save others: Vishwajit Rane, Goa Health Minister. pic.twitter.com/h7xWGtxCy6  ANI (@ANI) April 19, 2020

Also Read: Andhra Pradesh opposition leader Chandrababu Naidu says only technology can save world from all disease

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Editors note: State officials announced that selected Fines Wine & Spirits stores will be open 9 a.m. to 1 p.m., starting Monday, to accept phone-in orders for curbside pickup.

The sale of liquor is far from a priority in Pennsylvanias effort to contain the impact of COVID-19. Understandably. But for all practical purposes, the state has reverted to a Prohibition-style clampdown, at least when it comes to the hard stuff.

Pennsylvanians can still get beer and wine from stores and eating establishments with take-out licenses. Beer distributors are still open. Craft distillers can sell their wares through delivery and curbside pickup, though many have diverted to producing hand sanitizer.

The availability of beer and wine is a blessing to anyone who enjoys a drink to offset the pressures of being stranded at home  or to decompress after working a shift in hazardous circumstances.

For casual drinkers, the lack of access to higher-proof options is a temporary inconvenience. For people with alcohol addiction problems, its a potential ramp-up of stress and withdrawal. Gov. Tom Wolf acknowledged that much when he issued his stay-at-home order and closed the state-run Fine Wine & Good Spirits shops on March 17.

The states attempt to fill the void through online liquor sales has been a bust, as demand swamped the Liquor Control Boards website. Almost everyone who logged onto the state system was greeted with advice to try again in a few days. Think of Northampton County trying to refill the drained impoundment at Lake Minsi  a shot glass at a time.

To be sure, consumer access to booze is a last-page priority in the coronavirus playbook. No one is faulting the governor or lawmakers for failing to anticipate this part of a public health emergency. But for people who drink, alcohol is a part of coping with lifes pressures.

Wolf and the LCB are trying to improve the online ordering and delivery of liquor. LCB spokeswoman Elizabeth Brassell said last week that the states initial capacity of filling 700 orders a day has been boosted to about 1,800. By this weekend, the state expected to have 121 facilities up and running, to pick and pack online orders. Four of those sites are in Lehigh County, three in Northampton County.

Still, the LCB isnt considering curbside pickup, which would help with demand. The stores remain closed and probably will remain so until Wolf eases restrictions on nonessential businesses. Brassell said we continue to monitor the situation in consultation with the Wolf Administration and public health officials.

No one in Harrisburg can blame China for Pennsylvanias homegrown liquor dilemma  for its weird, hybrid and still antiquated system of selling alcohol. The shortcomings have been laid bare.

To some extent, neighboring states have been picking up the slack. Pennsylvania residents have been venturing into New Jersey and other border states to take advantage of private liquor stores, where owners have found a way to cope.

Pennsylvania has taken steps in recent years to liberalize alcoholic beverage regulation and sales. It still has a way to go. Some Republican lawmakers want to press the issue, introducing bills in the current state of confusion to privatize the system.

Thats an argument for another day, when access to food and health care, adequate testing  and grief over preventable sickness and death  are no longer our primary preoccupations.

In the meantime, Wolf and the LCB should find a way to get the product out. Safely.
Kangana Ranaut has hit back at jewellery designer Farah Khan Alis claim that Rangoli Chandels tweet, which got her suspended from Twitter was totally inappropriate, hateful and goes against the rule of law.

Tweeting from her teams official handle, Kangana accused Farah of selectively quoting Rangolis tweet and advised her to kindly dont twist words to suit your distorted narrative. The actor claimed that her sister condemned those who attacked doctors and at no point did she compare herself to a nazi.

She wrote they may call us Nazi, referring to the slurs she received, Kangana clarified Rangolis tweet.

Last week, Rangolis account was suspended by Twitter for allegedly inciting hate by sharing tweets with communal undertones. Kangana defended her sister and said that both of them will issue an apology if any of her tweets targetted a particular community. She also urged the government to completely demolish platforms like Twitter and start our own social media platforms.

Also see | Tiger Shroff was shirtless in minus 7 degree cold, with storm fans blowing: Watch Baaghi 3 climax BTS video

Farah wrote an open letter to Kangana, calling herself a huge fan of the actor, but insisting that Rangolis tweet was targetted towards a particular community.

I have nothing personal against Rangoli or you and have even met Rangoli in the past where she came across as sweet. She has been an acid victim and now a social activist so should be more responsible with her tweets. She should inspire all who have lost hope to have hope. She should lead by example. Spewing hatred towards a community and calling for them to be killed for the acts of few is unacceptable. I do hope she sees her error and realises that she has the social and moral responsibility of so much more than just being your sister. God bless you both. May peace be upon you and our country at large, she added.

Follow @htshowbiz for more
Marinas and boatyards in New Jersey, New York and Connecticut that were ordered closed last month as the coronavirus pandemic worsened are allowed to re-open, the governors of the three states announced Saturday.

The businesses, which include marine manufacturers, can again open for personal use as long as strict social distancing and sanitization protocols are followed, Gov. Phil Murphy and his counterparts, Andrew Cuomo of New York and Ned Lamont of Connecticut said.

Restaurants at the sites can continue to offer take-our or delivery only. Chartered services and rentals remain banned.

"Weve committed to working with our regional partners throughout this crisis to align our policies when and where appropriate, Murphy said. A unified approach is the most effective way to alleviate confusion for the residents of our states during the ongoing public health emergency.

Last week, the three states joined with four others (Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Massachusetts and Delaware) to put a plan together to figure out how to rebound from the coronavirus outbreak and the near-lockdown that has gripped the northeast to slow the spread.

Throughout this pandemic, weve worked closely with our friends in neighboring states to implement a uniform regional approach to reducing the spread of the virus, New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo said. Aligning our polices in this area is another example of that strong partnership, and will help ensure there is no confusion or state shopping when it comes to marinas and boatyards.

Murphy ordered non-essential businesses in New Jersey closed on March 21.

The number of coronavirus cases in New Jersey jumped above 85,000 on Sunday, thought thousands have recovered. More than 4,200 have died of coronavirus-related causes.

CORONAVIRUS RESOURCES: Live map tracker | Businesses that are open | Homepage

Jeff Goldman may be reached at jeff_goldman@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @JeffSGoldman. Find NJ.com on Facebook.

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.
Former Karnataka Chief Minister H D Kumaraswamy on Sunday thanked Chief Minister B S Yediyurappa for backing his family regarding his son Nikhil's wedding, which drew flak for allegedly violating lockdown norms.

Asserting that social distancing was maintained during the wedding, the JD(S) leader in a series of tweets hit out at those accusing his family of violating lockdown norms, by stating that they were doing it out of "political hate".

"Despite maintaining social distancing and following rules during Nikhil's marriage, there are discussion that norms were not followed.

Because of political hate, poisonous comments are being made about an auspicious event, but Chief Minister B S Yediyurappa by rejecting all this is standing by the truth," Kumaraswamy said in a tweet in Kannada.

He said, "heartfelt thanks to Yediyurappa for his statement that a big political family in the state has conducted the marriage ceremony in a simple way."

Nikhil, the grandson of former prime minister H D Deve Gowda, entered wedlock on Friday at a Bidadi farmhouse with Revathi, the grandniece of former Congress minister M Krishnappa.

On the day of the marriage several posts on social media, also media reports had criticised the Gowda family for violating locdown norms and social distancing during the event.

Coming to the defence of Gowda family, Yediyurappa in response to a question on Saturday told reporters "They (family) had all the permissions and the event was held in a simple fashion. There's no need to discuss this.

"Despite having many relatives, they stuck to the limitations. For this, I congratulate them," he had said.

Stating that lockdown rules were followed during Nikhil's marriage, Kumaraswamy said, "By looking for politics in Nikhil's marriage, certain faulty minds on social media are spewing venom that is in their mind."

Gowda family had scaled down Nikhil's wedding, which was earlier planned in a 95-acre land near Ramanagara with a lavish set, with lakhs of party workers and well-wishers in attendance, followed by a grand reception in Bengaluru.

Nikhil has acted in couple of Kannada films in the lead role.

He had contested the 2019 Lok Sabha polls from the party bastion of Mandya and had lost against multilingual actress Sumalatha Ambareesh, an independent candidate supported by BJP, in a bitterly contested polls.
ENFIELD  A 53-year-old man has been arrested in a stabbing that left one person seriously injured on Saturday.

Christopher J. Usher, of Enfield, was charged with first-degree assault. He is being held on $250,000 cash or surety bond and is scheduled to be arraigned Monday in Enfield Superior Court, Enfield Police chief Alaric J. Fox said in a written statement.

The victim suffered multiple stab wounds and underwent surgery at Baystate Medical Center in Springfield, Fox said.

Police received several 911 calls at about 2:40 p.m. from people reporting a stabbing taking place at 20 Concord Terrace, which is located near the Longmeadow border, he said.

Patrol units arrived on scene and found the suspect outside the home where he was detained, Fox said.

Officers then entered the single-family home and found the injured victim upstairs. Police administered first aid until Enfield Emergency Medical Services arrived to take over care, police said.

Enfield Police detectives then responded and received a warrant to search the home as part of the investigation. Detectives are being assisted by the Connecticut State Police Major Crimes unit, police said.
The advent of COVID-19 and the subsequent nation-wide lockdown amounts to a wake-up call of historical proportions. It has alerted us to the possibility of black swans swimming into our lives, or in the words of Nassim Nicholas Taleb in his bestselling The Black Swan, our susceptibility to the role of the exceptional event leading to the degradation of predictability.

A black swan is characterized by three attributes: it is a rarity, it causes an extreme impact, and we come to understand it only after the fact. The terrorist attack of September 11, 2001 was such a black swan -- a malign event we did not expect and plan for. At the same time, most beneficial discoveries and technologies did not come from design, planning or predictable outcomes but were rare events with positive implications; for example, Sir Alexander Flemings accidental discovery of penicillin. But what most concerns us is the negative black swan, with its destructive radius owing much of its malignity to the built-in defect of conventional wisdom.

Of course, the trope of the black swan is not Talebs invention but enjoys a long pedigree, going back to the Latin poet Juvenals sixth Satire against marriage, where the perfect wife is considered a disaster since she would be impossible to live with. In other words, something good = something bad.

Isnt there a single one worthy of you, in all that vast flock? Let her be lovely, gracious, rich, and fertile; let her exhibit her Ancestors faces round her porticos; be more virginal than the Sabine women, with tangled hair, who ended war with Rome; A rare bird on this earth, in the very likeness of a black swan; Who could stand a wife who embodied all of that?

But the reverse may also be true. Over the long haul, something bad may have good consequences, especially if the swan is not entirely black but gray. I would define a grey swan as a figurative bird that swims between the unlikely and the possible, an emblematic device that may not be predictable in its specificity and temporality but carries a penumbra of plausibility or contingency. Thus, we might say that a Black Swan prepares us for the prospect of a Gray Swan, which is close enough to white to be recognizable, close enough to black to be premonitory.

The likelihood of other lethal viruses emanating from China would be such a gray swan. The Wuhan lab was only one of many, no doubt with equally careless or fallible security protocols and poor equipment that could lead to a new pandemic, for which we would need to be prepared. Chinas institutional structure across the board is defective and unequal to the challenge of ensuring safe and productive results. The ideal solution would be to quarantine China, to cast it out of the family of nations, forbidding all travel to and from. Since that cannot be done in the real world, we have no choice but to limit our contacts with China so far as such a measure is feasible, to reduce our dependency on Chinese imports and cheap labor, and to remain in a state of readiness for future epidemics.

There is another Black Swan on the horizon which needs to be acknowledged and, so to speak, rendered Gray. The name of this swan is EMP, or Electro-Magnetic Pulse (aka HEMP, or High Altitude EMP). The fear, uncertainty and hardship of COVID times that we are undergoing will dissipate, but it should prepare us for other exceptional events that would be far worse than what we are currently experiencing -- and by orders of magnitude. Wearing masks, self-isolating and hunting for toilet paper are as nothing compared to the devastation an EMP attack would unleash. Such an attack is not beyond the realm of possibility when we consider the existence of major state actors like China and Russia, who have developed EMP arsenals, and highly capable rogue state actors, such as North Korea and Iran.

As I pointed out in an earlier article, Newt Gingrich and William Forstchen warned us concerning the possibility of a high-altitude EMP attack over American territory, There is a sword of Damocles over our heads. It is a threat that is real but has been all but ignored. The accumulating death toll would be astronomical. German film director Wim Wenders film Until the End of the World, as well as William Forstchens novel, One Second After, depict in their different ways what such an event would entail. It is hard to assimilate so unthinkable a prospect, and inertia or dismissal is a natural response to the probability of cataclysms.

William R. Graham, chairman of the Congressional Commission to Assess the Threat to the United States from Electromagnetic Pulse Attack, testified that Iran has already conducted EMP missile tests from frigates in the Caspian Sea. Additionally, Graham draws attention to Iranian military writings that explicitly discuss a nuclear EMP attack that would gravely harm the United States. In todays explosive world, and in the light of such developments, this is a realistic picture. We would be foolhardy to ignore it.

More recently, writing in The National Interest for December 15, 2019, National Security expert David Pyne argues that a threat of this nature cant be minimized. In the event of an EMP attack on the U.S. homeland, up to 90 percent of the U.S. population would die within a year due to a widespread breakdown of the food distribution system resulting in mass starvation andrelated diseases and related adverse effects. An EMP event would fry the electrical grid, shutting down almost every power source on the instant, communication networks would cease to exist, transport, delivery services, sanitation facilities, medical supplies, and financial institutions would be consigned to oblivion. The lights would go out in every sense of the term.

Fortunately, America has a pro-active Commander-in-Chief who refuses, as have former presidents, to take the threat lightly. There are skeptics galore who contend that the threat is pure science fiction, but it would be folly to discount as fable what may prove to be an event from which there is no recovery. It is past time to secure and harden the electrical grid, whether by moving overhead lines underground, shortening distances between structure poles, adding surge protecting filters and other mitigating factors. As Ariel Cohen writes in Forbes, The Executive Order issued by the White House might be the next step needed to give vital guidance and leadership to this important issue  before it is too late.

It is natural that most people and our national leaders are preoccupied with the present calamity, the former how to survive it and the latter how to exploit it. Neither has the leisure nor inclination to think of anything else. Many will insist, quite reasonably, that this is not a time for more dispiriting news; we have enough on our proverbial plate to deal with. Despite such pragmatic reluctance, I would propose that this is also a time to reflect on the future, which will shortly become our present with its own, say, covey of Black Swans. For that is the nature of the era we now inhabit.

Consequently, novel coronavirus should serve as an alarm bell to the potential immanence of Black Swans, whether pandemics to come or, as I argue here, the almost inconceivable yet possible cataclysm of a HEMP attack. As Taleb writes, Black Swan logic makes what you dont know far more relevant that what you do know Black Swans can be caused and exacerbated by their being unexpected. Unthinking confidence in current knowledge or assumptions about the world are a function of manufactured stability and epistemic limitations that need to be rendered suspect and controllable, enabling us to see a bird of different plumage and hue.

COVID has made it clear that we are at risk as we had not previously imagined. It has made it obvious to all but the unwary and the slumberous that we now live in a world of Black Swans. It is time to see them as Gray.

Photo credit: Sanjay Acharya

David Solways latest book is Notes from a Derelict Culture, Black House Publishing, 2019, London. A CD of his original songs, Partial to Cain, appeared in 2019.
One of the two men who were wounded in the shooting was taken to a hospital in critical condition, Washington said. The other mans wounds were less serious, she said.
Our weekly roundup of books that should be on your radar.

We love stories, and even in the age of Netflix-and-chill, there's nothing like a good book that promises a couple of hours of absorption  whether curled up in bed, in your favourite coffeehouse, or that long (and tiresome) commute to work. Every Sunday, we'll have a succinct pick of books, across diverse genres, that have been newly made available for your reading pleasure. Get them wherever you get your books  the friendly neighbourhood bookseller, e-retail website, chain store  and in whatever form you prefer. Happy reading!

For more of our weekly book recommendations, click here.

***

 FICTION

The Machine is Learning

By Tanuj Solanki

Pan Macmillan | Rs 499 | 256 pages

Author Tanuj Solankis novel follows Saransh, who works at a life insurance company. Hes part of a group developing an AI system that will leave 552 employees redundant. For this, he begins travelling across the country, collecting information from the very people the machine will replace, even as his journalist ex-girlfriend Jyoti questions his complicity in their loss of livelihood. Through Saranshs journey, the novel touches upon the impact of technology, and the idea of guilt.

Read more about the book here. Read an interview with the author here.

Afterlife

By Julia Alvarez

Algonquin Books | Rs 700 | 272 pages

Author Julia Alvarezs novel follows immigrant writer Antonia Vega, who has just retired from her job as an English teacher in a college when her husband Sam suddenly dies. More jolts follow, like her sisters disappearance. One day Antonia comes home to a pregnant, undocumented teenager outside her door. A woman who has always sought direction in literature, she must now face challenging realities.

Read more about the book here.

 BIOGRAPHIES and MEMOIRS

Raya: Krishnadevaraya of Vijayanagara

By Srinivas Reddy

Juggernaut | Available for free because of COVID-19 | 264 pages

Scholar and translator Srinivas Reddys book is a biography of Krishnadevaraya, who is remembered for his success on the battlefield, for being Indias first truly global leader, and a celebrated poet. For this, Reddy draws upon Portuguese and Persian chronicles, and several overlooked Telugu literary sources.

Read more about the book here.

 NON-FICTION

Joy at Work: Organising Your Professional Life

By Marie Kondo, Scott Sonenshein

Pan Macmillan | Rs 675 | 256 pages

Tidying expert Marie Kondo and organisational psychologist Scott Sonensheins book guides readers through the process of tidying up ones work life. With examples, the book explains how to refocus the mind on whats important at work. It offers advice about problems like organising the desk, getting through emails, and finding balance by ditching distractions, taking the reader step-by-step through their working day.

Read more about the book here.

 YOUNG READERS

The Adventures of Young Ambedkar

By Devyani Khobragade

Juggernaut | Available for free because of COVID-19 | 39 pages

In a bid to educate children about the struggles of the Dalit community, Joint Secretary in the Ministry of External Affairs Devyani Khobragades first childrens book tells the story of Dr BR Ambedkar as a child, adding some fictional elements.

Read more about the book here. Watch the author read an excerpt from her book, here.

The Highland Falcon Thief

By MG Leonard, Sam Sedgman

Pan Macmillan India | Rs 399 | 256 pages

Authors MG Leonard and Sam Sedgmans new series Adventures on Trains follows Harrison Beck aboard the Highland Falcon as he solves the case of a jewel thief. In this first book, Beck joins his travel-writer Uncle Nate aboard the royal train, but during the journey, a brooch goes missing. Filled with illustrations and clues, the book details Becks race to solve the mystery before the train reaches the end of the line.

Read more about the book here.
Jiang Yuandong, member of the Chinese medical team in Zimbabwe, helps a local health official put on a face mask in Harare, Zimbabwe, March 23, 2020. /Xinhua

By Ssemanda Allawi

Editor's note: Ssemanda Allawi is the author of Global Governance and Norm Contestation: How BRICS is Reshaping World Order. The article reflects the author's opinions, and not necessarily the views of CGTN.

Over the past few days, there have been claims that Africans living in China faced racial segregation. However, one should not accept these claims as gospel truth because technological advancement and rise of social media has also led to a rise in fake news. In my view, it is possible these claims were exaggerated and blown out of context.

Even if such indecencies do exist, this all may just be a case of few isolated incidents and undisciplined individuals like in any society. Therefore, to base on such few cases and generalize that Africans in China were racially segregated is unfounded and intellectual dishonesty.

From a historical perspective, Sino-Africa relations have been based on mutual respect and a foundation free of racism. A case in point is the famous Bandung conference of April 18-24, 1955 where Asian countries including China stood with African countries at a time when African continent was excluded from global affairs by powerful Western powers at the time.

Starting from this conference, China played a significant role in helping several African countries in their efforts to end colonialism and gain independence. Therefore, it is not logical to imagine that a country which fought with African countries to regain their independence and sovereignty more than six decades ago can now resort to racism against citizens of the same countries they supported in defending their identify and self-rule.

Indeed, quoting an ancient Chinese scholar during the 2018 Beijing Summit of the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation (FOCAC), Chinese President Xi Jinping said, "Only with deep roots can a tree yield rich fruit; only filled with oil can a lamp burn brightly. History follows its own rules and logic. With similar fate in the past and a common mission, China and Africa have extended sympathy to and helped each other throughout all the years. Together, we have embarked on a distinctive path of win-win cooperation."

Li Nan, representative of the Chinese Embassy in South Africa, elbow bumps with South African Minister of Health Zweli Mkhize during the handing over ceremony of the emergency medical equipment for COVID-19 from China, Johannesburg, South Africa, April 14, 2020. /AP

With such pleasantries from the Chinese leadership, it is very clear that China sees African countries as not just countries but also close allies, who together can achieve a lot. This maybe the time to treat recent claims of quarantining Africans with care.

It is not a secret that even if such isolated cases existed, they cannot and should not be taken as Beijing's stand, but actions of a few undisciplined individuals who one can find in any society of the world.

"We reject differential treatment, and we have zero tolerance for discrimination. African friends can count on getting a fair, just, cordial and friendly reception in China," said Chinese Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Zhao Lijian, promising that authorities in Guangdong Province will continuously follow up on the issue.

Actions speak louder than words. The good ties between the Chinese and Africans can be traced in many ways. For example, during Ebola outbreak that killed many people in West Africa in 2014, as other countries evacuated their citizens from affected African countries, China flew in their medical doctors with medical assistance to help combat the disease.

When COVID-19 pandemic reached Africa, the Chinese government and citizens sent assistance to help containing the spreading of the virus. In this context, an argument can be made that the ties between China and Africa are strong, and there is no room for claims of racial segregation.

While there is no question that Sino-Africa relations are built on a strong foundation, it is imperative that Africans living in China observe Chinese domestic laws, and in the same way, Chinese citizens staying in African countries observe laws of their host countries. The two peoples should do their best to ensure that laws are not violated.

Talking of a personal experience, I came to the Chinese mainland via Hong Kong in 2018. On the way, I missed a train to Guangzhou. Without minding the color of my skin, a youthful Chinese man who I met for the first time at the train station helped me carry bags and find a hotel.

In my view, generalizing that the Chinese discriminate against Africans is akin to spreading fake news. You will always find a friend in China!
Addressing an urgent need arising from the SARS-CoV-2 coronavirus outbreak and the COVID-19 disease that can result from it, Boston Scientific (NYSE:BSX) is manufacturing a new, relatively inexpensive "ventilator alternative." This product, which is to be branded under the name Coventor, received Food and Drug Administration (FDA) Emergency Use Authorization approval last Thursday.

The device can serve as a backup ventilator for patients with significant respiratory difficulties, in situations where a standard ventilator is unavailable or impractical. It is much smaller, and its construction is simpler, than standard ventilators. Roughly the size of a cereal box, it utilizes a mechanical arm that compresses a ventilation bag to deliver air into a patient.

Boston Scientific told MedTech Dive that it will manufacture 3,000 Coventors initially, with the possibility of scaling this number higher in the likely case that demand proves strong. The company will sell Coventor at cost, with a price point under $1,000. By comparison, standard ventilators can cost in excess of $20,000 apiece.

A great many countries, such as the U.S., lack enough standard ventilators in their healthcare systems to cope with the sharp increase of advanced-stage COVID-19 patients. Such individuals frequently suffer from severe respiratory problems.

The Coventor technology was developed by researchers and an alumnus at the University of Minnesota. The university said the device's specifications will be made open-source, which will allow other manufacturers to produce it.

"Our hope is that the Coventor will be useful in those clinical settings where traditional ventilators are not available," the University quoted Stephen Richardson, one of the device's designers, as saying.

On Friday, Boston Scientific stock rose by just over 8%, well ahead of the gains of the broader equities market.
New Delhi, April 19 : Delhi-based NGO PRAHAR (Public Response Against Helplessness and Action for Redressal) on Sunday urged the Government to actively use unutilized District Mineral Foundation (DMF) funds and accelerate relief efforts towards protection of lives and livelihood for the COVID affected communities across states.

This call is part of the NGO's 'National Movement for Livelihood Resurrection and Self Employment' in the wake of coronavirus crisis launched recently.

According to the data available on the Ministry of Mines website a sum of Rs 35,925 crore have been collected in DMF funds in total as on January 31, 2020. Around 35 per cent of the total amount -- Rs 12,414 crore -- has been spent so far, leaving a corpus of Rs 23,510 crore to be spent.

Last month, Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman said that she has directed DMF funds to be for the coronavirus medical expenses.

The NGO, however, noted that after three weeks, "negligible" progress has been made with few districts making some discretionary use of these funds.

"This is because of lack of clarity on the modalities of use of these funds for the purpose of saving lives and resurrecting livelihoods in the aftermath of the COVID outbreak," it said.

Some mineral states like Goa have already been under deep economic crisis because of the judicial interpretation leading to cancellation of mining leases in March 2018 by the Supreme Court. PRAHAR said that the cancellation of mining leases took away livelihoods of 30 per cent of the state's population and brought three lakh mining dependents to the brink.

Further, the COVID 19 pandemic has stopped Goa's tourism business also and the state only has two industries -- tourism and mining.

"The tourism industry is unlikely to see a revival for the next 9 to 12 months and with mining also on a standstill, the state will suffer immensely with a potential law and order situation that can follow," said the PRAHAR statement.

According to the NGO Goa collected Rs 188.65 crore in DMF Fund and Rs 399 crore in Goa Iron Ore Permanent Fund till March 2018 when mining was operational and so far only Rs 4 crore of the DMF fund has been used for the welfare of people.

"At a time when the state is in its worst crisis, this corpus can act as a bail-out package. The Finance Minister's announcement and subsequent attempt by state authorities to use these funds is facing irresponsible opposition," it said.

Abhay Raj Mishra, National Convenor and President, PRAHAR, said: "It is important to go all out to save lives and ensure economic survival of citizens at the bottom of the social pyramid during the current crisis. We need to unlock all possible resources at this hour. These include unused corpuses such as DMF funds and keeping wheels of economic activity rolling wherever permissible." The statement said that, according to the Minerals Act, 40 per cent of the DMF fund can be used for aother priority areas, whereas 60 per cent should be reserved for the apriority areas. This means that while 60 per cent of the fund can be kept for communities directly working in mining activities, the remaining can be used for the wellbeing of the state.

Among the mineral-bearing states, Odisha collected the highest amount as DMF fund, Rs 9,501 crore followed by Jharkhand with Rs 5,181 crore fund and Chhattisgarh with Rs 4,981 crore till January 2020.

There has also been some opposition to the government's decision to use DMF funds for COVID-19 relief.

An environmental action group, 'The Goa Foundation' in a letter to the Goa government on April 7 said that any move to use the money from DMF and Goa Iron Ore Permanent Fund would be illegal and they may result in 'consequences'.

"Monies placed in the DMFs are, by law, only allowable to support activities that enhance the welfare and opportunities of persons directly affected by mining in mining districts. People have suffered the worst effects of mining in these areas for several years. Hence, by no stretch of the imagination or the law can the funds meant for them and their communities be used for government activity related to the Covid-19 pandemic," said the letter.

Regarding the opposition to the move, PRAHAR in its statement has said: "Such opposition on the back of the letter of the law and not the spirit of the law (the welfare objective) should be investigated for vested interests."
Gov. Andrew Cuomo says that school funding across New York could be cut in half without help from the federal government to claw back from the economic losses during the coronavirus pandemic.

Cuomos stark projection on Sunday comes as federal lawmakers are considering another massive bailout package that would, in part, help small businesses.

Thats great, he said. But money needs to flow to state and local governments too, he said.

If we dont get federal assistance, youre looking at education cuts of close to 50 percent in the state of New York, he said.

Schools arent the only local pubic service at risk, according to Cuomo. The state is facing a $10 billion to $15 billion shortfall in its current budget because of the sharp economic shutdown in recent weeks.

Public transit systems, local police departments, fire departments and even health care systems could see their state aid plunge without more help from the top, Cuomo said.

How ludicrous would it be to now cut hospital funding from state governments? he asked.

Cuomo said the National Governors Association, a bipartisan group of governors from across the nation, are asking for $500 billion from Washington to address the budget shortfalls.

MORE ON CORONAVIRUS

Coronavirus in NY: Cases, maps, charts and resources

Coronavirus shutdown drops a bomb on Central New York workers: I am terrified

Coronavirus: 8,000 people in CNY likely had the virus and never knew it

Updated: See our newest list of CNY restaurants offering takeout and/or delivery

Complete coronavirus coverage on syracuse.com

Got a story idea or news tip youd like to share? Please contact me through email, Twitter, Facebook or at 315-470-2274.
Ranchi, April 19 : More than 100 people, including staff of a private hospital in Ranchi, have been quarantined after a retired government official died due to coronavirus infection in a Gurugram hospital, a senior official said on Sunday.

A retired District Development Commissioner (DDC) living in an apartment in Bariatu locality in the Jharkhand capital had suffered brain haemorrhage on March 31 and was admitted in the private hospital in the locality. He was airlifted to the Gurugram hospital on April 16, where he died on Saturday.

"The hospital staff and other residents of his apartment have been quarantined. The samples have been taken for testing though the hospital has not been sealed," Ranchi Deputy Commissioner (DC) Rai Mahipat Rey told IANS.

Meanwhile, the number of people tested coronavirus positive in Jharkhand reached 35, including 18 from Hindpiri locality of Ranchi.

A woman who delivered a baby at the Sadar Hospital in Ranchi has also tested positive. She is a resident of Hindpiri locality. According to officials, the three-day-old baby will also be tested.
Assam health minister Himanta Biswa Sarma on Saturday said that over 9.29 lakh missed calls were received on the state helpline number, of which 4.32 lakh calls have been verified

The Assam government has identified 4.32 lakh people stranded outside the state during the lockdown who are eligible for a subsistence allowance. The state government was earlier working on a plan to offer cash support to Assamese stranded outside the state and abroad on a case-by-case basis.

Assam health minister Himanta Biswa Sarma on Saturday said that over 9.29 lakh missed calls were received on the state helpline number, of which 4.32 lakh calls have been verified. With the verification process still underway, the state government plans to provide financial assistance to first 50,000 people registered through the National Health Mission (NHM).

We have identified 4.32 lakh people, so far, who are stuck in some part of the country and wish to return home. They are all from economically weaker background. The first 50,000 people are likely to receive a monetary benefit tomorrow. Till now, 2.17 lakh people have filled up forms, and I request others also - to take help and submit their forms soon, said Sarma.

The government earlier announced that those hailing from upper middle class and sound monetary background should not apply for this benefit.

When we go for physical verification, we will be able to identify how many are from the affordable category. At present, home-to-home survey by district administration is underway. Of 45,469 applications, only 1,206 have been rejected under economic criteria. And 95 percent of these people are those who are working for a salary not more than Rs 15,000 to 20,000, added Sarma.

A total of 64 thousand people from Assam working outside the state are living in Karnataka. While Kerala has 34,000 temporary workers from Assam, Tamil Nadu has 33,000. Among other states, 21,000 people working in Maharashtra and 16,000 in Telangana hail from Assam. About 22,778 people are scattered across Gujarat, Goa, West Bengal, Haryana and New Delhi.

A vast majority of people working outside the state hail from Nagaon district. The state government estimates about 15 lakh people will return to Assam from hotspots across the country once lockdown is lifted.

As many as 34 Assamese stranded outside the country have been identified and offered $1000 each. The next installment of the same amount will be released on 25 April. Those who had embarked on a short trip abroad and now down to their last few dollars will be eligible for this aid.

The state government has also provided financial support of Rs 25,000 each to 725 critically ill patients from Assam hospitalised outside the state .

Till Saturday evening, Assam registered 34 positive cases, of which 32 are linked to Nizamuddin Markaz. Twelve COVID-19 patients have recovered, and have been discharged from the hospital. While 79 percent of those infected are male, 21 percent are female COVID-19 patients.

Assam is in a comfortable situation as far as the first wave is concerned, said Sarma, adding that the state is moderately placed when it comes to testing. About 150 to 200 samples are tested on a daily basis at the six accredited government testing facilities in Assam, and the government plans to go for rapid testing at government hospitals.
The Beijing district that is home to numerous foreign embassies was Chinas only coronavirus high-risk zone for the three days through Saturday, according to an app developed by the central government to monitor Covid-19 hotspots across the country.

The program, which is available to the public, sets the ratings based on information provided by local authorities in Chinas 2,857 districts and counties.

As of 6pm Saturday, Chaoyang  which as well as lots of embassies encompasses Beijing Capital International Airport, the central business district and several popular shopping zones  was the only one to be classed as high risk.

Elsewhere in the country, almost all districts and counties are now rated low risk, including the original epicentre Wuhan, according to the app.

After months of locked down cities and closed factories, China is determined not to allow a second wave of Covid-19 infections to further disrupt its economy. Photo: Xinhua

Among the handful of places classed as medium risk are three in northern Chinas Heilongjiang province  two districts of the capital Harbin and the entire city of Suifenhe, which sits on border with Russia  and Baiyun district in the southern city of Guangzhou, which is home to its international airport.

The Chaoyang government was unavailable for comment on Sunday, while phone calls to the Beijing government news office went unanswered.

Beijing did not report any new infections on Thursday, Friday or Saturday, but during that period three cases related to an earlier one were added to the citys tally. All of the additions were reported in Chaoyang, which is home to about 3.5 million people.

Liu Xiaofeng, deputy director of the Beijing Centre for Disease Prevention and Control, said on Saturday that a cluster infection, started by an imported case had rung an alarm bell for the municipal authorities.

There are great hidden dangers and risks [in Beijing], he said, adding that anyone arriving in Beijing was obliged to undergo a 14-day quarantine period and that after that period was advised to spend a further seven days in isolation at home.

Story continues

Property owners in Chaoyang appear to be taking the high-risk status seriously.

On Saturday, iron fences were erected around the whole of The Place shopping centre, forcing all visitors to pass through body temperature checkpoints before being allowed inside.

After months of locked down cities, closed factories and debilitating travel restrictions, China is determined not to allow a second wave of Covid-19 infections to further disrupt its economy, which slowed for the first time on record in the first quarter.

But while acknowledging the need for preventive action against the coronavirus, a politburo meeting chaired by President Xi Jinping on Friday concluded that the country would be more aggressive in its economic policies to counter the impact of the health crisis.

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By PTI

PANAMA CITY: Around 1,700 illegal migrants heading to the United States are being held in a jungle camp by Panama authorities after several cases of the new coronavirus were detected among them, an official source said.

They are being kept in La Penita, close to the Colombian border, in facilities designed to accommodate around 200 people.

"Seventeen migrants have been infected with the new coronavirus," the official source said on condition of anonymity.

The infected people have already been removed from the camp.

Red Cross personnel had to leave the area to be put in quarantine after being in contact with a local police officer who died from the coronavirus, said Walter Cotte, regional director of the International Federation of Red Cross for the Americas.

In Panama, which has 4,273 coronavirus infections and 120 deaths, migrants are treated at three temporary border posts where the government, UNICEF and the Red Cross provide them with water, food and medical care.

Despite the dangers, the border between Colombia and Panama has for years become a corridor for illegal immigration, mainly from Haiti, Cuba and Venezuela, but also more distant countries such as Bangladesh, Nepal, Congo and Cameroon.
Bogged down Saudis look for exit from Yemen quagmire using COVID-19 as fig leaf: Report

Iran Press TV

Saturday, 18 April 2020 9:10 AM

Saudi Arabia is reportedly using the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic as a "fig leaf" for an exit from the quagmire in war-torn Yemen, where fighters from the popular Houthi Ansarullah movement now have the upper hand against Saudi-led invaders.

An article published by The Economist newspaper on Saturday raised doubts about the objective of the so-called ceasefire declared by the Riyadh regime in Yemen earlier this month.

The Saudi-led coalition, which has been waging the war on Yemen since 2015 to reinstall the regime of pro-Riyadh former president Abd Rabbuh Mansour Hadi, claimed that its unilateral two-week truce in Yemen was designed to head off the outbreak.

"Cynics doubt that compassion is truly motivating Saudi Arabia, a majority Sunni nation. For years its bombs have hit hospitals, houses and schools in Yemenoften, it seemed, on purpose. Rather, the war is turning and the Saudis are losing heart," the report said.

It also referred to Saudi Arabia's failure to purge the Yemeni capital of resistance fighters more than five years into the aggression, adding that the kingdom is now seeking to stop the Houthis' retaliatory attacks on its own territory.

"Despite its vicious air campaign, Saudi Arabia has been unable to dislodge the Houthis from most of Yemen's population centers, including the capital, Sana'a. Its main international ally, the United Arab Emirates, began scaling back its involvement in the war last year," the report said. "In recent months they have held secret talks with the Houthis. Gone is the hope of returning Abd Rabbuh Mansour Hadi, the exiled Yemeni president, to Sana'a. Now the kingdom's goal is to stop Houthi missile strikes on its own territory."

Yemeni Analyst Abdulghani al-Iryani emphasized, "The Saudis want a way out and are using the coronavirus as a fig leaf."

However, the report said, the Houthis sense Saudi Crown Prince Mohammad bin Salman's "desperation," reject the ceasefire and want a better deal that makes Saudi Arabia lift its air and sea blockade of Yemen, pay reparations for the damage it has caused on the impoverished country and recognize the popular Houthis as the legitimate government.

If the Saudis do not agree, the Houthis promise "a major escalation inside the kingdom," it added.

The Houthis have dismissed the truce claim as "false and misleading," saying Saudi Arabia has even escalated its offensives against Yemen in recent days.

They have also been advancing in Yemeni provinces along the Saudi border, making gains in Jawf and fighting in the crags above oil and gas-rich Ma'rib.

"The Saudi intervention began as a vanity project for Mohammad bin Salman, the crown prince, who sought to flex his muscles in the face of rival Iran," the report said, noting that the heir to the Saudi throne "is now looking at a quagmire that is diverting resources at a time of plummeting oil revenues. Houthi attacks on the kingdom threaten its reputation for stability. Their missiles have struck oil pipelines and targeted the capital, Riyadh. Saudi Arabia does not want anything to upset its hosting of the G20 summit in November."

Yemen announced its first COVID-19 case on April 10, as aid organizations warned the country's health system is ill-equipped to handle the crisis.

The Western-sponsored Saudi bombing campaign has knocked out half of clinics and hospitals in Yemen, where an estimated 24 million people - more than 80 percent of the population - depend on some form of humanitarian or protection assistance for survival.

According to a tally released last November by the Armed Conflict Location and Event Data Project or ACLED, more than 100,000 Yemenis have been killed in the Saudi war.

Yemenis thwart several Saudi attacks

Speaking on Friday, Brigadier General Yahya Saree, the spokesman for Yemen's Armed Forces, said army soldiers and allied Popular Committees fighters had managed to foil five Saudi attacks on Ma'rib's Sirwah district.

The al-Masirah television network quoted him as saying that dozens of Saudi-backed mercenaries were killed and wounded and four of their armored vehicles were destroyed.

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WASHINGTON - President Donald Trump said on Sunday that the federal government is stepping up efforts to obtain vital supplies for coronavirus testing, hours after several governors from both parties faulted his administration for not doing enough to help states.

Public health experts say testing on a larger scale is a crucial step before resuming normal social and economic activity in the country. But Trump defended the administration's approach of leaving testing largely to states.

"Testing is a local thing," Trump said at a White House briefing. He said too many governors were relying on state government labs and should turn to commercial labs to help them process more tests. He didn't name any particular states or officials.

But earlier Sunday, Republican and Democratic governors were unanimous in putting the onus on the federal government to help secure vital testing components, including swabs and reagents, the chemical solutions required to run the tests, which the governors said have been in short supply.

"To try to push this off to say that the governors have plenty of testing, and they should just get to work on testing, somehow we aren't doing our job, is just absolutely false," Republican Gov. Larry Hogan of Maryland told CNN's "State of the Union." "Every governor in America has been pushing and fighting and clawing to get more tests, not only from the federal government, but from every private lab in America and from all across the world."

Democratic Gov. Ralph Northam of Virginia, which is working closely with officials in neighboring Maryland and the District of Columbia, called Trump administration claims of sufficient testing "delusional."

"We've been fighting for testing," Northam, a physician, told CNN. "It's not a straightforward test. We don't even have enough swabs, believe it or not. And we're ramping that up."

Trump, displaying a nasal swab to reporters, said the federal government was procuring millions more swabs, and then claimed some states had lost the ones they were already sent.

"We also are going to be using, and we're preparing to use the Defense Production Act to increase swab production in one U.S. facility by over 20 million additional swabs per month," Trump said. "We've had a little difficulty with one. So we're going to call in - as we have in the past, as you know, we're calling in the Defense Production Act, and we'll be getting swabs very easily. Swabs are easy."

White House officials did not respond to requests for details about how the measure would be implemented. As of Sunday evening, there was no official documents released showing that the Defense Production Act had been invoked for swabs.

Seema Verma, the administrator of the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, also announced that nursing homes will be required to inform the CDC when they confirm a positive case of covid-19 in their facilities. Some of the most severe outbreaks have occurred in those facilities.

The pushback from governors came on a day that the total number of confirmed deaths from covid-19, the disease caused by the new coronavirus, passed 35,000. Although some states have reported a leveling off in the number of deaths and new infections, nationally those figures are still rising. More than 749,000 confirmed infections have been reported as of Sunday night.

Experts say the number of tests has not kept pace with the severity of the infection. Nationally, the number of tests has plateaued to an average of about 146,000 per day. But some state officials, business leaders and public health experts say that is woefully short of the several hundred thousands or perhaps even millions of daily tests it might take to safely restart the economy.

Some governors said only the federal government had the authority to make decisions that could speed up the deployment of testing kits.

Ohio's Republican governor, Mike DeWine, said his state's "big problem" is that the federal Food and Drug Administration has not prioritized companies that are "putting a slightly different formula together" for their testing kits. "I could probably double, maybe even triple testing in Ohio virtually overnight" if the FDA would do that, DeWine told NBC News' "Meet the Press."

Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer, a Democrat, said on NBC that her state has "the capacity to double or triple the number of tests that we are doing, but we need some of these supplies."

"The reagents and the swabs are absolutely essential," she said. "You can't process all these tests if you can't take the sample and protect it and move forward through testing. And so while our capabilities are there, these important supplies are not."

In Massachusetts, which is now seeing a surge in infections of covid-19, Republican Gov. Charlie Baker emphasized that states need "guidance" from federal agencies, including the FDA and Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, "especially the ability to put the foot on the accelerator with respect to advancements in testing."

"Everything associated with testing ultimately has to be approved by the CDC and the FDA," he said on CBS News' "Face the Nation."

Trump defended his administration's performance, tweeting on Sunday afternoon: "Just like I was right on Ventilators (our Country is now the 'King of Ventilators', other countries are calling asking for help-we will!), I am right on testing. Governors must be able to step up and get the job done. We will be with you ALL THE WAY!"

For all the bipartisan agreement that testing must increase, there were signs that the public's patience was fraying with restrictive orders to remain at home and stop working.

In Washington state, more than 2,000 protesters showed up at the Capitol in Olympia calling on Gov. Jay Inslee, a Democrat, to lift a stay-home order meant to slow the spread of the virus, according to the Washington State Patrol.

Smaller protests have erupted across the country in response to state stay-home orders. Trump has signaled his support for some, tweeting that residents of Michigan, Minnesota and Virginia should "liberate" their states after demonstrations last week.

On Saturday, a few dozen protesters gathered outside the Utah Capitol, demanding that officials allow people to return to work.

Protests were planned for Monday in California and Pennsylvania, and for later this week in Missouri and Wisconsin.

Vice President Mike Pence, when asked on Sunday talk shows whether Trump was inciting citizens to rise up against their state governments, defended Trump's comments and pledged to work with governors to safely reopen the economy.

A former head of the FDA, who served under Trump, agreed with governors who were critical of the administration and said that the federal government must do more to safely resume normal activity.

The administration has pursued a "loose strategy" and needs to focus more closely on obtaining supplies, Scott Gottlieb said on CBS News' "Face the Nation."

"I think states are largely on their own trying to get testing resources into their states," he said, noting that the shortage of swabs and reagents is a more urgent matter than lack of lab capacity.

"If you have the government more engaged in trying to manage that supply chain, getting supplies to the states that need it most, and trying to look for ways to increase manufacturing at a national level, that could help the states get the supplies they need," he added.

Democratic New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo, whose state has seen by far the largest numbers of infections and deaths from covid-19, said states also must begin wide testing for antibodies, which could indicate who was already infected with the virus and may be immune. He pledged at a news conference that New York would pursue antibody testing "in the most aggressive way in the nation."

The FDA has authorized four antibody tests on an emergency basis, but dozens more have been put on the market without any review by the federal agency. Some experts, including at the FDA, are concerned that those unvetted tests may be of dubious quality and yield unreliable results.

Since the first case of covid-19 was confirmed in the U.S., public health officials have called for more testing, both as a means of understanding how many people were infected and isolating people with the virus before they can infect others.

Deborah Birx, the Trump administration's coronavirus response coordinator, shifted the emphasis of the debate slightly, telling CBS that mass testing in areas that do not have known outbreaks of the virus could be counterproductive.

"Testing needs to be focused critically where you start to see early evidence [of transmission] because no test is 100% specific and 100% sensitive," she said. "And so if you test and overtest in areas where there isn't virus, you can end up with false positives and false negatives."

Experts agree that future testing will need to focus aggressively on outbreaks and be accompanied by tracing contact of the people who may have been exposed to the infected patient. But before that can occur, health officials say they need much more testing to develop baselines that will indicate when a new outbreak is happening.

Birx said the White House task force was "working with every laboratory director across the country . . . to really understand and find solutions for them on their issues related to supplies."

She questioned whether nearly a million tests a day were necessary and emphasized that outbreaks have to be addressed on a case-by-case basis, rather than with a single national approach.

"This has to be looked at as a community by community," she said, resisting questions about when the country would know that it was safe to begin a return to normal life. "It needs to be down to the communities so the communities can see what happens in their communities and make decisions with the local and health officials and the state officials, what can be opened and what needs to remain closed."

Some communities have decided that time is now.

In Florida, local officials allowed the public back onto some beaches, after Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis on Friday said beachfront governments could make those decisions on their own.

Despite admonitions to maintain social distancing, local news showed photos and videos of shoreline dotted with people closer than six feet apart.

- - -

The Washington Post's Meryl Kornfield, Samantha Pell and Steven Goff contributed to this report.
The head of the main representative body for nursing homes in Ireland has claimed that vital personal protective equipment (PPE) necessary in the battle against Covid-19 has been diverted in recent times away from care homes to hospitals.

Tadhg Daly, chief executive officer with Nursing Homes Ireland (NHI), which represents 390 of Irelands 440 homes, said that many of our members have lines of supply for PPE, but that because of the national effort towards combating the coronavirus much of that equipment had been delivered instead to acute hospitals.

A shortage of PPE has been one of the hallmarks of the crisis in Ireland worldwide, with different jurisdictions competing with each other financially to secure scarce resources as the pandemic took hold.

Speaking to RTE Radio, Mr Daly said that, in effect, nursing homes had been the sector of society to deal with the surge in coronavirus, not the hospitals.

There are about 2,000 empty beds in the public hospital system. That means that nursing homes are actually dealing with the surge that we had planned for in the acute hospitals, he said.

Thats not to say that we got it wrong, but to say that now we need to ensure that we turn the ship around and focus completely on the community care of our older people.

The HSE has ramped up efforts to deal with the crisis in the nursing home sector, which has accounted for more than 50% of the 571 deaths seen across Ireland over the course of the pandemic to date.

A commitment has now been made to prioritise the testing of staff and residents in all long-term residential care facilities over the coming week, with 4,000 testing swabs having been taken since Friday, according to Paul Reid, the chief executive of the HSE.

Meanwhile, a census of mortality across all such care institutions was due to be carried out this weekend to cover all deaths since the beginning of the year in those facilities, both from coronavirus and in other circumstances, in order to give a true reflection of the fatality rate from the illness across the country to date.

Nevertheless, the health authorities have come in for a deal of criticism due to the perceived lax manner with which preparations were put in place to deal with the virus in care institutions, with most facilities told to come up with their own plans for same.

Separately, Mr Daly said that his organisation had been concerned that it had not been engaged in the whole NPHET (National Public Health Emergency Team) and the planning for residential care, given the fact that our members provide care to over 80% of the residents nationally.

He said it beggars belief that a subgroup of NPHET focused on nursing homes had no representation from his organisation.

While the NHI has no official role on the committee of the public health team, its own supervising body HIQA (Health Information and Quality Authority) does.

Mr Daly said that while commitments had been made to deliver additional PPE to nursing homes - roughly 80% of which are privately owned - the response had not been consistent across the country.

There are very good measures there, but surely they can be replicated across the system, he said.

Members are saying that they still havent received adequate PPE. We have to be able to respond quickly to an outbreak - its an absolute necessity, he said.

The HSE said today that one million pieces of PPE had been delivered to 575 private and public nursing homes over the course of the past week.

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MALONE, N.Y. -- A state police dive team on Sunday pulled the body of a missing Northern New York man out of the Salmon River, authorities said.

Dustin Graves, 26, had been missing since about 11:15 p.m. Wednesday.

His family contacted Malone police on Thursday to report him missing, Malone Police Chief Chris Premo said.

During their investigation, Malone police found video footage showing Graves walking across the Pearl Street bridge, about a half-mile south of U.S. Route 11, between 11:15 and 11:30 p.m. Wednesday, the chief said.

We dont know at this time how he got into the river, Premo said. We do believe he may have been impaired at the time.

The Malone Village Police Department posted updates about the search on its Facebook page, which more than 3,000 people shared. Hundreds of people also commented on the post, praying for his safe return.

One woman commented that she "remembered this sweet boy (Graves) as a student of mine at Twin Rivers in Massena. Dustin I would love to see you again. Prayers being said tonight for you. Family members and former classmates joined in the conversation, all agreeing they hoped Graves would be found safe.

Graves had moved from Massena in St. Lawrence County to Malone, in Franklin County roughly a year ago, police confirmed.

In the four days he was missing, state and local police worked together to try and find him. Malones police chief thanked state police for bringing in a helicopter, drone, bloodhound and dive team during the search.

State police used the drone on Friday and the dive team searched the Salmon River on Saturday, but did not find Graves.

Sunday morning, a state police helicopter hovered over the village of Malone and spotted the body, partially hidden under a tree in the Salmon River, Premo said.

A short time later, the dive team recovered Gravess body in the Salmon River, near Lower Park Road. Thats more than a mile from where he is believed to have entered the river in the area of Pearl Street and College Avenue, Premo said.

After notifying the victims family, and with their permission, we would like to update everyone that Dustin has been located deceased in the Salmon River, Malone police wrote on Facebook Sunday afternoon. We express our condolences to the family and thank everyone that offered assistance during this tragedy.

In less than two hours Sunday, family members had raised more than $1,000 to help pay for funeral expenses.

We lost Dustin in a tragic and unexpected way, his cousin Felicity Caskinette wrote on the GoFundMe page. A big thank you to all that can help during this time.

Malone police said the investigation is continuing, and ask if anyone with any information to call them at (518) 483-2424.

If anyone was in the Pearl Street area Wednesday night and if they saw something out of the ordinary, please call us, Premo said.

An autopsy is scheduled for 9:30 a.m. Monday at Champlain Valley Physicians Hospital in Plattsburgh.

Have a tip or a story idea? Contact Catie OToole: cotoole@syracuse.com | text/call (315) 470-2134 | Twitter | Facebook
European nations hard hit by the coronavirus and the US epicenter New York reported headway Sunday in their battle against the deadly pandemic.

Governments across the world are now debating how and when to ease lockdowns that have kept more than half of humanity -- 4.5 billion people -- confined to their homes and crippled the global economy.

Europe saw encouraging signs Sunday, with Italy, Spain, France and Britain seeing drops in daily death tolls and slowing infection rates. The continent accounts for almost two-thirds of the 160,000 fatalities reported across the globe out of more than 2.3 million declared infections, according to an AFP tally.

And in the United States -- the country with the highest number of deaths and infections -- the governor of New York said the outbreak was "on the descent." Mounting evidence suggests that the lockdowns and social distancing are slowing the spread of the virus that first emerged in China last year.

The tentatively hopeful signs come with the US and China locked in a spat over suggestions by President Donald Trump that a laboratory in the ground zero city of Wuhan may have spawned the pandemic.

Spain registered 410 new fatalities on Sunday, the lowest daily count in almost a month and a figure that health ministry emergencies coordinator Fernando Simon said "gives us hope".

The authorities are even starting to shut some makeshift facilities set up to relieve the overburdened health system, including a morgue at a Madrid ice rink.

Spain has extended a nationwide shutdown but said it would soon ease restrictions to allow children time outside.

A patchwork of countries on the continent including Switzerland, Denmark and Finland have already begun reopening shops and schools.

Germany is set to follow suit Monday with some shops back open after declaring the virus "under control", while Italy -- at one time the European epicenter of the crisis -- was tentatively mulling easing restrictions.

And France said a nationwide lockdown in force for a month was beginning to bear fruit, with death tolls and hospitalizations declining.

"We are scoring points against the epidemic," said French Prime Minister Edouard Philippe, while insisting "we are not out of the health crisis yet".

In Britain, the government of Prime Minister Boris Johnson -- who is himself recovering from the virus -- faced fresh criticism over his early response to the crisis and shortages of protective equipment.

The US has the highest caseload of any country, with more than 735,000 confirmed infections, and over 39,000 deaths.

But in New York state, which has borne the brunt of the virus, Governor Andrew Cuomo was optimistic.

"We are past the high point, and all indications at this point is that we are on the descent," he told a press conference.

Resentment is rising as Americans and others around the world chafe after weeks under stay-at-home orders.

New anti-lockdown protests Saturday drew hundreds of people in states including Texas, Maryland, New Hampshire and Ohio. Many waved American flags and some carried weapons.

Hoping to spread cheer to those under lockdown, top musicians -- from the Rolling Stones to Taylor Swift, Stevie Wonder and teen superstar Billie Eilish -- joined forces for a virtual mega-concert.

But many of the world's 260 million Orthodox Christians were forced to mark Easter at home Sunday, with church leaders telling worshippers to stay indoors and conducting services online or on television.

China meanwhile hit back at Trump after he questioned the origins of the highly contagious disease which Chinese scientists say was probably first transmitted to humans at a Wuhan market where exotic animals were slaughtered.

"Was it a mistake that got out of control or was it done deliberately?" Trump said Saturday.

"If they were knowingly responsible, yeah, then there should be consequences." Conspiracy theories that the virus came from a maximum-security virology lab have been brought into the mainstream by US government officials.

Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said an investigation was under way into how the virus "got out into the world".

"There's no way this virus came from us," Yuan Zhiming, the head of the P4 laboratory at the Wuhan Institute of Virology, which is equipped to handle dangerous viruses, said in an interview with state media.

"I know it's impossible."



Australia has called for an independent investigation into the global response to the pandemic, including the World Health Organization's handling of the crisis and China's actions.

Trump has already withdrawn US funding to the WHO, accusing it of "severely mismanaging and covering up" the spread of the virus. With 22 million Americans out of work as businesses closed, families are turning to food banks to get by, waiting hours for donations in long lines of cars.

And in poorer and more densely populated parts of the world, many governments are still struggling to enforce restrictions on movement that are piling misery on the needy and spreading hunger.

The virus has also thrown the spotlight on care homes, with a UK charity warning the death tolls in such facilities in Britain could be five times higher than the official numbers.

Separated from relatives for fear of their spreading infection -- and from neighbours who have already fallen to the outbreak -- some in the care homes fear death from loneliness.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, April 19)  A grandson of the Abu Sayyaf Group senior leader Radullan Sahiron was killed in an operation by soldiers in Sulu, military officials said Sunday.

After receiving a tip from a highly-placed source, troops of the Joint Task Force Sulu conducted a pursuit operation to intercept two members of the ASG, who were riding a motorcycle in Barangay Bilaan in Talipao at night of April 18.

"Nag-ano kasi sila, nag-scamper sila. They reduced their grupo nila into splintered group[s] para hindi madaling ma-detect. Eh, cordoned na natin 'yung area  plus, the support of the locals  madali na natin silang mahuli kung sakali[ng] lalabas man sila," Armed Forces of the Philippines - Western Mindanao Command Chief Lt. Gen. Cirilito Sobejana said.

[Translation: They were rushing off. They split their group to avoid being caught easily; but we had already cordoned off the area, and we had support from the local residents. We could easily track them whenever they attempt to flee from the area.]

In the middle of the operation, the soldiers recovered the remains of the grandson of the ASG top official in a site in Barangay Lambana.

"[The] neutralized Abu was identified as ['Vikram']. Vikram is an IED [improvised explosive device] maker, [who was] involved [in] the Jolo Cathedral and 1st Combat Team bombings," Joint Task Foce Sulu Commander Maj. Gen. Corleto Vinluan said.

"He was also involved in the encounter with the 21st Infantry Battalion," Vinluan added.

AFP WesMinCom Spokesperson Major Arvin Encinas said the remains were identified to be Vikram's after a concerned citizen reported that the grandson of Sahiron was in the area.

Vikram's body was brought to Kuta Heneral Teodulfo Bautista Station Hospital for proper disposal.

His family claimed his remains on Sunday morning.

Meanwhile, none of the soldiers were harmed during the operation.

"Our brave soldiers fought for their lives to secure peace and order in the province of Sulu. We will pursue their commitment and bring more meaning for their contributions to attain lasting peace," Vinluan said.

"Then again, this successful operation proves that the direct involvement of the communities would put up pressure on the Abus, and constrict their movements as well," Sobejana likewise stated.

He assured that they will stay true to their pledge of eliminating the Abu Sayyaf, who has put the image of Sulu at stake, and has been nothing but a "threat to the people in the province."

He noted that the WesMinCom has a "front" or dedicated soldiers for its fight against the terrorists, and that its pursuit operations are continuous. He added that they consistently reassess their concept of operations (conops), and "restrategize based on the current doctrines of the Abu Sayyaf," as the ASG is also "evolving."

The Abu Sayyaf in Sulu are now less than 200, according to Sobejana.

The late Vikram, or Darwin Sahiron, was one of the makers of explosives in the Headquarters of the 1st Brigade Combat Team bombing; and the Jolo Cathedral bombing in Sulu  the suicide bombing that was carried out by an Indonesian couple  in 2019. Vikram was also involved in numerous encounters in Patikul in Sulu, including the clash with the 21st Infantry Battalion on April 17 of this year.

Radullan Sahiron, grandfather of Vikram and leader of the ASG, had taken command of the organization in September 2006, after the death of the former head Khadaffy Janjalani.

He was involved in the 2001 Dos Palmas kidnapping of three U.S. citizens, which included 17 Filipinos from a resort in Palawan. Several hostages in the incident had been killed.

Since Sahiron assumed his leadership position in the ASG, the U.S. considered him to be a threat not only to the U.S. and Filipino citizens, but also to their interests.

The Abu Sayyaf leader lost his right hand while fighting security forces in the 1970s, which earned him the name "Commander Putol." He is believed to be hiding in Southern Mindanao, as he continues to plot terrorist attacks that are harmful to the lives of many.
North Korea on Sunday dismissed as ungrounded President Donald Trump's comment that he recently received a nice note from the North's leader, Kim Jong Un.

Trump said during a press briefing on the coronavirus pandemic Saturday that I received a nice note from him recently. It was a nice note. I think we're doing fine. Trump also defended now-stalled nuclear diplomacy with Kim, saying the US would have been at war with North Korea if he had not been elected.

The North's Foreign Ministry said there was no letter addressed to Trump recently by the supreme leadership, a reference to Kim.

It said it would examine why the US leadership released the ungrounded story to the media.

The relations between the top leaders of (North Korea) and the US are not an issue to be taken up just for diversion nor it should be misused for meeting selfish purposes, the statement said.

Kim and Trump have met three times and exchanged letters and envoys on many occasions since 2018, when they began talks on how to address the North Korean nuclear crisis.

The two leaders have built some personal relationships, and Trump once said he and Kim fell in love. Their nuclear diplomacy has made little headway since the breakdown of their second summit in Vietnam in early 2019, when Trump rebuffed Kim's calls for sweeping sanctions relief in return for a partial denuclearization step.

In March, North Korea said Trump sent a personal letter to Kim, seeking to maintain good relations and offer cooperation in fighting the coronavirus pandemic. At the time, Kim's sister and senior official, Kim Yo Jong, said that Trump's letter showed how special the relationship between the two leaders was, but that it wasn't still a good idea to be optimistic about the prospect for bilateral relations.

A senior Trump administration official confirmed that Trump sent a letter to Kim and that it was consistent with Trump's efforts to engage world leaders during the pandemic.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
by Adam Koffler | Broncos Correspondent | Sun, Apr 19th 7:42am EDT

Sources have told Woody Paige of the Colorado Springs Gazette that Denver is most interested in Alabama WR Jerry Jeudy and would be willing to trade up to No. 8 or No. 10 from their current draft slot of No. 15 to get him. (Woody Paige on Twitter)

Fantasy Impact:

The Broncos have been at the center of trade rumors leading up to the Draft, and Paige is now saying they have their eye on Jeudy. Denver picks at number 15 however, and the Alabama product figures to be gone by then, so selecting Jeudy would most likely require them to trade up past the Jets at 11 and the Raiders at 12, who both figure to be in the market for one of the top-3 WR prospects in Jeudy, CeeDee Lamb, and Henry Ruggs III. Any one of these three WRs would be great paired with Courtland Sutton in Denver, but it seems Jeudy is the preferred target at this point. Keep an eye on John Elway and the Broncos as we head into Day One of what could shape out to be a very entertaining top of the Draft.
Lucknow, April 19 : Forty-five districts in Uttar Pradesh have been found to be 'lacking' in the implementation of the lockdown norms.

Additional Chief Secretary (Home) Awanish Awasthi, in a letter sent to District Magistrates and police chiefs of these districts, including Lucknow, Prime Minister's constituency Varanasi and Gautam Buddha Nagar, has termed their performance as 'unsatisfactory'.

Confirming the report, Awasthi told reporters that district authorities with unsatisfactory performances have been directed to improve lockdown and also prepare themselves for relaxations after April 20.

The report prepared by Awasthi himself, also mentions likely reasons for the poor performance.

In case of both, Lucknow and Gautam Buddha Nagar, for example, it mentions lack of coordination between police and administration as one of the reasons.

Among districts which have performed 'satisfactorily' are Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath's home district Gorakhpur, Ayodhya, Aligarh, Etah, Hathras, Pilibhit, among others.

Shahjahanpur is also among better performing ones, while Prayagraj, is among the 'poor'.

The report has been prepared on the basis of different parameters, including the number of COVID-19 patients, attacks on police and medical staff, implementation of lockdown conditions and other medical facilities.

The ACS has sent the report to all the authorities to improve functioning to check the transmission of the disease and follow lockdown protocols.
The legendary British makeup artist Charlotte Tilbury and her model and makeup exert niece Sofia have shared their tips for doing your makeup - however old you are.

The 47-year-old and her 26-year-old niece have a wealth of experience doing makeup backstage at catwalk shows and glamorous events, and have learned myriad tricks of the trade for achieving a vibrant, youthful glow.

Speaking exclusively to FEMAIL, the pair shared their tips for doing your makeup in every decade - as well as the beauty hacks every woman should try.

The legendary British makeup artist Charlotte Tilbury and her model and makeup exert niece Sofia have shared their tips for doing your makeup - however old you are (Charlotte pictured with Sofia)

Sofia, 26 (pictured), is also a makeup artist and has modelled for countless brands despite being so young

Sofia (pictured) said in your teens and twenties, you need to set yourself up for your later years by looking after your skin and never sleeping in your makeup

How should you apply makeup in your teens and twenties?

Your teenage years and twenties are both a time of experimentation and finding out what suits you with makeup.

What are Sofia's tricks for your teens and twenties? 1. Remember skincare is king: Get a dedicated and rigorous skincare regime established so you know what works for your skin. 2. Always take your makeup off: There is nothing that worsens the quality of your skin more down the track. 3. Don't use too much foundation: Sofia said she sees too many women trying to conceal redness and blemishes, but they end up masking their beautiful skin. 4. Figure out what suits you: Whether it is a red lip or a smokey eye, find what works and make it your signature style. 5. Invest in some good quality makeup brushes: These will make a massive difference to how you apply your makeup. Advertisement

But Sofia said you still use this time to set some good habits for later.

'My main advice for teenagers and twenty-somethings is to take care of your skin as much as possible and get a rigorous and dedicated skincare routine down pat,' she told Daily Mail Australia.

The 26-year-old explained she used to 'really struggle' with her skin, but establishing what worked after trial and error means applying her makeup is easier than it ever was.

'You should also avoid ever sleeping with your makeup on and don't go too heavy with the foundation,' Sofia said.

'I see so many young women trying to cover their blemishes or redness, but they end up masking their gorgeous skin with a thick, heavy blanket of foundation.'

Instead of slathering your face in makeup, Sofia said you want to aim for something with a light/medium coverage but which also offers a radiant, natural-looking glow.

'I love Charlotte's Airbrush Flawless Finish Foundation as it rolls over pores and smooths the overall look of the skin,' Sofia said.

The 26-year-old (pictured) said too often she sees young women mask their beautiful skin with too much foundation; instead aim for a lighter look that has luminosity to let your skin shine

But, she added, you should always remember a little goes a long way and you may only need to conceal the areas where you need extra coverage.

Sofia also recommends during this time that you try and get on top of what suits you, whether it's a feline flick eye or a red bombshell lip.

'Your twenties is also the perfect decade to start investing in makeup brushes if you already haven't too,' she said.

'Charlotte always says her brushes are like her hands and blending your makeup with the right tools makes all the difference.'

When it comes to your thirties and beyond, Charlotte (pictured) recommends that you look for products which are makeup and skincare hybrids

What about in your thirties and beyond?

What are Charlotte's tricks for your thirties and beyond? 1. Look for skincare and makeup: Try to find skin and makeup hybrid products as these are the ones that will make you look younger. 2. Consider the texture of products: A cream will work well on your eyes, lips and cheeks, while something that is light and water-based will also allow your complexion to breathe. 3. Add a serum: In these decades, you absolutely need a serum in your routine - to be used morning and night. 4. Go lighter: Instead of black eyeliner, switch to brown for a softer look. 5. Perfect the feline flick: A feline flick with eyeliner will draw the gaze outwards and accentuate your eyes. Advertisement

When it comes to your thirties, forties, fifties and beyond, Charlotte explained that you're going to want your makeup to work a little harder, while also helping to make you look younger.

'Look for products that are makeup and skincare hybrids during these decades - like my Airbrush Flawless Foundation,' Charlotte said.

'These sorts of products will work hard at nourishing your skin and reducing the appearance of wrinkles, while also hydrating and providing you with coverage.'

The makeup artist also said you should look at textures in your makeup at this time - she always looks for 'sophisticated' textures with subtle sparkle and a bit of pearlescence.

'Lighter, water-based textures are always better for our complexions too, as they hydrate and let the skin breathe,' she said.

Think creams for your eyes, lips and cheeks and brown eyeliner instead of black to soften your entire look.

The makeup artist (pictured) also said you should look at textures in your makeup at this time - she always looks for 'sophisticated' textures with subtle sparkle and a bit of pearlescence

If you could add one product to your regime at this time, Charlotte recommends a serum like her Magic Serum Crystal Elixir, which helps to add 'bounce, plumpness and elasticity (pictured)

If you could add one product to your regime at this time, Charlotte recommends a serum like her Magic Serum Crystal Elixir, which helps to add 'bounce, plumpness and elasticity'.

'This has been the perfect addition to my personal skincare regime and I use it by massaging just a few drops into my skin with my fingertips,' Charlotte said.

'The instant hit of intense hydration makes my skin look and feel so glowy, and it makes makeup application so much easier.'

She also said a feline flick works well into these decades too, as it will help to accentuate your eyes and draw the gaze outwards with your face.

How to perfect the Charlotte Tilbury 'feline flick' with eyeliner Charlotte shared how to do her perfect 'feline flick' with eyeliner (Sofia pictured) * For a long time, Charlotte has been a fan of the 'feline flick' winged eyeliner look, to such an extent that it has become one of her signature looks and the most watched content on her YouTube channel. * Speaking to FEMAIL, Charlotte said: 'A feline flick can really lift and elongate the eyes, giving them the appearance of a more feline, seductive shape.' * To do the feline flick, Charlotte said you need the right tools - a liquid eyeliner like her Feline Flick pen, a highlighter and a moisturiser like her Magic Cream to dab up mistakes. * 'Before you begin, start by adding a highlighter to the inner corner of the eye and underneath the bottom lash line, 1/3 or the way along the lash line to really open up and widen the look of the eyes,' Charlotte said. * 'Then, to add shape to the eyes, go for a thinner feline flick as this will elongate the appearance of the eye and add more definition to the lash line,' she said. * You should take your liquid eyeliner and start in the inner corner of the eye, drawing as closely as possible to the lashline until you are 2/3 of the way out. From this point on, Charlotte recommends you thicken the line, sweeping the pen 'up and out'. * 'Next, look in the mirror and draw a dot where you want your flick to end,' she said. 'This should be two millimetres up and out from the outer corner of your eye as a guideline. Compare them both and join the dots.' * If you are wayward with the liquid eyeliner, the makeup artist recommends using a little bit of Magic Cream to clean up any mistakes. Source: Charlotte Tilbury Advertisement

Charlotte (pictured with Olivia Palermo) has looked after countless celebrities over the years, including Kate Moss and the Victoria's Secret models

One of Charlotte's top techniques she uses on Sofia (pictured) and others is 'tapping' your skincare into your complexion to stimulate the blood flow and collagen

What about the tricks all women need to know?

Besides her feline flick, Charlotte has all sorts of tips and tricks that she has picked up over the years she has been working with celebrities including Kate Moss, Olivia Palermo and the Victoria's Secret models.

She said she thinks every woman should be able to contour with highlighter for sculpted cheekbones and, and recommends you use your highlighter on your cheekbones, temples, forehead and down the sides of the nose.

'Putting highlighter in the right parts of the face will instantly help to sculpt it and make it look leaner and more defined,' Charlotte said.

'You can also use a bronze shade in the hollows of your cheeks by sucking in the cheeks and following the hollows. This will give you a natural contour.'

She also recommends you apply your skincare with a tapping sensation on your face, tapping it in around the eyes and towards the edge of your face.

'This mimics a sort of massage and also stimulates the blood flow and collagen, helping to make you look younger,' she said.

Charlotte's Magic Serum Crystal Elixir, 30ml, is available now for $100.00, while the Magic Lip Oil Crystal Elixir is available for $56.00.

For more information, please click here.

What are Charlotte's top five desert island products? 1. Magic cream moisturiser. 2. Magic serum crystal elixir. 3. Pillow Talk lipstick. 4. Eye palette. 5. Full Fat lashes mascara. Advertisement
Montgomery County Food Bank has received an anonymous $200,000 donation from a local business owner to help with its response to the coronavirus pandemic.

Because the majority of its inventory is donated, the food bank can stretch each dollar it receives into five meals, the donation could yield 1 million meals.

ON HOUSTONCHRONICLE.COM: Coronavirus live updates: Oil prices plunge below $0 a barrel, Hidalgo names recovery czar

At all times, especially in times of crisis, God expects His people to pull together and help one another to His glory, the anonymous donor said in a press release from the food bank. Knowing that, and that all talents (fiscal or otherwise) come from God, we would like to give the Montgomery County Food Bank $200,000 to help those who need the services you provide. Thank you for all you do to take care of the needs of those throughout Montgomery County. May we continue as a community to put each other above ourselves and get past this pandemic.

With stay-at-home orders and businesses closing, unemployment has skyrocketed. The food bank is now seeing families in need of their services who have never experienced food insecurity before.

While the donor wants to remain anonymous, Allison Hulett, president and CEO of the Montgomery County Food Bank, said the donor asked for the donation publicized.

HIGH DEMAND: Montgomery County Food Bank works to meet increased need amid coronavirus

And also maybe inspire people to give if they can, she said.

Its unclear how long it will take for the 1 million meals this donation will provide will last, especially given the increased need that Hulett believes will only go up, but she says it will definitely be used by mid-May.

Since the disaster response began on March 12 the food bank has helped nearly 40,000 families in the county, according to a release. While typically the food bank holds eight to 10 mobile markets each month, in April alone it will be hosting more than 20.

Usually, each mobile helps around 200 families. On April 18, between two mobile pantries, the food bank helps 800 families.

What this donation means to us, and what the money will be potentially used for, are things like  weve been able to give our agencies some grants to help them acquire more food, Hulett said. Were trying to work with our 60 partner agencies to make sure that theyre shelf space is stocked so that theyre able to meet the increased need that theyre telling us about.

Over the last two Saturdays, Hulett said the food bank has served what it usually serves in a month.

The food bank plans to hire some contract workers to keep the operations moving quickly. The bottleneck that many food banks are finding right now is trying to get enough volunteers to keep up with demand, with the added stress of strictly adhering to the rules of social distancing.

I think this donation just personifies Montgomery County and how during times of disaster and during times of crisis, the people who are able, rally, Hulett said. During such an uncertain time its comforting to know that there are people out there that care and when they can, support their other community members who are suffering.

jamie.swinnerton@chron.com
British Prime Minister Boris Johnson has begun taking charge of the government even as he convalesces at Chequers in south-east England, following his hospitalisation after testing positive for coronavirus.

The Sunday Telegraph' reports that Johnson began giving directions to his Cabinet, including to his deputy UK Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab, from his prime ministerial countryside retreat as he prepares to resume full charge in the coming days.

The 55-year-old issued some directives to Raab as well as senior aides in a series of calls last week, followed by a three-hour meeting with his deputy and staff on Friday.

"He [Johnson] has had some contact with ministers, but mostly with his private office here at Downing Street," Robert Jenrick, UK Communities Minister, had told reporters at the daily Downing Street briefing on Saturday.

The newspaper quoted sources to say that while the Prime Minister was still recovering from Covid-19, following his discharge from hospital a week ago, he has been getting "more involved", including to set out a "direction".

Raab reportedly visited the UK prime minister at Chequers, along with Johnson's chief adviser Dominic Cummings also back after his self-isolation following symptoms of coronavirus and Lee Cain, his communications director, on Friday.

The meeting was the first time Johnson has spoken to his deputy Raab and senior advisers in person since his discharge from hospital last Sunday.

Other aides and officials, including Eddie Lister, Johnson's chief strategic adviser, and Mark Sedwill, the Cabinet Secretary, took part via video conferencing application Zoom.

The reports come as another report in The Sunday Times' claimed Johnson delayed the UK's response to the pandemic by missing five emergency Cabinet Office Briefing Room A (COBRA) meetings at the very start of the coronavirus outbreak in the UK.

Cabinet Office minister Michael Gove was forced to defend his boss' "strong" leadership, as he insisted that the suggestion the PM had "skipped" meetings was "grotesque".

"The idea that the Prime Minister skipped meetings that are vital to our response to corona is grotesque. There are meetings across government, some which are chaired by the Health Secretary, some chaired by other ministers. The PM took all the major decisions, said Gove.

"No one can suggest the prime minister wasn't throwing heart and soul into fighting this virus. This leadership has been clear, been inspirational at times. Nothing is more off-beam than the suggestion that the PM was anything other than energetic, focused and strong in his leadership against this virus," he said.

The first coronavirus case in the UK was confirmed on January 29, with the newspaper referring to sources who say that emergency plans were not activated quick enough. The Sunday Times' quotes a senior adviser to Downing Street, who broke ranks to blame the weeks of complacency on a failure of leadership.

There's no way you're at war if your prime minister isn't there, the adviser said, as it was alleged that Johnson started chairing the COBRA meeting at a much later stage in the crisis.

The UK's Opposition Labour Party has picked up on the media report and demanded answers, with shadow health secretary Jonathan Ashworth saying Gove's defence of the UK prime minister was possibly the weakest rebuttal of a detailed expose in British political history.

Britain's official death toll from the virus now stands at 15,464, and the country has been under lockdown since March 23, with the government extending it until at least the end of the month.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
If I could jump on a plane to anywhere in the world right now, then Dubai would be it. I've visited twice and still not seen everything Dubai has to offer, and for me, that's the magic of the city.

On my last trip, we stayed at the W on the Palm, and I'd go back in a heartbeat for those gorgeous sea views. Breakfast at the hotel is incredible, with the most impressive doughnut wall and ice-cream station. It's also known for its brunch pool parties.

My first port of call on Friday night would be Akira Back, which is connected to the W. The city views are spectacular, and the Japanese-inspired menu features Rice Krispies Brussels sprouts and popping-candy sushi.

Dubai is all about trying new things. Dune-bashing in an SUV across the desert isn't something I envisaged being fond of, but it's truly exhilarating. It ends with a traditional meal in a desert camp, and a dance show.

Back in the city on Saturday night, I'd stop off at the Dubai Mall and catch the light show at the Burj Khalifa, the world's tallest building. For a nightcap, the city has an endless choice of impressive sky bars.

Sunday morning is for soaking up the rays on Kite beach, followed by a trip to Old Dubai, and the souks. My last treat would be a private dinner on the beach. We once booked a table at the One&Only Royal Mirage, and it remains a special memory.

Diana Bunici is an author, TV presenter, lifestyle and wedding editor with EVOKE, and an ambassador for Plan International Ireland, see plan.ie
T rials of a vaccine that could protect against Covid-19 are to begin in the UK.

Work on the vaccine, developed by clinical teams at the University of Oxfords Jenner Institute and Oxford Vaccine Group, began in January. Now a study involving up to 510 healthy volunteers aged between 18 and 55 is to get under way.

The study is taking place in Oxford and Southampton, with three further sites likely to be added.

The UK now joins only the US, with two studies, and China in beginning human trials.

However, health and science officials have warned that there are no guarantees a working vaccine will be found despite the Governments creation of a Vaccine Taskforce.

Government announce Covid-19 vaccine taskforce

Englands chief Sir Patrick Vallance is among those to caution that developing a new virus presents challenges.

All new vaccines that come into development are long shots. Only some end up being successful, he told the Downing Street press briefing on Friday.

Elsewhere, Englands deputy chief medical officer has warned that the UK risks a second wave of coronavirus deaths if social distancing warnings are not heeded.

Coronavirus in numbers: UK hospital death toll rises to 16,060

But she cautioned against reading too much into the figures, saying they reflected the usual drop in cases confirmed at weekends.

Asked during Sundays Downing Street press briefing whether the UK is past the peak of coronavirus, Dr Harries said: We could jump to all sorts of positive conclusions about that but we shouldnt.

I do think it is fair to say that we do know from the hospital data that we are starting to plateau across.

She added: If we dont keep doing the social distancing, we will create a second peak and we definitely wont be past it so this is no reason to consider that we have managed this.

But I do think things look to be heading in the right direction.

It comes after Education Secretary Gavin Williamson ruled out opening schools over the summer to ease the strain on children and parents caused by weeks of lockdown.

Mr Williamson also rebuffed criticism that Boris Johnson missed five Cobra meetings as coronavirus began to tighten its grip on China and much of continental Europe.

He said: The Prime Minister from the moment that it became clear that there were challenges in terms of coronavirus developing in China has absolutely been leading our nations effort to combat the coronavirus, making sure that resources or money is not a concern for any department, especially the health service.

Michael Gove described as grotesque the idea that Boris Johnson had skipped crucial planning sessions following a report in The Sunday Times, while a Government spokesman said the article contained a series of falsehoods and errors.

In other developments:

 Mr Gove denied suggestions the Government has drawn up plans for a three-tiered relaxation of lockdown measures;

 A delivery of 84 tonnes of personal protective equipment (PPE) for front-line workers has been delayed;

 Sir Jeremy Farrar, a member of the Governments Scientific Advisory Group for Emergencies (Sage), said he is optimistic about finding a vaccine for Covid-19;

 But Professor Sarah Gilbert, Professor of Vaccinology at Oxford University, who is leading a team developing a Covid-19 vaccine, said nobody can be sure it is possible to find a workable vaccine;

 Mr Gove said Mr Johnson is in cheerful spirits as he continues his recovery from coronavirus;

 The fundraising campaign for 99-year-old Captain Tom Moore has passed 26 million in donations;

 The Duke of Sussex thanked NHS workers and volunteers in the fight against Covid-19, saying he is incredibly proud of the British publics response to the pandemic.

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

The country will enter its fifth week in lockdown on Monday, with continued clamour for a relaxation of measures that have shut schools and businesses, scaled back transport and closed parks and public spaces as Britons are advised to pay heed to social distancing guidelines.

She said: We had and we still have a very clear plan  we had a containment phase and it was very successful.

We had very strict quarantine regimes from high-risk areas, we followed up individual cases and families wherever that was possible.

But once you end up with seeding and cases across the community, our focus has to be on managing the clinical conditions of those individuals.

She cautioned against comparing UK figures with Germany, adding: We are at different phases of the pandemic.

Dr Harries said there needs to be a more adult conversation regarding lingering questions over the availability of PPE for front-line workers in hospitals and care homes, saying there was a huge pull on services.

She said: I think we perhaps need to, rather than lumping all of the PPE together, which is not a homogeneous mix at all, we just need to think carefully through what has been achieved and the challenges which are acknowledged ahead.

Mr Williamson said the Government will be responding to manufacturers about producing new PPE within the next 24 hours.

He also used the press conference to outline a package of measures designed to help children being home-schooled.

Mr Williamson also apologised to children for the disruption to their lives.

Listen to The Leader: Coronavirus Daily podcast

In a direct address to the nations youngsters, he said: I know how hard it must be and Id like to thank you for making the adjustments that youve had to make.

I know you will be missing your friends, your teachers, your lessons.
Rarely to lose exposure, an unearthed footage showed that the Queen could and had lost her temper in public. Who was she angry at? At people who could hurt her husband Prince Philip, of course!

According to an achieved documentary, the Queen showed a surreal level of anger in public when she was witnessing her husband driving a carriage once. This is one of the few instances that the Queen showed her temper over the years, despite being famous for her level of poise and composure.

Megxit? One never heard her scream nor got angry, even though there were reports that she was devastated and angry. Coronavirus? She gave a brilliant speech to unite and cooperate for the whole of Britain, even as her own son, Prince Charles got tested for the virus.

However, in discovered footage, it can be concluded that the Queen is hardly a robot. She's not all restrained emotions and unexpressed feelings, especially if it concerns the safety of her husband. According to the narrator of the footage, the Queen got super irked when some irresponsible photographers decided to get into the way of Philip's carriage driving.

The footage showed how the Queen gestured abruptly for the nosy photographers to disperse and move away. As she was not being given the attention she needed and the photographers were not getting away as fast as they should, she said loudly, "Do you mind!"

Queen Elizabeth then crossed her arms and continued to look for her husband in the park, obviously giving the crowds of royal photographers the cold treatment.

The narrator also explained why the event was important for the Queen. "When Prince Philip gave up playing polo due to a bad back injury, carriage driving became a source of great satisfaction," the narrator explained.

The two have undergone so much together. Now that she's turning 94 and Prince Philip is now 98, these past events may be poignant to look back to now. Family members are worried though that they're particularly at-risk during this pandemic because of their age.

The two are currently spending lockdown at Windsor Castle together, as the whole country and the world, is battling coronavirus. That said, even though the Queen is happy that her husband is beside her, especially as she spends her birthday on April 21, insiders had it that she's feeling a little down. This is because none of her other family members will be able to celebrate with her.

She particularly misses her children and grandchildren, even great-grandchildren! In addition, a lot of the usual traditions being carried out for her birthday celebrations will not be carried out this year.

Note that the Queen celebrates two birthdays yearly. Her actual birthday is on April 21, but she also carries out official celebrations in June. None of the June traditions will be carried out this year. n a statement, Buckingham Palace said: "In line with Government advice, it has been agreed that The Queen's Birthday Parade, also known as Trooping the Colour, will not go ahead in its traditional form."

READ MORE: Royal Disgrace: 'Weak' Prince Harry, Meghan Markle Slammed For 'Pathetic, Ugly Move'
We are living in unprecedented times. It has been over 100 years since our state has faced a crisis that threatens not only the lives of our people, but our economy as well. It is indisputable that when given these serious challenges, protecting the health and well-being of people takes precedent over all other concerns. That being said, we should not  and cannot  forget about what will take place after the virus subsides and we are faced with restarting a state that might look drastically different.

That is why we need to have an immediate special session to pass an economic stimulus package, or our state could face a depression for several years.

I have received calls and emails and talked to business owners and business leaders. They are worried. All kinds of businesses are about to go under. Businesses can be expected to have 30 days of reserve funds on hand. If we dont have a special session until June it will be too late. Businesses that might have been saved will be gone as well as the jobs they provide. Instead, we should have two special sessions  one now on an economic stimulus package and one in June when we have a better idea of the budget situation and just before the budget goes into effect on July 1.

Our state, unlike most, has so-called rainy day funds. We currently have well over a $1 billion in these funds. These funds are separate from the permanent funds, which have billions more. Why not use some of the rainy day funds right now to help small business and their employees?

Per the state Constitution, monies can be made to help the sick and indigent. This dovetails perfectly with what we should be doing.

To help the sick we should give the governor the means and the money to secure immediate and widespread testing for all New Mexicans. We cant let people go back to work until we know who has the virus and the antibodies to temporarily fight it. The sooner we have this information, the sooner we can start talking about reopening businesses.

To help the indigent, what better investment can we make than getting our businesses back on their feet, putting their employees back to work and restoring the tax base for our local cities and counties.

Any substantial amount of money from this permanent fund will not go far if we are not careful. We cannot create a corporate welfare program that rescues failing businesses. Our objective should be to strengthen companies that are poised to grow and employ New Mexicans. Next, we hope that when federal funding finally arrives, it can be used with a state stimulus and have a multiplier effect. We could, for example, advance funds for the federal payroll protection plan, supplement such funds or fill in the gaps created by the program.

We also must be sure that any stimulus funds are managed by professionals accustomed to evaluating business prospects. However, that cannot prevent money from being disbursed quickly to save as many businesses and jobs as possible.

There are other things we could do like providing the insurance commissioner with emergency powers to deal with insurance companies on things like business interruption coverage, but doing nothing is not an option. If we do nothing and expect businesses to simply turn back on the lights when the public health crisis is over, it wont happen. Already, we are looking at projections of 20% unemployment for the foreseeable future. There will also likely be devastating poverty, skyrocketing bankruptcies, foreclosures and increased homelessness. The cost to New Mexico families will be unimaginable.

If we work in a bipartisan and transparent way, we can safely have a special session right now when the money could still make a real difference. Lets get down to business to put New Mexico back in business.
Isaac Heider said he was fine, but the 12-year-old barely took a breath as he rushed through a seemingly endless list of worries.

Are his grandparents safe? He doesnt want them to be sick.

When will he get to go outside? His familys home in Montrose only has a small outdoor patio and hes not getting any exercise.

Will he get to see his friends again? If he doesnt go back to school soon, the eighth graders will graduate and hell never see them again.

I just want this to be over, said Isaac, who attends St. Stephens Episcopal School. Things were finally getting back to normal after Hurricane Harvey.

Like Isaac, children across Houston are trying to cope with the most recent in a series of life-altering disasters that have befallen the fourth largest city in the U.S.

The Memorial Day and Tax Day floods swept through Houston in 2015 and 2016, flooding homes and wrecking havoc. But they turned out to be just a dress rehearsal for Harvey in 2017, which dumped more than 50 inches of rain on the city, shuttering schools for weeks and displaced countless Houstonians. It was followed by Tropical Storm Imelda in 2019, which brought even more water.

More Information Reducing stress for children Janine Domingues, a clinical psychologist at the Child Mind Institute's Anxiety Disorders Center, a New York-based nonprofit focused on the mental health of children, offered this advice for parents: Help your children feel connected to the world, while also filtering the news so that they don't become too overwhelmed. Keeping structure is also important, even if it just involves maintaining the same morning routine as before isolation began. Parents also need to turn down the intensity of their feelings to keep the kids calm. See More Collapse

And now, the novel coronavirus is forcing people to isolate themselves at home as public health officials attempt to stop the rapid spread of this disease.

Given these events, experts say many Houston children are experiencing compounding trauma that could impact their entire outlook on the future.

With children in Houston, its really important for (adults) to start to look for signs, symptoms and consequences of prolonged stress, said Jamie Freeny, director of the Center for School Behavioral Health at Mental Health America of Greater Houston. Their stress response system may not develop normally.

Its important for parents and teachers to be vigilant, experts say, as climate change is expected to bring about more flooding and, potentially, more disease.

Disaster after disaster

Isaacs family home in Meyerland  the setting of his very earliest memories  took on so much water during Harvey that his family was trapped on the second floor for two days. They were forced to live in a hotel for a while, he said.

The Heiders home had flooded numerous times, Isaac said, and his parents finally had enough. They sold the house in February, just in time for a disaster of a different kind: COVID-19.

There really hasnt been a break since 2016 before (Harvey), Isaac said. Everything was really good (before the pandemic): It was a new year and it seemed like everything was going to go great and out of nowhere this all happened. Who would have known?

Heiders parents have been able to work from home, he said, but being an only child is lonely. He misses his friends, his teachers and playing outside. Hes ready for life to go back to normal.

Rev. Carissa Baldwin-McGinnis of Northside Episcopal Church said church groups are seeing a lot of children across Houston experiencing trauma  and even grief  as normalcy and friendships are lost because of COVID-19 and all the events that have come before it.

Baldwin-McGinnis is an executive committee member for The Metropolitan Organization, a nonprofit that brings faith-based groups together to influence policymakers decisions. The organization is currently working to raise awareness for the food and housing needs low-income and minority communities are facing during the pandemic.

We know that the nervous system of children gets extra triggered when there are multiple experiences of complex trauma, Baldwin-McGinnis said. If theyve had losses in the past, theyre less able to regulate their emotions, they have higher levels of anxiety  (and) you can get all kinds of crazy behavior including higher aggression.

The organization has found this to be a heightened problem in lower income areas, where parents out of work means kids cannot eat and poor internet connectivity means they are completely detached from their friends and school.

Poverty compounds stress

Adrianas teenage sons are having an especially difficult time with quarantine. Both are autistic and so terrified of catching the virus they refuse to even step outside their Greenspoint area home.

My kids have found themselves desperate and at home, she said. Theyre both afraid.

One son is so worried that a recent trip to the grocery store launched his anxiety so high he was swearing profusely beneath a mask and gloves. He refused to get out of the car.

Adriana, who asked to be identified only by her first name because she is in the country illegally and fears deportation, has been out of work for five weeks. Her husband is still working, but they were only able to pay rent and utilities this month by dipping into their savings. She doesnt know what theyll do next month.

The thinner the safety net, the greater the mental health impact on children in the sequences of these events, Baldwin-McGinnis said.

Still, Adriana is trying to keep her kids happy and healthy.

During Harvey, the internet kept them entertained. Her Zoom connection stalled and froze numerous times as she tried to explain how spotty the internet connection was in her neighborhood right now. Its no longer a viable option.

She began explaining how shes relied on baking and cooking to keep them busy during this time of isolation when a chubby-cheeked boy popped up on Adrianas video feed, whispering fervently in her ear.

Hes asking when all this is going to be over, she said. Hes afraid.

Climate change fuels disasters

Houston has experienced its fair share of life-altering disruptions in the past five years, and some scientists say these types of events are likely to increase because of climate change.

Studies have consistently shown that greenhouse gas-induced warming should increase the amount of rain that falls during a tropical cyclone. And a paper presented at the American Geophysical Union in New Orleans in 2017 found that climate change made Hurricane Harveys 51 inches of rain three times more likely to occur when comparing todays climate to that of the 1880s.

SCIENTISTS: Climate change made Harveys 51 inches of rain 3 times more likely

That paper, coauthored by a Rice University post doctoral researcher, determined that extreme rain events will continue to occur if climate change remains unchecked.

The coronavirus pandemic  which descended on Houston in early March  is a different type of disaster. Though climate change doesnt appear to be influencing its spread, the root causes of climate change also increase the risks of pandemics, according to Aaron Bernstein, director of Harvard Universitys Center for Climate, Health and the Global Environment.

For example, deforestation  as well as the increasing temperature of the land and sea  is forcing animals and humans to come into more contact with each other than ever before. This means that zoonotic diseases  diseases spread between animals and humans  such as AIDS, SARS and the bird flu are more prevalent. COVID-19 is a zoonotic disease, but scientists still are trying to pinpoint the origins of it.

Pandemics usually begin as viruses in animals that jump to people when we make contact with them, Peter Daszak, president of the EcoHealth Alliance, wrote in a Feb. 27 letter in the New York Times. These spillovers are increasing exponentially as our ecological footprint brings us closer to wildlife in remote areas and the wildlife trade brings these animals into urban centers.

Climate change also makes other infectious diseases, such as Lyme disease, malaria and dengue fever spread more quickly, Bernstein said.

Future risks are not easy to foretell, but climate change hits hard on several fronts that matter to when and where pathogens appear, including temperature and rainfall patterns, he said. To help limit the risk of infectious diseases, we should do all we can to vastly reduce greenhouse gas emissions and limit global warming to 1.5 degrees (celsius).

That temperature limit is a widely accepted benchmark for global warming set by the Paris climate agreement, which was reached in December 2015 to combat climate change and by 2018 had been ratified by 194 countries, according to the United Nations. President Donald Trumps administration currently is in the process of pulling the U.S. out of the agreement.

Whats happening?!

Every time the jarring sound of an Amber Alert or a thunderstorm warning erupts from Meagan Clanahans cell phone, her nine-year-old twins start to panic.

Whats happening?! Whats happening?! Quinn and Ryan ask fearfully.

Theyre undoubtedly having flashbacks to that moment in 2017, when Harveys rains refused to give way, tornado warnings were constant and they had to sleep in the closet under the stairs, Clanahan sitting right outside the door to protect them.

Their Katy home has never flooded, but the fear is still there, Clanahan said.

Now theyre facing a completely different type of fear.

The kids have not been out in public  they havent been in a store  since we got back into town (after spring break), Clanahan said. Its just been so wild.

Her kids have been handling isolation pretty well, she added, although there have been some meltdowns and tantrums.

Shes worried, though, what theyll take away from this whole experience.

I wonder if, a year from now, if theres another virus, will it reset their panic? Clanahan said. Will it be like every time my thunderstorm alert goes off on my phone?

Alex Stuckey is an investigative reporter for the Houston Chronicle. You can reach her at alex.stuckey@chron.com or Twitter.com/alexdstuckey.
THE organisers of the Thames Traditional Boat Festival hope it can go ahead as planned despite the coronavirus pandemic.

The annual exhibition of vintage boats and cars is scheduled to take place at Fawley Meadows from July 17 to 19.

Despite a swathe of other events, including Henley Royal Regatta and the Henley Festival, being cancelled or postponed, the Trad is still scheduled to take place, depending on the Government lifting its lockdown and social distancing measures.

Lady McAlpine, who is co-chairman of the event, said: There are, of course, those who think we are mad to hope but hope we must.

Unlike the regatta, we need only five days to set up the Trad  five days of incredibly hard work from all involved.

If the Government allows it we will hold the 42nd Thames Traditional Boat Festival this year, which is why we are keeping fingers crossed.

When lockdown came, we had our valuable sponsorship from the Shanly Foundation, most of our boat entries in and most of our trade bookings, so all we have said to everyone is hold on and pray.

If we still have to cancel, we hope we can just roll all the bookings over to next year.

About 15,000 people attended last years festival, lining the banks of the Thames to watch around 150 boats on display, including some of the most iconic steamers.

The row barge Gloriana, which was privately commissioned to celebrate the Queens diamond jubilee in 2012, performed several row pasts over the three days.

Three replica aircraft from the First World War performed a flypast and the Bremont Great War Display Team showed their Sopwith Camel, Avro and Fokker triplanes.

This year, the Dunkirk Little Ships, which are also a regular at the boat festival, will be marking the 80th anniversary of the evacuation.

Around 850 boats sailed from England to northern France as part of Operation Dynamo and helped to rescue more than 336,000 British, French and other Allied soldiers who were trapped on the beaches in May and June 1940 during the Second World War.

Lady McAlpine added: This is the largest gathering of traditional river craft in the world, from coracles to Edwardian steam launches, to Sixties film stars toys.

Around 30 Dunkirk Little Ships tend to treat the Trad as their annual get-together and as they are probably going to be thwarted of their big trip to France in May to commemorate the 80th anniversary of Dunkirk, for their sake alone we are hoping that the Trad will be on.

We also attract dozens of amphibious vehicles which have a tendency to steal the show.

There are usually one or two special interest boats, such as the amazingly restored First World War radio-controlled torpedo boat. This was literally controlled from the air by radio.

This year we hope that visitors will be able to watch this boat travel up the Thames as a controlling bi-plane flies overhead.

Lady McAlpine said Gloriana would not be returning this year due to the rising cost of hiring the 90ft barge.

She said: [It] seemed to have become our flagship and for the past three years she has been sponsored by the Rug Company who made the carpets for her.

Sadly, the cost of hiring her is now so prohibitive that we all decided we simply could not afford her.

Every year we have beautiful and genuinely old Alaska, a real Victorian steamer, which we very wrongly tend to take for granted because she is local and owned by Peter Green who is such an old friend of the Trad.

This year, Alaska will be awarded her correct place at centre stage and, of course, will be taking out boatloads of passengers several times a day.

On land there will roving musicians, face painters, Punch and Judy, fairground rides and our now infamously hilarious charity-run dog shows.

We feel we put on the best family-centred festival in the area and get a bit fed up when people say we havent heard of it.

We are all crossing all digits and praying that by early July the Government will be allowing something like the Trad to take place. If not, we will see everyone next year at the same time and place.

Meanwhile, of course, we hope that all our lovely supporters are taking care of themselves and others.
Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez made a televised address on Saturday evening to announce his latest measures during the coronavirus crisis, on the day that official government figures revealed that there had been more than 20,000 confirmed Covid-19 related fatalities in the country so far.

Among the changes to the current conditions announced by the prime minister today were opportunities for children to leave the home under controlled circumstances from April 27. He also said that he would seek approval in Congress to extend the current state of alarm  which was first implemented on March 14  to May 9, and that from May 11, there would be a cautious and progressive deescalation of confinement measures.

The Socialist Party (PSOE) leader began by paying tribute to the families of coronavirus victims and assuring them that the time would come when those who have died will be honored. The virus has left a trail of death behind it but also of economic devastation, he said. Our health system managed to resist thanks to the dedication of our health workers, he continued, also expressing his gratitude for the exemplary response from residents of Spain, who have been on near-total lockdown for five weeks.

The achievements were, Sanchez warned, still insufficient and above all else fragile. We cannot put ourselves at risk with premature solutions

You are the western citizens who have best complied with the limits on mobility, he said, stating that because of this, tens of thousands of lives have been saved and the further spread of the virus has been contained. Each infected person is not infecting another and thanks to that the area of the epidemic is shrinking, he continued, claiming that Spaniards had achieved the most difficult part. The achievements were, he warned, still insufficient and above all else fragile. We cannot put ourselves at risk with premature solutions, he continued.

Sanchez went on to cite six steps recommended from the World Health Organization for the return to normality: a controlled transition and the identification of people who are infected with the coronavirus; testing for people who are thought to be infected and the identification of their contacts; strict controls for areas with a higher risk of infection (hospitals and senior residences, for example); preventive measures in the workplace and schools and universities; and full information for the public, who must follow hygiene rules and observe social distancing.

The experts who are advising the government consider that we can alleviate one of the confinement conditions Pedro Sanchez

Sanchez warned that right now, it is not be possible to lift the confinement measures and begin the deescalation phase, and as such the government would seek to extend the state of alarm  which grants the government special powers  until May 9. Sanchez, who heads a coalition government with junior partner Unidas Podemos, and who lacks a working majority in Congress, will need votes from opposition parties if he is to secure support for this extension in Spains lower house of parliament.

The experts who are advising the government consider that we can alleviate one of the confinement conditions, he continued, explaining that minors would be allowed to leave the home from April 27. These excursions will be limited and subject to conditions to avoid infections, he said. He did not offer further details on these conditions, but when questioned by reporters, he suggested that the government would take the Public Health Law as a reference point, which would mean children up to the age of 12 would be allowed out onto the street.

From May 11, Sanchez said, there will be a cautious and progressive deescalation of the confinement. To do this, we will be guided by a series of markers that will warn us of the level of the spread of the virus and of the robustness of our health system so that we know the rate of progress of the pandemic in each region. According to these parameters, he added, the deescalation measures will progress and if risks are identified they will be halted.

The prime minister also repeated his call for a cross-party agreement aimed at social and economic rebuilding over the coming years. Such a deal, he argued, should include the regions, local councils and social agents. Until now, the main opposition Popular Party (PP) has been unwilling to consider this kind of pact, instead leveling harsh criticism at Sanchez for his governments handling of the situation. Far-right Vox, meanwhile, which is the third-largest party in Congress, has refused to even take the call from the prime ministers office to set up a meeting to begin discussions on a pact.

The prime minister concluded his address by saying that we will recover from this  Im more clear about this than anything else

There is only one path, Sanchez said on Saturday evening. Dialogue, consensus and union. Such an agreement, he added, should cover four issues. These were, he said, the rebuilding and strengthening of the health system; measures to assist companies and create jobs; social protection measures; and a common position with regard to negotiations with the European Union, which has so far been unwilling to agree to Spains desire for so-called coronabonds in a bid to spread debt among the 27 member states.

The prime minister concluded his address by saying: We will recover from this  Im more clear about that than anything else.

Responding to questions from reporters, Sanchez said that the lockdown of the whole of Spain was the right decision, thus avoiding transmission of the coronavirus from the most affected areas to the least. He also said that the deescalation measures may not be the same everywhere. The realities are different and the level and the impact of the pandemic is different in each region, he said.

Sanchez ended the press conference thanking the media for its work and the citizens of Spain for their collaboration. Those families who have seen the loss of a loved one will get the deserved response from us, he said. Them and also the heroes who have saved so many lives. The prime minister also wished those who remain ill a speedy recovery.

English version by Simon Hunter.
- Tallia announced her move to quit Homeboyz radio on Thursday, April 16, through her Instagram account

- In a short video, the reggae fanatic disclosed she was ditching the station for Radio Jambo

- The energetic host thanked her fans and the management of the station for their support over the years

- She will now be hosting a show in the Swahili radio station dubbed Reggae Wave which will air from Monday to Friday at 7pm to 9pm

Reggae host, Tallia Oyando, has ditched her long time employer, Homeboyz Radio, after seven years.

Oyando who is commonly referred to as 'Night Nurse' broke the news on Thursday, April 16, through social media.

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Posting on her Instagram account, the mother of one announced Thursday and Friday were her last days at the famous radio station.

"Tonight and tomorrow will be my final shows on @homeboyzradio I am grateful for the years," she wrote.

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The energetic host thanked her fans and the management of the station for their support over the years.

"Thank you for tuning in thank you for the love. I love you wholeheartedly. From the bottom of my heart. Let us catch up next door," she added.

In a short video on the gram page, Oyando showed her fans where she was headed to next.

The lass will be joining Radio Jambo where she will be hosting a show in the Swahili radio station dubbed Reggae Wave which will air from Monday to Friday.

Reggae Wave will be running from 7pm to 9pm for five days a week.

She has been a radio presenter for years and has entertained reggae fans with both latest and old reggae hits.

The radio queen also co-hosts a reggae show on Citizen TV which airs every Saturday from 9pm.

She presents the show alongside Hot96's Coco Sobo. The two have been together for years now attracting a huge crowd.

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He has designed clothes for some of the most famous women in the world, including royal brides and ballerinas.

But now Stewart Parvin, the Queen's couturier, who designed the outfit the monarch wore to Prince Harry and Meghan's wedding in 2018, has designed medical scrubs for coronavirus health workers.

Mr Parvin, 53, who also designed Zara Phillips's bridal gown in 2011, said his new creations are being delivered to the NHS's Frimley Park Hospital in Surrey.

Stewart Parvin, the Queen's couturier, who designed the outfit the monarch wore to Prince Harry and Meghan's wedding in 2018 (pictured), has designed medical scrubs for coronavirus health workers

The medical centre already has a royal link in that it was there that doctors saved the life of the Countess of Wessex in 2003 during her daughter Lady Louise Windsor's premature birth.

Mr Parvin posted photos of the scrubs on his Twitter account. They are a made from a simple blue material which was donated by a fabric shop in West London.

Above pictures of the scrubs he called on others to get involved in making medical clothing.

He wrote: 'Our first set of scrubs are ready to be dropped off for @frimleyhealth.

'If you would like to get involved as a home sewer, or as a business with work space, there are several groups set up that are co-ordinating the effort. @scrubsgloriousscrubs and @scrubsfortheloveof.'

Mr Parvin, 53, said his new creations (pictured) are being delivered to the NHS's Frimley Park Hospital in Surrey

Mr Parvin, pictured in 2016, posted photos of the scrubs on his Twitter account

Above pictures of the scrubs he called on others to get involved in making medical clothing

The designer added on Twitter that he was 'very happy to offer what little help we can to our fabulous NHS'

Mr Parvin also dressed the Queen in March for her last public engagement before the lockdown when she stepped out in blue once again for the commonwealth day service at Westminster Abbey.

The designer added on Twitter that he was 'very happy to offer what little help we can to our fabulous NHS.'

Mr Parvin, who is known for his classic and elegant bridal gowns, has been Her Majesty's dressmaker since 2000.

The designer trained at the Edinburgh College of Art under couturier Donald Campbell, before launching his own collection in 1995.

In 2018, Mr Parvin emerged as the bookies' frontrunner to design Meghan Markle's wedding dress.

Meghan had previously hinted that her ideal wedding dress would be 'classic and simple', which would make the royal couturier the perfect choice.

Mr Parvin also designed the Queen's granddaughter Zara Phillips's bridal gown in 2011

However, the eventual choice was Clare Waight Keller, the British artistic director of fashion house Givenchy.

Mr Parvin is not the only figure from the fashion world to have joined the effort to provide personal protective equipment (PPE) to NHS workers.

Burberry revealed it is making 1,000 hospital gowns a day and is shipping some PPE to hospitals.

It has so far supplied more than 80,000 pieces of PPE to the NHS.

And fellow brand Barbour is now making medical gowns for staff at the Royal Victoria Infirmary in Newcastle upon Tyne.
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.

Story continues

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.

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This story was published on June 27, 2019 in NYT Parenting.

As migrants from Central America and other regions continue to cross into the United States in the hopes of escaping poverty, violence and corruption, the number of children housed in Customs and Border Protection facilities along the border has grown.

According to data obtained by The New York Times, this increase is not because more children are entering the country, but because there has been a reduction in the number of children being released to live with family members and other sponsors.

Public concern about the treatment of children in the facilities has grown in recent days, after lawyers reported unsafe and inhumane conditions in one border station.

On Thursday, Congress passed a $4.6 billion humanitarian aid package to fund aid at the southern border that did not include the strict protections for migrant children that the House had originally requested.
The bodies of people who succumb to the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) will not be released to the bereaved families for burial.



Rather, the state will take charge of the burial within the shortest possible time after the death, in consultation with the bereaved family.



This is because the infection is highly contagious and the virus remains active for a while after a victim passes on.



The closest family members of the deceased will be allowed to be present at the ceremony and observe from afar how the remains are interred.



In an interview with the Daily Graphic at his office in Accra, the Head of Pathology Department of the Greater Accra Regional Hospital, Dr Simon Naporo, explained that the state decided to take charge of managing the remains of people who lose the battle to the infection because it had been established medically that the virus lived on for a while even when the infected persons unfortunately passed away.



Due to the fact that even after death the bodies remain contagious, they are not released to the families, neither are any parts of the body such as the hair strands, nails or anything on the bodies at the time of their death, retrieved.



So unlike what happens in other situations, as soon as people die of COVID-19, their families are informed and almost immediately, the remains are interred in line with approved protocols for the highly contagious diseases, he said.



A member of the COVID-19 management team, however, told the Daily Graphic that state officials consult the bereaved families in the management of the bodies according to their preference in line with cultural and belief systems.



Dr Naporo, who is also a Senior Specialist Pathologist at the hospital, advised Ghanaians to adhere to the preventive and precautionary protocols to avert a situation where the crisis would worsen and which could likely increase the number of deaths.



Knowing how culturally important burials and funerals are to many of us, perhaps, the public must be told that individuals who lose their family members to COVID-19 will not be given the remains for private burial. This is done to minimise the risk of infecting others, Dr Naporo explained.



Burial protocols



Dr Naporo explained that when such deaths occurred, per the World Health Organisation (WHO) standard protocols for such cases, special teams, tagged burial teams, were the ones mandated to handle the burials.



He said at the morgues, those who handle the bodies were given special training on that and immediately it happened, the families were informed and the bodies were taken to a separate storage room, decontaminated and prepared for the burial team to come for it for burial.



While some countries will allow post-mortems to be performed, in Ghana, post-mortems were not allowed and embalming the bodies were not encouraged, given that the whole idea was to limit the handling of the remains to the barest minimum level.



He said the remains were put in body bags and then interred at a designated area. While family members could provide coffins for the burial, the usual protocols of cleaning, specially dressing up and adorning the remains with ornaments as is usually done is not allowed.



However, he said a restricted number of family members could be allowed to the burial site to observe from afar and also say a prayer and present a wreath.



Burial team



The burial teams, the Senior Pathologist indicated, were made up of the Environmental Unit of Public Health units and the members consisted of people with health backgrounds who had been trained to handle bodies from contagious diseases.



He said though there was a national team that was trained to deal with the impact of the Ebola crisis, it was yet to be activated for the COVID-19 protocols.



Though it is the wish and prayer that the nation does not go through the disturbing experiences of other countries, Dr Naporo stressed the importance of activating the burial teams to ensure that nothing was left to chance in the fight against the infection.



There is the need to have a properly organised burial team immediately. Were praying against recording an explosion but we should also be prepared to avoid being taken unawares.



In the absence of such teams, we could experience what is happening in Ecuador where people are unfortunately leaving their family members who have passed away on their streets for collection later because there are no trained teams for such special functions, he stressed.



Ridge Hospital protocols



He said at Ridge Hospital, for instance, the officials at the pathology department, had put together a team made up of technical persons who had been trained on the standard protocols of the effective handling of bodies of COVID-19 related deaths.



Dr Naporo said apart from the hospital procuring an equipment used in removing such bodies to the designated place before they were taken away for burial, the trained team members had been taken through the details of the processes to get the remains prepared before being taken away by the burial team as outlined by world standard protocols.



Adhere to protocol



The Chief Pathologist said given what had gone on around the world, no country had the capacity or was prepared to deal with the high number of casualties and, therefore, reiterated the need for people to adhere to all the protocols being prescribed to stop the spread of the infection.



He said it was important to ensure that people were well informed to enable them to observe the safety and preventive protocols, since disregarding them could put everyone at risk and that could be disturbing for the health system.



Dr Naporo indicated that health personnel were concerned about the prospects of the country recording more positive cases as that could collapse the health system, given that even countries with the most advanced health systems were struggling to cope with their situations. He stressed that the only way to prevent Ghana from going through that experience was the adherence to the preventive protocols.



It is important that people adhere to the precautionary and preventive protocols that have been prescribed. COVID-19 is real and it has a devastating impact.

Unfortunately, people think its a joke and so they do things to put their own lives and that of others and their loved ones at risk of infection.



Even countries with efficient health delivery systems are struggling to cope with the ugly impact of the infection, and that is why everyone in Ghana is concerned and praying that we dont get to that point.



People need to understand that our disregard for the directive to stay at home puts themselves, their families and everyone else at risk, and when it happens, the effect could be devastating



Perhaps, they have not seen the ugly side of COVID-19 so they want to take things for granted. The message for such people is: If the unfortunate happens and the infection hits and lives are lost, there will be no chance for friends and loved ones to even bid you farewell, Dr Naporo cautioned.



Police Hospital mass burial



Meanwhile, the Ghana Police Hospital will embark on a mass burial of some unclaimed and unidentified bodies in the hospital morgue from yesterday to Friday, May 1, this year.



The 14-day exercise will form part of measures to relieve congestion at the hospital mortuary.



The Head of Public Affairs of the Police Hospital, Deputy Superintendent of Police (DSP) Mr Yaw Nketia-Yeboah, said generally bodies were not being released for public burials and funerals due to the ban on public gatherings.



Nonetheless, families concerned who sign an undertaking to comply with the existing protocol and adhere to do a private burial are permitted to come for their bodies for the private burial. Such gathering should not be more than 25 people assembling and must also respect the existing protocols, including the social distancing. Such bodies are only to be taken in a casket and buried without any delays, he stated in a statement.



Last month, the hospital said there were a total of 120 unidentified and unclaimed bodies to be buried in a mass grave.



The facility described the bodies as being made up of mostly paupers, unknown former patients, abandoned bodies, unidentified accident and crime victims.



It, therefore, urged the public to contact the Pathology Department of the Police Hospital for the identification of people who might have been missing for some time.

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.

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The Fort Myers Police Department paid tribute to hometown healthcare heroes working during the coronavirus pandemic, forming a heart shape with squad cars outside the Lee Memorial Hospital on Thursday, April 16.

Officers stood in the center of the heart, holding letters that read, FMPD Thanks You. The Lee Memorial Hospital called the tribute a special moment of front line heroes thanking other front line heroes.

We appreciate each of the hard working medical professionals and wanted to simply say thank you, the police department wrote in a Facebook post. It was a pretty amazing and personal turnout and we couldnt be more proud to work side by side with you, Lee Health.

As of Saturday evening, the Florida Department of Health had reported 25,492 confirmed cases of the coronavirus and 740 deaths. Credit: Fort Myers Police Department via Storyful
Chinese President Xi Jinping, waves to residents who are quarantined at home and sends regards to them at a community in Wuhan, central China's Hubei Province, March 10, 2020.

Australia on Sunday added to growing pressure on China over its handling of the novel coronavirus, questioning its transparency and demanding an international investigation into the origins of the virus and how it spread.

The coronavirus is believed to have emerged in a market selling wildlife in the central Chinese city of Wuhan late last year. It has spread around the world infecting some 2.3 million people and killing nearly 160,000 of them, according to Reuters calculations.

Australia's foreign minister, Marise Payne, said her concern about China's transparency was at a "a very high point."

"The issues around the coronavirus are issues for independent review, and I think that it is important that we do that," Payne told ABC television.

"In fact, Australia will absolutely insist on that."

Australia has managed to get its epidemic under control before it strained its public health system, reporting 53 new cases on Sunday. They took its total to 6,586, according to the health ministry data.

There have been 71 deaths in Australia. The rate of increase in new cases has been below 1% for seven consecutive days  much lower than in many other countries.

Payne's call for an inquiry into the outbreak comes at time of tense ties between her country and its most important trading partner.

Relations have deteriorated amid Australian accusations of Chinese meddling in domestic affairs and concern about what Australia sees as China's growing, and undue, influence in the Pacific region.

"My trust in China is predicated in the long-term," Payne said. "My concern is around transparency and ensuring that we are able to engage openly."

Australia's call for an investigation comes as U.S. President Donald Trump has been stepping up his criticism of China.

Trump and his senior aides have also accused China of a lack of transparency after the coronavirus broke out. On Saturday, Trump said China should face consequences if it was "knowingly responsible" for the pandemic.

China dismisses such criticism saying it has been open about the outbreak and in warning the world about it.
The victim, Toussaunt Strong, 28, of Clinton, in Prince Georges County, was found unconscious shortly before 7 p.m. in the 3400 block of 24th Street SE, by patrol officers responding to a report of a shooting. He was later pronounced dead at a hospital.
Thank you to our family and friends in Bryan-College Station and Temple for their expressions of sympathy following the days of Jerry's passing. We will be forever grateful for the thoughtfulness presented to us and for the love and prayers we have been given during this time.
Two-time Oscar winner Tom Hanks described how exhausted and achy he felt during his battle with COVID-19 alongside second wife Rita Wilson at Gold Coast University Hospital in Queensland for three days.

The 63-year-old father-of-four 'had some body aches and was very fatigued' to the point that he 'wiped' out 12 minutes into a 30-minute basic work-out.

'I just tried to do basic stretches and exercises on the floor and I couldn't even get halfway through,' Tom recalled to The National Defense Radio Show.

Hospitalized for three days: Two-time Oscar winner Tom Hanks described how exhausted and achy he felt during his battle with COVID-19 alongside second wife Rita Wilson at Gold Coast University Hospital in Queensland (pictured March 12)

When a nurse checked on Hanks inside his air-pressurized isolated room, 'She looked at me through her glasses like she was talking to the dumbest human being. And she said, "You have COVID-19."'

The Toy Story 4 star said the 63-year-old cabaret crooner suffered far worse from 102F fevers, chills, as well as nausea - which was likely a side effect from the immunosuppressive drug, Chloroquine.

'She was so nauseous, she had to crawl on the floor from the bed to the facilities. It lasted a while,' Tom explained.

'Rita went through a tougher time than I did. She had a much-higher fever and she had some other symptoms. She lost her sense of taste and smell. She got absolutely no joy from food for a better part of three weeks.'

'I couldn't even get halfway through': The 63-year-old father-of-four 'had some body aches and was very fatigued' to the point that he 'wiped' out 12 minutes into a 30-minute basic work-out

Down under: When a nurse checked on Hanks inside his air-pressurized isolated room, 'She looked at me through her glasses like she was talking to the dumbest human being. And she said, "You have COVID-19"' (pictured March 12)

Cure? The Toy Story 4 star said the 63-year-old cabaret crooner suffered far worse from 102F fevers, chills, as well as nausea - which was likely a side effect from the immunosuppressive drug, Chloroquine (April 9 stock shot)

Tom explained: 'She was so nauseous, she had to crawl on the floor from the bed to the facilities...Rita went through a tougher time than I did. She had a much-higher fever and she had some other symptoms. She lost her sense of taste and smell' (pictured March 27)

Indeed, Rita said of the controversial treatment to Today last Wednesday: 'I think people have to be very considerate about that drug. We don't know if it's helpful in this case'

Indeed, Rita said of the controversial treatment to Today last Wednesday: 'I think people have to be very considerate about that drug. We don't know if it's helpful in this case.'

'We recently had been part of a study where we donated our blood and we are waiting to hear back if our antibodies will be helpful in developing a vaccine,' The Girls alum noted on the NBC morning show.

'But also if we are able to donate plasma that can be used as donation to other people that are suffering from the virus because we are immune.'

Hanks and Wilson - who announced their diagnosis on March 12 - will celebrate their 22nd wedding anniversary on April 30.

The healing power of laughter: Since returning to Los Angeles, Hanks remotely hosted NBC's first-ever Saturday Night Live at Home on April 11

Canceled? Sony Pictures postponed the June 12 release of Tom's WWII movie Greyhound co-starring Elisabeth Shue 'indefinitely' on March 30

Since returning to Los Angeles, the A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood actor remotely hosted NBC's first-ever Saturday Night Live at Home on April 11.

Sony Pictures postponed the June 12 release of Tom's WWII movie Greyhound co-starring Elisabeth Shue 'indefinitely' on March 30.

Last week, the rap trio Naughty by Nature released a remix of their 1992 hit Hip Hop Hooray featuring Wilson on vocals to benefit the MusiCares COVID-19 Relief Fund.

Rita (born Margarita Ibrahimoff) also remotely performed the National Anthem during NASCAR's iRacing Pro Invitational Series Race on April 5.

Viral success: Last week, the rap trio Naughty by Nature released a remix of their 1992 hit Hip Hop Hooray featuring Wilson on vocals to benefit the MusiCares COVID-19 Relief Fund
War-ravaged Afghanistan which has, for decades, tried to keep its economy moving amid all the chaos and trouble, has been hit by a new crisis. Like the rest of the world, the landlocked country too is witnessing a COVID-19 outbreak.

Afghanistan has officially reported only 933 cases of coronavirus, including 33 deaths. But the impoverished nation has had only limited access to testing, and observers fear the real numbers are much higher.

AP

Even as the country struggles to keep the outbreak under control, there is more bad news. About 20 workers in Afghan President Ashraf Ghani's palace have tested positive for the coronavirus, AFP quoted two officials as saying.



But so far, there is no indication the president himself has been infected. "Twenty-odd people are infected with COVID-19 in the presidential palace. However, it is (being) kept under wraps to ensure no panic is caused," one government official said.

AP

A second official confirmed the number and said an additional 12 people from the president's administrative office had also contracted the virus. Ghani's spokesman Sediq Sediqqi declined to comment and referred questions to the health ministry, which also would not comment, saying it did not disclose the identity of its patients.

Ghani, 70, recently began his second term as president and faces multiple crises, including a floundering peace process and an attack on his authority by his bitter rival Abdullah Abdullah, who also has claimed the presidency. Kabul is currently on a coronavirus lockdown, which authorities recently extended for three weeks, and all government offices are shut.

Ghani lives in a sprawling palace compound in central Kabul. Recent official photos have shown him wearing a mask and gloves, and mainly holding online meetings with officials.

Recently India had provided Afghanistan with over 600,000 tablets including hydroxychloroquine to help the country during the pandemic. Earlier India had also provided wheat to the country.

AP

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! Tahir Qadiry, Afghanistans Charge dAffaires in New Delhi, said in a Twitter post.

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

He had also thanked the Indian government for the help with evacuation of 240 Afghan nationals stranded in India. He said that it was the 10th flight in succession, for the purpose of evacuation, and expressed hope to schedule more such flights in the coming days.
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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.
Want to know how you can tell when the lockdown became a new great depression? Its when the media starts experiencing large layoffs. Glenn Reynolds has a roundup of media layoffs currently under way that makes for the feel good story of the week for sure.

The New York Times reports that Roughly 33,000 workers at news companies in the U.S. have been laid off, been furloughed or had their pay reduced. Some publications that rely on ads have shut down. And it seldom gets better than this:

NPR Warns of Major Cuts Due to Coronavirus NPR will be instituting severe cost-cutting measures as a result of the coronavirus pandemic, according to a Wednesday internal memo, with a budget deficit looming as high as $25 million through fiscal 2021. . .

I suppose this will just free up a lot of media people to volunteer full time for Democrats, though of course theyre doing that already, so how could we tell?

The mendacity and mediocrity of our major news media have seldom been on display more clearly than during the COVID-19 crisis. While the media pretend to be objective and are now clearly on the side of the Democrats narrative that Trump was negligent and slow in responding to the virus, there is plenty of evidence of the media downplaying the threat of the virus and criticizing Trumps early moves, especially his China travel ban, which the media decried as xenophobic. And then there is the medias lack of interest in the Tara Reade allegation about Joe Biden, which is so blatant that even Alexandria Ocasio Cortez gets it.

But who are you going to believeme, or your lying eyes? A few samples:

And then naturally the Huffington Post cant help itself, because of the lefts Ahab fixation:

The White Male Is the Greatest Risk in Spreading the Virus By Richard Stokoe Covid-19 has found an ally in its pursuit of infecting as many people as possible in the shortest space of time  the older white man. . . This White Male Effect will also almost certainly have played a part in how slowly the UK and the US responded to the emerging pandemic. Both the Johnson and Trump administrations have also turned to older white male experts for how to manage this crisis. . . This White Male Effect is caused primarily by the education system and society as a whole, which encourages white men to believe in their own superiority.

That last line is what I believe journalists these days think is news.

Another lefty who actually gets close to understanding the problem is Bill Maher:

Maybe some day hell figure out the common denominator in whats wrong with the media. (Hint for Bill: its leftism.)
She gave birth to her first child, a baby girl named Loretta, just weeks before the coronavirus lockdown was put in place in the UK.

And Lydia Bright has revealed her fears about raising a newborn child amid the pandemic, admitting that she'd been having nightmares about being locked in perspex box and not able to touch her daughter.

The former TOWIE star, 30, told how she's 'even more on high alert' than usual as a first time mum as she discussed feeling protective over her baby.

Worry: Lydia Bright has revealed her fears about raising a newborn child amid the pandemic, admitting that she'd been having nightmares about being locked in perspex box and not able to touch her daughter (pictured in January while pregnant with Loretta)

Lydia welcomed her little girl with boyfriend Lee Cronin on February 21st, with the first few weeks of motherhood feeling like bliss.

But just as she adjusted to her new life as a parent, things in the UK dramatically changed with the spread of the deadly COVID-19 and the subsequent nationwide lockdown imposed by the government.

Speaking to The Sun's Fabulous magazine, the reality star opened up on her feelings about bringing up Loretta in the midst of the world-wide crisis.

Protective: The former TOWIE star, 30, told how she's 'even more on high alert' than usual as a first time mum as she discussed feeling protective over her baby

She explained: 'Naturally, when you have a newborn, especially first-time mums, you are very protective. At night-time, if she doesnt make a noise Ill jump up because Im scared shes not breathing. I was so panicky those first days anyway, then with this Im even more on high alert.'

She continued: 'I take Loretta out in the fresh air because I do think its important for her immune system. Im just making sure when I leave the house Ive got disposable gloves, but it is worrying.'

Lydia went on to admit that she feels 'a little bit sad' that little Loretta's short time in the world has been marred by the 'absolute chaos', but insisted that it 'could be worse'.

Fears: Speaking to The Sun's Fabulous magazine, the reality star opened up on her feelings about bringing up Loretta in the midst of the world-wide crisis

Things are so worrying for Lydia that she also revealed that she'd had a nightmare about being trapped in a perspex box while in quarantine and was not able to touch her daughter.

Describing her dream she said: 'I was having to put my hand up to the Perspex to touch my babys hand, but I couldnt touch her because I was in isolation. I was held in this box for weeks and I missed out on weeks of my babys childhood. I had gone to bed worrying about coronavirus.'

She went on to say that though she's aware young children and babies are 'not normally infected' by the virus, she still feels we are 'human guinea pigs' as this is such a 'new virus'.

Alert: 'At night-time, if she doesnt make a noise Ill jump up because Im scared shes not breathing. I was so panicky those first days anyway, then with this Im even more on high alert'

However, Lydia is looking on the bright side and revealed the one good thing about the coronavirus pandemic is that she gets to have one-on-one quality time with her daughter.

She explained that when Loretta first arrived, she was 'overwhelmed' by visitors, which left her fearing that she hadn't 'looked' at her baby enough.

But now with social distancing restrictions in place, Lydia has now focused on essential bonding time with her little girl.

Meanwhile, Lydia recently told fans her seven-week-old daughter had been unsettled throughout the night after getting conjunctivitis.

Lydia admitted she sobbed to her sister Georgia on Sunday night after a week of interrupted sleep.

New mum: However, Lydia is looking on the bright side and revealed the one good thing about the coronavirus pandemic is that she gets to have one-on-one quality time with her daughter

Lydia shared a sweet clip of her daughter and wrote: 'My little Loretta has conjunctivitis. Today I got her eye drops and now she is so much happier.

Nothing beats this smile'.

She continued: 'Last week Loretta was such a challenge. On Sunday I was sobbing to my sister, this was what she messaged me when I was in bed on Sunday night.'

Lydia went on to share an encouraging message from her sister Georgia, who told her she was a 'fantastic mum' and told her she should go to their mum Debbie for some much needed advice.

After switching up Loretta's bedtime routine, it appears the former TOWIE star has been able to sleep uninterrupted.

Lydia posted a make-up free selfie of herself pouting as she sat in her car and captioned the snap: 'The face of a mumma who got eight hours sleep' (sic).
Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, April 19)  US President Donald Trump called President Rodrigo Duterte to discuss bilateral cooperation on the COVID-19 response, Senator Christopher Bong Go said Sunday.

Go, who was once Dutertes long-time aide before becoming a senator, still enjoys wide access to the President.

Further details on the conversation between the two leaders have yet to be released.

To date, the Philippines has the third highest number of COVID-19 cases in Southeast Asia, with 6,259 cases. Of that number, 409 have died and 572 have recovered.

The US, meanwhile, has the highest number of COVID-19 cases and deaths worldwide, with 735,366 people who have contracted the viral disease and 39,095 deaths because of it.
The bureau said Robin Grubbs, who worked at the US Penitentiary in Atlanta, is the "first potential" staff death due to COVID-19, CBS News reported.

Bing Guan/Reuters

The Federal Bureau of Prisons confirmed to CBS News on Friday that an employee who died earlier this week posthumously tested positive for the novel coronavirus, according to a report.

The bureau said Robin Grubbs, who worked at the US Penitentiary in Atlanta, is the "first potential" staff death due to COVID-19, CBS News reported.

Health experts say controlling the spread of the virus is difficult inside jails and prisons due to inmates living in close quarters, Business Insider has previously reported.

Visit Business Insider's homepage for more stories.

Robin Grubbs, a federal prison employee who worked at the United States Penitentiary in Atlanta, is the "first potential" staff death due to the coronavirus, the Federal Bureau of Prisons confirmed to CBS News on Friday.

Grubbs, who worked as a case manager at the Bureau-operated penitentiary, died earlier this week and posthumously tested positive for the virus, according to the report. She was found dead in her home on Tuesday, and her last day working at the facility was on Friday, April 10.

A spokesperson told CBS News that Grubbs was "screened prior to entry and determined to be asymptomatic."

"Robin was a dedicated employee whose efforts sought to improve the lives of inmates and her fellow staff. She was promoting into a new reentry role in the agency which would have prepared her for future leadership opportunities. Robin will be sorely missed by her Bureau family," William Woods, the prison's warden, wrote in a statement.

The Federal Bureau of Prisons and the United States Penitentiary, Atlanta, did not respond to requests for comment from Business Insider.

Grubbs will be remembered as an "Army veteran, a diehard Atlanta Falcons fan and a hard worker," CBS News reported after speaking with colleagues and said she was close with her parents and brother.

Grubbs started her career with the Bureau of Prisons in 2007 as a correctional officer, according to a report from WSB-TV, an Atlanta ABC News affiliate. Grubbs was promoted to a food service assistant, and then to a case manager.

Story continues

Health experts say controlling the spread of the virus is difficult inside jails and prisons due to inmates living in close quarters, Business Insider has previously reported.

The Atlanta penitentiary has 2,030 total inmates, according to the Bureau of Prison's website, and all visits there have been suspended until further notice in adherence with a bureau-wide mandate that has also increased the allotted time for inmates' telephone calls amid the pandemic.

The federal bureau has 143,721 inmates in institutions managed by the bureau and 10,369 housed in community-based facilities, with 18 federal inmate deaths.

As of Friday, 465 federal inmates and 296 Bureau of Prisons staffers have tested positive for the virus, while 113 inmates and 25 staff have recovered, according to the bureau.

Read the original article on Business Insider
PHILIPSBURG:--- Member of Parliament Claudius Buncamper has dispatched a letter to the Minister of VSA Richard Panneflek advising him not to sign off on any mass layoffs as the government is still busy working on a stimulus package to assist employers.

Buncamper said hotels and other employers have sent home their workers since mid-March some with pay and some without pay. He said so far over 9000 persons registered to receive food packages from the government either because they are unable to buy food or out of work.

The self-explanatory letter is below.

Minister of Public Health, Labor and Social Affairs

Mr. Richard J.J. Panneflek

Government Administration Building

Soualiga Boulevard #1

St. Maarten

Ref: Illegal labor dismissal and rising unemployment

Philipsburg April 18th 2020

Honorable Minister Panneflek,

Since the reaching of COVID19 to our shores here in St. Maarten theres much unrest and uncertainty in the business world globally and locally. This uncertainty has led to many business owners starting to send home employees in ways that do not adhere to the laws of this country. While I understand that businesses are in business to make money they have an obligation by law to follow the procedures as set forth by law regardless of the situation.

The government through the Minister of Finance is finalizing a stimulus plan to help the businesses and residents of this country to cope with the projected hardships in the next 3 months. Its with this backdrop that I ask of you not to grant any dismissals at this point in time and have the businesses make use of the payroll support.

Presently we can read in the media of hotels and many companies sending letters to their employees asking them to sign such letters to terminate all working relationships with the companies. To my understanding since mid-March many businesses have already sent home employees some with pay and some without pay, when the flights and cruise ships basically stop calling to the island. The food drive registration of some 9208 persons must be a clear sign that people need food and most probably cannot afford to purchase it.

The dismissal (illegal) practices should be stopped instantly and I believe your intervention as Minister to address this matter is urgently needed. Mass dismissals will only lead to unrest in the country, something we can ill afford at this time or anytime in general.

The unemployment is rising by the day as these matters go unresolved and this means that the government will need to make additional provisions on its already meager budget to accommodate such a significant rise in unemployment. Its with this in mind that I ask how much involvement is there regarding your ministries input in the stimulus plan regarding the unemployment aspect in the stimulus.

Lastly I ask that your ministry takes the lead on creating an workers payment fund (to cover the huge unemployment group) for the event that the recovery takes longer than the lifespan of the stimulus plan presently being prepared. The manner of funding the fund can be discussed as in my opinion the wellbeing of the workers lies in your portfolio under the heading of labor policies and the labor laws of the country.

Awaiting a positive response most soonest I remain,

Kind regards,

_______________________

Claudius A. Buncamper BSc.

Member of Parliament
A one-and-a-half-month old kid has become the youngest victim of the COVID-19 pandemic. The child was admitted at the Kalawati Saran Children's hospital, one of Asia's biggest hospitals for children. Authorities in the hospital also revealed that a 10-month-old child was admitted there with the virus.

A doctor, three nurses and a few staff workers were found to be positive for the infection after people who were in contact with the child were tested. The other children admitted to the hospital were tested too.

Two children admitted in the hospital tested positive, of which one died on Saturday. The other one is stable," a senior doctor told Times of India. He added that about 30 staff workers and parents were tested and several of them tested negative.

"Some of the other children admitted in the hospital are too small and on ventilator support. We are making arrangements to place them in safer areas, maybe another hospital with equivalent facilities, to reduce the risk of infection among them," the hospital authorities said.

In an earlier case, a 14-month-old COVID-19 infected boy died in a hospital due to multiple organ failures in Jamnagar, Gujarat. The boy was the son of a migrant-labourer couple and had no travel history.

Kalawati Saran Children's hospital is the second government-run hospital after Delhi State Cancer Institute to report multiple numbers of coronavirus infected staff members.

Also Read: Coronavirus India Live Updates: 10-month old baby, father test positive in Delhi as cases rise to 1,893

Also Read: Coronavirus cases in India: Total COVID-19 cases cross 15,000; death toll 507
Boxes marked 'Made in China' are lined up in NewAir's warehouse in Cypress, California, U.S. on May 24, 2019.

Reuters/Jane Ross

At least 1.4 million coronavirus test kits and 2.4 million face masks are stuck in warehouses in China and can't reach the United States, The Wall Street Journal reported.

Business Insider previously reported that US companies were waiting on tens of thousands of antibody kits that would detect past exposure to the virus.

New Chinese export restrictions implemented this month have slowed the shipment of tests and protective gear to US customers that desperately need them.

Public-health experts have said widespread coronavirus testing is vital to ensuring states can start to lift stay-at-home orders and open businesses.

Chinese officials said the restrictions were meant to both ensure the country wasn't exporting vital goods and to ensure quality control.

Visit Business Insider's homepage for more stories.

Urgently needed US-bound medical supplies are sitting in warehouses in China and can't reach the American hospitals and companies that have ordered them, The Wall Street Journal reported, citing suppliers, brokers, and US diplomatic memos.

Business Insider previously reported that US companies were waiting on tens of thousands of antibody kits that would detect past exposure to the virus.

One order for 1.4 million COVID-19 tests made by the Massachusetts medical company PerkinElmer can't leave its factory in Suzhou, China, because new rules require a particular certification, according to a State Department memo cited by the newspaper.

PerkinElmer told The Journal it's working with the Chinese government on the issue.

A shortage in protective gear such as medical-grade face masks, gloves, and gowns continued to plague hospitals and local governments across the US. But most of those items are not made domestically, and the US has been trying to get large orders out of China.

An order of 2.4 million masks remains stuck in a Shanghai warehouse due to the same certification issue, and can't reach the Virginia firm Owens & Minor Inc., according to another State Department memo.

Story continues

The memo reportedly said the hospital operator Emory Health similarly couldn't get an order of 100,000 N95 masks and 40,000 isolation gowns out of China.

The new export restrictions were implemented earlier in April, and Chinese officials said they were meant to both ensure the country wasn't exporting vital goods and to ensure quality control, according to The Journal.

At the start of 2020 the SNS had barely 1% of the N95 masks that healthcare workers are expected to need during the coronavirus pandemic.

Mike Segar/Reuters

"Countries across the world are all hunting for medical supplies, causing a big challenge for China's efforts of quality control and regulation of export," the Chinese Embassy in Washington told the newspaper.

Public-health experts have said widespread coronavirus testing is vital to ensuring states can start to lift stay-at-home orders and open businesses, and local governments have said supply-chain issues have stood in the way of mass testing.

But a complicating factor has been the criticism China has faced in recent weeks regarding the quality of its products. For instance, a number of European countries have complained that coronavirus testing kits shipped out of China were not accurate. In response, China mandated that exporters obtain new certifications before clearing customs.

The delays can be severe  Illinois Deputy Gov. Christian Mitchell told The Journal the state is anticipating a six to 10-day wait due to the certification rules.

"Every single day we don't have the proper protective equipment is a new health-care worker exposed, is a new hole in the ship that is our current hospital system and ICU bed structure," Christian told The Journal.

Read the original article on Business Insider
Manchester United's away kit for the 2020/21 season has reportedly been leaked online, and it appears to resemble their infamous 1996 grey kit.

Reports initially indicated that United's change strip which, manufactured by Adidas, would be a well-defined shade of green.

The colour is also officially known as 'legacy green' and is believed to have been used in Adidas' latest pair of Predator boots.

Manchester United's away kit for the 2020/21 season has reportedly been leaked online

The shirt resembles the infamous Umbro kit that the likes of Ryan Giggs wore in the 90s

However, the supposed first look at next season's away strip appears to show the kit having a shade of grey, rather than dark green, with the club badge and Adidas logo visible in orange.

But the shirt resembles the Umbro kit that the likes of David Beckham and Ryan Giggs wore in the 90s, and which failed to inspire success on the field for United.

Sir Alex Ferguson's side men earned just a single point from their five Premier League matches wearing the number.

The former United boss also rather famously made the players change out of their grey kit in favour of a more striking blue and white striped outfit after suggesting the players could not see each other in the Southampton sunshine.

Sir Alex Ferguson made United change out of that shirt at half-time against Southampton

He claimed the players couldn't see each other and ordered a change into blue and white

Ferguson made the decision with his side 3-0 down at half-time against the Saints thanks to goals from Ken Monkou, Neil Shipperly and Matt Le Tissier.

But the change failed to inspire a heroic comeback despite Ryan Giggs' second-half strike.

The FA subsequently fined the club 10,000 but now an image posted on Reddit appearing to show United's away kit for next season slightly resembles the infamous grey kit.

And the supposed new away strip has already drawn similar negative reactions from the club's supporters.

One fan tweeted: 'A bit too grey if you ask me', while another disliked that it does not adhere to the traditional United and colours and stated that his preference is still for a black and white second strip.

There were also suggestions from fans to take the colour black and model the new away strip on the kit of another top European side, stating: 'We should go for the black on black like [Borussia] Dortmund's away kit.'

But there was one fan who appears to be an admirer and even wanted to tempt fate by tweeting: 'This looks fit for [Jadon] Sancho'.

Latest reports suggest Borussia Dortmund star, who is valued at at least 100million, is set to choose between United and Real Madrid after ruling out a move to Chelsea.
A migrant vendor couple from Rajasthan, who got stranded in Tripura after the coronavirus pandemic, became parents of a baby boy and they named him Lockdown.

Sanjay Bauri and his wife Manju Bauri usually visit Tripura for six months of every year, to sell cheap plastic-wares. They visit other states as well.

This time, their experience was different.

We faced so much trouble due to the outbreak of coronavirus and the lockdown. And our baby was born during the lockdown six days ago at a government hospital. He is fine, Sanjay Bauri, father of the newborn, said while speaking to reporters.

Also read: Early measures reason for fewer cases in India, says WHO regional director

As he was born during the lockdown, we have decided to name him lockdown, he said.

Sanjay didnt take the risk to travel to Rajasthans Dausa district via road and railway as Manju was expecting. And after the countrywide lockdown was announced on March 24, they became tensed.

They came to Agartala railway station at Badharghat to find the trains were not running. Besides them, 61 other migrant vendors were also stranded due to the lockdown.

The railway police officers took us to two shelter houses. They helped us a lot and even in ensuring the safe delivery of my son. I am very thankful to them and the state government. We are now waiting to return back to Rajasthan after the conclusion of the lockdown, he said.

Also read: 4,000 Covid-19 cases linked to Jamaat, says govt. But India isnt the only one

Pinaki Samanti, superintendent of police of Government Railway Police (GRP) said they sent 63 migrant vendors at the two temporary shelter houses soon after the lockdown. They are also being provided with food, medicines and required things, he said.

We took one pregnant woman to state-run IGM Hospital a few days ago where she delivered a baby boy. The baby is fine. Medicines and other required things have been given for the mother and baby, said Samanta.

Click here for complete coronavirus coverage
Governors order allows people to get marriage licence remotely and clerks to perform ceremonies via video conference.

If you live in New York, there is now one more thing you can do online: get married.

I am issuing an Executive Order allowing New Yorkers to obtain a marriage license remotely and allowing clerks to perform ceremonies via video conference, Andrew Cuomo, New York state governor, wrote on Twitter on Saturday.

With more than 13,000 coronavirus-related deaths, New York state is the epicentre of the pandemic in the United States.

Many marriage bureaus have been shut because of the health emergency, leaving couples unable to get licences because the state requires at least one of the partners to complete their application in person.

NEW: I am issuing an Executive Order allowing New Yorkers to obtain a marriage license remotely and allowing clerks to perform ceremonies via video conference.  Andrew Cuomo (@NYGovCuomo) April 18, 2020

But Cuomo is ordering that provision waived to let couples apply remotely, his office said on Saturday. The state will also enable town and city clerks to conduct weddings by video.





There is now no excuse when the question comes up for marriage. No excuse. You can do it by Zoom. Yes or no, the governor said, with a smile.

Meanwhile on Sunday, Cuomo said 507 people had died the previous day, down 43 from Friday and by 271 since last Monday. Other indicators were going in the right direction, the governor added. Hospitalisations were down by more than 750, to 16,213.

If the data holds and if this trend holds, we are past the high point, and all indications at this point are that we are on a descent, Cuomo said during his daily press briefing. However, he warned that New York would not return quickly to pre-pandemic conditions.

The beast is still alive and the beast can rise up again, he said, cautioning against easing lockdown measures too soon.

Family members during a video conference as a bride prays in the background, during a wedding ceremony in Indonesia [Willy Kurniawan/Reuters]

With physical distancing widely recognised as one of the most effective measures against the coronavirus, events involving crowds such as weddings were among the first to be banned as countries scrambled to contain the spread of the pathogen. However, various governments across the world allowed the virtual version of the ceremony.

Indonesia has opened online registrations since public service workers were ordered to work from home in late March.

The service, however, is only for couples who were married and applied for registration before the enforcement of the remote working policy.

The same applies in the United Arab Emirates, where an an online marriage service was launched last week allowing couples to get married amid restrictions on movement.
Aerial snapshots of people flocking to a reopened beach in Jacksonville, Florida, made waves on the Internet on Saturday.

Local news aired photos and videos of Florida's shoreline dotted with people, closer than six feet apart, spurring #FloridaMorons to trend on Twitter after Gov. Ron DeSantis, a Republican, gave the go-ahead for local beachfront governments to decide whether to reopen their beaches during a news briefing Friday. Duval and St. Johns counties have reopened their beaches, while Miami-Dade County officials said they are considering following suit.

On the same day that Florida reported 58 deaths from the coronavirus - its highest daily toll since the pandemic began - DeSantis told reporters that it's essential that Floridians get exercise outdoors.

"I get a kick out of somebody jogging on the beach in California, like all by his lonesome, and you have a fleet of cops go out there," he said. "He's just jogging. Going forward, I think we've got to be promoting people to get exercise."

While DeSantis never ordered statewide closures of beaches, his comment Friday gave the green light to local officials such as Jacksonville Mayor Lenny Curry, a Republican, who announced that Duval County's beaches would reopen Friday. Curry banned certain items, including towels and chairs, and limited hours to 6 to 11 a.m. and 5 to 8 p.m. to deter people from gathering for a long time.

"This can be the beginning of the pathway back to normal life," Curry said. "Please respect and follow these limitations. Stay within the guidelines for your safety as well as for the safety of your neighbors."

The droves that showed up at Jacksonville's beach largely ignored Curry's restrictions. "People were seen swimming, biking, surfing running and fishing," CNN reported.

Curry didn't immediately respond to The Post's request for comment about the crowds, but he retweeted another city leader who shared a photo of a near-empty section of a beach.

St. Johns County, where St. Augustine is, said its beaches would reopen for physical activity from 6 a.m. to noon.

Miami-Dade's mayor said during a Saturday news conference that his county would also move forward with reopening beaches, although he didn't specify when.

The governor's office said he left the beach reopening decision for local authorities because "Florida is not a state where a cookie-cutter solution works."

"Governor DeSantis does not oppose the prudent opening of beaches with restrictions," DeSantis spokesperson Helen Ferre said.

DeSantis refused to close beaches at the height of the spring break rush, saying visitors could maintain social distancing, despite photos and videos from beaches across the state indicating that people were not doing so.

Dozens of college students who had vacationed in Miami and other party spots have tested positive for the virus since returning to their home states of Texas, Florida and Wisconsin.

DeSantis has said he will follow President Donald Trump's lead on closures, although Trump has shifted positions and indicated that he will leave those decisions to the states. Florida's stay-at-home order is in effect through April 30.

On Saturday, he stressed the importance of reopening and getting people back to work, adding that he will share the names of who he's appointed for a task force focused on reopening Monday. This comes as other states are making their own preparations to restart business.

South Carolina announced that it was reopening beaches Saturday.
After the relatively low numbers of Covid-19 cases in the past two days, Maharashtra on Saturday registered a jump in the number with 328 more infections, taking the states tally to 3,648.

Of these, Mumbai recorded the highest number of Covid-19 cases with 184 people testing positive for the disease.

328 new COVID-19 cases have been recorded in the state on Saturday, taking the total number of cases to 3,648 in the state. Highest 184 of the new cases have been recorded in Municipal Corporation of Greater Mumbai area followed by Pune which reported 78 cases, a statement from Maharashtra health department said.

Saturday was the third time this month that single-day numbers crossed the 300-mark in Maharashtra. The state also recorded 11 Covid-19 deaths on Saturday, taking its toll to 211, the state health department said.

According to civic body BrihanMumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC), 16 new cases were reported in Mumbais Dharavi area on Saturday. With this, the total number of Covid-19 cases surged to 117 in Dharavi with 10 deaths reported till now, according to ANI.

The areas around Mumbai, meanwhile, recorded single-digit rise in Covid-19 cases on Saturday. Thane recorded six cases, while Thane rural and Bhiwandi recorded three cases each. Kalyan-Dombivli recorded five cases, while Navi Mumbai recorded two. Vasai-Virar and Panvel recorded a case each. In Palghar, the number of cases reported on Saturday was seven.

There were 11 positive cases in Mira-Bhayandar, eight cases in Pimpri-Chinchwad. Akola, Amravati, Aurangabad, Nandurbar recorded one case each. Raigad recorded five cases, Satara saw four cases and Solapur saw two cases.

We expect the cases to dip after the two 14-day incubation cycles, which began on March 22, when over 2.20 lakh people came to Mumbai airport. If the containment is good it will go down, said TP Lahane, director, Directorate of Medical Education & Research.

Officials said the mortality rate in Maharashtra is also seeing a gradual decline. However, the states mortality rate is still double that of the countrys.
Donald Trumps former lawyer, Michael Cohen, has spent his time behind bars writing a potentially explosive tell-all book about life with the president, reports say.

Three people familiar with the project told The Daily Beast that Cohen  who is being released early from prison over coronavirus fears  has penned the book.

Hes been incarcerated since last May at a minimum security facility in New York State after being convicted of financial crimes which included hush-money payments to a Playboy playmate and porn star who alleged affairs with Trump.

Actor Tom Arnold has stayed in contact with Cohen during his time inside, and told the publication: Its like Jaws  you dont see Jaws very much, but you hear the music, and for Trump he knows Michael is coming and Trump better hear the Jaws music.

Recommended Michael Cohen to be released from prison early over coronavirus fears

He added: He told me he is going to spill the beans. What has he got to lose now?

Publishing industry figures reportedly believe Cohen could earn a six-figure sum for the book.

Trump has denied the affairs and says he did not direct Cohen to commit a crime.

Last year when rumours of a Cohen book swirled, the president lashed out on Twitter, saying: Congress must demand the transcript of Michael Cohens new book, given to publishers a short time ago. Your heads will spin when you see the lies, misrepresentations and contradictions against his Thursday testimony. Like a different person! He is totally discredited!
Irans leadership has forged ahead with a scheme to dramatically restart business activity while containing the outbreak of the coronavirus pandemic, a challenge that has vexed the west and other parts of the world.

President Hassan Rouhani announced on Sunday that the country would allow shopping malls and bazaars to reopen this week despite warnings by health officials that the country could squander strides made in containing Covid-19.

We have some businesses that are medium-risk, not low-risk ones, like shops in roofed places, like bazaars, or shops in a complex beside each other, like at malls, he said, speaking at a televised meeting of the national task force to fight coronavirus.

We had considered them to be medium-risk from the beginning, he said. It has been decided that they will start their activities from [20 April] while observing all health protocols.

International health experts will watch Irans attempts to resume normal life closely. It is the country hardest hit by coronavirus in the Middle East, with at least 5,118 people reportedly killed by Covid-19 and at least 82,000 confirmed infections that have led to quarantine measures and a shuttering of public and commercial life like those in the west.

But the shutdown of business activity has damaged an economy already in deep recession because of low oil prices, harsh United States sanctions, and persistent incompetence and corruption. Social distancing in poor countries can cause death due to starvation, too, said Nassim Assefi, a global health physician who has worked in Iran.

Iran finds itself facing the same pressures as leaders in much of the world, attempting to balance a growing clamour from the public to resume economic life with recommendations of health and public officials warning that while the peak of the pandemic had been reached, a resurgence of the virus is likely if social distancing measures were eased too soon.

We are concerned about another outbreak in Tehran, Mohsen Hashemi Rafsanjani, chairman of the capitals municipal council, was quoted as saying.

Health experts have pointed to the resurgence of infections in Asian cities that may have lifted restrictions too early. I think its premature, said Arin Balalian, an epidemiologist of Iranian descent at Columbia University. It carries a substantial risk for the disease to come back. You are going to have shoppers and labourers, and all of them are going to use public transport, which increases the risk of transmission.

Some researchers caution that Irans actual numbers of dead and infected may be far higher than those promulgated by a government with a long track record of opacity and distortion.

But the rate of deaths officially reported has declined from about 125 or more per day to about 75 or 80, suggesting the countrys health system is managing to absorb the impact of the pandemic. Physicians inside the country have also noted an improvement in conditions at Iranian hospitals in recent weeks as authorities imposed stringent lockdown measures.

Irans economy is in shambles. It shrank an estimated 8.7 per cent last year, with the official unemployment rate expected to rise to 13.5 per cent this year. Thanks to US pressure, Iran has reportedly been denied a $5bn (4bn) loan from the International Monetary Fund that it had requested, adding to pressure on Iranian authorities.

Iran began allowing what it described as low-risk businesses such as offices to reopen last weekend throughout the country and on Saturday in the capital Tehran, leading to massive traffic jams, large crowds in metro stations, and queues to apply for $238 (190) loans offered by the government.

On Friday an Army Day parade was held, with officers maintaining social distancing measures as they marched in formation at a base in Tehran while displaying disinfectant trucks used to clean streets of potential coronavirus instead of tanks and jeeps.

Despite the partial reopening, the number of cases and deaths did not spike, according to officials. Our assessment is that people cooperated with us and businessmen, too, observed the protocols, one of the signs of which is that we have not had an increase in the number of citizens infected, Mr Rouhani said.

But Iranian and international health officials have warned that it could take up two weeks for a surge in cases to be detected, with many coronavirus carriers either asymptomatic or suffering from relatively mild symptoms while continuing to spread the airborne pathogen. To get from exposure to symptoms takes four or five days, said Ms Assefi. Youre not going to see death rates or even severe infections for up to weeks after easing distancing.

Nonetheless, Mr Rouhani was upbeat, urging business leaders to launch construction and development projects to increase employment and restart the economy.

Many coronavirus containment measures will remain in place. Schools will remain closed, with distance-learning in place; classes have been extended for an additional four to six weeks into the summer.

Mr Rouhani announced that all shops must close by 6pm and warned that the opening of businesses at malls, bazaars and shopping areas did not include gyms or restaurants, which he described as high risk.

If there is a shopping mall with a high-risk business, for example, a restaurant or a teahouse, but people gather there, those high-risk businesses will be closed again, he said. They can do takeaway. But people cannot sit in restaurants and have food.

Mr Rouhani said professional conferences, training workshops or academic seminars would continue to be banned, along with any kind of public gatherings whether for happy or sad occasions.

This is a gradual move, he said. Any step we take the health practitioners will scrutinise them constantly. If they see a problem arising we will for sure reverse our decision.

To contain the potential spread of coronavirus at prisons, Iran has also extended for at least a month a leave it has granted tens of thousands of detainees, including the British-Iranian Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe.

The partial reopening of the country to commerce comes ahead of the beginning of the Islamic holy month of Ramadan, a time of frequent religious gatherings, and festive iftar meals marking the end of daily dusk-to-dawn fasts. But Mr Rouhani announced a continued ban on religious gatherings, including group iftars, for at least the next two weeks.

During Ramadan people go to the mosques more than usual, he said. We urge people to hold individual prayers rather than group ones. God will listen to people.
More than 2.3 million people have been diagnosed with the novel coronavirus worldwide as the spread of the virus continues.

The global coronavirus death toll stands at more than 165,000, according to data compiled by the Center for Systems Science and Engineering at Johns Hopkins University. The actual numbers, however, are believed to be much higher.

Many cities and states have begun counting probable deaths caused by COVID-19, including New York City, the epicenter of the disease in the United States.

The U.S. has more cases than any other country in the world, with at least 755,000.

ABCs Mark Remillard reports for ABC News Radio:

PHOTO: Exterior cleaning contractor Robin Barclay from Flamingo Exterior Cleaning voluntarily disinfects around a litter bin in a public space in Ayr town Centre on the west coast of Scotland on April 18, 2020. (Andy Buchanan/AFP via Getty Images)

Sunday's biggest developments:

Trump says deal on phase 4 of financial relief is "close" US cases surpass 700,000 NY, NJ report total of nearly 5,000 deaths at long-term care facilities Total deaths in Massachusetts exceed 1,500

Here's how the news developed Sunday. All times Eastern.

11:57 p.m.: Cases jump in Iowa as testing increases at meat plants

The number of positive COVID-19 cases in Iowa jumped by 389, bringing the state's total number of cases to 2,902.

The 14% jump was due mostly to increased surveillance testing of meat processing facilities, said officials with the state's Department of Public Health.

More than 1,000 surveillance tests were performed on employees of Tyson and National Beef, which yielded 84 and 177 positive results, respectively.

Three state lawmakers have filed a complaint with Iowa's Occupational Safety and Health Administration alleging that Tyson has failed to protect its employees and has not acted on the CDC's mitigation methods.

"This is an ever-changing situation and we are committed to exploring every way possible for keeping our team members safe," a Tyson executive said earlier this week.

9:48 p.m.: Feds increase regulation of nursing homes

Responding to ongoing COVID-19 outbreaks in the nation's nursing homes, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) and Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) announced new regulatory requirements for nursing home facilities.

Story continues

The new regulations will require nursing homes to inform residents and their families of COVID-19 cases in their facilities.

Nursing homes will also be required to report cases of COVID-19 directly to the CDC in accordance with existing privacy regulations and statutes.

The agencies plan to make the data publicly available.

In New York state alone, at least 3,425 residents of nursing homes or adult care facilities have died due to COVID-19, according to information released Sunday by the state health department. The figure represents nearly a quarter of the states COVID-19 deaths.

At the Holyoke Soldiers' Home in Massachusetts, 60 veteran residents have died, up by three from Saturday. Fifty of the deceased residents have tested positive for COVID-19.

7:56 p.m.: Trump says deal on phase 4 of financial relief is "close"

President Donald Trump said ongoing negotiations with Democrats for the next phase of coronavirus financial relief are "getting close to a deal."

Speaking at the daily coronavirus task force briefing on Sunday, Trump said a deal "could happen" by Monday.

"Were continuing to negotiate with the Democrats to get our great workers and small businesses all over the country taken care of," he said. "A lot of good work has been going on and we could have an answer tomorrow."

The president also the task force will support states in the effort to boost COVID-19 testing capacity by helping them take better advantage of existing facilities.

PHOTO: President Donald Trump speaks during a coronavirus task force briefing at the White House, Sunday, April 19, 2020, in Washington. (Patrick Semansky/AP)

The White House will provide governors with information on how to more fully utilize the large laboratory machines in their states, Trump said.

"They have a lot of machinery in the states that some aren't aware of, but theyre there," Trump said. A couple of them didn't know they could be utilized in a different manner. They are only up to 10% and they can go 90% more. Many governors are still relying on their state laboratories rather than the full and much larger capacity that is available to them."

Trump said Vice President Mike Pence will provide the details ahead of a Monday call with governors on local testing strategies.

Trump also announced that his administration would soon invoke the Defense Production Act to increase swap production by 20 million per month.

The U.S. has conducted more than 3.8 million tests, according to Johns Hopkins University.

Trump said the U.S continues to see the declining trajectory of cases in the Seattle, Detroit, New Orleans, Indianapolis, and Houston metro areas.

"It's more evidence our aggressive strategy is working and I thank the American people for their selfless devotion," he said. "The American people have done a hell of a job."

4:30 p.m.: Total cases in Europe reach 1 million

The number of COVID-19 cases in Europe has surpassed 1 million, according to the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control.

Johns Hopkins University's coronavirus tracker says Spain leads the continent with 195,944 cases, followed by Italy with 178,972 confirmed contractions, France with 152,996 cases, Germany with 144,387 cases and the United Kingdom with 121,168 cases.

1:15 p.m..: NY hospitalizations numbers on the descent, Cuomo says

New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo said recent data on coronavirus hospitalizations may show that the state is on the declining slope of the apex, but cautioned against an immediate reopening of the economy.

There were 16,213 hospitalizations across the state as of Sunday, compared to over 18,000 a week ago, according to the new data.

"If the data holds, we are past the high point," Cuomo said. "Right now we are on a descent."

The state had 507 new deaths recorded on Saturday, compared to the 778 deaths recorded on April 13, according to the governor.

PHOTO: Governor Andrew M. Cuomo provides a coronavirus update during a press conference in the Red Room at the State Capitol in Albany, April 18, 2020. (Mike Groll/Office of Governor Andrew M. Cuomo via AP)

The state currently has 242,786 confirmed cases and 13,869 related deaths, according to the state's Health Department.

Cuomo warned New Yorkers that despite the downward trend of hospitalization they are still not out of the water. He said it will take more time and more social distancing before he can reopen the economy.

"Its no time to get cocky, its no time to get arrogant. There is still a lot to do," he said.

The governor acknowledged the rallies outside state capitols that call on the reopening of the government, but reiterated that the COVID-19 numbers could easily go back up if social distancing is reversed too early.

"The beast can rise up again," he said.

Cuomo urged President Donald Trump and the federal government to expedite its latest aid package to the states. He said without extra funding, he'd have to cut educational dollars to New York municipalities in half.

"The governors of the states need to have resources," he said.

12:00 p.m.: Italy cases rise to nearly 179,000

Italian health officials released updated data on their COVID-19 cases and found that the number of infected persons rose by 3,047 over the last 24 hours.

The country now has a total of 178,972 coronavirus cases.

There were 433 new deaths reported over the last 24 hours bringing the country's total coronavirus fatality number to 23,660.

10:55 a.m.: NYC mayor accuses Trump of failing New York City for stalling stimulus money

New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio had some harsh words for President Donald Trump and congressional Republican leadership over the delays in the next round of federal assistance.

During his daily briefing on Sunday, de Blasio accused Trump of failing his hometown by not speaking up and encouraging Congress to pass the next relief package. The mayor cited the famous Daily News headline from the 70s, "Ford to City: Drop Dead," and called on him to help get the city back on track.

"My question to Mr. Trump are you going to save the city or are you going to tell the city to drop dead? Which one is it?" de Blasio asked.

PHOTO: Mayor of New York City Bill de Blasio speaks during a briefing on the coronavirus outbreak, April 19, 2020. (ABC News)

As of Saturday afternoon, the city had 126,368 confirmed COVID-19 cases, according to the city's Health Department. There have been 8,448 confirmed coronavirus fatalities and 4,264 probable fatalities from the virus, officials said.

De Blasio said he has spoken with the president "eight or 10 times in the last month," but Trump did not give any update on when the next federal aid will be available. The mayor warned that the money, COVID-19 tests and other relief plans from Washington needed to be finalized as soon as possible to ensure the economic recovery from the pandemic begins early and runs smoothly.

PHOTO: President Donald Trump addresses the daily coronavirus task force briefing at the White House in Washington, April 17, 2020. (Leah Millis/Reuters)

De Blasio also warned New Yorkers to be careful and continue to practice social distancing guidelines as the weather gets warmer. He said officers and park officials will step up their presence in parks and green spaces, issue warnings against people violating those guidelines, and, if need be, issue fines up to $1,000.

"Do not underestimate our enemy. This is a horrible disease, and if we let it back through the door it will reassert itself," he said.

9:14 a.m.: UK cases above 120,000, deaths rise to 16,000

The U. K.'s Department of Health and Social Care provided an update on its coronavirus data and said as of 5 p.m. Saturday, 120,067 people contracted COVID-19, with 5,850 cases recorded in the last 24 hours.

The nation has an additional 596 coronavirus-related fatalities over the 24-hour period, bringing the death total up to 16,060, according to health officials.

As of 9am 19 April, 482,063 tests have concluded, with 21,626 tests on 18 April. 372,967 people have been tested of which 120,067 tested positive. As of 5pm on 18 April, of those hospitalised in the UK who tested positive for coronavirus, 16,060 have sadly died. pic.twitter.com/sO9IRInBsu  Department of Health and Social Care (@DHSCgovuk) April 19, 2020

The U.K. has tested over 482,000 residents for the virus so far, the department said.

8:23 a.m.: Police break up a party with over 60 people in Brooklyn

Police broke up a massive party that was being held in Brooklyn, New York, Saturday night, despite the city's strict ban against mass gatherings, the NYPD said.

Officers responded to eNVee Barbershop on Avenue L in the Canarsie neighborhood around 10:30 p.m. where they found dozens of people gathered for the party, according to a police spokesman. Officers broke up the party and issued 60 summonses to the guests for violating the city's orders to shelter in place, which included a ban on mass gatherings, the NYPD said.

A police source said officers arrested two people involved with the gathering after it was discovered they allegedly had illegal weapons.

2:23 a.m.: Andover, New Jersey, nursing home issued citations

At Saturday's COVID-19 briefing, New Jersey Health Commissioner Judy Persichilli announced that the Andover Subacute Nursing Home received several citations from the state Department of Health after a survey of the facility was done on Friday.

"Survey of the Andover facility, which was a CMS survey along with a state surveyor is completed. A conference call was held with the owner and the nursing consultant yesterday," Persichilli said.

He received several citations and is required to submit a plan of correction on Monday.

12:42 a.m.: NY, NJ, CT governors announce reopening of marinas and boatyards

New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy, New York Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo, and Connecticut Gov. Ned Lamont today announced marinas, boatyards and marine manufacturers will be allowed open for personal use as long as strict social distancing and sanitization protocols are followed. Chartered watercraft services or rentals will not be allowed, and restaurant activity at these sites must be limited to take-out or delivery only, like anywhere else in the three states. This announcement aligns the policies of the three states on this particular service.

"Weve committed to working with our regional partners throughout this crisis to align our policies when and where appropriate," said Murphy. "A unified approach is the most effective way to alleviate confusion for the residents of our states during the ongoing public health emergency."

"Throughout this pandemic, weve worked closely with our friends in neighboring states to implement a uniform regional approach to reducing the spread of the virus," Cuomo said. "Aligning our polices in this area is another example of that strong partnership, and will help ensure there is no confusion or state shopping when it comes to marinas and boatyards."

"Our states share workforces, resources, public transit, and we all have share a connection on the water," Lamont said. "This is yet another example of how our states have shared interests, which is all the more reason to collaborate on these kinds of decisions. This decision provides uniformity across our marinas."

9:29 p.m.: Judge strikes down Kansas ban on church gatherings

U.S. District Judge John Broomes ruled late Saturday against Kansas Gov. Laura Kelly's decision to limit churches from holding services with more than 10 people.

"Laura Kelly, in her capacity as Governor of the State of Kansas, is hereby enjoined and ordered to refrain from enforcing the prohibition in Executive Order No. 20-18 and Executive Order 20-25 prohibiting religious gatherings involving more than ten attendees ... so long as those gatherings comply with the social distancing and public health protocols Plaintiffs have indicated in their complaint they are prepared to apply," Broomes wrote in his decision.

MORE: With constitutional questions murky, some churches continue to defy restrictions on gatherings

The Democratic governor was fighting to keep large church gatherings from meeting in opposition to the Republican-controlled legislature.

Broomes wrote that "churches and religious activities appear to have been singled out among essential functions for stricter treatment."

The ruling will hold at least until May 2.

There have been at least 1,850 confirmed cases of COVID-19 in Kansas, according to Johns Hopkins University, and 85 deaths, mostly in Wyandotte County, which includes Kansas City, and Johnson County.

ABC News' Matt Foster, Christine Theodorou and Alexandra Faul contributed to this report.

Agreement on more coronavirus financial relief is 'close,' Trump says originally appeared on abcnews.go.com
Her bloodstained clothes. A necklace. Her DNA.

Lisette thinks about everything taken from her the night she says she was assaulted. She wonders where it all is. She pictures the evidence box on a shelf, in a warehouse, deteriorating.

Its just going to sit there and rot, said Lisette, 40, who asked that her first name only be used because she is a sexual assault survivor.

The evidence was collected in a Chicago emergency room last August, after Lisette said she awoke naked and bloody in her apartment. She believes she was drugged.

A detective told her the wait to get evidence from her rape kit test could be two years.

I just stared at her and said, What do you mean its two years?

The rape kit in Lisettes case is among thousands of pieces of evidence languishing as they await DNA testing in the state of Illinois.

An excruciatingly slow turnaround on evidence processing is not new, but it remains urgently troubling to advocates who say waiting so long compounds trauma and imperils prosecutions as memories fade and victims struggle to move forward.

We cant expect victims to do that and to stay engaged in the system, said Carrie Ward, executive director of the Illinois Coalition Against Sexual Assault. All everyone wants to do is recapture what was normal, she added, and its hard to do that if youre waiting for something to happen.

The coronavirus pandemic has only increased worry about wait times.

Im afraid Ill never get the results, Lisette said. I feel were going to be forgotten."

Illinois officials have been promising for years to clear and keep clear a backlog that law enforcement, advocates and lawmakers agree is way too large. Hiring more forensic scientists and utilizing robotics are among efforts to make the process more efficient and transparent.

Illinois governors have allotted funding toward fixing the problem, dating back to 2002, when Gov. George H. Ryan announced funds to erase a backlog that had reached nearly 3,000 cases held up at state forensic labs. In 2004, Gov. Rod Blagojevich announced funds to outsource processing. In 2016, Gov. Bruce Rauner signed a bill to boost analyst hiring. In August, Gov. J.B. Pritzker established the Governors Task Force on Forensic Science, which met in February and will review evidence processing and provide recommendations by June 1.

The latest effort to streamline a clogged system is tracking rape kits as they move, or dont move, through evidence processing.

Last spring, Illinois State Police announced it would allow victims to track their rape kit online by the end of 2019. But a year later, the online tracking system still isnt ready. Officials say they are legally mandated to have it in place by Aug. 16.

Meanwhile, advocates still tell survivors to expect a wait time as long as two years.

At a January Illinois Senate Public Health Committee hearing, Illinois State Police officials said they want to analyze DNA evidence within six months, which ISP Director Brendan Kelly called an achievable goal. In February, ISP debuted a website that shows the public the average turnaround times for forensic evidence tested in all cases, including sexual assaults.

We want to provide accountability and transparency to victims, law enforcement, prosecutors and the general public, Kelly said in a statement announcing the website. Addressing the backlog is a top priority.

The average processing time for DNA evidence is 247 days, and 7,009 assignments await testing, according to ISP data as of March 31. In February, the average wait time was 194 days. ISP noted it has reduced staffing to meet social distancing guidelines due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Among the lingering cases as of April 15, according to data provided by ISP, 2,797 sexual assault and abuse assignments had not yet been processed.

Before the pandemic, in order to improve processing, officials hired more forensic scientists. A new facility in Will County is planned, and ISP is piloting a way to speed training for new hires, from 24 months to within a year.

You certainly want someone to have the knowledge that they need, because theyre doing such intricate work, said Ward, who testified at the Senate hearing about how delays impact both victims recovery and prosecution. But I cant help but look at it and think, this is just victims waiting and waiting and waiting.

Even with new hires -- 22 people who were hired in 2018 are completing training, and 24 began training in early March -- officials say they are still short of the ideal number of analysts necessary to slash the backlog.

Kelly emphasized that officials, too, want to be faster. A 2019 ISP report noted that when evidence languishes, criminals remain unidentified and able to commit additional crimes, and innocent individuals remain incarcerated as they await forensic results which could clear them.

Challenges remain. Some cases are prioritized, which can push others back. A lack of staffers means sometimes forensic scientists fill the roles of clerical staff -- answering phones instead of testing evidence. Outsourcing projects requires work of its own; analysts still must prepare evidence for shipment and assess it when its returned. For each assignment processed, new ones arrive.

Thats the constant struggle, thats the constant battle, Kelly said. The number coming in versus the number being completed.

ISP continues to process evidence during the pandemic, said state police Sgt. Delila Garcia.

Labs are open, and (we) have staffed all sections and labs with social distancing measures in mind, she said. Cases are triaged based on the public safety priorities of the prosecutors and the courts.

State Sen. Patricia Van Pelt asked state officials what it will take to fix a stubborn backlog. At the Senate hearing in January, she noted the same families attended hearings because they were still, one year later, awaiting information on loved ones cases.

As a result, we walk among murderers, she said. We know were walking among murderers.

Eight months after Lisettes night in the emergency room, where for hours she endured the intrusive evidence collection process in hopes of seeking justice, she feels stalled. She cant track her rape kit. After researching how other states work through backlogs, she doesnt understand why Illinois hasnt figured it out.

She was so perplexed by how Illinois could be so behind that she sent a letter to police outlining frustrations with her case. Hospital records recount her injuries, and she asked why police were not pushing forward with a case against someone who might be hurting other women.

Its mind-boggling, she said.

She was told that before anything can move forward, they must wait for the evidence to be processed. Chicago Police Department spokesman Luis Agostini confirmed the case is suspended until results are received. The spokesman said DNA results can make the difference between a solved and unsolved case, especially in sexual assault crimes.

In the meantime, Lisette started boxing. The first time she met with her coach, she bruised her foot kicking the bag while picturing the face of the man in her apartment that August night. She thinks about the more than 2,000 pieces of evidence submitted after reported sexual assaults, waiting, somewhere.

If she knew her evidence would be in limbo for so long, she said, she still wouldnt change walking into the emergency room that night.

"I still would have, for peace of mind, she said. I know a lot of women Ive spoken to would say no.

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The Seventh-Day Adventist Church (SDA) has donated the sum of P200, 000.00 to the COVID-19 Relief Fund. The SDA Church in Botswana is administered by Botswana Union Conference and has two regional administrative centres - North Botswana Conference (Francistown) and South Botswana Conference (Mogoditshane).

The Church owns several entities, among them Kanye SDA Hospital, Kanye SDA College of Nursing, Botswana Adventist Medical Services, and Moshupa SDA Clinic. President of the Botswana Union Conference of Seventh-day Adventists Dr. Kenaope Kenaope confirmed to this publication that the church indeed made the donation. In a letter addressed to all church organs and passed to Botswana Guardian, Kenaope announced the donation was made in solidarity with the Government efforts to mitigate against the negative economic effects of the COVID-19 pandemic.

He said that in response to the national call to contribute funds (or in-kind) to the COVID-19 Relief Fund, the Botswana Union Conference (BUC) Executive Committee authorised and contributed the sum of P200, 000.00 (Pula Two Hundred Thousand Only) on behalf of the Seventh-day Adventist Church community, to the fund.

The said amount was transferred to the Bank of Botswana COVID-19 Relief Fund account on Thursday April 09, 2020.

Kenaope expressed hope that the contribution is "our social responsibility" as a church to partner with all those who are supporting the Government of Botswana to address the effects of the COVID-19 scourge.

"We encourage our members who are financially able to voluntarily support this government initiative over and above what the SDA Church as an entity has contributed, he implored. SDA entered Kanye Village in then Bechuanaland Protectorate in 1921 through its medical missionary work and this was followed by its preaching work in 1922/1923. By December 31, 2019, Kenaope said it had a membership of 47, 354 baptised members.

Kenaope encouraged congregants to adhere to the guidelines provided by MoHW and WHO, such as extreme social distancing and washing hands as often as possible with soap and clean water. Much more, we pray for the frontline medical teams as they do their best to manage the situation and also encourage all of us to unite our efforts to curb the spread of COVID-19, he said.
UNITED NATIONS  Russia is trying again to win U.N. General Assembly approval for a resolution on the coronavirus pandemic, dropping a call to end unilateral sanctions without U.N. Security Council approval but still calling for an end to protectionist practices.

The 193-member world body has until noon EDT on Wednesday to consider the revised Russian draft resolution, which is called a Declaration of solidarity of the United Nations in the face of the challenges posed by the coronavirus disease.

The General Assembly instituted new voting rules because it isnt holding meetings as a result of the pandemic. Normally, assembly resolutions are adopted by majority votes or by consensus, but now if a single country objects a resolution is defeated.

The original Russian draft resolution, which was co-sponsored by Central African Republic, Cuba, Nicaragua and Venezuela, failed to win apporoval on April 2. Diplomats said the European Union, United Kingdom, United States and Ukraine objected to it.

The revised Russian draft resolution, which was sent to member states Friday by General Assembly President Tijjani Muhammad-Bande, significantly increases the number of co-sponsors to about 30, drops a call to end trade wars, and adds a number of new provisions. One addition expresses grave concern at the negative impact of the spread of COVID-19 on public health and the global economy, and makes a commitment to pursue coordinated and decisive actions aimed at defeating the pandemic, guided by the spirit of solidarity and international cooperation.

Another welcomes the April 3 statement by the Group of 77 and China  the main group of developing countries at the United Nations which now has 134 member states  on COVID-19, calling it a strong message of solidarity in the face of the pandemic from the developing world.

The G-77 statement includes a call on the international community to adopt urgent and effective measures to eliminate the use of unilateral coercive economic measures against developing countries, saying that at this juncture they have a negative impact on the ability of countries to respond to the pandemic.

The General Assembly adopted a resolution on COVID-19 on April 2 sponsored by Ghana, Indonesia, Liechtenstein, Norway, Singapore and Switzerland. It recognizes the unprecedented effects of the coronavirus pandemic and calls for intensified international cooperation to contain, mitigate and defeat the COVID-19 disease.

Muhammad-Bande, the assembly president, sent a Mexican-drafted resolution to member nations on Thursday calling for global action to rapidly scale up development, manufacturing and access to medicine, vaccines and medical equipment to confront the coronavirus pandemic. Member states have until 5 p.m. EDT on Monday to object.

South African and Egypt are also reportedly preparing draft resolutions on COVID-19 to put before the assembly.

Some diplomats believe the world body should draft an omnibus measure instead of considering many separate ones. Its resolutions are not legally binding but are an important gauge of world opinion.

The more powerful 15-member Security Council, whose resolutions are legally binding, has not adopted a resolution since the pandemic began circling the globe, infecting more than 2.1 million people and killing more than 140,000 worldwide, according to a tally by Johns Hopkins University.

Its five permanent members, who have been divided on how to address the pandemic, are discussing a French-drafted resolution while its 10 elected members have their own draft. Diplomats said discussions have started on merging the rival texts.
Bindi Irwin surprised fans when she wed long-time beau Chandler Powell at a secret ceremony at Australia Zoo on March 25.

And in the couple's Animal Planet TV wedding special, released in select countries this week, Bindi revealed the exact moment she knew Chandler, 23, was The One.

The 21-year-old wildlife warrior said she instantly knew the American wakeboarder was her future husband when he showed an interest in her family's legacy.

'I knew I was going to marry him': Bindi Irwin, 21, revealed the moment she knew husband Chandler Powell, 23, was The One in their Animal Planet TV wedding special aired this week

Dressed in her signature khaki ensemble, Bindi said on camera: 'For me, I knew that Chandler was The One when I watched him jump into our biggest crocodile pond.

'I watched him and I went, "Yep that's it. I'm going to marry this man, it's official".'

At the time of filming the wedding special, the couple were engaged.

Showing an interest in her family's legacy: Bindi said on camera: 'For me, I knew that Chandler was The One when I watched him jump into our biggest crocodile pond'

Bindi added in the clip: 'I can't think of my life with anyone else but Chandler, and so now here I am looking at marrying the love of my life, my best friend, and I couldn't be happier. I'm so excited.'

The couple made the 'difficult decision' to host their wedding at Australia Zoo on March 25 without guests amid the coronavirus pandemic.

Prime Minister Scott Morrison enforced new restrictions on weddings, with only five people allowed to attend - including the couple, the celebrant and witnesses.

Husband and wife: Bindi and Chandler surprised their fans when they tied the knot at Australia Zoo on March 25

First wedding photo: Bindi was every inch the blushing bride in a princess-style gown with a lace bodice and semi-sheer sleeves

Bindi was every inch the blushing bride in a princess-style gown with a lace bodice and semi-sheer sleeves.

She styled her brunette locks in soft waves, and added an intricate beaded crown.

Chandler cut a suave figure in a blue dress shirt, beige trousers and dress shoes.

Love story: Bindi and Chandler got engaged at Australia Zoo in Queensland in July last year, on what was her 21st birthday and they began dating in 2015

A TIMELINE OF THEIR ROMANCE NOVEMBER 2013: The pair first meet at Australia Zoo in Queensland. Chandler later asks Bindi's mother, Terri, if he can keep in touch with her JULY 2015: Bindi announces on Instagram that Chandler has become a 'Wildlife Warrior' as they embark on a long-distance romance SEPTEMBER 2015: Bindi and Chandler debut their relationship on the red carpet after her appearance on Dancing with the Stars LATE 2018: Chandler moves to Queensland to live with the Irwins NOVEMBER 2018: Bindi says she feels 'lucky' to have found 'The One' DECEMBER 2018: The couple dismiss engagement rumours, saying they are in no rush to marry JULY 24, 2019: The pair announce their engagement on Bindi's 21st birthday Advertisement

Family: Despite celebrating a birthday and engagement on the same day, Bindi admitted last year that it was 'bittersweet' as her father Steve Irwin (right) was not there. Pictured also with mother Terri Irwin and brother Robert

Bindi and Chandler got engaged at Australia Zoo in Queensland in July last year, on what was her 21st birthday and they began dating in 2015.

Despite it being her birthday and engagement, Bindi admitted in an Instagram post at the time that it was a 'bittersweet' day as she was celebrating without her father.

Steve Irwin, famously known as the 'Crocodile Hunter', tragically died from a stingray barb to the heart in 2006. He was 44-years-old.

Speaking to the Sunshine Coast Daily, she explained: 'I do really wish that dad was here to be able to celebrate with us as a family.

'I think in some ways he is and his spirit lives on in everything that we do, and I always feel closest to dad here at Australia Zoo.'
Making a massive claim in his press briefing on Saturday, the United States President Donald Trump alleged that former Vice President & Democratic nominee for the 2020 presidential elections Joe Biden has been 'pitched' by China. While blaming China for their lack of transparency in handling the Coronavirus crisis, Trump said that 'US will be owned by China if sleepy Biden wins'.

"China was pitching for former vice president Joe Biden for the presidential election. If sleepy Joe Biden wins, China will own the United States," Trump said. He added that his administration had gained billions of dollars from China due to his assertive trade policies. If Sleepy Joe Biden were to win, China would own the United States. pic.twitter.com/4BowTnop4T  Team Trump (Text TRUMP to 88022) (@TeamTrump) April 18, 2020

READ | Cutting WHO funding isn't only dangerousTrump doesnt have the authority: Hillary Clinton

During his White House press briefing, Trump said that the death toll due to Covid in China is higher than the United States, but is not being reported. However, he also added that his country's relationship with China was good before the outbreak of the virus. "We had the greatest economy in the world by far. China isn't even close. Go back two months. And we're going to keep it that way," he said.

Meanwhile, on April 19, India amended the Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) policy to ensure no hostile takeover of firms facing stress due to ongoing COVID-19 lockdown. According to the amendment, neighbouring countries - including China, Nepal, Bangladesh, Pakistan will require government approval for investing in Indian companies.

READ | Donald Trump unveils three-phase plan to reopen US from Covid lockdown; here's what it is

Trump blames Biden for 'standing up for China'

Trump's 2020 campaigns official Twitter account, Trump War Room, has claimed that Biden spent 44 years in Washington 'standing up for China' and 'protecting China's feelings'. It is clear that Trump is using coronavirus to attack his opponent Biden ahead of the US presidential election. One-minute two-second campaign video on the page declares 'Biden dangerous for America.' The campaign also blamed him for the failure to stockpile enough protective masks to prepare for the coronavirus pandemic.

The United States till Sunday reported a total number of 738,792 cases 39,014 deaths. New York City remains the most affected by the coronavirus. The novel Coronavirus, which has brought the entire world to a halt, first originated in China in December last year, has till now killed over 160,755 people worldwide.

READ | Trump says new guidelines aim to lift some restrictions

Democrats endorse Biden

In a massive turn of events, US Senator Bernie Sanders suspended his 2020 Presidential campaign paving way for Biden to be the presidential nominee for the upcoming election in the US. The Democrats, who looked bitterly divided a few weeks ago, seems to have come together as Sanders Massachusetts Senator Elizabeth Warren announced their endorsement of Biden. Former US President Barack Obama also endorsed his 'friend' Biden, who was also his VP during his presidency.

READ | Coronavirus LIVE Updates
When Ella Scott Lynchs father heard the Underbelly producers were writing a miniseries on Lawyer X Nicola Gobbo he rang her up to tell her she would be perfect for the role.

Scott Lynch, whose credits include Love Child, Brock and Upright, had previously performed as Chopper Reads wife in Underbelly Files: Chopper. But being Sydney-based she knew little about Melbournes gangland history when she sent off an audition tape to producers.

I just read the scene and thought, Wow this is going to be an incredible character. Its an unusual opportunity because we know very little about the character personally. So it left a lot up to us creatively, to try and understand what motivated the character, she tells TV Tonight.

An opportunity like this rarely rarely comes along.

I really believed that I could do the role and I fought for it, I suppose. I just knew an opportunity like this rarely rarely comes along.

She got the role, playing barrister-turned police informer Nicola Gobbo, code named Informer 3838. It was a demanding schedule, filmed with little network fanfare late last year.

The workload was immense and it was a short shoot, relatively speaking, shooting four hours of television in just over five weeks.

You run the gamut of emotions in something like this, so it was a very physical shoot as well.

Ive never had that kind of workload on a television show before.

But it was a great experience for me because Ive never had that kind of workload on a television show before.

Im playing Nicola Gobbo from her uni days to present day really: so the Royal Commission and how we got to the quite dramatic situation that has unfolded in the last year or so. Its a long period to play somebody, which has been a really interesting thing to do.

No surprises that Lynch had no opportunity to speak with Gobbo in preparation for the role.

No. A lot of it is based on research, Ive been doing a lot of reading, and theres a lot of stuff on the public record. Its been very helpful to hear about other peoples dealings with her and things like that, she continues.

Hey, were not making a documentary here

When we got caught up on little factual details, Geoff our director said to us, Hey, were not making a documentary here, were making an interpretation of events. No-one knows exactly what happened in these situations. No-one knows the truth. All we can do is puzzle a few things together.

It was the dialogue-heavy courtroom scenes she found most difficult, but performing scenes alongside Gyton Grantley as bloody scary Carl Williams were also unnerving. The cast also includes Robert Mammone back as Tony Mokbel plus Hollie Andrew, Rhys Muldoon, Stephen Peacocke, Jacquie Brennan, Richard Davies, Olympia Valance, Jane Harber and Les Hill.

But Scott Lynch doesnt weigh in on what motivated someone from one side of the bar to turn police informant. Such was the fallout it has led to a Royal Commission in Victoria and talk of another miniseries in the pipeline for Foxtel.

You never judge a character

Whether youre playing Macbeth or Maleficent, you never judge a character, she explains. You always look at your character as a whole person and try and understand what could have happened to somebody when they were younger, that makes them behave a certain way.

Theres so much stuff around obviously in the press, that it can distract from just trying to create a whole character. You dont want to get caught up in thinking That was good or that was bad. I dont believe any humans are all good or bad. We are all pretty complicated beasts. There are parts of this story that are really tragic but its always good to find the lightness in the dark. I think thats the same with exploring a character thats so divisive and complex.

Bad people do good things, good people do bad things.

Shes enigmatic in a lot of ways, and thats a gift as an actor because were not making any moral judgments on any of these characters. Bad people do good things, good people do bad things. I think its always fraught when youre playing real people, because theres that sensitivity that theyre going to maybe watch it at some point and feel like we are judging the situation.

Actors, writers, all creative people just want to understand how people tick.

With this character in particular I loved trying to understand her and the situation and hopefully the audience is as intrigued as we all were in making it.

Informer 3838 Part 1 airs 8:50pm Monday on Nine. Part 2 airs next Monday.
The MoIT would extend the timeline of the current FiT for wind power projects until the end of 2023

According to the MoIT, Decision No.39/2018/QD-TTg adjusting support mechanisms for the development of wind power projects in Vietnam created the motivation for wind power development in Vietnam. Numerous projects were proposed to add to the power planning and begin construction.

However, just a few wind farms have been put into operation for many reasons, including difficulties related to the Law on Planning, the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, and difficulties arising during construction process.

Notably, after Decision 39 came into effect on November 1, 2018, activities to register new projects and transmission projects to receive and release capacity was delayed for a year due to the lack of guidance to implement the Law on Planning. As a result, 4,800MW of wind power was added to the planning and the MoIT are reviewing another raft of projects with a total 45,000MW capacity to submit to the prime minister to add to the planning.

In addition, the prolongation of the COVID-19 epidemic impacted the delivery of turbines as well as the construction process of ongoing projects. Notably, according to the MoIT, manufacturing of main equipment and components of wind turbines have been delayed around the globe. Besides, the halt on the entry of foreign experts into Vietnam was another barrier preventing construction from proceeding according to schedule.

In reality, there are 18 months left until November 1, 2020, the deadline for investors to complete part or whole of the grid-connected wind power projects in order to enjoy the FiT for 20 years from the commercial operation date.

These concerns of investors prompted the MoIT to submit its proposal to the prime minister.

Accordingly, in its proposal, the MoIT mentioned concerns about the delayed construction of coal-fired thermal power projects, including Long Phu I and II and Song Hau I and II, among others, which were scheduled to be completed in 2018-2021. These delays will cause a shortage of electricity in the southern region in 2021-2025. Thus, it is necessary to consider new energy supplies and wind power is an ideal choice.

According to the MoIT, in order to encourage investment in wind farms, a FiT mechanism is important in ensuring enough time for investors to develop projects already in the planning as well as to mobilise new projects for 2020-2025.

As of now, nine localities requested the MoIT to forward their proposals to the PM to extend the FiT deadline for projects which are expected to start commercial operation in 2022-2023 due to these above difficulties.

The MoIT is also waiting for the prime ministers approval to assign it to propose a new selling price to apply from November 1, 2021 to December 31, 2023. From 2023 onwards, interested investors will have to join bids and competitive auctions to develop projects.
Sansha city establishes two districts for better management

Global Times

By Liu Xin Source:Global Times Published: 2020/4/18 23:15:52

Following approval of the State Council, the city of Sansha in South China's Hainan Province has announced the establishment of two new districts to administer waters in the South China Sea. Experts said this is normal new city planning for better scientific management and to safeguard territorial sovereignty, and should not be over-interpreted.

Xisha District is set to administer the Xisha and Zhongsha islands and surrounding waters with government located in Yongxing Island; Nansha District has jurisdiction over the Nansha Islands and its waters with government located in the Yongshu Isles.

The city of Sansha was established on July 24, 2012 to manage the Xisha, Zhongsha and Nansha islands, isles and waters. It is the city located at the most southern point of China with the smallest land area and population, but has the largest territory of any Chinese city. Sansha city has more than 280 islands, isles, submerged reefs and waters. Its land and water area is about 2 million square kilometers.

"Eight years after China set Sansha as a city-level administrative unit, it is now time to subdivide it with different districts to further fulfill the responsibility of safeguarding our national sovereignty," Zhang Junshe, a senior research fellow at the People's Liberation Army Naval Military Studies Research Institute, told the Global Times.

The new city planning will also bring convenience to residents on the islands and fishermen's lives, Zhang said, noting that the move should not be over-interpreted.

Song Zhongping, a Chinese military expert and commentator, told the Global Times that "Sansha has continued infrastructure construction since 2012. As a city that administers the largest territory among Chinese cities, it is also responsible for managing islands, isles and waters - work that is complicated and sensitive. The newly established districts will help detail the current administrative work in the area and build Sansha into a better city."

Sansha will become a key tourist city in China. The city's scientific and detailed management work will help mobilize resources to develop tourism and energy resources, Song said.

China's move is a legitimate one as the territory within the nine-dash line historically belongs to China. Sansha's latest planning is in accordance with international and domestic laws, Song said.

Chen Xiangmiao, an assistant research fellow at the National Institute for South China Sea Studies, told the Global Times that the establishment of the Xisha and Nansha districts will improve the management of its juridical area, including improving ecological protection and conducting maritime humanitarian rescues.



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Kerala on Sunday reported two new cases of coronavirus which took the total number of infections in the state to 401, the states health minister K K Shailaja said.

Out of the 401, 270 have been discharged while 129 people are in different hospitals, she said in a statement.

The latest two persons to test positive had returned from the Persian Gulf but more than the number of patients, health authorities are worried about the extended incubation period of the virus. There have been instances of the onset of the Covid-19 even after 25 days among people who came back from West Asia.

Follow coronavirus latest updates here.

The World Health Organization had set an incubation period of 14 days for the virus but in Kerala some cases have been reported even after 29 days of exposure.

In Pathanamthitta in central Kerala a girl student, who travelled in a compartment in which some Tabligi Jammat members were also travelling, tested positive after 22 days of her trip. Under observation she remained asymptomatic throughout but turned positive when her observation period was about to be over. She was asymptomatic even after she tested positive on April 6, said district medical officer Dr N Sheeja. Similarly in Kozhikkode a man who was under observation was tested positive on 28th day when he was about to be taken out of quarantine.

Despite these worrying points the state has shown a steady recovery rate. A total of 55,590 people are under observation. At one point, their numbers had crossed almost two lakhs. Kerala, first state to report the virus in the country has lowest mortality and highest recovery rates.

Out of the 14 districts in the state, four are in red zones, eight are in orange and two are in green zones. In orange and green zones the government has announced many concessions. Restaurant will be opened till 7 pm but people sitting there will have to keep a minimum distance. In orange zones private vehicles will be allowed under odd-even scheme. Only three passengers will be allowed in car including the driver and no pillion rider on two-wheelers. And local buses will be allowed for shorter distances. The government said it will withdraw these concessions if it found anyone flouting these norms
Even before the current spate of Saudi-led lunacy in the shape of the oil price war with the two biggest oil producers in the world loomed into view, Kuwaits 2020/21 budget projected a KWD 9.2 billion (US$30 billion) deficit. This will be the sixth year of enormous deficits for the country due to initially production curbs due to the OPEC+ deals and then to plummeting oil prices thanks to the Saudis. Kuwaits Finance Minister, Mariam al-Aqeel, underlined at that point that the budget breakeven price was US$81 per barrel of Brent, but now of course it is much higher, in keeping with all other OPEC members that followed Saudi Arabia into the ranks of the intellectually bereft.

Al-Aqeel added that the government was likely to try to fill the gap from the state reserve fund to finance the deficit because the National Assembly has so far refused to approve a public debt law that would raise the ceiling on maximum public debt to KWD25 billion dinars. In short, Kuwait, like all of Saudi Arabias followers, is in deep trouble and needs every source of revenue it can get, beginning with new oil exports from the Partitioned Neutral Zone (PNZ) that it shares with Saudi.

In this context, Kuwaits Oil Ministry announced last week that the first shipment of Al Khafji crude oil from joint operations in the PNZ has been exported, and a tanker carrying two million barrels of crude oil is headed to Asia. This shipment comes some five years after the Saudis closed the joint operations in the PNZ for the official reason that the site was not compliant with new environmental air emission standards issued by Saudi Arabias Presidency of Meteorology and Environment Authority. According to this august agency, a gas leak had sprung in one of its 15 platforms (in addition to producing around 280,000-300,000 barrels per day [bpd] of crude just before its closure the site also produced around 125 million standard cubic feet per day of associated gases). The real reason was that Saudi wanted to show its neighbour who was boss as Kuwait had been increasing its competition to Saudi Arabia in the key Asian export markets at that point to the degree that it was selling oil to buyers in Asia at the widest discount to the comparable Saudi grade for 10 years.

Premium: The Oil Sector That Will Suffer The Most

Additionally, Kuwait had been increasing the difficulty for Saudi Arabian Chevron (SAC) in obtaining work permits to operate in the Zone, jeopardising SACs ability to move ahead with its full-field steam injection project in Wafra that was intended to boost output of heavy oil there by more than 80,000 bpd. When Saudi started talking again about levels of oil production and capacity that it has never produced or sustained, respectively, then Saudis need to find all the oil it could finally allowed for the re-opening of the PNZ for Kuwait.

Kuwaits big budget deficits began in the very year that Saudi closed Khafji  in 2014 - as it effectively wiped out its spare capacity in one fell swoop. Additionally, the closure made it all the more difficult for Kuwait to achieve its cornerstone economic plan (Project Kuwait) of increasing crude oil and condensate production to four million bpd by the end of this year, up from just over three million bpd currently. These production targets included the expansion of PNZ production, which at minimum was designated to produce 350,000 bpd this year.

The first year after Saudi shut the PNZ, Kuwait produced just 2.5 million bpd of crude oil and about 200,000 bpd of non-crude liquids, with about half of that crude oil production coming from the Burgan field in the southeast region of the country, which has a sustainable production capacity of 1.7 million bpd. Given that for that year  the first full year of Saudi Arabias last disastrous attempt to destroy the then-nascent U.S. shale oil industry - petroleum exports accounted for around 90 per cent of Kuwaits total export revenues, it is little wonder that Kuwait found its budget spiralling out of control.

Premium: Oil Storage Nears Its Limit

Kuwait then redoubled its efforts to attract international investors into its oil sector, with the initial phase of this development plan being focussed on broadening and deepening its capital markets. This development template not only assures would-be foreign investors of a more liquid capital markets base from which to operate but also affords the host country the opportunities to raise capital, not just through new share issues but also eventually through new good sized corporate and state bond offerings down the line. The core of this strategy was to develop the equities markets towards the aim of inclusion in the key indices used as benchmarks by the international investment community, and initially these plans were proceeding well.

In September 2018, most notably, Kuwait acceded to the FTSE Russells emerging-market benchmarks, and the Boursa Kuwait enjoyed a period as the darling of Middle East-focussed investors, with Kuwaiti stocks outperforming most of their Persian Gulf peers at that point. At around the same time, MSCI  the giant of all such benchmark indices  said that it might announce the upgrade of the nation to emerging-market status in 2019, putting Kuwait in the front rank of Middle East investment prospects, alongside Saudi Arabia, the UAE, and Qatar, and a move expected to generate billions of dollars of much-needed international investor inflows into the country.

As it currently stands, though, following Kuwaits adherence to the latest Saudi adventure and the coronavirus outbreak, news emerged from MSCI last week that the agency is to postpone entering Kuwaiti companies stocks into its Emerging Markets Index from May to November, at least.

By Simon Watkins for Oilprice.com

More Top Reads From Oilprice.com:
Vineet Upadhyay By

UTTARAKHAND: Tanuja Joshi doesnt need an introduction in Haldwani, her hometown, around 270 km from Dehradun.

These days, she leaves her home around 11 am every day and returns after 2 pm after distributing food, rations and other essentials such as sanitisers, masks, soaps and sanitary pads among the poor at different locations in and around the city.

More than 200 families of migrant workers, daily wagers and underprivileged have been provided at least one weeks ration by her.

These are trying times for us. We should all come together and help each other and provide food or money to those struggling to make their ends meet, says Joshi. But she is not doing the good work only during the current lockdown necessitated by the coronavirus outbreak.

This has been her way of life for which she paid a heavy personal price. The journey of the 45-year-old has been full of hurdles, but she never gave up. Her two brothers were murdered in 1999 and 2004 by gangster Ramesh Bambaiya after her father, a businessman, refused to give in to the extortionists demands.

As Joshi continued to fight the murder cases of her brothers in courts, her husband decided to part ways in 2007, leaving her to bring up their son, then 10 years old, all alone. Bambaiya was convicted in 2007 and died of cancer in the jail. Her father also passed away in 2013.

For green cause



Many would not be able to fight back after losing so much as she did. To support herself and her son, now a final-year engineering student, she worked as a teacher and warden in schools in Nainital and Delhi. She even started property-dealing and later, opened a car tyre showroom.

At the same time, the tough journey to justice brought her closer to nature. In the last six years, she has been going door-to-door, urging people to let her plant a tree in their home. The campaign has now resulted in thousands of Gulmohar trees across the city and she has come to be known as the Gulmohar lady.

Joshis love for nature doesnt stop here. Every year, she treks up to remote hills with a small team and encourages people to not leave their villages and rather, join her campaign to contribute to the environment.

Our girls need to be educated and trained in self-defence. I work with people who understand my motive and are willing to go the extra mile, said this crusader. Joshi, who has rejected an offer to contest the municipal elections, says she would rather serve the people.

Honoured for doing her bit to save the earth



A masters in sociology, Tanuja Joshi teaches self-defence to underprivileged girls, organises health camps for children and various other training courses.

She has been honoured by Shankaracharya Swaroopanand Saraswati in Badrinath for her contribution to the environment.
The family of the 15th Victorian to succumb to COVID-19 have issued a plea for people to take the virus threat seriously after they had to watch the "larger than life" grandfather take his last breath via a video call.

Hillside man Giuseppe Franzoni, 84, died at the Sunshine Hospital on Friday.

His son Frank Franzoni said the family were struggling to come to terms with the sudden loss of their "rock".

"It was quite sudden ... he fainted one day, but he didnt tell anyone about it," Mr Franzoni said.
Harare (AFP) - The Union Jack is slowly lowered. An enormous clamour rising from across Salisbury's Rufaro stadium hits fever pitch as 36,000 people celebrate the hoisting of the new green-gold-red-black-white flag, marked with a star and a Zimbabwe bird, symbols of the new state.

The crowd roars to a 21-gun salute. The din of planes fills the night sky. The applause and cries of joy gradually subside and the singing starts.

It is shortly after midnight on Friday, April 18, 1980. Zimbabwe has just been born.

- A new start -

Ninety years of colonisation is brought to an end with Britain's granting of independence to its former rebel colony.

In front of the excited crowd, the heir to the British throne, Prince Charles, hands the text of the constitution to the president of the new state, Canaan Banana, in a symbolic transfer of power.

There are 100 foreign delegations in the official stands.

Apartheid South Africa and most of the countries of communist Eastern Europe are not represented.

However the continent's main liberation movements -- including those of South Africa, the Polisario Front of the Western Sahara, and the Palestine Liberation Organisation -- are in attendance, alongside Western countries.

Notably absent is the former leader of rebel Rhodesia, Ian Smith.

- Rebel colony -

Smith had on November 11, 1965 also declared independence, but unilaterally and against the wishes of London.

It was the first time a British Crown colony had broken away since the United States in July 1776.

His Unilateral Declaration of Independence (UDI) led to a 15-year dispute with London during which black nationalists launched a guerrilla war against the white regime in Salisbury, today's Harare.

Smith made the bold move to put an end to long independence negotiations with Britain and to prevent blacks -- who numbered six million against the white population of 250,000 -- from coming to power.

Previously the colony of Southern Rhodesia, the rebel country took the name Rhodesia, after British explorer Cecil Rhodes who claimed the region on behalf of the Crown in the late 19th century.

Story continues

It was immediately condemned by African and foreign states.

Internationally isolated and under British and UN sanctions, Smith's regime soon had links only with South Africa and Portugal and its colonies.

London believed it would eventually cave in under the pressure. But it underestimated the determination of Rhodesia's whites who benefited from an abundant reserve of black manpower to build a self-sufficient and prosperous nation.

- Guerrilla war -

From the mid-1960s Rhodesia was faced with insurrection.

The decisive phase in the conflict came at dawn on December 21, 1972 when a small commando launched a rocket attack on a white-owned farm in the northeastern locality of Centenary.

A girl was wounded and windows broken, and the white community saw it as a one-off incident.

It turned out to be the start of seven years of conflict called the Bush War, which would leave more than 27,000 dead. The guerrilla force strengthened from year to year and clashes intensified, especially after neighbouring Mozambique obtained independence in 1975.

However the black movement was divided, with rivalry developing between the ZAPU (Zimbabwe African People's Union) faction led by Joshua Nkomo and Robert Mugabe's ZANU (Zimbabwe African National Union).

While both followed a socialist ideology, the more moderate ZAPU wanted negotiations with the authorities for a transfer of power.

ZANU was more radical, favouring armed struggle.

A third player was the United African National Council of Methodist Bishop Abel Muzorewa, which rejected violence while demanding "one man, one vote".

Amid the infighting, Mugabe emerged by 1976 as the leader of the overall 12,000-strong guerrilla movement.

- Minority rule ends -

Under pressure from the escalating war and waning support from Portugal and South Africa, Smith opened negotiations on a transfer of power.

The white regime met with black nationalists for a first time on August 25, 1975 in a train on a bridge over Victoria Falls bordering Zambia after demands for a venue on neutral territory.

While that first meeting failed, it launched a process that culminated in a 1978 agreement on a political transition.

In April 1979 elections were held for the 100-seat parliament with a majority of seats allotted to blacks, but some still guaranteed for whites.

Muzorewa's party won and he became prime minister of the state of Zimbabwe-Rhodesia, proclaimed in June 1979.

White minority rule had ended.

- Settlement -

But the guerrillas did not halt their insurgency and the new nation was also rejected on the world stage.

Britain called Muzowera and nationalist leaders including Mugabe and Nkomo to talks on reaching internationally recognised independence, reaching on December 21 the Lancaster House Agreement, named after the venue of the talks.

1980 elections were won by Mugabe, who became prime minister and then president.

He first won praise for his policy of reconciliation but went on to set up an authoritarian regime which brutally repressed opponents and implemented a land reform programme that resulted in economic collapse.

Forced to resign in 2017, aged 93, and after 37 years in power, Mugabe died two years later

His successor Emmerson Mnangagwa has promised to fight corruption, revive the moribund economy and reduce poverty.
More than 6.5 million jobs could be lost due to the economic fallout from the UKs coronavirus lockdown, according to a new study.

Research by the Institute for Social and Economic Research at the University of Essex has warned this would equate to about a quarter of the UKs total jobs, with more than half of the positions in certain sectors being lost.

Accommodation and food services are predicted to be worst affected, with 75 per cent of jobs  about 1.3 million positions  lost, while some sectors referred to as other services are predicted to lose 50 per cent and wholesale, retail and repair of motor vehicles is predicted to lose 47.6 per cent.

About 700,000 positions (44 per cent) in the transport and storage sector could be lost and 26.5 per cent of jobs in administrative and support services are expected to go as well, the study said.

The research followed a report by the Office for Budget Responsibility (OBR) on Tuesday, which warned the UK economy could shrink by 35 per cent this spring and unemployment could rise by more than 2 million due to strict lockdown measures.

The University of Essex study showed a knock-on effect for certain industries from job losses, with the agriculture, forestry and fishing sector predicted to lose one job in 10 due to reduced demand from the accommodation and food sector.

However, some sectors could fare better than others as the institutes modelling reflected the capacity of some people to work from home, leaving certain industries less affected by the lockdown

Some sectors, most notably health and social work, were predicted to see an increase in their workforce.

Although job losses are expected to be mostly temporary, Professor Matteo Richiardi, an expert on modelling labour markets who led the research, has warned jobs could be permanently lost depending on the duration of the lockdown.

If this is short, say a few months, the links between employers and employees of affected industries might not be severed, and individual careers might not suffer too much, he told The Observer.

Under a longer lockdown, losses of human capital and scarring effects will occur. The economy will still bounce back, but at a higher cost for individuals.

Professor Richiardi added the analysis confirmed fears that a continued lockdown was economically unsustainable, raising pressure on the government to work out a way to ease restrictions.

This is why we need to make the most out of the extra time the lockdown is buying us, and increase our capacity to trace and isolate new cases, especially asymptomatic cases, so that the economy can be restarted before a vaccine is ready, he said.

The professor has called for the lockdown to be phased out across sectors and regions, rather than switched on and off altogether.

He noted that countries which had taken strong early action, such as Taiwan, were suffering reduced economic effects from the pandemic, while countries which have attempted to prioritise the economy, such as the US, were not performing very well in the crisis.

Additional reporting by PA
Source: Xinhua| 2020-04-19 17:15:48|Editor: huaxia

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NANNING, April 19 (Xinhua) -- Holding a tin of jasmine tea, Hong Ben worked very hard in front of the camera. Through a livestreaming app on his mobile phone, Hong introduced the quality and flavor of the tea. Hong is not an ordinary livestreamer, but the deputy head of Hengxian County in southern China's Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region.

Apart from jasmine tea, Hong also promoted other local specialties like papaya pickles and potted live jasmine, as well as the unique ethnic culture and natural scenery of Hengxian County.

As China has tailored policy toolkits to help spur growth at home, many grassroots level officials have recently turned to video-promoting local farm products in a bid to gain a rebound in consumption.

For county chiefs, it was an unconventional yet practical means to promote online, in that ordering and delivery services had become a pillar of daily supplies for city dwellers during the COVID-19 epidemic.

Hong said that a tag of "sold out" always gives him the greatest delight, adding "it means that our products have been accepted and welcomed all over the country and have a good market."

Fifty-four counties in Guangxi have joined the live sales hosted by government officials and attracted over 30 million viewers in early April, according to the regional commerce department.

Among those who recently joined the trend, Wu Juan, deputy mayor of Guangxi's capital city Nanning, tasted and recommended local delicacies in front of a cellphone camera and performed folk songs and dances to boost sales. "The epidemic hit many enterprises hard, especially the catering business," Wu said.

"One of my duties is to help them. And I've been more than happy to recommend our best and safest items via livestreaming platforms," Wu added.

These officials, mostly middle-aged, picked up buzzwords and internet slangs popular among younger netizens in a bid to attract more viewers.

"Let's countdown -- three, two, one, here comes the (product) link!" "Send in the screenshot, sweetheart, and y'all get a discount," said Hou Gang, deputy mayor of the city of Liuzhou who kept using catchy touting expressions, turning far-flung viewers into frequenters.

During a two-hour livestreaming, Hou sold more than 3 million yuan (about 424,000 U.S. dollars) worth of products, including 43 Liuzhou-produced electric vehicles.

Local entrepreneurs also praised the officials for selling local produce. Qin Lijun, the assistant general manager of a Guangxi-based fresh food brand, told Xinhua that the live shows gained more attention from consumers and led to real sales growth.

Qin Xia, CEO of a tea enterprise in Hengxian County, said that Hong's hit show provided the company an opportunity to run the brick-and-mortar store and explore the online market simultaneously. Enditem
The Centre on Sunday issued guidelines for movement of labourers within a state to facilitate partial resumption of select economic activities outside coronavirus hotspots from Monday, but ruled out any inter-state travel.

Issuing the order, Union Home Secretary Ajay Bhalla made it clear that there will be no inter-state movement of workers during the lockdown, which has been extended till May 3.

The development came at a time migrant labourers stranded in places like Mumbai, Surat and Delhi making desperate attempts to go back to their native places despite the lockdown.

The order said that due to the spread of the novel coronavirus, workers employed in industry, agriculture, construction and other sectors have moved from their respective places of work and are housed in relief and shelter camps being run by state and UT governments.

Since additional activities, outside the containment zones, have been permitted in the consolidated revised guidelines with effect from April 20, these workers could be engaged in industrial, manufacturing, construction, farming and MNREGA works.

To facilitate their movement within the state or UT, it issued a standard operating procedure (SOP).

The migrant labourers currently residing in relief and shelter camps in states and UTs should be registered with the concerned local authority and their skill mapping be carried out to find out their suitability for various kinds of works.

In the event that a group of migrants wish to return to their places of work within the state where they are presently located, they would be screened and those who are asymptomatic would be transported to their respective places of work, according to the SOP.

It may be noted that there shall be no movement of labour outside the state and UT from where they are currently located.

During the journey by bus, it would be ensured that safe social-distancing norms are followed and the buses used for transport are sanitized as per the guidelines of the health authorities.

The local authorities shall also provide for food and water etc., for the duration of their journey, the SOP said.

The lockdown was first announced by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on March 24 for 21 days in a bid to combat the coronavirus endemic. While extending the lockdown till May 3, the prime minister declared that select activities will open up from April 20 in identified areas.

Soon after the lockdown was first announced, hundreds of thousands of migrant workers in different parts of the country were seen leaving their places to work and started going to their native places on foot along with family members like small kids, creating a humanitarian crisis.

There was an instance when a group of such people were found inside a container truck in Maharashtra when they were trying to go to Rajasthan from Telangana as passengers transport was completely shut.

To check this mass exodus, the central government had asked all states to provide food and shelter to the migrant workers so that they do not move during the lockdown.

The central government even allowed state governments to use money from the National Disaster Response Fund to provide temporary accommodation and food.

Last week, a large number of people gathered at Bandra in Mumbai after rumours were floated that trains were being arranged for the migrant workers to go back their native places in North India.

Another group of workers clashed with police in Surat in Gujarat demanding transport to go back to Odisha.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
MUSCATINE - With hemp now a legal product to grow in Iowa, Muscatine Community College are inviting students to learn more about the opportunity.

Starting in Fall 2020, MCC will offer a new one-year Industrial Hemp Production diploma program to provide both education and training related to growing and working with hemp.

According to instructor Shane Mairet the college began thinking about a program focused around hemp while Iowa was in the process of legalizing it.

Of course, the last farm bill opened up the way for states to regulate it Iowa had passed their bill, and we kind of saw a need there, Mairet said. The board at MCC also thought hemp would be an agricultural commodity that would be popular, due to its potential and many uses.

(Hemp) was such an important and popular crop in the World War II era, and you can make so many things with it and other countries are using it, so we thought that it was something we should look into.

Mairet  who has a background in raising specialty crops commercially  says the new program ties in with the colleges current programs, such as their agriculture business program.
The Mamata Banerjee government in Bengal, which has been drawing flak for the low rate of Covid-19 tests, has accused the central research institute, the National Institute of Cholera and Enteric Diseases (NICED) of providing defective Covid-19 test kits.

The apparently defective test kits supplied by ICMR-NICED, Kolkata, are resulting in a high number of repeat / confirmatory tests and causing delays and other attendant problems at a time when we are batting a pandemic, the state health department tweeted on Sunday evening.

ICMR NICED in Kolkata is a research institute under the union health ministry and also the regional Virus Research Diagnostic Lab (VRDL) for eastern India.

The state government also tweeted that there was no problem earlier when the testing kits were being received directly from National Institute of Virology, Pune. Recently, the supplies to government labs in West Bengal have been routed through ICMR-NICED, Kolkata.

NICED director, however, said state-run medical colleges were unable to standardize the kits in the absence of proper technical know-how, leading to inaccuracies.

Earlier when kits were required in smaller quantities they were imported, standardized and then distributed by NIV, Pune. But when the demand started rising ICMR imported the kits and sent them directly to the 16 regional hubs including NICED in Kolkata. The kits were then distributed to state-run medical colleges where they were required to be standardized. But this standardization is not being done because of the lack of time and technical know-how. Thats why sometimes these kits are giving inconclusive results, said Shanta Dutta, director of NICED.

A few days back Dutta had alleged that NICED was not getting enough swab samples from the state government for testing.
Escalating violence, lack of schooling put minors at higher risk of being recruited by armed groups and child marriage.

Mopti, Mali  Djan Diagahate was 12 years old last year when he watched a group of gunmen storm his village in central Mali and burn it to the ground.

His home and his school  everything he knew  were destroyed.

Since then, he has been living in a small tent made of tarp and twigs at a camp for displaced people in Sevare, some 100km (62 miles) from his home in Ballanguine. Instead of going to school, he spends his days sitting around the Chirifila site with his family and other children displaced by the violence that has engulfed Mali and other Sahel countries in recent years.

Diagahate is not alone. An entire generation of children in the country and across the region has fallen years behind their grade level.

A surge in attacks and threats against public schools, teachers and students in Central and West Africa has led to the closure of more than 9,000 schools, including some 900 in Mali, leaving overall nearly two million children without proper education, according to the United Nations children agency (UNICEF).

The attacks often involve beatings and kidnappings of students and teachers alike, said Lauren Seibert, a childrens rights researcher at Human Rights Watch, a US-based NGO.

A large percentage of children have severe trauma linked to what they experienced in school, added Seibert, who has spent the last year documenting abuses in the region.

The attacks are horrific.

Djan Diagahate, left, watched a group of gunmen storm his village in central Mali and burn it to the ground; Amadou Diagahate, right, is worried for his grandson who has been out of school for a year [Annika Hammerschlag/Al Jazeera]

The situation is especially volatile in Mali, Niger and increasingly in Burkina Faso, where ISIL (ISIS) and al-Qaeda-linked groups have annexed vast swaths of land that have long suffered from weak governance. Along the way, they have exploited intercommunal disputes and widely-held resentments towards local governments to incite violence and recruit new members.

Backed by international allies, state security forces have sought to quell the upheaval but muddled operations at times have killed more civilians than the militias themselves.

In those three countries, gold trafficking has financed the expansion of armed groups and provided access to a steady flow of ammunition, contributing to a six-fold increase in school closures since April 2017.

Goldmines that were neglected by local governments have fallen prey to fighters who see Western-style education, particularly for girls, as a threat to their ideologies.

Control of the mining sites allows them to extend their influence and gain more funding, said Jean-Herve Jezequel, the director of the Sahel project for Crisis Group, a conflict research nonprofit. The mines are full of young men who can be easily recruited into jihadi groups.

Recruited by armed groups

Local security forces lack the resources needed to combat rebel groups, particularly in rural areas where their authority is challenged, according to Crisis Group.

Since 2015, the number of violent attacks perpetrated by militant Islamist groups in the Sahel has doubled each year, the Africa Center for Strategic Studies, a US Department of Defense research group, said in December 2019. Deaths linked to these attacks have also doubled each year.

In Mali, the conflict has grown largely out of mounting tensions between the Peuhl (also known as Fulani) and Dogon ethnic groups, much of which is stoked by armed groups and exacerbated by competition over the shrinking availability of arable land due to climate change.

Each year is worse than the last: with more than 450 documented killings, 2019 was the deadliest year for civilians in central Mali since the conflict began escalating in 2012, according to Human Rights Watch.

Attacks against Malian children are also on the rise. The first three quarters of 2019 saw some 570 serious violations against children, compared with about 390 in all of 2017, UNICEF says.

In Malis Mopti region, which has become the epicentre of the conflict, reports of armed groups burning people alive in their homes, hacking people to death with machetes and dragging commuters out of public buses to be slaughtered are widespread.

The area has seen the closure of more than 600, or 30 percent, of its schools, leaving children such as Diagahate without access to formal education.

He never used to be like this. He was so jovial, said Amadou Diagahate, the 13-year-olds grandfather. Sitting beside him, the boy appeared on the verge of tears as he stared down at his fidgeting hands. He could not muster a single word.

We are not happy here. This is not our home, Amadou Diagahate said.

But by some measures, Diagahate is one of the lucky ones. Aid groups have provided shelter and food, and he is being cared for by his family.

Without the protection of a classroom, some children are at a higher risk of being recruited by armed groups.

They join because they dont want to die of hunger. They join because if they dont, another group might kill them, said Yacouba Maiga, the head of Catholic Relief Services Mopti office.

Young girls grind cornmeal on what was once was a school day in Mopti, Mali; their village was attacked and burned to the ground, so they now spend their days doing chores at a camp for displaced people [Annika Hammerschlag/Al Jazeera]

The situation is especially precarious for girls who, out of school, are more vulnerable to being forced into marriage.

A number of African countries including Mali have banned child marriage. But without an education many girls may never learn their rights, said Ghislaine Gatho, the head of the Mopti office for the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs.

People are exploiting the vulnerability of these kids, she said.

Girls who marry early are more likely to suffer from sexual abuse and early pregnancy, which can lead to fistulas, eclampsia and chronic infections.

Complications from pregnancy and childbirth are the primary causes of death for girls aged 15 to 19 worldwide, according to the World Health Organization. Babies born to adolescent mothers are more likely to be premature and suffer from serious conditions such as low birth weight.

International aid organisations and local education authorities are working to implement alternative education methods such as creating community learning centres and broadcasting lessons on the radio.

However, an overall lack of funding and attention from involved governments and the international community is limiting emergency efforts.

Before the violence started, Mali was a warm, welcoming place where even the poorest offered strangers food and water, said Catholic Relief Services Maiga. Now, thousands of children, born into a period of conflict, are being raised in a culture of mistrust.

People are being hunted and they dont know why. People are having to flee and they dont know why, he said.

There are young people who know nothing other than this crisis.
Abba Kyari

Death came calling for President Muhammadu Buharis powerful Chief of Staff, Abba Kyari, on Friday, after weeks of battling the deadly coronavirus which has claimed thousands of lives across the globe.

Mr Kyaris death was announced by the presidential spokesperson, Femi Adesina, in the early hours of Saturday.

Mr Kyari tested positive for coronavirus and subsequently moved to a private medical facility in Lagos for treatment.

In a March 29 statement, Mr Kyari said his health was improving and urged Nigerians to remain calm about his situation and keep a hygienic lifestyle to avoid contracting the virus.

Lifetime

Mr Kyari, from Borno State, graduated with a bachelors degree in Sociology from the University of Warwick in 1980 before bagging a degree in Law from University of Cambridge. He was called to the Nigerian Bar after attending the Nigerian Law School in 1983.

He returned to University of Cambridge where he obtained a masters degree in Law in 1984.

He also attended the International Institute for Management Development in Lausanne, Switzerland, and participated in the Programme for Management Development at the Harvard Business School, in 1992 and 1994, respectively.

Career



After his return to Nigeria, he worked at the Fani-Kayode and Sowemimo law firm, for a few years before becoming the Editor of New Africa Holdings Limited Kaduna between 1988 to 1990.

Immediately after he left his job as an editor in 1990, he was appointed Commissioner for Forestry and Animal Resources in Borno State.

He also served as the secretary to the board of African International Bank Limited, a subsidiary of Bank of Credit and Commerce International till 1995.

He later became the executive director in charge of management services at the United Bank for Africa, and was later appointed the chief executive officer. By 2002, he became a board director of Unilever Nigeria, and later served on the board of Exxon Mobil Nigeria until he was appointed by Mr Buhari.

He also served as Honorary Member of the Presidential Advisory Council on Investment in Nigeria between 2000 and 2005.

In August 2015, Mr Buhari appointed Mr Kyari as the Chief of Staff.

Powerful but controversial



His time in office was marred by different controversies even as many believed he worked mainly behind the scenes to implement the presidents agenda. At some point, he was seen as the de-facto president of Nigeria.

He was known to be one of the cabal who always had the ears of the president alongside Mamman Daura, the presidents nephew. He often shared the blame and the credit attributed to Mr Buhari.

The wife of the president, Aisha Buhari, once accused him and others of hijacking the government.

In 2016, the governor of Kaduna State, Nasir el-Rufai, in a memo accused Mr Kyari and a sacked Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Babachir Lawal, of being clueless.

You appear to have neither a political adviser nor a minder of your politics. The two officials whose titles may enable them function as such generally alienate those that contributed to our success. The SGF is not only inexperienced in public service but is lacking in humility, insensitive and rude to virtually most of the party leaders, ministers and governors.

The Chief of Staff is totally clueless about the APC and its internal politics at best as he was neither part of its formation nor a participant in the primaries, campaigns and elections. In summary, neither of them has the personality, experience and the reach to manage your politics, nationally or even regionally, the governor wrote then.

Scandals



Mr Kyari was also allegedly enmeshed in the MTN N500 million bribery scandal. While the Nigeria Communications Commission (NCC), fined the company $5 billion for a security related infraction, Mr Kyari was accused of collecting N500 million bribe to help cut down the fine. He denied the allegations.

Recently, the National Security Adviser, Babagana Monguno, accused Mr Kyari of jumping into the affairs of the security of the nation. He warned all service chiefs to desist from taking further directives from the Chief of Staff without President Buharis knowledge.

Chief of staff to the President is not a presiding head of security, neither is he sworn to an oath of defending the country. As such, unprofessional practices such as presiding over meetings with service chiefs and heads of security organisations as well as ambassadors and high commissioners to the exclusion of the NSA and/or supervising ministers are a violation of the Constitution and directly undermine the authority of Mr President.

Such acts and continued meddlesomeness by the chief of staff have not only ruptured our security and defence efforts, but have slowed down any meaningful gain that Mr. President has sought to achieve, he said.

In 2017, the then Minister of State for Petroleum Resources, Ibe Kachikwu, accused Mr Kyari of blocking him from seeing the president over matters relating to the ministry.

His daughter was also secretly appointed as an assistant vice president at the Nigerian Sovereign Investment Authority (NSIA). Nigerians were riled that the position was never publicly advertised.

The most trending controversy was perhaps how Mr Kyari reportedly influenced the President to discard Vice President Yemi Osinbajos request for approval for funds to continue his role in resolving the deadly farmers-herdsmen crisis.

Mr Kyari was said to have approached the president with a similar proposal after rubbishing Mr Osinbajos request before the president.

He was also allegedly involved in scrapping of the Economic Management Team (EMT) which Mr Osinbajo headed and this was replaced with the Economic Advisory Council (EAC).

Mr Buhari further strengthened the position of his ally when he warned that only memos that go through the late chief of staff would get his (Buhari) attention.

Mr Kyari was buried at a military cemetery in Abuja on Saturday.

***

Source: PREMIUM TIMES
The grasping for grace ultimately feels clumsy here, despite Scott's best attempts to give the metaphors a soft landing. But Roberts and Affelder in particular create a strong and moving connection. Like Tom and Amanda in "The Glass Menagerie," they understand each other entirely too well to be able to fully forgive  or to let go  of each other. Yet their shared sense of not fully belonging in the world lets us see that they are growing entwined together, like little weeds, in the scrubby patches of no-man's-land between what was, what is and what could have been.
For a people who are obsessed with every petty oppression of the past, it's strange what small attention has been paid to the historic coming together of Fianna Fail and Fine Gael.

Critics have concentrated on complaints about the framework document being pie in the sky - a complaint I shall return to presently.

What they ignore are the personal and psychological hurdles faced by the two parties born of Civil War - and, paradoxically, the opportunities opened up if they can clear them.

Because history shows a fruitful dynamic is often released when former political foes find themselves on the same side fighting a greater enemy.

This is the theme of Doris Kearns Goodwin's classic account, Team of Rivals, which recounts how Abraham Lincoln took the risk of bringing three men into the cabinet who had run against him for president. The result was a war cabinet that buried its differences to bury slavery and secession.

Furthermore, the past provides small and big moments of civility. President De Valera blessed the Cosgrave-Corish coalition at a dinner in the Aras at its commencement in 1973. Certainly Bunreacht na hEireann said he had to appoint a cabinet but it did not oblige him to throw a dinner party!

Garret FitzGerald admitted to voting for Lemass in 1965, strongly defended Jack Lynch during the Arms Crisis - and remained a far more loyal defender than a rump of the Fianna Fail party which to this day hankers after a suicidal pact with Sinn Fein.

Lynch, in turn, let it be known he supported FitzGerald's Anglo-Irish Agreement in 1985. And in turn, John Bruton endorsed Bertie Ahern's Good Friday Agreement.

Later still, Alan Dukes supported the Tallaght strategy, the forerunner of the confidence and supply deal. Recently Micheal Martin gave the Government full backing on Brexit.

But perhaps the most moving demonstration of goodwill was when Lemass adjourned the Dail in 1965 as a mark of respect on the death of WT Cosgrave.

To grasp the magnanimity of Lemass's gesture, we must remember that during the Civil War, Cosgrave's Free State Government had effectively allowed Special Branch heavies from Oriel House to torture and murder Lemass's brother Noel and dump his body in the Dublin mountains.

Here is a section of his generous eulogy which both parties should ponder:

"Although William T Cosgrave has left us, the work he has done for Ireland endures. The generosity of his youthful response to the call to serve Ireland; the privations and the sacrifices which he endured so that national freedom might be ours; the capacity he displayed in presiding over the administration while responsibility was his; the grace with which he handed over responsibility when the people so willed; the dignity with which he carried out his duties as leader of the opposition and later as a private member of this House; the generosity of spirit with which he leant his hand to the defence of the State in a time of national danger; the readiness with which, even in retirement from active public life, he gave of his counsel in the sphere of national development which was dear to him; and, finally, the exemplary character of his long life - these are the elements of a legacy which we in Ireland, and indeed those who value freedom and democracy everywhere, will forever cherish."

Let me now return to the critics of the framework document (henceforth called Framework) and their complaint that it is too aspirational, and not costed.

They miss the point. The Framework was never meant to be a costed economic programme for government - nor does it pretend to be.

The Framework is that rare and much-missed thing in modern Irish politics - a visionary statement setting out a laudable aspiration to move away from the past towards a better society.

But there is nothing vague about its core which is a pledge of radical change. The document explicitly states there will be "no going back to the old way of doing things".

In sum, the Framework is an open, organic and dynamic document designed to show the public that lessons were learned by the established parties last February and that they are agreed on a new ethos.

But there is also a practical dimension - the document creates spaces for dialogue with smaller parties - and gives them room to fill these spaces with their priority policies.

Anyone with any feel for the public pulse can sense most people wish this new ship of State well and want to give it a fair wind.

That is why the leaden response from Roisin Shortall on Sean O'Rourke last Wednesday was both deeply depressing - and politically suicidal.

Because in opposition the Social Democrats will be totally overshadowed by Sinn Fein who will be running more candidates next time around.

Furthermore, Labour's Alan Kelly, who cursorily dismissed the Framework as "aspirational" (as if that were a bad thing), won't be getting an early bounce at the polls or any reward at the next general election.

Eamon Ryan seems to be still trying to do the right thing for his party. Going into government is the Greens' only option if they want to avoid a second general election this year.

The Greens have more to fear from a second general election than any other party. Their supporters are mostly idealistic middle-ground voters who crave stable government and responsible politicians. If the Greens go into opposition, these voters will flee back into the arms of Fine Gael and Fianna Fail.

The Framework offers the Greens more than any other party: a "new green deal" - a commitment to revisit carbon reduction targets, a pledge to look at economic recovery via a "green lens".

But if they drag their heels much more, the Framework parties should take Noel Dempsey's shrewd advice and form a Government from the ranks of the willing, and dare the smaller parties to cause a general election.

Because Dempsey has divined something those dug deeply into negotiations may be missing.

The public, always ahead of politicians and the media, senses that FF and FG make perfect dialectical partners.

By dialectical, I mean Majority Ireland senses that the fiscal prudence of Fine Gael and the public spending side of Fianna Fail will balance each other out and make them the perfect Team of Rivals.

*****

So far I have refrained from bothering you with reflections on how to improve yourself during self-isolation.

But I have to share a free podcast gem on Hamlet - the play that says it all politically and personally.

It only takes 10 minutes at a time as it comes in short sessions, scene by scene.

To get it, download Spotify, search for The Hamlet Podcast by Conor Hanratty - a young Irish theatre and opera director.

Hanratty takes you through Hamlet by the hand, telling you the spine of each scene, acting it out and then going back over it in exciting close readings that for all their erudition are easy to follow.

If you're starting on Shakespeare this is a must. If you think you know Hamlet, think again. Give it a go. After all, it's famously full of quotations!
In a typical year, a week after Commencement has finished and students have left, Grinnell College alumni from all over the world come back to campus to celebrate Reunion. This year, due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Grinnell College has canceled Reunion, and with the loss of the hallmark event, alumni and staff are working to create community in new ways.

When the College announced that Commencement would not occur, staff members at the Office of Development and Alumni Relations (DAR) had a feeling that Reunion would not take place. While it was a hard decision, DAR staff felt that the health and safety of alumni took priority and canceled the event.

Its directly tied to the Colleges decision to move to a remote learning environment and create intentional efforts to prevent or slow the transmission of the coronavirus, explained Jayn Chaney 05, director of alumni and donor relations. After the news was released that students and employees would be operating in remote environments, DAR did not feel it was safe or appropriate to bring back a thousand alumni from all over the world. It simply felt like it wasnt a risk worth taking.

As with the other College closures, many are disappointed that Reunion has been canceled, especially as plans have been under-way for months. The planning process begins about eighteen months in advance, as DAR works to help classes build committees. Each class committee comes back to campus to meet with DAR staff and begin plans.

In 2020, there would have been fourteen class years celebrating their reunions. With DARs assistance, Class Committees hold monthly conference calls to coordinate efforts such as outreach and encouraging classmates to register. Some class committee members  the Class Fund Directors  focus on soliciting donations and picking a fundraising priority for their class. Other members focus on programming events.

It really is a year-long process of working with the volunteers to coordinate details, said Chaney.

Gwenna Ihrie 15 started planning Reunion with her co-Class Agent during the summer of 2019. Their Class Committee had planned a Mac Field Day with games reminiscent of the Grinnell Relays. Additionally, they had planned a talent and drag show for their Fifth Reunion class cluster.

It was going to be a fun time to reconnect and get to know each other again. It has been five years since a lot of us have seen each other. [We] tried to create spaces for people to get to know each other again, said Ihrie.

Paige Everly, associate director for alumni and donor relations is worried about how younger classes will maintain their Grinnell connections without their first Reunion. She is particularly sad for the five-year Reunion as this is when the most people can and do come back. That experience helps to engage them with the College for a long time and help them remember, This was really great, and I can make a difference as an alum, she said.

Like Ihrie, Sam Perlman 90 was looking forward to reconnecting with his class. Perlman is on his Class Committee and has been preparing for his 30th Reunion. I love hanging out with Grinnellians. Theyre smart, theyre creative, theyre engaged. Whenever I spend time with a group of Grinnellians, I feel like I always leave with a new best friend, he said.

Chris Meyer 70 has been an active member of his Class Committee and serves as the Class Fund Director. The class of 1970 would have had a milestone Reunion this year, meaning that an incredible amount of planning has gone into the events that would have taken place.

For example, the class had planned for a keynote speaker and a panel to discuss the social justice priorities of 1970 and now. Due to bombings in Cambodia and the Kent State shootings, the College canceled the class commencement.

What we wanted to do is talk about what has happened since we were here, where are these issues we care about today, and what still needs to be done or actions that need to take place, said Meyer.

As part of the milestone Reunion, the 1970 Class Committee has been creating a memory book of their time at Grinnell College. Meyer noted that they will continue to add to this book and include a section about COVID-19 and how the class remains resilient.

For everyone involved, the Reunion deferral has been difficult to come to terms with.

Reunion is this incredible moment that I think really demonstrates, in a really palpable way, the beauty and the power of the Grinnell Alumni community, said Chaney. And I think that it shows how enduring the relationships are that we develop when we are students at Grinnell and the importance of creating space for celebrating those relationships and for fostering them and continuing to make them a priority in our lives.

For Meyer, he knows that Reunion is not over  its just delayed. I dont intend to miss it; I just have to defer, he laughed. What is concerning for him is that some of his classmates will not be able to attend Reunion in the future.

We are all in our 70s now and people are beginning to pass away on a regular basis, which is sad. And I assume that between now and June of 2021 someone who could have attended this year is going to pass away. Now with coronavirus, its probably even more likely that were going to lose classmates, said Meyer.

Like alumni, current Grinnell Students will feel the loss of Reunion as well. There are nearly 200 student workers employed during the busiest Reunions, either for DAR, dining services, the bookstore or any other campus area that may attract alumni. Student workers participate in Reunion for a variety of reasons, but many do so for employment and rely on that paycheck.

Additionally, Reunion raises money for scholarships, internships and other student endeavors. As Everly explained, much of the fundraising has been done, but the economic repercussions and uncertainty caused by COVID-19 still has an impact. Fundraising begins up to 18 months in advance.

[While] some money has been raised, there definitely is an impact [on fundraising], she said.

Mae Parker, director of annual giving and Jessica Herzberg, assistant director of annual giving and reunion giving do not think the deferment of Reunion will have a major impact on the accruement of donations, just change the nature of those donations.

Alumni have been making gifts since the cancellation of Reunion 2020 to support our students through the Supporting Our Students Fund (SOS Fund), the unrestricted Pioneer Fund, Scholarships and Financial Aid and many other funds, wrote Parker and Herzberg in an email to The S&B.

DAR has been working with each Class Committee to maintain the Grinnell College community. Currently, DAR is working to create a revised Reunion calendar that would allow all the classes to come back to celebrate, perhaps during the fall of 2020 or spring of 2021.

While Chaney is saddened at the loss of Reunion, she is confident that new opportunities will arise from the current situation.

I think its going to deepen the gratitude that many Grinnellians have to be together after this time of distancing and isolation, she said. I think that this time presents an opportunity for us to be creative.  How can we continue to build engagement and create community for Grinnellians when many need it now more than ever before?

DAR is working to build and maintain virtual regional alumni events. Additionally, DAR has promoted an online book club. There are almost 500 alumni participating, and Chaney hopes that the number will grow.

Meyer has been considering building connections and community with the class of 2020. The class of 2020 joins the club they never wanted to be a part of, he said. Its something that will follow you forever. You will be changed by this experience for the rest of your life, and we can say this with the perspective looking back fifty years.

Meyer said that in some ways the class of 2020 has lost more than the class of 1970.

When Grinnell closed in 1970, it was a decision that the students participated in and viewed as the right thing to do under the political circumstances at the time. Here, it was driven wholly from the outside, wholly from medical necessity.  [The class of 2020] lost more in some senses than the class of 1970, she explained.

I would hope that we can find some way to make a bond out of this and do something to recognize them and contribute when they get their commencement or their Reunion.
The Banarasi saree industry, renowned for its production of beautiful and some of the finest sarees in India, is struggling to cope with the dip in the business it is facing due to the nationwide lockdown owing to the coronavirus pandemic that has claimed over 450 lives in the country so far.

The Banarasi sarees are quite popular for their gold and silver brocade or zari, fine silk and opulent embroidery. The sarees are usually made of finely woven silk and decorated with intricate design. Due to these engravings, these sarees are relatively heavy.

The Coronavirus-triggered crisis has not only led to the fall in the sale of sarees, a number of workers associated with the Banarasi saree industry are also suffering. Its being said the industry is facing a loss of around 24 crore daily.

Ashok Dhawan, patron of the Banarasi Textile Industries Association, told IANS,: It is a cottage industry. About one lakh families are involved in this. Everything is closed now and this is causing a loss of about 24 crores per day.

We have an annual income of about 6,000 crore. We sell for 250 days. The business is closed for 100 days. This business runs without any support from the government. Its a self-funded employment. This industry is currently closed due to the COVID-19 outbreak and due to this, many families are struggling, Dhawan said.

He said that Banarasi sarees are sold most in the domestic market. The saree is sold in all districts of India its demand raises especially during marriages as its used widely.

There is no system here like place an order and book your product. Here, the customer comes and purchases the products himself. People purchase these sarees a lot during the wedding season, he said.

Vaibhav Kapoor, vice-president of the Silk Trade Association, said: The Coronavirus pandemic has affected the entire market. The business of the months of March and April have taken a blow, and things are not likely to get better even in May. It will take at least six months to recover from this. Even after the end of lockdown, it will take a lot of time for the industry to recover.

The Banarasi saree industry is also dependent on tourists to a significant extent. Many tourists from south regions of India come here to purchase the sarees.

There is a huge market of Banarasi sarees in the south. Even in Holi, the business did not pick much pace. The Navratri season was also simlar. Now, due to COVID-19, the loss would be in crores. There is a lot of demand of sarees in the villages as well but due to the current situation, the business is stalled there too. Lets see if we can witness some decent business around Diwali, Kapoor said.

Ramswaroop, a saree shopkeeper in Varanasi, said: Sarees are sold in large numbers during wedding seasons. But this time, the sale of sarees have been low since March. The Coronavirus has wreaked havoc on the markets.

(This story has been published from a wire agency feed without modifications to the text. Only the headline has been changed.)

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As people around the world adjust to social distancing rules to help stop the spread of COVID-19, it seems animals are having no such trouble.

So to show how easy it is, internet users across the globe have shared amusing snaps of animals abiding by the restrictions better than some humans.

One of the snaps, collated by Bored Panda, show cats lining up with a safe distance between them in a car park in Japan, while another captures a pigeon in Poland taking up a spot in a store's outlined spaces.

It comes after people in London were criticised for ignoring social distancing rules last night while clapping for the NHS on Westminster Bridge.

Here, FEMAIL reveals a selection of the funniest snaps capturing animals social distancing...

To show how easy social distancing can be, internet users across the globe have shared amusing snaps of animals abiding by the restrictions better than some humans amid the COVID-19 crisis. Pictured: Cats in an unknown location line up in the grooves of a roof

You snooze, you lose! A cheeky pigeon in Poland takes up a spot in a store's outlined spaces during the coronavirus crisis

Scaredy-cat! A seemingly terrified dog in Australia backs himself against a wall as a passing ginger feline becomes too close to him

All in a row: Peacocks in India space out in an orderly fashion, appearing to be in line with the pillars of a buiding

They've nailed it! Moose in Talkeetna, Alaska, show off their social distancing skills in this snap, taken last month and shared online

One of the snaps, collated by Bored Panda , show cats lining up with a safe distance between them in a car park in Japan (pictured)

Good boy! A pet dog in India followed a store's social distancing rules by standing in the marked space for customers

These dogs showcased their skills in Zagreb, Croatia, when staying the required distance apart while waiting for their owners

Felines in Britain appear to have mastered the art of social distancing if these photographs (above) are anything to go by

These Australian white ibis, believed to be located in Sydney, illustrated to the other birds around them how to social distance
Source: Xinhua| 2020-04-19 21:30:59|Editor: huaxia

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ATHENS, April 19 (Xinhua) -- Greek people celebrated a different Orthodox Easter on Sunday, "muted" compared to previous years due to the lockdown imposed to control the spread of the novel coronavirus, retaining, however, hope for the future.

Traditionally, Easter is an opportunity for most Greeks to leave the urban centers for the countryside, to gather around a table with relatives and friends, to roast lamb on a pit, singing and dancing, after attending church.

This year families are celebrating indoors, exchanging wishes over the phone or social media, due to the lockdown that started on March 23.

In order to convince even the small number of citizens who intended to violate lockdown restrictions to travel to the countryside, open churches and host gatherings of more than 10 people, the government doubled to 300 euros (327 U.S. dollars) the minimum fine for exiting home without a serious reason from Saturday until Monday night.

Controls at ports and road tolls on national highways have been stepped up and drones are also used to monitor commute within cities.

A total of 46,141 citations have been issued nationwide from March 23 to Sunday morning, according to an e-mailed press statement by the Citizen Protection Ministry. All proceeds are invested in the battle against the virus in the country.

According to the latest update by the Health Ministry on Saturday, so far Greece has 2,235 confirmed coronavirus cases, including 110 fatalities.

In his message for the day, Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis reflected the situation, expressing confidence that Greece will exit the current crisis stronger.

"We are celebrating a different Easter. Under the same spring sunshine, but without going to church, seeing our friends, without our customs... We are mourning for the loss of lives due to the coronavirus and we are grateful to those who are continuing to fight against it," he said.

"With discipline and solidarity, we resisted the first waves of the pandemic. We strengthened our public health... We will exit from this pandemic with an improved state functioning because today's needs will be turned into actions to address tomorrow's challenges," he added. (1 euro = 1.09 U.S. dollars) Enditem
Former prime minister Tony Abbott dismissed advice from Australia's top Defence official to admit his government could not meet its stated deadline for a new submarine fleet, sparking a clash on national security.

Mr Abbott insisted on claiming the first submarine could be delivered in the "late 2020s" despite being told the timeframe was impossible, his successor, Malcolm Turnbull, writes in his new memoir.

Malcolm Turnbull and Tony Abbott cross paths at a Liberal Party convention in 2017. Credit:AAP

The warning came from then Defence secretary Dennis Richardson in the final months of Mr Abbott's time as prime minister in 2015, when the government was preparing a draft white paper on national defence.

In his new book, A Bigger Picture, Mr Turnbull says Mr Abbott knew the "late 2020s" deadline could not be met but would not amend the draft white paper and later attacked his successor when the wording was changed.
Karnataka to undertake Triaging: What does it mean and how do you pronounce it

Delhi to ease restrictions, if Covid cases come down in next 2-3 days: Health Minister

Lata Mangeshkar health update: Doctor says,'She in ICU with Covid-19 and pneumonia, will be under observation'

Humanity will overcome coronavirus: PM Modi

India

oi-Vicky Nanjappa

New Delhi, Apr 19: Humanity will surely overcome the coronavirus pandemic, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said on Saturday as he hailed the efforts put in by various ministries to help people during the lockdown, and in the fight against COVID-19.

"The world is fighting COVID-19 together. Humanity will surely overcome this pandemic," Modi wrote on Twitter while retweeting a tweet by the Indian Embassy in Switzerland.

Indian Tricolor of more than 1000 meters in size projected on Matterhorn Mountain, Zermatt, Switzerland to express Solidarity to all Indians in the fight against COVID 19. A big Thank You to @zermatt_tourism for the gesture," the tweet said.

Modi govt leaving no stone unturned to fight COVID-19: Amit Shah

The prime minister also responded to tweets by various ministries and his cabinet colleagues on how efforts were being made to help people amid the lockdown.

"Proud of the Indian Railways team. They've been continuously helping our citizens in this crucial hour," Modi said in response to a tweet by Railway Minister Piyush Goyal.

Goyal said that while passenger trains stopped during the lockdown, the Railways did not.

"With relentless dedication, hard work and meticulous planning, Railways keeps the nation running smoothly," he tweeted.

Petroleum Minister Dharmendra Pradhan tweeted that he has thanked LOG cylinder delivery personnel for carrying out their responsibility in fulfilling people's needs during the lockdown.

Modi responded by saying, "Kudos to all those working round the clock, across the nation, to ensure India's energy needs are met."

The Income Tax department said as a relief to micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs), income tax refunds worth Rs 5,204 crore have been issued by the CBDT in the last 10 days to nearly 8.2 lakh small businesses in view of the COVID-19 situation.

Modi tweeted that the department was committed to helping dynamic small and medium businesses.

PM Modi wants you to download the Aarogya Setu App: How it works and where to download

Civil Aviation Minister Hardeep Puri posted on Twitter that coronavirus warriors of the civil aviation sector have now flown 262 flights across 2,64,181 kms with 454 tonnes of medical and essential cargo under Lifeline Udan since 26 March.

Reacting to the tweet, the prime minister said, "Ensuring all possible assistance to those who need it."

For Breaking News and Instant Updates Allow Notifications

Story first published: Sunday, April 19, 2020, 8:25 [IST]
Here's a look at futures prices on commodities that impact Southern Illinois and the rest of the Midwest.

Pandemic closes meatpacking plants

Numerous beef, chicken, and pork processing plants have closed or reduced capacity amidst the COVID-19 outbreak as employees have fallen ill. Employees often work and even live in close quarters, making meatpacking an industry especially exposed to the outbreak. So far, closures may be reducing current processing by as much as 25%, which is creating a meat shortage and backlog of slaughter-ready animals.

The first round of meat shortages in the United States over the last month were short-term and driven primarily by a massive spike in demand. However, this current drop in production will likely create supply shortages as high consumer demand outstrips reduced production.

For farmers, these plant closures will be devastating, as many producers have market-ready animals that they cannot sell. This creates not only a cashflow problem for them, but it also creates a logistical backup as they may not have physical space for new piglets or feeder cattle that were intended to replace the unsellable animals.

Worse yet, unlike other commodities that can simply be stored, animals continue to need to be cared for and fed, creating an ongoing expense for producers. Even when plants reopen, the supply of slaughter-ready, heavy-weight animals will weigh on prices for months.

Futures contracts that represent upcoming deliveries tumbled to rock-bottom prices. June live cattle traded Friday for 86 cents per pound, while May lean hogs garnered a mere 37 cents per pound, the lowest price in almost 18 years.

Oil market falls deeper

Crude oil collapsed under $18 per barrel on Friday, the lowest level since 2001. Prices are crumbling as storage tanks across the United States are filling up, leaving producers with nowhere to move the petroleum they continue to pump.

Prices are now down more than 70% this year as billions of people stopped driving and flying due to coronavirus concerns. Coupled with a month of overproduction by Russia and Saudi Arabia, falling demand has led to a massive oil glut.

Financial markets seem to think the current situation wont last. While oil for immediate delivery is near $18 per barrel, contracts in December are valued near $34. This reflects an expectation that drilling by American producers and OPEC countries will drop and a hope that demand could rebound later this year. If these adjustments dont materialize, future prices could see a similar collapse below $20 as well.

Walt and Alex Breitinger are commodity futures brokers in Valparaiso, Indiana, and the opinions here are solely the writers'. They can be reached at 800-411-3888 or www.indianafutures.com. This is not a solicitation of any order to buy or sell any market.

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And now, Words and Their Stories, from VOA Learning English.

Today, we are going to talk about being trapped indoors for a long period of time.

Sometimes we are stuck indoors with others and are unable to go out to usual places, such as restaurants, movie theaters and sporting events. Sometimes these restrictions are forced upon us. We have little choice in the matter.

People in this situation may develop cabin fever.

Cabin fever is a condition. It happens when someone is stuck inside for a long period of time. If someone is unable to get outside into fresh air or be around other human beings, they may start to feel closed in, stuck, trapped.

When people are forced to stay in a remote or confined place, they may feel unhappy, restless and bored.

We have many other adjectives to describe cabin fever. Because our patience is tested, we may feel irritable and short-tempered. The smallest thing sets us off or in other words -- makes us angry. Every little thing gets on our nerves.

Word historians say cabin fever probably came into use in the late 1800s in North America. Early settlers lived in log cabins. They would spend long winters by themselves on the Great Plains. Cold, windy weather and great distances from other people created a truly isolating existence for months at a time.

Documents at the United States Library of Congress (LOC) suggest another origin for the term cabin fever.

This one involves the disease typhoid.

Typhoid Mary

In August of 1906, a woman named Mary Mallon began work as a cook in a wealthy home in New York state. By September, several people in that household got the disease typhoid. Health officials traced the cause back to the cook, Mary.

The LOC documents say that on March 19, 1907, she was forcibly removed from her home by the health department. Typhoid Mary, as she was called in the press, was first sent to the hospital then to an isolated cabin.

Mary Mallon fought for her release. She had private tests done to prove she did not have typhoid. Her story was often reported in many newspapers and she gained sympathy in the press.

On July 10, 1909, The Richmond Planet ran the story, Typhoid Mary Wants Liberty. In it Mallon says she was forced to live in a house by herself with only a dog for companionship.

She had been in forced quarantine for about two years. Then in February 1910, Typhoid Mary was released on one condition -- that she never work as a cook again. However, she broke that condition, this time under a different name  Mary Brown.

In 1915, typhoid broke out again -- this time at a hospital. It turned out that Mary Mallon was again at the center of it. And again, officials took her away.

Typhoid Mary spent the last 23 years of her life in forced isolation. And this time, no one felt bad or sided with her. The press continued to call her Typhoid Mary, a name that has stuck.

The case of Typhoid Mary is a serious example of forced isolation. And most likely, she suffered from cabin fever.

These days, however, we usually use the term in a more light-hearted way. We might say, I have a serious case of cabin fever. I need to get out of my house!

And thats all the time we have for Words and Their Stories. Join us again next week for another closer look at the English language.

Until next time  Im Anna Matteo!

Anna Matteo wrote this story for VOA Learning English. Ashley Thompson was the editor.

Editor's Note: The correct name of the Richmond Planet article is "Typhoid Mary Wants Liberty." An earlier version of the story was incorrect. We regret the error.

_________________________________________________________________

Words in This Story

remote  adj. far away from other people, houses, cities, etc.

confined  adj. of a space or area : very small

bored  adj. feeling weary and restless through lack of interest

irritable  adj. becoming angry or annoyed easily

short-tempered  adj. having a quick temper : quick to anger

to get on someones nerves - expression. to irritate someone

isolating  adj. to set apart from others

companionship  n. the good feeling that comes from being with someone else
Matthew Boyall became the CEO of Cue Energy Resources Limited (ASX:CUE) in 2017. This report will, first, examine the CEO compensation levels in comparison to CEO compensation at companies of similar size. Then we'll look at a snap shot of the business growth. And finally - as a second measure of performance - we will look at the returns shareholders have received over the last few years. This method should give us information to assess how appropriately the company pays the CEO.

Check out our latest analysis for Cue Energy Resources

How Does Matthew Boyall's Compensation Compare With Similar Sized Companies?

According to our data, Cue Energy Resources Limited has a market capitalization of AU$56m, and paid its CEO total annual compensation worth AU$505k over the year to June 2019. We think total compensation is more important but we note that the CEO salary is lower, at AU$345k. We took a group of companies with market capitalizations below AU$315m, and calculated the median CEO total compensation to be AU$387k.

Pay mix tells us a lot about how a company functions versus the wider industry, and it's no different in the case of Cue Energy Resources. On an industry level, roughly 73% of total compensation represents salary and 27% is other remuneration. Our data reveals that Cue Energy Resources allocates salary in line with the wider market.

It would therefore appear that Cue Energy Resources Limited pays Matthew Boyall more than the median CEO remuneration at companies of a similar size, in the same market. However, this fact alone doesn't mean the remuneration is too high. A closer look at the performance of the underlying business will give us a better idea about whether the pay is particularly generous. The graphic below shows how CEO compensation at Cue Energy Resources has changed from year to year.

ASX:CUE CEO Compensation April 18th 2020

Is Cue Energy Resources Limited Growing?

On average over the last three years, Cue Energy Resources Limited has seen earnings per share (EPS) move in a favourable direction by 131% each year (using a line of best fit). It achieved revenue growth of 4.2% over the last year.

Story continues

Overall this is a positive result for shareholders, showing that the company has improved in recent years. It's good to see a bit of revenue growth, as this suggests the business is able to grow sustainably. We don't have analyst forecasts, but you might want to assess this data-rich visualization of earnings, revenue and cash flow.

Has Cue Energy Resources Limited Been A Good Investment?

Cue Energy Resources Limited has served shareholders reasonably well, with a total return of 23% over three years. But they probably wouldn't be so happy as to think the CEO should be paid more than is normal, for companies around this size.

In Summary...

We compared the total CEO remuneration paid by Cue Energy Resources Limited, and compared it to remuneration at a group of similar sized companies. Our data suggests that it pays above the median CEO pay within that group.

Importantly, though, the company has impressed with its earnings per share growth, over three years. We also think investors are doing ok, over the same time period. So, considering the EPS growth we do not wish to criticize the level of CEO compensation, though we'd recommend further research on management. Shifting gears from CEO pay for a second, we've picked out 3 warning signs for Cue Energy Resources that investors should be aware of in a dynamic business environment.

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.
A Dhanbad court on



Sunday sent ten nationals of Indonesia, who were caught hiding in a mosque here on return from Tablighi Jamaat congregation in Delhi last month, to jail after they completed the mandatory 14 days of quarantine, the police said.

The Gobindpur police produced them before the court of Judicial Magistrate, Ritwika Singh, which sent them in 14 days judicial custody, officer-in-charge of the police station Surendra Prasad Singh said.

They were charged with violation of Foreign Visa Act and Disaster Management Act, 2005, he said.

The Indonesians, who had come to attend Tablighi Jamaat function in Delhi's Nizamuddin area, were caught hiding in a mosque on return from the national capital in Dhanbads Govindpur block, about 20 km from the coal city, on March 30 last, the police officer said.

The Jamaat meet has emerged as a major source of spread of the virus in different parts of the country.

Their passports were seized and all of them were sent to Patliputra Medical College Hospital in quarantine.

After end of the isolation period they were produced in the court during the day.

Their samples have tested negative for coronavirus, he said.

The Indonesian had not informed the police about their visit on a tourist visa.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
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Linkedin Will Russell (Reuters) Chigwell, England  Sun, April 19, 2020 17:06 632 fc6853813033f564188675f8bd2dd918 2 People Britain,Mancunian-Motivator,fitness,London,exercise,workout,Elyse-Blemmings Free

In a suburban enclave on the northeastern fringes of London residents are having their heart rates - and their spirits - lifted by the "Mancunian Motivator."

So popular have the street workout routines of Elyse Blemmings become in these times of enforced idleness that some of the neighbors are also meeting new friends among all the bending and stretching.

"It's brought back, I suppose, what everyone's feeling, a big sense of community spirit," she told Reuters.

Blemmings, 31, was used to streaming her workout sessions online, but after neighbors spotted her doing her fitness routine in Chigwell, she decided to share her motivational talents closer to home.

Originally from the northern city of Manchester - hence the "Mancunian" name - Blemmings said that as well as the benefits of physical exercise, her sessions in the street helped to build social links in the community in a time of social distancing, and were bringing different generations together.

"They know they're going to get their heart rate lifted, they're going to have some endorphins and they're going to go back in their house and say 'I feel better today' rather than just going through the same monotonous routine," she said.

Britain has been under lockdown since March 23, and police have been given the power to enforce social distancing rules. On Thursday, the government extended those restrictions for another three weeks at least.

But for Blemmings' neighbors in Chigwell, the fitness sessions have been an unexpected highlight of the lockdown.

Read also: Should I exercise during the coronavirus pandemic? Experts explain the just right exercise curve

"It's just fun and one of the most important things is ... we've got to know neighbors that we don't really know," said Margaret Lakey, 79, who has lived on the street for 50 years but can no longer play bowls as usual.

"We're waving, aren't we, to neighbors we've never spoken to before."

After starting out with two sessions last week, Blemmings said she wants to keep them up for as long as they are wanted.

Children as young as 5 took part in the session, with older neighbors joining in.

"It's good for everyone's spirits, old or young. We're at the older age and the young ones are out as well," Tony Aiken, 72, told Reuters.

Blemmings said that even once the restrictions are lifted, she hoped the community bonds formed in the exercise would remain.

"I think it's going to be very hard to go back to absolutely normal when people have been outside doing jumping jacks in front of each other. Let's be honest everyone looked ridiculous today," she said.

"So if they go back to just ignoring each other, that's just weird."
The emirate of Abu Dhabi said on Sunday it had sold $7 billion of bonds in the third major sale this month by Gulf sovereigns seeking to counter slumping oil prices.

OPEC kingpin Saudi Arabia last week raised $7 billion in a bond sale, while gas-rich Qatar sold bonds worth $10 billion two weeks ago.

Abu Dhabi, which has the biggest sovereign wealth fund in the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC), said that its offering was oversubscribed by more than six times.

The transaction contained three tranches -- a $2 billion five-year tranche, a $2 billion 10-year segment, and a third tranche of $3 billion maturing after 30 years -- the Abu Dhabi department of finance said in a statement.

The richest of seven sheikhdoms that make up the United Arab Emirates, Abu Dhabi sits on the bulk of the federation's oil wealth.

Saudi Arabia's finance ministry said its international bond issuance attracted bids worth $54 billion, more than seven times the value of its offering.

Qatar's finance ministry said its own sale was oversubscribed by more than four times.

The Kuwaiti government has sent legislation to parliament seeking to borrow $65 billion over the next 10 years.

The six GCC member states, which also include Bahrain and Oman, depend heavily on oil income for between 65 percent and 90 percent of public revenues.

Global oil prices have slumped this year due to population lockdowns to forestall the spread of coronavirus and a price war between Saudi Arabia and Russia.

An agreement by OPEC and its allies, including Russia, to cut output by a record 9.7 million barrels per day last week failed to revive prices.

According to the International Monetary Fund, the combined economies of GCC states are forecast to shrink by 2.7 percent this year.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
50 to 82 per cent of Indias total coronavirus patients registered across states are asymptomatic, say officials from different states, presenting a difficulty in the further easing of lockdown norms beyond May 3.

An asymptomatic coronavirus patient doesnt show any visible symptoms of the disease because of various factors including a strong immune system and is a carrier of the virus who can spread it further if unchecked.

Doctors said showing signs of Coved-19 depends on the load of the virus, ones age and body immunity.

If the load is not very high and virus is not virulent, the symptoms may not be there. But, it can be detected through test, Dr Suraj Bhan Kamboj, nodal officer for Covid-19 in Haryana said.

Dr C Nagaraja, Director Rajiv Gandhi Institute of Chest Diseases in Bangalore said younger patient with a good immunity may not show any signs of the disease. Most of the asymptomatic patients are in the age group of 20-45. Even older persons taking certain medicines may not show any signs initially. Those with weak immunity and co-morbid conditions show Covid signs faster, he said.

There have been instances when persons kept in observation have turned Covid positive after a long time. In central Keralas Pathanamthitta district, a girl student, who travelled in a train compartment with some Tablighi Jamaat members, tested positive after 22 days of her trip. Under observation, she remained asymptomatic throughout but turned positive when her observation period was about to end, said district medical officer, Dr N Sheeja.

A 21-month old baby in Kolkata tested positive after being cured for mild fever. There were no signs (of Covid). We got him tested when we saw patches in his lungs in his X-ray, said a doctor, who was not willing to be quoted. Instances of persons reporting positive after being in observation for long period have been reported from Kozhikode in north Kerala and SBS Nagar in Punjab.

Identifying such persons is difficult unless massive testing is done. As of now, the government tests contacts of a positive person and those living near the Covid containment areas to identify symptomatic persons. Testing of asymptomatic patients has started only in the recent past.

The HT Guide to Coronavirus COVID-19

However, with the government deciding to introduce rapid and pool testing, the reporting of such cases is likely to increase in the coming days. While all states have started rapid tests, some such as Uttar Pradesh and Maharashtra have initiated pool testing, in which samples of up to 64 persons are tested together. If the combined test is positive, then all persons are tested individually to identify those carrying the virus.

Assam presents a scenario of a state that may not report many cases as most positive cases were found to be asymptomatic. Assam did not report any Covid cases till March 25. Nearly 82% of the 34 Covid-19 patients in Assam were asymptomatic, said health minister Himanta Biswa Sarma.

They didnt show any of the typical symptoms associated with the disease during treatment, health minister Himanta Biswa Sarma said on Saturday.

This is not restricted to smaller states.

Around 75% of total Covid cases in Punjab, 50% in Karnataka, 65% in Maharashtra and 75 % in Uttar Pradesh were asymptomatic.

Most of the Covid-19 positive cases in Haryana are asymptomatic, Dr Kamboj said.

In Delhi, all 28 persons tested positive in Jehangirpuri on Saturday were symptom-free. One of them was working at a food distribution Centre. We have isolated all persons working there and are identifying people he may have served food to, said Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwal.

Countries such as South Korea, Japan and China, where the number of Covid-19 have declined have started an exercise to identify the asymptomatic carriers. According to a report in South China Daily Post, around 43,000 symptoms free careers have been identified and isolated. Similarly, in South Korea more than 30,000 such persons have been identified, reported multiple new agencies.

Experts, however, said that asymptomatic patients are not a big threat if the chain of transmission is broken and the lock-down is an effective way of doing that.

Lockdown is effective in breaking the (transmission) chain, said ICMR head Balram Bhargava.

Dr. Karan Peepre, medical superintendent, AIIMS, Raipur, said the only way to deal with asymptomatic persons is quick identification through massive testing and isolation. Uttar Pradesh health secretary Amit Mohan Prasad said identifying hotspots is crucial to prevent the spread of the disease by symptom-free patients.

Andhra Pradesh Covid nodal officer, D Arja Sreekanth said identifying such persons is not easy and therefore, they are conducting door to door survey.

We are also testing all those above 60 years having co-morbid issues like diabetes, hypertension, past history of tuberculosis etc, though they might not have Covid-19 symptoms, he said.

ALSO READ:Lockdown 2.0 relaxation: Government lists permitted and banned activities from April 20

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Three White Island survivors held their breath underwater for two minutes in a move that saved their lives as a toxic cloud of ash hovered above.

Helicopter pilot Brian Depauw landed his aircraft with a group of German tourists on the volcanic island off the coast of New Zealand moments before it erupted on December 9 last year.

The group were forced to flee by boat as their chopper's rotors were destroyed when it was thrown from its launch pad amid the explosion.

When he realised the helicopter couldn't fly, Mr Depauw saw plumes of ash coming towards the group and screamed 'jump into the water!'

Pilot Brian Depauw and his passengers were walking on White Island near the beach when it erupted about 2.11pm on December 9, 2019

He jumped into the sea with two of his clients - tourists from Germany - and took a lungful of air before plunging under the surface.

'This is it,' he thought, US publication Outside reported.

'There's no surviving this.'

Depauw saw a dark cloud roll over the water's surface before everything went black.

After about two minutes, his lungs were aching.

Light began to emerge through the darkness and the trio lunged up for air.

There were 47 people on the island (pictured)when the volcano erupted. Twenty-one people died

Pictured: Tourists capture photos of the White Island (Whakaari) volcano eruption in the Bay of Plenty, New Zealand on 09 December 2019

The water around them had a thick layer of yellow dust that smelled strongly of sulfur.

They swam to the jetty where tourists with blackened limbs were beginning to gather.

Two followed Depauw into the water and were unscathed, but the others suffered horrific burns.

His chopper appeared to have taken the full brunt of the explosion.

A haunting image of the destroyed chopper shows it slumped to the ground and covered in ash.

There were 47 people on the island when the volcano erupted. Twenty-one people died.
PRAGUE -- Russia's Embassy in the Czech Republic has reportedly changed its formal address in Prague after the square where the embassy is located was renamed for a slain Russian opposition leader.

The embassy, however, took issue with Czech media that reported the change, asserting that it had merely reverted to a single postal address rather than the two it said the complex has long had.

The move comes amid diplomatic skirmishing between the two countries over World War II statues and other remnants of the Cold War period.

Two months ago, Prague officials dedicated the leafy square where the sprawling Russian embassy complex is headquartered after Boris Nemtsov.

Nemtsov was a former deputy prime minister who was fatally shot in February 2015 meters away from the Kremlin walls. He was an outspoken critic of President Vladimir Putin.

The news portal Aktualne.cz and other Czech media reported on April 17 that the embassy had formally changed its administrative address from Nemtsov Square to a street a few hundred meters away where a consular building is located.

In a statement published on its Facebook page on April 18, the embassy denied it had changed any address and suggested that Czech officials were seeking to embarrass the Russian diplomatic outpost.

"We are surprised by the fact that the Czech Foreign Ministry quickly made the content of this note public, which was of a purely technical nature," the embassy said. "One is left with the impression that it is intentionally trying to give political overtones to this subject."

Czech Foreign Ministry officials have downplayed the decision.

Russia and the Czech Republic have also clashed over a statue of a Soviet-era military commander that Prague officials ordered removed recently.

The Russian Foreign Ministry protested the decision to take down the statue of Soviet Marshal Ivan Konev. Russian prosecutors have said they would launch criminal proceedings in connection with the decision.

Konev is seen as a hero by many in Russia but as a symbol of Soviet-era repression by many Czechs.

Czech President Milos Zeman echoed Russian outrage over the removal as "an abuse of the state of emergency.
STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. -- Since its Sunday and one of the busiest days of the week in most bagel stores on Staten Island (normally), it seemed fitting to have our daily pandemic food chat taking a tour through a shop. It gives us an idea of the bagel-making process and how workers manage social distancing in a kitchen. Interesting.

From baking the bagels to slicing them for schmears of flavored cream cheeses, masks are the norm this Sunday, April 18, 2020. Anthony Teutonico

Today were at Heartland Bagels in New Springville, which reopened Wednesday, April 15. It recently won the Advances Best Bagel Contest and was highlighted in the Advances Dom Eats Local project. So we do find ourselves here often in the tight quarters of the New Springville kitchen.

Owner Anthony Teutonico told us in his two weeks off he cleaned out the garage, and cooked dinner at night for the family. Then boredom set in so it was time to get back to work. He also fretted quite a bit about his crew being out of work and his main goal was keeping payroll going.

Hot bagels from the oven after they are proofed and boiled in a kettle. Anthony Teutonico

While we move through the store together I have some news to share. Alex Duskin of Whereyoueat.com said hes rustled up some more Chinese and sushi restaurants through his ordering system. Back on the block for ordering are Island Kitchen in New Springville (IslandKitchenSI.com), Yum Yum in Port Richmond (YumYumFoodOnline.com), Cucumber in Princes Bay (Cucumber via WhereYouEat.com,) and Peking Taste in Tottenville (PekingTasteNY.com). This will take the delivery pressure off of other eateries that have been opening back up again, Duskin says.

It hasnt been easy for the Chinese places to manage, as reported by readers on the receiving end of incomplete deliveries and owners who have been downright overwhelmed. Staten Island loves its lo mein and General Tsos! To help in the crushing number of orders on WhereYouEat.com, Dushkin spaces them out and sometimes shuts down the platform so cooks can catch up. Dushkin thinks that with more Chinese spots open it will spread out the demand for the food.

Anthony Teutonico glazes black and white cookies, one of the few sweets he's making these days in the pandemic as staff is short. Anthony Teutonico

Teutonico in his bagel store experienced something similar with volume. While business continues in the pandemic -- yet nothing remotely like it was in pre-Coronavirus times -- he operates with a skeleton crew. The lack of labor stymies normal production tasks like cookies, doughnuts, egg sandwiches and pastry work. So Teutonico streamlined the menu. He sticks with kettle-cooked bagels and flavored cream cheeses -- cinnamon-walnut-raisin, jalapeno cheddar, lox and scallion plus a few bakery items like rugelach and black-and-white cookies, a very New York City thing. He cannot keep up with challah bread, made only on Thursdays. He says its enjoyed in the Jewish households in the neighborhood and, as people cook more at home, its slated for French toast.

Heartland barely has been able to manage delivery around the borough. So starting next week, Rossville Delivery will kick in with assistance. For $5, patrons can get their fresh bagels and cream cheese anywhere on Staten Island. Order by 3 p.m. the day before and that shipment with come in the morning.

Meanwhile my longshoreman neighbor says hes fairly busy at work off-loading ships. He says most of the containers with food and pharmaceuticals hail from South America. So those products are in continuous supply for distribution across the City.

Willowbrook Beverages in Castleton Corners (WillowbrookBeverage.com) is also back from a weeks break. Sals Bakery will reopen in Richmond Valley on Tuesday.

Here's what a to-go order looked like on Saturday, April 18, 2020 as Juicy Lucy in Ocean Breeze delivered to Westerleigh. (Courtesy of Donna Lindsay)

Richie Holmes from Juicy Lucy (JuicyLucyBBQ.com) did a bang-up business Friday and Saturday night. Sunday is not a day of rest as this is the time staff sanitizes the restaurant. Come Monday, Holmes will prep food for distribution on Tuesday and Wednesday to hospitals, police precincts, nursing homes and the EMT post on Rossville Avenue. Friends who ordered from the Ocean Breeze barbecue joint last night recommend ordering before 5 p.m. as it can get super busy after that.

Teutonico and other restaurant owners are miffed over the Small Business Administrations run on funding. The general sentiment I am getting as they hear news of large corporations awarded the money is, Why wasnt the corner pizzeria or mom-and-pop shop given more consideration? At the same time there is a realization among Staten Islanders that our restaurants are the backbone of our local economy. Sue Pellegrito of West Brighton is worried about the survival of a neighborhood anchor, Vincents Deli at 500 Henderson Avenue.

Happy Greek Easter! Here in happier times -- the ladies who serve: Scenes from the St. Nicholas Greek Orthodox Church Greek Festival, Bulls Head, 2017. (Staten Island Advance/Pamela Silvestri) Staff-Shot

Its a beautiful day today and a promising one with sunshine and blooming tulips in the neighborhood. My Greek neighbor here in West Brighton celebrates Easter today. He and his wife have two toddlers but he has been cooking up a storm for the past two days. Hes smoking something good smelling and garlicky. The wood-burning scent in our incredibly quiet 'hood makes me think we live in a rural town and I am reminded of the grayness and confinement of life these days, a sentiment experienced thus far only through books like Steinbecks The Grapes of Wrath."

Keep in touch.

Pamela Silvestri is Advance Food Editor. She can be reached at silvestri@siadvance.com.

103 Staten Island Food and Restaurants in the Coronavirus Crisis: Staying strong

**** FULL CORONAVIRUS COVERAGE IN NEW YORK *****

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Florencio Almazo Moran, 65, New Dorp bakery worker claimed by COVID-19, a one-man army

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What Stop & Shop looked like in Port Richmond on Saturday, March 28, 2020

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Cake Chef bakes for a world without parties

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Health Department suspends restaurant inspections, and thats A-OK with a lot of restaurateurs
The coronavirus outbreak in Mexico's steel capital started at the very place that was supposed to help stop it.

Social Security Hospital No. 7, a towering 240-bed facility, is the main public medical center in the northern city of Monclova. But when a 42-year-old truck driver arrived with pneumonia-like symptoms last month, the hospital didn't isolate him. Within two weeks, he was dead of covid-19.

Soon, a doctor and administrator had also perished. Ultimately, 41 employees of the hospital wound up testing positive for the virus.

It was the first in a series of outbreaks at hospitals that have rattled Mexicans and raised questions about the Social Security Institute, the country's biggest public health network. Nurses and doctors have held protests around the country. The governor of Baja California, Jaime Bonilla, lashed out at federal authorities for the lack of protective gear in his border state, saying doctors were "dropping like flies."

Medical personnel in other pandemic hot spots, such as Italy and Spain, have also expressed outrage about working without proper equipment. But Mexico is particularly vulnerable, because it has many fewer doctors and nurses per capita.

"The European systems are better financed per capita, and much bigger as a percentage of GDP," said Eduardo Gonzalez-Pier, a former deputy health minister. Mexico's public health system has been underfinanced in recent years, he said, leaving it "more fragile, less well-equipped."

Six hundred people in Mexico have died of covid-19, according to authorities. About 9 percent of the country's confirmed cases - 535 people - are employees of the Social Security Institute, known by its Spanish acronym IMSS. They make up around half the Mexican medical professionals who have been infected, officials say.

Unlike in the United States, most people in Mexico receive health care through the government. And no provider is more important than the IMSS, which serves about half the population. It operates more than 350 hospitals and thousands of clinics, the largest public health network in Latin America.

The Monclova hospital, less than three hours from Eagle Pass, Texas, is one of those hospitals.

The truck driver, who was admitted in mid-March, was sent to a bed in the emergency department. He remained there for days until it was confirmed that he had covid-19, said Roberto Bernal, the health secretary for Coahuila state. Few coronavirus tests were available in Mexico at the time.

"It's three shifts of people, morning, evening and night" in the emergency room, Bernal said. "Imagine what a petri dish of contamination it was."

Even before the driver died, doctors and nurses at the hospital began holding demonstrations to protest their lack of protective gear.

"There's no material, no equipment - gloves, masks, there's never any of that," nurse Arturo Ramirez told the Televisa network.

Nearly half of the 230 confirmed cases in Coahuila state are medical personnel, according to the governor. The head of Hospital No. 7 had been replaced.

The Monclova outbreak was followed by flare-ups in other hospitals. In the resort city of Cabo San Lucas, two employees at Hospital No. 26 developed symptoms, so authorities tested the entire staff. Forty-two had the virus.

In Tlalnepantla, outside Mexico City, 44 personnel at Hospital No. 72 turned out to be positive, according to IMSS. They included a group of medical residents who had been pressing their supervisors to give them protective equipment. The young physicians were told that buying their own gear was part of their "commitment" to medicine, they wrote in a letter published in Mexican media.

A senior IMSS official, Victor Borja, said some of the hospital outbreaks were unsurprising, given that they were in areas with high levels of contagion. And in several cases, he said, medical personnel contracted the coronavirus outside the hospital - on trips or at social gatherings.

But he acknowledged that staff were initially underequipped for the pandemic. Authorities started ordering extra protective gear in late February, he said.

"At the beginning, we had a problem because there were shortages both nationally and internationally," said Borja, the head of medical benefits at the IMSS. "Every country was competing" to buy the same items.

Another problem, he said: The initial definition used by medical authorities to determine what constituted a coronavirus case was too restrictive. They focused on people they knew had traveled abroad or had contact with carriers, rather than everyone who showed possible symptoms. The truck driver didn't initially say that he had recently been to the United States, Borja said, slowing the diagnosis.

"The important thing is what we've learned from these outbreaks," Borja said, such as the need to disinfect facilities rapidly. Mexican authorities have received tons of imported medical equipment in recent days, which should resolve the shortages, he said. They have also announced 20 percent bonuses for IMSS employees who treat covid-19 patients.

The challenges in the Mexican public health system go well beyond the coronavirus.

The IMSS, founded in 1943, was a pioneer among Latin American social welfare institutions. Its surgeons performed Mexico's first kidney transplant in 1963 and itsfirst heart transplant in 1988.

But in recent years, the institute's finances have taken a hit as the population has aged, requiring more expensive health care, and pension costs for medical personnel have risen.

"The IMSS has had slender financial margins for years," Gonzalez-Pier said. "You can see this reflected in low investment in hospitals and equipment."

New policies introduced by President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador after taking office in December 2018 have further complicated matters.

Lopez Obrador centralized government purchasing of medicines to cut costs and discourage corruption. But that resulted in shortages of drugs. He launched an austerity campaign that so angered IMSS head German Martinez that he quit last May. Martinez called the cuts in health spending "inhumane."

Lopez Obrador also overhauled Insabi, another major public health system, aimed at the poorest Mexicans. (IMSS is largely for salary-earners.) But its rollout has been bumpy.

The recent shortcomings at the IMSS hospitals have raised so much concern that state governments and business groups have been donating masks and other equipment to the facilities.

Eugenio Derbez, a well-known actor here, appealed on Twitter for followers to provide protective gear to IMSS Hospital No. 20 in Tijuana. He had received a letter from a doctor saying the facility was "overwhelmed." His video, posted last Sunday, went viral.

IMSS responded that the hospital had adequate equipment. But Bonilla, the Baja California governor, backed the actor, saying medical personnel were poorly outfitted.

"They are dropping like flies," said Bonilla, who belongs to Lopez Obrador's Morena party.

Borja said 24 staff at the Tijuana hospital have tested positive for the coronavirus. He said the virus was apparently introduced by a nurse who might have been infected outside the facility.

He acknowledged that IMSS has lacked sufficient infrastructure for some time. It had drawn up plans to expand the number of beds for its clients. Then came the coronavirus.

"You can't build a hospital overnight," he said.

- - -

The Washington Post's Gabriela Martinez contributed to this report.
Specialist missing persons investigators are probing the mysterious disappearance of two elderly campers who went missing in rugged bushland last month.

Russell Hill, 74, and Carol Clay, 73, went camping in the remote Wonnangatta Valley in Victoria's Gippsland region on March 19 and have not been heard from since.

Their campsite was discovered burned out, but arson investigations suggest the fire was not deliberately lit.

It's suspected the blaze may have been started by a mobile phone charger that overheated inside a tent.

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 pair went missing in the Wonnangatta Valley, more than 200km north east of Melbourne

Mr Hill's Toyota four-wheel-drive was also found at the scene with possessions belonging to the couple still inside.

The pair may have become lost, but Mr Hill is an experienced outdoorsman with knowledge of the area.

Police are also examining the possibility the pair disappeared of their own free will, while the scenario they met with foul play has not been ruled out.

Mr Hill's wife Robyn, 71, said she had no idea her husband was with another woman when he went missing.

She said her husband had been friendly with Ms Clay for decades but was unaware they were travelling together.

Ms Clay (above) was Victorian President of the Country Women's Association and known for beautiful, elegant clothing

Mr Hill (above) had recently retired and was an experienced outdoorsman who reportedly knew the remote Alpine region of the Gippsland well

Officers in the Wellington Shire Crime Investigations Unit have been baffled by the mysterious circumstances surrounding the case.

Two major search operations involving drones, helicopters, mounted police, search dogs and ground crews have come up with nothing.

'It's pretty bizarre. There are a lot of questions,' a source told the Herald Sun.

Following the conclusion of the second search, specialist detectives from the Victoria Police missing persons squad have been brought in to assist local investigators.

But it's feared the case may never be solved.

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

A search for the pair in Victoria's Wonnangatta Valley (pictured) has been called off, with the pair presumed dead

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.

'We are disappointed, we would like to get some result, particularly for the families of the missing people.'
Recent Arrests of Pro-Democracy Activists in Hong Kong

Press Statement

Michael R. Pompeo, Secretary of State

April 18, 2020



The United States condemns the arrest of pro-democracy advocates in Hong Kong. Beijing and its representatives in Hong Kong continue to take actions inconsistent with commitments made under the Sino-British Joint Declaration that include transparency, the rule of law, and guarantees that Hong Kong will continue to "enjoy a high degree of autonomy."

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October 20, 1932  April 3, 2020

Ardyce Ella Houser, 87 of Springfield, Oregon went to be with her Lord and Savior Jesus on April 3, 2020, after a long battle with dementia.

Ardyce was born on October 20, 1932 in Sac City Iowa to Harold E. and Ida G. Davis. She was the seventh of eleven children. She was preceded in death by four sisters and three brothers. Ardyce is survived by her husband Lyle Houser of 69 years, sons Martin, Rodney and Thomas (wife Cris), nine grandchildren and three great grandchildren.

Ardyce and her family moved from Iowa to Albany Oregon in the late 1940's. She attended Albany High School and received her GED in 1951. She married Lyle Houser on September 1, 1950. She worked for a short time as an office assistant for her husband Lyle's logging business but spent most of her life taking pride in her role as a homemaker.

Lyle and Ardyce were members and attended First Church of the Nazarene in Albany, Newport and Eugene Oregon where they made many lifelong friends. She taught Sunday school for many years and is loved and remembered fondly by her students.

Ardyce loved to spend time with her grandchildren and all who knew her speak of her unconditional kindness. She was a faithful follower of Jesus. She was a devoted wife, mother and grandmother. She found delight in the beauty of God's creation and nature. Her favorite flower was an iris. She enjoyed watching the varieties of birds that came and went from her backyard birdhouses. She read her bible faithfully. She kept a spotless house and loved to read. She and Lyle enjoyed many years of travel and hunting trips in their RV.

She possessed some of the best virtues such as patience, kindness, gentleness, humility, prudence, and generosity as well as strength character that reflected in everything she touched. She was loved deeply and will be missed tremendously. We rejoice knowing that she is in the arms of Jesus.

There is no memorial planned at this time.
A high-powered committee, headed by a Delhi High Court judge, has decided that 250 prisoners from Rohini and Tihar jails will be temporarily shifted to the Mandoli prison to decongest the jails in a bid to prevent the spread of coronavirus, which has infected 16,116 people and claimed 519 lives so far India.

The committee, headed by Justice Hima Kohli, resolved in its April 18 meeting that the transportation of 200 prisoners from Rohini Jail and 50 from Tihar Jail shall be done in full compliance of the social-distancing norms.

The jail administration shall ensure that no transportation in excess of half or one-fourth capacity of the bus is carried out to ensure that the prisoners maintain a considerable distance with each other during these transits, the committee, which was constituted in March on the orders of the Supreme Court, said.

"The committee, in view of the suggestions made by the Director General (Prisons), has resolved that 200 prisoners from Rohini Jail and 50 prisoners from Tihar Jail can be shifted to Mandoli Jail on a temporary basis, that is, till the time the present circumstances prevailing in the country persist, so as to enable the jail administration to implement social distancing amongst the prisoners," the minutes of the meeting recorded.

It deliberated and resolved on various means of achieving social distancing, including to quarantine fresh inmates, taking stock of the effect of the criteria adopted earlier, determining a fresh category of prisoners who can be released on interim bail.

The panel was also informed by authorities that in view of its March 28 and April 7 directions, 1,109 orders were issued to release convicts on parole and 953 have been released.

The authorities said though orders were issued to release 1,109 convicts on "emergency parole", some of them were not released as they were unwilling and some were residents of Punjab, Bihar and Uttar Pradesh.

The decision of the committee was taken at a meeting held via video-conferencing with officials of the DG (Prisons), Delhi State Legal Services Authority (DSLSA) and home department of the Delhi government.

The meeting was held pursuant to the March 23 direction of the apex court to every state to set up a high-powered committee to take measures to reduce the population of inmates in the over-crowded jails of the country by determining the category of prisoners to be released on parole and interim bail.

The committee was informed that 25 convicts were released after granting remission of sentence and 36 more shall be released up to June 30.

The DG (Prisons) informed the committee chairperson that there are 11 convicts who have become eligible for release after grant of remission but could not be released for non-payment of fine.

The panel observed, "Being conscious of the fact that the COVID-19 pandemic has swept the country, forcing the central government to declare a "national lockdown" of 40 days, these convicts or their family members may have become incapacitated to deposit the fine so imposed on them, along with the substantial sentence."



On the suggestion of the DG (Prisons), the committee resolved that these 11 convicts who have completed their substantive sentence can be released on furnishing an "undertaking" to the satisfaction of the jail superintendent to the effect that they shall deposit the fine amount within 15 days of lifting of the lockdown, failing which they shall surrender to serve the remainder of their sentences.

The committee also expressed satisfaction over the steps and precautions taken by the jail authorities to prevent the spread of COVID-19 on the jail premises.

The steps taken by the authorities include frequent cleaning and sanitisation of the bathing and kitchen areas, maintaining social distance and putting new prisoners under quarantine.

The panel noted that on the basis of the criteria adopted earlier, as on date, about 2,700 inmates or convicts or undertrial prisoners have been released on parole or interim bail.

According to the DG (Prisons), after adopting the criteria set out earlier for release prisoners, the jail population has come down from 17,552 as on March 25 to 14,799 as on April 18.

The DG (Prisons) had earlier said that in the 16 jails in Delhi, which have a total capacity of 10,026 prisoners, there are 17,440 inmates, of whom 14,355 are undertrials.

The chairperson of the panel also appreciated and lauded the efforts put in towards the implementation of the resolutions adopted at earlier meetings held by the Delhi government, jail administration and DSLSA, which led to the desired results of decongestion of Delhi prisons.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Center for Public Health of Ukraine was given kits for RNA isolation of 600 samples for further PCR testing

coronavirus aa.com.tr

The World Health Organization donated PCR kits for coronavirus tests to Ukraine. Center for Public Health wrote about this on Facebook.

"In order to ensure high-quality and accurate testing for COVID-19, the World Health Organization transferred to the Public Health Center of Ukraine kits for RNA isolation from 600 samples for further testing by PCR," the report said.

WHO focuses on the importance of increasing the number of tests conducted in Ukraine to prevent the spread of coronavirus.

As we reported before, a million doses of a potential COVID-19 vaccine being developed by British scientists are already being manufactured and will be available by September, even before trials prove whether the shot is effective

The Oxford University teams experimental product, called ChAdOx1 nCoV-19, is a type known as a recombinant viral vector vaccine and is one of at least 70 potential COVID-19 candidate shots under development by biotech and research teams around the world.

Also, the government of the German federal state of Mecklenburg-Vorpommern decided on the mandatory use of protective masks that cover the mouth and nose of a person in public transport.
GAZA CITY, Gaza Strip  Yousef Abu Muammar can no longer provide for his family of five. He had to stop working at a Gaza City beach cafe because of restrictions the Ministry of Interior implemented March 22, including closing wedding halls, cafes, restaurants and markets, to contain the spread of the coronavirus.

Hamas-run local authorities in Gaza have been gradually imposing preventive measures after two people who had come through the Rafah border crossing with Egypt tested positive for the virus. The total number of infections in Gaza stood at 13 as of April 15. The new measures have increased unemployment and affected all economic movements, according to observers.

Abu Muammar told Al-Monitor, I have had no source of income since the cafe I worked at closed two weeks ago.

Hundreds of workers in Gaza have lost their jobs as a result of the restrictions. I used to earn about $30 a day. I am trying to provide for my familys urgent needs with a small amount I had saved up, but I am running out of money and soon I will be unable to feed my children, he added.

I just hope the coronavirus will disappear so life can return to normal. The Gaza Strip is now suffering under both the pandemic and the Israeli blockade, Abu Muammar noted.

The shore of the Gaza Strip sea, filled with wedding halls, cafes, restaurants and hotels that used to be packed with visitors, is now almost empty amid the lockdown.

Gazas tourism sector has been completely paralyzed," Gaza Hotels and Tourist Restaurants Commission chairman Salah Abu Hasira told Al-Monitor. About 5,000 workers in 25 tourist establishments in the Gaza Strip  who support about 25,000 people  are now unemployed without any other source of income. Unemployment and poverty rates have thus increased, said Abu Hasira.

He added, The summer season is approaching, and that's when the tourism sector in Gaza is usually active. However, the lockdown will deal a major blow to the sector, especially since it was already suffering under a recession due to the ongoing Israeli siege since [2007].

In the same context, Warif Qassem, a Syrian chef at one of the most prestigious restaurants in Gaza, told Al-Monitor, The coronavirus has had a tragic impact on all countries of the world that have developed medical systems and strong economies. Just imagine how much the densely populated, besieged Gaza Strip, with high unemployment and poverty rates, is affected."

He added, When the restaurant I worked for closed March 21 following the Ministry of Interiors decision, around 30 workers lost their livelihoods, and I am one of them. The pandemic had a major negative impact on all workers in the tourism sector in Gaza, especially those who get paid by the day.

The restaurants owner also has been affected. "He has to pay taxes to the government and has many other financial obligations," Qassem said.

The transportation sector has become almost nonexistent. Many drivers have lost their livelihoods, including Mohammed Bayan, a taxi driver who said he can no longer provide for his family of six. Citizens have nowhere to go since schools, universities, and many private and governmental institutions are closed.

Bayan told Al-Monitor, The situation is similar to the days of war: No one is leaving their home, and I can no longer buy fuel to drive around looking for passengers.

On Jan. 28, the Geneva-based Euro-Mediterranean Observatory for Human Rights reported that half of the Gaza Strip's population is poor, and four out of every five people receive financial aid.

Meanwhile, Maher al-Tabaa, director of public relations and media for the Gaza Chamber of Commerce and Industry, told Al-Monitor, About 20,000 workers have lost their jobs amid the coronavirus pandemic in the Gaza Strip.

Tabaa added, The pandemic has resulted in a major crisis in Gazas economy.  [The businesses] that were considered Gazas economic backbone are now closed. Meanwhile, the transportation movement has dropped by 80% since schools and universities were closed.

Jamal al-Khudari, head of the Popular Committee Against the Siege in the Gaza Strip, told Al-Monitor, The economic losses in Gaza amounted to $200 million during the month of March. These losses include the economic, industrial, commercial, contracting and tourism sectors. Most work is suspended, and economic stalemate prevails in the Strip, making matters worse for Gazas 2 million citizens."

Gazans just hope the pandemic subsides as soon as possible so the economy won't continue to deteriorate and cast a shadow over their lives.
A stark room, green walls, grey floor, grey table, a yellow lamp, a table, a window, a white curtain, a cat and a man reading all spell calm in this painting by Australian artist Noel McKenna. It's dark outside, the lights are on; the figure, eyes down, looks relaxed; the cat looks startled.

Compositionally, the clean lines, those interesting perspectives, Spartan interiors, lonely souls and animals are distinctively McKenna's world.

Born in Brisbane in 1956, he was educated by the Sisters of Mercy and the Christian Brothers, and as a boy he tried to tame wild cats and fed them cat food he bought with his paper-round money. His father took him to the races and horses; dogs and cats became part of his world. He gets on better with animals than people: "They're not as judgemental."

McKenna studied architecture at university, but thinking he wasn't good at some technical aspects, switched to art.

A 22-year-old McKenna went to an art opening in a local gallery and, having little money, when leaving he helped himself to a pineapple and some mangoes from an elaborate fruit display at the door. The gallerist's mother ran after him; she didn't catch him, but that ended McKenna's link with the Brisbane art world. The following year he left for Sydney, where he knew no one. He lived in shared houses, got a studio, worked nights in cafes through the 1980s and painted.

Now married with two grown-up sons, he lives in suburban Sydney. McKenna doesn't drive; he chooses to live life "at a slow pace" and sees himself as "more introspective than outgoing".

In 1993 he began painting images of tied-up dogs on ceramic - "every time you walk down the street you'll see a dog tied up"; also in the nineties he made paintings inspired by posters of missing pets.

Believing that "you can make a painting about anything you see", he's painted a street scene with fox, an image from his night walk with his greyhound, or there's a painting of a woman and her pet pony that he came across in a photo in an architecture magazine.

More unusual among McKenna's work are two list paintings, Things That I Like About and Things That Bug Me About Today's World. The Bug List is longer and includes "Arrogant poets; Not enough respect for teachers; Food that is serious; Too much aggression in sport". On his shorter Like List we read "Riding my bicycle around Centennial Park at 6am on a winter's morning; Taking my two dogs, Max and Rosie, for a walk"

And then there are his Map Paintings, in which he painted on an image of Australia's land mass the Country Rail Network, Australia's BP Stations, Australia's Racetracks; and on a smaller scale there's McKenna's Map of Public Toilets in Sydney, a "documentary painting" in which every toilet is marked and rated. "The best toilet is Number 8 in the Opera House, definitely the most enjoyable toilet to be in" but, "let down by the toilet paper", he gave it 9 out of 10. And then they say art isn't useful?

www.motherstankstation.com The Moon is Kinder than the Sun, mother's tankstation, 58-64 Three Colts Lane, Bethnal Green, London; Tel +44 (0)741 258 18 03
A photograph shows the logo of Chinese company Huawei at their main UK offices in Reading, west of London, on January 28, 2020. (Daniel Leal-Olivas/AFP via Getty Images)

Huawei Faces Mounting Opposition in UK as Distrust of Beijing Grows

Voices are growing within UKs ruling party to block Chinese telecom giant Huawei from a role in the countrys 5G network, as the government signals a tougher stance towards Beijing over its handling of the CCP virus pandemic.

The UK government in January granted Huawei a role in building non-sensitive parts of its next-generation wireless network, and capped its involvement at 35 percent. But since then, opposition from within the ruling Conservative Party has cast doubt that the measure can be approved by Parliament, Bloomberg reported.

A bill formalizing Januarys decision is expected to be introduced within months.

The campaign against Huawei comes amid wider calls within the Tory Party for a reset of relations with Chinas communist regime over its role in covering up the COVID-19 outbreak, which fueled the global spread of the virus.

I think the governments been misadvised, Conservative member of Parliament Owen Paterson told NTD, an affiliate of The Epoch Times. I hope that events of recent weeks would have really woken them up to the danger, of being beholden on a company  so closely run by the Chinese communist government.

The United States has warned the UK and other allies that Huaweis equipment could be used by Beijing for espionage or to disrupt telecommunications networks. It cites the firms close ties to the Chinese Communist Party (CCP), as well as Chinese law, which compels companies to cooperate with intelligence agencies when asked.

Read More Arrest of Huawei CFO Draws Attention to Chinas National Intelligence Law

Huawei, which has denied the allegations, posted an open letter last week urging the UK to not take any steps to remove it from the nations 5G infrastructure.

Tom Tugendhat, the Conservative chairman of the House of Commons Foreign Affairs Committee, also backs barring Huaweis involvement in the UKs networks.

I think the mood in the parliamentary party has hardened, Tugendhat told Bloomberg. And I think its a shared realization of what it means for dependence on a business that is part of a state that does not share our values. That has become clearer.

Former Tory leader and foreign secretary William Hague, who now sits in the House of Lords, earlier said that Britain cant be dependent on China for technology as the recent crisis has demonstrated the ruling regime doesnt play by our rules.

A UK government spokesperson told NTD that the governments position on Huawei hasnt changed.

Earlier this week, acting Prime Minister Dominic Raab said the country cannot return to business as usual with the regime after the crisis.

Well have to ask the hard questions about how it came about and how it could have been stopped earlier, Raab said.

U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said April 17 that the Beijing regimes failure to act appropriately during the COVID-19 pandemic will likely lead to countries rethinking whether they want their telecommunications infrastructure and 5G networks to be susceptible to control by the CCP, through Chinese companies such as Huawei.

When Huawei comes knocking to sell them equipment and hardware, that they will have a different prism through which to view that decision, Pompeo told Fox Business Network.

Paterson said, about the fallout from the regimes botched management of the outbreak, I think all of this is very much going to change the image of China, with many members of Parliament, and there will absolutely be a rethink on our relationship with China.

Jane Werrell of NTD, an affiliate of The Epoch Times, contributed to this report.
The Maharashtra government has ordered a high-level investigation into the Palghar mob lynching incident in which three people were killed on Thursday night, state Home Minister Anil Deshmukh said on Sunday.

Police have detained 101 people involved in the killing of three Surat-bound people in Palghar. I have also ordered a high level inquiry into these killings, Deshmukh tweeted from his official handle @AnilDeshmukhNCP.

The Maharashtra home minister also warned officials against giving any communal colour to the incident, as two of the three deceased were allegedly seers.

ALSO READ | Mistaken for thieves, 3 lynched to death by 200-strong mob in Maharashtras Palghar

He further said that the police are keeping a close vigil on those who wanted to use this incident to create a rift in society.

Maharashtra chief minister Uddhav Thackeray reacting to the probe ordered said, The Palghar incident has been acted upon. The police have arrested all those accused who attacked the two sadhus, one driver and the police personnel on the day of the crime itself.

Nobody guilty of this heinous crime and shameful act will be spared and they will be brought to justice in the strongest way possible, Thackeray said in a tweet.

The incident occurred when three men from Kandivali in Mumbai were heading towards Gujarats Surat in a car to attend a funeral on Thursday night.

Their vehicle was stopped in Palghar district. The trio were dragged out of their car and beaten to death on suspicion that they were thieves.

The deceased were identified as Chikne Maharaj Kalpavrukshagiri (70), Sushilgiri Maharaj (35), and their car driver Nilesh Telgade (30).
Cabinet Office minister Michael Gove has confirmed that the Prime Minister Boris Johnson did not attend five Cobra meetings in the run-up to the outbreak arriving in the UK.

Gove initially insisted that a Sunday Times story that said Prime Minister Boris Johnson had skipped five crisis meetings had inaccuracies.

I wont go through, here, a point-by-point rebuttal of all the things in the Sunday Times story that are a little bit off-beam, but that will be done later, he told Skys Sophy Ridge on Sunday show.

"The prime minister took all the major decisions. Nobody can say that the prime minister wasn't throwing heart and soul into fighting this virus".

However, in a subsequent interview on BBC Ones The Andrew Marr Show, Gove, who holds the cabinet role of chancellor of the duchy of Lancaster, accepted that Johnson has missed the meetings.

He stated: He didnt. But then he wouldnt. Because most Cobra meetings dont have the Prime Minister attending them.

He added that : All governments make mistakes, including our own. We seek to learn and to improve every day.

It is the case, Im sure, at some point in the future, that there will be an opportunity for us to look back, to reflect and to learn some profound lessons.

Mr Gove said that Britain is not considering lifting the lockdown imposed almost four weeks ago to control the coronavirus outbreak given "deeply worrying" increases in the death toll.

Britain is at or near the peak of a health crisis in which more than 15,000 people have died - the fifth highest national death toll of a pandemic linked to at least 150,000 deaths worldwide.

Mr Give said a Buzzfeed report that the government was considering lifting the lockdown in phases over the coming months was not correct.

"The facts and the advice are clear at the moment that we should not be thinking of lifting of these restrictions yet," Gove told Sky News.

With hospitals under strain, health workers have criticised the government's advice that personal protective equipment (PPE) worn while treating patients infected with coronavirus could be re-used, as supplies run low across the country.

An 84-tonne delivery of PPE from Turkey, which ministers had said would arrive on Sunday, has been delayed, Sky News reported.

The latest data show 15,464 people have died in British hospitals after testing positive for the novel coronavirus, a total that has increased by more than 800 for three days running.

A further 2,500 had died in care homes during the week to April 13, according to the National Care Forum, a representative body for the adult social care sector.

"One of the things that is deeply worrying and concerning is the high level of deaths," Gove said.

"The evidence suggests that the rate of infection and the death rate is flattening, but we're not absolutely certain that we are yet on a downward trajectory."








In the wake of rising coronavirus cases, authorities in several states have asked medical shops and pharmacists to keep a record of phone number and address of customers who buy medicines for fever, cough and cold -symptoms similar to COVID-19.

Advisories have been issued in this regard to chemists in states like Telangana, Andhra Pradesh, Maharashtra, Odisha and parts of Bihar. While in some states the officials have been clear that the information will be shared with authorities to ensure that people are not hiding symptoms of coronavirus, others said it was just a precautionary measure.

In a memo to all municipal commissioners and additional collectors of districts, Telangana's Principal Secretary (Municipal Administration and Urban Development)Arvind Kumar said it has been observed that due to "hesitation and perceived social stigma", people suffering from fever or cold symptoms which might be similar to coronavirus are approaching the medical shops directly on their own and asking for fever medicines.

"It is imperative that in a proactive manner we follow up on these cases which are having fever and other such symptoms which might be similar to those of coronavirus.

"We should be able to contact these patients and get a test conducted depending upon the symptoms," it said.

Kumar instructed the officials to convene a meeting with all medical shops and pharmacists including respective associations and instruct them to necessarily take the contact address and phone numbers of customers who approach them to buy these medicines.

He asked the officials to get the list from the pharmacies and maintain a directory of all such cases and get the tests done if the symptoms are similar to COVID-19.

In Maharashtra, which has reported the highest coronavirus cases, the state Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has asked the pharmacists to keep detailed records of medicines, including Hydroxychloroquine, used for treating various types of fevers and coughs.

The pharmacists are also asked to report to state authorities if any patient demands such medicine frequently so as to track down such people who might be trying to suppress symptoms of the infection.

Several people were buying medicines without prescriptions from doctors and a record of those who have been doing so for coronavirus symptoms will help authorities combat the outbreak better, an official said in Pune.

Health advisories have been issued to medicine shops in Odisha to keep a record of people purchasing flu medicines as authorities suspect they could be used to suppress symptoms of coronavirus with an intent to skip testing.

The Drug Controller Administration under the Health and Family Welfare department of Odisha has asked pharmacists to note the address or at least telephone number of the persons buying medicines for cold, cough and sneezing.

"We have been collecting data in order to ascertain the ratio of population vulnerable to cold and fever. There is no reason to be worried about. The data may be used in extreme case in future," M Patnaik, the Drugs Controller of Odisha, told PTI.

In Bihar, though the health department denied issuing any such directive, but district administration of Bhojpur and Rohtas have sent a note to the chemists to this effect.

Reports suggest that a large number of people are buying medicines like paracetamol.

In Bihar, Rohtas and Bhojpur, district administrations have issued a directive to pharmacies to submit records of people buying medicines for fever, cough and cold, probably to keep track of those having symptoms akin to COVID-19.

According to the order, the medicine shops have been told to submit information to the authorities concerned in their respective areas.

Assistant Drug Inspector, Rohtas in a notice asked medical shops to maintain personal details of people buying medicines for fever, cough and cold in a proper format and the same (details of buyers) should be sent to the Drug Inspector on their whatsapp numbers on a daily basis for perusal of the District Magistrate.

In Bhojpur, the district administration has directed the medical shops to write down name and mobile phone numbers of people buying crocin and other paracetamol tablets. They have been instructed to furnish the details to the concerned government hospitals incharge or Medical Officer.

It also said that even private clinics and hospitals will provide information about such patients coming to them with symptoms of fever, cold and cough to the concerned government hospital.

Odisha Drug Controller said chemists outlets are sending the required data to different area Drug Inspectors.

"We know fever, cold and cough are seasonal disease. The people should cooperate and open up," she said adding urban local bodies' help is also taken to make medicine shops aware about coronavirus.

A chemist outlet owner in IRC village in Bhubaneswar said, "Yes we have been sending address and phone numbers of the people purchasing medicines for cold and cough to the department. People have no hesitation in sharing their phone numbers."



This apart, Patnaik said the Drug Controller Administration has already restricted sale of certain medicines like Hydroxychloroquine and Azithromycin. The chemist outlets are directed not to sell such medicines without doctors prescription, she said.

Anti-malarial drug Hydroxychloroquine is in much demand for management of COVID-19 cases.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
A man alleged to be part of a global crime syndicate could be jailed for life after he was caught onboard a yacht alongside a haul of drugs worth millions.

The 34-year-old Briton, who also carries a South African passport, appeared in court in Sydney on charges relating to a huge amount of suspected methamphetamine found onboard the vessel.

He was arrested when the yacht, Le Fayette, was intercepted near New South Wales after it allegedly sailed across the Pacific Ocean from New Caledonia following a drug transfer at sea with another ship near Norfolk Island.

Police suspect the man, alongside a 33-year-old from New Zealand, had tried to smuggle the drugs into Australia under the cover of strict border security due to coronavirus.

Pictured: New South Wales Police State Crime Commander, Assistant Commissioner Stuart Smith speaks to the media at Balmain in Sydney today

Australian Federal Police boarded the yacht near Port Macquarie, north of Sydney and allegedly found 1,000 packages of the drug worth millions.

The men's alleged plans to sneak the drugs into Australia reportedly hit a road block when New Caledonian authorities advised police about a 'vessel of interest' in Pacific waters.

The suspected vessel is believed to have met with the La Fayette which then headed towards Australia where it was intercepted.

Assistant Federal Police Commander Justine Gough said on Sunday that intelligence had shown that British crime syndicates were behind the alleged drug-smuggling operation.

Pictured: Police remove a large amount of suspected methamphetamine from a yacht docked at Balmain in Sydney today

The yacht was intercepted off the NSW coast near Lake Macquarie, leading to two arrests

'We're working with the UK national crime authority to investigate cases targeting Australia,' she said.

The incident showed Australia's borders remained strong during the pandemic, she said, but global crime networks continued to target the country.

'Organised crime groups will stop at nothing - not even a global pandemic - to try and flood our communities with drugs for greed and profit,' she said.

Police ensured that both the arresting officers and the yacht itself underwent an extensive Covid-19 cleansing operation.

New South Wales police assistant commissioner Stuart Smith said that with every drug seizure a syndicate was taken down.

'It's evident this criminal network has gone to extreme measures to traffic drugs with current international travel restrictions.'
The idea of the rice ATM has been expanded in many provinces and cities around the country, including Hanoi, Hoa Binh, Da Nang, Hue, Binh Dinh, Binh Thuan, Khanh Hoa, Dak Lak, Can Tho and Ca Mau.

The Vice President emphasised that many good ideas and beautiful actions have been created by people and organisations nationwide to support the white-shirted soldiers and armed forces who are trying their best to treat and care for Covid-19 patients and isolated people as well as prevent the epidemics spread.

She expressed her belief that Vietnam will overcome the difficult period and win the battle against the novel coronavirus outbreak soon.

Vice President Thinh greatly appreciated and hailed Hoang Tuan Anhs idea as well as the philanthropic and brave deeds of all people during the fight against the pandemic, in the spirit of "leaving no one left behind.

She also hoped that Hoang Tuan Anh and his family will continue to make contributions to national construction and defence.
Copyright  2020 Albuquerque Journal

Some cars started arriving at 5 a.m., an hour before it opened. Others waited nearly as long in large lines stretching nearly a mile.

All came to The Food Depot for meals they cant get anywhere else as thousands in northern New Mexico struggle to put food on the table, the result of a continuously shrinking economy caused by the COVID-19 pandemic.

About a dozen staff and volunteers went to each car, asking drivers how many family members needed food, and began packing prepared meals into the vehicles.

Usually, the lines extend from The Food Depots location all the way up Siler Road, snaking around Cerrillos Road for over a mile. Jill Dixon, the Depots development director, said the line wasnt so bad today  only half a mile.

Dixon said that in her eight years of working at The Food Depot, she has never seen this many people lining up for meals.

Thats pretty hard to see, how many new people we have every week, she said, adding demand for food is up 30%.

For new people, it can be a difficult experience as they confront the stigma that comes with using food banks, Dixon said. Some dont make eye contact with volunteers, while others try to remain stoic as tears stream down their face.

The Food Depot holds two distributions in Santa Fe a week, each serving over 3,000 people. Their distribution in Ohkay Owingeh serves over 4,500 people in a line that extends two miles on N.M. 68.

Some just grab food for themselves, while others pick up meals for three or four other families who are unable to do so themselves.

Lorraine Romero came to pick up food for her family of seven, including her four grandchildren. She had used The Food Depot before, but the pandemic has caused her to need more food than usual.

The kids eat a lot, she said. Now that theyre home from school, all they want to do is eat, eat, eat.

Dan Gonzo said the few hundred dollars a month he made on Social Security and disability checks were not enough to pay bills and food. Then, his roommate was laid off.

This is the first time Ive came (to The Food Depot) in years, he said. Ive got a bad back, I cant work.

And as demand has soared in recent weeks, The Food Depot has had to adjust its operations.

Before, local supermarkets supplied most of their food, but the increased demand for groceries means stores have less to donate. The Food Depot has had to start buying food directly from vendors in order to meet the need, relying mostly on donations to pay for it.

Were not in any danger of going under at this point, but thats only because people have been so generous, Dixon said.

The Food Depot is also assembling a list of backup volunteers in case a staff member contracts the virus, which would force many other volunteer and staff members to quarantine at home.

We could lose up to 50% of our volunteer force with one positive test, Dixon said.

Lack of access

Over the past month of distributing meals, Dixon said she has come to know many families who come by The Food Depot regularly. Many come from low-income backgrounds. She estimated 80% of those coming to the Siler Road location speak primarily Spanish.

The Food Depot did run a distribution site at Capital High School, located in Santa Fes southside, one of the citys neediest areas.

However, complaints of long lines and an incident involving a handgun led to the Santa Fe Police Department on April 11 ordering The Food Depot to move the site somewhere else, leaving no food distribution sites on the citys south side.

Kristi Salazar, a volunteer and board member at The Food Depot, said many families in the southside are unable to drive across town to Siler Road to pick up meals. At Capital, 20-30 families would walk up to get meals, while others cant afford the gas, affecting their ability to get meals at local schools, she said.

Even though the schools are still offering those meals, theyre not getting out there, Salazar said.

She said she expects many families will still drive out to Capital High, unaware the location has closed. The Food Depot has begun an awareness campaign and is looking for a new southside location.

The Capital site also allowed The Food Depot to use commodity food items, which are donated by the federal government, but require a lengthy registration process for each visitor. Dixon said The Food Depots headquarters is too small for that process, meaning they buy even more food out-of-pocket.

Dixon said the long lines highlight the economic fragility many residents experience, and how many struggled with hunger even before the pandemic.

Its one missed paycheck, and suddenly your rent is late and all the money you had for food is gone, she said. Its incredible how quickly peoples circumstances change.

And despite the long hours of emotional and potentially risky work, Dixon said she is doing more for her community by helping families get fed.

This is what Im called to do, she said. I have the choice to stand on the front lines  and I do.
New Delhi, April 19 : Amid the nationwide lockdown due to the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, health experts have warned that fear and anxiety will be more prevalent post-lockdown and people should be mentally prepared and remain positive to tackle the situation.

According to Shanu Shrivastava, psychologist at the Indian Spinal Injuries Centre in New Delhi, it is because psychologically people took time to adapt isolation and it will be again a relearning to adapt to be a social person.

"It will be certainly difficult and new experience once again as the lockdown was a new experience...person will be feeling anxious and suspicious in meeting with people as fear of coronavirus has affected our psyche," Shrivastava told IANS.

Social gatherings and handshakes will be difficult for people, celebrating festivals, and meeting people's will not be easy for anyone, the doctor said.

Samir Parikh - Director Of Mental Health and Behavioural Sciences, Fortis Healthcare, New Delhi said that during the lockdown, the key has been to stay positive, support one another, and stay connected with friends and family. A lot of people have also been involved with work at home.

"Once the lockdown ends, we must continue to follow all guidelines as we resume working. It's important to continue to have the same focus and continue to utilise our social connect to keep motivated. It's time to bring all our positivity and effort so we can collectively take the necessary steps for our organisation and society," Parikh told IANS.

For people to remain mentally fit, it would be important for people to maintain similar routines to the way they had been before the lockdown, the doctor suggested.

"Doing so would not only keep them more productive during the lockdown but also help transition back to work once things resume. Remember it's ok to take a couple of days to adjust, but it's best to stay mentally prepared, keep yourself updated and make a plan for how to take things ahead," he said.

Parikh also added: "We must continue to follow all guidelines as we resume working. It's important to continue to have the same focus and look forward to reconnecting with colleagues to keep motivated. It's time to bring all our positivity and effort so we can collectively take the necessary steps for our organisation and society." According to Preeti Singh, Clinical Psychologist, Paras Hospital in Gurugram, once the lockdown opens it surely doesn't take away the uncertainty of the minds.

"We are already anxious now we all may feel exposed, more anxious of the fear of being infected, working will be out of comfort zone for a lot of us. What may hit us harder when the corporates and the employers will actually be making life-changing decisions in terms of financially, cut off in salaries, layoffs because things won't come back to what we left a few months back," she said.

"The economic burden will hit a lot of us which will also create a sense of helplessness and hopeless, sleep disturbances may be both sleep deficit or sleeping excessively, increased consumption of alcohol and smoking, in quite a few it may be leading to depressive symptoms, Singh told IANS.

One very important mantra is keeping someone closer in the loop about what we are feeling and thinking, a vent out is important, she added.

On Sunday, coronavirus cases in India have reached 15,707 including foreign nationals, with 12,969 active cases, the Union Health Ministry said in a morning update.

"A total of 2,230 patients have been cured and discharged, while the death toll stood at 507," the Ministry said.

(Bharat Upadhyay can be reached at bharat.u@ians.in)
The supply of non-essential goods by e-commerce companies will remain prohibited during the countrywide lockdown

New Delhi: The supply of non-essential goods by e-commerce companies will remain prohibited during the countrywide lockdown, said the Union Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) on Sunday.

The nationwide lockdown in India meant for a period of 21 days, was extended till 3 May by the government. And only the delivery of essential goods was allowed under the first phase of lockdown between 24 March and 14 April.

The Union Minister for Commerce and Industry Piyush Goyal also welcomed the decision saying that the move will create a level playing field for small retailers. "Grateful to Prime Minister Narendra Modi for the clarification that e-commerce companies can only supply essential goods during the lockdown. This will create a level playing field for small retailers," said the minister.

The industry body, the Confederation of All India Traders (CAIT) has also welcomed the development.

"CAIT demolished a sinister plan of e-commerce companies to trade in non-essential commodities. Accepting the objection of CAIT, the MHA excluded the permission granted earlier and now e-commerce can only trade in essential commodities," said CAIT Secretary-General Praveen Khandelwal.
Open source

As of the morning of April 19, 5449 cases of the Covid-19 coronavirus were recorded in Ukraine, as the Telegram channel of the Ministry of Health reports.

According to the Public Health Center of Ukraine center, 343 cases were diagnosed in the country per day. The number of deaths is 141, another 347 people recovered.

Coronavirus is now detected:

Vinnytsia region - 330 cases;

Volyn region - 150 cases;

Dnipropetrovsk region - 110 cases;

Donetsk region - 16 cases;

Zhytomyr region - 211 cases;

Transcarpathian region - 182 cases;

Zaporizhya region - 131 cases;

Ivano-Frankivsk region - 480 cases;

Kirovohrad region - 245 cases;

Kyiv - 801 cases;

Kyiv region - 304 cases;

Lviv region - 245 cases;

Lugansk region - 24 cases;

Mykolaiv region - 37 cases;

Odessa region - 112 cases;

Poltava region - 61 cases;

Rivne region - 308 cases;

Sumy region - 83 cases;

Ternopil region - 390 cases;

Kharkiv region - 67 cases;

Kherson region - 63 cases;

Khmelnitsky region - 47 cases;

Chernivtsi region - 889 cases;

Cherkasy region - 151 cases;

Chernihiv region - 12 cases.

As we reported, the World Health Organization donated PCR kits for coronavirus tests to Ukraine.
STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. -- Staten Island officials are asking the state to help nursing homes combat coronavirus, also known as COVID-19, by providing more equipment needed.

In a letter addressed to both Gov. Andrew Cuomo and Mayor Bill de Blasio, the Islands elected officials ask for an executive order that mandates local municipalities to provide N95 masks to nursing homes with COVID-positive patients.

There have been clusters of nursing home staff members testing positive and, in our community, a significant number of deaths have been related to nursing home patients, the letter states.

The letter points out that the New York City Office of Emergency Management (OEM) has excluded N95 mask equipment from their distributions, and has forced city officials to try and on their own.

State Assemblywoman Nicole Malliotakis, Borough President James Oddo, and others have sent donations of N95 masks, medical gowns, face shields, and more. However, they say it is not enough.

*** CLICK HERE FOR COMPLETE COVERAGE OF CORONAVIRUS IN NEW YORK ***

All these nursing homes are suffering resident deaths and staffing shortages because they are not being given proper PPE by city, despite fact that they are caring for COVID positive patients, Malliotakis said in an email to the Advance.

We have been sounding this alarm for weeks and have tried to fill the breach privately by accepting or purchasing donations of protective equipment, but our efforts are unsustainable due to the limited resources, the letter states.

The letter also addresses the idea of makeshift cloth face-coverings, which the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) stated, that while it may be suitable for a temporary visitor, they should not be used by staff because their ability to protect healthcare personnel is unknown.

In March, Cuomo mandated for 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, which the letter points out is "not only illogical but immoral.

The letter comes a day after the state announced 44 coronavirus deaths at Carmel Richmond Healthcare and Rehabilitation Center in Dongan Hills.

The nursing home is tied for the third-highest death total in the state, according to data compiled as of Thursday. Cobble Hill Health Center in Brooklyn had the most with 55.

ArchCare, which operates Carmel Richmond, issued a statement defending the work it has done during the coronavirus outbreak, and partly attributed their facilities high number of COVID-19 deaths to increased testing.

ArchCare has remained steadfastly committed to testing as many residents and staff members as available testing supplies will allow, and we continued doing so even after new government guidelines were issued that allowed nursing homes to stop or drastically curtail testing, the organization wrote in their statement.

In total, there have been 117 coronavirus-related deaths inside Staten Island nursing homes since the outbreak began.
A special jet for repatriated Egyptians is set to land in the Red Seas Marsa Alam, a resort selected by authorities for 14-day hotel quarantine

Egypt is set to repatriate citizens stranded in Greece, Serbia and Hungary with a special flight Wednesday as the country continues efforts to bring hundreds of its nationals in various countries back home amid the global coronavirus pandemic.

In a statement Saturday, Egypts embassy in Budapest said a special flight would depart from Belgrade's Nikola Tesla Airport on Wednesday, with preparations underway to organise transportation from Budapest to Belgrade.

Stranded citizens in Hungary include critical cases and university students.

The special jet is set to land in Red Seas Marsa Alam, a resort selected by authorities for 14-day hotel quarantine for Egyptians repatriated from abroad.

Passengers will bear the cost of flight and the two-week hotel quarantine upon arrival in Egypt, as well as the cost of transportation from Budapest to Belgrade.

The cost of the hotel quarantine would be EGP 10,500 ($666), the embassy said, despite a previous decision by the state to bear the cost of the stay after an earlier wave of debate on its cost.

Egypt is keeping its airspace open to inbound charter and regular flights arriving empty to transport outbound passengers, and to cargo and domestic flights, during a temporary suspension of air traffic since mid-March.

The number of Egyptians stranded abroad due to the coronavirus crisis has reached 3,378, according to statements by Minister of Information Osama Heikal last week.

The government is requiring returnees to sign before boarding their flights a written acknowledgement that they agree to remain quarantine.

Egypt repatriated Friday 216 Egyptian passengers from Canada. They have undergone medical checkups upon landing in Marsa Alam International Airport before being quarantined at a hotel in the city for 14 days.

The flight from Canada was the third received by the Red Sea city after two previous repatriation flights from the US.

Around 323 Egyptians will travel to Cairo from Marsa Alam on Sunday after ending their 14-day quarantine period in Marsa Alam following their return from the US at the end of March.

On Saturday, President Abdel-Fattah El-Sisi has ordered the government to continue efforts to bring home Egyptians stranded abroad.

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Israel, like most western countries afflicted with the coronavirus, is now groping toward a partial exit strategy from the severe government measures imposed on the public. Only the debate there is more fraught because of the growing disparity between the economic toll and that inflicted by the virus itself.

On March 25, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu declared a state of national emergency and essentially shut down the country. The speech came four days after Israel recorded its first covid-19 death. The victim was an 88- year-old man; the fact that he was a Holocaust survivor added emotional impact. So did Netanyahu's rhetoric. "Citizens of Israel," he said, "the coronavirus joins the deadly epidemics that have hit humanity - the Black Death, cholera and the Spanish flu early in the last century."

Later, officials of the Health Ministry put numbers to his warning: Tens of thousands of Israeli could die. That number set the tone for what came next - the imposition of a strict, nationwide shutdown of schools, businesses and gatherings of any sort. Since then, 150 Israelis have died of the virus or its complications, substantially lower than that of most European countries and many American cities.

The most recent polling shows a large majority of Israelis support Netanyahu's policies. If elections were held today, his party and its allies would win an easy majority. They credit him for the low death total.

But this cause and effect thesis was challenged this week by Professor Isaac Ben-Israel. Calculating the growth in reported case around the world, he argues (in a paper published in Hebrew) that the virus follows a predictable eight week cycle from start to finish; and that this cycle is largely independent of government action. He also accused the government of sacrificing the national economy in what was, at best, an overreaction. In an English version of the paper, Ben-Israel writes:

"It is possible to lift the restrictions that are not only causing monetary losses, but are leading to a higher amount of deaths (unrelated to the coronavirus). At the same time, it is possible to keep cost-efficient measures (as in: wearing masks, expanding the testing, especially to specific populations, restricting mass gathering, etc.)."

He recommends that of April 19, 50% of the workforce returns to work, with the rest returning a week to 10 days later (apart from a small number of groups where contagion growth needs to be monitored). His paper suggests that social isolation measures can be useful and also backs the expansion of testing.

Ben-Israel is a physicist and mathematician who heads two prestigious academic think tanks at Tel Aviv University. A retired major general in the Israeli Defense Forces, he commanded air force intelligence and the Israeli Administration for the Development of Weapons and Infrastructure. In civilian life, he led Israel's National Cyber Initiative, is the chairman of the Israel Space Agency and co-chairs the National Artificial Intelligence Initiative.

Despite his formidable reputation, Ben-Israel's research was greeted with derision by the former or current public health officials who dominate prime time commentary on Israel's three major television networks. Dr. Gabi Barbash, the former head of Tel Aviv's largest hospital, spoke for the consensus. "We're going to be living with the coronavirus for the next year," he asserted after a TV appearance by Ben-Israel. "I strongly urge that we not let mathematicians - who know nothing about biology - determine when we lift the shutdown."

But even if Ben-Israel's thesis is an outlier, he is not alone in thinking that the "war on the coronavirus" does not justify an open-ended national lockdown. On April 6, 25 of Israel's leading medical scientists and economists sent a public letter to the Prime Minister, asserting that the virus has been sufficiently contained and the country should be allowed to return to normality. Signatories included the deans of several medical schools, two former heads of the Ministry of Health, a roster of senior professors and Nobel Prize Laureate bio-chemist Aaron Ciechanover.

The letter didn't dispute that government action had been effective but mainly concerned the horrific economic and social price of the shutdown. In just a few weeks unemployment has risen from 4% to 25%. Entire industries have been destroyed. The Treasury estimated (as of April 1) that the cost of the government rescue package will be 5.7% of GDP.

The Israeli ethos frowns on discussions of money in a time of national emergency. "Human life comes first," is the slogan. But realism is also a strong force in Israeli thinking and realists see the war against the coronavirus in broader context. "Every year, about 4,200, mostly elderly patients with underlying diseases, die from respiratory complications not unlike corona," says Professor Arie Bass, a longtime member of Israel Medical Association's Board of Ethics. "That's probably many more than will die from the effects of this virus. Has anyone ever suggested that we close down the country over it? "

On Sunday, the cabinet is scheduled to decide on planned first steps in relaxing restrictions. The meeting is a formality. By design, there are no independent thinkers among Netanyahu's ministers, and there is no serious political opposition in the Knesset. In the tug of war between safety-at all-costs pessimists and back-to-work optimists, Netanyahu holds both ends of the rope.

So far, he has sided mostly with the former. This fits both his cautious temperament and his bias toward accumulating and using power. The "war on coronavirus" has given him unprecedented control of the country. Early on, he ordered the Shin Bet, Israel's internal security agency, to use cyber technology to track virus carriers. A terrified public accepted this departure from normal procedure as a limited emergency measure. But now Netanyahu proposes to widen the circle of surveillance to an unknown degree (perhaps beyond the "contact-tracing" being contemplated in other countries). He also seeks, understandably but also conveniently, to limit the size of public demonstrations.

Netanyahu's supporters regard this as a simple exercise of wartime power. Cynics think it is less innocent. His intentions were there in his speech to the national in March. "I know there is considerable unrest in all parts of the people," he said at the time. "We must put an end to this. The order of the day is unity." He didn't mention the price.

- - -

This column does not necessarily reflect the opinion of Bloomberg LP and its owners.

Chafets is a journalist and author of 14 books. He was a senior aide to Israeli Prime Minister Menachem Begin and the founding managing editor of the Jerusalem Report Magazine.
As I watch NITVs new kids live action drama, Thalu, Im struck by one unavoidable aspect.

The 6 indigenous kids wandering around the outback here are happily enjoying an adventure. They are calmly at one with their land.

Were this 6 kids from a metropolitan city, I dare say this would be a tale about being lost and probably pretty frightened.

Therein lies the difference. Thalu is made for its audience and reiterates a place in the world.

The series, which comes as bite-size 15 minute episodes, centres around 3 boys and 4 girls in the Pilbara who must come together to save their Country from the threat of a mysterious dust cloud and its inhabitants, the Takers.

Styled like a cross between Mad Max and Steam Punk, these kids meet by chance in the outback.

Where you mob from? they ask one another, before attempting differing approaches to their present challenges.

While the girls would rather climb over a cliff-face, the boys want to take the long way around it. Before long they will have to pool their ingenuity, especially if they are to outrun a large CGI dust cloud.

Its making the country sick old people told us to get away.

Im hoping the Takers referred to in the cloud are not a new version of a Stolen Generation, however along their wandering route they meet mysterious elders who playfully offer wisdom. There are the card-playing aunties ready to lay a wager, the fortune-teller sitting idle in a carnival booth and the silly uncle stuck up a tree fearing a wild horse (aka TVs cutest pony) below.

Small problems become magnified in this world but with a little kid-ingenuity and teamwork its nothing that cant be overcome.

Thalu is only NITVs second live-action series. It uses first-time actors in Ella Togo, Cherry-Rose Hubert, Jakeile Coffin, Wade Walker, Penny Wally, Logan Adams and Sharliya Mowarin. While the performances may be raw, theres an authenticity to the production, as evidenced by support from more experienced performers Elaine Crombie, Derik Lynch, Hunter-Page Lochard, Aaron McGrath, Tricia Morton-Thomas, Gabriel Willie and Trevor Jamieson.

The production by Weerianna Street Media in association with the Australian Childrens Television Foundation is written by Mark OToole, Beck Cole, Samuel Paynter, David Woodhead, Donald Imberlong and Nayuka Gorrie and directed by Tyson Mowarin, Dena Curtis, Amie Batalibasi, and Hunter Page-Lochard. That tells us theres a formidable team behind this.

At a time when Childrens TV is in peril with commercial networks, NITV (and later ABC ME) take the lead.

Thalu double episode air 6:30pm weeknights on NITV.
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By Wayne Walden and West Kentucky Star Staff

Apr. 18, 2020 | PADUCAH

By Wayne Walden and West Kentucky Star Staff Apr. 18, 2020 | 12:52 AM | PADUCAH

Paducah Public Schools has been honored with the 2020 Best Communities for Music Education designation from The NAMM Foundation for its outstanding commitment to music education.



This is the third year in a row that Paducah Public Schools has received this designation.



The Best Communities for Music Education designation is awarded to districts that demonstrate outstanding achievement in efforts to provide music access and education to all students.



To qualify for the Best Communities designation, Paducah Public Schools answered detailed questions about funding, graduation requirements, music class participation, instruction time, facilities, support for the music program, and community music-making programs.



Responses were verified with school officials and reviewed by The Music Research Institute at the University of Kansas.



"Musical Arts in Paducah Public Schools are taken seriously," said Morgan Elementary music teacher Kimberly Davidson. "We have so many opportunities, starting in Head Start all the way through graduation, which can enhance the educational learning process of all students. Any student can find a place to incorporate music into their education in Paducah Public Schools. The music educators give above and beyond what is expected of them every day to develop a passion for music in the arts. We are also blessed with administrators who believe in us and know the importance of music education in our students' lives. We, at PPS, are a music family. I cannot think of another district where I would rather be."



This award recognizes that the Paducah Independent School District is leading the way with learning opportunities as outlined in the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA).



The legislation guides implementation in the states and replaces the No Child Left Behind Act (NCLB) which was often criticized for an overemphasis on testing-while leaving behind subjects such as music. ESSA recommends music and the arts as important elements of a well-rounded education for all children.



Research into music education continues to demonstrate educational/cognitive and social skill benefits for children who make music.



After two years of music education, research found that participants showed more substantial improvements in how the brain processes speech and reading scores that their less-involved peers and that students who are involved in music are not only more likely to graduate high school, but also to attend college as well. Everyday listening skills are stronger in musically-trained children that in those without music training.



Significantly, listening skills are closely tied to the ability to: perceive speech in a noisy background, pay attention, and keep sounds in memory.



Later in life, individuals who took music lessons as children show stronger neural processing of sound; young adults and even older adults who have not played an instrument for up to 50 years show enhanced neural processing compared to their peers. Not to mention, social benefits include conflict resolution, teamwork skills, and how to give and receive constructive criticism.



A 2015 study supported by The NAMM Foundation, "Striking A Chord," also outlines the overwhelming desire by teachers and parents for music education opportunities for all children as part of the school curriculum.
- The Oscar award-winning Gene Deitch passed away in his apartment in Prague

- Gene's Czech publisher, Petr Himmel, said that the director died unexpectedly

- Gene directed 13 episodes on the famous cartoon and also some from another favourite series Popeye

On of the directors of famed children's cartoon, Tom and Jerry has died at the age of 95.

The Oscar award-winning Gene Deitch, whose full names are Eugene Merrill Deitch, passed away on Thursday, April 16, in his apartment in Prague, Czech Republic.

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According to Daily Mail, Gene's Czech publisher, Petr Himmel, said that the director died unexpectedly.

Gene directed 13 episodes on the famous cartoon show and also some from another favourite series Popeye.

Gene is survived by his wife and three of his sons from his first marriage.

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It is amazing to note that all of his remaining family are all cartoonists following in their father's footsteps.

Gene is said to have worked as a draftsman for North American aviation before joining military and pilot training as reported by Daily Mail.

The late was discharged for medical reasons and he decided to stay in Prague where his illustration career began.

Gene's movie Munro won an Oscar Academy Award in 1960 for Best Animated Short Film.

He, later on, received two nominations for different movies in 1964.

Fans on social media offered their condolences while remembering his great work in comedy and animations.

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.

Mulamwah and his girlfriend speak out for the first time after he quit comedy | Tuko TV

Source: TUKO.co.ke
National Democratic Congress' (NDC) Parliamentary Candidate for the Bibiani Anhwiaso Bekwai constituency- Mr. Stephen Donkor, has asked his constituents to select a candidate who very well understands cocoa business and gold mining to represent them in Ghana's Parliament in the forthcoming December 7 general elections.

On December 7 this year, when you are selecting an MP, go for someone who understands cocoa farming, someone who is also an expert in gold mining. Stephen Donkor is the best bet for this task, the business adviser stated.

He made this appeal while speaking on Bibiani based Adehyie FM 100.3, Saturday evening's NDC hour program hosted by Kofi Gyabaah Bismark.

Having worked as a Tax and Treasury Manager for Armajaro Ghana ltd, now Ecom Ghana- one of the largest cocoa buying companies in the subregion, and attended many other conferences on cocoa farming, the astute young politician believes he is better positioned to understand the nitty-gritty of farming, the challenges faced by farmers and also knows how to transform the challenges into a multi-million dollar opportunity for all.

He posits that on his election as Member of Parliament for the area, he will commit his administration to mitigate the financial burdens farmers go through especially during the lean season.

Farmers work hard on the field to feed us, they are the bane of our economy. It is disturbing to learn of their sorry standard of living mostly during the off season. I have held discussions with relevant authorities to design a relief plan to lessen their burden, which we will roll out when given the mandate.

The Chartered Accountant and Finance expert turned politician is also the son of a successful cocoa farmer and has worked on the farm for several years, giving him first-hand experience in that regard. The Member of Parliament hopeful has also traded in gold for a number of years and is currently a partner in a gold dealership firm.

It is important to emphasize that majority of the population in Bibiani Anhwiaso Bekwai are farmers, and to them, this assuring news is most welcoming and refreshing. Our checks on the grounds reveal that farmers and miners alike are waiting upon the intelligent young man to cause a positive change in their livelihood.
A suspect has been charged after a Toronto bylaw officer was assaulted in a city park on Friday.

The city also reported 201 new COVID-19 cases and eight more coronavirus-related deaths in a 24-hour period, as of Saturday afternoon.

The latest tallies brought Torontos total number of cases to 3,346 cases, including 3,013 that were confirmed and 333 classified as probable cases. Of these cases, 274 patients are hospitalized, 98 in intensive care units. To date, 162 people have died of COVID-19 in Toronto.

Still, some residents continue to ignore signs and barriers at parks, and flout emergency orders for social distancing.

In the latest incident, a suspect was arrested after an enforcement officer was assaulted in a Toronto park.

Toronto city staff received 440 new complaints on Friday about residents using banned outdoor amenities or breaching physical distancing rules in parks.

Bylaw and police officers issued an additional 19 tickets for a total of 338 handed out over the last two weeks, the city said in a news release.

Enforcement officers also continue to see people building fire pits at Bluffers Park, in Scarborough, and gathering at the small boat launch in Kings Mill Park, in Etobicoke.

City staff said they also received 30 complaints on Friday about non-essential businesses staying open in contravention of the Emergency Management and Civil Protection Act. Since the emergency law was enacted on March 24, a total of 41 tickets and 117 notices have been issued against violating business owners.
[April 19, 2020] OPPO, Ericsson, and MediaTek Realize VoNR Voice and Video Calls to Bring High-quality 5G Experience to Users DUBAI, UAE, April 19, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- OPPO announced that it has successfully conducted voice and video calls solely based on the next-generation 5G network, bringing high-quality 5G experience closer to reality. Partnering with Ericsson and MediaTek, the VoNR (Voice/Video on New Radio) calls were made on a modified commercial smartphone from OPPO. Featuring MediaTek's Dimensity 1000 series SoC using an end-to-end 5G Standalone (SA) network powered by Ericsson Radio System products and solutions. VoNR is a basic call service that entirely relies on SA architecture, one of the mainstream architectures of future 5G networks, which global operators are actively laying the foundation for. As one of the first technology brands to support VoNR calls under the SA architecture, OPPO aims to ensure that even the early adopters can have a comprehensive 5G experience. It also positions OPPO as the smartphone partner of choice for operators and communication equipment suppliers building 5G networks around the world. Ethan Xue, President of OPPO Middle East and Africa said, "As a leading global technology company, OPPO proactively works to accelerate large-scale commercialization of 5G. Our cooperation with Ericsson and MediaTek on VoNR is part of our in-depth collaborations in the 5G era. We aim to become the industry's ideal partner to deploy 5G around the world and at the same time, enhance 5G experience for the users." The successful joint test was carried out under the 5G SA network environment provided by Ericsson at its headquarters in Stockholm, Sweden. After dialling, the two phones connected almost instantly and then seamlessly switched to a high-definition video call with a single keypress. Hannes Ekstrom, Head of Product Line 5G RAN, Ericsson says: "After spearheading 5G rollouts across the world, we are gearing up for the next step: 5G Standalone services. Using an Ericsson end-to-end 5G Standalone network based on commercial hardware and software, along with devices from our partners OPPO and MediaTek; we've shown that beyond the high-speed capabilities delivered by 5G. We are ready to deliver on the voice and video calls that will remain mportant to consumers. This achievement confirms our commitment to enabling service providers to offer a superior end-to-end 5G experience." OPPO has recently been ranked by the World Intellectual Property Organization among the Top 5 Patent Cooperation Treaty (PCT) filers for 2019, with 1,927 applications, adding a new milestone that further illustrates its R&D capabilities. "MediaTek is committed to giving consumers an unparalleled 5G experience via innovative technology. As a strategic partner of OPPO, we are helping develop a superior device experience for 5G voice and video calls," said JS Pan, general manager of Wireless System Design and Partnership at MediaTek. OPPO has been at the forefront of development and implementation of 5G technology. In 2019, OPPO joined partners to take the lead in implementing the world's first video data call based on Dynamic Spectrum Sharing (DSS) technology. As of February 2020, OPPO had filed applications for over 2,900 global patent families and declared more than 1,000 families of 5G Standard Essential Patents to the European Telecommunications Standards Institute (ETSI). Besides, OPPO has submitted more than 3,000 5G standards-related documents to 3GPP, ranking among the top contributors to the international standards organization. At present, OPPO hosts over 10,000 R&D staff, four research centres, and six research institutes around the world. OPPO founder and CEO Tony Chen pointed out that OPPO will invest 50 billion yuan in R&D in three years to promote research in 5G, artificial intelligence, AR, big data and other fields, as well as building core underlying hardware technologies and software engineering ability. About OPPO OPPO is a leading global technology brand, dedicated to providing products infused with art and innovative technology. Based on the brand elements of leading, young and beautiful, OPPO dedicates to the mission of letting the extraordinary users enjoy the beauty of technology. For the last 10 years, OPPO has focused on manufacturing camera phones, while innovating mobile photography technology breakthroughs. Today, OPPO brings the aesthetics of technology to global consumers through smart devices, ColorOS, and Internet services like OPPO Cloud and OPPO+. OPPO's business covers 40 countries and regions, and with 6 research institutes and 4 R&D centres around the world, as well as an International Design Center in London, providing an excellent smartphone photography experience to more and more young people around the world. About OPPO MEA In 2015, OPPO entered the Egyptian market. In 2016, OPPO set up its Middle East & Africa Sales Center in Cairo. The markets OPPO has entered in the Middle East and Africa including Egypt, Algeria, Tunisia, Morocco, the UAE, Saudi Arabia, Oman, Kuwait, Bahrain, Kenya, Nigeria, and the Levant. OPPO set up its factory in Algeria in 2017, which made OPPO the first Chinese brand setting up a factory in North Africa. Based on the insights of local consumers in each country, OPPO MEA has started the progress of localization. And the localization includes all the perspectives towards each market - product localization, to further meet the core needs of users; marketing localization, to better communicate with local young customers; and team localization, to know our local consumers also and provide better service to the consumers. Within the last year, OPPO has started to adjust its product line in the Middle East region precisely. This has included the launch of its flagship OPPO Find X smartphone and the introduction of the OPPO Reno Series. OPPO will continue to evolve its local product line to offer more premium series to consumers in the region. Photo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/1157062/OPPO_5G_VoNR.jpg For more information, please contact: Ren Shimeng

Regional PR Manager

OPPO

Email: [email protected] View original content to download multimedia:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/oppo-ericsson-and-mediatek-realize-vonr-voice-and-video-calls-to-bring-high-quality-5g-experience-to-users-301043188.html SOURCE OPPO

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Meghan Markle has a high level of control over her husband, Prince Harry. Because of her, the Duke of Sussex is no longer a senior member of the royal family.

But what will Prince Harry do now that he's not going to be representing Queen Elizabeth II?

Prince Harry has been a front-line royal his entire life, and that has changed because Meghan Markle couldn't handle the royal life.

His Home

Back when the Duke and Duchess of Sussex were discussing their plans with the monarch, they pitched for a hybrid role where they would be allowed to pursue personal income while representing the Queen.

However, it was not allowed as per CNN's Max Foster and Amy Woodyatt. They said the palace gave them two choices - whether they were going to be in or out.

In the end, he gave up his role for the Duchess of Sussex, and after moving from the UK to Canada and then now the US, they are now in Los Angeles in a multi-million-dollar mansion, where he knows isn't his home.

According to a source close to the couple, Prince Harry said he is in a place he doesn't know.

"He is feeling very far from home and homesick at the moment," adding that the time difference also makes it difficult for him to speak to his family in the UK.

What Career?

Though Prince Harry spent some time in the British armed forces, the Duke of Sussex never really had a career. He is not qualified to do much beyond what he has done during his life as a royal.

Since stepping down, it was reported that young prince has been having a hard time with life.

According to Conservationist Jane Goodall, who is also a close friend of Meghan and Prince Harry, she has been in touch with the 35-year-old prince and revealed that it's unsure how his career is going to map out.

"I think he's finding life a bit challenging right now," said Goodall.

Though the Duke had given a ton of speeches already before, he's not qualified to do anything else, since the sole purpose of him being in the US is to support his wife and her career ambitions.

If the situation calls for it, Prince Harry will just be dragged from the red carpet to in front of the cameras to behind-the-scenes because Meghan Markle will tell him so. Other times, she will tell her husband to stay home as she hangs out with other influential celebrities.

Royal Cutoff

Though he has Meghan Markle and his son Archie, he's missing more than half of the family he has ever known.

Prince Harry has always been close to his father, his brother, and his grandmother. This was clear when he was reportedly overwhelmed with guilt being away from the royal family amid the coronavirus pandemic.

But because of Meghan Markle, she isolated the Duke of Sussex from his family. She will be exerting full control over him without the interference of Queen Elizabeth II, Prince Charles, and Prince William.

No More Hobbies

Ever since Prince William and Prince Harry were young, hunting is something that they both have enjoyed. It has been a royal staple - a tradition that many of the royal family members enjoy for generations.

But as per Goodall, Prince Harry might also give up hunting in the future because Meghan Markle doesn't like it.

"I think Harry will stop because Meghan doesn't like hunting, so I suspect that's over for him."

The conservationist's statement exposed the dynamic of the relationship between Meghan Markle and Prince Harry. Also, it highlighted why, if the Duke of Sussex's past is anything to go by, their marriage is doomed to failure.

It seems like if the Duchess of Sussex doesn't like something, the father-of-one is not allowed to do it.

It's the 38-year-old former "Suits" actress who decides where they live, which family member Prince Harry is allowed to talk to and see, and what kind of hobbies Prince Harry is allowed to have.

READ MORE: Hollywood Royal: Prince Harry Wants to Make it BIG In the Entertainment Industry Like Meghan Markle, Says Reports
When normalcy returns and Indiana Courts return to session, I have great apprehension that nothing will be normal again. Whenever some declaration is made that it is safe to return to court, Indiana judges, particularly those who handle small claims cases, will have to address landlord and tenant relations in this new world.

I issued an order halting evictions weeks before the governor and the Indiana Supreme Court issued an order freezing all evictions. But that was the easy part. When things return to normal, how will evictions be handled for those tenants who have failed to pay any rent from the beginning of this crisis around March 1 until we return to court?

The economic reality of this deep recession will have to be taken into account, but what about those landlords who need the rental payments to pay a mortgage they hold to a lender or bank? We are asking a lot of landlords to just forgive rental payments from March to July.

Article 1, Section 10 of the United States Constitution forbids a state from passing any law which impairs an obligation of contract. A rental lease is a contract. No law can simply reform or rewrite the obligations of the rental lease. Likewise, a judge is forbidden from re-writing a rental lease between the parties.
19.04.2020 LISTEN

Dear Mrs. Mensah,

I would like to enquire from you as the Electoral Commissioner (EC) of the Republic of Ghana if a fraudulent voters register was used to conduct the just ended 2019 district assembly elections and the referendum for the creation of the new regions. If YES, how could the elections be credible and successful as you described in your closing remarks?

If NO, why do you need to change such a dependable register before a similar successful exercise can be managed in the upcoming 2020 presidential and parliamentary elections? Concerning the regional compilation objections, please cant you just change the regional names of the districts that fall under the new regions?

Again, I would like to know if you inherited a credible register from your predecessor, Mrs. Charlotte Osei? If YES, what have you done so far to make the register useless? If NO, why did you use it to conduct the district assembly elections and the referendum for the creation of the new regions under your supervision? Why did you describe the referendum and the election conducted with the untrustworthy register as credible and successful?

Can we use a fake register to conduct credible elections? Please, what is the changes made to the 2016 and 2019 register to warrant a compilation of a new one, as suggested? Who caused the questionable authenticity of the credible register you inherited and under whose supervision as the EC did it happen?

Madam, I am asking these questions in response to the ECs recent comment on the existing voters register in a publication dated Thursday April 16, 2020 that only a new voters register can ensure a credible 2020 elections. I have been following most of the arguments from both the incumbent and opposition parties and this is the appropriate opportunity for me to ask questions on the rationale behind the proposed new voters register. Please find the publication reference below:

https://www.ghanaweb.com/GhanaHomePage/NewsArchive/EC-insists-only-a-new-voters-register-can-ensure-a-credible-2020-elections-926242

I have deliberated on this publication severally and I find it extremely difficult to understand the logic behind your reasoning. Your posture on the compilation of the proposed new voter's register doesnt make any sense. In fact, I must say your argument is vague, baseless and without any rational clue to support your unnecessary squabbles. Until you justify with valid and acceptable evidence that the current voter's register is compromised after the 2019 district assembly elections, stop the infantile rantings and consider using it for the next elections. The nation cannot afford to waste money on a new register for no tangible reason. It is highly unacceptable.

Before this preposterous publication, did you think through to realize that your argument was telling Ghanaians that President Akufo Addo, the parliamentarians and the current assemblymen were elected with a fake register? Furthermore, have you thought that the new regions were illegitimately created under your superintendence, considering this irresponsible comment from your office?

The good people of Ghana, both home and abroad will be happy to get answers to these questions, as we are looking forward to witnessing a free, fair and transparent general elections once again. Until you provide the answers, I write to caution your team that Ghanaians are open-eyed and hence, any attempt to rig the upcoming elections will not be countenanced. We will not sit unconcerned for you to plunge the country into a state of pandemonium.

Please reconsider your staunch decision in the collective interest of the nation. Your attitude towards Ghanaians, concerning your clear independency and unflinching support for the NPP partys effort to compile fraudulent voters register is nauseating. We all recall that the Majority Leader and NPP Member of Parliament (MP) for Suame, Mr. Osei Kyei Mensah-Bonsu emphatically stated that NPP can only win the upcoming elections if a new register is compiled.

I have monitored you from afar and I am sounding a strong warning to your team that any attempt to be impartial to favour a particular political party will not be accepted and the repercussions involved will be dangerous. Nobody can stop the Ghanaian youth from demanding justice into our electoral system if rigging occurs. A word to the wise is enough. God bless our homeland Ghana!

Solomon K. A. Owusu

Denver, Colorado, USA
One of the problems seldom addressed in the current crisis is the reluctance of the American ruling class to make decisions.

We have seen this in so many ways for the last several decades that we have accepted it as a norm. We have seen illogical (and even stupid) reactions in education when a child saying bang creates a flare-up akin to a terrorist attack. We see it in the creation of Homeland Security and in the over-the-top measures to give the impression of safety at airports.

We see it in every decision being made in compliance to some rule, no matter how obscure or illogical. Every organization now needs a compliance office to make sure no decision is made independently.

Now we have a real decision to be made. Do we lock down the nation to keep people from dying or do we open it up so our economy doesnt die?

We may say the choice is obvious, but it is not. Of the almost 2.5 million people who will die in the U.S. every year, about 45,000 of them will die in road accidents, but we dont ban trucks and automobiles.

In fact, if we banned trucks, we would all starve.

The problem with modern decision making can be demonstrated by Donald Trumps dilemma.

If he does not remove the pandemic restrictions, someone like Adam Schiff will stand in front of some very accommodating reporters and accuse Trump of destroying the economy, bringing poverty and yes, even death to the disadvantaged. He will have destroyed America!

Then the ever-sober Schiff would close the door to his office and do his happy dance. I overstated that. It is hard to imagine Schiff being happy, and it is beyond the bounds of imagination to think he could dance.

However, if Trump removes the pandemic restrictions, he will be constantly and virulently accused of killing everyone who dies. He would be portrayed as a murderer, a homicidal thug.

But there are some sobering realities here. The COVID-19 outbreak is real and the consequences can be dire. On the other hand, a health-related dictatorship over almost all citizens cannot be maintained without creating a real dictatorship and a command economy.

Both of which, historically, have resulted in waste, shortages, pollution, and poverty.

The sequence of events goes something like this. A meatpacking plant is closed. A farmer then goes under. The price of remaining food goes up as consumers income goes down. The government steps in to control prices, guaranteeing shortages and supply chain disruptions.

The government then responds by handing out money to consumers and providers, which eventually destroys the value of the currency.

What is happening now is very much like the reason Robin Williams said he went into rehab, I was violating my standards faster than I could lower them.

If our leaders refuse to be adults, it may be time for the people to stand up and demand accurate information and a voice in our own destiny.

Dennis Clayson is a marketing professor at the University of Northern Iowa. The opinions expressed in this article are those of the author and do not reflect those of the University of Northern Iowa.

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La Margo said at the time he had discussed the matter with other trustees and the villages attorneys, who had suggested an outside law firm be brought it, before hiring Jones Day in January 2019. He hadnt informed Pekau because the investigation centered on him and GroundsKeeper.
Italy's official daily death toll from coronavirus edged down to 433 today, the lowest figure in a week.

The total number of deaths reported by the civil protection services since the start of Italy's health crisis in February now stands at 23,660 - second only to the United States.

Sunday's fatalities figure was the second lowest in one month. The 3,047 new virus infections represented a rise of just 1.7 per cent to a total of 178,972.

The new infections rate is being watched close by Italian government as it deliberates on how to exit a lockdown imposed over the first half of March.

Red Cross staff wearing personal protective equipment transporting a seriously ill elderly patient suffering from coronavirus in Turin today

The current restrictions are due to be lifted on May 4, and the government is trying to determine which businesses to allow to resume operations, and whether to let people out of their homes.

The death toll as reported by Italy's Civil Protection Agency had risen by 482 on Saturday, down from 575 on Friday.

The daily tallies of deaths and cases extend the broadly stable situation in place over the last two weeks.

This plateau is down considerably from peaks reached around the end of March, but the downtrend has not proceeded as fast as was hoped in a country that has been in lockdown for six weeks.

Sunday's number of deaths marked the lowest daily rise since April 12, when it came in at 431, before rising again during the week.

An elderly patient who has recovered from coronavirus being helped by a Red Cross member of staff wearing personal protective equipment (PPE) as he returned to his home in Turin today

Should the decline be confirmed in the next few days it would add to pressure on the Rome government from business leaders and some regional chiefs to let companies reopen and lift restrictions on people's movement.

The nationwide lockdown, which was imposed on March 9, will be in force until May 3, but there is not yet any clear plan over to what extent, or how gradually, it will be lifted.

Luca Zaia, the head of the northern Veneto region, which has made particular progress in bringing the outbreak under control, has called for restrictions to be relaxed before May 3.

However, Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte said late on Saturday that Italy was not yet in a position to loosen the lockdown and ruled out the possibility that some regions could be allowed to reopen before others.

An almost empty street, during a lockdown against the spread of coronavirus disease in Milan

Medical experts have urged caution, saying Italy is still in the first stage of the emergency and cannot yet move to a so-called 'Phase 2'.

'It's way too early, the numbers in some regions are still very much those of a Phase 1 that has not ended yet,' World Health Organization official Walter Ricciardi told Sky Italia TV.

The total death toll since the outbreak came to light on February 21 rose to 23,660 on Sunday, the second highest in the world after that of the United States. Total confirmed cases stood at 178,972.

The outbreak remains heavily concentrated in the northern regions of Lombardy, around the financial capital Milan, and neighbouring Piedmont and Emilia-Romagna.

Lombardy on Sunday reported a daily increase in the number deaths of 163, or more than a third of the total, and 855 new cases.

The worldwide virus death toll has also risen to 160,000 today - with more than two million cases declared across the globe.

More than 100,000 of the total global cases have passed away in Europe alone, according to a tally by Johns Hopkins University.
WASHINGTON  The Trump administration and Congress are trudging toward an agreement on an aid package of more than $450 billion to boost a small-business loan program that has run out of money and add funds for hospitals and COVID-19 testing.

The package is nearly double the $250 billion that President Donald Trump requested almost two weeks ago. Trump was nevertheless among those offering optimistic assessments on Sunday, telling the public we are very close to a deal during a White House briefing.

But the timeline for a deal wasn't immediately clear. The Senate is scheduled for a pro forma session Monday afternoon that could have provided a window to act on the upcoming measure under fast-track procedures requiring unanimous consent to advance legislation. But it's has become clear there won't be a deal in time to pass it by then.

One option is to set another Senate session for Tuesday if an agreement appears likely to be sealed and written up by then.

The House announced it could meet as soon as Wednesday for a vote on the pending package, according to a schedule update from Majority Leader Steny Hoyer, D-Md. The chamber is likely to have to call lawmakers back to Washington for a vote, which will present logistical challenges.

With small-business owners reeling during a coronavirus outbreak that has shuttered much economic activity, Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin  the administration's point man in the talks with Democrats  said he was hopeful of a deal that could pass Congress quickly and get the Small Business Administration program back up by midweek. But optimism of an immediate deal was being tempered.

I heard today from our legislative affairs team that they are hopeful we can get a deal this week, top White House adviser Kellyanne Conway said Monday on Fox News. The secretary feels very confident. He said that yesterday that a deal is happening. Much better position than we were, say, a week ago."

The emerging accord links the administrations effort to replenish a small-business with Democrats demands for more money for hospitals and virus testing. It would provide $300 billion for small-business payroll program, and $50 billion would be available for small business disaster fund. Additionally, it would bring $75 billion for hospitals and $25 billion for testing, according to those involved in the talks.

On a conference call Sunday afternoon that included Trump, Mnuchin and Republican senators, Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., indicated the only remaining item for discussion involved the money for testing, according to a Senate GOP leadership aide who spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss a private call.

Democrats have been pushing to boost funding to cash-strapped states and local governments whose revenues have cratered. They had proposed $150 billion for the effort but GOP leaders stood hard in opposition, at least regarding the current package of COVID-19 aid.

The president is willing to consider that in the next bill, but wants to get this over the finish line with a focus on small businesses, hospitals and testing, Mnuchin said Sunday on CNN.

 FAQ: Your coronavirus questions, answered.

The governments Paycheck Protection Program for small businesses, slated to get more than $300 billion under the emerging deal. The program has been swamped by companies applying for loans and reached its appropriations limit last Thursday after approving nearly 1.7 million loans. That left thousands of small businesses in limbo as they sought help. An additional $50 billion in the evolving deal would go for disaster loans.

About $75 billion would go to U.S. hospitals, for those straining under a ballooning coronavirus caseload as well as those struggling to stay financially afloat after suspending elective surgeries during the pandemic. About $25 billion would be added for COVID-19 testing, something states have said was urgently needed.

The SBA loans, based on a companys payroll costs, offer owners forgiveness if they retain workers or rehire those who have been laid off. The law provides for forgiveness for companies in any industry  even businesses like hedge funds and law firms. Theres a limit of $100,000 on the amount of employees compensation that can be considered when loan forgiveness is calculated.
At a time where the world is fighting an invisible foe, the COVID-19 virus, IndyCars partners are heavily involved in the fight.

One of the IndyCar Series key partners is General Motors through its Chevrolet brand. The companys IndyCar effort includes Team Penske, Ed Carpenter Racing, Arrow McLaren Racing SP, AJ Foyt Racing, Juncos, Carlin, Dreyer & Reinbold and DragonSpeed.

Chevrolet is also the official truck and official pace car of the IndyCar Series. Along with Honda, it is one of two engine manufacturers in the high-speed, open-wheel racing series.

Just up US 31, about 60 miles north from the Indianapolis Motor Speedway, is the industrial city of Kokomo, Indiana. General Motors has a large manufacturing facility in Kokomo. Many of its employees are longtime IndyCar fans who attend the Indianapolis 500 on a regular basis.

Others watch USAC racing at nearby Kokomo Speedway, a quarter-mile dirt track that has been in existence since 1947. It has a regular Sunday night show that includes midget, sprints, late model and ARCA stock cars.

The General Motors manufacturing facility in Kokomo, Indiana, Wednesday, March 25, 2020, where GM and Ventec Life Systems are partnering to produce Ventec VOCSN critical care ventilators in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. (Photo by AJ Mast for General Motors)

General Motors has joined the fight against COVID-19 by transitioning its Kokomo manufacturing facility into a ventilator factory. The GM facility is producing medical ventilators, a critical life-saving device for stricken patients in Intensive Care Units (ICU) at hospitals around the world. Another GM facility in Warren, Michigan is manufacturing face masks to protect medical workers and other essential care givers in the battle against the virus.

GM and Ventec Life Systems joined forces to build 30,000 ventilators for the United States Department of Health and Human Services. GM was able to retool its manufacturing plant from auto production to ventilators in record time. Because GM has existing relationships with suppliers, the company located hundreds of parts for ventilator production in just over one week.

More than 1,000 GM workers are involved in the ventilator project to build, supply and deliver the Ventec V+Pro ventilators. The V+Pro is a portable unit that can run on battery power, making them ideal for field hospitals and temporary ICUs.

Story continues

They are designed for critical care of seriously ill patients and are being delivered to the Strategic National Stockpile beginning this month.

Read IMSA Team joins effort here.

The collaborative effort will ship more than 600 ventilators this month with almost half of the order filled by the end of June. The full order will be completed by the end of August.

General Motors will build more units after August, if needed.

Thousands of men and women at GM, Ventec, our suppliers and the Kokomo community have rallied to support their neighbors and the medical professionals on the front lines of this pandemic, GM Chairman and CEO Mary Barra said. Everyone wants to help turn the tide and save lives. It is inspiring and humbling to see the passion and commitment people have put into this work.

In Warren, Michigan, GM converted its Warren, Michigan facility in less than seven days to produce masks. It created an ISO Class 8-equivalent cleanroom where workers created up to 50,000 masks per day. It intends to produce 1.5 million masks each month.

GM and its automotive suppliers have created the three layers of fabric in the masks. That same fabric is used as sound-deadening insulation for doors, trunks and headliners.

Workers prepare to build ventilators at the GM manufacturing facility in Kokomo, Indiana, Tuesday, April 7, 2020, where GM and Ventec Life Systems are partnering to produce Ventec critical care ventilators in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. (Photo by AJ Mast for General Motors)

Kokomo Mayor Tyler Moore said his community is more than ready to do its part.

At this critical moment in our countrys battle against the COVID-19 pandemic, the Kokomo community applauds GM and Ventec leadership for joining the fight by producing much-needed medical ventilators here in their Kokomo facilities, Moore said. At the same time, they have placed their trust in our community and the incredible Kokomo-area workforce. Kokomo is deeply honored to be a part of this extraordinary endeavor in these extraordinary times.

To help protect people working at the Kokomo plant, extensive screening, cleaning and other CDC-recommended procedures were instituted.

Everyone arriving for work was required to sanitize their hands immediately upon arrival and have their temperature checked with a non-contact thermometer before entering the job site. Employees worked their shift wearing medical-grade protective masks, including masks produced at GMs Warren, Michigan facility.

There were 30-minute intervals between shifts to allow employees to clean their workstations when they arrive and again before they leave. Also, signage was posted throughout the facility reminding team members to practice social distancing. Each workstation was manned by one person, and each workstation will be spaced at least six feet apart. Cleaning crews will clean and sanitize common touch surfaces such as door handles, as well as common areas, at least three times per shift.

Each shift enters and exits through a different door to minimize social contact.

The unprecedented teamwork that has allowed ventilator production in Kokomo to move forward so quickly began with a March 17 phone call between General Motors Chairman and CEO Mary Barra and representatives of StopTheSpread.Org, who suggested GM work with Ventec.

By Friday, March 20, GM engaged its global supply base and within 72 hours, they had developed plans to source 100 percent of the necessary parts. The UAWs national and local leadership embraced the project and on Wednesday, March 25, crews began preparing the Kokomo site for production.

General Motors President Mark Reuss (left) and GM Chairman and CEO Mary Barra tour the GM manufacturing facility in Kokomo, Indiana, Tuesday, April 14, 2020. GM and Ventec Life Systems are partnering to produce VOCSN critical care ventilators at the facility in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. (Photo by AJ Mast for General Motors)

Mass production begins in mid-April. Production will quickly scale up to 10,000 critical care ventilators or more per month.

On Sunday, April 19, GM has increased its involvement. With ventilators and face masks in production, GM is expanding its manufacturing of personal protective equipment, including latex-free face shields, protective gowns and aerosol boxes. All of these supplies are being donated.

Its amazing how much our employees have accomplished in such a short time, said Mark Reuss, GM president. People from all corners of the company have really stepped up to help, and to lend their talents, time and energy to battle coronavirus.

General Motors Chairman and CEO Mary Barra tours the GM manufacturing facility in Kokomo, Indiana, Tuesday, April 14, 2020. GM and Ventec Life Systems are partnering to produce VOCSN critical care ventilators at the facility in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. (Photo by AJ Mast for General Motors)

Ventec Life Systems staff show nursing staff at Franciscan Health Olympia Fields Hospital how to operate VOCSN critical care respirators Friday, April 17, 2020 in Olympia Fields, Illinois, just outside of Chicago. Franciscan received the first shipment of ventilators produced by General Motors and Ventec in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. (Photo by Nuccio DiNuzzo for General Motors)

Auto racing and the automotive industry have a long history of supporting major efforts during a time of crisis. The Indianapolis Motor Speedway was shut down from 1942 through 1945 and was used as a military depot. The auto industry produced military equipment in both World War I and World War II.

No passenger cars were manufactured in GM facilities from February 10, 1942 until September 9, 1945  one week after World War II concluded with Japans surrender.

From 1942-45, the American auto industry produced 119 million artillery shells, 39 million cartridge cases, 206,000 aircraft engines, 13,000 Navy fighter planes and torpedo bombers, 97,000 aircraft propellers, 301,000 aircraft gyrocompasses, 38,000 tanks and tank destroyers, 854,000 trucks, 190,000 cannons, 1.9 million machine guns and submachine guns, 3.1 million carbines, 3.8 million electric motors, 11 million fuses, 360 million roller and ball bearings, 198,000 diesel engines and more.

This battle is different, however. Instead of building equipment that kills, GM is producing equipment that will save lives. That includes the Ventec V+Pro ventilator and the much-needed medical masks.

Follow Bruce Martin on Twitter at @BruceMartin_500

Workers pack the first VOCSN critical care ventilators for shipping Thursday, April 16, 2020, from the General Motors manufacturing facility in Kokomo, Indiana. GM and Ventec Life Systems are partnering to produce the ventilators in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. The ventilators begin shipping tonight. (Photo by AJ Mast for General Motors)

IndyCar partner General Motors switches from cars to medical equipment originally appeared on NBCSports.com
Bauer Media is planning to meet the new deadline for its acquisition of Seven West Media's magazine arm but immense financial pressure caused by the COVID-19 pandemic could cause further redundancies and temporary suspension of magazine titles. Sources from Bauer Media and Pacific Magazines told The Sydney Morning Herald and The Age editors from the two companies are now liaising on plans for the joint business after Seven West Media agreed to delay the completion date for the $40 million sale of its magazine arm to Bauer Media. Bauer Media is considering halting print publication of titles including Harper's Bazaar. The German publishing giant, which locally owns Australian Women's Weekly and Woman's Day, had been looking to renegotiate the terms of the deal after drastic advertising revenue decline caused by COVID-19 had reduced Pacific's value. Sources familiar with discussions said Bauer is now considering about 100 redundancies and temporary suspension of print magazines including Harper's Bazaar and Elle. The redundancies are expected to take place in the commercial side of the business and are in addition to the previously announced cuts planned to occur as part of the acquisition. Pacific staff were told late last year if they were moving across to Bauer Media, being redeployed in Seven or taking a redundancy.

According to Bauer Media Australias last financial year results, the publisher made about $800,000 a week through advertising, but that figure is now significantly smaller. Bauer Media has already suspended the use of freelance journalists and halted staff expense claims. Sources said the pandemic is a factor in further cost-cuts, not just the acquisition. Meanwhile editors from the two companies have started liaising on plans for a combined entity. In the days leading up to the original completion date, Pacific Magazines staff that were expected to move to Bauer had not heard from their new employer. The takeover of the New Idea and WHO publisher was initially expected to be completed in early April after it was cleared by the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission on March 26. Bauer Media's plans to renegotiate prompted Pacific Magazines to file a case with the NSW Supreme Court to compel the completion of the transaction and Seven West Media agreed to a May 1 completion date. The court hearing has been delayed until May 8. Seven referred to its most recent statement about the completion when asked whether there would be further delays. Bauer sources said all decisions on the transaction are being led by headquarters in Germany - the same executives who led the shock decision two weeks ago to shut Bauer Media's New Zealand operation. The company's German headquarters have to provide the local division with the money it needs to complete the deal. Locally Bauer Media has refused to talk to media since before the ACCC decision. Staff including Bauer Media chief executive Brendon Hill have been told not to engage with media.
Former Leeds owner Massimo Cellino has revealed he and his daughter have tested positive for coronavirus.

The 63-year-old now owns Serie A side Brescia, based in the region of Lombardy which has been one of the worst affected areas during the pandemic.
A U.S. Customs and Border Protection officer said he had a thought of imminent death before fatally shooting an unarmed Laredo firefighter after he knocked the officer to the ground, according to an arrest affidavit.

Ernesto Gillen, 43, was on the floor injured when he drew his duty weapon and told Guadalupe David De Luna, 42, several times to stay back. Gillen then shot De Luna in the upper chest as De Luna continued advancing, the affidavit states.

An investigation revealed that De Luna learned that Gillen was with De Lunas wife at her apartment. She and De Luna were separated, police said.

Prior to the deadly encounter with Gillen, De Luna had sent threats to his wife moments before breaking into her apartment, according to police.

Gillen was arrested and charged with murder. He was released the same day after posting a $100,000 surety bond, according to Webb County Jail records. Gillen, a 12-year CBP veteran, is currently listed as non-duty status with his employer.

Attorney Jonathan Garcia is representing Gillen. Garcia declined to comment at this time.

Shooting reported

The case unfolded at about 10:19 p.m. on April 15, when a woman called police to report a shooting that had occurred at her apartment complex in the 6800 block of Springfield Avenue. She stated that her husband, who she is currently separated from, forced himself into her apartment and got shot by a male guest, who police identified as Gillen.

Multiple officers responded to make contact with the wife and Gillen. An officer detained Gillen and placed him in the back of a marked patrol unit. Prior to the detention, police seized a CBP duty belt worn by Gillen because he was scheduled to report to duty at midnight.

Officers then observed a man, De Luna, in one of the bedrooms with an apparent gunshot wound to his left upper chest. De Luna died at the scene, according to the affidavit.

Crimes against persons detectives arrived at the scene. A walkthrough of the scene revealed obvious signs of forced entry, including a broken front door and door frame to the apartment. Detectives then observed De Luna face up, as well as one spent .40-caliber casing in plain view on the box spring of the bed, next to De Luna.

Sergeants on the scene requested the process of the scene, utilizing digital photography and FARO, a 3D laser tracker system. Authorities recovered the CBP duty belt with one .40 caliber black H&K AP2000 that contained 11 rounds in the magazine and one round in the chamber, and the spent casing.

Gillens version

Gillen was taken to LPD headquarters, where he allegedly agreed to talk about the shooting. Gillen stated that he went to visit the woman at about 9 p.m. About 45 minutes later, she started receiving multiple text messages and phone calls.

When she finally answered, she told the person on the line to leave and that he was not welcome at her apartment. Then, heavy knocks could be heard at the front door of her apartment, according to court documents.

Gillen said he then walked to the living room where he had left his CBP duty belt and put it on before returning to the hallway of the apartment. A man then forced open the door. Gillen believed that was the same man the woman was talking to over the phone. Gillen drew his firearm, H&K P2000, in the low ready. He re-holstered his weapon once he noticed the man was unarmed.

As per Ernesto Gillen, said male then rushed toward him in a belligerent demeanor and subsequently struck him numerous times on the side and back of his head before (the woman) got between them. Ernesto Gillen stated he did not strike said male in his defense due to (the woman) being between and only covered his head with his left hand, which was subsequently struck and injured," states the affidavit.

The man was later identified as De Luna, the womans husband. De Luna forced her from between them then threw Gillen to the floor of one of the bedrooms after striking him in the head numerous times. Gillen stated he felt dazed due to the strikes to the head as he saw De Luna approach while he was on the ground. Gillen added that he did not attempt to reach for his baton since he was injured. Gillen felt that if De Luna would knock him out, De Luna would take the sidearm and shoot him and the woman, states the affidavit.

Due to this thought of imminent death, Ernesto Gillen drew his duty sidearm and ordered Guadalupe David De Luna to stay back numerous times. Then, when Guadalupe David De Luna did not comply and continued to advance toward Ernesto Gillen while on the ground, he fired one shot at close range to his torso, states the affidavit.

De Luna fell forward on Gillen, causing some blood to stain his duty boots, authorities said. Gillen then yelled for the woman to call paramedics as he asked De Luna if he was OK with no response. The woman then called 911.

Murder charge

By this time, District Attorney Isidro Alaniz was summoned to the Laredo Police Department and arrived shortly thereafter. Once District Attorney Alaniz was briefed with the circumstances of the case, he instructed (a detective) to charge Ernesto Gillen with murder, states the affidavit.

Meanwhile, the woman completely corroborated Gillens explanation. She confirmed that De Luna was the person calling her on the phone moments before he forced himself into her apartment, according to court documents.

She detailed that Guadalupe David De Luna suspected Ernesto Gillen of being at her apartment and threatened her to open the door, or he would break it open, states the affidavit.

She revealed she had pain felt in her head but was not sure what caused it, according to police.

(The woman) completed a written consent to search form for both her apartment and her cellphone, which detailed numerous threats sent by Guadalupe David De Luna minutes before he forced himself into her apartment, states the affidavit.

Police seized Gillens CBP uniform, boots and credential. Authorities also took photos of Gillens injuries to his head, left hand, right shoulder and right forearm. Police administered gunshot residue kits on Gillen and the woman. Results are pending.

Loving father

De Luna was born in Laredo and was a lifelong resident, his obituary states.

David was a dedicated and loving father to his children, states the obit. "He was always surrounded by family and friends who enjoyed his company. David actively served in the U.S. Navy for three years (1995-98). He then served the Laredo Fire Department for 21 years (1999-2020). He will truly be missed, and he will never be forgotten."

In compliance with City of Laredo orders, private visitation will be held on Monday from 4-9 p.m. A vigil of the deceased is set for 7 p.m. in the Hernandez, Lopez and Sons Northside Chapels, 800 Boston St. on San Bernardo Avenue.

Committal services will be held on a later date.

On behalf of the Laredo Fire Department, we offer our Love and Deepest Condolences to the De Luna family. We thank him for his 21 years of service to the Laredo community. May he rest in peace, the department said in a statement.
More than two-thirds of kindergarten suspensions involve students with a disability, and many of those kids were sent home more than once, new figures show.

The NSW Department of Education data shows there were 1252 suspensions of 626 kindy kids in 2018  an average of two each  while over the four years to 2019, about 70 per cent of kindy suspensions involved students with a disability.

Across all primary school stages over the same period, an average of 73 per cent of suspensions involved students with disabilities. Within the general population of NSW public schools, 20 per cent of students are registered as having a disability.

Disability advocacy groups say young kids are being sent home for behaviour they cannot control. Credit:Gabriele Charotte

The group with the most total suspensions in primary school was stage 3 (years 5 and 6), with an annual average of 8418 in the four years to 2019, according to the figures provided by the department to NSW parliamentary budget estimates hearings.
STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. -- The search for a suspect linked to a fatal Clifton shooting that claimed the life of a 20-year-old, continues, according to NYPD.

The victim was identified as Vincent Witt of Concord.

The incident occurred Tuesday, in broad daylight around 3:58 p.m., when police responded to a 911 call of a man shot in front of 225 Park Hill Ave.

Arriving officers discovered Witt with a gunshot wound to the head. EMS pronounced him dead at the scene.

Witt was described as a good kid and never arrested or in trouble with the law by his father, who also said his son worked for Amazon, where he recently was promoted to a supervisory position.

Every kid has their own bumps, the father said, but his son had started prospering and I was very proud of him. The younger Witt was well mannered and loved by everyone.

The NYPD spokesman described the suspect as a black male who was seen wearing a white T-Shirt. No other description of the suspect has been released.
Common conditions that can be mistaken for colic are acid reflux, when stomach acid comes up into the esophagus or mouth, and protein allergies. Acid reflux typically causes crying several times a day after feedings and frequent spitting up. Protein allergies cause babies to be fussy all the time, and result in blood or mucus in the stool, which can be detected with lab tests.

Remember: Its not you fault, and it will eventually go away.

If your baby receives a diagnosis of colic, then your pediatrician is likely to reassure you that youre doing a great job and things will improve with time. It doesnt mean youre a bad parent, and it doesnt mean that your kid doesnt like you, counseled Dr. DeBlasio. He tells parents that its natural to feel frustrated and reminds them that colicky kids wont be this difficult forever.

There are no generally accepted treatments for colic, so Dr. DeBlasio recommends simple changes to help with the gas, such as frequent burping and switching to bottles that reduce air swallowing, such as ones with angled tips or bottles with collapsible plastic bags. He tells parents, however, not to spend a lot of time and money trying different formulas or other supposed treatments.

There are many alternative and herbal remedies marketed for colic, like gripe water, but parents should be wary. Gripe water no longer contains alcohol, like it did in the 1800s, but there is also no evidence it works. There have been some small studies that have looked at anything from acupuncture and chiropracty to a huge variety of herbal supplements, said Dr. Kristen Slack, M.D., a pediatrician at the Childrens Hospital of Philadelphia. Really, theres no consistent evidence to suggest that any of that is helpful. Unregulated supplements and spinal manipulation may also carry risks to the baby.

If you breastfeed, consider probiotics.

Researchers are still trying to nail down a definitive cause for colic.

One theory is that a contributing factor is inflammation in the gut from a less-than-ideal collection of microbes that first colonize the infants intestines. Dr. Marc Rhoads, M.D., a pediatric gastroenterologist at the University of Texas at Houston, has looked for signs of inflammation in babies stools, measuring a biomarker called calprotectin that signals irritable bowel syndrome in adults. His research group found much higher levels of calprotectin in infants with colic than in infants without it, suggesting inflammation, and also found differences in the microbial communities in their guts.

To help correct this microbial imbalance, research groups in several countries have tested a strain of the bacterium Lactobacillus reuteri, isolated from the breast milk of a Peruvian woman. A meta-analysis that combined multiple smaller studies reports that colicky babies who were breastfed and received the strain as a probiotic cried about 46 fewer minutes per day than babies who received a placebo. Dr. Rhoads conducted a small trial that established the safety of the probiotic, which can be purchased as Gerber Soothe Probiotic Colic Drops or BioGaia ProTectis Baby.

While Dr. Rhoads is confident that gut inflammation plays a role in colic, he said many questions remain. We know that those drops can help, he said. We dont know that there wouldnt be better results if they were combined with another probiotic, or if there are strains that might even be better than the ones were using now.
I talked to several of my MD friends on Saturday, this after Pam Sohn wrote a very good story in Saturdays edition of the Times Free Press under the headline, Heres what it took to loosen the local COVID-19 testing logjam. Pam is an excellent journalist and  as if it matters  one of my personal favorites in the business. I think shes brilliant. Our political views differ, something I appreciate because both she and Clint Cooper, who writes for the more conservative editorial page, both make me think. So, the big thing we must all grasp at the beginning is that the pandemic didnt really get a toe hold in the United States until three months ago and none of us were anywhere near ready to confront it.

You know that playing catch-up is the hardest part of any game, and the unanimous consensus is Chattanooga has done the best it can, with what its got, under circumstances that are beyond the realm of our imagination. When the coronavirus wanes, youre going to find out about some great people who have stepped up, and that there are no goats in any logjam other than circumstance itself.

Our politicians have been wonderful this past week in overcoming the obstacles that always occur and no one, most particularly Erlanger Hospital, has any reason to accept the blame for anything.

First, at the onset I was told by a group who I am convinced are the best physicians in our city to not get a test unless I displayed a symptom. To date I have had no symptom  the most worrisome being fever  and, once again yesterday, I was told the same thing  the test  nasal swabs  should be saved for those who are exhibiting symptoms because they are an invaluable diagnostic tool. It is also said that at risk Americans should be tested, those over 65 with underlying conditions like heart problems, diabetes, cancer and other valid reasons  you know, like persistent infections. I am a league-leader in at risk and I am assured that at the first whiff of a fever Ill be tested within a couple of hours. Thats good enough for me.

The biggest thing people must understand is if you test negative at 1 p.m. on Monday, that only means that at 1 p.m. on a certain Monday you were negative. A test means nothing for every day that will follow. In no way will a test last week assure you wont get COVID-19 on Thursday or Friday of the next week. Even bigger are the Friday figures that reveal there have been 90,586 tests administered in Tennessee since the virus began. Of that number, there are 83,824 negative tests, which further points to the belief those without the symptoms should not be tested. Oh, I hope one day well be ramped up where all 6.6 million who live in Tennessee can be tested, but now it is far more than a simple nasal swab. No, there are face masks, face shields, hard-to-get protective clothing and the fact the test area must he sanitized as best we can. It costs a lot of money to assure 83.4 thousand Tennesseans that they do not have the coronavirus.

It is believed a blood test for antibodies will emerge as a better method, where a blood test can reveal IGM. This marker is the first responder in your body to most infections. It also reveals the IGG, which is the more long-term resistance to an invader disease. The troubling part is that medical research, be it at a furious gallop, hasnt reached the point where we know, once we test for antibodies, taken from the serum in your blood, what is most helpful against the coronavirus.

In Hamilton County, as the first cases were reported, Erlanger Hospital had a contract in place with the Nashville-based LabCorp and, for some years, LabCorp has served Erlanger reasonably well. The State of Tennessee also has a lab but when a third option became available, Integrity in Knoxville, both Erlanger and Parkridge sent tests to Knoxville by courier, usually with a two-day turn-around. It wasnt that LabCorp in Nashville wasnt doing its job, but suddenly LabCorp couldnt handle an unprecedented workload.

Yes, Erlanger, Memorial and Parkridge have very capable labs yet not near with the capacity to handle an immediate volume no one could have imagined. Thats when a couple of brilliant teachers at Baylor School  both with doctorates in laboratory science  came up with a system that could turn the tests around even faster. It was a Godsend, but it had no clinical protocol, none of the HIPPA required safeguards, or licensures that usually take months to obtain. Very quickly, samples of tests that Baylor had measured were rushed to Vanderbilts labs for comparison  every sample tested by Vanderbilt of Baylors swabs had the identical findings by Vanderbilt.

An emergency license was immediately granted for the Baylor lab, along with $1.5 million in seed money from the County Commission. Memorial and Parkridge started using the Baylor lab but Erlanger wanted to watch a little longer. And heres where the early days three weeks ago got a little murky. On March 25 I got a text that Erlangers lab director and Baylors scientists had gotten off to a rough start  each thought the other was a bit taxing, to be polite. That didnt sit well with the politicians at all, because with $1.5M invested, perhaps with some private investors (according to who is telling the story), they were of the thought Baylor should get all the pie.

Lets go inside a hospital mind: Most hospitals and certainly most doctors, are leery of brand new & and every size fits all. Secondly, virtually every politician  though not one will admit it  knows nothing about epidemiology, the total cost incurred when tests must meet CDC standards, and all else involved. Suddenly Erlanger is being forced to send --- what?  a daily average of 15 to 20 coronavirus tests each day to Baylor, when the actual turn-around time for tests results between Baylor and Knoxvilles Integrity are honestly much and the same. No, using a Knoxville source does not keep a patient in the hospital any longer  the disease does that.

The decision of which lab to use is purely clinical. It doesnt help matters that the lab directors at Erlanger and Parkridge are actually employees of LabCorp, thus may appear to be an unhealthy allegiance, butwait!  lets remember both the Parkridge and Erlanger clinicians were using the independent Integrity at the time the Baylor lab emerged. When Parkridge learned that the Baylor lab had passed the Vandy litmus test  and, yes, a couple of Baylors key players got their doctorates from Vandy  and was licensed under an emergency act, Parkridge switched but Erlanger opted to wait, satisfied with Integrity until more could be learned about Baylors methodology and results.

Right now, it has been learned Erlanger has three patients in Intensive Care today and 10 or 11 coronavirus patients in-house. It is also told that of 116 cases in Hamilton County thus far, there have been 72 who have recovered and who now test negative. Yesterday there was another death in the county, bringing the total dead to 13, but in almost every case there were underlying conditions  cancer and chemo, chronic lung disease, heart problems, diabetes  COVID-19 is the most brutal flu ever known in the United States but the Hamilton County effort, in the words of one front-line M.D., has been little short of magnificent.

The way the three main caregivers, Erlanger, Memorial, and Parkridge, have worked with each other is a huge blessing and Rae Bonds Coronavirus Task Force has implemented resources in a way that ought to earn each member a medal. County Mayor Jim Coppinger and City Mayor Andy Berke have played huge roles, especially after the Easter night tornadoes required prayer-atop-prayer in this pandemic. With our medical staffs, our First Responders, and an overflowing cup of common sense, Im hesitant to point at a logjam, or slow testing, when I can find no proof that is completely valid. Further, no one is certain  right now, today  if Hamilton County has an adequate supply of testing kits, for the publics consumption, and not a soul -- right now, today  has any inkling of what this new week of new challenges will bring.

The newest medical malady is that the testing has now emerged into a completely free, no doctors orders needed drive-in. Being tested in ones car will save thousands in protective gear, but -- think about this -- right now physicians are worried that an estimated 30 percent of Americans  say 100 million of the estimated 336 million citizens in our country, do not have a personal relationship with a family doctor. A full 50 percent of Americans cannot cope with an estimated $75,000 six-day stay in any hospital.

Erlangers yearly cost for indigent care is rough $140 million. That is purely cost. There is no way for the hospital to get back as much as a dollar. On Friday three people within the city limits were shot. Every shooting costs Erlanger $25,000 per. Thats $75,000 with no way to get as much as a dollar in return for world class care. Beware, the coronavirus will cost our Level One trauma center untold millions in totally no-cost care and every taxpayer would be far better served if our politicians focused on an outlandish indigent burden instead of search for a logjam that, in honesty, never quite occurred.

In this land of heroes, casting blame is a folly. It accomplishes nothing when never has it been more compelling for each of us to seek solutions. For each other.

royexum@aol.com
Prime Minister Narendra Modis expected announcement of an extension of the lockdown, till May 3 this time, reflected three important strands of the Centres policy of combating corona virus. First, it was rightly decided that the strategy of dealing with the pandemic had to be determined at the national level -- by the Union government -- which was implementing the mandate of the Constitution to act for 'the people of India , in consultation with the states. Secondly, on an examination of what was happening across the globe, the lockdown in India, with 'social distancing at its root, was deemed to have yielded a huge benefit for the country and therefore a period of 40 days recommended by our experts initially for evaluating the complete play of the corona virus, was apparently accepted as the right recipe taking into account the rise in the number of reported cases in some parts of the country. And third, a possible opening up of agriculture, industrial, infrastructure, oil production and IT sectors where 'social distancing norms could be followed more easily -- along with free movement of goods across the states -- could, according to policy makers, wait for at least one more week to avoid risks.

The Prime Minister emphasised that the lockdown had to be followed rigorously -- there was a hint in his address of his disapproval of violations that had come to notice -- and cautiously offered to review the situation in the light of the scientific study of the 'regionalised' spread and the 'rate of incidence' of the contagion in different areas, carried out by our medical researchers. Territory-wise monitoring and grading seems to be the mantra for defining enforcement norms for the future. Only 170 districts of India so far have been found to be having hotspots -- a large number of these had Tablighi Jamaat linkages.

Pending the discovery of a vaccine the mitigation attempt has had to rely on a mathematical analysis of the pattern of movement of the virus -- which is a 'non living' but free floating protein molecule capable of mutating and multiplying like an organism on finding contact with a vulnerable human body. Nowhere else was 'social distancing' understood so well and used as the chief weapon to defeat the virus so effectively as was the case during the Indian lockdown. Prime Minister Modi's leadership has been tested both for his decisiveness and his ability to get a vast country like India -- with its socio-cultural and economic diversities -- to conform to the unprecedented dos and don'ts of a prolonged lockdown. The people of India, on their part, generally responded with a sense of awareness and self- discipline -- the tremendous contribution of 'neighbourhoods' and RWAs on one side and the villages on the other must be specially mentioned. People's innate sense of national unity always came to the fore in a situation of 'war' or natural disaster and that is how, despite the rigours of the lockdown, innumerable philanthropic groups and organisations, big and small, created a food chain for the needy and the dislocated- making sure that 'no one would go hungry' in this land.

The lockdown is inevitably causing greater distress to the poor and the weak. The Prime Minister has counselled the employers to be 'considerate' towards the employees during this period -- the Centre had already suggested that industry, commercial establishments and shops must continue to pay wages to the employees during the lockdown. Evidently, there is lack of compliance in this regard. Migrant labour, unregistered daily wage earners and employees engaged by exploitative contractors are part of the socio- economic life in India. It is squarely the responsibility of the state administration concerned to find ways of feeding and sheltering them at a time when they had no work and to convince them that 'lockdown was not lockup'. The total number of people in dire distress can sometimes grow large enough to create potential for law and order situations -- particularly if there was a possibility of agents provocateurs spreading false rumours. The states, who were free to seek help from the Centre's Relief Fund, would have to micro- manage this problem on a district-wise basis in a fail-safe manner. Various ministries of the Government of India, functioning overtime and coordinating work on multiple fronts under the constant guidance of PMO, have performed very well indeed. The crucial role of Ministry of Health in framing policy responses that were in consonance with the assessments of our medical researchers and experts stood out and so did the combined effort of MHA and the Cabinet Secretary to get the states on board for implementation of the corona-related decisions of the Centre that had touched every aspect of national life.

A few cases of local institutions and authorities behaving in total disregard of the letter and spirit of the mandate of lockdown have attracted public notice. In a shocking event in Bihar, a young couple based in a village had rushed their three-year-old son suffering from fever to the government hospital at Jehanabad which advised shifting of the patient to Patna Medical College Hospital but did not allow the use of its ambulance for that emergency travel. The parents did not know what to do and the boy died in the lap of the grieving mother left out in the open. Did this happen because the parents were 'ordinary folks'? Or, was the cost for the hospital being factored in? Or, quite simply, the ambulance was not functional? The angle of an avoidable human tragedy apart, this case has potentially hurt the cause of internal stability by weakening people's faith in the government. The Centre may consider using Art 311(2)(c) of the Constitution against the manager concerned, through the intervention of the Governor.

In another case, the murky side of socio-economic power -- its misuse for defying the lockdown protocols -- came to light in Maharashtra where a set of super rich families were able to blatantly travel in a large convoy of swanky cars to a hill station on authorisation secured from a top state official. It is coming out that political patronage was in play here. The message that this gave to the people at large was that individuals could flaunt money and 'influence' to show how they were above the directives issued by the state for the larger national good. Another instance of a VIP flaunting his position came from Karnataka -- here a Minister tweeted his picture with family in a swimming pool, along with a sarcastic comment on 'social distancing'. The Centre would surely like to send down a strong message against this kind of administrative impropriety.

The corona pandemic 'too will pass' but will surely make a lasting impact on systems of governance, business methodologies and lifestyle issues. A good part of it will be in the nature of a 'corrective' influence that all should welcome. Staying connected in spite of distances, realising the importance of body fitness, learning to make a productive use of time, differentiating between desirable essentials and empty luxuries and feeling a little more compassionate towards the cause of humanity, are some of the socio-cultural dividends that the global crisis might leave behind. One hopes all of this would improve the standards of our domestic politics as well.

(The writer is a former Director Intelligence Bureau)

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RTHK: US conservatives stage anti-lockdown protests

Hundreds protested on Saturday in cities across America against coronavirus-related lockdowns  with encouragement from President Donald Trump  as resentment grows against the crippling economic cost of confinement.

An estimated 400 people gathered under a cold rain in Concord, New Hampshire, many on foot while others remained in their cars, to send a message that extended quarantines were not necessary in a state with relatively few confirmed cases of Covid-19.

The crowd included several armed men wearing military-style uniforms, with their faces covered.

In Texas, more than 250 people rallied outside the State Capitol in Austin, including far-right conspiracy theorist Alex Jones, founder of the Infowars site, who rolled up in a tank-like truck.

"It's time to reopen Texas, it's time to let people work, it's time for them to let voluntary interaction and good sense rule the day, not government force," said Justin Greiss, an activist with Young Americans for Liberty.

Stay-at-home mother Amira Abuzeid added: "I'm not a doctor but I'm an intelligent person who can do math and it looks like at the end of the day, these numbers are not that worrisome."

Few if any observed social-distancing recommendations.

Demonstrators outside Maryland's colonial-era statehouse in Annapolis stayed in their cars but waved signs with messages like "Poverty kills too".

Dolores, a hairdresser, said she is not eligible for unemployment because she is a business owner, not an employee.

"I need to save my business. I need to work to live. Otherwise I will die," she said.

Other demonstrations took place across the country in cities such as Columbus, Ohio and San Diego, California, as well as the states of Indiana, Nevada and Wisconsin.

Few practiced social distancing but many of the protesters waved American flags.

Protesters have drawn encouragement in certain Democratic-led states from tweets by Trump, who has said he favours a quick return to normal, though protests have also taken place in Republican-led states like New Hampshire and Texas.

The US has seen more coronavirus cases and deaths than any other country in the world  with more than 734,000 confirmed infections and 38,800 fatalities as of Saturday evening.

The vast majority of Americans are under lockdown orders, restricting public movement and keeping all but essential businesses closed.

Most Americans  by a two-to-one margin  actually worry about virus restrictions being lifted too soon, not too late, a recent Pew survey found.

But demonstrators found encouragement on Friday from the president, who in a series of tweets called to "LIBERATE" Michigan, Minnesota and Virginia  all states with Democratic governors  from stay-at-home orders.

Trump has repeatedly called for the earliest possible return to normality as virus-related closings have had a crushing impact on American workers and businesses.

"I really think some of the governors have gotten carried away," Trump said at a White House news conference on Saturday.

He welcomed the reopening of some businesses in Texas and Vermont on Monday "while still requiring appropriate social distancing precautions." (AFP)

This story has been published on: 2020-04-19. To contact the author, please use the contact details within the article.
New Jersey state officials on Saturday reported 230 new deaths caused by the coronavirus.

The state also released a second set of figures on outbreaks, cases and deaths in longterm care facilities  like nursing homes  reporting that 1,655 people had died.

New Jerseys death toll reached 4,070 in total, state officials reported. Saturday marked the second day of the week that fewer than 300 died.

CORONAVIRUS RESOURCES: Live map tracker | Businesses that are open | Homepage

The state reported 3,026 new positive tests on Saturday. In total, 81,420 people have tested positive for the coronavirus in New Jersey.

At his daily briefing, Gov. Phil Murphy on Saturday again struck an optimistic tone that the state appeared to be improving. He said the state was flattening the curve of new cases and deaths.

So far, so good. We cant let up, he said. It is your efforts that are leading to these results.

Still, the number of deaths in N.J. from COVID-19 now exceeds the number of residents who die from strokes each year. Nationally, COVID-19 is the second leading cause of death.

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Saturday marked three consecutive days that the number of hospitalized COVID-19 patients dropped. The state reported that 7,718 people were hospitalized, down 293 from the day prior and down 552 from a peak on Wednesday.

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Businesses have been closed for a month so far in New Jersey and Murphy hasnt made any indication that will change soon.

We have come a long way already, Murphy said Friday. Were flattening the curve, theres no doubt about it. But we cannot let up until weve ridden the curve down the other side.

New Jersey nursing homes have been hit hard by the coronavirus. The state released a second day of data on outbreaks, cases and deaths at nursing homes and long-term facilities. On Saturday, the state reported 10,163 cases and 1,655 deaths at 413 facilities.

Bergen County currently has the highest concentration of COVID-19 cases, at 1,308 per 100,000 residents. Salem County now has the lowest concentration of cases, with 166 per 100,000 residents.

On Friday, state Health Commissioner Judith Persichilli said North Jersey may have already seen the peak of the pandemic, though Central and South Jersey have not yet.

Its coming, she said.

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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.

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

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J. Dale Shoemaker is a reporter on the data & investigations team. He can be reached at jshoemaker@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter at @JDale_Shoemaker.


By Lee Min-hyung



The global coronavirus pandemic is freezing the domestic merger and acquisition (M&A) market, with companies prioritizing stability over growth amid widening market uncertainty.



The temporary slowdown of growth in the investment industry was widely expected, as COVID-19 has already started to paralyze economic activities in the United States and major economic powerhouses in Europe. Korea  whose economic growth relies on exports  is also reeling from the Western shock in regaining investors' confidence.



The number of cross-border M&A transactions dropped by more than half to 385 in March 2020, compared to a month ago when the figure reached 874, according to data by the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTD). The monthly average in 2019 came in at around 1,200.



Market insiders said the Korean M&A market would continue facing turmoil until the spread of the virus comes to a halt in the world's largest economy and in European nations.



"For now, most companies seek to hedge against the potential risk of proceeding with their scheduled deal plans, as virus-induced economic uncertainties remain in place," an executive in the local investment industry said.



Reflecting on the pessimistic market outlook, domestic and foreign investors are on track to either cancel their planned M&A procedures or reschedule them for the latter half of this year when the coronavirus is expected to subside, according to the source.



Before signing M&A contracts, buyers need to engage in an on-site inspection of the seller's office and major business facilities. But the virus has put a brake on these procedures here and abroad, with government authorities across the globe tightening quarantine measures against foreign visitors.



"If buyers skip the process, chances are financial regulators  such as the Financial Supervisory Service  will slap sanctions on them," the source said. "Under the worst-case scenario, investors of the buying side may file a class suit over such an act, as on-site inspections are crucial before making an investment."



Against the same backdrop, firms across the world are also reluctant to engage in equity investment for the time being, he said.











Airplanes of Asiana Airlines are in operation at a terminal of Incheon International Airport on March 24. Yonhap
Only three weeks after shifting to producing face shields for healthcare workers, a Mobile printing company says it has already shipped more than 120,000 to buyers in 16 states.

@GovernorKayIvey @MayorStimpson When our #team set out to support #hospitals with this much needed #ppe we never dreamed that we'd hit these numbers in only three weeks.



121,050 #faceshields shipped! We're honored to serve our #HealthCareWorkers pic.twitter.com/Mf0dCluAJg  Calagaz Printing (@CalagazGroup) April 17, 2020

Calagaz Printing began turning out face shields in March after most of its business dried up when containment measures for the coronavirus shuttered eateries. The company usually specializes in commercial printing for national restaurant chains.

Owner Joe Calagaz, who has been in the business for almost 30 years, told his 17 employees that he intended to keep them on payroll. But Sales Director Michael Cuesta read a news story about the need for plastic medical face shields, and pitched an idea to General Manager Donnie Webb: Why not make these for local hospitals?

Within a few days, the company had six prototypes to take to area hospitals. The design was based on an existing face shield which medical technicians told Calagaz was currently on back order through July from the Wuhan District of China, the epicenter of the coronavirus outbreak.

Initially, the company delivered 6,000 face shields to Mobile Infirmary, Springhill Hospital, Providence Hospital, USA Health University Hospital, USA Health Childrens & Womens Hospital. But they soon realized they could ramp up production to more than 100,000 quickly. And with hospitals nationwide clamoring for PPE, there was certainly demand.

The company sells the shields in boxes of 25 and cases of 100. Among states with the largest orders are Alabama, with almost 40,000, followed by Tennessee, Georgia, South Carolina and Louisiana.
Copyright  2020 Albuquerque Journal

Former Rio Arriba County Commissioner Barney Trujillo made over $100,000 from three contracts with Espanola Public Schools, yet did so without the proper business licenses, the Attorney Generals Office says.

As a contract holder with the school district, he also never disclosed that he contributed to the campaigns of two school board members, which is a violation of governmental conduct laws, the AGs Office says. It also alleges that Trujillo, 39, ran illegal school board meetings, even though he wasnt a member.

Trujillos companies were never registered with the secretary of state or with Rio Arriba County. At one point, there was a commercial location, but, during the length of the contracts, Trujillo was running the business out of his Chimayo home.

The case led the Attorney Generals Office to execute search warrants on Trujillos home and at the EPS district office.

Trujillo faces three counts of unlawful interest in a public contract and one count of failing to disclose campaign contributions. He could face up to six years in prison.

A jury selection hearing is scheduled for June 22.

Trujillo was elected to the Rio Arriba County Commission in 2010 and served two consecutive terms. He also ran for state representative in 2016, but lost in the Democratic Party primary.

The Attorney Generals Office executed search warrants on the EPS district office and Trujillos home in January 2017.

Cloudy contracts

Trujillos company  2 Smooth Advertising, later renamed Trujillo Media  was awarded a marketing contract with EPS at an August 2014 school board meeting. The meeting minutes say the board unanimously approved the contract, but No discussion with reference to the 2 Smooth marketing contract is noted in the minutes, Attorney General Agent Jon Bergevin wrote in a search warrant affidavit the Journal obtained through a public records request.

Invoices 2 Smooth submitted between September 2014 and June 2015 do not state the specific work that was performed.

There is no line item accounting of the work performed by 2 Smooth Advertising on any of the invoices, Bergevin wrote.

 No supporting documentation containing the time, date or detailed record of the services rendered has been provided to Espanola Public Schools by Barney Trujillo, nor has any documentation containing these detailed records been provided to the Attorney Generals Office by Espanola Public Schools pursuant to a records request.

Regardless, Trujillo was paid $49,203 on this contract.

In June 2015, the school board held a special meeting to approve the 2015-16 budget, which included another $50,000 contract for 2 Smooth Advertising. The budget passed on a 4-1 vote.

After reviewing the meeting minutes and agendas available on the EPS board book, I have been unable to locate a specific action item approving a 2 Smooth Advertising contract, a marketing contract, or a professional services agreement for marketing services, Bergevin wrote.

Trujillo was awarded another contract for up to $50,000 in 2016, but it was terminated by the district in April 2017, about three months after the AGs Office raided the school district office and Trujillos house. A Rio Grande Sun article from the time says Trujillo made about $136,000 from his marketing contracts with the district.

School board member Ruben Archuleta told the Journal in May 2017 that the district had nothing to show for Trujillos contracts because Trujillo never included anything specific on his invoices.

Neither 2 Smooth Advertising nor Trujillo Media was registered with Rio Arriba County or the secretary of state, the affidavits say.

Documents say 2 Smooth had a storefront location at an Espanola strip mall, but its believed that location closed before the company started getting school district contracts. At all times Trujillo had contracts with the district, he was running the business out of his home in Chimayo.

Questionable contributions

Trujillo provided in-kind contributions of campaign signs and flyers to campaigns for school board by Yolanda Salazar and Annabelle Almager.

Salazar told Bergevin that Trujillo contributed 12 large signs and over 200 flyers to her 2015 campaign. She also said Trujillo contributed signs to Alamagers 2013 campaign, but Bergevin wrote in an affidavit that he couldnt determine the monetary value of those contributions.

Though the dates of the contributions are unknown at this time, Trujillo would have been required to report his contributions to Yolanda Salazars campaign on at least the 2015 contract and likely on the 2016 contract.

All the contracts Trujillo signed with the district had forms on which he was supposed to disclose any campaign contribution he or a family member made to any applicable public official  school board members, in this case  in the past two years. Trujillo left those forms blank on the 2014 and 2015 contracts, and wrote a large NA on the forms for the 2016 contract, the affidavit says.

And as a county commissioner, Trujillo was also supposed to disclose any potential conflicts of interest and submit a financial disclosure form to Rio Arriba County, but he has failed to do that since 2013, the affidavit says. Not disclosing his financial interest in Trujillo Media is a violation of state law, Bergevin wrote.

Alleged backdoor dealing

Salazar, current school board president, told Bergevin that at least one time she and former school board members Pablo Lujan and Lucas Fresquez, as well as Trujillo, participated in a meeting at which a quorum of the school board was present at Big Dawgs Restaurant in Espanola.

Salazar said Trujillo was leading the meeting and was upset over the boards hiring of Bobbie Gutierrez as superintendent.

Salazar described the meeting as absolutely not proper, describing specifically that the attendees entered the restaurant through the back door, Bergevin wrote. She acknowledged that a quorum of the school board meeting is a prohibited act.

Superintendent Gutierrez also told Bergevin in a separate interview that she had also heard that Trujillo was leading illegal school board meetings.

Trujillos attorney, Dan Cron, said it wouldnt be appropriate to comment on the allegations at this time.

Almager was given the human resources director job at Rio Arriba County shortly after she voted to give Trujillo the contract in 2014. The county reached a settlement with the woman who previously held the job after she threatened to file a whistleblower lawsuit claiming she was replaced in a political dispute.

Almager still holds the position, according to the countys website.

IPRA violations

In March 2016, Bergevin requested emails from EPS under a state Inspection of Public Records Act request, but the emails were not provided after several months. So, Bergevin filed a search warrant affidavit to go into the districts office and obtain the emails.

The delay in providing these emails amidst a PED investigation and the other criminal activity described in the affidavit presents concerns about the deletion, alteration, and other threats to the integrity of the emails requested in the IPRA, Bergevin wrote in the affidavit. This is a particular concern given the fact that the IPRA request is a public document, and that those individuals whose email correspondence was requested are and likely have been aware of the request for several months.

In a separate case, married couple Lianne Martinez and Joseph Torres face 15 total counts of fraud, making or permitting a false public voucher, racketeering and conspiracy between January 2015 and April 2016. The AGs Office alleges that the couple created a company, Enviro-Kleen  hired to order janitorial supplies for the school district  and made about $18,000 in illegal profit by overcharging the district on six different invoices.

Documents in that criminal case say Martinez and Torres had connections in the school district to undermine the procurement process.

Questionable procurement practices caused the state Public Education Department to take over the districts finances in November 2016. The district regained control last year.
Here are the major developments today:

Queensland recorded no new cases of COVID-19 overnight - a first since March 9.

"This is a clear indicator that our social distancing measures are proving to be effective," Chief Health Officer Jeannette Young says.

A polling booth official at work during the COVID-19 pandemic. Credit:Jono Searle/Getty Images

So far, Queensland has confirmed 1019 infections and 738 of those patients have recovered.

Most students moved to online learning today for the start of the new term but there was a hitch when Education Queensland's learning portal website crashed.

The Education Department's Director-General Tony Cook put out a statement at 5.15pm, saying the site collapsed when more than 1.8 million people tried to visit in less than half an hour.

He says the department is taking "further actions"overnight in the hope of preventing another crash tomorrow.

Two of three Gold Coast beaches - Surfers Paradise and Coolangatta - have reopened for locals to exercise after the beaches were closed before Easter. The Gold Coast City Council will monitor the beaches this week and review the closure of The Spit next week.

And Virgin Australia has sparked a different type of state of origin battle.

It's a wrap for today but check the main site for the latest news and analysis.
Scammers are targeting vulnerable people by offering to collect church envelopes containing money, the Catholic Church has warned.

The Diocese of Down and Connor said it has become aware of the fraudulent scam targeting vulnerable people within its parishes.

In a statement, a spokesman said that unscrupulous individuals are calling with vulnerable people and offering to take their weekly parish envelopes to the church and also offering to do their shopping but demanding cash up-front.

In a statement a spokesman for the Diocese said: These fraudulent scams are criminal and have been reported by the diocese to the PSNI.

The Diocese of Down and Connor would encourage all people, and particularly families of vulnerable adults, to be vigilant to such criminal activity.

All such unsolicited approaches should be reported to the PSNI.

In line with the Governments stay at home and social distancing policies, parish envelopes will not be collected at this time.

Parishioners who choose to use their weekly envelopes as normal, should retain their envelopes and, once Government policy allows, the parish will arrange to safely collect them.

On Sunday, the Public Health Agency said that another person has died with coronavirus in Northern Ireland in the past day.

It brings the total number of confirmed deaths in hospital settings in the region to 194.

The total number of people who have tested positive for the virus in Northern Ireland is now 2,645, a rise of 159.

The response to the coronavirus crisis isnt a sectarian political issue. It isnt a matter of scoring points, its about saving lives.



Reports about the British Governments complacency, however, are serious and underscore the need for an all-island strategy.  Colum Eastwood (@columeastwood) April 19, 2020

The full death toll is likely to be higher after official statistics published on Friday showed the figures are around a third higher than previously reported.

The disparity is due to differences in how the statistics are gathered.

Meanwhile, SDLP leader Colum Eastwood said recent reports over the UK Governments handling of Covid-19 raise very serious questions.

The MP for Foyle said complacency will cost lives and cannot be replicated in Northern Ireland.

He said: The response to the coronavirus crisis isnt a sectarian political issue.

It isnt a matter of scoring points, its about saving lives.

Reports about the British Governments complacency, however, leave very serious questions about crisis coordination across these islands.

The SDLP is committed to constructively working with all parties in the Executive as well as the British and Irish Governments to manage our response to Covid-19 and save as many lives as possible.

That is not a blank cheque for anyone to operate free from scrutiny when the stakes are so high.

There is simply no margin for error.

He added: The SDLP, working closely with the other Westminster opposition parties, will hold the British Government to account.

In the Executive, we will work hard to make the case for a bespoke strategy for testing and tracing on this island that avoids the mistakes other administrations have made.

Our primary focus remains preventing transmission of this virus and saving lives.
Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong said on Saturday that it will take time to break the chain of transmission in the dorms. He wrote on Facebook that the vast majority of cases among migrant workers were mild, as the workers are young.

The number of cases in Singapore has more than doubled over the past week amid an explosion of infections among foreign workers staying in crowded dormitories. This group now makes up around 60 per cent of Singapore's cases.

Bangkok: Singapore has reported 942 new coronavirus cases, a single-day high for the tiny city-state that pushed its total number of infections to 5992, including 11 deaths.

Although cases in the dorms are expected to continue to rise amid ongoing virus testing, Lee said the government is building up its healthcare and isolation facilities to handle the load.

More than 200,000 migrant workers from Bangladesh, India and other Asian countries live in dormitories in Singapore that house up to 20 people per room with shared facilities.

Tens of thousands of workers have been quarantined in their dorms, while some have been moved to safer places to reduce crowding.

Lee said there were early signs that Singapore's partial lockdown until May 4 is helping to bring the number of new cases down. But he said the government is worried about hidden cases circulating in the population and urged citizens to do their part.

Meanwhile, Japan's Health Ministry on Sunday recorded 568 new cases of the coronavirus, bringing the nation's toll to 11,073 with 174 deaths. The actual number of infections is believed to be higher as Japan is only starting to expand its testing capabilities by setting up additional testing centres in Tokyo and elsewhere. It allows primary care doctors to send suspected patients directly to testing stations.
Medal of Honor recipient Bennie Adkins faced his last battle against an invisible enemy called COVID-19 with the same resilience and determination that had seen him through three tours of combat as a Green Beret in Vietnam, his son said Saturday.

His father had other ailments before he was taken ill with coronavirus, "and the fact that as sick as he was at age 86, [he] lasted three weeks was pretty remarkable," Keith Adkins said in a phone interview with Military.com.

Adkins, a retired Army command sergeant major, had spent all but his final two days intubated in an intensive care unit, said Keith Adkins, a doctor at the East Alabama Medical Center (EAMC) in Opelika, Alabama, where his father died Friday afternoon of complications from coronavirus.

Bennie, as he was known to all, began to feel ill after returning from a visit to family in his native Oklahoma, Keith Adkins said. He checked into EAMC, but his chest X-ray looked good and he was released.

Two days later, the symptoms worsened. He re-entered EAMC on March 26, and was alone and isolated from family, as were other patients seriously ill from COVID-19 at the hospital, until the last two days.

Related: Medal of Honor Recipient Bennie Adkins Dies of Coronavirus at 86

Even though he had been on staff at EAMC for more than 20 years, Keith Adkins said he did not visit his father "out of respect to everyone else" suffering from the infection and in isolation.

"I tried to honor everyone else" who was in the same circumstances, he said.

In the last two days, he and his older brother, Michael, and younger sister, Mary, were able to visit Bennie and say their farewells, Keith said.

There are no immediate plans for services during the current restrictions on large gatherings.

"We're not sure what's going to happen with all the quarantining and social distancing," he said. "Right now, we're just going to put things on hold."

Adkins said he had already heard from several other Medal of Honor recipients who wanted to share their condolences over the loss of a beloved comrade, but declined to disclose their names out of concern for their privacy.

Eventually, when the restrictions lift, Bennie Adkins and Mary Adkins, his late wife of more than 60 years, will be interred at Arlington National Cemetery, Keith said.

Bennie Adkins was awarded the Medal of Honor in 2014 by President Barack Obama, 48 years after his heroic actions in a three-day battle against swarming North Vietnamese regulars in Vietnam's A Shau valley.

He displayed at the White House ceremony the innate sense of humor he used to put others at ease, and sometimes deployed as a shield against disclosing details of battles too painful to remember.

Obama diverted from his prepared remarks to tell the audience that "the first thing you need to know is when Bennie and I met in the Oval Office, he asked if he could sign back up. His lovely wife was not amused."

His Green Beret buddies had lobbied for years to have Adkins' Distinguished Service Cross upgraded to the Medal of Honor. Congress ultimately passed a bill to lift the statute of limitations for the award.

"He was at the point where he didn't think it would ever happen. He was proud of his Distinguished Service Cross and what he did while he was in Vietnam, and never really looked back on it," Keith said.

His father also kept to himself the grim details of what he had experienced, and what he had done in combat to survive.

Growing up in Fort Bragg, North Carolina, Keith Adkins said his father "just never really talked about the whole Vietnam part of it."

When pressed by people he met, or even by his own family, Bennie would sidestep questions by telling a funny story about some of the bizarre things that happen in war -- events that seem unbelievable to a civilian but ring true to a combat veteran.

One of his stories had to do with a strange resupply mission to Camp A Shau before the battle in which he would earn the Medal of Honor.

His father was "in charge of procuring a lot of food for Camp A Shau, and one time they made a supply drop" by helicopter, Keith Adkins said. To Bennie's amazement, "they had a live steer they were going to drop and they had run out of parachutes."

His father told the helicopter crew to drop it anyway, rationalizing the steer was destined to be slaughtered when it reached the ground.

The crew did make the drop. "He got in a little trouble over that," Keith said.

The thing that will stay with Adkins most about his father, though, was his way with people.

"He had that effect on a lot of people and quality about him that I've always been envious of," the son said. "He could walk in a room and it didn't matter your station in life -- he could automatically connect with you in a fraction of a minute.

"He just could, he had that power and that charisma and the ability to connect. I've always been envious of that."

-- Richard Sisk can be reached at Richard.Sisk@Military.com.

Read More: Military Travel Ban Extended Until June 30; Some Restrictions Eased
BAKU, Azerbaijan, April 19

Trend:

The scholars of the Institute of Geography named after academician Hasan Aliyev of the National Academy of Sciences of Azerbaijan together with the Samsun University of Turkey developed the application "Covid-19 Azerbaijani real-time monitoring system", Trend reports referring to the institute.

The main goal of the project, receiving technical support from Quintessence K&S, is to monitor in real time the coronovirus pandemic, which has become widespread in Azerbaijan and the world, the institute said. The application contains the information about the countries, as well as about the spread of the virus in Azerbaijan, and these figures are updated at least once a day.

In accordance with the data, the technology of geographic information systems (GIS) of Esri company has been used in the project. The pandemic figures in Azerbaijan are based on the data of the Operational Headquarters under the Azerbaijani Cabinet of Ministers, as well as on the website https://koronavirusinfo.az/az.

"The population by city and district, the number of hospitals, the number of beds for every 10,000 people, the number of people older 65 and other data are given in the information of the Azerbaijani State Statistics Committee, the institute said. The copyright in the data on Azerbaijan belongs to the Institute of Geography."

This application may be used in enlightenment, educational and scientific research of the society as this is a social project, its use for commercial purposes is strictly prohibited, the institute said. Anyone who uses the application may within 24 hours receive information on the number of viral infections, new infections, fatal cases and the number of tests conducted in the world and in Azerbaijan. Moreover, it is possible to find out the number of the countries fighting the virus.

As the official structures throughout the country provided only general information, the daily data on the spread of the pandemic by city and region (with the exception of April 1, 2020) could not be included in the application, the institute said. If the figures are received, then it will be possible to indicate the spread of the pandemic within 24 hours by city and district."
DOWNS  Tyler Graf, the man missing for a week, apparently drowned in a private pond near his residence in Downs, authorities said Sunday.

"Preliminary autopsy findings indicate that Mr. Graf died from drowning," said McLean County Sheriff Jon Sandage and Coroner Kathy Yoder in a statement released Sunday morning. "There was no evidence of an altercation or assault. Toxicology results are pending. This incident remains under investigation by the McLean County Coroners Office and the McLean County Sheriffs Department."

Graf, 31, was found in a private pond in the 8000 block of Elm in Downs.

A search was conducted by the McLean County Sheriffs Office, McLean County Emergency Management Agency Search and Rescue Team, MABAS Division 41 Dive Team, Downs Fire Department, as well as others. Several searches of water and land in the surrounding area had been searched this week by law enforcement and volunteers.

On Saturday, the Illinois Department of Natural Resources Conservation Police was requested with special sonar equipment to assist in the search. At approximately 4:48 p.m., his body was located. He was pronounced dead at 5 p.m.

Contact Kevin Barlow at (309) 820-3238. Follow him on Twitter: @pg_barlow

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COLUMBUS, Ohio - A photo from Saturdays stay-at-home protest at the Statehouse is gaining traction on Twitter for its anti-Semitic message.

The photograph captured two men in a minivan. One held a sign with an illustration of rodent with the Star of David on its side and the words The Real Plague.

The protest movement against coronavirus restrictions has been a mishmash of people. Some adhere to public health officials guidance of distancing themselves at least 6 feet apart and wearing masks. They want to return to work. On the more extreme are others who call coronavirus a hoax.

But the anti-Semitism might drown out all their messages.

On Monday, at least one protestor at the Ohio Statehouse wore a Proud Boys T-shirt. The group is described as misogynistic and Islamophobic.

On Saturday and Sunday, social media reacted in disgust -- and mockery -- to the sign from the minivan.

Awful.  Saeed Jones (@theferocity) April 18, 2020

If there really is a master race, I am positive they dont drive a rusted out minivan.  jimJim Macris (@jimJimMacris) April 18, 2020

Make sure to pass this out dummies pic.twitter.com/UA4qgyBDqK  Tim Minneci (@timminneci) April 18, 2020

Jewish state Rep. Casey Weinstein, a Hudson Democrat, posted on Twitter another photo of the men outside the minivan at the protest. He wasnt at the protest but he followed it on social media.

Hey! A second pic of these cool dudes from today. #makethemfamous pic.twitter.com/5y8UCJuvNQ  Rep. Casey Weinstein (@RepWeinstein) April 19, 2020

There are symbols of hatred mixed in," he said. I think its important to call that out. Im not going to let that pass. Im not. There are people out there exercising their rights. By no means am I saying theyre all anti-Semitic, theyre all racists, but there is an element there.

Weinstein said that the protestors have a constitutional right to protest -- Ohios stay-at-home order specifically carves out First Amendment-protected speech.

Im glad to support everyones First Amendment right to express their view, and I will gladly exercise mine to push back on anti-Semitism whenever and wherever I see it, Weinstein said.

In Ohio, one of the groups that organized Saturdays rally was Ohio Gun Owners, a relatively new organization to the states political scene that uses incendiary rhetoric mostly at gun-friendly lawmakers, hoping for them to further their policy agenda. Ohio Gun Owners is a copycat of similar groups the founders family started in other states.

Earlier protests were organized by other groups, including Ohio Stands Strong, that are opposed to Gov. Mike DeWines public health orders, deny the effectiveness of vaccines and whose members have been driving by DeWines Greene County house, filming it and counting cars. A spokesman for DeWine had said last week the governors security detail was aware of the surveillance and he couldnt say anything beyond that.

Ohio Stands Strong also uses imagery with a red pill, which the Anti-Defamation League says symbolizes political awakening and commitment -- including sometimes commitment as extreme as believing Jews control the world.

Wednesdays Lansing, Michigan protest was promoted by the Michigan Freedom Fund, which is linked to the family of U.S. Secretary of Education Betsy DeVos, although it appears another group may have organized the event.
New Delhi, April 19 : Rumours spread on the Internet suggest that use of air conditioners during this summer may not be safe as it can help spread the novel coronavirus that causes COVID-19.

The truth, as per the fact check done by the Press Information Bureau (PIB), is not that straightforward.

Based on inputs from doctors, the official handle of PIB Fact Check tweeted that running windows AC in a room where there is no coronavirus patient poses no risk to people.

"As the mercury soars, here's one more #PIBFactcheck.

"Claim: ACs should not be used to cool off in the heat, as they spread #Covid_19.

"Fact : It's a little complicated. Window ACs are ok, but not central air-conditioning. Let's listen to this segment from @DDNewslive," said the tweet.

In the video clip accompanying the tweet, doctors are heard saying that in healthcare establishments where there could be coronavirus positive patients, central ACs may pose some risk.

A guidance document by the Indian Society of Heating, Refrigerating & Air Conditioning Engineers (ISHRAE) also suggested that people should use air conditioners with caution during the pandemic, especially in healthcare establishments.

"The most important factor in this scenario is to ensure that the virus-laden airborne particles do not leak out of the rooms occupied by COVID-19 patients and also to maintain the concentration of virus-laden particles inside the patient room at a minimum," said the document titled, "COVID-19 Guidance Document for Air Conditioning and Ventilation".

This is required to control the spread of infections and also to protect the healthcare workers, it added.

"As is the normal practice, most of these patient rooms would be served by a HVAC (heating, ventilation, and air-conditioning) system that would be of a recirculatory type, wherein the air from the room is taken back to the AHU (air handling unit) for thermal conditioning and brought back," ISHRAE said.

"The same HVAC system could also be connected to a few other areas of the hospital. In some cases, there might be no dedicated return air duct and it could be a ceiling return system.

"If a COVID-19 patient had to be admitted to such a room, it would present a significant risk of the virus-laden particles spreading out from the designated COVID-19 patient rooms," the document added.

The engineers suggested how air conditioners should be used in different settings such as homes, commercial establishments, and in healthcare facilities.

The document suggests that recirculation of cool air by room air conditioners must be accompanied by outdoor air intake through slightly open windows and exhaust by natural exfiltration.

"Set room temperature between 24 degrees Celsius and 30 degrees C. Maintain relative humidity between 40 per cent and 70 per cent," ISHRAE said, adding that in humid climates, one should set temperature closer to 24 degrees for de-humidification and in dry climates closer to or at 30 degrees and use fans to increase air movement.

"In dry climates, do not allow relative humidity to fall below 40 per cent. Water evaporating from a pan kept in the room will increase humidity if it falls below 40 per cent," it added.

Latest updates on Coronavirus (COVID-19)
Even as India on Saturday amended its foreign direct investment policy to ensure no hostile takeover of stressed firms could take place during the COVID-19 lockdown, major startups in the country are already heavily funded by Chinese conglomerates with investments running into the billions. In India, as is the nature of such things all around the world, all successful start-ups worth over 1 billion US dollars (Unicorns) are in some way or the other funded by foreign entities, either directly, or via indirectly via the funding of the venture capital that is invested into them, and China is a major player in this market, with some very big names.

Read: Trump Slams China After Wuhan's Covid Death Toll Hiked By 50%; Says 'It's Not Even Close'

Read: US Praises India's 'generous' Efforts To Help Friends & Partners In Fight Against COVID

As per data released by Gateway House, Jasper Infotech, popularly known as the e-commerce website Snapdeal, has received over $700 million as investment from Chinese multinational conglomerate-- Alibaba Group along with others. Popular Indian e-payment website Paytm has received over $650 million from Chinese investors mostly by the Alibaba Group again.

The report also reveals that food delivery app Swiggy has received an investment of around $500 million by Meituan Dianping and other Chinese conglomerates. Another top food delivery app in the country, Zomato, has receiveed over $200 million as investment from Alibaba Group and others.

India's popular ride-sharing company Ola has received over $500 million from Chinese investors such as Tencent Holdings, Steadview Capital and others, while Indian hotel chain Oyo Rooms has garnered over $100 million from Chinese investors, as per the Gateway House report.

While the virus which has infected over 2,331,892 people and claimed over 1,60,763 lives bringing global economies to a standstill, China, from were it originated has slowly begun to recover from the pandemic and has picked up its manufacturing again.

India's red flags were raised after People's Bank of China (PBoC) on April 12, bought a 1% stake in India's largest housing finance lenders - HDFC Ltd, an investment amounting to 1.75 crore shares in HDFC.

According to the amendment in the Foreign Direct Investment (FDI), neighboring countries - including China, Nepal, Bangladesh, Pakistan will require government approval for investing in Indian companies. Apart from India, EU, US, Australia have checked Chinese FDI amid COVID-19 crisis.

Read: India Revises FDI Policy- Govt Nod Required By All Neighbouring Nations To Invest In Cos

Read:Coronavirus LIVE Updates: India Revises FDI Policy To Protect Companies, Cases At 16365
Lucknow, April 19 : The Lucknow chapter of the Indo-American Chamber of Commerce has donated 20,000 litres of sodium hypochlorite to the Lucknow Municipal Commissioner Indramani Tripathi to help in sanitisation of the state capital.

Talking to IANS, Mukesh Singh, Chairman of the Lucknow chapter of the Indo-American Chamber of Commerce said, "We have given three tankers of sodium hypochlorite which is widely used in disinfecting areas. Lucknow has emerged as a major corona hotspot and we thought that sanitisation of the state capital was of prime importance." One part of sodium hypochlorite is mixed with nine parts of water before it is sprayed in the affected areas.

Singh said that he had been also distributing around 2,400 food packets on a daily basis and was giving ration to 80-100 families every day.

He said that all members of the Indo-American Chamber of Commerce were contributing towards the exercise,
A woman, who was the first patient of the coronavirus disease in Gujarats hardest-hit Ahmedabad city, has gone home after spending a month in a hospital.

She was discharged from the hospital on Saturday after completely recovering from Covid-19, according to news agency ANI.

I was hospitalised on March 17 and now finally getting discharged after testing negative twice. It has been a long journey, the woman was quoted as saying by ANI.

On the day the woman left the hospital, the western state reported its highest single-day spike of 280 Covid-19 cases. The number of infected people in the state shot up to 1376, while the death toll rose by 12 to 53 on Saturday.

Ahmedabad alone accounted for 239 new detections on Saturday. With the new cases of the coronavirus disease and five deaths, the tally of Gujarats largest city stands at 862 and the number of the victims at 25, a health department official said.

Click here for full Covid-19 coverage

Most of these cases have been reported from hotspot areas in Ahmedabad, mainly due to concentrated testing, Jayanti Ravi, principal secretary (health), said.

Among the affected localities are Behrampura, Chandlodia, Dariyapur, Danilimda, Manekchowk, Ellis bridge, Ishanpur, Navrangpura, Motera, Nikol, Saraspur, Gomtipur, Jamalpur, Astodia, and Kubenagar, Ravi said.

Also read: Indias Covid-19 cases cross 15,000, death toll rises to 507

Health authorities said they could not begin the treatment of critical Covid-19 patients in Ahmedabad hospitals.

We are awaiting permission from the ethics committee of the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR). We have found one donor and recipient also for plasma therapy, but it needs to be checked whether the required parameters of both individuals match or not, Ravi said.

Twenty-seven Covid-19 patients have also been discharged from hospitals in the city.

Around 13,000 samples have been tested in the city, the highest in the state, as part of a proactive testing approach of the Ahmedabad Municipal Corporation. The corporation has also roped in private laboratories and deployed mobile vans to ramp up testing.

Also read: IIT- Gandhinagar to undertake study to find out survival of coronavirus in human waste

Extensive surveillance by health workers has helped us find new cases, which reduced the possibility of cases in lakhs and deaths in thousands. We conducted aggressive testing, from 25-30 per day to 1500-2000, that too by approaching people at their houses, municipal commissioner Vijay Nehra said, according to PTI.

The situation is still worsening because we have not been able to make people aware completely, he added.

Authorities have imposed curfew in parts of Ahmedabads walled city area and localities like Danilimda and Behrampura to contain the spread of the coronavirus infections.

(With agency inputs)

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India Post employees to get Rs 10 lakh as compensation for death due to COVID-19 on duty

India

oi-Ajay Joseph Raj P

New Delhi, Apr 19: India Post has said postal employees and Gramin dak sevaks and postal staff in rural areas would be able to claim Rs 10,00,000 as compensation in case of death while following their duties due to COVID-19.

Taking to Twitter, Union Minister for IT and communications Ravi Shankar Prasad announced the department's decision.

India to start pool testing as COVID-19 cases jump to 10, 800

"Security cover of Rs 10 Lakh has been extended to all employees of @IndiaPostOffice and Grameen Dak Sewak (GDS)- the frontline #CoronaWarriors in country's fight against #COVID19, if they succumb to death due to Corona Virus," the tweet read.

It can be seen that the postal services fall under the Essential Services Maintenance Act (ESMA) and have been functional ever since the lockdown began on March 25. In addition to delivering mail, postal employees are also distributing ration and delivering medicines to the needy people.

Earlier, the Delhi government had announced an ex-gratia payment of Rs 1 crore for frontline health workers in case of death due to the novel coronavirus while discharging their official duties.

Later, the Maharashtra government also announced a compensation of Rs 50 lakh for kin of police officers in case they die while discharging their duty.
Sowmya Mani By

Express News Service

TIRUCHY: As WH Davies wrote, our pre-lockdown lives could be described thus: What is this life if, full of care, We have no time to stand and stare. No time to turn at Beautys glance, And watch her feet, how they can dance.

Things have changed ever since the lockdown began. Shankar and Sheela ( names changed) are locked together in an apartment in Thennur. Shankar had come to visit Sheela, but could not return to Chennai.

Techies both, they have been in a relationship since college and are now enjoying the time together with their friends.

Im happy were getting this time together. We cook together, watch TV, and basically have a lot of fun. I would have been bored had I been at home, Shankar said.

Finding the love nearby

Shweta and Rahul stay in the same residential complex at Cantonment but hardly knew each other. That was 3 weeks ago. Forced to come to the terrace for a walk in the mornings and evenings, they got chatting, and developed a friendship which blossomed into love.

I always thought Rahul was good looking. When we started speaking, on 25th March, it was instant chemistry. We have so much in common, and the lockdown is a blessing. We were so busy with our jobs (Shweta is a teacher while Rahul is employed in a bank), that we didnt realise our special someone was just a floor away, smiles Shweta.

Meaning in marriage

For working couple Vasanthi and her husband Ramesh from Srirangam, this has been the best phase in their lives.

We both are employed for the past 30+ years. The lockdown has made me spot a new side to my husband, 30 years into the marriage. We have never spent more than a week together, and during vacations, our children used to accompany us. This is the first time in 30 years we are alone together, and we are loving it. We feel like college students in love, laughs 55-year-old Vasanthi.

Not just seeing their partner in new light, couples are learning new things together. Sahil, for instance, is teaching his wife Vishakha how to play games on his Xbox. They also cook, clean and work out together.

The silver lining

Bharath and Gopika of Woraiyur were to get married on April 8. Bharath, who works in Germany, came to India early to surprise his fiancee.

Though the wedding has been postponed, they are getting time to know each other.

Hitherto, we saw each other through video calls, but now are getting time to get to know each other. So are our families, its a win-win situation.

We felt bad when the wedding had to be postponed, but the time together is a big bonus. We are able to meet daily, there are many things that cant be expressed through a video call, says Gopika.

For Gopikas brother Gokul, the lockdown meant a longer period of separation from his wife, who is in Australia.

She is stuck there because of the lockdown. Im keeping myself busy by playing FIFA and watching Netflix. We video chat daily. We are eagerly waiting to meet each other, says Gokul.
Sonora, CA  A report of an explosion sent police and local fire crews to Sonoras Heritage Inn in the one oclock hour.

When fire crews arrived, as seen in the video in the image box, the staff was evacuating guests from their rooms in the 49er Building on South Washington Street that also houses the front office. Firefighters raced to room 209 but found no flames. They remained for about 15 minutes checking to make sure any flames had not spread into the walls or nearby rooms.

Sonora Police report a woman was taken to the Adventist Health Sonora with burns to her arms. Inn staff disclosed to Clarke Broadcasting that the woman told them she was filling a butane lighter when her husband walked into the room with a lit cigarette, causing the explosion. The force blew her across the room and created a dent in the wall. We were not allowed into the room to take pictures.



After about 30 minutes fire crews left the scene while officers headed to the hospital to question the unidentified woman. The all-clear was given to allow guests to return to their rooms.
(CNN)  A San Marcos police officer was shot and killed, and two others were wounded, the Texas police department said Saturday.

The wounded officers were taken to the Ascension Seton Hays hospital in Kyle where they underwent surgery, the San Marcos Police Department said in a statement to CNN.

A 911 caller reported an assault, domestic disturbance around 6:05 p.m., Saturday. Officers responding to an apartment were ambushed by a suspect with a rifle.

Police said the suspect died from an "apparent, self-inflicted gunshot wound."

"Our hearts are heavy tonight with the report that San Marcos Police Officers were shot in the line of duty. Join Cecilia and me in keeping these officers in our prayers," Texas Governor Greg Abbott tweeted.

"We are heartbroken to make this announcement," San Marcos Interim Police Chief Bob Klett said, according to the department's statement. "We ask for your support for our fellow officers and their families as we try to cope with yet another tragic event in our San Marcos Police family."

This is the second line of duty death for the SMPD since Officer Kenneth Copeland was shot and killed while serving a warrant on December 4, 2017.

Copeland, 58, was a veteran officer working on his day off, when the police chief at the time said a suspect opened fire "much like in an ambush type of situation." He was wearing a bulletproof vest, but was struck several times, and was pronounced dead at an area hospital.

"Ken's a hero," said Chase Stapp, the department's chief at the time. "He worked just about every day off to provide for his kids, and because he knows that we're shorthanded."

This story was first published on CNN.com "A police officer was fatally shot and 2 other officers wounded in San Marcos, Texas"
Boeing said that it has completed its first Covid-19 transport mission, using a 737-700 aircraft from its corporate fleet to bring personal protective equipment (PPE) from China to the US.



Working in partnership with FIRST Robotics Founder Dean Kamen, the company transported 540,000 medical-grade face masks that will be delivered to healthcare professionals battling Covid-19 in New Hampshire.



Kamen, who has a longstanding relationship with Boeing through FIRST Robotics, is also a founder of DEKA Research and Development Corporation. He worked with DEKA to secure the face masks from manufacturers in China and turned to Boeing to facilitate their transport. DEKA is the importer of record for the delivery and provided the masks to New Hampshire for distribution to healthcare professionals in the state.



"Another life-saving delivery of PPE has arrived in New Hampshire," said Governor Chris Sununu. "Thanks to Dean Kamen for facilitating this deal, and to Boeing for donating the cost of this mission transport. The state will deliver these masks to the greatest areas of need across New Hampshire so those on the frontline have the necessary resources to fight Covid-19."



"Boeing has been a long-time partner of FIRST Robotics and I'm proud that I can again partner with the Boeing team to meet the needs of our frontline healthcare professionals fighting Covid-19," said Kamen. "Now more than ever, help from companies like Boeing is critical so we can continue to make sure protective equipment gets to the people who need it most."



Boeing continues to support local communities and the heroic healthcare professionals working tirelessly to stop the spread of Covid-19. Additional airlift transport missions with the Boeing Dreamlifter and ecoDemonstrator are planned in the future. Boeing is coordinating closely with U.S. government officials on how to best assist areas with the greatest need.



"I want to personally thank Governor Sununu, the entire New Hampshire congressional delegation and Dean Kamen for their leadership in helping secure and distribute this much-needed personal protective equipment for our frontline healthcare workers and first responders here in New Hampshire," said Dave Calhoun, Boeing president and CEO. "We are honoured to have conducted today's airlift mission and we look forward to providing continued support in the fight against this pandemic.  TradeArabia News Service
US President Donald Trump has said the media outlets should be mandated to name their sources in their stories, as he slammed the top mainstream American media for their alleged dishonest reporting.

During a conference at the White House on Saturday, Trump launched an unprecedented individual criticism of Maggie Haberman, White House correspondent for 'The New York Times' and a political analyst for CNN, for allegedly writing inaccurate source-based stories.

You know what sources say means? Sources say means that they have nobody and they make it up," he said.

According to Trump, sources say is the most often used expression in the 'Washington Post', 'New York Times', and especially the CNN.

"They should really be mandated... to use a name. If there is a source, use a name," Trump demanded., adding that he did not believe that the sources exist.

Haberman has, in a joint byline with her colleague Jonathan Martin, said the Republicans increasingly believe that elevating China's culpability for spreading the coronavirus may be the best way to improve their difficult election chances.

Days ago, a story based on sources by Haberman said said the new White House Chief of Staff Mark Meadows, weeks into his job, "cried while meeting with members of the White House staff on at least two occasions".

Trump described this as a dishonest reporting.

"You know she won a Pulitzer Prize for her coverage of Russia, but she was wrong on Russia. So is everyone else. They should all give back their Pulitzer prizes," he said.

"She's a third-rate reporter for New York Times," Trump alleged.

Last week, Trump put her name in one of the video clippings that his office had prepared about the alleged fake narratives of some of the media on his handling of the coronavirus.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
- TUKO.co.ke asked Kenyans how the coronavirus pandemic had affected them in terms of livelihoods and daily routines

- Majority of them said they had been axed at work, were on paid leave and staying afloat had become a struggle

- Others said they were hoping that the government would come up with measures to cushion them during these times of economic hardships

On March 13, 2020, Kenya announced its first case of coronavirus and since then, Kenyans have borne the brunt of the enormous effects that the pandemic has brought about.

From lose of jobs to unpaid leave and struggles to make ends meet, the deadly virus has affected nearly every Kenyan.

READ ALSO: Picha ya Rashid Abdalla mara ya kwanza Lulu Hassan kuonja chakula chake yawashika mashabiki

Since the government announced the first case of COVID-19, Kenyans have been suffering great economic hardships. Photo. TUKO.co.ke.

Source: Original

READ ALSO: Picha ya Rashid Abdalla mara ya kwanza Lulu Hassan kuonja chakula chake yawashika mashabiki

Taking to its Facebook page, TUKO.co.ke asked netizens to narrate how the disease affected their source of livelihoods and daily routines and the harrowing tales that they gave in the comment section was heartbreaking.

One Kenyan identified as Karlyna Wanjiru said she had been out for maternity leave from January and had used up all her savings with the hopes of going back to work in May.

"But boom corona kicks and that's the beginning of another stressful life," she said.

READ ALSO: Uproar over video of ambulance ferrying drunk youths past curfew time

Ola Midika said the disease drastically changed her life as she did not have any food or rent.

"It changed everything. I can't even talk. I got no food no rent just waiting for my day to come then I bid goodbye to the world," she said.

Evaluna Eliuds said she had been sent on compulsory leave but she was still hoping that the government would come with measures to cushion Kenyans during these times of economic hardship.

"Unpaid leave, but with God, we put our trust. Hoping the government will come to their senses," said Evaluna.

Here are more comments:

Do you have a groundbreaking story you would like us to publish? Please reach us through news@tuko.co.ke or WhatsApp: 0732482690. Contact Tuko.co.ke instantly

I have forgiven the men who killed my husband- Dorcas Wandera | Tuko Talks | Tuko TV

Source: TUKO.co.ke
The number of daily coronavirus deaths registered in Spain fell to 410 on Sunday, according to the latest figures supplied by the Health Ministry. That is the lowest figure seen since March 22, when there were 394.

Todays figure was a significant fall from Saturday, which saw 565 confirmed fatalities, and with a reduction of 155, represents the biggest drop in daily deaths since the crisis began.

However, the data should be viewed with some caution, given that there has been regular underreporting of coronavirus statistics from Spains 17 regions at weekends and on public holidays.

Health official Fernando Simon insisted that todays numbers were a cause for hope

There have been a total of 20,453 Covid-19-related fatalities since the pandemic hit Spain, with confirmed infections reaching 195,944. Some 77,357 patients have recovered from the illness and have been discharged from hospital.

After reaching a peak of 950 on April 2, the number of daily coronavirus-related deaths began a slow descent. The figures this week, however, had plateaued, with 585 on Friday, 551 on Thursday, 523 on Wednesday and 567 on Tuesday.

There are also variations in the data this week given that the Health Ministry is updating the historical series, after the government issued an order to the 17 regions in a bid to homogenize the different reporting of the data.

Speaking at the daily press conference on the coronavirus crisis, Fernando Simon, the director of the Health Ministrys Coordination Center for Health Alerts, said on Sunday that there had been distorsions over the last few days in the figures, which are being resolved by the refinement of the delivery of information by the regions and corrections.

Fernando Simon, the director of the Health Ministrys Coordination Center for Health Alerts, during a press conference earlier this week. JOSE MARIA CUADRADO JIMENEZ (AFP)

Simon explained that the number of new infections  4,218  had increased by 2.2% from yesterdays figure, down from the 3% or so seen in recent days. The Health Ministry has attributed the relatively high number of new infections being detected this week to an increase in the amount of testing that is being carried out.

A further 2,526 people have tested positive with serological tests, which detect coronavirus antibodies in peoples systems. These indicate that the person had the disease at some time in the past. The Health Ministry is tracking these figures separately, so as to not combine them with the curve of cases who were infected days or weeks ago.

Todays number of daily fatalities, Simon added, are a cause for hope. He also pointed to a fall in the number of hospitalizations and admissions into intensive care units (ICUs), with rises of just above 1% in both cases, he reported. The transmission of the disease has been significantly reduced.

Deescalation plans

Spain has been on lockdown since March 14, when a state of alarm was implemented by the Spanish government in a bid to halt the spread of the coronavirus. Last night Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez announced that he would be seeking another extension to the state of alarm, until May 9. He also said that confinement measures would be relaxed for children  who have been confined to their homes for more than five weeks now  from April 27 onward.

When Sundays figures were released, Sanchez was holding his weekly video conference call with Spains regional leaders, with whom he was due to discuss the relaxation of confinement. The prime minister said during his televised address last night that the progressive lifting of isolation measures is likely to be different for each region, according to the level of infections in each area.

The premier of Andalusia, Juan Manuel Moreno, has already announced that he will call for his region to be one of the first to relax the measures in place, given that, along with neighboring Murcia, it has the lowest level of infections per 100,000 inhabitants.

This is a breaking story and will be updated shortly. Please refresh your browser.

English version by Simon Hunter.
Long before the pandemic hit, working short was a chronic problem for personal support worker Febe Jimenez.

Staff were overloaded on a good day at her Hamilton-area retirement home; a single workers absence could throw an already tenuous care system built on low pay and long hours into disarray. For temporary relief, she says, help was habitually drafted in from three separate staffing agencies: one for nurses, one for night shift, and one for day shift.

Before this happened, we were going through agencies like crazy, Jimenez said.

A new directive issued by the province this week limits the movement of health-care workers between facilities in a bid to contain the devastating spread of COVID-19 in nursing homes. But the directive does not apply to agency workers, who earn their living floating from home to home.

Its an exemption critics call a health risk  and a sign.

It shows just how desperate the Ontario government is to adequately staff these long-term care facilities, said Candace Rennick, secretary-treasurer of the Canadian Union of Public Employees and a long-time nursing home worker.

We know there is a complete staffing crisis with respect to shortages and retention and recruitment. They are so reliant on this temporary agency contract work that they need to exempt them from a fundamental order to keep people safe.

In a statement to the Star, a spokesperson for Minister of Long Term Care Merrilee Fullerton said the order did not apply to agency workers or other critical contract staff in order to ensure a steady supply of staff available to work on an emergency basis in long-term care homes.

To ensure the safety of long-term care residents, these workers are subject to active screening direction set out in a directive by the Chief Medical Officer of Health, which requires a rigorous screening process before being permitted entry into a long-term care home, the statement said.

Even for directly-hired personal support workers, poor pay has long meant juggling multiple jobs at different homes, says Sharlene Stewart, president of Services Employees International Union Healthcare.

Workers absolutely want one full-time job. But when you pay them so poorly  you have to work two jobs to barely make a living, she said.

In light of the pandemic, the government has said these workers can pick one employer and take job-protected leaves of absence from others to comply with new directives.The province has also said it encourages long-term-care employers to offer full-time hours to part-time workers.

That is what has happened at Jimenezs facility so far, she says. But it does not solve what caused the shortages  and reliance on temporary staff  in the first place.

It was stressful working short. Even when people came in, they werent wanting to get hired at our place because they thought the wage was too low, she said.

Years of underfunding and the expansion of for-profit care homes have deeply impacted working conditions, leading to poor pay, high turnover, and the need for a contingent workforce to plug the gaps, says Pat Armstrong, sociology professor at York University.

If youre trying to make profit out of a long-term care home, your biggest cost is labour.

Armstrong is part of an interdisciplinary team that has studied nursing homes in Canada and five other jurisdictions over the past decade. A forthcoming report on their findings for the Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives says that homes run on a for-profit basis tend to have lower staffing levels, more verified complaints, and more transfers to hospitals, as well as higher rates for both ulcers and morbidity.

Moreover, managerial practices taken from the business sector are designed for just enough labour and for making a profit, rather than for providing good care, the report says.

These include paying the lowest wages possible, and hiring part-time, casual and those defined as self-employed in order to avoid paying benefits or providing other protections.

Enter staffing agencies.

PSWs have double the rate of absenteeism due to illness or injury compared to the (Canadian) average, said Kate Laxer, a research associate with Dr. Tamara Daly at York Universitys Centre for Aging Research and Education.

If you even were to imagine that just one PSW is sick, and theyre dealing with perhaps a ratio of three PSWs to 20 residents, that would have a very serious consequence in the overall ratio, she added.

That would require an agency staff person to fill in at that point. And its very common. It happens all the time.

But the reliance on agencies can pose a risk to residents, caused in part by the lack of familiarity and the discontinuity in care, said Laxer. In the midst of a pandemic, precarious arrangements are leading to what are probably very problematic levels of traffic under these circumstances, she added.

The model can also pose risks to workers, who often rely heavily on their knowledge of a particular home and its residents to keep themselves safe on the job, said Armstrong.

Especially in these times, you want that support, she said.

Its an issue that was brought to Workforce Planning for Sudbury & Manitoulin head Reggie Caversons attention around two years ago  by the head of a private staffing agency.

They said, do you have any idea how many shifts are being missed at our local long-term care homes? Caverson recalls.

Obviously, they were a private staffing agency so it was a fairly lucrative business for them. But they were very, very concerned about the fact that there were so many shifts that were being missed.

Caverson and her team investigated, speaking to staffing agencies, nursing homes, and  most importantly  workers themselves.

Nothing is worse than our field than going into agencies and theyre saying, theres nothing wrong here. But were hearing from the workers saying, oh, theres something really wrong here. And thats exactly what has happened, said Caverson.

The resulting report, published last year, found that personal support workers in the area were evenly split between full-time and part-time, with 75 per cent earning $20 or less an hour. The report also found that around a third reported working for an employment agency.

Existing research on temporary agency work has long shown that it is often riskier and lower-paid than a permanent job. But while the model poses safety issues in the health care sector too, the concerns around pay sometimes differ, said Caverson.

In some cases, agency workers get emergency pay to get in there earlier and faster, so theyre paid much better than the current PSWs and have a lot more flexibility, she noted. Sometimes, workers may even prefer agency work because permanent positions are so demanding, she added.

How do you fix that? You fix that by improving conditions, said Armstrong.

And while the rationale behind lean staffing may be low labour costs, Caverson said the end result may be exactly the opposite.

I talked to some of the directors up here from the long-term-care homes, and (agencies) charge them an arm and a leg for one of these staff members to come in, she said.

The local health integration network  had charts and everything showing how in debt they were now because it had to pay for all these private staffing people to come in.

But the scale of the problem remains quantify, even amid a crisis where hard numbers would come in handy, said Laxner. Apart from research efforts like the ones undertaken by Caverson, low-wage care workers are often invisible in workforce data.

The data gets very, very murky especially the more tenuous the employment relationship, Laxer said.

Long-term care facilities, for example, report full-time equivalents to represent their staffing numbers, which lumps together all the workers so that its impossible to gauge who was working full-time, part time, temporary or agency, she said.

I would argue that thats really important because the employment relationship is a key indicator of the quality of care, she said.

Now, with capacity stretched more than ever amid a crisis, the governments ability to restrict mobility  long an unwelcome necessity for many workers  is limited by problems of its own making, said Laxer.

It was very clear that this model of having people come in and out of facilities, or any environment in which theyre providing care, poses a tremendous risk if there is some kind of outbreak of any kind of infectious disease. That was known, she said.

Its heartbreaking and astonishing that it wasnt addressed sooner.
COLUMBUS, Ohio  Gov. Mike DeWine used a national TV interview on Sunday to ask for federal help increasing Ohios coronavirus testing capacity, including making a direct appeal to anyone at the U.S. Food and Health Administration who may have been watching.

DeWine, appearing alongside Democratic Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer on NBCs Meet the Press, said Ohio needs additional supplies used to perform tests for COVID-19.

DeWine, a Republican, referenced back to an episode three weeks ago in which he successfully got President Donald Trump to intercede in granting approving a mask-cleaning technology developed by an Ohio research firm. He also reiterated comments he made on Friday, calling on federal help with increasing Ohios testing capacity.

I could probably double, maybe even triple testing in Ohio virtually overnight if the FDA would prioritize companies that are putting a slightly different formula together on the extraction reagent kit, he said, referring to chemicals used to perform the tests. We have a worldwide shortage of the materials that go into this. We really need help. Anybody whos in the FDA watching this, this would really take our capacity up, literally overnight, and thats what we need to get right in Ohio.

WATCH: Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine (R) says "I could probably double, maybe even triple testing in Ohio virtually overnight" with help from the FDA.@GovMikeDeWine: "We really need help. [If] anybody in the FDA is watching, this would really take our capacity up literally overnight." pic.twitter.com/XVmL3heym8  Meet the Press (@MeetThePress) April 19, 2020

Meanwhile, Vice President Mike Pence, asked about frustration from DeWine and other governors about the lack of testing resources, said in a separate interview on the same program that states already have the resources needed to ramp up testing.

He said federal officials would lay out the details in a planned call with governors on Monday.

We look forward with continuing to partner with governors all across the country as we continue to scale testing, Pence said. Because we really believe that, while were doing 150,000 tests a day now, that if states around the country will activate all of the laboratories that are available in their states, we could more than double that overnight and literally be doing hundreds of thousands of more tests per day in a very short period of time.

WATCH: @VP Pence claims there will be 5 million tests by the end of the month #MTP@VP Pence: We're "doing more than 150,000 tests a day now. A number that we believe we could double once we activate all the laboratories around the country" pic.twitter.com/fNNpFob4v1  Meet the Press (@MeetThePress) April 19, 2020

DeWine also was asked about the handful of protests at the Ohio Statehouse in the past week or so criticizing Ohios coronavirus closures. A group of hundreds protested in Columbus on Saturday.

As he did in an interview with National Public Radio on Saturday, DeWine diplomatically declined to comment directly on President Donald Trumps Friday tweets egging on similar protests in Michigan, Minnesota and Virginia, which all have Democratic governors carrying out protocols recommended by the federal government.

The only thing Ive asked our protesters to do is observe social distancing, DeWine said. Were all big believers in the First Amendment. They were protesting against me yesterday. Thats fine. They have every right to do that.

Without laying out many specifics, DeWine has said his administration is working to roll back coronavirus-related closures beginning on May 1, while continuing to be on guard for future outbreaks of COVID-19. Hes faced increasing political pressure over the closures, including from Republican state lawmakers, as Ohios economy has deteriorated as a result.

Were going to do what we think is right, DeWine said. And that is try to open this economy, but do it very, very carefully so we dont get a lot of people killed.

DeWine tweeted later Sunday sharing news of a very positive phone call hed had with the FDA.

Read other recent coverage from cleveland.com:

Hundreds protest in Columbus against Ohio coronavirus restrictions

Ohio coronavirus deaths increase to 451, with 10,222 infections: Saturday update

Ohioans describe common glitches, frustrations with state unemployment filing system

Gov. Mike DeWine facing increasing pressure from state lawmakers to roll back coronavirus closures
A tonne of drugs worth up to $750 million that was destined for Australia has been seized after police and immigration officers swooped on a yacht just off the NSW coast without two men on board knowing what was happening.

The large seizure of methamphetamine has prompted state and federal police to warn that international drug syndicates continue to target Australia despite severe restrictions on movements imposed to curb the coronavirus pandemic.

The La Fayette yacht crewed by two foreigners was intercepted at 4am on Saturday, about 50 nautical miles east of Lake Macquarie, just south of Newcastle.

Hundreds of kilograms of drugs was seized on a yacht intercepted off the NSW coast.

A 33-year-old New Zealand man, and a 34-year-old man who has both British and South African nationality, have been charged with importing a commercial quantity of drugs, the maximum penalty for which is life imprisonment.
Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar



on Sunday expressed profound grief over the death of CRPF jawan Rajiv Kumar Sharma who was killed in militant attack in Jammu and Kashmir.

Sharma, who hailed from Rasulpur village of Vaishali district, was among the three CRPF jawans who were killed while three others were injured when militants attacked CRPF troops in north Kashmirs Sopore town on Saturday.

The chief minister announced that the brave jawan would be cremated with police honours.

Kumar said he was deeply pained with the incident.

Paying his tributes, the CM said that the country would remember his martyrdom and prayed to almighty to give strength and courage to the bereaved family members of the CRPF jawan.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
New research due to be presented at this year's European Congress of Clinical Microbiology and Infectious Diseases (ECCMID)* has identified the dangerous mcr-1 gene -which provides resistance to the last line antibiotic colistin - in two healthy humans and a pet dog. The study is by Dr Juliana Menezes and Professor Constanca Pomba from the Centre of Interdisciplinary Investigation of Animal Health of the Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Lisbon, Portugal, and colleagues, and is part of the Pet Risk Consortium Project funded by the Portuguese Government.

Since first being reported in China in 2015, the mcr-1 gene has been found in various people and animals around the world. It confers resistance to colistin, which is an antibiotic of last resort used to treat infections from bacteria resistant to all other antibiotics. The nightmare scenario that could emerge is mcr-1 combining with already drug resistant bacteria to create a truly untreatable infection. Other genes in the same group (mcr-2 to mcr-9) have since been identified which act in a similar manner.

In this study, the authors investigated resistance to colistin in the faecal samples of human and pets in Portugal. Between February 2018 and October 2019, faecal samples were collected from cats and dogs and their human household members. Genetic analysis was carried to establish the presence of five colistin resistance genes (mcr-1 to mcr-5).

The 70 households enrolled from the Lisbon region included healthy humans (n=106) living with healthy pets (n=49) and pets with skin and soft tissue infections (SSTI) (n=19) and urinary tract infections (UTI) (n=16). Of these, 95 faecal samples (89.6%) from humans, 45 from dogs (healthy-23, SSTIs-14 and UTI-8) and 21 from cats (healthy-18 and UTI-3), were positive for E. coli.

Further analysis showed colistin resistance in 5 out of the 161 isolates (3%), three from healthy humans and two from dogs with skin infections. Molecular analysis revealed that three of the E. coli isolates carried the mcr-1 gene, from two healthy humans and one from a dog with skin infection, all from different households. The two remaining isolates resistant to colistin (one from a healthy human and one from a dog with a skin infection), did not test positive for the mcr-1 to mcr-5 genes, and will now be screened for the other mcr-6 to mcr-9 genetic variants.

The isolates found in the faecal samples were not causing infections in humans, hence no specific treatment was recommended for them. Only the sick dog received oral amoxicillin in combination with clavulanic acid for the treatment of the skin infection.

The authors say: "To our knowledge, this is the first report of the presence of the mcr-1 gene from either a dog and or in healthy humans in Portugal. Further studies are needed to determine the full epidemiology of colistin resistance genes in humans and companion animals."

They add: "These humans and dogs, if in direct contact, may transmit bacteria containing the mcr-1 gene to other humans, dogs, other animals and the environment and potentially be a hazard for public health. The situation we all want to avoid at all costs is any infection totally resistant to all antibiotics, caused by bacteria already resistant to most other antibiotics also acquiring this colistin resistance gene."

###
Spains death toll from the new coronavirus outbreak rose by 410 on Sunday, down from 565 on Saturday, the Health Ministry said, the lowest daily increase in about a month in one of the worlds hardest hit countries.

The total number of deaths reached 20,453.

The daily increase was the lowest since March 22. It is far below the highest daily increase - 950 deaths reported on April 2 - in a sign of a slowdown of the spread of the virus after Spain imposed a strict lockdown in mid-March.

The overall number of coronavirus cases rose to 195,944 on Sunday from 191,726 on Saturday, the Health Ministry added.

Spains Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez said on Saturday he would ask parliament for a 15-day extension of the lockdown until May 9, but said the restrictions would be more flexible, such as allowing children to leave their homes for short periods of time.

We have left behind the most extreme moments, Sanchez said at a press briefing. But he added: These achievements are still insufficient and above all fragile. We cannot put them at risk with hasty solutions.
As countries including India explore plasma therapy to treat severe COVID-19 patients, Microsoft is launching a plasmabot initiative to encourage people who have been recovered from the deadly disease to donate their plasma.



Several studies have begun in different parts of the world to test the effectiveness of convalescent plasma therapy in treating COVID-19 patients. The idea behind this therapy is that immunity can be transferred from a healthy person to a sick using convalescent plasma. Convalescent plasma refers to plasma from recovered COVID-19 patients.



According to a CNBC report, Microsoft is working with a consortium of pharmaceutical companies to launch a 'plasmabot' this weekend to reach out to people who wish to donate their plasma. "The plasmabot will also provide information about the procedure and direct them to a nearby site where they can safely make the donation," said the report.



In this therapy, blood is drawn from a person who has recovered from the disease and the serum is separated and screened for virus-neutralising antibodies. When attacked by a pathogen, our immune systems produce antibodies and in this therapy, these antibodies from recovered patients are used to treat other sick people.



According to Microsoft's head of research Peter Lee, "the goal is to recruit as much plasma as soon as possible". Microsoft is supporting the efforts of plasma alliance formed by companies like Octapharma, Takeda, CSL Behring and others. Lee said he believes the plasma therapy has the "potential to save lives."



According to Neha Gupta, Infectious Diseases Consultant at Fortis Memorial Research Institute in Gurugram, immunity develops early in asymptomatic or persons with mild symptoms, while it develops later in severe and critically-ill COVID 19 patients.



The process for donating plasma is similar to donating blood and takes about an hour, according to Houston Methodist which became the first academic medical centre in the US to transfuse donated plasma from a recovered COVID-19 patient into a critically ill patient.



Plasma donors are hooked up to a small device that removes plasma while simultaneously returning red blood cells to their bodies. Unlike regular blood donation in which donors have to wait for red blood cells to replenish between donations, plasma can be donated more frequently, as often as twice a week, it said.



In India, states like Kerala and Gujarat have started Convalescent Plasma Therapy from to treat COVID-19 patients.
Venezuela Blasts Trump After Central Bank Assets Quietly Transferred to Guaido's Fed Account

Sputnik News

10:13 GMT 18.04.2020(updated 10:29 GMT 18.04.2020)

The Trump administration quietly ordered the transfer of some $342 million in funds from a Venezuelan central bank account at Citibank to an account controlled by opposition leader and self-proclaimed Venezuelan 'president' Juan Guaido at the New York branch of the US Federal Reserve.

Venezuelan Foreign Minister Jorge Arreaza has hit out against the Trump administration over its move to effectively siphon off seized Venezuelan state assets and redirect them to Guaido.

"The Central Bank of Venezuela denounces the vulgar dispossession that Donald Trump, in complicity with some lawmakers from the National Assembly, ordered regarding the nation's financial resources, which had been blocked at Citibank," Arreaza wrote on Twitter.

In a communique accompanying the tweet, the Central Bank blasted the US government's unilateral decision to act "in collusion with a group of National Assembly lawmakers" in the seizure of Caracas' funds, describing it as just another action in a series of attacks by the US state against the Bank and the people of Venezuela.

According to the Bank, the seizure will have a direct impact on the development of the Venezuelan economy, "already affected by the illicit economic and financial blockade of the supremacist elites that govern the United States of America, and currently aggravated by the pernicious impact of the global coronavirus pandemic."

Earlier this week, lawmakers from Guaido-aligned National Assembly authorized the transfer of an estimated $342 million in funds from a Venezuelan Central Bank account with Citibank to its own Fed account. Opposition lawmaker Angel Alvarado told AFP that the transfer would "further protect these assets."

Washington and its allies began seizing Venezuelan state assets in early 2019, shortly after recognizing Guaido as the country's 'interim president'. The seizures included the confiscation of Venezuelan gold bullion in US, British and European banks, the freezing of the assets of Venezuelan-owned but US-based oil refiner, transporter and seller Citgo, and the seizure of billions of dollars of liquid Venezuelan assets in US banks.

Venezuelan authorities have described these measures as "economic warfare" and urged the international community to stand up to and resist US bullying.

Guaido and other members of the opposition have also been accused of siphoning off some of these resources for their own personal use, and of spending US funds provided as 'humanitarian aid' on lavish hotels, food and drink, and even prostitutes. Last June, Venezuelan Attorney General Tarek William Saab accused Guaido and his comrades of acting less like an opposition and more like a "mafia."

The asset seizures and sanctions put in place by the US in early 2019 were only the latest in a nearly decade-long campaign against Venezuela. In February 2019, the Latin American Geopolitical Strategic Center (CELAG) think tank estimated that between 2013 and 2017 alone, a US-led financial blockade cost the Latin American nation between $260 billion and $350 billion.

 Sputnik

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A freshly-minted terror group, The Resistance Front, set up in Jammu and Kashmir after Parliament scrapped its special status in August last year is funded and backed by Pakistan, a top counter-terror official in Kashmir told Hindustan Times.

The group is one of the several efforts, often repeated in the past two decades, to give terrorism in Kashmir an indigenous face and give the Pakistan deep state, blamed for supporting terror, an alibi, the official said.

The JK Pir Panjal Peace Forum was another, he said, adding that this was part of a pattern in Pakistans Inter-Services Intelligences handling pressure over its support to terror groups in J&K.

We have been keeping track, on and off social media, and have spotted efforts to build a base of influencers in the Indian hinterland also, the official said.

Security officials who track terror in the valley and its links across the Line of Control, said the TRF was supported and backed by the Lashkar-e-Taiba. Sometimes, one of them said, the TRF even appears to be a proxy.

Also Read: Four terrorists killed in Kashmir gunfights

Security agencies had first spotted the group on social media platforms such as Twitter and Telegram.

Initially, it appeared to be one of the many handles operated from Pakistan that was sharply focused on Kashmir, abused the armed forces and made provocative claims about the ground situation in the Valley designed to incite others. Or posted photographs of the terrorists martyred or the jawans punished, he said.

When one of the first grenades was thrown after the scrapping of Article 370 in Srinagars Hari Singh High Street on October 12, the TRF had claimed responsibility. Ditto with the next one within a fortnight that killed one civilian.

This social media account, according to the internet protocol address, was being operated from Islamabad, the official said. Mostly from an Iphone.

It wasnt rocket science anyways. Kashmir was still under a lockdown and the Internet had been snapped simultaneously.

The frequency of the posts increased after Kashmir got back the Internet. These social media accounts now had the target audience within earshot.

But it was only last month that security forces came face-to-face with some newly-recruited cadre.

Also Read: Terrorist caught in Afghanistan earlier this month was IS recruiter in Jammu and Kashmir

In north Kashmirs border district of Kupwara, the police on March 23 arrested six men who claimed to be part of the new group, The Resistance Front, or TRF. Their interrogation led the cops to their arms dump.

Apart from 89 hand grenades, a joint team of the army and state police seized 8 AK rifles, 10 pistols, 20-odd detonator fuses and ammunition, Inspector General of Kashmir Vijay Kumar announced.

The assessment about the TRFs links with the Lashkar-e-Taiba was confirmed early this month when the TRF social media channels operating from Pakistan pushed out photographs of the terrorists killed in the Keran gunfight with the armys Special Forces in Kupwaras Keran sector. Five terrorists and an equal number of commandos were killed. It claimed that the five terrorists killed at the border were from the TRF. The route, which this group of infiltrators had taken, is believed to have been in use by Lashkar terrorists.

It has, since then, been bombarding its channels with near-live updates of terror attacks and counter-terrorist operations. Or take responsibility.

Also, officials point how the threats to people who speak against them or cooperate with the State have become shriller and frequent. Like when a terrorist drew out an AK-47 rifle concealed under his robe to shoot three CRPF jawans, the TRF rushed to claim responsibility, and described the killing of soldiers for the death of their cadre in recent incidents.

In many ways, officials said this was the template followed by other social media handles of the group. In one case, the Twitter handle of the so-called administrator of the TRF - his alias sounded American - was also tracked down to Islamabad. One account which was suspended by the platform was again based in Islamabad. Another was named around the so-called resistance in the Valley, also traced through its IP address to Pakistan.

While the world is fighting the coronavirus, Pakistan is using the time to prepare for the next stage of violence in Jammu and Kashmir in the name of resistance against the so-called Indian occupation, said a senior official.

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Scammers are targeting vulnerable people in the North by offering to collect church envelopes containing money, the Catholic Church has warned.

The Diocese of Down and Connor said it has become aware of the fraudulent scam targeting vulnerable people within its parishes.

In a statement, a spokesman said that unscrupulous individuals are calling with vulnerable people and offering to take their weekly parish envelopes to the church and also offering to do their shopping but demanding cash up-front.

In a statement a spokesman for the Diocese said: These fraudulent scams are criminal and have been reported by the diocese to the PSNI.

The Diocese of Down and Connor would encourage all people, and particularly families of vulnerable adults, to be vigilant to such criminal activity.

All such unsolicited approaches should be reported to the PSNI.

In line with the Governments stay at home and social distancing policies, parish envelopes will not be collected at this time.

Parishioners who choose to use their weekly envelopes as normal, should retain their envelopes and, once Government policy allows, the parish will arrange to safely collect them.

Today, the Public Health Agency said that another person has died with coronavirus in Northern Ireland in the past day.

It brings the total number of confirmed deaths in hospital settings there to 194.

The total number of people who have tested positive for the virus in Northern Ireland is now 2,645, a rise of 159.

804 people diagnosed with Covid-19 are now known to have died on the island of Ireland.

The full death toll is likely to be higher after official statistics published on Friday showed the figures are around a third higher than previously reported.

The disparity is due to differences in how the statistics are gathered.

Meanwhile, SDLP leader Colum Eastwood said recent reports over the UK Governments handling of Covid-19 raise very serious questions.

The MP for Foyle said complacency will cost lives and cannot be replicated in Northern Ireland.

He said: The response to the coronavirus crisis isnt a sectarian political issue.

It isnt a matter of scoring points, its about saving lives.

Reports about the British Governments complacency, however, leave very serious questions about crisis coordination across these islands.

The SDLP is committed to constructively working with all parties in the Executive as well as the British and Irish Governments to manage our response to Covid-19 and save as many lives as possible.

That is not a blank cheque for anyone to operate free from scrutiny when the stakes are so high.

There is simply no margin for error.

He added: The SDLP, working closely with the other Westminster opposition parties, will hold the British Government to account.

In the Executive, we will work hard to make the case for a bespoke strategy for testing and tracing on this island that avoids the mistakes other administrations have made.

Our primary focus remains preventing transmission of this virus and saving lives.
When nations across the world are pulling out all the stops to flatten the coronavirus curve, it is incumbent upon leaders to refrain from any statement or action which could exacerbate the situation. But, regrettably, not all world leaders have been responsible or circumspect in their utterances and behaviour.

United States President Donald Trumps tweets asking his supporters to liberate the Democratic states of Virginia, Michigan and Minnesota have been taken as licence to indulge in dangerous behaviour, disregarding norms of social distancing and easing lockdowns of businesses. This puts the lives of people at much greater risk. Brazils President Jair Bolsanaro has summarily sacked his health minister, Luiz Mandetta, an advocate of social distancing and isolation. Despite a high number of cases, Mr Bolsanaro has dismissed the virulent pandemic as nothing more than a little flu. Closer to home, in Pakistan, conditional congregations in mosques have been allowed, violating protocols laid down by the World Health Organization. Muslim countries across the world have not eased restrictions, and rightly so, and have got the full support of their clergies

on this.

This cannot be merely treated as the policy preference of specific countries, and their internal affair, for its consequences will be global. The spread of the coronavirus disease has shown the intricate ways in which the world is interconnected and interdependent. In a world where borders are still porous, even when one nation slips, it carries the threat of the rapid spread of the virus. The international community needs to collectively insist on the need for scientific advice to be followed. Political considerations, which are clearly motivating the leaders who are advocating dangerous behaviour, have to be put aside for now. This could mean the difference between life and death.
House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) speaks to media at the Capitol in Washington on Dec. 19, 2019. (Charlotte Cuthbertson/The Epoch Times)

Pelosi, Mnuchin Say Theyre Close to Passing New CCP Virus Aid Package

Mnuchin says deal could happen 'today,' while bill could be passed by April 22

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) and Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin said theyre close to an agreement on providing more aid during the CCP virus pandemic, including infusing a small-business relief fund with more cash after it ran out of money last week.

Last week, the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP), which was included under the landmark $2.2 trillion deal passed by Congress to offset losses during the pandemic, exhausted its initial reserves. This prompted calls from Republicans to pass another measure to fund it, but neither the House nor the Senate made much progress last week before adjourning for the weekend.

We want to add more money there, Pelosi told Chris Wallace on Fox News Sunday.

It is very urgent, though, that we support ourour police and fire, our health care workers, our nurses, our teachers.

Thats what the state and local government is about, is meeting the needs of the coronavirus. And everything that were doing is about the coronavirus, understand that.

Pelosi said the deal will be soon, adding that these small businesses must thrive in a community where theyre, again, health is essential to them opening up.

In a separate interview on April 19, Mnuchin laid out a possible time table on when it could get passed.

Im hopeful that we can reach an agreement that the Senate can pass this tomorrow, and that the House can take it up on Tuesday. Wednesday, we would be back up and running, he told CNN.

The programs initial $350 billion has been depleted, according to the Small Business Administration. Democrats have said they wouldnt add the $250 billion that Republicans have called for, saying that other issues need to be ironed out first.

Now Congress is facing pressure to pass PPP funding unanimously as soon as possible, coming as more than 22 million Americans have lost work over the past week amid business shutdowns to curb the spread of the CCP virus, commonly known as the novel coronavirus.

U.S. Secretary of the Treasury Steve Mnuchin speaks while President Donald Trump listens during the daily briefing on COVID-19 in the Brady Briefing Room at the White House, on April 2, 2020. (Mandel Ngan/AFP via Getty Images)

On April 19, Mnuchin echoed the House Speakers optimism on passing the deal.

I think were very close to a deal today, and Im hopeful we can get that done, Mnuchin told CNN.

The Small Business Administration (SBA) on April 16 said that it is unable to accept new applications for the Paycheck Protection Program based on available appropriations funding, adding, We are unable to enroll new PPP lenders at this time.

Mnuchin and SBA administrator Jovita Carranza, a day before that said no new approvals can be sent out after funds are exhausted, saying that a significant amount of loans have been doled out in recent days.

The SBA has processed more than 14 years worth of loans in less than 14 days, the two officials said, while calling on Congress to infuse the program with more funds because its saving millions of jobs and helping Americas small businesses make it through this challenging time.

In another April 19 interview, Pelosi said shes open to the idea of using proxy voting, saying it could happen for emergency legislation. The move would require a change in the House rules.

We have a template. Weve done it once. We can do it again, she told ABC News.
Rain-slicked roads and poor visibility may have been a factor in a deadly two-vehicle crash Sunday afternoon in Conroe that left one person dead.

Conroe Fire Department officials arrived at the intersection of Montgomery Park Boulevard and North Loop 336 just after 1 p.m. The driver of a sedan had turned onto North Loop 336 from Montgomery Park when a truck driving westbound collided with the car.
The agency in charge of Sydney's water catchment says it remains "strongly opposed" to the expansion of a coal mine, warning that without increased setbacks from two dam walls "risks and consequences could be extreme".

In a letter to the Planning Department last month, WaterNSW's manager for catchment protection Clay Preshaw said the extension of South32's Dendrobium underground mine in the Illawarra region could also trigger rock fracturing and potential water losses for nine major watercourses and about 100 smaller tributaries.

Duncan Rayner, a UNSW researcher, at a dried-up creek within the Metropolitan Special Area over the Dendrobium coal mine. Credit:Nick Moir

"WaterNSW remains strongly opposed to this project in its current form as none of its key concerns have been adequately addressed" on the expansion plan, Mr Preshaw wrote.

The agency believed there has been "insufficient consideration" of a mine design that would prevent or minimise drainage cracks reaching the surface. South32's predicted additional losses of as many as 5.2 million litres a day from the extension may also be an underestimation, he said.
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Meerut, April 19 : A controversial advertisement by a cancer specialist hospital in Uttar Pradesh's Meerut said Muslim patients and their caretakers coming to the hospital must test negative for Covid-19, failing which they won't be admitted.

The management of the hospital also asked Muslims to carry their coronavirus test reports as proof.

The advertisement by Valentis Cancer Hospital adds that in case of emergency, the patient and their attendants will be admitted but they will be tested for Covid-19 immediately. The cost for the test i.e., Rs 4,500 each will be taken from the patient. The reasons cited by the hospital included the alleged misbehaviour of the members of the 'Tablighi Jamaat' (TJ), who, the ad said, had contributed to the spread of coronavirus infection in the country.

The Uttar Pradesh Police has filed an FIR against the owner of Valentis Hospital over the matter.

Speaking to IANS, Meerut SSP Ajay Kumar Sahni said: "We have filed a case against the hospital for this inappropriate and communal advertisement and investigation is underway." The quarter-page advertisement in a famous Hindi daily published on April 17 also described the Jain community as :miserly" and appealed to them to contribute to the PM-CARES Fund. However, a day later, the hospital issued another advertisement in the same paper where it regretted if the first advertisement hurt the feelings of any community.
Source: Xinhua| 2020-04-19 05:56:19|Editor: huaxia

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BRUSSELS, April 18 (Xinhua) -- The COVID-19 pandemic continued to hit Europe, as more deaths were registered on Saturday in the continent, especially in those worst-affected countries.

Spain became the second European country to have over 20,000 deaths after Italy, while fatalities in France and Britain passed 19,000 and 15,000 respectively.

Across Europe, over 1.08 million confirmed COVID-19 cases and some 97,200 deaths have been reported so far, according to the latest data from the World Health Organization (WHO).

SPAIN SEEKS STATE OF ALARM EXTENSION

Spanish Health Ministry on Saturday confirmed that over 20,000 people in the country have lost their lives because of COVID-19.

The daily information published by the ministry showed that 565 people died in the 24-hour period until 21:00 hours local time on Friday, bringing the death toll to 20,043.

The same period saw 4,499 new cases, pushing the total infections to 191,726.

Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez said in a televised press conference later that he would ask the Spanish Parliament to extend the current State of Alarm for a further 15 days until May 9.

Spain imposed the State of Alarm over COVID-19 on March 15, which was extended twice until April 25. Sanchez said he had made the decision after "listening to the experts of the Technical Committee" on the crisis.

"We have done the most difficult things and we have left the most extreme moments of the crisis behind with sacrifice and resilience, but these results are still not enough and still fragile," he said.

"Despite the enormous progress that we have made, it is not possible for us to lift the confinement and move to a phase of scaling down (the lockdown)," said the prime minister.

"Tomorrow I will tell the Presidents of the (17) Autonomous Regions and the Congress of Deputies (lower chamber in the Spanish Parliament) of my wish to extend the State of Alarm until and including May 9."

ITALY PREPARES FOR "PHASE TWO"

With 482 more COVID-19 deaths in the past 24 hours, Italy, the worst-hit country in Europe, now has a total of 23,227 deaths.

The total number of confirmed cases -- combining active infections, fatalities and recoveries -- rose to 175,925, an increase of 3,491 against Friday, according to fresh figures from Italy's Civil Protection Department.

According to the Italian government, the lockdown that went into effect on March 10 in the country will continue until May 3, which will be followed by a so-called "Phase Two," involving "the gradual resumption of social, economic and productive activities."

Domenico Arcuri, the government's special commissioner for the coronavirus emergency, said at a Saturday's press conference: "For Phase Two, we are ready to supply the national territory with all the needed equipment today. This does not mean that Phase Two should begin today."

Arcuri said that while it is not his job to decide when Phase Two should start, it is his job to "make sure we are ready" when it does.

He said that there are "three arrows to our bow: swabs, blood tests, and contact-tracing" and that "we will have to use them massively" to keep the pandemic under control during Phase Two.

The swab test refers to the coronavirus testing which takes a sample from the throat or nose. The official added that a new contact-tracing mobile phone app, commissioned by the government, is "being tested." The next step will be to roll it out in some parts of the country on an experimental basis.

THREE OTHER WORST AFFECTED NATIONS

In the UK, which reported 888 new deaths in hospitals, the COVID-19 death toll crossed the 15,000 mark to reach 15,464, the Department of Health and Social Care said Saturday.

Meanwhile, 114,217 people have tested positive for the coronavirus as of Saturday morning, marking a daily increase of 5,526, said the department.

The figures were announced amid growing concerns over a serious shortage of personal protective equipment (PPE) for frontline medical staff in hospitals.

Public Health England on Friday changed its guidance, which includes asking doctors and nurses to reserve the gowns for surgical operations and procedures that are likely to transmit respiratory pathogens and to reuse items such as surgical gowns.

Across the English Channel, France reported a further 642 deaths in the past 24 hours, raising the country's death toll to 19,323.

In Germany, the COVID-19 death toll rose to 4,110 after reporting 242 new deaths in 24 hours. The country staggered the rest of the world with an impressively low "case fatality rate," which is the number of deaths divided by the total number of confirmed cases.

As of Saturday morning, Germany's confirmed cases rose by 3,609 in the past 24 hours to a total of 137,439, which entailed a "case fatality rate" of just under 3 percent.
Karnataka to undertake Triaging: What does it mean and how do you pronounce it

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Lata Mangeshkar health update: Doctor says,'She in ICU with Covid-19 and pneumonia, will be under observation'

Kerala govt to ease COVID-19 lockdown restrictions in 2 zones from Apr 20

India

pti-PTI

Thiruvananthapuram, Apr 19: The Kerala government announced relaxation of COVID-19 lockdown restrictions in two zones, allowing among others private vehicles movement in an odd-even basis and dine-in services at hotels from Monday.

State police chief Loknath Behera said the relaxations of restrictions imposed would come into effect in the Green and Orange-B zones in the state from Monday, an official release said.

Earlier, the Left government had colour-coded 14 districts of the state into four zones-- Red, Green, Orange-A and Orange-B, for containing the Covid-19 pandemic. Red zone comprises Kasaragod, Kannur, Kozhikode and Malappuram districts.

In this zone, a complete lockdown will be in place until May 3 while two entry and exit points are allowed for carrying essential commodities to coronavirus hotspots.

Orange-A zone comprises Pathanamthitta, Ernakulam and Kollam whileOrange-B zone comprises Alappuzha, Thiruvananthapuram, Palakkad, Thrissur and Wayanad.

The lockdown will be in effect until April 24 in this zone and then partial relaxation will be allowed.

Kottayam and Idukki come under the Green zone, in which lockdown will be in effect until April 20 and then regulations will be eased.

However, large gatherings, functioning of educational institutions, religious functions, celebrations and travel outside the district will not be allowed in this zone. Not more than 20 people are allowed to take part in weddings and funerals, according to government instructions.

On functioning of courts, the release said, "Courts in the Green and Orange-B zones will re-open on April 21 while that in Orange-A zone will start functioning from April 25.

The courts will function with 33 per cent of staff. The cases will be heard via video conferencing."

Meanwhile, the Bankers' Council has announced that banks will function as per the usual timings from Monday in the state except four districts falling under the Red zone.

The Transport Ministry has clarifiedthat public transport won't be allowed to ply in the state during the lockdown period.

"Inter-district travel will not be allowed despite relaxations in the state, but essential services such as medical services, food supplies will not be stopped. However, in case of emergency, inter-district travel will be allowed with an affidavit prepared by the traveller," Behra said in a release.

On the implementation of odd-even scheme for private vehicles, the police said, "Vehicles with odd numbers will be permitted on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays.

Those with even numbers will be allowed on Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays." Woman drivers travelling solo or with dependants are also exempted from it, police said.

On Sundays, only those working for essentialservices are allowed to use their vehicles. All education institutions, cinema halls, shopping malls, public parks, bars, places of worship will remain closed in all zones of the state.

The health department and local administration, which carry out sanitation work before the monsoon, are allowed to operate. Four-wheelers are permitted to carry two passengers besides the driver and in case of a two-wheeler, only the driver will be allowed while the pillion rider is allowed in case the person is a family member.

On Dine-in services, a government order said it is allowed at hotels and restaurants until 7 PM in Green and Orange-B zone from Monday and in Orange-A zone from April 24. However, take-away counters can function until 8 PM,it said.

Kerala Sunday reported two positive cases of Covid-19 in the state taking the total number of affected to 401 while the health department announced that 13 people were cured.


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Irish exporters need to move to communicate and reassure their customers in North America. (Stock image)

North America, just like the rest of the world, has been severely affected by the outbreak of Covid-19. It is an ever-evolving situation across the continent. There are work-from-home requirements in place in the majority of US and Canadian jurisdictions. Travel is heavily restricted, there is some disruption to supply chains and firms are busily working to secure their operations.

While responding to customer cash flow disruption and, in some cases, stalled contract negotiations, there is an apparent fear of the unknown and what could come for those in business. These are, without doubt, extraordinary times that require resilience and adaptability.

While at present, there is little to no certainty in an enterprise, Irish exporters need to move to communicate and reassure their customers in North America.

With this in mind, the focus of activity for Irish exporters should be centred on three pillars - stabilise, reset and recover - which in the immediate term means bracing for the impact of what could come.

Right now, staying close to customers and key strategic partners is crucial, as is being aware of their situation in depth.

The ability to connect not just by sharing commercial challenges but by having a firm understanding of the specific impact of this crisis in the locality of your clients is an excellent demonstration of empathy at a critical time.

Here in North America, the Enterprise Ireland team is encountering instances where close contacts in some US companies are personally and profoundly affected by Covid-19.

Situational awareness is important. Any communication needs to be conducted via telephone or video conference as it is much more personal, compassionate and engaging.

Brevity is key when it comes to the US, and while many people are working from home, they are still time-poor, so it's important to keep things brief. To quote former US president Franklin D Roosevelt: "Be sincere, be brief, be seated."

The reset and recover phases will be more successful if companies use the initial 'stabilise period' to accumulate as much market and customer intelligence as possible.

The stabilise period is a valuable time to identify where your company and product offering might have to pivot to be ready.

North America is an enormous economy, worth over $25trn (23trn), and the US is the second-largest single export market for Irish companies. So despite the challenges, there will be a significant market opportunity to develop as we recover and re-emerge.

Therefore, any movement which demonstrates a willingness, where possible, to share some of the burden created by cash flow or credit terms is beneficial.

That said, over-extending your company's credit terms should be approached very cautiously; this is a rapidly evolving situation and cash flow is critical.

Any Irish companies with an in-market presence and employing in the region, especially those with significant deployment, should be actively exploring the variety of measures and funds possibly available to them from either economic stimulus programmes, or other programmes to support key sector strategic priorities in the market.

The seven Enterprise Ireland teams across the region are working on a one-to-one basis with clients through crucial areas and deliverables.

For significantly affected sectors, we have delivered, and are working on, a webinar series, bringing client companies, subject matter experts and key opinion leaders together throughout this challenging journey.

We are also working on a video series to help develop digital engagement expertise, which will be available on our Global Ambition website.

While not all sectors are affected equally, there are still opportunities available, and companies are still signing new business by solving problems, delivering innovation and fostering good partnerships.

Not all business has ground to a halt and companies should be advised to pivot effectively.

Utilising the Enterprise Ireland market research centre can be useful to help build valuable market and sector intelligence, or look at opportunities in other North American geographies not previously considered.

North America is a vast economic and geographical landscape, and different states in the US and provinces in Canada will likely emerge from the current crisis at different stages.

Some markets are likely to enter the recover phase sooner than others, but irrespective, our network will be on hand to advise and support Irish businesses as it happens.

Sean Davis is Enterprise Ireland's regional director for North America
Source: Xinhua| 2020-04-19 00:15:09|Editor: huaxia

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HONG KONG, April 18 (Xinhua) -- The Hong Kong police said they arrested 14 people on Saturday for their involvement in several unauthorized assemblies during the unrest in 2019.

The arrested, aged between 24 and 81, include 12 males and two females suspected of violating Hong Kong's Public Order Ordinance by organizing and taking part in the unauthorized assemblies on the Hong Kong Island and Kowloon on Aug. 18, Oct. 1 and Oct. 20, 2019, the police said at a media briefing on Saturday afternoon.

Five of them were also suspected of making announcement about unauthorized public processions on Sept. 30 and Oct. 19, 2019.

The arrested have been or will be prosecuted with relevant charges, and are scheduled to appear before a court on May 18.

The cases are being followed up by the Regional Crime Unit of Hong Kong Island Region, the police said, adding that the police operation is ongoing and more people may be arrested.

According to reports by Hong Kong media, the arrested include Jimmy Lai Chee-ying, Martin Lee Chu-ming and Albert Ho Chun-Yan, the major instigators of the Hong Kong riots.

This is the second time in less than two months for Lai to be arrested by the Hong Kong police for his role in the riots.

Lai was arrested on Feb. 28 and charged with "knowingly participating in unauthorized assembly" and "criminal intimidation." He was released on bail later that day and scheduled to appear before court on May 5.

A spokesman for the HKSAR government's Security Bureau said on Saturday that the relevant arrests were made based on evidence from investigations and strictly according to the laws in force.

Under section 10 of Hong Kong's Police Force Ordinance, the police have the duty to take lawful measures for apprehending all persons whom it is lawful to apprehend and for whose apprehension sufficient grounds exist, the spokesman noted.

"In Hong Kong, everyone is equal before the law. No one is above it nor can anyone break it without facing consequences. If there is evidence that anyone violates the law, no matter what his or her status or background is, he or she must face justice. No one has any special privileges," said the spokesman.

"The police will handle the case in a fair, just and impartial manner in accordance with the law," he added.

Commissioner of Police of the HKSAR government Chris Tang Ping-keung stressed at a media briefing on Saturday night that the police made the arrests and prosecution decision based on evidence rather than the background or status of the suspects.

"As long as they break the law, the police will enforce the law against them," he said. Enditem
As employers and employees navigate the new COVID-19 virtual workplace, perhaps the hardest hit are those working parents now forced to manage the demands of a workday as well as the demands of children at home adjusting to a virtual classroom. As a working mother on the front lines of this balancing act, I can attest to the challenges. For many of us, multi-tasking has taken on a new meaning as we juggle conference calls with math lessons and snack times.

With no end in sight, the federal government is providing paid leave to those parents who cannot work due to school and child care closures. The government also is providing tax credits to help ease the financial strain faced by employers required to provide these benefits.

The Emergency Paid Sick Leave Act and the Emergency Family and Medical Leave Expansion Act took effect April 1 and will continue through Dec. 31. These are two provisions of a new federal law called the Families First Coronavirus Response Act (FFCRA). To offset the cost to employers, the FFCRA provides a 100 percent tax credit to employers for these leave payments.

Under the new laws, working parents are entitled to paid sick leave if they are unable to work or telework because a childs school or care facility is closed or unavailable due to the coronavirus pandemic.

This leave is available for immediate use, with no waiting period. Full-time employees are entitled to up to 80 hours of paid sick time. Part-time employees are entitled to two weeks paid sick time based on the average number of hours worked in a two-week period. Employees will be paid two-thirds of their regular pay, up to $200 per day, up to $2,000. Employers may not require an employee to use other paid leave before being eligible for this benefit.

This paid sick leave is available to anyone at a company with fewer than 500 U.S. employees  or a government employer of any size. Employers can assert exemptions for health care providers or emergency responders they employ. Businesses with fewer than 50 employees may apply for exemption from the school/child care closure paid leave obligation if compliance would jeopardize company viability.

The Emergency Family and Medical Leave Expansion Act has other benefits. Working parents are entitled to up to 12 weeks leave if unable to work or telework due to a need to care for a child because of closure related to COVID-19. After the first 10 days, paid under the Emergency Paid Sick Leave Act, the remainder of the 12 weeks must be paid at two-thirds the regular rate (or two-thirds minimum wage if it is higher) up to a maximum of $200 per day. This benefit is available to anyone with at least 30 days of employment with a covered employer. If the employer already was FMLA-covered, this emergency partially paid leave becomes part of the 12-week entitlement. Here, too, employers can assert exemptions for health care providers or emergency responders they employ and businesses with fewer than 50 employees may apply for exemption if survival is threatened by compliance.

Companies providing these benefits also are entitled to a payroll tax credit and, if necessary, IRS refund equal to what they pay out. The credit also includes the employers share of Medicare tax and the cost of maintaining health insurance coverage for the employee during the leave. Employers are not subject to the employer portion of Social Security tax imposed on those wages.

For now, most employers appear sympathetic to the challenges faced by working parents as they manage job and family responsibilities from home. With some states hinting that children may not return to school until fall, this challenge is far from over.

Jessica A. Slippen is an attorney with Stratford-based Mitchell and Sheahan. She handles employment litigation matters before state and federal courts and administrative agencies and can be reached at 203-873-0240 or JSlippen@mitchellandsheahan.com.
Judge also rules that Mexican authorities must guarantee healthcare, protection from COVID-19 to all detained migrants.

The Mexican government must immediately release detained migrants who are especially vulnerable to the novel coronavirus and grant them temporary residence rights to ensure access to health and social services, a judge has ruled.

The measure, ordered by a Mexico City district judge in a provisional ruling published on Friday, would apply to migrants more than 60 years of age and those who have a disability, chronic illness or other condition that places them at higher risk of contracting COVID-19.

The judge also instructed authorities to implement a series of measures to ensure access to medical care, health information, water, personal hygiene and contact with relatives for migrants in immigration facilities.

The ruling came after the Institute for Women in Migration (IMUMI), Sin Fronteras and Foundation for Justice and the Democratic Rule of Law, in coordination with more than 40 other groups, filed a lawsuit, arguing the government was not providing adequate protection to detained migrants during the pandemic.

The resolution is quite complex and unusual, said Lorena Cano, an IMUMI lawyer.

It is difficult in Mexico to obtain a district court with such a broad scope, applying to all migrants and asylum seekers inside and outside of immigration facilities across the country, Cano told Al Jazeera.

It is very encouraging, she said.

Lack of healthcare

COVID-19 is spreading rapidly in Mexico. The country now has 7,497 confirmed cases, and 650 people have died from the virus, an increase of more than 100 deaths in the last 24 hours.

There have been no cases reported among detained migrants, but migrant and human rights groups have raised alarm about lack of access to adequate healthcare, food, and sanitary conditions in immigration detention for years.

In the larger facilities, in Mexico City and Tapachula, people have lost their lives due to lack of medical attention, said Cano.

All of those conditions and human rights violations are what led us to present the legal action, she said.

In the past month, migrants have protested conditions in at least five immigration detention centres in different parts of the country.

A 42-year-old Guatemalan asylum seeker died of asphyxiation as a result of a fire set amid protests inside an immigration detention centre in Tenosique, in southern Mexico on March 31.

Migrants from Haiti and parts of Africa react during a protest outside the Siglo XXI immigrant detention centre [File: Jose Torres/Reuters]

Two days later, the Mexican National Immigration Institute issued a statement outlining coronavirus-related protocols for immigration facilities, including distancing measures between beds and provision of a less-trafficked space for those in vulnerable groups.

Immigration officials must now provide a full accounting of all detainees, implement additional health protocols, provide access to healthcare, information, and other services, and free those belonging to vulnerable groups, according to the district judges ruling.

Authorities must also establish a strategy, in compliance with existing social programs, for people in situations of migration or requesting international protection to access economic benefits that support their livelihood, the ruling said.

The judge gave officials until Monday to inform the court of compliance with the ordered measures but the government also has until Wednesday to file an appeal, said Cano.

We will have to see what the reaction of the National Immigration Institute will be, she said.

The National Immigration Institute was not immediately available for comment.
Problems in procuring and



selling milk has impacted milk cooperatives, farms and individual producers severely across Assam during the ongoing 40-day lockdown period, though distribution and sale of milk are exempted from restrictions during this period.

It has also become difficult to arrange fodder as most of the trucks carrying feed for livestock have stopped plying since the 21-day lockdown was announced on March 24, and then extended till May 3 to fight the coronavirus pandemic.

Organised cooperatives and individual dairy farmers have laid off employees to cut the cost due to drastic fall in sales and at times threw away milk on roads and rivers as they could not sell it due to lack of transportation and closure of markets.

Sitajakhala Milk Cooperative Society chairman Ranjib Sarma told PTI, "The lockdown has affected the operations of the cooperative in multiple ways. Our daily procurement at this time of the year is between 17,000 litres and 18,000 litres. But now, we are procuring around 10,000 litres of milk per day."



The Sitajakhala Milk Cooperative Sciety, one of the oldest and largest dairy cooperatives of Assam located in Morigaon district, is able to process and market an average of 7,000 litres of milk daily out of the procured raw material now," he said.

Initially there was confusion about the services exempted from lockdown restrictions with the information from the Centre not percolating to the local level, thereby affecting procurement and sale of milk, Sarma said.

"Another problem we are facing is the fear psychosis among villagers, who are trying to restrict entry of people from the cooperative or other villages. This is creating difficulty in movement of traffic which has affected distribution of fodder and milk," he said.

Since most of the fodder comes from outside the state, its supply has completely stopped after the lockdown came into force, though efforts are being made to get the necessary permission for movement of vehicles carrying such goods, he said.

"Usually our inventory of such raw materials is for about 15 days. It has already gone down and may lead to closure of our operations till the lockdown is lifted, if the feed does not arrive," Sarma said.

The price of milk has been reduced to Rs 50 a litre from Rs 54 for disposal of its daily production, he said.

"We have also entered into a joint venture with the Directorate of Dairy Development, Government of Assam for uninterrupted supply of milk to Guwahati. The cooperative has also undertaken door-to-door distribution of its products on request from consumers," he added.

Partner of Kamrup-based small dairy initiative, East Valley Agro Ventures, Anjan Phukan, said that the firm's daily milk production has gone down to 50 litres from 120 litres on a normal day, mostly due to lack of feed.

"As milk distribution has become a major problem in the lockdown, we are making paneer from the milk and selling it in nearby villages. However, villagers do not prefer buying paneer as fish and poultry are abundant," he added.

The daily sale of East Valley Agro Ventures has fallen to Rs 1,500 from Rs 6,000 earlier, forcing the firm to retain only two employees out of four, he said.

Phukan, who had left a swanky corporate job in an MNC in Bangalore and returned to Assam two years ago to be an entrepreneur, had taken a "huge loan" to begin the star-up dairy venture.

"We are not even getting the operational cost The three-month moratorium on EMIs announced by the RBI will not solve any problem. Unless the government helps us with some grants, we won't survive. Unfortunately, small industries like us never get the attention," he added.

The government-controlled Barapeta Cattle Farm in Barpeta district is also no different from others with daily production going down to less than 80 litres from 130 litres a few weeks back due to insufficient supply of fodder.

"Even for this amount of produce, we are having problems in dispatching the milk. We were supplying milk to markets in Barpeta and Barpeta Road. Now we are not able to do so due to the lockdown," Barapeta Cattle Farm manager Sunil Sarma said.

The firm, which has 125 cattle, nowadays supplies around 40 litres of milk to the nearby SSB camp, while the rest is distributed free of cost among the poor and the staff within the campus, he informed.

Tapan Roy, a milk vendor from Hailakandi district in Barak valley, rued that police did not allow him to sell milk during the initial five days of the lockdown following which he incurred a huge loss, but now a pass has been issued to him.

"I have seven cows and collect around 50 litres, but now it is around 30 litres. I am not able to provide fodder to them due to lockdown. My main problem is the scarcity of fodder... This is my only earning source," he added.

Tezpur-based dairy farmer Punya Upaddhay sought government help to mitigate a daily loss of 500 litres every day being faced by his society -- Tezpur Grazing Somobai Dairy Ltd.

"We have around 400 cows and 300 buffalos. We are suffering due to the absence of fodder for production of milk. This has led to reducing the staff to four from the earlier 15 as we are unable to pay them," he said. PTI TR COR



.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
"Serving in the military changes you. The shades and degrees of change vary for everyone, but no one is ever the same as...
The growing global oil and gas glut, partly caused by the coronavirus global lockdown but also due to mismanagement of the US shale sector and the OPEC+ price war fall-out, is causing mayhem in all energy sectors.



Most of the medias attention goes to upstream oil and gas operators and financial institutions. As US shale companies drown in debt, bankruptcies are expected to pile up within the next months. US shale, offshore oil and gas operators and most non-OPEC producers are going to be struggling to keep some air in the balloon that was filled the last years.



In the next couple of months, due to OPEC++ production cuts and bankruptcies, a vast part of the overproduction will be removed, shrinking the glut to a much more acceptable level. Some analysts are even expecting growth before the end of 2020, based on misconceptions that oil prices could be even hovering around $40 per barrel at that time. Optimism based on simple Excel equations or mathematics are most probably going to be proven wrong.



As long as the impact of the extended Covid-19 crisis on energy and on the global economy is not fully visible, and storage volumes are still building up, oil prices will probably stay low. At the same time, even if all goes back to a pre-corona normal, the normal will be different if nothing will have been learned from history.

A demand collapse such as we are witnessing at present has never been seen before. Demand destruction to the tune of 20-25 million bpd is a giant shock to the total energy system. Market watchers, however, are focusing too much on E&Ps. The current financial situation of most NOCs, IOCs and large independent producers is not yet dire, while smaller drillers are already on life-support. The industry will, in the end, find the right balance again as much production from smaller producers will be shut in or disappear for good.



The main objective for many producers is to be able to produce significant volumes at the end of the crisis. This is partly misunderstood in the media, as most operators are not the ones directly responsible for the production of hydrocarbons. The main players here are the oilfield services, the companies with the technical know-how and tools to produce a barrel of oil.

Story continues

Premium: Oil Storage Nears Its Limit



Oilfield service companies offer technologies and equipment to oil and natural gas drillers and are crucial in the exploration and completion process, but are also responsible for the manufacturing and mending of equipment. Overall, the fate of all oil service firms is positively correlated to crude prices and also to the capital investment decisions of E&P operators.



The current correlation however is very negative, as low oil prices hit oilfield services exponentially harder. Its strange to see that non-oil and gas analysts are understanding the threat better for other sectors, than oil and gas does. The threat to the survival and revamp of the automotive sector worldwide is not the cash-flow and debt levels of VW, Mercedes, Toyota or GM, but the survivability of the automotive part suppliers. Without automotive suppliers, no car or vehicle will leave the factory in Stuttgart or Detroit.

The situation is no different for the oil, gas and energy sector. Without oilfield services, production will stall and decline within months. The situation is dire for mainstream independent oilfield services companies, not only in US shale, where giants like Schlumberger, Halliburton or National Oilwell Varco are cutting their investments and workforce, but also in other non-OPEC and OPEC regions.



One Oil & Gas UK (OGUK) report already stated that the financial contagion triggered by historically low oil prices will threaten North Sea jobs, shrink its economic contribution and undermine energy security.



According to Energy and Restructuring law firm Hayes and Boones, last year already a grand total of 50 energy companies filed for bankruptcy, including 33 oil and gas producers, 15 oilfield services companies and two midstream companies. The law firm warns that as the crisis in 2020 continues, they fear that the ax could now fall on debt-ridden oilfield services companies. Just in North America, oilfield services companies debt is said to reach $32 billion which is coming due between 2020 and 2024.



The poor financial state of the industry is well represented by the sectors favorite benchmark, the VanEck Vectors Oil Services ETF (NYSEARCA:OIH), which is down more than 70% YTD, considerably lower than the 30% plunge by the S&P 500. Rystads report last month that 20 percent of global oilfield services workers could be laid off this year has been undervalued as a real threat for the future. The firing of 1 million or more experts, drillers, engineers and workers means a possible productivity loss at the end of the year that will constrain a possible upsurge in demand and supply.

Premium: The Oil Sector That Will Suffer The Most

Former oil and gas crises in the 1980s or 2010s have shown that knowledge destruction because of layoffs can significantly slow down a recovery in the sector. Taking into account that the average oil and gas worker is above 45 years of age, a large part of those becoming unemployed will never come back again. Additionally, the possible bankruptcy of small specialized oilfield services also will destroy specific knowledge not easy to be regained if demand is growing again. Former oil price collapses have led to a strategy change at IOCs, removing part of their inside capabilities in engineering and operations, cutting costs meant handing over project implementation to independent oilfield services. IOCs and NOCs are now doing the same again, putting most of the current crisis fall-out on oilfield services companies that will have no other option than to cut their workforce. Oilfield servicing margins, even in good times, have been under pressure.

Oil & gas future faces several threats and lack of human capital is a very underestimated one that threatens profitability of the sector going forward. Without human capital, which in most cases is being provided by oilfield services, less oil and gas will be able to be produced, refined, stored or processed.

By Cyril Widdershoven for Oilprice.com

More Top Reads From Oilprice.com:

Read this article on OilPrice.com
Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, April 19)  Former congressman Ariel Casilao and volunteers of Tulong Anakpawis and Sagip Kanayunan, who were set to distribute relief packages in a town in Bulacan, were detained by the provincial police on Sunday.

The volunteers were on their way to deliver aid to a peasant community when they were blocked and apprehended by officers at a checkpoint in Norzagaray in the morning of April 19.

The cops, however, did not inform them of their violations.

A party-list group said the volunteers were permitted to leave by noon, after Casilao made an agreement with the police to turn over the goods for distribution.

But after a few minutes, the volunteers were called back and detained again in the station.

"Sa aktwal, wala pa kaming hawak na dokumento para mag-proceed ang inquest. Bukas pa malalaman lahatkung sinong kinasuhan at anong kasosince detained kami lahat ngayon... 'Yun ang assumption," Casilao told CNN Philippines.

[Translation: They have yet to provide us the document needed for an inquest to proceed. We will know who among us were chargedand what the charges areby tomorrow, since we are all detained now... That's the assumption.]

"This is harassment, plain and simple. We have no violations. The police also can't justify why they are refusing to release our volunteers. We are in a crisis situation. Now is not the time to prosecute activists and cause-oriented groups who are engaged in humanitarian and relief efforts," the lawmaker reiterated in a separate statement attained by the network.

Casilao was later notified that the packages were delivered to the target beneficiaries, according to his text message to CNN Philippines.

Several groups are now calling for the release of the detained relief volunteers.
In total, 61 cases of disease are currently in Crimea

Open source

The number of reported cases of Covid-19 coronavirus in occupied Crimea increased by another two. The so-called head of Crimea Serhiy Aksenov announced this on Facebook.

"One patient is contacted in a previously confirmed case of a family outbreak. The second was identified upon receipt of information at the Rospotrebnadzor interregional department about a passenger with a temperature along the Moscow-Simferopol train. The passenger was hospitalized in an infectious diseases hospital and a complex of anti-epidemic measures was carried out," he wrote.

Thus, 61 cases of coronavirus infection are currently registered on the territory of the occupied peninsula.

As we reported before, today in Ukraine 1031 medical workers and 358 children have got coronavirus infection. The Minister of Health Maksym Stepanov announced this during a briefing

"In total, 5,449 people fell ill during the pandemic, including 358 children and 1,031 medical workers. In total, 347 people recovered. 141 deaths were reported," Stepanov said.

Also, the World Health Organization donated PCR kits for coronavirus tests to Ukraine.

"In order to ensure high-quality and accurate testing for COVID-19, the World Health Organization transferred to the Public Health Center of Ukraine kits for RNA isolation from 600 samples for further testing by PCR," the report said.
Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, April 19)  Congress is awaiting President Rodrigo Dutertes fourth weekly report on the additional powers it granted him to address the COVID-19 crisis.

Among the items expected in the new report: updates on cash aid distribution to poor families, the utilization of funds, and Dutertes use of his additional power to realign funding within the executive branch towards the governments COVID-19 response.

In his last report to Congress, Duterte bared that the government has so far released 132.3-billion from savings for its response to the COVID-19 pandemic.

A bulk of the funding went to the Social Welfare Department, which received 100 billion to fund cash aid to some 18 million indigent families to cushion the impact of quarantine measures being implemented to curb the spread of the virus.

Cities and municipalities got the second-largest chunk of the funding, with them getting a total of 30.8 billion from the government as a grant to augment their response to COVID-19.

The Labor Department, which is assisting workers displaced by quarantine measures, also received 1.5 billion in cash allocations.

All these were sourced from discontinued programs, activities and projects, and abandoned special purpose funds amounting to 189.82 billion.

The law, which granted Duterte special powers, also requires him to report to Congress every week on the governments COVID-19 response.
The failure by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to quickly produce a test kit for detecting the novel coronavirus was triggered by a glaring scientific breakdown at the CDC's central laboratory complex in Atlanta, according to scientists with knowledge of the matter and a determination by federal regulators.

The CDC facilities that assembled the kits violated sound manufacturing practices, resulting in contamination of one of the three test components used in the highly sensitive detection process, the scientists said.

The cross contamination most likely occurred because chemical mixtures were assembled into the kits within a lab space that was also handling synthetic coronavirus material. The scientists also said the proximity deviated from accepted procedures and jeopardized testing for the virus.

The Washington Post separately confirmed that Food and Drug Administration officials concluded that the CDC violated its own laboratory standards in making the kits. The substandard practices exposed the kits to contamination.

The troubled segment of the test was not critical to detecting the novel coronavirus, experts said. But after the difficulty emerged, CDC officials took more than a month to remove the unnecessary step from the kits, exacerbating nationwide delays in testing, according to an examination of federal documents and interviews with more than 30 present and former federal scientists and others familiar with the events. Many of them spoke on the condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to comment publicly.

This account confirms for the first time the contamination's role in undermining the test and the CDC's failure to meets its lab standards.

The development and rollout of the original kits are subjects of an investigation led by the Department of Health and Human Services, federal officials said.

The CDC - America's premier institution for combating the spread of catastrophic disease - declined to make available for interviews those involved in the test design or manufacturing. A spokesman, Benjamin Haynes, provided a statement Friday that acknowledged substandard "quality control" in its manufacturing of the test kits.

Those efforts "were not sufficient in this circumstance," the statement said. The agency also said it has "implemented enhanced quality control to address the issue."

The CDC said the problems with the test kits might have resulted from "a design and/or manufacturing issue or possible contamination."

Haynes also defended the CDC's work, saying that earlier troubles were eventually ironed out.

"As of March 23, more than 90 state and local public health labs in 50 states, the District of Columbia, Guam, and Puerto Rico verified they are successfully using [the] diagnostic kits," Haynes said in the statement.

Shortcomings with the tests were first noticed in late January, after the CDC sent an initial batch to 26 public health labs across the country. According to those with knowledge of what unfolded, false-positive reactions emerged at 24 of the 26 labs that first tried out the kits in advance of analyzing samples gathered from patients.

"Only two of them got it right,'' said a senior federal scientist who reviewed the development of the kits and internal test documentation, and who concluded that the false positives were caused by contamination that occurred at the CDC.

The false positives arose during testing of "negative control'' samples that contained highly purified water and no genetic material. That aspect of testing was essential to confirm that the test results were reliable and not because of contamination.

"The bottom line is, if you have a negative sample, and it's coming up positive, the only way for that to happen is cross contamination. . . . There is no other explanation for it,'' the scientist said.

Experts said the kits were contaminated before they were shipped out to the state health labs.

Stephen Morse, a retired senior CDC microbiologist, said the circumstances as reconstructed by The Post point to contamination as the cause of the false positives.

"With a negative control, there's nothing there to be amplified unless there was some contamination present,'' Morse said. "If your negative control is giving you a positive reaction, that's indication of contamination.''

The possibility of contamination in the CDC lab was raised by Axios in a story in early March. "The big question: It was not immediately clear if or how possible contamination in the Atlanta lab played a role in delays or problems with testing," the story said.

The CDC's delay in changing course after the test problems has hindered efforts to contain the novel coronavirus, which emerged in China in late 2019. It grew to a regional outbreak and, ultimately, a pandemic that has wrought widespread death and an unprecedented shuttering of the U.S. economy. As of Saturday, the virus has infected at least 723,493 Americans and killed at least 34,214.

The failure with testing kept the public health labs from performing disease surveillance intended to predict and minimize harm before the virus became widely established in the United States. The impact has been magnified by the nation's inability to rapidly expand the availability of testing.

There remains no proven cure or vaccine to prevent the onset of the virus, which scientists suspect jumped from an animal species to humans in Wuhan, China. Until effective medical countermeasures emerge, diagnostic testing is crucial to assessing the spread of the virus and containing it.

The FDA's examination of the CDC's test kit exonerated its design - but concluded that the problem was caused by substandard manufacturing practices, according to an FDA statement. The FDA regulates the safety and effectiveness of medical devices, including the test kits manufactured to diagnose covid-19 disease in humans.

The "CDC did not manufacture its test consistent with its own protocol," the FDA told The Post.

The FDA declined to elaborate on its findings, but those with knowledge of the matter said the problem involved contamination in the manufacturing process.

"It's critical that the tests used work, because false results can also contribute to the spread of covid-19,'' the FDA said.

In late February, after an FDA official visited the CDC's lab complex in Atlanta, he advised the CDC to discontinue manufacturing the kits, the regulatory agency said. In response, the CDC turned to an outside contractor to manufacture the remaining kits it had intended to make for public health labs.

The CDC's performance with the test kits marks an unparalleled low in its often-proud, 74-year history.

"I was just saddened and embarrassed when this test didn't work out,'' said James Le Duc, a virologist and former CDC official who now is director of the Galveston National Laboratory in Texas. "It's really a terrible black mark on the CDC, and the impact was devastating to the country.''

- - -

On Jan. 12, Chinese authorities made public a vital piece of medical information: the genetic sequence of the new coronavirus that was raging in the metropolitan area of Wuhan, about 500 miles west of Shanghai.

Because of the volume of global travel, cases would almost surely emerge in the United States. The genetic sequence was what scientists at the CDC needed to design a test kit for detecting coronavirus infections.

At the CDC's labs in Atlanta, scientists went to work. Officials there assigned responsibility for designing the test kits to the CDC's Division of Viral Diseases, whose stated mission is to "prevent disease, disability and death."

Those familiar with the events said the design efforts were led by Stephen Lindstrom, an accomplished respiratory virus specialist who was a co-inventor of seven earlier CDC tests for strains of the flu. Lindstrom, who did not respond to a request for comment, was responsible for designing but not manufacturing the kits, scientists told The Post.

For reasons that have remained unexplained publicly, the CDC scientists chose complexity over simplicity in the test's design.

The test kits featured two components that focused on separate regions of the virus's genome, a standard approach. However, the CDC also outfitted the kits with a third component, a pan-coronavirus segment. That addition sought to identify a wider family of coronaviruses, of which covid-19 is the most recent strain to be observed in humans. Tests that were being developed abroad under sponsorship from the World Health Organization did not include this extra feature.

With the additional test component, the CDC's scientists may have hoped to bolster the kits' reliability in distinguishing covid-19 from other coronavirus strains.

One of them, severe acute respiratory syndrome, or SARS, originated in China in 2003 and killed 774 people worldwide, though none in the United States. SARS jumped from an animal species to humans, as was the case with the coronavirus. The CDC test component also sought to detect coronaviruses that are carried by bats.

The CDC's extra test component was not essential to detecting the novel coronavirus and it complicated the test when speed was critical, many experts said.

"Either the CDC didn't know it was a crisis or they should have pulled the plug on that faster,'' said Paul Keim, a Northern Arizona University geneticist whose institute is testing for the virus. "They didn't have a test that worked."

Officials at the CDC chose to have the test kits manufactured in-house, instead of by an outside contractor. The CDC facilities are typically staffed by experienced microbiologists and technicians, and the labs had successfully made test kits for other pathogens. Producing reliable test kits requires rigorous quality control.

The kits were developed in a specialty lab that focuses on disease research and were assembled at the CDC's Biotechnology Core Facility Branch, located at the agency's headquarters in Atlanta.

On Jan. 17, five days after the Chinese made public the genetic sequence, Nancy Messonnier, director of CDC's National Center for Immunization and Respiratory Diseases, said in a news briefing that agency counterparts in Japan and Thailand had already used DNA testing to detect coronavirus cases.

"We at CDC also have the ability to do that today, but we are working on a more specific diagnostic," she added.

Messonnier apparently was referring to the extra, pan-coronavirus component that the CDC was designing into its test kit.

The tests used in Japan and Thailand had been developed by the WHO without the third component. A growing number of countries were turning to that test without difficulties.

Messonnier also said it was likely that the virus would appear in North America.

"It's highly plausible that there will be at least a case in the United States," she said.

On Jan. 21, Messonnier announced that a few days earlier the CDC had "finalized development" of its test and used it to confirm the first coronavirus infection in the United States, a man in Washington state who had traveled from the Wuhan region.

"In the coming weeks, we anticipate sharing these tests with domestic and international partners,'' she told reporters.

While human-to-human spread had been confirmed in China, Messonnier said, "we continue to believe the risk of this novel coronavirus to the American public at large remains low at this time.''

After using the test to successfully diagnose the first U.S. patient, CDC technicians began a second phase of development - manufacturing the batch of kits that would go to the 26 public health labs. It was during this phase that the chemical materials for the kits became contaminated, according to a scientist with knowledge of what happened.

"The first lot, they did not find any issues," the scientist said. "They used the same [genetic] sequence for the second lot. . . . The second lot they manufactured ended up getting cross-contaminated."

In the third week of January, the CDC shipped out the kits to more than two dozen public health labs scattered across the country, from Albany, New York, to Richmond, California.

As designed, the kits required the labs to use a highly sensitive molecular technique called polymerase chain reaction, or PCR.

The testing relies on a multistep regimen that starts when a six-inch cotton-tipped swab is used to gather a sample of mucus from a person's nasal passage or throat. That sample is delivered to a lab in a sealed container.

At the lab, nucleic acid is extracted from the sample and placed into a small tube, along with solutions of various chemical reagents, including an enzyme that converts viral RNA, if present, into DNA.

Once the DNA is made, portions of the solution are transferred to tiny plastic cups, containing additional reagents to help detect whether the virus is present. The cups are placed into the PCR machine, which roughly resembles a midsize office photocopier.

The process seeks to copy and amplify targeted regions of the coronavirus genome. If the virus is present in the original sample, a detectable, fluorescent dye is released.

The CDC provided most of the necessary materials for each of the kits' original three components.

The labs were instructed by the CDC to demonstrate that the test would work before analyzing samples from patients.

But when those facilities began using the kits to analyze a negative control sample - highly purified water supplied by each lab and free of any genetic material - the tests wrongly signaled the presence of the coronavirus.

"It's not the water that's contaminated," said the senior federal scientist who reviewed what went wrong with the kits. "It's one of the reagents.''

The precise means of contamination may not be knowable.

Scientists experienced with such lab work pointed to several possibilities, including inadequate decontamination of an enclosed area called a hood, where technicians may have worked with the synthetic coronavirus material. Improper handling of reusable lab devices also could contaminate the reagents.

The synthetic, or man-made, viral material that was used reduced the chance of infecting lab workers.

The widespread false positives point to a central source of contamination - the CDC's manufacturing and assembly of the kits, the senior scientist and others said. The problems were observed in the test's pan-coronavirus component.

Those familiar with what unfolded when the kits were tried out also said the contamination appeared to be at low levels.

For instance, they said, the false signals emerged only after the molecular testing had run for 34 to 36 cycles. Detection more typically occurs at 25 to 30 cycles, in which all of the test ingredients are heated, cooled and reheated from about 160 to 204 degrees.

"On known negative samples, two out of the three [segments] were negative as they should be, but there was a little bit of reactivity with the third one,'' said a supervising scientist at one of the state labs that had a false-positive result with the pan-coronavirus segment.

This disqualified the entire test, said the scientist, who spoke on the condition of anonymity because he had been instructed not to comment publicly.

Even a trace of coronavirus-like material in lab spaces at the CDC where the kits were assembled could have caused the contamination, those familiar with the matter said.

Had the kits been used to analyze patient samples: "That means when you amplify that [sample], you have no way of distinguishing whether it's coming from a real covid-19 source or not," said a longtime federal microbiologist who spoke on the condition of anonymity to be candid. "That's really bad."

Rigorous validation and record-keeping should have detected the contamination before the CDC distributed the kits, he and other scientists said.

The CDC's lab standards are based on federal Clinical Laboratory Improvement Amendments. The protocols are designed to catch errors in the manufacturing process, build in corrective measures and ensure that scientists keep an exhaustive record of their work.

"My question is - where was the adult supervision?" a former CDC lab chief said. "A competent laboratory would not have that problem. I don't really understand how the kits got out without detecting a problem."

- - -

The first public hint of trouble with the test came during a Feb. 12 press briefing in which the CDC's Messonnier mentioned unspecified "issues" bedeviling the public health labs. At the time, most American clinics and hospitals remained unable to test for the coronavirus.

"Some of the states identified some inconclusive laboratory results," said Messonnier, speaking to reporters by phone.

Messonnier suggested that the cause of the unexpected results remained elusive. The CDC's goal, she said, was to make sure "that the laboratory results are correct."

"We have multiple levels of quality control to detect issues just like this one," she said. "We're looking into all of these issues to understand what went wrong, and to prevent these same things from happening in the future."

A reporter pressed Messonnier to elaborate.

"We think that the issue at the states can be explained by one reagent that isn't performing as it should consistently, and that's why we are remanufacturing that reagent," she said.

At the public health labs, officials struggled to figure out what was wrong. Some labs determined that the test would work without the third component. But under the CDC's emergency instructions, health officials had to use the test as it had been designed.

As the lack of reliable testing for the virus persisted deep into February, FDA officials based in Silver Spring, Maryland, were unable to get a satisfactory explanation from the CDC of what was wrong with the test, according to the regulatory agency and individuals familiar with the events.

By Feb. 23, the number of Americans who were confirmed as infected by the virus had climbed to 53, spanning six states, according to the CDC. The World Health Organization reported 78,811 cases globally.

That weekend, Timothy Stenzel, a top FDA official for regulating diagnostic devices used for medical treatment, traveled to Atlanta to meet with the CDC's scientists and to see firsthand the lab areas where the kits had been developed and assembled.

According to the FDA, Stenzel for nearly a month could not determine, based on information provided by the CDC, whether the kits were failing because of a "design or manufacturing issue.'' With demand for testing surging, some of the state and local labs were using the original kits to analyze samples drawn from patients, on the condition that results would be confirmed by additional testing by the CDC.

Stenzel would evaluate whether the CDC was suited to continue making coronavirus test kits in-house, according to interviews and written responses from the FDA. He also would assess whether companies should be allowed to use the CDC's design to make and distribute higher volumes of the test kits.

Hired in August 2018 as director of the FDA's Office of In Vitro Diagnostics and Radiological Health, Stenzel was trained as both a physician and a Ph.D. microbiologist/immunologist. He had founded a molecular diagnostics lab at Duke University and, during 15 years as an industry executive, helped develop dozens of sophisticated tests, including an FDA-approved assay for detecting pancreatic cancer.

During his visit in Atlanta, Stenzel determined that the problems with the coronavirus test were caused by the CDC's manufacturing, not the design, according to the FDA. The shortcomings with the test kits were attributable to what the FDA described as a "manufacturing issue.''

Stenzel advised CDC officials to stop making the kits in-house.

The CDC was "expected to make a quality product'' and was required to comply with sound manufacturing practices, the FDA said.

Stenzel declined to be interviewed.

In response to questions, the FDA said Stenzel "worked with CDC to facilitate the production and quality control processing of test kits," made ultimately by the contractor, Iowa-based Integrated DNA Technologies. Stenzel also worked with the CDC to "expedite test kit distribution" to public health and commercial labs.

"The test manufactured by IDT was distributed and has encountered no issues, thus supporting the conclusion'' that the CDC's manufacturing had caused the original kits to fail, the FDA said.

By this point officials at the public health labs widely viewed the extra, pan-coronavirus component of the CDC's test kit as unreliable. Amid those concerns, the FDA on Feb. 26 informed the CDC by email that the labs could begin testing samples while skipping the third component.

On Feb. 28 - 47 days after the Chinese distributed the virus's genetic sequence - Messonnier announced that "labs can start testing with existing CDC test kits."

In the news briefing, Messonnier also said that the CDC had "established that the third component . . . was the cause of the inconclusive results" and "can be excluded from testing without affecting accuracy," she said.

Messonnier said nothing about the FDA's recommendation that CDC stop making the test kits in-house.

"We are working as quickly as we can to get CDC test kits to state and local public health authorities," Messonnier said. "To date, our strategies have been largely successful."

That week, the CDC reported that 1,007 people had been tested nationwide. That compared with more than 420,000 tests that had been performed worldwide.

The next day, on Feb. 29, the CDC announced the nation's first death from the virus, a man in his 50s in Washington state.

Citing "unfolding situations'' in other states, a CDC news release said that "preliminary information raises the level of concern about the immediate threat of COVID-19 for certain communities in the United States."

On March 2, the FDA endorsed the release of the newest kits - assembled by Integrated DNA Technologies. Still, patients and health-care providers struggled to secure testing and have continued to wait for many days or even weeks for results.

CDC officials have been tight-lipped regarding what went wrong with the test kits.

At a March 3 news briefing, Messonnier was asked about potential contamination.

"Contamination is one possible explanation but there are others," she said. "And I really can't comment on what is an ongoing investigation."

The failure with the test kits was highlighted at a congressional hearing on March 11 that examined the government's preparedness and response to the virus.

"The Trump administration's testing for the coronavirus has been severely inadequate," said the chairman of the House Oversight and Reform Committee, Rep. Carolyn Maloney, D-N.Y. "If you don't test people, then you have no idea how many people are infected."

"We don't know where to direct resources," she said. "We are operating in the dark."

In testimony, CDC Director Robert Redfield described in general terms what may have caused the kits' failure.

"The third control did not perform the way we wanted it to perform," he said, adding that the cause was either "a contamination" or an unspecified "biologic" factor that caused the test materials to malfunction.

Asked about Redfield's testimony, the federal scientist who reviewed the internal test data said the kits steadily amplified nucleic acid within what should have been the DNA-free negative control samples. That pattern of amplification, he said, could only have been caused by contamination, not by any other design or manufacturing flaw.

When a committee member, Rep. Raja Krishnamoorthi, D-Ill., asked about contamination, Redfield said: "This is currently under an investigation at this point, and I think I'm going to leave it there.''

Krishnamoorthi excoriated the CDC's performance.

"When we don't test as rapidly as we should, the virus spreads and people die,'' he said, noting that South Korea, Italy and other nations had tested far greater percentages of their populations.

Haynes, the CDC spokesman, said Messonnier and Redfield were not available to comment.

The CDC's refusal to promptly jettison the problematic first test kit puzzled many who were seeking prompt, reliable testing.

"They just kept doubling down on what they knew was a poor performing assay, and that has really bit us in the butt,'' said James Lawler, a physician at the University of Nebraska Medical Center who has treated covid-19 patients.

Keim, whom the FBI relied on for testing during the bureau's investigation of the 2001 anthrax letter attacks, noted that although the additional test segment was apparently intended to help distinguish covid-19 from the other coronaviruses, it wasn't needed: covid-19 has a distinct genetic sequence.

This made searching for the other strains superfluous.

Among the known coronaviruses, covid-19's nearest genetic neighbor is SARS, Keim said. Although SARS and covid-19 are 85% identical when they are analyzed with the amplifying powers of PCR molecular testing, that gap is an unmistakable distinction, Keim said.

"Fifteen percent is a massive difference when it comes to PCR," Keim said. Covid-19, because of its dissimilar genome, "is like the easiest target in the world. . . . It's not a hard thing to develop an assay to."

- - -

The Washington Post's Alice Crites contributed to this report.
Tom Brenner/Getty

As the primary winds down and former Vice President Joe Biden, the partys presumptive nominee, pivots to the general election, a claim that he sexually assaulted a former staffer in the early 1990s is already popping up on the virtual campaign trail from Democrats and Republicans alike.

Bidens pledge to select a female running mate to round out the Democratic ticket has recently put several of the top women thought to be considered for that role in a tough spot: how to respond to the decades-old allegation against him by Tara Reade.

In President Donald Trumps vast network, the Reade assault allegation had already piqued the interest of some of the presidents top operatives, as well as the president himself. For weeks, the claim has been the subject of a quiet deliberation within the 2020 Trump campaign and the broader Trump re-election project about how much, and how aggressively, to promote the accuser and her story, according to three sources with knowledge of the various deliberations.

After the shocking allegation appeared weeks ago in The Intercept, The New York Times published on Sunday a lengthier investigation into the claim by Reade, a former staff assistant in Bidens Senate office who says that he assaulted her in 1993. Reade told the Times that he pinned her to a wall in a Senate building, reached underneath her clothing, and penetrated her with his fingers. According to the paper, two of Reades friends said they remembered hearing about an alleged incident; Reade also said she mentioned to top Biden staffers that she was harassed by him at the time, but did not bring up an allegation of assault. The Times reported that it interviewed nearly two dozen people who worked with Mr. Biden during the early 1990s, none of whom could corroborate Reades story. The Daily Beast spoke to a smaller number of Biden staffers from that era, with similar results.

Joe Biden Just Had His Best 72 Hours Ever. Now What?

The Biden campaign has categorically denied the allegation. Vice President Biden has dedicated his public life to changing the culture and the laws around violence against women, Bidens Deputy Campaign Manager Kate Bedingfield said in a statement on Sunday. He firmly believes that women have a right to be heardand heard respectfully. Such claims should also be diligently reviewed by an independent press. What is clear about this claim: it is untrue. This absolutely did not happen, she said.

Story continues

While several of Bidens highest-profile potential VP picks have yet to comment, other influential female leaders thought to be in the running are beginning to play interference over the charge.

The Daily Beast contacted the offices of seven female Democrats floated as possible Biden running mates who have not already spoken publicly about Reades claim, including three of the most prominent public figures: Sens. Kamala Harris (D-CA) and Elizabeth Warren (D-MA), who both ran against Biden in the crowded primary before endorsing his bid, and former Georgia gubernatorial Democratic nominee Stacey Abrams. On Wednesday, Abrams wrote an explicit self-endorsement in a magazine op-ed, saying she would make an excellent running mate, while Warren told a cable news host the same day that she would accept the position as Bidens No. 2 if offered. Out of the seven Democrats contacted, only Abrams responded to requests or provided comment by press time.

In an exclusive statement to The Daily Beast, Abrams said: Women have the right to be heard and we have the responsibility to listen. Allegations should be given serious independent review, as was done by The New York Times. Vice President Biden has spent over 40 years in public life advocating for women, and nothing in the Times review suggests anything other than what I already knew: That Joe Biden is a man of highest integrity who will make all women proud as our next president.

Among those who have spoken freely, however, a similar response appears to be emerging, which combines an emphasis on recent exhaustive news reporting, coupled with a reiteration of support for Biden and his career legacy on womens issues. That balancean acknowledgement that womens stories should be heard, along with an impartial investigation and statement of loyalty to the former vice presidentwas particularly evident in recent comments from Sens. Amy Klobuchar (D-MN), Tammy Baldwin (D-WI), and Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer.

Klobuchar, a former prosecutor, appeared to defend Biden when questioned about the allegation in a recent interview. When asked what she needs to know about the charge, the Minnesota senator, who swiftly endorsed the former vice president immediately after withdrawing from the race, said all women have a right to be heard and to have their claims reviewed thoroughly. She also referenced the investigation by the Times.

There was a thorough review by The New York Times, she told NPR on Tuesday. And I think that's very important to have, especially involving public figures. But I think when I look atwhen I see Vice President Biden, someone I worked with, I see him ona leader on domestic abuse, led the bill before people were even willing to talk about those horrific crimes and has really been a champion of abuses of power against women and has used his voice on the domestic abuse front in such a big way. On Thursday night, she doubled down in an interview on MSNBC. I think this case has been investigated. I know the vice president as a major leader on domestic abuse, I worked with him on that and I think again, the viewers should read the article.

Whitmer, who has spoken publicly about her experience as a sexual assault survivor as a freshman at Michigan State University in the late 1980s, was asked if the allegation caused her to pause. In responding, she echoed sentiments similar to Klobuchars.

Well, I think women should be able to tell their stories. I think that it is important that these allegations are vetted, from the media to beyond. And I think that, you know, it is something that no one takes lightly, she told NPR on Tuesday. But it is also something that is, you know, personal. And so it's hard to give you greater insight than that, not knowing more about the situation. When asked this week if she would consider being Bidens running mate, the governor said, I think the world of Joe Biden. You know, I would do just about anything for Joe Biden and to be even mentioned among the phenomenal caliber of women leaders across the countrythat in it of itself is an honor.

1211467117 Joe Biden is flanked by Sen. Kamala Harris and Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer at a March campaign rally. Scott Olson/Getty

Sen. Tammy Baldwin (D-WI), whose name has been thrown out as a potential dark horse pick for Biden to help woo Midwestern voters, in particular those in the critical Wisconsin battleground, said in an interview with the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel on Wednesday that the allegations are being aired publicly, but declined to elaborate much beyond that. Theres a statement that Joe Biden and his team have put out and there is a report, I believe in The New York Times, indicating that there's not corroboration, she said. I would feel more comfortable had I read every word of the article before commenting at greater length.

During Bidens lengthy career in the Senate, his record on issues involving women is mixed. The former vice president was widely criticized for his handling of sexual harassment allegations against then-Supreme Court nominee Clarence Thomas by Anita Hill in 1991. Biden, who chaired the Senates Judiciary Committee, declined to call additional witnesses to the stand and allowed Republicans to smear Hill as uncredible. Biden called Hill to express regret over the role he played in the event before he launched his presidential bid in April.

Other parts of his legacy, however, sought to advance womens rights, a point his campaign has leaned into throughout his candidacy. In 1994, Biden championed the Violence Against Women Act, a signature legislative achievement that he promoted in an campaign ad earlier in the primary, showcasing new efforts he would take to expand the plan during his first 100 days in office.

But as his campaign looks ahead to the general election, the allegation is already on the minds of at least some progressives hell have to win over, including freshman Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY), said it was legitimate to talk about.

And if some Democrats arent prepared to talk about it in a substantive manner, there are many in the Republican Party who have already started discussingand strategizing onReades claim behind the scenes.

Publicly, a number of Trumps more prominent lieutenants have already taken to social media to highlight the Reade storybut primarily in the form of working the refs and bashing mainstream print and TV news outlets for being slow to cover it.

CNN Search Results: Christine Blasey Ford: 678 [but] Tara Reade: 0, GOP chairwoman Ronna McDaniel posted to Twitter on Wednesday. The day before, Trump campaign official Matt Wolking had also tweeted, CNN missing in action on Joe Biden assault accuser Tara Reade's story. The same day, Donald Trump Jr. tweeted, Is anyone at all surprised that the NYT would bow to the requests of the Biden Campaign?You think they would give Trump or even Kavanaugh the same treatment? The post was then shared by Trump campaign senior adviser Katrina Pierson.

And on Wednesday, the presidents campaign manager Brad Parscale tweeted a video made by Trump campaign staff that chided the Times for its coverage of Biden and Reade.

Some on Team Trump, however, also think that going harder at Biden for this could easily and inconveniently boomerang on the president, given the numerous women whove gone on the record, or to court, with their sexual misconduct, harassment, assault, attempted rape, and rape allegations against Trump in recent years and months.

The official position of the Trump White House is that all the women whove accused Trump are just lying.

And among those who have kept noticeably quiet on Reades allegation is none other than Bidens 2020 foe, Trump himself, who often just runs with rumors and accusations, including completely baseless ones, against Biden and other political enemieseven when doing so has gotten the president impeached. Its not out of a lack of awareness, though. Two sources with direct knowledge tell The Daily Beast that the president has been shown news articles on Reade and in recent weeks has casually discussed the matter with administration officials and people close to him. In one of these conversations in the White House that occurred about two weeks ago, Trump asked about how credible the allegations were, one of the sources said.

Still, the president has yet to publicly weigh in on the subject. It appears it is one of the few topics he hasnt had time to weigh in on during the ongoing pandemic and economic collapse, as hes had time to tweet about and discuss subjects ranging from his interpretation of the classic film Mutiny on the Bounty to the Netflix true crime show Tiger King.

The White House did not respond to a request for comment, and a Trump campaign spokesperson declined to comment.

But among some of Trumps senior campaign staffers and other officials at allied organizations, including the Republican National Committee, a general consensus has emerged thatat least for nowthe best way to address Reades story is to accuse CNN, The Washington Post, The New York Times, and other major media of protecting Biden and approaching this assault allegation with a double standard that Republicans such as Brett Kavanaugh did not enjoy. Part of the restraint is explained by Trump officials believing that its not worth it at this time to go all-in on Biden on the sexual-assault claim, arguing that Biden has far greater vulnerabilities, especially on China policy, that they should be focusing on, the sources said. Certain officials working on the Trump reelection effort have also chosen to prioritize for now attacks that have to do with China, because there is a more direct link to the coronavirus, and thus ensuring greater visibility in a media environment completely inundated with pandemic coverage.

Several officials on and close to Trump 2020 expect messaging regarding Reade to increase when coronavirus starts to move out of the news cycle, or as the country approaches election day in November.

The fact that Trump can be hit with similar, if not more serious and a greater quantity of, assault allegations may not end up mattering, at least not to the president.

Charges of hypocrisy havent seemed to bother Team Trump much in the past. In the closing weeks of the 2016 campaign, when the then GOP nominee, who has been accused of sexual misconduct by roughly two dozen women, was being flooded with accusations in the aftermath of the publication of the grab em by the pussy tape, his campaign responded by holding a public event for the cameras featuring Trump and several accusers of the Democratic nominees husband, Bill Clinton. And early this year, when former New York City Mayor Mike Bloomberg seemed like a rising threat in the 2020 Democratic presidential primary, the Trump team was already planning to attack Bloomberg for sexist and racist things that Trump himself had also clearly done.

With additional reporting from Will Bredderman

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Iran doesnt need lung ventilators from the United States as it has enough of its own, Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif said on Sunday, TASS reports.

"Iran will be exporting ventilators in a few months, Donald Trump," he wrote on his Twitter account. "All you need to do is stop interfering in the affairs of other nations, mine especially."

"And believe me, we do not take advice from any American politician," he added.
President Yoweri Museveni has extended time of operations for motorcycles commonly known as Boda-Boda from from 2pm to 5pm saying their services of food delivery and other deliveries are important.

Museveni made the changes while announcement while addressing the nation on the #COVID-19 update. The boda-Boda had been banned from operating after 2pm.

There is still an issue with Boda-Bodas, we had said that they should stop at 2pm but now they can operate 5pm Museveni said. In the same category, Museveni also allowed bicycles to operate up to 5pm.

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Museveni also castigated the people whom he termed as crooks who he said had forged car stickers in order to manipulate the movement #COVID-19 guidelines.

However, there are crooks in society who dont want to corporate by trying to bribe for stickers. Those stickers will be confiscated

Museveni also thanked the health workers and other scientists for the job well done in curtailing #Covid. He however, called fellow politicians to allow and speed up the process of allowing a salary increment for scientists.

The president further said for expectant mothers, they should not wait to seek permission from Resident District Commissioner if their situation is dire.

For expectant mothers, I think I agree, the expectant mothers if you dont get the RDC , private vehicles can be used and explain. Unless someone puts blankets

On the issue of truck drivers, he said the initiative put in place of having them checked at a point of entry will remain since their movements are under monitoring.

Meanwhile Ministry of Health has today discharged six patients from Mulago National Specialised Hospital where they had undergone treatment. The patients tested negative of #COVID-19.
President Moon Jae-in listens to U.S. President Donald Trump during their phone conversation at Cheong Wa Dae, Saturday. Courtesy of Cheong Wa Dae



South Korean President Moon Jae-in and U.S. President Donald Trump agreed Saturday to continue cooperation in response to the coronavirus and reaffirmed a push for humanitarian assistance for North Korea with regard to the pandemic, Cheong Wa Dae said.



In phone talks that lasted half an hour, Trump called South Korea's handling of COVID-19 the "best model," noting that it successfully held national elections earlier this week. He then congratulated Moon on his party's landslide victory in the parliamentary polls, according to Cheong Wa Dae spokesman Kang Min-seok.



The White House said in a readout that Trump congratulated Moon for his party's "strong victory" during the elections.



Moon replied that a remarkable reduction in the country's new infections was of big help to the election win, according to Kang.



Despite an improvement in the pandemic situation, Moon added, the government is still considering whether to relax social-distancing measures.



Trump thanked South Korea for the supply of test kits, in the spirit of the Seoul-Washington alliance.



"The President also expressed his appreciation for South Korea's assistance to the United States in procuring COVID-19 tests and for its support to the American people," the White House said. "Both leaders agreed to continue working together to defeat the pandemic and restore global economic growth."



Kang said in a press statement: "The two nations agreed to continue cooperation in the quarantine field to respond to COVID-19."



On North Korea, Moon spoke highly of Trump's efforts to engage North Korea for peace on the Korean Peninsula, according to Kang. Trump said that it's natural to do so and that he would maintain the policy.



In connection with the coronavirus, they reaffirmed the principle of providing Pyongyang with humanitarian aid, Kang said.



The White House made no mention of any discussion of North Korea.



Kang did not reveal whether Moon and Trump touched on the thorny negotiations on sharing defense costs. The White House said the leaders "discussed ways to further strengthen the United States-Republic of Korea security relationship."



The phone conversation was the two leaders' second in less than a month. (Yonhap)


Amid the lockdown to fight the Covid-19 pandemic, an alleged scam in the public distribution system (PDS) continues to snowball in Bengal with Governor Jagdeep Dhankhar, senior leaders of Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and Communist Party of India (Marxist) targeting the Mamata Banerjee government.

The state government, on its part, blamed the Centre on Sunday for the shortfall of food grains and accused ration shop owners in the state of giving inadequate ration to the people.

The requirement of rice that the Centre was supposed to provide under the Pradhan Mantri Garib Kalyan Anna Yojna is 3 lakh metric tonnes per month. As of Sunday, we have received only 1,41,000 metric tonnes. How can we collect less than half the requirement? Whom should we deliver and whom should not? Let them send at least a months supply, said state food and supplies minister Jyoti Priya Mallick.

Incidentally, following Dhankhars allegation on social media that there was a PDS scam in the state, chief secretary Rajiva Sinha on Saturday wrote a letter to the governor in which he too alleged that the Centre was not sending adequate supplies.

In an interview to Hindustan Times in Sunday, Dhankhar said, I have personally spoken to union minister Ram Vilas Paswan and was shocked to know that the state had not even raised the requisition indent for the food grains that the Centre and the Food Corporation of India are ready to provide. Paswan had also spoken to Mallick a few days ago. The Centre has given all details and the same have been forwarded to the state administration.

Paswan is the cabinet minister of consumer affairs, food and public distribution.

Dhankhar said that there were three problems with the PDS in West Bengal. First, supplies are not reaching the needy. Second, the PDS has been hijacked by the ruling party and distribution is taking place through them. And third, people are getting the food grains in lesser quantity and of poor quality, Dhankhar said.

Mallick, however, said that Bengal did not need to send requisition because it is a direct procurement state. We never send requisition. The governor is unaware that we do not procure from the Centre. We procure directly from farmers. The Centre only needs to send what they have committed, he said.

The Trinamool Congress also has rubbished Dhankhars allegation of political hijacking of PDS.

The governor is misleading the people of the state. PDS is being distributed through ration shops. Whenever party leaders are distributing relief, it is they who are arranging for the funds. They are raising funds and paying from their own pockets. The governor should not confuse PDS with the distribution of relief material by our party, said TMC spokesperson Snehasish Chakraborty.

Give us a single case of party leaders distributing PDS and action will be taken, Chakraborty said.

Mallick said that the chief minister has decided to provide free rice to 9.5 crore people of the state. The states present population is estimated at above 10 crore at present. It was 9.13 crore, according to the Census of 2011.

Mallick however, conceded that there are problems at ration shops. There are 21,000 ration shops and we dont have enough staff strength to monitor the activities of every shop in real-time. Many of them were previously penalised by the state government but they won the cases in the high court. It is only a handful of ration dealers who are still indulging in malpractices. We are taking action as soon as reports are reaching us, Mallick said.

Mamata Banerjee has announced free ration  two kg rice and three kg wheat per head  to 9.5 crore people for six months.

The food minister said that some ration shops could not provide people with the whole quota of 5 kg food grains due to a shortage of supply, as most rice mills remained closed.

There are about 900 operational rice mills. Of them only about 200 are functional at present. We are trying to make the other mills operational at the earliest. In Kolkata, some ration shops are too tiny to store large quantities. They have been allowed to store in neighbouring schools.

Right to Food activist Anuradha Talwar said that shortage of supply was the main issue for a good number of people not receiving adequate rice.

Corruption is a minor issue. Going by the number of ration cards and the projected present population of the state, only 62% are to get rations. The state government additionally provides ration to another 20%. Altogether, only 82% are getting covered. It is absolutely essential that the Centre starts distributing food grains from its buffer stock which is meant for catastrophic situations, said Talwar.

Biswambhar Basu, general secretary of All India Fair Price Shop Dealers Association, refuted the allegations of corruption. Not a single person who holds a digital ration card has been denied ration. Those who did not enrol for the digital ration cards and are no longer entitled to receive ration from our shops are the ones creating trouble, Basu said.

He admitted that in some cases people were given half their entitlement because the shops did not get enough supplies due to shortage of manpower, difficulties in transport and lack of storage space for the surge in demand. Those who received half their entitlement would receive the rest before the end of this month, he added.

Over the past few days, Bengal has witnessed a number of protests against ration shop owners.

Leaders of BJP and Left parties had alleged that PDS reach the leaders of the ruling party, the Trinamool Congress, instead of those who needed it.

The administration over the past three days have lodged police cases against 36 ration shop owners and several of them have been arrested, according to a senior officer of the state food and supplied department.

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Ningo-Prampram MP Sam Nartey George has described as mercenary journalism, TV host Paul Adom-Otchere polemic against fellow Minority MP Dr Zanetor Agyeman-Rawlings concerning the Klottey-Korle MPs claim that government's free food for some 400,000 vulnerable people in Accra, Tema, Kumasi and Kasoa, is being distributed on a partisan lines.

Justifying his rant against the opposition MP on his Good Evening Ghana programme, Mr Adom-Otchere told Accra-based Citi FM on Friday, 17 April 2020 that Dr Agyeman-Rawlings unsubstantiated claim could have incited 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 Communication Authority (NCA) described the allegation of 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

In a response to Mr Adom-Otchere, Mr Nartey George said: Yesterday [Thursday] was an eyesore and it did do a lot of erosion to the confidence that Ghanaians have in the media fraternity.

According to him, When you see the kind of mercenary journalism, journalism-for-hire that was done by Paul Adom-Otchere, its shameless and reprehensible, adding: I struggle to call what Paul Adom-Otchere did yesterday as journalism; you know a one-man monologue where he goes on running people down without giving them a fair hearing.

 This is not the first time, Mr George said, noting: Paul Adom-Otchere has very little currency when it comes to credibility in this country and journalism.

---classfmonline
Lacoste has produced 100,000 masks in an effort to help fight the coronavirus pandemic.

On Friday, the French lifestyle brand announced on its Instagram Story that it had reached the impressive milestone with its production of masks.

The commitment of Lacoste teams in the support to fight against the spread of the coronavirus is as strong as ever, the company said.

Bravo to all Lacoste volunteers who have been working hard and reached a milestone of 100,000 masks produced. A huge thanks for their great efforts.

In a statement, the company expressed its hope to produce 200,000 masks to protect individuals from the outbreak of Covid-19.

We want to thank all our volunteers who work every day to protect lives, the firm said in the statement, according to theindustry.fashion.

As the fight is not over, the discreet heroes in France will intensify the production to reach 200,000 masks.

Lacoste added its factory in Argentina and EREN Holding, a Turkish conglomerate and partner of the brand, have also adapted to the manufacture of medical masks and gowns.

Every gesture counts to defeat this pandemic, and Lacoste will continue its efforts to produce masks beyond April and for as long as the health situation calls for it, the firm said.

Two production lines will be dedicated to this in our history factory in Troyes in France, to produce the protective equipment essential for a return to normal life.

Clap For Our Carers: People across UK thank the NHS Show all 32 1 /32 Clap For Our Carers: People across UK thank the NHS Clap For Our Carers: People across UK thank the NHS People clap from a block of flats opposite St Thomas' Hospital in London. Briton's were encouraged to clap for carers at 8pm local time to celebrate employees of the NHS EPA Clap For Our Carers: People across UK thank the NHS Staff outside the St James's University Hospital in Leeds, wave to people applauding them from their balconies PA Clap For Our Carers: People across UK thank the NHS A sign by Wembley Park Tube Station in London that thanks the hardworking NHS staff PA Clap For Our Carers: People across UK thank the NHS Barbara Leigh, aged 93, (second left) rings a bell for the NHS, with her family who are all staying together throughout the lockdown, from their front garden across the road from Wythenshawe Hospital in Manchester Getty Clap For Our Carers: People across UK thank the NHS NHS staff respond as people in Blackpool join in the national applause PA Clap For Our Carers: People across UK thank the NHS Prime Minister Boris Johnson and Chancellor of the Exchequer Rishi Sunak applaud outside 10 Downing Street Reuters Clap For Our Carers: People across UK thank the NHS Staff from the Royal Liverpool University Hospital join in a national applause PA Clap For Our Carers: People across UK thank the NHS Tyne Bridge lit up in blue to support the NHS Reuters Clap For Our Carers: People across UK thank the NHS Residents in a Northampton street applaud Getty Clap For Our Carers: People across UK thank the NHS Princes George (right), Louis (centre) and Princess Charlotte joining in a national applause for the NHS as people across the country showed their appreciation for all NHS workers who are helping to fight the coronavirus Duke and Duchess of Cambridge/PA Clap For Our Carers: People across UK thank the NHS People in Woodford Green, London, join in a national applause PA Clap For Our Carers: People across UK thank the NHS People in flats wave the Scottish flag in Glasgow as they join in a national applause for the NHS PA Clap For Our Carers: People across UK thank the NHS Ventura', a Grand-class cruise ship of the P&O Cruises fleet, docked at Southampton Docks shows its support for the NHS by lighting up rooms on the cruise ship to spell '#I LOVE NHS' Getty Images Clap For Our Carers: People across UK thank the NHS Staff from the Royal Liverpool University Hospital join in a national applause PA Clap For Our Carers: People across UK thank the NHS The SSE Hydro in Glasgow is lit up in blue in a gesture of thanks to the hardworking NHS staff PA Clap For Our Carers: People across UK thank the NHS Residents applaud NHS staff for all their hard work during the Coronaviroutbreak in Glasgow Getty Images Clap For Our Carers: People across UK thank the NHS Wembley Arch in London is lit up in blue in a gesture of thanks to the hardworking NHS staff PA Clap For Our Carers: People across UK thank the NHS Dr Olivera Potparic Anestesis applauds her colleagues after finishing a 12 hour shift at Chelsea and Westminster Hospital Reuters Clap For Our Carers: People across UK thank the NHS Residents in a Northampton street applaud in support of the NHS Getty Clap For Our Carers: People across UK thank the NHS People applaud infront of big screen in Piccadilly Circus Reuters Clap For Our Carers: People across UK thank the NHS People applaud the NHS from their balconies and gardens across the road from Wythenshawe Hospital Getty Clap For Our Carers: People across UK thank the NHS A police officer joins staff from the Royal Liverpool University Hospital in a national applause for the NHS PA Clap For Our Carers: People across UK thank the NHS The London Eye is pictured lit blue in support of the NHS Reuters Clap For Our Carers: People across UK thank the NHS People applaud the NHS from their balconies and gardens across the road from Wythenshawe Hospital Getty Clap For Our Carers: People across UK thank the NHS NHS workers wave from a window at Chelsea and Westminster Hospital Reuters Clap For Our Carers: People across UK thank the NHS People applaud the NHS from their balconies and gardens across the road from Wythenshawe Hospital Getty Clap For Our Carers: People across UK thank the NHS Redcar Pier lit up in blue Redcar & Cleveland Borough Council/PA Clap For Our Carers: People across UK thank the NHS Duchess of Cornwall and the Prince of Wales joining in the national applause for the NHS workers battling coronavirus, coupled with photos from previous visits to NHS facilities Instagram/clarencehouse/PA Clap For Our Carers: People across UK thank the NHS People applaud the NHS from their balconies and gardens across the road from Wythenshawe Hospital Getty Clap For Our Carers: People across UK thank the NHS A family applaud outside their home during the Clap for our carers campaign in support of the NHS in Newcastle-under-Lyme Reuters Clap For Our Carers: People across UK thank the NHS People applaud outside their homes in Parsonage Gardens during the Clap For Our Carers campaign in support of the NHS, as the spread of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) continues, EnfieldPeople applaud outside their homes in Parsonage Gardens during the Clap For Our Carers campaign in support of the NHS in Enfield Reuters Clap For Our Carers: People across UK thank the NHS People show appreciation outside Chelsea and Westminster Hospital Reuters

Several fashion brands, including Christian Siriano, Balenciaga and Saint Laurent have been making masks throughout the Covid-19 pandemic.

French luxury label Louis Vuitton recently reopened several of its workshops to create masks and hospital gowns for healthcare workers.

In order to provide protective gear to healthcare workers, Louis Vuitton has repurposed several of the Maisons ateliers across France to produce hundreds of thousands of non-surgical face masks, the French fashion house wrote on Instagram.

In partnership with the Mode Grande Ouest textile network, this initiative will donate the much-needed protective gear to frontline healthcare workers.
Relevant Vietnamese agencies in collaboration with the Italian embassy in Hanoi and Italias ENI company brought 50 Italian citizens stranded in Vietnam due to the coronavirus to their home country on a Vietnam Airlines aircraft on April 17.

The aircraft also transported medical supplies as gifts of the government and people of Vietnam to their Italian counterparts, to help them combat the COVID-19 pandemic which is ravaging the South European country.

The flight showed the Vietnamese governments effort in creating favorable conditions for foreign diplomatic missions in Vietnam to protect citizens and support the international community in the fight against COVID-19.

The Prime Minister recently asked relevant Vietnamese agencies, the Vietnamese Embassy in Italy and Vietnam Airlines to bring home some Vietnamese students and citizens badly affected by the pandemic in Italy.

The Vietnam Airlines aircraft landed at Da Nang International Airport on April 18. All passengers underwent medical examinations and were placed in quarantine according to regulations. VOV

Vietnamese citizens stranded abroad to be brought home The Prime Minister has asked the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to draw up plans to bring home Vietnamese nationals stranded abroad due to the COVID-19 pandemic, with priority given to the elderly, the sick and people under 18.
Bandits killed 47 people in coordinated attacks against several farming villages in Katsina State, northern Nigeria, the president's office and local police said on Sunday.

Men on motorbikes carried out "organised and simultaneous attacks", on the villages, Katsina state police spokesman Gambo Isah said in a statement.

The predawn raids on Saturday targeted villages in the Dutsenma, Danmusa and Safana districts, he added.

A spokesman for President Muhammadu Buhari, confirmed the attack in a statement condemning the gunmen as "bandits".

Isah said members of the security forces, including soldiers and policemen, had deployed to the area on Sunday.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
The number of coronavirus



cases in Gujarat rose to 1,604 on Sunday after 228 more people tested positive for the infection, an official said.

Of the total new cases, 140 were reported from Ahmedabad, taking the district's tally to 1,002, state principal secretary (health) Jayanti Ravi said.

Besides, Surat reported 67 new cases, Vadodara-eight, Rajkot-five, Banaskantha and Bhavnagar-two each, and Botad, Chhota Udepur and Mehsana- one each, she said.

Out of 1,443 active cases in Gujarat, nine patients are on ventilator support, while the condition of the rest is stable, she said.

Total 28,212 samples have been tested so far in the state for coronavirus, she added.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
A pro-reform party in Iran has described the outbreak of the novel coronavirus in the country as a "super crisis", which got worse because information was withheld prior to Februarys parliamentary elections.

Hizb-i Ettehad Mellat Iran branded in English as "Union of Islamic Iran People Party" (UIIPP), was established in, 2015. Most members of the party are former members of the pro-reform Islamic Iran Participation Front (IIPF), banned in 2009.

In its statement on Saturday, April 18, UIIPP has lambasted the Islamic Republic authorities for their lack of efficiency and coordination, as well as sluggishness in making relevant managerial decisions.

The party has implicitly made the accusation that crucial information about the start of the outbreak was not disseminated in time because it could have hurt the turnout in the elections.

This is not the first time the Islamic Republic stands accused of having withheld the news about the coronavirus outbreak because of the elections and the anniversary of the Islamic Revolution, both in February.

Some "extremist" groups the statement says, "described the outbreak as a [foreign] conspiracy (against the Islamic republic). They went even further and dismissed the outbreak as a 'lie' intended to discourage people from participating in ceremonies celebrating the anniversary of the Islamic Revolution, followed up by the parliamentary elections last February."

Close allies of the Islamic Republic Leader on social media rejected the veracity of any outbreak in its early days and claimed enemies were disseminating such reports to harm the regime.

However, as several figures close to the establishment died of COVID-19, the so-called extremists slowly admitted that the outbreak was not merely a lie and conspiracy.

In an open letter on March 29, 100 Iranian political and civic activists accused the Islamic Republic Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei of turning the outbreak into a national disaster. They also slammed the Islamic Republic President Hassan Rouhani for aligning himself with Khamenei in covering up the facts and attributing the novel coronavirus outbreak in Iran to an "enemy plot".

The activists argued that Islamic Republic leaders covered up the outbreak of the deadly virus, lest it discouraged people from participating in the celebration of the Islamic Revolution in February followed by national elections, adding, "Thus, a golden opportunity to contain the dangerous virus was wasted."

In the meantime, many critics on social media believe that President Hassan Rouhani and his administration's secretive approach towards the coronavirus outbreak has been a serious factor in preventing people from taking the threat seriously and disregarding the necessary restrictions set for combating the disease.
Maretta and Francisco left for Peru on March 16 when travel was still open. As soon as they landed in Lima, Maretta said health officials got on the plane and told everyone they should immediately book a flight home and be out by 11:59 p.m. that night as the Peruvian president had announced he was shutting down the country effective at midnight.
New Zealanders will find out today whether the country will come out of full lockdown this week, and if so, how long level 3 could last.

The government initially set the lockdown for four weeks - which ends just before midnight Wednesday.

Economic impacts and public attitudes would also be taken into account.

Jacinda recognises the huge toll on business in particular, but says it's in everyone's interest to stamp out the virus

She stands by the decision to put New Zealand into lockdown and says the success so far is due to having a plan, sticking to the plan and doing it together.

"We have stayed home, we have saved lives and we are breaking the chain of transmission."

*See all SunLive's COVID-19 news

But the government will be moving "cautiously" as it considers what the next step should be, says Jacinda.

"No one wants to lose the huge gains we've made as a country off the back of the hard work of every New Zealander."

At alert level 3 the main message will still be for people to stay at home unless they had to leave for essential work and services.

Schools could be partially reopened from April 29, but prioritising the children of essential workers up to Year 10, with attendance voluntary. People's bubbles could be expanded slightly and they could travel a bit more widely within their own region.

The main benefit would be the ability of thousands of businesses to start trading again, at some level - as long as they stuck to strict distancing and hygiene rules.

This includes construction, hospitality and tradespeople. Under level 3 the number of people working would increase from about 500,000 at present to 1 million - demonstrating the positive impact on economic activity moving out of lockdown could have.

But bars, restaurants, gyms, hairdressers and large retail outlets will remain closed.

When asked whether there could be exceptions under level 3 for some industries to enable them to gear up more quickly, it was a 'no' from the prime minister. who says ministers have kept to a "principles based framework" so far, and have no intention of moving away from that.

"Basing our decisions on public health, keeping in mind risk is the best way we can protect both the economy, livelihoods and people's wellbeing."

She says ministers are very aware of the strain businesses, large and small, were under.

"But ultimately what we've tried to do is create an alert level where we can move as a nation down in between, rather than segmenting off different parts of the economy."

RNZ/Jane Patterson.
The Afghan Sikh Community settled in the United States has requested the Government of India to rescue their fellow community members that are severely affected by the violence in Afghanistan. Worried for the lives of nearly 650 families living in Kabul, Jalalabad, and Ghazi in Afghanistan, this minuscule Sikh community is seeking refuge in India.

Motivated by the recent decisions made by the Indian Government, the Afghan Sikh community leaders made an appeal to India. They have urged the GoI to accommodate the Sikhs and Hindus from Afghanistan and grant them legal entry and political asylum in India. They also appealed for long term residency and multiple entry visas.

READ | UN Security Council Condemns 'heinous' Terror Attack On Sikh Gurudwara In Afghanistan

Speaking to ANI, Afghan American Paramjit Singh Bedi, Chairman of Afghanistan Committee for Global Sikh Council, said, "At a time when the attention is focused on the coronavirus pandemic and India is under lockdown, we understand India's worry but I still urge GoI to take quick action as we fear the safety of the Sikhs living in Afghanistan."

Bedi further requested the Government led by Prime Minister Modi to arrange a special flight from Kabul and to intervene on their behalf before it's too late.

READ | US Expresses 'Deep Concern' About Safety Of Sikhs In Afghanistan; Issues Statement

ISIS attacks on Sikhs

The Afghan Sikh leader also highlighted the terror attack by ISIS on March 25 that killed 25 Sikhs at their gurdwara in Kabul.

"The victims included women, the elderly, and a four-year-old girl. They had gathered to pray that morning for the health and recovery of people afflicted with COVID-19, but their lives were cut short by religious bigotry," Bedi said, recalling the tragic terror attack.

Meanwhile, Indian Ambassador to the US Taranjit Singh Sandhu has expressed solidarity with the Sikh community of Afghanistan.

India has always stood in solidarity with the Sikh and Hindu community in Afghanistan and extended help and refuge in difficult circumstances. https://t.co/VWDAOJItU7  Taranjit Singh Sandhu (@SandhuTaranjitS) April 18, 2020

READ | Attack On Sikh Gurdwara In Kabul 'extremely Reprehensible': Rajnath Singh

READ | Bomb Disrupts Funeral For 25 Sikhs Killed In Afghan Capital
These last seven days were filled with high profile announcements - we had an Apple phone, two new OnePlus flagships, three devices from Honor, flip-phone from LG and a renamed Honor midranger. There were even Bluetooth earphones - here's a quick summary, in case you missed any of the launches.

First, were starting with the Apple iPhone SE (2020) - this name is so influential, we were hearing rumors about a second SE pretty much since the first one was announced in 2016 (how the time flies). But despite the name this is essentially an iPhone 8 with its TouchID home button and classic fat bezels. However, there's the latest A13 Bionic chipset inside and improved rear camera. With its price tag of $399/480/419 it might well become the best-selling smartphone of 2020 despite its somewhat dated looks.

OnePlus revealed two new phones on Tuesday - the OnePlus 8 and OnePlus 8 Pro. The Pro brings Snapdragon 865, a 48MP main camera with a huge sensor, a 120Hz display, IP rating and wireless charging, but also drops the elevating front camera for a punch hole and halves the base storage. We also are yet to see how its starting price of $899/899 will go down with OnePlus faithfuls.

Honor held a massive two-hour event on Wednesday, where we saw three phones and a new chipset. The Honor 30 comes with Kirin 985 that is just like the Kirin 990, but with slightly downclocked CPU. The Honor 30 Pro, and especially the Honor 30 Pro+, were the stars of the show with an attractive design and state of the art cameras - a large sensor 40MP main unit for the Pro, a 50MP snapper with the huge IMX700 imager for the Pro+.

While the event was taking place in China, the global department of the Huawei subsidiary also had something to cheer for - the launch of the Honor 20E in Italy. The mid-ranger will hardly get the geeks' pulse racing, but might be a great deal to the right crowd.

Customers in Finland saw on Friday the arrival of the Honor 9X Lite, sportin a 48MP camera, Kirin 710 chipset and running Android Pie with Google services.

Samsung finally launched the Galaxy Tab S6 Lite - an oft leaked tablet with a 10.4 screen, S-Pen support and 7,040 mAh battery.

LG introduced an actual flip phone with a T9 keyboard - the LG Folder 2. It costs around $160 and comes with one camera on the back, which has an SOS Key right next to it.

Finally we come to the Oppo Ace2, which launched on Monday. Offering attractive design, unprecedented charging speeds and a powerful Snapdragon 865 chipset the phone is looking like a very solid package. Sadly, we are unlikely to see it outside of China for the time being.
Actor Kangana Ranaut on Saturday through a video message, addressed the ongoing controversy around her sister and manager Rangoli Chandel's tweet and said that the claims pushed against her are false.

This comes in the background after the micro-blogging site Twitter on Thursday suspended Rangoli's official account over a controversial tweet regarding the Moradabad stone-pelting incident.

In the video shared by team_kangana_ranaut official Instagram handle, the 33-year-old clarified that the allegations against her sister Rangoli made by Sussanne Khan's sister Farah Khan Ali and director Reema Kagti are completely false.

"If you come across any tweet where it has spoken about Muslim genocide, then Rangoli and I would come forward to apologise," the 'Queen' actor said.

The actor also made an appeal to the Centre to find a way to 'completely demolish' such social media platforms like Twitter where freedom of speech is inhibited by others.

Towards the end, the 'Fashion' actor also addressed the threats being pointed out to wrestler-politician Babita Phogat for a tweet made by her recently.

It was noted on Thursday that, Chandel in her tweet wrote of shooting people dead while referring to the incident wherein a medical team screening coronavirus suspects in Moradabad was attacked by some people.

Chandel used the term "Nazi" in her tweet which was found to be objectionable by many of the users on the medium. Twitter suspended Chandel's account as she was found violating its set of rules.

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.
Over 200 healthcare workers infected with coronavirus in Indias financial hub as official says no shortage of PPE.

Mumbai, India  At least 36 medical workers, mostly nurses, who work for the Jaslok Hospital in Mumbai, have tested positive for the coronavirus, raising alarm over the spread of the virus in the Indian financial hub.

They are among more than 200 medics working in government and private hospitals in the city of 18 million who reportedly have been infected with the virus, raising fears over whether they are getting the proper protective equipment to deal with infected patients.

The vice president of the Clinical Nursing Research Society, Swati Rane, who is also working on the ground amid the crisis, called the issue chaotic.

The main source of infection today is not the COVID-19 ward but non-COVID-19 wards, operation theatres and emergency departments at the hospitals, she told Al Jazeera.

The staff working there does not have Personal Protective Equipment (PPE), as opposed to those working at COVID-19 wards. They are at risk as they do not even wear N-95 masks, which are important. If complete PPE is not possible, at least give them masks, gloves and gowns.

Patients could be carriers

Patients with symptoms of the coronavirus visiting non-COVID-19 wards pose another risk, said Rane. They could be carriers. Many of them could be asymptomatic, coming in contact with medical staff working at non-COVID-19 wards, she said.

They then go to other wards and meet other hospital staff, not knowing they are carriers. Many of the nurses stay in hostels, where toilet facilities and a mess are common. They even watch TV together. Even if one of them is infected, it makes everybody else vulnerable to coronavirus.

A doctor working at a government hospital in Mumbai said there was a shortage of PPE. It needs to be addressed immediately, he said, requesting anonymity.

On April 5, five organisations representing medical workers wrote to the municipal commissioner of Mumbai, Praveen Pardeshi, expressing concern over the rise of infection among healthcare workers in the city.

If the test results of nurses exposed to coronavirus patients are negative, the letter said, They are being asked to join their duties without finishing the 14-day protocol of quarantine.

One of the signatories was Ranjana Athavale from the Nursing and Paramedical Staff Union, Mumbai.

Hotbeds of coronavirus

Athavale told Al Jazeera that the corporation took some steps to address issues raised in their letter, but medical workers stationed at non-COVID-19 wards were still worried. The PPE kits are available, but not enough to be given to everyone at the hospital, she said. That is why only those directly dealing with coronavirus patients are prioritised.

Mumbai has become a hotbed for the coronavirus, which makes the availability of medical staff even more critical. The city has recorded over 2,000 cases and more than 100 deaths.

More than 16,000 people have been infected across India with 519 deaths so far.

The government of the worlds second most-populous nation has announced one of the strictest lockdowns to prevent the spread the virus that has killed 150,000 people globally.

Pardeshi, the municipal commissioner, said an initial shortage of PPE had been addressed.

No medical staff is treating any COVID-19 positive patient without PPE, he said, adding that the source of the infection was where the nurses stayed, as well as patients that went to hospital for other issues but later showed symptoms of coronavirus.

This is something which is quite difficult to handle, he said. It is a professional hazard. I would like to know the percentage of health workers in Dubai or Italy or UK that have been tested positive. I am sure it is significantly higher than Mumbai.
French media like TF1 and LePoint.fr had a closer look at Luxembourg's exit strategy.

France's front-running news channel drew attention to the army's involvement in the distribution of masks to SMEs, as well as the plans outlining a gradual return to commercial and construction activities. Extensive testing and the government's watchful eye will accompany this return to work, the French media highlighted.

They also discussed the Grand Duchy plans to supply individual households with protective masks, unlike France or Belgium where it is up to individual communes themselves to coordinate distribution efforts.

French media also discussed the option that schools and university could also reopen, as long as Luxembourgers wear masks where social distancing of 2m is impossible.

LePoint also hailed the cautious reopening of several companies on the Luxembourgish side of the border as a wise move, which means cross-border employees with a certificate will be able to return to work. France should be following in the Grand Duchy's footsteps in 22 days, however this depends on whether or not the pandemic has been brought sufficiently under control.



In the meantime, France will observe from afar how Luxembourg's return strategy will pan out.

The countries also differ in their approach to reopening schools: while Luxembourg will focus on universities and secondary schools, France plans to allow primary school pupils back into the classroom first.

According to a German diplomat in the LePoint.fr report, these different approaches highlight the fact that there is no consensus, scientific or otherwise, between EU member states as regards an exit-strategy.
The Ku Klux Klan protests on July 8, 2017 in Charlottesville, Virginia.

Getty Images/Chet Strange

Donald Trump's "LIBERATE" tweets, denouncing the coronavirus lockdown in various US states, were criticized by the Gov. Jay Inslee of Washington for "fomenting domestic rebellion and spreading lies."

The president tweeted support for the anti-lockdown protests in Michigan, Minnesota, and Virginia.

Far-right social media began to buzz with claims that Trump was signaling his support for the "boogaloo" - a term extremists use for a planned armed insurrection, NBC reported.

Experts on far-right networks have warned that extremists want to exploit the coronavirus crisis.

Visit Business Insider's home page for more stories.

Gov. Jay Inslee of Washington has accused Donald Trump of seeking to encourage a "domestic rebellion" with his series of tweets calling to "LIBERATE" various US states, which received a rapturous response from the far-right.

"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," Inslee wrote.

Among far-right supporters of Trump, the tweets were taken as a signal that he approved of armed insurrection, according to an NBC report.

The tweets, from the president's account on Friday, appeared to attack the coronavirus lockdown restrictions in three states: Michigan, Minnesota, and Virginia. Trump called on his millions of followers to "save your great 2nd Amendment. It is under siege!"

In those states, residents, some carrying weapons, have gathered in large groups  in defiance of state orders and medical expertise  to protest the stay-at-home orders and social-distancing guidelines.

Far-right social media quickly responded to the "LIBERATE" tweets with speculation that Trump was advocating what they call "the boogaloo." The slang term refers to a second civil war, and has gained currency among extremists in recent months.

Story continues

According to NBC, the Network Contagion Research Institute, a nonprofit group that tracks hate speech on social media, had reported a surge in traffic from far-right groups and their supporters referring to "the boogaloo" in the hours after the Trump tweets.

The fear that extremists will seek to exploit the coronavirus crisis has been mounting. Hatred against Asian-Americans has been growing.

In March, Timothy Wilson, a white supremacist from Missouri who was planning to blow up a hospital, was killed in a shoot-out with police.

"Wilson considered various targets and ultimately settled on an area hospital in an attempt to harm many people, targeting a facility that is providing critical medical care in today's environment," the FBI said in a statement, as reported by NPR.

Read the original article on Business Insider
BAKU, Azerbaijan, April 19

By Leman Zeynalova - Trend:

Azerbaijan has made outstanding progress in the management of public health crisis and mitigating national emergency of global magnitude such as COVID-19, Peter M. Tase, US expert, strategic adviser on international affairs and public diplomacy to governments, universities and corporations in Europe and the Americas, told Trend.

He note that the Azerbaijani government has taken effective measures in the fields of public health and national economy; it has employed the best human resources and medical personnel throughout the national hospitals and promoted financial policies in order to better manage and mitigate this international public health crisis.

Azerbaijan, over the last three months, has emerged as the best nation - according to a number of indicators - in handling the public health plaque and for taking appropriate measures in addressing these challenging times. The government support towards the production economy, food industry and pharmaceutical enterprises has been fundamental so that the nation does not experience a brutal economic recession and avoid facing a growing level of unemployment, said the US expert.

He pointed out that Azerbaijan has accomplished many policies in the public health sector, implemented a macro-economic strategy and embarked a successful road map to alleviate unemployment levels.

Tase noted that Azerbaijan has been much more effective, dynamic and agile in handling the ongoing public health pandemic.

Under the leadership of President Ilham Aliyev, the government of Azerbaijan has undertaken a series of positive measures that ensure constant operational mode among many strategic sectors of the national economy, said the US expert.

In this context the government has taken impeccable decisions to maintain the workforce in place and further motivate the private business leaders and food industry entrepreneurs. These labor measures must be commended by international organizations that conduct studies and international research in the fields of labor market, economic policies in times of crisis and for maintaining a stable aggregate demand in a free market economy, he added.

Tase pointed out that these are decisions that will greatly benefit the Azerbaijani people and promote the national economy.

The government welfare assistance provided to 600,000 citizens will ensure that the country is in a good shape over the second half of 2020, he concluded.
China urges U.S. to stop politicizing COVID-19 pandemic

People's Daily Online

(Xinhua) 08:55, April 18, 2020

Smearing China cannot help the U.S. side to cover up facts and shifting blame cannot drive the virus away, said a Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman after U.S. Defense Secretary said that China "have been misleading the United States and opaque".

BEIJING, April 17 (Xinhua) -- The United States should stop politicizing the COVID-19 pandemic and focus on defeating the virus and boosting the economy, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Zhao Lijian said Friday.

Zhao made the remarks at a daily news briefing after U.S. Defense Secretary Mark Esper reportedly said that it is "difficult to believe information from the Communist Party of China" and that "they have been misleading the United States and opaque."

Zhao said China had taken the most comprehensive, rigorous and thorough prevention and control measures in an open, transparent and responsible way since the COVID-19 outbreak and had actively promoted international cooperation on controlling the pandemic.

"If the United States was misled or lacked sufficient information in the early days, how could the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention issue precautions against the novel coronavirus-related disease on Jan. 15? Why did the United States announce a decision on Jan. 25 to close its consulate in Wuhan and withdraw all its staff? Why did it, on Feb. 2, ban the entry of Chinese nationals and foreign nationals who had been in China over the last 14 days?" Zhao asked.

Smearing China cannot help the U.S. side to cover up facts and shifting blame cannot drive the virus away, Zhao said, noting the international community could only win the battle against the pandemic through concerted efforts.

"We urge the U.S. side to focus more on defeating the virus and boosting the economy at an early date," he said.

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These days we are surrounded by death. The deceased have names and surnames. They are either people we love or people loved by our loved ones. They will live on in our memory because we know who they were. The soaring death toll which the Spanish authorities have failed to reconcile means that the generation of our grandparents, who looked after us and rebuilt the country after the Spanish civil war, is disappearing before our eyes. They gave us the tools to try to do better collectively and as individuals, and we dont know whether we will honour or disappoint them. The choice is overdue.

Health care providers accompanied them as the raging storm led us to the breakdown yes, the breakdown of the national health service, which carers have ploughed through by slogging their guts out. They held their hand when family members were not allowed to put themselves in harms way, despite the exceedingly high emotional toll of a lonely passing. Others have died in care homes that we will need to completely rethink in order to preserve the residents well-being and provide a dignified ending.

NEW PRIORITIES

COVID-19 has overwhelmed us all, exposing the shortcomings of our health care system and the extent to which it relies on staff going the extra mile. These days we cant merely reward the tremendous effort of carers by clapping for them, no matter how heartfelt and honest the gesture may be. Rather, the system needs to be reformed and adapted to the future, to the new demographic makeup, the new illnesses and the expectations of taxpayers. Today ARA is publishing ten recipes for strengthening our national health service, our own contribution to rethinking the day after. Clearly the first goal must be to increase the systems funding in line with the OECD average, something we have always fallen short of. In order to provide more funds for the health service, we need to reconsider our priorities and put an end to the financial chokehold that the Catalan administration has been enduring since the economys recovery from the 2008 recession didnt lead to better funding of public services due to the deficit goals set by the Spanish government and Europes budget orthodoxy. The COVID-19 emergency sets new priorities and our national health service is one of them. The economic crisis triggered by the pandemic demands the demolition of the orthodoxy in order to guarantee the basic services and cash for families, companies and the self-employed, as well as paving the way for a recovery which, unfortunately, will only be possible once the disease has been contained.

THE END OF THE SUN KING

The world that is coming to an end has witnessed the failure of authoritarianism, of the Sun King. But the tension between freedom and cooperation is very much alive these days, in strong opposition to the temptation of populism and rage. The world will see a struggle between populism and cooperation, a fight whose outcome remains uncertain.

The choice to re-centralise decision-making by snatching back the powers granted to the subsidiary administrations, be it federal states or autonomous regions, has proven not only unjust but also inefficient. Donald Trump has given in to the US governors, who will get the last say on the lockdown. All the more reason for Spains health ministry to follow suit, once it has shown that its lack of management experience, information and understanding of the system and the country prevent it from doing the job. In an interconnected world, cooperation must replace imposition and dogma must yield to competent management. Likewise, personal responsibility must take precedence over the threat of punishment, now that the people have given plentiful evidence of their willingness to respect the lockdown rules. Therefore, we need to start opening up breathing spaces based on prevention and ensuring that freedom is not curtailed. It makes no sense that only Spain and Italys epicentre of the pandemic should remain the sole places where children are not allowed outside.

In Spain this twilight world will see the start of what PM Pedro Sanchez referred to on Saturday evening as the reconstruction accord. The Spanish leader announced efforts in the health service, welfare, the economy and finance in order to boost employment and business. Sanchez believes that Spains homogenous response to the pandemic has proven effective. However, the shambles of the official figures, the tragedy of care homes and the lack of basic material for carers and the public who are still being denied access to masks and test kits today suggest otherwise. Sanchez would be mistaken if he thought that reconstruction is about taking back the regions powers and stepping up the erosion of the devolved state. The coronavirus crisis has merely put secessionism on the back burner and the handling of the crisis has shown that centralisation does not provide any tangible advantage, but simply highlights Catalonias performance limitations as a Spanish region.
The world stands united in the time of coronavirus pandemic. WHO in association with Global citizen organized One World: Together At Home concert for COVID-19 relief, where actors from Hollywood to Bollywood join it, watch here

The Worlds new normal is currently, those countries that are able to combat the spread of coronavirusHongkong, Taiwan, and Singapore are seen as examples who managed to control the disease with the economies open.

Meanwhile, to raise awareness of COVID-19, World Health Organisation (WHO) in association with Global Citizen has had organized a virtual global concert where celebs from Bollywood to Hollywood joined it. Actor Priyanka Chopra and Shah Rukh Khan represented India and talked about the coronavirus situation in India and the importance of sanitization. The two hours One World: Together at the Home concert was on aired across the world. Where King Khan can be seen rasing concern over the impact of the virus In India, he said the country with an over a billion population, it is bound to suffer a severe consequence of the disease.

The actor also told about his part as a responsible citizen and said, working with teams to provide Personal protective equipment (PPE) kits and also supporting health workers as they are the linchpin in the fight against COVID-19.

They were joined by other celebsJ Balvin, John Legend, Kacey Musgraves, Andrea Bocelli, Billie Eilish, Alanis Morissette, Burna Boy, Chris Martin, Eddie Vedder, Elton John, Keith Urban, Beyonce, Lady Gaga.

Priyanka, meanwhile, spoke about the fear of growing among people and challenges refugees are facing. She said clean water, health care and proper sanitization to be must be needed in the refugee camp.

Where on the other hand, Gaga sang a song delivering motivation and hope to all the front lines, she said, grateful to all those health care cares, NGOs, deliver people, workers on ration banks for working hard in the time of coronavirus crisis, its a reminder of recurring of kindness now.

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This information was compiled by the Montana Historical Society from an article by Pierce Mullen and Michael Nelson that ran in the Societys publication "Montana The Magazine of Western History" in the Spring 1987 edition.

During the influenza pandemic of 1918-1919, Montana was one of the four hardest hit states in the nation. More than 5,000 people  about 1% of the states population  died during the outbreak.

In 2020, as of mid-April, Montana reported just over 400 cases of COVID-19 with eight deaths, which was a far cry from the 640,000 cases and more than 28,000 deaths elsewhere in the nation.

Its clear that Montana and the world today are much different places than they were during the 1918-1919 Spanish flu pandemic. Hand sanitizing lotion, modern medicine and technology are a few of todays resources that were unimaginable 100 years ago. No reports of hoarding medicine and toilet paper were included in daily newspapers during the Spanish flu pandemic.

But as many people practice social distancing and anticipate further spread of this new coronavirus respiratory illness, we can look at the historic deadly outbreak and learn how it played out over time across the Treasure State.

Some parallels can be made between the two pandemics. In their 1987 article in Montana The Magazine of Western History, historians Pierce C. Mullen and Michael L. Nelson wrote that Montana reacted to the 1918 influenza pandemic in a manner similar to that of other states. Their observations might reflect what appears to be playing out today across the nation.

There was confusion, conflicts between business interests and authorities, and indecision by those entrusted to safeguard public health, Mullen and Nelson wrote. In all fairness, however, there was little more than what was attempted at the time that could have been done.

 In Montana, influenzas swath was broad, swift, and devastating.

In one three-month period including October, November and December 1918, at least 35,500 people in Montana alone reportedly were infected. Census figures state that in 1920, Montanas population was about 548,900.

The mortality rate was particularly high in Butte, which with 91,000 residents in 1917 had the states largest population. About 1,000 Butte residents died during the pandemic. At its worst, Butte undertakers would leave their wagons in the street instead of putting them in a garage because the calls were so frequent.

Like the COVID-19 outbreak, the 1918-1919 flu was thought to have originated in China as a virus that mutated from an animal infection to one that can be transmitted to and through humans. It also was similar in that it attacked the respiratory system, with a form of pneumonia that often was the actual cause of death.

A mild form of the virus first moved through Montana in the spring of 1918 with little fanfare. However, a second, deadlier wave hit in August, followed by the third wave in late December that lasted until the spring of 1919. Most of those who died were between 18 and 40 years old.

The Montana Board of Healths annual report stated the first deadly strain showed up in Montana in Scobey in late September 1918. Within weeks it quickly spread throughout the Treasure State. By October 1918, 38 people reportedly were dead in Missoula.

Symptoms often were a sudden chill, followed by muscular pain, headache, backache, unusual tiredness and fever, the Helena Independent reported on Oct. 19, 1918. Area residents were told to open all their windows  unless the weather was bad  and go to bed. They were to avoid people who were coughing or sneezing, and keep the children warm and dry, away from crowded places. Despite that advice, during one week alone in October, Helena reported about 350 cases and eight deaths.

State and local leaders urged churches, restaurants, saloons, schools and other gathering places to close, but that was met with hostility. Still, the closures took place, although some food and drink sales were allowed if the items were consumed off site. At one point, these restrictions were urged to be lifted because no one knew how the flu was transmitted, and the closures were hurting businesses.

The University of Montana in Missoula closed in the fall of 1918, but only after considerations about what the impact might be if the students returned to their homes across the state and inadvertently spread the virus.

Meanwhile, Montana State College in Bozeman allowed students to register for the fall term, then furloughed them until after Christmas. The students were credited for the full year after their work was accelerated and less important material was removed from courses.

Rural areas of Montana also were hard hit, since medical aids and caregivers, especially nurses, were scarce. For example, a family of five near Miles City starved to death after becoming too weak to feed themselves after falling ill.

One doctor sent to the community of Rapelje in Stillwater County found an estimated 300 cases, with no doctors or nurses. He recruited women to take care of the ill, converted the school and church into hospitals, and commandeered a farm wagon to use as an ambulance. Somehow, only five people died.

No vaccines were available until an experimental one in December 1918, and treatment was mainly palliative care. That didnt stop the snake oil salesmen from offering treatments like Tanlac to stimulate the appetite and thicken the blood. Horlicks Malted Milk was supposed to fight the flu. And the Hyomel Inhaler claimed it would absolutely destroy germs of influenza. Most of the remedies werent harmful and may have actually comforted flu victims.

The pandemic subsided in Montana by mid-1919, with the Board of Health report that year noting that in October 1918 about 19,980 cases were reported. That dropped to 12,177 in November and 5,410 in December, for a total of 37,567 cases. That correlated with 1,032 deaths in October 2018; 1,471 in November; and 719 in December, for a total of 3,222 Montanans dying from the flu and its complications in six weeks.

But this does not represent the full number of cases as reports were incomplete, the board stated.

Yet the stories of Montanans pulling together are legendary, not just by medical providers but also by businesses. For example, a banker in Lewistown took over operations of a bank in Winnett when that banks staff fell ill, and ministers held services over the telephone wires.

Schools returned to holding classes after Christmas, and when the third wave of the flu hit in 1919, it wasnt as severe as the second wave but claimed 1,266 more Montana victims.

Looking back, Mullen and Nelson note that its difficult to evaluate the overall impact of the great influenza pandemic on Montana. While it ran its course, Montana was focused on the conclusion of World War I and the peace negotiations.

It appears as if people saw the influenza first as a nuisance, then as a local disaster, and finally as a nagging worry, the two history professors wrote. But it is just possible that the influenza experience reinforced Montanas desire after the war to isolate itself, to look inward, to find a sense of balance, to see a place from which to survey a broken world.

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Israel to file UNSC complaint over damage to border with Lebanon: FM

EditorWang Xinjuan Time2020-04-19 16:26:51

Israeli soldiers are seen near the Israel-Lebanon border in the northern Israeli town of Malkiya, on April 18, 2020. Israeli Foreign Minister Israel Katz announced Saturday that Israel will file a complaint to the United Nations Security Council following an incident on its border with Lebanon the day before. (Ayal Margolin/JINI via Xinhua)

JERUSALEM, April 18 (Xinhua) -- Israeli Foreign Minister Israel Katz announced Saturday that Israel will file a complaint to the United Nations Security Council following an incident on its border with Lebanon the day before.

"Israel thoroughly condemns these attempts to breach the border fence, and expects the Lebanese government to fulfil its responsibility to prevent these kinds of threats against the security of Israel, and of the region as a whole." Katz said in a statement.

According to the Israeli Defense Forces (IDF), three different locations on the security fence that runs along Israel's border with Lebanon were damaged. The military said no one crossed into the country.

"The IDF holds the Lebanese government responsible," read a press release issued on late Friday.

"Damaging the fence is a severe event," it said, adding that Israeli defense officials believe that the militant Hezbollah organization is behind the attempt.

In 2006, Israel and Hezbollah fought a month-long war in which both sides paid a heavy price. There have been several border incidents throughout this period. The cease-fire between the two sides is maintained through the assistance of an UN peace-keeping force on the ground.

In recent years, Israel has undertaken a semi-covert military campaign, mainly in Syria and Lebanon, against the increasing armament of the militant organization. Israel has conducted hundreds of airstrikes as part of this effort.

The latest border incident comes days after Israel reportedly struck a car of a senior Hezbollah member earlier in the week. Arab media reported that there were no casualties in the strike while Israel did not make an official comment on the incident.
NSW Premier Gladys Berejiklian says it is "very positive" that NSW recorded just six new cases of coronavirus in 24 hours, with thousands more people tested in the past week.

But two new cases were from the Anglicare Newmarch House, which is now the largest COVID-19 cluster in the state after the Ruby Princess cruise ship. There are 2963 coronavirus cases in NSW.

"We want to encourage all of you who have symptoms, especially in those high risk communities, to please come forward and get tested," Ms Berejiklian said.

"For a Sunday, those numbers are good and the fact we only had six cases identified is also very positive."
The US Minnesota Orchestra's tour in Vietnam has been cancelled due to COVID-19. (Photo: Vietnam Musicians Association)

According to a letter to the VMA's Chairman Do Hong Quan, the orchestra said that the COVID-19 pandemic makes it difficult to carry out art projects. The orchestra has to cancel its tour to Vietnam in June and July.

The performance in Vietnam is one of the projects the Minnesota Orchestra was looking forward to most this year.

The cancellation of this tour is a blow for Vietnamese musicians and music lovers as well as members of the Minnesota Orchestra. In the letter, the orchestra representatives hope to have the opportunity to return to Vietnam soon.

Bringing a world-class American orchestra to Vietnam not only creates an opportunity to share great music with Vietnamese audiences, but also an opportunity for the artists to exchange experiences, said the representatives in the letter.

The project aims to celebrate the 25th anniversary of establishing diplomatic relations between Vietnam and the US. Under the project, the Minnesota Orchestra was going to tour in Hanoi, the central city of Hue and HCM City from June 26 to July 2.

Additionally, the orchestra was going to have master classes within the tour schedule.

Founded in 1903, the Minnesota Orchestra is one of the leading symphony orchestras in the US.

Orchestra tours around the world have contributed to create a bridge between cultural agencies and between peoples. Since its first tour in 1907, the orchestra has performed in Australia, Canada, Europe, the Far East, Latin America, the Middle East and South Africa.
San Francisco, April 19 : As countries including India explore plasma therapy to treat severe COVID-19 patients, Microsoft is launching a plasmabot initiative to encourage people who have been recovered from the deadly disease donate their plasma.

Several studies have begun in different parts of the world to test effectiveness of convalescent plasma therapy in treating COVID-19 patients. The idea behind this therapy is that immunity can be transferred from a healthy person to a sick using convalescent plasma.

Convalescent plasma refers to plasma from recovered COVID-19 patients.

According to a CNBC report, Microsoft is working with a consortium of pharmaceutical companies to launch a "plasmabot" this weekend to reach out to people who wish to donate their plasma .

"The plasmabot will also provide information about the procedure and direct them to a nearby site where they can safely make the donation," said the report.

In this therapy, blood is drawn from a person who has recovered from the disease and the serum is separated and screened for virus-neutralising antibodies.

When attacked by a pathogen, our immune systems produce antibodies and in this therapy, these antibodies from recovered patients are used to treat other sick people.

According to Microsoft's head of research Peter Lee, "the goal is to recruit as much plasma as soon as possible".

Mirosoft is supporting the efforts of plasma alliance formed by companies like Octapharma, Takeda, CSL Behring and others.

Lee said he believes the plasma therapy has the "potential to save lives." According to Neha Gupta, Infectious Diseases Consultant at Fortis Memorial Research Institute in Gurugram, immunity develops early in asymptomatic or persons with mild symptoms, while it develops later in severe and critically-ill COVID 19 patients.

The process for donating plasma is similar to donating blood and takes about an hour, according to Houston Methodist which became the first academic medical centre in the US to transfuse donated plasma from a recovered COVID-19 patient into a critically ill patient.

Plasma donors are hooked up to a small device that removes plasma while simultaneously returning red blood cells to their bodies. Unlike regular blood donation in which donors have to wait for red blood cells to replenish between donations, plasma can be donated more frequently, as often as twice a week, it said.

In India, states like Kerala and Gujarat have started Convalescent Plasma Therapy from to treat Covid-19 patients.
The financial risks of opening a restaurant are high enough already, but now the new coronavirus and the associated prevention measures are challenging new business owners to figure out how to survive.

Food services and drinking places in the greater Houston area added 6,200 jobs in 2019, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. Due to the stay at home efforts and shut-downs, businesses like the restaurant and bar industry are hemorrhaging revenues, profits and employees.

Coronavirus: Lake Houston area business owners try to stay afloat amid COVID-19

For new businesses who were just trying to get their footing in the market, they are not even starting to build their income, said Jenna Armstrong, President and CEO of the Lake Houston Chamber of Commerce. Armstrong said it can often take five years before a new business becomes profitable, but COVID-19 could extend that process.

Di Maria Fresh Foods on West Lake Houston Parkway, offers Mexican cuisine, but they focus on leaving out preservatives, making fresh, homemade food daily, and providing a place for families to enjoy a meal out. Owner Louis Maldonado said they have had great reviews, but they were only just starting to establish their restaurant in the community after opening on Dec. 10.

Its hard, Maldonado said with a heavy sigh. I mean, we opened in December and people were just getting to know us.

Di Maria Fresh Food was able to provide lunch to the Kingwood Medical Center, a company that is trying to help local businesses survive right now. They made meals on a budget for them, offering their sandwich meals with their fresh-made bread. They are also offering take out and delivery, which can be done by their own employees or through Door Dash or Uber Eats to adapt to whatever the customer needs. They are following guidelines from authorities to maintain a healthy workplace and make safe deliveries as well.

Despite adjusting to the new service options, Maldonado said he has seen a 93% dip in sales. The family-owned restaurant went from having 16 employees to two while they continue to wait for the Paycheck Protection Program, which ran out of money on Thursday, according to the Huston Chronicle. On top of their losses, they could not make their April rent payment and are currently in talks with the landlord, hoping he will be able to support them.

BUSINESS: Lake Houston area small businesses bank on $2.2 trillion stimulus plan

We were trying to bring a new concept, a healthy, fresh concept to the community, to Kingwood, Maldonado said. I mean, [weve been] living here for over 10 years and were trying to  I dont know how long this is going to take. Were trying to survive and service our community with something different and something fresh, but it is extremely hard.

Pink Shrimp Cafe is another family-owned small business that only opened Thanksgiving week. The design of the restaurant was meant to provide a more family-friendly atmosphere, especially for larger families. Owner Santiago Jimenez, who has four children with his wife Febe, designed a walk-up counter to help cash-strapped families avoid the tip fee for waiters. Jimenez had worked in the restaurant industry for over 30 years before opening his eatery.

Jimenez said that because they are a seafood restaurant, they had business from Lent and from their offering of boiled crawfish. Those two sets of sales are what is keeping their business afloat, but its nothing like when they had the dining room open. He said they are probably making about 70% less in sales than they normally would and have had to let go of most of his nine employees. Some days, Jimenez is the only one working, serving as the cashier, the cook, and sending the orders out, but it is often too difficult for one person to do alone, so his family comes to help out as well.

Well the biggest concern is just making ends meet, Jimenez said. I am selling seafood during each day just to pay a bill the following day theres really nothing being made right now. Every dollar that I make, it goes toward something already.

Top hits: Get Houston Chronicle stories sent directly to your inbox

There are many programs that you have to be in business for at least a year to qualify for, Armstrong said, but the Paycheck Protection Program is different, qualifying any restaurants that were open by January 2020. Another option for new businesses is to reach out to a Community Development Financial Institution like LiftFund.

Armstrong recommends reaching out to wherever businesses get loans and see if there are options to defer payments and speaking with whoever manages your lease to find if its possible to defer lease payments. As restaurants, if the owners are cutting back hours on several employees and only doing curbside or delivery options, then the Shared Work Program with the Texas Workforce Commission will make up the difference in pay for the employees, Armstrong said. Businesses also have the option of payroll tax deferment.

Maldonado said that he hopes as long as they can stay positive and the community can help one another, they can get through this difficult time. For him, making the decision on their employees was probably the hardest part of the effects the coronavirus has had on his business.

I know that people cannot go out and eat every day, but at least try and help our local businesses like us which are not a chain. Were not a big company  we are here in the community to stay, Maldonado said. And we want to come out from this stronger than when we came in, so we...need help from the community basically.

savannah.mehrtens@chron.com
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Linkedin News Desk (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta  Sun, April 19, 2020 14:02 633 fc6853813033f564188675f8bd2d430b 1 City COVID-19-Jakarta,COVID-19,coronavirus,virus-korona-indonesia,Tanah-Abang,Central-Jakarta Free

The Bethel Indonesia School of Theology in Tanah Abang, Central Jakarta, has been designated a red zone following mounting reports of COVID-19 cases in its vicinity.

Initially, there were three people who contracted COVID-19. One of them died. The [number of cases] continued to rise after that, said Herlani, a community head in Petamburan subdistrict, on Friday as quoted by Antara news agency.

As the number of cases in the vicinity continued to grow, the Jakarta administration deployed health workers to transfer 36 confirmed patients from the area to the makeshift COVID-19 hospital in the Kemayoran Athletes Village for intensive treatment on Thursday.

Health officials have returned to pick up more students from the school dormitory, Herlani said.

To ensure public safety, the Jakarta Health Agency and the Indonesian Red Cross (PMI) disinfected the school dorm. Local police have secured the premises.

Joint Defense Area Command (Kogabwilhan) I commander Rear Adm. Yudo Margono confirmed that 36 students at the school had been found to have COVID-19.

Earlier this month, 127 tested positive after rapid tests were carried out on hundreds of people who attended a religious seminar at the Lembang Bethel Church of Indonesia (GBI) in Bandung, West Java.

About 2,000 people had attended the event between March 2 and 6.

On March 21, a pastor who attended the seminar died after testing positive for COVID-19. His wife also contracted the disease and died about a week later.

It is currently unclear whether the infected students in Jakarta had attended the seminar in Bandung. (rfa)
(Bloomberg Opinion) -- Israel, like most western countries afflicted with the coronavirus, is now groping toward a partial exit strategy from the severe government measures imposed on the public. Only the debate there is more fraught because of the growing disparity between the economic toll and that inflicted by the virus itself.

On March 25, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu declared a state of national emergency and essentially shut down the country. The speech came four days after Israel recorded its first Covid-19 death. The victim was an 88- year-old man; the fact that he was a Holocaust survivor added emotional impact. So did Netanyahus rhetoric. Citizens of Israel, he said, the coronavirus joins the deadly epidemics that have hit humanity  the Black Death, cholera and the Spanish flu early in the last century.

Later, officials of the Health Ministry put numbers to his warning: Tens of thousands of Israeli could die. That number set the tone for what came next  the imposition of a strict, nationwide shutdown of schools, businesses and gatherings of any sort. Since then, 150 Israelis have died of the virus or its complications, substantially lower than that of most European countries and many American cities.

The most recent polling shows a large majority of Israelis support Netanyahus policies. If elections were held today, his party and its allies would win an easy majority. They credit him for the low death total.

But this cause and effect thesis was challenged this week by Professor Isaac Ben-Israel. Calculating the growth in reported case around the world, he argues (in a paper published in Hebrew) that the virus follows a predictable eight week cycle from start to finish; and that this cycle is largely independent of government action. He also accused the government of sacrificing the national economy in what was, at best, an overreaction. In an English version of the paper, Ben-Israel writes:

It is possible to lift the restrictions that are not only causing monetary losses, but are leading to a higher amount of deaths (unrelated to the Coronavirus). At the same time, it is possible to keep cost-efficient measures (as in: wearing masks, expanding the testing, especially to specific populations, restricting mass gathering, etc.).

Story continues

He recommends that of April 19, 50% of the workforce returns to work, with the rest returning a week to 10 days later (apart from a small number of groups where contagion growth needs to be monitored). His paper suggests that social isolation measures can be useful and also backs the expansion of testing.

Ben-Israel is a physicist and mathematician who heads two prestigious academic think tanks at Tel Aviv University. A retired major general in the Israeli Defense Forces, he commanded air force intelligence and the Israeli Administration for the Development of Weapons and Infrastructure. In civilian life, he led Israels National Cyber Initiative, is the chairman of the Israel Space Agency and co-chairs the National Artificial Intelligence Initiative.

Despite his formidable reputation, Ben-Israels research was greeted with derision by the former or current public health officials who dominate prime time commentary on Israels three major television networks. Dr. Gabi Barbash, the former head of Tel Avivs largest hospital, spoke for the consensus. Were going to be living with the coronavirus for the next year, he asserted after a TV appearance by Ben-Israel. I strongly urge that we not let mathematicians  who know nothing about biology  determine when we lift the shutdown.

But even if Ben-Israels thesis is an outlier, he is not alone in thinking that the war on the coronavirus does not justify an open-ended national lockdown. On April 6, 25 of Israels leading medical scientists and economists sent a public letter to the Prime Minister, asserting that the virus has been sufficiently contained and the country should be allowed to return to normality. Signatories included the deans of several medical schools, two former heads of the Ministry of Health, a roster of senior professors and Nobel Prize Laureate bio-chemist Aaron Ciechanover.

The letter didnt dispute that government action had been effective but mainly concerned the horrific economic and social price of the shutdown. In just a few weeks unemployment has risen from 4% to 25%. Entire industries have been destroyed. The Treasury estimated (as of April 1) that the cost of the government rescue package will be 5.7% of GDP.

The Israeli ethos frowns on discussions of money in a time of national emergency. Human life comes first, is the slogan. But realism is also a strong force in Israeli thinking and realists see the war against the coronavirus in broader context. Every year, about 4,200, mostly elderly patients with underlying diseases, die from respiratory complications not unlike corona, says Professor Arie Bass, a longtime member of Israel Medical Associations Board of Ethics. Thats probably many more than will die from the effects of this virus. Has anyone ever suggested that we close down the country over it? 

On Sunday, the cabinet is scheduled to decide on planned first steps in relaxing restrictions. The meeting is a formality. By design, there are no independent thinkers among Netanyahus ministers, and there is no serious political opposition in the Knesset. In the tug of war between safety-at all-costs pessimists and back-to-work optimists, Netanyahu holds both ends of the rope.

So far, he has sided mostly with the former. This fits both his cautious temperament and his bias toward accumulating and using power. The war on coronavirus has given him unprecedented control of the country. Early on, he ordered the Shin Bet, Israels internal security agency, to use cyber technology to track virus carriers. A terrified public accepted this departure from normal procedure as a limited emergency measure. But now Netanyahu proposes to widen the circle of surveillance to an unknown degree (perhaps beyond the contact-tracing being contemplated in other countries). He also seeks, understandably but also conveniently, to limit the size of public demonstrations.

Netanyahus supporters regard this as a simple exercise of wartime power. Cynics think it is less innocent. His intentions were there in his speech to the national in March. I know there is considerable unrest in all parts of the people, he said at the time. We must put an end to this. The order of the day is unity. He didnt mention the price.

(Corrects ninth paragraph to note that Dr. Gabi Barbash is the former, not current, head of Tel Avivs largest hospital.)

This column does not necessarily reflect the opinion of Bloomberg LP and its owners.

Zev Chafets is a journalist and author of 14 books. He was a senior aide to Israeli Prime Minister Menachem Begin and the founding managing editor of the Jerusalem Report Magazine.

For more articles like this, please visit us at bloomberg.com/opinion

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Workers at a Bethlehem medical-surgical supply distribution center fear employees could be spreading COVID-19 and at least one worker, who said she contracted the disease, asserts upper management should be implementing more aggressive measures to prevent possible exposure.

A female worker at the McKesson warehouse said she believes she tested positive for COVID-19 after being exposed to another employee in mid-March who was later diagnosed with the coronavirus disease. The worker claimed the company didnt take the proper precautions in time to help prevent exposure at the roughly 500,000-square-foot building at 3769 Commerce Center Boulevard, Bethlehem.

Three other workers interviewed by lehighvalleylive.com said they believe more employees were exposed to the one case that the company later confirmed to them in a meeting.

Their concerns and upper managements response illustrate a scenario that has played out in recent weeks at other Lehigh Valley warehouses that have remained operational through the pandemic.

We had no idea, they (upper management) never told us, an inventory worker said of possible exposure. They werent being transparent at all.

Another worker in the same department, agreed, saying he also was in the dark.

I think theres stuff theyre not saying. Sure, he said.

Lehighvalleylive.com granted these workers anonymity because they said they feared they would face repercussions at work for speaking out.

The company has declined repeated requests from lehighvalleylive.com to provide information on the number of workers testing positive for COVID-19.

Out of respect for the privacy of our employees and their families during this difficult time, we will not be commenting further on personal health issues of any particular employee, said McKessons senior manager of corporate public relations, Sunny Rodriguez.

She rebutted allegations made by the workers that the distribution center isnt taking proper safety and health precautions. McKesson is deeply committed to supporting its front-line employees, she said.

Bethlehem Health Director Kristen Wenrich said the citys Health Bureau, after receiving complaints from employees, contacted McKesson to reinforce strategies for mitigating the spread of COVID-19. Several measures, she said, have been instituted by the company in compliance with federal guidelines.

According to the workers interviewed, five shifts are operating in the warehouse and more than 100 employees can gather when certain shifts overlap. Break rooms are supposed to have just two people eating per table, but employees push multiple chairs together to socialize in larger groups. The sprawling warehouse employs more than 300 workers. It opened this past August on former Bethlehem Steel Corp. land bordering Hellertown.

A key worker in the McKesson distribution centers inventory department said rumors began swirling on March 13 that an employee possibly tested positive for COVID-19. The worker claimed a positive diagnosis was confirmed March 26 by upper management in the meeting. The estimated 20 employees at the meeting were told of the positive test, and assured the warehouse had since been sanitized and all was OK, he said.

After the meeting, it was business as usual, the worker said. However, he said, he couldnt focus. The news didnt sit well with him and several other of his co-workers, he said.

We went back in there to discuss it some more -- they downplayed it. They kept saying, No one came in contact with it. No one was infected. Those who were in proximity of this person were already contacted, he claimed.

A regional manager who hosted a second meeting on March 31, also said those who came in contact with the infected employee were already notified, according to another worker. When questioned by employees if anyone else at the warehouse tested positive for COVID-19, the regional manager told the group the company wasnt at liberty to say, the worker said.

Hand sanitizer and gloves are available in all departments and masks were distributed by the company on March 6, employees said. After the March 31 meeting, upper management began placing directional tape on the flooring throughout the warehouse to better promote social distancing. Signs went up in the restrooms, instructing employees only three people are allowed inside at a time, employees said.

Earlier this month, employees were notified via email, text or phone call that the facility was shutting down for a deep cleaning. All were told by upper management not to come to work on that Friday, but additional manpower would be needed on Saturday, April 4. Workers would be paid for the eight hours of lost time and an additional $100 if they returned on Saturday, according to employees.

Rodriguez confirmed the distribution center was closed on April 3 for comprehensive cleaning and sanitizing of the facility. She called the action a precaution as McKesson continues to take steps to keep its employees healthy. The facility returned to normal operating hours on April 6, Rodriguez said.

In addition to more access to sanitizer, sanitizing wipes and masks, management posted reminders for employees to wash or disinfect their hands before touching their faces. Theres been the ongoing practice of social distancing; disinfectant cleaning during the day with multiple cleanings being conducted in high-traffic areas; and employees being asked to take their temperatures prior to coming to work, Rodriguez said.

Employees said they are being asked by upper management to take their own temperatures an hour before starting a shift but there is no way of knowing if the person is being truthful. Its on the honor system, an employee said last week.

Rebecca Wang, assistant professor of marketing at Lehigh Universitys College of Business, studies e-commerce and stressed warehouse managers should be thinking of ways to practice social distancing as much as possible. She said they should be asking themselves such questions as is there a way to change the workflow or stagger the work schedules of employees? Is it possible to change where inventory is stored or packed?

And of course, it goes without saying, managers should provide crystal clear, no-details-are-too-small guidelines on the typical protective measures," she said, offering as examples wearing coverings and gloves, checking body temperature daily and thoroughly washing hands with soap.

Before the coronavirus hit, employees at McKesson said they were already working mandatory overtime and lengthy shifts to keep up with the demand. Now, employees can work upward of 50 to 60 hours a week to keep up with a greater need for medical supplies as a result of the pandemic, employees said.

We were burnt out before this outbreak, one inventory worker said. Now, were burnt out and stressed out.

Throughout the shift, we keep hearing different stuff, the key inventory worker said. In my shift, its almost half the people left already -- other shifts more than half left. Theyre like a skeleton crew now.

Half of us are freaked out and half of us are like, Yeah, were probably already sick,'" another inventory worker said.

The warehouse is deemed essential because the company delivers health care supplies and medicine. Gov. Tom Wolf ordered all Pennsylvania non-life-sustaining businesses to close their doors on March 19 and extended that order in recent weeks indefinitely.

We are all focused on the health and well being of our families, and we want to do all we can to continue to support health care workers who are on the front lines and under tremendous pressure as they try to treat the increasing number of patients who are being diagnosed with COVID-19, Rodriguez, from McKesson, said.

She described the employees as playing a critical role in helping to ensure health care supplies and medicine are available for health care workers and patients who need it during this in critical time, adding employees are receiving additional medical benefits, emergency leave and additional compensation during the pandemic.

Employees say those working in the warehouse received a one-time $1,000 bonus last month. While the money is good, they say workers still fear coming into the workplace and question if the paycheck is worth risking their health for.

An employee who worked in the replenishment department since August and a father of three said his employment does not outweigh the health risks. He said he was at the meeting where upper management confirmed one case of COVID-19 at the warehouse. I asked, Are you all shutting down? Anything to worry about?" he recalled. "I was very uncomfortable.

When the employee returned to his work area, he said he couldnt shake the uneasy feeling. He began to question superiors and was told to toughen up and, If you dont like it, quit, he said.

That employee said he called the human resources department on March 27 to complain. A written complaint followed, with the employee stating he was worried for his health and felt the warehouse was operating unsafely, as well as putting lives in danger. He has since been granted emergency PTO.

At that point I decide Im not going back and Ill deal with it as it comes, he said. Im not putting my health in jeopardy.

The McKesson workers who spoke to lehigvalleylive.com said complaints also were lodged online with the U.S. Occupational Safety and Health Administration. An OSHA representative did not immediately return a request seeking information.

Dennis Hower, president of Teamsters Local 773, told lehighvalleylive.com his union doesnt represent McKesson staff. In general, he said, union workers working in warehouses are being told to take proper precautions individually to further protect themselves. This includes wiping down areas with sanitizing wipes, constantly washing hands and wearing a mask. Howers union, he said, distributed 10,000 masks to all the workers it represents.

Social distancing -- especially in the break room areas -- is a must, he said. Temperature checks being taken prior to shifts might be a good idea but defeat the purpose of social distancing if too many employees are bunched up awaiting turns, he said.

Hower also is encouraging workers to come up with creative ideas outside the box and go with it. A particularly clever worker, he noted, added to existing measures by suggesting his company use a large bug sprayer and fill it with a manmade disinfectant spray.

This is unprecedented territory, which means all hands on deck, Hower said. Its about taking personal responsibility. Theres no doubt this is a scary thing -- this virus is very contagious and its been deadly.

Hower realizes not every break room can limit the amount of folks moving throughout it. Sometimes, it could take several workers to carry something heavy down from a shelf, in which workers arent six feet apart.

But these should be exceptions -- not the rules, he said.

One of her college research studies, Lehighs Wang said, concluded patrons during a pandemic prefer robotic services over human services. Meaning, tech-savvy companies need to continue optimizing their workflow by replacing some standardizable operations with artificial intelligence to eliminate the workload and burden on humans, she said.

Besides being able to take care of the employees, this A.I.-driven strategy might even be preferred by the customers, Wang added.

McKesson workers are not alone in their fears of contracting the novel coronavirus during warehouse work.

At the larger, 1.2 million-square-foot e-commerce Walmart distribution hub at 3215 Commerce Center Blvd. in Bethlehem, workers earlier this month said at least nine employees tested positive for COVID-19. Several there accused the retail giant of not taking adequate steps to protect them from the novel virus.

Walmart operates another e-commerce fulfillment center near McKessons distribution center at 2785 Commerce Center Blvd. in Lehigh Valley Industrial Park VII. It remains open and lehighvalleylive.com does not know about any cases at that facility.

Pamela Sroka-Holzmann may be reached at pholzmann@lehighvalleylive.com. If theres anything about this story that needs attention, please email her. Follow her on Twitter @pamholzmann. Find lehighvalleylive.com on Facebook.

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.
Since the launch of the Galaxy S10 series a year ago, Samsung users have complained heavily over the slow unlocking speeds of the in-display fingerprint readers on their phonesincluding the S10, Note 10, and S20 series. Here's how to make things a tad faster.

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Starting with the Galaxy S10 series last year, Samsung ditched the rear capacitive fingerprint reader in favor of an in-display ultrasonic fingerprint reader. While even Samsung's capacitive readers were never the fastest, the new ultrasonic sensors are even worse. The same sensor is used across the S10, Note 10, and S20 series, so this should be valid information for owners of any of those phones.

Here's how to make your in-display fingerprint reader unlock faster:

1. Do a Fresh Registration

You probably already have your prints set-up on your phone, but the company has since pushed out several updates that improved the speed and success rate of the sensor. It's a good idea to register your fingerprints again. Delete the old prints, and do a fresh registration.

2. Register Each Print Twice

More may not always be better, but it's undoubtedly better to have multiple registrations of the same finger. Registering each finger twice gives the phone more data to compare each scan to, and will increase unlock success rates. Be sure to use different angles when registering.

3. Keep the Fingerprint Reader Awake

Typically, the fingerprint reader isn't always scanning for presses. It's an obvious battery saving feature. This means that, particularly when the display is off, the unlocking process first has the phone wake up the scanning activity before anything. By keeping the activity awake, it likely shaves off some time from the total unlocking process.

It's easy to do.

Open Settings

Special Access

Optimize Battery Usage

Toggle "All" apps

Toggle off "com.samsung.android.biometrics.app.settings"

4. Tap, not Press

Instead of pressing down on the sensor, simply tap it. It, at the very least, gives the illusion of a faster response.
A lone wolf has been photographed in Normandy, in northern France's first wild sighting of the animals for a century.

Snapped by an automatic surveillance camera, the European grey wolf appeared to be alone as it strolled through the village of Londinieres, in Seine-Maritime near the Channel coast.

Experts at the French Biodiversity Office, who monitor the population of the species, confirmed the sighting as 'probably a grey wolf', reports The Telegraph.

Wolves have been present in Europe since ancient times, however the European Grey wolf was driven to extinction in France in the 1930s after over hunting - mainly by farmers protecting their livestock.

Snapped by an automatic surveillance camera, the European grey wolf appeared to be alone as it strolled through the village of Londinieres, in Seine-Maritime near the Channel coast

In the last 30 years the species has been reestablishing itself in southern France, after crossing from Italy - until now none were thought to have reached the north.

The wolf is believed to have been travelling alone in the search for a mate, a common Spring time activity for young wolves.

Seine-Maritime prefecture, where the wolf was spotted, said: ''They can cover distances of several hundred kilometres in a few months before settling.

European grey wolves are pictured in the animal park of Sainte-Croix, Rhodes, eastern France. The number of wolves in the country have risen by 40 per cent in the last two years

'The maximum distance from the place of birth can exceed 1,500 kilometres (1,350 miles),'

An estimated 530 wolves live in France today, with most residing in the Alps or towards the south east of the country, near the border to Italy.

However the EU's Bern Convention, signed by France, considers the wolves a protected species, meaning the population has grown by roughly 40 per cent in two years.

Other European nations seeing a rise in their wolf populations include Italy, Denmark, Latvia and Estonia

Around seventeen per cent of the wolf population is permitted to be culled every year, this could rise to 12 per cent if farmers begin to experience significant attacks on their livestock by the animals - over twelve thousand sheep were killed by wolves in 2017.

Other European nations seeing a rise in their wolf populations include Italy, Denmark, Latvia and Estonia, reports The Telegraph.

Many of those have urged Brussels to relax their rules on culling the animals to save farmers from losing income to wolf attacks.
A week feels like a month these days. As the COVID-19 news keeps rolling in like a never-ending set of killer waves, its hard to get a fix on when and how all the changes in our lives took place. One example: a mere five weeks have passed since the ban on gatherings of more than 500 people came into force. Given everything thats happened since, that measure seems quaint.

It will be remembered that when this restriction was announced, it was forward-dated, allowing crowds to attend the upcoming NRL round and Scott Morrison declared that he would be there, cheering on the Sharks.

Thousands flocked to Bondi Beach on Friday, March 20, ignoring social distancing edicts. Credit:AAP

The Prime Minister, like all of us, is multi-faceted but he has two main public personae: on the one hand, assertive, a good communicator, unacquainted with self-doubt and, on the other, ingratiating and occasionally a bit needy. The stance on going to the football was the latter Morrison, a tossed-off piece of political marketing that in the circumstances made him look less prime ministerial than he should have. Hours later, he changed his mind. It was the low point of his leadership during the coronavirus crisis, recalling his sustained mishandling of the summer bushfires.

But what a difference a couple of weeks and some announcements can make. Since then, according to quite a few commentators, hes become the man for the times  cometh the hour, cometh the man and all that.
Germany's confirmed coronavirus cases have risen by 2,458 today as cases across the nation dropped after four days on the rise.

There are now 139,897 confirmed cases and the reported death toll has risen by 184 to 4,294.

Data from the Robert Koch Institute (RKI) for infectious diseases confirmed that the figure was down from a day-on-day increase shown on Saturday of 242, and 299 on Friday.

The increase comes as the German government announced the lockdown had been sucessful and claimed some measures could be lifted.

The sun sets behind the Berlin skyline and the train tracks seen from the Modersohn Bridge in East Berlin on April 18

People walk and sit on the banks of the Landwehr canal in Berlin's Kreuzberg district as the sun shines on April 18

On Saturday people were seen gathering on the banks of the Landwehr canal in Berlin as they enjoyed some pleasant spring weather.

Over the weekend hundreds of candles were lit to form a giant cross in memory of those who have fallen victim to the virus in the country.

Gertrud Schop, 60, who is a catholic and works as a tax adviser, lit the candles on her property in Zella-Mehlist as a symbolic gesture while church services are temporarily banned in the country during the lockdown.

She plans to continue the project until a coronavirus vaccine is made available.

It follows Health Minister Jens Spahn saying yesterday that, despite thousands of new cases still being confirmed every day, a lockdown introduced on March 18 'was successful' and that infection numbers have 'sunk significantly' since then.

The measures have seen the country's streets and popular tourist landmarks remain deserted while initiatives have been rolled out to give people something to do while still following social distancing rules.

This includes a drive-in cinema at a former blast furnace in Dortmund where hundreds turned up in their cars to watch a film.

The RKI on Friday reported that the 'reproduction rate' of the disease in Germany had fallen to 0.7.

The reproduction rate, also known as 'R', is the number of people that a coronavirus carrier infects on average before they stop being infectious.

An 'R' rate of 1 means the number of new cases has stabilised, while a rate of less than 1 means the disease has gone into decline and new cases will begin falling.

It is considered a key milestone in breaking the back of an outbreak.

Chancellor Angela Merkel relaxed some of Germany's lockdown measures on Wednesday and said: 'The curve (of infections) has got flatter, but it still has to be in a shape that doesn't overburden our health system.'

Smaller shops are set to reopen first, while schools will follow in early May.

But Ms Merkel has warned that masks should be worn on public transport and in shops.

'It is recommended that masks be used in public transport and while shopping,' she told journalists after talks with regional leaders from Germany's 16 states.

But despite beginning to lift restrictions, the premier cautioned that the country has achieved only 'a fragile intermediate success' so far and does not have 'much room for manoeuvre.'

Pedestrians cross an empty street in Munich, pictured, as Germany continues to be on lockdown despite plans to ease restrictions over the coming weeks

Initiatives have been rolled out to give people something to do while still following social distancing rules, such as this drive-in cinema at a former blast furnace in Dortmund, pictured, where hundreds turned up in their cars to watch a film

She said a ban on gatherings of more than two people in public and an obligation to keep at a 1.5-metre distance from others, which has been in place since March 23, will remain in place.

The measures were set to expire today.

Nonessential shops, which have also have been closed for nearly four weeks, will be allowed to start reopening, with hygiene precautions, if they are up to 800 square metres in area.

Car showrooms, bike shops and bookshops, irrespective of their size, will be allowed to open.

Bars, restaurants, gyms and larger stores will have to remain closed.

Some state premiers and industrial groups have urged the government to move more quickly to prevent further economic damage.

Galeria Karstadt Kaufhof - which operates dozens of department stores larger than the 800-square meter limit - filed a lawsuit in the state of North Rhine-Westphalia to be able to open doors anyway.

Galeria Karstadt Kaufhof has been losing more than 80 million euros in sales each week, which would mean more than 500 million euros in losses if the lockdown continues through April, the company said this month.

Ms Merkel said the decisions apply to the period from Monday though May 3, and officials will review the situation again on April 30.

What's happening now in Europe's biggest economy is likely to be watched by other countries from Italy and Spain to the US and beyond.
KABUL, Afghanistan (AP) - On most mornings, Somaya Farooqi and four other teen-age girls pile into her dads car and head to a mechanics workshop. They use back roads to skirt police checkpoints set up to enforce a lockdown in their city of Herat, one of Afghanistans hot spots of the coronavirus pandemic.

The members of Afghanistans prize-winning girls' robotics team say theyre on a life-saving mission - to build a ventilator from used car parts and help their war-stricken country battle the virus.

"If we even save one life with our device, we will be proud," said Farooqi, 17.

Their pursuit of a low-cost breathing machine is particularly remarkable in conservative Afghanistan. Only a generation ago, during the rule of the Islamic fundamentalist Taliban in the late 1990s, girls werent allowed to go to school. Farooqis mother was pulled from school in third grade.

After the U.S. invasion of Afghanistan in 2001, girls returned to schools, but gaining equal rights remains a struggle. Farooqi is undaunted. "We are the new generation," she said in a phone interview. "We fight and work for people. Girl and boy, it does not matter anymore."

Afghanistan faces the pandemic nearly empty-handed. It has only 400 ventilators for a population of more than 36.6 million. So far, it has reported just over 900 coronavirus cases, including 30 deaths, but the actual number is suspected to be much higher since test kits are in short supply.

In this Wednesday, April 8, 2020 photo, a group of young girls are developing two types of cheap ventilator devices using Toyota car spare parts to help the fight against the coronavirus pandemic in Herat, west of Kabul, Afghanistan. Afghanistan faces the pandemic nearly empty-handed. It has only 400 ventilators for a population of more than 30 million. So far, it has reported just over 700 coronavirus cases, including 23 deaths, but the actual number is suspected to be much higher since test kits are in short supply. (AP Photo/Hamed Safarazi)

Herat province in western Afghanistan is one of the nations hot spots because of its proximity to Iran, the regions epicenter of the outbreak.

This has spurred Farooqi and her team members, ages 14 to 17, to help come up with a solution.

On a typical morning, Farooqis father collects the girls from their homes and drives them to the team's office in Herat, zigzagging through side streets to skirt checkpoints. From there, another car takes them to a mechanics workshop on the outskirts of the city.

In Herat, residents are only permitted to leave their homes for urgent needs. The robotics team has a limited number of special permits for cars.

So far, Farooqis father hasnt been able to get one, but the girls are in a hurry. "We are concerned about security driving out of the city but there is no other option, we have to try to save peoples lives," Farooqi said.

At the workshop, the team is experimenting with two different designs, including an open-source blueprint from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. The parts being used include the motor of a Toyota windshield wiper, batteries and sets of bag valve masks, or manual oxygen pumps. A group of mechanics helps them build the frame of a ventilator.

Daniela Rus, a professor at MIT, welcomed the team's initiative to develop the prototype. "It will be excellent to see it tested and locally produced," she said.

Tech entrepreneur Roya Mahboob, who founded the team and raises funds to empower girls, said she hopes Farooqis group will finish building a prototype by May or June. In all, the team has 15 members who work on various projects.

The ventilator model, once completed, would then be sent to the Health Ministry for testing, initially on animals, said spokesman Wahid Mayar.

Farooqi, who was just 14 years old when she participated in the first World Robot Olympiad in the U.S., in 2017, said she and her team members hope to make a contribution.

"Afghans should be helping Afghanistan in this pandemic," she said. "We should not wait for others."

In this Wednesday, April 8, 2020, photo, a group of young girls are developing two types of inexpensive ventilator devices using Toyota car spare parts to help hospitals care for patients infected with the coronavirus in Herat province west of Kabul, Afghanistan. (AP Photo/Hamed Safarazi)

In this Wednesday, April 15, 2020, photo, Somaya Farooqi works with a team of five young girls is developing cheap ventilators from Toyota car spare parts to help the fight against the coronavirus pandemic in Herat, west of Kabul, Afghanistan. Afghanistan faces the pandemic nearly empty-handed. It has only 400 ventilators for a population of more than 30 million. So far, it has reported just over 700 coronavirus cases, including 23 deaths, but the actual number is suspected to be much higher since test kits are in short supply. (AP Photo/Hamed Safarazi)
Officials have identified the officers and a suspect involved in a fatal shooting in San Marcos on Saturday evening.

One officer was killed and two others were critically injured when they responded to a domestic disturbance call at the Twin Lake Villas Apartments around 6:05 p.m. Saturday, police said. The suspect, preliminarily identified as Alfredo Perez Delacruz, attacked police with a rifle before dying of an apparent self-inflicted gunshot, officials said.

Officer Justin Putnam, 31, was killed. He graduated from Texas State University and joined the San Marcos Police Department in 2014. Hailing from Austin, Putnam was engaged to be married and was the son of an Austin Fire Department veteran.

We lost a fine young man, faithful officer and friend last night, interim Police Chief Bob Klett said. Our hearts are heavy as we pray for Justin Putnams family and for our two officers fighting for their lives today.

Top hits: Get San Antonio Express-News stories sent directly to your inbox

Officers Franco Stewart and Justin Mueller were injured in the ambush. Both are in critical but stable condition at Ascension Seton Hays hospital in Kyle, police said.

Stewart, 27, joined the San Marcos Police Department in December after serving with the McAllen Police Department for two years in addition to a brief stint with U.S. Border Patrol.

Mueller, 38, has been with the department for 13 years, starting as a telecommunications operator in 2007. He became an officer in June 2019.

Officers believe Delacruz, 46, used several aliases and are still working to confirm his identity and criminal record.

Community members may leave memorials for Putnam at a patrol car parked at San Marcos City Hall, 640 E. Hopkins St.

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
One police officer is dead and two others were injured after a shooting that was allegedly linked to a domestic violence incident Saturday night in San Marcos, Texas.

The two injured officers are in critical condition in the ICU after they underwent surgery for their wounds, according to the San Marcos Police Department.

Officer Justin Putnam, 31, who was killed, was a five-year veteran of the department. Fellow Officers Franco C. Stewart and Justin P. Mueller, who were also injured in the shooting, are both in critical but stable condition following surgeries, police said.

Related: Home-Security Camera Captures Alleged Attack

The suspect, preliminarily identified as Alfredo Perez Delacruz, 46, of San Marcos, died from a self-inflicted gunshot wound, police said.

MORE: Suspect in ambush shootings of New York City police officers indicted on 52 counts

"Please keep the officers and their families in your prayers," the Combined Law Enforcement Associations of Texas, the state's largest police union, said in a statement.

PHOTO: San Marcos Police officer Justin Mueller. (San Marcos Police Department)

PHOTO: San Marcos Police officer Franco Stewart. (San Marcos Police Department)

The incident began when officers responded to a 911 call about Delacruz allegedly hitting his wife and other people inside an apartment complex in San Marcos, which is located about halfway between San Antonio and Austin, police said. Officers with the Hays County Sheriff's Office and San Marcos SWAT responded to the scene, Sheriff Gary Cutler told Austin ABC affiliate KVUE.

At least one victim was found outside of the home, and other victims were inside with the suspect when officers arrived, according to the police.

Delacruz, who allegedly had on body armor, began shooting at police from inside the residence with a rifle, striking three officers, authorities said. When cops made it inside the building, they found the suspect dead from the self-inflicted gunshot, the police said.

PHOTO: Alfredo Perez de la Cruz in an undated photo. (San Marcos Police Department)

Putnam is the 15th police officer to die by gunfire in the U.S. this year. He is the first Texas law enforcement officer to die from a shooting that took place in 2020, though Liberty County Deputy Sheriff Richard Edward Whitten died in February after being paralyzed in a shooting in May 2019.

Story continues

PHOTO: Police block off the scene after a police officer was fatally shot Saturday, April 18, 2020, in San Marcos, Texas. (Eric Gay/AP)

Texas Gov. Greg Abbott said in a statement, "Tonight's shooting in San Marcos is a somber reminder of the service and sacrifice our brave men and women in law enforcement make every day to keep us safe."

"I am grateful for the swift action of the San Marcos Police Department in containing the threat and minimizing the loss of life," the statement continued. "I ask all Texans to join Cecilia and me in praying for the officer killed and for those injured, and for the continued safety of all law enforcement officers who protect our communities."

"We are devastated by news of the shootings in San Marcos," Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton wrote on Twitter. "Our thoughts and prayers are with the officers, their families, and the Hays County law enforcement community. As this investigation continues, this office will assist in any way needed."

MORE: With families quarantined together, some police fear rise in domestic violence

ABC News' Matt Foster, Christina Carrega, Matthew Furman and Lauren Botchan contributed to this report.

Texas police officer shot and killed, 2 others injured after domestic disturbance originally appeared on abcnews.go.com
The coronavirus death toll in the United States climbed by 1,903 in 24 hours to reach 39,115 on Saturday, latest statistics show.

Confirmed cases of the highly infectious illness also soared to a total of 741,866 as of early Sunday morning, up 28,486 from the day before.

The US has the highest number of COVID-19 cases and deaths of any country in the world. Despite the ominous statistics, President Trump cited 'positive signs' in the fight against the pandemic on Saturday, believing the worst is now over.

'We continue to see a lot of positive signs that the virus has passed its peak,' the President said, just days after the White House issued guidelines for the gradual reopening of the country.

President Trump cited 'positive signs' in the fight against the pandemic on Saturday, claiming that he inherited 'broken junk' from the prior administration but has since turned the US into the 'king of ventilators'

Confirmed cases of the highly infectious illness soared to a total of 741,866 as of early Sunday morning, meaning the US now has the highest number of COVID-19 cases and deaths of any country in the world

The coronavirus death toll in the United States climbed by 1,903 in the last 24 hours to reach 39,115 on Saturday

The number of new infections recorded in the last 24 hours across the country reached 28,486

Trump said that Texas and Vermont will allow some business to re-open next week, with strict social distancing measures still being enforced.

Residents in Florida and other states returned to the beach Saturday despite an increase in COVID-19 deaths and infections. Meanwhile, three Northeastern states reopened boatyards and marinas for personal use only.

Other states are expected to gradually ease lockdown restrictions while other states, such as New York, have issued no indication that measures will be relaxed any time soon.

The state's Governor Andrew Cuomo did share some 'good news' for New Yorkers on Saturday though, revealing in his daily press briefing that daily deaths, hospitalizations, intubations and ICU admissions fell for a third consecutive day.

As the nation's crisis epicenter seems to have reached its peak, Cuomo announced that 504 people died from coronavirus Friday, the lowest death toll since April 1 and far lower than the state's peak of 806 on April 7.

The governor went on to make a series of thinly-veiled digs at Trump, in which he recited Lincoln's famous quote - 'a house divided itself cannot stand' - and reminded him 'that's why we're called the "United" States.'

His comments come after he blasted the president Friday, mocking his demand for gratitude for federal help and saying: 'Thank you for doing your job'.

'We continue to see a lot of positive signs that the virus has passed its peak,' the President said, just days after the White House issued guidelines for the gradual reopening of the country.

NY Governor Andrew Cuomo did share some 'good news' for New Yorkers on Saturday, revealing in his daily press briefing that daily deaths, hospitalizations, intubations and ICU admissions fell for a third consecutive day.

As the nation's crisis epicenter seems to have reached its peak, Cuomo announced that 504 people died from coronavirus Friday, the lowest death toll since April 1 and far lower than the state's peak of 806 on April 7

Chelsea, Massachusetts has emerged as a major hotspot for the coronavirus. Chelsea is the hardest hit city in the state. Chelsea is a Latin American immigrant heavy population with 80% of the population being essential workers, such as grocery clerks

In Saturday's update, Cuomo warned that although the falling death toll is promising, New York still has some dark days ahead as '540 families' still lost their loved ones in a single day, including 36 across the state's nursing homes.

'It's not as high as it was but still 540 people died yesterday,' he said.

'It's 540 people, 540 families.'

Total hospitalizations are also down from around 18,000 to almost 16,000 and emergency rooms are less crowded, Cuomo continued.

'We increased hospital capacity by 53 percent' and that capacity is now falling, he said.

Cuomo said the figures show that New York has gone past its peak and is now on a curve down to where it was late-March when cases and deaths started to rise.

'We're down now for several days. The statisticians will say have we passed the apex? Have we hit the plateau and flattened for a period of time?' he said.

He added: 'If you look at the past three days you could argue that we are past the plateau and we're starting to descend which is very good news.'

The number of people being intubated when they come into the state's hospitals has also fallen which Cuomo said is 'very good news'.

'The probability is about 80 percent won't come off ventilators when they go on them so [the fall in numbers] is very good news,' he said.

ICU admissions have also fallen, Cuomo said, before adding that he does 'not know why we include this'.

Thousands of Jacksonville residents poured onto the beaches on Friday as they reopened for the first time in weeks

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

After a week in what Trump described as an indicator that the worst of the crisis is behind us, the president says he will now shift his focus to kickstarting an economic recovery after four-weeks of lockdowns.

But Democratic governors and health experts have warned the president about taking acting too prematurely, who warn that reopening the economy too quickly could lead to a 'second wave' of infections.

There are now more than 2.3 million cases of coronavirus worldwide, and over 160,000 recorded deaths.

With the US now burdened with the unfavorable accolade of being the country with the highest coronavirus infection and death rate of any country on earth, President Trump blasted China on Sunday, calling the country's official coronavirus death statistics 'impossible'.

The sentiment was echoed by Dr Deborah Birx, who concurred that Beijing failed its 'moral obligation' for transparency in the pandemic.

At a White House briefing on Saturday, Dr Birx was presenting a chart with coronavirus mortality rates by country when Trump interjected, saying 'does anybody really believe this number?'

Dr Birx was presenting a chart with coronavirus mortality rates by country when Trump interjected, saying 'does anybody really believe this number?' The US bar is seen in blue

China's mortality rate was marked with an asterisk to indicate the unreliability of the data

Trump pointed at China at the bottom of the bar chart, showing a mortality rate of 0.33 per 100,000 population, but marked with an asterisk to indicate the unreliability of the data.

China's rate is orders of magnitude below other countries, including the U.S. with 11.24 deaths per 100,000 people. Belgium topped the chart at a horrifying 45.2.

Birx, the administration's coronavirus response coordinator, immediately chimed in to back up Trump's skepticism, saying: 'I put China on there so basically you can see how unrealistic this would be.'

'When highly developed healthcare delivery systems of the United Kindom and Belgium and France and Spain, with doctors and nurses and equipment, have case fatality rates in the 20s and up to 45 -- and Belgium has an extraordinarily competent healthcare delivery system, and then china at 0.33 you realize that these numbers...' Birx said, trailing off.

'And this includes the doubled numbers out of Wuhan,' she added.

Birx immediately chimed in to back up Trump's skepticism, saying: 'I put China on there so basically you can see how unrealistic this would be.'

On Friday, the central Chinese city of Wuhan, where the pandemic began, raised its number of COVID-19 fatalities by 1,290.

State media claimed the undercount had been due to the insufficient admission capabilities at overwhelmed medical facilities at the peak of the outbreak.

Wuhans revised official death toll of 3,869 is the most in China. Numbers of total cases in the city of 11 million were also raised by 325 to 50,333, accounting for about two-thirds of Chinas total 82,367 announced cases.

Questions have long swirled around the accuracy of Chinas case reporting, with Wuhan in particular going several days in January without reporting new cases or deaths.
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By West Kentucky Star Staff

Apr. 18, 2020 | FRANKFORT

By West Kentucky Star Staff Apr. 18, 2020 | 07:09 PM | FRANKFORT

In his Saturday update, Governor Andy Beshear announced the state's new Long-Term Care Task Force and provided key updates on how the commonwealth and Kentuckians are working to fight the novel coronavirus 2019 (COVID-19).



"I know it feels like we've been at this a while, but we've got to do what it takes to win and you are doing an amazing job," He said when speaking to Kentuckians during his 5 p.m. daily, online briefing. "We will get back to a new normal and eventually we'll get back to just normal."



Governor Beshear said the Long-Term Care Task Force is working to protect some of the Kentuckians who are most vulnerable to COVID-19 and the health care workers who serve them.



"Health care-associated infections (HAIs) are an important public health and safety issue," the Governor said. "The task force is partnering with outside agencies to coordinate and maximize the efficiency of HAI prevention efforts across Kentucky."



"This is personal. One of the deaths reported was a friend. This is a beautiful, wonderful person we have lost," said Eric Friedlander, acting secretary of the Cabinet for Health and Family Services. "This is personal and it should be personal to us all. Long-term care facilities are our biggest challenge. These places are most at risk. Infection control is our number one area of focus, and this is a task force comprised of people who want to get things done."



State, Kroger Testing Update:



Governor Beshear also provided an update on testing efforts and said four new sites would come online next week in Madisonville, Paducah, Somerset and Pikeville. He said testing in Kenton County went really well and that they tested nearly 900 Kentuckians. Additional testing updates will be announced likely on Wednesday.



Those seeking to obtain a test can get location and registration details at KROGERHEALTH.COM/COVIDTESTING.



Those eligible for the tests include people exhibiting symptoms of COVID-19, including fever, shortness of breath and cough; health care workers and first responders who may have been exposed to coronavirus; and anyone with mild symptoms who also may have been exposed to COVID-19.



The testing is done free of charge. The overall goal of the partnership is to conduct 20,000 tests over the next five weeks. Test results are expected within approximately 48 hours.



Benchmarks for Reopening the Commonwealth's Economy:



Friday, the Governor announced benchmarks that the commonwealth must meet in order to start reopening the state's economy while keeping Kentuckians safe from the novel coronavirus. He reviewed those steps Saturday, which reflect federal guidance announced Thursday by the White House. The Governor said the state's seven benchmarks would determine the phases for reopening parts of the economy.



Benchmark Criteria for Kentucky to Move to the First Stage:



14 days where cases are decreasing

Increased testing capacity and contact tracing

Personal protective equipment (PPE) availability

Ability to protect at-risk populations

Ability to social distance and follow Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) guidelines on large gatherings

Preparedness for possible future spike

Status of vaccine and treatment

For more information on the White House's criteria and all three proposed phases of reopening, visit whitehouse.gov/openingamerica.



Case Information:



As of 5 pm April 18th, Governor Beshear said there were at least 2,707 coronavirus cases in Kentucky, 206 of which were newly confirmed.



Unfortunately, he also reported seven new deaths Saturday, raising the state's toll to 144 deaths related to the virus.



Governor Beshear continued to encourage Kentuckians to light up their homes and businesses green for those we have lost as a sign of compassion and renewal.



The seven newly reported deaths include a 78-year-old woman from Pike; a 95-year-old woman from Jefferson; a 96-year-old man from Grayson; a 95-year-old woman from Jefferson; an 83-year-old man from Butler; an 85-year-old woman from Kenton, and a 90-year-old man from Campbell.



At least 1,174 people have recovered from COVID-19 in Kentucky. He said this was great news and that about 46% of Kentuckians with the virus have recovered.



To date, at least 32,225 people have been tested. At least 1,059 people have ever been hospitalized, with 274 currently hospitalized.



At least 534 have ever been in the ICU with at least 155 people currently in the ICU.



Governor Beshear also offered an update on the racial breakdown of COVID-19 patients and victims, which unfortunately highlights existing disparities in health and health care access.



The Governor said with about 78% of the known cases accounted for, 79.30% of Kentuckians who tested positive were Caucasian, 12.33% were African-American, 4.8% were multiracial, 3.43% were Asian, and 0.14% were Native American or Alaskan Native.



He also said with about 69.99% of the known cases accounted for, 93.11% of people who tested positive were non-Hispanic and 6.89% were Hispanic.



On fatalities attributed to the coronavirus, with about 82.64% of the known cases accounted for, Kentucky deaths are about 78.15% Caucasian, 21.00% African-American and 0.84% Asian.



Also fatalities attributed to the coronavirus, with about 81.95% of the known cases accounted for, Kentucky deaths are about 99.15% non-Hispanic and 0.84% Hispanic.



More Information:



The Governor is asking all Kentuckians to continue to fight the spread of the virus by following his 10-step guidance, which includes practicing social distancing and staying healthy at home. He says these efforts have the potential to save the lives of as many as 11,000 Kentuckians.



Information about other key updates, actions, and information from Governor Beshear and his administration can be found at governor.ky.gov, kycovid19.ky.gov and the Governor's official social media accounts Facebook, Twitter and YouTube.



Watch the Governor's social media accounts at 5 pm EDT each day for his regular briefing. Kentuckians can also access translated COVID-19 information and daily summaries of the Governor's press conference at tinyurl.com/kygovespanol (Spanish) and tinyurl.com/kygovtranslations (more than 20 additional languages).



The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) encourages people to follow these steps to prevent illness. Kentuckians who want advice can call the state hotline at 800-722-5725 or call their local health care provider.
Lesotho Prime Minister Deploys Army to Restore Rule of Law in Country  Reports

Sputnik News

14:48 GMT 18.04.2020

MOSCOW (Sputnik) - According to the Eyewitness News portal, Prime Minister Thabane has called on military personnel to ensure peace in Lesotho one day after the Constitutional Court ruled that the prime minister's decision to dissolve parliament was irrational.

Lesotho's Prime Minister Thomas Thabane has deployed the army in order to restore law and order in the African country, regional media reports on Saturday.

Thabane stated in a television address earlier in the day that groups of people in the country were working to undermine the rule of law, human rights and freedom of speech in Lesotho, the portal reported.

In February, the prime minister offered to resign by July amid an investigation into the murder of his estranged wife in 2017. Police in the country suspect Thabane of being involved in the murder.

Thabane's decision to suspend Police Commissioner Holomo Molibeli was blocked on Friday by Lesotho's High Court, which ruled that any suspension would not be valid until an appeal was heard.

On Wednesday, the prime minister declared a state of emergency due to the ongoing COVID-19 outbreak, despite no confirmed cases of the disease being reported in Lesotho so far. A nationwide lockdown and entry restrictions are in force until 21 April, pending further extension.

 Sputnik

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Thiruvananthapuram, April 19 : With the Sprinklr data 'scam' taking a toll on Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan, whose stock was on a high in the way Kerala was able to contain the spread of coronavirus, the CPI-M is rallying behind him, while the state secretariat is meeting here on Tuesday.

The "data scam" with regards to the transfer of Covid-19 suspects to a US-based PR and marketing firm Sprinklr was raised by the Congress whose legislator P.T. Thomas later dragged Vijayan's daughter who owns an IT firm operating in Bengaluru.

On Sunday politburo member S. Ramachandran Pillai came to the defence of Vijayan.

"During extraordinary times, extraordinary decisions will have to be taken. Right now we are facing and fighting a pandemic. The need of the hour is to wait as we have to fight Covid-19. Kerala has now become the cynosure of the world on how it tackled it. So let's wait, we will discuss all issues at an appropriate time," said Pillai.

The Left Democratic Front (LDF) convenor and senior CPI-M leader A. Vijayaraghavan slammed the Congress-led opposition for spreading canards.

"The Opposition is playing cheap politics at a time when the state and people are passing through very tough times and the government is doing everything to ease their tension. This is not acceptable," said Vijayaraghavan.

Now all eyes are on Vijayan, who last week had said that there will be no daily press briefings after the review meeting of Covid-19, but he is now expected to address the media tomorrow and is expected to answer all queries.
Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal on Sunday held a press briefing on the prevailing coronavirus situation in the national capital.

Kejriwal said the national capital is witnessing a surge in coronavirus cases. The number of containment zones are also being increased.

The chief minister said that keeping in mind the present situation in the national capital, the administration has decided to provide no relaxation in the lockdown restrictions. The situation will be reviewed again after a week, he said.

Kejriwal said that as per Centres directive, while non-hotspots regions can see some relaxation in lockdown restrictions in the country from April 20, those marked as Covid-19 hostpots and as containment zones shall not get any relaxation from the lockdown restrictions.

There are as many as 77 Covid-19 containment zones in Delhi at present and all districts are categorised as hotspots, Kejriwal said.

Yesterday, we received reports of 736 Covid-19 tests and 186 of them came out positive for coronavirus. That is 25%, which is high, the chief minister said.

The CM said that all these 186 people who have tested positive for coronavirus are asymptomatic.

These people showed no symptoms. We have no idea how many people are asymptomatic and are carrying the virus and spreading it to others, he said.

The chief minister informed that of 186 people who have tested positive for Covid-19, one was working at one of the food centres set up by the Delhi government.

Dont know how many people he must have infected there. I have ordered the administration to rapid-test all those who come to eat at these food centres as well as the volunteers and workers there, he said.

Kejriwal said that coronavirus infection in the national capital is spreading but the situation is under control.

We need to be disciplined to be able to control this pandemic, Kejriwal said. He said there were no new Covid-19 cases in containment zones where people showed discipline.
A 5,000-word expose by the Sunday Times of London  "38 days when Britain sleepwalked into disaster"  finds that Prime Minister Boris Johnson, distracted by personal turmoil and his Brexit victory lap, skipped five early crisis briefings (Cobra meetings) on the coronavirus.

Why it matters: Warnings issued in January and repeated in February fell on "deaf ears," according to the Sunday Times, with the lost time potentially costing thousands of British lives.

The big picture: The U.K. government held its first Cobra meeting on Jan. 24, sensing the looming threat as the virus had spread from China to at least six known countries.

Health Secretary Matt Hancock told reporters that the risk to the British public was "low," while a spokesperson for Johnson  who skipped the Cobra meeting  said the U.K. was well prepared for any new diseases."

Johnson went on to skip four more Cobra meetings, distracted by mass flooding, the U.K.'s withdrawal from the European Union, a Cabinet shakeup and a countryside holiday with his fiancee, before finally attending one on March 2.

Meanwhile, scientists like Imperial Colleges Neil Ferguson were sounding the alarm by mid-January. Ferguson sent the government a report on Jan. 25 warning that the virus' infectivity could be higher than the Spanish flu's, and that there needed to be a 60% cut in the transmission rate  which could only be achieved with a national lockdown.

The warning went unheeded, and officials who attended a Cobra meeting that same day continued to express confidence that the U.K. was prepared.

What they're saying: "Theres no way youre at war if your PM isnt there, a senior adviser to Downing Street told the Sunday Times about Johnson skipping Cobra meetings. And what you learn about Boris was he didnt chair any meetings."

"He liked his country breaks. He didnt work weekends. It was like working for an old-fashioned chief executive in a local authority 20 years ago. There was a real sense that he didnt do urgent crisis planning. It was exactly like people feared he would be.

Martin Hibberd, a professor of emerging infectious diseases at the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, compared the U.K.'s response to that of Singapore's, which curbed the spread of the virus early on.

The interesting thing for me is, Ive worked with Singapore in 2003 and 2009 and basically they copied the U.K. pandemic preparedness plan. But the difference is they actually implemented it," Hibberd told the Sunday Times.

Between the lines: Emergency planners and scientists told the Sunday Times that the U.K. had been well-funded and prepared to manage a potential pandemic after 9/11, but that years of austerity after the financial crisis severely depleted emergency stockpiles and training programs.

The other side: Cabinet minister Michael Gove insisted on Sunday that it's normal for a prime minister to miss Cobra meetings and that whoever chairs the meetings reports to Johnson.

"The prime minister is aware of all of these decisions and takes some of those decisions," Gove said. "You can take a single fact, wrench it out of context, whip it up in order to create a jaccuse narrative. But that is not fair reporting.

What's next: As will likely be the case in the U.S., there will one day be an investigation into the lack of preparation during the "lost" five weeks between Jan. 24 and March 2, per the Sunday Times.
No 1 Church Street, Pyrmont, isn't there any more. In fact the whole street has gone. If you are planning to take to the air in Pyrmont some time soon it was near the intersection of Harris Street and John Street south of Pirrama Park.

This image from a glass plate negative was taken in 1900-1901 or thereabouts, not long before the road was bulldozed clean off the map with the march of gentrification, such as it was in Pyrmont.

1 Church Street, Pyrmont. Credit:Charles Kent

The photograph was to go on exhibition at Customs House but the coronavirus pandemic has put those plans on hold for now. Condemned properties were photographed before demolition by the City of Sydney council perchance any dispute arose subsequently.

The full caption reads: A woman stands next to a timber lean-to at the back of a 5-roomed stone cottage at 1 Church Street, Pyrmont. The backyard is a quarried sandstone platform, typical of the geological landform of this area. The yard is cluttered with barrels, bottles, plants and old furniture. In 1902, the council issued an order for the tenant and owner to demolish the building.
Worldwide shortages of personal protective equipment is endangering lives of healthcare workers, experts say.

Providing sufficient personal protective equipment (PPE) for healthcare workers amid the coronavirus pandemic has become a major source of debate around the world.

Western nations, such as the US and UK, as well as less-developed countries, have struggled to secure enough PPE for healthcare staff at hospitals, resulting in protests and strikes.

In the US, the Centers for Disease Control has put out detailed instructions on optimisation and contingency strategies for hospitals and healthcare workers in case of a shortage of PPEs, including how to process reusable equipment.

Britains National Health Service announced earlier this week they were reversing their previous advice for healthcare workers to wear full-length waterproof surgical gowns when treating COVID-19 patients, saying they should instead use plastic aprons as PPE supplies become limited across the country.

Here is all you need to know about different types of PPE:

Face masks

According to the World Health Oganization, the use of medical face masks is critical and is prioritised for those working in healthcare settings.

One type of face-covering are surgical masks, which help prevent large droplets that may carry viruses and bacteria, from entering ones respiratory system via the mouth or nose. The masks are loose-fitting in their design and are not sufficient in keeping out smaller particles.

N95 respirators are the most effective and sought-after masks for health workers treating COVID-19 patients. These single-use respirators are made from polyester fibres and are touted to keep out 95 percent of small airborne particles from entering.

However, the US Food and Drug Administration has cautioned against using N95 masks for people who have existing respiratory or cardiac illnesses, considering it can be hard to breathe through the respirators.

Due to shortages, governments around the world have strongly urged that N95 respirators be kept for the use of healthcare workers, not the general public.

Surgical masks help keep out large droplets that may carry viruses and bacteria [Juancho Torres/Anadolu]

Gowns

Protective clothing like gowns and aprons help prevent droplets and splashes from coming into contact with a health workers skin, providing an added layer of protection.

As per the WHO, healthcare professionals should wear a clean, non-sterile, long-sleeved gown and that the use of impermeable aprons or boots was not required.

However, as shortages of PPE are reported across the world, some countries are advising healthcare workers to use plastic aprons and coveralls as alternatives.

Gloves

Covering hands in dealing with COVID-19 patients is deemed essential. Gloves form a core part of PPE that healthcare workers are advised to use when interacting with a COVID-19 patient.

Once used, they must be disposed of immediately and in proper fashion so the outer part of the glove does not touch ones bare hand.

Goggles

Eye protection such as goggles are recommended by the WHO and the CDC when dealing with coronavirus cases to protect healthcare workers from splatters or splashes of droplets.

Visors integrated with face masks can also be used to protect the eyes.
Thai Buddhist monks wearing face masks to protect themselves from the coronavirus pass pack of water after their devotees donated it to Molilokayaram temple in Bangkok, Thailand, Friday, April 17, 2020. (AP Photo/Sakchai Lalit)

BANGKOK (AP)  Thailands leader says he will appeal directly to the countrys 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 doesnt 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 countrys 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 Thailands 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 worlds biggest conglomerates.

Thailands royal family controls the countrys 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.
The Goa tourism department will



seek financial help from the Centre for the industry stakeholders to overcome the crisis they are facing due to the coronavirus outbreak.

State Tourism Minister Manohar Ajgaonkar, in an interview to PTI, said his department has written to Chief Minister Pramod Sawant, seeking help for the tourism industry from the Prime Minister's relief fund for COVID-19.

"How much fund is required for it has to be decided by a panel of experts. We have formed a committee headed by state finance secretary Daulat Hawaldar to study it. We will have to work out a plan to get out of this crisis," he said.

Goa already has a tourism policy. The state wants to introduce a financial package for hoteliers, vendors, shack owners and others dependent on tourism so that they can restart their business, he said.

The minister further said the state government should not allow any tourists in the coastal state after the lockdown is lifted, unless they are certified negative for coronavirus.

This practice should continue for next two years till the situation normalises at the global level, he said.

Ajgaonkar said the coronavirus outbreak happened at a time when the coastal state had managed to get back its tourism industry on track after the global slump.

"But, because of COVID-19, we will again have to start from zero. Till all airports and other routes are opened tourism cannot re-start in the state, he said.

Nearly 80 lakh tourists visit Goa every year, he claimed, adding that till the situation does not normalise at the national level, the coastal state's borders will continue to remain sealed.

He said the lockdown has come as a "blessing in disguise" for law enforcement agencies which can now work on removing all evils, including the menace of drugs in the tourism sector, before the industry resumes.

The minister said the state tourism department had participated in a travel mart in China shortly before the coronavirus outbreak.

We were expecting tourists here from China. But we are thankful it did not happen. We want tourists to come to Goa, but not from COVID-19 affected places," he said.

"We should not allow them until they are certified coronavirus-free. And checking of tourists should continue for next two years, he added.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
FILE PHOTO: A doctor walks near a closed gas station during the nationwide quarantine due to the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) outbreak, in Caracas

By Marianna Parraga, Luc Cohen and Matt Spetalnick

(Reuters) - Gasoline shortages in Venezuela are worsening after U.S. officials have told foreign firms to refrain from supplying the fuel to the sanctioned South American nation and only provide diesel, according to five people familiar with the situation.

Since late 2019, U.S. officials have asked most of Venezuela's fuel suppliers to avoid sending gasoline to the crisis-stricken nation. In the latest round of calls in early March between U.S. officials and oil firms, they repeated the ban, despite worsening humanitarian conditions in the country, one of the sources said.

The U.S. Treasury Department sanctioned Venezuela's state-run Petroleos de Venezuela [PDVSA.UL] over a year ago as a measure to oust socialist President Nicolas Maduro, who Donald Trump's administration considers a dictator usurping power.

A handful of foreign companies - including Russia's Rosneft <ROSN.MN>, Spain's Repsol SA <REP.MC>, Italy's Eni SpA <ENI.MI> and India's Reliance Industries <RELI.NS> - continued to supply fuels to PDVSA under swap arrangements for Venezuelan crude oil, which was allowed by the U.S. Treasury.

"They underlined the message of no gasoline as part of oil swaps," said the source familiar with last month's calls, adding that his firm has only supplied diesel and gas oil since September.

While the officials did not explain why they were distinguishing between the two fuels, diesel is mainly used for power generation and bulk transport of cargo including food, while gasoline is mostly used for personal travel.

With the coronavirus pandemic wreaking havoc across the world, Washington has come under pressure from the United Nations human rights chief and U.S. lawmakers to relax sanctions on countries like Venezuela and Iran to facilitate the shipment of humanitarian goods.

A senior Trump administration official said that Maduro alone was responsible for the humanitarian toll in Venezuela and the United States would continue its campaign to cut his lifelines.

Story continues

The restriction on crude oil-for-gasoline swaps with Venezuela is being maintained as the country's own once-formidable refining industry collapses, with almost no gasoline produced in recent months, leading to chronic shortages across the country.

To increase the pressure on Caracas, the United States this year sanctioned PDVSA's main trade partners Rosneft Trading and TNK Trading International, both subsidiaries of Rosneft.

Rosneft stopped direct trade with PDVSA in March and weeks later announced it would transfer all its Venezuelan assets to an undisclosed entity controlled by the Russian government.

"The swaps were working quite well," said Francisco Monaldi, an energy economist at Rice University, adding that the recent escalation in sanctions would spook suppliers. "In these circumstances, it is unlikely that established companies will take the risk."

A U.S. official acknowledged pressure has been exerted on some oil firms in line with efforts to get them to unwind their business in Venezuela or else face U.S. secondary sanctions.

The official, speaking on condition of anonymity, said Washington was prepared to accept a limited level of diesel supplies but wants to see a curtailing of gasoline shipments to Venezuela as part of Trump's "maximum pressure" campaign to oust Maduro.

U.S. officials have said privately Trump is frustrated at the failure of his Venezuela policy to break Maduro's grip on power.

In statements, both Repsol and Eni said they send PDVSA diesel, not gasoline, as part of their swaps. In March, Eni delivered two diesel cargoes, while Repsol sent one and Rosneft did not send any, according to internal PDVSA documents seen by Reuters and Refinitiv Eikon data.

Reliance did not immediately reply to a request for comment. The refiner shipped two gas oil cargoes in March to Venezuela according to exports data, which have not yet unloaded.

The U.S. State Department said U.S. sanctions do not restrict humanitarian aid "like food, medicine, and other donations intended to relieve human suffering."

PDVSA did not reply to requests for comment.

LONG STANDING PROBLEMS

Fuel shortages began well before the sanctions because of plunging refining in Venezuela, which has a total capacity of 1.3 million barrels per day (bpd) of crude processing.

Of that, PDVSA only refined 101,000 bpd of crude in March, according to an internal PDVSA document seen by Reuters, increasing the crisis-stricken nation's dependence on imports.

The vast majority of that went to produce diesel and jet fuel. The refineries produced just 7,000 bpd of 91-octane gasoline in March and 28,000 bpd in the first three months of the year. The 310,000-bpd Cardon and the 187,000 bpd Puerto la Cruz refineries remained completely halted.

Venezuela's government blames U.S. sanctions for restricting imports of additives and spare parts needed to run the facilities and has pledged to restart fuel output at the 146,000-bpd El Palito refinery.

The resulting shortages of motor fuel have disrupted shipments of food and preventing doctors from arriving to their hospital shifts.

Ana Veronica Herrero, a 32-year-old resident of the western city of Maracaibo, said she could not find gasoline to transport her mother to the hospital after she had a heart attack last Thursday.

"She died in my arms," Herrero said in a telephone interview, adding she later had to spend $45 to buy gasoline on the black market to bring her mother's body from the morgue to the cemetery.

(Reporting by Marianna Parraga in Mexico City, Luc Cohen in New York and Matt Spetalnick in Washington; Additional reporting by Mariela Nava in Maracaibo, Mircely Guanipa in Punto Fijo, Deisy Buitrago in Caracas and Stephen Jewkes in Milan; Editing by Daniel Flynn and Marguerita Choy)
- Kris Aquino and her children had a simple but joyful celebration of her son Bimbys 13th birthday

- Kris took to Instagram to share a clip of their celebration while they are on quarantine

- She captioned a heartwarming post not just for her youngest son, but also for Josh

- The Queen of All Media also acknowledged those who helped her in preparing their food for the celebration

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Known for having a luxurious lifestyle, Kris Aquino and her family had a simple but joyful celebration of her son Bimbys birthday.

On April 19, Kris took to Instagram to share a clip of their celebration and captioned a heartwarming post not just for her youngest son, but also for Josh.

My bunso is no longer my baby, hes now officially a TEENAGER, she began.

HAPPY 13th birthday, Bimb... THANK YOU to God, Our Father- He makes it possible for the 3 of us to LOVE each other unconditionally, trying to do so with humor & laughter, regardless of the trials & tears i wish i could have shielded my 2 from... we understand, appreciate & support our small family unit... and we remain grateful for blessings big & small.

In the post, Kris said that this was her chance to say she always tries her best to be a good mom.

I havent posted much recently- but i had to share a video of Bimb on his birthday w/ all of you... And this was my chance to say i always try my best to be a good mom.

She moreover said that apart from my mom, nobody has ever loved & believed in me, in my imperfect totality the way my bunso does.

My 2 sons are living proof - I continue to be blessed far more than a person deserves to be.

Kris, who is currently at Sunset at Aninuan Beach Resort in Puerto Gallera with her children, also expressed gratitude to those who are with them at the resort and helped her in preparing food for the celebration.

The Queen of All Media also remembered to greet Kim Chiu, who shares the same birthdate with Bimby.

This post would be incomplete without a birthday greeting for the other special person I also love & celebrate today, @chinitaprincess (Kim), she ended.

PAY ATTENTION: Enjoyed reading our story? Download KAMI's news app on Google Play now and stay up-to-date with major Filipino news!

In a previous report by KAMI, Kris Aquino shares the latest updates on their quarantine situation in Puerto Galera.

Kris Aquino is a famous actress, host, and endorser in the Philippines. She has two children  Josh and Bimby Aquino. Joshs father is Philip Salvador and Bimbys father is James Yap.

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
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Ministers face fresh fury today as a vital shipment of coronavirus protective kit from Turkey looks set to be delayed again - with medics warning they might be forced to stop treating patients.

Hospitals are on the verge of running out of some life-saving supplies after the 84-tonne delivery, including 400,000 protective gowns, failed to arrive last night.

Medical bodies say shortages mean doctors could need to make 'difficult decisions' between exposing themselves to the virus or 'letting a patient die on their watch'.

Housing Secretary Robert Jenrick announced with fanfare on Saturday that the consignment was coming, before Education Secretary Gavin Williams humiliatingly admitted last night that it had been postponed.

Mr Williamson said he 'hoped' it would be in the UK today, while Culture Secretary Oliver Dowden predicted this morning that it will leave Turkey today.

However, Chris Hopson, chief of NHS Providers, which represents hospital trusts, said this morning there was 'low confidence' the materials will actually arrive.

'As of an hour ago there is relatively low confidence it will arrive today. If it is going to arrive today is will probably arrive late in the day,' he told BBC Radio 4's Today programme.

He accused ministers of raising the hopes of health staff saying they had 'bitter experience' of promised PPE either failing to arrive, or turning out to be either faulty or the wrong kit.

Hospital bosses have slammed the government over shortage of PPE amid warnings trusts may run out of protective gowns today as medics threaten to stop treating coronavirus patients over fears for their own safety.

Medical bodies say the shortages mean doctors could be forced into a 'difficult decision' between exposing themselves to the virus or 'letting a patient die on their watch'. It comes as the death toll among health workers including frontline NHS staff and care workers hits 80.

The shortages have led to a chorus of criticism that those fighting in the frontline against the virus are being betrayed as the Government fails to 'get a grip' on the escalating crisis.

Another 596 patients died of the virus, the lowest toll in a fortnight;

The daily number of those tested languished at 21,600 with just ten days to go to hit the Government's 100,000 target;

The death toll of frontline NHS and care home staff, from heart surgeons and nurses to porters and volunteers, reached at least 80;

Number 10 denied reports schools could reopen as soon as May 11 and said no date had been set for lifting the lockdown;

Michael Gove attacked 'grotesque' claims Boris Johnson was 'missing in action' at the start of the crisis after he missed five meetings of the emergency Cobra committee;

More than 100 top doctors backed calls for the public to be told to wear homemade face masks when they leave the house;

Chancellor Rishi Sunak was urged to boost his business bailout schemes amid warnings that up to 11.7million could be furloughed or left jobless over the next three months;

Analysis suggests that more than 2,500 elderly patients are dying of coronavirus in care homes every week.

The death toll of frontline NHS and care home staff, from heart surgeons and nurses to porters and volunteers, has now reached at least 80. Pictured (left to right): Habib Zaidi, 76, GP from Essex; Adil El Tayar, 63, Hereford doctor; Pooja Sharma, 33, Sussex pharmacist; Amged El-Hawrani ENT expert, Burton

Pictured (left to right): Thomas Harvey, 57, London nurse; Alfa Saadu, 68, Essex doctor; Mohamed Shousha 79, London medic; Lynsay Coventry, 54, Essex midwife

Pictured (left to right): Aimee ORourke, 39, Kent nurse; Liz Glanister, 68, Liverpool nurse; Areema Nasreen, 36, Walsall nurse; Consultant Anton Sebastianpillai

Pictured (left to right): John Alagos, 23, Watford nurse; Glen Corbin, 59, from London; Rebecca Mack, 29, nurse, Morpeth; Janice Graham, 58, nurse, Scotland

Pictured (left to right): Rahima Sidhanee, 68, London nurse; Josiane Ekoli, 55, Harrogate nurse; Cheryl Williams, ward housekeeper; Ade Raymond, London nurse

Pictured (left to right): Dr Peter Tun, 62, specialist, Reading; Mary Agyapong, pregnant nurse; Dean McKee, 28, carer, London

The warnings came as:

Health Secretary Matt Hancock admitted on Friday that medical gowns could run out within days, and official new guidance was issued telling staff to consider reusing some personal protective equipment.

NHS chiefs say they had pinned their hopes on the delivery of 84 tons of equipment from Turkey to 'avert an absolute crisis over the weekend'.

The RAF flight carrying the supplies was due to land in Britain yesterday morning  but it was delayed for at least 24 hours, meaning some hospitals could run out altogether today.

Niall Dickson, chief executive of the NHS Confederation, which represents health service managers, said: 'This is very serious and makes a difficult situation worse. 'It would have been better had the Government not made the announcement in the first place. It now looks more likely that supplies of gowns could run out in some places.'

Organisations representing intensive care doctors said their members are facing 'increasingly difficult decisions'. They pledged to support any doctors who feel they have to down their tools due to inadequate PPE.

The British Medical Association said the delay was 'devastating' and that shortages could force doctors to consider 'withdrawing from the frontline'.

Chairman Dr Chaand Nagpaul said: 'Given the Health Secretary's warning of the possibility of full-sleeved gowns running out altogether in some hospitals this weekend, doctors were banking on the Government's announcement of imminent extra supplies of PPE from overseas.

Pictured (left to right): Maureen Ellington, Bristol nurse; Gladys Nyemba, Nottingham nurse; Andy Treble, 57, Wrexham hospital; Lourdes Campbell, 54, Bolton NHS

Pictured (left to right): Amrik Bamotra, 63, Ilford hospital; Brian Darlington, 63, Crewe porter; Julianne Cadby, 49, NHS manager; Linnette Cruz, 51, dental nurse

Pictured (left to right): London GP Syed Zishan Haider, 79; Jitendra Rathod, 58, surgeon, Cardiff; Alice Kit Tak Ong, 70, London nurse; Leilani Dayrit, 47, Rugby nurse

Pictured (left to right): Barbara Moore, 54, Liverpool; Edmond Adedeji, 62, locum, Wiltshire; Fayez Ayache, 76, GP in Ipswich; Carol Jamabo, 56, carer in Bury

Pictured (left to right): Carer Catherine Sweeney, 64; Donald Suelto, London nurse; Urologist Abdul Chowdhury, 53; Julie Omar, 52, nurse in Redditch

Pictured (left to right): Elsie Sazuze, 44, carer, Cannock; Gareth Roberts, 63, Cardiff nurse; Sara Trollope, 51, London matron; Amor Gatinao, 50, London nurse

Pictured (left to right): Donna Campbell, 54, from Cardiff; Elbert Rico, 52, porter in Oxford; Oscar King Jr, 45, porter in Oxford; Elvira Bucu, 50, care worker

Pictured (left to right): Nurse Melujean Ballesteros, 60; Technician Kevin Smith, Doncaster; Leilani Medel, 41, nurse in Cardiff; Amarante Dias, 54, nurse in Somerset

Pictured (left to right): Gladys Mujajati, 46, Derby nurse; Care assistant Stephen Agyapong; Patricia Crowhurst, 54, Teesside care; Jane Murphy, 73, Edinburgh A&E

Pictured (left to right): Barbara Sage, 68, Bromley, London; Dr Krishan Arora, 57, London; Sonya Kaygan, 26, care worker; Jenelyn Carter, 41, Swansea nurse

Pictured (left to right): Michael Allieu, London nurse; Radiographer Simon Guest; Wilma Banaag, 63, Watford hospital; Gilbert Barnedo, 48, London nurse

Pictured (left to right): Rajesh Kalraiya, 69, consultant, Romford; Steven Pearson, 51, nurse, Cumbria; Linda Clarke, 66, Wigan midwife; Emily Perugia, 29, carer, London

Pictured (left to right): Barry England, 999 paramedic; Gordon Ballard, manager, London; Mandy Siddorn, 61, technician, Chester; Unnamed at familys request

Pictured (left to right): Carer Ruben Junior Munoz, Surrey; Andy Stamp, 65, IT admin, Liverpool; Margaret Tapley, 84, NHS nurse; Charles Tanor, 39, carer, West Mids

'Healthcare workers desperately need proper and effective protection now  by whatever means possible. This really is a matter of life and death. Doctors and healthcare staff... are left fearful for their own health and safety  this is shameful.'

He added: 'They are treating their own colleagues in intensive care on ventilators and tragically see some of them not survive.'

Professor Neil Mortensen, president elect of the Royal College of Surgeons, said: 'Like all doctors, surgeons are committed to saving lives. If the gowns run out they will be left between a rock and a very hard place.

'Do they put themselves, their colleagues and their families in the firing line, or do they take the risk of a patient dying on their watch for want of an operation?'

Mr Hopson of NHS Providers took a swipe at the government for trumpeting the delivery from Turkey before it had arrived. He told Sky News yesterday: Its been rather unhelpful to focus on a single individual consignment. We have learnt from very bitter experience over the past two to three weeks that you cant guarantee gowns are going to arrive until they have physically arrived in the UK, the boxes have been unpacked and they have actually been tested.

What we have found with other consignments coming in from other countries the boxes have been mislabelled and when youve opened them up they have actually got masks in not gowns, we know that several consignments have actually failed safety tests.'

At least 50 NHS workers have now died after contracting coronavirus. NHS chiefs say supplies of gowns are 'critically low', and they need around 150,000 a day.

On Friday PPE shortages forced Public Health England to issue new guidance saying doctors and nurses can treat coronavirus patients wearing only plastic aprons.

Previous guidance required full-length waterproof surgical gowns for high-risk procedures. Yesterday a joint statement from the Faculty of Intensive Care Medicine, Intensive Care Society, Association of Anaesthetists and Royal College of Anaesthetists said members should 'carefully evaluate the risks' when deciding whether or not to treat patients.

NHS chiefs say supplies of gowns are 'critically low', and they need around 150,000 a day. Pictured: Medical staff are seen putting on PPE at a testing centre in Rochdale, Greater Manchester

It said: 'If shortages continue or worsen, our members will face increasingly difficult decisions. [We] will support those of their members who... decide against exposing themselves to significant risks of Covid-19 infection when PPE is clearly inadequate.'

Education Secretary Gavin Williamson told yesterday's Downing Street press conference that the 400,000 gowns could arrive from Turkey today.

He said: 'The whole resources of the Government and the nation are focused on making sure we have a gown supply that is needed by our amazing NHS.'

The Government is under fire for failing to adequately stockpile PPE in January and February, as the crisis loomed. Cabinet Office minister Michael Gove was yesterday forced to defend the decision to send 273,000 items to China in February.

He said: 'We did sent protective equipment to China but we've received far more from China ... than we've given.'

Lord Deighton, who led planning for the 2012 London Olympics, has been appointed to co-ordinate a 'national effort' to make life-saving gowns, gloves and masks.

The Government has issued a 'call to arms' for British industry to make essential PPE items, with Burberry, Rolls-Royce and McLaren already producing equipment.

However, other British manufacturers claim their offers of help are being ignored. Labour said the Government is 'not taking advantage of the huge desire within British manufacturing to help'.

MP Rachel Reeves said: 'NHS and social care workers are being put in an impossible position. The Government has been too slow to get a grip.'

Education Secretary Gavin Williamson (left) told yesterday's Downing Street press conference that the 400,000 gowns could arrive from Turkey today. Lord Deighton (right), who led planning for the 2012 London Olympics, has been appointed to co-ordinate a 'national effort' to make life-saving gowns, gloves and masks

Are we finally past the peak? Lowest deaths for a fortnight ... but as ministers say schools won't open on May 11, what IS the exit plan?

By Daniel Martin and Josh White

The daily coronavirus toll fell to its lowest level in a fortnight yesterday, with 596 new deaths. But as hopes were raised that the country is now past the worst of the disease, pressure grew on ministers to outline a way out of the lockdown to get the economy moving again.

Sir Jeremy Farrar, a member of the Government's Scientific Advisory Group for Emergencies, said he believed the UK has now passed the peak of the infection and that he hoped restrictions could be lifted in three to four weeks.

It came as ministers poured cold water on reports they were considering a plan to allow children back to school in mid-May.

Michael Gove, the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster, dismissed suggestions a 'traffic light' strategy is to be brought in which would see some schools and businesses allowed to reopen next month.

And Education Secretary Gavin Williamson said he could not name a date for teaching to resume, before apologising directly to students for how their education has been 'disrupted in this way'.

He told the daily Downing Street press conference: 'I want nothing more than to see schools back, making sure that children are sat around learning and experiencing the joy of being at school. But I can't give you a date.'

Yesterday's death toll took the total to 16,060 so far. It was the lowest daily figure since April 6, although there was a jump in the number of cases of infection  with 5,850 positive tests bringing the overall total to 120,067.

Sir Jeremy told Sky News he hopes some lockdown measures could begin to be lifted if the number of infections drops 'dramatically'.

He said: 'It's clear that the lockdown can't go on for much longer. The damage it's doing to all of our health and wellbeing, our mental health... the lockdown is damaging business and ultimately that's damaging all of our lives.'

But he warned moving too quickly could trigger a second wave, adding the epidemic could 'come back very quickly'.

There has been renewed pressure from a cross-party group of MPs, including former Tory Cabinet ministers Iain Duncan Smith and David Davis as well as Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer, to map a route out of the lockdown.

One plan, put forward by a team of scientists at University College London involves a three-stage 'traffic light' return to work.

Under the 'green' stage, schools would partially reopen in three weeks  starting with primary pupils and those studying for GCSEs and A-levels  along with some non-essential shops such as clothes stores where social distancing can be maintained.

The second 'amber' phase, in late May, would see more shops and businesses reopen, all employees urged to return to work and some small social gatherings permitted.

Pubs and restaurants and larger events such as sport and concerts would not be phased in until much later, under the 'red' light scheme. The over-70s may have to remain under isolation for a while yet.

But Mr Gove said it was too early to think about ending the lockdown, adding: 'We do not want to take steps too early because the most important thing is to make sure that the NHS and the public's health is protected.

'One of the things that we've learned from this new and deadly virus is that after we ease restrictions in some areas, there will still be a need for discipline in others.'

Row over claim PM was 'missing in action': Gove defends Boris Johnson's leadership after the revelation PM 'skipped five Cobra meetings' at start of coronavirus outbreak - while 'nothing was done to prepare for outbreak for WEEKS'

By Daniel Martin Policy Editor

A furious political row broke out yesterday over claims Boris Johnson had been 'missing in action' at the start of the coronavirus outbreak.

Michael Gove said it was simply 'grotesque' to say the Prime Minister had not been on top of the issue  although he admitted the Government may have made mistakes.

It came after an investigation concluded that Britain's planning for a pandemic had been complacent and that Mr Johnson had not chaired five meetings of the emergency Cobra committee in January and February.

Boris Johnson hosts Chinese New Year celebrations at Downing Street on January 24. Pictured: Prime Minister painting a dragon on day he missed Cobra meeting

The spurned chances to fight virus PM MISSED 5 COBRA MEETINGS Boris Johnson failed to attend five meetings of the emergency Cobra committee on the virus outbreak in January and February, leaving Health Secretary Matt Hancock to chair them instead. During Parliamentary recess in February he worked from the Government's 115- room grace and favour Chevening mansion, set in 3,500 acres in Kent, with his girlfriend Carrie Symonds. When he finally announced he would be chairing a Cobra meeting on coronavirus on March 2, he delayed it by three days so that it fell on a Monday rather than at the weekend. SLOW TO ORDER PROTECTIVE KIT The NHS is accused of failing to contact UK suppliers, even though the British Healthcare Trades Association said it was ready to help from February. The association only got its offer to supply personal protective equipment accepted in April. By that point many UK-made supplies had gone overseas. On February 24, the Government admitted it had supplied 1,800 pairs of goggles, 43,000 pairs of disposable gloves, 194,000 wipes, 37,500 medical gowns and 2,500 face masks to China. EARLY WARNINGS MISSED On January 24, a publication in The Lancet medical journal suggested the coronavirus crisis was comparable to the 1918 Spanish flu pandemic, which killed up to 50 million people. Yet on the same day, following a Cobra meeting, Mr Hancock said the risk to the British public was 'low'. FAILED TO GET AHEAD ON TESTS Public Health England allegedly failed to take advantage of early breakthroughs with tests in Britain. Officials lost early opportunities to step up production to the levels that would be needed. The failure to get large amounts of testing equipment was considered another error. The capacity of Britain's private laboratories to mass-produce tests was not seized upon during the first weeks of February. FOCUS ON HERD IMMUNITY The Government is accused of focusing on the concept of 'herd immunity'  where the majority of the population has immunity to a disease, reducing its spread  partly because it was planning for the virus using its blueprint for fighting the flu. In the case of flu, once it has found its way into the population, if there is no vaccine the virus is allowed to take its course until so-called 'herd immunity' is acquired. Advertisement

An unnamed senior Downing Street advisor told The Sunday Times: 'There is no way we're at war if your Prime Minister isn't there and what you learned about Boris was, he didn't chair any meetings, he liked his country breaks, he didn't work weekends.

'There was a real sense that he didn't do urgent crisis planning. It was exactly like people feared he would be.'

The investigation also found a large amount of personal protective equipment, such as face masks, had been sent to China even though there is a desperate need of them in Britain.

Mr Gove, the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster, confirmed Mr Johnson had not attended the five Cobra meetings  but accused the newspaper of unfair journalism.

He told Sky News: 'The idea that the Prime Minister skipped meetings that were vital to our response to the coronavirus I think is grotesque.

The truth is that there are meetings across government, some of which are chaired by the Health Secretary, some of which are chaired by other ministers but the Prime Minister took all the major decisions.

'I think that anyone who considered what happened to the Prime Minister not long ago, nobody can say the Prime Minister isn't throwing heart and soul into fighting this virus.'

He said it was 'off-beam' to suggest Mr Johnson had been 'anything other than energetic, determined, focused and strong in his leadership'.

On the question of Mr Johnson's failure to attend the meetings, Mr Gove told the BBC's Andrew Marr Show: 'He didn't but then he wouldn't because most Cobra meetings don't have the Prime Minister attending them.'

He said the person chairing the meetings reports to the Prime Minister, who takes decisions.

He added: 'So you can take a single fact, wrench it out of context, whip it up in order to try to create a j'accuse narrative, but that is not fair reporting.'

But Mr Gove did admit mistakes may have been made, and said there will be an 'opportunity' to learn some 'profound lessons'.

Responding to the investigation, Labour's shadow health secretary Jon Ashworth said: 'None of us expects the impossible, we understand that mistakes will be made in a crisis of this nature but there are serious questions as to why the Prime Minister skipped five Cobra meetings, throughout February, when the whole world could see how serious this was becoming.'

He said it suggests 'he was missing in action' early on.

Professor Sir David King, chief scientific adviser to both Tony Blair and Gordon Brown, yesterday said he could not recall a Cobra meeting not attended by the prime minister of the time.

But Downing Street last night said Mr Brown did not chair Cobra meetings during the 2009 swine flu pandemic, delegating them to his health secretary, Alan Johnson.

Mr Gove said Mr Johnson, who is recovering from the virus at his country retreat, Chequers, is starting to take charge again.

A Government spokesman said the article contained 'falsehoods and errors' and 'misrepresents' decisions at the 'earliest stages' of the outbreak.

The Government took 'the right steps at the right time', and Mr Johnson was 'at the helm of the response'.

Labs are still 80,000 tests-a-day short of the 100,000 needed to meet target set by Matt Hancock - with just ten days left to meet his promise

By Ben Spencer and Larisa Brown

Britain's coronavirus testing programme appears to be in crisis  as health bosses have just ten days to increase the number of daily swabs fivefold. Ministers yesterday insisted they will hit their target of testing 100,000 people a day by the end of April.

But just 21,626 tests were performed on Saturday  the highest figure to date  leaving close to an 80,000 shortfall to make up in a matter of days.

Last night experts reiterated the 'critical' importance of testing for a route out of the virus crisis  but raised grave doubts over the accuracy of the tests, warning there are 'false negative' results in as many as 15 per cent of cases.

Britain's coronavirus testing programme appears to be in crisis  as health bosses have just ten days to increase the number of daily swabs fivefold. Ministers yesterday insisted they will hit their target of testing 100,000 people a day by the end of April. Pictured: Technicians at University Hospital of Wales

Failures in the execution of the tests, the timing and the process in laboratories is leading to results wrongly stating an infected patient is clear of the virus.

Nurses in some areas have been told to expect false negatives in 30 per cent of cases  and to assume the patient has it if they have symptoms.

Last night Cabinet Office minister Michael Gove insisted the Government is 'on course' to reach Health Secretary Matt Hancock's 100,000 a day target by the end of the month.

He said laboratory capacity has been ramped up to cater for 38,000 tests a day.

But with little more than half this number actually being tested, Mr Gove said it is crucial that capacity is used to its full extent. But it came as last night the Deputy Chief Medical Officer Dr Jenny Harries appeared to deny greater testing would save lives.

While acknowledging it is important to investigate the link between more tests and reduced death rate, she said: 'I think the actual mechanism between the two is still not clear.'

Just 21,626 tests were performed on Saturday  the highest figure to date  leaving close to an 80,000 shortfall to make up in a matter of days. Pictured: Soldier at testing facility in the car park of Chessington World of Adventures

A volunteer walks past coffins stacked next to refrigeration units inside the temporary mortuary set up in the car park of Central Jamia Mosque Ghamkol Sharif in Birmingham

A police officer talks to two sunbathers with bicycles on Primrose Hill in London as they force steps up measures to enforce social distancing

Former World Health Organisation official Professor Anthony Costello wrote on Twitter that Dr Harries should resign if that was her belief. Infectious diseases expert Sir Jeremy Farrar, director of the Wellcome Trust, said the Government had been too slow to increase its testing programme. 'If you look at what has happened in Korea and Singapore and indeed in Germany, there was a much quicker ramping up of testing,' he added.

'Testing will be critical as we come out of this epidemic.' Doctors last night said the false negative results could have 'serious consequences'. Dr Andrew Preston, at the University of Bath, warned of the dangers for care home workers and NHS staff who wrongly believe they are safe to return to work.

Coronavirus tests take swabs from the throat or nose before being sent to labs. But experts point out they often only work if the virus is present high up in a patient's throat or mouth, and often in the early stages, it will still be deep in the lungs.

A senior nurse at a hospital in the South of England said they believed they were still receiving false negatives in as many as 30 per cent of cases in their area.

The nurse, who did not want to be identified, said: 'It's totally hit and miss whether an infected patient will have anything which can be detected in their throats.'
Sticky projected prospects caused by the global health crisis among Vietnams key trading partners are expected to hit the domestic economy this year with the manufacturing and processing sector, one of the key growth pillars, to be hit hardest.

Economic growth slows as GDP rate threatened



Demand for transporting goods has dramatically plummeted. After many years, this is the first time we foresee a reduction in revenue for a year, a ITL representative told VIR. We cannot talk about growth like we do every year, and we are now trying to keep revenue reduction to 20 per cent this year.Never before has Singapore-invested Indo Trans Logistics Corporation (ITL) faced as great difficulties as it does now. In Vietnam, the coronavirus pandemic has sabotaged the firms opportunities to increase revenue and profit at least for this year, with its 200 tractor trailers and 110 trucks operating at 50 per cent capacity compared to normal.

According to a senior official from the Ministry of Planning and Investment (MPI), ITLs plight is becoming common in Vietnam where local production, especially industrial manufacturing, is badly affected by COVID-19.

Vietnams industrial output has plunged at the fastest speed in six and a half years. The countrys Purchasing Managers Index has reduced to below 50 points in February  the first time in four years, stated an MPI report released last week. The economys index for industrial production in the first quarter of 2020 increased by only 5.8 per cent on-year, far lower than in the same period of 2019 (9.2 per cent), 2018 (12.7 per cent), or 2017 (7.4 per cent).

The economy is now affected by great and unforeseeable risks, it added. Thus, it is difficult to reach the growth target of 6.8 per cent this year. COVID-19 has had grave impacts on tourism, transport, and import-export activities. Production and investment activities have and will continue to be hurt. Domestic production activities pertaining to production and supply chains in China, South Korea, Japan, the US, and Europe  all Vietnams key trade partners  are expected to continue decreasing due to shortages of materials, labourers, and shrunken demands.

Last week, Fitch Ratings projected Vietnams GDP growth to slow to 3.3 per cent in 2020 on account of COVID-19. This would be the lowest annual growth rate since the mid-1980s.

The Asian Development Bank (ADB) expects Vietnams economic growth rate to slow sharply in 2020 to 4.8 per cent from the initial supply shock to economic activity from COVID-19 and the subsequent and ongoing drop in demand from Vietnams principal trade and investment partners. The bank forecast that Vietnams economy will suffer from a loss of between $675 million and $3.7 billion, or 0.3-1.4 per cent of GDP, and some 750,000 jobs due to the spread of the epidemic.

The biggest sufferers will be the public trade-business and service sector (over $1 billion), the transportation sector ($922 million), and the production-construction sector ($836 million).

The Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development has also warned that a rise in the outbreak could cause global GDP growth to plummet this year to as little as 1.5 per cent, almost half the 2.9 per cent rate it forecast before the crisis took hold.

Vietnam is quite a large, open economy, with GDP in 2019 of $260 billion and export turnover of $517 billion.

Many major economies that have great impacts on the global supply chains and on Vietnams economy are expected to suffer from lowered economic growth forecasts this year, such as Europe (0.8 per cent), Japan (0.2 per cent), South Korea (2 per cent), the US (1.9 per cent), and China (4.9 per cent).

Figures from Vietnams General Statistics Office showed that last year, these economies accounted for a large part of Vietnams exports, including the US ($60.7 billion), Europe ($41.7 billion), China ($41.5 billion), Japan ($20.3 billion), and South Korea ($19.8 billion).

These markets were also the main sources of import goods for Vietnam, including China ($75.3 billion), South Korea ($47.3 billion), Japan ($19.6 billion), Europe ($14.8 billion), and the US ($14.3 billion).

Vietnams trade largely depends on China, which purchased 15.75 per cent of the formers total goods value last year and was responsible for 29.7 per cent of the formers import value in 2019.

Meanwhile, VinaCapital last week released its report on COVID-19s economic impact on Vietnam, expecting the pandemic to reduce the countrys GDP growth by 3 percentage points this year to 4 per cent, due to a -1.5 percentage points hit to growth from a 50 per cent drop in tourist arrivals, -1 percentage point from slower manufacturing output growth, and -0.5 percentage points from slower domestic consumption growth.

Nguyen Chi Dung - Minister of Planning and Investment Currently, it is quite urgent to ensure social security for all people. However, it is also necessary to determine what needs to be done now to have timely policy responses, including the compilation of a new national development scenario which will be implemented after the pandemic ends. These are big issues to materialise the goals of minimising the aftermath of COVID-19 on the economy and peoples lives, assessing and forecasting new trends in the region and the wider world, and taking advantage of new opportunities and trends in order to prepare solutions and scenarios for rapid and sustainable economic development. We would need a new mindset and a new positive approach in the context of global economic decline and stagnant production and business, unemployment, and disruption in supply chains and production networks. Economic structures about production, trade, investment, and the worlds order will undergo profound changes. This is also an opportunity for Vietnam to accelerate its economic restructuring, with the supplementation of new sectors and supply chains so as to strengthen the economys resilience against global shocks and pandemic, and also to further perfect the countrys institution and regional and global collaboration mechanisms in tackling such shocks as COVID-19. It is also a chance for Vietnam to enact sound and timely policies in order to beef up the restructuring of sectors and the whole economy, and invest more in infrastructure, while increasing the economys competitiveness so that the country can be strong enough to engage in the worlds new standing after the pandemic ends. VIR

Nguyen Thanh

GDP growth of 3.82 percent in Q1 is a miracle: official Vietnams GDP growth rate of 3.82 percent in the first quarter of 2020, a record low since 2011, is still a miracle amidst a global economic recession, an official has said.
Nick Cordero's wife Amanda Kloots revealed her husband is 'recovering well' from having his right leg amputated Saturday.

The actor has been hospitalized with COVID-19 for more than two weeks and Amanda, 38, revealed he had the leg removed after 'blood flow issues' there.

On Sunday Amanda shared an Instagram video of herself and Nick dancing at their wedding and insisted 'we WILL dance again!'

On the mend: Nick Cordero's wife Amanda Kloots revealed her husband is 'recovering well' from having his right leg amputated Saturday

The pair twirled around the floor to Harry Connick, Jr.'s recording of It Had To Be You, with choreography by their pals Clyde Alves and Roby Hurder.

'I love dancing with you @nickcordero and we WILL dance again!' wrote Amanda with the video, in which her husband's Broadway training was on full display.

Amanda seemed close to tears with relief when she announced on her Insta Stories this Saturday that Nick survived the amputation.

She shared that 'I just got a call from the surgeon - he made it through the surgery, which is really big because obviously his body is pretty weak. So he made it through the surgery and they're taking him back to the room to recover and rest for the rest of the night so hopefully he'll just kind of relax and rest. But good news!'

Staying positive: On Sunday Amanda shared an Instagram video of herself and Nick dancing at their wedding and insisted 'we WILL dance again!'

Happier times: The pair twirled around the floor to Harry Connick, Jr.'s recording of It Had To Be You, with choreography by their pals Clyde Alves and Roby Hurder

Talent: 'I love dancing with you @nickcordero and we WILL dance again!' wrote Amanda with the video, in which her husband's Broadway training was on full display

On Sunday she told well-wishers that 'I just heard from the doctor and he's doing good, guys. For Nick he's doing the best that he possibly can right now, which is a huge hallelujah. Surgery went well. He's recovering well after surgery. The wound looks okay. He didn't lose a lot of blood. His blood pressure is okay. His heart is okay.'

She added: 'His even, his internal bleeding has kind of calmed down. So everything seems to be kind of like calmed down, which is so great 'cause this has been such a roller coaster. My brother said the other day he was like: "This Nick is really putting us on a roller coaster," and he is,' she said with a weak chuckle.

'Mental status is still super important and we're still rooting for him to wake up,' added Amanda, who has been giving regular updates on her husband's health.

The couple's friends Aimee Song, Jacey Duprie and Erin Silver started a GoFundMe for them this Saturday and donations have flooded in.

'Go Nick!!': Amanda seemed close to tears with relief when she announced on her Insta Stories this Saturday that Nick survived the amputation

By 2pm PST on Sunday the fundraiser had raked in more than $299,000 of its $350,000 goal to help the couple with their expenses.

On Saturday as donations poured in Amanda appeared on her Insta Stories and fought back tears while thanking everyone for their generosity.

'It's just overwhelming. I really thank you so much. We have a new home that we're renovating right now, so there's gonna be some changes that need to be made and that is gonna really help us,' she said.

Friends in need: The couple's friends Aimee Song, Jacey Duprie and Erin Silver started a GoFundMe for them this Saturday and donations have flooded in

Turnout: By 2pm PST on Sunday the fundraiser had raked in more than $299,000 of its $350,000 goal to help the couple with their expenses

'It's just overwhelming': On Saturday as donations poured in Amanda appeared on her Insta Stories and fought back tears while thanking everyone for their generosity

''And there's medical bills and you know what, we're gonna get Nick the best rehab that we possibly can now for his leg.'

She marveled that 'right now this is like a time where people don't even have their jobs and you're donating 10, 20 dollars, like I just like, that's blowing me away.'

She revealed this Saturday that the Tony-nominated actor was having a leg amputated amid his fight with COVID-19.

On Saturday she posted her latest message to well-wishers on her Insta Stories and informed them that 'the right leg will be amputated today.'

'Difficult news': Amanda revealed this Saturday that the Broadway star was having a leg amputated amid his fight with COVID-19

As seen in better times: The actor has been hospitalized with the illness for more than two weeks; he is pictured at the New Dramatists' Spring Luncheon in New York in 2017

'So we are on day 18 of Nick being sedated in the ICU. It is April 18. We got some difficult news yesterday,' she began.

'Basically we've had issues in his right leg with clotting and getting blood down to his toes and it just isn't happening with surgery and everything,' Amanda shared.

'So they had him on blood thinners for the clotting and unfortunately the blood thinners were causing some other issues - blood pressure and some internal bleeding in his intestines,' she said.

Details: 'Basically we've had issues in his right leg with clotting and getting blood down to his toes and it just isn't happening with surgery and everything,' Amanda shared

'So we took him off the blood thinners but that again was gonna cause some clotting in the right leg, so the right leg will be amputated today.'

As the day wore on she shared 'A PLEAD...' on her Insta Stories, writing: 'I KNOW THIS ISN'T POSSIBLE BUT TODAY IS MIRACLE DAY SO WHY NOT ASK?'

The fitness trainer wrote: 'I just wish I could see him. Hold his hand. Touch his face. I do believe this would help him WAKE UP!'

Trying: Doctors attempted to break the clotting with blood thinners but those began 'causing some other issues - blood pressure and some internal bleeding in his intestines'

Amanda's latest update comes just two days after she revealed that her husband may never walk again.

She 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: Amanda's latest update comes just two days after she revealed that her husband 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, 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
A street in downtown HCMC is empty on the second day of the nationwide social distancing campaign, April 2, 2020. Photo by VnExpress/Quynh Tran.

Air quality has improved in major cities in March and April due to social distancing measures, according to the Vietnam Environment Administration (VEA).

The air quality from March 20 to April 10, which partly coincided with the nationwide social distancing campaign to curb the spread of the Covid-19 pandemic, saw an improvement compared to January and February, VEA said in a report published recently.

In Saigon, for instance, the daily PM2.5 levels from March 20 to April 10 was consistently below 20 g/m3 on average, a stark reduction from January or February, when they were 40-60 g/m3 on average, it said.

PM2.5, also described as super fine particles, is a fraction of the width of a human hair, which is released from vehicles, industry and natural sources like dust. The World Health Organization (WHO) Air Quality Guideline recommends an annual mean exposure threshold of 10 g/m3 to minimize health risks.

In Hanoi the PM2.5 levels in the first quarter were lower on average than in previous months too, VEA said.

In January and February, the air quality in Hanoi was bad around half of the time, but that did not happen any day in March, the administration said.

"It shows that sources of emission like traffic and production had considerably influenced urban air quality," the administration said.

Other air quality metrics, including the levels of carbon monoxide (CO), have also seen improvements. For example, average CO levels in Hanoi from April 1 to 10, when the nationwide social distancing campaign was on, fell remarkably from the first quarter.

Daily CO levels were on average 500-1,300 g/m3, whereas in January-March it rose to 2,000 g/m3 at certain times.

"Social distancing measures, which led to reduced or suspended production, traffic and construction, helped improve air quality," the report concluded.

The campaign required people to stay at home and prohibited gatherings of more than two people.

Hoang Duong Tung, Chairman of Vietnam Clean Air Partnership, said improved air quality is a logical result of social distancing.

"We've calculated a 80 percent drop of vehicles on Hanoi streets in the past month, which happened along with better PM2.5 levels," Tung said.

He said it's a big interest of the authorities and experts to find out the cause of urban air pollution in Vietnam, and the social distancing period is an opportunity to assess the impact of vehicle emissions and come up with relevant measures regarding traffic flow in cities.

Vietnam first introduced the nationwide social distancing campaign from April 1 to 15, and has extended it to at least April 22 in 12 localities with a high risk of Covid-19 infection, including Hanoi and Saigon.

In Vietnam there have been 268 Covid-19 patients so far, including 67 currently in hospital.

The pandemic has spread to 210 countries and territories and claimed more than 160,700 lives.
Food at low-cost Amma canteens will



be served free of cost in Salem district from Monday with the ruling AIADMK's local units deciding to bear the cost in a bid to help daily wage earners and others, who largely depend on the eateries, during the COVID-19 lockdown.

The decision, which will be a great boon to these sections whose livelihood has been hit by the lockdown, was announced by AIADMK joint co-ordinator and Tamil Nadu Chief Minister K Palaniswami on Sunday.

"The canteens are largely used by daily wage earners and indigent people and they do not have adequate earnings due to the coronavirus situation," he said in a party release.

He said the urban and rural party units in the district, his native, will bear the entire cost of food served at mornings and noon in the canteens, a pet scheme of late AIADMK supremo and chief minister Jayalalithaa, who was fondly called "Amma" by her followers.

Besides, the party will provide 10 kilo rice and masks to each of the about 2,500 sanitary workers in Salem district till the end of the lockdown on May 3, he said.

Days ago, Municipal Administration Minister S P Velumani had said the district party unit will bear the expenditure of providing food at all the 15 Amma canteens in Coimbatore.

In Salem district, as many as 11 Amma Canteens are functioning in the Corporation areas and four in municipalities.

To honour the tireless work of sanitary workers during the presenting challenging times of COVID-19, the AIADMK will provide them assistance, the party said quoting Palaniswami.

The Chief Minister is a native of Salem district's Edappadi region.

Launched by Jayalalithaa years ago, the Amma Canteens known as "Amma Unavagam" in Tamil provides breakfast, lunch and dinner even during lockdown.

Catering to lakhs of people and run by local bodies, these eateries offer idlis at a cost of Re one each, two pieces of roti at Rs 3, Pongal Rs 5 and rice varities including sambar, lemon and curd at Rs 5 a plate.

The state governments of Karnataka and Rajasthan had launched Indira Canteens and Annapurna Rasoi inspired by the Amma Canteens.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Up to 60,000 patients and staff in more than 550 nursing homes are to be tested for Covid-19 in a bid to suppress the virus.

At a media briefing at University College Dublin, HSE Chief Executive Paul Reid said that as of yesterday, there were 248 known confirmed or suspected outbreaks in facilities both public and private.

A total of 4,000 tests were to be carried out over the weekend, he said.

"So 60% do not have outbreaks, 40% do," according to Mr Reid. 247 of these locations have been supplied with PPE, he added.

It was made clear that of the 248 nursing where Covid-19 has been detected, two-thirds were private facilities and the remainder were public.

There are a total of 27 labs doing testing for the Health Service Executive. 26 are based in Ireland, including hospitals, the National Virus Reference Laboratory and Enfer.

They are carrying out about 1,000 lab tests per day, Mr Reid said, with 60% of all tests processed in Ireland and the remaining tests done in Germany.

At the briefing, Dr Colm Henry, HSE Chief Clinical Officer said he could not say the decision by the Chief Medical Officer not to shut nursing homes at the commencement of the outbreak was a mistake.

Dr Colm Henry speaking today.

He did say the decisions are being taken in real-time with what is an unprecedented pandemic where assumptions are evolving constantly, he said.

We know much more than we did even a few weeks ago, he said.

The primary focus for testing is long-term residential care facilities, reporters were told.

Between Saturday and today, 4,000 tests were completed for staff and residents in long-term facilities. 2,000 tests were carried out yesterday.

Of long-term residential care facilities, 354 have no confirmed or suspect Covid-19 cases.

A total of 575 registered nursing homes are registered with HIQA; 455 are private facilities and 120 are public.

The briefing heard that out of 70,000 registers of interest from retired health staff, the HSE has recruited and is in the process of offering or offered contracts to 1,500 applicants through the "be on call for Ireland" process.

It comprises 345 nursing and midwives, 280 doctors, and about 280 healthcare assistants among a range of frontline care supports recruited.

When pressed, it emerged that just 75 nursing staff have been fully screened and deemed eligible to work.

Another 1,900 staff have been recruited directly into healthcare and hospital settings, the HSE boss said, bringing the total to "about 3,500" in terms of recruitment over the past few weeks.

Dr Colm Henry said there are seeing "signs of stabilisation" in terms of the numbers of new patients being admitted to acute hospitals. He added there is still capacity in ICU units.

"We are scaling up in anticipation of any surge," Dr Henry added.

Our greatest challenge is outbreaks in long-term or residential care settings.

Countries have been operating like modern-day pirates in seeking to outbid each other to source personal protective equipment which is like gold dust, the head of the HSE has said.

Mr Reid said that prices in the market are at a premium but said Ireland has so far not fallen victim to such aggressive behaviour.

He was speaking after the United States poached a consignment of PPE bound for Germany.

Mr Reid said the supply of personal protective equipment (PPE) continues to remain challenging during the Covid-19 pandemic.

He said 33 million items of PPE from a batch one order, worth 31 million, had been fully distributed to hospitals and care settings across the country.

He said any product issues relating to that original batch have now been fully addressed, and batch two had commenced yesterday.

He said despite 20% of the first batch not being suitable

To accelerate supply of PPE, he said the HSE has asked Chinese suppliers to consolidate more deliveries into batch two.

That will be an order worth 130 million. It will include supplies of gowns and overalls.

Additional supply lines have also been opened with other suppliers to meet demand, the HSE CEO said.

"We continue to urge all healthcare workers to be extremely prudent in the use of PPE and to ensure that is used for the correct purposes", Mr Reid told the media briefing.

Mr Reid said early last week over a million items of PPE were distributed across 1,250 deliveries. On Friday alone, he said, 378 deliveries took place to nursing homes.

"Three quarters of a million items of PPE on Friday were delivered", according to Mr Reid, who said that nursing homes have been prioritised regarding the distribution of PPE.

He also said that the backlog for Covid-19 testing had been "eliminated". "There is a zero backlog," he added.
(Photo : Screenshot from Twitter of @IoTGadgets)

Samsung joins the fold in reminding people of how important hygiene is to combat the coronavirus pandemic.

Read More: NHS App Assigns 3,500 Tasks Daily, Not Enough for 750,000 COVID-19 Volunteers

Samsung's Move To Fight COVID-19

At this point, it is already clear for everyone that hygiene is essential, especially if you want to improve your chances of not getting infected from the coronavirus, which causes COVID-19, a respiratory illness that attacks your respiratory immunity.

Samsung's Galaxy Watch Active 2 is here to remind you of the basic hygiene of handwashing. It may sound simple enough, but it could save you and others from being infected with COVID-19.

The South Korea tech company has released an update that will remind you to wash your hands every couple of hours. Apart from that, it will also tell you to spend enough time scrubbing your hands with soap, following the WHO guidelines. The update comes with a watch face that allows you to see just how long it has been since you last washed your hands. It will notify you if you've missed doing so.

The software was developed just about two weeks ago by a team from the Samsung Research Institute-Bangalore. All development was made from the comfort of their own homes to instill that social distancing as well as to deter possible health risks.

Read More: Apple Card Rival? Google is Building a Physical & Virtual Debit Card in one!

Wear OS Updates

Earlier this week, Google also updated the Wear OS with the same feature. Unlike Samsung, Google's new feature will remind you to wash your hands for over 40 seconds, which supposedly 25 seconds. You may turn off the notification app at Wear OS by tapping it.

Previously, Tech Times posted an article about Fitbit's update that promotes practicing a healthy lifestyle by reminding users about their daily exercise routine. It also has an additional tool for managing stress levels.

Read More: Apple Online Store Down Amidst Preorders of New iPhone SE

 2021 TECHTIMES.com All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission.
An 84-tonne shipment of PPE that was due to arrive to the UK from Turkey on Sunday has been delayed (Peter Byrne/PA)

A delivery of 84 tonnes of personal protective equipment (PPE) for frontline workers has been delayed.

The shipment, which includes 400,000 surgical gowns, was due to arrive in the UK from Turkey on Sunday afternoon.

The Royal Air Force (RAF) is on standby to bring the equipment on Monday, the Government announced.

The reason for the delay is not yet known.

Expand Close Robert Jenrick said the consignment will help give staff the protection they need (David Mirzoeff/PA) PA / Facebook

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Whatsapp Robert Jenrick said the consignment will help give staff the protection they need (David Mirzoeff/PA)

A Government spokeswoman said: We are continuing to work to ensure the shipment is delivered as soon as possible.

Speaking at the daily Downing Street press conference on Sunday, Education Secretary Gavin Williamson said the RAF was on standby to bring the equipment from Turkey.

He said: We hope to see that coming into the country tomorrow (Monday).

Communities secretary Robert Jenrick set out details of the consignment at the press conference on Saturday, describing it as a very significant additional shipment.

He said: Supply in some areas, particularly gowns and certain types of masks and aprons, is in short supply at the moment and that must be an extremely anxious time for people working on the front line.

But they should be assured that we are doing everything we can to correct this issue and to get them the equipment that they need.

Health bosses said the shipment would provide only enough PPE to last a few days.

Niall Dickson, chief executive of the NHS Confederation, said it may be enough to avert an absolute crisis over this weekend but it doesnt solve the longer term problem.

Responding to the delay, Mr Dickson said: This is very serious and makes a difficult situation worse.

It would have been better had the Government not made the announcement in the first place  we know shipments in this supply chain are unreliable and even when they do arrive they are not always what is expected.

In future, the NHS will expect announcements when supplies have arrived not promises about what may or may not be delivered.

He said it is likely some hospitals will now run out of gowns but added: Everything that can be done will be done to protect patients and staff.

We understand there are other potential sources of supply but  to be clear  nothing is guaranteed.

There was already a loss of confidence and real anxiety across the NHS and care system around PPE supply  this will have been further eroded by what has happened this weekend.

It will not be restored until we have a stable supply chain and certainty that staff will be given what they need when they need it. At the moment we are a long way from that point.

They are being asked to sacrifice themselves due to the failings of others HCSA president Claudia Paoloni on NHS workers

It comes after the Hospital Consultants and Specialists Association (HCSA) said officials responsible for the UKs disgraceful lack of adequate personal protective equipment need to be held fully accountable for their abject failure to protect front-line health staff.

HCSA president Claudia Paoloni said: Our NHS workers are going above and beyond on a daily basis to heal.

They should expect at the very least adequate protection to keep them fit and well to engage in this fight.

Yet instead they are being asked to sacrifice themselves due to the failings of others.

The Government has been under fire for weeks over the distribution of PPE, with some front-line staff warning they have to work in situations where they feel unsafe.

At least 50 NHS workers have now died after contracting coronavirus.

Dr Chaand Nagpaul, chairman of the British Medical Association (BMA) council, said he had written to the Government two weeks ago calling for a massive ramping up of the manufacturing of protective equipment.

He said large numbers of contacts were willing to produce equipment and names of around 70 of them were passed on to the Government.

But Dr Nagpaul said the contacts hit a brick wall after they were not followed up.

He told Sky News: We made it clear weeks ago that we need to do something about the likelihood of a lack of protective equipment.

When Mr Williamson was asked why the Government has not responded to manufacturers who are willing to produce PPE, he said they will be contacted in the next 24 hours.

He said a billion extra PPE have been brought into the country while the Government was doing immense work in trying to find British suppliers.

He encouraged those suppliers who have been in contact with the Government and have slipped through the net to get in touch again.

He said the Government will ensure they are contacted in the next 24 hours.

He added: We recognise this is a national endeavour and we are so incredibly grateful for so many people who are willing to step forward to make a real difference, and we certainly dont want to miss out on those opportunities.

New guidance from Public Health England says long-sleeved disposable fluid-repellent gowns should be worn when treating Covid-19 patients.

If the gowns are unavailable, clinical staff have been advised by the Department of Health to wear disposable, non-fluid repellent gowns or coveralls or washable surgical gowns, with aprons, and to wash their forearms afterwards.

It also says staff should consider reusing PPE when necessary if supplies are low.

A total of 16,060 patients have now died in hospital after testing positive for coronavirus in the UK.
Copyright  2020 Albuquerque Journal

The spread of COVID-19 has forced people all over the county to use technology more regularly to communicate with one another.

This includes those struggling with substance use disorder, who now have to use such online platforms as Zoom to attend meetings run by organizations such as Alcoholics Anonymous.

Marie, who has been sober for 11 years, said attending meetings exclusively online has been a difficult transition.

For me, I kind of miss the personal one-on-one and face-to-face kind of thing, she said.

However, she and other members of AA said the virtual meetings provide a much-needed service as many people are stuck in their homes and in serious risk of relapsing. Members are identified only by their first names.

AA is known traditionally for its intimate, cathartic sessions, in which those with addictions open up with others facing the same issue. Now, AAs website features hundreds of meeting times at different chapters all around the country.

Suddenly, we as a fellowship have jumped into the 21st century, said Kristina, who helps organize meetings in Santa Fe.

Kristina has been attending AA meetings for more than 20 years, but said everyone is still figuring out how to conduct meetings online.

For everybody that I know, the first couple of Zoom meetings have been a little weird, she said. It reminds me of being a newcomer.

The transition has, in fact, come with some growing pains.

There are over 100 virtual meetings a week in Santa Fe alone, but Barry, another AA volunteer, said getting information to newcomers can be near to impossible.

A fair number of people arent in the loop or arent asking around enough to find out about the meetings, he said.

The technology itself can also be a barrier, he said, especially in a city like Santa Fe.

Were dealing with more of an older crowd in Santa Fe, so a lot of people are not incredibly computer-proficient, he said. You have to walk them through the process.

Zoom meetings across the country have also been subject to hacking, raising concerns about the security of the web service.

Joost, another AA member, said he has friends who attended meetings in other states that were hacked. The hackers gained control of the chat and began writing disparaging remarks about those with substance use disorder.

Zoom now requires passwords for most meetings, which Joost said could be another barrier to new members who do not know anyone with the password.

Despite the challenges, all members interviewed for this article agreed that online meetings are vital to those who need help with their addictions.

This (pandemic) allows for more of an out for people, unfortunately, Barry said. An alcoholics mind is a terrible place to spend time.

Barry also said people in the program have called him and said the stresses from the coronavirus pandemic have tempted them to start drinking again.

During the pandemic, there has been a reduction in AA meetings at prisons and jails, where 65% of inmates have some sort of addiction, according to the National Institute on Drug Abuse.

Kristina said she used to hold AA meetings at the New Mexico State Penitentiary in Santa Fe County and the Springer Correctional Center, but visitors are now prohibited. She said she and the facilities are trying to develop a way to provide meetings to inmates.

Santa Fe County spokesperson Carmelina Hart said the Santa Fe County jail has started holding Narcotics Anonymous meetings over Zoom, where four inmates can attend at a time.

Treatment centers have also modified their procedures. At Santa Fe Recovery Center, CEO Sylvia Barela said they are still accepting new patients, but everyone is screened for symptoms of COVID-19 beforehand. Visitors are not permitted.

The center has a small tent outside its building where patients are screened. Barela said, so far, four staff members and one patient were tested for COVID-19 because they were symptomatic, but all results came back negative.

Currently, around 50 patients are housed at the treatment center, Barela said, meaning the facility is only half full.

While those living with addictions may be at risk during the pandemic, Kristina said those who have gone through the struggle of recovery are positioned to adapt to a changed world.

There comes a moment in your life when you realize you can never be the same and you have no idea what thats going to be like, she said. Its a major life change that were all walking through together  and we know how to do that.
Over 270 cases were registered and 3,608 people detained in Delhi on Saturday for violating lockdown orders

New Delhi: Over 270 cases were registered and 3,608 people detained in Delhi on Saturday for violating lockdown orders, police said.

According to the data shared by the police, 271 cases were registered under section 188 (for disobedience to order duly promulgated by public servant) of the Indian Penal Code till 5 pm.

A total of 3,608 people were detained under section 65 (persons bound to comply with reasonable directions of police officers) and 301 vehicles have been impounded under section 66 of the Delhi Police Act, the data showed.

A total of 677 movement passes were issued and 188 cases registered against people for stepping out of their houses without wearing masks, the police said.

Since 24 March, 94,686 people have been detained for violating orders under section 65 of the Delhi Police Act.
Three Types of Home-Grown UAVs Delivered To Iran Army, Defense Minister Says

Radio Farda April 18, 2020

Iran's Defense Minister on April 17 announced that a "massive number" of multirole, reconnaissance and combat UAVs, as well as Karrarr and Ababil-3 drones produced by the Aircraft Manufacturing Industrial Company (HESA), has been delivered to the Army's Air Force and Air Defense.

The announcement was made by Brigadier-General Amir Hatami at a ceremony on the occasion of the Army Day (April 17) who said these UAVs have been designed for intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance use.

According to Brigadier-General Hatami the drones delivered to the Army's Air Force and Air Defense units include multirole UAVs, Karrar (also spelled as Karar "Strike") jet-powered target drones, and Ababil 3 (also known as Ababeel "Swallow") surveillance and reconnaissance drones.

The delivered drones will cover an important section of Air Defense and Air Force operations and can be used as target planes as well as for deception on the enemy's air defense networks, he said.

Describing the multirole drones, Brigadier-General Hatami said the 470 kg drones, have a speed of 900 km/h and a range of 1000 km, and can be deployed for a duration of 180 minutes without interruption at an altitude of 40,000  45,000 feet.

Ababil-3 drones are mid-range combat drones with the capability of carrying various electro-optic and combat equipment, the Iranian Defense Minister said and added that the drones are mainly used for gathering and transmitting optical data and can also be deployed for combat operations with an operation range of 150 km.

According to Brigadier-General Hatami jet-powered Karrar drones have the capability of carrying and dropping loads and have been upgraded to add combat and self-destruction capabilities.

In August 2019 Iran unveiled three domestically-produced "precision-guided smart bombs" -- Yasin, Balaban and a new series of Qaem)  which the Defense Minister said could be installed on various kinds of drones.

In October 2019 Western powers and Saudi Arabia said Iran was behind the attack on Saudi oil installations with drones and cruise missiles.

Source: https://en.radiofarda.com/a/three- types-of-home-grown-uavs-delivered -to-iran-army-defense- minister-says/30562774.html

Copyright (c) 2020. RFE/RL, Inc. Reprinted with the permission of Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, 1201 Connecticut Ave., N.W. Washington DC 20036.

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Amid worldwide Covid crisis, the US President Donald Trump has warned China of consequences if it was "knowingly responsible" for the spread of the novel coronavirus pandemic. Speaking at the White House press briefing on Saturday, Trump said that the death rate of China is higher than that of US, 'but no one is reporting it.' Alleging 'non-transparency and initial non-cooperation', Trump expressed his disappointment over China on the handling of the coronavirus disease, adding that the relationship with the country was very good before the outbreak of the virus.

"If they were knowingly responsible, yeah, then there should be consequences," he told reporters at a White House news conference on Saturday. "You're talking about, you know, potentially lives like nobody's seen since 1917. The relationship was good when we were signing that, but then, all of a sudden, you hear about this. So, it's a big difference. You know, the question was asked would you be angry at China. Well, the answer very well might be a very resounding, yes, but it depends," Trump said. LIVE: Press Briefing with Coronavirus Task Force https://t.co/nurNOvlZjJ  The White House (@WhiteHouse) April 18, 2020

READ | US president Trump announces relief package for farmers hit due to Covid lockdown

The president underlined that there was a big difference between a mistake that got out of control or something is done deliberately. "In either event, they should have let us go in. You know, we asked to go in very early and they didn't want us in. I think they knew it was something bad and I think they were embarrassed," Trump said.

Meanwhile, on April 19, India amended the Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) policy to ensure no hostile takeover of firms facing stress due to ongoing COVID-19 lockdown. According to the amendment, neighbouring countries - including China, Nepal, Bangladesh, Pakistan will require government approval for investing in Indian companies.

READ | Donald Trump unveils three-phase plan to reopen US from Covid lockdown; here's what it is

Trump had warned of consequences

Earlier on April 14, when asked about the consequences for China, a visibly irked Trump asked the reporter as to how she knows there "won't be consequences for China." Trump went on to say that China will find out the consequences as and when it happens. The US President has openly blamed China for the coronavirus pandemic and has reused the term Chinese virus. The world is paying a very big price for that they did, Trump had said in early March, referring to his claim that Chinese officials did not fully share information sooner about the coronavirus outbreak after it began in China. He has also halt US funding to the World Health Organization blaming it to be '"very much sided" towards China.

READ | Cutting WHO funding isn't only dangerousTrump doesnt have the authority: Hillary Clinton

The United States till Sunday reported a total number of 738,792 cases 39,014 deaths. New York City remains the most affected by the coronavirus. The novel Coronavirus, which has brought the entire world to a halt, first originated in China in December last year, has till now killed over 160,755 people worldwide.

READ | Coronavirus LIVE Updates
And as individuals, every person will be playing Russian roulette every minute of every day: Do I get on this crowded bus to go to work or not? What if I get on the subway, and the person next to me is not wearing gloves and a mask? What if they sneeze? Do I get in the elevator at the office if there is another person on it? Do I go into the office lunchroom or not? Do I stop for a drink at this bar, where the stools are 6 feet apart, or that crowded one my friends chose? Do I use this toilet or that drinking fountain? Do I send my kid back to school or not? Do I stay in a hotel? Ride an airplane? Let the plumber in? Do I go to the doctor to check that strange lump or not?
California's Gov. Gavin Newsom plans to provide monetary relief to the state's undocumented immigrants, according to a recently published article.

UNDOCUMENTED IMMIGRANTS IN CALIFORNIA

Many undocumented immigrants in California play essential roles in the workforce. Daranee Petsod, president of Grantmakers Concerned With Immigrants and Refugees, said: "In California, the undocumented constitute about 10 percent of the workforce here and they annually pay about $7 billion in taxes - local, state and federal - and yet they're left out of the federal relief."

It is expected that many of the undocumented immigrants will not receive the stimulus check because they do not have a Social Security Number, which is the primary requirement in collecting the payment. However, the exclusion of Latino and Asian families due to lack of this requirement are hitting them hard amid COVID-19.

According to a study by the Latino Politics and Policy Initiative with UCLA's Center for Neighborhood Knowledge, 56 percent of Latino neighborhoods in Los Angeles County had a high risk of not qualifying the federal relief.

Moreover, most undocumented immigrants work as harvesters and farmers in American farms, they clean homes, and public spaces, they are taking care of children and the elderly. Others are now unemployed because small businesses like restaurants have temporarily shut down.

MONETARY RELIEF TO UNDOCUMENTED IMMIGRANTS

Immigrant advocates and lawmakers highly support the plan of Gov. Newsom for undocumented immigrants. The initiative of Newsom shows how he recognized the role of immigrants regardless of their status in the state's workforce.

Newsom announced on Wednesday that an amount of $125 million public-private Disaster Relief Fund is intended for the workers in California who do not have legal status. The application for the relief fund will start next montha one-time cash benefit of $500 for every adult and up to $1,000 for every household.

However, the number of undocumented immigrants in the state is estimated to be around 2.2 million, and the relief fund intended for them can only cater to 150,000. Luckily, the support group Grantmakers Concerned With Immigrants and Refugees has raised $6 million, and their goal is to reach $50 million.

Moreover, members of the Congressional Hispanic Caucus are asking to include the farmworkers who work to sustain the food supply in the country in the next stimulus relief package. They also requested to extend the employment authorization for those work permits that are expiring.

Rep. Tony Cardenas, D-Calif., chairman of Bold PAC, the Hispanic Caucuses's political action committee, said: "Undocumented working and tax-paying Americans should have the basic human rights and support from the government as everyone else."

The only thing that hinders them from receiving the stimulus package is their status in the country. Despite this, several groups are filling the gap in assisting those who were not included in the payment.

One of the groups is the National Domestic Workers Alliance that raised $4 million to help domestic workers, and many of them are immigrants.

Read a related article:
Since its formation in 2008, the Tesla Quartet has been showered with critical accolades, released two recordings, hired a manager and lined up a full schedule at major concert halls around the world.

Even so, life as a professional string quartet has been a hand-to-mouth existence. The four players, aged 34 to 38, have long relied on relatives, friends and concert presenters for temporary housing, while stashing their few possessions in a storage locker. Only during the past year did their advance bookings give them the confidence and means to rent their own apartments in New York.

And then, in early March, their delicate world fell apart.

Tesla was scheduled to perform at Rockefeller University in Manhattan on March 6, and was wrapping up several weeks of rehearsals of Tchaikovskys First Quartet, when one of the violinists, Michelle Lie, opened her email. The university was canceling its next three recitals  starting with Teslas, the following day.

Then came the following weeks scheduled performance at the Century Association, which suspended operations along with many of New Yorks other private clubs.
Karnataka has decided to open parts of its economy to business again from Monday amid the coronavirus lockdown. The state government has decided to allow construction activities to resume and technology companies to start their work, besides government departments, industrial townships and SEZs according to Chief Minister BS Yediyurappa. The CM was briefing the media after a meeting with his senior advisors.

The chief minister stated that the imposition of prohibitory orders under Section 144 of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) would continue till May 3. Yediyurappa also said that inter-district and interstate travel is still prohibited.

All government departments, SEZs and industrial townships including technology parks would work at a third of their strength. Earlier on Saturday, Yediyurappa had said that two-wheeler vehicles would be permitted to move around without passes but late in the night, the CMO issued a statement saying that based on public feedback, it had been decided to scrap this move.

The CM also said the administration would double down on enhancing measures in Covid-19 containment zones including 32 identified in Bangalore and eight other hotspots across the state, to ensure there was no spread of the virus. The administration has made wearing masks mandatory.

Agricultural activities had earlier been exempted from any restrictions across the state.

25 new fresh Covid-19 positive cases were registered in the state bringing the cumulative total till Saturday to 384 which includes 14 deaths and 104 people being discharged. Eight of the 30 districts in the state are completely Covid-19 free and have not reported even a single case till date.

Karnataka governments move to ease lockdown restrictions, however, sparked criticism from the opposition. JD(S) leader and Member of Legislative Council, Basvraj Horatti asked the government to reconsider its decision as Covid-19 cases were increasing in the state. He also said, allowing movement of two-wheeler vehicles without passes would render the lockdown meaningless and coronavirus may spread to rural areas too.

Meanwhile, in a controversial statement, Karnataka Health and Family Welfare Minister B Sriramulu claimed that gargling hot water mixed with turmeric and salt, thrice a day, could cure coronavirus. Sriramulu said he is no doctor but claimed that he had read an article on how this was an effective cure and had been successful in China. However, late in the evening, he tweeted out saying that he had merely made a suggestion and did not mean that the remedy could cure coronavirus.

The minister had made the original statement in Bellary where, in another faux pas, food kits were distributed by him and local legislator Somashekar Reddy. The leaders were seen violating all social distancing norms as hundreds gathered in queues, jostling and pushing one another to avail of these free food kits.
A doctor is California has been charged by fraud for allegedly selling a "100%" cure for COVID-19. This includes drugs which Donald Trump, at one point, said were an effective treatment for coronavirus. The man in question is Dr Jennings Ryan Staley who operates the Skinny Beach Med Spa - a beauty spa in San Diego.

According to a BuzzFeed report, he allegedly claimed that the treatment would make customers immune for at least 6 weeks. The FBI had been investigating him for some time and when an agent posed as a customer, Staley was caught red-handed.



The US Attorneys Office for the Southern District of California confirmed the news in an official statement. It was released on their website www.justice.gov.



BuzzFeed

FBI began its investigation after getting a tip that Skinny Beach sent emails advertising COVID-19 treatment packs in late March. They were priced at $3995 for a family of 4. The packs included hydroxychloroquine, azithromycin, and anti-anxiety treatments to help you avoid panic if needed and help you sleep.



Autoimmune drugs like hydroxychloroquine and chloroquine, meant to fight malaria, are used in certain capacities against COVID-19. Hydroxychloroquine, which is also used by patients with lupus or rheumatoid arthritis, is being reportedly used in combination with azithromycinm, to treat the disease. However, it is not a miracle cure, as Staley suggests.

According to the US Attorney's Office, Staley called his medication a magic bullet which is preventative and curative."

US Attorney's Office

"Its hard to believe, its almost too good to be true. But its a remarkable clinical phenomenon, Staley said.

"If I'm hearing you right, if I buy these kits from you, then that's going to pretty much guarantee that neither my kids, my dad, my wife, any of us get sick, and if we are, it's going to cure us right?" Staley was asked by the undercover agent during their phone call, according to the criminal complaint.

"Guaranteed," the doctor allegedly responded.

Later on when he was interviewed by the FBI, Staley denied Skinny Beach had informed customers of a 100 per cent cure.

AFP

Nonetheless, the authorities plan to prosecute him to the fullest extent of the law.

We will not tolerate COVID-19 fraudsters who try to profit and take advantage of the pandemic fear to cheat, steal and harm others, said US Attorney Robert Brewer, Jr.

Rest assured: those who engage in this despicable conduct will find themselves in the crosshairs of federal prosecutors, he added.


Hundreds of New Hampshire residents rallied outside the statehouse in Concord on April 18 to urge a quick end to the northeastern state's virus-related stay-at-home rule

Hundreds protested Saturday in cities across America against coronavirus-related lockdowns -- with encouragement from President Donald Trump -- as resentment grows against the crippling economic cost of confinement.

An estimated 400 people gathered under a cold rain in Concord, New Hampshire -- many on foot while others remained in their cars -- to send a message that extended quarantines were not necessary in a state with relatively few confirmed cases of COVID-19.

The crowd included several armed men wearing military-style uniforms, with their faces covered.

Far-right conspiracy theorist Alex Jones addresses a "Reopen America" rally at the State Capitol in Austin, Texas

In Texas, more than 250 people rallied outside the State Capitol in Austin, including far-right conspiracy theorist Alex Jones, founder of the Infowars site, who rolled up in a tank-like truck.

"It's time to reopen Texas, it's time to let people work, it's time for them to let voluntary interaction and good sense rule the day, not government force," said Justin Greiss, an activist with Young Americans for Liberty.

Stay-at-home mother Amira Abuzeid added: "I'm not a doctor but I'm an intelligent person who can do math and it looks like at the end of the day, these numbers are not that worrisome."

Few if any observed social distancing recommendations.

Demonstrators outside Maryland's colonial-era statehouse in Annapolis stayed in their cars but waved signs with messages like "Poverty kills too."

Demonstrators protest from their cars in Annapolis, Maryland

Dolores, a hairdresser, told AFP she is not eligible for unemployment because she is a business owner, not an employee.

"I need to save my business. I need to work to live. Otherwise I will die," she said.

Other demonstrations took place across the country in cities such as Columbus, Ohio and San Diego, California, as well as the states of Indiana, Nevada and Wisconsin.

Few practiced social distancing but many of the protesters waved American flags.

- 'Live Free or Die' -

Protesters have drawn encouragement in certain Democratic-led states from tweets by Trump, who has said he favors a quick return to normal, though protests have also taken place in Republican-led states like New Hampshire and Texas.

A protester holds up a sign during the "Reopen America" rally in Austin, Texas

The US has seen more coronavirus cases and deaths than any other country in the world -- with more than 734,000 confirmed infections and 38,800 fatalities as of Saturday evening.

The vast majority of Americans are under lockdown orders restricting public movement and keeping all but essential businesses closed.

In Concord, demonstrators carried signs with slogans like "The numbers lie" and "Reopen New Hampshire."

Their common demand was that the stay-at-home order for the state of 1.3 million people be called off before its scheduled May 4 end date.

Protesters rally at the Ohio State House in Columbus

Others, amid a sea of American flags, chanted the state's Revolutionary War-era slogan, "Live Free or Die."

"People are very happy on a voluntary basis to do what's necessary," one demonstrator, 63-year-old Skip Murphy, told AFP by phone.

He added, however, that "the data does not support the egregious lockdown we are having in New Hampshire."

As of early Friday, New Hampshire had reported 1,287 confirmed coronavirus cases and 37 deaths.

- 'Free country' -

"All over the country, a lot of people are saying, 'We will do our part, but at the same time, this is supposed to be a free country,'" Murphy said.

A protester in Concord, New Hampshire waves a flag during a rally urging a quick end to virus-related confinement rules

"When that gets transgressed, people start to say, 'Wait a minute, this is wrong.'"

Most Americans -- by a two-to-one margin -- actually worry about virus restrictions being lifted too soon, not too late, a recent Pew survey found.

But demonstrators found encouragement Friday from the president, who in a series of tweets called to "LIBERATE" Michigan, Minnesota and Virginia -- all states with Democratic governors -- from stay-at-home orders.

Trump has repeatedly called for the earliest possible return to normality as virus-related closings have had a crushing impact on American workers and businesses.

Some at the Concord, New Hampshire rally against home confinement rules wore masks or face coverings

"I really think some of the governors have gotten carried away," Trump said at a White House news conference on Saturday.

He welcomed the reopening of some businesses in Texas and Vermont on Monday "while still requiring appropriate social distancing precautions."

The largest protest against stay-at-home rules so far took place Wednesday in the Michigan capital of Lansing, which drew some 3,000 people.

Murphy said he had voted for Trump, but insisted his motives were not partisan. New Hampshire Governor Chris Sununu is a Republican, he noted.

"This has nothing to do with Trump or the Democratic and Republican governors," Murphy said.

"It is a case of one size not fitting all -- the lockdown should cease where it does not make sense."
She was admitted by her care home previous day after complaining of a cough

The heartwarming moment one of Britain's oldest coronavirus survivors, aged 102, left hospital after defeating the deadly disease has been caught on camera.

The poignant footage shows great gran Vera Beeley exiting the Northern General Hospital in Sheffield, South Yorks, to a standing ovation from dozens of doctors and nurses.

The centenarian was diagnosed with Covid-19 on Easter Monday after being admitted to hospital from her care home the previous day after complaining of a cough.

She spent a week bravely battling the disease, which has claimed the lives of more than 15,000 Britons, before being given the all clear on Friday April 17.

A heartwarming video shows the moment Vera Beeley, 102, from Sheffield, leaves hospital after defeating coronavirus (pictured)

The poignant footage captures the moment the great gran exited the Northern General Hospital to a standing ovation from dozens of doctors and nurses (pictured)

Vera, a retired cleaner from Sheffield, has two children, four grandchildren and seven great grandchildren.

Her daughter Irene Whitehead said: 'She is a little fighter and we are all over the moon that she has beaten Covid-19.

'She has always been a very strong willed lady and that hasn't changed.

'We used to ring the hospital every day and they were just brilliant with her, it's just amazing at her age that she has recovered from this awful virus.'

Vera's daughter Irene Whitehead said: 'She is a little fighter and we are all over the moon that she has beaten Covid-19.' Pictured, Vera leaving the hospital

Northern General Hospital is a Major Trauma Centre managed by Sheffield Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust.

Professor Chris Morley, Chief Nurse at the Trust, said: 'I am thrilled to hear that Mrs Beeley has recovered from Covid-19 and I wish her and her family all the best.

'Thank you to our fabulous teams who are working hard to provide the best possible care to our patients at this extraordinary time and continue to strive to deliver the best experience and outcomes for patients like Mrs Beeley, despite the current challenges that they face.'
Anthony Russo never likes to miss work. Even on his days off, he wants to be at the Stop & Shop in Madison.

When the coronavirus pandemic reached New Jersey, Russos stance didnt change. As an essential worker at a grocery store, he had the option to continue going to his job.

Russo, a 26-year-old on the autism spectrum, understood the risks presented by the pandemic, but he remained committed.

He wants to go in there and do it. And he is not afraid. We educated him about whats going on, as well as the store, said Donna Russo, Anthonys mother. And we told him how important it was to keep washing his hands, wear gloves, dont go too close to people. We said, Anthony, you have the choice. And the store also gave him the choice. They said, if youre not comfortable and you dont want to work, we understand. You will not lose your job, its ok.

CORONAVIRUS RESOURCES: Live map tracker | Businesses that are open | Homepage

When presented with the options, Anthony Russo made his decision.

I bake cookies. Cookies make people happy, and these are hard times, and I want to bake my cookies, he told his mother.

So Russo continued reporting to Stop & Shop, where he has worked as a bakery assistant for nearly six years. He makes the cookies, decorates cupcakes, packages and tags items, and takes cake orders.

Even as more people started becoming infected with the coronavirus, hes remained committed to going to work.

He didnt look at it as a thing of fear. He just looked at is as, I have a responsibility,' Donna Russo said. 'I feel good, Im going to go in and do my job and help.' Thats the mentality that he has. The people there are very good to him, theyre very nice to him. They look out for him and hes learned so much being there, and were just so grateful hes been given this opportunity.

During Russos time working at Stop & Shop, hes gained more responsibility over the years, earning the trust of management to handle more tasks.

His mom, Independence360/Spectrum360 and the Madison Stop & Shop have worked together to help Russo handle and grow in his job.

Before he got the job, Donna Russo wasnt sure what her sons adult life was going to look like. Now shes proud to watch him make a difference during a national crisis.

I couldnt imagine in my wildest dreams that this would ever happen. I guess I didnt have enough faith in the community that they would take a chance on him. And somebody did," she said.

"It just shows when you stick with something and keep working at it, it does pay off. The most important thing to me is that hes happy. He sings before he goes to work. He loves his job, and that to me, if youre happy and youre healthy, youve got the world.

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.
In view of surge in the demand



for anti-malarial drug Hydroxychloroquine (HCQ) amidst the coronavirus pandemic, pharmaceutical companies in Gujarat have stepped up efforts to ramp up its production for domestic as well as global markets, a senior official said on Sunday.

Hemant Koshia, Commissioner of Food and Drugs Control Administration (FDCA), Gujarat, told PTI that the government granted 20 product licences to 13 companies recently.

The efficacy of HCQ, traditionally used for treating Malaria and rheumatoid arthritis, as a possible treatment for COVID-19 disease is currently being tested.

Earlier this month, India, which is the largest producer of HCQ globally, decided to partially lift the ban on its export in sync with its global commitment to deal with the coronavirus pandemic.

Even before the global rush for HCQ started, a total of 28 companies in Gujarat, a major pharmaceutical hub in the country, were in possession of the licence to manufacture active pharmaceutical ingredients (APIs) and formulations for the drug, Koshia said.

"More pharmaceutical companies approached the state government for securing the manufacturing licence, especially after its importance in fight against coronavirus came to light and after India lifted brief ban on its export," he said.

Koshia further said the Gujarat FDCA a few days back granted 20 product licences to 13 existing pharmaceuticalcompanies to manufacture both the APIs and formulations for the drug, considering its importance in fight against COVID-19.

"Before COVID-19 outbreak, there were 28 companies in Gujarat which are actively engaged in manufacturing of API (3) and formulation (25) for HCQ, both for domestic consumption and exports.

"These companies were earlier granted 67 product licences, of which 35 were for export permission and 32 for domestic," Koshia said.

He said seven of the 21 product licences granted to 13 companies were for the purpose of export.

"A few of these companies have the licence to manufacture both raw materials and formulations," he said.

Some of the pharmaceutical companies granted licences to manufacture HCQ are Sun Pharma, Stallion Labs, Ratnamani Healthcare, Merit Organics, Umedica Labs, among others, he added.

According to Koshia, Gujarat, which is witnessing a steady rise in coronavirus cases, was probably the first state to place order for one crore HCQ tablets in March.

"The state has already received delivery of 50 lakh tablets from Cadila Pharma which will be supplied to government hospitals," Koshia said.

At present, India is in the process of supplying HCQ to 55 cronavirus-hit countries.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
'Once you resume economic activities, life will be normal.'

'The younger people will tolerate the virus very well. So, life will become normal very soon.'

IMAGE: Medics carry out thermal screening of villagers in Paniyala, Haridwar. Photograph: ANI Photo

Uttarakhand is one state in India that has been quite successful in tackling the coronavirus.

On April 14, it was reported that the state had not recorded any new COVID-19 case for four days. But on the 15th morning it had two positive cases, raising the total number to 37 out of which nine have recovered.

The state has seen no coronavirus-related deaths so far.

At the forefront of treating coronavirus patients is the All India Institute of Medical Sciences, Rishikesh.

"There is no Ram baan to fight the virus," AIIMS-Rishikesh Director Dr Ravi Kant, below, tells Rediff.com's Shobha Warrier.

Uttarakhand did not report any positive case for four days.

Ten days ago, there were two positive cases in Roorkee, and when we repeated the test on April 13, one case was still positive.

Another case tested positive 12 days ago in Haridwar. There are four positive cases in Dehradun and more numbers in Udhamsingh Nagar.

I would say we had an initial cheer because these cases had either a travel history or contact history. But there is no data that shows that there was any community transmission in Uttarakhand.

The state government has implemented the lockdown very strictly. I must congratulate the state government for doing so.

Next, we do lab tests at multiple places and the patients are quarantined there itself.

We have prepared an outer circle where the suspected patients are quarantined in individual rooms with bathrooms. Till they are tested positive, they will be in these rooms.

If they are tested positive, they will be divided into three groups.

Patients with no temperature, normal blood pressure and oxygen level normal and who do not require any external support and can be treated like a common cold. They will be kept in hospitals or ashrams.

Then come those patients who require oxygen and blood pressure control and they will be kept in nominated hospitals which include AIIMS.

Those patients who require ventilation will be in hospitals with that facility.

Where do you have the outer circle where the suspected patients are kept?

We have isolation centres in Roorkee, Haridwar, Dehradun, etc so that they need not come to AIIMS as long as they do not need oxygen or blood pressure support or ventilation.

What AIIMS-Rishikesh has done is we have improved the diagnostic services so that we can do 100 tests per day. We are also starting the antibodies test very soon.

Part two is, we have converted the entire trauma centre into a COVID-19 centre with 100 beds.

Initially, we will have 15 beds with ventilators which we will ramp to 100.

Even though not many new cases are being reported, why do you want to increase the number of beds with ventilators?

AIIMS-Rishikesh, is in line with the Centre's policy of being ready with maximum preparedness when the need arises.

We are readying roughly 400 beds for a possible COVID-19 disaster.

Out of these 400 beds, we will gradually make 200 beds with ventilation. The rest of the 200 beds will have oxygenation supply for patients.

AIIMS will be the higher centre of treatment when the need arises.

The state quarantined around 800 suspected cases Is that the reason why you could stop the spread and only 37 positive cases reported so far?

If you look at the way the pandemic spreads, it is from one person to another. If you can stop it from spreading from one to another, you can stop the disease. It is that simple.

So, if your response is quick with total quarantine with absolutely no contact, you can stop the virus from spreading, and you can solve the problem. But there will be a challenge.

The challenge is the economy of the state is based on the Char Dham yatra, Haridwar darshan, etc. So, the question is, what will happen once the gates are opened to outsiders?

This is going to be the challenge and we will see once this happens.

So, you are preparing yourself for such an eventuality.

Exactly. It doesn't matter whether you open in May or in September; the moment you open, people will come from outside and the barriers will be gone.

I saw two reports, one is from the Robert Koch Institute of Infectious Diseases in Berlin in Germany and another from a lab in America. They both say that unless 65% of the population is infected with the virus, the problem will not be solved.

You mean, till herd immunity is created?

Yes. That is the only answer.

Lockdown is a temporary period for preparing the hospitals.

Lockdown cannot eradicate the disease unless you shoot the person with the disease like they do in North Korea!

The virus will stay among the population and the moment people start meeting each other, it will start spreading.

So, the new guideline is, save the elderly and let the new population be exposed to the virus as they can resist it well. That is the way out.

Until 65% of the population gets immunity, it will continue.

When it happens, it will be a peak and a lot more people will come to the hospitals.

So, we have not yet reached the peak?

Once the lockdown is over, the peak will happen. I expect it will be in May or June.

How long do you think it will take for 65% of the population to get resistance to the virus?

It will take two years.

It is important that economic activities resume as soon as possible; our industrial activities, manufacturing, etc have to start. Because without industrial activities, a large number of our population, especially the poor, will not be able to survive.

Some say people may die of hunger and not of the disease.

Nobody will die of hunger because the government is doing so much to avert that. It is all political propaganda.

Through the Jan Dhan Yojana money is going directly to people's bank accounts. So, there is no question of anyone dying of hunger. There is no doubt that the poor will be taken care of.

But the question is, for how long?

Do you feel it was necessary to extend the lockdown till May 3?

The decisions are taken by the central government after consulting experts taking into consideration the economy, the disease, etc. I consider the prime minister's decision a wise one.

At present, hydroxychloroquine is given to COVID-19 patients.

There is no specific drug which will cure the virus, as of today.

What is the treatment that you are giving at AIIMS-Rishikesh?

The treatment depends on the case, and it varies from case to case.

You must understand that there is no Ram baan or bullet to fight the virus. There is no drug that can cure the virus.

If we had a drug, why do so many people die of the disease inthe US, France or Italy?

There is a rationale in the prophylactic use in healthcare workers and contact patients. But it is not a cure for the virus.

If you have a viral disease, there is no treatment.

The question is, how can you increase the threshold?

In increasing the threshold, our Ayush Mantralaya is also doing a good job by advising on what to eat and what not to.

ICMR has given permission to use hydroxychloroquine only in severe cases.

No. ICMR has not given permission to use the drug. What ICMR has said is healthcare workers and contact patients may be given this drug provided their ECG control is all right.

Kerala has initiated plasma treatment by extracting plasma from cured COVID-19 patients. How effective will this be?

It is an experiment that is in a very interesting mode. Let us see the results. It looks quite sensible to me. But we need to do randomised control tests before we can say how effective this will be.

When do you see life becoming normal for people all over the world?

Once you resume economic activities, life will be normal.

The younger people will tolerate the virus very well. So, life will become normal very soon.

We have to challenge the virus and accept the virus.

There will be a certain percentage of mortality, but then that will be acceptable. The seniors will have to be protected as they cannot be cured.

But the disease will be eradicated only after a vaccine comes, and the vaccine is two years away.

Will social distancing become a part of our lives?

I am of the opinion that social distancing is a wrong term and it has to go away. Socially we have to be together.

What is needed is physical distancing.

Will handshakes also become a thing of the past?

For two years we have to be careful!

And in due course of time, it will be all right.
A formal police complaint has been lodged against Bihar education minister Krishna Nandan Vermas personal assistant for allegedly organising a house-warming party amid the Covid-19 lockdown, according to officials.

Adding to the governments discomfort was a video clip --- purportedly capturing visuals from party --- that went viral on social media.

Chief minister Nitish Kumar has repeatedly urged people to follow the lockdown guidelines and turned down requests from opposition parties to bring back Bihar residents, including students and workers, stranded in other parts of the country.

A police officer said the party was organised in Jehanabad, which is Vermas hometown, on April 15. Several officials of the local administration and journalists participated in it, officials said.

Taking cognizance of reports, the government asked the police headquarters to inquire into the matter. After the reports were confirmed, a first information report (FIR) was filed on Sunday against the ministers personal assistant (PA), Pintu Yadav, and several officials, including Jehanabads sub-divisional police officer, block development officer and circle officer.

The ministers PA threw a house-warming party and a large number of people, in batches of 50 and 100, took part in it. The officials also admitted having attended the party, as the invitation was from the ministers PA, the police officer said on condition of anonymity.

Many journalists also enjoyed the feast. As the FIR was lodged under bailable sections, all officials got bail but the investigation is on. A charge-sheet will soon be filed. The officials will also face departmental proceedings, the officer added.

Jehanabads superintendent of police Manish Kumar said action is being taken in the matter. Another police officer, who declined to be named, said the list of all the people who attended Yadavs party is being drawn up.

Soon after the incident came to light, the minister said he had received information that the block and district officials, who were busy distributing relief materials, had been requested by the people of his hometown to have lunch as a mark of respect.

I dont know if social distancing was maintained. If there is anything wrong, there will be a proper investigation, he said.

However, the opposition parties criticised the state government.The government must walk the talk. If this is what a senior ministers PA does within the state and barely 75 km from Patna, it does not set the right example and the call to adhere to the lockdown will become meaningless, said Congress legislator and spokesman Premchandra Mishra.

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'Renewal Diary employs five people. It hopes to eventually grow its user base to one million and boost its employment number to 12.' Stock photo: Getty Images/iStockphoto

Renewal Diary, a technology startup which helps its users manage utility, broadband and insurance contract renewals, is seeking to take the total amount it has raised to over 1m as it prepares for a 500,000 funding round.

The company, which was founded in December 2017 by Fiachra O Comhrai and Cormac Horan, has already received support from several UK and Ireland-based investors. These include ex-Salesforce EMEA chairman Steve Garnett and former KKR partner Henrik Kraft.

Its new funding round will be split between private investors and Enterprise Ireland.

"Enterprise Ireland is excited by what we are doing and asked us how they could help us get the next round done," said O Comhrai.

"Our existing investors were already ready for it. Things that do well in recessions are pound shops and pizzas. People want to go for treats, but not go to a restaurant.

"We think it's the same for renewals. In boom times, people won't bother renewing - thinking, how bad could it be? - but in a recession, everybody is questioning whether they are getting that value."

Renewal Diary employs five people. It hopes to eventually grow its user base to one million and boost its employment number to 12.
I believe the woman! Except if she gets in the way of the guy I prefer for president has been the tone of subdued liberal response to former Joe Biden staffer Tara Reades allegations that her boss assaulted her nearly three decades ago. A notable exception was the always forthright Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-N.Y.), who said that the charges are legitimate to talk about. The New York Times didnt help things by taking 19 days to cover Reades allegations, when their reporters jumped right on accusations made against Brett Kavanaugh during his Supreme Court nomination hearings. As someone who has done her fair share of cartoons about allegations of inappropriate sexual behavior against all sorts of men, including Kavanaugh, Im with AOC: Bidens behavior with women is legitimate to talk about.

By the way, Im the woman (minus the red hair) in the cartoon.

Editorial cartoons from this week include:
Check-in counter for passengers at the Suvarnabhumi airport passenger terminal is totally empty, as the outbreak hits the overall tourism industry. (Photo: bangkokpost.com)

The estimates have the country losing almost 24 million international tourist arrivals and 1.9 trillion baht (58.4 billion USD) in revenue.

The TAT also forecast the number of domestic holiday-makers stand at 60 million, far below the target of 172 million before the COVID-19 outbreak.

Total revenue of the tourism sector is estimated at 1.12 trillion baht (34.4 billion USD) in 2020, down 62.8 percent from the record 3.01 trillion baht in 2019.

TAT Governor Yuthasak Supasorn said that this revised forecast assumes tourism activities can resume in May, with the outbreak in Thailand levelling off while overseas infections subside.

The industry needs to watch the situation closely before commencing business, he noted, adding while the number of new COVID-19 cases in Thailand is falling on a daily basis, the tourism sector can't drop its guard. Instead it should wait for the related authorities to give the final say on when to lift the lockdown or travel restrictions.

Tourism has been the driving force for Thailands growth in recent years. Before the COVID-19 outbreak, the country expected that revenues from the industry would contribute at least 20 percent to the nations GDP this year. However, tourism was the first industry hard hit by the pandemic.

Statistics showed that the sectors revenue decreased by nearly 40 percent in the first quarter to 335 billion baht, while the number of foreign tourists fell by 38 percent to 6.7 million.

By April 18, the country had recorded 2,733 infection cases, including 47 fatalities.
UTICA, N.Y. --- Saturday marked the first day that the state's mask mandate went into effect. On Wednesday, Governor Cuomo signed an executive order mandating that everyone in a public setting is required to wear a mask.

The mandate requires you to wear a mask only for situations where you cannot maintain 6 feet. For example going to the grocery store or public transportation.

NEWSChannel 2 went out to local grocery stores, to speak with residents about what they think of the new mandate. Many said it'll take some getting used to, but it's something they feel is necessary.

"Everybody feels the same about it. Nobody wants to do it, but it's one of those things that we don't wanna do, but we've got to do," said Deborah Curriere.

The Governor said on Wednesday that there is not currently a penalty for failing to wear a mask in public. Cuomo said that if people continue to not abide by the order, he will have law enforcement issue "civil penalties" to those who don't comply.

Some stores locally are asking customers to wear masks inside while shopping. Chanatry's in New Hartford is one of those stores. There are some people that believe the masks aren't the most important measure that the community should be taking.

John Ryczek said he believes social distancing is more important.

"I don't think the masks are going to make a difference. I think social distancing, if you're sick will make a difference and not just COVID sick. I mean any kind of sick. I think if you're doing social distancing that should be enough," said Ryczek.

The mandate is in effect until further notice. For the latest information regarding the spread of COVID-19, stay tuned to WKTV.com for the latest updates.
Protests in cities and state capitals exploded around the country last week, with sign-toting and horn-blowing activists urging governors to ease stay-at-home restrictions put in place to combat the coronavirus.

Governors are getting pushback from those who say their constitutional rights are being denied, to the point that threats have been made against the life of Kentucky's governor.

A Facebook post on Saturday in the "Boone County Neighborhood Group" contained what Kentucky lawmakers described as threats against Gov. Andy Beshear. The post started by saying Beshear's actions denied Kentuckians of constitutional rights.

"By these ... unconstitutional acts on the part of Andy Beshear the Constitution protects us and gives us the authority to eliminate him by any means necessary via the Second Amendment," the user wrote.

But the person who made the comments told The Courier Journal in a message Sunday that his post was "NOT threatening anyone."

During his COVID-19 briefing on Sunday, Beshear provided a brief response when asked about the threats, calling Kentucky State Police "an incredible organization filled with great people."

Mar-a-Lago: Trump's Mar-a-Lago furloughs all 153 'nonessential' employees during coronavirus pandemic

"They provide security for me on a daily basis," Beshear said. "I trust them them. They know what they're doing, and I couldn't be in better hands."

Protesters gathered outside the Capitol over Gov. Andy Beshear's handling of COVID-19.

Executive orders by governors to close non-essential businesses, prohibit in-person religious services, force people to stay home or limit travel between states have been called unfair or unconstitutional by those protesting.

Governors insist they are simply trying to save lives, but experts say ensuring safety must be balanced against the liberties spelled out in the Bill of Rights.

State officials are still largely acting legally, constitutional law experts say.

"Pandemic is not a magic word that instantly negates all individual constitutional rights," said Jonathan Turley, a law professor at George Washington University.

Story continues

"A pandemic gives states a compelling state purpose in the imposition of restrictions. But when the state denies or restricts constitutional rights, it must satisfy a balancing test."

The orders can be challenged on the basis that they're overly broad, he said, or that they don't properly weigh the individual restrictions against public health threats.

President Donald Trump dismissed reports that some protesters have threatened governors during a news conference Sunday. Trump said the people who are protesting are "great people" who have "cabin fever."

"They want their life back," Trump said. "Their life was taken away from them."

Trump said he had "never seen so many American flags" at the protests. When asked about reports of Nazi flags appearing, Trump said he hadn't seen those.

"I totally would say, no way," Trump said. "I'm sure the news plays that up. I've seen American flags, all over the place."

Poll: Majority of voters support social distancing measures to slow coronavirus, polls find

Turley pointed to Michigan, a state he thinks has an order broad enough that it could be challenged.

On Wednesday, protesters gathered outside the Michigan capital in Lansing and intentionally used vehicles to block traffic on the surrounding streets.

"The important thing to realize is that particularly in the initial phase of a pandemic, the courts will be highly deferential to the states," Turley said. "But that will wane over time."

One restriction that has drawn both protest and push back has been the prohibition of in-person religious gatherings.

Both Turley and Samuel Marcosson, a University of Louisville professor, say that on the surface these restrictions are constitutional, but the details and other orders are the real test.

"If religion is treated the same as and subject to the same rules and restrictions as secular businesses or entities or individuals, that doesn't violate the First Amendment,"

Marcosson said.

Governors and Trump: Governors slam Trump's call to 'liberate' states where protesters object to coronavirus restrictions

States can even impose restrictions on protests, Marcosson said, as long as the restrictions fall in line with the approach needed for religious ones, particularly that they aren't aimed solely at protests against the orders.

"The government has to show that it has a really overriding interest, a compelling interest, that justifies action," he said. "And that it show a means of achieving that interest, that is truly necessary to do so.

"I don't think there should be any question that dealing with a pandemic that is killing tens of thousands so far in this country alone is a compelling interest  trying to prevent its spread, prevent more people from dying."

On Sunday, Kentucky lawmakers, state officials and others condemned the Facebook threat against Beshear.

Kentucky Attorney General Daniel Cameron tweeted on Sunday that, "Dissent and disagreement are necessary for any healthy government. Threats of violence are not and are unacceptable."

'It's a terrific symbol': Mnuchin takes credit for adding Trump's name to coronavirus stimulus checks

Secretary of State Michael Adams tweeted, "This comment is reprehensible. Our Second Amendment protects fundamental rights; murder is not among them. In a civilized society, we settle our differences with ballots, not bullets."

Statewide stay-at-home orders cover more than 310 million Americans, a vast majority of the country's population. But eight states, all led by Republican governors, have held out.

Governors in Iowa, Nebraska, North Dakota, South Dakota, Utah, Wyoming, Oklahoma and Arkansas have given various reasons for not issuing statewide orders during the pandemic.

Some of the leaders say the specific circumstances of their state do not merit such a mandate, others have advocated for individual responsibility and a few have said they are following the advice of their own state health officials.

Legal experts have said Trump doesnt have the authority to impose a national lockdown as the heads of countries such as Italy, Spain, France and Britain have done.

Small business loans: Mnuchin says deal 'very close' on billions more for small-business loans

While appearing to egg on some states to loosen up restrictions at times  even tweeting things like "LIBERATE MINNESOTA" and "LIBERATE MICHIGAN"  Trump has otherwise signaled support for leaving decisions up to the states, as of now.

"We have a thing called the Constitution, which I cherish," the president said earlier this month when talking about the possibility of a nationwide lockdown.

On the issue of state vs. federal power in terms of loosening virus-related rules/restrictions, James Hodge, a law professor at Arizona State University and director of the universitys Center for Public Health Law and Policy, said most of that power rests firmly with states.

The country's system of government was set up that way, to give states the predominant central power to protect their populations from public health threats. The federal government, though, does have something states dont: deep pockets.

The federal government could get into a situation where it tells states to open up or resources and money will be withheld, Hodge said, adding that he believes this is something to watch for as this continues.

Another area where the federal government could get involved and potentially overturn what some states have done is the area of interstate travel, Marcosson said, if the U.S. Congress deems the restrictions being an unnecessary interference with interstate commerce.

Some governors ordered bans on non-essential travel across state lines or implemented mandatory 14-day quarantines for anyone coming to their state from certain areas. Congress could pass a law establishing one, uniform national rule regarding interstate travel during the pandemic.

But Congress hasnt done that, Marcosson said. And until and unless Congress does that, which seems unlikely, then the states have the authority to deal with this issue.

New issues could arise once bordering states begin to lift restrictions, which might lead to more quarantines or travel restrictions.

You can lawfully implement quarantine and isolation measures, Hodge said.

Turley, the George Washington University expert, said hes not aware of any orders that have been overturned by courts, but said several related to religious gatherings have been challenged. He added that over time, courts will give less deference to states as the restrictions continue, but that in and of itself doesnt mean courts will start overturning them.

States and supplies: How a frantic trek to a McDonalds parking lot shows the scramble states face for coronavirus supplies

Marcosson said the continued restrictions, lifted restrictions and trends in infections and deaths will be important evidence as courts see challenges to restrictions in the weeks or months to come.

My view would be its not a matter of the amount of time that passes, but that when time passes, it may give us more information that could either support one side or the other in making the case that these restrictions are no longer justified under the governments police powers.

The various versions of statewide shelter-in-place orders have resulted in protests outside Capitol buildings in states like California, Michigan, Utah, Oho and Kentucky. Numerous conservative groups have emerged at the forefront of the demonstrations in the states, which are led by both Republican and Democratic governors.

Amber Duke, a spokeswoman for the ACLU of Kentucky, said in a statement that Beshear's orders are in line with the government's role to protect the public.

"Nevertheless, while these orders may be constitutional today, these restrictions should not be in place indefinitely, and Governor Beshear and his advisors should regularly reevaluate the use of this emergency power," she said.

Restaurants: Will your favorite restaurant reopen? More coronavirus relief sought for survival

Outside of the Statehouse in Columbus, Ohio, for example, one protester questioned whether Gov. Mike DeWine was truly a Republican, asking, "Don't (they) believe in less government? Small government?"

In Wisconsin, meanwhile, nearly a thousand people packed along a road Saturday in the Republican stronghold of Brookfield to protest a decision by Democratic Gov. Tony Evers to extend the state's "safer-at-home" order until May 26.

Contributing: Jonathan Bullington (Louisville Courier-Journal), David Jackson and John Fritze of USA TODAY.

Matt Mencarini: mmencarini@courierjournal.com; Twitter: @MattMencarini.

This article originally appeared on Louisville Courier Journal: Coronavirus: governors accused of overreach in social distancing
Three weeks ago, Prince Harry and his Trump-hating missus, Meghan Markle, sought to have the Canadian government pay for their annual security in their rented Vancouver hideaway following their exit from the British royal family. They wanted to continue to live like royals, but not in the private sector way, which is by paying for it. When Canada ultimately said no, it was time to pack up and go Hollywood.

According to TMZ:

As for why they went to Vancouver first for 2 weeks, before hopping on a plane and moving the brood to Tinseltown ... we're hearing 2 different things. First ... bad optics, moving from the UK directly to Hollywood. We've also heard they thought they'd be taken care of better in Canada, and were surprised when they realized fending for themselves there was tougher than they thought, especially when they were stripped of their royal titles.

It suggests that no-free-security for them was the deal-breaker on whether they'd stay in Canada.

Now that they're stateside, it's unknown whether they asked the U.S. to pony up for the security the Canadians refused to pay, but something suggests that in one way or another, they might have.

It would explain why President Trump, out of the blue, thought it necessary to tweet that the U.S. wouldn't be paying their security any more than the Canadians would. Trump's the sole arbiter on whether they would get it and with this tweet, he headed it off at the pass.

I am a great friend and admirer of the Queen & the United Kingdom. It was reported that Harry and Meghan, who left the Kingdom, would reside permanently in Canada. Now they have left Canada for the U.S. however, the U.S. will not pay for their security protection. They must pay!  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) March 29, 2020

The Trump-hating wayward royals then claimed they had their own security, thank you very much, though there was no explicit denial that they had ever asked for any from the states.

Now they're out house-hunting -- in Bel Air, one of the richest, toniest enclaves in all Los Angeles, a place that makes Beverly Hills look like a shantytown in comparison. No low-class Hollywood Hills for them, no trashy Malibu, it's off to the ultra-isolated enclave of the super duper uberrich, where every mansion is its own gated community for them, and buying a house begins in the $10 million range for the cheap stuff.

Which rather raises questions about all that saga earlier about getting someone else to pay for their security. It turns out they have plenty of money for a mansion but need to get someone's taxpayers -- Britain's, Canada's or maybe America's -- pay for their security, so that they can buy a house in a place like Bel Air, and live in the accustomed style that they like.

Living within, or beneath their means, doing more with less, in order to get the unromantic things like security paid for, doesn't seem to be a concept that occurs to them. They have money for a Bel Air mansion, yet want someone else to pay for their security, something the other Bel Air rich pay for themselves.

Which speaks to an amazing sense of entitlement.

Most of us are willing to say, fine, dump the royal family, strike out on your own and live here in the states. But if you do that, you do what we do, and pay your own way.

No such luck with the Sussexes. They not only view taxpayers-first as a lifestyle choice, they also have sort of junior-like immaturity.

The last word is that old pops, Prince Chales is paying for their security, Which at their ages, is kind of embarrassing. Seems, they're always going to be dependent on someone. Which in the end, would explain their amazing hostility toward President Trump.

Image credit: Last Night of Freedom, via Flickr // CC BY-SA 2.0
As cases of violence against health care professionals increase, doctors associations have urged the central government to formulate more stringent laws.

Earlier this week, the Federation of Resident Doctors Association wrote to home minister Amit Shah, expressing concern over the attacks on doctors and medical staff at Lok Nayak Hospital in the national Capital and other states such as Madhya Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh and Telangana.

In a series of tweets, lawyer Sonali Jaitley Bakshi said her father, late Union minister Arun Jaitley, wanted to pursue the formation of a law to deal with the violence against health workers.

Today, I want to talk about something VERY important! Our family has always had the utmost respect for doctors, nurses & everyone in the medical profession. But recent attacks on these warriors brought back one of the final memories I shared with my father. When he was admitted to AIIMS, he often spoke of how kind the hospital staff was to him & our family. Their love, patience, dedication was clear to see. However, it broke his heart to hear of patients families beating up doctors, she tweeted.

Bakshi went on to add, He then told me that post-recovery, hed pursue govt. to introduce a strict law punishing those who assault medical staff. Sadly he could not- but I want to fulfil his vision & request GoI to pass this law soon. Friends, they save our lives - its time we stood up for them!
The issue of PPE for nursing homes in Louth has been raised by local TD Ruairi O Murchu who said that, this weekend, he wrote to a number in the Dundalk area offering assistance with acquiring protective equipment for them.

Mr O Murchu added that he made the offer in the wake of the revelation from the head of Nursing Homes Ireland, Tadhg Daly, who said a memo had been issued from the HSE in this region stating that PPE would be prioritised for nursing homes that had confirmed or suspected cases of Covid-19, leaving around 70% of care facilities at the back of the queue.

The Dundalk TD said he had been contacted by a number of individuals, charities and organisations in the North Louth area offering PPE for local nursing homes and he contacted the facilities with the offer of assistance.

Mr O Murchu said: "The revelation that PPE is to be, in effect, rationed, for nursing homes, is a very worrying development. I had spoken to Mr Daly about other HSE guidelines for care of residents with Covid-19 that were causing concern and upset for those in nursing homes and their families last week. This memo about PPE is even more disturbing.

"The 15th April memo from the HSE sent to nursing homes in Louth, Meath and the midlands stated that Orders will now be based on the number of confirmed positive/suspect client cases in a unit/service.

"It also said these orders will be based on an algorithm.

"Nursing homes in Louth have found themselves at the frontline of the battle against this pandemic but instead of being prioritised for resources, it seems that some could be the ones that are being left at the back of the queue, with potentially devastating consequences for residents and the brave staff who look after them.

"The issue of PPE and priority for nursing homes has been raised many times in the last number of weeks and it is still a massive problem, as this extraordinary memo shows. While we wait for the government to get their act together on sourcing PPE, people from Dundalk have stepped up and offered their assistance.

"This is welcome and residents and staff will no doubt be grateful for it. I am happy if I can be of assistance, but it shouldnt be this way. It shouldnt take acts of charity to get basic protective equipment into nursing homes. We need a more comprehensive solution and the state has to protect its most vulnerable members."

"We need to ensure the prioritising of nursing homes and we need the issues of PPE and the promised financial package for care of nursing home residents to be sped up and any problems dealt with. If there are any difficulties there has to be more clarity and transparency by government to ensure there is trust and that solutions can be found."
Two leopards were found dead



in Tallari-Zalakwadi forest area in Nanded district of Maharashtra within four days, and three persons have been detained in this connection, an official said on Sunday.

A leopard was found dead on Saturday on a farm in Kinvat tehsil of Nanded district. Three days prior to that a female leopard had also been found dead around the same place. A carcass of a dog was also spotted there, he said.

"We have sent the carcasses of the three animals for post-mortem, but the reports are yet to come. This is a suspicious case and we have detained three persons for interrogation," Shivnath Vaze, a forest official from Kinvat told PTI.

"The body parts of all the three animals were found intact. But the reason behind their death will be confirmed in the post-mortem reports," he added.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Baystate Health reported that as of Sunday it has tested 3,628 people for coronavirus with 794 tests coming back positive. The figure equals to 22%.

There have been 2,820 COVID-19 tests that have come back negative. There are 14 cases still pending results.

Currently within Baystate Healths four hospitals in Springfield, Greenfield, Palmer and Westfield, health care workers are caring for 141 hospitalized patients a decrease of three people from the 144 patients reported Saturday.

Baystate reported Sunday a decrease in patients being treated in critical care units. There were 19 patients in those units Sunday, a decrease from the 23 reported on Saturday.

The hospital is also caring for nine hospitalized patients who are under investigation for COVID-19 infection.

Baystate said the majority of coronavirus patients  a total of 127  are being treated at the Baystate Medical Center in Springfield.

Of the nearly 800 confirmed COVID-19 infections throughout Baystate Health since early March, 70% of all patients have either been discharged to home or subacute nursing facilities or never required admission, Baystate said.

As of Saturday, the number of coronavirus-related deaths in Massachusetts increased to 1,560, with 156 new deaths reported on Saturday. The Massachusetts Department of Health reported a total of 36,372 positive cases as of Saturday.

Altogether, 156,806 COVID-19 tests have been carried out by state and commercial labs, according to the statistics released Saturday.

Of the total coronavirus-related deaths, the majority - 810 - were reported in long-term care facilities.

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Australian Minister Addresses COVID Trace App Privacy Concerns

Australian Minister for Government Services Stuart Robert addressed concerns that the federal governments contact tracing app called COVID Trace will be an intrusion into peoples lives.

The comments come as Prime Minister Scott Morrison announced his government was preparing an app for Australians to consider voluntarily signing up to. COVID Trace has been met with a mixture of support and concern from politicians this week.

Morrison said the app was necessary if Australia wanted to relax its social distancing restrictions because it would provide a way to efficiently trace potential COVID-19 carriers. On the other hand, some have voiced concerns about privacy.

All Australians can have absolute assurance, from the privacy right the way to the security  that the app is simply a health app for individuals voluntary use to help us trace those who may have been close to someone who has been infected by the virus, Roberts said at a press conference on April 18.

A number of MPs have spoken publicly about their reasons for not wanting to download the app.

Former Deputy Prime Minister Barnaby Joyce addressed concerns for his privacy. I treasure the government knowing as little about me as possible, he told the Sydney Morning Herald.

Australia is doing an extraordinary job of flattening the curve by reason that we are overwhelmingly decent and logical people. We dont need an app to tell us that, he said.

Deputy Chief Medical Officer Paul Kelly said the app is purely voluntary and would not track peoples location or collect unnecessary data.

It is only in relation to data that is required for contact tracing and it will only be given to the health officials in the particular state or public health unit who is involved with that contact tracing for that individual who was the case.

There is no geolocation or anything like that on this app, he said.

The prime minister told 3AW radio on Friday that unless 40 percent of Australians (about 10 million people) volunteer to download COVID Trace, Australia will have to keep the [social distancing] restrictions in for longer.

Wed have to because we wouldnt have the confidence that if theres an outbreak, that wed be able to contain it with an Reff (effective reproduction number) of less than one, the prime minister explained.

He posted to Twitter on Saturday to ask for the cooperation and support of Australians when the app is ready for download, saying that it would help health workers and help get the economy going again.

His two posts received thousands of comments, including from a number of politicians.

We will be seeking the cooperation and support of Australians to download the app to help our health workers, to protect our community and help get our economy going again.  Scott Morrison (@ScottMorrisonMP) April 18, 2020

Lack of trust in and transparency by Govt is a major hurdle to people accepting contacting tracing app, said independent MP Zali Steggall, who won former Prime Minister Tony Abbotts Warringah seat.

New South Wales Liberal Senator Andrew Bragg, chair of the Select Senate Committee on financial technology and regulatory technology, said he was in support of the app.

I will use the app. Its a good idea.  As chair of a technology inquiry, I see technology improving lives every day, he said.

The COVID Trace app is scheduled to be available in the next week or two said Robert, according to itnews.

He added that the code behind the app will be made public for everyone to see, in an effort to be utterly transparent.

The source code will [also] be made public so every university, every tech company, any conspiracist can pull apart the code and see that were only collecting exactly what we say were collecting, Robert said.
Renowned bass guitarist Matthew Seligman, who played with David Bowie at Live Aid in 1985, has died from coronavirus aged 64.

The musician is best known for his role in the new wave scene in the 1980s and was a member of The Soft Boys and The Thompson Twins, also collaborating with Thomas Dolby.

Dolby, 61, confirmed his friend's death and said a candlelight vigil to remember the star would be held on YouTube live on 19 April at 8pm, saying: 'Matthew would want us to remember the good times and have a party.'

Fondly remembered: Renowned bass guitarist Matthew Seligman, who played with David Bowie at Live Aid in 1985, has died from coronavirus aged 64 (pictured in 2010)

Matthew had been battling COVID-19 for two weeks and had been on a ventilator at St George's Hospital in London.

He leaves behind son Deji, daughter Lily, and Mami, his partner and Lily's mother.

Born in Cyprus and raised in England, the bassist first came to prominence as a founding member of Bruce Woolley and the Camera Club, and psychedelic group The Soft Boys.

Iconic: Seligman even played with David Bowie during his legendary performance at Live Aid in 1985 (pictured)

Matthew also had short-lived spells with The Fallout Club, The Thompson Twins, The Dolphin Brothers and joined Dolby's solo group.

He gained a reputation as a session musician and collaborated with Morrissey, Tori Amos, Sinead O'Connor and David Bowie.

He would even play at Bowie's iconic 1985 performance at Live Aid to an audience of billions and also featured on his next two albums.

Matthew moved to Japan for a few years in 2000 before returning to the UK and switching professions to law, specialising in human rights.

'Grateful': Robyn Hitchcock, who fronted The Soft Boys and played alongside Seligman, has paid tribute to the bassist

Fellow Soft Boys member Robyn Hitchcock paid tribute to his former bandmate, saying: 'Everybody goes, but none of us were expecting Matthew to leave us so abruptly, forever.

'I'm profoundly grateful to have played music with him - you could really see his face light up like a full moon when he listened back to a take he enjoyed.

'Onstage he would lope and lurch and pace when the music moved him. Matthew is, was, and always will be one of the greats.'
WASHINGTON (AP)  The Trump administration and Congress are nearing an agreement as early as Sunday on an aid package of up to $450 billion to boost a small-business loan program that has run out of money and add funds for hospitals and COVID-19 testing.

With small-business owners reeling during a coronavirus outbreak that has shuttered much economic activity, Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin said he was hopeful of a deal that could pass Congress quickly and get the Small Business Administration program back up by midweek.

I think were very close to a deal today. Im hopeful that we can get that done, he said.

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Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., said he believed a deal could be reached late Sunday or early Monday. We still have a few more details to deal with, he said.

Under the proposed deal, the governments Paycheck Protection Program for small businesses would get roughly $300 billion, according to Mnuchin. The program has been swamped by businesses applying for loans and reached its appropriations limit last Thursday after approving nearly 1.7 million loans. That left thousands of small businesses in limbo as they sought help. An additional $50 billion in the evolving deal would go for disaster loans.

About $75 billion would go to U.S. hospitals, for those straining under a ballooning coronavirus caseload as well as those struggling to stay financially afloat after suspending elective surgeries during the pandemic. About $25 billion would be added for COVID-19 testing, something states have said was urgently needed. The money for hospitals and testing were priorities sought by congressional Democrats.

But additional aid to state and local governments would be left out, Mnuchin said. Democrats have been keen to boost funding to cash-strapped states and local governments whose revenues have cratered, but the issue threatened to provoke fights between large, high-tax states like California and New York and smaller states more typically run by Republicans.

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The president is willing to consider that in the next bill, but wants to get this over the finish line with a focus on small businesses, hospitals and testing, Mnuchin said.

He said hes been in touch with GOP leaders including Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., and House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy, R-Calif., and all are on board with the same plan.

Im hopeful that we can reach an agreement, that the Senate can pass this tomorrow, and that the House can take it up on Tuesday, and, Wednesday, wed be back up and running, Mnuchin said.

Schumer said Democrats were still working to get aid for state and local governments. They had submitted a compromise offer Friday that would provide $150 billion for states as well as cities, counties and towns based on need. Key swing states for Trump in the November presidential election  Pennsylvania, Michigan, Ohio and Wisconsin  would receive billions in new aid under the proposal, according to a senior Democratic aide who spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss details of private negotiations.

We are pushing hard, Schumer said. We dont want our police, our firefighters, our EMTs, our bus drivers  this is not an abstract issue. We dont want them fired.

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., predicted an agreement would be reached soon.

I am pleased to report that we have been engaged in bipartisan negotiations on our interim legislation, and our progress is encouraging, she said in a letter late Saturday to Democratic colleagues.

Republican Maryland Gov. Larry Hogan, who leads the National Governors Association, said he and other governors believe that aid for state and local government is desperately needed,'' but that it may not be an issue worth fighting over for now.

I dont think the deal is finalized yet, he said. But, look, we do not want to hold up funding to these small businesses. And we hope that the Democrats and the Republicans in the Senate can come together in a bipartisan way and get something moving for the American people."

The SBA loans, based on a companys payroll costs, offer owners forgiveness if they retain workers or rehire those who have been laid off. The law provides for forgiveness for companies in any industry  even businesses like hedge funds and law firms. Theres a limit of $100,000 on the amount of employees compensation that can be considered when loan forgiveness is calculated.

While they wait, owners who are shut down or whove lost revenue have expressed unease about the longer-term impact the virus outbreak will have on their companies.

Theres great pain out there, said Suzanne Clark, president of the U.S. Chamber of Commerce. Every hour and day that goes by without this assistance is really hurting them.

Mnuchin, Schumer and Hogan appeared on CNN's State of the Union," and Clark spoke on CBS' Face the Nation.

___

Associated Press writer Andrew Taylor contributed to this report.
On April 19, 1995, President Bill Clinton called whoever blew up the Alfred P. Murrah Federal Building in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, evil cowards.

Attorney General Janet Reno said the government would seek the death penalty for the bombers.

On that Wednesday morning, 168 people died in the bombing in the heartland including 19 children younger than 6 years old. More than 500 people were injured.

The blast gouged a nine-story high hole in the building.

A former Army soldier had parked a rented Ryder truck in front of the building. He got out, locked it and ignited two fuses.

At 9:02 a.m. the explosion ripped through the building where 500 people worked and children attended America's Kids day care.

According to history.com, the explosion blew off the buildings north wall.

The building housed the Social Security Administration, Secret Service, Drug Enforcement Agency, ATF and recruiters for the U.S. military.

The truck was loaded with almost 5,000 pounds of explosives - a mixture of fertilizer, diesel fuel and other chemicals.

The Alfred Murrah Federal Building in downtown Oklahoma City is the center of attention Thursday, April 20, 1995, as rescue workers continue digging through the rubble after Wednesday's fatal explosion. (AP Photo/J.Pat Carter)ASSOCIATED PRESS

The bomb destroyed or damaged 324 buildings within a 16-mile radius. A fireman at the scene told the Associated Press, Our firefighters are having to crawl over corpses in areas to get to people that are still alive.

Search and rescue units used dogs, cameras and listening equipment to find survivors.

The Associated Press described the scene.

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.

Gov. Frank Keating told reporters, Obviously, no amateur did this. Whoever did this was an animal.

The next day police had a suspect and discovered he was already in jail. Just 90 minutes after the explosion Timothy McVeigh had been stopped 90 miles north of Oklahoma City for driving a car without a license plate and carrying a concealed weapon.

On April 21, his co-conspirator, Terry Nichols, surrendered.

Both men were charged. McVeigh was convicted of murder and other charges. Nichols was convicted of involuntary manslaughter and other charges.

McVeigh was sentenced to death and executed on June 11, 2001.

FILE - In this Jan. 31, 1996 file photo, Timothy McVeigh is escorted by two unidentified U.S. Marshals to a hearing in Federal Court in downtown Oklahoma City. Timothy McVeigh exploded a truck bomb outside the Alfred P. Murrah Federal Building on April 19, 1995, killing 168 people. He was convicted of murder and executed. (AP Photo/ David Longstreath, Pool, File)ASSOCIATED PRESS

Nichols is serving life in prison.

A third man, Michael Fortier, who knew about the plan to bomb the building, testified against McVeigh and Nichols, and was sentenced to serve 12 years in prison. He was released in 2007 and entered in the witness protection program, according to history.com.

It was the worst act of terrorism in the United States until the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks.

According to fbi.gov, The bombing was quickly solved, but the investigation turned out to be one of the most exhaustive in FBI history. No stone was left unturned to make sure every clue was found and all the culprits identified. By the time it was over, the Bureau had conducted more than 28,000 interviews, followed some 43,000 investigative leads, amassed 3-and-a-half tons of evidence, and reviewed nearly a billion pieces of information.

McVeigh and Nichols were members of a radical survivalist group. According to history.com, the men were deeply radicalized by such events as the August 1992 shoot-out between federal agents and survivalist Randy Weaver at his Idaho cabin, in which Weavers wife and son were killed, and the April 19, 1993, inferno near Waco, Texas, in which 75 members of a Branch Davidian religious sect died.

McVeigh planned the attack on the Murrah Building, which housed regional offices of such federal agencies as the Drug Enforcement Agency, the Secret Service and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms and Explosives, the agency that had launched the initial raid on the Branch Davidian compound.

McVeigh claimed that he chose the building and the date to avenge the raid on Waco.

OKLAHOMA CITY, UNITED STATES: Hans and Torrey Butzer, designers of the Oklahoma City National Memorial in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, look out over the memorial 18 April 2000 prior to its dedication on the five-year anniversary of the bombing of the Murrah Building, which killed 168 people. In the foreground is the Survivor Tree, which sat adjacent to the Murrah Building and survived the blast. In the background are 168 chairs representing the persons who died in the blast. AFP PHOTO/Paul BUCK (Photo credit should read PAUL BUCK/AFP/Getty Images)AFP/Getty Images

In May 1995, the Murrah Building was demolished. The Oklahoma City National Memorial & Museum is located on that site.

The memorial and museum includes the outdoor field of empty chairs.

The 168 chairs represent the lives taken on April 19, 1995. They stand in nine rows to represent each floor of the building, and each chair bears the name of someone killed on that floor. Nineteen smaller chairs stand for the children. The field is located on the footprint of the Murrah Building, according to the memorial and museum.

Also, at the site are the Gates of Time.

"These monumental twin gates frame the moment of destruction  9:02 a.m.  and mark the formal entrances to the memorial. The East Gate represents 9:01 a.m. on April 19, and the innocence of the city before the attack. The West Gate represents 9:03 a.m., the moment we were changed forever. And the hope that came from the horror in the moments and days following the bombing.

MORE

OKLAHOMA CITY, UNITED STATES: A workman walks in front of the Gates of Time, located on the west end of the Oklahoma City National Memorial 18 April 2000 in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, prior to its dedication on the five-year anniversary of the bombing of the Murrah Building, which killed 168 people. The 9:03 represents the time of day the blast fell over the city. AFP PHOTO/Paul BUCK (Photo credit should read PAUL BUCK/AFP/Getty Images)AFP/Getty Images

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Authorities are searching for a suspect who, along with a woman, led lawmen on a chase in Jefferson County Friday night.

The incident began shortly before 8:30 p.m. when Brookside police attempted a traffic stop on Cherry Avenue near Interstate 22, said Brookside Police Chief Mike Jones. The driver, later identified as Jarell Lamar Russell, refused to stop and the chase was on.

Brookside police were assisted by Jefferson County sheriffs deputies and Birmingham police when the pursuit traveled onto Interstate 65 and then Finley Avenue. Russell, the chief said, jumped from the vehicle on Fifth Street North and fled on foot toward a residential area.

The passenger, Amber Collins, crawled into the drivers seat and then led officers on a second pursuit. Police were able to stop Collins near Fourth Avenue North and 17th Street. She was taken into custody without further incident.

Amber Collins (Brookside Police)

Jones said Russell has active felony warrants for two counts of failure to appear on attempted murder charges and first-degree armed robbery for crimes that took place in 2019 and earlier this year. Russell is only 21 years old and already has a lengthy criminal history with numerous violent felony offenses, Jones said. He is a known drug dealer who previously was released on bond. He failed to appear in court and continues his violence on the streets.

The chief said Russell has previous arrests for multiple weapons charges, reckless endangerment, attempt to elude police, receiving stolen property and possession of a controlled substance. Why is this violent habitual offender with a history of running from justice and failure to appear on numerous violent felony charges allowed to make bond? Jones said. He was allowed to put innocent lives in danger again and that is unacceptable.

Jones said Brookside Investigators are screening warrants for additional felony charges against Russell. Evidence retrieved from the scene heroin and marijuana packaged to sell, scales, drug paraphernalia and cash. He is believed to be armed and dangerous.

Anyone with information on Russells whereabouts is asked to call Brookside police at 205-922-5212 or Crime Stoppers at 205-254-7777.
Ellen DeGeneres was slammed by the crew of her daily talk show after it was revealed she hire a non-union crew to continue filming inside her home, as the coronavirus shuts down normal production.

And the host was spotted for the first time since an insider told Variety that her main stage crew received 'no communication' about issues like pay and working hours for over a month, on Thursday.

The 62-year-old kept a low profile in a sweat outfit and dark cap as she headed out in Los Angeles on Friday.

Low-profile: Ellen DeGeneres was spotted for the first time, on Friday, since an insider told Variety that her main stage crew received 'no communication' about issues like pay and working hours for over a month, on Thursday

The star climbed out of her Porsche convertible wearing light grey sweatpants, and a plain black crew neck sweater.

She teamed it with black leather booties, a dark cap and a gold necklace.

The outing was just days after a source told the outlet that her main stage crew was concerned over pay-cuts, and uncertainty despite her continuing to film.

Simple: The star climbed out of her Porsche convertible wearing light grey sweatpants, and a plain black crew neck sweater

Controversy: The outing was just one day after a source told the outlet that her main stage crew was concerned over pay-cuts, and uncertainty despite her continuing to film

Two sources at Ellen's show, speaking to Variety under conditions of anonymity, said that 'higher-ups in production would occasionally answer phone calls but reveal little' about their status.

Crew members finally heard from production executives last week, when they were told to expect a whopping 60% pay decrease, even while the show continues airing.

Meanwhile, Ellen herself is said to have a $77million per year contract for her talk show. Her total net worth is estimated to be a whopping $330million.

Sources added that there are only four of the core crew members who are currently working on the remote version of Ellen, according to Variety.

Angry crew: Ellen has been continuing her daily syndicated talk show from the comfort of her own home, amid the coronavirus shutdown, which has angered her 'furious' crew amid poor communication regarding their pay

A spokesperson for Warner Bros. Television made it clear the crew is still getting paid, though they confirmed their hours are reduced.

'Our executive producers and Telepictures are committed to taking care of our staff and crew and have made decisions first and foremost with them in mind.'

Still, insiders speaking to the industry publication claim that for over two weeks, from late March until April 9, the crew were never told how much they would be paid.

During this communication 'blackout,' Ellen expanded her at-home, going from hosting four shows a week to five, all which were shot over a two-day period at her home.

Pay slash: Crew members finally heard from production executives last week, when they were told to expect a whopping 60% pay decrease, even while the show continues airing

Reduced: A spokesperson for Warner Bros. Television made it clear the crew is still getting paid, though they confirmed their hours are reduced

The show typically films four 10-hour work days per week, but the crew was told on April 10 that they should expect to be paid for just two eight-hour days a week.

At the same time, Ellen hired Key Code Media to produce 'technical elements' of the show's new remote production while her crew members with the same skill set were not working.

A rep for the International Alliance of Theatrical Stage Employees union said they were of the crew would continue to be paid, but crew members were told to 'watch closely' for developments.

'Due to social distancing requirements, technical changes in the way the show is produced had to be made to comply with city ordinances and public health protocols,' said a WB spokesperson, while clarifying that no Ellen crew member lost their job because of hiring Key Code.

Reduced: The show typically films four 10-hour work days per week, but the crew was told on April 10 that they should expect to be paid for just two eight-hour days a week

Leadership: Crew members also added that what was most upsetting was the, 'lack of personal outreach' from the show's leadership during this unprecedented crisis

Crew members also added that what was most upsetting was the, 'lack of personal outreach' from the show's leadership during this unprecedented crisis, according to Variety.

Conversely, the crew also learned that crew members on similar shows were being paid, and treated, much more fairly.

Jimmy Kimmel has reportedly been paying crew members of his Jimmy Kimmel Live show from his own pocket during the COVID-19 outbreak shutdown, and once they returned on air, ABC was paying their full rates.

Sources claimed that crew members on TNT's Full Frontal with Samantha Bee, HBO's Last Week Tonight with John Oliver and Showtime's Desus and Mero were also being paid full rates with transparent communication.
Hong Kong Police Arrest 15 Veteran Pro-Democracy Figures

By Verna Yu April 18, 2020

Hong Kong police Saturday arrested 15 prominent democracy activists on charges of illegal assembly in the biggest crackdown on the semiautonomous city's pro-democracy movement since mass, sometimes violent anti-government protests rocked the former British colony in June.

The move came hours after China's top representative office in the city declared it was not bound by restrictions in Hong Kong's constitution, the Basic Law, that bar the Chinese government from interfering in local affairs.

Later Saturday, U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo called the arrests of the activists "deeply concerning."

He said in a tweet that "politicized law enforcement is inconsistent with universal values of freedom of expression, association and peaceful assembly."

Earlier this week, Chinese officials urged Hong Kong to enact national security legislation, amid accusations of Chinese overreach into the city's legislative council and judiciary.

Those arrested included media tycoon Jimmy Lai; senior barrister Martin Lee, 81, founder of the Democratic Party; lawyer Albert Ho; barrister Margaret Ng; labor rights activist Lee Cheuk-yan; former legislators Cyd Ho and Leung Kwok-hung; and Figo Chan, the vice convener of the group Civil Human Rights Front, which has organized several mass protests approved by police last year.

The 15 arrested allegedly organized and took part in unlawful assemblies, and police "do not rule out that more will be arrested," superintendent Lam Wing-Ho warned. They were accused of joining three unapproved protests on August 18, October 1 and October 20 last year, local media reported.

Hong Kong authorities have arrested more than 7,800 people for involvement in the anti-government protests, including many on rioting charges that can carry jail terms of up to 10 years.

Pro-democracy lawmakers say the arrests are an attempt to silence them ahead of the legislative council election in September, which makes the authorities nervous as they may claim a majority in the same way that they won a landslide victory in district council elections last November.

Pro-democracy lawmaker Claudia Mo said, "Beijing now calls itself above the Basic Law and is choreographing legal and judicial means, however twisted, to try to terrorize Hong Kong opposition."

She said Beijing's promise in the 1984 Sino-British Joint Declaration of the "one country, two systems" principle for at least 50 years after China resumed control in 1997 has become "one country, 1.01 systems."

Democratic Party leader Wu Chi-wai said the arrests were the government's attempt to silence the pro-democracy camp after mainland and Hong Kong officials this week stressed the need for Hong Kong to enact national security legislation.

Veteran China watcher Johnny Lau said the Hong Kong government and police are on an "all-out attack" on the pro-democracy camp by making an example of its leading figures in the hope of intimidating other critical voices in the run-up to the legislative council election. He said the authorities also hope to speed up the enactment of the national security law, which has been shelved since 2003 after a mass protest, possibly before the September vote.

"[Chinese President] Xi Jinping has lost his patience with the Basic Law and 'one country, two systems,' so they are blatantly twisting and trampling it according to their own needs," he said.

He said while the world is busy fighting COVID-19, "in Xi's eyes this is an opportunity to shuffle the cards and to assert its narrative."

"If the foreign countries turn a blind eye and fail to rein in [China's power], they would also be impacted," Lau said.

Sophie Richardson, China director at U.S.-based Human Rights Watch, said "today's arrests of pro-democracy figures in Hong Kong is another nail in the coffin of 'one country, two systems.' "

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WASHINGTON  Julie Wineinger knows the ins and outs of managing bulk ice cream orders.

Now in the age of the coronavirus pandemic, shes calculating: How many potatoes equal a pound?

Wineinger closed Lulabelles Sweet Shop last month when D.C.s city government imposed sharp restrictions on dine-in food service. She worried that her small store would get too cramped with customers perusing for their favorite pints. And she wanted her staff members to be able to file for unemployment benefits before the system got inundated.

To sell ice cream that was already in stock, Wineinger offered contactless curbside pickup. Then she noticed posts online from people scouring for milk, flour, eggs and other staples increasingly hard to find.

All of the suppliers Ive reached out to have been super willing to do whatever they can, Wineinger said. They dont have any business and theyre all trying to stay afloat. Its just about trying to get people what they need.

The coronavirus shutdown dealt a piercing blow to the restaurant industry, which has shed 3 million jobs and suffered a decline of $25 billion in sales, according to the National Restaurant Association. But as restaurants scramble to serve takeout and hold onto as many employees as possible, theyre embracing  and scratching their heads at  a new enterprise: groceries.

In Roanoke, The Coffee Pot, a restaurant and bar with iconic architecture, has started up its own mini-market of sorts stocked with essentials sourced from its restaurant vendors.

Offerings include meats, produce, eggs, toilet paper and protective gloves. As the inventory updates, word spreads through social media, including new pages that have sprung up to help people swap tips about where to find sought-after wares.

The Coffee Pot started thinking about adding the service after it saw its own families, friends and staffers hunting for items on their household shopping lists.

For the restaurant, the addition was a matter of community service. The team works to keep prices down and the market isnt a profit center, said manager Angel Morgan.

All of our people here stepped up and said, lets do this, lets help our community, Morgan said. We want to do what we can.

The project has been deeply rewarding during these difficult times, Morgan added. The response weve seen from the community has been amazing, she said, just an outpouring of love and support.

Nationwide, this pivoting means the countrys food industry is quickly recalibrating to get people the goods they need, blending the networks and supply chains that have stocked supermarkets and restaurant kitchens, including even large restaurant chains, for decades.

This month, Panera Bread  where sales are down as much as 50%  started selling fruits, vegetables, breads and dairy products at more than 1,800 locations. More than 30 Dennys locations in California and Oregon are selling sausage links, hoagie rolls, diced onions and more. Customers at over 100 Subway branches in Southern California can add sliced pastrami, shredded mozzarella and dill pickles to their lists. California Pizza Kitchen is offering its own pantry with frozen shrimp, jambalaya sauce and key lime pie.

At Lulabelles in D.C., Wineinger has added produce and fresh bread to her menu. Orders are available for pickup during a three-hour window on Saturdays.

Im not a grocer, I didnt have grocery store contacts, Wineinger said. Im just trying to figure this all out as I go.

For scores of restaurateurs, figuring it out involves a substantial rejiggering of the countrys food supply systems. Measured by volume, about 25% of the countrys food typically goes to restaurants and food service, with the remaining three-quarters going to retail and grocery stores, said David Henkes of the food-service consulting firm Technomic. (Its closer to a 50-50 split if you measure dollars spent by customers.)

There are other shakeups at play, too. Henkes pointed to the spike in unemployment that could pull restaurant workers into jobs with delivery services, warehouses or e-commerce giants.

The grocery supply chain is being pushed and stretched in ways it hadnt been before, Henkes said. Were going to see some kind of fundamental realignment of how food distribution works.

Still, Henkes said the revamp may not work as a longer-term business model. A restaurants value add  and chance to make a profit  doesnt come from selling sliced bread and avocados, but from plated avocado toast.

It would be very hard, with the way restaurants are structured right now, to really be successful in converting to a bodega, a pantry or a grocery store, Henkes said. Its just not how theyre built.

But that hasnt stopped restaurants from mobilizing to fill an urgent need. Roboghene Reed is a Dennys district manager in San Bernardino, Riverside and San Diego counties in California. Reed is in her 30s and said she doesnt worry too much about getting herself to a grocery store. Instead, shes concerned about the elderly and immune-suppressed, or people trying to protect their loved ones.

Weve had one customer whose mother is battling cancer, and they dont want to expose her, she said. So they can just drive up and we put the box in the trunk.

In Salem, Franks Pizza also started offering a selection of household essentials after working with its vendors to secure the items.

The restaurant wasnt wholly sure what to expect at first. Would people calling in to order a pepperoni pie say, Oh, and throw in a side of paper towels?

But the response has been positive, said co-owner Patricia Giovannini.

Its been great, she said. Were really doing this just so we can help our community. To help them find those products that can be hard to find.

The chance to forge a connection with others in the community has meant something to their team as they weather these stormy days.

People have been great, Giovannini said. I think everybody knows this is a stressful situation for everyone. But, if we can all help each other, we can get through it just a little bit easier.

Sometimes, its just a little gesture that can go such a long way.

Items from Franks Pizza can be ordered by phone or online for pickup or delivery. Their standard delivery criteria apply. A pizza purchase isnt required.

The Coffee Pot, where orders can be placed by phone, said its also starting to see ripples it never expected when it started the market service.

Nonprofits and other organizations have reached out to the restaurant in search of help procuring supplies.

And a group, Mountain Thunder Abate, donated money that The Coffee Pot used to help stock the kitchens of three local families in need.

Morgan said the restaurant plans to keep up its efforts as long as it can.

Today was a really busy day, she said Tuesday. We ran out of a lot of stuff we had. But well get more.
COLONIE  It was the first week of March, and the U.S. was only starting to come to the realization that cases of COVID-19 were being detected here.

Shirley Reittinger had been busy helping organize and run a casino night at her winter retirement community in Fort Myers, Florida. Five days later, the Latham resident was going on a cruise with her twin sister and their spouses to celebrate the twin's 65th birthdays.

Reittinger was congested the day before the March 7 trip, but she convinced her family it wasn't a surprise considering how busy she had been. "My sister and I both joked with her she would get quarantined," said her daughter, Melissa Veino of Cohoes. "It was kind of a joke at that point. There werent a lot of cases."

But only a couple of days into the cruise, Reittinger fell seriously ill. Her family had to work to get her a medical flight from the Jamaica hospital she was admitted to; the doctors there were perplexed and only thought she had pneumonia. Reittinger was immediately intubated by the U.S. team before the flight to provide her with more oxygen, and she was transported to a hospital in Fort Lauderdale.

But Reittinger's lungs had suffered too much damage. She died almost a month later on April 9.

While New York, and the rest of the nation, were attempting to calm people's fears in those early days of the COVID-19 crisis about the limited number of confirmed cases in the U.S., Reittinger experienced what we know now to be the silent way the virus first passes around a community  and the swiftness with which it can overtake its host.

It turned out another person from Reittinger's retirement community, a 77-year-old man who also attended casino night, died around March 14, according to media coverage of the case in Florida.

Reittinger, a former Head Start teacher in Cohoes, was healthy and active. But she had type 1 diabetes, which experts now know is one of the greatest risk factors for developing serious complications from COVID-19, the respiratory illness caused by novel coronavirus.

The fact that Reittinger's family had to navigate speaking to cruise officials  and then doctors at the Jamaica hospital  to figure out what was wrong made the experience even more frightening. Veino said her father, Wayne, was also distraught and unable to accurately convey what was going on.

Veino, a medical doctor herself, later requested records from the cruise ship to try and trace back her mother's symptoms. She learned that after only a couple of days on the ship her mother could not get out of bed, and she quickly became disoriented about where she was and what was going on. Cruise medical staff attributed her decline to problems with her blood sugar and diabetes. She was admitted to a Jamaica hospital on March 10, three days after she left Florida, and flown back to the U.S. March 13.

Special Investigation 147 NY dams are 'unsound,' potentially dangerous Thousands of dams have not been inspected in over 20 years.

Reittinger's family was able to schedule a medical flight through the travel insurance her parents had purchased. But they had to find a second pilot, after the first refused to transport Reittinger, fearing she had COVID-19.

Veino said her family has had to cope with the same grief of not being able to see their loved one when they passed, as well as not being able to hold a proper funeral. She said she and her sister have been going through old photos and telling lengthy stories about each one  honoring the storytelling their mother routinely shared with the world. Reittinger had practice, growing up with eight siblings in Schroon Lake. "She loved the noise, she loved the commotion, she loved being with everyone," Veino said.

"I could go on for days and hours about what an amazing mom, Grammy, friend, and neighbor she was," wrote Reittinger's other daughter, Katrina Schadt, in an email to the Times Union. "The world has lost an amazing person to this virus. I only wish more people could understand the pain we are going through and take this seriously."

A pediatrician in Slingerlands for St. Peter's Health Partners, Veino said she wants her mother's story to leave an impression on the public. Her father tested negative for COVID-19 despite being at his wife's side while she was seriously ill. Veino said she believes he likely had the virus but never got sick  another hallmark of how the disease silently spreads and kills those most vulnerable.

She is afraid of what will happen when society is opened back up.

"My biggest concern I have as things open back up, if we start having these gatherings its going to flare again," Veino said "It's very hard to get the general public to take things seriously."
The Maharashtra government on Sunday ordered a high-level investigation into the Palghar mob lynching incident, in which three people were killed on Thursday night, even as another man was lynched on Friday night in Dahanu by a mob of 17 in the third such incident in the area within a week.

The Palghar incident, which led to an uproar on Sunday as the video went viral, occurred when three men from Kandivli in Mumbai were heading towards Gujarats Surat in a car to attend a funeral on Thursday night. They had taken an internal road, as all major roads are shut owing to the lockdown. Their vehicle was stopped in Palghar district. The trio  Chikne Maharaj Kalpavrukshagiri, 70, Sushilgiri Maharaj, 35, and their car driver Nilesh Telgade, 30  was dragged out of their car and beaten to death on suspicion that they were thieves. Police have detained 101 people involved in the killing of three Surat-bound people in Palghar. I have also ordered a high level inquiry into these killings, Deshmukh tweeted. The Maharashtra home minister also warned officials against giving any communal colour to the incident, as two of the three deceased were allegedly seers.

Maharashtra chief minister Uddhav Thackeray said, The Palghar incident has been acted upon. The police have arrested all those accused who attacked the two sadhus, one driver and the police personnel on the day of the crime itself. Nobody guilty of this heinous crime and shameful act will be spared and they will be brought to justice in the strongest way possible, Thackeray said in a tweet.

Former chief minister and leader of Opposition in Assembly, Devendra Fadnavis said: I urge the government to immediately set up a high-level enquiry.

Elaborating on the Dahanu incident, assistant police inspector Prakash Sonwane said: The man hails from Tamil Nadu and was walking in the area. Due to the lockdown, he did not have means to find food. He doesnt understand Marathi. We rushed to the spot and rescued him from the mob and brought him to the police station. The police on Sunday arrested the 17 people and produced them before a local court. The man is being treated for his injuries in a hospital.

Earlier last week, four personnel of Kasa Police were injured and the SUV of a skin specialist Dr Vishwas Valvi of Thane was destroyed by a mob at Saarni village in the district.

(With inputs from IANS)
It was business as usual for Samantha Armytage on Monday morning.

The 43-year-old journalist returned to Sunrise after taking six weeks off to recover from a 'respiratory infection' at her $2.2million estate in Bowral, NSW.

During Sam's absence, newsreader Natalie Barr had filled in for her alongside co-host David Koch, bringing Australians the latest on the COVID-19 pandemic.

She's back! Samantha Armytage (left) returned to Sunrise on Monday alongside David Koch (right) after taking six weeks off work to recover from a 'respiratory infection' at home

Samantha looked delighted to be broadcasting live from Brekky Central in Sydney's Martin Place.

The co-anchors observed social distancing at the news desk, sitting 1.5 metres apart.

Samantha had told her Instagram followers on Sunday that she would be back on air the following morning as she left her country estate and returned to the city.

'Thank you all you lovely people for your (thousands of) lovely messages asking when I was coming back to work... I'm back tomorrow,' she wrote.

'Back tomorrow': The journalist, 43, had told her Instagram followers on Sunday she would be back on air the following morning as she left her Bowral estate and returned to Sydney

Temporary replacement: During Sam's absence, newsreader Natalie Barr (left) had filled in for her alongside co-host David Koch, bringing Australians the latest on the COVID-19 pandemic

Samantha's last appearance on the show was on March 13.

She had previously taken a leave of absence on February 26, citing an ongoing 'respiratory illness', before returning for a brief stint on March 3.

The breakfast TV star announced she would be taking more leave on March 17.

'Hi all... I'm taking a few weeks off work as I've had a respiratory infection (for three months) since the bushfires and it just won't heal,' she wrote on Instagram at the time.

Coming back: Earlier this month Samantha told Daily Mail Australia she 'hoped to be back on air soon'. Pictured with her colleagues Sam Mac (centre) and David Koch (right)

'I don't have coronavirus, but I'm worried I'll get it if I don't get better. Thought it was a good time to lay low,' she added.

Earlier this month Samantha told Daily Mail Australia she 'hoped to be back on air soon'.

In a column for Stellar magazine on April 12, Samantha revealed she had been using her time at home to 'ponder' the global response to the coronavirus pandemic.

On and off: Samantha's last appearance on Sunrise was on March 13. She had previously taken a leave of absence on February 26, citing an ongoing 'respiratory illness', before returning for a brief stint on March 3

'Like everyone right now, my emotions range from anger to disbelief to awe,' she wrote.

'I've pondered how to punish powerful, dishonest countries when they blatantly do the wrong thing. Who hands out the punishment?

And speaking of who, will we ever trust the World Health Organization again?'
Investment trust Montanaro UK Smaller Companies had a difficult March when its share price fell through the floor. But it has bounced back strongly.

The result is a share price up more than 11 per cent over the past month but still nearly three per cent down on this time last year. These are better numbers than most rival smaller companies' funds.

For manager Charles Montanaro, the trust's resilience reflects in part the defensive measures taken earlier this year to ensure it was in a position to weather any economic storm caused by coronavirus.

This involved reducing the trust's borrowings by 'taking money off the table'  that is, trimming its holdings across the board and using the cash to pay down interest-bearing debt.

But the trust's robustness is also explained by the fact that it has managed to sidestep those areas of the market most affected by the corporate impact of coronavirus  retail, the banks, airlines, oil and gas and commodities.

'Around Christmas, we reviewed the trust's holdings meticulously, ' says Montanaro. 'We looked at what we had got wrong and disposed of it. The process put us in good stead for what we have just experienced.'

Montanaro, currently managing the 190 million fund from his home in Devon, is ultra-disciplined in the way he runs the assets.

Portfolio holdings rarely diverge far from 50 and he has a rule of never investing in unquoted companies. 'As a fund manager, you need a different skill-set to invest in unquoteds,' he says. 'You shouldn't mix the two.'

Key for Montanaro is identifying companies in growth mode and profitable, preferably leaders in their respective markets.

He also likes businesses with high operating margins and run by 'trusty' management. Despite the smaller companies label, the trust has the biggest chunk of assets in FTSE250- listed companies  those that sit outside the FTSE100.

The result is a portfolio comprising some familiar names such as food suppliers Cranswick and Hilton Food Group and storage group Big Yellow. It also has a 35 per cent stake in 20 companies listed on AIM.

'It's a 'lobster pot' market (easy to get in, impossible to get out),' he says, 'because it's difficult to sell some shares, especially when markets are in retreat. But there are good companies on AIM we are comfortable holding and since we've set up the fund as an investment trust we are under no pressure to dispose of them when investors are rushing towards the exit signs.'

Among its top AIM holdings is Tristel, a supplier of disinfectants to hospitals. Currently, Montanaro is in wait and see mode.

'There's a lot of uncertainty out there,' he says. 'I'm not sure it's time to be making new investments as a manager, especially given we like to meet company executives before taking a share stake.

Now is all about speaking to the management of companies we're invested in and seeing how they are faring.'

Ben Yearsley, a director of Shore Financial Planning, is a fan of both Montanaro Asset Management  the investment house  and the trust.

He says: 'Although Charles's name is on the tin, and he will make any final investment decisions, he has built a strong team, focused on smaller and mid-sized companies.

As a business, they stick to what they are good at  finding long-term, smaller quality growth companies.'

He adds: 'UK small companies look cheap versus other assets on a medium to long-term view. So this fund is ideal.'

The trust's annual charges total 0.8 per cent and the dividend is equivalent to an annual income of 3.4 per cent.
Broward Countys top lawyers for indigent men and women in the county jail in Fort Lauderdale have accused the Broward Sheriffs Office of neglecting the medical needs of detainees infected with the coronavirus  and threatening to use a Taser on those who disrupt the facility to complain about their treatment.

In a letter to Broward Sheriff Gregory Tony Friday night, Public Defender Howard Finkelstein and his top assistant, Gordon Weekes, accused Broward jail administrators of denying medical care and even water to detainees who are confirmed to have COVID-19, the disease caused by exposure to the deadly coronavirus.

Our clients are advising, the two wrote, that while in quarantine, they are not being regularly checked by either medical or detention staff.

Clients of the Broward Public Defenders Office told their lawyers that two detainees have become so ill with the disease that they are spitting up blood. Though the two tested positive for COVID-19, they have not been moved to the jail infirmary, where they might get better care, the letter said. We were informed that their requests for water and care were ignored.

Some detainees became so desperate for medical care that they caused disturbances, the letter said. One blocked a cell window to get attention. Others flooded their cells with toilet water.

When detention deputies finally entered the unit, they were physically and verbally aggressive and threatening, the lawyers wrote. One deputy allegedly pointed a Taser at an inmates chest, with full knowledge that the inmate had heart issues; another deputy pointed a Taser at another inmates head.

Our clients advised that the Tasers were charged and that they could hear the electric current, the letter added. Both men are ill and were simply attempting to get the attention of detention personnel for medical care.

A sheriffs office spokesman said the department had investigated allegations similar to the ones raised in Finkelsteins and Weekes letter, and found [them] to be completely without merit. The new allegations will be investigated as well.

Story continues

Gordon Weekes, chief assistant public defender in Broward County

The spokesman, Sgt. Donald Prichard, said BSO follows Florida health department and Centers for Disease Control and Prevention guidelines for the testing of detainees who may have the coronavirus, and their treatment if they are confirmed positive. Inmates who test positive are medically isolated, treated and monitored according to the guidelines, Prichard said in a prepared statement.

As of Saturday, Prichard wrote, 14 Broward detainees had tested positive for COVID-19, representing less than one percent of the jails population of 2,860. Ten of those are in custody, two have been released, and one now is testing negative. One died from the disease.

In a news release April 7, BSO declined to name the deceased detainee, citing medical privacy. The department said the detainee was elderly, and suffered from pre-existing medical conditions. He tested positive for COVID-19. His death is being reviewed by the Broward Medical Examiners Office.

Prichard said BSO is following a host of protocols to protect detainees and staff, including the suspension of in-person visitation, the screening of vendors and staff, the use of best hygiene practices, and social distancing.

Beset by routine crowding in both dorms and cells  and in aged facilities that make distancing among detainees and staff extremely difficult  correctional institutions could become breeding grounds for the highly contagious infection, advocates for jail detainees and prison inmates fear.

The Florida Department of Corrections reported Saturday that 78 employees and 88 inmates had tested positive for the coronavirus; 38 of those inmates were incarcerated at the privately run prison in Santa Rosa County called Blackwater River Correctional Facility and 38 others were at Tomoka Correctional in Daytona Beach.

Tomokas number could grow dramatically because there are 50 inmates whose test results are pending.

The U.S. Bureau of Prisons acknowledged last week that 352 inmates and another 189 employees had tested positive for the coronavirus. Ten inmates have died.

The prison bureau said that none of those held at Miamis Federal Detention Center or the Federal Correctional Institution in South Miami-Dade have tested positive for the virus, but it is unclear how many have been tested.

As of last week, 40 employees of the Miami-Dade County jails, which house 3,000 detainees, had tested positive for COVID-19, and the number had been rising. Most of the detainees were awaiting trial; some are serving sentences of a year or shorter. The county reported only one detainee who had tested positive.

Howard Finkelstein, Broward County public defender

The Florida Department of Juvenile Justice reported Friday that 10 employees and four youths at lockups or commitment programs had confirmed cases of the coronavirus. All four of the youths and two of the employees reportedly were at the Miami Youth Academy, a privately run, 28-bed substance-abuse treatment program in Miami.

Four of the other staff members who tested positive were at the Broward Regional Juvenile Detention Center, DJJ said in a release. Because of the contagion, DJJ is diverting detained youths to the lockup in Miami.

Fear of the virus has caused jail staff to neglect detainees in Broward, Finkelstein and Weekes wrote in their letter Friday. At best, the lawyers wrote, deputies are monitoring the health of detainees only once per shift.

On April 5, the letter said, detention deputies failed to turn off the camera linked to ongoing hearings and a deputy was overheard angrily yelling obscenities at a COVID-19-positive client who had just been ordered released from the jail.

Finkelstein and Weekes asked Tony to initiate a comprehensive program to test jail detainees for infection with the disease, given the uncontroverted medical opinion that jails are incubators for COVID-19  and given the jails inability to impose distancing among detainees and staff.

Without testing, they wrote, COVID-19 will quickly spread throughout the jail, and your staff will become more fearful and less able to do their jobs.

Your office, and Broward County, are ultimately responsible for adequate, humane care, the lawyers wrote. As this crisis unfolds, you will be judged on how you protect the people in your care, and the persons you entrust with their lives.
A Wayne County man sentenced to life in prison as a 16-year-old wouldve walked free this month after spending four decades locked away. But just weeks away from his parole, he died of coronavirus.

William Garrison, 60, died Monday, April 13, after being sent to the hospital from the Macomb Correctional Facility. Prison officials said they learned Friday, April 17, that a postmortem test confirmed he had the novel coronavirus.

Garrison hadnt indicated to prison officials or family members that he was experiencing symptoms of COVID-19, said Michigan Department of Corrections spokesman Chris Gautz.

On Monday, Garrisons cell mate reported he was doing well and there were no issues, Gautz said, adding that he later suddenly began gasping for air and his cell mate called for help.

Garrison died after being rushed to the hospital, Gautz said, adding his death came just five days after prison officials attempted to free him.

Garrison was sentenced to life in prison without parole at age 16 after being convicted of first-degree murder for a 1976 shooting. He was up for parole this year after being re-sentenced in January due to a 2016 Supreme Court ruling that its 2012 ruling striking down mandatory life sentences for juveniles convicted of murder should be applied retroactively.

Garrison was offered parole in February but declined, telling the parole board he would rather serve the rest of his seven-month sentence and walk free, Gautz said. His new sentence made him eligible to be discharged in September without parole.

But once the coronavirus crisis hit Michigan, prison officials began looking for prisoners who were elderly or had chronic conditions and could be released on parole to reduce their chances of catching the virus.

Garrison fit, so prison officials went back to him and offered him another shot at parole, Gautz said. Garrison accepted, and the prison issued him immediate parole.

However, in order to release prisoners for parole, Michigan law states prisons must notify prosecutors and any registered victims and wait 28 days in case they want to appeal.

Because Garrisons crime was committed in Wayne County, Gautz said prison officials notified the Wayne County Prosecutors Office of Garrisons parole on April 8. There were no registered victims associated with the case, he said.

To speed up the process for vulnerable inmates during the coronavirus crisis, Michigan prison officials have begun requesting prosecutors waive the 28-day waiting period, Gautz said. More than 100 letters have been sent to the Wayne County Prosecutors Office requesting the waiver of the appeal process, and the county prosecutor has not replied to any of them, prison officials said.

Five days after prison officials requested he be released on parole, Garrison died. Gautz said if the prosecutors office had responded to the letter requesting his parole, Garrison probably wouldve been out by now.

Its just sad that he stayed in and we tried to get him out but we just didnt hear back in time to let him get out soon enough, Gautz said. Its incredibly sad.

As of Friday, April 17, there have been 17 deaths related to COVID-19 in Michigan prisons, according to data on the Michigan Department of Corrections website. Out of 805 prisoners tested for the coronavirus, 523 have tested positive.

Macomb Correction Facility has one of the highest numbers of coronavirus cases in the state, with 78 confirmed positive cases as of Friday evening.

Some inmates around the state have begun hiding their coronavirus symptoms to avoid serving in quarantine.

Three Michigan inmates have filed a federal lawsuit alleging they have essentially been given death sentences as the coronavirus spreads through the states prison system.

Read more on MLive:

Coronavirus a death sentence in Michigan prisons, inmate says

Michigan inmates hide coronavirus symptoms to avoid prison quarantine

Jackson County confirms 15 new COVID-19 cases, Henry Ford Allegiance Health updates testing criteria

4 corrections officers at private prison in Baldwin have coronavirus

Saturday, April 18: Latest developments on coronavirus in Michigan
While short on details, the state and regional guidance finally issued by the White House last week gives us a set of pretty reasonable if difficult-to-achieve goals.

We all know why we need to contain and reduce our risk to the COVID-19 virus: Save lives, preserve health and get people back to work.

And we now know what states are supposed to do to get to the finish line: 1) A measurable and sustained reduction in new positive tests over three sets of two-week periods, or the same downward trajectory of positive tests as a percentage of total tests; 2) The ability to treat all patients without crisis care (like the tent hospitals in New York City); 3) Robust testing, contact tracing, syndromic surveillance that can catch an outbreak before it actually happens, as well as surveillance testing of asymptomatic members of vulnerable populations; and 4) An ample supply of personal protective equipment (PPE) and the ability to deploy it along with an ability to surge ICU capacity.

Again, details lacking. The White House says states must be able to do things like "Protect employees and users of mass transit," without explaining what that means.

When all that and more is done, states can then move to the first, quite limited phase of reopening their economies. But if they cannot sustain all four points mentioned above (and more) during that phase, they have to start over again. And then it's on to phase two of the reopening, but with the same mandate to meet all the requirements listed above. And then phase three, which looks something like pre-pandemic life.

So, where is Illinois right now? The state seems to be generally OK with its hospital system and the governor claims it's improving its PPE supply system.

But after weeks of promises, the state's testing program still lags the nation. The governor claimed yet again last week that they've fixed the latest glitch, but he's made similar promises before about other things (like the state's unemployment insurance application process), so we'll see. State leaders have been saying for weeks that testing is very important, but we have yet to see significant progress on that front. You cannot walk until you can crawl and we're still crawling here.

And Illinois appears to have a long way to go on contact tracing, surveillance, etc.

But the really hard part will be meeting the requirement for a measurable and sustained downward trajectory in newly positive tests.

Decline doesn't appear to just happen on its own. The upward climb in positive results is relatively swift, but the peak's other side looks more like a plateau. Illinois Department of Public Health Director Ngozi Ezeki said on Friday that she didn't think Illinois had even reached its peak.

Illinois, like some other states, has slowed the upward curve of newly positive tests, except for the 17th, when it spiked up hard. Slowing is good, but it's not enough to comply with the White House guidance. I asked the governor on the 17th what scientists were telling him about how to reduce the number of newly positive tests and he said there wasn't much that can be done except to continue doing what they have been doing.

Pritzker shied away from requiring masks in public, even though some say it could help bend that curve downward. I happen to think it's a good idea, but the governor said, "we don't live in a dictatorial society." To me, if the government can force restaurant cooks to wear a hair net, it can and should require them to wear masks.

We know the "why" and we now know the outline of "what" states have to do. But when it comes to the sustained reduction of positive tests, the nation really has no plan for "how" that will be accomplished.

But at least we finally have a road map, which should give the nation and our state a bit of predictability.

By the way, the White House guidance also says schools can reopen during phase two, even though crowd sizes of 50 people or more "should be avoided." That seems unwise, but if by some absolute miracle Illinois fixed all of its testing and monitoring issues within two weeks and new positive test results began to drop immediately and then continued to consistently drop for four more weeks, the school year would almost be over anyway. That miracle is not going to happen. The governor was right to cancel the rest of the school year.

Rich Miller also publishes Capitol Fax, a daily political newsletter, and CapitolFax.com.
Someone put arsenic in the coffee after a church service in New Sweden, Maine  sickening several congregants and killing one. I was sent up there in 2003 by The Boston Globe, to the far reaches of Aroostook County. It was both quaint and horrific, someone trying to kill their neighbors. Eventually, it emerged that one of the ushers had done it, as revenge for losing a theological battle. As the population in that area drained away, two small Lutheran churches were consolidated into one. Identical to outsiders, the two churches had what was for them a deeply significant doctrinal difference. In one, the priest faced the congregation when blessing the host; in the other, the priest faced the altar. The poisoner had lost that battle. He ultimately killed himself. It was a grim story about the dilemmas of those stretches of our country that are losing population, having to let go of their particular identity.
A premier Chinese virology laboratory in Wuhan, which is in the eye of the storm for allegedly being the source of the novel coronavirus, has for the first time refuted the charge, including those of US President Donald Trump, that the deadly virus originated from his lab before it spread across the world and wreaked havoc.

China has come under increasing global pressure over lack of transparency in its handling of the coronavirus pandemic, which has so far infected over 2,333,160 people and claimed more than 160,790 lives across the world.

President Trump on Saturday said his administration was looking into reports that the novel coronavirus "escaped" from a Wuhan laboratory before it spread to the world.

"We''re looking at it, a lot of people are looking at it. It seems to make sense," Trump told the media when asked if there was an investigation into whether the coronavirus disease escaped from a lab in China''s COVID-19 ground-zero city of Wuhan.

Ever since the virus came to light in Wuhan in December last year, speculation has been rife on whether the viral strain originated from the Wuhan Institute of Virology (WIV) or from its nearby Huanan Seafood Market.

The WIV, specifically its P4 laboratory, is equipped to handle dangerous viruses.

Though the laboratory denied the rumours in a statement in February, its director Yuan Zhiming, in a first media interview, rejected the rumours that his institute is the original source of COVID-19.

"We know what kind of research is going at the institute and how the institute manages viruses and samples. There is no way that virus came from us," he told the state-run CGTN TV channel.

"We have a strict regulatory regimen. We have code of conduct for research so we are confident of that," the director said.

He said since the Institute of Virology and the P4 lab is in Wuhan, "people can''t help but make associations".

Referring to US allegations, Yuan said it is unfortunate that some people are "deliberately misleading" people without having any "evidence or knowledge".

"This is entirely based on speculation. Part of the purpose is to confuse people and interfere with our anti-epidemic and scientific activities. They may have achieved their goal in some way but as a scientist and science and technology manager, I know it is impossible," he said.

The virus "cannot be man made", Yuan said, noting that there is no evidence to prove that COVID-19 is artificial.

"Besides some scientists believe that to synthesise a virus requires extraordinary intelligence and workload. So never believed that we humans have the capability at this time to create such a virus," he said.

Yuan said after the virus broke out, his institute shared the genome sequence of COVID-19 and the latest research on the animal model Research and Development (R&D) with the World Health Organisation (WHO) and the Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) of the UN.

"As for the institute of virology and the institute of laboratory animal science, we are first in the world to build animal models. After all conspiracy theories are not widespread," he said.

Also Read: Coronavirus India Live Updates: Maharashtra allows industries to resume in green, orange zones

Also Read: Too early to worry if coronavirus will further delay Tokyo Olympics: Experts
Makan Delrahim, U.S. assistant attorney general for the antitrust division (l) and Joe Simon, Chairman of the FTC. Getty Images

New work from home set-ups and a goodwill tour by the Big Tech companies are unlikely to soften the nation's top antitrust agencies on the industry, legal experts say. Up until recently, Facebook, Google, Amazon and Apple had been met with unyielding scrutiny in Washington and most state attorneys general offices, barraged by questions of dominance and privacy violations. Facebook and Google have been most visibly pursued by federal authorities and state attorneys. But as the coronavirus pandemic shut down business as usual, tech companies gained a chance to win back some goodwill. The companies have donated millions of dollars toward efforts to fight the virus, helped health officials spread their messages to encourage a flattening of the curve and donated their stockpiles of personal protective equipment. Amazon, in particular, has become even more important to Americans who want all their needs delivered to their doors. On face value, it doesn't seem like the best time to propose a break-up or some other antitrust remedy. But experts say the investigations that have already been set in motion are unlikely to change much during the ensuing crisis. The Department of Justice and the Federal Trade Division have both signaled they are continuing to seriously investigate companies in their purview. The most prominent tech investigations on the federal level involve the FTC's probe into Facebook and the DOJ's probe into Google. A spokesperson for the FTC said in a statement that as most of its employees work remotely, "Our two main priorities will continue to be: first, the health and well-being of our personnel, their families and parties and organizations who appear before us; and, second, the continuity of our mission to protect consumers and promote competition. While we cannot speculate on what the future holds, we remain on duty and committed to continuing to our important work." "The manner in which we conduct our investigations has adapted to the constraints of physical distancing, but make no mistake about it: the substance of our work remains the same," FTC Bureau of Competition Director Ian Conner wrote in an April 6 blog post. A DOJ spokesperson declined to comment. In a joint statement in late March, both agencies said they would expedite review of joint ventures aiming to provide relief during the current crisis, but said it would continue to crack down on those attempting to exploit the situation. Recent actions by both agencies back up their claims. At the end of March, the DOJ Antitrust Division announced it would require military technology companies Raytheon and United Technologies Corporation to divest parts of their businesses to proceed with their proposed merger. On April 1, the FTC announced its lawsuit to unwind tobacco company Altria's $12.8 billion investment in Juul, the e-cigarette company accused of luring adolescents to its products with its marketing. As the virus took hold of cities across the U.S. by late March, Attorney General William Barr told The Wall Street Journal he still wants to make a decision on whether to bring a case against Google by this summer. "I'm hoping that we bring it to fruition early summer," Barr told the Journal. "And by fruition, I mean decision time."

Shifting resources

It may be difficult to imagine such a large-scale project in any organization proceeding as planned. But it's possible the antitrust agencies will be able to lend more resources to their conduct cases as an indirect result of the crisis, according to David Wales, who served in the Antitrust Division and the FTC during 9/11 and the 2008 recession, respectively. Merger reviews tend to keep both agencies on a tight time-frame since they're required by law to be completed within 30 days barring officials' request for more information. But mergers tend to dry up during recessions, leaving antitrust staff with a huge load off their plates. Without that clock ticking on as many cases, staff could be free to focus on ongoing conduct issues, Wales said. Data from past economic downturns show a clear dip in the number of merger filings. Around the time of the dotcom bust in 2000, for example, the agencies said there were 4,926 transactions reported. That number was cut in half to 2,376 transactions in 2001, the year of the September 11 terrorist attacks and again fell by half in 2002. Merger transaction reports climbed again beginning in 2004, but saw a big decline in 2008 following the stock market crash. In 2009, merger filings hit their lowest point since the government started tracking them in 1990, based on publicly available data, reaching just 716 reported transactions for the year. In a virtual event Tuesday hosted by Politico, Republican FTC Commissioner Noah Phillips confirmed the agency is again seeing a dip in merger filings. Pricing an acquisition while the market is in flux will likely add speed bumps for businesses seeking to merge, but Wales said it's still possible the current downturn won't follow the same patterns as the last. "There are still opportunities and a willingness to do deals, so I would be surprised if we saw a major reduction in dealflow because of this," Wales said, adding that the types of deals could look different, potentially saving companies that are suddenly in distress. Still, with tech companies ingraining themselves in the federal government's recovery plans, government watchdogs fear White House pressure could taint the probes. Antitrust professionals have frequently pointed to a handful of cases undertaken by the Trump administration's Antitrust Division, like its attempt to block AT&T's acquisition of Time Warner, that they argue were influenced by the White House. The Antitrust Division has repeatedly denied outside influence. It's not unheard of for policymakers outside the antitrust agencies to lean on regulators to permit conduct that would further certain policy objectives, according to Doug Melamed, an antitrust professor at Stanford and former deputy assistant attorney general in the Antitrust Division during the Clinton Administration. In those cases, the result "depends on the willingness of the antitrust agencies to fight back against what could sometimes be substantial pressure." But the agencies' own statements are the best predictor of their future behavior, Melamed said, and so far they've projected a tough stance on antitrust violations during the crisis. Goodwill-building could help companies polish their public images, but are unlikely to sway the answers to questions of dominance and anticompetitive behavior, experts agreed. "I don't know that the analysis of those questions at the end of the day are going to be greatly influenced by whether a Gallup Poll would show higher esteem for the tech companies than there was six months ago," Melamed said. When it comes to mergers, he added, "I think the agencies are aware that the facts have changed but companies should be aware that the law hasn't changed."

Practical considerations

There are some practical considerations the agencies may need to take into account, like whether they will be able to obtain documents and secure depositions from executives in an efficient and fair way as they handle their own business changes. But legal experts interviewed for this article said those speed-bumps wouldn't change the facts of the case. "The investigations are dependent on contact with and deep discussions with Silicon Valley both across the country and across the world," said Craig Waldman, co-chair of the antitrust practice at Jones Day. "It's just going to be slower and harder to get the kind of information that you otherwise would." Even economic changes are unlikely to have a great impact on the theories of harm, according to Fiona Scott Morton, former chief economist of the Antitrust Division in the Obama Administration and a professor of economics at the management school of Yale University. "The stock market is irrelevant to antitrust enforcement and market definition likewise," Scott Morton said. "It's the same analysis but you might be not wanting to use market shares from April 2020 as what you think will be the market shares in April 2021 if people are all subject in shelter in place orders." Similarly, antitrust economists might not want to assume the market conditions will look most like April 2019, Scott Morton said. But in Europe, there is already some indication that economic conditions have shifted the calculus of merger enforcement. On Friday, Britain's Competition and Markets Authority provisionally cleared Amazon's acquisition of food delivery service Deliveroo, citing market conditions resulting from the coronavirus. The CMA originally worried the merger would harm competition by preventing Amazon from becoming an additional player in the restaurant delivery space. But as restaurant closures in the U.K. amid the pandemic limited business for Deliveroo, the company told the enforcers it would fail without additional investment. The CMA bought into that theory and said Amazon would likely be the only investor to be able to inject the cash Deliveroo needed right away. "While securing additional funding from other sources may have been possible before the coronavirus outbreak, the pandemic has severely limited the availability of finance for early-stage businesses such as Deliveroo," the agency said in a statement. "The CMA currently considers that the imminent exit of Deliveroo would be worse for competition than allowing the Amazon investment to proceed and has therefore provisionally found that the deal should be cleared."

Antitrust remedies
An eight-year-old cancer patient from Himachal Pradesh got her medicines from Delhi thanks to Indian postal service that is helping in the delivery of essential services during the nationwide lockdown, imposed to fight coronavirus outbreak in India. A press release from the government of Indias press bureau on Saturday highlighted the story of the timely delivery of medicines to Shalini after her predicament was brought to the attention of Union minister Ravi Shankar Prasad.

Shalinis family asked one of their friends in Delhi for help when they realized the routine delivery of her medicines through courier wouldnt be possible due to the lockdown measures. Shalinis stock of medicine was likely to last only till 19th April 2020.

The friends family in Delhi requested the Union Minister for Communications, Law & Justice and Electronics and IT Ravi Shankar Prasad for help.

Prasad promptly directed India Post to provide all possible logistical assistance to ensure the girls medicines were delivered to Una before 19th April.

All the four circles of India post involved in the delivery--Delhi, Haryana, Punjab and Himachal Pradesh-- coordinated efforts to ensure timely delivery. The Punjab circle even arranged for a postal motor van that reached Shalinis house on the morning of 19th April with the box of medicines.

Shalinis mother thanked India post after receiving the medicines.

The HT Guide to Coronavirus COVID-19

Prasad, too, thanked India Post for living up to the expectations of its people in their hour of need. He also wished Shalini the best of health and happiness.

Delight to hear that @IndiaPostOffice is living up to the expectations of our citizens when they need it the most. @Punitspeaks thanks for your efforts to help your friends family in Una and please convey my best wishes to the little girl for her good health and happy life, Prasad tweeted.

India post is also engaged in delivering medicines, testing kits and PPEs to medical care professionals around the country.

Any information on India Posts services during the lockdown period can be availed through their helpline no. 1800-266 -6868.

Also Read: Lockdown 2.0 relaxation: Government lists permitted and banned activities from April 20
Eight more people have tested positive for COVID-19 in Jharkhand, taking the total in the state to 41, officials said on Sunday.

Of the fresh cases, six are in Ranchi and one each in Simdega and Dhanbad districts, they said.

Rajendra Institute of Medical Sciences (RIMS), Ranchi, Director Dr D K Singh said seven samples tested positive for the virus on Sunday, while Dhanbad Deputy Commissioner Amit Kumar said a railway trackman in the district tested positive on Saturday.

The state has recorded two fatalities so far, one each in Ranchi and Bokaro districts, Singh said.

The trackman working with the East Central Railways had visited his in-laws in neighbouring Bokaro district to meet his pregnant wife and returned to Dhanbad on a bicycle on March 26. He complained of fever the next day, health officials said.

The first positive case in Dhanbad was reported in Kumardhubi in Gyarahkhund block near the West Bengal border on April 8.

Ranchi topped the COVID-19 tally in the state with 24 cases so far, followed by nine in Bokaro, two each in Hazaribagh, Simdega and Dhanbad and one each in Koderma and Giridih districts.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
You never know what you might find in dads garage.

One woman made an explosive discovery at her late dads place in Otis, a rural hamlet a few miles east of Lincoln City.

The woman was cleaning out her deceased fathers garage Friday alongside her husband when they discovered what law enforcement officers later described as an intact and apparently still active World War II grenade in what appeared to be its original packaging.

The woman, who was in the process of clearing out the garage because the home had just sold, called the Lincoln County Sheriffs Office and described the situation.

I was skeptical, said Sgt. Patrick Dougherty, one of the officers who responded to the house in Otis, which sits just off of Oregon 18 not far from the coast.

Dougherty said these types of calls arent atypical, but the devices are usually inert so they arent active.

The womans father had a lot of military memorabilia, though Dougherty said he didnt know if the man served in the military.

The woman told authorities her dad had another World War II MKIIA1 fragmentation grenade, but that one was deactivated and had been fashioned into a lighter.

But he also, apparently, had the potentially still active one that was sitting in the box sin the corner of the garage.

Dougherty said after evaluating the device, officials were concerned enough to call in the state bomb squad.

The Oregon State Police Bomb Squad made the 50-minute trek through the Coast Range from McMinnville and took the device away after about an hour of work. Dougherty said the bomb investigator who responded said hed only twice before seen an active device.

Bomb investigators will conduct a more thorough investigation to determine if the grenades innards still contained the necessary internal components to be deadly.

-- Andrew Theen; atheen@oregonian.com; 503-294-4026; @andrewtheen

Subscribe to Oregonian/OregonLive newsletters and podcasts for the latest news and top stories.
Grocery stores should start banning customers from coming inside and switch to curbside-pickup and delivery service, say experts who are concerned store workers are being exposed to the coronavirus.

Experts, as well as union leaders and small grocery owners, say it has become too risky to let customers browse the store aisles when they come within close proximity of workers.

One union head says 'careless customers' are likely the 'biggest threat' to workers right now.

Experts, as well as grocery store union leaders and small independent owners, say it has become too risky to let customers browse the store aisles when they come within close proximity of workers. An elderly shopper is seen in a Harlem, New York, store on Friday

Experts say grocery stores should switch to curbside-pickup and delivery to protect workers from exposure to the coronavirus. A sign outside a Whole Foods in Cambridge, Massachusetts, shows where customers can pick up their purchases

A WholeFoods has customer purchases ready for pick up during the coronavirus outbreak

Marc Perrone, president of the United Food and Commercial Workers says that 85 percent of his members workers report customers are not practicing social distancing.

John Logan, professor and director of Labor and Employment Studies at San Francisco State University, tells CNN that 'any' measures that reduce the need for workers to interact with the public, and which encourages 'greater physical distancing will ultimately better protect grocery workers.'

'Shuttering stores and repurposing them for pickup and delivery only would be a positive step.'

Whole Foods, Kroeger and Giant Eagle, as well as smaller independents, have switched some stores to delivery and curbside pickup business models.

However, some chains say they cannot convert their stores from the traditional business model of having people come by.

Trader Joe's 'systems are not set up in a way that would allow us to be able to offer these services, and at the same time maintain our commitment to offering value to our customers,' says a spokesman.

Customers are seen standing outside a Kroeger store. The chain is among those which has switched some stores to curbside pickup and delivery service during the coronavirus outbreak

Customers shop at Giant Eagle's store in Johnstown, Pennsylvania. The grocery chain is among those which has switched some stores to curbside-pickup and delivery

There have been more than 759,200 confirmed cases in the US of the coronavirus, which has been blamed for more than 40,000 deaths.

Workers at stores like Whole Foods, which is owned by Amazon, have staged walkouts and protests in response to concerns over the deadly flu-like virus, also known as COVID-19.

While converting to curbside pickup and delivery service is favorable, it's not a perfect solution to concerns.

'Workers would still have exposure if they are delivering goods or if they are in the supermarket,' says Charlane Obernauer, executive director of the New York Committee for Occupational Safety and Health.

A small independent in Malvern, Iowa, is among those which has made the move to keep customers outside, where they pick up their purchases..

'We're in a small town. The employees that I have, they're just like family. I have known many of these people my whole life. I don't want to take the chance of having someone get sick,' said Tom Mulholland, owner of Mulholland Grocery.

'There are very few businesses that get the foot traffic that a grocery store does.'
The boss of Heathrow has warned that air fares will soar unless a new set of international airport health and safety standards are agreed 'within six weeks'.

In an interview with The Mail on Sunday, John Holland-Kaye said the number of people allowed on planes would fall by a third if passengers are forced to stay two metres apart under strict social distancing rules to deal with coronavirus risks.

Airlines would need to increase prices to remain 'economically viable', he said, warning that 'normal, hard-working people' might be priced out of air travel.

Decision time: Airlines will need to increase prices to remain 'economically viable', according to Heathrow's boss

He revealed he is holding urgent talks with the UK Government, the EU and airports across Europe, China and the US about finding a way for airports to operate as coronavirus-free zones that would not require strict social distancing.

This would allow more tourists to fly with confidence, he said. Under the health check proposals, passengers might undergo temperature screening at arrivals or security.

Once vaccines are available, it would be possible for passengers to obtain a 'health passport' before leaving their homes. Heathrow also plans to accelerate the roll-out of technology that minimises physical contact as people pass through the airport.

Holland-Kaye said security 'patting down' could be done by scanners instead, and more people could pass through electronic gates at immigration.

It is understood that even if an agreement on international standards is reached, the measures could take months to introduce and would not be ready for the summer holidays this year.

Holland-Kaye said: 'If we can make airports safe places to come into and out of, this will be the key to getting aviation working again. We need to protect the ability to fly for normal hardworking people. Unless we find a better solution to social distancing, travel prices will go up.'

A hike in airfares would end the boom in low-cost carriers over the past 15 years. Last week easyJet, which has grounded its entire fleet, said that middle seats on its planes could be left empty when flights resume to ensure social distancing, raising the prospect of price hikes.

Emirates last week tested all passengers for Covid-19 before they boarded a flight from Dubai to Tunisia. Results were available within ten minutes after tests were conducted at check-in.

Passengers were also made to wear masks in the airport and observe social distancing rules on board.

Heathrow wants to introduce health screening at airports as soon as possible to remove the need for social distancing. Holland-Kaye said international agreement was urgent, adding: 'We need to get the basic standards in place within the next six weeks so we can start to put the technology and processes in place to start opening airports up.

'For the leisure sector, the key question is whether international travellers will be able to get here for the summer. and that is vital to the UK economy. The faster we move on this, the better.'

Transport Secretary Grant Shapps last Friday warned against planning trips abroad over the coming months. He told BBC Radio 4's Today programme: 'I won't be booking a summer holiday at this point, let's put it that way.'

Heathrow expects overall flight numbers to fall by 90 per cent in April. The remaining flights are mainly cargo and repatriation of Britons. Aviation consultant Chris Tarry warned it could take years for the industry to recover. There is still huge uncertainty over when individual countries will reopen their borders.

How bad will the recession be - and what will the recovery look like? The economic destruction of the coronavirus crash was laid bare in a report from the Office of Budget Responsibility this week. But although the OBR forecast an astonishing 35% slump in UK output in the second quarter of this year - with a three-month lockdown - the other side of its chart showed a substantial bounce-back. What will we need to do for that recovery to happen  and what will it look like? On this podcast, Simon Lambert and Georgie Frost look at the reports on the economic impact of Covid-19 and at the potential bounce back, along with which sectors and businesses could seize the day when it comes. Press play above or listen (and please subscribe if you like the podcast) at Apple Podcasts, Acast, Spotify and Audioboom or visit our This is Money Podcast page.

He said: 'It is likely to take considerable time before airports and airlines are able to demonstrate that they are not in effect creating infection hotspots as passengers come together.'

The pandemic has left many aviation businesses fighting for survival due to Covid-19 travel bans. The crisis killed off Flybe in March and it is feared further airlines could fail. Virgin Atlantic has renewed pleas for a 500million Government bailout.

Heathrow backs its request, saying it is 'vital for the UK's connectivity'. Heathrow's 3.2 billion cash reserves will keep it going for at least 12 months, Holland-Kaye said.

But its business rates bill  around 100,000 per month  is now dwarfing its revenues. It is furloughing most of its 7,500 staff and has cut costs by moving to single runway operations. It will also temporarily close two terminals.

Holland-Kaye said: 'This crisis shows just how vital we are to the UK economy by helping to support millions of jobs across the country and by bringing people into the country to spend their money. We won't see the economy recovering until we can get people flying again from international markets.'
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Infosys, the country's second-largest IT company, is likely to report around 5 percent sequential decline in Q4 FY20 profit due to lower other income and absence of tax benefits.

December 2019 quarter had non-recurring benefit of Rs 242 crore on income tax refund.

According to brokerages, revenue growth in rupee terms could be in the range of 1.5-1.7 percent QoQ for the quarter ended March 2020 largely due to depreciation in the rupee against the US dollar, while there could be marginal growth in constant currency revenue, but dollar revenue growth is expected to be muted.

"We expect revenues to grow 0.2 percent QoQ in constant currency terms (presuming 1 percent hit due to COVID-19). With cross-currency acting as a headwind of 30 bps, USD revenue may witness a marginal dip of 0.1 percent QoQ while dollar appreciation would lead to rupee revenue growth of 1.7 percent QoQ," ICICI Direct said.

Find All Earnings Related News Here

Kotak Institutional Equities also baked in a 1 percent hit to its estimates from missed billings and lockdowns in India and developed markets in the last two weeks of March 2020. "Without the COVID-19 hit, its revenue growth assumption would have been 1.5 percent QoQ in constant currency.

At operating level, the earnings before interest and tax and margin could be stable for the quarter due to rupee weakness and lower travel expenses.

"EBIT margin to remain stable on a QoQ basis despite lower billing and utilisation decline owing to COVID-19 outbreak, led by rupee depreciation, lower travel expenses and lower variable compensation payments to employees," said Sharekhan which expects 0.3 percent fall in dollar revenue and 5.7 percent decline in profit.

But the key thing to watch out for would be its guidance. Most of the brokerages feel Infosys may not give guidance for FY21 given the lockdown in India and other parts of the world amid COVID-19 crisis.

If it gives revenue and margin forecast then the guidance range could be more than the usual range due to potential COVID-19 impact.

Sharekhan believes Infosys might not provide revenue growth guidance for FY21 owing to macro uncertainties. "If it provides annual revenue and margin guidance for FY21, the guidance range would be higher than its normal range of 2 percent."

Kotak also feels the same.

Like TCS, Infosys is also expected to report strong deal wins for the quarter ended March 2020.

Other key things to watch out for would be the commentary on long term impact from likely slower client discretionary spending; deal win trajectory in wake of travel restrictions and pricing pressure; acquisition philosophy, commentary on COVID-19 impact on service delivery and execution given WFH mandates, travel restrictions and client permissions in critical projects; demand environment outlook across verticals especially BFSI, retail and energy; and opportunity in terms of higher outsourcing activities by clients and prospects of vendor consolidation.

"We do not expect any change to capital allocation policy, nonetheless this will be an area of focus," Kotak said.

The stock lost 12.3 percent during the March quarter and 13.75 percent in last financial year 2019-20, outperforming Nifty IT index (down over 18 percent in Q4 and FY20).
Qubool Hai: Television actor Surbhi Jyoti is raising temperatures on social media amid coronavirus lockdown with her stunning photoshoots. The actor rose to fame with her impressive performance in Zee Tv's show Qubool Hai.

Qubool Hai: It seems like a nationwide lockdown in India due to coronavirus outbreak has not affected the spirits of Surbhi Jyoti. While social media is flooded with posts on the dos and donts, motivational songs and posts on lockdown life, the Qubool Hai actor is serving a fresh break with her gorgeous photoshoots. From dressing up in funky clothes, a girl next door in pretty dresses to soaring the temperatures with her sultry expressions, Surbhi has managed to make her Instagram worth a watch and keep the fans hooked to her profile.

In her latest posts, Surbhi Jyoti can be seen posing in a polka dot off-shoulder crop top that she has styled with oversized denims, brown boots and a silver waist chain. For her hair and makeup, the actresses opted for half messy bun with glowing makeup and pink lipstick.

Another set of photos feature Surbhi Jyoti in a simple grey dress that she has styled with a silver choker necklace, open tresses and minimal makeup. The list of Surbhi Jyotis Instagrammable looks goes on and will make you follow her right away.

Also Read: Priyanka Chopra, Shah Rukh Khan, Lady Gaga and others join One World: Together At Home concert for COVID-19 relief, watch here

Take a look-

Also Read: Bigg Boss 13 contestant Shefali Jariwala spills the beans on her relationship with Sidharth Shukla, says even after their breakup, both were cordial

On the professional front, Surbhi Jyoti was recently seen in a music video titled Aaj Bhi alongside Ali Fazal. The song has garnered about 26 million views on Instagram. After shining to fame with Qubool Hai, Surbhi Jyoti was also seen in shows like Pyaar Tune Kya Kiya, Naagin 3 and Yehh Jadu Hai Jinn Ka.

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The Hamirpur district authorities on Sunday sent 100 samples of suspected coronavirus patients to a Tanda medical college for testing, two days after the detection of a couple of cases in the district.

A migrant woman from Ward No.7 in Hamirpur town and a 45-year-old man from the Jol Sappar area in Nadaun had tested positive for COVID-19 on Friday, after which the authorities decided to screen 16,000 families in the district.

Hamirpur Deputy Commissioner Harikesh Meena said 100 samples from containment areas of Hamirpur town and 12 gram panchayats were sent to Tanda's Dr Rajendra Prasad Government Medical College for testing.

As per protocol, the area within a three-km radius of Ward No. 7 and Jol Sappar has been declared a containment zone.

The area beyond the containment zone but within five-km radius of Ward No. 7 and Jol Sappar has been declared a buffer zone.

The DC said 64 teams have been deployed for the screening of people.

Over 7,000 people belonging to nearly 1,800 families have so far been screened to check the spread of the virus, he said, adding that 24 health officers are supervising the teams.

Any type of movement in the containment and buffer areas, except for those engaged in emergency services and valid pass holders, was banned as per protocol.

However, for people living in these areas, essential commodities like milk, fruits, vegetables, medicines and cooking gas will be supplied on the doorstep, the DC said.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
National technology programs that teach workers about artificial intelligence. Infrastructure projects that put trackless trams on major roads. These are two of the ways that business leaders and academics say Australia can repair its economy after the coronavirus pandemic.

Australia faces mass job losses due to a long period of social distancing to slow the spread of the virus, but there could be an opportunity to bring in major new projects to bounce back, said Curtin University's sustainability professor, Peter Newman.

Redeveloping older roads like Parramatta Road in a new City Deal including trackless trams could be one way to boost the economy after the pandemic. Credit:Kate Geraghty

Dr Newman, a former Infrastructure Australia board member, said that rebuilding capital cities with the next 50 years in mind was an opportunity to boost the economy.

"This is the time when we have to do it. COVID has swept away all the silly reasons and it's time to rebuild cities around the 21st century's demands," he said.
On the passing of the presidential chief of staff, Abba Kyari, the U.S. Mission in Nigeria wishes to express sincerest condolences to his family and to the government of Nigeria. We mourn with Nigeria at the loss of this dedicated son and public servant, a Twitter post by the US diplomatic mission read.
Source: Xinhua| 2020-04-19 00:36:20|Editor: huaxia

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People buy food in Wuhan, capital of central China's Hubei Province, April 16, 2020. As the coronavirus epidemic wanes, life returns to normal in Wuhan gradually. (Xinhua/Shen Bohan)

Hubei, which administers Wuhan, now has 76 low-risk cities and counties and none with high risk or medium risk.



WUHAN, April 18 (Xinhua) -- Wuhan, once the hardest-hit city by novel coronavirus disease (COVID-19), has been classified as a low-risk area of the outbreak as the city has met the criteria of no newly confirmed cases for the last 14 days, according to the latest assessment released Saturday by local authorities.

By the end of Friday, the central province of Hubei, which administers Wuhan, has 76 low-risk cities and counties and none with high risk or medium risk, according to the provincial COVID-19 epidemic prevention and control headquarters Saturday.

Wuhan, the provincial capital, saw its last medium-risk district of Qiaokou classified as low-risk compared with the assessment Thursday. It had its coronavirus risk evaluation downgraded from high-risk to medium-risk on March 27.

Citizens bid farewell to medics from the Peking Union Medical College Hospital in Wuhan, capital of central China's Hubei Province, April 15, 2020. (Xinhua/Xiong Qi)

On Friday, Hubei reported no newly confirmed COVID-19 cases and 33 asymptomatic cases.

According to the risk criteria defined in a guideline issued by China's State Council, cities, counties, and districts with no newly confirmed cases in the last 14 days are categorized as low-risk areas, those with fewer than 50 cases or those with over 50 but without a concentrated outbreak are classified as mid-risk areas, and those with over 50 cases as well as a concentrated outbreak are classified as high-risk areas. 


By Dr. Nehginpao Kipgen and Sanjana Dhar





Dr. Nehginpao Kipgen Sanjana Dhar
New COVID-19 deaths were reported Sunday in two mid-Michigan counties.

Three deaths were reported April 19, in Genesee County, raising the total to 115. There was one new death, a man in his 60s, in Shiawassee County putting the total at three there, according to the Shiawassee County Health Department.

The health department also released information over the weekend about a first COVID-19 case at The Meadows of Owosso, an assisted living facility.

Resident at Shiawassee County assisted living facility tests positive for coronavirus

New cases reported at Durand Senior Care and Rehab raised the number of cases there to 47 -- 26 residents and 21 employees -- including one death.

Cases of COVID-19 saw slight increases Sunday in Genesee County (from 1,228 to 1,240), Saginaw County (from 394 to 404), Lapeer County (from 141 to 143), Shiawassee County (from 91 to 94), Bay County (from 79 to 82), Tuscola County (from 59 to 61), and Midland County (from 43 to 45).

Saginaw, Lapeer, Bay, Tuscola, and Midland counties reported no new deaths on Sunday.

A new COVID-19 testing site is opening at the Rite Aid in Swartz Creek. The self-swab sites are opening in a partnership with the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. Each site is to use self-swab tests. They will be administered in each stores parking lot and overseen by pharmacists.

Rite Aid to open 3 self-swab coronavirus testing sites in Michigan

The statewide figures released Sunday by the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services showed less than 800 new COVID-19 for the fourth day in a row.

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A total of 633 new COVID-19 cases were reported Sunday, down from 768 cases on Saturday and 760 on Friday.

Sundays numbers raise the total COVID-19 cases in Michigan to 31,424, with 2,391 total deaths, up 83. The number of daily deaths is up slightly from 81 reported on Saturday.

A total of 78 of the states 83 counties have reported cases, with 52 counties also having reported at least one death.

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.

Related:

Sunday, April 19: Latest developments on coronavirus in Michigan

New Michigan coronavirus cases of 633 is daily low for month of April

Michigan lawmakers express concern at lack of federal help for states small businesses

Rite Aid to open 3 self-swab coronavirus testing sites in Michigan
This week began with a bang for the oil markets. On Sunday the members of OPEC+ struck a historic deal to slash production by a whopping 9.7 million barrels in May and June in an attempt to rescue oil prices from the depths of the current oil price crash.

Last month global oil prices fell more in one day last month than they had in nearly 30 years thanks to the culmination of a series of unfortunate events spurred by the spread of the novel coronavirus. As COVID-19 shut down economies around the globe, oil demand plummeted and tensions rose between the OPEC+ members of Saudi Arabia and Russia, leading to an all-out oil price war and severe crude glut on the international market. Oil prices, not too impressive this year, to begin with, have dropped by more than 65 percent from this years highest prices.

This weeks OPEC+ curbing measures have created waves across the industry. Major players in the United States shale sector, which has seen financial devastation, bankruptcies, and tens of thousands of workers fired or furloughed in the wake of the oil crash, are currently clashing on how to respond to OPEC and its allies decision. Some producers think that the United States should follow suit and cut production in an attempt to boost global oil prices, with Diamondback Energy Inc. going to far as to proclaim that they would be willing to cut their production to zero for the sake of restoring oil prices, while opponents of quotas insinuated that some drillers are supporting such restrictions for selfish reasons such as voiding contractual obligations.

In oil-producing regions in the United States, Forbes reported earlier this week, there is a sinking sense of dread for oil workers and firms alike as jobs evaporate and businesses fall over the cusp into insolvency. This is the harsh nature of the market-driven boom and bust of the oil business in the free market. But of course the impact of the oil price crash and the OPEC+ deal has major implications for the entire global economy, not just the United States, and for some government regimes, the stakes are much, much higher.

Premium: Oil Storage Nears Its Limit

Across the globe, these events are bringing restless nights to autocrats and could destabilize political systems, continues the Forbes article headlined What Will Oil Autocrats Do Now To Keep Power? Energy, and oil, in particular, form a huge fraction of the United States economy, but for some countries, it is the primary, and in some cases nearly only, a form of national income. Economies centered on energy and governments that lack diversified streams of revenue are particularly susceptible to the tumult in this situation, says Forbes. In democratic systems, political unrest can lead to transitions via elections, which are normal occurrences. However, in autocracies and in governments that are democracies in name only, economic turmoil from plunging energy revenue can be more disruptive and can lead to political crackdowns and even revolutions.

This puts certain petro-nations and certain leaders into a very precarious position as global oil prices continue to wallow around in the depths. So far, it doesnt seem that the weekends big oil production slash has done much to revive oil markets, and oil autocrats around the world must be sweating. The biggest examples of this petro-pickle are, of course, Russia and Saudi Arabia. Since transparency is generally lacking, from Riyadh and Moscow as well as many other autocratic regimes, exact and verifiable financial data is often missing. However, in place we can refer to how the CIA describes their reliance on a strong oil market.

And the CIA states in no uncertain terms that Saudi Arabia and Russia, the second and third largest oil producers in the world, respectively, are severely dependent on global oil markets to maintain their Gross Domestic Products. The irony that these are precisely the two countries who spurred the current global crude glut and oil price crash is not lost on anyone who is paying attention.

Premium: Oil Isnt Ready To Rally

While these two nations are some of the biggest fish in the oil-producing world, there are other, much smaller economies that are even more dependent on oil, including Kuwait and Azerbaijan. Though these countries and these regimes have survived oil price shocks in the past, this time could be different, as this weekends seemingly failed attempt to revive the global oil economy has shown.

For a strong-man or an autocrat whose country relies on oil sales, writes Forbes, the question must be, How desperate am I? What are they willing to do to hold on to power? And for the oil industry and oil traders, the question is will any of those authoritarian calculations mean drastic steps that might prop up prices?

Desperate times call for desperate measures, and the eyes of the world will be on the petro-nations of the world in the coming weeks to see just what measures are in store. In a year that has shown us that nothing can be taken for granted, its tempting to just fall back on a time-honored idiom: when it comes to oil producers decisions this Spring and Summer, expect the unexpected.

By Haley Zaremba for Oilprice.com

More Top Reads From Oilprice.com:
Life under a stay-at-home order can be hard for many, and socially distancing can have severe mental health consequences. During a time of heightened anxiety, public health officials are urging people to ask for help.

No one should ever feel like they cant ask for help, Zoe Barnard said. Barnard is the Addictive and Mental Disorders Division Administrator with the Montana Department of Public Health and Human Services.

Being overwhelmed or fearful are totally normal during this time period and it's normal to ask for help," she said.

The state expanded some of the mental health services in Montana, after there was a surge in calls to the lifeline and warmline in March. The Montana Suicide Prevention Lifeline had already seen a 43% increase in calls between 2018-2019.

Both hotlines are there for people seeking mental health help.

The novel coronavirus presents a host of issues for people, including heightening anxieties, stress, depression and loneliness. The stay-at-home order can also be isolating for people.

All of it can be especially difficult for those who already may experience mental illnesses, Barnard said.
Rajesh Asnani By

Express News Service

JAIPUR: The coronavirus pandemic may be the worst crisis the world has faced since World War II but many in India are fueling communal fears even in this moment of grave tragedy. In Rajasthan, two BJP MLAs have been booked for making provocative speeches to spread hatred in their attempt to attack the Gehlot Government's action plan on tackling the Corona crisis.

A case has been registered against the Sanganer MLA Ashok Lahoti of Jaipur at the Mansarovar police station while Ramganjmandi MLA Madan Dilawar has been booked at Mahavir Nagar police station in Kota for spreading hate through their viral videos.

Ramchandra Devanda, a resident of Muhana Mandi Road, has alleged that MLA Ashok Lahoti has spread disharmony in the community through his narrow-minded speeches aimed at promoting religious ill-will.

FOLLOW LIVE UPDATES HERE

He added that in the time of national disaster, the administration has been accused of discrimination by Lahoti who has claimed that people of a particular community are being given a food plate worth Rs 720 per person. "Lahoti has given provocative speeches and warned of Rajasthan becoming New York. He wants to create communal violence in the state on the basis of religion, caste, community and create a wave of unrest,"said Ramchandra

But Lahoti says that he has just stated the truth of the matter with regard to hoarding and distribution of ration. "To intimidate and pressurise us, cases are being registered. But we are neither afraid nor will we succumb to these tactics", said Ashok Lahoti, the MLA from Sanganer. The police have sent the file to CID CB for investigating the case which has been registered under IPC Sections 188, 153A, 153B, 505, 505 Second, and Section 51 and 54 of the Disaster Management Act.

Another BJP leader to be booked is Madan Dilawar who is the MLA from Ramganjmandi constituency in Kota. "His case was registered on Friday under relevant sections of the IPC, the Disaster Management Act and the Epidemic Diseases Act", said Deputy Superintendent of Police, Amrita Duhan . A resident of Teachers Colony in the city, Sanjay Sharma who is also a Congress worker has lodged the complaint against Dilawar for his provocative message in a widely-circulated video. Moreover, Dilawar allegedly also issued a press note on April 15 along with the video message and accused the Congress government in the state of favoring a particular community during the Corona crisis for vote bank politics. The MLA is also accused of inviting people to his residence and disregarding social distancing norms.

The FIR states that Dilawar made a video on April 9th wherein he talks against a specific community and how it has spread Corona deliberately. The report also says that amidst the curfew and section 144 continuing, such speeches can spread communal disturbance between two communities.

For the FIRs registered against its two MLAs, the BJP has attacked the Congress strongly on the issue. " The Gehlot government wants to suppress the voice of the opposition. But BJP leaders and workers will not be intimidated . The government, which failed to follow the lockdown in the infected areas, is taking revenge action on the public representatives and activists of the opposition who raise their voice ", remarked Satish Poonia, BJP State President.

However, Pratap Singh Khachariawas, the Congress President in Jaipur and Transport Minister in the Gehlot government responded sharply to the criticism and said, " BJP MLAs have been sued by some private citizens and not the government. It is shameful that BJP leaders want to spoil the atmosphere by playing dirty politics even in the Corona crisis."
Portable Partitions products had always been made in Australia so the business was able to quickly adapt to manufacturing perspex screens.

David Silverton, co owner of Portable Partitions Australia, at Balmoral Cellars where a screen has been installed to protect workers from coronavirus Credit:Dominic Lorrimer

Co-owner David Silverton said Portable Partitions' core business, which previously turned over around $5 million a year, had dropped by 90 per cent as offices shut down.

When Portable Partitions Australia completely changed its business last month from making partitions for offices to producing perspex screens to protect against coronavirus, the transformation wasn't held up by unnecessary regulation.

Businesses fear cuts to red tape by the government and agencies in response to the coronavirus pandemic will only be temporary.

"We were able to shift quickly," Mr Silverton said. "We are pretty lean, we have ten staff. The beauty of this is we have been able to hold on to all of our staff and hopefully employ a few more to meet the continued demand for the product."

Red tape has been an ongoing issue for the government which had previously pledged to cut $1 billion of red and green tape each year and public servants and government agencies have scrambled to try to reduce the regulatory burden for businesses struggling to survive.

Small business ombudsman Kate Carnell said it was now "significantly clearer" what a stand down looked like and how businesses could change hours and scope of work. Credit:Roger Stonehouse

Small business ombudsman Kate Carnell said the government had worked quickly to reduce employment red tape off the back of the JobKeeper legislation which was introduced last week but she was worried the changes were short term and set to finish in September.

"If anything has shown a system that is too bureaucratic and opaque it has been the lack of clarity on what employers can do during this period of time," she said. "Can you stand down staff? Can you not stand down staff? What do you need to do if you cannot reduce hours for staff?"
By Associated Press

HOUSTON: Danielle Nelson's best monitor for the emissions billowing out of the oil refineries and chemical plants surrounding her home: The heaving chest of her 9-year-old asthmatic son.

On some nights, the boy's chest shudders as he fights for breath in his sleep.

Nelson suspects the towering plants and refineries are to blame, rising like a lit-up city at night around her squat brick apartment building in the rugged Texas Gulf Coast city of Port Arthur.

Ask Nelson what protection the federal government and plant operators provide her African American community, and her answer is blunt.

"They're basically killing us," says the 37-year-old, who herself has been diagnosed with respiratory problems since moving to the community after Hurricane Harvey in 2017.

"We don't even know what we're breathing," she says.

The Texas Gulf Coast is the United States' petrochemical corridor, with four of the country's 10 biggest oil and gas refineries and thousands of chemical facilities.

Residents of the mostly black and Latino communities closest to the refineries and chemical plants say that puts them on the front line of the Trump administration's rollbacks of decades of public health and environmental protections.

Under President Donald Trump, federal regulatory changes are slashing requirements on industry to monitor, report and reduce toxic pollutants, heavy metals and climate-damaging fossil fuel emissions, and to work transparently with communities to prevent plant disasters - such as the half-dozen major chemical fires and explosions that have killed workers, frightened residents and disrupted life along the Texas Gulf Coast over the past year alone.

And that plunge in public health enforcement may be about to get even more dramatic.

Last month, Environmental Protection Agency administrator Andrew Wheeler, a coal lobbyist before Trump appointed him to the agency, announced enforcement waivers for industries on monitoring, reporting and quickly fixing hazardous releases, in cases the EPA deems staffing problems related to the coronavirus pandemic made compliance difficult.

Since then, air pollutants in Houston's most heavily industrialized areas have surged as much as 62%, a Texas A & M analysis of state air monitor readings found.

EPA says it is balancing public and business interests in trimming what the Trump administration considers unnecessary regulations.

"Maintaining public health and enforcing existing environmental protections is of the upmost importance to EPA," agency spokeswoman Andrea Woods said by email.

"This administration's deregulatory efforts are focused on rooting out inefficiencies, not paring back protections for any sector of society."

But environmentalists call the EPA's waiver during the coronavirus crisis the latest in a series of alarming moves.

"Traditionally less data and enforcement has never added up to cleaner air, water or land for communities of color and lower wealth communities," said Mustafa Santiago Ali, head of the EPA environmental justice office under President Barack Obama.

On the Texas Gulf Coast, African Americans under segregation were historically shunted to low-lying coastal areas prone to high water - literally on the wrong side of the tracks, Port Arthur activist Hilton Kelley says.

bumping over those rails on a tour of his industrial neighborhood.

As Texas towns grew, refineries, interstates and other, dirtier industries moved to those areas.

Stopping at the site of a razed public housing project where he was born in a bedroom looking out on the refineries, Kelley recalls, "always hearing about someone dying of cancer, always smelling smells, watching little babies using nebulizers."

During the Obama administration, Kelley and other activists traveled to Washington for signing ceremonies for rules tightening regulations on pollutants and other health threats, and requiring industries to do more to report hazardous emissions.

These days, Kelley's trips to Washington are to protest rollbacks relaxing those rules.

"That's a death sentence for us," Kelley says, driving past the the sickly yellow light of a refinery burning off methane gas.

In Houston, one of the country's largest cities without zoning rules, the exposure to toxins is compounded.

In Hispanic Galena Park, a developer this year fracked an oil and gas well just hundreds of yards (meters) from a school.

In another Hispanic community, Manchester, chemical storage tanks tower over single-story frame homes, encasing all but their porches and driveways.

Before dawn one day last month a headache-inducing chemical stench suffused the neighborhood as a child waited for a school bus.

An Immigration and Customs Enforcement vehicle rolled by.

Latino residents, afraid of attracting official attention, lay low and don't often complain, resident and activist Juan Flores says.

Even before the Trump administration began the rollbacks, Houston's urban freeways and industries were pumping enough poisonous refinery chemicals, heavy metals, and diesel and car exhaust to "almost certainly" be to blame for some respiratory problems and early deaths, as well as an "unacceptable increased risk" for cancers and chronic disease, concluded a landmark city task force, started in 2005 to study the health impacts.
Over the last month the Altice Europe N.V. (AMS:ATC) has been much stronger than before, rebounding by 42%.

We really feel for shareholders in this scenario. It's a good reminder of the importance of diversification, and it's worth keeping in mind there's more to life than money, anyway.

See our latest analysis for Altice Europe

While the efficient markets hypothesis continues to be taught by some, it has been proven that markets are over-reactive dynamic systems, and investors are not always rational. One imperfect but simple way to consider how the market perception of a company has shifted is to compare the change in the earnings per share (EPS) with the share price movement.

Altice Europe became profitable within the last five years. We would usually expect to see the share price rise as a result. So given the share price is down it's worth checking some other metrics too.

We think that the revenue decline over three years, at a rate of 13% per year, probably had some shareholders looking to sell. And that's not surprising, since it seems unlikely that EPS growth can continue for long in the absence of revenue growth.

The graphic below depicts how earnings and revenue have changed over time (unveil the exact values by clicking on the image).

ENXTAM:ATC Income Statement April 19th 2020

Altice Europe is a well known stock, with plenty of analyst coverage, suggesting some visibility into future growth. You can see what analysts are predicting for Altice Europe in this interactive graph of future profit estimates.

What about the Total Shareholder Return (TSR)?

We'd be remiss not to mention the difference between Altice Europe's total shareholder return (TSR) and its share price return. The TSR attempts to capture the value of dividends (as if they were reinvested) as well as any spin-offs or discounted capital raisings offered to shareholders. Altice Europe hasn't been paying dividends, but its TSR of 50% exceeds its share price return of -82%, implying it has either spun-off a business, or raised capital at a discount; thereby providing additional value to shareholders.

Story continues

A Different Perspective

We're pleased to report that Altice Europe rewarded shareholders with a total shareholder return of 45% over the last year. That gain actually surpasses the 14% TSR it generated (per year) over three years. These improved returns may hint at some real business momentum, implying that now could be a great time to delve deeper. I find it very interesting to look at share price over the long term as a proxy for business performance. But to truly gain insight, we need to consider other information, too. Consider for instance, the ever-present spectre of investment risk. We've identified 3 warning signs with Altice Europe (at least 1 which is potentially serious) , and understanding them should be part of your investment process.

Of course, you might find a fantastic investment by looking elsewhere. So take a peek at this free list of companies we expect will grow earnings.

Please note, the market returns quoted in this article reflect the market weighted average returns of stocks that currently trade on NL exchanges.

If you spot an error that warrants correction, please contact the editor at editorial-team@simplywallst.com. This article by Simply Wall St is general in nature. It does not constitute a recommendation to buy or sell any stock, and does not take account of your objectives, or your financial situation. Simply Wall St has no position in the stocks mentioned.



We aim to bring you long-term focused research analysis driven by fundamental data. Note that our analysis may not factor in the latest price-sensitive company announcements or qualitative material. Thank you for reading.
An inmate who escaped a facility in Marion County earlier this month has been recaptured in Florida.

The Alabama Department of Corrections said Brandon Keith Powell, 38, was taken into custody this morning by Lakeland Police in Lakeland, Fla.

Powell fled wearing a white prison uniform from the Hamilton Community Based Facility just before 6:30 p.m. April 1.

He was serving a 26-year sentence for a third-degree Cherokee County burglary conviction in 2019.
Wuhan, Hubei province has recently reported 1,290 new fatalities, raising the latest official figures of the death toll in the city of China's central Hubei province to 3,869 and China's national death toll by 50% to more than 4,600, according to a report from BBC.

China said that the increase was because of updated reporting of deaths outside hospitals. They made this statement amid allegations of cover-up on their real numbers, downplaying the severity of its virus outbreak. They insisted that there was no cover-up.

The 11 million residents of Wuhan spent months under strict lockdown conditions, which the country just recently lifted.

According to Johns Hopkins University data, China now ranks the seventh-highest globally with 84,000 confirmed coronavirus cases. The pandemic has greatly affected the country's economy which shrank for the first time in decades in the first quarter of the year.

China's explanation behind the rise of death cases

The revised figures were the result of new data received from multiple sources which include the records kept by funeral homes and prisons, according to the officials in Wuhan in a statement released on Friday.

Infected patients who died outside of the hospitals, particularly those who died at home, had not been previously recorded.

Moreover, the statement said that the "statistical verification" followed efforts by the authority to make sure that information on Wuhan's COVID-19 epidemic is open, transparent, and accurate. There are instances wherein cases were counted more than once or missed entirely especially when the outbreak was first reported because the health systems were initially overwhelmed.

There was also a problem in testing at first because of its shortage in the early stages which means that there are many infected patients that were not accounted for.

Mo Feng, a spokesman for China's National Health Commission said that the new death count came from a "comprehensive review" of epidemic data.

Furthermore, the foreign ministry said in its daily news conference that the accusations of a cover-up that the US President Donald Trump has made stridently in the world stage, is unsubstantiated. A spokesman added that concealment is strictly not allowed.

Read Also: Nippon Paint Designs Virus-Killer Paint to Protect Healthcare Workers From COVID-19

Growing international concerns on China's revised figures

Chinese authorities launched an investigation into a mysterious viral pneumonia cases in Wuhan in December 2019. They reported the cases to the UN's global health agency, the World Health Organization (WHO), on December 31 of the same year.

It was only until February 10 that WHO was allowed to visit China to investigate the outbreak but by that time, China had already more than 40,000 cases.

When there were already about 100 cases of the coronavirus by the beginning of January, Wuhan's mayor admitted that there was a lack of action. Dr. Li Wenliang tried to warn his colleagues about an outbreak of a SARS-like virus but was silenced by the authorities. He later died from the infection.

There has been a growing international concern that deaths in China were under-reported. Many doubt of the veracity of China's official coronavirus statistics especially with Friday's revised figures has left analysts wondering if this is all a bit too neat.

Read More: AI Predicts "A Halting Of Infections" Around April 20th But Warns Catastrophe If Social Distancing Relax Too Soon
Trials of a vaccine that could protect against the coronavirus are set to begin in the UK.

Work on the vaccine, developed by clinical teams at the Oxford University's Jenner Institute and Oxford Vaccine Group, began in January.

Now a study involving up to 510 healthy volunteers between 18 and 55 is to get started.

The UK will join only the United States - with two studies - and China in beginning human trials.

But WHO expert David Nabarro and Oxford University's Sarah Gilbert warned there is no guarantee we will ever get a vaccine.

Work on the vaccine (pictured), developed by clinical teams at the Oxford University's Jenner Institute and Oxford Vaccine Group, began in January

WHO expert David Nabarro (left) and Oxford University's Sarah Gilbert (right) warned there is no guarantee we will ever get a vaccine

Professor Saul Faust, director of the NIHR Southampton Clinical Research Facility at University Hospital Southampton, said: 'There are not currently any licensed vaccines or specific treatments for Covid-19 but vaccines are the most effective way of controlling outbreaks and the international community has stepped up efforts towards developing one.

'This vaccine aims to turn the virus' most potent weapon, its spikes, against it - raising antibodies that stick to them allowing the immune system to lock on to and destroy the virus.'

It is called ChAdOx1 nCoV-19 and is made from a weakened version of a common cold virus (adenovirus) from chimpanzees that has been genetically changed so it is impossible for it to grow in humans.

Professor Saul Faust (pictured), director of the NIHR Southampton Clinical Research Facility at University Hospital Southampton, said: 'There are not currently any licensed vaccines or specific treatments for Covid-19 but vaccines are the most effective way of controlling outbreaks'

This has been combined with genes that make proteins from the Covid-19 virus (SARS-CoV-2) called spike glycoprotein, which play an essential role in the infection pathway of the SARS-CoV-2 virus.

Some 187 of the study participants are to be recruited in Southampton.

Prof Faust added: 'We are really pleased to be supporting our colleagues in Oxford by collaborating on this extremely important study, which is one of only four vaccine trials underway worldwide and could pave the way for a vaccine to be delivered later this year.

'This study will enable us to assess if healthy people can be protected from Covid-19 with this new vaccine and it will also give us valuable information on its safety and ability to generate good immune responses against the virus.'

According to the World Health Organisation, more than 70 Covid-19 vaccines are in development worldwide but the UK now joins only the United States - two studies - and China in beginning human trials.

The study is taking place in Oxford and Southampton, with three further sites likely to be added.

Half of volunteers in the study will receive either the Covid-19 vaccine and the other half will be given a licensed 'control' vaccine against meningitis and sepsis (the conjugate MenACWY vaccine) as comparison.

Production has already been scaled up pre-trial to prepare as early as possible for larger trials and potential future deployment.

Prof Faust, who is a consultant in immunology and infectious diseases, said: 'By starting vaccine manufacturing scale-up immediately, the team can ensure that enough vaccine doses are available as soon as possible for the next trials which will include older people and children.

'Those joining the trial will be playing a critical role in the global search for a vaccine that protects us all, not least front-line NHS workers, the elderly and those with underlying health conditions.'

David Nabarro, professor of global health at Imperial College London and an envoy for the WHO on Covid-19, said the globe will have to adapt to the ongoing problem.

It comes as the number of cases worldwide surged past 2.3million, with 160,000 deaths.

A scientist checks quality control of vaccine vials for correct volume at the Clinical Biomanufacturing Facility (CBF) in Oxford earlier this month

Dr Nabarro told the Observer: 'You don't necessarily develop a vaccine that is safe and effective against every virus. Some viruses are very, very difficult when it comes to vaccine development.

'So for the foreseeable future, we are going to have to find ways to go about our lives with this virus as a constant threat.

'That means isolating those who show signs of the disease and also their contacts. Older people will have to be protected. In addition, hospital capacity for dealing with cases will have to be ensured. That is going to be the new normal for us all.'

Researchers around the world are desperately working on developing a breakthrough vaccine.

But a top Oxford University professor leading the charge for a cure warned it is not 'certain' it will be possible to produce a vaccine.

Researchers around the world are desperately working on developing a breakthrough vaccine (pictured, in Oxford earlier last week)

Professor Sarah Gilbert, Professor of Vaccinology, told the BBC's Andrew Marr Show: 'That's why we have to do trials to find out. The prospects are very good, but it is clearly not completely certain.'

Prof Gilbert said they hope to begin clinical trials towards the end of next week.

And she said that alongside these trials, preparations need to be made to manufacture the vaccine in large amounts.

Prof Gilbert told the BBC's Andrew Marr Show that trials need to be done to see if it is possible to find a workable vaccine.

'The prospects are very good, but it is clearly not completely certain,' she said.

Prof Gilbert said her team is currently waiting for final safety tests and final approvals for clinical trials to start.

In the meantime, permission has been given to recruit volunteers, take blood tests, explain the process and check their health status, she said.

An incubator full of hyperflasks used in the development of the ChAdOx1 vaccine candidate is pictured at the Clinical Biomanufacturing Facility (CBF) in Oxford last week

Prof Gilbert said: 'By the time we have all the approvals for the vaccine ready, we should have a good pool of volunteers to draw from and we should be able to get going quite quickly.'

It is difficult to know when a vaccine might be ready, Prof Gilbert said, as there are many complex stages in vaccine development.

These start with immunising healthy 18 to 55-year-olds, before moving into older age groups, looking at the safety and immune response to the vaccine.

'That's important because it's the older population that we really need to protect with the vaccine,' she said.

'But with vaccines in general, you get not so good immune responses as the immune system ages, so we need to find out with this vaccine how good it's looking in older people compared to younger people, just by measuring the immune response to the vaccination.'

Hyperflasks used in the development of the ChAdOx1 vaccine candidate are pictured at the Clinical Biomanufacturing Facility (CBF) in Oxford last week

Half of all the trial volunteers will get the new coronavirus vaccine and the other half will get a vaccine licensed to protect against meningitis. Volunteers will not know what they are given, she said.

'Over time, as people become infected, or have symptoms of coronavirus, they will come to us to get tested, and we will arrange to have them tested very quickly and when enough people have become positive for the coronavirus, the statisticians will look at which groups those people were in, to find out 'were they in the group that had the coronavirus vaccine or are they all in the group that had the meningitis vaccine?'.

'Obviously we're hoping for the infections only to happen in the meningitis vaccine group. And if that's the case we will then be able to say that this vaccine works, at least in the age range that we've vaccinated.'

Scientists need to be able to demonstrate the vaccine works, and that is affected by how much virus transmission there is at the time testing is happening.

Prof Gilbert said: 'Obviously we're seeing a drop in hospital admission now, probably a drop in virus transmission in the community, and that's great for the population as a whole.

'It makes vaccine testing more difficult though, because we need a small number of people to become infected, and it really is a very small number, in order to know that the vaccine's actually working.'

In addition, there needs to be preparation to manufacture large amounts of doses.

'What we need from government is support to help us accelerate the manufacturing,' she said, adding that there are no manufacturing facilities in the country that can do so at the moment.

There is a plant at Oxford University that can make small amounts of doses, which will be used for the first clinical trials, Prof Gilbert said, but this 'needs to go to a much bigger scale'.

Companies involved in manufacturing the vaccine will need to have trained staff and new equipment, she said.

'And all of that can happen but the companies that we're going to be working with are going to need to stop doing what they would normally do and make this vaccine instead,' she added.

This map shows coronavirus cases and deaths around the world. The United States has the largest outbreak with more than 700,000 infections

Prof Gilbert also said that Oxford is not looking to make money out of the vaccine, adding they are concentrating on making it available for public health use.

'The university is looking to protect people's health,' she said. 'And to do that as widely as possible across the world. It's not just for this country, we need to make a vaccine for the world.'

Discussions are going on about fair access to all vaccines that work at a global level, she added.

Prof Gilbert said her team has gone through stages of vaccine development that usually take five years in just four months.

Sir Jeremy Farrar, a member of the Government's Scientific Advisory Group for Emergencies (Sage), said he was 'optimistic' about finding a vaccine but that finding a safe and effective treatment for the latest strain was 'not a given'.

He told Sky News's Sophy Ridge On Sunday: 'I hope we would have a vaccine towards the end of this year - but that's a vaccine in a vial, it's a vaccine that we believe to be safe, a vaccine we think might be effective.

'I think it's crucial to realise having a vaccine in itself, in say a million doses, which you know to be safe and you believe to be effective. That is not the end game.

'The end game is making sure that it is truly effective. It's effective in the elderly, effective in young children, effective right across the age group in all populations.

'And then you have to manufacture that in billions of doses to administer them to the world.'

Scientists are also investigating using llamas in the quest, according to the Sunday Times, with a new Belgian study showing antibodies obtained from llama blood can help neutralise the coronavirus responsible for Covid-19.

With lab rats and mice having also been used in coronavirus research, South Korean scientists say ferrets could have a role to play in testing vaccines too because when infected with Covid-19 they responded similarly to humans, the Times said.

Meanwhile, former health secretary Jeremy Hunt says the pandemic has shown the need for countries to work together in a new global health system involving better co-operation between governments.

Mr Hunt said global health security would be 'on that small but critical list' of issues, such as climate change, that can only be solved through international working.
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 Brazils central west region. It is a thousand kilometres (miles) from Rio de Janeiro, (Brazils 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 waters edge, Brazil will take possession of its territory. Ranked in 1987 on UNESCOs 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 Brazils 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 parliaments 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.

Among Brasilias 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.

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.

(This story has been published from a wire agency feed without modifications to the text. Only the headline has been changed.)

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This is the first time in 40 years that the global economic growth numbers will be significantly negative. China, Europe, United States, and India all had to resort to lockdowns because they were afraid of losing millions of lives to the new coronavirus. As a result of the unprecedented measures taken, stock indices around the world plunged as much as 40-50%. S&P 500 ETFs lost about a third of their values at one point.

Oil prices collapsed around the world. Exxon Mobil Corporation (NYSE:XOM) lost nearly 60% of its value at one point. Occidental Petroleum Corporation (NYSE:OXY) dropped around 80% from this years peak to trough.

President Trump really believed that the U.S. death toll could have been 2 million or more if we hadnt done anything to counter the COVID-19 pandemic.

Thats because leading experts told him that COVID-19s infection fatality rate is anywhere from 1% to 2.5%.

What if COVID-19s infection fatality rate is much lower than 1%?

I never had a satisfying answer to this question. I knew COVID-19 would take tens of thousands of lives when most people were skeptical.

On March 20th, I published this article: Hell is Coming: Here is the Mathematical Proof. At the time, our death toll stood at 205.

I shared a very simple model that predicts the number of deaths and the actual number of infections through April 15th. I have an engineering undergrad and a PhD in financial economics. Trust me when I say I can develop very complicated models. You have to be really skilled to develop complicated models. However, it is extremely difficult to develop a simple model that can make accurate predictions and can also be understood by ordinary people.

I dont want to take your time with sharing the details of the model (please click the link and read the article). The model predicted that the U.S. death would reach 800 by March 26th (the actual death toll was 1042 on the morning of March 26th).

The model also predicted a U.S. death toll of 6400 for April 3rd. The death toll was 7152.

Story continues

Here is the first sentence of that article: Right now 2 million Americans are infected with the coronavirus. The total U.S. death toll by April 15th will be more than 20,000.

This was a very RADICAL prediction at the time.

Im all for freedom of the press but this is out of control. All they do is fear monger anymore and someone needs to put a stop to it somehow, a reader said about my article.

The author is clearly pulling made up numbers out of thin air, a second reader commented.

Why do you scare people with your theory. These numbers havent been seen anywhere else, and likely wont be here either, another reader said.

I dont need to tell you now that my predictions were actually very conservative. Our death toll on April 15th stood above 28000.

In that analysis I used an infection fatality rate of 1% to estimate the actual number of infections. However, it was always possible that the IFR was 0.5% and the actual number of infections was twice as much as I calculated. The result would have been the same. It was also possible that the IFR could be 0.25% and the actual number of infections was 4 times my estimate.

Now, in the last couple of weeks I came across anecdotal data that indicate a large number of asymptomatic COVID-19 infections. Here is one from today. In Boston, 397 people at a homeless shelter were tested for COVID-19 and 146 of them tested positive. Interestingly, none of the 146 people showed any symptoms. This is indirect evidence of large number of undetected asymptomatic COVID-19 infections.

Here is another data point:

Between March 22 and April 4, 2020, a total of 215 pregnant women delivered infants at the New YorkPresbyterian Allen Hospital and Columbia University Irving Medical Center . All the women were screened on admission for symptoms of Covid-19. Four women (1.9%) had fever or other symptoms of Covid-19 on admission, and all 4 women tested positive for SARS-CoV-2 (Figure 1). Of the 211 women without symptoms, all were afebrile on admission. Nasopharyngeal swabs were obtained from 210 of the 211 women (99.5%) who did not have symptoms of Covid-19; of these women, 29 (13.7%) were positive for SARS-CoV-2. Thus, 29 of the 33 patients who were positive for SARS-CoV-2 at admission (87.9%) had no symptoms of Covid-19 at presentation.

This is a very revealing study. Unless pregnant women have a higher likelihood of contracting the COVID-19 (personally, Id expect pregnant women to be more cautious about an infection to protect their unborn babies). This study implies that around 14% of all New York City residents were infected with COVID-19 between March 22 and April 4th. This study also implies that there are many more people who contracted the virus and already recovered before March 22. Finally, we can assume that the virus continued to spread after April 4th and probably infected tens of thousands of more people in New York.

If I had to guess, Id say at least 30% of New York City residents are already infected with the virus. I am going to come back to NYC in a bit. Lets first take a look at another data point.

Yesterday A preprint study was posted on Medrxiv. The study estimates the number of people in Santa Clara County in California that have COVID-19 antibodies in their blood. Up until recently we didnt have any reliable data about the number of people who were infected with COVID-19 but werent diagnosed. This data is crucial in estimating COVID-19s infection fatality rate. This new study estimates that there were at least 50K people infected with COVID-19 in Santa Clara county, vs. a total death toll of 69 people. This study also estimated COVID-19s infection fatality rate around 0.2%.

The Santa Clara County study tested 3300 people. The study used a test kit that was developed by Premium Biotech of Minneapolis. Test kits usually arent 100% accurate. The manufacturer tested the kits performance on 85 known samples of COVID-19 positive samples, and the test kit successfully identified 78 of them. This means there is around a 90% chance that this test kit would successfully identify a COVID-19 infection.

The manufacturer also tested the kits performance on 371 samples from prior years (COVID-19 didnt exist, so we are 100% certain that these 371 samples are COVID-19 negative). The test kit successful identified 369 of the negative samples. Unfortunately, the test kit thought 2 of the cases were positive even though we know that they werent. This is called false positives. This means the test kits have a false positive percentage of around 0.5%.

This is important. This also means that if you test 3300 samples, this test kit will probably flag around 18 cases as positives when they were actually negatives.

The total number of positive results was 50 in this Santa Clara County study. Now probably 18 of these 50 positives were false positives. The test kits probably misidentified around 4-5 positive cases as negatives.

Let me cut it short. Overall, it looks like more than 1% of the 3330 people were infected with COVID-19 in Santa Clara County. Thats 20 times more than the official case count.

If I were one of the researchers, I wouldnt have used Santa Clara County for this analysis. As far as we know, the test kit has a 0.5% false positive outcome. However, it could be more than that. If the false positive percentage is actually 1.5%, then maybe all of the 50 positive results were false positives. We just cant be certain.

Here is what I would have done and this is what Governor Cuomo should do asap.

New York City already lost 0.1% of its population to COVID-19. Since we are near the peak in terms of COVID-19 deaths in New York City, we know that the death toll will double over the next 4-6 weeks. So, we can assume that New York City will lose about 0.2% of its residents to COVID-19 by the end of May.

New York City

If COVID-19s IFR is 1%, this implies that 20% of New Yorkers already contracted the virus and most of these people survived. If the infection fatality rate is 0.5%, this implies that 40% of New York City is already immune to COVID-19. Finally, if the Santa Clara County study is right and COVID-19s CFR is around 0.25%, then this implies that 80% of New York City residents are already immune to the virus.

This means there is a non-trivial possibility that New York City is close to achieving herd immunity.

This is a game changer for New Yorkers.

If thats indeed the case, they can right away cancel the stay at home order and literally go back to normal.

Now, it isnt very expensive or time consuming to test this. If the Stanford University researchers picked New York City instead of Santa Clara County, we would have known the answer by now.

The good thing about this kind of study is that we dont need a large sample size or an extremely accurate test kit to get a ball park estimate. If we use the same test kit and the test kit has a 0.5% false positive ratio, it wont cause us any problems because we believe New York Citys infection rate is at least 20%. If we test 2000 people, we will probably have at least 400 positives and only 10 of these could be false positives.

I truly find it hard to understand why we are quick to spend $2 trillion on a bail out package, yet we dont spend less than a millionth of this amount on gathering data that would have showed us the best way to handle this pandemic.

If you know Governor Cuomo, Mayor de Blasio, or any of the billionaire hedge fund managers, please forward them this article. Hedge fund managers spend millions on activist campaigns. If they can confirm that COVID-19s infection fatality rate is 0.25%, New York City can go back to business and the smart hedge fund manager can get into New York City stocks before they skyrocket.

Disclosure: None. This article is originally published at Insider Monkey.

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The coronavirus situation in France is improving "slowly but surely", French Prime Minister Edouard Philippe said on Sunday, while warning that the health crisis was far from over.

Philippe said there were signals that pressures on hospitals were easing, after the number of people in intensive care dropped for several days in a row.

France, which has recorded close to 20,000 deaths as a result of the coronavirus pandemic, has been in virtual lockdown for nearly five weeks, but is due to start easing some confinement measures from May 11.

Philippe said that an economic crisis was only just starting as a result of the outbreak, adding that it would be "brutal".




Mia was roughly calculating the income of her business at home in the Italian capital of Rome. "Many clothing trade businesses I know have lost at least 50% of their spring orders due to the COVID-19 pandemic." she said during a video interview.



Mia has been running her clothing trade business in Rome for a decade. She imports clothing from China and sells products wholesale to retail stores in Europe. The business had been running smoothly due to her hard work in marketing research, careful management of inventories, and good communications with her clients.

However, plans can change quickly in times of trouble. "When the coronavirus started to spread in January, our clothing factories in China stopped productions. At that point, not many people were infected in Italy. But my friends back in China kept telling me to stock up on face masks, hand sanitizer and food. So, instead of being concerned much for my business, my focus has been more on health and safety issues," Mia said.

Italy declared a state of emergency on January 31, followed by a general lockdown to the whole country on March 12. The lockdown restrictions only allowed essential businesses like supermarkets, pharmacies and a select few other shops to remain open.

"I'm kind of lucky that I had completed all my spring orders before the lockdown. Most of them had been shipped to my clients, and I had been paid. It secured the current cash flow of my business and bought me more time to survive from this recession.

One difficulty was that many freight logistics companies had stopped their services due to the lockdown. Without them, products could not be shipped to retail stores.

According to statistics from Johns Hopkins University, as of April 13, over 156,000 cases have been confirmed in Italy, with more than 19,000 deaths. Due to the high mortality rate, Italy has maintained very strict restrictions.

"Police will randomly check your ID on the street and ask the reason why you're outside," Mia said. She appreciates the lockdown to safeguard public health, but the downside is that fewer people are shopping for clothes.

The pandemic may result in her suffering a business loss this that cannot yet be calculated. "I know it will be more difficult to sell summer products. Since retail stores won't be able to sell anything as they remain closed or less people come to the stores, the summer orders will be reduced for sure," she said in a worried tone.

The Italian government established several measures to support businesses during the pandemic. A 600-euro monthly subsidy is given to self-employed people like Mia. And a possible tax credit equal to 60% of the rent of her business premises for the month of March is a possibility.

Mia said: "I haven't seen the details of those measures. They will definitely help me at a certain level, but I'm more concerned about the sales for the rest of the year."

Because of social distancing, Mia has to send summer products' pictures to her clients through the internet, "I'm thinking of showing product samples online. I thought of it before, but most clients here prefer to meet in person, see the products, and check the quality of the fabrics. It's impossible to operate this way now.

"Some of the young people in the industry started to build products website since the pandemic began. And they tried to collect payments online. But, the pandemic is slowing things down here," she said.

"Even though online sales work for us, we still need to wait for all retail stores' reopening and selling out their inventories. And no one knows when the lockdown could end."

The Italian government extended the COVID-19 lockdown to May 3. However, select shops previously closed were permitted to reopen from April 14. Those shops included bookstores, dry cleaners, etc. But Mia's business was not on the list.

Mia said. It's been three months. I really hope this pandemic could be over soon. If it continues in Italy, I cannot imagine the extent of the losses, and I'm not sure how long I can keep my business operating."
By Kingsley Chukwuka, Jos

NASCO group Nigeria, on Saturday, respond to the ravaging deadly scourge of COVID-19, by contributing its quota to ameliorate the sufferings of Nigerians as a result of the lockdown, by donating products worth N60 million.

The products which were to be handed over to the Plateau and Lagos State Governments, as well as the Minister of the Federal Capital territory Abuja, was flagged off in Jos, the State capital.

Speaking at a brief ceremony that heralds the distribution of the Products, the Executive Chairman NASCO group, Dr. Attia Nasreddin, said an additional

cash donation of N10m has been made to the Federal Government COVID-19 Response Initiative.

According to Nasreddin, the cash donation is in compliance with the companys corporate support to the unquantifiable work being done by the State and non-state actors in response to the pandemic.

His words: It is however, most crucial to encourage our fellow citizens to not despair. We are in this together, and we ought therefore to band together, and remain hopeful. This is the time when we are drawn to show that we are a better, kinder and stronger group of people.

Let us, one and all lean towards our shared humanity, through provision of as much assistance as we each can, and should muster, towards aiding especially the most in need and vulnerable people in our midst.

This is the legacy we must all look to bequeath to our next generation. We owe one another a bounden duty to consciously identify with, and or open our doors to help others overcome the difficult psychological, social and economic effects of this pandemic, he said.

Nasreddin, however appeal to the public to adhere to all safety nets, by washing off their hands with soap regularly, and obeying government directives.
Source: Xinhua| 2020-04-19 11:22:02|Editor: huaxia

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A vehicle of UN-backed Government of National Accord (GNA) is seen in Tarhuna, some 90 kilometers south of the capital Tripoli, Libya, April 18, 2020. The UN-backed Libyan government said Saturday it launched a massive attack on the rival east-based army in Tarhuna city, killing eight soldiers of the army and capturing more than 100 others. The government's forces said they launched 17 airstrikes on the east-based army positions in Tarhuna, seizing a number of military vehicles. (Photo by Hamza Turkia/Xinhua)

TRIPOLI, April 19 (Xinhua) -- Libya's UN-backed government said Saturday it launched a massive attack on the rival east-based army in Tarhuna city, killing eight soldiers of the army and capturing more than 100 others.

The government's forces said they launched 17 airstrikes on the east-based army positions in Tarhuna, some 90 km south of the capital Tripoli, seizing a number of military vehicles.

Meanwhile, the government's forces accused the east-based army of attacking civilian areas in Tripoli and injuring 10 civilians, including four children.

On April 4, 2019, the east-based army launched a military campaign in and around Tripoli in an attempt to take over the city and topple the rival UN-backed government.

The UN Support Mission in Libya (UNSMIL) has documented at least 356 civilian deaths and 329 injuries since the outbreak of the armed conflict.

Nearly 150,000 people in and around Tripoli have been forced to flee their homes since the beginning of the conflict, and 345,000 civilians remain in frontline areas, while an estimated 749,000 others live in areas affected by the clashes, according to UNSMIL.
Under pressure from civil rights advocates, public health experts and congressional Democrats, Maryland Gov. Larry Hogan, a Republican, announced Sunday that he signed an executive order to grant early release to hundreds of inmates to reduce the spread of the novel coronavirus.

About 720 prisoners - who are nearing the end of their sentences and at high risk of coronavirus complications - have been identified for potential release, Hogan spokesman Michael Ricci said. In addition, 110 inmates who are older than 60 have been identified for release, Ricci said.

The executive order also allows corrections officials to accelerate parole and home detention decisions as a tool to try to safely reduce the vulnerable prison population.

Sex offenders are not eligible for early release.

The order comes days after officials announced the first covid-19 death among inmates. (Covid-19 is the disease the novel coronavirus causes.) It also follows more than month of advocates lobbying Hogan to release high-risk elderly inmates, those with chronic medical conditions and inmates nearing the end of their terms.

"This is a hard-won victory for the families, public health advocates, and law enforcement officials who have been urging the Governor to reduce the number of people in detention since the earliest days of covid-19," Sonia Kumar, senior staff attorney with the American Civil Liberties Union of Maryland, said in a statement.

At an April 3 news conference, Corrections Secretary Robert Green said there were 17 novel coronavirus cases within the system. As of Thursday, 136 people had tested positive within the system, including 105 correctional officers and other employees.

There are about 24 state prison facilities in Maryland and about 18,000 state inmates.

Hogan initially rejected the idea of releasing inmates, saying a month ago that "they're safer where they are" and likening correctional facilities to a quarantine space. "I don't think it'd be a great idea," he said about releases at the time.

His position was in contrast to the actions taken by others governors across the country, including in Kentucky and Colorado.

In Virginia, Gov. Ralph Northam, a Democrat, has proposed giving the Department of Corrections the authority to release inmates who are within one year of completing their sentences. District of Columbia Mayor Muriel Bowser, a Democrat, has granted extra "good time credits" to facilitate release of certain inmates convicted of misdemeanor offenses.

In Maryland, state correctional officials instituted temperature checks and screening for staff members at each shift change; "grab-and-go" dining at most facilities; free inmate calls and video visitation; increased hygiene protocols; and a ban of visitors and volunteers.

Hogan's executive order, however, notes that "because of inmates' close proximity to each other, employees, and contractors in correctional facilities, the spread of covid-19 there poses a significant threat to their health, welfare, and safety, as well as the communities in which they live or to which they will return."

Baltimore City State's Attorney Marilyn Mosby, who sent three letters to Hogan urging him to take quicker, bolder action to release prisoners, applauded him for following the "common-sense" advice of public health experts and others.

"This virus is not going to stay contained in the prison walls . . . it comes back into our community," Mosby said, noting the risk to correctional officers and their families. "These actions are going to prevent deaths - not just of inmates but of correctional staff."

Leonard Rubenstein, a professor at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, organized a letter to Hogan from more than 200 colleagues. In a second letter sent last week after an inmate died, Rubenstein wrote that it is "likely that many more deaths will follow unless those who are most vulnerable are released."

Kumar said she hopes the state will consider the release of many of the medically vulnerable, calling it both a "human rights issue and a racial justice issue, since we know that due to structural racism the overwhelming majority of Marylanders who are incarcerated are black."
Chinese medical team arrives in Malaysia, expected to share experience over two weeks

Global Times

By Lin Rui Source:Global Times Published: 2020/4/18 16:22:55

At the invitation of the Malaysian government, the Chinese government dispatched a medical team to aid Malaysia's battle against the coronavirus. The team arrived in Kuala Lumpur on Saturday with the Chinese Ambassador to Malaysia and officials from the Malaysian health ministry welcoming them at the airport.

The move demonstrates the deep friendship between China and Malaysia, especially during hardship, said Bai Tian, Chinese ambassador to Malaysia.

Bai noted the Malaysian government and all aspects of its society offered precious support and help to China when it was fighting hard against COVID-19.

The virus respects no nationality and the fight against it is a common war for the global community. We can defeat it only by working together. China is sharing its experience and offering medical supplies to Malaysia and other countries now since the epidemic has come under control domestically, Bai said.

We hope the arrival of the Chinese medical team will help Malaysia. We are confident in the battle against the virus in Malaysia and hope it will be won soon, Bai said.

The medical team consists of eight medical experts from South China's Guangdong Province, with expertise ranging from critical care medicine and respiratory illnesses to infectious diseases and traditional Chinese medicine. Some of the team gained experience aiding Wuhan, China's city hit hardest by COVID-19.

They are scheduled to stay in Malaysia for two weeks and are expected to hold in depth exchanges with medics, experts and officials while there.

Li Jun, head of the medical team, told the Global Times that "we are excited to be arriving in Malaysia and have felt the friendship and warmth shown by the people here. We will use our time here fully and actively work with our counterparts in Malaysia to share China's experience to aid in the fight against the virus."

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A federal judge on Saturday issued a temporary order blocking a Kansas measure that limited church gatherings to 10 or fewer people as a way to stop the spread of the coronavirus. U.S. District Judge John Broomes in Wichita said that he believes the order violates religious freedom and the right to free speech. That means religious congregations will be able to hold services in the state as long as everyone observes social distancing at least until May 2. Broomes issued the ruling after hearing arguments for around 75 minutes on Friday.

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A key to Broomes ruling is that he believes religious services have been singled out among essential functions for stricter treatment and that cant be justified. Plaintiffs have made a sufficient showing that a live controversy exists as to whether the Governors current restrictions on religious activity  violate Plaintiffs First Amendment right to freely exercise their religion, the ruling reads. Defendant has not argued that mass gatherings at churches pose unique health risks that do not arise in mass gatherings at airports, offices, and production facilities. Yet the exemption for religious activities has been eliminated while it remains for a multitude of activities that appear comparable in terms of health risks.

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Gov. Laura Kelly continued to defend her order and vowed her government would make its case in court, insisting it was about protecting state residents. This is not about religion. This is about a public health crisis. This ruling was just a preliminary step. There is still a long way to go in this case, and we will continue to be proactive and err on the side of caution where Kansans health and safety is at stake, Kelly said in a news release. Courts across the country have recognized that during this pandemic emergency the law allows governments to prioritize proper public health and safety. Kellys office claims six of the 86 COVID-19-related deaths in the state have been linked to religious gatherings.

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The legal action marks the latest in a battle in which the Democratic governor is being forced to defend the stay-at-home order that took effect March 30 and is scheduled to continue at least until May 3. The Republican-controlled Legislature is calling on the governor to lift at least parts of the order earlier.

The banning of religious gatherings five days before Easter has been particularly controversial. Top Republican legislators tried to revoke the order, a move that was later reversed by the Kansas Supreme Court that sided with the governor but only on a technical argument and it never ruled on the constitutionality of the order. That is why a couple of pastors and their churchesFirst Baptist Church in Dodge City and Pastor Stephen Ormond and Calvary Baptist Church in Junction City and Pastor Aaron Harrisproceeded to file their own lawsuit Thursday making a constitutional argument. Alliance Defending Freedom, which is representing the pastors and their churches, said it was pleased with the outcome. Public safety is important, but so is following the Constitution, said Tyson Langhofer, senior counsel for the Alliance for Defending Freedom.
In a bid to contain the spread



of coronavirus, residents of several villages in Madhya Pradesh's tribal-dominated Alirajpur district have blocked public movement by laying trees and thick branches on the key approach roads.

Residents hit upon the idea of imposing 'self lockdown' by blocking roads after two people from Udaygarh- Kanas village, located around 50 km from the district headquarters, tested positive for coronavirus recently.

One more COVID-19 patient was reported from Chandra Shekhar Nagar of Alirajour city Saturday, according to government officials.

Borjhad village sarpanch (head) Tara Bai Katarias son Sumeet Kataria told PTI that they have laid a tree on the main road leading to their village to ensure people from Udaygarh, which is around 15 km away, do not enter their area.

"Similarly, we dont want any one of our village resident to visit Udaygarh. We have to keep our village safe from the viral infection," he said.

Alirajpur has around 526 villages. Out of these, people in around 250 villages have blocked their key approach roads by laying trees and branches, Mahesh Patel, head of Bhilala tribe, claimed.

Alirajpur Superintendent of Police Vipul Shrivastava said they do not have the exact number of villages where roads have been blocked (by trees).

"But, we know that roads to several villages have been blocked," he added.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Union home minister, Amit Shah, on Sunday applauded the Delhi Police on twitter for their ongoing relief operations wherein the police personnel are helping poor and needy people, who are affected because of the Covid-19 lockdown in the city, by providing them cooked food, ration and other essential items.

Delhi Police, an organization that lives up to its Motto-Shanti Sewa Nyaya. Very proud of @DelhiPolice. Together we will win this battle (sic), the home minister tweeted from his official twitter handle.

His praise on the micro-blogging site came two hours after the Delhi Police tweeted that they have delivered five million food packets to poor and homeless in the city since the lockdown was announced on March 24.

The biggest Humanitarian Relief Operations by Delhi Police since its inception in 1948. Five million food packets delivered to the urban poor and homeless so far ! 145 tonnes of dry ration distributed to the needy families ! (sic),the Delhi Police tweeted.

Taking to twitter, Delhi Commissioner of Police S N Shrivastava also thanked Amit Shah.

I thank our Honble Home Minister Shri Amit Shah ji for acknowledging and appreciating the humanitarian work done by Delhi Police and boosting the morale of the Force. Regards https://t.co/d3BQq01wx0  CP Delhi (@CPDelhi) April 19, 2020

Since Delhi is a Union Territory and the police of all the eight UTs of India come under and the union home ministry, the Delhi Police report to the home minister through the lieutenant-governor and not the elected Delhi government. The Delhi Police get its annual budget from the Centre.

Through the tweets, the city police highlighted that food network has been established by all the 15 police districts through active participation of good Samaritans, non-governmental organisations (NGOs), various private and public organisations and groups of individuals. Some images and videos showing how the food is cooked and packed were also shared along with the tweets by the city police.

The Delhi Police are also running a 24x7 dedicated Covid-19 helpline -- 011-23469526  that only addresses calls related to hunger, requirement of ration, medicines and other essential items, and seeking movement (curfew passes). The helpline has received over 23,000 such calls since the lockdown was announced. Nearly 700 calls were about no food, no ration, and no money till date, said deputy commissioner of police (licensing) Asif Mohammad Ali, who is supervising the helpline.

The Delhi Police personnel are working as facilitators and a bridge between needy people and those who have come forward to help them with food, ration or other essential items. These help groups in coordination with us (the city police) have been working day and night to ensure that nobody in the city sleeps hungry, said DCP Ali.

There are 209 police stations across the city and each police has been given the responsibility to coordinate with volunteers and deliver food and essential items to needy people in their areas. In a few police stations, community kitchen has also been started in police-public partnership. The police have also been distributing masks, sanitisers, milk to children, sanitary pads, and soaps as well.
KALININGRAD, Russia  Prosecutors in this western Russian city have opened a criminal investigation into an unspecified number of police officers on suspicion of fabricating a drug-possession case in order to inflate their job performance.

The case has once again cast the spotlight on what rights activists say is a widespread practice among Russian law enforcement of planting drugs on people and compelling confessions from them for a variety of reasons, such as the desire to meet case quotas, to settle business disputes or personal scores, to quell political dissent, or to silence inconvenient journalists.

Planting drugs is often used for political pressure or simply to improve ones performance statistics, said Kaliningrad defense lawyer Maria Bontsler. If there arent enough cases, now lets make one. But these cases are truly terrifying. It is very easy to ruin a persons life. A few grams [of drugs] and a person can go to prison for many years.

The officers suspected in the Kaliningrad case are attached to the narcotics department of a special Interior Ministry section covering the transportation sector. Only one of them  Senior Lieutenant Ruslan Yakovenko  has been identified, according to lawyer Vladislav Filatov, who is defending the 22-year-old local man who is the alleged victim in the case. His name is also being withheld.

According to the case materials, officers of the narcotics departmentwith the assistance of an informant, found a person on whom the drugs could be planted in order to improve their service performance record, Filatov told RFE/RL.

After the young man was arrested in January, police said they found 1.2 grams of amphetamine in his backpack.

The alleged victim, a student who completed his military service in the National Guard, was threatened with a prison term of three to 10 years if he were charged with being part of a criminal group. As a result, he signed a statement he said was written by the officers saying that he had purchased the drugs as a result of a random opportunity and that he was alone.

After he signed the statement, Filatov said, the young man was released on his own recognizance pending trial.

The officers involved allegedly fabricated documentation indicating that they had been investigating and surveilling the young man prior to his arrest.

I was sure the drugs had been planted and I appealed to the Federal Security Service (FSB), Filatov said. As a result, a criminal case was opened on March 13 against the officers and the civilian informant who was allegedly working with them.

You cant just call this abuse of power, Filatov said. It is actually a monstrous provocation with the falsification of evidence. Any law-abiding citizen could have ended up in my clients position. This is the first case Ive ever had where we have managed not only to establish that the case was a provocation but also that the drugs were planted.

Critics believe such cases are quite common in Russia. Every year, more than 100,000 people are convicted under Article 228 of the Criminal Code, which outlaws the production, possession, or sale of narcotics and prescribes prison terms from three to 10 years.

The phenomenon made national and international headlines in June 2019 when investigative journalist Ivan Golunov was arrested in Moscow and charged under Article 228.

In the wake of ardent protests -- including by prominent journalists and cultural figures -- prompted by strong indications the evidence in the case had been fabricated, officials dropped the charges and dismissed several police officers and Interior Ministry officials involved in the case. Five former police officers are currently facing trial in connection with the case.

But activists point to many other dubious cases. In December 2019, a young man in the Siberian city of Omsk named Dmitry Fyodorov was arrested on drugs charges. After he was released on his own recognizance, he released a social-media video in which he described how the drugs had been planted on him and how hed been held by police incommunicado for almost 24 hours.

A few days later, his decapitated body was found near a local railway. Police said the death was either an accident or a suicide, but supporters and relatives believe he was murdered.

In November 2019, Karelia regional activist Yekaterina Muranova, who was accused of extremism and justifying terrorism for her public comments about an explosion at the Arkhangelsk FSB office in October 2018, described how police allegedly fabricated a drugs case against her in order to intimidate her. Police held her in isolation for 16 hours before she was fined 4,000 rubles ($54) for possession of marijuana.

Now Im afraid to leave my house, she told RFE/RL at the time. They might come up and say that I killed or robbed someone. They want so badly to put me in prison, to ruin my life somehow.

In March 2018, Kaliningrad resident Aleksandr Zakamsky, who was facing amphetamine-possession charges that he denied, died in a pretrial detention jail. Before he was found hanged with a bedsheet, hed complained of brutal torture by jail guards. The 25-year-olds widow is convinced he was murdered.

Defense lawyer Bontsler believes there are many such cases and advises citizens to be vigilant when approached by police.

I always tell people that the most important thing is that they have no fingerprints, she told RFE/RL. When they ask you, What is in your pockets, do not under any circumstances reach in there. If they find something, say, It isnt mine, and do not touch it.

Written by RFE/RL senior correspondent Robert Coalson based on reporting from Kaliningrad by correspondent Yulia Paramonova of the North Desk of RFE/RLs Russian Service
By day, Emad Attaalla makes sure the people of Hoboken get their mail as the citys postmaster. Outside work, he keeps the thousands of parishioners of St. George and St. Shenouda Church in Jersey City informed as their deacon for public relations.

On both fronts, especially these days, he is extremely busy.

A 20-year dream to build a new church is closer to reality than even before. By 2023, the people of this Coptic Orthodox church, which was founded in 1974, will have a new church to accommodate 900 people at a cost of close to $15 million.

The church will be at an entrance of Jersey City, a corner foundation, where you can see from far away, Attaalla said.

Drive down Sip Avenue to enter Route 440, one of the busiest intersections in Jersey City, and there is a stretch of land to the left  2.4 acres -- that had previously been home to old cars and vehicles in a lot and some vacant property. Now, you see the foundation of what will be the main building, the church along with a social hall below. A second four-story structure will house a Sunday school, office space and a chapel. A third building will hold a gym and a theater.

And best of all they will have parking for 120 cars.

The Rev. Thomas Nashed, 46, an associate pastor, used to live right across from the location, which is in the Marion section of Jersey City. He emigrated from Egypt when he was 11 years old.

I love Jersey City,'' he said. "I remember walking with my family and hearing my (Egyptian) language being spoken.

He attended Schools 11 and 23 and Dickinson High School in Jersey City and received a degree in pharmacy from Long Island University.

For a while he was a pharmacist. Worshiping regularly at the church, though, he was nominated to be a priest by the pastor and congregation and was ordained in 2009.

He is now one of the church's five full-time priests and is responsible for overseeing the church building.

6 Coptic Orthodox Church under construction in Jersey City

Parishioners, he said, are extremely enthusiastic'' and this project will enable them to be united.

Right now, they hold four Sunday services in two buildings on Bergen Avenue between Academy Street and Highland Avenue that regularly attract a total of over 1,200 people: an early service from 6 to 9 a.m.; two from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. in the main building; and another in the annex.

They do not have a large enough space to socialize. And parking in the Journal Square area is virtually impossible.

As of now, they do not plan to sell or abandon the Bergen Avenue buildings once the new church is open because they expect to continue growing with many young immigrants.

More Egyptians continue to immigrate to the United States, and Jersey City is the first stop, Nashed said. It is estimated that that there are over 15,000 Egyptian Copts in Jersey City and the St. George and St. Shenouda parishioners, as well as those from St. Marks on West Side Avenue, mainly live in the city.

Bayonne also has two Coptic churches and there is one each in East Rutherford and Belleville.

The Rev. David Bebawy has been St. George and St. Shenoudas pastor since 1987 and has been the main force for building up and sustaining the congregation. They have been raising money over the long term and may take out a loan so they can complete the construction in a timely manner, Attaalla said.

Before deciding to build, the congregation had looked at some former Catholic church properties but none could provide everything this project will offer, Attaalla said.

He described the congregants as very hard-working people who love Jersey City and give back a lot to Jersey City. He commended Mayor Steve Fulop and the City council members for their support.

Today is Orthodox Easter and, like all houses of worship, theirs will be absent most parishioners because of the coronavirus pandemic. But the prospect of what will arise gives them hope.

The congregation includes many young people and young families. They sponsor a soup kitchen for anyone in need in the city. They help the homeless.

The people see the church as the center of their lives.

They have been sacrificing over the years through bake sales and festivals to raise the funds for this project.

Attaalla is high on the location.

He sees it as an extension of Journal Square, which he considers still, as it has been for over a century, the heart of Jersey City. This new Coptic church will keep it beating for decades to come.

The Rev. Alexander Santora is the pastor of Our Lady of Grace and St. Joseph, 400 Willow Ave., Hoboken, NJ 07030. Email: padrealex@yahoo.com; Twitter: @padrehoboken.
President Donald Trump speaks during a Coronavirus Task Force press briefing at the White House in Washington, on April 18, 2020. (Jim Watson/AFP via Getty Images)

Trump: Some States to Begin Lifting CCP Virus Restrictions in Coming Days

WASHINGTONPresident Donald Trump said on Saturday that Texas and Vermont will allow certain businesses to reopen on Monday while still observing CCP virus-related precautions and Montana will begin lifting restrictions on Friday.

We continue to see a number of positive signs that the virus has passed its peak, Trump told reporters at a daily briefing.

Some state governors have warned that they will not act prematurely to reopen their economies until there is more testing for the virus. Business leaders have also told Trump the country needs to have widespread testing in place before their companies can return to normal operations.

A nurse administers COVID-19 testing at a drive-up facility at MedStar St. Marys Hospital in Leonardtown, Md., on April 14, 2020. (Win McNamee/Getty Images)

On Saturday, Trump said our testing is getting better and better.

He said both Republican and Democratic governors have announced concrete steps to begin a safe and gradual phased opening. Texas and Vermont will allow certain business to open on Monday while still requiring appropriate social distancing precautions, he said.

President Donald Trump speaks during a Coronavirus Task Force press briefing at the White House in Washington on April 18, 2020. (Jim Watson/AFP via Getty Images)

Several dozen protesters gathered in the Texas capital of Austin on Saturday, chanting USA! USA! and Let us work!

On Saturday morning, Governor Andrew Cuomo of New York, epicenter of the U.S. epidemic, said his virus-battered state may finally be past the worst of the health crisis there.

New York Governor Andrew Cuomo speaks at his daily CCP virus briefing in Albany, N.Y., on April 17, 2020. (Matthew Cavanaugh/Getty Images)

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.

Epoch Times staff contributed to this report
Mali elections will go ahead despite the kidnapping of an opposition leader.

Voters in Mali are being called to the polls on Sunday for the second round of legislative elections.

The government decided to go ahead with the vote despite the kidnapping of an opposition leader and a surge in violence in the north and centre of the country.

Al Jazeeras Nicolas Haque reports.
AUSTIN, Texas (AP)  Stores in Texas can soon begin selling merchandise with curbside service, and hospitals can resume nonessential surgeries. In Florida, people are returning to beaches and parks. And protesters are clamoring for more.

Governors eager to rescue their economies and feeling heat from President Donald Trump are moving to ease restrictions meant to control the spread of the coronavirus, even as new hot spots emerge and experts warn that moving too fast could prove disastrous.

Adding to the pressure are protests against stay-at-home orders organized by small-government groups and Trump supporters. They staged demonstrations Saturday in several cities after the president urged them to "liberate" three states led by Democratic governors.

Protests were planned in Republican-led states, too, including at the the Texas Capitol and in front of the Indiana governor's home. Republican Texas Gov. Greg Abbott has already said that restrictions will begin easing next week. Indiana Gov. Eric Holcomb  who signed an agreement with six other Midwestern states to coordinate reopening  said he would extend his stay-at-home order until May 1.

Meanwhile, infections kept surging in the Northeast.

Rhode Island, sandwiched between the hot spots of Massachusetts and New York, has seen a steady daily increase in the number of infections and deaths, with nursing home residents accounting for more than 90 of the state's 118 deaths. The state's death rate of around 10 people per 100,000 is among the highest per capita in the nation, according to data compiled by the COVID Tracking Project.

Massachusetts had its highest number of deaths in a single day on Friday with 159. Republican Gov. Charlie Baker said it would be premature for states to begin lifting restrictions when deaths are still climbing. Citing the advice of health experts, he said states should look for infection rates and hospitalizations to be on the decline for about two weeks before acting.

Trump, whose administration waited months to bolster stockpiles of key medical supplies and equipment, appeared to back protesters.

"LIBERATE MINNESOTA!" "LIBERATE MICHIGAN!" "LIBERATE VIRGINIA, " Trump said in a tweet-storm in which he also lashed out at New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo, a Democrat, for criticizing the federal response. Cuomo "should spend more time 'doing' and less time 'complaining,'" the president said.

At his Saturday briefing with reporters, Cuomo cited more progress. The daily increase in deaths in New York state fell below 550 for the first time in more than two weeks as hospitalizations continued to decline.

But the crisis is far from over: Hospitals are still reporting nearly 2,000 new COVID-19 patients per day, and nursing homes remain a "feeding frenzy for this virus," he said.

"We are not at a point when we are going to be reopening anything immediately," Cuomo said.

In Texas, several hundred people rallied on steps of the state Capitol and called for an end to social restrictions. Many of the protesters sought an immediate lifting of restrictions and chanted "Let us work!" in a state where more than 1 million people have filed for unemployment since the crisis began.

The rally was organized by a host of Infowars, which is owned by conspiracy theorist Alex Jones, who joined protesters on the Capitol steps. Jones is being sued in Austin over using his show to promote falsehoods that the 2012 Sandy Hook school massacre in Connecticut was a hoax.

The crowd included anti-vaccine activists and was no larger than a typical weekday rally over issues such as guns or teacher pay, when the Legislature is in session.

Elsewhere, a few hundred demonstrators cheered and waved signs outside the Statehouse in New Hampshire, which has had nearly 1,300 cases of the virus and more than three dozens deaths through Friday.

"Even if the virus were 10 times as dangerous as it is, I still wouldn't stay inside my home. I'd rather take the risk and be a free person," said one of the protesters, talk show host Ian Freeman.

Trump is pushing to relax the U.S. lockdown by May 1, a plan that hinges partly on more testing.

Public health officials said the ability to test enough people and trace contacts of those who are infected is crucial before easing up on restrictions, and that infections could surge anew unless people continue to take precautions.

In Asia, some nations that until recently appeared to have the outbreak under control, including Singapore and Japan, reported a fresh increase in cases Saturday.

Japan's total case number rose above 10,000. Prime Minister Shinzo Abe has voiced concern that people are not observing social distancing and announced a 100,000-yen ($930) cash handout to each resident as an incentive to stay home.

Singapore reported a sharp, one-day spike of 942 infections, the highest in Southeast Asia, mostly among foreign workers staying in crowded dormitories. That brought the total to almost 6,000 in the tiny city-state of 6 million.

In a joint statement Saturday, foreign ministers from 13 countries, including Canada, Brazil, Italy and Germany, called for global cooperation to lessen the economic impact of the pandemic.

"It is vital that we work together to save lives and livelihoods," they said.

The statement was also backed by Britain, France Indonesia, Mexico, Morocco, Peru, South Korea, Singapore and Turkey. It said the countries were committed to "coordinate on public health, travel, trade, economic and financial measures in order to minimize disruptions and recover stronger."

Those efforts include maintaining "air, land and marine transportation links" to ensure the continued flow of goods including medical equipment and aid, and the return home of travelers, they said after a virtual meeting late Friday.

There have been tentative signs that measures to curb the outbreak are working, with the rate of new infections slowing across Europe.

France and Spain started dismantling some field hospitals, while in Germany the number of active cases has slowly declined over the past week as people recover.

France's national health agency said Saturday that the number of virus patients in intensive care dropped for the 10th day straight, and the number of overall virus hospitalizations has fallen for three consecutive days. The country has seen almost 20,000 virus deaths.

The agency urged the French public to stick to the country's strict confinement measures, which have been extended until at least May 11: "Together, we will vanquish the pandemic. Don't relax our efforts at the moment when confinement is bearing fruit."

Spain's children have been confined to their homes for five weeks, prompting some parents to ask that they be to allowed to at least take a daily walk. Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez said the government will seek to extend the state of emergency to May 9 but will start easing the total confinement of children beginning April 27. Children are thought to be a major source of transmission even if they rarely fall ill from the virus.

Sanchez announced in a televised news conference late Saturday that the government would allow children "to get out of their houses for a period on a daily basis," but the specifics needed to be ironed out with experts.

The national lockdown would be rolled back only when the country's embattled health system is ready for a possible rebound of infections, he said.

While most of those sickened by the virus recover, the outbreak has killed at least 155,000 people worldwide, according to a Johns Hopkins University tally based on figures supplied by government health authorities around the globe.

The number almost certainly underestimates the actual toll. Nearly everywhere, thousands have died with COVID-19 symptoms  many in nursing homes  without being tested for the virus, and have thus gone uncounted.

READ: Pa. Coronavirus updates: Stimulus payment errors persist; updated recovery/discharge numbers, more
By Angela Hill

Bay City News Foundation

"Hope is being able to see that there is light despite all of the darkness." - Desmond Tutu

And such lights of hope dawn every night in San Francisco. After sunset, the 6,000-watt beacon atop the Transamerica Pyramid gleams like a Christmas-tree star.

At the InterContinental Hotel - currently sparsely booked - management has been lighting up windows across several floors to create the shape of a heart. Images of clapping hands and fluttering prayer flags dance across the six-story LED art installation atop the Salesforce Tower.

And you can set your watch by the howling - at precisely 8 p.m. for the past few weeks, people leading sheltered lives amid the COVID-19 crisis have ventured out on front porches and opened their windows wide to howl, hoot, clap or whistle - all an effort to look on the bright side and support the front-line health care workers, delivery people, first responders and others in businesses declared essential.

"We wanted to provide a sign of hope and honor health care workers throughout the Bay Area who are performing vital work," said Elaine Chan, general manager of JLL, the company that manages the 853-foot-tall Transamerica building.

The tip-top beacon is usually only lit for major holidays or special occasions "like when the Niners win," she said. It can be seen from the East and North bays.

These kinds of symbolic acts have been going on around the country and the world since the coronavirus was declared a pandemic in early March.

Seniors in an Orlando high-rise have been flicking their lights to show solidarity with doctors and nurses. People in Italy have been singing and playing music on their balconies. And Brazil's Christ the Redeemer statue is illuminated with images of continents and flags from many countries, signaling a unified world effort.

Folks have been reaching out locally too.

In Berkeley, someone recently taped a large hand-painted sign on the University Avenue pedestrian overpass above Interstate 80 reading, "It will all be OK!"

In Walnut Creek, tech/media firm One Planet launched LightUpTheWorld.org, a nonprofit site for people around the world of all religious and non-religious backgrounds to join together in a chain of continuous prayers and positive reflections.

"We are one humanity, and we collectively are experiencing suffering, loss and uncertainty," said One Planet CEO Payam Zamani.

And in Alameda, resident and artist Patti Cary, known for her annual Halloween home-decor contest, is now doing a free "Wonder Your Window!" citywide decorating contest with prizes, which will contribute $5 to Alameda Meals on Wheels for every entry. If you're in Alameda, go to www.Funameda.com.

"Windows are an easy way to send a message of hope and kindness, spread a little joy," Cary said.

This story was originally published by Bay City News Foundation. Please use the original link when sharing: https://www.localnewsmatters.org/2020/04/11/signs-of-hope-and-solidarity-locally-and-around-the-world/

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.
Company says work-from-home has been useful; doesn't foresee any delay in launches as it awaits govt clarity on resuming operations.

Hyundai is planning to go ahead with new vehicle launches despite the COVID-19 challenges.

It is looking at various factors to start manufacturing in its Chennai unit, with the Tamil Nadu government likely to allow limited operations in factories located in rural areas and industrial estates, starting Monday, April 20.

Hyundai believes the work-from-home (WFH) model is quite effective as its project works are ongoing and employees have been working, even during the lockdown on all the new models that it plans to launch.

New ideas have been generated in large numbers and are expected yield very good dividends for the company, senior Hyundai officials said.

"As of now we are able to maintain whatever project that are in the pipeline.

"We don't anticipate any kind of delay in the launches that we have planned.

"Things will become much clearer when State government tells us when we can operate our processes," said Ganesh Mani, director-production at Hyundai Motor India.

The company had planned a total of four launches this year, of which Aura and the all-new Creta have already hit the market.

Of the other two facelift models for the year, Verna has been launched while Tucson is likely to, during the course of the year.

The company is waiting for government directives to resume operations.

The state government has formed a committee under the leadership of state finance secretary.

A number of industry bodies are also a part of the committee.

Discussions on Covid-19 have been ongoing since January at the global level.

Initially, when supply chains in other countries were impacted, the company was still able to manage.

But now that the they have been disrupted in India, the company has made the safety of its employees a priority.

The management has been constantly in touch with each of its staffers and has been enquiring about their well being, the company said.

While Kancheepuram, where its factory is located, is a green zone, it has a supply chain network all across the country.

Hyundai is awaiting clarifications from the Tamil Nadu government and will start production once the key issues are ironed out.

The company is in touch with all its partners across locations.

Hyundai sees the need for a whole set of standard operating procedures and believes that a new normal may be coming into place in its industry.

Photograph: Courtesy, Hyundai
The high-powered committee formed by the Delhi government for decongesting prisons has resolved that 250 prisoners from the Tihar Jail and the Rohini Prison Complex will be shifted to the Mandoli Jail so social distancing norms can be followed. It also ordered the grant of emergency parole to inmates suffering from mental illness and serious physical ailments.

The committee, headed by Delhi high courts Justice Hima Kohli, was informed by the Director General (prisons) that some inmates can be shifted from the congested Rohini and Tihar facilities to Mandoli as its actual occupancy, as on date, was less than its registered holding capacity.

He also apprised the committee that the total area of Tihar jail, its outlay and particularly the corridors and open spaces in front of individual cells and barracks can accommodate more prisoners than its registered holding capacity. Rohini Jail Complex does not have such open spaces to accommodate more prisoners than its holding capacity, he said.

Taking into account the jail population of Rohini Jail, Tihar Court Complex and Mandoli Court Complex, as well as their respective areas and outlays, the committee has unanimously resolved that transferring 200 prisoners from Rohini Jail and 50 prisoners from Tihar to Mandoli would sufficiently decongest Rohini and Tihar jails.

By doing so, the Jail administration would be in a position to implement social distancing among inmates of all the three jail complexes, the minutes of the meeting read.

The DG (prisons) submitted that 953 convicts have been released on emergency parole even though the orders were issued for the release of 1,109. He also said that while orders have been issued for the release of 1,877 prisoners, 1,777 inmates have so far been released; the remaining have decided to stay back because they hail from other states. Till April 18, 2,962 prisoners, including convicts, remission and under-trial prisoners, had been released.

Kanwal Jeet Arora, member secretary of the Delhi State Legal Services Authority (DSLSA), informed that advocates empanelled with it and visiting jail premises on a daily basis, had drafted and filed bail applications for the under-trial prisoners as per criteria adopted by the committee.

DG (prisons) informed that there are 11 convicts who have also become eligible for being released after the grant of remission, however, they have not been released due to the non-payment of the fine.

Following this, the committee said, Being conscious of Covid-19 pandemicandNational Lockdown of 40 days, these convicts or their family members may have become incapacitated to deposit the fine.

It is accordingly resolvedthat these 11 convicts who have completed their substantive sentence can be released on furnishing an undertakingto the effect that they shall deposit the fine within 15 days of lifting of Lockdown failing which they shall surrender to serve the remainder of the sentence (imposed on them in default of payment of fine), the committee resolved.

It also said that considering the advisory of the Indian Council of Medical Research prisoners suffering from HIV, cancer, chronic kidney dysfunction (UTPs requiring dialysis), Hepatitis B or C, Asthma and TB are more prone to the risk of the virus, inmates suffering from any of these diseases should be given emergency parole.
Illustrative image (Photo: Internet)

In an interview granted to Reuters on April 17, Azmin said the Malaysian government will look at all options to help the countrys airline industry.

Sources said AirAsia and Japan Airlines had earlier shown interest in buying a stake in Malaysia Airlines. Privately-held Malaysian group Golden Skies Ventures made a 2.5 billion USD offer to fully take over the holding company of Malaysia Airlines this month.

AirAsia said last week that it had no incoming revenue and 96 percent of its fleet was grounded, having suspended most of its flights since March.

The airline said it plans to resume domestic flights starting with Malaysia on April 29, Thailand and the Philippines on May 1, India on May 4 and Indonesia on May 7.
NWS

A tornado watch has been extended by the National Weather Service for many counties surrounding the Houston-area until until 10 p.m.

Storm spotters captured a funnel cloud on Twitter just west of West Columbia, where it touched ground for about two minutes. A tornado warning is also in effect for parts of Texas including Holiday Lakes and Angleton.
In the management of the coronavirus epidemic, the old wisdom prevails: Hope for the best, and prepare for the worst, Prime Minister Viktor Orban said on Kossuth Radios programme Good morning, Hungary on Friday.

The Prime Minister said he would like to help return peoples lives to normal, but at this point he would not yet venture to say that the restrictions should be relaxed; for the time being, he suggests that the restrictions should be upheld.



He observed he is aware that, for instance, staying at home with two or three children, [] what with teaching via the Internet, is nothing short of a jihad.



If, however, the lifting of certain restrictions proves to work in Austria which is regarded as a laboratory for Hungarys purposes, the number of infections does not increase, and meanwhile the health care system also remains prepared, then we ourselves should consider resorting to a similar solution, he added, pointing out that we are happy that for once we are not the lab mice.



He also said introducing special rules for Budapest  where there are 60 per cent of infections, while in combination with Pest County this number is as high as 80 per cent  will become inevitable sooner or later. Implementing the same measures in a small village as in the capital is not logical.



Therefore, perhaps as early as next week they will have to consider differentiating between settlement types.



Based on the Easter experience, he described the regulation of the use of public areas by local governments as a solution that works well, taking the view that mayors were in control of the situation.



As also this weekend we can expect fine weather, we are again faced with the threat of a rise in face-to-face interactions and therefore the leaders of settlements will again be free to impose restrictions, he said.



Mr Orban stressed that we have yet to reach the peak of the epidemic, the hard part is yet to come, and in the next few days, we will have to expect a higher rise in the number of incidences. We will enter the phase of mass infections, but by the time this happens, we will have enough hospital beds, ventilators and health care workers to operate them.



The containment effort so far has been successful, he continued, inasmuch as that they have gained time, have begun to prepare hospitals, have accumulated the necessary supplies, our warehouses are full, and reserves necessary for ten days have been delivered to hospitals and social homes. In this war situation, munitions are available and consignments are being received one after the other, he said.



Speaking about the need for vacating hospital beds, he said in Hungary there are more than a thousand elderly care homes; if only ten persons become infected in each institution and need hospital treatment, that is already ten thousand patients.



Preparing for a worst-case scenario, we need 8,000 operational ventilators and more than 30,000 hospital beds reserved solely for the treatment of coronavirus patients, he said, indicating that realising this situation does indeed pose problems.



At the same time, he highlighted that in 34 per cent of the 68,000 hospital beds, there were no patients, and so in order to vacate one half of the total available beds, only in the case of 16 per cent of beds were physicians required to send home patients awaiting non-essential interventions.



A body of physicians issued professional guidance regarding the protocol for this, he said, stressing that, naturally, this is a tough and inconvenient decision, but there is no other way to solve the problem. Additionally, turning an ordinary hospital bed into an intensive therapy bed is a complex operation, he observed.



In summary, he said we are in the very midst of an overarching operation of a military nature which is naturally causing inconvenience.



The Prime Minister spoke about the work of hospital directors, physicians and nurses in words of praise. At the same time, he also pointed out that while hospital directors, too, are good, operations were not quite as tight during peace time as could be expected now, at the time of an epidemic, and this is why we needed hospital commanders.



He added that in normal circumstances hospital directors enjoy a great deal of autonomy, but now there is an epidemic on, and implementing the decisions of the Operational Group is an obligation.



Regarding the Pesti ut elderly care home severely affected by the epidemic, Mr Orban said what happened cannot go without consequences, but at this time, rather than seeking who is responsible, we should seek cooperation and ways to alleviate the problem, and should later, after the passage of the epidemic, come back to elderly care homes operated by local governments.



In the context of the latest decisions concerning the economy, the Prime Minister said he has high hopes for them, but the proof of the pudding is in the eating. He is hoping for the best, he said, but he is not as brave as central bank executives who believe that the Hungarian economy will continue to remain on a course of growth. It would be an enormous feat if we managed to survive this crisis at a near zero level, he said.



Economic actors would do well to consider that after the epidemic economies will not be the same as before.



Some will prove to be viable, while others will be beyond saving, he said, adding that adaptation will be key, and businesses will have to explore which activities will continue to make a profit also after the epidemic and which ones will have lost their markets definitively. Workers, too, will have to consider whether this time next year they will have jobs in their current occupations.



He said the government is providing wage support, tax reductions  leaving more than HUF 200 billion in the economy  and procedural relief measures in taxation.



Regarding tourism, the sector employing 400,000 people has sustained a shot in the lung, this is where the greatest help is required, and the government has therefore adopted a number of decisions, including the cancellation of the tourism tax and the raising of the maximum amount that can be deposited on SZEP recreational benefit cards.



If the Austrian experiments prove to work, and Hungary itself becomes able to lift some of the restrictions, in the summer we could try to bring domestic tourism back to life, he said.



In the context of the 13th month pension, he said Hungarians had seen the left-wing government take one months pension away from them during a crisis. This cannot happen now; in actual fact, from 2021 we will begin to reintroduce the 13th month pension.



Source: kormany.hu



MTI Photo
- President Museveni congratulated Ugandans for following government directives

- Museveni said Uganda had beat the virus and all the 55 cases were all alive with 28 of them discharged

- He thanked scientists for working hard during the pandemic and also vouched for them to be treated well

Uganda President Yoweri Kaguta Museveni has proudly stated that his country has flattened the coronavirus' curve after more than three weeks of lockdown.

Museveni congratulated his people for following government directives adding it was through the concerted efforts that the East African country had managed to beat the virus.

READ ALSO: US President Donald Trump says China might suffer consequences for coronavirus pandemic

Museveni hailed Ugandans for following government directives. Photo: Yoweri Museveni.

Source: Facebook

READ ALSO: Video of conductor 'caught' by police in traffic dancing to Utawezana goes viral

In a televised address to the nation on Sunday, April 19, Ssebo also hailed Ugandan scientists for great work during the pandemic, further stating they were working on coming up with a vaccine for the disease.

"I congratulate you all for cooperating in the fight against COVID-19. The curve of Uganda is flat and sometimes going down to zero.

If you hadn't cooperated, we wouldn't have achieved this," Museveni said.

READ ALSO: Nakuru: MCA wa Lake View Karanja Mburu afariki dunia

He said all the 55 people who had the virus were alive and 28 of them had recovered.

The tough-talking leader also warned scrupulous Ugandans against hoarding food and waiting for a surge in prices.

"I heard that some suppliers are trying to hold the food so that the prices go up. I dont like selfish people. If I get a whisper that we do not have enough food, I will import it," he said.

This came five days after Museveni extended the lockdown for 21 more days.

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The exemption will be applicable from April 20, in those areas of the country where the effect of coronavirus is negligible, or which are less affected areas.

New Delhi: The Union Home Ministry has released a new list of services and activities which are being allowed to open from Monday.

One such list was tweeted by Union Law and Telecom Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad. This includes healthcare, agriculture, horticulture, fisheries and animal husbandry.

Prasad has said that in some cases the government has given exemptions, and the list has been released. However, these services will not be allowed in the Containment Zones.

Significantly, a meeting of the Group of Ministers headed by Defence Minister Rajnath Singh was held on Saturday. After the meeting it was said that any relaxation during the lockdown will be as per the guidelines issued by the Ministry of Home Affairs. But state governments can also strictly enforce the rules on their own.

The government has exempted projects and activities related to co-operative credit societies, non-banking financial institutions, water supply, electricity and communication in rural areas.

Apart from this, the government has also said that bamboo, coconut, betel nut, cocoa, spices cultivation, harvesting, processing, packaging, fruit and vegetable carts, shops selling sanitary items, grocery and ration shops, dairy and milk booths, poultry, Shops selling meats, fish and fodder, electricians, IT repairs, plumbers, motor mechanics, carpenters, couriers, DTH and cable services are allowed with certain restrictions.

The e-commerce companies have been asked to start work from April 20 but will have to get necessary clearance for delivery vehicles.

Data work and call centres for the government activities, offices with IT and related services have also been approved. But the condition is that they should not have more than 50 per cent staff.

Activities will also be increased on highways from Monday. Motor mechanic shops and dhabas will also open on the highway for truckers with some restrictions.

The rural area is being given huge relief. Work in brick kilns and food processing has been approved in the villages. Cold storage and warehouse service will begin.

The fishing business will also be started, which will allow fish feeding, maintenance, processing, packaging, marketing and sales. Hatchery and Commercial Aquarium will also open.

Work under MNREGA has also come under exemption from restrictions.

Construction work on roads, irrigation, building, renewable energy and all kinds of industrial projects outside the city will also start from Monday. It has also been said that if a construction project is to be started in an urban area, the labourers should be available on site for this.
(Photo : Facebook ) Facebook Darkmode: How to do it on Android or Desktop? (Photo : @bointhemix Twitter Account ) Facebook Darkmode: How to do it on Android or Desktop?

The much-awaited Facebook Darkmode can now be accessed for both Android and Desktop users. If you want to see your Facebook account to have a little light and awesome blackish style, here's what you need to do to make it happen.

Here's how to make your Facebook on Dark Mode

A lot of other social media platforms already have its 'Dark-Mode' feature. Of course, Facebook will not let its platform be last on applying this special feature.

Dark Mode feature has always been a trend for other online platforms. According to Express UK, changing your desktop or phone into dark mode has a lot of perks-- aside from being beautiful in the eyes. This feature can protect your eyes from looking at too much brightness from the device. Aside from that, Dark Mode feature also helps in making your battery life longer since it usually takes too much power when applications-- like Facebook-- has its normal 'white or blue' colors.

Luckily, whether you use an Android phone, computer, laptops, or tablets, there are easy steps for you should take to change the style of your Facebook account.

How to do Facebook Darkmode in Desktop?

If you want to do Facebook Darkmode on desktop, go to the Facebook website. Log-in to your account and you will see a banner at the top of the page asking if you want to try the 'New Facebook.' Just click the icon, and your account will directly go to dark mode.

Unfortunately, not all accounts already have this icon on the top of their pages. Techradar, luckily, did some tricks that you might want also to check out doing.

First, make sure you have your Chrome on its updated version. Upon checking, go now to chrome://flags/#enable-force-dark in the address bar. Change the first drop-down box you see from the original 'Default' mode to 'Enabled'. After this, Chrome will now force you to 'reload' your browser.

Once you reload, all the websites you will be next visiting will be on Dark mode-- including Facebook, of course.

How to do Facebook Darkmode in Android?

For Android users, the same process also applies.

Apparently, there are still no updates on whether Facebook will launch a simple button or icon to change accounts to Dark mode-- unlike its Messenger app. Here's how to do it on Android.



Just like for desktop users, type chrome://flags/#enable-force-dark into the address bar of your Chrome and change the flags 'Android web contents dark mode' and 'Android Chrome UI dark mode' to 'Enabled.' Once that's done, log in to Facebook via Chrome and enjoy the new look.



For iOS users, unfortunately, the dark mode feature is still not available as of today.



ALSO READ: Go In Ghost Mode In Facebook Messenger With This Chrome Productivity Plug-in

 2021 TECHTIMES.com All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission.
A laboratory in the Chinese city at ground zero of the global coronavirus outbreak has rejected as "impossible" US theories it is the cradle of the pandemic, as President Donald Trump warned Beijing of consequences if it was "knowingly responsible". The denial came as the world's top musicians -- from the Rolling Stones to Taylor Swift, Stevie Wonder and teen superstar Billie Eilish -- joined forces for a virtual mega-concert, hoping to spread cheer to billions under lockdown. The six-hour online event aimed to cultivate a sense of community during a pandemic that has ravaged the global economy and killed at least 157,000 people worldwide, with nearly 2.3 million confirmed infections. "Was it a mistake that got out of control or was it done deliberately?" Trump said at a White House briefing Saturday, questioning the origins of the disease, which first emerged in the city of Wuhan in December. "If they were knowingly responsible, yeah, then there should be consequences," he said when asked if China should face repercussions for the pandemic. The highly contagious disease was likely first transmitted to humans at a market where exotic animals were slaughtered, according to Chinese scientists. But conspiracy theories that the virus came from a maximum-security virology lab have been brought into the mainstream in recent days by US government officials. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said an investigation was underway into how the virus "got out into the world". "There's no way this virus came from us," Yuan Zhiming, the head of the P4 laboratory at the Wuhan Institute of Virology, which is equipped to handle dangerous viruses, said in an interview with state media. "I know it's impossible," he added. - Lockdown protests - The US has the highest caseload of any country, with more than 735,000 confirmed infections, and by Sunday had lost 39,000 people to the virus, according to a tally from Johns Hopkins University. Progress was marked in some places and New York state reported the lowest number of deaths in weeks, which Governor Andrew Cuomo attributed largely to social distancing. But as Americans and others around the world chafe after weeks under stay-at-home orders, resentment is rising. Anti-lockdown protests on Saturday drew hundreds of people at the capitols of states including Texas, Maryland, New Hampshire and Ohio. Many demonstrators waved American flags and some carried arms. The small but spreading movement drew encouragement from Trump, who tweeted that three states should be "liberated" from the stay-home orders. He has called for a rapid return to normality to limit damage to the US economy -- while largely leaving the final decision on easing lockdowns to state officials. With 22 million Americans out of work seemingly overnight as businesses closed under the lockdown, families are turning more and more to food banks to get by. "We have gone for months without work," a woman who gave her name only as Alana said at a food distribution centre in Chelsea in suburban Boston. - Orthodox Easter - Mounting evidence suggests that social distancing has slowed the pandemic after more than half of humanity -- 4.5 billion people -- were confined to their homes. Stay-at-home orders have been enforced in Italy and Spain, both still the hardest-hit countries in Europe, with death tolls over 20,000, followed by France, which has recorded more than 19,000 fatalities. As governments around the world grapple with when and how to ease lockdowns, Spain on Saturday extended its nationwide shutdown to May 9. Japan, Britain and Mexico have all expanded their movement restrictions. Yet elsewhere, signs that the outbreak could be easing prompted Switzerland, Denmark and Finland to begin reopening shops and schools this week. Germany is set to follow suit with some shops back in action on Monday. Iran also allowed some Tehran businesses to reopen Saturday despite the country being home to the Middle East's deadliest outbreak. "How can I keep staying home? My family is hungry," said Hamdollah Mahmoudi, 45, a shopworker in Tehran's Grand Bazaar. Israel has also approved some easing to its tight restrictions -- while pointedly avoiding announcing the first stage of an exit from lockdown. Many of the world's 260 million Orthodox Christians marked Easter on Sunday without attending church services. However Easter celebrations were allowed to go ahead in Georgia despite a nationwide curfew, with hundreds attending. In Zimbabwe, mass rallies and military parades to mark the country's 40th anniversary of independence from British colonial rule were cancelled. And Buckingham Palace announced that Queen Elizabeth II will not mark her birthday on Tuesday with a traditional gun salute. Australia has called for an independent investigation into the global response to the pandemic, including the World Health Organization's handling of the crisis. Its foreign minister said the country would "insist" on a review that would probe, in part, China's response to the outbreak. Back in Wuhan there was an emotional return to the city for the Chinese Super League football team after more than three months stranded on the road while the area was on lockdown. Wearing masks, the players had bouquets of flowers thrust into their hands as supporters clad in the team's orange colours held banners and sang to welcome them home. burs-kaf/axn
Iran unveils 6 high-tech products in anti-coronavirus field

Iran Press TV

Saturday, 18 April 2020 10:29 AM

The Iranian administration has unveiled six products in the field of diagnosing, screening and combating the new coronavirus, as the country's officials press on with containment measures to handle the epidemiological crisis.

The domestic products were unveiled by Iran's Deputy President for Scientific Affairs Sorena Sattari during a ceremony at Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences in Tehran on Friday.

One of the Iranian-manufactured products was the Traffic and Disinfection Gate, which prevents the spread of pathogens by sanitizing individuals and vehicles, and facilitates the detection of body temperature using a temperature detection sensor as well as measuring blood oxygen saturation percentage.

The Ozone Generator, equipped with an ozone measuring sensor, is a device that has the ability to disinfect the air and produce ozone on-site, without using chemicals.

The other product unveiled at the ceremony was Nano Shield, a protective shield with high flexibility that has been specifically designed and manufactured to suit the demands of the Iranian medical staff.

Sattari also unveiled three molecular detection kits for the coronavirus  COVID-19 Quick Diagnosis Kit, COVID-19 Disease Management System and TAK App (Nutrition, Immunity, Corona).

The Iranian government has since last week authorized the so-called low-risk businesses to resume activities across the country, with the exception of the capital Tehran, where they restarted on April 18.

In a meeting of senior officials in charge of the National Headquarters for Managing and Fighting the Coronavirus in Tehran on Saturday, Iran's President Hassan Rouhani hailed the cooperation of the people with the government and said the implementation of smart social distancing rules has hampered the vast spread of the disease in some provinces and created a steady trend in other provinces.

Rouhani said a sizable number of people, as the statistics show, observed the health instructions and were committed to the slogan "Stay at home," and refrained from leaving their houses except for essential needs.

"I still urge the dear and honorable nation to adhere to these principles and pay attention to the observance of health recommendations," the Iranian president underlined.

Health Ministry ordered to consider 'medium-risk' businesses

Rouhani also stated that the relevant organs could introduce in the next step conditions for the reactivation of "medium-risk" businesses to be approved by the country's National Headquarters for Managing and Fighting the Coronavirus.

"In this regard, the Ministry of Health, in cooperation with the Security and Social Committee of the National Headquarters, is obliged to review the conditions for starting medium-risk businesses and present them to the Headquarters."

Iran has confirmed 80,868 cases of the coronavirus infection since the outbreak was reported in the country in late February.

More than 55,980 people have recovered and 5,031 died of the virus, according to the latest updates provided by the Health Ministry on Saturday.

The figures come as Iran has been under draconian US sanctions  particularly on the import of medical equipment  amid the country's fight against the coronavirus, which continues to take its toll across the world.

The United States reinstated its sanctions against Iran in 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.

Washington claims that it has exempted foodstuffs and medicine from the bans, something that Tehran entirely disputes.

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Bill Cosby had two 'life-sustaining' surgeries last year, his spokesperson revealed on Saturday in attempt to have the disgraced comedian released from prison over coronavirus concerns

Bill Cosby had two 'life-sustaining' surgeries last year, his spokesperson revealed on Saturday in attempt to have the disgraced comedian released from prison over coronavirus concerns.

The 82-year-old had surgery on his left and right carotid arteries, which supplies blood to the brain, neck and face, after a 90 percent plaque blockage was found, Andrew Wyatt said in a press release.

The surgeries were successfully performed in the fall of 2019 and saved Cosby from the possibility of a stroke or heart attack, Wyatt said.

Cosby is currently serving a three-to-10 year sentence at SCI Phoenix in Skippack, Pennsylvania after being found guilty of aggravated sexual assault in 2018.

Wyatt is pushing for Cosby to be released early, claiming it's dangerous to keep him at the prison given his poor health and old age in the wake of the facility having one inmate die of coronavirus and dozens of prisoners testing positive for the virus.

Last Friday, Pennsylvania Governor Tom Wolf revealed a plan to 'temporarily relieve' at-risk inmates in a bid to stop the spread of COVID-19 behind bars.

The announcement sparked speculation that Cosby could be freed, but the state's Department of Corrections crushed any hope for the elderly star on Saturday.

'Sex offenders are not eligible under the reprieve criteria,' a department spokesperson bluntly said.

Wyatt is pushing for Cosby to be released early, claiming it is dangerous to keep him at the prison given his poor health and old age in the wake of the facility having one inmate die of coronavirus and dozens of prisoners testing positive for the virus. Cosby is pictured in September 2018

Cosby is housed inside SCI Phoenix (pictured above). An inmate has died from COVID-19, and a further 22 prisoners and 13 staffers are infected

Wyatt complained, telling Fox News: 'I'm very concerned for Mr. Cosby's health in prison during the coronavirus epidemic.

'The reason: Mr. Cosby is elderly and blind - and always needs to be escorted around the prison by support service inmates, known as Certified Peer Specialists (CPI).

'Those inmates could fall victim to the coronavirus and easily spread the disease to Mr. Cosby as they wheel him around in a wheelchair. Among their duties, the inmates bring Mr. Cosby to the infirmary for his doctor appointments and clean his cell.

'All elderly inmates like Mr. Cosby could succumb to this virus.

'It seems it's more politically motivated and personally motivated to not let this man out. It's very upsetting and disappointing.'

Earlier this month, an inmate inside DCI Phoenix died from the deadly virus, while 22 other prisoners and 13 staffers at the facility have tested positive.

Governor Wolf says he could authorize the early release of up to 1,800 inmates across the state.

On Thursday, nine inmates from SCI Phoenix were among the first prisoners in Pennsylvania to be released.

Cosby is currently serving a three to 10 years sentence at SCI Phoenix in Skippack, Pennsylvania after being found guilty of aggravated sexual assault in 2018. Pictured: Cosby in 2016

Cosby is assigned to the general ward of SCI Phoenix (pictured). His rep believes he is especially vulnerable to the threat of COVID-19

A spokesperson said the prisoners are all non-violent offenders and have been tested to make sure they are not infected with COVID-19.

Cosby was convicted of three counts of aggravated indecent assault in 2018 for drugging and sexually assaulting Andrea Constand in his home in January 2004.

He has also been accused of rape and sexual assault by more than 60 women.

Despite Wyatt's claims that Cosby is in poor health, he last month told reporters that the star's experience behind bars has been 'amazing'.

'He said despite the circumstances, this is an amazing experience. He used the term amazing experience,' Wyatt had told NBC10 .

'He looks really amazing, He's down to 195 pounds, he hasn't eaten any bread, no dessert and he hasn't drank any coffee since he's been in there,' he continued.

Apart from his attorneys, Wyatt is the only person Cosby has allowed to come and see him in prison.

He said Cosby's wife, Camille, and their children have not visited. He speaks to his wife three times a day for three minutes each.
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The Morrison government is facing demands from the business sector to overhaul key parts of its $130 billion JobKeeper program as firms face impossible decisions to take on large debts to pay staff or even break up long-lasting partnerships.

Just the way businesses are structured could leave some small firms with access to generous government support or shut off from tens of thousands of dollars in assistance as issues in the program, rushed through Federal Parliament, become apparent.

Lauren Woodall and Julia Challenor must decide who will go on JobKeeper and who will take up JobSeeker due to restrictions that form part of the government's assistance program. Credit:Edwina Pickles

Lauren Woodall and Julia Challenor have run the Kiss the Sky graphic design business for the past 15 years. They have structured the NSW-based business, which has suffered an 80 per cent drop in turnover, as a partnership.

But the JobKeeper program explicitly denies JobKeeper payments to more than one partner.
Just a day after Gov. Greg Abbott announced plans to relax some restrictions after the weekend to pave a way for an economic reopening in May, Jefferson County saw a reminder that COVID-19 was still a threat to its most vulnerable residents.

Two new deaths were reported in Beaumont and Port Arthur on Saturday, along with five new cases in Hardin County, bringing the total up to 322 for the six-county area in Southeast Texas.

An African-American woman between the ages of 55 and 60 with underlying health conditions, as identified by the Port Arthur Health Department, became the second virus related death for the city.

The death comes just a week after the citys first coronavirus death when the Port Arthur Health Department reported on April 6 that a white man between the age of 45 and 50 had died from the illness.

In a press release, representatives from the health department said the death was a reminder that COVID-19 was still a serious disease impacting the community and asked residents to continue following local and state emergency orders.

While 80% of individuals who contract COVID-19 will have mild to moderate symptoms and fully recover, they may spread the disease to people who are at high risk, representatives from the health department wrote. The elderly and people with underlying health conditions or weakened immune systems are at a much higher risk for developing serious complications from COVID-19.

Another person was confirmed to have died in Beaumont, according to Beaumont Mayor Becky Ames, raising the citys death toll to eight.

The person was identified between the age of 31 and 40 and was reported to have underlying health conditions, but no gender was given.

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

Only 15 people in the same age range have been confirmed with COVID-19 in the Beaumont area so far. The largest age demographic is between 51 and 60 years old with 26 cases.

The new confirmed case gives Beaumont a total of 123 within its jurisdiction, which includes Hamshire, Fannett, Cheek, China and Nome.

So far, 95 people with confirmed cases have been isolated and are being monitored by the Beaumont Public Health Department. Twenty have been classified as recovered and are asymptomatic.

The emergency operations center formed by the six counties didnt send out a Saturday report on updated cases, as only Hardin County had sent in updated statistics to the center.

On a sunny day in Rogers Park in Beaumont, three co-workers were having an impromptu picnic outside their cars to catch up, but the subject of what could be coming next in the infection still weighed heavy on them.

Janice and Bridget, who asked to have their last names withheld because of their profession, had recently been furloughed from their jobs at a medical practice, but still worried for their friends in the field.

Janice said she felt like a return to public life in May would be far too soon to flatten the curve of infection. Even if it meant she could return to work, the move could do more harm than good.

We just really need more testing and more testing sites, she said. I think there are a lot of people that could have had this and shook it off as something else because they didnt really have an option.

Along with a lack of understanding around how widespread the local infection rate has been, Bridget said she felt people should still be doing more to protect themselves and others in public like wearing a mask in grocery stores.

Instead of adapting to restrictions and learning how to be more safe in the future, she said she felt a large amount of the public were just ignoring prescribed health guidelines.

I still dont think people have learned to social distance, she said. I see people touching their faces or cross contaminating with gloves all the time. We just really need a two-week shutdown and manage the cases we have.

Without a more serious approach to slowing infection rates and putting more resources in communities, the friends worried whether Mays reopening would start a new surge of infections that would still go largely unreported in places like Beaumont.

For at least one business owner, the governors plans seemed less reassuring than the aid that had already been promised to small businesses without much of a follow through.

Tyler Blount, owner of Neches Brewing Co. in Port Neches, said his businesses  like most in the area  took a hit from coronavirus-related precautions, but he has still been able to take in some revenue and get rid of a large inventory of craft beer thanks to to-go sales.

But with consumer confidence in question because of record job loss throughout the country and the possibility of a slow return to bars and restaurants for some customers, Blount said he is more concerned about the relief funding previously promised to small businesses from the U.S. Small Business Administration.

We are still waiting for our SBA loan, but I applied for it the day of and we still didnt get it before they ran out of money, he said. The stimulus money will keep us afloat, because we really just need to keep our people paid.

The Texas Craft Brewers Guild reported last week that the states brewers were experiencing an average revenue decline of 71%, resulting in layoffs and furloughs for 63% of its responding members. Thats after at least 90% of member breweries shifted to to-go sales.

Blount said the community in Port Neches and the greater Southeast Texas area has been supportive of Neches Brewing Co., coming in for a growler when they can, but he understands that the same crisis impacting his business also means people could be holding on to their money for a while after an official return to work for the U.S. economy.

Basically, we are still holding tight right now and everything is pretty much the same, he said. You cant just reopen everything right at once. Its going to be a cautious start.

jacob.dick@beaumontenterprise.com

twitter.com/jdickjournalism
Chris Hemsworths Netflix original Extraction is ready to release soon and so the actor has been giving his fans a sneak peak into the behind the scenes of the film. Now, Chris Hemsworth is known for essaying the role of Thor, the god of thunder in the Marvel Universe but in real life, he never takes unwanted risks. Recently, he shared another behind the scene video of his upcoming Netflix original and its entertaining to another level.



 AGBO

Hemsworth took to his Twitter and shared a video along with a caption saying, Quite happy to let the completely insane experts handle this particular shot! Our stunt team risked their lives and pushed their bodies to get some of these shots, and its truly incredible to see. The movie wouldnt have been possible without these guys Folded handsFlexed bicepsThumbs up.



Checkout the video here-

Quite happy to let the completely insane experts handle this particular shot! Our stunt team risked their lives and pushed their bodies to get some of these shots, and its truly incredible to see. The movie wouldnt have been possible without these guys  pic.twitter.com/E79rnkXm1T  Chris Hemsworth (@chrishemsworth) April 18, 2020

In the video, you can see multiple men falling of the roof for a sequence that was shot in India. Earlier, Hemsworth told the Sunday Telegraph, I think if I added up every action film that Id ever done or every piece of action Ive ever done in a movie, it wouldnt even come close to what weve done in the last nine weeks on this movie. He also expressed how he went home limping everyday due to the action scenes in the film.

 AGBO

Now, the fans are excited as this project is also directed by the makers of the Avengers Endgame and heres what people have to say about the video-



Oh, Blessed Thor....

Yep, leave them to the pros, MiLord~! pic.twitter.com/Uoo9QQ8uYb  [ Moppi ] Serran Beefcake Taskmage (@vor_inquisition) April 18, 2020

Oufff that one guy hitting the truck with his head first...  Sandra (@llsand) April 18, 2020

Wow ! Looks like some heavy shit , hope everyone was ok !!!  KEVIN E M CLARK (@KevinClark57) April 18, 2020

Ouch that hada hurt  tammy braddock (@tammybraddock1) April 19, 2020

Did your family not get a horse recently? You'll soon be (involuntarily) doing these sorts of stunts   HeatherBell (@Heather87352596) April 18, 2020

Extraction is the movie, it premiers on Netflix this Friday!  College Distraction Account #2 (@TheBetterOfMe1) April 18, 2020

The video has already garnered over 559.6K views and around 43K likes on Twitter. The movie will release this Friday on Netflix and all his fans are excited to get some action amid quarantine.
Of these, 65 cases are active and the rest have been discharged. Among the active cases, 20 have tested negative at least once, the Health Ministry said.

Hanoi is treating the largest number of active patients at 29, followed by the northern province of Ninh Binh with ten and HCMC with five.

The latest Covid-19 case, confirmed Thursday morning, is a 16-year-old Hmong girl from the mountainous province of Ha Giang that borders China, where her three brothers work as freelancers.

The latest patients to be discharged are two Vietnamese students who returned to Vietnam from the U.K. last month. They were discharged from the Bac Lieu General Hospital in the eponymous Mekong Delta province Sunday.

However, one Covid-19 patient in Hanoi has tested positive after being discharged from the National Hospital of Tropical Diseases on April 14, Nguyen Khac Hien, director of the Hanoi Center for Disease Control (CDC), said Sunday.

The Covid-19 pandemic has spread to 210 countries and territories, with more than 161,000 deaths reported so far.
This story was originally published on Aug. 20, 2019 in NYT Parenting.

The first time I walked into a Montessori preschool classroom six years ago, I thought to myself, what is this sorcery? The materials were beautiful but unfamiliar; the room seemed eerily calm considering it held so many 3-year-olds; and the terms the teachers used were new and confusing to me. Theyre not lessons or activities, theyre work; and what, pray tell, was that pink tower thing everyone kept talking about?

Now that both of my kids have gone through Montessori preschools, I have a much better understanding of how they work. Thats not to say the philosophy is easy to wrap ones head around  and, of course, every school is different. But if youre considering Montessori preschools for your child, or you just want to learn more about them, here are some basics about the history of the philosophy, how well kids learn in Montessori preschools, and what parents should look for  and avoid  if theyre going the Montessori route.

Montessoris roots

The schools are named after Dr. Maria Montessori, an Italian physician born in 1870, who was fascinated by children and closely observed them. After years of doing so, she developed a theory of human development based on the idea that children instinctively know what they need to learn, and that, when they are surrounded by the right hands-on materials, they can educate themselves independently. She took this notion that deep inside, we know what we need for our development, explained Angeline Lillard, Ph.D., a developmental psychologist at the University of Virginia who studies Montessori education. Another Montessorian idea is that kids learn by practicing the kinds of real activities they see adults doing. For example, in her Montessori classroom my daughter particularly loved pouring water from a teapot into cups.

In 1907, Dr. Montessori opened a school based on these theories in the working-class Rome neighborhood of San Lorenzo, for children aged 3 to 6. In it, children learned at their own pace, following their own interests, using materials that Dr. Montessori had specially prepared for her classrooms. She allowed the children to have long, uninterrupted work cycles in which they could spend as much time as they wanted on a particular activity  what she called work  and then move on to a new choice when they had finished.
The home ministry said no labourer is allowed to travel anywhere, and all who are in COVID-19 relief camps have to register themselves with the local authority, as according to their skill mapping suitable work will be given to them

The coronavirus outbreak in India has not only affected peoples health but the economy too. In view of this, the Centre has decided to commence some economic activities in non-hotspot areas. The Union Home Ministry has now put in place stringent travel restrictions for all migrant workers, who were moving towards their homes in the hinterland and are now stranded in relief camps. This has been done to lower the spread of the virus.

According to the advisory, there shall be no movement of labourers between states and all of them in relief camps must register themselves with the concerned local authority for suitable work which will be assigned to them.

Earlier, the Government allowed some e-commerce companies, private vehicles, MGNREGA works, courier service, banking and other fields to function. Some construction projects and industrial operations, especially from MSME sector, were also allowed to function.

In a statement, the ministry said since the labourers are permitted to work under revised guidelines, they could also be employed in industrial, manufacturing, construction and MGNREGA works. However, the workers will firstly be screened for COVID-19, and only those with no symptoms will be transported to their workplaces, it added.

Earlier this week, Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced the extension of the lockdown till May 3, which is seeing to be a burden on the economy as all modes of transport, industries, companies have suspended work for a while. The lockdown has severely hit breadwinners as they have lost their jobs, which had led to thousands of people heading back to their homes just when the road and rail transport were halted.

Home Secretary Ajay Bhalla writes to all chief secretaries of states and union territories regarding e-commerce companies excluded from supplying non-essential goods, however they will continue to supply essential goods. pic.twitter.com/JD7GBj5NJ7  ANI (@ANI) April 19, 2020

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Robert Dawkins, a social justice activist, took one look at the numbers in Charlotte, N.C.  black residents make up about 22 percent of the states population but account for 39 percent of its positive cases  and knew the coronavirus would land hard in African-American communities. Ordinarily, he would knock on doors and go to churches to assess the damage and brainstorm solutions, but like other activists, he was forced to mobilize from home.

We need to get to our people to get an idea of what the long-term repercussions are for an already fragile community, said Mr. Dawkins, the political director of Action NC. We are used to walking the streets and going to Wednesday Bible study and meeting people where they are. So now, we are quickly sending emails and calling and texting to check on people.

Movements are made up of big policy ideas and small acts. Across the country, individuals are making direct pleas for the common cause of slowing the outbreaks spread. In Chicago, Mayor Lori Lightfoot took matters into her own hands, driving around the city and breaking up crowds last week. The coroner in Albany, Ga., has visited the homes of people who died of Covid-19, making sure the surviving relatives are wearing masks and social distancing.

I am trying to sound the alarm because I see the devastation in the black community, Michael Fowler, the coroner of Dougherty County, said hours after the Georgia countys 91st Covid-19 death. I am trying to do my part. Preachers, a judge, a church choir member, all walks of life are dying. My job is to pronounce death, but I believe in trying to save lives.

The disparity is the result of intersecting threats. African-Americans disproportionately belong to the part of the essential work force without insurance, and working from home is often not an option. That means more exposure to the virus, both in transit and in the workplace, and no way to access affordable health care. For many, the line from day-to-day living to Covid-19 patient is alarmingly short.

Weeks ago, public health departments began releasing the number of Covid-19 cases by race. Though the numbers were limited, it was enough to signal a brewing crisis within black communities. First, Milwaukee. Then Chicago and Detroit.
Terry and Buesing's team has worked extensively on therapies to treat lung ailments such as ARDS, commonly signaled by inflammation and fluid buildup, allowing it to quickly pivot to the crisis that was all over the airwaves, said Nathaniel Zollinger, a graduate student in the College of Engineering.

"We realized our past experience and past research put us in a good position to apply it to the current pandemic and test different solutions for the problem the nation is facing right now," he said.

Stacking two patients on one ventilator isn't as easy as splitting the machine's tubing into two, explained Zollinger, a Wyoming native and graduate of Utah State University.

The ventilator needs to be able to meet the individual needs of the two patients, which may differ greatly.

"By putting a variable-flow resister in line with the standard off-the-shelf respiratory circuit, you could solve the problem of being able to direct the right amounts of oxygen to the patient without adversely affecting the other one," he said.
US President Donald Trump does not see an increase in military tension with Russia amid the pandemic and is convinced that the two countries have "a very good relationship." He stated this at a briefing for journalists in the White House, TASS reported.

When asked if "US opponents," such as the North Korea, Russia, China and Iran, are trying to take advantage of the coronavirus situation to the detriment of the United States, hampering Washingtons policies and creating military tension, Trump said:

"No, I dont see it. We have very good relationship with Russia. We worked together on the oil deal. That was a very important deal to them and to us and to Saudi Arabia."

"I worked with Putin and with the King [of Saudi Arabia] on that. President Putin was a total gentleman. It was very important to get that done. The King was great," Trump said.

At the same time he recalled the sanctions Washington had imposed against Moscow.

"Nobody was tougher with Putin than me. Look at the sanctions, look at what I did with their pipeline going into Europe (Nord Stream-2 pipeline - TASS). I exposed it. Now everyone talks about it. But at the same time I have a very good relationship with Putin. I was able to make a deal with Russia and Saudi Arabia,"Trump said adding that the deal will save the American oil industry and hundreds of thousands of jobs in the U.S.
There is a virus stalking the world. It is a nasty organism that leaves death, destruction and misery in its wake as it spreads contagion across the globe.

It has infected all our lives  changing the way we behave as human beings by challenging our most basic freedoms to live and love, to work and play.

It leaves us bored, confused, dazed, even distrustful of others. I am writing these words in Mississauga, Canada, having not left my home for five days. Wherever you are reading them, we are all suffering in some way from the consequences of this worldwide pandemic.

It began in China. But do not be fooled. It did not start last year in Wuhan. It dates back almost a century ago to when a small group of men declared the birth of my countrys Communist Party on a boat in a lake in Zhejiang.

I accept we are all battling a new coronavirus that exploded from the city of Wuhan  but the real disease that plagues so many people and has plunged our world into sudden darkness is the Chinese Communist Party.

A woman wearing a protective mask is seen past a portrait of Chinese President Xi Jinping on a street as the country is hit with fresh accusations regarding the coronavirus outbreak

This is the body that unleashed Covid-19 on the world, whether it began in the wildlife market or biolaboratory. This is the organisation that sought to cover its tracks by suppressing evidence while silencing doctors, journalists and other citizens who tried to warn others.

The world has ignored this malevolent forces many crimes against humanity  from killing people to harvest their body-parts and burning down churches, through to locking up millions of Muslim minorities in concentration camps.

From the day I wanted to understand this world as a teenager, I learnt about the evil of this party and its contagious nature. It infects so many people in China, filling most with fear while others become brutal and cold-blooded.

This affliction drove people to build their country into a magnificent hell on earth. It forced me to flee abroad after the Tiananmen Square massacre, then tormented me for decades as I fought to defeat its poison.

Even as a child I was not immune from its grasp. My family were enemies of the state, cursed in Communist eyes and cruelly persecuted for the crime of my grandfather serving as a politician in the previous regime.

My father was accused of being a spy, then deprived of teaching work and sent to a labour camp. My mother, who came from a wealthy family, was abused by officials and forced to work together on building sites for ten years.

When I was five years old, my parents sent me and my younger sister 500 miles from home to live with my grandmother in the countryside to escape the persecution. We were bullied by other boys and girls because we were political outcasts  yet this grew even worse when we returned to Beijing almost four years later.

My childhood was full of abuse and discrimination. I suffered since I refused to bow my head to accept my humble identity. It hurt so much that many times I wanted to commit suicide; the only thing that prevented me was knowing the extra pain it would cause for my parents.

Then I decided to fight back for social justice against the party. When I was 17, there was a brief flickering of freedom with the Democracy Wall where I read excitedly about the protests over political and social concerns. I had so much hope for China to change. But I never trusted the Communist Party, since I knew in my heart that it cannot be cured from the inside itself.

President Xi Jinping has tightened the Chinese Communist partys grip and restricted the freedom of millions, says Sheng Xue

A decade later there were the protests in Tiananmen Square, near my home. I went down to join them every day. Then, early on June 4, 1989, I saw soldiers shoot their own people, including two standing near me, on orders of party leaders.

My husband saw a scared teenage girl running in the street who did not even realise the sacred Peoples Liberation Army had shot her. A bullet sliced her skull open. her eyes stretched wide open and never closed again.

I left two months later  and 20 days after arriving in Canada, joined my first protest outside the consulate in Toronto. I gave up plans to study journalism and helped form a branch of the Federation for a Democratic China. I thought I would be safe and happy in this peaceful Western country.

I had left China  but it had already reached here. This relentless march of the party continues with ceaseless promotion of its business, culture, media and faith.

The bullying and intimidation started immediately. This is why 99 per cent of people stopped pro-democracy activism after the 1989 massacre. In those days, I cried. They abused me as a woman, although it was not so bad since there was no internet.

They would send me dirty pictures cut from magazines or write my name in mens toilets alongside my telephone number. Then people in my group would turn on me and accuse me of being a spy  one day for the Chinese government, then for Taiwan. It was ridiculous. But at the same time, it was very distressing.

It grew worse after I went to a conference in Berlin in 2006. A Chinese man arrived from Denmark, befriended people and joined our organisations. Since then he has written hundreds of abusive articles about me online.

Six years later, I was elected president of the Federation  and the party launched all-out attack. Smears are spread about my private life, even that my mother pimped me out as a child. Sordid fake pictures posted online.

Social media accounts spread lies. Blogs trash my reputation. I must defend myself against vexatious court claims. It is hard to fight back against this stressful campaign, which has affected my health. And I can never go back to my homeland  I tried once in 1996 but was sent back. I have been warned if I try again, I will not leave.

At least I have my freedom  unlike 1.4 billion living in China, where President Xi Jinping has tightened the partys grip. My friends, along with many activists, journalists and lawyers, have been jailed; some are persecuted to death.

The situation for repressed peoples such as the Uighurs and Tibetans is worse than in war since they cannot fight back. They have no weapons against the all-powerful state and its mass surveillance.

People used to think I was crazy when I warned about China. They did not turn their eyes there, could not imagine what was really going on. Inside the country, no one can resist the party will or refuse its demands.

Meanwhile, it has spread around the planet. Goods in shops have gradually become made in China. Britain is proposing to let Huawei help to build its 5G system  but why is it letting in a foreign state system that uses spy software? I have always feared China would do something to destroy the civilised world.

It knew it could not compete with the West with its political system, economic abilities or military forces. We do not know if this pandemic is deliberate or an accident.

We do not know how it began or how it will end. We do not know how many lives will be lost, how many families ruined, how much damage will be done economically. But we do know that the Chinese Communist Party does not care about people dying, about people living in freedom, about the rights of humans.

The world must come together to defeat this disease from Wuhan. But then it must stay united to beat another evil. We are not just confronting coronavirus at this moment in history but the even deadlier Communist Party virus.
Hardening his stand against China, US President Donald Trump on Saturday (April 18) said that Beijing will have to face consequences if it was "knowingly responsible" for the spread of the coronavirus COVID-19 pandemic.

Trump has been regularly expressing his disappointment over handling of the coronavirus crisis by China, accusing the Asian nation of failing to cooperate with the US on this issue.

"If they were knowingly responsible, yeah, then there should be consequences. You're talking about, you know, potentially lives like nobody's seen since 1917," President Trump told reporters at a White House news conference.

Trump added that his relationship with China was very good before the outbreak of coronavirus pandemic. "The relationship was good when we were signing that, but then, all of a sudden, you hear about this. So, it's a big difference. "You know, the question was asked would you be angry at China. Well, the answer very well might be a very resounding yes, but it depends," Trump said.

Mincing no words, President Trump noted that there was a big difference between a mistake that got out of control or something done with full knowledge.

"In either event, they should have let us go in. You know, we asked to go in very early and they didn't want us in. I think they knew it was something bad and I think they were embarrassed," Trump said.

The US president also attacked former vice president Joe Biden, who is Democratic Party's presumptive nominee for 2020 presidential election, stressing that China wants to see Biden as the new president of the US.

"If sleepy Joe Biden wins, China will own the United States," Trump said, adding, "we had the greatest economy in the world by far. China isn't even close. Go back two months. And we're going to keep it that way."

The unprecedented coronavirus outbreak as of Saturday (April 18, 2020) has now infected over 22.8 lakh people across the globe. According to the Johns Hopkins University at 10:10 PM IST, the fatal virus that was first detected in China in December 2019, has infected over 22,84,018 lives globally with more than 1,56,900 people succumbing to the virus.
British talk host Piers Morgan, a longtime close friend of President Donald Trumps, railed against the presidents response to the COVID-19 pandemic on Sunday, claiming Trump is failing the American people and turning his coronavirus press briefings into self-serving rallies.

Morgan, a former Celebrity Apprentice winner who has largely praised Trump throughout his presidency, appeared on CNNs Reliable Sources to discuss his recent criticism of how both Trump and British Prime Minister Boris Johnson have handled this public-health crisis. The appearance comes days after Morgan wrote a column slamming King Trumps performance during the pandemic, likening the president to the emperor with no clothes.

Noting that Johnson and Trumps responses have been very similar, Morgan went on to say that the tricks both leaders used to become popular and win elections are failing them now.

Its not about partisan politics anymore, its about plain war crisis leadership, Morgan, a former CNN host himself, said. Its a very different thing. What Ive noticed with Boris Johnson and with Donald Trump is an apparent inability to segue into being war leaders. Theyre still playing the old games of party politics.

Pointing out that he considers Trump a friend, the Daily Mail editor-at-large said that hes watched the daily White House briefings with mounting horror because this isnt what a president should be doing.

And all that is required from the president in those moments, and any world leader, frankly, they have to be calm, show authority, they have to be honest, they have to be accurate, entirely factual with what theyre telling the people and they have to have an ability to show empathy, he exclaimed.

On almost every level of that, Donald Trump at the moment is failing the American people, Morgan continued. Hes turning these briefings into a self-aggrandizing, self-justifying, overly defensive, politically partisanalmost like a rally to him.

Story continues

Host Brian Stelter asked his former colleague if he had any personal insight into what was causing this reaction from the president, considering their close relationship.

Praising how other world leaders such as Frances Emmanuel Macron and Germanys Angela Merkel have handled the crisis, Morgan suggested that Trump doesnt understand the enormity of the situation, claiming Trump thinks of it as just another thing to deal with.

Donald Trumps ratings are falling and the reason for that ishe needs to understand thistheyre falling because people dont trust him, he added.

Hes turning these briefings into self-serving rallies. I dont understand why he cant do the basics of crisis leadership, which is to make the public come with you, and to believe you, and to feel that youre on their side and showing them the empathy that they need when so many people are dying.

Asked whether hes worried that hes risking his friendship with Trump over his harsh criticism, Morgan said hes always tried to be candid with the president but he really doesnt care about the niceties of whether Donald Trump is going to be offended.

He has to put the country before himself, Morgan continued. He has to put Americans before electioneering. He has to remind himself every day what can I do today to prevent more lives being killed? Not how can I score more petty points.

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This is an opinion column.

Before I was a husband and a father, I spent a lot of time in bars, one bar in particular on Birminghams Southside. Nights were fun there, but early afternoons were peaceful, and too many Saturdays I got there even before the mail had arrived.

Jimmy was the owner then, and in the afternoon hed fiddle with inventory or fuss with payroll before taking his own medicine around happy hour. He wasnt always the easiest person to be friends with and he could be harder to work for. I saw him kick drunks out of the bar because they looked at him funny, or hed give a bartender hell for wasting too many paper napkins.

But no matter how surly hed been the night before, the next day, he was always kind to the postman. Or, more often, the postwoman.

Can we get you something? hed say the moment theyd walk through the door. You want a Coke or a glass of water? Something to eat?

Id seen celebrities and other big shots come in that place and Jimmy hardly looked up from his drink. But he gave the U.S. Postal Service a more friendly reception than if a dignitary had pulled up front with a line of limousines.

Whether they accepted or not, the man or woman in the dark blue pants and light blue shirt was always appreciative of the kindness. And not one of them ever seemed used to it. For them, it was rare.

And it shouldnt be.

How you treat the men and women who deliver your mail might say more about your soul than what you leave in an offering plate and more about your worth as a citizen than how much you pay in taxes.

I dont measure well by this standard. I couldnt pick my letter carrier out of a lineup. Like with a lot of homes, our mailbox sits at the end of my driveway, as distant from our front door as our property line will allow. My mail has two states of being  its there in the box or it isnt yet.

And because of this virus and this president, a day might come when it wont be there at all.

The U.S. Postal Service is suffering because two of its major sources of revenue  first class mail and all that marketing stuff you throw in the trash  have slowed because of the pandemic.

Like so many others right now, the Postal Service needs help.

But according to a report this week in the Washington Post, the president threatened to veto the $2 trillion CARES Act if it included a rescue package for that federal agency.

Mind you, major businesses are receiving bailouts with virtually no strings attached. In the last five years, airlines have paid out nearly $45 billion to Wall Street through stock buybacks. When asked why the government was tying a net under them, Trump responded with a shrug and a $50 billion handout.

(I)t is what it is. Have to save the airlines! he said on his favorite social media platform.

But the U.S. Postal Service?

Nuh-uh.

Trump isnt alone in his disdain, but I dont get why anyone hates the Postal Service? Who else can you give two quarters and nickel, say Take this piece of paper for me to Terre Haute! and then they do it?

Perhaps were conditioned to hate the post office because, every time were there, theres somewhere else we want to be. No one ever goes to the post office to be at the post office. Only a handful of cities have airport hubs, but there are more than 30,000 post offices in our country, and every one of them smells the same  like glue and packing tape and paper and the sticky stuff on the back of stamps. I dont like standing in line, either, but I still love that smell.

Despite what a lot of folks think they know about the Postal Service, it isnt subsidized by our tax dollars. Aside from some federal money to help the blind with postage and to pay for overseas mail, its operating budget comes from the stamps you buy.

About 600,000 people work for the Postal Service, and the agency has long given hiring preference to veterans. For service members and reservists, the Postal Service has been a safe place to transition back to civilian life.

But now those folks are on our front lines again, not in some war overseas, but fetching and delivering the things the rest of us cant leave our homes to get. Right now, theyre out there working for us, exposing themselves to surfaces they dont control, touching stamps and envelopes that other people licked with their tongues.

If we cant afford these folks safety in their jobs, the least we should be able to give them is some assurance theyll be able to keep their jobs.

But so far, our president doesnt seem inclined to give them so much as a glass of water on a hot day.

And thats no way to treat a postman.

Kyle Whitmire is the state political columnist for the Alabama Media Group.

You can follow his work on his Facebook page, The War on Dumb. And on Twitter. And on Instagram.

More columns by Kyle Whitmire

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This is the most dangerous election. And the most important.

Alabamas governor went on Twitter for a coronavirus Q&A. It was a disaster.

Alabama is stuck on autopilot

What Ill take from the quarantine: My daughters first steps

Stop with the California comparisons, Kay Ivey

Lieutenant governor demands Alabama coronavirus task force do its job

If Alabama has to go back to work, so should the Legislature

In grief for normal life

The truth will tell itself
WASHINGTON  The global health crisis is taking a nasty political turn with tensions worsening between governments locked down to keep the coronavirus at bay and people yearning to restart stalled economies and forestall fears of a depression.

Protesters worrying about their livelihoods and bucking infringements on their freedom have taken to the streets in some places. A few countries are acting to ease restrictions, but most of the world remains unified in insisting its much too early to take more aggressive steps.

In the United States, there is clear evidence of the mounting pressure. The Trump administration says parts of the nation are ready to begin a gradual return to normalcy. Yet some state leaders say their response to the pandemic is hindered by a woefully inadequate federal response.

After insisting the countrys virus testing system was without fault, President Donald Trump announced Sunday evening that he would be using the Defense Production Act to compel increased manufacturing of testing swabs  one of several products governors have been begging the president to help them acquire. White House officials will also be holding a call Monday with the nations governors to help walk them through where to find supplies, he said.

Trump also remained defensive, however, vowing that there were enough swabs to go around. Swabs are easy, the president said, bringing one to his news briefing and waving it in front of reporters.

That came hours after Washington states Democratic governor, Jay Inslee, accused Trump of encouraging insubordination and illegal activity by goading protesters who flouted shelter-in-place rules his own administration has encouraged.

To have an American president to encourage people to violate the law, I cant remember any time during my time in America where we have seen such a thing, Inslee told ABCs This Week. He said it was dangerous because it can inspire people to ignore things that actually can save their lives.

Trump supporters in several states have ignored social distancing and stay-at-home orders, gathering to demand that governors lift controls on public activity. The largest protest drew thousands to Lansing, Mich., on Wednesday, and others have featured hundreds in several states. The president has invoked their rallying cry, calling on some states with Democratic governors to LIBERATE, and he defended the demonstrations Sunday night, saying these people love our country. They want to go back to work.

Inslee likened Trumps response to schizophrenia. Larry Hogan, the Republican governor of Maryland, said it just doesnt make any sense.

Were sending completely conflicting messages out to the governors and to the people, as if we should ignore federal policy and federal recommendations, Hogan said on CNNs State of the Union.

Shutdowns have disrupted economic, social, cultural and religious life and plunged the world into a deep economic slump unseen since the Great Depression. Tens of millions of workers have lost their jobs and millions more fear theyll be next.

With the arc of infection different in every nation and across U.S. states, proposals have differed for coping with the virus that has killed more than 165,000.

China, where the pandemic began, has lifted travel and other restrictions, but customer traffic has been slow to return.

Germany is enforcing social distancing but on Monday intends to begin allowing some small stores, like those selling furniture and baby goods, to reopen. Spain said children can leave their homes beginning April 27. Albania planned to let its mining and oil industries reopen Monday, along with hundreds of businesses.

The death toll in the U.S. was near 41,000 with more than 758,000 confirmed infections, while the global total has surpassed 2.4 million, according to a tally by Johns Hopkins University. The European Center for Disease Control said the continent now has more than 1 million confirmed cases and almost 100,000 deaths from the coronavirus.

The true figures are likely significantly higher since mild infections can be missed, testing is limited and many countries have been too overwhelmed by illnesses to effectively count them or have tried to underplay the extent of their outbreaks.

The International Monetary Fund expects the global economy to contract 3% this year. Thats a far bigger loss than 2009s 0.1% after the global financial crisis. Still, many governments are resisting pressures to abruptly relax lockdowns.

We must not let down our guard until the last confirmed patient is recovered, said South Koreas President Moon Jae-in.

In Britain, which reported 596 more coronavirus-related hospital deaths on Sunday, officials also said theyre not ready to ease efforts to curb the viruss spread. U.K. minister Michael Gove told the BBC that pubs and restaurants will be among the last to leave the lockdown, which is now in place until May 7.

Frances health agency urged the public to stick to social distancing measures that have been extended until at least May 11 and Prime Minister Edouard Philippe said people could be required to wear masks on public transportation, and suggested no one plan faraway summer vacations even after that.

Trump is pushing to begin easing the U.S. lockdown in some states even before his own May 1 deadline, a plan that health experts and governors from both parties say will require a dramatic increase in testing capacity. But Vice President Mike Pence insisted the country has sufficient testing today for states to begin working toward the initial phases of reopening their economies.

California Gov. Gavin Newsom, a Democrat, said his state cant begin lifting restrictions until it is able to test more people daily. Right now, were not even close as a nation, let alone as a state, to where we should be on testing, he said.

Economic concerns that have increasingly collided with measures to protect public health are popping up throughout the U.S.

Business leaders in Louisiana have slammed New Orleans Mayor LaToya Cantrell for imposing restrictions they say have unfairly shuttered economic activity outside the city. A full-page ad in The Times-Picayune/The New Orleans Advocate newspaper urged an easing of lockdowns, even as the paper featured nearly nine pages of obituaries in a city hard-hit by the virus.

States including Texas and Indiana have announced plans to allow some retail and other activity to resume. But in New York, where the daily coronavirus death toll hit its lowest point in more than two weeks, officials warn that heavily effected areas arent ready to ease shutdowns of schools, businesses and gatherings.

Geopolitical and religious tensions stretching back centuries have further complicated the global response to the virus. But Jordans King Abdullah II said the outbreak has made partners out of our enemies of yesterday, or those that were not friendly countries yesterday  whether we like it or not.

I think the quicker we as leaders and politicians figure that out, the quicker we can bring this under control, he told CBS Face the Nation.

___

Jordans reported from Berlin. Associated Press writers worldwide contributed to this report.

___

Follow AP coverage of the pandemic at http://apnews.com/VirusOutbreak and https://apnews.com/UnderstandingtheOutbreak
He's best known for playing Ron Weasley in the Harry Potter movies and has won a legion of fans, thanks to the franchise, since the first movie was released in 2001.

And Rupert Grint surprised one 'massive' Harry Potter fan, who is also an NHS midwife working on the frontline in Birmingham during the coronavirus pandemic, via video link during the UK's broadcast of One Word: Together At Home on Sunday night.

The actor, 31, told midwife Sam that he believes she is 'truly inspiring' and behaving like a Gryffindor, as still working in the hospital has meant she's had to self-isolate away from her family.

Surprise: Rupert Grint told one NHS midwife she is 'truly inspiring' as he surprised her via video call during the UK broadcast of One World: Together At Home

Sam explained that she has been spending lockdown in a hotel, when she's not working for the NHS, away from her husband Phoenix and her nine-year-old daughter.

She explained that her husband suffers from a severe kidney illness and if he were to contract COVID-19, he would 'most likely' die as a result.

Wanting to not put her husband at risk, Sam has chosen to self-isolate on her own, away from her family.

Surprising her via video link, Rupert told Sam: 'Hearing your story is just insane. the sacrifices that you've made it's truly inspiring, it's really just true Gryffindor behaviour.'

Fan favourite: He was joined by Miriam Margolyes who surprised Call The Midwife fan Sam and invited her down to set to meet the cast

Shock: Sam, an NHS midwife working in Birmingham, was moved to tears by the gesture

He was joined by his former Harry Potter co-star Miriam Margolyes, who played Professor Sprout in the movies, who joked on the call to Rupert: 'You were just a little boy when i saw you, you've turned out to be a very handsome young man.'

Of Sam, who is also a fan of Miriam's show Call The Midwife, Miriam said: 'What a family you are, my goodness. We think you're one of the heroes of the world Sam, we really do.'

Inviting her down to the Call The Midwife set, Miriam said: 'We want you to come to the set and meet all of us. It's a glorious pleasure to do something.'

'You're one of the world's heroes': Miriam said it was a 'glorious pleasure' to surprise Sam

Sunday night's show included virtual performances from the likes of Little Mix, who kicked off the show with an acoustic version of their hit Touch.

Other performances included Rag'n'Bone Man, Jess Glynne and Sir Paul McCartney.

The show, hosted by Dermot O'Leary, Claudia Winkleman and Clara Amfo, also showed highlights from the US broadcast of One World: Together At Home, including performances from The Rolling Stones, Lizzo, Jennifer Lopez and Stevie Wonder.
When the spread of the coronavirus began to force bookstores and other businesses to shut down, Barnes & Noble CEO James Daunt told PW that one way the industry can survive is if books are deemed essential items. While not all government officials and business executives agreed, a number of industry members began to use the slogan Books Are Essential to support their businesses. PW has chosen the phrase as the focal point of an effort to highlight the role books play in the health of American culture. With that in mind, we asked industry members to mimic our cover design, and, to borrow a line from an old AAP campaign, get caught reading in support of books.

The #BooksAreEssential campaign, which brings attention to the importance of books to the health of American culture, continues to gain momentum. Hundreds of industry members have posted pictures of themselves mimicking our April 20 issues cover across our social media platforms. The campaign has also drawn international participation, with people from numerous countries now taking part.

The #BooksAreEssential campaign to promote the importance of books to culture picked up more global support in recent weeks, as well as the backing of a growing number of authors. PW thanks all industry members who are taking part in the campaign.
Labour has accused Boris Johnson of being missing in action after the prime minister missed five emergency meetings on coronavirus at the start of the crisis.

Michael Gove rejected the allegation as grotesque in an interview with Sky News Sophy Ridge, but later conceded that Mr Johnson had not been present at all of the Cobra meetings.

Mr Gove confirmed the prime minister did not attend five Cobra meetings in the run-up to the outbreak arriving in the UK, stating: He didnt. But then he wouldnt.

Because most Cobra meetings dont have the prime minister attending them.

Mr Johnson, who is currently recovering from Covid-19, is facing accusations that he was slow to respond at the start of the pandemic, which has now claimed the lives of more than 15,000 Britons.

The prime minister only attended Cobra meetings on the virus after more than 40 people had been infected in the UK, according to The Sunday Times.

An acronym for Cabinet Office briefing room A, Cobra meetings are used to discuss crises including terror attacks.

Shadow health secretary Jonathan Ashworth said Mr Goves warning that one or two aspects of The Sunday Times story were off beam was possibly the weakest rebuttal of a detailed expose in British political history.

He told Skys Sophy Ridge on Sunday: None of us expect the impossible, we understand that mistakes will be made in a crisis of this nature, but there are serious questions as to why the prime minister skipped five Cobra meetings throughout February, when the whole world could see how serious this was becoming.

And we know that serious mistakes have been made, we know that our frontline NHS staff dont have the PPE, that theyve been told this weekend that they wont necessarily have the gowns which are vital to keep them safe. We know that our testing capacity is not at the level that is needed and now we hear the prime minister missed five meetings at the start of this outbreak. It suggests that early on he was missing in action.
Datasolutions, the Dublin-based specialist IT distributor, has announced record revenue of 74m in the year to March 2020, a 57pc increase.

The company, which includes Check Point, Citrix, HPE Aruba and Nutanix in its vendor portfolio, has targeted revenue of 100m by March 2022. Datasolutions plans to achieve its target through enhanced partner initiatives and services such as its dedicated cloud security sales workshops, which are due to be launched in the coming months.

Michael O'Hara, managing director of Datasolutions, said the business had experienced steady growth since entering the UK market in 2016. The operations in the UK now account for just over 50pc of its overall business, with the company looking to access new markets for further growth.

"Datasolutions is considering other markets, ideally in the EU," he said.

"Looking back now, I think it is a pity we didn't enter the UK market sooner, and I would encourage any Irish company contemplating this decision to go for it.

"The market opportunity is huge [in the UK], so there is success to be had, as long as the focus remains on the service you give."

Datasolutions employs 31 staff across its offices in Dublin and Camberley, Surrey, in the UK.
By PTI

INDORE: Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan on Sunday mourned the death of a 41- year-old police officer from the coronavirus infection and announced a compensation of Rs 50 lakh to his kin and the post of sub-inspector for his wife.

Chouhan tweeted that the inspector sacrificed his life in the battle against the outbreak.

"He was undergoing treatment at the Aurobindo Hospital in Indore and recently (after the treatment of COVID-19) he tested negative and this was good news for us. But at 2 am late last night, the sad news of his death was received suddenly," Chouhan said in a tweet.

Announcing a compensation of Rs 50 lakh, Chouhan also tweeted that "the inspector's wife is being appointed as a sub-inspector in the department".

CLICK HERE TO FOLLOW CORONAVIRUS LIVE UPDATES

Superintendent of Police Maheshchandra Jain told PTI the deceased officer was on duty in Juni Indore police station before he got infected with the virus.

"Despite all the efforts of doctors, the life of the police inspector could not be saved.

He is survived by his wife and two daughters," Jain added.

Chief Medical and Health Officer (CMHO) Praveen Jadia said the officer tested postive and was admitted in hospital about 20 days back, and then post-treatment, tested negative two times and was discharged as per protocol.

"The doctors at the private hospital suspect the cause of death may have been pulmonary embolism (a problem associated with arterial blood clotting).

But there is also a possibility that pulmonary embolism might have been caused due to coronavirus infection," Jadia added.

A 70-year-old woman also died of COVID-19, taking the number of deaths in Indore from the infection to 49.

Jadia said, as per revised data, the number of COVID- 19 patients now stands at 890 here.

"We have also received information about the death of a former city corporator. We are confirming if the death was due to coronavirus infection," he added.
New Delhi, April 19 : As the hospitality sector reels through the coronavirus crisis, Hotel Association of India's (HAI) Vice President K.B. Kachru has said that if immediate measures are not taken to support the sector, around 3.5-4 crore employees in India's hospitality sector may lose their jobs.

Speaking to IANS, Kachru said that as the industry is not earning at all right now, a deferment of statutory liabilities including EMIs for around 12 months is the need of the hour.

He also said that the sector may witness a revenue fall of around Rs 5 lakh crore in the financial year 2020-21.

"It couldn't be worse, this particular vertical which creates almost 9 per cent employment of the country and accounts for over 9 per cent of the GDP. We are basically at zero at the moment. So we have been badly affected," he said.

"Nobody imagined this, it's an unprecedented thing. In India there are almost three and a half to four crore jobs at stake. We are expecting close to Rs 5 lakh crore in revenue loss in this fiscal." Talking to IANS, the industry veteran said that it is not a matter of revival as of now, the sector is finding ways to survive amid the coronavirus crisis.

"We have been saying there is one issue with all of us, and we want to survive, before we can think of reviving ourselves," Kachru said.

He stressed that the industry is not seeking a waiver of any liabilities or dues, it just wants them to be deferred till the time the cash flow in the industry improves.

In a letter to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the industry body has outlined the impact of the coronavirus crisis and the possible aftermath and has sought relief for the sector, including the deferment of all statutory liabilities including EMIs to a minimum of 12 months at center, state and municipal levels.

It has also urged the government to subsidise employment for three months by government contribution per employee of 50 per cent of the salary.

HAI has also suggested that lease, license, rentals and excise fees as well as property taxes to be suspended effective March 11 till the end of COVID-19 period and has sought permission to enable the sector players to use the GST collected as working capital for six months.

Further, as the operations are curtailed, it has asked for the utility costs including electricity bill to be charged on actual basis rather than the load.

On the support offered by hotels in terms of quarantine facilities for the frontline healthcare workers and other initiatives, Kachru who is also the Chairman Emeritus and Principal Advisor of South Asia, Radisson Hotel Group, also said the sector is providing such support for the national cause and will continue to do so in times of need.

Talking of the gravity of the financial situation in the sector, the sector said: "We were the first to be affected and probably we will be the last to come out of this." (Rituraj Baruah can be contacted at rituraj.b@ians.in)
One of the other men who were wounded in the shooting was taken to a hospital in critical condition, Washington said. The other mans wounds were less serious, she said.
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Desperate surfers have risked their lives trying to jump off rocks at a heavy break just south of Bondi after police shut down the surrounding beaches to slow the spread of coronavirus.

Two wetsuit-clad surfers were filmed running across a rocky shoreline at Mackenzies Beach in a bid to enter the ocean without the risk of being caught by lifeguards at nearby Bondi in Sydney's eastern suburbs.

One could be seen dangerously jumping into the surf - just seconds before a huge wave crashed down on top of him and knocked over his companion onto the jagged outcrop.

Their brazen attempt came as huge crowds of defiant surfers made the most of the 21C weather on Sunday at Bondi Beach despite it being closed for almost a month.

Randwick Council has announced though it will lift restrictions on beaches at Coogee, Maroubra and Clovelly - which have been in place since March 28 - from Monday.

The beaches will be open for fitness activities like walking, running on the sand, swimming and surfing - but gathering or simply sitting on the sand and basking in the sun will not be permitted.

Risk-taking surfers near Bondi Beach have risked their lives by entering the surf via a rocky outcrop, as beach closures prevent them from getting into the ocean through the sand

Hundreds of surfers were seen surfing at closed beaches on Sydney's eastern suburbs on Sunday

One surfer at the Bronte-Coogee Aquatic Reserve jumped over a set of railings into the ocean directly in front of a large sign which read 'beach closed'.

Off the coast of Bondi Beach and in the waters of neighbouring Mackenzies Bay, hundreds of surfers could be seen from the shoreline patiently waiting to catch a wave.

Hundreds more were spotted on their boards in the water directly in front of Bondi Beach, enjoying the four-foot swell and south-westerly winds.

One young surfer who entered the surf via the rocks at Mackenzies Point on Friday evening said police told him that was the only legal way to get into the water.

The young man told OnScene Bondi as long as he stayed away from the beach, the policeman who stopped him said he was not breaking the rules.

Other surfers told the media page it didn't make sense police were telling them to risk injury by going into the water via the rocks rather than from the shore.

They said they should not be barred from doing their hobby and restrictions should be relaxed to allow them to enjoy their passion - while also maintaining social distancing at the same time.

One surfer at the Bronte-Coogee Aquatic Reserve defiantly jumped over a set of railings into the ocean despite the beach being closed to the public under coronavirus restrictions

Pictured: A surfer catches a wave as other wait in the sea behind him. One person trying to enter the water to surf has said police told him he could do so as long as he stayed away from the beach

The wetsuit-clad surfer clambered over the railing next to multiple signs at the Bronte-Coogee Aquatic Reserve which read 'beach closed' on Sunday

A man wearing a rash vest and a pair of short climbs over a railing with a surfboard in tow on an eastern suburbs beach on Sunday

Surfers at Mackenzies Bay near Bondi Beach have been forced to enter the water via the rocks - potentially risking injury by doing so

Surfers have called for the beaches in the area to be reopened as it would be less dangerous for them to get into the sea through the sand

A man in a wetsuit looks on as he stands beside a railing on Sunday by an eastern suburbs beach holding a boogie board and a pair of flippers

A group of three - two holding boogie boards - stand in water just off the rocks as they try to make the most of the Autumn weather despite beach closures across the eastern suburbs

Pictured: Police officers speak to a woman on an eastern suburbs beach on Sunday as hundreds of surfers took to the ocean

Another resident told ABC News re-opening Bondi Beach would actually ease social distancing concerns.

'This boardwalk is pretty busy so it would create more space for people to do sports,' they said.

All three of the beaches within Waverley Council's jurisdiction - Bondi, Tamarama and Bronte - are still closed despite calls for restrictions to be lifted to allow residents to exercise.

Bondi was closed on March 21 after hundreds of people gathered on the Sydney beach despite being told to social distancing to steam the spread of COVID-19.

A beach closure sign barring surfers from entering the water in Sydney's eastern suburbs appeared to do little to deter surfers

In response to calls from residents, Waverley Council has said it is considering re-opening the beach - but for exercise only.

'Council continues to closely review the situation at our beaches alongside restrictions in place,' a spokesperson for the council said.

'We are however considering the aspirations of residents for access to the water for exercise.

Those who disregard social distancing rules in New South Wales face fines of $1,000 or six months in prison.

A surf board in seen left on a table despite a sign from Waverley Council warning beachgoers they face hefty fines for using the facilities

Surfers pictured on Sunday near Bondi Beach. Bondi, Tamarama and Bronte are still closed despite calls for restrictions to be lifted to allow residents to exercise

Surfers on Sunday entering the water. Bondi Beach was closed on March 21 after hundreds of people gathered on the Sydney beach in spite of social distancing guidelines

Surfers on Sydney's eastern suburbs spotted surfing at closed beaches in spite of the government-imposed coronavirus restrictions

A surfer stands on the shore at an eastern suburbs beach. With beaches closed to the public in the area, many surfers have chosen to catch waves on the city's northern beaches

Pictured: A surfer holding a board next to a fence on Sydney's eastern suburbs on Sunday, as the thermostat in the popular surfing area hit 21C

While beaches are closed all the way from the eastern suburbs to the Sutherland Shire, wave hunters have taken advantage of beaches remaining open on Sydney's northern beaches to fulfill their surfing fix.

Hundreds of surfers on Easter Monday took to Curl Curl and Freshwater beaches, with one local complaining it was harder to maintain the government's 1.5m social distancing rules because of the number of people in the ocean and on the sand.

'I reckon because Bondi's shut, all the beaches out there, I reckon everyone is coming in here for the holiday - it's just not on,' the resident told The Sydney Morning Herald.

Locals are allowed to exercise on the sand and in the ocean at Northern Beaches Council beaches, but risk fines if they sunbake or gather together.

A surfer speaks with a lifeguard on Sunday near Bondi Beach. Waverley Council has said it is considering re-opening beaches within its jurisdiction - but for exercise only

Mayor of Waverley Paula Masselos told Daily Mail Australia it was 'disappointing' to see people over the Easter period disregard measures put in place by the council in the interest of public safety.

'The closures extend to everyone: swimmers, surfers and people exercising on the sand,' Ms Masselos said.

'Those who are caught jumping fences and accessing closed areas can be fined under the Local Government Act.
Sarah Kiehl held her cellphone facing a coronavirus patient in Truman Medical Center's intensive care unit so the man's family members could pray over him in Spanish as he lay unconscious and intubated, clinging to life.

"It was beautiful and tragic all at the same time," Kiehl said as the family saw their brother, father and grandfather alive, one last time.

Kiehl stood alongside several of her coworkers at the Kansas City, Missouri hospital helping with the same experience so multiple households could deliver their final goodbyes just before the man died.

"It was very hard to know that we were having to be at a distance and the fact that this was the first time that we were having to do this, but it was absolutely not the last time."

The patient who died was living in the US without legal permission, according to his family Kiehl said, and he spent a week battling his symptoms in Truman Medical's ICU with his condition rapidly deteriorating. No other details about the patient were provided due to medical privacy HIPAA laws.

The hospital didn't have his medical history so providing a proper treatment plan was especially difficult, requiring those treating him to guess what -- in addition to his viral Covid-19 symptoms -- could be making him so sick.

"This person has a medical history; it's just not written. It's just not documented," the 28-year-old Kiehl recalled her coworker saying during the man's treatment.

Dealing with patients who present multiple chronic diseases isn't new for hospitals like Truman Medical, which services majority lower income and minority communities. But the sheer volume of people has made caring for these particularly vulnerable patients more difficult.

Health care workers in Chicago, Kansas City, Missouri, and Flint, Michigan, spoke to CNN about how the everyday challenges they face, including language barriers, staffing turnover, and a patient population rife with chronic illness -- some known, some unknown -- have been exacerbated by an unforgiving virus.

Language barriers

Kiehl said she explained to the patient's sister over video that these were his last moments. It was one of her hardest days since the pandemic started. The sister dutifully translated back to the rest of her family at their home, and she heard them praying in Spanish.

Visitors aren't allowed in the hospitals to limit infection spreading, Kiehl added, so what would have been his last moments surrounded by loved ones was instead the man left to die alone, similar to other Covid-19 patients she'd seen since.

"It hit me that there are so many humans in hospital beds all across the nation surrounded by people that don't speak their language," she said.

When the patient was conscious early on, his caregivers communicated through four interpreters on staff or blue translator phones with two receivers and a translation service relaying messages between the two in order to limit exposure.

But Kiehl couldn't help but think that despite these efforts, the language barrier and the necessary distance being used to keep staff safe was causing some thoughts to be lost.

"It's truly and deeply heartbreaking knowing that there are most likely things being missed in their experience or in their requests that they might not be verbalizing out of fear of not being understood," she added, describing a sense of helplessness that at times permeates over the staff.

Constant stream of ambulances

Just before the end of Ian Gatton's 12-hour shift at St. Bernard Hospital three weeks ago, the emergency room in the hospital on Chicago's South Side was completely full.

About 25 people occupied every bed with the patients spilling out and lining the hallways.

The waiting room was also jam-packed with people hoping to see a doctor. But it didn't end there. Within 45 minutes, a constant stream of 10 ambulances brought more.

"It's kind of like a roller-coaster," Gatton told CNN. "It doesn't matter how busy you are. You still have to take the people that the Chicago Fire Department is bringing you."

He added, "Everybody stayed late" because of their commitment to their work.

The registered nurse continued with his shift helping to triage the incoming patients -- a majority with preexisting conditions like diabetes, hypertension or asthma, he said, while presenting flu-like symptoms.

Nearly 14 hours into his shift, Gatton finally felt he could leave.

The only hospital in Englewood, St. Bernard serves a neighborhood with a nearly all black population of about 25,000 people and nearly 60% of households making less than $25,000, according to federal statistics.

St. Bernard says it struggles to retain staff who often move on to hospitals with deeper pockets, including some that pay almost triple.

When nurses fall ill or present Covid-19 symptoms, the hospital's options are limited. As a standalone hospital, it's not able to transfer patients to less slammed facilities, Gatton said, adding that the city is not allowing hospitals to use ambulance bypass that would divert sick patients to other hospitals when its ER is at capacity.

"We are not able to pay those high dollars for salaries," Yolanda Penny, director of nursing told CNN in an interview. Penny added that those workers who leave can make more at bigger hospitals or almost triple their earnings at nursing agencies.

"Trying to keep our staff engaged, committed to our mission for our hospital is a huge challenge for us."

Starting from a deficit

In Flint, Michigan, Amy White, a registered nurse at McLaren Hospital said she was used to seeing a near equal split between white and black patients admitted to her ICU.

Since the pandemic, that has changed.

Now a majority of the patients are black. One reason, she believes, is because many of those patients didn't have the luxury to stay at home and stay safe.

"They're our store clerks, they're our restaurant workers. Most of them are not sitting safe in an office, they're in the community," she said though she noted it's hard to know whether income level or the prevalence of preexisting conditions is tilting the ICU population toward more black patients.

What's clear is patients at McLaren stay sicker for longer at the hospital, AFSME Local 875 and registered nurse President Kelly Indish says.

"Their chance of coming off (the ventilator) is a lot less than someone who doesn't have all these comorbidities," Indish said. "They definitely are sicker coming in than some hospitals that don't see that type of population."

Truman Medical, too, is a hospital who sees and services that population and bills itself as Kansas City's essential hospital, functioning as the state's safety net. The two-hospital system operates a large urban medical center with 250 beds in addition to another campus with 100 beds.

A substantial source of their income comes from federal programs; A total of 25% of its patients have no payer source, 40% use Medicaid and the rest are split between commercial insurance and Medicare. Last year, the hospital says it completed nearly $150 million in uncompensated care.

The hospital says before the pandemic, it already operated on lean margins. Now its revenue sources have vanished, because of the cancellation of elective surgeries and outpatient visits.

Charlie Shields, Truman Medical's President and CEO said his system sees evidence that Covid-19 has disproportionally impacted black people, as they test at a rate of 9% positive vs. 2% for the white population -- that's out of about 1,600 people the hospital has tested so far.

Shields cited the inability for patients to get themselves to the hospital to get tested and lack of working lines of communication -- like a reliable phone -- to reach patients as some of the ongoing issues the hospital faces, now made worse by the pandemic.

The hospital also works with homeless patients who need a safe place to isolate as they await the results of their Covid-19 tests or recover following a positive test. It's one of the many ways the virus is exposing the nation's more deep-seated social and health issues."

Our patients in general, start from a deficit. They haven't received health care consistently. They've maybe had bad experiences with health care, so they don't trust the system," Kiehl said. "Covid-19 simply highlights the gravity of that problem."

In Chicago, 72% of the people who have died from Covid-19 are black, though they make up 30% of the population, officials said.

The Englewood neighborhood where St. Bernard services is plagued by systematic inequalities -- like few places to buy fresh food -- which help deepen the health disparities among minorities in the city because it increases obesity and diabetes; two preexisting conditions that the CDC warns increases the likelihood of serious Covid-19 illness.

Dr. Rochelle Bello, St. Bernard's head of infectious diseases, said the hospital often is competing with more affluent hospitals like Rush University Medical Center for supplies like PPE.

"We are serving a patient population that is vulnerable, so we probably need to procure that equipment sooner than Rush because our clients have more comorbidities," or preexisting conditions, she said.

A puzzle with missing pieces and a race against time

For the man in Truman Medical without a history, the nurses in the end never could confirm if he had any preexisting conditions like diabetes, heart disease or cancer. But Kiehl guessed something other than Covid-19 contributed to his death.

She said it's not uncommon to see people with chronic conditions left untreated due to various barriers to receiving health care. That makes creating treatment plans harder to do.

"You're putting together a puzzle with missing pieces. Probably really relevant missing pieces," Kiehl said.

Because of the intensity of Covid-19, those pieces need to come together quickly in order to give the patient the best chance, she added.

"We had another [Covid patient] that actually had no idea they had cancer because they hadn't accessed health care. It precluded their immune system from being capable to fight the virus," Kiehl said.

And according to Kiehl, that patient eventually succumbed to complications from their illness and the virus.
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Linkedin Josa Lukman (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta  Sun, April 19, 2020 13:28 633 fc6853813033f564188675f8bd2d3685 1 Books #literature,#book,#author,#Jakarta,#history,#TanahAbang,#family,#Dutch,#colonial Free

Long before Tanah Abang in Central Jakarta was known for textiles and traffic jams, the district began life as a camp for the troops of Sultan Agung of the Mataram Kingdom  in 1628.

The first settlement in Tanah Abang dates to around 1650 and the market itself opened in 1735.

In 1863, a Dutch businessman named Jannus Theodorus Bik purchased a piece of land in Tanah Abang, which included a country house and most of the land of, and properties in, Pasar Tanah Abang.

Now, more than 150 years later, a descendant of the Bik family has successfully chronicled the history of his family, along with the records of Tanah Abang, over the last two centuries.

Titled 250 Years in Old Jakarta, the book is the brainchild of Sven Verbeek Wolthuys, who has been researching the history of Jakarta for more than 30 years. Though he was born in the Netherlands, he moved to Sydney, Australia, with his family in 2007.

During a visit to The Jakarta Posts office, Wolthuys said he wrote the book as a result of the encouragement of people around him.

The journey started 30 years ago, when his grandmother told him stories about her childhood in Tanah Abang.

After she passed away, I tried to find all the missing links, like where they lived in Tanah Abang, what the house looked like and its eventual fate. I started to research and discovered that my family used to live in Tanah Abang, he said.

He was also interested in the history of the Arab and Chinese traders who settled there.

About eight years ago, Wolthuys was asked to speak about the history of Jakarta on tours of Tanah Abang. Around that time, he also created the Lost Jakarta page on Facebook, where he published historical photos and stories. The page now has more than 29,000 likes.

When he joined a tour of Tanah Abang as a speaker in 2015, he said many tourgoers asked him when he would write a book. He replied that he had never thought of it.

The book, which is available exclusively on lostjakarta.com, explores both the history of the city and this history of Wolthuys family. Family photos can be seen alongside historical maps. One chapter chronicles the rapid change of Tanah Abang after Indonesian independence.

Generations: A photograph of the author's grandmother and great-great-grandparents in front of the Tanah Abang Bukit house in 1908. (Courtesy of Lost Jakarta Publishers/-)

The Bik family first came to the city, which was then known as Batavia, in 1816. A 59-year-old grain merchant named Jan Bik left Amsterdam with his wife and nine children to find a better life after being appointed a civil servant in the East Indies.

Jans eldest son Adrianus Johannes Bik was the first to make the trip. He began working as a draughtsman for Caspar Georg Carl Reinwardt, the founder of the Bogor Botanical Gardens in West Java. Reinwardt also invited Jannus Theodorus, Adrianus brother, to work for him during his expeditions in 1819.

Jannus Theodorus, known as Dorus, was also active as a teacher. In 1819, a young boy named Saleh Sjarif Boestaman became one of his students. He was later known as Raden Saleh, one of Indonesias most prolific painters.

Dorus was one of the most influential members of the Bik family, not only for his estates but also for his connections to the Van Riemsdijk family, where the Tanah Abang estate likely came from.

After his passing in 1875, Dorus 9-year-old son Willem Frederik Butyn inherited his fathers wealth of 19 million Gulden, which Wolthuys claims is worth some US$250 million at todays prices. However, Willem Frederik died five years later, and the fortune was divided between 32 of Dorus nephews and nieces.

Balancing family and historical tidbits was the biggest struggle in writing the book for Wolthuys, who said that, at one point, he wondered whether he was writing a book about the history of Tanah Abang or about his own family.

After finishing a chapter on Tanah Abang, he read it again and found it boring, in his own words, as it only discussed buildings and streets.

There was no personal aspect in there, someone suggested that I start with  and thats what I did  introducing how my family arrived in Indonesia, how Tanah Abang developed until my family settled there, he says.

And then theres a period of nearly a century where my family was an integral part of Tanah Abang, and after my family left, Tanah Abang developed further.

Then and now: The Tanah Abang Bukit house as seen in 1930, and the books author sitting in the same spot in 2020. (Courtesy of Lost Jakarta Publishers/-)

Wolthuys first visited Jakarta in 1995, and he thought Tanah Abang had changed a lot compared to his grandmothers recollections.

The change from 1995 to the present day, he says, was probably more drastic than the changes from 1945 to 1995.

In 1995, I could walk from Taman Prasasti or Jalan Abdul Muis to the pasar [market] and there were probably 40-50 houses and buildings left from World War II or 19th-century buildings, but that all has mostly disappeared.

The biggest transition, apart from the pasar of course, has been that Tanah Abang was a residential district. People used to live there with gardens and driveways, and that has changed. It is now very much commercial, he said.

In doing his research, Wolthuys compared aerial photographs of Tanah Abang in 1945 with Google Earth images from 2018, where he found that about 98 percent of the buildings from 1945 had disappeared.

What I do hope, of course, is that the remaining two percent at least remains  something to tell the people of Jakarta about the history of Tanah Abang.

Regal: Paleis te Rijswijk, now known as the State Palace, in 1947 (Courtesy of Lost Jakarta Publishers/-)

Wolthuys is already researching his next book. He said he was fascinated by the district of Menteng for its historical buildings and heritage.

However, he said the book on Menteng could be the last, as the research could take three to five years on its own. Plus, finishing the first book was quite exhausting for him, so the one on Menteng might be where he draws the line.

I had hopes  but its probably too late already  but in 2027 Jakarta will commemorate 500 years, and I thought it would be great if by that time theres a whole series of books on Jakarta over the past 500 years, he said. [The year] 2027 might sound far away, but I can only maybe write two books in that time. (ste)
When Timothy McVeigh was executed in 2001, candles were lit at the Oklahoma City National Memorial, built on the site of the bombing: Getty

The threat from right wing extremism is as high now as it was at the time of the Oklahoma City bombing, experts say, and further violent attacks are likely  especially if Donald Trump fails to win reelection.

A generation after 168 people were killed and more than 680 injured in a bomb attack on the Alfred P Murrah federal building  an incident that remains the USs deadliest domestic terror attack  the nation is once again experiencing a wave of right wing extremism.

As Oklahoma City prepares to mark the 25th anniversary, with a Covid-19 enforced streamed memorial service replacing the usual public gathering and reading of the names of victims, experts have issued a stark warning that far right extremists such as perpetrators Timothy McVeigh and Terry Nichols, remain active and energised.

Last year alone, right-wing extremists were responsible the vast majority of extremist attacks, with a much smaller number being carried out by homegrown Islamist terrorists and left wing extremists. Those incidents included the mass shooting in El Paso.

Despite attempts by Donald Trump to play down the threat of the far right, FBI director Christopher Wray, told Congress in November: I will say that a majority of the domestic terrorism cases that weve investigated are motivated by some version of what you might call white supremacist violence.

1995 came in the middle of a surge of right wing extremism. And in 2020, we are in another surge of right wing extremism, Mark Pitcavage, an expert on the US far right and a consultant to the Anti-Defamation League (ADL), a group that monitors hate crimes, told The Independent.

Mr Pitcavage said the extremists fell into two main groups  white supremacists and anti-government. After the 2008 election of Barack Obama, the nations first African American president, experts noticed an increase in white supremacist activity.

The campaign and electoral victory of Mr Trump, who pitched himself as an anti-establishment immigration hardliner, gave a fresh boost to white supremacists. Anti-government groups, such as the militia movement, also supported Trump, and many threatened violence if he had lost to Hillary Clinton.

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For the first three years those groups were largely quiet, but in the past year have become more active, partly as a result of so-called red flag laws that seek to control gun violence, and more recently in angry displays against anti-coronavirus orders put in place by state.

Asked if Joe Biden or another Democrat were elected president in November, whether there would be another surge in anti-government extremist and attendant violence, Mr Pitcavage said: Its certainly fairly likely.

JJ MacNab, a fellow at George Washington University and another expert on extremists, has been monitoring anti-government this week protests in Michigan, Ohio and elsewhere. She said there had been a blurring between mainstream protesters and extremists, so that the thousands of protesters who gathered on the steps of the legislative buildings in the city of Lansing, included armed militia members and people waving Make America Great Again banners.

She said the threat from right wing extremists was very much alive, and pointed to a failed terror plot in Kansas City, made public by the unsealing of court documents, that showed that 36-year Timothy Wilson, a father of four who had served in the military, was seeing to attack a hospital.

Wilson had been planning some sort of attack for at least six months, according to an FBI undercover agent, and was apparently angered enough by the coronavirus lockdown, to attack the Belton Regional Medical Centre.

According to the FBIs affidavit, Wilson, who was shot and killed in a shoot-out last month with FBI agents, wanted to create enough chaos to kick start a revolution.

Asked to compare the threat posed by right wing extremists today to 25 years ago, she said: I think social media made it bigger in terms of numbers, but social media also allows for a sense of community.

Because these guys can kind of blow off steam to each other rather than going off on their own to do something big. Its a mixed bag.

She added: The threat is alive and real, and thank god for the FBI and for informants.

At the weekends memorial, survivors and city officials will seek to look forward, rather than backwards.

Bob Ross, the chairman of the Oklahoma City National Memorial and Museum Foundation, told ABC News: Watching the show, which will reflect back on the bombing, while also very much looking forward in terms of what we can do as a community to make sure this never happens again.

Others have echoed the need to do that. They accuse the authorities not only of failing to properly investigate those beyond the three men convicted who may have played a role, but of the nature of the threat, then and today.

Writer and journalist Andrew Gumbel is a former US correspondent for the The Independent. He is also author of Oklahoma City: What the Investigation Missed  and Why It Still Matters, which details a disturbing picture of government dysfunction and agency rivalry, something that would also be exposed by the attacks of 9/11.

The most important lessons of the bombing were never learned because the US government was interested only in convicting McVeigh and Nichols, not in an honest reckoning of its own missteps and missed opportunities, he said this week. Federal law enforcement at the time managed both to underestimate the threat from the radical far right and to be paralysed by fear in the wake of Ruby Ridge or Waco  confrontations with anti-government radicals that spiralled out of control."

He added: Today, the threat is being underestimated just as woefully but for different reasons. Most strikingly, the ideology that once put Tim McVeigh on the violent fringe of American political thinking is now much closer to the Republican Party mainstream. We have to hope it doesnt take another large-scale disaster for the country to understand the danger of amplifying and encouraging white supremacy in the name of political expediency.

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Survivor says coronavirus triggers turmoil she's not felt for 25 years
Chandigarh, April 19 : A 10-day capacity building program on COVID-19 to SAARC health professionals will be broadcasted online from the Post Graduate Institute of Medical Education and Research (PGIMER) Chandigarh, it was announced on Sunday.

The program will be organised by the Department of Community Medicine and School of Public Health, the PGI said.

It has been selected by the Ministry of External Affairs for conducting this capacity building program.

The program will disseminate the best and replicable practices along with experiences of India to contain COVID-19 pandemic.

Healthcare professionals from Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, Maldives, Mauritius, Nepal, Seychelles and Sri Lanka will participate in it.

PGI Director Jagat Ram underscored the importance of this flagship program in this challenging situation where all countries across the globe are struggling to find the solutions to address COVID-19 pandemic.

He said the program initiated by Sonu Goel, Professor, Department of Community Medicine and School of Public Health, would help SAARC countries to effectively plan and manage the corona situation.
The Chief Medical Officer claims firms chartering planes to fly workers into Ireland goes against public health advice.

Keelings Fruit in Dublin has been criticised after it flew nearly 200 workers from Bulgaria to pick strawberries.

Dr Tony Holohan, who did not know about the flight until after it happened, says strict rules on who can travel here are in place.

"We don't want to see any other form of travel coming through the ports or the airports other than those sorts of categories and that has been our clear recommendation.

"Anybody who is coming through the airport that is in the categories that we identified, we see the public health advice that we have given as applying to those individuals."

The Taoiseach has now ordered a review into how the current travel restrictions are being followed at ports and airports.

Health Minister Simon Harris says he feels uneasy about the incident.

"I know that the company said that they were quarantining and follow public health advice for 14 days but I don't feel comfortable with it.

"I know the Taoiseach and I are both looking into this for more information.

"It just doesn't seem right to me or to him."

Fianna Fail is calling for the government to stop giving work permits to some international citizens during the pandemic.

Business spokesman, Robert Troy, says the Business Minister must take radical action.

"Work permits were issued at a time when we were practically at full employment and when critical sections of the economy couldn't get employees to work in these sectors," he said.

"We unfortunately don't have full employment now and I would ask that Minister Humphreys review the work permit scheme within her department."

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Book publishing has long been a collaborative business, and that aspect of the industry will be more important than ever as we fight our way through the disruptions caused by the new coronavirus. People in all segments of publishing recognize that they need each other to successfullyand hopefully profitablyacquire, publish, market, and sell books. It is gratifying to see some of the strongest players in the industry lending a hand to colleagues in other areas.

The most notable outreach has been to independent bookstores, an indispensable part of the publishing ecosystem, which operate on very thin margins. James Patterson is spearheading one of the most ambitious efforts to support indies with a group that includes Reese Witherspoon and Reeses Book Club, the Book Industry Charitable Foundation, and the American Booksellers Association. Their aim is to raise millions of dollars to help prevent independent bookstores from closing.

Patterson began the #SaveIndieBookstores initiative by donating $500,000. Binc will distribute the funds raised by May 15. In addition to the SIB campaign, Binc has reported that numerous publishers, organizations, and book lovers have made gifts and pledges totaling more than $1.6 million to provide financial assistance to booksellers and comics retailers.

Authors are also receiving help from a number of organizations. PEN America has relaunched its Writers Emergency Fund, a streamlined way of getting cash to writers in acute financial need. So too, Poets & Writers has established the Poets & Writers Covid-19 Relief Fund to provide emergency assistance to writers. The Authors Guild has collected information about the response to Covid-19 by the government, publishers, and the author community on its website and has a page directing writers to sources of economic relief.

With most libraries closed, dozens of publishers and other vendors have stepped up to provide enhancedand in many cases freeaccess to e-books, digital audiobooks, and other materials for their patrons. And librarians have answered the call in their communities, expanding their digital collections; offering virtual storytimes for kids, reference services, and book clubs; and extending Wi-Fi hotspots.

In an April 9 Book Industry Study Group webinar on how the publishing supply chain has been performing, Andrew Savikas, president of GetAbstract and BISG board chair, suggested that the most effective way for the industry to get through the Covid-19 crisis is for all sectors to communicate and work together. Transparency and collaboration: the more we do both, the better chance we have of coming through all of this and becoming a better industry, he argued.

To that end, PW has devoted substantial resources to covering all aspects of the pandemics impact on the publishing community. The objective is to provide industry members with as much information as possible so they can see which sectors are working best and which are struggling. One thing we have learned is that potential hazards are everywhere.

The first few weeks of reporting on the impact of the virus were depressing, amid the constant drumbeat of major fair and book tour cancellations, unprecedented closings of bookstores, layoffs, furloughs, clogged sales channels, sales declines, and bankruptcies. But there have been some bright spots. Even as it has become more difficult to buy books, the demand for books remains strong. It should come as no surprise that parents who are at home with children turn to books to entertain and educate their kids, while turning to books themselves as a distraction from the (temporary) new normal. Books, indeed, are proving themselves to be essential to the public, if not to all government officials.

To keep books front of mind, PW is proud to start the #BooksAreEssential campaign, which kicked off this weekend. This issues cover, by Finnish illustrator Pirita Tolvanen, will be used to drive a series of initiatives to promote books and the importance of books to the culture. We are also working with trade organizations CLMP, IBPA, the Independent Publishers Caucus, and the distributor IPG, plus BookPage, Foreword Reviews, Kirkus, and others to coordinate a social media blitz in support of indie publishers. More news on that in the days ahead.

While there is hope in New York City and elsewhere that the curve is flattening, a full reopening of the economy is probably months away. And more strains on the supply chain are likely as different segments struggle to make ends meet. The only way publishing will make it through to the other side of the pandemic is to remember we are all in this together.
In response to rising concerns about infections and deaths in nursing homes, the state Department of Public Health and the governors office are launching an aggressive outreach campaign.

Were going to be doing on-site visits to every nursing home in the state within seven to 10 days, Max Reiss, spokesman for Gov. Ned Lamont, told Hearst Connecticut Media on Saturday. With the knowledge that there is such a high prevalence of cases in nursing homes, it only makes sense to have high outreach with these homes.

The visits are not spot inspections, Reiss said, but rather an attempt to work with the states more than 200 skilled-care providers.

The state has tried to be as proactive as possible in an ongoing and evolving crisis, to try to be as helpful as we can to as many of these skilled nursing home and long-term care residents and their staffs as possible, Reiss said.

The announcement came amid sharp criticism of the state by Rob Baril, president of SEIU 1199NE, which represents 25,000 health care workers in Connecticut  about one third of the total amount in the state  including nurses and lower-wage assistants and support staff who are significantly exposed to the coronavirus.

Baril said Saturday that the states efforts are insufficient, specifically when it comes to ensuring the workers are protected from the virus with proper gear, as well as making sure they have access to free testing and treatment if they become infected.

Its an industry that has been underfunded for over a decade and the chickens have come home to roost, Baril said. Its a mess.

He called the conditions in nursing homes insane.

The workers are doing, frankly, heroic things right now, but they are under conditions of stress that are hard to quantify, Baril said.

She was a good wife

At least two nurses at nursing homes have died this month after contracting COVID-19, Baril told Hearst Connecticut Media on Thursday. The two were licensed practical nurses.

Angeline Bernadel, a 52-year-old Haitian immigrant, married with two children, worked in Milford at the West River Healthcare Center, which has had two resident deaths associated with the disease. The other, whose name has not been made public, worked at homes in Bloomfield, where six residents have died, and Hartford, at a home that has not had any COVID-19 cases.

Jean Bernadel, Angeline Bernadels husband of 27 years, told Hearst Connecticut Media on Saturday that he didnt know details about the conditions at his wifes workplace, adding that she never complained about it.

She was a good wife. She was a nice person, Bernadel said.

There is no state agency or professional group that tracks the number of deaths and illnesses of nursing home employees, but Baril said at least 700 SEIU 1199 employees who work at nursing homes have contracted COVID-19, some of whom are now in intensive care at hospitals.

That would mean there could be thousands of nursing home workers in the state who have been stricken with the disease.

In addition, at least four other SEIU 1199 employees have died with coronavirus, plus two family members who, the union believes, were infected by health care workers.

State sweeteners

In response to Barils repeated complaints, three top state officials late Friday sent him a six-page letter outlining in detail the ways the state is working with, and helping, nursing homes.

For example, Medicaid reimbursement rates have been raised by 10 percent for all non-COVID-19 residents; homes will receive $400 a day for all COVID-positive residents; and the so-called COVID recovery homes will receive $600 a day per resident, more than double the standard rates, according to the letter.

Baril said he primarily blames President Donald Trump and the federal government for not making money available to nursing homes, but that the state has not done enough either.

The union has 6,000 employees at 69 Connecticut nursing homes, 60 of which had confirmed coronavirus cases as of Thursday, the most recent day that the state released a breakdown.

Baril said the states measures are a step in the right direction, but they are still not enough.

(Union members) want to do the work of taking care of the elderly even with the associated risks, Baril said. They just want to be able to protect themselves and protect their families should they get sick.

I dont think thats too much to ask, he added.

The letter to Baril states that Connecticut Insurance Commissioner Andrew Mais recently announced that all fully-insured health plan members can get COVID-19 testing and treatment at no out-of-pocket cost.

Exactly zero of the 69 nursing homes in my unionhave fully-funded plans, Baril said.

Use data to win the battle

The Connecticut Association of Health Care Facilities, the states largest nursing home association, and LeadingAge Connecticut, the association of nonprofit nursing homes and other providers of aging services, issued a statement Saturday, requesting nursing home data related to the virus be used as a driving factor to further help nursing homes and workers.

The statement indicated that limited supplies and testing limitations were some catalysts in the spread of the virus among the nursing home workforce and its residents.

The data continues to show that COVID-19 is making its way indiscriminately into nursing homes in Connecticut and across the nation, Matthew Barrett, president and CEO of CAHCF, said in a statement released Saturday. 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. We must focus on these heroic efforts and use the data to win the battle.

Mag Morelli, president of LeadingAge Connecticut, stressed the importance of ensuring those nursing home workers have proper protection to prevent contracting the coronavirus.

Nursing homes are serving a vital role in the health care response to this virus and nursing home staff is on the front line, a statement from Morelli said. They must be prioritized for PPE and testing supplies  particularly as nursing homes statewide have assumed increased responsibilities as partners to hospitals in caring for COVID-19 patients. The data should inform these supply decisions.

In the letter to Baril, the state officials  the commissioners of the departments of Public Health and Social Services and the secretary of the Office of Policy and Management  agreed theres a shortage of protective equipment worldwide.

The governors office has said that in addition to the state providing masks and respirators to critical employees, employers, broadly speaking, should obtain protective equipment on their own.

The stepped-up outreach is in addition to daily calls between the nursing homes and state officials. When it comes to equipment needs, Reiss said, nursing homes have not hesitated to let us know.  Were making every effort to supply nursing homes.

dhaar@hearstmediact.com
Alejandrina Giselle Guzman Salazar, daughter of drug lord Joaquin "El Chapo" Guzman, and other Mexican cartels, gave aid packages to people struggling financially due to COVID-19 according to a recently published article.

Typically, Mexican cartels are always on the headlines because of the related crimes like murder, homicide, and drug trafficking. They are also associated with the surge of violence in Mexico amid the infectious and deadly virus.

EL CHAPO'S DAUGHTER HELPING THE POOR

This time, El Chapo's daughter and several Mexican cartels are making humanitarian efforts by helping people who are struggling financially because of the global health pandemic.

Joaquin "El Chapo" Guzman is now in a U.S. maximum-security prison and serving his sentence after he was convicted of drug trafficking charges. At the same time, his daughter, Alejandrina, was seen putting toilet paper and food into a cardboard box that has the images of "El Chapo."

Video of the humanitarian work of El Chapo's daughter was posted on Facebook. The video narrator called it as "Chapo's Provisions." It can be seen on the posted video that inside the boxes were oil, sugar, rice, and other items.

The cardboard boxes that contain aid packages were distributed in Mexico's largest city in western Jalisco state, Guadalajara. It was found out that the aid packages given by Alejandrina were linked to her company that markets clothing and alcohols under the "El Chapo 701" brand, and it bears her father's image.

Moreover, the "El Chapo 701" warehouse was stacked with boxes that are scheduled for distribution, and workers wore medical-style facemasks with the image of Joaquin Guzman. Alejandrina was also seen wearing the same face mask.

It can be remembered that El Chapo 701 brand has helped Joaquin Guzman to be included as one of the wealthiest persons in the world. In 2009, he was listed as the 701st richest person with a net worth of $1 billion at that time.

On the official Facebook page of the company that shows Alejandrina wearing a black face mask with El Chapo's image while handing out parcels, the page says, "We are working and contributing. A great pleasure to visit your homes and give you these Chapo handouts."

OTHER MEXICAN CARTELS DOING THEIR HUMANITARIAN ACTS

Other Mexican cartels have been doing humanitarian acts as well in the past few days by giving food boxes. Most of the time, the cartels' gunmen, who are the recipients of the aid, are seen photographed receiving the food boxes.

A video of the Jalisco New Generation Cartel, the country's most influential and powerful organized group at the moment, was uploaded on social media where people received packages stamped with the group's logo with a statement: "From your friends, CJNG, COVID-19 contingency support."

Meanwhile, the Gulf Cartel also distributed their packages in the eastern state of Tamaulipas. The group's boxes contained rice, beans, oil, canned goods, and with a message: "in support of Victoria City." Just like the other Mexican cartels, their food packages were also emblazoned with the name of the group.

Mexico has been struck economically by COVID-19, and many are struggling every day to meet their daily needs. In this time of the global pandemic, Mexican cartels are showing that they also have a compassionate heart to help their fellows.

Read a related cartel: Mexico Is Ranked 38th Most Powerful Army
New Delh: India has stepped up scrutiny of investments from companies based in neighbouring countries, in what is widely seen as a move to stave off takeovers by Chinese firms during the coronavirus outbreak.

Indias trade ministry said in a notification, the changes to federal rules on investment were meant to curb opportunistic takeovers/acquisitions.

Investments from an entity in a country that shares a land border with India will require government approval, it said, meaning they can not go through a so-called automatic route.

These times should not be used by other countries to take over our companies, a senior government official told Reuters.

Similar restrictions are already in place for Bangladesh and Pakistan. But up to now, they have not applied to China and Indias other neighbours including Bhutan, Afghanistan, Myanmar and Nepal.

This will certainly impact sentiment among Chinese investors. However, greenfield investments will not be impacted, said Santosh Pai, a partner at Indian law firm Link Legal that advises several Chinese companies.

Australia has also said all foreign investment proposals will be assessed by a review board during the coronavirus crisis to prevent a fire sale of distressed corporate assets. Germany has taken similar measures.

A February report by research group Gateway House said Chinese foreign direct investment into India stood at $6.2 billion.

Chinas Bytedance has plans to invest $1 billion in India, while automakers including Great Wall Motor Co Ltd and MG Motor, a unit of Chinas SAIC, have said they intend to invest millions.

Delano Furtado, a partner with law firm Trilegal, said the notification may also impact Chinese companies with existing investments in the country.
A view of the Hubble Space Telescope through the window of the shuttle Atlantis, which brought astronauts on a repair mission in 2009.

If you're looking to inject a little space science into your pandemic-induced TV binge, Science Channel has a treat for you.

The network has produced a documentary to mark the 30th anniversary of the launch of NASA's famous Hubble Space Telescope , and it premieres tonight (April 19) at 8 p.m. ET/PT.

"Hubble: Thirty Years of Discovery" covers all aspects of the mission's remarkable story, "from its earliest conception in 1923, to its five iconic [servicing] missions spanning from 1993 to 2009," Science Channel representatives wrote in a statement. "It will also spotlight the groundbreaking insights that Hubble has revealed about the planet as well as the broader solar system and beyond."

Related: The most amazing Hubble Space Telescope discoveries

Hubble took flight aboard NASA's space shuttle Discovery on April 24, 1990, and was deployed into Earth orbit a day later. Those early days were trying ones for the mission; the telescope's first images were blurry, an issue that team members traced to a flaw in Hubble's primary mirror.

Spacewalking astronauts fixed that problem in December 1993. And they kept coming back, repairing or upgrading Hubble on four additional space shuttle missions between 1997 and 2009. The spacewalkers installed some of Hubble's most powerful and important instruments, including the Advanced Camera for Surveys (in 2002) and the Wide Field Camera 3 (in 2009).

"Hubble: Thirty Years of Discovery" will give you a taste of what it was like to lay hands on the telescope in orbit. The documentary includes interviews with NASA astronauts Michael Massimino, Kathryn Thornton, Story Musgrave, Steven Smith and John Grunsfeld, all of whom flew on Hubble servicing missions.

And you'll learn about the many scientific breakthroughs that Hubble's work has enabled, and continues to enable. (It's still going strong today.) Perhaps the most famous of these came in the late 1990s, when astronomers studying Hubble observations of supernova explosions figured out that the universe's expansion rate is accelerating. This discovery led to the postulation of a mysterious repulsive force called dark energy , which apparently makes up about 70% of the universe (and earned three scientists the 2011 Nobel Prize in Physics to boot).

There'll also undoubtedly be lots of eye candy, the cosmic glamor shots that have become a Hubble trademark. And this aspect of the mission  its ability to engage people around the world with space science, and to share with them the beauty and wonder of the universe  is a big part of Hubble's legacy as well.

Massimino will probably be joining you, in spirit at least, if you settle in to watch "Hubble: Thirty Years of Discovery" tonight.

"I've seen pieces of it, and I'm really excited to see the whole thing," Massimino, who flew on two of the five Hubble servicing missions, told Space.com. "I think it's done very well, and at a very high level  the level [at which] Hubble's story deserves to be told."

Mike Wall is the author of " Out There " (Grand Central Publishing, 2018; illustrated by Karl Tate ), a book about the search for alien life. Follow him on Twitter @michaeldwall . Follow us on Twitter @Spacedotcom or Facebook .
Windows harbor stories, just like the people who peer out of them. Day and night, they offer a glimpse into a world of wonder. Through them, we can watch the sun setting behind Pikes Peak; observe our neighbor tossing a ball to their dog; and witness flower buds announcing the arrival of spring.
As the coronavirus pandemic moved across the United States, the stock market plunged and many of the countrys businesses closed, a major platform for social media influencers had a rosier message: Good news in consumer shopping trends!

RewardStyle, which connects retail brands with thousands of Instagram personalities and bloggers, told influencers in an email on March 30 that orders through its app, LikeToKnow.It, had surged. It encouraged users, who earn commissions on products they help sell, to keep posting to capture this demand while using a softer approach to drive shopping.

We recommend that for every 5 posts, you make 2 posts relatable about life at home and 3 posts about shopping, the company said in the email, which a recipient shared with The New York Times. This approach creates a softer sell in your feed while continuing to provide guidance to your followers during this time. RewardStyle also provided an image that said Staying In is So In, that could help give context and balance to shopping posts. People stuck at home could be a good thing, a company representative wrote, adding, Nothing like a little retail therapy to help pass the hours.

The messages were jarring to influencers uneasy about promoting new fashions in the midst of a public health crisis that was crushing the economy. But they provided a glimpse into how desperate retailers and marketers are tailoring their sales pitches for newly homebound consumers, who are fluctuating between panic and ennui while scrolling through their Facebook and Instagram feeds. Retail sales plummeted 8.7 percent in March, the largest decline since the data started being tracked three decades ago. With online business now crucial for many brands whose futures are threatened by store closings, the sell itself has become a delicate dance.
Of all the things underpinning our pre-COVID19 lives that we paid little mind to, supply chains would have been at the top of the list.

And for good reason. Parts were seamlessly delivered on a just-in-time basis to our factories. Shops were filled to the rafters with the latest fashions. Shelves were loaded with asparagus and fresh berries, even in the dead of winter.

But as the song goes, you dont know what youve got till its gone, and the past few weeks have shown how little time it takes for, if not it all to be gone, at least for the cupboard to be bare.

Initially, it was our reliance on Chinese goods that proved problematic as that countrys economy shut down. Since then, China has rebounded but at a cost. By leveraging its position as a vital supplier to the Western world, China has systemically strengthened its state power through commercial networks that manufacture and transport essential goods like medicines and personal protective equipment.

Its no surprise that President Xi has taken advantage of this crisis to manoeuvre China toward greater dominance. It is also no surprise just how successful China has been in disrupting supply chains and isolating countries like Canada along the way.

To make matters worse, these moves come while our closest ally, the United States, seems intent on leaving us further isolated.

Two weeks ago, in a move Premier Ford declared totally unacceptable, U.S. officials halted the shipment to Ontario of 500,000 medical masks from manufacturer 3M.

The situation was resolved but the episode underscored the frightening reality that Canada, with zero domestic capacity to produce N95 masks, is wholly dependent on a supply chain built on trust.

So, amidst this never-before-contemplated disruption, maybe its time for a return to made in Canada.

Canadas manufacturing sector has been shrinking for decades as trade deals like NAFTA have taken effect and production has moved overseas. For a long time, this decline has been characterized as the inevitable cost of globalization. But now, when Canada needs quick, reliable access to goods that we find more difficult than ever to acquire, we need to reconsider those assumptions.

We must recognize that, even setting aside COVID-19, the world has changed. Exhibit A? The 3M issue. It is simply inconceivable that Presidents Bush or Obama, or any other former president for that matter, would pressure an American company to withhold life-saving equipment from Canada.

So too, the nature of Chinese power has changed the world. This week, the EUs competition commissioner, Margrethe Vestager, explicitly urged member governments to consider ownership stakes in European companies whose tumbling stock market values may leave them susceptible to Chinese takeover during or after this pandemic. Canadas industries are equally susceptible to anti-competitive efforts by China.

Conservative leadership candidate Erin OToole has leapt on these trends. In a campaign video released this week, OToole called out corrupt foreign governments and incompetent global institutions, like China and the World Health Organization, which have left Canada to fend for itself. OTooles solution? Buy, build, and grow Canadian.

In the latter half of the 20th century, Canadas economy was denationalized  through the sale of Crown corporations like Petro Canada, CN Rail and Air Canada  in the belief that the same public policy outcomes, previously pursued through ownership, could be achieved through regulation. At that time, both citizens and governments felt confident in the effectiveness of those regulatory policy tools.

As our leaders plan their long-term response to our latest economic catastrophe, already christened the Great Lockdown, it is worth asking whether they continue to have the same confidence in those same policy tools.

Its possible that Canadas response to the long-term problems this crisis has exposed will rely on not only a new role for the private sector but also a new relationship between public and private sector. As the last recession taught us, government bailouts alone will not bring back Canadian manufacturing. Nor will they bring us a supply chain we can trust.

Thats something that will take all of us  government, business and all Canadians  to do. As the prime minister says, we are all in this together.
Harry Potter author JK Rowling has paid tribute to "deeply loved" journalist Lyra McKee, with whom she had formed a friendship through social media.

Ms Rowling said she felt "ice-cold shock" when she heard of the death of the 29-year-old, who was shot in the Creggan area of Londonderry a year ago this weekend by dissident republican group the New IRA while observing clashes with police.

"I never met Lyra face-to-face, but we used to chat a lot... mostly about politics and writing," the author of the world-famous series said.

"I'll never forget the ice cold shock of thinking I'd heard her name on the news and dashing to turn up the volume, telling myself 'it can't be her', even though I knew it must be.

I never met Lyra face-to-face, but we used to chat a lot by DM, mostly abt politics and writing. I'll never forget the ice cold shock of thinking I'd heard her name on the news and dashing to turn up the volume, telling myself 'it can't be her', even though I knew it must be. 1/2 https://t.co/9hXOm4smNK  J.K. Rowling (@jk_rowling) April 18, 2020

"She was such a talent and so deeply loved, as was proven by the outpouring after her death. I'm thinking of her partner, her family and friends right now and sending love," she said, posting on Twitter.

"Anniversaries of loss are always hard, but I think the first is the worst."

Members of the National Union of Journalists (NUJ) this week joined in solidarity and remembrance to mark the first anniversary of Ms McKee's murder.

The NUJ said the commemoration is to celebrate the journalists life and legacy.

Colleagues and friends used the hashtag #WeStandWithLyra on social media to pay tribute.

It comes as the Police Service of Northern Ireland (PSNI) issued a fresh appeal for information into her death, offering anonymity to anyone who can help to catch the killer.

The PSNI has sent letters to those living close to where she was killed urging them to take any new information to detectives.

Detective Superintendent Jason Murphy said: 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.

In the letter, Mr Murphy asks for mobile phone footage or photographs from the night, as well as requesting to speak to anyone who was present and can identify those involved in the disorder and has first-hand evidence relating to the events before or after the murder.

"Lyra had an unrivalled zest for life and for living. That is what makes her senseless killing so cruel. In her journalism she combined her passion for journalism with a deep commitment to social change." Seamus Dooley, #NUJ #WeStandWithLyra @Seamusdo https://t.co/MNFCTacUT6 pic.twitter.com/JXyvH8pjDp  NUJ (@NUJofficial) April 18, 2020

Michelle Stanistreet, NUJ general secretary, said: Lyra was a journalist who represented the best of Northern Ireland with a future ahead that reflected her optimism, her confidence, her ambition and her strong sense of social justice and commitment to equality.

As we remember Lyra today, and think of her partner and family, we also think of journalists elsewhere who put their lives on the line when they get up and go to work each day.

The greatest tribute we can pay Lyra is to find ways to encourage and promote the kind of imaginative, insightful and brave journalism for which she will be remembered.

Seamus Dooley, NUJ Irish secretary, said: Lyra had an unrivalled zest for life and for living.

That is what makes her senseless killing so cruel. In her journalism she combined her passion for journalism with a deep commitment to social change.

In her writings, in her approach to issues of poverty, equality and exclusion, Lyra was not afraid to ask the difficult question, to challenge the conventional and accepted wisdoms and to look for new and imaginative solutions to problems. Thats her legacy.

Thanks and a virtual hug from @NUJofficial to all who joined us at 11am to salute the spirit of Lyra. Keep tweeting and retweeting in celebration of her spirit. #WeStansWithLyra @irishcongress @IFJGlobal @RTERadio1  Seamus Dooley (@Seamusdo) April 18, 2020

What marked Lyra apart was her optimism, her unfailing good humour and her refusal to become cynical while fearlessly questioning the status quo.

Like Martin OHagan, Lyra did not ask for the crown of martyrdom. On her first anniversary it is important that we celebrate the legacy of a woman of imagination, humour and enormous talent.

My thoughts are with Lyras partner, family and colleagues for whom her spirit remains an abiding presence.
Europe's COVID-19 Death Toll Possibly Much Higher than Official Tally - Reports

Sputnik News

12:09 GMT 18.04.2020

Earlier reports suggested thousands of people have died in care homes across Britain, France, Italy and Spain - Europe's worst hit countries - with critics pointing to the number of deaths outside hospitals that are not included in official tallies.

Belgium's model of registering its COVID-19 death toll has suggested that other European countries might be under-reporting their coronavirus fatalities, reported the Daily Mail.

Citing the country's small population of 11.6 million people, the tabloid quoted the country's Health Minister Maggie De Block as saying that its high number of daily coronavirus deaths per head of population as compared to other countries is only because of their precise data.

Belgium, having currently registered over 5,450 fatalities according to the Johns Hopkins University, has an average of around 419 deaths per one million inhabitants, according to EURACTIV media network.

Belgium's neighbours Britain and France post averages of 202 and 274 fatalities per one million respectively, with total reported deaths of around 14,000 and 18,000 to date.

Unlike many other European countries, Belgium is counting deaths registered outside of hospitals, as well as fatalities when patients displayed COVID-19 symptoms but were not tested for the respiratory virus.

The latter deaths account for almost half of Belgium's total fatality tally. If the method were to be applied in other countries, the true number of deaths from the pandemic there could be double the official figures, writes the Daily Mail.

A report by Belgium's Federal Public Service for Health is cited as confirming that only 49 percent of deaths took place at medical facilities, with the COVID-19 cases confirmed.

However, according to the data, 49 percent more died in care homes, with at least one per cent dying in other locations.

"In Europe, no country counts like the others. We have the most detailed method," Belgian Health Minister Maggie De Block was cited as telling television news channel LN24.

Without elaborating on the details, the Minister added that the country might switch to a different method of tallying fatalities in future to allow Belgium to compare its results with other countries, the Wall Street Journal reports.

Emmanuel Andre, a spokesman for national health authorities, supports the Belgian method of counting as "necessary," adding that "the accepted practice is to take suspected cases into account" when tracking an epidemic.

Belgian Prime Minister Sophie Wilmes explained on 15 April that the government had "made the choice of full transparency when communicating deaths linked to COVID-19," even if it resulted in "numbers that are sometimes overestimated."

The news comes amidst reports of European countries such as Britain, France, Italy, and Spain neglecting to add fatalities in care homes to the COVID-19 death toll. Critics have been suggesting this signals the likely scale of deaths outside health care services that might be omitted in official tallies.

About half of coronavirus deaths appear to be occurring in care homes in some European countries, according to data presented by UK-based academics based at the London School of Economics (LSE) and cited by The Guardian.

Their data garnered from diverse official sources testified to between 42 percent and 57 percent of deaths from the virus in Italy, Spain, France, Ireland and Belgium happening in care homes.

The reports come as the global death toll from the COVID-19 pandemic reached over 154,600 people, with over 2,259,300 registered cases.

 Sputnik

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Australian actor Chris Hemsworth admitted to feeling 'suffocated' by his Hollywood career while living in Los Angeles.

Speaking to The Sunday Telegraph, the 36-year-old star said that constantly being surrounded by billboards of himself, and his projects, made him lose grip of reality.

'When you're suffocated by the work, every conversation that you're having and every billboard you're seeing is to do with a movie or whatever around the industry. You lose perspective,' he told the publication.

'You lose perspective': Australian actor Chris Hemsworth (pictured as Marvel's Thor) admitted to feeling 'suffocated' by his Hollywood career while living in Los Angeles on Sunday

Chris left Hollywood to return to his native Australia in 2015, with Spanish wife Elsa Pataky, daughter India, seven, and six-year-old twin boys Tristan and Sasha.

The Thor star added: 'There's not a single person there [Byron Bay] that I interact with, or close friends of mine, that are really in the industry and so that's hugely refreshing, it's great for my kids and my wife.'

While appreciative of all the success he's had overseas, Chris admitted that it was a choice of putting mind over physicality, and choosing to spend time with his family.



'You lose perspective': Speaking to The Sunday Telegraph, the 36-year-old star said that constantly being surrounded by billboards made him lose grip of reality. Pictured with his wife Elsa Pataky, daughter India, seven, and six-year-old twin boys Tristan and Sasha

'I just want to stop for a while. I need to be home for a minute. Just enjoy it. It all flies by,' he later told the publication.

Chris previously admitted he and his 43-year-old wife decided to relocate to Byron Bay because he didn't want their children to grow up 'living shoulder to shoulder in the suburbs'.

Speaking to OK! Magazine, Chris said that living in Hollywood meant 'you just kind of lose touch with reality'.

Future: Chris previously admitted he and his 43-year-old wife decided to relocate to Byron Bay because he didn't want their children to grow up 'living shoulder to shoulder in the suburbs

'I love what I do as an actor, but when you are surrounded by it constantly.'

'It's nice to be a part of a community that doesn't live and breathe that world.'

'You go from press tours and work, and then straight back into reality and you're handed a child with a nappy.'
The Films: A New Beginning





A few years back, we found out that this imagery was actually discarded marketing for the 80s vampire film Near Dark . Pretty wild stuff, and recently the original lithograph printers proof for the home video cover was made available for sale, which can be seen below. Collector and fan Kyle Murray was lucky enough to get his hands on this awesome piece of history!





Do you like this artwork more than what was used on U.S. home video covers?













Most of our readers would agree that as the years pass by, Friday The 13th: A New Beginning has become more enjoyable to watch and has definitely found its place in the franchise. Its a far cry from the 1980s when it was difficult to find anyone who would admit to liking the movie. Promotion for the film was excellent, although a bit deceiving in the United States, but the international marketing put a young boy (most assuredly Tommy Jarvis) front and center in the imagery for posters and home video covers.
The number of Covid-19 cases in Madhya Pradeshs Indore has gone up by 237% and led an increase in the citys containment areas by 103% since April 10, two officials said on Sunday.

There were 82 containment zones in the city on April 10, which have since gone up to 167. Indore has the highest such zones in Madhya Pradesh.

A hard lockdown is imposed to stop the spread of the disease once an area is declared a containment zone. No one is allowed to step out their houses in such zones and essentials are delivered to the people living there. A containment area can be as small as one lane in a residential colony.

Indore reported the sharpest spike in the number of cases over the past few days. As many as 135 were diagnosed with the disease in the city on Friday and 49 on Saturday, taking the citys tally to 891. A health official said the evening bulletin on Sunday may not be released. However, until 2 pm on Sunday, there was no change in Indore data.

Madhya Pradesh has reported 1,407 Covid-19 cases. Three states have more cases than Madhya Pradesh. Indore reported 47 Covid-19 related deaths until Saturday and they accounted for 69% of the pandemic-related fatalities in Madhya Pradesh.

Indores chief medical and health officer, Dr Pravid Jadia, said the trend over a couple of days shows the number of people identified as Covid-19 patients is on the decline. In the coming days, it is going to improve further. Jadia said the number of cases has risen due to an aggressive approach to identifying and treating patients.

Of the total 12,940 Covid-19 samples tested in Madhya Pradesh on April 12, only 2,443 were collected from Indore, which had 411 cases by then, according to the health department of Madhya Pradesh. As many as 2,816 samples were collected from Bhopal, which had 158 cases. However, as the number of cases increased, the tests were also increased to 22,569 across the state on April 18.

Indores collector, Manish Singh, underlined that mostly those people are testing positive who were quarantined as the administration had traced them based on contact histories. Hence, the situation is improving by the day.

Bhopal-based public health expert Amulya Nidhi said there should have been an aggressive approach from day one for earmarking containment zones and then screening, testing, isolating or quarantining suspected patients as well as contact tracing until these areas were declared Covid-19 free.

Overconfidence of the government and too much bureaucratisation caused the problem. The local community was not taken into confidence, said Nidhi. Nidhi added there could have been a better use of anganwadi, accredited social health activists etc for reaching out to more and more people for screening them. Targeted focus on certain localities was a wrong approach. There should have been equal and effective planning for the rest of the city too, said Nidhi, referring to his study of the governments approach.

Nidhi added people have been seen moving out in containment zones and as many as eight quarantined people escaped from a quarantine centre in Indore. A good coordination among police, administration and health department was badly required.

Amulya said instead of strengthening the public health system, the government has turned to the private hospitals. It is the government doctors and health workers who are fighting the disease not the doctors from private hospitals.

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His defence is, principally, that the extradition proceedings are brought for political purposes, to deter other publishers from revealing what US forces do, even illegally  and what US diplomats know (but the media does not) about human rights abuses. This argument will be developed later in the year at Westminster Magistrates Court.

He now languishes, probably for several years, in Belmarsh, Britains toughest (and mainly for terrorist suspects) prison while he fights the US attempt to extradite him for trial in Maryland. If convicted there, on essentially the same espionage act charges which brought his source, Chelsea Manning, a 35-year sentence, he can expect a somewhat heavier term  50 years, perhaps  time enough for him to die in an American Supermax jail. Manning was pardoned by US president Barack Obama, but there is little prospect that Assange would receive clemency from a second-term President Trump.

There was one piece of happy news on a doleful Easter day in Britain: Julian Assange had managed to father two children whilst locked up in the Ecuadorian embassy. This proves that love will find a way, even if your self-isolation is being enforced by the British police and the CIA.

Now he is revealed as the father of two children born in Britain with a woman he will shortly marry, he can add the right to family life (an aspect of the right to privacy) to the objection to his forceful removal. He already has evidence that the CIA secretly live-streamed his meetings with his lawyers, in breach of the rules of legal confidentiality and of European privacy laws, and his fiancee avers that one of the embassy guards confessed to her (because he found it so disgusting) that he had been tasked to steal her babys nappies so the poo could be analysed to check whether Assange was the father.

Another objection is the way in which the US is breaching its own much-touted right to free speech and is discriminating against Assange because he is Australian and not American. It is inhibited by the First Amendment to the US constitution from prosecuting US publishers (like The New York Times, which disseminated the Wikileaks revelations) but the Trump lawyers now argue that this clause only protects publishers who are American citizens.

That makes all Australian investigative journalists, and those from other countries, whether or not they work for US media, vulnerable to extradition if they publish military or diplomatic secrets. We actually have an illustrious tradition of journalists who have exposed military misbehaviour  beginning, let us remember, with Keith Murdoch during World War I. One of our finest, the late Phil Knightly (author of Truth  The First Casualty) stood bail for Assange. When it was ordered to be forfeited, he said it was money well spent.

The most immediate danger to Assange, with his chronic lung condition, is coronavirus. Prisons are hotbeds and have already had eight deaths so thousands of non-violent offenders are being released on parole to avoid their exposure. But parole is not on offer for Assange. His 50-week sentence for breaching it by seeking asylum in the Ecuadorian embassy is now over and last month he made an application, offering to put himself under house arrest (well, mansion house arrest) in the country, with ankle restraints and electronic monitors and an array of restrictions that would have made it impossible for him to flee anywhere. His application was brusquely rejected.
World Affairs Worldview with Trudy Rubin goes behind the headlines to interview global experts on the issues that affect us all.

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Sports Game On: Interviews and analysis with the athletes and iconic characters Philly loves the most.

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In the Czech Republic, the Prague airport and the regional Czech hospital managed to stop cyber attacks on their IT networks, which took place over the past few days. Reuters reports, with reference to representatives of the administration of these institutions.

Attempts to attack the airports web pages were discovered during the preparatory stages. This prevented their distribution and all subsequent stages that could follow and harm the company, the airports spokeswoman said.

A regional hospital in the western Czech city of Karlovy Vary was attacked twice on Saturday night, but cyber attacks were also repelled.

Several other hospitals in the Czech Republic also reported attempted attacks on their computer systems on Friday. These attacks have also been successfully blocked.

Czech cybersecurity observer NUKIB on Thursday predicted cyber attacks in the coming days. According to the researchers, the malware used in the attacks is designed to damage or destroy the computers of its victims. A Czech official, on condition of anonymity, said that it is not known who is behind the cyber attacks, but one thing is clear - they were organized by a "serious and advanced adversary."

US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said on Friday that the United States is concerned about the threat of a cyber attack against the Czech Republics health sector, adding that anyone involved in such activities should expect consequences.

As we reported before, US President Donald Trump has promised to hold China accountable if Beijings guilt in spreading the coronavirus pandemic is proven.
New Delhi, April 19 : After a study published in the journal Molecular Biology and Evolution proposed that stray dogs might have played a role in the initial transmission of the novel coronavirus that causes COVID-19, some experts called the findings "speculative".

Some fear that the "hypothesis" proposed in the study may contribute to changing the attitude of people towards street animals and those who care for them. Moreover, if some people take the theory presented in the study as facts, they might even abandon their dogs.

"I do not believe that any dog owners should be concerned as a result of this work," said Professor James Wood, Head of Department of Veterinary Medicine at University of Cambridge in the UK.

In the study linking stray dogs to spread of the disease caused by SARS-CoV-2, biology Professor Xuhua Xia at the University of Ottawa in Canada traced the coronavirus signatures across different species.

"Our observations have allowed the formation of a new hypothesis for the origin and initial transmission of SARS-CoV-2," said Xia.

"The ancestor of SARS-CoV-2 and its nearest relative, a bat coronavirus, infected the intestine of canids, most likely resulting in a rapid evolution of the virus in canids and its jump into humans. This suggests the importance of monitoring SARS-like coronaviruses in feral dogs in the fight against SARS-CoV-2." But several experts found the link between dogs and the evolution of SARS-CoV-2 speculative.

"The theory that SARS-CoV2 originated in dogs seems to stem from speculation about CpG and high ZAP expression. This is speculative at best and certainly isn't strong evidence for the link," said Professor Mick Watson, Personal Chair of Bioinformatics and Computational Biology, Roslin Institute, University of Edinburgh, Scotland.

Scientists have been looking for an intermediate animal host between bats, which are known to harbour many coronaviruses, and the first introduction of SARS-CoV-2 into humans, but a definite answer has so far eluded researchers.

"I am confident that answers about the origin of SARS-CoV-2 are still out there, somewhere in the natural world, but we have not found them yet," said Professor Ben Neuman, Chair of Biological Sciences at Texas A&M University-Texarkana in the US.

"The conclusion that cats or dogs were involved as an intermediate host for SARS-CoV-2 is highly speculative, and should not be presented as fact," Neuman said.

-- The story has been published from a wire feed without any modifications to the text
Governor Abdullahi Umar Ganduje of Kano state has sacked the states commissioner for works and infrastructure, Engineer Muazu Magaji.

The commissioner was fired over his unguarded utterances against the late chief of staff to President Buhari, Abba Kyari, a statement signed by the commissioner for information, Muhammad Garba, disclosed.

Ganduje said the commissioner, as a public servant, ought to have respected the office by refraining from any act capable of rendering it to disrepute, The Nation reports.

President Buharis personal assistant on new media, Bashir Ahmad, had said on Twitter that the sacked commissioner was publicly celebrating Kyaris death on his Facebook page.

I am really disappointed and pained by the Kano State Commissioner for Works, Engr. Muazu Magajis remarks on Mallam Abba Kyaris demise, the commissioner was seen publicly celebrating the death on his Facebook page. I hope @KanoStateNG and @GovUmarGanduje will call him to order, Ahmad tweeted.

After the commissioner was sacked, Ahmad said: The Governor has taken an action, the Commissioner has just been sacked following his unguarded utterances.

According to a statement from the Kano State Government House, late Abba Kyari had led a life worthy of emulation by serving his country to the best of his ability.

The post Ganduje sacks Commissioner over unguarded utterances about late Kyari appeared first on .

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Photo: The Canadian Press Prime Minister Justin Trudeau speaks during his daily press conference on the COVID-19 pandemic, in front of his residence at Rideau Cottage on Saturday, April 18, 2020. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Justin Tang

Canadian officials acknowledged some regions of the country could be closer to re-opening parts of the economy than others, but continued to stress a careful approach as the border closure with the hard-hit United States was extended for another 30 days during the COVID-19 crisis.

"Let us be very clear, while we want to be optimistic, we need to be absolutely cautious," Treasury Board President Jean-Yves Duclos said Saturday.

Sobering reminders of the need for patience were heard throughout the day as case numbers continued to climb in Canadian nursing homes and prisons. At Residence Herron, the suburban Montreal long-term care home where 31 people died from COVID-19 in less than one month, 61 of 99 residents have now tested positive for the virus, according to a regional health authority spokesman.

Canadian Armed Forces members with medical expertise headed to long-term care homes in Quebec after Premier Francois Legault asked the federal government for assistance.

Meanwhile, alarms were raised about an outbreak at a federal women's prison northeast of the Montreal where 60 per cent of inmates have been infected, according to the Elizabeth Fry Society. The organization reported 50 confirmed COVID-19 cases in the Joliette Institution, up from 10 on April 7, and other women's institutions in Ontario and British Columbia also reported cases.

Earlier in the day, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau confirmed the extension for the closure restricting non-essential travel across the border, which began on March 21 and was set to expire on Tuesday. "This is an important decision and one that will keep people on both sides of the border safe," Trudeau said.

U.S. president Donald Trump said earlier this week that the border could open soon, but Trudeau and other Canadian political leaders did not strike the same tone in comments.

In B.C., officials suggested some restrictions could be eased in the coming weeks in light of numbers showing a flattening of the coronavirus curve.

Prince Edward Island, where 23 of the province's 26 confirmed COVID-19 cases are recovered, is also looking at easing restrictions on activities while maintaining self-isolation rules for those entering the province.

Toronto Mayor John Tory met with city officials Saturday to discuss when regular life can restart in the country's biggest city, though he warned that the time has not come yet.

Ontario Premier Doug Ford said his province's approach will be based on health advice and will only move forward with re-opening with medical officials' green light. He added that there are various scenarios playing out across the province.

"What's happening in a big urban centre like Toronto may not be happening in rural areas," Ford said.

He said that loosening restrictions over time will have to be done in a careful and methodical way, and said it would be "twice as hard" as the current lockdown.

On Saturday, Trudeau repeated the need for caution and reminded Canadians to continue with physical distancing measures. "If we open too quickly, too soon or in the wrong way, we could find ourselves back in this situation a couple of months from now and everything we will have sacrificed during these months will have been for naught," Trudeau said.

He said discussions with the premiers have found consensus on the need to co-ordinate how the country moves forward, but acknowledged that different provinces and municipalities are at different stages of the pandemic battle and may be able to relax measures sooner.

"The situation is very different right across the country from one region to the next and the measures that they will be able to move forward with at various moments will vary as well," Trudeau said. "That's going to be an important part of the recovery here."

Meanwhile, Trudeau continued to stress he does not think it is a good idea for the House of Commons to resume business as usual Monday  with all 338 MPs, along with their staff, clerks, interpreters, security and cleaners.

An agreement needs to be reached before then on scaled-back sittings if the plan is to change. Federal political parties were continuing negotiations Saturday about when and how Parliament should reconvene in the middle of the pandemic.

Trudeau's Liberals are proposing one in-person sitting each week, with a small number of MPs and extended time for longer questions and more thorough answers than would normally be allowed during the daily question period. More sittings would be added as soon as the technical and logistical requirements for virtual meetings can be worked out.

All opposition parties appear satisfied with that proposal, except for the Conservatives.

Conservative Leader Andrew Scheer is demanding up to four in-person sittings each week, with fewer than 50 MPs in the chamber, to hold the government to account for its response to the health crisis and the resulting economic disaster.
An Ocean County family and community are in mourning after the coronavirus-related death of a local firefighter.

Dave Clark, 47, who served four years with Bay Head Fire Company No. 1, died Saturday morning following a long and tough battle with the COVID-19 virus, the company announced. He was hospitalized for about two weeks.

Fire Chief Joe Todisco described Clark as an outgoing, well-liked member of the department and a devoted father.

During his time with the 46-member, volunteer company, Clark filled many roles, according to Todisco. He served for a year as chief engineer, looking after the mechanical performance of the companys vehicles, and as safety officer. He served as a firefighter for the last 12 months.

A truck driver by trade, Clark took a great interest in learning about the latest innovations in firetrucks and emergency management equipment.

He had a tremendous interest in apparatus, Todisco said. He would even visit different expositions where they had apparatus on display. He was into the new innovations that are coming about.

His knowledge of what made the fire companys vehicles tick was a huge boost for operation.

He had a really extensive knowledge mechanically, Todisco said. I was impressed with how something could be wrong and he could immediately diagnose what it was and make the repair without the need of a mechanic.

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For Clark, service runs in his family. His wife, Lisa, serves with the Bay Head Fire Police, and his son, Zach, is a provisional firefighter with the company. Zach was about to be inducted as a full firefighter this month. In addition to his wife and son, Dave Clark leaves behind a daughter, Michaela.

Todisco has reached out to Lisa to offer any assistance the family may need.

Shes probably going through a lot of pain right now, he said. Its got to be difficult.

Clarks firefighting comrades are also feeling the loss while still serving their community during an unprecedented time.

The coronavirus has first responders on their guard, Todisco said.

Were scared, he said. We do our job, but youre very wary of everyone. Were doing the best we can to keep the fire department functioning.

No one is allowed in the firehouse without a mask and no more than four firefighters are permitted on a rig when responding to a call.

Whether Clark was exposed to the virus while serving remains under investigation, Todisco said.

Ocean County has lost 212 lives to the virus so far and has reported more than 4,500 infections. Statewide, more than 4,000 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.

Matt Gray may be reached at mgray@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @MattGraySJT. Find NJ.com on Facebook.
Sens. Bob Menendez (D-N.J.) and Bill Cassidy (R-La.) on Sunday proposed a $500 billion fund for state and local governments to be included in Congress' next coronavirus rescue package.

Why it matters: The $2 trillion stimulus bill passed by Congress last month provided direct payments to Americans and relief for small businesses, but did not include funds specifically intended to kickstart state economies that have been wiped out by the pandemic.

Maryland Gov. Larry Hogan (R) and New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo (D), the respective chairman and vice chairman of the National Governors' Association, have been vocal in demanding that Congress allocate money for states.

Cuomo last week accused lawmakers of engaging in "pork-barrel politics" and failing to address state budget shortfalls.

How it works: The senators' proposal would divide the funds into three tranches, according to Bloomberg.

The first tranche would be allocated proportionally based on states' percentage of the total U.S. population, with all states and D.C. set to receive at least $1.25 billion. Cities and counties with populations above 50,000 would also be eligible for specific aid.

The second tranche would be allocated based on the state's share of the total number of U.S. infections.

The third would be based on the state's loss of revenue resulting from shutdowns and stay-at-home orders.

What they're saying: Menendez said in a statement, "The proverbial house is on fire and we need to focus the water on the hot spots, because if we dont put the flames out, they will only jump until the entire block is up in smoke."

Cassidy said: "Senator Menendezs state and mine were hit hard by the Covid-19 epidemic ... We worked hard to make sure state and local governments can maintain essential services necessary for employees and employers to survive. We must protect Americans financial future."

Worth noting: Democrats have sought to include funds for state and local governments in a supplemental bill that would add money to the Paycheck Protection Program. Negotiations are still ongoing, but comments from Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin on Sunday signal that the money for states will not be in the final bill.

Go deeper: The next economic crisis will hit states and cities
Cognizant's net profit declined 29 percent to $361 million in the June quarter due to COVID-19 pandemic (Image Courtesy: Wikimedia Commons)

Cognizant Technology Solutions Corp on Saturday said it was hit by a "Maze" ransomware cyber attack, resulting in service disruptions for some of its clients.

The information technology services provider said it was taking steps to contain the incident, with the help of cyber defense companies, and has also engaged with law enforcement authorities.

Ransomware is a type of malicious program used by hackers to take control of files in an infected system and then demand hefty payments to recover them.

According to cybersecurity firm McAfee, hackers who deploy Maze threaten to release information on the internet if the targeted companies fail to pay.

"We are in ongoing communication with our clients and have provided them with indicators of compromise and other technical information of a defensive nature," Cognizant added.

It did not respond to a request from Reuters for further comments on the incident.

The Maze operators denied responsibility for the cyber attack, according to security website BleepingComputer https://bit.ly/3bl88ol. However, the report added that Maze is likely not discussing it to avoid complications at this early stage.

Insurer Chubb Ltd in March was hit by a computer security incident that may have involved unauthorized access to data held by an outside service provider. A group that deploys the Maze ransomware claimed to have locked up devices on Chubb's network during March, according to BleepingComputer.
A 65-year-old man in Nepal who was staying at a mosque, where 12 Indians were tested positive for COVID-19, has contracted the disease, taking the total number of coronavirus cases in the Himalayan nation to 31, health officials said on Sunday.

Twelve Indians were among the 14 new coronavirus cases reported in Nepal on Friday. The Indian nationals were staying at a mosque in Triyuga area of Udaypur district. They were quarantined in a school building after residents informed authorities about them.

Basudev Pandey, head of the Epidemiology and Disease Control Division of the health ministry, said the man was tested COVID-19 positive on Saturday evening.

The patient, a resident of Udayapur district, was living in the same mosque in Triyuga where 12 Indians got infected with the deadly virus earlier, officials said.

According to the health ministry, of the total COVID-19 cases, three patients, including a 65-year-old woman, have recovered completely.

Meanwhile, eight persons were injured on Sunday in Bahadurmai area of Parsa district following a clash between two groups over some Jaamati people taking shelter in a mosque there.

According to police, locals pelted stones at the mosque protesting the Jaamati people taking shelter there. In retaliation, those inside the mosque also pelted stones. Eight persons were injured in the clash, police said.

Two persons have been arrested in connection with the clash.

Authorities in Nepal's Sunsari District on Saturday sealed 14 mosques and quarantined 33 Indians and seven Pakistanis taking refuge there, amid a surge in the coronavirus cases in the country.

The mosques were sealed in Itahari Municipality in eastern Nepal.

The country is under lockdown till April 27.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
A man in his 30s has been charged in connection with an investigation into a house fire in south Dublin more than a year and a half ago.

A 44-year-old man died in the blaze which broke out at a home at Oaklands Terrace in Rathgar at around 3am on Tuesday, August 21, 2018.
Singapore has announced new measures designed to quickly increase local food production, including rooftop farming.

Officials in the city-state recently set a goal to meet 30 percent of Singapores nutritional needs with locally produced food by 2030.

The plan includes $21 million in government money to support local production of eggs, vegetables and fish in the shortest possible time.

The plans were announced as the worldwide spread of COVID-19 has caused shortages of many products, including food in some areas. Restrictions on population movements around the world have weakened supply chains and raised concerns about worsening shortages and price increases.

Currently, densely populated Singapore produces only about 10 percent of its own food needs. Only 1 percent of Singapores 724 square kilometers is currently used for agriculture. And production costs there are higher than the rest of Southeast Asia.

Singapores Food Agency says its goal is to raise local food production levels to make up for climate change and population growth that could threaten worldwide food supplies.

The current COVID-19 situation underscores the importance of local food production, as part of Singapores strategies to ensure food security, the Food Agency said in a statement.

Singapore officials have repeatedly told citizens that the city-state has enough food to get through the COVID-19 crisis. But they have decided to speed up the process of increasing local production to begin within the next six months.

This plan includes efforts to identify alternative farming spaces, such as industrial areas and empty building spaces. It also calls for adding new technologies to improve farming methods.

Officials said one part of the project aims to establish rooftop farms on public housing parking areas beginning in May.

Im Bryan Lynn.

Reuters reported on this story. Bryan Lynn adapted the report for VOA Learning English, with additional information from Singapores Food Agency. Hai Do was the editor.

We want to hear from you. Write to us in the Comments section, and visit our Facebook page.

________________________________________________________________

Words in This Story

supply chain  n. the processes involved in the production and sales of a product or products

underscore  v. to emphasize the importance of something

strategy  adj. a plan used to achieve a particular goal

alternative  adj. different to what is usual or traditional
Two weeks ago, when I was elected Labour leader, I made a promise to the British people that under my leadership my party will act in the national interest, help steer us through these difficult times and strive for the good of our country. I meant it.

The coronavirus pandemic is the biggest challenge we have faced in a generation. It is a health crisis, an economic crisis and  for many  a personal crisis. Behind every death is a family that has been shaken to its core.

At this time of national crisis, Labours duty  my duty  is to support the national effort to save lives and protect livelihoods.

The crisis in our care homes has gone unheard for too long, in part because we do not know the full scale of the problem, writes Keir Starmer (file photo of nurse holding a patient's hand)

Thats why I supported the Governments decision to introduce the lockdown and why I backed last weeks decision to extend it for another three weeks.

The lockdown is extremely difficult for all of us. There is no doubt about that. But it is necessary to defeat the coronavirus and the Government can be assured of my support on that.

Equally, my duty is to call the Government out when I believe mistakes are being made, when decisions are being taken too slowly or when the most vulnerable are not being heard. The purpose of this challenge is not to score party political points but to ensure mistakes are rectified and progress is speeded up.

In that spirit, we all have to accept mistakes have been made. I fully accept that any government would find this situation challenging. But the Government was too slow to enter the lockdown. It has been too slow to increase the number of people being tested. It has been too slow in getting NHS staff the critical equipment they need to keep them safe.

We need to make sure these mistakes are not repeated.

And this week has exposed how the Government has been too slow to respond to the growing emergency in our social care services.

Residents of crisis-hit Stanley Park Care home in Stanley, County Durham, which has lost 13 residents in recent days, enjoy a performance of classic wartime songs to lift their spirits

We have all heard the harrowing stories of the virus spreading through care homes, relatives unable to say their last goodbyes and staff poorly paid, equipped and protected to provide essential care. Ministers have promised action  that is welcome  but it needs to go further and faster.

First, our carers need to be kept safe. We have all been struck by the extraordinary service and dedication of our key workers during this pandemic. They are the best of us. These are people who are quite literally putting their lives on the line to care for our loved ones. But too many of them are being left exposed because of shortages of personal protection equipment (PPE).

The Government says it is doing everything it can to supply equipment. I do not doubt its sincerity. However, there is a mismatch between the statements coming out of Downing Street and the realities for staff on the ground. That needs to come to an end, and fast.

Second, we need more information. The crisis in our care homes has gone unheard for too long, in part because we do not know the full scale of the problem. That is why we urgently need Ministers to publish daily figures on the number of deaths in care homes. That is the only way we are going to know who has fallen victim to the virus, how fast it is spreading and the scale of response that is needed.

Third, testing, testing and more testing. Matt Hancocks announcement that all care home residents and staff with symptoms would be tested is welcome.

But many of us will be asking why on earth was this not done sooner? A council leader I spoke to last week told me that of its 5,000 social care workers, only ten had been tested. That is astonishing.

We have all been struck by the extraordinary service and dedication of our key workers during this pandemic (file photo of nurse helping colleague to put on PPE)

As other countries have proven, testing is a vital weapon in our armoury to contain the infection and it will be central to any strategy to lift the lockdown.

Ministers promised 25,000 tests a day by mid-April, but that target was missed. Now they are promising 100,000 by the end of the month. They are unlikely to meet that target.

Many care homes are feeling overwhelmed, particularly those with an outbreak of the virus. I have spoken to care workers who are concerned about looking after coronavirus patients who have been discharged from hospital, because of the infection risk. The Government should ensure that where there is capacity at the new NHS Nightingale hospitals, it is made available for those who need it most, including care home residents.

Finally, we need a clear plan for what comes next.

The lockdown has been extended and I support that. But we need to have clarity about what is going to happen next.

Other countries have begun to set out a roadmap to lift restrictions in certain sectors of the economy and for certain services, especially social care, when the time is right. This of course must be done in a careful, considered way with public health, scientific evidence and the safety of workers and families at its heart. But the UK Government should be doing likewise.

We also need to make the case for a better, fairer society. Every week, we stand at our doorsteps to clap for our carers. We do so with pride, gratitude and a deep sense of national unity and purpose.

But, when we get through this  and we will get through this  we cannot return to business as usual. For too long, social care has been neglected. Our care workers left underpaid and undervalued. Our relatives denied the dignity they deserve at the end of their life.

We need a new settlement for social care. We cant have another decade of this being thought too difficult for politicians to solve.

We must go forward with the ambition and determination for a better society that puts dignity and respect at the heart of how we care for the most vulnerable  and how we properly reward our key workers and those who work in our public services.

That is how we can repay the debt we owe to all of those who have sacrificed so much during this crisis. That is how we can rebuild the better society the British people deserve. That is what I am determined to deliver.
In a news conference on Sunday evening, Mr. Trump expressed his confidence in the federal response, including his administrations relationship with governors and the capacity for testing.

Mr. Trump said the administration was preparing to use the Defense Production Act to compel one U.S. facility to increase production of test swabs by over 20 million per month. The announcement came after he defended his response to the accusations that there was an insufficient amount of testing to justify reopening the economy any time soon.

Youll have so many swabs you wont know what to do with them, Mr. Trump said.

Officials at every level have faced increasingly competing pressures, balancing maintaining stay-at-home orders against the exasperation and economic toll they are producing. On Saturday and Sunday, modest protests took place in several cities across the country, where demonstrators flouted social distancing rules as they demanded that restrictions be relaxed.

Yet there was also a widespread sense that much of the public understood the governors concerns and shared them. Nearly 60 percent of American voters said they were worried that measures would be relaxed too soon, causing deaths to rise, according to a new poll from NBC News and The Wall Street Journal.

Officials in various states said they had started staging plans for reopening their economies and were working in concert with neighboring states in determining when to lift restrictions.

In South Carolina, Gov. Henry McMaster said that he had spoken with the governors of other southeastern states, including Florida and Tennessee. Told them South Carolina was ready, Mr. McMaster, a Republican, said on Twitter on Saturday.

On Sunday, governors from across the Northeast, including New York, New Jersey, Connecticut and Pennsylvania, said they were creating a regional council focused on restoring the economy and addressing unemployment.
DES MOINES  Propelled by urgent rounds of testing at Iowa meatpacking plants where the coronavirus has taken hold, the state Sunday reported a spike of 389 new COVID-19 cases  more than double the record daily tally of 191 reported last week.

The Governors Office said that 67% of the new cases  or 261  could be attributed to new surveillance testing of meat processing facilities. That includes more than 500 completed tests of Tyson Food employees and more than 500 completed tests of National Beef employees, for a total of 84 positive and 177 positive respectively.

The state said last week it was sending thousands of test kits to the Tyson plants in Louisa County  where two employees have died from the disease  and Black Hawk County, and to the National Beef plant in Tama County.

The total number of confirmed cases in the state is now up to 2,902.

Additionally, one death was reported. That victim  a Muscatine County resident between the ages of 60 and 81  was the second death reported over the weekend in that county.

In all, 75 Iowans have died as result of the disease since it was first reported in Iowa on March 8. The number of deaths lept ahead Saturday when 10  a new daily record  were reported.

The disease is not expected to peak in Iowa until late this month.

While the Tyson meatpacking plant in Louisa County and the National Beef plant in Tama County have temporarily closed, the Tyson plant in Black Hawk County has remained open despite widespread calls that it also be idled.

Late Saturday, three Democratic state lawmakers representing the Waterloo area filed a complaint with Iowas Occupational Safety and Health Administration and asked that Tyson voluntarily halt operations and initiate more worker safety protocols.

The complaint  filed by Rep. Ras Smith, Rep. Timi Brown-Powers and Sen. Bill Dotzler  alleges multiple violations of OSHA standards. It asserts that Tyson failed to protect other employees after it was notified a worker had tested positive and that the company failed to enact migration steps for industries from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Given the huge spike in positive cases in Black Hawk County over the last week, the accounts weve heard from employees at Tyson can no longer be ignored. We need immediate action from Gov. (Kim) Reynolds and Tyson to stop the outbreak in our community, protect workers, and save lives, said a statement from Smith.

After Tyson was notified of a positive case of an employee by Black Hawk County health officials, the complaint alleges:

- Tyson Fresh Meats failed to protect its employees from exposure to recognized COVID-19 hazard in the workplace

- Tyson did not act on useful CDC mitigation methods deemed effective when utilized by various other industries

From April 9 to April 18, the number of COVID-19 cases in Black Hawk County rose from 20 to 192, a 900% increase. On Friday, local officials in Waterloo joined together to call on Reynolds and Tyson to stem the growing outbreak of COVID-19 by temporarily closing the plant, cleaning it to protect employees, and then reopening as quickly as possible.

The plant has remained open.

Tyson took out a full-page ad in the Sunday Courier with pictures of Tyson workers, stating Your neighbors are feeding the nation. The ad talks about the steps Tyson is taking at the plant to keep workers safe.

Data released Sunday shows 26 new cases in Black Hawk  13 between the ages of 18 and 40; 10 between 41 and 60; and three between 61 and 80. That brings the countys total to 192.

Tyson told local news outlets Saturday it was working diligently to keep our team members across the country safe and have been successfully collaborating with leaders in other plant communities in addressing COVID-19 concerns.

The company said it has implemented social distancing measures, is providing more breakroom space and is installing workstation dividers.

A statement Friday from Tyson Foods Senior Vice President Hector Gonzalez said the company was working tirelessly to ensure safety.

Weve worked diligently to protect our team members by taking worker temperatures at the start of each shift and identifying symptomatic team members who simply need to be asked to go see their doctor, he said. Weve required face coverings and have performed deep cleaning at a number of our facilities.  Weve restricted visitor access and have encouraged our team members repeatedly to stay home if they dont feel well. This is an ever-changing situation and we are committed to exploring every way possible for keeping our team members safe.

Reynolds last week said the meatpacking plants are critical to the nations food supply chain and said she had reached out to managers at the plants, where workers at some jobs must stand only inches  and not the recommended 6 feet  apart.

Her office did not respond Sunday afternoon to messages asking whether the Republican governor believed Tysons Black Hawk County plant should close.

Advocates for immigrants and refugees say those groups make up a large share of meatpacking plants workforces.

As the number of positive cases associated with the plants grows, so has the lopsided ethnic breakdown of who has the coronavirus, state figures show.

Last week, state data showed that about 17% of the COVID-19 cases in Iowa were among Latinos, even though Latinos make up only about 6% of the states population.

New data released Sunday shows the disproportionate gap grew even wider, with Latinos now making up 19.3% of the cases in Iowa.

Despite the increased number of cases, Eastern Iowa health care districts maintained their overall score on a state matrix where 12 is the worst.

Northeast Iowa, which includes Cedar Rapids and the Black Hawk County meat plant, remained at 10  a ranking that last week brought further restrictions on social gatherings from Reynolds.

Southeast Iowa, which includes Iowa City and the Louisa County meat plant, remained 9.

According to the state, 128 of the cases reported Sunday do not appear to involve outbreaks at the food processing plants.

Linn County saw an additional 63 cases. Of those, 40 were ages 18 to 40; 20 were between 41 and 60; two were between 61 and 80; and one was 81 or older.

Johnson County saw an additional 21 cases. Of those. 16 were between 18 and 40; and five were between 41 and 60.

The new cases were reported to the state in a 24-hour period ending at 10 a.m. Saturday. The previous daily high of 191 was announced Friday.

John McGlothlen and Rod Boshart of The Gazette contributed to this story.
Charges continue to mount against a Georgia man accused in a crime spree that began in southeast Alabama and left multiple dead and/or robbed before coming to a dramatic end in Birmingham roughly 36 hours later.

Derrick Lee Hightower, a 32-year-old from Columbus, is charged in the shooting death of a Smiths Station woman and suspected in three others  the killings of a couple in Dadeville and the slaying of a man in a Birmingham home invasion. Now, authorities say, he is believed to be behind the robberies of five people inside a Shelby County business Friday morning as part of a crime spree that, as of now, is believed to have spanned roughly 100 miles along the U.S. 280 corridor.

The Shelby County Sheriffs Office on Sunday said they are working to obtain warrants against Hightower in connection with a 10:30 a.m. holdup Friday at a Chelsea business. The robbery happened about 10:30 a.m. OrthoExpress, an urgent care center on Chelsea Point Drive. Investigators say the suspect -now identified as Hightower - robbed three victims inside the business. Their stolen belongings were later found to be in Hightowers possession when he was arrested by Birmingham police following Saturdays day-long manhunt.

We are very thankful that this individual has been arrested and is no longer a danger to everyone. Our thoughts and prayers are with all those who have been impacted during this unfortunate series of events,'' said Shelby County Sheriff John Sheriff Samaniego. "I commend all of the law enforcement agencies who have been working together to bring this to a close.

Also Sunday, Auburn police announced that Kentrice Symonee Hill, a 21-year-old Birmingham woman, is also charged with capital murder in the Auburn slaying. Hill had already been charged with theft of property in connection with the victims vehicle. She was transported late Saturday night to the Lee County Detention Facility where she is being held without bond. Her relationship to Hightower wasnt immediately known.

Kentrice Symonee Hill (Auburn Police Division)

Little is known about Hightower and what may have prompted the spate of violence in which he is accused. Published reports indicate he was accused of shooting a man and critically wounding him in 2011. A police official at the time told the Columbus Ledger-Enquirer, Hes already shot one. I think hell shoot again.

Public records indicate Hightower went to prison in Georgia in 2006 on cocaine charges and again in 2014 on an aggravated assault conviction. He was sentenced to 10 years in the assault case but it wasnt clear how long he actually served.

Hightowers grandmother, Pamela Hightower Copeland, spoke with AL.com on Sunday and said she doesnt understand what happened. I dont know what happened. I really dont, Copeland said. Seems like to me hes really got a lot of demons inside of him.

I trust in the Lord. I go to church every Sunday. I have been going every Sunday, with the exception of recently because of the pandemic, Copeland said. I love him. Hes my grandson. Hes my blood.

She said family has not been able to speak with Hightower. His mama tried to get in touch with him, but his phone is dead. All we know right now is hes in the hospital with a gunshot wound in the arm, she said. I was over at his house a couple of weeks ago having a crab boil and he seemed like he was doing pretty good right them. I dont know what is wrong with him.

Im just putting everything in the hands of the Lord right now, she said. Hes my child, my grandchild. Im hoping whatever hes going through, hell find his way.

Hightower is already charged with capital murder and theft of property in connection with the shooting death of 54-year-old Nancy Nash. Auburn police responded to the Farmville Volunteer Fire Departments call for assistance on a vehicle fire in the 9500 block of U.S. Highway 280 West around 6 a.m. Friday. When officers arrived, they found a white 2005 Chevrolet Silverado truck on fire Nash dead nearby at Creative Habitats Landscaping.

Nash worked at the landscaping business and is believed to have been killed while possibly interrupting a burglary. Her vehicle, a black 2019 Nissan Frontier, was discovered missing and later located in Irondale.

Assistant Auburn Police Chief Clarence Stewart says he has no idea what prompted the rampage. I just know its awful, Stewart told AL.com Sunday. What possibly has he gone through in his life to lead to this? I believe we are products of our environment and it makes me wonder what brought him to this point.

All of these families (of the victims) have been impacted, he said. This has changed everybody. Not just the families, but the Auburn community all the way to Birmingham.

Next, Hightower is believed to have been involved in the double murder of a couple in Dadeville Friday evening. It wasnt immediately clear when the couple was killed, but they were found Friday night by a concerned family member, said Dadeville Police Chief Johnathan Floyd. Floyd identified the victims on Saturday as Willie Tidwell, 61, and his wife Barbara, 65. Floyd said they were communicating with Birmingham investigators and Hightower is the suspect, but no charges have yet been filed.

In Birmingham, Sgt. Rod Mauldin said officers were notified about 11 p.m. Friday that a vehicle being sought out of Auburn was spotted at the USA Economy Lodge on Crestwood Boulevard. That vehicle, Mauldin said, was taken in Auburn and involved in the homicide there.

Mauldin said they had also received reports that the suspect was seen in the area of the motel. A silver sedan was seen leaving the area and Birmingham police tried to stop the vehicle. At that point, Mauldin said, a man got out of the sedan and exchanged gunfire with Birmingham police. Officers lost sight of the suspect after the shooting.

Early Saturday morning, as police continued their search, evidence led them to a home in the 100 block of Briar Grove Drive. A resident in the area was letting his dogs out in the backyard to use the restroom when a black male wearing all black appeared seemingly out of nowhere and said, Hey, you got a phone? the resident told AL.com, asking that his name not be used for fear of retribution.

The resident said, no, and the man fled on foot toward the area of Briar Grove Road. It was then, investigators believe, that the suspect broke into a home and a man was shot and killed. A woman and her three children live at the home but were not there when the home invasion and subsequent shooting took place.

A short time later, the resident who encountered the suspect said, he heard a barrage of gunfire. The next thing he knew, his neighborhood was flooded by SWAT. It is believed he took a vehicle from the house on Briar Grove and was in that vehicle when Birmingham police tried to stop him.

He got out of the vehicle and exchanged gunfire with officers before fleeing the scene. It is believed Hightower fled on foot after crashing the stolen car. The police used the tag information on that vehicle to go to the home on Briar Grove Road where they found the slain man.

A large perimeter was set up in the Crestwood Boulevard and Montevallo Road areas. Police initially set up a command post in the Jacks parking lot in Irondale but later moved to a nearby location. Jefferson Countys Star 1 helicopter at one point circled the perimeter around Crestwood Plaza and the 5 Points East shopping plaza.

When Hightower surrendered, he walked out of a neighborhood that backs up to the Jacks. He is also being investigated for other robberies throughout Alabama. Deputy Chief Scott Praytor said the suspect has no known connection to the man killed in Birmingham and they believe he was the victim of a random home invasion by a suspect on the run. Warrants in the Birmingham case are expected to be sought Monday.

Saturdays efforts were a joint investigation by the U.S. Marshals Gulf Coast Regional Fugitive Task, the FBI, the Birmingham Police Department, Irondale Police Department, Dadeville Police Department, Columbus Police Department, Shelby County Sheriffs Office, Jefferson County Sheriffs Office, State Fire Marshals Office, State Medical Examiners Office, the Lee County District Attorneys Office and the Lee County Coroners Office.

"All of our partners showed up and helped and we were able to lock down the area,'' said Praytor. We were able to take this suspect in custody and hopefully stop this crime spree.
A file photo of a COVID-19 test vial at a drive-up testing station at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas, on April 6, 2020. (Ethan Miller/Getty Images)

Rite Aid Expands COVID-19 Self-Swab, Drive-Thru Testing With 7 New Locations

And there are more to come

Rite Aid is expanding its drive-thru testing locations for the CCP (Chinese Communist Party) virus, commonly known as novel coronavirus, with seven new sites.

The company announced on April 18 that additional site locations will be opening on April 20 in New York, New Jersey, Michigan, and Ohio through its partnership with the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.

The drugstore chain began piloting its first CCP virus testing site in Philadelphia on March 22. Since then, Rite Aid has added a total of 12 testing sites.

The company says it expects to continue opening additional locations soon in Delaware, Idaho, Michigan, New Jersey, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania, and Virginia.

Each drive-up location is open seven days a week from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. and employs self-swab nasal tests supervised by Rite Aid pharmacists. Testing is administered in the stores parking lots and requires all participants to remain in their vehicles. Rite Aid says it expects to conduct roughly 200 tests each day per location.

The Rite Aid log is displayed on the exterior of a Rite Aid pharmacy in San Rafael, California, on Sept. 26, 2019. (Justin Sullivan/Getty Images)

Patients are required to pre-register, answer screening questions and schedule an appointment on the Rite Aid website before driving up for testing. Testing is available at no cost for eligible candidates who meet criteria established by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the company says.

Were really trying to make sure patients are educated about whats going to happen when they arrive and then once theyre on site, were here to help, said company spokesperson, Christopher Savarese.

CCP virus lab testing for all drive-up locations will be conducted by BioReference Laboratories and PWNHealth, a national clinician network that enables safe and easy access to diagnostic testing, will provide clinical oversight for the testing program.

Test screening, scheduling and patients results will be facilitated through a partnership with Verilys Project Baseline. Verily is a subsidiary of Googles parent company Alphabet. The screening website states testing is not intended for people experiencing severe symptoms, which include severe cough, severe shortness of breath, severe fever, or other symptoms that may require immediate medical attention.

In the United States alone, there have been more than 716,000 reported cases of CCP virus and 37,650 deaths, according to official government data collated by Johns Hopkins University.

Epoch Times staff contributed to this report.

The-CNN-Wire

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The daughter of a woman who was allegedly brutally murdered in her home has written a touching tribute for her slain mother.

A 35-year-old mum-of-three, who cannot be named for legal reasons, was found dead at her home in Adelaide at about 12.30pm Thursday.

The woman's 13-year-old daughter described her mother as an 'angel'.

'She always tried for us kids no matter what,' the girl said in a statement to Nine News.

'She would always be laughing or trying to make us laugh. You will always be in our hearts mumma.'

The 35-year-old mother-of-three (pictured) was found dead at her home in Adelaide at about 12.30pm Thursday

The woman's father (pictured) described her as a 'compassionate girl who'd been through some very difficult times of late'

The woman's father said he will think of her every day for the rest of his life.

'She's a compassionate girl who'd been through some very difficult times of late,' he said.

The young girl's father - the murdered woman's ex-partner - said she 'always put her children first'.

'She was always around for me when I needed her and would go out of her way for anyone in need. I loved her, she was family to me even after separating.'

The woman's 13-year-old daughter (right) described her mother as an 'angel'

It is believed the woman's body lay undiscovered for around 19 hours before it was found by police.

A man has since 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'.

'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.

A mother-of-three was allegedly brutally murdered in her own home

Detective Superintendent Des Bray said the motive for the homicide was unclear, but said the woman had died a 'really horrible, violent death'. Police are pictured outside the Adelaide home

Pictured: A homicide detective on the scene on Thursday

'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.

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 was declared a major crime.
As the COVID-19 virus churns across the globe, artists have turned to creativity to express their fears and hopes in this time of uncertainty.

516 ARTS has launched The Museum From Home: The Resilience Project, a digital exhibition to help contemporary artists connect with the community. Organizers asked the artists to submit one digital image of their work. The exhibition is available online at 516arts.org/exhibitions/museum-from-home-the-resilience-project.

About 100 artists have contributed to the ongoing project.

The artwork reflects themes of resilience, creativity amid a time of crisis, facing the challenge, responsibility, closeness in social distancing, hope and more.

Pojoaques Miranda Gray once sold egg tempera paintings of kittens and bunnies. Today she is painting bats.

Scientists say the coronavirus likely originated in bats.

A former New York textile designer, Gray is a proponent of permaculture and identifies as Buddhist. She grew angry when she heard others blame the pandemic on bats.

The bats were wild animals that were put in cages and were really stressed out and they got diarrhea, Gray said.

When the Chinese were starving during the 1970s, the government said they could eat wild animals, Gray said. The people used the scales of the armadillo-like pangolins and they also ate them.

They think the virus went from the pangolins to the bats to the humans, Gray said.

The artist produced an egg tempera on panel self-portrait of herself dangling a bat with her fingers in front of a chalkboard haiku declaring, It is not the bats.

Japanese haiku is usually about beauty, so there is irony there, she said.

COVID-19 inspired Albuquerque mixed-media and installation artist Lea Anderson to think about the immune system.

Her graphite and mixed-media piece Guardian I depicts an imaginary world of immune cells.

Its an attempt to visualize and monumentalize the cellular entities in our immune system, she said. COVID-19 made her feel vulnerable and threatened, she said.

That system is our only line of defense, she said. Theres all these little tiny warriors that are part of us. Its a way to channel the fear of becoming sick; these little cells are fighting for our lives. I like to think of them as the war heroes in the fight against the enemy.

Albuquerque cut paper artist Catalina Delgado-Trunk submitted an intricate piece about the Mayan calendar completed in 2012.

Cyclical Time began as a protest against those who declared the Mayan calendar predicted the end of the world.

I thought this is a very good piece for us to remember, Delgado-Trunk said. Ive heard the devil is coming and talk about the apocalypse, but time will continue and our universe will continue.

Im hoping we learn from what were going through now. Lets think not about the self but for the common good and the best for our species and the planet.

The artist first discovered papel pecado (perforated or pecked paper) as a kindergartner in Mexico City. She rediscovered it after spending 30 years teaching French and ballet in Orlando, Florida.

Delgado-Trunk took workshops and earned an associate degree in art at a community college. She moved to Albuquerque 20 years ago because it felt like home.

Cyclical Time features two jaguars and two snakes. The jaguars represent the lords of the night; the serpents at the bottom are the lords of the sun.

The circles are the days and months, she added. Time continues through the cycle of night and day.
He made the pledge while hosting a reception for Cuban Ambassador to Vietnam Lianys Torres Rivera in Hanoi.



Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc (R) receives Cuban Ambassador to Vietnam Lianys Torres Rivera (Photo: VNA)



At the reception, he voiced his gratitude to Cuban high-ranking leaders and Government for their prompt support for Vietnam in the struggle against the COVID-19 pandemic.



The Party, Government and people of Vietnam recently presented 5,000 tonnes of rice for Cuban people, he said.



The Ministry of Defence of Vietnam has been tasked with serving as a focal point in cooperation with Cuba in COVID-19 prevention and control. Since the beginning of April, the two countries have held regular online conferences at all levels to share experiences in battling the disease.



The PM noted that Vietnamese people always treasure solidarity and friendship with their Cuban counterparts and appreciate Cubas support for the countrys liberation and revolutionary cause in the past.



He affirmed that Vietnam will spare no efforts in nurturing the traditional and comprehensive Vietnam-Cuba relations, thereby strengthening the bilateral ties in a practical and effective manner.



In reply, the Cuban ambassador thanked Vietnam for the assistance in the context of trade embargo against Cuba and the global pandemic.



She congratulated Vietnam on its achievements in COVID-19 prevention and control, adding that Cuba is ready to work with Vietnam in research into the cure for COVID-19 and other pharmaceutical products.



The diplomat expressed her hope that the bilateral ties will be promoted in various spheres after visits of Vietnamese high-ranking leaders to Cuba, adding that technology transfer has contributed to Cubas agricultural development./.
Life is never dull when youre sole-charge in one of New Zealands most remote locations  the Chatham Islands.

And when the population swells by almost a quarter due to COVID-19 restrictions its definitely not.

Senior Constable Chris Mankelow has been flat out on tasks including making one of New Zealands first arrests for breaking Level 4 restrictions.

The free diving and spear-fishing hes learned to love since taking up the post two-plus years ago are on hold for now while he spends an estimated 90 percent of his time dealing with coronavirus-related duties.

He generally has a population of about 660 to oversee. But COVID-19 saw that grow when 150-odd boarders arrived home from shut-down colleges.

With schools and airports considered high-risk, they are all in self-isolation  and ensuring they stay there has been added to Chris' daily routine. Hes helped in this by the very good local health team, comprising a similarly sole-charge doctor and five nurses. Theyre also testing, but have only found the common cold so far.

Wife Michelle, a fellow police officer, is officially on parental leave with their three-month-old son Corey. But with 30 to 50 phone calls a day  leading to congestion on the islands phone lines - during the lockdown, she has been helping out. Theres also three-year-old Larissa at home to be entertained, fed and tended to.

The arrested man was another returnee, back at his parents request to self-isolate with them. After partying one night  and they party hard on the Chathams, Chris says  the man wouldnt leave so he was called to take him home. The next day he was caught out hunting, then later turned up drunk at a random address.

Someone else had to break their bubble to drive him home that time, Chris notes.

A few days later there were complaints about him doing burnouts, then the following day more complaints about his driving after an argument with his mother, leading to another callout.

When I found him he was quite stroppy. There was a bit of a scuffle  he was arrested and spent the night in the cells.

That meant a sleepless night  a downside of the requirement to monitor those in custody when youre sole charge - followed by a flight escorting him to Christchurch the next day.

Conscious of his own bubble, large though it is, Chris didnt go beyond handing the man over to Christchurch Police on the tarmac before hitching a ride home on a cargo flight  and grabbing some sleep.

Meanwhile, there are other complaints about breaches to deal with. Many of the residents dont have phones so hes driving all over the island delivering warnings and tellings-off, leaving Michelle on phone duty at the home station.

In common with mainland colleagues, Chris is seeing more family harm incidents  and they are always a priority. But other work, including firearms licensing and some duties as deputy court registrar, is taking a back seat.

Chris did, however, have to carry out air traffic control and refuelling duties for a medivac flight  not COVID-19-related.

Chris and family were due to leave the Chathams next month but for now its wait and see.

Meanwhile, help is at hand  hes about to gain a colleague on a temporary secondment. However, while the newcomer arrived on Good Friday, he wont be operational until after the mandatory 14-day self-isolation.

Plenty of time to swot up on air traffic control, court registrar duties and whatever else the posting might throw their way.

-Police Ten One Magazine.
I don't wish to be in Nana Addo Danquah Akuffo-Addo's shoes right now. His excellency is more likely to be in a fix. He's obviously torn between saving the precious life's of the Ghanaian people or saving the already ailing economy and it's varied implications on society.

President Akufo-Addo on March 27 declared a partial lockdown of Greater Accra and Greater Kumasi regions after countless calls from civil society organizations including the Ghana Medical Association. The partial lockdown was to be effective 1 a.m on Monday, March 30, 2020.

The purpose of the lockdown, as gathered in the president's speech was to help curb the spread of COVID-19. As at March 27 when the President delivered his late night COVID-19 speech, Ghana had recorded 137 positive cases and four death.

The declaration of the partial lockdown on Friday, and its implementation on Monday, meant that Ghanaians had a two-day grace period to carry out their normal activities. The two-day grace period saw the exodus of people from the coronavirus hotspot to villages and towns which had no recorded cases. Markets in the epicenters were crowded as people defied the principles of social distancing to buy and hoard foodstuff.

THE PARTIAL LOCKDOWN: CHALLENGES AND EXPECTATIONS IN THE FIRST TWO WEEKS

Monday, March 30, saw the full implementation of the partial lockdown. Officers from the security services were dispatched to the various lockdown areas to ensure strict adherence to the president's directives. Grocery shops and "essential service providers" were given the pass to carry out their normal duties.

The restriction on movement meant that majority of Ghanaians, who fall within the informal sector were to stay home for two weeks (without working). Most private institutions asked their workers to go on mandatory leave with half or no pay.

The number of positive cases kept rising and the reality of a likely extension of the restriction after the two weeks became imminent.

EXTENSION OF PARTIAL LOCKDOWN

His Excellency the President on April 9, 2020, addressed the nation on the COVID-19 development. As at that time, the country had recorded 378 positive cases with six death.

As expected by many, the President extended the partial lockdown in Greater Accra (including Kasoa) and Greater Kumasi for one more week. The purpose of the extension, per the President's speech, was to enhance contact tracing, testing and contain the virus.

As of April 9, the virus had already spread to about 5 regions out of the total 16.

Unlike the first two weeks of the restriction where security officers were alleged to have manhandled civilians, the extension on restriction recorded virtually zero alleged assault. People have been calm and the expectation of a closure of the partial lockdown is high, especially from the informal sector, which has been largely hit.

AKUFO-ADDO TO ADDRESS THE STATE ON THE DEVELOPMENT OF COVID-19: THE DILEMMA AND EXPECTATIONS

Positive cases recorded as of the early morning of Sunday, April 19, are 834. Nine people have died.

The President is expected to address the nation today on his next move in fighting the pandemic. The decision he takes today, will determine our success or otherwise against this fight.

The President has to choose between extending the partial lock down to contain the spread and enhance contact tracing (and testing) or abolish the partial lockdown to allow economic activities to flow.

Share your thoughts with me via the comments section. Should the President extend the lockdown or not?

By

Alpha Osei Amoako

(Kwame Black)

Freelancer, Inspirational Speaker and Teacher

Email: [email protected]
Its official. We are in another recession. According to Kristalina Georgieva, the managing director of the International Monetary Fund (IMF), the downturn this time around is going to be as bad or worse than what the world experienced in 2009.

As an entrepreneur, this is bad news. As it is with any downturn, we can expect a lot of job losses and pay cuts. This inevitably leads to a drop in customers' purchasing power, which, in turn, impacts your business, leading to further layoffs.

While it will be nearly impossible to get away from this unscathed, businesses may take a few steps to mitigate losses. Here are a few tips to consider.

1. Put business interests first.

With recession looming large, businesses  even those with healthy cash flow  face uncertainty in their operations. In such times, it is natural to feel conflicted between helping your business or your employees. Ideally, you do both. But when the future is uncertain and cash flow is tight, many entrepreneurs have to decide: Should you spend your last penny on keeping your employees happy, or on keeping your business afloat?

A great boss might choose to help their employees weather the downturn. But if your business collapses, there will no place for your employees to come back to. So, while this is understandably a controversial opinion I think it is prudent to place higher focus on the survivability of your business. While this may not be good news to your employees in the short term, this is best over the long term for your business, your employees and the economy in general.

Related: Coronavirus and a Looming Recession: How to Raise Capital in ...

2. Provide more value to your customer.

When the economy is not doing well, customers tend to cut down on their expenses. Even if you offer something that they cannot do without, customers tend to reduce consumption, and this affects your top line. For instance, households may cut lawns less frequently, or go to cinemas less.

One way to mitigate lower revenues is by offering more value for the money you get paid. For instance, a cinema may offer free popcorn to their customers. Or a barber may offer unlimited haircuts for a flat annual fee.

When you pack more value into your product or service, customers tend to stop viewing your offering as an expense and start acknowledging the savings they make. While this may not be enough to grow your customers in a downturn, it may be nearly enough to retain at least your loyal base.

3. Collaborate with upstream and downstream providers.

Its worth reiterating the two ways average customers cut down on expenses. First, they chuck out any expense that they can live without. Movies, take-out and multiple streaming subscriptions may all fall under this category. Secondly, they reduce the money on things they absolutely need. Groceries and fuel are good examples of this.

Partner with people who offer services that are upstream or downstream to what you provide. Take the example of a business making mobile phone cases. Businesses in the upstream include mobile phone makers, while those in the downstream include stores and platforms selling these phones and accessories to customers.

Going back to the previous section on providing more value, a mobile phone maker might offer free phone cases. It's a good value trade-off that benefits both the phone maker and your business. This strategy works exceptionally well with software and app builders that can be packaged into the phone OS and be activated straight out of the box.

Related: Why Recession Can Lead to Reinvention

4. Innovate with pricing offers.

This is one of the most effective ways to retain your customers in a downturn. Pricing innovation must focus on two specific objectives: making your offering more affordable to the customer, and improving your own cash flow.

Consider partnering with services like Zebit, Splitit,or Klarna, which allow buyers to pay for your product or service in smaller installments. This makes your product more affordable to the buyer. If you are making use of a service that enables split payments, just make sure the service still pays you in full upfront.

Depending on your offering, you may also consider switching from charging licensing fees to monthly subscriptions.

But be aware that the solution you pick may impact your cash flow. For example, with a license fee, you make your money upfront. With a monthly recurring fee model, you may have to rely on payments made over time. Depending on your capital investment, this solution may or may not work.

Another way to improve cash flow would be to create incentives for customers who pay upfront. For example, if you are a SaaS service provider, you may offer a free month to customers who pick annual billing over monthly billing. This is a win-win for both the customer and the business.

A downturn is difficult for everyone: the business owner, her employees and customers. Just remember that the economy always bounces back. Even with the current outlook, the global economy is expected to turn over by next year. Hence, your focus should be on survival. Do everything in your power to ensure you're not among the hundreds of businesses likely to close shop.

Related: How to Obtain an SBA Coronavirus PPP Loan and Have It Forgiven

Related:

Shake Shack Received, Then Returned, $10 Million in Stimulus Funding

Finding Jobs And Building Careers In The Age Of COVID-19 And Beyond

A COVID-19 Survival Kit For Entrepreneurs



Copyright 2020 Entrepreneur.com Inc., All rights reserved
By Express News Service

VIJAYAWADA: The State government on Saturday asserted that it did not bring out the ordinance amending the AP Panchayat Raj Act to sack former State Election Commissioner Nimmagadda Ramesh Kumar. In an affidavit submitted in the High Court, it submitted that the ordinance, which changed the tenure, eligibility and method of appointment of the SEC, was issued as part of electoral reforms.

As per the ordinance issued last week, the SECs tenure will be three years instead of five, and only a retired high court judge can be appointed to the constitutional office. Nothing was done in haste. Ordinance was issued under Article 243 (K) of the Constitution, it clarified. The counter-affidavit was submitted in response to a batch of petitions filed by the former SEC, BJP and TDP leaders challenging the legality of the ordinance.

The government contended that under Article 243 (K) (2), tenure of the SEC doesnt come under service conditions and argued that it was well within its rights to take a decision on the SEC. The affidavit was filed by Panchayat Raj principal secretary Gopalakrishna Dwivedi. The government further stressed that its intention was to ensure free and fair elections. Dwelling at length on Ramesh Kumars conduct, the government recalled that he did not issue notification for polls to 1,47,477 panchayats.

Local polls were deferred due to coronavirus in Maharashtra, West Bengal and Odisha too and the model code of conduct was withdrawn in these states. Similarly, there the SEC had consulted the state governments before deferring the elections. In AP, Nimmagadda neither consulted the government nor withdrew the code of conduct, it said. He did not inform the court of his letter to the Centre. He behaved as if he did not trust government officers, it said.
Click here for the April 20 update

As of 1 p.m. April 19, 2020, there are 4,450 COVID-19 cases among residents in 368 nursing and personal care homes. At least 624 people have died from the virus.

According to Health Secretary Dr. Rachel Levine, nursing and personal care homes are required to contact the Pa. Department of Health if someone dies of COVID-19. The data below is released by the Pa. Department of Health and is updated by the Pennsylvania National Electronic Disease Surveillance System.

(Please click here if you cannot see the map embed above)

The state is also providing detailed hospital and respirator data here for desktop users and here for mobile users.

You can see more data about the coronavirus in Pennsylvania through our data and resources page.

Adams County

5 cases among residents, 1 case among employees and 1 fatality in 1 facility

Allegheny County

168 cases among residents, 51 cases among employees and 37 fatalities in 30 facilities

Some of the affected facilities include:

Beaver County

170 cases among residents, 11 cases among employees and 27 fatalities in 3 facilities

Some of the affected facilities include:

Berks County

333 cases among residents, 47 cases among employees and 36 fatalities in 14 facilities

Some of the affected facilities include:

2, 3) Berks Heim Nursing and Rehabilitation in Leesport (source: 1

Bucks County

272 cases among residents, 51 cases among employees and 48 fatalities in 38 facilities

Butler County

10 cases among residents, 9 cases among employees and 2 fatalities in 3 facilities

Carbon County

29 cases among residents, 1 case among employees and 7 fatalities in 2 facilities

Chester County

147 cases among residents, 19 cases among employees and 28 fatalities in 19 facilities

Clarion County

1 case among residents, 0 cases among employees and 0 fatalities in 1 facility

Clearfield County

2 cases among residents, 0 cases among employees and 0 fatalities in 2 facilities

Columbia County

13 cases among residents, 2 cases among employees and 0 fatalities in 1 facility

Cumberland County

64 cases among residents, 6 cases among employees and 2 fatalities in 3 facilities

Some of the affected facilities include:

2) Claremont Nursing and Rehabilitation Center in Middlesex Township (source: 1

Dauphin County

49 cases among residents, 3 cases among employees and 2 fatalities in 3 facilities.

Some of the affected facilities include:

Delaware County

409 cases among residents, 44 cases among employees and 60 fatalities in 37 facilities

Some of the affected facilities include:

Erie County

2 cases among residents, 0 cases among employees and 0 fatalities in 2 facilities

Fayette County

3 cases among residents, 0 cases among employees and 1 fatality in 1 facility

Indiana County

11 cases among residents, 0 cases among employees and 4 fatalities in 2 facilities

Lackawanna County

224 cases among residents, 18 cases among employees and 23 fatalities in 9 facilities

Lancaster County

260 cases among residents, 55 cases among employees and 44 fatalities in 21 facilities

Some of the affected facilities include:

Lebanon County

8 cases among residents, 1 case among employees and 0 fatalities in 1 facility

Lehigh County

154 cases among residents, 28 cases among employees and 13 fatalities in 17 facilities

Luzerne County

165 cases among residents, 15 cases among employees and 27 fatalities in 12 facilities

Lycoming County

0 cases among residents, 1 case among employees and 0 fatalities in 1 facility

Mercer County

1 case among residents, 0 cases among employees and 0 fatalities in 1 facility

Monroe County

66 cases among residents, 18 cases among employees and 18 fatalities in 7 facilities

Montgomery County

761 cases among residents, 20 cases among employees and 121 fatalities in 64 facilities

Northampton County

214 cases among residents, 48 cases among employees and 19 fatalities in 12 facilities

Some of the affected facilities include:

Perry County

2 cases among residents, 0 cases among employees and 0 fatalities in 1 facility

Philadelphia County

759 cases among residents, 3 cases among employees and 82 fatalities in 46 facilities

Pike County

18 cases among residents, 1 cases among employees and 1 fatality in 1 facility

Schuylkill County

1 case among residents, 0 cases among employees and 0 fatalities in 1 facility

Susquehanna County

40 cases among residents, 3 cases among employees and 3 fatalities in 3 facilities

Washington County

4 cases among residents, 1 case among employees and 1 fatality in 3 facilities

Westmoreland County

81 cases among residents, 21 cases among employees and 17 fatalities in 4 facilities

York County

4 cases among residents, 1 case among employees and 0 fatalities in 2 facilities

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.
The owners of these companies value their reputation and their customers above anything else, Prabowo says. They want to refund you or find a solution that satisfies you, but due to the crisis and their cash flow situation, they might not be able to do that as fast as youd expect.

There are limits to what a credit card dispute can do for you. First, dont expect too much from your bank in a post-coronavirus world. The truth is that in the wake of the coronavirus outbreak, a flood of these credit card disputes are going to come in, and issuers may not be as generous as theyve been in the past, says Matt Schulz, chief industry analyst for CompareCards, a credit card site.

And even if youre successful, a travel company might try to send a collection agency after you or blacklist you, although that is illegal. Car rental companies are notorious for adding customers to do not rent lists if they file successful charge-backs.

Finally, theres the danger that your charge-back may hit the wrong target and destroy it. That would be the small travel agency you used to make the reservation. If it took your money, it could be on the line for the full amount. A few charge-backs like that are enough to put a small travel agency out of business. And havent we already seen enough destruction?

Elliott is a consumer advocate, journalist and co-founder of the advocacy group Travelers United. Email him at chris@elliott.org.
Northern New Mexico, along with the rest of the world, is getting a crash course, emergency lesson in how to conduct life in a remote world  as in remote classes, remote conferencing, remote news conferences or remote dinner parties, all in the online world.

Get on the internet (where else?) and youll find a lot of speculation that the coronavirus pandemic, by forcing us to turn more to life via computer, may have a lasting impact on how we organize many societal functions.

Remote work in education, health care could become the norm in post-coronavirus world was the headline on a MarketWatch article. Working from home will be the new normal for many, says opinion website Vox. Newsweeks version is The Coronavirus Will Change How We Work Forever.

Public schools have been forced into online mode, with the Santa Fe school district among the best prepared because of its prior distribution of computer devices to all students.

City councils, school boards and other government boards are turning to online public meetings, with remote public comment.

Arts institutions  from local galleries to the worlds greatest museums  are valiantly trying to fill the culture void by providing virtual tours, exhibitions or other programs. Musicians are offering webcast concerts from their living rooms or other personal spaces.

And as Santa Fes great summer arts festivals  Indian Market, Spanish Market and the International Folk Art Market  have all been shut down for 2020, theres talk of virtual markets, where vendors can offer their wares online.

In this edition of the Journal North, check out our story on how Alcoholics Anonymous and other support groups for those with substance abuse disorders also are moving their crucial services and meetings online.

Maybe all of this should be considered a trial run, a societal clinical trial for how much can or should be shifted online long term.

Online classes have already become a major part of the offerings of many serious higher education institutions, such as Arizona State and Ohios Kent State. Can that model really be adopted long term for public high schools, where part of the goal is to provide mandatory education to all, not just those with good support structures at home?

Working from home has a lot of advantages. People can work around family duties or other personal issues. Its also greener  no need for commutes or an office infrastructure. Workers can be anywhere, not just clustered in city centers or suburban office parks.

But theres also the loss of face-to-face communication, not to mention camaraderie, and interactions that can spark creativity and new ideas. Several major companies have rolled back the work-at-home model after giving it a try.

In face-to-face communication, you are sharing a moment in time and space with someone, a Dartmouth professor told Time magazine for a recent article that takes a critical look at working from home. That is incredibly compelling for our ancient brains.

In case you havent heard, newspapers  which depend on revenue from business advertisers  are among the commercial operations getting slammed by the COVID-19 downturn. Its hard to imagine a newspaper without a newsroom, where breaking stories are hashed out, dissected, reported and edited in close quarters and real time, and with the collective pride that comes with doing good work under pressure. But a reduced economy post-coronavirus may mean trying to recreate that kind of teamwork and good feeling, in many kinds of businesses, on Zoom or WebEx.

As for the arts, there really is no alternative to the real world. Watching Neil Young perform a deep cut from his catalogue in front of his fireplace during virus quarantine is a nice diversion. But its no replacement for a live show.

Indian Market without crowds for people-watching and Navajo tacos? No way.

State government says Santa Fe has become a leader in social distancing. Most of us have been hunkering down at home for about a month now. Meanwhile, our smartphones and computer screens provide crucial links to friends, family and the rest of the world. Modern communications technology is a great thing.

But lets hope that, after the crisis passes, the options made possible by that technology dont leave us with more isolation than before.
The analysts might have been a bit too bullish on Morgan Stanley (NYSE:MS), given that the company fell short of expectations when it released its first-quarter results last week. It wasn't a great result overall - while revenue fell marginally short of analyst estimates at US$9.5b, statutory earnings missed forecasts by 12%, coming in at just US$1.01 per share. This is an important time for investors, as they can track a company's performance in its report, look at what experts are forecasting for next year, and see if there has been any change to expectations for the business. So we collected the latest post-earnings statutory consensus estimates to see what could be in store for next year.

Check out our latest analysis for Morgan Stanley

NYSE:MS Past and Future Earnings April 19th 2020

Taking into account the latest results, the 19 analysts covering Morgan Stanley provided consensus estimates of US$36.6b revenue in 2020, which would reflect a considerable 10.0% decline on its sales over the past 12 months. Statutory earnings per share are forecast to plunge 28% to US$3.54 in the same period. Before this earnings report, the analysts had been forecasting revenues of US$38.1b and earnings per share (EPS) of US$4.08 in 2020. From this we can that sentiment has definitely become more bearish after the latest results, leading to lower revenue forecasts and a substantial drop in earnings per share estimates.

The analysts made no major changes to their price target of US$46.81, suggesting the downgrades are not expected to have a long-term impact on Morgan Stanley'svaluation. There's another way to think about price targets though, and that's to look at the range of price targets put forward by analysts, because a wide range of estimates could suggest a diverse view on possible outcomes for the business. Currently, the most bullish analyst values Morgan Stanley at US$60.00 per share, while the most bearish prices it at US$34.40. These price targets show that analysts do have some differing views on the business, but the estimates do not vary enough to suggest to us that some are betting on wild success or utter failure.

Story continues

Taking a look at the bigger picture now, one of the ways we can understand these forecasts is to see how they compare to both past performance and industry growth estimates. We would highlight that sales are expected to reverse, with the forecast 10.0% revenue decline a notable change from historical growth of 4.1% 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 3.3% next year. So although its revenues are forecast to shrink, this cloud does not come with a silver lining - Morgan Stanley 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 Morgan Stanley. On the negative side, they also downgraded their revenue estimates, and forecasts imply revenues will perform worse than the wider industry. The consensus price target held steady at US$46.81, with the latest estimates not enough to have an impact on their price targets.

With that said, the long-term trajectory of the company's earnings is a lot more important than next year. We have estimates - from multiple Morgan Stanley analysts - going out to 2022, and you can see them free on our platform here.

And what about risks? Every company has them, and we've spotted 2 warning signs for Morgan Stanley (of which 1 is a bit unpleasant!) you should know about.

If you spot an error that warrants correction, please contact the editor at editorial-team@simplywallst.com. This article by Simply Wall St is general in nature. It does not constitute a recommendation to buy or sell any stock, and does not take account of your objectives, or your financial situation. Simply Wall St has no position in the stocks mentioned.



We aim to bring you long-term focused research analysis driven by fundamental data. Note that our analysis may not factor in the latest price-sensitive company announcements or qualitative material. Thank you for reading.
A California doctor has been charged with fraud for selling coronavirus treatment packs online that included hydroxychloroquine, the disputed drug that Donald Trump touts as the cure to COVID-19.

Jennings Ryan Staley, 44, a licensed physician and the owner of Skinny Beach Med Spa in San Diego was charged with mail fraud on Thursday, the United States Attorneys Office for the Southern District of California announced.

He sold 'COVID-19 treatment packs' that included the medications hydroxychloroquine and azithromycin in a 'concierge medicine experience' that retailed at $3,995 for a family of four.

The package also included access to Dr. Staley and 'anti-anxiety treatments to help you avoid panic if needed and help you sleep', prosecutors say.

Dr. Staley's lawyer claims he was following the example of President Trump and the executive branch of government in prescribing the drugs.

California Dr. Jennings Ryan Staley, 44, was charged with mail fraud on Thursday for selling 'COVID-19 treatment packs' that included hydroxychloroquine and claiming it cured the novel coronavirus

A view of Staley's 'COVID-19' pack pictured above. It came with medications hydroxychloroquine and azithromycin and anti-anxiety treatments

While Trump has hailed hydroxychloroquine, an antimalarial drug, as a '100 percent' cure to COVID-19, doctors warn theres limited evidence surrounding the drugs actual benefits.

However, medics have been subscribing it to coronavirus patients for weeks now as the drug is known to calm the immune system, though there have been no intensive clinical trials showing the drug works against COVID-19.

Some early reports from doctors in China and France said that hydroxychloroquine, at times combined with the antibiotic azithromycin, seemed to help COVID-19 patients.

Skinny Beach Med Spa offers beauty-related services including Botox, hair removal, and fat transfer. They started advertising the packs in late March and the FBI opened an investigation following a tip.

Dr. Staley told an undercover FBI agent over the phone that he was selling the antimalarial medication identified as hydroxychloroquine saying it 'cures the disease'.

'Its preventative and curative,' he said, according to prosecutors. 'Its hard to believe, its almost too good to be true. But its a remarkable clinical phenomenon.'

Staley told an undercover FBI agent over the phone the drug 'cures the disease' and is a 'remarkable clinical phenomenon'

Skinny Beach Med Spa offers beauty-related services including Botox, hair removal, and fat transfer. They started advertising the packs in late March and the FBI opened an investigation following a tip

In that phone call he mentioned another antimalarial drug called mefloquine that he said he would sell if he ran out of hydroxychloroquine.

He said both drugs could completely cure the novel coronavirus and that the treatment would make a person immune for at least six weeks.

He later told the agent: 'There are no guarantees in life. There are no guarantees of anything.'

A week later Staley was interviewed by the FBI and said it 'would be foolish' to tell patients the treatments are 100 percent effective in combating COVID-19.

'We will not tolerate Covid-19 fraudsters who try to profit and take advantage of the pandemic fear to cheat, steal and harm others,' Robert S. Brewer Jr., the U.S. attorney for the Southern District of California, said in the statement.

'Rest assured: those who engage in this despicable conduct will find themselves in the cross hairs of federal prosecutors,' he added.

Dr. Staleys lawyer Patrick Griffin said that his client was following the example of the executive branch of the government in prescribing the drugs.

He claims hes being unfairly prosecuted.

Dr. Staleys lawyer Patrick Griffin said that his client was following the example of the executive branch of the government in prescribing the drugs including hydroxychloroquine. Stock image of hydroxychloroquine pills above

'The same executive branch that has been touting these two medications for weeks has now turned around and criminally charged an Iraq veteran, Dr. Staley, no criminal record, for doing exactly the same thing that the administrations been doing this whole time,' Griffin said in a statement to the New York Times.

Griffin argued his client truly believed he was aiding people and said the treatment packs were sold at a fair price.

He said Staley even gave the undercover agent 'two for free. The opposite of scamming someone.'

Griffin said, 'really what we have here is a dispute about what a physician feels is in the best interests of his patients.'

However, Assistant U. S. Attorney Robert Huie said the case is about the false curative claims made about the medication.

'Our case is not about the doctor touting drugs. Its not about whether drugs are good or bad, its about him telling patients, telling would-be customers, in an effort to sell his services, that what hes offering is a 100 percent cure and it confers temporary immunity.'

Staley faces up to 20 years in jail if convicted.
Condemning the arrests, US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo called the arrests "deeply concerning"

Former lawmaker and pro-democracy activist Martin Lee (C) leaves the Central District police station in Hong Kong. AFP Photo

Hong Kong: Police in Hong Kong carried out a sweeping operation against high-profile democracy campaigners on Saturday, arresting 15 activists on charges related to massive protests that rocked the Asian financial hub last year.

Among those targeted was 72-year-old media tycoon Jimmy Lai, founder of anti-establishment newspaper Apple Daily, who was arrested at his home.

The group also included former lawmakers Martin Lee, Margaret Ng, Albert Ho, Leung Kwok-hung, Au Nok-hin and current lawmaker Leung Yiu-chung.

They are accused of organising and taking part in unlawful assemblies in August and October, according to the police.

Five were arrested on suspicion of publicising unauthorised public meetings in September and October.

"The arrestees were charged or will be charged with related crimes," superintendent Lam Wing-ho said.

All 15 are due to appear in court mid-May.

US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo called the arrests "deeply concerning", saying in a tweet that "politicized law enforcement is inconsistent with universal values of freedom of expression, association, and peaceful assembly".

The semi-autonomous city was shaken by widespread and sometimes violent street protests in 2019, sparked by a now-abandoned proposal to allow extraditions to the Chinese mainland and its opaque judicial system.

"Today's arrests of pro-democracy figures in Hong Kong is another nail in the coffin of 'one country, two systems'," said Sophie Richardson, the China director at Human Rights Watch, referring to the principle that guarantees freedoms in the city not seen on the mainland.
https://www.aish.com/jw/s/The-Survivors-Talmud-When-the-US-Army-Printed-the-Talmud.html

With the help of the US Army, Jewish Holocaust survivors printed copies of the Talmud.

As World War II drew to a close in 1945, survivors of the Nazi death camps tried to rebuild their shattered lives in Displaced Person (DP) camps, many of which were housed in the very concentration camps in which Nazis had recently tortured and murdered Jews and others.

On September 29, over three months after the end of the war in Europe, US President Harry S. Truman wrote a scathing letter to Gen. Dwight D. Eisenhower, who was in charge of American troops in occupied Germany, describing the horrific conditions that Jews were still living in. Pres. Truman quoted from a report on the conditions in the DP camps that hed commissioned: As matters now stand, we appear to be treating the Jews as the Nazis treated them except that we do not exterminate them. They are in concentration camps in large numbers under our military guard instead of S.S. troops. One is led to wonder whether the German people, seeing this, are not supposing that we are following or at least condoning Nazi policy.

Truman argued that we have a particular responsibility toward these victims of persecution and tyranny who are in our zone. We must make clear to the German people that we thoroughly abhor the Nazi policies of hatred and persecution. We have no better opportunity to demonstrate this than by the manner in which we ourselves actually treat the survivors remaining in Germany.

With American support, Jewish life slowly began to return to the camps. The American Jewish Joint Distribution Committee moved into many DP camps and helped distribute food and medical supplies. They also helped set up Jewish schools in the camps, aided at times by the American army and also by some remarkable rabbis whod survived the Holocaust and were determined now to rebuild Jewish life.

One huge problem prevented the resumption of Jewish education and religious services: while the Nazis murdered as many Jews as possible and tried to wipe out Jewish existence, they also destroyed countless Jewish books, Torah scrolls and other ritual objects. Allied officials were able to find some Jewish prayer books in Nazi warehouses, but the ragged Jewish survivors in DP camps still lacked many basic Jewish books and supplies.

One leader who stepped in to help was Rabbi Avrohom Kalmanowitz. Born in Russia, Rabbi Kalmanowitz was head of the renowned Mir Yeshiva, one of the greatest yeshivas in the world. In 1939, with war looming, Rabbi Kalmanowitz decided to relocate his famous school from Lithuania to Kobe, in Japan.He set out to bring 575 members of the school, but soon found himself leading nearly 3,000 Jews who were desperate to escape Nazi Europe. He led this group, which included many sick and elderly Jews, across Russia and Siberia and onto Japan. For much of the journey, stronger members of the group would carry those who couldnt walk on their backs.

After Japan attacked the United States, Rabbi Kalmanowitz moved his yeshiva once more, to Shanghai. There he improvised printing presses using stones and managed to publish 38,000 Jewish books. While Hitler was burning books and bodies, Rabbi Kalmanowitz later recalled, the men of Mirrer (the Mir Yeshiva) who had traveled 16,000 miles from Lithuania to Shanghai were using stones for printing presses to keep the light of learning alive. After the end of the war, Rabbi Kalmanowitz returned to Europe, and once more championed the printing of Jewish books and preservation of Jewish life.

Mirrer Yeshiva in Shanghai

Rabbi Kalmanowitz was a leading figure in the Agudat Harabbanim and the Vaad Hatzalah. He cultivated contacts with American military officials and oversaw the printing of Jewish prayer books, Passover Haggadahs, copies of the Megillah of Esther for Purim, and even some volumes of the Talmud. Rabbi Kalmanowitz is a patient and appreciative old patriarch, Gen. John Hilldring, the US Assistant Secretary of State for Occupied Areas, wrote to a colleague. I can think of no assistance I gave anyone in Washington...that gave me more satisfaction than the very little help I gave the old rabbi. Rabbi Kalmanowitz requested resources to print even more Jewish books but was told that with the acute shortage of paper in Germany, more ambitious plans to print Jewish books was impossible.

Seeing Rabbi Kalmanowitzs success in printing some Jewish books and even some volumes of the Talmud, another Jewish leader in Europe at the time began to dream of an even more ambitious project. The chief rabbi of the US Zone in Europe was Rabbi Samuel Abba Snieg. He was a commanding figure. Before he was captured by the Nazis he was a chaplain in the Lithuanian army. He was sent to the Jewish Ghetto in Slabodka, a town near Kovno in Lithuania which was renowned as a center of Jewish intellectual life. From there, Rabbi Snieg was sent to the notorious Dachau concentration camp. He survived, and after being liberated dedicated his life to rebuilding Jewish life. He was assisted by Rabbi Samuel Jakob Rose, a young man whod studied at the famous Slabodka Yeshiva before the Holocaust. They resolved to approach the US military for help in printing copies of the Talmud  the first volumes of the Talmud to be printed in Europe since the Holocaust.

Rabbi Samuel Jakob Rose, a survivor of Dachau, examines the galleys of the first postwar edition of the Talmud to be printed in Germany. Photo taken ca. 1947. Courtesy of the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum via the National Archives and Records Administration, College Park

A set of Talmud  called Shas  is made up of 63 tractates, comprising 2711 double-sided pages. For millennia, its many volumes have been studied day and night by Jews around the world. Printing a complete set of the Talmud would send a powerful message that Jewish life was possible once again.

Whom to ask for help? General Joseph McNarney was the commander of American forces in Europe. The rabbis wondered if there might be a way to reach him with their request, and decided to approach his advisor for Jewish affairs, an American Reform rabbi from New York named Philip S. Bernstein.

Rabbi Bernstein came from a very different background from the black-hatted Orthodox rabbis laboring in the DP camps. On the surface, perhaps, the men looked very different. But Rabbi Bernsteins mother had come from Lithuania and he had a deep attachment to Jewish life and was open to requests for help in rebuilding Jewish education in the DP camps. Rabbi Snieg and Rabbi Rose explained their proposal to print whole sets of the Talmud on German soil, and Rabbi Bernstein became an enthusiastic supporter of the plan.

Title page of Masechet Nedarim

They arranged a meeting with Gen. McNarney in Frankfurt where they asked if the US army would lend the tools for the perpetuation of religion, for the students who crave these texts Gen McNarney realized that printing sets of the Talmud would be a powerful symbol of the triumph of Jewish life  supported by American forces  in the lands where it had so nearly been wiped out. On September 11, 1946, he signed an agreement with the American Joint Distribution Committee and Rabbinical Council of the US Zone in Germany to print fifty copies of the Talmud, packaged into 16 volume sets. It would be the first time in history that an army agreed to print copies of this core Jewish text. The project became known as the Survivors Talmud.

The team immediately ran into obstacles. First, it was impossible to find a set of Shas (the entire Talmud) anywhere in the US Zone of former Nazi lands. Every Jew in Poland was ordered, upon pain of death, to carry to the Nazi bonfires and personally consign to the flames his copy of the Talmud, one testimony recorded. In the end, a member of the American Joint Distribution Committee brought two complete sets of the Talmud from New York.

The title page of Masechet Bechorot from the Survivors Talmud. Courtesy of Yeshiva University, Mendel Gottesman Library

Even though the US Army had agreed to print the volumes, some officials objected to the expense. The timeframe and scope of the project kept changing. Then there was the sheer labor involved in printing what eventually became nineteen-volume sets of the Talmud: each copy needed 1,800 zinc plates which had to be painstakingly set and proofread. The project began in 1947 and was finally completed in late 1950. ...we are Gott sie Dank (Thank God) packing the Talmud an American Joint Distribution Committee employee wrote in November, when they began distributing the Talmud. The Joint paid for additional sets of the Talmud to be printed; in the end, about 3,000 volumes were made. These were then shipped all over the world wherever Holocaust survivors from the the DP camps were settling. The Survivors Talmud made its way to New York, Antwerp, Paris, Algeria, Italy, Hungary, Morocco, Tunisia, South Africa, Greece, Yugoslavia, Norway, Sweden, and Israel.

From the outside, these sets of the Survivors Talmud looked like any other set of Shas. Their special origin is only visible on the title page, which shows a picture of the Land of Israel as well as a concentration camp surrounded by a barbed wire fence, with the words From bondage to freedom, from darkness to a great light. Below is this touching dedication:

This edition of the Talmud is dedicated to the United States Army. The Army played a major role in the rescue of the Jewish people from total annihilation, and their defeat of Hitler bore the major burden of sustaining the DPs of the Jewish faith. This special edition of the Talmud, published in the very land where, but a short time ago, everything Jewish and of Jewish inspiration was anathema, will remain a symbol of the indestructibility of the Torah. The Jewish DPs will never forget the generous impulses and the unprecedented humanitarianism of the American Forces, to whom they owe so much.

Some individual owners of this remarkable set of Talmud wrote their own dedications as well. One rabbi of a small town in Israel near Jerusalem recalled how he lost his wife and children when they were murdered in the Holocaust. Living in Israel, he spent his days studying from his Survivors Talmud. On the first page he hand-wrote his own dedication as well, which surely was the hope of many other survivors who studied this remarkable Survivors Talmud as well:

May it be Thy will that I be privileged to dwell quietly in the land; to study the holy Torah amid contentment of mind, peace, and security for the rest of my days; that I may learn, teach, heed, do and fulfill in love all the words of Thy Love. May I yet be remembered for salvation for the sake of my parents who sanctified Thy name when living and when led to their martyrs eath. May their blood be avenged! May I merit to witness soon the final redemption of Israel. Amen.

This was the prayer of so many of the Jews who helped print and then studied the Survivors Talmud. This remarkable undertaking was a way of declaring that no matter how terrible circumstances became, Jews would always find a way to return to the Jewish texts that have always sustained us.
By Express News Service

VIJAYAWADA: Out of the 31 new coronavirus cases reported on Saturday, 17 are from Krishna district. The total number of COVID-19 cases in the State stood at 603. COVID-19 toll in the State rose to 16 with two more deaths  one in Krishna and another in Kurnool district. According to officials, a 60-year-old man from Budhavarapeta in Kurnool city died while being shifted from Viswabharathi Hospital to Kurnool Government General Hospital.

He was admitted to Viswabharathi Hospital with corona symptoms and tested positive. However, the officials are tight-lipped as to the reason why he was shifted from Viswabharathi Hospital, a COVID-19 hospital, to Kurnool GGH, and provided details as to when he was admitted and when he tested positive and if he was suffering from any comorbidities.

On the other hand, Krishna district officials did not disclose details pertaining to the corona death, which was mentioned in the media bulletin issued by the State government at 3 pm on Saturday. As per the report, the total number of cases in Krishna district shot up to 70 with 17 new cases. After Krishna district, the highest number of 6 new cases were reported from Kurnool, taking the total in that district to 132.

Three more cases were reported from Nellore, two from Prakasam and one from West Godavari. Nineteen Covid-19 patients, who recovered fully, were discharged from hospitals in the State. Nine persons were discharged in West Godavari, six in Kadapa, three in Visakhapatnam and one in Krishna.

Testing capacity enhanced

About 4,000 tests were conducted in one day (Friday) using the new kits and telemedicine became an instant hit in the State. Explaining it to Chief Minister YS Jagan Mohan Reddy during a review meeting on Saturday, officials informed him that it was made possible with the help of VRDLs (testing labs) and TrueNat machines. Rapid test kits have enhanced the testing capacity of the State significantly, they said.

Elaborating further, they said there was only one lab in Tirupati before the outbreak of Covid-19 and gradually six more labs were set up in the State to combat coronavirus.

The number of labs will go up to 12 in a week, with two more in Tirupati and one each in Kurnool, Prakasam and Srikakulam districts are coming up. Stating that there was a good response to telemedicine, the officials said medical services were provided by answering 5,219 phone calls. Prescriptions were sent to those in need and medicines would also be provided free of cost, they added. While taking stock of the farm sector and marketing, the Chief Minister expressed happiness over the success of the scheme to provide five kinds of fruits for just `100. He directed the marketing department to move ahead aggressively by taking up novel marketing strategies.

Agricultural Mission Vice-Chairman MVS Nagi Reddy said despite the governments efforts in providing proper marketing facilities to farmers during the present troubled times, negative propaganda was being disseminated in a section of the media. The officials told the Chief Minister that there was a slight movement in the transport sector and that 35 per cent of transportation has been restored. They said that facilities at the quarantine centres were improved as per the Chief Ministers instructions. Jagan directed the officials to give priority to maintenance of hygiene.

Later, at a press conference, Deputy Chief Minister (Health) Alla Kali Krishna Srinivas asserted that State government has been successfully containing the spread of the virus by taking several precautionary measures, but the Opposition, unable to digest the fact, is making false allegations. Andhra Pradesh is the only State in the country to procure over one lakh rapid test kits from South Korea. Testing labs will be increased to 12 soon.
NASA, SpaceX First Manned Mission To ISS Scheduled For May 27 News oi-Sharmishte Datti

NASA astronauts just returned to Earth from the International Space Station aboard the Russian Soyuz spaceship. This marked the end of the reliance on the Russian spacecraft, after which, NASA would rely on SpaceX and Boing. Now, NASA and SpaceX have set a specific date and time for their first manned mission together.

The first SpaceX flight will take off on May 27 at 4:32 PM EDT from the Kennedy Space Center, at SpaceX's Launch Complex 39A (LC-39). NASA astronauts Bob Behnken and Doug Hurley have been chosen for this inaugural trip to the International Space Station, marking the first crewed mission in NASA's Commercial Crew program.

SpaceX First Launch Scheduled

As part of NASA's Commercial Crew Program, SpaceX and Boeing were selected as potential companies to develop launch vehicles and crew craft. However, Boeing has faced multiple issues related to both software and its hardware. On the other hand, SpaceX has stayed ahead of the curve and is now set to launch its first manned mission to ISS.

The upcoming mission will be a validation of every aspect of SpaceX's technology, including the Crew Dragon and the Falcon 9 launch system. All aspects including the pad from which the rocket takes off, the operational facilities on the ground, orbital systems, and astronaut procedures will be tested.

Further details about the SpaceX first launch will carry Behnken and Hurley, taking them to the orbit and rendevous with ISS, which is expected to occur around 24 hours after the liftoff. The SpaceX spacecraft is designed to dock fully autonomously with the station, which has already been achieved successfully on previous occasions during an uncrewed demo mission.

It's been reported that the Crew Dragon flying this mission is designed to stay on orbit for around 110 days. However, the actual length of the stay will be decided by how ready the commercial crew mission to follow is at the time of launch.

Given the COVID-19 crisis, NASA and SpaceX are facing quite a few challenges along with other organizations across the globe. More recently, NASA and ESA will be working on understanding the coronavirus pandemic and how best to combat it.

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Industries in areas that have been identified as orange and green zones will be allowed conditional permission to resume operations from April 20, Maharashtra chief minister Uddhav Thackeray said on Sunday.

The central government has allowed states to resume limited activities in certain areas from Monday and laid down guidelines on the segments that could begin operations.

Industries will be allowed in green and orange zones. However, the workers should be in-situ. They should not travel, Thackeray said, asking the businesses to take care of the workers and house them.

Till Saturday, the state reported 3,648 coronavirus cases and 211 deaths.

Green zones are where there have no reports of coronavirus disease (Covid-19) cases, while orange zones are the ones where a few cases have been reported. India has identified 170 hot spot districts, or red zones, where the relaxations will not be applicable.

Till Saturday evening, Maharashtra has conducted 66,800 tests, of which 95% were negative, Thackeray said. Of the 3600 people tested positive, 75% are showing mild symptoms. There is no need to hide if you have any symptoms. You can approach the government hospitals, he added.

Thackeray requested women to dial 100 to register complaints on domestic violence, amid reports that such cases have increased during the lockdown.

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A pastor and several members of his church were detained by police as they took part in an online worship session on Easter Sunday.

The Early Rain Covenant Church, in China's Sichuan province, was hosting an online worship session in celebration of Easter when several members were taken away from their homes by members of the Public Security Bureau, International Christian Concern (ICC) reports.

One member of the house church told ICC that she was taking part in the service via Zoom when everything went quiet.

At first, she thought it was a network connection issue but then she heard what sounded like a quarrel involving another member of the church.

At one point, she says she heard the church member say, "Who are you to do this [to us]?"

In one participant's home, the electricity was cut off, while others received phone calls telling them that the police were going to visit them soon, she said.

Another member of the church told ICC that he received a police warning telling him not to listen to the sermons of the church's imprisoned pastor Wang Yi.

"Don't participate in already banned [religious] activities anymore! Don't listen to Pastor [Wang]'s sermons anymore! If you do this again, we will deal with it seriously and take you away!" the church member alleged.

ICC said that the six church members detained by the police have since been released.

The church has been the target of harassment by the authorities since 2018, when it criticised the introduction of stricter regulations for places of worship.

Last December, Pastor Wang was sentenced to nine years in prison for "inciting to subvert state power", and "illegal business operations".

ICC said that this latest police action against the church came after one member of the congregation, Chen Yan, filed a lawsuit against the authorities for unlawful harassment.

Gina Goh, ICC's Regional Manager for Southeast Asia, said that the authorities had been monitoring and harassing church members "with the hope that the church will disperse itself".

She called on the UN to reverse its decision to appoint China to its Human Rights Council.

"It is such a shame that the Chinese government has not once stopped its persecution of ERCC," she said.

"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.

"The UN should immediately suspend China's appointment to the Human Rights Council for its lack of respect for human rights."
Hey there, time traveller!

This article was published 19/4/2020 (632 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

When life gave him grapes, Italian-Canadian entrepreneur Pierluigi (Louie) Tolaini made fine wine.

The founder of both the TransX Group of Companies and a renowned Tuscan winery, Tolaini died of cancer on Sunday morning. He was 83.

His death was announced by Banville and Jones Wine Co., a Winnipeg firm started by his daughter Tina Jones, who was inspired by her father the wine enthusiast.

"Hell be remembered as a legendary entrepreneur in the province of Manitoba, and not only in the trucking industry. The province benefitted from his hard work and his vision and his passion," Jones told the Free Press.

Tolaini was born into a poor family in Castelnuovo di Garfagnana, a town in Lucca, Tuscany, in 1936. At age 19, with a Grade 6 education, he moved to Virden, in western Manitoba. He picked up three jobs to make money to send home to his family.

One of his jobs involved hauling water to oil fields. He did so with a truck he bought with money borrowed from his aunt in Virden, and that, Jones said, is how her fathers legacy began.

Tolaini bought more trucks and started hauling general freight and livestock between Virden and Winnipeg  marking the unofficial beginning of TransX, which would become one of the continents top carriers, with 1,500 trucks and 3,000 employees.

The companys website handles approximately 72,000 shipments every month.

Canadian National Railway acquired it in March 2019, although TransX is still based out of Winnipeg and operates independently.

Louie Tolaini founded the TransX Group of Companies and a renowned Tuscan winery. Tolaini died of cancer on Sunday morning. He was 83. (Submitted)

Lia Tolaini-Banville, Tolainis oldest daughter, said Sunday her father waited to sell the company for so long because "his business was his life."

"He loved work; he loved every minute of it," Tolaini-Banville said, adding he was a dynamic man and mentor to many.

His daughters fondly recall his mantra, which he repeated often since leaving Italy as a teenager: "I will never, never be poor again. I will never eat polenta. I will never drink bad wine, and some day I will come back and make the best wine in Italy."

In his 60s, Tolaini made good on his promise when he founded an award-winning winery at Tolaini Estate in Tuscany in 1999. After that, he split his time between Tuscany and Winnipeg.

Throughout his lifetime, Tolaini was given numerous awards  including the 2016 Canadian Italian Business and Professional Associations entrepreneur of the year award, and the Manitoba Trucking Associations Red Coleman Service to Industry Award in 2017.

Association president Terry Shaw credits Tolaini for his career in the industry; Shaw was hired on as a junior staffer at TransX in 1996.

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"The reason Im trucking right now is because of TransX and because of Louie Tolaini  a very entrepreneurial gentleman. He came over to Canada with very little and built one of Canadas biggest trucking companies," Shaw said.

Berardino Petrelli, president of the Order of Sons and Daughters of Italy, echoed those sentiments Sunday. Tolainis life represented "the Italian dream," Petrelli said.

Not only was Tolaini a successful entrepreneur, he said, but also a quiet philanthropist in Winnipegs Italian community. "He was always in the background doing something for the Italian community," Petrelli said.

Tolainis family  including his wife, three children, two stepchildren, six grandchildren and three great-grandchildren  plan to commemorate his life when large gatherings are permitted again in Manitoba.

maggie.macintosh@freepress.mb.ca

Twitter: @macintoshmaggie
A man detained under the



National Security Act (NSA), who had recently tested coronavirus positive, escaped from a hospital here on Sunday while undergoing treatment, an official said.

He escaped when he and other patients were being shifted to a super-specialty facility in the medical college and hospital, District Collector Bharat Yadav said.

This person and three others had been detained under the NSA for attacking health workers and police in Indore. They had been shifted from a jail in Indore to Jabalpur, he said.

The detainee had tested coronavirus positive on April 11, Yadav said.

Jabalpur Superintendent S P Amit Singh said that following his escape, a search has been launched and a cash reward of Rs 10,000 announced for any information leading to his arrest.

"All the check posts have been informed about the escaped detainee," he said.

Another police official said that they have circulated his photo on social media so that people can easily identify him and alert the authorities.

Yadav appealed to the people to inform the police as soon as they spot the patient.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)




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By Lee Kyung-min



The Korean economy is expected to contract 1.5 percent in the first quarter from three months earlier, a survey of international and local research institutes and investment banks showed Sunday.



The notably grimmer forecast from an expected 0.2 percent contraction two months earlier by the same pool of organizations is fueling concerns that Asia's fourth-largest economy could be set for a worse-than-feared contraction in the months to come, given the economic fallout of the virus began to take a more pronounced toll in late March.



The International Monetary Fund (IMF) forecast April 14 that the Korean economy would shrink 1.2 percent in 2020 amid impending concerns that the world could experience the worst recession since the Great Depression in the 1930s. The figure was revised down 3.4 percentage points from a 2.2 percent expansion in January.






Chinese and German guests attend the welcome ceremony of China-Europe freight train from Wuhan of central China's Hubei Province, in Duisburg, Germany, April 14, 2020. (The Consulate General of the People's Republic of China in Dusseldorf/Handout via Xinhua)

This week in the western German city of Duisburg, after the arrival of a China-Europe freight train from Wuhan, once the epicenter of the COVID-19 outbreak in China, Chinese diplomats and local officials posed for a group photo while maintaining a safe distance from each other.

The train, which was loaded with medical supplies, auto parts, electronic products, and optical communication fibers, among others, was a stellar example of how China and Europe can stand together in the face of the COVID-19 pandemic and challenges posed by the contagious disease.

Around the time the train arrived in Germany, another two China-Europe freight trains, under the operation of China Railway Express, one departing from southwest China's Chongqing Municipality, the other setting out from the eastern Chinese city of Yiwu, also rumbled across the Eurasian continent and arrived in Europe.

BUSINESS RESUMPTION

Since it resumed intercontinental train service on March 28, Wuhan, the capital city of the central Chinese province of Hubei, has seen the departure of four freight trains, loaded with 195 containers of goods for Europe.

According to Wuhan Asia-Europe Logistics, the operator of the trains in Wuhan, their loading rate is above 98 percent, and the goods, including face masks, surgical gauze and first-aid kits, were transported and then distributed to Germany, France, Hungary, the Czech Republic and Poland.

Gao Ruorui with the Wuhan operator said 90 percent of medical goods carried by the freight trains from Wuhan were produced by enterprises in Hubei, which have gradually resumed business after a lockdown to stem the virus's spread.

"In order to help Europe's fight against the pandemic, we have kept the transport price flat as that in the same period of last year," said Gao. "We will increase the shipment frequency according to the international market's demand, and help keep the global industrial and supply chains stable."

Trains from other parts of China have also been running steadily, with increasing transport frequency and volume, helping sustain international trade and global supply chains in tough times.

On Sunday, the "China Post" train, launched from Chongqing, arrived in Lithuania, opening a new logistics channel between China and Europe. By Wednesday, a total of 107 China-Europe freight trains had departed from Yiwu this year, which boasts the world's leading small commodities market in east China's Zhejiang Province.

Statistics from China Railway Group Limited showed that the first quarter of 2020 saw 1,941 China-Europe freight trains traveling from or to China, carrying 174,000 TEU containers, which represented growth rates of 15 percent and 18 percent, respectively, year on year. In March alone, a total of 809 freight train trips were made, delivering 73,000 TEU of goods, both setting monthly high records.

RELIABLE TRANSPORTATION

On April 8, mobile cranes loaded containers onto a cargo train at Shenyang East Railway Station in Shenyang, capital of northeast China's Liaoning Province. Along with regular cargoes including machinery and small commodities, the train, destined for Germany, was also loaded with 200,000 sets of medical protective suits.

"Due to the epidemic, air freight is now facing strict restrictions and road freight came to a halt" in efforts to curb the contagion risk, said He Ruofan, a manager with the Shenyang branch of China Railway Container Transport, the company in charge of the China-Europe freight train operation. "Under such circumstances, the freight train is now favored by many enterprises as the most economical means of international transportation."

Likewise, Juergen Friedrich, chairman and CEO at Germany Trade & Invest (GTAI), said that demand for train services to Europe has recently increased, as airfreight and shipping services are restricted.

Also, when explaining the advantages of train services, Feng Xubin, chair of the freight operator Yiwu Tianmeng Industrial Investment Co. Ltd., said "China-Europe freight trains offer a closed and safe transport environment with low risk of virus transmission."

As analysts have said, the short transportation time is also a significant strength of the China Rail Express, especially under the current conditions where certain materials, especially medical equipment that is critical for saving lives, require rapid delivery.

What made this possible is China's efforts to extend a helping hand and to restore and raise the production capacity of medical and anti-epidemic supplies.

Carlos Santana, who is responsible for the company which operates the Yiwu-Madrid line in Spain, told Xinhua that return to work in China and the increase in industrial activity have made it easier for the materials needed to fight the pandemic to arrive in a safe and rapid manner.

Train transport between China and Spain is a reliable alternative means of transport that is cheaper than shipping by air, and faster than cargo vessels, Santana added.

CLOSE CONNECTION

During the welcome ceremony of the train from Wuhan in Duisburg, Transport Minister of the State of North Rhine-Westphalia Hendrik Wuest said that as people in Germany are also suffering from COVID-19, a steady restoration of normalcy is needed.

Therefore, the supplies transported from China by rail, especially medical ones, are of great significance, he added.

For Erich Staake, chief executive officer of Duisburger Hafen AG (duisport), the China-Europe freight train has also helped to further promote cooperation in the logistics field and promote the economic development of both sides.

Meanwhile, in a letter to Chinese Ambassador to Lithuania Shen Zhifei, the Lithuanian Minister of Transport and Communications Jaroslav Narkevic wrote that the train of a new postal rail service to Europe will bring new impetus for the further strengthening of a versatile partnership between the two countries.

"With this new route, especially during a difficult pandemic period, we are turning a new page towards closer cooperation to meet consumer expectations," wrote the minister.

Even before the coronavirus pandemic, the China-Europe freight service, as an important component of the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI), has long been promoting global inter-connectivity, a function that industry insiders predict will continue.

The interest of German companies, first and foremost from Duisburg, in the railroad transport between China and Germany will also continue after the coronavirus crisis, and enhancing transport routes will remain an important topic in the future, Friedrich said.

China's engagement in the BRI will also induce the development of additional infrastructure initiatives on the part of other countries and regions in the future, which will additionally contribute to enhanced connectivity between China and Germany, he added.
The days can be stressful, so why not send the kids to bed at night with a positive message from one of their favorite Disney characters?

The new Disney Bedtime Hotline will be available through April 30. Parents can call 877-7-MICKEY to get a special bedtime message from Mickey Mouse, Minnie Mouse, Donald Duck, Daisy Duck or Goofy.

Push #5 for Goofy, its hysterical, Harrisburg School Board Member Carrie Fowler posted on her Facebook page, encouraging her friends to call. No shame! I just called.

Fowler told PennLive her daughter Paige also called the number so her 1- year-old daughter Vale could listen to Minnie Mouse.

Paige called it over and over for her last night, Fowler said Sunday.

As a bonus, the messages encourage kids to go to sleep if they are having trouble winding down.

For guests who have visited Disneyland and Disney World, the magical character encounters are some of best moments. Children often feel starstruck when they get to meet their favorite character and now the Disney Bedtime Hotline brings that magic home every night. (Through April 30 anyway.)

Make bedtime magical, with help from @shopDisney.  Today to 4/30, you & your family can call 1-877-7-MICKEY to hear a sleepy time message from Mickey, Minnie, Donald, Daisy, & Goofy. To create more Disney Magic Moments at home, visit https://t.co/eURGDeWwrk. #DisneyMagicMoments pic.twitter.com/zZ2RpUytuE  Disney (@Disney) April 17, 2020

The company originally introduced the service last year, and brought it back now to help the young and the young at heart during the coronavirus pandemic, CNN is reporting.

You can choose one character message per call and can choose from the five available characters. To hear more characters, you have to dial the number again.

Parents also can download free sleep activity cards and charts on the companys website.

Staff Writer Christine Vendel contributed to this article.

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.
The daughter of a hospital porter who died from a suspected case of coronavirus has paid tribute to her 'hardworking' father.

Elbert Rico, who worked at John Radcliffe Hospital, part of the University of Oxford NHS Foundation Trust, died on 10 April of a suspected case of COVID-19.

His daughter Carla Rico wrote how her father always put the needs of others above his own as she launched a Go Fund Me campaign to cover the cost of his funeral.

Carla Rico from Oxford, has raised almost 20,000 towards the expenses of her father Elbert Rico's memorial. Pictured: Carla with her parents Shirley and Elbert

She wrote: 'Elbert was a loving husband, father and friend. He was mainly known by Rico in his workplace and with close friends.

'He has been working as a porter in JR Hospital since he came to the UK in 2004 and loved the work that he did.

'He was always hard working and would prioritise other's needs firsts. He would walk around the hospital with a smile on his face and very rarely would he call in sick from work.'

The campaign has raised more than 21,000 since it was launched last week - more than double the initial 10,000 target.

A second porter at John Radcliffe Hospital, Oscar King Jr, has also died of a suspected case of COVID-19.

Elbert had worked at the John Radcliffe Hospital in Oxford since 2004. Pictured: Carla with her parents Shirley and Elbert

Carla asked her Facebook friends to donate any amount that they're able towards the expenses of her father's memorial

One person wrote: 'Very moved to hear this. Whilst many of us are sat at home albeit concerned about our own welfare and financial security, it is very sobering to be reminded that many are in the front line doing their day to day job in exceptional circumstances. And submitting themselves to dangers none of us would have forecast. Condolences.'

'I am so incredibly sad to hear this and I'm so sorry for your loss. I will always remember Rico as forever having a smile on his face and always going above and beyond for anyone, it was clear that he loved his job and took a lot of pride in it. Heaven has gained a shining star. RIP,' said another.

A third added: 'Extending our deepest condolences. We will all be praying for your family. May God give you the strength to overcome this loss.'
Source: Xinhua| 2020-04-18 01:42:50|Editor: huaxia

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Photo taken on April 19, 2020 shows the empty Ledra street in Nicosia, Cyprus. The spread of the coronavirus appeared to be slowing in the country as the number of new infections started to decline, Cypriot Ministry of Health said on April 17. (Xinhua/Zhang Baoping

NICOSIA, April 17 (Xinhua) -- The Ministry of Health said on Friday that the spread of the coronavirus appeared to be slowing in the country as the number of new infections started to decline.

Health Ministry advisor Leondios Kostrikis said that only 15 new cases were confirmed out of a total of 3,240 tests, a ratio of only 0.46 percent, with the total number of confirmed coronavirus cases rising to 750.

The grand total for the entire island has risen to 855, with 16 deaths.

"The data of the last few days make up a picture that is satisfactory. We now have before us tangible results and not mere indications," Kostrikis said.

He added that the scientists keeping watch on the pandemic believe they are on the right track, but he warned against relaxing the restrictions ahead of the Orthodox Easter Sunday.

Petros Karayiannis, a virology professor and a member of the scientific team advising the Health Ministry, had earlier told state television that the pandemic curve had indeed been flattening in the country, but he also warned against the premature relaxation of restrictions.

He said that an unwanted surge in COVID-19 cases as a result of insubordination during the Orthodox Easter holiday could push back plans to relax restrictions by between two to four weeks.

Authorities are bracing for more results next week from a test program, which involves all of the country's 6,500 health professionals.

The first results from less than 600 tests announced on Friday showed that the number of health professionals who tested positive for the coronavirus was increasing, as six new cases were confirmed.

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An Accra based businessman, Joseph Agbeko Kpogo, has donated some items to Parliamentary Candidate on the ticket of the National Democratic Congress (NDC) Richard Kwame Sefe, in the Anlo Constituency to combat the spread of coronavirus.

The items include Veronica buckets, hand sanitizers, Tissues and other items and Personal Protective Equipment (PPEs).

Presenting the items, Mr Joseph Agbeko, also a native of Anlo said, the move is to support the NDC PC to mitigate the risk of transmission of the coronavirus among his constituents, especially the vulnerable who might not be able to afford the items.

He said, as part of the humanitarian services to the good people of Anlo under the COVID-19 pandemic, it is to curb the spread to avoid a possible lockdown.

"Although Volta region is not under the partial lockdown, the situation has given reason for the people to live in fear and that it is to support the NDC to mobilise resources to help in preventing the possible spread of the virus in Anlo constituency."

Joined by some constituency executive members of the NDC, Mr Agbeko known in the Constituency as  Big Joe presented several of the Veronica buckets, hand sanitizers, Tissues and other items.

This is not the first time the businessman is making such social intervention support in the constituency.

Mr Agbeko has been supporting the development of the constituency in his own small way, especially on education, electricity supply and youth development initiatives.

Mr Agbeko advised constituents to adhere to the social distancing protocols and other preventive measures outlined by the WHO and the Ghana Health Service (GHS) and stay safe. "It is important that we all adhere to the social distancing protocols, frequently wash hands and use of alcohol-based sanitizer, avoid touching the lips, nose ears and eyes to prevent and contain the spread of the virus to make our society safe to live," he said.

The NDC PC, Richard Sefe who was surprised by the Businessman support, expressed appreciation for the gesture.

He said the items would augment his own effort so far to help reduce the possible spread of the virus, stating, some of the items would be presented to the District Health Directorate and other public vantage points especially Markets, Lorry stations, Chief palaces and community centres.

Though the virus originated in China, Italy is the worst affected country in the world. The number of recorded deaths in Italy has surpassed China and all other affected countries around the world.

The current global number of recorded infections stands at over 1.3million, with more than. 74,000 deaths.

Ghana has so far recorded about 834 cases out of which nine are reportedly confirmed dead, 99 recovered as at Saturday, April 18, 2020.
There are surely many honest and competent FBI agents and Justice Department lawyers. But as the old saying goes, it takes only one rotten apple to spoil the barrel. And it looks like  or smells like  theres more than one rotten apple in the Justice Department barrel.

Even some of the leading insider establishment figures of the Swamp now seem to be saying so. Attorney General William Pelham Barr, for instance.

Barr recently contemplated the dodgy activities of the Justice Department in its partisan attempts to take down Donald Trump.

The now-debunked Russia Collusion probe appears to have consisted of something more troubling than mere Justice Department sloppiness or mistakes, Barr conceded.

But will anything be done about it?

Whether in big business or big government, theres a powerful institutional impulse to attend to the interests of the home turf, a powerful impulse to circle the wagons and take up defensive positions, for the word to go forth without anybody saying it: CYA!

And do not doubt it, the Swamp is Barrs home turf. He did a previous stint as Attorney General, 1991-1993. And prior to that, he put in some time at the CIA before going on to the Justice Departments Office of Legal Counsel and moving up to Deputy Attorney General.

From the Swamp, it was on to private practice with the white-shoe firm Kirkland Ellis. Barr counseled big corporations on how to outfox the Swamp regulators and prosecutors. Trump then summoned him back to the Swamp to serve another stint as the Justice Departments head bureaucrat.

Barr is unquestionably a very smart man. He knows how the intricate parts of the governing machinery interface with one another and mesh with politics. The open question is, for whom will Barr ultimately put that knowledge to work  the country or his alma mater Justice Department?

Despite Barrs insider background, there are promising signs.

A legendary career G-Man, a bloodhound of an investigator named John Durham, U.S. Attorney for Connecticut, continues his special assignment in pursuit of a Justice Department rogue operation that now looks like an attempted partisan coup to remove Trump from office.

Durham is a Swamp insider himself but one with a reassuring bio. Back during the administration of President Bill Clinton, Attorney Gen. Janet Reno deputized Durham to clean up the Augean Stables of the Boston FBI, which was then in cahoots with mobster kingpin Whitey Bulger. The tenacious Durham completed the mission.

The case revealed that the Justice Department maintained its own crime wave  with tens of thousands of criminals on the payroll as confidential sources, many of whom meanwhile continued their various felonious activities.

The looming question now is whether the Swamp and its media gofers will allow Durham to fully carry out his current assignment? Will he be allowed to go the distance in which the evidence points? Stay tuned.

Does the arc of the universe really bend in the long run toward justice, as Martin Luther King declared? A new development in Hillary Clintons long-festering email case suggests, hey, maybe so.

In a civil case endlessly delayed by Clintons legal ducking and dodging, a federal judge recently ordered her to answer questions under oath, in person, regarding the off-grid, unsecured email system she maintained when Secretary of State in violation of directives she had issued herself.

The issue in the case  pressed by the conservative watchdog group Judicial Watch  is whether she had the unauthorized email system set up to evade the provisions of the Freedom of Information Act? Certainly the email system served that objective if not that intent  an objective that ordinarily elicits great, windy gusts of indignation from the media.

In any event, the heretofore pliant Justice Department has declined to go along with Clintons latest evasive legal maneuver  an attempt to squelch the judges order via an extraordinary legal procedure known as a mandamus petition.

And theres yet a third promising sign that even-handed justice may finally emerge from the fetid political miasma of the Swamp: the ongoing revelations of the Justice Departments own Inspector General, Michael E. Horowitz. A cautious establishment lawyer, he was appointed to the IG post by President Obama.

Although a long-time Swamp alumnus himself, Horowitz has landed some staggering blows on the Justice Departments chin. But he also has seemed to pull his punches just when it looked like he might put the departments rogues down on the canvas for the long count.

He insisted, for example, that he found no partisan political motives in the departments dubious anti-trump activities, although facts set forth in his own report invited obvious inferences to the contrary.

Horowitz was an assistant U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of New York and did Swamp stints as Deputy Attorney General and as a Justice Department chief of staff. After that, he lawyered for Cadwalader, Wickersham and Taft, counseling its corporate clients on how to fend off government regulators and prosecutors.

Is Horowitz a fastidious lawyer, bent on dotting the is and crossing the ts? Or is he a department alumnus whos a little reluctant to be the guy who inflicts sturm and drang on his old Swamp turf?

So far, Horowitz seems determined not to whitewash misfeasance or malfeasance in Americas most powerful law-enforcement bureaucracy, uncomfortable though he may be in the role.

As Inspector General, Horowitz possesses only finger-pointing, not prosecutorial powers. But so far his revelations have given his old Justice Department colleagues reason to squirm, sweat and lawyer themselves up.

Right now the rogues are lying low, no doubt grateful that the Wuham coronavirus is focusing attention elsewhere. But eventually the health crisis will be surmounted. The civil liberties crisis  revealed in federal law-enforcement attempts to remove an elected president from office with bought-and-paid-for, concocted evidence  remains to be addressed. Will it be?

If it isnt, the country may well eventually succumb to a legal pathogen far more dangerous than the biological one were fighting now.

In his first report on the Russia Collusion Coup, Horowitz confirmed that a tainted document  the infamous dossier  was used to obtain anti-Trump surveillance warrants. An easily gulled or recklessly irresponsible Federal Intelligence Surveillance Act (FISA) court accepted it despite its flagrant flaws.

Horowitz also confirmed that the dossier was anything but the compilation of scrupulously accurate information that Justice Department rules require surveillance applications to be.

The dossier was, the IG ascertained, a dubious product funded entirely by Hillary Clintons presidential campaign and the Democratic National Committee  evidence enough in itself of the role of scuzzy partisan politics at the root of the Russia Collusion matter.

The possibility is now gaining wide consideration that the dossier, in fact, may have been, from the get-go, a crafty Kremlin disinformation effort to spread rancor and division in America. The dossier was, after all, information said to have been provided by Russian sources.

Horowitz investigation cited at least 17 significant errors or omissions in Justice Department applications for warrants to snoop on Trumps campaign associates. The applications were riddled with wrong or incomplete information, the IG found.

One Trump campaign aide, Carter Page, was libelously described to the FISA court as a likely Russian spy or traitor. The Justice Department withheld information that Page had served five years in Navy intelligence in a role requiring high-level security clearance; that he was a consulting source on Russian affairs for the CIA and that he had helped the Justice Department itself crack a major Russia spy case.

Horowitz first report expressed amazement that three separate hand-picked Justice Department teams had made many basic and fundamental errors in what was one of the most sensitive probes the department had ever undertaken.

Both the Justice Department and the departments FBI offered unsatisfactory explanations for the failures, the IG added.

Yet  egregiously  many major media outlets led with the news that, from a standpoint of legal technicality, the IG had declared the Justice Departments probe of Trump justified.

Many of these same media outlets had compliantly disseminated the departments self-serving leaks during the Russia Collusion probe.

A second Horowitz IG report recently took a longer look at the Justice Departments FISA warrant applications, a look going back over a five- year period. The IG noted further unsettling findings.

The Justice Department, the IG says, routinely failed over that period to verify the accuracy of information it included in surveillance applications to the super-secret and extraordinarily powerful FISA court.

The court affixed its stamp of approval to the applications anyway, allowing the government to monitor private bank accounts, read private emails and listen in on private phone conversations based on insufficient or inaccurate court applications.

Horowitz added that when his investigators asked to see files regarding he Justice Departments compliance with its own rules for safeguarding civil liberties  rules known internally as Woods procedures  the department shockingly was unable to produce any.

Prior to these revelations, the Russian Collusion probe was, of course, placed in the hands of Robert Swan Mueller 3rd, a development the media heralded by turning themselves into a pompom-waving cheering section.

With the badge of special prosecutor pinned on his chest, Mueller rounded up a posse and galloped off in all-out pursuit of Trump.

Trump had incited lynch-mob political sentiment around the Swamp by firing the Director of the FBI, James Comey. Comey was a man inclined to make messes by exceeding his authority, as demonstrated by his extra-legal efforts to both incriminate and exonerate Hillary Clinton in her email misadventures.

Comeys connections with Mueller gave Muellers special prosecutor assignment built-in conflict problems. Mueller was former FBI Director, and he and Comey were long-time Justice Department colleagues who had co-starred in major controversy.

Mueller and Comey had, for example, played Inspector Cleauseau roles in one of the Justice Departments most bumblingly inept probes ever  the post-9/11 anthrax letter attacks in which five Americans died.

In a spare-no-costs effort, Mueller and Comey fixated on military scientist Steven Hatfill as their suspect, hounding the man with leaks.

Bigfoot journalists such as Nicholas Kristoff of the New York Times meanwhile helped agitate media mob sentiment against the hapless Hatfill.

Belatedly, Mueller and Comey were forced to concede that they had wasted investigators time and millions of tax dollars hectoring an innocent man. The government ultimately agreed to pay Hatfill an unprecedented $5.82 million legal settlement.

This was not the only dubious case in which the Mueller-Comey duo had played negligent supervisory roles. Their Justice Department underlings had run amuck in the disastrous Enron cases, the governments ham-handed prosecutions that brought down a major energy company along with the Big Five accounting firm, Arthur Andersen.

Appeals court rulings later overturned Enron convictions, citing the Justice Departments unethical concealment of evidence favorable to the defense and the departments repeated lies under oath denying the existence of such evidence.

The rulings, alas, came too late to save the businesses destroyed by the prosecution or the 80,000 jobs wiped out in the process. (For the unsavory details, see appellate lawyer Sidney Powells book, Licensed to Lie.)

A key player in the prosecutorial shenanigans, Andrew Weissman  a former Justice Department insider who had led the Enron prosecutions task force  later resurfaced as a lead attorney on Muellers anti-Trump special prosecutor team. You cant make stuff like this up.

All of which leaves us with the question: What now?

Now is the time for cliches, the time for good guys at the Justice

Department to don their white hats, saddle up and go lasso the bad hombres.

Its a tall order to ask an agency to hold itself accountable. But if the Justice Department cant do it, or wont do it, then who can or will?

The issue here  it should go without being said  is not the annoyingly mouthy, egotistical Donald Trump. Its the rule of law.

Ultimately, its our own liberty.

Liberty may not long survive if the Swamp comes out of this mess confident that the rules it applies to everybody else dont apply to it.
S ir David Attenborough warned humans had a "last chance" to change their behaviour and save the planet as he urged people to "stop waste of any kind".

The broadcaster and naturalist said the world is precious and should be "celebrated and cherished" in an interview on the BBC's Andrew Marr Show.

Sir David, 93, said it will be the younger generation who will have to make changes because they will be able to see the consequences of what they do.

"My lot are dying off and we are the ones that caused the problem," he said.

He also called on politicians to address climate change saying it is "the biggest problem humanity has ever faced".

David Attenborough in Iceland ahead A Life On Our Planet's release (AP/BBC America ) / AP/BBC America

My lot are dying off and we are the ones that caused the problem.

He suggested people should see the world and their time in it as precious, saying thats the fundamental attitude.

He warned: The world is not a bowl of fruit in which we can just take what we wish. We are part of it and if we destroy it we destroy ourselves.

Asked what people can do to help protect the planet, Sir David said: Stop waste. Stop waste of any kind. Stop wasting power, stop wasting food, stop wasting plastic. Dont waste, this is a precious world. Celebrate and cherish.

David Attenborough- A Life On Our Planet Official Trailer

He went on to say that his message to world leaders would be: This is the last chance.

There are short-term problems and long-term problems.

A politician is tempted to deal with short-term problems all the time and neglect long-term problems.

This is not only a long-term problem it is the biggest problem humanity has faced. Ever.

Please examine it and please respond.
Tokyo's iconic Kaminarimon Gate was installed with a new giant lantern, but the unveiling ceremony was canceled due to the coronavirus outbreak.

Specially trained workers spent two hours on Friday hanging the lantern at the gate of Sensoji Temple.

The red lantern was made in Kyoto. It's about 4 meters long and 3.3 meters wide and weighs 700 kilograms.

The symbol of the Asakusa district has been replaced around once every 10 years since the gate was rebuilt in 1960.

The first replacement in seven years was originally intended to coincide with the Tokyo Olympic and Paralympic Games that have been postponed until next year.

A local tourism association says about 30 million people visit the temple every year, but there are only a few tourists in recent days because of the state of emergency over the coronavirus.
Taniya Sahni By

A Farmers Market is usually for sustainability snobs. Buy organic and flaunt the right conscience. A stream of farmers would come in with fresh produce on Sundays with veggies sans chemicals. Covid-19 then upset the apple cart, leaving small farmers in the lurch.

They have been the worst hit, claim founders of such markets, as they face a tough challenge to take their produce to customers. Unable to reach the target market, the crops, both harvested and ready to harvest, are rotting. The desperate farmers have no other choice except to feed the cattle.

The dilemma has affected agriculturists such as Puneeta Chadha Khanna, Curator, Horizon Plaza Artisanal Market, Gurugram. Very few farmers have the means to reach their products to clients because their holdings are small. They have neither a platform to sell nor the logistics to deliver. The produce is going waste. Exotic vegetables grown for commercial hotels and upmarket clients are being discarded in the manure bin, thanks to the lockdown.

This is a national concern. Says Gopi, who runs the Organic Farmers Markets central unit in Adyar, Chennai, Most of our supplies for Chennai come from small farmers who grow one or two types of vegetables, which are transported using private vehicles. The lockdown has severely restricted their movements. We had no supplies for 10 days, after which we received a meagre supply, which was simply insufficient. We urgently need passes for the transfer of the produce.

What Gopi faces in Chennai, Sneh Yadav does in Delhi. Co-founder of Tijara Farms, she organises Delhi Organic Farmers Market (DOFM) every Sunday at THE Park New Delhi. A farmer herself, she sells organic veggies grown at her farm located 90 km from Delhi and invites other farmers to join the bandwagon. Our organic products cant be sold at the mandi.

We are now sharing excess produce with our neighbours and staff and are trying to find ways to process the rest, she says. The hotel has extended her unconditional support. Her team has begun deliveries. We send fresh produce whenever the situation permits. Only one-tenth of the produce is going out, she rues. But all hope is not lost.

The Organic Food Club (OFC), an organic farmers collective in Yamakanmardi, Karnataka, supplies fruits and vegetables au naturel twice a week to 600 families in Belgaum city. Post the lockdown, things have changed and they are plagued with food wastage, says secretary Basavraj Siddappa Kapsi. OFC is consuming the excess produce by sharing with neighbours and staff.

Our food wastage is still facing 30-40 percent. Colleague Abhay MutalikDesai, OFCs treasurer and coordinator thinks that being self-sufficient enables them to bear losses, but its the farmers who are at the receiving end. As the nation gets ready for another round of lockdown, the Sunday Farmers Markets have become a wasteland for food-growers.

Sneh Yadav, Delhi Organic Farmers Market

Measures taken

Cashless payments when possible

Staff being educated to wash hands and sanitise

Compulsory bath for those who enter the farm

Preventing people from hoarding by distributing evenly

Providing only 500 gm of pulses and besan per patron

Staying in touch with patrons through e-mail and WhatsApp

Clients demands

Healthy produce

Gourmet produce as people are looking at experimenting with new cuisines

Abhay Mutalikdesai, Organic Food Club, Karnataka

Measures taken

Educating customers to not press for fresh produce

Educating customers to forego fresh supplies to control disease prevention

Gopi, OFM Chennai, central unit

Measures taken

Advising patrons to remain calm and updating them about the ground situation

Communicating with patrons through email and WhatsApp

Clients demands

Huge quantities of rice and pulses

A variety of fresh produce and dry ration

Puneeta Chadha Khanna, Horizon Plaza Artisanal Market, Gurugram

Measures taken

Connecting patrons directly to sellers

Connecting whole sale buyers

Clients demands
New York registers almost half of 40,585 fatalities, with more than 742,000 coronavirus infections reported countrywide.

Coronavirus-related deaths in the US topped 40,000 with New York recording nearly half of all fatalities. Governor Andrew Cuomo said the coronavirus curve is on the descent after hospitalisations and deaths continue to fall.

Iran partially reopened its capital, Tehran, allowing low-risk businesses, including shops, factories and warehouses to resume operations. But Algeria, Morocco, Croatia and Spain extended lockdowns, while Uzbekistan prolonged social distancing measures.

The Nigerian presidents chief of staff died from COVID-19, the respiratory illness caused by the new coronavirus. Abba Kyaris was the highest-profile death in the West African country.

Globally, more than 2.3 million people have been infected and more than 164,000 people have died, according to a tally by Johns Hopkins University.

Here are the latest updates:

Sunday, April 19

20:58 GMT  Middle East tourism fair in Dubai cancelled

Dubais Arabian Travel Market, one of the Middle Easts biggest travel and tourism fairs, has been cancelled, organisers said.

The exhibition was in March rescheduled to June 28 to July 1 at Dubais World Trade Centre from its original dates of April 19 to 22.

After consultation with our key stakeholders and after listening to our industry, ultimately it became apparent that the best course of action, and with everyones best interests in mind, is to postpone the event to 2021, organisers said on the events website.

20:48 GMT  Tunisia extends lockdown to May 4

Tunisia is extending a lockdown to May 4, after which it will ease restrictions gradually on some economic activities, Prime Minister Elyes Fakhfakh said.

The government has said it expected Tunisias economy would shrink by up to 4.3 percent, the steepest drop since independence in 1956.

20:34 GMT  Deaths in Africa rise by 55

The number of deaths in Africa rose by 55 in the last 24 hours, with the total toll at 1,080, according to the Africa Centers for Disease Prevention and Control (Africa CDC).

Data compiled by the Africa CDC showed that total cases had reached 21,317 after 1,047 additional cases.

North Africa has been the hardest hit on the continent followed by its western, southern central and eastern regions.





20:15 GMT  Cases in Peru top 15,000, second highest in Latin America

Peru reported over 15,000 cases, the second-highest tally in Latin America, as the coronavirus continues to ravage the economy of the worlds No. 2 copper producer.

The crisis has paralysed Peru and left millions without jobs.

Peru has reported a total of 15,628 cases and 400 deaths, the health ministry said.

In Latin America, only Brazil has more cases.

20:04 GMT  France to allow visits to nursing and seniors homes

France is now allowing visits to seniors and nursing homes as part of an easing of restrictions.

From Monday the right to visit will be re-established, albeit with restrictions, French Health Minister Olivier Veran said at a press conference with Prime Minister Edouard Philippe.

No more than two relatives may visit a resident in a senior or social care facility at the same time. In addition, physical contact is still prohibited, Veran said.

The visit ban has been in effect since mid-March.

19:55 GMT  Honduras extends curfew by one week

Honduras extended a curfew through April 26 in an attempt to curb the coronavirus which has infected 472 people and killed 46.

In order to better control the spread of COVID-19, we decided to extend the current total curfew from Sunday (April) 19 at 3:00 pm, until Sunday, April 26, 2020, at 3:00 pm, said the spokesman for the Honduran security ministry, Jair Meza.

19:25 GMT  US deaths top 40,000

The number of coronavirus-related deaths in the US topped 40,000, according to a running tally by Johns Hopkins University.

It showed the number of fatalities countrywide at 40,585, with almost half of them in New York.





19:12 GMT  Croatia partially lifts travel restrictions

Croatia will partially scrap the travel ban within the country on Sunday at midnight (22:00 GMT), Interior Minister Davor Bozinovic said on Nova TV.

From Monday, people will be able to travel freely within their districts, he said. Croatia is split into 20 districts.

The borders of Croatia will remain closed.

19:09 GMT  Poland records jump in cases a day ahead of easing restrictions

Poland saw its biggest jump in coronavirus cases with 545 new infections recorded, according to health ministry data, a day before the country plans to ease some of its restrictions.

Parks and forests will be reopened on Monday and limits on the numbers of people allowed in shops will be eased, Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki said on Thursday.

Poland so far has 9,287 confirmed cases.

18:40 GMT  Saudi Islamic body recommends prayers at home for Ramadan

Saudi Arabias top Islamic authority has called on Muslims worldwide to perform communal prayers including the nightly taraweeh prayer at home during the Muslim holy month of Ramadan which begins next week.

The Muslim should avoid gatherings because they are considered the main reason for spreading infection, according to related medical reports, the council said, according to the state Saudi news agency SPA.

The holy Kaaba at the Grand Mosque in Mecca, Saudi Arabia is shown empty of worshippers [Ganoo Essa/Reuters]

18:15 GMT  Italys daily death toll hits one-week low

Italy said that deaths from the coronavirus pandemic rose by 433, the lowest daily tally in a week, and the number of new cases slowed to 3,047 from a previous 3,491.

The death toll as reported by Italys Civil Protection Agency had risen by 482 on Saturday, down from 575 on Friday.

This plateau is down considerably from peaks reached around the end of March, but the downtrend has not proceeded as fast as was hoped in a country that has been in lockdown for six weeks.

18:10 GMT  Trump, Erdogan agree on cooperation against coronavirus

US President Donald Trump and his Turkish counterpart Tayyip Erdogan agreed in a phone call to work together to counter the threat posed by the coronavirus outbreak, Turkeys presidency said.

The two leaders agreed to continue their close cooperation against the threats that the coronavirus pandemic poses to public health and our economies, it said.

17:03 GMT  Qatar reports 440 new cases

Qatars Health Ministry reported 440 new cases of coronavirus in the last 24 hours bringing the total number of people currently undergoing treatment to 4,922.

So far eight people have died in total from COVID-19.

     

Latest update on Coronavirus in Qatar#__ #YourSafetyIsMySafety pic.twitter.com/AbxeTOhHxH     (@MOPHQatar) April 19, 2020

16:35 GMT  New York State curve on the descent: Cuomo

The outbreak in New York, the epicentre of the epidemic in the US is on the descent, Governor Andrew Cuomo said.

We are past the high point, and all indications at this point is that we are on the descent, Cuomo told a press conference.

Whether or not the descent continues depends on what we do but right now were on the descent.

New York recorded 1,384 new hospitalisations on Saturday, down from 1,915 on Friday, according to Governor Andrew Cuomo.

Deaths rose by 507 on Saturday compared to an increase of 540 a day earlier.

16:16 GMT  Chinese lab chief: Wuhan institute not a source of coronavirus

The head of the Institute of Virology in the Chinese city of Wuhan has rejected allegations in the US that the

coronavirus could have originated in his laboratory.

Theres no way this virus came out from us, said Yuan Zhiming in an interview with state television, the English-language transcript of which was published by Chinese media.

We clearly know what kind of virus research is going on in the institute and how the institute manages viruses and samples, he said, adding that there is no evidence to prove that the virus has artificial or synthetic traces.

The director said he understood why people jumped to conclusions about his institute in Wuhan, the city where the pandemic originated.

But its bad when some are deliberately trying to mislead people, Zhiming said.





16:10 GMT  Deaths in France near 20,000, ICU numbers fall

France recorded 395 more deaths, bringing the total to 19,718, as the pace in fatalities continued to slow and the number of patients in intensive care decreased.

Frances public health chief Jerome Salomon told a news briefing that the total number of people in intensive care units fell for the 11th day in a row, to 5,744  the lowest level since March 30.





15:52 GMT  EU commissioner slams Europes morbid dependency on China

European Commission vice-president Vera Jourova criticised the EU for what she said was its morbid dependency on China and India for medical supplies.

This crisis has revealed our morbid dependency on China and India as regards pharmaceuticals, Jourova said in a debate on Czech state television.

This is something that makes us vulnerable and we have to make a radical change there, added the Czech commissioner, who is in charge of values and transparency in the Commission.

We will reassess the [supply] chains and try to diversify them and, ideally, produce as many things as possible in Europe, Jourova said.This is a big lesson we have learnt.

15:48 GMT  India aviation regulator tells airlines not to take bookings

Indias aviation regulator told airlines not to take bookings as the government has not yet decided when to recommence flights after a lockdown scheduled to end on May 3.

The Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) issued the notification after some Indian airlines started taking bookings for May 4 onwards.

Indigo, the countrys largest airline, and Vistara, owned by Singapore Airlines and Tata Group, had said earlier they would begin operations in a phased manner from May 4.

15:30 GMT  Cases in Chile top 10,000, third highest in Latin America

Chile reported over 10,000 cases of coronavirus, the third-highest tally in Latin America.

Large areas of its capital Santiago, a city of six million, are under lockdown, and all non-essential businesses have been closed for weeks.

Chile has reported a total of 133 deaths, the health ministry said.

In Latin America, only Brazil and Peru have more cases.





15:15 GMT  US death toll exceeds 39,000

The US reported 2,009 coronavirus-related deaths over the past day, surpassing the 39,000 mark, according to John Hopkins University.

The total tally counted 39,095 deaths and 735,336 cases.

The US continues to lead the world in the number of infections and deaths, followed by Spain and Italy.

15:00 GMT  Cases in Canada rise by almost 12 percent in a day

The total number of coronavirus-related deaths in Canada rose by just under 12 percent to 1,506 in a day, according to official data posted by the public health agency.

In a statement posted shortly before 15:00 GMT, it said the number of people diagnosed with the coronavirus climbed to 33,922. The respective figures on Saturday were 1,346 deaths and 32,412 positive diagnoses.

14:55 GMT  Zimbabwe lockdown extended by two weeks

Zimbabwes President Emmerson Mnangagwa extended a lockdown, saying the country had not yet met conditions set down by the World Health Organization to lift the measures.

Three people have died from the coronavirus out of the 25 confirmed infected, but health experts expect the figures to rise once authorities ramp up testing.

Mnangagwa said the government will allow mining companies, which generate the most foreign currency, to resume work while manufacturers would work at limited capacity.

Read more here.

14:35 GMT  Pakistan starts repatriating stranded UAE-based nationals

Pakistan has started repatriating some of its citizens from the UAE, which had threatened to review labour ties with countries refusing to take back their nationals during the novel coronavirus pandemic.

The first Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) flight carrying 227 stranded passengers from Dubai and other emirates left for Islamabad on Saturday evening, Pakistans consulate general in Dubai said in a Twitter post.

First PIA flight carrying 227 stranded passengers from Dubai and Northern Emirates left for Islamabad today at 1900 hours.@SMQureshiPTI @ForeignOfficePk @pid_gov pic.twitter.com/aF4RHwtMij  Consulate General of Pakistan, Dubai (@ParepDubai) April 18, 2020

It was not clear when other flights would depart. More than 40,000 Pakistanis in the UAE have registered with the consulate to return home, two UAE newspapers reported.

14:25 GMT  UK not thinking of easing lockdown measures yet: minister

Britain is not considering lifting the lockdown imposed almost four weeks ago to control the coronavirus outbreak given deeply worrying increases in the death toll, a senior minister said.

Britain is at or near the peak of a health crisis in which more than 15,000 people have died  the fifth highest national death toll of a pandemic linked to at least 150,000 deaths worldwide.





14:20 GMT  US Lawmakers close to deal on funding for small business

US lawmakers are close to an agreement on approving extra money to help small businesses hurt by the pandemic and could seal a deal as early as Sunday, congressional and Trump administration officials said.

I think were very close to a deal today and Im hopeful we can get that done, US Treasury Secretary Steve Mnuchin said in an interview with CNN.

13:50 GMT  UK hospital deaths rise by smallest amount in nearly two weeks

Britains hospital death toll from COVID-19 rose by 596 to 16,060 as of 16:00 GMT Saturday, the smallest increase in nearly two weeks, the health ministry said.

Data published on Sundays has shown smaller increases in the number of fatalities. April 6 marked the last time the health ministry reported a smaller increase in the daily death toll.

The number of people in the UK who have died in hospital from the coronavirus rose to 16,060, according to daily health ministry figures [Daniel Leal-Olivas/AFP]

13:42 GMT  Fire tears through Greece refugee camp after coronavirus protest

A fire has torn through one of Greeces largest refugee camps on Chios island, causing widespread damage and rendering up to hundreds of people homeless.

The blaze started following a protest over the death of a 47-year-old Iraqi asylum seeker who was cleared of having the coronavirus. But many residents at the overcrowded camp still believed she died of COVID-19, the disease caused by the virus.

Read about it here.

Authorities fear coronavirus outbreaks in Greeces crowded island camps [Louisa Gouliamaki/AFP]

_____________________________________________________________

This is Mersiha Gadzo in Doha taking over the live updates from my colleague Linah Alsaafin.

______________________________________________________________

12:43 GMT  Dutch report lowest daily death rate in over 3 weeks

The number of deaths caused by the novel coronavirus in the Netherlands has risen by 83, Dutch health authorities said, which was the smallest reported daily increase since March 26.

The total number of deaths among people known to have been infected with the coronavirus increased to 3,684, while the number of confirmed infections rose by 1,066 to 32,655.

12:28 GMT  Leading member of Guinea government dies from coronavirus

Workers dressed in full-body gear prepare to disinfect shops and streets in Conakry, Guinea during a cleaning and disinfecting campaign as a preventive measure against the spread of the coronavirus. [File: Cellou Binani/AFP]

A top government official in Guinea and close ally of President Alpha Conde has died from the new coronavirus, the government said.

Sekou Kourouma, who was secretary-general of the government and a former minister, was taken ill last week and died in Conakry on Saturday.

Several senior state officials (have died) as a result of complications related to COVID-19, the government said in a statement.

At least two other officials have died of COVID-19  the president of the electoral commission Salif Kebe and Victor Traore, a former director of Interpol in Guinea.

The country has officially reported 518 cases of the coronavirus and five deaths.

12:13 GMT  UK not thinking of easing virus lockdown measures yet

Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster Michael Gove said it was too early to consider lifting coronavirus lockdown [File: Luke Dray/Getty Images]

Britain is not considering lifting the lockdown imposed almost four weeks ago to control the coronavirus outbreak given deeply worrying increases in the death toll, a senior minister said.

Britain is at or near the peak of a health crisis in which more than 15,000 people have died  the fifth-highest national death toll of a pandemic linked to at least 150,000 deaths worldwide.

Cabinet Office minister Michael Gove said a BuzzFeed report that the government was considering lifting the lockdown in phases over the coming months was not correct.

The facts and the advice are clear at the moment that we should not be thinking of lifting of these restrictions yet, Gove told Sky News.

12:00 GMT  Singapore reports 596 new coronavirus cases, taking total to 6,588

Singapores health ministry confirmed 596 new coronavirus infections, taking the total number of cases in the city-state to 6,588.

The vast majority of the new cases are migrant workers living in dormitories and 25 are permanent residents, the health ministry said in a statement on Sunday.

11:20 GMT  Russia confirms 6,060 new cases of coronavirus

Russia on Saturday confirmed 6,060 new cases of the coronavirus, bringing the tally to 42,853 in the country.

In a statement, the emergency team said 43 percent of the new cases did not have clinical symptoms.

The death toll from the coronavirus in the country reached 361 as 48 more people died over the past 24 hours.

11:00 GMT  Saudi top religious authority recommends home prayers in Ramadan

General view of the Kaaba at the Grand Mosque after Saudi authorities suspended Umrah pilgrimages amid fears of a coronavirus outbreak in the Muslim holy city of Mecca [File: Ganoo Essa/Reuters]

Saudi Arabias highest religious body, the Council of Senior Scholars, urged Muslims worldwide to pray at home during Ramadan if their countries require social distancing to curb the spread of the coronavirus, state news agency SPA reported.

The holy fasting month of Ramadan begins later this week. During the month, believers usually break their fast with families and friends and perform an evening prayer, known as Taraweeh, in large gatherings at mosques.

Muslims shall avoid gatherings, because they are the main cause of the spread of infection  and shall remember that preserving the lives of people is a great act that brings them closer to God, it said in a statement.

10:49 GMT  Indonesia confirms 327 new coronavirus cases, total 6,575

Indonesia reported 327 new coronavirus cases, taking the total number of infections to 6,575.

Health ministry official Achmad Yurianto also reported 47 new deaths, taking the total to 582.

The figures come a day after the chairman of the Indonesian Doctors Association said that the countrys actual death toll could be nearly twice the official numbers.

In response, Yurianto told reporters in an online briefing on Sunday to avoid the added psychological burden of untrue news.

10:32 GMT  Indias Maharashtra state allows some economic activity

Migrant labourers watch a movie on a mobile phone while resting under a bridge during a government-imposed nationwide lockdown as a preventive measure against the spread of the COVID-19 coronavirus, in Mumbai [Indranil Mukherjee/AFP]

Indias Maharashtra state, the countrys largest regional economy, will allow a limited number of sectors to resume business on Monday, after a weeks-long shutdown to slow the spread of coronavirus left millions out of work.

Maharashtra, home to financial centre Mumbai, has the biggest share of Indias 15,713 infections, including a large number now ripping through its densely packed slums.

Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray told a news conference on Sunday that some activity would be permitted in the least-affected parts of the state while observing a strict lockdown in the red zones that have the maximum number of cases.

We need to start the economic wheels again. We are giving selective permissions from tomorrow, especially in orange zones and green zones, he said, referring to areas with lower levels of infection.

10:15 GMT  Spains coronavirus toll slows, with 410 deaths overnight

Spains death toll from the new coronavirus outbreak rose by 410 on Sunday, down from 565 on Saturday, the Health Ministry said, bringing the total to 20,453 deaths in one of the worlds hardest-hit countries.

The number of overall coronavirus cases rose to 195,944 on Sunday from 191,726 on Saturday, it added.

This is the lowest number of daily deaths since March 22.

On Saturday night, Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez announced in an address to the nation his plans to extend the lockdown until May 9. From there, he said there would be a cautious and progressive relaxation of quarantine measures.

09:55 GMT  Germanys coronavirus cases rise by 2,458 to 139,897

Visitors of a weekly market wear protective masks, as the spread of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) continues in Dresden, Germany [Matthias Rietschel/Reuters]

Germanys confirmed coronavirus cases have risen by 2,458 to 139,897, data from the Robert Koch Institute (RKI) for infectious diseases showed on Sunday.

That was lower than a 3,609 increase reported on Saturday, when cases of infections had been increasing for four days in a row.

The reported death toll has risen by 184 to 4,294, the Sunday tally showed.

09:25 GMT  Japan passes 10,000 domestic cases of COVID-19

The Japanese health ministry said 568 new cases of the coronavirus were reported on Saturday, bringing the domestic total to 10,361. A combined total including 712 others from a cruise ship quarantined near Tokyo earlier this year came to 11,073, with 174 deaths.

The number of cases is still relatively small compared to the US and Europe, but that is only as many as Japans limited testing has detected and actual infections are believed to be far more widespread.

Japan has finally started setting up additional testing centres in Tokyo and elsewhere, allowing primary care doctors to send suspected patients directly to testing stations rather than having them go through public health centres to screen eligibility, an earlier requirement that had prevented and delayed the testing and treatment of many people.

Experts have noted that their strategy of going after clusters to trace infections is no longer effective to keep up with the surging cases, and more tests are needed.

08:48 GMT  Pakistan starts repatriating UAE-based nationals stranded by coronavirus

Pakistan has started repatriating some of its citizens from the United Arab Emirates, which had threatened to review labour ties with countries refusing to take back their nationals during the novel coronavirus pandemic.

The first Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) flight carrying 227 stranded passengers from Dubai and other emirates left for Islamabad on Saturday evening, Pakistans consulate general in Dubai said in a Twitter post.

First PIA flight carrying 227 stranded passengers from Dubai and Northern Emirates left for Islamabad today at 1900 hours.@SMQureshiPTI @ForeignOfficePk @pid_gov pic.twitter.com/aF4RHwtMij  Consulate General of Pakistan, Dubai (@ParepDubai) April 18, 2020

It was not clear when other flights would depart. More than 40,000 Pakistanis in the Gulf Arab state have registered with the consulate to return home, two UAE newspapers reported.

The UAE and other Gulf states have reported increased infections among low-income migrant workers who live in overcrowded quarters. Some have moved to rehouse them in shuttered schools or dedicated centres, and are trying to arrange flights to repatriate them.

08:30 GMT  Philippines records 12 new coronavirus deaths, 172 more cases

The Phillipines has undertaken strict lockdown measures to curb the spread of the coronavirus [Ez/Getty Images]

The Philippines health ministry reported 12 new coronavirus deaths and 172 new infections.

The Southeast Asian country now has a total of 6,259 confirmed coronavirus cases and 409 deaths, it said in a bulletin.

It said 56 more patients have recovered, bringing the total to 572.

08:18 GMT  Taiwan reports 22 new coronavirus cases, mostly navy sailors

Taiwans government on Sunday reported 22 new coronavirus cases, 21 of whom had been on a Taiwanese navy mission to the Pacific island state of Palau last month.

Speaking at a news conference, Taiwan Health Minister Chen Shih-chung said the cases had so far only been discovered on one of the three ships that had visited Palau, but that further investigations were needed before they could say where exactly the sailors had contracted the virus.

The new cases bring Taiwans total to 420, six of whom have died.

08:00 GMT  Israels COVID-19 cases surpass 13,300

The death toll in Israel from the coronavirus rose to 171, as seven more people died, the countrys health ministry said.

The ministry said 97 new cases were reported in the country, bringing the tally to 13,362, with some 156 of them in a critical condition.

Caretaker Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Israel will relax some of its lockdown measures on Sunday because the spread of the virus was slowing down. Israel was better off than other countries, he told a televised news conference.

We have one of the lowest death rates, he said.

07:50 GMT  Singapore reports 596 new coronavirus cases, taking total to 6,588

Singapores health ministry confirmed 596 new coronavirus infections, taking the total number of cases in the city-state to 6,588.

The vast majority of the new cases are migrant workers living in dormitories and 25 are permanent residents, the health ministry said in a statement on Sunday.

07:15 GMT  Panama holds 1,700 migrants in jungle due to coronavirus

About 1,700 undocumented migrants heading to the US are being held in a jungle camp by Panama authorities after several cases of the new coronavirus were detected among them, an official source said.

They are being kept in La Penita, close to the Colombian border, in facilities designed to accommodate about 200 people.

Seventeen migrants have been infected with the new coronavirus, the official source said on condition of anonymity.

The infected people have already been removed from the camp.

In Panama, which has 4,273 coronavirus infections and 120 deaths, migrants are treated at three temporary border posts where the government, UNICEF and the Red Cross provide them with water, food and medical care.

06:52 GMT  Pakistan to keep mosques open during Ramadan

Muslims attend Friday prayers after the government limited congregational prayers and ordered people to stay home, in efforts to stem the spread of COVID-19, in Lahore, Pakistan [Mohsin Raza/Reuters]

Even as Pakistans daily confirmed cases inch higher, Prime Minister Imran Khans government buckled to pressure from religious scholars who refused to order mosques throughout the country closed during the Islamic fasting month of Ramadan.

Pakistan recorded 7,993 confirmed cases till Sunday, a daily increase of 514. Sixteen people died of the virus in the past 24 hours, bringing the total death toll to 159. But in Pakistan, religious scholars have become a powerful force, often using the fear of taking mobs to the streets as leverage to force the government to bow to their demands.

Pakistan has been blamed for contributing to the outbreak of the virus in other parts of the world including the Gaza Strip after it refused to stop a gathering of tens of thousands of Tablighi Jamaat (Islamic missionaries) until early March. By the time the event was cancelled, thousands were already in Pakistan and many returned to their countries infected.

06:30 GMT  India to supply hydroxychloroquine to UAE

A chemist displays hydroxychloroquine tablets in New Delhi, India [File: Manish Swarup/The Associated Press]

India has agreed to provide hydroxychloroquine (HCQ) tablets to the United Arab Emirates to be used for treating COVID-19 patients, the Arab states embassy in New Delhi said.

India last month banned the export of HCQ as sales soared to secure supplies for itself as US President Donald Trump touted the drug as a potentially effective treatment for the deadly virus. It said this month it would send supplies to some countries.

The first shipment of medicine, currently on its way to the UAE, includes 5.5 million pills for treatment of patients with COVID-19, the embassy tweeted late on Saturday.

06:15 GMT  Rwanda, DRC make wearing mask mandatory

Wearing face masks in public will soon be mandatory, Rwandas health minister said, as the number of COVID-19 cases in the country reached 144.

Daniel Ngamije said the latest guidelines require everyone to wear a mask in public, and at home during the lockdown and thereafter.

From next Monday, local companies will start making masks to help supply affordable quantities on the market. Wearing masks will be effective in preventing spread of COVID-19, he said.

In the Democratic Republic of the Congo, the governor of the capital of Kinshasa, Gentiny Ngobila, said the mandatory wearing of masks will begin on April 20.

Hello, this is Linah Alsaafin taking over from my colleague Zaheena Rasheed.

04:55 GMT  Australia calls for probe into WHO, China virus response

Marise Payne, Australias foreign minister, is calling for an independent investigation into the global response to the coronavirus pandemic, including the World Health Organizations handling of the crisis.

Canberra will insist on a review that would investigate, in part, Chinas early response to the outbreak in Wuhan, the city where the virus was first detected last year, Payne said, in an interview with public broadcaster ABC.

We need to know the sorts of details that an independent review would identify for us about the genesis of the virus, about the approaches to dealing with it [and] addressing the openness with which information was shared, she says.

Payne adds that the fallout from the pandemic may change the relationship between Australia and China in some ways, with her concern around Beijings transparency now at a very high point.





04:40 GMT  Mexico reports 7,497 cases, 650 deaths

Hugo Lopez-Gatell, Mexicos deputy health minister, says the country has registered 7,497 confirmed coronavirus cases and 650 deaths till Saturday.

That is up from 6,875 cases and 546 deaths on Friday.

03:46 GMT  Greek Easter services held in empty churches

Greek Orthodox priests held Easter services in empty churches on Saturday night due to restrictions in place to try and prevent the spread of the coronavirus.

Greece is under lockdown and the government had warned faithful to stay away from churches.

Priests still carried out services and fireworks were set off over the Acropolis at the stroke of midnight, ushering in Easter Sunday.

A family hold candles at a balcony during the Greek Orthodox Easter celebration amid coronavirus pandemic in Athens, Greece, April 19, 2020 [Goran Tomasevic/ Reuters]

Many in the northern port city of Thessaloniki and around Greece stepped out on their balconies at the stroke of midnight with lit candles to mark the resurrection.

The threat of a fine for violating the lockdown measures did not stop some faithful who stood outside St Demetrios Church in Thessaloniki with lit candles, while the church bells rang at midnight.

02:50 GMT  More Guatemalans deported from US test positive

Guatemalas President Alejandro Giammattei says 19 more Guatemalans deported from the US to the Central American nation have tested positive for coronavirus.

The latest figures bring the total number of infections from the plane to 32.

The affected migrants are believed to have arrived from Alexandria, Louisiana on Monday. Guatemala has now suspended all flights of deportees from the US.

02:19 GMT  China reports 16 new cases

Health authorities in China are reporting 16 new coronavirus cases in the mainland, the lowest number since March 17 and down from 27 a day earlier.

Of the new cases, nine are imported from abroad. There are no new deaths.

The latest figures bring the total number of cases in the mainland to 82,735.

02:00 GMT  Infections in S Korea falls to single digit for first time in two months

The Korea Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is reporting eight new cases of the coronavirus, marking the first time infections in South Korea fall to a single digit since the outbreak peaked in February.

Of the eight, five involve travellers from overseas.

The nations total tally is 10,661 cases and 234 deaths.





01:23 GMT  Virtual all-star concert for front-line workers kicks off

Lady Gaga, Paul McCartney, The Rolling Stones and Beyonce are taking part in a global special of music, comedy and personal stories in what Gaga calls a love letter to front-line workers battling the coronavirus pandemic.

The two-hour One World: Together at Home, broadcast across multiple television channels in the US and overseas, features a Whos Who of pop culture, with contributions, filmed from their homes, from Elton John, Stevie Wonder, British football star David Beckham and former US first ladies Michelle Obama and Laura Bush.

Im so grateful for the healthcare workers, the medical workers, all the grocery store workers and delivery people, the postal workers, all the other nonprofits that are working so hard, Gaga says.

This is really a true love letter to all of you all over the world, and I hope a reminder of the kindness thats occurring right now, she adds.

Hosted by three of the biggest late-night television show hosts in the US  Jimmy Kimmel, Stephen Colbert and Jimmy Fallon  the special pays tribute to teachers and healthcare, grocery, delivery, postal and other workers.

The event, organised by the World Health Organization (WHO) and the nonprofit group Global Citizen, is the biggest celebrity effort so far to mark the coronavirus pandemic.

00:53 GMT  Europes virus death toll tops 100,000

Europe now accounts for a total of 100,510 coronavirus deaths  nearly two-thirds of the 157,539 fatalities worldwide, according to an AFP tally.

Many countries are testing only the most serious cases and the number of confirmed infections is likely to be a fraction of the true total.

Italy and Spain remain the hardest-hit countries in Europe, with 23,227 and 20,043 deaths, respectively, followed by France with 19,323 deaths. The United Kingdoms official death toll is 15,464.

00:36 GMT  Brazilian drivers protest against lockdown restrictions

Hundreds of people in trucks, cars and motorcycles, are taking to the streets of Rio de Janeiro, Sao Paulo and the capital city of Brasilia, calling for governors to resign over lockdown measures that have forced most businesses to close for weeks.

In Rio de Janeiro, about 100 vehicles are seen in the gridlock, cruising down Atlantica Avenue, along the iconic and temporarily shut-down Copacabana beach.

Either we just have the pandemic, which is already a lot, or we have the pandemic and chaos, says Anderson Moraes, a state legislator who had called for Rio residents to join the protest. For sure, lives are more important than anything else, but we cant take decisions today without thinking about tomorrow. Because tomorrow, I dont know how a family man will be when he sees his children going hungry.

In Brasilia, President Jair Bolsonaro who opposes the lockdowns reiterates his intention to start reopening the economy. The fear was excessive, he says, denouncing the greed of politicians who have shut down everything and created panic.

People want a return to normality, the president says in a Facebook Live session shortly before meeting with a small crowd of supporters who had gathered outside the Planalto presidential palace.

Supporters of President Jair Bolsonaro wave the Brazilian flag as they take part in a motorcade to protest against quarantine and social distancing measures to combat the new coronavirus outbreak on April 18, 2020, in Sao Paulo [Alexandre Schneider/Getty Images]

Hundreds of people are protesting against the virus-related lockdowns in the US too, with rallies in states including Texas, Maryland, New Hampshire and Ohio.

In Washington, DC, Trump tells reporters that some state governors have gotten carried away and imposed unreasonable restrictions.

Read more about the protests in the US here.

Hello, Im Zaheena Rasheed in Male, Maldives, with Al Jazeeras continuing coverage of the coronavirus pandemic.

You can find all the updates from yesterday, April 18, here.
The Central drug controller has relaxed norms to allow import of drugs with less than 60% of their shelf life amid the Covid-19 crisis as several import consignments were delayed because of movement restrictions.

However, the relaxation has been offered only as a temporary measure for three months.

A circular from the Central Drugs Standard Organisation (CDSCO) stated: In the light of present situation due to spread of Covid-19, ministry of healthhas instructed to take various steps in order to ensure availability of sufficient quantity drugs in the domestic retails market besides ensuring that the product conform to the prescribed specification.

Also read: MHA bars supply of non-essential items by e-commerce companies during lockdown

One of the steps include issuing immediate approvals to applicationsfurther relaxing the requirement of minimum 60% residual shelf life of all drugs including vaccines/biological products at the time of import temporarily, for three months until normal supply resumes.

According to current regulations, no drug can be imported into India unless it complies with standards for strength, quality and purity, and has at least 60% residual shelf life on the date of import.

However, the expiry regulations would be reviewed on a case-to-case basis, and some drugs or vaccines were allowed in exceptional circumstances.

The revised regulation allows the import of drugs nearing expiry but with certain riders, such as the medicines cannot be stored and have to be consumed as soon as possible.

Strict action will be taken against importers if a product is found circulating in markets beyond its expiry date.

A CDSCO official, requesting anonymity, said: These are exceptional circumstances we are dealing with currently, and several industry people had made requests about relaxing the norms as their supplies were stuck at ports and losing shelf life because of the lockdown.

Also read: Covid-19 virus cannot be man-made, Wuhan virology lab chief denies it originated from institute

They had asked for permission to bring these drugs in even though they were reaching closer to the expiry date.

The official added, It has been made amply clear to importers that no drug or vaccine will be available in markets after their expiry date. Thats the condition.

Suranjit Chatterjee, senior consultant (internal medicine) at Indraprastha Apollo Hospital, said, As long as the medicine is not expired it is usually effective, and sometimes the medicine retains its efficacy even after the expiry date. However, as a rule of thumb, expired drugs must not be consumed.

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The Minority Leader of the Senate, Senator Enyinnaya Abaribe yesterday flayed the killing of six youth by security agencies in the Southeast during the lockdown ordered by states in the region in the wake of Coronavirus pandemic.

Abaribe, thus, called on the Inspector-General of Police (IGP), Mohammed Adamu, to stop the rising rate of extra- judicial killing of innocent Nigerians in the Southeast by trigger happy policemen hiding under the cover of enforcing the COVID-19 lockdown.

He made the allegation in a statement yesterday, tasking the inspector-general to explain to Nigerians why his men have found the entire Southeast as most vulnerable in the circumstance to deploy such level of maximum force on the citizens.

He said at the last count, no fewer than six Igbo youth had met their untimely death in the hands of trigger happy policemen, purportedly enforcing the stay-at-home order.

Abaribe said: Why the concentration in the South East? In Aba, Abia State, precisely in Uratta junction, one youth was allegedly gunned down, while another was heavily brutalised with gun butts to a point of coma on Friday.

This came a day after another young man was killed in Umuikaa junction for no just cause. It could be recalled that two weeks ago a petrol attendant in one of the petrol stations in Ogbor Hill was also shot and killed while on duty by a policeman who claimed stray bullet.

There are also reports of protests in Ohafia, in Abia State today (Saturday) over alleged killing of some youth in the community by the same police. Again we have not forgotten the alleged killing of another young man in Nkpor near Onitsha in Anambra State.

There may be some other unreported cases in this region involving the officers of the Nigeria Police, yet in all of these we have not heard of any decisive action taken by the police high command to stem this ugly tide, the Senate minority leader said.

According to him, the entire South East, which has not recorded up to three deaths as a result of the pandemic, has lost more of her people in such brutal but avoidable circumstances in the hands of people that are statutorily empowered to protect them.

He said the inspector- general, should as a matter of urgency call his men to order, halt these brazen brutality against the people, carry out a thorough investigation in these killings and ensure that the culprits are brought to book.

He said: The killings have the propensity of being given sinister interpretations. It is the responsibility of the police high command embodied by the IGP, to rein in his men and prevent the people from relapsing into total state of hopelessness. It is not acceptable to our people, to watch our youths being killed in such brazen manner.



Source: https://www.thisdaylive.com/index.php/2020/04/19/abaribe-asks-igp-to-stop-extra-judicial-killing-in-seast/
The lawyer of an Iranian-French academic being tried in Tehran on security charges says he expects the court in charge of the case to issue its ruling in the coming days.

Fariba Adelkhahs lawyer told AFP by telephone that Branch 15 of Tehran's Revolutionary Court held a session in her trial on April 19 -- the second since her trial began last month.

Describing the hearing as "satisfactory," the lawyer, Said Dehghan, raised hopes for Adelkhah's freedom and said he expected the court's decision within a week.

Adelkhah is a research director at Sciences Po university in Paris and is an expert on Iran and Shi'ite Islam.

She was arrested in June 2019 along with fellow researcher Roland Marchal.

Adelkhah is accused of "propaganda against the system" and "colluding to commit acts against national security."

Marchal, who was accused of "colluding to commit acts against national security," was allowed to return home to France last month after being released in a prisoner swap between Paris and Tehran.

Adelkhah had been in "high spirits" since Marchal's release, AFP quoted Dehghan as saying.

Iran, which does not recognize dual citizenship, had repeatedly rejected calls from Paris to release the two.

The country has arrested dozens of dual nationals in recent years on alleged espionage charges.

Iranian authorities have not provided any solid evidence to back up their claims.

Based on reporting by AFP
Support for Cronnelly

I met Tom Cronnelly in Butte while we were both attending Montana Tech. I had met a lot of people from Butte, but even then Tom stuck out for his love and pride of Butte and he became a Butte ambassador to all of my out-of- town friends.

Tom and I have kept in close touch through the years and he lived here in the Seattle area where I live, for many years. I remember visiting him in large and then larger department stores that he managed and I was always amazed at his calm, direct and respectful way of dealing with his hundreds of employees during our visits.

His leadership was noticed by the businesses he worked for and soon Tom was moving up into higher ranks of management. It did not surprise me because Tom always knew what the most important commodity of every business was its employees!

Tom would visit Butte often and it didn't surprise me when he went back there to open a business of his own and become part of the fabric to create jobs in the community he has always cherished. It did not surprise me that he is running for Butte-Silver Bow Chief Executive.

Recently, Tom reached out to me as I am a Montana Ambassador appointed by the governor with a mandate that we help grow business in Montana. We get companies who are looking to expand or guide people that want to start a business in Montana with contacts with the Montana Economic Counsel and the governor's office. Tom has reached out to see how we might work together for people of Butte-Silver Bow.

Butte has a lot of exciting things happening now with Montana Studios and the Praxis Center for Innovative Learning progressing and looking to bring robust and different business to Butte.

Tom Cronnelly is the right man for the Chief Executive job as he has the knowledge, skills, and contacts to attract businesses and create good-paying jobs and and make Butte a community.

For that reason, I support and endorse Tom Cronnelly for Butte-Silver Bow Chief Executive.

Mary Calvert, Bellevue, Washington

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After six seasons, the beloved comedy Schitts Creek has finally come to an end. Johnny, Moira, David, and Alexis Rose, a group of self-absorbed individuals with plenty of hilarious overdramatic tendencies, will no longer gracing our televisions.

Much to the chagrin of the shows fans, Schitts Creek aired its final episode a few weeks ago. Now, Schitt Heads everywhere are eager to know when theyll be able to stream Season 6 of on Netflix  heres what we know.

Annie Murphy, Dan Levy, Catherine OHara, and Eugene Levy | Andrew Lipovsky/NBC/NBCU Photo Bank via Getty Images

Schitts Creek is a show about family

Schitts Creek tells the tale of the formerly wealthy Rose family who, upon being stripped of their wealth, are forced to move to their only remaining asset  the town of Schitts Creek. It is there that they learn humility, love, and the importance of family.

The Canadian comedy series was co-created by father-son duo Dan Levy and Eugene Levy, who played David and Johnny Rose, respectively. The show also starred the incomparable Catherine OHara, who played the over-the-top matriarch, Moira Rose. Annie Murphy completed the Rose family with her role as Alexis.

Other notable actors in the series included Sarah Levy as Twyla Sands, Noah Reid as Davids boyfriend, Patrick Brewer, and Emily Hampshire as Davids best friend and Johnnys business partner, Stevie Budd. Comedian Chris Elliot also played a significant part in the series as the mayor of Schitts Creek, Roland Schitt.

In March of 2019, Levy announced his decision to end the show with a final chapter that [they] had envisioned from the very beginning. The final episode of Season 6 aired on April 7, 2020.

Critics loved Schitts Creek

Since the series aired in 2015, critics and audiences alike have raved about it. In 2019, Schitts Creek was nominated for four Emmy Awards including Outstanding Lead Actor in a Comedy Series, Outstanding Lead Actress in a Comedy Series, Outstanding Contemporary Costumes, and Outstanding Comedy Series.

While the series did not take home any Emmys that year, the show still made history as the first Canadian co-production nominated in the comedy category. Now that the series has concluded, fans are hopeful for another round of nominations and another possibility at an Emmy.

When will Season 6 of Schitts Creek be on Netflix?

Netflix hasnt announced an official release date for Schitts Creek Season 6, but if they follow what theyve done in years past, it will likely be available in October of this year.

The finale of Season 4 aired in April of 2018, then became available on Netflix that October. The same thing happened with Season 5  the finale aired April of 2019 and Netflix debuted it that October.

Schitts Creek fans in the United Kingdom are in luck  Netflix announced that Season 6 will be available to stream in the U.K. and Ireland starting May 14.

The sixth and ~final~ season of Schitt's Creek comes to Netflix on 14 May. pic.twitter.com/vXEeqcW28C  Netflix UK & Ireland (@NetflixUK) March 16, 2020

For now, its reasonable to assume that Schitts Creek Season 6 will be released for your streaming pleasure within the first few weeks of October. That leaves plenty of time to catch up on the first five seasons of Schitts Creek.

Related: Schitts Creeks Greatest Moments: We Loved That Journey For Them
Two children with coronavirus, aged 2 and 8, are among the 942 new cases of COVID-19 infection in Singapore the Ministry of Health (MOH) announced on Saturday (19 April).

Both child cases are linked to cases involving their family members who got infected of the virus before them.

Singapore Reports New Cases Of Children With Coronavirus

Case 5486, an eight-year-old female Singapore citizen, tested positive of COVID-19 on Friday (17 April). The patient is a family member of cases 4824 and 3431, who were admitted to the National Centre of Infection Diseases (NCID) and Sengkang General Hospital, respectively.

Case 5536, a two-year-old male Filipino national, also tested positive of COVID-19 on Friday. The child is a family member of case 2009, a Work Pass holder and case 4436, a Foreign Visit Pass holder. Both family members are adults and were confirmed to have contracted the virus before him. The adults are confined at the Singapore General Hospital and the NCID, respectively.

Meanwhile, both children are admitted to KK Womens and Childrens Hospital (KKH) where most young COVID-19 patients are hospitalised.

coronavirus in babies, covid-19 patients , Children With Coronavirus

In Singapore, most children with coronavirus are admitted to KK Womens And Childrens Hospital | Source: Wikimedia Commons

It can be noted that for children with coronavirus, KKHs chief operating officer Alson Goh said the hospital has allowed a designated caregiver to stay with a child throughout his or her time in the isolation room or ward.

But as a precaution, the accompanying caregiver will not be able to leave or swap places with another caregiver, Mr Goh said.

Cases involving young children in Singapore

Two other children tested positive for COVID-19 in the past week.

On Thursday (16 April), a seven-year-old and a 13-year-oldboth Singaporeanwere confirmed to have contracted coronavirus. Both cases were also linked to previously announced cases who are their family members.

Story continues

The World Health Organisation (WHO) earlier this month stressed its warning that children can also be affected by COVID-19.

Covid-19 Circuit Breakers, Children With Coronavirus

The Singapore government has mandated everyone to wear masks when outside, with the exception of young children below the age of 2. | Image source: iStock

Speaking to reporters during an online briefing from Copenhagen, the WHOs European branch head Hans Kluge said: The very notion that COVID-19 only affects older people is factually wrong,

Age is not the only risk for severe disease, Kluge insisted.

In Singapore, at least 60 cases involving young people aged 18 and below, have been reported since the beginning of the outbreak here in January. The youngest patient here is a six-month-old infant who is a child of an infected couple. The infant, a boy, tested positive on 5 February and spent 16 days in the hospital before finally recovering from COVID-19 on 22 February.

On the other hand, the fastest discharged case reported here also involve a child. A one-year-old import case was confirmed to have the virus on 16 February, and recovered from the disease on 18 February.

Children Are Hit With Coronavirus Too

Separately, the Centers for Disease Control and Preventions (CDC) Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report published on 6 April, found that there is a higher prevalence of COVID-19 in males across every pediatric age groupincluding newborns and infants.

The report, which studied over 2,500 children below age 18 with COVID-19, said among pediatric cases for which sex was known, 57 percent occurred in malesmuch higher in percentage compared to adult cases, in which 53 percent occurred in males.

The study also found that most of the children reported symptoms of cough or fever, only 5.7 percent were hospitalised.

Children With Coronavirus

Image source: iStock

Based on the data on this online dashboard of confirmed COVID-19 cases, of the 64 cases involving young people whose age and sex is known, 40 are male and 24 are female.

Still, the authors of CDCs report do not suggest that parents should now be more concerned about their male childrenmore than their female childrengetting severely ill from COVID-19. Experts said it is no reason for parents of boys to panic, and for parents of girls to think they are immune to the virus.

Experts recommend that as parents, protecting all childrenequally and regardless of their gendershould be the top priority in this global pandemic.

Meanwhile, Kluge said it was of paramount importance to respect hygiene guidelines regardless of age group.

It is not only an act of solidarity with others, in particular with those most likely to be severely affected, but also vital for your own health and safety, he added.

ALSO READ: Young Boys At Higher Risk Of Infection and Severe Illness From Coronavirus, Says Study

Conjunctivitis Could Be Rare Symptom of COVID-19, Says Study

Unborn Child Unlikely to Be Affected If Mum Contracts Coronavirus, Says Expert

The post COVID-19: Boy, 2, Girl, 8, Among 942 New Cases In Singapore, Total Inches To Nearly 6,000 appeared first on theAsianparent - Your Guide to Pregnancy, Baby & Raising Kids.
China's COVID-19 death toll revision to 'leave no case undocumented:' WHO

Global Times

Source:Global Times Published: 2020/4/18 12:26:58 Last Updated: 2020/4/18 20:49:48

Friday China's rectified COVID-19 death toll is "to leave no case undocumented," adding that since the systems of many countries are overwhelmed, they would also need to amend the data.

"We are aware of the new number that was reported from China This was done in an attempt to leave no case undocumented," Dr Maria Van Kerkhove of WHO said at a news briefing. "They view different data bases 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 city of Wuhan in Central China's Hubei Province modified its COVID-19 death toll to 3,869 on Friday, an increase of 1,290 from the previous figure, after the local government altered its counting method. The revision also means the death toll in the Chinese mainland increased from 3,342 to 4,632.

This is a responsible revision in accordance with laws and regulations, Chinese experts noted, adding that this is also solace for the deceased who died of the epidemic and their bereaved families and explanation for the entire Chinese society.

Reporting accurately the lives claimed by COVID-19 is crucial to understanding the virus, Dr Maria Van Kerkhove said.

In a WHO briefing on Friday, Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, Director-General of WHO also discussed WHO's position on the wet markets.

"Wet markets are an important source of affordable food and livelihood for millions of people all over the world. But in many places, they have been poorly regulated and poorly maintained," Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said.

"WHO's position is that when these markets are allowed to reopen, it should only be on the condition that they conform to stringent food safety and hygiene standards. Governments must rigorously enforce bans on the sale and trade of wildlife for food," he said.

The Global Times conducted a thorough field investigation of the wet markets in Wuhan, Beijing, Shanghai, and Guangzhou, and found that they are strictly regulated by local authorities. Besides, no wild animal trade was seen in these markets.

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Kolkata: At a time when the coronavirus COVID-19 pandemic is rapidly spreading across different parts of West Bengal, the state government on Sunday (April 19, 2020) accused the central lab - ICMR-NICED of providing defective test kits.

In a series of posts on micro blogging site Twitter, the State Heath and Family Welfare Department accused the ICMR-NICED for the delay in getting COVID-19 test results via the alleged defective kits.

The apparently defective test kits supplied by ICMR-NICED, Kolkata are resulting in a high number of repeat/confirmatory tests and causing delays and other problems at a time when we are battling a pandemic. This is an issue that ICMR needs to look into immediately, the tweet read.

5/5 The apparently defective test kits supplied by ICMR-NICED, Kolkata are resulting in a high number of repeat/ confirmatory tests and causing delays and other attendant problems at a time when we are battling a pandemic. This is an issue that ICMR needs to look into immediately  Department of Health & Family Welfare, West Bengal (@wbdhfw) April 19, 2020

The Department of Health and Family Welfare also claimed that the COVID-19 test kits provided by ICMR-NICED two weeks ago are throwing up inconclusive reports hence the same samples have to be tested twice.

The testing kits supplied by ICMR-NICED about two weeks ago have started to throw up a large number of inconclusive results, necessitating a repeat test run for confirmation, thereby causing a delay in the generation of the final test report, another tweet read.

The state government also alleged that till the time the test kits were being sent directly from National Institute of Virology, Pune there was no problem until the kits were routed through ICMR-NICED.

Issuing a clarification, Director of ICMR-NICED Shanta Dutta said, "Earlier when kits were required in smaller quantities they were imported, standardized and then distributed by NIV, Pune. But when the demand increased, ICMR imported the kits and sent them directly to the 16 regional hubs including NICED in Kolkata. The kits were then distributed to state run medical colleges where they were required to be standardized. But this standardization is not being done because of lack of time and technical know-how. Thats why sometimes these kits are showing inconclusive results.

Interestingly, two weeks ago, the Director of ICMR-NICED in an interview had claimed that West Bengal was not conducting enough testing of samples and that the state was not sending enough samples to ICMR-NICED for testing despite having the manpower and infrastructure to test as many as 100 samples each day.
Rosamund Thomas peeled off the latex gloves, washed her hands and slumped onto a seat in the bathroom of the condominium where she works as a caretaker.

Working at a group home for adults with intellectual disabilities is often strenuous. But amid the coronavirus pandemic, Thomas said, each day feels like walking a tightrope - a thin one, with no safety net.

When she steps into the three-bedroom condominium in suburban Maryland, to feed, bathe and care for the three disabled residents, she worries about what she may have carried inside. And after her eight-hour shift, when she returns to her apartment, she wonders whether she might have brought anything home to Keith, her 16-year-old son.

"They are in their home. I am the one coming and going," she said of her clients one recent afternoon. "If something should happen . . . " her voice trailed off, and she began to cry.

"I can't even imagine," Thomas continued. "If they get sick, I have to live with this for the rest of my life."

Thomas works for the Arc Montgomery County, which operates 36 group homes for developmentally disabled adults in a county of 1 million people.

The residences have been in lockdown since mid-March, with no visitors allowed and only staff moving in and out. But in the past two weeks, six residents have tested positive for coronavirus, along with four caregivers. On April 11, one group home resident, a man in his 60s, died of covid-19.

For Arc and dozens of providers in the Washington region, the outbreak confirmed their worst fears about caring for some of society's most vulnerable members with stretched-thin resources.

Thomas and other caregivers are paid just slightly more than minimum wage and frequently take shifts at multiple homes, increasing the risks of viral transmission. Their clients often have other underlying health conditions that make them more susceptible to the virus.

Residents of group homes live in close quarters; some may not understand the importance of wearing masks or practicing social distancing, and many are not able to articulate whether they are experiencing covid-19 symptoms.

In harder-hit states like New York, the virus has spread through dozens of group homes and infected hundreds of developmentally disabled adults, who are dying at higher rates than the general population.

In the Washington region, providers who operate group homes have taken drastic steps to prevent outbreaks, with some wiping down surfaces and doorknobs every two hours. But the agencies say they are struggling with limited staff and equipment - a situation compounded by years of receiving less funding than requested from state and federal governments.

"We're trying our best, but we really can't do it alone," said Deborah Mark, a spokeswoman for Arc. "Every year, we've had to fight and beg for money."

Even before the coronavirus crisis, Arc had 77 vacancies for "direct service professionals" like Thomas, whose pay has stayed relatively flat even as the state and county minimum wage grew. Starting pay in Montgomery is $13.15 an hour, just 15 cents above minimum wage.

Since the outbreak, at least 25 employees have stopped working, either because they are afraid or are self-isolating after possible exposure, Mark said. Managers have started covering some shifts, dropping by group homes to cook and care for residents.

Judy and Joe Pauley of Potomac, Maryland have spent years advocating for the state to allocate more funding to the Developmental Disabilities Administration, which helps to pay workers like Thomas. Earlier this week, they found out that their daughter Cecelia, who has Down syndrome and lives at one of Arc's group homes, tested positive for coronavirus.

"[The caretakers] are my substitute. They are mom when I'm not there," said Judy, 83. "How can these be minimum wage jobs?"

Considered essential workers, caregivers have continued to work but have limited protection from the virus. Providers have struggled to obtain masks, gowns and hand sanitizer, often resorting to sharing supplies after delayed or canceled orders.

At Arc's group homes, each of which house four to five people, most staff work only with cloth masks. The few who have higher-quality protective equipment have sometimes had to reuse it, Mark said.

Montgomery's health department, which distributed two weeks' worth of protective equipment to all nursing homes, said there "are not immediate plans" to do the same at the county's 200 group homes.

A spokesman for the department said the state has distributed protective equipment to its 2,400 group homes but did not respond to follow-up questions asking why multiple providers, including Arc, report a lack of masks, gowns and goggles.

"We're kind of in last place," Mark said. Protective personal equipment "has to go hospitals, first responders, nursing homes . . . and further down the list are group homes."

Because caregivers often work multiple places, it can take just one outbreak for the virus to spread through a provider network. Daphne Pallozzi, chief executive for CHI Centers, which operates 17 group homes in Maryland, said caregivers may be "doubly exposing" or "doubly exposed."

Patience Ekpo, 60, has stopped working at one of the several group homes where she is normally employed to lower the risk of cross-contamination. She picked up additional shifts at another home because an individual there - a middle-aged man named Jimmy - keeps trying to leave the house and needs someone to watch him closely.

"He's very sociable, very happy," Ekpo said one recent afternoon from the house, which is located in Silver Spring, Maryland. "He likes to go out and shake hands."

As she was speaking, Jimmy headed for the door.

"Please, please," Ekpo said to him through her cloth mask. "I'll go out with you. Give me a minute, one minute."

Jimmy stalled, then sat down, brows furrowed.

"Are you angry? Don't be angry," Ekpo said coaxingly. "Thank you, my dear."

Ekpo and others have taken on the parental role of dispelling the fears, anxieties and boredom that come with quarantine. Pallozzi, of CHI Centers, said she purchased indoor games and activities - from bingo and adult coloring books to a box set of documentaries - but knows that these are stopgap measures.

"If we have to go through May, I don't know what we're going to do," she said.

When Ekpo watches news reports on covid-19, she said, she feels her heart palpitate. She is frightened of being a carrier, but sees it as her duty to ensure that Jimmy stays safe.

Thomas said it is hard for her to imagine what would happen if she wasn't able to care for her three residents. Who would know that one of them likes their cereal with strawberries, and another with bananas? Who would know when they liked to go for walks or when to hold their hands?

As she spoke to a reporter by phone that afternoon during her shift, a television game show audible in the background, Thomas considered what would happen if one of the group home residents contracted the virus.

"An ambulance would come, and then they would be by themselves," she said softly. "I wouldn't be able to go."

"Oh no," Thomas whispered to herself. "No, no, no."
The notion that society is best served by taking people who break the law and locking them up for a long time has always had a powerful constituency in this country. That's why, on a per-capita basis, the United States has more people behind bars  2.3 million  than any other country in the world.

And a lot of the sentences are insanely long: One convict at San Quentin Prison in California was sentenced to 1,002 years and 19 life terms for armed bank robbery. That's our starting point.

There's no such thing as a good time to be an inmate in the U.S. prison system, or for that matter to be awaiting trial in a county jail. It may also be that there's never been a worse time.

Rikers Island, in New York City's East River, currently holds more than 4,000 prisoners. It is a toxic breeding ground for COVID-19. Throughout all of the city's jails and prisons, the numbers of inmates and staff testing positive has now topped one thousand. Keep in mind that Rikers, by far the largest of them all, is a jail, not a prison:

"What I know from being incarcerated is that people in American prisons and jails have very little prospect at avoiding infection," said Piper Kerman, who spent more than a year behind bars (her memoir was adapted into the hit series "Orange Is the New Black"). She is a passionate advocate of early release.

"Jail facilities typically hold people who have been arrested and have been charged with a crime, but are presumed innocent," Kerman said. "But the majority of people are eligible for bail and can return to the community, but they are too poor to pay their bail.

"Nobody should sit in jail just because they're poor, and especially when there's a pandemic going on," she said.

rikers-island-coronavirus-620.jpg

There are over a thousand cases of COVID-19 at Rikers Island in New York City, two-thirds of them among the correctional facilities' staff. CBS News

Story continues

There is an added touch of desperation to calls coming out of jails and prisons around the country these days. "It's looking grim. It's just a matter of time before we all get it," said one inmate at Marion Correctional Institute in Ohio. "We just in here. Look, guys is coughing, there's no way to escape it. If this is the last time you see me, know that I love you. Know what I'm saying  not to sound like that, but it's real."

Confinement and social distancing are mostly incompatible: "Inside of a cell, you have to basically figure out, like, how are you gonna adjust, because a few feet down from you is another person," said Earlonne Woods, who in 2018 showed "Sunday Morning" Special Contributor Ted Koppel around his cell at San Quentin, outside San Francisco.

"You don't have a helluva lot of room in here, do you?" Koppel said.

"I don't. You know, it's like, one person can move at a time!"

Woods, now an ex-con, told Koppel, "That small space  as you know, you was in there  it's about the size of an average person's bathroom. So that's what that confinement is."

Adnan Khan is also happy to describe himself these days as an ex-con. "Earlonne and I were in San Quentin together. The floor that we lived on, we shared it with 100 people. And that floor was three feet wide. So, it is physically impossible to do six-foot distancing, in a three-foot-wide tier."

So, what happens when inmates get sick? "When viruses hit, the culture of prisons, at least in my experience, has been punitive," Khan said. "Meaning that when someone gets sick, they get punished by being sent to solitary confinement."

That, at least, was the case at San Quentin. When Earlonne Woods was an inmate there he hosted, and still hosts, a podcast called Ear Hustle. He did an episode on solitary:

"It's the hole, the box, the dungeon."I saw no future. How do I spend the next 20, 30 'til I die in this cell? Because I wasn't prepared for it."

Adnan Khan said, "Once you get sent to solitary confinement, the rules and regulations that apply in there, whether you're there for disciplinary reasons or whether you're there for quarantine purposes, those rules and regulations apply to you no matter what you're there for.

One controversial option: The early release of elderly inmates and those convicted of non-violent crimes. On April 3, Connecticut Governor Ned Lamont said, "Anybody who doesn't have to be in prison is not being sent to prison. Anybody who is non-violent or ready to be released is out."

In Florida last week, the troubling exception that will only solidify existing resistance to early release: After scores of prisoners were released to alleviate the spread of the virus, one man freed from jail allegedly murdered someone the next day.

In March, Texas Governor Greg Abbott issued an executive order prohibiting the release of "dangerous felons" from prisons and jails in Texas.

We may, in ordinary times, have the luxury of ignoring what happens behind prison walls. But, said Piper Kerman, not now: "Prisons and jails do not have ICUs," she said. "They don't have any of the medical facilities to deal with very sick people. So, every single day on a normal day, on a good day, thousands of prisoners are brought out of prison to local hospitals."

Overall, the number of inmates and staff testing positive in New York City's prisons and jails is now over a thousand. One might reasonably assume that the majority of that number are inmates. They're not. Of those testing positive for COVID-19, Department of Corrections staff outnumber inmates almost exactly two to one.

"It's impossible that staff will not become infected, and that their own families and their own communities are not going to experience the spread of coronavirus outside of prisons and jails," Kerman said. "Because an outbreak behind bars is going to spread to the outside community."

A footnote: The Florida Department of Corrections has lowered the minimum age to be a corrections officer, and just last week announced $1,000 bonuses for new recruits.

For more info:

"Ear Hustle" podcast by Earlonne WoodsAdnan Khan, executive director, Re:Store Justicepiperkerman.com

Story produced by Dustin Stephens. Editor: Ed Givnish.

Some ... of many: Remembering victims of coronavirus

Artist Kadir Nelson's After the Storm

A nurses duty
We are the richest country in the history of the world, but at a time of massive income and wealth inequality, that reality means little to half of our people who live paycheck to paycheck, the 40 million living in poverty, the 87 million who are uninsured or underinsured, and the half million who are homeless.

In the midst of the twin crises that we face  the coronavirus pandemic and the meltdown of our economy  its imperative that we re-examine some of the foundations of American society, understand why they are failing us, and fight for a fairer and more just nation.

The absurdity and cruelty of our employer-based, private health insurance system should now be apparent to all. As tens of millions of Americans are losing their jobs and incomes as a result of the pandemic, many of them are also losing their health insurance. That is what happens when health care is seen as an employee benefit, not a guaranteed right. As we move forward beyond the pandemic, we need to pass legislation that finally guarantees health care to every man, woman and child  available to people employed or unemployed, at every age.

The pandemic has also made clear the irrationality of the current system. Unbelievably, in the midst of the worst health care crisis in modern history, thousands of medical workers are being laid off and many hospitals and clinics are on the verge of going bankrupt and shutting down. In truth, we dont have a health care system. We have a byzantine network of medical institutions dominated by the profit-making interests of insurance and drug companies. The goal of a new, long-overdue health care system, Medicare for All, must be to provide health care to all, in every region of the country  not billions in profits for Wall Street and the health care industry.
The Sustainable Energy Authority of Ireland (SEAI) has published its Renewable Energy in Ireland 2020 report.

The report, which is based on 2018 data, provides a detailed analysis of Irelands progress towards the 2020 renewable energy targets. Renewable energy sources supplied 11% of overall energy use in 2018 with the remainder coming from carbon intensive fossil fuels.

This data suggests that Ireland is not on track to meet its binding EU target of 16% of energy to come from renewable sources by 2020.

Commenting on the report Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment Richard Bruton said:

This report is based on 2018 data which pre-dates the Climate Action Plan. The findings underline the importance and urgency of the work set out in that Plan. I am convinced that the all of government approach underpinned by new Climate legislation is the way forward. However, getting back on track for our 2030 target is only the first step. We now need to identify how we can increase that ambition and set new targets for 2030 and 2050. As we design a Recovery Plan from this present Covid crisis, we need to do everything possible to rebuild on a sustainable foundation, consistent with confronting the Climate Emergency.

Jim Scheer, Head of Data and Insights at SEAI, said;

This report demonstrates the challenges we face in transitioning away from fossil fuels. Most of the energy we use to generate electricity, to heat our homes and business and for transport comes from burning fossil fuels like gas, coal, peat and oil. We need to eliminate energy waste and transition to using more renewable sources of energy like wind, solar, heat pumps and bioenergy as quickly as we can. The Governments Climate Action Plan sets out an ambitious course of action that could help us to kick our fossil fuel habit and reduce greenhouse gas emissions. As citizens, we can play our part by considering how we can reduce fossil fuel use in our homes and how we travel.

Energy is commonly split into three uses: electricity, transport, and heat. In 2018, 33% of electricity was generated from renewable sources, largely due to increased generation from wind. Ireland is one of the world leaders on renewable electricity, with the second highest share of wind generated electricity in the 28 EU countries.

The story for transport and heat is different. Transport has the largest share of energy use, and in 2018 97% of transport energy was from oil-based products. The vast majority of renewable energy in transport came from biofuels blended with petrol and diesel, with renewable electricity used by DART, Luas and electric vehicles accounting for approximately 1%. Ireland is also underperforming in renewable heat and ranked 27th of the 28 EU countries in 2018. Over 93% of our energy for heat comes from fossil fuels.

The Renewable Energy in Ireland 2020 report and an accompanying infographic are available at: www.seai.ie/renewablereport

There are a wide range of Government supports available through SEAI from grants for home energy upgrades, to energy advice and training for businesses to decarbonise. Householders and businesses looking to act should start at www.seai.ie/grants
More than 2 million people have been infected by coronavirus across the world while over a lakh patients have lost their lives to the deadly contagion.

The coronavirus outbreak, that started in the Chinese city of Wuhan in December last year, has spread across continents to become a pandemic that has locked down more than half of the planet.

Here are the latest Covid-19 developments from all across the world:

1. The UK government is not considering lifting the coronavirus lockdown. The lockdown was imposed almost four weeks ago.

2. Wuhan virology lab chief denied that coronavirus originated from the institute, said the virus cannot be man-made. The institute rejected as impossible US theories that suggest it is the cradle of the pandemic.

3. Spains death toll appears to be slowing. On Sunday, the number of fatalities rose by 410, down from 565 on Saturday. This was the lowest daily increase in coronavirus fatalities for Spain in about a month.

4. The British government has said that the increase in Covid-19 deaths is deeply worrying. More than 15,000 people have died in Britain so far due to coronavirus.

5. The United States still accounts for the maximum number of coronavirus deaths in the world with 39,090 fatalities, followed by Italy (23,227), Spain (20,453), France (19,323) and Britain (15,464).

6. British Prime Minister Boris Johnson is on top of things following his battle with coronavirus, a senior government minister said on Sunday. The UK PM has been facing criticism for being missing in action at the beginning of the outbreak.

7. South Korea reported just eight new coronavirus infections, the lowest in two months. The country extended its social distancing policy on Sunday with some relaxation.

8. After the UAE threatened to review labour ties with countries refusing to take back their nationals amid the coronavirus pandemic, Pakistan has started repatriating some of its citizens from the Arab nation.

9. Iran on Sunday announced that its Covid-19 death toll rose to 5,118, up by 87.

10. In a bid to salvage its hammered currency amid coronavirus lockdown, Sri Lanka has put a three-month ban on a wide range of imports. The country will lift its month-long coronavirus curfew on Monday.
The World Health Organisation (WHO)'s Director-General thanked Bollywood superstar Shah Rukh Khan for standing in solidarity with the organisation and supporting the Global Citizen and One World: Together At Home programme.

Khan, recently wrote on Twitter, "Health care workers on the frontlines of the COVID-19 crisis need our support. That's why I'm standing in solidarity with Global Citizens and the WHO for One World: Together At Home-a one-night special event on April 18".



Thank you @iamsrk for standing in solidarity with @WHO & @GlblCtzn, & for joining the One world, #TogetherAtHome programme tonight. In solidarity, we can keep the world safe! #COVID19 https://t.co/GyMtp9MoDp Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus (@DrTedros) April 19, 2020

The televised programme was premiered on April 18 in support of health care workers and the COVID-19 Solidarity Response Fund for the WHO. The One World: Together At Home concert was organised by the Global Citizen movement and the WHO.

Global Citizen organised a televised concert to bring people together with One World: Together At Home. Several artists and celebrities joined forces to celebrate healthcare workers.The Killers, John Legend, Taylor Swift, Paul McCartney and Billie Eilish were among more than 100 artists who performed from their living rooms.

The eight-hour-long show also featured real-life stories of people who are at the frontline amid the coronavirus crisis.

Written by Andrew Kirk and Melissa Wong, the goal of the programme was to motivate viewers to take action against the coronavirus and support Global Citizen and the WHO's Together at Home campaign. Lady Gaga curated the broadcast. Funds generated from the concert would go to the COVID-19 Solidarity Response Fund for the WHO.

The concert was split into two parts, with a six-hour "pre-show" streamed on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and YouTube; followed by the main two-hour TV broadcast.

The programme began with a montage of people under lockdown hailing the efforts of healthcare workers around the world - from France, Spain, India, the UK, the US and elsewhere.

The show closed with Celine Dion, Lady Gaga, Andrea Bocelli and John Legend collaborating to perform The Prayer.

Also read: Coronavirus: Ola commits Rs 50 lakh to Haryana CM's fund, rolls out host of measures

Also read: Coronavirus India Live Updates: 15,712 cases in India; Maharashtra tops list with 3,651 cases
A prominent cleric in Pakistan has been booked for a third time for defying the government ban on Friday congregations imposed as a part of measures to limit the spread of the coronavirus, according to a media report.

Islamabad police registered a case against cleric of Lal Masjid, Maulana Abdul Aziz, on Saturday for gathering several people for Friday prayers at the mosque.

A police officer told Dawn newspaper that the new case was registered under section 270 (malignant act likely to spread infection of disease dangerous to life) and 188 (disobedience to order duly promulgated by public servant) of the PPC along with the arm ordinance.

The Islamabad administration is facing a direct challenge from Aziz who not only held large congregations at almost every prayer but also claimed in online posts that he would continue to lead the collective prayers.

This is the third time the firebrand cleric has been booked for the same offence, but he is yet to be arrested.

Two more cases were registered against him during the last three weeks, Dawn newspaper said quoting the police as saying.

One of his companions was also booked for displaying arms which is also banned in the capital.

Pakistan has imposed a ban on congregation in mosques.

The maulana and his companions were asked to stop people from violating the restriction but they ignored, the officer said, adding about 200 to 300 people gathered in the mosque.

In reply to a question, the officer said any move to arrest Maulana Aziz or his companions would lead to a law and order situation.

An officer of the Islamabad administration added that a few ulema were approached to negotiate with the Lal Masjid cleric and convince him to follow the government order.

Succumbing to pressure from the hardline clerics, the Pakistan government on Saturday allowed congregational prayers in mosques during the month of Ramazan, endangering the drive to curb the spread of coronavirus that has killed more than 154,000 people worldwide.

The number of coronavirus cases in Pakistan Sunday rose to 7,993 with 514 more patient identified during the last 24 hours.

The Ministry of National Health Services reported on its website that 16 more people died during this period, taking the death toll to 159.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
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Linkedin News Desk (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta  Sun, April 19, 2020 11:02 633 fc6853813033f564188675f8bd2d049c 1 Entertainment Virgo-and-The-Sparklings,Bumilangit,Screenplay-Films,Bryan-Domani,Mawar-de-Jongh,Zara-JKT48,Adhisty-Zara,Movie,Ody-c-Harahap,Joko-Anwar Free

Screenplay Films and Bumilangit have announced the cast of their newest film, Virgo and The Sparklings.

Adhisty Zara, who was cast in September last year as Riani/Virgo, will be joined by Bryan Domani as Leo, Mawar De Jongh as Carmine and Rebecca Klopper as Sasmi.

The movie tells the story of Riani, a teenage girl who is forced to unleash her hidden powers as mysterious cases occur and wreak havoc in her town. She is helped by members of her band, Virgo and The Sparklings.

Casting for the roles of Monica and Ussy was conducted in September last year, involving hundreds of applicants. Participants were required to show their talents in a one-minute video uploaded to social media with the hashtag #VirgoTalentSearch. At the time, producer Joko Anwar said that he hoped to find new talents for the Indonesian film industry.

Among the new names found in the search were Satine Zaneta and Ashira Zamita, who will play the roles of Ussy and Monica, respectively. Producers also announced that Rachel Florencia, Mentari Novel and Indah Kusuma will play members of The Scorpion Sisters band, a rival of Virgo and The Sparklings.

Virgo was created by Jan Mintaraga in the Kapten Halilintar (Captain Lightning) comic series in 1973. She is one of the most well-known characters of the Bumilangit Cinematic Universe and often appears in other comics, such as Patriot: Prahara. Thirty superheroes are featured within the universe.

Read also: Bumilangit Cinematic Universes 'Virgo and The Sparklings' set for 2020 release

In 2017, Annisa Nisfihani and Elli Goh adapted the character into a weekly online comic series Virgo and The Sparklings, available on global digital comic platform Line Webtoon. Set in the modern era, Virgo, aka Riani, is a university student who forms a band called The Sparklings with her friends. The series has been translated into 21 languages.

Virgo and The Sparklings is directed by Ody C. Harahap and produced by Joko, Bismarka Kurniawan and Wicky V. Olindo. The screenwriters are Johanna Wattimena and Rafki Hidayat.

Through its Instagram account, the movie asked fans to make donations to help fight COVID-19 in Indonesia by purchasing cloth facemasks on Bumilangits official store on Tokopedia.

Through UNICEF Indonesia, proceeds will be used to provide health workers with protective gear and orphanages with learning and playing tools, while communication tools will be used to help in the fight against COVID-19.

Virgo and The Sparklings was initially set to be released this year. The new release date has yet to be announced. (wng)
Even as schools throughout the Bay Area remain shuttered during the coronavirus pandemic, many preschools and child care centers are open for business  including facilities in Richmond and Antioch planning to reopen Monday.

Approximately 90 child care programs in San Francisco are operating, according to the Childrens Council of San Francisco. Thats permitted under state guidelines and Bay Area shelter-in-place orders, provided the programs serve only children of workers in essential businesses, an extensive list ranging from health care and banks to grocery stores and gas stations.

Most programs open in San Francisco, about 87%, are in family homes, as opposed to preschools or child care centers, according to the Childrens Council, a nonprofit advocacy group for child care and early education. The organization plans to publish a full list of the programs this week.

That number will continue to grow over the next few weeks, because families are realizing they need help to navigate this crisis, Gina M. Fromer, the groups chief executive officer, said Saturday. Weve been working with the city every day. People are being cautious, as they should.

Child care facilities must follow specific guidelines to stay open, Fromer said, including a maximum of six children in a family-home program. There are protocols in place to ensure only kids of workers in essential businesses are accepted.

Fromer acknowledged that 90 open programs sounds like a high number, but there were about 1,000 providers in San Francisco before the shelter-in-place orders, serving approximately 20,000 children.

Paul Chinn / The Chronicle

La Petite Academy, a preschool and child care center with eight Bay Area locations, closed all but one of its local facilities last month. The preschool in Martinez stayed open to serve children of essential workers, said Teresa Addison, district manager for Learning Care Group, La Petites parent company. Learning Care Group has more than 950 locations nationwide.

Given increased interest from parents, the facilities in Richmond and Antioch will reopen Monday, Addison said.

They are required to follow guidelines established by California Community Care licensing (a state agency in the Department of Social Services) and the shelter-in-place order extended by Contra Costa and other Bay Area counties March 31. That order limits student groups to 12 or fewer and calls for kids to stay in the same group each day.

La Petite limits class size to 10 kids, Addison said, and teachers keep cots 6 feet apart and try to maintain social distancing. The preschool takes temperatures as each child arrives in the morning, to ensure its below 100.4; regularly uses hospital-grade disinfectant; and requires kids to frequently wash their hands for 20 seconds. Face masks are recommended but not required inside the facility.

Even so, Addison acknowledged, the companys pretty rigorous safety checks can achieve only so much in the effort to slow the spread of coronavirus.

Were taking as many preventative measures as we can, but children are children, she said. There are challenges, but at the same time were trained for this kind of stuff.

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.

There have been no reported illnesses at La Petite, she added.

Paul Chinn / The Chronicle

Calls to several San Francisco preschools revealed that many of them are closed in response to the pandemic. Mission Montessori on Fell Street, for example, will remain shut down through the end of May.

Little Tree Preschool on Mission Street normally has 22 kids but now is caring for only eight children of first responders, said Gigi Cochrum, the program director. She said the school is following strict guidelines but still faces severe challenges.

Its very stressful, Cochrum said.

Asked about keeping preschool kids at least 6 feet apart, she said of the regulations, Thats what theyd like, but explain that to a 3-year-old.

Ron Kroichick is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: rkroichick@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @ronkroichick
Almost 3 billion people still rely on open fires or inefficient stoves to cook, filling their homes with harmful smoke and increasing their vulnerability to respiratory infections



People exposed to air pollution are more likely to die from COVID-19 than people living in areas with cleaner air, according to a new study. Though the studys findings focus on the United States, they align with similar results from Italy.

This research is an ominous sign for many developing countries, where air pollution levels often far exceed World Health Organization guidelines. More worrying still, air quality inside peoples homes can be magnitudes worse than the air they breathe outside, due in large part to how people cook.



Globally, almost three billion people still rely on open fires or inefficient stoves to cook their food, filling their homes with dangerous levels of smoke. It is well documented that household air pollution from cooking increases susceptibility to respiratory infections such as pneumonia and aggravates respiratory illnesses like asthma  which may, in turn, lead to poorer outcomes after a COVID-19 infection.



Not only does cooking with polluting fuels and technologies increase peoples vulnerability to COVID-19, but effective social distancing is a significant challenge in countries dominated by informal job markets or overcrowded urban settlements.



On top of that, many families face the impossible decision of risking increased exposure to the virus  including to collect or purchase cooking fuel  or foregoing the income needed to buy other necessities.



Even for households that have already transitioned to cleaner cooking fuels like electricity, LPG, or ethanol, the current economic slowdown could mean a necessary return to firewood or other polluting cooking methods.

But while COVID-19 is an unprecedented challenge, there are proven methods to boost access to clean cooking, which can be incorporated into broader containment and response efforts.



CLEANER FUEL SUPPORT



Governments in developing countries can tackle this issue on two fronts. First, they must make clean cooking part of their pandemic emergency response plans.



Indias government has already announced that it will give away millions of cylinders of cooking gas to those in need. In Ghana, the governments COVID-19 relief package subsidizes electricity for three months, fully absorbing electricity costs for the poorest consumers (those using up to 50 kilowatt hours per month), and providing all other consumers with a 50 percent discount.



Other governments should follow their lead, while also ensuring that clean cooking fuel providers are categorized as essential and provided with the critical resources needed to minimize supply chain disruptions.



Second, governments must not allow short-term responses to the pandemic to undermine long-term health goals. For example, to support costs of its COVID-response, the Kenyan government is considering tax hikes on cooking gas and stoves, which could slow the uptake of clean cooking.



As the new COVID-19 study shows, even a slight increase in air pollution in the years before the emergence of virus is associated with higher death rates. Clean cooking solutions are critical to reducing household air pollution and building peoples longstanding resilience to respiratory illnesses.



FINANCE CRITICAL



As they juggle competing demands in responding to the pandemic, developing countries are going to need strong support. Developed-country governments, multilateral organizations and other donors must help fill the gap.



Countries such as the Netherlands, Norway and Britain are already strong supporters of efforts to build markets for clean cooking solutions, as are groups such as the World Health Organization and the World Bank. This support must continue, and where possible be expanded, while new donors must step up to join their efforts to address the household air pollution crisis. This issue is more critical than ever, and cannot be solved without concessional, public sector finance.



Public and private capital providers also have an important role to play. Many clean cooking businesses are pioneering scalable business models and high-impact technologies, but are at a pivotal stage of development. Impact investors must urgently offer those businesses the financial resources to ensure their long-term sustainability and ability to provide a growing market with modern cooking solutions.



We know that a person exposed to household air pollution will likely have a worse outcome if they are exposed to the coronavirus. As we brace ourselves for the next wave of the current pandemic  and possibly future pandemics of an unknown nature  it is more important than ever for governments, donors, investors and others to continue their work to bring clean, affordable and appropriate cooking solutions to the three billion people who live each day without them.



Providing emergency solutions for clean fuels while reducing household air pollution is not only critical to saving lives, but also to promoting resilience and recovery in this changing landscape.



Hajia Samira Bawumia is the Second Lady of Ghana, and Dymphna van der Lans is CEO of the Clean Cooking Alliance.

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Governors eager to rescue their economies and feeling heat from President Donald Trump are moving to ease restrictions meant to control the spread of the coronavirus, even as new hot spots emerge and experts warn that moving too fast could prove disastrous.

Austin: Stores in Texas can soon begin selling merchandise with curbside service, and hospitals can resume nonessential surgeries. In Florida, people are returning to a few beaches and parks. And protesters are clamouring for more. Governors eager to rescue their economies and feeling heat from President Donald Trump are moving to ease restrictions meant to control the spread of the coronavirus, even as new hot spots emerge and experts warn that moving too fast could prove disastrous.

Adding to the pressure are protests against stay-at-home orders organised by small-government groups and Trump supporters. They staged demonstrations Saturday in several cities after the president urged them to "liberate" three states led by Democratic governors.

Protests happened in Republican-led states, too, including at the Texas Capitol and in front of the Indiana governor's home. Texas governor Greg Abbott already said that restrictions will begin easing next week. Indiana governor Eric Holcomb who signed an agreement with six other Midwestern states to coordinate reopening said he would extend his stay-at-home order until 1 May.

For the first time in weeks, people were able to visit some Florida beaches, but they were still subject to restrictions on hours and activities. Beaches in big cities stayed closed. Meanwhile, infections kept surging in the North East. Rhode Island, between the hot spots of Massachusetts and New York, has seen a steady daily increase in infections and deaths, with nursing home residents accounting for more than 90 of the state's 118 deaths.

The state's death rate of around 10 people per 100,000 is among the nation's highest per capita, according to data compiled by the COVID Tracking Project.

Massachusetts had its highest number of deaths in a single day on Friday, with 159. Republican governor Charlie Baker, citing health experts' advice, said states should wait until infection rates and hospitalisations decline for about two weeks before acting.

Trump, whose administration waited months to bolster stockpiles of key medical supplies and equipment, appeared to back protesters.

Trump tweetstorm

Trump said in a tweet-storm, in which he also lashed out at New York governor Andrew Cuomo, a Democrat, for criticising the federal response. Cuomo should spend more time 'doing' and less time 'complaining,' the president said.

At his Saturday briefing with reporters, Cuomo cited more progress. The state's daily increase in deaths fell below 550 for the first time in more than two weeks as hospitalisations continued to decline. But the crisis is far from over: Hospitals are still reporting nearly 2,000 new COVID-19 patients per day, and nursing homes remain a feeding frenzy for this virus, he said.

We are not at a point when we are going to be reopening anything immediately, Cuomo said. Several hundred people rallied in Texas' capital, chanting Let us work! Many clamored for an immediate lifting of restrictions in a state where more than 1 million have filed for unemployment since the crisis began.

The rally was organized by a host of Infowars, owned by conspiracy theorist Alex Jones, who joined protesters on the Capitol steps. Jones is being sued in Austin over using his show to promote falsehoods that the 2012 Sandy Hook school massacre in Connecticut was a hoax.

In Indianapolis, more than 200 people stood close together outside the governor's mansion, carrying American flags and signs demanding that Governor Holcomb lift restrictions. Indiana's state health department reported 529 new cases between 7 April and midday Friday, raising the total to more than 10,600. The number of deaths rose by 26, to 545.

Elsewhere, a few hundred demonstrators waved signs outside the Statehouse in New Hampshire, which has had nearly 1,300 cases of the virus and more than three dozen deaths. Even if the virus were 10 times as dangerous as it is, I still wouldn't stay inside my home. I'd rather take the risk and be a free person, said one of the protesters, talk show host Ian Freeman.

Trump is pushing to relax the US lockdown by 1 May, a plan that hinges partly on more testing. Public health officials said the ability to test enough people and trace contacts of the infected is crucial before easing restrictions, and that infections could surge anew unless people continue to take precautions.

Vice President Mike Pence delivered a commencement address at the US Air Force Academy in Colorado, a trip aimed at showing the country is on course to gradually reopen. Major cities in Brazil also saw protests Saturday by hundreds of people denouncing pandemic lockdown measures also opposed by President Jair Bolsonaro, a fierce critic of stay-at-home measures imposed by state governments.

In Asia, some nations that until recently appeared to have the outbreak under control reported fresh flareups. Singapore reported a sharp, one-day spike of 942 infections, the highest in Southeast Asia, mostly among foreign workers staying in crowded dormitories. That brought the total to almost 6,000 in the city-state of 6 million.
(CNN)  Earlier this month, there was a funeral procession in the Sicilian town of Messina, in defiance of a nationwide lockdown in Italy.

It was no ordinary procession. The couple of dozen people walking behind the hearse were paying their respects to a 70-year-old scion of one of the most notorious Mafia families.

Claudio Fava, president of the regional anti-Mafia committee, described it as a "real scandal, an insult to those who lost their relatives in the pandemic."

Funerals have been banned in Italy since early March as part of a broader set of restrictions aimed at curbing the COVID-19 outbreak that has killed nearly 23,000 people as of Friday.

That the procession took place at all speaks to the power  and the impunity  wielded by the Mafia in parts of Italy.

Senior anti-mafia officials and researchers have told CNN that Mafia clans are already taking advantage of the coronavirus pandemic, especially in southern Italy.

They are providing everyday necessities in poor neighborhoods, offering credit to businesses on the verge of bankruptcy, and planning to siphon off a chunk of the billions of euros being lined up in stimulus funds.

The most powerful branch of the Mafia  the 'Ndrangheta," based in Calabria  is thought to control 80% of the European cocaine market. Even as the pandemic made distribution more difficult, it took advantage of the lockdown.

Journalist Roberto Saviano  author of "Gomorrah: Italy's other Mafia," an expose of the Camorra mafia in Naples  told CNN that "the traffickers took advantage of the [lack of] oversight of law enforcement in the ports, in the airports.

"Who was checking any more?" he asked.

Exploiting a desperate need for cash

But Mafia groups are about far more than trafficking cocaine. They are deeply embedded in the economy.

While traditional Mafia activities such as extortion may suffer during the pandemic, there will also be fresh opportunities, said Anna Sergi, senior lecturer in criminology at the University of Essex.

Franco Gabrielli, head of the Italian police, said that Mafia organizations are already deeply enmeshed in parts of the economy "that have not been blocked by the restrictions of COVID-19: the agriculture-food chain, the supply of medicines and medical equipment, road transport."

It's a view shared by Saviano.

"Funeral homes they invest in; hospital laundries; cleaning companies they've always invested in; good delivery companies; gas stations  this is the portfolio they've had for the past 10 years," he told CNN.

Such is the financial muscle of the 'Ndrangheta, Gabrielli said last week, that it could exploit a desperate need for cash faced by businesses it doesn't currently control.

"At the end of the emergency, the criminal associations could have polluted the economy, controlling companies previously not infiltrated," he said.

Sergi says past crises have shown that the Mafia can move money quickly outside the banking system, and demand fewer guarantees than banks. Lending money to distressed companies, and then gradually taking control of them is a well-oiled mafia tactic.

Nicola Gratteri, an anti-Mafia investigator and head of the public prosecutor's office in Catanzaro, told CNN that businesses like restaurants and hotels are especially vulnerable.

The last great recession, in 2008, offers a sobering comparison.

Anti-Mafia groups like SOS Impresa said that crisis turned the Mafia into Italy's largest bank. The Palermo-based group estimated in 2012 that the Mafia had 65 billion euros ($72 billion) in liquidity, and described extortionate lending as "a national emergency." At the same time, many Italian banks were struggling to stay afloat and borrowing heavily from the European Central Bank.

Saviano believes liquidity will be "the center of everything" in the aftermath of the coronavirus crisis.

"The organization will come to a company in crisis and say: 'We don't buy everything, but we will give you cash in exchange for shares  to become part of your company,'" he said.

"This is what they will do with everyone."

A parallel state

At the end of last month, video footage of a couple hammering at the doors of a bank in the southern city of Bari went viral. "You suck, the state sucks. How are we going to manage?" the woman shouts.

These are exactly the sort of circumstances the Mafia exploits. The 'Ndrangheta and other clans don't simply live off societies where they are strong. They build loyalty by supplying necessities to poorer neighborhoods and cash to struggling businesses.

To Gratteri, this is "a method to create allegiance. If we  the state  don't show ourselves to be efficient, what could happen is that the Mafia presents itself as a winning a model, and maybe asks for a return favor at the elections."

Zora Hauser, a researcher into organized crime at Oxford University, said that "what we are seeing and will see more and more as the economic and social crisis unfolds  is Mafia groups returning to their core businesses of protection and governance."

Salvo Palazzolo, a journalist with La Repubblica newspaper, received threats after reporting on food handouts by someone with Mafia connections in the poor "ZEN" district of Palermo in Sicily.

"At this moment, Mafia families of Palermo [the Cosa Nostra] are very strong, especially in drugs and online gambling. They have a lot of liquidity," Palazzolo told CNN.

"I would say the Cosa Nostra are strengthening their control through welfare assistance to families who are in jail; and now, this is spreading to all poor families. They want to show themselves as an alternative to the state."

In another district of Palermo, a local Mafia boss tried to organize a Good Friday church service in defiance of the lockdown before police intervened.

Criminologist Anna Sergi says the Mafia want the community both to like and need them.

The government is aware of the danger. CNN obtained a letter written by Interior Minister Luciana Lamorgese to regional leaders warning that criminal organizations would try to use "forms of support" to gain popularity.

As Zora Hauser puts it: "This can be cashed by the organization in different ways  the most worrying one being votes."

The government has established a 400 million-euro ($435 million) food voucher fund, and allotted another 4.3 billion euros ($4.8 billion) to local mayors.

As Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte promised on March 28: "We know that many suffer, but the state is there."

But it's a daunting challenge. Saviano says that during this crisis, the Mafia will try to hire the "new unemployed" as its foot soldiers. As many as three million Italians work "off the books," according to multiple surveys. One survey by the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development in 2017 estimated that a quarter of Italians in their early 20s were neither in employment nor in education or training.

Stimulus bonanza

Getting Italy back to work is the government's priority. It's injecting 750 billion euros ($815 billion) into the economy.

Part of the investment is to guarantee loans to businesses  covering more than three-quarters of a large company's borrowing. But given the massive sums being dispersed, anti-Mafia investigators worry that some of those loans, as well as other support, will go to Mafia-run businesses.

Italy also wants Europe-wide "coronabonds," basically a pooling of debt among EU member states. One German commentator, Christoph Schiltz, urged German Chancellor Angela Merkel to reject the idea, writing in Die Welt newspaper that "the Mafia is just waiting for a new shower of money from Brussels."

Italian Foreign Minister Luigi Di Maio described Schiltz' comments as "shameful and unacceptable."

Saviano said: "European funds today help the Italian economy that is on its knees. And an Italian economy on its knees means Italy is at the mercy of organised crime."

It's not just Italy's problem. The Mafia's tentacles spread across Europe and far beyond. The 'Ndrangheta has a Europe-wide network for distributing drugs, often using pizza restaurants as fronts. It has also invested in property.

For now, reinforced border controls and nationwide lockdowns are choking distribution networks for drugs. But like the coronavirus, the mafia groups are no respecter of borders. "The Mafia is very powerful also in Germany," said Roberto Saviano. "They shoot less, but they are very powerful."

Earlier this month, Pope Francis prayed for "people who during this time of the pandemic, trade at the expense of the needy, and profit from the needs of others, like the Mafia, usurers, and others."

"May the Lord touch their hearts and convert them," the Pope said.

History, as well as current evidence, suggests he may be disappointed.

This story was first published on CNN.com "The Mafia is poised to exploit coronavirus, and not just in Italy"
Kasaragod, Kerala's COVID-19 hotspot,



is the only district in the southern state lacking adequate health infrastructure.

In spite of treating the highest number of COVID-19 patients in the state with meagre infrastructural facilities and even without the support of a medical college in the north Kerala district, no deaths have been reported due to coronavirus.

The state health department views the performance of M Kunhiraman and his team, consisting of Janardhana Naik and Krishna Naik, at the General hospital in Kasaragod as a success story.

"Not only did they control the situation quickly with minimum infrastructure, they also started turning out a large number of negative cases within a few weeks and creditably ensured zero mortality.

This can be showcased as a best global model," Chairman of the Information Education and Communication (IEC) Committee and Project Director Kerala State Aids Control Society, R Ramesh said.

Recalling the ordeal, Janardhana Naik said his first major challenge was the physical examination of a patient with suspected COVID-19.

"Even with the PPE kit, nobody knew how effective they were and it took a whole 30 minutes to wear them properly.

But as time passed, we got accustomed to it," he said.

The traditional method of dealing with a patient involved knowing his or her history, observation and physical examination.

For hundreds of years, the hands-on body approach has been the soul of the doctor-patient relationship -- taking the pulse, tapping on and listening to the chest, feeling lumps.

With the onset of COVID-19 all that has changed.

"In fact, the whole exercise was fraught with grave risks because everything connected with COVID-19 was new.

Doctors have to keep a distance even though the physical examination wearing a Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) is difficult.

Sounds from the body are inaudible, vision is blurred through the smog-covered goggles and a stethoscope seldom has any use," Janardhana Naik said.

It was from March 15 that the hospital started receiving COVID-19 patients, primarily from Dubai.

By the time the first person came, the hospital was ready for him.

Soon, patient numbers began to swell and in a couple of weeks they reached about 91.

From then on, it was teamwork.

Committees were formed for each and every task, including the help desk, IT, treatment, medical board, training, food, waste disposal and data maintenance.

Initially, patients had many misgivings about the hospital.

"Some were disillusioned and even aggressive. Some were not happy with the facilities the hospital had to offer.

But gradually through good treatment and counselling by a psychiatrist, who visited the hospital on alternate days, the confidence and mood of the patients changed and they became friendly with the staff," Naik elaborated.

Counselling was also given to the concerned family members of the patients.

Besides treatment, the medical staff had to spend a considerable amount of time clearing the doubts of patients.

When they got discharged some patients insisted on seeing the faces of the medical staff, who till then were anonymous entities covered from head to toe.

Some even wanted to take selfies with them.

However, the medical team politely turned down their requests and preferred to remain hidden in their work attires.

The mood of the patients also rubbed off on the doctors and hospital staff.

All the physicians and hospital staff are now more confident of dealing with contagious diseases after treating COVID-19 patients.

"Our previous experience of treating H1N1, Chikungunya and Dengue cases helped us a lot.

Words of encouragement from the Health Minister K K Shailaja, Health Principal Secretary Dr Rajan N Khobragade and Health Services Director Dr Sarita R L gave us the impetus to build up confidence.

Moreover, the field health workers did a wonderful job in containing the viral spread," Naik added.

As the number of coronavirus cases rose, the state government on April 5 deputed a 26-member medical team from Thiruvananthapuram to set up a COVID-19 hospital in the district.

They turned a block of the under construction Government Medical College as a hospital-like facility, setting up a 200 bed facility to treat coronavirus patients.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
As many as 120 people from Uttar Pradesh, including 93 students, were brought back here from Rajasthan's Kota on Sunday, an official said.

"Students preparing for engineering and medical entrance examinations in Kota, their family members and some policemen arrived here on Sunday. They got stranded in the Rajasthan town following the nationwide lockdown imposed in view of the coronavirus outbreak," Chief Medical Officer Dr Rajiv Kumar Gupta told PTI.

He said five buses were arranged to bring back these people, adding that the buses left Kota on Saturday and arrived here on Sunday.

They were taken to a private medical college, where their thermal screening and COVID-19 tests were conducted, Gupta said, adding that all of them tested negative for the dreaded virus and were told to stay in home quarantine for 14 days.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
People enjoy the view while practicing social distancing during the global spread of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19), at a cafe near a cherry blossom trees street Seokchon Lake park, in Seoul

By Sangmi Cha

SEOUL (Reuters) - South Korea extended its social distancing policy for another 16 days on Sunday but offered some relief for churches and sporting fixtures, as it reported just eight new coronavirus infections, the lowest in two months.

The slightly relaxed guidelines mean high-risk venues like churches will face fewer restrictions, while sports matches such as the popular Korea Baseball Organization (KBO) League can resume without an audience.

"It is safest to maintain the intensive social distancing, but it isn't easy realistically. We need to find a middle ground," Prime Minister Chung Sye-kyun told a televised meeting of government officials.

"If we can maintain a stable management at the current level, we will shift to 'routine social distancing' from May 6," Chung said.

Health authorities have said this would allow a reopening of the economy, while maintaining guidelines on disinfection and preventing the spread of the virus in people's daily lives.

South Korea in March issued an administrative order that strongly recommended religious, indoor sports and entertainment facilities such as nightclubs suspend operations. The language has now been softened, allowing facilities to restart operations as long as they comply with disinfection guidelines.

"The government will evaluate the degree of risk every two weeks and readjust the level of social distancing when necessary," Health Minister Park Neung-hoo told reporters.

The latest figure on new infections was the first time since Feb. 18 that South Korea reported a single digit daily rise. The increase takes its total cases to 10,661.

Of the new cases, five were imported from overseas, the Korea Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (KCDC) said. The death toll rose to 234.

South Korea has largely managed to bring the outbreak under control and has recently been reporting daily new cases hovering around 20.

Health authorities called the trend good news, but issued a note of caution about overly optimistic predictions.

Story continues

"We are continuously on the alert to ensure we haven't missed any new infections, or whether the epidemic could be spread by asymptomatic or mildly infected patients," KCDC chief Jeong Eun-kyeong told a briefing.

President Moon Jae-in on Sunday said South Korea's progress gave hope that the COVID-19 is "surmountable" in other parts of the world. Earlier this year, South Korea had Asia's largest number of infections outside China. It has since been overtaken by other countries.

"The government will prepare for new daily lives and the new world order 'post-COVID' with the unified power of the citizens," Moon said.

U.S. President Trump spoke to Moon on Saturday and expressed appreciation for South Korea's help in procuring COVID-19 tests for the United States.

(Reporting by Sangmi Cha; Editing by Sam Holmes and Richard Pullin)
Whereas Hungary has succeeded in flattening the curve of novel coronavirus infections for the time being, the country is soon expected to enter a period of mass infections, the chief medical officer said.

Currently, 860 people are being treated in hospital for Covid-19, 60 of whom require ventilation, Cecilia Muller told an online news conference.



Addressing the government order to hospitals to vacate a proportion of their beds, Muller said that since normally only 65-70% of Hungarys 66,000 hospital beds are occupied, only 15% of them would have to be freed up.



She insisted that patients whose condition could worsen if sent home would not be discharged.



In response to a question, Muller said the coronavirus had so far spread to 12 of Hungarys 1,035 retirement homes, killing 31 people.



Budapest-based retirement homes have so far received 36,800 protective gloves and 262,000 face masks with more protective gear set to be delivered to them next week, she said.



Robert Kiss, a spokesman of the operational board that coordinates Hungarys response to the epidemic, told the same news conference that 60 hospitals are scheduled to receive a total of 53.4 tonnes of protective equipment on Friday.



The authorities have so far taken action over the violation of curfew rules in 21,093 instances, he said.



A total of 11,705 people have been issued warnings, 4,871 have been fined and misdemeanour charges have been filed against 4,517, he added.



As regards epidemic-related legal action, Kiss noted that proceedings have been launched in 234 instances.



MTI Photo: Gergely Botar
E veryone's cooking dal. Whats not to love? Cheap, readily available and utterly comforting with spices and vegetables, this Indian curry has us all captivated. If this is you, now is the time to understand this store cupboard ingredient better and experiment with techniques and recipes.

Dal is always made of lentils so Lentil Dal isnt a thing. Its also simply Dal or Daal, not Dhal or Dahl. It is scooped over rice or served alongside flatbreads for dunking, but you can drink it like soup if that tickles your fancy. There are several varieties, all with their own quirks and cooking times. As a rule, the longer a lentil takes to cook, the more the need for it to be soaked. Dal freezes really well, so stash away extra for a rainy day.

The key to dal is the tempering of spices that finishes off the bubbled lentils. You can make a sizzling tempering to pour on top of your cooked lentils or make a more substantial vegetable saute to stir your lentils into. Rarely ever do we forgo a tempering, although my mum does have a cheeky one pot version my kids love. The one crime never to commit in dal is to add vegetable stock  it doesnt need it at all!

Here are eight essential dal recipes to get you experimenting with techniques and different types of lentils:

Simplest Dal

Mallika Basu

A family recipe, this dal uses red split lentils and demonstrates the technique to get smooth, thick lentils that can form the basis for all manner of ingredients. Asafoetida infuses the tempering or tadka with wonderful buttery onion flavour, but if you dont have it, just leave it out.

One-pot vegetable dal

Mallika Basu

My mums no-tempering-needed dal, this one packs a load of flavour into yellow moong lentils in the guise of fresh ginger, garlic, tomato and onion, and the sprinkling of garam masala, chilli powder or flakes and fresh coriander at the end. Yellow moong is really easy to cook and doesnt need pre-soaking, or you can use red lentils as a substitute.

Vegan greens dal

Mallika Basu

Called Saag Wali Dal, this recipe uses yellow moong lentils, and is a boon for finishing up half used bags and portions of kale, spinach and spring greens. Look out for fresh or frozen fenugreek, which works a treat here. I love a dash of ghee or butter in dal normally, but you can leave it out in this one.

Dal with oranges

Mallika Basu

Another gem from my mum, this light, fresh and fruity dal is infused with the citrusy flavour of oranges. On warmer days, its great with some steamed white basmati rice and a mixed veg salad.

North Indian Spinach Dal

Mallika Basu

More a substantial veggie side, than a dal, per se, this hearty bowl of lentils nestled in spinach, spiked with dark warming spices, tomato and onion is addictive. The two lentils use here  pigeon pea and split Bengal gram  do benefit from soaking for at least an hour before cooking to speed things up.

Punjabi Dal Fry

Mallika Basu

A Dhaba, or North Indian roadside restaurant, special, this thick, luscious dal is very moreish. You can cook up spinach, cauliflower, peas, carrots and any other vegetables you have lying around in the tomato paste. If you buy a tin of brown lentils, the tempering is probably the best one to mash its contents into.

Squash and aubergine dal

Mallika Basu

From the state of Orissa in the East of India, this can be best described as tadka dal meets stew, with the added one pot meal goodness of vegetables cooked in it and then the whole lot smothered with whole and freshly ground spices. Dalma puts a very popular Bengali spice mix to excellent use: Panch Phoron. Literally meaning five whole spices, it is a collective of cumin, brown mustard, fenugreek, nigella and fennel seeds.

Gingered whole moong dal

Mallika Basu
South African RAE postponed to Saturday 27 June 2020

South Africa only holds amateur radio exams twice a year, in May and October. Due to Coronavirus the May exam session has been postponed until Saturday, June 27



Both the 100 watt Class B (UK Foundation equivalent) and the Class A licences require an HF Practical Assessment to be completed before taking the exam, unfortunately the Coronavirus outbreak has caused some delays in completing these.



SARL News says:

Noel Hammond, ZR6DX, the RAE Manager says, "Thank you to everyone for all your efforts during this time for proceeding with the RAE. In order to give candidates more time and to facilitate HF assessments, it has been decided to move the examination date to Saturday 27 June 2020. Hopefully, this will give added time for revision and for the completion of the HF assessment process.



A request is made to the radio amateur community to be on air to help the RAE candidates make the required number of contacts for the HF assessments - dates and times from the individual clubs will follow closer to the time. Together, we can make the RAE a resounding success.



Please feel free to contact me if you have any further queries. Stay healthy."

Source SARL News

http://www.sarl.org.za/public/_news/read.asp



Unlike the UK system the exam for South Africa's Class A licence does not require the Class B exam to be taken first. It's just a straightforward 60 question multiple-choice exam which gives the successful candidate a HAREC certificate.



Information on South Africa's licence exams and syllabus can be found at

http://www.sarl.org.za/public/licences/rae.asp
This story was originally published on Aug. 16, 2019 in NYT Parenting.

World War II was over and Italy was reeling. The government disbursed funds to towns in order to help rebuild their communities. And in the area surrounding the city of Reggio Emilia, citizens decided to invest in early childhood education: They built a school using the stone and timber from buildings destroyed during the war. A local educator, Loris Malaguzzi, would be the key figure in what the school, and the network of municipal infant centers and preschools that followed, became.

His approach springs from the notion that young children are capable of initiating their own learning, a philosophy that came to share the name of the region. The Reggio Emilia approach spread internationally, in part thanks to a 1991 Newsweek article heralding the schools, and today there are 1,200 individual members  educators and advocates  of the North American Reggio Emilia Alliance. Only schools in Italy are true Reggio schools. In the United States, the preschools, most of them private, that use the approach call themselves Reggio-inspired, and while many schools have sent representatives to Italy to study the system, there is no formal certification process for schools or teachers. Schools in the United States typically cover the traditional preschool years (3 to 4 years old, and often younger), and children leave when they go to kindergarten. While there is no strict checklist of attributes, there are some shared elements you can expect to find in a Reggio-inspired school.

Children can guide their own learning.

Children arent empty vessels who need to be filled, said Gabriela Garcia, executive director of the Reggio-inspired Grant Park Cooperative Preschool in Atlanta. Instead, the Reggio philosophy is that children are competent, confident and capable beings from birth, she said. But that doesnt mean that preschoolers are in charge or that the schedule is a free-for-all. Instead, children follow their own interests within a framework of activities directed by the teachers. The ball is being passed back and forth, said Jane Racoosin, director of the Reggio-inspired Beginnings Nursery School in Manhattan.

Often, those explorations will occur when an educator sets up an experience for a small group of children and their reactions lead to a specific topic or theme. That topic can become a curricular thread that is followed for weeks or months. Sarah Wheeler, a Manhattan mother of two current Beginnings students and one graduate, said that even when her children passed through the same classrooms, with the same teachers, the curriculums were different. One childs class explored sound and music-making, including building their own instruments, as well as planning and building their own multi-tiered garage as a group. When another child was in the same class, they focused on textures, including creating them, measuring them and identifying them in and out of school. That led to learning about Braille and the five senses. Ashley Marotta, in Boulder, Colo., is the parent of three children, one of whom graduated from a Reggio-inspired school and one who will enter her final year at the Reggio-inspired Boulder Journey School this fall. Her youngest child was in a class that focused on the local library after they walked there to visit. When the community was invited to give feedback on a proposal for a new library, some of the kids attended a meeting, advocating for space for babies and room for wheelchairs.
A reported new coronavirus outbreak in China's Henan province is said to have raised fears that there could be devastating second wave of the deadly virus.

A new cluster of cases has allegedly broken out among medical staff at Jia County's People's Hospital in the region.

One staff member is said to have only just come back from 14 days in quarantine after they returned from Wuhan in neighbouring Hubei province, where the virus first emerged at the end of last year.

News of the alleged new outbreak, which was reported by the Daily Express, came as China reported 16 new confirmed coronavirus cases on April 18, the lowest since March 17 and down from 27 a day earlier.

A reported new coronavirus outbreak in China's Henan province is said to have raised fears that there could be devastating second wave of the deadly virus. Pictured: Security guards lock the gate of the Forbidden City in Beijing on Sunday

It means the total number of confirmed coronavirus cases in the mainland reached 82,735 as of April 18, while the total death toll from the virus stood at 4,632.

The claimed new COVID-19 outbreak has prompted authorities to impose travel restrictions.

Anyone coming in or out of residential compounds also needs to wear a facemask and have their temperature taken, according to an official document leaked to Radio Free Asia.

The Express also reported that businesses in Jia County are also closed except for supermarkets and farmers' markets.

A new cluster of cases has allgedly broken out among medical staff at Jia County's People's Hospital in the region. Pictured: medical staff at a hospital in Wuhan disinfect surfaces

The paper quoted residents who opened up on Weibo, the country's approved social media service, about what life is like.

One resident said: 'Everything's locked down. It just started.

'All households are locked down. Nobody can go into town, or if you do, you won't be able to leave again.'

Another resident said: 'Many people believe that the epidemic has been brought under control due to government propaganda, which is false.

The news comes as authorities remain on guard against a major resurgence of he virus, which could be socially and economically destabilising.

Notably, the northeastern province of Heilongjiang has seen a surge in infected travellers arriving from Russia in recent weeks, and is now battling to contain a flare-up in local cases.

The data from China's National Health Commission showed nine of the new cases reported on Saturday were imported infections, the lowest since March 13 and down from 17 a day earlier.

News of the alleged new outbreak, which was reported by the Daily Express, came as China reported 16 new confirmed coronavirus cases on April 18, the lowest since March 17 and down from 27 a day earlier

The claimed new COVID-19 outbreak has prompted authorities to impose travel restrictions. Pictured: A volunteer checks the body temperature of a worker in Wuhan on Sunday

The remaining seven confirmed cases were locally transmitted, down from 10 the previous day.

Heilongjiang, in north-east China, has reported 39 new local cases in the past 10 days, or more than 50 per cent of all the new 73 local cases reported in the mainland during the same period.

Most of the cases were related to one imported case in the provincial capital Harbin.

On Friday, a total of 18 officials in Harbin, including a vice mayor, were punished.

To contain the outbreak quickly, the Heilongjiang government is cautioning against family gatherings, cross infections at hospitals, and slow reporting in epidemic investigations, according to a statement on the provincial government website.

'The biggest political task at present is to stop the rebound and spread of the epidemic,' Wang Yongkang, vice governor of Heilongjiang, was quoted as saying.

Elsewhere in mainland China, all areas in central Hubei province including Wuhan, the epicentre of the outbreak in China, are now considered low-risk.

However, a Beijing central district is seen as high-risk, according to a social media post by the State Council, or Cabinet.

Anyone coming in or out of residential compounds also needs to wear a facemask and have their temperature taken, according to an official document leaked to Radio Free Asia

On April 15, the Chinese capital reported three local cases, all of which were linked to an imported infection.

Areas that are considered of medium-risk in China include two districts in Harbin, the city of Suifenhe in Heilongjiang, two districts in the southern city of Guangzhou as well as Jiaozhou city in eastern Shandong province.

In mainland China, newly discovered asymptomatic cases stood at 44, down from 54 a day earlier. Three of the new cases were imported, according to the health commission.

China does not include asymptomatic cases, or patients who test positive but show no clinical symptoms such as a cough or fever, in its tally of confirmed cases.

The new figures came as a laboratory in Wuhan rejected as 'impossible' US theories that it is the cradle of the pandemic, as President Donald Trump warned Beijing of consequences if it was 'knowingly responsible'.

The news comes as authorities remain on guard against a major resurgence of he virus, which could be socially and economically destabilising

'Was it a mistake that got out of control or was it done deliberately?' Trump said at a White House briefing Saturday, questioning the origins of the disease, which first emerged in the city of Wuhan in December.

'If they were knowingly responsible, yeah, then there should be consequences,' he said when asked if China should face repercussions for the pandemic.

The highly contagious disease was likely first transmitted to humans at a market where exotic animals were slaughtered, according to Chinese scientists.

But conspiracy theories that the virus came from a maximum-security virology lab have been brought into the mainstream in recent days by US government officials.

Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said an investigation was underway into how the virus 'got out into the world'.

'There's no way this virus came from us,' Yuan Zhiming, the head of the P4 laboratory at the Wuhan Institute of Virology, which is equipped to handle dangerous viruses, said in an interview with state media.

'I know it's impossible,' he added.
I am an Emergency Room nurse in Tucson. It has been stressful taking care of COVID-19 patients, but a greater stress is knowing that I could b
Britain reported 596 deaths from COVID-19 in hospitals in its daily update on Sunday, raising the country's total to more than 16,000 as a senior minister said the government's testing target remained 100,000 per day.

Britain has suffered the fifth-highest death toll from the pandemic which has been linked to almost 160,000 deaths worldwide.

Its hospital death toll stood at 16,060 as of 1600 GMT on Saturday, the health ministry, after its smallest daily rise since data published on April 6.

Britain's outright total is higher, as its daily figures do not include deaths outside hospitals at homes and facilities such as nursing homes for the elderly.

Some 2,500 people died in care homes during the week to April 13, according to the National Care Forum, a representative body for the adult social care sector.

Earlier on Sunday, senior minister Michael Gove said he was confident that the government would reach its testing target of 100,000 per day by the end of the month.

Some 21,626 tests were conducted on Saturday, the health ministry said.

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Source: Xinhua| 2020-04-19 19:34:40|Editor: huaxia

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Volunteers transport relief supplies in Suifenhe, northeast China's Heilongjiang Province, April 19, 2020. A team of volunteers has been organized in Suifenhe, a border city facing a mounting challenge of imported cases, to help transport relief supplies from all parts of the country amid the fight against COVID-19 outbreak here. (Xinhua/Zhang Tao)
Pope Francis presides over a Mass in the Santo Spirito in Sassia church (Vatican News/AP)

Pope Francis has urged the faithful to use the coronavirus pandemics time of trial to prepare for a future when inequalities are abolished and the poorest are no longer left behind.

He travelled outside the Vatican walls on Sunday to celebrate Mass at a nearby church to mark a special feast day dedicated to mercy.

Only a few priests were in the pews given Italys strict virus lockdown.

Expand Close Pope Francis presides over a Mass in the Santo Spirito in Sassia church, in Rome, Sunday, April 19, 2020. The Pope celebrated the Sunday mass in the Church of Santo Spirito in Sassia, calling also to stop inequalities because, he said: We are all frail, all equal, all precious. May we be profoundly shaken by what is happening all around us: the time has come to eliminate inequalities, to heal the injustice that is undermining the health of the entire human family. (Vatican News via AP) / Facebook

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Whatsapp Pope Francis presides over a Mass in the Santo Spirito in Sassia church, in Rome, Sunday, April 19, 2020. The Pope celebrated the Sunday mass in the Church of Santo Spirito in Sassia, calling also to stop inequalities because, he said: We are all frail, all equal, all precious. May we be profoundly shaken by what is happening all around us: the time has come to eliminate inequalities, to heal the injustice that is undermining the health of the entire human family. (Vatican News via AP)

In his homily from the altar of the Santo Spirito church, Francis said the grave toll of the Covid-19 pandemic has reminded the world there are no borders between those who suffer, no differences in nationalities among those who are struck or spared.

This is not some ideology, Francis said.

It is Christianity. We are all frail, all equal, all precious.

May we be profoundly shaken by what is happening all around us.

The time has come to eliminate inequalities, to heal the injustice that is undermining the health of the entire human family.

Let us welcome this time of trial as an opportunity to prepare for our collective future Pope Francis

Francis has been using his daily livestreamed Masses in the Vatican hotel where he lives to single out elderly people, doctors and nurses, prisoners and those with disabilities for special prayers.

On Sunday, he delivered a broader message about inequality and the need for a post-virus world to rethink its priorities.

It is a theme that echoes the pre-pandemic preaching of the worlds first Latin American pope, who has constantly demanded greater solidarity among rich and poor.

In recent days, Francis has proposed the creation of a universal basic wage to help those who have lost their jobs as a result of the virus economic shutdown to survive.

Expand Close Nuns wave to Pope Francis as he leaves the Santo Spirito in Sassia Church (Alessandra Tarantino/AP) / Facebook

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Whatsapp Nuns wave to Pope Francis as he leaves the Santo Spirito in Sassia Church (Alessandra Tarantino/AP)

On Sunday, he said there is a grave risk that while Covid-19 might eventually be tamed, the virus of selfishness indifference could take its place.

To combat that risk, he said: Let us welcome this time of trial as an opportunity to prepare for our collective future.

Because without an all-embracing vision, there will be no future for anyone.
Ulta Beauty Inc. (NASDAQ:ULTA) is a leading specialty retailer in the United States. The company, which was founded in 1990 and went public in 2007, offers a mix of prestige and mass beauty products through 1,257 stores, as well as online through its website and mobile app (e-commerce accounted for 12% of Ulta's sales in 2019).

The company also offers a full service salon in its stores, which meets a need for some customers and can drive business to the other side of the house (selling beauty products). As shown below, the unit count has nearly quadrupled over the past decade - during a period where many brick-and-mortar retailers have been battening down the hatches as they faced a changing competitive landscape, largely at the hands of e-commerce giant Amazon (NASDAQ:AMZN).





In addition to adding roughly 900 new stores, Ulta has also reported strong same-store sales (comps): over the past 10 years, comps have increased by roughly 10% per annum, with the worst performance over the period at up 5% in 2019. (Note that new stores, as they work their way to 100% productivity over the course of a few years, have been a material contributor to same-store sales growth for Ulta.) The end result has been a roughly 65% increase in sales per average store over the past decade, from $3.7 million per unit in 2009 to $6.1 million per unit in 2019. Collectively, these factors have driven a six-fold increase in revenue over the past decade.

Revenue growth, combined with an improvement in gross margins and slight operating leverage, has resulted in a 30% compounded annual growth rate for operating income over the past decade. Diluted earnings per share has followed suit, climbing from 70 cents per share in 2009 to $12.2 per share in 2019 - a CAGR of 34% (with help from a lower effective tax rate and a growing emphasis on repurchases, with the share count down 10% over the past four years).

Story continues

Ulta competes in a fragmented market that offers distribution through many channels, including specialty retail (like Ulta), drug stores, department stores and e-commerce. As noted in the annual report, management estimates that it holds roughly 8% market share of the $89 billion beauty product industry. Most notably, the company has doubled its share in cosmetics over the past five years (this is also its largest category at 50% of revenue). Those gains also came during a period when prestige makeup led the category's growth by a wide margin, benefiting Ulta. The combination of these two factors has been the primary driver of the company's impressive revenue growth. (It is a smaller player in categories like skincare and fragrances, with low single-digit share.)

As noted earlier, Ulta has significantly expanded its footprint over the past decade. As a result, the company is only a few hundred units away from its long-term target (1,500 to 1,700 stores in the United States). Said differently, it is likely to reach saturation in the U.S. within four or five years at the recent pace of unit growth (the impact of Covid-19 will likely delay that). Longer term, management has shared plans to expand internationally, beginning with Canada (plans for an omni-channel offering by 2021). It's still early, but a successful rollout in Canada could provide some hope that the company will still be able to add new units for years, or even decades, to come. Ulta's success or failure in Canada is something I'll be watching closely over the next several years.

While the company's historic growth has been impressive, I think it's safe to say that the results over the coming decade are unlikely to be anywhere near what they achieved in the past decade.

First, as just discussed, the company is approaching saturation in its home market - and plenty of retailers have shown that successfully replicating a retail concept abroad is far from assured. That presents some reinvestment (capital allocation) risk as we look to the years ahead.

Second, I remain concerned about the potential long-term risk from online competitors like Amazon. I appreciate the arguments for why the makeup category may be less susceptible to this risk, particularly due to product quality concerns when dealing with third-party sellers - but I've also followed Amazon long enough to know that with enough time and effort, they often find a way to deliver for their customers (and negatively impact competitors). Last year's exclusive deal for Lady Gaga's beauty brand, Haus Laboratories, is one recent example that suggests the e-commerce giant has its sights on being a presence in this market long term.

Third, I worry about the growth of emerging, digitally-native brands selling directly to consumers. The ability to market products through influencers and celebrities on platforms like Instagram and YouTube, along with the ability to complete a transaction through a Shopify (NYSE:SHOP) enabled store, has become a legitimate competitor to products sitting on retail shelves. (Note that Ulta has taken action to try and capitalize on these developments: consider the 2018 partnership with Kylie Jenner, with the Kylie Cosmetics product line available in all Ulta stores and online.)

Finally, as I discussed earlier, Ulta benefited from a market tailwind over the past several years, particularly within prestige cosmetics; nothing I've read leads me to believe we'll see a return to outsized growth in that vertical. (On the other hand, the majority of prestige beauty products are still sold in department stores, which may present opportunity for additional share gains by companies like Ulta). If lackluster cosmetics growth leads to industry mix shift toward categories like skincare, that could also be a problem for Ulta because they under-index in those areas (and skincare has lower profit margins for Ulta than cosmetics as well). For what it's worth, management told investors during the fourth-quarter conference call that they expected the U.S. makeup category to continue to be challenged in 2020 - and that was before the impact of Covid-19 was fully appreciated.

Conclusion

All of Ulta's stores have been closed since March 19 due to the pandemic. While they are likely seeing benefits in the e-commerce business, that's unlikely to offset the revenue declines from brick-and-mortar locations (for what it's worth, e-commerce has lower operating margins as well for Ulta). In addition, a period like this may ultimately accelerate changes in consumer behavior (for example, more willing to shop online than before), which could bring to light some of the risks I've outlined above. For those reasons, even though the stock does not appear particularly expensive at roughly 18 times trailing earnings, particularly relative to what Mr. Market has been willing to pay for it in the past, I'm going to remain on the sidelines for now.

It's worth highlighting that the company ended 2019 with half a billion dollars in cash and equivalents, along with publicly announced plans to repurchase $1.3 billion worth of stock in 2020 - but that plan will likely be altered given the current state of the business.

One final point. In researching Ulta, I've seen analysts argue the business will benefit from the struggles of competitors, most notably department stores. Essentially, as retailers like J.C. Penney (NYSE:JCP) and Macy's (NYSE:M) continue to face headwinds, Ulta will take share. And while I appreciate that argument, I think it's a bit short-sighted. Here's my question: and then what?

Not to overstate the analogy, but I think it's similar to the arguments that were made a decade ago about Barnes & Noble (BKS) when Border's went bankrupt. It's not wrong - but it misses the bigger picture. To give you a better idea of what I'm getting at, think about the beauty products business on a continuum from best positioned to worst positioned - from on-mall department stores to digitally-native brands or e-commerce. Along that spectrum, where does Ulta belong?

The pessimistic take would be that Ulta becomes the next iteration of the traditional mall retailers (names like Victoria's Secret and Bath & Body Works). One of the most concerning data points I've seen is that Ulta's legacy (five-plus years old) stores have recently seen same-store sales turn negative, compared to mid-to-high single-digit comps for this same class a few years ago. Simply put, an inability to stabilize and improve this would be a major concern for Ulta.

On the other hand, the company may find a happy medium. It could be among the select group of retail that has survived, and even thrived, in a changing world. Arguably, success of this kind would require investment to support a stronger online presence (with shipping options that are on par with best-in-class e-commerce), continued partnerships with digitally native brands (or even ownership given the company's robust cash generation) and sustained focus on salon to drive traffic (currently, only about 5% of Ulta's customers use the salon services). In short, Ulta needs to continue improving what it offers to customers inside and outside of its stores.

Which path is the company likely to take over the next five to 10 years?

I'll leave that one for readers to answer.

Disclosure: None.

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Caring for the carers

In response to the increasing outrage at the predicament that care workers find themselves in, battling against a virus that is cutting a swathe though our care homes, the English health secretary, Matt Hancock, rewarded them with a badge.

A green enamel badge that says CARE. A badge of honour with its message writ large in capital letters. A badge that is meant to give some parity with the NHS lapel pin that Hancock and others so prominently wear. A badge meant to symbolise the importance that these low-paid, undervalued and ill-equipped workers should have in the delivery of care for some of our most vulnerable citizens.

And a badge that was actually issued 12 months previously by the care home industry in response to the lopsided message that Hancock himself sent out by only wearing an NHS badge.

This pandemic has shone a spotlight on a care system that has lived in the shadows of the NHS for too long

Care homes have, in the last week, become a real focus of COVID-19 as reports of mass deaths have circulated. With 40 per cent of the 1,000-plus care homes in Scotland reporting cases of infection and amid the heartbreaking headlines about old people dying in large numbers in individual homes, Scots have rightly been appalled.

And behind the daily tally of cold statistics lies the agony of grieving families unable to say a last goodbye and the toil of carers who balance the risk to their own lives simply by going to work.

At her daily COVID-19 briefing last week, Nicola Sturgeon was grilled repeatedly by journalists on the number of deaths. She has clearly been moved by the unfolding tragedy. Who wouldnt be? But at one point she said that care homes can be more susceptible to infection outbreaks. It stopped me in my tracks. A care home should be no more susceptible to an infection outbreak than any other institutional setting. Indeed, given the experience every year of tackling the winter vomiting bug, it should arguably be even more ready. But then maybe this was an accident waiting to happen.

My mum is not in a care home. She lives, as we would all wish for, at home, supported by social care staff employed to keep her as independent as she possibly can be. Thats the way she wants to live, and this is what Scotlands world leading free personal care was designed for.

But while I worry every day about her and whether she is safe, it is, ironically, the risk of contamination from the very people that are employed to care for her that concerns me most.

These are good people: kind, caring, patient, and well-meaning care workers who do a job that I dont, and get paid at a rate that I wouldnt consider. They do it for my mum. I thank God for them every day, and right now, I also thank my lucky stars that she is not resident in a care home, where people appear as sitting ducks, waiting for the virus to strike them down.

My mum balances her risks every day. She has stopped seeing us, sees neighbours through the window, gets her shopping left on the step and insists that if any of her care workers come to the door unmasked, they will not be let in.

Her tenacity to stay alive is awe inspiring. But she knows people like her in care homes are living on a knife edge, unable to exert even the small control she has over her care, over their own. Telephone calls are a daily update on which homes have now got COVID-19 and she fears for people she knows.

But the roots of this crisis well predate this pandemic. Care homes have been left behind for decades. Under resourced, their purpose not talked about, their privatisation an embarrassment, their staff undervalued and their residents too often viewed as an inconvenience, dumped and waiting to die.

And in this public health emergency, the vital care that these homes provide has been forgotten in the weekly celebration of the NHS. They have been at the back of the queue in the scramble for more PPE, their beds have filled up as those in hospital have been emptied, they have not had access to routine testing and while vulnerable residents have been rushed into signing DNR forms or to agree not to be admitted to hospital should illness prevail, they have also been cut off wholesale from friends and family and their deaths not even included in the official statistics.

And in a measure of just how catastrophically bad the situation is, no one in a position of power seems to actually know how bad it really is. Up until a matter of days ago, official government guidance insisted that it remains very unlikely that people receiving care in a care home or the community will become infected.

But we were given clear prior warning from European nations hit before us as horror stories emerged from care homes of mass deaths, abandoned corpses and fleeing staff in countries such as Italy, France and Spain.

Yet here, the social care sector fell down the list of priorities, with inadequate advice offered to care teams, minimal testing for residents or staff and a failure to deliver adequate protective gear to the frontline workforce.

Staff have been frightened to go into work, fearful to go home at night for what they might carry back with them and worried for their own health and how they carry on. But they do. Because they care.

There are everyday stories of heroism, kindnesses and small humanities. Staff who sit for hours with dying residents so they wont slip away alone, care workers making protective clothing from bin bag and in Angus, the greatest sacrifice of all by staff at two care homes who have left their own families to go into lockdown with residents in a bid to put up a barrier between them and this virus.

This pandemic is brutal, but it has shone a spotlight on a care system that has lived in the shadows of the NHS for too long. The care sector has suffered from an unnecessarily negative perception. And at its heart is a question of cost.

There is much talk right now about the kind of society we want to shape when all this is over. We should not flinch from the hard questions. But I know of wide-ranging reports, prepared by influential actors in the care sector, which provided blueprints for a radical new shape of care sector over a decade ago but long kicked into the long grass on considerations of money and of shifts of power.

This tragedy will hopefully see care for the elderly elevated to the same level that we laud our NHS and we will look to create a National Care Service that offers consistent and appropriate end of life living that isnt just about waiting to die.
USS Vermont Becomes Latest Virginia-Class Fast-Attack Submarine in Service

Navy News Service

Story Number: NNS200418-02

Release Date: 4/18/2020 10:12:00 AM

From the Office of the Navy Chief of Information

WASHINGTON (NNS) -- The U.S. Navy commissioned USS Vermont (SSN 792), the 19th Virginia-class attack submarine, April 18.

Although the traditional public commissioning ceremony was canceled due to public health restrictions on large public gatherings, the Navy commissioned USS Vermont administratively and transitioned the boat to normal operations. Meanwhile, the Navy is looking at a future opportunity to commemorate the special event with the ship's sponsor, crew and commissioning committee.

"This Virginia-class fast-attack submarine will continue the proud naval legacy of the state of Vermont and the ships that have borne her name," said Acting Secretary of the Navy James E. McPherson. "I am confident the crew of this cutting edge platform will carry on this tradition and confront the challenges of today's complex world with the professionalism and dedication our nation depends on from warriors of the silent service."

Vice Adm. Daryl Caudle, commander, Submarine Forces, said Vermont's entry to service marks a new phase of American undersea warfare dominance for a global Submarine Force that is ready to deter, defend and defeat threats to our nation, allies, and rules-based international order.

"This warship carries on a proud Vermont legacy in naval warfare and unyielding determination stretching back to the birth of our nation," Caudle said.

"To her crew, congratulations on completing the arduous readiness training to enter sea trials and prepare this ship for battle. I am proud to serve with each of you! Stand ready to defend our nation wherever we are threatened  honoring your motto  FREEDOM AND UNITY.

May God bless our Submarine Force, the people of Vermont, and our families! From the depths, we strike!"

USS Vermont's sponsor, Gloria Valdez, former Deputy Assistant Secretary of the Navy (Ships), offered her gratitude to everyone who played a role in delivering USS Vermont to service. She said she is proud to represent the crew and the first Block IV Virginia-class submarine to enter service.

"I am very proud of the Sailors and families of USS Vermont, who worked so hard to bring her to life, and also feel extremely grateful to everyone who played a role preparing her to defend our nation for generations to come," Valdez said. "I look forward to commemorating this special occasion together with the crew in the future."

Vermont's commanding officer, Cmdr. Charles W. Phillips III, highlighted Vermont's accomplishments over the past several weeks getting through initial sea trials. The hard work and dedication of the entire team the past few years was evident in the successful execution of at-sea testing, he said.

Phillips added he is especially thankful to the crew and their families, ship sponsor Valdez, and the USS Vermont Commissioning Committee, led by Debra Martin, for all their hard work and support of the crew.

"We recognize just how important the submarine force is during this era of Great Power Competition," Phillips said. "As part of the nation's maritime asymmetric advantage over our competitors, we are ready to perform whatever duty is most needed.

"The crew is hungry to hone our skills at-sea and become an effective fighting unit, and we will work tirelessly to justify the nation's confidence in us," he added. "Today marks the culmination of six years of dedicated work by the men and women who constructed the nation's newest and most capable warship. We are all honored to be part of this historic moment.

"We are also grateful for the families who have supported our Sailors through the long process of bringing this warship to life and dedicated their time with patriotism and selfless devotion," Phillips said.

USS Vermont is the third U.S. Navy vessel to bear the name of the Green Mountain State. The first Vermont was one of nine 74-gun warships authorized by Congress in 1816. The second Vermont, Battleship No. 20, was commissioned in 1907 and first deployed in December that year as part of the "Great White Fleet." She was decommissioned June 30, 1920.

Vermont is a flexible, multi-mission platform designed to carry out the seven core competencies of the submarine force: anti-submarine warfare; anti-surface warfare; delivery of special operations forces; strike warfare; irregular warfare; intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance; and mine warfare.

The submarine is 377 feet long, has a 34-foot beam, and will be able to dive to depths greater than 800 feet and operate at speeds in excess of 25 knots submerged. The boat's construction began in May 2014, and it will provide the Navy the capabilities required to maintain the nation's undersea superiority well into the 21st century.

Vermont is the first the first of 10 Virginia-class Block IV submarines. Block IV submarines incorporate design changes to reduce total ownership cost, as well as allow the Navy to increase the time between maintenance stops and the number of deployments.

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The first Midland Memorial Hospital patient treated with convalescent plasma for COVID-19 improved dramatically, hospital officials said Friday  though they cautioned its too soon to sing the praises of this experimental treatment.

Chief Medical Officer Dr. Larry Wilson emphasized that there was an n of 1, meaning one patient who has received the treatment and recovered from the virus after being given the therapy. He said other patients have recovered effectively without receiving plasma.

But in this particular case, the patient received the convalescent serum and within about 36 hours was improving quite dramatically, and was able to be taken off the ventilator within the last 24 hours or so, and is currently being moved, or soon will be moved, off of the critical care unit to the medical floor with an anticipation of a good recovery, Wilson said during a press briefing.

CEO Russell Meyers added that new treatments can be a challenge because scientific studies are still ongoing and theres no clear consensus on the effectiveness of these experimental treatments.

It's tempting to credit recoveries to the serum plasma use or even to the other drug regimens when we really don't know for sure that that's what caused the recovery, he said. Weve had many patients who have fully recovered without any drug regimen to speak of.

The treatment involves taking plasma from patients who have recovered from COVID-19 and giving it to those who are critically ill with the virus, in the hope that the antibodies of a recovered person will help the critical patient fight the disease.

The patients that have recovered from a COVID infection presumably are carrying antibodies to protect against the infection and we passively can give those to another person to protect them against the viral load that they might experience, Wilson said.

Midland Memorial Hospital announced earlier this week they were seeking plasma donations in partnership with Vitalant.

To qualify to donate, a person must have tested positive for COVID-19, recovered from the illness and be 14 days past their recovery, Wilson said. Those who meet the qualifications are able to donate weekly.
Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, April 19)  The Senate president proposes the names of all persons who received cash aid from the government's Social Amelioration Program (SAP) be made public in a bid for transparency.

In a statement Sunday, Senator Vicente "Tito" Sotto III said, Marami tayong naririnig na reklamo na hindi umano natanggap ng mga taong dapat ay kwalipikadong makakuha ng cash assistance na pinayagan ng Kongreso sa ilalim ng Bayanihan Act. Kaya ang tanong natin ngayon, sino-sino na ba ang nabigyan ng gobyerno? Bakit marami ang nagrereklamong hanggang ngayon ay hindi pa nila nakukuha ang ayuda na nakasaad sa batas?

[Translation: We are hearing a lot of complaints saying the people who are qualified to get cash assistance under the Bayanihan Act are not receiving it. So we're asking who has received aid from the government. And why are there so many complaints about people not getting help?]

Sotto is asking the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) to publish on its website a list of individuals who have received cash aid, as well as the area already covered since it started distributing the SAP.

Doing so, the senator added, will prove that cash aid has already been given and was received by those qualified.

The DSWD has the masterlist of those who have already benefitted from the SAP. It should make public the names of the recipients for the sake of transparency, he said.

Sotto said he was also not satisfied with the report submitted by President Rodrigo Duterte to the Senate which said the DSWD has disbursed P80 billion of the P100 billion allotted for the SAP for the month of April.

Nakukulangan ako sa report, hindi kumpleto. Kailangang malinaw sa aming mga mambabatas at sa publiko kung paano ibinahagi itong perang ito. Kulang sa detalye ang ipinasang report sa Kongreso, he said.

[Translation: I find the report lacking. It has to be clear to the public and lawmakers how this money was distributed.]

Apart from transparency, Sotto added the revelation of the information would allow lawmakers to identify any loopholes or errors, as well as show if any abuses were committed.
Lesotho's embattled prime minister announced on Saturday he had sent troops onto the streets to "restore order", accusing unnamed law enforcement agencies of undermining democracy. Prime Minister Thomas Thabane is under pressure to step down after police said they suspect him of having a hand in the murder of his estranged wife in 2017, a case that has thrown the country into political turmoil. Saturday's order comes just a day after the country's constitutional court overturned a controversial decision by Thabane to suspend parliament. In an address on public television, the 80-year-old leader said he had "deployed the army to take control of this situation and take necessary measures against these elements in alignment with the security orders and restore peace and order". "This is to avoid putting the nation in danger," he said. A highly placed government source said police commissioner Holomo Molibeli, his deputy Paseka Mokete and another senior police officer have been arrested by the army. "The general informed the prime minister that he has arrested Holomo, Mokete... They are temporarily detained at Makoanyane Barracks," the source told AFP in the capital Maseru. There was a heavy presence of armed soldiers, in bulletproof vests and helmets, patrolling the streets. Other soldiers drove around Maseru in armoured cars. The premier said he was "surprised" that some "institutions entrusted with maintaining order and adhering to law are busy tarnishing the very principles" of the country's stability and democracy. He said the army would also help enforce a 24-day coronavirus lockdown in the country, which has so far not recorded a single case. The prime minister's order is the latest twist in a saga that has gripped the southern African kingdom. - 'Plot to topple government' - The murder accusations against Thabane came after communications records from the scene of his estranged wife's murder included the prime minister's mobile phone number. His order deploying the army comes a day after the constitutional court set aside his decision to suspend parliament for three months. In March, Thabane imposed a three-month suspension of parliament shortly after the national assembly passed a bill barring him from calling fresh elections if he loses a no-confidence vote hanging over his head. Last month, he ordered the security forces and intelligence service to probe his ruling All Basotho Convention (ABC) party rivals, whom he accused of plotting to topple his government. Citing his advanced age, the prime minister had earlier this year offered to step down from office by July 31 following the accusation of his possible involvement in the murder of his then estranged wife. He faces allegations he acted in "common purpose" in the killing of 58-year-old Lipolelo Thabane, whom he was in the process of divorcing. Lipolelo's murder, two days before his inauguration as prime minister, sent shock waves through the tiny picturesque mountainous kingdom of 2.2 million people. His current wife Maesaiah Thabane, 43, whom he married two months after Lipolelo's death, is considered a co-conspirator in the murder case and has already been charged. - 'Misusing the security forces' - Thabane's ABC rivals are pushing for his early departure and have teamed up with opposition with the goal of forming a coalition government. Lesotho has a long history of political turmoil. It has been more than a decade since a prime minister served out a full five-year term in the country which is completely landlocked by South Africa. The opposition and analysts say the prime minister is instigating stability in the country by pitting the police against the military. Mathibeli Mokhothu, leader of the largest opposition party the Democratic Congress, said Thabane's order was triggered by Friday's court ruling. "He is misusing the security forces. This is creating conflict between the army and police. "He is the one who is destabilising peace in Lesotho," Mokhothu told AFP. Motlamelle Kapa, a political science professor at the National University of Lesotho said Thabane "has lost control because he himself is not behaving like a PM". "The current situation is a struggle between the police and the courts of law where they are trying to bring the executive to order and make them account for their wrongs. "This is not the first time we see things reeling out of position when police try to call the Prime Minister to order," Kapa said. strs-sn/mgu/txw
(Newser)  Two weeks into his stay at Massachusetts General Hospital in Boston, a doctor told Kim Bello that her husband, who first fell ill March 7, didn't have much of a chance. "That's when I lost it," she said. "I just kept thinking, 'There's no way. There's no way he can leave me with three kids.' He's like the best father, best husband, best everything." Not long after that, Jim Bello's condition improved, CBS reports. After spending 32 days on life support, Bello, 49, was able to leave the intensive care unit on Wednesday as hospital workers applauded. "Really from a medical standpoint, hes an amazing victory for them. Amazing," his wife said. Bello expects to go home this week, per WFXT.

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The coronavirus wasn't on the family's radar when Bello developed a fever on a ski trip. He was checked out by his doctor after the trip and was tested and sent home. Then, he woke up one day unable to breathe. He was taken to an emergency room, then to Mass General, where he was placed on a ventilator and an ECMO life support machine. His improvement began when he was taken off a paralyzing drug to prep him for a procedure. "He literally woke up," his wife said. "And the nurse said 'Squeeze my hand twice,' and he squeezed her hand twice. They saw how alive he was inside." Kim and Jim Belo, a medical malpractice lawyer, are raising money to support the health care workers. They've collected nearly $40,000 for meals and other help. (Read more coronavirus stories.)
Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson said quarantine has made him and his wife Lauren Hashian better partners. (Photo: Getty Images)

Dwayne The Rock Johnson says that being in quarantine has strengthened his marriage to Lauren Hashian.

The Jumanji star, who has held Instagram Q&As since March in the spirit of entertaining you and staying connected has encouraged fans to ask about his career, fitness schedule and family. On Saturday, Johnson tackled relationships, specifically, how sheltering at home during the coronavirus pandemic has impacted his marriage to Hashian, with whom he shares daughters Jasmine Lia, 3, and Tiana Gia, 2.

Helluva question! The effect the quarantine has on my marriage, Johnson wrote on Instagram. Tagging his wife, he wrote, ...We realised kinda quickly how critical it was for us to be ultra considerate, caring and empathetic of one another. Be even better listeners. Even better communicators.

Read more: Brian May says NHS workers dying fighting coronavirus is a 'national disgrace'

Recognise that during these times, were not operating at full brain & [emotional intelligence] capacity as we usually are, he admitted. Youre gonna get snippy, short tempered and you guys may erupt at each other....

Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson is giving relationship advice during the coronavirus pandemic. (Screenshot: Instagram/The Rock)

The actor joked, When that happens, grab your partner by the shoulders, like I grabbed Lauren. Look them directly in the eyes and say with full [100 percent] conviction, baby, youre not wrong....youre just not used to being right and then count the seconds it takes for you both to belly laugh your a**es off. Johnson then advised drinking his tequila brand Teremana and make some more babies.

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

Explained: Symptoms, latest advice and how it compares to the flu

In a video accompanying his caption, the 47-year-old got even more personal. I have found that the quarantine has had a very positive effect on my relationship... although he admitted that him and Hashian have been bickering. I gotta be honest with you, when this thing first started, the first two weeks of quarantine for me, I was really wobbly at times, he said.

Story continues

Lauren Hashian and Dwayne Johnson at the premiere of G.I. Joe: Retaliation, in Los Angeles, CA. Michael Germana/STAR MAX/IPx

Johnson found himself consistently apologising to Lauren about every other day, however, despite spontaneous arguments that go from zero to 10 very quickly, the couple is determined to keep perspective.

We try to go easy on each other, we try to make things light, not too judgy, he said, sharing an example of how they resolved an argument during breakfast on Friday.

She said something, I said something  I cant remember what it was, it was something stupid  that I interpreted that way, said Johnson. ...She was like, You know what? Im going to walk away and ate breakfast in the bathroom.

Johnson said he stewed in her absence thinking, You ruined it today, didnt you? You could have had a great day.

Fifteen minutes later, the actor joined his wife in the bathroom but was too stubborn to apologise, so he began shaving his face. The tension broke when the two cracked jokes about the family dog and laughed so f***ing hard. Then they apologised to each other.

Now is the time to really try and do your best to communicate and articulate your feelings as best you can, said Johnson. ...Stay healthy and stay safe.
India has put in place a robust mechanism to insulate the three services and their strategic assets from the coronavirus infection, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh said on Sunday, assuring that the military is fully prepared to defend the the country from "adversarial forces" though it was fighting the pandemic.

In an exclusive interview to PTI, Singh said the fight against the pandemic is the "biggest invisible war" in last several decades and India is acting on a war footing with proper coordination among all agencies concerned and support of people.

He said the Army, Navy and the Indian Air Force are strictly adhering to instructions issued by the Prime Minister's Office, the Health Ministry and their own medical bodies for protection against COVID-19.

"The fight against COVID-19 is possibly the biggest invisible war in our lifetime. A war against humanity and having various impact on health and economic security of the nation," he said.

"We as a nation are fighting the COVID-19 crisis on a war footing and all agencies of the government are working in close coordination. The armed forces are assisting the nation in its fight against coronavirus," Singh said.

Asked whether the pandemic has impacted operational aspects of the military, Singh said they are prepared for all contingencies and ready to defend India's sovereignty from adversarial forces in all scenarios.

Referring to the situation along the Line of Control in Jammu and Kashmir, the defence minister said India is dominating the enemy through targeted intelligence-based strikes on their launch pads.

"The Indian armed forces are prepared for all contingencies and I can assure you that we are prepared to defend our sovereignty from adversarial forces in all scenarios," he said.

His assertion comes amid apprehension about possible impact of the pandemic on the armed forces, particularly after 26 Indian Navy sailors were infected by the virus in the first such large-scale case of infection in the Indian military.

"As you would have gathered from the operations along the LoC (Line of Control) in the last two weeks, we are dominating the enemy through targeted intelligence based strikes on their launch pads and eliminating them before they set foot on Indian soil," the defence minister said.

Pakistan has been resorting to widespread ceasefire violations along the LoC at a time when India has been leading efforts to help the SAARC member nations in dealing with the coronavirus pandemic.

The Army has been adequately responding to Pakistani "misadventures" under its policy of "hot pursuit", a military official said.

On the role of armed forces in containing coronavirus pandemic, the defence minister said expertise of armed forces in communications, supply chain management, medical support and engineering are being used to combat it.

He also said that the government has directed leading defence public sector undertakings (DPSUs) to produce medical equipment like ventilators, masks, PPEs and other equipment to address the problem of shortages.

Singh said armed forces are taking measures like curtailing movement of troops, restricting leave and enforcing work from home to prevent spread of infection.

A mandatory 14-day quarantine period is being enforced for all personnel coming from outside any station, irrespective of rank, he added.

He said special precautions are being taken on ships and submarines where it is difficult to strictly follow social distances norms.

Soldiers deployed along borders, especially in remotest regions, are safest as they are cut-off from all likely carriers of disease, he said, adding the government is ensuring their safety by deploying fresh troops who have been medically validated as having no symptoms of the infection.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Civil Aviation Minister Hardeep Singh Puri had advised airlines on Saturday night to open bookings only after the government takes a decision on resumption of passenger flights.

Amid the coronavirus-induced lockdown, aviation regulator DGCA on Sunday told airlines to stop taking bookings.

Private Indian airlines were taking bookings on Sunday on select flights from May 4.

Civil Aviation Minister Hardeep Singh Puri had advised airlines on Saturday night to open bookings only after the government takes a decision on resumption of passenger flights.

The Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) issued a circular on Sunday evening, stating: "All airlines are hereby directed to refrain from booking tickets... Further, the airlines may note that they shall be given sufficient notice and time for restarting operations."

The first phase of the lockdown was from March 25 to April 14.

The second phase began on April 15 and would end on May 3.

Photograph: Max Rossi/Reuters
With Vermont Senator Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) halting his presidential election campaign a little more than a week ago, the 2020 presidential showdown is set. Former Vice President Joe Biden is now a veritable shoo-in to win the Democratic Party nomination, while Republican incumbent Donald Trump will aim to remain in the Oval Office for a second term.

Though there are a plethora of issues likely to take center stage for these candidates, such as the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), the economy, and jobs, one topic that's now of clear concern is what will happen to the Social Security program once the 2020 election is decided. You see, both Donald Trump and Joe Biden have, at one time or another, called for cuts to the Social Security program.

While calling for no direct involvement, Trump's budgets aim to cut disability outlays

Through the first three-plus years of his first term, President Trump has preached the idea of a hands-off approach with Social Security. In other words, he's advocated against direct policy changes to the Social Security program in favor of measures that will improve economic growth, such as the passage of the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act in December 2017. Since the payroll tax on earned income is Social Security's biggest revenue generator, improved economic growth could, in theory, buoy it in the short term.

However, while advocating against direct changes to the program, Trump's presidential budget proposals in each of the past four fiscal years have called for Social Security outlay reductions. By fiscal year (the federal fiscal year runs October 1 to September 30), the 10-year reduction to Social Security's expenditures would be:

Fiscal 2018: $72 billion

$72 billion Fiscal 2019: $64 billion

$64 billion Fiscal 2020: $26 billion

$26 billion Fiscal 2021: $24 billion

It's worth noting that Trump's presidential budgets weren't targeting cuts to retired-worker benefits. Rather, the majority of these savings would be derived from eliminating perceived inefficiencies with the Social Security Disability program.

Beyond budget proposals, Trump has also loosely called for the idea of means testing for benefits. With means testing, benefits would be reduced or eliminated completely based on the income level of a retired person or couple. This is an idea that Trump mentioned on the campaign trail prior to being elected in 2016.

Additionally, it can't be overlooked that Republican ideology favors a long-term reduction in Social Security expenditures to strengthen the program. Most members of the GOP favor gradually increasing the full retirement age from 67 to as high as age 70 in order to account for increased longevity. Such a move would require future generations of retirees (e.g., millennials) to either wait longer to receive their full monthly payouts or claim early and accept an even steeper reduction to their monthly benefits.

Biden stresses he won't cut Social Security benefits, but his track record says otherwise

Former Vice President Joe Biden has taken a similar tone as President Trump in suggesting that, if he were elected, Social Security recipients wouldn't have to worry about cuts. In fact, in an interview on an episode of MSNBC's Morning Joe in January 2020, Biden emphatically stated, "No. No. No. No!" when asked if he'd directly cut benefits if he became president.

From an ideological perspective, this admission is easy to believe. After all, most Democrats believe that the best way to strengthen the Social Security program is by increasing revenue, not reducing expenditures. However, Biden's track record shows that he hasn't always followed this strategy.

For instance, in 1995, when Biden was a Delaware Senator speaking on the Senate floor, he laid out the idea of freezing Social Security outlays. Though Biden has defended his remarks as being made in an effort to avoid a government shutdown, the following statement has received a lot of criticism. Said Biden:

For example, I'm going to go on record. I'm up for reelection this year, and I'm going to remind everybody what I did at home, which is going to cost me politically. When I argued that we should freeze federal spending, I meant Social Security, as well. I meant Medicare and Medicaid. I meant veterans benefits. I meant every single solitary thing in the government. And I not only tried it once -- I tried it twice, I tried it a third time, and I tried it a fourth time. Somebody has to tell me in here how we're going to do this hard work without dealing with any of those sacred cows, some deserving more protection than others.

Joe Biden also played a key role in working with Republicans to orchestrate the payroll-tax holiday in 2011 and 2012. Normally, the 12.4% payroll tax applies to earned income below a certain threshold ($137,700 in 2020), with the self-employed paying the full 12.4% and employers and employees splitting the difference at 6.2% each. In 2011 and 2012, with the U.S. economy still reeling from the worst recession in 70 years, Biden helped negotiate for a 2 percentage point decrease in employer and employee payroll tax liability. This wound up reducing the amount of payroll tax collected by Social Security by more than $109 billion (in total) over this two-year period.

No matter who wins the presidency, near-term Social Security benefit cuts are unlikely

Between Biden's track record on Social Security and Trump's presidential budget proposals, it's easy to see why current and future Social Security recipients are worried. But there is a bit of good news I can pass along: There's virtually no chance of near-term benefit reductions to Social Security, no matter who is elected as president.

One thing that's absolutely necessary if the Social Security Act is going to be amended is for 60 "yes" votes in the Senate. The problem is that it's been more than 40 years since either major U.S. political party had a supermajority of at least 60 seats in the upper House of Congress. This means that any legislation concerning Social Security would need bipartisan support. Put plainly, Senate Democrats have no intention of supporting legislation that reduces program outlays. Likewise, the Democrat-led House won't vote in favor of such a measure, either.

Social Security reform is also off the table given that it's an election year. One of the painful truths about fixing Social Security is that, no matter the solution, some group of people are going to be worse off than before. Whether it's high-income earners or future generations or retired workers, there's no way to raise additional revenue and/or reduce program outlays without some group being worse off. Knowing this, lawmakers aren't going to target reforms when their elected seats on Capitol Hill are up for grabs.

Lastly, it's important to remember that Social Security is incapable of going bankrupt. Even though there are some truly scary reports about a long-term cash shortfall with Social Security, its two recurring sources of revenue -- the payroll tax and taxation of benefits -- ensure that there will always be money to disburse to eligible beneficiaries.

Do pay close attention to the candidates' Social Security strategies in the months that lie ahead, but take solace in knowing that your payout will still be waiting for you, whether you're currently retired or planning to retire in 50 years.
Although overshadowed by its more famous Tuscan neighbours, Arezzo has a charm all of its own.

Arezzo, located at the confluence of the Casentino, Valdarno and Val di Chiana valleys in central Tuscany, is not in the same picture-postcard league as nearby Florence or Siena but its quirky, unexpected quality makes a visit here well worthwhile.

Home to some 100,000 inhabitants, the provincial capital tends to get left off the mainstream tourist trail, giving it an exclusive feel and making it a pleasant place to explore.

The first human settlement around this ancient town can be traced back to Stone Age times. An important Etruscan city-state and later an equally important Roman city, by the Middle Ages Arezzo was a thriving economic, religious and cultural hub.

However by the 17th century the financial and political clout of the city and its hinterland, under Medici rule, began to decline.

Mediaeval architecture

The Legend of the True Cross by Piero della Francesca

Arezzo is best known for its unique mediaeval architecture and its Piero della Francesca murals, housed in the Bacci chapel of the Basilica of S. Francesco.

The artist spent over ten years painting the celebrated fresco cycle known as the Legend of the True Cross, regarded as one of the jewels of Italian art, which was restored in 1992. These beautiful panels centre on the legend of Empress Helena recovering Christs true cross during a pilgrimage to the Holy Land. One panel shows Judas being tortured into revealing the whereabouts of the cross, whose discovery leads to miracles and battles before being returned to Jerusalem by Emperor Heraclius.

The frescoes feature in Anthony Minghellas classic 1996 film The English Patient when Hana, played by Juliette Binoche, is hoisted around the chapel in a harness, viewing the ancient images by flare-light.

Juliette Binoche in The English Patient

La vita e Bella

A year later, Tuscan actor and comedian Roberto Benigni immortalised Arezzo on the silver screen with his Oscar-winning Life is Beautiful. The city centre will be instantly recognisable to anyone who has seen the heart-warming film in which an Italian Jew who  together with his four-year-old son  is separated from his principessa wife and sent to a concentration camp during world war two.

Roberto Benigni and Nicoletta Braschi in Life is Beautiful.

In many ways, Benignis choice of Arezzo as the films backdrop was appropriate. During the last war, Arezzo (as well as many villages in its province) suffered massacres at the hands of the occupying Germans, while many of its ancient buildings were reduced to rubble in Allied bombings. Despite this, the city  in large part rebuilt since the 1940s  has retained its mediaeval character and is an architectural feast for the eyes.

Piazza Grande

Central to its bizarre mix of buildings is the multi-arched S. Maria della Pieve, a romanesque church with a massive square bell tower, which draws visitors into Piazza Grande. This wildly-sloping meeting place is 10 m higher on one side than the other and is flanked by the 16th-century Vasari Loggia designed by Renaissance man Giorgio Vasari. Along with scholar and poet Petrarch, known as the Father of Humanism, Vasari is one of the citys most famous sons.

Piazza Grande. Photo: poludziber / Shutterstock.com

He is best known for the kilometre-long Vasari Corridor in Florence and his encyclopaedia of artists, The Lives of the most Eminent Painters, Scholars and Architects, in which he coined in print the original term used to describe the Renaissance: rinascita. His Arezzo home is open to visitors and is wall-to-wall with the artists opulent, allegorical murals.

Other landmarks

Other landmarks to look out for are the imposing hilltop Gothic cathedral, and the Palazzo Pretorio whose facade is decorated with a plethora of stone-carved crests belonging to the city administrators from the 14th-18th centuries. One of the citys most curious sights can be found underneath the Porta S. Laurentino in the fortified town walls.

Here stands a bronze replica of the monstrous mythical beast known as the Chimera of Arezzo, near where the fifth-century BC original was unearthed in 1553.

Immediately claimed for the private collection of Cosimo de Medici, the Chimera was part of a large treasure trove of Etruscan gems buried during Antiquity. Since its rediscovery, the part-lion, part-goat, part-serpent is recognised as the symbol of the Etruscan civilisation, and the original can be seen at the Archaeological Museum in Florence.

On the first Sunday of the month for the last 40 years, Piazza Grande and its environs has been filled with an enormous antique fair. The openair markets of the Fiera Antiquaria include all kinds of unusual collectibles and memorabilia, from furniture to jewellery, and attract up to 20,000 people a time. Indeed there are plenty of year-round antique shops in Arezzo, where authentic antiques far outnumber any mass-produced souvenirs.

La Giostra del Saracino

Every summer, Piazza Grande hosts the Giostra del Saracino, a reenactment of a mediaeval jousting tournament, celebrated for its pageantry and flag throwing. Held on the third Sunday of June and the first Sunday of September, the dramatic spectacle sees the citys four districts dress in their colours while, armed with lances, riders strike Saracen effigies in front of cheering crowds. Ph: maudanros / Shutterstock.com

Where to eat

After working up an appetite from a days sightseeing, the 14th-century walls of La Buca di S. Francesco provide a welcome refuge. This restaurant serves scrumptious medium-sized courses of Tuscan specialities, desserts and locally-produced cheeses and wine. Its mediaeval-style murals and low, vaulted ceiling provide the feeling of stepping back in time, enhanced all the more by the flag-stoned floor which was once an Etruscan road. The surreal atmosphere is polished off magnificently by the convivial host  an elderly gentleman noted for his flamboyant bow ties  who adds a further splash of colour to an eccentric city.

Useful information

Bacci Chapel, Piazza S. Francesco 4, tel. 0575352727, www.apt.arezzo.it. Mon - Fri, 09.00-18.30, Sat 09.00-17.30, Sun 13.00-17.30. Tour groups of up to 25 people depart every half an hour and advance booking may be required.

Vasari Museum, Via Venti Settembre 55, tel. 0575409040. 09.00-19.00, Tues closed.

Fiera Antiquaria is held on the first Sunday of every month, and the preceding Saturday.

La Buca di S. Francesco, Via S. Francesco 1, www.bucadisanfrancesco.it. Mon evening, Tues closed.

This article was published in the 8 May 2013 edition of Wanted in Rome.

By Andy Devane
KABUL, Afghanistan  At least 40 staff members in Afghanistans presidential palace have tested positive for Covid-19, Afghan officials said on Sunday, forcing President Ashraf Ghani to isolate himself and manage the countrys response to the virus  amid a raging war  largely via video conference.

There is no evidence that Mr. Ghani himself is infected. His spokesman would not comment on whether the president had been tested.

But the reach of the virus deep into the center of Afghan power, guarded behind several layers of security to protect against truck bombings and suicide assaults, was a troubling omen of difficult times ahead. Officials are grappling with the spread of the disease and its economic ramifications for the impoverished nation even as they fend off Taliban onslaughts.

An official at the palace said that most of the 40 people who tested positive work for the administrative wing of the presidents office, the National Security Council and the office of Mr. Ghanis chief of staff. A second senior official confirmed that dozens had tested positive after hundreds of palace workers were tested more than a week ago. The official did not provide further details, but said those with confirmed infections were sent into quarantine.
Senior BJP leader in Himachal Pradesh Shanta Kumar on Sunday sought an immediate ban on the Tablighi Jamaat, claiming it is responsible for spreading coronavirus in half of the country.

"Their insolence has not stopped. Stones were pelted on health workers. I want to say to the government that enough has been tolerated," Kumar, a former chief minister, said in a Facebook post.

"It is because of the Tablighi Jamaat that the disease spread to almost half of the country. Hundreds will die," he said.

"Now immediately ban this Jamaat," the veteran politician added.

The Tablighi Jamaat's Markaz (headquarters) in Delhi's Nizamuddin West emerged as a coronavirus hotspot as hundreds of people, who attended a religious congregation there in the second week of March, tested positive for COVID-19.

Several others spread across the country, who attended the Tablighi Jamaat, are suspected to be carriers of the deadly virus.

In an apparent reference to Kangra MP Kishan Kapoor and Mandi MP Ramswaroop Sharma, who recently returned to the state from Delhi despite the lockdown, he said, "Some friends have rightly raised questions about our two MPs."



Without naming the parliamentarians, Kumar said, "I want to say clearly that the law is for everybody and the law is to be obeyed. They say they had taken permission.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Idaho state Rep. Heather Scott called the economic shutdown no different than Nazi Germany.





Republican state Representative Heather Scott compared Idaho Gov. Brad Little (R-ID) to Adolf Hitler because she thinks his stay-at-home orders during the coronavirus pandemic is akin to deporting Jews to Nazi extermination camps. After all, they werent essential workers.

During a one-hour zoom interview with a right-wing conservative Texas podcaster last week, Idaho State Rep. Heather Scott called the economic shutdown no different than Nazi Germany.

And when you have the government telling you that your business is essential or non-essential, yours is non-essential, and someone elses is essential, we have a problem there,

I mean, thats no different than Nazi Germany where you had government telling people either you were an essential worker or a non-essential worker non-essential workers got put on a train.

You cant take away peoples lives and property without compensation, and thats exactly what he would be doing, I mean, they are already calling him Little Hitler  Gov. Little Hitler.

And so I think people will start educating others, and people will be more and more vocal until they will say, Enough of this, and put the pressure  hopefully political pressure  on himThats what I would hope for.



Human rights advocates are calling Scotts remarks both profoundly ignorant and offensive. Rabbi Tamar Malino of Spokanes Temple Beth Shalom said.

Mass murder and genocide is not the same thing as deciding which businesses should essentially stay open and which should stay closed.

Brenda Hammond, president of the Bonner County Human Rights Task Force, said in an email

It makes my heart heavy to hear a comment from an elected official that shows such deep disregard and lack of respect for what the Jewish people experienced during the time of the Holocaust. It also shows an extreme ignorance of history."

Her words will be especially hard for members of our community whose own relatives were put on those trains. Not to mention the few Holocaust survivors, we are still privileged to have lived among us.

Rep. Heather Scott has not responded to messages from The Spokesman-Review on Thursday. Instead, she took to Facebook to warn supporters of a forthcoming hit piece.

Scott complained that biased local and national media continue to twist and turn facts away from their original intent and into their ongoing war of hate towards conservatives and Americans in general.

My videos and interviews are generating a lot of positive responses, and people are waking up. My recent analogies are poignant and relative to our times. While human lives are certainly more valuable than a business, we cannot underestimate nor ignore that our businesses are the lifeblood of the citizens who own them, the communities they are in, and to the customers they serve. Losing the former destroys the latter.

Scott has repeatedly downplayed the dangers of the coronavirus that can become the potentially deadly COVID-19 disease and referred to Littles actions as unconstitutional edicts.

Im not a lawyer, but I checked with a constitutional lawyer, and absolutely he cannot, he cannot do that, she said during the podcast interview.

Scott is no stranger to controversy or being accused of ignorance and racism. Since winning her first election to serve in the Idaho Statehouse in 2014, Scott has made headlines for being stripped of committee assignments after criticism of her House colleagues, visiting with armed protesters who staged a sit-in at an Oregon wildlife refuge. She also has

 During a 2015 campaign rally, she posed with a Confederate flag.

 In 2017, she defended white nationalism on her Facebook page.

 Later in 2017, in an open legislative session, she accused another female lawmaker of offering sexual favors to gain a seat on a House committee.

 She recently sponsored a bill to remove some requirements to report domestic and child abuse.

Scott and Bonner County Sheriff Darryl Wheeler, whom she praised during Thursdays podcast interview, previously denounced Littles response to the COVID-19 pandemic, accusing him of infringing on civil liberties by issuing a stay at home order.

Sheriff Wheeler believes and has helped promote a ridiculous conspiracy theory on the Bonner County sheriffs office Facebook page, asserting that globalist public health officials are misleading the public and attempting to destroy small businesses.

Tony Stewart, a founder of the Kootenai County Task Force on Human Relations  formed in the 1980s to oppose local hate groups like the Aryan Nations  also called Scotts remarks offensive. He noted that governors of both parties have closed businesses and ordered people to stay home, and Wheelers ignorance is disgraceful. Stewart went on to say

We have the highest praise for Gov. Brad Little.What hes done  like other governors have been doing  is trying to prevent death.




Berlin

The outbreak of the novel coronavirus in Germany is now "manageable" thanks to the measures put in place to contain the virus' spread, Health Minister Jens Spahn said on Friday.

The decision by the German government and the federal states to apply the "emergency brake" in mid-March when the virus was spreading rapidly was "successful," according to the minister.

The measures included the prohibition of large events and the closure of schools, restaurants and shops, said a dpa reports.

On March 22, German Chancellor Angela Merkel and the states - which are responsible for enforcing the restrictions - also agreed comprehensive limits on people's movements and social contacts.

"The infection numbers have fallen significantly, especially the relative increases from day to day," Spahn said, noting also that since April 12, more people have been recovering from the disease than becoming infected.

Lothar Wieler, the president of the government's agency for disease control and prevention - the Robert Koch Institute (RKI) - likewise spoke of a "really good interim result," with several positive trends.

Every new patient in Germany is now infecting less than one other person on average, according to the RKI. After this so-called reproduction number drops below one, an epidemic usually will slowly subside.

Germany is currently at 0.7. This means that 10 coronavirus patients will only end up infecting seven other people - leading to a drop in the number of daily new infections.

Germany's "huge success" in pushing back the virus is being "envied by the whole world," Merkel's chief of staff, Helge Braun, told the broadcaster RBB-Inforadio.

But he called for patience and continued discipline by German citizens, noting the importance of preventing the infection curve from heading back up.

Wieler also warned that this week has seen the largest increase in the number of deaths to date. They now amount to 2.9 per cent of all reported cases, he said.

The RKI has cautioned too that the projected number of cases among people over 80 years old is increasing particularly strongly, which will probably result in a "larger increase in the number of cases requiring hospitalization and intensive care."

Overall, more than 134,400 infections and at least 3,827 deaths had been recorded in Germany by Friday morning, according to a dpa tally based on state data.

Friday's announcements are likely to further fuel a debate in the country about when the coronavirus-related restrictions should be lifted.

Merkel announced on Wednesday that the nationwide lockdown will be extended until at least May 3, although restrictions will be loosened to allow smaller businesses and public places to reopen.

Schools will begin reopening from May 4, starting with pupils who are due to graduate, those who have exams in the coming year and the oldest primary school classes.

About 2.6 million pupils will return to general education schools in the coming weeks, the Federal Statistical Office estimated on Friday.
Coronavirus India latest news: Haridwar and Nainital districts have been declared red zones by the Uttarakhand government. Earlier Dehradun had been declared a red zone. Cases in the state have increased to 42. The MHA also clarified on Sunday that no non-essential items will be allowed to be delivered during the lockdown. This clarification comes amid reports that e-commerce sites would be able to resume full services from April 20. Meanwhile, a month-old baby has succumbed to the virus in Delhi and another 10-month old detected with coronavirus. Delhi's Lady Hardinge officials have said that two doctors and six nurses have tested positive for coronavirus.

The number of cases in India has crossed 15,000. There are 15,712 cases in the country now. Out of that 507 people have died, while 2,230 people have recovered. The highest cases have been reported in Maharashtra with 3,651 cases. Six states including Delhi have more than 1,000 cases each. Uttar Pradesh is also nearing the 1,000 mark. When it touches 1,000, UP will be the seventh state. As cases rise in UP, the government replaces yet another Chief Medical Officer within a fortnight. AP Chaturvedi will be replaced DK Ohri as additional CMO. Additionally, Rajasthan has allowed industry activity in rural areas. A person who had recovered in Himachal has been tested again. In Indian Navy, 26 cases have been reported at the shore establishment of INS Angre. No case has been reported in any vessel so far. Meanwhile, WHO Director General took to Twitter to thank Shah Rukh Khan for his solidarity with the organisation and joining the One World: Together At Home programme.

Also read: Coronavirus lockdown: Govt prohibits supply of non-essential items by e-commerce firms

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Follow the coronavirus cases in India news updates on BusinessToday.In blog:

9:59 pm: Lockdown extended in Telangana till May 7

8:05 pm: DGCA directs airlines to stop bookings till further notice

6:37 pm: Coronavirus lockdown: Providing food to 20 lakh people everyday, tweets Rishad Premji

"We are now supporting food for over 20 lakh people everyday. There are many organisations enabling this effort giving it everything they have. I salute them all. Please do all that you can to help as the need is still much much greater," Rishad tweeted.

We are now supporting food for over 20 lakh people everyday. There are many organisations enabling this effort giving it everything they have. I salute them all. Please do all that you can to help as the need is still much much greater. @Wipro@azimpremjiuniv  Rishad Premji (@RishadPremji) April 19, 2020

6:19 pm: Coronavirus India can provide a new work culture, says PM Modi

In a post on LinkedIn, PM Narendra Modi talked about the changes in professional scenario that have been put into effect after the coronavirus pandemic. He said that India, can take the lead in providing a new work culture in such times.

"Rather than playing catch up, India must be ahead of the curve in the post-COVID world. Let us think about how our people, our skills sets, our core capabilities can be used in doing so," the Prime Minister said.

5:20 pm: 3 more COVID-19 cases surface in Nalanda, Bihar

3 more men (close contacts of earlier positive cases) from Bihar Sharif in Nalanda have tested positive for #COVID19, taking the total number of positive cases in the state to 92 now: Sanjay Kumar, Principal Secretary (Health), Bihar  ANI (@ANI) April 19, 2020

5:00 pm: Indian Air Force delivers relief material from ICMR to Raipur

Indian Air Force aircraft carrying medical relief material supplied by ICMR (Indian Council of Medical Research) landed at Swami Vivekananda Airport in Raipur today: Rakesh Sahay, Director, Swami Vivekananda Airport, Raipur. #Chhattisgarh#Coronaviruslockdownpic.twitter.com/KWnBD8z0Cm  ANI (@ANI) April 19, 2020

4:45 pm: Health Ministry warns against spraying people with disinfectants

Health Ministry issues advisory against spraying of disinfectant on people for #COVID19 mgmt-Spraying of disinfectant on individuals/groups isn't recommended under any circumstances. Spraying an individual/group with chemical disinfectants is physically & psychologically harmful. pic.twitter.com/GiQ23frAo9  ANI (@ANI) April 19, 2020

4:40 pm: Last active COVID-19 cases in Goa tests negative

Goa has reported that the last active COVID-19 case in the state has tested negative. Chief Minister Pramod Sawant stated in a tweet that no new cases of coronavirus have been reported in the state after April 3.

A moment of satisfaction and relief for Goa as the last active Covid-19 case tests negative. Team of Doctors and entire support staff deserves applause for their relentless effort. No new positive case in Goa after 3rd April 2020.#GoaFightsCOVID19@narendramodi  Dr. Pramod Sawant (@DrPramodPSawant) April 19, 2020

4:25 pm: Coronavirus update: 1,334 new cases, 27 deaths in past 24 hours, says Health Ministry

Lav Agarwal, Joint Secretary, Union Health Ministry informed that 1,334 cases of novel coronavirus and 27 deaths due to the contagion have been reported in the country.

4:22 pm: Coronavirus update: No cases in 54 districts over past 14 days

54 districts in 23 states and union territories have not reported any cases in the past 14 days, informed Lav Agarwal, Joint Secretary, Union Health Ministry. Puducherry's Mahe and Karnataka's Kodagu have not reported any cases in 28 days, Agarwal added

4:20 pm: Coronavirus in India: 2,144 dedicated health facilities

During a press briefing on COVID-19, Lav Agarwal, Joint Secretary, Union Health Ministry, informed that there are 755 dedicated hospitals and 1389 dedicated health care centers in the country, where severe or critical patients can be treated. This takes the total number of dedicated coronavirus facilities to 2144.

4:17 pm: Coronavirus updates: 3.87 lakh tests done so far

During a press briefing today, Dr Raman R Gangakhedkar of ICMR said that 37,173 tests were done yesterday, out of which, 29,287 tests were conducted in ICMR labs, and 7,886 tested in private labs. So far, 3,86,791 tests have done in the country, he added.

4:10 pm: Home Ministry writes to states, UTs over restriction on non-essential deliveries

Ajay Bhalla, Union Home Secretary, has written to states and union territories regarding Home Ministry order prohibiting non-essential deliveries by e-commerce platforms during COVID-19 lockdown. E-tailers will be allowed to deliver essential items during lockdown, Bhalla further clarified in his letter.

Home Secretary Ajay Bhalla writes to all chief secretaries of states and union territories regarding e-commerce companies excluded from supplying non-essential goods, however they will continue to supply essential goods. pic.twitter.com/JD7GBj5NJ7  ANI (@ANI) April 19, 2020

4:03 pm: Coronavirus news: CBDT revises return forms in view of timeline extensions

Central Board of Direct Taxes has revised the income tax return forms for financial year 2019-20 (assessment year 2020-21) to allow taxpayers to avail the benefits of timeline extension announced by Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman earlier. The revised forms will be notified by the end of this month.

3:49 pm: Coronavirus Lockdown: Over Rs 36,659 crore transferred to 16.01 crore beneficiaries

Finance Ministry has said that more than Rs 36,659 crore has been sent to bank account of 16.01 crore beneficiaries via direct benefit transfer during coronavirus lockdown.

(1/7) More than Rs 36,659 Crore transferred by using Direct Benefit Transfer (DBT) through Public Financial Management System (PFMS) in the Bank accounts of 16.01 crore beneficiaries during #COVID19 lockdown.#IndiaFightsCorona



For more details: https://t.co/0vTXCFeSuCpic.twitter.com/yofPgKfkAe  Ministry of Finance  #StayHome #StaySafe (@FinMinIndia) April 19, 2020

(2/7) DBT payments have reached beneficiaries under various schemes such as PM KISAN, Mahatma Gandhi National Employment Guarantee Scheme (MNREGS), National Social Assistance Program(NSAP),  Ministry of Finance  #StayHome #StaySafe (@FinMinIndia) April 19, 2020

(3/7) Prime Minsters Matru Vandana Yojana (PMMVY), National Rural Livelihood Mission (NRLM), National Health Mission (NHM), Scholarship Schemes of various ministries through National Scholarship Portal (NSP). pic.twitter.com/I4TpZu9heD  Ministry of Finance  #StayHome #StaySafe (@FinMinIndia) April 19, 2020

(4/7)Apart from above mentioned schemes, payments were also made under #PradhanMantriGaribKalyanYojana.

Rs 500 was credited in women account holder's Jan-Dhan accounts.Till 13.04.2020 total number of women beneficiaries were 19.86cr, which resulted in disbursement of Rs 9,930cr.  Ministry of Finance  #StayHome #StaySafe (@FinMinIndia) April 19, 2020

(5/7) Through 180 welfare schemes, the State Governments using PFMS have disbursed an amount of Rs. 9,217.22 cr to 4.59 cr beneficiaries, between 24th March 2020 till 17th April 2020. pic.twitter.com/uq7VqDszIu  Ministry of Finance  #StayHome #StaySafe (@FinMinIndia) April 19, 2020

(6/7) PFMS usage for DBT Payments has increased over last #3 FYs wherein Transaction count increased to 11% during FY 2018-19 (compared to FY 2017-18) and 48% in FY 2019-20. The total DBT amount disbursed increased from 22% in FY 2018-19 to 45% in FY 2019-20. pic.twitter.com/W8pWlhKvy5  Ministry of Finance  #StayHome #StaySafe (@FinMinIndia) April 19, 2020

3:48 pm: Coronavirus in Delhi

All three municipal corporations and the New Delhi Municipal Council (NDMC) in the national capital have prohibited spitting and urinating in public with immediate effect to contain the coronavirus outbreak. Violators will be slapped with a fine of Rs 1,000.

3:38 pm: Coronavirus in India: Petrol pumps deny fuel to customers without face masks

Petroleum dealers have decided not to sell fuel to customers not wearing face masks, Ajay Bansal, president of All India Petroleum Dealers Association, told news agency ANI. The decision has been taken to ensure the safety of staff working at petrol pumps, Bansal added

3:22 pm: Coronavirus in Rajasthan

Rajasthan has reported 80 new cases of novel coronavirus so far today, taking the total tally in the state to 1,431. According to state health department, 17 are in Bharatpur, 1 in Bhilwara, 2 in Bikaner, 7 in Jaipur, 1 in Jaisalmer, 1 in Jhunjhunu, 30 in Jodhpur, 12 in Nagour, 2 in Kota, 2 in Jhalawar, 1 in Hanumangarh and 1 in Sawai Madhopur.

80 positive cases reported in state today so far-17 in Bharatpur, 1 in Bhilwara, 2 in Bikaner, 7 in Jaipur, 1 in Jaisalmer, 1 in Jhunjhunu, 30 in Jodhpur, 12 in Nagour, 2 in Kota, 2 in Jhalawar, 1 in Hanumangarh&1 in Sawai Madhopur. Total positive cases 1431:Rajasthan Health Dept pic.twitter.com/9srnMisBaI  ANI (@ANI) April 19, 2020

3:17 pm: Coronavirus in Maharashtra

Six prisons in Maharashtra have been put under lockdown. Food and stay for police personnel will be made inside the jails; no one will be allowed to enter or leave jail premises, said Maharashtra Home Minister Anil Deshmukh.

Similar decision has been taken for 5 more jails in Maharashtra: Maharashtra Home Minister Anil Deshmukh https://t.co/76aJ8bN8n6  ANI (@ANI) April 19, 2020

3:14 pm: Coronavirus in Jharkhand

Four new cases of coronavirus have been reported in Jharkhand, taking the total tally in the state to 38. Of the new cases, 3 are from Ranchi and one is from Simdega.

3:11 pm: Clear claims within 2 hours, IRDAI tells insurers

Insurance Regulatory and Development Authority of India (IRDAI) orders health insurers to clear requests for cashless treatment and the final discharge from the hospital within two hours. The directive was issued in view of the coroanvirus pandemic.

3:00 pm: MHA prohibits labourers from moving out of states, UTs

Ministry of Home Affairs issued Standard Operating Procedure for movement of stranded labourers, which states, "There should be no movement of labour outside the state/UT from where they are currently located." The labourers have been allowed to go to their places of work within the states and union territories.

Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) issues Standard Operating System for the movement of stranded labourers within the state/union territory - "There shall be no movement of labour outside the state/UT from where they are currently located." pic.twitter.com/qo0UFccp6r  ANI (@ANI) April 19, 2020

2:37 pm: Wuhan lab chief denies COVID-19 originated from institute

A premier Chinese virology laboratory in Wuhan, blamed for being the source of the novel coronavirus, has for the first time refuted the charge that the deadly pathogen originated from his lab before it spread across the world and wreaked havoc. The head of the lab clarified that coronavirus cannot be made in labs by human beings. President Trump on Saturday said his administration was looking into reports that the novel coronavirus "escaped" from a Wuhan laboratory before it spread to the world.

2:29 pm: Coronavirus in Haryana

Harayan government reported that the state has seen 246 coronavirus cases so far. Of them, 24 are foreign nationsl and 64 are from other states.

2:21 pm: Coronavirus news: Govt hasn't redirected pension funds to fight COVID-19

Union Minister Jitendra Singh told news agency ANI that government has no plans to reduce the pension of senior citizens. He clarified that pension money has not been redirected COVID-19 fund.

2:15 pm: Coronavirus in India: Decision on UPSC, SSC exams after May 3

Government will take a decision on UPSC and SSC examinations, which have been put on hold due to the coronavirus lockdown, after May 3. Union Miniser Jitendra Singh assured that dates will be rescheduled in manner that aspirants get sufficient time to reach their designated examination centres.

2:06 pm: Coronavirus impact: GoAir asks staff to go on leave without pay till May 3

GoAir has reportedly asked its employees to go on leave without pay till May 3. While the Wadia family-owned airline had sent several employees on leave without pay, this latest directive will apply to all employees.

2:05 pm: Coronavirus in India: Take 'measured approach' with stimulus packages, says Panagariya

Former NITI Aayog Vice Chairman Arvind Panagariya stated that India should focus on a more "measured approach" while doling out stimulus packages to deal with COVID-19 instead of generously providing credit to even unviable businesses. Panagariya stated that future taxpayers will have to pay for the expenditures government incurs today by either borrowing or printing money, during an event at Columbia's School of International and Public Affairs.

1:52 pm: Coronavirus in Maharashtra

Of the 66,000 tests done so far, 95 per cent have been negative, stated Maharashtra CM Uddhav Thackeray. Around 3,600 have tested positive in the state, 300-350 of these have recovered and have been discharged, he added. 52 patients are serious and we are looking at saving their lives, Thackeray said.

1:37 pm: Maharashtra to restart businesses in limited manner

Maharashtra Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray stated that some industries in green and orange zones of the state will be started in the state from tomorrow in a limited way. He added that there will be the threat of financial crisis after the coronavirus pandemic if the economy is not put in motion now.

1:27 pm: Coronavirus lockdown massively disrupting supply chain: NITI Aayog CEO Amitabh Kant

NITI Aayog CEO Amitabh Kant has said that coronavirus lockdown is massively disrupting India's supply chain. This pandemic has resulted in a unique challenge, which is complex and unpredictable, Kant said during a virtual session on 'COVID-19 & The Future of Work'.

1:20 pm: Coronavirus updates: 8 patients cured at INHS Patanjali

Eight out of nine patients admitted at Indian Naval Hospital Patanjali at Karwar have been cured and discharged so far, rpeorts ANI. The last patient is reporting well to treatment.

Out of the nine #COVID19 patients admitted at Indian Naval Hospital Patanjali at Karwar, eight have been cured and discharged so far. The remaining patient is responding well to the treatment. pic.twitter.com/P8BqG7TLVW  ANI (@ANI) April 19, 2020

1:17 pm: IN PICTURES: Health Minister Harsh Vardhan visits Rajiv Gandhi Super Speciality Hosiptal, one of the dedicated COVID-19 hospitals in Delhi

Delhi: Union Minister for Health & Family Welfare, Dr Harsh Vardhan visited Rajiv Gandhi Super Speciality Hospital today. It is one of the dedicated #COVID19 centres in the national capital.



A total of 1893 positive cases have been reported in Delhi so far. pic.twitter.com/mvBjgN4L7l  ANI (@ANI) April 19, 2020

1:08 pm: Coronavirus in India: Death rate improves; number of cases grow 34.6%

12:58 pm: UP govt to provide jobs to migrant labourers under MGNREGS

Yogi Adityanath government has decided to provide employment to migrant labourers in Uttar Pradesh under the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme (MGNREGS) to help them out of economic distress due to coronavirus lockdown. As per Centre's guidelines, work under MGNREGS will be conducted outside containment zones and in adherence to social distancing norms.

12:41 pm: Coronavirus in Haryana

Warden of Bhondsi Jail tests positive for novel coronavirus after returning from his home in Bhiwani, reports ANI. He was tested before he joined duty so no one at the jail came in contact with him, informed Chief Medical Officer, Gurugram.

12:36 pm: Coronavirus updates: 4 new cases in Mysuru cluster

Karnataka government has informed that 4 new cases of coronavirus have been identified in Mysuru cluster, taking the total tally to 388. Of the 4 new cases, 2 have travel history to Delhi.

4 new positive cases of #COVID19 reported in the Mysuru cluster in the State. Out of the 4 patients, 2 patients have travel history to Delhi. The total number of positive cases in the State is 388: Government of Karnataka pic.twitter.com/FBjxkLNjTM  ANI (@ANI) April 19, 2020

12:27 pm: Coronavirus in Delhi

Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal has ordered COVID-19 rapid testing for all workers in food distribution centres after one of the volunteers at a government food disribution centre tested positive. All those who visited the food distribution centre will also be tested. During his press conference today, Kejriwal informed that all 186 cases reported yesterday were asymptomatic, they didn't know they had coronavirus.

12:25 pm: WATCH: Lockdown to remain; we will review after one week, says CM Arvind Kejriwal

#WATCH "We have decided to keep people of Delhi safe, the lockdown will remain, there will be no relaxation. Will review again after a week," Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal pic.twitter.com/spQ8aEpmtE  ANI (@ANI) April 19, 2020

12:10 pm: Coronavirus in Jammu and Kashmir

Wheat crop in J&K's Kathua district is ready for harvest but due to non-availability of labour and transportation, the farmers fear that they may lose their crops. The farmers are also complaining that technicians for repairing the machines are also not available due to lockdown. Farmers have appealed to the govt to provide them relief.

12:00 pm: COVID-19 cases in Gujarat

Of the 228 new COVID positive cases reported in Gujarat in the past 12 hours, 140 are from Ahmedabad alone. Of these only 15 are symptomatic whereas others are asymptomatic cases. Ahmedabad cross 1000 case of Covid positive. Cumulatively, some 28,212 COVID tests have been conducted in Gujarat so far, confirmed state health authorities.

Ahmedabad 1002 (+140)

Vadodara 166

Surat 220

Rajkot 35

Bhavnagar 32

Anand 28

Bharuch 22

Gndhinagar17

Patan 15

Narmada 11

Banaskatha 10

PanchMahal 9

Chhota Udepur 7

Mehsana,Botad 5

Kutch 4

Porbandar 3

Sabarkatha, Mahisagar, Dahod, GSomnath, Kheda 2

Jamnagar, Morbi, Aravalli 1

11:50 am: Coronavirus impact on e-commerce

Secretary General, Confederation of All India Traders said, "CAIT demolished sinister plan of E Commerce Companies to trade in non essential commodities. Accepting the objection of CAIT, the MHA excluded the permission granted earlier and now e commerce can trade only in essential commodities. Thanks to Home Minister Amit Shah, Defence Minister, Rajnath Singh & Commerce Minister Piyush Goyal."

11:40 am: Government prohibits non-essential delivery

Amid reports that government will allow delivery of non-essential items as it was not specifically mentioned in the guidelines issued by MHA, the government has specified that non-essential items will not be allowed to be delivered.

Supply of non-essential goods by e-Commerce companies to remain prohibited during lockdown: Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) pic.twitter.com/5wuB3mLXoT  ANI (@ANI) April 19, 2020

11:35 am: Odisha coronavirus news

Govt ITI in Cuttack have developed a walk-in kiosk to collect samples for COVID-19 testing. The kiosk is a mobile cabin and has sealed glass front.

Walk-in Kiosk for collection of samples for coronavirus testing has been developed by a team of Govt ITI Cuttack, Odisha.The sample collection kiosk is a mobile cabin with a sealed glass front with extended gloves attached in front through which a healthworker can collect samples pic.twitter.com/ikKJGItu99  ANI (@ANI) April 19, 2020

11:30 am: Coronavirus cases in Andhra Pradesh

Forty-four coronavirus cases have been reported in the last 24 hours in the state. The number of cases in Andhra Pradesh has increased to 647.

11:20 am: Uttar Pradesh coronavirus cases update

CM Yogi Adityanath chairs meeting of senior government officials to take stock of the situation in the state.

Lucknow: Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath chairs a meeting of senior government officers to review situation regarding #COVID19 in Uttar Pradesh. pic.twitter.com/cE6SziFZ2J  ANI UP (@ANINewsUP) April 19, 2020

11:10 am: Maharashtra coronavirus cases

People flock to buy vegetables in Nagpur, flouting all lockdown norms. The number of cases in Nagpur has reached 72. Police has put up coronavirus-themed effigies to spread awareness.

Maharashtra: Norms of social distancing goes for a toss, after people gather in huge numbers to buy vegetables in vegetable market in Nagpur today morning. Total number of #COVID19 positive cases in the district stand at 72. pic.twitter.com/IYQLIXOIrZ  ANI (@ANI) April 19, 2020

11:00 am: Coronavirus cases in Uttarakhand

Haridwar and Nainital have been declared 'red zone' as cases in Uttarakhand increase to 42. Additional Health Secretary says 80 per cent of the cases in the state are from Dehradun, Haridwar and Nainital districts.

10:55 am: Delhi COVID-19 cases news

Health Minister Satyendar Jain has said that Delhi has 42,000 rapid testing kits and a trial run is being conducted at the LNJP hospital. The minister said that the government aims conduct 42,000 tests in a week's time.

10:50 am: Maharashtra coronavirus updates

As situation gets grimmer, Maharashtra Police tries to spread awareness with a coronavirus-themed effigy. The effigy was put up in Nagpur.

Maharashtra: Police puts up a #COVID themed effigy near Shanti Nagar in Nagpur to spread awareness regarding the precautionary measures to be taken amid the #coronavirus outbreak. Total number of #COVID19 positive cases in the district stand at 72. pic.twitter.com/5IKLeBcZIE  ANI (@ANI) April 19, 2020

10:45 am: Jharkhand coronavirus updates

Lake View Hospital in Ranchi has been sealed and more than 50 of its employees have been quarantined. A retired DDC who was found positive in Gurugram was treated in this hospital where he died of a brain hemorrhage. His apartment has also been sealed.

10:40 am: Delhi coronavirus news

Delhi government has expanded the scope of Rs 1 crore compensation to coronavirus workers. Earlier the compensation was declared only health workers losing their lives in the battle against COVID-19, but civil defence personnel, teachers, policemen and firemen have also been included.

10:30 am: Coronavirus cases in India

Union Home Minister Amit Shah reviewed the government's Covid-19 control room and the situation in various states amid the lockdown. Shah reviewed operations of the MHA Control Room that monitors and gets feedback from all states and various other ministries during the period.

10:20 am: Maharashtra coronavirus cases

Nine people have been tested positive in Maharashtra's Nagpur. The total number of positive cases in Nagpur has reached 72. Maharashtra has the highest number of cases in the country at 3,651.

10:15 am: Coronavirus in Indonesia

Indonesia's death toll has likely reached 1,000, nearly double the official figure of 535, Indonesian Doctors Association (IDI) chairman Daeng Faqih was quoted saying on Saturday. "Those who were yet to be confirmed with COVID-19 were also reported by hospitals as death by coronavirus," Daeng told local media.

10:11 am: Sterlite Copper donates to CM fund in Tamil Nadu

Sterlite Copper, a Vedanta company, said it has contributed Rs 5 crore to the Tamil Nadu Chief Minister's Public Relief Fund. Vedanta has already provided Rs 101 crore to the PM-CARES Fund and has set up a Rs 100-crore corpus. "We have 1 lakh people working at Vedanta and each of them, along with their family members, are empowered to do whatever it takes to help people in distress. We are facing multiple problems but it's the country that comes first," Vedanta Chairman Anil Agarwal said.

10:05 am: Coronavirus cases in Delhi

A 10-month infant was detected with coronavirus. The baby was brought by his father to the hospital where he was tested positive. The baby has been showing respiratory symptoms. The father has also been detected with coronavirus. The mother is being tested.

10:00 am: Delhi coronavirus news

Delhi's Lady Hardinge officials have said that two doctors and six nurses have tested positive for coronavirus. The hospital authorities have quarantined themselves. Contact tracing has begun and a containment plan will soon be implemented.

9:53 am: Rajasthan coronavirus news

As many as 41 new cases have been reported in Rajasthan. The health department said that the number of cases in the state has risen to 1,395. Jaipur alone has 521 cases.

44 new #COVID19 positive cases, 1 death reported in the State today; the total number of cases is 1395: Rajasthan Health Department pic.twitter.com/i4PDWMKBoh  ANI (@ANI) April 19, 2020

9:50 am: Delhi coronavirus updates

A special flight was arreanged by the US Embassy to ferry US citizens to the country. Around 300 US citizens left from Ludhiana in the special flight.

Punjab: A group of 300 US citizens from Ludhiana left for the US on a special flight from Delhi arranged by the US embassy yesterday pic.twitter.com/BVy9W7lasG  ANI (@ANI) April 19, 2020

9:43 am: Chidambaram lashes out at the govt

Chidambaram lashed out that the government and called it heartless. He asked why the govt can't hand cash to poor families.

There is overwhelming evidence that more and more people have run out of cash and are forced to stand in lines to collect free cooked food. Only a heartless government will stand by and do nothing.  P. Chidambaram (@PChidambaram_IN) April 19, 2020

9:40 am: Wuhan virology lab denies coronavirus connection

In an interview with state media published Saturday Yuan Zhiming, director of the laboratory, said that "there's no way this virus came from us". The institute has come under the scanner after reports emerged that it could be the source behind the coronavirus outbreak. Zhiming said that the lab is carrying out inspection in different parts of the institute for coronavirus.

9:30 am: Coronavirus in Delhi

A 45-day old infant has become the lastest casualty of coronavirus in Delhi. The child was admitted in the Kalawati Saran Children's Hospital. Another 10-month old child is also infected but the child is currently stable.

9:15 am: Coronavirus cases in India cross 15,000

There are 15,712 cases in India, with 12,974 active cases. The number of deaths have crossed 500 in the country. Maharashtra is the worst-impacted with 3,651 cases.

9:06 am: Himachal Pradesh coronavirus updates

Officials said that a person who has recovered from coronavirus has tested positive again. The person is a resident of Una but further details are not available yet. The number of active cases in the state is 23 and HP has seen 40 cases so far.

9:00 am: Delhi coronavirus news

Despite the lockdown and strict regulations in place, people flock to Azadpur Mandi to procure vegetables and fruits. Sale of essential food is done here from 6am-11am and 2pm-6pm.

Delhi: People at Azadpur Sabzi Mandi to buy essentials, amid #CoronaLockdown. The sale of vegetables and fruits is done here from 6 am-11am & 2 pm-6pm. pic.twitter.com/LqqeeAq03L  ANI (@ANI) April 19, 2020

8:55 am: Rajasthan coronavirus cases

Rajasthan government has allowed the restarting of industries from April 20. It said that industries that are located in rural areas or industrial areas established in municipalities/municipal areas, export based industries or Special Economic Zones will be allowed to operate.

8:50 am: UP coronavirus news

UP government removed CMO AP Chaturvedi and placed DK Ohri as the additional CMO of the Gautam Buddh Nagar district. This move comes barely a fortnight after CMO Anurag Bhargava was removed and placed by AP Chaturvedi.

8:45 am: Delhi coronavirus cases news

Delhi govt officials stated that the number of cases in the national capital increased to 1,893. It added that 186 new cases were reported along with one death in a day. It said that of the total 43 deaths in Delhi, 24 were above 60 years of age. Nine were in the 50-60 group, while 10 were below 50 years.

8:40 am: US coronavirus news

US President Donald Trump warns China of consequences if it is found "knowingly responsible" for the outbreak of coronavirus. "The relationship was good when we were signing that, but then, all of a sudden, you hear about this. So, it's a big difference. You know, the question was asked would you be angry at China. Well, the answer very well might be a very resounding yes, but it depends," Trump said.

8:35 am: UP coronavirus cases news

Forty-five new cases have been reported in Agra. According to the DM, there are 241 cases in the city. The number of coronavirus cases in Uttar Pradesh is on a rise and is nearing the 1,000 mark.

8:30 am: WHO thanks Shah Rukh Khan for solidarity

WHO Director General took to Twitter to thank Shah Rukh Khan for his solidarity with the organisation and for joining the One World: Together At Home programme.

Thank you @iamsrk for standing in solidarity with @WHO & @GlblCtzn, & for joining the One world, #TogetherAtHome programme tonight. In solidarity, we can keep the world safe! #COVID19https://t.co/GyMtp9MoDp  Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus (@DrTedros) April 19, 2020

8:25 am: Aviation minister says no flights till further notice

Aviation Minister Hardeen Singh Puri said that there has been no decision on re-opening of airline operations in the country. He airines must start booking only after a decision is made by the government.

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  Hardeep Singh Puri (@HardeepSPuri) April 18, 2020

8:20 am: Coronavirus cases in Haryana

A COVID-19 patient has passed away in Gurugram, the District Administration said. The 50-year-old person passed away at 12 am. Haryana has more than 220 cases of coronavirus.
Early Data Suggests People Taking Hydroxychloroquine, Other Autoimmune Drugs Still Susceptible to COVID-19

Dozens of people taking hydroxychloroquine and other autoimmune drugs for chronic ailments such as lupus and rheumatoid arthritis have tested positive for the CCP virus, according to data compiled by the Global Rheumatology Alliance.

The study is sponsored by an international collaborative, the COVID-19 Global Rheumatology Alliance, which includes a large group of academics, clinicians, and patients working together, and so far suggests that taking hydroxychloroquine doesnt eliminate patient susceptibility to the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) virus, which causes the COVID-19 disease.

Over 9,500 patients have submitted surveys to the alliance, of which nearly half were diagnosed with rheumatoid arthritis or lupus. Nearly a third of all respondents with the chronic disease said they were taking hydroxychloroquine, of which 189 (7 percent) said they were diagnosed with COVID-19.

Separately, patient information provided by rheumatologists and published on April 16 in The Lancet Rheumatology also suggests the antimalarials do not eliminate the risk of COVID-19 for people already on the drugs. Of the first 110 patients reported, 69 were taking medications such as hydroxychloroquine to treat chronic ailments such as systemic lupus erythematosus and rheumatoid arthritis before being diagnosed with the virus.

As of April 1, 110 individuals with rheumatic disease who have been diagnosed with COVID-19 are included from six continents: Europe, North America, South America, Asia, Africa, and Oceania.

However, the research doesnt specifically address whether hydroxychloroquine is effective at treating coronavirus symptoms, and researchers acknowledged that one limitation to the study is that some countries test only people showing severe symptoms.

Jinoos Yazdany, chief of the division of rheumatology at Zuckerberg San Francisco General Hospital, told The Wall Street Journal that the antimalarial doesnt fully protect people from contracting the virus and is not a magic bullet, because people that are on it are contracting the infection.

While hydroxychloroquine may not protect people from contracting COVID-19, the drug is being studied for its effectiveness as a treatment for those suffering symptoms from the respiratory illness.

On March 28, the Food and Drug Administration authorized emergency use of the drug, which President Donald Trump has also touted as a game-changer, for treating patients with COVID-19. This allowed the federal government to begin distributing millions of doses to states across the United States.

A number of clinical trials exploring the drugs efficacy and safety are currently underway around the world, including a 1,500-person trial at the University of Minnesota. Three early studies, two from France and one from China, indicate a benefit of utilizing hydroxychloroquine, while others have indicated some areas of risk.

While medical professionals await validation of the efficacy of the drug through large-scale clinical trials, there remains cautious for using the drug as a prophylaxis, Dr. Anthony Fauci, a leading infectious disease expert and member of the White House Coronavirus Task Force, said.

Speaking at a White House news conference on March 20, Fauci said data on the drug so far was not done in a controlled clinical trial. So you really cant make any definitive statement about it, and that only such studies would determine if the drug was truly safe and effective.

India, which manufactures 70 percent of the worlds supply of hydroxychloroquine, agreed on April 7 to lift an earlier ban on the export of the drug following a telephone conversation between Trump and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Trump had said at a previous press conference that India could face retaliation if it failed to lift the ban and release the 29 million doses of the drug it had ordered for its medical stockpile.
Spain today registered a sharp drop in its daily death toll from coronavirus with 410 new fatalities - the lowest in almost a month.

The total number of fatalities in Spain, the third hardest-hit country in the world after the United States and Italy, has reached 20,453, the health ministry said.

The figures come as it emerged the Spanish government plans to use drones to spray disinfectant over virus hotspots.

Spanish media reported spraying could be carried out using military planes over cities in a bid to battle the outbreak.

Rumours also swirled on social media that the Spanish government has authorised the army to use firefighting aircraft to drop huge amounts of disinfectant indiscriminately.

Emergency technicians Marisa Arguello de Paula and Itxaso Garcia Giaconi disinfecting themselves in Galdakao, Spain, today

These claims were sparked by the publication by the Spanish government of a document which detailed its strategy to tackle the contagion, called 'Operacion Balmis'.

In one section it stated the 'use of aerial means' could be used to carry carry out disinfection.

But the Ministry of Defence said at a press conference today that this did not refer to the use of aircraft and instead meant aerosols would be used, including via drones, to target specific areas, according to Maldita.

Miguel Angel Villarroya, chief of the Defense General Staff, said it was 'completely false' to say aircraft would be used and compared the chemicals used to that of 'an insecticide in a room in the home'.

He said: 'The order published by the Ministry of Health enables the armed forces to use aerosols, not aircraft.'

Two members of Sabadell local police flying a drone using a loudspeaker warning the population to respect the confinement and stay home in Sabadell, Barcelona, last week

Coronavirus patient Maria Josefa Arias, 76, being lifted into an Ambuiberica ambulance by her son Ander Maria Dominguez Arias and emergency technician Marisa Arguello de Paula in Llodio, Spain, today

China already uses aerial drones to spray disinfectant over streets and buildings.

Spanish army specialists in protective suits have sprayed disinfectant at ground-level in train stations and other public areas, while ground-based robots have also been used.

Police in the country have used drones to send public messages via megaphones, telling people to go home during the lockdown.

Infections in Spain today rose to 195,944, with 4,218 new cases in the past 24 hours, an increase of just 2.4 per cent.

But Health Ministry emergencies coordinator, Fernando Simon, admitted the daily fall could be explained by the lower registration of fatalities over the weekend.

Such a drop is often followed by a rise at the start of the week.

Simon said: 'It's a number that gives us hope. It's the first time we are under 500 dead since the daily tolls began to climb.'

Nevertheless, he said that the number of deaths, hospital and intensive care admissions were on a downward trend 'which clearly indicates that the transmission of the disease has substantially decreased.'

El Oso y el Madrono (The Bear and the Strawberry Tree) at a deserted Puerta del Sol square during the coronavirus lockdown in Madrid today

Health Minister Salvador Illa also said Spain had achieved its objective of 'flattening the curve' of transmissions.

The latest figures have given some relief to the country's overwhelmed health system.

In Madrid, regional president Isabel Diaz Ayuso said a makeshift morgue set up at an ice rink would close on Wednesday.

And one unit of a field hospital that was set up inside Madrid's conference centre to treat up to 1,500 people with coronavirus was closed on Friday.

The Spanish authorities believe the country reached the peak of the pandemic on April 2 when they had counted 950 deaths in 24 hours. But they are not ready to recommend a lifting of the nationwide lockdown, one of the tightest in Europe.

Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez on Saturday announced he would ask parliament to extend the lockdown by two weeks to May 9.

The restrictions currently in place would however be loosened slightly to allow children time outside from April 27, Sanchez said.

Italy is the second hardest-hit country, with 23,660 dead, then Spain follows with 20,453, then France with 19,718 and Britain with 16,060.

With 103,255 deaths, Europe is the hardest-hit continent, while the United States has the most deaths of any country with 40,585 fatalities.
Donald Trumps latest attack on China over the Covid-19 outbreak should serve as a reminder to Beijing of the difficult road that lies ahead if it wants to repair relations, analysts have warned.

In his latest barb at China, the US President said on Saturday that Beijing should face consequences if it was knowingly responsible for the coronavirus pandemic.

If it was a mistake, a mistake is a mistake, Trump said. But if they were knowingly responsible, yeah, I mean, then sure there should be consequences, he told reporters at a news briefing at the White House. He did not specify what actions the US might take.

In recent days the two sides have scaled back their rhetoric and stopped pointing the finger at each other over the handling of the crisis.

Instead, Trump has targeted a range of other targets, including the media, the Democrats, state governors and the World Health Organisation, accusing them of failing to appreciate his incredible performance.

But Chinese observers said the relationship between China and US would become more confrontational and Beijing had to learn to live with the hostility.

Victor Gao, a vice-president of the Centre for China and Globalisation, a Beijing-based think-tank, said it was not meaningful to guess what Trump would do next, adding there was no justification for Trump or whichever politician in the United States to blame China.

Actions of prejudice and bigotry will be as bad as the coronavirus itself, Gao said. It will come back to haunt them one day, one way or another.

As Washingtons mistrust and hostility towards Beijing increases, calls for China to be more aggressive in hitting back have been growing.

Hu Xijin, the editor-in-chief of Global Times, a tabloid affiliate of Peoples Daily, wrote on the Chinese social networks Weibo and WeChat that China should take necessary actions that would make life harder for the Trump administration.

Story continues

Hu suggested that China should export emergency medical equipment directly to state governments in the US and withhold exports to the Federal Emergency Management Agency as a way of weakening Trumps position against Democratic state governors such as Andrew Cuomo in New York.

Its not known whether Hus suggestions will be adopted by Beijing.

Meanwhile, China is attempting to reach out to Americans who take a more conciliatory stance.

In the latest example, the Chinese Peoples Association for Friendship with Foreign Countries, announced that it had held a teleconference with the China California Climate Institute, an environmental think tank set up by former California governor Jerry Brown on Friday.

Participants included former US treasury secretary Henry Paulson, former New York mayor Michael Bloomberg, Li Xiaolin, the daughter of the former president Li Xiannian and Fu Ying, the

chairman of the National Peoples Congress foreign affairs committee.

Lin Songtian, Chinas former ambassador to South Africa who replaced Li Xiaolin as the associations new chair, was also present.

While details of the discussions were not published, a brief statement said the two sides had called on US and China to enhance cooperation to jointly handle global challenges such as the coronavirus outbreak and climate change.

But Liu Weidong, from the Institute of American studies at the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, a government think-tank, said hopes for joint efforts by China and the US to tackle global challenges are fading as the White House clearly has no interest in it.

Liu noted that China was only able to talk to former officials and non-government figures who were not able to implement policy.

Liang Yunxiang, an international relations specialist at Peking University, said the strategic rivalry between the two sides looked set to continue.

He said it was good that China and the US can hold  meetings to talk about cooperation, but such meetings can hardly change he course of the worsening strategic competition between the two countries.

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Our political coronavirus makes fight against disease coronavirus unwinnable

Let us be honest to ourselves and admit that the people ceased to be important politically in free Bangladesh when their basic rights to vote could be refused by stealing. When that was found difficult the government directly used police to ensure its "election" victory. Prior to that when the victory of people's liberation war became a victory shared between a particular group among us and India. All this was inconceivable during the history of democratic struggle in united Pakistan days.





The government thus became of the group and for the group. The question of responsibility and accountability of the government to the people disappeared.





That did not make the government structurally coherent and integrated. As unrepresentative government its weakness was exploited for personal gains by all quarters. The government was afflicted by a kind of political coronavirus eating away its heart and lung. The administration is dysfunctional or paralysed.







The political coronavirus sapped strength of the government leaving the government machinery unprepared for fighting the disease coronavirus. Everyday the people are dying in large numbers mostly for the unpreparedness of the health care system.





The lockdown of people at home to be effective but it is necessary that a massive and fast identification of the people affected is to be underway. So that the people affected by the virus can be put in medical quarantine for treatment the sooner. That way the spread of the pandemic will be contained among the unaffected people and the nation will also be able to return to normal activities. Easier said than done.



Because the fight is proving insurmountable. The identity kits are either ineffective or not available. Even in rich countries face masks are freely supplied.





But our health system is pathetically unprepared to treat the coronavirus patients. The money allocated for healthcare in the past went to the pockets of those who had no fear to be caught. There are negligible number of safety gears for the doctors and nurses to be in the frontline of the war. The hospitals are in shortage of bed and essential equipment like ventilators. Testing kits are shamefully in short supply. The government, that is weak within and not ready to listen to others outside its own loyal circle, is naturally in no position to ramp up the healthcare system.





The persons surrounded the government were chosen for their sycophancy, not fit for efficient running of a responsible government. The health minister is so relaxed that he asked our television channels to have more entertaining programmes.





The war against corona needs to be thoughtfully planned and executed by medical scientists, doctors and nurses. It is essential that the nation is united in its all out efforts to organise healthcare system. The people must trust those who ask them to make sacrifices. If the people trust them then the international help providers will also trust them.





The other day the government's spokesman minister raised the question why there should be the need for a national task force. This is an important question. He is at least trying to know about the depth of the crises. He is yet to understand the importance of experts and expertise for meeting the challenge of the coronavirus pandemic.





The demand of urgency for right kind of vigorous efforts by competent ones cannot be overemphasised. This is not the time undeservedly singing praise of political leadership. Think of saving lives and working together.





The biggest hurdle for this government is that the people have no trust in them. In no sphere of the government there is competence to show. The economy of the country has been brought to a coma through indulgence in corruption. The government could not arrange honest distribution of whatever relief materials it could provide.





The answer to the question is not too difficult to find if there is eagerness. One has to look to other countries to see how tirelessly all sectors are working in consonance to be helpful to the people in this time of national hardship and worry.







How active the policy making ministers are in trying desperately to secure essential tools for the doctors and nurses who are in the front line of war. In England an old and fragile war veteran raised more than 15 million pounds by walking with a push cart hundred feet. This donation also signifies the admiration and trust the people have for their national health service. Our doctors and nurses are not less dedicated but they need the tools and care. Still some doctors and nurses sacrificed their lives in the service of humanity. They are heroes and deserve our full praise.





Declaring the lockdown and shutdown means government taking full responsibility of the people so confined. In many other countries not only the government but also private bodies, even individuals, are directing their efforts tirelessly to reach cash and food packages to the distressed people. The whole nation is mobilised for each to do their best.





Our government that has denied the people of their votes and called itself the people's government, cannot be in a position to unite and mobilise the nation to meet the crisis together.





Any government that is sure of itself would have decided long ago to have a non-political task force in the greater interest of the country.





The lockdown or shutdown is not fighting the pandemic as such because the real fight is to be organised by medical experts through a ramped up healthcare system. Lives of entire nation are at risk in its absence. The lockdown and shutdown by themselves are not the solution. We have to survive till a cure is invented.





Let the politicians remain happy with the politics of coronavirus. There is no aspect of our national life that has not been mutilated by the political coronavirus.





But if the nation is to be saved from the deadly disease coronavirus then a national body outside politics is to be in place urgently. The body will comprise of experts and specialists able to give the needed leadership in the fight against killer virus for which there is no cure yet.





This body will know how to make lockdown and shutdown tolerable for the people. The most important task of this body will be to invigorate the healthcare system with international help.





Saving people from the deadly virus cannot mean people should die of hunger.





When nobody is safe and death seems too near let those whose courage, competence and love for the people can make a difference for the good and make that difference. It cannot be acceptable to our pride as a nation that the people live and die helplessly for want of commitment of those who are powerful.




JACKSON, MI -- Emergency personnel got out of their trucks and started to applaud.

It was the First Responder Appreciation Parade in Jackson on Sunday, April 19. About 30 emergency vehicles paraded from Meijer on East Michigan Avenue to Henry Ford Allegiance Health to honor healthcare workers on the front lines of the coronavirus pandemic.

After circling the hospital, the vehicles parked on Michigan Avenue and the applause began.

Allegiance staff came outside to show their appreciation to the first responders as well. The parade was organized by Blackman-Leoni Public Safety Oficer Paul Long. He made a call on Thursday, April 16, to see if the hospital was interested in the parade. With the hospitals approval, the event came together quickly, he said.

It was our way to say we appreciate you guys and what you do, Long said.

Twenty-four agencies from Jackson and Washtenaw counties participated.

We are deeply honored that our communitys first responders would come together in such a powerful show of support for our front-line workers, Paula Autry, Henry Ford Allegiance Health president/CEO, said in a city of Jackson news release. These first responders are heroes in their own right, and their recognition means all that much more because of the sacrifices they make to keep us safe and protected every day.
One carried a sign with Patrick Henrys famed Revolutionary-era quote  Give me liberty or give me death!"  and parked herself in front of a shuttered Baskin-Robbins to show her determination to risk everything for the freedom to go down that Rocky Road one more time. Nearby in the conservative California enclave of Huntington Beach, a fellow protester covered himself head-to-toe in safety gear for the utterly incongruous message that COVID-19 is a lie.

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In state capitals from Annapolis to Indianapolis, protesters honked horns in slow-rolling motorcades or flaunted social distancing rules on crowded sidewalks, streaming from their homes in a new movement to protest the economic lockdown by the ... dozens? Thats right, dozens, or maybe  to be fair  100-200 at the largest of a dozen or so such right-wing protests since the middle of last week. This struck me Saturday as I read an extensive, seriously buttoned-down report in the New York Times  which often relegates large-scale left-wing protests like 2019s Lights of Liberty to its back pages  promoting the demands of modest demonstrations" at the Texas state capitol in Austin.

I dont fear a potential pathogen, a 46-year-old barely-employed-any-longer bartender named Dave Litrell, who brought his daughter (both unmasked) into the small clump of demonstrators, told Americas newspaper of record. It seems to me that a virus thats killed nearly 40,000 Americans has already lived up to its potential. But then statements like these  and the man-bites-dog quality of these protests to open up America when pandemic deaths were peaking at more than one 9/11-sized loss every day  are partly why the Times, cable news, and social media found these protests irresistible.

Id be something of a hypocrite to criticize the fact that people are writing about or broadcasting these protests because a) Im here this morning writing about them and b) a decade ago I was so fascinated by a right-wing protest movement with similar, sometimes irrational demands and similar nebulous origins  the Tea Party that I wrote an entire book about it, The Backlash. But what I learned back then is why Im troubled by the way the Times, cable TV and other outlets are covering 2020s spontaneous-not-really-right-wing rallies, because the real story is who stands behind them, and why.

The everyday folks who were out there in Lansing or Columbus this week were largely there to serve the interests of the (mostly) rich and powerful people who used their influence to shoo them out there. Their agendas werent always the same. Most notably, President Trump  who promoted the rallies and even the right to carry weapons in an even-stunning-by-Trump-standards series of tweets  desperately wants to shift blame away from his multiple failures on the coronavirus and instead onto public-health-minded governors. Right-wing special interests, like the billionaire family of Education Secretary Betsy DeVos, are terrified that the 22 million unemployed will demand a social welfare state. Fox News is eager to make folks forget its dangerous ignore-the-virus punditry.

But the endgame and the shared interests are very much the same. Distraction, and a diversion of anger in the Heartland  an anger with legitimate and understandable roots  away from them, and hopefully onto the political enemies who threaten their power. If it all sounds painfully familiar, it should. This is the Tea Party Redux, except this time with the added thrill of a seeming death wish among the participants. Maybe we should call this one the Ventilator Party, or maybe the Branch COVID-ians.

I know this story well because I saw it firsthand in 2009-10, when I traveled from Massachusetts to Arizona  risking my eardrums at the Knob Creek Machine Gun Shoot in Kentucky, listening to Sarah Palin wow a Tea Party convention and getting Sheriff Joe Arpaios business card  to understand the right-wing political backlash after Barack Obama became the 44th president. I met  and sincerely listened to  dozens of people very much like the folks who this weekend protested the coronavirus shutdown. They were anxious and angry for a variety of reasons for which I could feel sympathy (their factory jobs shipped overseas) or moral revulsion (fear that whites are becoming a minority group). But the Tea Partys biggest problem, I ultimately concluded, was that they were being manipulated.

Both Obamas healthy-sized 2008 victory and the rise of a Congress where Democrats, for an incredibly brief window, would have a filibuster-proof majority, terrified the conservative movement that felt entitled to rule America ever since the Reagan era. And heres the thing: In the early days of the Great Recession, some of the working-class anger was in fact directed toward the big banks (and the governments overly generous bailout) and corporations that give money to both parties but really give a lot of money to the GOP. The Tea Party was in reality a very top-down, billionaire-backed effort to steer that rage away from them and onto Obama and even the folks who voted for him.

Its telling that the term Tea Party was invented in a rant by a capitalism-on-steroids CNBC host not against those banks but against the losers (i.e., working people but especially black and brown ones) forced into their terrible mortgage deals, as rich commodities traders standing behind him cheered. Soon, Fox News (owned by Rupert Murdoch, today worth $16.3 billion) was promoting where its viewers could attend Tea Party rallies, the Americans for Prosperity  largely funded by oil gazillionaires the Koch Brothers  paid for the buses to get there, and GOPers on Capitol Hill like Sen. Mitch McConnell adopted Tea Party language to serve their corporate masters.

Theres two ways to remember the Tea Party. In one sense, its size was probably vastly over-inflated. When Murdoch decided by early 2011 that the Tea Party (and its 5 p.m. avatar, Glenn Beck) was becoming bad for business, Fox News stopped promoting it and the movement disappeared overnight. But also, in a world of media-driven fantasy where perception becomes reality and a reality-TV star becomes president, the Tea Party had already accomplished its mission in the 2010 midterms, ginning up enough outrage to lead a surge in GOP voter turnout that took back the House and essentially shut down the Senate with filibusters.

No wonder that  with an even more difficult 2020 election just months away, and with the Trump presidency on the line  theyre trying to reunite the band. Its not exactly the same puppeteers, but just like in 2009 you dont have to look hard to see the strings, either.

Of course, this time the far-right has an incumbent president to lead the charge, and Trump is performing the task with an authoritarian heavy-handedness that makes the Kochs and McConnells of this world seem subtle. LIBERATE MINNESOTA! or LIBERATE VIRGINIA! (with an added 2nd Amendment shout-out to the gun-toters of that former Rebel state) our commander-in-caps-lock tweeted as he watched the rallies, probably in his 11 a.m. bathrobe, on  where else? Fo x News. It was a briefly shocking moment for those of us still naive enough to believe that inciting an anti-government rebellion is an impeachable offense. But Trumps motive is clear. He wont be reelected if voters focus on the credible news reports that thousands of Americans died needlessly because his White House ignored the scientists and the tough decisions for 70 days while the virus festered.

Fox News, which like its ally Trump has been a fountain of lethal misinformation about the virus and which is rightfully terrified now of wrongful-death suits, hasnt just covered the protests but used its massive megaphone to promote them in advance so viewers know where and when to go. In Michigan, where one of the larger protests occurred (and whose Democratic governor Gretchen Whitmer is touted as a possible running mate for Joe Biden), the protest was backed by the Michigan Freedom Fund, which is heavily funded by the billionaire DeVos family and run by one of their longtime political aides.

These right-wing groups certainly want to reelect Trump (and keep the wretched DeVos in her Education Department post) but what theyre really afraid of is that both the public-health catastrophe and the growing economic meltdown will lead to a political, economic or even social revolution in the United States that will threaten the status quo  i.e., them. The coronavirus has exposed the everyday disaster that is Americas employer-based health-care system and the broader fragility where millions were just one lost paycheck away from a miles-long line at a food bank. The conservative movement in America, therefore, will die a deserved and overdue death unless the oligarchs can change the political conversation around to your God-given right to buy plant seeds and Baskin-Robbins  and fast.

Its also worth noting (and probably worthy of a separate column) that these billionaires and millionaires have zero moral qualms about working with some of the worst white-supremacists or neo-fascists in order to make sure a crowd turns out, which would explain how swastikas and the like turned up at the DeVos-sponsored protest in Lansing. Here in Pennsylvania, the protest planned for Monday in Harrisburg by a rapidly growing Facebook group called Pennsylvanians Against Excessive Quarantine is led, curiously, by (ahem) a gun activist from (double ahem) Ohio. And just last August, that so-called gun activist, Chris Dorr, was investigated in Ohio after a Facebook rant in which he vowed that, after any effort to restrict the right to bear firearms, there will be political bodies laying all over the ground ... we gun owners will pull the trigger, and leave the corpses for the buzzards.

 READ MORE: Can we talk about the Trump-loving, QAnon-type who slaughtered 10 people in Germany? | Will Bunch

Dorrs alarming words speak to one of the real risks here  the kind that experts call stochastic terrorism, in which a movement leaders incitements, such as the president of the United States urging gun activists to LIBERATE Virginia, are translated into specific acts of violence by low-level and possible unhinged followers. If it sounds familiar, weve already seen it play out from El Paso to Germany, and now the danger in this time of coronavirus is very, very real.

Trump, of course, is a vainglorious narcissist incapable of understanding how his hateful words affect other humans, but the fact that so many other conservatives are willing to amplify this dangerous message should give you some insight into whats really happening here. The right-wing movement is so used to what it now feels is its entitlement to wield power in America that it is willing to risk many lives  both among its political friends and foes, either from the suffocation of COVID-19 or even from a hail of bullets  in its pathetic need to hold on by its fingernails.

That is the real story here, and its the story that the New York Times and other journalists ought to be covering. Polls that show what Americans actually think are finding that an overwhelming majority, and even a narrow majority of Republicans, are worried that businesses will open back up too soon, not too early. These protesters outside state capitols are not a mass movement, but merely the hundreds most easily manipulated by a kleptocracy that values power over human life. And yet this coalition fooled all of us once with the Tea Party. We cant get fooled again.

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The national cabinet will this week consider restarting elective surgeries and IVF treatment as it prepares the health system for the road out of the coronavirus pandemic and boosts emergency evacuation funding out of regional areas.

Declaring the immediate threat of Australian hospitals being swamped with COVID-19 patients had passed, Health Minister Greg Hunt said the focus was on delivering enough personal protective equipment to restart elective surgeries, which have been suspended since March.

"We now have a sustained and genuine flattening of the curve," Mr Hunt said on Sunday. "At this point, Australians have done magnificently and we are not facing a threat to our hospitals."

Health Minister Greg Hunt speaks to the media on Sunday in Mornington, Victoria. Credit:AAP

As of Sunday evening, Australia had 6605 confirmed cases of coronavirus and 70 deaths. Social distancing measures have seen the infection rate fall from daily double-digit rises at the peak of the crisis to less than 1 per cent for the past week.
The Nato general leading the coronavirus response in Europe has defended its work in reaction to the virus because 'everyone was caught a little off-guard' by Covid-19.

Lieutenant-General Olivier Rittimann said 'no one' fully understood the depth of the crisis that lay ahead in the early days of the outbreak.

'I think that everybody was taken a little bit off-guard by this crisis,' Lt Gen Rittimann, the commander of Nato's Europe Covid-19 Task Force, told Sky News' Sophy Ridge today.

'No one was really completely understanding the full expanse of the health crisis we are facing.'

It comes as the death toll across the continent reached 100,000 today, amid 160,685 coronavirus-related deaths worldwide.

Lieutenant-General Olivier Rittimann said 'no one' fully understood the depth of the crisis that lay ahead in the early days of the outbreak as he defended Nato's work in reaction to the virus

Lt Gen Rittimann added it wasn't fair of former defence minister Tobias Ellwood to have said last week that Nato needed to 'wake up' to the Covid-19 threat.

The general said the organisation has so far deployed 4,000 medics and 250 field hospitals - amounting to some 25,000 beds - across various nations.

'We are providing this co-ordination mechanism with the rapid air mobility, over 100 flights have been conducted to ship the equipment. So saying that Nato is slow to wake up or is not doing anything is not fair because we are doing quite a lot,' he said.

Lt Gen Rittimann conceded there is a global shortage of PPE, but said Nato is appropriately managing the delivery of equipment to different nations, after which domestic distribution is 'a national decision'.

Lt Gen Rittimann added it wasn't fair of former defence minister Tobias Ellwood to have said last week that Nato needed to 'wake up' to the Covid-19 threat

The general (left) said the organisation had so far deployed 4,000 medics and 250 field hospitals - amounting to some 25,000 beds - across various nations

The general gave a guarded response to reports the United States had hijacked PPE in China that was meant to be shipped to Europe, saying nations had had to take 'all appropriate measures to make the best choices' in the early days of the outbreak.

He added that when choices were made, 'you are always able to be criticised afterwards'.

Earlier this month, German media reported on allegations from the interior minister for Berlin state, Andreas Geisel, that 200,000 N95 masks destined for Europe were instead diverted to the US as they were being transferred between planes in Thailand.
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.

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By Marc Jones, Karin Strohecker, Tom Arnold and Cassandra Garrison

LONDON/BUENOS AIRES (Reuters) - Argentina's $70 billion debt negotiations are entering the final act, with bondholders bracing for the worst as the South American country readies a restructuring deal already delayed by the coronavirus outbreak, which creditors fear will impose steep losses.

The grains producer, which has been grappling with recession and a mounting debt crisis, is set to unveil its proposal to international creditors as early as Thursday to push back payments on its bonds issued under foreign law.

Argentina's leaders have warned creditors the country will need substantial relief and that any offer will have to be achievable, even as the global pandemic raises the prospect of a deep recession for the country this year.

"The terms could be pretty tough and much tougher than what the market was currently pricing, so we are on the cautious side on Argentina," said Jean-Charles Sambor, head of emerging market fixed income at BNP Paribas Asset Management.

The offer is a key step in a financial drama that began last year amid an economic meltdown tipped off by a change in leadership, from conservative former President Mauricio Macri to current center-left Peronist Alberto Fernandez.

On Tuesday, Argentina filed a $50.5 billion debt registration with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission, laying the path for new issuance of foreign-law bonds in what is likely to be a debt swap offer.

With talks delayed by the coronavirus - which prompted Argentina to impose a nationwide lockdown and close its borders - bondholders have griped about a lack of engagement and transparency from the government.

"Argentina is a black box. I don't know what to expect," one bondholder who declined to be named told Reuters.

"Coronavirus will probably be used as an excuse to make it harder for the government to achieve a primary surplus so they will ask for a bigger haircut to make the debt more sustainable. There's a risk they will use that argument," the bondholder said.

A spokesman for the economy ministry declined to comment.

Story continues

TOUGH OFFER EXPECTED

Another Argentine bondholder said there were signs the country was looking to push through a tough deal, even if it only got low participation from creditors.

"Argentina is doing what Argentina always does," he said, a reference to the country's previous acrimonious negotiations with bondholders, especially after a major default in the 2001-02 crisis that dragged on for over a decade.

Argentina, which also has major debts with the International Monetary Fund, has maintained it wants to find a more amicable path with creditors, though that has proved far from simple.

Many of the bonds currently being renegotiated have collective action clauses that require buy-in from holders of up to 75% of the debt in some cases.

Another hedge fund manger said investors had long taken issue with Argentina's stance, which he said was "designed to squeeze bondholders to the max while being unrealistic to get the country back on track."

The proposal, which relates just to foreign-law bonds, is also far from the end of Argentina's debt saga. Several of its provinces, including the major region of Buenos Aires around the capital, are locked in their own negotiations with creditors.

Sambor said the variety of debt with different collective action clauses as well as the provincial debt pile added to the complexity of Argentina's crisis.

"The timetables are also very different, you have many different stakeholders from distressed guys to hedge funds to real money investors, and there are diverging interest," he said. "We think it could be a pretty lengthy process."

(Reporting by Karin Strohecker, Tom Arnold, Marc Jones and Cassandra Garrisson; Writing by Cassandra Garrison)
Russian President Vladimir Putin refuses to yield under pressure. That is a matter of pride for Putin himself and a key aspect of his appeal to Russian elites and the public alike. The trick is preserving that reputation in the real world, where leaders routinely miscalculate and pivot while remaining loathe to admitting mistakes. The plunge in oil prices because of the COVID-19 pandemic and the collapse of the OPEC+ agreement on production cuts provide the most recent test.

In early March, the Saudis called for a meeting of the OPEC+ group to agree on further drastic production cuts of 1.5 million barrels a day to support oil prices as COVID-19 spread, crushing economic activity and demand. The Russians balked. According to the spokesperson of Rosneft, Russias oil-sector national champion run by Igor Sechin, a close associate of Putins: This deal made no sense from the standpoint of Russian interests. By removing cheap Arab and Russian oil from our own markets, we open up the way for expensive American shale oil. Moscow wanted to maintain current levels of production for a few months to get a better sense of the economic consequences of the spreading pandemic before deciding on further cuts. And, when those cuts came, it wanted to make sure that the United States bore its fair share.

Moscow also had other reasons for wanting to strike a blow against the American energy sector. Late last year, Washington levied sanctions against Nord Stream 2, a strategic gas pipeline between Russia and Germany, pushing back its completion date by at least several months and raising costs, at a time when American shale gas was entering European markets. More recently, the United States sanctioned a Rosneft subsidiary, Rosneft Trading, for assisting the Maduro regime in circumventing US restrictions on Venezuelan oil exports.

Premium: Irans Plan To Lure The U.S. Into War

But Moscow did not anticipate the Saudi reaction to its refusal to agree to further cuts. The Saudis threat to open the spigot and offer steep discounts on their oil exports pushed oil prices down to lows not seen in decades. The price war had begun, even if only the Saudis were prosecuting it robustly: The Saudis had the capacity to add 2.5 million barrels a day, the Russians, 300,000. True to form, Moscow was defiant. Despite Russias dependence on oil for two-thirds of its export earnings and 40 percent of its budget revenue, the Ministry of Finance announced that Russia could withstand prices as low as $25 a barrel for up to ten years. It would draw on its $150 billion National Wealth Fund to cover gaps in the budget, currently based on an oil price of $42 a barrel. That was certainly an exaggeration, and the Russian oil industry itself would suffer significant damage in the short term if wells had to be capped. Still, the ministry sent the unequivocal message that Moscow would not back down.

Story continues

Downward slide: Many governments slow economic activity in response to the COVID-19 pandemic, yet an OPEC+ agreement to slash output may not lift prices to early March levels (Source: Investing.com)



Despite such rhetoric, the collapse in oil prices raised grave domestic challenges for Putin. Earlier this year, in Russias analog to the State of the Union address, Putin stressed his determination to stimulate the economy and raise living standards, which have largely stagnated for the past six years. The bleak socioeconomic conditions were fueling discontent across the country, as Russians protested over educational, health and ecological matters, as well as official corruption, callousness and incompetence. The unrest has not risen to levels that threaten Putin, but the Kremlin has historically been wary of mass discontent  workers protests after all played a role in the overthrow of Russian autocracy in 1917 and the collapse of the Soviet Union in 1991.

Premium: 2 Stocks To Consider As Oil Nears $15

Now, the global economic consequences of COVID-19 would inevitably slow Russian economic growth. A prolonged collapse in oil prices would almost certainly push the economy into recession. Putins promises evaporated. In these circumstances, Putin needs to raise and stabilize oil prices. The question was how to do that without appearing to yield to Saudi or American pressure.

US President Donald. Trump gave Putin the opening he sought. Trump initially greeted the price collapse as a big tax cut, but by the end of March, he changed his tune under pressure from the domestic oil sector. He set about trying to persuade the two strongmen he had cultivated since assuming office, Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman and Putin, to agree to major production cuts.

On March 31, Trump called Putin to discuss the novel coronavirus crisis and oil markets. Kremlin statements routinely note who initiates the call when Putin talks to foreign leaders, and the Kremlin readout makes it clear that Trump made the call  the inference was that Trump, not Putin, urgently needed relief from the price war and the pandemic. The next day Russia sent a planeload of humanitarian assistance to New York, underscoring again that the United States, not Russia, was in need. Three days later, Putin announced that Russia was prepared to work with its partners, the United States and Saudi Arabia, to stabilize oil markets. Production, he said could be reduced by up to 10 million barrels day. He supported another meeting of OPEC+ to work out the details. As far as Moscow was concerned, cuts in US production, a key Russian goal from the outset of the crisis, would have to be part of the deal.

As Putin was pivoting, two narratives for the oil price war gained greater prominence in Russian media. One presented the Saudis as determined to drive American shale oil off the market by cratering oil prices. The other suggested the price war was, from the beginning, a US-Saudi conspiracy to undermine the Russian oil sector through a combination of production cuts and sanctions. The first narrative absolved Russia of any ill will against the United States, and the second portrayed Russia as an innocent victim. Both reinforced standard Kremlin tropes of Russian goodwill and victimhood.

Where oil prices will settle in the next few months is far from certain. Daniel Yergin, a leading expert on the global energy sector, has noted in Foreign Affairs that prices will likely plummet in late April and May as demand plunges and storage capacity is depleted. The cuts OPEC+ agreed to this weekend  9.7 million barrels a day  are insufficient to stave off the decline in price. In this environment, US production will inevitably drop, as Moscow wants, but so will Saudi and Russian production, beyond what was already negotiated, if not through further negotiations then through market dynamics. No matter what Trump, MBS and Putin do, tougher times lie ahead. But, for Russians, despite the initial miscalculations, Putin will appear as a decisive and constructive leader in battling the crisis, playing a stronger hand than Trump. More important, Putin, and Russia, did not yield.

By Yale Global Online

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The government has made offers to 34 lenders wishing to participate in the Coronavirus SME Guarantee Scheme to help provide small businesses access to working capital to get through the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Under the scheme, lenders can provide eligible SMEs unsecured loans of up to $250,000 for as long as three-year terms, with no repayments for the first six months. The government guarantees 50% of each loan so the funding can be offered more cheaply and more freely then regular business loans.

The following 22 lenders have finalised their involvement:

Australian Mutual Bank Limited

Bank Australia

Bank of Queensland

Bank of us

Bendigo and Adelaide Bank Ltd

Commonwealth Bank of Australia

Get Capital

Heritage Bank Limited

Judo Bank Pty Ltd

Liberty Financial

Moula Money

MyState Bank Limited

National Australia Bank Limited

OnDeck Capital

Prospa

Queensland Country Bank Limited

Regional Australia Bank Ltd

Summerland Credit Union

Suncorp

The Capricornian Ltd

Unity Bank

Westpac

All lenders with an existing SME business lending line can apply to participate in the scheme, at which point the government and APRA consult on how to move forward. There are no fees for lenders to submit applications or participate in the scheme.

Some confirmed lenders, such as Heritage, have clarified the loans provided through the scheme will be available to both new and existing customers.

Heritage has always been a bank that specialises in meeting the needs of small businesses. Our Business Banking team is focussed on the SME sector, so we understand how small businesses work and the challenges they face, CEO Peter Lock explained.

Thats why weve been so keen to offer this new SME Support Loan, which gives small businesses an extra option they can draw on to get through the cashflow issues that the COVID19 has created.

We want to help these smaller operators meet the challenges they now face and come out of our current situation in a good position to thrive in future.
Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister



Shivraj Singh Chouhan on Sunday mourned the death of a 41- year-old police officer from the coronavirus infection and announced a compensation of Rs 50 lakh to his kin and the post of sub-inspector for his wife.

Chouhan tweeted that the inspector sacrificed his life in the battle against the outbreak.

"He was undergoing treatment at the Aurobindo Hospital in Indore and recently (after the treatment of COVID-19) he tested negative and this was good for us. But at 2 am late last night, the sad of his death was received suddenly," Chouhan said in a tweet.

Announcing a compensation of Rs 50 lakh, Chouhan also tweeted that "the inspector's wife is being appointed as a sub-inspector in the department".

Superintendent of Police Maheshchandra Jain told PTI the deceased officer was on duty in Juni Indore police station before he got infected with the virus.

"Despite all the efforts of doctors, the life of the police inspector could not be saved. He is survived by his wife and two daughters," Jain added.

Chief Medical and Health Officer (CMHO) Praveen Jadia said the officer tested postive and was admitted in hospital about 20 days back, and then post-treatment, tested negative two times and was discharged as per protocol.

"The doctors at the private hospital suspect the cause of death may have been pulmonary embolism (a problem associated with arterial blood clotting). But there is also a possibility that pulmonary embolism might have been caused due to coronavirus infection," Jadia added.

A 70-year-old woman also died of COVID-19, taking the number of deaths in Indore from the infection to 49.

Jadia said, as per revised data, the number of COVID- 19 patients now stands at 890 here.

"We have also received information about the death of a former city corporator. We are confirming if the death was due to coronavirus infection," he added.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
WASHINGTON -- When Thomas Edison was asked about conducting thousands of experiments without results, he responded that he always got results: He knew "several thousand things that won't work." America's states are, Louis Brandeis said, laboratories of democracy, and recently Wisconsin successfully demonstrated what does not work when holding elections during a pandemic.

After insisting for weeks that the statutory election schedule should be kept, Democratic Gov. Tony Evers tardily awoke to the problem of voting amid social distancing. Four days before the scheduled April 7 vote, he called the legislature into special session to pick a later date. The next day, the Republicans who control both houses swiftly adjourned the session, thereby conserving -- they are conservatives -- the status quo at a slight, they hope, cost in lives. (Voters and polling-place workers are disproportionately elderly.) Wisconsin Republicans, who know their candidates, clearly think they fare better when fewer people vote.

Wisconsin was an early incubator of progressivism, and Evers acted on the progressive assumption that executive power should be as large as any progressive executive thinks it should be, as long as the executive is progressive: He tried to rewrite Wisconsin's election laws by fiat, but was rebuked by courts. This bad behavior on both sides was related to a bad idea: judicial elections. Composition of Wisconsin's Supreme Court was at stake. On Election Day, in Milwaukee (population, 592,000), five of 180 planned polling places were open.

Long before COVID-19, every two years Americans in various states have endured hours-long waits in blocks-long lines at polling places. The possibility that COVID-19 will still require some social distancing in November has focused attention on voting by mail (VBM).

Responding to Democrats' efforts to give states federal subsidies for mail voting, House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy of California sternly says they should "stop worrying about politics." Perhaps -- let's be fanciful -- his reprimand was also intended for Donald Trump, who says he opposes VBM because, in addition to worries about fraud, it "doesn't work out well for Republicans."

Republicans have been more diligent in warning about substantial election fraud than they have been successful in documenting it. Other than that ascribed to an indicted North Carolina Republican operative, which caused a congressional election to be re-run. And other than Trump's revelation that in 2016 he lost New Hampshire because a slew of buses -- surely conspicuous; evidently unnoticed -- brought in "thousands and thousands" of illegal voters "coming in from locations unknown." ("But I knew where their location was.")

In a 1996 special election, Ron Wyden, D-Ore., became the first U.S. senator elected in an all-mail vote. In a referendum two years later, 69% of Oregonians endorsed VBM for all elections. The second Oregon senator elected by VBM was Republican Gordon Smith. Social science provides little evidence of any substantial partisan advantage from VBM, which voters (although African Americans understandably like visiting polling places) favor for its convenience. Wyden and Sen. Amy Klobuchar, D-Minn., propose legislation to mandate and subsidize state measures to facilitate VBM. Although subsidies in today's emergency might be defensible, mandates unwisely -- and unnecessarily -- meddle with the laboratories.

New Hampshire's Republican Gov. Chris Sununu has endorsed VBM. Elections in Oregon, Washington, Hawaii, Colorado and Utah are essentially entirely VBM, with ballots mailed to eligible voters. Twenty-eight other states, including California, Florida and Arizona, plus the District of Columbia, allow absentee voting without providing a reason. So, a majority of Americans have VBM, absent the convenience of automatically receiving ballots -- although some states' voters can put themselves on a list to receive ballots. This alarms those who fear the sort of substantial fraud that has not been verified after hundreds of millions of votes cast by mail.

Time was, Election Day provided a communitarian moment, with almost all voters visiting polling places. In 2016 however, 41.3% of votes were cast early or absentee; in 2018, 43.1%; in 2020, perhaps a majority. This year early voting will begin at least as early (because of COVID-19, states' rules are in flux) as Sept. 18 in Minnesota. Scores of millions of votes might be cast before the presidential debates are over. However, given the usual caliber of such debates, this will not appreciably deprive early voters of pertinent information.

When Trump says VBM would mean "you'd never have a Republican elected in this country again," he concedes that VBM increases turnout and that Wisconsin Republicans are right about the party's appeal: The larger the turnout, the less likely a Republican majority.

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China's economy is expected to recover for the rest of the year after registering a virus contraction in the first quarter, analysts have said.

Amid the COVID-19 impact, China's gross domestic product (GDP) in the first quarter shrank 6.8 percent year on year, according to data released Friday by China's National Bureau of Statistics.

Output in China will recover significantly in the second quarter and for the rest of the year, Jeffrey Sachs, a renowned economics professor at Columbia University and a senior United Nations advisor, told Xinhua via email Friday.

Now production is returning and daily life is moving to a "new normal," though certainly not back to the old normal, Sachs said.

"China's economic recovery will ultimately depend on the success of a large part of the world overcoming the epidemic in a cohesive manner," he said.

The U.S. economist suggested China "work very closely with the Asian neighbors" to create a region in which "COVID-19 is strongly under control and trade is resumed."

East Asia is the manufacturing center of the world economy, and it can and should be revived first, he added.

Also, China should be coordinating with Africa and the Middle East to try to do the same and to protect the supply chains, he said, adding that China should also try to cooperate with Europe and the United States on the recovery.

Likewise, Nicholas Lardy, senior fellow at the Washington D.C.-based think tank Peterson Institute for International Economics (PIIE), recently noted that "the gradual but substantial recovery" in electrical power usage is "strong evidence" of the recovery of manufacturing in China.

Lardy, who co-authored an analysis with PIIE research analyst Tianlei Huang, argued that weakened manufactured exports amid the COVID-19 pandemic will not stall China's manufacturing recovery.

"While the weakening global economy will constitute a headwind, the pace of China's domestic demand is likely to be the most important factor determining the pace of recovery of China's manufacturing sector," Lardy said.

Meanwhile, China is expected to be one of the few major economies that could see economic expansion this year, according to the International Monetary Fund (IMF)'s recently released World Economic Outlook report, which projected the global economy would decline by 3 percent in 2020.

Advanced economies are on track to contract by 6.1 percent, while emerging market and developing economies, which typically have growth levels well above advanced economies, will shrink by 1 percent, according to the report.

The U.S. economy is projected to contract by 5.9 percent this year, and the Euro Area will see a decline of 7.5 percent. Japan's economic output will shrink by 5.2 percent, and Britain's will fall by 6.5 percent.

Despite an overall negative growth in emerging markets and developing economies, China and India will both see moderate growth this year, with a rate of 1.2 percent and 1.9 percent, respectively, the IMF projection added.
Eight Andhra Pradesh residents who



were nabbed from a mosque in Latur in Maharashtra early this month and tested positive for novel coronavirus are now free of the infection after treatment, a senior health official said on Sunday.

These eight were part of a group of 12 people who where returning from a religious gathering in Ferozepur Jhirka in Haryana and had taken refuge in a mosque in Nilanga here, before being apprehended by police on April 3, with their samples testing positive the next day.

"They tested negative two times after treatment and were discharged from hospital late Saturday night as per protocol. Now there is no COVID-19 patient in Latur," said Dr Girish Thakur, dean of Latur's Vilasrao Deshmukh Government Medical Science Institute.

As of now, 67 persons are in home quarantine, 24 in institutional quarantine and seven in an isolation ward, said Dr Maruti Karale, in charge of the hospital's isolation ward.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Foreign Minister Marise Payne will push for an independent body outside the World Health Organisation to launch a global inquiry into the spread of the coronavirus.

The escalation follows growing criticism of the UN health body, which delayed declaring a COVID-19 pandemic and has been accused by the White House of bowing to political and financial influence from China.

Senator Payne said Australia shared some of the concerns that the United States have identified in relation to the WHO and an independent review needed to get to the bottom of COVID-19.

Foreign Affairs Marise Payne. Credit:Alex Ellinghausen

"We need to know the sorts of details that an independent review would identify for us about the genesis of the virus, about the approaches to dealing with it, and addressing the openness with which information was shared, Senator Payne said.
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Linkedin Apriadi Gunawan (The Jakarta Post) Medan  Sun, April 19, 2020 15:49 633 fc6853813033f564188675f8bd2d66bf 1 National Drugs-trafficking,drugs-distribution,drug-dealer,Medan,North-Sumatra,Gayo-coffee Free

The North Sumatra police fatally shot a suspected drug dealer and arrested three others in a drug bust on Thursday.

The suspects were caught trying to sell 4 kilograms of methamphetamine smuggled from Malaysia, which was packed into Gayo Aceh Coffee packaging.

North Sumatra police chief Insp. Gen. Martuani Sormin Siregar said on Saturday that the police shot one of the suspects because he was resisting arrest.

He added that the four suspects were residents of Lampung and they were part of an Aceh-Palembang drug ring.

According to Martuani, the methamphetamine was being taken from Aceh to be sold in Lampung and Jakarta. Each dealer would receive Rp 25 million (US$1,745) for selling the drugs.

"They are new drug dealers from Lampung and their modus operandi was also new as they hid the drugs in coffee packaging," he said during a press conference in Bhayangkari Hospital at North Sumatra's police headquarters on Saturday.

Martuani said police would further investigate the case as he suspected some other drug dealers might be using the same methods.

"We are very serious in taking measures against those who are linked to drug dealing," he said.

The suspects were charged under the 2009 Narcotics Law and face a maximum sentence of 20 years of imprisonment. (trn)
When the weather warms up, inmates being released from the Toronto South Detention Centre with no place to go might again find help from John Howard Society workers.

Since mid-March, the societys reintegration trailer in the parking lot near the Etobicoke provincial jails discharge door has been empty, closed because physical distancing was not possible, and there is no running water. The society hopes to soon set up outdoors.

When the trailer was up and running, two workers were there to assess needs, make referrals to community supports, help with clothing and transit and offer harm-reduction tools, such as Naloxone. There was support for families, even some snacks.

But, for now, theres nothing in the parking lot.

Amid growing calls to get more inmates out of Canadas jails and prisons  described recently by one Ontario judge as one of the most dangerous places imaginable to be during this pandemic  many of the people being released are facing a grim reality.

Many of the services supporting inmates fresh out of custody are unable to function as they did before COVID-19, and pre-existing weak points in a safety net mainly made up not-for-profits and charities like the John Howard Society of Toronto have been exposed bare.

The result: An already vulnerable population with mental health illnesses, addictions and compromised immune systems is emerging into a new landscape with limited or no means of support, leaving them at high risk of contracting and spreading the virus.

This also increases the risk reoffending and ending up back in jail, where outbreaks are likely and inmates with positive cases are being admitted, which has already happened at the Toronto South.

As of this week, the jail had three confirmed cases, though it is unclear how many are currently active. On Thursday, the Ministry of the Solicitor General, which oversees the provinces jail, announced three guards had tested positive for COVID-19 at another GTA jail, in Brampton, and that rush testing had been ordered for some inmates.

Aside from the few federal releases to mandatory halfway houses and inmates being granted bail  with conditions, including sureties agreeing to keep an eye on them and living arrangements in place  the options are grim.

Shelters are prime for breakouts, leaving the streets as the alternative for many.

In New York City and California, governments have stepped in and inmates who have no place to go are being housed in hotels. In Ontario, there has been no co-ordinated provincial government response for inmates, beyond efforts to reduce the jail population.

According to the Ministry of the Solicitor General, the jail population has fallen by 31 per cent since March 16, to 5,726 inmates from 8,344

For those released inmates from the Toronto South who can get to John Howards Lake Shore Boulevard West office, about a 30-minute walk or 20 minutes using transit, there are the usual supports, including free sleeping bags, said Amber Kellen, the societys director of community initiatives.

Other sites also remain open, albeit with reduced staff. Once out of those doors, however, there is a lot of confusion within the community of service providers, with media announcements about increased shelter beds that seem not to have made their way to anything too tangible on the ground in terms of additional space, Kellen said in an email.

Shelters and respites continue to be full and other programs have shut down their intake systems (and) are not taking any new clients. This includes some detoxes and safe beds, Kellen said. We are extremely concerned.

There is some good news: The city of Torontos Shelter, Support and Housing Administration has been talking with the Ministry of the Solicitor General about the need to accommodate high-risk homeless people after release, Kellen said, adding she is optimistic there will be progress on that front.

A ministry spokesperson could not speak to that particular conversation, but told the Star the ministry works with community service providers, municipalities, Indigenous communities and Indigenous organizations to ensure that upon release, inmates are supported during their transition into the community.

Where feasible, ministry staff will help the homeless and those with travel barriers contact friends and family to get home or to shelter, and provide advice and resources around COVID-19, the spokesperson said.

Once a week, there us an open phone call for organizations across the province that support inmates during and after incarceration. The Prisoners with HIV/AIDS Support Action Network (PASAN), a community-based, Canada-wide, prisoner health and harm reduction organization is on the Ontario call.

Its a brainstorming session on how to support inmates in the time of the virus.

PASAN staff also meet daily. Its toll free number for prisoners gets forwarded to staff working remotely, and, through word of mouth, the number is spreading and calls are up.

Inmates wanting to connect with a lawyer. Inmates distressed over conditions. Complaints that institutions are not communicating enough about how the virus is being handled.

Missing, says PASAN executive director Janet Rowe, is clear messaging from the provincial government about what exactly is the plan inside Ontario jails, and for after.

Theres the policy at the corporate level, and then the implementation, and who is doing the oversight in terms of that implementation of any policy? Rowe said in a phone interview. And then, its certainly in a public health crisis, who is overseeing this?

In Ontario, provincial inmate health is not overseen by public health, and probably should be, said Rowe.

PASAN is monitoring what is happening in bail courts and people being released into a dilemma.

People are being released from bail court to where? said Rowe. Some folks will be able to have housing, can be with family, but other folks have no housing and would have to rely on the shelter system.

Its one of the hardest things to convey to people, how invisible people become when they are incarcerated and its almost like they dont exist. And so under these conditions its just frightening whats happening.

Rowe said her organization would jump at the chance to connect inmates with hotels.

If there was a planned approach, we could be working with municipalities where there are correctional facilities to actually have hotel rooms available for people to be released to. But thats not a plan that Ive heard of, she said.

The release from jail situation is on the radar of the United Way Greater Toronto. It funds both the John Howard and Elizabeth Fry societies, and what to do about the releases from jails is a topic at cluster tables the United Way has convened with the city

Robyn Keystone is very worried about whats to come. She is co-founder of Literal Change, a charity that offers tutoring to inmates at Toronto South and Toronto East Detention Centre and also has a youth program.

She and twenty volunteer tutors were last in the jails, where they provide one-on-one sessions, the second week of March. The program has been on hold ever since, although for the youth its moving online.

For the duration, inmate students who range from being illiterate to learning English as a second language will no longer have one-on-one attention and individualized learning plans, which have proven to help with self-esteem

For somebody with low literacy levels, there comes so many social and emotional layers of shame and embarrassment, Keystone said.

Meanwhile, she said she expects many of the people she got to know inside are looking at homelessness on release, at a time when more people downtown are already struggling.

Recently, a colleague had patio furniture cushions go missing from her yard but nothing more  just enough to make a bed, Keystone thought.

The transition from the inside to the outside was hard enough without support and now I just think its going to be even more difficult, she said.

Counselling and group programs that would normally be part of a release plan are simply no longer being offered. This makes it harder to justify releasing some people early. It also raises questions about what resources will be available for inmates who are released under the provinces new early release program for non-violent, low-risk offenders close to the end of their sentences. At least 10 people have been released through the new program so far.

Every program that normally supports the rehabilitative aspects of these plans is shut down, said parole lawyer Jeff Rybak.

He had a client get parole from a provincial jail with a bed lined up at a residential drug-treatment facility. Between his parole being granted and his release two weeks later, the whole world changed and the facility closed its door to new people. The man was released anyway to the custody of his parents but  just as Rybak feared would happen without the treatment program  was rearrested not long after.

A lot of the problems we are discovering are really just problems that always existed, he said. Post-release supports for inmates are almost entirely reliant on community organizations, not services provided directly by the province. The pandemic is only further pressuring breaking points that were already there, he said.

For many service providers, including the Canadian Mental Health Association, courthouses operated as a hub to connect with people leaving bail court. Those courthouses are now mostly closed due to the pandemic and bail hearings are being conducted remotely.

It means CMHA mental health workers cant connect with people leaving custody. They still get referrals, and their phone number can be passed along by lawyers  but many people leaving custody dont have phones or any means to call.

If they dont call us, we dont know where they are, said Kathy Chau, director of the mental health and justice program at CMHA Toronto. I would think there are folks falling through the cracks.

Their Safe Bed program, which give new releases a place to stay while they do things like get ID or find a place to live, is not accepting new people right now. The people already in the beds are needing to stay much longer than the usual 15 to 30 days.

We cant accept new people because we cant discharge people, Chau said.

Where possible, CMHA is still providing services by phone, and some in-person visits with screening for people they know dont have phones.

There has been some good news. Both Bell and Telus are donating free phones, and CMHA Toronto just put an order for 100. Hopefully we will get all of them, we will take as many as they can give us, Chau said.

They have also shifted to another immediate need: food. Community workers are now operating two food banks, taking orders and delivering food directly to clients who need that help.

Its not what they usually do, but its what is needed now.
Prior to the coronavirus pandemic, she had been planning to celebrate her pregnancy with a no doubt lavish baby shower with her family and friends.

But, forced to spend what would have been her baby shower in lockdown, Danielle Armstrong revealed that her friends still made sure to mark the moment with her, even if it's not quite what she had in mind.

Taking to Instagram, Danielle revealed that her closest friends of 20 years held a little bash for her via video link, while her former TOWIE co-star Georgia Kousoulou dropped off a bouquet of flowers on her doorstep.

Celebrations: Danielle Armstrong revealed she would have been celebrating her baby shower on Sunday, but was forced to mark the moment with doorstep deliveries and virtual calls

Sharing a video of her catching up with Georgia, while adhering to social distancing rules, Danielle was seen clutching her flowers and telling her friend she missed her.

She could be heard saying: 'How cute, my baby shower was supposed to be today and this is my baby shower. Presents being dropped off on my doorstep.'

As Georgia waved from the end of the driveway, Danielle said: 'Oh George, I miss you.'

The reality star then shared a screenshot of her catching up with her pals via video link and added the caption: 'Friends over 20 years, doing a little virtual baby shower for me.'

Thoughtful: The former TOWIE star revealed her co-star and close friend Georgia Kousoulou had stopped by to drop flowers off on her doorstep

Marking the moment: Danielle's closest pals hosted a virtual baby shower for her via video link

Despite being forced to stay indoors, the girls still managed to play a slew of baby shower games, including Danielle's friends trying to guess the weight her baby will be when its born.

Danielle is expecting her first child with fiance Tommy Edney. The couple are expecting a baby girl and Danielle was recently forced to reassure fans on social media that she hadn't gone into labour.

She had received messages from concerned followers, after they noticed Danielle had taken a few days off of social media.

Insisting all is well, Danielle revealed on Instagram: 'I've actually had people messaging me worried thinking I've gone into labour.'

Sweet: Danielle was seen telling pal Georgia how much she misses her from the end of the driveway, as she dropped off flowers for the mum-to-be

Fun: Danielle and her friends were seen playing 'guess the baby's weight' during their call

While she confirmed that she hadn't, she revealed that she had gone to see her midwife and feels much better after the visit.

Danielle said: 'She made me feel really good she was lovely.'

The Essex beauty also hit back at criticism over a snap she recently shared of her posing in a crop top and trousers and baring her baby bump.

Danielle vented: 'Someone just messaged me saying "pull your trousers up". I don't like that look, I would rather have my stomach out and it's free.

'Do you know what? It's my bump and I can do what I want and if you don't like it, don't watch my story.'

Hitting back: Danielle assured fans she hadn't gone into labour after a social media hiatus and hit back at those criticising her recent snap where she bared her baby bump

Danielle first announced she is expecting back in November last year and revealed her due date is in May.

She and Tommy have been long-term friends for 22 years and first went public with their relationship in September, after he 'swept Danielle off her feet' following her split from her ex-boyfriend Daniel Spiller.

Tommy proposed to Danielle during a trip to Dubai at the beginning of March. Announcing the news on Instagram, Danielle gushed: 'Feel Like The Luckiest Girl In The World Right Now... I SAID YES #imengaged.'
The Joint Forces Command of the Coalition to Restore Legitimacy in Yemen: Launch of a ballistic missile by the terrorist Iran-backed Houthi militia toward civlians and civilian objects in (Ma'rib)

Saudi Press Agency

Saturday 1441/8/25 - 2020/04/18

Riyadh, April 17, 2020, SPA -- Statement by the Official Spokesman of the Coalition to Restore Legitimacy in Yemen COL Turki Al-Malki

"At (2252) Friday 17 April 2020, the terrorist Iran-backed Houthi militia deliberately launched a ballistic missile to target civilians and civilian objects in (Ma'rib) city

The Houthi militia's escalation of hostilities using ballistic missiles to deliberately target civilians and civilian objects underscores the militia's denial of all efforts and initiatives of ceasefire and deescalation, the last of which was the initiative by the Joint Forces Command of a ceasefire for two weeks

The Joint Forces Command is continuing to exercise utmost restraint in its Rules of Engagement, while maintaining the legitimate right to respond proportionately in self-defense ,and undertaking all necessary measures to protect civilians in Yemen from the wrath of this terrorist militia

The Coalition will continue its commitment of ceasefire, and support to the efforts and endeavors of the Special Envoy for Yemen to reach a comprehensive political solution."

--SPA

00:40 LOCAL TIME 21:40 GMT

0026

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U.S. Embassy In Tbilisi Troubled By Reports Of 'Borderization' Activity On South Ossetia Boundary Line

April 18, 2020

The U.S. Embassy in Tbilisi said on April 17 it was "deeply troubled" by reports that Russian-led "security actors" have resumed "borderization" activities along the administrative boundary line of the Georgian-breakaway region of South Ossetia.

A statement from the embassy said the activities were reported near the village of Takhtisdziri.

"We condemn any actions by the de facto authorities in Tskhinvali that aggravate tensions and distract from urgent efforts to safeguard the lives and health of the affected populations, particularly during the Orthodox Easter weekend and against the backdrop of the global pandemic crisis," the statement said.

The embassy called for an immediate halt to the construction of any signs, structures, fencing, or barriers intended to strengthen or expand the "borderization" of the administrative boundary line.

The United States has previously expressed concern over reports that Russia-backed authorities in the breakaway region were erecting structures near the administrative boundary line and it called for a halt to the construction.

U.S.State Department spokeswoman Morgan Ortagus said in August that the process of borderization "indiscriminately and disproportionately affects civilians living in the area, separating them from their farmlands, family, livelihoods, and critical infrastructure."

Only a handful of countries have recognized the independence of South Ossetia and another breakaway region, Abkhazia, which together comprise around 20 percent of Georgian territory, and Moscow's backing of the regions has drawn broad international condemnation.

The statement issued on April 17 by the U.S. Embassy in Tbilisi again called on Russia to end its occupation of the territories.

Russia has maintained troops in South Ossetia and Abkhazia since a five-day war in August 2008 between Russia and Georgia.

Source: https://www.rferl.org/a/georgia- south-ossetia-united-states- russia/30562481.html

Copyright (c) 2020. RFE/RL, Inc. Reprinted with the permission of Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, 1201 Connecticut Ave., N.W. Washington DC 20036.

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Even as virologists zero in on the virus that causes COVID-19, a very basic question remains unanswered: do those who recover from the disease have immunity?

There is no clear answer to this question, experts say, even if many have assumed that contracting the potentially deadly disease confers immunity, at least for a while.

"Being immunised means that you have developed an immune response against a virus such that you can repulse it," explained Eric Vivier, a professor of immunology in the public hospital system in Marseilles.

"Our immune systems remember, which normally prevents you from being infected by the same virus later on."

For some viral diseases such a measles, overcoming the sickness confers immunity for life.

But for RNA-based viruses such as Sars-Cov-2 -- the scientific name for the bug that causes the COVID-19 disease -- it takes about three weeks to build up a sufficient quantity of antibodies, and even then they may provide protection for only a few months, Vivier told AFP.

At least that is the theory. In reality, the new coronavirus has thrown up one surprise after another, to the point where virologists and epidemiologists are sure of very little.

"We do not have the answers to that -- it's an unknown," Michael Ryan, executive director of the World Health Organization's Emergencies Programme said in a press conference this week when asked how long a recovered COVID-19 patient would have immunity.

"We would expect that to be a reasonable period of protection, but it is very difficult to say with a new virus -- we can only extrapolate from other coronaviruses, and even that data is quite limited."

For SARS, which killed about 800 people across the world in 2002 and 2003, recovered patients remained protected "for about three years, on average," Francois Balloux director of the Genetics Institute at University College London, told AFP.

"One can certainly get reinfected, but after how much time? We'll only know retroactively."

False negatives

A recent study from China that has not gone through peer review reported on rhesus monkeys that recovered from Sars-Cov-2 and did not get reinfected when exposed once again to the virus.

"But that doesn't really reveal anything," said Pasteur Institute researcher Frederic Tangy, noting that the experiment unfolded over only a month.

Indeed, several cases from South Korea -- one of the first countries hit by the new coronavirus -- found that patients who recovered from COVID-19 later tested positive for the virus.

But there are several ways to explain that outcome, scientists cautioned.

While it is not impossible that these individuals became infected a second time, there is little evidence this is what happened.

More likely, said Balloux, is that the virus never completely disappeared in the first place and remains -- dormant and asymptomatic -- as a "chronic infection", like herpes.

As tests for live virus and antibodies have not yet been perfected, it is also possible that these patients at some point tested "false negative" when in fact they had not rid themselves of the pathogen.

"That suggests that people remain infected for a long time -- several weeks," Balloux added. "That is not ideal."

Another pre-publication study that looked at 175 recovered patients in Shanghai showed different concentrations of protective antibodies 10 to 15 days after the onset of symptoms.

"But whether that antibody response actually means immunity is a separate question," commented Maria Van Kerhove, Technical Lead of the WHO Emergencies Programme.

"That's something we really need to better understand -- what does that antibody response look like in terms of immunity."

Indeed, a host of questions remain.

"We are at the stage of asking whether someone who has overcome COVID-19 is really that protected," said Jean-Francois Delfraissy, president of France's official science advisory board.

Immunity passports

For Tangy, an even grimmer reality cannot be excluded.

"It is possible that the antibodies that someone develops against the virus could actually increase the risk of the disease becoming worse," he said, noting that the most serious symptoms come later, after the patient had formed antibodies.

For the moment, it is also unclear whose antibodies are more potent in beating back the disease: someone who nearly died, or someone with only light symptoms or even no symptoms at all. And does age make a difference?

Faced with all these uncertainties, some experts have doubts about the wisdom of persuing a "herd immunity" strategy such that the virus -- unable to find new victims -- peters out by itself when a majority of the population is immune.

"The only real solution for now is a vaccine," Archie Clements, a professor at Curtin University in Perth Australia, told AFP.

At the same time, laboratories are developing a slew of antibody tests to see what proportion of the population in different countries and regions have been contaminated.

Such an approach has been favoured in Britain and Finland, while in Germany some experts have floated the idea of an "immunity passport" that would allow people to go back to work.

"It's too premature at this point," said Saad Omer, a professor of infectious diseases at the Yale School of Medicine.

"We should be able to get clearer data very quickly -- in a couple of months -- when there will be reliable antibody tests with sensitivity and specificity."

One concern is "false positives" caused by the tests detecting antibodies unrelated to COVID-19.

The idea of immunity passports or certificates also raises ethical questions, researchers say.

"People who absolutely need to work -- to feed their families, for example -- could try to get infected," Balloux.
United Kingdoms experts believe a trial at the University of Oxford could give a crucial indication as early as next month on whether the world is on track for an early vaccine for the coronavirus disease (Covid-19). Meanwhile, the World Health Organization (WHO) said many countries would likely follow China in revising up their fatalities once they start getting the coronavirus crisis under control. Wuhan has admitted missteps in tallying its death toll, abruptly raising the citys count by 50%. In India, a Group of Ministers (GoM) held a key meeting to discuss the pandemic situation on Saturday.

15 districts across 9 states report over 50% Covid-19 cases: Data

The ministry of health finally updated on Saturday the number of cases of the coronavirus disease (Covid-19) across districts, showing that the pandemic has now spread to 56% of Indias districts, but that 15 districts across nine states account for half the cases -- data that will come in useful as India opens up its unaffected (and relatively less affected) areas for business and other activities , albeit with social distancing and other norms, starting Monday.

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Covid-19 outbreak: In vaccine race, all eyes on Oxford trials deadline

A vaccine for Covid-19 being developed at University of Oxford is one of four that has progressed to clinical trials  the first stage of a vaccine being tested on humans  but it accounts for the largest sample size, making it one of the most watched among all efforts.

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Coronavirus update: Disease may affect brain, nervous system, say experts

The coronavirus disease (Covid-19) can, in some instances, lead to disorientation or delirium, say neurologists treating Covid-19 patients. While the focus has so far been on the effect of the disease on the respiratory system, as doctors treat more patients, they are beginning to notice and document new patterns.

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India under lockdown: Migrant labourer peddles 1,700 km in 7 days to reach home

Migrant labourer Mahesh Jena peddled 1,700km across India over seven days to reach home in Odishas Jajpur district. His biggest challenge: Keeping the wheels moving.

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Covid-19: What to read during, after a pandemic

Given how popular the movie Contagion has become over the past few months, and the huge renewal of interest in the genre after the emergence of the coronavirus disease (Covid-19), know more about a huge volume of end-of-the-world fiction thats out there.

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Govt offices outside Covid hot spots to resume work

Government offices across the country are set to become functional from Monday as states have allowed resumption of work for most departments, especially in the rural areas.

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Flights, trains unlikely to begin on May 3, GoM looks at May 15

Restrictions on air and train travel may continue beyond May 3, when the 40-day lockdown in India to stop the spread of the Covid-19 pandemic comes to an end, at least three people who attended a Group of Ministers (GoM) meeting on Saturday said on condition of anonymity.

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Trying to make e-learning immersive and constructive: HRD Minister Pokhriyal

Union HRD minister Ramesh Pokhriyal Nishank spoke to Hindustan Times about the CBSE and University exams, fee structures in schools during Covid-19,summer vacations, e-learning, and research linked to the coronavirus disease.

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ICMR study shows side effects of HCQ in health care staff

Some side effects, such as abdominal pain and nausea have been observed in healthcare workers, who are a part of the study being conducted in India, to look at the prophylactic (preventive) effects of the anti-malaria drug, hydroxychloroquine (HCQ), against the coronavirus disease (Covid-19), said the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) on Saturday.

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After China, others may revise death tolls: WHO

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Alarm in navy after 26 test positive for Covid-19 at Mumbai facility

In the single largest case of Indian military personnel being infected with the coronavirus disease (Covid-19), the navy on Saturday said 26 sailors from a key naval base in Mumbai have been placed under isolation after testing positive for Covid-19.

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Saad can join probe on 3-day notice: Kin of Tablighi Jamaat chief

Tablighi Jamaat chief Maulana Saad could join Delhi Police investigation into defying a series of government directives, which curbed religious and large gatherings, on a three-day notice, said a close relative of the religious leader on Saturday.

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Manmohan Singh to head Congs 11-member Covid-19 panel

Congress president Sonia Gandhi on Saturday constituted an 11-member consultative group under former Prime Minister Manmohan Singhs leadership to deliberate on matters related to the Covid-19 pandemic and to formulate the partys views on them.

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Early measures reason for fewer cases in India: WHO regional director

India has had fewer cases than it might have because of early and aggressive action to contain the spread of coronavirus disease (Covid-19), Dr Poonam Khetrapal Singh, regional director, World Health Organization (WHO) South East Asia Region, told Hindustan Times in an interview.

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Members of New Mexicos congressional delegation and state officials are calling for the Trump administration to halt construction on the wall at the border with Mexico because of concerns workers may spread the coronavirus.

They also feel resources are needed elsewhere.

U.S. Sen. Martin Heinrich, D-N.M., is among lawmakers who wrote a letter last week to Acting Secretary of Homeland Security Chad Wolf, U.S. Attorney General William Barr and Secretary of Defense Mark Esper, urging them to stop the project during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Our state is in dire need of support from the Trump administration, Heinrich said in a statement to the Journal. Small businesses are suffering, we need more ventilators, and the list goes on. The last thing we need is to put workers and the surrounding communities at risk when they already lack the health care infrastructure to handle this public health crisis.

His colleague, U.S. Sen. Tom Udall, said in a statement that the Department of Homeland Security and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers should respect the states shelter-in-place directives and halt construction of the border wall in New Mexico during the coronavirus pandemic emergency.

Lt. Gov. Howie Morales said Gov. Michelle Lujan Grishams office would prefer construction be halted until at least July, when the pandemic is projected to be past its peak in the state.

The real national emergency is the health crisis caused by the coronavirus, Morales told the Journal. Our hospitals need ventilators. They need PPE (personal protective equipment).

But Customs and Border Protection spokesperson Dennis Smith said there were no plans to halt construction.

Wall construction continues unaffected, he told the Journal.

U.S. Army Corps of Engineers spokeswoman Raini Brunson, whose agency is overseeing the construction, said workers were taking precautions.

SLSCO Ltd., a Texas company, is working on the project. It was awarded a $789 million contract by the Army Corps in Albuquerque. More than 30 miles of border wall had been completed in New Mexico as of late February, with another 65 miles scheduled for completion in coming months.

The safety of our employees, including that of our contractors, and the people in the communities in which we work is our top priority, Brunson said.

Contractors are required to submit safety plans to the Army Corps, and those plans must be amended to include COVID-19 measures, according to a statement Brunson sent to the Journal. They must be coordinated with federal, state and local guidelines.

But the measures may not include a requirement for out-of-state workers to self-isolate for 14 days, as they would be notified was necessary if they traveled through an airport, according to Corps officials.

Brunson said workers are vetted but said the contractor, not the Corps, kept track of how many workers were from out of state. Efforts to reach the contractor were unsuccessful.

Columbus Mayor Esequiel Salas, whose town is near current construction, said it was his understanding that many of the workers were from the Las Cruces-El Paso area and other communities in southern New Mexico, including Columbus.

Salas said he has talked with the company doing the work and feels assured it is taking precautions.

They wouldnt want their workers taking the virus back home to their families, he told the Journal.

A camp had been under construction in the center of Columbus to house about 40 workers, Salas said. But an agreement was reached between the village and the contractor to move the camp out of the village, and the trailers were removed before workers moved in.

As of April 3, 151 miles of new primary or secondary border wall had been constructed nationally since January 2017. Of that, only two miles of primary wall and three miles of secondary wall have been built in places where a barrier previously existed.

CBP and the Army Corps of Engineers anticipate approximately 450 miles of new border wall to be complete or under construction by the end of 2020, Smith said.

Scott Turner: sturner@abqjournal.com
REDMOND  Hundreds of people came out to protest the governors stay-home order Friday evening as the sun beamed down on the plaza outside a shuttered Redmond City Hall.

Most ignored social distancing orders to remain at least six feet apart, a measure meant to slow the spread of the highly contagious novel coronavirus, COVID-19, which has killed 70 people in Oregon and thousands worldwide.

They shook hands.

They hugged.

They passed a microphone from speaker to speaker without cleaning it first.

Im concerned about our community, said rally organizer BJ Soper, who was first to speak. The overall consensus is, were struggling. Our life has become very hard, and its time to get back to work  How does it feel to be deemed nonessential? How does that make you feel? The way I see it, every dollar made is an essential part of our community.

Soper criticized Deschutes County District Attorney John Hummel, who on Thursday said police should ticket rally attendees for violating Gov. Kate Browns order.

Theres been a lot of concern about whether or not this was going to be deemed lawful tonight, and our lovely district attorney made a statement calling each and every one of us renegades for not thinking about the health and safety of our community, Soper said to loud cheers. And I gotta say the people gathered here today have every interest in the health and safety of our community because they want to live and move forward.

As Soper and the crowd settled into the call-and-response common at political rallies  booing at times, cheering at others  one woman said to herself, Oh, this is fun.

Some in the crowd wore clothing with political slogans, but otherwise, they resembled an average assortment of Redmond residents. Fewer than a dozen in the crowd of 200 to 300 people wore protective masks, and many of those were journalists covering the event. Some in the crowd seemed relieved to be outside the house.

Hummel wasnt alone in drawing ire. Speakers made no distinction between elected officials.

If we have to be out of work and out of money, they should be out of work and out of money, said speaker Dick Robertson.

After Soper spoke, he passed the microphone to anyone who wanted to speak. Some seemed comfortable in front of a crowd, others new to public speaking. Business owners spoke of hardships visited on them in recent weeks. They poked fun at Portland and said what works in denser areas wont work in Redmond. Some spoke openly of remaining open for business despite the order.

I should have brought my scissors, said a Bend salon owner. You all do look like you need haircuts.

Some urged the churches to open.

Since when are Christians afraid to go to church? one woman said.

As of Sunday, the state reported 64 positive tests for coronavirus in Deschutes County and no deaths linked to the contagious virus.

Despite Hummels call to cite attendees for unnecessary travel, Redmond Police officials said they would monitor from a distance and not write tickets for violating the governors order.

On Friday, if there was a police presence, it wasnt visible.

Also on Friday, The Statesman Journal reported that protesters circled the state Capitol in about 75 vehicles to protest the states stay-at-home order.

This article was originally published by The Bulletin in Bend, one of more than a dozen news organizations throughout the state sharing their coverage of the novel coronavirus outbreak to help inform Oregonians about this evolving health issue.
A court session was held on Sunday in the trial of Fariba Adelkhah, an academic detained in Iran, her lawyer told AFP, the second since her trial began.

Adelkhah, a specialist in Shiite Islam and a research director at Sciences Po university in Paris, was arrested in June 2019.

She is a citizen of Iran and France, but Tehran does not recognise dual nationality.

Adelkhah is accused of "propaganda against the system" and "colluding to commit acts against national security". Her trial started on March 3.

Sunday's session was held at branch 15 of Tehran's Revolutionary Court, lawyer Said Dehghan told AFP by telephone, and lasted for about two hours.

He describe it as "satisfactory" and raised hopes for Adelkhah's freedom, adding that he expected the court's decision within a week.

Adelkhah's French colleague and partner Roland Marchal, who was also detained in June 2019 while visiting her, was released in March in an apparent prisoner swap with France.

Dehghan said Adelkhah had been in "high spirits" since Marchal's release.

Marchal was freed after France released Iranian engineer Jallal Rohollahnejad, who faced extradition to the United States over accusations of violating sanctions placed on the Islamic republic.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Meghan Markle hasnt had an easy time adjusting to royal life. And as a result, she and Prince Harry have since exited the royal family. But Meghan did have a life prior to meeting Harry, and those who are closest to her have always said shes a genuine person. The duchess sweet relationship with her late grandmother makes that even more clear.

Meghan Markle | Max Mumby/Indigo/Getty Images

Meghan Markle has been negatively portrayed by much of the media

Ever since Meghan and Harry started dating, there have been problems between her and the media. Stories begun to circulate about Meghans troubled relationship with most of her family, which led the public to initially get a bad vibe from her. And then, as her relationship with Harry became more serious, the media only continued to pick out stories that would harm the duchess reputation.

The public began to read the stories about Meghan, and it made it very difficult for her to develop a good relationship with the United Kingdoms people.

The duchess close friends always had good things to say about her

Despite what the tabloids wrote, Meghans friends always stood by her. Though few of them have spoken out about the duchess (likely per the royal familys request), those who have talked about Meghan have only had good things to say. Meghan is close friends with actresses Jessica Mulroney and Priyanka Chopra, as well as athlete Serena Williams.

Another friend of Meghans, Janina Gavankar, told Daily Mail that the duchess hasnt changed since becoming a royal. She said that Meghan is amazing and still communicates with her friends over FaceTime whenever she can. And Jessica Mulroney has also spoken out before to defend the duchess when the tabloids become too cruel.

Meghans sweet relationship with her late grandmother proves her genuine nature

Meghan had a special relationship with her fathers mother, Doris, while she was growing up, according to Meghans estranged half-brother, Thomas Markle Jr. Markle, who has often had negative things to say about his sister, said that she cared deeply for Doris, who died in 2011.

Doris was living with dementia in a California nursing home, and Thomas told biographer Andrew Morton that the duchess spent as much time with their grandmother as she could  and that Doris would light up whenever she saw Meghan, despite having difficulty remembering who Thomas and his father were. Meghans close connection with her grandmother shows a side of her that people dont often see  a side that tends to go unreported by the media.

Harry and Meghan are trying to start over

Meghan and Harry have officially started a new chapter in their lives together. The two exited the royal family on March 31 and recently settled into a home in Malibu, California, with their son, Archie. Meghan has already worked with Disney on one movie project, and she and Harry just launched a new charity initiative called Archewell.

The duke and duchess seem to be enjoying life, though there have been rumors that Harry feels guilty and homesick about leaving the royal family. But time will tell how these two handle living across the pond on their own.
After feeling unwell with what seemed like symptoms of the coronavirus, Luis Arellano first tried going to a nearby hospital in Brooklyn, where he was told to come back if his condition worsened.

Days later, as his health deteriorated, his family took him to a New Jersey hospital. He waited eight hours, and after being told theyd have to wait another seven to nine hours, the family left, they said.

By the time Mr. Arellano, 65, was finally determined to be sick enough to be immediately admitted into a hospital, his body had already been ravaged by Covid-19, the disease caused by the coronavirus.

He died of cardiopulmonary arrest on April 5 after five days in the hospital. Two days before that, his virus test had come back positive.
The woman was taken to an area hospital where she was treated for a non life threatening wound, authorities said. All northbound lanes were closed for more than three hours as state police investigated the scene. A description of the gunmans vehicle wasnt immediately available.




Netflix Inc said on Friday it had made some documentary features and series, including Our Planet and Explained, available on the company's YouTube channel for free at the request of teachers.







The move comes as the coronavirus outbreak has forced educational institutions to shut down, and confined millions of students to their homes, compelling schools and colleges to tap virtual tools to keep the classes running.







The decision to make some content free on YouTube is a rare exception to Netflix's marketing strategy, which otherwise charges a monthly subscription fee from users to avail its services.







While the COVID-19 pandemic has driven an internet boom, boosting shares of Netflix, the company faces tightening competition from Apple TV+ and Disney+, which has attracted more than 50 million paid users globally.







"For many years, Netflix has allowed teachers to screen documentaries in their classrooms. However, this isn't possible with schools closed," the company said in a blog post https://media.netflix.com/en/company-blog/free-educational-documentaries, explaining the move.



(Reuters)


Taking a jibe at the arrest of actor Ajaz Khan and suspension of Rangoli Chandel's Twitter account, Congress leader Abhishek Manu Singhvi on Sunday said that the level of hatred among people is increasing. Amid Coronavirus crisis that has brought the nation to halt, Khan was arrested on Saturday for his alleged hate speech and Chandel's Twitter account was suspended on April 16 for her alleged hateful tweet against a community. Singhvi in his sarcastic tweet said that along with the Covid test, there should also be a test to find out the levels of poison in people.

READ | Abhishek Manu Singhvi lauds Rahul Gandhi's Covid VC; says PM Modi must follow him

READ | Congress' Singhvi issues first response; terms PM Modi's address 'amazing' but pokes holes

Ajaz Khan arrested

On Saturday, actor Ajaz Khan was arrested by the Mumbai Police. This comes after he allegedly made a communal statement during his Facebook Live interaction recently. Sections 153A,121,117,188,501,504 and 505(2) of the Indian Penal Code have been invoked in the FIR registered against Khan at the Khar Police station.

He had reportedly said, "If an ant dies, a Muslim is responsible, if an elephant dies, a Muslim is responsible. If there is an earthquake in Delhi, a Muslim is responsible, i.e a Muslim is responsible for any incident. But have you ever thought who is responsible for this conspiracy?"

READ | Actor Ajaz Khan arrested by Mumbai Police for his alleged communal remarks

Rangoli Chande's Twitter account deleted

Kangana Ranauts sister Rangoli Chandels Twitter account was suspended after celebrities reported her controversial tweet. Rangoli, who is also the manager of the National Award-winning actor, had suggested that a people of a particular community and secular media be shot. Her response was allegedly over the attack on doctors and medical workers in Uttar Pradeshs Moradabad on Wednesday.

READ | Rangoli Chandel's Twitter account suspended after celebrities flag controversial post
The Ambassador made the appeal at an online dialogue in Washington on April 16 chaired by Myron Brilliant, Executive Vice President of the US Chamber of Commerce (USCC).



The dialogue was also attended by ambassadors from Singapore, Malaysia, and Australia, the Indonesian Charge daffaires, and representatives of nearly 50 major US firms in finance, healthcare, pharmaceuticals, technology, and energy.







At the online dialogue (Photo: VNA)



Representatives from the USCC and US firms expressed a wish to accompany governments through public-private partnerships (PPPs) to tackle COVID-19 and bring production recovery plans to life after the pandemic has passed.



The Singaporean and Malaysian ambassadors and the Indonesian Charge daffaires affirmed their countrys support for regional cooperation initiatives raised by Vietnam in its role as ASEAN Chair 2020.



Ambassador Ngoc said that apart from the unprecedented challenges, COVID-19 has also helped to strengthen partnerships and international cooperation and Vietnam has played an active part in regional and global efforts to fight the pandemic.



As ASEAN Chair 2020, Vietnam has headed a range of important meetings and identified cooperation initiatives within ASEAN and between the bloc and its partners, he added.



The Ambassador also emphasized that with the efforts of both sides, Vietnam and the US have maintained the pace of their cooperation in all fields, especially healthcare, with the production of medical equipment and protective gear in Vietnam for export to the US being an example of effective collaboration.



Regarding Vietnams fight against COVID-19, Ambassador Ngoc said the Vietnamese Government and people are making every effort to complete the twin targets of fighting the virus and protecting public health while assisting economic and social sectors to overcome difficulties.



Economic stimulus packages have been introduced with the aim of leaving nobody behind, he added.



He used the occasion to call on US firms to further their investment in Vietnam and the region, in order to optimize opportunities after the pandemic is brought under control.



Patrick Kilbride, Senior Vice President of the Global Innovation Policy Center (GIPC) at the USCC, said US enterprises stand ready to engage in PPPs with governments in the production of pharmaceutical products and protective equipment as well as in communications activities in the fight against COVID-19./.
Chris Pratt is a funny guy. His fans who know him from Parks and Recreation may have known that about him for a while, but Pratt really only became famous afterwards.

Nowadays, Pratt is best-known for playing Star-Lord in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. This role has helped Pratt become the Hollywood star that he is today, and like any other comedians, he couldnt help but joke about it.

Heres what Chris Pratt had to say about himself after becoming famous from Marvel movies.

Is Chris Pratt the original Tiger King?

Chris Pratt | Jesse Grant/Getty Images for Disney

No. But he did say, jokingly, that he bought a tiger, according to CinemaBlend. This was all sourced from a Facebook post that Pratt made in jest. Like most things in comedy, while Pratt doesnt mean what he said literally, what hes saying likely comes from some truth.

As CinemaBlend said, Pratt went from being a supporting actor in a sitcom show to being one of the biggest Hollywood names out there. That has undoubtedly been a shock to his system. As Pratt said, among other things, I now have a certified aura translator on staff! (Glowing.) I got a yoga guy. An herb doctor. An alchemist whos working around the clock on formulas to turn my sweat into magic potion.

And, if you couldnt tell that Pratt was joking about what he said, he also said that People shout my name at the mall. They hand me babies and Im like, Oh, you want me to kiss this baby? Theyre like, No. I want you to keep it! With that said though, what Pratt said about Tesla actually has some truth to it.

Chris Pratt drives a Tesla

Pratt also said in his comedic post that, I got a Tesla. I got a Tesla for my Tesla. While Pratt almost certainly didnt buy a Tesla for his Tesla, he actually does drive a Tesla. Teslas are pretty popular in California these days, so its not that big of a deal when a celebrity drives a Tesla.

But, if you happen to live in Hollywood or if youre a paparazzi looking for pictures of Pratt and his family, then you will almost certainly see him driving a Tesla. For example, TMZ shot some video of Pratt trying to fit his sons new bike in his Tesla.

Unfortunately for him, the Tesla Model S that he seemed to be driving doesnt come with much cargo space. But, lucky for his son, Pratts wife had her SUV parked nearby, and her SUV had more than enough room to fit the bike.

Pratts always been an outdoorsy guy, as he even owns a ranch when he wants to escape from the Hollywood lifestyle. Its totally possible that Pratt will buy Teslas new Cybertruck since it would fit his needs very well. Not only is the Cybertruck environmentally friendly, but it also has more than enough space to fit a bike or two in its cargo hold.

Whats up next for Chris Pratt

Pratt seems to be really comfortable with his star status, and thats especially true in terms of working with Disney. Pratts latest movie was Onward, which has been released on Disney+ early due to the Coronavirus pandemic.

Due to that pandemic, a lot of Hollywood, Pratt included, are kind of just sitting and waiting until things get better. When things get better though, Pratt has Guardians of the Galaxy 3 that will be shooting in the future.

Another Marvel movie that Pratt may be part of will be the next Thor movie. There is some speculation that Star-Lord and the other Guardians of the Galaxy will be in Thor: Love and Thunder, but thats just speculation for now.
FILE PHOTO: The Wall Street sign is pictured at the New York Stock exchange (NYSE) in the Manhattan borough of New York City

By Lewis Krauskopf

NEW YORK (Reuters) - Investors gearing up for another week of corporate earnings may give more weight to the words of company executives than headline-grabbing numbers, as Wall Street seeks evidence that corporations can weather the uncertainty caused by the coronavirus pandemic.

Around a fifth of S&P 500 companies are expected to report results in the coming week, as investors digest a market surge that has lifted the S&P index 25% from its March lows as of Thursday. Those include major industrial, tech and consumer products companies, as well as streaming company Netflix, whose shares rose to a record high in the past week.

Estimates for first-quarter profits have worsened: Analysts expect overall S&P 500 profits to drop by 12.8%, according to IBES data from Refinitiv - a far steeper decline than the 4.7% drop projected as of April 1.

But how companies fare against those expectations may have little ultimate impact on their stock prices this time around.

"Its all about the commentary, its not about the numbers," said Carol Schleif, deputy chief investment officer at Abbot Downing.

Some of the companies reporting are among those worst hit by the pandemic's fallout. They include airlines - such as Delta Air Lines and Southwest Airlines - after major carriers this week agreed in principle to a $25 billion U.S. rescue package.

Investors will look for any clarity on how the pandemic has affected business and companies' ability to keep operating in the months ahead.

Earnings are expected to fall 13.6% in 2020 before rebounding 22.8% in 2021, according to Refinitiv.

"This is the time when you want to see the emergency plans for companies," said Rick Meckler, partner at Cherry Lane Investments in New Vernon, New Jersey. "For the vast majority of companies ... the question is, When do they anticipate reopening and how badly were they hurt by this?"

Graphic - S&P 500 earnings estimates for 2020, 2021: https://fingfx.thomsonreuters.com/gfx/mkt/dgkplemmvbx/SP%20500%202020%202021%20EPS%20graphic.jpg

Story continues

Another area of focus is likely to be whether companies can become fully operational and take steps such as rehiring workers once shutdowns begin to be lifted and parts of the U.S. economy reopen.

Its just trying to get tidbits of insight into what people are assuming about their business in the remainder of the year," said Walter Todd, chief investment officer at Greenwood Capital in South Carolina.

The market reaction to the past week's reports has been mixed. The S&P 500 banks index is down more than 15% so far this week following the quarterly reports from big banks such as JPMorgan Chase, Wells Fargo and Bank of America.

But shares of two bellwether healthcare companies, Johnson & Johnson and UnitedHealth Group, moved solidly higher following their respective results. The S&P 500 itself is up 0.3% for the week through Thursday after tallying its biggest weekly percentage gain last week since 1974.

Among the other companies on tap for next week: consumer giant Coca-Cola, chip stalwart Intel, defense company Lockheed Martin and wireless carrier Verizon.

The market's recent rally may be another wild card this earnings season.

While the S&P 500s bounce off its March lows has reflected a swell of confidence on the heels of unprecedented stimulus from the Federal Reserve and U.S. government, it may make investors more likely to sell shares of companies that report disappointing results.

"The big question right isnt how earnings are going to be  theyre going to be bad," said Chuck Carlson, chief executive officer at Horizon Investment Services in Hammond, Indiana. "The question from our standpoint is just how much the market has discounted that."

(Reporting by Lewis Krauskopf; Additional reporting by Caroline Valetkevitch; Editing by Ira Iosebashvili and Leslie Adler)
An armed man is dead after hijacking a bus and leading police on a chase and a shootout that injured two officers in the Dallas area Sunday morning.

Authorities received a call at 11 a.m. local time reporting that a man entered a bus and fired a weapon, shooting out several windows, according to a statement from Dallas Area Rapid Transit. The man is then alleged to have demanded that the DART bus driver take them to an undisclosed location.

A DART officer was reported to have been wounded in the leg and an officer from the Dallas suburb of Garland also sustained a non-life-threatening injury, the transit authority said.

Police in Garland began to chase the bus, and as officers neared, the man shot at them while leaning out the windows, according to NBC Dallas-Fort Worth.

Spikes were deployed on the bus, but the vehicle turned around and headed to Rowlett, another Dallas suburb, according to NBC Dallas-Fort Worth.

Image: DART bus hijacking near Dallas (NBC Dallas-Fort Worth)

The bus passed through multiple jurisdictions, including Richardson, Garland, Rowlett and Rockwall, while traveling on the President George Bush Turnpike.

It was in Rowlett where the pursuit ended, after spikes were laid down on the road to the area.

The suspect exchanged gunfire with police after leaving the bus and was pronounced dead at the scene, DART told NBC News in a statement.

The Rowlett Police Department did not immediately respond to a request for comment from NBC News.
By PTI

DUBAI: The Indian Embassy in the UAE is arranging alternative accommodations for Indian expatriates who currently live in shared houses in case any of them tests positive for COVID-19, according to a media report.

"We are trying to work with the Department of Health to see how we can create some facilities to help Indians who are living in clusters move out if any of them is found positive (for COVID-19), so that the spread of the disease is controlled," Indian Ambassador to the UAE Pavan Kapoor told the Khaleej Times.

The embassy has been distributing medicines and food.

"Some of our bachelors are in quarantine where they don't have access to food. Whether it's in the form of cooked food or kits to prepare food, we are going out of our way to help and reach out to all of you, with a lot of help from our volunteers and community associations," Kapoor was quoted by the daily.

He said repatriation flights would be arranged after the Indian government eased the travel ban.

The ambassador said the mission will work with the UAE authorities to plan smooth repatriation of Indians.

He said priority would be given to those who need to leave early.

Kapoor thanked local officials and medical staff and said the Indian mission would do its best to help the Indian community in the Gulf kingdom.

"These are difficult times. But I don't think there is a need to panic. In the UAE, we have some of the best facilities in the world," The Khaleej Times quoted the ambassador as saying.

He said Indian expatriates could write to ca.abudhabi@mea.gov.in.for medical assistance and call on 0508995583 for emergency services.

The novel coronavirus, which originated in China's Wuhan city last December, has claimed over 160,000 lives and infected over 3.7 million people across the world so far.

In the UAE, the virus has killed 37 people with 6,302 confirmed infections.
WASHINGTON - The national effort to get money to Americans is at risk of being overwhelmed by the worst economic downturn in 80 years, as understaffed and underfunded agencies struggle to deliver funds to all the people who need help.

Three weeks after Congress passed a $2 trillion package to lessen the economic impact of the coronavirus pandemic, millions of households and small businesses are still waiting to receive all the help promised under the legislation, according to government data and firsthand accounts.

The bulk of the challenges have occurred with three initiatives designed to get cash to struggling Americans: a $1,200 per adult relief program that launched this week, $349 billion in Small Business Administration loans, and $260 billion in weekly unemployment benefits for the more than 22 million people - and growing - out of work.

The SBA ran out of money to make small business loans this week, almost no unemployment aid has reached eligible self-employed and gig workers, and a significant number of Americans who were due to receive relief payments this week went on the IRS.gov website only to see a message that "payment status not available."

Current and former government officials say it would be a tall order for any president to execute massive new programs in a matter of weeks, and tens of millions of Americans did receive direct deposits worth $1,200 or more this week. But the Trump administration's promise of swift and effective action - President Donald Trump called the small business program "flawlessly executed" this week - is colliding with a federal and state apparatus not well designed to deliver so much money so fast.

The technological backbone to much of the relief - including the distribution of relief checks and the unemployment insurance system - is rooted in systems dating to the 1960s, requiring knowledge of programming languages not widely used in decades. An administration that had made little priority of keeping senior positions staffed, meanwhile, is struggling now to quickly implement one of the biggest government interventions in history.

If problems continue, it could leave people even less able to pay bills or buy groceries and further exacerbate the economic decline. Politically, it could be highly damaging to Trump, who is continuing to belittle his predecessor's record of managing complex government operations.

"Biden/Obama were a disaster in handling the H1N1 Swine Flu. Polling at the time showed disastrous approval numbers. 17,000 people died unnecessarily and through incompetence!" Trump tweeted Friday, adding "Also, don't forget their 5 Billion Dollar Obamacare website that should have cost close to nothing! "

The White House on Friday defended its rollout, saying of 80 million payments made this week, all but 1 percent reached their intended recipients. Trump on Friday called the initiative an "incredible success. "

"We couldn't be more proud of what we've done," Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin said Friday in an interview.

Still, a big test faces the administration as tens of millions of additional taxpayers are eligible for relief, and many of those without bank accounts or direct deposit information on file could face lengthy delays.

Among the problems taxpayers reported this week were payments being sent to incorrect bank accounts, failures to include $500 checks for children, and not getting money at all due to a technical glitch involving tax preparers.

For example, MetaBank, which serves tax preparers, received payments for 300,000 temporary bank accounts it uses for people who use an online tax service or accountant to pay their taxes. The bank sent them back to the IRS, which is now likely to issue paper checks. The IRS largely used 2018 taxpayer data, and some people have died or changed banks.

The IRS said it is aware of the problems, but is limited in what it can do to help. Taxpayers trying to sort out why they got an inaccurate check - or nothing at all when they qualified for a payment - are unable to communicate with the IRS. With the tax filing deadline delayed to July 15, the agency closed the last of its service centers - in Ogden, Utah - early last week, and the IRS had not been able to expand a pilot telework program for phone agents because of budget constraints, the agency said.

Americans were told to use the "Get My Payment" portal on the IRS website to check on the status of their payment and see if they need to input their bank account information. But many people who went on the portal received a message that the IRS doesn't know the status of their payment is. Or they were locked out of the website altogether.

"The IRS systems are still hard-coded," said John Koskinen, who was IRS commissioner from 2013 to 2017. "It's not just a keystroke to go into the code and make the change and hope you've made it correctly. When you set up a new portal like this, it requires you to get into some very old legacy systems."

The IRS uses a decades-old software and computer programming language called COBOL. The stimulus program has required multiple coding changes. The agency has at least 16 other databases with taxpayer information, none of which can communicate with the other.

The IRS raced to stand up the stimulus program with a depleted staff. Overall, the agency had 76,000 employees last June, down from 99,500 in 2010. Dozens of experts in the agency's legacy computer systems have left or retired, current and former officials said. Starting in 2011, Republicans in Congress have repeatedly sought cuts to the IRS budget.

"[The agency] didn't have the time to think about the outliers," said a senior IRS official familiar with the agency's technology operation who spoke on the condition of anonymity to be candid. "You've got two filing years. You've got divorced people. You've got people who've changed bank accounts. They simply couldn't account for every single scenario."

The IRS technology teams have been working remotely since the outbreak intensified. The IRS staff did manage to find a way to update the "Get My Payment" information once a day - an improvement over the usual once a week update to taxpayer information, two senior agency officials said.

"With tens of millions of payments, there are bound to be glitches," said Chi Chi Wu, an attorney at the National Consumer Law Center. "If you want to blame anybody, blame Congress for not adequately funding the IRS and forcing them to deal with antiquated computer systems."

Aneesh Chopra, the former chief technology officer for Obama, said the problems are deeply rooted in the government's failure to modernize.

"This is very much a reminder of what life had been like a decade ago," said Chopra. "The problems we highlighted then continue to permeate applications that are run at all levels of government."

The IRS isn't the only agency having challenges. The Treasury Department, undersecretary Steven Mnuchin, is working to oversee a sprawling rescue - including the IRS - even while its own senior ranks are depleted.

Treasury headed into the crisis with vacancies in more than half a dozen senior positions, some of whom would otherwise be playing key roles in processing the work, according to critics of the administration. Mnuchin does not have a chief of staff, for instance, or an undersecretary for domestic finance, a role responsible for monitoring large changes in the U.S. economy. Mnuchin strongly disputed in an interview that he had allowed for key vacancies in the Treasury Department, pointing to a long list of officials in key positions, and saying Congress should move faster to confirm his appointees. Treasury has two deputy chiefs of staff.

Mnuchin personally reviews department news releases and informational pages, while also interacting frequently with lawmakers, Federal Reserve officials, the SBA, foreign banking ministers, and banking institutions such as the World Bank and International Monetary Fund, according to the people in close contact. On top of that, Mnuchin was also intimately involved much of this week in crafting the federal rescue package for the federal airlines.

With Mnuchin personally absorbed in implementing the first major bailout package, the administration has not made progress on an additional congressional package that both parties believe is necessary to dramatically increase the size of the loan program for small businesses.

"People will say I'm a micromanager and involved in lots of details," Mnuchin said in an interview. "A lot of money has been allocated to us by Congress and I want to be involved in understanding the details."

He added, "If I'm a bottle neck, I'm happy I'm a bottleneck - getting a lot done."

Mnuchin was critical to sealing the deal over the stimulus last month, but in his absence progress another measure to expand funding for small businesses has been slow, according to multiple congressional aides. Mnuchin said in an interview he has continued to negotiate closely with Democrats this week on fixes to the small business program.

Democrats have demanded additional help for hospital workers and other concessions to increase small business lending. Republicans have resisted, though on Friday suggested a willingness to trade for more SBA funding.

The SBA has rapidly run out of money as businesses clamor for funds. The initial bill approved by Congress included about $349 billion in loans for the small business program, but within days it became clear the money would not last long, and the administration has already asked for an additional $250 billion.

As separate emergency loan program, meant as a bridge for small firms as they wait, was completely overwhelmed after receiving more than 3 million applications.

The unemployment safety net system, run by the Department of Labor and the states, has been equally deluged as more than 22 million Americans have been laid off or furloughed since Trump declared a national emergency on March 12.

Unemployment insurance is a federal program, but each state administers it for its residents. Many states were unprepared for the rush, which caused websites to crash repeatedly and people calling up to a hundred times a day to try to get through.

Many states have such outdated technology - which also rely on decades-old software - that their systems have struggled to make unemployment aid available for gig workers and self-employed workers who don't normally qualify for money but were made eligible by the new law.

"Our systems are barely keeping up with the overwhelming volume," said Phil Murphy, the governor of New Jersey, whose state has advertised a series of jobs recently seeking people proficient in old programming languages.

Florida has resorted to handing out paper applications and said this week it has a backlog of 850,000 applications. So far, the state has only sent money so far to 34,000 people.

Only four states - Iowa, Louisiana, Rhode Island and Texas - have actually started sending out any money to gig and contract workers, the Labor Department said.

Among those still waiting for their first check is Khalid Mahmood, 66, an Uber driver in Woodbridge, Virginia.

Mahmood had been driving for the ride-hailing company to supplement his Social Security income, which by itself isn't enough to cover his rent and other monthly bills, but had to stop as the coronavirus shuttered businesses statewide. Since then, he's tried and failed to obtain unemployment aid.

"No records found," Virginia's site keeps telling him

"Most of my friends who are Uber drivers, they have had no money since the day they stopped working," said Mahmood added, estimating they've been without a check for over a month now. "They are in a very bad situation."

But even people who don't have complicated situations aren't getting aid.

Michael McCleary a longtime hotel concierge worker at a prominent Washington, District of Columbia, hotel applied for unemployment insurance March 20. At first the system said he had "unresolved issue" and would be contacted if more information was needed. He called the office daily to try to fix it. On Thursday he waited on hold for nearly three hours only to be disconnected.

At 2 a.m. Friday morning, he logged into the portal again to realize he had finally been approved - a month after he applied.

"I'm monitoring my bank account to make sure it goes through. It should be a matter of days before I get a direct deposit," McCleary, 63, said. "There's just so much uncertainty."
The Indian Institute of Technology-Bombay (IIT-B) has requested its alumni in Sweden to help six students, from four IITs, who are stuck there owing to the international lockdown due to the ongoing Covid-19 pandemic. The students had gone for a semester exchange programme. The students are from IIT-B, Madras, Delhi and Roorkee and are currently residing in Stockholm, Sweden. They are running out of money as well as accommodation facilities,said Subhasis Chaudhuri, director, IIT-B. Chaudhuri has requested alumni of all IITs in Sweden to help these stranded students in any way possible.

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Re: Alternate revenue streams for automobile companies?



So unless automobile companies were into such unrelated business areas, there is no way alternative revenue sources would have helped automobile companies. Making soaps and shampoos seems to be a simple enough business, but existing players are so entrenched that new entrants will find it impossible to make money. Eg: ITC wanted to derisk its cigarettes business and hence got into manufacturing and sales of shampoos, handwash, bodywash, biscuits, noodles, Atta and so on. But even after a decade, this business is still not consistently profitable for ITC - despite pouring thousands of crores into this business.



So let's get "covid-19 loss of business" problem out of the way. There is no solution for that. But does it still make sense for automobile companies to look for alternative source of income, to tide over cyclical nature of automobile business or to generate additional profits? Absolutely! And there are lots of automobile companies that do it.



BRANDED MERCHANDISE:



This lifestyle automobile brands can generate extra revenues via branded merchandise sales. Eg: Harley Davidson and Royal Enfield (for riding gear) and Mahindra Thar (for off-road gear)







FINANCE BUSINESS:



Most cars, bikes and trucks are bought on finance. In addition to this, car dealership needs finance for keeping inventory. So many automobile companies have their own finance divisions - Ford Credit, VW finance, BMW finance, Bajaj Finance, M&M Finance and so on. Article on Ford's finance business:



Ford's lending arm generates more profit than ever

https://www.autonews.com/finance-ins...re-profit-ever

Quote: Ford Credit posted its best results in nine years, with 2019 earnings before taxes of $3 billion, up 14 percent from 2018. Ford Credit is designed to perform a relatively simple task: make loans to the dealers stocking vehicles and the consumers who buy them. Now, Ford is relying on its finance unit to help fund multibillion-dollar outlays on electric and self-driving vehicles.







However, finance business is fraught with risk because NBFCs have to take a loan from bank at, say 10% pa and offer loans to customers at 12% or 15% pa. During financial crisis, it is likely that some of the loans will not be paid back. GM and Chrysler finance business was shutdown during the 2009 Great Recession.



DIVERSIFICATION INTO RELATED BUSINESSES:



Almost every major player in the automobile industry is involved in related businesses. A few examples:



- Manufacture of components and spare parts

- Truck maker getting into car business or defence business

- Car maker getting into two wheelers and vice versa

- Leasing and used car business

- Tesla leveraging its technology to make solar roof panels









Indian automobile companies too have diversified into related businesses -



- Maruti sells used cars under True Value' Brand

- Tata Motors started off as a truck maker, but now makes UVs, mainstream and luxury cars

- M&M owns 150 companies across 11 sectors including software, finance, aerospace, boats, defence, two wheelers, automobile components, real estate, hotels, tractors, commercial vehicles and passenger vehicles.

- Eicher makes commercial vehicles and two wheelers (Royal Enfield)

- Ashok Leyland makes CVs and defence vehicles.

- Bajaj Auto has taken a different path to diversification. They are focused on bikes, but diversified across geographies. 60% of their sales come from exports to Asia, Latin America and Africa

- Hero Motocorp's promoters own auto component companies like

- TVS Motors is part of To begin with, almost all businesses - including aircraft engines, white goods and branded T-shirts/caps/pens - have been hit badly. Only companies that make detergents, packaged food and medicines or those involved in essential services retail stores, farming or mining are running operations normally.So unless automobile companies were into such unrelated business areas, there is no way alternative revenue sources would have helped automobile companies. Making soaps and shampoos seems to be a simple enough business, but existing players are so entrenched that new entrants will find it impossible to make money. Eg: ITC wanted to derisk its cigarettes business and hence got into manufacturing and sales of shampoos, handwash, bodywash, biscuits, noodles, Atta and so on. But even after a decade, this business is still not consistently profitable for ITC - despite pouring thousands of crores into this business.So let's get "covid-19 loss of business" problem out of the way. There is no solution for that. But does it still make sense for automobile companies to look for alternative source of income, to tide over cyclical nature of automobile business or to generate additional profits? Absolutely! And there are lots of automobile companies that do it.This article seems to indicate that Ferrari merchandise accounts for 20% of overall sales. Ferrari or Porsche merchandise sells because these are luxury brands and have the desirability factor. Now this does NOT mean mainstream brands like Suzuki or Hyundai can make and sell branded pots and pans. However,automobile brands can generate extra revenues via branded merchandise sales. Eg: Harley Davidson and Royal Enfield (for riding gear) and Mahindra Thar (for off-road gear)Most cars, bikes and trucks are bought on finance. In addition to this, car dealership needs finance for keeping inventory. So many automobile companies have their own finance divisions - Ford Credit, VW finance, BMW finance, Bajaj Finance, M&M Finance and so on. Article on Ford's finance business:Closer home, Bajaj Finance was originally part of Bajaj Auto and were primarily into financing two-wheelers. But they split the business a few years back and Bajaj Finance charted its own success story. And now they finance everything from automobiles to cell phones to pressure cookers. In FY19, Bajaj Finance had a revenue of Rs. 17,000 crores and a profit of Rs. 3,900 crores. They are now almost as big as Bajaj Auto (Rs. 30,000 cr revenues, Rs. 5,000 cr profits)However, finance business is fraught with risk because NBFCs have to take a loan from bank at, say 10% pa and offer loans to customers at 12% or 15% pa. During financial crisis, it is likely that some of the loans will not be paid back. GM and Chrysler finance business was shutdown during the 2009 Great Recession.Almost every major player in the automobile industry is involved in related businesses. A few examples:- Manufacture of components and spare parts- Truck maker getting into car business or defence business- Car maker getting into two wheelers and vice versa- Leasing and used car business- Tesla leveraging its technology to make solar roof panelsIndian automobile companies too have diversified into related businesses -- Maruti sells used cars under True Value' Brand- Tata Motors started off as a truck maker, but now makes UVs, mainstream and luxury cars- M&M owns 150 companies across 11 sectors including software, finance, aerospace, boats, defence, two wheelers, automobile components, real estate, hotels, tractors, commercial vehicles and passenger vehicles.- Eicher makes commercial vehicles and two wheelers (Royal Enfield)- Ashok Leyland makes CVs and defence vehicles.- Bajaj Auto has taken a different path to diversification. They are focused on bikes, but diversified across geographies. 60% of their sales come from exports to Asia, Latin America and Africa- Hero Motocorp's promoters own auto component companies like Munjal Auto and Munjal Showa - TVS Motors is part of TVS group conglomerate. Last edited by SmartCat : 17th April 2020 at 12:20 .
That Kenya's foreign affairs Principal Secretary Macharia Kamau is a man with fast fingers and quirky views on pertinent issues affecting the country cannot be gainsaid.

He has made several shocking and casual presentations to the public when handling serious matters of national and even international concern.

READ ALSO: Ken Walibora: Autopsy report shows late author had stab wound on right hand

Foreign Affairs PS Kamau Macharia. Photo: Kamau Macharia.

Source: UGC

READ ALSO: Eldoret: Ruto's supporters burn national newspaper over story indicating DP is lonely, powerless

Whenever he gets hold of the microphone, Kamau who has been at the helm of Kenya's diplomatic engagements and the United Nations (UN) system for more than three decades, cuts the image of a distinguished diplomat and son of a former PCEA cleric.

When he appeared before the Parliamentary Committee on Defence and Foreign Relations on April 15, the diplomat, in full glare of cameras, told the country that Kenyans stranded in China were "crybabies" and the government would not charter flights to bring them back home.

That was not enough, the ambassador added that those who had been kicked out of their rental houses and forced to spend cold nights on streets had violated social distancing policy and other safety measures imposed by the Chinese government.

While many were still pondering about his insensitive utterances, the diplomat pulled another one: "Ndege sio matatu ya kuruka hapa an pale ikisanya watu". (A plane is not like a matatu that can move from one place to another collecting people).

He told the committee that there were three million Kenyans living abroad and that evacuating even a fraction of them, for instance, 30,000 people, would not only be costly but also impractical.

Our planes will have to criss-cross the globe. Just imagine bringing 30,000 people back. Do we even have the quarantine facilities?

Those asking us to send planes, should know that it is difficult. Some Kenyans are Hungary, some in China, others in Italy. That means planes will be hovering all over the world. Ndege sio matatu bwana (A plane is not a matatu),  said Kamau.

He lambasted those who were lamenting about mistreatment in China claiming they were youths who were crying foul after failing to adhere to safety measures in the foreign country.

"Hii ni kelele ya vijana tu nawaambia...wanaenda kwa mtandao na kutumia nyinyi wabunge mambo ya Luongo (These are youths making noise on social media and sending you false information), he charged.

The renowned environmentalist even laughed off the whole idea of airlifting Kenyan nationals back home reminding the MPs that most of them would not even show up.

He claimed they had a bad experience with some 300 citizens who were complaining about frustrations in Arabic states but when they were asked to aboard an Emirates plane back home, only 13 showed up.

The other day, an Emirates plane was coming to Nairobi and there were over 300 people shouting on social media, evacuate us, we are ready to pay. When the time came, only 13 agreed to pay. Only 13," the PS told the committee.

As if he was totally unaware of the difficult situation his compatriots were facing, ranging from going a day without food to sleeping on streets in a foreign land, Kamau said he would be a happy man if such people paid for their travel expenses back home.

"I'd be the happiest person if there were people out there who would want to come back and pay for themselves," he said.

To sum up his presentation on the topic Kamau told the committee: "Chairman, truthfully, evacuation is not a viable option. I am sorry.

Two days later, perhaps after netizens trooped to social media to call out the government for ignoring the plight her citizens were facing in China and other foreign countries, the foreign affairs ministry announced it would facilitate the return of Kenyans who would be ready to cater for their own travel and quarantine expenses.

The statement was not only a mockery to the stranded compatriots but also a show of how our government is out of touch with the reality her citizens within and without the country are facing.

How do you ask a person who is sleeping on an empty stomach on cold walking lanes in Asia or even his devastated family back in Kenya to raise KSh 100, 000 to meet travel and quarantine expenses in his own country?

As Amani National Congress (ANC) Party Leader Musalia Mudavadi said, the KSh 1 billion raised by well-wishers to support the fight against COVID-19 can be used help Kenyans who are stuck in foreign countries back home.

To PS Kamau, even if what we are asking for is too much, costly and impractical, just save us from your verbal invective.

The writer is Masolo Mabonga, a journalist and regular commentator on socio-economic and political issues affecting Kenya and by extension the East African Community (EAC).

The views expressed in this opinion article are his and do not represent the position of 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.

Three Kenyans great invention that will fight covid-19 | Tuko TV.

Source: TUKO.co.ke
Afghans Among Unaccompanied Children Evacuated From Greek Refugee Camps To Germany

By RFE/RL April 18, 2020

A group of 47 unaccompanied children evacuated from refugee camps in Greece arrived in Germany on April 18, German officials said.

The children come from Afghanistan, Syria, and Eritrea. Four are girls and there are several siblings among the group. Some of them have families waiting for them in Germany.

They were previously housed at refugee camps on the Greek islands of Lesbos, Samos, and Chios that have been criticized by rights activists as unsuitable for children.

Germany's Interior Ministry said the children arrived in Hanover, Germany early on April 18 on a flight from Athens.

The ministry said they were all tested for the coronavirus before departure and would remain in a two-week quarantine before moving on to other parts of Germany.

Germany's interior minister, Horst Seehofer, said the evacuation was "the result of months of preparation and intense talks with our European partners."

Seehofer expressed hope that other countries would also begin taking in refugee children soon.

"The Greek government has been trying to sensitize other EU countries to the plight of the young children, who have fled war and persecution, to find new families and start a new life," Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotsakis told reporters at the Athens airport where he met the departing children.

"I'm glad this program is finally being implemented," Mitsotsakis said, adding that he hopes more than 1,500 children would be relocated from Greek refugee camps during the coming months.

Germany pledged in March to take in at least 350 children living in Greek refugee camps as part of a joint European effort.

But the plan has stalled in some countries due to the pandemic.

The flight to Germany was the second airplane that carried unaccompanied refugee children to another European country. On April 15, 12 children traveled from Greece to Luxembourg.

Stephane Dujarric, the spokesman for the United Nations Secretary-General, said in early April that there were more than 5,200 unaccompanied asylum-seeking children in Greece.

Dujarric said the children were "in urgent need of durable solutions, including expedited registration, family reunification, and relocation."

With reporting by Reuters and AP

Source: https://www.rferl.org/a/afghans-among- unaccompanied-children-evacuated-from-greek- refugee-camps-to-germany/30562864.html

Copyright (c) 2020. RFE/RL, Inc. Reprinted with the permission of Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, 1201 Connecticut Ave., N.W. Washington DC 20036.

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Coronavirus death toll has reached 507 in India, while total confirmed cases have touched 15,712. The latest Ministry of Health data suggests Maharashtra tops the tally with 3,651 cases and 211 deaths, followed by Delhi at 1,893 cases and 42 deaths. While the country has entered the second phase of lockdown after April 14, there are no signs of flattening of the COVID-19 curve so far. India, however, is less affected compared to nations like the United States, Italy, Spain and China.

While the number of active COVID-19 cases stood at 12,974, as many as 2,230 people have been cured and discharged, and one had migrated, it said. The total number of cases includes 77 foreign nationals. Tamil Nadu has reported 15 deaths so far, while Andhra Pradesh and Uttar Pradesh have reported 15 and 14 fatalities each. Punjab and Karnataka have reported 13 and 14 deaths, respectively. Rajasthan has registered 11 deaths while West Bengal has reported 12 deaths fatalities.

Also read: Coronavirus: India plugs loophole in Chinese 'opportunistic takeover' of firms; govt nod must

Five persons have lost their lives in Jammu and Kashmir while Kerala and Haryana have recorded three deaths each. Jharkhand and Bihar have reported two deaths each. Meghalaya, Himachal Pradesh, Odisha and Assam reported one fatality each, according to the health ministry's data updated today.

The pandemic and consequent lockdown have hit various sectors, including MSME, hospitality, civil aviation, agriculture and allied sector. As per the World Bank's latest assessment, India is expected to grow 1.5 per cent to 2.8 per cent. Similarly, the IMF has projected a GDP growth of 1.9 per cent for India in 2020, as the global economy hits the worst recession since the Great Depression in the 1930s.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi last week reviewed the impact of COVID-19 on the Indian economy, and speculations are rife that the government could come up with a possible second stimulus to boost sectors hit hard by the pandemic.

Also read: Coronavirus India Live Updates: 15,712 cases in India; Maharashtra tops list with 3,651 cases
Iranian vessels encountered US military ships on Wednesday, actions that US claimed were dangerous and provocative.

Irans Revolutionary Guards have rejected the US account of an encounter between the two sides navy in the Gulf, calling it a Hollywood tale after the US Department of Defence accused Tehran of dangerous and provocative actions.

According to the US, the Iranian ships approached six US military ships while they were conducting integration operations with Army helicopters in international waters on Wednesday.

At one point, the Iranian vessels came within 10 yards of the US Coast Guard cutter Maui, it said.

Following several warnings, including blasts from the ships horns and long-range acoustic noise by the US ships, the Iranian ships left after about an hour, the US Departments statement added.

BREAKING: 11 Iranian #IRGCN vessels repeatedly conducted dangerous & harassing approaches against U.S. naval ships operating in international waters of North Arabian Gulf. U.S. crews took actions deemed appropriate to avoid collision. Details: https://t.co/ZVKPKv738o pic.twitter.com/lKJgDz0l2N  U.S. Navy (@USNavy) April 15, 2020

On Sunday, Irans Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) said in a statement that the US Navy has presented an incorrect and agenda-fuelled narrative of this encounter and labelling the US account as a Hollywood tale.

We advise the Americans to follow international regulations and maritime protocols in the Gulf and the Gulf of Oman and to refrain from any adventurism and false and fake stories, the statement added.

The IRGC accused the US of blocking the path of Iranian ship Shahid Siavoshi on April 6 and 7 with dangerous behaviour while ignoring warnings.





In response, the IRGC increased maritime patrols, the statement said, and encountered US warships on April 15.

Tension between the two countries have risen since the US withdrew from a landmark nuclear deal and reimposed sanctions on Iran in 2018.

The escalation seemed to reach a breaking point when Washington killed IRGC top commander Major General Qassem Soleimani in a Baghdad drone attack in January.

Earlier this month, an Iranian official called US President Donald Trump more dangerous than coronavirus saying moves to block vital medical supplies to fight coronavirus from reaching Iran was tantamount to crimes against humanity.
Comedian Dave Hughes has encouraged people who have lost their jobs to 'get on the dole' amid the coronavirus crisis.

Speaking to the Sun Herald this week, the 49-year-old comedian said people shouldn't feel embarrassed about needing help in troubled times.

'Don't be shy to bloody get on the dole, make the most of the government resources we have,' Dave said, adding he was on the helpful handout from ages, 20 to 27.

Use it: Comedian Dave Hughes, 49, (pictured) has urged people to not be ashamed of seeking the 'dole' amid the coronavirus crisis in an interview with the Sun Herald this weekend

The stand-up comic did however say he was lucky to still have radio and TV gigs at the moment.

'I'm complaining about not being able to do stand-up comedy, but I'm lucky I've got the radio and TV as well,' he added.

'There are a lot of comedians who don't have anything. I'm certainly encouraging them to get on the dole rather than borrow money off me,' Dave joked.

'Don't be shy to bloody get on the dole, make the most of the government resources we have,' Dave said, adding he was on the handout from ages, 20 to 27. Here: As host of his show

Dave has been open about being on Centrelink for a number of years while he was an up-and-coming comedian.

Speaking in response to derogatory remarks to by Sunrise star Nat Barr in August last year, Dave was quick to defend dole bludgers on his Hit Network Drive show Hughesy and Kate.

'I spent the better half of the 90s on the dole, and you have to be active or they cut you off!' the radio host explained.

Income: The stand-up comic then said he was lucky to still have radio and TV gigs. Here on Channel Ten's Hughesy: We Have A Problem

Dave was joined in the studio by Studio 10's Denise Scott, who also shared her extensive experience with the welfare system.

'I'm here to say for six-to-seven years I was on the dole,' Dave declared, illustrating that both he and Denise were examples of former dole recipients becoming 'success stories'.

'I was on a dole for a short amount of time in my early 20s,' Denise confessed, before adding: 'I'm proud to say that we were on the dole as a family.'

'I'm proud to say that we were on the dole as a family': Dave (R) was joined in the studio by Studio 10's Denise Scott(L), when they discussed the dole last year on his radio show

Dave has had a colourful employment history since graduating from Christian Brothers' College, Warrnambool in 1988.

He went on to study information technology at Swinburne University in Melbourne, before going on to study accounting at Deakin University.

He dropped out of the degree to establish a career in comedy, with him doing a number of odd jobs including working in an abattoir and as a shop assistant.
CLEVELAND, Ohio  A man and a woman are dead, and another woman suffered injuries after someone opened fire into an SUV that also contained two children.

Cleveland police responded about 12:30 a.m. to the 3100 block of West 31st Street, south of Clark Avenue in the citys Clark-Fulton neighborhood, Cleveland police spokeswoman Sgt. Jennifer Ciaccia said.

The Cuyahoga County Medical Examiners Office identified the two killed as Michael E. Cruz, 29, and Erneasha Swift, 24, both of Cleveland.

Officers found Cruz in the drivers seat of a Nissan SUV with a gunshot wound to his head. Swift was in the passenger seat. Both were pronounced dead at the scene, Ciaccia said.

Swifts children  ages 5 and 1  were also in the SUV at the time of the shooting, Ciaccia said. They were not injured.

An unidentified 29-year-old woman in the back seat of the SUV suffered a severe head injury, possibly a gunshot wound, and paramedics took her to MetroHealth for treatment, Ciaccia said. Police did not release her condition as of Sunday morning.

Investigators at the scene learned that a dark-colored SUV drove past the Nissan SUV and opened fire before speeding off, Ciaccia said. Police have not said whether there is a suspect in the shooting. No arrests were made as of Sunday morning.

Cleveland homicide detectives continue to probe the case. Anyone with information that could assist the investigation should call 216-623-5464.

More Northeast Ohio crime news:

Some Ohio communities see 90-percent drop in traffic tickets after Gov. Mike DeWine issued stay-at-home coronavirus order

Man dead, woman injured in shooting in Clevelands Broadway-Slavic Village neighborhood, police say

Growing old on death row: Age-related health concerns could impact executions in Ohio
Daniel Cole/AP

When Janet Mendez first got off the ventilator, she had no idea who she was.

[The hospital staff] kept calling me Maria, she told The Daily Beast. I said, OK, thats my name.

Except, of course, it wasnt. Maria is her mother, who had been anxiously calling Mount Sinai in upper Manhattan every day since her 33-year-old daughter was hospitalized with COVID-19. Somewhere along the way, the staff had misplaced Mendezs ID tagmaybe theyd never given her one at alland mixed up her name with her mothers. After 10 days in the intensive care unit, Mendez was too confused to correct them.

Mendez is one of the lucky onespart of the minority of novel coronavirus patients who require mechanical breathing and still make it out of the hospital alive. She is recovering quickly, and one Mount Sinai doctor described her as a success. But for many patients like her, getting out of the ICU is only half the battle.

Theres surviving and there's returning to your normal life, Mekeleya Yimen, a critical care physician at Mount Sinai, told The Daily Beast. Thats not always possible.

A Coronavirus ICU Nurse on Dying Alone Behind Sliding Glass Doors

Decades of research shows many of the sickest ICU patients will never return to their former selves. An ailment called Post-Intensive Care Syndrome (PICS) causes cognitive, physical, and psychological problems in up to 80 percent of all critical-care survivors. About a third never return to work.

Now physicians say they are witnessing many of these effects in COVID-19 survivors, at a scale theyve never seen before. And some are not sure were ready for the influx of ICU survivors this crisis will bring.

I believe and I feel this with every part of me, that the same way there's been a surge in need for hospital beds, there's going to be a surge in need for rehab beds, said Miguel Escalon, the vice chair of the rehabilitation department at Mount Sinai. The question is, how will the system step up to meet this?

Story continues

Of the hundreds of thousands of Americans projected to contract the coronavirus, a small percentage will require hospitalization. An even smaller percentage will require care in the ICUoften because of a lung condition called acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS). Many of them will require mechanical breathing devices called ventilators to keep them alive.

The confusion Mendez felt coming off of the ventilator is common for patients with extended ICU staysso common it has a name: ICU delirium. The extreme stress of critical illness on the body, combined with the sedative drugs and the foreign surroundings of the ICU, leave many people feeling confused and disoriented, occasionally plagued by memories of things that never happened.

Mendez says she spent 10 days on the ventilator thinking she was a character in the Netflix show On My Block. Her imagined exploits on the show felt real, but everything happening in real life felt like a dream. When she finally came to, the hospital wing was covered in Christmas decorations. She assumed shed been in a coma for almost a year, until a nurse told her they were only an April Fools prank.

According to the Society of Critical Care Medicine, between 30 and 80 percent of ICU survivors struggle with some sort of cognitive impairment after their stay. A year after being released from the ICU, a third of patients have cognitive test scores consistent with someone who suffered a traumatic brain injury, like a car crash. A quarter have test scores in the range of mild Alzheimers.

Others will suffer from lasting mental health effects. Almost a third of all ICU survivors show clinically important symptoms of depression, and a quarter show signs of Post-Traumatic Stress Disordernightmares, flashbacks, fear of going back to the doctor. A study of ARDS survivors found that a third were never able to return to work.

We talk about physical cognitive and mental health, but it becomes very understandable to everyone when you talk about not returning to work and the lost income, said Dale Needham, medical director of the critical care and rehabilitation program at Johns Hopkins Hospital. The impact that this has not just on the patient but their entire family is profound.

While its too early to know the lasting effects of COVID-19 on survivors, doctors told The Daily Beast these patients often awoke confused and disoriented, with no idea what happened to them. Benjamin Seidel, a rehabilitation physician at Burke Hospital in New York, said some of his patients had noticeably different MRI results compared to when they were admitted.

"Some of these COVID patients that we see, if I get my neurologic expert therapist to evaluate them, they say, This person must have had a brain injury, said Kyle Ridgeway, an inpatient acute physical therapist at University of Colorado Hospital. For those who have been in the ICU for weeks, he said, this is going to be a life-altering situation for them.

Generally, the level of impairment depends on how healthy the patient was before they entered the ICU and how long they had to stay there. But some coronavirus patients who were not admitted to the ICU still show signs of severe mental distress, according Sean Smith, a rehabilitation physician at the University of Michigan.

A lot of these patients are pretty mentally shaken up, he said. I think [overarching] all of this is going to be some element of PTSD for the patientsand for the doctorswho were in the emergency rooms and ICUs.

For Mendez, the cognitive issues ended mercifully fast. A born-and-bred New Yorker, she said she remembered her name as soon as someone reminded her what street she was on. The minute they told me it was 114th, I said, Hey Im close to the house! she recalled. Later, she entertained herself and stayed sharp by counting, multiplying and dividing the ceiling tiles above her bed.

But regaining her physical bearings was another story. A formerly healthy 33-year-old, Mendez could not even sit up on her own when she first woke up. Her first taskmoving from her bed to a chairmade her feel dizzy and required an oxygen mask. It took her four days to muster the strength to walk to the bathroom on her own; even then, using it on her own was beyond her ability. She took a three-hour nap the first time she tried.

Janet Mendez suffered from ICU delirium after being disconnected from the ventilator. Courtesy Janet Mendez

The experience tracks with what many physicians have seen in their post-ICU coronavirus patients. Every doctor who spoke with The Daily Beast said their patients showed significant muscle loss, reduced lung capacity, and decreased endurance. Some of the most severe patients suffered a temporary paralysis called neuropathy in their hands, feet or limbs.

Ridgeway said what struck him about COVID-19 patients compared to other ARDS survivors was their profound exhaustion. Some of his more muscular patients still struggled to stand for more than 30 seconds without getting fatigued.

Not an insignificant proportion of them really do feeleven if their oxygen is stablethey just feel profoundly short of breath, especially if they're trying to exert, he said. And for some of these patients, trying to exert is sitting up to the side of the bed.

While most of the coronavirus patients who require rehabilitation are older, Ridgeway said he had treated patients in their thirties and forties, some of whom were unable to walk when they entered his care. Heidi Engel, an intensive care physical therapist at the University of San Francisco, described a man in his fifties who caught the virus while on an active outdoors vacation. It took the man a week to relearn how to walka progression Engel described as surprisingly fast.

For many of these patients, there is a psychological burden in suddenly waking up with a body that cannot do what it used to. Engel said shed seen several patients try to walk and fall, forgetting that their legs could not support them.

I spend a lot of time explaining to people, You have this new body youre inheriting, she said. Youre a fragmented person, and you need to now start to bring all these fragmented pieces back together.

Between 30 and 80 percent of ICU survivors struggle with some sort of cognitive impairment after their stay. Omar Marques/Getty

Bringing these patients back together is hard to begin with, and even harder when theyre on the heels of a highly contagious virus. Responsible disease prevention requires limiting how many people are exposed to the patient, meaning therapists sometimes dont get in the room with their patients at all. Ridgeway said hed started treating some patients through a window in the hospital, with a nurse inside the room to help the patient move.

At Burke, Seidel said they are no longer using shared equipment like treadmills with COVID-positive patients, instead making due with whatever props can be left in the patient's room. When a therapist does make it into the room, they are decked out in head-to-toe personal protective equipment, which makes hands-on treatment difficult. When youre basically wearing a hazmat suit it becomes a little more difficult to do some of the therapies, he said.

At some hospitals in New York City, the epicenter of the disease, inpatient rehab floors have been entirely repurposed into beds for coronavirus patients. At Mount Sinai, rehabilitation doctors are making rounds as general medicine doctors. And at NYU Langone, a rehab physician said he was sending patients home sooner than hed like, simply because the hospital was not considered safe.

The constraints left a number of doctors worried about how their patients would fare long-term.

The focus has shifted from usual care to emergency care, meaning things like physical therapy and rehabilitation are taking a back seat, rightfully so, to oxygen status and things like that, said Smith from the University of Michigan. But you suffer when you do that. There are patients that arent going to get out of bed.

Still, most of the doctors agreed they hadn't seen the worst of the crisis yet. That will come after the surge in hospitalizations has flattened, and more recovered patients start flooding rehabilitation centers and floors. In New York, where hospitalizations have fallen in the last few days, that could be coming sooner rather than later.

Long-term rehabilitation centers in the state, which take patients who are ready to leave the hospital but not strong enough to go home, are already struggling with the same constraints as major hospitals. Brian Im, a rehabilitation doctor at NYU Langone, said some long-term centers are running with limited personal protective gear and less than half the usual number of staff, making him think twice about where to send his patients.

You have an already stretched-thin system now reduced beyond that, he said. You can just see the safety and the ability to care for patients is severely limited.

At the same time, home health aides are reluctant to visit former coronavirus patients in their houses, and many outpatient physical therapy clinics are closed for the foreseeable future. Even after the pandemic ends, the national shortage in home-care workers and physical therapists could make it difficult to treat everyone who needs help.

Needham, who has studied PICS for years at Johns Hopkins, said many of these workers will have to be trained in how to treat critical illness survivors, rather than the survivors of heart attacks or brain injuries they are used to.

Because of COVID, we now have this massive influx of critically ill patients, he said. We need to think about the survivorship wave were going to face.

Mendez appears to be on her way to a full recovery. When she finally made it home, it was in an ambulance. After 10 days of recuperation in the hospital, she still cannot get around without a walker. The hospital had to send her home in an ambulance because she couldnt manage the subway stairs..

Mendez said she plans to return to work as an office administrator at Dominos when she can walk on her own, but doesnt know when that will be.

It took a toll on my body, she said of the virus. Right now, I'm like a newborn trying to walk again.

For some reason, Mendez still hasnt regained her sense of tastea bitter pill for the daughter of a chef, who has a passion for Italian food. Shes also struggling with another problem: her hair. After nearly a month of not showering in the hospital, it took her two hours at home to get knots out of her curls. At this point, shes thinking of cutting it all off and starting again.

"I'm in quarantine anyway, she said. Nobodys going to see me.

Read more at The Daily Beast.

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The corporate raider stalking Barclays is set to launch a major new offensive against Jes Staley over the bank boss's ties to convicted paedophile Jeffrey Epstein.

The Mail on Sunday can reveal that Edward Bramson  the New York financier who owns 5.5 per cent of Barclays  has hired an influential advisory firm to canvass opposition to Staley ahead of next month's annual meeting.

Lobbying firm Georgeson, hired by Rupert Murdoch in the takeover battle for Sky, has started asking Barclays' investors whether they will support Staley's re-election. Bramson has called on shareholders to withhold their support for Staley as chief executive when they start voting on his re-election to the board on Monday.

In the firing line: Jes Staley maintained ties with Jeffrey Epstein seven years after the influential financier was convicted of soliciting a child for prostitution

He said investors should not compromise their 'moral standards' after it emerged that Staley maintained ties with Epstein seven years after the influential financier was convicted of soliciting a child for prostitution.

Sources said many of Barclays' top shareholders have so far failed to express any opinion on how the episode reflects on Staley. Investors appeared keener to discuss a climate change agenda from pressure group Share Action.

Last week, it emerged that Bramson had stopped short of calling for Staley's complete removal due to fears it could destabilise the bank in the middle of the coronavirus crisis.

But the MoS understands he is to continue his campaign for Staley's eventual removal. Staley came to know Epstein well while acting as his private banker at JP Morgan between 2000 and 2013. He visited Epstein during his 13-month jail sentence in 2008 and again in 2015 on a boat trip with his wife to Epstein's private Caribbean retreat, later dubbed 'paedo island'.

Regulators have now launched a probe into whether Staley and Barclays have been truthful in their disclosures about the extent of his relationship with Epstein, who killed himself last year in a New York jail.

There is no suggestion of any wrongdoing by Staley. But Bramson said the scandal showed a serious lack of judgment from Staley.

Sherborne Investors said: 'If Barclays were listed in the US, Staley would not have lasted two minutes when these revelations came to light. The chief executive of a British bank is discovered to have been actively associated with and supported a convicted child sex trafficker and the board's response is to endorse him unanimously. This needs to come to an end.

'We are not voting for Staley. On what grounds could any shareholder justify voting for an individual who had a decades-long professional relationship with a notorious convicted paedophile and sex offender?'

Barclays declined to comment.
Super-rich tourists have been using private jets to fly to Britain from coronavirus-ravaged countries.

A staggering 545 chartered planes entered the UK since lockdown began on March 23, helped by the country's open border policy.

Among them were 25 aircraft from Covid-stricken Spain, 15 from the US - the world's worst-affected nation - 27 came from France and 32 from Germany.

A staggering 545 chartered planes entered the UK since lockdown began on March 23, helped by the country's open border policy (file photo)

Stansted Airport runway is being resurfaced during lockdown as passenger numbers plummet

It comes after a private jet full of super-rich holidaymakers from London was sent packing from France last week when they tried to get to their Cannes villa by helicopter.

On another frantic day with tensions rising in the coronavirus battle:

The government was accused by Labour of 'treating the public like children' by refusing to spell out how the exit strategy from lockdown might look, with leader Keir Starmer demanding a 'road map' out of the crisis;

Michael Gove has defended Boris Johnson for skipping five Cobra crisis meetings in the weeks leading up to Britain's outbreak - but admitted the UK did send a shipment of desperately-needed personal protective gear to China. He stressed the Asian superpower had since sent back far more than it received;

OECD chief Angel Gurria warned there will have to be 'stop-go' arrangements in place for 'social distancing' for a long time to come, urging governments to 'err on the side of caution' to avoid the worst possible outcomes for economies;

The Irish health minister has suggested pubs might not be able to open until there is a coronavirus vaccine, which some believe will take more than a year;

Infectious diseases expert Sir Jeremy Farrar, a member of the government's own SAGE advisory group, has cautioned that the lockdown 'cannot go on much longer' as it is 'damaging all our lives' and could start to be eased within three or four weeks;

A consignment of PPE, including desperately-needed gowns, that Housing Secretary Robert Jenrick boasted would arrive today from Turkey is reported to have been delayed;

The chairman of the British Medical Association council said it had warned the government 'weeks ago' about the risk of personal protective equipment shortages but hit a 'brick wall';

One of the scientists leading efforts to make the breakthrough warned it is not 'completely certain' that a coronavirus vaccine can be produced, with Mr Gove admitting no-one should see it as a 'dead cert';

More than 15,000 people are entering the UK daily and are being allowed to leave airports without being tested for the bug which has killed more than 160,000 people globally.

It is understood wealthy visitors are not being transparent about why they are flying so they can bypass the Government's 'essential travel' only rule.

Some are reportedly saying they are going to their family home in the UK as opposed to a second or holiday home.

Britain is one of few countries to keep their borders open during the pandemic, while 130 others have brought in tighter controls.

President of epidemiology and public health at the Royal Society of Medicine Professor Gabriel Scally told the Times it was 'hard to understand' why the UK is following this policy.

More than 15,000 people are entering the UK (pictured, Heathrow last week) daily and are being allowed to leave airports without being tested for the bug which has killed more than 160,000 people globally

Chief executive of the Air Charter Service Justin Bowman said 'there are still thousands of people' stranded abroad and he hoped 'many of these flights will be legitimate repatriations'.

He added: 'I would hope those abusing the rules are in the minority.'

Wealthy flyers have also been jetting out of the UK on private planes to far-flung destinations such as the UAE.

An astonishing 767 aircraft have been allowed to take off from Britain, with 115 using the 'discreet' London Farnborough airport in Hampshire.

Thirty-four planes flew to France, 34 went to Germany, 30 to Spain and 23 to Russia, where private jet tickets can cost up to 70,000.

Britain (pictured, PM Boris Johnson) is one of few countries to keep their borders open during the pandemic, while 130 others have brought in tighter controls

A further ten went to the UAE, which can cost up to 100,000.

The Civil Aviation Authority said had 'no way of knowing if the hire of private aircraft has increased or declined in recent weeks'.

Earlier this month seven men in their 40s and 50s and three women in their 20s arrived at Marseille-Provence airport and were intercepted by local police.

The organiser of the trip on April 4  a Croatian working in banking in the UK  had booked the jet and helicopters to take everybody to the rented villa.

The private jet used by the groups was an Embraer Legacy 600  a Brazil made luxury business jet, which costs around 5million.
BBC teams are fact-checking some of the most popular fake and misleading coronavirus stories on social media. Jack Goodman brings together what's been debunked this week by BBC Monitoring, Trending and Reality Check.



False claims about the BCG vaccine



WhatsApp messages claiming the BCG vaccine prevents coronavirus infection are inaccurate.



The Bacille Calmette-Guerin jab has been given to children around the world to fight off tuberculosis, and was widespread in secondary schools in the UK until 2005.



It's still given in the UK when a child or adult might be at risk of coming into contact with tuberculosis.



It's still common in many countries, such as Syria, where rumours are spreading that people shouldn't worry about coronavirus if they've had the BCG jab because it gives them immunity.



A WhatsApp message in Arabic says that if you have the circular scar from the jab on your arm, you could be "75% protected" against Covid-19.



However, the World Health Organization says there is no evidence that the BCG protects people from Covid-19 infection.



The health body says two clinical trials are under way involving BCG, and when completed, their findings will be evaluated by the WHO.



Despite the lack of medical evidence, global search for the term "BCG" has spiked, according to Google.



The WHO is concerned that increased demand for the vaccine means there'll be less of it available to inoculate children against tuberculosis.



Similar fears have also been voiced by suppliers in Japan, reporting a surge in demand for the BCG vaccine.



Iran's dodgy detector



The head of Iran's Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) unveiled a hand-held device this week which he claimed could identify people infected with coronavirus - and even contaminated surfaces - up to a distance of 100m and within five seconds.



The Physics Society of Iran described the announcement as "pseudoscience", "unbelievable" and on a par with "sci-fi tales".



The device bears an uncanny resemblance to fake bomb detector tools sold by British fraudsters more than a decade ago, all of which claimed to use the same "electrostatic magnetic ion attraction".









So, Iran's Revolutionary Guards unvelied a "magnetic" coronavirus detector today, which its chief Maj-Gen Hossein Salami claimed could detect an infected individual or contaminated surface in 5 secs within a diametre of 100m. But there's a HUGE problem...pic.twitter.com/hTKrVK8oIN

 Shayan Sardarizadeh (@Shayan86) April 15, 2020

The bogus bomb detectors were in fact empty cases with an aerial which swings according to the user's unconscious hand movements. They ended up in conflict zones and were used by a number of governments around the world.This latest device has an almost identical case and antenna.Even the packaging, which can be seen in a clip of it being unveiled on Iranian state TV, looks similar.A video published by the Epoch Times, that contains claims that the coronavirus was created in a laboratory, has been marked false on Facebook where it has been watched almost 70 million times.The opening feels like a slick and dramatic Netflix documentary - there's a flash and crack of a lightning bolt followed by ominous music.The hour-long video includes a theory about a lab in Wuhan creating the virus and leaking it, due to poor security.The BBC's science editor, Paul Rincon, says "there's currently no evidence that any research institute in Wuhan was the source of Sars-CoV-2" (which causes Covid-19).Scientific analysis of the evidence shows the virus came from animals, and was not man-made.A peer-reviewed study in March found no evidence the coronavirus had been engineered, stating that "it is improbable that SARS-CoV-2 emerged through laboratory manipulation."The video also refers to a study from Indian researchers that claimed to find four new sequences had been inserted into the new coronavirus, which were also present in HIV, to suggest the virus is man-made.But that paper, never peer-reviewed, was withdrawn by its authors. And the genetic information that had matched is common in many other organisms."Those sequences are so short that they match with many different organisms, not just HIV. It doesn't mean they're related," says Dr Jeremy Rossman, a virologist at the University of Kent.Epoch Times, based in New York City, was started by Chinese-Americans affiliated with a religious group called Falun Gong.The site spent heavily on pro-Donald Trump Facebook adverts last year, reported NBC News.But in August Facebook banned it from taking out more ads for violating its policies.This week Bill Gates' criticism of Donald Trump's decision to halt funding for the WHO sparked a new wave of misinformation and speculation about Mr Gates.It followed familiar themes, such as criticising Mr Gates' support for vaccines.Multiple posts resurfaced on Facebook claiming that a research institute funded by the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation owns the patent on the coronavirus causing the current pandemic.These claims are all totally unsubstantiated. The suggestion that Covid-19 is a human creation sponsored by Bill Gates is false.The coronavirus pandemic is "fake" and "truly a farce" is the claim of a holistic doctor interviewed by Canal Monteria, a Colombian news channel.The video went up last month but has now been viewed 18 million times and is still being shared on Facebook, which is why we're addressing it now.The claim is clearly false - coronavirus does exist.The man in the video goes unchallenged and says that present theories on viruses are all wrong, and recommends a video on YouTube that denies the existence of HIV to prove his point.He doesn't at any point explain why people are getting ill.

Source: GNA









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Centers (formerly Centers for Children and Families) has provided counseling and mental health support for individuals and families for more than 60 years. In recent months, we have started conversations about expanding our services to include telehealth support. We know this is becoming a much more common practice, especially in large metropolitan areas, as well as some very rural, remote locations. We prefer to meet with clients in person and find that format to be most effective, but also understand technology, to some extent, is driving the field of counseling and mental health in a telehealth direction.

In March, the strategic, long-term goal of slowly introducing telehealth counseling options quickly turned into a short-term, immediate need. The coronavirus placed Centers in a position of needing to find an effective way of still meeting clients needs, while at the same time adhering to local, state and federal guidelines for distancing. Thanks to the efforts of many Centers staff, our agency counselors are all now working from home and are equipped to provide both phone and video conferencing for the families we serve.

Our lives are currently on hold, but the mental health and emotional needs of families are not. One of the things we know about stress is that we are statistically more likely to be drawn toward destructive behavior when under increased stress. Fragile areas in our lives tend to get exposed when under unusual amounts of stress. Calls to domestic violence crisis lines have increased nationwide. For families or marriages where routine conflict already existed, you can be sure that the isolation and increased time together has not lessened that tension.

Some of the stress is really mere inconvenience. For example, I am ready to be able to eat at Carambas again. But there is real stress out there. I am particularly concerned about those who struggle with depression and anxiety because so many of the things we are being asked to do to help stop the spread of the virus -- increased time alone, lack of exposure to support systems such as friends and faith community and no access to hobbies that take you out of your home -- are the opposite of what you would recommend for someone struggling with a mood disorder. Isolation and depression simply dont mix.

The current worldwide health crisis most definitely qualifies as increased, unusual stress. There is the direct stress of being sick or having a family member who is ill. For most of us, however, the days, now weeks, of isolation are taking their toll on even the most introverted of personalities. The lack of close contact with extended family and friends, as well as the lack of contact with coworkers and our church homes, only exacerbate the stress.

There is no rhythm to life right now. How many times have you heard someone say, Ive lost all track of time and have no idea what day it is. And how many people are struggling with being thrown into the role of homeschooling their children, feeling unprepared and wondering if there is enough patience to make it until the end of May. How many people are working from home and miss the camaraderie of the office or simply dont feel nearly as efficient or productive.

And to make matters worse, we dont know when the world might shift back toward normal. I watched the news the other night and heard dates ranging from this May to sometime in 2022 for when this whole thing would end. This highlights a truth about anxiety. Living in limbo is more stressful than knowing whats coming next. Uncertainty about the future and anxiety dont mix well.

Whether you consider your mental health need great or small, we encourage you to call Centers and request a meeting with one of our counselors. Centers is taking new clients, and our counselors will be glad to meet with you through one of our telehealth options. Centers is also aware that the economy is creating additional stress on families. As a result, we will be waiving our $50 intake fee starting Monday and continuing through the end of May. Please reach out to one of our counselors and there will be no fee for your initial visit.

If you are interested in making an appointment, call the office at 570-1084. Our modified office hours are 10 a.m.-3 p.m. Monday through Thursday. If you call outside of that time frame, please leave a message and we will return your call the next business day.
Chennai: In a first in Tamil Nadu, two city-based journalists on Sunday tested positive for coronavirus, more than a month after the first case was reported in the state, authorities said.

A reporter working for a Tamil daily and a sub-editor with a Tamil news television channel have tested positive for coronavirus, officials told reporters.

While the reporter has been admitted to the Rajiv Gandhi Government General Hospital, the other is being treated at Government Stanley Hospital, they said adding both are in 'stable' condition.

"We are tracing their contacts and containment measures in their respective areas are on," an official said.

The first positive case was reported in Tamil Nadu on March 8.
Was there any invitation for the public to come for the burial? Go back to my Twitter handle and read what I posted. From 10am, when we picked up the body at the airport, we sent a message out that the funeral will be private and that the public should please go and pray for Abba Kyari.
A young fitness fanatic is battling an aggressive cancer away from her family on the other side of the world due to the coronavirus crisis.

Friends have rallied around Sydney-based Brazillian-Italian pilates instructor Flavia Santon, 35, after she was rushed to hospital and diagnosed with high-risk stage three colon cancer on March 6.

She had emergency abdominal surgery the following day and will do her second round of chemotherapy this Thursday.

Ms Santon's symptoms first began in January when she was treated for a severe iron deficiency before her condition recently deteriorated.

Flavia Santon (pictured) was recently diagnosed with high-risk stage three colon cancer

'A CT scan revealed a blockage in her bowels and her doctor recommended a gastroscopy and colonoscopy,' a GoFundMe page set up by friends states.

'The biopsy results confirmed a malignant tumour in her bowel. Unfortunately, the tumour had also spread.'

The aggressive form of bowel cancer has a 40 per cent survival rate.

Ms Santon, who has lived in Sydney since 2016, is unable to return home to Brazil or be reunited with her family due to her condition and the current travel restrictions during the pandemic.

The fundraising page described her as having a passion for fitness and wellbeing who inspires people to become the best version of themselves.

The Sydney-based Brazillian-Italian pilates instructor hopes to start chemo within weeks

Flavia Santon (pictured) has lived in Sydney since 2016 and is unable to return home to Brazil

The qualified physiotherapist has 10 years experience as a pilates instructor.

'Flavia is a hard worker and has never asked for financial support in her life before,' the fundraising page page states.

'But now, due to her medical condition and current restrictions in place with the COVID-19 crisis, she has found herself in a very difficult situation, both financially and emotionally.

'She needs to start a course of chemotherapy as soon as possible, despite her financial concerns over the cost of medication which is over $20,000. This cost is not covered by her private health insurance and she cannot get any financial support as a part-time worker.'

The fundraising page was set up by good friend Thalita Ribeiro, who has known Ms Santon for almost four years.

'She is recovering really well, she is also a very strong willed and positive person,' Ms Ribeiro told Daily Mail Australia.

With her family on the other side of the world, Flavia is relying on friends for support

More than $35,600 has been raised towards Ms Santon's treatment on GoFundMe and another $2500 on Facebook.

'Im sure Im surrounded by angels,' a grateful Ms Santon wrote on the fundraising page on Saturday.

'During a pandemic, people are still helping others. I have no words to describe it. Only gratitude for being receiving so much love around the world. It means a lot to me and it will help me during my recovery and treatment!'

Ms Ribeiro is also extremely grateful for the support.

'The generosity of everyone during the pandemic is just amazing,' she told Daily Mail Australia.

'Fla is like a sister to me and cant be more grateful for all the help and support she has received so far it has been surreal.'
In 2017, self-professed pinkaholic Kameron Westcott joined The Real Housewives of Dallas as a full-time cast member. Over three seasons, viewers watched her get into fights with a few co-stars, defend LeeAnne Locken when the other ladies became upset with her, and start her own dog food brand.

While the official RHOD cast for Season 5 hasnt been announced yet, Locken will not return, but Westcott is expected back. Its also unknown when filming for the next season will begin because the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic has shut production down indefinitely.

Kameron Westcott | Charles Sykes)

During quarantine, Westcott started homeschooling her children and became the first Housewife to join the popular video-sharing app, Tik Tok.

Kameron Westcott on RHOD

California-native Kameron Westcott joined The Real Housewives of Dallas in the second season after an introduction by original housewife Cary Deuber. The newest addition married managing partner Court Westcott, whom she met while attending college at Southern Methodist University in Texas, and the couple share two children together.

Due to her more conservative nature, Westcott immediately clashed with Brandi Redmond, who chased her around with sex toys during a cast trip. Therefore, the mother-of-two tried to warn DAndra Simmons that Redmonds personality would ruin her reputation by association.

The newest housewife also involved her mother-in-law, angering Simmons, and the ladies got into a blowout during a cast trip in Germany.

15 minutes until #RHOD reunion part two!!  Lots of yelling Who is watching with me!? pic.twitter.com/U5bgpqgPCV  Kameron Westcott (@KamWestcott) January 9, 2020

In the fourth season, Westcott upset best friends Stephanie Hollman and Redmond when she referred to the latters behavior as trashy. When the California-native felt that Hollman took her friends side, they began to bicker, and Westcott eventually blocked her on social media. She has since unblocked her, and the two are seemingly on good terms heading into their fifth season.

According to sources, RHOD Season 5 is scheduled to begin filming around mid-May 2020. However, the timeline might change due to the current state of the coronavirus (COVID-19).

Kameron Westcott during the quarantine

On March 13, 2020, the World Health Organization and President Donald Trump declared the coronavirus pandemic a national emergency. As a result, strict stay-at-home orders were put in place, and public gathering places, including schools, restaurants, gyms, beaches, other non-essential businesses, as well as film and television productions, shut down indefinitely.

Therefore, parents had to begin homeschooling their children, including the California-native who opened the Westcott Academy. She has embraced the role of homeschooling 9-year-old Hilton and 6-year-old Cruise.

The mother-of-two continually has fun with it on Instagram as she refers to herself as the Headmaster and frequently shares their daily schedules.

Kameron Westcott the first Housewife to join TikTok

In addition to homeschooling her children, Westcott also joined the video-sharing app TikTok, becoming the first Housewife from the Bravo franchise to do so.

She made her account in November 2019, announcing her arrival but didnt post a video until February 2020 when Hilton uploaded a short clip of her smiling.

Westcott joined her daughter for their next video, published April 18, where they did a voice-over of Hilton claiming she has a life because she doesnt have any social media accounts.

A couple of hours later, the Principal of Westcott Academy and her two students adorably did the Right Foot Left Foot dance challenge in their pajamas. So far, the RHOD star has accumulated 436 followers.
After a documentary on the CCP virus origins went viral, Facebook labelled it False Information based on an article that not only wasnt talking about the documentary, but contained incorrect information itself.

The documentary was produced by The Epoch Times and NTD television and delved into the origins of the CCP (Chinese Communist Party) virus, also called novel coronavirus or SARS-CoV-2.

The documentary, which has attracted more than 70 million views across different platforms, discusses, among other matters, the possibility that the virus came from a laboratory at the Wuhan Institute of Virology (WIV), nestled at the ground zero of the pandemic in the central Chinese city of Wuhan. The documentary doesnt make a definitive conclusion on the matter.

U.S. authorities recently publicly acknowledged that they have been exploring this possibility.

We are still asking the Chinese Communist Party to allow experts to get in to that virology lab so that we can determine precisely where this virus began, State Secretary Mike Pompeo told Fox News.

The chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff said on April 14 that U.S. intelligence agencies are investigating whether the virus may have leaked from the lab, The Washington Times reported.

Facebook claims that the documentary was Checked by independent fact-checkers and The primary claims in the information are factually inaccurate.

It links to an article by Flora Teoh, science editor at Health Feedback website. The article, however, doesnt pertain to the documentary. It was last updated on March 20, more than two weeks before the documentary was released.

The article takes issue with a Feb. 22 New York Post op-ed by Steven Mosher, president of the Population Research Institute.

The evidence points to SARS-CoV-2 research being carried out at the Wuhan Institute of Virology, Mosher wrote, noting that Chinese leader Xi Jinping recently called for a new biosecurity regime and that Peoples Liberation Armys top expert in biological warfare, a Maj. Gen. Chen Wei, was dispatched to Wuhan at the end of January to help with the effort to contain the outbreak.

He also mentioned that theres a phenomenon in China of research facilities selling lab animals for meat.

The virus may have been carried out of the lab by an infected worker or crossed over into humans when they unknowingly dined on a lab animal, he speculated.

Teoh called Moshers claims inaccurate and misleading based on responses from Duke University virologist Danielle Anderson and Prof. Marc Lipsitch, a Harvard epidemiologist.

According to both the experts, the call of Chinese authorities for increased biosecurity was innocuous as Chinese laboratories were expected to deal with the new virus.

Teoh doesnt address the appointment of the top expert in biological warfarea claim that originally comes from an article in an official Chinese military outlet. The article has since been deleted.

Teoh further said that there is no evidence supporting claims that biosecurity is poor in the Wuhan Institute of Virology or that lab animals are being sold or consumed.

The first part of her claim is based on a response from Anderson, who said shes worked at the institute.

I will disclose that I am a scientist trained to work in high containment and have collaborative projects with the Wuhan Institute of Virology (WIV), she said. I have worked in this exact laboratory at various times for the past 2 years. I can personally attest to the strict control and containment measures implemented while working there. The staff at WIV are incredibly competent, hardworking, and are excellent scientists with superb track records.

This assertion has been undermined by a recent article in The Washington Post, which says that 2018 State Department cables warned of safety issues at the Wuhan lab.

Accusations about the selling of lab animals, including at WIV, have circulated on Chinese social media.

An online profile using the name and photos of WIV researcher Chen Quanjiao accused the director-general of the institute, Wang Yanyi, of frequently reselling lab animals at the nearby wet market and thus possibly leaking the virus from the lab.

Wang denied it and Chen put out a statement saying her identity has been stolen and rejected responsibility for the online posts.

The Epoch Times/NTD documentary mentions Xi Jinpings biosecurity directive, the involvement of Gen. Chen Wei, as well as a social media post by Chen Quanjiao. Thats, however, a fraction of the information it provides, which includes interviews with several virologists as well as experts on China and security issues.

The documentary calls doubtful Chinas official explanation that the virus naturally jumped from bats to humans. It stops short, though, of reaching a definitive conclusion on its origins.

From The Epoch Times
Before the news of the mounting death toll at the Andover Subacute and Rehabilitation Center, Amanda Schultz had already been growing increasingly concerned about the Sussex County nursing home caring for her mother.

Her mind clouded by the onslaught of Alzheimers Disease, 75-year-old Mary Lust initially found refuge at Andovers Unit 1, a place that Schultz felt was a pleasant facility with a lot of activities for residents.

The staff was always very nice. They would play Bingo. And every Sunday they had church services for the residents, recalled Schultz.

But as her mother continued to deteriorate, Schultz said her mother was moved into the larger of the two facilities on the site, and it was like she had landed on another planet. It was more like a hospital, she said. There were so many wheelchairs jamming the corridors that she had fears over how anyone would even get out in the event of a fire, Schultz said. At the same time, it seemed there was never enough staff.

Now her mother is critically ill, has tested positive for COVID-19, and Schultz struggles to get anyone to respond to her calls.

Nobody calls you back. They said theyll take my name and number, and nobody calls me back, she complained.

Other family members of residents at the troubled Andover nursing home also complain they are being left in the dark, even as many more continue to be stricken by the coronavirus.

State officials have their own questions, in the wake of last weeks startling disclosures that nursing home administrators stored at least 17 bodies in rooms set up as temporary morgues. The continuing coronavirus outbreak took the lives of at least 38 residents, according to Sussex County health officials. Two staff members have also died.

Inspectors from the state and the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, or CMS, visited the facility in Andover Township in northwestern New Jersey on Friday, said state Health Commissioner Judith Persichilli, and issued a number of citations over infection control deficiencies.

Andover Subacute and Rehab, meanwhile, hired a lawyer, retaining former state Attorney General Christopher Porrino of Lowenstein Sandler to represent the facility.

In a statement on Sunday, Porrino said the nursing home looked forward to assisting with any review by the state of recent events, and is confident that such review will confirm that the facility has been addressing the unprecedented challenges from this pandemic appropriately.

An ambulance at the Andover Subacute and Rehabilitation Center, where at least 38 have died from COVID-19.Ed Murray | NJ Advance Media for

One of the largest long-term care facilities in the state, Andover Subacute is licensed for 699 beds. It is owned in part by Chaim Mutty Scheinbaum through Lakewood-based Alliance Healthcare Holdings. Scheinbaum also has ownership stakes in nursing homes in Pennsauken and Cinnaminson in New Jersey, and two other nursing homes in Pennsylvania.

In an email last week, Scheinbaum blamed the storage of bodies and the number of deaths linked to the coronavirus to a backup ... after hours holiday weekend issues" and more-than-average deaths.

Democratic Rep. Josh Gottheimer, whose district includes Sussex County believes the number of deaths attributed to the coronavirus at Andover are far higher than reported.

Gottheimer said he does not believe the COVID-19 death toll is just 38 at the Andover facility.

Clearly there was a massive outbreak there and its spreading like wildfire, he 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.

Meanwhile, he said the issues at Andover have sparked a number of other facilities to seek help, with at least 45 facilities in his congressional district dealing with their own outbreaks that have critical staffing and protective equipment needs.

This to me is a five-alarm fire, he said on Sunday, pointing to the number of COVID-19 cases in nursing homes that continue to shoot up. In conversations with nursing home administrators, Gottheimer said many have expressed an urgent need for personnel and PPEs, including masks, shields and gowns. But his office has also heard separately from nursing home workers, who have questioned whether facilities are taking proper precautions against coronavirus infection and following infection control protocols.

Others, he said, have complained there has been a failure to reach out to those with loved ones in many long-term care facilities, including Andover.

Schultz said since the stories about Andover became national news, she has been unable to reach anyone at the nursing home unless they call her.

Yesterday I called, and they said they were not putting anybody through, she said.

Another relative of an Andover resident, David Beck said no one from the family has been able to reach anyone at the facility since last Wednesday, when the sister of his cousin, Arnold Kudrowitz, 74, received a call that her brother had tested positive for coronavirus.

She tried to call a number of times and nobody answered. Nobody is telling her anything, said Beck. Theyre not taking phone calls.

He tried calling four times on Sunday afternoon, but said no one picked up the phone.

Gottheimer said there was been a complete failure by Andovers administrators to communicate with families.

People are scared. Families are scared. Residents are scared, said the congressman. You have to have good communications.

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World's premier space agency NASA and SpaceX have decided to launch the first crewed flight of SpaceXs Crew Dragon - a vehicle designed to take astronauts to the International Space Station (ISS) on May 27. The demonstration mission will carry two NASA astronauts to ISS.

The May 27 launch is significant because it will mark the first time astronauts have embarked from American soil since 2011 after the end of the NASA's Space Shuttle program.

SpaceX has been developing this vehicle for years, ever since SpaceX and Boeing were selected by NASA to develop new spacecraft to ferry astronauts to and from the ISS.

For the mission, SpaceX, which is owned by businessman Elon Musk, has been transforming its Dragon cargo capsule which has been taking supplies to the ISS for over five years nowinto a vehicle that can be used to ferry astronauts to the ISS.

NASA has selected astronaut Doug Hurley as the spacecraft commander while Bob Behnken will be the joint operations commander. The launch will take place from NASAs Kennedy Space Center in Cape Canaveral, Florida.

Notably, the launch is going to take place at a time when the world is battling coronavirus COVID-19 pandemic. On April 1, Florida Governor Ron DeSantis had issued a stay-at-home order for residents in the state to curb the spread of the deadly virus.

NASA is proactively monitoring the coronavirus (COVID-19) situation as it evolves. The agency will continue to follow guidance from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the agencys chief health and medical officer and communicate any updates that may impact mission planning or media access, as they become available, NASA had said in March.
Jeanne Gang is sitting in the new home of FDNY Rescue Company 2 in Brownsville, Brooklyn, talking with a bunch of its members. They are telling her what they like most about the building: its stainless-steel kitchen, its oversize skylight, and its ample wall space for displaying photos of the fallen. It is an inviting home (the rescue workers rest in bunk rooms on the second floor), but it is also packed with surprises.

Because it serves as a training facility, it has a 45-foot-tall atrium with a climbing wall that simulates building exteriors; a manhole leading to a chamber that can fill with fake smoke; an elevator that can be set to malfunction; and other features on which to practice missions. But Gang designed the building with more than disasters in mind. She also gave it a welcoming facade accented by bright-red terra-cotta tiles, with cutouts that convey transparency and a built-in bench where company members and locals can sit and get to know one another. Its all about the relationship between the rescue workers and their neighbors, says Gang.

Creating relationships has long been the focus of Gangs work. At the first Chicago Architecture Biennial, in 2015, she proposed reorienting police stations toward the communities they servewith meeting rooms, fitness equipment, and computer labs to bring together residents and law-enforcement officers. In 2017, she completed a study for the NYC Mayors Office of Criminal Justice, proposing strategies to improve community safety. Now, at 56 and on the cusp of superstar-dom, she has assembled a portfolio of buildings that share few physical characteristicsits hard to recognize them as the work of a single architectbut do share her desire to promote person-to-person connectivity.

Part Harvard-educated intellectual, part Midwestern do-gooder, Gang grew up in rural Belvidere, Illinois. Her father was a civil engineer (family outings involved looking at bridges), and her mother was a librarian and community organizer. Gang channels both parents with her physically inventive, neighborhood-regenerating buildings. For years she was known mainly in Chicago, where she founded Studio Gang in 1997, and where her projects are growing in size and complexity. Her 1,200-foot-high, mixed-use Vista Tower is now the citys third- tallest building, and she has begun work on a vast update to OHare International Airport. The MacArthur genius award winner and her three partnershusband Mark Schendel, Juliane Wolf, and Weston Walkercurrently have additional offices in San Francisco, Manhattan, and Paris, with a total team of 140. A monograph surveying the AD100 firms work to date comes out this June.

Story continues

Photo by Tom Harris.

Lately Gang has been spending a lot of time in New York, where she recently completed a Meatpacking District office building dubbed Solar Carve. True to its nickname, the black-glass building is whittled away so that sunlight can reach the ground. In downtown Brooklyn, she is finishing 11 Hoyt, a 57-story condo tower with bay windows rippling across its facades, an echo of Aqua, the 2010 Chicago high-rise that was her first big success. Most significant, she is the architect of a 230,000-square-foot, $383 million building for the American Museum of Natural History, now under construction. The addition, clifflike on the outside and canyon-like on the inside, will resemble nothing Gang has done before, and nothing else around it. More geological than architectural, it has shades of Gaudis dripping concrete and the curves of the Guggenheim museum across Central Park.

The building will be made of a kind of spray-on cement sometimes used for swimming pools. Gang, the engineers daughter, is excited about that material, called shotcrete, because, she says, You dont have to build custom framework that you then throw away. The surface is the structure. But Gang, the librarians daughter, is even more excited that the building will be a place for learning. Beyond its traditional museum functions, it will contain classrooms, a library, and a series of immersive environments for kids. Asked if there are any kinds of buildings she particularly wants to design, Gang, back at Rescue Company 2, says, Yes. More hybridsmeaning buildings that serve a core function (museum, firehouse) while also serving their communities. If political polarization and social isolation are the problems, Gangs architecture may be the solution.

Originally Appeared on Architectural Digest




U.S. Ambassador Harry Harris said in a tweet Sunday that the Global Hawk high-altitude unmanned aircraft was delivered to South Korea this week, adding that it's a "great day" for the two countries' alliance.







Harris unveiled a picture of a Global Hawk unit parked in a hangar in an unidentified location, with the national flags of the allies hanging on a wall behind. On the body of the aircraft was text reading "the Air Force of the Republic of Korea," in Korean.







"Congratulations to the U.S.-ROK Security Cooperation teams on delivering Global Hawk to the ROK this week. A great day for ROKAF and the ironclad #USROKAlliance. @USForcesKorea," he tweeted.

The ambassador did not give details in the tweet about how many units were delivered.







Military sources have said two more Global Hawk units were expected to arrive in South Korea in April, after the first RQ-4 Block 30 Global Hawk Remotely Piloted Aircraft (RPA) was brought in December last year.







Under a 2011 deal, Seoul purchased four units from the United States. One remaining unit is expected to arrive here within the first half.







As one of the most advanced intelligence-gathering platforms in the world, the long-endurance unmanned aerial vehicle is capable of performing reconnaissance missions for around 40 hours at a time at an altitude of roughly 20 kilometers.







It is expected to enhance Seoul's reconnaissance capabilities in the face of persistent threats by North Korea, as well as growing security challenges from neighboring countries. (Yonhap)


Health Secretary Matt Hancocks pledge for more testing for workers and residents in care homes has been welcomed by those on the frontline of the crisis.

But many say their calls for more specialist training and more Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) are still being ignored.

Lindsay Marks, 39  not her real name  has been a senior care assistant for four years at a home with 63 residents aged 55 to 98 in Lancashire.

Around half have dementia and the home is a mix of privately funded and council-funded residents.

In the past two weeks, four have died  three with suspected coronavirus  while more are showing symptoms.

Lindsay Marks (not pictured), 39  not her real name  has been a senior care assistant for four years at a home with 63 residents aged 55 to 98 in Lancashire (file image)

As of last Friday, there is now one confirmed case there.

Here, in excerpts from her diary, she reveals the harrowing truth about what is really going on in one of Britains care homes...

MONDAY

Four weeks into lockdown and were still appallingly vulnerable to infection. Latex gloves, thin plastic aprons and just four pairs of plastic goggles shared between all 15 staff is the only PPE we have.

Its my turn to use the goggles. I wash them so germs arent spread from one carers face to the next.

My colleagues tease me, but theres no point in wearing them otherwise. Sharing goggles: thats exactly how the virus is going to be spread.

Hand gel has been strictly monitored by management after a couple of bottles went missing. In desperation, Ive ordered some for myself from eBay.

For weeks weve been pleading for shoe protectors, gloves, theatre-style gowns, arm protectors, more masks and goggles. We are told there is a problem with supply. Were relying on so many favours.

A friendly district nurse smuggled in a spare box of aprons, but told us to keep quiet about it. One of my colleagues considered ordering some overalls from a fancy dress shop but management said they didnt fit the uniform code.

Today, when I arrive for my 12-hour shift, a delivery of thin, blue-and-white cotton 30-minute masks has arrived  so-called because they work for only half an hour. A fresh one is needed after each patient.

Yes but look. . . says my colleague, Lisa, placing the mask over her face and ears theyve got gaps.

Shes right. The masks gape at either side. How are they going to keep the virus out? Still, I suppose its better than nothing.

How many have we got? I ask, hopefully. She rolls her eyes as she explains that we have only one mask per care worker, per 12-hour shift. You cant wash them, you just have to wear them and hope for the best.

I reach for a mask and put it over my face. The elastic snaps; Lisa gives me another one. That has to last you two days, she jokes.

You have to keep a sense of humour, but frankly Im petrified. Ive been a carer for 20 years and Ive never been this scared. Im being paid 8.70 an hour to put my life on the line.

The care home's workers had to plead for shoe protectors, gloves, theatre-style gowns, arm protectors, more masks and goggles (file image)

And Im scared for our residents  that Ill infect them when I come in from the outside world; that theyll be completely wiped out by the virus.

I fear for my husband Tony, too, and our two children, who are five and just two years old. I worry myself senseless that Ill take the infection home to them.

But I crack on because I know Im needed  and I have to earn money. Thankfully, Tonys a postman, so hes still in work. But our stress levels are ratcheting up daily. One of my close colleagues is tearful. This place is going to be ravaged, she says.

The patients who have died of what I am certain was Covid  both men  have had the same symptoms: a fever, shortness of breath, coughing up black phlegm.

We knew them well and had grown close to them. Of course were used to death, but the virus attacks so quickly and violently its terrifying.

Geoff, 76, was the first to succumb. Yet he was one of our fittest and strongest residents. One day he seemed fine, the next we found him on the floor of his bathroom, unable to get up. After that he deteriorated swiftly.

We checked on him every 15 minutes as his breathing became more laboured but  hard-pressed as we are  we couldnt sit constantly by his side, and he died alone.

A week later, Brian, in his 60s, suffered the same symptoms and was gone within days.

He, too, died alone. Its heartbreaking but we just didnt have time to hold their hands and sit with them until they had breathed their last; neither were their families allowed to say their final goodbyes.

All we could do was make them as comfortable as possible.

Now Geoffs best friend, Malcolm, is suffering the same symptoms. A few days ago a nurse came to visit and he was put on an end-of-life plan.

Hes probably only got a few days. Thankfully, two of our more experienced carers have volunteered to look after him until the end. Its very brave of them. They have families, too.

GPs are no longer coming into the home. I havent seen one for weeks. Carers even have to use their own phones to call them so they can make their diagnoses via FaceTime.

But unless they actually visit, they can get it wrong. Last week, one GP told us to put a (non-Covid) patient on an end-of-life plan because he was barely conscious. The next day, this same patient was up and about in his room eating breakfast. We couldnt believe it.

The patients who have died of what Lindsay is certain was Covid had the same symptoms: a fever, shortness of breath, coughing up black phlegm (file image)

As care workers were on the frontline but no one is listening to us. I would love Matt Hancock to step into my shoes for a day to see what were up against.

Our residents cough all the time. One has a particularly aggressive form of dementia and is prone to spitting and scratching us. Im terrified every time I have to go near her.

I try to minimise touching patients. I hold my breath when Im near them. But how can you do that when youre helping a 15-stone man go to the toilet or changing the incontinence pad of a bed-bound woman?

What worries us most is the lack of testing. Although we strongly suspect weve had Covid-19 deaths, none has actually been confirmed.

It wasnt until Geoff died that we got our hands on four testing kits, two of which weve used on Brian and Malcolm. Weve also tested another of their friends who is showing symptoms. Weve posted them off, but who knows how long it will be before we get the results? I wonder if we ever will. Its like fighting a war without any armour.

TUESDAY

It is now four weeks since families of our residents were allowed inside the home to visit. Occasionally well find them standing outside their loved ones window having a conversation.

We turn a blind eye  its good for the residents morale and it means they can still have visitors.

The residents with dementia have no idea about Covid and dont have any idea that their families are no longer visiting. However, a few have been a little more confused by the fact were all wearing masks.

The residents I feel most sorry for are those who do understand whats going on. Theyre suddenly being told to stay in their rooms all day and not congregate in the TV room or the lounge.

Im certain isolation and confusion will kill some of them. Already, five have taken to their beds and are refusing to eat, despondent and ready to give up.

One of the hardest moments for me came when a 90-year-old resident died  from natural causes, we believe  just after lockdown. Her family, bereft by the lack of contact, had to say their last goodbyes through the window.

Today, Im at my desk when I hear a commotion on the lawn. Outside Ediths room, members of her family are shouting at her through the window and pointing.

I hear the words This isnt your room! and race round to Ediths room to find Mary, an 80-year-old dementia patient who has no idea where she is or what shes doing.

Shes wandered into Ediths room by mistake, and Edith is clearly distressed.

Normally, this sort of thing would be a minor inconvenience. It happens all the time in care homes.

But were on high alert now for residents mixing with each other, and its particularly worrying because Mary was admitted only two days ago from a hospital.

While her illness wasnt Covid related, she may well be harbouring the virus, able to pass it on to other residents. Gently, I lead her out of Ediths room and back to her own.

I dont understand why  when were supposed to be locked down and relatives are not allowed in  we can be admitting new residents, particularly now we have suspected Covid cases.

Its as if were sending people to their deaths. But we cant lock people up. Were doing our best to make them feel comfortable in their own rooms.

Today I had a little bit more time and visited one of the patients who hasnt seen her family for a month. I sat and chatted with her for a while and painted her nails. She seemed a bit brighter after that.

WEDNESDAY

One of our patients, Isabel, has a slight cough and Im nervous for her. Shes reasonably fit and healthy for 75 but well keep an eye on her. Theres little point calling an ambulance if things get worse. Ambulances only come to care homes in an emergency, such as a fall. But if someones health is declining, the doctor or nurse will merely make the decision to put them on an end-of-life plan.

As in any care home, we have residents with severe diabetes whose wounds need dressing because of circulation problems. In normal circumstances, district nurses perform these tasks. Now were seeing far fewer of them. One even refused to come in. She was petrified, which I found shocking. After all, its her job.

One of our patients is so ill with diabetes that his feet have turned black and he needs urgent attention. But the dressings and medication will be left at reception, and weve been told that we must deal with it ourselves.

Im not qualified for this  and neither are my colleagues. It feels very unfair, and its putting pressure on me. By the time I get home, Tony has tucked the children up in bed. I strip off all my clothes in the kitchen and put them into a hot wash in the washing machine.

Then I creep upstairs without touching the banister and soap myself down for ten minutes in a steaming hot shower.

Its my new after-work routine  my way of protecting myself and our family.

THURSDAY

My colleague, Fiona, has called in to say shes self-isolating as shes got symptoms of Covid-19. It means were two staff members down this week, but were all aware that its not an easy decision for her.

She has a young child and a partner and, because theres been no testing for us, theres no proof she has the virus, so shell only get statutory sick pay of around 60 to 90 a week.

Weve been told recently that theres now a testing centre for care staff, but its an hour away and I dont drive. We desperately need more, accessible, testing.

It got even harder for Lindsay when a couple of her colleagues started developing symptoms (file image)

Like me, Fiona is on the minimum wage and she works only three days a week. I feel sorry for her. Many of us have had mild symptoms but, unless were actually ill, weve been told that we have to come into work.

About a week ago, I felt a bit wheezy and thought Id lost my sense of taste, one of the symptoms of coronavirus, but I poured myself a glass of apple juice and could taste it. I assume it was just hay fever. But who knows?

FRIDAY

I arrive at work to hear that Malcolm  Geoffs best friend  died in the night. Like Geoff, he was a strong, reasonably fit man, but this virus doesnt seem to care about fitness levels.

Whats worrying is that were noticing similar symptoms in all the residents Malcolm used to sit with. I darent imagine whats coming in the next few weeks.

Unbelievably, Ive also discovered that the manager has allowed some of the residents to mingle again.

Given everything we know I cant believe it, especially as today we had the results back of the other resident we tested and its positive for Covid-19. Thankfully, he is showing signs of recovery.

While I stopped watching the news a couple of weeks ago because I found it too depressing, my husband tells me about Matt Hancocks latest pledges and I could weep.

It feels too little, too late. Hopefully, the fact that families can now visit dying loved ones will help ease their pain.

But I cant see the PPE situation changing soon. The homes management are off-hand, dismissive. Weve been left in no doubt that if we want to leave, theres the door.

Some of the staff have been told this week that if they miss even one shift and they cant prove theyre ill with Covid they will be sacked. Its no way to treat us when we are all doing our best.

But I resolve not to be beaten  yet. Ive been touched by the kindness of some families and the local community. Weve had chocolates and thank-you cards; a local takeaway brought pizza for the late shift, paid for by the local rugby club. Friends and neighbours have shopped for me.

I just wish the politicians and those in charge had shown an ounce of their care and compassion for those on the frontline, those of us in care homes  because the worst is yet to come.

I dont think were even half way through this crisis yet.

As Lindsay fears losing her job and livelihood, she has asked us to change her name and the location of her care home. Names of residents have also been changed.

As told to Jill Foster
In recent days the World Health Organisation has been the focus of much attention and not just for its role in coordinating, advising and supporting the efforts of countries dealing with the pandemic.

At the very least, its position of authority has been undermined by President Donald Trumps review of the US contribution to WHO funding, but the WHO is not the only organisation attempting to coordinate the response of countries to Coronavirus.

Last week the EU published its roadmap to lifting Coronavirus containment measures.

That in itself is unusual because, unlike its position on customs and trade policy matters, the EU does not have a core role in health matters.

Instead its function is usually limited to one of support and coordination of the efforts of individual EU member countries.

This may be one reason why the EU seemed slow out of the blocks in its initial response to the pandemic.

Just as there is no shortage of attempts to coordinate activity on health matters across borders, efforts are being made to coordinate the economic and fiscal policy responses of different countries.

The OECD has issued 10 recommendations to revenue authorities in its member countries as to how they could help taxpayers.

These included delaying payments and return filing dates to suspending audit and investigation activity for the duration of the crisis.

There is however a difference between international recommendations and what is actually happening on the ground, and the OECD recommendations did not extend as far as using the tax system to channel relief to businesses. It seems that many developed economies are not just implementing tax payment deferrals but using the tax system to set up wage-subsidy schemes in collaboration with businesses as well.

In almost all instances, wage subsidies are being delivered by countries putting their PAYE systems into reverse.

Rather than taking money out of wage packages, the employers payroll returns are being used to divert cash back to employees.

To qualify under the Irish system, employers must be able to demonstrate a 25% drop in their income as a consequence of the crisis.

Other countries are taking a harsher approach.

In New Zealand, it is necessary to prove that there is a 30% reduction in income.

In Australia the decline has to be 50% for larger businesses to qualify.

The Irish wage-subsidy scheme also stands out among its peers because of how swiftly it was implemented and how quickly money is flowing back to those businesses which are trying to retain levels of employment and availing of wage subsidies to do so.

While the Irish system is in place for the past several weeks, the first payment of subsidies under a very similar scheme in the UK wont start until today.

Another common theme in many countries is the emphasis on direct relief towards employees, with perhaps less concern for the situation of the self-employed.

Here, the pandemic unemployment payment is available to self-employed people, although the rates are lower in comparison with the income supports for employees.

Last week we saw significant changes to the Irish wage-subsidy scheme to increase the benefits for lower paid workers, but also to bring some additional workers, who would normally have been more highly paid, into the system.

There are likely to be further improvements to the wage-subsidy arrangements in the coming days for employers and workers alike.

Coordination of medical approaches led by international agencies is vital in dealing with the pandemic.

But as individual governments address the ensuing commercial chaos, it is how well they match their efforts with the needs of their own business communities which will make the difference.

Brian Keegan is director of public policy with Chartered Accountants Ireland
Around 80 devotees from Punjab who were stranded in Indore, Madhya Pradesh, amid the lockdown have returned home.

Fatehgarh Sahib MP Amar Singh said, On their journey back home from Shri Hazur Sahib gurdwara in Nanded, Maharashtra, around 80 devotees who hailed from Fatehgarh Sahib constituency got stuck near Indore. The administration had made arrangements for their stay at different places.

These devotees comprised of children, women, some patients, and senior citizens, who were facing problems for the last few days, he said.

Singh has appealed to the residents of Punjab, stuck anywhere in the country due to the lockdown to contact the Punjab government so that efforts can be made for their return. He also urged the residents to stay indoors and follow all the directions issued by the government.
ALMATY (Reuters) - Kazakhstan has detained political activist and government critic Arman Shorayev in connection with the alleged spreading of 'false information' during a state of emergency, police said on Saturday. The former television executive turned nationalist politician has often attacked members of President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev's cabinet, while avoiding criticism of the president himself

ALMATY (Reuters) - Kazakhstan has detained political activist and government critic Arman Shorayev in connection with the alleged spreading of "false information" during a state of emergency, police said on Saturday.

The former television executive turned nationalist politician has often attacked members of President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev's cabinet, while avoiding criticism of the president himself.

"Using social networks, citizen Shorayev ... has repeatedly spread knowingly false information," a brief police statement said, without providing further details.

It said Shorayev's actions had endangered public order at the time of the national coronavirus emergency and could be punishable by up to seven years in prison.

In a Facebook post made around midday on Saturday, Shorayev accused a senior official of corruption. In other recent posts he criticised the government's borrowing plans and the cost of building a specialised hospital for coronavirus patients.

Last year, he became a member of the council of national trust, an advisory body set up by Tokayev, but was removed by the president this year along with several other members in what officials said was a planned rotation.

(This story corrects spelling of Shorayev's name in paragraphs 3 and 4(

(Reporting by Olzhas Auyezov; Editing by Mike Harrison)

This story has not been edited by Firstpost staff and is generated by auto-feed.
New Delhi, April 19 : Former Union minister R.P.N. Singh has set up a helpline for people from his constituency in UP stranded in outside states and is getting around 5,000 distress call per day.

He tweeted "Had set up a helpline for people from my district Kushinagar, stranded around the country, to help with food. It has been overwhelming with the number of calls coming from J&K to Tamil Nadu, just of people from my district. Am trying my best, challenges are huge but Hum Honge Kaamyaab." When enquired by IANS, RPN Singh said "I am trying to help people through the party network and supporters in various places as reaching out to any person is a hurricane task but I am trying to call them many people personally." The Congress leader gets the detail from the call center set up at Kushinagar then he calls up various district and state units to reach out.

The Congress leader said that its high time that government bring back migrant to their native places.

Congress General Secretary Priyanka Gandhi has also appealed the Uttar Pradesh government on Sunday to take responsibility of the migrants stuck in various cities in the country.

In her video message Priyanka Gandhi said "I am talking to migrant labourers in stuck in Rajasthan , Delhi, Surat, Mumbai and other places,the problem is that they have gone to work there but after lockdown there is no work and they are cramped in rooms without any provision."
The UN Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) predicts that the total catfish output in the world will reach 3 million tons in 2020, of which 50 percent is from Vietnam.

Mekong Deltas farmers, however, are worried as catfish prices have been sliding. Catfish is sold at VND17,000-18,000 per kilogram, lower than the production cost of VND24,000-25,000 per kilogram.





Chung Van Tuoi, from Tan Chau commune of An Giang province, who has been farming catfish for 30 years, said he has never incurred such a big loss.



I have taken a loss of VND300 million selling 50 tons of catfish, he said. The pandemic has caused Chinese demand todecrease."



Farmers have been put into a dilemma. If they sell catfish now, they will incur big losses. But if they dont, they will incur a bigger loss, he said.



The Vietnam Pangasius Association confirmed that catfish prices have decreased by 30-40 percent since December 2019 because of the export decreases.

The localities which are suffering most from the price decreases include An Phu, Chau Phu and Chau Thanh districts in An Giang province, Hong Ngu district in Dong Thap, Nga Bay City in Hau Giang, Vinh Thanh and Thoi Lai districts in Can Tho, and Tan Thanh and Moc Hoa in Long An.

The localities which are suffering most from the price decreases include An Phu, Chau Phu and Chau Thanh districts in An Giang province, Hong Ngu district in Dong Thap, Nga Bay City in Hau Giang, Vinh Thanh and Thoi Lai districts in Can Tho, and Tan Thanh and Moc Hoa in Long An.

The catfish export turnover to ASEAN decreased by 20 percent on average, of which the value of exports to Thailand decreased by 11 percent and Singapore by 34 percent.



Catfish breeders have also seen prices dropping dramatically.



Ha Thi Tuyen in Can Tho City said in previous years, she made a profit of VND200 million from every three months of farming catfish for breeders on 2 hectares of water surface. But Tuyen cannot sell breeders these days though the price has decreased by 20 percent.



A farmer said the production cost per kilogram of breeder is VND29,000-31,000 per kilogram, while the selling price is no more than VND25,000 per kilogram.



According to the Vietnam Association of Seafood Exporters and Producers (VASEP), since mid-March, Chinese importers have begun placing orders with Vietnamese exporters as the country has better controlled the epidemic. Exports to the Chinese and Hong Kong markets may become stable in April.



Meanwhile, exports to the US market in February brought turnover of $20.6 million, up by 67 percent compared with the same period last year.



However, VASEP has warned that challenges still exist.

Linh Ha

After Covid-19 epidemic peak, Chinese market opens again to Vietnams catfish Catfish exporters hope that orders from China will increase again as this country has passed the Covid-19 epidemic peak.
FILE PHOTO: A passenger is seen at the South African Airways (SAA) customer desk at the O.R. Tambo International Airport in Johannesburg

CAPE TOWN (Reuters) - South African Airways (SAA) is offering severance packages to its entire workforce of around 5,000 workers, a proposal by the airline's administrators showed, after the government said it wouldn't provide more funds for rescue efforts.

The proposal, which was put to trade unions this week and hasn't been agreed with them, is the latest sign that state-owned SAA is on the brink of collapse. Talks with unions will resume on Monday.

SAA entered a form of bankruptcy protection in December, since when it has had to suspend all commercial passenger flights due to the global coronavirus pandemic.

This week the government told administrators that it wouldn't provide more funds, lending guarantees or allow foreign financing of a business rescue plan.

According to the proposal, seen by Reuters, employees would see their employment terminated by mutual agreement on April 30. They would be entitled to one week's pay for every year of service, one month's pay in lieu of notice pay and pay for outstanding annual leave.

The proposal said it seemed "unlikely that the company will be successfully rescued as a result of the business rescue process".

"In order to make payment of the severance packages ... the company is required to sell and dispose of its assets," it added.

An SAA spokesman declined to comment. Two unions confirmed the proposal had been made and said they would discuss it with their members.

The Department of Public Enterprises, which oversees the airline, said no agreements have been concluded about potential mass retrenchments as talks with creditors and unions continue.

"There are discussion with the unions on alternatives to the current SAA business model, the success of the business rescue process and the best possible outcome for the airline's employees," the department said in a statement.

SAA has not been profitable since 2011 and has received more than 20 billion rand ($1.1 billion) in bailouts in the past three years, providing a drain on public resources at a time of weak economic growth.

Story continues

The talks with unions were originally about job cuts, but one union involved said they had developed into a discussion about winding down the airline.

($1 = 18.7333 rand)

(Reporting by Wendell Roelf and Alexander Winning; Editing by Mike Harrison)
Professor sues university alleging unlawful firing over criticism of microaggressions flier

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A fired math professor has sued a university in Texas, accusing it of unlawfully firing him over criticizing a flier listing microaggressions.

Nathaniel Hiers filed the suit on Thursday in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Texas against the University of North Texas, saying he was fired in an untimely and unconstitutional manner.

According to the complaint, last November, an unknown person had left a stack of fliers warning about microaggressions in the faculty lounge of the math department.

The fliers describe microaggressions as verbal and nonverbal behaviors that communicate negative, hostile, and derogatory messages to people rooted in their marginalized group membership (based on gender, race, ethnicity, sexuality, etc.). The fliers offered examples of statements considered microaggressions  America is a melting pot, I believe the most qualified person should get the job, and America is the land of opportunity.

They also condemned as microaggressions sexist/heterosexist language, such as [b]eing forced to choose Male or Female when completing basic forms.

Hiers took issue with the claims of the fliers and proceeded to write the message Dont leave garbage lying around with an arrow pointing to the stack.

In response, says the lawsuit, the department chair scolded Hiers for his actions and then dismissed the professor the following week by canceling his contract to teach in spring semester.

By retaliating against Dr. Hiers for exercising his First Amendment rights, Defendants violated his First Amendment right to free speech, placed unconstitutional conditions on Dr. Hiers employment, deprived him of due process and equal protection of law, and breached its contract with him, reads the complaint, in part.

The University does not restrain the discretion of its officials or otherwise prohibit officials from punishing or retaliating against a faculty member for engaging in constitutionally protected conduct or expression.

Hiers is being represented by the Alliance Defending Freedom, a conservative law firm that has argued First Amendment cases before the United States Supreme Court.

The right to free speech is for everyonenot just those in power. Tolerance is a two-way street, said ADF Legal Counsel Michael Ross in a statement released Thursday.

Public universities cant fire professors just because they dont endorse every message someone communicates in the faculty lounge. By firing Dr. Hiers, the university sent an explicit message: Agree with us or else.

Hiers, the complaint says, "firmly rejects bias and prejudice against any person or group of people," but "believes that the concept of 'microaggressions,' while purporting to serve those ends, actually hurts diversity and tolerance.

"Dr. Hiers believes that many of the statements that the flier condemns as 'microaggressions' can (and should) be interpreted in a benign or positive manner. But the fliers teach people to focus on the worst possible interpretation of the statement, to disregard the speakers intent, and to impute a discriminatory motive to others."

Merriam-Webster defines a microaggression as a comment or action that subtly and often unconsciously or unintentionally expresses a prejudiced attitude toward a member of a marginalized group (such as a racial minority).

Jenee Desmond-Harris of the liberal news site Vox.com traced the term back to the 1970s and Harvard University professor Chester M. Pierce, who created the term to describe insults he had witnessed against African-Americans.

These [racial] assaults to black dignity and black hope are incessant and cumulative. Any single one may be gross. In fact, the major vehicle for racism in this country is offenses done to blacks by whites in this sort of gratuitous neverending way, wrote Pierce, as quoted by Vox.

These mini disasters accumulate. It is the sum total of multiple microaggressions by whites to blacks that has pervasive effect to the stability and peace of this world.

Critics of the term have argued that the concept of microaggressions, while real, is often misused to censor dialogue and to foster a culture of victimhood.

If you establish a positive right to be free from alienating comments, it's hard to restrict that right only to people who have been victimized in certain ways, or to certain degrees, wrote Bloomberg columnist Megan McArdle in a 2015 piece.

The result will be proliferation of groups claiming victim status, attempting to trump the victim status of others.
A fire ripped through one of Greece's largest migrant camps leaving widespread damage and many people homeless after the death of an Iraqi woman sparked unrest, officials said Sunday.

The blaze late Saturday at Vial camp on Chios island destroyed the facilities of the European asylum service, a camp canteen, warehouse tents and many housing containers, Migration Ministry Secretary Manos Logothetis told AFP.

"A large part of the camp's administrative services was destroyed," said Logothetis, adding that no injuries were reported.

The UN refugee agency's spokesperson in Athens Boris Cheshirkov said the damage is still being evaluated but that many camp residents have likely been left homeless.

"Authorities are still assessing the damages but a few hundred people are likely affected because their shelters have burned down. We have donated tents to the authorities which can quickly be put into use and we will assist in replacing the warehouse tents," he told AFP.

At least three vehicles outside the camp were also gutted.

A police source in Athens said two Afghans and an Iraqi had been arrested in relation to the unrest, which erupted after a 47-year-old asylum seeker from Iraq died in the camp on Saturday.

"We managed to restore order at around 1am... There were many people who took part in the incidents," another police source on Chios said.

The Iraqi woman had been taken with a fever to a hospital earlier this week. At the time, a test for coronavirus had returned negative, state news agency ANA reported Saturday.

Migrant camps in Greece have been under quarantine in recent weeks, with authorities trying to keep residents apart from locals.

The virus has so far killed 110 people in Greece. Another 67 are in intensive care.

There have been coronavirus cases in two camps on the mainland. No cases have been reported in island camps so far.

As with all of Greece's island camps, Vial is massively overcrowded with more than 5,000 people living in space intended for around 1,000.

Some 100,000 asylum seekers are currently stranded in Greece after other European states closed their borders in 2016.

Overall, there are more than 36,000 people in the camps on islands near Turkey that were originally built for 6,100.

The migration ministry has said it will begin moving hundreds of elderly and ailing asylum seekers out of the island camps to protect them from the coronavirus.

A scheme to gradually relocate 1,600 unaccompanied minors from war-torn countries to other European nations also began this week.

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Oxford professor arrested for selling stolen Bible fragments to Museum of the Bible

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An academic from the U.K.s Oxford University has been arrested as part of an investigation into the theft and unauthorized sale of ancient Bible fragments to Hobby Lobby Stores in the U.S. The Museum of the Bible in Washington, D.C., displayed the fragments temporarily.

The accused, identified as Dr. Dirk Obbink, a 63-year-old professor of papyrology at Oxford who allegedly stole the fragments belonging to the Oxyrhynchus collection in the Sackler Library, was arrested Thursday by Thames Valley Police, according to The Telegraph.

The Oxyrhynchus Papyri is a group of manuscripts that were discovered during the late 19th and early 20th centuries at a spot where ancient inhabitants of the city of Oxyrhynchus dumped their garbage of over 1,000 years.

Obbink has been released under investigation, a police spokesman was quoted as saying.

The Egypt Exploration Society, a British nonprofit excavation organization that works in Egypt and Sudan which owns the collection, issued a statement last October accusing Obbink of selling fragments of the Oxyrhynchus Papyri, after which the university suspended the professor.

The EES said 11 of the 13 missing fragments were sold without authorization to Hobby Lobby Stores, a U.S. arts and crafts chain, and they ended up in a collection belonging to the Museum of the Bible, which was founded by the evangelical Green family. The family also owns Hobby Lobby.

The MOTB has informed the EES that 11 of these pieces came into its care after being sold to Hobby Lobby Stores by Professor Obbink, most of them in two batches in 2010, the EES said.

Dr. Carl Graves, the EES director, confirmed the Museum of the Bible had since returned 13 missing fragments.

The Board of Trustees of the MOTB has accepted the EES claim to ownership of the thirteen pieces identified to date, and is arranging to return them to the EES. The EES is grateful to the MOTB for its co-operation, and has agreed that the research on these texts by scholars under the auspices of the MOTB will receive appropriate recognition when the texts are published in the Oxyrhynchus Papyri series, EES said in its statement.

Obbink had denied the accusations. 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, he earlier told The Guardian. 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 Oxyrhynchus collection includes more than 500,000 fragments of literary and documentary texts  written in Greek, ancient Egyptian, Coptic, Latin, Arabic, Hebrew and other languages  dating from the 3rd century BC to the 7th century.

The stolen fragments included extracts from Genesis, Exodus, Deuteronomy, Psalms, Romans and I Corinthians, according to The Times.

These are early fragments of the gospels or biblical fragments, Graves told The Guardian. They are testament to Egypts early Christian heritage and are early evidence of biblical scripture. We dont value them monetarily but they are priceless and irreplaceable.

In 2018, experts announced that a fragment from the New Testament Gospel of Mark found in the Oxyrhynchus garbage dump likely dates back to either the late second or early third centuries, and not the first century as was speculated by some scholars.
If you are also binging on Money Heists latest season and been pondering over the brilliance of how these robberies are executed in movies then chances are that youre probably in the zone where you are looking to watch more movies based on a heist to keep the adrenaline pumping. While there are some fantastic heist movies out there, here are 4 heist movies made in Bollywood which are super interesting as they are based and inspired from real life robberies:



1. Special 26- This crime thriller starring Akshay Kumar and Anupam Kher is based of the famous heist of the Opera House in Mumbai in 1987. A group of con artists posed as fake CBI officials and executed a tax raid at the Tribhovandas Bhimji Zaveri & Sons Jewellers store in Mumbai.

2. Oye Lucky! Lucky Oye!  One of the best movies and also Abhay Deols fine performance is actually a retelling of the life story of the famous Bunty Chor in Delhi. The compulsive thief Devinder Singh aka Bunty became a problem for the Delhi police when he managed to dupe them several times for a while before being caught. Bunty eventually became more famous after the movie was released and even appeared on Bigg Boss.

3. Dolly Ki Doli  Sonam Kapoors comedy movie based on a goon bride who marries wealthy men only to take away their riches finds its inspiration in several real life cases. As per reports, a robber bride from UP hit headlines when she was known to marry men and rob them right after the wedding! Several other women got inspired from this piece of news and followed suit, which eventually inspired the character to be written.

4. Bunty Aur Babli  Everyone loved the cute con couple Bunty and Bablie played by Abhishek Bacchchan and Rani Mukerji who try and dupe people off their wealth and even manage to sell the Taj Mahal to a buyer. According to a report, it can be a total coincidence or probably the super hit was loosely inspired from a similar real life couple in Nagpur. Sidhharth Jay Marathe and Maya Marathe were arrested for a fraud for Rs 500 crores in 2004 (a year before the movie was released). The couple moved cities, duping and cheating people and even started a fake stock broking firm in Delhi where their racket was eventually busted.
Europe will need at least another 500 billion euros from European Union institutions to finance its economic recovery after the coronavirus pandemic, on top of the agreed half-a-trillion package, the head of the euro zone bailout fund said.

In an interview with Italys Corriere della Sera paper, published on Sunday, European Stability Mechanism Managing Director Klaus Regling said the easiest way to organise such funds would be via the European Commission and the EU budget.

I would say that for the second phase we need at least another 500 billion euros from the European institutions, but it could be more, Regling told the paper.

For that, we need to discuss new instruments with an open mind, but also use the existing institutions, because it is easier, including in particular the Commission and the EU budget. Rethinking European funds can go a long way in keeping the European Union together, Regling said.

European Union finance ministers agreed on April 9th on safety nets for sovereigns, companies and individuals worth in total 540 billion euros.

They also agreed that the euro zone, which the IMF predicts will plunge into a 7.5% recession this year because of the pandemic, will need money to recover, but they had different ideas on how much is needed and how to raise it.

EU leaders are to discuss that at a videconference on April 23. The idea around which a compromise may emerge is likely to involve the European Commission borrowing on the market against the security of the long-term EU budget and leveraging the money to achieve a bigger effect.
Amidst rising deaths as a result of the coronavirus pandemic, globally, the General Overseer of the Redeemed Christian Church of God, (RCCG), Enoch Adeboye, on Sunday said the journey to normalcy had begun.

In the wake of the emergence of the virus which has infected over 2.3 million people globally and killed over 150,000, many nations around the world have effected lockdown and restrictions on movement on citizens to curb the spread of the virus, from which over half a million persons have recovered.

Despite the lockdown, which was also enforced in Nigeria, many continue to die daily as scientists across the globe battle against time to find a vaccine for the virus, which first emerged in Wuhan, China in December, 2019.

In Nigeria, over 500 persons have been infected while about 19 deaths have so far been recorded even as the federal and state governments locked down large swathes of the nation to curb the spread of COVID-19.

But Mr Adeboye, a former lecturer, who superintends over one of the largest churches, with millions of members across the globe, in a televised broadcast on Sunday, said the return to normal living will commence in a matter of weeks.

Scientists have argued that it would take months for a vaccine to be developed for coronavirus and many nations may have to curtail social gatherings and employ stringent social measures to ensure the virus does not do more damage.

Since the lockdown in Nigeria, many church leaders, including Mr Adeboye, whose church headquarters is in Ogun, one of the states under a federal government-initiated lockdown, have held online services with their members since public gatherings have equally been banned.

Ogun, Lagos and the Federal Capital Territory have been under a complete lockdown for over three weeks.

Mr Adeboye had, in the wake of the emergence of the virus in Nigeria, revealed how God told him the world would experience a compulsory holiday.

I have good news for you. The return journey to normalcy has begun, Mr Adeboye told members on Sunday. Very soon your pastors will return to their duty posts. I have perhaps one more Sunday to spend with you (televised broadcast), then everything will return to normal.

Mr Adeboye, who lauded the efforts of doctors in curtailing the scourge for the past few weeks, however, urged members and indeed the global community to continue ensuring high hygienic habits to ensure the world is not hit by a worse pandemic any time soon.

In Nigeria, he urged the federal government, (which has one of its top officials, Vice President Yemi Osinbajo as a member of the RCCG), to always include the clergy in any future committees set up to tackle national health challenges as they were key in helping to contain such outbreaks.

I also advise the government that in the future when they are setting up their committees, men of God should be included, the cleric said. I am not talking about small boys like me. I am talking about chief imams, arch bishops, others, so they can help them with the spiritual aspect of this warfare. I sincerely hope that we would all know at the end that it is not by our wisdom, our abilities, our planning that has given us whatever victory that we have already gotten. We need to return all the glory to God because as the elders will say, the rain can send you into the same hut more than once. We need to give the glory to God because we dont want the victory we have won so far to be reversed.

Mr Adeboye also said a relapse in the scourge of coronavirus, even after it recedes, is possible.

If you ask any doctor, he (she) would tell you that the most difficult cancer to handle is the cancer that relapses, he said. We dont want a relapse of this scourge. Like I said before, this coronavirus, by the grace of God, will recede. But dont let anybody deceive you. It is not going to disappear 100 per cent. Flu came about a 100 years ago. It receded. Ebola came. It receded. You know very well they have not died completely. Lets give all the glory to God that He will see that our victory is complete.

Africa will defeat coronavirus first

Even though the continent was perhaps the last to be massively hit by the virus and has so far recorded fewer cases, than other continents, Mr Adeboye said God will give victory to Africa first.

Mr Adeboyes opinion seems to contradict that of the Economic Commission for Africa and Melinda Gates, which noted that the continent should expect the worst in the coming weeks.

While the global body had said the continent may witness 300,000 deaths, Mrs Gates warned of massive fatalities in Africa if adequate precautions were not taken.

God will give us (in Africa) victory first before it extends to other parts of the world, Mr Adeboye said. Even after the lockdowns end, any journey outside the country, except it is very essential, postpone it.

Mr Adeboye, however, said the coronavirus season would soon end globally and the world would heave a sigh of relief.

Charge: Joy Cometh!

Quoting copiously from portions of the Bible which included, Psalm 30 (4-5), John 11 (25, 39-45), Genesis 17 (1), John 6 (5-13), I Kings 17 (8-16) and a few others, Mr Adeboye spoke on the theme: Joy Cometh.

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According to him, weeping may endure for a night but joy cometh to all true worshippers of God.

He said Gods desire to all men was to allow them experience joy in all aspects of their lives including marital, physical, spiritual and material.

Death does not have the final say, Christ has the final say, he said. Sadness does not have the final say, it is the risen Christ that has the final say.

Poverty does not have the final say, the all-sufficient one has the final say. Darkness does not have the final say, it is the Light that has the final say. And let me assure you, barrenness does not have the final say, it is the one who made you that has the final say, he added.
From a bunch of radishes to a sleeping cat, Parisian Agnes Goyet has turned to her life indoors for inspiration as Frances coronavirus lockdown frees her up to pursue her hobby - art.

Goyet, who normally works as a real estate manager, is among many amateur artists finding new forms of expression as governments order confinements to contain the outbreak.

Professional musicians, chefs, actors and athletes around the world are also taking to social media to reach out to the public from inside their homes.

After nearly five weeks in her apartment, Goyet said that updating her watercolour journal had become a daily necessity, as an outlet to escape the pressures of quarantine.

Agnes Goyet, a Parisian artist who documented life in lockdown in a journal during the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) outbreak, poses in her apartment in Paris, France. (REUTERS)

My journal of drawings is my door, my small opening to the world, she said, showing off sketches depicting everything from her television set as it beamed French President Emmanuel Macrons latest speech to her indoor plants.

I think the lockdown has fostered a lot of creativity, she said. We find beauty in everything. Even a simple bunch of radish becomes pretty.

Goyet, who has been posting her watercolours on Instagram, lives in a 94-square-metre apartment with her two adult children. Since the lockdown began on March 17, she has only stepped out to shop for groceries and once to go jogging.

She said she normally kept journals of her travels, and her usual subjects included nature, architecture and street life. Despite finding joy during confinement, Goyet added that she had one date in mind: May 11, when the French government has said it will start easing some lockdown measures.

I wait for only one thing, which is to go back to a bistro, take a seat the terrace and to be able to draw outdoors, Goyet said.

(This story has been published from a wire agency without modifications to the text)

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Here are todays top news, analysis and opinion. Know all about the latest news and other news updates from Hindustan Times.

PM Modi applauds small traders who kept supply chain intact amid lockdown

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday lauded the role of small traders and local shopkeepers who have played a vital part in the supply chain of essential commodities by selling and delivering basic necessities to citizens at huge personal risk during the Covid-19 health crisis and the subsequent lockdown. Read more.

Trump, WHO chiefs face-off over Covid-19 could spark fireworks at annual event

US President Donald Trump and his administrations consistent attacks on the World Health Organisation chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus have set up a face-off at the proposed annual meeting of the World Health Assembly on May 18. Read more.

No decision yet on resuming passenger flights post lockdown: Hardeep Puri

Civil aviation minister Hardeep Singh Puri said on Sunday no decision has yet been taken to resume domestic and international flight at the end of the lockdown.Read more.

Asymptomatic Covid cases between 50 to 82%, highlight the threat from silent carriers

50 to 82 per cent of Indias total coronavirus patients registered across states are asymptomatic, say officials from different states, presenting a difficulty in the further easing of lockdown norms beyond May 3. Read more.

Life Hacks: Seeking beauty in the monotony of the lockdown effect

Despite starting out with the best intentions, our days become monotonous because were locked down. It is only human to think about what can be done to escape that monotony. Read more.

Human gestures hearing impaired dog about going on walk, her reaction is priceless. Watch

There are a lot of things that can make a dog go crazy. It can be their favourite treat or when their favourite human returns home. However mostly, its all about walks. Read more.

Filmmaker Gurinder Chadha loses aunt to coronavirus, says no one could be with her in person in her final moments

Gurinder Chadha has revealed that her aunt died of coronavirus-related complications on Sunday. The filmmaker also shared that though no one from the family could be there by her side in her final moments, her children were on video call with her and chanting prayers. Read more.

UPSC, SSC exam update: Union minister Jitendra Singh speaks on Covid impact

Union minister Jitendra Singh commented on the postponement of UPSC and SSC examinations due to the Covid-19 pandemic. Singh said that UPSC has issued a circular stating that a decision regarding conduct of the exams will be taken after May 3. The nationwide lockdown to break the cycle of Coronavirus infection was extended to May 3 by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on April 14. Watch here.
ANN ARBOR, MI  St. Joseph Mercy Hospital in Ann Arbor treated its first hospitalized COVID-19 patient Sunday, April 19, with plasma donated by a recovered patient as part of a nationwide experimental program working to cure the disease.

The patient is one of 11 in the in the St. Joseph Mercy Health System participating in the Mayo Clinics Coordinated Expanded Access to Convalescent Plasma Program, according to a St. Joseph Mercy Health System statement.

The patients are being treated in the health systems hospitals in Ann Arbor, Canton, Oakland, Muskegon and Livonia and are among 200 patients who registered for the treatment trial nationally, officials said.

Early participation in this program is due in part to our robust oncology research program, which gave us the ability to quickly develop our plasma program to respond in the hopes of helping to bring forward a treatment for COVID-19 as soon as possible, Dr. Anurag Malani, medical director for infection prevention and control, said in the release. Our focus now is to spread the word to those who have had COVID to donate their plasma for use in this program.

New Michigan coronavirus cases of 633 is daily low for month of April

COVID-19 figures released Sunday, April 19, by the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services show 633 new cases reported, more than 100 less than the 768 cases on Saturday and 760 on Friday.

Sundays numbers raise the total COVID-19 cases in Michigan to 31,424, with 2,391 total deaths, up 83. The number of daily deaths is up slightly from 81 reported on Saturday.

Data shows 3,237 people have recovered from COVID-19.

It is hypothesized in the program that patients with COVID-19 may improve faster if they receive plasma from those who have recovered from the disease caused by the novel coronavirus, as their blood likely contains antibodies, which are capable of fighting the virus that causes the illness, the release states.

The experimental treatment program is reserved for patients who are hospitalized with severe or life-threatening COVID-19 symptoms or are at risk of developing severe or life-threatening symptoms, officials said.

Initial data from the plasma program indicates that a single infusion has shown benefit for some of the patients in the trial, health officials said.

At this time it is not certain if the treatment will or will not help those with COVID-19, or if there are any harmful side effects associated with it, but it is one of the only treatments available for the disease at the moment, officials said.

Being part of the national Expanded Access Program, focused on providing treatment with new drugs and medical practices, the program will help researchers collect important information on the patients who received the treatment, the release states.

Those who have recovered from COVID-19, which means being 28 days symptom free, are encouraged to register online at RedCross.org and click on learn more in the Convalescent Plasma section to find out how to help.

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In addition to the plasma program, St. Joes Ann Arbor is also one of only two sites in Michigan to participate in the Gileads Remdesivir Expanded Access Program, which uses an experimental antiviral drug, identified by the World Health Organization as one of the most promising treatments in treating COVID-19 positive patients, the release states.

Only patients with the most severe cases of the virus requiring ventilator support are eligible for this program. St Joes has registered 16 patients in the trial to date.

Read all of MLives coverage on the coronavirus at mlive.com/coronavirus.

Additional information is available at Michigan.gov/Coronavirus and CDC.gov/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, counter tops) and when you go into places like stores.
An NHS worker who was a 'great role model to all' and a 'much loved' nursing assistant have become the latest healthcare workers to die after contracting Covid-19.

Radiographer Simon Guest, who worked on the frontline at Furness General Hospital in Barrow, Cumbria, died on Wednesday after testing positive for coronavirus.

Described by his wife Nicky as a 'true gentleman', the healthcare worker, who also trained other radiographers, is among the NHS workers who have fought on the frontline to help battle the coronavirus crisis and have died of the illness.

The latest deaths comes as the UK continues to control the spread of the virus which has now claimed the lives of 16,060 people.

Simon Guest, who worked as a radiographer at Furness General Hospital in Cumbria, died after contracting Covid-19

Nursing assistant Ruben Munoz (centre), who had worked at Surrey and Sussex Healthcare NHS Trust since 2011, has also died from coronavirus

Following Mr Guest's death, his wife said: 'We are all overwhelmed with grief at the loss of our beloved Simon to Covid-19.

'Simon was special, a true gentleman and a great role model to all. He was a gentle soul and so very caring with both his patients and NHS colleagues.

'Simon worked tirelessly on the front line, always helping others, a dedicated professional in every sense of the word.

'Simon has trained and mentored many radiography students who have gone on to continue his good work in both UHMBT and other hospitals. His students have described him as ''patient, knowledgeable and non-judgemental. An amazing man who provided unconditional support to us all''.

She added: 'Simon had a fantastic sense of humour. His work ethic and personality were like sunshine and light even in the darkest of times.'

Lead radiographer for the Furness General Hospital Rose Byron said: 'Outside of work, Simon was a devoted husband to Nicky.

'Simon was a modest man and would be stunned by the outpouring of grief, and love being shown for him. The radiology department would like to thank everyone for all the love and support they are receiving from so many wonderful people. It was an honour and a privilege to have worked with him.

'He had a great passion for life and enjoyed motorbikes, nice cars, guitars and music.

'Simon will be greatly missed and fondly remembered by all who knew him. He is forever in our hearts A True Hero.'

Just days later, nursing assistant Ruben Munoz, a father-of-two and a husband, who had worked at Surrey and Sussex Healthcare NHS Trust since 2011, also died from coronavirus.

Paying tribute to the healthcare worker was Surrey and Sussex trust chief executive, Michael Wilson, who described Mr Munoz as a 'highly respected' and 'talented' individual.

He said: 'Ruben was a highly respected and talented nursing assistant who showed enormous dedication to caring for his patients every time he walked through our doors.

'He was also a much-loved friend to so many people across our hospital and our team are incredibly saddened by his passing.'

In a statement seen by SurreyLive his family added: 'Ruben is a good son, a beloved husband and an amazing father to his two children. He was so proud of his NHS and Woodland Ward family.'

The tragic deaths come as the coronavirus crisis continues to claim the lives of brave doctors, nurses and support staff helping fight the pandemic on the frontline.

Earlier this week, Julianne Cadby, 49, of Cardiff, who worked in a string of roles at her health board for three decades and was a 'much loved' member of her team, died after contracting the virus.

She started her career as a medical secretary before becoming a business manager at the specialist Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services.

Dedicated Mrs Cadby was described by her colleagues as 'always ensuring we are delivering the best service we can for children and young people.'

She leaves behind her husband Chris, their son Evan and her brother Ian.

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.

Julianne Cadby, 49, of Cardiff, worked in a string of roles at her health board for three decades and was a 'much loved' member of her team

Healthcare assistant Lourdes Campbell (pictured above) died from the coronavirus

'She is survived by her husband Chris, their son Evan and her brother Ian. We will miss her greatly.'

Also this week 57-year-old Andy Treble who returned to the frontline during the crisis died of coronavirus after a battle in intensive care.

Family and colleagues later paid tribute to Mr Treble after his death, with the Betsi Cadwaladr University Heath Board saying: '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.'

Mr Treble (pictured) was described as a kind man who dedicated his life to his profession, and 'always had a smile on his face'

This week tributes were also made to Lourdes Campbell, who worked for Bolton NHS Foundation Trust, after she died on the critical care unit at Royal Bolton Hospital after contracting the virus.

In a statement published on Thursday, chief executive of the trust Fiona Noden said: 'It is with deep regret and huge sadness that I share with you the devastating news that we have lost a friend and colleague to the terrible Covid-19 virus.

'Lourdes Campbell, a healthcare assistant, died a short time ago on our critical care unit.

'Lourdes, known as Des to her colleagues, has worked with us for nearly 13 years.

'She was a well-liked and valued member of the team, known for working extremely hard.

'She was dedicated to patient care and her colleagues respected her quiet, diligent and compassionate approach.

'This is a terrible and poignant reminder of the situation we are facing every day to help others and I want to thank every member our staff for their continued care for our patients and community.

'Their continued courage and commitment to duty is inspirational and a comfort to us all in these difficult times.'

NHS worker Barbara Moore, 54, who 'dedicated her life to caring for others', died on April 6 at the Royal Liverpool University Hospital after testing positive for coronavirus

On April 6, Aintree University Hospital confirmed that they had lost long-serving staff nurse Liz Glanister (centre), 68, after she contracted Covid-19

Earlier this month, Barbara Moore, 54, who worked as a patient discharge planner at Aintree University Hospital, died on April 6 at the Royal Liverpool University Hospital after testing positive for coronavirus.

Described as an 'unsung hero', the mother-of-two and grandmother, who 'loved nothing more than spending precious time with her family', is now the second member of staff to die from coronavirus at Aintree Hospital.

In a statement, Mrs Moore's family said: 'Barbara was a much loved wife, mum, nan, sister, aunty, friend and beautiful person.

'Barbara dedicated her life to caring for others and doted on her two beautiful children and grandchildren.

'She loved nothing more than spending precious time with her family. Barbara will be sadly missed by so many.'

A spokesman for Liverpool University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, which is in charge of Aintree Hospital, said: 'It is with incredible sadness that the trust have today confirmed the death of one of their members of staff, Barbara Moore, aged 54, who had tested positive for coronavirus (Covid-19).

'Barbara, a patient discharge planner at Aintree University Hospital, passed away on Monday, 6 April, at the Royal Liverpool University Hospital.

'Barbara had joined the hospital team after spending most of her career as a care worker for people with disabilities.'

Just days earlier, on April 6, the hospital confirmed that they had lost long-serving staff nurse Liz Glanister, 68, who died after contracting coronavirus.

In a statement on social media Ms Brown 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.

Heavily pregnant NHS nurse, 28, dies of coronavirus as friends and family mourn the deaths of three other brave health workers who have died on the frontline

By Raven Saunt, Tom Pyman and Amie Gorden for the MailOnline and Inderdeep Bains for the Daily Mail

Damning questions are being asked over why a nurse who died from coronavirus was still working well into the final three months of her pregnancy.

Mary Agyeiwaa Agyapong's condition deteriorated rapidly after contracting the virus last week, but desperate to save her baby daughter, she underwent an emergency caesarean.

Tragically, the 28-year-old died just days later on Easter Sunday.

The little girl is understood to be alive but it is not yet clear if she has tested positive for the disease.

Joeli Brearley, founder of Pregnant Then Screwed, said: 'The death of Mary Agyeiwaa Agyapong from Luton and Dunstable Hospital could have been prevented, a child will now grow up without her mother - this tragedy could have been prevented'

However, concerns are being raised after Luton and Dunstable Hospital, where she nursed for five years, confirmed she had been working on ward 12 - which has since become a Covid-19 ward - until March 12 at least and possibly later.

She was eight months pregnant when she died and stopped working at 28 weeks, as permitted in official guidance, which hospital bosses said they followed.

However, it has led to renewed calls for a rethink, with campaigners insisting: 'All pregnant women shouldn't be on the frontline.'

Pictured: Father-of-two Dr Peter Tun, who worked as an associate specialist in neurorehabilitation at the Royal Berkshire Hospital for more than 21 years, passed away on Monday

Cheryl Williams (left), who worked as a housekeeper on an elderly patient ward at North Middlesex University Hospital in Edmonton, north London, died on Easter Sunday

Father-of-two Dr Peter Tun, 62, died in the intensive care unit at a hospital in Reading on Monday.

Another victim, Ade Raymond, 48, had been working as a healthcare assistant for the Barnet, Enfield and Haringey Mental Health Trust before he died.

And Cheryl Williams, who worked as a housekeeper on an elderly patient ward at North Middlesex University Hospital in Edmonton, north London, died on Easter Sunday.

Another victim, Ade Raymond, 48, (pictured) had been working as a healthcare assistant for the Barnet, Enfield and Haringey Mental Health Trust before he died

Colleagues of Mr Raymond at the Barnet, Enfield and Haringey Mental Health Trust have also paid tribute following his tragic death

Tributes have since been paid to Dr Tun who had worked as an associate specialist in neurorehabilitation at the Royal Berkshire Hospital for more than 21 years.

In an emotional statement, his children said: 'Our family is immensely proud of our superhero dad.

'He used to say, 'Treat all your patients like they are your own family', and this speaks to the type of character that he had.

'To us, he was simply the best human we know and we will miss him every day.'

It comes as a dental nurse was also confirmed to have died after being treated for coronavirus for a month.

Mother-of-one Linnette Cruz, 51, (pictured) was also confirmed to have died after being treated for coronavirus for a month

Mother-of-one Linnette Cruz, 51, was a senior head nurse at a practice in Sketty, Swansea.

Mrs Cruz was admitted to hospital last month after suffering with Covid-19 symptoms but died on April 14.

Dental practice owner Nik Patel paid tribute to her by saying: 'She brought love, light and joy to everyone around her. She will be sadly missed by all.'
The Left parties have been left in a bind following the Modi government's strong move of disallowing FDI via the automatic route for countries with which India shares a land border, particularly China. Rather than reacting directly to the move, they have instead sought to uphold their age-old umbrella position that FDI is unwanted in general, rather than taking a stand with the action against an economically expansionary Communist China, as per top sources.

Left parties such as the Communist Party of India (Marxist) have not taken a stand as yet and are unlikely to take one as they believe singling out China does not merit a reaction, sources added. Their official stand to oppose FDI in principle remains the same but they can't support the Government either for political reasons.

When Republic TV contacted a few top Left leaders, they said the party does not believe in taking a separate stand on this. "Historically we have opposed FDI in principle but we cannot into specifics. It's not a matter of China alone. The same principle should be followed by the US as well. Party may or may not take a stand during its next Polit Bureau meeting (through video conference)," they said.

READ | After India's FDI Move, Trump Warns China If It Was 'knowingly Responsible' For Covid

Rahul Gandhi on FDI policy

Former Congress chief Rahul Gandhi, on Saturday, thanked the government for taking note of the warning he had issued regarding 'hostile takeovers by foreign interests'. Gandhi had claimed that Indian corporates have become weak, making them attractive targets for takeovers, after China increased its stake in HDFC to 1%. He added that the government must not allow foreign interests to take control of any Indian companies during the ongoing crisis.

I thank the Govt. for taking note of my warning and amending the FDI norms to make it mandatory for Govt. approval in some specific cases. https://t.co/ztehExZXNc  Rahul Gandhi (@RahulGandhi) April 18, 2020

READ | Rahul Gandhi Thanks Govt For 'noting His Warning' After FDI Policy Amended For Neighbours

Policy amended for curbing "opportunistic takeovers"

The Central government on Saturday made its prior approval mandatory for foreign investments from countries that share a land border with India to curb "opportunistic takeovers" of domestic firms following the COVID-19 pandemic, a move that will restrict FDI from China via the automatic route. Countries that share land borders with India are China, Bangladesh, Pakistan, Bhutan, Nepal, Myanmar, and Afghanistan.

According to a press note issued by the Department for promotion of Industry and Internal Trade (DPIIT), "An entity of a country, which shares a land border with India or where the beneficial owner of investment into India is situated in or is a citizen of any such country, can invest only under the government route."

It said that the government has amended the FDI (foreign direct investment) policy to curb "opportunistic takeovers/acquisitions" of Indian companies on account of COVID-19 pandemic.

READ | In FDI Move On China, Modi Again Underscores Economic Nationalism

READ | As India Amends FDI Policy, Startup Investments Reveal Why Protection From China Is Needed
LONDONWhen the Queen turns 94 on Tuesday, for the first time in her nearly seven-decade reign, her birthday will not be marked by a gun salute  another long-standing ritual lost to the grim siege of the coronavirus.

The Queen requested that no special measures be put in place for artillery guns to be fired from multiple sites around London, according to Buckingham Palace, because she did not feel it appropriate in the current circumstances. She also instructed that flags should not be flown in her honour unless it could be done while observing social-distancing restrictions.

Buckingham Palace said the Queen, who has sequestered herself at Windsor Castle since mid-March, did not plan to mark her birthday in any special way. She might speak to members of the Royal Family, who are scattered across the country, by video call, a palace official said, but the conversations would be private.

The palace had already scrapped the Queens birthday parade, known as Trooping the Colour. That elaborate military procession is traditionally held in June and draws thousands of spectators to the wide avenue in front of the palace, where she waves from the balcony, as fighter jets roar overhead.

The Queen has managed to be at once conspicuously absent and reassuringly visible during the pandemic. She left London abruptly March 19, four days before Prime Minister Boris Johnson imposed a lockdown on the country, and has been living in isolation at Windsor since then.

But she delivered a rare televised address April 5 to rally Britons for the national struggle against the virus. Drawing on her own experience as a young princess during the Second World War, the Queen appealed to the country to show solidarity and stoicism  not by drawing together, but by staying apart.

We should take comfort that while we may have more still to endure, better days will return, the Queen said. We will be with our friends again; we will be with our families again; we will meet again.

That last line alluded to Well Meet Again, a 1939 song popularized by Vera Lynn that became a wartime favourite in Britain. The address carried a distinct echo of the famous speech the Queens father, George VI, gave on the brink of the war, lending it emotional resonance in a country where the virus has killed more than 15,400 people and threatened the political establishment.

Less than an hour after the Queen spoke this month, the government announced that Johnson had been hospitalized with the virus. He spent three nights in intensive care and is now recuperating at Chequers, the country residence of British prime ministers. Several of Johnsons senior aides were also infected.

Fears for the Queens health surged after Prince Charles, her eldest son and heir to the throne, announced March 25 that he was suffering symptoms of the virus. The prince, 71, had met his mother March 12, only a day before his medical advisers assessed that he could have been infectious.

News outlets reported that one of the Queens footmen, who is responsible for walking her dogs, had also contracted the virus. Buckingham Palace took extraordinary measures to protect her during the recording of the speech, allowing only a single camera operator, wearing a mask and gloves, to be in the room.

The Queen looked at ease and alert during her speech, and Buckingham Palace has offered no updates on her condition. The palace is already planning her platinum jubilee, in 2022, marking 70 years on the throne. She is the worlds oldest monarch and longest-serving head of state.
The Spanish government has just "authorized" the military to prepare planes for aerial spraying of disinfectants across major metro areas as confirmed COVID-19 cases and deaths continue to rise, reported La Razon News.

The order was first published in the Boletin Oficial del Estado, the country's official gazette, on Friday, that "authorizes the NBQ (Nuclear, Biological and Chemical) units of the Armed Forces and the UME to use biocides authorized by the Ministry of Health in disinfection efforts to deal with the health crisis caused by the coronavirus."

According to the order, "the most effective disinfection techniques are the use of aerial means because through them, with nebulization, thermonebulization and micronebulization techniques, all surfaces are reached quickly, avoiding reliance on manual application, which it is slower, and sometimes it does not reach all surfaces because there are obstacles that prevent reaching them."

The order continues to say "aerial disinfection" missions will be conducted "regularly" as long as the pandemic continues to ravage the country.

On Friday, Spain reported 5,252 new infections, the most significant jump in cases in more than a week, pushing up total cases to 184,948, with 19,478 deaths. The surge in cases could suggest that curve flattening via strict social distancing measures are not working, hence why the government has called up the military to conduct aerial disinfectant spraying missions.

La Razon News said the 43rd Air Force Group would operate Canadair CL-415 aerial firefighting planes that will most likely be outfitted with special sprayers to create an even stream of disinfectants while blanketing a metro area.

Each CL-415 has a range of 1,518 miles with a 1,620-gallon tank that can be mixed with chemicals. The plane is amphibious and can refill on a body of water.

Spain has deployed unmanned aerial systems and ground-based robots to spray disinfectants on the street level. Still, the move by the government to blanket entire towns with disinfectants via airplanes suggests that current efforts are failing to suppress the virus.

As early as late January, we started to note that China was deploying drones with 5-gallon tanks of disinfectants to spray streets.

China using drones to spray the citizen with chemicals to combat the virus. pic.twitter.com/qRSBolO66X  Malak Manatazach (@mjtruIys) February 17, 2020

In late February, China started converting ground-based agriculture robots with sprayers to disinfect public areas.

Our farm #robot R80 has stepped forward to join the #fightcoronavirus operation, disinfecting parking lot outside the office block in Guangzhou. Lightweight, flexible to traverse small districts, R80 can disinfect an area of up to 64800 square metres per hour, with no dead ends. pic.twitter.com/Dm7r8kqjVK  XAG (@XAG_official) February 11, 2020

Spray cannons on trucks in China.

More spraying in China.

Disinfection is underway! Chinas most virus-stricken province, Hubei, is disinfecting entire cities to curb #coronavirus, as trucks and medical workers spray disinfectant through the streets. pic.twitter.com/JNXViVPV3s  People's Daily, China (@PDChina) February 10, 2020

By March, Spain deployed its Army personnel to disinfect train stations.

The Russians converted a jet engine to spray disinfectants...

Russian engineers in Chelyabinsk have converted a jet engine to spray disinfectant, as cities around the world try to destroy viral cells that may be lingering on surfaces. pic.twitter.com/dIXeh9455N  Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty (@RFERL) April 13, 2020

Just remember, the spraying of disinfectants, if that is by ground-based systems or humans, or aerial systems such as drones or airplanes, it will be coming to major metros across the US.
Nine Kenosha-based nonprofit organizations could be the recipients of a fresh infusion of federal grant dollars under a proposal discussed Friday.

The citys Community Development Block Grant Committee met to hash over how an allocation of $655,910 in funds could be disbursed through the Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security (CARES) Act.

Federal CDBG funds are typically disbursed annually to states  and, ultimately, individual municipalities  with the provision the funds benefit organizations and programs serving low-income people and other narrowly defined parameters. This year, multiple rounds of CDBG funds are anticipated in response to COVID-19.

A number of the organizations named to the citys list have been addressing critical needs within the city by providing meal services, housing assistance and aid to small businesses.

Mayor John Antaramian presented the CDBG Committee with a recommended list of eight organizations, but Alderman Anthony Kennedy, who sits on the committee, made a successful appeal to bring a ninth one into the fold and shift around several funding allocations.

Based on the CDBG Committees recommendation, which remains tentative through early May, the Wisconsin Womens Business Initiative Corporation is slated to be the largest recipient of the fresh funds. The organization could receive $365,910, earmarked for micro-enterprise and small business assistance.

Heather Lux, project director with the WWBIC, said the allocation would help swaths of Kenosha small businesses struggling to address their critical needs amid the pandemic.

Lux confirmed a number of small businesses have been reaching out to her organization for assistance and applied for funds through the federal Payroll Protection Program before it was tapped out midweek.

We dont have access to whos applied to what, Lux said when asked if she had specific data. But, obviously, our phone has been ringing off the hook.

Four of the organizations named to the list provide various meal programs. The Boys and Girls Club of Kenosha could receive $20,000 for its meal program, while Kenosha Area Family and Aging Services is slated to receive $15,000 to expand its Meals on Wheels service.

The Shalom Center of the Interfaith Network also was named a prospective recipient with $10,000 earmarked toward its food pantry. The ELCA Outreach Center, the organization Kennedy added to the list during Fridays committee-level review, also is poised to receive $10,000 for its meal program.

The Salvation Army of Kenosha also is slated to receive $50,000 of the CDBG funds, based on the proposal, for rent and mortgage assistance.

While landlords technically are prohibited from evicting residents at this time, Dan Parrish, a case manager with the local Salvation Army, said a number of residents still find themselves in precarious circumstances.

Were all out of funds (for rent and mortgage assistance), so this will come in handy, Parrish said.

Rounding out the list of recipients are the Kenosha Community Health Center, which could receive $150,000 for its mobile response unit; the Kenosha YMCA, which is set to receive $25,000 for its first responder and essential employee daycare program; and United Way of Kenosha County, which could net $10,000 for the 211 system.

The city is accepting public comment on the proposed allocations through April 27. Comments can be sent by email to citydevelopment@kenosha.org. The City Council is slated to make an official vote on the allocations May 4.
Chancellor Rishi Sunak is facing mounting pressure to boost his business bailout so that the Government increases its guarantee on loans to struggling firms to 100 per cent.

The Treasury will today announce a further 1.25billion package to support innovative firms hit as the coronavirus lockdown causes the economy to stutter to a halt.

It will include a 500million loans fund for high-growth companies and 750million in loans and grants for small firms focused on research and development.

Chancellor Rishi Sunak (pictured in March) will today announce a further 1.25billion package to support innovative firms hit by the coronavirus lockdown

But thousands of companies are already struggling to claim state aid under the Governments existing 330billion of coronavirus schemes.

The lockdown is pushing many firms to the brink of collapse, with one report warning today that up to 11.7million people could be furloughed or left jobless in the three months to the end of June.

Smaller businesses especially have encountered huge obstacles when trying to obtain vital Government-backed loans under the Coronavirus Business Interruption Loans Scheme (CBILS).

These loans, handed out by high street banks, can give businesses up to 5million to keep them afloat. And to incentivise the lenders, the Government will take on 80 per cent of any losses they suffer.

But because banks will still have to bear 20 per cent of the risk, they have been asking for detailed financial information and forecasts which firms are simply unable to provide fast enough.

Former Labour leader Ed Miliband (pictured in 2015) said the Chancellor needed to move to a 100 per cent guarantee of loans for smaller businesses

And for any businesses which were already struggling before the lockdown began, Government-backed loans are near impossible to come by.

MPs and City grandees have called on the Government to increase its guarantee on the loans to 100 per cent, as in Switzerland and Germany, to speed up the process.

Former Labour leader Ed Miliband said: The Chancellor must move to a 100 per cent guarantee of loans for smaller businesses. In the coming days, businesses are facing critical decisions about their future.

Meanwhile, a paper by think-tank the Resolution Foundation predicts that unemployment could hit 3.4million in the three months to the end of June with a further 8.3million workers furloughed.

Employees in the lowest-paying hospitality and retail sectors are most likely to be hit. The foundation said: As many as 3.1million employees (46 per cent) in these sectors could be furloughed, with an additional 800,000 workers in this part of the economy becoming unemployed.

From today employers can start applying to the Treasury for financial help under its Job Retention Scheme, which will see the Government paying up to 80 per cent of furloughed workers salaries up to 2,500 per month.

Latest coronavirus video news, views and expert advice at mailplus.co.uk/coronavirus

Rescue cash is a feeble trickle

by Ruth Sunderland for The Daily Mail

Politicians, particularly Conservatives, often refer to the UKs near six million small firms as the backbone of the economy. No doubt, they are sincere.

But however well-meaning, efforts so far to help these businesses in the pandemic have fallen woefully short.

Just compare the tidal wave of money that has flowed to US firms with the feeble trickle that we are seeing here.

In the States, banks have made 1.6million loans worth around $340billion (270billion) to companies through special Covid-19 schemes.

As of last week, UK banks had made a paltry 6,000 loans worth just 1.1billion. The figures speak for themselves.

In the States, banks have made 1.6million loans worth around $340billion (270billion) to companies through special Covid-19 schemes (file image)

Indeed, in the US, so much money has been handed out in such a short space of time that the funds have temporarily run out, though congressional leaders are expected to agree a deal to provide more  and soon. As a consequence, millions of American businesses and jobs are being saved.

So why are we doing so abysmally in comparison?

One reason is that the Small Business Administration, which is running the scheme in the US, is highly efficient. The same, sadly, cannot be said for the British Business Bank, which performs the equivalent function here.

The most important difference between the UK and the US is an intangible one: attitude.

The American government and the banks there have approached the Covid-19 loans crisis with a positive, can-do spirit, while our own banks have been their usual dead-hand, nay-saying selves. The US approach has been to do whatever it takes to save their firms, so their scheme is being fully underwritten by the American taxpayer.

The mentality here is one of avoiding losses. Therefore, loans are only 80pc guaranteed by the British government (ie the taxpayer) and the banks are forced to do stringent credit checks.

Andrew Bailey, the new governor of the Bank of England, has said we should shift to 100 per cent underwriting here. He is right.

Yet not even an existential threat to our entire economy is enough to shake the big banks out of their habitual negative torpor.

Oddly enough, it is RBS, the biggest villain in the credit crisis, thats doing best so far. Under its new boss Alison Rose, it singlehandedly accounts for around half of the total Covid-19 loans, which suggests Barclays, Lloyds and HSBC are dragging their feet.

Thousands of entrepreneurs remain embittered and distrustful of the high street lenders after being betrayed during the credit crunch. They have turned to the banks in the pandemic with sinking hearts and trepidation. If politicians and bankers do not act quickly their worst fears will be confirmed.

We must find a way to offer our struggling firms a lifeline in time, otherwise the backbone of the economy will buckle and break.
Rensselaer County says two more residents of Diamond Hill nursing home in Schaghticoke have died from COVID-19, making the total number of residents who have died there of COVID to four.

The county said Friday that three Diamond Hill residents had already died, but they said Sunday that was an error. Rensselaer County is one of few local counties that has released facility-specific data on COVID-19, as the disease continues to infect residents and staff members at nursing homes state and nationwide.

Just how widespread COVID-19 is in long-term care facilities across the Capital Region remains unclear, as some 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 has said two nursing home residents there have died, but county officials will not say what facility they lived in.

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.

While they have been releasing granular data about their COVID-19 cases, Rensselaer County has also raised concerns over testing.

Executive Steve McLaughlin attacked the state government on Twitter Sunday for not sending enough testing kits to the county.

"The state has sent a grand total of 200 test kits to Rensselaer County. Remember that the next time you hear Cuomo say he needs 'the federal government to act.' I need the state government to act,'" he wrote.

Rich Crist, director of communications for the county, said the county has had to rely on other facilities for its testing needs, including the testing site at University at Albany and Albany Medical Center.

"It's a challenge to make a comprehensive and convenient testing program and we believe testing is one of the keys to beating (COVID-19)," Crist said. "We want to make sure when we get our material for testing its all the same for whats being used across the state, so our control model is the same and there isnt any variation."

Special Investigation 147 NY dams are 'unsound,' potentially dangerous Thousands of dams have not been inspected in over 20 years.

Crist said various medical providers have expressed "serious interest" in opening a testing site in the county, but the lack of testing kits has deterred any partnerships from moving forward.

The county said Regeneron, which is located in Rensselaer County, provided 500,000 test kits to the state. Crist said the county would like an initial order of 5,000 tests from the state.

Gov. Andrew Cuomo's office did not immediately respond to requests for comment.

The state has opened one testing site in the Capital Region so far, located at University at Albany.

Meanwhile, Albany County announced last week a partnership with Whitney Young Health Center to open four mobile testing sites in the county. The testing kits Whitney Young is using are sourced from the same company the state is using, BioReference Laboratories.
Erin is the managing editor at The Red & Black, where she has covered Greek life, student culture and local business. She is a junior journalism and English major, and also has bylines in Matador Network, Apartment Therapy and Down South House & Home.

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Men wearing protective gear bury the body of Nigerian president's chief of staff, Abba Kyari, who died on Friday after contracting COVID-19, at Gudu Cemetery in Abuja, Nigeria April 18, 2020. (Nigeria Presidency/Handout via Reuters.)

Nigerian Presidents Chief of Staff Dies From CCP Virus

LAGOSThe Nigerian presidents chief of staff died on Friday from COVID-19, the presidency said on Saturday, making him the most high profile person in the country to die in the outbreak of the CCP (Chinese Communist Party) virus, commonly known as novel coronavirus.

Abba Kyari had acted as the gatekeeper to 77-year-old President Muhammadu Buhari. After his re-election last year, Buhari ordered ministers to channel all communications through him.

Kyari had underlying health problems including diabetes. Reuters reported on March 24 that he had contracted the disease.

Mallam Abba Kyari, who died on 17th April, 2020, at the age of 67 from complications caused by the coronavirus, was a true Nigerian patriot, said Buhari in a tweet, using an honorific title for Kyari.

Men wearing protective gear carry the coffin of the Nigerian presidents chief of staff, Abba Kyari, who died on Friday after contracting COVID-19, Nigeria April 18, 2020. Nigeria Presidency/Handout via Reuters.

He referred to Kyari as his loyal friend and compatriot for the last 42 years who, as chief of staff, strove quietly and without any interest in publicity or personal gain to implement the presidents agenda.

Kyari traveled to Germany in early March with a delegation of other Nigerian officials for meetings with Siemens AG. He attended meetings with senior government officials upon his return to Nigeria before he was diagnosed as having contracted the CCP virus.

Nigeria has 493 confirmed cases and 17 deaths attributed to the disease, according to the Nigeria Center for Disease Control.

Buhari, whose public pronouncements are rare, himself has undisclosed medical ailments and spent five months in London for treatments in 2017.

Kyaris death might leave a potential opening for a rethink of policy at the heart of government.

Analysts said the governments statist approach since Buhari took office in 2015 was in large part influenced by his chief of staff, a former executive at the United Bank for Africa Plc.

Antony Goldman, head of Nigeria-focused PM Consulting, said Kyari was the central figure in driving forward government policies on agricultural reform, investment in infrastructure and power.

Kyari was very close to Buhari and arguably the most powerful man within the administration, said Malte Liewerscheidt, vice president of Teneo Intelligence in a note.

Kyaris death removes the center of gravity from Buharis inner circle and might provide an opening for more reform-minded elements such as Vice President Yemi Osinbajo, he said.

Kyaris death could be very significant because he showed an immense ability to wield power in the context of a largely absent president, said Clement Nwankwo, director of the Abuja-based Policy and Legal Advocacy Centre think-tank.

There is no evidence that the chief of staff shared that power with anyone. He was totally trusted and it isnt clear who could fill those shoes, said Nwankwo.

Kyari died at a private hospital in the commercial capital, Lagos, a statement issued by Lagos state government said.

His body was flown to the capital, Abuja, on Saturday. He was buried at a cemetery in the city in a private ceremony after funeral prayers at his residence, said Buharis spokesman Garba Shehu.

By Alexis Akwagyiram

The Epoch Times Staff contributed to the report
The week began with President Donald Trump declaring he would decide when the states reopened their economies from coronavirus shutdowns. Governors, pointing to the Tenth Amendment of the Constitution, had other ideas. By weeks end, the president released a reopening plan that put the governors in charge of nearly everything, including ramping up testing for COVID-19.

Trump also took aim at Democratic governors, tweeting LIBERATE MINNESOTA, LIBERATE MICHIGAN and LIBERATE VIRGINIA." The president also picked a Twitter fight with New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo, who hit back in real time during his daily briefing.

The presidents retweet of the #FireFauci hashtag caused an uproar. The White House denied Trump wanted to remove Dr. Anthony Fauci, the infectious disease specialist who has publicly contradicted the president at daily briefings of the White House Coronavirus Task Force.

Cartoonists also commented on face mask fashion; the financial and mental challenges of home quarantine; Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmers restrictive stay-at-home order; criticism of the World Health Organizations defense of China; and the presidents lack of enthusiasm for a U.S. Postal Service bailout.

In political news, editorial cartoonists got to draw former President Barack Obama again. Obama endorsed his former vice president, Joe Biden, now the presumptive Democratic Party nominee for president. That followed endorsements earlier in the week from Bidens former primary challengers Sen. Bernie Sanders and Sen. Elizabeth Warren.

Cartoons were drawn by Bill Bramhall, Dan Wasserman, Dana Summers, Drew Sheneman, Scott Stantis, Walt Handelsman, Phil Hands, Joel Pett and Joey Weatherford of Tribune Content Agency; and A.F. Branco, Mike Luckovich and Michael Ramirez of Creators Syndicate.

View more editorial cartoon galleries.
Figures from France's military leadership show more than half the sailors aboard the country's flagship aircraft carrier contracted the new virus as the ship traveled through the Mediterranean Sea, the North Sea and the Atlantic Ocean.

A navy official says 1,046 of the 1,760 people aboard the Charles de Gaulle tested positive for the virus.

Navy Chief of Staff Adm. Christophe Prazuck attributed the quick spread to the great population density aboard the ship. Speaking Saturday evening to Europe-1 radio, Prazuck said virus protection measures weren't followed properly, which did not allow us to detect the beginning of the epidemic, and therefore to contain it.

The ship is undergoing a lengthy disinfection process since returning to its home base in Toulon last week.

One person who served aboard is in intensive care and more than 20 others are hospitalized. Among those infected are two U.S. sailors serving as part of an exchange program.

Investigations are underway into what happened, and French military leaders have been questioned in parliament.

A similar outbreak on the USS Theodore Roosevelt led to the firing of its captain and the resignation of the acting U.S. Navy secretary.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
mfanukhona@times.co.uk



MBABANE  Taiwan has the capacity to help the World Health Organisation (WHO) better manage Covid-19 (coronavirus).



Responding to questions by the Times SUNDAY, the Embassy of the Republic of China (Taiwan) to Eswatini said the island, which is not a member of the UN, warned that politics should not undermine collective efforts to strengthen the globals health network.

If Taiwan were to be granted full involvement in the World Health Organisation, the embassy stated that its country would share its successful experience with the world more effectively.



It would also actively contribute to prevention and containment efforts, putting an end to the pandemic as quickly as possible. The diplomatic mission mentioned that Taipei closely cooperated with allies and like-minded partners worldwide in combating the coronavirus.



It said the country readily shared its expertise and resources, as well as strived to leave no one behind. It also wholeheartedly believes Taiwan can help the World Health Organisation better manage the Covid-19 pandemic while realising health for all, the Embassy of Taiwan in Mbabane said.

Dr Simon Zwane, the Principal Secretary in the Ministry of Health, said he still believed Taiwan had a depth of experience and wide ranging expertise in the field of public health.



The global health community is missing a lot from the exclusion of Taiwan, Dr Zwane said.

It must be said that Dr Zwane was recently called to order when he motivated for the recognition of Taiwan in United Nations (UN) forums such as WHO. He was called to order by an official from Mainland China. The Island has dispatched four doctors to assist in the containment of the virus in Eswatini, its only African ally.



It also donated E10 million and later 20 653 medical supplies.

Taiwan and the WHO have a contentious relationship. Tensions once again simmered to the surface after WHO Director General Tedro Adhanom Ghebreyesus accused Taiwans foreign ministry of targeting him in a campaign of racism.

Beijing took advantage of this diplomatic row, and accused Taiwan of venomous attacks on WHO while using the coronavirus pandemic to seek independence. Beijing considers self-governed Taiwan to be part of Chinese territory and excludes Taipei from membership in international organisations like the WHO.



However, Taiwans handling of the pandemic has been cited as a success story. Other WHO members may now be more inclined to demand that the international public health body grant Taipei observer status.



Formosa, meaning the beautiful island, is another name for Taiwan. It argued that it could provide valuable input on best practices and public health strategies for other countries dealing with their own COVID-19 epidemics.



According to CNN, country after country, like a line of dominoes, has been shut down by the novel coronavirus. Despite signs the threat was making its way across the globe, there was a clear pattern of response in many parts of the world -- denial, fumbling and, eventually, lockdown.

Health analysts observed that as much of the world mulled gradually lifting lockdowns, there are still lessons to be learned from these four places that got it right.



Lessons from Taiwan (CNN)



Sitting just 180 kilometres (110 miles) off the coast of mainland China, Taiwans outbreak could have been disastrous. At the end of January, the island was estimated to have had the second-highest number of cases in the world, according to Johns Hopkins University (JHU).

But Taiwan, with a population of around 24 million people, has recorded just over 390 cases and six deaths. On Wednesday, it reported no new cases at all. Its managed to do that without implementing severe restrictions, like lockdowns, or school and nursery closures. In terms of its death toll, at least, Taiwan doesnt even have much of a curve to flatten, more of a line with a couple of rigid steps.



Lesson 1: Be prepared



Taiwans preparedness came largely from some hard-learned lessons from the Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS) outbreak in 2003, which killed 181 people on the island.

As a result, the island established a specialised Central Epidemic Command Centre, which could be activated to coordinate a response in the event of an outbreak. In a sign of how Taiwan wanted to get ahead of the coronavirus, the centre was activated on January 20, a day before the island even confirmed its first infection.



Because its authority was already established, the centre was able to implement stringent measures without being slowed down by lengthy political processes. It put more than 120 action items into place within three weeks, according to a list published by the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA). That list alone could serve as a manual on exactly what to do during an outbreak.

Lesson 2: Be quick



Taiwans action came well before its first Covid-19 infection was confirmed on January 21. Three weeks before, within days of Chinas first reported case to the WHO, Taiwanese officials began boarding and inspecting passengers for fever and pneumonia symptoms on flights from Wuhan, the original epicentre of the virus in China. The island issued a travel alert for Wuhan on January 20, and two days later, still with just a single case, officials began updating the public in daily briefings.



A week after its first case, Taiwan began electronic monitoring of quarantined individuals via government-issued cellphones, and announced travel and entry restrictions, mostly targeting Chinas Hubei province, of which Wuhan is the capital.

Just about every day after until the end of February, the government implemented new measures to keep the virus at bay.

Taiwan had only 329 cases when it imposed strict social distancing measures on April 1. In comparison, there were already 335 deaths and more than 3 000 cases on March 20, when Prime Minister Boris Johnson announced that pubs and restaurants were to close, and that most children would be pulled from schools and nurseries. And as the UK is not testing widely, the true number of infections is believed to be much higher than official figures show.



Lesson 3: Test, trace and quarantine



Authorities carried out widespread testing and tracing of contacts of infected people, putting them all under quarantine. It proactively tested anyone who got off cruise ships and even retested people diagnosed with influenza or pneumonia, to make sure they hadnt been misdiagnosed and were infected with the coronavirus.



Lesson 4: Use data and tech



A coordinated government response with full collaboration of its citizenry (was) combined with the use of big data and technology, associate professor of pediatrics at Stanford Medicine, Jason Wang, told CNN. Wang has also studied public health policy and co-authored the JAMA report on Taiwans response.

Taiwan merged national health insurance data with customs and immigration databases to create real-time alerts to help identify vulnerable populations. Having a good health data system helps with monitoring the spread of the disease and allows for its early detection.

When someone sees a physician for respiratory symptoms, the national health insurance database will have a record of it. It is easier to track clusters of outbreaks, Wang said.



Taiwan used mandatory online reporting and check-ins for 14 days after travel restrictions. It also employed digital fencing for close to 55 000 people in home quarantine, where alarms would sound if a quarantined person wandered too far from home.

The technical surveillance methods used in Taiwan and by other governments have raised privacy concerns from civil society groups.

Meanwhile, other countries that did well are Germany, Iceland and South Korea.




































Source: Xinhua| 2020-04-19 17:43:40|Editor: huaxia

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DHAKA, April 19 (Xinhua) -- Bangladesh Sunday confirmed another seven deaths from COVID-19, said the country's health minister.

"COVID-19 death toll rose to 91 Sunday as health officials confirmed seven more fatalities," Health Minister Zahid Maleque told journalists at a online press briefing.

He said the number of cases increased to 2,456, with 312 more cases reported in the last 24 hours as of 8:00 a.m. local time Sunday.

According to the minister, samples from 2,634 persons were tested in the last 24 hours across Bangladesh.

During the last 24 hours, he said nine more patients were released from hospital, bringing the number of recovered patients in the country so far to 75. Enditem
Recently, Standard and Poor's kept Egypts credit rating in domestic and hard currencies at B level and maintained its stable outlook

Ratings agency Moody's has kept Egypts credit rating at B2 with a stable outlook.

According to a Moodys report published Saturday, seen by Ahram Online, the credit profile of Egypt (issuer rating B2) is supported by "A3" economic strength.

A3 is the seventh highest rating a debt issuer can receive, denoting that Egypts financial and banking system is solid with a low risk of default.

The rating reflects the country's large and diversified economy with robust growth prospects. Yet, Moodys classified Egypt with B1 for institutions and governance strength balances, adding that they are relatively weak but improving, with important progress on fiscal and economic reforms.

The B1 rating means that the issuer is relatively risky, with a higher than average chance of default.

The company also classified Egypt at CA level for fiscal strength, which reflects weak public finances with a high, albeit declining, government debt burden and weak debt affordability at BA level, which refers to susceptibility to risk, both political risks and persisting security risks in certain areas, as well as banking sector risk, reflecting the relatively large size of the system and the potential for contingent liabilities accruing to the government's balance sheet, mitigated by the sector's stable funding structure, large liquidity buffers and resilient deposit growth performance.

The previous Moodys credit rating for Egypt was B2 released in September 2019, which was the same rate as April 2019, when Moodys upgraded Egypts credit rating from B3 to B2.

Moodys said that ongoing fiscal and economic reforms will support gradual but steady improvement in Egypt's fiscal metrics and raise real GDP growth. Yet it said the decision to keep Egypt's credit profile at B2 reflects concerns over weaknesses in Egypts credit profile.

Recently, Standard and Poor's kept Egypts credit rating in domestic and hard currencies at B level and maintained its stable outlook.

Minister of Finance Mohamed Maait said Saturday that the credit rating reflects the confidence of international institutions and credit rating corporations in Egypts ability to deal adequately with the Covid-19 crisis. He added that economic, monetary and fiscal reforms adopted since November 2016, supported by the public, helped strengthen the economy to cope with internal and external shocks and challenges.

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Hip and knee operations will resume in some hospitals as the NHS Nightingale is set to take on more coronavirus patients, according to a senior official.

NHS England's London regional director Sir David Sloman called for activity at the Docklands' site to be ramped up.

The ExCeL Centre has not been working at full capacity since it was opened on April 3, but Sir David wants to change this by adding 294 ICU beds and 200 medics.

NHS England's London regional director Sir David Sloman called for activity at the Docklands' site to be ramped up

Sir David (left, and right being knighted by the Duke of Cambridge) wrote in a letter it will also mean other health centres in the city will be able to return to some normal services

The move will make the field hospital the centrepoint in the capital's battle against the killer bug, which has killed 15,464 across the country.

Sir David wrote in a letter seen by the Health Service Journal it will also mean other health centres in the city will be able to return to some normal services.

For his proposals to work, London's five health boards have been asked to send 33 nurses and 11 medics to the Nightingale.

A source at the hospital said: 'The idea is to concentrate [coronavirus] in the Nightingale so the other hospitals can try and get back into a routine. We still have everyday patients that need access to healthcare.'

Sir David wrote in a letter that the move at Nightingale (pictured) will also mean other health centres in the city will be able to return to some normal services

Questions were raised earlier this week when it was revealed the 4,000-capacity hospital had just 19 Covid patients over the Easter weekend.

This figure has reportedly swelled to between 50 and 60.

Meanwhile data circulated to health chiefs and seen by the Health Service Journal (HSJ) showed some hospitals had been able to double their ICU capacity, to 1,555 beds, despite rising levels of infections.

Top ten highest UK daily death tolls so far 980 - April 10 938 - April 8 917 - April 11 888 - April 18 881 - April 9 861 - April 16 841 - April 17 786 - April 7 778 - April 14 761 - April 15 Advertisement

The Nightingale operation needs to be ramped up because ministers reportedly fear the country will face a second coronavirus peak once the lockdown is lifted.

Sire David said it will allow London to 'avoid a perfect storm of insufficient critical care capacity'.

He added: 'When social distancing is relaxed, our plans for the future of London's healthcare will rely upon new models of care and treatment and sustained reliance on the expert site for critical care that the NHS Nightingale Hospital will provide.'

The Department of Health and Social Care said in a statement: 'It is incredibly reassuring for both staff and patients to have the Nightingale Hospitals ready should they be needed to deal with any surge, and positive that hospitals continue to be able to free up capacity to look after any coronavirus patients who may need care.

'We are grateful to the public for their effort and patience to further support the NHS by staying home to protect the NHS and save lives.'

It comes after it emerged private hospitals taken over by the NHS at a cost of hundreds of millions of pounds to fight the coronavirus pandemic are 'sinfully empty', medics have said.

Private hospitals taken over by NHS at a cost of hundreds of millions of pounds to fight the coronavirus pandemic are 'sinfully empty', claim medics

Senior clinicians at private hospitals claim hundreds of the country's best doctors have been left 'twiddling their thumbs' during the outbreak  putting people's health at risk from other illnesses and postponed operations.

Last month, 8,000 beds in private hospitals across the country were taken under public control. NHS England said 20,000 fully qualified staff in the hospitals, including 700 doctors, were needed to battle Covid-19.

But on Saturday night, one London-based consultant orthopaedic surgeon said: 'What we are seeing at the moment is a sinful and shocking mass of empty private hospitals and empty beds.

'Most of them are gathering dust, with a whole load of doctors twiddling their thumbs. And it's costing the NHS millions.'

The surgeon said only 'emergency' and 'time-critical' operations were being allowed at his hospital, adding: 'I have a waiting list of 25 people who need major operations right now. One with severe arthritis is crying out in pain every night, unable to sleep.

'I was asked, 'Is there anything you can do?' I had to say 'Nothing', and advised her to take painkillers.'

'UNDERUSED' NIGHTINGALE MAY STAY OPEN FOR 18 MONTHS More patients could soon be treated at the NHS Nightingale Hospital amid frustration from medics that it is being 'underused'. The huge 3,600-bed field hospital, which was built in just nine days at London's ExCel Centre, has admitted only 40 coronavirus patients. But in a leaked letter, NHS boss Sir David Sloman said the number of intensive care beds in use would be increased to 84 'in the next few weeks', plus 14 beds for patients who are recovering from the Covid-19 virus. The hospital may remain open for 18 months to ease pressure on NHS hospitals. Advertisement

A second medic said his hospital was 'fairly empty and under used' while another said he was 'pretty bored'. 'I am unsure if the hospitals are being used in the most efficient way,' he admitted.

A fourth doctor said private hospitals in north London were 'largely empty' despite repeated offers to help out with patients from overrun NHS wards.

At least four private hospitals are currently treating coronavirus patients. But the numbers are likely to be very low as there have only been 15 Covid-19 deaths between them, according to official figures.

A month ago it appeared the NHS might need every ventilator and intensive care bed, with some scientists warning that tens of thousands would be dying every day.

'It was the right thing to do at the time as we had to look at what was happening in Italy and Spain and react accordingly,' said one medic.

Another doctor added: 'Preparing for an epidemic is a very difficult balance. If you get it right, it's by pure luck.'

However, he warned that more people could end up dying early of illnesses like cancer and heart disease: 'At what point does the cost of this 'medical lockdown' to people's health outweigh the benefits?'

An NHS spokesman said private hospital beds had been requisitioned to offer a 'buffer' capacity to the health service, adding: 'So it is a mark of success that that has largely not been the case.'

The spokesman said routine procedures in NHS and private hospitals will be resumed 'in coming weeks and months' as anaesthetists and other key staff are released from looking after coronavirus patients as the number of new cases falls.
New Delhi, April 19 : Asserting that no community spread of coronavirus has happened in Delhi, Health Minister Satyendar Jain on Sunday, however, warned it can be a possibility as there are cases in which the government is not aware about the source.

Talking to media here, Jain said only experts can tell better if the community transmission of disease has started.

"While experts can tell better if the community transfer has started, but there are cases in which we are not aware about the source. While it is not being said, it (community spread) is possible. We spoke to the Central government as well. As of now, no community spread has happened in Delhi or in any other part of the county. However, it may spread if people continue to be with the community," he said.

Stage 3 or local transmission is the community transmission, when infections happen in public and the source for the virus cannot be traced.

To avoid any such transmission of coronavirus, a nationwide lockdown has been imposed by the Centre till May 3.

A total of 736 coronavirus tests were conducted in Delhi on Saturday and 186 were positive.

"All the cases reported on Saturday were asymptomatic. Even 31 people from an extended family were also not showing symptoms," Jain said.

The Health Minister warned that the asymptomatic patients do not carry any symptoms "but can infect others".

On dropping the mention of the Nizamuddin Markaz cases from the Delhi Health Bulletin, he said there have been no new cases from the Markaz in the last four days.

"A round of testing for all the Markaz patients have been done and no new cases were reported in the last four days." More than 2,300 people from different parts of the country and the world were living in the Nizamuddin Markaz building, before they were evacuated earlier this month. At least 1,080 people were tested positive.

So far about 1,900 coronavirus cases have been reported in Delhi with 43 deaths. While 207 people have recovered, 1,643 cases are active as onf Sunday morning. About 80 containment zones have been formed across the city after cases were found in localities.

Amid the current situation of increasing cases, the Delhi government has decided to not relax the lockdown from Monday, as directed by the Centre.
The median age of Ohioans dying of coronavirus was 79 as of yesterday. That is why, now more than ever, older Ohioans and their families need to know what is happening in nursing homes in Ohio.

While the state laudably started reporting the number of coronavirus cases in each Ohio nursing home last Wednesday, state officials have failed, as of Friday, to release the number of coronavirus deaths by nursing home. And at some point late Friday, the case list appeared to have been removed from the state website.

First, the state should reinstate the list, if it hasnt already. Then, it should update the numbers daily. Additionally, the state numbers currently dont separate out staff coronavirus cases from cases among nursing-home residents. That also must change.

The overall numbers released Wednesday for Northeast Ohio were eye-opening.

The tally showed that 163 coronavirus cases had been detected in 14 Cuyahoga County long-term care facilities; 43 in six homes in Summit County; 34 in one home in Geauga County; and, in two nursing homes each in these counties: 24 cases in Portage County; 19 in Lorain; nine in Medina County; and two in Lake.

When Gov. Mike DeWine was asked Friday about the states failure to release coronavirus death counts by facility, he said he personally believed "that more information out is better, The Columbus Dispatch reports, but added that he would look into it and provide an answer Monday, while noting there could be individual privacy concerns.

Yet how reporting deaths by nursing home would violate individual privacy rights is unclear. And other rights also exist.

Ohioans deserve to understand what is happening with the coronavirus in Ohio nursing homes, where a Plain Dealer series several years ago exposed numerous deficiencies.

Ohio should report the number of coronavirus deaths and cases for residents by nursing home and it should update that information daily.

And when the coronavirus crisis recedes, additional tasks remain.

Plain Dealer reporting suggests reforms are needed in safety and accountability for nursing homes, including a resident-rights ombudsman, as well as more consistent state requirements and oversight.

After the papers A Critical Choice series found the states staffing and certification requirements for elder care facilities to be less than rigorous, a headline on reporter John Caniglias story summed up Ohios requirement for working as an aide in an assisted living facility thusly: Empathy, compassion and very little training. About 20 hours, to be exact.

Hair stylists require a lot more time to be certified.

Meanwhile, pending in General Assembly committees are bipartisan bills sponsored by state Rep. Juanita Brent, of Cleveland, and state Sen. Nickie Antonio, of Lakewood, both Democrats, to let nursing home residents and their families install an electronic device such as a video camera in the residents room. Object? To monitor how the resident is cared for and detect abuse. Co-sponsoring Antonios bill is a conservative Republican from suburban Columbus, Sen. Andrew Brenner, of Powell. The bills need the scrutiny of additional hearings, but appear to be commendable proposals that deserve passage.

The coronavirus has wrought hardship and pain to many in Ohio, including those who have lost loved ones and for whom its even been hard to mourn.

But it has highlighted that Ohioans have a right to greater transparency, including about what is happening in the states long-term care facilities.

And the pandemic equally reminds us that how a community treats its elders is a measure of its decency. To that end, reforms are needed.

About our editorials: Editorials express the view of the editorial board of cleveland.com and The Plain Dealer -- the senior leadership and editorial-writing staff. As is traditional, editorials are unsigned and intended to be seen as the voice of the news organization.

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* Send a letter to the editor, which will be considered for print publication.

* Email general questions about our editorial board or comments or corrections on this editorial to Elizabeth Sullivan, director of opinion, at esullivan@cleveland.com.
Copyright  2020 Albuquerque Journal

Democratic Congresswoman Deb Haaland has a sizeable fundraising advantage over her potential Republican rivals in her bid for reelection in the 1st Congressional District, the least expensive congressional race in New Mexico.

Contributions in the race for the entire election cycle, according to Federal Election Commission, have only topped $1.3 million, with Haaland raising more than $1 million of that total. Contributions for the U.S. Senate, 2nd and 3rd congressional district races have all topped more than $3 million.

Wednesday was the filing deadline for the first quarter of this year, which ended March 31.

Haalands campaign reported raising more than $250,000 since January. University of New Mexico Law School graduate Jared Vander Dussen was the top Republican fundraiser, pulling in $30,000 during that time. Michelle Garcia Holmes, former chief of staff in the state Attorney Generals Office, raised $13,681 and Brett Kokinadis raised $375.

In these challenging times our campaign appreciates the support of everyone who continues to support an agenda that puts working families over corporations, Haaland campaign spokesperson Scott Forrester said. We are taking nothing for granted, working tirelessly to get out our message to New Mexicans, and to ensure we are helping Democrats up and down the ballot.

Haalands contributions included $19,250 from political action committees. She had more than $326,000 cash on hand at the end of the quarter. She faces no opposition in the June primary.

Vander Dussens contribution included $1,000 in PAC money. He loaned his campaign $25,000 and had more than $106,000 cash on hand.

We continue to lead the field in money raised from individuals who want to flip the 1st Congressional District and I am incredibly thankful for their support, Vander Dussen said in a news release.

Garcia Holmes loaned her campaign $102,000. She had almost $126,000 cash on hand.

Our campaign is so grateful to each and every donor, especially those who donated during the COVID-19 crisis, she said in a statement to the Journal. It is so humbling to me to receive each of those donations, and I believe this is a sign that the voters are looking for proven and experienced leadership.

Kokinadis loaned his campaign $6,600. He had $435 cash on hand.

Some candidates have raised money from friends, family and small business owners out of district, he told the Journal. My campaign continues to focus on fighting for New Mexico on my dime  as the campaign has from the start.
Today we'll do a simple run through of a valuation method used to estimate the attractiveness of AstraZeneca PLC (LON:AZN) as an investment opportunity by taking the foreast future cash flows of the company and discounting them back to today's value. I will be using the Discounted Cash Flow (DCF) model. Don't get put off by the jargon, the math behind it is actually quite straightforward.

Companies can be valued in a lot of ways, so we would point out that a DCF is not perfect for every situation. Anyone interested in learning a bit more about intrinsic value should have a read of the Simply Wall St analysis model.

See our latest analysis for AstraZeneca

Is AstraZeneca fairly valued?

We are going to use a two-stage DCF model, which, as the name states, takes into account two stages of growth. The first stage is generally a higher growth period which levels off heading towards the terminal value, captured in the second 'steady growth' period. In the first stage we need to estimate the cash flows to the business over the next ten years. Where possible we use analyst estimates, but when these aren't available we extrapolate the previous free cash flow (FCF) from the last estimate or reported value. We assume companies with shrinking free cash flow will slow their rate of shrinkage, and that companies with growing free cash flow will see their growth rate slow, over this period. We do this to reflect that growth tends to slow more in the early years than it does in later years.

A DCF is all about the idea that a dollar in the future is less valuable than a dollar today, and so the sum of these future cash flows is then discounted to today's value:

10-year free cash flow (FCF) forecast

2020 2021 2022 2023 2024 2025 2026 2027 2028 2029 Levered FCF ($, Millions) US$4.12b US$5.87b US$7.12b US$9.64b US$9.75b US$9.83b US$9.90b US$9.97b US$10.0b US$10.1b Growth Rate Estimate Source Analyst x7 Analyst x8 Analyst x4 Analyst x3 Analyst x2 Est @ 0.83% Est @ 0.74% Est @ 0.68% Est @ 0.63% Est @ 0.6% Present Value ($, Millions) Discounted @ 5.5% US$3.9k US$5.3k US$6.1k US$7.8k US$7.4k US$7.1k US$6.8k US$6.5k US$6.2k US$5.9k

("Est" = FCF growth rate estimated by Simply Wall St)

Present Value of 10-year Cash Flow (PVCF) = US$63b

Story continues

After calculating the present value of future cash flows in the intial 10-year period, we need to calculate the Terminal Value, which accounts for all future cash flows beyond the first stage. For a number of reasons a very conservative growth rate is used that cannot exceed that of a country's GDP growth. In this case we have used the 10-year government bond rate (0.5%) to estimate future growth. In the same way as with the 10-year 'growth' period, we discount future cash flows to today's value, using a cost of equity of 5.5%.

Terminal Value (TV)= FCF 2029  (1 + g)  (r  g) = US$10b (1 + 0.5%)  5.5% 0.5%) = US$203b

Present Value of Terminal Value (PVTV)= TV / (1 + r)10= US$203b ( 1 + 5.5%)10= US$119b

The total value, or equity value, is then the sum of the present value of the future cash flows, which in this case is US$182b. The last step is to then divide the equity value by the number of shares outstanding. Compared to the current share price of UK79.7, the company appears a touch undervalued at a 28% discount to where the stock price trades currently. Valuations are imprecise instruments though, rather like a telescope - move a few degrees and end up in a different galaxy. Do keep this in mind.

LSE:AZN Intrinsic value April 19th 2020

The assumptions

The calculation above is very dependent on two assumptions. The first is the discount rate and the other is the cash flows. Part of investing is coming up with your own evaluation of a company's future performance, so try the calculation yourself and check your own assumptions. The DCF also does not consider the possible cyclicality of an industry, or a company's future capital requirements, so it does not give a full picture of a company's potential performance. Given that we are looking at AstraZeneca as potential shareholders, the cost of equity is used as the discount rate, rather than the cost of capital (or weighted average cost of capital, WACC) which accounts for debt. In this calculation we've used 5.5%, which is based on a levered beta of 0.822. Beta is a measure of a stock's volatility, compared to the market as a whole. We get our beta from the industry average beta of globally comparable companies, with an imposed limit between 0.8 and 2.0, which is a reasonable range for a stable business.

Next Steps:

Although the valuation of a company is important, it shouldnt be the only metric you look at when researching a company. The DCF model is not a perfect stock valuation tool. Rather it should be seen as a guide to "what assumptions need to be true for this stock to be under/overvalued?" If a company grows at a different rate, or if its cost of equity or risk free rate changes sharply, the output can look very different. What is the reason for the share price to differ from the intrinsic value? For AstraZeneca, We've compiled three fundamental aspects you should further examine:

Risks: For example, we've discovered 4 warning signs for AstraZeneca (1 is concerning!) that you should be aware of before investing here. Future Earnings: How does AZN's growth rate compare to its peers and the wider market? Dig deeper into the analyst consensus number for the upcoming years by interacting with our free analyst growth expectation chart. Other Solid Businesses: Low debt, high returns on equity and good past performance are fundamental to a strong business. Why not explore our interactive list of stocks with solid business fundamentals to see if there are other companies you may not have considered!

PS. Simply Wall St updates its DCF calculation for every GB stock every day, so if you want to find the intrinsic value of any other stock just search here.

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.
Ministers are facing calls to give more than two million NHS and care workers on the front line of the coronavirus battle a danger bonus.

The Liberal Democrats are demanding 2.2million key staff get a 29-a-day 'service reward', similar to that handed to military on active duty.

The policy, which could be backdated to the start of the lockdown, would mean billions of pounds for those at the sharp end of efforts to combat the disease.

There have been warnings that many are putting their own lives at risk with vital personal protective equipment in short supply.

The official NHS death toll stands at 43 - although the true figure is believed to be higher.

Polls have suggested the public is keen to find a way of recognising the contribution of NHS staff, with suggestions there could be a special medal struck.

Ministers are facing calls to give more than two million NHS and care workers on the front line of the coronavirus battle a danger bonus. Pictured are medics at St Thomas' hospital last week

Acting Lib Dem leader Sir Ed Davey said: 'The fight against coronavirus is seeing several million key workers risking their lives to protect others. NHS and care staff are truly on the frontline in this national struggle - putting themselves in danger and working long shifts.

'In our hospitals, care homes, hospices and in the wider health and care sector, an army of workers are protecting us.

'When the country emerges from this crisis, we must also properly recognise those who were willing to serve and make a sacrifice, just as we do with military forces.

'The Government must look at creating a frontline service reward, similar to the deployment allowance frontline troops receive.

'There are many low-paid workers on the coronavirus frontline, and we must show our gratitude.'

Other measures in the initiative include providing more practical help for NHS and care staff such as getting hotels to provide accommodation for key workers self-isolating, our who have vulnerable people in their household.

And the Lib Dems want the Government to pay for the funerals of key workers who died trying to protect others from Covid-19.

Party officials said the frontline service reward could be for the duration of the lockdown, and would cover 700,000 NHS staff and 1.5million care workers.

They added that all key workers should also receive a coronavirus service medal.

Dr Chaand Nagpaul, chairman of the British Medical Association council, underlined fears NHS staff are lacking PPE today.

An ambulance drives past a sign in London voicing support from the NHS during the coronavirus crisis last week

He added: 'Even more stressful now is that doctors and other healthcare workers are treating their own colleagues in intensive care on ventilators and tragically see some of them not survive.

'This is extremely emotionally taxing and it's showing its toll on the healthcare workforce.'

In a fresh embarrassment, it has emerged that a shipment of PPE from Turkey will not arrive today, as Housing Secretary Robert Jenrick boasted last night.

Mr Jenrick revealed the 'very large consignment' - crucially including 400,000 gowns - was on its way after fury that NHS staff are being told to reuse protective equipment.

However, the 84-tonne load is not expected to be here today, with logistical problems on the Turkish side being blamed.
During a time when our health care is struggling to keep up with the novel pandemic coronavirus, a cancer hospital in Uttar Pradesh's Meerut published an advertisement in the Hindi newspaper Dainik Jagran, stating that the hospital will not accept any new Muslim patients unless the patient and the person accompanying the patient show a negative COVID-19 test.

The ad reads, 'Several Muslim patients are not following the guidelines and they are also misbehaving with hospital staff. For the security of hospitals staff and patients, the hospital administration requests all new Muslim patients that they and one designated caretaker get tested for COVID-19 and visit the hospital only if their reports are negative'.

The Wire

However, according to the National Human Rights Commission's charter of patients rights adopted by the health ministry last year, no person can be discriminated against based on their religion or illness.

The Meerut Police Department responded to the ad on Twitter and said that they have directed the concerned police station to take the required action.

                 MEERUT POLICE (@meerutpolice) April 18, 2020





According to The Hindu, Chief Medical Officer, Jaiprakash has issued a notice to the hospital. In the notice, it says that in a secular country like ours, such kind of discrimination will not be accepted and if the hospital does not provide a credible response, its registration could be cancelled.

The report also added that Senior Superintendent of Police Ajay Sahni has confirmed that an FIR has been registered against the management of the hospital for picking on a community and hurting its sentiments. He said, "It has come to our notice that material published by the newspapers has hurt the sentiments of a community. We are investigating the case."

The advertisement claims that the number of COVID-19 patients has significantly increased due to the Tablighi Jamaat gathering in New Delhi. It also mentions that most of the patients in Meerut are connected to the gathering.

It further reads, 'It is due to the ignorance and ill-will of some Muslim brothers that all Muslim brothers will have to suffer for some time. But this is important in larger public interest and also in the interest of Muslim brothers'.



Just Dial

The ad also includes that patients who are in need of immediate medical aid will be admitted but their swabs will be sent to Meerut Medical College for testing and the cost of the same - which is Rs 4,500 - will be paid by the patient.
The daily tally of new cases stood at 3,493, down from a previous 3,786, with both deaths and infections extending the broadly stable situation in place over the last 12 days.

This plateau is considerably lower than the 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.

"Probably most of the infections that have occurred since the lockdown have occurred within families," Giovanni Rezza, a director of Italy's top health body, the Superior Health Institute (ISS), told a news conference.

Nuclear physicist Paolo Branchini, who has been focusing on the trend of cases and deaths in Italy, told daily Corriere della Sera on Friday that the lockdown initially put a lid on infections but had now "exhausted its beneficial effect".

Branchini said that because the main source of infections was now within families, the only way to reduce deaths and cases further was to put all people who tested positive in dedicated centres away from their relatives.

The official death toll since the outbreak came to light on Feb. 21 has risen to 22,745, the Civil Protection Agency said, the second highest in the world after that of the United States.

However, the Italian authorities acknowledge that the true number of fatalities is much higher.

The Superior Health Institute said a survey on a sample of nursing homes suggested more than 40% of residents who died from Feb. 1 to April 15 had either tested positive for the new coronavirus or had symptoms consistent with the disease.

RESTIVE REGIONS

The government has said its tough restrictions on movement and the closure of most businesses will continue at least until May 3, but there is not yet any clear plan over to what extent, or how gradually, it will then be lifted.

In the meantime, some of Italy's 20 regions are threatening to take autonomous action.

Luca Zaia, the head of the northern Veneto region which has made particular progress in bringing the outbreak under control, said on Friday he wanted to relax restrictions before May 3.

"The lockdown doesn't exist anymore," Zaia told reporters, in reference to the government having allowed a few types of business to reopen over the last week.

In response, the chief of the southern Campania region around Naples, Vincenzo De Luca, said if northern regions did not respect all the curbs in place, Campania would "close its borders" and refuse entry to non-residents for any reason.

The outbreak remains heavily concentrated in the northern regions of Lombardy, around the financial capital Milan, and neighbouring Piedmont and Emilia-Romagna.

The number of officially confirmed cases in Italy on Friday totalled 172,434, the third highest global tally behind those of the United States and Spain.
ComebackTown is published by David Sher for a more prosperous greater Birmingham and Alabama

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Who knows what is good or bad at the time it happens?

This quote helps me maintain my sanity during challenging times.

Im not going to make the case that the Coronavirus is goodits not.

But it could be a game changer for Birmingham.

Our Birmingham region is blessed with an incredible quality of lifestate of the art healthcare, smart and generous people, stunning scenery, and a real sense of community.

But Birmingham has probably had more ups and downs than any city in America.

Because Birmingham has fallen behind our peer citieswe assume it will be that way forever.

But Birmingham has had some tremendous triumphsand we can do it again.

Birminghams a new city

History tells us about The Battle of New OrleansWar of 1812.

Weve read about General Sherman marching through AtlantaCivil War, 1864.

Birmingham didnt even exist until 1871.

And Birmingham almost failed immediatelya cholera epidemic and the financial panic of 1873 almost put a stop to Birminghams future.

But the city grew so rapidly afterwards that it earned the nickname The Magic City. Between 1902 and 1912, four large office buildings were built at the intersection of 20th Street and 1st Avenue North which became known as the Heaviest Corner on Earth.

Birmingham had gone from zero in 1871 to a major industrial powerhouse in less than 50 yearspretty amazing for a brand new town.

But then the Depression of the 1930s devastated Birmingham causing President Roosevelt to call Birmingham the worst-hit town in the country.

World War II and the demand for steel followed by a post-war building boom brought Birmingham back with a vengeance.

But then negative Civil Rights events in the 50s and 60s and the rush to the suburbs put an end to the regions progress. Jefferson Countys population stagnated, job growth stalled, and young people moved away.

Up down.

Up down.

Up downand

The future of America is being rewritten

No one knows what America will look like after the Coronavirus, but we know things will be different.

As written in The Washington Post, The great migration of 2020, As President Trumps administration develops a national ranking of counties as high-, medium- or low-risk for the spread of the virus, people in search of relative safety  and perhaps some paying work  are expanding existing trends away from expensive, crowded cities and toward small towns and rural areas.

The movement were seeing now is not just a reaction to one pandemic, said Joel Kotkin, who studies how and why people move. There will be a longer impact, an acceleration of the process that was already starting.

Weve learned that living in large cities with a high density of people may not be ideal.

Weve learned that its possible to work remotely and still be productive.

And weve learned that it may be preferable to live and work in a livable city like Birmingham and not have to suffer the negative quality of life issues like overcrowding and congestion.

We often take for granted the blessings of living in a beautiful region with likeable-generous people, and excellent healthcare.

Now its Birminghams turn.
The Congress on Sunday said it was unfortunate that was being played in Amethi over coronavirus and everyone should help people together while shedding

Chief spokesperson of the party Randeep Surjewala alleged that authorities reached the Congress office in Gauriganj district of Uttar Pradesh to raid without a reason or warrant.

"It is unfortunate that is being played in Amethi over coronavirus. Authorities reached the Congress office in Gauriganj district to raid without any reason or warrant.

"Probably, the Yogi government is unable to digest the help being provided by Shri Rahul Gandhi and Congress workers to the people of Amethi. Shed politics and let us help together," he said in a tweet in Hindi.

Surjewala also posted a photograph along with his tweet, in which policemen could be seen standing outside the Gauriganj district office of the Congress.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
A $5,000 on-the-spot fine for spitting and coughing on NSW health workers has been expanded to include all other essential workers.

Police will now be able to fine people who target all types of workers including cleaners, midwifes, police, border force and retail workers, not just those in emergency services or healthcare.

Those found guilty of these vile attacks will face a possible six months imprisonment.

The retail workers' union said its members had 'borne the brunt of a huge upsurge in customer abuse' during the pandemic.

A Coles employee sprays disinfectant on a checkout area at a store in Collingwood in Melbourne to protect staff and customers from coronavirus

'The reports of supermarket and other retail workers being coughed and spat on over the past weeks are becoming disturbingly common,' Shop, Distributive and Allied Employees' Association NSW/ACT Secretary Bernie Smith said in a statement on Sunday.

The news comes after a drunk motorcyclist was fined for coughing and spitting at police officers on Friday afternoon.

The man was stopped by police in Beverly Hills in Sydney's south when he was spotted not wearing a helmet.

After being pulled over, the 31-year-old then allegedly coughed and spat at the police.

They undertook a roadside breath test and he allegedly returned a positive reading of 0.079.

In another incident, a woman allegedly spat in the face of a doctor while being treated at Hornsby Ku-ring-gai Hospital on Sydney's upper north shore on Monday.

A nurse screens patients outside a clinic in the Barossa Valley, north of Adelaide (pictured). Many nurses have been abused in public amid the pandemic, with some being told not to wear their uniforms outside of work in fear of getting attacked

Police allege the emergency department doctor was treating the woman for a large laceration to her arm when she allegedly spat in his face and became aggressive.

The alleged incident was reported to police, who arrested a woman at a Hornsby home on Tuesday night.

Mr Smith said we must be respectful to all people during the pandemic.

'These are our neighbours stocking our shelves and manning our cash registers,' he said.

'They are also your friends' sons and daughters, and your colleagues' partner or parent.

'Sometimes we've all just got to step back and remember that we're all in this together.'

NSW Assistant Police Commissioner Karen Webb said it is 'traumatic' for health and public officials to be dealing with incidents such as these.

'It is very traumatic because my peers and public officers working at the frontline are putting their lives ahead of other people during this time,' she said.

Police arrest a man at Sydney's Bondi Beach after breaching lock down measures over the Easter long weekend

'To have someone spit or cough at them puts them in no doubt a lot of stress while they wait to see what the results are of the person that coughed or spat  whether they are positive  and what that means for them if they are.

'But just the theatre that creates and it is abhorrent to think that someone would spit at another person.'

The Berejiklian government also announced on Sunday it was pumping $25 million into fast-tracking statewide coronavirus research and clinical trials and $14 million into its small business advisory program Business Connect.

NSW coronavirus death toll has reached 29 after three deaths from the virus were confirmed on Saturday.

The latest death came amid an outbreak at the Anglicare's Newmarch House aged care home in Caddens.

Medical staff test patients at the drive through COVID-19 testing facility at Bondi Beach last week

A worker had mild symptoms while attending the facility for six days before testing positive last week.

Ten staff and 20 residents at the western Sydney home now have COVID-19, NSW Health says.

The 93-year-old man Newmarch resident who died on Saturday morning was 'already suffering multiple serious health issues', Anglicare Sydney chief executive Grant Millard said.

'Our thoughts and prayers are with the grieving family through this very distressing time,' he said.

An 83-year-old Queensland man, who was a passenger of the Celebrity Eclipse cruise ship, died in Sydney's Royal Prince Alfred Hospital.

A 58-year-old woman died in Tamworth Hospital and authorities are attempting to trace how she contracted the virus.
Correction & clarification: An earlier version of this story misstated the first name of financial adviser Paul Waller.

Retirement savers should brace for grim news when they review their first-quarter statements. The first bear market since 2009 shaved 20% off the Standard & Poors 500 stock index in the January-thru-March period. That means a $100,000 investment on January 1 was worth $20,000 less on March 31.

But rather than fretting over smaller fund balances and sizable paper losses in your 401(k), use your quarterly statement as a teaching tool.

Wall Street is like a battleground again. And just like army commanders do post-combat assessments to analyze the success or failure of a mission, individual investors should closely scrutinize their quarterly statements to see how their overall portfolio held up when the market went down.

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USA TODAY Network

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Warren Buffet and bear markets: 3 reasons why Warren Buffett is so successful in bear markets

Analyzing the statements change in value column and asset mix pie chart are useful tools to help you figure out if your retirement goals remain intact, if funds you own match your risk tolerance, and if your financial plan is still sound or in need of fixing.

Dont be in denial, Peter Mackie, a financial advisor at Wells Fargo Advisors told USA TODAY. Dont ignore your statement. Do look at it and keep perspective.

When you analyze your statement, look for positives as well as flaws. Heres what to look for and ways to put the numbers into context.

Focus on the future, not the past

Sure, portfolio losses sting. But its just one lousy quarter. Dont blow a short-term loss out of proportion and extrapolate the negative results 10, 20 or 30 years into the future.

The market has recovered and hit new highs after every bear market since 1929. Its bounced back from the Great Depression. The 1987 crash. The bursting of the dot-com stock bubble in 2000. The Great Recession.

Story continues

Stock prices dont go up all the time.

Its important to remember these are temporary setbacks, Mackie says. Its only a snapshot in time.

Rather than focus on a single quarter, its better to look at how your portfolio has performed over the past 1-, 5- and 10-year periods. Your portfolio picture will likely look less bleak when you evaluate your 401(k) over years not months, as they are long-term investments.

Look on the bright side

When the market is falling in value, your current 401(k) contributions are benefiting from 20%-off or 30%-off stock sales. Buying low is a big part of long-term investment success. And the more shares you can accumulate now, the better chance your account balance will swell in size over time.

View a big market drop as buying opportunity, says Steve Bogner, managing director at Treasury Partners, a team affiliated with HighTower Advisors.

Its not often Wall Street offers a blue-light special. When prices are cheap, Bogner says, thats the time to buy, especially for people with five or more years until retirement. History has shown that the feeling of the sky is falling has been the best time to buy stocks. The example I use is: That TV youve been looking at at Best Buy that was $3,000 is now $1,500  what do you do?

One positive is that investors are able to buy shares at a lower price, says Paul Waller, a financial advisor at Mackie & Waller Management Group.

Similarly, if you had some cash parked in safe money market funds, youll see that you didnt lose a penny in that investment. They will be bright spots, Bogner says.

Another potential positive: if the stock picker running your actively managed fund performed better than the benchmark its measure against, says Elizabeth Evans, founding and managing partner at Evans May Wealth. So, if your large-cap U.S. stock fund lost only 15%, vs. a 20% drop for the benchmark S&P 500, you came out a little better than feared.

This is a victory, Evans says. The key to wealth creation and wealth protection is to lose less in bad markets and have meaningful participation in good markets.

Know whats in your 401(k)

Its important to know what you own, Waller says. Knowing how much of your portfolio mix is in stocks and bonds or other assets is the only way to gauge how much risk youre taking, and if your asset mix still matches your targets.

For example, so-called target-date funds or age-based funds that determine the level of risk in your portfolio based on how many years youre away from retirement are increasingly popular these days. But you need to look under the hood to make sure you dont own too big a percentage of stocks than youre comfortable with.

For example, Vanguards Target Retirement 2025 fund, which assumes a retiree will stop working in about five years, has 60% invested in stocks. A similar fund targeting retirement in 2040 has nearly 83% in stocks. The more stocks your fund holds, the bigger the losses will be when the global stock markets tumble. You need stocks for growth, but if big losses spook you, these funds might not be for you.

Be very sensitive to the asset allocation within those target funds and make sure theyre appropriate for your own personal investment objective, Waller says.

Review your risk tolerance

If the sticker-shock from first-quarter portfolio losses is causing you psychological stress, its a sign that youre less comfortable with taking risk than you thought. It could also suggest that you might consider making changes to your holdings to lower future downside risks.

This environment has served as a stress-test to reassess risk tolerance, says Scott Solomon, senior VP at Ayco, a Goldman Sachs company that specializes in company-sponsored financial counseling. Someone who thought they had a higher appetite for risk, may now realize they do not.

Thats OK. But any decision to shift the portfolio to a less-risky posture should not be driven by a short-term reaction to current market conditions, but rather be part of a defined long-term investment philosophy. So, go through your holdings one by one and determine if youre comfortable with the risk youre currently holding. If youre not, make changes. Ask yourself if you have enough fixed income assets in your portfolio to reflect your need to take less risk.

Consider rebalancing

Check out the pie chart that shows the percentage you have in stocks and bonds. If your plans target is 60% stocks and 40% bonds, but the pie chart now shows just 55% in stocks  nows a good time to sell some of your bond winnings and put the proceeds into stocks to get your stock allocation back up to your 60% target, says Julia Carlson, founder and CEO of Financial Freedom Wealth Management Group.

This is a great time to reconsider balancing your portfolio, Carlson says.

Why not looking at your statement might be better

For some people, a viable option is to not even peek at their statement, says Carlson.

Just tuck it away, she says, especially if you own a fund or portfolio that has the asset allocation and rebalancing done for you.

Lets face it, some do better not knowing, says Carlson. Its like riding the roller coaster with your eyes closed. You may not take in the scenery, but you will make it to the end of the ride without injury.

Check if your money manager protected you

Its often said that funds run by portfolio managers should help protect you from outsized losses in down markets. So, if you own so-called actively managed funds, check to see if they posted smaller first-quarter percentage losses than the benchmarks they track, says Evans.

Volatility and dislocation in the market creates opportunity for active managers, Evans says. (They) should shine in this type of market environment, meaning they should lose less. If not, its time to make a tactical change.

Before dumping your fund manager, however, make sure you check his or her long-term record, rather than punishing them for what might be one bad three-month span.

Make sure you didnt make a major mistake

If youre a DIY investor, a review of your quarterly statement might show that you were way too aggressive for your age and, as a result, might have done real harm to your long-term financial health.

One should always have an understanding of their risk tolerance before investing and reassess on a regular basis as life circumstances (change), says Paul Neuner, managing director and partner at Next Retirement Solutions. There are sure to be many that did not take the time to consider the volatility of the market nor sought guidance and counsel, and may ultimately have done great harm to their savings.

If thats you, consider reaching out to a financial adviser to help you get back on track.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Retirement planning: 401(k) assessing will help you learn
AP

At least 16 people have been killed after a gunman disguised as a Mountie went on a 12-hour rampage across Nova Scotia, Canada.

The suspect - identified by police as Gabriel Wortman, 51 - was tracked down to a gas station on Sunday after shooting multiple victims, police said. It was initially announced that he was arrested, but police have since said he has died.

Earlier on Sunday, it was reported the suspect was driving a car that looked like a police vehicle while wearing a uniform. Wortman was not connected to the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP).

The police also confirmed the man was dressed up as a Mountie during at least part of his rampage.

It was not a random act, RCMP Chief Superintendent Chris Leather said on Sunday based on the man at one point using a police uniform and car in his attack.

Constable Heidi Stevenson, a 20-year veteran, was killed in the line of duty when responding to the active shooter situation, RCMP confirmed during a press conference.

Officers were first called to the scene at Portapique on Saturday evening and found numerous casualties inside and outside of the home, a spokesperson said. Wortman was not located in the home at the time.

Our priority was to secure the area, and we were able to secure the area, the spokesperson said. And then we began the search for the suspect.

The gunmans shooting spree then took off across the province from Saturday into Sunday.

His targets appeared to include some random bystanders, said Mr Leather. We believe it to be one person who is responsible for all the killings and that he alone moved across the northern part of the province and committed what appears to be several homicides.

We mourn the loss of Constable Heidi Stevenson, who died in the line of duty. Sending heartfelt condolences to our colleagues in Nova Scotia, and deep sympathy to her family and friends. #HeroesInLife #RCMPNS ^JT pic.twitter.com/NtBGF8v9sL  RCMP in Ontario (@RCMPONT) April 19, 2020

Nova Scotia premier Stephen McNeil addressed the investigation on Sunday afternoon.

Story continues

I never imagined when I went to bed last night that I would wake up to the horrific news that an active shooter was on the loose in Nova Scotia. This is one of the most senseless acts of violence in our provinces history, Mr McNeil said.

Prime minister Justin Trudeau also spoke about the incident outside his home on Sunday. My heart goes out to everyone affected in what is a terrible situation, he said. I want to thank the police for their hard work, and people for cooperating with authorities.

Additional reporting by agencies

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By Barani Krishnan

Investing.com - White House guidelines on reopening the U.S. economy and talk on what else oil titans Saudi Arabia and Russia could do for production cuts arent cutting it for an U.S. oil market practically swimming in crude.

The front-month contract in West Texas Intermediate, the New York-traded benchmark for U.S. oil, plunged to as low as $17.31 per barrel Friday  marking a bottom since 2001  as it headed for delivery. It was down 8% on the day and 20% on the week.

June WTI, next in line to be the spot contract, was trading at $25.11 by 1:25 PM ET (17:25 GMT), a near-$8 disparity made possible by the woeful prompt demand for spot crude.

Despite a near-10-million-barrels-per-day production cut agreed on Sunday by OPEC and other world oil producers, crude prices have continued to sink on concerns that actual loss of demand to the Covid-19 pandemic could be as high as 30 million bpd.

May crude oil is up for delivery as OPEC plus cuts have yet to start, and production drops are not coming fast enough with a glut of oil, said Phil Flynn, analyst at the Price Futures Group in Chicago. However, if you look down the curve, prices are looking better.

June WTI could also get a bump-up in the coming week after the oil rig count published by industry firm Baker Hughes showed a drop of 66 rigs this week and 245 over the past four weeks. The rig plunge indicated production cuts undertaken by U.S. oil drillers due to WTIs freefall.

Brent, the London-traded global benchmark for crude, was also looking better on Friday, though only relatively. Brents front-month, which has already moved to June, was up 77 cents, or 2.8%, at $28.59 per barrel. Brent was, however, down 9% on the week.

The White House unveiled late on Thursday guidelines that governors of the 50 U.S. states could use in reopening businesses locked down for four weeks now in an attempt to control the Covid-19 outbreak that has infected more than 670,000 Americans and killed nearly 34,000 of them.

Story continues

Saudi Arabia and Russia, meanwhile, were ready to do more to help stabilize the global oil markets. Alexander Novak and Abdulaziz bin Salman, energy ministers for Riyadh and Moscow, said in a joint statement that they 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.

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Victor Strasburger said the ominous title of his new book The Death of Childhood is meant to grab your attention.

The books subtitle  Reinventing the Joy of Growing Up  tries to make the Albuquerque pediatric physicians point. Strasburgers point is that there is hope for the future for children and the adults trying to raise them in a society facing rapidly changing technologies.

The context of the thought-provoking book is the powerful and pervasive influence of the old media (e.g. television) and the new media (e.g. smartphones) on children and their exposure to such social issues as cyberbullying, sex, sexuality, physical violence, smoking, alcohol and guns.

Although Strasburger argues that media is one of the threats to a peaceful childhood, he believes that it can also have a positive effect by being pro-social.

I think that young people should not be exposed to a lot of the violence on television and video games. But it will be difficult to set the sort of limits we ordinarily would hope for, Strasburger said.

Besides the threat that media itself possesses, he encourages parents, governments and schools to change their methods in setting media-use limits.

Strasburgers book was released last year, before the COVID-19 pandemic. He said children are naturally scared of the virus and they need to be assured of their well-being. I think parents have to act as buffers.  Parents have to be quick on the remote control to shield kids (from the latest breaking news), Strasburger urged.

He said hes the author of most of the American Academy of Pediatrics policy statements on children, adolescents and the media, and in the 1980s, he was a member of the academys task force on children and television.

Those no longer apply in most situations, Strasburger said.

I dont think Im an alarmist or a net nanny, he said. Its true that every generation thinks the next generation is going to hell in a handbasket. There are many legitimate questions about how childhood and adolescence are threatened. The nature of growing up is changing. It will always be changing. So I think we have to be aware of how its changing and maximize the good parts and minimize the bad parts.

By good parts, Strasburger said for example, are ads and sitcoms on mainstream television that are more inclusive of minorities and address race relations.

The book is heavy on statistics and studies as evidence to support his arguments on relevant subjects.

In Chapter 3, You Cant Blame the Media  Or Can You? the author discusses cyberbullying and school shooters. He cites the U.S. Secret Service as the source of a study that school shooters cant be easily characterized or profiled, yet 71 percent of the shooters have felt persecuted, bullied, threatened, attacked or injured. Virtually all suffered from social isolation.

Strasburger, who writes that hes treated school shooters, lists five crucial factors in school shootings, and the risk increases as the number of factors increases. Besides social isolation, he lists four other factors  a history of being bullied or severe family disorganization, particularly abuse, mental illness, access to guns, obsession with first-person shooter video games.

Strasburger is a distinguished professor of pediatrics emeritus at the University of New Mexicos School of Medicine where he still teaches.

Book of the week review
Source: Xinhua| 2020-04-19 18:48:32|Editor: huaxia

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A nurse treats a patient with traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) therapies at a temporary hospital in Jiangxia District in Wuhan, central China's Hubei Province, Feb. 25, 2020. (Xinhua/Shen Bohan)

Chinese doctors suggested an open exchange of knowledge and ideas between traditional Chinese medicine and Western medicine could be beneficial as no certain remedies have been found to cure the disease.



BEIJING, April 19 (Xinhua) -- The use of traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) and Western medicine side by side has been under spotlight during China's battle against COVID-19.

Chinese doctors suggested an open exchange of knowledge and ideas between TCM and Western medicine could be beneficial as no certain remedies have been found to cure the disease.

"I never thought TCM needed to show its wisdom by making an exclusive claim to cure COVID-19," said Liu Qingquan, president of Beijing Hospital of Traditional Chinese Medicine and head of the first temporary hospital fully supported by TCM doctors and medical workers in Wuhan.

Both Western medicine and TCM doctors monitor vital signs of patients.

At the hospital run by Liu, every patient had tests like CT scans, blood counts and throat swabs.

The diagnostic tests can help in diagnosis and it would be great if some chemical compounds could precisely strike the pathogen, said Liu.

But with no certain cure, TCM and Western medicine need to work to their strengths.

For prevention and mild cases, doctors around the world have been noting that immunity is the best guard against the novel coronavirus.

Boosting the immune system or restoring internal balance to drive the virus away is TCM's theory to deal with the disease.

A medical takes care of a COVID-19 patient who is undergoing Extracorporeal Membrane Oxygenation (ECMO) and respiratory assistance at a ward at the Zhongfaxincheng campus of Tongji Hospital affiliated to Huazhong University of Science and Technology in Wuhan, central China's Hubei Province, April 12, 2020. (Xinhua/Shen Bohan)

Western medicine is more disease and symptom-centric while TCM tends to be more patient-centric. The overall condition of a patient, from the microscopic level to the holistic view, are taken into consideration.

The combination of TCM and Western medicine gave Liu's hospital three "zeros": no patients tested positive again after being discharged; no mild cases becoming severe or critical; and no hospital staff infected. These were significant in containing the spread of the disease.

For severe and critical cases, the use of supportive Western treatments like ventilators and ECMO (extracorporeal membrane oxygenation) machines, which take over the work of the lungs, are very important, relieving symptoms and preventing adverse events, said Liu.

TCM was also proved to play a complementary role in intensive care. For instance, a TCM injection named Xuebiqing has been found to be effective against cytokine storm, an overreaction of the immune system that is a cause of death for severe and critically ill COVID-19 patients, according to Liu.

"At the end of the day, the goal of any medicine, Western or TCM, is to help people recover from the disease," said Liu. 
France will unveil within two weeks a plan to progressively lift restrictions on travel and business that aim to curb the coronavirus epidemic, Prime Minister Edouard Philippe said on Sunday.

After May 11, when the lockdown starts to get lifted, "our lives won't be exactly the same as before," Philippe said in a televised press conference. "Not right away, and probably not before long."

Countries across Europe are considering how to lift the most severe restrictions, as a slowdown in new cases and fewer occupied hospital beds indicate the crisis may be abating. Germany will allow some smaller stores to start serving customers again this week, while schools will gradually reopen in early May.

France has been on lockdown since March 17, and President Emmanuel Macron told the nation on Monday that confinement measures would be extended to May 11. Philippe declined to provide specifics on the plan to end the lockdown.

The country's statistics agency estimates that social-distancing measures, school and store closures and restrictions on movement have shut down 35% of the economy. Moving to moderate containment from full lockdown could lift economic output by about 20%, according to a rough estimate by Bloomberg Economics.

The current lockdown could lead Europe's third-biggest economy to contract by about 10% in 2020, Philippe said. That's more than the 8% projection given by Finance Minister Bruno Le Maire on April 14.

"The goal of the government at this time is to save what can be saved now in order to rebound tomorrow. We have to make sure to not lose our productive base," Philippe said as he detailed France's arsenal to keep the frozen economy afloat "amid the strongest recession since 1945."

"When the crisis is over, we need to think about a recovery plan," he added.

Ending the lockdown period will depend on the circulation of the virus, and capacity at French hospitals, Philippe said. As of now, 10 infected people only infect 6 others on average, according to the prime minister.

"We'll have to learn how to live with the virus," he said, adding that no vaccine would be available before 2021, "maybe even later."

"This leaves us with one instrument: Prevention." This includes social-distancing measures and isolating virus-carriers at their homes, or at hotels. Wearing a mask could become mandatory in public transport, and the prime minister encouraged employees to keep working remotely.

Cafes and restaurants are unlikely to re-open soon, while long-distance travel post-lockdown may not be possible for quite some time.

"The conditions to enter and re-enter national territory will be demanding," he said. He also said it might not be reasonable to hold weddings and parties anytime soon.

Philippe repeatedly praised the French for respecting the guidelines on confinement, presenting maps showing how the epidemics would have spread without the lockdown -- painting the grim picture of a country overwhelmed by the pandemic. "Confinement worked," the prime minister said.

Macron's approval rating slipped 1 point in April to 42%, after jumping 11 points in March to the highest in almost two years, according to an Ifop opinion poll for Le Journal du Dimanche. Philippe's approval rating rose 2 points to 44% in April, the highest since May 2018.

France has been increasing testing for the virus, and has mobilized its industrial companies to produce everything from surgical masks to ventilator replacement parts and visors to protect health-care workers.

France is close to becoming the fourth country to report more than 20,000 deaths from the virus, behind the U.S., Italy and Spain. Still, falling numbers for patients in hospitals and in intensive care are positive signs.

The number of patients in intensive care, an indicator of the outbreak's intensity and its impact on the country's hospital system, fell for an 11th day Sunday. The number of daily deaths increased at its slowest pace in three weeks and the country also posted the smallest increase in new infections in almost a month, with fewer than 2,000 new infections.

The prime minister said France had successfully ordered more masks, and would be able to distribute them to a wider group of people in the next few weeks. Macron's government has been criticized for initially dismissing the need for masks in the general population.

France also plans to test 500,000 patients with symptoms a week by May 11, from 150,000 currently according to Health Minister Olivier Veran. There will be a total of 30,000 respiratory-assistance machines by end-June, he also said. Restrictions will be progressively eased in nursing homes, which have suffered badly in the pandemic, to allow visits.

Worldwide, cases now exceed 2.3 million, while more than 161,000 people have died from the coronavirus.
Two Rockets Land in Vicinity of Chinese Oil Company Site in Iraq  Military Centre

Sputnik News

15:42 GMT 18.04.2020(updated 16:01 GMT 18.04.2020)

DOHA (Sputnik) - Two rockets have fallen in the vicinity of a site belonging to a Chinese oil company in the Iraqi capital of Baghdad, Iraq's military communications centre said on Saturday.

"Two Katyusha rockets landed near the Chinese company's site in the Nahrawan region of southeast Baghdad on Saturday, there were no casualties", the centre said in a statement.

The AP cited security officials as saying that the attack caused minor damage. One of the officials said that militia groups launched the rockets as retaliation for a botched business proposition.

China's ZhenHua, a branch of the weapons firm Norico, has been operating in the nearby East Baghdad area since May 2018 under a contract with the oil ministry but the security officials refused to elaborate whether this was the company that had come under attack.

On 6 April, three rockets struck in the vicinity of a site belonging to the US oil service company Halliburton in the southern Iraqi province of Basra. No injuries or material damage were reported in the incident.

The US has ramped up its military presence in Iraq, deploying Patriot missile systems at the al-Asad Air Base in al Anbar governorate, and Erbil Airbase in Iraqi Kurdistan after they were struck by over a dozen Iranian missiles on 8 January. Iran described the strikes as retaliation to the 3 January drone strike assassination of Revolutionary Guard Corps commander Qasem Soleimani at Baghdad's airport.

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<! Mourners at the burial of Mallam Abba Kyari at Gudu Cemetery >

*Cemetery also decontaminated

By Abankula

All mourners not properly kitted against the coronavirus at the burial of Mallam Abba Kyari at Gudu Cemetery, Abuja have been rounded up for isolation.

Dr Mohammed Kawu, acting Secretary Health and Human Services of the FCTA made this known on Saturday.

All the unprotected men at the burial have been identified, he said.

He also said the Hazmat suit dumped by a mourner at the cemetery has been professionally evacuated.

The mourner was among those rounded up for isolation, he said.

Kawu also said the cemetery has been decontaminated.

He said that necessary tests would be conducted on all of the arrested mourners to determine their level of exposure to coronavirus.

Henceforth, the FCTA will ensure that all future burials of victims of COVID-19 are conducted in line with protocols established by the Nigerian Centre for Disease Control (NCDC).

He urged the FCT residents to remain calm and rest assured that the FCT would continue to do all necessary to curtail the spread of the COVID-19 in Abuja.

Reported by NAN
Hospitals in Japan are increasingly turning away sick people as the country struggles with surging coronavirus infections and its emergency medical system collapses.

In one recent case, an ambulance carrying a man with a fever and difficulty breathing was rejected by 80 hospitals and forced to search for hours for a hospital in downtown Tokyo that would treat him.

Another feverish man finally reached a hospital after paramedics unsuccessfully contacted 40 clinics.

The Japanese Association for Acute Medicine and the Japanese Society for Emergency Medicine say many hospital emergency rooms are refusing to treat people including those suffering strokes, heart attacks and external injuries.

Japan initially seemed to have controlled the outbreak by going after clusters of infections in specific places, usually enclosed spaces such as clubs, gyms and meeting venues.

But the spread of virus outpaced this approach and most new cases are untraceable.

The outbreak has highlighted underlying weaknesses in medical care in Japan, which has long been praised for its high quality insurance system and reasonable costs.

Apart from a general unwillingness to embrace social distancing, experts blame government incompetence and a widespread shortage of the protective gear and equipment medical workers need to perform their jobs.

Japan lacks enough hospital beds, medical workers or equipment. Forcing anyone with the virus into hospital, even those with mild symptoms, has left hospitals overcrowded and understaffed.

The "collapse of emergency medicine" has already happened, a precursor to the overall collapse of medicine, the Japanese Association for Acute Medicine and the Japanese Society for Emergency Medicine said in a joint statement.

By turning away patients, hospitals are putting an excessive burden on the limited number of advanced and critical emergency centres, the groups said.

"We can no longer carry out normal emergency medicine," said Takeshi Shimazu, an Osaka University emergency doctor.

There are no enough protective gowns, masks and face shields, raising risks of infection for medical workers and making treatment of COVID-19 patients increasingly difficult, said Yoshitake Yokokura, who heads the Japan Medical Association.

In March, there were 931 cases of ambulances being rejected by more than five hospitals or driving around for 20 minutes or longer to reach an emergency room, up from 700 in March last year.

In the first 11 days of April, that rose to 830, the Tokyo Fire Department said.

Infections in a number of hospitals have forced medical workers to self-isolate at home, worsening staff shortages.

Tokyo's new cases started to spike in late March, the day after the Tokyo Olympics was postponed for a year. They have been rising at an accelerating pace for a current total of 2,595.

With some 10,000 cases and 170 deaths, Japan's situation is not as dire as many other countries, but there are fears its outbreak could become much worse.

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

A government virus task force has warned that, in a worst-case scenario where no preventive measures were taken, more than 400,000 could die due to shortages of ventilators and other intensive care equipment.

Shinzo Abe, the prime minister, has said the government has secured 15,000 ventilators and is getting support of Sony and Toyota Motor Corp. to produce more.

Japanese hospitals also lack ICUs, with only five per 100,000 people, compared to about 30 in Germany, 35 in the U.S. and 12 in Italy, said Osamu Nishida, head of the Japanese Society of Intensive Care Medicine.

Italy's 10-per-cent mortality rate, compared to Germany's 1 per cent, is partly due to the shortage of ICU facilities, Nishida said.

"Japan, with ICUs not even half of Italy's, is expected to face a fatality overshoot very quickly," he said.

Additional reporting by Associated Press
Protesters demanding an end to shutdown orders gathered in streets and outside several states' capitol buildings on Saturday, a day after President Donald Trump posted a series of tweets calling for demonstrators to "LIBERATE" certain states.

Some of the demonstrators brandished signs with phrases like, "This is tyranny, not quarantine" and "Open now!"

In Texas, the main protest outside the statehouse in Austin was supported by Alex Jones, the personality behind InfoWars, a website widely criticized for pushing conspiracy theories. Some who gathered chanted, "Let us work, let us work."

Image: Demonstrators Protests At Texas State Capitol Against Governor's Stay At Home Order (Sergio Flores / Getty Images)

On Friday, Trump tweeted "LIBERATE MINNESOTA," and then, "LIBERATE MICHIGAN" and "LIBERATE VIRGINIA, and save your great 2nd Amendment. It is under siege!"

He later defended the posts, saying that "elements" of some state regulations were "just too tough."

The president's encouragement of various state protests appeared to run in the face of his announcement Thursday that he would offer guidelines for reopening the country, but would leave specific plans up to governors.

Image:

Since states began to enact stay-at-home orders to help slow the spread of the coronavirus, protest groups have popped up with arguments reminiscent of the Tea Party that the lockdown measures violate their personal liberty.

Demonstrators are often seen waving "Don't Tread on Me" flags and wearing "Make America Great Again" hats.

Many seem concerned with their inability to work due to business closures, a worry spreading across the country as unemployment claims rose to 22 million in one month.

Image:

Vice President Mike Pence said in a PBS NewsHour interview on Friday that the point of the White House guidelines released this week was to help states prepare to reopen "in an orderly and safe way."

"The guidelines that were issued yesterday were all about equipping our governors and their health officials with our very best recommendations," Pence said, "all the while assuring all of their citizens and the American people that we will continue to partner with our states to make sure that they have the equipment, the medical supplies and the testing to enter into that reopening plan in an orderly and safe way."
MUKONO  Yoweri Museveni has been praised for taking decisive measures against the pandemic even before Uganda registered a case of the virus. The President with advise from the minister of health, declared a lockdown around the entire country, during the first 14 days. Now that another 3-week extension has been put in place, Ugandans must brace themselves for a really difficult huddle before them. Coronavirus has affected all aspects of our lives and the constant news about the pandemic can feel never-ending. Many people are experiencing heightened feelings of uncertainty, unrest and loneliness. While these feelings are completely understandable, given the unprecedented nature of the situation, its important for everyone especially those that are predisposed to mental health conditions to learn how to cope and manage any stress being experienced. Many leaders dont always believe the likelihood of a crisis happening in their countries. Consequently, they are underprepared not just for managing crisis situations once they occur, but also for leading nations in turbulent times with a vision that they and their countries may be positively transformed by the experience. Below are some of the competencies that any leader must possess amid any crisis most especially during this Covid-19 pandemic.

All leaders must be ready to communicate effectively. Listening openly to others enables leaders to encourage the sharing of information and ideas, as well as concerns hence becoming effective. Processing information is crucial to being a good leader. It is vital to be able to get to the point, weigh the pros and cons, and evaluate short and long range consequences of decisions. It helps leaders develop logical and clear conclusions. Ultimately, leaders must express themselves clearly in writing and speaking. They need to be thorough, concise, and consistently straightforward when sharing information and their vision with others. Explicitly communicating what you expect of others is imperative. Inferences and other implicit communication open the door to misunderstandings and misperceptions.

Crisis leadership involves the ability to make wise and rapid decisions. Traditional approaches to decision making involves information gathering, generating alternatives, evaluating those alternatives and reaching a decision. During times of crisis, however, this traditional approach is less relevant in that it assumes access to complete information and unlimited time, neither of which is usually available in crisis situations. The key to decision making in times of crisis, then, is to gather as much input from a wide variety of sources as time will allow, and then make a decision in light of the information gathered and the leaders own insight. An effective leader knows when the time is right to initiate action and achieve results. Leaders handle problems assertively and make timely as well as firm decisions. They must know how to overcome obstacles for achievement and set high standards that positively impact the country. To help leaders make difficult decisions, we encourage them to think long-term. In addition, we suggest that they think about the situation on their own before consulting others.

Another competency of leadership is to take courageous actions. Executives consistently rate courage as a crucial competency and a desired trait for future leaders. In times of crisis, however, the tendency to become risk averse is strong. There is already so much ambiguity associated with the crisis situation, and its impending outcome, that leaders attempt to counter that risk by becoming extra conservative in their response to it. Crisis leaders, on the other hand, will embrace the opportunity to think and act big, yet responsibly. This often entails making decisions and adopting behavior that is counter-intuitive or that goes above and beyond what might be mandated by the situation.

If there is no trust, decision making and strategy implementation are doomed to fail. While the failures may not be immediate, they are imminent. Quite often, we cannot underestimate the human element we lead. Successful leaders instill trust, provide direction, and delegate responsibility. Ultimately, leadership is about producing the desired results. Building and instilling trust enables a leader to show they can be trusted to keep confidential information. It also shows that they are honest and ethical. Leaders provide direction by establishing clear expectations and developing a manageable workload to accomplish those expectations. A leader must be ready to delegate responsibility to the appropriate people. Leaders empower others to work and solve problems on their own. Building a foundation of trust also involves managing expectations. Setting high expectations presumes that leaders trust the abilities of those around him or her. Generally, people are more likely to perform at high levels when leaders display trust in their competence and abilities. Conversely, they are likely to underperform when low expectations are set. In short, building trust establishes a platform upon which the remaining crisis leadership competencies are based.

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The writer is a student of Dental Surgery at Uganda Christian University.

Related
Photo taken on April 8, 2020 shows a train for transferring COVID-19 patients in Madrid, Spain.(Ministry of Transport, Mobility and Urban Agenda/Handout via Xinhua)

The following are the latest developments of the COVID-19 pandemic in European countries.

ROME -- A further 482 people had died of COVID-19 in the past 24 hours in Italy, raising the country's death toll to 23,227, official data showed on Saturday.

The total number of confirmed cases -- combining active infections, fatalities and recoveries -- rose to 175,925, an increase of 3,491 against Friday, according to fresh figures from Italy's Civil Protection Department.

Also, there were 2,200 additional recoveries in the past 24 hours, bringing the total recoveries to 44,927, since the pandemic first broke out in the northern Lombardy region on Feb. 21.

MADRID -- Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez said on Saturday in a televised press conference that he would ask the Spanish Parliament to extend the current 'state of alarm' for a further 15 days until May 9.

Sanchez's announcement came after Saturday's fresh figures from health authorities showed that Spain had reported more than 20,000 deaths from the coronavirus and had over 190,000 confirmed cases.

The Spanish Health Ministry on Saturday confirmed that over 20,000 people in the country have lost their lives because of COVID-19, the disease caused by the novel coronavirus.

LONDON -- Another 888 people who tested positive for COVID-19 have died in hospitals in Britain as of Friday afternoon, bringing the total number of coronavirus-related deaths to 15,464, the Department of Health and Social Care said Saturday.

As of Saturday morning, 114,217 people have tested positive for the virus, marking a daily increase of 5,526, said the department.

The figures were announced amid growing concerns over a serious shortage of personal protective equipment (PPE) for frontline medical staff in hospitals.

PARIS -- A further 642 people had died of COVID-19 in the past 24 hours in France, raising the country's death toll to 19,323, official data showed on Saturday.

BUDAPEST -- Six million masks and 3 million gloves arrived in Hungary from China, Hungarian Minister of Foreign Affairs and Trade Peter Szijjarto announced Saturday on his Facebook page.

Four Wizz Air planes delivered the protective equipment from two Chinese cities through the air bridge between the two countries, said the minister, adding that since the opening of the air bridge in March, Wizz Air's planes have made about 50 round-trips flights between China and Hungary.

After completion of customs clearance and quality control, the protective equipment will be brought to the central warehouse, and from there it will be distributed among hospitals and clinics, said Szijjarto.

ATHENS -- The Greek Health Ministry announced on Saturday that COVID-19 infections have now reached 2,235 and deaths stood at 110 since the start of the outbreak in the country on Feb. 26.

Since Friday, 11 new confirmed cases and two new deaths were registered, according to an e-mailed press release from the ministry.

Currently, 67 patients were hospitalized in intensive care units, while 39 have been discharged from ICUs.

BUCHAREST -- The number of healthcare staff infected with COVID-19, the disease caused by the novel coronavirus, increased by 50 in Romania in the last 24 hours, bringing the total to 1,031, authorities announced on Saturday

So far, a total of 8,418 COVID-19 cases have been confirmed in Romania, according to the Strategic Communication Group, the official coronavirus communication task force.

The frontline medics account for over 12 percent of the total infections in the country.
If you own shares in VAALCO Energy, Inc. (NYSE:EGY) then it's worth thinking about how it contributes to the volatility of your portfolio, overall. In finance, Beta is a measure of volatility. Volatility is considered to be a measure of risk in modern finance theory. Investors may think of volatility as falling into two main categories. The first type is company specific volatility. Investors use diversification across uncorrelated stocks to reduce this kind of price volatility across the portfolio. The second sort is caused by the natural volatility of markets, overall. For example, certain macroeconomic events will impact (virtually) all stocks on the market.

Some stocks are more sensitive to general market forces than others. Some investors use beta as a measure of how much a certain stock is impacted by market risk (volatility). While we should keep in mind that Warren Buffett has cautioned that 'Volatility is far from synonymous with risk', beta is still a useful factor to consider. To make good use of it you must first know that the beta of the overall market is one. Any stock with a beta of greater than one is considered more volatile than the market, while those with a beta below one are either less volatile or poorly correlated with the market.

Check out our latest analysis for VAALCO Energy

What we can learn from EGY's beta value

Looking at the last five years, VAALCO Energy has a beta of 1.94. The fact that this is well above 1 indicates that its share price movements have shown sensitivity to overall market volatility. If the past is any guide, we would expect that VAALCO Energy shares will rise quicker than the markets in times of optimism, but fall faster in times of pessimism. Beta is worth considering, but it's also important to consider whether VAALCO Energy is growing earnings and revenue. You can take a look for yourself, below.

NYSE:EGY Income Statement April 19th 2020

Does EGY's size influence the expected beta?

VAALCO Energy is a rather small company. It has a market capitalisation of US$46m, which means it is probably under the radar of most investors. It has a relatively high beta, suggesting it is fairly actively traded for a company of its size. Because it takes less capital to move the share price of a small company like this, when a stock this size is actively traded it is quite often more sensitive to market volatility than similar large companies.

Story continues

What this means for you:

Since VAALCO Energy tends to move up when the market is going up, and down when it's going down, potential investors may wish to reflect on the overall market, when considering the stock. This article aims to educate investors about beta values, but it's well worth looking at important company-specific fundamentals such as VAALCO Energys financial health and performance track record. I highly recommend you dive deeper by considering the following:

Future Outlook: What are well-informed industry analysts predicting for EGYs future growth? Take a look at our free research report of analyst consensus for EGYs outlook. Past Track Record: Has EGY been consistently performing well irrespective of the ups and downs in the market? Go into more detail in the past performance analysis and take a look at the free visual representations of EGY's historicals for more clarity. Other Interesting Stocks: It's worth checking to see how EGY measures up against other companies on valuation. You could start with this free list of prospective options.

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.
Calls to a statewide child-abuse hotline have dropped 50% since Oklahomas COVID-19 shutdown began in late March, which would be good news if officials thought it reflected an actual decline in abuse and neglect.

I dont believe it does at all, Carrie Little, the executive director of the Childrens Advocacy Centers of Oklahoma, told the Tulsa World.

In fact, shes afraid the stress of the shutdown and the anxiety around the disease itself will only make abuses cases more widespread. Stress creates frustration, and frustration can trigger violence.

Most calls to the states Child Abuse Reporting Hotline come from outside the home, Little said.

They come from teachers or ministers or relatives or sometimes neighbors who are around the children and recognize the signs, she said. But the shutdown means that the children arent around those people right now.

Abuse and neglect will go unnoticed and therefore unreported, Little said.
Another problem, he said: The initial definition used by medical authorities to determine what constituted a coronavirus case was too restrictive. They focused on people they knew had traveled abroad or had contact with carriers, rather than everyone who showed possible symptoms. The truck driver didnt initially say that he had recently been to the United States, Borja said, slowing the diagnosis.
QUEENSBURY  A fifth Warren County resident has died from COVID-19, as the number of cases continues to grow.

This individual was a resident of a nursing home in the southern part of the county. Warren County will not be releasing additional information about this individual. Of the patients who have died, two were at a hospital, two at nursing homes and another at an adult care facility, according to a news release.

Our deepest condolences go out to the loved ones of all five of our residents who have succumbed to this virus, the county said in a news release.

A total of 97 Warren County residents have tested positive for the novel coronavirus, which is an increase of 13 from the day before. Six residents are hospitalized. One is in critical condition and five had moderate illness. Four people have recovered, according to a news release.

A total of 140 people have been tested at the joint Glens Falls Hospital and Warren County Health Services COVID-19 site at the Warren County Municipal Center. Five of the positive tests were residents of Warren County and 11 were residents of other counties that have been documented as of Friday. About 18% of people tested were confirmed positive.

Warren and Washington counties have received an additional batch of COVID-19 tests form the state. Washington County donated their kits toward the effort.

We thank them for their generosity and participation in this important initiative, said Warren County Administrator Ryan Moore in a news release.

The testing site is in operation Monday through Friday, 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. It is open to residents of Warren, Washington, Saratoga, Essex and Hamilton counties. People need to contact a doctor or urgent care center to get a referral.

Moore said at Fridays Warren County Board of Supervisors meeting the test site started out with a capacity of 48 people  12 tests per hour for four hours. Now, they can do more if needed.

We can get it up to 72 from a workforce perspective. That doesnt always mean the demand is there as providers get used to this, he said.

Brian LaFlure, director of emergency services for the county, told the Board of Supervisors that the tent is not a long-term solution.

When we set that tent out there, I believe it was going to be five days. Now, were talking about four or five weeks. At some point, we need to have a discussion on that, he said at Fridays meeting.

Washington County has eight more cases

Washington County confirmed eight more positive cases of COVID-19 on Saturday for a total of 58. A total of 26 people have recovered.

County Attorney Roger Wickes said the increasing number of cases it is not surprising as more people are being tested.

Wickes said testing is important to get a sense of how widespread the virus is in the county.

As tests come trickling in, were going to try to get them administered, so we can find out what the status is, he said.

A total of 184 people are under some type of quarantine, either mandatory or precautionary, according to Wickes.

Saratoga and Essex counties

The Saratoga County Department of Public Health Services on Saturday announced that there are six new cases of COVID-19 and two people have died from the virus.

A 61-year-old man from Clifton Park and a 77-year-old man from Mechanicville are the eighth and ninth people to die from the disease, according to a news release.

There are 259 confirmed cases in the county. Eleven people are hospitalized with the virus, which is three fewer than the previous day.

Essex County reported 34 confirmed or suspected cases, which is an increase of two from the previous day.

Nursing homes pose challenges

During his daily briefing on Saturday, Gov. Andrew Cuomo on Saturday acknowledged the particular challenges in containing the spread of COVID-19 in nursing homes, where people are in close contact with one another.

A total of 36 of the 540 people who died on Friday were in nursing homes.

Nursing homes are these single biggest fear in all of this  vulnerable people in one place. It is a feeding frenzy for this virus  despite everything we can do and best efforts of people working in those nursing homes, who are doing just a fantastic job.

Cuomo said he does not know how many nursing homes have conducted tests on residents.

I think more than anything, theyre overwhelmed. They have staff shortages. People on the staff are getting sick. The residents of the nursing home are under enormous pressure. They havent seen loved ones, he said.

Nursing homes are supposed to report deaths to the state. Cuomo said he can understand their frustration.

Everyone is under emotional distress because you have a lot of people dying, he said. Then, the state coming in saying: I want this report by 5 oclock. With all due respect governor, Im taking care of peoples lives and youre saying do paperwork, he said.

Overall, hospitalizations due to COVID-19 continue to decline statewide to just under 17,000.

If you look at the past three days, you could argue that were past the plateau and starting to descend, which would be very good news, Cuomo said.

However, Cuomo cautioned against reopening parts of the state too soon. There are 7,090 new cases of COVID-19, which brings the total to 236,732.

You open one area, but you dont open another area; and now I can drive to that area and I can go to a restaurant. I can go to a bar. I can do whatever I want in that area. You could now create an unintended consequences where you have a flood of people there, he said.

In addition, Cuomo called for federal coordination of the supply chain so laboratories have access to the necessary chemicals, known as reagents, that allow the tests to work. Different companies have different chemicals for their tests.

Also, Cuomo signed an executive order allowing people to obtain marriage licenses virtually and allowing clerks to perform weddings through videoconferencing.

Reach Michael Goot at 518-742-3320 or mgoot@poststar.com and follow his blog poststar.com/blogs/michael_goot/.

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Hospitalizations related to COVID-19 fell for the second straight day in Connecticut, prompting cautious optimism from Gov. Ned Lamont even as the state recorded more than 400 new cases, and deaths climbed to more than 1,100 on Sunday.

For the second straight day, the number of people hospitalized in Connecticut due to complications caused by COVID-19 has slightly decreased, another step in the right direction and another sign that the efforts weve been taking as a community are having an impact on slowing the outbreak, the governor said in his daily news release.

The state reported 412 new cases of COVID-19, bringing the total number of cases in the state to 17,962. There were 41 new deaths attributed to the disease, bringing the death toll to 1,127. The number of people hospitalized after catching the virus fell by 37, and now sits at 1,901.

The governors office noted those figures include data from days or weeks ago that had been added recently, and Lamont insisted the crisis is far from over.

Whether this continues is dependent upon the actions each of us takes over the next several days and weeks, Lamont said. This isnt over  we lost another 41 Connecticut residents, and we mourn for their lives. Together, we can have an impact on flattening the curve, but if people tell you the pandemic has ended  they are wrong.

More Medicaid funding for nursing homes

A day after his office said the state will increase outreach to nursing homes amid the pandemic, Lamont announced Sunday his administration will bump up Medicaid payments to all of the more than 200 nursing homes in the state.

The plan would give homes an additional 5 percent on Medicaid payments, on top of the 10 percent boost Lamont already announced.

Together, the 15 percent hike in payments are expected to push $65 million to all of the 215 nursing homes in the state.

The governors office said the extra funds are intended to cover employee wages and bonuses, including overtime, pay for protective equipment for workers, cleaning supplies and the costs associated with screening visitors for infection.

Connecticuts nursing home operators and their employees provide an incredible service to the people of our state, including the 22,000 residents receive direct care in nursing homes on a daily basis, Lamont said in the release.

The Democratic governor said the homes and their employees have his profound gratitude, during the unprecedented global pandemic.

Statewide, at least 1,713 nursing home residents have tested positive for COVID-19, and 375 residents deaths have been attributed to the virus, data released by the governors office on Thursday shows.

Lamonts office said the 10 percent increase in Medicaid payouts will be retroactive to March 1, winding back a month earlier than he previously said. The 10 percent increase was originally supposed to take effect April 1. Lamont said the 5 percent boost will be effective as of April 1.

Nursing homes not selected as COVID-only sites, but have residents who test positive for the illness will be reimbursed $400 per day per resident, according to the governors office. That will apply for a maximum of 30 days.

COVID-designated homes, meanwhile, will receive $600 per day, and will receive help with any startup costs, the governors office said.

Nursing home visits

Staff with the Department of Public Health Sunday began making site visits to each nursing home in the state, a process that should take around seven to 10 days.

On Saturday, a spokesman for Lamonts office said those visits are not inspections, but are a way to be helpful to the nursing homes.

A survey form from the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services for those visits shows DPH personnel will ask questions about each facilitys infection control program.

That includes checking to see if a nursing home has signs advising visitors not to enter under most circumstances. Since mid-March, family members have been banned from nursing homes, typically unless their loved one is in end-of-life care.

The survey also makes it clear that federal regulators are aware of mask and other protective equipment shortages.

State and federal surveyors should not cite facilities for not having certain supplies (e.g., PPE such as gowns, N95 respirators, surgical masks) if they are having difficulty obtaining these supplies for reasons outside of their control, the survey form says. But nursing homes should make attempts to get new equipment as soon as possible.

Public health officials will also examine whether the nursing home officials know how many patients have gotten sick with COVID-19, if the staff knows how the disease is transmitted, and how information about a patients diagnosis is shared with other health care providers.

Economic advisors

Separately on Sunday, the governors office announced the names of appointees from the rest of the states that have formed a coalition to slowly reopen economies together after May 20.

Connecticut announced its three appointees nearly a week ago. They include the former CEO of PepsiCo, Lamonts chief of staff and the chairman of the epidemiology department at Yale School of Medicine.

The advisors among the remaining states come from a broad swath of private business backgrounds, health care and government, and include Jeh Johnson, the former Homeland Security secretary under President Barack Obama.

On Saturday, governors of Connecticut, along with New York and New Jersey, said they would allow marinas, boatyards and marine manufacturers to open so long as they maintain social distancing guidelines. The plan does not allow people in the three states to charter or rent boats.

New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo said the plan would help prevent boaters in the three coastal states from state shopping.
Toby Antony By

Express News Service

KOCHI: Messages thanking Kerala Tourism officials are pouring in from the family members of UK nationals who were repatriated after being stranded in the state as they were tested positive for Covid-19.

Having recovered from the infection, the UK nationals reached home safely on Thursday after British Airways operated a special flight from Kochi and Thiruvananthapuram in which 268 tourists were airlifted.

One of the first to send the message to the officials was Sue Fletcher, the sister of Jane Lockwood who along with her husband Brian Lockwood recovered from Covid-19 after undergoing treatment in Government Medical College, Kalamassery. A WhatsApp message from Sue read: I have just had a phone call to say that they have landed in the UK. I just wanted to say a huge thank you for helping them so much during this difficult and unprecedented situation.

Your help made things more comfortable for them and helped them deal with all the documentation. Thanks very much. All the best to you and your family. Stay safe. With kindest regards, Sue Fletcher.

Tracy, the daughter of Brian and Jane, also appreciated the efforts made by doctors and tourism officials. I think the doctors were excellent as far as moms treatment was concerned. When I contacted them at the hospital, the doctor responded immediately and it was helpful.

The doctor even contacted me this morning to see how she was with the change in medication, read a message sent bt Tracy to Kerala Tourism Deputy Director K Rajkumar. Similarly, 83-year-old Janet Olive Leigh, who successfully underwent Covid-19 treatment in Kochi, was happy to reach home. She thanked everyone here for their help.

Tourists were given utmost care

We are safely home. Alleluia! Had a delightful ride by taxi back to Norfolk. Lovely to see the trees with their new leaves and everything fresh and green in the spring sunshine. Im very tired as I could not sleep on the flight. Thanks everyone for your friendship and hope we remain virus-free. Bye for now, read her message. Another UK tourist who was stranded in Kochi also sent a thanking message.

We need to show our grateful thanks to Raj, Tom, Jayashree and countless others for their unstinting work in making us feel as comfortable as they could in stressful times and handling all the official documentation which we would have been unable to achieve.

Thank you so much all of you. I know it is appreciated by everyone, the message read. Rajkumar said though British citizens who tested positive were unsettled initially, later they realised that the best treatment was provided to them.

All the agencies in the state involved in handling the tourists here during the Covid-19 outbreak took utmost care of them. Their hospital treatment, later stay at the hotel and return journey were coordinated by multiple agencies. Almost all the tourists, including those from countries like France, Brazil and the UK, have thanked the Kerala Government for the effort put in for their safe stay and repatriation, he said.
WASHINGTON  The Trump administration and Congress are nearing an agreement as early as Sunday on an aid package of up to $450 billion to boost a small-business loan program that has run out of money and add funds for hospitals and COVID-19 testing.

With small-business owners reeling during a coronavirus outbreak that has shuttered much economic activity, Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin said he was hopeful of a deal that could pass Congress quickly and get the Small Business Administration program back up by midweek.

I think were very close to a deal today. Im hopeful that we can get that done, he said.

Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., said he believed a deal could be reached late Sunday or early Monday. We still have a few more details to deal with, he said.

Under the proposed deal, the governments Paycheck Protection Program for small businesses would get roughly $300 billion, according to Mnuchin. The program has been swamped by businesses applying for loans and reached its appropriations limit last Thursday after approving nearly 1.7 million loans. That left thousands of small businesses in limbo as they sought help. An additional $50 billion in the evolving deal would go for disaster loans.

About $75 billion would go to U.S. hospitals, for those straining under a ballooning coronavirus caseload as well as those struggling to stay financially afloat after suspending elective surgeries during the pandemic. About $25 billion would be added for COVID-19 testing, something states have said was urgently needed. The money for hospitals and testing were priorities sought by congressional Democrats.

But additional aid to state and local governments would be left out, Mnuchin said. Democrats have been keen to boost funding to cash-strapped states and local governments whose revenues have cratered, but the issue threatened to provoke fights between large, high-tax states like California and New York and smaller states more typically run by Republicans.

The president is willing to consider that in the next bill, but wants to get this over the finish line with a focus on small businesses, hospitals and testing, Mnuchin said.

He said hes been in touch with GOP leaders including Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., and House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy, R-Calif., and all are on board with the same plan.

Im hopeful that we can reach an agreement, that the Senate can pass this tomorrow, and that the House can take it up on Tuesday, and, Wednesday, wed be back up and running, Mnuchin said.

Schumer said Democrats were still working to get aid for state and local governments. They had submitted a compromise offer Friday that would provide $150 billion for states as well as cities, counties and towns based on need. Key swing states for Trump in the November presidential election  Pennsylvania, Michigan, Ohio and Wisconsin  would receive billions in new aid under the proposal, according to a senior Democratic aide who spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss details of private negotiations.

We are pushing hard, Schumer said. We dont want our police, our firefighters, our EMTs, our bus drivers  this is not an abstract issue. We dont want them fired.

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., predicted an agreement would be reached soon.

I am pleased to report that we have been engaged in bipartisan negotiations on our interim legislation, and our progress is encouraging, she said in a letter late Saturday to Democratic colleagues.

Republican Maryland Gov. Larry Hogan, who leads the National Governors Association, said he and other governors believe that aid for state and local government is desperately needed,'' but that it may not be an issue worth fighting over for now.

I dont think the deal is finalized yet, he said. But, look, we do not want to hold up funding to these small businesses. And we hope that the Democrats and the Republicans in the Senate can come together in a bipartisan way and get something moving for the American people."

The SBA loans, based on a companys payroll costs, offer owners forgiveness if they retain workers or rehire those who have been laid off. The law provides for forgiveness for companies in any industry  even businesses like hedge funds and law firms. Theres a limit of $100,000 on the amount of employees compensation that can be considered when loan forgiveness is calculated.

While they wait, owners who are shut down or whove lost revenue have expressed unease about the longer-term impact the virus outbreak will have on their companies.

Theres great pain out there, said Suzanne Clark, president of the U.S. Chamber of Commerce. Every hour and day that goes by without this assistance is really hurting them.

Mnuchin, Schumer and Hogan appeared on CNNs State of the Union," and Clark spoke on CBS Face the Nation.
From the very day that Ramanand Sagar's Ramayan was re-telecast, it was declared a success. Everyday fans would set alarms to be awake by 9:00 AM in order to catch a brand new episode and spend the day discussing what happened. Viewership of this show skyrocketed and as per the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting, Doordarshan recorded the highest ever TRP since 2015.

However, fans are disappointed with the climax scene of the show, the remarkable Ram-Raavan slaughter scene as a lot of scenes were edited and some not shown at all.

DD National / Twitter

Once the last episode was aired, viewers were quick to take to their social media handles to lash out at producers as to why they would edit out the scene most Indians were eagerly waiting for. As a collective, the fans were so disappointed that #RestoreRamayan started to trend.

Check out what the fans are saying below.

Ramanand Sagars Ramayan & Shri Krishna are works of art that deserve to be seen without tampering with the artists vision through edits like those in the DVDs. #RamayanOnDDNational #RestoreRamayan @ChikhliaDipika @arungovil12 @LahriSunil @swwapniljoshi  JanakiRaghunath (@siyarambhakt) April 18, 2020

Yes, these should be shown without cuts!  Dr. Rajesh kumar sharma (@DrRajes69135322) April 18, 2020

@DDNational In Ramayan number of seen cutted ,where Ram and Laxman kidnapped by Ahiravan in patallok. This seen not shown,Hanuman son makardawaj also not shown  Amaranth (@Amarant36966520) April 18, 2020

Todays episode of #RamayanOnDDNational skips Lakshman-Urmila reunion and the key scene of Ram making Bharat forgive Kaikeyi, which is so vital to his character. DVDs have also cut it. Time to #RestoreRamayan @DDnational @shivsagarchopra @arungovil12https://t.co/y0gOGrMqJ1  JanakiRaghunath (@siyarambhakt) April 18, 2020

Cutting out the sweet scenes  Debankan Mukherjee (@DebankanMukher1) April 19, 2020

Very disappointed to see that many scenes in Ramayana are not shown by @DDNational .



Scene where LORD HANUMANA tearing - open his chest and showing picture of #SIYA_RAM within it. #Ramayana #RamayanOnDDNational https://t.co/hhWuaDNRh3  kamini Sharma (@secret___soul) April 19, 2020

Ye Sara scene to cut kr diya@LahriSunil sir this scene got tears in my eyes Big fan of your#RamayanOnDDNational pic.twitter.com/Ewr0AXmTZv  Ragini Raj Malakar (@MalakarRagini) April 18, 2020

As the disappointment of fans grew, CEO of Prasar Bharti, Shashi Shekhar Vempati tweeted that no such scenes were edited.

There have been no cuts, they were not part of the original production.  Shashi Shekhar (@shashidigital) April 18, 2020





While some people are angry over the most anticipated scenes of Ramayan getting edited, some are delighted at how they got the chance to watch this gem of a show, something their parents would talk about for hours!
Indore sub-inspector tested negative twice after a month in quarantine

Women sit in social distance circles outside a bank as they wait to collect their pension in Bhopal. (AFP)

Bhopal: A sub-inspector posted in Indore won his battle against Covid-19 but succumbed to a cardiac arrest hours before he was to be discharged from hospital.

Devendra Kumar Chandravamsi, 41, had tested positive for the virus on March 16 and was put into quarantine at a hospital in Indore. After 28 days in isolation, two successive samples of his returned negative for coronavirus, and he was go home on Sunday. But hours before that, he suffered a cardiac arrest and died.

Chandravamsi was the first casualty among frontline personnel in the fight against the coronavirus in Madhya Pradesh.

A pal of gloom descended on police circles in the state following his demise.

Chief minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan expressed anguish and declared an ex-gratia of Rs 50 lakh to Chandravamsis family, apart from appointing his widow as an assistant sub-inspector of police.

At least a dozen policemen and 90 health personnel are among 1407 people who have tested positive for the virus in MP so far. There have been 72 deaths due to Covid-19.

Indore is the epicentre of the pandemic in the state, with 890 confirmed cases so far and 52 deaths.

The state capital Bhopal has 214 confirmed cases and six deaths.

However, total 131 people in the state including the states health secretary Pallavi Jain Govil, who had tested positive earlier, have recovered and were discharged from hospital.

In another development, one of the key accused in the attack on medical personnel in Indore recently, who tested positive for the virus later on, fled from a hospital in Jabalpur.

We have launched a manhunt for him, said a senior police officer of Jabalpur district.
White House COVID-19 Taskforce Claims Testing Capacity Sufficient for First Phase of Ending Lockdown

Sputnik News

10:16 GMT 18.04.2020

On 16 April President Donald Trump unveiled federal guidelines that would govern the gradual easing of social distancing measures in some parts of the country. But some governors and public health officials have slammed the plan for lacking a widespread testing component.

US vice-president Mike Pence insisted on Friday that there were enough COVID-19 tests to enable states to follow the first phase of federal guidelines released on 16 April to gradually begin relaxing pandemic-triggered lockdown measures, reports The Guardian.

Responding to criticism of the administration's roadmap to reopen the country Pence told a White House briefing for reporters:

"Our best scientists and health experts assess that today we have a sufficient amount of testing to meet the requirements of a phase one reopening if state governors should choose to do that."

Underscoring that the federal government would expect states to bear responsibility for testing programmes, Pence added:

"As the president's made clear, we want governors and states to manage the testing operations in their states. We've given criteria, we've given guidance for how we think that would best operate, but we're looking for the states, we're looking for the governors to manage it."

As the current US death toll tops 37,000, with a total of over 706, 700 registered cases of the virus, according to data from Johns Hopkins University, Pence said 3.7 million tests had been conducted nationwide.

The Vice-President noted that White House coronavirus response coordinator, Dr Deborah Birx was working to identify additional testing capacity, with the taskforce suggesting states activate existing laboratories to double the number.

Birx admitted at the same briefing that it's unclear whether there is enough coronavirus testing capacity in the US for phase two of the guidelines for reopening states.

"What we will be doing is monitoring how much we have to use in phase one to really help inform phase two The really unknown in this, to be completely transparent, is asymptomatic and symptomatic spread, said Birx according to CNN.

Top US infectious diseases expert Anthony Fauci acknowledged on Friday there are still areas to improve on testing, adding:

"We have to figure out how do we close that gap. Testing is a part - an important part - of a multifaceted way that we are going to control and ultimately end this outbreak ... But the emphasis that we've been hearing is essentially "Testing is everything." And it isn't."

Donald Trump tweeted on Friday for states to "step up their TESTING!", as in phone conferences the day before Democratic House and Senate members urged him to wait for coronavirus testing to become more widely available, NBC reported.

On 16 April President Donald Trump unveiled "Opening Up America Again" - broad federal guidelines for parts of the US to begin a gradual relaxing of social distancing measures imposed to stop the spread of the COVID-19 pandemic.

The 18-page plan lays out requisite circumstances for certain areas of the country to allow employees to start returning to work, with state governors tasked with the ultimate responsibility of taking the decision to lift restrictions.

Phase one recommends strict social distancing for all people in public, avoiding gatherings of over 10 people, and refraining from nonessential travel. Businesses would close common areas and schools and bars would continue to remain closed.

The second phase calls for maximising social distancing and limiting gatherings to no more than 50 people, with all due precautionary measures in place. Workers who do not have coronavirus symptoms would then be allowed back on the job. The phase suggests the possibility of resumed travel.

Phase Three would see a resumption of "unrestricted" staffing at work sites, bars could move to "increased standing room" capacity and large venues might be reopened with "limited physical distancing".

Donald Trump, under pressure to reopen the reeling economy as businesses closures left at least 22 million Americans claiming unemployment benefits, said at a press briefing after launching the roadmap:

"We must have a working economy. And we want to get it back. Very, very quickly. And that's what's going to happen."

While states are not legally obligated to follow the White House's plan, the unveiled guidelines pile pressure on governors to ease restrictions, with the latter attempting to push back, arguing that testing should be more widespread and urging the federal government to do its share.

New York Governor Andrew Cuomo said at a daily briefing on Friday:

"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."

 Sputnik

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Restricting access of some presidential aides into the Presidential Villa is aimed at stopping further spread of COVID-19, Garba Shehu, the presidents spokesperson, has said.

His statement confirms a Sahara Reporters story that some top presidential aides were denied access into the villa after attending the burial of the presidents late Chief of Staff, Abba Kyari.

According to Sahara Reporters, President Muhammadu Buhari was not happy that the aides decided to violate clear protocols and guidelines of the NCDC and he directed that they should keep off the Presidential Villa to undergo self-isolation.

Some of the aides reportedly barred from the villa include State House Chief Protocol Officer, Lawal Kazaure; Special Assistant to the President, Yusuf Sabiu; a nephew to the president, Musa Daura, and Mr Shehu.

Others are National Security Adviser, Babagana Monguno; Director-General of National Intelligence Agency, Ahmad Rufai, and Personal Assistant on New Media to President Buhari, Bashir Ahmed, among several more persons.

However, in a series of tweet, Mr Shehu stated that the directive to stay away from the villa is not out of place.

There is nothing extraordinary about those of us who attend Abba Kyaris funeral being advised to distance ourselves from the Villa.

This is in line with the standard rules put in place by the National Center for Disease Control, @NCDCgov and the Federal Ministry of Health. You do these things to stop the spread of #Coronavirus.

For the most part, the Villa has operated digitally in the last few weeks so there is really nothing new to this, he said.

There is nothing extraordinary about those of us who attend Abba Kyaris funeral being advised to distance ourselves from the Villa.  Garba Shehu (@GarShehu) April 19, 2020

Mr Shehu and the others attended the funeral of the late chief of staff, barely practising social distancing, an act which triggered outrage over disregard for existing coronavirus-limiting rules.

Apart from the presidential aides, other attendees who participated in the burial have been identified. They will be isolated and tested as well, an official told PREMIUM TIMES.

Mr Kyari died on Friday at a private hospital in Lagos, about four weeks after he was confirmed positive for COVID-19. He is believed to have contracted the disease after he returned from an official trip to Germany.

He was buried at the military cemetery in Abujas Gudu neighbourhood amidst tears from family members and supporters.
MOSCOW  Nearly as big as California but served by only a handful of mostly decrepit Soviet-era hospitals, the remote northern Russian region of Komi is a coronavirus petri dish for the horrors lying in wait for the worlds largest country.

Amid growing evidence that the pathogen had already breached Komis feeble defenses, the local authorities moved vigorously last week to contain the crisis: The police summoned critics of the regional government to ask how they knew about an outbreak in a hospital at a time when officials in Komi were insisting nobody had been infected.

Among those called in for questioning was Pavel Andreev, the director of 7x7 Komi, an independent online journal that revealed last month how a surgeon in a Komi state hospital sick with Covid-19 had infected patients.

Mr. Andreev said the police officer who led the interrogation mainly wanted to know about a comment the media director had posted online that said, It is impossible to trust the state, even in hospitals. Mr. Andreev, who has not been charged or even asked to take down his post, said the encounter was not so much menacing as baffling: The cat is already out of the bag so why waste time and energy on this? he asked.




Before the new coronavirus began spreading around the world, Serra Sowers was thinking about what she would do after high school.

The 17-year-old from Florida had planned to visit seven colleges this spring to help her decide where to continue her education.

In the United States, high school students often visit colleges and universities they might attend before they officially seek admission. But like so many things during Sowers final year of high school, the coronavirus pandemic has pushed the process online.

Sowers has had to depend on virtual visits, learning about schools through video meetings with college officials.

Her mother, Ebru Ural, says she worries how the pandemic might affect her daughters college experience itself in a few short months.

Were dealing with the unknown, and were trying to make such a huge decision. She invested the better part of the last year trying to earn acceptance to these institutions, Ural said, but we really dont know what were buying right now.

The Associated Press reported her comments.

The pandemic has affected plans for millions of students, both in the United States and overseas. Many are making virtual visits to schools while dealing with concerns about paying for a college education in an economic downturn. They also are wondering whether college campuses will even reopen by late summer.

Boston University, for example, has already canceled all "in-person summer activities" at its main campus. And the universitys plan for dealing with the pandemic states that if health officials say it is unsafe to re-open this year, it may wait until January 2021.

Earlier this month, Harvard Universitys president said Harvard is considering several possible plans of action. Yet the future is still very unclear. Oregon State University and University of Arizona officials have expressed hope their schools would re-open, but shared similar concerns about what the future holds.



In efforts to keep student enrollment numbers up, colleges are offering interactive one-on-one online meetings, using video services like Zoom. Hundreds of schools have given families more time to decide by delaying the date of their first required payment from May 1 to June 1.

In addition, the Associate Press reports that the two leading college admissions tests  the SAT and the ACT  have been cancelled. So a growing number of schools are removing admissions test requirements for students entering college.

But for all the schools efforts, many families say it is difficult to look forward when students are still finishing high school from home.

Opinion studies have found that large numbers of American high school seniors plan to spend at least a year working or traveling before attending college.

Studies also have shown that many Americans may decide against the first-choice school on their list of colleges because it is too costly. Others say they would feel safer attending a school closer to home.

About 3.7 million American students are expected to graduate from high school this year. Nearly 70 percent expected to start college in the late summer.

Lauren Kohler of Connecticut was planning to spend her high schools spring break visiting three universities. They are the University of South Carolina, Florida State University and the University of Massachusetts, Amherst. Kohler visited South Carolina last year. But now the 18-year-old is depending on virtual visits and friends experiences to learn about Florida State. She also recently walked around an empty UMass Amherst campus.

Im a big believer that you can walk on a campus and say, This is my school, or This is not my school, said Kohler. It really depends on the feeling and the type of people that are there.

Grace Malloy of Oregon did get a chance to visit to Long Island University Post in New York. But her spring break visits to Nebraska Wesleyan University and the University of Northern Colorado were canceled.

Malloy also wanted to see six other schools. Now she is worried she will not know how to reduce the number of choices on her list.

Decision-making is not my strong suit, she said after completing her third virtual visit of the week.

Im Pete Musto.

Pete Musto adapted this story for VOA Learning English using reports from the Associated Press. George Grow was the editor. We want to hear from you. Write to us in the Comments Section.

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Words in This Story

pandemic  n. an occurrence in which a disease spreads very quickly and affects a large number of people over a wide area or throughout the world

virtual  adj. existing or occurring on computers or on the Internet

institution(s)  n. an established organization

campus(es)  n. the area and buildings around a university, college, or school

enrollment  n. the condition of being a member of or participant in something

interactive  adj. designed to react to the actions or commands of a user

senior(s)  n. a student in the final year of high school or college

graduate  v. to earn a degree or diploma from a school, college, or university

strong suit  n. something that a person does well
PRAGUE (Reuters) - Prague Airport and a regional Czech hospital said on Saturday they had thwarted cyber attacks on their IT networks, reinforcing warnings by the national cyber security watchdog of likely attempts to harm the country's infrastructure.

"Attempted attacks on web pages of the airport were detected in preparatory phases," the airport's spokeswoman said in an emailed statement. "That prevented their spreading and all further phases that could have followed and potentially harm the company."

A regional hospital in the western Czech city of Karlovy Vary was attacked twice overnight on Saturday and foiled the attempts, which however were not exceptional, a spokesman said.

Several other hospitals in the Czech Republic reported attempted attacks on their computer systems on Friday, and said the attacks were successfully blocked.

The Czech cyber-security watchdog NUKIB said on Thursday that it expected attacks in the coming days. The malware used in the attacks is designed to damage or destroy victims' computers, according to researchers.

U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said on Friday the United States was concerned by the threat of a cyber attack against the Czech Republic's healthcare sector, adding that anybody engaged in such activity should "expect consequences." [L1N2C600Y]

A Czech official speaking on condition of anonymity said it was not proven who was responsible for the activity the cyber-security watchdog had identified but it was thought to be the work of a "serious and advanced adversary."

Czech Foreign Minister Tomas Petricek said on Saturday the attacks were "extremely ruthless" during the coronavirus pandemic.

"I do hope that our experts will find out who is interested in Czech Republic losing to this disease," he said on Twitter.

(Reporting by Jan Lopatka; Editing by Christina Fincher)
The Australian government has condemned the arrest of pro-democracy figures in Hong Kong amid the coronavirus pandemic, warning the move undermines stability, trust and goodwill in the midst of a global crisis.

Foreign Minister Marise Payne issued the statement after the US and Britain warned the arrest of at least 15 veteran activists over the 2019 protests jeopardised the autonomy of Hong Kong, which is guaranteed under the "one country, two systems" relationship with mainland China.

Senator Payne said the rights to freedom of speech and freedom of assembly are enshrined in the Basic Law for all people of Hong Kong.

Pro-democracy supporters hold banners and shout slogans outside of the Western District police station in Hong Kong after at least 14 pro-democracy veterans and supporters were arrested on Saturday. Credit:Getty Images

"That this has happened in the midst of the global crisis stemming from COVID-19 is concerning. Actions that undermine stability are never acceptable, but to do so during a crisis of this magnitude erodes goodwill and trust," she said.
Union Minister Harsimrat Kaur Badal said on Sunday that around 2,000 devotees stranded at the historic Gurdwara Hazur Sahib in Maharashtra's Nanded due to the coronavirus-induced lockdown will soon return to their homes in Punjab.

Badal said that she is grateful to both the Centre and the Maharashtra government for their combined efforts and acceding to the plea of the stranded devotees.

"The 'sangat' (devotees) stranded in Hazur Sahib will return home soon. I have spoken to Maharashtra chief secretary and he has told me that directions have been issued in this regard," the Union minister said in a tweet.

Meanwhile, in an another tweet, she requested Punjab Chief Minister Amarinder Singh to denotify Bathinda's Advanced Cancer Research Institute, as COVID isolation centre keeping in view safety of the cancer patients who are already immunocompromised.

Badal said the Punjab government can't play with the health of cancer patients and other facilities are available in city for setting up isolation wards.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Source: Xinhua| 2020-04-20 02:37:51|Editor: huaxia

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ISTANBUL, April 19 (Xinhua) -- Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and U.S. President Donald Trump have agreed to protect the economy and public health from the threat of the outbreak of COVID-19 during a phone conversation.

"As a requirement of the spirit of solidarity by the NATO alliance, the two leaders agreed to continue their close cooperation against the threat posed by the coronavirus outbreak to our public health and economies," Turkey's presidential office announced in a written statement on Sunday.

Both leaders also discussed regional developments as well as bilateral issues, according to the statement.

The death toll of the virus in Turkey climbed to 2,017 and the confirmed cases totaled 86,306 on Sunday, according to the latest figures of the Health Ministry. Enditem
Source: Xinhua| 2020-04-19 21:21:21|Editor: huaxia

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BEIJING, April 19 (Xinhua) -- China's privately offered funds scaled up to exceed 14.25 trillion yuan (about 2.01 trillion U.S. dollars) by the end of March, industry association data showed.

The figure rose 359.91 billion yuan, or 2.59 percent from the previous month, according to the Asset Management Association of China (AMAC).

As of the end of March, the number of registered privately offered funds reached 85,071, up 2.03 percent from the end of February, according to the association.

Some 24,584 securities, futures trading and venture capital institutions managed these funds, 57 more than one month earlier, AMAC data showed.

Established in 2012, AMAC is a self-regulatory organization that represents the mutual fund industry of China. Enditem
During an arduous six-hour hike through dense forest, the Uru Eu Wau Wau waded through water and clouds of buzzing insects to reach a large stretch of land that had recently been reduced to ashes.

The Uru Eu Wau Wau could do little more than take photos of the damage and then set fire to the small encampment.

When asked about what the Bolsonaro administrations policies may do to communities like these, Ms. Cardozo, who has supported the tribe for decades, looked dejected.

Their objective is to force them from their lands and turn them into ordinary citizens in the periphery of cities, into beggars, she said. To me that amounts to a policy of genocide and ethnocide.

One of the oldest members of the tribe, Borea Uru Eu Wau Wau, has scars on her back from bullet wounds she suffered during an ambush by rubber trappers in the 1980s. A sister, aunt and grandmother were killed then, she recalled.

Since the new wave of incursions began, Borea has experienced flashbacks, which have left her with a fatalistic view about the future.

It takes too long to wait for justice, for which weve waited and waited, she said, speaking barely above a whisper. Its easier to kill.
ALBANY  In the wake of Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo declaring a state of emergency on March 7, the Department of Heath spent $686 million for medical supplies amid a fierce global competition to obtain them, according to a Times Union review of available state records.

The extraordinary expenditures, which have greatly exceeded the state's needs, were made as Cuomo warned that the state's medical supply could reach a breaking point due to the rapid spread of COVID-19. That prompted public agencies to suspend normal protocols and take understandable if unpleasant risks in an effort to save lives  spending huge sums at a time the state is facing dire fiscal problems.

"We have a terrible economic deficit," Cuomo told reporters in Albany on Friday. "We're spending money every day we never dreamed of spending."

In an extreme sellers market for masks, gowns and ventilators, far-flung companies demanded payment upfront. But with hospitalization figures much lower than Cuomo had first predicted, many of the supplies purchased may never be needed. The Cuomo administration is now considering its options, including seeking to recoup hundreds-of-millions of dollars already paid.

As hospitals, states and other nations simultaneously competed for masks and ventilators, the companies had promised they could deliver quickly, ranging from a handful of Chinese importing and exporting firms, to several New York fashion companies that re-purposed their production lines. Some have delivered, but several of the highest-paid have not.

The Cuomo administration took steps to vet the sellers, including requiring evidence of government certifications for products and detailed delivery information. But competitive bidding was suspended for the emergency contracts, which was not ideal: Most of the $686 million went to a diverse array of little-known companies which had never done business with the state, according to spending records maintained by state Comptroller Thomas DiNapoli's office.

Online records dating to 2012 indicate 22 of the 25 largest payees the past five weeks had not been paid before by New Yorks government.

The crisis also prompted Cuomo to issue an executive order last month suspending the normal independent review of state contracts by DiNapoli's office in order to hasten purchases. Before issuing a payment to a contractor, DiNapoli's office would normally demand at least some information that services were being delivered as promised, according to spokeswoman Jennifer Freeman, but that step has also been suspended.

The shifting situation makes exact state spending totals difficult to pinpoint.

As of last Tuesday, state agencies collectively reported paying companies nearly $800 million for medical supplies, with the vast majority appearing related to the state's coronavirus response. By Friday, the amount was $718 million, largely because two firms originally listed as being paid $88 million had disappeared from state records. The Cuomo administration confirmed the two contracts worth $88 million had been canceled. And $56 million more, which still appeared in the comptroller's records as of Sunday, has also been returned to the state, the administration said.

It's not yet clear how much of the spending will result in equipment and materials in the hands of healthcare workers.

Cuomo senior adviser Richard Azzopardi said states were forced to "fend for themselves" to purchase the life-saving supplies. He also pointed to Centers for Disease Control and White House task force modeling, which predicted a more severe spread of the virus and far more hospitalizations and fatalities than ended up occurring.

"We had no choice but to overturn every rock to find ventilators and other needed equipment," Azzopardi said. "We were able to bend the curve and purchase adequate supplies to meet current needs and amid these extraordinary circumstances, contracts have been continuously re-evaluated. Some shipments we'll be accepting to handle the ongoing public health crisis and prepare for future emergencies and other agreements will be modified or canceled with money refunded to the state."

The top 25 largest payees

Company paid Amount paid DOME INTERNATIONAL INC $115,877,063 YARON OREN PINES $69,102,000 TRINITY PARTNERS LLC $56,148,750 SUNRISE GROUP CANADA INC $40,875,000 DTM HEALTHCARE INC $36,062,500 PREMIER ORTHOPEDIC SOLUTIONS INC $32,304,800 JCD DISTRIBUTION INC $21,600,000 JINAN DONGYUE INTERNATIONAL TRAD CO LTD $20,800,000 ZINNTEX LLC $19,750,000 SUUCHI INC $17,400,000 BESPOKE FASHION LLC $16,718,750 NEW YORK MICROSCOPE COMPANY INC $13,845,000 ETL RESPONSE LLC $13,680,000 SISLOY LLC $13,250,952 PLEASE ME LLC $12,500,000 HANGZHOU SUOYIN IMPORT & EXPORT CO LTD $11,810,000 NEW YORK IMAGING SERVICE INC $9,935,250 ZHEJIANG XINHONGZHOU TRADING CO LTD $9,500,000 MIDWEST BIOMEDICAL RESOURCES INC $9,387,900 STACI SNIDER DESIGNER $9,337,500 DESIGNERKORNER INC $9,000,000 THREAD COUNSEL INC $7,700,000 HILL-ROM COMPANY INC $7,580,904 HIGH HOPE GROUP JIANGSU TONGTAI CO LTD $7,475,000 NEW FORTUNE INC $7,172,000

Source: OpenBookNewYork.com

Some of the largest contracts have run into difficulties.

The biggest beneficiary of the supplies boom was Dome International, a small company based in Brooklyn that sells ventilators and was paid $116 million. The state ordered 5,700 ventilators from the company, but the contract now is being "reevaluated," according to the Cuomo administration. The administration declined to say whether the $116 million would now be returned by the company to the state, since negotiations with the Dome International were ongoing. The company's vice-president, David Chait, declined to comment.

The second-biggest payee is not a business, but a California businessman: "Yaron Oren Pines," who was issued a single payment of $69 million by the Department of Health. The Cuomo administration expects "partial delivery" of 1,450 ventilators next week. Oren-Pines declined to comment.

The third largest payee, Trinity Partners LLC, was paid $56 million for 750 ventilators, but that contract has now been "canceled," according to the Cuomo administration. The $56 million has been returned to the state, the administration said.

The governor's office said there has been a "high level of cooperation with the companies thus far."

"We have legal recourses if it comes to that," Azzopardi said.

The fifth largest payee at $36 million, DTM Healthcare, delivered 5.7 million masks to New York, Azzopardi said.

On April 2, as the crisis neared its apex and Cuomo said help from the federal government was not enough, he encouraged businesses to pitch the state with products.

If you have the capacity to make these products, we will purchase them, and we will pay a premium, and we will pay to convert or transition your manufacturing facility to a facility that can do this, Cuomo said. But, we need it, like, now, you know. We're not talking about two months, three months, four months. We need these materials now.

Please contact us, Cuomo said. We'll work with you, we'll work with you quickly, there'll be no bureaucracy, no red tape.

Cuomo also told reporters that day that the state projected exhausting its supply of ventilators in six days. Cuomo said he did not want to buy more ventilators than necessary, which was a possibility. But he believed he had no choice.

They are very expensive and the state is broke, so I have no desire to buy more ventilators than we need, the governor said. If a person comes in and needs a ventilator, and you don't have a ventilator, the person dies. That's the blunt equation here.

The ventilator purchases were made after President Donald J. Trump's administration declined to provide the tens-of-thousands Cuomo was requesting from a national stockpile, which prompted New York to look to the private marketplace. Trump had said New York would not need as many as Cuomo predicted, and the president has since noted "we were right."

The health department purchases include about $9.4 million paid to a small Illinois ventilator broker, Midwest Biomedical Resources Inc.

When company President Bill Rosas was approached by New Yorks government in mid-March, they quickly struck a deal for his company to supply 200 ventilators via a manufacturing company in Sweden that Rosas brokerage had long used. The price was about $6,900 each, he said.

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More coronavirus coverage in the Times Union

Rosas declined to front the money for buying the 200 medical devices, insisting that New York pay the up-front price tag. It proved a savvy business decision and one Rosas described as a no-brainer in the uncertain fiscal environment.

Indeed, as of mid-April, the Swedish supplier was inundated by requests and still had not delivered the 200 ventilators to the United States. By that time, New York no longer seemed to them.

On the week of April 6, in a phone call with the Midwest Biomedical sales team, Cuomo administration officials floated other options for the $9.4 million purchase, including sending the ventilators to another state in greater need, Rosas said.

Rosas company also has tried to donate 40 of its own ventilators to relief efforts, although those also may be unnecessary in New York.

Ive been in this business 30 years, and this is the craziest thing that Ive ever seen in my life, Rosas said.

In other states that acted similarly in response to the crisis, stories of alleged graft have emerged.

The Los Angeles Times reported that a powerful California union, which claimed to have discovered 39 million masks for healthcare workers, was duped in an elaborate scam uncovered by FBI investigators involving a broker in Australia and a supplier in Kuwait, who are now both targets of an investigation. No money was exchanged before the deal unraveled.

On the federal level, a Georgia man faces wire fraud charges for trying to sell the government 125 million non-existent respirator masks that would have been worth more than $750 million.

For companies using New York's online portal, they were required to provide certifications from entities like the U.S. Food and Drug Administration and the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health. Brokers serving as middlemen were required to provide an official pricing quote and an estimated production schedule.

Manufacturers looking to retool had to be willing to seek required approvals. New York would only provide assistance in retooling facilities with New York-based production, the site noted.

Azzopardi said 25 state officials vetted the contractors and over 60 more worked on vendor outreach, negotiation and management, the emergency team often working 18-hour days, including weekends. The vetting included employees of the state inspector general's office, as well as outside law firms. At least one member of the team worked while recovering from COVID-19.

Most winning contractors went through the state's official portal, Azzorpardi said, and were picked for their ability to deliver needed products in a timely manner and at "best value" amid ever-changing market conditions. The state also got referrals from the federal government, the Chinese ambassador to the United States, and regional Chinese Departments of Commence with which the state had long-term relationships. Only about 10 percent of offers were pursued.

Online information maintained by DiNapoli's office lists vendors' names, payment amounts, and the fact that they are providing medical supplies or medical and dental acquisition. But it's difficult for the general public to identify who is behind many of the companies or the specific work they're doing, as there's nothing online about where they're located, the items they're meant to deliver, or the status of the orders.

The Cuomo administration's retraction of $88 million in state spending originally reported to DiNapoli's office included striking out a $46 million payment to The Blue Marble Group Inc. The Cuomo administration on Saturday said the state and company mutually agreed to cancel the contract after supply chain issues emerged, with the state recouping the $46 million.

Before that occurred, DiNapoli's office had already taken some preliminary steps to pay $46 million to Blue Marble Group, although there was some confusion about the identity of the low-profile firm.

Teddy George, a businessman in Massachusetts, recently got a phone call from an employee of DiNapolis office, who requested Georges employer identification number. But Georges firm, Blue Marble Group, is a real estate company that sells homes and had nothing to do with the relief efforts.

When the DiNapoli official read off part of the correct company's employer ID number, George relayed that his was not the correct firm.

"Wed love to be $46 million richer, George told the Times Union, laughing. But were just your honest, local real estate company.

As part of a routine independent verification process, Freeman said, the comptroller's office conducts Google searches of firms receiving state payments and calls the companies when multiple have similar names. She believed the correct Blue Marble Group is located in California and said there were multiple safeguards to ensure the wrong company isn't paid.

A company based in China, Bleam Group Limited, was also until recently listed as being paid $42 million by the Department of Health, but has also disappeared from state records. The Cuomo administration said the contract was canceled and money returned. The company did not have a comment last week.

A company that did speak to the Times Union, Snider Fashion, was among the manufacturers that heeded Cuomos call to repurpose.

Staci Snider, a native of Saratoga Springs who has a store on Congress St., typically produces high-end fashion products that are sold in stores across the country.

Her company quickly revamped to produce medical gowns, winning the business by applying through the state portal. The process of revamping simply required a different cut but was mostly seamless, Snider said. Her company was paid $9.3 million, which included the cost of materials.

Many items bought by the state, such as masks, infusion pumps, and X-ray machines, cost a premium as states and counties competed for them. Cuomo has said for weeks that the state was paying in certain instances $7.50 for a mask, about 15 times the usual price.

"The biggest challenge is that we are in this position at all," Azzopardi told the Times Union. "Either the federal government needs to reassert itself, or there needs to be a consortium of states to avoid every state government from competing for the same scarce resources and artificially increasing the price."
The Nigerian Army on Sunday said its operatives killed 105 Boko Haram insurgents during its operations in Yobe State.

The acting director of army public relations, Sagir Musa, in a statement circulated to journalists in Damaturu, said the operations took place at the outskirts of Buni Gari village in Yobe. He said the insurgents were planning a heavy onslaught on the village.

Buni Gari is less that 7 km from the 27 Task Force Brigade in Buni Yadi which also accommodates the Nigerian Army Special Forces School.

Mr Musa, a colonel, said the troops of Sector 2 of Operation Lafiya Dole, led by a brigadier general, Lawrence Araba, followed a credible lead that led to the decimation of the Boko Haram/ISWAP Terrorists.

Buratai Elated

The statement said the Chief of Army Staff, Yusuf Buratai, felt happy after he was briefed by the commander during his visit to the Field Abulance Logistic Base 3 and Special Forces School on Sunday.

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The Chief of Army Staff, Lt Gen Tukur Yusufu Buratai, applauded the troops for their gallantry and resilience that led to the killing of the 105 terrorists at Buni Gari in Gujba Local Government Area of Yobe state on Saturday the 18th of April 2020.

Gen Buratai visited two officers that were wounded in action during the Buni Gari encounter and other soldiers already on admission at the medical facility in Damaturu before proceeding to the Special Forces School in Buni Yadi where he and his entourage were briefed on the incident by the Commander, Sector 2 OPLD, Brig Gen Lawrence Araba, the statement explained.

The release said Mr Araba informed Mr Buratai that the recent success was as a result of intelligence report which revealed a plan by Boko Haram/ISWAP terrorists to attack the village.

Based on intelligence received about the plan by the terrorists to attack Buni Gari, our troops swiftly intercepted and engaged the criminals in fierce battle that led to the killing of 105 Boko Haram/ISWAP terrorists as well as the capture of several arms and ammunition from the criminals.

Initial situation reports that 10 terrorists were neutralised. However, following exploitation by our troops, a total of 105 Boko Haram/ISWAP criminals are confirmed to have met their waterloo as a result of the encounter and some of the pictures are here for you to see sir, the official reportedly said.

He explained that his men recovered arms and ammunition from the terrorists including, five (5) AK-47 rifles, three (3) GPMG, one (1) Duska anti aircraft gun, one (1) PKT Gun, two (2) handheld radios, while one (1) gun truck was destroyed.

Ammunition and ammunition links, two hand grenades, two magazines with ammunition and hard drugs were reportedly captured.
If there's an icon for spoiled airheads, Paris Hilton will be on top of many people's lists. Surprisingly, after all these years, she came out and revealed that this was not her, after all! She was just faking for television.

This news bit shared by Paris Hilton is certainly weird for "fans," who had grown to either love or hate her, but still followed the trends she set anyway, especially when "Simple Life" was still being aired.

According to her, her portrayal in "The Simple Life" as a spoiled brat was actually not real. Instead, it was just made or the producers' request. Because she did not think the show would even last five seasons, she agreed.

But since the show lasted for years, she had to stick to the ditzy personality she "created" for the show with her childhood pal, another heiress, Nicole Richie.

The show's premise is on the two girls being removed from their very wealthy world where they go clubbing all the time to live with families and deal with everyday situations. While Nicole was deemed as the comedic one, Paris was known as the dumb and ditzy one, who has one thing going for her - wealth.

The show got so popular there's a clamor for a reboot at this time and age.

Paris Hilton Not a Ditzy Blonde

According to Hilton, when she spoke with supermodel Naomi Campbell on her YouTube show No Filter, the "Paris Hilton" that people knew for years was someone the producers formulated for her to appear as, which she executed perfectly.

The problem is that this persona stuck even outside the show. Her reputation as a total space case followed her even after the show. Not that she did not earn from it, because it can be said that this persona was what made her so successful in the first place even after the show ended. She easily became a successful entrepreneur by capitalizing on how Paris Hilton was on television - a rich girl who knows nothing about life and yet can get everything she wants.

"I think it definitely all came about with The Simple Life. Just creating this character, because it was one of the first reality shows and the producers told me 'we want you play up this character of this kind of spoiled airhead,'" Paris revealed.

Airhead is an understatement when one would remember all the antics that Hilton showed as a rich girl with technically no knowledge of everyday things. She did not even know Wal-Mart and thought it was a place that sold walls. Now it is unclear if that was faked or not.

She said she's not an airhead on real-life though, and is quite the opposite. "It was my first show. I'd never been on TV before. I had no idea what to expect. So I had to continue doing that character for five seasons, because I didn't know the show would go on for so long. So I think that people assume that's who I really am in life when I'm actually quite the opposite," Paris explained.

The show lasted between 2004 and 2007 and was a massive success. Hilton became a household name despite all the ditziness, and for a while, she became an A-list celebrity, treated by fans as some form of a goddess.

Paris Hilton Cashes in on Dumb Blonde Reputation

She capitalized on this by stamping her famous name in different business ventures, which became all successful. As of today, she has a total o 25 fragrances, handbags, two hotels in the Philippines, and a range of other products sold around the world. Her parents may already be wealthy, but she certainly has her own entrepreneurial spirit, aided by a "faked" dumb blonde persona. Not that she did not tell her fans that she's not a dumb blonde. She had, numerous times actually.

If people thought her parents spoiled her so much that she became the Paris Hilton portrayed on television, they are wrong too. Her parents may be wealthy, but she and her siblings were raised to work hard. This is why she's proud of herself because she really did work hard for all that she has now.

READ MORE: Dr. Phil Whines About Covid-19 Lockdown, Twitter Users Want Oprah to 'Straighten' Him Out
Many restaurant industry employees are feeling the financial crunch stemming from cut hours, furloughs and layoffs.

Assisting industry people through their time of need is the purpose of the Serving New Mexico Fund. The fund was created about a year ago as part of the Hospitality Industry Education Foundation, which is a charitable organization.

Restaurant and other hospitality workers who are facing unanticipated hardship can apply for a grant through the fund to cover expenses such as rent, mortgage, utilities, day care, auto repairs, unforeseen injury, funeral expenses for immediate family and more. Grants may not exceed $250.

Its not a lot of money, said Tom Schuch, director of education, New Mexico Restaurant Association. Its a minimal amount of money but it will pay a few bills. So were doing our best to get checks into the hands of people that have lost work.

Schuch said not many people understand the type of plight restaurant industry workers are facing unless they have worked in the industry.

Someone was saying restaurant business workers work paycheck to paycheck, and I disagree with that, he explained. They work day to day, especially if theyre a tipped employee. You lose a couple days of work a week, and that is a huge hit. If you lose every day of the week, wheres the money coming from?

Applications have tripled each week, and about 90% who have applied have received grants. Applications can be made by visiting the funds website at nmrestaurants.org/serving-nm-fund. The turnaround time in receiving a grant is about two weeks once an applicant has been approved.

Weve heard some heartbreaking stories, Schuch said. There was the woman who was working at two restaurants in Taos and that added up to 30-35 hours a week, and then they both closed all of a sudden, so she has no income and her husband is in school, and so thats really hard. She was our first donee. I talked to a guy last week and of all things he was in the gas and oil business down in Carlsbad and that has gone down the drain. He got laid off from that in January, got a restaurant job, and now he is laid off from that. So yeah, theres hundreds of stories like that, maybe thousands of stories like that.

The fund is reliant on donations. It recently received $10,000 donations from the Greater Santa Fe Restaurant Association, as well as Premier Distributing Coy. Other contributors include New Mexico United, ABQ-Live Magazine, Satellite Coffee and Flying Star. Budweiser and Michelob Ultra also are helping raise money for the fund. Donations can be made through the funds website.

We want to be able to keep up with the applications but we need donations, Schuch said. And weve had some great support from a number of companies. We need a lot more of that to be able to help our (restaurant and hospitality industry) employees. And so we want to help the employees, because that will help the restaurants.
As I watched the global spread of COVID-19, it became clear that Africa would not be an exception. Days after the first cases were reported in Ghana, the discussion among friends and family inevitably centred around the need to stock up on supplies.

When it came to food items, our shopping lists looked similar and all too familiar: tinned sardines, canned corned beef, gari (grated, fermented and dried cassava), shito (a preserved chilli sauce)  ingredients that formed the core of any self-respecting chop box  the trunk filled with long-life food that many Ghanaian pre-teens and teenagers took with them to boarding schools around the world to supplement the schools meals.

Childhood stories were shared along with the shopping lists. To be part of an inner circle of popular pupils, the sardines had to be Titus, the corned beef, Exeter, my friends and family recalled.

Although I was born in Ghana, I never attended boarding school as my family moved to the United States while I was still in primary school. But these ingredients have always found a place in my pantry from childhood to the present day.

During my familys lean years as new immigrants in New York in the early 1980s, some of my food memories were of us eating dinners of eba (a dough of gari and hot water) with canned sardines or corned beef and meko (a fresh pepper sauce made with tomatoes, onion and chilli pepper).

Years later, we ate more fresh and less canned foods. But gari remained in our kitchen.

I have memories of us coming back from church on Sundays and my mum throwing together a quick meal. She would make a tomato sauce, scramble some eggs into it and then mix it with gari. Garifoto became her Sunday brunch special.

Nearly 40 years later, when I go visit my parents in New York, they still have a stash of canned sardines, corned beef and gari. I would like to believe they are ingredients for nostalgic meals rather than emergency supplies.

After I left home, gari, shito, canned sardines and corned beef became part of my homesick essentials and have been handy over the years.

Prior to becoming a chef, I worked with the United Nations on humanitarian issues and, from time to time, we would not have access to markets and fresh food for myriad reasons. I travelled from Kosovo to Liberia, South Sudan, Kenya, Senegal and now back to Ghana with my gari and shito.

Now in Ghana, after starting my food enterprise, Midunu, I have made sure to keep these ingredients on my menu. So, of course, we have a dish which utilises gari, a house-made shito and fresh, locally caught sardines, served in a sardine tin.

I love finding ways to honour ingredients and dishes from my childhood which resonate with my guests. Despite the difference in our upbringing, the ingredients and food of Ghana unites us.

Now, in the days of social distancing and quarantine, with my kitchen closed and being in lockdown at home, I find myself with these same ingredients in my pantry. In these times of uncertainty and in hopes of finding comfort, I find myself turning to mums go-to garifoto.

I share this recipe with you in the hopes that it brings you a similar comfort. Feel free to replace the vegetables with any others you have in your fridge or freezer. If you do not have fresh tomatoes, you can use canned ones.

Selassies version of Garifoto [Photo courtesy of Selassie Atadika/Midunu]

Garifoto

Ingredients

1 cups gari (dried grated cassava)  can be substituted with cooked couscous or fonio

 tsp salt, plus more for blanching

60g carrots, medium dice

60g green beans, medium dice

60g green pepper, medium dice

6 Tbsp vegetable oil

4 Tbsp, Palm oil (or substitute with olive oil)

125g onion, medium dice

1tsp garlic, minced

2tsp fresh ginger, grated

340g tomatoes, seeded and diced

1tsp dried mushroom, fish or shrimp powder (optional)

tsp prekese (Tetrapleura tetraptera, allspice, or your favourite spice blend)

2tsp (or to taste) minced chilli

8 basil leaves, cut into ribbons

4 eggs, cooked as desired.

Directions

1. Add 1/2 cup water to the 1/4tsp salt and let dissolve. Place the gari in a mixing bowl and slowly add the salted water to the gari until it is damp but not soaking wet. Add more water if necessary.

Note: If you do not have access to gari, you can substitute it with cooked couscous or fonio. In this case, there is no need to moisten it with water, you can skip step 1.

2. Blanch the carrots, green peppers and green beans in salted water, then drain and set aside.

3. In a large skillet on medium heat, add the palm oil and vegetable oil and wait until hot, saute the onions for a few minutes until softened, then add the garlic, ginger, tomatoes, mushroom/fish/shrimp powder (if using), chilli, salt and prekese and cook until the stew is developed and the flavours have melded together. Taste and adjust seasoning as desired.

4. Add in blanched vegetables and allow to cook for about five minutes. Turn heat to low and mix in the moistened gari until the gari is damp but not soaked. The gari will continue to absorb the sauce after mixing so be cautious not to make it too dry. Turn off the heat. Adjust the salt if needed.

5. Place one cup of garifoto in a serving dish garnish with fresh basil, top with eggs.

Recipe courtesy of Selassie Atadika
Maharashtra Chief Minister Uddhav



Thackeray on Sunday night said that culprits involved in lynching of three men in Palghar district will be brought to justice.

"The Palghar incident has been acted upon. The police has arrested all those accused who attacked the 2 sadhus, 1 driver and the police personnel, on the day of the crime itself.

"Nobody guilty in this heinous crime and shameful act will be spared and they will be brought to justice in the strongest way possible," the CM said in late night tweets posted from Twitter handle @CMOMaharashtra.

State Home Minister Anil Deshmukh has already announced a high-level inquiry into the incident.

The incident occurred on April 16 night when three men from Kandivali in Mumbai were headed towards Surat in a car to attend a funeral.

Their vehicle was stopped near a village in Palghar district. The trio were dragged out of their car and beaten to death with sticks by a mob on suspicion that they were thieves.

The deceased were identified as Chikne Maharaj Kalpavrukshagiri (70), Sushilgiri Maharaj (35), and their car driver Nilesh Telgade (30).

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
A major Nigerian oil union has suspended planned industrial action after 21 Exxon Mobil Corp. employees quarantined last week after their arrest for violating coronavirus-related movement restrictions were freed, it said on Sunday.

The governor of southern oil hub Rivers State, Nyesom Wike, on Friday said Exxon Mobil workers were arrested after entering the state from neighbouring Akwa Ibom State in violation of an executive order restricting movement into the state as part of measures imposed last month.

He said 22 workers, whose coronavirus status was unknown, were quarantined in line with relevant health protocols and would be charged in court.

But Wike's spokesman, Simeon Nwakaudu, on Sunday issued a statement that said the workers were all released without charge "following interventions by well-meaning Nigerians".

The union said its statement referred to 21 Exxon Mobil workers who were union members, whereas Rivers State included the driver in its tally to total 22 people.

Exxon Mobil declined to comment on the situation.

The Petroleum and Natural Gas Senior Staff Association of Nigeria (PENGASSAN) said it had instructed its members to withdraw all forms of services relating to crude oil production, refining, distribution and supplies from Monday unless the Exxon Mobil workers were freed.

"Having achieved the primary demand in our ultimatum, we hereby suspend the planned industrial action," PENGASSAN said in a statement on Sunday.

Port Harcourt, capital of Rivers State, is the hub of the oil industry in Africa's biggest producer of crude. Sales of crude oil make up about 90% of Nigeria's foreign exchange earnings.

Rivers State has recorded two cases of coronavirus so far. Nigeria has 541 confirmed cases nationwide and 19 deaths. The most high profile victim was the president's chief of staff, Abba Kyari, who died on Friday.

Nigeria's petroleum regulator has ordered oil and gas companies to reduce their offshore workforce and move to 28-day staff rotations, instead of the usual 14 days, to help to curb the spread of the new coronavirus.

PENGASSAN, in its statement, called on the government to "guarantee unfettered movement of oil and gas workers on essential services in all territories of the federation" so they could continue to provide services.

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Haiti is the most vulnerable country in the Americas with just 60 ventilators available for nearly 11 million people. According to reports, Haiti's already collapsing healthcare system is not prepared to tackle the deadly coronavirus outbreak as experts from the country believe that more ventilators and PPE kits would be required in order to do so. The government of Haiti recently attempted to buy medical equipment from Cuba, but experts fear that it is not enough.

Read: Ireland To Quadruple Its Contributions To WHO After Trump Halts US Funding

As per reports, around 60 per cent of Haiti's population lives below the poverty line making it one of the most vulnerable countries not just in the Americas but in the entire world. Haiti has been placed under a national emergency since March after two confirmed cases of coronavirus came into light. Media reports suggest that the lockdown has not been fully successful as people were seen roaming out on the streets. But given that the large population lives below the poverty line, closing down the entire economy would have made things even worst as it would have become impossible for Haitians to put food on the table.

Read: Australia Calls For Review Of Circumstances That Led To Start Of COVID-19 Pandemic

According to data by worldometer, Haiti has so far recorded 44 confirmed coronavirus cases, of which three people have lost their lives. There are currently 41 active infections in the country with no recovered patients. Haitians are also at high risk because a large population suffers from diabetes and other health complications which makes them even more prone to virus contraction.

Read: Saudi-led Coalition Continue To Bomb Yemen Despite Declaring Ceasefire A Week Ago

Coronavirus outbreak

The coronavirus outbreak has infected over 2.34 million people globally and has killed nearly 1,60,000 patients since it first broke out in December 2019. The virus is believed to have originated from a seafood market in the Chinese city of Wuhan, the initial epicentre of the disease, where animals were reportedly being traded illegally. Currently, the United States, Italy, Spain, France and the United Kingdom are the most affected countries in the world with a recorded death toll of 14,000 and above.

Read: Venezuela's Maduro Urges Top Court To Postpone Elections Due To Coronavirus Outbreak

(Image Credit: AP)


As millions of Americans begin their second month under lockdown, President Donald Trump is rewriting the history of his coronavirus response. In doing so, he is giving the public an inaccurate and cherry-picked retelling of what he did in the pivotal early months.

As part of this effort, during Mondays daily coronavirus briefing, the White House played a propaganda video describing Trumps decisive actions to deal with the pandemic. After facing questions about why the video omitted nearly the entire month of February, the White House followed up on Tuesday with a series of talking points about his strong action during that month.

February was a crucial time. The focus was on China, but public health authorities were warning the pandemic would reach the US with vigor. The US government started taking action, but Trump was out of step with the science and downplayed the threat. Had he acknowledged the severity earlier and acted accordingly, experts say, some of the worst could have been avoided.

Ignoring Trumps denialism, the White House tries to portray him as a strong leader who saved lives. But its timeline is mostly full of press releases about plans and a list of conversations among politicians  heavy on talk, with little immediate action. This narrative excludes critical context and glosses over some key failures from the administrations fumbling response.

CNNs fact-check team examined the full context of what happened in February to fill in many of the missing details. Heres the bigger picture.

February 2: CDC expanded enhanced entry screening to eight major airports across the nation.

The White House said the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention expanded airport screenings, but the hyperlink says it was rolled out by the Department of Homeland Security.

Thats a minor error. The bigger issue is that these screenings, of travelers arriving from China, didnt immediately lead to large quarantines. Reuters reported that five days after this announcement, only a handful of commercial airline passengers had been quarantined.

In announcing the change, acting DHS Secretary Chad Wolf said, The overall risk to the American public remains low. (When he said that, there were only about 11 confirmed cases in the US. Within six weeks, there were nearly 3,500 nationwide.)

As these changes were made, Trump spent the weekend at his Mar-a-Lago resort in Florida.

February 4: FDA issued an emergency use authorization for the CDC diagnostic to test for coronavirus.

The Food and Drug Administration relaxed the limits on who could conduct tests for Covid-19, permitting tests not only at official CDC labs but also at public health labs that are CDC-qualified. This paved the way for more testing, but testing shortfalls remained, so the rules were further relaxed as things got worse later in the month, to allow private labs to do their own testing.

Additionally, there were problems with some of the test kits that the CDC gave to labs across the country, which led to even longer delays. States complained about inconclusive results from the faulty tests, which meant local officials were in the dark about the size of their outbreaks.

February 4: During the State of the Union, President Trump stated that his [a]dministration will take all necessary steps to safeguard our citizens from the coronavirus.

Its true that Trump mentioned the coronavirus during his State of the Union address, but only in passing, taking 20 seconds out of his 78-minute speech. By contrast, he spent more than three minutes praising right-wing radio host Rush Limbaugh and presenting him with the Presidential Medal of Freedom.

In the speech, Trump said he was working with Beijing on the coronavirus outbreak in China. Trump did not mention that US intelligence agencies had already sent a flurry of warnings to the White House about the growing dangers of a pandemic, including at least one warning that was included in his daily intelligence briefing, according to The Washington Post and ABC News.

February 5: Trump Administration and health officials briefed lawmakers on the Federal Governments coronavirus response efforts.

Health and Human Services Secretary Alex Azar and then-acting White House chief of staff Mick Mulvaney briefed lawmakers on Capitol Hill. Mulvaney later said only five senators and about a dozen House members showed up, and he blamed impeachment for the low attendance.

Some Democrats walked away from the briefing underwhelmed. Connecticut Sen. Chris Murphy tweeted at the time, they arent taking this seriously enough, and pointed out that the Trump administration didnt ask for emergency funding or address supply-chain issues for hospitals.

February 6: President Trump and President Xi discussed coronavirus response efforts over the phone.

Yes, Trump and Xi spoke that day, but Trump followed up his conversation by heaping praise on the authoritarian leader and his Communist government. Trump said Xi was strong, sharp and powerfully focused, and echoed unproven theories that the virus would die off in the spring.

He also said China was professionally run and they have everything under control, consistent with his past comments that Beijing was being cooperative and transparent with the world.

But as the pandemic worsened in the spring, and after the US overtook China as the country with the most reported cases, Trump changed his tune and started attacking Beijing. He accused China of fabricating its statistics and suppressing lifesaving medical information.

February 9: The Coronavirus Task Force briefed governors from across the country at the National Governors Association Meeting.

This briefing created some confusion for the two dozen governors who attended.

The Washington Post reported that many of the governors were rattled afterward, because the information they received didnt resemble Trumps public comments about the virus, which were rosy and optimistic. One day later, at a political rally in New Hampshire, Trump said, By April, you know, in theory, when it gets a little warmer, (the coronavirus) miraculously goes away.

February 11: HHS expanded coordination with Janssen Research & Development on the creation of coronavirus vaccine.

This announcement was an early step in a long process. Trump has inaccurately said that a vaccine could be available by the summer. Dr. Anthony Fauci, the nations top infectious disease expert, has said it will likely be more than a year until its ready for the public. Some experts say even that pace is optimistic, because vaccine studies typically take much longer.

February 14: CDC announced their ongoing work with five laboratories to perform community-based influenza surveillance and study the spread of coronavirus.

Trump was at Mar-a-Lago when the CDC made this announcement about expanded testing.

That same day, HHS and the White House National Security Council produced a memo warning that stay-at-home orders and widespread closures could become part of the nationwide effort to stop Covid-19 from spreading, according to The New York Times.

These warnings turned into a reality just weeks later, when much of the country was shut down to enforce social distancing. Undercutting that effort, Trump has repeatedly pined about reopening the country, ignoring data from the CDC and states that suggest the virus is continuing to spread.

February 18: HHS announced it has engaged Sanofi Pasteur in order to develop a coronavirus vaccine and treatments for coronavirus infections.

This was another initial step toward a Covid-19 vaccine. Public health officials have said this process will take at least a year, though Fauci has also said, This is the fastest we have ever gone from a sequence of a virus to a trial. The White House talking points never mentioned this year-plus timeline for a potential vaccine.

Meanwhile, the President was still traveling and campaigning as planned, with three rallies in the three days following the HHS announcement. Its also interesting that the White House chose to highlight this arrangement with Sanofi Pasteur, because multiple news outlets have reported that Trump has a small financial interest in the French pharmaceutical giant Sanofi.

February 24: The Administration requested at least $2.5 billion from Congress to help combat the spread of the coronavirus.

Lawmakers from both parties expressed concerns that the Trump administrations request was too low. Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, a New York Democrat, proposed $8.5 billion in emergency funding to fight the coronavirus. After 10 days of heated negotiations, the White House agreed to $8.3 billion, in a deal brokered with congressional leaders from both parties.

This funding was microscopic compared with the $2 trillion stimulus package passed by Congress a few weeks later.

February 25: HHS Secretary Azar testified before the Senate HELP committee on the Administrations coronavirus response efforts.

Although the Trump administration has consistently tried to cut funding for agencies now integral to responding to the coronavirus, Azar attempted to defend next years budget as having adequate funds for these response efforts.

According to the link provided by the White House, Azars testimony that day was before the Senate Appropriations Committee, not the Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee. Azars testimony was focused on Trumps budget request for the next fiscal year, not the coronavirus, though he briefly mentioned the outbreak in his opening statement.

Azar told the committee that the 2021 budget proposal reflects how seriously we take the threat of other infectious diseases, such as the China coronavirus, because it prioritized funding for infectious disease programs and hospital preparedness  funds that had been slashed in past Trump budgets.

February 26: President Trump announced Vice President Pence would lead the White House coronavirus response.

This announcement, while initially praised as evidence the President was prioritizing the US coronavirus response after an official visit to India, created more confusion at first. In particular, it raised questions about who was actually in charge, Pence or Azar, whose standing with Trump was already in question at the time. However, Pence was also criticized for not giving the crisis his full attention after he attended a fundraiser only two days into his new role.

Right before putting Pence in charge, Trump had downplayed the severity of the situation, claiming the number of US coronavirus cases within a couple of days is going to be down to close to zero, from 15. One week later, the US had 158 confirmed cases of the virus. The number has steadily increased, soaring past 1,000 within two weeks, and is now more than 700,000.

February 29: FDA began to allow laboratories to develop and utilize coronavirus testing kits during the application and review process.

This was a helpful move, but possibly too little too late. The announcement came after states had struggled with the CDC tests for weeks, prompting more than 100 virologists and other specialists to write a letter to Congress protesting the FDAs regulatory process. The letter said the existing guidelines were preventing labs from running validated coronavirus tests and putting undue pressure on the CDC, which was scrambling to remanufacture its tests after the initial ones distributed in early February were found to be faulty.

Jeremy Konyndyk, an expert on global pandemic preparedness now with the Center for Global Development, told CNN the Trump administrations initial reliance on the CDCs test caused a delay in the countrys ability to test for the virus and allowed it to spread relatively unchecked.

February 29: The Administration issued travel warnings for parts of South Korea and Italy.

Pence announced the US was raising the travel warning to level 4, its highest, and cautioning Americans against traveling to South Korea and Italy. But the policy has not stopped travelers from entering the US from either country. That day, South Korea had exceeded 3,000 coronavirus cases and Italy surpassed 1,000 cases. The new travel warning came as public health officials in Washington state announced the first coronavirus death inside the United States.

February 29: President Trump issued a proclamation expanding entry restrictions on individuals who had visited Iran in the last 14 days.

Coming almost a month after Trump blocked foreigners who visited China from entering the US, this proclamation was the second travel restriction the President issued as part of his efforts to stop the spread of coronavirus. The day these restrictions were announced, Iran confirmed its 593rd case of coronavirus, putting it fourth globally in terms of cases, behind China, South Korea and Italy. However, even though South Korea and Italy had more coronavirus cases than Iran, they remained exempt from similar travel restrictions until later.
Herd immunity a dead end? The World Health Organisation has said that said antibody test strips can not be relied upon. Photo: AP Photo/Jens Meyer

The prospect of "immunity passports" being issued to get people back to work has been dealt a blow after experts warned that antibody tests cannot guarantee someone is resistant to coronavirus infection.

Many governments and health bodies all around the world had said they hoped such testing kits  which show if someone has had Covid-19 and hopefully some form of antibody immunity  would play a vital role in helping to restore normal life.

But an increasing number of scientists are warning that such tests do not prove someone is protected from infection, and there remains no way of establishing whether those with antibodies can still harbour coronavirus in their system or are capable of passing it on.

The World Health Organisation (WHO) has indicated there may be reason to doubt the theory people who have recovered from coronavirus automatically have immunity.

The warnings from senior WHO epidemiologists that those who have been infected can be infected again has come as a setback to the many governments around the world who have factored antibody tests into their plans to ease lockdown.

Serology tests measure levels of antibodies in blood plasma. However, WHO epidemiologists have admitted they has not yet found one reliable enough to approve for use.

Dr Maria van Kerkhove, of the WHOs emerging diseases and zoonosis unit, said: There are a lot of countries that are suggesting using rapid diagnostic serological tests to 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 has immunity or is protected from reinfection.

Speaking from Geneva, she told a press conference: These antibody tests will be able to measure that level of seroprevalence  that level of antibodies  but that does not mean that somebody with antibodies [is automatically] immune.

However, she was at pains to point out that it was a good thing so many tests are being developed, in part because they will help establish how many people have been infected.

But Dr van Kerkhove cautioned: We need to ensure that they are validated so that we know what they say they attempt to measure, they are actually measuring.

Her colleague, Dr Michael Ryan, who leads the WHOs Covid-19 team, said there was little evidence so far of herd immunity in populations exposed to the disease.

A lot of preliminary information coming to us right now would suggest quite a low percentage of population have actually seroconverted to produce antibodies, he said.

Thered been an expectation that herd immunity may have been achieved, that the majority in society may already have developed antibodies.

I think the general evidence is pointing against that, so it may not solve the problem governments are trying to solve.

Dr Ryan said the tests also raised the prospect that those who felt they were seropositive  who had been infected and so were protected  may in fact be susceptible to the disease.

There are serious ethical issues around the use of such an approach and we need to address it very carefully. We also need to look at the length of protection that antibodies might give, he said.

The WHO is expected to issue updated guidance on the issue tomorrow.

Repeating the point, Prof Karol Sikora, chief medical officer at Rutherford Health, a private firm which runs private cancer centres, said yesterday he was convinced immunity passports would never be used because people can combat the virus with other immunological responses, not just antibodies. He said he obtained South Korean antibody test kits that were used on 94 staff at his oncology centres which found 7.4pc had had coronavirus.

Immune passports almost certainly wont ever be used because there are other perfectly good immune system responses that can come into play, Prof Sikora said. Developing a system where you have the antibody so you can travel freely around the world isnt going to work.
It's not as if she isnt super-slender already, but Lady Mary Charteris has found a new way of losing weight  starving herself for 24 hours.

And the 32-year-old aristo, wants her 60,000 Instagram followers to follow suit. Theres loads of health benefits to the occasional 24-hour fast  just what I need after a greedy Easter weekend, the model and DJ writes.

As long as you keep yourself busy, its not too hard.

It makes lockdown shopping a lot easier, I suppose.

Lady Mary Charteris, pictured, urges her followers to take a 24-hour fast after Easter

The aristocratic DJ, pictured, claims as long as you keep yourself busy, the fast isn't 'too hard'

As former Bank of England Governor Mark Carney left London for his native Canada, he was given a final lesson about Britains wealthy: theyll take anything if its free!

When the removal men were emptying his house in posh West Hampstead just before the lockdown, Mark, 55, left a few unwanted items on the pavement, including a rug, a small bookcase, a kettle and assorted crockery. They all disappeared within minutes.

So if you ever wondered how people save up enough to live in an area where the average cost of a house is 1.5 million, now you know...

Jason's next role? Making Rosie a star

He has amassed an estimated 56 million fortune during his Hollywood career, but action man Jason Statham is being urged by wife Rosie Huntington -Whiteley to give it all up to concentrate on becoming a full-time Instagram husband.

Model Rosie, reveals: Jasons been shooting a lot of content for me  hes my Instagram husband. When his movie career is over, he can just become my personal photographer.

Be careful what you wish for, Rosie  that lavish Hollywood lifestyle wont pay for itself!
No new coronavirus case surfaced in Himachal Pradesh on Sunday, keeping the state tally at 40, even as 355 samples were sent for testing , a senior health official said.

Of the samples sent for testing, 178 were declared negative while reports of the rest were awaited, Additional Chief Secretary (Health) R D Dhiman said.

The highest 97 samples were taken from Hamirpur, followed by Una (65), Solan (52), Bilaspur (32), Mandi (31), Shimla (20), Chamba (16), Kullu (15), Sirmaur (14) and Kangra (13), he added.

These tests are being conducted at Tanda's Dr Rajendra Prasad Government Medical College (RPGMC); Indira Gandhi Medical College (IGMC), Shimla; and Central Research Institute (CRI) in Solan.

So far 40 coronavirus cases have been reported in the state.

The number of active cases being treated in various hospitals of the state has risen from 22 to 23 as a cured patient retested positive for coronavirus on Saturday.

While 11 of 40 confirmed cases have recovered, two died.

The two deaths include that of a 70-year-old Delhi resident who had stayed at a factory's guest house in Solan's Baddi and died at the Chandigarh's PGIMER on April 2.

Four patients were shifted to a private hospital outside Himachal Pradesh on their request.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Whenever I walked into a store in the 1990s, my name over the shopfront and on the labels of the clothes that hung from the rails, I always experienced a mixture of excitement and pride.

Id become a part, quite literally, of the fabric of the High Street  the place Id fallen in love with as a shopper in my late teens and early twenties. I can still recall the thrill of trying on endless outfits in front of the changing room mirrors, and the sheer delight when you found something that looked and fitted just right.

The High Street of the early 1980s was a place of quiet revolution, with multiple stores offering exciting and affordable ranges to the consumer. Many will remember the excitement of walking into a Next store for the first time, with its co-ordinated outfits on display and staff who made you feel special as you parted with your cash.

Karen Millen believes there is hope for the British High Street, if stores can use this time to reset. Pictured: Dress, 39, Topshop

Back then, we cherished our purchases, with no shame in being seen in the same thing twice.

Sadly, though, revolution slowly gave way to competition and profit margins as the High Street began offering ever cheaper and faster fashion, gradually losing its way. Shopping, which once felt like a special treat, became a chore.

Over-filled racks crammed with poor-fitting and low-quality products made finding what you were looking for depressingly difficult. Id despair at seeing the same products in several stores  the only differences being the colour or a small design detail.

By the time I sold my own stores in 2004, Id fallen out of love both with shopping and the High Street.

And I wasnt the only one to walk away: consumers did so in their droves, swept along by another revolution that meant they could buy their clothes and accessories even cheaper online.

Today, here we are, with retail outlets forced to close due to the coronavirus and many people asking if the High Street may now disappear altogether.

Karen Millen suspects that many people will crave human experiences, after the global crisis is over. Pictured: Bag, 26, Warehouse

Yes, things are looking grim, but maybe, just maybe, what were living through now  deprived of touch on so many levels  will conspire to provide a shot in the arm for the struggling British High Street.

I suspect, when this crisis is over, what many of us will crave is more tactile, human experiences  and that might just include going shopping again, instead of being stuck at home waiting for parcels to be delivered to our doors.

If stores can use this time to reset, tap into that growing feeling and find a way to make clothes shopping a pleasurable, more personal experience again  as it was for me in the Eighties  then perhaps there is hope for the High Street after all.

Since lockdown started, Britains High Streets have become ghost towns. And while supermarkets continue to do a roaring trade, fashion retailers have seen their sales slump.

An estimated 10 billion worth of stock is piling up in warehouses as spending plummets by 25 per cent.

Even those who are still operating online are seeing sales dive, with High Street favourites Oasis and Warehouse the latest to collapse.

Of all the sectors, fashion is the hardest hit, says retail analyst Richard Hyman. Its the most discretionary. People dont buy new outfits to stay at home.

So who is struggling and who is surviving? Heres how the High Street stores are faring so far . . .

OASIS

Sarah Rainey examined how a selection of High Street shops are adapting amid lockdown. Pictured: Jumpsuit, 48, Oasis

Its a favourite of the television presenter Holly Willoughby, with its floral dresses and brightly-coloured separates, but Oasis called in administrators within days of the lockdown being announced.

Two hundred jobs have been lost, with another 1,801 furloughed under the Governments job retention scheme. Just 41 head office staff have been kept on in a bid to save the business.

SHOPABILITY: Its website appears to be operating normally still, with a new range of summery dresses and plenty of delivery slots available.

There are wardrobe edits  The Great Indoors and Video-Call Ready  designed to appeal to fashionistas stuck at home. A Clearance tab dominates the homepage, with thousands of outfits at half price.

NEXT

Next was one of the first retailers to suspend online operations, as well as shutting its 500 stores, citing the safety of employees. It reopened its website in a limited capacity last week after adopting stringent safety measures for staff. Meanwhile, executives announced they will waive 20 per cent of their salaries. The chain has also put its HQ and several warehouses up for sale to raise funds.

Next is a very strong business, says Hyman. It had plenty to build on before this crisis. It took decisive action and the popularity of its website is testament to how much its absence was felt while offline.

SHOPABILITY: You need to be online before 9am each day, when it usually reaches capacity for orders that will end up at your door via contact-free delivery.

Shoppers can then browse but not buy until the following day. Fashion, childrenswear and homeware (except large furniture) are technically all available.

Sarah revealed Marks & Spencer are operating as normal, with the option to have items delivered. Pictured: Top, 19.30, M&S

MARKS & SPENCER

With a new high-profile fan in Meghan, Duchess of Sussex, M&S has cemented itself as a High Street fashion favourite. Stores selling only clothing and homewares have been closed, while larger stores allow only foodhall customers.

SHOPABILITY: The website is operating as normal, with options to have items delivered or to collect them from your nearest M&S foodhall. A loungewear section takes pride of place on its website, offering outfits for women on camera for meetings or chasing after the kids.

NEW LOOK

Despite revamping shops and restructuring its business in 2019, New Look reported a 7.4 per cent slump in sales last September and the closure of 98 stores. Earlier this month, it suspended payments to suppliers for existing stock indefinitely, enraging small businesses who were asked to come and collect their products. The retailer also cancelled items for spring and summer ranges, telling suppliers: This is a matter of survival.

SHOPABILITY: Online sales continue, albeit with smaller teams and enforced social distancing at distribution centres. Theres a 25 per cent sale on summer dresses (with the tagline Heres to Sunny Days Ahead), with plenty of loungewear for your new normal working-from-home wardrobe.

Sarah said it's business as usual on the Warehouse website, with a push for their latest collection. Pictured: Dress, 49, Warehouse

PRIMARK

The budget clothing giant was on track for a 1 billion profit before coronavirus hit. Boosted by new store openings, sales rose 3 per cent at the start of this year. But because it is one of the few staple High Street brands to have no online shop, Primark now has no direct income stream.

While some old stock is available on other UK websites, insiders say it has had to halt deliveries to its warehouses. Across Europe it has been donating clothes, towels and toiletries to frontline NHS workers. Senior executives have taken a 20 per cent pay cut; others have seen a 10 per cent cut.

SHOPABILITY: The website now provides a selection of reading and film suggestions.

Shoppers can browse the latest ranges but there is nowhere to buy them.

It may not be earning anything right now, says Hyman, but its a part of a very strong retail group, Associated British Foods and they wont let this signal the end.

WAREHOUSE

Like sister company Oasis, Warehouse is in dire straits, with job losses and huge restructuring announced last week. As well as shutting up shops, it suffered from the closure of 437 concessions in department stores.

SHOPABILITY: It is business as usual on the brands website, with a push for its latest collection using TV presenter Angela Scanlon. Our website and app are fully operational, and we are dispatching orders as normal, the retailer says.

Sarah revealed that Zara has closed 3,785 stores globally and have allowed models to photograph their new collection at home (pictured)

ZARA

This Spanish brand was hit early as coronavirus moved across Europe, with sales in its shops and online down 24 per cent for the first two weeks of March  though things have now picked up. Despite shutting 3,785 stores globally, its allowed 10 per cent of its workforce in three Spanish factories to return to make scrubs for healthcare workers, as well as clothing. The chairman has ruled out furloughing staff.

SHOPABILITY: Its new collection has been photographed on models, by the models, at home , proving popular with shoppers.

LAURA ASHLEY

One of the first to fall, Laura Ashley went into administration in mid-March, with 70 of 150-plus stores permanently closed, 1,669 staff furloughed and 268 made redundant. The sudden drop in footfall was just too much to contend with. Another 677 employees are still working as the company winds up operations.

SHOPABILITY: Clearance lines are everywhere, with a half-price sale on all lines until the end of the weekend. Visitors to the website (theres no mention its in administration) are thanked for their patience on delivery delays.

Sarah said there are clearance lines throughout Laura Ashley, who went into administration in mid-March. Pictured: Dress, 70, Laura Ashley

JIGSAW

A downward spiral saw workwear retailer Jigsaw demand 30 per cent rent cuts from its landlords in January. Now its 80 stores are closed, as well as its head office, with some staff working remotely from home.

Website orders continue to stream in, with employees who want to work staffing its warehouses. As well as ensuring social distancing there and in the communal areas, we are staggering breaks and shift times and have increased our already high cleaning standards, the retailer says. New collections are being shot by photographers working remotely.

SHOPABILITY: Theres currently 25 per cent off everything, with free contactless delivery on all orders as a gesture of goodwill.

JOULES

The royals go-to outdoors brand was struggling before the virus hit, with an 82 per cent drop in pre-tax profits (down from 9.3 million to 1.7 million) for the half-year ending November 24.

As a result, Joules scrapped a dividend for shareholders in mid-March and announced it would take prudent action to avoid collapse, after closing 123 stores.

We currently have 16 million cash . . . a strong relationship with the bank and a supportive founder and major shareholder, Tom Joule, the retailer said last month. More recently, it has managed to raise 15 million from investors to bankroll its survival.

SHOPABILITY: Theres a 50 per cent Spring Sale on its website, along with a 365-day returns policy on all online orders made during lockdown. Standard delivery is ten days, to account for reduced staffing and safety measures.

Sarah revealed that there are sales on spring and summer outfits, across the Monsoon website. Pictured: Dress, 49, Monsoon

MONSOON

Monsoons future has been hanging in the balance for over a year, with multi-millionaire founder Peter Simon funnelling 30 million in loans to support the retailer last year.

Sales have been badly affected by coronavirus, with the retailer, which employs 3,500 people, reportedly considering selling the business. It has called in restructuring experts to look at potential options.

Enhanced measures are in place at its warehouses, including two-metre distancing, providing extra soap and hand sanitiser, and deep cleans between shifts.

SHOPABILITY: Online, there are sales on spring and summer outfits, a hefty clearance section, and contactless delivery for all customers.

TOPSHOP

Profits at Philip Greens Arcadia Group  which includes Topshop, Dorothy Perkins and Miss Selfridge  were already tumbling, with a 93.4 million pre-tax loss reported last September (compared to a profit of 164.5 million the previous year).

As demand dropped, Arcadia cancelled 100 million of existing clothing orders from suppliers worldwide, putting thousands of small businesses at risk of collapse. All 300 stores have been closed and staff temporarily laid off as operations shift to online.

SHOPABILITY: Topshops website now has a dedicated Stay At Home section focusing on fashionable loungewear.

Theyre still offering two-day express delivery and 45-day returns on online orders.
The coronavirus continues to impact on peoples daily lives across the world with restrictions meaning Orthodox services for Easter could not be carried out as normal.

Many services were broadcast online or on television with distancing regulations meaning the holy day was marked at a distance.

Russian Orthodox leader Patriarch Kirill led the churchs main service at Moscows Christ the Saviour Cathedral and called on his parishioners not to be discouraged by being unable to attend services.

Expand Close A family holding candles gather on a rooftop of a building during a lockdown order by the government to prevent the spread of the coronavirus in Athens, on Sunday, April 19, 2020. Greeks celebrated the Resurrection of Christ very differently Saturday night: confined at home, instead of massively congregating in churches. And they had to do without the Holy Light from Jerusalem, which arrived in Athens but was not distributed, as authorities remained ready to crack down on anyone who violated the strict curfew imposed almost a month ago. (AP Photo/Michael Varaklas) / Facebook

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Whatsapp A family holding candles gather on a rooftop of a building during a lockdown order by the government to prevent the spread of the coronavirus in Athens, on Sunday, April 19, 2020. Greeks celebrated the Resurrection of Christ very differently Saturday night: confined at home, instead of massively congregating in churches. And they had to do without the Holy Light from Jerusalem, which arrived in Athens but was not distributed, as authorities remained ready to crack down on anyone who violated the strict curfew imposed almost a month ago. (AP Photo/Michael Varaklas)

Expand Close A small numbers of Georgian Orthodox Church worshippers, observe social distancing guidelines to protect against coronavirus, attend a Mass celebrating Orthodox Easter at the Trinity cathedral in Tbilisi, Georgia, Saturday, April 18, 2020. Just a few priests accompanied by volunteers conduct the religious service as people observed the interdiction to join religious celebrations in the week leading to the Orthodox Easter, as authorities try to limit the spread of the COVID-19 infections. (AP Photo/Zurab Tsertsvadze) / Facebook

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Whatsapp A small numbers of Georgian Orthodox Church worshippers, observe social distancing guidelines to protect against coronavirus, attend a Mass celebrating Orthodox Easter at the Trinity cathedral in Tbilisi, Georgia, Saturday, April 18, 2020. Just a few priests accompanied by volunteers conduct the religious service as people observed the interdiction to join religious celebrations in the week leading to the Orthodox Easter, as authorities try to limit the spread of the COVID-19 infections. (AP Photo/Zurab Tsertsvadze)

Expand Close Georgian Orthodox Church priests, observe social distancing guidelines to protect against coronavirus, attend a religious service celebrating Orthodox Easter at the Trinity cathedral in Tbilisi, Georgia, Saturday, April 18, 2020. Just a few priests accompanied by volunteers conduct the religious service as people observed the interdiction to join religious celebrations in the week leading to the Orthodox Easter, as authorities try to limit the spread of the COVID-19 infections. (AP Photo/Zurab Tsertsvadze) / Facebook

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Whatsapp Georgian Orthodox Church priests, observe social distancing guidelines to protect against coronavirus, attend a religious service celebrating Orthodox Easter at the Trinity cathedral in Tbilisi, Georgia, Saturday, April 18, 2020. Just a few priests accompanied by volunteers conduct the religious service as people observed the interdiction to join religious celebrations in the week leading to the Orthodox Easter, as authorities try to limit the spread of the COVID-19 infections. (AP Photo/Zurab Tsertsvadze)

Expand Close A Greek Orthodox priest takes part in the Good Saturday ceremony, held without worshippers inside an empty church in the northern city of Thessaloniki, Greece, during a lockdown order by the government to prevent the spread of the coronavirus, on Sunday, April 19, 2020. Greeks celebrated the Resurrection of Christ very differently Saturday night: confined at home, instead of massively congregating in churches. And they had to do without the Holly Light from Jerusalem, which arrived in Athens but was not distributed, as authorities remained ready to crack down on anyone who violated the strict curfew imposed almost a month ago. (AP Photo/Giannis Papanikos) / Facebook

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Whatsapp A Greek Orthodox priest takes part in the Good Saturday ceremony, held without worshippers inside an empty church in the northern city of Thessaloniki, Greece, during a lockdown order by the government to prevent the spread of the coronavirus, on Sunday, April 19, 2020. Greeks celebrated the Resurrection of Christ very differently Saturday night: confined at home, instead of massively congregating in churches. And they had to do without the Holly Light from Jerusalem, which arrived in Athens but was not distributed, as authorities remained ready to crack down on anyone who violated the strict curfew imposed almost a month ago. (AP Photo/Giannis Papanikos)

Expand Close A woman holds a candle at the window while listening to the blessings of a priest from downstairs during the coronavirus pandemic in Bucharest, Romania, Saturday, April 18, 2020. Priests accompanied by volunteers distributed the holy light ahead of the usual time, at midnight, as people observed the interdiction to join religious celebrations in the week leading to the Orthodox Easter, imposed across Romania as authorities try to limit the spread of the COVID-19 infections. (AP Photo/Vadim Ghirda) / Facebook

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Whatsapp A woman holds a candle at the window while listening to the blessings of a priest from downstairs during the coronavirus pandemic in Bucharest, Romania, Saturday, April 18, 2020. Priests accompanied by volunteers distributed the holy light ahead of the usual time, at midnight, as people observed the interdiction to join religious celebrations in the week leading to the Orthodox Easter, imposed across Romania as authorities try to limit the spread of the COVID-19 infections. (AP Photo/Vadim Ghirda)

Expand Close A priest blesses worshipers that stand at the windows of an apartment block during the coronavirus outbreak in Bucharest, Romania, Saturday, April 18, 2020. Priests accompanied by volunteers distributed the holy light ahead of the usual time, at midnight, as people observed the interdiction to join religious celebrations in the week leading to the Orthodox Easter, imposed across Romania as authorities try to limit the spread of the COVID-19 infections. (AP Photo/Vadim Ghirda) / Facebook

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Whatsapp A priest blesses worshipers that stand at the windows of an apartment block during the coronavirus outbreak in Bucharest, Romania, Saturday, April 18, 2020. Priests accompanied by volunteers distributed the holy light ahead of the usual time, at midnight, as people observed the interdiction to join religious celebrations in the week leading to the Orthodox Easter, imposed across Romania as authorities try to limit the spread of the COVID-19 infections. (AP Photo/Vadim Ghirda)

Expand Close A priest distributes holy light to households during the coronavirus pandemic in Bucharest, Romania, Saturday, April 18, 2020. Priests accompanied by volunteers distributed the holy light ahead of the usual time, at midnight, as people observed the interdiction to join religious celebrations in the week leading to the Orthodox Easter, imposed across Romania as authorities try to limit the spread of the COVID-19 infections. (AP Photo/Vadim Ghirda) / Facebook

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Whatsapp A priest distributes holy light to households during the coronavirus pandemic in Bucharest, Romania, Saturday, April 18, 2020. Priests accompanied by volunteers distributed the holy light ahead of the usual time, at midnight, as people observed the interdiction to join religious celebrations in the week leading to the Orthodox Easter, imposed across Romania as authorities try to limit the spread of the COVID-19 infections. (AP Photo/Vadim Ghirda)

Expand Close A man leans out his window to receive Holy Light from a priest in Bucharest, Romania, Saturday, April 18, 2020. Priests accompanied by volunteers distributed the candles ahead of the usual time, at midnight, as people observed the ban on gatherings in the week leading to the Orthodox Easter, as authorities try to limit the spread of the COVID-19 coronavirus. (AP Photo/Vadim Ghirda) / Facebook

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Whatsapp A man leans out his window to receive Holy Light from a priest in Bucharest, Romania, Saturday, April 18, 2020. Priests accompanied by volunteers distributed the candles ahead of the usual time, at midnight, as people observed the ban on gatherings in the week leading to the Orthodox Easter, as authorities try to limit the spread of the COVID-19 coronavirus. (AP Photo/Vadim Ghirda)

Expand Close A homeless man walks in front of an Orthodox church which remains closed to the public, in Athens, on Saturday, April 18, 2020. The strict quarantine measures against the coronavirus mean that churches will stay empty and that the faithful will not light their candles with the Holy Light. Authorities are determine to punish any infractions. (AP Photo/Yorgos Karahalis) / Facebook

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Whatsapp A homeless man walks in front of an Orthodox church which remains closed to the public, in Athens, on Saturday, April 18, 2020. The strict quarantine measures against the coronavirus mean that churches will stay empty and that the faithful will not light their candles with the Holy Light. Authorities are determine to punish any infractions. (AP Photo/Yorgos Karahalis)

Expand Close A woman and her child, wearing face masks to protect against coronavirus, light candles after a Great Saturday Mass in a church in Simferopol, Crimea, Saturday, April 18, 2020. For Orthodox Christians, this is normally a time of reflection, communal mourning and joyful release, of centuries-old ceremonies steeped in symbolism and tradition. But this year, Easter  by far the most significant religious holiday for the worlds roughly 300 million Orthodox  has essentially been cancelled. (AP Photo) / Facebook

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Whatsapp A woman and her child, wearing face masks to protect against coronavirus, light candles after a Great Saturday Mass in a church in Simferopol, Crimea, Saturday, April 18, 2020. For Orthodox Christians, this is normally a time of reflection, communal mourning and joyful release, of centuries-old ceremonies steeped in symbolism and tradition. But this year, Easter  by far the most significant religious holiday for the worlds roughly 300 million Orthodox  has essentially been cancelled. (AP Photo)

Expand Close A priest of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church Nazariy, wearing a face mask to protect against coronavirus, blesses family members on the Easter eve near their house in the village of Nove close to capital Kyiv, Ukraine, Saturday, April, 18, 2020. All the Ukrainian churches have been closed for people because of COVID-19 outbreak, and believers wait for the priest right near their houses. For Orthodox Christians, this is normally a time of reflection, communal mourning and joyful release, of centuries-old ceremonies steeped in symbolism and tradition. But this year, Easter  by far the most significant religious holiday for the worlds roughly 300 million Orthodox  has essentially been cancelled. (AP Photo/Efrem Lukatsky) / Facebook

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Whatsapp A priest of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church Nazariy, wearing a face mask to protect against coronavirus, blesses family members on the Easter eve near their house in the village of Nove close to capital Kyiv, Ukraine, Saturday, April, 18, 2020. All the Ukrainian churches have been closed for people because of COVID-19 outbreak, and believers wait for the priest right near their houses. For Orthodox Christians, this is normally a time of reflection, communal mourning and joyful release, of centuries-old ceremonies steeped in symbolism and tradition. But this year, Easter  by far the most significant religious holiday for the worlds roughly 300 million Orthodox  has essentially been cancelled. (AP Photo/Efrem Lukatsky)
CHICO, Calif.- It's been more than 4 weeks since Governor Newsom issued a stay-at-home order causing many businesses to close their doors.

One popular shoe store in Chico is adjusting by offering a new way to shop. They've launched a new website where people can now buy online.

Heel and Sole Shoes, located on Mangrove Avenue has been closed since March 20th, but is now selling their inventory through the new website.

Owners, Adriana and Gloria Covarrubias say the hardest part has been having to lay off all of their employees and not having any income coming in. "We still have a lot of bills and stuff to pay even though the doors are closed. We had to think about the safety of our workers and our community first and then we looked at how we could keep going." Gloria said.

She says they have been getting a lot of calls from essential workers and people in the community who still need shoes, so they wanted to help.

People can simply go to their website, HEELNSOLESHOES.COM and click on the shoes you want, pay for them and then stop by during their curbside hours, and they will deliver the shoes to your car.

If you don't want to pick them up at the store, they can also ship them to you.

They are offering free shipping on orders over $100.

The store is still closed to the public but the curbside pick-up is available on Mondays, Tuesdays and Fridays from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.

If you do not see a specific shoe you're looking for, you can call them during that time and they will help you over the phone.

All of the sales are final.

Heel and Sole Customers, John and Dora Dane say they're happy about the new website. "I think it's great, everybody needs to work and a lot of people are out of work so I'm always glad when someone is doing a little extra with their business to try to accomodate us," said John.

Gloria says they are going to do their best to continue serving the community.

They have also started a GoFundMe page to be able to keep paying for the fixed costs while the business is closed, so that they are able to re-open when its safe to do so. To donate, CLICK HERE.

Heel and Sole Shoes is located at 708 Mangrove Ave in Chico.
New Delhi, April 19 : A native of Nepal's Kanchanpur district has not been able to attend his mother's funeral back home due to the ongoing nationwide lockdown due to the coronavirus scare, but has put aside his personal loss to prepare food for the hungry at a community kitchen.

Jai Bahadur was working at the restaurant in east Delhi's Mayur Vihar for over 25 years before he was left stuck in the national capital. He lost his mother five days ago and could not attend the cremation, but even his personal loss did not break his resolve to serve food to the needy.

"I came to know about the death of my mother on April 14 morning from my sister and brother-in-law. I wanted to attend her funeral, as we three brothers were away from home, but couldn't," a teary-eyed Jai todld IANS.

The BJP's 'seva' kitchen, where he has been working since the lockdown, tried to arrange for his travel to Nepal but he could not get the permission, he said.

"As there was no means to return to my village, I could only watch the funeral rituals through a video call on WhatsApp," Jai said.

"I did not do any work at the kitchen on April 14, but from the vey next day I made myself available to serve the people in need." Jai Bahadur's elder brother resides in Mumbai whereas his younger brother is in Malaysia.

He said that the ashes of his mother were kept at his village home and once the lockdown is lifted he and his brothers plan to immerse these in the river Ganga in Haridwar.

Jai Bahadur said he had been working for the last 25 days to prepare food in the 'seva' kitchen operated by BJP good governance cell under Virender Sachdeva, Rajiv Kohli and Vijendra Dhama that is serving food to 1,500 to 2,000 people daily since March 24.

Union Minister Arjun Munda, BJP national vice presidents Vinay Sahasrabuddhe and Dushyant Gautam and others have participated in preparing the food at the kitchen in east Delhi's Mayur Vihar.

Gautam, who visited the kitchen on Sunday, consoled Jai Bahadur and appreciated his work of serving humanity. His family, including his late mother, must be proud of his commitment towards humanity, he said.

(Anand Singh can be contacted at Anand.s@ians.in)
Mumbai, April 19 : Indian superstars Shah Rukh Khan and Priyanka Chopra Jonas joined Lady Gaga's star-studded "One World: Together at Home" to celebrate healthcare workers fighting against the coronavirus pandemic, and urged everyone to stay strong during the health crisis.

Over 70 artists and celebrities from across the world joined the concert to honour the frontline workers. The virtual concert, organised by the WHO and Global Citizen on Saturday, was hosted by Jimmy Fallon, Jimmy Kimmel and Stephen Colbert. The event included performances and appearances from Taylor Swift, Elton John, Celine Dion, Jennifer Lopez, Madonna, The Rolling Stones, Stevie Wonder and Paul McCartney.

Shah Rukh opened up about the coronavirus outbreak in India and delved into the plight faced by the people.

"India is facing one of its greatest challenges, in our history. With a population of over a billion citizens, the strength of COVID-19 is bound to have a negative impact on the country. Like, it is impacting the rest of the world too," Shah Rukh said in a video clip.

"Battling this crisis is going to take its toll, and this is the time to take action. Right now, I'm working with a team of people to provide protective equipment, quarantine centres, food and essentials to patients, hospitals and homes. But to beat this worldwide pandemic, the world must come together," he added.

He continued: "So find out how you can contact World and private sector leaders, and ask them to continue to contribute to WHO's Solidarity Response Fund, so they can help to continue the hardest of areas and people who desperately need it. India, planet earth, we are one world. I love you, stay strong." Priyanka, who is a UNICEF Goodwill ambassador, spoke on the challenges faced by the refugee camps all over the world.

"I have witnessed first hand the overcrowded and unlivable conditions in refugee camps ... The camps need health care, clean water and sanitation to stand through the pandemic," said Priyanka, who has worked with Shah Rukh in the "Don" series.

The mega concert also had acts by Chris Martin, Lizzo, Billie Eilish, John Legend, Kacey Musgraves, and Jennifer Lopez among many others.

The US event featured the likes of Jennifer Hudson, Michael Buble, Annie Lennox, Common, The Killers, Luis Fonsi, Adam Lambert, Liam Payne, Niall Horan, Rita Ora, Ellie Goulding, Ke$ha, and Jessie J. The event aired in India on AXN and Sony PIX.
Lake Geneva officials are getting ready to take the plunge with a new system for people to pay admission to the beach without having to wait in line.

Aldermen have given initial approval to partnering with a mobile app company, Viply LLC of New Jersey, to allow people to purchase beach passes by downloading an app on their cellphones.

Members of the city councils finance, licensing and regulation committee April 8 unanimously endorsed an agreement with Viply for a one-year trial of the beach app.

The agreement still must be approved by the full city council.

Harbormaster Linda Frame first presented the beach app proposal to city officials in January, offering it as a convenience for Riviera Beach patrons who sometimes must wait in line before their fun in the sun.

City Administrator Dave Nord said he likes the idea of making life a little easier for beach goers.

The intent here is to give the public another option to buy their beach passes without having to stand in line and handle cash, Nord said.

Admission to the beach is $8 for adults and $4 for children.

Patrons would pay a fee of $1.80 to download app.

City comptroller Karen Hall said she thinks people will pay the cost to download the app so they do not have to wait in a long line to enter the beach.

I feel that it will get used more than we think, Hall said, but we can test it out and see.

Hall said she has talked with representatives from other communities that have partnered with the app company, and they seemed to be pleased with the service.

Its a good app, she said. I think it would work well.

Customers who use the app would pay for their beach pass, then locate a beach attendant wearing a plastic laynard with a quick code response generator.

The attendant would touch the customers phone with the laynard to confirm that the customers pass is valid.

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Trump, by contrast, often seems more interested in sinking to Chinas level than playing to Americas strengths. Like the Chinese Communist Party, he can say one thing in January (China has been working very hard to contain the Coronavirus. . . . I want to thank President Xi [Jinping]!), something else in March (China was very secretive, okay? Very, very secretive. And thats unfortunate.) and believe he should go unquestioned.
The talks were part of the efforts to maintain trade between the two neighbours amid COVID-19.

The officials agreed to enhance cooperation and create favourable conditions for bilateral trade, thereby assisting the two countries business communities now and in the immediate future.

Ni and Zhong pledged to direct local authorities and customs units at the Tan Thanh - Po Chai border gate to ease the congestion of goods.

Customs clearance will resume and be available daily from 8am to 11am and 12pm to 4pm (Vietnam time).

The Chinese side suggested simplifying inspection procedures on farm produce, transferring goods to other border gates, and increasing the importation of farm produce via Pingxiang - Dong Dang railway station.

In order to boost the export of Vietnamese farm produce to China, Minister Anh proposed the General Administration of Customs and Ministry of Commerce of China soon approve new border gates designated for fruit, food, and fisheries imports, allow the Pingxiang - Dong Dang railway station to import more types of farm produce, and for several Vietnamese types of farm produce to enter China via official channels, such as grass jelly, swift nest products, sweet potatoes, and durian, which are awaiting the completion of final legal procedures.

The minister also called on China to quickly complete legal procedures to allow the import of Vietnamese passion fruit, avocado, pomelo, coconut, custard apple, and water apple, as well as permitting more Vietnamese enterprises to export to the country.

He also suggested extending the validity of the list of fish powder exporters and restoring the export status of several rice and fisheries enterprises.

Both sides discussed measures to facilitate trade on the back of Industry 4.0 and reached consensus on online trade promotion activities.

They vowed to create favourable conditions for businesses in the fields of machinery, equipment, fabric, footwear, and electronic spare parts, thus ensuring stable supply chains and domestic production.

The officials also debated post-pandemic action plans to support bilateral trade and businesses as well as the signing of an MoU on cooperation between Vietnams Ministry of Industry and Trade and Chinas General Administration of Customs, and agreed to an inter-sectoral cooperation programme to simplify customs clearance procedures and prevent trade fraud.

Since late March the Ministry of Industry and Trade has actively contacted authorities in Guangxi and Yunnan provinces to ensure smooth trade between both sides.
'All anecdotal evidence confirms that there has been no noticeable rise in deaths across the country for want of coronavirus tests,' notes Virendra Kapoor.

IMAGE: BrihanMumbai Municipal Corporation staff collect a swab from a child in Colaba, south Mumbai, April 18, 2020. Photograph: Arun Patil

WHO took its own time calling the Chinese virus a global pandemic.

By then, the coronavirus had spread to over a hundred countries and infected more than one lakh people. And claimed over 4,000 lives.

WHO Director-General Tedros Adhnom Ghebreyesus has offered no satisfactory explanation why it took him so long to empower the global community when the first case of the virus was detected in Wuhan, China, sometime in late November.

For us in India it is important to remember the date on which WHO declared the China virus a pandemic. It was on March 11.

It is, therefore, wrong to suggest that India delayed stopping all international flights to and fro and in undertaking massive testing.

Remember how Ghebreyesus virtually rebuked member countries even in early March for sealing their borders and stopping flights from China?

Indeed, he asserted, relying on China's say-so, that international travel had no effect on containing the spread of the disease because there was no evidence to suggest that the virus transmitted from humans to humans.

IMAGE: Health workers conduct a door-to-door survey for COVID-19 symptoms in Ajmer, March 28, 2020. Photograph: PTI Photo

We recall the above only to debunk a narrative sought to be built by a few habitual domestic and Western critics that India lost precious time launching anti-coronavirus operations.

Every passenger who landed on and after March 1 was traced, tested and directed to remain in self-isolation for at least two weeks after which the health authorities again tested her/him, the next step depending on the outcome of the test.

A group of Italian tourists who tested positive were quarantined and allowed to leave the country several weeks after they were rid of the virus.

Of course, there will be time for everyone to conduct a post-mortem of the massive country-wide exercise undertaken to minimise the impact of the pandemic, both on human life and on the economy. But that time is not now.

Unfortunately, some elements in the domestic and Western media, joined by a couple of lawyers, have unleashed a campaign to undermine the ongoing campaign against the Invisible Killer.

IMAGE: A team of doctors and medical workers inspect a special ward set up to provide treatment to coronavirus patients at a hospital in Prayagraj. Photograph: ANI Photo

Rahul Gandhi, harping on strategic thinking, on a strategic approach, strategic testing, et al, sounds like a broken record without making any sense to anyone about what that strategy is all about.

As for the low levels of testing, like every developed country, India too lacked both an adequate number of trained healthcare personnel as well as the relevant equipment to step up the number of tests.

And like every other developed country, India too is importing medical kits from all available sources to increase the number of daily tests.

But, happily, the suggestion that people are suffering for want of testing is unfounded.

All anecdotal evidence confirms that there has been no noticeable rise in deaths across the country for want of coronavirus tests.

China grossly under-reported the deaths in Wuhan, but soon word spread about the unusually high number of burials across the region.

Even the belated upward revision by fifty percent in the number of deaths in Wuhan may not actually reflect the true picture.

Likewise, in certain Latin American countries, despite officials playing down the impact of the virus, ordinary people report an overnight four-fold increase in the number of funerals, with photographs of graves dug in close proximity of one another in various cemeteries appearing on global news channels.

IMAGE: Medical staff applaud patients who have recovered from COVID-19 in Indore, April 17, 2020. Photograph: PTI Photo

There is no ground for doubts about the official Indian claims about the number of those infected, dead and undergoing treatment in hospitals for coronavirus.

Whether it is a much weaker strain of the virus or the tropical weather -- the average temperature in corona-hit Western countries is 17 degrees or below -- or the fact that we in South Asia are hardy enough to survive poor personal hygiene and terrible public sanitary conditions, the fact is that in India or, for that matter, Pakistan, or even Afghanistan, the sweep of the pandemic has not been as lethal as it is in most Western countries.

We are used to breathe bad air, drink polluted water, eat adulterated foods. Even the quality of our medicines is often suspect.

Does it prepare us to withstand the virus one cannot say with any degree of certainty, but the fact that the pandemic has not been as severe as it is, say, in the US or the UK, would call for a thorough investigation by scientists.

***

And lastly this WhatsApp forward to relieve the dreariness of what seems unending imprisonment for 1.3 billion people.

A man found drinking in his car was promptly dragged to the police station.

As word spread, a large crowd gathered at the police station. You know why?

No, not to press for his release. But to find out where the hell had he managed to procure that bottle of whiskey. :))))
With 4-20 cannabis celebrations coming up, doctors as well as the Ontario Ministry of Health are warning people that its a particularly bad time to be smoking.

As COVID-19 is a respiratory virus, cutting down on smoking of any form, including cannabis, could help in the prevention and treatment of COVID-19, a Health Ministry spokesperson told the Star in an email.

Meanwhile, Dr. Isaac Bogoch, an infectious diseases specialist at Toronto General Hospital, said, Its almost irrelevant what people are smoking.

Smoking anything has a negative impact on lung function, as well as the cardiovascular system. As more people get COVID-19, theres a growing body of evidence that people with pre-existing medical problems are just more prone to having severe outcomes with this infection, Bogoch told the Star in an interview.

Smoking is not a good idea at any time, but in the middle of a pandemic, people should seriously consider quitting all kinds of smoking, advises Bogoch, who also teaches medicine at the University of Toronto.

Its natural to be anxious about the times were in, he said. People can access a number of wonderful resources online that are useful in either cutting back or quitting smoking.

Cannabis consumption has been legal across Canada since October 2018. Of late, online government dispensaries have posted notices on cannabis use and COVID-19.

If youre sick  skip the smoke  Since we know that over time, smoking cannabis can impact your lung health, its probably best to take a break from smoking or vaping until youre feeling better, reads the notice from the Ontario Cannabis Store.

Dont share joints, vapes, pipes or bongs. You may be passing more than you think.

Dana Larsen, a Vancouver-based cannabis advocate, knows many marijuana users who are abiding by social distancing rules.

For instance, Canadian event organizers are hosting online 4-20 celebrations this year, instead of the usual gatherings in city centres.

I expect people are passing joints around much less than they used to, (but) I dont know anyone who has quit smoking cannabis due to COVID, Larsen told the Star.

Most research on COVID-19 risk factors has looked specifically at cigarette smoke.

Chinas high rate of smoking among men might be a reason for the relatively high death rate in the country from COVID-19, particularly among men, scientists say.

A study published in the Tobacco Induced Diseases journal last month found that among a group of 78 patients with COVID-19 in mainland China, there was a significantly higher proportion of patients with a history of smoking (27.3 per cent) in the group that experienced adverse outcomes.

While we know that smoking of cannabis is not nearly as toxic as smoking cigarettes, there are a host of negative side effects on the lungs and airways from smoking cannabis, said John Docherty, a toxicologist and president of the Kelowna, B.C.-based Lexaria Bioscience.

His company is involved in developing cannabis technology to give consumers faster-acting edible options.

While there isnt enough data to say so definitively, why wait to see if the decreased lung function from smoking marijuana will lead to negative outcomes for individuals whove contracted COVID-19?

There has been no known reported research regarding consuming edibles and COVID-19 symptoms.

Joanna Chiu is a Vancouver-based reporter covering both Canada-China relations and current affairs on the West Coast for the Star. Follow her on Twitter: @joannachiu

Read more about:
Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP) dialogue partners are advancing the review of legal texts, with an expectation of the process finishing in July so the pact can be signed at the ASEAN Summit in Vietnam later this year as scheduled.

Leaders of RCEP member states at the 3rd RCEP Summit in Thailand in November 2019 (Source: VNA)

Auramon Supthaweethum, Director-General of the Trade Negotiations Department under Thailands Ministry of Commerce, said the working panel handling the legal text-scrubbing for the pact has already finished six chapters and is working on the remaining 14 chapters.

The COVID-19 pandemic has put off most face-to-face meetings for ASEAN and the RCEP in the first half of the year, forcing dialogue partners to use video conferencing or virtual meetings to discuss scrubbing of the legal texts for the remaining chapters.

The first video conference was applied to the RCEP Trade Negotiation Committee meeting on April 7. The next video conference of the committee is scheduled for April 20-24.

The scrubbing of the legal texts for the pact should be finished by July so RCEP members have enough time for consideration before officially signing the pact later this year during the ASEAN Summit in Vietnam, Auramon said.

The RCEP is a proposed free trade agreement between ten member states of ASEAN and six dialogue partners, namely China, Japan, the Republic of Korea, India, Australia and New Zealand.

Negotiations on the RCEP started in late 2012 at the 21st ASEAN Summit in Phnom Penh, Cambodia.

In last-minute talks on November 4 last year, with Thailand as ASEAN Chair, India pulled the plug on joining the RCEP over unresolved issues, especially those concerning agricultural tariffs.

India later announced it would not be joining the pact this year during the ASEAN Summit in Vietnam.

The RCEP's leader statement noted that 15 participating countries have concluded text-based negotiations for all 20 chapters and market access issues.

The deal has been scheduled for official signing this year, coming into force either in 2021 or January 2022.

Auramon said signing the RCEP is crucial to the region, especially with the pandemic delivering a heavy blow to the world's economy.

Accounting for around 30 percent of the globes GDP and population, RCEP 15 remains a largest free trade agreement (FTA) in the world. Once becoming effective, it will bring out significant economic benefits to all 15 member states./. VNA

RCEP serves up golden opportunities for ASEAN The Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership is to be a driver for the recovery of the ASEAN economy after the coronavirus pandemic is brought under control.
She has been isolating at home since falling ill, amid the coronavirus pandemic, though she eventually tested negative.

And Heidi Klum decided to get in some time outside on Sunday, as she went for a hike with her husband, four kids and two dogs.

The America's Got Talent host shared videos and pictures from the family outing to Instagram.

Family outing: Heidi Klum decided to get in some time outside on Sunday, as she went for a hike with her husband, Tom Kaulitz and kids Leni, 15, Henry, 15, Johan, 13, and Lou, 10 as well as their two dogs

Heidi, 46, posed with her family for a self-timer selfie among tall grass and a dirt path.

The entire family took safety precautions of wearing face masks as Los Angeles now requires coverings when in public to limit the spread of the coronavirus.

Heidi also covered up in a beige knit beanie, and golden hued sunglasses, as she wore a blue wind-breaker jacket for the outing.

Following: In another snap her eldest Leni chased behind the dog in a grassy area

Her kids all seemed to don similar outfits with Leni, 15, Henry, 15, Johan, 13, and Lou, 10, wearing black sweatshirts and long sleeve tees.

Lou, was closet to the camera and showed off her grey and blue crossbody bag and black leggings.

Tom was a pop of color in the background, wearing a bright yellow sweatshirt, dark blue cap and opting for a black bandana face mask, as opposed to the blue medical face masks the others wore.

Take the lead: She also shared videos to her Instagram stories walking one of her large black and grey dogs, following behind her husband

She also shared videos to her Instagram stories walking one of her large black and grey dogs, following behind her husband.

In another snap her eldest Leni chased behind the dog in a grassy area.

Speaking in a joint interview earlier this month with her Making the Cut co-host Tim Gunn, Heidi told People magazine, Leni wants to follow in her model footsteps.

'The only one so far who wants to step in my footsteps is my oldest daughter, Leni. [But] I've never pushed [my kids] to do anything,' she said.

'Let me take this over': Earlier this month, Heidi revealed Leni is keen to take over her mother's reign as a fashion superstar (pictured 2020)

'She just started where she said, "Okay, move over. Let me take this over." It's definitely a ruthless business. It's also changed a lot over the years. It was very different when I started in 1992.'

And Tim - who is a longtime friend of Heidi - can't believe how 'beautifully behaved' Heidi's brood is, as he says he feels 'reassured' about the 'future of humanity' whenever he sees her children.

He explained: 'I hope they think of me as an uncle. I've known them since they were infants and it's been wonderful watching them grow up.'

Support: Earlier in April, Heidi supported Childrens Hospitals during the coronavirus pandemic 'Hospitals are more crucial at this moment than ever before. I support @cmnhospitals during #ChildrensHospitalsWeek because kids need care now'

Loved up: Heidi married Tokio Hotel guitarist Tom in February 2019

Tim credited Heidi for raising 'beautifully behaved and polite and respectful' children.

The supermodel shares her four kids with her ex-husband Seal, who she was married to from 2005 until 2014.





Though Leni was adopted by Seal in 2009, and Heidi has said he was present for her birth, her biological father is Flavio Briatore.





Heidi married Tokio Hotel guitarist Tom in February 2019.




19.04.2020 LISTEN

The Northern Regional Crime Investigation Department in a raid today [Saturday] arrested some 134 suspects in Changli a suburb of Tamale for allegedly attacking a police officer in the line of duty.

The police officer in the company of two other officers was said to have gone to the neighbourhood to effect an arrest of a suspect believed to be involved in a theft case which is under investigation.

However, some residents mobbed and attacked one of the female officers, who eventually collapsed and was sent to the Tamale Teaching Hospital for medical attention.

According to the Regional Crime Officer, Superintendent Otuo Acheampong, the suspects have been arrested and are currently in police custody.

Currently, the suspects are in our custody, we are screening and profiling them and investigation is underway.

He cautioned the public that, anyone who attacked the police will be investigated and arrested wherever they are irrespective of their status.

Meanwhile, Citi News has gathered that the team of police officers who were sent on the raid clashed with the residents of Changli, leading to the destruction of properties.

A resident of the area was hit by an unknown object and currently on admission at the Tamale Teaching hospital.

Also, a TV Africa reporter, Baba Kamil who was in the community conducting interviews was also hit on the head by an unidentified object, He was also taken to the hospital, treated and discharged.

We were interviewing the people and suddenly saw the police vehicle coming towards our direction, shooting sporadically. I laid on the ground, and felt something hit me on my head. The police came to me and I showed them my ID showing Im a pressman, they wanted to leave me there but I insisted they take me to the hospital, he said.

According to the Regional Crime Officer, Superintendent Otuo Acheampong, a criminal investigation has been launched into the alleged shooting of a journalist with TV Africa by armed police officers.

Residents of Changli are however not happy about the incident and accused police of acting in an unprofessional manner.

They are thus calling on the Commission on Human Rights and Administrative Justice (CHRAJ) to investigate the conduct of the police.

---citinewsroom
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Read our full Opinion Policies here. Updated on 10/7/2020
(Newser)  Germany's Werneck Brewery has survived world wars, economic crises, and decades of declining beer consumption. But after 400 years it has finally met a fatal challenge: the coronavirus. The brewery, which the AP reports traces its history to 1617 and has been owned by the same family since 1861, is closing for good, taking with it 15 full-time jobs and more part-time positions. Also gone is a chunk of local history and tradition in Werneck, a town of 10,000 in the brewery-rich state of Bavaria. German brewers fear its demise is the leading edge of more closures as the virus outbreak threatens the existence of the country's many local producers of the national beveragecommunity institutions, often family owned for generations, whose buildings and affiliated taverns are regional landmarks in a country where the hometown brew is a sentimental favorite despite national competition.

story continues below

Hardest hit are smaller breweries that like Werneck that depend on supplying kegs to local taverns and events such as local festivals. Retail sales are providing some support as people drink at home. Breweries are trying things like drive-through sales and even shipping beer and glasses to customers so they can join an online tasting. Family member and brewery manager Christine Lang said the decision to close came with many tears. The beer market was already hard fought with tough price competition, she said. Then came the virus, and the restaurants the brewery depended on were suddenly closed. The head of the German Brewers Association said that many breweries will not survive this crisis, that is already becoming clear. For Lang something irreplaceable has been lost. My family and I will miss it very much. The brewery has been ... part of every dinner table conversation all our lives. We will be missing part of our identity, and in a way the region will too.

(Read more coronavirus stories.)
A patient who tested positive to the novel coronavirus is taken on a stretcher into the emergency room of the IESS Sur Hospital in Quito, Ecuador, on April 18, 2020. (Rodrigo Buendia/AFP via Getty Images)

Perspectives on the Pandemic: Why Ecuador Has a Serious Outbreak

Commentary

Guayaquil is at this moment a great gray cloud, Maria Leonor Inca, an indigenous journalist based in Ecuador, posted on Twitter on April 2.

Guayaquil, the largest city and the main port of Ecuador, has been hard-hit by the CCP (Chinese Communist Party) virus, commonly known as the novel coronavirus. Its mayor also recently tested positive for the CCP virus.

Up to 150 corpses, all people who died due to the CCP virus, are picked up daily, Jorge Wated, leader of a government task force, told the El Universo newspaper. With the municipal morgue at capacity, a greater number of bodies may be waiting on sidewalks and inside homes, he added.

Though the country is geographically far from the epicenter of China, why is Ecuador hit hard by the virus?

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.

In fact, there are Beijing-friendly elements within Ecuadorian politics.

Strategic Cooperation Between Ecuador and the CCP

In January 1980, the CCP established diplomatic relations with Ecuador. China and Ecuador established a political consultation system in 1997, held once every two years.

On Nov. 8, 2007, Ecuador s El Oro province and Chinas Hubei province formally established sister-province relations.

In December 2010, the China-funded Confucius Institute at the San Francisco University of Quito was jointly established with the China University of Petroleum in Beijing.

In January 2015, then-Ecuadorian President Rafael Vicente Correa Delgado visited China, and China and Ecuador established a strategic partnership. In November 2016, Ecuador and China elevated their relationship to a comprehensive strategic partnership.

In August 2016, Ecuador and China waived visa requirements for their citizens in a bid to increase tourism between the two countries. Ecuador was the first Latin American country to do so.

On Dec. 12, 2018, Ecuadors President Lenin Moreno Garces visited China. According to Chinese state media reports, the two leaders witnessed the signing of several cooperation documents, including a memorandum of understanding on jointly promoting Belt and Road (also known as One Belt, One Road), Beijings initiative to build infrastructure projects across Latin America, Africa, and central and south Asia.

China welcomed Ecuador to promote cooperation between the two sides in infrastructure, agriculture, information technology, and new energy.

Currently, China is also Ecuadors third-largest trading partner.

Chinese Companies in Ecuador

According to Chinese media, at present, more than 90 Chinese companies are operating in Ecuador, with projects covering water conservancy and hydropower, roads and bridges, copper mines, public safety, and other fields.

The planned city of Yachay is about 75 miles north of the capital of Quito. On Nov. 25, 2015, China Gezhouba Group Company (CGGC) signed a phase I contract to build the Silicon Valley of Ecuador near the small town of Urcuqui. The project includes planning and designing a number of tech research centers, labs, and universities, which would be integrated with industrial parks and tourism development zones. The entire project is expected to last through 2049. It was partially funded by a China Export-Import bank loan.

On Aug. 16, 2016, Ecuadors then-Vice President Jorge Glas inaugurated Ecuadors first fiber-optic cable plant in the southern province of Guayas. Wang Yulin, Chinas ambassador to Ecuador also attended the opening ceremony.

The fiber optic plant is the result of a joint venture with Ecuadors Holding Telconet and Chinas Fiberhome Technologies.

This was Chinas largest fiber-optic cable plant in Latin America. The total investment was estimated to be $15 million to $20 million. Fiberhome Technology Group accounted for 51 percent of the shares, while Telconet owned 49 percent of shares, according to Chinas commerce ministry.

On July 18, 2019, Ecuador President Lenin Moreno attended the first test of 5G technology in Quito, presented by the Chinese telecom giant Huawei and Ecuadors National Telecommunications Corporation. Moreno praised Chinas technological advances at the ceremony, according to Chinese state-run media Xinhua.

Canceling Shen Yun Performances

In 2015, the New York-based Shen Yun Performing Arts was set to perform a production of the dance drama Monkey King in the capital of Ecuador. However, less than a week before the performance, the Ecuadorian House of Culture suspended activities at the National Theater, impacting Shen Yun performances planned for May 23 and 24, 2015.

Alejandro Nadal, a spokesman for Shen Yuns presenter in Ecuador, told local press advocacy group Fundamedios.org that the suspension of activities was illegal, as they had all the relevant permits. He said he believed the incident was part of an explicit goal by the Chinese embassy in Ecuador to cancel the performances.

The embassy had allegedly been looking for ways to get the event canceled for the last month. We have tried telling them in every possible way that they are violating the freedom of expression of the Ecuadorian people, that they are censoring culture in a democratic country and are doing so through a foreign country, said Nadal.

According to Shen Yun Performing Arts, theater venues where the company performs have often been pressured by local Chinese officials to cancel Shen Yuns performances. This was the first time Shen Yun was canceled in Latin America.

The CCP has extended its censorship overseas, and the Ecuadorian theater appeared to succumb to its demands.

Ecuadorian officials instead attended performances organized by the Chinese embassy, such as a February 2016 Lunar New Year presentation with an arts group from Henan province in China, and a January 2020 gala at the Chinese embassy for commemorating 40 years of diplomatic relations between the two countries. Many top Ecuadorian officials attended, including the ministers of culture, national defense, and education.

Dam and Hydropower Station

The Coca Codo Sinclair Dam is a hydroelectric project under CCPs Belt and Road Initiative in Ecuador. The dam was built some 46.6 miles (75 kilometers) east of the capital Quito, on the Coca River. Its the largest energy project in Ecuador.

The dam was constructed by state-owned Sinohydro Corporation for $2.25 billion. The Chinese would provide Ecuador with a $1.68 billion loan to cover 85 percent of the roughly $2 billion price tag, with 6.9 percent interest.

The project has been criticized for cost overruns, technical flaws, and corruption. Ecuador also faces a huge budget deficit because of loans it received from China. Interest alone would require that Ecuador send an annual paycheck of $125 million to China for 15 years.

A full power test failed when the dam opened in 2016.

The New York Times reported about the dams many problems in a December 2018 report, writing: This giant dam in the jungle, financed and built by China, was supposed to christen Ecuadors vast ambitions, solve its energy needs and help lift the small South American country out of poverty. Instead, it has become part of a national scandal engulfing the country in corruption, perilous amounts of debt  and a future tethered to China.

It also stated: Nearly every top Ecuadorean official involved in the dams construction is either imprisoned or sentenced on bribery charges. That includes a former vice president, a former electricity minister and even the former anti-corruption official monitoring the project, who was caught on tape talking about Chinese bribes.

In a Los Angeles Times report, the newspaper obtained a 2018 report issued by the Ecuadorian government controllers office, which said the projects Chinese contractor ignored a stipulation of the construction contract, that the dam be built according to rigid standards set by the American Society of Mechanical Engineers.

The government report also revealed shady practices by Sinohydro Corp., according to the LA Times, including the projects irresponsible and incomprehensible use of substandard building materials and construction methods, including inferior welds.

The Chinese used bad-quality steel and fired inspectors who said to change it, former energy minister Fernando Santos told the LA Times.

However, the CCP has avoided talking about the projects flaws and the corruption behind the dam. It has lauded the success of the project, calling it a landmark project for Chinese companies.

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.
Ministers were warned two days after the death of Harry Dunn that the ex-CIA agent responsible only had an ambiguous claim to diplomatic immunity, The Mail on Sunday can reveal.

But after talks with Washington DC, the Foreign & Commonwealth Office (FCO) failed to pass on these concerns to police investigating American Anne Sacoolas for death by dangerous driving after she collided with the 19-year-old motorcyclist while driving on the wrong side of the road.

Nor did they tell Northamptonshire Police that the US had refused to waive her claim of immunity until after she had fled Britain two weeks later, despite being warned she was leaving.

Guidance from the Crown Prosecution Service states that it is a matter for the police to establish if a suspect of a crime has immunity rather than the Government.

Harry Dunn was killed when his motorbike crashed into a car outside RAF Croughton in Northamptonshire on August 27 last year

The Northamptonshire force is set to argue in court that this delay stopped them seeking powers to arrest Ms Sacoolas after the accident outside the US spy base RAF Croughton on August 27.

Two senior FCO Ministers, Heather Wheeler and Chris Pincher, were told by civil servants on August 30 that there was some ambiguity around the case, with the warning sent to Foreign Secretary Dominic Raabs private office and FCO permanent secretary Sir Simon McDonald.

A well-placed source said the officials warned that the US government appeared to be exploiting a dubiously worded treaty to recuse Ms Sacoolas from criminal liability.

But three days later, on September 2, it is understood the FCO  following conversations with the US government  contacted Northamptonshire Police to say they believed Sacoolas had full immunity from prosecution.

The Northamptonshire force is set to argue in court that this delay stopped them seeking powers to arrest Ms Sacoolas (pictured) after the accident outside the US spy base RAF Croughton on August 27

On Saturday the force did not deny that they had failed to make any further investigation into the diplomatic situation at that point. These crucial days after the tragic crash are to be examined by the High Court after Harrys Dunns family took legal action against the FCO and Northamptonshire Police.

Last month the MoS revealed that senior diplomat Neil Holland had texted a US official on September 15 to suggest Sacoolas getting on the next flight out. The police were not informed she had left until the following day.

Last night Harrys mother Charlotte Charles said the latest revelations made her more determined now than ever to bring the case to court and have this all exposed and those responsible for this mess held to account.

Harrys family are pursuing a judicial review to have Ms Sacoolass claims of immunity rendered unlawful, with senior Tories worried the FCO is on course for an embarrassing defeat.

One said: Raab had been in the job for a matter of weeks so its not clear he had a full grip on the place yet. The more that comes out the worse this looks.

A diplomatic source said: Its all kicking off between the FCO and the police.

The FCO appears to have told them she had diplomatic immunity and the police took that as gospel, when actually it was their job to investigate it.

Chairman of the Foreign Affairs Select Committee Tom Tugendhat told the MoS: Harry Dunns family are rightly concerned to know exactly what happened but we all need to know how immunity is used in our country. This has raised questions I know the Foreign Office will want to clarify as soon as possible.

On Saturday a spokesman for Northamptonshire Police said it would be inappropriate to comment at this time.

Speaking on behalf of Harrys family, Ms Charles added: We will not let what happened to us happen to anyone ever again and There have clearly been very serious failings at the FCO.

The FCO said: We are confident that we have acted properly and lawfully in relation to Harrys death.
Brett Coomer, Houston Chronicle / Staff photographer

Well give Gov. Greg Abbott credit for being optimistic and ambitious with his plan to reopen Texas that was announced last week. Much of it makes sense, but some parts seem premature when another week or two of waiting would be more prudent. As the plan unfolds this week and in coming weeks, Abbott and state officials must monitor it carefully. They should push forward as much as possible but be prepared to pause if infections and deaths from the coronavirus increase again.

The toughest part of his plan  ending the 2019-2020 school year  illustrates the concerns that many people have. If something as important as public education has to be canceled  at least on campus  until the summer, its clear that the threat from this pandemic is still very real. And why do state parks have to reopen on Monday? What would be hurt if they remained closed for another week or two? Texans love their state parks, but no one loves them enough to unnecessarily risk contracting a disease that could be fatal.
A second person has died at a Sydney nursing home where a quarter of all residents and 13 staff have been infected.

Anglicare confirmed a 94-year-old man with COVID-19 died at its Newmarch House in Kingswood on Sunday morning.

'A coroner will be the person to confirm the cause of death,' a spokesman told AAP.

More than a quarter of the 100 residents at Anglicare's Newmarch House (pictured) are infected with coronavirus, along with 13 staff

Newmarch House (pictured from the air) in the western Sydney suburb of Kingswood

With a 93-year-old resident also dying on Saturday morning, the NSW toll now sits at 30.

NSW Health on Sunday confirmed 21 new cases statewide, including nine from Newmarch House.

The high-care facility, home to about 100, now has 26 residents and 13 staff infected.

NSW Chief Health Officer Kerry Chant said there was an 'extensive intervention in place' but the most recently reported cases were likely infected many days ago.

'We can't change those cases,' she told reporters on Sunday.

'Our aim is to provide high-quality care to the residents, manage and support the workers and support their loved ones.

'There's nothing we can do around preventing those cases and I think this extensive testing has identified the cases early.

'Now we need to stop the spread.'

A worker with very mild or no symptoms entered the facility six days in a row, leading Dr Chant to warn even those with minimal symptoms to avoid work and get tested.

Total NSW cases have hit 2957, with 40 per cent acquired locally or interstate.

The Ruby Princess (pictured) docked at Port Kembla, Wollongong, on Sunday. A ninth crew member tested positive to coronavirus bringing the number of crew infected to 171 on Sunday

Care packages waiting to be brought on board the Ruby Princess (pictured) for crew members trapped aboard the coronavirus-stricken ship in Port Kembla, NSW, on Sunday

Nine more crew members of the Ruby Princess cruise ship have tested positive in the past day, taking the total number of crew infected to 171.

Dr Chant said there had been no new symptomatic cases on the ship but hinted the rise in numbers could be due to the highly sensitive tests identifying 'dead virus' in crew members' bodies.

The ship remains docked at Port Kembla, where it's likely to stay for the foreseeable future.

Meanwhile, NSW Health Minister Brad Hazzard thanked the community for its 'amazing' response to strict coronavirus restrictions as modelling done in early March came to light.

Crew members look out from their balconies on the Ruby Princess cruise ship on Sunday. The coronavirus-stricken ship is likely to remain docked at Port Kembla for the forseeable future

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 projection examining the effect of tougher measures forecast 700 deaths and 35,000 cases would be recorded by April 15 if nothing was done.

'I think that's probably conservative,' Mr Hazzard said.

'We're doing very well but let's not get too excited. We're barely halfway through the first quarter of the very long game.'

Mr Hazzard on Sunday extended its $5000 on-the-spot fine for spitting and coughing on NSW health workers to include all workers.

The retail workers' union said its members had 'borne the brunt of a huge upsurge in customer abuse' during the pandemic and said it had become 'disturbingly common'.

'These are our neighbours stocking our shelves and manning our cash registers,' Shop, Distributive and Allied Employees' Association NSW/ACT Secretary Bernie Smith said in a statement on Sunday

'They are also your friends' sons and daughters, and your colleagues' partner or parent.

'Sometimes we've all just got to step back and remember that we're all in this together.'

The Berejiklian government also announced on Sunday it was pumping $25 million into fast-tracking statewide coronavirus research and clinical trials and $14 million into its small business advisory program Business Connect.
Australia's Foreign Minister will demand a global inquiry into the spread of COVID-19 - and says the World Health Organisation should play no part in it.

Marise Payne hopes an independent review committee will instead be tasked with determining the genesis of the virus and whether there was any mishandling of the way information was spread internationally.

She agrees with the consensus that the deadly respiratory infection originated in a wet market in Wuhan, China, in late 2019.

'It is fundamental we determine an independent review mechanism... in which the international community can have faith,' she told ABC Insiders.

When pressed, Ms Payne said she does not believe the World Health Organisation should be involved, given their proximity to the crisis up until this point.

agrees with the consensus that the deadly respiratory infection originated in a wet market (Pictured: A different food market in China) in Wuhan, China, in late 2019

'I'm not sure you can have the health organisation responsible for disseminating much of the international communications material and doing much of the early investigative work' conducting the inquiry, she said.

'We share some of the concerns the United States have identified in regards to the World Health Organisation.'

The World Health Organisation was slow to label coronavirus a pandemic, and appeared to support China's handling of the crisis.

In response, US President Donald Trump pulled funding from the organisation, and Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison has faced mounting pressure to follow suit.

Australia, population nearly 25 million, paid the UN agency AUD$54.5 million in 2018 - the eight biggest voluntary contribution of 71 member countries.

China, the world's most populous country and home to almost 1.4 billion people, paid $9.83million in voluntary donations.

Australia's is the eighth biggest donor to the World Health Organisation by voluntary contributions, while China is 21st, 2018 financial figures show

Director General of the World Health Organization Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus (pictured) has been criticised for his handling of the crisis

Ms Payne also said nations throughout the world must come together to determine the best way to conduct a review.

'There will be a path through, but it will need countries to come to the table with a willingness to be transparent and engage in that process,' she said.

'The key going forward is transparency. From China most certainly but all of the key countries who will be a part of any review.'

Ms Payne struggled to say whether she trusted China going forward, but said she was hoping to maintain relations between the two countries.

Pictured: People walking through the streets of Melbourne wearing protective face masks despite the stay at home warnings

Foreign Minister Marise Payne is calling for an independent investigation into the coronavirus crisis

A police officer on a bike tells a group of people to stand up and move along as they break social distancing and stay at home orders in Sydney's east on April 18

'Relationships all around the world will change in some way. What is really important is how the world comes together now to rebuild. It is absolutely key,' she said.

Ms Payne said in particular, the review must examine the genesis of the virus, international approaches to dealing with and addressing it, the openness with which information was shared and about interactions with the World Health Organisation.

She also admitted her political counterpart in China told her the disease was both 'preventable and curable' during a conversation in late January.

There are currently 6,598 known cases of coronavirus in Australia, including 70 deaths.

Globally, more than 2.3 million people have been infected with the disease and 160,000 people have died.
Opalesque Industry Update - Man GLG, the discretionary investment management engine of Man Group, today announces that Andrew Swan will join the firm as Head of Asia (ex-Japan) Equities. With more than 25 years' experience investing in Asian and emerging markets equities, Andrew will initially be responsible for managing a concentrated Long Only Asia (ex-Japan) equity strategy. He will join the firm in mid-Q3 and will be based in Sydney, Australia. Andrew will report directly to Man GLG CEO Teun Johnston. Andrew joins Man GLG from BlackRock, where he most recently served as Head of Asia & Global Emerging Market Fundamental Equities, managing significant client assets across multiple Asian and emerging markets equity strategies and helping to develop the firm's investment platform in Asia. Andrew joined BlackRock in Hong Kong in 2011, before which he spent 17 years at JPMorgan in various Asia Pacific equity portfolio management and research roles. He earned a Bachelor of Commerce in Accounting and Finance from the University of New South Wales, Australia. Teun Johnston, CEO of Man GLG, said: "We are very excited to welcome Andrew to the Man GLG team. We have been looking to expand our Asia offering for a number of years, but have been patient as we want to ensure that whenever we build out strategies in new areas, we do so with individuals we believe to be exceptional Portfolio Managers. Andrew is very experienced and has demonstrated real skill in managing portfolios for his clients over a number of years. We feel that he will be a good fit both within Man GLG and the broader Man Group business." Andrew Swan said: "I am keen to return to focusing on investing for clients and Man GLG's dual focus on autonomy and collaboration, coupled with Man Group's reputation for having a culture of innovation and an exceptional technology platform, made this role a really compelling opportunity for me. I look forward to working with Teun and the team to develop the new strategy and build out a new team." As at 31 December 2019, Man GLG had $31.6 billion in funds under management.
Bill Cosbys underlying medical conditions put him at grave risk should he become infected with COVID-19, his rep believes, telling TheWrap the disgraced comedian should be released from state prison, despite being ruled ineligible for early release.

Cosbys rep, Andrew Wyatt, says that he thinks Pennsylvania Governor Tom Wolf should use his gubernatorial powers to show compassion to another human being, by releasing Cosby. The disgraced television star is currently serving three to 10 years at State Correctional Institution  Phoenix for sexually assaulting a woman in his home.

Mr. Cosby was informed that the carotid arteries on the right and left side of his neck had 90% blockage due to plaque build-up, Wyatt wrote, explaining that the carotid arteries are the blood vessels in the neck that supply blood to the brain, neck and face. Those surgeries were done separately and they were successful.

Also Read: Bill Cosby Ineligible for Pennsylvania's Early Prison Release Program Amid Pandemic

Wolf added that Cosby is currently on medication for high blood pressure and that he is 100% blind from glaucoma. He went on to point out that Dr. Anthony Fauci has said that COVID-19 is deadly to the elderly, to those that suffer from underlying medical issues, to more Blacks and people of color than any other race, and to those who in an environment which prevents them from social distancing (like prisons, for instance).

Mr. Cosby was not given a life sentence nor a death sentence, Wyatt wrote, so we are requesting that Gov. Wolf use his gubernatorial powers to show compassion to another human being. Nothing official has been filed yet, but Wyatt tells TheWrap a petition is forthcoming.

On April 10, Gov. Wolf issued an order to release the first group of inmates on April 15 for at-risk inmates to be temporarily reprieved to help stop the spread of COVID-19, which Wyatt says Cosby is. But on Thursday, the Pennsylvania Department of Corrections and the Montgomery County District Attorneys Office told TheWrap that Cosby is ineligible for early release because the program doesnt apply to those convicted or sentenced for a crime of violence, or any criminal attempt, criminal solicitation, or criminal conspiracy to commit a crime of violence.

Story continues

Also Read: Bill Cosby Says He Has No 'Remorse,' Claims His Trial Was a 'Set Up'

Cosby has been accused by at least 60 women of sexual assault. In a wide-ranging interview given last year to Black Press USA, Cosby said he had no remorse for his actions and claimed his trial was a set up.

Wyatts comments in full are below:

Around the Fall of 2019, Actor & Comedian Bill Cosby was forced to have two major surgeries in-order to sustain his life (prevent him from having a stroke and/or heart attack). During a visit to the infirmary at SCI-Phoenix for high blood pressure issues, Mr. Cosby was informed that the carotid arteries on the right and left side of his neck had 90% blockage due to plaque build-up (the carotid arteries are the major blood vessels in the neck that supply blood to the brain, neck and face). Those surgeries were done separately and they were successful. Mr. Cosby now takes medication for high blood pressure and he is 100% blind from glaucoma.

We are asking Governor Wolf to amend his executive order and grant Mr. Cosby Compassionate Relief based on his current medical status. President Donald Trump, Governor Andrew Cuomo and his Gubernatorial Peers, along with Medical Expert Dr. Anthony Fauci have all stated, Covid-19 is deadly to the elderly; Covid-19 is deadly to those that suffer from underlying medical issues; Covid-19 has been deadly to more Blacks and people of color than any other race; and Covid-19 is deadly to those individuals that are in an environment which prevents any form of Social Distancing (Prisons, Schools, Nursing Homes, etc).

Mr. Cosby was not given a life sentence nor a death sentence, so we are requesting that Gov. Wolf use his gubernatorial powers to show compassion to another human being, Bill Cosby. It has been well documented in the media and by the Secretary of Prisons, John Wetzel, that SCI-Phoenix has been badly infected with the Covid-19 virus.

Read original story Bill Cosby Pleads Again for Prison Release, Rep Says He Will Not Survive if He Gets COVID-19 in Prison At TheWrap
"It is very tiresome on the body, as well as scary on the mind.

Few years ago during the Ebola crisis my friend Dr. Chris Kwaja had done some work for the Economic Community of West African States ECOWAS on health security, public health emergencies and those big sounding words that we academics use in rattling small minds or making a matter complex in the first place before we give a solution, so let me open with his thoughts.

"The governments and communities caught in the Ebola epidemic demonstrated an inability to act in a timely and proactive manner, indicative of generally low levels of emergency preparedness and response capacities. To address these shortcomings, the ECOWAS early warning mechanisms on conflict should be expanded to include tracking early warning signs on public health emergencies

ECOWAS should also commit to strengthening the Ebola coordinating centre, which is based in Conakry. Specifically, ECOWAS should support the centre in the areas of collecting and analyzing real-time information on disasters, as well as planning for the deployment of experts and equipment.

ECOWAS should strongly support Guinea, Liberia, and Sierra Leone in designing and implementing recovery programmes. The programmes should address issues of resource mobilization, resilience, strong and effective governance institution development, and effective and efficient health care system development, and livelihood restoration.

Governments at all levels must invest in personal and community hygiene through the implementation of sustainable water, sanitation and health systems (WASH).

The Ebola epidemic provided a grim reminder of West Africa's dire need for ECOWAS infrastructure capable of responding to emergencies in a timely and proactive manner. As ECOWAS reflects on its successes, challenges, and outlook for the future, this public health infrastructure must be made a priority...

Just remove ebola in the above paragraphs and replace with COVID19 or replace ECOWAS with Nigeria, or leave it as ECOWAS, are we surprised. I doubt, the truth is that we are never ready for anything whether it is ebola, Lassa fever or COVID19.

With the COVID19 pandemic there are no easy answers, on the contrary it has exposed us bare for who and what we are, as a people and those that lead us; do you know that a paint bucket is cheaper than same paint bucket when it is used as a measure to sell local cassava grain (garri)?

That most people do not believe that there is nothing like COVID19 in Nigeria, they tell you blatantly that the virus is everywhere but Nigeria, and they are adamant, ask them, they ask, how come all these governors that were tested positive all become negative in less than 14 days with the exemption of the governor of one state in the North, people ask, why is it that their wives, kids, drivers and closest allies are safe.

In most states they have resorted to fumigation, and the ordinary man cannot understand, because no one took out time to explain all the antecedent drama that followed each states' fumigation, including a state that used "hypo and water" and fire truck vehicle for the exercise. Compare that to fumigation done everywhere but Nigeria. Our ways are just exceptional different, a nation and her people, the place where instead of a hearty empathy message like get well soon, be strong mate when you visit someone in the hospital in Nigeria, you gona wetin kill my brother last month be that.

Not many people understand the gist surrounding the palliatives and the billions being disbursed to ghost persons, and so it is with the "audio monies" that was and is being donated. It is obvious that we have no preparedness in terms of food security, a robust economy and all that bedroom dance of diversification is what it is, mere bedroom dance, for a nation that can barely produce just panadol for her entire citizen.

The fact remains that more Nigerians have been killed extra judicially than COVID19, even as intra, inter state killings and kidnappings with community robberies have also increased alongside the fear of the times. There are no standards, and really very little in terms of guidelines at the isolation centers, even as Nigerians grumble that no one is getting the Conditional Cash Transfer. It is with the lockdown that several locations have been gut in fire, Dugbe market in Ibadan, CAC office in Abuja amongst others.

As it is with us, people are lying about their travel history and medical history, no one wants to be maligned for having Coronavirus, so people even attempt to escape from isolation centers. Our security agents that beat up citizens defying the lockdown are not in any form of protective gear. Even as the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control NCDC and several states present conflicting COVID19 results.

A trader asked me, why are our big men not observing social distance, and why is Mr. President not wearing face mask, and everyone around him, wears one? She asked, is this COVID19 not just for the rich people, she asked COVID19 and HUNGER20 which kills faster? My quick-fire answer was madam, stay at home, be safe, if you have to be outside, wash your hands, dont touch your face with the hands, if you must sneeze, do it like this, not like that

The questions are plenty, the solutions very few, but our COVID19 experience in Nigeria has not been palatable, graciously the death toll has not reached and will not reach alarming rates, If we start serious community testing, are we ready if there is an pandemic like outbreak in Nigeria, this disease has continued to expose the bankruptcy of our polity, will leadership brace up, are we as a people ready for the now and aftermath of all theseI simply nod my head in deep thoughts as Bob Marley's Natural Mystic plays in the background

There's a natural mystic

Blowing through the air

If you listen carefully now you will hear

This could be the first trumpet

Might as well be the last

Many more will have to suffer

Many more will have to die

Don't ask me why

Things are not the way they used to be

I won't tell no lie

One and all got to face reality now

Though I try to find the answer

To all the questions they ask

Though I know it's impossible

To go living through the past

Don't tell no lie

There's a natural mystic

Blowing through the air

Can't keep them down

If you listen carefully now you will hear

Such a natural mystic

Blowing through the air

This could be the--Only time will tell
A Mumbai-based lawyer, Ashish Sohani, has filed a petition in the International Criminal Court (ICC) against China accusing Beijing of failing to contain the coronavirus COVID-19 pandemic and allowing the deadly virus to spread across the globe.

In his 33-page plea, Sohani has demanded Rs 190 lakh crore on behalf of the Government of India from China.

"This humble Complaint/Petition is being filed on account of the recent outbreak and ongoing disease namely, COVID-19 in China and soon engulfed the entire world in its flames. In this complaint/petition, we will establish, how China has been negligent criminally and has wilfully withheld information regarding the virus and the outbreak, due to which the world is suffering," Sohani said in his peition.

"The Peoples Republic of China must be punished for this treason towards humanity, for all those lives lost in the battle to overcome this disease and for the loss of all the precious resources and monetary damage to all other countries. On the 31st December, 2019, the WHO through its China office was informed about a pneumonia like of unknown etiology (unknown cause) disease which is spreading in Wuhan City, China. It was later, on further inspection known that the disease may have started in the Huanan Wet market in Wuhan, where the disease may have spilled over from an another species of animal, i.e jumped from another species of animal to human, just like SARS," he added.

"The conditions of these Wet markets in China, have very questionable standards of hygiene, slaughtering live animals for fresh meat, and blood soaked floors to keeping wild animals in captivity for slaughter in cages allowing them only defecate there itself. The Wet markets sell meats of animals like pangolins, dogs, bats (which is suspected to be the origin of COVID- 19), snakes, civets, etc., apart from the regular meats and seafood. It is highly suspected that the workers handling these wild animals are the transferees of the virus from the carrier wild animals, which then starts to spread to other humans via contact transmission, i.e human to

human transmission," noted Sohani.

The petitioner has also mentioned that the 'wet' market in China was closed on January 1, 2020 after it was revealed that coronavirus spread across the globe from this market. "The main objective of the petition is that China has misappropriated its power and authority on its own people, who were blowing the whistle to inform that something is not right, and has wilfully neglected its duty towards humanity, through various treaties and conventions ratified by it internationally," read the petition.

Sohani has accused China of flouting the International Health Regulation as well as the Rome Statute of the ICC. He also claimed that China has failed to act in a prudent manner, until it was too late, by the time they woke up from their lethargy, the disease was spread to many countries.

"Today, the disease has spread to more than 180 countries around the world to over 1.5 Million people, with over 90,000 deaths and the cause and reason is only and only the political opacity and lack of prompt response at the behest of the Chinese authorities," said the petition.

.
Dear Mrs. Mensa,

I would like to enquire from you as the Electoral Commissioner (EC) of the Republic of Ghana, if a fraudulent voters register was used to conduct the just ended 2019 district assembly elections and the referendum for the creation of the new regions. If YES, how could the elections be credible and successful as you described in your closing remarks? If NO, why do you need to change such a dependable register before a similar successful exercise can be managed in the upcoming 2020 presidential and parliamentary elections? Concerning the regional compilation objections, please cant you just change the regional names of the districts that fall under the new regions?

Again, I would like to know if you inherited a credible register from your predecessor, Mrs Charlotte Osei? If YES, what have you done so far to make the register useless? If NO, why did you use it to conduct the district assembly elections and the referendum for the creation of the new regions under your supervision? Why did you describe the referendum and the election conducted with the untrustworthy register as credible and successful? Can we use a fake register to conduct credible elections? Please, what are the changes made to the 2016 and 2019 register to warrant a compilation of a new one, as suggested? Who caused the questionable authenticity of the credible register you inherited and under whose supervision as the EC did it happen?

Madam, I am asking these questions in response to the ECs recent comment on the existing voters register in a publication dated Thursday April 16, 2020 that only a new voters register can ensure a credible 2020 elections. I have been following most of the arguments from both the incumbent and opposition parties and this is the appropriate opportunity for me to ask questions on the rationale behind the proposed new voters register. Please find the publication reference below:

https://www.ghanaweb.com/GhanaHomePage/NewsArchive/EC-insists-only-a-new-voters-register-can-ensure-a-credible-2020-elections-926242

I have deliberated on this publication severally and I find it extremely difficult to understand the logic behind your reasoning. Your posture on the compilation of the proposed new voters register doesnt make any sense. In fact, I must say your argument is vague, baseless and without any rational clue to support your unnecessary squabbles. Until you justify with a valid and acceptable evidence that the current voters register is compromised after the 2019 district assembly elections, stop the infantile rantings and consider using it for the next elections. The nation cannot afford to waste money on a new register for no tangible reason. It is highly unacceptable.

Before this preposterous publication, did you think through to realize that your argument was telling Ghanaians that President Akufo Addo, the parliamentarians and the current assemblymen were elected with a fake register? Furthermore, have you thought that the new regions were illegitimately created under your superintendence, considering this irresponsible comment from your office?

The good people of Ghana, both home and abroad will be happy to get answers to these questions, as we are looking forward to witnessing a free, fair and transparent general elections once again. Until you provide the answers, I write to caution your team that Ghanaians are open-eyed and hence, any attempt to rig the upcoming elections will not be countenanced. We will not sit unconcerned for you to plunge the country into a state of pandemonium.

Please reconsider your staunch decision in the collective interest of the nation. Your attitude towards Ghanaians, concerning your clear independency and unflinching support for the NPP partys effort to compile a fraudulent voters register is nauseating. We all recall that the Majority Leader and NPP Member of Parliament (MP) for Suame, Mr. Osei Kyei Mensah-Bonsu emphatically stated that NPP can only win the upcoming elections, if a new register is compiled.

I have monitored you from afar and I am sounding a strong warning to your team that any attempt to be partial to favour a particular political party will not be accepted and the repercussions involved will be dangerous. Nobody can stop the Ghanaian youth from demanding justice into our electoral system, if rigging occurs. A word to the wise is enough. God bless our homeland Ghana!

Solomon K. A. Owusu

Denver, Colorado, USA
OPINION: "This should be a no-brainer, so whats the problem? Some members of the RTA board are hesitant to change the scope of the First Avenue project. They appear to want Tucson to build a six-lane roadway because it was the project scope promised in the 2006 plan and the RTA must do what was promised no matter the need or the cost. Decisions by the RTA Board should be made based on facts and data, not out of fear of public perceptions and long ago promises," write Tucsonans Ruth Reiman and Jane Evans.
Thiruvananthapuram, April 19 : Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan, here on Sunday, slammed the opposition for raking up the Sprinklr data 'scam' when the state was passing through difficult times due to the coronavirus pandemic.

Reacting to the Opposition Congress onslaught, Vijayan, in his weekly TV interaction, said, "The opposition has been after the government, since we have been getting applause for the way we handled Covid-19. Now they want to show us in poor light. The people know everything. I will not go after this controversy and I will continue my work." The data scam is linked to transfer of Covid-19 information to a US-based PR and marketing firm Sprinklr. It was raised by the Congress and P.T. Thomas, a party MLA, later dragged the name of Vijayan's daughter who owns an IT firm based in Bengaluru.

On Sunday CPI(M) politburo member S. Ramachandran Pillai came to Vijayan's defence. "During extraordinary times, extraordinary decisions will have to be taken. Right now we are facing and fighting a pandemic. The need of the hour is to wait as we have to fight Covid-19. Kerala has now become the cynosure of the world on how it tackled it. So let's wait, we will discuss all issues at an appropriate time," said Pillai.

The Left Democratic Front (LDF) convenor and senior CPI-M leader A. Vijayaraghavan also slammed the Congress-led opposition for spreading canards.

"The Opposition is playing cheap politics at a time when the state and people are passing through tough times and the government is doing everything to ease their stress. This is not acceptable," said Vijayaraghavan.
The battle against coronavirus has preoccupied the time and attention of the Centre and states governments for nearly two months and there are few, if any, signs of an early conclusion. Even if the pandemics curve flattens out, governments are in for a long haul because the economic and social costs are far too enormous to be recompensed in the short run.

However, single-minded the political establishments involvement in the battle against the pandemic, there several critical political matters, which are now up in the air. Uddhav Thackerays election: Every ...
Brexit negotiator David Frost (left) ruled out seeking an extension earlier this week. (Getty)

Extending the Brexit transition period could mean the UK has to pay out for the EUs response to the coronavirus crisis, it has been revealed.

The government refused earlier this week to seek an extension from the EU citing fears it could leave the UK liable to pay more into the EU in future.

A source told The Sunday Telegraph, however, that the decision was partly based on a concern that the EU will demand "massive" payments to help deal with the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic.

It comes as EU beaurocrats are set to agree a new seven-year budget which will see more grants paid out by member states in the first few years of the cycle.

It's feared the UK could be forced to pick up the tab for the EU's coronavirus bill if the transition period is extended. (Getty)

A source close to the negotiations said the changes to the budget are likely to be aimed at helping countries recover from the economic effects of coronavirus, and could see the UK liable for payments.

Its clear the EU will be increasing their budget, and bringing in all kinds of packages to deal with the consequences of the Covid 19 crisis, they said.

Latest coronavirus news, updates and advice

Paying into this new budget when we are no a longer member state and without a say is clearly not in the national interest.

We need to spend money on our own needs in our own way."

A Downing Street spokesperson said earlier this week: We will not ask to extend the transition period, and if the EU asks we will say no.

While David Frost, Britain's chief negotiator tweeted: 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 governments decision to rule out extending the transition period was hailed by some MPs earlier this week.

Story continues

North West Leicestershire MP Andrew Bridgen said: Circumstances have changed. The UK taxpayer now has a major bill to pick up to pay for the coronavirus aftermath.

The EU is set to introduce sweeping budgetary changes in the coming days. (Getty)

We cannot afford to pay huge sums of money to a dysfunctional organisation which we are no longer part of.

The government needs to look at this again particularly if the EU fails to conclude an acceptable trade deal with us we should be paying nothing."

Former cabinet minister David Jones said: It is good that David Frost has confirmed the transition period will end on 31 December.

The government has said it will pay what is due but we should not pay a penny more.

However, Liberal Democrat MP Layla Moran tweeted: Govt has a window to extend the transition period. Why on earth would they not do so?

We should be pointing our resources to coronavirus and saving lives, not an economically devastating no-deal Brexit.

Coronavirus: what happened today?

Click here to sign up to the latest news, advice and information with our daily Catch-up newsletter
Bindi Irwin and Chandler Powell's wedding special aired in the US on Saturday night.

And at one point in the episode, Bindi's younger brother Robert teared up while talking about his older sister getting married.

The 16-year-old wildlife warrior was seemingly emotional that his father Steve was not alive to be at the wedding with the rest of the family.

'I'm overjoyed!' Robert Irwin (pictured) chokes back tears of happiness at Bindi and Chandler Powell's wedding day at Australia Zoo

'I think for all of us, it's just emotional, excited and it's just an incredibly special day. I'm overjoyed for Bindi and Chandler to start their married life today,' he said.

Robert then repeatedly blinked as he held back tears, saying: 'I can't wait, I'm emotional already!'

'Oh, what are you doing Robert? Pull yourself together! It's happy tears though,' he joked.

'I think part of the reason why it's such an incredibly emotional day for all of us...' Robert said but was once again brought to tears and unable to finish the sentence

'I've got the most incredible sister in the world and I absolutely just love her so much and I'm so happy for her today. I'm going to need a second, sorry,' Robert said, before breaking down in tears another time and walking off camera.

'I think part of the reason why it's such an incredibly emotional day for all of us...' he continued, but was once again brought to tears and unable to finish the sentence.

It was then suggested by Robert's mother Terri that he is emotional because his father Steve is not there for the wedding.

'It all starts hitting home that your dad's not here and should be and all the things are just kind of snowballing into one,' Terri said.

Fast tracked: Bindi and Chandler's wedding was held a week early at Australia Zoo on March 25 due to the COVID-19 pandemic

Bindi and Chandler's wedding was held a week early at Australia Zoo on March 25 due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Their Crikey! It's the Irwins TV wedding special aired in the US on Saturday night but isn't scheduled to air in Australia until July 25.

Despite being filmed Down Under, the episode will already have aired in every other county by July 18, making Australians the last people in the world able to watch it.
What is it about Spanish drama La Casa de Papel or Money Heist in English that has gripped India? Weve had our share of some great movies and serialized shows that have implacably left their mark, so no feeling of deprivation or of being shortchanged, there. Weve always been suckers for drama, action, romance, emotion, and sure enough, weve regularly been fed barrels of it. But, Money Heist, ah! Its got to be a little more than this, no?

Global streaming platform Netflixs most watched non-English series, the show has English subtitles as well as an English dubbed version to cater to viewers across the world. Its recently released fourth season, which took the drama around a Salvador Dali-masked gang a notch up, was ranked highly in Netflixs US top 5 most-watched titles, and a cliff-hanger has caught fans with curiosity for another season already.

It is the story of a rag tag bunch of people who get together and plan, what else, a heist. And at the end of 2 seasons, they plan one more. For four seasons, the series is engorged with jaw dropping action, enough adrenalin rush to fuel an army, suspenseful tension, and also, quirks, friendships, love affairs, cheering for Cameroon moments, mouth-watering characters to crush on, get annoyed by, and super hate. The smorgasbord is replete.

Sociologically and psychologically, we resonate with this series. It starts of being a regular day at office  an inevitable battle between good and bad. But the delicious irony is when the line gets smudged a little; when the good guys behave badly and the bad guys do the right things, in the right way.

A scene from the latest season of the show

Our favourite characters are infused with nobility, an innate sense of decency, loyalty, and human fallibility. And on the other side, a bit of sadism, deceit and perversion, helps blur the lines completely. The series is romantic and cathartic, and its over-surging popularity, a no-brainer.

Weve consumed Money Heist and have been consumed by it; and what a welcome weve given them into our homes and into our lives.

There are enough memes and reviews and wish lists going around about how it should be remade in India and with whom. While a whole lot of actors themselves have expressed interest in playing key characters in a possible adaptation, film trade experts in the country are also tuned into the hype.

Film critic Taran Adarsh, whos yet to watch the show but has it on his OTT watchlist, says it is being highly recommended to hi m by his industry friends. However, when asked talking about the feasibility of a desi adaptation, he says, For any interpretation in our local language, it has to be done equally convincingly as the original content. And most importantly, it has to be Indianised for our tastes while keeping the core essence intact.

Why not? asks trade expert Girish Johar when asked if an Indian take on the show, in the form of a feature film or series, would make sense. But he points out, it should be done only after customising the script around the enigmatic character Professor and his gangs plot to carry out the biggest robbery, and setting it in the country.

However, Bollywood trade analyst Atul Mohan has a slightly different opinion. See, the audience has already watched Money Heist, and while there are people saying its a great show, there is also a section of people calling it overrated.

Besides, he adds, In India, we have our Dhoom series, a big franchise which has been led by actors such as John Abraham, Hrithik Roshan and Aamir Khan, and the buzz about Dhoom 4 is so strong. Weve already had various desi versions of the plot in Bollywood, with films such as Aankhen (2002), Special 26 (2013) and Happy New Year (2014), with some of the industrys biggest stars leading the casts.

So, Mohan adds that Money Heist should just be left out of an adaptation.

Its time for you, our readers and viewers, to join the party. If at all Money Heist is remade, who do you think, among our favourite actors, would make the cut?

Write to us at htcity@hindustantimes.com.

Socially inept, nerdily hot, and brilliant Professor

Urbane, charming, and sadistically inclined Berlin

Sassy, boisterous, and ballsy Nairobi

Sexy, fearless, and prickly Tokyo

Awkward, energetic, and impetuous Denver

Young, earnest, and confused Rio

Big, ungainly, and gentle Helsinki

Beautiful, vulnerable, and needy Raquel

Annoying, selfish, and frankly, loathsome Arturo

Cold, chillingly efficient, and edgy Alicia

Follow @htshowbiz for more
A radiographer was given a guard of honour as he walked out of hospital today - after recovering from whole-body paralysis caused by coronavirus.

Paul Skegg, 42, smiled and clapped as he left Darent Valley Hospital in Dartford, Kent, as a newly engaged man following a dramatic recovery described as 'just short of a miracle'.

NHS staff lined the corridor to cheer him on as he managed to walk out of the building, despite being paralysed during some of the 11 days he spent in an intensive treatment unit (ITU).

He had developed Guillain-Barre syndrome, an extremely rare complication of Covid-19.

Dr Jonathan Kwan, divisional medical director at the Kent hospital, said the radiographer had recovered from the first known case of the syndrome caused by coronavirus in Kent, if not the whole country.

Paul Skegg (pictured), 42, left Darent Valley Hospital in Dartford, Kent, as a newly engaged man following a dramatic recovery described as 'nothing short of a miracle'

NHS staff lined the corridor to cheer him on as he managed to walk out of the building, despite being paralysed during some of the 11 days he spent in an intensive treatment unit (ITU)

Mr Skegg's now-fiancee Katy Lavender was handed a bouquet of flowers as she joined him outside the Covid-19 ward.

He was admitted to hospital on April 3, and soon developed total muscular paralysis of the body because of the syndrome.

On Saturday, as he struggled to breathe, he asked his girlfriend to marry him by mouthing the words through his tracheotomy tube.

In an emotional video shared by the trust - who Mr Skegg has worked with for 24 years - he and his fiancee left the hospital to a bout of applause.

The trust's tweet read: 'Today, we lined the corridor for one of our own and clapped this frontline NHS staff home.

'Paul walked out of hospital today having proposed to his girlfriend Katy via FaceTime when he was still in the ITU, where he stayed for 11 days.'

The pair both work as radiographers for different NHS trusts.

During his time in hospital Mr Skegg suffered a rare complication of Covid-19 that led to total muscular paralysis of the body. As he struggled to breath he asked Katy Lavender (pictured with her engagement ring) to marry him

Miss Lavender took to Facebook group The Society and College of Radiographers to share the news of her fiance's recovery

Dr Kwan said: 'He thought he was in his last leg and he took a deep breath and mouthed the proposal through his tracheotomy tube.

What is Guillain-Barre syndrome? It is a rare disorder in which your body's immune system attacks your nerves. Weakness and tingling in your extremities are usually the first symptoms. These sensations can quickly spread, eventually paralysing your whole body. The exact cause of Guillain-Barre syndrome is unknown. But it is often preceded by an infectious illness such as a respiratory infection or the stomach flu. There's no known cure for Guillain-Barre syndrome, but several treatments can ease symptoms and reduce the duration of the illness. Most people recover from Guillain-Barre syndrome, though some may experience lingering effects from it, such as weakness, numbness or fatigue. Guillain-Barre syndrome is a serious condition that requires immediate hospitalisation because it can worsen rapidly. The sooner appropriate treatment is started, the better the chance of a good outcome. Source: Mayo Clinic Advertisement

'To no-one's surprise, Katy accepted, to the immense delight of all the ITU staff looking after him.

'It was an extraordinary happy occasion to otherwise sweaty hard-slog routines of ITU.'

Miss Lavender took to Facebook group The Society and College of Radiographers to share the news of her fiance's recovery.

In a heartwarming post she wrote: 'Paul Skegg has been making incredible progress.

'Having defeated Covid-19 and recovering from Gullain-Barre syndrome triggered by the coronavirus I was allowed visitation today and we are now engaged to be married!

'He is making great progress, having been weaned off ventilation and we are both looking forward to returning to work and continuing to help those affected by Covid-19 as a team.'

She thanked members of the group for offering their support during the couple's 'darkest hours'.

She added: 'The messages of hope and love were a lifesaver for me and Paul's mother and we extend our thanks and love to the entire Radiological community.

'We hope everyone keeps safe and continues their amazing work saving lives. We owe you and the healthcare professions so much!'

In an emotional video shared by the trust - who Mr Skegg has worked with for 24 years - he and his fiancee left the hospital to a bout of applause

Dr Kwan paid tribute to the critical care team as well as the hospital's expert neurologists, who used a 'groundbreaking' therapy to treat Mr Skegg.

It used an immunoglobulin infusion, a plasma extract from blood donations supplied by the National Blood Transfusion Service (NHSBT).

He said: 'Without this, Paul might have been on the ventilator for much longer.

'His rapid recovery is just short of a miracle.

'Today, we lined the corridor for one of our own and clapped this front-line NHS staff home, following a 16-day stay at Darent Valley Hospital.'
KIGALI  Rwandas Ministry of Health on Saturday April 11 confirmed two new COVID-19 cases, bringing the cumulative number of confirmed cases to 120.

18 of these have since recovered, according to reports.

The new cases include two contacts of previously confirmed positive cases, who were identified through tracing.

The Ministry of Health said in its daily update that all the new cases had been isolated.

The health ministry said all the confirmed cases were under treatment and in a stable condition in designated health facilities.

The majority are asymptomatic and no patient is under critical conditions, the daily update reads in part, adding that tracing of all contacts had been conducted for further management.

The ministry called on Rwandans to observe all the measures put in place to contain the virus.

Rwanda, on March 21, announced a two-week lockdown which has since been extended for another two weeks to enforce social distancing measures.

The country also closed all of its borders and suspended passengers flights, only keeping cargo transportation operational.

Needy people who are not able to earn during the lock-down have been helped through the Governments exercise to distribute free foodstuff and essential sanitary products to households identified as the hardest-hit in the current crisis.

Globally, coronavirus cases have risen to more than 1,469,240, while the death toll now stands at over 86, 270. 316,520 have recovered from the virus.

Related
Protests against coronavirus-related restrictions spread to more US states over the weekend after President Donald Trump backed them with his LIBERATE tweets.

Hundreds gathered in state capitals of Texas, Maryland, Utah, California, Arizona, Washington and Colorado, with signs and chants against the restrictions as a violation of their rights.

Some carried signs saying the virus was a hoax, and some in Texas called for firing top epidemiologist Anthony Fauci, a member of the White House coronavirus task force, who some people see as undermining the American president.

Protestors in Michigan, New York, Kentucky, Texas and some other states earlier defied social distancing norms issued by the Trump administration.

The US death toll went up by 1,891 over the past 24 hours to 39,025 as of Sunday morning and infections rose by 32,491 to 735,366.
When Shanti went into labour on April 14, she and her husband desperately began to walk in search of a hospital in Bengaluru. The couple from Odisha, who worked at construction sites on the citys outskirts, had trudged for about seven kilometers when Shanti collapsed in front of a dental clinic.

An employee at the clinic noticed Shanti and immediately called Ramya Himanish, a dentist who runs it and stays nearby. Shanti delivered a baby boy before the dentist could help them reach the nearest hospital. The dentist in between ensured Shantis bleeding stopped and the boy, who was presumed dead, was cleaned to help him breathe properly.

They [the couple] could not speak Kannada nor Hindi or English and from whatever little I could understand, they spoke some tribal dialect. The couple is very young, aged between 18-20. The woman, whose name I came to know eventually as Shanti, was too frail and in great pain. When I inquired, all we could understand was that they had no work for nearly a month and had not eaten for a day, said Himanish.

Even before she could get further details, Shanti collapsed next to the clinic and began bleeding heavily after delivering. Himanish said her first priority was to save her even as the baby was not moving and the husband assumed he was dead and wrapped him up in newspaper. She used dental sutures at her clinic to stop Shantis bleeding as she shifted her to a portion of her clinic where she could get privacy behind curtains. ...mine is a dental clinic with no paraphernalia of regular maternity hospitals. Once the condition of the mother stabilised, Himanish turned her attention to the child wrapped up in the newspaper. She realised it was a baby boy and his heart was beating, though it was faint. So she used whatever equipment available to clean the nose and mouth of the child to help him breathe freely.

Mud and the birth fluid were hindering the baby from breathing. The moment the baby was cleaned up, he began to breathe and cry. Shanti had woken up by then and I asked her to feed the child. All of us were in a shock till then and it was then I asked them whether they wanted to be shifted to the nearest hospital. But since, it is a large multi-speciality private hospital, the husband was afraid they would ask money. So, we called the government K C General Hospital and eventually an ambulance came and shifted them there.

Himanish said the husband had till then refused to talk to her or answer her questions. I assume he was afraid that we would ask for money which is why he did not speak at all then and maybe also the shock that he thought that the child was dead. Also, he himself is very young, not more than 20-21.

A day later, the husband, who refused to disclose his name, called Himanish from the K C General Hospital. He could not clearly communicate as he knew none of the languages Himanish spoke. The dentist understood he wanted to thank her and say the child and mother were all right. In all my 18 years as a dentist, I have never had such an experience. While it was very tense when the whole thing took place, I am happy that everything turned out well though I do not know how this has come to the notice of the media, said Himanish.

Attempts to get details of the couple from K C General Hospital were unsuccessful. The hospital said it does not disclose details of any of its patients.
Bahrain Mumtalakat Holding Company, the sovereign wealth fund of the Kingdom, has contributed of BD9.91 million ($26 million) for the "FeenaKhair" campaign to combat Covid-19 through its wholly owned companies, subsidiaries and associates.



Shaikh Khalid bin Abdulla Al Khalifa, Deputy Prime Minister, Chairman of Mumtalakat, stated that as part of Mumtalakats responsibility towards the community, it supports all national efforts to combat the Coronavirus and prevent its outbreak in line with the directives of His Majesty King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa, and the relentless endeavours undertaken by the government headed by His Royal Highness the Prime Minister Prince Khalifa bin Salman Al Khalifa, and the tireless follow-up and constant personal attention that His Royal Highness Prince Salman bin Hamad Al Khalifa, the Crown Prince, Deputy Supreme Commander and First Deputy Prime Minister.



Shaikh Khalid added: Mumtalakats support to FeenaKhair campaign that is considered one of the most successful initiatives launched by HH Shaikh Nasser bin Hamad Al Khalifa, Representative of HM the King for Humanitarian and Youth Affairs, National Security Advisor and Chairman of the Board of Trustees of the Royal Humanitarian Foundation, is a confirmation of Mumtalakats commitment to the principle of social responsibility and readiness to contribute effectively to the Kingdom of Bahrain efforts towards achieving sustainable development under the leadership and wise guidance of His Majesty the King..



Mumtalakats subsidiaries and associates that announced their support to the "FeenaKhair" campaign include Aluminium Bahrain (Alba), which contributed BD3.5 million, Batelco with BD3.5 million, the National Bank of Bahrain (NBB) with BD2.5 million, Gulf Hotels Group in the amount of BD200 thousand, Bahrain Airport Services Company in the amount of BD100,000 Bahrain Real Estate Investment Company "Edamah" in the amount of BD100,000 and the Bahrain Institute for Pearls and Gemstones "Danat" at an amount of BD10,000.- TradeArabia News Service
The Oregonian/OregonLives newsroom has dispersed to remote satellite offices, also known as kitchens and spare rooms, but our impact remains powerful.

Our journalists have repeatedly pushed for the public to receive more information on coronavirus, from the number of cases in nursing homes, to data about Oregonians who tested positive for COVID-19, to the lack of widespread testing.

Weve seen noteworthy successes. Investigative reporters Brad Schmidt, Rob Davis and Fedor Zarkhin, for instance, have repeatedly pressed Gov. Kate Brown and the Oregon Health Authority to release more information about the positive COVID-19 cases in the state. The Oregonian/OregonLives Editorial Board also has called several times for the state to be more transparent.

When Oregons first positive case was announced Feb. 28, Oregonians received no information on the persons age, gender, ethnicity or symptoms. Officials repeatedly said they could not share that information because of patient privacy.

Nevertheless, Davis and Schmidt pointed to other cities, counties and states that were releasing that information to the public. As a result, the state started releasing much more data.

Zarkhin, our health reporter, couldnt get from the state the number of nursing home residents who had tested positive, so he set about contacting two dozen facilities. The state argued it could not reveal individual counts by facility due to confidentiality concerns. Zarkhin pointed out that many private nursing homes release the information.

Zarkhin was the first to report that 20% of Oregons deaths had occurred in one nursing home. That prompted a state senator to object on Twitter to the secrecy.

We receive daily briefings and I chair the Human Services Committee, Sara Gelser said in a tweet. I learned about this today from a state official who learned about this from a reporter. Information must be more timely and transparent.

It is indeed vital information for residents of that home, their families and the homes staff. Last week, Oregon revealed it launched an inspection of the home on the day Zarkhins story published.

What the inspection found was shocking: Healthcare at Foster Creek actually had more COVID-19 deaths than previously reported and had staff members who failed to take basic precautions. The home now has the largest cluster of cases in the state  at least 50 cases of illness -- a fact we know only because of Zarkhins tenacious reporting.

Meantime, Schmidt early on zeroed in on testing as a crucial issue. He has pushed the governor and state officials for details on testing capacity, widely acknowledged as a key to controlling the outbreak.

Time after time, he pointed out testing gaps, overstated promises and lost tests.

Additionally, Schmidt called all the major hospital systems and convinced them to release numbers of those hospitalized with COVID-19. Experts stressed that hospitalizations dont lie  they are a key metric of how well Oregon is containing the virus. Reporter Jeff Manning, meantime, revealed that seven pharmacy employees at one hospital had been diagnosed with COVID-19.

Enterprise reporter Noelle Crombie and data analyst Mark Friesen crunched the numbers to find that Jackson County reported one of the nations highest testing rates. No one has yet explained satisfactorily why that one county tested at such a high rate when other Oregonians were told tests were too scarce for widespread testing.

Journalists feel a special obligation to report on the marginalized, the voiceless and the most vulnerable among us.

Crombie broke the news that Brown had asked for information about the possible early release of inmates to limit coronavirus spread in prisons. A few days later, she confirmed with Browns office that it had received estimates of inmates identified as potential candidates for early release, but the governors staff declined to make the information public, saying Crombie should file a public records request.

Two days later, she obtained the documents that showed officials believed nearly 6,000 inmates would have to be released to allow for physical distancing behind bars. (Brown eventually said she had ruled out mass releases).

When leaders called for Oregonians to stay home, City Hall reporter Everton Bailey pressed on what that meant for people without a house. After further reporting by Molly Harbarger, our homelessness reporter, Brown clarified that the homeless population was not subject to her stay-home order after all and could move around to seek shelter and other services.

Business reporter Mike Rogoway relentlessly exposed problems with the Employment Department computer systems, which caused delays and incorrect denials. He interrupted his Easter Sunday to update readers when Oregonians encountering glitches inundated his email inbox.

And Rogoway and reporter Hillary Borrud showed how Oregons aging computer system could cost out-of-work Oregonians more than $100 million in federal support. The state had refused to waive the states one-week delay, saying to do so would require thousands of hours of work.

The day The Oregonian published that story on the front page, Brown said she would waive the delay.

This was a tough week for the newsroom. Advance Local, our parent company, announced news employees would have to take pay cuts and unpaid furlough days. Despite that, the newsroom continued to produce outstanding journalism.

This was true before, but the coronavirus has laid it bare: Oregonians will get the amount of fact-based news theyre willing to pay for.



Heres the type of work you champion when you spend $120/year to support The @Oregonian. A thread.https://t.co/UjL5NFjfJv  Rob Davis (@robwdavis) April 15, 2020

Davis, who highlighted the newsrooms work on Twitter, said this:

So, here it is Oregon. The real deal. If you want to support the @Oregonian asking hard Qs, informing policy, informing YOU, you have the option.

Thank you, print subscribers, and thanks to those who went to oregonlive.com/supporter and subscribed to OregonLive.

The news remains free online, but we hope you join the thousands who have subscribed to support our work.
Birmingham police are investigating a deadly shooting in east Birmingham.

Officers responded about 11 a.m. Sunday to the 1400 block of 88th Street North on a report of a person down. Sgt. Rod Mauldin said when they arrived on the scene, the victim was unresponsive. He was pronounced dead a short time later.

The victim is a black male, but authorities have not identified him. He was found on the side of the road in a remote residential area not far from the airport.

Mauldin said the man had been fatally shot but the investigation is in its early stages.

The deadly shooting is the citys seventh homicide since Monday and the 35th so far in 2020. Of those, four have been ruled justifiable and therefore are not deemed criminal. In all of Jefferson County, there have been 54 homicides including the 35 in Birmingham.

Anyone with information is asked to call Birmingham homicide detectives at 205-254-1764 or Crime Stoppers at 205-254-7777.
Like the Trump campaign in 2016, the Biden operation will have to rely heavily on the infrastructure that has been built for it by his national and state parties. The Democratic operation is far larger than in 2016 but still much smaller than the Republican infrastructure. The campaign has separately been struggling with divisions in the high-dollar donor committee, after Biden distanced himself from the super PAC that helped him through the primaries in favor of a group that worked to elect Clinton and Obama.
Meeting of 300 people was recorded in laurel, while social distance and other quarantine rules were not respected

As of morning, the police registered 4 cases of non-compliance with quarantine in the Donetsk region. Among them, one criminal proceedings were opened on the events in the Svyatohirsk Holy Assumption Lavra. The press service of the National Police reports.

"In Svyatohirsk Holy Assumption Lavra a meeting of 300 people was recorded, while social distance and other quarantine rules were not respected. In fact, criminal proceedings were initiated under Article 325 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine (violation of sanitary rules and norms for the prevention of infectious diseases and mass poisoning)," the report said.

It is reported that police continue to work in heavy duty.

As we reported before, in the Ivano-Frankivsk region, where the large number of infected by Covid-19 registered among the local population, authorities will not close churches during the Easter holidays and will not strenghten quarantine restrictions.

"They did not introduce additional restrictive measures, additional quarantine for the weekend during the Easter holidays. Authorities rely more on people's consciousness. Both doctors, and city authorities, and priests of all faiths: everyone calls on people to stay home at holidays," the correspondent said.
Cotonou, Benin (PANA)  Belgian Cooperation agency is supporting Benin in fighting against COVID-19 through the donation of two ambulances to the Health ministry, sources at the ministry said on Sunday in Cotonou
Police say several villages in Nigerias northwestern Katsina state attacked early on Saturday.

Armed bandits have killed at least 47 people in attacks on several villages in the northwestern Nigerian state of Katsina.

The attacks took place in the early hours of Saturday, between 12:30am (23:30 GMT Friday) and around 3am (02:00GMT), Katsina police said in its statement on Sunday.

Detachments of Police, Nigerian Army, Nigeria Airforce, Civil Defence and DSS (Department of State Services) have been drafted to the area, the statement added.

Police spokesman Gambo Isah told the dpa news agency that the attacks were carried out by more than 300 armed men.

We are combing the forest to arrest those behind the attack, added Isah.

The bandits reportedly demanded food items and other relief materials delivered to the villagers as part of governments efforts to help locals during the coronavirus lockdown, the local Channels TV reported.

Hundreds of people have been killed in the last year by criminal gangs carrying out robberies and kidnappings in northwest Nigeria.

Such attacks have added to security challenges in Africas most populous country, which is already struggling to contain Boko Haram attacks in the northeast and communal violence over grazing rights in central states.
Steven Mnuchin said that a deal for small business relief could be reached within Democrats as early as Sunday night as he continues negotiations with Chuck Schumer and Nancy Pelosi.

'I think we're very close to a deal today,' Mnuchin told CNN's State of the Union Sunday morning. 'I'm hopeful that we can get that done.'

'I'm hopeful that we can reach an agreement that the Senate can pass this tomorrow, and that the House can take it up on Tuesday. Wednesday, we would be back up and running,' he continued.

The comments from the Treasury secretary came as an interim relief bill proposed by Republicans earlier this month to expand a program for small businesses was blocked by Democrats after they claimed it didn't go far enough in providing money for other programs and initiatives.

Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer said that a deal is impending, adding that he, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and Mnuchin have engaged in continuous discussions to get a deal on the table to expand the payment protection program (PPP).

Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin (right) told CNN Sunday morning that a deal with Democrats to expand small business relief funds could be reached 'today'

'I'm hopeful that we can reach an agreement that the Senate can pass this tomorrow, and that the House can take it up on Tuesday,' Mnuchin said as he continues negotiations with Democratic leadership

Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer confirmed to CNN that he felt an agreement with Republicans could be reached by Sunday night or Monday morning

The deal will come as more than 22 million Americans applied for unemployment benefits in the last four weekly filing periods as they were laid off or furloughed in the wake of the coronavirus pandemic

'Our staffs are meeting 24/7. We have made very good progress, and I'm very hopeful we could come to an agreement tonight or early tomorrow morning,' the New York Democrat told CNN's Jake Tapper Sunday morning.

'I am very, very hopeful,' Schumer continued. 'And, as you heard, many of the things we have asked for on the banking side, on the testing side, on the hospital side, they're going along with. So we feel pretty good. We still have a few more issues to deal with.'

House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer announced Sunday evening that the lower chamber should expect to vote on the interim relief package as early as this week.

'Members are advised that pending agreement on interim legislation related to the coronavirus response and the Paycheck Protection Program, the House could meet as early as Wednesday, April 22, 2020 at 10:00 a.m. to consider that legislation,' Hoyer said in a statement.

He added: 'Members are further advised that at this time, a recorded vote on the interim legislation is likely in the House this week.'

Hoyer said all members of Congress will have sufficient notice to get to Washington, D.C. in time to vote on the legislation.

More than 22 million Americans have filed for unemployment in the past four weekly filing periods, many after losing their jobs at family-owned restaurants and small businesses.

The markets have also plummeted and struggled to keep stable in the wake of the pandemic, which has killed nearly 40,000 people in the U.S. and surged to more than 741,000 cases nationwide in a little over a months-time.

The economic impact of the virus, experts assert, could affect the country for years to come.

But Mnuchin, the head of the treasury Department, which oversees the allocation of PPP grant to small businesses, said he believes the recovery will be much quicker.

'I think it will be months, I definitely don't think it will be years,' he told CNN when asked when the U.S. can expect to return to the economic position it was in before the pandemic.

'We are going to conquer this virus. We are going to have terrific breakthroughs, I know,' he continued.

'Rightfully so, people are being cautious. On the other hand, as we get comfortable reopening the economy, I think we'll see a big rebound.'

The Small Business Administration stopped accepting applications for the grant, which is forgiven as long as businesses used the funds to prevent layoffs, on Thursday.

Majority Leader Mitch McConnell brought a bill to the floor April 9 that would increase the PPP by $250 billion and allow the program to accept more applications and provide relief to thousands more businesses.

The original measure was included in the $2.2 trillion CARES Act to provide stimulus and relief for individuals, families, businesses and corporations struggling to cope with the fallout from the coronavirus pandemic.

The PPP was allocated $350 billion, but all the funds were approved for distribution to small businesses across the country in less than two weeks after applications were opened.

Republicans demanded ahead of the fund running dry that it be expanded  but Democrats felt other issues were more important to focus on, like expanding the federal food stamps program and boosting production and distribution of personal protective equipment (PPE) for hospitals and other healthcare centers.

Democrats were able to block a GOP-proposed expansion of the payment protection program earlier this month in claiming it didn't include the measures they wanted passed

Mnuchin, who heads the Treasury Department, also said it was his idea for the $1,200 checks for Americans as part of the stimulus bill to include the president's signature

Also included in the CARES Act was a measure to send $1,200 checks to most American adults earning less than $95,000, and an additional $500 for children.

Reports emerged, however, that many checks would be delayed and several Americans reported that they had not received them.

Many who have direct deposit set up through filing their taxes last year or this year with the Internal Revenue Service have already received the payout, but others waiting for a physical check were told they would have to wait as Donald Trump wanted his name printed on all of the checks.

Mnuchin took the blame for the delay, claiming it was his idea to have the president's John Hancock included on the checks.

'We did put the president's name on the check - that was my idea. He is the president, and I think it's terrific symbol to the American public,' Mnuchin told CNN.

Democrats have proposed the next CARES Act include a measure that sends more checks to Americans, and even have floated the idea of the checks being recurring until lockdowns and stay-at-home orders have lifted.
By Nandita Bose and Susan Cornwell

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - U.S. Democrats and Republicans are near agreement on extra money to help small businesses hurt by the coronavirus pandemic and could seal a deal as early as Monday, President Donald Trump said on Sunday.

Trump told his daily White House briefing on the crisis that Republicans were "close" to an agreement with Democrats, and suggested there could be a resolution on Monday.

"A lot of good work has been going on. We could have an answer tomorrow," the Republican president said.

Senate Democratic leader Chuck Schumer had said he hoped a deal could be reached on Sunday evening, although he cautioned that many issues remained.

Members of the two parties have been taking shots at one another over the delay in further small-business aid, against a backdrop of protests by Trump supporters of orders for Americans to stay at home, and businesses to remain closed, to prevent the further spread of the virus.

The United States has by far the world's largest number of confirmed coronavirus cases, with more than 750,000 infections and over 40,000 deaths.

An agreement on an interim deal would end a stalemate over Trump's request to add $250 billion to a small-business loan program established last month as part of a $2.3 trillion coronavirus economic relief plan. That fund has already been exhausted.

Democratic leaders want more money for small businesses but with safeguards to ensure credit reaches underserved communities. They also sought more funds for state and local governments and hospitals, as well as food aid for the poor.

Republican Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell and Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin told senators on a conference call on Sunday that additional funding Democrats wanted would not be in the package.

Congress plans to take up another major coronavirus relief measure after the small-business fund is replenished. In a possible precursor, Democratic Senator Bob Menendez and Republican Senator Bill Cassidy said on Sunday they would formally introduce legislation to create a $500 billion fund to help state and local governments respond to the crisis.

Story continues

Trump told his news briefing that he was in favor of aid to state and local governments, but in future legislation.

House leaders put out a schedule update saying a vote on interim legislation was likely this week, and that the chamber could meet as early as Wednesday.

GOVERNORS SPARRING WITH TRUMP

As they spar with Trump over when to reopen their economies, governors of hard-hit states have said they need more federal funding for increased testing and to cope with the pandemic's effect on their budgets.

"You have the president saying 15 times, 'It's up to the governors, it's up to the governors, it's up to the governors.' And then they're going to pass a piece of legislation that gives you know what to states? Zero," New York Governor Andrew Cuomo, a Democrat, said at his daily coronavirus briefing.

Trump said Vice President Mike Pence would lead a call with all 50 state governors on Monday to talk about further aid.

Mnuchin said on CNN the deal being discussed with Congress would include $300 billion more for the Paycheck Protection Program loan program for small businesses.

He said there would be $75 billion allocated to hospitals and a $25 billion federal program "that can be used with the states with new technology to invest in testing."

About $50 billion would be added to the Small Business Administration (SBA) disaster loan fund, Mnuchin said.

Nancy Pelosi, speaker of the Democratic-controlled House of Representatives, told ABC's "This Week" that Democrats wanted to ensure further relief money was reaching "all of America's small businesses."

More than 25% of the $350 billion already allocated went to fewer than 2% of the firms that got relief, and they included publicly traded companies with thousands of employees, highly paid executives and hundreds of millions of dollars in annual sales.

Trump defended restaurant chains, hotel operators and hedge funds accessing funding meant for small businesses.

Even if its owned by a big chain, its devastating, you know, he said. "I read where my wonderful place in Florida, in Miami, Doral, they had a lot of the employees go because it is essentially closed."

(Reporting by Nandita Bose, Lindsay Dunsmuir, Susan Cornwell and Doina Chiacu in Washington; Additional reporting by Gabriela Borter and Barbara Goldberg in New York and Patricia Zengerle in Washington; Writing by Patricia Zengerle; Editing by Daniel Wallis, Grant McCool, Peter Cooney and Cynthia Osterman)
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Linkedin Embassy of India Jakarta (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta  Sun, April 19, 2020 10:36 633 fc6853813033f564188675f8bd2cfcab 3 Opinion India,lockdown,COVID-19,pandemic,coronavirus,COVID-19-in-India,embassy Free

Globally, as of April 12, there were more than 1,783,000 confirmed cases of COVID-19 and 108,907 deaths worldwide. India, a country of 1.3 billion people, has been able to manage and contain cases of COVID-19 to about 8,300, much below the global incidence rate, with negligible community-based infection due to well-executed plans and pre-emptive preventive methodology under the leadership of the Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi.

Planning and execution

With the information available to the world since early January, both in the public domain and from authoritative international sources, India has taken several proactive measures. This has ensured that India stayed ahead of the curve as the crisis evolved. The Government of India organized a meeting of the Health Crisis Management Group on Jan. 8 and constituted a Group of Ministers (GOM) to plan, monitor and review the situation regularly and to ensure inter-ministerial coordination.

States and provinces were provided with guidelines for surveillance and contact tracing, laboratory sample collection, packaging and transport, clinical management protocol, prevention and control in healthcare facilities and discharge guideline for passengers under quarantine.

The focus areas of the strategy and major actions taken are as follows:

Surveillance at the countrys points of entry

The first travel advisory was issued on 17th Jan (before the first case was detected in India) along with the initiation of screening on flights arriving from China and Hong Kong at 3 Major Airports. Screening and graded travel restrictions were increased step by step from mid-January until March 11, when the World Health Organization finally declared COVID-19 a pandemic. As of April 6, 1.5 million passengers had been screened at the airports, 44 thousand at sea ports and more than 2 million at land borders.

Community surveillance of all passengers through the Integrated Disease Surveillance Program (IDSP) Network

Passengers are monitored in the community through the IDSP network on a daily basis. At present 621,000 passengers have been brought under surveillance, of which 33,249 were found to be symptomatic and referred; 5503 have been hospitalized so far. This has ensured that not a single positive case has been able to mix with general population.

Laboratory testing

A network of labs across the country has been set up to facilitate early and timely sample testing. The WHO has identified the National Institute of Virology in Pune as the referral laboratory for the entire Southeast Asia Region. From one laboratory in January 2020 to 223 labs nationwide (157 public labs, 66 private) now, over 190,000 samples have been tested to date. India is also developing indigenous testing kits to meet higher demand for more extensive testing.

Ramping up production and procurement of medical supplies

The Indian private sector is being fully involved in the quest to make affordable local alternatives. For instance, there are now 32 Indian companies that have started work to produce personal protective equipment (PPE) kits. A six-fold increase in the supply of oxygen for medical purposes has also been ensured, since Feb 1. At present 727,494 beds, 171,317 isolation beds and 74,450 confirmed COVID-19 beds have been identified. Up to 40,000 extra isolation beds have been prepared by converting 2,500 railway carriages. The production of pharmaceutical supplies, like anti-pyretic tablets and Hydroxychloroquine, has been expanded to meet domestic needs and to export to other countries.

Public communication

One of the biggest ways to prevent community spread of the infection is through communication. Press ads about the basic do's and don'ts of COVID-19 management were released, and more press ads dealing with other aspects are being developed and released as the situation progresses. Regular press conferences with the Health Minister have been carried out, and daily updates by designated officials have been issued and relayed across all media channels. Daily press releases about the number of cases, travel advisories and other COVID-19-related decisions are being issued.

Ensuring safety of Indians abroad

The government has taken every step to ensure safety of its citizens. There have been evacuation operations from Wuhan, Iran, Japan, (from a cruise), Italy and Malaysia. The evacuees were brought to quarantine facilities which were set up on a real time basis on a war footing.

World's biggest lockdown

By mid-March, there was substantial global spread of the disease. On March 24, Prime Minister Modi announced a total lockdown for 21 days until April 15. This lockdown was truly unprecedented. For example, it has included stoppage of over 13,000 railway passenger services a day and, for the first time in Indias history as a Republic, stoppage of all flight services and most public transport. And yet, continuity of essential services  the power supply, water, energy, food products, banking and delivery of essential goods  was ensured.

After the lockdown, a lot of migrant laborers from NCT Delhi started migrating towards their home states. Many people started pouring into interstate bus terminals and the interstate highways. Many started walking on foot and many were stuck at different interstate borders. The government of India swung into action and the around 500,000 migrants were safely transported to their home states.

A detailed protocol was established to manage the migrants; guidelines were issued to ensure essential supplies; rations for stranded people were ensured. Nearly 28,000 relief camps and shelters have been set up, with relief being provided by state governments to 1.25 million people. Nationwide, 20,000 food camps are being run, with up to 7.5 million people being fed every day.

During the lock down, the Government accelerated its efforts for effective management strategies and future planning. The Prime Ministers Garib Kalyan (Welfare of the Poor) package sets out US$ 22 billion to alleviate the situation of the poor and vulnerable, including farmers and laborers. This includes insurance for 220,000 health care workers.

Food relief measures are being implemented to provide free grain and lentils for 3 months to 800 million people. LPG cylinders are being provided to 80 million poor households. Funds are being transferred through direct cash transfer schemes to poor senior citizens, differently-abled people and to indigent widows.

International partnership

The Indian prime minister invited all SAARC countries for a video conference to manage the COVID-19 situation on March 15 and set out a series of measures including a commitment to provide up to US$ 10 million toward health assistance. India has been able to deliver medical supplies and assistance to the Maldives, Sri Lanka, Nepal, Bangladesh and Bhutan, and it is in the process of preparing packages of medicine and other needed commodities for Nepal and Afghanistan. Medical commodities have also been provided not only to Myanmar, the Seychelles and Mauritius in our extended neighborhood but also to Italy, Iran and China at the height of the crisis in those countries.

And in keeping with Indias standing as a major and responsible provider of pharmaceutical products to the world, commercial and aid supplies of key pharmaceutical products were made to the United States, Spain, Brazil, Israel and Indonesia, as well as countries in Africa, Latin America and the Caribbean.

The effort is on, and there is a tough battle ahead.

***

Embassy of India Jakarta

Disclaimer: The opinions expressed in this article are those of the author and do not reflect the official stance of The Jakarta Post.
As COVID 19 continues its



depredation across India and the world, a major row has erupted in West Bengal, with many in the medical fraternity and opposition parties claiming the state is reporting fewer cases as only a minuscule proportion of the population is getting tested for the inscrutable enemy.

Till Saturday, the state had reported 233 confirmed cases of COVID-19 and 12 deaths, far lower than other big states like Maharashtra, Rajasthan and Uttar Pradesh.

The constitution of an expert audit committee to certify whether the deaths have occured due to the coronavirus pandemic or other underlying ailments, called comorbidity in medical parlance, instead by the doctors who treated them, has led to growing scepticism about the reliability of the state government data.

The National Institute of Cholera and Enteric Diseases (NICED), ICMR's nodal COVID-19 testing facility in Kolkata, had recently said the state government is not sending enough samples for tests.

There is a big drop. Last week we didnt even have 20 samples per day. Number of samples being sent is determined by the state government, so if they send more samples, we are able to test more. I think sample collection has not been as per the recommendation. So the number of tests being done in Bengal is also less, its director Dr Shanta Dutta had said recently.

Responding to Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee's complaint about the paucity of testing kits, she said ICMR has dispatched 42,500 kits to NICED so far and that there is no shortage.

According to the state's chief secretary Rajiva Sinha, a total of 4,630 samples have been tested by Saturday and West Bengal is now conducting over 400 tests every day.

As of April 11, worst-hit Maharashtra had tested 31,841 samples, Rajasthan 24,817, Kerala 14,163 and Delhi 11,709.

The number of COVID-19 positive cases given out by the state and the Centre are also at variance with each other.

The West Bengal government said on Saturday that the number of those afflicted stood at 233, while the Union ministry of health and family welfare website put it at 287.

Objecting to the formation of the committee to declare the cause of the death of a coronavirus patient, Union minister Babbul Supriyo said only the doctors treating them should certify the reason for the death.

"After all, everybody ultimately dies of heart failure.....multi organ failure," he said, adding there has been an attempt to "hide" the COVID-19 cases and fatalities.

Some senior medical practioners in Kolkata PTI spoke to said the "hush-hush" approach is worsening things and hindering aggressive testing to tackle the disease effectively.

The number of tests should be increased immediately in order to estimate the spread of the contagion. As most patients or suspects are asymptomatic, we need to have more sample testing, a senior physician said.

Chief Secretary Sinha said the state has its own limitations as it cannot start testing in any laboratory because only the facilities authorised by the ICMR can conduct the COVID-19 test.

In terms of testing, we have a limitation as we all know that the approval comes from ICMR. We got permission for the Malda unit only a few days back," he said.

He said permission has been sought to conduct the test at the medical college in Murshidabad, RG Kar Medical college and hospital, Kolkata, Burdwan Medical College and Bankura Medical College.

The state currently has eight ICMR certified labs including NICED and the state-run SSKM hospital where COVID tests can be conducted.

Opposition parties have accused the TMC government of not doing enough to stem the rise of coronavirus cases and hiding facts.

If you go through state-wise data of big states, you will find the number of tests conducted here is far less than elsewhere. Despite the Centre providing testing kits in abundance, for reasons best known to the state government, they are conducting fewer tests," West Bengal BJP president and MP Dilip Ghosh said.

Ghosh said the state government has made a "mockery" of death figures by referring the matter of deceased patients to the audit committee.

The leader of the Congress party in the Lok Sabha, Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury, echoes his view.

This demarcation of corona and non-corona deaths is a mechanism to hide facts, he said.

He called the audit panel a "truth suppressing mechanism.

Derek O'Brien, the TMC's leader in the Rajya Sabha, claimed West Bengal's numbers are better than most states as the government here has worked hard to contain the spread of the disease.

We in Bengal are focussed on the task at hand. We are carrying on with our work. It is this that has ensured Bengal's COVID-19 numbers are better than most. We have worked hard, been first movers and prepared early to keep these numbers low," he told PTI.

He admitted that it is a work in progress and there is no room for complacency.

"The rumours and mischief have to be responded to - with facts, figures and public health logic. We are fighting Corona. The opposition parties in Bengal are fighting Trinamool! Putting politics before a health emergency is a shame," O'Brien said in a message to this agency.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
<! Deyemi Okanlawon and his family >

By Taiwo Okanlawon

Nollywood actor Deyemi Okanlawon is a year older today and the actor who is married with two kids is celebrating with an adorable photo of his family.

Taking to his Instagram, Deyemi wrote: My God in me, my family around me, the world before me Im blessed and highly favoured! #birthdayboy

Born and raised in Lagos, Deyemi is best known for his roles in the TV Series Gidi Up and An African City, with several his work being nominated and awarded by prominent Nigerian and Pan-African film bodies including the hit web-series GidiUp (NdaniTV), Knock Knock (Inkblot Productions) and Kpians Premonition (Stanlee Ohikhuare) as well as short films Blink (Tolu Ajayi) and In Iredu (Abiola Sobo).

In 2013, he was awarded Best Actor in a Short Film at the In-Short film festival for his portrayal of a violent psychotic husband in the short film thriller, Blink. Blink was also nominated for Best Short Film at the 2013 NMA (Nollywood Movies Awards), Kpians Premonition was nominated in the Best New Media Online Video category of the AMVCA, while In Iredu was in the top 5 finalists of the Afrinolly short film competition and won Best Animation.

In 2014, Gidi Up was nominated for Best TV Series at the 2014 NMA while he was nominated for Best Youth Act, Movie (TUSH Awards) for his work in Gidi Up. Blink, Oblivious and Kpians Premonition were shortlisted in the Best Short Film category at the 2014 AFRIFF.

His skills include; Shotokan Karate, Swimming, Motor Bike, Saxophone, Guitar, and his interests and hobbies include; Reading, Film, Theatre, Sales, Marketing, Social Media, MCing, and Travelling.
A San Marcos police officer was shot and killed and two others critically injured as they responded to a 911 call about a domestic disturbance Saturday evening.

The alleged killer died of a self-inflicted gunshot wound, officials said.

Officer Justin Putnam, 31, died at the scene. Officers Franco Stewart and Justin Mueller were taken to Ascension Seton Hays Hospital in nearby Kyle where they underwent emergency surgery. They were in critical but stable condition Sunday, officials said.

"We lost a fine young man, a faithful officer and a friend last night," interim Police Chief Bob Klett said at a news conference Sunday morning, as he paused to take control of his emotions. "We ask the community for its prayers and support. We're certainly going to need it."

Klett identified the shooter as Alfred Perez de la Cruz, 46, of San Marcos.

Police were called to an apartment complex in the 2900 block of Hunter Road about 6 p.m. in San Marcos, Klett said.

The three officers arrived to find a victim outside.

"The initial call was that he had hit his wife, that there were other endangered people possibly inside and that alcohol was involved," Klett said.

Knowing there were others inside, the officers "had to make entry into the apartment," Klett said.

"As they entered, he ambushed them. He was prepared, ready for them to come in and started shooting immediately," the chief said. "There was nothing they could do to escape the gunfire."

The three officers were wearing body armor, Klett said; so was de la Cruz.

Klett said Texas Rangers are taking the lead on the investigation. He added that police and Rangers are researching the man's criminal record because it appears he may have used various aliases.

Putnam had been with San Marcos Police Department for five and a half years, Klett said. Putnam graduated from Texas State University magna cum laude.

Stewart has been with the department for five months but was previously with the McAllen Police Department for two and a half years. Justin Mueller was been an officer for 10 months and was previously with the police department's telecommunications division for 11 years.

Governor Greg Abbott said in a statement that the incident is a somber reminder of the service and sacrifice that law enforcement officers make every day.

I ask all Texans to join Cecilia and me in praying for the officer killed and for those injured, and for the continued safety of all law enforcement officers who protect our communities, Abbott wrote.

This is the second officer San Marcos has lost in the line of duty. Officer Kenneth Copeland was killed serving a warrant Dec. 4, 2017.
: lmh (Low, Medium, High), : USANews

 : ObamaHHS

: BBS  (Sat Apr 18 10:19:07 2020, )



252014HHS



Former Acting HHS Cyber Security Director Sentenced to 25 Years in Prison

for Engaging in Child Pornography Enterprise



Five Others Previously Sentenced to Substantial Prison Terms for

Participation in the Same Tor-Network-Based Child Pornography Website



The former acting director of cyber security at the U.S. Department of

Health and Human Services was sentenced to 25 years in federal prison today

for engaging in a child exploitation enterprise and related charges in

connection with his membership in a Tor-network-based child pornography

website.



Assistant Attorney General Leslie R. Caldwell of the Justice Departments

Criminal Division, U.S. Attorney Deborah R. Gilg of the District of Nebraska

and Special Agent in Charge Thomas R. Metz of the FBIs Omaha Division

made the announcement.



Using the same technological expertise he employed as Acting Director of

Cyber Security at HHS, DeFoggi attempted to sexually exploit children and

traffic in child pornography through an anonymous computer network of child

predators, said Assistant Attorney General Caldwell. But dangerous

criminals cannot be allowed to operate on-line with impunity. Todays

sentence shows that the Department of Justice will bring criminals and child

predators to justice, even when they employ anonymous networks like Tor.



Today's sentence and the others imposed earlier demonstrate that those who

exploit children will be aggressively pursued and prosecuted to the full

extent of the law, said U.S. Attorney Gilg. Those who think they are

acting anonymously on the Internet will be found and held accountable.



The production and distribution of child pornography is one of the most

saddening, tragic crimes the FBI investigates, said Special Agent in

Charge Metz. Todays sentencing sends a message to those who advertise,

distribute, possess, and trade child pornography that the FBI will look for

you, will find you and will make sure you are prosecuted to the fullest

extent of the law.



Timothy DeFoggi, 56, formerly of Germantown, Maryland, was convicted on Aug.

26, 2014, following a four-day jury trial before Chief U.S. District Judge

Laurie Smith Camp in the District of Nebraska of engaging in a child

exploitation enterprise, conspiracy to advertise and distribute child

pornography and accessing a computer with intent to view child pornography.



According to evidence presented at trial, DeFoggi registered as a member of

the Tor-network-based child pornography website on March 2, 2012, and

maintained his membership and activity until Dec. 8, 2012, when the website

was taken down by the FBI. The websites users utilized advanced

technological means in order to undermine law enforcements attempts to

identify them. The website was accessible only through Tor, an Internet

application specifically designed to facilitate anonymous communication.

Acting under the cloak of anonymity, users advised others on best practices

to prevent detection by law enforcement, including advice about the proper

use of encryption software, techniques to hide or password-protect child

pornography collections, and programs to remove data from a users computer.



Through the website, DeFoggi accessed child pornography, solicited child

pornography from other members, and exchanged private messages with other

members in which he expressed an interest in the violent rape and murder of

children. DeFoggi suggested meeting one member in person to fulfill their

mutual fantasies to violently rape and murder children.



DeFoggi was the sixth individual to be convicted as part of an ongoing

investigation targeting three Tor-network-based child pornography websites.

The websites were run by a single administrator, Aaron McGrath, who was

previously convicted in the District of Nebraska of engaging in a child

exploitation enterprise in connection with his administration of the

websites. On Jan. 31, 2014, McGrath was sentenced to 20 years in prison by

Senior U.S. District Judge Joseph F. Bataillon.



Four other members of the same website as DeFoggi were previously convicted

and sentenced by Senior U.S. District Judge Bataillon in connection with

their illegal activity on the site:



Jason Flanary, then 42, formerly of Chicago, Illinois, the Philippines, and

Guam, was sentenced to 20 years in prison on June 30, 2014.



Wesley Cameron, then 22, formerly of Ashford, Alabama, was sentenced to 15

years in prison on Oct. 24, 2014.



Zackary Austin, 28, formerly of Reno, Nevada, was sentenced to 16 years in

prison on Nov. 6, 2014.



Charles MacMillan, 29, formerly of Rockville, Maryland, was sentenced to 12

years in prison on Nov. 7, 2014.



These cases were brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide

initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and

abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by U.S.

Attorneys Offices and the Criminal Divisions Child Exploitation and

Obscenity Section (CEOS), Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state and

local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who

exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims

. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.

projectsafechildhood.gov.



This case is a result of investigative efforts led by the FBIs Omaha Field

Office and the FBIs Violent Crimes against Children Section, Major Case

Coordination Unit, and Digital Analysis and Research Center. The FBI was

assisted in its investigation by Europol, the European Unions law

enforcement agency, as well as members of the FBIs Violent Crimes Against

Children International Task Force. This case was prosecuted by Trial

Attorneys Keith Becker and Sarah Chang of CEOS and Assistant U.S. Attorney

Michael P. Norris of the District of Nebraska.



--

 :lmh  Apr 18 12:35:30 2020 [FROM: 45.]

 :WWW  mitbbs.com [FROM: 45.]


STAMFORD  In a rare instance of agreement, bankrupt OxyContin maker Purdue Pharma and a 24-state coalition are fighting a proposal by a group of other pharmaceutical giants to involve Purdue in an upcoming trial in New York, arguing that such a move would undermine settlement negotiations and help those defendants avoid accountability for their alleged role in fueling the opioid crisis.

Purdue and the Sackler family members who own the company would have been defendants in the New York trial, but that state responded to Purdues bankruptcy filing last September by voluntarily standing down in its litigation against the company and its owners. But the other firms named in the New York case have asked the bankruptcy court to allow Purdue to be listed on the verdict form in their trial, so that they do not face undue liability.

The trial was scheduled to start March 20, but it has been delayed because of the coronavirus crisis. Defendants include Allergan Finance, AmerisourceBergen Drug Corp., Johnson & Johnson, Janssen Pharmaceuticals, Cephalon, Teva Pharmaceuticals USA, Actavis Pharma, CVS Pharmacy, Cardinal Health, Walmart, McKesson Corp., Walgreen Co., and Rite Aid of Maryland and New York.

In a filing this week, Purdue lambasted the defendants request. It said apportioning fault to Purdue in the New York case would contravene the bankruptcy court order that has halted pending litigation against Purdue and have a devastating effect on settlement discussions.

In their own filing this week, Connecticut and the 23 other states that have not agreed to settlement terms with Purdue also registered their opposition.

As the states have said before, holding Purdue accountable is one of the top priorities in state law enforcement, the states said. But the other companies motion is about avoiding accountability. They seek a trial where their responsibility could be taken away based on Purdues fault even though Purdue would not be a defendant and the judgment would have no legal effect on Purdue.

The states said they were also concerned about the precedent that might be set by involving Purdue.

Lawsuits pending across the nation allege that opioid companies broke the law and caused many Americans to suffer and die, the states filing reads. If opioid companies were permitted to try to apportion fault to Purdue in their non-bankruptcy litigation, defendants throughout the country would maneuver to escape their own accountability by asking judges and juries to assign fault to a non-present Purdue.

Johnson & Johnson has already faced legal punishment. Last year, an Oklahoma judge ordered the company to pay $572 million to the state after he found the company had fraudulently marketed its opioids. J&J contested the ruling, and the penalty was later reduced to $465 million.

In March 2019, Purdue settled with Oklahoma for approximately $270 million.

Today, Purdue and its creditors are still trying to reach a settlement of the approximately 3,000 lawsuits that allege Purdue fueled the national opioid crisis with deceptive OxyContin marketing. The company and the Sacklers have rejected those accusations.

Purdue and the Sacklers have offered a deal that they value at more than $10 billion. In addition, the Sacklers would relinquish control of the company so that it could be turned into a public-benefit trust.

About half of the states that have sued Purdue have accepted those terms. But the non-consenting states have held out because they see the plan as not going far enough to address Purdues purported misconduct and not doing enough to tackle the opioid epidemic.

At the same time, Purdue is still soliciting claims from private citizens who might have been harmed by the companys drugs.

New Yorks stay-at-home order has temporarily ruled out case hearings at the federal courthouse in White Plains. Those proceedings are now being conducted through teleconferencing.

I am on the phone nearly every day with attorneys general from across the country regarding our ongoing opioid litigation, Connecticut Attorney General William Tong said last week. That was the case before the pandemic and is the case today.

pschott@stamfordadvocate.com; Twitter: @paulschott
Over 56,000 offences have been



registered and more than 11,000 people arrested in Maharashtra since March 22 for violation of lockdown norms in place for the coronavirus outbreak, a state home department official said on Sunday.

While 55,393 cases have been lodged for disobedience under section 188 of the IPC, another 1,051 are for illegal transport during the lockdown, an official said.

"We have arrested 11,645 people, seized 36,935 vehicles and collected fines worth Rs 2,06,73,644 since March 22. We have arrested 301 people for 105 incidents involving assault on policemen on duty," he informed.

A total of 567 people were found flouting quarantine orders, he added.

He said, so far, 40 police personnel, including eight officers, have tested positive for the coronavirus.

"Of the total cases registered, Pune city leads with 8,100, followed by 5,383 in Ahmednagar," the official said.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
German testing to clear the backlog of coronavirus tests and a ramping up of test processing here is giving us a true picture of the spread of the virus in Ireland.

There will be 10,000 positive tests in Ireland this week. It is likely that up to 500 will have died from Covid-19 by the end by the weekend.

These thresholds do not reflect badly on our health service and those organising and overseeing the response. They do not reflect badly on the Irish people.

We are on the right track. The sacrifice the public is making is saving Irish people. It is saving people who lived through tough times and more recessions than good times. Many of the people most at risk of losing their lives to Covid-19 are older. Most stuck it out in Ireland and raised families here when times were bad.

Society owes them a debt and now we are repaying.

But we are also making a sacrifice for future generations. This virus can't be stopped but it can be managed in the short, medium and long term.

We must stick with the plan and continue to comply with the lockdown.

By doing so there is a chance that we can return to some form of normality sooner rather than later.

If a clamour builds to significantly ease the restrictions in early May and people are allowed to move with a lot of freedom, the experts tell us it will not end well.

Sooner rather than later, we will be back in lockdown. The experts who have devised models say a second wave of infections in such circumstances will cost us a lot of lives.

Ireland and the Irish people through our combined efforts and sacrifices have managed to put some control on this virus.

Deaths have been contained as has the spread.

It would make no sense at this stage to talk about easing restrictions.

What we have to do now is double down on Covid-19 for all of our futures' sake.
(Natural News) For most of us, a trip to the beach would normally involve lounging around on the sand and wading in the cool waters.

For marine biologist Jeremiah Sullivan, a trip to the beach involves something far more extreme: thrusting his arm inside a sharks gaping, teeth-lined mouth.

Sullivan rose to prominence in the 1970s after he designed a shark-proof wet suit made out of lightweight chainmail. His design, patented in the 1980s, has since become the template for many other similar suits.

According to Sullivan, who is known among the diving and marine biology circles as a pioneer of extreme interactions with sharks, his research for his suits involves regularly spending time in the oceans depths, where he proceeds to wait for sharks to try and take chunks out of him ? so far, the sharks havent been successful.

Ive been bitten thousands of times. Been thrown around a bit. Beaten up pretty good. Nearly had my teeth knocked out. Certainly chewed on a lot, Sullivan said in an interview.

Sullivan, who is based in San Diego, now spends his days designing newer, more advanced iterations of his now-famous shark-proof suits, the latest being a composite suit designed to withstand blows from an ax.

The suit has since made its debut on a special episode of the television show Man VS Shark, in which several tiger sharks (Galeocerdo cuvier) ? one of the deadliest shark species in existence according to the International Shark Attack File ? clamped down and unleashed more than 400 pounds of bite force on Sullivans armored arm, with one even trying to drag him off.

By the time the episode ended, Sullivan swam away from the predators in one piece, with only a few dents and scratches in the suit to tell of the spine-tingling encounter.

Sullivan admitted that the experience made him feel a twinge of fear, especially considering that tiger sharks are known to prey on armored sea turtles in the wild. (Related: NOT like the movies: Sharks are vulnerable creatures  and one of the species hurt most by commercial fishing.)

I felt pretty confident in what I was doing but the tiger sharks Id been saving for later, theyre known to have among the most destructive bites and to do a lot of damage when they get a hold of things and try to chew on them for a bit, Sullivan said, noting that he and the rest of the crew were, for the most part, unsure about what was going to happen during the episodes filming.

I had a lot of people with me that were quite sure that when one bit me, the other tiger sharks were gonna come swarm on me, Sullivan said, adding that he had to proceed with the encounter with the idea that the situation could go haywire at any time.

I had to approach this thing knowing that it could be bad, but I was sure I was on the right track.

Sullivans fascination with the deep blue sea and its misunderstood residents, the sharks, began during his childhood, which he spent in the beachside communities in Hawaii and Puerto Rico.

According to Sullivan, he found himself inspired after watching the classic film Born Free, which featured a couple adopting orphaned and abandoned lion cubs in Africa.

It occurred to me, wow, if we can have these friendly encounters with these so-called worst-of-the-worst predators, then why would that be limited to one or two species? Sullivan noted, adding that the film sparked in him the idea that there could be more to sharks than the hyperbolic noise were hearing out of the media about shark attacks.

This isnt to say that shark attacks are overblown, he added.

Sullivan stressed, however, that those who want to interact with sharks should have a very healthy level of respect for the predators ? as well as the damage they can inflict on those who forget to show them that.

Sources include:

DailyMail.co.uk

SmithsonianMag.com

Mirror.co.uk

CBSNews.com

Earth.com
CIA Mulls Slimming Down Afghanistan Presence as Violence Threatens US-Taliban Peace Deal

Sputnik News

18:17 GMT 18.04.2020(updated 19:04 GMT 18.04.2020)

In late February, the United States and the Taliban signed a historic agreement aimed at ending America's 18-year-long occupation of Afghanistan and finally stopping the generations-long conflict which has devastated the country for over 40 years. Last week, the Taliban warned that the peace deal is in jeopardy amid ongoing clashes with Kabul.

The US could pull back the numbers of CIA personnel deployed across Afghanistan in a bid to prevent the peace deal with the Taliban from falling apart, the New York Times has reported, citing US officials said to be familiar with the discussions.

According to the newspaper, the talks are part of a broader US and allied discussions about scaling back foreign deployments in Afghanistan in the interests of advancing a peace plan amid continued Taliban attacks on Afghan security forces and coalition airstrikes targeting Taliban militants.

The CIA is said to have several hundred agents and contractors spread across the country at any one time, and the Trump administration had actually planned to increase this number as troops pulled out, according to one version of administration plans leaked to the press in September. The agency's operations include cooperating with, coordinating with and otherwise advising local militias.

According to NYT's sources, one idea being considered is to concentrate agents at the US Embassy in Kabul to allow cooperation with militias and intelligence gathering to continue through a middleman  the Afghan National Directorate of Security.

Washington has pared down its Afghanistan troop presence by about 3,400 personnel in recent months, with the 8,600 remaining expected to be gone in a year's time. The CIA's frontline presence is one of the last bargaining chips the Trump administration has in talks with the Taliban, NYT says.

The Taliban has accused the US of violating the terms of the February peace deal, pointing to continued US airstrikes against its militias. The Kabul government says the Taliban is to blame for the violence, pointing to repeated attacks on Afghan security forces and police. The Taliban has said repeatedly that there would be no ceasefire with the Afghan government so long as an estimated 5,000 prisoners remained in captivity, but Kabul fears the insurgents could take up arms against the government if released.

Afghanistan's Taliban delegation arrive for the agreement signing between Taliban and U.S. officials in Doha, Qatar, Saturday, Feb. 29, 2020.

Longest War in US History Nearing Its End?

The US invaded Afghanistan in October 2001, ostensibly in response to the Taliban government's sheltering of top al-Qaeda* terrorists including Osama bin Laden, and has fought the Taliban insurgency ever since. The War in Afghanistan recently became the longest war in US history, and has cost Washington over $2 trillion and the lives of over 2,350 military personnel. Hundreds of NATO coalition troops, over 62,000 Afghan security personnel and over 38,000 civilians have also been killed in the war.

The US war in Afghanistan is just part of the country's generations-long conflict, which began in 1978 after a pro-Soviet government took power, prompting a CIA intervention and the funnelling of billions of dollars in military and financial assistance to the Mujahideen  precursors of the Taliban and contemporary jihadist terrorists. Moscow intervened in the conflict in late 1979 to try to save the Kabul government, sparking the decade-long Soviet-Afghan War, which ended in 1989 with the pullout of Soviet forces. In 1992, the Kabul government collapsed, and for much of the 90s, the Taliban and other militias divided up Afghanistan, turning it into a feudal failed state.

* A terrorist organization outlawed in Russia and many other countries.

A Sputnik

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The Hump! Podcast Ep. 24: Dreaming of the Iron District with Rachel Kennedy | HeSaysSheSaysKC Fellas talk with Iron District Co-Owner Rachel Kennedy on how to help small business owners during coronavirus pandemic. Scott Cameron joins as music guest. Triple D: A restaurant worker who says, "I really don't believe in this silly pandemic thing."

Smarter people than TKC know that large scale public gatherings are a thing of the past . . . And so this podcast offers a glimpse at small scale gathering places that are mostly private but still provide "the feel" of a major event. Checkit:
SANDUSKY, Ohio  Seven employees at a Sandusky rehabilitation center have tested positive for the novel coronavirus, making the establishment a COVID-19 cluster in Erie County.

The employees work at the Firelands Counseling and Recovery at 1925 Hayes Avenue, according to a news release from the Erie County Health Department. The center provides mental health, drug and alcohol treatment services.

To date, no patients treated at the center have tested positive, the release says.

Patients should contact their case managers or the Mental Health and Dependency Hotline at 1-800- 826-1306 if they were at the Hayes Avenue location on or after April 4, the health department said.

The Erie County Health Department and Firelands Regional Medical Center are working to identify all close contacts of the seven confirmed cases and will contact them and instruct them to self-quarantine, according to the news release.

Firelands Counseling and Recovery will reopen Monday after an extensive deep clean, the news release states.

Erie County has 27 confirmed coronavirus cases as of Saturday afternoon, data from the Ohio Department of Health shows.

More coronavirus news:

New Cleveland coronavirus cases push citys total over 400, one more person confirmed dead

Judge grills federal prisons lawyer on lack of coronavirus tests at Ohio facility in wake of Trumps claim that anybody can get tested

If all of Ohios in this coronavirus crisis together, then let the recovery efforts show it
Irans president said the country has extended furloughs for prisoners for another month as officials struggle to curtail the spread of the coronavirus.

Hassan Rohanis announcement on April 19 followed an earlier decision to allow so-called low-risk businesses -- including many shops, factories, and workshops -- to resume operations in Tehran.

Rohani said mosques and other religious centers would remain closed for another two weeks and that decisions on gatherings during Ramadan will be decided later.

The Islamic holy month is scheduled to begin April 23.

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.

Iran has reported more than 80,000 confirmed infections and more than 5,000 deaths. But many Iranians and other experts think the government has intentionally underreported the extent of the pandemic.

The Health Ministry has said the real infection and death toll may be higher due to limited testing.

Traffic was heavy in Tehran on April 18, the first day of Iran's workweek. Authorities allowed businesses outside the capital to reopen a week ago.

Tens of thousands of prisoners were ordered temporarily released in mid-March as the coronavirus threatened to sweep through prisons.

On April 17, United Nations rights experts called on officials to release political prisoners who risk becoming infected inside crowded jails and prisons.

"Furloughs of those prisoners, who pose no threat to the society, have been extended until May 20," Rohani said in a televised cabinet meeting on April 19.

Of those released, 10,000 received full pardons, including some political prisoners.

Scientist Roland Marchal was allowed to return home to France after 9 1/2 months in prison due to a prisoner swap between Paris and Tehran.

British citizen Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe, who also has Iranian citizenship, has also been released, having served half of a five-year sentence for alleged espionage.

Schools and universities remain closed in Iran and a ban on cultural and sports gatherings remains in place.

With reporting by Reuters and dpa


Camila Cabello and Shawn Mendes came together on Saturday for a moving performance as part of Global Citizen's One World: Together at Home concert, organized by Lady Gaga.

Camila, 23, and Shawn, 21, both sat at the piano for an intimate rendition of the iconic standard What A Wonderful World.

The coronavirus concert, which was streamed throughout the day before moving to broadcast television in prime time, also featured performances by The Rolling Stones, John Legend, Celine Dion and Taylor Swift, among many others.

A classic: Camila Cabello, 23, and Shawn Mendes, 21, performed the timeless standard What A Wonderful World for Global Citizen's One World: Together At Home concert on Saturday

Camila and Shawn were introduced by Stephen Colbert, who co-hosted the broadcast with fellow late night hosts Jimmy Fallon and Jimmy Kimmel.

Unlike some of the other performers, they didn't have any extra messages and simply let their music do the talking.

Shawn launched the song while playing the piano and Camila sat silently at his side before taking over for the second verse.

They melded their voices together when the bridge arrived, and then traded lines for the final verse.

Low key: Unlike some of the other performers, they didn't have any extra messages before the performance and simply let their music do the talking

Taking turns: Shawn launched the song while playing the piano and Camila sat silently at his side before taking over for the second verse

Getting better: Camila and Shawn put a tiny spin of their own on the classic by changing the final line to 'It's still a wonderful world'

Camila and Shawn put a tiny spin of their own on the classic by changing the final line to 'It's still a wonderful world.'

Afterward, Lady Gaga shared a video of the lovebirds performing on her TV set as she gushed about their performance.

'I love you two so much! You're beautiful! Thank you so much,' she said.

Big fan: Afterward, Lady Gaga shared a video of the lovebirds performing on her TV set as she gushed about their performance

Iconic: The song was originally recorded in 1967 by jazz legend Louis Armstrong, who skipped his trumpet playing and instead put the focus on his gravelly voice; shown in 1965

'We love you so much and admire you so much @ladygaga,' Camila wrote over a repost of the clip to her Insta Stories.

The song was originally written in 1967 and recorded that year by jazz legend Louis Armstrong, who skipped his trumpet playing and instead put the focus on his gravelly voice.

Though it was only modestly successful in the United States, the tune became a hit in the UK, and it has gone on to be widely covered in multiple genres throughout the years.

Quarantining together: Shawn and Camila have been self-quarantining together in Miami since much of the US went on lockdown; shown in November

Taking it slow: The couple first got close during the recording of their single Senorita, released in June, and they made it official with plenty of PDA in July; pictured in November

Shawn and Camila looked totally at home during their performance, and the couple have been self-quarantining together in Miami since much of the United States went on lockdown amid the coronavirus pandemic.

The two first got close when recording their duet single Senorita, which was released in June, and by July they had been spotted showing off some PDA.

In an interview with Jimmy Hill at the Global Awards 2020 in London on March 6, the Cuban-born beauty shared: 'Being in love is exhausting, it takes it out of you,' when asked if a new duet would drop soon.

'We can't even go to the studio, we can't. We're trying to calm down.'
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By West Kentucky Star Staff

Apr. 18, 2020 | FORT CAMPBELL

By West Kentucky Star Staff Apr. 18, 2020 | 01:54 PM | FORT CAMPBELL

The 101st Airborne Division (Air Assault) and Fort Campbell deployed another medical unit to Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst, Saturday, April 18th, to aid in the ongoing COVID-19 relief effort.



About 70 Soldiers assigned to the 501st Medical Company are scheduled to provide support in Boston; they follow the 300 Soldiers of the 531st Hospital Center who deployed last month to New York.



The nation called, and the 501st Medical Company has answered, said Maj. Gen. Brian Winski, commanding general, 101st Airborne Division (Air Assault) and Fort Campbell. This remarkable team of medical professionals will increase Boston and the nations overall capability to fight COVID-19 in one of the most severely affected regions of the country. Im confident they will make a difference, and everyone at Fort Campbell is incredibly proud of them.



The Soldiers of the 501st are trained and proficient in a wide variety of medical capabilities, including immediate and routine medical treatment, dental and X-ray capacities, patient care, and ground medical evacuation.



The 501st is well trained, well led, and ready for whatever awaits them, said Command Sgt. Maj. Bryan Barker, 101st Airborne Division (Air Assault) command sergeant major.



Fort Campbell previously deployed around 300 Soldiers from the 531st Hospital Center, who have been working at the Javits New York Medical Station since March 26th, and approximately ten Soldiers from the Division Sustainment Brigade, who deployed April 14th to the northeast region.
From day one of the lockdown (March 25) the Pimpri Chinchwad Municipal Corporation (PCMC)-based Vihar Seva group is distributing food packets to the needy. Starting with 150 packets, the organisation now delivers 2,000 daily. These food packets are also delivered to people involved with essential services and to shelter homes. Group member Manish Sonigara, gives us a peak into the method behind the outreach.

What exactly is your role in the crisis?

Our job is to provide food packets to all the needy people who are unable to get food due to the lockdown. We have a team of 55 people who are working for this initiative and we have donors who provide the finance for the initiative. While distributing cooked food packets we got to know from people that they have the required facility to cook food, but dont have food supplies. So we provide rations to such people. I coordinate with the volunteers, right from purchasing raw material to ensuring the packets reach their destination.

How does your day begin and roll out?

Work is distributed in three teams  a group of volunteers prepare food, a group is involved in packing and a separate group distributes the packets. We deliver food packets in two shifts. By 7 am we start cooking. At 11 am another group of volunteers collect the packets and distribute them according to requirements. Same is followed in the evening shift, but fewer packets are distributed in the evening shift. These mostly go to security personnel, police officials and some NGOs.

What precautions are you taking?

We are following all the guidelines suggested by the government. All the volunteers use masks, hand gloves, sanitiser and even face shields. We follow social distancing while undertaking this initiative. The volunteers involved especially in distributing food packets are extra careful and make sure they take all the necessary precautions and even maintain distance while distributing packets. After my work is done when I reach home the first time I do is take a bath and get my clothes washed. I even avoid using the lift and use the staircase to avoid touching metals and to maintain social distancing.

Food packets are distributed at

Dehu gaon, Talwade, Chikali, Nigdi, Akurdi, Bhosari, Kasarwadi, Chinchwad station, Ravet, Dange chowk, Theragaon, Pimpri, Pimpri gaon, Kalewadi, Pimple Saudagar and Wakad

If food packets needed in these areas contact

Manish Sonigara 9822077617

Bhadresh Shah 9423569815

Santosh Lunkad 9372568688
More than 2,500 people died from suspected coronavirus in care homes in a single week, new data has suggested.

National Care Forum research shows 299 residents lost their life to the bug at 47 care homes in the week of April 7.

It means around 2,500 will have passed away that week when scaled up to reflect the country's 400,000-strong care home population.

The care provider called for a 'ring of steel' to be put around nursing homes to safeguard residents and staff.

The study predicts around 4,000 people had died in care homes up to April 13, which the government's daily death count has not accounted for because it looks solely at hospital deaths.

The Stanley care home (pictured) is one of the worst hit in the country and staff are 'deeply saddened' by the deaths

It comes as tributes were paid to a 96-year-old grandmother who died at care home that has been ravaged by the deadly disease.

Barbara Wells, 96, died at Stanley Park Care Home in County Durham on Monday after contracting the deadly disease.

The Stanley care home is one of the worst hit in the country and staff are 'deeply saddened' by the deaths.

Barbara Wells (left), 96, died at Stanley Park Care Home in County Durham on Monday after contracting the deadly disease

Paying tribute to Barbara, her granddaughter has defended the home and praised the staff, insisting they will be grieving too.

Elys Poppy, 47, said: 'The community spirit in the home is unbelievable and it was always a pleasure to go in.

Paying tribute to Barbara, her granddaughter has defended the home and praised the staff, insisting they will be grieving

'Myself and my mother always supported it 100 per cent and the staff there really do love the residents, it is a five star home.

'Grandma's room was always absolutely beautiful, and this is heartbreaking for (the staff) - they will be an emotional wreck as it will feel like losing part of their family.'

Care homes, such as Stanley Park, have been among the deadliest breeding grounds for the virus.

The overwhelming majority of deaths occur in older patients with underlying health conditions.

But business owner Elys insisted in her grandma's case, staff at the Stanley home were faultless.

She is planning on launching a charity in her 'amazing' grandmother's memory, aimed at giving back to the staff who are 'putting their lives on the line'.

She added: 'Grandma absolutely loved everyone there, and everyone there loved grandma.

'They all deserve a helping hand, as there have been so many horrible thing which have happened there and it would be nice to give something back to the staff who truly deserve some encouragement.'

The charity, she hopes, will be called 'Carnations for Cares' - in memory of Barbara's favourite flowers.

On a JustGiving page created to kickstart the cause, Elys wrote: 'For as long as I can remember she always had carnations in the house, in fact it was the only flower she ever used to have, and pink were her favourite.

QUARTER OF ALL CORONAVIRUS DEATHS IN SCOTLAND OCCUR IN A CARE HOME Official figures revealed yesterday a quarter of all coronavirus deaths in Scotland have been in care homes. Data from the National Records of Scotland showed 962 people diagnosed with, or suspected of having, COVID-19 had died. Of those, 237 (24.6 per cent) were in care homes, 586 in hospitals, 128 in homes and one in an undisclosed location. The figure was five times higher than the 5 per cent number given by the Office for National Statistics, which collates data in England and Wales. The ONS statistics also showed that another 5 per cent of deaths had been recorded outside of hospitals, such as in hospices. The Department of Health figures are affected by a backlog in hospital recordings, meaning that hundreds of deaths are not registered to be counted. Advertisement

'When I investigated the symbolism of this flower, I found that it symbolises 'gratitude' and since gratitude is what we feel for these carers we thought it was very appropriate.'

The home's 14th death was reported on Friday when a resident passed away after being transferred to hospital with the virus.

It has previously said that although all had shown symptoms of coronavirus, only one had tested positive for the virus.

Care UK, which runs the home, did not comment when approached.

But a spokesman previously said although all had shown symptoms of coronavirus, only one had tested positive.

They added: 'Our team at the home continue to be brilliant - they are working so hard to care for all the residents and each other.'

Those comments were echoed by Care UK's Regional Director Karen Morrison, who said staff had used sufficient PPE during the crisis.

She said: 'The manager and her team at the home continue to be absolutely amazing and I cannot thank them enough.

'Despite all that has happened, they continue to deliver the very best care in a kind and professional way.

'Their determination and commitment to support every resident, and each other, through these very challenging times is incredible.'

Elys, who would visit her grandmother almost every day at the home she loved, agreed.

The NCF collected data from 47 care homes which support more than 30,000 people across the UK, accounting for 7.4 per cent of the care sector population. Pictured: Medics outside Berelands Care Home, Prestwick, last week where 20 of its residents died due to suspected coronavirus

She said: 'Grandma was amazing. She was no bother, always happy and smiling and she loved everyone.'

The National Care Forum (NCF), which represents not-for-profit care providers, has estimated that more than 4,000 people may have died after contracting Covid-19 across all residential and nursing homes before April 13.

This is significantly higher than the official weekly figures released by the Office for National Statistics (ONS), which recorded 217 care home deaths connected to the virus up until April 3.

17 residents die at care home in Luton after five tested positive for coronavirus Two more residents have died at a Luton care home taking the total number of deaths there during the coronavirus pandemic to 17. Last week it was announced that 15 residents at the Castletroy Residential home in Luton had died. Five of those who died had tested positive for Covid-19. A spokeswoman for Luton Borough Council said the two further residents who had died had not been tested for Covid-19. The home has 69 beds for elderly people with nursing or personal care needs. The two new deaths were announced after the government said earlier that all UK care home residents and staff with Covid-19 symptoms are to be tested. In a statement, Luton Borough Council said: 'We are sad to report that 17 residents of the home have passed away since 28 March. Of these five had tested positive for Covid-19. 'Our thoughts are with the friends and family of the residents, as well as the staff of the home who are working in extremely difficult circumstances.' The statement added: 'We share the frustration of many over the delay in equipment being made available from the government to those in front line roles. 'Following a letter from Leader of the Council, Hazel Simmons, to Secretary of State for Health Matt Hancock, Bedfordshire received a supply of PPE last week. 'The distribution of this, along with other supplies, is being coordinated by the council to go to those settings working directly with residents, in line with national PPE guidance. 'We have been working closely with all Luton care homes to ensure they have the right PPE in place at a time when supplies are limited. In some cases, this has meant sourcing our own supplies where government delays meant staff would otherwise have been left without. 'The team at Castletroy have been provided with a supply of adequate PPE including gloves, aprons and face masks throughout. 'We are still having to work extremely hard to ensure that services and providers have access to appropriate and timely PPE when needed. We understand there will be more equipment arriving shortly which will be prioritised according to need across Bedfordshire. 'We continue to work closely with the team at Castletroy to see what additional support to staff and families might be helpful at this particularly difficult time.' Advertisement

The NCF collected data from 47 care homes which support more than 30,000 people across the UK, accounting for 7.4% of the care sector population.

It found 299 confirmed or suspected Covid-19 deaths across those specific homes in one week between April 7 to April 13, which is almost three times the number of deaths in the preceding month, when they found 102 deaths between March 6 and April 7.

When scaled up to reflect the UK's care home population, the NCF estimated that 4,040 people may have died of a coronavirus-related illness before April 13.

Vic Rayner, executive director of the NCF, said: 'Quite simply, so long as groups such as residents in care services are omitted from the real-time national reporting on the impact of the coronavirus pandemic, the Government will surely be unable to properly plan for how to protect its people or exit this crisis.'

She added: 'Our current national debate on how to mitigate and exit this crisis is virtually entirely centred on the management of the peak within hospitals.

'We are overlooking how this crisis is playing out in other settings, which are there to protect those who are most vulnerable to the impact of the virus.'

She called on the Government to provide personal protective equipment (PPE) to care homes, as well as monitoring devices, testing, funding and research.

Separate analysis from Care England, which represents independent care firms, said as many as 7,500 people could have died after contracting coronavirus in care homes. The industry body compared death rates since April 1 with the previous years' rates.

Meanwhile, a care sector leader said until testing is done it will be difficult to know the number of people who have died with Covid-19 within the care system.

When asked on Sky News show Sophy Ridge On Sunday whether the official figures reflected reality, Nadra Ahmed, chairwoman of the National Care Association, said: 'Until testing is done we don't know.

'There are expected deaths that will occur in services but without testing... it's very difficult to say where we are with the number of deaths.'

She described care homes as a 'home from home' where a lot of residents and their families will be worried about the unfolding news.

'We need to be responsible about how we reflect this, of course there will be deaths... but the numbers we won't be able to confirm until the data is analysed,' she added.

Public Health England said there were 3,084 care homes with Covid-19 outbreaks in England, as of April 15.

Last week, Health Secretary Matt Hancock said all care home residents and staff with symptoms of Covid-19 would be tested for the illness.

He also promised that data on residents who die with the virus will be available 'very shortly'.
In Birmingham, the assistant manager at a shoe store is waiting inside the front door of his store 90 minutes before opening. Hes carrying a digital infrared thermometer in one hand and a clipboard in the other. As he lets the employees in through the still-locked door, he checks each ones temperature and hands them a cloth face mask to wear that day.

Boxes of latex gloves are strategically placed throughout the store so employees can change them frequently, but the precious masks are limited to one per employee per day.

If any employee shows a fever, or any other potential symptom of coronavirus, theyre sent home and and told to try to arrange a test for COVID-19. If they test negative, they can come back to work. Test positive and theyre out of the rotation for 14 days minimum.

The manager isnt required to check every employees temperature himself. Thats only mandatory for barber shops, tattoo parlors, day cares and health care facilities. But he wants to go the extra mile, to do everything he can to convince people its safe to shop in his store during the coronavirus pandemic. Its not easy.

This is just one hypothetical scenario, one way Alabama business might choose to carry on in the coronavirus pandemic. So far, 22 million people have filed for unemployment benefits since the virus-related closures began, wiping out nearly 10 years of job gains in a month.

And it's increasingly looking like scenarios will vary from state to state, from city to city, even from business to business. But what is clear is that pressure is building to find a way to reopen the economy soon.

Push to reopen

We want to get folks back to work as soon as we can, but we want to do it as smart as we can, Governor Kay Ivey said in a press conference Tuesday.

Lift the restrictions too soon, and we could still end up with the hundreds of thousands of coronavirus deaths that the lockdowns were meant to prevent. The virus is still out there, smoldering embers in the population, needing only air and fuel to blaze up again.

On Thursday, President Donald Trump announced a three-phase schedule for when certain businesses might reopen, but left it up to state and local officials to decide when to begin that process and when to advance to the next phase. The plan also contained very few details about how those businesses might operate once open, often saying that they should continue to follow social distancing guidelines.

In Alabama, those decisions will be up to Ivey, the Alabama Department of Public Health and perhaps the Jefferson and Mobile County health departments.

A partial draft of a public health plan being developed by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and the Federal Emergency Management Agency was leaked to the Washington Post earlier this week and offered more details about how those re-openings might happen, including how the country can greatly ramp up its testing and contact tracing capabilities.

Many of the countrys best-known think tanks and economists have also released their versions of re-opening plans, including things like widespread testing of people without symptoms, restrictions on travel and massive electronic contact tracing through cell phone apps, things that are not currently available, but might be in the coming months.

The business-focused American Enterprise Institute and the liberal Center for American Progress each published detailed plans. Neither is forecasting a quick return to normal, instead advocating a slow, deliberate stepping down of restrictions, ready to ramp back up until a vaccine or reliable treatment is developed.

Meanwhile, Alabama Lt. Gov. Will Ainsworth on Friday announced a proposal to reopen many of Alabama's small businesses immediately, including small retail stores, restaurants and salons. Ivey said she is evaluating the plan.

But even that immediate Alabama plan calls for countless safeguards in distancing, cleaning and protective gear, a multitude of change that taken as a whole begin to construct a new normal, a world unlike the one before the lockdown.

AL.com reviewed all these plans. Here is a look at what life in Alabama might be like under some of the scenarios outlined there.

New normal: Shoe shopping

For that non-essential shoe store in Birmingham to stay open, shopping would be a different experience than most are used to. The store might have to install new hand sanitizer stations, limit occupancy, close off check-out lanes and use ropes or tape to block off areas where people might congregate. The stores long benches could be put in storage and replaced with metal folding chairs spaced six feet apart.

The assistant manager could also become the stores safety supervisor, in charge of overseeing all the stores new social distancing and cleanliness protocol. It's a position that would be required under Ainsworths plan.

Those shoe store employees could be required to install and use a public health contact tracing app on their phones. Google and Apple are already collaborating to update their Android and iOS phone operating systems to incorporate these tracing apps, which would use Bluetooth signals to identify smartphones that have crossed paths in the past several days.

If a person with the app later tests positive, the app would send an alert to all the other smart phones that came within a few feet of that one over the past week, whether they came in contact at work or the grocery store or at church, so those people can be tested as well. The app might also deliver test results directly under some plans. The tracking app is unlikely to be mandatory, but varying restrictions or incentives have been floated to encourage use. Under some proposals, people would not be allowed to fly on an airplane or even take a COVID test without proving they have the app active on their phone.

An employee at the shoe store who tests positive would likely be asked to self-isolate for at least 7 days.

Home isolation can be enforced using technology such as GPS tracking on cell phone apps, the AEI plan states.

That plan also suggests that if the patient does not want to stay home during their isolation, because a family member is high risk or their home is not conducive to isolation, they could stay at one of several quarantine locations set up across the state. COVID-positive patients could stay in these converted hotels free of charge until their isolation period is over.

In the CDC plan, retail stores or other businesses could apply for an Infection Prevention Healthy Workplace Certification, an acknowledgment that the business has met the guidelines put in place for sanitation and social distancing. Inspectors trained by the CDC would grade businesses and post scores similar to a restaurant inspection.

If an employee returns to work too early from quarantine or other violations are discovered, they could lose the certificate, in addition to facing fines for violating state or local health orders. In some scenarios, the certificate would be mandatory for the business to remain open.

If blood antibody tests are proven effective at showing who may have immunity to the virus those may be used to certify people to go back to work in high-risk areas. But there are numerous unsettled issues. Evidence so far is not clear how accurate the tests are, if there is a threshold where people are at lower risk of infection or whether people who have already had COVID are immune and, if so, for how long.

New normal: Across Alabama

In Mobile, an out-of-work bartender could turn to the the federal governments COVID-19 Corps, a New Deal-style initiative to put people to work fighting the disease. That's part of the CDC plan. Instead of pouring drinks on Dauphin Street, she would now be a public health worker doing contact tracing for the county health department, calling confirmed positive COVID patients to discuss who they may have come in contact with, notifying those people and scheduling them to be tested for the virus.

In Montgomery, churches could have alternating rows of pews roped off and pillows placed in the others, asking only family members to sit together. Collection baskets are passed around on long poles by gloved and masked ushers. Pastors could be tasked with urging their congregations to congregate a little less or risk facing tighter restrictions.

In Tuscaloosa, a hair stylist could face a new cleaning ritual in between customers. In accordance with the new guidelines, he might be required to scrub his hands, surgeon-style and don fresh latex gloves before going to the door to usher in each next customer. His N95 mask can last all day, but hell need a new one tomorrow.

All haircuts would be appointment-only, no walk-ins allowed. That's because waiting rooms might be closed completely, almost everywhere, with customers staying in their car until they are called to enter offices or businesses or barbershops. There'd be no more shared reading material to pass the time in doctor's offices and nail salons anyway, a part of Ainsworths plan. In the barbershop or salon, the total number of customers might be limited, and only half the usual number of stylists could work at any given time.

The salon would provide disposable paper masks for each customer that are secured over the ears to interfere with the haircut as little as possible. New plastic dividers could be installed to separate the hair cutting stations, though that might not be required.

In Birmingham, a fourth-year medical student at UAB might start advising routine patients from her apartment through a tele-medicine app. She wouldnt normally be treating patients on her own like this, but the CDC plan allows for high-level medical, dental and nursing students to enter the work force early to ease the burden on the rest of the system, as well as increasing the capacity for tele-medicine. Many states are already allowing medical students to graduate early to help ease the burden on health care systems.

In Wilcox County, crews could step up efforts to roll out high-speed internet connection lines in rural areas funded by federal grants, as teachers begin mandatory training in online teaching.

Reopening schools and day cares is a top priority in the CDC/FEMA plan, so the parents can get back to work. If approved, Alabama's plan would restart daycares immediately, but with a limitation of 11 children in a childcare facility at any time, plus daily temperature checks for staff and stricter cleaning and distancing guidelines. While schools and daycares might soon meet in person, they could quickly shift back to online-only if a county or facility sees an outbreak.

Or maybe they close on a scheduled basis as a preventative measure. Since COVID patients can contract and spread the virus for several days before they would show symptoms, the CDC plan suggests scheduled surges in containment measures going forward. A community, city or state would schedule a week of significant restrictions every four weeks, to prevent outbreaks from spreading too far before large numbers of patients start testing positive. These surges would not be mandatory under the plan, but are recommended.

In Jefferson County, which operates under a local health authority, all people going out in public could be required to wear masks. In the rest of Alabama, masks might be recommended, not required.

These conditions would not be set by national standard, but by state and local governments, creating a patchwork quilt of rules and regulations across the country. Jefferson County, home to Birmingham, could set its own standards, which are more strict than Alabamas statewide policies. Mobile County health officials also have the power to set local rules. The state might object.

In Homewood, an antique store owner might launch a major update to her web site, selling products online for the first time. She could qualify for a new federal grant and free training on how to bring more of her business online. Items could be delivered direct to customers houses or picked up at the store with minimal face-to-face contact.

Factories throughout Alabama could use federal grants to convert to producing face masks, gloves, face shields and other PPE, a conversion which is already underway at some facilities.

New normal: Worst case

In a worst-case scenario, the entire state could be forced to go back into lockdown if the number of cases spike, showing a doubling of cases every 3-5 days. The measures enacted in April could be reinstated, perhaps with additional restrictions to prevent the collapse of the states already taxed health care system, particularly in rural areas. Such a lockdown wouldnt end until the number of new infections declines for 14 consecutive days.

The one common thread among the nationwide plans is that there is no V-shaped recovery, where the economy is quickly restored to what it was in February. All plans imagine some form of cyclical closures, lockdowns and limitations being necessary until a vaccine is developed or enough people develop immunity to the virus.

Dr. Anthony Fauci, a top infectious disease doctor and member of Trumps coronavirus task force told the Associated Press that parts of the country are not there yet, to be ready to reopen.

Ill guarantee you, once you start pulling back there will be infections. Its how you deal with the infections thats going count, Fauci told the AP.

Dr. Tom Frieden, former director of the CDC, told The New York Times that reopening should not happen all at once.

We need to reopen the faucet gradually, not allow the floodgates to reopen, Frieden said. This is a time to work to make that day come sooner.
I am informed that our policymakers even before the arrival of Covid-19 had been planning on the implementation of Telemedicine to supplement the delivery of health services in Ghana. The Covid-19 (C19) pandemic and its negative impact on our already fragile healthcare infrastructure including Human Resources would compel our government to fast track modalities needed to roll out such a needed supplemental service.

Covid-19 as a health crisis with consequential human tragedy is already throwing our livelihood into disarray. The effect, though variable, spares no country from America to Zimbabwe. It is feared that in the next few weeks the devastating effects of C19 will be accelerated as a result of increased transmission of the disease. The negative economic outlook in oil exporting countries such as Ghana(due to fall in global price) as well as decreased demand for non oil African exports would have a terrifying GDP effect on Africa. Supply chain disruption from overseas into Ghana and Africa would equally decimate our fragile economy albeit the genius performance by Ministry of Finance and The Bank of Ghana under the leadership of President Nana Akufo Addo. The severity of the consequences of C19 is dependent on how we as a nation are able to stem the tide of the pandemic.

Given our limited current resources, human behavior changes specifically social distancing( at least six feet apart), hand washing, use of hand sanitizers, mask wearing, avoidance of face touching etc,etc are all important societal adjustment to C19. In our hospital we have adopted the slogan: S A F E ( Six Away From Everyone) which are all helpful but we realize how challenging it is to comply with such recommendations. While I pray that people would see the importance of social distancing we need to be prepared for the worst case scenario in case of a surge that WHO has predicted is likely to hit Africa as the new epicenter. If that happens and our capacities are stripped, we are doomed in a continent where the ratio of ventilators is one to a million people compared to 4000 to a million in the western world where C19 still managed to bring those countries to their knees.

So what can our Health System do to promote social distancing while at the same time provide needed care to our non-Covid 19 patients? Restaurants are closed and so are schools to maintain social distance. But hospitals cannot be closed for the same reason.

Accelerating the roll out for Telehealth can give the health care delivery system the vibrancy it needs. I recognize an array of issues that has to be considered in order to get the legislative backing required to implement Telehealth which is intuitively a sensible thing to do especially in this critical moment of ours. The Healthcare system was already fragile before Covid-19 and the prevalence and incidence of non-Covid 19 illnesses have not lessened and together they push the system to a near breaking point. In The US today, The Federal Government has passed a temporary measure permitting providers to utilize Telehealth as a means to evaluate non emergent cases to ease the pressure on the overall healthcare system and in so doing to promote social distancing. In this current state of Covid 19 crises staying away from the hospital is the prudent thing to do. But some cases need to be evaluated in the hospital. Therefore how do you promote social distancing in a busy Emergency Room or doctors office?

The proliferation of cell phones could encourage the government of Ghana to fast track a legislative instrument needed to allow Telehealth including video application to become part of the mainstream healthcare services. This will also make healthcare more accessible.

But the government cannot do this alone and it requires a public- private partnership to accomplish the mission both immediate term and long term. The Telecom companies for their own survival and as one more of their social responsibilities would need to design an affordable rate for Telehealth services.

The Ghana Medical Association with their brilliant members can weigh in to sharpen the mechanism suitable for our local conditions to implement Telehealth. If we all agree that there are more benefits in implementing Telehealth for the common good then we must focus on the goal and create a reasonable path to it.

The National Health Insurance would need to review a compensation structure for such a service and

The Ghana Medical and Dental Board together with The Pharmacy Board would set guidelines on prescriptions and other orders etc.

So lets put on our Practical Thinking Caps and within the limitations of our healthcare and Human Resources to do the best thing we can under the present circumstances.

Be S A F E

Six (six feet)

Away

From

Everyone

Manny Tuffuor

Cleveland,Ohio

[email protected]
In the 1960s, as a staff sergeant in the U.S.Air Force Security Service with top secret codeword clearance, I was deployed to South Korea to electronically spy on North Korea and Chinese air defenses, intercepting and analyzing their Morse code transmissions.

President Trump says hes not concerned with North Korean short/medium range missile testing. Apparently he doesnt care that theyre pinpointing their accuracy and increasing their conventional warhead capacity. When theyre capable of taking out a U.S. aircraft carrier or submerged submarine from undetectable, portable launchers, theyll alter the balance of power in the region. Our military intelligence was recently stunned by the accuracy and power of the Iran retaliatory missile attack on our forces in Iraq, and responded defensively in turn.

When Trump failed in his ill-advised, personal, de-nuclear negotiations with Kim Jong Un, he left our military with war as the only option when they resume nuclear testing.

Threatening destruction like the world has never seen (nuclear) also shows Trump doesnt understand that nuclear weapons cannot be used offensively (as a first strike) because of their indiscriminate destruction. If they could, the Korean, Vietnam, Iraq and Afghanistan wars wouldve ended in days, not years. Nuclear weapons are basically bargaining chips in a real-life Risk board game.

U.S. intelligence personnel work endlessly and diligently to maintain a logistical advantage in conventional weapons. Trump thinks he knows more than our intelligence experts. Consequently he has severely disadvantaged our military strategists.

Hopefully Joe Biden will be elected and bring actual intelligence back into our leadership, replacing this egotism and ignorance.

Ron Pizarie

East Allen Township
The death toll due to COVID-19 rose to 519 and the number of cases climbed to 16,116 in the country on Sunday, registering an increase of 31 deaths and 1,324 cases since Saturday evening, according to the Union health ministry.

The number of active COVID-19 cases stood at 13,295 while 2,301 people have been cured and discharged, and one patient has migrated, the ministry said.

The total number of cases includes 77 foreign nationals.

A total of 31 deaths were reported since Saturday evening -- 10 each from Gujarat and Maharashtra, three each from Punjab and Uttar Pradesh, two from West Bengal and one each from Delhi, Madhya Pradesh and Karnataka.

Of the 519 deaths, the highest number of 211 was reported from Maharashtra, followed by Madhya Pradesh (70), Gujarat (58), Delhi (43) and Telangana (18).

The death toll reached 17 and 16 in Uttar Pradesh and Punjab respectively. Tamil Nadu and Andhra Pradesh have reported 15 deaths each.

Karnataka has reported 14 deaths, West Bengal 12, while Rajasthan has registered 11 fatalities.

The disease has claimed five lives in Jammu and Kashmir, while Kerala and Haryana have recorded three COVID-19 deaths each.

Jharkhand and Bihar have reported two deaths each, while Meghalaya, Himachal Pradesh, Odisha and Assam have reported one fatality each, according to the ministry data.

However, a PTI tally of the figures reported by various states as on Sunday 6:40 pm showed 538 COVID-19 deaths in the country.

According to the health ministry's data updated in the evening, the highest number of confirmed cases in the country is from Maharashtra (3,651), followed by Delhi (1,893), Gujarat (1,604), Madhya Pradesh (1,407) and Tamil Nadu (1,372).

The number of COVID-19 cases has gone up to 1,351 in Rajasthan and 1,084 in Uttar Pradesh.

Telangana has 844 cases, Andhra Pradesh 603 and Kerala 400.

The number of cases has risen to 384 in Karnataka, 341 in Jammu and Kashmir, 310 in West Bengal, 233 in Haryana and 219 in Punjab.

Bihar has reported 86 coronavirus cases, while Odisha has 61 such cases.

Forty-two people have been infected with the virus in Uttarakhand, while Himachal Pradesh has 39 cases.

Chhattisgarh has 36 cases, Assam and Jharkhand have registered 35 cases each. Chandigarh has 23 COVID-19 cases, Ladakh 18, while 14cases have been reported from the Andaman and Nicobar Islands.

Meghalaya has reported 11 cases, while Goa and Puducherry have seven COVID-19 patients each.

Manipur and Tripura have two cases each, while Mizoram and Arunachal Pradesh have reported a case each.

"Our figures are being reconciled with the ICMR," the ministry said on its website.

The website also mentioned that the patient from Nagaland was shifted to Assam.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
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(Natural News) Cases of coronavirus (COVID-19) at Amazon warehouses are likely to exponentially increase, according to a new report by grassroots organizations, the Athena Coalition and the Hedge Clippers. The report, published Thursday, said that Amazon has failed to comply with the Centers for Disease Controls (CDC) guidelines on how to clean facilities with coronavirus cases.

Coronavirus in Amazon warehouses

Amazon confirmed its first case of COVID-19 in one of its warehouse facilities on March 18, after workers shut down its Queens delivery center where their infected colleague had worked. Since then, the number of Amazon workers with COVID-19 has grown to at least 75 cases spread over 50 facilities from all over the country. On April 14, Amazon confirmed that one of these warehouse workers had succumbed to the disease.

Despite the increasing number of infections in its warehouses, Amazon has refused to close many of its facilities for longer than a day or two since the outbreak began. In one instance, the governor of Kentucky had to override Amazons decision to close a facility for just 48 hours, ordering it to be closed for a week after three workers tested positive for the coronavirus. (Related: At least 11 Amazon warehouses infected with coronavirus, still shipping packages.)

According to the report, the number of infections in Amazon warehouses is likely to exponentially increase by the second half of April. The authors say that states and governors should be intervening more whenever Amazon fails to take steps to protect its warehouse workers in facilities with confirmed COVID-19 cases.

A single Amazon warehouse can employ thousands of people, which significantly concentrates the risk of transmission, write the authors of the report. As the coronavirus pandemic rapidly accelerates, workers are sounding the alarm: Amazons health and safety measures and benefits are wholly inadequate.

According to experts, Amazon has yet to implement a comprehensive national health and safety plan for its warehouse and delivery workers. This makes its warehouses vectors for the spread of the coronavirus. The company did, however, announce a series of piecemeal benefits and policies, including two weeks of paid sick leave for anyone who either tests positive for the virus or receives doctors orders to quarantine, on top of a $2 an hour increase in wages.

The reports authors, however, recommend that the company immediately adopt a comprehensive health and safety plan for its warehouse and delivery workers, eliminate productivity quotas that prevent workers from following CDC health and safety guidelines, expand paid leave policies for anyone experiencing illness in their household and create a solid hardship fund for its workers without asking for public donations  Amazon is currently soliciting donations from the public for relief for its workers.

Attorney generals in 14 states, as well as Senators Cory Booker, Bernie Sanders and Sherrod Brown, have all echoed these recommendations. The recommendations also follow a decision by a French court to temporarily shut down Amazon operations in France after it found that the company had failed to protect its workers against COVID-19. Until the company addresses workplace safety issues, Amazon deliveries in France will be restricted to food, hygiene and medical supplies.

Amazon responds to criticism

For its part, Amazon has disputed the claims against and accused those whove made them as having a vested interest against the company and even of being paid by their competitors.

Self-interested critics, particularly unions and groups funded by our competitors, have a vested interest in spreading misinformation about Amazon but the facts tell a different story, stated Amazon spokesperson Kristen Kish. Nothing is more important than the safety of our teams. 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.

Kish added: 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.

Employees fired for criticizing Amazon

In addition to accusing critics of having ties to its competitors, Amazon has also started punishing some employees whove raised their voices. User experience designers Emily Cunningham and Maren Costa said on Tuesday that the company fired them after they internally circulated a petition about health risks for Amazon warehouse workers during the coronavirus pandemic. Cunningham had worked for the company for more than five years while Cunningham had been with Amazon for over 15 years.

I dont regret standing up with my co-workers, said Costa in a statement to the Guardian. This is about human lives, and the future of humanity. In this crisis, we must stand up for what we believe in, have hope, and demand from our corporations and employers a basic decency thats been lacking in this crisis.

According to an Amazon spokeswoman, the two employees were fired for repeatedly violating internal policies, which prohibit employees from commenting publicly on its business without approval from executives.

We support every employees right to criticize their employers working conditions, but that does not come with blanket immunity against any and all internal policies, the spokeswoman said.

In addition to firing Cunningham and Costa, reports have come out that Amazon had also censored invitation for a virtual event that would have allowed warehouse workers to share their concerns in regards to working during the pandemic with white-collar employees. A spokesman for the group organizing the event confirmed that Amazon deleted all invitations and emails regarding it.

Why is Amazon so scared of workers talking with each other? Costa said. No company should punish their employees for showing concern for one another, especially during a pandemic.

Sources include:

Vice.com 1

Geekwire.com

Vice.com 2

Blog.AboutAmazon.com

CNBC.com

NYTimes.com

TheGuardian.com
By PTI

KATHMANDU: A 65-year-old man in Nepal who was staying at a mosque, where 12 Indians were tested positive for COVID-19, has contracted the disease, taking the total number of coronavirus cases in the Himalayan nation to 31, health officials said on Sunday.

Twelve Indians were among the 14 new coronavirus cases reported in Nepal on Friday.

The Indian nationals were staying at a mosque in Triyuga area of Udaypur district. They were quarantined in a school building after residents informed authorities about them.

Basudev Pandey, head of the Epidemiology and Disease Control Division of the health ministry, said the man was tested COVID-19 positive on Saturday evening.

The patient, a resident of Udayapur district, was living in the same mosque in Triyuga where 12 Indians got infected with the deadly virus earlier, officials said.

According to the health ministry, of the total COVID-19 cases, four patients have recovered completely.

While three patients, including a 65-year-old woman, were discharged from hospitals on Saturday, one recovered last month.

A total of 8,081 coronavirus tests have been conducted so far, it said.

READ HERE | Nepal seals 14 mosques, quarantines 33 Indians as coronavirus cases surge

Meanwhile, eight persons were injured on Sunday in Bahadurmai area of Parsa district following a clash between two groups over some Jaamati people taking shelter in a mosque there.

According to police, locals pelted stones at the mosque protesting the Jaamati people taking shelter there.

In retaliation, those inside the mosque also pelted stones.

Eight persons were injured in the clash, police said.

Two persons have been arrested in connection with the clash.

In a separate incident, police raided a mosque at Mayadevi village in Kapilvastu district where 14 people had gathered for prayers, violating lockdown norms.

The security personnel took the group to a nearby quarantine centre.

Nepal is under lockdown till April 27.

Authorities in Nepal's Sunsari District on Saturday sealed 14 mosques and quarantined 33 Indians and seven Pakistanis taking refuge there, amid a surge in the coronavirus cases in the country.

The mosques were sealed in Itahari Municipality in eastern Nepal.

As part of its efforts to combat coronavirus, the government has released 421 inmates from various prisons across the country following a recent Supreme Court order, said Pradip Raj Kandel, Director General in the Department of Prison Management.
Albany County Sheriff's Office

RAVENA  The Albany County Sheriff's Office said a 12-year-old who was home alone at the time of a house fire Saturday night jumped out a second-story window to escape.

Deputies noticed heavy smoke when they were on patrol on Main Street in the village around 8:30 p.m. Saturday; at the same time, 911 was receiving calls about a structure fire. By the time deputies arrived at the two-family residence, flames could be seen from the second-story windows, deputies said.
Nobuhiko Obayashi, an idiosyncratic Japanese filmmaker whose wide-ranging resume included a horror movie about a house full of furniture that eats schoolgirls, a fantasy about a boy who befriends a six-inch-tall samurai and an antiwar trilogy that he completed while being treated for cancer, died on April 10 in Tokyo. He was 82.

The cause was lung cancer, which was first diagnosed in 2016, The Associated Press said, citing an announcement on the website of his latest film, Labyrinth of Cinema.

Mr. Obayashis startling feature debut, in 1977, was House, a demented horror movie that is more comic than scary. The Los Angeles Times called it one of the most enduringly  and endearingly  weird cult movies of the last few decades.

Reviewing it in The New York Times in 2010, when it had a theatrical run at the IFC Center in Manhattan in advance of a DVD release, Manohla Dargis described the goings-on.
South Korea today reported just eight new cases of coronavirus as the country's daily increase dropped to single figures for the first time in two months.

The East Asian nation has now confirmed 10,661 cases of the virus, which has killed 234 people in South Korea throughout the global pandemic.

A further 8,042 patients have recovered and been released from quarantine, the Korea Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said, while 12,243 others were today undergoing testing for Covid-19.

'We must not loosen our guard until the last confirmed patient is recovered,' South Korea President Moon Jae-in said.

Women walk under an umbrella as they pass by a blossoming tree in Seoul, South Korea today

South Korea's confirmed cases have fallen in recent weeks, after the nation recorded hundreds of new cases each day between February and March.

But despite this rapid downward trend, South Korean officials have warned about the possibility of a broader 'quiet spread' when people ease up on social distancing.

President Moon has also urged nationals to support the government in saving jobs and revitalising the economy.

'Government efforts alone aren't enough amid a grave world economic crisis. Public solidarity and cooperation is also needed to revive our economy,' he said.

South Korea's rapid fall in cases comes as Japan today confirmed a further 568 Covid-19 patients.

Members of Seoul City Church in the eastern Seoul ward of Jungnang take part in a drive-in Sunday service in a parking lot

People shop at a mall in Gyeonggi Province, surrounding Seoul, South Korea today

South Korea's rapid fall in cases comes as Japan today confirmed a further 568 Covid-19 patients (Pictured: Inokashira Park in Tokyo)

The nation's total number of cases now stands at 11,073, with 174 deaths confirmed.

Japan's infection total is, however, believed to be much higher as the nation has only just begun to expand its testing capabilities with additional centres in Tokyo and beyond.

Doctors across Japan will now be able to send suspected patients directly to these testing sites.

Japan's Health Ministry has also received reports that some of the cloth face masks it has distributed to households are dirty. Reports from 80 municipalities claim the masks came with stains, dust and other contamination.

People walk in Tokyo after the government expanded a state of emergency to include the entire country last week following the coronavirus outbreak

The nation's total number of cases now stands at 11,073, with 174 deaths confirmed

The dirty masks were among half a million that the government started sending to pregnant women as a priority last week.

Prime Minister Shinzo Abe announced a plan to send two cloth masks to 50 million households in Japan amid dire shortage of surgical masks on April 1.

The Health Ministry urged mask makers to fix the contamination problem and municipal officials to visually inspect the masks before mailing them.
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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.
Jubilant Life Sciences Ltd, which temporarily suspended operations at its Mysuru pharmaceutical plant last month, after a worker tested positive for coronavirus, has said no trace of the virus has been found in the imported raw material sampled from the facility.

It is also following all protocols for the prevention of Covid-19, in addition to taking welfare measures for employees and the community, while sharing information with authorities.

The raw material imported from China tested negative for coronavirus at the National Institute of Virology (NIV), Pune, Jubilant said.

The person, who had tested positive in March, had not travelled to China or to any other country in the previous six months, it added.

On March 11, Jubilant had clarified that the patient, who was treated at a government hospital, had been discharged on recovery.

The Mysuru factory produces azithromycin dihydrate and azithromycin monohydrate, which are key ingredients for drugs used in treating respiratory tract infections, including coronavirus.

Drug makers are exempt from the lockdown, but Jubilant suspended operations temporarily as a precautionary measure and after it was advised by local authorities. All its personnel were also put under self-quarantine.

All evidence and known scientific facts published by reputed global organisations, available so far, indicates that the virus does not survive for more than 72 hours on any surface. The raw materials sampled from the Nanjangud facility had taken more than three weeks of transit to reach the plant by sea route and no virus can survive this long on any surface, it said.

The New England Journal of Medicine had on March 17 said that coronavirus cannot survive for more than 72 hours on any surface. It is extremely unlikely that the infection could have taken place from items imported from infected countries, going by current evidence, said Dr Abdul Gaffur, infectious diseases specialist, Apollo Hospital, Chennai.

As on Sunday, tests for Covid-19 were conducted on 70% of the factorys 1,500 employees. Of this, 3% have tested positive, about 35% have tested negative and results were awaited for the remaining cases, said a company executive.

The company has started supplying hand sanitizers to central and state governments, free of cost. Senior management is taking stock of every employees well-being on a daily basis, the company said.

The company values the support it has received from all levels of government authorities, including the district administration, police, public health department and the community around its facility. Jubilant is constantly communicating and working with them to mitigate the situation arising out of Covid-19, the company added.

(Srishti Choudhary contributed to this report.)

The promoters of HT Media Ltd, which publishes Mint, and Jubilant Industries are closely related. There are no promoter cross-holdings.
Kochi, April 19 : Senior Congress legislator P.T. Thomas on Sunday fired a fresh salvo at Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan over the appointment of Justice P. Ubaid (retd) as chairman of the Kerala Real Estate Appellate Tribunal.

Ubaid in 2017 had exonerated Vijayan in the SNC Lavalin case, relating to an agreement inked 20 years ago with Canadian company SNC-Lavalin when Vijayan was the state Power Minister.

Thomas told the media that this appointment is in "total violation" of what CPI-M general secretary Sitaram Yechury said soon after former Supreme Court Chief Justice Ranjan Gogoi was nominated to the Upper House of Parliament.

Yechuri had then slammed the Modi government and quoted Gogoi's own remark that appointment of retired judges in political posts is a "scar on the independence of the judiciary".

"In Kerala, what's happening now is that in the name of fighting Covid-19, appointments and contracts are being made at a breakneck speed. I really doubt if Justice Ubaid will actually take up this post," said Thomas.

Vijayan is currently the target of the Congress demand that he step down in the wake of alleged handing of details of about two lakh coronavirus suspect cases to a US marketing firm. Thomas had on Saturday dragged in the name of Vijayan's daughter Veena's IT firm into the data controversy.
Congress president Sonia Gandhi on Saturday constituted an 11-member consultative group under former Prime Minister Manmohan Singhs leadership to deliberate on matters related to the Covid-19 pandemic and to formulate the partys views on them.

The group also includes Rahul Gandhi, Randeep Singh Surjewala, KC Venugopal, P Chidambaram, Manish Tewari, Jairam Ramesh, Praveen Chakravarty, Gaurav Vallabh, Supriya Shrinate and Rohan Gupta. This is the first time Rahul Gandhi has become a member of a party panel since he stepped down as the Congress chief last year.

In a press release, the Congress said the consultative group will meet virtually daily.

A member of the group, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said the panel will give suggestions to the government on both health and economic challenges arising out of the pandemic. Economic pandemic is even bigger than health pandemic. As Rahul Gandhi has said the Congress, as the opposition and the countrys oldest party, will continue to give its suggestions irrespective of whether the government accepts those or not, he said.

The member said they are duty-bound to put in the public domain the challenges and the solutions. It is deeply felt by many in the country that the government is doing very little in terms of laying down a roadmap for kick-starting the economy...

He said the panel will hold consultations with chief ministers, former chief ministers, former Union ministers, Congress as well as non-Congress leaders and experts. Apart from suggestions and solutions, the group will keep coming out with warnings to the government about the forthcoming challenges.

He said Rahul Gandhi, in his press conference on Thursday, gave constructive suggestions and offered positive criticism. He happens to be the leader, who is a rallying point for the party even though he may not hold any post. That is why he is there with Dr Manmohan Singh, and Chidambaram... this committee will be able to lay down a futuristic road map for the country.

Both Sonia Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi have been interacting with Congress leaders from across the country through video-conferencing and urging them to play an active role in the fight against Covid-19. They have asked them to reach out to the highest number of people apart from assessing the work of the Centre and state governments in containing the pandemic.

The Congress has repeatedly sought the ramping up of Covid-19 testing and personal protection equipment for health workers. It has also urged the government to spell out steps it plans to take to mitigate the woes of migrant labourers and farmers waiting to harvest their crops.

Sonia Gandhi has written six letters to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, seeking relief for different sections and to suggest measures the government can take in dealing with the pandemic.

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Madrid, Spain  It is only by chance that a small bungalow in Madrid bearing the scars of Nazi shelling still survives.

And it is only by pure coincidence that, just a decade ago, this fact came to light when photographer and archeologist Jose Latova stumbled across a photograph taken by the Hungarian war photographer Robert Capa.

The photograph showed the bombed-out building at Calle Peironcely 10, a dilapidated set of interconnecting bungalows in the southern Madrid neighbourhood of Vallecas.

It was in the winter of 1936, during the Spanish Civil War, that bombers sent by Hitler to help Francisco Franco overthrow Spains republican government  and to practice the tactics the Nazis would later use during World War II  pummelled the building.

Remarkably, it was not completely destroyed  something its latter-day residents have come to see as both a blessing and a curse.

The shrapnel-marked bungalow at Calle Peironcely 10 is one of the last remaining one-storey buildings in the neighbourhood [Leah Pattem/Al Jazeera]

The residents of No 10

Today, 14 families live 21st-century lives within the buildings crumbling, damp walls.

But the realisation of their homes historical significance has brought them the most unlikely stroke of luck; it means they will soon be relocated to better housing.

Loubna El Mannani, a single mother who migrated from Morocco 16 years ago, is one resident of the little shrapnel-scarred bungalow.

If I went to Morocco and told people that I was living in a house like this, everyone would think I was lying, she says.

Because, normally, people from my country pay money to be trafficked here, they think theyre coming to heaven. And look at the situation Im in.

Loubna El Mannani questions whether her family should live at Calle Peironcely 10, but she knows her children will receive a better education in Madrid than back in Morocco [Leah Pattem/Al Jazeera]

El Mannani is raising her children, aged eight, six and four, in a 24 square-metre (79 square-foot) apartment.

I use this old piece of wood for blocking the gap under my bathroom door to stop the rats coming in at night, she explains. The reality is, I feel like Im living in a slum or even a third-world country at times.

The family share a bunk bed. She and her youngest child huddle together on the bottom bunk while the two oldest sleep top-to-toe above.

My eldest doesnt understand why I choose for them to live here, especially when we visit my mother in Morocco and see her four-storey house. But despite where we live, they have better chances of receiving a good education here.

Like El Mannani, her neighbour Ana Milena Roman receives help from the government to pay her rent.

The residents say they pay 350 euros ($380) in rent; Luis Barrena, the owner of Calle Peironcely 10 and various other buildings in Madrid, says the rent is 300 euros ($330). With unprecedented rent increases across Madrid, it is almost impossible to find anything else at this price within the city.

In addition, real estate agencies ask a commission, typically amounting to just over one months rent  something that is unaffordable for these tenants.

Ive tried many times to speak to the owner of this place about repairs, but its impossible because he only wants to receive our rent, and still doesnt repair the house, explains Roman, a 52-year-old Colombian beautician.

Roman, who lives with her son, looks forward to them moving so that her health can improve enough for her to go to university [Leah Pattem/Al Jazeera]

Her bathroom ceiling is black and blistering with mould, and the damp has aggravated her arthritis to such an extent that she has had to postpone beginning her degree in social work.

Barrena agrees that the residents dissatisfaction with the condition of their homes is fair. But, he adds, you have to see everything together, arguing that the tenants pay a low rent.

The residents were always aware that their stay there would be temporary, he adds. The reason why we did not invest more in improving this property is because we were planning to do a new project, Barrena explains.

Surrounded by books and study notes, Roman zips up her coat and speaks with optimism.

The project to turn my house into a museum has helped a lot, because the government is finally listening to us, she says.

Relocation delayed

When Latova discovered the photo by Robert Capa, he and Jose Maria Uria  from the trade union-linked Fundacion Anastasio de Gracia, which is coordinating the conservation efforts  embarked on a complex mission: To save Peironcely 10.

It would mean relocating its tenants, stopping its demolition and securing listed status. But soon after the project was launched, the owners plastered over the shrapnel marks, some suspect in an attempt to undermine the significance of the building.

The Health Department of the Madrid City Council forced us to cover all cracks due to complaints made by neighbours, and the operators that we sent for this purpose seem to have covered some of the shrapnel marks, Barrena explains.

He adds that the workers sent to cover the cracks did not know that those marks were made by machine guns and in no case did it intentionally.

Fortunately for the tenants of No 10, and the project to save it, Madrid City Council is now buying the property and converting it into a museum about the Spanish Civil War  the first of its kind.

The news was warmly welcomed by residents as it means the council will relocate them.

Barrena says he is also happy with the situation.

But as Roman sits on her bed, pushed up against a wall blackened with mould, news of a coronavirus outbreak circulates around Madrid. Shortly after this interview, Roman tests positive for COVID-19.

The city councils housing department has all but shut down, with even a moratorium on evictions. Roman, El Mannani and all 14 families of the little war-torn house are now quarantined inside their damp, cold, cockroach and rat-infested homes for weeks to come.

But, in this neighbourhood, self-isolating is not an option for all.

Puente de Vallecas has recently recorded the highest number of COVID-19 cases in Madrid, according to figures published by the regional government. This may be rooted in factors related to housing density, health and age, but the disease also appears to be concentrated in areas where employees cannot perform their role remotely  such as caring, refuse collection, delivery and cleaning services and, in some cases, construction work.

Part of Spains history

Juan Nolasco Grillo, a retired construction worker from Badajoz, a city in southwest Spain, is another resident of No 10.

I worked on the skyscrapers on the opposite side of the city, Grillo recounts, with a hint of irony, and now I live here.

Grillo helped build Spains tallest skyscrapers, Los Cuatro Torres in the north of Madrid [Leah Pattem/Al Jazeera]

Grillos front door is next to an old well  a luxury in the past.

The well is beautiful, but it brings damp into my house, Grillo explains, unlocking his front door as he clutches a fresh baguette under his arm.

Walking around his small home, he points to rising damp like an estate agent going through the motions, fully aware that he has already lost the sale.

Grillo, like his neighbours, is currently quarantined in his cramped home for the duration of Spains state of emergency.

Mihaela Victorita, from Romania, and her Bolivian partner, a construction worker, moved into No 10 five years ago before Victorita fell pregnant with their first child.

My son is always asking me, Mama, when are we going to move and have more space? The council is telling us well move in June, but weve been waiting for years already and Ive stopped believing anything theyre saying. It really gets me down.

Victorita cannot find work, so her husband, who works in construction, supports the family of four [Leah Pattem/Al Jazeera]

Despite the substandard conditions in which Victorita and her family are forced to live, she smiles and says: To be honest, its an honour to be part of Spains history.

Spain is still struggling to come to terms with its darkest period in living memory  the civil war from 1936 to 1939 and the decades of dictatorship that followed.

After the death of Franco, the dictator who ruled over Spain from 1939 until his death in 1975, collective amnesia known as the pact of silence was put in place.

It was believed by many at the time to be the only way in which Spain could move forward, but it has left an unsettling lack of monuments or memorial sites to the victims of the war and its aftermath.

As Spain continues to unravel the events of the civil war, the expropriation of Peironcely 10 and its conversion into a museum are one step towards redressing the countrys wartime scars  perhaps helping them to finally heal.
South Africa: Respect the lockdown regulations or face arrest

Despite law enforcement authorities clamping down on defiant citizens for not observing the COVID-19 regulations, sections of society continue to disobey the lockdown rules.

This was revealed by Police Minister Bheki Cele on Sunday at the culmination of ministerial visits to provinces to assess the enforcement of the laws. Cele and his Deputy Minister, Cassel Mathale, on Friday engaged with the management of the South African Police Service on progress.

In a joint statement with the SAPS management, Cele expressed gratitude to the police, South African Defence Force, Metro Police Departments and other law enforcement agencies for their unwavering commitment and resilience in support of governments efforts to combat the global pandemic.

Among the niggling challenges authorities were grappling with was that they were still arresting people for possessing fraudulent lockdown permits; failure to confine themselves to places of residence; and illegal gatherings.

However, the violation of regulations prohibiting the sale of liquor was the biggest headache to law enforcement.

In a statement, Cele expressed gratitude to the majority of society for respecting the lockdown. He singled out those who alerted authorities to those breaking the law.

These arrests can be avoided if people can listen and adhere to governments call to stay home for their own protection against the corona virus, said the Minister.

He also appealed to civil society to work with and support governments priority to get everyone to stay home. This would minimise the burden on security forces in relation to policing during the lockdown.

Responding to reports of police members arrested for contravening the lockdown regulations, including liquor related crimes, Minister Cele condemned the acts of criminality by a small percentage of members.

With the lockdown extended for another two weeks, Cele urged the members to maintain the work protecting citizens against the virus within the confines of the law.

Two officers killed

The Minister paid tribute to two police officers who were killed in the line of duty the lockdown. Constable Percy Ramalepe, 33, of Sandton Vispol was shot and killed while responding to a complaint of domestic violence in Sandton on 9 April.

The suspect allegedly then turned the gun on himself, fatally wounding himself. Ramalepe was buried on Saturday in Giyani, Limpopo.

Meanwhile, Sergeant Steven Damoense, also 33, from the Northern Cape Organised Crime Unit was also buried on Saturday, in Delportshoop. Damoense. He was stabbed to death by a suspect on 30 March in Rietvale, Modderrivier. The suspect has since been arrested.

Cele urged SAPS management to ensure that members are at all times protected against possible infection of the Coronavirus, and that they are adequately equipped with the necessary personal protective equipment (PPE).

That there are a number of police members who have tested positive for the Coronavirus is no anomaly and it is for this reason that we are appealing to members of the public to do the right thing and stay home to protect our members who are out there on the streets, exposed and vulnerable to infection and spreading of the virus, said the Minister.  SAnews.gov.za

This story has been published on: 2020-04-19. To contact the author, please use the contact details within the article.
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A total of 125 Bahraini nationals stranded in India due to the nation-wide lockdown there were finally flown home yesterday. Gulf Air flight number GF7753 carrying citizens who were residing in different parts of India touched down at Bahrain International Airport last night shortly after 9pm.

The Bahrainis were flown home after being brought together at Pune International Airport, from where they returned on a special chartered flight via Chennai. They were scheduled to arrive at 9.05pm but were delayed. Their repatriation is a part of national efforts to bring home Bahraini citizens abroad in light of the global outbreak of the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic.

According to reports, charge daffaires at the Bahrain Embassy in New Delhi Ali Abdulla Al Noaimi said that Bahrain supports Indias efforts to combat the COVID-19 pandemic. We had a list of all the Bahraini citizens who were staying in various parts of the country; some were tourists, some seeking medical services, and most of the nationals were students, Al Noaimi was quoted as saying by Hindustan Times. Al Noaimi also revealed that one Bahraini national from Pune developed a high fever and was advised to rest and could not board the flight. It is understood that he was taken to the hospital for treatment.

Bahrain Consul General in Mumbai Ali Al Balooshi was in Pune to see to the safe travel of the Bahraini nationals. According to the report, the Bahrainis not located in Pune had arrived there three days prior and were staying at Hotel Taj Blue Diamond, where they were waiting for yesterdays flight. Meanwhile, Pune airport director Kuldeep Singh noted that all precautionary arrangements had been made to ensure the safe travel of the Bahraini passengers.

All arrangements were made for thermal screening at departure entry: Central Industrial Security Force (CISF) [wore] protective gear; immigration, customs, tea-coffee snacks counter, sanitisation machine at entry gate; frequent cleaning/ sanitisation of the washrooms; markings for physical separation on the floor and on chairs. We opened only limited areas for the passengers movement to ensure focused cleaning.
Mumbai, April 19 : One should head to actor Kartik Aaryan's social media accounts to get entertained amid the ongoing lockdown period. From posting hilarious pictures to making goofy videos and conducting interactive sessions, Kartik has been doing his best to lighten up the mood of people.

And now on Sunday, he is back with another goofy video, which he has made with his sister.

In the video, the "Sonu Ke Titu Ki Sweety" actor can be seen taking a bit of his chapati and clearly hates it. He then moved towards his sister, heldA her braid and turned her around.

"No compromise on food quality," he captioned the video.

The siblings' video has left netizens in splits.

A user commented: "Hahahaa." Another one wrote: "Thank you for making us laugh." On the film front, Kartik will be next seen in "Dostana 2" and "Bhool Bhulaiyaa 2".
The energy sector is quite literally the lifeline of the Permian Basinand directly impacts every single business and person in our community. Many of us who were born and raised in the Permian Basin are no strangers to the boom and bust cycles inherent with the oil and gas industry.

But this downturn is different.

Not only are our West Texas producers caught in the crossfire of an oil-price war between the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and Russiawhich flooded the market with cheap crude, causing oil prices to collapse overnightthey are also dealing with the disastrous market effects from the worst health crisis in modern memory caused by the fallout of COVID-19. Almost overnight, this double whammy has left thousands of our friends and neighbors jobless, businesses shuttered, and our entire way of life threatened like never before.

There is no easy way to sugarcoat it; we are in the fight for our lives, and the situation is dire. Bold actions are needed, and I am engaging directly with the foreign leaders at the heart of the oil-market collapse; I am actively working with the administration and Congressional leadership to call attention to this crisis; and I am in near-constant communication with local oil producers. It imperative that we leave no stone unturned in the fight for our livelihoods.

Last week, I sent a letter directly to the crown prince of Saudi Arabia, Mohammad bin Salman, urging him to take immediate action to bring stability  not further volatility  to global crude oil markets. This letter was signed by Republican Whip Steve Scalise and 46 other members of Congress on the House Energy Action Team (HEAT).

Shortly after the HEAT letter was sent, and thanks to the voices in the Permian, President Trump announced that a historic deal had been reached with the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries plus Russia (OPEC+). The presidents leadership and swift action to intervene in the global market manipulation resulted in OPEC + members agreeing to cut production by over 10 percent in an effort to stabilize our world supply and put an end to global market manipulation. His intervention was key to the success of the agreement, and we will continue our work with him and his administration to make sure the agreement is seen to fruition.

Ahead of this announcement, in an effort to further ensure our voices were heard during these critical negotiations, my colleague and fellow Texan Chip Roy and I coordinated a conference call between oil and gas producers in the Permian Basin and senior Trump administration officials within the Department of Energy. Our industry leaders were able to voice their concerns and provide on-the-ground reports of the impact that the global oil market is having on our small-to-medium sized producers in Texas. Calls like these -- and the many other efforts of our Permian producers --have been integral in shaping national policy by communicating the dire reality of our situation and the need for urgent action.

Furthermore, on April 1, I joined a letter with House Republican Leader Kevin McCarthy (R-CA) and more than 20 other members of Congress to the Interior secretary requesting that the department reduce or eliminate oil and gas royalty payments on federal lands. This action would provide relief to our fossil fuel industry and allow production to continue

Finally, in Congress, I am leading a bi-partisan effort to overturn Speaker Nancy Pelosis demand to remove the Strategic Petroleum Reserve (SPR) funding from the Phase III coronavirus relief package (CARES Act), and ensure that any additional relief legislation supports the Department of Energys efforts to fill the SPR with Permian oil.

As we continue to battle through these trying times, know that I am down in the trenches with you. While we have a hard road ahead, we should take comfort in the fact that our communities and industries have survived the cyclical nature of the oil business before  and we always come back stronger in the end. I believe through bold action at home and abroad, we can remain hopeful that we will reclaim Americas energy dominance and preserve our West Texas way of life for generations to come.
Police officers in Georgia discovered a newborn baby underneath the backseat of a car just moments after her mother gave birth to her there and lost track of her when the vehicle skidded off the wet roadway.

The incident took place just before dawn on Monday in Lilburn, a town that sits about 20 miles northeast of Atlanta.

Crystan Graham, who was in labor, was in the backseat of an SUV as she was being driven to the hospital by her mother, Krystal Jones.

Jones, eager to get her daughter to the Gwinnett Medical Center, drove her Chevy Tahoe at high speed down Lawrenceville Highway, which was wet at the time, according to Fox 5 TV.

Cepeda Huff, a police officer with the Lilburn Police Department in Georgia, holds newborn Cea Anderson before dawn on Monday

Huff found the newborn infant moments after her mother gave birth to her and lost her amidst the chaos of a car accident

Young Cea, who weighed in at 3 pounds and 9 ounces, is doing fine in a neonatal intensive care unit near Atlanta

Huff (above) said that after she was born, Cea was lodged inside a pocket underneath a rear seat in the Chevy Tahoe

Crystan Graham, the mother, is now out of the hospital and doing well

The vehicle skidded off the slick roadway and crashed into the gate of the BAPS Hindu Temple.

While in the backseat, Graham gave birth to the infant girl as the vehicle skidded off the highway.

Amidst the chaos and the darkness, neither Graham or her mother were able to find the baby.

Three officers with the Lilburn Police Department arrived on the scene moments later.

One of the officers, Danny Bride, who just happened to be driving by the scene seconds before the accident, asked: 'Where was the baby at?'

'We don't know!' Jones said. 'I was just trying to get to the hospital.'

Jones was holding a young child in her arms at the time the police arrived.

Bride was recording the entire encounter on his police body cam.

'Where was the baby at?' Bride asked.

'In her womb!' Jones said. 'She was giving birth!'

Officer Daniel Bride (left) just happened to be driving by the scene moments before the accident. He and Huff were joined moments later by Sergeant Matt Madden (right)

Krystal Jones, Graham's mother, was driving the SUV while her daughter was in the backseat in labor

She told the officers that they could not find the newborn baby after her daughter had just given birth

'We thought the baby might have gone out the window because there was so much debris in the back,' Bride told Fox 5.

'Our concern was whether the baby got tossed into the backseat or got tossed through the window.'

Another officer, Cepeda Huff, also arrived on the scene, as did Sergeant Matt Madden.

The officers struggled to see in the pitch-black darkness. They scanned the surrounding area with their flashlights and saw shards of glass and other debris left behind by the accident.

'With the Georgia red clay and a newborn baby, I was thinking it was blending in with the mud,' said Huff.

Bride is heard asking Huff to look under the middle row seat of the SUV.

Bride thought he may have seen a piece of the umbilical cord.

That is when Huff found the baby girl alive and well.

'There is like a small little drop-off under the seat,' Huff said.

'And that's where the baby laid right into a little pocket. And that's where I found her.'

The officers who arrived on the scene had difficulty seeing in the pitch-black darkness

They scanned the area with flashlights and noticed debris left behind by the accident

Huff finally found the baby after Bride noticed a piece of the umbilical cord sticking out

Huff cradled the infant in his arms and rushed her to an ambulance. He then went over to the panicked mother and grandmother to give them the good news.

'We got your baby,' Bride said. 'Looks to be fine. She's breathing and moving just fine.'

'Thank you Jesus!' Jones said. 'She's alive!'

The newborn, Cea Anderson, is recovering at the Gwinnett Medical Center neonatal intensive care unit.

She was born 3 pounds 9 ounces.

Her mother, Graham, is out of the hospital.

Jones referred to the three officers who found the baby as her angels.

'It's a great way to end a shift and it's just about being in the right place and the right time,' said Bride.
Jonathan Ananda By

Express News Service

NEW DELHI: The sharp fall in electricity demand during the lockdown is likely to deliver a major blow to Indias power sector, especially its large thermal power plants. Industry representatives have warned that the deep decline in demand will result in net revenue losses of up to Rs 40,000 crore for distribution companies (discoms), and in the entire sector facing liquidity crunch to the tune of Rs 50,000 crore.

According to data from government entities, peak power demand has tanked by over 25 per cent since the beginning of the lockdown. Power ministry data showed that total power consumption in the country had slipped to a little over 125 GW in the beginning of April compared to over 163 GW before the nationwide lockdown. Data from the Power System Operation Corporation Limited (POSOCO) corresponds to this trend, falling to 18 billion units during the week from March 23-April 12, from 18 billion units from March 9-15.

The Confederation of Indian Industrys (CII) white paper released earlier this week notes that this fall in consumption would be exacerbated by an extended lockdown and could lead to net revenue losses of Rs 25,000- 30,000 crore for discoms. The heavily indebted sector, where discoms already owe over Rs 90,000 crore to power gencos, would also be faced with liquidity crunch worth an additional Rs 45,000-50,000 crore.

The liquidity gap may also transmit to other players in the value chain, namely conventional and renewable generators, transmission licensees and vendors/service providers in our sector. This could impact their ability to buy fuel, meet debt service obligations and ensure seamless operations, the CII said. Thermal power generators, in particular, are likely to be badly affected since competing segments such as hydro and wind need to be operated continuously. The CII says the segment could be faced with a further liquidity shortage of up to Rs 25,000 crore.
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.
Chennai, April 19 : Tamil Nadu fishermen are shocked and baffled at the Kerala police action of confiscating and burying costly export-oriented tuna fish resulting in huge losses.

"For the past two weeks, the Kerala police after allowing the trucks carrying the tuna and other fish into its territory confiscated the consignment and buried it," M. Ilango, Chairperson, National Fisherfolk Forum told IANS.

He said this has resulted in huge losses to the Tamil Nadu fishermen.

"Fishermen from Kanyakumari, Tuticorin and other places in Tamil Nadu go into deep sea for fishing and catch tuna fish," Ilango said.

According to him the tuna caught in the Bay of Bengal has good export demand.

"As there are not many seafood processing units in Tamil Nadu, the fishermen send the catch to Kerala where such units are located," Ilango said.

He said the quality of fish sold is a matter between the buyer and the seller and the Kerala police has no role in deciding it.

"The Kerala police has two options - not allow fish from Tamil Nadu into the state or if it allows then leave the issue between the buyer and the seller. It cannot allow the trucks inside and then destroy the well packed quality and costly consignment," Ilango remarked.

He said the matter was also brought to the notice of Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan.

"The fishermen and the traders who have lost heavily, be properly compensated. We request the Kerala Government to take proper action in this regard," Ilango added.
POSCO SS VINA in Vietnam / Courtesy of POSCO



By Nam Hyun-woo



Steelmaker POSCO has pledged to make sustainable investments in its Vietnamese subsidiary, POSCO SS VINA, despite its deteriorated bottom line.



With POSCO facing headwinds stemming from COVID-19 on both demand and supply sides, industry officials say SS VINA's earnings for this year will show whether the body is a reliable overseas base or a chronic headache.



In a recent regulatory filing, POSCO said it will invest 21.2 billion won ($17.43 million) in SS VINA until 2022. Of the amount, POSCO will frontload 11.1 billion won this year in order to "improve the subsidiary's production efficiency and cost saving."



SS VINA was established in 2010 as a wholly owned subsidiary producing rebar and structural steel. Its mill began operation in 2015 with a 1 million ton output target, but has never been able to post a profit.



SS VINA posted a $41 million operating loss last year, expanded from $22 million in 2018 and $31 million in 2017. Its 2019 sales also declined to $460 million, down from $562 million in 2018.



Last year, SS VINA's capacity stood at 1.1 million tons, but it ended up producing 789,000 tons of steel, dragging down the operation rate to 71.7 percent from 87.7 percent in 2018.



As the company failed to get its business on the right track, POSCO launched a restructuring program at the end of last year, handing over its 49 percent of stake in SS VINA to Japan's Yamato Kogyo Group at around $100 million and selling the rebar production line to a Vietnamese steelmaker.



Upon signing the deal, POSCO said it seeks to reorganize SS VINA's portfolio to be more focused on structural steel products, such as I-beams.



However, questions remain over the sustainability of SS VINA, as the global steel industry is reeling hard from economic fallout of the coronavirus pandemic.



SS VINA's poor earnings for the past few years are largely attributable to its weak price competitiveness compared to rivals from China and Southeast Asian countries. During a conference call in January, POSCO said SS VINA has piled up losses due to "the heightened price competition in the local market."



Casting concern is the increasing inventory of Chinese steelmakers after the COVID-19 outbreak, which will increase their exports.



According to Yuanta Securities analyst Yi Hyun-soo, Chinese mid-size and large steelmakers' inventory rose to 18.52 million tons in February, up from 10.5 million tons a month earlier, and the inventory of long products, such as rebar and I-beams, showed an increase sharper than that of flat products.



"As Chinese products' inventory increases, steelmakers there will put more emphasis on exporting," Yi said.



Korean steelmakers' opposition to SS VINA's exporting of steel beams to Korea adds more doubt about the company's sustainability.



Amid the establishment of SS VINA, POSCO had high hopes for the Vietnamese and other Southeast Asian governments' drive to enhance their infrastructure. By having SS VINA as a base for beam products, POSCO sought to improve its presence across Southeast Asia and enjoy more profits.



However, the actual demand was lower than POSCO's earlier expectations, and SS VINA begun exporting its I-beam products to Korea to maintain its operation rate.



However, this triggered a strong opposition from smaller steelmakers in Korea, including Hyundai Steel and Dongkuk Steel, whose main portfolio is long products. As of October last year, domestic I-beam products were priced at 750,000 won per ton, while that of Vietnam was 730,000 won.



Citing this price gap, domestic steelmakers have been considering filing a suit against SS VINA since last year.



POSCO said it will not increase the volume of exports to Korea and keep SS VINA's focus on the Vietnamese market, but outlook remains grim and SS VINA may need to increase its export to Korea to stay afloat.



"It seems it will be difficult for SS VINA to avoid increasing Korea-bound exports amid the slowdown in the global steel industry," an industry official said.




A U.S. Customs and Border Protection officer accused of fatally shooting a Laredo firefighter has been released on bond, according to custody records.

Ernesto Gillen, 43, posted a $100,000 surety bond on Thursday, the same day he was arrested and booked on the charge of murder, Webb County Jail records.

Gillen is a 12-year veteran with CBP. He is currently on non-duty status, a CBP official said.

The incident remains under investigation by Laredo Police Department and U.S. Customs and Border Protections Office of Professional Responsibility, CBP said.

READ MORE: Laredo Police charge man with murder of 4 family members, including 2 year old

CBP cooperates fully with all criminal or administrative investigations of alleged conduct by any of our personnel, whether it occurs on or off duty. Any further inquiry regarding the case should be directed to Laredo Police Department or Webb County District Attorneys Office.

Gillen allegedly shot and killed Guadalupe David De Luna, a 21-year veteran with the Laredo Fire Department following a domestic dispute. If convicted, Gillen could face five to 99 years in prison on a life sentence for the first-degree felony.

The case unfolded at about 10:20 p.m. Wednesday, when a woman called to report a shooting at an apartment complex in the 6800 block of Springfield Avenue.

LFD crews responded and encountered De Luna, 42, with an apparent gunshot wound. He was declared dead at the scene, according to police. Gillen was detained for investigative purposes.

All initial findings in the investigation were presented to Webb County District Attorney Isidro Alaniz and a charge of murder was accepted against Ernesto Gillen, police had said in a statement.
Covid-19 related deaths within the UK's care homes for the elderly and vulnerable doubled within just one week, according to data collected and analysed by a leading representative body for the not-for-profit adult social care sector.

The National Care Forum (NCF) report, released on Saturday, demonstrates 2,500 deaths within care homes within seven days, figures which it says highlights significant flaws in the current national reporting of coronavirus related death toll in the UK.

It is hoped that this analysis will provide insight and impetus for the government to better address the needs of the care sector, the NCF said.

The group's research came as pressure mounts on the British government to start counting deaths within the wider community and care homes to its daily hospital toll figures, which hit 15,464 on this week.

Amid concerns that the national statistics presented by the government for coronavirus related mortality rates were not incorporating figures of deaths within residential and nursing homes, the NCF said it led an independent benchmarking exercise.

As many as 47 of its care provider members contributed to the audit, representing 1,169 care services that collectively support 30,217 people across the UK - 7.4 per cent of the overall residential care sector population.

The resulting sample analysis suggests that a total of 4,040 people may have died of the deadly virus within UK residential and nursing services before April 13.

The figure of more than 4,000 people passing away of Covid-19 within care homes in little more than one month is devastating. Every death is a loss and a tragedy, said Vic Rayner, Executive Director of the National Care Forum.

It is even more worrying to see a virtual doubling of deaths within homes in just one week, clearly indicating that whilst all attention has been on managing the peak in hospitals, the virus has attacked our most vulnerable communities, she said.

The NCF said the data should be a wake up call to the government and society as a whole to recognise that its official whatever it takes approach has to be applied equally.

By highlighting the scale of the tragedy, we are giving the government an opportunity to respond with equal effort. It must act immediately and build a ring of steel' around care homes. They need the right PPE [personal protective equipment], medical monitoring devices, rapid and comprehensive testing, proper funding and intensive research to safeguard the people they care for, Rayner added.

The UK's Department of Health has repeatedly explained the focus on hospital deaths in its daily death toll tally on the time lag involved in care home deaths being collated.

"Every death from this virus is a tragedy and that is why we are working around the clock to give the social care sector the equipment and support they need to tackle this global pandemic," a DoH spokesperson said.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Two villages in Himachal Pradesh with two distinctive identities, one with the highest motorable road and the other renowned for its potent tourist attraction and ancient governance system, have set high standards in how communities can self-isolate for protection against Covid-19 without the administration or police wasting valuable time enforcing rules.

Welcome to Komic and Malana, where villagers, with remarkable maturity, have banned the movement of people voluntarily, knowing they have to save lives at any cost. The ruling deity in the latter village also issued lockdown orders much before the government did

Villagers in Komic  situated 15,500 feet above sea level  now rarely step out of their homes and strictly adhere to guidelines issued by the state government. They have restricted farm activities too. We hardly go out and the children study at home, says local resident Palzor.

The youngsters have made a time table which they follow diligently and study for four hours a day, she says.

Komic does not have a ration depot, but the villagers who have to travel 30 km to the nearest market in Kaza, have stocked up for the next six months. They are habituated to doing so as the entire Lahaul and Spiti district remains cut from the rest of the state for about six months a year due to heavy snowfall in Rohtang pass.

The only problem, Palzor says, is that relay signals for television are weak and they dont have internet facilities.

Deitys orders

Malana, an ancient village located in scenic Kullu districts Parvati valley, was the first panchayat in HP to restrict entry of outsiders from March 18, much ahead of Prime Minister Narendra Modis March 24 lockdown call.

Villagers like to say they have simply followed the orders of their supreme deity, Jamlu, who wished it so.

Said to be descendants of Greek king Alexanders soldiers, the Malanis as locals are known, have their own parliamentary system comprising an upper house called Jayeshthang and a lower house called Kanishthang.

The reason why they anticipated problems and closed their borders ahead of others is the dubious local trade here in Malana cream, a strain of Cannabis hashish with high oil content and an intensely fragrant aroma.

Despite the governments efforts to stop its production, Malana cream still attracts people from all around the world.

Thats also why many restaurants have sprung up here. There are 20 odd restaurant owners who have remained in Malana. We have told them that if they leave the village they would not be allowed to return, says Bhagi Ram, head of the local panchayat, which has a population of 4,700 .

Ram said ration was not a problem and they had adequate stocks.

The Malanis use the Kanashi dialect, which is much different from the others spoken in the Kullu region.

Traditionally, inhabitants of this land-locked village used to make baskets, ropes and slippers from hemp. But in the late 1980s, visiting foreigners taught people here the methods of extracting the intoxicating resin from cannabis.

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From ELLE

Spoilers for Too Hot to Handle below.



On April 17, Netflix answered our prayers for some mindless reality TV with the new show Too Hot to Handle , a program in which a bunch of sexy people inadvertently go on a sexless retreat together for one month. Thats right. These sex-positive, commitment-phobic humans are thrown together in a house and cant have sex. They cant kiss. They cant masturbate. If they do, money is deducted from a $100,000 pot. Most of these people are models who love to wear tight clothing and take selfies. Lets just say they lose some money. (Come on; was that really a spoiler?)

Photo credit: Netflix

From the beginning, some key couples stood out among the crowd. Francesca Farago, a plant-based model from Vancouver with her own clothing label , and Harry Jowsey, a man from Queensland, Australia, who has a clothing company called Naughty Possums , were attracted to each other from day one. Now, heres where we get into some spoilers, so in case you havent already watched this thing in one sitting, you might want to stop reading now.

Farago and Jowsey broke the rules more than anyone else on the show. They lost the group a significant portion of the collective $100,000 prize money by making out, having sex, and getting frisky under the sheets. This made a lot of people unhappy, but the pair somehow managed to redeem themselves (and the money theyd lost) by going one night without touching each other. These two seemed pretty hopeless in the beginning, to be honest; they were the first ones to break the rules, they never seemed to know what they wanted, and they stole all the attention away from the other contestants. But in the end, they were pretty cute, I guess. Jowsey even entertained the idea of moving to Vancouver.

So, did that happen? Where are these sexy people now, and are they together?

Their current relationship status has been confirmed.

On April 23, Jowsey teased on his Instagram, "Whos ready for the big reveal tomorrow? What do you think Im going to post  #TooHotToHandle," alerting his 1 million followers that a relationship update was on the way. Ultimately, it was Farago's IG that announced the couple's fate: they're currently together.

Story continues

"always been you.. @harryjowsey," she captioned a close-up photo of the couple laughing, ending all doubts about whether these two are dating.

However, the couple isn't currently quarantining together. "It's hard being away from him because he is in Los Angeles and I am in Vancouver," Farago told Entertainment Tonight. "But once this quarantine is over, we are going to move in together and it's going to be amazing and magical. We are going to get married and have kids!" In the meantime, they're keeping in touch. "I think we FaceTime probably 10 times a day," she said to Glamour. "I'm always calling him. So we talk probably ridiculous amounts, I think." Jowsey reiterated to the mag, "I think it's kind of lucky that we aren't quarantined together because I feel like you'd have a child by the end of this."

They're still together today.

On the reunion for Too Hot to Handle, which is appropriately called Extra Hot: The Reunion, we learn from the couple (who are, indeed, social distancing separately), that they took a break for eight whole months. This separation followed Jowsey's trip to Vancouver, where Farago's grandmother properly roasted him by calling him a small-town bumpkin (my words) who doesn't "know the world" (hers). Farago also visited Jowsey's home in Australia. After globetrotting together, the two decided they would go their separate ways, Jowsey explained to the show's host, Desiree Burch, over their video call.

It turns out they weren't done. Jowsey texted Farago and asked to FaceTime her, then she said, he sent her "like, 5o videos" from their relationship together. She said watching them made her nostalgic for the relationship. In Jowsey's words, he was the "big papi chulo just came in and stole the queen." (You have been living in L.A. for a while," Burch quipped.)

So, what about the future for these two? Jowsey said that, following pandemic madness, Farago is considering moving to L.A. and they've been looking at rings. And then Jowsey got down on one knee and proposed with a ring pop.

"Harry knows I want to marry him, so yes, of course," Farago responds.

So, I guess we just saw an engagement?!

The couple has matching tattoos.

The pair has made a major commitment in their relationship already. During their conversation with ET, the couple exclusively revealed they've got lightning bolt tattoos on the inside of their index fingers. "I visited her when I was in Ottawa, and it was something that we wanted to get for a while," Jowsey told the outlet. "We had a lot of negativity around our relationship. On the show, every time I was with her I was like, 'Look, let's stay positive and keep that mindset, because that's what's going to get us through.' So, it's just a nice little reminder to stay positive. And stay with Francesca!"

Francesca added that the lighting bolt idea originated from the Yoni Puja workshop with relationship expert Shan. She explained, "There was a challenge where I had to draw him a painting. It was supposed to be my vagina, but it was like an interpretation of what I saw," she recalled. "I put little lightning bolts all over it, so it just kind of represented our experience as a whole together."

Photo credit: Courtesy of Netflix

They're planning for marriage and babies.

"Long story short, I flew her down, fell in love again and now we want to get married," Jowesey told Entertainment Tonight about the couple's journey to marriage talk. "Right now, we just cherish each other that much more. We dated a few people in between, both of us, and I even said to the last girl I dated, I was like, 'Hey, look, I'm still madly in love with my ex, and I'm so sorry but we can't do this.' And here we are, better than ever!"

He even told the outlet that he planned to take the $7,500 he won from the show to propose to Francesca in Paris. However, current plans are on hold due to COVID-19 safety concerns. And quarantining apart has only made the heart grow fonder. "After quarantine, it's probably going to be a few months [until I see her]," Jowsey told ET. "At that point, I'll probably be completely driven up the wall. So when I see her, I'll be wanting to put babies in her, and I'll be wanting to marry her."

Photo credit: Ana Cristina Blumenkron/Netflix

In the past, they visited each other in their respective hometowns.

The show was filmed at the Casa Tau resort in Punta Mita, Mexico last summer, so a lot has happened since then. According to Faragos Instagram, she visited Jowseys homeland, Australia, on June 30 of last year. She took a photo with a kangaroo. Original.

Jowsey took a photo at the Cooberrie Park Wildlife Sanctuary at the same time as his reality TV love, so its safe to say that was a date. Okay, okay, so Farago only tagged Gold Coast, Queensland on her Instagram, but that wildlife sanctuary is located in Queensland. Also, speaking as an American who has flown to Australia to visit a crush, the first thing you have to do when you get there is pose with a kangaroo. It makes sense that this is exactly where Jowsey and Farago would head for a little one-on-one tourist time.

Jowsey also appeared to be a perfectly acceptable Instagram boyfriend during Faragos visit.

If you scroll up their grids a little further, youll see Jowsey actually made his way to Vancouver before Faragos visit to Australia. Heres a photo of him posing in a car on June 27 with the geotag West Vancouver.

Aaaand heres Farago with the same bright-green car. Who wants a ride? :

Its clear Harry and Francesca may have had some breaks.

What do we do to check if someones single? We check their Valentines Day Instagram posts, of course. Obviously the couple hadnt been posting pictures together since the show, because that would spoil the ending and, in effect, our quarantine. But its hard to be vague on Valentines Day if youre single and in your feelings about it.

Heres Jowseys V-Day post, with the caption, As Valentines Day approaches its a good time to think about relationships and how its two people coming together to solve problems you wouldnt have if you were just single. Comments from fans, such as one that reads Bachelor Jowsey, made it seem like this guy was doing life on his own right now.

Meanwhile, Farago posted from Single Island. Her caption? "happy V day to everyone getting drunk w their friends tonight & NOT texting their exs ;)".

Jowsey confirmed the months-long breakup to Glamour. "We broke up for a few months," he told the outlet. "It was probably the best thing that could've happened because when we got back together we were stronger than ever. We just needed a few months to debrief. Now that we're back, everything's been amazing and couldn't be happier with our relationship. I mean, minus the fact that we're not in the same country right now. Other than that, it's perfect."

They both spend time in Los Angeles.

It looks like Jowsey spends most of his time in L.A., and hes currently quarantining there during the coronavirus pandemic.

Farago appears to be quarantined in Vancouver, but her bio on her Instagram account does read  vancouver/LA. Does this mean they cross paths? TBD.



Their friends always seemed to stan them as a couple.

When people are sheltering in place, they get bored. When they get bored, they comment on their friends exs Instagram account. Kristian Barbarich and Jacob Botica , who, based on their past Instagram comments, are friends of Jowseys, both commented on Faragos Instagram post with the caption tag your quarantine buddy.

Barbarich tagged Botica and Jowsey with sad-eyes emojis. Hi can we all quarantine together?? Farago wrote back.

Photo credit: Frances Farago - Instagram

On another photo, Botica asked to be a flower girl at Faragos weddingnot necessarily Farago and Jowseys wedding, but a wedding.

Photo credit: Frances Farago - Instagram





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President Donald Trump not only placed blame for the pandemic on the World Health Organization, but will also investigate others like the National Institutes of Health, the president said at Saturdays White House press conference.

Trump announced on Tuesday that WHO will no longer receive funding from the U.S. as the country conducts a review of WHOs response to the pandemic.

Were just finding more and more problems [with WHO], said Trump. Well, there are other ways we can spend the $500 million. Thats 500 million.

The president said that the money is going to be invested in other organizations closer to home

He also mentioned in the conference that he will be looking into the National Institute of Health after he reported it gave away $32 billion a year.

For over a century, NIH scientists have paved the way for important discoveries that improve health and save lives. There have been 156 Nobel Prize winners who have received support from NIH.

We're doing some research on certain people that take a lot of credit for what they do and the NIH is giving away a lot of money, a lot of money, said Trump. Some people complain and some people don't. Some people are extremely happy so we're looking into that.

The president said that he and his administration want to make sure that money is being spent wisely and that the right organizations are receiving the right amounts.

MassLive has reached out to the NIH for comment.

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Songs called for inspiration, empathy and perseverance on One World: Together at Home, the prime-time special produced by Global Citizen that was broadcast Saturday night on CBS, NBC and ABC and online. Stephen Colbert, Jimmy Fallon and Jimmy Kimmel, late-night representatives from each network, were the hosts, toggling awkwardly between deadpan comedy and earnestness. Lady Gaga helped select the musical lineup, which included Billie Eilish, Lizzo, Taylor Swift, Stevie Wonder, Paul McCartney, Camila Cabello and Shawn Mendes, the Rolling Stones, Elton John and more  many more, since there was also a six-hour webcast before the televised broadcast.

Billed as a special to celebrate Covid-19 workers and to support the World Health Organization, the show was not a fund-raiser. Instead, it was a reminder of the medical, logistical and humanitarian efforts being made worldwide.

Global Citizens productions  it has presented annual all-star concerts in Central Park since 2012  hammer home messages about worldwide predicaments and relief efforts between acts. One World: Together at Home was full of stay-inside advisories alongside tributes to and testimonials from health care workers, volunteer initiatives and international officials fighting the pandemic. It also extolled palliative efforts by corporations, and it urged viewers to pressure governments to provide far more extensive testing.
Nirupama Viswanathan By

Express News Service

CHENNAI: Two journalists in the city, both male and 24 years of age, tested positive for COVID-19 on Sunday.

The Triplicane resident is a civic issue beat reporter for a local daily and has been assigned to cover COVID 19 for the last few weeks. The other patient is a television journalist who resides in police quarters in Royapuram zone.

Around 50 members who were staying in the same mansion as the news daily reporter in Triplicane are to be quarantined. According to corporation officials, he had seemingly not come into contact with any known cases of COVID-19 patients before.

He had frequented Ripon Buildings among other places during the course of his reporting. However, after the lockdown was announced he had stopped going to Ripon building and had been only going to his office in Mylapore, said corporation officials. When he thought he had symptoms, he voluntarily went to the Rajiv Gandhi Government Hospital to get tested, the officials further added.

We are now carrying out disinfection work. After this we will send the 50 people for testing in the sample collection centre in Nungambakkam, a Corporation official told The New Indian Express.

After that, we are looking at spaces where we can quarantine them including at our Communicable Diseases hospital, the official said.

The second journalist from Royapuram worked as a sub-editor in a TV channel in the city.

The patients father is a cop and he stays with his family at the police quarters. We are in the process of tracing contacts and quarantine will be done accordingly, said a corporation official.

The contacts traced so far have been sent for testing at the sample collection centre in Bharathi Womens college. His father has since tested negative, said corporation officials.

So far three of his family members, listed as his primary contacts, have been placed under quarantine.

(The name of the streets have been withheld to protect their identity)
Kerala on Saturday reported four new Covid-19 cases taking the total number of positive cases to 399, while at least 7 patients were discharged from hospitals after they were cured and the number of people under observation came down to 67, 190, said state officials.

Out of the four fresh cases, three were reported from Kannur district in north Kerala, who all had recently returned from Dubai. The fourth person is believed to have contracted the disease from them.

The seven discharges took the total number of recoveries to 257, leaving only 142 active cases that are under treatment in hospitals.

Two people who were under observation died in Malappuram on Friday night. But the government ruled them out as Coved-19 casualties since one of them had twice tested negative for coronavirus and the second one had died of old-age related maladies. Both were over 80 years of age.

Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan credited the people of the state for their selfless corporation in the fight against the deadly contagion and hoped that the state would continue to keep the disease in check with containment efforts. He, however, warned against complacency.

The Centre, too, praised the states Kasaragod district for effective implementation of the containment strategy which has delivered positive results in preventing the disease from spreading and in the management of patients.

The HT Guide to Coronavirus COVID-19
A day after Union Minister Hardeep Singh Puri advised airlines to open bookings only after the government takes a decision on resuming passenger flight services, Vistara and AirAsia India said on Sunday they have not received any notice from the aviation ministry on this matter.

All Indian airlines, including Vistara and AirAsia India, are currently taking bookings on select flights from May 4.

"We shall await the ministry's notice in this regard. We have suspended operations and sales until May 3, following the last circular," Vistara spokesperson said.

"Once there is clarity on steps to be taken beyond that date, we will comply accordingly," the spokesperson added.

AirAsia India spokesperson told PTI that the lockdown issued by the government is till May 3 and hence flights are available for bookings May 4 onwards.

Flight bookings have been made available as passengers need to make travel and associated purchase decisions in advance. This also helps them get cheaper fares, the Air Asia India spokesperson clarified.

"We have not received any formal notification from MoCA (Ministry of Civil Aviation)/ DGCA (Directorate General of Civil Aviation) specifying any future period beyond May 3 for which airlines need to stop accepting bookings," the spokesperson stated.

The spokesperson also noted that as there is uncertainty following the coronavirus pandemic, travellers are cognizant of the possibility of the lockdown getting extended in which case they can always reschedule their flights for free.

On Saturday night, Civil Aviation Minister Puri said on Twitter the government has not taken any decision to open domestic or international flight operations so far.

"Airlines are advised to open their bookings only after a decision in this regard has been taken by the government," he said.

Several passengers have complained on social media that Indian airlines are not giving refunds for flights cancelled due to the coronavirus-induced lockdown and instead issuing credit vouchers for future travel.

On April 16, the Ministry of Civil Aviation stated that travellers can ask airlines for full refunds if the bookings were done during the first phase of the lockdown for travel up to May 3.

The first phase of the lockdown imposed in the country in view of the coronavirus outbreak was from March 25 to April 14. The second phase started on April 15 and will end on May 3.

All domestic and international commercial passenger flight operations have been suspended during the lockdown period. However, cargo flights and special flights authorised by aviation regulator DGCA have been permitted during this period.

The death toll due to COVID-19 rose to 507 and the number of cases to 15,712 in the country on Sunday, according to the Union Health Ministry.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Convicted drug smuggler Cassie Sainsbury has claimed she was raped by the man who forced her to smuggle six kilograms of cocaine out of Colombia.

In an emotional interview following her release from Bogotas El Buen prison, Ms Sainsbury said a drug mastermind she referred to as Angelo sexually assaulted her on their first meeting.

"He was saying that I had to be there with him, that I had to do what he wanted, that I didn't have a choice," she revealed to Channel Nines 60 Minutes on Sunday night.

"And then he gave me a drink and it was almost like, I felt like I was getting drunk, I was getting tipsy.

Cassie Sainsbury cried as she told 60 Minutes she has been raped by the man responsible for her drug trafficking attempt. Source: 60 Minutes

"From there, he basically forced my clothes off."

The now 24-year-old, dubbed Cocaine Cassie by the Australian media, spent nearly three years behind bars prior to her release on parole due to fears of overcrowding in prisons amid the coronavirus pandemic.

She continues to stress that she was left with no choice but to go ahead with the smuggling attempt, and feared for her familys safety after she was allegedly told theyd be killed if she failed to comply.

"He had the threat above me saying that if I didn't do what I was asked to do, it was my family," she said.

Cassie says she allowed drug lord Angelo to pack her bag before heading to Bogotas International airport to board a flight to London. She was arrested shortly after walking through immigration. #60Mins pic.twitter.com/72pbO5yra0  60 Minutes Australia (@60Mins) April 19, 2020

"I felt like I had to go through with it, because I couldn't make somebody else pay for them, for my mistake."

But just moments after making her way through immigration at Bogotas international airport in April 2017 and ready to fly to London, she was arrested and found to be in the possession of the large cocaine stash stuffed into boxes of headphones.

Story continues

"It's not as easy as saying 'it's not mine', this person did it, it's not that easy because they don't believe anybody," she said.

Cassie Sainsbury appearing in court before her sentencing. Source: AAP

She also named a man called Joshua who she says arranged for her to travel to South America for the smuggling attempt in exchange for $10,000 payment.

Ms Sainsbury said she had been working for the man for several months after becoming connected through the Adelaide brothel she worked at.

After eventually agreeing to a plea deal, potential 30-year sentence was reduced to six.

Following her release, she must now stay in Colombia for 27 months to see out her parole, albeit, for now, under similar restrictions she was previously under due to the COVID-19 outbreak.

"It's [ironic] but at the same time, it's still freedom.

If you or someone you know is impacted by sexual assault, domestic or family violence, call 1800RESPECT on 1800 737 732 or visit 1800RESPECT.org.au.

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.
As many as 47 of Indias 731 districts have not reported any Covid-19 cases in the past 28 days, the ministry of health said in its daily briefing on Saturday. These districts are spread across 23 states and union territories. Another 22 districts, across 12 states, have not reported new cases in the past 14 days, the ministry added. The numbers assume significant as India eases lockdown restrictions in some areas (those unaffected by the pandemic) starting Monday.

The ministry also gave out the fatality rate thus far (3.3%) and the recovery rate (13.82%). According to its data, 75% of the dead are over the age of 60 years (42% are over the age of 75), numbers that are in keeping with global trends where most of the fatalities are old. According to the health ministry, the total number of fatalities as on Saturday is 480. This number differs from that in HTs dashboard which is updated on the basis of information from state health departments and the tracker at Covid19india.org.

The ministry also said that almost 30% of coronavirus disease (Covid-19) cases in India are related to the Tablighi Jammats March meeting at its HQ in Delhis Nizamuddin area.

Of the 14378 positive cases reported so far in the country, 4291, which is 29.8% of the cases, are linked to this single source -- the Nizamuddin Markaz cluster, said Lav Agarwal, joint secretary, health ministry, in a briefing. Epidemiologists refer to events such as this as super-events -- because they cause a significant number of cases across a wide geography. Agarwal added that 23 states and union territories have reported cases caused directly or indirectly by the meeting.

Some of the high disease burden states in India have a majority of cases linked to the congregation -- 84% cases in Tamil Nadu, 63% in Delhi, 79% in Telangana, 61% in Andhra Pradesh and 59% in Uttar Pradesh. Also, some of the low disease burden states have most of their cases linked with this cluster such as Arunchal Pradeshs sole positive case, 32 of the 35 cases from Assam and 10 of the 12 cases reported from Andaman Islands, he said, adding that at least 40,000 people in quarantine are directly and indirectly connected to this super event.

Thats why following lockdown and social distancing measures by every single person is important in containing the spread of the disease, said Agarwal.

The experts say lockdown has played its part in keeping the numbers low so far.

Implementing lockdown has been crucial in delaying the infection rate; it obviously cannot be stopped completely. However, a stricter implementation would have resulted in even lower number of cases, which is why we have to be very careful how we lift lockdown, said Dr Jugal Kishore, community medicine specialist, Safdarjung Hospital.

Of the 480 deaths reported so far, 83% involved patients with so-called co-morbid conditions such as diabetes, hypertension, kidney or heart ailments, the ministry said. Globally too, those with underlying medical conditions are at high risk of developing severe symptoms when infected by the SARS-Cov-2 virus that causes Covid-19 and need to be extra careful.

Close to 2000 people who were infected have recovered and have been discharged from hospitals, the ministry said.

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The Maharashtra government has decided to implement lockdown at Aurangabad jail with proper arrangement for food and has directed police personnel to stay within the jail premises during the duration of the lockdown, state home minister Anil Deshmukh said on Sunday.

Prisons in Maharashtra have more inmates than their actual capacity. So we have decided to implement lockdown at Aurangabad jail. Arrangements for food and for the stay of police personnel will be made inside the jail complex, Deshmukh said.

The state government has also decided that no one will be allowed to come out or go inside the Aurangabad jail.

In an attempt to stop the Covid-19 infection from spreading inside the prisons of Maharashtra, which are already packed to capacity, a similar decision has been taken for five more jails in Maharashtra, Deshmukh added.

Earlier, this month, a city-based non-governmental organisation had moved the Bombay high court seeking speedy decongestion of prisons across Maharashtra, as ordered by the Supreme Court.

Taking cognizance of the threat created by the coronavirus pandemic, on March 23, the apex court had directed all states and union territories to decongest prisons to the maximum possible extent. The Supreme Court had ordered setting up of high-powered committees at state levels to determine the class or classes of prisoners who could be temporarily released from prisons in the wake of the coronavirus outbreak.

The apex court said the states and union territories could release certain categories of prisoners, like undertrials facing charges of offences punishable with imprisonment for up to seven years or prisoners convicted for similar offences.

Maharashtra, which has been the worst-hit in the Covid-19 pandemic, leads in terms of the number of active cases of Covid-19, according to Union health ministry data. Active cases exclude deaths and recoveries from the list of confirmed cases.

The number of coronavirus patients in Maharashtra has already crossed the 3000 mark.
You say peace to you and theres just a camera. You get a read from people, are they getting the message when you preach, and now you hope they have and you keep going, he said.
Military brought to help testing system in Wales  Welsh Government also removes cap on councils referring social workers

This article is old - Published: Sunday, Apr 19th, 2020

New plans to get more critical workers tested for coronavirus so they can return to work more quickly have been announced by Health Minister, Vaughan Gething, today.

Technology solutions, military planning support and removing the cap on social worker referrals will speed up the system to ensure more critical workers are tested daily in Wales.

These are all recommendations of a review ordered by the Health Minister following concerns that not enough tests were being carried out under the current system.

Wrexham.com has been reporting the low numbers of testing taking place in North Wales and Wrexham, as well as the low numbers of testing taking place daily across Wales. The last week has seen the official data reporting system stating there have been 700-800 tests a day in Wales out of a capacity of around 1,300 tests.

Wrexham.com has been asking Welsh Government about the local authority caps, with the Health Minister speaking about the topic on the 14th of April, where blame was in effect places at council level despite the testing system red tape rejecting some names put forward. On the 15th we asked the First Minister if there would be a prompt review, and if testing responsibility be delegated to councils and trust them to put the names forward.

The First Minister said a review was taking place, and it appears today is the outcome of that review  with the full document here. The findings echos points raised in the week, there is too much form filling to process social care workers which is acting as a barrier to accessing the tests as quickly as we would like the ceiling of 15 referrals per local authority may have depressed demand.

The review also notes:

Our plan set a target of reaching five thousand tests a day in April. We expected to be able to do so by the second or third week of April. We will not reach 5000 tests by the 3rd week of April. 

some tests are reliant on UK contract arrangements. We are, however, clear that Wales is receiving a fair share of the UK arrangements.

Welsh Government has committed further monies  currently making 50m available, to bring in further equipment, reagents and other activity to increase our testing capacity.

Not everyone will be able to drive to a mass testing unit. Work is ongoing to provide more local services for those eligible who cannot travel.

In a statement today the Health Minister said: We are increasing our capacity for testing in Wales through our community testing units, the introduction of regional drive-in testing centres and, within weeks, an online home testing service.

As the daily number of tests have not been matching the capacity weve built up in Wales, I ordered a rapid review of the current system.

The review has produced a number of recommendations to speed up the process of referring key workers for testing. I have accepted all of these to be implemented immediately.

Today I have also published our critical worker testing policy outlining which workers will be tested and how.

I want to see a rapid increase in testing of critical workers across Wales so they can return to work more quickly and have the confidence to carry out their work safely. Their contribution to stop the spread of coronavirus and keeping us all safe is invaluable.

The recommendations, approved by the Minister, include:

Work to provide a web-based booking platform to remove the bureaucracy.

Removing of the ceiling on referrals of social workers per local authority.

Welsh Government will work with Local Authorities and Local Resilience Forum to review and revise the referral process for testing critical workers.

Military to look at operational processes to speed up the system and make it more efficient.

The new critical worker testing policy can be found here on the Gov.Wales site.
Paul O'Neill, a corporate executive who was President George W. Bush's first treasury secretary, only to become a leading critic of the administration after he was fired from his Cabinet post in 2002, died April 18 at his home in Pittsburgh. He was 84.

The cause was lung cancer, said his son, Paul H. O'Neill Jr.

O'Neill had been a top budget official in two Republican administrations before becoming a corporate titan, first at International Paper and later as chief executive of Alcoa, the country's largest aluminum company.

In the 12 years he led Alcoa, O'Neill turned the business around, increasing sales, improving the safety record of its factories and making the company a Wall Street darling. With the backing of then-Vice President Richard B. Cheney, his former colleague in the administrations of Richard M. Nixon and Gerald R. Ford, O'Neill was named treasury secretary after Bush's election in 2000.

In his first year on the job, he helped promote the administration's 10-year, $1.35 trillion tax cut, then led efforts to revive the economy after the terrorist attacks of Sept. 11, 2001.

But O'Neill also became known for his outspoken manner and his sometimes sharp dealings with members of Congress and colleagues within the White House. At his first Cabinet meeting in 2001, he reportedly distributed a speech he had delivered two years before about the dangers of global warming, saying it could be as devastating as a nuclear holocaust. It met with a frosty reception from the administration of a president who hailed from the Texas oil fields.

O'Neill once called the U.S. tax code "9,500 pages of gibberish" and sometimes made other tone-deaf comments.

"One of the great things about where I am now: If people don't like what I'm doing, I don't give a damn," he said in 2002 while touring Africa with rock star Bono. "I could be off sailing around on a yacht or driving around the country. I'm here because I think I can make a difference."

O'Neill once had a testy exchange with powerful Sen. Robert Byrd, D-W.Va., who questioned whether a multimillionaire business executive could understand the needs of working people.

"I started my life in a house without water or electricity," retorted O'Neill, who was born in St. Louis and grew up on a series of military bases. "So, I don't cede to you the high moral ground of not knowing what life is like in a ditch."

When he worked in the Nixon and Ford administrations, O'Neill later told journalist Ron Suskind for the 2004 book "The Price of Loyalty: George W. Bush, the White House and the Education of Paul O'Neill," he believed that most government officials, regardless of political party, "really think deeply about the ideal of good government and how to get there."

He was a traditional Republican who held the No. 2 position at the Office of Management and Budget under Ford, who once told Business Week, "I can say without reservations that he is the most knowledgeable, objective adviser on the budget I ever had."

By the time he was in the Bush Cabinet, O'Neill found that the climate in the White House had changed. The objectivity he valued seemed secondary to the exercise of power and political will. When he objected to two additional rounds of tax cuts, which would create huge budget deficits and forestall the reform of the Social Security system, he found himself increasingly marginalized.

Soon after the 2002 midterm elections, which gave Republicans control of both houses of Congress, O'Neill was summoned to a meeting with Cheney.

He could scarcely believe his ears, he told Suskind, when Cheney said, "Reagan proved deficits don't matter. We won the midterms. This is our due."

Cheney asked O'Neill to resign.

"I'm too old to begin telling lies now," O'Neill said he told the vice president.

He wrote a terse letter to Bush, then announced his departure to his staff at 8:38 a.m. on Dec. 6, 2002. By 9 a.m., he was in his car, driving back to his home in Pittsburgh.

In January 2004, O'Neill made more headlines when "The Price of Loyalty" was published. He told Suskind, a Pulitzer Prize-winning Wall Street Journal reporter, that members of the Bush administration were plotting to drive Iraqi leader Saddam Hussein from power months before the terrorist attacks of Sept. 11, 2001,

"From the very beginning," he told the CBS News program "60 Minutes" in 2004, "there was a conviction that Saddam Hussein was a bad person and that he needed to go."

As a member of the National Security Council, O'Neill told Time magazine, "I never saw anything that I would characterize as evidence of weapons of mass destruction" - which became the Bush administration's justification for the 2003 U.S.-led invasion of Iraq.

Moreover, he described Bush as disengaged and incurious - "like a blind man in a roomful of deaf people." White House policy, he said, was driven largely by Cheney's office.

In the end, O'Neill was happy to walk away from government, saying, "I'm an old guy and I'm rich and there's nothing they can do to hurt me."

Paul Henry O'Neill was born Dec. 4, 1935, in St. Louis. His father was an Army sergeant who later held civilian jobs on military bases.

O'Neill completed high school in Anchorage, where he worked for an engineering company before graduating in 1960 from what is now California State University at Fresno.

He came to Washington in the early 1960s to work as a systems analyst with the Veterans Administration, then in 1966 received a master's of public administration from Indiana University.

Back in Washington, he moved through the ranks of OMB, where he met Cheney and Alan Greenspan, later the chairman of the Federal Reserve. In 1977, he joined International Paper, eventually becoming chief executive. He moved to Alcoa in 1987, ultimately selling shares of company stock worth an estimated $100 million.

After leaving the Treasury Department, O'Neill returned to Pittsburgh, where he helped lead initiatives to improve education and health care, and gave $30 million to Indiana University, which named its school of public and environmental affairs after him.

Survivors include his wife since 1955, the former Nancy Jo Wolfe of Pittsburgh; four children, Patricia Wilcox of Fairfax, Virginia, Margaret Tatro of Alton Bay, New Hampshire, Julie O'Neill Kloo and Paul H. O'Neill Jr., both of Sewickley, Pennsylvania; a sister; a brother; 12 grandchildren; and 15 great-grandchildren.

When "The Price of Loyalty" was published in January 2004, O'Neill appeared on various television programs. On "60 Minutes," correspondent Lesley Stahl asked if he was prepared for the inevitable backlash that would come from the White House.

"You're giving me the impression that you're just going to be stunned if they attack you for this book," she said.

"I can't imagine that I'm going to be attacked for telling the truth," O'Neill said. "Why would I be attacked for telling the truth?"
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Gov. Gregg Abbott announced that he signed an executive order reopening Texas through strict guidelines, according to a recently published article.

PHASE 1 OF "OPENING UP AMERICA AGAIN"

As can be read in a recently published article by Latin Post, President Donald Trump announced the "Opening Up America Again" initiative that aims to slowly reopen the country under three phases, which is supported by his medical advisers. States can now slowly open their region if they pass the criteria of each phase.

Phase 1 allows the region to open if they meet the criteria laid forth by the federal government. In this phase, social distancing should still be observed, the gathering of more than ten people will not be allowed, and non-essential travels should be avoided.

This means that the U.S. will not open drastically but instead follow protocols to avoid the spread and to control the virus while vaccines are not yet available on the market.

TEXAS REOPENS UNDER PHASE 1

After a month under lockdown due to COVID-19, Texas officials are now taking the first step in reopening the state. Gov. Abbott will ease some restrictions across the state. However, he asserted that social distancing protocols should still be observed, and schools across the state are to remain closed for the remainder of the academic year.

The state will open parks on Monday, but people still need to observe social distancing of six feet from each other strictly, people are still obliged to wear face masks, and the gathering of more than five persons will not be allowed.

Moreover, hospitals will be allowed to have elective tests and surgeries while stores can have their "retail to go" starting Wednesday and Friday, respectively.

Gov. Abbott said that there would be more openings in May if things go well this month.

CREATION OF STRIKE FORCE IN OPENING TEXAS

Gov. Abbott established the "Strike Force," which will advise the governor on how to safely and strategically reopen the state through Phases 1 to 3. They are composed of nationally recognized medical experts and public and private leaders.

Gov. Abbott said: "We have shown that Texas can continue our efforts to contain COVID-19 while also adopting safe standards that will allow us to begin the process of reopening Texas."

He also added: "The Strike Force to Open Texas brings together nationally recognized medical experts with public and private sector leaders to achieve this mission. By coming together, we can get Texans back to work, practice safety standards that will prevent the spread of COVID-19, and we can overcome this pandemic."

However, it is still not clear if the Executive Order of Gov. Abbott will supersede the extended stay-at-home order beyond May 1 in some Texas cities.

This is a crucial step for Texas because if there will be another recorded infection during Phase 1, the state needs to return to the stay-at-home policy. It can be remembered that Pres. Trump said that they will not open at once but will use careful steps at a time based on the guidelines.

Read a related article:
This article about students without internet access at home was produced by The Hechinger Report, a nonprofit, independent news organization focused on inequality and innovation in education.

On the Friday before spring break at Meigs Middle School in Decatur, Tennessee, special education teacher Matt Coe was busy preparing new lessons for his students now that schools were set to close because of the coronavirus crisis.

But while many districts around the country have moved to remote learning platforms like Google Classroom, Coe was using the schools copy machine to put together printed packets for his students to take home. In this rural Tennessee county of just 12,000 residents, online learning simply isnt an option for most families.

A lot of our kids dont have internet access, said Coe, who knows students who routinely head to the library or the towns McDonalds to get online.

The Federal Communications Commission estimates that about 21 million Americans lack broadband access, while an independent research group reports that the actual number may be twice as high. As the coronavirus forces schools across the country to grapple with the challenges of providing remote learning, many schools and districts have had to get creative with low-tech forms of instruction that dont require internet connections or digital devices.

Related: Helping kids who are feeling isolated and anxious after schools shut down

In Arkansas, where 23 percent of households lack internet service, and schools will be shut for the remainder of the school year, the local PBS affiliate is providing daily television programming tied to the states distance learning curriculum. The network got the idea from a similar arrangement that the Los Angeles Unified School District made with its own local PBS stations in mid-March.

We saw what California was doing, said the executive director of Arkansas PBS, Courtney Pledger. We wanted to localize it even more by bringing in actual teachers to address the kids.

Story continues

Like all of the Arkansas teachers featured by local PBS stations in a statewide initiative, Stacey McAdoo has been a state Teacher of the Year. (PBS Arkansas)

The result is five hours of weekday programming for pre-K to eighth grade students, available to any household with a TV, hosted by a roster of Arkansas educators, all former state teachers of the year. Recording remotely from their homes or empty classrooms, the teachers introduce each episode by welcoming students to class, sharing how excited they are to meet everyone and talking briefly about the upcoming show; a recent lineup included Peg + Cat, a math program aimed at elementary-age kids, Odd Squad, which focuses on problem-solving and teamwork, and a Nature episode on the biomechanics of hummingbirds.

Full coverage of the coronavirus outbreak

Pledger said that the states education department approved all of the broadcast content and that the benefit goes beyond academics.

Community engagement is a big element that kids are missing during this time, so to have an actual face of a teacher on the TV seemed like a good idea, she said.

Arkansas math teacher Joel Lookadoo teaches students about geometrical shapes on the state's new TV-based education programming for children enrolled in kindergarten through eighth grade. (PBS Arkansas)

The programming also incorporates some interactive elements to keep kids engaged. One popular feature is a weekly vocabulary bingo game, with students on the lookout for words highlighted during the broadcasts. Students who collect all of their words for the week receive shoutouts or other tokens of recognition from their schools.

Ive gotten texts and emails from families saying: Hey, were watching this morning. Thanks for doing this, said math teacher Joel Lookadoo, one of the hosts. Thats really cool to know that youre having a positive impact. Its a great way to start the day.

We are heartbroken that we cant be with our students right now, added Courtney Cochran, another host, and an Arkansas teacher for 11 years. Being on TV just brings back that little bit of that connection since we cant be there physically.

Cochran, now a high school principal, films her segments for grades three to five in her schools now-empty art room. We are a small rural school with only 270 students. And they are bursting at the seams with pride over seeing their classroom on TV, even though the programming is for younger kids than the high school serves.

Courtney Cochran, a high school principal, introduces her co-hosts for Arkansas PBS's new educational programming: teachers Meghan Ables and Joel Lookadoo. (PBS Arkansas)

The state contracts with a separate vendor for its high school distance learning program, which does not provide a TV option.

Over-the-air educational programming is also available through Bostons PBS affiliate, WGBH, which has devoted weekday afternoons on its WORLD television channel to science and social studies-themed shows aimed at middle school and high school students. As with the Arkansas effort, the schedule draws from existing PBS programming, and includes long-running series like Nature and American Experience. The channel is available to more than 170 PBS affiliates nationwide.

For students who dont have online access, were happy to be able to provide this, said Seeta Pai, executive director of education at WGBH. In Massachusetts, she said, more than half of the households watching the WORLD channel during the first week of educational programming had incomes of less than $25,000 a year, a group far less likely to have reliable internet access.

In an effort to minimize screen time now that students are home all day, Rhode Island state education officials are promoting reading for leisure, with an at-home challenge for students to spend 20 to 60 minutes every day reading a book. Several public libraries in the state are providing curbside delivery of books to support the initiative, and many schools and districts are offering a free book pickup service with the help of local literacy groups.

Related: Evidence increases for reading on paper instead of screens

In South Dakota, the Aberdeen School District has put physical drop boxes at school entrances so that students who are receiving printed packets can hand in their homework. Texas Palestine Independent School District has partnered with the local paper to use unlocked newspaper vending machines as pickup stations for instructional packets.

Recognizing how important it is for students to maintain a sense of structure amid the upheaval of school closings, the Council Bluffs Community School District in Iowa has distributed a suggested daily schedule to its roughly 9,000 students, with time blocked out for physical exercise and quiet time, as well as household chores.

Another low-tech resource schools are tapping? School buses. Drivers in many districts continue to travel their regular routes, delivering meals and homework at their stops.

This is especially true in rural areas where many families are unable to make the trip to designated pickup sites. Students rely on the food and paper packets delivered to their driveways in the small Mary M. Knight School District in Washington state, said the districts sole principal, Michael Marstrom.

There are kids that live miles down a dirt road, and that just gets them to a paved road. Theres no sidewalks here, he said. Theres just not as much infrastructure. We dont have internet. We cant do any of that online stuff.

Related: Should schools teach anyone who can get online  or no one at all?

For rural school districts that are committed to providing all of their students with options for digital learning, the transition is often a multistep process.

At Lincoln Middle School in West Virginia, principal Lori Scott estimates that about a quarter of the schools 458 kids lack internet access at home. The district initially made instructional packets available at schools designated as meal distribution locations and also mailed some to students homes. Buoyed by a large turnout at these locations, the district now plans to deliver future packets electronically by expanding those schools Wi-Fi signals to cover their parking lots, allowing families to drive up and download the materials without having to leave their cars.

To accommodate students without digital devices, the district has been making iPads available. For those not able to make the trip, school buses have been converted into mobile hot spots, and will be stationed throughout the district, offering free broadband.

While these efforts are important and meaningful, everyone acknowledges that the learning challenges facing students extend beyond simply receiving educational materials, whether they come on paper, over the airwaves or in gigabytes.

Theres a lot more distractions when kids are at home than when theyre sitting in a classroom, said John Windhausen, executive director of the Schools, Health and Libraries Broadband Coalition, an advocacy group for wider internet access. Many of them may not have a quiet area at home where they can concentrate.

A large part of students social and emotional learning occurs through interactions with classmates and teachers, who can be some of the most reliable adults in many students lives. Teachers also keep track of where students are academically and anticipate what they will need next to continue to succeed, a skill even the most attentive parents may not have.

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For children with special needs, the problem is even more acute. Parents across the country are grappling with how to duplicate, on their own, the care their children were receiving in school from trained specialists and therapists. Many parents lack the time and expertise to continue this work. Its something Coe, the special education teacher from rural Tennessee, was conscious of when assembling materials for his students.

It was kind of a challenge to put those packets together with work that I felt my students could do, because we werent going to be there to modify it for them, Coe said. Because of the wide range of needs in his class, no two student packets were identical. In his math lessons, some students are just learning how to read a menu and find the prices. Others can easily calculate the taxes and a tip.

Coe knows that districts, schools and teachers are all doing their best, but he worries about his students progress, both academically and emotionally. All he can do, he said, is try to provide whatever semblance of continuity he can.

For the most part, were just trying to survive, he said.

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New York: Proposals by the United Nations for a global ceasefire during the COVID-19 pandemic are being reportedly blocked by the US and Russia.

Antonio Guterres, the Secretary-General, has urged warring countries to declare a temporary truce and focus all their attention on fighting the virus.

In this file picture from the sidelines of June 2019 G20 summit, US President Donald Trump (centre left) talks with Russian President Vladimir Putin (centre right) as Turkey's President Recep Tayyip Erdogan (right) and United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres (left) look on. Credit:AP

"The fury of the virus illustrates the folly of war," he said on March 23.

He urged warring factions to "pull back from hostilities: silence the guns, stop the artillery, end the air strikes".
Islamabad: A prominent cleric in Pakistan has been booked for a third time for defying the government ban on Friday congregations imposed as a part of measures to limit the spread of the coronavirus, according to a media report.

Islamabad police registered a case against cleric of Lal Masjid, Maulana Abdul Aziz, on Saturday for gathering several people for Friday prayers at the mosque.

A police officer told Dawn newspaper that the new case was registered under section 270 (malignant act likely to spread infection of disease dangerous to life) and 188 (disobedience to order duly promulgated by public servant) of the PPC along with the arm ordinance.

The Islamabad administration is facing a direct challenge from Aziz who not only held large congregations at almost every prayer but also claimed in online posts that he would continue to lead the collective prayers.

This is the third time the firebrand cleric has been booked for the same offence, but he is yet to be arrested.

Two more cases were registered against him during the last three weeks, Dawn newspaper said quoting the police as saying.

One of his companions was also booked for displaying arms which is also banned in the capital.

Pakistan has imposed a ban on congregation in mosques.

The maulana and his companions were asked to stop people from violating the restriction but they ignored, the officer said, adding about 200 to 300 people gathered in the mosque.

In reply to a question, the officer said any move to arrest Maulana Aziz or his companions would lead to a law and order situation.

An officer of the Islamabad administration added that a few ulema were approached to negotiate with the Lal Masjid cleric and convince him to follow the government order.

Succumbing to pressure from the hardline clerics, the Pakistan government on Saturday allowed congregational prayers in mosques during the month of Ramazan, endangering the drive to curb the spread of coronavirus that has killed more than 154,000 people worldwide.

The number of coronavirus cases in Pakistan Sunday rose to 7,993 with 514 more patient identified during the last 24 hours.

The Ministry of National Health Services reported on its website that 16 more people died during this period, taking the death toll to 159.
BJP president J P Nadda on Sunday asked party workers to take the central government's relief measures to the masses for their maximum benefit and urge people to download Arogya Setu app, which tracks COVID-19 cases and provides information on the pandemic.

Interacting with party leaders from Bihar, Jharkhand, Uttarakhand, Odisha, Chhattisgarh and Telangana though video-conference, Nadda noted that the BJP recently completed its 40 years and said each worker should persuade 40 people, who will convince another 10 each, to contribute to the PM-CARES Fund to fight COVID-19.

The party workers have set a high standard of public service, he said at a meeting to oversee BJP's relief measures to help the poor during the nationwide lockdown.

"Wherever migrant labourers and the poor are, we have to help them," the BJP president said, adding that people should be encouraged to download Arogya Setu app.

BJP workers have done a commendable job by providing food and ration to the poor and distributing face covers among the needy, he added.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Coronavirus Outbreak Highlights: Five more areas of Delhi were added to the list of COVID-19 containment zones in the last 24 hours. The number of containment zones in the National Capital is now at 84.

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Rao informed that the number of confirmed COVID-19 cases in the state climbed to 858, including 21 deaths. Five districts - Warangal, Yadradri Bhadradri, Siddipet, Wanaparthy - are coronavirus-free, he said, adding, "We are doing better than many other states".

"The cabinet has decided to extend the lockdown in the state till 7 May. The cabinet will take stock of the situation on 5 May," he said.

Telangana chief minister K Chandrashekar Rao has announced extension of the lockdown imposed in view of the novel coronavirus in the state till 7 May. He said the lockdown will be enforced in a stringent manner. Food delivery mobile applications will not be allowed starting Monday.

Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray told a news conference on Sunday that some activity would be permitted in the least-affected parts of the state while observing a strict lockdown in the red zones that have the maximum number of cases.

Maharashtra, home to financial centre Mumbai, has the biggest share of Indias caseload of 16,116 infections, including a large number now ripping through its densely-packed slums.

Maharashtra will allow a limited number of sectors to resume business on Monday, after a weeks-long shutdown to curb the fast-spreading coronavirus that left millions out of work.

Orange-B zone comprises Alappuzha, Thiruvananthapuram, Palakkad, Thrissur and Wayanad. The lockdown will be in effect until 24 April in this zone and then partial relaxation will be allowed. Kottayam and Idukki come under the Green zone, in which lockdown will be in effect until 20 April and then regulations will be eased.

Kerala has classified the districts in the state under four different zones  Red, Green, Orange-A and Orange-B, for containing the COVID-19 pandemic.

The Kerala government will ease lockdown restrictions in its Green and Orange-B zones in the state effective from Monday. In some districts, even restaurants, shops, and public transport facilities will be allowed to operate, said state government officials.

The number of active COVID-19 cases stood at 13,295 while 2,301 people have been cured and discharged, and one patient has migrated, the ministry said.

The Union health ministry on Sunday said that at least 519 people had died due to the novel coronavirus so far and the number of confirmed cases have climbed to 16,116 in India, registering an increase of 31 deaths and 1,324 cases since Saturday evening.

"We have decided to keep people of Delhi safe. The lockdown will remain and there will be no relaxation. We will review the situation again after a week," said Kejriwal.

Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwal on Sunday announced that in view of the current coronavirus situation in the National Capital, no relaxation will be given in the lockdown for at least a week.

So far six people have succumbed to the infectious disease.

"Fourteen people have tested positive for coronavirus, taking the tally to 255," said the Agra district administration in a statement.

With 14 more individuals testing positive for the novel coronavirus in Agra on Sunday, the total number of confirmed cases in the district climbed to 255.

"The testing kits supplied by ICMR-NICED about two weeks ago have started to throw up a large number of 'inconclusive' results, necessitating a repeat/confirmatory test run, thereby causing a delay in the generation of the final test report," said the health department.

The Heath Department in West Bengal, in a series of tweets on 19 April, alleged defective test kits supplied by Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) as one of the reasons behind delays in COVID-19 sample testing.

The number of positive COVID-19 cases has increased to 1,407 in Madhya Pradesh including 72 deaths, while 131 patients have recovered.

She was born in Sultania Hospital, where two hospital nurses earlier tested positive for the infectious disease, said the state health department. The parents of the infant have been tested for the novel coronavirus, and their reports are awaited.

A nine-day-old baby girl tested positive for the novel coronavirus in Bhopal on Sunday, taking the overall count in the city to 214 in the city.

The number of confirmed cases in India rose to 17,265, while the toll now stands at 543. The confirmed cases include 36 new cases in the last 24 hours and 2,546 cured/discharged/migrated persons.

Uma Subramanian, a co-founder of the Aarambh India Initiative, mentioned several instances in which the lockdown has aggravated the problems that families of child sexual abuse survivors face. She said, "For example, one girl whom we are supporting presently has cerebral palsy. Her father is accused of sexually abusing her, and was arrested for a brief while. He was later released on bail, after which he refused to financially support the family any longer. The childs mother works as a daily wage labourer, and work has dried up for her due to the lockdown. The restrictions on movement also mean that it is difficult for her to access the required medical support for the child."

As part of the study, the NGO interviewed 127 families with whom it is presently associated, most of them being from the underprivileged sections of society. The researchers say that for many families, the challenges of dealing with the aftermath of child sexual abuse have been compounded by a sudden loss of income and a lack of social support.

The lockdown due to the novel coronavirus outbreak has greatly added to the woes of families of child sexual abuse survivors in Mumbai, a recent study by NGO Aarambh India Initiative has found.

The Centre will allow certain relaxations on the nationwide lockdown, effective from Monday, in select areas without hotspots. In the wake of extension of national lockdown till 3 May, a series of directives have been put in place to ensure a strict compliance of lockdown. However, keeping in mind the current financial situation of low-income earners and farmers, the Centre had said that it will be permitting a few more services to function in areas that are not COVID-19 containment zones from Monday. Operation of the fishing aquaculture industry, movement of fish and fish products and workers of all these activities are allowed. The guideline also allows operations of tea, coffee and rubber plantations with maximum of 50 percent workers.

The Centre has set up six inter-ministerial teams to make on-spot assessment of COVID-19 situation and issue necessary directions to States. The teams will focus on compliance, implementation of lockdown; supply of essentials and safety of health workers.

Rapid tests are most likely to start in Delhi from Monday.

As many as 45 people have succumbed to the infectious disease while 38 of them have suffered from serious ailments, said Jain.

After 110 more individuals tested positive for the novel coronavirus in Delhi on Sunday, the total number of confirmed cases in the National Capital climbed to 2,003 on Monday, said health minister Satyendra Jain.

"No advance reservation of train tickets, including E-tickets, till further advice, however, facility of online cancellation will remain functional," read the notice.

All ticket counters for bookings including UTS and PRS will not be operational.

The Centre issued a statement on Monday reiterating that services of all passenger trains will remain suspended till 3 May, the last day of the nationwide lockdown, until further orders.

However, the 60 Jute factories across the state will remain functional with only 15% workforce.

Apart from the essentials, the government offices have also resumed operation with a basic workforce of 25 percent. The IT companies have also been allowed to function from Monday with an employee attendance of 25 percent.

The West Bengal government has announced several easing of lockdown regulations in the state. The flower markets, vegetable and fruits markets continue to remain open.

The health minister also made a request to everyone in the state to strictly adhere to home quarantine guidelines.

As many as 18 COVID-19 patients in Assam have recovered and since been discharged, said health minister Himanta Biswa Sarma on Monday. Taking on Twitter, Sarma said a COVID-19 patient named Hazrat Ali was discharged on Monday from Sonapur Civil Hospital, after his two successive tests confirmed as negative.

"We have given relaxations in accordance with the Centre's guidelines. I think there is some misunderstanding, based on which the Centre has sought an explanation. Once we give an explanation, it will all be sorted out. The Centre and the state have the same stand with regard to fight the pandemic. There is no contradiction in the stand taken. It's just a misunderstanding we will clear it," State Tourism Minister Kadakampally Surendran said.

The Union Home Ministry has taken strong objection to Kerala government's decision to allow opening of restaurants, bus travel in cities and opening of MSME industries in municipal areas, saying it amounts to dilution of its lockdown guidelines.

The Kerala government on Monday said there was some "misunderstanding", due to which the Centre had objected to dilution of the lockdown guidelines after the state had allowed opening of restaurants and MSME industries in municipal areas among others.

Sixty seven patients have succumbed to the infectious disease in the state while, 106 have recovered so far.

With 108 more individuals testing positive for the novel coronavirus in Gujarat, the overall count in the state climbed to 1,851 on Monday. Of the fresh cases, 91 were reported in Ahmedabad.

The government is considering a relaxation in lockdown after 21 April.

The Karnataka government extended the lockdown imposed in view of the novel coronavirus till 21 April midnight after issuing fresh orders. The state cabinet will meet on Monday to discuss on the issue, sources told PTI.

"Since some airlines didn't heed our advisory, opened bookings and started collecting money from flyers, a directive was issued to them on 19 April restraining them from doing so. They were also informed that they'll be given sufficient notice and time to commence bookings, said Puri.

Civil aviation minister Hardeep Singh Puri pn Monday reiterated that flight restrictions were in place till 3 May, till the lockdown imposed in view of the novel coronavirus was lifted and posed no danger to anyone.

The print reporter was staying at a common lodging in Triplicane along with 5 other reporters and has attended a press briefing held by the Health Secretary Beela Rajesh. He had been shifted to the health beat following the spread of the virus but was not regularly going out on the field.

Two Chennai-based journalists have tested positive for the novel coronavirus on Sunday, after they exhibited mild symptoms of the disease. While one of them is a 25-year-old print reporter, the other is a 23-year-old journalist who is part of the editorial team of a news channel.

Five dedicated COVID-19 hospitals were launched in Odisha on Monday. Chief minister Naveen Patnaik, Union Ministers Dharmendra Pradhan, Prahlad Joshi and other officials were present at the launch via video-conferencing.

The recovery rate of COVID-19 patients in the city was at 8 percent after 71 individuals were cured.

With three more people testing positive for the novel coronavirus in Indore, the overall toll in the city climbed to 52 on Monday. The total number of confirmed positive cases has stood at 897.

He directed authorities in 19 districts with 10 or more coronavirus cases to take extra precautions.

Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath, during a video conference with respective district magistrates on Sunday night, had authorised them to take a call on giving relaxation from Monday after assessing the prevailing conditions there.

With the increase in the total number of COVID-19 cases in some districts of Uttar Pradesh, the administration in Lucknow, Agra and Firozabad have decided against giving any kind of relaxation during the continued lockdown. Reports from other districts in the state on giving relaxation were awaited.

In the Ministry of Home Affairs' notification issued on 15 April  which contains the guidelines issued for the lockdown period till 3 May, it is mentioned that online learning is to be encouraged and institutions must adhere to the academic calendar through online education. This could have worked if India had the infrastructure or the digital literacy levels to support this. Regrettably, the country is lacking in both.

The government, in its directions, has recognised this and encouraged educational institutions to engage with students and provide counselling support during this time. The other aspect that has been seen is the push for online education and e-learning during this time.

As the lockdown initiated due to the coronavirus pandemic has been extended, one of the biggest concerns has been the disruption to education. Schools and colleges at all levels have been shut. Entrance and recruitment exams have been postponed. The latest UNESCO report on the impact of COVID-19 on education has noted that around 32 crore students in India have been affected by this.

With 42 more people testing positive for COVID-19 in Pune on Sunday, the total number of positive cases in the city climbed to 586. As many as 18 COVID-19 patients have recovered from the infectious disease.

In a communication to state governments, the home ministry said there have been several incidents of violence against COVID-19 frontline healthcare professionals, complete violation of social distancing norms and movement of vehicles in urban areas. These should be stopped, it said.

The COVID-19 situation is "especially serious" in Mumbai, Pune, Indore, Jaipur, Kolkata and a few other places in West Bengal, and violation of lockdown measures risk the spread of the novel coronavirus, the Centre said on Monday.

"I've heard that some people are treating relaxations as lifting of lockdown. If they continue to behave like this we'll take strict measures," said Thackeray.

No one should think that lockdown has been lifted in Maharashtra, we have just tried to revolve the wheel of economy a bit, said chief minister Uddhav Thackeray.

Chinese embassy spokesperson Ji Rong said in a statement that the barriers set by Indian side for investors from specific countries violate WTOs principle of non-discrimination, and go against the general trend of liberalization and facilitation of trade and investment."

China on Monday criticised India for tweaking its foreign direct investment rules to prevent the opportunistic takeover of Indian firms as covid-19 pandemic ravaged the economy, saying the move violates World Trade Organisation rules.

The IMA said it is sounding a White Alert under which all doctors and hospitals will light a candle at 9 pm on 22 April to mark the protest against incidents of violence.

On Thursday, all the doctors across the nation will work with black badges as a mark of protest.

In the wake of assaults on doctors, Indian Medical Association (IMA) on Monday said that it will observe 'Black Day' on 23 April if the government does not enact Central Law on violence against healthcare workers.

While the frontline workers are putting their lives at risk in the fight against coronavirus pandemic, many are not being valued for their immense efforts.

"The role of our health-workers, policemen and all frontline workers is commendable. I appeal to all citizens to continue to cooperate with lockdown rules," he added.

Uttarakhand chief minister Trivendra Singh Rawat said that the coronavirus situation in the state is "completely under control".

The BMC also said that "fisheries and related work, cable services, DTH and call centres can resume work in non-containment areas, with minimum staff."

The list of activities that will be allowed in Maharashtra from Monday include "work at infrastructure projects and wedding events, only if these are outside designated containment zones and follow strict safety procedures against coronavirus."

The Maharashtra government has decided to bring in some easing of restrictions on some business activities, starting from Monday, in a bid to minimise the impact of the coronavirus lockdown on the state economy.

The Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha Secretariat resumed work from Monday after they were shut on 24 March in the wake of COVID-19 outbreak.

Thermal screening of visitors was conducted at the Parliament on Monday. Cars of all the visitors were being sanitised in the Parliament House Complex.

News18 reported that the Badrinath temple in the Himalayas, which was scheduled to open on 30 April, will be opened on 15 May. "The decision to reschedule the opening of the temple gates was taken in view of circumstances created by the COVID-19 pandemic," the report said.

Reports said that six new coronavirus cases were reported in Odisha on Monday, taking the total cases to 74 in the state. The total number of active cases stand at 49.

MHA's PS Srivastava on Monday said that the ministry has written to the Kerala government "expressing concerns over modified guidelines regarding lockdown issued by the latter. Kerala has allowed some activities that violate the ministry's instructions issued under Disaster Management Act," she said.

The Union health ministry, in its daily briefing, on Monday said that since Sunday there have been 1,553 additional confirmed COVID-19 cases, taking the total number of confirmed cases in the country to 17,265. 36 more deaths also reported in the last 24 hours.

"We have received a grievance that In West Bengal, RTPCR kits are not working properly. These kits are US FDA approved & have good standards, only thing is they should be stored under 20 degrees temperature, otherwise, results may not be correct," said R Gangakhedkar, ICMR.

Total number of cases now stands at 368, 55 reported in Jammu and 313 reported in Kashmir.

Jammu and Kashmir principal secretary Rohit Kansal said that 14 new COVID1-9 cases were reported in the union territory on Monday, all of which are from Kashmir.

The number of districts where no case has been reported in last 14 days has increased to 59. Goa is now COVID-19 free, he added.

Health ministry joint secretary Lav Aggarwal said that Mahe in Puducherry, Kodagu in Karnataka and Pauri Garhwal in Uttarakhand have not reported any COVID-19 case in last 28 days.

Andaman and Nicobar Islands chief secretary said that one more person has tested positive for COVID-19 in the union territory. "He came in contact with one of the present four positive patients. So, the total number of positive cases now stands at five," said Chetan Sanghi, Chief Secretary, Andaman and Nicobar Islands.

"India's doubling rate before the lockdown was 3.4 days, it has now improved to 7.5 days. As per data on 19 April, in 18 states, the rate is better than the national average," said Lav Agarwal, Joint Secretary, Health Ministry.

Lav Aggarwal, health ministry joint secretary on Monday said, "Journalists testing positive for COVID-19 is very unfortunate news. When you (journalists) attend your call of duty, kindly take the required precautions, follow the norms of social distancing and wear face masks."

West Bengal chief secretary Rajiv Sinha said that 54 more COVID-19 cases were reported in the state in the last 24 hours.

The Himachal Pradesh government said that there were 23 active COVID-19 cases in the state as on Monday. Of these, 11 patients have recovered, four migrated out of the state and one person succumbed to the disease. A total of 2,902 people have been tested for COVID-19 so far.

"Each Arunachali will receive Rs. 3,500 as one-time financial aid as per recent cabinet decision," he said.

Arunachal Pradesh chief minister Pema Khandu said that on Monday, the government released about Rs 5.20 crores as financial assistance for 14,859 Arunachalis stranded outside the state.

West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee on Monday opposed the Centre's decision to send 'inter-ministerial central teams' (IMCT) to districts calssified as hotspots in the state, and said that the purpose of the plan was "unclear" and questioned the Narendra Modi and Amit Shah over the criteria to warrant such a review.

Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Monday said that essential item like PPEs against coronavirus should be made GST-free. "It is wrong to acquire GST from people, who are already fighting poverty, through sale of soaps, sanitisers, masks," he said.

Maharashtra health minister Rajesh Tope on Monday said that 283 more COVID-19 cases were reported in the state as of 11 am, taking total positive cases in the state to 4,483. He said that of the 283 new cases, Mumbai has recorded 187.

The statement added, "Number of COVID-19 cases reaches 245 in Punjab including 38 cured and 16 deaths. 61 cases have been reported in SAS Nagar, 48 in Jalandhar and 26 in Patiala."

The Punjab health department was quoted by ANI as saying that only one person has been tested positive for COVID-19 in the state on Monday. The person is contact of a COVID-19 patient, the statement said.

"For the last 72 hours, no COVID-19 positive patient has been found even in that red zone district. I am hoping that whole of Chhattisgarh will be green zone soon," he said.

Chhattisgarh chief minister Bhupesh Baghesh on Monday said that there is only one red zone district in the state.

Manipur chief minister Biren Singh said that the state has become COVID-19-free. "We have decided to relax coronavirus lockdown in rural areas but it will continue in Imphal till further orders. Shops of essential goods will open between 8 am and 2 pm in urban areas," he said.

"More than 24,03,410 declared cases have been registered in 193 countries and territories since the epidemic first emerged in China in December. Of these cases, at least 5, 37,700 are now considered recovered," India Today reported.

The worldwide toll of the coronavirus pandemic rose to 1,65,216 on Monday, according to the tally by AFP.

Reports said that 30 new COVID-19 cases were reported from Mumbai's Dharavi on Monday. The total tally of cases in the densely-populated area rose to 168 with 11 deaths so far.

Reportedly, the doctor was part of the team that conducted a survey regarding the Tablighi Jamaat event in Delhi's Nizammudin area in March.

The head of a government health centre in the district, who had tested positive for COVID-19, and a 72-year-old man suspected to have contracted coronavirus have died, PTI reported. Both of them were at a quarantine centre in the TMU Hospital in the district and died on Sunday night.

Delhi Police on Monday used droneesfor surveillance in a COVID-19 hotspot, Chandni Mahal, which has been declared a 'containment zone'.

Lane 24-28 of Tughlaqabad Extension, Block - G of Jahangirpuri, Flat number 265 to 500 of Sanjay Enclave, Block 34 of Trilokpuri, and Block AF of Shalimar Bagh have been added to the list of containment zones.

Five more areas of Delhi were added to the list of COVID-19 containment zones in the last 24 hours. The number of containment zones in the National Capital is now at 84.

Rajasthan chief minister Ashok Gehlot spoke to Home Minister Amit Sha on Monday, requesting him facilitate the return of migrants from Rajasthan stuck in other states due to the COVID-19 lockdown.

"We have also decided to use hydroxychloroquine (HCQ) as a precautionary measure in some areas, like Dharavi in Mumbai. We will take care that people with cardiac issues and those above 65 years & below 15 years of age are not given hydroxychloroquine (HCQ) tablets," he said.

Maharashtra health minister Rajesh Tope said that 75,000 rapid tests will be conducted soon "as the central government has given us conditional permission for it".

Two more deaths, in Nagaur and Kota, were reported in Rajasthan on Monday. Total coronavirus cases in the state now at 1,576 and toll is at 25.

The Rajasthan health department said that 98 more COVID-19 new cases were reported in the state on Monday, including 50 in Jaipur, 32 in Jodhpur, and seven in Kota.

5 more areas of Delhi added to the list of #COVID19 containment zones in the last 24 hours. The number of containment zones in the national capital is now at 84. pic.twitter.com/xFsF2OCqVD

Lane 24-28 of Tughlaqabad Extension, Block - G of Jahangirpuri, Flat number 265 to 500 of Sanjay Enclave, Block 34 of Trilokpuri, and Block AF of Shalimar Bagh have been added to the list of containment zones.

Five more areas of Delhi were added to the list of COVID-19 containment zones in the last 24 hours. The number of containment zones in the National Capital is now at 84.

Rajasthan chief minister Ashok Gehlot spoke to Home Minister Amit Sha on Monday, requesting him facilitate the return of migrants from Rajasthan stuck in other states due to the COVID-19 lockdown.

With 65 patients being discharged from hospitals on Monday, number of cured patients stands at 572.

The Maharashtra health department said that 466 new COVID-19 cases and nine deaths were reported in the state till 6 pm on Monday, taking total number of cases to 4,666 and toll rises to 232 in the state.

The ICMR on Monday said total Operational (initiated independent testing) Government Laboratories reporting to ICMR are 201 and 3 collection sites.

The West Bengal government on Monday conducted rapid antibody tests as per ICMR directives in red zones' where containment measures are going, The Indian Express reported. "The rapid antibody tests were done in Kolkata's Belgachia urban slum area where there were reports of considerable outbreak," the report said.

"We have also decided to use hydroxychloroquine (HCQ) as a precautionary measure in some areas, like Dharavi in Mumbai. We will take care that people with cardiac issues and those above 65 years & below 15 years of age are not given hydroxychloroquine (HCQ) tablets," he said.

Maharashtra health minister Rajesh Tope said that 75,000 rapid tests will be conducted soon "as the central government has given us conditional permission for it".

Reports said that 750 rapid testing kits were given to the Gurgaon health department on Monday, which are likely to aid a "faster" provess.

Two more deaths, in Nagaur and Kota, were reported in Rajasthan on Monday. Total coronavirus cases in the state now at 1,576 and toll is at 25.

The Rajasthan health department said that 98 more COVID-19 new cases were reported in the state on Monday, including 50 in Jaipur, 32 in Jodhpur, and seven in Kota.

The Indian Medical Association (IMA) on Monday demanded a special central law on violence against doctors, nurses, health care workers, and hospitals by an ordinance. IMA to observe 'white alert' on 22nd April.

Three new COVID-19 cases were reported in Jharkhand on Monday, taking the total number of cases in the state to 45.

Coronavirus Outbreak LATEST Updates: Five more areas of Delhi were added to the list of COVID-19 containment zones in the last 24 hours. The number of containment zones in the National Capital is now at 84.

Lane 24-28 of Tughlaqabad Extension, Block - G of Jahangirpuri, Flat number 265 to 500 of Sanjay Enclave, Block 34 of Trilokpuri, and Block AF of Shalimar Bagh have been added to the list of containment zones.

The Centre on Monday said that India's COVID-19 doubling rate has improved to 7.5 days from 3.4 days before the lockdown was enforced to check the spread of the coronavirus.

"India's doubling rate before the lockdown was 3.4 days. It has now improved to 7.5 days. As per data on April 19, in 18 States, the rate is better than the national average," said Lav Agarwal, Joint Secretary, Union Health and Family Welfare Ministry, at a daily briefing.

"The number of districts where no case has been reported in the last 14 days has increased to 59 in 23 States and UTs. Goa is now COVID-19 free," he said.

India's total number of coronavirus positive cases has risen to 17,656 including 14,255 active cases, 2,842 cured/discharged/migrated and 559 deaths, according to the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare.

"Mahe in Puducherry, Kodagu in Karnataka and Pauri Garhwal in Uttarakhand have not reported any COVID-19 case in last 28 days," said Agarwal.

The head of a government health centre in the district, who had tested positive for COVID-19, and a 72-year-old man suspected to have contracted coronavirus have died, PTI reported. Both of them were at a quarantine centre in the TMU Hospital in the district and died on Sunday night.

Reportedly, the doctor was part of the team that conducted a survey regarding the Tablighi Jamaat event in Delhi's Nizammudin area in March.

Maharashtra health minister Rajesh Tope on Monday said that 283 more COVID-19 cases were reported in the state as of 11 am, taking total positive cases in the state to 4,483. He said that of the 283 new cases, Mumbai has recorded 187.

West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee on Monday opposed the Centre's decision to send 'inter-ministerial central teams' (IMCT) to districts calssified as hotspots in the state, and said that the purpose of the plan was "unclear" and questioned the Narendra Modi and Amit Shah over the criteria to warrant such a review.

The BMC on Monday said that 53 journalists in Mumbai tested positive for COVID-19 and all are under isolation. Samples of 171 journalists reporting from field, including photographers, video journalists and Reporters were collected. Most of the positive journalists were asymptomatic.

Health ministry joint secretary Lav Aggarwal said that Mahe in Puducherry, Kodagu in Karnataka and Pauri Garhwal in Uttarakhand have not reported any COVID-19 case in last 28 days.

The number of districts where no case has been reported in last 14 days has increased to 59. Goa is now COVID-19 free, he added.

The Union health ministry, in its daily briefing, on Monday said that since Sunday there have been 1,553 additional confirmed COVID-19 cases, taking the total number of confirmed cases in the country to 17,265. 36 more deaths also reported in the last 24 hours.

The Union ministry of agriculture on Monday said that despite restrictions imposed as part of the COVID-19 lockdown, the sown area of summer crops has increased "significantly", "registering an increase of 36 percent over the previous year, pushed up mainly by rice cultivation".

No one should think that lockdown has been lifted in Maharashtra, we have just tried to revolve the wheel of economy a bit, said chief minister Uddhav Thackeray.

"I've heard that some people are treating relaxations as lifting of lockdown. If they continue to behave like this we'll take strict measures," said Thackeray.

While the frontline workers are putting their lives at risk in the fight against coronavirus pandemic, many are not being valued for their immense efforts.

In the wake of assaults on doctors, Indian Medical Association (IMA) on Monday said that it will observe 'Black Day' on 23 April if the government does not enact Central Law on violence against healthcare workers.

On Thursday, all the doctors across the nation will work with black badges as a mark of protest.

With 42 more people testing positive for COVID-19 in Pune on Sunday, the total number of positive cases in the city climbed to 586. As many as 18 COVID-19 patients have recovered from the infectious disease.

With the increase in the total number of COVID-19 cases in some districts of Uttar Pradesh, the administration in Lucknow, Agra and Firozabad have decided against giving any kind of relaxation during the continued lockdown. Reports from other districts in the state on giving relaxation were awaited.

With three more people testing positive for the novel coronavirus in Indore, the overall toll in the city climbed to 52 on Monday. The total number of confirmed positive cases has stood at 897.

The recovery rate of COVID-19 patients in the city was at 8 percent after 71 individuals were cured.

With 108 more individuals testing positive for the novel coronavirus in Gujarat, the overall count in the state climbed to 1,851 on Monday. Of the fresh cases, 91 were reported in Ahmedabad.

Sixty seven patients have succumbed to the infectious disease in the state while, 106 have recovered so far.

The Kerala government on Monday said there was some "misunderstanding", due to which the Centre had objected to dilution of the lockdown guidelines after the state had allowed opening of restaurants and MSME industries in municipal areas among others.

The Union Home Ministry has taken strong objection to Kerala government's decision to allow opening of restaurants, bus travel in cities and opening of MSME industries in municipal areas, saying it amounts to dilution of its lockdown guidelines.

The West Bengal government has announced several easing of lockdown regulations in the state. The flower markets, vegetable and fruits markets continue to remain open.

Apart from the essentials, the government offices have also resumed operation with a basic workforce of 25 percent. The IT companies have also been allowed to function from Monday with an employee attendance of 25 percent.

After 110 more individuals tested positive for the novel coronavirus in Delhi on Sunday, the total number of confirmed cases in the National Capital climbed to 2,003 on Monday, said health minister Satyendra Jain.

As many as 45 people have succumbed to the infectious disease while 38 of them have suffered from serious ailments, said Jain.

Rapid tests are most likely to start in Delhi from Monday.

The Centre will allow certain relaxations on the nationwide lockdown, effective from Monday, in select areas without hotspots. In the wake of extension of national lockdown till 3 May, a series of directives have been put in place to ensure a strict compliance of lockdown.

However, keeping in mind the current financial situation of low-income earners and farmers, the Centre had said that it will be permitting a few more services to function in areas that are not COVID-19 containment zones from Monday.

Objecting to relaxation of some measures in Kerala adopted during the nationwide lockdown amid the coronavirus pandemic, the home ministry sent a letter to the state government stating the violation of the 15 April order. Meanwhile, India's toll rose to 543 and the number of confirmed cases stood at 17,265.

A nine-day-old girl tested positive for the novel coronavirus in Bhopal on Sunday, taking the overall count in the city to 214 in the city.

She was born in Sultania Hospital, where two hospital nurses earlier tested positive for the infectious disease, said the state health department. The parents of the infant have been tested for the novel coronavirus, and their reports are awaited.

The number of positive COVID-19 cases has increased to 1,407 in Madhya Pradesh including 72 deaths, while 131 patients have recovered.

The Heath Department in West Bengal, in a series of tweets on 19 April, alleged defective test kits supplied by Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) as one of the reasons behind delays in COVID-19 sample testing.

"The testing kits supplied by ICMR-NICED about two weeks ago have started to throw up a large number of 'inconclusive' results, necessitating a repeat/confirmatory test run, thereby causing a delay in the generation of the final test report," said the health department.

Telangana chief minister K Chandrashekar Rao has announced extension of the lockdown imposed in view of the novel coronavirus in the state till 7 May. He said the lockdown will be enforced in a stringent manner. Food delivery mobile applications will not be allowed starting Monday.

"The cabinet has decided to extend the lockdown in the state till 7 May. The cabinet will take stock of the situation on 5 May," he said.

The Union health ministry on Sunday said that at least 519 people had died due to coronavirus so far and the number of positive cases have climbed to 16,116 in India, registering an increase of 31 deaths and 1,324 cases since Saturday evening.

The number of active COVID-19 cases stood at 13,295 while 2,301 people have been cured and discharged, and one patient has migrated, the ministry said.

While Maharashtra chief minister Uddhav Thackeray announced that some industries will be allowed to resume operations in certain areas from Monday, Telangana chief minister K Chandrashekar Rao has announced an extension of the lockdown till 7 May.

Meanwhile, Prime Minister Narendra Modi, in a LinkedIn post, urged unity and brotherhood in the face of COVID-19.

COVID-19 does not see race, religion, colour, caste, creed, language or borders before striking. Our response and conduct thereafter should attach primacy to unity and brotherhood. We are in this together: PM @narendramodi  PMO India (@PMOIndia) April 19, 2020

State-wise data

Of the 519 deaths, the highest number of 211 was reported from Maharashtra, followed by Madhya Pradesh (70), Gujarat (58), Delhi (43) and Telangana (18).

The death toll reached 17 and 16 in Uttar Pradesh and Punjab respectively. Tamil Nadu and Andhra Pradesh have reported 15 deaths each.

Karnataka has reported 14 deaths, West Bengal 12, while Rajasthan has registered 11 fatalities.

The disease has claimed five lives in Jammu and Kashmir, while Kerala and Haryana have recorded three COVID-19 deaths each.

Jharkhand and Bihar have reported two deaths each, while Meghalaya, Himachal Pradesh, Odisha and Assam have reported one fatality each, according to the ministry data.

According to the health ministry's data updated in the evening, the highest number of confirmed cases in the country is from Maharashtra (3,651), followed by Delhi (1,893), Gujarat (1,604), Madhya Pradesh (1,407) and Tamil Nadu (1,372).

The number of COVID-19 cases has gone up to 1,351 in Rajasthan and 1,084 in Uttar Pradesh.

Telangana has 844 cases, Andhra Pradesh 603 and Kerala 400.

The number of cases has risen to 384 in Karnataka, 341 in Jammu and Kashmir, 310 in West Bengal, 233 in Haryana and 219 in Punjab.

Bihar has reported 86 coronavirus cases, while Odisha has 61 such cases.

Forty-two people have been infected with the virus in Uttarakhand, while Himachal Pradesh has 39 cases.

Chhattisgarh has 36 cases, Assam and Jharkhand have registered 35 cases each. Chandigarh has 23 COVID-19 cases, Ladakh 18, while 14 cases have been reported from the Andaman and Nicobar Islands.

Meghalaya has reported 11 cases, while Goa and Puducherry have seven COVID-19 patients each.

Manipur and Tripura have two cases each, while Mizoram and Arunachal Pradesh have reported a case each.

"Our figures are being reconciled with the ICMR," the ministry said on its website. The website also mentioned that the patient from Nagaland was shifted to Assam.

'Need to start economic wheels again': Uddhav Thackeray

Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray told a news conference on Sunday that some activity would be permitted in the least-affected parts of the state while observing a strict lockdown in the red zones that have the maximum number of cases.

We need to start the economic wheels again. We are giving selective permissions from tomorrow, especially in orange zones and green zones, he said, referring to areas with lower levels of infection.

Industries ready to provide accommodation to their workers during the lockdown will be given food grain supply and permission for raw material from the state, he said.

"The state government is allowing the industries from green and orange zones to start production and processing activities in a restricted manner. The industries will have to arrange the accommodation for their workers. They would not travel long distance for work," he said.

The green zones are those which have not reported any coronavirus case, while orange zones are the ones where only a few cases have been reported.

The chief minister also said that except for movement of essential services, all the district borders would remained sealed.

But Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal said his government has decided not to relax lockdown restrictions which is in force till May 3 as of now since coronavirus appears to be spreading at a "faster pace" in the national capital. The government will assess the situation again after one week, he said.

The Telangana government has decided to extend lockdwon in the state till 7 May. During this period, food delivery services will not be permitted to function and no religious congregation will be allowed in any place.

Govt bars e-commerce companies from selling non-essential products

Four days after e-commerce companies were allowed to sell products like mobile phones, refrigerators and ready-made garments, Union Home Secretary Ajay Bhalla issued an order excluding non-essential items from their business. The April 15 order had said e-commerce platforms were allowed to sell such items from April 20.

Ministry of Home Affairs(MHA) officials had earlier said televison sets and laptops could also be sold online after which a few e-commerce companies had starting accepting orders.

Union Home Secretary Ajay Bhalla also wrote a letter to the chief secretaries of all States and Union Territories giving a clarification.

"...I would like to clarify that while operations of e-commerce companies for non-essential goods stands prohibited, however they will continue to operate for essential goods as has been allowed earlier and continue to be allowed," he said.

Bhalla also said labourers, who are stranded in different parts of the country due to the lockdown, will be allowed to go to their respective places of work within a state with certain conditions.

He, however, made it clear there will be no inter-state movement of workers during the lockdown.

Since additional activities, outside the containment zones, have been permitted in the 'consolidated revised guidelines' with effect from April 20, these workers could be engaged in industrial, manufacturing, construction, farming and MNREGA works, he said.

Agriculture, construction, Information Technology(IT), industrial units in the SEZs and rural areas and e-commerce operations were among the select sectors where the coronavirus-induced lockdown restrictions are to be lifted from April 20 in a bid to also reduce the distress caused to millions of people.

The announcement to ease the curbs to allow some select necessary activities in areas which are not COVID-19 hotspots was made by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on April 14 while declaring the extension of the three-week nationwide lockdown for another 19 days till May 3 to battle the pandemic. The next day, the MHA unveiled the guidelines with some conditions.

The relaxations lay strict emphasis on social distancing with a warning by the Centre it will be withdrawn if there is any violation of lockdown norms. Wearing of masks is also being mandatory besides making spitting a punishable offence with a fine of at least Rs.1,000.

The permitted activities from April 20 are aimed at ensuring agricultural and related activities remain fully functional, rural economy functions with maximum efficiency, employment opportunities are created for daily wage earners and other members of labour force, select industrial activities are allowed to resume their operations, with safeguards and mandatory standard operating protocols and digital economy, the MHA said.

With inputs from agencies
Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, April 19) - More than 16,000 Filipino seafarers working abroad have been brought home by the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) amid growing risks during the COVID-19 pandemic.

The DFA said a group of 571 Filipino seafarers arrived in Manila Sunday morning.

The seafarer returnees, crew members of the Norwegian Breakaway, were flown home onboard two chartered flights from Orlando, Florida to Manila, the DFA said in a press release.

Norwegian Cruise Lines paid for the chartered flights, the DFA said.

It said the repatriates underwent thorough health inspection by the Bureau of Quarantine upon disembarkation.

"Further, they will be subjected to 14-day facility based quarantine as certified to by the Department of Health," the DFA said.

CF Sharp, the local manning agency of Norwegian Breakaway, provided land transportation to bring the repatriates to their assigned DOH-approved and inspected quarantine facilities.
Meghan, Duchess of Sussex and Prince Harry might be in lockdown, along with the rest of the United States and much of the world, but they are reportedly already planning their next big career move. Meghan has already begun working on voiceover projects for Disney, while Prince Harry is lying low.

But, according to a recent report, the former senior members of the royal family could soon be announcing something explosive. While rumors of a tell-all interview have been floating around for months, it is looking more and more likely that it could actually happen. And, if it does, the royal family will no doubt be livid.

Meghan Markle and Prince Harry want to forge their own paths

Rumors that Prince Harry and Meghan were unhappy with the way that things were going within the royal family first began swirling in early 2019. The couple had decided to raise their son away from the media spotlight, a marked departure from how Prince William and Kate, Duchess of Cambridge are raising their three children.

In addition, Meghan was suffering from extreme negative press and had to deal with tabloid stories on an almost constant basis.

In January, the couple announced that they would be retiring from their roles as senior royals and dividing their time between North America and the United Kingdom. While their first move took them to Canada, they recently shifted to Los Angeles, Calif.

In addition, the duke and duchess revealed that they wanted to make their own income, and work on projects of interest to them  projects that fans immediately assumed would be very different from the royal norm. After the news broke, people started speculating the couple would eventually open up about the reasons for their exit in a bold, emotional interview, just as Prince Harrys mother, Princess Diana did, many years ago.

Princess Dianas scandalous tell-all interview

It is sometimes easy to forget that Princess Diana was a major tabloid fixture, and was often the subject of media headlines, not always positive ones. To clear the air, following her separation from Prince Charles, Princess Diana sat down with a tabloid journalist named Martin Bashir in 1995.

The hour-long television interview was one of the most-watched programs in British television history, with fans glued to their screens as the beleaguered royal revealed that Prince Charles was indeed having an affair. In the interview, she admitted to suffering from postnatal depression and bulimia, and that her time in the royal family was very difficult.

Within a few weeks of the interview airing, Queen Elizabeth advised Prince Charles and Princess Diana to officially divorce. Reportedly, the interview was kept a total secret from other members of the royal family, and many believed that the queen was livid about her family secrets being publicized.

Will Meghan and Prince Harry do a major post-royal interview?

Meghan Markle and Prince Harry | Max Mumby/Indigo/Getty Images

Meghan and Prince Harry have shown signs that they are willing to dish the dirt. In an interview with journalist Tom Bradby in late 2019, Prince Harry candidly admitted to having problems with his brother, Prince William, while Meghan suggested she wasnt getting any support from other members of the royal family.

As such, if they did threaten the royal family with a more revealing interview, it would have given Queen Elizabeth good reason to work with them on the terms of their royal exit.

In a recent PageSix report, sources claimed that the couple has been offered one million dollars in exchange for that big interview. The report claims that Oprah is a likely candidate to conduct the interview, especially since she has an established relationship with Prince Harry and Meghan.

The highly-anticipated interview would allow the couple to recoup some much-needed funds, following their move to Los Angeles, although the report does state Meghan wants to donate most of the proceeds from the interview to charity.

That said, theres reason to believe the Duke and Duchess of Sussex wont be engaging in any kind of tell-all interview, despite the lucrative offers. Upon his royal exit, Prince Harry reportedly made it clear that he will decline any work that makes fun of the royal family. A tell-all is starkly different than jokes about his family, but potentially damaging nonetheless. If the duke is truly protective of his family, hes likely not interested in airing dirty laundry.

If anything, a tell-all from Meghan and Prince Harry could address tabloid rumors instead of family woes. And, if a friend like Oprah is running the interview, the narrative is in their control.

Nothing has been confirmed by the couple yet. But if rumors are to be believed, it is now only a matter of time before they start spilling the royal tea.
OTTAWA - Barring a last-minute deal, the stage appeared set for members of Parliament to return to the House of Commons on Monday after the Conservatives rejected a Liberal government proposal to hold one in-person session and up to two virtual sessions per week.

Hey there, time traveller!

This article was published 19/4/2020 (633 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau arrives for his daily press conference on COVID-19, in front of his residence at Rideau Cottage in Ottawa, on Sunday, April 19, 2020. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Justin Tang

OTTAWA - Barring a last-minute deal, the stage appeared set for members of Parliament to return to the House of Commons on Monday after the Conservatives rejected a Liberal government proposal to hold one in-person session and up to two virtual sessions per week.

The Liberals announced Sunday that they had reached tentative agreement with the NDP and Bloc Quebecois following a series of closed-door negotiations as federal parties sought ways to increase parliamentary oversight during the COVID-19 crisis.

The plan would have seen 32 MPs meet in the House of Commons each Wednesday for in-person sessions starting this week. One 90-minute virtual session would then be added the following week for MPs to ask questions of the government and ramp up to two per week thereafter.

But Conservative Leader Andrew Scheer dismissed the proposal during a news conference on Parliament Hill, suggesting there remained many unanswered questions about holding a virtual sitting of the House of Commons and insisting on three in-person sittings per week.

"We believe we have a reasonable proposal on the table," he said. "All parties must come together to ensure Parliament continues to function during the difficult days ahead. Canadians' lives and livelihoods literally depend on the government getting the response to the pandemic right."

Scheer went on to list a number of questions he wanted the government to answer, including why many health-care workers don't have proper protective equipment, whether the emergency benefits rolled out are helping everyone, and Ottawa's plan for re-opening the economy.

"The best place for our elected representatives to get answers to these questions is in the House of Commons in Ottawa."

Hours earlier, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau told reporters that resuming parliamentary sittings at a time when health experts are urging Canadians to limit their movement and work from home as much as possible to prevent the pandemic from spreading would be "irresponsible."

The government has suggested that unless an agreement is reached, the House of Commons will resume business as usual Monday with all 338 MPs along with their staff along with Parliament Hill clerks, interpreters, security and cleaners, returning to work in Ottawa.

"We have proposed  and it's been largely accepted by the other opposition parties  that we should have accountability measures, we should have Parliament that functions," Trudeau said during his daily news conference outside his residence in Ottawa.

"But it has to be done in a responsible way, and right now the Conservatives are not taking a responsible approach."

He went on to defend the plan to hold virtual sittings, saying the House of Commons administration was not ready to conduct such a session this week, "but we are very open to increasing them over the subsequent weeks."

The House of Commons has already moved some business online with two parliamentary committees conducting hearings by video conference. The British Parliament is also poised to adopt a hybrid approach in wich some MPs will grill ministers in person while others participate online.

Scheer, however, raised concerns about connectivity issues for MPs in rural or remote parts of Canada as well as the application of certain parliamentary rules such as those that protect MPs from defamation and libel for what they say in the House.

The Conservative leader went on to accuse the Liberals of misleading Canadians to put pressure on Opposition parties by noting that only 20 MPs need to be in the House for a sitting.

Except for two single-day sittings to pass emergency aid bills, Parliament has been adjourned since mid-March. Those two sessions were held with a limited number of Parliament Hill staff, which Scheer said could be easily replicated to prevent the spread of COVID-19.

Translators, security personnel and other staff are required for the daily briefings by government ministers and public-health officials on Parliament Hill, he added.

"There are millions of Canadians who are providing services to their fellow citizens in this time of crisis," Scheer said. "We believe that Parliament is an essential service and that we will get Canadians through this crisis in a better way if Parliament is allowed to do its job."

Despite the apparent impasse, NDP House Leader Peter Julian remained hopeful that a deal could be reached. While he acknowledged that some work around the rules on virtual sittings needed to be ironed out, "this is a base and after that, we just approve improvements to that."

The political wrangling in Ottawa came as provincial health authorities reported at least 113 more deaths from COVID-19, bringing the national total to 1,583.

Yet while Ontario and Quebec also reported hundreds more positive tests, bringing the national total to more than 34,800, New Brunswick as well as Newfoundland and Labrador reported no new cases.

Dr. Jennifer Russell, New Brunswick's chief medical officer of health, said the slow growth in case numbers was encouraging, but it's too early to let up on preventive efforts.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published April 19, 2020.

 with files from Holly McKenzie-Sutter in St. John's, N.L.
Italy's official daily toll from the novel coronavirus edged down to 433 on Sunday, the lowest figure in one week.

The total number of deaths reported by the civil protection services since the start of Italy's health crisis in February now stands at 23,660 -- second only to the United States.

Sunday's fatalities figure was the second lowest in one month.

The 3,047 new virus infections represented a rise of just 1.7 percent.

The new infections rate is being watched close by Italian government as it deliberates on how to exit a lockdown imposed over the first half of March.

The current restrictions are due to be lifted on May 4, and the government is trying to determine which businesses to allow to resume operations, and whether to let people out of their homes.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
More than 1,890 people died of the coronavirus in the past 24 hours as right wing-led protests against restrictions in force to combat the spread of the coronavirus spread to more US states Saturday, after President Donald Trump came out in their support and encouraged them with LIBERATE tweets.

Hundred of protestors congregated in states capitals in Texas, Maryland, Utah, California, Arizona, Washington and Colorado, with signs and chants protesting the restrictions as a violation of their rights. Some carried signs saying the virus was a hoax, and some in Texas called for firing a top epidemiologist Anthony Fauci, who is a member of Trumps coronavirus task-force but has come to be seen by some on the far right as someone who is undermining the president; he was recently given a security detial after receiving threats.

People chanted Let us work and Make America Free Again, at a protest staged in Austin, Texas, called by Infowars, a right-wing outfit that has been banned by social media platforms such as Facebook and Twitter for advocating conspiracy theories. Its founder Alex Jones, who is also banned by these outlets, made a brief appearance, according to local news media outlets.

Protestors at these gatherings, which took place in Michigan, New York, Kentucky and some other states earlier, have defied social-distancing norms in force in these and other states, as per the guidelines issued by the Trump administration. They remain in force also in line with the reopening guidelines unveiled by the president last week recommending steps states could take to lift the restrictions in a science-based phased manner.

But Trump has supported them, unwilling, critics have said, to take on his own base and supporters. He went further with a series of tweets Friday saying, LIBERATE Michigan, LIBERATE Virginia and LIBERATE Minnesota; all three states with Democratic governors.

Most governors are moving towards reopening their states, but want to rush into it. They have sought to ramp up testing as a key step to link reopening to verifiably sustainable declining numbers of new cases. They have sought federal support for it, which has put some of them at odds with the president.

There is all-around agreements among public health officials and experts that the United States is past the peak now, and that the worst is over, in new infections. Fatalities will take a while reflecting it as they follow a two-week lag, according to experts.

The US toll went up 1,891 over the past 24 hours to 39,025 Sunday morning and infections rose by 32,491 to 735,366. New York state, the epicenter of the US outbreak accounted for 17,627 of the fatalities; 13,157 in New York city alone.
The strict measures put in place to curb the spread of the virus in the city also have raised hurdles  and increased risks  for people seeking help, officials and social workers say. With schools and nonessential businesses shut, victims have lost opportunities to find privacy away from their abusers and seek help.
Four adults died and another was injured in an overnight house fire in Chattanooga, Tennessee, early Sunday.

Emergency services received a 911 call about four people trapped inside a house on fire around 3:31 a.m. local time, according to the Chattanooga Fire Department. Responders began fighting heavy smoke and fire while searching the building.

Image: House fire in Chattanooga, Tenn. (Shayne Perry / WRCB)

Firefighters found four people  three men and a woman ages 35 to 85  dead from the blaze.

A 35-year-old man had managed to escape through a second-story window before the fire department arrived and was treated for smoke inhalation. His condition was unclear.

The fire department is working with police to investigate the cause of the fire.
Fellow Ghanaians, a living dog, they say, is better than a dead lion. And surely, the devil you know is better than an angel you don't know.

It is biting in the butts, irritating that the Electoral Commission, EC, has so unshakably succumbed to, and disgracefully cowed before its largest benefactor's bid for second term in government, the New Patriotic Party (NPP).

In spite of the predictions by the apex global health organization, WHO, that Africa will likely be the next epicenter for the Covid 19, what concerns our "oppressors" mistaken as leaders the most, is registration of voters. A new register must be compiled come shine or rain. It's sadly saddening. Walahi.

Forget the "Kawku Anansi" and Cock and Bull story we have been regaled by the government, that the "EC as an independent body" (may God forgive them for putting such words together) wants to undertake a project it prioritizes.

Nobody bites the finger that feeds it. If President Akufo Addo had respected the independence of the commission, he would have forgiven madam Charlotte Osei and allowed her to continue as EC boss.

It is a shame that democracy is really drowning under the watch of a legal luminary like President Akufo Addo as President.

But, wait a minute. Truly, only the fool can fail to decipher the handwriting on the wall of destiny. The spread of the corona virus to Ghana, one would have thought, could have sounded a bell in the "strong ears" of all disgruntled political pythons who have been in the vanguard of the new voter's register compilation brouhaha. They should have reflected that perhaps, the almighty God Himself is not in support of such a bird-brained idea when the country is practically reduced to a poverty capital.

Today, unless someone who has just gained his consciousness back from many years of coma, you don't need Vice President Bawumia's economics lectures to know "the past is not like the present". Prices of goods and services have galloped geometrically rather than arithmetically under this current government. Meanwhile, our generation yet unborn has a gargantuan debt to pay because of the unfortunate activities of "ATM politics" of this present generation, which has actually debased governance in this country to "borrow-to-loot-and-share" among unnecessary ministers and alien portfolios holders in this government.

You see, it was a classic case of Freudian slip, when Hon. Kyei Mensa Bonsu, the Majority leader of Parliament whose legislative effectiveness as the leader of the House, has been mortgaged for ministerial appointment, said that the National Democratic Congress, NDC, can never win election in this country again with a new voter's register.

The Hon. Member made that statement out of unconsciousness. It has been the diabolical agenda of the governing party, precisely the reason why President Akufo Addo fired the former Electoral Commission boss, her ladyship, Madam Charlotte Osei and virtually overhauled the entire Electoral Commission membership with new appointees who are mainly the NPP party's apologists, apparatchiks, and "foodsodiers".

It was the reason why one of these "puppies" of the government in the EC, said there would be no the December Elections if a New Voter's Register is not compiled. So that, his paymasters would continue their "government of Kleptocracy by Kakistocracy and for Timocracy" in order to keep the "political juice" flowing forever.

For God's sake, someone must tell the leadership of the NPP, that the sorcerer or soothsayer who told them their reelection for second term bid would not be possible unless with a new voter's register, scammed them. Every sorcerer will never be successful no matter his level of sorcery Quran 20:69

The "political abracadabra" that brought them to government, let President Akufo Addo be rest assured, is still intact. What is not certain is the direction it will choose to swing in this year's election.

"The battle is the Lord's", someone must remind President Akufo Addo and his NPP government. And that, no amount of shenanigans, manipulations, distortions, threats, and continuous heaping upon opponents corruption allegations, can retain them in power if the cosmic force that brought them victory in 2016, chooses to deny them this time around in 2020.

And President Akufo Addo, indeed, would lose this year's election. Not out of his version of incompetence, but because he has achieved more than most just like what happened to former President Mahama. The latter brought Dubai to Ghana for Ghanaians, and his efforts were turned into sour.

Majority of Ghanaians have the penchant for castigating and pooh-poohing the achievements of their fellow Ghanaians especially if the same people were the architects of that success and glory. This is the main reason why former President John Mahama could not win again in 2016. This is President Akufo Addos turn.

Kotulim yi nyuri ka gbihira, Akufo Addo gba nyu ka gbihi (If something bad happens to someone and you are happy, be happy if same thing happens to you).

Fellow Ghanaians, fast forward, what is most staggering, confusing, but amusing, is the anti-intellectual, anti-scientific, irrational, and myopic, arguments alluded to by both the government and the EC as basis for a new Biometric Devices and register. The EC has put out many unintelligent reasons to compile the new register except the one driven by a superstitious madness: a soothsayer probably deceiving the government that only new register can win them this years presidential election. Space wont allow me to enumerate them here though.

One very pathetic, and apathetic regard for maintenance culture arguments President Akufo Addo made, and for which reason a whopping sum of over 400 million cedis be used to compile a new register, was laughable. The 78 year old political godfather told the diaspora Ghanaians that, "it appears every eight years political parties demand for a compilation of a new voter's register, and therefore it's appropriate to compile one since it's been eight years when the last registration took place."

True is, we have a President who has been completely off-guard when it comes to matters of priority. His Excellency would always bite the bullet to get whatever he wants done irrespective of its nonessentialism amidst many other fundamental matters that sorely demand his attention. Despite the dilapidated state of the new regions he had created for creating sake, His Excellency deems it a matter of priority to ignore the substandard Capitals of these new regions in order to compile a new register for just compiling sake.

Before you refer me to the fraudulent reasons and lack of capacity arguments the EC raised for the compilation of a new voter's register, in the first place, why did President Akufo Addo call for a referendum to amend article 53 of the constitution? By what means were Ghanaians going to embark upon the "Yes or No" voting he quickly chickened out having realized majority of Ghanaians lack of interest in his "Yes" mantra?

Didn't the EC fix a date (December 17 2019) for that referendum? Didn't the EC know the system was not credible to decide whether article 53 of the constitution be amended? Well, the District Assemblies elections took place right? Was that tins elections?

The most legitimate reason I personally think the EC would have had a point to demand a new register and registration equipment, is their argument that they don't have access to the Access Control Code of the current electoral apparatus. With this code, one can track what the devices are being up to, and can manipulate whatever results the equipment produces as well.

The current EC claims that the previous EC which procured the current "discredited" equipment and its register, did not take the Access Control Code from the manufacturers. So, the argument which is being made is that, it is dangerous since the Code is not with the current EC led by madam Jean Mensa.

Hence, one can speculate the paralyzing panic of the EC, which is that, perhaps, the largest opposition, NDC, can go back to the manufacturer of the current Biometric Voter's Machines in order to use it to possibly, manipulate and rig the presidential election.

For God's sake, if President Mahama and his NDC, together with his "own" EC led by madam Charlotte Osei, didn't see the need to do that in the 2016 election when they were in power, how on earth would they be able to do that if they now want to rig the election in opposition?

Notwithstanding, the legitimate and most daunting question the EC boss must also answer with the Holy Bible on her palm is, if this is what makes the current system not credible, what is the guarantee that if new biometric equipment are purchased as they demand, they won't also take the Access Control System from the manufacturer?

And if the EC decides not to take the Access Control Code along with the new biometric devices just as the 2012 EC did, won't the fear about the opposition still going to bribe the company and hiring the Access Control Code for at least 24 hours, in order to manipulate and rig the election abound?

Nonetheless, if the EC decides to take the Access Control Code with them, what is the guarantee that the EC won't use the Access Code of these new biometric machines to manipulate and rig the election for their greatest benefactor, NPP? Especially, considering how restless, nauseating, weird, and obsessed the EC has been in their titanic efforts to compile a new register at all cost, which is the position of their benefactor, NPP?

Commonsensically, there's something fishy in this whole hullabaloo of compulsory compilation of a new voter's register at all cost in this period of disabling pandemic panic.

I console former President John Mahama and the NDC with Quran 2:216 when God says "it may be that you hate a thing and it's good for you, and you may like a thing and it's bad for you. God knows you do not know."

He who is destined for leadership never fights for it. And dogs always eat the pair of sandals of the man who forces himself to own one even though God didn't create him to be an owner of sandals.

Let President Akufo Addo's free Senior High School candidates write WASSCE first. What a vanity?

Long Live Ghana.

Submitted By:

Iddrisu Abdul Hakeem

(The Young Prof.)

The Young Shall Grow Bi'izzinil Allah.
Hollywood actor Chris Hemsworth has described the action scenes in his latest Netflix film Extraction as some of the most intense of his career.

Speaking to The Sunday Telegraph this week, the 36-year-old spoke about the physical challenges of filming the movie.

'I think if I added up every action film that I'd ever done or every piece of action I've ever done in a movie, it wouldn't even come close to what we've done in the last nine weeks on this movie,' the Australian actor said.

'We were limping' Chris Hemsworth, 36, (pictured) says fight scenes in his film Extraction were the most intense of his career in a new interview with The Sunday Telegraph this week

Chris, who plays damaged mercenary Tyler Rake in the film, is contracted to rescue the kidnapped son of crime lord from India, which sees a number of action scenes.

'We're limping home at the end of most days, it's the most complex, most real-life action I've ever done,' he added.

Chris has been open about the fervor of the film project, also sharing behind-the-scenes footage of stunt men on the film on his Instagram.

Intense: 'I think if I added up every action film that I'd ever done or every piece of action I've ever done in a movie, it wouldn't even come close,' the Australian actor said

In the footage, Chris can be seen looking nervous as two stuntmen crash into a green and gold tuk tuk while filming on location.

Chris can be seen mouthing 'please don't die' while looking anxiously as the stuntmen skilfully crash into the taxi.

'Quite happy to let the completely insane experts handle this particular shot! Guess it's obvious by now this movie's pretty stunt-heavy,' Chris wrote.

Stunts: Chris has been open about the intensity of the project, with him also sharing behind the scenes footage of stunt men on the film on his Instagram

He added: 'Our stunt team risked their lives and pushed their bodies to get some of these shots, and it's truly incredible to see, truly painful to see actually!'

One of the men was Chris' long-term stunt double Bobby Hanton, who the Australian actor said he was very grateful to have do the intense scenes for him.

Excitement is building with audiences for the new film, with the trailer showing Chris portraying a broken man with a death wish.

Rare: Chris shared behind the scenes footage from shooting the film, with him appearing nervous while watching the stuntmen

The teaser shows him jumping hazardously to the bottom of a murky river, which is later revealed to be due to losing his own son years ago.

As the trailer progresses, Tyler and the kidnapped boy cling to each other as they fight to escape the deadly world of weapon dealings and drug trafficking.

When the job goes south and the city goes into lockdown, Tyler must decide whether to abandon the boy in order to save himself.

Redemption: When the job goes south and the city goes into lockdown, Tyler must decide whether to abandon the boy in order to save himself

'That kid is a walking corpse. There's no way to protect him. The best thing you could do for that kid would be put a bullet in his brain,' an informant tells Tyler.

More than just the average action flick, Extraction appears to delve deeper into the main character's psyche as he decides whether he is worth redemption.

Despite the film being set in the Bangladeshi capital of Dhaka, scenes for the movie were shot in Thailand and India.

Extraction begins streaming on Netflix on April 24.
By IANS

NEW DELHI: As the hospitality sector reels through the coronavirus crisis, Hotel Association of India's (HAI) Vice President K.B. Kachru has said that if immediate measures are not taken to support the sector, around 3.5-4 crore employees in India's hospitality sector may lose their jobs.

Speaking to IANS, Kachru said that as the industry is not earning at all right now, a deferment of statutory liabilities including EMIs for around 12 months is the need of the hour.

He also said that the sector may witness a revenue fall of around Rs 5 lakh crore in the financial year 2020-21.

"It couldn't be worse, this particular vertical which creates almost 9 per cent employment of the country and accounts for over 9 per cent of the GDP. We are basically at zero at the moment. So we have been badly affected," he said.

"Nobody imagined this, it's an unprecedented thing. In India there are almost three and a half to four crore jobs at stake. We are expecting close to Rs 5 lakh crore in revenue loss in this fiscal."

Talking to IANS, the industry veteran said that it is not a matter of revival as of now, the sector is finding ways to survive amid the coronavirus crisis.

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"We have been saying there is one issue with all of us, and we want to survive, before we can think of reviving ourselves," Kachru said.

He stressed that the industry is not seeking a waiver of any liabilities or dues, it just wants them to be deferred till the time the cash flow in the industry improves.

In a letter to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the industry body has outlined the impact of the coronavirus crisis and the possible aftermath and has sought relief for the sector, including the deferment of all statutory liabilities including EMIs to a minimum of 12 months at center, state and municipal levels.

It has also urged the government to subsidise employment for three months by government contribution per employee of 50 per cent of the salary.

HAI has also suggested that lease, license, rentals and excise fees as well as property taxes to be suspended effective March 11 till the end of COVID-19 period and has sought permission to enable the sector players to use the GST collected as working capital for six months.

Further, as the operations are curtailed, it has asked for the utility costs including electricity bill to be charged on actual basis rather than the load.

On the support offered by hotels in terms of quarantine facilities for the frontline healthcare workers and other initiatives, Kachru who is also the Chairman Emeritus and Principal Advisor of South Asia, Radisson Hotel Group, also said the sector is providing such support for the national cause and will continue to do so in times of need.

Talking of the gravity of the financial situation in the sector, the sector said: "We were the first to be affected and probably we will be the last to come out of this."
It was only six weeks ago that Industrial Relations Minister Christian Porter said casual workers would be prepared to weather the coronavirus because they are paid more by the hour.

"Many people would have already made provisions for that because, of course, the purpose of casual employment is that you're paid extra in lieu of entitlements, he said on March 10.

Attorney-General and Minister for Industrial Relations Christian Porter Credit:Alex Ellinghausen

The comment from the London School of Economics-educated Porter reeked of privilege. It belonged in a world where, of course, casual employment is a choice and not a matter of educational, geographical and economic circumstance.

This was a mythical Australia, where the 2.3 million workers across retail and hospitality  some of the lowest-paid members of the workforce  saved for a pandemic, the extra $5 in a $26.70-an-hour wage going straight into the corona fund.
A day after the death of assistant commissioner of police (ACP, North) Anil Kumar Kohli due to Covid-19, the police department has been flooded with condolence messages from people of all walks of life. Kohlis colleagues and other well wishers feel that the department should provide a job to his son.

Police officials have been in contact with Kohlis son and have assured him all help possible for the treatment of his wife, who has also tested positive for Covid-19.

Kohlis colleagues, who did not go to the crematorium to bid adieu to their friend, said they talked to his son over the phone and prayed for the departed soul at their homes.

The police officials said that in case of the death of any officer in the line of duty, his or her family member gets a job in the department on compensation grounds. As the ACP had fallen ill while performing his duty and later died in the hospital, his son should get the job. We will collectively raise the demand before the senior officers, they said.

70% police personnel test negative for Covid-19

Meanwhile, no new case of coronavirus was found in the department, which brought a sigh of relief to the police.

As many as 115 samples of police personnel were sent for testing, out of which 70% results were negative, while around 30% results are still awaited. Out of the three police personnel  sub-inspector Arshpreet Kaur, SHO at Basti Jodhewal police station, assistant sub-inspector Sukhdev Singh and constable Prabhjot Singh  who tested positive for Covid-19, two are admitted in Ludhiana hospitals and one is in a hospital Ferozepur.

According to commissioner of police Rakesh Kumar Agrawal, All three police personnel remain asymptomatic and their health condition has been graded as good by the attending doctors. The process of contact tracing and testing of their primary contacts has also been completed.

The health and safety of the police personnel who are either under home quarantine or admitted in hospital is being regularly monitored.
TDT | Manama

Jaffari Endowments Chairman Yousif bin Saleh Al Saleh expressed full support for the on-going national humanitarian efforts to combat the coronavirus (COVID-19), in line with the directives of His Majesty King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa.

This affirms that the Bahraini people stand together behind HM the Kings leadership in facing and defeating the virus, Al Saleh said. While participating in the TV programme broadcast within the Feena Khair (There Is Good in Us) national campaign to combat COVID-19, Al Saleh commented: We extend profound thanks to HM King Hamad, and affirm our support and appreciation to the programmes and plans implemented by the government, led by His Royal Highness the Prime Minister Prince Khalifa bin Salman Al Khalifa, to protect the health and safety of the citizens and residents, as well as to the unprecedented efforts and initiatives of Team Bahrain, led by His Royal Highness Prince Salman bin Hamad Al Khalifa, Crown Prince, Deputy Supreme Commander and First Deputy Premier.

Al Saleh highlighted the importance of the Feena Khair initiative, launched in line with the directives of HM the Kings Humanitarian and Youth Affairs representative, National Security Advisor and Royal Humanitarian Foundation Board of Trustees chairman HH Shaikh Nasser bin Hamad Al Khalifa, in paving the way for the donations of all institutions, companies and individuals. He also commended the efforts of the various state departments and society to overcome the current situation, lauding the efforts exerted by the Health Ministry, the National Taskforce for Combatting Coronavirus, the Bahrain Defence Force and the Interior Ministry in this regard.

He also praised the keenness of individuals and civil society institutions, including mosques, community centres and Hussainiyas to be committed to the instructions and directives of the competent authorities. He asserted that the directives issued by the competent authorities aim to achieve public interests, and noted that the state has harnessed all its potentials to achieve health and social security, adding that the prevailing discipline among various social segments reflects the high awareness of Bahraini citizens. Al Saleh stressed that contributions to the campaign is a religious duty, noting that the Islamic religion calls for solidarity, compassion and cohesion among members of society through thick and thin
BHOND, India  On the long, straight road into the farming village of Bhond, past fields of tomatoes, eggplant and rust-colored wheat, stood a police barricade, an incongruous sight for a settlement so small and remote.

Beyond the sweating police officers lay a second line of defense. Villagers armed with sticks, their faces covered with fraying bandannas, blocked the road. Fearful of the spread of the coronavirus, they were determined to enforce the governments stay-at-home orders and keep outsiders from entering their hamlet.

No one is paying these men. They are out here all day, every day, under the withering sun, even as the farms behind them collapse under debt.

Police or no police, we will continue, said Mubarik Khan, a tomato farmer who has been guarding the gates to Bhond, about 50 miles from New Delhi, for the past three weeks. Im worried, were all worried, but I feel a sense of duty to be out here.
SBC leader Albert Mohler indicates support for Donald Trump in reversal of 2016 position

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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.
The enemy opened fire, employing proscribed 120mm and 82mm mortars.

Russia's hybrid military forces on April 18 mounted five attacks on Ukrainian Army positions in Donbas, eastern Ukraine, with three Ukrainian soldiers reported as wounded in action.

Read alsoMFA Ukraine calls on Russia to provide treatment to Ukrainian prisoners, population of occupied areas amid pandemic

"The Russian Federation's armed forces violated the ceasefire five times on April 18. Three Ukrainian soldiers were wounded as a result of enemy shelling," the press center of Ukraine's Joint Forces Operation Headquarters said in an update posted on Facebook as of 07:00 Kyiv time on April 19.

The enemy opened fire, employing proscribed 120mm and 82mm mortars, cannons of infantry fighting vehicles, grenade launchers of various types, heavy machine guns, and small arms.

Under attack came Ukrainian positions near the villages of Luhanske, Travneve, Krymske, and Lebedynske.

Joint Forces returned fire to each enemy shelling. According to intelligence data, one member of Russia-led forces was wounded on April 18.

The enemy did not attack Ukrainian positions from 00:00 to 07:00 Kyiv time on April 19, the report said.
The Han River water-level monitoring tower near Mapo. Robert Neff Collection, May 2018



By Robert Neff





A close-up of the tower at Mapo. Robert Neff Collection, January 2015

The bike lanes along the Han River provide a great way to exercise, relax and, in some cases, learn about Korea's past.



Here and there are little historic spots that are picturesque and  according to their signboards  unique. One such spot is the lighthouse-shaped water-level monitoring tower near Mapo.



According to the signboard:



"This observatory was built in 1924 to automatically observe the water level of the Hangang (River). Even though it was the 9th one built in Korea, it was the first observatory by the Hangang. It was used as an observatory from January 1925 to September 1976."





The Haengju water-level monitoring tower on the Han River. Robert Neff Collection, April 2020





A close-up of the Haengju water-level monitoring tower. Robert Neff Collection, April 2020 The Yeongsan River tower at Naju. Robert Neff Collection, June 20

The sign then gives some more information on how it worked and ends with: "This observatory is the only independent structure of its kind that still exists today in Seoul, around the Hangang area. It brought the newest water measuring facilities into Korea."



Sounds great, but is it true?



At the foot of Haengju Fortress is another tower. About five years ago there was a sign that indicated it was once used as a lighthouse for navigation on the Han River  that sign is gone now and the new sign (which was buried under fencing material) makes no mention of it being a lighthouse, but it does say it was built in 1916 to monitor the water level of the Han River.



It was officially closed in 1980.



Of course, this problem isn't only confined to the Seoul region. In June 2018, I had the opportunity to join the Korea Heritage Society's tour of Naju City. As part of the tour, we sailed down the Yeongsan River.



When I asked about a lighthouse-shaped building near the docks, the tour guide assured me that it was the only building of its type situated on a river  any river  in South Korea.



If you get a chance, hop on your bike and explore the Han River  it could be enlightening.








Only an out-of-season Scrooge could begrudge the excitement Spanish children and their parents will feel at the prospect of being allowed out of their homes next week. Many of them have been confined to barracks since March 14.

On Saturday, prime minister Pedro Sanchez said Spain had left behind the most extreme moments and contained the brutal onslaught of the pandemic. Though the country has recorded more than 20,000 deaths its toll has slowed to a one-month low. Yesterday afternoon the country was on track to publish the lowest daily increase since March 22.

That light at the end of the tunnel has flickered in Denmark too. Primary schools have reopened. Small businesses, including hairdressers and beauty clinics, reopen today. Tempting as it may be to embrace this positive news that old saw one swallow a summer does not make unfortunately remains the better realisation at this moment.

Spain and Denmark, other countries too, may have passed peak coronavirus but the evidence from too many other countries demands we persist with our cautious approach. Ironically, having the fortitude to do this should inspire long-term confidence even at the cost of short-term relief. A stark warning from Japan strengthens that argument.

Doctors there say their medical system could collapse under new cases brought by a resurgent plague. Hokkaido, Japans second largest island, offers the starkest example. Once seen as a success story, the island is struggling with a second wave of infections. In late February, Hokkaido became the first place in Japan to declare a state of emergency. By mid-March the number of new cases had fallen and on March 19 the state of emergency was lifted. Schools reopened this month.

However last week, 26 days after the state of emergency was lifted, a new one had to be imposed.

Sweden, one of the very few European countries to adopt light-touch regulations, may be paying a high price. Last week, the Public Health Agency said 1,333 people had died of coronavirus, a third of those in nursing homes.

That setback is amplified by the Oxford University assertion that it was possible to be infected more than once.

The challenge of finding a vaccine is made harder by unreliable information. That the Chinese city of Wuhan, the coronavirus wellspring, has raised its official death toll by 50% not only makes research more difficult, it provokes suspicions around other official data.

Wuhans 11m residents spent months in strict lockdown, which has only recently been eased. It would be a huge blow, especially psychologically, if Wuhan experienced, like Hokkaido, a resurgent pandemic. Set against that background, and WHO advice to countries to plot a cautious path out of lockdown, anything less that iron-willed caution would be unwise.

The Government is to examine the prospect of reopening primary schools, maybe one day a week, in the summer. Officials will monitor countries where those decisions have already been taken. It is difficult now to argue that restrictions be eased much less to say when that might happen. Great patience and ongoing discipline remain imperatives.
What would have been a 49-day shift on a sea construction ship has turned into an 80-day nightmare for a South African technician due to the COVID-19 lockdown imposed by India, according to a media report.

Van Vuuren, the only South African aboard the ship that is now 22-kms from the shore in the Bay of Bengal, has been unable to dock because of the lockdown in India.

India is shut, so (even) if we could get off, there is nowhere to go  no domestic flights, Vurren, 48, told the weekly Sunday Times via WhatsApp.

What would have been a 49-day shift on the vessel before returning home for a break has turned into an 80-day nightmare for Vuuren, who hails from the scenic town of Mossel Bay in the Western Cape province of South Africa.

On the one hand I want to go home, but on the other side I am glad I am on the boat because with the current oil price and travel restrictions I dont know when I will be able to come back to work, the contract worker said.

India like many other countries has imposed a strict curfew-type lockdown to contain the spread of the coronavirus.

Vuurens shift was due to end when an Italian colleague arrived to replace him, but the latter could not get out of his home country because of the severe restrictions there during the lockdown.

Even if he had arrived, India would have been in lockdown by then and he might not have been able to get onto the ship.

Vuuren is also concerned about quarantine restrictions if he and fellow crew members should manage to leave the vessel somehow.

We do not know if we have to stay 14 days in India in quarantine and then another 14 days in South Africa with no salary, he said.

For now, he is continuing with his tasks of controlling equipment that inspects and surveys underwater pipelines.

Vuuren is just one of the many South Africans believed to be stranded abroad because of the COVID-19 pandemic.

They include scores of teachers in the Far East and people in North Africa who are running out of supplies of chronic medicines.

Globally, 160,721 people have died and over 2.3 million people have been infected by the coronavirus, according to data maintained by Johns Hopkins University.
The Minority in Parliament has demanded agents used in the distribution of food, water and other social protection items to be fair without partisan considerations.



The Caucus told a News conference at the Parliament House in Accra that it was in no way against the interventions, but pointed out that they must be fair, transparent to all the vulnerable in the affected communities.



Minority Chief Whip Mubarak Muntaka led the conference, addressed by several members in the caucus including Nii Lante Vanderpuije, MP for Odododiodio, Alfred Oko Vanderpuije, MP Ablekuma South, Nobert Nogbey, MP for AShaiman, Dr Zanetor Agyeman-Rawlings, MP for Klottey Korley, Sophia Akuaku, MP for Obom-Domeabra, and Comfort Doyoe Ghansah, MP for Ada.



It was partly in reaction to statement attributed to a broadcaster, Paul Adom Otchere accusing Dr Zanetor Agyeman-Rawlings on television and partly on the perceived unfairness in the distribution of food to the vulnerable.



Alhaji Muntaka said the stance of Mr Adom Otchere constituted an unwarranted attack as they, members of the Minority took part in approving financial assistance from Parliament that government sought to assist the vulnerable in the wake of the pandemic.



He stressed that the disease did not know any party colours hence the House was unanimous in approving the financial assistance that government sought

The Minority Chief Whip recalled that his Side suggested a non-partisan committee to handle the distribution, but the practice is that the distribution has become partisan using the National Disaster Management Organization.



Members of the Minority at the conference registered their displeasure at the exercise stressing fairness in all aspects to the advantage of the vulnerable.

Source: GNA









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Almost six in 10 U.S. voters say they were concerned state governments would move too fast to restart the economy as an increasing number worried that a family member would be infected with the coronavirus.

In an NBC News/Wall Street Journal poll released Sunday, 58% said they feared government would move too quickly to end the lockdown that has forced Americans to stay at home and businesses to close their doors. About one-third, 32%, said they were worried government would move too slowly.

By 73% to 25%, respondents said they were seriously or somewhat concerned that a family member would become infected with COVID-19. Thats a 20-percentage-point swing from a month ago, when 53% said they were worried and 47% said they were just slightly concerned or not at all.

Pollster Bill McInturff, who helped conduct the NBC/Journal survey, said the numbers provided a powerful signal that the U.S. was nowhere ready to reopen on May 1, even as Trump said some states could begin to relax restrictions.

Indeed, 71% of those polled said it would take at least a few months, if not into next year, for the economy to return to normal, while just 18% said it could happen either now or within weeks.

CORONAVIRUS RESOURCES: Live map tracker | Businesses that are open | Homepage

The support for continuing the lockdowns contrasted with recent protests, including one in Trenton, and some of President Donald Trumps recent comments.

I just think that some of the governors have gotten carried away, Trump said Saturday at his daily coronavirus press briefing.

Trump on Thursday announced a series of guidelines to advise governors as they moved to restart their economies once the number of new coronavirus cases start to go down in their states.

I dont think its helpful to encourage demonstrations and encourage people to go against the presidents own policy, Republican Gov. Larry Hogan of Maryland, chairman of the National Governors Association, said Sunday on CNNs "State of the Union."

It just doesnt make any sense. Were sending completely conflicting messages out to the governors and to the people as if we should ignore federal policy and federal recommendations.

Vice President Mike Pence said Trump was not siding with the protesters demanding an immediate reopening of their states economies.

When you hear the president, when you see people across the country talking about reopening, every American and this president want to do that in a safe and responsible way, Pence said Sunday on NBCs Face the Nation.

The guidelines for opening up America are a framework for doing that. And well work with governors across the country to implement those because we want to put America back to work as soon as we responsibly can.

In the poll, a majority disapproved of the way Trump was handling the pandemic, 52%, with 44% approving of his actions. By 65% to 32%, voters said Trump did not take the coronavirus seriously at the beginning. And by 52% to 36%, they said they did not trust what the president said about the pandemic.

By contrast, 62% said they trusted their states governor, while just 20% did not.

One of those governors, Phil Murphy, blasted Atlantic County Surrogate James Curcio, a Republican, for tweeting on Saturday: Reopen New Jersey immediately without restrictions. Trust American freedom ingenuity and the US Constitution. Untie the hands of the Private Sector so it can rescue NJ from this nightmare.

We quote-unquote untie the system right now, there will be blood on our hands," Murphy responded at the end of his daily coronavirus press conference on Saturday. "And I want to make sure folks understand that. This is literally life and death.

The poll of 900 U.S. voters was conducted April 13-15 and had a margin of error of 3.3 percentage points.

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Jonathan D. Salant may be reached at jsalant@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @JDSalant or on Facebook.Find NJ.com Politics on Facebook.

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Islamabad, April 19 : Another case was registered against Pakistani cleric Maulana Abdul Aziz for violating the ban on Friday congregations imposed by the government as part of its measures to stop the spread of COVID-19, it was reported on Sunday.

This is the third case as two more cases were registered against Aziz, the cleric of Islamabad's famous Lal Masjid, in the last three weeks, Dawn news quoted the police as saying.

For three consecutive weeks, he has violated the restriction on Friday congregations.

One of his companions was also booked in the latest case on Saturday for displaying arms which is also banned in the capital.

However, no one has so far been arrested in connection with the three cases.

There is a restriction on congregation in mosques but the cleric led Friday prayers at Lal Masjid.

The cleric and his companions were asked to stop people from violating the restriction but they ignored, a police officer told Dawn news, adding about 200 to 300 people gathered in the mosque.

However, the officer said any move to arrest Maulana Aziz or his companions would lead to a law and order situation.

The first case against the cleric was registered on April 3 and the second on April 17.
NASA To Launch Astronauts To ISS From U.S. For First Time Since 2011

April 18, 2020

The U.S. space agency NASA and the private company SpaceX have chosen May 27 as the date for the first launch of a crewed flight to the International Space Station (ISS) from the United States since 2011.

"On May 27, @NASA will once again launch American astronauts on American rockets from American soil!" Jim Bridenstine, head of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration, said on Twitter on April 17.

The United States has relied on Russian Soyuz rockets to send American astronauts to the ISS for nearly a decade. U.S. astronauts previously flew to the ISS aboard space shuttles, but that program ended in 2011.

The US space agency had said it was aiming for the launch to take place in May but hadn't set the date. It is sticking with its plan despite the global coronavirus pandemic.

The two-astronaut crew, Robert Behnken and Douglas Hurley, will fly to the ISS on a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket aboard a Crew Dragon spacecraft also built by SpaceX.

They will lift off at 4:32 p.m. local time on May 27 from the same launchpad used for the Apollo and space shuttle missions at the Kennedy Space Center in Florida, NASA said.

Behnken and Hurley have been training for years for the mission, which is expected to move the United States closer to no longer being reliant on Russia for crewed flights.

After the return of two astronauts and one cosmonaut on April 17, a three-member crew made up of one American and two Russians remains aboard the ISS.

Based on reporting by AFP and dpa.

Source: https://www.rferl.org/a/nasa-astronauts-to-iss-from- u-s-first-time-2011/30562581.html

Copyright (c) 2020. RFE/RL, Inc. Reprinted with the permission of Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, 1201 Connecticut Ave., N.W. Washington DC 20036.

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Union Health Minister Dr Harsh Vardhan on Sunday said that the rate of doubling of coronavirus patients has been improving which is a good indication, news agency ANI reported.

Vardhan comments came after he reviewed the coronavirus situation at Delhis Rajiv Gandhi Super Speciality Hospital

The doubling rate of patients in the last 14 days was 6.2 days. When it was calculated for the last 7 days it turned out to be 7.2 days. It has turned out to be 9.7 days for the past 3 days. It is a good indication, the minister said as reported by news agency ANI.

The doubling rate of patients in the last 14 days was 6.2 days. When it was calculated for the last 7 days it turned out to be 7.2 days. It has turned out to be 9.7 days for the past 3 days. It is a good indication: Union Health Minister Dr Harsh Vardhan https://t.co/8YD2bWnU39  ANI (@ANI) April 19, 2020

He also said that the analysis of government data on Covid-19 has been satisfactory. The data is improving every day, he noted.

Im being told that around 95 patients, out of the 177 admitted here, will be discharged by today evening, the health minister said referring to Rajiv Gandhi Super Speciality Hospital.

Meanwhile, Delhi Chief Arvind Kejriwal on Sunday said that there will be no relaxation in lockdown restrictions in the national capital. He said that the number of Covid-19 cases in Delhi is on the rise but the situation is under control.

There are as many as 77 Covid-19 containment zones in Delhi at present and all districts are categorised as hotspots, Kejriwal said.

Yesterday, we received reports of 736 Covid-19 tests and 186 of them came out positive for coronavirus. That is 25%, which is high, the chief minister said.

The number of coronavirus in the country rose to 15,712 on Sunday. The latest figures include 12,974 active cases, 2,230 patients who have been cured or discharged and 507 fatalities.
When the going gets tough, some crawl in bed and cry, and then share their feelings with a many people as possible. There are lots of words for such types, but none of them connote strength, much less heroism in the face of adversity. So, I had the check that the tweet below is not a hoax coming from some Macedonian content farm, but nope. Its right there in the Twitter feed of CNNs media critic and host of Reliable Sources, Brian Stelter:

I crawled in bed and cried for our pre-pandemic lives. Tears that had been waiting a month to escape.



I wanted to share because it feels freeing to do so. Now is not a time for faux-invincibility. Journos are living this, hating this, like everyone else. https://t.co/dIDujZZvQZ  Brian Stelter (@brianstelter) April 18, 2020

In case he thinks it over and deletes the tweet in the cold harsh light of Sunday morning ridicule, here is a screen grab:

I can only assume that Stelter fully buys into the notion that sensitive males are role models for the rest of us, and that the people who get up every day and grow the crops, operate the factories, drive the trucks, and keep the stores open and delivery services functioning are afterthoughts, proles who do what they are told and need no special notice. Its the inner torment of the sensitive male that is important in a time of crisis, worthy of sharing with the world.

Sundance of The Conservative Treehouse is scathing:

Modern journalists, no more essential to life than scripted narrative engineers dancing as puppets on strings in boxes, are inconsequential. The true American story is not built upon celebrity; but rather grit, callouses and dirty fingernails. Farmers, truck drivers, stock clerks and supermarket cashiers are essential; dancing puppets, not so much. Facing this reality a generation of pathetically soft and feeble sorts; lemmings from the spine-harvesting indoctrination machines that turn bone into jelly-fish membrane; collapse as they recognize just how pathetic they are. Inconsequential gnats carrying a life-skill as useful as sand in the Sahara. Desperate and yearning for someone, anyone, to reaffirm their importance, the miserable and pitiful harbingers of irrelevance cry out in a desperate quest for meaning. Please forgive my frank and direct response, but apparently someone needs to call the baby ugly. Good grief man, cowboy-the-f*ck-up. You are not being tossed a pack of Lucky Strikes and told to storm the beaches of Normandy. You have to wash your hands, stop touching your face and sit on your ass while keeping distant from the check-out-girl. This aint hard. That said, Stelters journalism has evolved into back-slapping pundits reveling in process; and as a consequence it completely ignores the end point, misses the bottom line, doesnt actually SEE the subject matter, never actually learns what might be discovered. Heres a tip to Stelter: Cry more. The reality of your misery is worse than you can even imagine. Your enterprise is not only irrelevant, but your self-indulgent cries for affirmation are meaningless. Every fiber of your woeful existence is inadequate in an era when grit, fortitude, perseverance & strength are the greatest human commodity.

Whats amazing to me is not that Stelter is as soft and weak as his appearance suggests, but that he thinks it is useful to him to share his feebleness and that he has lots of support on Twitter for doing so:

Welcome, @brianstelter. You are not alone. Sending love to you and Jamie, who by the way got me through years in NYC subway shutdowns.  Elizabeth C. McLaughlin  (@ECMcLaughlin) April 18, 2020

I totally understand. I woke up this morning and thought about the fact that we have a president actively participating in the deaths of American citizens, and using his base to incite violence, yet there is nothing we can do. It can get so overwhelming at times. Hang in there.  Sheri Locascio aka Tea Angel (@SheriLoCascio) April 18, 2020

Stress has a way of making people reveal their true selves.
Japan's health minister Kato Katsunobu has called on the Group of 20 major economies to lead global efforts to overcome the coronavirus pandemic.

Kato made the appeal at a teleconference of G20 health ministers on Sunday. The meeting had been originally scheduled to be held in Saudi Arabia, the current chair of the grouping.

Kato said the world has drastically changed due to the rapid spread of the virus. He urged the G20 nations to work together to improve medical systems and develop treatments and vaccines.

The head of the World Health Organization, Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, also joined the meeting.

He stressed that African and other nations with vulnerable healthcare systems are facing a "critical shortage of supplies" because of "weak supply chains."

Tedros called on the G20 countries to work together to increase the production and "equitable distribution" of essential supplies.

He also called for removing trade barriers that he said "put health workers and their patients at risk."
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 federal capital territory administration (FCTA) says those people who attended the burial of Abba Kyari, the late chief of staff to the president, without being well kitted will be tested for COVID-19.

Kyari, who died from COVID-19 complications, was buried in Abuja on Saturday.

This was made known by Mohammed Kawu, acting secretary, health and human services secretariat at the FCTA, adding that they have identified all of them and are in self-isolation.

He stressed also that subsequent burials will be done according to the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) guidelines.

He assured also that the personal protective equipment (PPE) removed by one of those involved in the burial had been properly disposed off and the cemetery decontaminated.

Read Also: We Must Not Allow Kyaris Death To Be In Vain: Tinubu

In addition, all the individuals including the man in question that participated in the burial and were not properly kitted have been identified and are being isolated, Kawu said.

Necessary tests will be conducted on all of them to determine their level of exposure and ensure that they do not infect other people.

The FCTA assured residents it will continue to do all that is necessary to curtail and end the spread of the coronavirus in the city.
- 409 total cases of cerebrospinal meningitis (CSM) have been recorded in Ghana with 40 deaths so far

- 258 of all the deaths have been recorded in the Upper West Region alone with the remaining 151 being in the other 4 northern regions

- Ghana Health Service reports that sporadic cases of the CSM occur in the northern regions of Ghana every year

Our Manifesto: This is what YEN.com.gh believes in

A total of 40 deaths have been recorded in relation to the outbreak of cerebrospinal meningitis (CSM) in the Upper West Region of Ghana, out of the 409 cases reported in total.

This was confirmed in a statement released by the Disease Surveillance Department of the Ghana Health Service on its official Twitter handle.

It is indicated that 258 out of the 409 cases of the meningitis were recorded in the Upper West Region alone, which makes it the epicentre of the disease outbreak.

READ ALSO: Massive joy as total COVID-19 recoveries in Ghana jumps to 99

See the statement below:

The remaining 151 cases are reported to have been recorded in the four other northern regions in Ghana, which have been recording sporadic cases of the outbreak almost every year.

Meningitis is an acute febrile illness which causes the brain and the spinal cord to be covered with a substance layer.

It is characterized by vomiting, fever, headache, stiff neck, nausea, altered consciousness, convulsion and seizures as well as coma, and is transferable from one person to another.

READ ALSO: Real lady Kennedy Agyapong accused as Obinim's girlfriend finally speaks in video

In another interesting report, popular Ghanaian rapper Michael Owusu Addo, known professionally as Sarkodie is an artiste renowned for moving from real grass to real grace as several photos show.

There have been many reports of the past pictures of the renowned rapper and how his transformation took place, but it has been rare seeing him perform specific activities in the past and present.

YEN.com.gh compiles six amazing photos of Sarkodie engaged in similar activities in both his rags stage and riches stage, to show the clear differences that exist.

Enjoy reading our stories? Download YEN's news app on Google Play now and stay up-to-date with major Ghana news!

51-year-old Fred Drah recovers from COVID-19 in Ghana | #Yencomgh

Get interactive via our Facebook page.

Source: YEN.com.gh
The New York Times controversial 1619 Project and the historians war it sparked illustrate how this countrys founding -- the American Revolution -- is the cornerstone of our collective understanding of this countrys present. The 1619 Project gives readers a race-themed narrative of the Revolution in an effort to help them see racism as pervasive in American life today. Such efforts to enlist the Revolution for a cause are not new -- attempts to shape public opinion and public policy in the present often begin with a retelling of the countrys birth.

When, in 1861, Jefferson Davis and Abraham Lincoln delivered their inaugural speeches -- Davis as president of the Confederate States of America, Lincoln as president of the United States of America -- both included a narration of the Revolution. Davis history lesson supported his claim that secession was peaceful and constitutional, that Northerners should accept it as such, and that the upper South should feel free to follow the lower South into secession. Lincolns history lesson supported his own claim that secession was unlawful and insurrectionary, that Americans in the North and upper South should reject it as such, and that the deep South should return to the Union. During that deadly war, both sides continued to retell Southern and Northern audiences about the Revolution, connecting the cause of the Civil War to the cause of the Revolution. These were efforts to inspire Americans to recommit themselves to the spirit of 1776, endure the hardships of war, and sacrifice more for victory. Most famously, Lincolns Gettysburg Address began with a particular framing of the Revolution and ended with a challenge to his generation of Americans to vindicate -- with military victory -- what his history lesson asserted as the core cause of the Revolutionary generation.

Proponents and opponents of future major national projects -- from foreign wars to various domestic initiatives and Constitutional reforms -- have likewise used the Revolution as a springboard for their public-relations campaigns. Public-policy advocates have thus introduced Americans to various reinterpretations of the Revolution, as correctives to the traditional explanation of what had animated Americans to rebel in 1775. In place of the original explanation offered by the colonists themselves (about a lawless British government that violated its colonists ancient English liberties), Americans have been introduced to alternative interpretations that claim to identify the rebels true agenda -- class conflict, national self-determination, lower taxes, white supremacy, slavery, commercial expansion, anti-Catholicism, or hunger for land on the western frontiers.

The Revolutions military history is notably missing in these new narratives. This is because the Revolutions battlefields (and Lexington and Concord in particular) are where these reinterpretations of the Revolution are tested against common sense. When an average reasonable person contemplates the 70 American farmers and shopkeepers who ventured to stop 700 redcoats on the Lexington Green 245 years ago today, s/he has a hard time reconciling that scene with the narratives listed above. This reasonable reader cannot see how those 70 militiamen, with guns suicidally drawn against a vastly larger force of professional soldiers, were advancing their economic self-interest, suppressing class tensions, claiming land out West, promoting commerce, or defending slavery.

The Revolution was, first and foremost, a war. The Revolutions battles and campaigns thus offer sound insights as to the rebels motivation and aims; the Battle of Lexington and Concord more so than any other. The Revolutions military history offers a prosaic, simple, and traditional narrative about what spurred Anglo-Americans to take up arms against Britain in 1775-76. It paints the Revolution as a mass movement of common people, both on the home-front (where innumerable Americans offered military service through local militias) and on the front lines. There is no need to seek hidden motives for this rebellion when the rebels stated rationale is utterly believable. Colonists believed that their benign imperial government had suddenly turned against them, becoming lawless in curtailing longstanding English practices of self-government in American courts, towns, and legislatures. Lawless governments are genuinely scary -- in the 18th century as in the 21st -- and Americans alarm was plainly on display in countless public addresses and private letters, pamphlets and editorials, petitions and remonstrances, street demonstrations, and election returns.

When they were punished for this resistance, they left their homes and their daily lives to fight against their government -- many of them never to return. And while we know that the Patriots were eventually victorious (and that the United States went from strength to strength thereafter), they did not know they would succeed. In fact, they had good reason to fear that they would fail. Its an extraordinary story. For many, it is too extraordinary to be true, which is why they gravitate to those alternative Revolutionary narratives that claim to identify Patriots unspoken motives and designs. To judge whether these are more credible than the rebels own narrative, put them to the Lexington and Concord test.
HOUSTON, BELFIELD, N.D., April 16, 2020 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Meridian Energy Group, Inc., a leading innovator in the petroleum refining industry, announced today that the company has entered into a long-term agreement with Wood, a global leader in consulting, projects and operations solutions in energy and the built environment.



Operating in more than 60 countries and employing over 55,000 people, Wood is focused on supporting clients to manage assets safely and efficiently through the energy transition.

Under the agreement, Wood will serve as Operations Readiness and Assurance (ORA) partner for Meridians 49,500 bpd greenfield Davis Refinery in Belfield, North Dakota. As the ORA, Wood will serve as the single point of contact for Meridian between the Engineering, Procurement and Construction (EPC) and Operation & Maintenance (O&M) partners. Wood will ensure the safe and efficient operation of Davis, in a sustainable and environmentally-sustainable manner, while mitigating risk.

The Wood appointment is the latest of several made by Meridians Environment Social and Governance (ESG) Committee, which supports the Companys ongoing commitment to environmental, health and safety, corporate social responsibility, corporate governance, sustainability, and other public policy matters.

Meridian Chief Operating Officer, Lance Medlin, had this to say on the partnership, We are extremely proud to have an exceptionally strong partner like Wood to assure our operational readiness for the Davis Refinery. With its vast suite of operational management solutions, the Wood appointment supports our ESG Charter in providing investors and all other stakeholders with the assurance that Meridian Energy Group is a high reliability organization and one that strives for operational excellence.

Andy Hemingway, President of Development and Life Cycle Optimisation at Wood, said: This partnership demonstrates Woods commitment to delivering a sustainable and safe energy supply for our clients. Our decades of experience in preparing assets for operations combined with our technical and engineering expertise across the upstream, midstream and downstream sectors uniquely positions Wood to successfully support Meridian and the Davis Refinery.

Story continues

About Meridian Energy Group, Inc.

The Mission of Meridian Energy Group, Inc. is to provide long-term shareholder value through the development and operation of the cleanest, most environmentally compliant and profitable crude oil refineries in the world, with refinery developments in both North Dakota and Texas. Established in 2013, Meridian has offices in Belfield, North Dakota, Houston, Texas and Irvine, California. Connect with Meridian Energy Group: Twitter, Facebook, and LinkedIn, and for more information, visit: http://www.meridianenergygroupinc.com.

Meridian Media Contact

Mark Hanes

TallGrass Public Relations

mark.hanes@tallgrasspr.com


By Express News Service

As the number of COVID-19 cases increases in Karnataka, the challenge is not just testing, but contact tracing too.

In an interview with Bosky Khanna, Munish Moudgil, nodal officer, in charge of the state war room, appreciated the efforts of Kerala which have led to a dip in their numbers.

He also pointed to Udupi and Mangaluru in the state, which despite having the highest number of per capita travellers, have the lowest growth rate in COVID cases.

How many people, departments are working to tackle COVID-19?

The pandemic is being fought on multiple dimensions, multiple fronts and not just by one individual. Every citizen is critical and has a role to play. All the resources of various departments, like labour and industries, have been pooled in to fight COVID. There are around one lakh police constables and over 50,000 health workers. Overall, there are 5-6 lakh employees in the state government, who can be given a role. But at present, around half of them are working on containing COVID. The rest are on reserve.

There has been a rise in the number of cases. What could be the reason?

One part of that could be more tests. It was not that we were doing lesser number of tests and the numbers were less. On an average, for every 100 tests, two are found positive in the state. That means we are conducting tests on 98 people who are healthy which means we are trying hard to find people with COVID.

How do you talk to patients and trace their contact details?

There is a team of counsellors who talk to patients and get details. Generally, people are cooperating so we get the best information. The mobile number of the patient is taken and the people whom the person spoke to in the last 14 days are picked. In todays world, apart from the family, one meets 80-90% of the people after talking to them over the phone. There could be some whom one meets without calling, but that number is very small. We take details of who they spoke to and track them. Even if one tries to hide or forgotten his/her contacts, we get them. The mobile numbers and towers are tracked to trace the contacts. Through Arogya Setu, people whom one contacted knowingly or unknowingly are tracked. But if one has not downloaded the app, then tracking people is difficult.

More tests are happening and more cases are being identified. Many are symptomatic and many others are also asymptomatic. Is that a matter of concern?

Virtually, the entire population is asymptomatic, but that is not the criteria for testing. It is to know who a positive person was in touch with in the last few days, and it is extremely important to pick those people. If you see the all-India average, the detection rate is 5%, while it is roughly 2% for Karnataka.

The graph in Karnataka is rising as compared to Kerala. What is it that they are doing better and we are not?

This is in the hands of the people more than anyone else. The credit goes to the people of Kerala because they are sensible. In Karnataka too, Udupi has the highest number of people who have returned from foreign countries but has the lowest case growth rate. But it is not the same everywhere as dissemination and understanding of information is not the same. Our performance in Udupi and Mangaluru is better than Keralas. The people in our state have shown exemplary behaviour, but Kerala has done better.

How many people are put on contact tracing?

We assume that one person, on an average, would have 50 contacts. One tracker can trace 10-20 people in 24 hours. For every new case, we need double the number of trackers. On average, Karnataka is getting 30 positive cases every day. In a very efficient system, we need 100-120 people to track their contacts. We already have 2,000 people in contact tracing.
VANCOUVERAbout a dozen people from the Downtown Eastside broke into and occupied a local elementary school this weekend in what organizers say was an attempt to stay safe during the coronavirus pandemic.

But the so-called Kennedy Stewart Squat  named after Vancouvers mayor  was short-lived.

Around 1 a.m. on Sunday, Vancouver police arrested 14 people who had barricaded themselves inside Lord Strathcona Elementary School, just eight hours into the occupation.

Schools in Vancouver, like those in many cities across the country, have been shuttered and classes moved online in an effort to slow the spread of the coronavirus.

The occupation is one of several efforts by anti-poverty advocates in recent weeks to raise awareness about the lack of support for the homeless community during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Fiona York helped organize the squat and watched the arrests from outside the school. She said the group was simply trying to follow public health directives. The school building has running water for hand washing and enough space for people to distance themselves, she said.

People who are homeless or inadequately housed should be able to follow public health directives like everyone else, York told the Star in a phone interview.

She said dozens of police officers in riot gear arrived at the school and were forceful when arresting people. She called the response heavy-handed.

To have that kind of response from the police, where people are just trying to have a safe place to shelter, and trying to follow public directives, was pretty concerning, said York.

Vancouver police spokesperson Sgt. Aaron Roed acknowledged the arrest required extensive resources. The operation took into account the buildings size, multiple rooms, and various entry and exit points, he said in a news release.

He also said police faced hostile and combative suspects inside the school, who threw wooden pallets at officers.

Two people fled to the roof and one of them resisted arrest before they were both taken into custody around 8:30 a.m., according to Roed.

This was a long, complex call and a dangerous situation, he said in a news release.

Officers found sleeping bags, tools and alcohol inside the school, police said.

At a press conference on Sunday, B.C. Public Safety Minister Mike Farnworth said he did not approve of the tactics the Downtown Eastside group used.

Breaking into schools and occupying a school is not exactly a legitimate form of protest, he said to reporters.

Anti-poverty advocates for weeks have been calling for better support for the community. It is especially difficult for people to practise social distancing in Vancouvers impoverished and crowded Downtown Eastside, said York.

There havent been any large COVID-19 outbreaks in the neighbourhood yet, but the community is taking desperate measures to raise awareness about the lack of resources because an outbreak there would be horrifying, she said.

People here cant self-isolate like everyone else.

Drug users are also at greater risk of dying because of directives to stay at home, according to a release from the Vancouver Area Network of Drug Users, one of the organizers of the Saturday occupation.

The current choice for our community is to hide out alone and die from overdose or go out in the community and die from COVID-19, the group stated.

Saturdays event was not the first coronavirus-related squat in the Vancouver area.

On April 1, a group of anti-poverty advocates occupied a community centre in the suburb of Surrey for about four hours before police evicted them. Days later, authorities announced the community centre would act as an emergency response centre for people experiencing homelessness.

Vancouver Coastal Health has also repurposed the Coal Harbour and Roundhouse community centres as emergency response centres.

B.C. Housing is working with hotels to house people who have symptoms of COVID-19 but are otherwise unable to self-isolate.

In response to the occupation at Lord Strathcona, Vancouver Mayor Kennedy Stewart said ensuring the safety of people in the Downtown Eastside has been his No. 1 priority since the beginning of the citys COVID-19 response.

Vulnerable residents, especially our neighbours in the Downtown Eastside, are rightfully feeling anxious for their safety, he said in a news release Sunday.

He noted the city has already taken action to help the Downtown Eastside community by cleaning single-room occupancy hotels, which are home to some of the citys poorest residents, as well as delivering thousands of meals and supplementing the incomes of residents who have lost work due to closures.

But York said it hasnt been enough.

So many people have poor health here. People would be impacted very disproportionately, she said about the possibility of an outbreak in the neighbourhood.

It could be very, very devastating.

Read more about:


1. Data: 2020-04-19 07:19:17

Temat: US/Kansas: Federal Judge halts Kansas governor's order limiting church gatherings to 10

Od: "A. Filip" <a...@p...pl>

https://www.foxnews.com/us/judge-halts-kansas-gov-ke

lly-order-limiting-church-gatherings-10

> Judge halts Kansas governor's order limiting church gatherings to 10

> people: report

>

> A federal court in Kansas issued a temporary restraining order

> Saturday against an executive order capping church gatherings at 10

> people due to COVID-19, according to a local report. [...]

> The judge noted that the order banned church gatherings but not

> similar public activities like crowds at airports or industrial

> facilities, violating both the First Amendment and a state religious

> freedom law, the paper reported. [...]

> https://www.kansascity.com/news/coronavirus/article2

42100806.html

>> Judge rules against Kansas governor's order limiting in-person church gatherings

>> April 18, 2020 07:57 PM



--

A. Filip

| Choc wrog twoj jest rzedu mrowki, zaliczaj go mimo to do soni!

| (Przysowie dunskie)

[ pokaz wiadomosc z nagowkami ] do gory



2. Data: 2020-04-19 09:23:33

Temat: Re: US/Kansas: Federal Judge halts Kansas governor's order limiting church gatherings to 10

Od: Wiesiaczek <c...@v...pl>

W dniu 19.04.2020 o 07:19, A. Filip pisze:

> https://www.foxnews.com/us/judge-halts-kansas-gov-ke

lly-order-limiting-church-gatherings-10

>> Judge halts Kansas governor's order limiting church gatherings to 10

>> people: report

>>

>> A federal court in Kansas issued a temporary restraining order

>> Saturday against an executive order capping church gatherings at 10

>> people due to COVID-19, according to a local report. [...]

>> The judge noted that the order banned church gatherings but not

>> similar public activities like crowds at airports or industrial

>> facilities, violating both the First Amendment and a state religious

>> freedom law, the paper reported. [...]

>> https://www.kansascity.com/news/coronavirus/article2

42100806.html

>>> Judge rules against Kansas governor's order limiting in-person church gatherings

>>> April 18, 2020 07:57 PM

>



A kurwa, po polsku nie mozna?

Juz kurwa, do reszty sprzedaes sie hameryce?



--

Wiesiaczek (dzis z podkarpackiej wsi)

"Ja pije tylko przy dwoch okazjach:

Gdy sa ogorki i gdy ich nie ma" (R)

[ pokaz wiadomosc z nagowkami ] do gory



3. Data: 2020-04-19 09:35:47

Temat: Re: US/Kansas: Federal Judge halts Kansas governor's order limiting church gatherings to 10

Od: "A. Filip" <a...@p...pl>

Wiesiaczek <c...@v...pl> pisze:

> W dniu 19.04.2020 o 07:19, A. Filip pisze:

>> https://www.foxnews.com/us/judge-halts-kansas-gov-ke

lly-order-limiting-church-gatherings-10

>>> Judge halts Kansas governor's order limiting church gatherings to 10

>>> people: report

>>>

>>> A federal court in Kansas issued a temporary restraining order

>>> Saturday against an executive order capping church gatherings at 10

>>> people due to COVID-19, according to a local report. [...]

>>> The judge noted that the order banned church gatherings but not

>>> similar public activities like crowds at airports or industrial

>>> facilities, violating both the First Amendment and a state religious

>>> freedom law, the paper reported. [...]

>>> https://www.kansascity.com/news/coronavirus/article2

42100806.html

>>>> Judge rules against Kansas governor's order limiting in-person church gatherings

>>>> April 18, 2020 07:57 PM

>

> A kurwa, po polsku nie mozna?

> Juz kurwa, do reszty sprzedaes sie hameryce?



Mozna po polsku *ale*:

1. Chyba jeszcze do mediow w Polsce sie nie przebio

2. Nawet jak sie przebije to podwojne zdziennikarzenie

(hamerykanskie i polskie) zrobi z tego jeszcze bardziej polityke niz prawo



*Na razie* angielski jest "pierwszym jezykiem swiata".

Kiedys na pewno sie to zmieni ale raczej nie za mojego zycia.



--

A. Filip

| Z silnym trudno walczyc, z bogatym procesowac sie.

| (Przysowie mongolskie)

[ pokaz wiadomosc z nagowkami ] do gory



4. Data: 2020-04-19 12:37:00

Temat: Re: US/Kansas: Federal Judge halts Kansas governor's order limiting church gatherings to 10

Od: RadoslawF <r...@g...com>

W dniu 2020-04-19 o 09:35, A. Filip pisze:



> *Na razie* angielski jest "pierwszym jezykiem swiata".

> Kiedys na pewno sie to zmieni ale raczej nie za mojego zycia.



Dlaczego nie pojdziesz gosic swoich prawd objawionych na

grupach anglojezycznych tego swiata?

Jest ich wiecej, maja wiecej czytelnikow, nie trac czasu

na polskojezyczny zascianek.





Pozdrawiam

[ pokaz wiadomosc z nagowkami ] do gory



5. Data: 2020-04-19 13:23:59

Temat: Re: US/Kansas: Federal Judge halts Kansas governor's order limiting church gatherings to 10

Od: Animka <a...@t...ja.wp.pl>

W dniu 2020-04-19 o 09:35, A. Filip pisze:

> Wiesiaczek <c...@v...pl> pisze:

>> W dniu 19.04.2020 o 07:19, A. Filip pisze:

>>> https://www.foxnews.com/us/judge-halts-kansas-gov-ke

lly-order-limiting-church-gatherings-10

>>>> Judge halts Kansas governor's order limiting church gatherings to 10

>>>> people: report

>>>>

>>>> A federal court in Kansas issued a temporary restraining order

>>>> Saturday against an executive order capping church gatherings at 10

>>>> people due to COVID-19, according to a local report. [...]

>>>> The judge noted that the order banned church gatherings but not

>>>> similar public activities like crowds at airports or industrial

>>>> facilities, violating both the First Amendment and a state religious

>>>> freedom law, the paper reported. [...]

>>>> https://www.kansascity.com/news/coronavirus/article2

42100806.html

>>>>> Judge rules against Kansas governor's order limiting in-person church

gatherings

>>>>> April 18, 2020 07:57 PM

>>

>> A kurwa, po polsku nie mozna?

>> Juz kurwa, do reszty sprzedaes sie hameryce?

>

> Mozna po polsku *ale*:



Nie umiesz przetumaczyc, bo nie znasz angielskiego.

Nawet nie wiesz jak to zrobic w translatorze.

Wkleies skads tekst



> 1. Chyba jeszcze do mediow w Polsce sie nie przebio



Do Ciebie tym bardziej.



> 2. Nawet jak sie przebije to podwojne zdziennikarzenie

> (hamerykanskie i polskie) zrobi z tego jeszcze bardziej polityke niz prawo



Moze byc od razu przetumaczenie polskie jak chcesz sie juz popisac.



> *Na razie* angielski jest "pierwszym jezykiem swiata".

> Kiedys na pewno sie to zmieni ale raczej nie za mojego zycia.



Wiec juz teraz fora ze dwora! Won do Ameryki poki jeszcze zyjesz.



[ pokaz wiadomosc z nagowkami ] do gory



6. Data: 2020-04-19 13:38:43

Temat: Re: US/Kansas: Federal Judge halts Kansas governor's order limiting church gatherings to 10

Od: Sonn <x...@p...onet.pl>

W dniu 2020-04-19 o 07:19, A. Filip pisze:





Uuuuu, przygupiemu Filipkowi poczucie wasnej wartosci runeo znowu na

pysk. Dlatego musi podniesc sobie samoocene i odreagowac swoje kompleksy

chwalac sie tym, ze potrafi zrobic CtrlC+CtrlV z angielskojezycznej strony.



--

Sonn

[ pokaz wiadomosc z nagowkami ] do gory



7. Data: 2020-04-19 13:51:54

Temat: Re: US/Kansas: Federal Judge halts Kansas governor's order limiting church gatherings to 10

Od: "A. Filip" <a...@p...pl>

Sonn <x...@p...onet.pl> pisze:

> W dniu 2020-04-19 o 07:19, A. Filip pisze:

>

>

> Uuuuu, przygupiemu Filipkowi poczucie wasnej wartosci runeo znowu

> na pysk. Dlatego musi podniesc sobie samoocene i odreagowac swoje

> kompleksy chwalac sie tym, ze potrafi zrobic CtrlC+CtrlV z

> angielskojezycznej strony.



A tobie zamiast odniesc sie do meritum orzeczenia niezawisego sadu

(z zagranicy) wygodniej jest opierdalac ze po angielsku o niespikajacy?



--

A. Filip

| Kopniety pies nie wyje tak, jak jego serce.

| (Przysowie abisynskie)

[ pokaz wiadomosc z nagowkami ] do gory



8. Data: 2020-04-19 14:50:09

Temat: Re: US/Kansas: Federal Judge halts Kansas governor's order limiting church gatherings to 10

Od: Robert Tomasik <r...@g...pl>

W dniu 19.04.2020 o 09:35, A. Filip pisze:



> *Na razie* angielski jest "pierwszym jezykiem swiata".

> Kiedys na pewno sie to zmieni ale raczej nie za mojego zycia.

>

Jesli nawet angielski jest pierwszym jezykiem swiata (choc chyba osob

wadajacych chinskim jest wiecej), to nadal ta grupa ma na koncu "pl",

wiec jest polskojezyczna i powinno sie tu pisac w jezyku polskim.



--

Robert Tomasik

[ pokaz wiadomosc z nagowkami ] do gory



9. Data: 2020-04-19 14:51:03

Temat: Re: US/Kansas: Federal Judge halts Kansas governor's order limiting church gatherings to 10

Od: Robert Tomasik <r...@g...pl>

W dniu 19.04.2020 o 13:51, A. Filip pisze:



> A tobie zamiast odniesc sie do meritum orzeczenia niezawisego sadu

> (z zagranicy) wygodniej jest opierdalac ze po angielsku o niespikajacy?

>

A co ten sad postanowi?



--

Robert Tomasik

[ pokaz wiadomosc z nagowkami ] do gory
U.S. President Donald Trump's call for lifting restrictions on several states has sparked controversy.

In a series of tweets on Friday, Trump urged "liberating" Virginia, Minnesota, and Michigan, three political swing states that now have Democratic governors, throwing his support behind protesters opposing restrictive measures there imposed to slow the spread of the COVID-19.

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 event showed many people were packed closely outside the residence, waving pro-Trump signs and flags. Few participants appeared to be wearing masks or other protective gear.

Similar protests, with some attendees armed, took place in Virginia, Michigan, and other states this week.

U.S. Senator Chris Murphy, a Connecticut Democrat, tweeted as well on Friday, accusing Trump of "encouraging citizens to engage in armed rebellion."

Washington Governor Jay Inslee, a former Democratic presidential contender, tweeted on Friday that he thinks Trump's remarks "encourage illegal and dangerous acts."

"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," Inslee added.

During a press briefing at the White House on Friday, Trump defended his tweets, saying that he feels some state orders are "too tough."

"I think we do have sobering guidance, but I think some things are too tough. It's too tough," Trump said.

The president also said he wasn't concerned about protesters spreading the coronavirus among those attending demonstrations calling for states to reopen.

"No, these are people expressing their views. I see the way they are and I see the way they're working and they seem to be very responsible to me, but they've been treated a little bit rough," he said.

The remarks came a day after the White House issued guidelines that defer to states on reopening decisions, but recommended a three-phase approach, as the administration has been eager to put the nation's economy back on track, which has been hit strongly by business closures and job losses.

Vice President Mike Pence and other officials said Friday that they believe that there is enough testing in place for states to begin moving to the first phase of reopening, as health experts called for cautions.

Lawrence Gostin, director of the O'Neill Institute for National and Global Health Law at Georgetown University, warned in a tweet on Friday that "relaxing too early could cause exponential spread."

According to a tally from Johns Hopkins University on Friday, the number of COVID-19 infections in the United States has topped 700,000, with nearly 37,000 deaths. The Trump administration declared this week that the country had "passed the peak" of infections.

In another tweet on Friday, Trump urged states to step up testing.

Governor Andrew Cuomo of New York, the largest epicenter of the nation's coronavirus outbreak, on Friday chided the federal government's failure to provide enough support for testing.

"Large-scale testing is a massive undertaking," Cuomo tweeted. "We need the private sector to work with government to meet this enormous challenge. And we need the federal government to act."

The Democrat also said the pandemic in New York isn't over. The state has reported more than 230,000 confirmed cases and over 17,000 deaths.
Australian actress Nathalie Kelley proposed to her husband, Jordy Burrows, in 2018 after dating for just a few short months.

And the Hollywood star, 34, says it's time to throw out the traditional expectations surrounding who should pop the question first in a relationship.

Speaking to Daily Mail Australia, Nathalie said: 'I don't think we need to listen to the rules... I would not feel okay to wait for somebody else to make that big call.'

Scroll down for video

EXCLUSIVE 'I worry it's all about appearance': Actress Nathalie Kelley (pictured) has discussed why people, especially females, should break from traditional proposal rules and her thoughts on modern grand gesture proposals on social media

Nathalie was addressing a proposal scene in her new Stan show, Baker And The Beauty, where a female character uses a grand gesture to propose at a restaurant.

She said that she felt proposals should instead be replaced by 'marriage discussions', so people don't feel pressured to ask or are left waiting to be asked.

'I think it's such an important decision, and it should be arrived at by two people. I propose we nix the proposal and have a marriage discussion instead.

She went on to say: 'It's not sexy, it won't get as many likes on Instagram, but I think it's really getting to the heart of the matter, which is in today's day and age two people should decide if they want to spend the rest of their life together.'

That's brave! Nathalie was addressing a proposal scene in her new Stan show, Baker And The Beauty, where a female character sings her proposal to her partner at a restaurant

'It's not sexy, it won't get as many likes on Instagram': Nathalie said with proposals becoming almost like their own 'genre' on social media, that people should nix one in exchange for a 'marriage discussion'

The proposal in her new series featured an awkward sing-a-long to Taylor Swift's Love Story, and Nathalie says it mirrors some issues with modern proposals.

'I worry that so much these days is about appearance and social media - proposals are their own genre!' she said of the stress and importance placed on getting it right 'for the likes'.

Nathalie added: 'I just wonder if the meaning of it is getting lost as a gesture and the needing to prove something on social media.'

'I just wonder if the meaning of it is getting lost as a gesture and the needing to prove something on social media': Nathalie said with proposals getting more extreme, it is likely putting unnecessary pressure and stress on people to pop the question

'It wasn't planned ans there was NO ring': The Peruvian-born actress, who was raised in Australia, popped the question to her husband (Pictured: Jordy Burrows) in early 2018 in a very low-key way after dating for just three months

The Peruvian-born actress, who was raised in Australia, popped the question to her husband in early 2018 in a very low-key way after dating for just three months.

She told Harper's BAZAAR at the time: 'I ended up proposing to him one night in our hotel. It wasn't planned and there was no ring.'

Nathalie went on to tell Daily Mail Australia: 'I think that we're forgetting about what the real meaning of this is, which is you're making a commitment to somebody to hopefully spend your life with, or whatever the terms of your marriage are.'

'You're making a commitment to somebody, to hopefully spend your life with, or whatever the terms of your marriage are': Nathalie said people should remember the 'real meaning' behind a proposal

Wedding bells: Dynasty star Nathalie wed her Australian husband Jordy Burrows in a gorgeous, and intimate, Potts Point ceremony in Sydney in 2018

'Coming into 2020, we made a conscious decision to take our relationship off Instagram for our own privacy': Despite their absence from each other's social media feeds in recent months, Jordy confirmed the pair were still married to Daily Mail Australia this month

Dynasty star Nathalie wed her Australian husband Jordy Burrows in a gorgeous, and intimate, Potts Point ceremony in Sydney in 2018.

Despite their absence from each other's social media feeds in recent months, Jordy confirmed the pair were still married to Daily Mail Australia this month.

'Nathalie and I are still married, I am in Australia for family reasons and Nat had to stay in the USA for her work. Coming into 2020, we made a conscious decision to take our relationship off Instagram for our own privacy,' he said.

About the show: Baker And The Beauty is centered on Nathalie's celebrity character Noa Hamilton (above) and Cuban baker Daniel Garcia (played by actor Victor Rasuk), who fall in love while overcoming cultural barriers

Baker And The Beauty is an adaptation of the Israeli romantic-comedy series 'Beauty and the Baker'.

It is centered on Nathalie's celebrity character Noa Hamilton and Cuban baker Daniel Garcia (played by actor Victor Rasuk), who fall in love while overcoming cultural barriers.

Nathalie has had prominent roles in Dynasty, The Vampire Diaries and Unreal, and played Neela in the 2006 action film The Fast and the Furious: Tokyo Drift.

The Baker and the Beauty is now streaming on Stan, with new episodes weekly  same day as the US.
A federal judge issued an order Saturday blocking a Kansas measure that limited attendance at in-person religious worship gatherings to 10 people or fewer during the coronavirus pandemic.

Why it matters: Many churches have moved to online services, but some are pushing back against orders preventing them from holding in-person gatherings. The Alliance Defending Freedom group, which represented two Baptist churches in the case, has filed several lawsuits challenging such orders in the U.S.

A notable suit the group brought was in Greenville, Mississippi, where the mayor reversed a ban last Wednesday on drive-in churches after the Department of Justice filed a Statement of Interest supporting the Temple Baptist Church's case.

Zoom in: U.S. District Judge John Broomes' temporary Kansas order will remain in effect until May 2 and a hearing is scheduled for Thursday.

What they're saying: Per AP, Gov. Laura Kelly (D) said in a statement of her executive order, "This is not about religion. This is about a public health crisis."

The big picture: The DOJ announced earlier this month it would take action against local authorities that have cracked down on religious services as part of restrictions to curb the spread of COVID-19.

Go deeper: God and COVID-19
A baby has had a very dramatic start to life after being born during a car crash.

The newborns mum was in labour while being rushed to hospital, but the driver - the womans mum - lost control around a corner in Lilburn, in the US state of Georgia, and slammed into a brick wall, Fox 5 reported.

As the vehicle hydroplaned across the wet road in the dark on Monday morning (local time), the baby made its entry, but when the car came to a stop, it was nowhere to be found.

This was the moment the officer located the baby under the back seat. Source: Fox 5

Police wearing body cameras arrived at the scene and after being told by the new mum that she couldnt find her baby, they frantically searched the area with flashlights.

Eventually one of the officers found the newborn under the back seat of the SUV, near where its mum had been sitting at the time of the crash.

The policeman told the network the baby had latched onto one of his fingers while he was carrying it to the ambulance.

The baby miraculously survived and is recovering in ICU. Source: Fox 5

The baby, which still had its umbilical cord attached, was pulled from the vehicle and handed to paramedics, who transported it to hospital.

Other members of the family were also taken to hospital for treatment.

The newborn is in a stable condition and is recovering in the intensive care unit.

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.
U.S. Postal Service trucks near the loading dock at the U.S. Post Office sort center in San Francisco on Aug. 12, 2011. (Photo by Justin Sullivan/Getty Images)

CCP Virus Doesnt Stop Postal Service; Customers Thankful

SANTA CLARA, Calif.The familiar little white and blue mail truck stopped yesterday, and it came by today. People also can count on it coming tomorrow (unless tomorrow happens to be a Sunday).

Even in times of distress, the U.S. Postal Service continues to deliver, and people have expressed their gratitude.

As a result of shelter-in-place orders and other restrictions because of the COVID-19 pandemic, more people are ordering things online, making this a challenging time for postal workers.

Postal and shipping workers, including those in the private sector, are considered essential critical infrastructure workers under guidance issued by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security.

Dean Maeda, the postmaster in Sunnyvale, California, told The Epoch Times that the amount of mail hasnt increased, but there are more packages.

Im not used to seeing so many medication packages, because you can hear it when it  shakes, said Maeda. And a lot of people are ordering with Amazon and other providers.

He noticed that people are also ordering a lot of essentials such as toilet paper, paper towels, and water.

The universal unloader drops packages onto the loading belt for processing at the United States Postal Service in San Francisco on Dec. 16, 2019. (Ilene Eng/The Epoch Times)

Gemma Purdy, who has been a mail carrier for 30 years, said shes never seen this many packages at this time of year.

Theres not much outgoing mail going on right now, but packages are kind of like Christmastime again, meaning its doubled or tripled, Purdy told The Epoch Times.

The routes they drive for delivery are still the same.

Maeda said he expects there will be more mail in the form of letters if mail-in ballots are widely used for the November election.

As with many businesses affected by the CCP (Chinese Communist Party) virus, commonly known as novel coronavirus, the Postal Service has seen a decrease in revenue.

Facing Challenges



According to Maeda, the pandemic presents different challenges for each employee; older ones tend to stay home, which is fine, he said.

But it does still put a little bit of pressure on the rest of us that are here, he said.

There are also other challenges delivering mail during this time.

When I go out there, Im open, exposed to the virus, Purdy said. We are following the guidelines, which is washing our hands frequently. Here at work, at the office, we follow the social distancing [guidelines].

That means staying six feet apart from each other, and wearing masks and gloves.

A bottle of hand sanitizer left by a customer for their mail carrier, with a note that the mail carrier can bring the empty bottle back for refill. (Courtesy of Sunnyvale U.S. Postal Service)

On my route, 90 percent are very kind and appreciative. They offer masks, sanitizers. The remaining 10 [percent], its like theyre fearful, said Purdy. From my experience, some of them look at me like Im a big virus to them. So its like they dont want me to go near the door or something. They just leave a note to put everything outside by the door.

Javier Torres, also a mail carrier at the Sunnyvale office, has been working for 29 years. He said he got used to greeting and socializing with people.

You get a bond with customers because they come out and greet you, especially some of the elders, Torres told The Epoch Times. With this [virus], it limits that. Everybodys more cautious, including myself, with the distance and with the mask.

A note left by a child for a mail carrier. (Courtesy of Sunnyvale U.S. Postal Service)

It does make him a little nervous to know that some of the cardboard boxes have been shipped internationally.

They implemented where we scan parcels that require signatures and ask the customer, with a distance, if theyre okay with us signing, Torres said. They allow us to sign, so that eliminates them touching it.

He says customers have insisted on handing mail to him directly, and he had to repeatedly remind them to step back so he doesnt get himself and others infected.

Im happy I wear a mask. I stretch out my arm as far as I can and grab it, because sometimes Im on the street and they stop, Oh, here, heres a letter. And Im like, No, no, no, just leave it there, Ill grab it.

But it happens once a day, he said.

Gestures of Appreciation, Encouragement



Their support for each other and customer appreciation keeps them going.

There is a lot of encouragement, said Maeda. A lot of people have stepped up and tried to help out. If we had people missing, theyd step up and help out.

Customers have left gestures of encouragement for mail carriers.

Notes of appreciation and encouragement left by a customer for carriers. (Courtesy of Sunnyvale U.S. Postal Service)

I have notes on some mailboxes saying, Thank you, Javier, for your service. This one house has a big sign, Thank you to all the carriers out there. I had, at different times, different people leaving a little ice chest with water for the delivery services with a thank you on there, said Torres.

Also, after work, when Im going straight to Safeway  I do get people thanking me for my service.

The postal workers consider themselves fortunate to have a job that serves the community.

Im glad that I have a job and that Im able to provide our service, because people need their checks and their medicines and their towels and toilet paper, and everything that they cant find in stores, Torres said.

I just think the public needs us more, the postal service more than ever, Purdy said. Im just so proud to be an essential worker and proud to be serving the public during this trying time.
Russian President Vladimir Putin congratulated Orthodox Christians and all Russian citizens who celebrate Easter on April 19, TASS reported citing the Kremlin press service.

"The Great holiday of Easter fills people's hearts with joy and hope, with faith in the all-conquering power of life, in the triumph of goodness, love and justice. These enduring ideals and values hold our people together and help us withstand difficult trials," the congratulation says.

The head of state noted that "today, as at all times, the Russian Orthodox Church and other Christian denominations direct their selfless services to strengthening the spiritual and moral foundations of society, increasing the historical and cultural heritage of Russia." They participate in the upbringing of the younger generation, and the strengthening of the institution of the family, he noted.

Putin stressed "the great and highly sought social charitable activities of Christian religious organizations, their support of volunteers and all caring people who are sincerely eager to help others.".
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COVID-19 has brought out the best in people, and also the worst.

Daily on social media or in the news, I read heartwarming examples of generosity and kindness that challenge me to be a better person. The doctors, nurses, therapists, and chaplains who are selflessly risking their lives, sometimes with substandard personal protective equipment (PPE), rekindles in me the passion for patient care that brought me to medicine in the first place. Similarly inspiring are stories of doctors and nurses taking time to comfort dying patients, whose families not allowed to be with them out of fear of contagion. Seeing people thank supermarket and food delivery personnel for making sure we are able to eat during the shelter in place melts away some of my cynicism and compels me to be more patient and express greater gratitude.

However, the flip side is also true.

Across the spectrum, we have seen how badly some people behave. More than one story has emerged of people hoarding medical supplies and PPE, dramatically marking up the price so as to turn an exorbitant and unjustified profit from the pandemic. Perhaps even more morally compromising is the authoritarian response that we have seen from leaders, both global and local. In a recent article that I wrote, I point out the clear moral and public health threat that results when essential health information is suppressed, and legitimate safety concerns are silenced. Most troubling to me as a physician, is how other physicians and nurses have been silenced, shamed, and fired for bringing up legitimate concerns.

Arguably the example that has resulted in the most unnecessary global human suffering is that of Dr. Li Wenliang. Dr. Li was silenced by Chinese authorities after warning colleagues of the possibility of a new SARS (severe acute respiratory syndrome) like virus. Chinas Public Security Bureau detained Dr. Li, ordering him to stop illegal activities or face punishment. Dr. Li has emerged as a martyr in China, particularly in his deathbed call for greater government transparency. I agree with Dr. Lis belief that had word of a potentially new infectious disease gotten out sooner, countless lives could have been saved.

Without proper training or equipment, a team from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) was deployed to California in order to help process Americans evacuated from China and other areas with high rates of COVID-19 infection. After a whistleblower raised concerns to senior officials at the CDC about the potential risk of infection and inadequate PPE, the whistleblowers emotional stability was questioned. Discrediting those who raise legitimate concerns by questioning their emotional stability seems to be a trend in authoritarian responses. Then acting Secretary of the Navy Thomas Modly implied that Captain Brett Crozier was emotionally overwhelm[ed] when Crozier alerted Naval superiors about what he saw as the Navys inadequate response to COVID-19 aboard his ship. One sailor from that ship has since died from COVID-19.

In almost every interview with doctors and nurses that I have read, the sources ask not to be identified because of concern of retaliation. This concern is well-founded. Physicians have been fired for raising concerns about the adequacy of PPE and COVID-19 testing at their institutions. Nurses have been asked to simultaneously care both for COVID-19 patients, even when they lacked adequate PPE, as well as babies and patients with cancer. When concerns about the lack of PPE and the risk posed to non-COVID-19 patients, the nurses concerns were either dismissed, or they were threatened with termination.

I want to believe that the people suppressing information and burying legitimate concerns are not bad people. I dont think they intend the harm they cause. I do think they have lost sight of their moral compass, their empathy. I think in many instances, they place institutions, reputations, and profits before people. Unfortunately, in the long run, the cost of this is very high. By silencing legitimate concerns and suppressing information, the speak up culture that makes hospital care safer for patients, risks being dismantled. Given the number of already burned out and dissatisfied doctors and nurses, I am concerned that the sort of authoritarian responses that have met pleas for PPE and legitimate safety concerns, sometimes by other physicians and nurses, will further erode the moral backbone of medicine. There are only so many ethical affronts that doctors and nurses can take before they lose faith, regardless of the incentives to continue.

Charles E. Binkley is a bioethicist and general surgeon. He is principal and founder, ProNobis Health.

Image credit: Shutterstock.com
One of the best tools we have to slow the spread of the coronavirus is, as you have no doubt heard by now, contact tracing. But what exactly is contact tracing, who does it and how, and do you need to worry about it?

In short, contact tracing helps prevent the spread of a virus by proactively finding people at higher risk than others due to potential exposure, notifying them if possible, and quarantining them if necessary. It's a proven technique, and smartphones could help make it even more effective  but only if privacy and other concerns can be overcome.

Contact tracing, from memory to RAM

Contact tracing has been done in some form or another as long as the medical establishment has understood the nature of contagious diseases. When a person is diagnosed with an infectious disease, they are asked whom they have been in contact with over the previous weeks, both in order to determine who may have been infected by them and perhaps where they themselves were infected.

Until very recently, however, the process has relied heavily on the recall of people who are in a highly stressful situation and, until prompted, were probably not paying special attention to their movements and interactions.

This results in a list of contacts that is far from complete, though still very helpful. If those people can be contacted and their contacts likewise traced, a network of potential infections can be built up without a single swab or blood drop and lives can be saved or important resources better allocated.

It certainly seems as if the enormous digital surveillance apparatus that has been assembled around us over the last decade should be able to accomplish this kind of contact tracing easily, but in fact it's surprisingly useless for anything but tracking what you are likely to click on or buy.

While it would be nice to be able to piece together a contagious person's week from a hundred cameras spread throughout the city and background location data collected by social media, the potential for abuse of such a system should make us thankful it is not so easy as that. In other, less dire circumstances the ability to track the exact movements and interactions of a person from their digital record would be considered creepy at best, and perhaps even criminal.

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But it's one thing when an unscrupulous data aggregator uses your movements and interests to target you with ads without your knowledge or consent  and quite another when people choose to use the forbidden capabilities of everyday technology in an informed and limited way to turn the tide of a global pandemic. And that's what modern digital contact tracing is intended to do.

Bluetooth beacons

All modern mobile phones use wireless radios to exchange data with cell towers, Wi-Fi routers, and each other. On their own, these transmissions aren't a very good way to tell where someone is or who they're near  a Wi-Fi signal can travel 100 to 200 feet reliably, and a cell signal can go miles. Bluetooth, on the other hand, has a short range by design, less than 30 feet for good reception and with a swiftly attenuating signal that makes it unlikely to catch a stray contact from much further out than that.

We all know Bluetooth as the way our wireless earbuds receive music from our phones, and that's a big part of its job. But Bluetooth, by design, is constantly reaching out and touching other Bluetooth-enabled devices  it's how your car knows you've gotten into it, or how your phone detects a smart home device nearby.

Bluetooth chips also make brief contact without your knowledge with other phones and devices you pass nearby, and if they aren't recognized, they delete each other from their respective memories as soon as possible. But what if they didn't?

The type of contact tracing being tested and deployed around the world now uses Bluetooth signals very similar to the ones your phone already transmits and receives constantly. The difference is it just doesn't automatically forget the other devices it comes into contact with.

Assuming the system is working correctly, what would happen when a person presents at the hospital with COVID-19 is basically just a digitally enhanced version of manual contact tracing. Instead of querying the person's fallible memory, they query the phone's much more reliable one, which has dutifully recorded all the other phones it has recently been close enough to connect to. (Anonymously, as we'll see.)

Those devices  and it's important to note that it's devices, not people  would be alerted within seconds that they had recently been in contact with someone who has now been diagnosed with COVID-19. The notification they receive will contain information on what the affected person can do next: Download an app or call a number for screening, for instance, or find a nearby location for testing.

The ease, quickness, and comprehensiveness of this contact tracing method make it an excellent opportunity to help stem the spread of the virus. So why aren't we all using it already?

Successes and potential worries

In fact digital contact tracing using the above method (or something very like it) has already been implemented with millions of users, apparently to good effect, in east Asia, which of course was hit by the virus earlier than the U.S. and Europe.

In Singapore the TraceTogether app was promoted by the government as the official means for contact tracing. South Korea saw the voluntary adoption of a handful of apps that tracked people known to be diagnosed. Taiwan was able to compare data from its highly centralized healthcare system to a contact tracing system it began work on during the SARS outbreak years ago. And mainland China has implemented a variety of tracking procedures through mega-popular services like WeChat and Alipay.

While it would be premature to make conclusions on the efficacy of these programs while they're still underway, it seems at least anecdotally to have improved the response and potentially limited the spread of the virus.

But east Asia is a very different place from the U.S.; we can't just take Taiwan's playbook and apply it here (or in Europe, or Africa, etc.), for myriad reasons. There are also valid questions of privacy, security, and other matters that need to be answered before people, who for good reason are skeptical of the intentions of both the government and the private sector, will submit to this kind of tracking.

Right now there are a handful of efforts being made in the U.S., the largest profile by far being the collaboration between arch-rivals Apple and Google, which have proposed a cross-platform contact tracing method that can be added to phones at the operating system.

The system they have suggested uses Bluetooth as described above, but importantly does not tie it to a person's identity in any way. A phone would have a temporary ID number of its own, and as it made contact with other devices, it exchanges numbers. These lists of ID numbers are collected and stored locally, not synced with the cloud or anything. And the numbers also change frequently so no single one can be connected to your device or location.

If and only if a person is determined to be infected with the virus, a hospital (not the person) is authorized to activate the contact tracing app, which will send a notification to all the ID numbers stored in the person's phone. The notification will say that they were recently near a person now diagnosed with COVID-19  again, these are only ID numbers generated by a phone and are not connected with any personal information. As discussed earlier, the people notified can then take whatever action seems warranted.

MIT has developed a system that works in a very similar way, and which some states are reportedly beginning to promote among their residents.

Naturally even this straightforward, decentralized, and seemingly secure system has its flaws; this article at the Markup gives a good overview, and I've summarized them below:

It's opt-in. This is a plus and a minus, of course, but it means that many people may choose not to take part, limiting how comprehensive the list of recent contacts really is.

It's vulnerable to malicious interference. Bluetooth isn't particularly secure, which means there are several ways this method could be taken advantage of, should there be any attacker depraved enough to do so. Bluetooth signals could be harvested and imitated, for instance, or a phone driven through the city to "expose" it to thousands of others.

It could lead to false positives or negatives. In order to maintain privacy, the notifications sent to others would contain a minimum of information, leading them to wonder when and how they might have been exposed. There will be no details like "you stood next to this person in line 4 days ago for about 5 minutes" or "you jogged past this person on Broadway." This lack of detail may lead to people panicking and running to the ER for no reason, or ignoring the alert altogether.

It's pretty anonymous, but nothing is truly anonymous. Although the systems seem to work with a bare minimum of data, that data could still be used for nefarious purposes if someone got their hands on it. De-anonymizing large sets of data is practically an entire domain of study in data science now and it's possible that these records, however anonymous they appear, could be cross-referenced with other data to out infected persons or otherwise invade one's privacy.

It's not clear what happens to the data. Will this data be given to health authorities later? Will it be sold to advertisers? Will researcher be able to access it, and how will they be vetted? Questions like these could very well be answered satisfactorily, but right now it's a bit of a mystery.

Contact tracing is an important part of the effort to curb the spread of the coronavirus, and whatever method or platform is decided on in your area  it may be different state to state or even between cities  it is important that as many people as possible take part in order to make it as effective as possible.

There are risks, yes, but the risks are relatively minor and the benefits would appear to outweigh them by orders of magnitude. When the time comes to opt in, it is out of consideration for the community at large that one should make the decision to do so.
Guwahati/Aizawl, April 19 : No fresh coronavirus cases were reported from any of the eight northeastern states in the past 24 hours even as several people, who had earlier tested positive, discharged from the hospital as they recovered from the dreaded disease, ministers and officials said on Sunday.

Authorities in the northeastern states are preparing themselves to tackle the situation when some relaxations in certain sectors would be effective from Sunday midnight amid the ongoing lockdown, which was enforced across the country 26 days ago and would continue in the next two weeks.

According to Assam Health Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma, of the 34 novel coronavirus positive cases found so far in Assam out of which one had dies, 17 patients have so far been released from the hospital and the remaining would be discharged from hospitals soon.

In Aizawl, a Mizoram government statement said that after a 22-year-old woman cancer patient from the state tested positive on April 13 in Mumbai, three more Covid-19 positive cases, two male and a woman, have been detected on late Saturday evening among those residing in Mizoram House in Mumbai.

The three fresh positive results, two of which are cancer patients, came after the Maharastra Health Department officials on the directions of the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation tested the nasopharyngeal swab samples of 20 people residing in the Mizoram House.

Mizoram Health Minister R. Lalthangliana said that at this stage, it is difficult to ascertain how Covid-19 was contacted and spread among those residing at Mizoram House in Mumbai.

He also said that the state's lone COVID-19 patient, a 50-year old man being treated at the Zoram Medical College in Aizawl since last month, is showing good progress. The man returned Aizawl from Amsterdam via Delhi and Guwahati on March 16.

A doctor from Mizoram, who worked in a hospital in Meghalaya, also tested positive for coronavirus in Shillong on April 14.

In Manipur, health officials said that the state's second Covid-19 patient, a 65-year-old man undergoing treatment at Regional Institute of Medical Science, has tested negative for coronavirus for third consecutive tests.

Manipur Chief Minister N. Biren Singh said that the Central government has given directives on the relaxation of the lockdown restrictions in some parts of the state and decision on relaxation would be taken at the state cabinet meeting to be held on Monday.

State Health and Family Welfare Department's Additional Director Khoirom Sasheekumar Mangang told IANS over phone that a government doctor, who had recently violated the government's quarantine norms and protocol, has been suspended from the service.

Besides the Manipur patient, the lone patient in Arunachal Pradesh and the second and last patient in Tripura would be discharged from the hospitals within the next two days making the three northeastern states with no active cases.

Meanwhile, defence spokesman P. Khongsai said that army troops have been conducting Covid-19 awareness Campaign' in the remote villages of the region.

"Aim of the campaign was to enhance awareness amongst the villagers about the coronavirus pandemic and various precautionary measures required to be undertaken to contain the spread of the disease. As part of the campaign, information leaflets and facemasks were also distributed amongst the villagers," the Defence PRO said in a statement.

Latest updates on Coronavirus (COVID-19)
As a clearer picture emerges of COVID-19's decidedly deadly toll on black Americans, leaders are demanding a reckoning of the systemic policies they say have made many African Americans far more vulnerable to the virus, including inequity in access to health care and economic opportunity.

A growing chorus of medical professionals, activists and political figures is pressuring the federal government to not just release comprehensive racial demographic data of the countrys coronavirus victims, but also to outline clear strategies to blunt the devastation on African Americans and other communities of color.

On Friday, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention released its first breakdown of COVID-19 case data by race, showing that 30% of patients whose race was known were black. The federal data was missing racial information for 75% of all cases, however, and did not include any demographic breakdown of deaths.

The latest Associated Press analysis of available state and local data shows that nearly one-third of those who have died are African American, with black people representing about 14% of the population in the areas covered in the analysis.

Rev Al Sharpton, pictured in Manhattan's East Harlem on Friday, is among the leaders demanding a reckoning of the systemic policies they say have made many African Americans far more vulnerable to the virus

People wait for a distribution of masks and food from the Rev. Al Sharpton in the Harlem neighborhood of New York, after a new state mandate was issued requiring residents to wear face coverings in public

Sharpton has said: 'Inner-city residents must follow this mandate to ensure public health and safety.' The latest Associated Press analysis of available data shows that nearly one-third of those who have died from the coronavirus are African American, even though blacks are only about 14% of the population

Roughly half the states, representing less than a fifth of the nation's COVID-19 deaths, have yet to release demographic data on fatalities. In states that have, about a quarter of the death records are missing racial details.

Health conditions that exist at higher rates in the black community -- obesity, diabetes and asthma -- make African Americans more susceptible to the virus. They also are more likely to be uninsured, and often report that medical professionals take their ailments less seriously when they seek treatment.

'Its Americas unfinished business -- were free, but not equal,' civil rights leader Rev. Jesse Jackson told the AP. 'Theres a reality check that has been brought by the coronavirus, that exposes the weakness and the opportunity.'

Data from states, cities and counties show black people are regularly overrepresented compared to their share of the population

This week, Jacksons Rainbow PUSH Coalition and the National Medical Association, a group representing African American physicians and patients, released a joint public health strategy calling for better COVID-19 testing and treatment data. The groups also urged officials to provide better protections for incarcerated populations and to recruit more African Americans to the medical field.

Jackson also expressed support for a national commission to study the black COVID-19 toll modeled after the Kerner Commission, which studied the root causes of race riots in African American communities in the 1960s and made policy recommendations to prevent future unrest.

Daniel Dawes, director of Morehouse Colleges School of Medicines Satcher Health Leadership Institute, said Americas history of segregation and policies led to the racial health disparities that exist today.

'If we do not take an appreciation for the historical context and the political determinants, then were only merely going to nibble around the edges of the problem of inequities,' he said.

Washtenaw County Sheriff's Department Sgt. Eugene Rush, who was diagnosed with the new coronavirus near the end of March, and his son Joshua, pose outside their Superior Township, Michigaan home. Rush and his 16-year-old son, who has since also been diagnosed with COVID-19, are both on the mend and resting at home

Randy Barnes poses for a photo outside his home Friday, April 17, 2020, in Dellwood, Montanta. Barnes' older brother recently passed away after contracting COVID-19

The release of demographic data for the countrys coronavirus victims remains a priority for many civil rights and public health advocates, who say the numbers are needed to address disparities in the national response to the pandemic.

The AP analysis, based on data through Thursday, found that of the more than 21,500 victims whose demographic data was known and disclosed by officials, more than 6,350 were black, a rate of nearly 30%. African Americans account for 14.2% of the 241 million people who live in the areas covered by the analysis, which encompasses 24 states and the cities of Washington D.C., Houston, Memphis, Pittsburgh and Philadelphia - places where statewide data was unavailable.

Registered medical assistant Elaine Lomax handles a nasal swab specimen after it was collected at a drive-thru COVID-19 testing site Thursday in St. Louis

Registered medical assistant Lauiesha Plummer administers a nasal COVID-19 test to a patient at a drive-thru testing site Thursday in St. Louis

Licensed practical nurse Lenora Shepard, left, removes a protective gown, next to registered medical assistant Lauiesha Plummer after working at a drive-thru COVID-19 testing site in St. Louis

The nation had recorded more than 33,000 deaths as of Thursday.

In some areas, Native American communities also have been hit hard. In New Mexico, Native Americans account for nearly 37% of the states 1,484 cases and about 11% of the state's population. Of the 112 deaths where race is known in Arizona, 30 were Native Americans.

After Democratic lawmakers introduced legislation this week to try to compel federal health officials to post daily data breaking down cases and deaths by race, ethnicity and other demographics, the CDC released only caseload data that - similar to the AP's analysis of deaths -show 30% of 111,633 infected patients whose race is known were black. African American patients in the 45-to-64 and 65-to-74 age groups represented an even larger share of the national caseload.

The lawmakers sent a letter last month to Health and Human Services Secretary Alex Azar urging federal release of the demographic data. And Joe Biden, the former vice president and presumptive Democratic presidential nominee, also called for its release.

Meanwhile, some black leaders have described the Trump administrations response to COVID-19 as inadequate, after what they said was a hastily organized call with Vice President Mike Pence and CDC Director Robert Redfield last week.

According to a recording of the call obtained by the AP, Redfield said the CDC has been collecting demographic data from death certificates but that the comprehensiveness of the data depends on state and local health departments, many of which are overburdened by virus response. No plan was offered to help health officials in hard-hit communities collect the data, leaders who were on the call said.

Kristen Clarke, president of the Lawyers Committee for Civil Rights Under Law, which took part in the call, said African Americans 'have every reason to be alarmed at the administrations anemic response to the disproportionate impact that this crisis is having on communities of color.'

Mistrust runs deep among residents in many communities.

St. Louis resident Randy Barnes is grappling not just with the emotional toll of losing his brother to the coronavirus, but also with the feeling that his brothers case was not taken seriously.

Barnes said the hospital where his brother sought treatment initially sent him home without testing him and suggested he self-quarantine for 14 days. Five days later, his brother was back in the hospital, where he was placed on a ventilator for two weeks. He died April 13. Barnes brother and his wife also were caring for an 88-year-old man in the same apartment, who died from the virus around the same time.

'Those people are not being tested. Theyre not being cared for,' Barnes said.

Eugene Rush lives in one of the areas outside large urban cities that have been hit hard with coronavirus cases. He is a sergeant for the sheriff's department in Michigans Washtenaw County, west of Detroit, where black residents account for 46% of the COVID-19 cases but represent only 12% of the countys population.

Rush, whose job includes community engagement, was diagnosed with COVID-19 near the end of March after what he initially thought was just a sinus infection. He had to be hospitalized twice, but is now on the mend at home, along with his 16-year-old son, who also was diagnosed with COVID-19.

'I had a former lieutenant for the city of Ypsilanti who passed while I was in the hospital and I had some fraternity brothers who caught the virus and were sick at the hospital,' Rush said. 'At that point, I said, 'Well, this is really, really affecting a lot of people' and they were mostly African American. Thats how I knew that it was really taking a toll a little bit deeper in the African American community than I realized.'
BJP MP and actor Kirron Kher on Sunday sought to take on those who criticize her on social media over her alleged absence from here during the COVID-19 outbreak and said she was very much in the city and ensuring essential items to the needy.

In a video clip shared on her Twitter handle, Kher said she was being constantly targeted by certain people who write against her on social media.

She said she does not like to get a photo of her distributing food clicked and said her first priority is that poor people get food and ration in the wake of the coronavirus outbreak.

"I have been thinking for the past several days that those who are writing on social media saying where is Kirron Kher, they will come to know that I am here only," she said in a video message.

"I have been here from the day one in Chandigarh and everybody should have known that I am here. Everybody knows in the (city) administration," she said.

"First of all I want to say that it is not right to do politics at a time of the coronavirus outbreak in the world," she said.

"We are all trying our best that you (people) get all essential items which you need, especially those who are poor and who are in need of ration and food. Despite that some people were gossiping around on social media and are targeting me and writing a lot about me, she said.

"I want to say that it is not necessary to show presence. It is a lockdown. It means you have to stay indoors, she said.

She said 'langars' were being run with the support of NGOs and other organisations for the needy.

"Those who are just criticizing me while sitting home should comeforwardand give donations for langar, said Kher, who is a two-time BJP MP from Chandigarh.

She said she had been in touch with the Governor, Adviser and Deputy Commissioner.

"If I go out and get my pictures of distributing food clicked what does that mean? It is more important that food should reach (needy ones)," she said.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Republicans should fight very hard when it comes to state wide mail-in voting, President Trump tweeted. Mail-in voting, he explained, doesnt work out well for Republicans.

The relevant question, though, is not whether mail-in voting would work out for Republicans, but whether it would work out for American democracy during the coronavirus crisis. If Mr. Trump has a better alternative, he should present it.

Public health experts continue to warn Americans not to leave the house unnecessarily, and certainly not to pack into a polling place with many other people. Tuesdays disastrous election in Wisconsin provides a peek at what happens when Republicans fight very hard against mail-in balloting, the way Mr. Trump suggested. Wisconsinites who could not get absentee ballots had to decide whether to venture out to vote in person or listen to the doctors and epidemiologists counseling them to do no such thing. Election workers failed to show up, leading to mass polling-location closures. People who decided to risk their health had to wait in lines for hours. Many others were deterred. Milwaukee was particularly hard-hit, no doubt to the satisfaction of the Republicans who engineered the fiasco: state Assembly Speaker Robin Vos and state Senate Majority Leader Scott Fitzgerald. The likely upshot was to depress Democratic turnout in a state Supreme Court election.

Given the potential dangers of in-person voting, and the serious problems with online voting, a mass shift to mail-in voting is the most credible option during a time of social distancing. States such as Colorado, Oregon, Washington, Hawaii and (deep-red) Utah conduct all of their elections by mail. Though no system is immune from fraud, they have not experienced major problems with illegal voting. Electoral fraud of all types is extremely rare across the nation.

About 30 additional states allow people to vote absentee for any reason. Mr. Trump admitted that he voted in last months Florida primary by mail. No doubt many more voters will request absentee ballots in the coming months, a move that states should encourage by sending out mail-in ballot applications to all registered voters. States will have to work out some kinks, ensuring they have enough ballots to dispatch and machines to process them when they return. Some polling locations must be kept open for people without fixed mailing addresses or with vision problems. Simple measures such as ballot tracking can combat absentee ballot fraud. Yet the president insisted Wednesday that only groups that happen to be Republican-leaning, such as senior citizens and military voters, should be allowed to vote by mail.

The only alternative appears to be the Wisconsin model  that is, chaos  or postponing elections. Neither is a legitimate option, particularly come November.

 The Washington Post
Reno Omokri is of the opinion that the Igbos in Nigeria are perhaps the countrys greatest asset.

Taking to his page to speak on the viral video of a young lady making locally made face masks, Omokri wrote;

Read Also: It Is More Important To Be Human Than To Be Polite  Reno Omokri

I watched the video of the Aba made face masks. They are probably the best masks I have seen.

The Igbo people of Nigeria are perhaps the greatest asset this nation has. I doff my hat to them.

If I were General Buhari, I would order millions of these face masks to first meet our domestic requirements, and then give out the rest to other nations as Nigerias foreign aid.

It will achieve two things. It will boost our economy, and it will project Nigeria as a diplomatic and economic power. America and The United Kingdom will not reject such an offer at this stage.
An elderly swimmer has drowned at an unpatrolled beach.

The 89-year-old man was pulled from the water at Spoon Bay, near Forresters Beach on the New South Wales Central Coast, about 11am on Sunday.

He had reportedly been struggling to keep his head above the water.

Members of the public performed CPR, while others called emergency services.

New South Wales Ambulance paramedics arrived on the scene and attempted to revive the man.

He could not be saved, and died at the scene.

The 89-year-old man was pulled from the water at Spoon Bay (pictured), near Forresters Beach on the New South Wales Central Coast, about 11am on Sunday

Brisbane Water Police are investigating the circumstances, and a report will be prepared for the coroner.

Anybody with further information is urged to contact Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000.

The death comes as beaches throughout Sydney have been closed to slow the spread of coronavirus and encourage people to stay at home.

On Sunday, crowds gathered at Bondi Beach despite the council officially closing it down almost a month ago.

One surfer at the Bronte-Coogee Aquatic Reserve jumped over a set of railings into the ocean directly in front of a large sign which read 'beach closed'.

Off the coast of Bondi Beach and in the waters of neighbouring Mackenzies Bay, hundreds of surfers could be seen from the shoreline patiently waiting to catch a wave.

Hundreds more were spotted on their boards in the water directly in front of Bondi Beach, enjoying the four-foot swell and south-westerly winds.
NWS

The National Weather Service has extended a tornado watch through 10 p.m. Sunday for much of the Greater Houston area after a tornado briefly touched down in Brazoria County.

Spotters saw the tornado just west of West Columbia, where it touched ground for about two minutes. A tornado warning has also been issued for parts of Texas including Holiday Lakes and Angleton.
Copyright  2020 Albuquerque Journal

Jeff Buerger knows ranches.

The Colorado native grew up on a ranch. He worked on a ranch. And, for the past 25 years, he has been in the business of selling ranches.

But he has never represented a ranch with a history quite like the Dawson Elk Valley Ranch in New Mexico.

No, I have not. Its unprecedented to have a ranch for sale right now that is steeped in this kind of history  both good and bad, he told the Journal. The unfortunate accidents that occurred there, I mean, this is a horrific thing.

Buerger, 45, is the broker for a 50,000-acre private ranch that replaced the coal town of Dawson, at one time the largest company-owned town in the Southwest and site of the second-deadliest mine disaster in U.S. history.

Today, all that remains of the Colfax County town is a nationally recognized cemetery that memorializes the 263 miners killed in 1913 and another 120 who lost their lives in a second explosion 10 years later. After roughly 50 years in operation, the mines were shut down by the Phelps Dodge Corp. in 1950; nearly all the buildings were moved or razed.

Billionaire Brad Kelley, the nations eighth-largest private landowner last year, according to The Land Report, has owned the Dawson ranch for 13 years. Situated along Highway 64 between Cimarron and Raton, the ranch sits adjacent to the 560,000-acre Vermejo Park Ranch owned by media magnate Ted Turner.

The listing and asking price for the ranch  $96 million  was first reported by The Wall Street Journal last month.

Hall and Hall, the national brokerage firm retained to sell the property, describes the Dawson ranch as one of the most iconic in New Mexico. As the name suggests, it is known for its elk hunting, though it is also home to a lesser number of black bear, bobcat, coyote, Merriams wild turkey, mountain lion, mule deer and white-tailed deer.

Buerger, a real estate partner for the firm, singled out several traits that distinguish the Dawson ranch from others on the market. Among them:

 The size and extremely private nature of the property, which is bordered on three sides by Turners Vermejo Park Ranch.

 Water rights to the Vermejo River, which flows through the ranch for 11 miles.

 All executive rights and 50% of oil, gas, and other mineral rights on the land, which still holds an estimated 110 million tons of unmined bituminous coal. For context, the Dawson mines produced 33 million tons of coal between 1899 and 1950.

Buerger said the attraction of mining rights will depend on the buyer. For example, they might be critical to a buyer from Texas, he said, but less so to a hedge fund manager from New York or a high-tech executive from California.

 A 50% interest in the 37-mile York Canyon Branch Railway, a now idle line that once serviced the coal mines of York Canyon and runs through the property for 11 miles.

Its pretty unusual to have a private railroad going through your ranch, said Buerger, noting one of his early inquiries was from a self-described train enthusiast. Ive only dealt with that one other time. You know, I dont know what someone does with that.

The listing of the property particularly interests the Dawson New Mexico Association, a volunteer group that oversees and maintains historic Dawson Cemetery. The association also organizes and hosts the Dawson reunions, which still take place every other Labor Day weekend on the old townsite with the permission of the owner. The next one is scheduled for Sept. 6.

Chairman Joe Bacca of Raton told the Journal the association has enjoyed a good working relationship with the current ownership and would expect that to continue were the property to change hands.

You know, I really dont, he said when asked if he had any concerns. I think we can work with the new owner.

For his part, Buerger knows he has something special here.

I just really believe this is going to open up the eyes of a lot of folks who havent necessarily considered investing in land as an alternative investment class, he said. I personally think this is going to bring a whole lot of people to the table who say, What do you mean I can own this?'

Nick Pappas is a former city editor at the Albuquerque Journal. He is currently working on a nonfiction book about Dawsons history.
Prasanta Mazumdar By

Express News Service

GUWAHATI: They say Mizos are born disciplined.

When cops elsewhere in the country are struggling to keep people indoors in the COVID-19 lockdown, the roads in Mizoram have remained deserted. Nobody is venturing out unnecessarily.

In the only 14 cases registered so far against lockdown violators, altogether 65 people have been arrested by the police. The offenders were basically people who had ventured out to travel from one place to another.

So far, the state recorded just one COVID-19 positive case. The police said people had been very cooperative.

The violators in Mizoram are not like what you see in other places. Some people wanted to go to some places in their vehicles. So, we booked them. However, they were not disturbing the public as such, Inspector General of Police (Headquarters) John Neihlaia told this newspaper.

He said only those exempted from the purview of the lockdown, such as people engaged in the delivery of essential services, government officials etc, could be seen on the streets.

Recently, curfew was clamped. When it was lifted, people protested. So, it had to be re-imposed on the requests of people, Neihlaia said.

Aizawl-based activist-turned-politician Vanlalruata said the community-based organisations (CBOs) were playing a big role in disciplining people.

People are not venturing out unnecessarily. They know what they should do and what they shouldnt at this time. That awareness was created by the government, NGOs, church leaders and of course, the CBOs, Vanlalruata said.

Reverend Rinsanga, who is the secretary of Mizoram Kohhran Hruaitu Committee which is a conglomerate of all church denominations, said they, besides some NGOs, had appealed to people to abide by the lockdown guidelines.

The children in Mizoram are taught discipline at the Sunday schools in churches. So, a sense of discipline is inculcated among Mizos at a very tender age, he said.

Mizoram is the only state in the country where there is no honking of vehicles or unnecessary overtaking. There is, however, one dark spot though in the Mizo society. At 2.04 per cent, the state has the highest HIV prevalence rate in the country.
Lawmakers on both sides of Pennsylvania Avenue could reach a deal by the end of Sunday night on a new coronavirus spending package that will deliver billions more of emergency funding for small businesses, hospitals and testing.

Driving the news: The bill is expected to include at least $300 billion more for the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) that dried up this week, up from Republicans' original ask of $250 billion.

The White House has also agreed to include some of Democrats' demands, including $75 billion for hospitals, $50 billion for the Economic Injury Disaster Loan program, and $25 billion to expand coronavirus testing.

Democrats still want another $150 billion for state and local governments, but during a conference call with President Trump and Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin Sunday afternoon, Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell told Senate Republicans that that money would not be in the package, per a Senate Republican leadership aide.

The thinking among some Trump administration officials is that many states should be reopening their governments soon and that additional funding could deter them from doing so.

There are also smaller details within the bill that still need to be hammered out, two senior Democratic aides said, including specifics on how the money will be spent and who has access to the funding.

Mnuchin says he thinks the final bill could be signed into law on Wednesday.

"I'm hopeful that we can reach an agreement, that the Senate can pass this tomorrow and that the House can take it up on Tuesday," Mnuchin told Jake Tapper on CNN's "State of the Union" earlier today.

Democrats involved in the negotiations are more skeptical, saying they're hopeful a deal will be struck either tonight or tomorrow and that they expect it to pass both chambers by the end of the week.

House Democrats don't expect to vote until Wednesday at the earliest.

Behind the scenes: Mnuchin and his staff have been in intense negotiations with aides to Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer and House Speaker Nancy Pelosi all weekend, and those talks will continue late into the night, according to three sources involved in the negotiations.
There has been much dialogue around how the COVID-19 pandemic  which is likely to cast the dark shadow of recession on world economy  will change work practices and the nature of jobs in India.

As the cogs of the economy stand immobile due to the lockdown, experts claim that obvious short-term implications such as job losses, disruption of supply chains, and losses incurred by the travel and tourism industry are bound to happen.

However, if this crisis is managed well by India, there is a chance of opening up opportunities to revamp the economy, reshape workspaces and their norms in the longer run. It will, however, require major restructuring of the governmental framework and the education sector.

In a recent webinar, hosted by Niti Aayog CEO Amitabh Kant, a panel comprising India Director of the World Bank, Junaid Ahmed, NASSCOM president Debjani Ghosh, Hero Enterprises Chairman Sunil Munjal, Teamlease chairman Manish Sabharwal and Urban Company co-founder Abhiraj Bhal discussed the future of the way employees work in India.

The panelists predicted a definite growth of the gig economy, disagreed on the fate of the work-from-home policy in the future, discussed the need for social security for all, and the need for employees to test the resilience of employers.

"If we don't use this opportunity to drive radical changes, it is our loss," said Debjani Ghosh. "I think this is the beginning of the blended model. We talk about omnichannel, and now we are going to see that at our workplaces. We are going to see the offline and online coming together, she said.

Omnichannel is a strategy used by oraganisations to bring together their communication channels and resources in order to enhance the user experience.

Ghosh pointed out that this pandemic is going to change workspaces forever, and is likely to open up many opportunities for women. "The one thing I am tremendously excited about is that it will bring the much-needed balance in the workplace, in terms of getting the other gender more involved. We have talked a lot about how women cannot go to work because they have to stay at home. But the 'work-from-home' policy will now allow women who want to work to get back to it," she said.

While there are several benefits of work-from-home, many are sceptical about its long-term advantages and suspect that it is a momentary trend that may not continue, at least not on a full scale. Work-from-home has provided continuity but whether it will provide productivity in the future remains to be seen, Manish Sabharwal argued.

"It has exposed a class system for sure. About 70 per cent of my graduate employees can work from home, but only 10 per cent of my non-graduate (employees) can do that," he said. However, he maintained that what would really change in a post-pandemic economy is how organisations structure their people supply chain.

Sabharwal also pointed out that after the pandemic one thing that will become a yardstick for evaluating companies is their resilience.

"Employees will start evaluating employers for resilience as well as performance. In the last few years, we had forgotten that you have to survive in order to succeed... So, resilience will become an evaluation for employers as much as performance."

Abhiraj Bhal said, "The world over, many people will get unemployed, and many of them will look for informal work. They will look towards the gig economy to sustain themselves over the next couple of years and eventually that will become the new normal."

However, that gives rise to another question: how are gig workers likely to sustain themselves with no long-term stable jobs, nor social security?

Addressing this question, Bhal said, "At some stage, both the government and the private sector will have to think about gig workers and find a way to let them flourish independently, but they will also have to give them some form of social security. For instance, they can allow them to contribute to the National Pension Scheme."

Junaid Ahmed, taking the idea forward, said that the time for India to completely revolutionise its social protection system had come.

"We have the PDS, the Pradhan Mantri Jan Dhan Yojana and the Pradhan Mantri Ujjwala Yojana  these have to be brought together on one platform that becomes the social protection system of the future.

Ahmed made a case for such a system that would provide protection to informal workers and portability to migrant workers. It is time India shifted scale on social protection. it is already capable of doing it." he added. He also said that a complete revamp of the governmental structure is required for India to evolve post-pandemic.

"I am not worried about the private sector. I'm not worried about technology changes and innovation, I think there is huge power in the private sector to innovate. But the key question we are facing is: does this shock (of the pandemic) tell the state that it has to change in the way it governs?" Ahmad asked.

Is the state's social protection system going to change? Is the state federalism going to change? Is the state going to change in terms of what continues to be the public sector?" questioned Ahmad. He said that these crucial questions will determine how developing countries fare in a post-pandemic world.

Sunil Munjal said that a new era of globalisation can dawn on us post-pandemic. "If India manages this crisis well, there is a good chance of attracting more capital, talents, ideas and technology into the country, especially in the manufacturing sector," he said.

"India can take on a bigger role not just for indigenisation, but also for becoming a bigger global power in the manufacturing field. A lot bigger than it had been over the last 30 years. It is a unique opportunity, and we need to repurpose ourselves to some extent, to be able to do that." he added.

As far as skill development of people for the post-pandemic world is concerned, Ghosh said that India is already a little ahead since it started the Future Skills Initiative about a year ago. Through this initiative, the change required in the basic curriculum, skills required by students, and a way of learning that is more conducive to the changing times is being identified.

"We got tremendous support from the government.. we have not only built this platform but we also had over 30 to 50 members of the industry involved in it. We are preparing to roll it out," said Ghosh. She added that the platform is getting a lot of traction from universities, as they want to take these curricula and training models to their students, especially after the crisis.

"Blended learning has taken on a completely new meaning. We are seeing a lot more focus on online learning, not just on the school level, but also at a higher level, where it is very much needed," she said.
Joyce Naltchayan/Getty

Former President Bill Clinton has talked openly about how he could have killed Osama bin Ladenbut passed.

I nearly got him. And I could have killed him, but I would have to destroy a little town called Kandahar in Afghanistan and kill 300 innocent women and children, and then I would have been no better than him. And so I just didn't do it, Clinton confessed to an Australian audience just 10 hours before two planes struck the World Trade Center.

But in The Longest War, a new documentary from director Greg Barker (Manhunt) and executive producer Alex Gansa (Homeland), former CIA agents reveal that they had another opportunity to take out Osama bin Laden with little collateral damage.

Bin Laden was constantly moving, and we were using Afghan tribal networks to report on his travels and his whereabouts, Bob Grenier, then-CIA station chief in Islamabad, Pakistan, says in the film.

WATCH THE EXCLUSIVE CLIP HERE:

When the Afghan tribal networks uncovered that a caravan carrying bin Laden would be traveling along a certain route, they suggested U.S. forces bury a cache of explosives along it to eliminate the infamous terrorist. But Grenier told them theyd be risking jail if they did, and that was all thanks to President Clinton.

The CIA had a so-called lethal finding [bill] that had been signed by President Clinton that said that we could engage in lethal activity against bin Laden, but the purpose of our attack against bin Laden couldnt be to kill him, Grenier explains in the film. We were being asked to remove this threat to the United States essentially with one hand tied behind our backs.

According to director Greg Barker, Its hard to believe now, but back in the late 90s, most of the Washington national security establishmentincluding President Clinton, the State Department, the Department of Defensesimply did not view Osama bin Laden and al Qaeda as a serious threat. The handful of U.S. officials who saw the looming threat clearlyand there were some, mostly mid-level officers at the CIAs bin Laden unit and the counter-terrorism branch at the FBItried in vain to raise alarm bells at the highest levels, but were often ignored and even ridiculed.

Story continues

Sundances Manhunt: Three CIA Agents Who Hunted Bin Laden Tell All

How the CIA Helped Prevent the Next 9/11And Why You Cant Bring Liquids Onto Planes

As a result, he continues, policy decisions were made that seem unfathomable today, like a Justice Department ruling that it would be illegal for the United States to intentionally kill bin Laden, which left CIA officers in the field feeling frustrated and angry, as if they were unable to prevent a train crash happening in slow motion right before their eyes. The irony is that many of these same mid-level officers were later blamed for not doing enough to prevent the 9/11 attacks, when in fact the blame rests with the senior decision-makers who ignored direct warnings for far too long.

Barker is also the man behind Manhunt, a documentary detailing the (mainly female) CIA agents who spent years hunting down Osama bin Laden. Like that exceptional film, The Longest War is a thorough examination of the catastrophe that is the Afghanistan war, which officially began on October 7, 2001, and continues to this day, making it the longest war in U.S. history.

Theres enough blame to go around, and I think the film hands it out evenly, EP Alex Gansa tells The Daily Beast. Bill Clinton didnt have the balls to do what was necessary before 9/11, George Bush didnt take the threat seriously enough when he came into office and then grievously overreacted when that threat was realized, and Obama didnt do what he promised during his campaignnamely, end the wars.

The exclusive clip above ends on a haunting coda, courtesy of Marty Martin, a CIA counterterrorism officer at the time.

The threat was real, he says. And if President Clinton had taken action and killed Osama bin Laden, there wouldnt have been a 9/11, and if there wouldnt have been a 9/11 there wouldnt have been an Afghanistan, and if there wouldnt have been an Afghanistan there wouldnt have been an Iraq. What would the world be like?

Read more at The Daily Beast.

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By PTI

MUMBAI: South actor Dulquer Salmaan has announced that he will be organising a virtual meet with three fans as part of an initiative to raise money to help Chennai fight against coronavirus.

On Friday night, Dulquer took to social media to share that he has joined hands with Chennai Task Force (a citizen action group) and the Kindness Project to raise funds for COVID-19 relief.

Those who will donate could join Dulquer for a ten minute Zoom session.

The actor said he is doing his bit to help Chennai fight the pandemic and urged everyone to do the same.

Trying something new here. Hope you all take this positively. I'm joining hands with @chennaitaskforce and @thekindnessprojectinyou to raise some funds for their COVID relief efforts.

It also gives me a chance to meet some of you virtually! What we've planned is a raffle where three winners get to speak to me directly live on video!, Dulquer wrote on Instagram.

To enter, all you have to do it donate Rs 100! Swipe right to learn more about how to enter and donate. I've done my bit. I hope this encourages those of you who have a connect or love for Chennai to do the same, he added.

Dulquer also shared the instructions on his Instagram account for people to donate.

According to the post, one has to donate Rs 100 through GPAY on the given contact number on Saturday between 6pm to 8pm and take a screenshot of the donation and the three winners will be announced on Sunday.

The death toll due to COVID-19 rose to 480 and the number of cases to 14,378 in the country on Saturday, according to the Union Health Ministry.

Tamil Nadu has reported 15 deaths and 1,323 confirmed cases.


Image Source: Mike MacKenzie

In May 2018, investigative journo Suzie Dawson posted a series of tweets describing the QAnon movement as an intelligence operation.

THREAD: After more than 6 months of watching people get scammed by the #QAnon phenomena, I'm going to make the below thread to explain to you exactly why it is an intelligence agency-backed psyop, what techniques are being used, and why you need to stop people falling for it.  Suzie Dawson (@Suzi3D) May 25, 2018

Dawson believes QAnon revelationsmost notably the PizzaGate farragoconsist of information that is not in any way a meaningful threat to the supremacy of the intelligence agencies of the United States. Dawson writes that intelligence agencies are not launching public manhunts for Q like they did for Assange & Snowden.

However, after Dawson tweeted the above nearly two years ago, the FBIlong the ruling elites political policehas focused on QAnon as a supposed domestic terrorist threat.

Last May, the FBI identified conspiracy theories, including those espoused by QAnon, as a domestic terrorism threat, The Washington Times reported. Both Pizzagate and QAnon conspiracies have been linked to acts of violence.

According to Yahoo News:

The FBI intelligence bulletin from the bureaus Phoenix field office, dated May 30, 2019, describes conspiracy theory-driven domestic extremists, as a growing threat, and notes that it is the first such report to do so. It lists a number of arrests, including some that havent been publicized, related to violent incidents motivated by fringe beliefs.

Late last month, a post on 8kunthe resurrection of the imageboard 8chan taken down after a manifesto attributed to the El Paso shooting appeared thereimplied COVID-19 is a bioweapon created to derail Trumps reelection.

According to Media Matters, a partisan Democrat operation funded by George Soros:

The Q posts spread comes as supporters of the conspiracy theory have been using social media platforms to spread falsehoods about the virus being some kind of false flag by the deep state for population control or a military operation to target supposed elites. They have also promoted dangerous false cures for the disease such as drinking bleach Since then, the post has spread throughout Facebook groups and Twitter among QAnon supporters, where it has received thousands of engagements combined, being cited for proof that the virus is a Cabal weapon and a false flag that democrats look suspiciously responsible for.

Suzie Dawson tweets the sort of partisan, pro-Trump insider information put out by QAnon directs energy straight back into the conventional two-party political paradigm, and as such does not threaten the ruling elite.

It is now well established that questioning the origin and severity of COVID-19 is strictly taboo and possibly dangerous. The QAnon narrativethat Asians were more susceptible to the virus and white people were immuneappears to be custom-tailored to fit the liberal establishment argument that any deviation from the government script on a number of issues is not only dangerous but represents a white supremacist domestic terror threat, never mind multiple instances of the state running white supremacist psychological operations (most notably Hal Turner, the FBIs infiltration of the Ku Klux Klan, and other groups).

The FBI once called conspiracy theories spread by QAnon and others a potential domestic terrorism threat. Its time to call the infodemic a public health threat, writes PhD candidate Marc-Andre Argentino for the highly partisan and vehemently anti-Trump website Salon.

Local FBI field office warns of 'conspiracy theory-driven domestic extremists' https://t.co/j7lcBScLUP  Jonathan Webers (@JWeber988) April 18, 2020

Suzie Dawsons QAnon Pied Piper is likely an FBI insertion. If we look back at the documented history of COINTELPRO, we see how government agents and operatives infiltrated and destroyed political groups.

The FBI justified the deployment of the draconian COINTELPRO operations to prevent Communist infiltration of legal mass organizations but primarily of domestic groups that dissented from government policy, writes Pedro Caban. COINTELPRO employed illegal and legal covert measures to neutralize and destroy organizations that the FBI identified as a threat to national security.

Activists were neutralized by intimidation, harassment, discrediting, snitch jacketing, a whole assortment of authoritarian and illegal tactics, notes Paul Wolf and others in COINTELPRO: The Untold American Story.

Many counterintelligence techniques involve the use of paid informants. Informants become agents provocateurs by raising controversial issues at meetings to take advantage of ideological divisions, by promoting emnity with other groups, or by inciting the group to violent acts, even to the point of providing them with weapons.

The FBIs use of illegal and unethical tactics was investigated by the Church Committee in the 1970s, and although the agency insists it dismantled the operation following congressional revelations, there is evidence the operations have continued to this day.

In a stunning revelation from the Partnership for Civil Justice Fund (PCJF), it appears that COINTELPRO is alive and well. Through a Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) request, PCJF was able to obtain documents showing how the FBI was treating the Occupy Wall Street (OWS) movement, from its inception, as a potential criminal and domestic terrorist threat, Tom McNamara writes.

In regard to the subversion and destruction of OWS, Todd Gitlin writes:

How many demonstrations are being poked and prodded by undercover agents? How many acts of violence are being suborned? It would be foolish to say we know. At least equally foolish would be to trust the authorities to keep to honest-to-goodness police work when they are so mightily tempted to take the low road into straight-out, unwarranted espionage and instigation.

However, it is a documented fact the FBI has used informants (including criminals) to instigate fake terror attacks.

This is pre-emptory prosecution: targeting citizens not for their criminal behavior but for their political views, writes Glenn Greenwald.

Its an attempt by the U.S. Government to anticipate who will become a criminal at some point in the future based on their expressed political opinionsnot unlike the dystopian premise of Minority Reportand then exploiting the FBIs vast financial, organizational, and even psychological resources, along with the individuals vulnerabilities, to make it happen.

It is irrelevant if QAnon is homegrown or a manufactured enemy. The national security state and its intelligence agencies are determined to demonize and criminalize any wrongthink, not only in regard to a suspicious and misreported viral pandemic, now in the process of normalizing tyranny by the state. The scarlet letter of extremism and terrorism will be affixed to all who counter official narratives.
For nearly 60 years, the Esalen Institute has looked out from Big Surs famous bluffs over the vast expanse of the Pacific Ocean  a front-row view of the edge of the world.

You feel it the moment you step in, says Janet Stone, a San Francisco yoga instructor who leads workshops at Esalen. Its like youve gone through some invisible doors into a different portal.

That effect is fundamental to the mystique of Esalen, the countercultural institution that has served as a gathering place for knowledge seekers and thought leaders concerned with questions surrounding the human condition.

But equally fundamental has been the centers communal meals, shared lodging, hot-spring baths and group workshops, all of which are designed to foster intimacy among guests and faculty. All of which, in the time of the coronavirus pandemic, have suddenly been thrown into question.

On March 15, two days before Monterey County ordered residents to shelter in place as a means of curbing the spread of the coronavirus, Esalen called off workshops, sent much of its staff home and shut its front gate to visitors. Nearly one month later, in a candid interview with The Chronicle, Esalen CEO Terry Gilbey conceded that the economic turbulence rippling across the globe is shaking the ground beneath the 58-year-old retreat center.

Were struggling financially, Gilbey said. Were financially sound, but we are in a challenging situation.

On a given day, the facility accommodates 120 paying guests, 8-10 faculty members and 80 staffers. The institute, a tax-exempt nonprofit, generates revenue mainly through donations and its two-day and five-day workshops, the bulk of which range from $420 to $1,410 per guest. It stands to lose $1.3 million each month it remains closed, Gilbey said.

Esalen has laid off or furloughed 51 part-time employees, furloughed 15 full-timers and canceled workshops through at least June 7. (The 15 full-time furloughed workers will continue to receive health care benefits for the foreseeable future, Gilbey said.) Today, 54 full-time employees live on campus, including Gilbey, and perform maintenance and upkeep work, such as major water main repairs.

LiPo Ching / Special to The Chronicle

Big Sur is a unique environment, Gilbey said. It never rests, and neither do we.

This setback comes after a rough period in 2017 when a series of landslides in Big Sur cut off access to the region and forced Esalen to shut down for six months. That closure cost the center $1 million per month, Gilbey said.

Since its founding in 1962, Esalen has drawn a wide range of dignitaries, celebrities and soul-searchers eager for fresh perspectives on subjects ranging from the metaphysical to the utterly practical. In its early years, it hosted writers like Aldous Huxley, Allen Ginsberg and Hunter S. Thompson. More recently, it has developed a reputation as a place of respite and reflection for tech luminaries from Silicon Valley.

We continue to want to influence the influencers, Esalen President Gordon Wheeler told The Chronicle last year.

But the coronavirus may present a long-term existential threat.

The institute places a premium on physical presence and intimate human contact  practices that have been all but abandoned during the current period of social distancing and self-isolation. Those new concepts could undercut Esalens ideology long after the pandemic subsides.

Esalens leaders are also grappling with what the pandemic might portend for society at large.

I think this will bring out a new way that we look for consent, a new way we look for invitation, a new way that we look at personal space, Gilbey said. There is still going to be a need for deep personal connection, and how we solve for that and help people through that is very much a part of the Esalen future that were imagining right now.

Laure Joliet / Special to The Chronicle

Under consideration is whether Esalen should shift workshops online, a move that could serve the institutes clientele and help shore up short-term revenue losses, but that seems antithetical to its core principles. Can experiences traditionally grounded in a specific physical space adequately translate to an audience tuning in over Zoom?

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.

Esalens very identity is rooted on the land there, said Lisa Littlebird, who teaches group singing classes and also leads workshops at Esalen. The whole point is to be looking in peoples eyes in a room together and feel that ineffable connection that hacks right through all our narratives into open-hearted connection.

About a dozen faculty members have inquired about taking their Esalen workshops digital. Several, including Littlebird and Stone, are already offering their services to virtual audiences via live video.

Its beautiful to see how people are reaching out for these experiences, Littlebird said. She views Esalens teachings as fundamental to people struggling with lockdowns at home. The instruction cultivated at Esalen is more relevant than ever.

Esalen is learning along with the rest of the world right now, how do you create intimacy online? said Cheryl Fraenzl, the centers director of programs. People are experiencing a lot of emotion right now. How do you work with that when you cant be with someone or touch someone?

James Tensuan / Special to The Chronicle 2016

The 54 workers currently living at Esalen are experimenting with early solutions. They social-distance during open-air gatherings and Zoom into meetings from their respective bedrooms. At mealtime, they make sure to sit one to a table. Its a bit of an eerie feeling, Gilbey said.

In spite of the financial pressures, Gilbey is confident Esalen will persevere.

Is human connection a necessary part of our future? I absolutely believe it is, Gilbey said. But will we do that in different ways? I fully expect so.

Gregory Thomas is The Chronicles editor of lifestyle and outdoors. Email: gthomas@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @GregRThomas
Despite Pandemic, Churches Persevere, Push Back Against Overreach

As politicians and lawyers argue over emergency powers claimed by government officials, the faithful are finding ways to cope amid aggressive public health orders that make it difficult or impossible to come together in person for worship.

As religious people go about their daily lives, battles are raging in courts across the land about how far governments can go in their efforts to combat the CCP virus.

Some Americans have been appalled at what they say are examples of government overreach. Before Easter Sunday, a federal judge in Kentucky enjoined Louisville Mayor Greg Fischer from enforcing a sweeping social-distancing order that banned drive-in church services.

On April 18, a federal court in Kansas granted a temporary injunction against an executive order limiting church gatherings to 10 people, Fox News reported. The order came a week after the states supreme court ruled in favor of Gov. Laura Kelly, a Democrat whose order was reversed by a Republican-led panel of state lawmakers.

Kansas Attorney General Derek Schmidt, a Republican, said he supported the federal court ruling, which he said was a much-needed reminder that the Constitution is not under a stay-home order and the Bill of Rights cannot be quarantined.

He added, The Constitution protects our liberties especially during times of crisis, when history reveals governments too quick to sacrifice rights of the few to calm fears of the many.

The Trump administration is siding with the churches, which argue First Amendment rights are being abridged by overreaching executive orders by governors and mayors.

U.S. Attorney General William Barr has been monitoring government regulation of religious services. On April 14, he weighed in by issuing a statement.

Even in times of emergency, the First Amendment and federal statutory law prohibit discrimination against religious institutions and religious believers, Barr wrote.

Thus, government may not impose special restrictions on religious activity that do not also apply to similar nonreligious activity.  Religious institutions must not be singled out for special burdens.

Cary Gordon, senior pastor at Cornerstone World Outreach in Sioux City, Iowa, said on April 18 that he planned to go forward with a Sunday church service the next day, as he has been doing in recent weeks.

After this Sunday, I have a meeting with our attorneys to discuss moving back inside instead of our parking lot services we have been doing, Gordon told The Epoch Times.

Our decision will be based upon the illness in our county. It will not be made by the government.

Gordon, a prominent religious leader in Iowa, shared his thoughts online on March 20 after the various lockdowns began across the country, in a statement that some other religious leaders have echoed.

The pastor was responding to a March 17 edict by Iowa Gov. Kim Reynolds, a Republican, that declared a public health emergency and prohibited mass gatherings of more than 10 people, including those of a community, spiritual, [or] religious nature.

Gordon wrote, We have altered our Sunday services in a way that gracefully accepts her proper desire to protect our citizenry, while simultaneously rejecting the unconstitutional portion of that same problematic proclamation.

We will demonstrate how a local church is quite capable of exercising wise self-government, free from civil government interference, and meeting together in a way that will protect everyone and keep them safe and healthy.

We are taking the Coronavirus very seriously and desire as much or more than anyone to ensure YOUR safety and health during this difficult time. Yet, to the consternation of some, we believe we MUST go to church together.

Some churchgoers shared their views with The Epoch Times.

In Tennessee, Scott Ballinger said he had two watch party/streaming options in the morning. Churches have been shut down in the state since Gov. Bill Lee, a Republican, issued a stay-at-home order last month, and weve been consigned to the cyber-catacombs ever since.

Californian Victoria Silva Howard said her church was still live-streaming, but if we dont resume soon, I say its time to initiate house groups. The early Christians didnt tolerate restrictions on their worship, and neither should we.

Katherine Schoonover, the Virginia-based founder of Political Speech, a social media platform for political discussions, said her local diocese has suspended services for the time being.

Our individual churches are going online, she said. My family does morning prayer on a conference call together too.

Marylander Stephen DeMauri said he was using technology to satisfy his spiritual needs during the pandemic.

Given the suspension of public Masses, I will watch a livestream or recording of a Mass, noting the Mass is essential to his religious belief.

Another Maryland resident, Hyoun Jung Cho, said its difficult not to have a church to visit every Sunday.

I miss the companionship, and to a lesser extent, the snacks, she said.
If it wasnt already clear that the US government wants to crack down on Chinese telecoms, it should be very shortly. The Wall Street Journal understands that the Senate Permanent Subcommitee on Investigations will issue a report demanding stricter oversight of Chinese telecoms operating in the US, arguing that they otherwise pose an unacceptable national security risk. The panel also blasts officials for allegedly being too soft on these telecoms across multiple administrations, pointing to 18 years of supposedly lax screening.

The panel criticizes several regulators (nicknamed Team Telecom) for finding no concerns when China Telecom and China Unicom, both state-run, got licenses to operate in the US in 2002. A risk mitigation deal in 2007 gave those regulators the power to visit China Telecom, but they only used that twice (in 2017 and 2018), according to the Senate panels findings.

American officials have stepped their scrutiny of China over the years. Team Telecom has asked the FCC to revoke China Telecoms license, and its no secret that the US has clamped down on equipment makers like Huawei and ZTE. However, this panel could help foster an even more aggressive stance.

Its not certain this approach will prove beneficial. It might reassure people worried that China might use its telecoms to surveil the US, but it could also prompt retaliation that hurts American telecoms Chinese business and the ability to intercept Chinese data. Still, its unlikely the Senate panel will back down  the US sees Chinese surveillance as a major threat, and its willing to make sacrifices in response.
Hundreds protested Saturday in cities across America against coronavirus-related lockdowns -- with encouragement from President Donald Trump -- as resentment grows against the crippling economic cost of confinement. An estimated 400 people gathered under a cold rain in Concord, New Hampshire -- many on foot while others remained in their cars -- to send a message that extended quarantines were not necessary in a state with relatively few confirmed cases of COVID-19. The crowd included several armed men wearing military-style uniforms, with their faces covered. In Texas, more than 250 people rallied outside the State Capitol in Austin, including far-right conspiracy theorist Alex Jones, founder of the Infowars site, who rolled up in a tank-like truck. "It's time to reopen Texas, it's time to let people work, it's time for them to let voluntary interaction and good sense rule the day, not government force," said Justin Greiss, an activist with Young Americans for Liberty. Stay-at-home mother Amira Abuzeid added: "I'm not a doctor but I'm an intelligent person who can do math and it looks like at the end of the day, these numbers are not that worrisome." Few if any observed social distancing recommendations. Demonstrators outside Maryland's colonial-era statehouse in Annapolis stayed in their cars but waved signs with messages like "Poverty kills too." Dolores, a hairdresser, told AFP she is not eligible for unemployment because she is a business owner, not an employee. "I need to save my business. I need to work to live. Otherwise I will die," she said. Other demonstrations took place across the country in cities such as Columbus, Ohio and San Diego, California, as well as the states of Indiana, Nevada and Wisconsin. Few practiced social distancing but many of the protesters waved American flags. - 'Live Free or Die' - Protesters have drawn encouragement in certain Democratic-led states from tweets by Trump, who has said he favors a quick return to normal, though protests have also taken place in Republican-led states like New Hampshire and Texas. The US has seen more coronavirus cases and deaths than any other country in the world -- with more than 734,000 confirmed infections and 38,800 fatalities as of Saturday evening. The vast majority of Americans are under lockdown orders restricting public movement and keeping all but essential businesses closed. In Concord, demonstrators carried signs with slogans like "The numbers lie" and "Reopen New Hampshire." Their common demand was that the stay-at-home order for the state of 1.3 million people be called off before its scheduled May 4 end date. Others, amid a sea of American flags, chanted the state's Revolutionary War-era slogan, "Live Free or Die." "People are very happy on a voluntary basis to do what's necessary," one demonstrator, 63-year-old Skip Murphy, told AFP by phone. He added, however, that "the data does not support the egregious lockdown we are having in New Hampshire." As of early Friday, New Hampshire had reported 1,287 confirmed coronavirus cases and 37 deaths. - 'Free country' - "All over the country, a lot of people are saying, 'We will do our part, but at the same time, this is supposed to be a free country,'" Murphy said. "When that gets transgressed, people start to say, 'Wait a minute, this is wrong.'" Most Americans -- by a two-to-one margin -- actually worry about virus restrictions being lifted too soon, not too late, a recent Pew survey found. But demonstrators found encouragement Friday from the president, who in a series of tweets called to "LIBERATE" Michigan, Minnesota and Virginia -- all states with Democratic governors -- from stay-at-home orders. Trump has repeatedly called for the earliest possible return to normality as virus-related closings have had a crushing impact on American workers and businesses. "I really think some of the governors have gotten carried away," Trump said at a White House news conference on Saturday. He welcomed the reopening of some businesses in Texas and Vermont on Monday "while still requiring appropriate social distancing precautions." The largest protest against stay-at-home rules so far took place Wednesday in the Michigan capital of Lansing, which drew some 3,000 people. Murphy said he had voted for Trump, but insisted his motives were not partisan. New Hampshire Governor Chris Sununu is a Republican, he noted. "This has nothing to do with Trump or the Democratic and Republican governors," Murphy said. "It is a case of one size not fitting all -- the lockdown should cease where it does not make sense."
File photo shows Chinese President Xi Jinping (R) meeting with Zimbabwean President Emmerson Mnangagwa at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing, capital of China, Sept. 5, 2018. (Xinhua/Huang Jingwen)(mcg)

Chinese President Xi Jinping and his Zimbabwean counterpart, Emmerson Mnangagwa, exchanged congratulatory messages Saturday on the 40th anniversary of bilateral diplomatic relations, vowing to further cement the partnership between their countries.

Over the past four decades, Xi pointed out, China and Zimbabwe have always adhered to mutual trust and mutual support, and their relationship has withstood the test of time and the vicissitudes of the international situation.

Noting that he and Mnangagwa have reached important consensuses on establishing and developing the China-Zimbabwe comprehensive strategic cooperative partnership, Xi said he attaches great importance to bilateral ties and stands ready to work with his Zimbabwean counterpart to take the 40th anniversary as an opportunity to push for more progress.

He suggested that the two sides jointly promote the development of the Belt and Road, synergize the implementation of the outcomes of the Beijing Summit of the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation and the realization of Zimbabwe's "Vision 2030," expand practical cooperation in various fields, and offer each other stronger support on issues involving their respective core interests and major concerns.

Under current circumstances, China stands ready to boost cooperation with Zimbabwe to overcome the ongoing challenge of the COVID-19 epidemic, added the Chinese president.

Mnangagwa, for his part, said that the past 40 years have demonstrated that sincerity, solidarity, mutual benefit and mutual trust are the prominent features of the brotherly friendship and high-level relationship between the two countries.

Zimbabwe is steadfast to the one-China policy and keen on Belt and Road cooperation, he said, adding that the Zimbabwean side will continue to resolutely push for deeper development of the comprehensive strategic cooperative partnership between the two countries.

In face of the grave challenge of the COVID-19 pandemic, Zimbabwe is willing to strengthen solidarity and mutual support with China and jointly cope with the effects of the coronavirus disease on bilateral cooperation.
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New Delhi: Actor Tiger Shroff loves doing action sequences and this is no surprise to us. He gets into the skin of the character every time he takes up a shot. His dedication towards his work reflects on screens and on Saturday, he gave us a glimpse of how difficult it was to shoot the climax scene of his last-released film Baaghi 3, but despite the hardships, Tiger did it and managed to impress the audiences yet another time.

The video shared a shirtless Tiger standing in the open with big guns in his hands. He performs the scene as the storm blows.

With the clip, the actor explained to the people what went through the entire shot. He wrote: -7 degrees celsius piercing through my bones, storm fans adding to that torture, trying to hear my director Ahmed Khans instructions, barely managing to stand my ground thanks to those heavy guns Im holding and no thanks to the wind speed. And not really dressed appropriately. Just another day in the life on the sets of Baaghi 3 BTS.

Heres the video we are talking about:

Baaghi 3 was the third film in the hit Baaghi franchise. The first and the third film starred Shraddha opposite Tiger while the second part had Disha Patani.

Directed by Ahmed Khan, Baaghi 3 released on March 6. The films business was affected due to the coronavirus pandemic.
A delegation of senior Congress leaders met Karnataka Chief Minister B S Yediyurappa and presented a memorandum containing a list of suggestions and demands to tackle the Covid-19 crisis in the state. The delegation of the main opposition party included, leader of opposition in the assembly Siddaramaiah and KPCC president D K Shiva Kumar apart from several former ministers like R V Deshpande, Ramesh Kumar, G Parameshwara, Dinesh Gundu Rao, Ramalinga Reddy, Ajay Dharam Singh and other senior leaders.

Congress said that there was a shortage of masks, glues, sanitizers, PPE kits required by doctors, nurses and other para-medical staff. The delegation members said that while the state required 12 lakh kits a mere 2.27 lakh was available, similarly only 5.46 lakh N-95 masks were available as was Hydroxychloroquine tablets of which only 2.8 lakh were available.

Instead of the mere 152 tests done per million of population, the Congress delegation said the state should do at least 10,000 per million population according to WHO standards.

Asking the state government to urge the Centre to declare this as a national calamity, the opposition party leaders claimed that salaries have not been disbursed to the doctors, nurses, para-medical staff and ASHA workers. It also asked that insurance and other social security benefits given only to doctors should be extended to others.

Stating that private hospitals and clinics were not functioning, Congress said this was inconveniencing non-Covid-19 patients and urged the government to ensure that they remain open. Accusing the government of not doing enough to aid the farmers, it urged that the losses suffered by them must be made good from the national calamity fund.

Congress leaders also said that there was wide-spread discrimination in distribution of grants and reliefs by the government and asked that all legislators be treated on an equal footing. It also said ruling party members were taking credit for distribution of aid from the government by pasting their pictures on relief material.

The delegation also asked the state government to help migrant labourers and said MNREGA should be effectively leveraged. Congress said that ruling party members were accusing a particular community of spreading the virus which it said was reprehensible. KPCC President D K Shivakumar said inspite of a BJP government in the state the Centre was meting out step-motherly treatment in providing flood relief, share of GST taxes and aid to fight coronavirus. It demanded that the CM lead an all-party delegation to Delhi to persuade the Central government to set right the injustice which it said was being meted out to Karnataka.

The Chief Minister who gave a patient hearing to the opposition leaders said that he would look at the suggestions given in the memorandum.

Meanwhile, the state recorded six new Covid-19 positive cases even as two more people died due to the virus. Till date, Karnataka has had 390 confirmed Covid-19 positive cases which include 16 deaths and 11 discharges.
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The Wadia family-owned GoAir has sent its employees on leave without pay, till the nationwide lockdown ends on May 3.

In a similar move, Spicejet has sent some of its employees in the engineering department on leave without pay.

While GoAir had already sent a large portion of its staff on leave without pay, the latest communication will now apply to all employees.

The airline has about 5,500 employees.

GoAir, which like its peers had suspended flights since the beginning of the lockdown on March 25, had also let off its expat pilots.

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

Moneycontrol reached out to representatives of the airline. However, there was no reply.

The staff were informed about the latest step to conserve costs on April 18, in a letter from a senior human resources executive.

"The lockdown has been further extended to May 03 and with this extension our fleet continues to be completely grounded. Hence we are constrained to request you to proceed on Leave Without Pay. Your Leave Without Pay comes into effect from March 25, 2020, till May 3, 2020," the mail said. Moneycontrol has seen a copy of the letter.

"We are hopeful that skies will open from May 04, 2020, and will resume operations in a phased manner," added the communication.

The cost cutting measure come into effect even as Civil Aviation Minister Hardeep Singh Puri advised airlines to open bookings only after the government takes a decision on starting domestic and international commercial passenger flight services.

Spicejet statement

Responding to a story that said the airline will sent those staff with monthly pay higher than Rs 50,000, Spicejet clarified that the move is limited to it's engineering department.

"It is clarified that no company-wide decision has been taken on the issue of salary cuts or leave without pay at SpiceJet for the month of April 2020. A limited number of staff from the engineering team has been put on leave without pay for a month each on rotational basis, the airline said in a statement.
Google is reportedly working on a smart debit card dubbed Google Card as its potential Apple Card competitor.

Google is reportedly working on a smart debit card dubbed Google Card as its potential Apple Card competitor. The card will let users make purchases from their smartphone and online with features like balance check, generate statements and more. Google is collaborating with different banks including Citi and Stanford Federal Credit Union for co-branding and issuing physical cards.

According to leaked pictures shared by TechCrunch, Google Card is aimed at streamlining Google Pay app by expanding its use case beyond peer-to-peer payments. Moreover, 9to5Google reported finding new lines of codes added to Chrome that confirm the existence of Google-issued card.

While the design of the card and the app interface is still in development, we still get an idea where Google is going forward with its smart debit card. The chip-based card will have the customers name, the banks branding and a QR code. By connecting it to a Google app, users will be able to transfer or pay from their smartphones by using fingerprints or pin of the phone.

The report also suggests that the card will support contactless payment in retail stores once it's connected to the customers bank account. Additionally, users can also use the app to pay via Bluetooth as the virtual card details are stores on the phone securely.

Other transaction data including detailed history is available on the app for customers to view, with the option of protecting the card by re-setting the number or locking it out entirely. There is a lot of security and privacy settings offered by the app to monitor the data shared but nothing is set in stone right now.

In a statement to TechCrunch, Google says that it is exploring ways to offer smart checking of bank accounts via Google Pay platform while providing insights and budgeting tools.

Googles Card will rival Apples titanium-clad Goldman Sachs-backed credit card that currently accounts for 5% of global transactions done by cards. While Google missed out on the first-mover advantage, its currently not known when the Google Card will see the light of the day.
European Commission vice-president Vera Jourova on Sunday chided the EU for what she said was its "morbid dependency" on China and India for medical supplies, a situation highlighted by the coronavirus crisis.

"This crisis has revealed our morbid dependency on China and India as regards pharmaceuticals," Jourova said in a debate on Czech state television.

"This is something that makes us vulnerable and we have to make a radical change there," added the Czech commissioner, who is in charge of values and transparency in the Commission.

"We will reassess the (supply) chains... and try to diversify them and, ideally, produce as many things as possible in Europe," Jourova said.

"This is a big lesson we have learnt."



The European Commission will draft a strategic plan tackling the issue by the end of the month and submit it to the European Parliament and the leaders of EU member states, Jourova said.

"It will be tied to the new EU budget (for 2021-2027). If we don't agree on the new budget fast, we will have big problems with money for a recovery and where to get it," she added.

The Czech Republic depends on China for supplies of face masks, tests and other medical material amid the virus spread, just like many EU member states.

Set to start easing its restrictive measures on Monday, the Czech Republic registered 6,701 confirmed cases of the virus on Sunday evening, including 186 deaths.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
New Delhi, April 19 : One of the saddest news on Sunday shocked the country as a 45-day-old baby died of the highly infectious novel Coronavirus at Lady Harding Hospital here.

The infant who died on Saturday early in the morning, has become the youngest casualty in the country. Additionally, 6 health workers have tested positive for the virus and more than 30 have been quarantined.

A hospital source told IANS that a 45-day-old baby was kept in the COVID dedicated ward. The baby was not born at Lady Harding Hospital, and had come from outside.

"I am not aware what condition he was in, when he was brought to the hospital and how long he was there because he was admitted directly to the dedicated COVID ward in the hospital. We have made a separate facility for new born which is for the babies who are born in the hospital. This baby was beyond the neonatal period," said the source, adding "this makes a total of two infants in our hospital who have tested positive for COVID 19. Of which this baby has expired." The source also said, there are six healthcare workers who have tested positive including 2 doctors, 3 nurses and one lab technician.

"Around 30 staff members from the pediatric department have been quarantined but none of them has tested positive as of now. However, they are still under observation. A team of healthcare workers from the adult department has also been quarantined as it was looking after a patient who had died earlier. But the exposure in the pediatric department was bigger. Contact tracing in health care workers is underway. The pediatric ward is being sanitized," the source said.

Speaking about the due procedure to be followed for case management of COVID-19 among infants, the source said, "There is not much clarity on the infant care during COVID because not much has been seen in our country, so there is less data on that. Every country is handling this pandemic situation according to their own system and situation.

"Therefore their ways of managing cases are also drastically different. One country said the newborn should be separated from the mother for 14 days and one room with one dedicated nurse should be given to them. Such logistics are not even available in our country.

"Another country has said that the baby should be with the mother and both should be taken care of. We will have to see what suits us," the source added.

Latest updates on Coronavirus (COVID-19)
Britain's coronavirus lockdown will take more than 6.5million jobs out of the economy, according to estimates contained in a new study.

Research by the Institute for Social and Economic Research at the University of Essex says this equates to around a quarter of the UK's total jobs, with more than half the positions in certain sectors to be lost.

It comes as the Government was warned support for businesses during the coronavirus pandemic must come faster if people's livelihoods are to be saved.

Research by the Institute for Social and Economic Research at the University of Essex says this equates to around a quarter of the UK's total jobs, with more than half the positions in certain sectors to be lost. Pictured: Chef Jojo Modest, made unemployed due to the crisis in London

Accommodation and food services are predicted to suffer the worst rate of cuts, with 75.1 per cent of jobs lost, or around 1.3million positions.

Ranked second was 'other services' at 50.2 per cent, ahead of 'wholesale, retail and repair of motor vehicles' at 47.6 per cent - or roughly two million jobs.

Next came transport and storage on 44 per cent, or some 700,000 positions, before a gap to 'administrative and support services', at 26.5 per cent.

The study shows the knock-on effects of certain industries on other sectors, with the agriculture, forestry and fishing sector tipped to lose one job in 10 due to reduced demand from the accommodation and food sector.

Among sectors losing jobs, those faring best in the study were public administration/defence/social security (1.5 per cent), real estate (1.6 per cent), and mining, energy and water supply (2.7 per cent).

Certain sectors showed an increase in their workforces, chiefly health and social work, with a 27.1 per cent rise, and 'professional, scientific and technical activities' (up 3.4 per cent).

The institute's modelling reflects the capacity of some people to work from home, which leaves some sectors less affected than others.

While the study predicts job losses will be mostly temporary, Professor Matteo Richiardi, an expert on modelling labour markets who led the research, warned the risk of jobs being permanently lost depends on the duration of the lockdown.

'If this is short, say a few months, the links between employers and employees of affected industries might not be severed, and individual careers might not suffer too much,' he told The Observer newspaper.

'Under a longer lockdown, losses of human capital and scarring effects will occur. The economy will still bounce back, but at a higher cost for individuals.'

Prof Richiardi said the analysis confirmed a continued lockdown was economically unsustainable, which is likely to add to pressure on the Government to ease restrictions and revitalise the economy.

'This is why we need to make the most out of the extra time the lockdown is buying us, and increase our capacity to trace and isolate new cases, especially asymptomatic cases, so that the economy can be restarted before a vaccine is ready,' he told the paper.

It comes as the Government was warned support for businesses during the coronavirus pandemic must come faster if people's livelihoods are to be saved. Pictured: Secretary of State for Work and Pensions Therese Coffey

Prof Richiardi called for the lockdown to be phased out across sectors and regions, and reinstated if needed, rather than be switched on and off altogether.

He also told the paper countries that had initially prioritised their economy over fighting the virus, like the US, were 'not performing very well in the crisis', whereas others that took strong early action, such as Taiwan, were suffering reduced economic effects.

The Government's furlough scheme, which allows employees to get 80 per cent of their salaries up to a maximum of 2,500 a month, was extended on Friday for at least another month, as many employees are forced to stay at home to help slow the spread of coronavirus.

Adam Marshall, director general at the British Chamber of Commerce (BCC), said the situation for so many firms is 'extremely difficult'.

He was asked about the consequences of support not coming through fast enough, and told Sky News's Sophy Ridge On Sunday: 'Well, the cost here is in terms of people's livelihoods.

'We're seeing for example about 66 per cent, two-thirds of businesses, telling us that they're going to use the furlough scheme in order to try to get some support for their employees so that they don't have to make them redundant or lay them off.

'That's a really big number, and unless some of that cash flows through from the furlough scheme quickly when applications open tomorrow, a lot of businesses are going to face difficulty paying wages and paying suppliers.

'So the human cost as well as the economic cost could be big if we don't see support moving more quickly to the frontline.'

Mr Marshall told the programme: 'We've found that about 60 per cent of companies have less than three months' cash in reserve, many who have seen their revenues fall off a cliff over the past month or so, and many of them are taking some really big life or death decisions as businesses.

'So the support getting to the front line over the next few days is going to be absolutely critical.'

He said things have to become 'faster and simpler', adding: 'Right now it is taking too long for a lot of the support to reach the frontline.

'When you've got 30,000 applications for loans and 300,000 expressions of interest, 6,000 isn't an adequate figure and we've really got to see the banks and the Government working together to speed up the process so that as many businesses as possible can get access to those loans.

'And the same holds true for local councils as well. They've got 12 billion in grant payments to distribute to some of the hardest-hit businesses out there, but from the latest figures that we've seen only about a third of companies have actually received the money, so all efforts right now really have to be focused on getting cash to the front line, because there are so many businesses that are counting the time they've got left in hours and days.

'They don't have weeks or months to wait for those Government support schemes to begin working.'
Ten years ago this week, a drilling rig called the Deepwater Horizon exploded 41 miles off the Louisiana coast, setting in motion the biggest oil spill in U.S. history. Eleven men lost their lives, more were injured. Defying weeks of frantic efforts by BP and the Obama administration to plug it, the damaged wellhead sitting a mile below the ship poured millions of barrels of oil into the surrounding waters, crippling valuable fisheries, destroying livelihoods, fouling 1,300 miles of shoreline from Florida to Texas and leaving many square miles of residue on the ocean floor. The disaster also revealed a culture of carelessness in both the oil industry and the federal agencies whose job it was to police that industry and to make sure it operated safely.

Some good things have happened since then. Thanks partly to natures resilience, within two years the oil had mostly gone from sight  evaporated, consumed by bacteria or dispersed to deep water and the ocean floor. The beaches are now largely clean, and the fishing industry has rebounded, with notable exceptions, oyster and crab stocks in particular. And the damage to deepwater corals and fragile reefs may never be repaired. Truth is, the full toll on the gulf and its marine life may not be known for years.

By far the most positive development  promising is probably a better word  has been the steady accumulation of evidence that the most vulnerable stretch of coastline, in Louisiana, can someday be restored, or at least saved from the steady erosion that has afflicted it for years. When all is said and done, BP and its partners will have forked over well north of $50 billion in cleanup costs, settlements with individuals and businesses in Gulf Coast states and criminal penalties for damages to natural resources. Of that amount, a big chunk  $7 billion to Louisiana alone  is intended largely for environmental restoration.

Louisiana will need all of that, and more. Since the 1930s, the state has lost more than 2,000 square miles of land, about the size of Delaware, to subsidence, sea level rise and the loss of sediment that a free-flowing Mississippi once reliably deposited along the coast until the whole length of the river was hemmed in by levees built for flood control. That, along with the slicing and dicing of coastal wetlands by the oil companies, not only destroyed nurseries vital to the fishing industry but also, as Hurricane Katrina memorably demonstrated in 2005, robbed the state of natural protection against superstorms.
Nearly 150 jobs at risk as Refresco UK consults over potential permanent closure of Wrexham site

This article is old - Published: Sunday, Apr 19th, 2020

Almost 150 jobs at a drinks production factory in Wrexham are at risk.

Refesco Drinks UK, located on the Spectrum Business Park, has announced that it will be entering into consolation with staff regarding the potential permanent closure of the site.

The company employs around 1,700 members of staff at its seven sites across the country. 147 of which are based in the Wrexham factory.

However in a statement Refresco UK say the plants viability has been significantly impacted by a long-term reduction in demand for the small-format beverages for the out-of-home market produced at this site and has been compounded by COVID-19.

David Saint, managing director of Refresco UK, said the company would provide as much support to our staff as we can during what we know is a very uncertain time.

The Wrexham plant is quite unique as it has its own water source, and puts the welsh spring water into products on site. The Wrexham factory produces for several commonly known brands such as the Mr Freeze freezepops, and Calypso drinks which has a historical link to the area.

It is believed a closure could come as soon as 30th June.
When hes not cooking up food on Queer Eye or promoting his book Antoni In the Kitchen, fans can see Antoni Porowski in an upcoming Netflix rom-com. What will this film be about? Heres what we know about the reality series food and wine expert and his role with this upcoming Netflix original.

Antoni Porowski speaks with LGBTQ student leaders In NYC | Jamie McCarthy/Getty Images

Antoni Porowski is the food and wine expert on Netflixs original series, Queer Eye

He loves corgis, cheese, and kindness. Antoni Porowski is a member of the Fab Five, from Netflixs original and heartwarming reality series, Queer Eye. There, he acts as the food and wine expert, often sharing insight with the local heroes and the shows viewers.

When I first started telling people about the show, I would embarrassingly catch myself whispering Queer, Antoni Porowski said, according to Billboard. I dont know if I was embarrassed or I had some kind of [a] shame but it still felt taboo from childhood.

Antoni Porowski is not the only Queer Eye cast member open about their sexuality. A few months prior, Jonathan Van Ness shared that he identifies as non-binary (although he still uses he/him pronouns.)

Antoni Porowski stars in an upcoming rom-com, titled Girls & Boys

Now, Antoni Porowski is taking his charm to a romantic comedy, coming exclusively to the streaming platform, Netflix. According to The Hollywood Reporter, Porowski developed the story with Black-ish creative Kenya Barris. Barris, who has a rich overall television deal with the streamer, will produce under his banner Khalabo Ink Society.

This film is about a character who is sexually fluid, dating people of all genders throughout the story. The movie is reportedly called Girls & Boys and will appear on the streaming platform, although it is still in the pre-production stage, with Andrew Rhymer and Jeff Chan working on the screenplay.

Antoni Porowski identifies as sexually fluid

Its unclear whether or not Antoni Porowski will be playing himself or another LGBTQ character for this Netflix special. Still, fans are excited to see this avocado enthusiast in a new role. For a few different interviews, the Queer Eye food and wine expert opened up about his sexuality and what that means for him.

Ive always considered myself a little more fluid along the spectrum, Porowski said, according to Billboard. So even being called bisexualI remember in my early twenties I was like, But bisexual means I can only like girls and guys, what if I like something else? Maybe its just my rebellious nature. Im me, Im Antoni, and Im all these things.

I dont really know and I kind of like not knowing. I feel like if I do refer to myself as gay, which would make it easier for people to understand sometimes, I feel like it dishonors women that Ive been in love with, he elaborated, during an interview with GQ.

Theres no official premiere date for Girls & Boys. Not yet, anyway. Until its Netflix debut, fans can watch Antoni Porowski on episodes of the Emmy award-winning series, Queer Eye and Queer Eye: Were in Japan.
CHICOPEE  Three city men accused of breaking into a salvage yard and stealing car radios, a BB gun, tools and other items are facing felony charges.

Justin Ferrer, 18, of Lucretia Ave., Ivan Santiago-Vega, 19, of Debra Drive, and Michael Gherardi, 19 of Britton St., were arrested on Friday and charged with felony breaking and entering in the nighttime, larceny over $1,200, possession of burglary tools and trespassing, said Michael Wilk, police public information officer.

Police initially received a call at about 12:14 a.m. from someone reporting 3 people carrying flashlights were walking through the Salvage Yard, 781 Ludlow Road. The area is fenced off and no trespassing signs are posted on it, he said.

Police officers Jeremy Armitage, John Mikkola and Sgt. Mark Page then searched the area and found a pile of items believed to be stolen. The Massachusetts State Police also responded with a trained dog to assist in the search, he said.

The three suspects were found hiding inside the yard and were in possession of multiple items, including a chainsaw, believed to belong to the business and were arrested, Wilk said.
WASHINGTON (AP)  The Trump administration and Congress are nearing an agreement as early as Sunday on an aid package of up to $450 billion to boost a small-business loan program that has run out of money and add funds for hospitals and COVID-19 testing.

With small-business owners reeling during a coronavirus outbreak that has shuttered much economic activity, Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin said he was hopeful of a deal that could pass Congress quickly and get the Small Business Administration program back up by midweek.

"I think we're very close to a deal today. I'm hopeful that we can get that done," he said.

Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., said he believed a deal could be reached late Sunday or early Monday. "We still have a few more details to deal with," he said.

Under the proposed deal, the government's Paycheck Protection Program for small businesses would get roughly $300 billion, according to Mnuchin. The program has been swamped by businesses applying for loans and reached its appropriations limit last Thursday after approving nearly 1.7 million loans. That left thousands of small businesses in limbo as they sought help. An additional $50 billion in the evolving deal would go for disaster loans.

About $75 billion would go to U.S. hospitals, for those straining under a ballooning coronavirus caseload as well as those struggling to stay financially afloat after suspending elective surgeries during the pandemic. About $25 billion would be added for COVID-19 testing, something states have said was urgently needed. The money for hospitals and testing were priorities sought by congressional Democrats.

But additional aid to state and local governments would be left out, Mnuchin said. Democrats have been keen to boost funding to cash-strapped states and local governments whose revenues have cratered, but the issue threatened to provoke fights between large, high-tax states like California and New York and smaller states more typically run by Republicans.

"The president is willing to consider that in the next bill, but wants to get this over the finish line with a focus on small businesses, hospitals and testing," Mnuchin said.

He said he's been in touch with GOP leaders including Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., and House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy, R-Calif., and all are "on board with the same plan."

"I'm hopeful that we can reach an agreement, that the Senate can pass this tomorrow, and that the House can take it up on Tuesday, and, Wednesday, we'd be back up and running," Mnuchin said.

Schumer said Democrats were still working to get aid for state and local governments. They had submitted a compromise offer Friday that would provide $150 billion for states as well as cities, counties and towns based on need. Key swing states for Trump in the November presidential election  Pennsylvania, Michigan, Ohio and Wisconsin  would receive billions in new aid under the proposal, according to a senior Democratic aide who spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss details of private negotiations.

"We are pushing hard," Schumer said. "We don't want our police, our firefighters, our EMTs, our bus drivers  this is not an abstract issue. We don't want them fired."

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., predicted an agreement would be reached "soon."

"I am pleased to report that we have been engaged in bipartisan negotiations on our interim legislation, and our progress is encouraging," she said in a letter late Saturday to Democratic colleagues.

Republican Maryland Gov. Larry Hogan, who leads the National Governors' Association, said he and other governors believe that aid for state and local government is "desperately needed,'' but that it may not be an issue worth fighting over for now.

"I don't think the deal is finalized yet," he said. "But, look, we do not want to hold up funding to these small businesses. And we hope that the Democrats and the Republicans in the Senate can come together in a bipartisan way and get something moving for the American people."

The SBA loans, based on a company's payroll costs, offer owners forgiveness if they retain workers or rehire those who have been laid off. The law provides for forgiveness for companies in any industry  even businesses like hedge funds and law firms. There's a limit of $100,000 on the amount of employees' compensation that can be considered when loan forgiveness is calculated.

While they wait, owners who are shut down or who've lost revenue have expressed unease about the longer-term impact the virus outbreak will have on their companies.

"There's great pain out there," said Suzanne Clark, president of the U.S. Chamber of Commerce. "Every hour and day that goes by without this assistance is really hurting them."

Mnuchin, Schumer and Hogan appeared on CNN's "State of the Union," and Clark spoke on CBS' "Face the Nation."

READ: Pa. rolls out directory for businesses to find vital supplies to address outbreak
London, April 19 : Researchers have found that elderly patients who are hospitalised with pneumonia are twice as likely to die as those hospitalised with hip fractures.

Pneumonia is a common lung infection that can be life-threatening, especially in elderly people. Despite these concerns, elderly people mostly fail to accurately gauge their own pneumonia risk, leading to inadequate prevention efforts, especially low uptake of existing vaccines.

The mismatch between the high risk of disease and death from pneumonia and low awareness of its potential severity represents a driver of unhealthy ageing.

On the contrary, breaking a hip is widely recognised as a major concern for the elderly. To change this trivialisation of pneumonia in the elderly and help increase vaccination uptake, the researchers at the University of Tours in France, compared the two-year outcome for elderly patients aged 80 years and over after hospitalisation for acute respiratory infection (ARI).

For the findings, a 2009-15 population-based cohort study was performed in one French region (Centre-Val de Loire, 2.5 million inhabitants), which is served by one university hospital, one regional hospital and 37 general and private hospitals, using medico-administrative data collected from the French national hospital discharge database.

All patients are assigned a unique identification number, allowing the same individual to be followed over time.

The researchers defined cases of patients aged 80 years or over hospitalised for ARI or hip fracture (HF) using standard diagnostic criteria.

The main outcome was the two-year mortality of the two patient groups. Statistical modelling was used to calculate the overall survival and the relative mortality risks of ARI versus HF.

A total of 16,917 patients aged 80 years and over hospitalised for ARI (12,159) or HF (4,758) were included.

The data showed that patients hospitalised for ARI had more comorbidities and a 3.3-fold greater unadjusted in-hospital mortality (17.9 per cent mortality for respiratory infection and 5.4 per cent for hip fracture).

After adjusting for comorbid conditions and frailty score (as well as age and sex), the overall risk of death at two years for elderly patients hospitalised for ARI was 80 per cent higher than those hospitalised with HF.

"We hope that placing the consequences of pneumonia in relation to the consequences of a hip fracture may provide a useful perspective for discussions of pneumonia and its prevention with ageing populations," the authors concluded.

The current research is due to be presented at the European Congress of Clinical Microbiology and Infectious Diseases (ECCMID).

--IANS bu/dpb
Iran's defense ministry makes mass delivery of new drones to army

Iran Press TV

Saturday, 18 April 2020 10:42 AM

Iran's defense ministry has made mass delivery of new combat and surveillance drones, including a jet-powered multipurpose UAV (unmanned aerial vehicle) to Army's Air force and Air Defense Force.

The event took place during an official ceremony at the Iran Aviation Industries Organization (IAIO) in Isfahan with the presence of Defense Minister Brigadier General Amir Hatami and other senior military officials, a day after Iran's Army Day.

Speaking during the ceremony, Hatami said that the multipurpose jet-powered UAV could travel at speeds of 900 kmph and conduct operations at an altitude of 12 kilometers.

He added that the drone can fly for up to 180 minutes and have a range of 1000 kilometers.

Mass delivery of Ababil 3 and Karar drones

During the ceremony, a large contingent of Ababil 3 and Karar drones was also delivered to the Air force.

Speaking about the Ababil-3 drone, Hatami said that the drone is a medium-range surveillance craft capable of conducting airstrikes within a 150 kilometer radius.

He also said that the Karar drone is a strategic combat drone which can deliver payloads comparable to manned aircraft.

He added that the drone has pin-point attack capability and can be used in suicide attacks.

Iran has taken great strides seeking to attain self-sufficiency in producing essential military equipment and defense systems in the face of decades-long US sanctions and arms embargoes on the country.

Earlier this month, Iran announced that it is planning to produce a 6,000 ton destroyer later this year.

According to a statement by Iran's Navy commander last week, Iran is also considering the development of nuclear-powered submarines.

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Museums across the state have been closed for more than a month.

But New Mexico residents have plenty of choices to view art  all while being responsible and social distancing.

The city of Albuquerques Public Art Program has been around for more than four decades and has had $20 million allocated for the art.

During that time, it has acquired more than 1,000 pieces, which are displayed for the public to view.

Shelle Sanchez, director of the citys Cultural Services Department, is proud of the programs collection because it represents the diversity of the city.

As so many of us take our solitary walks during these times of social distancing, the public art integrated into many parks and open spaces around the city are great moments of inspiration, Sanchez says.

Sanchez suggests making murosabq.com the first stop to learn about murals throughout the city. The city doesnt run the site but has teamed up with it to continue its service.

 Resilience by Nani Chacon, at Washington Middle School, is a good mural to visit in person or online for our current times, Sanchez says.

Washington Middle School is at 1101 Park SW.

Chacon is a Dine artist who was born in Gallup and grew up in Chinle, Arizona, and Corrales.

At 16, she was introduced to graffiti and began a 10-year career as a graffiti artist. Chacon works in large murals, with content addressing social, environmental and political justices that affect native peoples.

Resilience took two years to complete, and Chacon worked with 21 students.

The influence for the mural is Maclovia Zamora, an expert in Native and medicinal plants.

According to murosabq.com, the lead artist began to see weeds as a symbol of Barelas, interweaving the historic narratives of farming in the area.

Like the weeds, Barelas looks ordinary at first but has remarkable qualities and is remarkably resilient, along with its people. She represented their resilience with weeds, their strength with butterflies and their future with children, the post said.

In Piedra Lisa Park, near Menaul and Punta de Vista NE in the foothills, visitors will find Mountain Waves by David Witherspoon.

It was installed in 1986.

(It) grows of out of the landscape echoing the connection between the ancient oceans and our mountains that we see each day  quietly reflecting millennia of natural history that brought the Sandia Mountains to this place, Sanchez says.

At Alamosa Park, 1100 Bataan SW, visitors will find David Wagners Star Chair, installed in 2014.

(Its) a smaller work of art but feels like a big invitation to stop and breathe in the awe-inspiring beauty of our New Mexico sky either by day or night, Sanchez says.

Tingley Beach, 1800 Tingley SW, is known for its outdoor fun. Whether its fishing or just walking the trails, there is something for everyone.

While walking the premises, visitors will notice a huge metal dome, or Fish Globe, by Collette Hosmer.

The artwork, funded by the nonprofit Albuquerque Community Foundation,was installed in 2007.

 The Fish Globe at Tingley Beach is a playful, large sculpture honoring a small object, a reminder that very small things can have a very big impact and magnifying the details can completely change how we understand any thing, Sanchez says.

The tour ends at Altura Park, 4200 Hannett NE, where The Guardians by Nora Naranjo Morse resides.

Naranjo Morses sculpture was installed in 2013.

 The Guardians at Altura Park are made of stone  standing strong about 6 feet from each other  and watching over the park, the people, the dogs, the trees, the city, and a now perhaps a reminder for all of us to be guardians of our community health on our solitary walks and still breathe in the beauty, Sanchez says.

The city has an interactive map on where to find all of the public art pieces at cabq.gov/culturalservices.

Online

To visit the city of Albuquerques interactive public art map, visit cabq.gov and search for interactive public art map.

Editors note: The third Sunday of each month, Journal Arts Editor Adrian Gomez tells the stories behind some of the hidden gems you can see across the state in Gimme Five.
The Rev. Allain Caparas, president and principal of Saint Joseph High School in Hammonton, waves to cars as they pass by during a show of support for the school, Sunday, April 19, 2020. The Diocese of Camden announced it would be closing five Catholic school in southern New Jersey. (Tim Hawk | NJ Advance Media for NJ.com)

The Rev. Allain Caparas stood outside Saint Joseph High School in Hammonton Sunday afternoon wearing a yellow facemask and red sweater, bearing the Catholic school's name.

The principal waved as 300 cars full of students, parents, alumni and community members drove past him to show support for the school after it was announced on Friday that it would be closing.

"It's a tremendous source of support and love for our school community," said Caparas.

The Diocese of Camden announced that it would be permanently closing Saint Joseph and four other Catholic schools in southern New Jersey at the end of the academic year due to financial problems made worse by the coronavirus pandemic.

The other schools include Wildwood Catholic High School and Cape Trinity Catholic Elementary School, both in Wildwood; Good Shepherd Regional Elementary School in Collingswood. The diocese said that the schools also have seen their enrollment drop significantly in recent years making them financially unviable.

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A car rally in support of Saint Joseph High School and Elementary School passes by the school in Hammonton, Sunday, April 19, 2020. The Diocese of Camden announced it would be closing five Catholic school in southern New Jersey. (Tim Hawk | NJ Advance Media for NJ.com)

The car parade was organized by Denise DiGerolamo and Melissa Bartolone -- who both have children in the Saint Joseph School system -- after the mayor and police chief gave their blessing for the event as long as everyone stayed in their cars and followed strict guidelines.

"We just wanted to show that we're St. Joe's strong, and we can come together as a family and hopefully save the school," said DiGerolamo.

The parade began at Mt. Carmel Carnival Grounds, traveled along Peach Street where it made a right on Central Avenue passing the school.

For approximately 45 minutes Caparas waved and shot video with his phone and said "I love you," and "God Bless," over and over as red and white decorated cars passed by him with signs that read "St. Joe strong" and "save our schools."

"It's devastating for us," said Caparas when asked about the closure. "We're all saddened by it but I'm confident with this community we're going to get through it."

"We won't go down easy," said Scott DiGerolamo, who is part of a team of alumni and supporters working together to try and save the school.

Scroll down below to see more pictures of the car parade.

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A car rally in support of Saint Joseph High School and Elementary School passes by the school in Hammonton, Sunday, April 19, 2020. The Diocese of Camden announced it would be closing five Catholic school in southern New Jersey. (Tim Hawk | NJ Advance Media for NJ.com)

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The Rev. Allain Caparas, president and principal of Saint Joseph High School in Hammonton, waves to cars as they pass by during a show of support for the school, Sunday, April 19, 2020. The Diocese of Camden announced it would be closing five Catholic school in southern New Jersey. (Tim Hawk | NJ Advance Media for NJ.com)

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A car rally in support of Saint Joseph High School and Elementary School passes by the school in Hammonton, Sunday, April 19, 2020. The Diocese of Camden announced it would be closing five Catholic school in southern New Jersey. (Tim Hawk | NJ Advance Media for NJ.com)

Don't Edit

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The Rev. Allain Caparas, president and principal of Saint Joseph High School in Hammonton, waves to cars as they pass by during a show of support for the school, Sunday, April 19, 2020. The Diocese of Camden announced it would be closing five Catholic school in southern New Jersey. (Tim Hawk | NJ Advance Media for NJ.com)

Don't Edit

A car rally in support of Saint Joseph High School and Elementary School passes by the school in Hammonton, Sunday, April 19, 2020. The Diocese of Camden announced it would be closing five Catholic school in southern New Jersey. (Tim Hawk | NJ Advance Media for NJ.com)

Don't Edit

A car rally in support of Saint Joseph High School and Elementary School passes by the school in Hammonton, Sunday, April 19, 2020. The Diocese of Camden announced it would be closing five Catholic school in southern New Jersey. (Tim Hawk | NJ Advance Media for NJ.com)

Don't Edit

A car rally in support of Saint Joseph High School and Elementary School passes by the school in Hammonton, Sunday, April 19, 2020. The Diocese of Camden announced it would be closing five Catholic school in southern New Jersey. (Tim Hawk | NJ Advance Media for NJ.com)

Don't Edit

The Rev. Allain Caparas, president and principal of Saint Joseph High School in Hammonton, waves to cars as they pass by during a show of support for the school, Sunday, April 19, 2020. The Diocese of Camden announced it would be closing five Catholic school in southern New Jersey. (Tim Hawk | NJ Advance Media for NJ.com)

Don't Edit

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A car rally in support of Saint Joseph High School and Elementary School passes by the school in Hammonton, Sunday, April 19, 2020. The Diocese of Camden announced it would be closing five Catholic school in southern New Jersey. (Tim Hawk | NJ Advance Media for NJ.com)

Don't Edit

A car rally in support of Saint Joseph High School and Elementary School passes by the school in Hammonton, Sunday, April 19, 2020. The Diocese of Camden announced it would be closing five Catholic school in southern New Jersey. (Tim Hawk | NJ Advance Media for NJ.com)

Don't Edit

A car rally in support of Saint Joseph High School and Elementary School passes by the school in Hammonton, Sunday, April 19, 2020. The Diocese of Camden announced it would be closing five Catholic school in southern New Jersey. (Tim Hawk | NJ Advance Media for NJ.com)

Don't Edit

A car rally in support of Saint Joseph High School and Elementary School passes by the school in Hammonton, Sunday, April 19, 2020. The Diocese of Camden announced it would be closing five Catholic school in southern New Jersey. (Tim Hawk | NJ Advance Media for NJ.com)

Don't Edit

A car rally in support of Saint Joseph High School and Elementary School passes by the school in Hammonton, Sunday, April 19, 2020. The Diocese of Camden announced it would be closing five Catholic school in southern New Jersey. (Tim Hawk | NJ Advance Media for NJ.com)

Don't Edit

Don't Edit

A car rally in support of Saint Joseph High School and Elementary School passes by the school in Hammonton, Sunday, April 19, 2020. The Diocese of Camden announced it would be closing five Catholic school in southern New Jersey. (Tim Hawk | NJ Advance Media for NJ.com)

Don't Edit

A car rally in support of Saint Joseph High School and Elementary School passes by the school in Hammonton, Sunday, April 19, 2020. The Diocese of Camden announced it would be closing five Catholic school in southern New Jersey. (Tim Hawk | NJ Advance Media for NJ.com)

Don't Edit

A car rally in support of Saint Joseph High School and Elementary School passes by the school in Hammonton, Sunday, April 19, 2020. The Diocese of Camden announced it would be closing five Catholic school in southern New Jersey. (Tim Hawk | NJ Advance Media for NJ.com)

Don't Edit

A car rally in support of Saint Joseph High School and Elementary School passes by the school in Hammonton, Sunday, April 19, 2020. The Diocese of Camden announced it would be closing five Catholic school in southern New Jersey. (Tim Hawk | NJ Advance Media for NJ.com)

Don't Edit

The Rev. Allain Caparas, president and principal of Saint Joseph High School in Hammonton, waves to cars as they pass by during a show of support for the school, Sunday, April 19, 2020. The Diocese of Camden announced it would be closing five Catholic school in southern New Jersey. (Tim Hawk | NJ Advance Media for NJ.com)

Don't Edit

Don't Edit

A car rally in support of Saint Joseph High School and Elementary School passes by the school in Hammonton, Sunday, April 19, 2020. The Diocese of Camden announced it would be closing five Catholic school in southern New Jersey. (Tim Hawk | NJ Advance Media for NJ.com)

Tell us your coronavirus stories, whether it's 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.

Tim Hawk may be reached at thawk@njadvancemedia.com. Follow Tim on Instagram@photog_hawk and Twitter @photogthawk. Have a tip? Tell us. nj.com/tips.
Whats the price of a good socialist these days? A wilted rose, dog-eared copy of Das Kapital, and a glass of Chateau Margaux 1848?

Or is it just a dais and eleven and a half minutes of speaking time at a major partys televised debate?

Senator Bernie Sanders has endorsed former vice president Joe Biden, effectively bringing a close to the Democratic presidential primary, nine months, roughly thirty candidates, and one billion heaping dollars later.

Today, I am asking all Americans -- I'm asking every Democrat; Im asking every independent; Im asking a lot of Republicans -- to come together in this campaign to support your candidacy, Bernie announced on a livestream with his ci-devant rival for the nomination. Bernie sounded a bipartisan, conciliatory tone, but, in actuality, he was speaking to his own supporters, whose contumacious Guevaraism may cause them to sit out in November.

That Bernie deigned to endorse Biden this early may have caught his supporters unawares. In 2016, he waited until July to give Hillary Clinton his approbatory bestowal. Not even Elizabeth Warren, whose campaign was a disappointing patch on her senatorial comrade, had yet given the erstwhile veep her blessing. (Warren fell in line not twenty-four hours later, putting out a slick and smarmy composite video to accompany her endorsement. She persisted is out; she propitiated a man for a cabinet position is in.)

Now comes the four-hundred-million-dollar question: will Bernies most fervent disciples accept defeat once again, and accede to the very establishment they disavowed? Ive got news for the Republican establishment. Ive got news for the Democratic establishment. They cant stop us, Sanders tweeted in the fevered run-up to his decisive victory in the Nevada caucus. Back then, Bernies victory seemed ineluctable. His vitiation of the Democratic Partys supremacy was a forgone conclusion.

Now his selfsame followers who chanted DNC delenda est have to reckon with two dashed hopes: their candidates loss and bending the knee to the victor.

Spoiler: Joe Biden, Tom Perez, Nancy Pelosi, Michael Bloomberg, and George Soros shouldnt be hag-ridden by the nightmarish scenarios of a Bernie-Bro boycott on Election Day. Except for a statistically insignificant clutch of diehards, the socialist flank of the party will swallow their pride and pull the lever for ol Joe.

This may not be apparent right now, with Bernies cadre of online apparats refusing to accept that the dialectical materialist awakening wont be happening this year. The official Democratic Socialists of America Twitter account put down its marker: We are not endorsing @JoeBiden. Theres a video circulating of a gamine millennial Sanderista begging Democrats, please dont make me vote for Joe Biden, in a syncopated trill, shaking an aspirin bottle.

Sanders surrogate and harpy congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez is withholding her embrace of Biden until she gets policy concessions, i.e. single-payer health care. Like a true socialist, she seems unaware of the commercial art of negotiation: her team lacks leverage. Soon, Sandy Os party will fully endorse Biden. The Queens commie, like all celebrated It Girls, will conform to expectations.

Anti-Biden pleas and declarations from left field are safe to make now. They cost nothing, and have no electoral consequences. Theyre a way of blowing off steam over failing to turn the DNC into the American Gosplan. Come autumn, these heady proclamations will be forgotten, and the hard socialist left will toe the line, as if obeying the warden at a katorga camp.

How can we be sure? Consider the leftist mindset: everything is ideological machtpolitik, not politics in the traditional sense, the push and pull of moving society ever closer to the common good. Political power isnt the only thing that grows from the barrel of a gun; so does the uber-lefts sense of meaning. Progress can only be made holding the levers of control. Once the grip is secure, subversion becomes easier, especially within the obnubilated bowels of the federal bureaucracy. Just ask Whittaker Chambers, or Carter Page.

Power-mongering is the modus operandi of the serious progressive. Retaking the White House is the fastest way to recruiting more like-minded true believers in positions of authority. Like Faust courting Mephistopheles, Bernie backers are willing to trade their external principles for an internal goal of long-term graduation to a workers paradise. The right derides this as incrementalism; the left sees it as necessary politics.

There is no tuning in and dropping out for Bernies apostles of Bolshevism. Everything is political participation to democratic socialists. They will apply a moralistic squint towards all of Bidens failures: his un-progressive record, his lack of conviction, his handsy, overly friendly demeanor towards the opposite sex.

President Trump shouldnt count on a schism within the Democratic Party to occasion another victory. The left will rally behind its most cohesive element: hating the current occupant of the White House. Socialist, moderate, syndicalist, or neoliberal -- no matter the label, the defeat of Donald Trump is a victory for the left all the same.
After taking a hit in the first quarter due to the COVID-19 outbreak, China's economy is expected to see a recovery in the second quarter, an International Monetary Fund (IMF) official has said.



"News of the widespread re-opening of firms and the return of employees to work give us hope that we will see a recovery in Q2," Kenneth Kang, deputy director of Asia and Pacific Department at the IMF, told Xinhua in a recent written interview.

Amid COVID-19 impact, China's gross domestic product (GDP) in the first quarter shrank 6.8 percent year on year, according to data released Friday by China's National Bureau of Statistics.

China is one of the few major economies that could see economic expansion this year, according to the IMF's recently released World Economic Outlook report, which projected global economy to decline by 3 percent in 2020.

Advanced economies are on track to contract by 6.1 percent, while emerging market and developing economies, which typically have growth levels well above advanced economies, will shrink by 1 percent, according to the report.

China's domestic activity is expected to rebound and continue to recover in the second half of this year as the containment measures are withdrawn and policy support gains strength, Kang said.

As economic activity normalizes and returns toward its pre-virus trend, China's economic growth will improve, Kang said, while noting that the outlook faces "downside risks."

"The virus could return and force new containment measures that would impede growth," he said. "Global growth could slow further as the pandemic continues to affect other countries."

The IMF official noted that Chinese policymakers have reacted strongly to the outbreak. "They have taken targeted action to contain the virus, mitigate its impact on the economy, and support the recovery. This has been the right approach," Kang said.

"In addition to supporting the medical response, fiscal measures should build on efforts to rebalance the economy and foster long-term sustainable growth," he said.

The IMF official also suggested China continue contributing to global solutions to fight the outbreak by increasing its production capacity of critical medical equipment and supporting international efforts to provide debt relief for low-income countries.

He noted that several Asian countries, including China, have supported the IMF through its Catastrophe Containment and Relief Trust, which provides immediate debt relief to low-income countries affected by the crisis.

According to the IMF's latest projection, growth in Asia is expected to stall at zero percent in 2020 due to the pandemic, the lowest growth since the 1960s. Despite the "remarkable downgrade," Kang said Asia is in better shape than other regions and may recover faster.

"Since Asia was hit by the virus before others, a recovery may begin earlier, with growth in 2021 expected to rise to 7.6 percent," Kang said, though adding that not all the lost growth can be made up quickly.

The IMF official stressed that there is considerable uncertainty around the forecasts.

"One of the difficulties in forecasting growth is that economies in Asia are at different stages of the pandemic," he said. "The final outcome will depend on the effectiveness of the containment measures and the possibility of a second wave of outbreaks."

Kang said the hope is that policymakers around the world will continue to work to contain the outbreak, blunt its impact, and keep the recovery on track. Citing remarks from IMF Managing Director Kristalina Georgieva, Kang said many of these measures are more effective if they are implemented together.

"Indeed, we are seeing international cooperation in many key areas, such as the provision of liquidity through swap lines, and fiscal policy is being rolled out in a growing number of countries," Kang said.

The IMF official said countries should avoid trade restrictions on medical and health products to ensure that they go to where they are most needed, noting that countries with limited health care capacity and resources will need international aid to prepare for and weather the pandemic.

"The health emergency is a powerful reminder of the need for policy coordination and solidarity in an interconnected world," Kang said.

The IMF projected that global trade will decline by about 11 percent this year, but rebound strongly by about 8.5 percent next year "in line with a recovery of the global economy," he noted, calling for strong multilateral cooperation to complement national policy efforts.

"Countries should cooperate to reduce tariff and nontariff barriers that impede cross-border trade and investment and to strengthen global supply chains as the recovery takes hold," he said.
Human Wreckage: Pondering Lenins Legacy on 150th Anniversary of His Birth

Commentary

Canadas Liberal government has dragged its feet on acknowledging the duplicity of the Chinese Communist Party throughout the COVID-19 crisis. Occasionally, as when Health Minister Patty Hajdu recently told a journalist that accusing China of concealing the extent of its outbreak was feeding into conspiracy theories, the Canadian response has skirted useful idiot territory.

The trope useful idiot is often attributed to Lenin, although no textual evidence of him saying it exists. There is a documented phrase in the Serbo-Croation language for liberals who consent to collaborate with communists, which translates as useful innocents, a politer version and more applicable to the embarrassing naivete regarding China and its ambitions we often see on full display in the Trudeau government. (Trudeau fils comes by his China naivete honestly; Trudeau pere fawned, serially, over Soviet Russia, China, and Cuba.)

April 22 marks the 150th anniversary of Lenins birth. Mired in our current dystopia, its a fitting moment to consider his enormous contribution to the communist movement and the incalculable human wreckage it spawned in the Soviet Union, China, North Korea, and various other countries bent on achieving the perfect but ever-elusive omelet for which so many millions of human eggs have been sacrificed.

The Soviet Union crumpled, but Lenins mindset has shaped our political world and endures everywhere, including the progressive dream palaces on western campuses. He introduced the world to the one-party state and the form of rule, based on terror, known as totalitarianism. Bloodthirstiness was commonplace in history, but previous tyrants only murdered other people. No other nation ever had the criminal category member of a family of a traitor to the fatherland, or camps set aside for wives of enemies of the people. Many people believe show trials were a Stalinist invention, but Lenin staged a show trial of Socialist Revolutionary Party leaders in 1922.

Numbers speak louder than words. Under tsarist rule, from 1876 to 1904 in Russia, 486 people were executed, including political actorsabout 17 a year. Post-revolution, from June 1918 to October 1919, more than 16,000 people were executedabout 1,000 a month. In the years of the Great Terror, 1937 and 1938, half a million political prisoners were shotabout 20,000 a month. By contrast, the Spanish Inquisition, in the 80 years of its existence, saw an average of 10 heretics a month condemned to death.

Last September, Gary Saul Morson, professor of Slavic languages and literature at Northwestern University, delivered a lecture on Lenin to The New Criterion magazines inaugural Circle Lecture. He considers himself an expert in Leninthink, because he was, like David Horowitz, author of the 10-volume Black Book of the American Left (most of which I have reviewed for FrontPage Magazine), a pink-diaper baby. I know this way of thinking in my bones, he said.

For Lenin, all interactions are a zero-sum game, symbolized in his famous Who, Whom? question. Who has the power? Who annihilates whom? Lenin hated capitalism because it is generally a win-win for buyers and sellers. To him, any free-marketplace transaction, however picayune, was profiteering (a capital crime).

Thus, there are no middle courses. Only extreme solutions work. In such a scheme, empathy is superfluous to requirements. Suppression of empathy was therefore a matter of principle for Lenin. Morson writes, I know of no other society, except those modeled on the one Lenin created, where schoolchildren were taught that mercy, kindness, and pity are vices. Empathy might lead to hesitation in denouncing ones parents, after all. The word conscience was replaced by consciousness and was always linked to ideology. Lenin said, A good communist is also a good Chekist.

Terror wasnt a bug in Lenins system, but a feature. When we are reproached with cruelty, he said, we wonder how people can forget the most elementary Marxism. Lenin approvingly defined dictatorship as nothing other than power which is totally unlimited by any laws, totally unrestrained by absolutely any rules, and based directly on force. He thought only maximal violence would yield the necessary discipline for advancing the revolution.

Lenins first biographer, Dmitri Volkogonov, believed violence was a goal in itself for Lenin. He quotes Lenin in 1908 recommending real, nationwide terror, which invigorates the country and through which the Great French Revolution achieved glory. He constantly exhorted his minions to kill people without pity, demanding people be exterminated mercilessly (Polish scholar Leszek Kowalkowski quite reasonably wondered how one might exterminate people mercifully).

In fact, when the first Soviet legal code was being drawn up by the Peoples Commissariat for Justice, Lenin demanded that terror and the arbitrary use of power be written into the code. The law should not abolish terror, he declared. It should be substantiated and legalized in principle, clearly, without evasion or embellishment. This, Morson said, is another first in a national legal code.

It has often been pointed out that that the Soviet Constitution of 1936 guarantees its citizens more rights than Western states grant theirs. One Soviet man told Morson that USSR citizens had complete freedom of speechas long as they did not lie. Morson wryly comments that he recalled this curious concept of freedom when a student defended complete freedom of speech except for hate speech, hate speech being either something he disagreed with or a dog whistle to something he disagreed with.

True communist believers have no life apart from the Party (Partiinost). George Orwell understood that the essence of totalitarianism is a citizen who does not himself distinguish between right and wrong. Right is what the Party says; everything else must therefore be wrong.

In The Gulag Archipelago, Alexander Solzhenitsyn observed that Shakespeares tragic protagonists are content to murder only a handful of people. They stop killing, he explained, because they have no ideology.

Social justice warriors are ideologues, but are they Leninists? No. As Lenin pointed out in What is to be Done, theres a spectrum. A few people at the top understand what is going on. Then there are those who just practice the appropriate responses. Finally, there are the entirely innocent, but supremely gullible foot soldiers. The real questions are, Morson said, is there such a spectrum now, and how do we locate people on it? And if there is such a spectrum, what do we do about it?

And if we do not find answers to those questions now, when we are faced with a communist regime whose ambitions are as boundless as Lenins and their vision of life as ruthless, but their version of terror simply a little more nuanced and sophisticated, then when?

Barbara Kay has been a weekly columnist for the National Post since 2003, and also writes for other publications including ThePostMillennial.com, Canadian Jewish News, Quillette, and The Dorchester Review. She is the author of three books.

Views expressed in this article are the opinions of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of The Epoch Times.
Billionaire pub baron Justin Hemmes has allowed three models to self-isolate in his $60million mansion.

The Merivale boss, whose 70 hospitality venues have been forced to close during the coronavirus pandemic, has reportedly let the models stay at his sprawling historic home in the exclusive Sydney suburb of Vaucluse.

Included among the guests are Madeline Holtznagel, who shared a series of photos on social media of her relaxing at the luxurious waterfront property.

Madeline Holtznagel is among three models invited to self-isolate during the coronavirus pandemic in billionaire Justin Hemmes' luxurious home in Sydney's exclusive Vaucluse

Ms Holtznagel shared a photo of her relaxing in the property's courtyard in an Instagram post this week

Four women in total are staying at Mr Hemmes' house, Sydney Confidential reported.

Ms Holtznagel, the sister of Simone Holtznagel who shot to fame on Australia's Next Top Model, shared a photo of her relaxing in the property's courtyard in an Instagram post this week.

'Iso relaxed,' she wrote alongside the photo of her in a face mask and towel with her legs sprawled out over a patio table.

She captioned another post on April 8 of her on the property in a black playsuit 'just frolicking around the house'.

Daily Mail Australia has contacted Mr Hemmes and Ms Holtznagel's management company for comment.

The businessman himself is staying in the country at another of his properties with his two young daughters, Alexa and Saachi.

The heritage-listed harbourfront home has previously been estimated to be worth 'more than $60 million'

Mr Hemmes pictured with his ex-partner Kate Fowler. He is said to be living at one of his other properties out of the country while the models are living at his Vaucluse home

He shares his two children with his ex-partner Kate Fowler, who he announced he had split from in July 2018.

Last year, it was reported by The Daily Telegraph Mr Hemmes had purchased a property for Ms Fowler in a neighboring suburb.

He bought her a $7.5million home in Dover Heights - less than a 10-minute drive from his Vaucluse mansion.

The heritage-listed harbourfront home has previously been estimated to be worth 'more than $60 million'.
Islamabad, April 19 : Pakistan would allow some airlines to bring back stranded Pakistanis despite a restriction on international flights to the country, a top official said.

At an electronic news conference on Saturday, Special Assistant to the Prime Minister on Overseas Pakistanis Zulfi Bukhari also said that the government would facilitate the burial in Pakistan of those who died abroad during the coronavirus pandemic, reports Dawn news.

There are more than 100 Pakistanis among almost 40,000 who have died of this deadly virus in the US since late January.

Bukhari advised Pakistanis stranded in the US to take Qatar Airways to Doha where the government was making special arrangements for taking them home.

"We are working on various options and a decision is expected soon," said Pakistan's Ambassador Asad Majeed Khan while addressing the same news briefing.

The Civil Aviation Authority announced in Pakistan earlier on Saturday that international and domestic flights to the country will remain suspended till April 30, Dawn news reported.

It also announced that exceptions have been made for chartered international flights within the limits required to control the spread of COVID-19.

The adviser said that pilgrims returning from Iran via Taftan did not spread coronavirus in Pakistan.

"Some passengers, returning from Iran and Saudi Arabia, by planes might have been infected but not those who used the Taftan border," he said.
France rejects US anti-China claim of COVID-19 link to Wuhan lab

Iran Press TV

Saturday, 18 April 2020 7:32 AM

The French government has rejected as unfounded the recent US allegations linking a Chinese research laboratory in the city of Wuhan to the new coronavirus.

"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," said an official at the office of French President Emmanuel Macron on Friday as quoted in a Reuters report.

The development came after US President Donald Trump claimed on Wednesday that his administration was trying to determine whether the coronavirus emanated from a lab in Wuhan  where the current pandemic originated -- and his hawkish Secretary of State Mike Pompeo asserted Beijing "needs to come clean" on what they know.

Such accusatory remarks came, however, even after Chairman of the US Joint Chiefs of Staff General Mark Milley specifically pointed to US intelligence a day earlier indicating that the coronavirus had likely occurred naturally, contrary to being generated in a Chinese laboratory. He further noted that in either case, there is so far no certainty.

Moreover, influential US-based daily The Washington Post further reported earlier in the week that the Trump administration's national security officials have long suspected research facilities in Wuhan are the source of the novel coronavirus outbreak.

Since February, China's Wuhan Institute of Virology dismissed mainly US-based rumors that the virus may have been artificially synthesized at one of its laboratories or possibly escaped from such a facility.

This is while the broad scientific consensus holds that SARS-CoV-2 -- the official name of the coronavirus -- originated in bats.

France and China signed an agreement in 2004 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.

Meanwhile, China's foreign ministry has also slammed recent remarks by the US president and his top diplomat Pompeo that the novel coronavirus was first created in a Wuhan lab.

The World Health Organization (WHO) has said "multiple times there is no evidence the new coronavirus was created in a laboratory. Many well-known medical experts in the world also believe that claims of the so-called laboratory leaks have no scientific basis," said the ministry's spokesman Zhao Lijian on Thursday.

Lijian also accused Washington of making false claims against Beijing regarding nuclear testing violation during a Friday press briefing, further underlining that the Trump administration was already too eager to blame the country for the coronavirus pandemic as well.

"China has always adopted a responsible attitude, earnestly fulfilling the international obligations and promises it has assumed," Zhao said at a briefing. "The US accusation against China is made of thin air, which is totally unfounded and not worth refuting."

Putin, Xi slam US bid to blame China for COVID-19

Meanwhile, Russian President Vladimir Putin and his Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping rejected as counterproductive persisting attempts to blame Beijing for holding information about the coronavirus, according to a Kremlin statement on Thursday.

Putin and Xi held a phone conversation after the Trump administration scolded China for not sharing virus data more quickly.

During the exchange, the Kremlin noted, Putin praised "consistent and effective actions" of the Chinese "which allowed the epidemiological situation in the country to stabilize."

The two leaders did not refer to the White House directly but underlined the "counter productiveness" of efforts to blame Beijing for not informing the world quickly enough regarding the appearance of a dangerous new infection.

Xi further described attempts to politicize the pandemic "detrimental to international cooperation," according to China's description of the conversation as reported by state-run Xinhua news agency.

The report further cited Putin as calling "attempts by some people to smear China" over the virus "unacceptable."

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.

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Prince William and Kate Middletons final public interaction with Prince Harry and Meghan Markle did not go over well. Many royal watchers thought the couples acted cold and distant towards each other, despite the familys desire to display a united front amid Megxit. With the Sussexes exit now official, royal expert Melanie Bromley believes their last interaction was not as bad as everyone thought.

Prince William, Prince Harry, Kate Middleton, and Meghan Markle | Phil Harris / POOL / AFP/via Getty Images

Inside Prince William and Kate Middletons last interaction with the Sussexes

In early March, Harry and Meghan, Duchess of Sussex, returned to the United Kingdom for one last round of royal engagements. The couple took part in several joint events, including a final appearance at the Commonwealth Day service.

William and Kate, Duchess of Cambridge, attended the event and sat one row ahead of Harry and Meghan. Queen Elizabeth, Prince Charles, and Camilla Parker Bowles also took part in the ceremony.

Royal watchers looked forward to the event because it was going to be the final appearance for the Fab Four. Fans also expected the royals to be on their best behavior, which is why they took so much flak over what happened.

Although they sat near each other, Prince William and Kate Middleton barely acknowledged Harry and Meghan when they reached their seat. The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge offered a quick welcoming nod to the Sussexes but did not react with them any further.

Harry and Meghan, meanwhile, spent most of the event talking to Prince Edward and Sophie Rhys-Jones, who was seated next to them. While most fans thought the interaction between the Cambridges and the Sussexes was cold, Bromley believes there was more to it than meets the eye.

Bromley says the Fab Fours final meeting was not as bad as it looked

In a recent interview, Bromley, the E! News Chief News Correspondent, pointed out how William and Kates last interaction with Harry and Meghan was a little deceiving. Although it appeared like there was tension between the couples, Bromley believes it was not as bad as it looked.

Im going to tell you what I disagree with. I dont think it was as bad as everybody saw, Bromley explained, adding that if Im not smiling, I look like Im in a mood as well. And its just the way my face lays.

Bromley added that it is pretty evident that things are not right between the Cambridges and the Sussexes. But considering how Harry and Meghan were on the verge of leaving, some tension between them was inevitable.

At the end of the day, Bromley does not believe the couples are out to get one another. Instead, she believes Prince William and Kate Middleton just have a different opinion about how things should have gone down.

Harry and Meghan announced their exit from the royal family at the beginning of the year. After weeks of ironing out the details, the couples departure became official on March 31. They are currently living in Los Angeles where they are believed to be looking to buy a home.

This one move shows that Prince William and Kate Middletons interaction wasnt cold

Queen Elizabeth holds a procession every year before heading into the Commonwealth Day service. Last year, William, Kate, Harry, and Meghan all took part in Her Majestys procession and interacted very warmly towards each other.

But in March, Harry and Meghan were not listed as part of the procession, likely due to the fact that this was their final engagement as acting members of the royal family. Instead, the Duke and Duchess of Sussex were ushered to their seat right before the service started.

Although Prince William and Kate were scheduled to appear in the procession, they backed out at the last minute. This allowed the Cambridges to take their seats alongside Harry and Meghan, a move that Bromley believes proves that things are not that cold between the couples.

Look, here we are. Its so important. And theres Harry and Meghan sitting in the pews. You know. I dont think it was as bad and as cold as people thought, but that might be me being naive, Bromley shared.

Prince William and Kate Middleton have not commented on their decision to back out of the procession at the last minute. The two have remained largely silent about Harry and Meghans exit and are currently busy helping out with the current crisis.
MasterChef winner Thomasina Miers is spinning a lot of plates. Between running her Wahaca restaurant chain in lockdown and fighting off a mild case of coronavirus, she's become a figurehead of her industry's last-ditch attempt to save itself from a bloodbath that could wipe out two million jobs.

Tomorrow, Miers and 12 fellow chief executives from high street brands including Burger King, pub chain Fuller's and TGI Fridays will make a final plea for Government aid in a letter to Chancellor Rishi Sunak.

The hospitality industry supports 4.5 million jobs and contributes 130 billion to the British economy each year  more than the aviation, car and pharmaceutical sectors combined.

Rescue plan: MasterChef winner Thomasina Miers is joining in calls for Government help

If the plea to the Government falls on deaf ears, the campaigners say around half of Britain's hospitality businesses, which are scrabbling to pay rents with no income while all restaurants are closed, could go bust.

'Our industry has been hardest hit by the coronavirus crisis, and it will be the last to recover,' says Miers, who has closed her 28 Wahaca and DF Mexico restaurants across the UK and furloughed 1,000 staff.

'If nothing is done, we are talking about 50 per cent of these businesses going under, and two million jobs will be lost. The impact of all those millions of people losing their jobs would be catastrophic for human lives, and equally catastrophic for the economy.'

Carluccio's, Chiquito and the Mark Hix restaurant chain are the biggest Covid-19 casualties in the industry so far. Insiders say dozens more brands are 'dead men walking', and are clinging on until they hear whether the Government throws them a lifeline.

Under the new rescue plans, drawn up by entrepreneur Jonathan Downey in consultation with commercial landlords, businesses forced to close by social distancing rules would receive a nine-month rent-free period until January.

In return, landlords would be exempt from the repayments on their bank loans for the same period. Unlike bailouts from other sectors, the proposals  called A National Time Out  wouldn't cost the taxpayer any more money.

Downey calls the plan, which Miers is supporting, 'business sorting things out for itself'. It just needs the Government to enact the legislation to allow it. The scheme is unlikely to be warmly received by the most hard-line commercial landlords, who have hired lawyers to keep rents rolling in during lockdown.

But Miers says if landlords don't share the pain now, they won't have any tenants left to fill their premises in nine months' time. Just two of her firm's landlords  Shaftesbury and Derwent, both in Central London  have so far agreed to a rent holiday.

'Landlords have to accept they are going to lose something in line with their tenants,' she says.

'We need to come together to work out a solution that doesn't create a bloodbath in the hospitality sector.'

Because industry margins were already threadbare before the crisis, she also believes it would be 'disastrous' for chains to reopen until they know they can trade profitably.

'None of us feel we will be back to normal in six months' time,' she says.

'A nine-month rent-free window would give businesses a chance to work out how they can get back up and running safely and successfully, and assess how the vaccine situation develops.'

Taste in TV: Thomasina's Netflix favourites include Sex Education (pictured)

LOCKDOWN FOR THOMASINA, 44 Family: Married to Mark, a fund manager at Liontrust, with three children aged nine, seven and three. Lives: West London. Lockdown routine: 'I've been doing a lot of cooking, such as baking sourdough bread, and if I'm feeling tense I go for a walk or a run. We do our park visit with the children after lunch, or go for a family cycle ride through the streets, which are blissfully quiet. The lockdown has turned me into a 1950s housewife. I've tidied the larder, it's now immaculate.' Lockdown streaming: Watching streamed opera, or the Netflix series Sex Education. Lockdown reading: Sitopia: How Food Can Save the World, by Carolyn Steel.

Miers co-founded Wahaca, a Mexican street food chain, 14 years ago after winning the first series of Masterchef and has already weathered 'horrendous business rates', 'rocketing rents' and increases to the Living Wage.

Coronavirus, though, is the toughest test yet. The social distancing imposed to tackle the spread of the disease kills the 'conviviality' of restaurants and bars, she says. How can a waiter pour wine from two metres away, she wonders  or customers enjoy a pint served from behind a Perspex screen?

Miers initially considered keeping her sites open for takeaway and delivery when the lockdown was enforced last month but decided it wasn't safe. 'In terms of maintaining social distancing and looking after our staff, we got nervous and decided as a business to shut it all down,' she says.

A link-up with Deliveroo, launched five months ago, has also been put on hold. This week, some furloughed Wahaca staff will start cooking for NHS workers in ten ICU units in London, through the volunteer Cook-19 scheme backed by chef Angela Hartnett.

'I've got all these empty kitchens and chefs who really want to help, saying 'Who can we cook for?',' Miers says.

Miers is a fierce champion of healthy eating and backs a charity that provides nutritious food for key workers and children on free school meals. She calls the poor quality of food in hospitals, schools and prisons a 'modern scandal'.

She adds: 'It is a national disgrace that we value food and health so badly that even NHS staff can't get access to proper meals. I would really love that to be addressed when we come out of this crisis.'

When Miers came down with suspected coronavirus a few weeks ago, she lost her sense of smell and taste  'that was really awful for a chef'  but recovered after a few days in bed with exhaustion and a headache.

She believes healthy eating helped her fight the virus and hopes the pandemic will inspire people to think more about where their food comes from.

She says: 'This is a chance to think more about how much we are prepared to pay for our food, because it costs a lot to grow  particularly if you are looking after the soil and the environment. We have to value our farmers more, and we have to pay them a proper wage, a fair living, because they are feeding us.'

Once the pandemic is over, it is uncertain how long social distancing restrictions will remain in place, or how a heavy blow to the economy this year will lead to fewer people eating out.

Miers is adamant, though, that the Government cannot allow the 'unsung heroes' of the economy to fail. 'We are an industry that matters,' she says. 'We are brilliant in getting people on a ladder of work. To make two million people unemployed would be a tragedy.'
Addressing Sundays Downing Street press briefing Gavin Williamson apologised directly to young people for the interruption to their studies, but confirmed there were no plans to re-open schools over the summer.

He said: Of course, I want nothing more than to see schools back, get them back to normal, make sure the children are sat around, learning, and experiencing the joy of being at school.

But I cant give you a date."

He insisted that five tests would need to be met before any easing of social distancing measures could be implemented.

Detailing these criteria, Mr Williamson said: First we must protect the NHSs ability to cope, and be sure that it can continue to provide critical care and specialist treatment right across the whole of the United Kingdom.

Second, we need to see daily death rates from coronavirus coming down.

Third, we need to have reliable data that shows the rate of infection is decreasing to manageable levels.

Four, we need to be confident that testing capacity and PPE is being managed, with supply able to meet, not just todays demand, but future demand.

And fifth, and perhaps most crucially, we need to be confident that any changes we do make will not risk a second peak of infections.

When we can be sure that we have met these five essential points, we can think about getting children into schools again, learning, mastering new ideas and being with their friends once more.

Gavin Williamson outlines five tests which must be met before schools reopen

Mr Williamson praised parents for home-schooling children during the ongoing lockdown.

He said: I recognise all the challenges that families will be facing at the moment. We are determined to support parents who are helping their children learn from home.

I think we all know how difficult that can be.

He then offered a direct address to the nations school kids, saying: To any young people watching, I wanted to say to you how sorry I am that youve had your education disrupted in this way.

I know how hard it must be, and Id like to thank you for making the adjustments that youve had to make.

I know you will be missing your friends, your teachers, your lessons.

I want you to know that you are such an important part of this fight too, and I cannot thank you enough for all that you are doing.

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

On measures taken in schools in other European countries to get them to open sooner like reducing class sizes, Mr Williamson said: Are we looking at other countries and learning from them? Absolutely.

And were seeing a few examples of countries opening up their schooling system and well look closely as to how that works, how that goes, and what lessons can be learnt from it so we can benefit from that.

His comments came after Michael Gove denied suggestions the Government had drawn up plans for a three-tiered relaxation of restrictions.

The reports claimed a traffic light strategy was about to be brought in which would see some schools and businesses allowed to reopen in mid-May.

Speaking on Sky Newss Sophy Ridge On Sunday programme, Mr Gove said: "It is the case that we are looking at all of the evidence. We have set some tests which need to be passed before we can think of easing restrictions in this lockdown.

"It's very important that when we are still in the process of making sure we can reduce the rate of infection and also reduce the number of deaths, that we maintain the number of steps that we have."

Meanwhile, children from disadvantaged backgrounds across England will receive free laptops and tablets to help them learn from home during the lockdown.

The move is part of a push to make remote education accessible for pupils while schools are closed.

A new online academy is also being launched to offer pupils 180 online lessons a week.

Mr Williamson said 4G routers will be provided to ensure disadvantaged secondary school pupils and care leavers can access the internet where those families do not already have mobile or broadband internet.

The Oak National Academy will launch on Monday, having been created by 40 teachers from some of the leading schools in England in less than a fortnight.

Its 180 video lessons per week will cover a broad range of subjects including maths, arts and languages for pupils ranging in age from reception to Year 10.

Electronic devices will be ordered for pupils in the most vital stages of their education for those who receive support from a social worker and care leavers, the Department for Education said.

Young people will be eligible for the devices if they do not already have one and either have a social worker or are care leavers, or are disadvantaged children in year 10, ahead of GCSEs next year.

The Department for Education said schools and colleges will be able to keep the laptops and tablets once they have reopened.

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SodaStream, an Israeli manufacturer of fizzy drink devices, gained visibility in the U.S. and Europe as a healthy and environment friendly alternative to carbonated giants like Coca Cola.

But soon after relocating from a controversial site in the occupied West Bank to a new facility in southern Israel, executives realised that the company is facing a new challenge: streamlining operations in order to stay competitive with low-cost manufacturer rivals from China while quenching a fast-growing thirst for its bubbly beverages.

To rein in costs and make SodaStreams four manufacturing lines more efficient, executives decided to automate assembly lines with robots, computerise production, and connect all manufacturing processes under one control system.

The multi-year project was aimed at boosting output to keep pace with 30 percent yearly sales surges, while utilising artificial intelligence, machine learning and cloud computing to get a better handle on optimising production.

We continued to grow rapidly and were packed with endless employees. The dining room was full. The production side was full. We knew that we wouldnt be able to allow ourselves to keep operating the same way whether in terms of space, efficiency, or in terms of costs, said Kfir Suissa, chief operation officer at SodaStream, which was acquired by PepsiCo in 2018 for US$3.2 billion.

In order to expand output per square feet, you need to develop creative solutions, based on automation and based on robots  this is the direction we are heading, Suissa said.

IoT sensors optimise machine performance

SodaStreams move is part of a global trend among industrial manufacturers to embrace the internet of things (IoT) by deploying sensors throughout plants, harnessing data, and migrating computing to the cloud. The innovation helps optimise machine performance, reduce downtime and automate shop floors.

Among Israeli multinationals, SodaStream is an outlier. While the country has been the launchpad for numerous technology businesses, there are precious few Israeli companies that manufacture consumer products domestically for sales abroad.

Some 1,400 employees work at its principal plant in Lehavim, located in southern Israel near the Bedouin Arab city of Rahav. The four production lines include syrup manufacturing, production of a metal cylinder for pressurized CO 2 for the fizz, a plastics production facility for the devices reusable bottle, and a plant that assembles all of the components.

The first element of the plant modernisation project involved automating the companys manual assembly lines. A year ago, assembly line and packaging robots went into operation, reducing headcount from 40 to two on some production lines, Suissa said.

AI cameras monitor for quality assurance

In another realm of the digitisation project, SodaStream is developing cameras powered by artificial intelligence that will sort CO 2 containers and perform quality assurance checks.

When you think about assembly, you think about China and India, said Suissa. If we want to compete with the Far East, we must develop those sophisticated tools. We need to improve.

In a report last year, Bain & Co. said that the market for industrial IoT is expected to reach $200 billion by 2021, though adoption among manufacturers is proceeding slower than expected. SodaStreams digital manufacturing push comes as the worlds top manufacturers are increasingly looking to Israeli startups for smart manufacturing solutions, especially in process optimization, connected factories, and industrial cyber security.

One of the goals of the SodaStream digital transformation is to monitor and improve efficiency of factory machinery  measured as Overall Equipment Effectiveness, or OEE.

To further improve the process, SodaStreams shop floor is full of screens that share real-time performance data available with operators, said SodaStream Chief Technology officer Nir Rehav. SodaStream recently completed the deployment of an equipment management tool  Infor EAM  that allows management to monitor 200 users via mobile devices, he said.

We didnt have any indication about whether the machinery was on or not running properly, he said. It allows an understanding if we are good enough.

Rehav said one of the main challenges he faces is choosing unified IT solutions that oversee and integrate all four manufacturing processes that go into SodaStreams final product.

SCADA system enables central management

For example, SodaStreams SCADA (supervisory control and data acquisition) software system needs to monitor a diverse complement of machinery at plants spread internationally. In all, the companys SCADA connects 1,000 machines.

As we have all kinds of machinery, its not always easy to connect the machinery, to understand the data, and to map the data, he said.

SodaStream chose Siemens Wincc SCADA, in part because the company already was using Siemens-based controllers on its shop floor. That made everything much easier, Rehav said.

To create value for the company, the IT tools have to be agile, he said. The demands are changing very fast. Were working in an environment where there is a lot of differentiation among the technology we are using.

Cyber security figures as another hurdle, Rehav said. If you have hundreds of connected machines, it means you have hundreds of users that you need to take care of, he said. Its a different world than a few years ago. Today, if the data connectivity does not work, its like, the machine is stopped.

After the project progressed, and SodaStream continued to add on cloud-based software-as-a-solution tools, technology executives realised the company would need to add an additional component into the IT architecture: a centralized cloud-based data warehouse.

Cloud-based data warehouse is key

SodaStream is finalizing a contract with the San Mateo, California, data warehouse startup unicorn, Snowflake. Rehav said the company selected Snowflakes warehouse is relatively easier to integrate with other software as a service systems compared to competing data warehouse solutions.

We knew that most of our data will be in the cloud. And I want to integrate it into a single data warehouse, he said. At least my data warehouse is also within the cloud. It makes things much easier, in terms of connectivity and API, then the security. This is an example of how technology is feeding itself and changing.

Assembly line efficiency at SodaStream has increased 15 percent so far, Rehav said. By the end of 2020 SodaStream will have doubled its production capacity since opening its production facility in southern Israel, according to Suissa. Late last year, SodaStream got a key vote of confidence from parent PepsiCo, which announced a $92 million expansion of the Lehavim plant.

Executives said the project still has a way to go before running its course. Going forward, Rehav said SodaStream will take its digital transformation to the next level, when it starts using machine learning and business intelligence tools to extract new insights from the data being harvested from operations.

As for lessons learned, Rehav said managers need to get out from in front of their screens in order to ensure success.

You have to get out onto the shop floor and understand how the machine looks like and how the employees are working, and what theyre looking at and, even how to set up the workstation in an efficient way, he said. If you want to solve problems, they will not be solved from your office desk.
The New York Times reports that Facebook is planning to release an all-new Gaming app for iPhone and Android. The Android app could be released as early as tomorrow, April 20, and the iOS version will be released as soon as Apple approves the app.

The app will allow Facebook users to watch and create live game streams, which means that Facebook plans to compete with Googles YouTube, Amazons Twitch and Microsofts Mixer services. It doesnt come as a surprise as creating and watching live gameplay, has become very popular. It is exploding during the pandemic as people are forced to stay at home in most countries.

Facebook has been testing the app in South East Asia and Latin America for the last 18 months, and was planning to release it in June, but it has decided to release the app much earlier due to rise in gaming during the lockdown.

The New York Times provides the following details about Facebooks new gaming app:

Viewers currently watch Facebook game streaming with the core Facebook app and on the new app in the developing markets where its already available.

The new app includes casual games and access to gaming communities, but its fate will depend largely on how successfully it entices people to watch and create live game streams. A function called Go Live lets users upload streams of other mobile games on the same device by pressing just a few buttons. Those streams can then be shared to someones personal Facebook page, potentially making it much easier for people to become amateur streamers.

Facebook doesnt plan to use ads to monetise the platform, instead, it will take a commission when viewers send stars, representing digital currency, to streamers.

It will be interesting to see if it helps Facebook to beat YouTube and Twitch with its new gaming app. According to Streamlabs, Facebook was at No. 3 in total hours watched, behind YouTube and Twitch in the last quarter.

What do you think? Are you excited about Facebooks new gaming app or you plan to switch to YouTube or Twitch? Let us know in the comments below.

[Via The New York Times
34 US-Backed Militants Surrender, Hand Weapons to Syrian Army  Reports

Sputnik News

12:58 GMT 18.04.2020(updated 13:32 GMT 18.04.2020)

Earlier, the Russian Defence Ministry's Centre for Syrian Reconciliation confirmed that over two dozen militants trained at a US military base in Syria had surrendered to the Syrian Army after breaking out of the US-controlled At-Tanf area and engaging in a shootout with other militia members.

28 militants and six drivers from the Jaysh Maghawir al-Thawra ('Revolutionary Commando Army') rebel group arrived in Palmyra, handed over all their weapons and equipment and surrendered to take advantage of the Syrian government's recent amnesty decrees, SANA has reported, citing a source said to be involved in the process.

The group's evacuation from the At-Tanf area, a blob of US-held territory in southern Syria near the Jordanian and Iraqi border, was facilitated following over four months of planning, according to authorities.

SANA's source said that the haul of surrendered equipment included eight vehicles, some of them fitted with heavy machine guns, along with a small number of automatic weapons, sniper rifles, 2 RPG launchers and a grenade launcher, along with communications equipment and binoculars.

Ghannam Samir al-Khedair, the group's leader, said he and his comrades had been displaced from Sweida by Daesh (ISIS)* and crossed the border into Jordan, where they were trained, after which they were sent to guard the Rukban refugee camp. Al-Khedair also revealed that his men were demoralised after finding out that much of the relief supplies meant for the camp, which once held as many as 45,000 people, was being sold to Daesh, and discovering that other Jaysh Maghawir al-Thawra militants also supported the terrorists.

Khaled Samir al-Khedair, another former militant from the At-Tanf base, said that US occupation forces were training militia to attack Syrian Army positions, as well as civilian infrastructure and oil and gas fields. Salah Rashid al-Zaher, another militant, confirmed that this training for sabotage ops was taking place. According to al-Zaher, in addition to much of the Rukhban camp aid being sold to Daesh, some of it was also traded on the black market to camp residents at exorbitant prices.

The SANA report comes two days after confirmation by the Russian military that a group of over two dozen militants trained at At-Tanf had surrendered to the Syrian Army. The militants began their journey to Palmyra on the night of 13 April, but had to fight off a detachment of Jaysh Maghawir al-Thawra forces to escape, arriving in the ancient city on 14 April.

Rukban Disaster

Officials in both Damascus and Moscow and the Syrian and Russian militaries have repeatedly expressed concerns about the disastrous humanitarian situation at the Rukban refugee camp over the course of many years, and have reported on the Pentagon's use of the At-Tanf military base to retrain former extremists to renew their struggle against the Syrian government.

Damascus has stressed repeatedly that the only solution which could end the al-Rukban refugees' suffering would be for the US to withdraw from At-Tanf and leave Syria. At the moment, it's estimated that there are still as many as 13,500 people at the camp, among them 6,000 militants, and members of their families. At least 150 US troops are estimated to remain at At-Tanf.

The US moved in to take control of the At-Tanf area in early 2016, just as the Syrian Army began its counteroffensive against Daesh militants in the sparsely populated desert areas of central Syria. US forces formally established the Jaysh Maghawir al-Thawra militia after dissolving its predecessor, the so-called 'New Syrian Army' militant group, in late 2016. Syria and its allies have repeatedly demanded that the US withdraw from the Arab Republic's sovereign territory. The area has seen repeated deadly clashes between Syrian forces and entrenched US forces and their militia allies.

* A terrorist group outlawed in Russia and many other countries.

A Sputnik

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MasterChef Australia producers reportedly held crisis talks after fan favourite Ben Ungermann was arrested over a personal matter during filming.

Executives called the show's editors into an 'emergency meeting' last month and told them to 'cut him out the best you can', according to New Idea on Monday.

The incident apparently came as a shock to network bosses, with a source saying: 'No one could have imagined something like that would ever happen.'

Inside MasterChef's biggest secret: How Channel 10 'called an emergency meeting' to address Ben Ungermann's arrest during filming before deciding to edit him out 'the best they could'

Ben himself has acknowledged his infrequent appearances on screen, saying 'it's up to MasterChef' what happens in the editing suite.

MasterChef is produced by Endemol Shine Australia and airs on Channel 10. Daily Mail Australia has contacted the network for comment.

News of Ben's arrest surfaced last month, prompting a spokesperson for Endemol Shine to issue a brief statement to the media.

Unexpected: Ben's arrest apparently came as a shock to network bosses, with a source telling New Idea: 'No one could have imagined something like that would ever happen'

'We can confirm Ben Ungermann has left the MasterChef Australia competition. As this is a police matter, we will not be making further comment.'

They added that the arrest was of 'a personal nature'.

Ben was a runner-up on the 2017 season and went on to appear as a guest on MasterChef Holland and MasterChef Indonesia.

Edited out: Ben himself has acknowledged his infrequent appearances on screen, saying 'it's up to MasterChef' what happens in the editing suite. Pictured left in a trailer for MasterChef

He also runs the Ungermann Brothers Ice Cream Parlour with his brother, Danny.

Last week, an Instagram follower asked Ben why he wasn't being featured on the show despite being a fan favourite.

'I'm actually devastated. How do they edit you out?' they wrote, to which Ben replied: 'That's up to MasterChef Australia. Appreciate the support.'
Almost as instantly as the news broke of the pandemic reaching the country, Mexico's pharmacies have already rut of medical supplies and equipment.

Amid this crisis, street vendors are risking their health outside their homes to earn what measly income they can for their day to day sustenance. It appears that, in the middle of a protective equipment shortage, products like face masks and antibacterial gel are being sold in makeshift markets.

Mandatory Masks

Earlier into the start of the quarantine, local authorities signed a decree that required residents to wear face masks in public at all times. At the time, masks were still being distributed. Governor of Oaxaca Alejandro Murat said strict compliance must be observed, or else people will be sanctioned by fine or other punishments.

In most places, such as the Nuevo Leon, masks are compulsory to wear even in modes of transportation like taxis and other vehicles with services that permit sharing rides with other passengers. Failure to comply with these restrictions will result in termination of company contracts or jail time, State Health Minister Manuel de la O Cavazos said.

Despite preventive measures from local authorities, Deputy Health Minister Hugo Lopez-Gatell mentioned that masks would only give people a "false sense of security" and that they should not let their guards down even when they wear protective equipment. Hygiene is also important, as is social distancing. Without all these, masks will be futile.

Check these out!

Street Vendors Risking Lives

Low-income workers have turned to the streets to earn a living. Makeshift stalls are set up along the highways and gutters to sell face masks to compensate for insufficient sales.

In Mexico City, in particular, market booths sell face masks for low prices, providing a much cheaper alternative to the pharmacy products that are increased by 200 percent due to high demand.

Instead of the usual street food and clothing, the stalls of the street vendors are filled with face masks for five pesos each. These are stored in small, used, cardboard boxes wrapped in plastic.

Instead of staying safely home, Amadeo Vidal is over 70 years old and is currently risking his health just to get by during the pandemic. Many others like him are so frail that they must be sent home to rest and avoid the crowds, but Amadeo insists that there is no home to go back to. Selling face masks has become a means of survival.

Some vendors make the masks themselves by sewing together pieces of fabric. While it is not prohibited that these people sell on the streets, it is highly discouraged. But people like Angel Ricardo Meza say that they are left with no alternatives.

"I have to earn money," he says. He adds that the price of products has increased twofold, such as that of alcohol and medicine. "A liter of alcohol you could have gotten for 37 or 38 pesos is now 120 pesos."

Street vendors know their health is at risk by continuing to sell goods in the market, but the only way they can afford to stay at home is to make a profit. As long as they're earning from their makeshift market, they are safe, and they can survive another day.
A plea has been filed in the Supreme Court seeking action against the "arbitrary and unlawful action" of landlords demanding rent from students and labourers during the lockdown despite a government order to the contrary.

The Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) had issued an order on March 29 which stops landlords from demanding rent from students, workers and migrant labourers for a month. Those landlords who force people to vacate their houses will face action, the MHA statement warns.

The order, issued under the Disaster Management Act, had said employers will pay their workers' wages on due dates without any deduction.

The petition filed by advocate Pawan Prakash Pathak and others, has sought implementation of the home ministry's March 29 order that no landlord will collect rent from the labour class and students for a month during COVID-19 period and those who violate it would be punished.

"Petition is being filled against the arbitrary and unlawful action of landlords in the state of Delhi amid COVID-19 where there is clear instruction issued by the Ministry of Home affairs that in order to maintain the lockdown situation and law and order during COVID-19, order dated March 29, 2020 'restraining all landlord to forcing labours and students to vacate their premises', in case they fail to pay rent during this period," the plea said.

The PIL said irrespective of the MHA order, various landlords were forcing tenant students to pay full rent, failing which they will be thrown out of premises.

"Many landlords are continuously putting pressure on students to pay their rent and the students are living in constant fear and depressions. They are feeling helpless in this situation as they can't demand money from their parents because their parents are also suffering from financial crisis due to the lockdown. In such a situation one is left with one option i.e opportunity cost of money, either one can pay rent out of same amount or one can buy essential ration and food for family during this period," the plea said.

The petition said that in a situation like this, the students who are staying in rented accommodations have limited resources at their disposal.

"Most of the students stuck are from humble background and they supplement their expenses by working part time -- for instance by taking up tuition. But in situations like this, they are struck in dire straits. If they will not be helped by the government concerned then they have to live in constant fear and depression caused by the financial crisis," the plea said.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Combat drones join Iran's Army

IRNA - Islamic Republic News Agency

Tehran, April 18, IRNA -- Multirole combat unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) were delivered to the Iranian Army today at the presence of Defense Minister Brigadier General Amir Hatami.

Equipped with significant features, the combat drones have been manufactured based on the domestic capacity of the defense industries, the country's universities and knowledge-based companies, Brigadier General Hatami said during the handover ceremony of the combat UAVs to the army.

Iran's Defense Minister announced that three types of drones have been delivered to the Army, adding that the delivered drones cover an important section of the missions of Air Defense and Air Force units, and can be used as target planes for defense and deception missions in the enemy's defense network.

Brigadier General Amir Hatami went on to add that the drones could act as reconnaissance aircraft to monitor enemy movements along the borders.

The delivered drones can also be used in military operations due to their equipment for all kinds of bombs and missiles, he added.

Iran's Defense Minister explained that the drones can fly up to 40,000-45,000 feet and operate within a radius of 1,500 kilometers, stressing that these drones will help to have a safer Iran and perform air defense operations with more power.

Commander of the Iranian Air Force Brigadier General Aziz Nasirzadeh, and Commander of Army Air Defense Force Brigadier General Alireza Sabahifard attended the event.

9455**2050

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E-commerce companies such as Amazon and Filpkart are not allowed to sell products unless they are in the essential items list, the Union home ministry said in an order on Sunday, appearing to backtrack from an earlier announcement that allowed these companies to deliver products such as laptops, mobile phones and appliances from April 20.

On April 15, the government put e-commerce in the list of what will be allowed once some curbs are lifted from areas with no Covid-19 outbreak, a decision that trader lobbies criticised for giving being discriminatory against brick-and-mortar retailers.

Supply of non-essential goods by e-commerce companies to remain prohibited during Lockdown 2.0 to fight Covid, said a spokesperson of the ministry of home affairs citing the new order, which, he said, clarifies a misinterpretation of last weeks directions.

Clause 14 (v) for e-commerce companies in revised consolidated guidelines on April 15 was technically misinterpreted as allowing the delivery of non-essential items, since the clause did not specify essential or non-essential items, home secretary Ajay Bhalla said in a letter sent to all states on Sunday.

On Saturday, the opposition Congress too opposed the April 15 decision, saying the government was doing injustice to retail traders by allowing e-commerce companies to deliver non-essential items. Similar objection was raised by the Confederation of All -India Traders in a letter to the PM.

Commerce and industry minister Piyush Goyal said on Sunday the move will help in creating a level playing field.

Amazon India, one of the biggest e-commerce websites, said Sundays decision will affect customers who may need some products essential to working or studying from home.

The new guideline will disappoint not only the consumers whose list of essentials had expanded to work from home and study from home products but also the thousands of small businesses, sellers and manufacturers across the country, who had geared up in the last 48 hours to provide millions of people with safe access to products, a spokesperson said.

The company said it will continue to follow guidelines and deliver essential products, and was working closely with authorities for expedited processes to make safe deliveries of priority products.

On Sunday, CAIT issued a statement, saying it had demolished sinister plan of e-commerce companies to trade in non-essential commodities.

Since March 25, when India was put under what is the worlds largest shutdown in order to curb the spread of the coronavirus disease (Covid-19), the government has largely allowed only items of basic necessities to reach people.

Efforts have been made to ensure that milk, vegetables, cooking oil, milk and such products reach people, with a special emphasis on doorstep delivery in many parts of the country, the official cited above said.

When Modi extended the lockdown till May 3, he said that certain economic activity in regions that contain the outbreak successfully can be relaxed, but with very strict guidelines on how people step out of their homes . These allowed some construction and industrial activity as well as operation of offices with strict social distancing protocols, as long as these were in areas not classified as hot spots. Work by some self-employed individuals, such as cobblers and roadside vendors, was also put on the list of what could be allowed.
Mizuho  one of the three so-called megabanks of Japan  plans to reduce its outstanding balance of JPY300 billion ($2.8 billion) in loans to coal power plants by half by the 2030 fiscal year and reduce it to zero by 2050. The bank will go to great lengths to de-carbonate as coal power plants emit massive amounts of CO2  a major contributor to global warming, according to Asahi.

Newswire Reuters also cited the shareholder resolution sent to the Mizuho management last month requiring the bank to align with the Paris Agreement.

Mizuho Bank will categorically refuse lending to coal power plants to promote sustainable development

It was the first time a publicly-traded Japanese company has been sent a shareholder resolution on climate change. The resolution was sponsored by Kiko Network, a Japanese activist group that focuses on coal and also holds shares in Mizuho.

Climate change is one of the most important global issues that can affect financial market stability, Mizuho said in its recent statement. Responding to the environment and climate change is a key issue in our business strategy.

The revised guidelines are likely to take effect in June. Accordingly, Mizuho will not allow its borrowers to refinance their loans for these projects.

Experts warn that Japanese banks are among the few major lenders who have stuck to providing loans to coal projects, while other lenders such as JP Morgan have cut lending to the sector.

Data from Refinitiv SDC Platinum reveals that Mizuho is among the three largest lenders in the world pouring investment in coal power and mining over the last five years.

Japans two other biggest banks  Sumitomo Mitsui Financial Group and Mitsubishi UFJ Financial Group  are also in the top five.

However, Mitsubishi UFJ Financial Group Inc. confirmed last year that it would halt new investments and debts to coal power plants, in principle. Sumitomo Mitsui Financial Group Inc. is also slated to follow suit with a similar financing policy, Asahi reported.

A source at Sumitomo Mitsui told Reuters its banking unit would change its financing guidance to one of not lending to coal-fired power plants in principle.

Recently, Mizuho Financial Group has expressed interest in investing in medical startups through investment funds but has been facing difficulties in stepping up investment in the field. This stems from the significant amount of time and cost required to win pharmaceuticals' approval.

The group has thus decided to establish a fund focusing on life sciences with high growth potential.

Last year, Singapores sovereign wealth fund GIC Private Limited has invested in Vietnamese lender Vietcombank through a joint deal with Mizuho Bank worth VND6.2 trillion ($269.57 million) demonstrating the strong interest in Vietnams financial sector.
A gunman hijacked a public bus in Texas on Sunday morning, prompting an hourlong police chase through several cities and a shootout that wounded two officers and killed the gunman, the authorities said.

The gunman got on a Dallas Area Rapid Transit bus around 11 a.m., with one passenger already on board, in Richardson, Texas. Then the gunman opened fire, shattering several windows, and demanded that the driver keep driving, the transit agency said in a statement.

The gunman, whom the authorities later identified as Ramon Thomas Villagomez, did not give a specific destination for the bus driver or provide any explanation for his actions, said Gordon Shattles, a spokesman for the transit agency.

Mr. Villagomez, 31, was a suspect in the murder case of his girlfriend out of San Antonio and the aggravated assault with a deadly weapon of a relative out of Brazoria County, the authorities said.
The fight against coronavirus pandemic is the "biggest invisible war" facing the humanity and India is confronting it with excellent synergy between all key organs of the nation, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh said on Sunday.

In an interview to PTI, Singh said a wide spectrum of measures has been put in place to insulate the three services and their strategic assets from the deadly infection while keeping them fully prepared to deal with any possible threats including along the borders.

Singh, who is also heading a Group of Ministers on COVID-19, said well-thought- out protocols are being implemented aggressively to keep the forces fighting fit so that they continue to play an active role in dealing with the national crisis along with the other agencies.

"The fight against COVID-19 is possibly the biggest invisible war in our lifetime; a war against humanity and having various impact on health and economic security of the nation.

"We as a nation are fighting the crisis on a war footing," he said.

The defence minister also dispelled apprehensions that the pandemic may have impacted India's operational preparedness. There were concerns after 26 Navy personnel serving in the Western Naval Command tested positive for the infection.

"The Indian armed forces are prepared for all contingencies and I can assure you that we are prepared to defend our sovereignty from adversarial forces in all scenarios in land, air and sea," he said.

To emphasise operational preparedness of the military, Singh said the Indian Army is carrying out "targeted strikes" on terror launch pads along the Line of Control in Jammu and Kashmir and eliminating Pakistani infiltrators.

The defence minster said expertise of armed forces in communications, supply chain management, medical support and engineering are being used to combat the pandemic in the country besides extending a helping hand to several friendly nations.

"There is excellent synergy between all organs of the government and the services are geared to deal with any challenge arising out of the current situation," the minister said.

Singh said armed forces are taking a series of measures like curtailing movement of troops, restricting leave, enforcing work from home, maintaining social distancing and decontamination of barracks as preventive measures.

"A mandatory 14-day quarantine period is being enforced for all personnel, if coming from outside their stations, irrespective of rank. In case of ships, strict monitoring of all sailors is being done and disembarkation at foreign ports is being authorised only in emergencies," he added.

He said special precautions are being followed at ships and submarines where it is difficult to strictly follow social distancing norms.

"Every rank has been told to maintain a contact diary on a daily basis. All collective training has been stopped. Barring a few essential branches such as operations and intelligence, personnel from all other branches have been directed to work from home," he said.

Soldiers deployed along borders, especially in remotest regions, are safest as they are cut-off from all likely carriers of disease, he said adding the government is ensuring their safety by deploying fresh troops in the areas who have been medically validated as having no symptoms of the infection.

"In my opinion, with the kind of discipline within the forces, the risk of spread of infection is very low. However we are prepared for all contingencies," Singh said.

"In battling such an outbreak, the forces primarily have to be fighting fit. Services are strictly adhering to all instructions and guidelines being disseminated by PMO, Ministry of Health and our own medical authorities," he added.

The minister also said that the government has directed leading Defence public sector undertakings to produce medical equipment like ventilators, masks, Personal Protective Equipment (PPEs) and other equipment to address the problem of their shortages.

"The activities undertaken to fight the COVID-19 pandemic are part of ministry level coordinated action plan. All three services are working in sync under the common guidelines and directions promulgated by the Chief of Defence Staff," said Singh.

"The latent medical capacity of the armed forces as also the geographical disposition of medical manpower and resources has facilitated in rendering prompt assistance to civil authority and to check the virus spread in the armed forces fraternity," he said.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Pakistans top leadership and the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) on Sunday criticised what they described as the deliberate targeting of Muslims by the Indian government against the backdrop of the Covid-19 pandemic.

Prime Minister Imran Khan followed up on tweets by the Independent Permanent Human Rights Commission of the OIC on the issue and compared the Indian governments treatment of Muslims to what the Nazis did to the Jews in Germany.

The deliberate & violent targeting of Muslims in India by Modi Govt to divert the backlash over its COVID19 policy, which has left thousands stranded & hungry, is akin to what Nazis did to Jews in Gerrmany. Yet more proof of the racist Hindutva Supremacist ideology of Modi Govt.  Imran Khan (@ImranKhanPTI) April 19, 2020

In a tweet, President Arif Alvi, a close aide of Khan, accused the Indian government of suppressing the Kashmiri people through extreme violence, torture and oppression. He posted a graphic with figures that purported to show that the ratio of soldiers to civilians in Kashmir was higher than the ratios for the number of ventilators and doctors.

There was no immediate response from Indian officials to the remarks by the Pakistani leadership.

In recent months, Khan has repeatedly criticised the Indian governments attitude towards the countrys Muslim minority and the external affairs ministry has pushed back against his remarks, describing them as interference in Indias internal affairs. The Indian side has also targeted Khan for failing to counter cross-border terrorism emanating from Pakistani soil.

Khan tweeted: The deliberate & violent targeting of Muslims in India by Modi Govt to divert the backlash over its COVID19 policy, which has left thousands stranded & hungry, is akin to what Nazis did to Jews in Germany.

1/2 #OIC-IPHRC condemns the unrelenting vicious #Islamophobic campaign in #India maligning Muslims for spread of #COVID-19 as well as their negative profiling in media subjecting them to discrimination & violence with impunity.  OIC-IPHRC (@OIC_IPHRC) April 19, 2020

Hours earlier, the OICs Independent Permanent Human Rights Commission had, in a string of tweets, condemned what it described as the unrelenting vicious Islamophobic campaign in India maligning Muslims for spread of #Covid-19 as well as their negative profiling in media subjecting them to discrimination & violence with impunity.

2/2 #OIC-IPHRC urges the #Indian Govt to take urgent steps to stop the growing tide of #Islamophobia in India and protect the rights of its persecuted #Muslim minority as per its obligations under int"l HR law.  OIC-IPHRC (@OIC_IPHRC) April 19, 2020

It urged the Indian government to take urgent steps to stop the growing tide of #Islamophobia in the country and protect the rights of its persecuted Muslim minority as per its obligations under [international human rights] law.

The commission is an expert body of the OIC with advisory capacity.

Indias foreign minister was invited as a special guest at a meeting of foreign ministers of OIC states in the UAE last year, marking a high point in New Delhis often testy relations with the Islamic grouping.

However, in recent months, the OIC has repeatedly criticised the Indian governments handling of the situation in Kashmir and attacks on Muslims. The external affairs ministry has rejected this criticism.

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A 99-year-old war veteran who served in a secret unit created by Winston Churchill has died from coronavirus at a care home.

Charles Wright, from Ipswich, Suffolk, was among a select few sent behind enemy lines during the second world war, before being captured and imprisoned for more than a year.

His family sadly announced he had died at Willows Care Home on Friday morning.

Charles' death from Covid-19 comes amid alarming death toll figures in care homes, which are feared to be as high as 7,500.

Charles Wright, from Ipswich, Suffolk, has died at Willows Care Home from coronavirus, his family have announced

The war hero, known as Sonny to his friends, has been described as the 'ultimate modern father' and still working as a handyman well into his 90s.

His son Clive told the Ipswich Star that his dad would 'do anything for anyone' and was 'still hanging doors in his 90s'.

'It has been hard not being able to go and see my dad at the care home due to the restrictions, but I know he was not alone as the carers and staff there are incredible. I just hope he didnt think we had abandoned him,' he added.

The 99-year-old veteran from Ipswich, Suffolk, was among a select few sent behind enemy lines during the second world war, before being captured and imprisoned for more than a year

'He lost lots of friends in the war, so for him to be that lucky and to survive is incredible.'

Charles, who was born in 1921, began his military career at age 15, joining the 161 field ambulance unit by saying he was 17.

He then served in the Second World War, being picked to join a secret unit formed by Winston Churchill to go behind enemy lines in Russia.

Charles, who was born in 1921, began his military career at age 15, joining the 161 field ambulance unit by saying he was 17

The operation took him to Norway, before he was moved to fight the Germans and Italians in the Siege of Malta between 1940 and 1942.

He was later captured as a Prisoner Of War on the Greek island of Leros where he was held for 18 months before being released to return home.

In 1946, he married his wife Ruby and the couple went on to have three children, 12 grandchildren and 24 great-grandchildren.

Three years ago, he received a medal from the Norwegian government for his help during the war.

Three years ago, he received a medal from the Norwegian government for his help during the war

Ruby, who had Alzheimer's disease, died four years ago and Charles became a resident of the care home last year.

His son added that knew his father had not been left alone, as the carers and staff at the home were 'incredible'.

More than 7,500 care home residents are now feared to have died from coronavirus, according to new data.

Care England, the country's largest representative body for care homes, said the number of residents dying from the illness far surpassed government estimates.

Charles was moved to fight the Germans and Italians in the Siege of Malta between 1940 and 1942, before being capture on Greek Island of Leros

Figures from the Office for National Statistics (ONS) earlier this week showed only 237 care home coronavirus deaths had been recorded in England and Wales up to April 3.

The Daily Mail revealed on Wednesday that care home providers suspected at least 4,000 care home residents had died from Covid-19.

But Professor Martin Green, the chief executive of Care England, said yesterday the figure had likely now reached 7,500.

Speaking to the Telegraph, Professor Green said: 'Without testing it is very difficult to give an absolute figure.

'However, if we look at some of the death rates since April 1 and compare them with previous years' rates, we estimate a figure of about 7, 500 people may have died as a result of Covid-19.'
The Nigerian Presidents Chief of Staff, Abba Kyari, died on Friday, 17 April 2020 from Covid-19 infection. The presidency confirmed his death on Saturday, making him the most high profile government official in the country to die in the pandemic outbreak. That same Saturday, the Guardian of London carried the news alongside Nigerian and international media that Covid-19 had moved closer to the heart of government in Nigeria after the key official of President Buharis kitchen cabinet bowed to the dangerous pandemic which British Prime Minister, Boris Johnson, described as the invisible killer. Presidential spokesman, Femi Adesina, confirmed Kyaris death on Twitter.

Abba Kyari was a controversial aide and Chief of Staff to President Muhammadu Buhari and undoubtedly one of the most powerful men in Nigeria in whom the President trusted implicitly. He was only in his late 60s.

Following his death, observers suggested that African countries were inadequately prepared for an outbreak of the pandemic. Ten countries had no ventilators at all, according to the New York Times. But many Africans knew there were local herbs that could insulate them from the virus infection. And they were determined to deal with the pandemic the African way. So, when the Chief of Staff to the President fell to the pandemics deadly blow, many Nigerians raised their eye brows in disbelief. The fact, according to Reuters, was that Kyari had underlying health conditions which included diabetes.

Strange as it seemed, many Nigerian people didnt actually know Abba Kyari for who he was. Many knew him simply as a powerful man, the decision maker for Buhari and perhaps one whose family frequently had misunderstandings with the Presidents wife. But not many knew about his academic and intellectual background. If they had, perhaps they wouldnt have been so bitter with him. Their criticism of his actions and inactions would have taken a completely different slant. Perhaps they would have encouraged him to use his vast experience to persuade the President to, as we would say in those days in the newspaper industry, put Nigeria on the map of the world.

Abba Kyari was born in Borno State on 23 September 1952 to a Kanuri family. He attended St. Pauls College in Wusasa. For a while, he considered joining the Nigerian Army on the advice of his friend, Muhammadu Buharis cousin, Mamman Daura. Through Daura, he met General Buhari in 1976. Buhari was then Governor of Borno State. But, it appeared Kyari decided against settling for the army and instead went back to university.

In 1980, he graduated with a Bachelor's degree in Sociology from the University of Warwick, and a Bachelor's degree in Law from the University of Cambridge. He was called to the Nigerian Bar after completing his studies in the Nigerian Law School in 1983. In 1984, he obtained a Master's degree in Law from the University of Cambridge. In 1992, he attended the International Institute for Management Development in Lausanne, Switzerland and in 1994 he participated in the Programme for Management Development at the Harvard Business School.

Kyari worked for the law firm Fani-Kayode and Sowemimo for a while after he returned to Nigeria. From 1988 to 1990, he was an Editor with the New Africa Holdings Limited, Kaduna. In 1990, he served as Commissioner for Forestry and Animal Resources in Borno State. From 1990 to 1995, Kyari was Secretary to the Board of African International Bank Limited, a subsidiary of Bank of Credit and Commerce International.

Kyari was an Executive Director in charge of Management Services at the United Bank for Africa, and was later appointed the Chief Executive Officer. In 2002, he was appointed a Board Director at Unilever Nigeria, and later served on the Board of Exxon Mobil Nigeria. So, he had already climbed the ladder to a high pedestal when in August 2015, Kyari was appointed Chief of Staff to President Muhammadu Buhari.

An influential technocrat within the Buhari administration, Kyari was seen as one of the dominant figures in the tightly knit group of advisers surrounding the President, always referred to as the cabal. He was the only one that controlled access to the president, overseeing key meetings and granting audiences.

During the administration's first term, he was known to have worked mainly behind the screen to implement the President's agenda. In 2019, after Buhari was re-elected for a second term, he ordered his cabinet members to channel all requests through Kyari's office. Further enhancing his influence within government circles, and defined as the de facto head of state, Kyaris appointment practically made him the most powerful politician in Nigeria after the President.

But many Nigerians did not like him. The first reason was the fact that they believed the President gave him too much power. How could one man wield such enormous powers even over and above federal ministers? In 2017, following a leaked memo, Kyari became enmeshed in a public controversy with Head of the Civil Service, who was later relieved from office and arrested.

Another leaked memo had Babagana Monguno the National Security Adviser accuse Kyari of meddling in matters of national security in 2020. And then, there was the point that the Presidents very vocal wife, Aisha, who was much loved by a majority of Nigerians across all the states often complained that it was Kyari and not her husband that was running affairs in the country. Because so many Nigerians loved Aisha, the Presidents wife so much, they saw Kyari as a bad man who wanted to make life uncomfortable for their Presidents wife.

On 23 March 2020, following an official 9-day trip to Germany, Kyari was tested for Corona Virus infection, and on 24 March, it was made public that Kyaris result tested positive for Covid-19. There were initial reports that he had been flown out of the country for treatment and Reuters later reported that he had "a history of medical complications, including diabetes". On 29 March 2020, in an official statement, Kyari announced that he was being moved from isolation in Abuja to Lagos for preventive treatment and hoped to be back at his desk very soon.

Kyari died at the age of 67 on Friday 17 April at First Cardiology Consultant Hospital, Lagos, after two weeks of testing positive for Covid-19.

Buhari's office said in a statement that it regretted to announce the passage of Abba Kyari, who acted as gatekeeper to the president of Africa's most populous nation. "The deceased had tested positive to the ravaging Covid-19, and had been receiving treatment. But he died on Friday, 17 April 2020," the statement said.

Kyari testing positive for coronavirus in late March after visiting Germany forced a string of top Nigerian officials who had been in contact with him to self-quarantine. There was no official confirmation of whether Buhari had been tested, but the President made televised speeches imposing restrictions on movements, in an attempt to curb the spread of the virus. The federal government imposed a lockdown on Lagos and the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja, while state governors implemented a number of measures in other states.

Naturally, the extension of the lockdown added to the hardship of millions of Nigerians living from hand to mouth, often on less than one pound a day were already enduring. Buhari said he was fully aware of the great difficulties experienced especially by those who earned daily wages. But despite those realities, he would not change the restrictions. The government rather pledged a series of support measures to ease the financial pain for the most vulnerable, but there were still widespread complaints that not enough was being done for those who were seriously stricken by hunger.

On his official Twitter handle, President Buhari said Mallam Abba Kyari, who died from complications caused by the coronavirus was a true Nigerian patriot. He referred to Kyari as his loyal friend and compatriot of the last 42 years who, as chief of staff, strove quietly and without any interest in publicity or personal gain to implement the presidents agenda. Aisha Buhari, the Presidents wife, also prayed for God to forgive the shortcoming of the late Abba Kyari and grant his family the fortitude to bear the loss.

While people like Antony Goldman, head of Nigeria-focused PM Consulting described Kyari as the central figure that drove forward the government policies on agricultural reform, investment in infrastructure and power, others like Malte Liewerscheidt, Vice President of Teneo Intelligence believed that Kyari was very close to Buhari and arguably the most powerful man within the administration, noting that Kyaris death would remove the centre of gravity from Buharis inner circle and might provide an opening for more reform-minded elements such as Vice President Yemi Osinbajo.

It is possible that Kyaris death could create a potential reason for government to rethink about its strategies and policies on reforms which are at the heart of governance. Political analysts say the governments mundane approach to governance since Buhari was elected into office in 2015 was greatly influenced by his Chief of Staff, a former executive at the United Bank for Africa. But whether that is true or not will be known at the fullness of time, when a new Chief of Staff who may or may not have a proclivity for reform has been nominated to replace Kyari.

Clement Nwankwo, Director of the Abuja-based Policy and Legal Advocacy Centre think-tank was of the opinion that Kyaris death could be very significant because he showed an immense ability to wield power in the context of a largely absent president. There was no evidence that the chief of staff shared that power with anyone. He was totally trusted and it isnt clear who could fit into those shoes.
This story was originally published on Dec. 31, 2019 on NYT Parenting.

An equal number of infertility cases are caused by male factors as by female ones, according to the United States Department of Health and Human Services. But thats not the perception: Many couples who have trouble conceiving assume the woman is at the root of any problem, and thats how they go about seeking help. I have a long list of anecdotal stories of people who went forward with fertility treatments only to recognize later that the guy had a significant issue that explained his sperm count and their difficulty getting pregnant, said Dr. Joseph Alukal, M.D., a urologist at Columbia University Irving Medical Center. Several start-ups are trying to address the sperm side of things  and to rebalance responsibilities around family planning.

[Male infertility: what to know and how to cope]

What do these companies do?

Legacy, a start-up out of Harvard Innovation Lab, began in 2018 to make inconvenient meetings with physicians a thing of the past. Customers mail their semen to the company in temperature-controlled kits. Then Legacy, in partnership with clinical labs, analyzes the deposit for factors like sperm motility and quality, provides recommendations if necessary and sets up a plan to cryogenically store the best sperm. We are working toward creating a new social norm for men, a world where all men are freezing their sperm at a young age, when they have their healthiest genetic material, said Khaled Kteily, the companys chief executive officer. A similar company named Dadi began this year. Both have raised several million dollars in funding. (Theres also Yo, an at-home testing kit, that employs a glass slide and an app to analyze sperm number without shipping them anywhere.)

Whats the main draw?

Convenience and cost. Dadi charges $99 for the testing kit and $99 for annual storage. Legacys pricing starts at $199 for clinical fertility analysis; optional cryogenic storage is $149 a year. Traditional sperm banks can cost around $1,000 for semen analysis and a year of storage.

What do doctors think?

Experts say these mail-in kits cannot replace in-office visits. Neither Dadi nor Legacy is able to offer what would be legally considered medical advice, and in cases of results that indicate a problem, they refer customers to fertility specialists  who will most likely redo the test and ask more comprehensive questions, said Dr. Alukal. Some of the start-ups tests could also be falsely reassuring or falsely alarming without the necessary context, added Dr. Zev Williams, M.D., Ph.D., chief of the Division of Reproductive Endocrinology and Infertility at Columbia. When it comes to sperm-freezing, doctors we spoke with agreed that anything that makes a man consider his fertility is a boon: There is no demographic that sees a doctor less than men between the ages of 18 and 45. But they werent convinced that banking was necessary beyond specific populations  like men with cancer or other diseases that could affect fertility, those in the military or trans patients. I still think its overkill to recommend that everyone bank their sperm in their 20s, said Dr. Bobby Najari, M.D., a urologist and the director of the Male Infertility Program at N.Y.U. Langone Health.
VANCOUVER  Canadian activewear brand Arcteryx has set two Science-Based Targets, approved by the namesake initiative, to coincide with the 50th anniversary of Earth Day on April 22.

The brands targets address scope one to three greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, and look to reduce all by 65 per cent by 2030 through a four-pronged approach which hones in on material usage, renewable energy projects, energy efficiency and circular business models.

Now more than ever, we see the importance and value of community and we hope to inspire others to join us in this urgent issue, said Katie Wilson, senior manager, social and environmental sustainability at Arcteryx.
WASHINGTONPresident Donald Trump said on Saturday that Texas and Vermont will allow certain businesses to reopen on Monday while still observing CCP virus-related precautions and Montana will begin lifting restrictions on Friday.

We continue to see a number of positive signs that the virus has passed its peak, Trump told reporters at a daily briefing.

Some state governors have warned that they will not act prematurely to reopen their economies until there is more testing for the virus. Business leaders have also told Trump the country needs to have widespread testing in place before their companies can return to normal operations.

On Saturday, Trump said our testing is getting better and better.

He said both Republican and Democratic governors have announced concrete steps to begin a safe and gradual phased opening. Texas and Vermont will allow certain business to open on Monday while still requiring appropriate social distancing precautions, he said.

Several dozen protesters gathered in the Texas capital of Austin on Saturday, chanting USA! USA! and Let us work!

On Saturday morning, Governor Andrew Cuomo of New York, epicenter of the U.S. epidemic, said his virus-battered state may finally be past the worst of the health crisis there.

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.

NTD staff contributed to this report
New Delhi Apr 18 (UNI) The state-run Air India has opened bookings for domestic flights from May 4 and for international flights, from June 1.

In a notification on its website, Air India said, "In the light of the ongoing global health concerns, we have currently stopped accepting booking on all domestic flights for travel till May 3, 2020 and on all international flights for travel till May 31, 2020.

"Bookings for select domestic flights for travel from May 4, 2020 and for international flights for travel from June 1, 2020 onwards are Open," Air India said.

It further said that the situation is being constantly reviewed and the customers shall be updated regularly.

India has been under national lockdown since March 25, to curb the spread of Novel Coronavirus. The first phase of the lockdown was from March 25 to April 14. Prime Minister Narendra Modi on April 14 extended the lockdown till May 3.

All domestic and international commercial passenger flights have been suspended during this period.

On April 3, Air India had said that it has stopped bookings, both domestic and international, till the end of the month.

The company said from May 4, it will operate domestic flights on select routes after the second phase lockdown ends. Flights will start on international routes from June 1. Private airline companies had already started bookings from May 4.

A senior Air India official told UNI that initially, flights connecting metro cities will be started. Later, the number of flights will be increased, in view of the situation.

He said all the guidelines of the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) and the Health Ministry will be followed for the flights. It also includes guidelines on cleanliness in the aircraft, ensuring social distance between passengers during check-in and boarding, and leaving the middle seat empty on the plane.

These instructions were issued by the DGCA at the time when the flights were not completely closed before the lockdown. It was told that passengers will not be able to sit on the side seats. One seat will have to be left vacant in the middle. After this, the airline companies started leaving the middle seat empty.

UNI RSA RJ 1952
President Trump's presence during the coronavirus pandemic completely dwarfs Joe Biden's across nearly every media channel. As the president riffs for hours in front of TV cameras, Biden is chugging away on virtual livestreams  practically unnoticed.

The big picture: Biden may be the Democratic nominee for all practical purposes, but the virus crisis is making it easier for Trump to dominate pretty much all measures of media attention  and harder for Biden to gain any traction.

Reality check: The extra exposure for Trump hasnt necessarily achieved his goals. The presidents approval rating has taken a 6-point hit since late March, as two-thirds of Americans in a Pew survey saw him as taking action too slowly on the coronavirus response.

Biden has been trying to stand up a shadow presidency to contrast Trump in demeanor and policy ideas, giving interviews about the coronavirus on a daily basis. But by any measure, Trump easily overshadows him as the virus makes traditional campaigning impossible.

On social media: Stories about Trump have generated 7x more interactions (likes, comments, shares) on Facebook and Twitter than Biden over the last month, according to data from NewsWhip.

Stories about Trump have generated 7x more interactions (likes, comments, shares) on Facebook and Twitter than Biden over the last month, according to data from NewsWhip. Social media following: Trump's online fan size dwarfs Biden's on Twitter (77m to 4.9m), Facebook (27m to 1.7m) and Instagram (19.1m to 1.8m).

Trump's online fan size dwarfs Biden's on Twitter (77m to 4.9m), Facebook (27m to 1.7m) and Instagram (19.1m to 1.8m). On web traffic: Stories about Trump have gotten 5.5x more views than Biden stories, according to data from sites in the Parse.ly network.

Stories about Trump have gotten 5.5x more views than Biden stories, according to data from sites in the Parse.ly network. On Google: There have been 7x more searches for Trump than Biden, according to Google Trends.

There have been 7x more searches for Trump than Biden, according to Google Trends. On TV: Trump has been mentioned more than 3x as much as Biden on cable news, according to the Internet Archive Television News Archive.

The other side: It's always easier for incumbent presidents to dominate the public's attention during a re-election campaign. But the coronavirus has made Trump's job even easier by giving him a platform to lead live news briefings for hours at a time, in a crisis atmosphere that naturally crowds out Biden's activities.

The early-evening Trump show has been driving news cycles as combative exchanges with the press and strategic pivots from the White House propel conversation.

Biden's donors have noticed the attention gap, too. At a telephone fundraiser in March, one asked him about it, per a pool report: "What Im concerned about is that we see Donald Trump every day with this crisis giving his press report. And I would just love to see you more. Like how do we get more of you and less of him on our airwaves?

Biden, in an effort to sculpt his own presidential posture during lockdown, has been blitzing cable news interviews and holding addresses via livestream a couple of times a week.

He's also launched a newsletter and new podcast to remain in touch with supporters amid the pandemic.

Biden's aides are banking on their belief that there are plenty of people who prefer Biden's style to Trump's more divisive approach.

"This isn't a shouting contest, and Biden is the compassionate and emphatic voice that's sorely missing from the White House, said campaign spokesman TJ Ducklo.

Between the lines: Trying to win the attention fight at all could be contrary to how Biden wants to portray himself.

While modern elections play to the attention economy, Biden's appeal to voters is that he's the much-needed antithesis of viral  a steady, known commodity that won't surprise you.

Kevin Roose writes in the New York Times: "Mr. Trumps unfiltered, combative style is a natural fit for the hyperpolarized audiences on Facebook and Twitter, whereas Mr. Bidens more conciliatory, healer-in-chief approach can render him invisible on platforms where conflict equals clicks."

The bottom line: While Biden could begin to chip away at the attention gap when lockdowns end and something resembling traditional campaigning resumes, the chasm is likely far too great for him to erase.
A Southern California doctor who pushed the same antimalarial drug President Donald Trump has been promoting is going to be charged with a federal crime for allegedly committing mail fraud.

Jennings Staley, a San Diego doctor who described the antimalarial drug hydroxychloroquine as "almost too good to be true," will face federal charges for allegedly trying to sell "Covid-19 treatment packs" that cost nearly $4,000 and included the controversial antimalarial drug hydroxychloroquine.

Mr Staley  working out of his Skinny Beach Med Spa in San Diego  was the subject of an undercover FBI operation. Agents received tips from the public that the doctor was selling packages marketed as coronavirus treatments, despite guidance from the US Centres for Disease Control and Prevention stating there are no known cures or treatments.

"FBI Agents began investigating this Covid-19 related fraud immediately upon receiving a tip from the public and shortly thereafter introduced an undercover agent," a press statement from the Department of Justice said.

In addition to offering beauty-related services  botox, hair removal, fat transfer  Mr Staley was also allegedly sending out advertisements for his Covid-19 treatment packs, which were described as a "concierge medicine experience" and cost $3995 per family of four.

The packs contained hydroxychloroquine, azithromycin, "anti-anxiety" treatments and "access to Dr. Staley," according to the statement.

An undercover FBI agent called Mr Staley under the guise of a prospective customer. The call was recorded.

During the conversation, Mr Staley allegedly told the agent that the drugs were "an amazing cure" and a "miracle cure" and that it would cure Covid-19 "100 per cent." Mr Staley also allegedly told the agent that if he took the drugs without having the disease, it would make them "immune for at least six weeks."

"It's preventative and curative. It's hard to believe, it's almost too good to be true. But it's a remarkable clinical phenomenon," Mr Staley allegedly said. "I've never seen anything like this in medicine, just so you know. Really I can't think of anything. That, you've got a disease that literally disappears in hours."

A French research study recently found that the drug had no demonstrative effect on treating Covid-19 patients who had been hospitalised with symptoms.

In addition to trying to sell the agent the box, Mr Staley allegedly tried to sell the agent Xanax, and offered to do so without conducting any kind of medical examination. The doctor allegedly claimed his "broker was smuggling hydroxychloroquine from China" so he could make his own pills. He claimed the drugs were concealed from customs authorities by calling it "sweet potato extract."

The FBI visited the doctor's office the next week but did not reveal that the call had been an undercover operation. Agents asked if the doctor was telling patients that his treatments were 100 per cent effective, and the doctor said he had not.

"No, that would be foolish. We would never say anything like that," he allegedly told the agents.

"We will not tolerate Covid-19 fraudsters who try to profit and take advantage of the pandemic fear to cheat, steal and harm others," US Attorney Andrew Brewer said in a statement. "Rest assured: those who engage in this despicable conduct will find themselves in the crosshairs of federal prosecutors."

The doctor is scheduled for arraignment in federal court in San Diego on Friday.
Just a month ago he was battling coronavirus himself.

But a healthy-looking Idris Elba was cracking jokes and smiling as he appeared on the One World: Together At Home concert on Saturday night.

The 47-year-old British actor was joined by his wife Sabrina Dhowre - who has also tested positive for the virus - as they did their best to cheer up those watching thee two-hour star-studded show from home.

Idris reminded viewers across the globe that the coronavirus is beatable and told the story of a women who survived it  after living through the 1918 flu pandemic.

Raising spirits: Idris Elba, 47, and his wife Sabrina Dhowre appeared on Global Citizen's One World: Together At Home broadcast to tell the inspiring story of a women who lived through the Spanish Flu and survived COVID-19

'Last month, in 2020, at 102 year's old, she survived COVID,' Idris said, referring to 102-year-old Italica Grondona, who is believed to be the only person to survive COVID-19 while also living through the Spanish Flu.

Sabrina chimed in with some hopeful news about Italy, among the nations hardest hit by the coronavirus.

'Italy was ravaged by the virus, but now finally, numbers of new cases are dropping. And while we're not out of the woods, it's the hope that fuels us all.

The two capped off their speech by urging viewers to support the World Health Organization's efforts to 'provide essential PPE supplies to healthcare workers all around the world to help patients like ItaIica.'

On the mend: Last month, Idris and his wife became some of the earliest celebrities to reveal they'd tested positive for the coronavirus, though both looked perfectly healthy by now

After sharing her story, Idris offered up some comedic relief by saying he wanted to do a quick song.

'So listen, I'm gonna sing a song now,' he began, even as Sabrina talked over him to shut it down. 'Listen, Lady Gaga said it was cool!'

Though the Thor: Ragnarok actor has become a successful DJ and electronic music artist when he's not on a set, he's not known for his singing talents.

The appearance came only 33 days after Luther star Idris revealed he tested positive for the the coronavirus.

Idris sported a salt-and-pepper goatee and a plain black T-shirt for his brief appearance, while Sabrina had on a plunging rust-colored top and let her lustrous raven tresses lie over one shoulder.

Low key: Idris sported a salt-and-pepper goatee and a plain black T-shirt for his brief appearance, while Sabrina had on a plunging rust-colored top

Astounding: 102-year-old Italica Grondona recovered from a mild case of COVID-19 after 20 days in a hospital in Genoa, Italy, according to CNN. She was born in 1917, meaning she also living through the 1918 flu pandemic

The London-born star appeared to be in great health and didn't betray any lingering signs of his recent illness, and neither did his wife, who was later revealed to have contracted it as well.

He and Sabrina became some of the first celebrities to reveal they'd tested positive for the coronavirus. Five days earlier, Tom Hanks revealed he and his wife Rita Wilson were suffering from it.

The actor and the SomaliCanadian beauty began dating in 2017, before getting engaged during a 2018 screening of Yardie, which marked his directorial debut.

The couple married in April 2019 in Marrakesh, Morocco.


Deaths from the coronavirus New Jersey climbed to 4,202 on Sunday, while total cases rose to 85,301, as state officials confirmed 132 new fatalities and 3,915 new positive tests.

Sadly, weve lost another 132 New Jerseyans, Gov. Phil Murphy said in an afternoon tweet. Weve now lost a total of 4,202 souls to #COVID19.

Murphy did not host a daily briefing on Sunday, as has been the practice in recent weeks. The numbers on the outbreak were released on the state Department of Health coronavirus page.

The number of deaths associated with New Jerseys long-term care facilities continued to increase Sunday, with 1,730 fatalities. There are 420 facilities with at least one coronavirus case.

It was the fourth consecutive day the number of patients in the hospital for coronavirus declined.

The state had 7,495 patients hospitalized for coronavirus or suspected of having the virus as of 10 p.m. Saturday, down from a high of 8,293 on Tuesday. Of those hospitalized, 1,940 are in critical or intensive care and 1,628 are on ventilators.

State officials reported 85,387 negative tests to date. Theres at least 13 towns in New Jersey with more than 1,000 coronavirus cases.

The county-by-county breakdown of cases includes:

Bergen County: 12,639 with 767 deaths

Hudson County: 10,486 with 452 deaths

Essex County: 10,304 with 740 deaths

Union County: 9,609 with 372 deaths

Passaic County: 8,288 with 250 deaths

Middlesex County: 8,017 with 329 deaths

Monmouth County: 4,669 with 226 deaths

Ocean County: 4,648 with 217 deaths

Morris County: 4,136 with 257 deaths

Mercer County: 2,395 with 113 deaths

Somerset County: 2,384 with 158 deaths

Camden County: 2,131 with 74 deaths

Burlington County: 1,587 with 58 deaths

Gloucester County: 737 with 24 deaths

Sussex County: 659 with 62 deaths

Warren County: 592 with 44 deaths

Hunterdon County: 407 with 18 deaths

Atlantic County: 398 with 19 deaths

Cumberland County: 308 with 4 deaths

Cape May County: 206 with 14 deaths

Salem County: 116 with 4 deaths

Another 585 positive tests are under investigation to determine where the person resides.

CORONAVIRUS RESOURCES: Live map tracker | Businesses that are open | Homepage

Its difficult to get a complete picture of exactly how many people in New Jersey currently have COVID-19 because officials say testing has been backed up for up to 14 days. The state also is not reporting significant increases in daily testing, so it is unclear exactly how quickly the virus is spreading.

The state also provided a county-by-county breakdown of cases and deaths at long-term care facilities:

Atlantic County: 8 facilities with 58 total cases and 7 deaths

Bergen County: 55 facilities with 2,165 total cases and 415 deaths

Burlington County: 17 facilities with 376 total cases and 33 deaths

Camden County: 16 facilities with 322 total cases and 51 deaths

Cape May County: 4 facilities with 59 total cases and 9 deaths

Cumberland County: 2 facilities with 3 total cases and no 0 deaths

Essex County: 39 facilities 1,103 total cases and 224 deaths

Gloucester County: 7 facilities with 56 total cases and 10 deaths

Hudson County: 12 facilities with 396 total cases and 69 deaths

Hunterdon County: 4 facilities with 170 total cases and 23 deaths

Mercer County: 20 facilities with 431 total cases and 45 deaths

Middlesex County: 38 facilities with 936 total cases and 163 deaths

Monmouth County: 43 facilities with 879 total cases and 130 deaths

Morris County: 36 facilities with 865 total cases and 156 deaths

Ocean County: 34 facilities with 622 total cases and 50 deaths

Passaic County: 19 facilities with 523 total cases and 91 deaths

Salem County: 2 facilities with 20 total cases and 1 death

Somerset County: 27 facilities with 597 total cases and 73 deaths

Sussex County: 5 facilities with 178 total cases and 48 deaths

Union County: 26 facilities with 550 total cases and 105 deaths

Warren County: 6 facilities with 191 total cases and 27 deaths

The new numbers came a day after Murphy said the state is making progress, with data showing the curve of deaths and hospitalizations is flattening.

But he also warned Saturday that there will be blood on our hands if restrictions are lifted too early.

Murphy was responding to an Atlantic County official who called for New Jersey to reopen immediately.

That is irresponsible, Murphy said at the end of his daily coronavirus press briefing in Trenton. We quote-unquote untie the system right now, there will be blood on our hands. And I want to make sure folks understand that. This is literally life and death.

Murphy also said Saturday the option of dispatching the states National Guard to help the beleaguered centers remains on the table.

In all, about 12% of the states 81,420 total COVID-19 cases and about 41% of the states 4,070 total deaths have been at longterm care facilities  even though nursing-home residents make up a tiny percentage of New Jerseys 9 million-resident population.

As of Sunday morning, more than 2.3 million people across the globe tested positive for the virus, according to a running tally by Johns Hopkins University. Of those, more than 161,400 have died and more than 604,300 have recovered.

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

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These are difficult times. The government forced the closure of many businesses. Many people have lost their jobs. The politicians are demanding that mortgage companies and landlords delay payments and rents. Property taxes are due on May 1. Our government leaders should do the right thing and reduce and delay the payment of our property taxes.

Fred Stein, South Brunswick

Praise for print journalists

The only way to deal rationally with news of the COVID-19 situation is by reading the newspaper. Unlike TV, the newspaper does not bombard us with data and tale upon tale about the disease in seconds-long sound bites. Rather, it allows us time to digest and evaluate the information we read and to put it into context.

Congratulations to The Star-Ledger for its coverage, and for the features it has added such as School@Home, which I enjoy even though I dont have children at home. Kudos, too, to the articles written by Karin Price Mueller, updating us on navigating the economic new normal. And no broadcast medium gives us the comics or crosswords.

Our household has been a subscriber to your paper and three others for decades. We have never appreciated our print journalists more than now.

Diana and Michael Brown, Mendham Township

Voter suppression a real threat

Last week in a 5-4 conservative-majority ruling, the U.S. Supreme Court declined to extend the absentee voting deadline in the Wisconsin Democratic primary. As Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg writes in her scathing dissent, in light of the dire public health threat of the cornonavirus, such a radical decision will result in massive disenfranchisement.

This blatant disregard for voter rights becomes even more egregious because it is contextualized within a broader callousness for human well-being. As a result of the decision, in order to exercise their civil rights, citizens necessarily risk contracting COVID-19 to cast their vote in person.

It is an ominous harbinger for the upcoming national election. Americans now see up close the calamitous lengths to which Republicans will stoop to retain power at the ballot box.

Emma Cortese, Nutley

Earth Day reminds us we need leadership

As the April 8 editorial (Trumps blindness on COVID-19 echoes his failure on climate) made clear, leaders who fail to understand or value scientific evidence endanger us all. Our countrys finest statesmen, such as Abraham Lincoln and Harry Truman, made an effort to inform themselves and then took responsibility and worked to solve problems for the benefit of all.

In confronting the current pandemic, lets remember that we have an even more serious problem to address. As the 50th anniversary of Earth Day draws near (April 22), young people are telling us that we are in a climate emergency. We urgently need members of Congress to work together and address that problem. Our responsibilities include speaking out and voting for wise leaders.

Linda DeLap, Morris Plains

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.
Almost 900 Australian citizens will be flown into Adelaide from overseas over the next two days, with authorities vowing to closely monitor them for coronavirus symptoms during their 14 day quarantine.

A Lion Air repatriation flight from India carrying 440 people will possibly stop in Singapore and Indonesia before arriving in the South Australian capital on Monday.

Those on-board will be quarantined at the Pullman hotel for 14 days.

International travellers arriving back into Australia on March 29 to go into mandatory quarantine. Almost 900 Australian citizens will be flown into Adelaide on mercy flights over the next two days from overseas

A Lion Air repatriation flight will be flown into Adelaide on Monday carrying 440 people into Australia - where they will spend 14 days in hotel quarantine (stock photo)

Passengers arriving at Sydney Airport to be taken into hotel quarantine last Monday. The new arrivals into Adelaide will be tested before getting off their flights

Another flight, which is expected to leave from the Indian city of Mumbai carrying the same number of passengers, will arrive on Tuesday.

SA Health chief public health officer Nicola Spurrier said the 880 passengers would be tested after they disembarked and monitored daily for symptoms.

'We will not be risking the health and well-being of our population,' she told reporters on Sunday.

Police commissioner Grant Stevens said about 45 officers would monitor the building to ensure people don't leave prematurely.

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

'Given the excellent results we've seen in terms of limiting the spread of the virus in South Australia, we're taking the security of these people extremely seriously,' Mr Stevens said.

No new cases of coronavirus were recorded in the state over the weekend despite a testing blitz in recent days.

The total remains at 435 and only 89 cases are active.

'I think we can say we're not losing the war,' Professor Spurrier said.

'We're in a really good place in South Australia.

'We've got very, very high testing rates and that's partly because of SA Pathology being able to provide it but also because South Australians are coming forward and getting tested at the right time.'
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President Donald Trump has bashed governors who he says have taken shutdown orders too far in the coronavirus pandemic, saying 'some of them are being unreasonable' as protests against the lockdowns spread across the nation.

'There are a lot of protests out there, and I just think that some of the governors have gotten carried away,' Trump said at a White House briefing on Saturday, as protests grew in cities across the country.

On Saturday, thousands of protesters gathered in the state capitals of Texas, Indiana, New Hampshire, Maryland and elsewhere, demanding relaxation of the stay-at-home orders which have left millions jobless. Other protests in dozens of states are already being planned in the coming weeks.

Several hundred people rallied in Texas' capital of Austin on Saturday, chanting 'Let us work!' Many clamored for an immediate lifting of restrictions in a state where more than 1 million have filed for unemployment since the crisis began.

The rally was organized by a host of Infowars, owned by conspiracy theorist Alex Jones, who joined protesters on the Capitol steps after rolling up in a tank-like truck.

Texas Governor Greg Abbott, a Republican, has said that non-essential business that can operate curb-side service will be allowed to re-open on Friday -- but the protesters are demanding faster and broader action.

President Donald Trump has bashed governors who he says have taken shutdown orders too far in the coronavirus pandemic, saying 'some of them are being unreasonable'

Fringe radio host Alex Jones, founder of the Infowars site, rolled up at the Austin protest in a tank-like truck on Saturday

Alex Jones speaks to protesters demonstrating against the state's extended stay-at-home order to help slow the spread of coronavirus disease in Texas

A protester holds up a sign that reads 'Prevent Economic Collapse' at the Texas State Capital building on Saturday

The Texas protest was organized by Infowars host Owen Shroyer who is joining other protesters across the country in taking to the streets to call for the country to be opened up despite the risk of the COVID-19

'It's time to reopen Texas, it's time to let people work, it's time for them to let voluntary interaction and good sense rule the day, not government force,' said Justin Greiss, an activist with Young Americans for Liberty, at the Austin protest.

Added stay-at-home mother Amira Abuzeid: 'I'm not a doctor but I'm an intelligent person who can do math and it looks like at the end of the day, these numbers are not that worrisome.'

In a string of tweets on Saturday, Trump ripped Democrats, accusing them of trying to score political points rather than try to solve the crisis.

'No matter what you do for the Do Nothing Democrats, no matter how GREAT a job you are doing, they will only respond to their Fake partners in the Lamestream Media in the negative, even in a time of crisis,' Trump fumed, recalling what he said was an unpleasant phone conference between Senate Democrats and Vice President Mike Pence on Friday.

'They were RUDE and NASTY,' Trump said. 'This is their political playbook, and they will use it right up to the election on November 3rd. They will not change because they feel that this is the only way they can win.'

Other protests took place across the country on Saturday. In Indianapolis, more than 200 people stood close together outside the governor's mansion, carrying American flags and signs demanding that Governor Eric Holcomb, a Republican, lift restrictions.

'Our goal is to lift up our voices so that the governor will lift his unconstitutional restrictions because his cure is worse than the disease,' organizers of the Indiana protest said in a statement. 'The government cure has done more harm than the disease!'

Indiana's state health department reported 529 new coronavirus cases between April 7 and midday Friday, raising the total to more than 10,600. The number of deaths rose by 26, to 545.

Protesters gather outside the Indiana Governor's mansion in Indianapolis, Saturday, urging Gov. Eric Holcomb to back off restrictions on Indiana residents because of the coronavirus, and restart the economy

'Our goal is to lift up our voices so that the governor will lift his unconstitutional restrictions because his cure is worse than the disease,' organizers of the Indiana protest said in a statement

In Indianapolis, more than 200 people stood close together outside the governor's mansion, carrying American flags and signs demanding that Governor Eric Holcomb, a Republican, lift restrictions

Indiana's state health department reported 529 new coronavirus cases between April 7 and midday Friday, raising the total to more than 10,600. The number of deaths rose by 26, to 545

Demonstrators outside Maryland's colonial-era statehouse in Annapolis stayed in their cars but waved signs with messages like 'Poverty kills too.'

More than 200 cars circled the statehouse, honking horns and waving banners and American flags.

Dolores, a hairdresser in Maryland, said she is not eligible for unemployment because she is a business owner, not an employee.

'I need to save my business. I need to work to live. Otherwise I will die,' she said.

An image made with a drone shows the vehicles of supporters of the group 'Reopen Maryland' filing into Church Circle to protest the state's on-going stay-at-home order due to the coronavirus COVID-19 pandemic in Annapolis on Saturday

A protestor waving an American flag rides by the State House during a demonstration calling for the re-opening of Maryland

Protesters with the group Reopen Maryland rally near the State House to call on the state to lift the stay-at-home order and reopen the economy on Saturday in Annapolis, Maryland

Protesters, one holding a framed copy of the Constitution, argue with another motorist while demonstrating near the State House to call on the state to life the stay-at-home order and reopen the economy on Saturday in Annapolis, Maryland

And in Concord, New Hampshire, roughly 400 people gathered in the cold rain to send a message that extended quarantines were not necessary.

The crowd included several armed men wearing military-style uniforms, with their faces covered.

'Even if the virus were 10 times as dangerous as it is, I still wouldnt stay inside my home. Id rather take the risk and be a free person,' said one of the New Hampshire protesters, talk show host Ian Freeman.

In Concord, New Hampshire, people attend a demonstration against the government mandated lockdown on Saturday

A truck emblazoned with support for Donald Trump drives through downtown during a demonstration against the government lockdown in New Hampshire on Saturday

A man wears combat gear during a demonstration against the government lockdown in New Hampshire on Saturday

Members of the Boogaloo Movement, attend a demonstration against the lockdown Saturday in New Hampshire

At his Saturday briefing, Trump singled out Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer, a Democrat, saying 'she has things, 'don't buy paint, don't buy roses' -- I mean she's got all of these crazy things.'

'Somebody sitting in their boat on a lake should be ok. They shouldn't arrest people,' Trump added, referring to Michigan's stay-at-home order which prohibits jet skis, motorboats or other comparable watercraft but allows for canoes, sailboats and kayaks.

In a tweet, Whitmer fired back, saying: 'Right now, despite having the 10th largest population, we have the 3rd highest COVID-19 deaths in the nation. I'm using every tool at my disposal to save lives, and it's working. The curve is flattening.'

'Remember: COVID-19 is the enemy, not each other,' she added.

Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer fired back, saying: 'Right now, despite having the 10th largest population, we have the 3rd highest COVID-19 deaths in the nation. I'm using every tool at my disposal to save lives, and it's working.'

It follows Trump's incendiary tweets on Friday demanding to 'LIBERATE' Michigan, Minnesota and Virginia, three potential swing states with Democratic governors.

Trump also talked at length about testing capacity, saying that the U.S. has 'tremendous testing capacity' after governors argued that relaxing social restrictions would be disastrous until testing is much more widely available.

Trump said that more than four million tests had been conducted nationwide, which is the equivalent of about 1.2 percent of the U.S. population.

The president claimed that the country has 'tremendous unused capability' and that many states are not using testing kits properly, utilizing only a fraction of the capacity of high-throughput tests.

'Unfortunately some partisan voices are attempting to politicize the issue of testing which they shouldn't be doing,' he said.

'This was a military and private enterprises march. We marched and unfortunately they're viewing it as an election,' Trump added. 'This should not be a partisan witch-hunt like the Russia witch-hunt.'

Trump said that some states had requested massive numbers of ventilators that they had never ended up needing. He also pointed out that the military had built thousands of field hospital beds in New York City that are now going mostly unused.

Across the country, protests have been mounting calling on governors to relax shutdown orders and allow people to go back to work.

Trump said that Texas and Vermont will allow certain businesses to reopen on Monday while still observing coronavirus-related precautions and Montana will begin lifting restrictions on Friday.

'We continue to see a number of positive signs that the virus has passed its peak,' Trump told reporters at the briefing.

Some state governors have warned that they will not act prematurely to reopen their economies until there is more testing for the virus, however.

Business leaders have also told Trump the country needs to have widespread testing in place before their companies can return to normal operations.

On Saturday, Trump said 'our testing is getting better and better,' but offered no concrete evidence.

He said both Republican and Democratic governors 'have announced concrete steps to begin a safe and gradual phased opening.'

Texas and Vermont 'will allow certain business to open on Monday while still requiring appropriate social distancing precautions,' he said.

On Saturday morning, Governor Andrew Cuomo of New York, epicenter of the U.S. epidemic, said his coronavirus-battered state may finally be past the worst of the health crisis there.

Trump is pushing to relax the U.S. lockdown by May 1, a plan that hinges partly on more testing.

Public health officials said the ability to test enough people and trace contacts of the infected is crucial before easing restrictions, and that infections could surge anew unless people continue to take precautions.

Vice President Mike Pence delivered a commencement address at the U.S. Air Force Academy in Colorado, a trip aimed at showing the country is on course to gradually reopen.

Trump said of the graduating Air Force officers: 'they're being very politically correct, standing not six feet but ten feet apart.'

Covid anger splits US: Texas crowd chants 'fire Fauci' and armed demonstrators swarm New Hampshire state house demanding lockdown be lifted while anti-Trump protesters in New York dump fake body bags outside president's properties

Protestors at an anti-lockdown rally in Texas yelled 'fire Fauci' in a targeted chant against President Trump's top medical advisor, as thousands of Americans defied stay-at-home and social distancing orders at rallies.

Meanwhile, anti-Trump activists launched counter-protests outside of the president's properties and laid body bags on the ground.

Hundreds of protestors gathered at the capitol building in Austin on Saturday to fight the state's coronavirus stay-at-home orders. The Texas protest was organized by Owen Shroyer and attended by Alex Jones from Infowars.

Cell phone footage from the protest showed people hoisting Trump 2020 flags and anti-lockdown signs into the air while calling for the dismissal of Dr. Anthony Fauci, the country's top immunologist and infectious disease expert.

Since the global disease was first detected in Washington state, Dr. Fauci has become a leading public health expert in President Trump's coronavirus response.

Protestors in Austin, Texas, screamed 'fire Facui' in a targeted chant against Dr. Anthony Fauci, the country's top immunologist and infectious disease expert

Pictured: Infowars host Alex Jones, who helped organize the protest, marches with protesters during the "Reopen America" rally on Saturday

Fauci is often seen near Trump during daily briefings and COVID-19 press conferences where he updates the public on health developments.

The crowds chants come after Trump publicly showed support for the anti-lockdown protests and repeatedly contradicted Facui's public health recommendations.

Texas announced that it would be the first state to re-open amid the COVID-19 pandemic next week.

Retailers will be able to open again next Friday but on a to-go basis, meaning they must deliver to people's homes, cars or other places.

A woman who helped organize a COVID-19 anti-lockdown protest in New Jersey was charged for defying stay-at-home orders on Friday, authorities said.

The New Jersey Attorney General's office said Kim Pagan, of Toms River, was charged with violating emergency orders after she organized a protest against the state's lockdown in Trenton.

Gov. Phil Murphy first implemented the coronavirus emergency orders last month. New Jersey has at least 78,467 confirmed COVID-19 cases and 3,840 deaths.

Video shared to Facebook by Central Jersey Libertarians showed a police officer writing summonses as protestors shout and honk their cars' horns near the statehouse.

Cell phone footage taken from the protest showed a New Jersey police officer writing summonses as upset protesters yelled and defiantly honked their car horns

On Friday, anti-lockdown protestors in Trenton, New Jersey, held a rally hitting back at Gov. Phil Murphy's coronavirus emergency lockdown orders that have closed nonessential businesses and mandated stay-at-home orders

'We have a right to peacefully protest,' one woman shouted, as the officer walked by a car window that reads 'playdemic.'

State stay-at-home protests also popped up in a Walmart parking lot in Hamilton. Protesters arrived with signs, American flags and wrote anti-lockdown messages on car windows, NBC New York reports.

One window read: 'MURPHY'S LAW WORSE THAN COVID-19.'

Gov. Murphy said New Jersey's coronavirus curve has not yet plateaued.

He said: 'Even if the rate of our increase is lessening, which it's hard to argue it hasn't over the past week, we have two realities that we cannot escape. One is it is still increasing.

'So with all due respect to this notion that we've found some plateau, we're not at any plateau.'

New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy (pictured) instated COVID-19 lockdown orders last week as he told residents cases have not yet plateaued

In recent days, thousands of Americans have flooded the streets with anti-lockdown protests as President Donald Trump voiced his support to 'liberate' states on Twitter.

Protests have appeared in several states like Oklahoma, Texas, Idaho, Virginia, Michigan, Florida, California, Kentucky, Ohio, North Carolina and Minnesota.

A few hundred demonstrators cheered and waved signs outside the New Hampshire State House on Saturday during a call to reopen the state, the Associated Press reported.

Members of the crowd carried signs with slogans such as 'Live Free or Die,' the state's motto. Others included 'Restore Jobs' and 'Kiss My Constitution.'

One demonstrator, talk show host Ian Freeman, said the government was guilty of fear-mongering over the state of the virus, and it was time to restore individual rights.

Pictured: Members of the Boogaloo Movement, attend a demonstration against the lockdown over concern about COVID-19 at the State House

'Even if the virus were 10 times as dangerous as it is, I still wouldn't stay inside my home. I'd rather take the risk and be a free person,' he said.

New Hampshire has had nearly 1,300 cases of the virus and more than three dozens deaths through Friday.

'ReOpen Maryland', an anti-lockdown group, protested the state orders Saturday in downtown Annapolis with a procession of vehicles.

The Capital Gazette reported that most protestors remained in their cars - as to keep with social distancing guidelines - and held signs out the window.

The group demanded in an online petition that Maryland Gov. Larry Hogan should re-open businesses, religious facilities and schools.

State Republican delegates pushed back at Hogan's mandates in a letter Saturday where they asked he relaxed restrictions in certain regions.

'We fundamentally believe that what works in one region of the state may not be applicable to others, members of the House of Delegates Republican,' the letter read.

Pictured: Members of the Boogaloo Movement, attend a demonstration against the lockdown over concern about COVID-19 at the State House in Annapolis

'ReOpen Maryland', an anti-lockdown group, protested the state orders Saturday in downtown Annapolis with a procession of vehicles

The Republican officials also asked that 'local review boards' be created to watchdog county health officers' power and to end the ban on recreational activities like boating.

Spokesperson Mike Ricci responded on behalf of Hogan and said the suggestions were appreciated.

'Were all on the same page: we want to get Maryland open again as soon as it is safe,' he said. 'We appreciate these ideas, and will continue coordinating with legislators as the governor prepares to unveil the states roadmap to recovery.'

The Virginia capitol building saw three anti-lockdown groups join forces on Thursday morning to hit back at lockdown orders. Gov. Ralph Northam closed nonessential businesses until May 8.

Protester Marco Caceres told NBC 12: 'Who is he to determine what is essential in our society and what is not? I believe the liquor stores are open. Is that essential? There are a lot of things that are open that many people dont consider essential.

Pictured: A demonstrator holds a sign at the Virginia State Capitol on Thursday while protesting the coronavirus lockdown

Marco Caceres: 'Youre trying to supposedly cure a problem but youre doing more damage in my opinion than you are trying to cure the problem by forcing people to stay in their homes, not be able to earn a living, you know isolation kills, too'

Three anti-lockdown groups in Virginia banded together to protest the state's stay-at-home orders on Friday

Like other state protestors, the Virginians forwent face masks and gloves during the rally.

'The reason why Im not wearing a mask is that Im not going to have someone tell me I have to,' said protester Benjamin Wright.

'It seems ridiculous to me that a lot of businesses are closed. A lot of my friends who own their businesses are in risk of going out of business over this.'

Pictured: Demonstrators, using simulated body bags for props, protest President Donald Trump's handling of the coronavirus pandemic in Chicago, Illinois

Anti-Trump activists rallied in front of Trump properties across the country with body bags meant to represent the lives lost due to Trump's outbreak response.

A group of protestors gathered in Chicago, Illinois, on Saturday with at least seven makeshift body bags.

Further west, activists with Refuse Fascism also put fake body bags in front of Trump International Hotel & Tower New York to protest Trump.

Some signs placed atop the body bags read 'This represents 1000+ health care workers who died of COVID-19' and 'This represents immigrants who died in ICE custody.'

One body bag used in the Chicago anti-Trump protest had a sign that read 'humanity first! Trump: restore funding to WHO'

Activists with Refuse Fascism protested President Trump's COVID-19 response in front of Trump International Hotel & Tower New York

One body placed in front of Trump International Hotel & Tower New York read 'This represents 1000+ health care workers who died of COVID-19'

President Trump doubled down on his tweets to 'LIBERATE' Minnesota, Michigan and Virginia, telling reporters Friday evening that the Democratic governors in those states went too far - and the protesters were treated badly.

'You could get the same result out of doing a little bit less,' Trump said of the stay at home orders in those three states. 'You know, they've been treated a little bit rough,' he said of those protesting against the lockdowns, who were often photographed wearing pro-Trump paraphernalia.

Trump admitted that he singled out Virginia because the state's governor, Democrat Ralph Northam, had signed a new gun control law.
STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. -- Rep. Max Rose (D-Staten Island/South Brooklyn) said he hopes to see President Donald Trump succeed in his response to rid the country of the coronavirus (COVID-19), even if that means he is re-elected to a second term, according to a recently published report.

Rose told Politico in an interview that nothing would make him happier than seeing Trump win this war" as president against the deadly virus, which has claimed the lives of 454 Staten Islanders as of Saturday.

Nothing would make me happier, nothing, then to see this president utilize all the tools at his disposal to win this war as the commander in chief that he is, and to own that success, Rose told Politico. And if that success means that we beat COVID and he wins re-election, then so be it.

However, the congressman said he hasnt seen Trump (or his administration) assert its authority in the ways it could.

When asked specifically what Trump hasnt been doing, Rose told Politico that he needs to streamline who is in charge, assert his Defense Production Act authority over the production and dissemination of supplies like masks, ventilators and testing equipment, and assert or utilize the Pentagon supply management acumen for the distribution of those supplies.

You have to calculate where the supplies are most needed and you have to figure out how to get them there as quickly as possible," Rose said in the interview with Politico. The states and cities, especially the ones hardest hit, like New York, should not be asked to spend a dime on this when theyre going through an economic crisis of their own.

*** CLICK HERE FOR COMPLETE COVERAGE OF CORONAVIRUS IN NEW YORK ***

Earlier this month, Rose announced he was stepping out of his congressional uniform and was set to deploy with the National Guard on April 1 to Staten Islands field facility at South Beach Psychiatric Center.

He initially announced the deployment would also include service at the College of Staten Island that was expected to be transformed into a field hospital. But the state isnt proceeding with the field hospital at the college campus in Willowbrook. A state official confirmed last week that the field hospital is being temporarily suspended because of virus mitigation efforts.

The emergency medical facility at South Beach Psychiatric Center came together in just days with the help of the National Guard -- including Rose -- Gov. Andrew Cuomos office and the state Office of Mental Health. Dr. Brahim Ardolic, executive director of Staten Island University Hospital (which runs the temporary facility), said that Rose rolled up his sleeves."

Max Rose was a great partner, a great leader. He made sure that we had guardsmen along the way for whatever we needed, Ardolic has previously told the Advance/SILive.com.

Roses deployment with the Guard ended on Thursday.

The congressmans comments during the Politico interview come after months of controversy following an announcement that he would vote yes on two articles of impeachment against Trump.

In September, before the Ukraine controversy, Rose announced he was opposed to impeaching the president. But less than a month later, he began tiptoeing around whether he still stood by that position, until he announced at a town hall in October he would fully support an impeachment inquiry into Trump and follow the facts.

By December, Rose announced he would be voting in favor of two articles of impeachment against the president, and the White House attacked him for his vote a week later. He told the Advance/SILive.com during an editorial board in late January that he stood by his vote despite pushback and criticism.

Trumps impeachment was acquitted in the U.S. Senate in February.
Coronavirus India latest news: Haridwar and Nainital districts have been declared red zones by the Uttarakhand government. Earlier Dehradun had been declared a red zone. Cases in the state have increased to 42. The MHA also clarified on Sunday that no non-essential items will be allowed to be delivered during the lockdown. This clarification comes amid reports that e-commerce sites would be able to resume full services from April 20. Meanwhile, a month-old baby has succumbed to the virus in Delhi and another 10-month old detected with coronavirus. Delhi's Lady Hardinge officials have said that two doctors and six nurses have tested positive for coronavirus.

The number of cases in India has crossed 15,000. There are 15,712 cases in the country now. Out of that 507 people have died, while 2,230 people have recovered. The highest cases have been reported in Maharashtra with 3,651 cases. Six states including Delhi have more than 1,000 cases each. Uttar Pradesh is also nearing the 1,000 mark. When it touches 1,000, UP will be the seventh state. As cases rise in UP, the government replaces yet another Chief Medical Officer within a fortnight. AP Chaturvedi will be replaced DK Ohri as additional CMO. Additionally, Rajasthan has allowed industry activity in rural areas. A person who had recovered in Himachal has been tested again. In Indian Navy, 26 cases have been reported at the shore establishment of INS Angre. No case has been reported in any vessel so far. Meanwhile, WHO Director General took to Twitter to thank Shah Rukh Khan for his solidarity with the organisation and joining the One World: Together At Home programme.

Also read: Coronavirus lockdown: Govt prohibits supply of non-essential items by e-commerce firms

Also read: Coronavirus: India plugs loophole in Chinese 'opportunistic takeover' of firms; govt nod must

Also read: Coronavirus: Gilead may partner with local firms for Remdesivir production in India

Follow the coronavirus cases in India news updates on BusinessToday.In blog:

9:59 pm: Lockdown extended in Telangana till May 7

8:05 pm: DGCA directs airlines to stop bookings till further notice

6:37 pm: Coronavirus lockdown: Providing food to 20 lakh people everyday, tweets Rishad Premji

"We are now supporting food for over 20 lakh people everyday. There are many organisations enabling this effort giving it everything they have. I salute them all. Please do all that you can to help as the need is still much much greater," Rishad tweeted.

We are now supporting food for over 20 lakh people everyday. There are many organisations enabling this effort giving it everything they have. I salute them all. Please do all that you can to help as the need is still much much greater. @Wipro @azimpremjiuniv Rishad Premji (@RishadPremji) April 19, 2020

6:19 pm: Coronavirus India can provide a new work culture, says PM Modi

In a post on LinkedIn, PM Narendra Modi talked about the changes in professional scenario that have been put into effect after the coronavirus pandemic. He said that India, can take the lead in providing a new work culture in such times.

"Rather than playing catch up, India must be ahead of the curve in the post-COVID world. Let us think about how our people, our skills sets, our core capabilities can be used in doing so," the Prime Minister said.

5:20 pm: 3 more COVID-19 cases surface in Nalanda, Bihar

3 more men (close contacts of earlier positive cases) from Bihar Sharif in Nalanda have tested positive for #COVID19, taking the total number of positive cases in the state to 92 now: Sanjay Kumar, Principal Secretary (Health), Bihar ANI (@ANI) April 19, 2020

5:00 pm: Indian Air Force delivers relief material from ICMR to Raipur

Indian Air Force aircraft carrying medical relief material supplied by ICMR (Indian Council of Medical Research) landed at Swami Vivekananda Airport in Raipur today: Rakesh Sahay, Director, Swami Vivekananda Airport, Raipur. #Chhattisgarh #Coronaviruslockdown pic.twitter.com/KWnBD8z0Cm ANI (@ANI) April 19, 2020

4:45 pm: Health Ministry warns against spraying people with disinfectants

Health Ministry issues advisory against spraying of disinfectant on people for #COVID19 mgmt-Spraying of disinfectant on individuals/groups isn't recommended under any circumstances. Spraying an individual/group with chemical disinfectants is physically & psychologically harmful. pic.twitter.com/GiQ23frAo9 ANI (@ANI) April 19, 2020

4:40 pm: Last active COVID-19 cases in Goa tests negative

Goa has reported that the last active COVID-19 case in the state has tested negative. Chief Minister Pramod Sawant stated in a tweet that no new cases of coronavirus have been reported in the state after April 3.

A moment of satisfaction and relief for Goa as the last active Covid-19 case tests negative. Team of Doctors and entire support staff deserves applause for their relentless effort. No new positive case in Goa after 3rd April 2020.#GoaFightsCOVID19 @narendramodi Dr. Pramod Sawant (@DrPramodPSawant) April 19, 2020

4:25 pm: Coronavirus update: 1,334 new cases, 27 deaths in past 24 hours, says Health Ministry

Lav Agarwal, Joint Secretary, Union Health Ministry informed that 1,334 cases of novel coronavirus and 27 deaths due to the contagion have been reported in the country.

4:22 pm: Coronavirus update: No cases in 54 districts over past 14 days

54 districts in 23 states and union territories have not reported any cases in the past 14 days, informed Lav Agarwal, Joint Secretary, Union Health Ministry. Puducherry's Mahe and Karnataka's Kodagu have not reported any cases in 28 days, Agarwal added

4:20 pm: Coronavirus in India: 2,144 dedicated health facilities

During a press briefing on COVID-19, Lav Agarwal, Joint Secretary, Union Health Ministry, informed that there are 755 dedicated hospitals and 1389 dedicated health care centers in the country, where severe or critical patients can be treated. This takes the total number of dedicated coronavirus facilities to 2144.

4:17 pm: Coronavirus updates: 3.87 lakh tests done so far

During a press briefing today, Dr Raman R Gangakhedkar of ICMR said that 37,173 tests were done yesterday, out of which, 29,287 tests were conducted in ICMR labs, and 7,886 tested in private labs. So far, 3,86,791 tests have done in the country, he added.

4:10 pm: Home Ministry writes to states, UTs over restriction on non-essential deliveries

Ajay Bhalla, Union Home Secretary, has written to states and union territories regarding Home Ministry order prohibiting non-essential deliveries by e-commerce platforms during COVID-19 lockdown. E-tailers will be allowed to deliver essential items during lockdown, Bhalla further clarified in his letter.

Home Secretary Ajay Bhalla writes to all chief secretaries of states and union territories regarding e-commerce companies excluded from supplying non-essential goods, however they will continue to supply essential goods. pic.twitter.com/JD7GBj5NJ7 ANI (@ANI) April 19, 2020

4:03 pm: Coronavirus news: CBDT revises return forms in view of timeline extensions

Central Board of Direct Taxes has revised the income tax return forms for financial year 2019-20 (assessment year 2020-21) to allow taxpayers to avail the benefits of timeline extension announced by Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman earlier. The revised forms will be notified by the end of this month.

3:49 pm: Coronavirus Lockdown: Over Rs 36,659 crore transferred to 16.01 crore beneficiaries

Finance Ministry has said that more than Rs 36,659 crore has been sent to bank account of 16.01 crore beneficiaries via direct benefit transfer during coronavirus lockdown.

(1/7) More than Rs 36,659 Crore transferred by using Direct Benefit Transfer (DBT) through Public Financial Management System (PFMS) in the Bank accounts of 16.01 crore beneficiaries during #COVID19 lockdown.#IndiaFightsCorona



For more details: https://t.co/0vTXCFeSuC pic.twitter.com/yofPgKfkAe Ministry of Finance #StayHome #StaySafe (@FinMinIndia) April 19, 2020

(2/7) DBT payments have reached beneficiaries under various schemes such as PM KISAN, Mahatma Gandhi National Employment Guarantee Scheme (MNREGS), National Social Assistance Program(NSAP), Ministry of Finance #StayHome #StaySafe (@FinMinIndia) April 19, 2020

(3/7) Prime Minsters Matru Vandana Yojana (PMMVY), National Rural Livelihood Mission (NRLM), National Health Mission (NHM), Scholarship Schemes of various ministries through National Scholarship Portal (NSP). pic.twitter.com/I4TpZu9heD Ministry of Finance #StayHome #StaySafe (@FinMinIndia) April 19, 2020

(4/7)Apart from above mentioned schemes, payments were also made under #PradhanMantriGaribKalyanYojana.

Rs 500 was credited in women account holder's Jan-Dhan accounts.Till 13.04.2020 total number of women beneficiaries were 19.86cr, which resulted in disbursement of Rs 9,930cr. Ministry of Finance #StayHome #StaySafe (@FinMinIndia) April 19, 2020

(5/7) Through 180 welfare schemes, the State Governments using PFMS have disbursed an amount of Rs. 9,217.22 cr to 4.59 cr beneficiaries, between 24th March 2020 till 17th April 2020. pic.twitter.com/uq7VqDszIu Ministry of Finance #StayHome #StaySafe (@FinMinIndia) April 19, 2020

(6/7) PFMS usage for DBT Payments has increased over last #3 FYs wherein Transaction count increased to 11% during FY 2018-19 (compared to FY 2017-18) and 48% in FY 2019-20. The total DBT amount disbursed increased from 22% in FY 2018-19 to 45% in FY 2019-20. pic.twitter.com/W8pWlhKvy5 Ministry of Finance #StayHome #StaySafe (@FinMinIndia) April 19, 2020

3:48 pm: Coronavirus in Delhi

All three municipal corporations and the New Delhi Municipal Council (NDMC) in the national capital have prohibited spitting and urinating in public with immediate effect to contain the coronavirus outbreak. Violators will be slapped with a fine of Rs 1,000.

3:38 pm: Coronavirus in India: Petrol pumps deny fuel to customers without face masks

Petroleum dealers have decided not to sell fuel to customers not wearing face masks, Ajay Bansal, president of All India Petroleum Dealers Association, told news agency ANI. The decision has been taken to ensure the safety of staff working at petrol pumps, Bansal added

3:22 pm: Coronavirus in Rajasthan

Rajasthan has reported 80 new cases of novel coronavirus so far today, taking the total tally in the state to 1,431. According to state health department, 17 are in Bharatpur, 1 in Bhilwara, 2 in Bikaner, 7 in Jaipur, 1 in Jaisalmer, 1 in Jhunjhunu, 30 in Jodhpur, 12 in Nagour, 2 in Kota, 2 in Jhalawar, 1 in Hanumangarh and 1 in Sawai Madhopur.

80 positive cases reported in state today so far-17 in Bharatpur, 1 in Bhilwara, 2 in Bikaner, 7 in Jaipur, 1 in Jaisalmer, 1 in Jhunjhunu, 30 in Jodhpur, 12 in Nagour, 2 in Kota, 2 in Jhalawar, 1 in Hanumangarh&1 in Sawai Madhopur. Total positive cases 1431:Rajasthan Health Dept pic.twitter.com/9srnMisBaI ANI (@ANI) April 19, 2020

3:17 pm: Coronavirus in Maharashtra

Six prisons in Maharashtra have been put under lockdown. Food and stay for police personnel will be made inside the jails; no one will be allowed to enter or leave jail premises, said Maharashtra Home Minister Anil Deshmukh.

Similar decision has been taken for 5 more jails in Maharashtra: Maharashtra Home Minister Anil Deshmukh https://t.co/76aJ8bN8n6 ANI (@ANI) April 19, 2020

3:14 pm: Coronavirus in Jharkhand

Four new cases of coronavirus have been reported in Jharkhand, taking the total tally in the state to 38. Of the new cases, 3 are from Ranchi and one is from Simdega.

3:11 pm: Clear claims within 2 hours, IRDAI tells insurers

Insurance Regulatory and Development Authority of India (IRDAI) orders health insurers to clear requests for cashless treatment and the final discharge from the hospital within two hours. The directive was issued in view of the coroanvirus pandemic.

3:00 pm: MHA prohibits labourers from moving out of states, UTs

Ministry of Home Affairs issued Standard Operating Procedure for movement of stranded labourers, which states, "There should be no movement of labour outside the state/UT from where they are currently located." The labourers have been allowed to go to their places of work within the states and union territories.

Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) issues Standard Operating System for the movement of stranded labourers within the state/union territory - "There shall be no movement of labour outside the state/UT from where they are currently located." pic.twitter.com/qo0UFccp6r ANI (@ANI) April 19, 2020

2:37 pm: Wuhan lab chief denies COVID-19 originated from institute

A premier Chinese virology laboratory in Wuhan, blamed for being the source of the novel coronavirus, has for the first time refuted the charge that the deadly pathogen originated from his lab before it spread across the world and wreaked havoc. The head of the lab clarified that coronavirus cannot be made in labs by human beings. President Trump on Saturday said his administration was looking into reports that the novel coronavirus "escaped" from a Wuhan laboratory before it spread to the world.

2:29 pm: Coronavirus in Haryana

Harayan government reported that the state has seen 246 coronavirus cases so far. Of them, 24 are foreign nationsl and 64 are from other states.

2:21 pm: Coronavirus news: Govt hasn't redirected pension funds to fight COVID-19

Union Minister Jitendra Singh told news agency ANI that government has no plans to reduce the pension of senior citizens. He clarified that pension money has not been redirected COVID-19 fund.

2:15 pm: Coronavirus in India: Decision on UPSC, SSC exams after May 3

Government will take a decision on UPSC and SSC examinations, which have been put on hold due to the coronavirus lockdown, after May 3. Union Miniser Jitendra Singh assured that dates will be rescheduled in manner that aspirants get sufficient time to reach their designated examination centres.

2:06 pm: Coronavirus impact: GoAir asks staff to go on leave without pay till May 3

GoAir has reportedly asked its employees to go on leave without pay till May 3. While the Wadia family-owned airline had sent several employees on leave without pay, this latest directive will apply to all employees.

2:05 pm: Coronavirus in India: Take 'measured approach' with stimulus packages, says Panagariya

Former NITI Aayog Vice Chairman Arvind Panagariya stated that India should focus on a more "measured approach" while doling out stimulus packages to deal with COVID-19 instead of generously providing credit to even unviable businesses. Panagariya stated that future taxpayers will have to pay for the expenditures government incurs today by either borrowing or printing money, during an event at Columbia's School of International and Public Affairs.

1:52 pm: Coronavirus in Maharashtra

Of the 66,000 tests done so far, 95 per cent have been negative, stated Maharashtra CM Uddhav Thackeray. Around 3,600 have tested positive in the state, 300-350 of these have recovered and have been discharged, he added. 52 patients are serious and we are looking at saving their lives, Thackeray said.

1:37 pm: Maharashtra to restart businesses in limited manner

Maharashtra Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray stated that some industries in green and orange zones of the state will be started in the state from tomorrow in a limited way. He added that there will be the threat of financial crisis after the coronavirus pandemic if the economy is not put in motion now.

1:27 pm: Coronavirus lockdown massively disrupting supply chain: NITI Aayog CEO Amitabh Kant

NITI Aayog CEO Amitabh Kant has said that coronavirus lockdown is massively disrupting India's supply chain. This pandemic has resulted in a unique challenge, which is complex and unpredictable, Kant said during a virtual session on 'COVID-19 & The Future of Work'.

1:20 pm: Coronavirus updates: 8 patients cured at INHS Patanjali

Eight out of nine patients admitted at Indian Naval Hospital Patanjali at Karwar have been cured and discharged so far, rpeorts ANI. The last patient is reporting well to treatment.

Out of the nine #COVID19 patients admitted at Indian Naval Hospital Patanjali at Karwar, eight have been cured and discharged so far. The remaining patient is responding well to the treatment. pic.twitter.com/P8BqG7TLVW ANI (@ANI) April 19, 2020

1:17 pm: IN PICTURES: Health Minister Harsh Vardhan visits Rajiv Gandhi Super Speciality Hosiptal, one of the dedicated COVID-19 hospitals in Delhi

Delhi: Union Minister for Health & Family Welfare, Dr Harsh Vardhan visited Rajiv Gandhi Super Speciality Hospital today. It is one of the dedicated #COVID19 centres in the national capital.



A total of 1893 positive cases have been reported in Delhi so far. pic.twitter.com/mvBjgN4L7l ANI (@ANI) April 19, 2020

1:08 pm: Coronavirus in India: Death rate improves; number of cases grow 34.6%

12:58 pm: UP govt to provide jobs to migrant labourers under MGNREGS

Yogi Adityanath government has decided to provide employment to migrant labourers in Uttar Pradesh under the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme (MGNREGS) to help them out of economic distress due to coronavirus lockdown. As per Centre's guidelines, work under MGNREGS will be conducted outside containment zones and in adherence to social distancing norms.

12:41 pm: Coronavirus in Haryana

Warden of Bhondsi Jail tests positive for novel coronavirus after returning from his home in Bhiwani, reports ANI. He was tested before he joined duty so no one at the jail came in contact with him, informed Chief Medical Officer, Gurugram.

12:36 pm: Coronavirus updates: 4 new cases in Mysuru cluster

Karnataka government has informed that 4 new cases of coronavirus have been identified in Mysuru cluster, taking the total tally to 388. Of the 4 new cases, 2 have travel history to Delhi.

4 new positive cases of #COVID19 reported in the Mysuru cluster in the State. Out of the 4 patients, 2 patients have travel history to Delhi. The total number of positive cases in the State is 388: Government of Karnataka pic.twitter.com/FBjxkLNjTM ANI (@ANI) April 19, 2020

12:27 pm: Coronavirus in Delhi

Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal has ordered COVID-19 rapid testing for all workers in food distribution centres after one of the volunteers at a government food disribution centre tested positive. All those who visited the food distribution centre will also be tested. During his press conference today, Kejriwal informed that all 186 cases reported yesterday were asymptomatic, they didn't know they had coronavirus.

12:25 pm: WATCH: Lockdown to remain; we will review after one week, says CM Arvind Kejriwal

#WATCH "We have decided to keep people of Delhi safe, the lockdown will remain, there will be no relaxation. Will review again after a week," Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal pic.twitter.com/spQ8aEpmtE ANI (@ANI) April 19, 2020

12:10 pm: Coronavirus in Jammu and Kashmir

Wheat crop in J&K's Kathua district is ready for harvest but due to non-availability of labour and transportation, the farmers fear that they may lose their crops. The farmers are also complaining that technicians for repairing the machines are also not available due to lockdown. Farmers have appealed to the govt to provide them relief.

12:00 pm: COVID-19 cases in Gujarat

Of the 228 new COVID positive cases reported in Gujarat in the past 12 hours, 140 are from Ahmedabad alone. Of these only 15 are symptomatic whereas others are asymptomatic cases. Ahmedabad cross 1000 case of Covid positive. Cumulatively, some 28,212 COVID tests have been conducted in Gujarat so far, confirmed state health authorities.

Ahmedabad 1002 (+140)

Vadodara 166

Surat 220

Rajkot 35

Bhavnagar 32

Anand 28

Bharuch 22

Gndhinagar17

Patan 15

Narmada 11

Banaskatha 10

PanchMahal 9

Chhota Udepur 7

Mehsana,Botad 5

Kutch 4

Porbandar 3

Sabarkatha, Mahisagar, Dahod, GSomnath, Kheda 2

Jamnagar, Morbi, Aravalli 1

11:50 am: Coronavirus impact on e-commerce

Secretary General, Confederation of All India Traders said, "CAIT demolished sinister plan of E Commerce Companies to trade in non essential commodities. Accepting the objection of CAIT, the MHA excluded the permission granted earlier and now e commerce can trade only in essential commodities. Thanks to Home Minister Amit Shah, Defence Minister, Rajnath Singh & Commerce Minister Piyush Goyal."

11:40 am: Government prohibits non-essential delivery

Amid reports that government will allow delivery of non-essential items as it was not specifically mentioned in the guidelines issued by MHA, the government has specified that non-essential items will not be allowed to be delivered.

Supply of non-essential goods by e-Commerce companies to remain prohibited during lockdown: Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) pic.twitter.com/5wuB3mLXoT ANI (@ANI) April 19, 2020

11:35 am: Odisha coronavirus news

Govt ITI in Cuttack have developed a walk-in kiosk to collect samples for COVID-19 testing. The kiosk is a mobile cabin and has sealed glass front.

Walk-in Kiosk for collection of samples for coronavirus testing has been developed by a team of Govt ITI Cuttack, Odisha.The sample collection kiosk is a mobile cabin with a sealed glass front with extended gloves attached in front through which a healthworker can collect samples pic.twitter.com/ikKJGItu99 ANI (@ANI) April 19, 2020

11:30 am: Coronavirus cases in Andhra Pradesh

Forty-four coronavirus cases have been reported in the last 24 hours in the state. The number of cases in Andhra Pradesh has increased to 647.

11:20 am: Uttar Pradesh coronavirus cases update

CM Yogi Adityanath chairs meeting of senior government officials to take stock of the situation in the state.

Lucknow: Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath chairs a meeting of senior government officers to review situation regarding #COVID19 in Uttar Pradesh. pic.twitter.com/cE6SziFZ2J ANI UP (@ANINewsUP) April 19, 2020

11:10 am: Maharashtra coronavirus cases

People flock to buy vegetables in Nagpur, flouting all lockdown norms. The number of cases in Nagpur has reached 72. Police has put up coronavirus-themed effigies to spread awareness.

Maharashtra: Norms of social distancing goes for a toss, after people gather in huge numbers to buy vegetables in vegetable market in Nagpur today morning. Total number of #COVID19 positive cases in the district stand at 72. pic.twitter.com/IYQLIXOIrZ ANI (@ANI) April 19, 2020

11:00 am: Coronavirus cases in Uttarakhand

Haridwar and Nainital have been declared 'red zone' as cases in Uttarakhand increase to 42. Additional Health Secretary says 80 per cent of the cases in the state are from Dehradun, Haridwar and Nainital districts.

10:55 am: Delhi COVID-19 cases news

Health Minister Satyendar Jain has said that Delhi has 42,000 rapid testing kits and a trial run is being conducted at the LNJP hospital. The minister said that the government aims conduct 42,000 tests in a week's time.

10:50 am: Maharashtra coronavirus updates

As situation gets grimmer, Maharashtra Police tries to spread awareness with a coronavirus-themed effigy. The effigy was put up in Nagpur.

Maharashtra: Police puts up a #COVID themed effigy near Shanti Nagar in Nagpur to spread awareness regarding the precautionary measures to be taken amid the #coronavirus outbreak. Total number of #COVID19 positive cases in the district stand at 72. pic.twitter.com/5IKLeBcZIE ANI (@ANI) April 19, 2020

10:45 am: Jharkhand coronavirus updates

Lake View Hospital in Ranchi has been sealed and more than 50 of its employees have been quarantined. A retired DDC who was found positive in Gurugram was treated in this hospital where he died of a brain hemorrhage. His apartment has also been sealed.

10:40 am: Delhi coronavirus news

Delhi government has expanded the scope of Rs 1 crore compensation to coronavirus workers. Earlier the compensation was declared only health workers losing their lives in the battle against COVID-19, but civil defence personnel, teachers, policemen and firemen have also been included.

10:30 am: Coronavirus cases in India

Union Home Minister Amit Shah reviewed the government's Covid-19 control room and the situation in various states amid the lockdown. Shah reviewed operations of the MHA Control Room that monitors and gets feedback from all states and various other ministries during the period.

10:20 am: Maharashtra coronavirus cases

Nine people have been tested positive in Maharashtra's Nagpur. The total number of positive cases in Nagpur has reached 72. Maharashtra has the highest number of cases in the country at 3,651.

10:15 am: Coronavirus in Indonesia

Indonesia's death toll has likely reached 1,000, nearly double the official figure of 535, Indonesian Doctors Association (IDI) chairman Daeng Faqih was quoted saying on Saturday. "Those who were yet to be confirmed with COVID-19 were also reported by hospitals as death by coronavirus," Daeng told local media.

10:11 am: Sterlite Copper donates to CM fund in Tamil Nadu

Sterlite Copper, a Vedanta company, said it has contributed Rs 5 crore to the Tamil Nadu Chief Minister's Public Relief Fund. Vedanta has already provided Rs 101 crore to the PM-CARES Fund and has set up a Rs 100-crore corpus. "We have 1 lakh people working at Vedanta and each of them, along with their family members, are empowered to do whatever it takes to help people in distress. We are facing multiple problems but it's the country that comes first," Vedanta Chairman Anil Agarwal said.

10:05 am: Coronavirus cases in Delhi

A 10-month infant was detected with coronavirus. The baby was brought by his father to the hospital where he was tested positive. The baby has been showing respiratory symptoms. The father has also been detected with coronavirus. The mother is being tested.

10:00 am: Delhi coronavirus news

Delhi's Lady Hardinge officials have said that two doctors and six nurses have tested positive for coronavirus. The hospital authorities have quarantined themselves. Contact tracing has begun and a containment plan will soon be implemented.

9:53 am: Rajasthan coronavirus news

As many as 41 new cases have been reported in Rajasthan. The health department said that the number of cases in the state has risen to 1,395. Jaipur alone has 521 cases.

44 new #COVID19 positive cases, 1 death reported in the State today; the total number of cases is 1395: Rajasthan Health Department pic.twitter.com/i4PDWMKBoh ANI (@ANI) April 19, 2020

9:50 am: Delhi coronavirus updates

A special flight was arreanged by the US Embassy to ferry US citizens to the country. Around 300 US citizens left from Ludhiana in the special flight.

Punjab: A group of 300 US citizens from Ludhiana left for the US on a special flight from Delhi arranged by the US embassy yesterday pic.twitter.com/BVy9W7lasG ANI (@ANI) April 19, 2020

9:43 am: Chidambaram lashes out at the govt

Chidambaram lashed out that the government and called it heartless. He asked why the govt can't hand cash to poor families.

There is overwhelming evidence that more and more people have run out of cash and are forced to stand in lines to collect free cooked food. Only a heartless government will stand by and do nothing. P. Chidambaram (@PChidambaram_IN) April 19, 2020

9:40 am: Wuhan virology lab denies coronavirus connection

In an interview with state media published Saturday Yuan Zhiming, director of the laboratory, said that "there's no way this virus came from us". The institute has come under the scanner after reports emerged that it could be the source behind the coronavirus outbreak. Zhiming said that the lab is carrying out inspection in different parts of the institute for coronavirus.

9:30 am: Coronavirus in Delhi

A 45-day old infant has become the lastest casualty of coronavirus in Delhi. The child was admitted in the Kalawati Saran Children's Hospital. Another 10-month old child is also infected but the child is currently stable.

9:15 am: Coronavirus cases in India cross 15,000

There are 15,712 cases in India, with 12,974 active cases. The number of deaths have crossed 500 in the country. Maharashtra is the worst-impacted with 3,651 cases.

9:06 am: Himachal Pradesh coronavirus updates

Officials said that a person who has recovered from coronavirus has tested positive again. The person is a resident of Una but further details are not available yet. The number of active cases in the state is 23 and HP has seen 40 cases so far.

9:00 am: Delhi coronavirus news

Despite the lockdown and strict regulations in place, people flock to Azadpur Mandi to procure vegetables and fruits. Sale of essential food is done here from 6am-11am and 2pm-6pm.

Delhi: People at Azadpur Sabzi Mandi to buy essentials, amid #CoronaLockdown. The sale of vegetables and fruits is done here from 6 am-11am & 2 pm-6pm. pic.twitter.com/LqqeeAq03L ANI (@ANI) April 19, 2020

8:55 am: Rajasthan coronavirus cases

Rajasthan government has allowed the restarting of industries from April 20. It said that industries that are located in rural areas or industrial areas established in municipalities/municipal areas, export based industries or Special Economic Zones will be allowed to operate.

8:50 am: UP coronavirus news

UP government removed CMO AP Chaturvedi and placed DK Ohri as the additional CMO of the Gautam Buddh Nagar district. This move comes barely a fortnight after CMO Anurag Bhargava was removed and placed by AP Chaturvedi.

8:45 am: Delhi coronavirus cases news

Delhi govt officials stated that the number of cases in the national capital increased to 1,893. It added that 186 new cases were reported along with one death in a day. It said that of the total 43 deaths in Delhi, 24 were above 60 years of age. Nine were in the 50-60 group, while 10 were below 50 years.

8:40 am: US coronavirus news

US President Donald Trump warns China of consequences if it is found "knowingly responsible" for the outbreak of coronavirus. "The relationship was good when we were signing that, but then, all of a sudden, you hear about this. So, it's a big difference. You know, the question was asked would you be angry at China. Well, the answer very well might be a very resounding yes, but it depends," Trump said.

8:35 am: UP coronavirus cases news

Forty-five new cases have been reported in Agra. According to the DM, there are 241 cases in the city. The number of coronavirus cases in Uttar Pradesh is on a rise and is nearing the 1,000 mark.

8:30 am: WHO thanks Shah Rukh Khan for solidarity

WHO Director General took to Twitter to thank Shah Rukh Khan for his solidarity with the organisation and for joining the One World: Together At Home programme.

Thank you @iamsrk for standing in solidarity with @WHO & @GlblCtzn, & for joining the One world, #TogetherAtHome programme tonight. In solidarity, we can keep the world safe! #COVID19 https://t.co/GyMtp9MoDp Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus (@DrTedros) April 19, 2020

8:25 am: Aviation minister says no flights till further notice

Aviation Minister Hardeen Singh Puri said that there has been no decision on re-opening of airline operations in the country. He airines must start booking only after a decision is made by the government.
President Akufo-Addo will deliver his seventh update on measures taken against the spread of the Coronavirus today (Sunday, April 19, the Presidency has confirmed.

A statement by the Director of Communications at the Presidency, Mr Eugene Arhin on his personal Facebook wall said the time for the address will be communicated in due course.

"Kindly take note - President Akufo-Addo will address the nation on Sunday, 19th April. The time for the address will be communicated in due course (on this page and on the President's social media pages)," Mr Arhin wrote in a Facebook post.

The last Presidential update on the Coronavirus was on April 9.

Fake news

Mr Arhin has had to issue two denials to fake news reports regarding Coronavirus updates by the President over the past month.

The first denial was in regard to the location of an address on March 27. Some reports had indicated that that address was to be done from Parliament but Mr Arhin clarified that when the President decided to address the nation it will be done from the Jubilee House, the seat of the nation's Presidency.

He also discounted viral reports of a Presidential address on Friday.

Late-night addresses

The timing of the President's late-night Coronavirus updates has been the subject of public debate in recent weeks.

Weighing-in on the subject, a Deputy Minister of Information, Mr Pius Enam Hadzide, explained that the evening broadcasts are aimed at achieving a certain effect.

The Presidents schedule around this time, on this COVID, you have no idea. Sometimes, he is sitting in meetings until late and hes able to interact with us," he said.

Those broadcasts at the times they are broadcast also communicates in itself. Its not like they were recorded days or hours before. So, its not a major problem, he further stated.

When asked why a pre-recorded broadcast could not be shown earlier, Mr Hadzide had this to say: If you ask me, the timing is just right. When my advice is sought, I will put it at a time which is not ordinary [so] everybody will know that we are not in ordinary times. I think that doing it in the evening, nine oclock thereabout is fine.

Its not like they were recorded days or hours before. So, its not a major problem, he further stated.

Coronavirus cases

Ghana's coronavirus cases rose by 198 cases on April 18 to a total of 834 confirmed cases. The country has also recorded 99 recoveries and nine deaths.

---graphic.com.gh
The coronavirus lockdown is providing rich pickings for heartless criminals. So far they have cheated victims out of 2 million, using the fear of Covid-19 to launch a wave of scams that experts describe as 'sick'. TOBY WALNE and RACHEL WAIT advise you on how to thwart the fraudsters.

FINES FOR BREAKING FAKE LOCKDOWN RULES

The vast majority of people have dutifully obeyed self-isolation rules in recent weeks, but some criminals have exploited the situation and made up their own.

One particularly odious new trick involves fraudsters randomly texting people demanding they pay a 35 fine after allegedly being spotted leaving their home three times in a day  in defiance of Government coronavirus rules.

Scam: This text message demanding a 35 fine for leaving your home is a brazen fake

This is simply a made-up 'rule'. The text is dressed up to look as if it has come from the Government and even includes the emotive message: 'Protect the NHS. Save lives.' You are then told to press on a link 'for further information'.

It not only wants you to pay the fictitious penalty but to steal your bank details. Once a fraudster has enough personal information they can steal your ID and then take out credit cards in your name to go shopping. The moment any message asks you to verify personal details  either by phone, text or email  be on your guard.

Do not give out bank details, any passwords, or transfer money in response to such a request.

PHONEY OFFERS OF FINANCIAL SUPPORT

Many workers have been furloughed resulting in the Government pledging to guarantee 80 per cent of their wages up to a monthly cap of 2,500.

But fraudsters have been quick to jump on the confusion many of them have about claiming this cash. One such scam is a fake 'Government' text offering 458 in 'its promise to battle COVID 19'.

Tap on the link and you are responding to dangerous fraudsters who want to steal your bank details to rob you of cash.

Similar scams are being perpetrated by cyber thieves using so-called 'phishing' emails. These include official looking messages being sent that offer 'relief packages' (financial help), tax breaks and 'free' school meals.

But click on the links given and you could end up downloading 'malware' that damages your computer, steals personal data or even spies on what you are doing on your computer.

This spying software is known as 'ransomware' as a criminal might later demand cash if you do not want your browsing history shared. Colin Tankard, of Harlow-based data security company Digital Pathways, says: 'Hackers see the coronavirus outbreak as an opportunity  sick as this is. A rule everyone should follow is to think before you click.'

YOUR COMPUTER MAY BE VULNERABLE

Any official-looking correspondence you receive relating to coronavirus should be treated with caution.

Fraudsters know that pretending to be official is a con that lures in lawabiding people. Anything purporting to be sent by the Government, National Health Service, World Health Organisation, a bank or the Inland Revenue that is asking you to reveal private password information should be treated as a potential scam.

Check the email address of the sender to see if it tallies with the real organisation's email address  and whether others have commented about it online as fraud. But even if a message comes from someone you trust, this does not mean they necessarily sent it.

A so-called 'Trojan horse' can embed software into a computer without you being aware. If a friend has been sent such a virus then this bad software can send out random emails from their email address without them knowing  and you could be a target.

You do not even have to do anything wrong to get swindled  you might have used a service that has been hacked. For example, last week it was discovered half a million users of video group meeting service Zoom had personal details such as passwords stolen  information now for sale on the dark web.

Although it is important to be vigilant you can help thwart fraudsters by installing antivirus software. You should also go into your computer settings to ensure your email 'spam' filter is set to high.

HOW SHOPPERS ARE BEING RIPPED OFF

Criminals are using the rise in demand for face masks and hand sanitisers to send out emails promising to sell such essentials.

The items you pay for never get sent. Sales scams are even taking place at people's front doors, with criminals offering fictional coronavirus test kits or phoney health checks.

Consumer group Which? says: 'There are some nasty scams happening where criminals are taking advantage of older people by knocking on their door.

'These can involve offering to take a vulnerable person's temperature or pretending to be from the Red Cross and giving a coronavirus test.'

If someone uninvited tries to sell you a service at the door, do not let them inside.

Contact the police and Action Fraud.

In the past few weeks, Action Fraud has received reports of almost 700 coronavirus-related crimes swindling people out of a total of about 2 million.

Visit actionfraud.police.uk

Have you received a scam text or email in recent days? Send details to toby.walne@mailonsunday.co.uk
South Africas provincial governments are setting up quarantine sites as the country prepares for COVID-19 infections to peak.

This is according to a report in the Sunday Times, which stated that 1,644 emergency field hospitals and quarantine sites are being built.

These facilities will be used in addition the countrys established healthcare system.

One of the venues in Gauteng which will shelter patients is the Nasrec Expo Centre in Johannesburg. It will hold 2,000 beds, spaced apart with separators between them.

The Western Cape has also started building facilities to accommodate patients, while other province are currently planning their builds.

Some field hospitals will be built from the ground up, but others will involve adapting buildings to accommodate the sick, stated the report.

7,000 beds

The report stated the goal is to build facilities which will hold a total of 7,356 beds.

These facilities must be ready by July, when experts expect COVID-19 cases to peak at 78,000 in the country. The facilities will then be used to make up for a lack of beds and ventilators in existing hospitals.

The public and private healthcare sectors currently have a combined capacity of 3,318 critical-care beds and 3,216 ventilators, added the report.

Peak demand for critical-care beds is forecast at up to 14,767, however. The low-end estimate is 4,100 critical-care beds.

Increase in cases

On 19 April, Health Minister Zweli Mkhize revealed that South Africa had recorded 3,034 COVID-19 cases  an increase of 251 cases since the day before.

This is the biggest increase in daily COVID-19 cases since the coronavirus outbreak started in South Africa.

The number of total confirmed cases in Gauteng increased to 1,101, followed by the Western Cape with 836, and KwaZulu-Natal on 604.

The growth in the number of COVID-19 cases remains closely linked to the number of tests conducted, however.

The total number of coronavirus tests conducted in South Africa has increased to 108,021, a daily increase of 7,194.

Mkhize also revealed there were two new deaths attributed to COVID-19 in South Africa, bringing total deaths to 52.
Voters in the nation of 19 million cast ballots in the runoff for 147 seats in the National Assembly.

Polls have closed in Mali as voters cast their ballots in the second round of legislative elections despite an armed conflict and the threat of the coronavirus pandemic.

Sundays runoff vote for 147 seats in the National Assembly on Sunday was aimed at reviving confidence in the embattled institutions of a country struggling with deteriorating violence that has killed thousands of people and forced hundreds of thousands from their homes.

The long-delayed first round of voting on March 29 was disrupted by attacks and intimidation, including the kidnapping of opposition leader Soumaila Cisse. It was unclear which group was behind the kidnapping.

Acts of intimidated were also reported in the runoff vote.

I am scared. I had to hide to visit my own constituents, Hamadoune Dicko, a parliamentary candidate for the Democratic Alliance for Peace party, told Al Jazeera.

If they can abduct our opposition leader for 21 days, they could abduct a president, they can take anyone they want, Dicko added.

In central Mali, where Dicko is campaigning, al-Qaeda affiliates reportedly asked people not to vote, said Al Jazeeras Nicolas Haque, who has reported extensively on Mali.

The president of a voting station in the volatile region was forcibly removed and representatives of the electoral commission chased away by armed men, one of the representatives told AFP news agency.

Elsewhere, voting was cancelled after fighters threatened to attack voters, according to reporters.

Already on Saturday, voting equipment had been destroyed by unknown assailants in northern Mali.

Security concerns

Mali is one of the worlds most impoverished nations. Its conflict zones and poor healthcare infrastructure place it in the category of countries that health experts say are at high risk of coronavirus.

An election-monitoring NGO warned about social distancing in Sundays vote. Keita said every health and security precaution will be rigorously applied.

The country has officially recorded 13 deaths out of more than 200 cases.

The turnout in the first round nationwide averaged 35.6 percent, but was just 12.9 percent in the capital, Bamako.

These are the countrys first parliamentary polls since 2013 when President Ibrahim Boubacar Keitas Rally for Mali party won a big majority.

The elections were meant to take place in late 2018 after Keita was returned to office, but the polls were postponed several times, mainly because of security concerns.

A national dialogue staged last year to discuss Malis spiral of violence called for the ballot to be completed by May.





The hope is that the new MPs will endorse changes to the constitution that will promote decentralisation, s key to pushing ahead with the governments plans for peace.

Mali has experienced attacks by armed groups since a 2012 coup that helped separatist rebels and groups associated with al-Qaeda gain a foothold in the countrys restive north.

Former colonial power France intervened in 2013 to drive out fighters that had occupied the north and has since kept thousands of troops in the region as part of counter-terrorism operations.

Defying French and United Nations troops, the armed groups took their campaign into the centre of the country and now threaten neighbouring Burkina Faso and Niger.

The government drew up a peace plan and reached a peace agreement with the non-jihadi groups back in 2015 and a key stage in that agreement is to get decentralisation  more people and responsibility and spending power down to the regional and local level, Paul Melly, a consulting Fellow with the Africa Programme at Chatham House, told Al Jazeera.

And thats why they [the government] needed parliament to approve this next step, and the problem they faced was that the old parliament  really lacked the legitimacy to give approval to this next stage of the peace process that is so vitally needed.

Melly said the government faced a real dilemma amid the worsening insecurity.

Its a very imperfect election but if they had decided to postpone once again, that could have been an equal bad option, he said.

The [attacks by] jihadist groups have actually not only continued but have become more widespread, and theres been intercommunal violence.



So there would have inevitably been difficult problems and risks in either direction but the option of postponing the election for a few months, say until next year in the hope of the virus would have gone away, the security situation could have gone even worse in the meantime.



There were no easy choices, there was no good option. And although this election would have taken place on a pretty slender mandate, there will be members of parliament elected roughly representing the spread of Malian political opinion.
For at least two weeks, the news coming out of Gov. Phil Murphys daily news briefing on the coronavirus crisis has contained glimmers of optimism among updates on the viruss staggering toll.

A color-coded map, cited daily, suggests that cases are doubling much less frequently in almost every county. On Friday, state Health Commissioner Judith Persichilli said she believed the northern part of the state had already experienced its peak hospitalization numbers.

The news was starting to feel more positive after six weeks of doom, but the optimism appears to be at least half-blind.

State officials still have no firm grasp on the number of coronavirus cases in New Jersey, largely because of ongoing troubles surrounding testing for the coronavirus.

New Jersey has failed to significantly increase its daily testing, according to an analysis of data by NJ Advance Media, and no one has clearly communicated how it plans to do so. Officials also have not said what the maximum testing capacity is in the state and have been vague in what has caused New Jersey to test at a far lower rate than neighboring New York.

CORONAVIRUS RESOURCES: Live map tracker | Businesses that are open | Homepage

And until the state gets a handle on testing, the goal of re-opening the state and restoring some level of normalcy to our lives will remain elusive.

We really have no idea of just how many people are infected, said Henry Raymond, an associate professor of epidemiology at the Rutgers University School of Public Health. Yes, we know that we are trying our best to identify those who are in need of care. But we dont know about the overall prevalence or distribution ... i.e. geographically, by race, by age, by gender.

An NJ Advance Media analysis of data released thus far by state officials reveals:

New Jersey has the highest positive test rate among all states  about half of the 157,000 coronavirus tests that it has reported so far have come back positive, data shows. New York is the next closest state, with a 40% positive rate. Washington, where the U.S. outbreak originated, has a positive rate under 9%. The World Health Organization has said that a positive rate of about 10% is a good indication that a government has a full picture of the virus. That suggests that many of the people in New Jersey who have the coronavirus have not been tested. (A recent New York Times analysis suggests that at least 80% of those infected have not been tested.)

New Jersey ranks second in the nation for number of cases (883 cases per 100,000 residents) but sixth in the nation for per-capita testing (1,773 per 100,000), according to data collected by the volunteer-run Covid Tracking Project and analyzed Saturday morning. By comparison, New York state has 1,180 cases per 100,000 residents and has tested 2,947 per 100,000.

About 7,000 to 9,000 coronavirus tests are conducted every day in New Jersey, Edward Lifshitz, a medical director in the state Health Department, said Thursday. Some of the labs that process tests only return positive results, which is why the state doesnt have a clearer idea on the total number of tests administered across 66 testing sites, Lifshitz said.

The state has been releasing the results of an average 6,060 tests a day, according to the NJ Advance Media analysis. But the daily announcements of test results are not reflective of the number of tests being conducted on a daily basis, since it can take days for results to be returned.

Still, the governors office continues to hint at that sliver of optimism. Part of that is based on factors outside of testing, including hospitalization rates, Murphy said Saturday, which are showing signs of declining and are a good snapshot for what the disease is doing right now. But when asked again about testing capacity, which he and experts agree needs to expand, he was again fuzzy on when that would occur.

Its going to have to be before we can confidently reopen, Murphy said. "And thats sooner than later.



When the first drive-thru testing facility opened March 20 in Bergen County, a line of cars stretched three miles. The facility ran out of tests that day within four hours.

Major news organizations splashed drone images of the backups, a symbol of the testing shortages felt across the nation.

Like many public officials, Murphy has been calling for more coronavirus testing for weeks  and has repeated the point almost daily at his news briefing.

Nationally, and youve heard this before, but it bears repeating, resources and PPE (personal protective equipment) have been limiting factors to the testing regime, the governor said at his Wednesday briefing. We know what we need and we will advance every opportunity to increase mass testing.

How he plans to advance those opportunities, however, remains vague.

Murphy has said supply shortages have heavily factored into the lack of testing in the state and led New Jersey only to test those with severe symptoms.

The states two FEMA testing sites  at Bergen Community College in Paramus and the PNC Arts Center in Holmdel  arent always open on the same days. Those sites can each test up to 500 people per day, and Thursday was the first day that the Bergen Community College site did not run out of tests, Murphy said, adding that the site in Holmdel has had multiple days where it didnt run out of tests.

Meanwhile, information from the states other 64 or so testing facilities is not clear. Those are a mix of county sites, only open to residents of certain counties, and private facilities, which require approval from a physician to be tested.

From those dozens of testing sites, the specimens are sent to one of several labs for processing. Some of those labs are in New Jersey, others are elsewhere in the country. The state would not say how many tests the labs are processing on a daily basis and most of the labs contacted by NJ Advance Media either declined to comment on the number of tests they process for New Jersey or did not respond to questions seeking comment.

BioReference Laboratories, an Elmwood Park-based company, was processing about 5,000 tests per day for New Jersey earlier this month, said the companys executive chairman, Jon Cohen. He added that BioReference is processing tests from about 20 testing sites in 15 counties.

Hackensack University Medical Center, one of the other seven labs that process tests in New Jersey, is handling about 90 tests per day, all from within the hospital system, said Mary McGeever, a spokeswoman for the health care system.

That leaves five other labs, plus New York state, which has processed results for New Jersey residents tested in New York, running an unknown number of tests every day.

Complicating all of this even further: We arent getting an actual breakdown of positive versus negative results.

Christopher Neuwirth, an assistant health commissioner, said that about 10% of labs are only reporting positive results, meaning some number of negative results are never reported. That partially explains why the number of results doesnt exactly line up with the states estimated number of daily tests administered.

Neuwirth said he expects those labs not sending all results to begin doing so in the near future, though did not say when that would happen.



What hangs in the balance is the future of the state: How many people will fall ill? How long we will be required to shelter-in-place? How long will the economic and social reverberations of the pandemic be felt?

And experts agree that, if we have any hope of answering those questions, we must continue to focus on expanding testing to more New Jersey residents.

In an effort to get there, New Jersey is adding more testing sites, said Donna Leusner, a state Health Department spokeswoman.

The health department is also partnering with Rutgers University on its new saliva test, which already has FDA approval. The test can be self-administered and Health Commissioner Persichilli said last week the new method has the potential for mass testing.

Rutgers officials say its saliva test eventually could allow for tens of thousands of tests daily.

But until a more efficient test becomes widely available, New Jersey will have to figure out how to increase both the number of tests given and the number of tests processed.

The lab BioReference, which is already processing the majority of N.J.s tests, is contracted to process 10,000 tests for the state and is only processing about 5,000 per day, so theres some room for expansion there. Cohen, an executive with the company, also said the lab is working to grow its capacity by 75% in the next month.

But Neuwirth, the assistant health commissioner, said some of BioReferences bandwidth should be left in reserve, in case other labs get overrun with tests.

We wanted to make sure no one was holding onto specimens because it wasnt being processed in time, he said.

As for the other labs running tests for the state, its unclear what maximum capacity looks like. Neuwirth declined to give that number for the state, too. How many tests is the state aiming for? Theres no magic number, he said.

NJ Advance Media reporter 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.

Payton Guion may be reached at PGuion@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @PaytonGuion.
On Monday, U.S. Attorney General William Barr, acting director of national intelligence Richard Grenell, and other senior officials called on a federal judge to prevent the disclosure of files related to the role of the government of Saudi Arabia in the September 11 attacks. The officials told the judge in the civil case that the release of the files would endanger national security.

The files are being sought by families of the 9/11 victims who have spent the last two decades attempting to uncover the truth about the attacks. The families filed a lawsuit in federal district court in New York in 2017 as part of their effort to uncover the role of the Saudi government. What is publicly known is that the alleged 9/11 hijackers had a relationship with Saudi government officials. As Pro Public reported, at the 2019 White House September 11 memorial, U.S. President Donald Trump promised the families he would help them uncover the truth about 9/11. He made similar promises while he was campaigning for president.

He looked us in the eye on 9/11, he shook our hands in the White House and said, Im going to help youits done, Brett Eagleson, a banker whose father was killed in the World Trade Center, told Pro Publica. I think the 9/11 families have lost all hope that the president is going to step up and do the right thing. Hes too beholden to the Saudis.



The Trump Administration stated that the national security threat was so great that even sharing the reasoning behind the request for secrecy could cause harm. According to Pro Publica, AG Barr told the court that public discussion of the issue would reveal information that could cause the very harms my assertion of the state secrets privilege is intended to prevent.

Pro Publica notes that four statements from FBI and Justice Department officials were also under seal and can not be seen by the public. Another five statements from FBI, Justice Department, and CIA officials were only seen by the judge and could not even be shared with the families lawyers. Steven Pounian, a lawyer for the families also suggested that there must be some deep, dark secret that theyre still trying very hard to hide after almost 20 year, and that it might be a Saudi government secret.

But how can these be secrets that still need to be kept from the American people after all this time?  Steven Pounian, attorney for the 9/11 victims families

The call for secrecy was questioned by three Senators who asked the Justice Departments inspector general to investigate why the FBI has refused to release information about Saudi connections. The information is being sought as part of a subpoena filed by the 9/11 families in 2018. Senators Charles Grassley of Iowa, Charles Schumer of New York, and Richard Blumenthal of Connecticut questioned the FBIs decision to keep the files classified.

The September 11 attacks represent a singular and defining tragedy in the history of our Nation. Nearly 20 years later, the 9/11 families and the American public still have not received the full and transparent accounting of the potential sources of support for those attacks to which they are entitled, the senators wrote to Justice Department Inspector General Michael Horowitz.

Barr stated that Justice Department guidelines set down by the Obama administration in 2009 prevented the government from asserting a state secrets claim as a method of concealing illegal behavior or embarrassing actions. Barr told the judge that he believed these guidelines had been met. Unfortunately, in the absence of any further information the American public is resigned to trusting Barr, Trump, and anonymous FBI and CIA agents.

Unfortunately, William Barr does not have a record of trustworthy actions. As far back as 1989 Barr discussed his belief that the FBI could legally abduct people in foreign countries without the consent of the foreign government. The opinion was revealed in a leaked legal memo authored by Barr while he was serving as the head of the Justice Departments Office of Legal Counsel (OLC). Barr chose to withhold the full memo and asked the public to trust his conclusion.

In the weeks after 9/11, when the U.S. government began to seize powers to roundup foreign citizens, spy on Americans, and torture anyone accused of terrorism, Newsweek noted that Barr had played a role in paving the way for such actions:

Now the Bush administration and Congress seemed primed to do just about anything to foil future attacks. Justice Department lawyers have been told to take a fresh look at everything, one official said. Perhaps the most startling idea under examination would be a new presidential order authorizing secret military tribunals to try accused terrorists. The idea first occurred to former attorney general William Barr after the bombing of Pan Am Flight 103 over Lockerbie, Scotland, in 1988. Barr, at the time chief of the Justice Departments Office of Legal Counsel, got the idea after learning that his office was used during World War II to tryin secretGerman saboteurs who were later hanged. The idea was rejected, but its being revived on the theory that terrorists are de facto military combatants who dont deserve the full run of constitutional rights.

More recently, Barr has been involved in perpetuating the myth that encryption is a tool that only terrorists and dangerous criminals use and launching an orwellian pre-crime program. In October 2019, MintPress News reported that Barr had recently laid the groundwork for this new program:

Indeed, since becoming Attorney General under President Trump, Barr has spearheaded numerous efforts to this end, including pushing for a government backdoor into consumer apps or devices that utilize encryption and for a dramatic increase of long-standing yet controversial warrantless electronic surveillance programs. On July 23rd, Barr gave the keynote address at the 2019 International Conference on Cyber Security (ICCS) and mainly focused on the need for consumer electronic products and applications that use encryption to offer a backdoor for the government, specifically law enforcement, in order to obtain access to encrypted communications as a matter of public safety.

Barr would go on to issue a memorandum to all U.S. attorneys, law enforcement agencies, and high level Justice Department officials calling for the implementation of a new national disruption and early engagement program aimed at detecting potential mass shooters before they commit any crime. This memo called for the DOJ and FBI to refine our ability to identify, assess and engage potential mass shooters before they strike. Barr called for the pre-crime program to be implemented in early 2020.

The blocking of state secrets related to the September 11 attacks is just the latest in a long line of cover ups and corrupt practices by Attorney General William Barr.
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Linkedin (Agence France-Presse) Doha, Qatar  Sun, April 19, 2020 20:06 632 fc6853813033f564188675f8bd2e4389 2 People Qatar,music,coronavirus,COVID-19,lockdown,quarantine,orchestra Free

Strains of Bizet's Carmen reverberated around Doha's man-made Pearl island as members of Qatar's philharmonic orchestra performed from balconies to punctuate the monotony of lockdown.

Bars, restaurants, cinemas and mosques are shut to contain the spread of coronavirus.

But those within earshot of the musical neighbors have been treated to renditions of numbers including Elton John's "Can You Feel the Love Tonight", both this Friday and last.

"Everyone plays a bit. We are four in total," said Nicole Pressler, the QPO's principal flautist who was joined by a harpist, a trumpet player and a violinist.

Pressler lifted her son up to hear applause and cheers from residents and passersby during a break in the performance as a couple embraced and swayed on a nearby balcony.

Read also: Hungarian orchestra cheers locked down Budapest with drive-by music

More accustomed to playing to packed crowds at the ultra-modern Qatar National Convention Centre and the Katara Opera House, the artists decided to play from home "very spontaneously", Pressler said.

"But still it gives us joy to play. We come together as friends and colleagues with distance but united. In the same moment I even miss my orchestra more," she said.

The acclaimed orchestra, whose scheduled performances were among the first events to be cancelled as Qatar sought to contain the virus, was founded in 2007 and has since toured the world.

There's "not too much echo and the audiences are getting bigger and bigger. It was nice tonight," said the orchestra's director Kurt Meister who attended the 30 minute concert.

Qatar reported its largest single-day jump in coronavirus cases with 560 confirmed on Friday, bringing the total to 4,663. Seven people have died and 464 have recovered, according to official statistics.
Donald Trump has attacked China once again over the coronavirus pandemic - questioning whether it was a "mistake that got out of control" or a crisis that was started deliberately.

At the daily White House briefing, the US president warned that Beijing would face consequences if it was "knowingly responsible" for the spread of COVID-19 , but he stopped short of saying what type of actions he might take.

"It could have been stopped in China before it started and it wasn't, and the whole world is suffering from it," Mr Trump told reporters on Saturday.

The president has ramped up his rhetoric in recent days, and he has repeatedly referred to coronavirus as the "Chinese virus" in the past.

Mr Trump and his senior aides have also accused China of lacking transparency. These allegations resurfaced after the city of Wuhan, where the outbreak began, revised its total number of fatalities upwards - increasing them by 50%.

Dr Deborah Birx, the coordinator of the White House coronavirus taskforce, also questioned China's data on Saturday, with charts indicating that the country's death rate per 100,000 people is substantially below major European countries and the US.

Describing China's figures as "unrealistic", she warned the country has a "moral obligation" to provide credible information to the rest of the world.

This week, the Trump administration also suspended aid to the World Health Organisation - accusing the UN health agency of being "China-centric".

Critics claim Mr Trump is attempting to use Beijing to deflect from shortcomings in his own response to the pandemic.

The US has by far the world's highest number of confirmed coronavirus cases, with more than 730,000 infections and over 38,000 deaths.

There are concerns in the White House of a potential backlash if tensions between Washington and Beijing get too heated, as the US is heavily reliant on China for personal protective equipment.

Story continues

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Demonstrations demanding an end to stay-at-home measures that have hit America's economy spread further on Saturday.

This is despite the fact that new coronavirus hotspots are continuing to emerge nationwide, and experts warning that relaxing restrictions too quickly could prove disastrous.

Texas and Vermont are going to allow certain businesses to reopen on Monday, while the state of Montana is planning to lift restrictions on Friday.

"We continue to see a number of positive signs that the virus has passed its peak," the president told reporters.

New York, which has recorded almost half of the country's deaths from COVID-19, reported 540 new coronavirus-related fatalities on Saturday - the lowest daily number since 1 April.

Governor Andrew Cuomo, who has sparred with Donald Trump repeatedly during the pandemic, said: "If you look at the past three days, you could argue that we are past the plateau and we're starting to descend, which would be very good news."

However, Mr Cuomo warned that 2,000 people are still being admitted to hospital with COVID-19 on a daily basis - and said nursing homes remain a "feeding frenzy" for the virus.

"We are not at a point when we are going to be reopening anything immediately," he added.

More than 22 million Americans have filed for unemployment benefits in the past month, with the closures of businesses and schools - alongside severe travel restrictions - hitting the economy hard.

However, an influential research model has suggested that strict adherence to stay-at-home orders imposed in 42 US states has been a crucial factor behind an improved forecast for the country's coronavirus death toll.

The University of Washington is now projecting that 60,308 people in the US will die from coronavirus by 4 August, a 12% decrease from a forecast made earlier this week.
Thais return home from Malaysia as border reopens

THAILAND: A total of 262 Thai workers who had been stranded in Malaysia returned home via five southern border checkpoints yesterday (Apr 18), the first day the checkpoints were reopened.

CoronavirusCOVID-19healthimmigration

By Bangkok Post

Sunday 19 April 2020, 12:16PM

A health worker checks the temperature of one of the 262 Thais who returned from Malaysia via southern border checkpoints yesterday (Apr 18). Photo: Supplied via Wassana Nanuam

They are among between 3,000 and 4,000 people expected to return to the country following the month-long border closure that Malaysia imposed on March 18 as part of its campaign to curb the spread of the coronavirus.

Kuala Lumpur has extended its nationwide lockdown, which it calls a movement control order, until April 28 but agreed to reopen the border with Thailand.

Thai authorities plan to limit returnee numbers to 300 per day in order to ensure effective COVID-19 screening and prevention based on the facilities available, amid concerns that some returnees might be infected.

Fourth Army chief Lt Gen Pornsak Poonsawat visited the Sadao immigration checkpoint in Songkhla to observe the handling of returnees yesterday before travelling to the Sungai Kolok checkpoint in Narathiwat.

All returnees are required to undergo health screening. Lt Gen Pornsak said the screening was thorough and went smoothly, with several agencies cooperating.

There have been concerns that some Thai people might sneak into the country illegally via natural border crossings, and patrols have been stepped up. Lt Gen Pornsak said authorities had a strategy for dealing with this eventuality.

In case they enter the country illegally, we must accommodate them because all are Thais, he told reporters. However, they must be taken into the formal system with the law enforced against them for illegal entry.

They will then be sent to undergo the disease screening system. Border defence forces have been put on full alert along border areas around the clock.

The Sungai Kolok River in Narathiwat is proving to be a popular place to attempt an unauthorised crossing. Yesterday, paramilitary rangers patrolling the river bank in tambon Pasemas rounded up a total of 130 Thai adults and children who had crossed over. The previous day, 94 people were caught, fined and placed in quarantine.

All of yesterdays illegal returnees, most of them Pattani residents, were taken to the Sungai Kolok checkpoint for screening. They were fined B800 each for illegal entry before being sent to their home province for a 14-day quarantine.

Of the 262 Thais who returned legally yesterday, 100 entered via Sadao, 91 via Sungai Kolok, 20 via Betong in Yala, 35 via Wang Prachan in Satun and 16 via Tammalang in Satun.

Authorities have prepared 67 sites in southern border provinces as local quarantine centres for returnees.

Thirteen returnees entering via Sadao reportedly had a high fever and were sent to a local hospital for further examination.

Pol Col Supachart Vetchaporn, superintendent of the Narathiwat immigration office, said yesterday that only Thais who were stranded in Malaysia would be allowed to enter the country on condition that they register with the Foreign Affairs Ministry.

Returnees are required to show letters from the embassy or the consulate, in which they agree to undergo a 14-day quarantine once they are back in the country, he said.
Protesters demonstrate against stay-at-home orders that were put in place due to the COVID-19 outbreak, Friday, April 17, 2020, in Huntington Beach, Calif.

Mark J. Terrill/AP Photo

More than 200 California residents descended upon Huntington Beach, California, to protest Gov. Gavin Newsom's stay-at-home order.

Most of the protesters demonstrated without wearing face masks and ignored social distancing guidelines to remain six feet apart.

The demonstration against coronavirus lockdown measures followed ones in Michigan, Wisconsin, and Minnesota.

Waving American flags and Trump banners, more than 200 California residents descended upon Huntington Beach, California on April 17 to protest Gov. Gavin Newsom's stay-at-home order, which was implemented to help spread the curb of the coronavirus.

While calling for the governor to lift coronavirus lockdown measures, protesters in the "March for Freedom" defied the recommendations of public health officials, demonstrating largely without face masks or gloves and ignoring social distancing guidelines to remain six feet apart.

The demonstration called for "liberty & re-opening the california economy," according to the Facebook event page. Although the demonstration initially was small, local police said it quickly grew to over 200 attendees.

"We are asking our community and those that visit Huntington Beach to remember we are under an Executive Order by the State, which specifically states all residents of California should stay at home in an effort to help flatten the curve in regard to community spread of COVID-19," Huntington Police said in a statement to ABC News. "The more people are out and gathered in groups, the more COVID-19 will spread in our community and endanger lives."

Protesters held a variety of home-made signs, with one that read "Quarantine the sick, not the healthy," and another that had the slogan "Live Free or Die." One protester showed up in full hazmat suit, with words scribbled across the white costume, holding a sign that said "COVID-19 is a lie."

Story continues

One protester who waved an American flag told the Los Angeles Times that she was "sick" of social distancing and Newsom's coronavirus lockdown measures, which she claimed were "killing business."

"I don't think there's any reason for us to be on lockdown now," the unidentified protester told the LA Times."We didn't have any dangers; we have no danger in our hospitals now of overflowing."

However, California's success in controlling the spread of infection compared to other states is largely due to its early response to the virus. Gov. Newsom was the first governor to mandate a state-wide stay-at-home order on March 19, in an unprecedented move shutting down businesses and schools to control the spread of the virus.

California has reported 29,546 infections and 1,057 deaths linked to COVID-19  far behind New York where the novel virus has infected 235,395 and killed 17,131, according to data collected by John Hopkins.

The effectiveness of social distancing measures and restrictive lockdown measures in California have been widely praised and supported by public health experts. Hospitals in the Golden State have remained largely empty awaiting a surge in cases thanks to its early response.

However, sequestered in their homes and feeling the financial toll of widespread coronavirus lockdowns, Americans across the country have begun protesting various state stay-at-home orders, echoing President Donald Trump's calls to re-open America and breathe life back into the US' stalled economy.

Buzz Patterson for Congress (CA-7) (@BuzzPatterson) April 18, 2020

Trump tweeted his support for the civil disobedience, calling various states to "liberate" from stay-at-home orders.

The demonstration in California follows similar protests against stay-at-home orders in Michigan, Minnesota, and Wisconsin. Organizing has begun in Florida, Virginia, Maryland, and other states to protest the coronavirus lockdown measures.

Despite their calls, more than half of Americans (66%) are worried restrictions on public activity will be lifted too early, according to a poll from Pew Research Center, which experts warn could cause a second wave of cases in the US.

Read the original article on Insider
Omjasvin MD By

Express News Service

CHENNAI: Three members of the same family of fishermen at Kasimedu in north Chennai were tested positive for COVID 19 on Saturday evening.

The members of the family were taken to Stanley Medical College Hospital immediately after they tested positive and their street has been cordoned off.

Corporation officials said that the 55-year-old mother, daughter and son, both in their 30s, had no travel history and have never gone out of the area.

Earlier, one boy had got the virus in their street in Kasimedu. From him, the sister of the 55-year-old who lives in the next street had got the virus. It may have likely passed to them when the sister had visited their house, said the Corporation health staff.

With five testing positive for the virus in the same neighbourhood, officials suspect a possibility of community transmission in this cluster as this is not the sole incident. Also, hardly two kilometres away, two residents of Old Washermenpet, similarly with no travel history had earlier tested positive for the virus. All these localities are densely populated.

Officials said the Old Washermenpet family have visited Amma Canteen and Ration shop, and thus, they may have got it from someone else.

This raises a concern among epidemiologists on community transfer happening in hotspots. Dr P Sampath, Joint Director of Public Health Department (Epidemiology), said spread would be faster in hotspots and high risk people must be moved to quarantine facilities.

Civic bodies must ensure there is adequate facility quarantine while people too must follow home quarantine rules strictly. Since this is an airborne disease, we have to take rigorous steps to contain it, he said.

Dr Sampath added that 50 percent of the world is already exposed to the virus and this must be the only time to act.

Corporation Commissioner G Prakash told The New Indian Express that a city wide surveillance is being done daily which will cover the active surveillance part. We will be with extra focus on case identified areas, he said.

Both Old Washermenpet and Kasimedu comes under Tondiarpet Corporation Zone which is an hotspot. Totally, 26 cases have been reported here so far.

Neighbouring Corporation Zone Royapuram has 73 cases, the most for a zone in Chennai corporate limits.
Today the Northside is about half black, a quarter Hmong and a quarter everything else. Its a neighborhood challenged by low wealth and some violence, but were not defined by that.

The Northside is where Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis created the Minneapolis Sound that Prince would later make famous. The Northside was the home of the underappreciated but behemoth civil rights figure and union organizer Nellie Stone Johnson. Its the place my parents were told was the hood when they arrived, but coming from Detroit, it was the only place in the city where they felt comfortable raising us.

In 2015, an Atlantic article called The Miracle of Minneapolis said that no other place in America mixes affordability, opportunity and wealth so well. But that wealth has always eluded Northsiders. And by eluded, I, of course, mean, it has been denied.

Minneapolis is not unique in its use of redlining and restrictive covenants that kept blacks from owning property. Minneapolis is not unique in using the construction of highways to annihilate black neighborhoods. Minneapolis is not unique in placing its worst polluters in and near its black and brown neighborhoods. And unfortunately, we are also not unique in our failure to seriously seek a remedy to these harms.

Minneapolis hosts some of the worst disparities between black and white success in America. Educational outcomes, wealth and wages and homeownership gaps shouldnt be this wide, much less in a place so prosperous for white people. It should be noted that disparities between whites and Latinos, and whites and Southeast Asians, are also incredibly pronounced here. And it should be doubly noted that Native Americans are the poorest residents in the city. Black people are not the only ones left behind in the miracle of Minneapolis.

During every crisis, well-meaning white people here make a ritual of acknowledging the citys steep inequities, but weve been hearing the same woe is you sentiment for a long time. Its as if people think the mere acknowledgment is the work. But as North Minneapolis prepares to brace ourselves for the grim future Detroit and Milwaukee have shown us, the death tolls suggest that acknowledgments dont mean a thing. I want to take us back to this notion of remedy.

When I joined the City Council two years ago, I focused on housing stability and environmental justice. Last year we became the first city in the country to end single-family zoning, making more housing units possible. We passed inclusionary zoning, which requires a percentage of affordable housing on every project. The Council president and I rewrote our housing-inspections approach to focus more on creating livable conditions, not just issuing citations. This allowed us to keep renters in place while holding their landlords accountable for safe, dignified conditions  a proposition that had previously been an either-or deal.
Other measures that would follow - such as the worldwide travel ban, declaring a global pandemic, the creation of the national cabinet and social-distancing measures - all stemmed from this day. Announcing the ban, Morrison was questioned by a journalist over why Australia was doing it against the advice of the WHO. "Because our medical advice is it's in the interest of Australians to do so," Morrison said. Two days later, the WHO's director-general, Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, hit out at Australia and the United States for putting in place travel restrictions from China, saying there was no need for measures that "unnecessarily interfere with international travel and trade". If anything, this reinforced the Australian government's decision. For a number of weeks, the government was growing increasingly concerned about the advice coming out of the WHO's global headquarters in Geneva about the situation in China. Senior Australian health officials still valued the work of the WHO's Western Pacific division, headquartered in the Philippines, and respected its regional director, Takeshi Kasai. A distinction was already being formed in Canberra between "Geneva and Manila". Fast-forward more than two months, and the extent of the WHO's failings are obvious. Meanwhile, Australia hasn't just flattened the curve, but is now pursuing a policy of containment - and perhaps in a few weeks, outright suppression - of the virus.

But there are growing fears that US President Donald Trump's decision to withdraw funding from the WHO pending a review will only serve to further place the United Nations body under Beijing's control. As Trump's America withdraws from the world, ravaged by COVID-19 and deflecting blame onto the WHO and China for its own mishandling of the pandemic, Chinese President Xi Jinping is looking to fulfil his long-held goal of "reforming and developing the global governance system" to build "a community with a shared future for mankind". So where did the WHO, a specialised agency of the UN established in 1948, go so wrong? Firstly, it spent all of January and most of February parroting lines from the Chinese government. The most glaring example was on January 14, when Chinese authorities were still trying to cover up the initial outbreak, and the WHO uncritically repeated China's assertions that there was no "clear evidence of human-to-human transmission". WHO didn't send experts on a field visit to Wuhan, the city where the outbreak began, until six days later on January 20. Two days after that, the WHO finally declared there was evidence of human-to-human transmission, but praised China's efforts in containing the virus. Tedros, through all of February, was applauding the "transparency" of the Chinese response, applauding the Chinese president's "detailed knowledge" and "personal involvement in the outbreak".

When former Hong Kong health minister Margaret Chan was appointed director-general of the WHO in 2006, she was very much Beijing's choice. At the end of her term in 2017, the Chinese government knew they couldn't install one of their own again, so they went for the next best thing, using their voting bloc at the organisation to elect Tedros over British candidate Dr David Nabarro. Tedros, formerly Ethiopia's health minister and foreign minister, trained as a microbiologist but is the first director-general who is not a medical doctor. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, director-general of the World Health Organisation, with Chinese President Xi Jinping in Beijing on January 28. Credit:AP Taiwan - which has been a model case in its response to the coronavirus - has been sidelined by the WHO at the behest of Beijing. Taiwan was previously granted observer status in the WHO's governing body, the World Health Assembly, but was ousted in 2016 after the election of Democratic Progressive Party leader Tsai Ing-wen, a critic of Beijing, as president. The mere mention of Taiwan from a Hong Kong reporter last month saw a senior WHO official pretend to not hear the question and shut down the interview. There is now a bipartisan push within Australia for Canberra to change its position on Taiwanese membership. While Australia has campaigned behind the scenes for the WHO to engage more with Taiwan, it has not endorsed the country's bid for membership of the world health body. Australian MPs from both sides of politics have also this week called for a review into the WHO in the wake of the virus, including its relationship with Beijing.

But the problem extends beyond the WHO. For more than a decade, China has been quietly gaining more influence over UN bodies. Four of the 15 UN specialised agencies are headed by Chinese nationals. China now contributes 12 per cent of the UN's regular budget, the second-largest monetary contributor after the US. Loading Beijing has also co-opted the UN's Sustainable Development Goals by using them to promote the Belt and Road Initiative, Xi's signature program to bankroll infrastructure around the world which often directly benefits Chinese firms. There is growing evidence that Beijing has used the BRI in developing nations to create "debt traps" by funding white-elephant projects and then wiping the debt for favours. The moulding of the UN's development goals to China's infrastructure plans has been helped by the fact that a Chinese national has been in the position of undersecretary-general of the UN's Department of Economic and Social Affairs since 2007. Michael Shoebridge, director of the defence program at the Australian Strategic Policy Institute, says China has used the BRI to sway more votes at the UN, and then legitimised the program by promoting it under the UN banner.

While some analysts say China is using its leverage at the UN just as any emerging or great power has in the past, Shoebridge says China is fundamentally different because of its "Leninist roots". Donald Trump's decision to stop US funding for the WHO plays into Beijing's hands. Credit:AP "The US State Department has a public diplomacy role, but it doesn't have a United Front Work Department agenda subverting or co-opting any source of opposition to its state power," Shoebridge says. "But you have to be in it to win it; nature abhors a vacuum. Given the Chinese state is defined by opportunism, it is a very bad strategic policy by the United States to gift them the opportunity to have even more influence in UN agencies." The US is the biggest financial contributor to the WHO, last year forking out $US553 million ($877 million) to its $US6 billion budget. Australia is set to give $5.3 million in membership dues this year, on top of voluntary contributions, while China will give about $28.7 million. Trump's decision to halt funding will play right into the hands of Beijing, which wants to model itself as a global health leader in the wake of the pandemic. In some ways, Western countries are reaping what they have sown: for years, the international community called on China to engage more with global institutions, and that's exactly what Beijing has done.

Dr Benjamin Zala, research fellow at the Australian National University's College of Asia and the Pacific, says the Chinese government has increased its UN funding "because we effectively asked Beijing to do so". "China looks for greater influence at the UN for exactly the same reason that the US or any other great power does: it is a useful way to advance its interest," Zala says. "Any greater influence that Chinese money buys within the UN system will be amplified by the Trump administration's disengagement from things like the UN Human Rights Council or the World Health Organisation. "Generally speaking, in these arenas power and influence matters in relative terms. So the more the US withdraws, the more influence China will be able to exert." UN bodies are inherently flawed, but they are only as good as their member states. Stuck between a rising authoritarian power and a transactional US President, it may be up to middle powers like Australia to chart a way forward. According to senior sources within the Australian government, the challenge will now be to work out how to encourage the WHO to reform in a way that doesn't further play into Beijing's hands.
After 1,300 more casualties were added to the official death toll of coronavirus outbreak in Wuhan, US President Donald Trump expressed his doubt over the reported figures by the Chinese government. On April 18, Trump claimed that way more people died in China than in the US due to COVID-19 disease. Just two days ago, China revised its death toll and made the number of nationwide deaths due to the pandemic to 4,600. However, as of April 19, US has recorded the highest deaths in the world due to coronavirus outbreak, 39,015. But Trump has said that we are not number one, China is number one.

"We are not number one; China is number one just so you understand," Trump told reporters at a White House. "They are way ahead of us in terms of death. Its not even close."

Read - Trump Warns China Of Consequences If Found Responsible For COVID 19

The US President even cited that the highly-developed healthcare systems in European countries including France, Belgium, Italy, who still reported a higher death rate while it was just 0.33% in China. According to US President, the Chinese death toll figures are unrealistic and asserted yet again that the actual number was way ahead. Trump said, you know it, I know it, and they know it. Trump also stressed that on a per-capita basis, the mortality rate in the US was far less than that of other nations in western Europe.

"You know it, I know it and they know it, but you dont want to report it. Why?" the US President asked. "You will have to explain that. Someday I will explain it."

Read - Donald Trump Now Consults Religious Leaders On Phased-in Reopening Of US Amid Covid

Three-phase plan to re-open US

In the belief that the coronavirus outbreak in the United States has passed the peak, countrys President Donald Trump has announced a three-phase plan to re-open America for rejuvenation of economy on April 17. Giving most control over the decision to the state governors, Trump administration has chosen to shelter more vulnerable individuals from the risk of contracting COVID-19 disease, instead of continuing the "blanket shutdown". The White House has released the entire plan in three phases based on state or regional gating criteria.

Instead of a blanket shutdown, the plan for reopening America will focus on sheltering the highest-risk individuals. pic.twitter.com/QMi4LHjXXo  The White House (@WhiteHouse) April 16, 2020

Read - US Funding For WHO Blocked, Trump Wonders What To Do With $500M Saved; Eyes 'research'

Read - Ivanka Trump Slammed For Telling People To Make 'shadow Puppets' As US Reels From Covid
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Focus on your 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 Noosha Niv, 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 important, 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 child rearing 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 afraid of 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 Julie Wray, 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.

To aid in recovery, Jephtha Tausig, a psychologist in New York City, recommended that new mothers outsource some tasks. If you can have others help with errands and chores (laundry, cleaning, making meals, etc.) that will make a huge difference, she said. Dont try to do it all, because that just might not be possible. Be gentle with yourself. Being tired and slightly overwhelmed is all completely normal  you cant plan to accomplish much if you are the primary caregiver at home with baby, noted Dr. Nataki Douglas, a Newark, N.J.-based ob-gyn and an associate professor and director of translational research for the Department of Obstetrics, Gynecology and Womens Health at Rutgers-New Jersey Medical School.
China has classified coronavirus epicentre Wuhan as a low-risk area, days after it revised the city's death toll by 50 per cent, even as 16 new COVID-19 cases were reported in the country, health officials said on Sunday.

According to the risk criteria defined in a guideline issued by China's State Council, cities, counties and districts with no newly confirmed cases in the last 14 days are categorised as low-risk areas.

Those with fewer than 50 cases or those with over 50 but without a concentrated outbreak are classified as mid-risk areas, and those with over 50 cases as well as a concentrated outbreak are classified as high-risk areas.

China's National Health Commission (NHC) said on Sunday that 16 new confirmed COVID-19 cases were reported in the country on Saturday, with nine imported cases and seven local transmissions.

The death toll remained at 4,632 as no new fatalities were reported on Saturday, it said.

The overall confirmed cases in China had reached 82,735 by Saturday, including 1,041 patients who were still being treated, 77,062 people who were discharged after recovery, and 4,632 people who died of the disease.

The NHC said the total number of imported cases climbed to 1,575.

Another 44 new asymptomatic cases were reported on Saturday, the NHC said, adding that 999 asymptomatic cases, including 186 from abroad, were still under medical observation.

Asymptomatic cases refer to people who are tested positive for the coronavirus but develop no symptoms such as fever, cough or sore throat. They are infectious and pose a risk of spreading to others.

Wuhan, where the coronavirus first emerged in December last year and spread to the world like wildfire, has been classified as low-risk area, 12 days after lifting the lockdown over the city of 11 million people, state-run Xinhua agency reported.

The Wuhan municipal authorities on Friday revised the number of confirmed COVID-19 cases and casualties abruptly amid criticism from the US and several other countries for its alleged cover-up and under-reporting of the cases.

Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman on Friday denied any cover up and accused the US of attempting to divert public attention.

"I want to emphasise that the revision of the data regarding infectious disease is an internationally accepted practice," Zhao told a media briefing, defending the sharply upward revision of figures.

He said in the early stage of the outbreak there were some late reports, omissions, and inaccurate information.

"But there has never been any concealment, and we'll never allow any concealment," Zhao said.

As of April 16, the total number of confirmed coronavirus cases in Wuhan was increased by 325 to 50,333 and the number of fatalities up by 1,290 to 3,869 and national death toll to 4,632 people.

The low risk classification also followed as the virus cases and deaths abated in the city as per official notifications.

While declaring Wuhan as a low-risk area China has strengthened nucleic acid testing to detect coronavirus for people leaving Wuhan.

The test is required before people resume work, production or study elsewhere, it said.

Those who are set to work as teachers, medical workers or service providers at public places after leaving Wuhan should all undergo nucleic acid testing before leaving, which is free of charge, noted the circular issued by a State Council inter-agency task force.

Others leaving Wuhan are encouraged to take nucleic acid testing on a voluntary basis and pay testing fees, the report said.

By the end of Friday, the central province of Hubei, which administers Wuhan, had 76 low-risk cities and counties and none with high risk or medium risk, Xinhua report said.

Hubei with over 56 million population remained under lockdown along with Wuhan from January 23.

On Friday, Hubei reported 33 asymptomatic cases but newly confirmed COVID-19 infections.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Pennsylvania officials release daily updates on the number of confirmed coronavirus cases and deaths related to COVID-19 in the state.

The data is the focus of media reports, including here on PennLive, but it often leads to a different question: Wheres the good news?

Researchers at John Hopkins University have a massive coronavirus dashboard with tons of information, including recovery figures for the U.S. and worldwide. Its not exactly clear how they come up with those numbers, however, though we can assume that hospital discharge figures are a major chunk of the tally.

As for why Pa. and other states do not provide that information, the answer is a simple one: They just dont have it.

We are not able to track the recovery of the 30,000 patients or more with COVID-19 in Pennsylvania, Health Department Secretary Dr. Rachel Levine said Saturday. "No state is able to do that, and so we will want to track the recovery from patients in the hospital, and were working with an organization called PAC4 to get that data, the hospital discharge data, but were not going to be able to track recovery of, again, over 30,000 patients."

Will that change in the future? Levine said again Sunday that they hope to soon be able to release hospital discharge information, but dont expect to be able to gather full recovery information.

When these antibody tests are available the serology tests are readily available, then it will be useful to see who has antibodies to COVID-19, but theres still a lot to learn about these antibody tests, and the significance of having antibodies, how powerful those antibodies are against the virus, and how long they last, Levine said.

As of 12:01 a.m. Sunday, Pa. has 32,284 confirmed cases that have resulted in 1,112 deaths. There have been 126,570 patients who have tested negative to date.

More coronavirus coverage:
Is it a plane? Is it Superman? Nope, it's a ball of fire tearing through the skies of England.

Unsuspecting people in Cambridgeshire were caught by surprise when they saw what appeared to be a mysterious burning object in the sky. It also left behind a tail of smoke.

The Daily Mail reports that the sight was first witnessed by a man named Gerry Underwood. Gerry, who's seen shooting stars before, swears this is nothing like what he's ever seen. He also said that the burning object seemed to be moving quite slowly.

A meteorite, he said, would have disappeared in a matter of seconds. This mysterious object, on the other hand, was in full view for about ten to twenty minutes before Gerry lost sight of it behind some trees.

Although the photos showed that the object was quite big in size, there is still no explanation as to what it could have been.

The Express UK reports that National Space Academy has now offered a possible theory which suggests that the trail was contrail from a "high altitude jet."

The orange "flame like" colours could have been a reflection of the sunrays from the setting sun and the twirling motion could have been due to wind speed or turbulence.

Avistaron un misterioso objeto en llamas en el cielo de InglaterraFue en el condado de Cambridgeshire. El fenomeno duro unos 20 minutos, segun un testigo. pic.twitter.com/hQwrVM525N Norman andres (@Normanandres18) April 18, 2020
The immediate past Kano State Commissioner of Works and Infrastructural Development, Engr Muazu Magaji, who was relieved of his appoin...





The immediate past Kano State Commissioner of Works and Infrastructural Development, Engr Muazu Magaji, who was relieved of his appointment following alleged unguarded utterances he made against the person of the late Chief of Staff to the President, Malam Abba Kyari, has finally cleared the air of what he actually meant.





The former commissioner in a statement he issued on Sunday, said he did not celebrate Kyaris death but people misunderstood what he meant.





Governor Abdullahi Ganduje had through the state Commissioner for Information, Malam Muhammad Garba, in a statement said the Commissioner of Works and Infrastructural Development, Engr. Muazu Magaji removed from office following his unguarded utterances against the person of the late Chief of Staff to the President, Malam Abba Kyari.





He explained, I want to sincerely clear up what a lot of people may have misunderstood and set the record straight. As a Muslim and a patriotic Nigerian, I was only misunderstood by people to think that I celebrated Kyaris death, the truth is I did not.





The former Commissioner added, Not only that, I made several posts mourning Kyaris death on my same Facebook account and through my special assistants, but the general public couldnt commend such, rather tend to capitalize on a phrase post that was given another set of definition and direction as well as negativity in other to tarnish my reputable image as a member of Dr. Abdullahi Umar Ganduje administration and his loyalist and that of our national party, APC.





The use of win win phrase was basically an attempt to explain the Islamic Promise on the people that died as a result of any kind of pandemic. The late Mallam Abba Kyari was privileged to die as a result of COVID-19, making him among the beneficiaries in Islam. He is conferred with the automatic privilege of martyrdom.





Our Rasul S. A. W assured on the path of martyrdom in Sahih al-Bukhari, Kitab al-Jihad wal-Siyar. Even Sheik Isah Ali Pantami has taken time to explain more of this. By this, the death of Mallam Abba Kyari is a big win for him, which is almost the dream of every Muslim.





On the other hand, Nigeria equally has the opportunity to restructure the office of the Chief of Staff, where I called Mr. President to ensure that we can utilize the pandemic challenges into more strengths, by disintegrating the power of the office for a rapid administrative flow, which over and above anything, our constitutional democracy is meant to achieve and function so often.





Engr. Muazu Magaji said, ln an emotional reaction to my posting, agents around the office of the late Chief of Staff misunderstood my whole meaning, infuriated from the loss of their benefactor, as such petitioned my principal, His Excellency Abdullahi Umar Ganduje, the Governor of Kano State, they twisted the narrative with explanation completely out of context and lacing it with religious and cultural connotations that made it necessary for our Principal the Executive Governor to show leadership and solidarity with the dead by relieving me off my position in Kano State as his Commissioner of Works and Infrastructural.





The former Commissioner said he is confident that the Governor must make such a difficult decision as a conditional sacrifice to appease the aggrieved individuals who were bereaved, especially from their loss. I understand the difficulty of the circumstances, both from misunderstanding my post, to the Governors decision and in general the pains of people in Abuja. l understand perfectly well.





Wholeheartedly, I want to use this opportunity to reiterate that as a devout Muslim, I could not have celebrated the death of any human being; because its against my culture, social civilization and most importantly the teaching of my religion.





I equally want to appeal to all people, especially those in Kano to give people the benefit of doubts by accepting their explanation on what they actually and truly mean by themselves, he explained.





He apologised for any misunderstood action, reaction and inactions, adding, We are all in a difficult time that anxiety, worries and depression make understanding and misunderstanding very difficult. I am so sorry for any pain I might have caused both the families of the late chief of staff and my boss, His Excellency Abdullahi Umar Ganduje. I am forever loyal to my boss; the Governor of Kano State and indebted to all the people of Kano state.





I want to plentifully remain grateful to His Excellency for the opportunity he gave me to serve my state under his administration and am pleased to leave not on account of fraud, insubordination, dishonesty, treachery, disloyalty, betrayal, act of incompetence or undermining the government or the people of Kano; but due to this unfortunate misunderstanding and miscommunication of my Facebook post. I assure you that everyone will calmly understand my meaning by revisiting everything Ive said. I am only human; perfection is never part of our creation.





I pray for Allah to grant the late Chief of Staff eternal rest in AlJannah Firdaus and give his family and associate the fortitude to bear his loss. May Allah continue to help the people and government of Kano State to achieve higher advancements.








Members of the Boogaloo Movement attend a demonstration against the lockdown at the State House in Concord, New Hampshire (Michael Dwyer/AP)

State governors eager to rescue their economies and feeling heat from US President Donald Trump are moving to ease restrictions meant to control the spread of coronavirus, even as new hot spots emerge and experts warn that moving too fast could prove disastrous.

Adding to the pressure are protests against stay-at-home orders organised by small groups and Trump supporters. They staged demonstrations on Saturday in several cities after the president urged them to liberate three states led by Democratic governors.

Protests took place in Republican-led states too, including at the Texas Capitol and in front of the home of Indiana governor Eric Holcomb, who has signed an agreement with six other Midwestern states to co-ordinate reopening and has extended his stay-at-home order until May 1.

Texas governor Greg Abbott has said restrictions will begin easing next week, with shops being allowed to sell merchandise from the kerbside and hospitals resuming non-essential surgeries.

For the first time in weeks, people were able to visit some Florida beaches this weekend, but they were still subject to restrictions on hours and activities.

But with protesters clamouring for more, infections continue to surge in the north-east of the country.

Rhode Island, between the hot spots of Massachusetts and New York, has seen a steady daily increase in infections and deaths, with nursing home residents accounting for more than 90 of the states 118 fatalities.

The states death rate of around 10 people per 100,000 is among the nations highest per capita, according to data compiled by the Covid Tracking Project.

Expand Close Protesters against the lockdown rally outside the Texas State Capitol in Austin (Eric Gay/AP) / Facebook

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Whatsapp Protesters against the lockdown rally outside the Texas State Capitol in Austin (Eric Gay/AP)

Massachusetts had its highest number of deaths in a single day on Friday, with 159. Republican governor Charlie Baker, citing health experts advice, said states should wait until infection rates and hospital admissions decline for about two weeks before acting on reopening.

But Mr Trump, whose administration waited months to bolster stockpiles of key medical supplies and equipment, appears to be on the side of the protesters.

LIBERATE MINNESOTA! LIBERATE MICHIGAN! LIBERATE VIRGINIA, he said in a tweet-storm in which he also lashed out at New York governor Andrew Cuomo, a Democrat, for criticising the federal response.

During his Saturday briefing at the White House, Mr Trump said Montana will begin lifting restrictions on Friday, with Ohio, North Dakota and Idaho advising non-essential businesses to prepare for reopening from May 1.

At his own Saturday briefing, Mr Cuomo cited more progress as the states daily increase in deaths fell below 550 for the first time in more than two weeks as hospital admissions continued to decline.

But the crisis is far from over: Hospitals are still reporting nearly 2,000 new Covid-19 patients per day, and nursing homes remain a feeding frenzy for this virus, he said.

We are not at a point when we are going to be reopening anything immediately, Mr Cuomo insisted.

In Texas, several hundred people rallied in the capital chanting Let us work. Many demanded an immediate lifting of restrictions in a state where more than one million have filed for unemployment since the crisis began.

In Indianapolis, more than 200 people stood close together outside the governors mansion, carrying American flags and signs demanding that Mr Holcomb lifts restrictions.

But Indianas state health department reported 529 new cases between April 7 and midday on Friday, raising the total to more than 10,600. The number of deaths rose by 26, to 545.

Expand Close Protesters gather outside the Indiana governors mansion in Indianapolis to demand the end of lockdown restrictions (Michael Conroy/AP) / Facebook

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Whatsapp Protesters gather outside the Indiana governors mansion in Indianapolis to demand the end of lockdown restrictions (Michael Conroy/AP)

Elsewhere, a few hundred demonstrators waved signs outside the Statehouse in New Hampshire, which has had nearly 1,300 cases of the virus and more than three dozen deaths.

One of the protesters, talkshow host Ian Freeman, said: Even if the virus were 10 times as dangerous as it is, I still wouldnt stay inside my home. Id rather take the risk and be a free person.

Mr Trump is pushing to relax the US lockdown by May 1, a plan that hinges partly on more testing.

Public health officials said the ability to test enough people and trace contacts of the infected is crucial before easing restrictions, and that infections could surge again unless people continue to take precautions.
Last year China carried out more missile launches, for testing and development, than the rest of the world combined. China is a nuclear power that is not particularly concerned about boasting of how many nukes and delivery systems it has. China is also better able to keep secret most of its missiles tests. Rather than firing missiles out to sea, where they have to issue a warning to ships to avoid the area where the warheads will land, China conducts most of its missile tests at an inland test site near the Gobi Desert. Plenty of open space and far from prying eyes. The only nation with a good idea of how many Chinese missile tests there are each year is the United States, which has a worldwide network of early-warning satellites that can spot the heat generated from a ballistic missile launch anywhere on the planet. The U.S. will not disclose how many Chinese missiles they have spotted each year but in 2018 speech an American official commented that China launched more missiles each year than the rest of the world combined. Similar comments since then indicate that China is currently launching more than a hundred missiles a year, most of them at the remote inland test site in the northwest. The Americans also have a network of electronic monitoring satellites that can collect telemetry data. This is what the test warhead transmits back to earth about how the missile is performing. This data is encrypted and the U.S. says even less about how many of these signals it captures and decrypts.

The U.S. is very interested in finding out details of new Chinese missiles because some will have capabilities that the U.S. and Russia gave up for several decades because of the INF (Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces) disarmament treaty signed near the end of the Cold War. The U.S. did admit that the main reason for not renewing the UNF Treaty with Russia in 2019 was not just Russian cheating but also because China never signed the INF treaty and is free to develop the ballistic and cruise missiles with ranges of 500 to 5,500 kilometers the INF forbids.

China also pretends it is unconcerned about who the target is. In 2009, China announced that its nuclear-armed ballistic missiles were not aimed at anyone. Like most countries, China has long refused to say who its nuclear-armed missiles are aimed at. Most of those missiles only have enough range to hit Russia, or India, or other nearby nations. For a long time, most were very definitely aimed at Russia, which had rocky relations with China from the 1960s to the 1990s. But after the Soviet Union dissolved in 1991, the new, much smaller, Russia became much friendlier with the wealthier (more capitalist, but still run by communists) China. Relations between China and India also warmed up then went into a deep freeze.

China is believed to have 300-400 nuclear warheads, most of them installed on ballistic missiles. Fewer than a hundred of these missiles can reach the United States. These include the older (and about to be retired) DF-5, plus the newer DF-31A and DF-41.

Few Chinese ballistic missiles lacking intercontinental range are armed with nuclear warheads as the Chinese strategy is to use lots of ballistic missiles armed with high-explosive warheads. In the early stages of a war over a thousand of these shorter range missiles can overwhelm air and ballistic missile defense systems to damage or destroy airbases, warships headquarters and other key targets. For over a decade China has had over a thousand of these missiles based within range of Taiwan. Many of these missiles are mobile and a large number could be moved to threaten Japan or South Korea.

China is believed to have about 2,000 ballistic missiles, most of them short (under a thousand kilometers) range plus over 300 cruise missiles. China is developing more cruise missiles concentrating, as is the United States, on stealth and additional capabilities. China is also developing and deploying many new missiles. In fact, China has more types of ballistic missiles, at least 40, than any other nation. China also invests heavily in its new missile technologies, like its hypersonic glide missile, the DF-ZF.

China is known to have a large number of ICBM and shorter range IRBM missiles. These include about twenty DF-41 (range of 14,000 kilometers), about eighty DF-31 - 50 (8,000 kilometers), thirty DF-5 - ( 14,000 kilometers), thirty DF-4 (5,500 kilometers), eighty DF-26 (4,000 kilometers), fifty DF-21D Anti-Ship Ballistic Missile (1,500 kilometers), 300 DF-21 (1,700 kilometers), fifty DF-16 (800 kilometers), 300 DF-15B (800 kilometers), 500 DF-15A (900 kilometers), 1,200 DF-11A (700 kilometers). The only cruise missile is the CJ-10A (1,500 kilometers). There are several hundred other short-range ballistic missiles as well, some of them still in development.

Since the 1990s China has always had a few active DF-5 ICBMs. For a long time, these were their only missiles that could reach the United States. But the U.S. has since installed 18 ICBM interceptor missile systems in Alaska. There are to deal with North Korean missiles but could also destroy most Chinese missiles headed for the western United States. Thus it makes sense for China to simply say that it is not aiming any of its missiles at anyone. Modern guidance systems can be quickly (in less than an hour) programmed for a new target, so it doesn't really matter that, normally, the missiles have no target information in them. The DF-5s, moreover, are liquid-fueled, and the considerable activity required to ready them for launch can be detected by spy satellites.

The DF-5s have been largely replaced by solid fuel DF-41s. These missiles can be moved, erected and launched from a special truck. With a 15,000 kilometer range, they can reach all of the United States. The third stage contains up to twelve warheads, each with an explosive yield of about 100 KT.

India is of growing concern to China, but there are shorter range ballistic missiles, like the DF-21, to deal with that threat. The Chinese introduced the DF-21 in 1999 and now has over a hundred in service. Many have non-nuclear warheads. This missile has a range of over 1,800 kilometers and can haul a 300 kiloton nuclear warhead. It's a two-stage, 15 ton, solid-fuel rocket. Launched from Tibet, the DF-21 can reach most major targets in India.

Back in 2006 China put the larger DF-31 into service. Sort of. This was China's first solid-fuel ICBM (with a range of over 8,000 kilometers) and roughly equivalent to the U.S. Minuteman I of the 1960s. The DF-31 weighs about 46 tons and is 20 meters (62 feet) long and 2.25 meters (7 feet) in diameter. It was designed for use on submarines, land silos and mobile launchers (which would halt at those "parking lots in the middle of nowhere" visible in satellite pictures of Qinghai province). The DF-31 has been shown stored in a TEL (transporter, erector, launcher) vehicle. Driving these vehicles along special highways in remote areas provides more protection from counterattacks than using a reinforced silo. Later, the improved DF-13A appeared, with multiple warheads and more range (up to 12,000 kilometers, which could cover all the United States.)

The DF-31 was in development for over twenty years and only had its first successful launch in 1999. It's now believed to have a reliable and accurate guidance system, as well as a third stage that carries three 50 kiloton warheads. DF-31s are in service, along with DF-31As and most of these appear to be aimed at European Russia.

Then there is a submarine-launched missile the JL (Julang) 2 SLBM (Sea Launched Ballistic Missile). This missile has had a lot of problems as have the SSBNs (ballistic missile carrying nuclear subs) that carry them. The 42 ton JL-2 has a range of 8,000 kilometers and would enable China to aim missiles at any target in the United States from a 094 class SSBN cruising off Hawaii or Alaska. Each 094 boat can carry twelve of these missiles, which are naval versions of the existing land based 42 ton DF-31 ICBM. The JL-2 was supposed to have entered service 2015, but kept failing test launches. China decided that JL-2 was reliable enough and ordered it installed in four SLBMs. No Chinese SSBN has ever gone on a combat cruise, because these boats, as well as the SLBMs, have been very unreliable.

About two thirds of Chinese nuclear warheads are believed to be in missile warheads, most of them DF-21s. Normally, these warheads are stored separately and mated to the missiles only for actual use, or the occasional training exercise.
Google can now surface 2,000 COVID-19 testing centers across 43 US states when you search for COVID-19-related terms, the company told The Verge. Unfortunately, some states were left out  particularly Connecticut, Maine, Missouri, New Jersey, Oklahoma, Oregon or Pennsylvania  because the tech giant will only display testing centers approved for publishing by health authorities.

When you do a search for COVID-19, youll now see a Testing tab on the left-hand side of the results screen. Its right next to the other tabs, including Symptoms, Prevention and Treatments, which can show you different kinds of details about the coronavirus pandemic. Tapping on the tab will show you the places where you can get tested, depending on your location. We were able to access the tab outside the US, so it could very well have rolled out worldwide.

Google has been regularly updating its results page with new features that make COVID-19 information a lot more organized and easy to find since the outbreak began. It launched a dedicated coronavirus search hub back in March and, more recently, started highlighting government announcements about the pandemic.
Agra, April 19 : Eight persons have been arrested in the Loha Mandi area of Agra for allegedly not wearing face masks.

The police have charged all the eight persons, including two women, under the CrPC section 151 (arrest to prevent the commission of cognizable offences).

The accused were presented before the executive magistrate who sent them to jail for 14 days on Saturday for not wearing the mandatory face masks in public.

Narendra Sharma, station house officer (SHO) of Loha Mandi police station said, "All the eight accused were picked up from different locations such as Sayeed Pada, Moti Kunj, Nai Basti, Telipada and Nau Basta area, where they were either wandering on street without any specific purpose that too without mask or were gathered in group violating the protocol of lockdown." Basant Gupta, district government counsel (criminal) said, "The accused failed to pay the surety bond of Rs one lakh and for the non-compliance they were sent behind the bars for two weeks." In a similar case earlier last week, the Shahganj police had booked three men for not wearing masks.

The Uttar Pradesh government has made it compulsory to wear mask or hide mouth and nose, while travelling on street or moving in public places.
The market crash has crushed countless stocks  and Imperial Oil Ltd (TSX:IMO)(NYSEMKT:IMO) is no exception.

Despite being majority-owned by oil behemoth Exxon Mobil Corporation, Imperial stock has been cut in half since the year began. Its dividend yield now surpasses 5%.

When conditions normalize, Imperial stock could more than double in price, back toward its previous trading range. But thats the big question: When will conditions normalize?

Dont hate Imperial Oil

To figure out whether Imperial Oil stock is a buy, we must first question why shares plummeted in the first place. The answer is telling: None of this was Imperials fault.

At the start of 2020, oil prices were at US$60 per barrel. Today, theyre below US$20 per barrel. This is truly a rare event. The last time oil prices were this low was in 1999. The time before that was 1973.

As a multi-billion dollar energy producer, Imperial Oil was on the front lines of the crash. Its production is now worth 60% to 70% less. That means revenues will be hit at similar levels.

But this issue is far more nefarious than depressed revenues. Few oil producers can profitably pump below US$20 per barrel, which means that the industry, including Imperial Oil, is racking up huge losses on a daily basis. Of course, if prices rebound quickly, this issue will be resolved. But if prices remain this low, major pain will come.

Will prices remain low? Thats up to Saudi Arabia.

The main reason behind the oil price collapse is a spat between Saudi Arabia and Russia. Back in 2014, oil was consistently above US$100 per barrel. In recent years, prices were only half that. Surging supply from the U.S. and Canada were partially to blame.

In response, Saudi Arabia called on industry-wide supply cuts to boost pricing. Russia refused, prompting Saudi Arabia to slash prices and increase production. As one of the largest oil-producing countries in the world, this move had a huge impact on the market. Prices plunged immediately.

Story continues

Place your bets

If Saudi Arabia normalizes prices and production, oil should revert back to its former levels. If this happens quickly, Imperial Oil shareholders would profit immensely. It would be back to business as usual, implying a valuation thats 50% to 100% higher than current levels.

But what if Saudi Arabia maintains the status quo? Producers like Imperial Oil could face severe financial impairment, even bankruptcy.

The risk here is a high breakeven price. Oil sands assets, which constitute the bulk of Imperials production, are some of the highest-cost projects in the world. Even with Imperials world-class technology and direct assistance from Exxon, the companys breakeven price is significantly higher than prevailing prices.

According to Morningstar, Imperial has been at the forefront of the solvent revolution and has spent the most resources developing and testing these technologies. We estimate that Imperial can lower its project break-evens to $45 per barrel of West Texas Intermediate on Aspen, putting it at the head of the class.

With oil trading at US$20 per barrel, Imperial is racking up huge losses on a daily basis. The company has one of the best balance sheets in the industry, but no business can sustain losses forever.

Saudi Arabia, meanwhile, can break even below US$10 per barrel, so its in no rush, especially if higher-cost competitors like Imperial Oil eventually exit the market permanently.

A bet on Imperial Oil today is a wager on how quickly Saudi Arabia will normalize production  so the company isnt in charge of its own destiny.

With so many other bargains available from the market crash, Im leaving this stock in the bargain bin.

The post Should You Buy Imperial Oil (TSX:IMO) Stock After the 50% Plunge? appeared first on The Motley Fool Canada.

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Fool contributor Ryan Vanzo has no position in any stocks mentioned.

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19.04.2020 LISTEN

Addis Ababa, 18 April 2020 (Joint press release) - The United Nations Economic Commission for Africa (ECA) and the Global Partnership for Sustainable Development Data (GPSDD) have unveiled an initiative to strengthen Africas data ecosystems in the face of COVID-19.

Tackling the pandemic requires data and information to ensure that policies, resources, and technology are deployed in the right place and time to make the biggest possible impact, said Vera Songwe, ECA Executive Secretary. Ms. Songwe noted, however, that data systems for health and other areas of policy in Africa are often fragile and frequently inadequate.

Critical gaps in coverage and timeliness can leave governments uncertain of where the risks of infection are highest and how to deploy resources in the most effective way, as well as where food aid is needed the most in particular for women and children she added.

The COVID-19 pandemic has caused untold suffering, disrupted billions of lives, and endangered the global economy. Wealthy countries have been worst affected thus far, but as the Global Partnership for Sustainable Development Datas CEO, Claire Melamed, explains, the vulnerability of low-income countries is more alarming.

The lack of adequate shelter, sanitation, and health systems in low and lower-middle-income countries puts us at the precipice of the worst humanitarian crisis in 100 years. Getting timely, accurate data to get the pandemic under control in Africa is critical for the success of global efforts, and will help build strong data systems for the long term, said Ms. Melamed.

Over the past few years, development partners have helped to build the foundations of robust data ecosystems that can respond to crises like this. As a result, there are multitudes of tested, scalable solutions that can be deployed, and a range of institutions contributing to data-driven decision-making that can expedite the fight against COVID-19.

Areas where better data can save lives during COVID-19 include: population - understanding who is most at risk, to allocate resources effectively; health infrastructure and staffing; virus monitoring; and tracking the economic impacts, including business closures, the impact on agricultural production, and on trade and public spending, to put in place the right support and avoid long-term devastation.

The ECA-GPSDD partnership will receive capacity support from Data for Now, a coalition of partners that includes UN Department of Economic and Social Affairs, the Sustainable Development Solutions Network, and the World Bank along with GPSDD.

The group will work in a coordinated and coherent manner with partners from the private sector, civil society, academia, donors, governments, the UN, and multilateral agencies, to:

Put tested solutions to work, bringing together the right partners to understand what data and solutions are needed, make them available, and ensure they are used to save lives.

Strengthen systems by ensuring new solutions are sustainable and can be maintained for the long-term by increasing interoperability between data sets and developing capacity among users to understand and work with data for policymaking.

Increase the effective use of resources by targeting areas where data gaps are most acute and minimize duplication

Share learning and information among partners and countries for quick adoption and replication of effective solutions.

The initiative, which will be officially announced in a virtual press briefing on 20 April 2020, is seeking more collaboration in the areas of access to relevant data, analytics and visualization, training and capacity development, technology and connectivity, and financial resources.

For more information, visit : The Africa UN Knowledge Hub for COVID-19 : https://knowledge.uneca.org/covid19/

Emerging partnerships include the following  more details available on Monday 20 April:

ESRI is supporting its users and the community at large with location intelligence, geographic information system (GIS) and mapping software, services, and materials that people are using to help monitor, manage, and communicate the impact of the outbreak. Technology donations are available to all organizations to support the rapid deployment of COVID-19 solution platforms. Multiple data sources can be integrated into a single platform to give governments the information they need. Esri is already working in over 15 countries in Africa such as Ghana, Sierra Leone, and Kenya, with plans to expand across the region according to need. More info:

https://www.esri.com/en-us/covid-19/overview

https://www.africageoportal.com/pages/covid-19-response

FLOWMINDER is providing telecommunications companies and other holders of mobile operator data with instructions, code, and support via covid19.flowminder.org , enabling them to produce analyses of population mobility in close to real time. Flowminder can offer support in up to 20 countries in the region, to ensure that governments can make data-informed decisions by monitoring mobility and effects of the crisis on population dynamics.

FRAYM is using advanced machine learning models to combine satellite imagery with geo-tagged household survey data, producing local (down to 1km^2) population data for developing countries, even in remote areas. They have COVID-19 risk-factor data available, including health, behavior, and livelihood indicators, in seven African countries, with three more in the pipeline, and will consider other requests. More info: https://fraym.io/

UK Office of National Statistics and DFID data science hub will provide pro-bono COVID-19-specific technical support from a team of data scientists and software developers, with a blend of skills across epidemiology, NLP, GIS, Earth observation, mobile phone data, data engineering, and software development, with a strong focus on methods to track economic indicators in real time. They can conduct analysis, mentor staff, and provide advice on data sources and tools for automating routine manual data processing, and also provide training to ensure skills transfer. The focus will be on 17 countries where DFID support is concentrated. More info: https://datasciencecampus.ons.gov.uk/

GRID3 provides technical expertise in producing spatial data on population, settlements, boundaries, and health infrastructures, working with governments to create a comprehensive and up to date picture to inform decision-making. They are already working in Nigeria, Sierra Leone, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Mozambique, South Sudan, Zambia, and Burkina Faso, and plan to expand to 10 more countries in Africa to support COVID-19 response. More info: https://grid3.org/

DIGITAL IMPACT ALLIANCE (DIAL) will provide openly-licensed, editable resources to help governments and intermediary organizations use mobile data for pandemic response, with initial information coming next week that will be available on our website ( www.digitalimpactalliance.org ). DIAL and its technical partners will also provide technical expertise to over 10 African countries on the use of open source tools to analyze mobile data to support decision-making for combating Covid19. DIAL has released a resource document that outlines messaging platforms and an online catalog that provides more information on mobile aggregators in Sub-Saharan Africa to help governments get public health messages out to citizens in a quick and streamlined way.

ABOUT THE GLOBAL PARTNERSHIP FOR SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT DATA

The Global Partnership for Sustainable Development Data is a global network including governments, businesses, and civil society organizations working around the world to harness the data revolution for sustainable development. Since it was created in 2015, the Global Partnership has elevated data issues at a political level, launched a multi-million-dollar Collaborative Data Innovations for Sustainable Development funding initiative, and supported the advancement of country-led Data Roadmaps for Sustainable Development. Learn more at http://www.data4sdgs.org



ABOUT THE UN ECONOMIC COMMISSION FOR AFRICA

Established by the Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC) of the United Nations (UN) in 1958 as one of the UNs five regional commissions, the United Nations Economic Commission for Africas (ECAs) mandate is to promote the economic and social development of its member states, foster intraregional integration and promote international cooperation for Africas development. ECA is made up of 54 member states and plays a dual role as a regional arm of the UN and as a key component of the African institutional landscape. For more information, visit https://www.uneca.org/ .

Jointly Issued by:

The Economic Commission for Africa and the Global Partnership for Sustainable Development Data
BAKU, Azerbaijan, April 19

By Leman Zeynalova - Trend:

Azerbaijan is a model for many countries in finding the most effective ways to combat the spread of coronavirus, US expert, CEO of Caspian Group Holdings Rob Sobhani told Trend.

"The measures being taken by the Azerbaijani government under the leadership of Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev to prevent this very dangerous pandemic are vital and applaudable," Sobhani said.

The expert highlighted the social isolation measures, the closure of public places for safety and professional video footages urging people to stay at home.

"Thanks to these measures, a very small percentage out of the total population accounts for the fatal cases as a result of coronavirus in Azerbaijan," the US expert stressed.

Sobhani also praised rendering of financial assistance to the Azerbaijani population during the special quarantine regime.

"Thanks to the wise decision of Azerbaijani national leader Heydar Aliyev, the State Oil Fund of the Republic of Azerbaijan was created in the country and President Ilham Aliyev ensured the effective operation of this fund, Sobhani said. Today Azerbaijan has enough funds to render financial assistance to low-income families during the special quarantine regime."

The US expert stressed that during the post-coronavirus period, it is necessary to ensure stage-by-stage restoration of economic activity throughout the world, including Azerbaijan.

"I am sure that the Azerbaijani leadership will develop an effective plan on the gradual exit from the quarantine regime and the full restoration of economic activity," the expert added.
Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, April 19)  Following senators' call for the resignation of Health Secretary Francisco Duque III, Vice President Maria Leonor "Leni" Robredo said government officials must set aside their differences for the time being while the administration grapples with the rising COVID-19 cases.

In her radio show on Sunday, Robredo said President Rodrigo Duterte still has the final say whether Duque should step down from his post, days after 14 senators signed a resolution seeking the Health chief's resignation for his "failure of leadership, negligence, lack of foresight, and inefficiency" in addressing the pandemic.

"Karapatan naman ng mga senador na magpahayag ng kanilang saloobin sa paraan ng resolusyon pero alalahanin natin na ano ba ang nature ng isang Cabinet secretary? Alter ego ng President," Robredo said. "Whether may resolution siya o wala, nasa desisyon talaga ng Pangulo kung tatanggalin siya o hindi."

[Translation: Senators have the right to express what they feel through that resolution but we have to remember what is the nature of a Cabinet secretary. He serves as the alter ego of the President. Whether there is a resolution or none, it is the President who will decide whether to remove him or not.]

"Hindi naman bawal magtuligsa pero sana iyong away, yun sana ang iwasan natin kasi nasa gyera tayo, magkakampi tayo dito lahat," she said.

[Translation: It's not wrong to criticize, but let us refrain from fighting because we are in the middle of a war. We should all be allies here.]

Robredo also noted that Duque should not just be the only one to take public criticisms on performance and leadership. All the other public officials must recognize their flaws and consider recommendations to better deal with the pandemic.

"Ang pinakamahalaga dito may recognition na maraming pagkukulang. Pero yung pagkukulang ba na yun kasalanan lang ba ng DOH o kasalanan ng ibang ahensya?" she said.

[Translation: What matters here is there is recognition of the things that could still be improved. But do these lapses fall under the DOH alone or should other agencies also take the blame?]

The national government has yet to complete the provision of the social amelioration program to low-income families, and other forms of cash subsidy to workers and others affected by the prolonged lockdown as mandated by the Bayanihan to Heal as One law.

It has been more than a month since the President put the entire Luzon under the enhanced community quarantine. There were recent calls to even extend the implementation for two more weeks after April 30 to allow more testing, contract tracing and patients' isolation that can prevent surge in cases.

Despite criticisms on Duque's supposed missteps and delayed actions on the pandemic, he still has the full support of the President and his other Cabinet members, Cabinet Secretary Karlo Nograles previously said.

As of Sunday, the Philippines' COVID-19 cases have exceeded 6,000, with 516 recoveries and 397 deaths.
It's so embarrassing. Tony Fauci, world famous immunologist, member of the Trump administration's coronavirus taskforce, has to attend regular press conferences with a gobs***e. Mr Trump, this is an Irish term meaning 'a stupid, foolish or incompetent person'. A very dangerous gobs***e.

Fauci was at one point listed 13th in the world out of 2.5 million scientists. We immunologists feel admiration, concern and sympathy for our friend (#savefauci). Playing out before our eyes, at this most dangerous of times, is the worst example of the clash that can happen between politics and science.

When Trump said about hydroxychloroquine, a possible treatment for Covid-19: "Take it. What have you got to lose?" Fauci said: "In terms of science, I don't think we can definitively say it works."

Patrice Harris, president of the American Medical Association, was more pointed in her reply: "Your Life." she said. "Hydroxychloroquine might have damaging side-effects in Covid-19 patients so trials are proceeding with caution."

At the start of the outbreak, an editorial in The Economist stated that this virus will test every government it comes up against. Governments turned to scientists for advice. Immunology and vaccines are to Covid-19 what physics and the atom bomb were to World War II. The key challenge is a scientist may only have 50pc of the information concerning Covid-19, but a politician has to make a 100pc decision. The politician presses the scientist into giving an opinion without all the data. This immediately leads to attacks from other scientists who disagree because of the uncertainties. Scientists often start an answer with "We're not fully sure but...". and then try to answer as best they can. It's not so much 'Show me the money' (Trump) as 'Show me the data' (Fauci). Politicians often either disregard scientists, pay lip service to them or contradict them.

China's scientists have won acclaim for how they responded. In January, a team led by Yong-Zhen Zhang, of the Shanghai Public Health Clinical Centre & School of Public Health, released key information on the virus, in the fastest time ever for a new virus. Chinese doctors also quickly reported the disease now known as Covid-19. That's what scientists do, because they know that two heads are better than one when it comes to complex scientific problems.

Chinese politicians have been accused of prevarication. Like children, they put their fingers in their ears and hoped it would go away. The noise got so loud they had to respond. China's delay may have cost many thousands of lives. It most likely cost the life of Li Wenliang, a Wuhan doctor, who shared information on Covid-19 on January 3. He was forced to sign an official letter promising to cease spreading 'false rumours regarding the coronavirus'. Dr Li contracted Covid-19 from a patient he treated, and died on February 7. If it turns out that the virus originated in a government lab near the seafood market in Wuhan because of an accident (this remains a rumour), this will tell us why the Chinese government was so secretive early in the outbreak. Fear of reputational damage.

After the virus began to spread outside China, and once the scale of the impending crisis became clear, scientists everywhere began to sound the alarm.

Trump publicly minimised the risk. In May 2018, against scientific advice, he disbanded a team working on future pandemics. On April 1 this year, he denied this: "We didn't do that," he said, claiming that it was "a false story". Yet again, fear of reputational damage. With thousands of deaths, and clear evidence that the virus was highly contagious, Trump said: "We want to get [US business] open very soon... I'd love to have it open by Easter." There was no scientific basis for this, and all the evidence said this would be disastrous. Like a child, Trump put his fingers in his ears and looked forward to the Easter Bunny.

US House of Representatives Speaker Nancy Pelosi said: "We respect science, science, science. And for those who say we choose prayer over science, I say science is an answer to our prayers."

Trump was mainly talking to his political base. Republicans (and conservatives elsewhere) usually agree on issues like abortion, immigration and gun control. But they are also more likely to think that Covid-19 might be a hoax (which Trump himself said on February 28), that it's "just like the flu", denying the scientific evidence.

They think scientists are opinionated elitists. Trump claims to like science because of his 'super genius' uncle saying: "Maybe I have a natural ability." This is a man who, despite warnings, stared directly at the sun during an eclipse. Dr Fauci has had to publicly deny that he is being manipulated by Trump: "Everything I do is voluntary," he said. "Please don't even imply that."

Trump actively prevented government scientists from recommending that anyone over 60 remain inside their homes. Again, fingers in the ears and more deaths.

Meanwhile in the UK, on March 2 British scientists predicted 500,000 deaths. The next day, Prime Minister Boris Johnson joked that he was still shaking hands with everyone, including at a hospital treating coronavirus patients.

In February and March, British officials missed eight conference calls about Covid-19 between EU heads of state or health ministers. Maybe they were all at Cheltenham.

Johnson held out against stringent measures. Then on March 12, Chris Whitty, the chief medical officer, moved the threat from "moderate" to "high". On March 16 came a report by epidemiologist Neil Ferguson. It predicted 250,000 deaths. Eleven days later the UK government triggered a full lockdown. Tens if not hundreds of thousands of people became infected in those 11 days. The delay in responding most likely killed many of the citizens they are supposed to protect. A spokesman for the government's chief scientific adviser, Patrick Vallance, said: "Scientific advisers provide advice, while ministers and the government make decisions."

Nature magazine (the world's leading science magazine) has accused governments of reaching critical decisions in secret, making announcements before giving the evidence on which their decisions are based. Neither the US nor UK governments have explained why they did not follow the World Health Organisation's (WHO) advice to test, test, test. The WHO has huge cumulative experience when it comes to pandemics. Trump has attacked it when we need it most, throwing his toys out of the pram. Its director-general Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus made it simple for Trump, saying: "You can't fight a virus if you don't know where it is."

When the US banned flights from China (which Trump says saved the US), no evidence was presented for how this might slow the spread of a virus that is already circulating widely in a country. Show us the data.

That leaves us with Ireland. How have we done? The government set up expert panels to advise them. We should see the data they're using.

Chief Medical Officer Dr Tony Holohan provides a calming influence, which is important. The Government hopefully has an expert group advising it on the re-opening of our country, which will need a huge increase in testing. Science should have the primacy.

A clear plan based on science will reassure the public, which is essential.

And so, we now wait. Tolerate pandemic fatigue and lockdown lethargy. Wait to be released.

Politicians, heed the advice of the scientists. Make the unpopular decisions if you have to. You might lose your seat, but you will have saved lives. Which is more important?

Luke O'Neill is professor of biochemistry in the School of Biochemistry and Immunology at Trinity College Dublin
See for yourself how and where vaccinations are ramping up, plus how COVID-19 infections and deaths still persist in most states.
Camillus, N.Y.  It was two years to the day that Karen Ciciarelli lost her mother to breast cancer. It was also her husbands 54th birthday.

And it was the day her doctor said she needed a double mastectomy, three months of chemotherapy and nine additional months of treatment to fend off her second go-around with cancer.

Five days later, on April 8, the 51-year-old kindergarten teacher reported to Crouse Hospital at 8 a.m. for the surgery. She was home by 6 p.m.

Because of the coronavirus, hospitals would rather patients recover at home and not risk infection.

But you know what? It was a blessing," she said from her home Saturday night. "The silver lining was that all my family was at home to be with me.

Hundreds of friends throughout Central New York were thinking of her, and it took one colleague to bring them all together.

Molly OKeefe, the physical education teacher at East Hill Elementary School in Camillus, sent an email to a few of Ciciarellis friends, family, fellow teachers and neighbors. She asked them to gather at West Genesee High School on Thursday evening, and she said to spread the word. The plan was to drive 1.5 miles to Ciciarellis home and honk their horns and drop off signs and cards.

At 4:30 p.m., about 200 cars lined up behind Fairmount Fire Department trucks, led by Second Deputy Chief Jacob Carlson.

We needed a way to show Karen our love and support, OKeefe said this morning. It was a true representation of how much she is loved and how close our community is.

It was snowing when the caravan arrived at her street in Fairmount. Ciciarelli was sitting at the kitchen table when her husband, Jim, told her to come to the front door. She was greeted with flashing lights, sirens and cheering friends.

The caravan lasted more than an hour. OKeefe stood at the end of her driveway to collect the signs and cards.

I was blown away. Im still blown away, Ciciarelli said. And it couldnt have come at a better time.

Ciciarelli had just spent a week sleeping on a recliner before getting the bandages removed last Wednesday. That was the day, she thought, she had hit rock bottom. It was the most pain she had ever felt. Then she saw what the surgery had done to her body.

It was two years to the day that Karen Ciciarelli lost her mother to breast cancer that she was diagnosed with the disease for a second time.Submitted photo

But Thursday was a better day. The pain had lessened, she could move her arms a little better, and she was walking around the house. She spent much of the day preparing lessons for her class, which she delivers remotely since the schools are closed until at least May 15. Her father, who lives alone, then came for dinner, and he wore a mask. He and the rest of the family knew the caravan was coming.

The first time Ciciarelli fought breast cancer, in 2015, she kept it to herself. Her doctor found it early enough, so it was treated with six weeks of radiation. She always had the first appointment of the day, at 7 a.m., and then shed go to work. She told very few people about it, and she never mentioned it on social media.

She hopes to win this fight without missing a day of school as well. But this time, she said, shes telling people about it.

Im going to shout this from the rooftop: Get screened, she said. I truly believe this is Gods way of telling me to spread the word. Maybe itll help someone else who doesnt think theyre a risk. I had the genetic testing, and I wasnt at risk, and now Ive had breast cancer twice."

Her doctor thinks they caught the cancer early enough this time too, even though its a much more aggressive type than the last. The tumor removed was 1.5 centimeters, and it hadnt spread to the lymph nodes.

On Friday, after reading the signs piled in her garage from the caravan, she messaged the parents of her students and told them of the diagnosis and surgery. Many of them already knew, and some had driven by with their children.

I wanted to be sure to let all of you know that as of right now, Im able to continue teaching from home, and I do not expect any changes in the way we are delivering instruction to the students in Room 2, she wrote. As I have said to many other friends, please dont worry about me.

Later that day, one of her students, Bennett Hougaboom, emailed her a video message. Its him saying while using sign language: I love you.

East Hill Elementary School teacher Karen Ciciarelli with student Cole Jackson.Submitted photo

Charlie Miller is a journalist at syracuse.com and The Post-Standard. Contact him at (315) 382-1984, or by email at cmiller@syracuse.com.

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Asante Fisheries Company Limited has debunked media reports accusing it of dumping one William Koomson, its Korean food specialist, suspected of contracting COVID-19, off its vessel.



In a press statement signed by Mr Frank Aihoon, Director of Asante Fisheries Company Limited, the company indicated that Mr Koomson, embarked at the Tema Anchorage on 27th February, 2020 as a Korean Cook, adding that a report from the Captain, Kim Yeong Jins report indicated that he exhibited gross incompetence in making dishes for the Korean crew.



The captain said he made several efforts on many occasions to get him to improve but showed gross disrespect and on April 1, he was giving a final caution by the captain. He was rather rude and shouted at the captain, a practice which is not acceptable in any fishing vessel anywhere in the world.



It added that on April 2, the Captain, using the boat, with accompanying crew, got the said William Koomson to disembark stating that the side-boat took him to a fishing canoe which was arranged as a rented means of transport while the vessel ensured he had adequate Personal Protective Equipment (PPE).



On landing at Keta, he was held as a person suspected of carrying the coronavirus and initial test conducted. The test proved negative but it was decided on grounds of sound medical principle to hold him for the mandatory 14 days after which an exit test would be conducted, the company stated.



According to the company, Asante Fisheries therefore hired and paid for a hotel accommodation to be used as the quarantine centre, has a nurse attending to him on daily basis and pay for his daily upkeep till the exit test is conducted to be sure he is safe.



The statement said the Company was aware of the seriousness of the coronavirus and the implication for its entire crew should any of them show symptoms of the disease noting that it would therefore run counter to the company for the vessel and all its crew to be kept at sea when they get exposed with any crew quarantined and tested.



The company stressed that disembarkation of any crew is a normal practice within the fishing industry and this was not done with any malice or without the necessary caution. It was also not done in a manner that endangers the lives and wellbeing of the person to whom William Koomson came in contact with, nor the community that hosted him.



The company therefore allayed the fears of persons who might have been alarmed by the false reports emanating from this normal practice of disembarkation and wish to assure all that the company is following and cooperating with health professionals on the status of Mr William Koomson till he is finally discharged.

Source: GNA









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Half of the respondents to a poll by the Iranian Students Polling Agency (ISPA) have lost some of their income as a result of the coronavirus pandemic.

More than 50% of the respondents to the poll have said that their income has been affected. While 13.5% have lost their jobs, 41.7% say they had to shut down their businesses. Only 26.3% said their income has not changed while 0.6% have reported an increase in their income.

The poll was taken by telephone from April 13 to 16 by ISPA and all respondents (1,563) were 18 and above.

Of all the respondents 48.6% said they were not in a position to help others financially and 34.7% have donated money or food to others who have lost their income.

The government has announced that Iranian families can take out a 10 million rial loan (about $65) and is paying 2,000,000 to 6,000,000 rials aid to three million low-income families.

Iran's official coronavirus death toll rose to 5,118 on Sunday but the daily death toll has been going down in the past few days.

Last week the government allowed partial re-opening of businesses and President Hassan Rouhani has said that more low-risk businesses will be allowed to open soon. Many say it is still too early to go back to normal business and the government decision may put more lives at risk.

ISPA has also published the results of a separate poll in Tehran in which more than 80% of the residents of the capital said they were very concerned or extremely concerned about the pandemic. The capital Tehran remains the epicenter of the COVID-19 outbreak with one in every three infections and deaths taking place there.

According to Deputy Health Minister Iraj Harirchi more than one quarter of infections by COVID-19 in Iran take place while people are using public transport such as the underground (metro) and buses.
By PTI

LONDON: British Prime Minister Boris Johnson has begun taking charge of the government even as he convalesces at Chequers in south-east England, following his hospitalisation after testing positive for coronavirus.

'The Sunday Telegraph' reports that Johnson began giving directions to his Cabinet, including to his deputy UK Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab, from his prime ministerial countryside retreat as he prepares to resume full charge in the coming days.

The 55-year-old issued some directives to Raab as well as senior aides in a series of calls last week, followed by a three-hour meeting with his deputy and staff on Friday.

"He [Johnson] has had some contact with ministers, but mostly with his private office here at Downing Street," Robert Jenrick, UK Communities Minister, had told reporters at the daily Downing Street briefing on Saturday.

The newspaper quoted sources to say that while the Prime Minister was still recovering from COVID-19, following his discharge from hospital a week ago, he has been getting "more involved", including to set out a "direction".

Raab reportedly visited the UK prime minister at Chequers, along with Johnson's chief adviser Dominic Cummings -- also back after his self-isolation following symptoms of coronavirus -- and Lee Cain, his communications director, on Friday.

The meeting was the first time Johnson has spoken to his deputy Raab and senior advisers in person since his discharge from hospital last Sunday.

Other aides and officials, including Eddie Lister, Johnson's chief strategic adviser, and Mark Sedwill, the Cabinet Secretary, took part via video-conferencing application Zoom.

The reports come as another report in 'The Sunday Times' claimed Johnson delayed the UK's response to the pandemic by missing five emergency Cabinet Office Briefing Room A (COBRA) meetings at the very start of the coronavirus outbreak in the UK.

Cabinet Office minister Michael Gove was forced to defend his boss' "strong" leadership, as he insisted that the suggestion the PM had "skipped" meetings was "grotesque".

"The idea that the Prime Minister skipped meetings that are vital to our response to corona is grotesque. There are meetings across government, some which are chaired by the Health Secretary, some chaired by other ministers. The PM took all the major decisions," said Gove.

"No one can suggest the prime minister wasn't throwing heart and soul into fighting this virus. This leadership has been clear, been inspirational at times. Nothing is more off-beam than the suggestion that the PM was anything other than energetic, focused and strong in his leadership against this virus," he said.

The first coronavirus case in the UK was confirmed on January 29, with the newspaper referring to sources who say that emergency plans were not activated quick enough.

"The Sunday Times' quotes a senior adviser to Downing Street, who broke ranks to blame the weeks of complacency on a failure of leadership. There's no way you're at war if your prime minister isn't there," the adviser said, as it was alleged that Johnson started chairing the COBRA meeting at a much later stage in the crisis.

The UK's Opposition Labour Party has picked up on the media report and demanded answers, with shadow health secretary Jonathan Ashworth saying Gove's defence of the UK prime minister was "possibly the weakest rebuttal of a detailed expose in British political history".

Britain's official death toll from the virus now stands at 15,464, and the country has been under lockdown since March 23, with the government extending it until at least the end of the month.




This is a round-up of some-breaking news in Nigeria, Today, Sunday, 19th, April 2020.

Finally, Buhari Breaks Silence On His Chief Of Staff, Abba Kyaris Death

President Muhammadu Buhari has finally reacted to the death of his Chief of Staff, Mallam Abba Kyari.

Buhari who accepted the death as an inevitable will of God, made his thoughts known in a media chat by the Senior Special Assistant to the President on Media and Publicity, Mallam Garba Shehu.

Read more details here

Jonathan Reacts To The Death Of Abba Kyari

Former Nigerian President, Dr. Goodluck Jonathan has reacted to the death of Mallam Abba Kyari who until his passing away, was the Chief of Staff to President Muhammadu Buhari.

Jonathan while consoling with the government of Nigeria and the family of the deceased, prayed God to strengthen them to bear the loss.

Read more details here

COVID-19: Four Coronavirus Patients Discharged In Lagos

Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu of Lagos State has revealed that four coronavirus (COVID-19) patients have been discharged after recovering from the virus.

The governor made this known in a post on his verified Twitter page on Saturday.

Read more details here

Abba Kyaris Death A Win-Win, Nigeria Is Free  Gandujes Commissioner, Muazu

The Commissioner for Works and Infrastructure in Kano State, Muazu Magaji, has reacted to the death of the Chief of Staff to President Muhammadu Buhari, Abba Kyari.

The Kano State Commissioner while reacting to the death of Kyari noted that Nigeria is now free.

Read more details here

Tinubu Mourns Abba Kyaris Death

The National Leader of the All Progressives Congress (APC) has sent his profound condolence to the family of the late Chief of Staff to the President, Mallam Abba Kyari.

Speaking earlier today, Tinubu expressed sadness over the death of Abba Kyari, President Muhammadu Buharis Chief of Staff.

Read more details here

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Fugro, a leading integrator of geotechnical, subsea and geosciences services, has successfully completed a geotechnical site investigation to provide essential geo-data for the design and construction of a new bridge over the Aswan Dam on the Nile river.

The contract was awarded by The Arab Contractors to Fugro for its expertise in ground investigation and experience in similar projects, said a top company official.

This project was located in Aswan city, an area with extremely hard ground conditions that often create technical challenges. Fugros drilling experience and capabilities in hard rock layers surmounted these challenges and led to a successful delivery of the site investigation, remarked Mohamed Mostafa, the business line director for Land Site Characterisation.

Aswan is famous for its granite, which the pharaohs used to build obelisks, sculptures and temples. These hard Gabbro and Granite formations can impede the drilling and sampling activities required for accurate site characterisation.

However, by deploying a range of wireline techniques and using state-of-the-art drilling equipment, Fugro drilled boreholes in the hard granite rock and acquired the necessary samples.

These samples were then analysed in Fugros IAS-accredited in-country soils laboratory to provide the vital parameters and characteristics needed for the bridge design, said Mostafa.

The eventual Aswan Dam bridge will have eight traffic lanes and is intended to offload some of the heavy road traffic currently routed entirely over the current Aswan Low Dam bridge, which was built in 1902.

The success on this project led the Arab Contractors to award Fugro subsequent contracts for the Cairo Monorail project, which will be Egypts first monorail, and the construction of a bridge in front of the Presidents Palace, he added.-TradeArabia News Service
The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has called for the suspension of charges for use of ATM cards and low amount mobile fund transfers during the COVID-19 lockdown.

The party made the call in a statement by its National Publicity Secretary, Kola Ologbondiyan, on Sunday in Abuja.

It stated that the suspension of such charges should be part of the panacea to ease the burden on poor Nigerians during the lockdown.

The party called on the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) to immediately open an arrangement with commercial banks to suspend the charges.

Mr Ologbondiyan said the lockdown had subjected majority of Nigerians to extensive use of ATM and mobile transfers for survival, making the suspension of charges on minimal transactions within this period of restriction highly imperative.

He said that the lifting of the charges within the period of COVID-19 pandemic would ease the burden on cash withdrawals by vulnerable citizens and encourage more Nigerians to support one another at this critical time.

The PDP demands the CBN to immediately liaise with commercial banks and stimulate a special social sustenance modality to defray the cost of such charges, particularly to cover minimal transactions in favour of vulnerable Nigerians.

Mr Ologbondiyan also urged the federal government to activate similar social sustenance scheme to immediately defray electricity tariff, particularly in areas populated by low income and vulnerable Nigerians within the period of the lockdown.

The PDP calls on the federal government to show compassion on suffering Nigerians whose means of subsistence have been crippled by the lockdown, and immediately provide funds to electricity distribution companies to actuate the tariff suspension within this period.

He also advised the federal government to immediately commence the collation of data from trade unions and cooperative societies covering low income groups such as market women, Okada riders, artisans, cab drivers and labourers among others.

This, according to him, is for possible economic recovery funds and loans to buoy their businesses at the end of the lockdown.

He said that citizens were passing through difficult and harrowing experiences.

Mr Ologbondiyan said that the PDP was worried that the federal government was yet to reach out to most vulnerable Nigerians, whose survival directly depended on daily income in the markets, shops and streets crippled by the COVID-19 lockdown.

Consequently, the PDP restates its call on President Muhammadu Buhari to immediately extend similar financial intervention that was released to Lagos State to all other states of the federation, he said.

He also called on the president to take immediate steps to end alleged corruption in the social intervention scheme, especially palliatives funds.

Such social investment funds should be channeled to states for disbursement through the machinery of local governments, traditional institutions and community leadership to ensure that they reached the target vulnerable groups, he said.

He also called on the federal government to declare monies so far donated by private individuals, firms and donor agencies.

Mr Ologbondiyan called on the government to immediately constitute an Eminent Nigerian Group drawn from the private sector to manage the fund to eliminate corruption, bureaucratic and political bottlenecks.

He said: Our primary focus as a party remains the welfare of our citizens as we stand with them in this battle to check the spread of COVID-19 pandemic in our country. (NAN)
While most cases of the new coronavirus are only mild or moderate, plenty are severe, with the disease having killed nearly 160,000 people worldwide as of Saturday, according to Johns Hopkins University.

What happens during a serious case of the disease?

First, the virus enters your respiratory tract

COVID-19 enters a persons respiratory system through the mouth or nose. Under a microscope, spikes can be seen on the surface of the COVID-19 germ. These spikes are made of protein that allow the virus to latch on to a receptor in the bodys cells and begin duplicating, making the person sick.

If the virus stays in the upper respiratory tract, symptoms are generally mild

The new coronavirus can infect both the upper and lower respiratory tracts, unlike respiratory illnesses that might only infect one area or the other, health experts say.

A COVID-19 infection generally starts in the nose, health experts have said. The virus then attacks cells that line and protect the respiratory tract.

If the virus stays in the upper respiratory tract, the case will probably remain mild or moderate. Likely symptoms include fever and dry cough, and recovery in a week or two without medical care is typical.

If the virus moves to the lower respiratory tract, serious illness can occur

A lower respiratory infection has reached the lung and is what causes shortness of breath and tightness in the chest. The lungs and the respiratory tree, which helps bring oxygen into the lungs, can become inflamed, making it harder to breathe.

Lower respiratory tract infections can also lead to pneumonia. With pneumonia, the alveoli  where the blood exchanges oxygen and carbon dioxide  are infected and filled with fluid.

Symptoms of pneumonia include a high fever, sweating, shortness of breath, fatigue, a rapid heartbeat, the face turning blue and, in some cases, confusion.

Pneumonia can cause a patient to cough up greenish or yellow mucus. COVID-19 produces a dry cough, so a cough that yields mucus is a sign the illness has progressed to something more.

If any of these symptoms arise, its important to get medical help right away.

An ill-prepared immune system can attack the body, causing worse illness

In more serious cases of the illness, the bodys response to infection might be too strong, health experts say. Its this aggressive reaction to COVID-19  and not the virus itself  that causes serious illness and death, they say.

An immune system that has never experienced the new coronavirus doesnt know how to respond. In scrambling to fight the infection, the immune system can end up destroying healthy cells and tissues.

This can leave the lower respiratory tract more susceptible to other bacteria and germs, causing a secondary infection, health experts say. The new infection can destroy cells that help repair the lungs.

When you get a bad, overwhelming infection, everything starts to fall apart in a cascade, David Morens, senior scientific adviser to the director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, told Bloomberg. You pass the tipping point where everything is going downhill and, at some point, you cant get it back.

Further damage to the lungs may require you to get on a ventilator

If damage to the lungs worsens, they may lose their ability to deliver oxygen to other organs, leading to acute respiratory distress syndrome, or ARDS.

ARDS is treatable, but it can get worse quickly. Symptoms include rapid breathing, dizziness and sweating. ARDS further damages tissues and blood vessels in the alveoli, making breathing even more difficult. In many cases, a ventilator becomes necessary.

As the immune system works even harder to fight infection, it might release chemicals throughout the body, causing widespread inflammation and sepsis, an extreme response in which the blood pressure plummets and, in many cases, organs fail.

Dr. Carlos del Rio, a professor of medicine and global health at Emory University, told National Public Radio that these cascading effects are what can make COVID-19 so dangerous.

The lack of oxygen leads to more inflammation, more problems in the body, he said. Organs need oxygen to function, right? So when you dont have oxygen there, then your liver dies and your kidney dies.



2020 The Dallas Morning News
Michelle Obama is hosting weekly story-time sessions online for children while they remain at home in lockdown.

As part of a collaboration with PBS Kids and Penguin Random House, the former US first lady will take part in a four-week series of videos that will see her read from treasured childrens books.

The videos will be streamed live on the PBS Kids Facebook and YouTube accounts and on the Penguin Random House Facebook page, starting at 12pm ET (5pm BST) every Monday from 20 April until 11 May.

The first book Obama has chosen to read is The Gruffalo, which was written by Julia Donaldson and first published in 1999.

She will then read Theres a Dragon in your Book and Miss Maples Seeds, before ending with The Very Hungry Caterpillar by Eric Carle.

As a little kid, I loved to read aloud, the 56-year-old said.

And when I became a parent, I found such joy in sharing the magic of storytelling with my own children  and then later, as first lady, with kids everywhere.

Obama stated that in the current climate with so many families being under so much stress, she is looking forward to taking part in the virtual read-along.

Im excited to give kids a chance to practise their reading and hear some wonderful stories (and to give parents and caretakers a much-needed break), she said.

Michelle Obama's most empowering quotes Show all 10 1 /10 Michelle Obama's most empowering quotes Michelle Obama's most empowering quotes On the key to a successful marriage In our house we dont take ourselves too seriously, and laughter is the best form of unity, I think, in a marriage. On Live with Regis and Kelly in February 2011. Getty Images Michelle Obama's most empowering quotes On not underestimating yourself "You may not always have a comfortable life and you will not always be able to solve all of the world's problems at once but don't ever underestimate the importance you can have because history has shown us that courage can be contagious and hope can take on a life of its own." In a speech to schoolgirls at the Elizabeth Garrett Anderson School in North London in April 2009. Getty Images Michelle Obama's most empowering quotes On inspiring young people I want our young people to know that they matter, that they belong, so dont be afraid. You hear me? Young people, dont be afraid. Be focused, be determined, be hopeful, be empowered Lead by example with hope, never fear, and know that I will be with you, rooting for you and working to support you for the rest of my life. In her final White House address in January 2017. Getty Images Michelle Obama's most empowering quotes On double standards regarding parenting When a father puts in long hours at work, hes praised for being dedicated and ambitious. But when a mother stays late at the office, shes sometimes accused of being selfish, neglecting her kids. At the "Let Girls Learn Event" in Madrid, Spain in June 2016. Getty Images Michelle Obama's most empowering quotes On the importance of diversity in film and TV For so many people, television and movies may be the only way they understand people who arent like them I come across many little black girls who come up to me over the course of this 7 years with tears in their eyes, and they say: Thank you for being a role model for me. I dont see educated black women on TV, and the fact that youre first lady validates who I am.' In an interview with Variety in August 2016. AFP/Getty Images Michelle Obama's most empowering quotes On maintaining hopeful following the election of Donald Trump See, now we are feeling what not having hope feels like, you know. Hope is necessary. It is a necessary concept. What do you give your kids if you cant give them hope? In an interview with Oprah Winfrey in December 2016. Getty Images Michelle Obama's most empowering quotes On motherhood "My most important title is 'mom-in-chief'. My daughters are still the heart of my heart and the centre of my world." At the Democratic National Convention in September 2012. AFP/Getty Images Michelle Obama's most empowering quotes On championing women's education Men in every country need to look into their hearts and souls and ask themselves whether they truly view and treat women as their equals. And then when you all encounter men in your lives who answer no to that question, then you need to take them to task. You need to tell them that any man who uses his strength to oppress women is a coward, and he is holding back the progress of his family and his country. In a speech at the summit of the Mandela Washington Fellowship for Young African Leaders, July 2014. Getty Images Michelle Obama's most empowering quotes On dealing with bullies When someone is cruel or acts like a bully, you dont stoop to their level. No, our motto is, when they go low, we go high. At the Democratic convention, July 2016. Getty Images Michelle Obama's most empowering quotes On the meaning of success "Success isnt about how your life looks to others. Its about how it feels to you. We realised that being successful isnt about being impressive, its about being inspired." In a speech at the Oregon State University commencement, June 2012. Getty Images

Following the live-streamed story-time sessions, the videos will remain on Facebook and YouTube for people to view at their leisure.

PBS Kids added that a suit of activities, tips and resources for every book being read by the former first lady will be available at readtogetherbetogether.com, while companion literary resources will be available at pbskidsforparents.org.

Several Instagram users expressed their excitement over the upcoming read-along, with one person commenting: What a great idea! Thank you. Truly.
A sign next to the A55 main road into North Wales implores tourists to stay home. (Getty)

Almost 250,000 people fled London for other areas of the UK prior to the coronavirus lockdown, research has shown.

Analysis carried out by the University of Oxford shows that thousands of city-dwellers relocated to less populous parts of Britain before the lockdown began on March 23.

Data collected from smartphone apps by advertising company Cuebiq was analysed for the study.

The majority went to the east of England and southeast, according to the research, with the mass exodus beggining in early March.

Another sign in Betws-y-Coed, Wales. (Getty)

Communities in second-home hotspots have pleaded with people to stay away since the lockdown began last month.

Police in Devon and Cornwall, Wales and Norfolk have been battling to enforce the strict restrictions on movement imposed by the government.

Latest coronavirus news, updates and advice

The Oxford University data suggests that people began to leave in large numbers on March 12, with numbers flattening at just under 250,000 after the lockdown less than a fortnight later.

It also shows that vast numbers of people left London in the days immediately after the lockdown, although less attempted to get away than in the preceding two weeks.

More than 50 per cent of those leaving went to the east of England, and 25 per cent went to the south east.

Data for people leaving Manchester and Birmingham showed thousands of people left Manchester for London before the restrictions.

After the lockdown more than 30,000 have travelled to the city from Yorkshire or the rest of the north west.

Over 200,000 people reportedly left Birmingham bound for the rest of the west Midlands.

Dr Adam Saunders, co-leader of the Oxford Covid Impact Monitor project said: "We're confident that the results which have been provided are representative of terminal outflows from London or an 'exodus' effect during the period shown when compared to pre-crisis mobility patterns."

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Shimla, April 19 : It's cherry season in Himachal Pradesh. The Shimla district that alone accounts for over 90 per cent of the state's cherry output is set to reap a bountiful crop.

The State Horticulture Department is expecting 452 tonnes crop this year, slightly less from the last year's all-time high of 550 tonnes.

Farmers are, however, skeptical about supply to its main market, which is north Indian plains, due to shortage of packaging material and curbs on inter-state transportation of goods.

"The cherry crop this time is set to be above normal. But the main hurdle, we foresee, is to shift the crop from the orchard to the Azadpur mandi in Delhi, the marketing hub of the region," Dev Manta, a grower from Kotkhai in the Shimla district, told IANS over phone.

According to him, the cherry trees in the region have healthy fruit setting and it will start ripening by the end of April or the first week of May, depending upon the altitude of the orchard. "Right now, we are keeping our fingers crossed," Manta said.

Bhagat Singh, head of the Halyana Cooperative Society, a Kotgarh-based society with membership of 500 stone-fruit growers, expressed apprehensions on its marketing. The farmers were facing huge shortage of corrugated packing boxes, he said.

"Since the cherries can't be transported from orchards without packing them in boxes, we need them immediately. Otherwise, it will not be a fruitful exercise to harvest cherries, despite shortage of labourers, and then allow them to rot," he said.

The coronavirus pandemic had kept local carton traders largely locked in their homes for over a month, causing shortage of cartons in the market. Local traders depend on the corrugated box units outside the state. It's not easy for them to procure boxes without the government intervention.

Every year a month ahead of the stone-fruit harvesting, which is months ahead of harvesting of apple, the state's main fruit crop, they would place orders with the manufacturing units.

This season the traders couldn't do so also because the corrugated producing units are shut since March 24.

Rakesh Singha, CPI-(M) legislator from Theog, last week met Chief Minister Jai Ram Thakur and urged him to procure the entire cherry produce directly from growers to protect them from losses amid the coronavirus pandemic.

"We have apprised the Chief Minister about shortage of packaging boxes and problems of transporting cherry to markets due to lockdown till May 3," Singha, himself a prominent fruit grower, told IANS.

He also sought a minimum support price of Rs 50 per kg for cherries.

"The government should make arrangements for transportation of the procured cherries to markets. Or the government can make jams and jellies at its HPMC plants from stone-fruits, like plums, cherries and peaches," Singha said.

The higher reaches of Shimla, Kullu, Mandi, Chamba and Kinnaur, at 6,000-8,000 feet altitudes above sea level, are ideal for stone-fruit cultivation. Nearly 20,000 marginal farmers are involved in cherry cultivation and grow over 20 varieties on over 500 hectares.

Trade representatives said state's imported cherry varieties, like deuro nera, stella, merchant and celsius, which have a longer shelf life, are always in great demand.

The hub of cherry cultivation is Narkanda, Kotgarh, Baagi, Matiana, Kumarsain and Thanedhar in the Shimla district. The cultivation of cherries has emerged as an alternative in the apple-growing areas of the state and is fetching fairly high prices compared with other fruits.

Gopal Mehta, known for his organic fruits in the Shimla district, said last year the prices were abnormally low owing to cherry glut.

But this time slightly higher than the normal yield can turn the cherry business juicy with the growers getting remunerative prices. "Ordinary red cherries can fetch around Rs 100 a kg in Delhi's Azadpur wholesale fruit market, while the top quality cherries can get up to Rs 300 a kg," Mehta said.

He said by next week of May the harvesting of the best varieties, like black heart, bing and deuro nera, would pick up. "By that time the national lockdown will be partially lifted," Mehta hoped.

The Himachal Pradesh's economy is highly dependent on horticulture, apart from hydroelectric power and tourism, with the annual fruit industry worth over Rs 3,500 crore.

According to the Horticulture Department estimates, lack of cold chains causes decay of 25 per cent of the produce.

(Vishal Gulati can be contacted at vishal.g@ians.in)
Sudhir Suryawanshi By

Express News Service

MUMBAI: A pregnant woman, who had tested positive for coronavirus, delivered a baby in Aurangabad hospital on April 18. The swab report of the baby has come out negative giving a sigh of relief to the family of baby and doctors of Aurangabad hospital.

The woman from Aurangabad tested positive for coronavirus three days ago and was admitted on April 17. After the delivery, everyone was concerned and worried about the baby.

We are very happy that the babys sample report turned out negative. Both baby and mother are fine. They are kept in a separate ward and are doing well. Unless the mother is cured she will not be allowed to meet the baby, said Sundar Kulkarni, a doctor from Aurangabad hospital.



According to the Maharashtra health department report, elderly people and kids are vulnerable to coronavirus. The highest number of death reported is in the age group of 70 to 90 years old.

Aurangabad has been a hotspot for coronavirus patients. It has reported 30 coronavirus positive patients and three deaths. In Maharashtra, cumulatively 4200 persons tested positive while 230 died due to COVID-19.

While on April 19, a total 552 cases and 12 deaths were reported. In Maharashtra, Mumbai has highest 2724 coronavirus patients with 132 deaths.
Abdulla Al Ghurair Foundation for Education (AGFE) has awarded 58 underprivileged students from the Arab world full scholarships at Arizona State University (ASU) to pursue their Masters degrees as part of the Al Ghurair Open Learning Scholars Program (OLSP).

The 58 students have been selected based on merit and need from a large group of applicants, and represent several nationalities from the Arab world including Egypt, Jordan, Lebanon, Palestine, Syria, and Yemen. Of these aspiring young Arabs, 14 per cent are refugees or conflict-affected youth with increasingly limited opportunities to continue their higher education. Given that there are lower rates of graduate students in the Arab world than the global average, it is a game-changer for these Arab youth who are being given access to the top 1 per cent of the world's most prestigious universities as ranked by Times Higher Education. According to the Education 2030 Incheon Declaration, these scholarship programs can play a vital role to help increase access to global knowledge.

Mohamed Guleid, a young Somalian working at Mediclinic in the UAE was awarded the scholarship to pursue his Masters in International Health Management at ASU. Guleid said: This scholarship will kickstart my professional development by increasing my knowledge and understanding of healthcare management, especially as I am already working in the field. On a personal level, this opportunity will also enable my future plans to develop my own country's healthcare system. This is a major turning point in my higher education journey and I truly appreciate the opportunity.

The country-level closures of educational institutions to help contain Covid-19 have created additional challenges for millions of youth in the Arab world to access higher education. AGFE is taking all the necessary measures to adapt its process for OLSP in order to ensure access for every young Arab in this disruptive time. The Foundation has seen an increase in the demand for their program that provides scholarships for online Masters programs. As the region turns to online learning as a response to the ongoing pandemic, the most recent application cycle saw the highest number of applicants since the program launched in 2017.

The OLSP offers full online Masters scholarships at ASU for a range of fields such as engineering, technology, health, education, sustainability, tourism and other degrees relevant to Arab youth in the region. ASU, which for the past five years in a row has been ranked as the most innovative university in the US by US News and World Report, is a leader in online learning. The OLSP covers the total cost of mandatory university tuition and fees until students complete their Masters degree. In addition, AGFE and ASU also offer scholars several skill-building, professional opportunities to better equip them for the world of work, providing them with a supportive community and an academic success advisor.

Over the past four years, AGFE has been working to support and promote high-quality online education programs in the UAE and across the Arab world. The Foundation has offered over 800 scholarships and is helping regional universities improve their capacity to offer educational courses and programs online. These efforts directly address the disparity in access to university education in the Arab world to help meet the Sustainable Development Goal 4 targets adopted at the UN Sustainable Development Summit in 2015. The Foundation is dedicated to transforming lives through education as it believes that education is the main driver of development.

Dr. Sonia Ben Jaafar, chief executive officer of AGFE, said: During this unprecedented time, the foundation has increased its efforts to assure that higher education does not stop for youth in the Arab world. We will continue to support both those young people who are dreaming of education for better livelihoods, and those educational institutions who want to provide a high-quality education for all. Most of these scholarship recipients reached out to us because they wanted to pursue a graduate degree in Engineering, Health or Education. They want to make a difference in their local communities. These are exactly the kind of impressive young people we need to support to contribute to the sustainable development of the region. - TradeArabia News Service
The mission of Senior Life Midland is to address challenges related to aging and develop efficient, flexible and compassionate ways to meet the needs of our community. Our programs are designed and implemented to address needs of elderly in our community such as hunger and malnutrition, temporarily and social isolation, home safety and security.

What currently is known as Senior Life Midland was initiated as an outreach project of First Christian Church in 1974 and later incorporated and in 1982 became known as Community and Senior Service, a stand-alone nonprofit. The donation of the Fuhrman-Vogel Center in 1987 allowed programs to be expanded and a large commercial kitchen to be added to prepare meals for the senior centers and Meals on Wheels. The agency became a partner agency of United Way of Midland in 1988.

Over its long history, Meals on Wheels Midland has delivered more than 4 million meals to the home-bound elderly. This priceless program helps families keep their loved ones living independently with dignity in their homes for as long as possible.

The agency created Home-bound Services in 1991.These additional needed are a crucial follow-up to the daily safety visit provided by Meals on Wheels volunteers and staff. With the Handyman program, minor but vital home repairs are done for seniors. The One Day at a Time program, in its 10th year, provides elderly Meals On Wheels clients with additional food and supplement drinks (such as Ensure), costly necessities such as adult diapers, fans, air conditioners, heaters, clothes, blankets and assistance with rent, utilities, taxes, medical bills and prescriptions.

Want to help? To make a gift to the COVID-19 relief fund - which covers unforeseen costs associated with the coronavirus pandemic -- go to the Senior Life secure website, www.seniorlifemidland.org, or mail a check to Senior Life Midland, PO Box 80519, Midland, Texas 79708. See More Collapse

Meals on Wheels for Paws is a program that supports the furry companions of Meals on Wheels clients. Pet food, veterinary care and essential items are provided to ensure pets of senior clients are properly cared for and fed. The Retired and Senior Volunteer Program was started in 1994 to recruit and place senior volunteers with local nonprofit agencies. The Foster Grandparent and the Senior Companion programs were started in 2001 and 2003, respectively, with the help of federal funding.

Senior Life Midland is one of the few agencies in the state to operate all three Senior Corps Programs. Senior Life Midland manages daily operations and programing for both city of Midland senior centers --Midland Senior Center and Southeast Senior Center.

Community and Senior Service was re-branded as Senior Link Midland in 2015, and in January 2019 became Senior Life Midland, to be more recognizable and bring added awareness to the many programs for the citys seniors.

Senior Life Midland has continued operations to prepare food and deliver noon time meals and vital safety checks for homebound elderly clients during the coronavirus crisis. Our agency has taken great care to implement additional processes of health and safety measures in accordance with city and COVID-19 policies and best practices identified by the CDC.

John Moesch, Senior Life Midland board member and 20-year Meals on Wheels volunteer said, I feel safe with the safety protocols that have been added, hand sanitizer given out, mask being worn in the kitchen on top of the usual high health standards. I feel empowered to keep delivering knowing many on my route see nobody else and need that social interaction  now its just a little more distance.

In accordance with recommendations regarding COVID-19, Senior Life Midland administrative office will remain closed to the public until further notice, and all events, meetings, trainings and Texas Size Garage Sale volunteer efforts have been postponed.

The annual garage sale is vital, as its proceeds fund one-third of the Meals on Wheels program for the year. Through the uncertainty of this crisis we dont know what the final plans will be for our 31st annual Texas Size Garage Sale.

Senior Life Midland safety and health measures also include continued closure of the senior centers and suspension of the Senior Companion and Foster Grandparent programs.

I wish to thank our community for patience and understanding during this challenging time. We continue to focus on our most vulnerable homebound clients and to meet the basic needs of providing food and vital safety checks, while also looking at the bigger picture of monitoring fluid, ongoing changes of the COVID19 crisis and developing processes and making decisions in regards to all Senior Life Midland programs and services.

We are in contact with all our senior program participants on a weekly basis to actively listen, offer resources and safe/healthy recommendations, and to just remind our seniors they arent alone or forgotten. I would like to extend heartfelt gratitude to our dedicated staff, devoted volunteers and our generous community partners for making Senior Life Midlands mission possible to address the challenges related to aging and develop efficient, flexible and compassionate ways to meet the needs of our community.

Just as Meals on Wheels volunteers bring hope right to the front door of homebound elderly, you also can make a difference. We encourage residents to check on senior citizen neighbors, family and friends, while maintaining social distance and applying safety measures. Just a reassuring phone call can be that support they really need.

Kathleen Kirwan-Haynie is executive director of Senior Life Midland.
Over 20 film personalities, including Anurag Kashyap, Vishal Bhardwaj, Mahesh Bhatt, Ratna Pathak Shah, on Sunday released a statement raising their voice against the arrest of students and activists by Delhi Police for protesting against CAA and also demanded their release.

A Delhi court on Wednesday sent a student of Jamia Millia Islamia, arrested for allegedly hatching a conspiracy to incite communal riots in northeast Delhi, to judicial custody for 14 days.

Another student, who was arrested by the local police last week in connection with protests against the Citizenship (Amendment) Act in Delhi's Jaffrabad in February, was sent to two-day police custody.

In a statement released on Twitter, the signatories said they are "shocked" to know that even as the country battles though a grave crisis of the coronavirus, the Delhi Police has arrested two students and several activists "who had participated in peaceful protests against the CAA".

"To fight this pandemic the citizens and authorities need to stand by each other. By targeting activists taking advantage of the lockdown, when there is hardly even any media coverage of its actions, the Delhi Police is betraying the civic rights of the citizens.

"We urge the Delhi Police to stop abusing the lockdown, respect the human rights of our fellow citizens and put an end to this witch-hunt. We demand the release of these students and activists," the statement read.

The signatories said many more students and activists are being called for questioning and interrogation by the police on daily basis and dubbed the action a "twisted fairy tale".

"These activists are now being implicated in cases related to the communal violence in Delhi that took place in February. A riot in which the minorities suffered the maximum damage, both in terms of lives and livelihoods, has now become a pretext for the Delhi Police to further witch-hunt activists. Most of whom also come from the minority community," they further said in a statement.

Calling the actions of Delhi Police as "inhuman", the personalities said the lockdown "cannot be a lockdown of the rights of citizens" and must not be "abused by the authorities in this manner".

"These actions of the Delhi Police are utterly inhuman and undemocratic. Making several people travel to police stations every day and then throwing some of them to jails also defeats the purpose of the lockdown and makes a mockery of social distancing.

"At a time when various governments are releasing under-trials from jail to relieve the pressure from the prisons and restrict chances of contamination. The Delhi Police is pushing students and activists into jail."



The signatories include directors Aparna Sen, Hansal Mehta, Ashwini Chaudhary, Onir, Vinta Nanda, Neeraj Ghaywan, actor-directors Nandita Das, Konkona Sen Sharma, actors Sushant Singh, Zeeshan Ayyub, Sandhya Mridul, music composer Vishal Dadlani, among others.

"In a democratic country such as ours, the Constitution gives us the right to protest and express our views against the government and its policies. Many people in the country and the world had condemned the draconian Citizenship Amendment Act.

"Our opposition to the CAA continues, as we see it as a bigoted law that strikes at the secular fabric of our country. We condemn this witch-hunt of students and activists because they exercised their constitutional right to protest against CAA/NRC/NPR," the statement read.

Communal clashes had broken out in northeast Delhi on February 24 after violence between the citizenship law supporters and protesters spiralled out of control, leaving at least 53 people dead and around 200 injured.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Elora Murger has revealed she could be forced to close her doors forever due to a rule that makes her ineligible for the government stimulus package.

The former Bachelor star took to Instagram on Sunday, airing her frustration over not getting any government support during the coronavirus pandemic.

'My face when I find out my cafe does not qualify for government help as I have not lived in Australia more than ten years,' Elora wrote.

Rules: Bachelor star Elora Murger, 29, (pictured) has revealed her anguish at the simple rule which is preventing her from getting stimulus relief for her small cafe in Mooloolaba

She went on to say she is a sole trader, married to an Australian, lives in Australia and pays tax - and is seemingly frustrated by the fact she still can't get support.

It comes after the businesswoman said she was forced to close her Mooloolaba cafe, The Rusty Batch, last month amid the coronavirus pandemic.

Despite opening just four months ago, she decided it was best for locals, her family and her mother visiting from France to cease trading for the time being.

Ineligible: 'My face when I find out my cafe does not qualify for government help as I have not lived in Australia more than ten years,' Elora wrote

The 29-year-old businesswoman told Daily Mail Australia she felt 'at risk' staying open because some customers didn't appear to be taking COVID-19 seriously.

'To be honest, a lot of them [customers] weren't taking this seriously, unfortunately,' she said.

'This is why I feel like I'm at risk here, because a lot of people are saying, "Nah, it's just a flu." But now people are starting to really worry about it.'

Troubles: It comes after the businesswoman said she was forced to close her cafe, The Rusty Batch, last month amid the coronavirus pandemic

Elora rose to fame on Matthew Johnson's season of The Bachelor in 2017 before appearing on Bachelor in Paradise in 2018 and 2019.

She said the reality of coronavirus didn't hit home for many locals until an event at Noosa restaurant Sails was linked to 30 confirmed cases.

The Australian government hasn't yet forced restaurants and cafes to close, but they have been made to shut their dining areas and can only offer takeaway.

Decisions: The 29-year-old businesswoman told Daily Mail Australia she felt 'at risk' staying open because some customers didn't appear to be taking COVID-19 seriously.

These restrictions resulted in a 90 per cent drop in revenue for Elora's cafe.

She said of her decision to close The Rusty Batch: 'I felt like a bit of a hypocrite staying open as it's almost allowing people to walk around.

'I know that we all have to survive, but I think the government should be taking responsibility and forcing us to close down instead of staying open because somebody wants takeaway coffee.'

Familiar face: Elora rose to fame on Matthew Johnson's season of The Bachelor in 2017 before appearing on Bachelor in Paradise in 2018 and 2019

The Australian government has rolled out a $189billion package in support of business, low-income earners and the economy.

Prime Minister Scott Morrison said the Government was acting to cushion the blow from the coronavirus for businesses and households.

As of April 19, there have been 6,568 diagnosed cases of coronavirus in the country with 70 deaths attributed to the illness.
The federal government on Saturday began giving out N10,000 cash as interest-free loan to 5,000 traders in Katsina State.

The loan, which is given out under the federal governments empowerment scheme, tradermoni and marketmoni, is expected to cushion the economic hardship caused by the novel coronavirus.

There are nine confirmed cases of the coronavirus in Katsina as of April 18.

The empowerment programme was inaugurated in Katsina by the Minister of Humanitarian Affairs, Sadiya Farouq, according to a statement from the ministry.

The minister, represented by a deputy director in-charge of disaster management in the ministry, Abubakar Sulaiman, said the programme commencement followed a directive from President Muhammadu Buhari that some reliefs should be provided for vulnerable Nigerians, including people living with disabilities.

Mr Buhari, about 21 days ago, ordered a three-month moratorium for beneficiaries of Tradermoni, Marketmoni, and Farmermoni, including some other federal government-funded loans to Nigerians, as a relief package against economic hardship.

The scheme, introduced in 2016 as part of the Buhari administrations Social Investment Programme, is managed by the Bank of Industry (BOI).

Tradermoni beneficiaries are qualified to receive N15,000 as another loan if they pay back the initial N10,000 loan. The recipient can get up to N100,000 if they are faithful in repaying the loan. Marketmoni beneficiaries get between N10,000 to N350,000.

The minister said 130,455 traders in Katsina have so far benefited from the scheme.

She added that the first phase of the Conditional Cash Transfer of N20,000 to the poor and vulnerable households in the state has been concluded.

President Muhammadu Buhari has set up a technical committee to work with the Ministry to expand the National Social Register by one million additional households in order to include more vulnerable people whose conditions are at risk as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic.

The minister said the federal government has delivered three trucks of rice to Katsina State as part of its relief assistance to the state.

A representative of the Katsina State government, Abubakar Nasir, thanked the federal government for its assistance to the residents of the state.

This came at the right time to cushion the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on the citizens, he said.
US says China should stop 'bullying behavior' in South China Sea

The U.S. said Saturday it was concerned by reports of Chinas provocative actions aimed at offshore oil and gas developments in the South China Sea.

Three regional security sources told Reuters on Friday that a Chinese government survey ship was tagging an exploration vessel operated by Malaysia's state oil company Petronas in those waters.

The vessel Haiyang Dizhi 8 was earlier this week spotted off Vietnam, where it had last year conducted suspected oil exploration surveys in large expanses of Vietnam's exclusive economic zone.

"The United States is concerned by reports of China's repeated provocative actions aimed at the offshore oil and gas development of other claimant states," the U.S. State Department said in an emailed statement in response to questions on the Haiyang Dizhi 8's presence in Malaysian waters.

"In this instance, (China) should cease its bullying behavior and refrain from engaging in this type of provocative and destabilizing activity," it said.

China's actions threaten regional energy security and undermine the free and open Indo-Pacific energy market, it added.

Earlier in the week, when the survey ship was off Vietnam, a Chinese foreign ministry spokesman had said the ship was conducting normal activities and accused U.S. officials of smearing Beijing.

China claims almost all of the resource-rich South China Sea, also a major trade route.

The Haiyang Dizhi 8 was still within Malaysia's exclusive economic zone, Marine Traffic data showed on Saturday.

A Malaysian security source had 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.

Vietnam calls the South China Sea the East Sea.

Vietnam Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Le Thi Thu Hang, upon questioned of the Chinese survey ship's presence in Vietnam's EEZ, said on April 14 that Vietnam always monitors East Sea developments and insists that all nations comply with international laws.

"Vietnam demands that all nations follow regulations of the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS) and international rules in all activities, contributing to building peace, stability and cooperation in the East Sea." Hang said.

In July last year, the Haiyang Dizhi 8 and its escort vessels had violated Vietnams EEZ and the continental shelf of Vietnam near the Vanguard Bank, occupying the area until August 7. The vessels returned to the water area on August 13 and stayed until October.

Vietnam repeatedly condemned the operations of the vessel and escorts as a violation of its sovereignty and demanded that they leave Vietnamese waters immediately.
No new cases of Covid-19 were recorded on Sunday morning in Maharashtra as the tally of Covid-19 cases has remained 3,648 cases and 211 deaths, state health department officials said.

After a relatively lower number of news cases on Thursday and Friday, the state recorded new 328 Covid-19 cases on Saturday.

Mumbai, which has the highest number of cases in the state, recorded 184 new cases on Saturday taking the tally to 2,268.The citys death toll is now 126 according to state health departments data.

Follow coronavirus latest updates here.

The sprawling slum of Dharavi saw a spike in infections on Saturday with 17 new cases and one death. An 80-year-old woman from Dharavi who died on Friday at Sion Hospital was only confirmed on Saturday that she was Covid-19 positive.

Maharashtra which has the highest number of Covid-19 cases in the country also designated another 25 hospitals dedicated to treating those infected. The total number of dedicated hospitals for Covid-19 in Maharashtra has now risen to 55 with a capacity of 6,660 beds.

Health department officials also said that the state government also received permission from Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) to start six new government laboratories for Covid-19 tests. The total number of laboratories in the state now goes to 42, which includes government and private sector. New testing facilities are going to come up at Beed, Nanded, Gondia, Kolhapur, Baramati and Jalgaon.

Though the mortality rate of the state is seeing a gradual decline, it is still double of the countrys rate. The mortality rates on April 14, 15, 16 and 17 were 6.84%, 6.61%, 6.41% and 6.05%. Forty six people died in these three days.

The mortality rate is slowly decreasing because of early influx of patients. Earlier, most patients died between the first and third days of admission. Now, it happens six to seven days after admission in critical cases. When they are in hospital, we can monitor their lungs, blood-pressure, etc, said TP Lahane, director, Directorate of Medical Education & Research.

The Maharashtra government also decided to provide financial assistance of Rs 2,000 to all registered construction workers in the state to tide over the crisis during the lockdown to break the chain of coronavirus infections. Only those workers who are registered with the states Building and Other Construction Workers Welfare Board (BOCWWB) will be eligible to get the monetary assistance. Maharashtra has 22.70 lakh registered construction workers but only 12.18 lakh who are active, will get the benefit of the decision, said S C Srirangam, the boards secretary and chief executive officer.

Meanwhile, The Maharashtra government issued orders that state government employees would start working from Monday with 10% strength. The government has given exemption to women employees. Earlier on March 23 the state government had issued orders that it would operate with only 5% of its staff.

The Mumbai Police, which has recorded the highest number of Covid-19 cases in the Maharashtra Police department, has kept its staff with health issues away from the containment zones where the chances of them getting infected by the pandemic are relatively high.

As of Saturday, a total of 37 police personnel have tested positive for Covid-19 out of which 18 are from Mumbai, 17 from Thane and one each from Pune city and Mumbai Government Railway Police (GRP), said Vinayak Deshmukh, assistant inspector general, law and order, Maharashtra Police.
Churchgoers and most clerics wore face masks as they attended an Orthodox Easter Vigil at the Trinity Cathedral in Georgia's capital, Tbilisi. The ceremony was led by the 87-year-old head of the Georgian Orthodox Church, Patriarch Ilia II. Worshippers had to stay in the church throughout the night of April 18-19 as a curfew -- one of the official measures to counter the coronavirus outbreak -- was in force. The Orthodox Church in Georgia held Easter rites in its larger temples, with the police overseeing that physical-distancing rules were respected.
Sara Ali Khan Shares Throwback Fam-Jam Pictures With Ibrahim, Amrita; Sonam-Anand Put On Their Chef Hats
The cannabis sector got a big boost in the last few weeks as governments around Canada and the U.S. confirmed most cannabis stores as essential. While most stores are closing outside of grocery stores, cannabis dispensaries were deemed essential due to their medical cannabis component.

Despite early indications of strong demand for cannabis, most of the stocks trade near the recent multi-year lows due to fears the coronavirus outbreak eventually does damage demand. Already, some states are seeing the initial surges in demand wane as businesses were deemed essential, thereby reducing the need to rush into stores during this crisis. Consumers were clearly loading pantries for a long shutdown at home.

The obvious negative ramifications for the cannabis sector are tighter credit dynamics potentially forcing weak players out of the sector. The cannabis sector in the U.S. was already struggling with access to reasonable financing options so this extended economic shutdown further benefits the bigger public players with stronger balance sheets and more access to capital.

Despite solid indications that cannabis operations are one of the few sectors not impacted by the global economic shutdown, all of the stocks are far off the yearly highs. The opportunity here is to find some stocks not appreciated for their long-term staying power while realizing that provinces and states can always close retail stores similar to the decision in Ontario to close dispensaries for a two-week period.

Weve delved into these three companies with positive outlooks for a strong March quarter and catalysts for higher stock prices in 2020. Using TipRanks Stock Comparison tool, we lined up the three alongside each other to get the lowdown on what the near-term holds for these cannabis players.

AYR Strategies (AYRSF)

A relatively unknown MSO in the U.S. is Ayr Strategies with operations in Massachusetts and Nevada. The stock is down over 70% from the 52-week highs despite impressive quarterly numbers.

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The stock has a market cap of only $95 million while the company guided to 2020 revenues of $217 million. Ayr Strategies does rely heavily on Nevada dispensaries where a substantial decline in tourist traffic could greatly hit stores with impressive annual revenues of $17 million each prior to the coronavirus outbreak.

The U.S. MSO generated Q4 revenues of $32.1 million and an adjusted EBITDA of $9.2 million. The company guided to 2020 EBITDA of nearly $100 million providing substantial ability to weather any protracted economic storm that actually impacts the cannabis sector.

Below $6, the stock is a bargain with consensus revenue estimates for 2021 up at $286 million. Right now, the stock trades at nearly half the current 2021 sales estimates showing the market doesnt appreciate the potential in the U.S. MSO.

Overall, AYR Strategies is a Wall Street favorite, earning one of the best analyst consensus ratings in the market. TipRanks analytics exhibit the stock as a Strong Buy. Out of 4 analysts tracked in the last 3 months, 3 are bullish while 1 remains sidelined. With a return potential of 162%, the stocks consensus target price stands at $13.23. (See AYR Strategies stock analysis on TipRanks)

Village Farms (VFF)

Another underappreciated cannabis play is Village Farms International. The produce company entered the Canadian cannabis market via a joint venture with Emerald Health Therapeutics called Pure Sunfarms.

Despite some ownership hiccups, the venture has been successful in turning produce greenhouses into cannabis operations with the joint venture generating $62.3 million in sales last year. Pure Sunfarms has been very profitable with 76% gross margins and EBITDA of $40.7 million for the year.

Recently, the company has seen a dip in revenues due to the tough wholesale market, but wisely Pure Sunfarms has already shifted production to branded sales and has generated the top market share position on the Ontario Cannabis Store. In addition, the company is launching Cannabis 2.0 products along with the now launched branded products in Alberta, British Columbia and Ontario to cover most of the Canadian market outside of Quebec.

Village Farms' market valuation stands at ~$160 million, while revenue could reach $150 million in 2020, according to consensus estimates. Furthermore, once the FDA relaxes restrictions on hemp-infused CBD in food products, Village Farms has the ability to quickly ramp up growing operations throughout the U.S, including greenhouses in Texas.

The stock only trades at $2.90 after trading above $6.25 back in just January while cannabis sales in Canada only continue to grow.

Indeed, every single analyst who's voiced an opinion on the cannabis producer over the past year says this stock is a "buy." On average, analysts who track Village Farms predict the stock will rise more than 18% from its current price to race past $43 per share within the next 12 months. And that makes the stock a "strong buy." (See Village Farms stock analysis on TipRanks)

Acreage Holdings (ACRGF)

The obvious choice for an underappreciated stock in a tough operating environment is Acreage Holdings. The company had become one of the weaker multi-state operators (MSOs) in the U.S. due to already having a deal with Canopy Growth (CGC) to be acquired at a much higher price.

For now, Acreage has 32 operational dispensaries in 13 states with licenses for 88 dispensaries. The company recently opened a dispensary in Florida and has access to other very promising markets.

The biggest issue with this MSO is the adjusted EBITDA losses requiring the recent financing transactions. While Acreage appeared somewhat sleepy after the big buyout, the company is now aggressively moving into states like Illinois, Florida, Massachusetts and Michigan to solidify the business in the meantime.

Analysts have the company generating sales of up to $405 million in 2021 making the stock more appealing here with ways to win, if the Canopy Growth deal never closes. Acreage is cutting costs and recently furloughed employees to reduce costs during the Covid-19 pandemic with a focus on turning EBITDA profitable this year. The market value is down to only $140 million while the sales are expected to more than double the market cap.

Considering the Canopy Growth deal is in stock when the company is legally allowed to trigger the acquisition, the reduced risk helps an investment in Acreage. With Canopy Growth trading at $14, the deal offers shareholders a value of $8.15 with a 0.5818 share conversion. At this point, shareholders should win with or without Canopy Growth.

Based on all the above factors, Wall Street analysts are thoroughly impressed with Acreage. With 4 Buy ratings and 1 single hold, the messege is clear: Acreage is a Strong Buy. If this wasnt enough, the $9.51 average price target implies that shares could surge 491% in the next twelve months. (See Acreage stock analysis on TipRanks)

To find good ideas for stocks trading at attractive valuations, visit TipRanks Best Stocks to Buy, a newly launched tool that unites all of TipRanks equity insights.
A pedestrian walks past a closed Landmark Ritz Five movie theater in Old City on Friday, March 27, 2020. The spread of the COVID-19 virus has closed all non-essential businesses. Read more

TL;DR: State officials are talking about reopening the state, but some business owners say they cant open their doors until workers and customers believe its safe. And although wearing masks is now recommended, some Philadelphians are upset that not everyone has embraced the directive.

 Allison Steele (@AESteele, health@inquirer.com)

What you need to know:

 The U.S. must triple the number of coronavirus tests conducted each day in order for the nation to safely reopen, according to the Harvard Global Health Institute.

 Some of Pennsylvanias state-run liquor stores will offer a limited number of phone orders and curbside pickups starting Monday.

 The Trump administration and congressional leaders are working on a $400 billion-plus deal to renew funding for a small business loan program that ran out of money.

 Pennsylvania residents are required to wear masks in grocery stores and other businesses as of 8 p.m. Sunday.

Local coronavirus cases

As of Sunday evening, there are more than 21,500 confirmed cases in the Philadelphia area. Track the spread here.

PHILADELPHIA: 9,214 confirmed cases

SUBURBAN PA: 7,879 confirmed cases

SOUTH JERSEY: 4,455 confirmed cases

Pennsylvania Gov. Tom Wolf has laid out a region-by-region plan for getting the state back to work, but many business owners say their reopening plans will depend on the availability of testing and on whether employees and customers are ready. I dont know what its going to take. ...I cant see anyone wanting to sit down next to anyone," said Mark Bee, owner of three bars. And even larger employers like Independence Blue Cross said they arent rushing to bring workers back into offices: "Well want to be sure people are safe, said Mark S. Stewart of the law firm Ballard Spahr.

The CDC has recommended that everyone wear masks outside, but many people hate how they feel, and some black men say wearing them could cause others to see them as threatening. Those who take the directive seriously say that anyone who forgoes a mask is risking the communitys safety. It would be individual choice if wearing a mask protected you," one Philadelphia woman said. But the fact that wearing a mask protects other people puts it in an entirely different realm.

Helpful resources

You got this: Watch highlights from 'One World: Together at Home

The Inquirers Dan DeLuca wrote about a few of the best performances from Lady Gagas One World: Together at Home special, including Phillys The Roots, Taylor Swift and the Rolling Stones.

 Youth-sports officials are using email, texts, cellphone calls and social media to maintain the sense of community and support thats so important to the children they serve, particularly those who have difficult home lives.

 Chris Hemsworth talked with the Inquirers Gary Thompson about his upcoming Netflix movie, Extraction, and about how hes enjoying life at home with his kids.

 A Zoom Bat Mitzvah helped one local family celebrate the occasion from Center City to Israel.

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

There will be no quick return to the lives we once had, experts told the New York Times. But in the longterm, those experts are hopeful the nation will get the virus under control.

Dozens of coronavirus antibody tests were never vetted by the FDA, but ended up on the market anyway despite concerns about their accuracy.

In spite of warnings, every Western institution was unprepared for the pandemic. Thats why its time to rebuild, writes Marc Andreessen of venture capital firm Andreessen Horowitz.

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.
Like thousands of people that have borne the brunt of the coronavirus pandemic, Roberto Gonzalez took his first tentative steps towards normality last week.

But, like many, he wasn't altogether sure that he really wanted to face it.

Mr Gonzalez is a construction worker, one of the essential sectors in Spain that was allowed to reopen following a plateauing of the country's daily toll of deaths from Covid-19.

So, too, in Italy - which has suffered the highest number of casualties outside the United States - where, along with Denmark and Austria, a slow easing of lockdown restrictions is starting to take place.

However, there appears to be a marked reluctance to resume the life lived before social distancing forced millions to adopt a very different way of interacting with others.

"I don't think it's the time to go back to work - it's still very risky," said Mr Gonzalez, who returned to his construction site in Segovia last Tuesday.

In Italy, easing of lockdown rules has been so tentative that the behaviour of Italians has barely changed.

Since last Tuesday, bookshops and those selling clothing for babies and children have been allowed to reopen. Even then, some of Italy's 20 regions chose not to adhere to it, decreeing that those businesses should stay shut because of the danger of a renewed spike in cases.

Those regions include Piedmont in the north and neighbouring Lombardy, which accounts for more than half of the 22,745 people who have died from the virus in the country.

Even the few shops that reopened had barely any customers. "Nobody has come in today at all," said the owner of Le Petit Bateau children's clothes shop in Rome. "We're asking ourselves what is the point."

Stefano Attienese, the owner of a stationery shop in the capital, said: "The takings are really small compared to normal, and in the meantime we still have to pay 14,000 a month in rent."

In Denmark, where schools and day-care centres reopened last Wednesday, fears of a second wave of infections have led to friction between parents and the government.

Although Mette Frederiksen, the prime minister, defended the move to resume teaching up to fifth grade, saying this would allow parents to return to work and "get the economy going again", many families are keeping their children at home.

"I won't be sending my children off no matter what," said Sandra Andersen, the founder of a Facebook group called 'My child should not be a test rabbit for Covid-19'. The mother of two girls, aged five and nine, Ms Andersen added: "I think a lot of parents are thinking, 'Why should my little child go outside first?'"

Christian Wejse, a scientist at the department of infectious diseases at Aarhus University, said he understood the concerns "because we've spent a month trying to avoid contact". But he said new infections would present fewer problems among children.

The children have to play in small groups of three to five, sit two metres apart and wash their hands at least every two hours. Austria became one of the first countries in Europe to lift its lockdown last week and allow shops to open again, but few seemed ready to venture out.

Once-busy shopping streets were deserted, although DIY stores saw long queues. Textile shops also saw brisk trade, with many buying fabric to sew homemade face masks, which are compulsory under Austria's new rules, alongside strict social distancing.

But many businesses complained it was costing them more to open, and many said they were opening only out of solidarity with their staff rather than in the hope of making any profit.

Visit our Covid-19 vaccine dashboard for updates on the roll out of the vaccination program and the rate of Coronavirus cases Ireland

Telegraph Media Group Limited [2021]
The public saw a 'new side' of the Duke and Duchess of Sussex on the first day of their Africa tour, an expert has claimed.

The 'turning point' came when Prince Harry, 35, and Meghan Markle, 38, were seen dancing and laughing with locals as they visited a Justice Desk initiative in Nyanga township, during their royal tour of South Africa on September 23, 2019 in Cape Town, according to Christine Ross, the editor of the Meghan's Mirror blog.

'She (Meghan) was dancing with the children and it was such a stark contrast to some of the events we had seen before her pregnancy,' she said, speaking on the Mirror's royal podcast Pod Save the Queen.

'She's in this very affordable dress, she's in affordable wedges, her hair is in a ponytail, she's dancing with children.'

Christine Ross, the editor of the Meghan's Mirror blog, claimed 'turning point' came when Prince Harry, 35, and Meghan Markle, 38, when they were seen dancing as they visited a Justice Desk initiative in Nyanga township, during their royal tour of South Africa on September 23, 2019 in Cape Town (pictured)

The Duke and Duchess of Sussex during their visit to Canada House, central London, meeting with Canada's High Commissioner to the UK, Janice Charette On March 31 - after it was revealed they will be stepping back as senior royals

She continued: 'We didn't know then what we know now but I think that moment and that look was a turning point in their roles, in that they weren't going to be these high glamour royals any more,' added Christine.

'They wanted to be more down to earth, with the people, dancing with the children, getting out with the crowds.'

The Duchess wore a dress designed by the sustainable Malawi-based fashion brand Mayamiko and the couple sported matching 'Justice Desk' beaded bracelets as they shook hands with beaming locals.

'I love that wrap dress because it's not a royal colour,' explained Christine. '...She was still showing a very normal post-postum body which so many women around the world appreciated and that outfit to me, especially as it marked the beginning of the tour, was a turning point with her relationship with her role as a duchess.'

Meghan and her husband, 35, were seen dancing and laughing with locals on the first stop of their 10-day tour of Africa

It comes after Meghan Markle and Prince Harry were pictured in Los Angeles for the first time following their recent move.

The Duke and Duchess were seen delivering food packages on behalf of the Los Angeles-based nonprofit Project Angel Food on Wednesday.

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.

Dressed casually in jeans, Harry and Meghan both followed California's new rules regarding face coverings, issued by Gov. Gavin Newsom on April 15.
The number of total Covid positive cases in India as risen up to 17,615 as per latest data released by the ICMR.

The release said "Today, on 19 April 2020, till 9 pm, 27,824 samples have been reported. Of these, 1,135 were positive for SARS-CoV-2."



As per ICMR a "total of 4,01,586 samples from 3,83,985 individuals have been tested as on 19 April 2020, till 9 PM. 17,615 individuals have been confirmed positive among suspected cases and contacts of known."



Union Health Minister Harsh Vardhan on Sunday asserted that doubling rate of Covid-19 cases has increased from three days before imposition of lockdown in March to 9.7 days now.





"The rate of growth of new cases has been steadying for a while. As per the data received today by 8 a.m., over the past seven days, the doubling rate is 7.2 days, for the past 14 days it is 6.2, and over past 3 days it stands at 9.7. Before the lockdown, India's doubling rate was about 3 days," Harsh Vardhan said.



The Health Minister said that the doubling rate is lower despite the fact that number of tests done every day have increased by almost 14 times.
Answer Man -- The citizens of Rochester need to know the status of our administrator. Is he still returning to his family in a city and state with multiple hot spots? If so, is this not against the policy of this state and supported by this city? J.K.

Dear J.K. -- Rochester City Administrator Steve Rymer is working remotely from Portland, Ore., as Minnesota operates under a stay-at-home order through at least May 4.

"Im working remotely, just like the majority of the country," he said.

For nearly a year, Rymer has been traveling between households in Portland and Rochester, taking care of city duties and remaining connected to his wife, who moved to Oregon last year to provide parenting support for the couples granddaughter.

At the time, some in Rochester speculated that Rymer, who took the local administrative post in 2017, might be looking for a new job, but Rymer has said he remains dedicated to working in Rochester.

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He told one of my minions last week that the current pandemic has not changed that. It has simply changed how his work is being done.

"Im working remotely like everyone else," he said, pointing to the fact that City Hall has been closed for weeks and administration staff was among the first to start working from home after emergency actions were taken.

While the executive order signed by Gov. Tim Walz would allow Rymer to travel back to Rochester and move about the city, the city administrator and others have indicated thats not needed.

Elected city officials have said information continues to flow through the administration, as well as the city emergency operations center.

The city administrator is sending daily updates to the Rochester City Council and said he remains connected by phone calls, emails and online meetings with city staff, which have become the routine for many businesses throughout the city and nation.

He, along with other staff members and elected officials, will be attending the Rochester City Council meeting through remote attendance Monday. The meeting is set for 3:30 p.m., with viewing access online and through Spectrum cable.

As for when Rymer is planning to return to Rochester, he said it will depend on how the pandemic continues to unfold.

"Its really week by week to see where we are at with the Portland area, as well as Minnesota," he said.

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Both states issued orders to stay at home in mid-March, and both continue to see changes as state officials ponder their next moves.

"Both states are on the same track," Rymer said.

At this point, Minnesota is outpacing Oregon in terms of confirmed COVID-19 cases and related deaths, so Rymer may be safer staying put until the pandemic dust clears.
Lets not hear one more consonant from Democrats and their housekeepers in the left-wing media about President Donald J. Trumps allegedly slothful response to the COVID-19 crisis. Democratic lawmakers and leftist journalists now are slowing things, on purpose. And thats far, far worse.

House speaker Nancy Pelosi (D., Calif.) degraded herself on March 29 by telling CNN: As the president fiddles , people are dying. NBCs Chuck Todd recently asked Joe Biden, Do you think there is blood on the presidents hands considering the slow response?

Somehow, while fiddling with bloody hands, President Trump managed to impose his ban on alien-arrivals from China on January 31, one day after the World Health Organization declared a global pandemic. Since then, among many things, Team Trump has:

deployed two hospital ships, some of whose medical personnel have disembarked to relieve their counterparts on shore.

ordered construction of 21 temporary infirmaries housing 8,450 medical-station beds.

rallied unprecedented private-sector initiatives and publicprivate partnerships.

accelerated trials of potential vaccines and the current or imminent use of 35 different therapeutics.

inspired Abbott Laboratories five-minute COVID-19 test.

underwritten 11,000 of 29,000 National Guard personnel whom governors have activated.

supplied, as of Saturday evening, via Project Air Bridge flights and other means, at least 10.5 million medical gowns, 55 million N95 masks, 69 million surgical masks, and 523 million gloves.

reversed the ventilator shortage, with 10,998 units delivered, as of Thursday. Indeed, America suddenly is so awash in life-saving breathing equipment that Andrew Cuomo, Democratic governor of hard-hit New York, announced Wednesday via Twitter: In our hour of need, other states stepped up to help us. We promised we would do the same. We will be sending 100 ventilators to Michigan and 50 ventilators to Maryland.

While Trump stayed busy not responding, Democrats hurled wrenches into the works. On the brink of bipartisan passage of COVID-19 relief, filibustering Senate Democrats stalled the $2.2 trillion CARES Act for five business days last month. Pelosi abused this national emergency to demand taxpayer dollars for the musician-hating Kennedy Center, subsidies for windmills and solar panels, an ingenious ruse to fund illegal-alien-criminal-coddling fugitive cities , a federal ban on voter-ID cards, and loads more that would have done zero to remedy this homicidal virus or its economic aftermath.

Story continues

In the United States, as of this morning, there were 471 deaths reported due to coronavirus, a disgusted Senator Ted Cruz (R., Texas) said March 23. As of right now, its 573. That means today, 102 Americans died while the Democrats were blocking consideration of this bill.

Some 3.3 million Americans applied for unemployment that week. If Pelosi and Senate Democrats had cooperated, President Trump would have signed that bill on March 22, rather than March 27  an entire business week sooner. If this had saved 10 percent of these jobs, then Democrats and their partisan fetishism herded 330,000 Americans into unemployment. Probably more.

Democrats and leftist journalists then attacked hydroxychloroquine (HCQ), a 65-year-old anti-malaria and anti-lupus drug that has shown some hope against COVID-19. Because President Trump has discussed HCQ optimistically, his enemies reflexively have mocked it and even, using gubernatorial power, prohibited doctors and pharmacists from dispensing it to COVID-19 patients. Far better, the Lefts behavior indicates, for them to embarrass Trump with HCQs failure than for it to succeed and vindicate Trump. If this would cost COVID-19 patients their lives, thats elusive on the Lefts list of worries.

On April 9, news broke that 16.6 million Americans had lost work in the previous three weeks. Democrats chose that of all dates to sandbag, yet again, financial assistance that Trump and Republicans have tried to supply. In this instance, it was $250 billion for additional, potentially forgivable loans in the Paycheck Protection Program, to entice small businesses to keep their workers. These laborers are among the 330 million Americans enduring soft house arrest. While conservatives did not do cartwheels over a quarter-trillion dollars in job subsidies, the alternative was far less cheerful: Watching millions more blameless Americans lose their jobs, swamp local unemployment offices, and register for months or even years on the dole, as this economy slip slides away.

Rather than join this emergency bucket brigade, the same Democrats who accuse Republicans of divisiveness stayed busy draining these buckets, and letting the financial fires blaze more brightly.

Even worse, Democrats scuttled this small-business rescue mission so that they could savor their favorite indoor activity: destabilizing the USA via racial politics. Before they would consent to this infusion for PPP, Democrats insisted on set asides for minority- and women-owned businesses  as if any American banker today is thinking: Ill be damned if I approve a loan application from some black guy or some chick.

The Democrats sabotage came the morning after COVID-19 killed 1,973 Americans , and New York States infections surpassed those in Spain and Italy. Now, as then, Americans yearn for the gorgeous economy that we all shared not even two months ago. Amid all of this, is anybody plotting racist and sexist bank practices, like those over which Democrats obsess? Conversely, PPP has been so successful that its initial budget glided gently into depletion. In just two weeks, some 5,000 banks approved 1.7 million loan applications before exhausting this programs $349 billion initial budget  a truly mixed blessing. Thus the even more urgent need for confidence and capital to reach entrepreneurs and staffers whose professional lives are flashing before their eyes.

But race-warrior Democrats couldnt care less.

Predictably, the Democrats journo-janitors rushed in to scoop up the donkeys mess .

Democrats block a GOP-led funding boost for small business aid program, CNN titled its story. This was too dirty for the Dems. So, CNN hosed down its headline: Senate at stalemate over more COVID-19 aid.

Senate Dems to block new coronavirus relief in bid for more money, Politico first reported. It soon swept behind the Democrats with a new headline: Senate brawl derails fast push for new coronavirus relief.

Democrats block G.O.P. proposal for aid to businesses, request more funds, the so-called Paper of Record topped its dispatch. It then papered over the record, once again to sanitize the donkeys stable. As Economy Hemorrhages Jobs, Aid Stalls in Senate.

Democrats Block McConnell Push to Boost Small Business Aid, read Bloomberg s original report. Then, they busted out the broom : GOP, Democrats in Standoff over Boosting Same-Business Aid.

Senate Democrats block GOP bid for $250 billion in small business funds amid impasse over coronavirus aid, NBC News first reported. And after applying its peacock-feather duster: Senate hits impasse over $250 billion in coronavirus small-business funds.

For now, Republican leader Mitch McConnell of Kentucky should reconvene the Senate. If Democrats continue to torpedo this measure, he should do with Democratic obstructionists what he always should do with them: Make them filibuster.

McConnell should force Minority Leader Chuck Schumer of New York and his comrades to occupy the Senate floor, hour after hour, and tell the American people why racial and gender quotas are more important than saving employees from joblessness and companies from bankruptcy. Let Democrats, one after another, face the nation and detail their pet plans to cleave Americans by complexion and chromosomes. Let Democrats argue that identity politics trumps a $250 billion tourniquet on the economic hemorrhage wrought by this clandestine enemys invisible Blitzkrieg against our beloved Republic.

With each passing moment, Democrats will expose themselves as Americas most selfish people, who  once again  have stepped over the crushed dreams of their countrymen, stood atop the cadavers of their fellow Americans, and split apart this rather re-unified country in its darkest hour since World War II.

Yes, Democrats. Go ahead and filibuster, so the fragments of your fight for the little guy facade will blow away and reveal that the pure, bitter quest for rank partisanship and racial tension are all that remain of this once-presentable party.

Enough is far more than enough! Voters should know that there is nothing left of the Democratic Party but self-absorption, partisan greed, and racial trigger happiness.

Bucknell Universitys Michael Malarkey contributed research to this opinion piece.

More from National Review
The organisation of imams in



West Bengal on Sunday urged Muslims to offer namaz at home during the month of Ramadan, beginning next week, in view of the COVID-19 pandemic.

"Please don't gather at the local mosque to offer namaz in the month-long Ramadan period, instead perform namaz at home, follow the government's instructions till the lockdown continues," the head of Bengal Imams Association, Md Yahiya, said in a statement.

At the mosque, not more than five people, including the imam, can offer namaz, he said.

The statement also said those who wish to extend financial help to the needy sitting outside mosques during the Ramadan month should deposit the money to the mosque committee, which will distribute the amount among the poor.

A spokesperson of Nakhoda Masjid here said, "We have already asked people to offer namaz at home during Friday prayers, while the Imam will pray inside the mosque along with four others, all maintaining social distance. This will continue during Ramadan prayers.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
At one point, Prince Harry and Meghan, Duchess of Sussex were among the most popular members of the royal family. Prince Harry, who had long been a favorite of the British public, had seemingly found his one true love in Meghan, an actress and a charity activist.

However, it didnt take long before the public and presss relationship with the couple to turn very sour. From negative tabloid headlines about Meghans relationship with Kate, Duchess of Cambridge to reports that Prince Harry had shunned his older brother, Prince William, it seemed as though nothing that the couple did was good enough.

Still, there have been several instances of Meghan and Prince Harry acting thoughtlessly, and according to a recent report, such behavior is only likely to continue.

Prince Harry and Meghan Markle have received criticism for being hypocrites

Prince Harry and Meghan Markle | Andrew Milligan  WPA Pool/Getty Images

Its no secret that Prince Harry and Meghan share a love for charitable causes and for doing good in the world. They have committed a lot of time and effort to different organizations. The two have a particular passion for environmental activism and over the years, both of them have spoken out again and again about different ways to reduce the carbon footprint and leave a better world for the next generation.

Still, their activism isnt always so clear-cut. In the summer of 2019, after speaking out at several conventions about global warming and environmental causes, Prince Harry raised eyebrows when he admitted to flying on private jets from time to time. Flying private is known to be much worse for the planet than flying commercial, and Prince Harry was immediately slammed with accusations of being a hypocrite.

In fact, many critics claimed that he had lost credibility entirely. Whats worse, he didnt seem remorseful for the snafu.

Not long after his private jet controversy, Prince Harry earned even more criticism when he admitted to feuding with his brother, Prince William, in a widely-publicized interview. In the same interview, Meghan hinted that she wasnt receiving any support from the royal family. Far from creating sympathy for their plight, the interview only made most people dislike them even more.

Prince Harry and Meghan Markle are reportedly too self-centered

In early spring, to the surprise of many, Prince Harry and Meghan abruptly moved to Los Angeles. Reportedly, they wanted to live close to Meghans mother, Doria Ragland, while they plan out their next career phase.

Still, a royal family expert and Prince Harry biographer Angela Levin recently stated that the move has done nothing to endear them back to the public. She claims that their behavior has become increasingly self-centered and that their decision to move to California, away from Prince Harrys family, smacks more of spoilt defiant teenagers than adults in their mid and late-thirties.

Prince Harry has also received criticism from those who believe that he should be helping out his family in England, rather than retreating to another country. After all, the royal family is going through a lot in the wake of Prince Charles coronavirus diagnosis and Prince Andrews recent scandal.

The couples decision to live in Los Angeles is also proof to many that while they may want the celebrity lifestyle, including spending time with A-listers and attending fashionable parties, they dont want the paparazzi pressure that goes along with it.

Whats next for Meghan Markle and Prince Harry?

While some reports claim that Prince Harry is in frequent communication with his family and speaks to them on the phone regularly, close friends of the couple have spoken out to say that Prince Harry is facing a lot of challenges living in the United States. Between being away from his family and the culture shock of living in a new place, he could end up cracking before too long. Whether or not his struggles buy him more sympathy from a fed-up public remains to be seen.
Source: Xinhua| 2020-04-19 10:03:22|Editor: huaxia

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ABUJA, April 18 (Xinhua) -- Nigerian President Muhammadu Buhari on Saturday paid tribute to his chief of staff, Mallam Abba Kyari, who died on Friday from the COVID-19 pandemic.

"Mallam Abba Kyari was the very best of us. He was made of the stuff that makes Nigeria great," Buhari said while mourning the top presidential aide.

Kyari, 67, who had had underlying health conditions, "was a true Nigerian patriot," the president said.

He was notably one of the closest allies of Buhari.

"My loyal friend and compatriot for the last 42 years -- and latterly my Chief-of-Staff -- he never wavered in his commitment to the betterment of every one of us," said Buhari.

Kyari's passing marked the first high-profile death since the novel coronavirus hit the West African country.

Buhari recalled the time he first met Kyari when in his 20s. While possessing the sharpest legal and organizational mind, Kyari's true focus was always on the development of infrastructure and the assurance of security for Nigerians.

"For he knew that without both in tandem there can never be the development of the respectful society and vibrant economy that all Nigerian citizens deserve," the president said of the man who was a lawyer, a former newspaper editor, a former bank executive, and public administrator at various times in his life.

Buhari on Saturday received several messages of condolences from foreign and national leaders, following the death of his top aide, according to a presidency statement.

Kyari became Buhari's chief of staff in 2015 and strove quietly and without any interest in publicity or personal gain to implement the president's agenda.

The top presidential aide tested positive for the coronavirus after he returned from an official trip to Germany in March.

On March 29, he personally confirmed this in a statement, saying he was on his way to a health facility in the country's commercial hub, Lagos, for treatment.

In the same statement, Kyari said he felt well and was asymptomatic.

He was buried at a cemetery in Abuja on Saturday.
Britains coronavirus testing programme appears to be in crisis  as health bosses have just ten days to increase the number of daily swabs fivefold.

Ministers yesterday insisted they will hit their target of testing 100,000 people a day by the end of April.

But just 21,626 tests were performed on Saturday  the highest figure to date  leaving close to an 80,000 shortfall to make up in a matter of days.

Nurses in some areas have been told to expect false negatives in 30 per cent of cases  and to assume the patient has it if they have symptoms. Lab technicians in Cardiff are pictured above handling suspected coronavirus samples

Last night experts reiterated the critical importance of testing for a route out of the virus crisis  but raised grave doubts over the accuracy of the tests, warning there are false negative results in as many as 15 per cent of cases.

Failures in the execution of the tests, the timing and the process in laboratories is leading to results wrongly stating an infected patient is clear of the virus.

Nurses in some areas have been told to expect false negatives in 30 per cent of cases  and to assume the patient has it if they have symptoms.

it came as last night the Deputy Chief Medical Officer Dr Jenny Harries (pictured above) appeared to deny greater testing would save lives

Failures in the execution of the tests, the timing and the process in laboratories is leading to results wrongly stating an infected patient is clear of the virus

Last night Cabinet Office minister Michael Gove insisted the Government is on course to reach Health Secretary Matt Hancocks 100,000 a day target by the end of the month.

He said laboratory capacity has been ramped up to cater for 38,000 tests a day. But with little more than half this number actually being tested, Mr Gove said it is crucial that capacity is used to its full extent.

But it came as last night the Deputy Chief Medical Officer Dr Jenny Harries appeared to deny greater testing would save lives.

A soldier is pictured above at a testing facility in the car park of Chessington World of Adventures in London. Coronavirus tests take swabs from the throat or nose before being sent to labs

While acknowledging it is important to investigate the link between more tests and reduced death rate, she said: I think the actual mechanism between the two is still not clear.

Former World Health Organisation official Professor Anthony Costello wrote on Twitter that Dr Harries should resign if that was her belief.

Infectious diseases expert Sir Jeremy Farrar, director of the Wellcome Trust, said the Government had been too slow to increase its testing programme.

If you look at what has happened in Korea and Singapore and indeed in Germany, there was a much quicker ramping up of testing, he added.

A medical worker is pictured at a testing facility in Merseyside. Ministers yesterday insisted they will hit their target of testing 100,000 people a day by the end of April

Testing will be critical as we come out of this epidemic.

Doctors last night said the false negative results could have serious consequences. Dr Andrew Preston, at the University of Bath, warned of the dangers for care home workers and NHS staff who wrongly believe they are safe to return to work.

Coronavirus tests take swabs from the throat or nose before being sent to labs.

But experts point out they often only work if the virus is present high up in a patients throat or mouth, and often in the early stages, it will still be deep in the lungs.

A senior nurse at a hospital in the South of England said they believed they were still receiving false negatives in as many as 30 per cent of cases in their area.

The nurse, who did not want to be identified, said: Its totally hit and miss whether an infected patient will have anything which can be detected in their throats.

So why can't they hit target?

Analysis by Ben Spencer for the Daily Mail

Why is mass testing crucial?

The World Health Organisation has warned no country should even consider lifting social distancing measures until it has the ability to test every suspected case.

Medical staff are seen putting on PPE at a testing centre in Rochdale, Greater Manchester

Without mass testing, people with symptoms must simply assume they have the virus and self-isolate, which experts fear they will refuse to do if frustration builds after months of lockdown.

Testing will allow officials to build a contact tracing programme  meaning anyone who has been in touch with an infected patient is tracked down and isolated  crucial to avoid a second spike.

Hancock solved initial issues

The Health Secretary managed to rapidly expand testing from a few Public Health England labs to NHS labs in every major hospital.

He boosted testing for NHS staff by setting up drive-through centres and creating three lighthouse labs.

After a long delay  for which he received much criticism  Mr Hancock also asked private firms and universities to contribute lab space.

Capacity is still under-used

There is lab space to conduct 38,000 tests a day  but barely half are being carried out.

This is partly because, having created capacity to test patients and NHS staff, ministers were too slow to expand the scope of programme to other vulnerable patients or front line workers.

Scientists also say there is a shortage of key chemicals and swabs.

The Health Secretary managed to rapidly expand testing from a few Public Health England labs to NHS labs in every major hospital. He boosted testing for NHS staff by setting up drive-through centres and creating three lighthouse labs

Antibody tests failed

For weeks, ministers pinned their hopes on 15-minute antibody tests, which would effectively tell someone if they are immune to the virus.

The Government ordered more than 20million of the tests  despite the fact not a single test had been shown to be safe.

None of them worked, and now officials are scrambling to get their money back from the small companies producing the tests.

There is still hope that someone might develop an accurate antibody test  and large, established firms such as AstraZeneca, GSK and Roche are now working on the problem. But it could be some time before they get there.

Reinstate community testing

At the start of the crisis, anyone who had symptoms and had been to a high risk country could be tested, with results within 48 hours.

That policy was abandoned on March 12 when testing was reserved for hospital patients.

Now information is based solely on death rates and hospital admissions of the seriously ill.

To be confident enough to lift restrictions, ministers need to know whats happening outside hospitals  and that can only happen by reinstating community testing and contact tracing.
US may scale back CIA presence in Afghanistan to save peace deal

Iran Press TV

Saturday, 18 April 2020 10:39 AM

The United States is considering the withdrawal of CIA operatives from bases in Afghanistan, as part of an effort to further reduce violence in the war-ravaged Asian country, according to The New York Times.

The paper reported on Friday that the discussions over CIA's presence in Afghanistan are part of Washington's attempt to push forward the so-called peace deal with the Taliban militant group aimed at bringing peace to the country, which is nearing a breaking point.

Under the deal which was signed in the Qatari capital, Doha, on February 29, Washington is compelled to pull out American forces and foreign troops from Afghanistan by July next year, provided that the militants start talks with Kabul and adhere to other security guarantees.

The Taliban has long demanded reductions in the CIA presence in Afghanistan alongside US troops, a request that American negotiators have so far resisted.

US officials say any withdrawal of CIA personnel will be done alongside the broader withdrawal of American military advisers  not in isolation from the broader peace plan.

The number of CIA operatives in Afghanistan is thought to be several hundred, and it is perceived as one of the agency's largest presences outside of the Washington area.

CIA personnel operate in various places around Afghanistan, advising militia groups. CIA's presence in Afghanistan, on the phony pretext of combating terrorism, has made restoration of peace and stability in the country unattainable.

A highly secretive CIA-trained paramilitary unit, known as the Khost Protection Force (KPF), operating in eastern Afghanistan, has been championed by many US officials as one of the most effective military forces in Afghanistan.

The Khost Protection Force has been implicated in civilian killings, torture and resorting to excessive force under the guise of counterterrorism activities.

The KPF, which is said to be more influential than the Afghan army and police in the province, is just one of several large paramilitary forces created by the CIA in the months after the Taliban was ousted following the 9/11 attacks in 2001.

Including the CIA's presence in negotiations with the Taliban is Washington's latest effort to use what bargaining chips it has left with the Taliban militant group, the report said.

"What is important to the United States government is that the Taliban and the Afghan government work to prevent a terrorist group from establishing itself again in Afghanistan, creating a state within a state, and eventually conducting another international terrorist attack," said Lisa Maddox, a former CIA officer.

"It is an endless war," she said. "We are not winning it. Nobody is really winning it. We are going to have to make concessions and it is a difficult balance to strike. I don't envy our negotiators."

Last week, the Taliban accused Washington of violating the accord by supporting Afghan security operations in some parts of the country. The militants said that such support could jeopardize the deal.

They have also accused the Afghan government of delaying the release of prisoners envisaged under the agreement.

Kabul, which was excluded from the talks and was thus not a signatory to the accord, is required to release up to 5,000 Taliban prisoners. The militants are obliged to free 1,000 pro-government captives in return.

The US invaded Afghanistan in October 2001 under the pretext of the so-called war against terror, overthrowing the Taliban regime that had ruled over the country till then.

Since the US invasion of Afghanistan, Washington has spent more than $2 trillion waging war on the impoverished country, leaving more than 2,400 American soldiers and tens of thousands of Afghan civilians dead.

About 14,000 US troops and approximately 17,000 troops from NATO allies and partner countries remain stationed in Afghanistan years after the invasion of the country.

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Finance Minister Hong Nam-ki speaks at a press conference on the extra budget at the Sejong Government Complex, Thursday. / Yonhap



By Kang Seung-woo



Following its win in Wednesday's general election, the ruling party is reigniting the drive to offer emergency disaster relief money to every household to ease economic strain from the coronavirus pandemic  in the face of the government's opposition due to pressure on financial soundness.



On Sunday, the Democratic Party of Korea (DPK) held a trilateral meeting with Cheong Wa Dae and the government in Seoul to seek an understanding on expanding the scope of recipients. DPK Chairman Rep. Lee Hae-chan and floor leader Rep. Lee In-young sat with Senior Presidential Secretary for Policy Kim Sang-jo and Finance Minister Hong Nam-ki.



The initial government scheme was to deliver between 400,000 won ($328) and 1 million won in accordance with the number of household members in the bottom 70 percent of income-earners. But during the election campaign, the DPK pledged to give the disaster allowance to every citizen in an effort to gain votes.



Last week, the finance minister unveiled a 7.6 trillion won supplementary budget plan. In addition to budgets from local governments, a total of 9.7 trillion won will be used for 14.8 million households belonging to the income bracket.



However, the DPK is urging the government to spend more, saying an expanded allowance will require an additional 4 trillion won to benefit every citizen, although the ministry is opposed to the plan, citing financial stability concerns.



"The finance ministry is concerned that the expanded allowance may undermine financial stability, but the budget gap is not that far apart and we do not believe it would enormously trouble the nation's debt management," a DPK official said.



The DPK plans to hold a plenary session later this month to quickly approve the extra budget bill in order to provide the relief package in May.



Given that Hwang Kyo-ahn, former chairman of the main opposition United Future Party (UFP), also suggested on the campaign trail that the government give 500,000 won to every citizen for disaster relief, the DPK believes there will be no major hurdles in expanding the number of beneficiaries and passing the relevant bills at the National Assembly.



However, taking responsibility for the UFP's defeat in the election, Hwang stepped down from the leadership post, leading to differing opinions within the party.



"An emergency allowance to every citizen will not stimulate domestic consumption as much as expected and will increase the national debt, which could undermine the economy and shift the burden of the public debt to future generations," said Rep. Kim Jae-won of the UFP, head of the Assembly's Special Committee on Budget and Accounts.



According to the finance ministry, it plans to fund the supplementary budget by readjusting this year's annual budget and cutting costs rather than issuing government bonds.



However, the DPK's new proposal requires the government to issue bonds.



"With the national debt growing sharply, additional government bond issuance would benefit no one in the end," Kim said.



According to the government, Korea's national debt came to 1,743.6 trillion won in 2019, up 60.2 trillion won from a year earlier. In addition, the finance ministry predicted last year that the country's debt ratio against its gross domestic product could reach 39 percent in 2020.




The Oregon Health Authority reported 66 new known cases of COVID-19 in Oregon Sunday, bringing the total number of known cases to 1,910 as of 8 a.m. Sunday.

Officials also reported two deaths, bringing the total number of deaths in Oregon attributed to coronavirus to 74.

The deaths reported Sunday include a 64-year-old Benton County man, who officials said tested positive on March 26 and died on April 18 at Good Samaritan Regional Medical Center, and a 68-year-old Washington County man, who officials said tested positive on March 23 and died on April 11 at OHSU Hospital.

The Oregon Health Authority reported both men had underlying medical conditions, but declined to say what those were.

Its unclear why it took eight days for the death of the Washington County man to make it into the states COVID-19 daily update. Robb Cowie, spokesman for the Oregon Health Authority, said state epidemiologists just received the information Saturday. Typically, individual COVID-19 fatalities are reported quickly to the state by the hospital where they were being treated and by county health departments.

Officials said that the COVID-19 cases reported Sunday are in Clackamas County (7), Deschutes County (1), Lane County (2), Marion County (23), Multnomah County (21), Umatilla County (1) and Washington County (12).

A case previously reported in Klamath County was determined to be a case in Washington state, reducing the number of total cases by one.

Coronavirus in Oregon: Latest news | Live map tracker | Text alerts | Newsletter

So far, more than 39,000 people in Oregon have been tested for the virus, according to officials. Of those, just over 95% have tested negative.

Authorities report that 24% of people in Oregon who have tested positive for COVID-19 have been hospitalized at some point. Currently, 278 people are hospitalized with confirmed or suspected cases of the virus. Of those, 66 are in intensive care units and 37 are currently on ventilators.

The state reports 795 available ventilators as of Sunday morning.

The economic fallout from the pandemic continues to pummel Oregon.

Oregonians living in rural parts of the state have been especially hard hit.

Businesses are struggling, said Harney County Judge Pete Runnels. It will be harder and harder for them to come out of this at all.

Meanwhile, Oregons jobless claim system continues to tell many workers erroneously that they must restart their claims when they make their weekly filing for benefits.

This story will be updated.

-- Lizzy Acker

503-221-8052, lacker@oregonian.com, @lizzzyacker

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By Joseph N. DiStefano | The Philadelphia Inquirer

Boscovs, the 50-store, Reading-based department-store chain, has reopened online-only sales from several stores, a modest move toward normal operations after last months sweeping shutdowns meant to limit the spread of the coronavirus.

As of Wednesday, with the approval of Gov. [Tom] Wolfs office, we were able to put small crews in several stores, who are rigorously practicing social distancing under the states guidelines and in consultation with public health officials, chairman and chief executive Jim Boscov said.

The stores remain closed to walk-in customers. Staff are regularly cleaning doorknobs, keypads, and other surfaces to reduce any risk of virus exposure.

The crews have enabled Boscovs to resume direct online sales of its own lines and inventories to customers via home delivery. The company previously had to limit online sales to orders filled directly by its third-party suppliers.

We are different from other companies in how we do business online: We fill online orders from our stores instead of freestanding warehouses, Boscov said.

We are finally able to give customers the kind of service we have provided online," he said. "Its a small portion of our business. But its important in a couple of ways. Its important to keep the faith with our customers, and to have some stream of revenue with walk-in sales still off-limits.

Boscov has drafted a letter to customers supporting what he says are tough but necessary steps by public officials to contain the coronavirus. We need to be supportive and follow the best recommendations of medical and governmental authorities," he said, "and if being closed is the best way to close COVID-19, that is what we need to do.

Boscov added, Its very painful for everybody. For a chain of department stores to be closed for weeks is incredibly painful" for customers and staff. "I am anxious to reopen when its safe to reopen. We have to make sure the stores are safe and comfortable.

The store chain is reaching out to customers in other ways. On Saturday, on Boscovs Facebook page, Melissa Bernstein, cofounder of the Melissa and Doug toy brand, which Boscovs carries, plans a live reading of the Laurie Keller childrens book Arnie the Doughnut. The reading will then be posted on Boscovs.com. The store plans more live events to engage families sheltering at home.

Boscov says he and his staff also have learned to use Zoom and Skype and Webex and FaceTime. Its gotten so natural, it feels weird today talking to you on the phone without seeing you."

This will allow us to operate more efficiently in terms of eliminating some travel, he said. "I always hated conference calls, I could never see peoples faces. Now Im going to insist on Zoom.

He wants to extend that approach to reach customers interactively. I can see us doing this with wedding registry, home decor, and home decorating, Boscov said.

Everything we are doing now is going to cause us to look at ways to enhance the relationship with our customers, he added. I enjoy seeing people face to face in as many ways as I can.
A team of 40 Indian Army personel, including doctors and paramedics, has taken over the management of quarantine facility in Narela which currently houses 932 members linked to the Tablighi Jamaat congregation in Delhis Nizamuddin area last month.

The Army has taken the initiative to manage the facility from 8 am to 8 pm relieving the Delhi government doctors and medical staff who are now managing the facility only during the night, the Army said in a statement on Sunday. The Army took day-time charge of the facility, one of the largest in the country for handling Covid-19 suspected cases, on April 16, the statement said.

Established by the Delhi government in mid-March, around 1,250 people were kept in the centre, including an initial lot of 250 foreign nationals. A team of army doctors and nursing staff has been assisting the civil administration at the Narela quarantine centre since April 1.

Presently, 932 members from markaz (centre) are being taken care in the facility and 367 out of them have been tested Covid-19 positive, the Army said. The Army team managing the facility includes six medical officers, 18 paramedical staff and a few personnel providing administrative security who have all volunteered to stay on the premises.

As reported by Hindustan Times on April 7, the police filed an FIR against two Jamaat members, residents of Uttar Pradeshs Barabanki district, for defecating in front of their room at the Narela quarantine centre.

The professional approach of the army medical team has won the hearts of inmates, who have been very cooperative, facilitating smooth handling of all medical procedures, the army said, adding that is tremendous synergy with the civil administration to run the facility.

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In order to emerge victorious in this war against COVID:19, people across the world have put their normal lives on hold and decided to stay at home. Our government is taking swift action to keep the citizens safe and reduce as many deaths as possible. And our celebrities have come out with an outpouring of massive donations to empower front-line heroes and those in need.

Keeping up with the same trend, a few hours ago, a virtual event called One World: Together At Home was put together by WHO and international advocacy Global Citizen, which saw an array of stars from both Bollywood and Hollywood thanking people who are on the frontline, putting their lives at risk amid the pandemic.

One World: Together At Home

Our very own Shah Rukh Khan and Priyanka Chopra were chosen to send out powerful messages to the world.

In his video address, Shah Rukh Khan appealed his fans to take action during this crisis by sitting at home. The superstar went onto share how he is extensively donating PPE for health-care workers and developing quarantine centers for them.

SRK ended his much-loved video message by saying, "I love you, stay strong," to his fans.

Our desi girl shined bright too as her video message directed the world's attention to the most neglected set of people, the refugees. " There's no question about the impact COVID-19 has. I have seen first hand how it is not possible in refugee camps. They need basic sanitation, clean food and clean water to be able to fight the virus," addresses Priyanka Chopra.

The rest of the virtual concert included performances by Jennifer Lopez, Lady Gaga, John Legend, and Billie Eilish. The show was hosted by Jimmy Kimmel, Jimmy Fallon, and Stephen Colbert. It was also disclosed how the concert managed to raise $50 million that will be used to beat COVID-19.




A popular Bondi local who was dramatically arrested after allegedly breaking social distancing laws has blasted cops for 'brutality' and claimed Australia has turned into a 'police state' amid the coronavirus pandemic.

Dimitri Moskovich, one of Sydney's eastern suburb's most recognisable residents, was pinned to the ground, handcuffed and taken away in a police van on Sunday at 3.30pm.

Police allege the 54-year-old walked through a fenced-off area near Ben Buckler Point and ignored signs saying the area was closed due to COVID-19 social distancing measures.

But Mr Moskovich has vehemently denied jumping over barricades or ignoring signage to get to on to the rocks to access the water.

'All I did was walk through a bit of fence that is always open on the way to my car - I didn't even go swimming. Ben Buckler Point isn't closed,' he told Daily Mail Australia.

'Hundreds of people were laying around on the grass sunbaking and they targeted me. I know my rights and I know all the local government rules.

In the dramatic footage, Mr Moskovich was held down on the grass while the officers attempted to move his arms behind his back to handcuff him

Police allege he walked through a fenced-off area near Ben Buckler Point and ignored signs saying the area was closed off due to COVID-19 social distancing measures

'I'm not some drunk guy who is being silly. I'm a law abiding citizen. I was going home to have a nice night with my wife for Russian orthodox Easter.'

Mr Moskovich said his ordeal began when he was approached by two police officers while walking to his car on the grassy knoll.

'They told me I was breaking the law, but I said ''you personally didn't even see how I got here, you didn't see me climbing any barricade''.

'I kept walking, then he jumped on me like I was some sort of criminal with a knife.

'They were going absolutely berserk... I kept saying I would go with them to the station but they kept going.

'I kept trying to tell them that I'm a local guy, everyone knows me and I'm not doing anything wrong. But they kept going absolutely crazy.'

Dozens of shocked locals watched on and filmed Mr Moskovich - wearing nothing but his signature red budgie smugglers - being arrested by the two officers.

Police said in a statement they attempted to speak to Mr Moskovich who 'walked away'.

Locals pleaded with police not to use handcuffs and let him walk with them to keep his 'dignity'

Mr Moskovich claimed police treated him like a 'wild animal' during his dramatic arrest in Bondi on Sunday afternoon

'About 3.30pm, police approached the 54-year-old man after noticing him walking through fencing near the rock platform at Ben Buckler Point, allegedly contravening the local government signs stating the area was closed,' police said in a statement.

'As police approached him again it is alleged he became quarrelsome and argumentative.'

Mr Moskovich said he wasn't in a restricted area hadn't breached any measures because the rocks at Ben Buckler aren't off limits.

'But I was treated like a wild animal. It was beyond any comprehension,' he said.

Mr Moskovich was charged with failure to comply with notice in a public place, and resisting arrest.

He will face court on July 7.

The Russian-born fitness fanatic, who is often seen working out on Bondi's famous outdoor gym, said he respects restrictions but has called for police to use common sense.

Dimitri Moskovich sustained bruises to his wrist and a cut on his forehead after being pinned down by police

'Restrictions are restrictions. I understand, but the police commissioner said police have to treat cases with logic, I haven't broken the restrictions,' he said.

'Today made me realise that maybe we are living in a police state and civil rights don't mean that much anymore.'

Mr Moskovich also acknowledged the irony that his arrest was the first close contact he'd had with anyone other than his wife since the 1.5m rule was brought in.

Mr Moskovich, who grew up in the Soviet Union, said he never expected law enforcement in a liberal country like Australia to use such force.

'Today I lost my faith in Australian police,' he said.

Mr Moskovich is famous among the Bondi community, and is often seen working out on the famous promenade's outdoor gym

Mr Moskovich (left) was charged with failure to comply with notice in a public place, and resisting arrest

Mr Moskovich said he wasn't in a restricted area hadn't breached any measures because the rocks at Ben Buckler (pictured) aren't off limits

In the dramatic footage captured by onlookers, Mr Moskovich was held down on the grass while the officers attempted to move his arms behind his back to handcuff him.

'Just cooperate with us okay?' the female officers told Mr Moskovich, who called out to bystanders to film the incident.

Mr Moskovich said that while he agrees with most restrictions put in place to stop the spread of COVID-19, he believes beaches should be open for swimming to exercise.

'What happened today goes to show police can do it to anybody, and I'm a strong guy, imagine what they can do to someone weak,' he said.

'It was the abuse of police power in the highest calibre.

'The fact this is happening in Australia to someone who isn't even a criminal is just beyond comprehension.'

Mr Moskovich wants a 'proper investigation' into his arrest, and intends to meet with lawyers.

'I want to scream from the roof tops - look what is happening here,' he said.

Mr Moskovich, who grew up in the Soviet Union, said he never expected law enforcement in a liberal country like Australia to use such force

Throughout Mr Moskovich's arrest, witnesses pleaded with police not to use handcuffs and let him walk with them to keep his 'dignity'.

'He's not going anywhere, he's a local,' a supportive onlooker told the officers, who were on top of Mr Moskovich.

'He's the most well-known guy in Bondi. Just let him walk with you, he'll walk with you.'

'Just let him chill for a minute, he's not going anywhere,' another said.

But the male officer continued to pin his knee into the back of Mr Moskovich's leg while demanding 'give me your arm'.

Police eventually managed to handcuff Mr Moskovich before putting him in the back of their vehicle.

Bondi 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 COVID-19.

The arrest has caused uproar among the community.

'The man is clearly stating that he will cooperate and not acting aggressive in any way, shape, or form,' one person said.

However some viewers defended the officers actions in arresting Mr Moskovich.

'I think the cops could have handled it better, but the guy is clearly not cooperating,' one person commented.

Mr Moskovich is famous among the Bondi community, and is often seen working out on the famous promenade's outdoor gym.

In response to calls from residents, Waverley Council has said it is considering re-opening the beach - but for exercise only.

'Council continues to closely review the situation at our beaches alongside restrictions in place,' a spokesperson for the council said.

'We are however considering the aspirations of residents for access to the water for exercise.

Those who disregard social distancing rules in New South Wales face fines of $1,000 or six months in prison.

Council debates whether to let surfers walk across Bondi Beach after some were filmed risking their lives jumping off treacherous rocks to get to the water

Surfers may continue to risk their lives jumping off rocks in Bondi as the local council argues over whether to reopen the famous beach for exercise.

The Sydney beach was closed a month ago after outrage at hundreds of people packing the sand and water with little regard for coronavirus social distancing, and Bronte and Tamarama shut days later.

Fences stop swimmers using the sand to safely enter the water, so surfers instead dive into dangerously rough surf from the rocks at Mackenzies Beach to avoid being fined.

Neighbouring Randwick Council will reopen Coogee, Maroubra and Clovelly on Monday but a proposal to allow people to cross Bondi and other Waverley Council beaches to the water is stalled.

Risk-taking surfers near Bondi Beach have risked their lives by entering the surf via a rocky outcrop, as beach closures prevent them from getting into the ocean through the sand

Sources told Daily Mail Australia there was little hope of surfers being able to dash across the sand to safely enter the waves in the next two weeks as Mayor Paula Masselos was 'dead against it'.

NSW Police on Friday said they were 'comfortable' with the plan but it is still mired in discussions with councillors, surf lifesaving, and the NSW Government.

'Staff have developed proposals for managing our beach closures in a way that would allow for water access for ocean swimming and surfing,' an email to councillors from general manager Ross McLeod read.

'Consultation on these proposals took place with Easter Suburbs Police [on Friday] with a shared level of comfort being reached.

'However, following media speculation on possible beach reopenings, [Health Minister Brad Hazzard] made some comments to media on the subject stating that he would like to be involved in discussions on any proposals before he could support them.

The wetsuit-clad surfer clambered over the railing next to multiple signs at the Bronte-Coogee Aquatic Reserve which read 'beach closed' on Sunday

Hundreds of surfers were seen surfing at closed beaches on Sydney's eastern suburbs on Sunday

A man wearing a rash vest and a pair of short climbs over a railing with a surfboard in tow on an eastern suburbs beach on Sunday

'As a matter of good practice, we have decided to engage with the Minister on our proposals before we take any steps to implement them.

'The Mayor has written to the Minister [on Friday] outlining our beach management proposals and the issues currently being encountered by Council and the police as a basis for discussion.

'The Mayor is in contact with the Minister's office and with stakeholders including the Surf Clubs and our neighboring councils.'

The proposal, the details of which are still being debated, would retain fencing and have staff manage the beaches to close access down rapidly should crowds form or people ignore the rules.

Until then, surfers desperate to get in the water will keep finding other, legal, means of getting in the water. Surfing is not forbidden by NSW's coronavirus lockdowns, just walking on the beach.

Two wetsuit-clad surfers were filmed running across a rocky shoreline at Mackenzies Beach in a bid to enter the ocean without the risk of being caught by lifeguards at nearby Bondi.

One could be seen dangerously jumping into the surf - just seconds before a huge wave crashed down on top of him and knocked over his companion onto the jagged outcrop.

Their brazen attempt came as huge crowds of defiant surfers made the most of the 21C weather on Sunday at Bondi Beach despite it being closed for almost a month.

Surfers at Mackenzies Bay near Bondi Beach have been forced to enter the water via the rocks - potentially risking injury by doing so

Surfers have called for the beaches in the area to be reopened as it would be less dangerous for them to get into the sea through the sand

Randwick Council has announced though it will lift restrictions on beaches at Coogee, Maroubra and Clovelly - which have been in place since March 28 - from Monday.

The beaches will be open for fitness activities like walking, running on the sand, swimming and surfing - but gathering or simply sitting on the sand and basking in the sun will not be permitted.

One surfer at the Bronte-Coogee Aquatic Reserve jumped over a set of railings into the ocean directly in front of a large sign which read 'beach closed'.

Off the coast of Bondi Beach and in the waters of neighbouring Mackenzies Bay, hundreds of surfers could be seen from the shoreline patiently waiting to catch a wave.

Hundreds more were spotted on their boards in the water directly in front of Bondi Beach, enjoying the four-foot swell and south-westerly winds.

One young surfer who entered the surf via the rocks at Mackenzies Point on Friday evening said police told him that was the only legal way to get into the water.

A man in a wetsuit looks on as he stands beside a railing on Sunday by an eastern suburbs beach holding a boogie board and a pair of flippers

A group of three - two holding boogie boards - stand in water just off the rocks as they try to make the most of the Autumn weather despite beach closures across the eastern suburbs

The young man told OnScene Bondi as long as he stayed away from the beach, the policeman who stopped him said he was not breaking the rules.

Other surfers told the media page it didn't make sense police were telling them to risk injury by going into the water via the rocks rather than from the shore.

They said they should not be barred from doing their hobby and restrictions should be relaxed to allow them to enjoy their passion - while also maintaining social distancing at the same time.

Another resident told ABC News re-opening Bondi Beach would actually ease social distancing concerns.

'This boardwalk is pretty busy so it would create more space for people to do sports,' they said.

All three of the beaches within Waverley Council's jurisdiction - Bondi, Tamarama and Bronte - are still closed despite calls for restrictions to be lifted to allow residents to exercise.

Bondi was closed on March 21 after hundreds of people gathered on the Sydney beach despite being told to social distancing to steam the spread of COVID-19.

Surfers on Sydney's eastern suburbs spotted surfing at closed beaches in spite of the government-imposed coronavirus restrictions

Pictured: Police officers speak to a woman on an eastern suburbs beach on Sunday as hundreds of surfers took to the ocean

Surfers pictured on Sunday near Bondi Beach. Bondi, Tamarama and Bronte are still closed despite calls for restrictions to be lifted to allow residents to exercise

While beaches are closed all the way from the eastern suburbs to the Sutherland Shire, wave hunters have taken advantage of beaches remaining open on Sydney's northern beaches to fulfill their surfing fix.

Hundreds of surfers on Easter Monday took to Curl Curl and Freshwater beaches, with one local complaining it was harder to maintain the government's 1.5m social distancing rules because of the number of people in the ocean and on the sand.

'I reckon because Bondi's shut, all the beaches out there, I reckon everyone is coming in here for the holiday - it's just not on,' the resident said.

Locals are allowed to exercise on the sand and in the ocean at Northern Beaches Council beaches, but risk fines if they sunbake or gather together.

Mayor of Waverley Paula Masselos told Daily Mail Australia it was 'disappointing' to see people over the Easter period disregard measures put in place by the council in the interest of public safety.

'The closures extend to everyone: swimmers, surfers and people exercising on the sand,' Ms Masselos said.

'Those who are caught jumping fences and accessing closed areas can be fined under the Local Government Act.
The hospitalization rate is down. I was speaking to Michael and theyre  thats what hes seeing in his hospital system. Thats what emergency rooms across the state are saying. So the recent news is good  we are on the other side of the plateau and the numbers are coming down. But thats good news only compared to the terrible news that we were living with, which is that constant increase. And remember, you still have 1,300 people who walked into the hospitals yesterday testing positive. So its no time to get cocky and its no time to get arrogant, right? We still have a long way to go and a lot of work to do. And this virus has been ahead of us every step of the way. We have been playing catch-up from day one in this situation. So it is no time to relax. And this is only halftime in this entire situation. We showed that we can control the beast. And when you close down, you can actually slow that infection rate. But its only halftime. We still have to make sure that we keep that beast under control, we keep that infection rate down, we keep that hospitalization rate down, as we now all get very eager to get on with life and move on. So its not over. And in this second phase, first do no harm. Dont jeopardize what youve already accomplished by seeing that infection rate increase. We have to be smarter, especially when it comes to the new frontier of testing and how we test and how aggressively and how we get that organized. And then when we talk about rebuilding we have to talk about not just rebuilding, but lets learn from this horrific experience. And lets take these lessons forward  and how do we build back better than before?
General Secretary of the ruling New Patriotic Party (NPP), John Boadu believes that Ghana would have recorded a higher rate of confirmed cases of the novel Coronavirus, similar to what is happening in European countries if the National Democratic Congress (NDC) were to be in power.



He explained that the opposition NDC, under John Dramani Mahama, would have worsened the situation for the country because they shared the same belief as other European countries that went in for their citizens in China at the beginning of the pandemic.



#BringBackStudents



Speaking on Okay FMs Ade Akye Abia Morning Show, John Boadu asserted that the NDC strongly entreated the Akufo-Addo government at the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, to evacuate Ghanaian students stranded in the Wuhan Province in China, and even went further to create a hashtag on social media.



Those countries like Iran, UK, Italy, Spain and USA that reasoned like the NDC and brought their citizens back from China, have you seen their situation today? The number of COVID-19 cases would have skyrocketed and spiraled out of control just as its happening in those countries if NDC under Mahama was in power, he asserted.



Proactive Gov't



Touching on contact tracing, John Boadu intimated that a lot of the advanced countries are now focusing on contact tracing strategy, placing Ghana ahead of them in terms of being proactive.



As we speak now, the enhanced surveillance and contact tracing that Ghana rolled out about two weeks ago, is now being replicated in other foreign countries. In the UK, if you live with someone who has tested positive, you dont have the right to go to the hospital to test whether you have the virus or not. They dont have voluntary testing kits unless you are sick and hospitalised or you are showing symptoms of the virus before you will be tested. This is what is happening in the UK, he indicated.



Current Case Count



The country's case count is now at 834, this includes 99 recoveries, 4 moderate to severe cases as well as 234, who are well and responding to treatment.



The mortality rate has however increased by one figure, bringing the total deaths to nine (9).



This was confirmed by the Ghana Health Service on its official COVID-19 update page on April 18th, 2020,



The GHS is supervising the completion of a backlog of laboratory samples which have been picked for testing as part of the COVID-19 testing exercise. This is after some 57,000 samples have already been successfully tested as of April 15th 2020.



In the first batch of this backlog, an additional 198 have been found to be positive. This will bring Ghanas total case count to 834 at the moment. The general public is however advised that this does not represent new infections that are occurring. It represents results from tests of a backlog of samples.



The laboratories have been working day and night to test this large number of samples. Hopefully in the next few days, all the testing would be completed.



Total samples tested so far now stands at 60, 916 with 1.37 % testing positive.



Regions that have reported cases and breakdown are as follows: Greater Accra - 685, Ashanti - 59, Eastern - 51, Northern - 11, Volta - 9, Upper East - 8, Upper West - 8, Central - 1, Western - 1 and North East - 1.



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.

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Another 125 people at New Jerseys longterm care facilities have died from the coronavirus, state officials reported Saturday  and Gov. Phil Murphy said the option of dispatching the states National Guard to help the beleaguered centers remains on the table.

There have now been at least 10,163 confirmed COVID-19 cases and 1,655 related deaths across the states 413 longterm care centers, which includes nursing homes, veterans homes, and similar facilities.

The 125 new deaths mark more than half of the total new coronavirus-related deaths state officials announced Saturday.

In all, about 12% of the states 81,420 total COVID-19 cases and about 41% of the states 4,070 total related deaths have been at longterm care facilities  even though nursing-home residents make up a tiny percentage of New Jerseys 9 million-resident population.

The disproportionate toll gained added attention this past week after authorities discovered 17 dead bodies at a nursing home in Sussex County following a request for body bags and an anonymous tip about a body being loaded into a shed.

There were 38 deaths at Andover Subacute and Rehabilitation Center I and II as of Saturday, state officials confirmed to NJ Advance Media.

The facilitys owner has received several citations and is required to submit a plan of correction Monday, state Health Commissioner Judith Persichilli said during the states daily coronavirus press briefing in Trenton on Saturday.

That, Persichilli said, includes instituting an on-site infection prevention specialist, chief nurse officer, and administrative manager at the facility.

This comes after an out-of-state survey team examined the facility, which has been beset by health and care deficiencies for years, according to records.

Persichilli said survey teams also visited four other nursing homes Friday and will visit another 11 over the weekend.

The health commissioner also said officials are also holding a conference call Saturday to develop a strategy for coronavirus testing at nursing homes. That comes after reports there has been a shortage of tests at the facilities, despite the outbreaks.

More to come on that, but it is a priority, Persichilli said.

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Meanwhile, a prominent geriatric physician on Friday called on Murphy to send in the National Guard to help address a staffing crisis inside nursing homes across the state.

Murphy already dispatched the the National Guard to distribute personal protective equipment and food and help assemble field hospitals in New Jersey during the outbreak.

In a letter to Murphy, David Barile, the medical director of Geriatric and Palliative Services at UPENN Hospital of Princeton and founder of Goals of Care Coalition of New Jersey, said Murphy needed to to the same with nursing homes.

Murphy acknowledged Saturday that officials have been asked about the National Guard.

That continues to be an option on the table," the governor said.

Murphy said this week he was outraged by the situation at the Andover facility and announced the state attorney general would launch an investigation into the matter.

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 on Saturday declined to name other nursing homes that have had issues during the outbreak.

I wont get into the bad apples today, the governor said. I was hoping at some point we could celebrate the good apples. Not everyone is ignoring their responsibility.

NJ Advance Media staff writer Susan K. Livio 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.

Brent Johnson may be reached at bjohnson@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @johnsb01.

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A group of lawmakers from Michigan has sent a letter to the U.S. Small Business Administration sharing concerns over the lack of help for small businesses in the state amid the coronavirus pandemic.

The Sunday, April 19 letter addressed to Jovita Carranza, administrator for the U.S. Small Business Administration, comes from Democratic Party members of Congress from Michigan, including Dan Kildee, Brenda Lawrence, Debbie Dingell, Rashida Tlaib, Elissa Slotkin, Andy Levin, and Haley Stevens as well as Senators Debbie Stabenow and Gary Peters.

As members of Michigans congressional delegation, we write to express concern that our state, despite being one of the hardest-hit states in this pandemic, currently ranks in the bottom third of states receiving small business loans under the PPP compared to the number of businesses that are eligible, the letter reads.

The Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Safety, or CARES, Act provided $349 billion to create the Paycheck Protection Program, or PPP, within the U.S. Small Business Administration.

The Michigan officials point out over 1 million loans have been processed with the PPP since it started April 3, but the state ranks 35th out of 50 states in loans processed despite having the fifth-highest amount of COVID-19 cases in the country.

It is also noted in the letter that more than 1 million unemployment claims have been processed in Michigan since March 14, or nearly one-quarter of the states workforce.

The letter also mentions other states with the most COVID-19 cases also rank in the bottom third for those receiving the PPP loans, while many states with lower figures have been granted a greater number of loans.

Since the PPP began, we have heard from small businesses in Michigan about problems accessing the program, including from under-served communities in rural and urban areas, the letter says. The SBA data on loans processed to date seems to confirm some of these challenges.

The PPP has since run out of money, with the SBA announcing April 16 it was not able to provide any new applications due to a lack of appropriations.

Support cant come quickly enough say mid-Michigan small businesses

With calls for additional legislation to help small businesses, the lawmakers asked the SBA what its doing to ensure those businesses in hardest-hit states receive a proportional share of aid under the PPP and what information could be provided on how each states allocation of loans is determined.

We look forward to your prompt response and continuing to work with you to support Americas small businesses and their workers, the letter concludes.
DALLAS  The U.S. government could end up as one of the largest shareholders in American Airlines as a condition of stimulus grants and loans from the CARES Act, but only if share prices rebound to levels seen before the COVID-19 pandemic decimated the industry.

Airlines werent forced to hand over equity shares in exchange for nearly $25 billion in grants and another $25 billion in loans, but the Treasury Department did require the companies to offer special warrants, which essentially amount to stock options based on last Thursdays closing price.

That would give the government more stock, and therefore a bigger share in the company, as airline shares rebound.

If Americans stock price returns to where it began 2020, the federal government could end up with about 6% of the airlines shares, worth more than $850 million. But it would be a small reward for the combined $10.5 billion in aid the airline is expected to accept, including $4.1 billion in grants.

Theyre conditions we were happy to accept, said American Airlines CEO Doug Parker told CNBC Wednesday.

The governments stake in Dallas-based Southwest Airlines would be much smaller in any scenario. Southwest agreed to take $3.2 billion in aid, including $2.3 billion in grants. In exchange, it will give the government the option to buy about 2.6 million shares at Fridays closing price any time in the next five years.

Fort Worth, Texas-based American is giving the government 51.7 million shares.

U.S. Treasury Secretary Steve Mnuchin repeatedly said commercial airlines wouldnt be given a handout and that taxpayers would be compensated for the assistance they gave. But how much they get back depends on how much airline stock prices are able to recover.

It certainly feels like were at the bottom, Parker told CNBC. Our revenues are down 90% on year-over-year basis, and theyve been that way now for a few weeks.

American Airlines stock price has dropped nearly 60% since the beginning of 2020. Airline shares are actually down since the Treasury Department locked in its warrant price of $12.51 for American and $36.47 for Southwest.

But assuming stock prices recover as the COVID-19 pandemic fades, the government could make money back, even if its not close to how much it gave out in grants.

For American, a share price of $15 would give the government shares a value of about $128 million, or roughly about 2% of the companys total market value. The agreement said American could either give the Treasury the profit on the stock increase in cash or in shares.

If Americans stock price rises to where it was at the start of 2019, the government could cash in for about $853 million, or roughly 6.5% of the companys total outstanding stock. That would make the federal government the fourth-largest shareholder in American, behind investment fund Primecap Management, Vanguard and Berkshire Hathaway.

The government wont have any voting shares in airlines under the deals, but the stimulus bill already bans dividends and stock buybacks, puts limits on executive pay and requires the companies to maintain pay and employment numbers through September.

The U.S. Treasury can cash in those warrants any time in the next five years.

For Southwest, the governments stake would be smaller, both because it took less in grants and because the company is worth more. If Southwests trading price goes up to $44 a share, the government will get stock worth about $19.58 million. A return to Southwests stock price to start the year would net the treasury about $45.5 million. In both scenarios, the federal government would own less than 1% of Southwest.

But all those shares will mean little if the economy doesnt rebound and air traffic doesnt start to return in the coming months.

The leisure traveler will come back when they feel comfortable traveling again, Parker said in the CNBC interview I dont think its so much about being on airplanes. Its about having somewhere to go.

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Variations on that question have puzzled clinicians not only in New York, the most severe area of the U.S. outbreak, but across the country and in Spain, the United Kingdom and China. Five weeks into a nationwide coronavirus lockdown, many doctors say the pandemic has produced a silent sub-epidemic of people who need care at hospitals but dare not come in. They include people with inflamed appendixes, infected gall bladders, bowel obstructions and, more ominously, chest pains and stroke symptoms, according to these physicians and early research.
Dumaguete City (CNN Philippines, April 18) - After being quarantined for almost three weeks, over 400 stranded passengers will be allowed to travel to their home province.

438 residents of Negros Oriental who have been stranded in Cebu for more than two weeks were cleared to go home on Saturday.

The passengers arrived in the Bato Port in Samboan, Cebu on March 28, a day after the provincial government of Cebu ordered it closed, in line with the enhanced community quarantine in effect.

The stranded passengers said port authorities requested them to either return to their places of origin in Cebu, or stay and undergo a 14-day quarantine in the area.

Meanwhile, the government of Negros Oriental sent a team to assist the stranded residents at the quarantine site in Samboan, Cebu.

The provincial government of Cebu on Saturday issued certificates of completion of the mandatory quarantine.

Authorities said the residents of Negros Oriental will undergo another 14-day quarantine upon arrival to their respective local governments, as part of the protocol.

Bato Port in Samboan, Cebu is about 25-minutes travel time to Tampi Port in Amlan, Negros Oriental.

CNN Philippines' Stringer Roy August Bustillo contributed to this report.
Mumbai, April 19 : Three days after a huge mob of villagers lynched three persons near a village in Palghar during lockdown, the Opposition Bharatiya Janata Party demanded a high-level probe into the incident.

Leader of Opposition Devendra Fadnavis said that after viewing the visuals that have come out, "the Palghar inident of mob lynching is shocking and inhuman".

"It is more disturbing especially when we are going through such tough times," he said, referring to the lockdown due to the Covid-19 pandemic.

The victims included two sadhus of the Juna Akhada who were killed besides their vehicle driver, while at least two police vans were damaged and some policemen were injured.

The incident happened late on Thursday, but came to light early Friday morning after the driver alerted the police which rushed there.

"I urged the Maharashtra government to immediately set up a high-level enquiry and ensure that people who are responsible for this are brought to justice at the earliest," Fadnavis said today.

Mumbai BJP general secretary Amarjeet Mishra alleged that while the attacks were on, the police remained mute spectators and urged the government to take immediate action.

"The government should get to the root of the incident... The insensitive policemen must be dismissed", Mishra said.

An aggressive mob of around 200 villagers flouting all lockdown norms, had accosted a vehicle in which the two sadhus were travelling from Nashik to Surat with some relief materials late on Thursday night.

Suspecting them to be thieves, the crowd started questioning them, abused and then assaulted them brutally with sticks, rods and stones.

When the police team reached the spot and took them to their van, the crowds swooped on the police van and continued to assault them till they succumbed.

The victims were later identified as Sushilgiri Maharaj, 30, Chikne Maharaj Kalpavriksha Giri, 70 and their driver Nilesh Telwade, 30.

The Kasa police station lodged a case late on Friday and arrested over 100 persons who are remanded in police custody. Further investigations are underway.

A semi-industrialised centre with mostly tribal population, Palghar is located around 60 km from northwest Mumbai border.
James Ibori, former governor of Delta state, says he expected Abba Kyari, the late chief of staff to President Muhammadu Buhari, to re...





James Ibori, former governor of Delta state, says he expected Abba Kyari, the late chief of staff to President Muhammadu Buhari, to recover from COVID-19 because he was remarkably strong-willed.





Ibori said this on Saturday while expressing his condolences to Kulu Abba Kyari, wife of the deceased, in a statement signed by Tony Eluemunor, his media assistant.





It is with great shock that I received the news, in the early hours of this morning, of the passing of your husband, my brother and friend, Alhaji Abba Kyari, the chief of staff to the President, he said.





Though I knew about his bout with COVID-19 infection, I had expected him to pull through because he was remarkably strong-willed, and the entire nation was praying for him. But on Friday 17th April, he went the way of all mortals.





Ibori described Kyari as loyal to a fault and God-fearing, adding that no chief of staff has ever shown such loyalty.





Those of us that knew your husband from his days in Lagos can testify to his humane nature, he said.





He was very unassuming, loyal and dependable to a fault and he remained totally God-fearing. This aspect of him has been on public display; no chief of staff anywhere has shown as much loyalty and commitment as he showed to President Muhammadu Buhari.





History will be kind to him for he helped greatly in directing the affairs of the nation for the past five years.





He was incorruptible and lived his life in the mould of the typical Mallam. Though those who saw him only from a distance may not know it, he never believed in the acquisition of material things of this world.He was incorruptible and lived his life in the mould of the typical Mallam.





Please find succour in the fact that Alhaji Abba Kyari lived a life of service to others and rose to a most enviable position in the country.





Please, on behalf of the children, accept my condolences. As a devout Moslem, I know you will take solace in the fact that from Allah we all came and to Him we shall all return.





Death is a price we all owe; Alhaji Abba Kyari has just paid his own. May Allah grant him eternal rest.
New Delhi, April 19 : Union Health Minister Dr. Harsh Vardhan on Sunday asserted that doubling rate of Covid-19 cases has increased from three days before imposition of lockdown in March to 9.7 days now.

"The rate of growth of new cases has been steadying for a while. As per the data received today by 8 a.m., over the past seven days, the doubling rate is 7.2 days, for the past 14 days it is 6.2, and over past 3 days it stands at 9.7. Before the lockdown, India's doubling rate was about 3 days," he said.

The Health Minister said that the doubling rate is lower despite the fact that number of tests done every day have increased by almost 14 times.

"Same way, if you look at growth factor -- from 15th March to 31st, it was 2.1, whereas in April it has come down to 1.2 which is a good drop of 40 per cent which is a positive indication and is really encouraging for the whole country," he said.

The figures indicate that the total number of cases are not increasing and may start stabilising, he added.

Harsh Vardhan's comments came after he reviewed the situation at Delhi's Rajiv Gandhi Super Specialty Hospital.

Latest updates on Gandhi Jayanti 2019
Add buying a newspaper in your to-do list during lockdown, the Boris Johnson government has urged Britons, as the United Kingdom grapples with steep decline in advertising and circulation in national as well as local news media.

Oliver Dowden, Culture secretary, made the plea in an article in The Times, reminding readers that the news industry is providing a vital service by giving important information to people as the pandemic takes an increasing toll of lives in the UK: over 15,000 deaths.

The news medias dwindling revenue is accentuated by so-called blacklists of words that leads to adverts not appearing online beside stories that include words such as coronavirus, Covid-19 or deaths. Estimates of loss due to such blocking are in the hundreds of millions of pounds.

Dowden notes that according to the News Media Association, ad revenues have plummeted by up to 90 per cent: National, regional and local newspapers are under huge financial pressure, largely because of plummeting commercial advertising on their printed pages and websites.

Falling demand for advertising has also been exacerbated by something called keyword blocking, where advertising linked to specific keywords is prevented from being served on papers web pages. Some major UK brands and parts of the advertising industry are blocking adverts appearing next to coronavirus-related news stories.

His plea to support the news media by buying newspapers is backed across the political spectrum. Under UK lockdown curbs, people are allowed to go out of homes while maintaining distance to buy food in shops and supermarkets, where newspapers are on sale.

Sajid Javid, senior Conservative MP and former chancellor, backed Dowden: Newspapers are indeed our fourth emergency service. Our democracy depends on a vibrant, free press. Big brands, please stop ad-blocking Covid-19 stories.

Dowden adds: We increasingly live in an age of online echo chambers and self-reinforcing algorithms which can compound the spread of misinformation. The single best way to tackle it is through fact-checked news, and Im pleased to see newspapers playing their part against false stories.

I have written to the 100 biggest brands in the UK to urge them to review their advertising policies and check they are not inappropriately blocking adverts from appearing next to news providing a vital public service.

Newspapers are at heart of the British media and essential to its vibrant mix. People across the country are rising to the coronavirus challenge and I suggest we all add one small thing to our to do list: buy a paper.

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A man swinging a bat at police inside a San Leandro Walmart store was shot dead Saturday afternoon by one of the officers, officials said.

Officers were called to the store a little after 3 p.m. to investigate reports of a man brandishing a baseball bat, San Leandro Police Lt. Ted Henderson said at a news briefing outside the store. En route, they were also told that a robbery had occurred, but that turned out to be inaccurate, Henderson said.

As two officers approached the man, he allegedly threatened them with the bat while nearby customers slowly backed away and watched, according to a video posted to social media that apparently shows the incident.

Both officers deployed their Tasers, which was not successful, Henderson said. After those deployments, one officer fired one shot. The report is that he was swinging a bat. We dont know how close he was to the officer.

From the video, it appears several customers and employees witnessed the confrontation.

The officer who fired is a 20-year veteran, Henderson said. The man was hit in the upper torso and died at the scene, Henderson said.

In the video, the backpack-wearing suspect faces off with the two officers in a shopping-cart-lined aisle, brandishing the bat while several people off camera yell and one man shoos others away from the aisle. Back up, back up, someone calls out. At least one stun gun appears to be fired, but the man then moves toward the officer, who fires his shot.

The suspect staggers back, walks a few feet away and collapses to the floor, leaving a trail of blood on the floor.

Officers called for paramedics and provided first aid until they arrived, but life-saving measures failed, according to the San Leandro Police Department.

As a result of the shooting, three investigations have started: an administrative review of the shooting, a criminal investigation, and the Alameda County district attorneys independent investigation. Anyone with information regarding this incident is urged to contact the San Leandro police at 510-577-2740.

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 person identified online as mike_myke posted the video on Instagram and wrote that he tried talking to the man before police arrived and that the man said he wanted to die. He also wrote that the man threatened to kill the door greeter.

Efforts to reach the witness were not successful.

The store, which sits on busy Hesperian Boulevard in the southern part of town, was evacuated after the confrontation and quickly closed.

Chronicle staff writer Rusty Simmons contributed to this report.

Jill Tucker and Kevin Fagan are San Francisco Chronicle staff writers. Email: jtucker@sfchronicle.com, kfagan@sfchronicle.com. Twitter: @jilltucker, @KevinChron
The longer we are apart, the more palpable our hunger to be together is. The longer we are apart, the more grateful we are for the gift of physical connection that binds us. Our schools and colleges will open again. When they do, they will welcome students, teachers, faculty and staff who share a renewed sense of mission and celebration.

We cannot underplay the gravity of the current crisis or pretend it hasnt been profoundly disruptive  it has. What we did not anticipate, and what we dont want us to lose in the midst of this, is how our state is refined by this fire.

We are proving ourselves to be determined, optimistic and resourceful with a deeply rooted commitment to our students. North Carolina is poised to strengthen its education system, renewing our commitment to each and every child in our state. But as we look to our future, we have to shift our mindset and reinvent our instructional methods, so we weather future storms.

Coronavirus may be spreading, but we believe hope and forward-thinking are spreading faster.

Sen. Deanna Ballard is a Republican representing Alleghany, Ashe, Surry, Watauga and Wilkes counties. She is a chair of the Senate Education Committee. Rep. Ashton Clemmons is a Democrat representing Guilford County.
Over past 24 hours, largest number of confirmed cases was registered in Chernivtsi region

Maxym Stepanov Open source

Today in Ukraine 1031 medical workers and 358 children have got coronavirus infection. The Minister of Health Maksym Stepanov announced this during a briefing, as the correspondent of UNN reports.

"In total, 5,449 people fell ill during the pandemic, including 358 children and 1,031 medical workers. In total, 347 people recovered. 141 deaths were reported," Stepanov said.

According to him, a total of 4695 studies were carried out by PCR over the previous day.

"Speaking by regions, over the past 24 hours the largest number of confirmed cases have been registered in the Chernivtsi region - 49 and the city of Kyiv - 31," the minister said.

As we reported before, the World Health Organization donated PCR kits for coronavirus tests to Ukraine.

"In order to ensure high-quality and accurate testing for COVID-19, the World Health Organization transferred to the Public Health Center of Ukraine kits for RNA isolation from 600 samples for further testing by PCR," the report said.

Also, the government of the German federal state of Mecklenburg-Vorpommern decided on the mandatory use of protective masks that cover the mouth and nose of a person in public transport.
China: Police arrest Christians participating in Zoom Easter worship service

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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.
Non-urgent surgeries and diagnostic testing could start to ramp up again within the next week or two, Shared Health's chief nursing officer said Saturday.

Hey there, time traveller!

This article was published 18/4/2020 (633 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

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Non-urgent surgeries and diagnostic testing could start to ramp up again within the next week or two, Shared Health's chief nursing officer said Saturday.

"We are having discussions about opening up and increasing our surgical volumes (and) the diagnostic testing, as well," Lanette Siragusa said during the daily health news briefing.

Non-urgent surgeries, such as hip and knee replacements, have been reduced for about three weeks, Siragusa said, "and it's probably not a level we can sustain too much longer, so we should see some increase in that. I would say, in the next week or two, we'll see increased volumes coming back in surgery and diagnostics."

Three new cases of COVID-19 were identified as of Saturday morning, bringing the total number of lab-confirmed positive and probable positive cases in Manitoba to 253.

Seven people are currently hospitalized, four of them intensive care, while the number of recovered individuals (140) continues to surpass the number of active cases (108).

The total number of cases of COVID-19 in Prairie Mountain Health has climbed to 13.

Meanwhile, discussions between Shared Health and unions representing health-care workers over staffing at long-term care facilities are continuing following meetings on Friday, Siragusa said.

"It was a preliminary discussion and I think it was overall positive, still lots of details to sort out as to how we're going to operationalize it," she said.

Ontario has issued an emergency order preventing long-term care staff from working at multiple homes, The Canadian Press reported Friday.

The province has acknowledged that some outbreaks in those facilities were the result of staff who work in two or three homes unwittingly transmitting the virus.

British Columbia took similar measures at the end of March.

"The process that we're undergoing is to really understand the staff working in private, personal care homes as well as agency staff, because we don't really have a line of sight," Siragusa said. "So things that we want, employees to be located at one facility, we have to make sure that we don't destabilize the system by saying that."

She added they need to make sure services are maintained while keeping everyone in the care homes as safe as possible.

"We just want to proceed cautiously. We want to make sure we have all our facts straight before we embark upon this, and we do want to move as quickly as possible, so it is a priority for us."

With Ramadan beginning next week, Manitoba's chief public health officer, Dr. Brent Roussin, reminded those who celebrate it to continue to avoid large gatherings, practise social distancing and stay home as much as possible.

"I want to wish all Muslim Manitobans a happy Ramadan and remind everyone this year that celebrations will occur differently," he said, adding many in the Islamic community are already doing their part to reduce the spread of COVID-19, such as closing mosques and cancelling prayers.

"These are difficult decisions," Roussin said. "These are challenging times for Manitobans, for all Manitobans, but for this immediate future we need to change the way we do things."

Public health officials are expanding their testing criteria to include all symptomatic workers or volunteers at workplaces that have been identified as essential services and any symptomatic person who lives with a health-care worker, first responder or worker in a congregate setting such as a correctional facility, shelter, long-term care or residential facility.

Cadham Provincial Laboratory performed 340 tests on Friday. A total of 19,193 tests have been performed in Manitoba since early February.

 brobertson@brandonsun.com
The Boris Johnson government on Sunday insisted it is not yet safe to ease the lockdown, amidst intense criticism for allegedly not responding quickly enough in the early stages of the coronavirus pandemic, which may have led to thousands of deaths.

The UK-wide death toll in hospitals mounted to 16,060 (day rise of 596), and 120,067 cases (day rise of 5,850). Reports from care homes and charity organisations say thousands have died outside hospitals that are not reflected in the daily hospital figures.

Michael Gove, senior cabinet minister, rejected several reports in the Sunday press alleging that Johnson did not attend five emergency meetings related to the pandemic, and that ministers were slow in responding adequately despite scientific evidence of its seriousness.

There have been demands that as in other countries, the UK should ease some restrictions as part of an exit plan, but Gove said the government was taking a deliberately cautious and measured approach guided by the science.

He said: When we have the information, when we have the data that allows us confidently to relax those restrictions we will do so, but that data, that information, is not yet in place, adding that there is no certainty when a vaccine for the virus would be available.

Sarah Gilbert, who is leading a team developing a vaccine at Oxford University, told the BBCs Andrew Marr Show that they hoped to start clinical trials towards the end of next week but nobody could be sure it was possible to find a workable vaccine.

She said they would need government support to accelerate manufacturing because the UK currently does not have the facilities to make the vaccine on a large scale.

Jeremy Farrar, who is a member of the governments Scientific Advisory Group for Emergencies (Sage), told Sunday television that the UK may be past the peak of the first wave of the virus, but cautioned against easing the lockdown.

If we were to release those lockdowns too soon whilst the infection rates are still high  then the epidemic would come back again, it would come back very quickly. It would rebound within a few weeks or a couple of months.

On vaccine development, he said: Its not a given that we will make a vaccine. If we did have a vaccine, lets say late in 2020 or into 2021, we would then need to manufacture it in billions of doses and make those billions of doses available to the world.

So just having a vaccine that is safe and effective, proven, is not enough. If there is any country vulnerable, if there is any country where there is still transmission of this virus, then in fact every country is vulnerable.

I hope we would have a vaccine towards the end of this year  but thats a vaccine in a vial, its a vaccine that we believe to be safe, a vaccine we think might be effective. Thats not having a vaccine for the world.

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Latest News Sydney property prices might not drop yet, as planning problems persist NSW planning approvals have fallen off a cliff since October, showing that the supply crisis might yet continue

The key trends for property investment in 2022 analysed The key trends for property investment in 2022 analysed, with rentvesting and borderless investing likely to surge

The Australian Prudential Regulation Authority (APRA) has suspended the issuance of any new banking licences for at least six months in response to the economic uncertainty created by COVID-19.

The regulator sent a letter to applicants currently waiting to receive licences explaining the fundamental change being felt both in Australia and abroad around the spreading virus.

In the correspondence, APRA highlighted that financial institutions, especially those that take customer deposits, occupy a unique position of trust.

The financial safety of these institutions is key to the financial stability and well-being of the community and, as a result, these institutions are subject to higher standards than many sectors of the economy, it read.

This includes higher entry standards. The process of granting an APRA licence is intended to help ensure that a new entrant will be able to honour the financial promises it makes under all reasonable circumstances.

APRA has not only put a pause on handing out new licences for the sake of consumers; past experience has shown it is challenging for new market entrants to succeed under normal economic conditions, let alone under the current environment.

In fact, some analysts are confident COVID-19 will lead to the consolidation of the financial services market, reversing the recent increase in licenced ADIs and seeing up to a quarter of industry participants exit the market within the next five years.

The only exception to APRAs temporary suspension of new licences will be in the rare case that the granting of a licence is necessary for APRA to carry out its mandate.

Applicants have been told APRA will keep its approach under review and be in touch when the granting of licences is set to resume.

The hold is expected to last at least six months, but APRA will continue to assess current licence applications throughout the pause to minimise the delay on launching when normal activity recommences.

Applicants have been invited to reach out to discuss the contents of the letter if they have any pressing concerns.
US Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin on Sunday said that it will be months not years for the US economy, which has been battered by the coronavirus pandemic, to be back on track.

The country's economy has been ravaged by the challenges posed by the coronavirus crisis. More than 22 million people have lost their jobs, as the heavy job creating sectors like travel and tourism has come to a standstill.

Over 95 per cent of the country's 330 million population are under a stay-at-home order.

The deadly virus has killed more than 39,000 people and infected over 740,000 in the US, which has the highest number of COVID-19 casualties in the world.

The Trump Administration has brought in a stimulus package worth USD 2 trillion to boost the economy.

However, the International Monetary Fund and World Bank say that the American economy is in a recession.

Mnuchin exuded confidence that the economy would soon be back on track in a matter of months.

I think it will be months. I definitely don't think it will be years, Mnuchin said on asked if it will be months or years before the economy is back to the strong position it was before the pandemic.

Mnuchin made the remarks during his appearance at the CNN's State of the Union talk show.

We are going to conquer this virus. We are going to have terrific breakthroughs, I know, both not just on the testing, but on the medical front. We begin to have vaccines. I think there's things that are being developed for vaccines, which will take a little bit longer, he said.

But one of the things we heard is, people want testing. People also will react very positively that they know, if they get this disease, there will be medical treatments available as well, he said.

US President Donald Trump this week unveiled a three-phase plan to reopen the world's largest economy that allows governors to gradually ease the crippling lockdown in their states.

Asserting that a prolonged lockdown, combined with a forced economic depression, would inflict an immense and wide-ranging toll on public health, Trump said that his administration is issuing new federal guidelines that will allow governors to take a phased approach to reopening their individual states.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Heres a recap of the global response to the coronavirus pandemic for Sunday, April 19, 2020.

Over 2.4 million people worldwide have tested positive for the coronavirus, according to data from Johns Hopkins University. More than 160,000 people have died.

The United States has had over 750,000 confirmed coronavirus cases and more than 40,000 deaths. As some U.S. begin relaxing social distancing restrictions, a new poll showed a majority of Americans fear easing those guidelines could result in more deaths.

Russia reported 6,060 new cases over the past 24 hours, its highest single-day total to date. Meanwhile, Italians are debating first cautious steps out of their lockdown. "We must give citizens greater freedom of movement," said Deputy Health Minister Pierpaolo Sileri.

For the latest live updates, click here.
Nazarbaev And Kazakhstan's Security Council Out Of Sight Amid Coronavirus Crisis

By Bruce Pannier April 18, 2020

Kazakh officials are working to guide the country through the health crisis caused by the coronavirus and the dramatic economic effects of a drastic drop in global prices for oil, the country's major export.

Despite such crucial events, the official Leader of the Nation (Elbasy), former Kazakh President Nursultan Nazarbaev, and the Security Council he leads, have pulled a major vanishing act.

Nazarbaev is chairman for life of the council and it seems when the chairman is out it doesn't meet, even if the country faces major crises.

In one sense, the fact that Nazarbaev has not been visible in public is not a real surprise.

It has not been his custom in recent years to appear during Kazakhstan's difficult times. Besides that, the longtime authoritarian leader will turn 80 in July and for many years was rumored to be receiving treatment for prostate cancer. The combination of old age and the underlying condition would put him at great risk if he contracted the coronavirus.

And remember, Nazarbaev founded a university, Nazarbaev University, with a generously funded anti-aging and longevity department. He wants to live a long time and there was no way he was going to be out in public during a global pandemic.

Death Rumors

Nazarbaev's decision to sequester himself, however, has sparked the inevitable rumors that he is dead. His fierce political opponent, fugitive former top banker Mukhtar Ablyazov, who lives in Europe, made this claim in a Facebook post on April 3.

Rumors of Central Asian leaders being in ill health or having died after not being seen for some time have been circulating for decades, and Nazarbaev has been the subject of some of those rumors before.

Most recently, Turkmen President Gurbanguly Berdymukhammedov vanished most unprecedentedly from state media for most of July and early August in 2019, sparking reports that he had passed away.

Though looking a bit worn in his first public appearances, he reemerged to prove that reports of his death had been greatly exaggerated.

Nazarbaev's press secretary, Aydos Ukibay, has been the conduit for Elbasy's messages while the country's first president has been out of sight.

Ukibay denied Ablyazov's claim in an April 4 statement, insisting that Nazarbaev was in good health.

Ukibay said that, during the lockdown declared in the country, access to Nazarbaev's office was limited but that he would appear on television to make a statement as soon as conditions permitted.

Ukibay said Nazarbaev was still working and had been in contact with governors around the country, including Almaty Governor Amandyk Batalov to discuss the sugar beet harvest this year.

So Nazarbaev is, reportedly, keeping in contact with officials. But it still seems strange that the country's Security Council has not met in more than two months to discuss the situation in Kazakhstan.

Economic Difficulties

The disagreement between Russia and Saudi Arabia at an OPEC+ summit that led to sharp drop in oil prices occurred on March 8 and Kazakhstan's first reported cases of the coronavirus were on March 13.

Yet the Security Council has not convened since February 11, prompted by deadly interethnic violence in southern Kazakhstan.

Nazarbaev did note that the coronavirus could have adverse effects on the economies of China and Kazakhstan.

"We shouldn't stand idly by," he said at that council meeting. "We should foresee countermeasures in such a case as well as to prevent the detrimental effect of the external factor on the national economy."

The Kazakh government did have a plan when the first cases of the virus were reported. Funds were allocated to prop up the economy and provide some money to many of those who temporarily lost their jobs as Kazakhstan's major cities were successively put under quarantine.

But it would have been impossible for the Security Council members who were at the February 11 session to know how bad the global pandemic would be, or that the country would be looking at significantly reduced revenue for most or all of 2020, due not only to the reduction in the price of oil, but also trade in general.

Despite all of these unforeseen developments, the Security Council has not met -- not even by video conference.

Council members such as President Qasym-Zhomart Toqaev and Prime Minister Askar Mamin have been speaking to the public through the media and are reported to have been in contact with Nazarbaev.

Another council member, Senate speaker Darigha Nazarbaeva, who is Elbasy's oldest daughter, recently addressed the media but mostly through a spokesperson to deny she and her son, Nurali Aliev, might have used illegally or unethically obtained money to acquire three luxurious homes in Britain worth a combined total of more than $100 million.

National Interests

In 2018, the Kazakh Constitution was amended to give the Security Council more powers and, at the same time, make Nazarbaev chairman of the council for life.

The council gained the status of a constitutional body "responsible for coordinating the implementation of a unified state policy in ensuring national security and defense capabilities to maintain domestic political stability, protect the constitutional order, state independence, territorial integrity, and the national interests of Kazakhstan internationally."

It also was stated that "The decisions of the Security Council and the chairman of the Security Council are mandatory and are subject to strict execution by state bodies, organizations, and officials of the republic of Kazakhstan."

It seems that the council should have been very busy lately protecting these interests of the country during such a critical time of crisis.

But that has not been the case and everyone is wondering how much longer it will be until someone hears something from Kazakhstan's leader of the nation.

Source: https://www.rferl.org/a/nazarbaev- kazakhstan-out-of-sight-coronavirus -crisis/30562954.html

Copyright (c) 2020. RFE/RL, Inc. Reprinted with the permission of Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, 1201 Connecticut Ave., N.W. Washington DC 20036.

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Almost 200,000 people deemed extremely vulnerable to coronavirus have been put at risk after letters telling them to stay indoors for three months were delayed.

The Mail on Sunday has learnt that thousands of patients with serious medical conditions including cancer and chronic kidney disease have still not been advised to shield in their homes.

The Government announced it would contact 1.5 million people by March 29 to tell them if they are clinically extremely vulnerable and should be shielding.

But the NHS has sent 1.31 million letters after scouring databases of GP, hospital and prescription records  leaving 190,000 vulnerable patients still to be traced.

The Government announced it would contact 1.5 million people by March 29 to tell them if they are clinically extremely vulnerable to coronavirus

Over the Easter weekend, GPs and hospital staff in England were ordered to review their lists to find the missing patients and set a deadline to complete the exercise by 5pm last Tuesday.

But Alex Freeman, a GP in southern England, wrote on Twitter: The deadline is impossible to hit. To do this properly needs reviews of notes for every single patient in the list which takes time.

In Wales, meanwhile, 13,000 letters for the most vulnerable were sent to the wrong addresses.

The Department of Health and Social Care said: The NHS has already sent letters to more than 1.3 million people who are clinically extremely vulnerable.

We are confident everyone who has been identified so far has been contacted and we encourage people to get in touch with their GP if they are concerned.
London: Boris Johnson has directed his government from Chequers, as Downing Street attempts to get a grip on the coronavirus crisis.

The Prime Minister issued orders to Dominic Raab, his deputy, and senior aides, in a series of calls last week, followed by a three-hour meeting with the Foreign Secretary and staff on Friday.

British Prime Minister Boris Johnson has started to regain control of the government following his discharge from hospital. Credit:Getty

Johnson's intervention comes as he recovers from coronavirus at Chequers before making a decision about when to return to work.

It followed sustained criticism of aspects of the government's handling of the pandemic, including a national shortage of key personal protective equipment (PPE) used by NHS staff.
Egypts health ministry has begun clinical trials using blood plasma from patients who have recovered from the coronavirus to treat the illness, sources from the ministry told several new outlets on Sunday.

The ministry has reportedly collected blood samples from two people who have recovered from COVID-19.

The goal of the treatment is to transfer the antibodies in the blood of patients who have recently recovered from the virus to those patients currently fighting the disease.

Many countries, including the US, China, France and India, have started trials of the treatment.

Reuters this month reported a Chinese study of ten patients with severe cases who improved significantly, compared to similar patients who did not receive the treatment.

Similar plasma treatments have been used against other diseases, including measles, chickenpox and the 1918 influenza.

Egypts health ministry has also changed two of the drugs in its coronavirus treatment protocols, sources at the health ministry told Shorouk News on Sunday.

The ministry replaced chloroquine phosphate with chloroquine magnesium, as the former has caused side effects, and replaced the antibiotic used in the treatment with a stronger one.

Higher Education and Scientific Research Minister Khaled Abdel-Ghaffar announced in April that Egypt had received samples of the Japanese anti-viral flu drug Avigan to test as a possible COVID-19 treatment.

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Wales to roll out once-a-month injection for recovering heroin addicts to help protect NHS staff

This article is old - Published: Sunday, Apr 19th, 2020

Wales will become the first part of the UK to make a new once-a-month injection for recovering heroin addicts routinely available.

The new service will replace daily oral medication services to support recovering addicts, helping to relieve pressure on pharmacy and NHS services during the coronavirus pandemic.

The treatment is a clinically proven, long-lasting injection, which is given once a month. Former heroin users currently receiving a daily oral medication, normally through their community pharmacy, will be screened for their suitability for have the injection of slow-release buprenorphine.

The injection will reduce the amount of contact between individuals and frontline healthcare and pharmacy staff during the coronavirus pandemic, while still continuing to provide substance abuse treatment. It will also be available within prisons in Wales.

Health Minister Vaughan Gething said: Former heroin users are at greater risk of contracting coronavirus because, as a result of their substance misuse, they have poorer immune systems and many will have underlying health conditions.

People who sleep rough and who have substance use issues are even more likely to have respiratory conditions and other underlying health problems, which put them at very high risk.

This new service will help to ensure people continue to receive support for their addiction and we continue to reduce the risk of spreading coronavirus.

The staff in community pharmacies and our substance misuse services are doing an incredible job in very difficult circumstances. Reducing both their workload and the risk to their own health is vital.

The new service will reduce pressure on already busy health services and will help to reduce the risk of the coronavirus from repeated daily visits to community pharmacies. It will also ensure those people who need to self-isolate do not need to break quarantine every day to receive daily medication.

An additional 10m has also been made available to help support people who are homeless or sleeping rough during the coronavirus pandemic.

The additional funding, together with the new long-lasting injection service, will help former heroin users who are homeless to self-isolate and follow social distancing rules safely and access handwashing and other basic hygiene facilities.

Housing and Local Government Minister Julie James said: Homelessness and substance misuse often go hand in hand. People experiencing both are particularly vulnerable during this difficult time.

The introduction of this treatment, together with the additional funding we have provided to safely house and support those without a home, is an example of how we are working across government to protect those who need it most.

Dr Julia Lewis, a consultant addiction psychiatrist, Gwent Specialist Substance Misuse, said: Securing the support of the Welsh Government for this treatment will hugely reduce the pressures on both our services and community pharmacies, enabling us to focus our work on our most vulnerable service users, many of whom have complex needs, including mental health issues
DRDO is developing 15 to 20 products to help manage the COVID-19 pandemic.

Ajai Shukla reports.

Kindly mote that the image has only been posted for representational purposes. Photograph: PTI Photo

Even as 26 naval sailors have been identified as coronavirus patients, the Defence R&D Organisation (DRDO), eight Defence Public Sector Undertakings (DPSUs), and 41 factories of the Ordnance Factory Board (OFB) have begun contributing to the fight against the global pandemic.

During wartime, these defence ministry organisations provide 'surge capacity' for stepped up requirements of arms, ammunition and defence equipment. Currently, they have focused on managing the COVID-19 crisis.

Bengaluru-based Bharat Electronic Limited has begun manufacturing 30,000 ventilators for intensive care units across the country. The order, placed by the ministry of health and family welfare, is required to be supplied within two months.

The ventilators have been designed by DRDO and improved upon by a Mysuru-based firm, Skanray, with whom BEL is collaborating.

According to BEL, it will manufacture 5,000 ventilators in April, 10,000 in May, and 15,000 in June.

Along with DRDO, BEL is trying to indigenise as many ventilator components as possible.

Meanwhile, Hyderabad-based Bharat Dynamics Limited is developing a ventilator prototype, in collaboration with a private start-up in Pune.

The defence ministry expects BDL to test and certify the prototype by the first week of May, after which large-scale manufacture will begin.

Bengaluru-based Hindustan Aeronautics Limited has manufactured more than 300 aerosol boxes, which serve as an insulator between patients and doctors to prevent transmission of the virus.

These have been distributed to government hospitals in Bengaluru, Mysuru, Mumbai, Pune, Uttar Pradesh, Telangana, Andhra Pradesh and Tamil Nadu.

HAL has also established an isolation ward facility for 93 persons in a building with 30 rooms.

Meanwhile, the OFB has begun manufacturing 110,000 protective coveralls for health care workers, which are required to conform to ISO Class 3 exposure standards -- a measure of the degree of virus contamination.

This initial order, placed by HLL Lifecare Limited -- the nodal agency appointed by the government for centralised COVID-19 related procurement -- is required to be completed in 40 days.

A cluster of five ordnance factories in Kanpur, Shahjahanpur, Firozabad and Chennai are currently manufacturing 800 coveralls per day, but the OFB is ramping up production to 1,500 daily.

OFB has also begun producing medical sanitiser fluid to meet an order from HLL.

'So far, OFB has manufactured 60,230 litres of sanitiser which has been distributed to HLL units besides its own hospitals in ordnance factories,' says the OFB.

The OFB has also begun manufacturing three-ply medical masks. It has already distributed 111,405 masks to various government agencies. The OFB has also manufactured 5,870 personal protective equipment kits (PPEs).

Ordnance factories have also begun the supply of special two-metre tents made of waterproof fabric, mild steel, and aluminium alloy for use in medical screening, hospital triage. and as quarantine shelters.

Some 420 tents of different types have already been distributed to various first responders, including the Odisha State Medical Corporation, the Arunachal Pradesh government, and Punjab police, Chandigarh.

Meanwhile, DRDO chief Satheesh Reddy says his organisation is developing 15 to 20 products to help manage the COVID-19 pandemic.

Two Delhi-based DRDO laboratories have announced the development of a high-tech ultraviolet sanitisation box and hand device.

This uses ultraviolet light, with a shorter, more energetic wavelength of 254 nanometres, to warp genetic material in the COVID-19 virus and prevent it from making copies of itself.

Killing microbes with ultraviolet light is an environment friendly and contact-free sanitisation method that avoids the harmful effects of disinfecting with chemicals.

Another Delhi-based DRDO laboratory that deals with explosive fire suppression has used its expertise in mist technology to develop and automatic mist-based sanitiser unit.

The sanitiser unit is activated through an ultrasonic sensor and sprays alcohol-based hand rub solution without contact and with minimum wastage.

'The unit can be used for sanitisation of hands at entry and exit to hospitals, malls, office buildings, residential buildings, airports, metro stations, railway stations, bus stations, and critical installations,' says DRDO.
Edna Ferber, author of Giant, had a great ear for one of the subtlest American dialects: High Texan Bulls***, the mother tongue of almost every politician to make it from the Lone Star State to the national stage, from Lyndon Johnson to Ross Perot to George W. Bush to Rick Perry. It was part of the Texas ritual, Ferber wrote. Were rich as son-of-a-bitch stew but look how homely we are, just as plain-folksy as Grandpappy back in 1836. We know about Champagne and caviar but we talk hog and hominy.

(If only for the phrase rich as son-of-a-bitch stew, Ferber should have been carried down Broadway on a palanquin by members of the Algonquin Round Table.)

It isnt only the Texans, anymore. Hog and hominy is the language of politics from sea to shining sea. You know this if you watch cable news.

Subtitling television programming has to be one of the worst jobs in writing, and sometimes words cannot really capture what is happening on screen, hence vague descriptions such as crosstalk or jaunty music or (this is supposedly genuine) loudly implied cannibalism. The subtitling teams over at CNN and Fox News et al. should add to their arsenal the phrase folksy moral certitude. They could save themselves some time when covering political debates, speeches, and rallies.

In the language of folksy moral certitude, a key phrase is Where I come from. This is a phrase used to recruit the folk to your cause, whether they like it or not. If a politician wants to say that something is naughty, he does not have to argue that it is naughty or to prove its naughtiness, but only need say, Where I come from, we think that is naughty. And thus the hardscrabble honest working-class cartoons of Scranton or Cleveland or Toad Suck, Arkansas, are reduced to moral ballast for the convenience of some Harvard-educated millionaire lawyer who was too lazy to sue insurance companies for a living and went to Washington instead.

No surprise that Elizabeth Warren is big on where I come from, e.g.,

Story continues

Where I come from, nobody calls fine print, hidden fees, and surprise penalties negotiated contract terms or innovations. On a polite day, my brothers in Oklahoma call that kind of stuff garbage.

The implied profanity there is part of the idiotic idiom. Profanity is the morons shorthand for moral urgency  remember those Sarah Palin Is a C*** T-shirts. Senator Warren doesnt want to do her own cursing, so she drafts her brothers and puts words into their mouths.

In reality, there is a bit more to those legal questions than folksy moral certitude will admit, which is why those nice gentlemen over at Kirkland & Ellis earn $1 million a month or so.

This is not news to Professor Warren of Harvard Law, where they expect their students to actually learn about contract law  negotiated contract terms and all!  and will not accept nuggets of folksy wisdom of her brothers in Oklahoma or her Cherokee-princess great-grandmother or whatever as though these were something of value. Senator Warren knows this. Her chair at Harvard was not endowed by plainspoken Oklahoma hog farmers  it was endowed by a law firm that made a lot of money helping multinational banks that profited from the Bernie Madoff fraud avoid paying compensation to his victims. Was that a bad thing for them to do? Legal experience and folksy moral certitude may produce incompatible opinions on that. I am sure that Senator Warren could provide a very persuasive explanation. A half dozen of them, probably.

The critical factor here is that Senator Warren does not think that students at Harvard Law are stupid but believes, not without some reason, that voters are. So its Champagne and caviar in Cambridge and hog and hominy for you hay-humping serfs down in Oklahoma.

The average voter is not stupid. The average voter is average. What people are is ignorant  all of us. Even the smartest and most knowledgeable of people are smart and knowledgeable only about a relatively narrow range of subjects. The smarter ones understand that specialization implies limitation, and the less smart ones do not. (Ask any old man with a gold Rolex yelling at Fox News.) People tend to be biased in believing that the kind of knowledge they have is the important kind and that other kinds are less valuable and hence are susceptible to the stratagem that has taken Warren and so many others like her so far in politics: pretending that complex problems can be easily solved by lightly informed amateurs if only enough folksy wisdom is hurled at them.

Senator Warren is a kind of chimera, part folksy-wisdom dispenser and part would-be technocrat. That is where the Democratic Party is right at the moment: The folksy moral certitude on offer insists that thorny social problems can be solved (with no unpleasant tradeoffs!) by giving the right people power to manage the technocrats. Senator Warrens bronze-medal move was trying to catch her own pitch.

Joe Biden is famously big on Where I come from even when he is not sure where he is trying to go. In February, the man who would be king stood before an audience and declared: Where I come from, you dont go very far unless you ask. My names Joe Biden. Im a Democratic candidate for the United States Senate. After some time, he remembered that he was running for president, having retired from the Senate some years ago and none too soon.

The contest between Donald Trump and Joe Biden will be one of competing folksy moral certitudes. In spite of the manful efforts of some of my colleagues on the right, Trumpism remains a collection of shallow slogans rather than a collection of ideas or principles. Joe Biden could easily run on the slogan Make America Great Again if it werent already taken. So could have Bernie Sanders. That is because those four words have no intellectual content, only emotional appeal. What do they mean? That needs no explanation: We, the People, know! Where I come from, Make America Great Again is so obvious that it doesnt need explaining. Lucky thing, that, as anybody who has ever watched President Trump try to explain anything knows. Biden made his political living serving as the credit-card industrys ambassador to Washington. Where Joe Biden comes from, they know . . . all about the benefits of a preferential legal environment when making corporate-domiciling decisions for multinational financial concerns.

The shortcomings of folksy moral certitude are obvious enough. When there are not enough ventilators to go around, politicians will stampede to the microphones to declare: Everybody has a moral right to health care! Thanks for that, Bubba. The number of ventilators available after that declaration of folksy moral certitude is  you will not be surprised to learn  exactly the same as the number of ventilators available before that declaration of folksy moral certitude. If you want to know how to get more ventilators online, then you have to tune out the folksy moral certitude for a minute or two and do the hard work of sitting down and learning about the issue from somebody who knows something about it. Those somebodies are not generally found serving in Congress.

This is a big, complex, dynamic country. Its problems are big complex, and dynamic, too  they already were before the epidemic and the recession that it is sure to produce, and they will become more so as, in the words of one famous television subtitle, Intensity intensifies. If you think that the epidemic is disruptive, consider the pace at which our national fiscal position is deteriorating and then imagine a debt crisis layers on top of the viral one. (Not a certainty  a possibility.) Where I come from, that is some terrifying stuff. Probably is where you come from, too.

The United States of America cannot be governed by platitude. It cannot be led by platitude or by those who have almost nothing to offer beyond platitude.

Not well, anyway  and not forever.

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The group was hiding in al-Amiriyah, a district in eastern Cairo. During the gun battle, which lasted several hours, one policeman and seven suspects were killed. Reports indicate that the cell was linked to the Islamic State group. For Egyptian priest, there are no particular fears or concerns since churches and mosques are closed due to the coronavirus.

Cairo (AsiaNews)  Egyptian security forces yesterday neutralised a jihadi cell with alleged ties to the Islamic State group in a district in eastern Cairo. The group was preparing to attack the Christian community during the upcoming Coptic Easter celebrations.

The police turned into a gun battle that lasted at least four hours. At the end of the shootout, one policeman and seven suspected terrorists were dead.

Speaking to AsiaNews Fr Rafic Greiche, head of media committee of the Council of Churches of Egypt, said that the incident wont frighten or concern Christians since most places of worship," including churches and mosques are closed" and worshippers are not allowed in because of the COVID-19 virus.

"I don't think, and this is my personal opinion, that the churches could have been a real target, said the clergyman. The terrorist group perhaps intended to strike elsewhere.

The incident unfolded in al-Amiriyah, a residential district in eastern Cairo where the terrorists had their base.

After receiving a tip-off, police moved in, preventing a series of attacks against police forces and Coptic churches in connection with Orthodox Easter scheduled next Sunday.

Inside the flat, police found several weapons and a huge cache of ammunition to be used in the attacks.

Sources in Egypts Interior Ministry report that three officers were also injured in the shooting, with one needing hospitalisation.

The cell was reportedly linked to the Islamic State group, which is still active in Egypt, especially in northern Sinai and the capital.

In the days prior to the police operation, the cell allegedly collected information about Christian places of worship in the district, which had been closed because of a government order.

Analysts and experts note that al-Amiriyah is among the most densely populated districts in Cairo, with narrow streets, an ideal hiding place for a group that "wants to prepare an attack".

At present, the novel coronavirus has captured public attention; for terrorists, this provided an opportunity to strike, but the security services received information that enabled them to stop the terrorists plans.

In recent weeks, social media linked to the Islamic State group have been calling for attacks during the ongoing health emergency.

Egypt has almost 95 million people with a large Muslim majority. Christians, especially Orthodox Copts, are a substantial minority, about 10 per cent of the population.

Between 2016 and 2017, the latter were the target of a series of brutal attacks.

In 2018 a military court sentenced 17 people to death in connection with these attacks; however, the governments iron fist has not stop the violence. Last year for example, an attack against Christians on Christmas Eve was foiled only by the prompt intervention of an imam.
Beijing will expand the scope of nucleic acid tests to cope with the heavy tasks of preventing the novel coronavirus epidemic from rebounding, local authorities said Saturday.

The nucleic acid tests should be conducted on all key groups, said Xu Hejian, spokesperson for the municipal government at a press conference Saturday.

The city will strengthen the management of the people who undergo medical observation at home or concentrated quarantine in designated facilities. Those who have returned from concentrated quarantine should be included in community health management schemes.

Beijing will also step up the epidemiological investigations on import-cases-related infections in the city to further reinforce the positive momentum in the epidemic situation, Xu said.
Pakistan has started repatriating some of its citizens from the United Arab Emirates, which had threatened to review labour ties with countries refusing to take back their nationals during the novel coronavirus pandemic.

The first Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) flight carrying 227 stranded passengers from Dubai and other emirates left for Islamabad on Saturday evening, Pakistans consulate general in Dubai said in a Twitter post.

First PIA flight carrying 227 stranded passengers from Dubai and Northern Emirates left for Islamabad today at 1900 hours.@SMQureshiPTI @ForeignOfficePk @pid_gov pic.twitter.com/aF4RHwtMij  Consulate General of Pakistan, Dubai (@ParepDubai) April 18, 2020

It was not clear when other flights would depart. More than 40,000 Pakistanis in the Gulf Arab state have registered with the consulate to return home, two UAE newspapers reported.

The UAE and other Gulf states have reported increased infections among low-income migrant workers who live in overcrowded quarters. Some have moved to re-house them in shuttered schools or dedicated centres, and are trying to arrange flights to repatriate them.

Click here for the complete coverage of the Covid-19 pandemic

The UAE last week said it would review labour relations with states refusing to evacuate citizens, including those who have lost jobs or been put on leave, after the ambassadors of India and Pakistan said their countries were not yet ready to do so.

PIA said on its website that it would not be able to provide services for inbound flights beyond Islamabad International Airport due to suspension of domestic flights and a lockdown in the country.

Millions of foreign workers, many from Asia, form the backbone of Gulf economies and work in sectors that have been disrupted by the coronavirus outbreak.

The pandemic is also likely to disrupt the significant remittances those workers send back to their home countries.

The total infection count in the six Gulf states has risen steadily to more than 25,000, with 161 deaths, despite containment measures such as halting passenger flights, curfews and in several cases locking down districts with large populations of low-income expatriate workers.

On Sunday the UAE announced another 479 new cases and four more deaths, bringing its total to 6,781 cases and 41 deaths so far.

Kuwaits 90-year-old ruler, Emir Sheikh Sabah al-Ahmad al-Sabah, on Sunday addressed the nation to welcome back the first group of Kuwaitis returned home under a new repatriation programme.

He urged them to comply with all isolation and quarantine guidelines given by authorities in the Gulf state, which has recorded seven deaths, including one on Sunday, and almost 2,000 cases of the infection.

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Police on Saturday seized cash and liquor battles from the car of Aurangabad district health officer (DHO) in Jalna district of Maharashtra, an official said. A case has been registered against the DHO Dr Amol Gite under Disaster Management Act for violating the lockdown norms, the Maharashtra Prohibition Act and under various sections of the Indian Penal Code (IPC), he said.

The car was intercepted at Wardi checkpost on Jalna-Aurangabad Road, said police sub-inspector Shivsinh Bhaure. Police seized cash worth Rs 6.70 lakh and liquor bottles from the car. He said the DHO, who was travelling in the car, gave evasive replies when asked about the consignment. "The DHO told police that he was travelling to his native place Lonar in Buldhana district, and that he was going to hand over the money and the liquor bottles to his father," Bhaure said.

No arrest is made yet, he added. A police officer from Aurangabad said they have informed the Income Tax department about the seized cash. He said the collective value of the seizure, including the car, is Rs 12.76 lakh.
BALTIMORE  On the first day of the coronavirus school closure at Sinclair Lane Elementary School, Janet Bailey, the cafeteria manager, showed up to the schools kitchen like any other day, ready to do her job. She began fixing the favorites of the 250 or so children who relied on her to feed them daily  chicken patties, a fruit and vegetable, and flavored milk.

On the second day, Ms. Bailey realized that she had answered a calling. By the time the building in northeast Baltimore had opened at 10 a.m., there was a line. Among the first was a man who said he only had a half a loaf of bread in the refrigerator.

I just packed him up, no questions asked, said Ms. Bailey, one of dozens of food service workers who signed up to staff meal sites around the city. I didnt know his situation, if he had four kids at home or not, like he said. But I know he was hungry. We are supposed to be here to meet the needs of the community. How could I say no?

After the coronavirus shut down Americas education system, districts fortified their school meals programs to ensure that their most needy students would stay fed. One month in, school leaders realize the federal programs set up to subsidize the meals of tens of millions of students cannot meet the demands of an emergency that has turned their cafeterias into food banks and community kitchens.
The burial

According to The PUNCH, the Health and Human Services Secretariat of the Federal Capital Territory Administration has said that all the persons who participated in the burial of the late Chief of Staff to the President, Abba Kyari, have been put in isolation.

It also disclosed that its officials had evacuated personal protection equipment discarded by one of the men, who participated in the burial at the Gudu Cemetery in Abuja on Saturday.

A viral video had shown the man leaving his hazmat suit outside the cemetery ground.

This had generated concerns among Nigerians who expressed fears over the implication of the mans action.

But the Public Health Department said it removed the PPE and also decontaminated the area.

The acting Secretary, Health and Human Services Secretariat, FCTA, Dr Mohammed Kawu, disclosed in a statement that the necessary action had been taken.

He stated, The said PPE left over by the individual has been professionally evacuated and the entire cemetery has been decontaminated.

In addition, all the individuals including the man in question that participated in the burial and were not properly kitted have been identified and are being isolated.

Kawu explained that necessary tests will be conducted on all of them to determine their level of exposure and ensure that they do not infect other people.

He said the Administration had also taken steps to ensure that all future burials of victims of COVID-19 were conducted in line with protocols established by the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control.



Residents are, therefore, urged to remain calm and rest assured that the FCT Administration will continue to do all that is necessary to curtail and eventually end the spread of the coronavirus in the FCT, the statement noted.
Despite reports condemning the attack on Nigerians by security operatives while enforcing coronavirus lockdown across the country, some police officers have been caught on camera assaulting a woman in Osun State.

The two officers brutalised the woman, Tola Azeez, in Odo Ori Market in Iwo, Osun State while she was trying to buy drugs for her relatives at a pharmacy on Saturday.

The action of the police officers has been condemned by the police authorities, the Osun State Government and the Oluwo of Iwo.

The video of the assault was first published online by Nigerian musician, RuggedMan, on his Twitter account, @Ruggedybaba. He called the attention of police authorities to the brutalization.

Dear @PoliceNG @PoliceNG_CRU

@AcpIshaku FROM @KingMikasaa

Heres a video of a Police officer Sergent Iku Esan & his colleagues flogging a woman for sitting outside her house in iwo, Osun state

#StayHome @segalink #Covid_19 #gbasgbos #Buhari #kemitalks https://t.co/H9RvRP0GtT

The Woman sat in front of her house with some older women and a Police officer (Sergent Iku Esan), asked what shes was doing in front of the house and the woman replied is there anything bad in staying in front of my house https://t.co/xlk15PTlwD

Suddenly He started flogging her and the woman kept saying dont flog me within 3mins the rest of the Police officers  came and joined hands and kept flogging her.

READ ALSO:

The assaulted lady, Ms Azeez, also confirmed this in a retweet.

This is me being beaten by the police today on my way to get drugs and some relief materials for my people, she wrote while she retweeted a video posted by a RuggedMan.

Police react

When contacted by our correspondent, the Osun State Commissioner of Police, Babatunde Kokumo, said he has called for the arrest and detention of the officers involved.

More so, the Inspector-General of Police, Muhammed Adamu, in a series of tweets on Saturday said the police will not condone any act of misconduct and recklessness on the part of its personnel under his watch.

He announced the arrest of the officers identified as Inspector Ikuesan Taiwo and corporal Abass Ibrahim.

The duo are currently being detained and their orderly room trial had since commenced, the police wrote.

has arrested the officers involved in the unfortunate incident. They are Inspector Ikuesan Taiwo with AP NO 251724 and PC Abass Ibrahim with Force No. 509634. The duo are currently being detained and their orderly room trial had since commenced.  Nigeria Police Force (@PoliceNG) April 18, 2020

He appealed to Nigerians to continue to cooperate with the police leadership as it strives to reposition the NPF into an effective, efficient and people-friendly force.

Osun govt, Oluwo React

In her reaction, the Osun State Commissioner for Information, Funke Egbemode urged the police to include psychiatric evaluation in the process of discipline of the officers.

This public display of shame and bad upbringing. How can men in uniform do this to any woman? Im so totally angry. Like Ive always said, a man who beats a woman is a sick man. A man who needs psychiatric attention. I implore the Inspector-General of Police to include psychiatric evaluation in the process of discipline of those two human beings in police uniform, she said.

Also, the Oluwo of Iwo, Abdulrosheed Akanbi, said the police are investigating and will take disciplinary measures.

The act and action of the police against an Iwo woman, Tola Azeez, is condemned. It is unacceptable and barbaric display. Iwo is civilized beyond such incivility.

The palace has time immemorial device necessary machinery to ensure the community and the police co-habit peacefully for effective security. Ive intervened, the police have gone to her place with the DPO of the affected division to tender their apology formally.

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I urge the citizens to be peaceful and let the matter be handled maturely according to the law in the best interest of the town, the monarch said in a statement to PREMIUM TIMES.
The United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) has expressed concerns over the environmental situation of camps for internally displaced persons (IDPs) across northern Nigeria.

The global agency said the congested camps are at risk of a massive spread of the coronavirus if it hits any of its 1.8 million IDPs in Borno, Adamawa and Yobe states.

The Humanitarian Coordinator of the agency in Nigeria, Edward Kallon, in a statement on Sunday, called on stakeholders to assist in urgently decongesting the camps.

Most of the displaced persons are in Borno State, the majority of whom are women and children, with around a quarter being children under age five, according to OCHA.

The UN agency added that every one in two camps in Borno State is currently overcrowded with nearly 700,000 vulnerable IDPs living in dire conditions.

With the COVID-19 pandemic slowly spreading across the country, I am extremely worried about the 1.8 million IDPs in Borno, Adamawa and Yobe states and the rest of the nearly eight million vulnerable people in these conflict-affected states.

Camp decongestion has been a challenge, but it is now a priority. I call on all stakeholders to urgently contribute to efforts being made to decongest camps in respect of peoples rights and dignity.

However, UN and INGOs are working with federal and state authorities on expanding the IDP camps to mitigate the risk of fire incidents and the rapid spread of diseases like COVID-19.

I have to commend the engagement of Borno State authorities and the Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs on this issue, Mr Kallon said.

It is our duty to do our utmost to protect the most vulnerable from another tragedy, whether it is a fire or the COVID-19 virus, he said.

Fire outbreaks in IDPs camps

Mr Kallon also expressed concerns over multiple fire outbreaks that devastated the Monguno Waterboard IDPs camp in Borno State.

He said the fire incidents were the worst recorded in camps in the north-east so far this year.

On April 14, 15 and 18 The International Secondary School camp on April 14, 15 and 18, and the camp in the town of Gamboru, Ngala LGA, Borno State, near the border with Cameroon, on April 16 witnessed ghastly fire outbreaks that destroyed at least 200 and 100 shelters, respectively.

Communities in both Mafa and Monguno LGAs were shocked by massive fires on April 14, with an elderly person who was sleeping in one of the shelters burnt alive.

The risk of fire outbreaks, as well as the spread of disease, in IDPs camps in Borno State is extremely high due to overcrowding with makeshift and temporary shelters built too closely together.

Two days after at least 14 people lost their lives also in a fire incident in Ngala on April 16, 15 others were injured, while seven are still treated in a clinic run by aid organisations.

Over 300 shelters were damaged and a communal shelter hosting 11 families also burned down. More than 8,000 people already displaced by the ongoing crisis once again lost their belongings and shelters.

Similarly, on April 18, another fire broke out in the Waterboard camp in Monguno LGA, which was the third such incidents recorded in the camp in a week. Initial assessments indicate 100 shelters were entirely burnt down.

My heartfelt sympathy goes to the many vulnerable families who are affected. These are the worst fire incidents recorded in camps for internally displaced in the north-east so far this year, said Mr Kallon.

These tragedies come unfortunately among a series of recurring incidents during the dry season, despite regular awareness-raising efforts made by the humanitarian community in IDP camps, the Humanitarian Coordinator said.

He said around 15 fire outbreaks have been recorded in IDP camps since the beginning of the year, affecting more than 15,000 people, and that aid workers are now working around the clock to mobilise support such as food, shelter and essential items like mattresses, pots, soap and clothes.

I am concerned that we will keep witnessing these recurrent tragedies unless we take urgent measures to jointly address the root cause of the problem, stressed Mr Kallon.

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Slovakia, one of the more recent (2004) members of NATO, is still replacing its Cold War era Russian weapons with modern ones. The latest upgrade involves older Russian 9K111 and 9K113 ATGMs (Anti-Tank Guided Missile) being replaced with the Israeli Spike LR2. Slovakia is getting the Spike missiles and control units via the NATO Support and Procurement Agency, which handles all the purchasing contract details for many NATO nations buying weapons from non-NATO members.

Spike is actually a family of ATGMs with several different models of varying range and size that all use basic Spike technology. So far Israel has exported Spike to 34 nations and Slovakia is the sixth to receive the new LR2 model, which was introduced in 2017. Spike LR2 uses a lighter 12.7 kg (28 pound) missile with a longer range of 5,500 meters (instead of 4,000 meters) when fired from the existing Spike LR launcher. Range is 10,000 meters when fired from a helicopter or UAV. Like the original Spike LR, the new version uses a missile in a sealed storage/launch canister. The original Spike LR weighed 13 kg (28.6 pounds). The missile canister is mounted on a 13 kg fire control system (10 kg without the tripod) for aiming and firing. The missile in its canister has a shelf life of twenty years. The Spike uses a fiber-optic cable so that the operator can literally drive the missile to the target, although the missile can also be used in "fire and forget" mode.

Spike LR2 has new warhead and guidance options. One new warhead has a dual shaped charge (HEAT) system with 30 percent greater penetration than the one it replaces. The other new warhead is multipurpose (anti-armor or personnel) and gives the user the option to choose either mode before firing. The new warhead can also be fired remotely at specific locations. Spike can be also fired from vehicles, aircraft or ships. Over 27,000 Spike missiles (in five versions) have been manufactured and exported to 27 nations since 1981 and it often competes with the American Javelin and Russian Kornet for sales.

Slovakia has long used the older Russian ATGMs in portable and vehicle-mounted versions and Spike LR2 is able to handle that. Slovakia already ordered (in 2015) 30 Rosomak Wheeled Armored Vehicles from Poland. These vehicles used the Tura 30 unmanned turret that carries 30mm autocannon as well as ATGMs. One of the ATGMs Turra can handle is Spike LR and Slovakia chose that option with the intent of buying Spike LR.

The Spike LR2 is a considerable upgrade from the older Russian 9K111 and 9K113 ATGMs. The 9K111 was designed in the 1960s, entered service in 1970 and has a range of 2,500 meters and is wire-guided (like the U.S. TOW). The 9K113 was a more modern (1974) wire-guided missiles with a range of 4,000 meters. Like TOW, Russian wire-guided missiles have been upgraded over the years and are still in service. They are cheaper than Spike LR2 but are not as effective in combat. ---Przemyslaw Juraszek
COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. - Vice President Mike Pence on Saturday addressed the Air Force Academy's class of 2020, speaking solemnly about the coronavirus pandemic at a significantly scaled back ceremony.

"We gather at a time of national crisis," Pence told the 984 senior cadets before him on the academy's parade field, called the terrazzo, with each of them sitting eight feet apart.

"America is being tested," Pence said. "While there are signs that we are making progress in slowing the spread, as we stand here today, more than 700,000 Americans have contracted the coronavirus and tragically, more than 37,000" have died.

But, Pence declared, the nation will eventually emerge "stronger than ever before" and he thanked doctors, nurses and first responders "on the front lines," as well as workers and others nationwide who have helped with the response.

"We will get through this," Pence said on a chilly and windy afternoon in the shadow of the Rocky Mountains.

Cadets - in blue-and-white dress uniforms - were also solemn as they congregated, at a time when most commencements nationwide have been canceled. But there were bursts of cheers and applause at mentions of classmates.

For Pence, it was a rare venture outside of Washington since he has been leading the White House's coronavirus task force. He traveled to a Wal-Mart distribution center in Virginia earlier this month, but last took a longer trip on March 7 to Florida.

It was a moment, too, for Pence to be in the spotlight for at least part of the day, although President Donald Trump hovered. While Pence was in Colorado, the president announced that he would hold an evening news conference, even though the coronavirus task force, led by Pence, did not have a scheduled meeting.

Thousands of miles away, Trump's fury toward the media continued during the ceremony. He tweeted angrily about the "Lamestream media" and the use of anonymous sourcing in news stories. "The American people should demand NAMES!" he wrote at one point.

Despite the president's continuing anger over unnamed sources, his administration often holds briefings for reporters where they do not allow the officials to be named, requiring reporters who want to take part in the conversation to refer to the briefers as senior administration officials or something similar.

Pence was planning to address the ceremony by video until mid-April, when his office announced that he would travel to Colorado.

The vice president's trip comes as he and Trump are encouraging states to reopen some businesses, shuttered facilities and public spaces, with the White House providing nonbinding guidance on that process. But many states have warned it will be difficult to lift restrictions and return a more normal way of life until more testing is available to accurately gauge the virus's spread. Trump has put the onus of testing on governors.

Colorado Gov. Jared Polis, a Democrat, greeted Pence when the vice president arrived at Peterson Air Force Base. They spoke on the tarmac for a minutes. Polis wore a face mask with a Colorado-flag pattern, but Pence did not wear a mask.

Trump, who spoke at last year's Air Force Academy graduation, encouraged Pence's visit to the military academy during his news conference on Friday and noted, "I hear they're going to have a very spread out crowd."

"They are going to be socially very good," Trump said of the Air Force cadets. "They're going to be very far apart. That'll be very interesting. I think I'm going to watch that one."

Trump, who has suspended much of his travel during the outbreak, added that he plans to address the U.S. Military Academy in West Point, New York, later this spring. According to the academy, that graduation is scheduled for May 23.

"I'm doing it at West Point, which I look forward to," Trump said on Friday. "It'll be very different than it ever looked. Do I like the look? No, I don't. And eventually, next year, they'll have a commencement which will be like it's been."

Saturday's graduation was vastly different than traditional Air Force Academy graduations, which are typically held at Falcon Stadium.

At the direction of the academy's superintendent, the campus was closed all morning and early afternoon to all but "mission-essential staff" and cadets, with friends and family asked to watch remotely.

"For safety and out of respect for the situation our nation is enduring, I ask for your support," Air Force Lt. Gen. Jay Silveria, the academy's superintendent, said in a statement before the ceremony. "There will not be any spectators and we will minimize the footprint of faculty and staff as much as possible."

The usually bustling outdoor spaces were all but empty as Pence's motorcade slowly made its way toward the academy's famed chapel. Senior cadets silently saluted the vice president as his vehicle passed, and then soon marched toward their seats on the terrazzo. A small brass band played at times, but the atmosphere for Pence's entire visit was low key.

"While we don't quite look like the usual graduation at the Air Force Academy, let me tell you, this is an awesome sight," Pence told the graduates.

Pence is a military parent - his son, Michael, is a Marine Corps officer. And his son-in-law is a graduate of the United States Naval Academy.

"I know just how your parents are feeling right now," Pence said, asking the senior cadets to stand and cheer their parents, who were watching the ceremony away from campus by video.

"You come from the rest of us, but you're the best of us," Pence later said, praising several cadets for their achievements. "Long after the coronavirus is defeated, your mission will go on."

Pence, who has been a champion of the Space Force and chair of the National Space Council, also spoke about the newest branch of the U.S. military. About 90 cadets from this year's Air Force class will be commissioned as Space Force officers - the first time academy graduates have committed to serve there.

The Space Force commander, Gen. John Raymond, who became chief of space operations in December, spoke before Pence, and told the cadets that they are part of a "historic" class due to their link to the start of Space Force.

"You are our future and I need you to be bold. You will build this service from the ground up," Raymond said. "You will build the Space Force as the first digital service" and, if necessary, "win the battle for space superiority."

After Pence spoke, the senior cadets heading into the Space Force stood up and were sworn in, wearing silver as part of their dress uniforms, while other graduates heading into the Air Force wore gold as part of their blue-and-white uniforms.

The ceremony ended with a flyover by the Air Force Thunderbirds - a roaring formation of six F-16 Fighting Falcons.

Pence lingered for a few minutes after cadets erupted with joy and threw their caps in the air during the flyover. He spoke with a couple dozen cadets, standing about six feet away and avoiding handshakes.

"God bless you all, and thank you," Pence told one small group of men and women. He then flashed two thumbs up and said, "Congratulations."
Tiger King star Joe 'Exotic' Maldonado-Passage reportedly procured 28 grey wolves in early 2018 for his Greater Wynnewood Exotic Animal Park in Oklahoma in an effort to also become a 'Wolf King.'

Animal Legal Defense Fund attorney Christopher Berry accused the 57-year-old former roadside zookeeper of violating the Endangered Species Act for the sale and transportation of the wolves from Minnesota, according to TMZ.

Christopher also caught Joe 'Exotic' trying to sell four wolf pups on social media, and Maldonado-Passage called Berry and delivered a 'profanity-laced rant' denying all his charges.

Failed venture: Tiger King star Joe 'Exotic' Maldonado-Passage reportedly procured 28 grey wolves in early 2018 for his Greater Wynnewood Exotic Animal Park in Oklahoma in an effort to also become a 'Wolf King'

But after wolves 'clawed out of their enclosures and ran amok,' the gun-toting openly gay polygamist agreed to send 25 of his 28 wolves to the California sanctuary, Lockwood Animal Rescue Center.

Joe 'Exotic' - who was arrested in September 2018 - admitted that one of the wolves 'died from an infection' at his park and two other wolves 'went missing.'

Maldonado-Passage is currently serving a 22-year prison sentence for two counts of murder for hire, eight violations of the Lacey Act, and nine violations of the Endangered Species Act.

Protected species: Animal Legal Defense Fund attorney Christopher Berry accused the 57-year-old former roadside zookeeper of violating the Endangered Species Act for the sale and transportation of the wolves from Minnesota (March 5 stock shot)

GW Exotic Animal Park: Christopher also caught Joe 'Exotic' trying to sell four wolf pups on social media, and Maldonado-Passage called Berry and delivered a 'profanity-laced rant' denying all his charges

Safe and sound: But after wolves 'clawed out of their enclosures and ran amok,' the gun-toting openly gay polygamist agreed to send 25 of his 28 wolves to the California sanctuary, Lockwood Animal Rescue Center

Arrested in September 2018: Joe 'Exotic' admitted that one of the wolves 'died from an infection' at his park and two other wolves 'went missing'

On April 8, President Donald Trump told a New York Post reporter he'd 'look into' possibly pardoning Joe, who ran for President in 2016 and Oklahoma Governor in 2018.

After 25 days straight of holding the No. 1 spot on Netflix's top 10 most streamed list, Universal Pictures' 2010 animated flick Despicable Me knocked Tiger King down to the No. 2 spot last Friday.

Tiger King: Murder, Mayhem and Madness became a pop culture phenomenon in the age of COVID-19 quarantine, with a reported 34.3M streaming the eight-part docuseries since it dropped March 20.

'I'm done with the Carole Baskin saga': Maldonado-Passage is currently serving a 22-year prison sentence for two counts of murder for hire, eight violations of the Lacey Act, and nine violations of the Endangered Species Act (pictured March 22)

Will he? On April 8, President Donald Trump told a New York Post reporter he'd 'look into' possibly pardoning Joe, who ran for President in 2016 and Oklahoma Governor in 2018
Pakistan President Arif Alvi has announced that congregational prayers, including Taraweeh [evening] and Friday prayers, will be held in mosques across Pakistan during the holy month of Ramadan, which begins next week, Arab News reported.

The political leaders of Pakistan seem to have once again loosened its leash before its fundamental clerics, as the announcement came shortly after the president held a video conference with clerics to discuss the issue of mosque gatherings in the holy month, amid rising cases of the coronavirus disease in Pakistan.

A day earlier, Alvi held consultative talks on the subject with religious and political leaders, including Jamaat-i-Islami chief, Senator Sirajul Haq, and Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam Fazl leader, Maulana Fazlur Rehman.

"This is conditional permission for Taraweeh and Friday prayers in congregations in the mosques," Alvi announced and said 20 guidelines had been mutually agreed with the clerics which included keeping six feet distances between worshippers, the removal of carpets, disinfection of mosque floors and cooperation with authorities.

The government has been striving to discourage religious leaders from holding prayer gatherings in mosques amid the pandemic, but around the country, including in the capital, people gathered for Friday prayers with senior clerics openly defying government orders.

"Ramadan is a month of forgiveness and salvation," Alvi said while adding that he was hopeful all preventive measures would curb the spread of COVID-19 during the holy month.

Other countries in the Arab world, including Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates (UAE), have also called off religious congregations at mosques and announced Taraweeh prayers to be performed at home as preventive measures to contain the contagion spread.

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.

Prophet Muhammad's mosque in Medina last week 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.

Last week, the Kingdom also extended a curfew in Riyadh, and other big cities for 24 hours of the day for an indefinite period amid a surge of new infections.

As of Saturday, Pakistan recorded 7,481 cases of COVID-19, with 143 deaths. As part of containment measures, the country has been forced to take stringent steps including the partial lockdown of cities and closure of schools and offices except for a few sectors -- bringing its economy to a virtual halt.

Despite surging cases people in the country, especially the Islamic clerics, have still not taken the pandemic seriously and are refusing to stop religious congregations.

While the local government announced the closure of mosques in the provinces of Sindh and Balochistan, earlier this month, Pakistan's most populous province of Punjab - with over 110 million inhabitants - allowed mosques to still remain open.

The clerics, however, have agreed to take precautionary measures like use of hand sanitisers, removal of rugs and carpets, washing of floors, cleaning of hands with soaps and social distancing. But it is to see how the country tackles the contagious outbreak with such aperture.

(ANI)

Also Read: China needs to be accountable about COVID-19 spread: Mike Pompeo
American manufacturers shipped millions of dollars' worth of critical face masks and protective medical equipment to China earlier this year despite the coronavirus pandemic, shedding light on how Trumps administration initially failed to take the threat seriously.

In January and February, the US exported about $17.6million worth of face masks and similar goods to China, a surge of over 1,000 per cent compared to the same time last year, according to a Washington Post analysis of customs data.

Data from US Customs and Public Citizen reveal that the shipment of ventilators and protective garments jumped by triple digits in that time.

The US may have lost critical tools and time by exporting such a massive amount of medical goods to China as today's hospitals across the country scramble to keep up with the mounting toll of coronavirus cases, ration the limited number of PPE in hospitals, and plead with the federal government to send more.

US manufacturers shipped $17.6million worth of face masks and similar goods to China in January and February 2020, despite the crisis stateside, shedding light on how the Trump administration initially failed to take the coronavirus threat seriously. File image of 3M N95 face masks in California above

'Instead of taking steps to prepare, they ignored the advice of one expert after another. People right now, as we speak, are dying because there have been inadequate supplies of PPE,' Democratic Rep. Lloyd Doggett of Texas said.

The Trump administration has been repeatedly criticized for its delayed response to the coronavirus outbreak.

Despite the increase in exports to China of medical gear  it's really just a small fraction of overall US need for such equipment.

By the end of January, seven Americans had fallen ill from the virus and the White House national security staff said that the danger of a real pandemic was real.

In late February, the federal government then began to push a flier to encourage American business to sell 'critical medical products' to China and Hong Kong through an expedited sales process.

A flier by the Commerce Department entitled 'CS China COVID Procurement Service' was published on February 26  the same day that COVID-19 deaths peaked at 2,770 globally, with most cases in China.

On March 3 an official at the US Embassy in Beijing told colleagues about the new service being offered.

'The CS China healthcare team has been busy working with Chinese government procurement agents and U.S. companies to address local healthcare needs. We created the China and Hong Kong COVID Procurement Service  please find the flyer attached. We welcome you to send this flier to relevant U.S. manufacturers and suppliers,' the email said.

That program was reportedly shut down on March 4 by the International Trade Administration, according to a senior Commerce official who spoke on the condition of anonymity.

'Department of Commerce senior leadership is aware of this issue and is investigating,' the source said.

At the start of the year the White House was outspoken about the shipments sent to China. On February 7 the State Department announced nearly 17.8 tons of donated medical supplies including masks, gowns, respirators and other crucial equipment were sent over.

In January and February Trump touted how the State Department donated tons of medical supplies to China. In April Trump urged American companies to manufacture medical supplies for the US first before foreign customers

On April 2 Trump hit out at 3M for selling medical supplies to China, threatening to invoke the Defense Production Act to prevent it from selling to foreign nations. Later, Trump took back that order and announced a new agreement where 3M could provide masks to foreign customers while ramping up domestic production.

White House trade policy adviser Peter Navarro said the shipments were sent out of humanitarian and practical concerns.

However, some lawmakers, including Rep. Doggett, are left aghast that American companies were shipping equipment to China when US medical providers were in desperate need themselves of such supplies.

Data from April shows that hospitals are suffering a major hit from the shortage of lifesaving protective equipment.

The Centers for Disease Control reports that 9,282 US health care workers have been diagnosed with the virus through April 2. Through April 9 at least 723 have been hospitalized, with 184 of those cases in the ICU. So far at least 27 people have died from COVID-19.

Manufacturing companies are saying despite the paradox of USs coronavirus crisis and the surge in shipping to China, they were acting upon the word of the encouragement of the federal government.

A family in Wuhan, China pictured wearing face masks on April 18

Members of a medical assistant team pose for photos as they finish a 14-day quarantine after returning home from Wuhan on April 18 all wearing face masks

'We were not aware of any discouragement from anyone during those very early days of the crisis, including from the US government, to export from outside of China into China,' 3M spokesperson Jennifer Ehrlich said.

In fact, through February some administration officials were clamoring for nations and businesses to help China.

On April 2 the Trump administration walked back on its previous encouragement of American businesses to ship out medical supplies and instead announced the Defense Production Act  an order that prevents companies from selling masks to foreign customers and requires they provide them to US customers first.

Trump honed in on manufacturing company 3M, reprimanding them in a tweet for shipping a high amount of medical goods to China.

Later, Trump took back that order and announced a new agreement where 3M could provide masks to foreign customers while ramping up domestic production.

Today, American states are in a bidding war with one another for medical supplies.

Illinois officials reported last week that N95 masks, which normally cost $1.75 each, are being sold for as much as $12 each.

A US Conference of Mayors survey from last month found nearly 90 percent of American mayors say they do not have enough test kits or face masks. About 85 percent say they do not have enough ventilators.

Nicole Lurie, who served as Assistant Secretary of HHS for preparedness and response in the Obama administration, said the White House 'could have acted much earlier to alleviate the mask shortage by completing work on a high-speed mask production line and placing orders early to manufacturers to surge production.'
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Furious doctors have warned they might be forced to stop treating patients as ministers admitted tonight that a crucial consignment of personal protective equipment has failed to arrive from Turkey.

Medical associations have warned that their members face difficult choices about exposing themselves and other patients to risk of infection, with fears that supplies of critical items are running low in hospitals.

Education Secretary Gavin Williamson said he 'hoped' the 84 tonnes of kit from Turkey would now be in the UK tomorrow, despite it having been announced with fanfare by Cabinet colleague Robert Jenrick last night.

But appearing alongside Mr Williamson at the daily Downing Street briefing, deputy chief medical officer Jenny Harries complained that critics are not being 'adult' about the problems with PPE.

She urged people to reflect on what had been 'achieved' in maintaining levels of equipment amid global pressures, and insisted the UK was an 'international exemplar in preparedness'.

Dr Harries also played down concerns about revised guidance that some pieces of protective kit should be re-used, urging health workers to 'implement' the rules as effectively as possible.

The comments could inflame tensions with medical staff with the NHS Confederation joining the groups backing staff who refuse to treat patients unless they have adequate PPE, such as gowns, goggles and masks.

The Royal College of Surgeons, the Royal College of Nurses and Midwives, and the British Medical Association have also raised serious concerns.

The row comes as Britain recorded 596 coronavirus-related deaths today, bringing the national death toll to 16,060. Some 43 NHS workers are official confirmed as having lost their lives so far, although the true toll is believed to be higher.

Mr Williamson confirmed that the expected shipment from Turkey has been held up - although the cause is not clear. 'We hope to see that coming into the country tomorrow,' he said.

As the government scrambles to get a grip on the spiralling PPE situation, Health Secretary Matt Hancock has appointed former Olympics chief Lord Deighton as a 'personal protective tsar' to shore up supplies.

Michael Gove admitted today that some PPE was sent to China during its initial outbreak - although he stressed it was not from core pandemic stockpiles and the UK had received 'far more' back from Beijing since then.

On another frantic day with tensions rising in the coronavirus battle:

Britain recorded 596 more deaths today, taking the official national death toll to 16,060 to date;

The Government was accused by Labour of 'treating the public like children' by refusing to spell out how the exit strategy from lockdown might look, with Keir Starmer demanding a 'road map' out of the crisis;

OECD chief Angel Gurria warned there will have to be 'stop-go' arrangements in place for 'social distancing' for a long time to come, urging governments to 'err on the side of caution';

The Irish health minister has suggested that pubs might not be able to open until there is a coronavirus vaccine, which some believe will take more than a year;

Infectious diseases expert Sir Jeremy Farar, a member of the SAGE advisory group, has cautioned that the lockdown 'cannot go on much longer' as it is 'damaging all our lives';

A consignment of PPE, including desperately-needed gowns, that Housing Secretary Robert Jenrick boasted would arrive today from Turkey is reportedly delayed;

The chairman of the British Medical Association council said it had warned the Government 'weeks ago' about the risk of personal protective equipment shortages but hit a 'brick wall';

Michael Gove said the UK had sent PPE equipment to China early in the outbreak, but insisted it was not part of the UK's pandemic stocks and stressed the Asian superpower had since sent back more;

One of the scientists leading efforts to make the breakthrough warned it is not 'completely certain' that a coronavirus vaccine can be produced, with Mr Gove admitting no-one should see it as a 'dead cert'.

Dr Jenny Harries (pictured) told an ITV reporter that 'we could perhaps have a more adult, and more detailed conversation about PPE supplies' as the Government comes under fire for its disastrous PPE policy (April 5, 2019)

An ambulance crew pictured wearing PPE as they deal with a patient at Royal London Hospital in London (April 19, 2020)

Britain recorded another 596 coronavirus-related deaths today, bringing the national death toll to 16,060

Gavin Williamson dodges calls to spell out coronavirus 'exit strategy' despite claims ministers want schools to reopen after May 11 Gavin Williamson tonight dismissed calls to spell out an 'exit strategy' from coronavirus lockdown - despite claims ministers want schools to reopen after May 11. The Education Secretary defied a growing clamour for clarity, insisting he could not 'give a date' for pupils to get back to the classroom. The comments came amid the first signs a blueprint is being hatched within Government to ease lockdown misery, although the Cabinet appears split over whether to risk more deaths from the disease to save the plunging economy. Mr Williamson told the daily Downing Street briefing he was sorry that children were having to suffer through the crisis and have their education interrupted. But he said the UK had not yet met five tests - including NHS capacity being high enough, widespread testing being in place, and the threat of a second peak reduced. 'I can't give you a date. Because before we do that we need to meet five tests,' he said. The fledgling plan would see the country get back up in running in stages after May 11, with primary, GCSE pupils, and nurseries potentially going back part-time. Advertisement

Even before the news on the delayed shipment, the BMA said last night it will support doctors who refuse to work without adequate PPE.

Dr Chaand Nagpul, BMA council chair, said: 'There are limits to the level of risk staff can be expected to expose themselves and their patients to. In the most extreme circumstances, if adequate protective measures are not in place, doctors can refuse to put themselves at risk of becoming infected, and inform their management to make alternative arrangements'.

Prof Neil Mortensen from the Royal College of Surgeons has told his colleagues not to risk their health if good PPE could not be used when treating coronavirus patients.

He said: 'We are deeply disturbed by this latest change to personal protective equipment guidance, which was issued without consulting medical bodies.

'After weeks of working with PHE and our sister medical royal colleges to get PPE guidance right, this risks confusion and variation in practice across the country.'

But Dr Harries said: 'I think we have had, if I might say from my own professional perspective, we could perhaps have a more adult, and more detailed conversation about PPE supplies.

'For example, quite rightly, the conversation at the moment is very much focused on gown supplies. Earlier, in earlier weeks, I'm very aware of consideration of eye-wear for example, in goggles and masks.'

Dr Harries called the pandemic a 'huge pull on services which we have never seen before'.

She continued: 'We have managed actually despite signalling many potential shortfalls to continue to supply going forward, and even as I stand here, I know with the gown position, for example, that even though when orders go in overseas, supplies may be very different what is received to what we think we're going to get.

'We perhaps need to, rather than lumping all of the PPE together, which is not a homogeneous mix at all, we just need to think carefully through what has been achieved and the challenges which are acknowledged ahead.'

Asked if she would be comfortable treating Covid-19 patients by re-using single-use PPE, Dr Harries said: 'If I happened to be working on the frontline today I have a responsibility to look after patients to the best of my ability, to protect my colleagues and my staff and to manage my practice safely.

'All of those in the current climate will mean that I need to understand the agreed guidance on PPE .. and to implement that whenever I can.'

She said it was 'very easy to make a throwaway comment about single-use PPE' but the situation was 'actually quite complex'.

Dr Harries added: 'It is the fact we are in a global shortage ... we all need to use this PPE carefully.

'Some sessional use is entirely appropriate. For example wearing a gown for sessional use with a disposable plastic apron on top of it is an entirely appropriate use of PPE.

'In that example you can see there is one element of what some people may call re-use and one element of what some may call single use.'

When asked why the Government has not responded to manufacturers willing to produce PPE, Mr Williamson said that they will be contacted in the next 24 hours.

The Education Secretary said that a billion extra PPE have been brought into the country while the Government was doing 'immense work' in trying to find British suppliers. He encouraged those suppliers who have been in contact with the Government and have 'slipped through the net' to get in touch again.

He added: 'We recognise this is a national endeavour and we are so incredibly grateful for so many people who are willing to step forward to make a real difference, and we certainly don't want to miss out on those opportunities.'

The press conference comes amid intensifying fears that underfunding during a prolonged period of austerity has left the NHS inadequately prepared in terms of PPE for a pandemic.

Mr Hancock appointed Lord Deighton, chief planner from the London 2012 Olympics, as 'PPE tsar' after the Government issued guidance stating that medics would have to re-use PPE supplies.

Lord Deighton, 64, who is personally known to Boris Johnson from the Olympics, will be charged of the 'end-to-end process of design through to manufacture' including streamlining approvals', sources claim.

Dr Jenny Harries (left) and Education Secretary Gavin Williamson (right) fielded questions at today's No10 conference

Health Secretary Matt Hancock (left) has appointed Lord Paul Deighton (right) to help curb the chronic shortage of PPE
A labourer from Madhya Pradesh who was apparently depressed because of the lockdown and yearning to return home chopped off his tongue at a temple in Gujarats Banaskantha district on Saturday, police said.

While some reports claimed that it was a sacrifice to appease the goddess, police did not confirm them.

Vivek Sharma (24), a native of Morena district of Madhya Pradesh who worked as a sculptor, was found lying unconscious and covered in blood at the temple of Nadeshwari Mataji at Nadeshwari village in Sui Gam tehsil on Saturday.

Follow latest updates on coronavirus here

We found him holding his chopped tongue in his hand and rushed him to Sui Gam hospital, said police sub inspector H D Parmar.

The temple where the incident took place is looked after by the Border Security Force, while Sharma worked at another temple which is 14 km away.

Also read: Early measures reason for fewer cases in India, says WHO regional director

As per the preliminary inquiry, Sharma had become extremely homesick, and was restless ever since lockdown was imposed for containing coronavirus, banning inter-district or inter-state movement.

A local BSF official said Sharma might have thought of offering his tongue by way of sacrifice to the goddess so that circumstances changed and he could return home.

However, police said they can not ascertain what exactly happened until he recovers and his statement is recorded.

Also read: 4,000 Covid-19 cases linked to Jamaat, says govt. But India isnt the only one

Click here for complete coronavirus coverage
While the pandemic is sweeping through the globe like a terrible flood, Vietnam has remained steady with a low rate of infection and no deaths. Right from the beginning of the outbreak in China in January, Vietnamese authorities from central to local level have implemented prompt and effective measures in response to the pandemic.

As the centre of the pandemic shifted to Europe, Vietnam implemented an early social distancing policy and deployed one of the world's largest isolation campaigns for people returning from abroad while isolating infected people and conducting medical traceability for anyone who had contact with COVID-19 patients.

Millions of facemasks have been provided to local people and tourists to control the disease.





Soldiers from the Chemical Division spraying chemicals to clean areas at Bach Mai Hospital in a bid to limit the spread of the pandemic.





At hospitals, all medical workers must always wear special protective clothing when in contact with patients.





Doctor Do Thi Phuong Mai from the Department of General Infection, the National Hospital of Tropical Diseases and many of her colleagues have been in the hospital for over a month. She worked 14 days and then underwent a 14-day self-quarantine, thereafter continuing to work without going home. When the fight against the disease ends she will have to self-quarantine for 14 days.





A healthcare worker from the Hanoi Centre for Disease Control and Prevention take a sample from a local in Ha Loi village, Me Linh commune for COVID-19 testing.





A rare minute of rest for medical workers in charge of taking COVID-19 testing samples at Noi Bai International Airport.





The joy of patient No.136, a Vietnamese student returning from New York, upon her discharge from hospital.





Children in Truc Bach ward, Ba Dinh district, Hanoi express their happiness after completing the 14-day blockade.



Rice ATM systems have been set up in many localities across the country in order to support needy people affected by the pandemic.
If you type Moala Island into Google, a number of misleading images will populate your search. Make no mistake: there is no tourism on Moala Island.

Despite mislabeled photos online, there is no resort, no hotel, no Airbnb. In fact, there is no paved road. There is no grocery store, market, restaurant or bar. There is no bank, gas station or electricity. It is difficult to illustrate just how remote Moala is, and without visiting, it is unlikely that a person could imagine how pure and peaceful life is there. With extremely limited, infrequent transportation to and from the island, surely, few people will ever travel to Moala.

For nearly six months, I lived on this pristine, 24-square mile tropical paradise in the islands of Fiji, a nation in the South Pacific comprising more than 300 islands and islets.

Moala is part of the eastern archipelago of Fiji, called the Lau Province, which is made up of approximately 60 islands, half of which are inhabited. Moala is one of these inhabited islands with a total population of around 1,300 people. There are eight villages on the island, all which are situated along the calm shores of the Koro Sea. From the waters edge, communities maintain a traditional subsistence livelihood of fishing and farming.

Nestled in one of Moalas lush, fertile valleys is Cakova Village, a community of 153 people. In October 2019, after two months of cultural and language training on Fijis largest island, Viti Levu, I swore in as a Peace Corps volunteer, committing to spend two years serving in the Youth in Development sector. My placement was one of the most isolated sites in all of Peace Corps Fiji.

My specific role was under the Community Youth Empowerment Project  a partnership between the Peace Corps, the Ministry of Education and the Ministry of Youth and Sports, which has goals of positive youth development, community engagement and capacity building.

As a Community Youth Empowerment volunteer, I worked with the Youth Group and the Womens Group in Cakova Village. My role involved helping to facilitate discussions with community members to identify needs, interests, and sustainable projects. Additionally, I worked as the librarian at Cakovas primary school, focusing on literacy and library development.

In Fiji, the term youth describes individuals between the ages of 18 and 35 who, essentially, provide the labor force in rural villages to carry out work such as construction, plumbing, and landscaping. The Youth Group in Cakova Village was highly motivated to accomplish community goals. Project ideas proposed by members were reconstruct footbridges, renovating the community hall and expanding the nursing station.

As a team, we were in the process of leveraging support for the Youth Group from the Ministry of Agriculture for farming tools, as well as the Ministry of Forestry for training on tree and mangrove planting for climate change mitigation.

The Womens Group had undertaken an economic opportunity plan to generate income in order to rebuild the village canteen, a small business run by the group where basic provisions such as rice, flour, and sugar are sold. A key way for women in Cakova to earn money is by cutting, cooking and drying wild pandanus, weaving the stocks into traditional mats and sending these Fijian handicrafts to merchants in Suva, Fijis capital, to be sold in the municipal market.

A passion that I hoped to bring into my service is my love of reading. At the beginning of the year, the teachers at Cakova Village School expressed the need for a new library with more resources and services, a project I felt especially enthusiastic about. The existing library occupied a corner in the administration building, which was also the teachers lounge, battery room, and storage space. As such, the library provided a small, outdated book collection, only one computer, and little space for students to explore. Together, we began drafting the library development project, advocating for a new library building, books, shelving, worktables, laptop computers, and solar panels.

In February, as a school staff, we submitted a grant application to the Canadian Fund for Local Initiatives detailing a blueprint for an upgraded water station at the school. The project aligned with national development priorities, in particular, the implementation of water, sanitation, and hygiene (WASH) infrastructure in Fijis schools, standards that are generally achieved with the help of non-governmental organizations non-profit organizations, and volunteers. The concept called for new sinks, faucets, soap dispensers, drinking fountains, drainage systems, and roofing in order to improve water efficiency, sanitary conditions and hygiene.

Five months into my service in Fiji, a number of these projects with the Youth Group, Womens Group, and primary school in Cakova Village were gaining traction. Though in the early project design stages, there was undeniable excitement and engagement around addressing these community needs.

Just as I had begun establishing my own rhythms and routines as a volunteer, the director of the Peace Corps sent an email to volunteers around the world saying that due to the global pandemic posed by the COVID-19 outbreak, she had made the difficult decision to temporarily suspend Peace Corps operations and evacuate all volunteers back to the United States.

What was more shocking than the news of being evacuated, however, was receiving a second email from the country director in Fiji, determining that my Peace Corps service, along with thousands of other current volunteers in countries all over the world, was being ended by issuing the Close of Service meaning I was no longer a volunteer.

More messages followed with instructions to pack my bags, grab my passport, and say goodbye and thank you to my community. In a state of shock, my mind raced with questions and concerns  from my outstanding projects and reports to the threat of the virus. My main concern was how to communicate this order, suddenly passed down from the agency, to members of my community that might see me as abandoning them and all of our work together.

Moreover, at that point, Fiji did not have any cases of COVID-19; and certainly, Moala Island is exceptionally isolated geographically with almost no incoming transit. Explaining to members of my community in Cakova that I was leaving, and why, was devastating and confusing for all of us. Questions of when I would return were impossible to answer for the village and for myself.

Ironically, the first Core Expectation of a Peace Corps volunteer is to prepare your personal and professional life to make a commitment to serve abroad for a full term of 27 months. The day that I took my oath was one of the proudest days of my life  a feeling of accomplishment unlike any other I have experienced. I know in my heart that I was determined, no matter the challenges, to see through my commitment to Cakova Village, Peace Corps, and my country. However, this health crisis leaves Peace Corps volunteers and staff with no idea of when the agency will be able to resume operations. Furthermore, on the morning that I left Moala Island the first case of COVID-19 was confirmed in Fiji, a secondary concern as the South Pacific battles the end of this years cyclone season.

Although I had been keenly aware of how special my time in Moala was while I was there, now that I am back in the U.S., I have time to reflect more deeply on my experiences.

Quarantined in Napa at my familys home and bombarded not just with culture shock but also coronavirus chaos, I find refuge in my memories of the simplicity of life in Cakova, a place where a good day means having fish and a breeze. In Cakova, a days work is fishing on the reef or crabbing in the low tide, neighbors always have pots of warm food and tea to offer, and children swim in the village creek using mango pulp as body wash for their evening baths.

Without electricity, internet access or cell service, I spent my evenings watering my garden, watching sunsets from my hammock, and reading books late into the night under the stars. And although the pace of things was slow, each day was full of more meaning, purpose, growth and learning about what quality of life means.

For me, the hardest part, amid all of this not knowing, is hearing the voices of the village children asking me as I was leaving, Madam, what about the library?
Dr Archibald Yao Letsa, the Volta Regional Minister has called for collaborative efforts of the citizenry to rid the region and Ghana of the global pandemic, COVID-19.



He said the time had come for everyone regardless of political affiliation to support government interventions meant to contain and prevent the spread of the disease stressing, "this fight is not political but against a virus.



The Regional Minister said this at a meeting of stakeholders in the Coronavirus fight including heads of security agencies, health officials, heads of departments, Members of Parliament (MPs), and members of the New Patriotic Party (NPP) and the National Democratic Congress (NDC) in the region.



The meeting held at the Ketu South Municipal Assembly (which recorded six cases of COVID-19) was to assess the challenging environment, encourage border security officials for their roles and to chart the way forward in containing the pandemic.



He recalled his earlier meeting with Volta MP Caucus (who are all NDC MPs) to point out that were united in this fight insisting, let people know that were in this together and not engage in political confrontations because only through unity that the war against the Coronavirus can be won."



Mr Bright Kumordzi, Ketu South Constituency Chairman of the NDC assured of the Partys readiness to collaborate with the local Assembly in support of the COVID-19 fight.



He said Mr Fiifi Fiavi Kwetey, MP for the area and Madam Dzifa Abla Gomashie, the 2020 Parliamentary Candidate had both extended various supports by way of provision of Veronica buckets with sanitary facilities to the Ketu South Municipal Health Directorate and, sponsoring communication on the pandemic in different local languages on radio stations to serve the interest of all ethnic groups in the Municipality.



Mr Emmanuel Kwasi Bedzrah, Chairman of Volta Caucus in Parliament and MP for Ho West commended security officials manning the various borders in the region especially those in Ketu South whose vigilance led to the apprehension and quarantine of illegal travelers, six of whom later tested positive to the disease.



He said, were in a war situation and we need to work as a unified force and adhere to the preventive protocols so that the virus would leave Ghana and the world for life to return to normalcy.



The team later visited the Aflao Border and the Ketu South Municipal Hospital to interact with border security personnel and hospital staff before a studio appearance to engage the public on Aflao-based Victory FM.

Source: GNA









Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority.

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Transferring the body of an older man who had died of COVID-19 last week, funeral director Nick Maurer was determined to arrange a normal send-off despite the abnormal circumstances.

To reduce the chance of funeral workers contracting the virus, the deceased had been "double bagged" for the trip from a Sydney hospital to the Maurer Family Funerals home in the north shore suburb of Chatswood. The body was wrapped in two leak-proof bags with labels saying "COVID-19  handle with care".

Funeral workers transfer the body of a man who died in the past week of COVID-19 into a funeral home. Credit:James Brickwood

Because of fear or ignorance, some funeral homes have refused to provide some services to the families of those who have died with the virus, including a viewing of the body, said Andrew Pinder, president of the Australian Funeral Directors Association.

NSW Health says there is no evidence a funeral director will contract the virus from transporting someone who has died with COVID-19. The greatest risk is from family members who may attend the funeral, or come to the funeral home to make arrangements, said Mr Pinder, who is also managing director of Ern Jensen Funerals in St Albans and Preston in Victoria.
The Delhi Police has distributed five million food packets among the poor and the homeless during the coronavirus lockdown, in the "biggest" humanitarian effort since its inception in 1948.

Hailing the Delhi Police for its relief work, Union Home Minister Amit Shah said the force "lives up to its motto -- Shanti Sewa Nyaya".

"The biggest Humanitarian Relief Operations by Delhi Police since its inception in 1948. Five million food packets delivered to the urban poor and homeless so far. 145 tonnes of dry ration distributed to the needy families!" the Delhi Police posted on its Twitter handle on Sunday.

According to the police, a food network established by 15 districts through active participation of good samaritans, NGOs and public spirited institutions has achieved this milestone.

"Delhi Police, an organization that lives up to its Motto- Shanti Sewa Nyaya. Very proud of @DelhiPolice. Together we will win this battle," Shah tweeted.

Delhi Police Commissioner S N Shrivastava thanked the Home Minister for boosting the morale of the force.

On Tuesday, Prime Minister Narendra Modi extended the lockdown till May 3, saying it was very necessary to contain the spread of the coronavirus pandemic in the country.

The country has been under lockdown since March 25.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Paul Meeks is reworking his investment strategy due to coronavirus risks.

The long-time tech investor recently parted ways with two of his top picks: Mastercard and Visa.

"They do require to get a lot of swipe fees, a lot of face-to-face transactions in places like hotels, bars and restaurants and I just don't see that happening," the portfolio manager at Independent Solutions Wealth Management told CNBC's "Trading Nation" on Friday.

His decision came before first quarter earnings season for tech gets into full gear.

Meeks, who's known for running the world's largest tech fund during the dot-com boom and subsequent collapse, also noted the two credit card giants were getting too pricey before the coronavirus pandemic even emerged.

Mastercard stock was up 58% in 2019 while Visa rallied 42%. So far this year, they're both down just over 10%.

"A lot of people don't realize that in most tech indexes, in which active managers like myself compare ourselves, Mastercard and Visa are very large stakes," he said. "I'd rather exit until things get better, and put our money in something that's going to do better during the coronavirus and after the coronavirus."

Meeks has been bearish on tech overall for more than year. However, he does see a couple of pockets of opportunities.

He sees cloud services company Akamai as a good buy right now because it benefits from the upswing in the e-commerce space, particularly Amazon.

"They're speeding the internet. They're boosting internet security. Two very good themes," added Meeks.

He also likes Taiwan Semiconductor as a long-term play and as a core tech holding. He believes the chip manufacturer is well positioned in a competitive environment. Plus, Meeks notes it pays a solid dividend compared to its peers.

Meeks doesn't see too many opportunities beyond those names. In late February, he warned on "Trading Nation" the coronavirus could spark a bear market in technology.

Since then, he hasn't seen any material improvements.

"I need to feel better about the consensus being realistic about when our economy in the United States gets back to full strength. I don't believe we're in a V-shaped recovery," Meeks said. "Unfortunately, I think this big [market] rally that we've had since March 23 is based on believers in the V-shaped recovery. I need them to be more realistic, and then I'll be more realistic about adding money to portfolios."

Disclosures: Paul Meeks owns shares of Amazon, Akamai Technologies and Taiwan Semiconductor.

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People enjoy the spring weather in Stockholm over the weeknd. (Getty)

The population of the Swedish capital Stockholm could achieve herd immunity from coronavirus within weeks, a health chief has claimed.

Dr Anders Tegnell, the man responsible for drawing up the countrys controversial coronavirus strategy, said infection rates in the capital are slowing because people had developed a resistance.

According to our modellers, we are starting to see so many immune people in the population in Stockholm that it is starting to have an effect on the spread of the infection, he told local media.

Our models point to some time in May.

People strolling through the streets of Stockholm amid lax lockdown restrictions. (Getty)

These are mathematical models, they're only as good as the data we put into them. We will see if they are right.

Sweden, which has a population of around 10 million, has seen 13,822 confirmed cases of the novel coronavirus as of Saturday and 1,511 deaths.

Latest coronavirus news, updates and advice

Asked about the death rate, Dr Tegnell said: It is not a failure for the overall strategy, but it is a failure to protect our elderly who live in care homes.

Sweden is widely seen as having taken a more low-key approach in its attempts to stop the spread of the disease.

It's kept primary and secondary schools open, and hasn't closed its borders or forced people to stay indoors.

Swedish foreign minister Ann Linde has previously hit out at foreign governments, in particular US president Donald Trump, for criticising the more relaxed measures.

"We are doing roughly what most other countries are doing, but we are doing it in a different way, Linde said earlier this month.

No lockdown and we rely very much on people taking responsibility themselves.

"We do not have a strategy that aims at herd immunity at all.

"But on the other hand we don't have that total lockdown. That means that some countries think we are not doing anything, but we are doing what is right for Sweden."

Story continues

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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 Technology's Kate Gleason College of Engineering, worked with an international team to collaborate on the design of the new system--a 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." Ke Du, assistant professor of mechanical engineering, Rochester Institute of Technology's Kate Gleason College of Engineering

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 dielectrophoresis--a process that uses electrical current to separate biomolecules--their 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 RIT's 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.
Source: Xinhua| 2020-04-19 21:51:17|Editor: huaxia

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BAGHDAD, April 19 (Xinhua) -- Iraqi warplanes on Sunday carried out airstrikes on hideouts of Islamic State (IS) militants in Salahudin province, leaving a number of the extremist militants killed, the Iraqi military said.

Acting on intelligence reports, the F-16 fighter jets bombed IS hideouts at an island in the Tigris River near the town of al-Dour, some 150 km north of the Iraqi capital Baghdad, the media office of the Iraqi Joint Operations Command said in a statement.

The airstrikes resulted in the killing of a number of IS militants and the destruction of their hideouts, the statement said without giving further details.

However, Mohammed al-Bazi from Salahudin provincial police told Xinhua that at least three IS militants were initially confirmed killed in the airstrikes.

In a separate incident, an Iraqi soldier was killed and another wounded when IS militants ambushed an Iraqi army force at a village near Qara-Chokh Mountain outside the town of Makhmour, some 100 km southeast of the northern city of Mosul, a source from the Kurdish security forces, known as Peshmerga, told Xinhua on condition of anonymity.

Later in the day, a joint force from the Iraqi army and the Peshmerga carried out a search operation in the nearby areas looking for the attackers, the source said.

The security situation in Iraq has been improved since Iraqi security forces fully defeated the extremist IS militants across the country late in 2017.

However, IS remnants have since melted in urban areas or resorted to deserts and rugged areas, carrying out frequent guerilla attacks against security forces and civilians. Enditem
Muslim devotees attend a funeral prayer for an Islamic preacher during a government-imposed nationwide lockdown as a preventive measure against COVID-19, in Brahmanbaria also known as Sarail, Bangladesh, on April 18, 2020. (STR/AFP via Getty Images)

100,000 Turn Out for Funeral in Bangladesh, Defying Stay-at-Home Order

More than 100,000 people turned out for a funeral of a religious leader in Bangladesh, which has implemented stay-at-home orders to curb the spread of the CCP virus, according to authorities.

Authorities said mourners didnt wear gloves or masks as they amassed in the Sarail district in Brahmanbaria on Saturday after the death of Maulana Jubayer Ahmed Ansari, a senior official in a political party, according to the Dhaka Tribune.

Many countries around the world have asked their citizens to stay at home and wear protective masks and gloves and maintain a distance of 6 feet from others when going out to protect against the CCP (Chinese Communist Party) virus, which emerged from mainland China last year and causes the disease COVID-19.

The madrasa authorities told us they would ensure social distancing, which did not turn out to be the case. Well look into it, Deputy Commissioner Hayat-ud-Doula Khan told the local news outlet.

Officials were not able to deal with the large crowd. Several police officials were fired as a result, the Tribune reported.

We had repeatedly asked them to ensure social distancing. Announcements through megaphones were made in the area to that end. Despite all-out efforts from our part, it was not possible to maintain the social distancing rules, said Additional Superintendent of Police Md Alamgir Hossain in the report. The law cannot be enforced on tens of thousands of people, Hossain said.

Hossain added to BDNews24 that mourners from as far as Dhaka, the capital, appeared at the funeral.

We never thought there would be this many people. There was nothing we could do once the crowd began streaming in, Hossain said.
Given the military's requirement for watertight cyber and communications security, L&T will establish a Security Operations Centre which will deal with security threats.

Ajai Shukla reports.

IMAGE: India's first integrated defence communication network was launched in June 2016 by then defence minister Manohar Parrikar to enable the army, air force, navy and the Special Forces Command to share situational awareness for a faster decision-making process.

Larsen & Toubro has been chosen to manage the military's ultra-modern communications network, called the Armed Forces Network (AFN), which will enable the Indian Army, Navy and Air Force's 414 bases across the country to talk and exchange dates securely.

Since Independence, all communications between the service headquarters in New Delhi, theatre command headquarters in locations like Udhampur, Shillong and Kochi and further to corps, divisions, brigades and air and naval bases and logistical units were carried out via decades-old landlines, radio relay, radio and troposcatter links.

Now, a 60,000-kilometre long, pan-Indian, optic fibre cable (OFC) network will soon connect all these locations.

Bharat Sanchar Nigam (BSNL) has already completed 57,000 km of the AFN. This includes optical cabling, the transmission and routing backbone and, crucially, the last-mile connectivity with forward bases.

Since many of them are in remote locations without road links, they are connected to the AFN with microwave radio or satellite links.

The final step was taken last Tuesday, when L&T secured a coveted order to create the software backbone that will manage the AFN.

This is a significant departure from past practice when Bharat Electronics would have been 'nominated' to discharge a contract with such crucial electronic security elements.

'L&T has secured a large order from the Indian Army to establish a first-of-its-kind, state-of-the-art Unified Network Management System (UNMS) to manage, support and operate the countrywide AFN...' stated a company release.

The Smart World & Communication Business of L&T Construction, which won the Rs 2,700 crore (Rs 27 billion) order, is required to discharge it within 18 months.

The AFN is coming up as part of the Network for Spectrum (NFS) arrangement, in which the military has surrendered 40 megahertz (MHz) of spectrum to the Department of Telecommunications -- 25MHz in the 3G band and 20MHz in the 2G band.

In return, BSNL was charged with establishing a pan-India OFC network for the military's exclusive use.

In May 2018, the Union Cabinet approved the expenditure of Rs 24,664 crore (Rs 246.64 billion) for the OFC network.

At the heart of L&T's UNMS software system is the so-called Next Generation Operation Support System (NGOSS), a key module that has the job of ensuring the entire network is up and running optimally.

This will involve complete visibility and real-time monitoring of the diverse network assets on a common management platform.

The NGOSS functions like the backend software that conventional wireless network service providers -- such as Airtel, BSNL, Jio and Vodafone -- use to route and connect calls from subscribers's mobile phones, find an alternate routing if a transmission tower is down, and quickly repair malfunctioning systems.

Similarly the NGOSS will ensure the proper functioning of all AFN services such as voice and video calls, data transmission, etc. It will also manage the adding and deleting of subscribers and value added services.

This will be done through a Data Centre Infrastructure that will be responsible for networking, routing and switching, provision of servers and storages, and the security firewalling appropriate to a military network.

Given the military's requirement for watertight cyber and communications security, L&T will establish a Security Operations Centre at a centralised location which will deal with security threats, logs, alerts, archives etc.

L&T will also provide the AFN with Infrastructure as a Service -- an online private cloud that will provide virtualised computing resources for stakeholders within the military.

This cloud computing resource will allow users to carry out functions such as, data partitioning, scaling, security and backup.
The union government on Saturday launched an online data pool of critical human resource employed for combating and containing Covid-19 across the country. The dashboard mentions the exact number of professionals from various disciplines, departments and sections available in each state and every district. This online data pool includes a break up of doctors, nurses and other health care professionals, volunteers from different organisations, ex-servicemen etc deployed on the ground level as a ready reckoner for administrators in states, districts or municipalities.

A broad look at the data shows that a total of 927,000 MBBS doctors have been roped in for the containment efforts. 153,656 MBBS students and 2.17 lakh dentists have also been drafted in. Services of close to 17.5 lakh nurses and 11.25 lakh pharmacists and 8.32 lakh AYUSH professionals have also been listed.

The information has been uploaded on a dashboard has been made available to states. The dashboard is being referred to as the master database carrying details of healthcare professionals and volunteers apart from the contact details of the nodal officers. It will be updated regularly.

According to the dashboard, at present roughly 1.8 lakh Ex-Servicemen, 14.86 lakh members of NYKS (Nehru Yuva Kendra Sangathan) 13.67 lakh NSS (National Service Scheme) members, 46175 NCC (National Cadet Corps) members and 43,736 lab volunteers are assisting in various aspects of containment efforts led at the state and the district level.

Centre has told states that the dashboard can be used by various authorities to prepare crisis management or contingency plans in coordination with nodal officers for each group.

Also Read: Lockdown 2.0 relaxation: Government lists permitted and banned activities from April 20

The dashboard also contains details of the deployment of grass roots health care professionals like from PMKVY or Pradhan Mantri Kaushal Vikas Yojana (1.08 lakh), trained healthcare workers under Deendayal Antyodaya Yojana-National Urban Livelihoods Mission or DAY NULM (45,385), trained workers under Deen Dayal Upadhyaya Grameen Kaushalya Yojana or DDU GKY (43,944) Psycho Social Care workers (1.16 lakh), ASHAA workers (10.07 lakh) Anganwadi workers (25.43 lakhs), Gram Rozgar Sewaks (1.73 lakhs) Veterinary doctors and Para Vets (83,256), Panchayat Secretaries (2.37 lakhs)

This database can also be used to utilise the services of volunteers for enforcing social distancing at banks, ration shops, mandis and for providing help to elderly, people with special abilities and orphanages, said a government communication.

This will also help States/UTs to move human resources from one location to the other for their utilization, it added.

The database also lists all hospitals and other medical centres that have been added to the network to fight Coved-19 infections. It includes 201 CPSEs hospitals, 49 ESIC hospitals, 50 Railway hospitals, 13 Defence hospitals, 12 port hospitals.

The HT Guide to Coronavirus COVID-19

The government of India has constituted 11 empowered groups to formulate plans and provide solutions to address the challenges of Covid-19 outbreak in the country. The empowered group-4 headed by Dr Panda, Secretary, MSME has been mandated with identification of human resources for various Covid related activities along with necessary capacity building for them.

The dashboard could be accessed at https://covidwarriors.gov.in
ASSUMPTION  An Assumption man is due to appear in court on Monday facing weapons charges after he was arrested in an FBI raid and accused of being part of an online group plotting to attack a school, mosque or synagogue."

Randall R. Burrus, 50, is charged with possession of a firearm by a felon and with being in possession of a firearm after having been convicted of misdemeanor domestic violence.

Burrus already appeared in federal court in Springfield on Thursday via teleconference where the charges were first laid against him. A news release from the U.S. Attorneys Office for the Central District of Illinois did not list him as having entered a plea. U.S. Magistrate Judge Eric I. Long had ordered Burrus to remain in custody before todays second court hearing.

The news release said he had been arrested April 15 when FBI agents had swooped on his home in the 300 block of Sarah Street and seized a .223 Ruger Mini 14 Rifle and a Smith & Wesson .40 caliber handgun. The FBI also seized 14 rounds of .223 ammunition, 80 rounds of .40 caliber bullets and 11 boxes of 5.56 ammunition and a small amount of .32 caliber bullets and shotgun shells.

The U.S. Attorneys Office said the FBI was reacting to a tip that suspects chatting with each other on an internet platform used by gamers and called Discord were plotting some type of attack and/or shooting on schools, mosques and synagogues in the United States, Canada and New Zealand.

Court documents obtained by the Herald & Review describe Burrus as part of a server group called The Holy Kaiserreich Reborn where he had the user name Martyrdom.

An affidavit filed with the federal court by Bryce L. Benton Jr., described as a Task Force Officer with the FBI, said background information from the Christian County Sheriffs Office called Burrus as a known white supremacist.

Benton said screenshots of postings Burrus had made as Martyrdom said he had two choices for carrying out mass shootings (spellings and capitalization left as they appeared):

...either that jew nursing home in longmeadow Massachusetts OR a jewish community synagogue in matoon illinois near where I live.

Benton also quotes a Martyrdom post as saying im planning to shoot up a synagogue or do Breivik style fill a car with explosives, set them off and shoot survivors then escape and go to other synagogues.

(Anders Behring Breivik is a Norwegian extremist who in 2011 carried out the mass murder of 77 adults and children using explosives and shooting them to death with a rifle and pistol.)

Benton said those online conversations were posted sometime between March 4 and March 18. And, while not drawing a direct connection with Burrus, Benton notes that on April 2 Longmeadow Police Department in Massachusetts found a homemade Molotov Cocktail (gasoline firebomb) had been left outside of a Jewish senior assisted living center.

The cocktail was in a plastic gas container and had Christian conversion literature placed in the nozzle of the gas can, Benton wrote in his affidavit. The literature was charred and appeared to have been lit on fire in an attempt to ignite the gas.

Benton said the FBI, faced with all the information it had gathered, then staged the raid on Burruss home.

Based on the above facts, law enforcement believed that either Burrus or someone residing in the Burrus household used the Discord platform to transmit online threats of violence against others based on their race, religion or nationality, or used the platform to discuss committing arson. Law enforcement also believed Burrus was a prohibited person who possessed firearms.

Benton said some Burrus family members had described him as someone who regularly uses hate speech and is open about his dislike of others due to their race, religion and nationality. He was also said to spend a lot of time participating in online chat forums, playing video games and watching Doomsday prepper videos.

One relative is quoted as saying he was concerned with Burrus's mindset, especially as he owned weapons and lived near a school.

Benton said Randall Burrus agreed to talk after his arrest and admitted he owned the seized guns. Burrus stated that he possessed firearms and ammunition strictly for self-defense and for government overreach, Benton quotes him as saying. Anybody thats gonna kick in my door, thats what they would have been for. Could have been law enforcement, could have been a damn thief.

Benton said Burruss wife denied being aware her husband had weapons and his minor son told the FBI that he was the one who used the Discord site and had been responsible for posting the threatening messages.

Mug shots from the Herald & Review

Contact Tony Reid at (217) 421-7977. Follow him on Twitter: @TonyJReid

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The statement by Dar Al-Ifta comes amid calls on social media to hold mass Ramadan evening prayers on roofs amid a lockdown on mosques

Egypts Dar Al-Ifta warned Sunday against calls to hold mass Ramadan evening prayers, or Taraweeh, on house roofs amid the coronavirus pandemic, less than a week before the beginning of the Islamic fasting month Friday.

Dar Al-Ifta, the body responsible for issuing religious edicts, called on Muslims to conduct Taraweeh in homes, whether individually or within a group, amid the continued closure of mosques under preventive measures against coronavirus.

The calls by some on assembly on house roofs for Taraweeh is not permitted at such times, because this endangers peoples lives, the statement said, urging worshippers to avoid large crowds in prayer.

The statement by the religious body comes amid calls on social media to hold mass Ramadan evening prayers on roofs in response to the lockdown on mosques.

Egypt ordered the closure of mosques and churches 21 March for two weeks in a move aimed at curbing the spread of the novel coronavirus. The closure was extended indefinitely at the end of March.

Egyptian authorities said all congregational religious activities, including communal prayers in mosques, will continue to be suspended during Ramadan.

Other public activities planned for Ramadan, such as charity banquets for the poor to break their fast, have also been suspended.

A two-week nighttime curfew, which first began 25 March, was extended until 23 April.

The curfew is expected to be extended during the month of Ramadan, according to a Cabinet spokesman last week, yet new curfew hours for the Islamic month are set to be determined this week.

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Washington: President Donald Trump has cast doubt on the accuracy of China's official coronavirus death toll, terming it "unrealistic" and claiming that the actual number was "way ahead" of the US' which is not the world's "number one" country in terms of COVID-19 fatalities.

Trump's comments have come two days after another 1,300 fatalities were added to the official count in the Chinese city of Wuhan, where the outbreak started in November last year. The revision puts China's overall death toll to more than 4,600.

"We are not number one; China is number one just so you understand," Trump told reporters at a White House news conference on Saturday.

"They are way ahead of us in terms of death. It's not even close," he asserted.

According to Trump, when highly-developed healthcare systems of the UK, France, Belgium, Italy and Spain had high fatality rates, it was 0.33 in China.

The president asserted that the actual number was much more than the official Chinese death toll figures, which he said were "unrealistic".

"You know it, I know it and they know it, but you don't want to report it. Why? You will have to explain that. Someday I will explain it," he said.

He also highlighted that on a per-capita basis, the mortality rate in the US was far lower than other nations of Western Europe.

Early this month, President Trump cast doubt on the accuracy of official Chinese figures after US lawmakers, citing an intelligence report, accused Beijing of a cover up.

The number of the coronavirus cases in the US crossed 700,000 on Friday, while over 35,000 people have died from the disease, as President Trump assured his people that America was "very close" to seeing the light "shinning brightly" at the end of the tunnel.

According to data maintained by Johns Hopkins University, over 35,000 people have died in the US and the country has 734,969 infections, the highest in the world.

The death toll in China is 4,632 with no fatalities reported on Saturday, according to China's National Health Commission.
President Donald Trump has cast doubt on the accuracy of China's official coronavirus death toll, terming it "unrealistic" and claiming that the actual number was "way ahead" of the US' which is not the world's "number one" country in terms of COVID-19 fatalities.

Trump's comments have come two days after another 1,300 fatalities were added to the official count in the Chinese city of Wuhan, where the outbreak started in November last year. The revision puts China's overall death toll to more than 4,600.

"We are not number one; China is number one just so you understand," Trump told reporters at a White House conference on Saturday.

"They are way ahead of us in terms of death. It's not even close," he asserted.

According to Trump, when highly-developed healthcare systems of the UK, France, Belgium, Italy and Spain had high fatality rates, it was 0.33 in China.

The president asserted that the actual number was much more than the official Chinese death toll figures, which he said were "unrealistic".

"You know it, I know it and they know it, but you don't want to report it. Why? You will have to explain that. Someday I will explain it," he said.

He also highlighted that on a per-capita basis, the mortality rate in the US was far lower than other nations of Western Europe.

Early this month, President Trump cast doubt on the accuracy of official Chinese figures after US lawmakers, citing an intelligence report, accused Beijing of a cover up.

The number of the coronavirus cases in the US crossed 700,000 on Friday, while over 35,000 people have died from the disease, as President Trump assured his people that America was "very close" to seeing the light "shinning brightly" at the end of the tunnel.

According to data maintained by Johns Hopkins University, over 35,000 people have died in the US and the country has 734,969 infections, the highest in the world.

The death toll in China is 4,632 with no fatalities reported on Saturday, according to China's National Health Commission.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
The suspended professor of medicine at the University of Ilorin Teaching Hospital (UITH) has denied allegations of concealing vital information about the first suspected case of COVID-19 in Kwara State. He also denied the charge of unethical behaviour.

The embattled professor of Infectious and non-infectious pulmonary diseases, Alakija Salami, was accused of misleading his colleagues to treat the suspected case, Muhideen Obanimomo, who died at the hospital on April 1. The late Mr Obanimomo was a relative of the senior medical doctor, Mr Salami.

The federal facility said the deceased had been on self-isolation on arrival to Ilorin prior to his presentation at the Accident and Emergency unit of the hospital on the advice of the Professor who brought him.

It said the information of self isolation was concealed from the front line medical personnel at first contact in the A&E, an act that the hospital management considered unethical.

The death of Mr Obanimomo, a 57-year-old UK returnee, generated controversies among Kwara residents, particularly in Offa, where he hailed from and where his remains were buried.

Although the state government earlier denied that his was a COVID-19 related case, the result of samples later taken showed that his wife was positive for coronavirus.

A statement by David Odaibo, UITHs director of administration, said the management suspended Mr Salami over his conduct in the management of a COVID-19 patient.

The Management of University of Ilorin Teaching Hospital hereby suspends Prof A.K. Salami as a Senior Consultant in the hospital, he said.

In addition, the Chief Medical Director of the facility, A.D. Yusuff, said the management had constituted a Medical Investigation Committee to investigate the process of admission, management and eventual release of the corpse of Mr Obanimomo.

Also it will investigate the motives behind the concealment of accurate information provided by the patients relative, determine culpability of the patients relative involved and make appropriate recommendations to forestall future recurrence of the act.

This Committee is to submit their report within a week from the date of their first sitting, the official stated.

Salamis reaction

However, in a comprehensive letter he submitted to the committee, titled;  My role in the management of Alhaji Muideen Obanimomo, Mr Salami gave his side of the story.

According to the senior medical doctor, many commentaries, rumours and speculations have been made about what happened and conclusions were reached that I brought a suspected COVID-19 patient to the hospital without due disclosures, thereby endangering the lives of my colleagues and health workers within the system.

I am still at a loss as to what empirical facts or clinical evidence were available and relied on to reach such conclusions. From the available medical facts, my interactions and observation of the patient, there is nothing to justify that I brought a suspected COVID-19 patient to the hospital on 1st April, 2020.

By my training as a medical practitioner, I do know that, medical conclusions are reached based on empirical clinical symptoms and signs as well as clinical investigations and not on speculations or rumours.

Sir, to the best of my knowledge, the deceased- my cousin returned to the country from the UK but did not manifest any symptoms or signs of COVID-19 as at the time I took him to UITH for medical care and I dont know of any of our policy that forbids that, Mr Salami said.

How it happened

He stated that, at about 7:30 p.m. on April 1, the patient who was his cousin, called to inform him that he was not feeling fine.

His complaint was that he was having abdominal discomfort and that he had had three episodes of loose stool in the last five (5) hours. According to him, this started barely 30-45minutes after eating an overripe pineapple. I asked him whether he had associated fever and vomiting to which he said there was none.

I then asked him to take plenty of fluid and relax. He called later at about 8pm to inform me that he had had additional two loose bowel motions that were in large quantities and had started to feel dizzy and that his feet were heavy.

Acting with caution, I went to his house with my face mask, gloves and thermometer. On getting there, I met him and asked him what happened and he repeated the same story which he had told me over the phone. I asked him what other complaints he had, he said none. This time I asked him whether he had difficulty with breathing or cough or sore throat, to which he answered no. I then ascertained his temperature with the thermometer which came out to be 37OC.

Mr Salami said his assessment of late Mr Obanimomo led him to the conclusion that he needed to be taken to a medical facility, hence his decision that he should be taken to the UITH.

He said from the time he had physical contact with the patient up till when they got to UITH, he was still looking out for any slightest signs of coughing or sneezing to raise any concern of symptoms of COVID-19 but there was none.

Mr Salami said he informed his colleagues that the patient was his cousin who returned from the United Kingdom 13 days earlier and that he had been in self-isolation.

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I instructed them to stay at a distance to take his history. The disclosure of his travel history was documented in his case note and this can be verified from the attending doctors.

Thereafter, the first thing that was done on him was to check his body temperature with a temperature gun. This came out to be normal. From a distance, the doctors asked him for history of cough, sore throat or breathlessness or body aches all of which he said were non-existent. Dr. Azeez and Dr. Wasagu; the Senior Registrars that took his history can confirm that I never moved away or kept a distance from him and that I did not suppress any information as to his travel history, he narrated.

The patient gave all the history by himself to the attending doctors while I filled in the gaps with what I knew about his medical history, particularly that he was hypertensive and on Lisinopril, prazosin combined with hydrochlorothiazide.

However, his condition suddenly changed for the worse while being examined. He suddenly became drowsy, restless and tremulous on the right fingers. He started opening and closing his eyes repeatedly and was becoming stiff on his left limbs.

Few minutes later he vomited, possibly aspirated and had cardiac arrest and I spontaneously started Cardio-pulmonary resuscitation (CPR) on him, and I was joined by the medical team on gloves and face masks. The nurse that assisted us also had face mask, gloves and gown on.

He was certified dead at about 1 (one and half) hours later at about 10:50pm. He was packed and deposited in the UITH morgue around twelve (12) midnight.

Speaking on the burial of Mr Obanimomo, he said, the deceased family decided to bury him at Offa  his home town in accordance with Islamic injunction.

 And we (the family) agreed to move his corpse in the morning to Offa for burial. I came to the UITH the following morning of 2nd April 2020, and I met the nurse in the A&E who said that I was to pay the sum of 3,300 only for the mortuary to release the corpse. She said the porter who was to follow me with the deceased folder had gone to collect the face masks and gloves for A&E, I told her that I can as well go and pay and she released the folder to me. I paid the said amount at the hospital central pay point and receipts evidencing payment were kept in the deceased folder.

He said it was his confused frame of mind arising from the sudden demise of my cousin that threw him overboard in not immediately returning the folder to the hospitals registry.

The suspended professor insisted that he called the COVID-19 technical team in the state when the suspicion first arose that it could be a COVID-19 case.

As we were about to exit Ilorin, the Deputy Director of Nursing Services (DDNS) called me by a proxy phone line and asked: where are you? I told her and she said that hope it was not a COVID-19 patient that I brought to A&E. I replied her that there was nothing to suggest it, except that he had a history of return from UK travels.

Immediately after the DDNSs call, I informed my CMD (at exactly 8:52am) that I would be getting across to the Kwara State COVID-19 Technical Team and he agreed with me. Then I called their number-08064369063 (at exactly 9:02am) and one Dr.Mrs.Kamaldeen picked my call. I identified myself and told her what had happened. I also told her that we were taking the corpse to Offa, and that we were about leaving Ilorin. In response the woman said OK.

She added that she was going to get back to me. She requested that I should endeavour to send the phone line and home address of the wife of the deceased in Offa. I immediately complied with her request. About thirty (30) minutes after, another member of the technical team called me. He told me that he had heard what happened and also said that I should send the phone line and address of the wife in Offa to him; and I did.

He said that the calls he referenced as well as the contents of the conversations can be verified from the telecommunications service providers.

In the concluding part of the letter, Mr Salami denied the charge of unethical behaviour and emphasised that he acted throughout the incident in good faith.
One more Covid-19 case was reported in Bihar on Sunday, taking the total count of coronavirus cases in the state to 87, a senior official said according to news agency PTI.

The latest case, a 55-year-old man from Nalanda districts Bihar Sharif, had come in contact with a person who had earlier tested positive for coronavirus after his return from Dubai, states principal health secretary Sanjay Sharma said.

Two people have died from the disease in the state so far while 42 have recovered after being treated.

Siwan district has reported the maximum 29 cases and has been classified as red zone or Covid-19 hotspot as per the Centres classification of districts, according to state health officials.

Meanwhile, Bihar received 6,240 antibody-based rapid test kits from the Centre on Saturday afternoon for screening Covid-19 suspects, kindling hopes of getting faster results.

We received 6,240 rapid test kits from the ministry of health and family welfare this afternoon for Covid-19 screening. This is the first tranche of antibody-based rapid test kits we have received. The department is formulating a comprehensive strategy on its usage, said Sanjay Kumar.

Also on Saturday, chief minister Nitish Kumar held a review meeting with officials on the measures taken to deal with the Covid-19 crisis.

(With inputs from PTI and ANI)

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Scammers are stepping up their game in the Tucson area, part of their statewide bid to cash in on the coronavirus pandemic, authorities said.

The FBI is warning locals and all Arizonans to beware of bad actors hawking deals on virtually anything linked to the virus, from free tests to discounts on personal protective gear to investments in startup medical ventures.

A common thread in these consumer frauds is that the offers are unsolicited, FBI Supervisory Special Agent Jeremy Capello said Friday in an April 17 conference call with Arizona news reporters.

Capello, who is based in Phoenix, said his office is receiving reports of fraudulent activity in Tucson and Southern Arizona, though he could not immediately quantify the extent.

The phony offers may come in person, by phone or email, or from social media sites, Capello said. People who post about their personal health on social media may be at extra risk of being targeted by bogus advertisers, he added.

Among the most common scams seen in Arizona:

Offers of free COVID-19 testing, a ruse to obtain insurance information then used to submit fake medical claims and pocket the cash.

Purported deals on personal protective gear for buyers who agree to pay up front  only to end up empty-handed when the products never arrive.

Counterfeit products such as home testing kits or remedies to cure the disease. There are no proven cures, the FBI said.
Police officers reportedly trapped in floods as West Pokot county is hit again by a potentially deadly landslide.

Several people are feared dead and many more are missing after heavy rainfall caused flash floods and landslides in parts of western Kenya.

Local media on Sunday reported that the rains swept away several houses and a police post in Chesogon trading centre between the counties of Elgeyo Marakwet and West Pokot. The current was strong enough to uproot trees and sweep them along in a fast-moving tide.

Pokot Central sub-county Deputy Commissioner Simiyu Were told tuko.co.ke that some police officers had been trapped in the floods.

Separately, the Daily Nation reported that the flash floods had hit residents of West Pokot, Narok and Elgeyo Marakwet counties hard over the weekend, causing landslides, swelling rivers and damaging roads.

West Pokot was one of the areas badly damaged by heavy rains in November and December of 2019 when more than 40 people died after massive landslides. The Chepera Bridge, which was swept away at the time, has still not been replaced, cutting off the village of Chesogon from road rescue possibility.

This is the period of the Long Rains in East Africa when the wind swings around and comes in from the Indian Ocean. It is moisture-laden and readily drops tonnes of water on Tanzania, Kenya, Uganda and Ethiopia.

The East African Plateau forces the air upwards, producing general rainfall, and the mountains create the real risk of severe thunderstorms and flash floods. Kenya is particularly prone to landslides caused by heavy rain running off mountain slopes, especially where humans have changed the ecosystem by deforestation.

This rainy season is at its most intense between April and June as the Intertropical Convergence Zone of intense thunderstorms moves north over East Africa, following the sun and prior to the monsoon bursting over India.
GoAir employees to go on leave without pay till May 3 amid lockdown

India

oi-PTI

Panaji, Apr 19: Majority of 5,500-odd employees of GoAir will now be on "leave without pay" (LWP) till May 3 as its entire fleet remains grounded in the wake of the extended lockdown, the airline has said.

In March, the Wadia Group-owned airline asked its employees to go on LWP on a rotational basis besides cutting their salaries.

"The lockdown has been further extended till May 3, and with this extension, our fleet continues to be completely grounded. Hence, we are constrained to request you to proceed on 'leave without pay' till May 3," GoAir said in a communication to its employees on Saturday.

The government has extended the lockdown till May 3, which was to end on April 14.

Most of the airlines had chalked out their plans to resume services from April 15 in expectation that the lockdown will be lifted.

"We may, however, have to extend the period of 'leave without pay' for further term, if so required," the airline said.

An official, however, said about 10 per cent of the 5,500-odd employees, who are crucial for certain tasks even when there is no operation, continue to work and will be paid partial salary.

We are hopeful that the skies will reopen from May 4 and we will resume operations in a phased manner. Meanwhile, the airline also said it is working towards building its ability to scale up operations in the new environment and market conditions that would emerge going forward.

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Story first published: Sunday, April 19, 2020, 15:07 [IST]
A patient from Hanoi has tested positive for the novel coronavirus again after she had been declared free of it this week.

She was discharged from the hospital on Tuesday after testing negative twice, health authorities in the capital said on Sunday.

The patient, 44, was told to self-isolate at home for 14 more days after her discharge.

She was retested on Friday as she had shown signs of illness, including a dry cough and chest tightness.

The result returned positive on Saturday.

She had only been in close contact with her husband and child so the two have been sent to a collective quarantine camp.

The patient has been transferred to the National Hospital for Tropical Diseases in Hanoi for treatment.

This is not a re-infection, local healthcare authorities said, explaining that a low viral load may have led to a false negative result last time. Sampling issues may also be to blame, they added.

The patient is an employee of Truong Sinh Company, a catering service provider contracted by Bach Mai Hospital in Hanoi, where dozens of cases have been traced to.

She was diagnosed with COVID-19, the disease caused by the virus, on March 29 and was sent to a hospital in Ha Nam Province, located in northern Vietnam, for treatment.

The patient was discharged on Tuesday and taken home for self-isolation in Hanoi.

A British patient also tested positive again in Ho Chi Minh City earlier this month.

The patient was confirmed to first catch the virus on March 8 and was treated at Da Nang Hospital until March 27.

He had tested negative for the virus three times prior to his hospital discharge.

As per regulations, the Briton was asked to self-isolate at Sam Grand Hotel in the central city for another 14 days after his hospital release.

On April 11, he took a flight from Da Nang to Ho Chi Minh City and tested positive after arrival.

The test result came back after he had left Vietnam for the UK.

On April 17, the British Consulate General in Ho Chi Minh City announced he had tested negative for the virus upon landing in the kingdom.

South Korea has similarly reported that about 160 recovered patients had had their retests return positive. An investigation has been launched to find out the cause.

Vietnam has confirmed 268 COVID-19 patients so far, with 202 having recovered and 66 active cases, including the woman being sickened again.

Like us on Facebook or follow us on Twitter to get the latest news about Vietnam!
Los Angeles, CA, April 19, 2020 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Dr. Michael Everest is a renowned Indian-American physician and philanthropist who supports an array of medical research and education programs. He heads the Residents Medical Group, which is based in Los Angeles, California.





Additionally, he is the chairman of the Edwin Everest Foundation, a non-profit organization that raises funds for a wide variety of philanthropic projects. He recently made two donations amounting to over one and a half million dollars aimed at the medical training of international students.





The University of California received $500,000 to support its plans to launch a pathology training fund. Everest's donation will help Asian medical graduates and students from other parts of the world. The pathology training is earmarked for the University's Davis School of Medicine.





Michael Everest Bandana is keen to see international students benefit from increased exposure to pathology research. He donated after realizing that many medical schools in developing countries do not provide adequate research experience in pathology.





The funds will enable students to take advantage of research training by providing stipends. On the other hand, funding for the University of California allows Dr. Everest to support the large Indian-American contingent consisting of teachers and students. The physician also noted that the population of Indian-Americans in Davis, California has grown significantly.





Cutting-edge research





The University of California boasts advanced research systems that help students acquire critical experience in pathology research. Post-grad medical training is accredited by the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education.





Michael's father, Dr. Edwin Everest, founded Residents Medical, which specializes in graduate medical education. The organization guides medical students. It also handles ACGME accreditation for healthcare institutions. Residents Medical has a 20-year track record of working closely with international medical students and graduates.





Everest's father, who passed away in 2008, worked tirelessly to improve the quality of medical institutions in various countries in Asia, North America, and Europe.





Support for international graduates at Keck School





As the chairman of the Edwin Everest Foundation, Michael Everest recently donated one million dollars to support international medical graduates. The gesture is in line with the objectives of both the Edwin Everest Foundation and the Residents Medical Group.





Dr. Michael Everest believes that providing support to medical education empowers society as a whole. Graduates contribute to the overall physical and mental health of entire communities. The physician is carrying the torch of his father's legacy whose main mission is to touch people's lives.





Edwin was a strong supporter of quality medical education and worked hard to empower students from developing countries, especially from Asia. Michael noted that his father urged him to continue supporting these initiatives to ensure the success of medical graduates.





Edwin viewed education as a powerful tool to enable future generations to become more innovative and visionary. He also campaigned for the prioritization of graduate medical education. It comes as no surprise that Michael donated funds to Keck School to support volunteer postdoctoral trainees in the Department of Medicine.





The funds will support research activities at the school of medicine. Many foreign medical graduates entering diagnostic and research careers will benefit from the gift. Michael Everest emphasized the need for graduates to possess a combination of clinical and academic skills.





He believes that graduates focusing on diagnostic specialties will be on the forefront of medicine. Michael is keen to see changes in the way diseases are treated. Hence, he advocates for improved training to prepare graduates for cutting-edge research that introduces innovative solutions.





The Everest Foundation continues to provide the much-needed helping hand to medical education students and research programs.
Lucknow University has decided to include Covid-19 coronavirus in the syllabus of biochemistry postgraduate course from the coming semester.

We have decided to introduce a unit on Covid-19 in the first semester of MSc biochemistry. The unit will cover various aspects of the Covid-19, including its spread trend and ways to manage the infection, said vice chancellor of Lucknow University Alok Rai.

The decision was made in agreement with the teachers of the biochemistry department who are now busy in preparing a syllabus accordingly. The final syllabus, along with the proposal will be put forward in the next executive council meeting of the university.

Besides the biochemistry department, Covid-19 will also be included in public health course. The world is going through an adverse phase due to Covid-19 outbreak. The decision to introduce it in our syllabus was taken to ensure that the students get all required information about the virus, said spokesman of Lucknow University Durgesh Srivastav. The university had earlier introduced courses on happiness.

Meanwhile, LU has suspended all its classes and examination due to the ongoing lockdown. The teachers are taking online classes, several teachers have also uploaded the course material online which can be accessed by the students. The university is also taking online career counseling and helping out those with mental health issues.
The rise in Washington-area coronavirus cases continued Sunday as leaders slammed President Donald Trump for encouraging protests against stay-at-home orders and contradicted the White House's claims that sufficient tests exist to reopen the nation's economy.

Maryland Gov. Larry Hogan, a Republican, described Trump's comments defending protesters as unhelpful and nonsensical, while Virginia Gov. Ralph Northam, a Democrat, said the president's claims that the country has enough tests for the virus are "delusional."

Northam said Trump is focused on protests because he has not been able to deliver on his promise of supplying more tests.

"We are fighting a biological war, and we have been asked as governors to fight that war without the supplies we need," Northam said Sunday on CNN's "State of the Union," where he appeared with Hogan and Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer, a Democrat.

"Every governor in America has been pushing and fighting and clawing to get more tests, not only from the federal government but from every private lab in America and from across the world," Hogan said. "It's nowhere near where it needs to be."

The governors' comments came as the District of Columbia, Maryland and Virginia hit another milestone in the pandemic Sunday, with a combined 24,200 confirmed cases and 930 deaths.

As of Sunday evening, the three jurisdictions had reported 1,133 newly confirmed cases of the novel coronavirus and 39 deaths. But there was good news. The three also reported fewer new cases than Saturday. The region's elected leaders have said they need to see at least 14 days of continued decline in deaths and hospitalizations before considering whether to lift restrictions.

"Just as soon as we can get this health crisis behind us, we will be able to address the economic crisis, get back to were we were and let people get back to their normal lives," Northam said on CNN.

Virginia added 19 deaths Sunday, bringing its total to 280, according to The Washington Post's tally. The state reported 8,567 confirmed cases Sunday, up 484 from Saturday.

Virginia reported fewer new cases Saturday and Sunday compared with Friday, when it reported 602 new cases, the highest single-day increase. Northam said Sunday that the state was beginning to see the spread abate "a bit."

There were 554 coronavirus-related deaths in Maryland as of Sunday morning, up 15 from Saturday. There were 12,836 confirmed coronavirus cases in the state, including 522 new cases. The state reported 736 new cases Saturday.

The Charles County Department of Health identified 101 cases of covid-19 in county nursing homes and assisted-living facilities. The facilities with positive cases include Sagepoint Nursing and Rehabilitation Center, according to Maryland officials.

"Despite following all the top health care guidelines and regulations, our staff is devastated to see this virus affect the community," the Sagepoint board of directors said in a message to the senior community.

D.C. added 127 confirmed cases Sunday - 63 fewer than added Saturday, bringing its total to 2,797. Ninety-six people have died of the disease in the nation's capital, including five new deaths reported Sunday.

Nonessential businesses will remain closed until May 15 in D.C., May 10 in Maryland and May 8 in Virginia, where a stay-home order remains in place until June 10. Leaders have warned against letting up on efforts to slow the spread of the coronavirus. D.C. and Maryland have ordered residents to wear masks in public, such as when they go to stores or use public transportation.

In his CNN appearance, Hogan said he sympathized with protesters clamoring to restart the economy but said it would be reckless to do so right now.

"I understand the frustration among the people that want to get things open right away. I'm frustrated, too. I wish I had someone to protest to," Hogan said, before calling out Trump for fanning demonstrations that contradict the reopening guidelines the president issued Thursday. Those guidelines suggest states not consider reopening until coronavirus cases have declined for 14 days.

"I don't think it's helpful to encourage demonstrations and encourage people to go against the president's own policy," Hogan said. "It just doesn't make any sense."

In a tweetstorm Friday morning, Trump encouraged protesters in Virginia and other states who violated stay-home orders and social distancing guidelines to march against mostly Democratic governors.

"LIBERATE VIRGINIA, and save your great 2nd Amendment. It is under siege!" Trump tweeted.

The president continued his attack on Virginia at a media briefing Saturday, saying Northam was trying to take away the Second Amendment. Northam recently signed into law a slate of gun-control legislation, which included expanding background checks to all firearm sales.

"People really have to start looking at what's going on in Virginia," Trump said.

Northam, responding specifically to Trump's calls to "liberate" Virginia, said Sunday: "Our president obviously has been unable to deliver on tests and has chosen to focus on protests."

Northam added: "This is not the time for protest, this is not the time for divisiveness, this is a time for leadership that will stand up and provide empathy. It is time for truth and it is the time to bring people together."

Under pressure from civil rights advocates, public health experts and congressional Democrats, Hogan announced Sunday that he had signed an executive order granting early release to hundreds of inmates.

About 720 prisoners, who are both nearing the end of their sentences and are at high risk for complications of covid-19, the disease the novel coronavirus causes, have been identified for potential release, Hogan spokesman Michael Ricci said.

The executive order also allows corrections officials to accelerate parole and home detention decisions as additional tools to try to safely reduce the vulnerable prison population. Sex offenders are not eligible for early release.

The order comes days after officials announced the first inmate died of covid-19. It also follows more than a month of advocates lobbying Hogan to take aggressive action to release high-risk elderly inmates, those with chronic medical conditions and inmates nearing the end of their prison terms.

Baltimore City State's Attorney Marilyn Mosby, who has been pressing hard for the inmate release, said the action will prevent more deaths among the incarcerated population and the staff.

Meanwhile, a federal judge on Sunday ordered the D.C. jail to immediately improve medical, cleaning and social distancing procedures for its 1,400 prisoners to fight the spread of the virus.

The order stopped short of releasing any inmates, as has been requested by the American Civil Liberties Union and the D.C. Public Defender Service.

As of Sunday, the jail had reported 90 inmates testing positive for the virus and 26 staffers. One prisoner and one worker have died of covid-19.

- - -

The Washington Post's Spencer S. Hsu and Ovetta Wiggins contributed to this report.
Medical staff put on their personal protective equipment ahead of a shift on the front line of the coronavirus pandmic (PA)

A respiratory doctor at a Dublin hospital has made a public appeal for donations of personal protective equipment for healthcare workers.

Anne Marie McLaughlin, who works at St Jamess Hospital, posted a video online in which she thanked people who have already donated PPE and said health staff are extremely grateful.

But she added they have one more request.

Hospital request pic.twitter.com/3muJ8IGB24  anne marie mclaughlin (@annemar06878147) April 19, 2020

She said: In particular we are looking for gowns that our healthcare workers can wear when visiting patients.

These gowns are long-sleeve gowns, and they are made of material which is impermeable to liquids.

If you have such gowns available and youre in a position to donate them, we would be most grateful.

You can contact us through our email ppeforfrontline@gmail.com.

Meanwhile, Health Minister Simon Harris has said he would like to see schools reopen for one day a week before the end of term this summer.

He said the move would provide breathing space for families, and help the mental health of children and parents.

Speaking to Sunday Independent, he said: As a citizen in this country, I cant wait to see my mum and dad again. I cant wait to meet up with my brother and friends.

These are the real and painful realities that all of us are facing in normal life, and we all want to know, when can we see our friends? When can we see our families? When can we hold our granny? When we can get back normal?

I hear from kids who write to me on regular basis, they miss school. The novelty of kids having a few days off has long gone and the parents definitely miss them going to school.

Asked about the plans that need to be in place in order to ease the current restrictions, Mr Harris said: What happens between now and May 5 genuinely matters and without being repetitive, as we say this a lot, the lower we can get that number, the lower we can suppress the virus, the more ICU beds we can free up, the more we slow down the rate of growth, the more we see hospitalisations stabilise or fall.

All of which is happening, which is a good sign, but the more of that we see the more options we have as a country.

Expand Close Health Minister Simon Harris said he will be following advice from experts on when lockdown restrictions can be eased (PA) / Facebook

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Whatsapp Health Minister Simon Harris said he will be following advice from experts on when lockdown restrictions can be eased (PA)

We all know that when we lift restrictions, the high likelihood is that the virus starts to grow again and what we have to make sure is that you have so little of the virus in the community  I call it living alongside the virus.

Sadly people will get sick, sadly people will die, but we wouldnt be a risk of our ICUs overwhelming, thats the space we need to try and keep.

Those are the things the medics will be advising us on.

Public health will lead this, we are not going to deviate from it and take our foot of the pedal, but you have to consider, what are the biggest economic and social benefits that comply with public health, and there is work going on.

I can tell you a few things that I would like to see, but Ill be guided by the public health, Id like to see a situation where our schools can come back or at least partially back.

I think for the mental health and wellbeing of students and parents, imagine if children could go into school even one day a week and get the book, meet the teacher and got the homework for a week and, from a safe point of view, meet their friends and go home.

That would provide breathing space for families.

Id like to see a situation where you could expand somewhat the areas in which people can go beyond their home.

I am conscience that cocooning may remain a reality for quite a period of time, but is there a safe way that they can get out every now and then and take a walk, but I am not going to be making these decisions.

On Saturday, the death toll linked to coronavirus increased by 41 in Ireland, bringing the total to 571.

The Department of Health also reported 778 newly-confirmed cases, bringing the total number since the outbreak began to 14,758.
Sudhir Suryawanshi By

Express News Service

MUMBAI: The villagers in Palghar lynched three people on the suspicion that they had come to steal kidneys and sell them in the black market. The Maharashtra police have registered cases against 110 villagers, of whom 101 have been sent to police custody till 30 April and 9 minors have been sent to a juvenile shelter home.

The incident took place in the wee hours of Thursday in Gadchinchale village located along the Dabhadi Khanvel road. For four days, there was a rumour that robbers had come to the village to steal kidneys particularly of children and sell them in the black market. This led to the villagers mounting a round-the-clock vigil.

The deceased have been identified as Sushilgiri Maharaj, Nilesh Telgade and Jayesh Telgade who were travelling from Palghar to Nashik. One of them was a driver while the other two were residents of Mumbai. The cops were also badly beaten by the villagers.



The villagers initially started pelting stones at the car and once the vehicle stopped, the three were pulled out and beaten with sticks and rods.

The driver had alerted the police that their vehicle was being attacked and that villagers were trying to stop them. Police tried to stop the assault but villagers did not listen to them.

Four cops from the Kasa police station and a senior officer from the district were also injured.

This is not the first attack in this area. Two years ago, in Dhule, outsiders were badly beaten and killed after they were suspected to be members of a kidney harvesting racket.

Three days ago, Assistant Police Inspector Anand Kale and three other police officials and a doctor were attacked on the same suspicion that they were kidney robbers.

The police are probing all angles of this incident. We are checking the social media accounts and WhatsApp of these people to find out what messages were exchanged among them. The rumours were also spread regarding the robbers. We are checking all aspects and action will be taken against the guilty, a senior police officer said.

Pravin Darekae, MLC and leader of opposition in state assembly council, criticized the Maha Vikas Aghadi government and home minister Anil Deshmukh for his negligence. He said that the home minister should keep a watch on all these incidents. The home minister is responsible for this incident. He should resign and high-level probe should be conducted in this incident, Darekar demanded.
The University of Cape Coast (UCC) will resume academic work online for the second semester of the 2019-2020 academic year on Wednesday, April 22, 2020.



The decision was taken after an emergency meeting held on Wednesday, April 8, 2020.



A notice signed by the Director of Academic Affairs, Mr James Teye Onyame, said the Executive Committee of the Academic Board agreed that official resumption of lectures and tutorials online would be from Wednesday, April 22, 2020 to Tuesday, June 2, 2020.



Schools closure



The government, on March 15, suspended all public gatherings in the country with immediate effect following the recording of six confirmed cases of COVID-19 in the country.



President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, in a broadcast to the nation, said all universities, senior high schools and basic schools  public and private schools  should be closed on Monday, March 16, 2020 until further notice.



The Ministry of Education and the Ministry of Communications were tasked to roll out distance learning programmes.



Subsequently at a press briefing in Accra, the Ministry of Education indicated that it had started the implementation of virtual learning programmes to enable students to have

access to learning resources while at home in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic.



It said the learning programmes would be rolled out on all mediums  radio, television and online  with support from the Ministry of Communications and the Ministry of Information.



Revision



The notice said revision period would be from June 3, 2020 to Sunday, June 7, 2020 while second continuous assessment would be from Monday, June 8, 2020 to Friday, June 12, 2020.



Second Semester examinations will be from Monday, June 15, 2020 to Friday, June 26, 2020, with students going down on Saturday, June 27.



The revision period/ second continuous assessment and end of semester examination tentatively scheduled to start on campus from Wednesday, June 3, 2020 will be subject to normalisation of the COVID-19 situation and subsequent recall of students to campus.



Should the COVID-19 persist beyond May 2020, new dates for revision and examinations will be communicated to students and members of the university community later, stated the notice that was sent to all UCC social media platforms, student portals and posted on notice boards.



It said institutional e-mail accounts had been created for all students and that usernames and default passwords had been sent to individual student portals to enable them to activate their accounts.



Activate



The notice, therefore, asked students to activate their institutional e-mail accounts as a matter of urgency.



The online lectures (e-learning) will be delivered via the UCC Moodle Platform. The Moodle Platform account details for students not already on the platform will be sent to their institutional email with specific instructions to enable them to log onto the platform to engage with their lecturers and also access uploaded course materials, it said.



The notice said while allowing for flexibility, lecturer-student engagement on the UCC Moodle Platform should be guided by the Second Semester Teaching Timetable, and that in case of any difficulty with the use of the e-learning platform, students should contact Messrs Daniel Essel, Enoch Apori Ansah, Allan Philip Barku and Frank Akrasi Antwi. (telephone numbers attached).







Source: Daily Graphic









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The Governor of Ekiti State, Kayode Fayemi, has given details on how a pregnant health worker based in Lagos, and infected with coronavirus sneaked into the state.

The case became the third in the state after its index case in March through a driver who apparently contracted it from a visiting American tourist.

Mr Fayemi, on Saturday, said because of the development, the government was thinking of extending the restriction and curfew beyond April 27 to allow for effective tracing of everyone who had direct contact with the new case.

The governor also said security will be increased at the states boundaries to check the sneaking by people into Ekiti during the lockdown.

Mr Fayemi said the new COVID-19 confirmed case, a pregnant 29-year-old community health worker in Lagos State, was first admitted at a state comprehensive primary healthcare facility in active labour from where she moved to a private hospital in Ekiti State.

Sadly, Ekiti State has confirmed a third COVID-19 positive case, the governor said.

This new case is a pregnant 29-year-old female Community Health Worker with Lagos State who sneaked into Ekiti State in spite of the lockdown.

She presented at a State Comprehensive Primary Healthcare facility in active labour on Monday April 13, 2020. After a prolonged labour with fatal distress, she was referred to a teaching hospital but decided to go to a private hospital instead.

A caesarean section was performed on the patient and the baby was delivered safely. However, she suffered a cardiac arrest and was referred to the Federal Teaching Hospital Ido-Ekiti where she is currently unconscious. The suspicion of COVID-19 infection and subsequent testing was at the Federal Tertiary institution.

The Ekiti State COVID-19 Taskforce has already commenced contact tracing of the new case as at this morning, we have over 30 primary contacts on our list already.

The baby is alive and under surveillance while the private clinic has been sealed off and medical personnel who interacted with this case during her obstetrics and gynecology emergency have been contacted and put in self isolation.

By the time we include secondary and tertiary contacts, this one case may have put hundreds of unsuspecting people at risk of COVID-19 infection in Ekiti State.

Before the new case, Ekiti had 29 suspected cases, two confirmed cases, and was tracing 49 persons of interest. None of the contacts traced has shown any symptoms of the infection.

Mr Fayemi said the development had further given credence to the emphasis on protecting Ekiti State from an outbreak of the pandemic by a total lockdown on movement.

Despite the lockdown, the government complained of breaches of the directives and the curfew.

PREMIUM TIMES gathered that some drivers have found new routes into the state which are not manned by security operatives and the enforcers of the lockdown order.

Mr Fayemi has also expressed concern over the penchant of residents of the state as well as the security personnel to disregard security and preventive measures put in place by government to keep them safe.

He had vowed to deploy stringent measures and punish those flouting the directives.

The violations are largely due to the biting conditions facing the residents, despite the governments palliatives, which are considered far from adequate.

With the new case in Ekiti, the total national figure for confirmed covid-19 case is 542, with 19 deaths recorded. Lagos leads with 396 cases, followed by the FCT with 81.
With so many people filing for coronavirus-related unemployment insurance, local accountant Camillia Garcia is warning of a scam that hit one of her clients this month.

The client, a legal services sub-contractor, learned recently that someone had filed an unemployment claim in her name on March 20, Garcia says. The scammer used a different address and bank account number than the clients to divert the unemployment checks.

The client, who is both the employer and sole employee of her business, did not learn of the scammers work until April 7. Thats when she received a routine letter the Department of Workforce Solutions sends to employers to verify an employee insurance claim. The client had never filed such a claim.

She had had her identity stolen, although that was about two years ago, Garcia said.

Workforce Solutions is familiar with this type of scam and has measures in place to detect such activity, says spokeswoman Stacy Johnston. There is a fraud unit that works these types of scams on a regular basis.

The departments fraud hotline is 505-243-7283.

Cases have been reported nationwide by people who filed for unemployment, only to find their claim was considered a duplicate because someone else had filed in their name.

Many of the individuals were helping are filing for unemployment insurance for the very first time, Bill McCamley, New Mexico Workforce Solutions secretary, said in a news release. Please be cautious of scammers trying to take advantage of the situation.

If you are a victim of duplicate filling, call the departments Unemployment Insurance Operations Center at 1-877-664-6984. The department can put a hold on a payment while it investigates.

Know that there is no fee to file for compensation, nor will Workforce Solutions ask for your debit card or any other type of payment. If someone calls and says theyre a representative of the department, do not give them information.

Also, watch for fake websites that claim they can help you file a claim. Use only the official website at www.jobs.state.nm.us. And one more warning: If you get an email asking that you complete an online survey for the state, dont do it.

n n n

Add more scams to the long list of those involving the IRS. This time, they center on the stimulus, or economic impact, payments that are going to individuals to help blunt coronavirus-related losses.

The IRS is warning about an expected surge in calls, online phishing attempts and texts in which fraudsters try to acquire personal information.

They might insist that you verify information before the check goes out or suggest that they can help you receive your benefit faster, the IRS says.

Also watch for bogus checks in the mail, perhaps in an odd amount, telling you to call a number or verify information online in order to cash it.

Contact Ellen Marks at emarks@abqjournal.com or 505-823-3842 if you are aware of what sounds like a scam. To report a scam to law enforcement, contact the New Mexico Consumer Protection Division toll-free at 1-844-255-9210a.
Ever since high school, Michael and Bonnie Bohm have been inseparable. Four kids and four states later, the couple settled in West Linn.

Theyve been  what else  staying inside together during the coronavirus pandemic for the past month.

Then, Michael was startled awake early Friday morning by the couples barking 14-week old Bernese Mountain Dog and poodle mix puppy, Pebbles.

Bonnie, 63, was unconscious in the hallway outside the couples bedroom. After Michael was able to rouse her, he dug out his wifes old nursing gear to check her vitals. She had a fever, was confused and incoherent.

He thought about the slight cough she had developed three days earlier. The nerves started to mount. He described the situation to Oregon Health & Science University during a telemedicine appointment Friday morning. Michael said medical personnel said theyd call him back in five minutes. When they did, they said to drive Bonnie to the hospital immediately.

When he arrived, Michael said an attendant wearing a mask took Bonnie from him in the roundabout outside the emergency room entrance and he was not asked for identification and told he couldnt enter the facility.

Because of COVID-19-related visitor restrictions, Michael said hes been unable to see his wife since.

As Oregons total COVID-19 caseload inches past 1,800, and the number of people hospitalized with suspected or confirmed cases approaches 300, some family members of other hospitalized patients are stuck in a visiting limbo.

Michael said hes spoken with his wife a couple times and talked to roughly a half dozen health professionals in a little more than 24 hours. He said none appear to know Bonnies particular health history.

The lack of communication and the inability to visit his wife is terrifying and frustrating, he said.

I believe that OHSU is doing a major disservice by not allowing family members in there to help during the diagnostic phase and when people are sick, he said.

He was told early on in her stay that she was in a COVID-19 ward but was subsequently moved to an intensive care unit. Her blood pressure was low. He has never received a room number or phone number to reach her, he said. He subsequently has reached her when she calls him from her hospital room, but he hasnt been able to FaceTime.

I can go into Wal-Mart, he said, I can go into the liquor store, right? I can go into all these places but the hospital, which should be one of the safest places around, cant set up a situation where Im six feet away from my wife in her room?

An OHSU spokeswoman, Tracy Brawly, said they were unable to speak about individual patients, citing patient privacy laws.

Brawly said the hospital has revised visitor rules in recent weeks to be more restrictive. Support from friends and family is an important part of healing, she said. But to ensure patient, visitor and staff safety during the COVID-19 outbreak, OHSU is not allowing hospital visitors, except under specific conditions.

A healthy person 18 or older may visit if the patient is a child or baby, an adult with significant developmental delay or dementia, in labor, or with a new baby or receiving end of life care.

As of Friday, OHSU has had 35 inpatient COVID-19 cases during the pandemic. Six of those patients died, 11 remain in the hospital and the rest have been discharged.

Michael, an engineer at Intel, has had concerns about his wifes confusion and said he would be able to look after her if he was there.

Bonnie was a nurse and graduated from OHSU decades previously. She was working as a nursing director at various senior living centers until she lost control of a vehicle six years ago and struck a tree.

She should have died in that crash, Michael said. Since then, shes suffered from debilitating pain and takes medication for her arthritis.

For years now, Michael has served as his wifes medical caregiver, learning what medication works and doesnt, what sends her blood pressure down, what he must do to advocate for her health needs.

He told that to several OHSU officials on the phone in the past day.

That lack of familiarity with her health history is troubling, he said. If I was there, I could tell you this stuff, he told one doctor.

During the course of reporting this story, Michael said he subsequently learned that Bonnie tested negative for COVID-19, and she called and told him she had a kidney stone and would likely need surgery. Michael doesnt know when he will be able to see her.

Her iPhone has died, and he was told to bring a charging cable and drop it off to be transferred to her room.

Meanwhile, he said he waits for answers. I know more about my Amazon packages than I do about my wifes condition because of these rules.

-- Andrew Theen; atheen@oregonian.com; 503-294-4026; @andrewtheen

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As part of its efforts to ease the hardship of the lockdown order by the Nigerian government in combating the coronavirus pandemic, Chinwe Bode-Akinwande - CBA Foundation, a Lagos-based non-governmental organisation, on Friday distributed relief food items and cash support to underprivileged widows and their vulnerable children in four communities in Lagos.

The under-privileged widows and children in Ibeju-Lekki, Lagos communities, numbering over 140 families, were lifted with stimulus relief packages which included rice, garri and cash donations.

According to the founder, Chinwe Bode-Akinwande, the gesture was part of efforts to support the state government to provide a means of survival for the less privileged people during the lockdown.

She stressed that underprivileged widows and their children occupy a very special and strategic place in the mainstream of the foundation.

The foundation was established to alleviate the sufferings and pains of the less-privileged, especially widows and their children in the society. And I decided to do this because I am led by God.

Our goal is to ensure that the underprivileged widows and their children are safe and fed even as the world fights against Covid-19. As we reach out to these needy with food supplies, it is our prayer that soon we will be able to put this behind us and our cities will return to normal.

We enjoin all well-meaning Nigerians to reach out (if they can afford it) to that person next to them who is not sure of what to eat tomorrow, she said.

In her reaction, one of the widows in the community said: This has not come as a surprise to us, CBA Foundation has always come to the rescue of the underprivileged widows and their children in our community.

Of a truth, it has not been easy for me and my children. But thanks to CBA for the palliative, this will go a long way."

Another beneficiary, who identified herself as Yaya Taiwo and could not control her emotions after collecting the foodstuffs said: God will bless this CBA Foundation. This gesture came at the right time.

Mrs. Olatunji, another beneficiary who spoke with our correspondent, thanked the foundation for the gesture. She noted that the foundation had been putting smiles on many peoples faces in Nigeria.

In line with the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control, (NCDC) guidelines, before the commencement of the distribution of the food items, all the beneficiaries were made to wash and sanitise their hands, the CBA team used face masks and gloves for the process while also maintaining social distancing.

Established in 2015, the CBA Foundation has reached out to thousands of underprivileged widows and children through skills acquisition training, health intervention, business start-ups and provision of clothing, nutrition and tuition fees for the children.
The animal version of the Victoria Cross which was awarded to the pigeon that brought home the first news of the D-Day landings has sold for almost 30,000.

The cock-pigeon called the Duke of Normandy dodged German sniper fire and defied a strong head wind to make it back to his loft in London 26 hours later.

The Duke of Normandy pigeon was awarded the PDSA's Dickin Medal for Gallantry which has now sold to a British buyer for 27,280.

The message attached to one of his legs confirmed that the Merville gun battery overlooking Sword Beach at Normandy had been taken by the British.

The Duke of Normandy was a cock pigeon whose owner volunteered his beloved bird for the war effort ahead of the Allied invasion of Normandy

The animal version of the Victoria Cross awarded to a pigeon that brought home the first news of the D-Day landings has sold for almost 30,000

The medal was sold by a private collector at London auctioneers Dix Noonan Webb.

Associate director at Dix Noonan Webb Oliver Pepys said: 'Very few Dickin Medals have been awarded. Consequently, given their importance, scarcity, and the British public's love of animals, they generally generate a lot of interest when they do come up for sale.'

In 1943 Maria Dickin, founder of the People's Dispensary for Sick Animals (PDSA), set up the gong to honour the bravery of animals in the war.

The citation for The Duke of Normandy's medal states: 'For being the first bird to arrive with a message from paratroopers of the 21st Army Group behind enemy lines on D-Day.'

To date, some 32 Dickin Medals have been awarded to homing pigeons compared to 34 to dogs.

During World War Two, the Air Ministry set up the Air Pigeon Service which involved over 250,000 homing pigeons used mainly for sending messages.

The bird was kept in a small cage attached to a British paratrooper who was dropped behind enemy lines during the early hours of June 6, 1944.

The unnamed paratrooper was part of a unit that then successfully attacked and seized the Merville battery.

Those that flew over Nazi-occupied Europe were part of the Special Pigeon Service.

The Duke of Normandy had a message attached to one of his legs confirming that the Merville gun battery overlooking Sword Beach at Normandy had been taken by the British

The gallantry medal awarded to a homing pigeon that was the first to bring news of the D-Day has been sold to a British buyer for 27,280

The Germans used snipers as well as trained falcons to attempt to stop the carrying of messages by pigeons.

The Duke of Normandy's owner volunteered his beloved bird for the war effort ahead of the Allied invasion of Normandy.

As radio silence was crucial to the operations, the Duke was released with a message attached confirming the big gun emplacement had been taken.

Although the Duke of Normandy's flight time was later beaten by other pigeons, he was the first bird to arrive home with news from Normandy.
The 2020 drastic oil price drop, induced by the ever-frightening coronavirus and the Saudi-Russian spat, has ravaged business interests all across the world. US oil producers are facing a new reality  instead of a seemingly watertight growth trajectory, 2020 will most probably witness a decline in annual oil output by some 0.5mbpd, to the level of 11.76mbpd if one is to believe the last EIA forecast. Small and medium-sized US producers are bracing for a series of bankruptcies, the ones with more robust political connections are trying to salvage a deal that would provide some hope for a quick price hike, all the while the majors are cutting CAPEX and postponing major investments. Yet it is not only oil producers who should brace for a tiny revolution  LNG exporters will be the next in line, as can be judged from the current state of things in Europe.

The double whammy of oil prices plummeting and coronavirus diminishing LNG demand is still in its relative nascency in Europe. March 2020 has seen the highest-ever level of monthly LNG imports into Europe, with 10.45 million tons of LNG arriving across 170 cargoes. With prices dropping to unprecedented lows, this was very much to be expected, the warm winter of 2019/2020 notwithstanding. Then COVID-19 cut all the hype short. Chinese LNG demand is still moving back to the pre-COVID levels, India has declared a total lockdown, Japan has now declared a state of emergency until at least May 06 and South Korea already asking term LNG suppliers for delays on the back of missing demand  against such a background, the loss of the European market outlet ought to hurt.

Premium: 2 Stocks To Consider As Oil Nears $15

Qatar, supplying the Asian LNG market with 4-5 million LNG tons per month, must confront demand faltering in its core export market for at least several months now. Despite landed LNG prices remaining lower than 2/MMbtu in all of Europes main economies, Qatars low production costs, massive resource base and lack of domestic competition place it in a favorable position when it comes to a LNG race to the bottom in Europe. For many analysts, the overarching dilemma of the European gas market was whether US LNG could prevail over Russian pipeline supplies, yet now the scope for competition expanded exponentially. Apart from US LNG and the Gazprom-supplied pipeline gas, Qatar will be also competing against Russian LNG in the form of increasing Yamal LNG supplies.

Graph 1. Monthly Yamal LNG Exports by Continent in 2018-2020 (in million tons of liquefied natural gas).



Source: Thomson Reuters.

Yamal LNG exports to the Zeebrugge LNG terminal in Belgium have reached an all-time high in March 2020, one of the main transshipment points for Russian LNG, partially on the back of Zeebrugge commissioning a 5th storage tank for Russian volumes. Although not a peak export level per se, neither to Europe nor globally to all continents (both took place in December 2019), there is a strong indication that NOVATEK and its partners on Yamal LNG are starting to prioritize maintaining market share over increasingly slim profits. With the Chinese market  heretofore a significant pull factor for Yamal LNG volumes  all but non-existent for March and April-arriving cargoes, the battle for Europe seems to be intensifying.

Graph 2. Monthly Qatar LNG Exports vs LNG Exports to Europe (in million tons LNG).



Source: Thomson Reuters.

Premium: The Oil Sector That Will Suffer The Most

The following might sound a bit illogical, given that Europe is currently in the throes of COVID-19 and countries across-the-board experience monumental difficulty in keeping this years economic growth numbers positive, yet there is a powerful counterargument for LNG deliveries to Europe not to decrease as steeply as oil demand decreased. That reason is the all-time low price of LNG. Qatar also understands this and has been palpably seeking to secure the UK, Benelux and Italian market where Qatargas has long-term commitments, all the while avoiding spot supplies to Spain and elsewhere. The simultaneous push of Qatar and Russia will leave very little space for American LNG  just as it reached a peak this February at 3.1 million LNG tons, if things stand as they are April deliveries will fall by 50% from that all-time high.

Graph 3. UK LNG Landed Price in 2010-2020 (MMbtu).



Source: Thomson Reuters.

The dynamics of Chinese demand will also propel Qatar, Russia and the United States to fight for European LNG demand. Qatari LNG deliveries to China have been remarkably seasonal  following the January peak demand winds down in the spring months, hence the corona virus-induced demand drop in China did not have that much of a catastrophic effect on it. Russias Yamal LNG will be hindered by the freezing of the Northern Sea Route (NSR)  a voyage which necessitates significantly more time and effort than a quick transshipment in Belgium or the Netherlands  and it will be only from June 2020 onwards that LNG cargoes from Yamal start doing the entire NSR. Hence, the current state of the market suggest that the North Sea triangle  Benelux, UK, Northern France  will witness a grand contest where profitability numbers are by no means the most pertinent cause of action.



By Viktor Katona for Oilprice.com

More Top Reads From Oilprice.com:
Founders of Yamco Skin Tony Yammine (left) and Daniel Saad (right)

Young friends who launched their skincare company in the middle of the COVID-19 crisis have seen sales equalling $100,000 in a week - and have put it down to the clever use of a hashtag.

Yamco Skin founders Tony Yammine, 22, and Daniel Saad, 28, raked in the incredible sum after labelling their beloved clay mask and hydrating moisturiser #NoFilter, and using it as a hashtag on Instagram.

It's a commonly used phrase 267million reposts on the social media app alone, meaning the men would find themselves garnering followers - and customers - who were also searching through that tag.

'Our idea was to launch a brand that represented inner beauty and being comfortable within your own skin,' Mr Yammine, who is from Cronulla, south of Sydney, told FEMAIL.

'The idea and promise is that by using Yamco, there is no need for social media edits or filters.'

After a year of research, liaising with dermatologists and learning about the skincare industry, Yamco Skin offered its first products within the #NoFilter range - a Detoxifying Clay Mask ($59.99) and Hydrating Moisturiser ($49.99).

The Yamco Skin founders raked in the incredible sum after labelling their beloved clay mask and hydrating moisturiser #NoFilter, and using it as a hashtag on Instagram

After a year of research, liaising with dermatologists and learning about the skincare industry, Yamco Skin offered its first products within the #NoFilter range - a Detoxifying Clay Mask (pictured) and Hydrating Moisturiser ($49.99)

The mask contains kaolin clay to remove impurities, matcha green tea extract to stimulate microcirculation and allantoin for the healing of acne scars.

While the moisturiser contains anti-inflammatory shea butter, jojoba oils for promoting softness of the skin and cacao for relieving dryness.

'We have combined creative marketing using the #NoFilter hashtag with a product that truly works and delivers on its promise,' he continued.

'We have combined creative marketing using the #NoFilter hashtag with a product that truly works and delivers on its promise,' he continued

The brand sold 4,000 clay masks and moisturisers last week when they launched, proving that not every company will be suffering during the global health pandemic

'Yamco Skin is experiencing exponential growth with some of the biggest social media influencers jumping on board to talk about and demonstrate our products.'

The brand sold 4,000 clay masks and moisturisers last week when they launched, proving that not every company will be suffering during the global health pandemic.

'Due to the popularity and demand, Yamco Skin is already developing a third product which will be released by the end of the year,' Mr Yammine said.

You can find Yamco Skin products on their website.
President Emmerson Mnangagwa says hard decision taken because country has not yet met WHO conditions to lift measure.

Zimbabwes government has extended a lockdown by two weeks to contain the spread of the coronavirus pandemic.

President Emmerson Mnangagwa said on Sunday the country had not yet met conditions set down by the World Health Organization (WHO) to lift the measure, imposed on March 20.

It has been a very hard decision that my government has had to take reluctantly, he said in a televised address to the nation.

The lockdown has left many citizens without an income as the country is grappling with the worst economic crisis in a decade, marked by shortages of foreign exchange, food and medicines.

As of Sunday, the country has confirmed 25 coronavirus cases, including three deaths, but health professionals have expressed fears that many infections could be going undetected due to limited testing.

A lack of critical medical equipment and infrastructure shortages complicate the challenging situation, as years of underfunding and economic challenges have brought the countrys health sector to its knees.

Mnangagwa said the the country has witnessed a spike in the number of infections from single digits to the current 25.

We are deeply worried that the virus is beginning to attack our children with more and more cases coming from local transmissions.

Mnangagwa said the government would allow mining companies, the countrys top foreign currency earner, to resume full operations while manufacturers would work at limited capacity. Mining companies operating in Zimbabwe include local operations of Impala Platinum Holdings and Anglo American Platinum.

He added that the government had embarked on expanding testing across the country to gauge the magnitude of the problem and isolate cases early on.





The lockdown has confined most people to their homes, but in poor townships, people are venturing out in search of staples like maize meal, leading to long queues at the shops.

In the capital, Harare, city council officials, with the help of police and soldiers, were on Sunday tearing down illegal market stalls used by informal traders in townships.

The action was strongly criticised by citizens in the country where more than 80 percent of the working population have no formal jobs and rely on the informal economy to make a living.

City authorities defended the move, saying it was necessary to restore order and that informal traders would be relocated to new and better facilities.

As part of measures to contain the spread of the coronavirus, the government has declared a state of national disaster and banned all public gatherings of more than 50 people for 60 days. Some of the banned gatherings include church services, weddings and all international sporting fixtures.

The government has also ordered the closure of schools and designated three hospitals as quarantine facilities.
HCMCs crime rate increased by 10 percent in the first quarter compared to a year ago, with authorities blaming it on the Covid-19 outbreak.

Empty streets and the economic hardship caused by the pandemic have caused the surge in crime, especially robberies, they said.

At around midnight on April 14 police officers stopped two men on motorbikes behaving suspiciously in District 8 and found knives under their seats. They were taken to the ward police station after they claimed they had bought the knives from a shop for home use.

Since they did not wear helmets or carry their licenses, the police fined them and seized their vehicles and knives.

Police were afraid that both suspects had bad intentions, saying no knife shops are open in the middle of the night and no one brings along knives when going out, so they escorted both men to a police station.

The patrol officers in District 8 said they apprehended many people on the street with weapons in the past two months.

In many robberies, the accused said they committed the crime because they had lost their jobs due to the pandemic.

On March 30 the police arrested Huu Hoang Giang and Le Tuan Thanh for robbing and intending to rape a woman in Binh Thanh District.

They confessed to committing two robberies earlier in Thu Duc District.

On March 25 a French couple was robbed at knifepoint in downtown Saigon. Police officers showed up and caught the teenage robber.

Authorities have urged people not to go out to comply with stay-at-home orders and avoid getting mugged. If there is a need to leave home, they should not go alone, especially early in the morning or late at night when the streets are deserted.
Between 2010 and 2019, only 23 of Alabamas 67 counties grew in population. Most areas of the state shrank - a trend that is continuing into the end of the decade, as just three counties made up half of the states overall growth last year.

Of those 23 growing counties, only one was not part of a metropolitan or micropolitan area, according to the U.S. Census Bureau. Cherokee County in northeast Alabama is the only one of those rural counties that grew between 2010 and 2019. It added 233 people in 10 years.

This is a trend that extends out of Alabama and across the rest of the South - rural counties losing people, while cities and especially suburbs grow.

And nowhere in the South is seeing more growth than Texas. The state as a whole grew by nearly 15 percent over the last decade. In fact, 13 of the top 25 fastest growing counties in the South are in Texas.

Thats including Loving County, a tiny county in west Texas that grew by more than 100 percent in 10 years. Thats easier to do when a county has fewer than 100 people to start the decade, as Loving did.

But Texas larger counties are growing, too, and you can see it on the map. The counties surrounding the states most populous cities are growing at faster rates than the cities themselves, while many of the more rural stretches are losing people.

In terms of raw numbers, no county in the South added more people than Harris County, Texas, home of Houston. Harris added more than 600,000 people in a decade. Thats more growth than 12 of the 16 Southern states saw over the same time span. Its nearly six times more than Alabamas total growth.

But the counties outside of Houston are growing at a faster rate. Harris Countys huge raw growth still accounts for a substantial percentage increase - nearly 15 percent. But Fort Bend County, just southwest of Harris, grew by more than 37 percent. Every county that borders Harris grew faster than 15 percent.

A similar pattern is evident around many of the Souths large cities, from Orlando to Nashville.

In Alabama, many suburban counties are thriving. The states largest county, Jefferson, which is home to Birmingham, is basically stagnant since 2010. But many of its surrounding counties are growing - especially Shelby County, just to the south. It grew by 11 percent. Limestone County, just west of Huntsville, grew by nearly 19 percent. It was the fastest growing county in the state between 2018 and 2019.

Baldwin is the states fastest growing county since 2010. It grew by nearly 22 percent, and is home to both beach towns and Mobile suburbs.

Its easier for some suburban counties to grow at faster rates than their urban counterparts because they have smaller starting populations, but the same trend is unmistakable across the states. Large pockets of population decline can be seen in areas like the Mississippi Delta and throughout the Southern Black Belt, as well as in Appalachia, in parts West Virginia, Kentucky and Virginia.

Even Texas isnt immune to rural population loss. The three fastest-shrinking counties in the South are all in Texas, and they are all rural. They are Concho, Terrell and Schleicher counties, which are all near each other in west-central Texas.

Do you have an idea for a data story about Alabama? Email Ramsey Archibald at rarchibald@al.com, and follow him on Twitter @RamseyArchibald. Read more Alabama data stories here.
TV actor Devoleena Bhattacharjee, like many others in TV and film industry, is offering help to those less privileged during lockdown. The former Bigg Boss contestant has reportedly adopted two families for a month to support them.

A fan shared a screenshot of Devoleenas donation and wrote on Twitter, Thank youuuu so much @Devoleena_23 for Adopting 2 families for 1 month Nd Donating Money for Thier food & groceries ...This will be the best bihu gift for your Assam fans God bless you @Devoleena_23. The screenshot shows Devoleena donated Rs 4400 to Akshay Patra Foundation to help two families who have daily wage workers as their primary earning members.

Thank youuuu so much @Devoleena_23 for Adopting 2 families for 1 month Nd Donating Money for Thier food & groceries ...

This will be the best bihu gift for your Assam fans

God bless you  @Devoleena_23 pic.twitter.com/CdhQ8Ffl9v  Veera kunapareddy (@veerakunaparedy) April 14, 2020

Earlier this month, Devoleena had also extended her help for a pregnant woman in need of blood from a rare blood group. The sister-in-law of the woman had tweeted, Cant express how much we owe to u @Devoleena_23 & @veerakunaparedy Yesterday my brothers wife was admitted in hospital for delivery at that time she needed O- ve blood group.blood wasnt available in hospital. Its Quite impossible to get that because of during lock down.

Can't express how much we owe to u @Devoleena_23& @veerakunaparedy

Yesterday my brother's wife was admitted in hospital for delivery at that time she needed O- ve blood group.blood wasn't available in hospital. It's Quite impossible to get that because of during lock down (1/3) pic.twitter.com/yclQaoEZaA  Ramya123 (@Ramya_Devoleena) April 5, 2020

I contacted Devoleena helping hands Veera has responded and he contacted her relatives &friends from there

Finally we got the donor who's your fan from Chennai

Amidst the lock down

He walked bare foot 10 Kms to gave blood to my sister in law

He reached at the right time (2/3)  Ramya123 (@Ramya_Devoleena) April 5, 2020

Also read: Kangana Ranaut defends sister, targets Farah Khan Ali again: Dont twist words to suit your distorted narrative

Devoleena is not the first one to offer help in these tough times -several other TV celebs have also come forward to help those in need. TV star and comedian Kapil Sharma announced a donation of Rs 50 lakh to the PM relief fund while Arjun Bijlani donated Rs 5 Lakh to the PM-CARES fund. Arjun also donated to the Maharashtra CMs Relief Fund.

Host and actor Maniesh Paul had also announced his contribution. I take a pledge to donate 20 lakhs from my savings to the PM-CARES fund...its time to be there for everyone... @narendramodiji.. JAI HIND, he had tweeted.

Follow @htshowbiz for more
The Time Is Now for Transition in Venezuela

All pressure must come to bear on socialist regime

Commentary

The time has come for the United States to help Venezuela halt Nicolas Maduros tyranny and his criminal network. The pandemic outbreak and low oil prices provide an opportunity to force the usurper out and let Venezuelans choose a new president.

On March 31, the U.S. State Department released a roadmap to lifting sanctions on the Venezuelan government. First, the Maduro regime transfers power to the National Assembly. Second, the duly elected legislators can pick an interim executive authority, called the Council of State, which convenes fair and free elections. The plan ends with the restoration of the rule of law and the separation of powers after over 20 years of socialism.

Neither Maduro nor the opposition leader Juan Guaido can be part of the Council of State, an acceptable compromise. However, the regime must allow the return of National Assembly members under persecution or exile and release all political prisoners. The Russian and Cuban intelligence officers propping up the regime must also return to their countries.

The starting point requires the cooperation of both the ruling Socialist Party and the opposition. Guaido, for his part, has told U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo he would support the plan. Not surprisingly, Maduros foreign minister Jorge Arreaza has rejected it.

But the fight is not over.

Unlike previous plans, the good news is that major regional players stand behind this White House effort. Colombia and Brazil have voiced their support and vowed to assist during Venezuelas transition. Another backer is Luis Almagro, the secretary-general of the Organization of American States (OAS). A renowned pro-democracy Latin American leader, he has called on other nations to follow his lead.

In the best-case scenario, an international coalition could pressure Maduro and his supporters to accept the deal. If thats not enough, the United States has other tools at its disposal.

On April 10, the Trump administrations special envoy for Venezuela Elliott Abrams warned Maduro the United States would take action regardless. The difference is the White House is willing to be more aggressive in the case of non-cooperation.

The Chavista regime has already gotten a taste of what could follow. On March 26, the U.S. Justice Department indicted Maduro and Diosdado Cabello, a top ruling-party leader, on drug-trafficking charges. Now theres a price on their heads: up to $15 million for information leading to their capture and conviction.

From Plan to Action

A key element of any successful transition is gaining the support of the National Armed Forces of Venezuela (FANB). The White House proposal lifts sanctions on FANB officers, appoints one as an adviser to the Council of State, and keeps the military high command during the transitionexcept for one man.

Vladimir Padrino Lopez, Venezuelas defense minister and general-in-chief, too, stands accused by the Justice Department of narco-terrorism. In 2016, Maduro put Padrino in charge of the distribution of food, medicine, and social programs, turning him into one of the regimes most powerful figures. Unsurprisingly, Padrino and his family have grown rich: They now own several real-estate companies in Venezuela and the United States worth millions of dollars.

Losing the support of the Venezuelan armed forces is one of the only ways Maduro will accept going along with the White House plan. A military coalition between Colombia, Brazil, and the United States can muster enough power to persuade the FANB.

The fact that the opposition controls 108 out of 167 seats in the National Assembly lends more credence to the rest of the plan. The lawmakers would appoint new authorities to the National Electoral Council and the Supreme Court of Justice to serve during the transition. They will also pass legislation creating the Council of State and elect four of its members.

The third factor is the establishment of a truth and reconciliation commission, a common feature of transitional Latin American governments over the last four decades. However, several commissions have not delivered on their promises due to weak institutions and cronyism.

The new regime in Venezuela should make sure the commission is independent and has the tools to fulfill its mandate. The commission will be in charge of identifying rights violations during the Chavista regime and prosecuting perpetrators. Amnesty International has recommended such commissions also examine the judicial system and propose reforms.

A New Opportunity to Bargain

Venezuela, mired in a health crisis for years due to shortages of supplies and staff, is not prepared to handle the CCP virus emergency. On April 11, Venezuelan physicians made known there are only 84 intensive-care beds with respirators available in the entire country, contradicting the governments claim of 25,000 beds.

This is not the only regime lie civil-society groups and the opposition have debunked. True to its habit of hiding information, the regime appears to be manipulating the number of CCP virus patients and deaths.

As of April 14, the regime reported 193 infections and nine deaths. However, doctors from the Andes University, in Merida, identified 378 suspicious cases in that city alone. Migrants lacking jobs and income abroad are returning to Venezuela, increasing the risk of an outbreak.

The regime has also claimed Venezuela is testing 25,000 people daily for the CCP virus, more than the 20,000 the United Kingdom is trying to achieve. Jose Manuel Olivares, a member of the National Assembly, dismissed the regime and countered that Venezuela has the worlds lowest testing rate.

Despite his unabashed optimism, Maduro has decided to extend the national lockdown until May. If the dictatorship is hiding the real numbers and is unable to control the pandemic, the truth will eventually come out. The regime will hardly be able to tackle another crisis under current international isolation, and the lifting of U.S. sanctions will become more attractive.

Isolation means stopping financial transactions to Venezuela if the regime does not accept the transition. The dictatorship has been a parasite on the back of citizens remittances and other inflows for too long. With oil prices at historic lows of around $30 per barrel, decimating government revenues and social programs the regime has relied on for public support, something has to give.

Venezuelans should pressure the regime and set a transitional government in motion. Maduro must understand this is his last chance to avoid a path leading to intervention. A U.S. military coalition with Colombia and Brazil should be ready to act if Maduro does not leave office.

Paz Gomez contributed to this article.

Fergus Hodgson is the founder and executive editor of Latin American intelligence publication Econ Americas. He is also the roving editor of Gold Newsletter and a research associate with the Frontier Centre for Public Policy.

Views expressed in this article are the opinions of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of The Epoch Times.
Washington, April 19 : US Vice President Mike Pence delivered an in-person commencement address for graduates of the Air Force Academy in Colorado, even as much of the nation remains shut amid the coronavirus pandemic.

No spectators, including family, were allowed at the event on Saturday, reports Xinhua news agency.

Seats for the graduates were separated to follow federal and state social distancing guidelines.

"We gather at a time of national crisis as the coronavirus epidemic impacts our nation and the wider world," Pence told the academy's 62nd graduating class.

Air Force Secretary Barbara M. Barrett, Space Force General John Raymond, the chief of space operations, and others also attended the ceremony.

Raymond said this is the first class of academy graduates that includes some who will enter the Space Force, the sixth and youngest branch of the US Armed Forces.

President Donald Trump said on Saturday that the commencement address he was slated to give at the US Military Academy, also known as West Point, was being moved to June 13.

Similar social distancing measures are expected to be at the West Point graduation.

"I understand they'll have distancing," Trump said during a White House press briefing.

"They'll have some big distance, so it will be very different than it ever looked. Do I like the look? No, I don't. And eventually, next year, they'll have a commencement like it's been." The US has the highest number of coronavirus cases and deaths in the world at 734,969 and 38,910, respectively.
Orthodox Christians have defied coronavirus lockdown measures to attend Easter services as Russia's infection rate today soared by 6,060 to 42,853.

Worshippers gathered at churches across Europe in a celebration of the festival on Sunday as priests led processions around churchyards to mark the occasion.

Russian Patriarch Kirill, who leads 150 million believers, held a televised service at Christ the Saviour Church in Moscow as people were urged to stay at home amid the coronavirus pandemic.

In an address, he said although the church was empty 'we are together - one big family of Orthodox believers'.

Though churches were shut in Moscow - where most of Russia's coronavirus cases are concentrated - some services remained open in other parts of Europe.

Worshippers in Ukraine lined up to kiss a cross during a service at the Holy Transfiguration Cathedral in Donetsk as many of the world's 260 million Orthodox Christians were forced to mark Easter without attending church.

Believers queue to kiss a cross as they attend the Orthodox Easter service at the Holy Transfiguration Cathedral in Donetsk, Ukraine

Pictured: Russian Orthodox believers take part in a procession during an Easter service at the Trinity Dormition Cathedral in the city of Kineshma

Pictured: Worshippers gather outside the Holy Transfiguration Cathedral for a celebration of Easter

Other photographs from today show people standing close together outside the cathedral in Donetsk, despite advice to avoid crowds to slow the spread of the deadly virus.

In Kineshma, a town north-east of Moscow in Russia, crowds of worshippers were photographed holding candles outside the Trinity Dormition Cathedral.

Others lit candles during Easter services at the St Michael the Archangels Church in Sochi as they stood apart from others in an apparent attempt at social distancing.

Vladimir Putin did not attend an Easter service as usual this year but instead visited a chapel at his residence near Moscow.

In a fireside video address next to traditional Easter cakes and eggs, he urged Russians to obey restrictions while insisting the coronavirus situation in Russia is under control despite a steep rise in infections.

Pictured: Women gather close together in Donetsk, Ukraine today during an Orthodox Easter service

Pictured: The choir of the Vladivostok diocese and singers of the Metropolitan choir perform during an Easter flash mob by the Transfiguration Cathedral in Russia

Worshippers gathered near churches across Russia in a celebration of the festival on Sunday, as priests led processions around churchyards to mark the occasion

Vladimir Putin (pictured during his Easter address) did not attend an Easter service as usual this year but instead visited a chapel at his residence near Moscow

The country marked its worst day for coronavirus today as 6,060 new cases and 48 deaths were reported. Russia has now recorded 42,853 cases of Covid-19 overall, with 361 deaths confirmed.

It comes as footage emerged of dozens of people celebrating the Easter weekend - which takes place a week later for Orthodox Christians due to the religious calendar - in a 'quarantine party'.

The clip shows around 40 people crammed into a two-room flat in defiance of lockdown rules imposed by the government.

In the Siberian city of Krasnoyarsk, more than 100 people crowded on the steps of a locked cathedral for a vigil to mark Easter.

Patriarch Kirill of Moscow held a televised service at the Christ the Saviour Church in the Russian capital as the public was urged to stay at home amid the coronavirus pandemic

A Terek Cossack wearing a protective face mask attends the Orthodox Easter service at the Kazan Cathedral amid the coronavirus outbreak today

Pictured: Worshippers wearing face masks attend the Orthodox Easter service at the Kazan Cathedral in Stavropol, Russia today

Some across Russia gathered together on Orthodox Easter Sunday, defying social distancing guidance not to leave their own homes

In the same city, dozens gathered for barbecues on the warmest day of the year as temperatures reached 22C.

Others across Russia gathered together on Orthodox Easter Sunday, defying social distancing guidance not to leave their own homes.

'We thoroughly analyse the experiences of other countries, actively interact with our foreign friends and colleagues,' Putin said in his Easter message.

'We understand what is happening, we see the risks, we know what needs to be done in any situation, and we do what is necessary.'

He said the Kremlin was taking 'all measures to protect people's lives and health.'

More than 100 people queue outside a cathedral in Krasnoyarsk for Easter night time service, Western Siberia, despite it being closed

Pictured: A Russian Orthodox believer in a face mask lights candles during an Easter service at St Michael the Archangels Church

The country marked its worst day for coronavirus today as 6,060 new cases and 48 deaths were reported

Russia has now recorded 42,853 cases of Covid-19 overall, with 361 deaths confirmed

Pictured: A Russian Orthodox priest shares Holy Fire from Jerusalem after an Easter service at St Michael the Archangels Church

Pictured: Russian Orthodox Christians attend the Easter service at the Russian Orthodox Old Believers' Church in Kazan

Pictured: Patriarch Kirill, second left, conducts the church's main service celebrating Orthodox Easter at Moscow's Christ the Saviour Cathedral

'To support the economy requires additional and large resources and reserves,' he added. 'We have them.'

'We use them carefully, precisely, based on the current situation, and above all to help people, those families who are now in a difficult situation.'

Churches were not open to the public in much of the wider Orthodox region including Greece and Serbia as well as minority communities in Turkey and Egypt.

In Syria, where most Christians follow Orthodox rituals, churches broadcast services online and the mood was sombre in the Christian quarter of Damascus.

In the crypt of Belgrade's huge Saint Sava Temple, around a dozen people breached a strict round-the-clock curfew in place till Tuesday to attend a morning service, many wearing masks.

Pictured: Worshippers gather on their balconies in Athens as many of them hold candles on Orthodox Easter during lockdown

Pictured: Chanters take part in the Good Saturday ceremony inside a closed for the public Greek Orthodox church, in the northern city of Thessaloniki, Greece

Pictured: Christos Efstathiou, his wife Evangelia and their four children watch the Greek Orthodox Easter procession on TV in their house

In Albania, where Orthodox believers make up 11 per cent, 72-year-old Tatjana Jani lit candles in front of icons in her Tirana flat, saying the lockdown reminded her of the Communist years of enforced atheism.

'We used to celebrate like today, even though now we're in democratic confinement,' she said.

In Lebanon, which has communities of mainly Greek Orthodox believers, churches broadcast services online and via loudspeakers.

'It's the first time in my life I've seen a Sunday like this,' said 76-year-old Afaf, who lives in a region north of Beirut.

In Romania, volunteers and priests went to people's homes handing out loaves of consecrated bread and lighting candles with the holy flame brought from Jerusalem's Church of the Holy Sepulchre.

Pictured: Worshippers wear masks and hold candles as they attend midnight Easter Orthodox mass in front of Alexander Nevsky cathedral in Sofia, Bulgaria

Pictured: A father carries his young daughter as they attend mass at the Nevsky cathedral in Sofia, Bulgaria on Sunday

Pictured: Head of the Bulgarian Orthodox Church, Patriarch Neophyte, steps out to lead the festive midnight Mass in front of Alexander Nevsky cathedral in Sofia, Bulgaria

Pictured: An elderly Bulgarian woman wears a face mask as she attends mass at the Seven Saints Church in Sofia, Bulgaria

However, a number of Orthodox churches did oppose the imposition of lockdown measures on their most important holiday.

In Bulgaria, the Orthodox Church kept services open but required worshippers to wear masks and keep their distance.

Dimitry Goldman, 46, wore a face mask to attend an open-air midnight service outside the Alexander Nevski cathedral in central Sofia.

He said he was praying for 'health... and that we overcome this crisis and people go out in the streets again.'

Georgia's government bowed to pressure from religious authorities and allowed services in the largest churches despite a public lockdown in the Black Sea country with 394 confirmed cases.

Ukraine saw a similar divergence of views with President Volodymyr Zelensky urging people to stay at home while the country's Orthodox Church loyal to the Moscow Patriarch encouraged worshippers to attend outdoor services.

Some 130,000 people attended services across the country, police said.
Along with a US$20 million milk export contract with a partner at Gulfood Dubai earlier this year, Vinamilks shipment to China is a positive signal for the company and

Vietnams dairy industry in general amid numerous the difficulties caused by the Covid-19 pandemic, which slowed the countrys exports in the first quarter.

Vinamilk made its debut in China in October last year and has been cooperating closely with its Chinese counterparts to export a wide variety of products from milk to other drinks.

A company official stated Chinas condensed milk imports nearly doubled from 2016 to 2019, it being one of Vinamilks key products which has been exported since the late 1990s.

As such this is an opportunity for Vinamilk to bolster its exports to China and help make Vietnam one of the five largest exporters of condensed milk to the worlds second largest economy.

Vinamilks condensed milk is currently available in more than 30 countries, including the US, Canada, Japan and the Republic of Korea, with total exports at 208,000 tonnes.

According to Vo Trung Hieu, head of international sales at Vinamilk, the company is planning to double its exports to China during the 2020-2021 period.

The first container of condensed milk shipped to China was produced at the Ho Chi Minh City-based Thong Nhat Milk Factory which has extensive experience of producing condensed milk for the United States and Japan.

The company representative added that Vinamilk is wholly able to fulfil large orders from the most demanding markets, thanks to its large production capacity, modern technologies and application of international quality management standards.

Vinamilk is the largest milk producer in Vietnam by market share and its export revenues in 2019 grew by 15% compared with 2018, with its products present in 53 countries and territories around the world.

Vinamilk is preparing for the first batch of condensed milk to be shipped to China.

The condensed milk production line at the Thong Nhat Factory

Milk quality control at the Thong Nhat Factory

A close-up of cans of Ong Tho-branded condensed milk destined for the Chinese market
The Kenosha County Joint Information Center is back this week with more answers to the communitys questions about COVID-19.

The Kenosha County Division of Health is accepting questions by email at COVID19@kenoshacounty.org. Those asked most frequently will be answered each week, in a news release from the Joint Information Center and in a video produced by the Kenosha Police Department.

This weeks questions were fielded by Evan Gorr, Kenosha County public health nurse, and Kenosha County Medical Examiner Patrice Hall.

These weekly FAQ videos are available on YouTube at http://bit.ly/KCCOVIDplaylist and on the Kenosha County Government Facebook page, at www.facebook.com/kenoshacountygovt.

A written synopsis of the questions and answers follows, beginning with Gorrs answers to public health-related questions:

Q: Where does a resident get more current information beyond daily count of positives?

A: There is an online dashboard on the Kenosha County COVID-19 Response Hub website, at www.kenoshacounty.org/covid-19. By clicking the dashboard link (optimized for desktop or mobile) at the top of the hub page, you can find data on cases reported by age, gender, race and ethnicity, municipality and census tract.

Q: Does Kenosha have access to rapid testing such as the Abbott lab tests?

A: Yes. We have it at one of our hospital sites and are currently using it on a select group of people.

Q: To me, Kenosha numbers seem high compared to other counties and our rank per population.

A: Kenosha County includes the states fourth-largest city, and we also have the fourth-largest number of positives. We are also on the border with Illinois, nearest to Chicago  which has a large number of cases  and Illinois residents work, shop and travel through Kenosha County.

The Kenosha County Division of Health is monitoring all positive cases. These numbers are not the only thing to look at, because testing levels and collection kits are still varying widely throughout the state and country.

Q: What city officials can we get more involved to spread the word daily via multiple media outlets about our current situation and plead for Kenosha to step up more than we currently are?

A: The health officer is working daily with multiple city officials and providing County Board with updates weekly; these updates will now be moving from Tuesday nights to Wednesdays.

The mayor does radio spots on Mondays and Thursdays. The Joint Information Center is sharing resources through the various organizations Facebook pages, the Friday FAQs, various press releases each week and the Kenosha County COVID-19 Hub website updated daily.

Q: Please share information regarding blood donations.

A: According to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), there have been no reported or suspected cases of transfusion-transmitted COVID-19. Individuals are not at risk of contracting COVID-19 through the blood donation process or via a blood transfusion, since respiratory viruses are generally not known to be transmitted by donation or transfusion.

Plasma donation information for those who have recovered from COVID-19 is available from the Versiti Blood Center of Wisconsin at this link: https://www.versiti.org/home/convalescentplasma-donations.

Versiti is seeking plasma donations from community members who have recovered from COVID-19 to help patients with severe COVID-19 symptoms. Recovered patients have antibodies in their plasma that can attack the virus and potentially help our sickest patients.

Q: What do we know about anti-body testing and community testing?

A: The FDA Commissioner has stated that antibody tests being reviewed by the agency may not be as accurate as wed like them to be.

Most tests on the market have not gone through an FDA scientific review and we do not know the accuracy rate of these tests. Testing the entire community may create a false sense of safety and put some in danger of exposure with false positive or false negative results.

We want to be sure that if we tell a member of the public that they are immune, we are confident in that test.

Q: What is contact tracing and why is it important to do this?

A: A good visual is if you line up a row of matches touching one another and light one end. If you remove a match anywhere in the line you have a chance to save all the matches thereafter from burning up.

Contact tracing takes the person who tested positive and allows us to follow and find people with whom that positive case may have been in contact. We then reach out to those people who had contact with a positive case and provide them with information and hopefully prevent them from potentially exposing others to the virus.

A video illustrating the matchstick principle is available here: https://youtu.be/sICXqvupZJE.

Q: When we hear that an employee at our workplace has tested positive, what can our workplace do to prevent further spread?

A: Our Division of Health staff has been working with the employers in Kenosha County in order to keep employees safe by providing education and directions. Employers are urged to follow CDC guidelines for social distancing and cleaning procedures to prevent further spread.

Here are links to the CDC guidelines and the DHS guidelines for workplaces: https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/community/organizations/businessesemployers. html and https://www.dhs.wisconsin.gov/covid-19/employers.htm.

Q: I am interested in volunteering to make face coverings for those who need them. How can I help?

A: The Kenosha County Division of Health is still in need of cloth masks that are being dropped off to residents who are testing positive and their close contacts. If you or a group you belong to can make these masks, please send an email to COVID-19@kenoshacounty.org, and we will collect them for distribution.

Sadly, as of April 17, our community has lost five lives to COVID-19. This has raised some questions about what happens when there is a death caused by the virus.

Kenosha County Medical Examiner Patrice Hall fielded the following questions:

Q: Will the Kenosha County Medical Examiners Office perform COVID-19 testing on every person who dies in Kenosha County?

A: COVID-19 testing will not be performed on every person who dies in Kenosha County. Each death is individually investigated and triaged. There are certain criteria that must be met before a decedent undergoes COVID-19 testing by our office.

Q: Can I catch COVID-19 from a person who has died of COVID-19?

A: It is believed that the COVID-19 virus can survive up to three days after a person has died. Our investigators wear full PPEs when performing an investigation and when handling a decedent to help mitigate the risk of transmission.

Q: Will a person undergo an autopsy if they have died of COVID-19?

A: If a person dies of confirmed COVID-19 or is suspected to have died of COVID-19 in Kenosha County, the death is reportable to the Kenosha County Medical Examiners Office. The death will be investigated, and our office will make the determination as to whether further testing or an autopsy will need to be performed. We work with the Milwaukee County Medical Examiners Office, which performs requested autopsies on behalf of our office.

For any person who dies of COVID-19 in Kenosha County, the Kenosha County Medical Examiners Office will be signing the death certificate.

Those seeking immediate answers to questions regarding COVID-19 are encouraged to dial 2-1-1 or visit the 2-1-1 website, https:// 211wisconsin.communityos.org.

More information about COVID-19 is also available at:
Thousands of council workers across Victoria are being stood down or terminated as local governments struggle to absorb the devastating economic impact of the coronavirus pandemic.

Those without work range from crossing supervisors to aquatic centre employees, many of whom are casuals and who have in many cases been let go permanently rather than stood down.

The Australian Services Union has called on the state government to ensure all council jobs were retained, as it estimated thousands of permanent and casual workers had been left without work.

ASU secretary Lisa Darmanin is calling for greater support for local council workers whose jobs have been affected by the coronavirus. Credit:Luis Ascui

The unions state secretary said it was crucial councils kept on all current employees to meet the economic and social needs of the communities they served, in the short-term redeploying them to other useful roles and in the long-term ensuring the economic impact was lessened.
"The seemingly unending violent robberies that have characterized the nearly Month-long lockdown ordered by President Muhammadu Buhari to contain the rampaging Covid-19 disease in Nigeria are certainly some of the most disturbing human rights violations that the Federal Government of Nigeria must not just be seen to be combating through mere newspaper propaganda but must be confronted heavily with every intelligence-les crime fighting might that is available to the Armed forces of the Federal Republic of Nigeria".

With the above summation, the Prominent Civil Rights Advocacy group-: HUMAN RIGHTS WRITERS ASSOCIATION OF NIGERIA (HURIWA) has challenged President Muhammadu Buhari to address this emerging violence in parts of Lagos, Ogun and other States with a view to activating effective and efficient crimes fighting mechanisms including the setting up of a joint military; para-military and Police taskforces to be coordinated by the office of the Chief of Defence Staff to immediately stamp out these armed marauders who have made living very intoleranly harsh in those aforementioned States under total curfew.

HURIWA has also in a related development condemned the reckless redeployment of the Rivers State's COMMISSIONER of Police Mustspha Dandaura by the Inspector General of Police Mohammed Adamu after a week that the Aviation minister and Cousin of President Muhammadu Buhari in the person of Senator Hadi Sirika carpeted the Police chief for agreeing to enforce a state-wide curfew in Rivers State by Governor Nyesom Wike which culminated in the arrest, detention and prosecution in the Rivers State's High court of two Pilots of Caverton Helicopters by the Rivers State Government for flouting the executive order issued lawfully by Governor Nyesom Wike which had imposed restrictions of movements into Rivers State.

HURIWA in the Statement has tasked the Inspector General of Police Mohammed Adamu to speak on another allegation that the then Rivers State's Police Commissioner reputed as one of the best Crime fighting cops in the Country was redeployed because he allegedly refused to capitulate to the political pressures from powerful politicians with connections to the powers that be in the nation's capital to release one Mr. Adamu Musa an alleged member of a gang of kidnappers that reportedly assassinated former Rivers State's governorship Candidate Mr. Soalabo West last month. " We learnt from the grapevine that pressure mounted unsuccessfully on the now redeployed Police Commissioner Mustapha Dandaura to free his "Kinsman the SUSPECTED kidnapper and alleged Killer Adamu Musa".

HURIWA lamented that the cocktails of allegations against the Inspector General of Police Mohammed Adamu on his inexplicable removal of the Rivers State's COMMISSIONER of Police Mustapha Dandaura who was doing so well and who has successfilly cracked many complex crimes including the arrest of the dreaded serial killer of dozens of women Mr. Gracious David West and has successfully destroyed several feared armed kidnapping gangsters has come at a time that the police Inspector General of Police has failed to prosecute the hundreds of kidnappers the police parades in the media for msny months.

Also in the words of the RIGHT'S promotion and protection platform (HURIWA), it is unfortunate that under the current Inspector General of Police Mohammed Adamu hundreds of armed Fulani herdsmen and kidnappers have been reportedly arrested and paraded before the media and soon after the nation continues to witness armed kidnappings by armed Fulani herdsmen and other armed groups just as HURIWA carpeted the Police chief for not accounting to the people of Nigeria on the exact status and whereabouts of these deadly mass killers that his office frequently paraded without any meaningful or constructive prosecution both by him and the Federal Attorney General and minister of justice Alhaji Abubakar Malami (SAN).

"The allegation that the former police crime fighting chief Mustapha Dandaura was sacrificed on the alter of prebendalism and Ethnic politics and for resisting pressure to release a suspected murderer is a very serious charge that must be looked at holistically and addressed transparently because it is unnatural that a commissioner of police who is performing optimally well to combat violent crimes and criminality can just be uprooted from his beat and relegated to the office task of the provost of Police. What will he be doing there as provost of Police? Will he go after criminals in police uniform or what and why is this posting happening at this time of health emergency that all hands need to be on deck? Is the Inspector General of Police creating the impression that commissioners of police should not implement lawful orders made by state governors for the maintenance of law and order in their states of posting? This removal to put it mildly is a huge POLITICAL miscalculation that has thrown up the issue of how so well committed is the federal police ready to work for the public good of the 36 states of the Federation independent of party politics of ABUJA or the cabinet of President Muhammadu Buhari".

HURIWA said: " It is a widely reported facts with wide ranging evidence and eye witnessess that just barely a week into the lockdown order declared in Ogun, Lagos and the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja, on March 29 by the President, Muhammadu Buhari (retd.), that it has become apparent that the Nigerian Police Force and even the Department of States Services (DSS) are not in anyway prepared or adequately deployed to maintain law and order and infact the primary ingredient of maintenance of law and order in the twenty First century has to do with the CONSTITUTIONALLY mandated and obligated duty of providing security to life and property of the Citizens."

"We then ask why the President Muhammadu Buhari-led administration would declare a total lockdown for law abiding Nigerians and never envisaged the possibility and inevitability of the grave risks posed to the lives of Nigerians by armed robbers and other armed marauders including armed Fulani herdsmen who are now terrorizing Mbaise in Imo State, parts of Delta and PLATEAU States? Why subject Nigerians observing the curfew to the harsh realities of having to stay away from work but to continuously being attacked viciously by all sorts of armed hoodlums? We have received dozens of save our souls calls from distressed Nigerians under violent robbery attacks in many areas of Lagos state".

HURIWA said it was worried that some victims of the robberies were actually sent a notice by the armed hoodlums and wondered why the armed security forces trained and equipped to combat violent crimes are usually no where to be found when these violent crimes are going on even to the ridiculous extent that the robbers robbed Nigerians with POS and could spend several hours without the arrival of the armed police.

The Rights group HURIWA said the best panacea is for the President to have constituted or to now constitute a Special joint security task forces under the command and control of the nation's Chief of Defence staff to coordinate a wide and effective fight against these armed marauders terrorizing Nigerians who are observing the COVID-19 LOCKDOWN.

" HURIWA strongly believes that the Nigerian Police Force has become too POLITICALLY DILUTED and have lost their professional soul to COMBAT armed marauders. The President must think out of the box and come up with a quick win mechanism to nip in the bud these cases of armed violent attacks against the Nigerian citizens. The President needs to set up special taskforce composed of all armed security forces to comb the streets and eradicate these armed marauders terrorizing Nigerians who are observing the compulsory lockdown. Alternatively, the Lagos and ogun State governments should set up armed vigilantees to check these acts of violent criminality".

Speaking on the redeployment of the Rivers State's COMMISSIONER of Police Mustapha Dandaura by the Inspector-General of Police, Mohammed Adamu, HURIWA condemned it as unprofessional, cowardly and a bad development for constitutional democracy.

HURIWA recalled that according to a statement by Force Spokesman, DCP Frank Mba, the Inspector General of Police ordered the posting and redeployment of three senior Police Officers to different commands, formation and departments just as while the former CP of Rivers State, Dandaura Mustapha was made Provost of the Force Headquarters in Abuja, he was replaced by CP Joseph Gobum Mukan even as the third officer who was redeployed was CP Musa Adze, who is to become Commissioner of P olice Anti-Fraud unit.

HURIWA however dismissed the hurriedly packaged redeployment of two other senior figures of the Nigerian Police Force as a mere subterfuge to cover up the subterranean punishment of the erstwhilst Rivers State's COMMISSIONER of Police Mustapha Dandaura for professionally sticking to his constitutional oath of office to work for the public interest of Nigerians rather than pandering to the pressures or whims/caprices of some sponsors of Ethnic genocides and elements unhappy with the progress of highly excellent professional enforcement of law and order in Rivers state governed by an opposition governor of the peoples Democratic Party Mr. Nyesom Wike who is widely acclaimed by his people to be a promoter of good governance.
(Photo : Artur uczka on Unsplash ) Solar Cell Thinner Than Hair Strand Proves to Give 2-Year Battery for Smartwatch (Photo : Photo by Alvan Nee on Unsplash) Solar Cell Thinner Than Hair Strand Proves to Give 2-Year Battery for Smartwatch

Solar-powered smartwatches are now one of the trendlines in the fashion and health industries. If you happen to have one of these-- whatever brand is it-- here's good news for you. Researchers at one of the leading universities in Australia, Monash University has recently released a new creation that could force you to stay you in shape while under the Sun.

This solar cell hair strand-like weight can power your Smartwatch for years

An extremely awesome tech research team at Monash University managed to create an 'ultralight flexible solar cell' that can power your smartwatch for more than two years of gradual usage.

According to Dr. Wenchao Huang, lead researcher at the university's Department of Materials Science and Engineering, his team developed an extra-light and flexible solar cell that was said to be thinner than a hair strand but could have the key to promising power resource-- with this case, a smartwatch.

"Power conversion efficiency considers how much solar energy can be converted into electricity. The solar energy illuminated on Earth is 1000 watts per square meter. Our device can produce 130 watts of electricity per square meter. The 13 percent efficiency we were able to achieve is one of the highest efficiencies in organic solar cells," said him.

Aside from its contained strong power to energize a smartwatch, this device was also said to degrade by just 4.8 percent after more than 4,700 hours, and can last for 20,000 hours with "minimal degradation." This means that once your smartwatch has this solar cell, it could power up your device that can last for more than two years. Even add the factor that it has a useful shelf life of about 11.5 years before damaged.

Smartwatches are not the only possible device that this solar cell can also power up. Huang claims that their creation can even power devices that measure heart or lung.

"Our ultra-flexible solar cells can simultaneously achieve improved power conversion efficiency, excellent mechanical properties, and robust stability. This makes them a very promising candidate as a power source in wearable electronics to realize long-term monitoring of various physiological signals, such as heart and breathing rates," added by him.

Researchers now ready to commercialize the solar cell

Thankfully, Monash researchers also said in the study that they are ready to commercialize the solar cell soon. Unfortunately, it might not be as quickly as possible since the researches with the device are not yet fully done, as per Huang.

"Currently, silicon solar cells are the dominant technology in the photovoltaic market, which are commonly found in rooftop installations. But, their brittle nature means solar cells exhibit poor performance when bent or stretched," explains him.

For now, it is certain to say that it might probably take a while.

ALSO READ: Artificial Leaf: New Solar Cell Uses Carbon Dioxide And Sunlight To Produce Hydrocarbon Fuel

 2021 TECHTIMES.com All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission.
A n Australian family have recreated a 15-hour flight from Sydney to Munich in their living room to keep them entertained during lockdown.

Kirsty Russell from Newcastle, Australia said her husband Nathan, who is a schoolteacher on sabbatical, came up with the idea after coronavirus disrupted the family holiday they'd been planning for five years.

Speaking to Guardian Australia, she said: "It started as a joke but it has actually been quite fun. We thought the kids would not be into it at all. But they have embraced it.

After gathering their luggage on Wednesday, the family hunkered down for the 15-hour flight, arriving on Thursday afternoon.

Ms Russell took to Twitter to share all the images and details, such as security checks, flight attendants and custom-printed boarding passes, which made up their virtual adventure from the middle of their living room.

Ms Russell revealed the special lounge chairs for flight, and explained what roles their children had taken.

Her eldest son, aged 16, dressed up as a security officer, whilst her youngest 9-year-old daughter was in charge of checking bags.

Her 14-year-old welcome them all onboard.

Next up there was a makeshift security gate, before passengers could enter the cabin with specially made boarding passes and an in-flight menu.

Three hours later, Kirsty wrote it was the first time the whole family has remained in the same room for such a long time, "even in enforced isolation".

The couple had spent their honeymoon in Europe and were keen to show their children the continent. Their original trip included an itinerary spanning Germany, France, Italy and a Mediterranean cruise, as well as spending five weeks in the UK.

Ms Russell explained: We thought, well, instead of moping about and being upset our trip wasnt happening, we would take it it to the nth degree and do it iso-style.

We had it all set up, we had people coming in to house sit for our dogs. Its been disappointing, but because we worked so hard with the kids we wanted to give them some kind of experience.

Since their virtual landing, the family have continued to recreate as much of their intended travels as possible, for example by eating schnitzel, as if in Germany.
A fire broke out Sunday at the Second Presbyterian Church in downtown Charleston after a lightning strike.

Smoke could be seen rising from the church as Charleston firefighters worked to stamp out the fire, which had been extinguished by 3:15 p.m. Sunday.

Firefighters responded to the church around 2:30 p.m. and saw smoke venting from the top of the 100-foot steeple. They managed to contain the fire to the top of the steeple, the Charleston Fire Department said.

Witnesses in the area had observed a lightning strike near the building around 20 minutes before the fire began, and investigators determined a lightning strike was consistent with the damage sustained to the church.

The church's senior pastor, the Rev. Cress Darwin, said no one was in the building when the fire started, and no one was injured. No updates have been released on to what extent the church was damaged.

The Second Presbyterian Church was founded on Meeting Street in 1809. The church is the oldest building of the denomination in Charleston and is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

The church has seen its share of natural disasters, enduring damage from hurricanes in 1813, 1886 and 1989, as well as an earthquake in 1886.
Karnataka to undertake Triaging: What does it mean and how do you pronounce it

Coronavirus outbreak: 30 per cent of India's COVID-19 cases linked to Tablighi Jamaat congregation

India

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New Delhi, Apr 19: The Ministry of Health and Family Welfare said that about 30 per cent of the total coronavirus cases in India is linked to the Tablighi Jamaat event that was held in March at Nizamuddin Markaz in New Delhi.

According to reports, as many as 4,291 of the 14,378 COVID-19 cases in the country were found to be linked to this religious congregation.

Addressing the media, Luv Agarwal, Joint Secretary, Ministry of Health and Family Welfare said, "We found that 84 per cent cases in Tamil Nadu, 63 per cent in Delhi, 79 per cent in Telangana, 59 per cent in Uttar Pradesh, 61 per cent in Andhra Pradesh, 91 per cent in Assam and 83 per cent in Andaman and Nicobar were linked to the Tablighi Jamaat event."

COVID-19: Rohingya Jamaat attendees to be screened

On Saturday, the government said the implementation of the containment action plan is yielding good results in 23 states and Union Territories.

"Kodagu in Karnataka is a new district that has been added to this list along with Mahe, Puducherry that has not reported any fresh cases during the last 28 days," Agarwal said.

"As of now, the mortality rate for COVID-19 is 3.3 per cent. Further analysis of the data indicates that out of the deceased 14.4 per cent of people are in the 0-45 years age group, 10.3 per cent in the 45 -60 years age group, 33.1 per cent in the 60-75 years age group and 42.2 per cent are above 75 years old," he added.

According to the health ministry, a total of 14,378 confirmed COVID-19 cases have been reported in India. As many as 1,992 people, or 13.82 per cent of total cases, have been cured and discharged. A total of 43 deaths were recorded in the last 24 hours, taking the total number of deaths due to COVID-19 to 480.
Photo: The Canadian Press Bill Behse of the Canadian Red Cross checks the contents of an emergency shelter unit in Toronto on January 5, 2018. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Christopher Katsarov

More grim numbers have emerged at a long-term care facility in suburban Montreal as the Canadian Armed Forces prepared to fan out to nursing homes across a city that has become Canada's COVID-19 epicentre.

So far, 61 of 99 residents at the Residence Herron have tested positive for COVID-19, with some results still pending, according to the regional health authority.

Some of the residents have been hospitalized "because of their condition," said Guillaume Berube, a spokesman for the CIUSSS de l'Ouest-de-l'Ile-de-Montreal.

The new numbers do not include the 31 deaths reported earlier at the facility, which came under provincial trusteeship after reports of appalling conditions at the home.

"Because of the 31 deaths, there's an investigation, and I can confirm that five of them died because of the virus," Berube said in a phone interview Saturday.

As he spoke, 125 military personnel with medical expertise geared up to deploy to nursing homes in the Montreal area after Premier Francois Legault took the unusual step of asking the federal government for assistance from the Canadian Armed Forces.

"For the moment, five long-term care centres in the Greater Montreal area are at the heart of the reconnaissance efforts and the needs analysis will be performed in liaison with the civilian teams on site," the Forces said in a release Saturday.

The regional health authority for Montreal's West Island, which is now overseeing the Residence Herron, confirmed it will receive support from a team of military nurses and orderlies over the next few days.

"A meeting will also take place today to determine which establishments in its jurisdiction will receive this support as a priority," Berube said.

The so-called intervention teams bound for the five long-term care homes in Montreal will be composed of one nurse and 12 technicians, each supported by support staff, the Forces said.

The regional health authority is also partnering with the Canadian Red Cross to organize training for volunteers at nursing homes ravaged by the pandemic.

The Red Cross will train 40 people each day to help residents of the area's long-term care facilities as the virus rages through Quebec, which counts the most confirmed cases of any province at more than 17,500, the health agency said.

The province reports that 805 Quebecers have now died due to the virus, more than half of them in Montreal, where there are more than 8,000 confirmed cases.

Among the dead was the first orderly in Montreal to succumb to the disease, according to the Canadian Union of Public Employees.

The union said the employee, who had more than 25 years of experience and was still on the job one week ago, worked at the Grace Dart nursing home under the same regional health authority that is now responsible for the Residence Herron.

"Know that we are crying with you today, but that tomorrow we will resume the fight on all fronts to ensure that these essential employees can do their jobs safely," said CUPE Quebec president Benoit Bouchard in a release.

The Grace Dart residence has at least 62 confirmed cases of COVID-19, according to government data.

On Thursday, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said the 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 with the crisis.
Emergency powers given to mayors to deal with the coronavirus pandemic risk undemocratic decision-making, local councillors are warning.

The City of Sydney, Woollahra Municipal Council and Georges River Council are among the NSW councils that have voted to delegate some decision-making to mayors.

Concerns have been expressed about the emergency powers given by the City of Sydney council to Lord Mayor Clover Moore during the coronavirus pandemic. Credit:Janie Barrett

Sydney lord mayor Clover Moore was given powers earlier this month to make some decisions, such as entering contracts worth up to $10 million, in emergency situations.

Craig Chung, a Liberal councillor on the City of Sydney, said the power delegated by the council to Cr Moore was unprecedented and very concerning.
By Online Desk

After showing a constant dip for three-four days, Tamil Nadu reported a sudden rise in the number of cases with 105 positive cases on Sunday. The Union Health Ministry stated that1,324 new cases and 31 deaths in the last 24 hours has taken the total number of COVID-19 cases in India to 16,116 including 519 deaths.

Health Ministrys Joint Secretary Lav Aggarwal informed the media that the lockdown will be relaxed in places which are not containment zones from April 20. The hotspots will see even more stringent norms.

As the country entered 26th day of the lockdown, the Ministry of Home Affairs earlier in the day allowed the movement of stranded migrants within a state. The interstate movement continues to remain banned from the states where they are currently located.

The central government also clarified that the service of non-essential items by e-commerce companies will remain banned during the ongoing lockdown.
Another person has died from COVID-19 in Ottawa, bringing the city's death toll to 22.

Ottawa Public Health (OPH) reported the latest death in its Saturday update, one day after seven new deaths from the respiratory illness were announced Friday  the city's deadliest day since the pandemic began.

In all, Ottawa has seen 757 laboratory-confirmed cases, with 29 new cases reported since Friday.

According to OPH, 328 cases are considered resolved  meaning the person's symptoms have gone away and they're no longer in isolation.

16 institutional outbreaks

As of last Saturday, there were 494 confirmed cases. Confirmed cases are just a snapshot because of the limits of testing, and there are likely thousands more.

Outbreaks have also been declared at 16 institutions across the city  including at the Elisabeth Bruyere Residence, a long-term care home operated by the Bruyere Hospital.

The hospital said in a statement Saturday that one of its employees had tested positive Thursday night for COVID-19, after taking shifts at both the care home and the hospital's Saint-Vincent and Elisabeth Bruyere campuses.

The worker contracted COVID-19 from "a close contact in the community," the hospital said, and was not showing symptoms while on the job.

"Since the source of the transmission is known, the circumstances do not warrant the declaration of an outbreak at our hospital sites," the statement said.

485 new cases in Ontario

Ontario reported 485 new cases of COVID-19 Saturday morning, bringing the official number to more than 10,000.

A total of 514 people have died of the virus in Ontario, according to the provincial government.

According to local health officials, 10 new cases have also been reported in the Outaouais, bringing the region's total to 202 as of Saturday afternoon.
Australia's falling coronavirus infection rate has sparked calls for a loosening of lockdown rules, but experts warn restrictions must stay until after winter.

South Australia, the Northern Territory and the Australian Capital Territory all reported no new cases of coronavirus over the weekend.

Queensland also reported no new diagnoses of COVID-19 for the first time in more than two months on Monday.

South Australia, with a population of 1.76 million remained at only 81 confirmed cases as of Sunday evening despite a testing blitz of more than 5000 coronavirus tests across the state during the past two days.

South Australia (an empty terminal at Adelaide Airport pictured), the Northern Territory and the Australian Capital Territory all reported no new cases of coronavirus over the weekend

'Right now, the Territory is probably the safest place in Australia and we intend to keep in that way,' Chief Minister of the Northern Territory Michael Gunner said last month

The state's last increase was an uptick of one case on Friday.

SA Health Minister Stephen Wade said it was too soon to remove border controls but other restrictions would ease in the next few weeks, including for elective surgery.

'The border control will not be the first wave of restrictions eased. We're going to be very cautious as we ease back on these restrictions,' he told ABC News on Sunday.

For Queensland it is the first time in 81 days that there are no new cases and leaves the state's total at 1019.

Just 20 people are in hospital in the sunshine state, with seven of them in intensive care on ventilators.

The Northern Territory, with a population of 245,600, had just 28 cases as of Sunday and no deaths.

'The Northern Territory is in a unique position, it's one of the safest places in the world  we want to keep it that way,' Health Minister Natasha Fyles said.

Australian Medical Association NT president Rob Parker praised the NT Government for swiftly shutting the borders.

Olympic cyclist Annette Edmondson trains at her home in Adelaide. South Australia Health Minister Stephen Wade said it would consider easing restrictions in the state in coming weeks

Infectious diseases expert Professor Peter Collignon tweeted this graph on Sunday morning saying the peak had been reached but restrictions would need to stay

Anyone entering the NT from overseas or interstate has to spend 14 days in quarantine in a hotel and must foot the $2500 bill themselves.

The ACT, with a population of just over 428,000, has gone six straight days without recording any new cases leaving the number of confirmed infections at 103 on Sunday.

Western Australia, with a population of 2.63 million, almost made it through the weekend, marking just one new coronavirus case on Sunday taking the state's total to 545.

WA Health Minister Roger Cook said the 60-year-old man was found through contact tracing of a confirmed case and had tested positive in the state's gold fields.

There were no new diagnoses in Perth, which joined Adelaide, Canberra and Darwin as cities that saw no confirmed cases over the weekend.

NSW Police move people from a park in Sydney's east on Saturday. An infectious diseases expert has said this is biologically unnecessary and too strict as long as people are distancing

The cruise ship Artania departed Fremantle on Saturday after 400 crew and 11 passengers still on board completed a 14-day quarantine period, while on Sunday morning a flight carrying 58 remaining passengers and crew left Perth bound for Bangkok.

The vessel is the source of least 81 of WA's coronavirus cases and 11 of its crew and passengers were still in Perth hospitals as of yesterday.

New South Wales, Victoria and Queensland, Australia's three most populous states, all recorded increases over the weekend, with the national total rising to 6612 cases nationwide on Sunday.

Australia's pandemic curve has flattened with lower numbers of new infections, prompting hopes the lockdown restrictions may soon be eased.

Australian medical assistance staff (pictured) who helped passengers and crew on the cruise ship Artania waving goodbye as it left Fremantle, WA, on Saturday. New case numbers are slowing with just one new WA coronavirus case on Sunday taking the state's total to 545

Passengers of the cruise ship Artania wave goodbye to medical support staff at Fremantle, WA, on Saturday. The Artania is responsible for at least 81 of Western Australia's coronavirus cases

The rate of new cases has declined after Prime Minister Scott Morrison introduced tough restrictions on travel and gatherings on March 16.

The Prime Minister has said Australia needs to meet three criteria before the restrictions can be lifted.

Increased tracing and response capabilities and refined testing regimes are among the criteria.

Refined testing regimes, better contact tracing and better response capabilities at a local level are benchmarks that must be achieved before Australia's National Security Cabinet can look at lifting the lockdown.

Mobile phone tracking with a coronavirus tracing app is one of the measures introduced to improve contact tracing, with the Prime Minister urging Australians to download the app voluntarily on Friday.

'I know this would be something they might not normally do at an ordinary time but this is not an ordinary time,' he said.

'If you download this app you'll be helping save someone's life.'

Experts say the rate of increase in case numbers is slowing and some restrictions could be eased without causing new infections to take off again.

Australian National University Medical School Professor Peter Collignon said the epidemic curve had most likely peaked on March 27.

Australia's coronavirus cases rose to 6612 on Sunday, but the rate of new infections is slowing

The ACT (sign for health workers in Canberra pictured), with a population of just over 428,000, has gone six straight days without recording any new cases

The infectious diseases expert said Australia was experiencing low numbers of around 50 cases each day.

'Hopefully this will go lower soon but we are likely to have an ongoing low tail of cases. Hence why some restrictions (eg crowds, bars) will need to stay,' he tweeted on Sunday morning.

Professor Collignon said some states had put in place 'overzealous' rules that are not biologically needed, for example not being allowed to sit outside in a park.

'Not only will this cause unwarranted and increased social, mental and economic harm, we run the bigger risk that substantial parts of our society in a few months' time (our winter) might increasingly rebel against many restrictions,' he wrote in the Sydney Morning Herald.

NSW Police issued 45 fines of $1000 each for breaching coronavirus restrictions in 24 hours on Saturday, including two men in their 70s fined for sitting in a park with others and a man fined for going to visit a friend.

Professor Collignon said New Zealand's restrictions were tougher than Australia's, with a complete lockdown similar to New York's - but it did not appear to be doing better than Australia n the epidemiology curve.

'While we both have thankfully reversed our epidemic curves, NZ has still higher per capita daily infection rates than Australia. So, I can't see how its lockdown has been more effective than what we have done in Australia  with our comparatively less stringent restrictions,' he wrote.

Professor Collignon cautioned that most of Australia's restrictions would need to be continued until the end of winter at the earliest, with pubs and bars to be among the last places to reopen due to the risk of social mingling.

Prime Minister Scott Morrison warned on Friday that Australia's strict social distancing measures would stay in place for months despite the slowing daily growth rate in cases.


India, the world's second-largest wheat producer, has so far harvested crop in 67 per cent of the sown area of 310 lakh hectare in the country, taking safety precautions against COVID-19.

"Amidst the uncertainty prevailing today, the one activity giving hope is agricultural activity, which is also providing the reassurance of food security. All throughout India, numerous farmers and agriculture labour are sweating and toiling against all adversities," the agriculture ministry said in a statement.

Farmers' silent efforts, coupled with timely intervention by the central and state governments, have ensured that there is minimal or no disruption to harvesting activities and the continued sowing of summer crops, it added.

As per the latest data, wheat, the main rabi (summer) crop, has been completed 90-95 per cent in Madhya Pradesh, 80-85 per cent in Rajasthan, 60-65 per cent in Uttar Pradesh, Punjab and Haryana, so far, it said in a statement.

Harvesting is at peak in key wheat-growing states of Haryana, Punjab and Uttar Pradesh and is likely to be completed in the current month, the ministry said.

Punjab has deployed 18,000 combine harvesting machines, while Haryana has deployed 5,000 combine machines for harvesting and threshing.

Meanwhile, harvesting of winter-sown pulses such as gram, lentil, urad, moong and pea has been completed in 161 lakh hectare.

However, in the case of sugarcane sown in 54.29 lakh hectare, the crop has been harvested in Maharashtra, Karnataka, Gujarat, Andhra Pradesh, Telangana and Punjab.

In states of Tamil Nadu, Bihar, Haryana and Uttarakhand, 92-99 per cent harvesting has been completed. In Uttar Pradesh, 75-80 per cent has been completed and this will continue till mid-May, the ministry added.

With regard to oilseed crops, rape mustard seed sown in 69 lakh hectare has been harvested in Rajasthan, Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, Haryana, West Bengal, Jharkhand, Gujarat, Chhattisgarh, Bihar, Punjab, Assam, Arunachal Pradesh and Jammu and Kashmir.

Whereas groundnut has been harvested in almost 90 per cent of the sown area of 4.7 lakh hectare.

However, harvesting of rabi rice, cultivated in 28 lakh hectare, is in initial stages in Andhra Pradesh, Assam, Chhattisgarh, Gujarat, Karnataka, Kerala, Odisha, Tamil Nadu, Telangana, Tripura and West Bengal.

This is because the grain is still in the filling stage and harvesting time would vary, it added.

Wherever the harvesting has been completed, farmers are preparing the field for sowing of kharif (summer) crops. So far, farmers have sown kharif crops in 15 per cent more area at 52.78 lakh hectare from the year-ago period.

The ministry said while the Ministry of Home Affairs issued the consolidated guidelines on the measures to be taken for containment of COVID-19, it also ensured smooth functioning of agricultural operations.

Stating that timely interventions and exemptions have resulted in optimistic results, the ministry said the standard operating procedures have been communicated to farmers for their safety and keeping social distancing while undertaking farm-related activities, it said.

As a result of the proactive steps taken, both harvesting activities of the rabi crop and sowing activities of summer crops are being undertaken in a systematic manner, it added.
Maharashtra chief minister Uddhav Thackeray told a news conference on Sunday that some activity would be permitted in the least-affected parts of the state.

New Delhi/Mumbai: Maharashtra, Indias largest regional economy, will allow a limited number of sectors to resume business on Monday, after a weeks-long shutdown to slow the spread of coronavirus left millions out of work.

Maharashtra, home to financial centre Mumbai, has the biggest share of Indias caseload of 15,713 infections, including a large number now ripping through its densely-packed slums.

Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray told a news conference on Sunday that some activity would be permitted in the least-affected parts of the state while observing a strict lockdown in the red zones that have the maximum number of cases.

We need to start the economic wheels again. We are giving selective permissions from tomorrow, especially in orange zones and green zones, he said, referring to areas with lower levels of infection.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi has extended the nationwide lockdown that began late last month until 3 May, but the Union government has allowed states to restart activity amid economic distress in rural areas.

Farming, highway construction and manufacturing will be allowed in hinterland areas not heavily affected by the virus this week, the federal government said.

Thousands of migrant workers fled the big cities for their homes in the countryside, unable to pay for rent or food after the shutdown went into force.

But Delhis chief minister, Arvind Kejriwal, said there would be no easing of rules in the capital, which accounts for over a third of cases.

Follow LIVE updates on the coronavirus outbreak here

Currently, lockdown is necessary. No relaxations should be given in the hotspots in the city, he told a press conference, adding he would review the situation later in the month.

There are fears that South Asia, home to a fifth of the worlds population, could become a major new front in the global war against COVID-19. A big outbreak would overwhelm poorly funded health systems across the region.

On Sunday, the Indian government also revoked permission for e-commerce firms like Flipkart and Amazon.com Inc to supply non-essential goods during the lockdown.

The decision came after the Confederation of All India Traders, which represents millions of small brick-and-mortar businesses, said allowing online firms to deliver non-essential products would give them an unfair advantage.

Trade Minister Piyush Goyal welcomed the federal governments decision. This will create a level playing field for small retailers, he said.
Investors with a long-term horizong may find it valuable to assess Spark New Zealand Limited's (NZSE:SPK) earnings trend over time and against its industry benchmark as opposed to simply looking at a sincle earnings announcement at one point in time. Below is my commentary, albiet very simple and high-level, on how Spark New Zealand is currently performing.

Check out our latest analysis for Spark New Zealand

Commentary On SPK's Past Performance

SPK's trailing twelve-month earnings (from 31 December 2019) of NZ$423m has jumped 19% compared to the previous year.

Furthermore, this one-year growth rate has exceeded its 5-year annual growth average of 2.4%, indicating the rate at which SPK is growing has accelerated. How has it been able to do this? Let's see whether it is solely a result of industry tailwinds, or if Spark New Zealand has experienced some company-specific growth.

NZSE:SPK Income Statement April 7th 2020

In terms of returns from investment, Spark New Zealand has invested its equity funds well leading to a 30% return on equity (ROE), above the sensible minimum of 20%. Furthermore, its return on assets (ROA) of 11% exceeds the NZ Telecom industry of 6.6%, indicating Spark New Zealand has used its assets more efficiently. However, its return on capital (ROC), which also accounts for Spark New Zealands debt level, has declined over the past 3 years from 21% to 19%. This correlates with an increase in debt holding, with debt-to-equity ratio rising from 51% to 120% over the past 5 years.

What does this mean?

While past data is useful, it doesnt tell the whole story. While Spark New Zealand has a good historical track record with positive growth and profitability, there's no certainty that this will extrapolate into the future. I suggest you continue to research Spark New Zealand to get a better picture of the stock by looking at:

Future Outlook: What are well-informed industry analysts predicting for SPKs future growth? Take a look at our free research report of analyst consensus for SPKs outlook. Financial Health: Are SPKs 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.
Police in Wales have fined a group of Londoners who were caught camping around 250 miles from the capital during the lockdown.

The three men were told to go home after officers found them on the Welsh coast ignoring the restrictions on movement during the coronavirus outbreak.

Local police said a group of people from the London area had set up camp at Mwnt in west Wales on Thursday.

They had travelled a considerable distance only to be fined and sent straight back home, Cardigan Neighbourhood Police Team said.

A time of national crisis is NOT the time for a holiday, they said.

People have been ordered to stay at home unless it is essential  for example, to get food or go to work  as the country battles the Covid-19 pandemic, while gatherings of more than two people are also banned.

Adults caught breaking these rules risk a fine of 60, which reduces to 30 if paid within two weeks.

For those have been fined for flouting the restrictions before, their fine will be doubled to a maximum of 960.

Since the lockdown began, police have been enforcing the rules by breaking up parties  including one massive karaoke party in Derbyshire  and checking peoples reasons for movement.

One man from Nottingham was recently fined after telling officers who stopped him he had driven to London to buy cheaper bread.

The lockdown  which has been extended until at least early May  is aimed at limiting the spread of coronavirus, which has infected more than 114,000 people in the UK to date.

Around 15,400 hospitalised Covid-19 patients have died in the country as of Friday afternoon, according to the latest health ministry figures.
GALLUP  A high school in Gallup will reopen its gym as a 60-bed alternative care facility to help hospitals treat an increasing number of coronavirus patients  this as state officials on Saturday announced 87 new COVID-19 cases in New Mexico, bringing the total to 1,798, and two more deaths.

Forty of the new cases were reported in McKinley County alone, according to a news release from Gov. Michelle Lujan Grishams office. The two deaths involved a Bernalillo County woman in her 60s and a McKinley County woman in her 40s. Both were hospitalized and had underlying health issues, the state said.

The number of COVID-19-related deaths in New Mexico now stands at 53, according to state health officials.

The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers is expecting to turn over the keys to Miyamura High School to local and state health officials on Monday, about two weeks after construction began, the Gallup Independent reported.

The majority of the big items are in, Project Manager Amanda Velasquez said. Everything is more of the fine tuning now.

Vinyl flooring and rubber pads were fixed to the gym floor, swamp coolers were placed on the roof to provide cool air, and two large exhaust ducts were installed to provide proper ventilation and separate dirty and clean air, said Lt. Col. Robin Scott, deputy commander of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers-Albuquerque District.

We came up with a simple design. This wasnt a time for us to get fancy, Scott said.

The gym now features 60 patient pods separated by medical curtains, which each include one electrical outlet, an Ethernet jack, lighting and oxygen, Velasquez said. Laundry sinks are also positioned throughout the gym as hand-washing stations.

Other places in the school are also being transformed, such as locker rooms to shower rooms, classrooms to medical staff lounges and storage and the snack bar to a pharmacy, Velasquez said.

Lujan Grisham first announced that the high school was selected as the site for an auxiliary hospital in McKinley County on April 3.

The first patients with COVID-19 may be admitted as early as April 25, local hospital officials said.

The Saturday news release from the Governors Office says there are 92 people currently in the hospital with the virus and 465 designated as having recovered by the New Mexico Department of Health.

Aside from McKinley County, the new cases reported include 17 in San Juan County, 13 in Bernalillo County, 10 in Sandoval County, two each in Dona Ana and Santa Fe counties and one each in Guadalupe, Cibola and Quay counties.
Lives are at stake!

Dont you care about saving lives?

Were going to be hearing that a lot in the coming days as we debate how to dig ourselves out from this deep economic hole were in as a result of the restrictions in place designed to stop the spread of the COVID-19 global pandemic.

Well also hear things like if it saves lives, then its worth it.

But think for a second about that logic. In 2018, 768 Louisianans were killed in car accidents. If we lowered the speed limit to 15 mph, most of those lives would have been saved. Thats hundreds of lives we could save year after year if wed only be willing to take five hours to drive from New Orleans to Baton Rouge. Like it or not, the freedom to get where we want, when we want, cost us lives.

+4 Businesses scrambling for federal coronavirus relief funds Business owners are scrambling for federal relief funds, potentially pitting Louisiana's 400,000 small businesses against 30 million nationwid

The same logic could be applied to COVID-19 deaths. If the government locked us in our homes for months on end it would most certainly reduce the number of fatalities related to the coronavirus. But at what cost? Originally, we were told the drastic government mandates from Gov. John Bel Edwards, forcing many businesses to close and banning large gatherings, were designed to flatten the curve, so hospitals will not be overrun with patients all at once. Its clear now, at least in Louisiana, our hospitals are more than capable of handling the load.

So, is it not then reasonable to begin considering the easing of restrictions incrementally? Its not as though we must open everything up all at once. We can take it slow and if COVID-19 hospitalizations begin to spike as a result of the changes, then we can pull back those freedoms.

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

Last month alone, close to 300,000 Louisianans filed for unemployment. The Pelican Institute, a Louisiana-based, free-market promoting think tank reports during the last major American recession, between 2007 and 2010, the nation saw close to an additional 5,000 suicides. Researchers attributed the spike in suicides during that time to high unemployment, financial shock and mortgage difficulties accompanying the recession. The poverty and erosion of our states economy were potentially facing could produce economic calamity far more severe than that seen between 2007 and 2010. If were being honest with ourselves, were currently facing two deadly crises. COVID-19 and the risk of an economy collapsing into a depression not seen in America since the 1920s. Poverty and stress caused by financial insecurity and uncertainty kills, too.

Some may argue that in order to solve one crisis, we must sacrifice addressing the other crisis looming over us. I reject this line of thinking wholeheartedly, said Daniel Erspamer, CEO of the Pelican Institute.

Our Views: Overloaded systems trying to get payments out One of the new themes in this new world, the system is slow for everybody.

We must stand up to those who would employ bullying tactics against anyone looking at both the health risk of COVID-19 and the economic dangers of the shutdown. Theyll call us cold-hearted, callous, and uncaring about the loss of life resulting from COVID-19 simply because we bring attention to the economic devastation and suffering unprecedented government mandates and restrictions bring. This is not an either-or situation. There will be tradeoffs and no easy answers. Demanding silence and demonizing those calling for open debate looking at both sides of this crisis is not the way forward.

Before COVID-19 disproportionately struck Louisiana, the states economy had already been under siege by forces fighting to grow government and please special interests at the expense of the private sector. Louisiana experienced massive out migration, stagnant GDP growth, and some of the highest unemployment in the nation. Most would agree the measures our governor recently put into place were necessary to flatten the curve and slow the spread of COVID-19. But they also made an already tenuous economy even more fragile. The longer those restrictions remain in place, the less reparable they become.

The war targeting Louisianas private sector will continue once COVID-19 is no longer a threat. The government-centric types will push for more taxes as state coffers run low. But the way forward is to focus on growing the private sector, not transferring money out of it into government. Its the private sector that produces wealth and opportunity for Louisiana families.

Email Dan Fagan at Faganshow@gmail.com.
By Sir Keir Starmer for the Mail on Sunday

Two weeks ago, when I was elected Labour leader, I made a promise to the British people that under my leadership my party will act in the national interest, help steer us through these difficult times and strive for the good of our country. I meant it.

The coronavirus pandemic is the biggest challenge we have faced in a generation. It is a health crisis, an economic crisis and  for many  a personal crisis. Behind every death is a family that has been shaken to its core.

At this time of national crisis, Labour's duty  my duty  is to support the national effort to save lives and protect livelihoods.

That's why I supported the Government's decision to introduce the lockdown and why I backed last week's decision to extend it for another three weeks.

The lockdown is extremely difficult for all of us. There is no doubt about that. But it is necessary to defeat the coronavirus and the Government can be assured of my support on that.

Equally, my duty is to call the Government out when I believe mistakes are being made, when decisions are being taken too slowly or when the most vulnerable are not being heard. The purpose of this challenge is not to score party political points but to ensure mistakes are rectified and progress is speeded up.

In that spirit, we all have to accept mistakes have been made. I fully accept that any government would find this situation challenging. But the Government was too slow to enter the lockdown. It has been too slow to increase the number of people being tested. It has been too slow in getting NHS staff the critical equipment they need to keep them safe.

We need to make sure these mistakes are not repeated.

And this week has exposed how the Government has been too slow to respond to the growing emergency in our social care services.

We have all heard the harrowing stories of the virus spreading through care homes, relatives unable to say their last goodbyes and staff poorly paid, equipped and protected to provide essential care. Ministers have promised action  that is welcome  but it needs to go further and faster.

First, our carers need to be kept safe. We have all been struck by the extraordinary service and dedication of our key workers during this pandemic. They are the best of us. These are people who are quite literally putting their lives on the line to care for our loved ones. But too many of them are being left exposed because of shortages of personal protection equipment (PPE).

The Government says it is doing everything it can to supply equipment. I do not doubt its sincerity. However, there is a mismatch between the statements coming out of Downing Street and the realities for staff on the ground. That needs to come to an end, and fast.

Second, we need more information. The crisis in our care homes has gone unheard for too long, in part because we do not know the full scale of the problem. That is why we urgently need Ministers to publish daily figures on the number of deaths in care homes. That is the only way we are going to know who has fallen victim to the virus, how fast it is spreading and the scale of response that is needed.

Third, testing, testing and more testing. Matt Hancock's announcement that all care home residents and staff with symptoms would be tested is welcome.

But many of us will be asking why on earth was this not done sooner? A council leader I spoke to last week told me that of its 5,000 social care workers, only ten had been tested. That is astonishing.

As other countries have proven, testing is a vital weapon in our armoury to contain the infection and it will be central to any strategy to lift the lockdown.

Ministers promised 25,000 tests a day by mid-April, but that target was missed. Now they are promising 100,000 by the end of the month. They are unlikely to meet that target.

Many care homes are feeling overwhelmed, particularly those with an outbreak of the virus. I have spoken to care workers who are concerned about looking after coronavirus patients who have been discharged from hospital, because of the infection risk. The Government should ensure that where there is capacity at the new NHS Nightingale hospitals, it is made available for those who need it most, including care home residents.

Finally, we need a clear plan for what comes next.

The lockdown has been extended and I support that. But we need to have clarity about what is going to happen next.

Other countries have begun to set out a roadmap to lift restrictions in certain sectors of the economy and for certain services, especially social care, when the time is right. This of course must be done in a careful, considered way with public health, scientific evidence and the safety of workers and families at its heart. But the UK Government should be doing likewise.

We also need to make the case for a better, fairer society. Every week, we stand at our doorsteps to clap for our carers. We do so with pride, gratitude and a deep sense of national unity and purpose.

But, when we get through this  and we will get through this  we cannot return to business as usual. For too long, social care has been neglected. Our care workers left underpaid and undervalued. Our relatives denied the dignity they deserve at the end of their life.

We need a new settlement for social care. We can't have another decade of this being thought 'too difficult' for politicians to solve.

We must go forward with the ambition and determination for a better society that puts dignity and respect at the heart of how we care for the most vulnerable  and how we properly reward our key workers and those who work in our public services.

That is how we can repay the debt we owe to all of those who have sacrificed so much during this crisis. That is how we can rebuild the better society the British people deserve. That is what I am determined to deliver.
Laura Whitmore and Iain Stirling reportedly got engaged after the comedian popped the question during a holiday in South Africa.

Love Island presenter Laura, 34, set tongues wagging when she stepped out for a run on Wednesday with a large yellow diamond on her ring finger.

According to The Sun, Iain, 32, proposed after they filmed the most recent series of Love Island and the couple told their families last month.

Tying the knot: Laura Whitmore, 34, and Iain Stirling, 32, reportedly got engaged after the comedian popped the question during a holiday in South Africa

A family friend said: 'They couldn't be happier. We're thrilled for them. He'd obviously thought about it for a while, as he designed the ring and yellow's her favourite colour.'

The insider added that the couple's wedding plans are on hold for the time being due to the ongoing coronavirus lockdown.

They said: 'Their wedding plans are on hold due to the lockdown but it's lovely to have a wedding to come.'

MailOnline has contacted representatives for Laura and Iain for comment.

Sparkling: Laura set tongues wagging when she stepped out for a run on Wednesday with a large yellow diamond on her ring finger

Laura and Iain met in 2016 but it wasn't until the following summer that things turned romantic between them.

Appearing on the Chris Ramsey show, Iain said of their relationship: 'Ive got someone whos like me, but much, much better.

'And Lauras got someone whos like her, but much worse. Ive done well out of it, but Im dead happy because shes lovely and stuff.'

Laura recently admitted that Iain procrastinated for so long in asking her for a date that she had to do it herself.

A family friend said: 'They couldn't be happier. We're thrilled for them. He'd obviously thought about it for a while, as he designed the ring and yellow's her favourite colour' (pictured in November 2019)

Appearing on JD's In The Duffle Bag podcast, Laura recalled: 'When we first met he didnt even hit on me, he was too nervous to hit on me!

'I think he was intimidated by me. I remember Iain was too scared to ask me out so in the end I had to ask him out.

'He used to send me random messages, DM me and ask me about my dog. It took nine months but we got there! I was like "lets just go for a drink". I think I had to make the moves on him.'

Earlier this year, Laura and Iain also started working together, after Laura took over the role of Love Island host from friend Caroline Flack, who stepped down after her arrest following a row with boyfriend Lewis at her home.

In February, Caroline tragically took her own life, and Laura was praised for her professionalism and empathy as she continued to host the show and paid tribute to her late friend during the emotional finale.

Laura has since been tipped to take over the role full-time, whilst Iain is expected to return to the show with his job as the narrator.

Wedding: The insider added that the couple's wedding plans are on hold for the time being due to the ongoing coronavirus lockdown (pictured in September 2018)

Discussing their working dynamic on Loose Women, Iain joked: 'She's great isn't she? I think she's great. I love her, and there's mortgage commitments that need to be considered. More because she'll be coming to South Africa every now and then.

'They take me a hot country and put me in a box. I could do it in my shed in my house, but why would I?'

Prior to dating Iain, Laura was linked to Paolo Nutini and Sunset Sons rocker Rory Williams, while she has been close to One Direction's Niall Horan for years.

She split from Game of Thrones star Richard Madden back in 2016 after a short romance, and was also briefly linked to Leonardo DiCaprio after the 2016 BAFTA awards.
Unlocking the creativity amid the lockdown situation, actor Hiten Tejwani has been experimenting with projects that are self-shot from home. The actor has recently self-shot for a short film, and has also featured in a music video, along with other actors and makers from the Marathi cinema, paying tribute to all the doctors, nurses, police officers and many others who are relentlessly working out there for the safety of the people.

Talking about the short film, Tejwani says, Its a very interesting film themed on coronavirus and has been sent for the Lockdown Film Festival of India. Weve individually shot our parts and Im eagerly waiting to see how the final product looks, Tejwani shares.

Self shooting a video can difficult as one has to do the work of a director and cameraman, too. The first challenge was that I needed someone to shoot it for me. So, Gauri (wife, Gauri Pradhan Tejwani) helped me with this. Then setting the frame, camera angle, zoom in, zoom out, retakes and all that are essential in filming a scene, he shares.

And with his 10-year-old kids, Katya and Neevan, around, the actor says it became all the more difficult for him to work from home, as he would wait for the right moment to film his part.

Of course, you need a corner or a quiet place in the house where you wont be disturbed, especially when you have kids running around all the time. There are all kinds of noise as someone would be cooking in the kitchen or watching TV or talking to someone. I had to wait for the right moment to shoot when there is pin drop silence and no distractions, he says.

As the lockdown gets extends till May 3, Tejwani is looking forward to working on more such projects. Self-shot projects are a great learning experience and there are some more scripts that have come my way and I might consider them. Im eager to watch what others have shot by themselves from home and learn from it, he concludes.




The Special Assistant on Media and Publicity to President Muhammadu Buhari, Garba Shehu, has confirmed that people that attended the burial of the late Chief of Staff, Abba Kyari, were advised to stay away from the Aso Rock.

President Buharis spokesperson revealed this development on his Twitter account on Sunday.

Shehu in the post noted that it is in the rules put in place by the National Center for Disease Control (NCDC) and the Federal Ministry of Health.

There is nothing extraordinary about those of us who attend Abba Kyaris funeral being advised to distance ourselves from the Villa.

This is in line with the standard rules put in place by the National Center for Disease Control, @NCDCgov and the Federal Ministry of Health. You do these things to stop the spread of #Coronavirus.

For the most part, the Villa has operated digitally in the last few weeks so there is really nothing new to this, he tweeted.

Nigerians had called for the apology of the presidency to Nollywood actress, Funke Akindele, over the images of the crowd at Kyaris burial went viral.

See the tweet below:

There is nothing extraordinary about those of us who attend Abba Kyaris funeral being advised to distance ourselves from the Villa.  Garba Shehu (@GarShehu) April 19, 2020

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In the battle between President Donald Trump and many states about reopening the nation for business, executives have echoed governors concerning the measures required.

The president had a series of impromptu conference calls Wednesday with business and labor leaders and members of Congress  his hastily formed Great American Economic Revival Industry Groups.

The leaders agreed with governors that the nation cant reopen until testing and other measures are in place to keep the coronavirus outbreak from worsening.

We have the best tests in the world, Trump said afterward. And we will be working very much with the governors of the states. We want them to do it.  The states are much better equipped to do it.

Only 3 million tests have been done to date  1% of the population. New tests promising nearly instantaneous results are in the pipeline, but labs are currently overwhelmed. Concerns also exist about asymptomatic carriers  some have tested negative twice, then positive.

Although the federal government has mandated free tests for those with health insurance, business leaders want it for the uninsured as well  migrants must be included as outbreaks at packing plants make evident  while not burdening small businesses already near bankruptcy.

The business leaders also wanted personal protective equipment (PPE) readily available, as well as policies dealing with child care and mass transit.

By defaulting to the states, Trump is leading from behind.

Governors looked in vain to the federal government for ventilators and PPE for health care workers. They took the lead in issuing shelter in place orders and designating businesses as non-essential. Early stay-at-home orders limited California cases per capita and flattened Washingtons initial outbreak.

Soaring death rates denied Trumps desire to have a semblance of business open by Easter. Without a national policy in place, he latched onto a tweet by Fox News Dana Perino suggesting a nonpartisan/bipartisan mix of experts across industry sectors, so that we have their recommendations & plan.

He was pre-empted by governors on the East Coast  New York, Connecticut, Pennsylvania, Delaware, Rhode Island and Massachusetts, and West Coast  California, Oregon and Washington  who formed pacts to coordinate reopening their states.

When the president dubiously claimed total authority to calls the shots, Gov. Andrew Cuomo, D-N.Y., accused him of acting like a king.

The governors groups wanted universal testing for COVID-19, tracking those infected, and PPE for workers, while instituting workplace rules such as the distance between restaurant tables.

A passport may be necessary to return to work for those testing negative for COVID-19 or previously infected and now carrying antibodies. Britain and Italy have considered it.

Another issue is contact tracing. A phone app tracks the contacts of infected people in South Korea and Singapore. Congress would have to address civil liberties and privacy questions to institute such tracing here.

Really, right now, the first thing is saving lives and keeping people safe, said Gov. Larry Hogan, R-Md. We do also have to think about how do we eventually ramp up and get some folks back to work. But you cant just pick a date and flip a switch. I dont think its going to be that simple.

Trump contends governors  primarily, but not exclusively, Democrats have made COVID-19 a partisan issue by blaming the federal government for failing to provide ventilators and personal protective equipment requested and not intervening in bidding wars.

Governors saw it differently.

Youve got 50 states and the federal government all chasing the same companies. Its crazy, said Gov. Mike DeWine, R-Ohio. Its the wild, wild West. No question about it, said Gov. Gavin Newson, D-Calif.

Theyve accused Trump of vastly inflating the amount of materials provided, including millions of test kits promised March 10. After the presidents comments that a chronic lack of test kits was no longer a problem, Hogan told NPR, Thats just not true.

When Gov. Jay Inslee, D-Wash., complained about not getting supplies, Trump called him a snake. Gov. Gretchen Whitmer, D-Mich., was young, a woman governor who has no idea whats going on. Gov. Jay Pritzker, D-Ill., returned Trumps fire, calling him, a carnival barker.

I want them to be appreciative, Trump said. Weve done a great job.

He tweeted, Massive amounts of medical supplies, even hospitals and medical centers, are being delivered directly to states and hospitals by the Federal Government. Some have insatiable appetites & are never satisfied (politics?). Remember, we are a backup for them.

I dont want you to be the backup quarterback, countered Inslee. We need you to be Tom Brady.

Reopening the nation for business must be done cautiously with the necessary prerequisites in place. We should be wary, as Gov. Philip Murphy, D-N.J., stated, of not pouring gas on the fire, even inadvertently.

The house is on fire, and Job No. 1 is to put the fire out, he added.
CHICAGO (dpa-AFX) - The Singapore-based BOC Aviation agreed to purchase six Boeing 787-9 aircraft and 16 Boeing 737-9 MAX aircraft from United Airlines, and to lease back the aircraft to United Airlines. But it did not reveal financial terms of the deal. BOC Aviation said in a filling on Hong Kong Stock Exchange that it plans to complete the deal in 2020. BOC Aviation said it will enter into long term leases with the Airline in respect of the Aircraft. BOC Aviation Limited is a global aircraft operating leasing company with a fleet of 567 aircraft owned, managed or on order as at 31 March 2020. It has its headquarters in Singapore with offices in Dublin, London, New York and Tianjin. On Wednesday, United Airlines had said it plans to further reduce its schedule and cut costs, saying that federal-government aid does not cover its total payroll expense. The aid represented only about 30 percent of its total costs. Meanwhile, the airline indicated that it could cut jobs after the end of deadline set by the government in the financial aid terms. The airline would further reduce its capacity to about 10 percent of what had been planned for May at the beginning of this year. It expects to announce similar reductions to the June schedule in the next few weeks, as a result of the coronavirus pandemic. 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.
The IMF on Thursday approved nearly $1.4 billion in emergency aid to Pakistan to help it weather the impact of the coronavirus pandemic.

"While uncertainty remains high, the near-term economic impact of COVID-19 is expected to be significant, giving rise to large fiscal and external financing needs," the international lender said in a statement.

Pakistan has recorded just over 100 deaths but experts have voiced fear that the country of 215 million people could see a rapid and devastating increase due to its shortage of medical infrastructure and crowded cities.

Worried about hurting an already weak economy, Prime Minister Imran Khan has resisted a sweeping, nationwide lockdown but provinces have shuttered schools and companies.

"The domestic containment measures, coupled with the global downturn, are severely affecting growth and straining external financing," said Geoffrey Okamoto, the IMF's first deputy managing director.

"This has created an urgent balance of payments need," he said.

He voiced support for actions taken in Pakistan including a boost in spending on public health and the social safety net to brace for a worsening crisis.

He also credited the central State Bank of Pakistan with measures that have included lowering its benchmark rate and supporting liquidity.

The IMF said it was providing the $1.386 billion under a so-called rapid financing instrument, which addresses emergencies and does not subject a country to a full-fledged reform program that undergoes review.

Pakistan is a longtime recipient of help from the IMF and is already under a three-year, $6 billion program that was approved last year.

Okamoto said Pakistan needed to recommit to its goals under the package once the crisis abates, including restoring its public finances and governance.
https://www.aish.com/tp/i/sacks/Words-That-Heal.html

Fred Rogers and the power of words.

In A Beautiful Day in the Neighbourhood (2019), Tom Hanks plays the beloved American childrens television producer presenter Fred Rogers, a legendary figure to several generations of young Americans, famous for his musical invitation, Wont you be my neighbour?

What makes the film unusual is that it is an unabashed celebration of the power of human goodness to heal broken hearts. Today such straightforward moral messages tend to be confined to childrens films (some of them, as it happens, works of genius). Such is the power and subtlety of the film, however, that one is not tempted to dismiss it as simplistic or naive.

The plot is based on a true story. A magazine had decided to run a series of short profiles around the theme of heroes. It assigned one of its most gifted journalists to write the vignette about Rogers. The journalist was, however, a troubled soul. He had a badly broken relationship with his father. The two had fought physically at his sisters wedding. The father sought reconciliation, but the journalist refused even to see him.

The jagged edges of his character showed in his journalism. Everything he wrote had a critical undercurrent as if he relished destroying the images of the people he had come to portray. Given his reputation he wondered why the childrens television star had agreed to be interviewed by him. Had he not read any of his writings? Did he not know the obvious risk that the profile would be negative, perhaps devastatingly so? It turned out that not only had Rogers read every article of his that he could get hold of; he was also the only figure who had agreed to be interviewed by him. All the other heroes had turned him down.

The journalist goes to meet Rogers, first sitting through the production of an episode of his show, complete with puppets, toy trains and a miniature townscape. It is a moment ripe for big-city cynicism. Yet Rogers, when they meet and talk, defies any conventional stereotype, turns the questions away from himself and toward the journalist, almost immediately senses the core of unhappiness within him, turns every negative question into a positive affirmation, and exudes the calmness and quiet, the listening silence, that allows and encourages the journalist to talk about himself.

It is a remarkable experience to watch as Hanks gentleness, immovable even under pressure, slowly allows the journalist  who had, after all, merely come to write a 400 word profile  to acknowledge his own failings vis-a-vis his father and to give him the emotional strength to forgive him and be reconciled to him in the limited time before he died. Here is a fragment of their conversation, that will give you a feel for the tone of the relationship:

Journalist: You love people like me.

Fred Rogers: What are people like you? Ive never met anyone like you in my entire life.

Journalist: Broken people.

Fred Rogers: I dont think you are broken. I know you are a man of conviction. A person who knows the difference between what is wrong and what is right. Try to remember that your relationship with your father also helped to shape those parts. He helped you become what you are.

Note how in a few brief sentences, Rogers helps reframe the journalists self-image, as well as his relationship with his father. The very argumentativeness that led him to fight with his father was something he owed to his father. The film (though not all the plot details) is based on a true story about the real Fred Rogers and the journalist Tom Junod. Junod, like his character in the film, came to mock but stayed to be inspired. He said about the experience, What is grace? Im not certain; all I know is that my heart felt like a spike, and then, in that room, it opened and felt like an umbrella. The film is, as one reviewer put it, a perfectly pitched and played ode to goodness.1

The point of this long introduction is that the film is a rare and compelling illustration of the power of speech to heal or harm. This, according to the Sages, is what Tazria and Metzora are about. Tsaraat, the skin condition whose diagnosis and purification form the heart of the parshiyot, was a punishment for lashon hara, evil speech, and the word metzora, for one suffering from the condition, was, they said, an abridgment of the phrase motzi shem ra, one who speaks slander. The key prooftext they brought was the case of Miriam who spoke badly about Moses, and was struck with tsaraat as a result (Num. 12). Moses alludes to this incident many years later, urging the Israelites to take it to heart: Remember what the Lord your God did to Miriam along the way after you came out of Egypt (Deut. 24:9).

Judaism is, I have argued, a religion of words and silences, speaking and listening, communicating and attending. God created the universe by words  And He said  and there was  and we create the social universe by words, by the promises with which we bind ourselves to meet our obligations to others. Gods revelation at Sinai was of words  You heard the sound of words but saw no form; there was only a voice (Deut. 4:2). Every other ancient religion had its monuments of brick and stone; Jews, exiled, had only words, the Torah they carried with them wherever they went. The supreme mitzvah in Judaism is Shema Yisrael, Listen, Israel. For God is invisible and we make no icons. We cant see God; we cant smell God; we cant touch God; we cant taste God. All we can do is listen in the hope of hearing God. In Judaism, listening is high religious art.

Or it should be. What Tom Hanks shows us in his portrayal of Fred Rogers is a man who is capable of attending to other people, listening to them, talking gently to them in a way that is powerfully affirming without for a moment being bland or assuming that all is well with the world or with them. The reason this is both interesting and important is that it is hard to know how to listen to God if we do not know how to listen to other people. And how can we expect God to listen to us if we are incapable of listening to others?

This entire issue of speech and its impact on people has become massively amplified by the spread of smartphones and social media and their impact, especially on young people and on the entire tone of the public conversation. Online abuse is the plague of our age. It has happened because of the ease and impersonality of communication. It gives rise to what has been called the disinhibition effect: people feel freer to be cruel and crude than they would be in a face-to-face situation. When you are in the physical presence of someone, it is hard to forget that the other is a living, breathing human being just as you are, with feelings like yours and vulnerabilities like yours. But when you are not, all the poison within you can leak out, with sometimes devastating effects. The number of teenage suicides and attempted suicides has doubled in the past ten years, and most attribute the rise to effects of social media. Rarely have the laws of lashon hara been more timely or necessary.

At the risk of disclosing a spoiler, A Beautiful Day in the Neighbourhood offers a fascinating commentary on an ancient debate in Judaism, one discussed by Maimonides in the sixth of his Eight Chapters, as to which is greater, the chassid, the saint, the person who is naturally good, or ha-moshel be-nafsho, one who is not naturally saintly at all but who practices self-restraint and suppresses the negative elements in their character. It is precisely this question, whose answer is not obvious, that gives the film its edge.

The Rabbis said some severe things about lashon hara. It is worse than the three cardinal sins  idolatry, adultery, and bloodshed  combined. It kills three people: the one who speaks it, the one of whom it is spoken, and the one who receives it.2. Joseph received the hatred of his brothers because he spoke negatively about some of them. The generation that left Egypt was denied the chance of entering the land because they spoke badly about it. One who speaks it is like an atheist.3

I believe we need the laws of lashon hara as rarely before. The social media are awash with hate. The language of politics has become ad hominem and vile. We seem to have forgotten what Tazria-Metzora are meant to remind us: that evil speech is a plague. It destroys relationships, rides roughshod over peoples feelings, debases the public square, turns politics into a jousting match between competing egos and defiles all that is sacred about our common life. It need not be like this.

NOTES

1. Ian Freer, Empire, 27 January 2020.

2. Arakhin 16b.

3. Arakhin 15b.

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A week after a 19-year-old Connecticut dad was allegedly mowed down and left for dead on the side of the road by a hit-and-run driver his family is seeking justice.

Isaac Alvarez was an employee at a McDonald's in Hartford for six months. Alvarez, a father of two young children, finished his 11 p.m. shift on April 10 and opted not to wait for his store's manager to take him and another co-worker home. Instead, Alvarez hopped on his skateboard and was hit by a car on his way home.

MORE: Driver 'intentionally' rams car carrying 6 teenagers, killing 3, authorities say

"They just left him there," said Miguel Alvarez, Isaac's father.

It wasn't until the next morning that a jogger discovered Alvarez's body on the side of the road -- still in his work uniform. The investigation is still ongoing, police said.

He was hit and killed just a quarter of a mile away from the restaurant and minutes away from the home where he lived with the mother of his children, his family said.

PHOTO: Isaac Alvarez, 19, was killed after a hit-and-run driver left him for dead on the side of the road in West Hartford, Conn., on April 10, 2020. (Courtesy Miguel Alvarez)

"Take responsibility for what you did. You took my son -- a nephew, a father, a good person; everyone considered him family," Miguel Alvarez told ABC News in a phone interview Saturday as he fought back tears. "They took a good person from this world. He was well on his way."

Isaac Alvarez made an impression on Jim Gallagher, the co-owner of the McDonald's franchise where he worked, who said the day Isaac's daughter, Isalee, was born in November he still made it to work for his afternoon shift.

"The kid had a future. He was just trying to provide for his family and was tragically taken away by a hit-and-run driver," said Gallagher, who described Albany Avenue, where Isaac was killed, as a roadway with "very little lighting" and where drivers break the speed limit frequently.

MORE: For hit-and-run drivers who kill people, jail time is rarely a consequence

Gallagher said Isaac had aspirations of becoming a manager.

Story continues

"He was a front line worker who never complained about working ... [and] because of this I'm compelled to help his family," said Gallagher. An online fundraiser was launched to pay for funeral expenses and to collect donations for his family.

Miguel Alvarez said his grandson, 2-year-old Isaac Jr., does not know what happened to his father.

The funeral was on Thursday.

ABC News' JuJu Chang contributed to this report

Connecticut family pleads for hit-and-run driver to turn himself in week after teen's death originally appeared on abcnews.go.com
We have no food at the moment, and the only option is to go back home. When we are in Botswana, we survive through piece jobs, but that has stopped because of the lockdown.
In rural Pennsylvania and beyond, in communities where farming is as much culture as it is business, the day-to-day looks largely unchanged on the surface. The coronavirus has affected fewer people in sparsely populated towns, compared with shuttered cities where cases multiply each day.

But the seeming calm has belied nagging thoughts. Farmers look at their fields and wonder if vendors will return in time to buy at harvest, or whether the crops will be left to rot.

Or, as the weather warms and the peak harvest cycle approaches, how they will manage with a likely shortage in seasonal laborers as immigrant visa services have been indefinitely suspended to prevent the spread of the coronavirus.

I cant see where were going with this and how long this is going to be," said Joel Rotz, a spokesperson for the Pennsylvania Farm Bureau.

 READ MORE: Hazleton meat-packaging plant closes with 130 workers testing positive for COVID-19. Union leader at Souderton plant died last Friday.

Gov. Tom Wolf and the Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture have strongly encouraged farms and food-processing facilities to stay open, calling them critical sources for a robust food supply as the coronavirus continues to spread and people flock to grocery stores to stock up on goods.

The demand has not really changed," Wolf said on a recent coronavirus telephone briefing, adding that he talks with Pennsylvania Agriculture Secretary Russell Redding every day. Its the channel through which the food has traveled that is really affecting the situation right now. Restaurants are closed, food courts are closed. ... Its put a real load of pressure on food processing."

In New Jersey, Gov. Phil Murphy has been less vocal about the role of farmers, though he has deemed farms and farmers markets to be essential services.

 FAQ: Your coronavirus questions, answered

Wolf implored the federal government last week to immediately provide details about the $9.5 billion in assistance American farmers could receive as part of the $2 trillion federal relief bill that President Donald Trump signed in late March.

Our recovery and our national security are impossible without the certainty of a safe, secure, and available food supply, the Wolf administration wrote in a letter to U.S. Agriculture Secretary Sonny Perdue.

So far, the USDA has said the $9.5 billion would allow the agency to buy farmers goods and distribute them to food banks across the country, helping to alleviate growing food insecurity amid the pandemic while also possibly reducing financial strain on food producers.

Despite farmers difficulties, things are getting done," said Rick Carr, farm director for the Rodale Institute, a Berks County organic farming nonprofit with five locations in Pennsylvania. I dont think theyre afraid of the pandemic. Theyre more afraid of their livelihood and putting food on the table.

 READ MORE: Disruption in the seafood supply chain ripples from empty Philly restaurants to idle N.J. docks

Even if its unclear where the food from her farm will end up, Lynn Trizna, a Rodale farm manager, knows she has to keep growing crops.

Everyone feels strongly that this is a time to produce as much as we can," she said. ... This is just another challenge thats out of our control."

Triznas 16-acre farm, owned by Rodale in Easton, has lost business from one of its largest customers, the cafeteria at St. Lukes Anderson Campus hospital.

They no longer have visitors. They no longer have volunteers during the pandemic," said Trizna, 32. "So the volume for their kitchens has gone way down.

The kitchen uses what produce it can, she said. For now, shes trying to figure out how to adapt.

In July and August, when we have a lot of our crops, the kitchens might be able to take more, she said. "We just dont know. At this point, we havent made any drastic changes to our production. We dont want to make a change now in April on a gut feeling based on how things are going to look in June.

The logistical quandary has given Trizna just one option: This is a time to produce as much food as possible and then figure out what to do with it."

 READ MORE: Philly chefs cook their way through Green Meadow Farms CSA box

Should the fallout of the pandemic stretch into the summer when warm-season crops are ready for harvest and farms typically need extra workers, the Pennsylvania Farm Bureau is worried about a shortage of laborers, reflecting national concern.

In July, the United States typically sees a spike in seasonal laborers, mostly from Latin America, and the associated H-2A visas that give migrant workers permission to work temporary farm jobs. Most states have fewer temporary workers in March and April, a slower-moving period for farms.

The demand for farm labor has risen significantly in recent years, with the shortage compounded by fewer younger people wanting to work in agriculture, among other factors.

In fiscal year 2005, the United States certified 48,336 jobs that could accept H-2A workers, according to federal data.

 READ MORE: The industry says we have enough food. Heres why some store shelves are empty anyway.

By 2018, data showed that figure had quintupled to 242,762 jobs, which ran an average of about 5 months. Of that, the United States issued 196,409 H-2A visas. Historically, the bulk of H-2A certified jobs have been in Florida, North Carolina, New York, Georgia, Washington, and California.

The coronavirus pandemic could cut the number of H-2A workers by up to 60,000, according to the Economic Policy Institute, a nonprofit think tank in Washington. Put in context, the U.S. Department of State granted more than 204,801 H-2A visas in fiscal year 2019, with each job lasting an average of six months. The workforce fulfilled around 79% of the labor demand that year, according to federal data.

Recently, the USDA and the U.S. Department of Labor suggested it could transfer H-2A workers already in the country to work on other farms to compensate for a lack of seasonal workers and to mitigate losses to states that are agricultural powerhouses. The EPI estimated California, where agriculture is the leading industry, could have 1.6 million unfilled jobs by summer.

 READ MORE: How to wash vegetables: Can I get the coronavirus from groceries?

Far less data had been collected on the magnitude of projected losses in Pennsylvania and New Jersey, though economic analysts forecasted Pennsylvania could lose a little more than 260,109 jobs across a variety of industries by summer; 142,233 could be lost in New Jersey.

Certainly those farmers that are dependent on migrant labor, like the fruit and vegetable industry, we are really concerned about the borders being shut down and how were going to obtain a legal workforce to help harvest these crops on the farm," said Rotz, of the Pennsylvania Farm Bureau. Will these unemployed Americans be willing to go out there and do that work? That is a serious challenge."

The pandemic, farmers and agriculture advocates said, has cast greater attention on the food production and processing industry and the financial struggles that preceded the pandemic but have since amplified because of it.

Theres more focus on food than ever before," Rotz said. Food is something we take for granted every day.
Its perhaps the most famous bit of liquor lore in Berkeley history: the student who saved the Claremont Hotel from the scourge of sobriety.

The story starts with an old city law. In the late 1870s, Berkeley, then a hotbed of the temperance movement, passed a law to keep its precious university students pure. The law banned all liquor sales within a one-mile radius of the UC Berkeley campus. Any bars within that circle had to close, and all restaurants took wine off the menu.

The ban presented a particular hardship for the Claremont Hotel, a stunning white palace in the hills that opened in 1915. Although its location straddled the Berkeley-Oakland border, its legal address put it in the city of Berkeley. And it was neatly within the one-mile radius, making it one of the only major hotels  if not the only  in the Bay Area that couldnt have a bar.

It struggled on, the story goes, until an intrepid Cal student in the 1930s decided to re-measure the distance between the Claremont and campus. Lo and behold, it was a hair over one mile away, thus enabling the hotel to open a magnificent bar overlooking the San Francisco Bay. As a show of gratitude, the owners gave the student free drinks for life.

Unfortunately for mythologists, theres no evidence this mystery student ever existed. And while the tale of how the Claremont finally got its coveted bar doesnt involve her, its still a rollicking ride of sneaky politicians, legislative battles and a bill so contentious it almost led to a fistfight at the state capital.

The liquor law went largely uncontested until 1913, when the owners of the Claremont Hotel  eight years into construction on the resort  realized they werent going to be able to serve alcohol. So they did what all shady early 20th century businessmen did: They decided to cajole and trick politicians into voting for a law they authored.

The Ferguson Bill so convincingly written that even alcohol trade publications initially covered it as an expansion of Berkeleys dry zone. Instead of one mile, the Ferguson Bill extended the range to 1 and  miles from the UC. But a closer inspection of the fine print revealed where the lines were redrawn. The 1 and  mile limit was only on the Berkeley sides of the campus. The side facing Oakland was shortened, thus getting the Claremont just outside the new dry zone.

The bill was presented to the California legislature which, by then, had gotten word who exactly was backing it. In preparation, Oakland Mayor Frank K. Mott went to Sacramento to advocate for it in person. He told the assembly that $1 million dollars ($26 million today) had already been sunk into the project with another $500,000 likely to be spent.

The establishment cannot be successfully conducted unless it be permitted to sell liquor to guests, he entreated. No one, he said, could think of another hotel still in business that was dry.

California State Assembly Speaker C.C. Young was unsympathetic. "The hotel owners knew that property was within the 'dry zone' and should have counted the cost before investing," he retorted.

The bill went up for a vote  and nearly started a brawl in the capital. The Oakland contingent was split, and the cracks showed.

I cant see how you men who will vote for such a diabolical attempt at special legislation can go home and face your constituents, Oakland Assemblyman William C. Clark directed at the pro-Ferguson Oaklanders.

The comment led Frank Smith, another Oakland assemblyman, to leap to his feat. Ill face my constituents  when I return to Oakland, he said. Let Assemblyman Clark look to his own laurels. We are all making our own beds here. Im satisfied with mine.

A tussle broke out, but was quickly calmed by the others in attendance. As night fell, the vote was held. The Ferguson Bill needed 41 votes to pass. It got 40.

The devastated Claremont hoteliers went home empty-handed, and the opulent resort opened two years later  sans bar. Five years later, however, Prohibition went into effect nationwide, shuttering every other hotel bar in the Bay Area.

When Prohibition lifted in 1933, the hotel went back to work trying to get its long-dreamed-of bar. The first big victory came in 1937, when Section 172 of the California Penal Code was changed to reflect the one-mile limit in road, not aerial, miles. By car, the hotel was easily further than a mile away.

In 1938, the Claremont applied for a liquor license. To take the temperature of the community, the Berkeley City Council mailed out 1,200 postcards to residents, asking them to weigh in on the license. Of the 691 postcards returned to the city, 504 were in favor of granting it.

At long last, the Berkeley City Council signed off on the Claremont Hotel permit  and youve been able to grab a cocktail with that majestic view ever since.

Katie Dowd is an SFGATE Senior Digital Editor. Contact: katie.dowd@sfgate.com | Twitter: @katiedowd
In compliance with the governments recommendations, Khimji Ramdas (KR Group) and its various subsidiaries has applied several precautionary measures to safeguard the geographies within which it operates to protect the health of employees, customers and shareholders while also contributing to the protection of the nation as a whole.

To combat and mitigate the COVID-19 situation, KR Group has initiated a core committee headed by its Chief Medical Officer to regularly assess and track a required course of action to be adhered for its employees and supply chain of activities. The committee is dedicated to keeping employees abreast of the latest endeavours happening across the Sultanate through audio-visual awareness means as directed by the MOH Oman guidelines and the and World Health Organisation (WHO) approved messaging formats. The conglomerate has also established an emergency helpline number that offers employees and their families immediate medical assistance.

Reiterating its consistent support to the national agenda, KR has pledged, through its social development arm, Eshraqa, a support of OMR1.3 million ($3.37 million), a major part of which will be used to combat COVID-19 in close collaboration with the Ministry of Health (MOH).

Reassuring employees and applauding them for their services, especially those on the frontline serving customers, Pankaj Khimji, Director, KR said: Undoubtedly, our greatest assets are our people. The KR family stands in solidarity and honours your valuable support at this remarkable and difficult time. We thank you for your dedication and commitment; your service will be remembered by the nation. From construction and supply chain staff to those who are working round the clock to serve customers in our Air-conditioning service teams, restaurants and cafes, the supermarkets, which also includes our front office staff.

Regardless of the situation your only goal has been to keep our customers happy. Our top priority is the health and safety of our employees and their well-being comes first, and we will ensure that their benefits are taken care of.

With 150+ retail outlets spread across the nation, KR has ensured the application of the mandatory COVID-19 steps to serve customers in the best way possible. The Group has also collaborated with various delivery apps to serve a wider range of customers with little down-time.

Khimji added: In parallel to protecting our employees, we have ensured that our key suppliers have contingency plans that certify the continuity of our activity in order to ensure the proper functioning of our services for our customers. Serving the community at large and keeping our shelves stocked and customers happy is of great importance at this time. We have also published numerous info-graphics that are made into posters and visible identities. International best practices are followed with precision on our internal and external communications channels to keep our people, clients, and shareholders up-to-date and informed at all times. These plans will help protect our employees and customers against the coronavirus and will mitigate its economic impact.

Committed to maintaining the highest hygiene standards, all KR stores and outlets are taking sincere and necessary steps through the MOH guidelines to ensure the health and safety at the workplace. The working arrangements are implemented to reduce the risk of the COVID-19 exposure to KR employees as well as to contribute to social distancing efforts in the wider community.

With these worthwhile measures in place to give our community the very best care, KR Group has demonstrated its leadership as a responsible, purpose-led business upholding its creed of trust, care, commitment and learning. The management continues to monitor the rapidly changing business situation and will ascertain further measures as demanded in these unprecedented times. -- Tradearabia News Service
Earthquake rocks Japanese islands: A strong earthquake shook a Japanese island chain in the Pacific Ocean south of Tokyo, but there was no danger of a tsunami and there were no reports of damage or injuries. The 6.9-magnitude quake Saturday evening occurred in the Pacific Ocean west of the Ogasawara island chain, at a location about 620 miles south of Tokyo, the Japan Meteorological Agency said. The agency said the quake, whose epicenter was very deep at 280 miles below the sea surface, posed no danger of a tsunami. The Ogasawara chain, made up of ancient undersea volcanoes and also called the Bonin Islands, is a UNESCO World Heritage site.
The distinct, powerful smell of new rain is not just wet dirt, but a combination of ozone, bacterial spores, and plant oils. The mixture of different odors is called petrichor. It contains a chemical compound called geosmin, which is responsible for the heavy damp earth aroma and must scent in the rain and attracting small arthropods. Bacteria have used geosmin to attract small arthropods for over 400 million years.

Researchers have known about this compound as early as the 1960s. Geosmin has the evocative smell of newly moist dirt, and now, scientists may have found its purpose. Bacteria have used geosmin to attract small arthropods for over 400 million years.

A lot of creatures, including people, camels, and flies, are very much attuned to the smell of geosmin. Humans do not have excellent olfactory senses, but we can detect geosmin's signature musk with as low a concentration as 100 ppt (parts per trillion). In contrast, the sensitive olfactory blood-detection powers of a shark can only detect 1 ppm (part per million) in the water.

The bacteria which produces geosmin with its musty odor belong to the Streptomyces genus. This genus is known to produce unique chemical by-products that form the basis for several anti-fungal, anti-bacterial, and anti-cancer chemical compounds. However, each of these compounds is made by only a small number of species of Streptomyces. In contrast, out of the 500 total number of Streptomyces species known, 120 out of 122 species that researchers have studied produce geosmin.

John Innes Centre microbiologist and study co-author Mark Buttner says that the fact of those bacteria making geosmin suggests that the ability confers a selective advantage for them.

Buttner says that the bacteria occur worldwide, and geosmin accompanies their spores. He and his colleagues think it may be a signal for some insect or animal agent that helps spread the bacteria's spores. To test this theory and detect the critters that were attracted to the geosmin scent, they set up a network made of sticky traps in an Alnarp, Sweden woodland. They baited some of the traps with Streptomyces while others had soy flour.

In the experiments, the pungent smell of geosmin, along with 2-methylisoborneol, or 2-MIB, which was released by the bacterial colonies, attracted springtails, which are small six-legged arthropods, and they arrived in droves, as reported by the researchers in the Nature Microbiology journal.

The researchers also inserted electrodes in the antennae of the springtails to confirm their reactions. True enough, their appendages twitched as they caught the waft of the chemicals. The scientists determined that their antennae could be specifically tuned to the detection of 2-MIB and geosmin.

The study suggests that the bacteria and the springtails evolved a symbiotic relationship, with Streptomyces using geosmin as the dinner bell to attract hungry springtails. The insects eat the Streptomyces, and the arthropods then spread its spores widely through their wastes. Some bacteria stick to their arthropod bodies and are also distributed by sloughing off. Buttner says it is analogous to the birds that eat certain fruits and distribute its plant's seeds; both birds and plants benefit from the process.

According to Courtney Linder's report in Popular Mechanics, there is also evidence that the bacteria prefer the springtails specifically to distribute their spores, because many of the compounds they produce are fatal to other insects, nematodes, and fungi, while springtails have enzymes that can cope with many of Streptomyces' chemical cocktails.

Buttner says that they previously believe that the spores of Streptomyces were distributed through water and wind; however, wind and water cannot do anything in the soil's small air compartments. And so, the springtails became important in the Streptomyces' lifecycle. The bacteria is an important source of antibiotics.
The Akhil Bharatiya Akhara Parishad (ABAP) on Sunday condemned the killing of two seers of the Joona Akhara in Palghar district of Maharashtra and threatened to launch an agitation if the killers are not arrested soon.

The seers were beaten to death by some people allegedly in the presence of police personnel, ABAP president Mahant Narendra Giri said over the phone from Allahabad, where he is staying currently.

Giri condemned the incident and threatened that an agitation will be launched against the Maharashtra government if the killers were not arrested soon.

The ABAP has conveyed its resentment over the incident to Palghar's senior superintendent of police and demanded immediate arrest of the culprits, he said.

The akhara parishad will prepare a strategy for the agitation in Haridwar after the lockdown is lifted, Giri said.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
As the entire world grapples with Coronavirus pandemic forcing a majority of the nations to impose lockdowns in their respective territories as the only possible solution to contain the spread of the virus, some incidents continue to come to light where people are defying the lockdown and increasing the risk of spreading the virus further.

READ | Bangladesh Govt Declares Entire Country At Risk Of Coronavirus Pandemic

READ | Bangladesh Extends Nationwide Shutdown Amidst Rise In COVID-19 Cases

In one such incident in Bangladesh, tens of thousands of people flouted a nationwide COVID-19 lockdown protocol on Saturday to attend the funeral of a popular preacher, even as authorities battle a surge in virus cases. People from different parts of the country traveled to the eastern Brahmanbaria district for the last rites of a religious leader who was also the deputy head of a political party, the Bangladesh Khelafat Majlish.

Local media, citing residents and police officials, reported that around 100,000 people attended the funeral despite a nationwide coronavirus lockdown.

Reportedly the local police had agreed with the family of the deceased preacher that only 50 people would be allowed to attend the funeral due to the lockdown in place over the risk of virus spread. However, the local media reported that the police officers seemed to be helpless to stop the crowds who came to attend the funeral of 55-year-old who died on Friday.

READ | Rohingya Camps In Bangladesh Put Under 'complete Lockdown'

READ | Bangladesh Garment Workers Seek Unpaid Wages As Orders Stop

Bangladeshi author in exile Taslima Nasreen seemingly taking a dig at the mockery of lockdown, took to Twitter to post a picture of the mammoth crowd that attended the funeral amid the pandemic.

'Entire country at risk'

Bangladesh has declared its entire territory to be exposed to COVID-19 risk as the pandemic spread to various parts of the country, according to an order issued by the directorate general of health services (DGHS) on Thursday night as the country recorded the highest single-day coronavirus deaths on Friday with 15 more fatalities, taking the death toll to 75.

Directorate General of Health Services chief Abul Kalam Azad said the order issued overnight was meant to ensure strict enforcement of the existing travel ban from one place to another and no one can go out of home from 6 pm to 6 am. Stern action will be taken against the violators, he said, adding that the order now empowered health authorities to enforce relevant rules under the law with assistance of local administration and law enforcement agencies.
LAMONT  A multiple-county pursuit of a man Saturday afternoon ended with a crash in Buchanan County that seriously hurt a Buchanan County sheriffs deputy.

Deputy Daniel Walter, 23, of Independence, was flown from the scene to University Hospitals and Clinics in Iowa City in serious condition. Officials announced later that the deputy was awake and alert but remained in serious condition.

The incident began about 2:40 p.m. Saturday when a 2010 Chevy Avalanche operated by Kevin A. Kraphl Jr., 29, of Manchester, allegedly struck a pedestrian at Fifth Street and North Frederick in Oelwein and left the scene. Approximately two minutes later, an Iowa Department of Natural Resources conservation officer observed the suspect vehicle traveling east on 50th Street near the intersection of L Avenue in Fayette County, approximately four miles east of Oelwein.

The conservation officer attempted to stop the vehicle. The driver did not stop and a pursuit ensued. The pursuit continued through Fayette and Buchanan counties until coming to an end at the intersection of Buchanan-Delaware Avenue and 150th Street south of Lamont when the vehicle Kraphl was operating collided with Walters patrol vehicle that was also attempting to stop Kraphl.

After the collision, Kraphl attempted to flee the scene on foot but was soon apprehended by the conservation officer, who was not identified.

The unidentified pedestrian hurt in Oelwein was treated and released from Mercy Hospital in Oelwein.

The crash is being investigated by the Iowa State Patrol and remains under investigation. Assisting agencies include the Buchanan County Sheriffs Office, Fayette County Sheriffs Office, Delaware County Sheriffs Office, Clayton County Sheriffs Office and the Iowa DNR Law Enforcement. Medical personnel who assisted at the scene were Regional Medical Center Ambulance as well as Lamont Fire and Dundee fire departments.

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U.S. President Donald Trump listens during the daily coronavirus task force briefing at the White House in Washington, U.S., April 18, 2020. Reuters




Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) members pack up after the search for Gabriel Wortman in Great Village, Nova Scotia, Canada April 19, 2020. REUTERS/John Morris

A gunman in the Canadian province of Nova Scotia killed more than 10 people, including at least one police officer, during a 12-hour rampage, authorities said on Sunday.

Police told reporters that 51-year-old Gabriel Wortman shot people in several locations across the province and they were still trying to establish a final death toll.

They added that Wortman was dead, but would not confirm a CTV report that he had been shot and killed by the Royal Canadian Mounted Police.

The killings started late on Saturday in the small Atlantic coastal town of Portapique, about 130 km north (80 miles) of the provincial capital, Halifax.

Expand Close A Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) officer returns a dog to an individual since the road is shut down after a manhunt for Gabriel Wortman, who they describe as a shooter of multiple victims, in Portapique, Nova Scotia, Canada April 19, 2020. REUTERS/John Morris / Facebook

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Whatsapp A Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) officer returns a dog to an individual since the road is shut down after a manhunt for Gabriel Wortman, who they describe as a shooter of multiple victims, in Portapique, Nova Scotia, Canada April 19, 2020. REUTERS/John Morris

The massacre looked to be the worst act of mass murder in Canada since a gunman killed 15 women in Montreal in December 1989.
(CNN)  Less than a month ago, Singapore was being hailed as one of the countries that had got its coronavirus response right.

Encouragingly for the rest of the world, the city-state seemed to have suppressed cases without imposing the restrictive lockdown measures endured by millions elsewhere.

And then, the second wave hit. Hard. Since March 17, Singapore's number of confirmed coronavirus cases grew from 266 to over 5,900, according to data from Johns Hopkins University.

While in the worst-hit countries of western Europe and in the US, thousands of cases are being reported every day, Singapore has a population of 5.7 million people, and a total area of around 700 square kilometers  it is smaller than New York City; meanings those numbers are more significant.

But Singapore also has advantages that many larger countries don't. It only has one major land border, with Malaysia, and can keep a tight control on people entering by air. It also has a world-class health system and a propensity for somewhat draconian rules, and policing that can benefit a government when trying to control a pandemic.

So what went wrong?

The answer appears to lie in overlooked clusters of cases among migrant workers living in cramped dormitories and an underestimation of the speed at which those infections could spread through a city where lockdown measures had not been put in place.

Life as normal

At first, Singapore's status as a small island nation seemed to pay off.

It was able to contain the initial wave of cases from China by instituting quarantines and contact tracing to ensure that anyone arriving by air, who might have been exposed, was isolated and monitored.

At the same time, it ramped up public awareness campaigns to encourage people to take precautions. Isolation wards installed in hospitals in the wake of the 2003 SARS epidemic also meant that patients were treated in the safest way possible, preventing medical staff from becoming infected.

Most importantly, wrote Dale Fisher, chair of infection control at the National University of Singapore's hospital in an opinion piece: "Singapore didn't let positive patients back into the community."

People with few or no symptoms, but who had nevertheless tested positive for the virus, were hospitalized until they returned a negative test, rather than put in home quarantine, Fisher said.

By testing widely and isolating all those who were potentially contagious, Singapore was able to remain relatively open and continue functioning as usual.

"In Singapore, we want life to go on as normal," Fisher wrote last month, before the latest spike in cases. "We want businesses, churches, restaurants, and schools to stay open. This is what success looks like. Everything goes forward with modifications as needed, and you keep doing this until there's a vaccine or a treatment."

That approach stood in stark contrast to Hong Kong: another Asian self-governed city with a similar size population. In Hong Kong, public schools have been closed since February, and government employees were encouraged to work from home, though people still traveled around the city relatively freely. New measures were also introduced following an increase in imported cases last month.

Hong Kong has been much more successful in dealing with a second wave.

Singapore only closed schools and some workplaces this month after the most recent spike in cases.

The delay has put the number of new Singapore cases on a much steeper trajectory. On Thursday, it reported 728 new cases  its largest single day increase. Hong Kong reported four.

Singapore slip-up

Until April, Singapore appeared to be on top of the outbreak.

But clusters that government testing appears to have missed quickly grew, and the number of daily cases shot up.

The more relaxed attitude taken in Singapore compared to other countries was only viable if infections from overseas were kept out, and new potential cases were detected and dealt with quickly.

Once this measure failed, the speed at which the virus could pass from person to person was greater than it would be in a place with heavy lockdown and social distancing measures.

Many of the new clusters have been connected to Singapore's vast migrant worker population, in particular those workers  most from South Asia  living in cramped dormitories, who appear to have been overlooked in the initial wave of testing. Multiple dormitories have been quarantined, and the government is ramping up testing for all workers.

It's unclear whether those infections were from migrant workers coming in from outside, or if the virus was circulating among the largely-untested population for some time. What is evident is that the conditions that workers live in made effective social distancingor "home" quarantinenext to impossible, making it easy for the virus to spread.

"The dormitories were like a time bomb waiting to explode," Tommy Koh, a Singapore lawyer and former diplomat, wrote in a widely-shared Facebook post earlier this month. "The way Singapore treats its foreign workers is not First World, but Third World. The government has allowed their employers to transport them in flat bed trucks with no seats. They stay in overcrowded dormitories, and are packed likes sardines with 12 persons to a room."

Koh added that "Singapore should treat this as a wake up call to treat our indispensable foreign workers like a First World country, should and not in the disgraceful way in which they are treated now."

Since the recent spike in cases, Singapore has instituted what the government is calling a "circuit breaker," a package of restrictions and new rules, combined with harsh punishments, designed to stymie the new wave of cases and allow the city to get its outbreak back under control.

Singapore has a good chance of getting things under control, thanks again to its small size, strong government, and well-funded healthcare system. But the recent spike in cases in Singapore has lessons for the rest of the world.

No time to relax

Both Singapore and Hong Kong were only able to maintain relative normality while they kept a tight lid on potential imported infections. Once a wave of cases did arrive from overseas, both had to react quickly to prevent a new epidemic.

Hong Kong was able to do this more easily because the city has never completely relaxed, while Singapore has been forced to institute the "circuit breaker," and it remains to be seen how successful that will be.

But this relax-tighten-relax approach to coronavirus restrictions is only really viable in places like Hong Kong and Singapore, where the population size is small enough to be managemable, and the specific geography enables authorities to maintain a tight control on who comes in and out, and track their movements if necessary. Hong Kong in particular has instituted mandatory quarantines for those arriving from overseas since mid March.

That even these cities have both come close to major second outbreaks, requiring them to again pause their economies and institute sweeping restrictions, should be a major lesson to the rest of the world about relaxing too soon.

As many parts of Asia have already experienced, just because a local outbreak appears to be under control, does not mean a new wave of cases can't be sparked by an infected person entering from overseas.

Until a city or country can be sure that no more infections will come in from outside  or can be effectively tracked and controlled  the lack of local cases does not mean the danger has passed.

And in larger countries, where borders between regions are more porous, and cities lack the ability to easily control and monitor who comes in and out, avoiding imported infections may be next to impossible  either the whole country is safe, or nowhere truly is.

As Singapore's experience shows, relaxing too soon can backfire disastrously.

This story was first published on CNN.com "Singapore had a model coronavirus response, then cases spiked. What happened?"
Until COVID-19, there had been nothing like the polio virus, which swept North America in four waves in the 20th century, leaving thousands of Canadians with permanent disabilities.

Eighty-three years after the worst wave hit Toronto, the polio epidemic of 1937 provides a cautionary tale about lack of preparedness, the rush to try untested remedies and the long-lasting health impacts of an epidemic.

It may foreshadow the kind of societal shifts that the current pandemic will bring. The unanticipated need for iron lungs, unproven treatments, and the first major government intervention in paying for health care were all features of the fight against polio.

The COVID-19 pandemic is so much like a polio epidemic, says Elizabeth Lounsbury of North Markstay, Ont., east of Sudbury. Lounsbury was eight years old and living in London in 1951 when she was infected with the polio virus. She suffered extreme pain in her back and legs, and though she recovered, had to wear braces and use crutches to walk.

Nearly 30 years later, Lounsburys pain returned as part of a condition known as post-polio syndrome, which attacks many survivors years after the original illness. Lounsbury had to give up her business, which provided in-store food demonstrations and employed 17 people. Her condition continued to deteriorate until a year ago, when Lounsbury finally gave up on the braces and crutches and now gets around in a wheelchair. She is one of 31,000 Canadians living with the after-effects of the polio virus.

I vividly remember the fear as summer would roll around, says the 76-year-old widow and grandmother to seven. We would all be cautioned by our parents, Dont drink out of fountains. They didnt know how polio spread.

It is now known that the polio virus lives in the throat and intestinal tract and is spread through contact with feces-contaminated food, water or any object that comes in contact with a persons mouth. It can also be spread through coughing and sneezing.

That fear and the sense of urgency to find a treatment or vaccine are comparable to today, says Christopher Rutty, adjunct professor at the University of Toronto Dalla Lana School of Public Health.

Referred to as the crippler, polio could result in the permanent paralysis of arms, legs and breathing muscles. Braces and crutches were the potent symbols of the disease. But the most iconic image is the iron lung, a giant metal cylinder that made it possible for polio victims with respiratory paralysis to breathe. Some people lived in them for years. Lounsbury counts herself among the lucky ones that she never needed to use an iron lung.

The hulking machines were the symbolic predecessor to todays ventilators, though they work differently. Iron lungs use negative pressure to help lungs expand and contract, whereas ventilators bring oxygen into lungs that are unable to function because of fluid build-up.

Like COVID-19, polio forced Canadians to grapple with a virus for which there was no vaccine and no cure. Polio was highly infectious. It started with mild symptoms difficult to differentiate from other common illnesses. And many people who were contagious had no symptoms.

Polio usually hit in July and August and summer became known as polio season. Social distancing became the summertime normal until Dr. Jonas Salk discovered a vaccine that was licensed for use in 1955.

Polio hit children hardest. Lounsbury remembers her parents would say, Polio seasons on now. These are the rules.

Children were allowed to play in their backyards, but not with other children. They had to do what we call social isolate now, she says.

Torontos most deadly year was 1937, with 758 polio cases and 31 deaths in a population of 650,000. In all of Canada, with a population of 10.5 million, there were 4,000 cases and 200 deaths. Authorities were caught off guard by the number and severity of cases.

Because polio caused paralysis of chest and throat muscles, causing respiratory distress and  in the worst cases  death, there suddenly was a desperate need for iron lungs to keep people alive.

There are very interesting parallels between (todays) rush to secure ventilators and what was going on in 1937, said David Wright, professor of history at McGill University in Montreal and author of a history of Torontos Hospital for Sick Children.

There were early assurances by hospital officials that supplies were adequate, but within days more iron lungs were needed and only a herculean effort by Sick Kids staff averted more tragedy.

The trajectory of COVID-19 in Canada, which started with a single case in January, has been eerily similar to the polio epidemic of 37. Then it started with just a few cases in June. By August, the number of deaths was mounting and newspapers began to publish daily death counts. Schools, churches, theatres and pools were closed. There was a huge controversy over whether Childrens Day at the Canadian National Exhibition should go ahead.

Anyone infected with the virus was to quarantine along with their family for three weeks. By the end of August, hospitals were preparing for a surge of polio patients. By the time the epidemic peaked in September, an additional 150 beds had been established at the new Ontario Orthopedic Hospital in Toronto.

Fears that businesses were being ruined prompted the Toronto Board of Control to direct the Toronto Board of Health to stop releasing information and statistics about the virus. But within a few days, the Ontario Department of Health devoted a full page in newspapers detailing symptoms, causes and preventive measures.

Even the rush to find remedies for COVID-19 without rigorous scientific testing, such as anti-malarial drugs, is reminiscent of what happened in 1937, says Rutty.

Pressured to be seen to be doing something, doing anything to stop the spread of polio, Rutty says, the Ontario government approved a chemical nasal spray for trial on 5,000 Toronto children. The spray had been tested on monkeys in the U.S. and had been tried on polio victims there, but results were inconclusive. The Toronto trial showed unconditionally that the spray did not work and even damaged some childrens sense of smell.

Similarly, hopes for a preventive serum from plasma harvested from recovered COVID-19 patients harkens back to the polio epidemic, Rutty says. People ill with polio were given a serum made from the blood of survivors. There never was proof of the serums effectiveness.

The devastation of COVID-19 is leading experts in many fields to speculate that the virus may turn out to be a catalyst for big change.

For example, the crisis could lead to changes to how internet access is provided, says Mary Rowe, president and CEO of the Canadian Urban Institute. When you think of the large percentage of the population that are dependent on your librarys free Wi-Fi and then, all of a sudden, they dont have access. Theres going to be a question about that.

In retrospect, the polio epidemic turned out to be a crucial catalyst moment that led inevitably to the first hospitalization insurance and then Medicare, says Wright. The Government of Ontario, as well as other provincial governments, took the initiative to, in effect, cover the cost of hospitalization treatment and aftercare in response to the 1937 epidemic, which was quite unprecedented and hugely expensive.

The cost of treatment was beyond the means of most families. But public health authorities wanted families to come forward and isolate, says Wright. So governments were forced for the first time to consider funding medical treatment and hospitalization regardless of income. In September 1937, the Ontario government made the landmark decision to pay for splints and hospital stays of up to three weeks for all polio cases.

Rutty says polio had a political potency beyond the impact of the virus itself because of its impact on the middle class.

In the U.S., support for polio victims was provided not through direct government funding but through the new Foundation for Infantile Paralysis (which became the March of Dimes) established in 1938 by president Franklin D. Roosevelt, himself stricken by polio in 1921.

Looking back, Lounsbury says, I often wonder if the young ones that cant remember it were the lucky ones because it was quite horrific. You would hear your parents being told She has polio and then they just fall apart.

Lounsbury worries that the long-term effects of COVID-19 will be similar to those she has suffered with post-polio syndrome. Whats going to happen 30 years down the road to these people that have recovered from the COVID virus? she asks, and shares her worries with her granddaughter, who lives in Sudbury with three young children.

She says, You seem to have recovered and youre better and then all of a sudden, bang! Post-polio hits you and you start to go downhill.

Lounsbury says her granddaughter is terrified. She wont let her kids out the door.

Lumber lung built in Sick Kids basement saves boys life

The struggle to treat the unexpected number of severe polio cases dominated Toronto news in the summer of 1937.

The Star wrote of three-year-old Gordon Jackson of Toronto, who had gone to bed a happy, healthy child and awoke the next morning complaining of a fever.

Within days he was gasping for breath and fighting for his life at the Hospital for Sick Children.

The boy desperately needed an iron lung to help him breathe, but the entire city had only one and it was occupied by 11-year-old Joyce McKercher, who had been admitted days earlier and was unable to breathe without it.

Hospital mechanic Harry Balmforth, a former Royal Navy engineer, raced against the clock, trying to improvise something to keep Gordon alive. He took the motor and breathing mechanism from a tiny respirator used for premature babies and redesigned and reassembled it.

Meanwhile, carpenters built a wooden box with a lid held shut with adhesive tape. Eight hours later, the lumber lung was born in the basement of the hospital.

As soon as nurses lifted Gordons limp body into the box and turned on the motor, letting his lungs fill with air, the boys blue-black face began to return to its normal colour, reported Macleans magazine.

Gordon was saved, but it was clear other lives would be lost unless more life-saving lung machines were acquired immediately.

Hospital for Sick Children superintendent Joseph Bower cut short his summer vacation and raced back to work, where he decided that the only option for the hospital was to build its own iron lungs  when ordered from elsewhere, they took up to two weeks to arrive, and Bower knew they couldnt wait.

The hospital put out an urgent call to manufacturers across the city to supply motors, steel boxes and pumps. The first homemade iron lung, an improved version of the lumber lung, was produced within 24 hours and a patient was placed in it within 15 minutes of completion.

Three more lungs were produced over the next three days. Another two dozen were produced over the next three weeks.
WASHINGTON - President Donald Trump is wrongly casting blame on governors and the Obama administration for shortages in coronavirus testing and declaring victory over what he calls relatively low death rates in the U.S. Thats too soon to tell.

A look at his claims over the weekend, also covering the economy:

TESTING

TRUMP, on governors urging wider availability of virus tests: They dont want to use all of the capacity that weve created. We have tremendous capacity. ...They know that. The governors know that. The Democrat governors know that; theyre the ones that are complaining.  news briefing Saturday.

THE FACTS: Trumps assertion that governors are not using already available testing capacity is contradicted by one of his top health advisers. Hes also wrong that Democrats are the only ones expressing concerns about the adequacy of COVID-19 testing; several Republican governors also point to problems.

Dr. Anthony Fauci, the federal governments top infectious disease expert, told The Associated Press that the U.S. does not yet have the critical testing and tracing procedures needed to begin reopening the nations economy.

We have to have something in place that is efficient and that we can rely on, and were not there yet, Fauci, a member of the White Houses coronavirus task force, said Tuesday.

Among Faucis top concerns: that there will be new outbreaks in locations where social distancing has eased, but public health officials dont yet have the capabilities to rapidly test for the virus, isolate any new cases and track down everyone that an infected person came into contact with.

His concerns are echoed by several Republicans.

Wyoming Gov. Mark Gordon, a Republican, on Friday said his states testing capacity was inadequate and urged a larger role for the federal government.

He said states have been competing with each other to try to get more testing supplies, a process he described as a slog.

Its a perilous set of circumstances trying to figure out how to make this work, and 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.

Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine, a Republican, plans to keep applying pressure on the Food and Drug Administration to address the rationing of a key component that is necessary to produce tests. He said full testing capacity cant be reached unless it is more widely distributed.

Republican Maryland Gov. Larry Hogan on Sunday called the lack of virus testing probably the number one problem in America, and has been from the beginning of this crisis.

And I can tell you, I talk to governors on both sides of the aisle nearly every single day, he said on CNNs State of the Union. The administration, I think, is trying to ramp up testing, and trying  they are doing some things with respect to private labs. But to try to push this off to say that the governors have plenty of testing, and they should just get to work on testing, somehow we arent doing our job, is just absolutely false. 

___

TRUMP: Some partisan voices are attempting to politicize the issue of testing, which they shouldnt be doing, because I inherited broken junk.  news briefing Saturday.

TRUMP: We inherited a broken, terrible system.  news briefing Saturday.

THE FACTS: His repeated insistence that the Obama administration is to blame for initial delays in testing is wrong. The novel coronavirus did not exist until late last year, so there was no test to inherit.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention instead struggled to develop its own test for the coronavirus in January, later discovering problems in its kits sent to state and county public health labs in early February.

It took the CDC more than two weeks to come up with a fix to the test kits, leading to delays in diagnoses through February, a critical month when the virus took root in the U.S. Not until Feb. 29 did the FDA decide to allow labs to develop and use their own coronavirus diagnostic tests before the agency reviews them, speeding up the supply. Previously, the FDA had only authorized use of a government test developed by the CDC.

Meantime the U.S. bypassed a test that the World Health Organization quickly made available internationally. Trump has said that test was flawed; it wasnt.

___

DEATH RATES

TRUMP: The United States has produced dramatically better health outcomes than any other country. ... On a per capita basis, our mortality rate is far lower than other nations of Western Europe, with the lone exception of possibly Germany. ...You hear we have more death. But were a much bigger country than any of those countries by far.  news briefing Saturday.

THE FACTS: His suggestion that the U.S. response to the coronavirus has been better than many other countries because its mortality rate is far lower is unsupported and misleading.

In each country, for instance, the age and overall health of the population are important factors. Many countries in western Europe such as Italy have an older population than the U.S., and seniors are at an especially high risk of death from COVID-19.

Beyond age, underlying health conditions increase risk, too. Indeed, an AP analysis of available state and local data found nearly one-third of U.S. deaths are among African Americans, with black people representing about 14% of the population in the areas covered in the analysis. Health conditions such as obesity, diabetes and asthma are more common in the black community.

But more broadly, its too early to know the real death rate from COVID-19 in any country. Look at a count kept by Johns Hopkins University, and you can divide the number of recorded deaths with the number of reported cases. The math nevertheless provides a completely unreliable measurement of death rates, and the Johns Hopkins tally is not intended to be that.

First, the count changes every day as new infections and deaths are recorded.

More important, every country is testing differently. Knowing the real denominator, the true number of people who become infected, is key to determining what portion of them die. Some countries, the U.S. among them, have had trouble making enough tests available. When theres a shortage of tests, the sickest get tested first. Even with a good supply of tests, someone whos otherwise healthy and has mild symptoms may not be tested and thus go uncounted.

The only way to tell how many went uncounted early on is to do a completely different kind of testing  blood tests of the population to find how many people bear immune system antibodies to the virus, something only now starting in selected places.

___

ECONOMY

TRUMP: China was supposed to catch us. ... For years, Ive heard, By 2019, China will catch us. Theres only one problem: Trump got elected in 2016. That was a big difference. And we were going leaps and bounds above China.  news briefing Saturday.

THE FACTS: No matter who got elected in 2016  Trump or Democrat Hillary Clinton  Chinas economy could not have caught up to Americas.

Even if the U.S. economy had not grown at all since 2016, Chinas gross domestic product  the broadest measure of economic output  would have had to have surged by 79% in three years to pull even with Americas. That comes to growth of more than 21% a year  something even Chinas super-charged economy has never approached.

Before the coronavirus outbreak, the Chinese economy had been slowly narrowing the gap because every year it grows much faster than Americas. In 2019, for example, the International Monetary Fund predicted Chinese GDP to increase 6.2%, more than double the 2.6% growth it expects for the United States. The global pandemic isnt expected to change that trend line: last week, the IMF said the U.S economy will fall 5.9% this year and Chinas will manage to grow 1.2%.

That means China has got a long way to go to surpass the U.S., whether Trump is president or not.

___

Associated Press writers Lauran Neergaard and Paul Wiseman in Washington, Mead Gruver in Cheyenne, Wyoming, and Julie Carr Smyth in Columbus, Ohio, contributed to this report.

___

EDITORS NOTE  A look at the veracity of claims by political figures.

___

Find AP Fact Checks at http://apne.ws/2kbx8bd

Follow @APFactCheck on Twitter: https://twitter.com/APFactCheck
The Competition Commission of India (CCI) on Sunday cautioned businesses against indulging in unfair trade practices amid the coronavirus pandemic that has caused disruptions in supply chains.

At the same time, the watchdog has provided an assurance to companies that coordinated activities and joint arrangements during this time for the purpose of business continuity would be taken into consideration in case there is a complaint against them in the future.

The CCI keeps a tab on unfair business practices in the market place and has powers to take action against erring entities, including imposition of penalties.

In an advisory on Sunday, the regulator said the Competition Act has in-built safeguards to protect businesses from sanctions for certain coordinated conduct, provided such arrangements result in increasing efficiencies.

"These provisions will inform the decisions of the Commission. However, only such conduct of businesses which is necessary and proportionate to address concerns arising from COVID-19 will be considered," it said.

However, the Commission cautioned businesses not to take advantage of COVID-19 to contravene any of the provisions of the Act.

Karan Chandhiok, partner and head (competition practice) at Chandhiok & Mahajan, said the CCI's advisory is a positive signal.

According to him, it provides an assurance to companies considering coordinated activities and joint arrangements for the purpose of getting their business and supply chains back on track in the current situation of the coronavirus pandemic.

"In the future, if a company is probed for anti-competitive conduct, it can raise the defence that its actions were necessary and proportionate to address the business disruption on account of COVID-19," he said.

The Act prohibits conduct that causes or is likely to cause an appreciable adverse effect on competition, including that of certain concerted actions between competitors.

The regulator noted that COVID-19 has caused disruptions in supply chains, including those of critical healthcare products and other essential commodities/ services.

"To cope with significant changes in supply and demand patterns arising out of this extraordinary situation, businesses may need to coordinate certain activities, by way of sharing data on stock levels, timings of operation, sharing of distribution network and infrastructure, transport logistics, R&D, production etc," it said.

Further, the Commission said these might be needed to ensure "continued supply and fair distribution of products (eg. medical and healthcare products such as ventilators, face masks, gloves, vaccines etc. and essential commodities) & services (eg. logistics, testing etc.)".

Chandhiok also said the regulator has cautioned companies against indulging in anti-competitive business practices in the garb of disruptions due to the coronavirus pandemic.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Havana is a ghost town. The American convertibles swooned over by tourists are back in the garage, while most restaurants and cafes are closed. Cuba's private sector has been suffering since the island nation closed its borders over the coronavirus pandemic. In the charming old building where the 1993 comedy "Strawberry and Chocolate" was filmed, a spiral staircase leads to the deserted La Guarida, the most famous privately-owned restaurant, or "paladar", in Cuba. "We decided to close the restaurant from March 15," nine days before Cuba's authorities imposed their first virus-linked restrictions, said owner Enrique Nunez. By Saturday, the country of 11.2 million people had close to 1,000 coronavirus cases and 32 deaths. "I have friends with restaurants in Spain, they told me what was happening, about the danger, the difficulty of continuing to serve customers in these conditions," Nunez told AFP. His restaurant usually serves 200 people for each sitting. Omnipresent in tourist guides, it's a must stop for many visitors, including stars such as Beyonce, Madonna or Pedro Almodovar, whose photos adorn the walls. "That was the main reason we took this decision. We're a very attractive site, many people arrive in Havana with the desire to experience La Guarida." What that meant was that "we were on the front line" of potential coronavirus infections. - 'Tourism was already struggling' - In this communist country where the state and its businesses dominate economic activity, the private sector has little by little managed to make its mark over recent years: it now employs almost 635,000 people, or 14 percent of Cuba's work force. These Cubans rent out rooms, run small restaurants or hair salons, among other activities. "Many private enterprises were built on tourists, because no Cuban is going to go to a restaurant and spend $100 on a meal," said economist Omar Everleny Perez. So they quickly sensed the danger: two days after the borders were closed to non-residents -- a measure subsequently expanded to all arrivals -- 16,000 private workers asked for their licenses to be suspended, according to the Labor Ministry, which temporarily exempted them from taxes. By Wednesday that figure had risen to 119,000, around 19 percent of the private workforce. This health crisis could not have come at a worse time, on the back of two bad years when Cuban businesses suffered under the increased sanctions imposed by the administration of US President Donald Trump. "The private sector was already struggling, especially in Havana, after the American cruise ships stop coming" from June 2019 due to new sanctions, said Perez. It meant that in 2019, the number of tourists dropped by 9.3 percent to 4.3 million. Over recent years, Americans had become the second largest group of tourists after Canadians, thanks to the thawing of tensions with the United States since 2014, under the Barack Obama administration. - 'Sorry, we're closed' - In January and February, tourist numbers were down 16.5 percent on the previous year, with a drop of 65 percent for Americans. The sector, the second largest revenue generator on the island nation, was worth $3.3 billion in 2018. Even before the coronavirus outbreak, restaurants and sales weren't posting "the same numbers as two years ago, and now COVID-19 has arrived and finished them off," said Perez. It's been tough on employees used to much higher salaries than the average $50 a month in the public sector. "Sorry, we're closed," says the old metal sign attached to El Cafe, a coffee shop in Havana's now deserted old town, popular among tourists. Loliet Gonzalez, a 25-year-old psychology student who's worked there for two years said her earnings "allow me to have the quality of life I want." Her boss gave her two weeks' salary to keep her going through the crisis. "For now I'm fine but there will come a time when I'll have to delve into my savings," said Gonzalez. The owner, Nelson Rodriguez, is already planning for a future in which Cuba's private enterprises cannot rely on tourists in the same way as before. "If there aren't any tourists, we'll have to focus on Cuban people, so maybe we'll have to adapt our business" to the disposable income of locals, said Rodriguez, his face covered by a mask.
Nayare Ali By

When a 17-year-old teen from a rigidly traditional Jewish family enters into an arranged marriage, her life is never the same again. The four-episode mini-series is largely inspired by Deborah Friedmans autobiography, Unorthodox: The Scandalous Rejection of My Hasidic Roots. Esther Shapiro flees from her unhappy marriage to Yanky Shapiro, rejecting her somewhat cloistered lifestyle in Brooklyn, NYC, and flees to Berlin to begin life anew.

While the basic plot of a young woman seeking to find her own identity by moving away from her family, may not be the most original concept, it is still a story well told and works because Esthers character is brought to life by the gifted Israeli actress Shira Haas, who plays the somewhat bewildered child-woman, whose illusions of marriage fall apart as reality plays havoc with her rose-tinted dreams.

Amit Rahav, also an Israeli artiste, who plays her husband, Yanky, manages to convey the dilemma of a man trapped between his wife and family. Yanky loves his wife but having being raised in a Yiddish-speaking Satmar Hassidic community, he is too weak to stand up for her.

Esther finds it hard to bury her dreams.Her desire to learn how to play the piano happens by chance. She accompanies her grandfather Mordecai to collect rent from one of his tenants. While the lady is unable to pay her dues, she offers to teach Esther for free.

Esty, as she is called, manages to keep this a secret for three years. She is raised by her single aunt Malka and grandmother Babby, whom she dotes on. Her parents split as her father is an alcoholic, while her German mother, Leah, divorces him and moves in with her live-in girlfriend in Berlin.

The relationship between mother and daughter is strained as she believes her mother abandoned her. And yet, like her mother, Esty seeks the help of her piano teacher to leave NYC and run away to Berlin as she has a German passport.

There she finds a bunch of great musician friends, and her identity, as she bravely navigates a new world. There are moments that are deeply moving like Estys desperate phone call to her grandmother who hangs up on her.

The defining moment is when a blunt friend tells her that her piano skills arent good enough for a scholarship. This is a defining moment as the series does not pander to the cliched notions making averagely talented immigrants with sad stories happy. The intense confrontation between Yanky and Esty defines the ending for this drama but you need to watch it to figure it out.
Despite the slide of the crude oil reference price for Bonny Light to about $12 per barrel last week, Nigeria remains optimistic the situation at the international oil market would still rebound.

The Group Managing Director of the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC), Mele Kyari, in an interview with PREMIUM TIMES on Saturday in Abuja said the intervention of the Organisation of Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) and its allies will soon lead to a rebound of oil prices.

According to Bloomberg, the price of bonny light, Nigerias premium oil grade, crashed from about $28 to $12 or $13 a barrel last week.

The news organisation said its data was provided by traders monitoring the West African market.

The present price of bonny light is well below the cost of production for Nigerian crude producers which is about $22 a barrel and also lower than the countrys crude benchmark of $30 per barrel.

This poses a fresh threat for Nigeria as it depends on crude sales for half of its revenue and 90 per cent of foreign exchange earnings.

About a week ago, faced with the grim reality of the impact of the current coronavirus pandemic which drove the global crude oil price to below 18 years low level, OPEC and its allies including Russia, resolved to undertake a cut of about 10 million barrels per day from their members oil production.

READ ALSO:

Considered the largest cut by OPEC in recent times, the cut in global oil supply was aimed at stabilising the market and bringing to a halt the spiralling decline in crude oil prices.

However, since the intervention, crude oil price continued a back and forth movement, indicating continued adjustment in search of the desired stability in the market.

The pattern may be as a result of the partial and total lockdown of economic activities in many countries in order to curtail the spread of the pandemic.

Also, traditional European buyers have stopped purchasing because the demand there has virtually collapsed.

In the interview with PREMIUM TIMES, Mr Kyari, who is also Nigerias National Representative in OPEC, said he remained optimistic the market conditions post-OPEC intervention will rebound and stabilise.

The $12 per barrel (quoted on Friday in a Bloomberg report) is in reference to the benchmark or lowest possible price of a specific day last week, minus $4 discount.

This is the market reality today after the recent output cut by OPEC+. But, I am optimistic it will rebound with the supply cut. Yesterday (Friday) it was $28 ($24 less discount), Mr Kyari said on Saturday.

He said crude oil price is very mobile at the moment, as the market conditions are yet to rebalance since the recent OPEC+ decision to cut output.

Bonny Light is Nigerias premium reference blend of sweet crude in the international market similar to the popular Brent crude. It is produced largely in the Niger Delta region.

Aside bonny light, other crude grades of the country are Forcados, Qua Iboe and Brass River.
Indore, April 20 : Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan in his "goodnight tweet" cheered the public saying "No one lost the battle on the Coronavirus front" in Madhya Pradesh on Sunday.

Former Lok Sabha Speaker Sumitra Mahajan, on the other hand, urged the people to pray to their favourite deities for half an hour on Monday morning to get rid of the pandemic.

The Congress was quick to nudge her. State Congress spokesperson Neelabh Shukla on Sunday said, "We have no objection to Tai's appeal to the general public for praying to the deities. But as one of the senior-most BJP leaders, she should ask the Chief Minister Chauhan how such large number of persons died due to COVID-19 in Indore, the city of his dreams? She should ask him why the public is facing problem in getting essential commodities during the curfew?" In a video message on social media, Mahajan said, "The doctors, government officials, police officers and others are fighting the field battle against the coronavirus. Sitting in our homes we can recite Rudrashtak at 10.30 a.m. on April 20 (Monday) and chant Mahamrityunjaya Mantra using a rosary." Mahajan said she was making this request on behalf of the city's social organization "Ahilyotsav Samiti". She heads this organisation.

"If you (common people) cannot do these two things, then chant the name of your favourite deity for half an hour in remembrance of Ahilya Mata (ruler of the former Holkar dynasty of Indore whose devotion to Lord Shiva was legendary)." Mahajan is famous in Indore region as "Tai" (elder sister's address in Marathi). Shukla said that Mahajan's silence on these basic questions related to COVID-19 is going to hurt voters of Indore region.

According to official records 890 COVID-19 patients were found in Indore, one of the worst affected cities of the country by coronavirus and 49 of these have died during treatment.
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The market registered gains for the second consecutive week that ended on April 17, following positive global cues on expectations that infections may be peaking out in Europe and that US may be easing the lockdown.

The Reserve Bank of India (RBI)'s measures to boost liquidity with easing NPA classification norms and rising hope for an economic stimulus package with likely opening up of businesses also lifted sentiment.

While the Nifty50 climbed 1.7 percent to 9,266.75, the BSE Sensex rose 1.38 percent to 31,588.72 during the volatile week, taking total recovered gains to 22 percent from lows touched on March 23.

Experts expect the global mood to guide Indian equities in the coming weeks and do not see major directional move unless the lockdown is lifted in major economies. Stock-specific movement may be seen due to quarterly earnings which seem to have been priced in by the market.

"It is expected that the domestic market will continue to reflect the global mood given that combating COIVD-19 is a global effort and therefore the mood will continue to change depending on the situation," Jimeet Modi, Founder & CEO at SAMCO Securities & StockNote told Moneycontrol.

However, as a word of caution, it would be pertinent to note that although markets are rising, volumes along with open interest are at yearly lows and investors still appear to be wary, he said.

According to him, it is expected that markets may not take any material direction till the lockdown ends. "The moment lockdown ends, market would start reacting to the ground reality."

On April 20, the market will first react to HDFC Bank's earnings.

Here are 10 key factors that will keep traders busy next week:

March quarter earnings

The March-ended quarter earnings season was kicked off last week by Wipro, TCS and HDFC Bank. Both IT companies disappointed the Street with their numbers and expect weakness in earnings to continue for first half of FY21, while HDFC Bank reported decent numbers.

Key earnings to watch out for in the coming week would be Infosys, Tata Elxsi, ICICI Prudential, ACC, Bharti Infratel, Alembic Pharma, MindTreeand Persistent Systems, etc.

Infosys

The country's second largest IT company Infosys on April 20, is expected report around 4-8 percent sequential degrowth in Q4FY20 profit due to lower other income and absence of tax benefits and around 1.5 percent revenue growth in rupee terms.

Dollar revenue growth could be muted but there may be marginal uptick in Q4 constant currency revenue against Q3. EBIT and margin could be stable on sequential basis at operating level.

Brokerages largely feel that Infosys may not give guidance for FY21, but if it gives revenue and margin forecast, then the guidance range could be more than the usual range due to the potential impact of the COVID-19 crisis. Hence, commentary over likely slower client discretionary spending and deal win trajectory  given the travel restrictions and pricing pressure  would be key to watch out for.

COVID-19

The number of confirmed COVID-19 cases have increased further globally, even though some areas in the United States and Europe have been showing some decline in daily infections.

Thus, reports suggest that US President Donald Trump may be preparing for re-opening the economy to some extent. This could happen to some extend in some European nations too. But, the key thing to watch out for would be the potential impact of COVID-19 crisis on global growth and trade in the coming quarters even as stimulus packages worth around $14 trillion have been announced globally to support economies.

Even in India, the government has started allowing some businesses to run (essential as well as non-essential), but with social distancing norms.

Click here for Moneycontrol's full coverage of the COVID-19 pandemic

Despite this, the novel coronavirus remains a key thing to watch out for in the coming weeks. According to the Johns Hopkins University Coronavirus Resource Center, total confirmed cases of COVID-19 have reached 23.17 lakh globally, with 1.59 lakh deaths.

With 7.3 lakh, the United States has the highest number of confirmed COVID-19 cases. The US is followed by Spain, Italy, France, Germany and the United Kingdom.

In India, the total confirmed COVID-19 cases stand at 14,792. The death toll in the country stands at 488, according to the Union Health Ministry.

Follow our LIVE blog for the latest updates on the novel coronavirus pandemic and its impact

Hopes for a big economic package

Hopes for a big economic stimulus package has been rising as we move closer to the deadline of the extended lockdown (May 3).

After a welfare package by the Centre, and two liquidity stimulus from the Reserve Bank, experts suggest that the government could announce a big package before the lockdown ends, which could help the economy.

"The second fiscal package from government will be larger than Rs 1.7 lakh crore package announced last month. This time it may provide some tax benefits, support to MSMEs, farmers and daily workers. Though no specific benefit is expected for corporates, the government's intention to relax economic restrictions and open the economy in a phase wise manner itself will provide a boost to the market," Vinod Nair of Geojit Financial Services told Moneycontrol.

FII flow

FII flow was volatile as it turned net sellers for the week gone by against net buyers in previous week. As a result, they net sold Rs 2,851.73 crore in April, while for the passing week, the net selling was Rs 4,197 crore worth of shares.

Experts do not expect the stability in FII flow till the virus fades away and economy shows signs of improvement.

"FIIs/ FPIs also seem to be under worry as rupee is continuously losing its value and they are therefore selectively selling, even though with lesser intensity, whereas domestic investors are still cautious and unwilling to put money given that markets have already increased by 22 percent from their lows," Jimeet Modi of SAMCO said.

DIIs were also net sellers for the week (Rs 339 crore) and for the April too (Rs 2,364 crore).

Rupee

The Indian Rupee weakened for third consecutive week against the US dollar and continued to close above the 76 mark amid concerns around the coronavirus pandemic and consequent economic distress along with FII outflow and strength in dollar index.

The currency depreciated by 11 paise during the passing week, though it strengthened by 48 paise to close on April 17 at 76.40 a dollar after RBI announced more liquidity measures to support the economy. It touched a record low of 76.86 during the week.

"Market participants are looking forward to a second round of stimulus from the federal government, and that could trigger some gains in the rupee. The domestic unit is likely to trade in the 75.30  78.00 band in the next two weeks," Sugandha Sachdeva VP-Metals, Energy & Currency Research at Religare Broking told Moneycontrol.

Moreover, the domestic currency has priced in much of the bad news surrounding the coronavirus, and the extent of depreciation in percentage terms may be lower than what was seen in March, she said.

Technical view

The Nifty50 closed 3 percent higher on April 17 and 1.7 percent for the week at 9,266.75, forming Hanging Man kind of formation on daily as well as weekly scales. In fact, the index has gradually been shifting its support to higher zones and reported a highest daily close in last twenty one trading sessions.

Experts feel the next immediate resistance for the index could be 9,300 followed by 9,400, and if the index sustains above these levels for few trading sessions then 9,800-10,000 levels can't be ruled out, while the support would be 8,800-8,600.

"If we take the retracement of the entire fall from the highs of 12,150 to the low of 7,511 than 38.2 percent retracement is coming around 9,315, which has been achieved successfully on Friday. Now, if Nifty manages to sustain above 9,300 levels then we can expect further momentum to continue towards 9,865 as well which is 50 percent retracement level of the entire fall," Nilesh Jain, Derivative and Technical Analyst at Anand Rathi said.

F&O cues

The Option data indicated that the Nifty could trade in a range of 8,800 to 9,700 levels in coming days and 9,000 seems to be a key point for further upside. 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.

"The previously placed Call writers at 9,000 strike may start finding it difficult to hold their positions. This may result in short covering in these positions as we are moving towards April expiry," Amit Gupta of ICICI Direct said.

"The higher levels of Nifty are also seeing profit booking trends as seen immediately after the RBI announcement. This shows scepticism is still prevailing among market participants. Despite this, the Nifty closing above 9,000 for the week is noteworthy," he added.

India VIX also dropped to sub 50 levels from its recent swing high of 86.64 and has been making lower top - lower bottom from last three weeks which is giving comfort to bulls in the market. The index fell by 14.37 percent to 42.59 levels during the week.

Corporate action and macro data

Here are key corporate actions taking place in the coming week:

Among macro data points, deposit and bank loan growth for fortnight ended April 10 and foreign exchange reserves for week ended April 17 will be released on coming Friday (April 24).

Global Cues

Here are key global data points to watch out for next week:
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Texas entrepreneur Brent Underwood (pictured) has been living in abandoned California mining town Cerro Gordo for the past month after a snowstorm dumped five feet of snow on the 300-acre property, making it impossible to leave

A Texas entrepreneur has been forced to quarantine in an abandoned California mining town with a sinister past after getting trapped there by a snowstorm.

Brent Underwood purchased Cerro Gordo for $1.4million in 2018, fascinated by its seclusion and harrowing history, which once saw one murder every week.

The 32-year-old went to visit the 300-acre property last month in the early days of America's coronavirus lockdowns, with plans to stay for a week while its usual caretaker traveled to check on family.

But soon after Underwood arrived, a snowstorm struck, dumping five feet of powder which has made it impossible for him to leave.

He is now entering his second month stranded in the dilapidated town located about 300 miles outside Los Angeles and nearly 30 miles from the nearest supermarket.

In the absence of running water, Underwood is relying on melted snow to stay hydrated. He already ran out of bread and vegetables but hopes he has enough rice and canned tuna to sustain him until the snow thaws - though it is unclear when that will happen.

Adding to his incredible experience are the town's locals - the rumored spirits of people who died there and a pair of crows Underwood has come to see as friends.

Underwood was fascinated by Cerro Gordo's seclusion and its murderous history when he purchased it for $1.4million in 2018

Underwood went to visit Cerro Gordo last month in the early days of America's coronavirus lockdowns, with plans to stay for a week while its usual caretaker traveled to check on family. The snowstorm struck soon after he arrived, making it impossible for him to get out. In the weeks since he's been documenting his isolation experience in Instagram photos like the one above

Cerro Gordo sits 300 miles outside of Los Angeles and nearly 30 miles from the nearest town with a grocery store. At its peak in the 19th century, the community of 5,000 people was a haven for violent crime because the nearest law enforcement agencies couldn't be bothered to police it given the remote location

Adding to Underwood's extraordinary experience in the town are its local residents - rumored spirits of people who died there and a pair of crows Underwood has come to see as friends. Underwood snapped this photo one night during his isolation

For most of the two years he's owned Cerro Gordo, Underwood has visited every month but left upkeep in the hands of its caretaker of 21 years, Robert Desmarais.

As the coronavirus pandemic took hold in the US last month, Underwood agreed to look after the town for a week while Desmarais went to Arizona to check on his wife.

His stay was unexpectedly extended when the snowstorm hit.

'When I first got out here, I was in a T-shirt and enjoying myself,' Underwood told the New York Post.

'And then it snowed for four days straight and now there's no way to get out.'

While there is a pair of snowshoes at his disposal, Underwood said they're not of much use in the deep snow lining the steep seven-mile road leading to the nearest community, noting that he gets tired after a few hundred yards.

And even if he did make it that far, it wouldn't be of much help as that community of 35 people doesn't have a single grocery store.

The closest town with a grocery story, Lone Pine, is another 20 miles away - essentially unreachable by Underwood in snowshoes.

Underwood and his investor friend Jon Bier, owner of boutique public relations agency Jack Taylor PR, bought Cerro Gordo from family owners in July 2018 with plans to turn it into a tourist attraction. Underwood and Bier are pictured with actor Jeff Goldblum on the property last year

When he first visited Underwood was instantly struck by the town's deep history as well as the stunning landscapes that surround it, which have been featured in major motion pictures such as Iron Man starring Robert Downey Jr (above in the film)

At one point, Cerro Gordo averaged a murder a week as miners put sandbags in their bunks to block stray bullets at night

One of the 22 19th century buildings inside Cerro Gordo is seen above in an Instagram photo

The photo above shows the inside of a refurbished saloon in Cerro Gordo

Underwood and his investor friend Jon Bier, owner of boutique public relations agency Jack Taylor PR, bought Cerro Gordo from family owners in July 2018 with plans to turn it into a tourist attraction.

When he first visited Underwood was instantly struck by the town's deep history as well as the stunning landscapes that surround it, which have been featured in major motion pictures such as Iron Man.

He was also drawn to Cerro Gordo's long and bloody history. At its peak in the 19th century, the community of 5,000 people was a haven for violent crime because the nearest law enforcement agencies couldn't be bothered to police it given the remote location.

At one point, the town averaged around a murder a week as miners put sandbags in their bunks to block stray bullets in the night.

The Discovery Channel TV series 'Ghost Adventures' investigated the 22-building town last year and determined that it was haunted by the ghosts of two children who died after getting trapped in a closet. Underwood is now staying in the very same room where the child ghosts were detected, but claims he has yet to see them

Underwood believes the spirits which inhabit the town are peaceful, and he's trying to 'respect their space'. 'For the most part, I leave the ghosts alone and they leave me alone,' he said

Underwood hopes to return to Austin as soon as the snow clears, but recognizes that his current digs offer a more effective environment to shelter-in-place

While he knew the stories hidden inside the town - Underwood never imagined experiencing its supposed hauntings first-hand the way he has in the past few weeks.

'Things are moving around, I'm seeing curtains move, I'm hearing things in the night,' he said. 'There's no draft, but things drop inside of houses.'

The Discovery Channel TV series 'Ghost Adventures' investigated the 22-building town last year and determined that it was haunted by the ghosts of two children who died after getting trapped in a closet.

Underwood is now staying in the very same room where the child ghosts were detected, but claims he has yet to see them.

He said his wallet recently disappeared for two days before turning up at the town hotel, admitting that it was 'a bit freaky'.

But Underwood believes the spirits which inhabit the town are peaceful, and he's trying to 'respect their space'.

'For the most part, I leave the ghosts alone and they leave me alone,' he said.

'Anytime you're in a town and expect to see nothing and hear nothing, when you do, your mind is on heightened alert.'

While he knew the stories hidden inside the town - Underwood never imagined experiencing its supposed hauntings first-hand the way he has in the past few weeks. 'Things are moving around, I'm seeing curtains move, I'm hearing things in the night,' he said. 'There's no draft, but things drop inside of houses'

Underwood erected this snowman outside his bunkhouse to help keep him company in quarantine

Underwood says he appreciates being cut off from the coronavirus crisis gripping the nation. 'When I do look at the news and I see how chaotic and terrible things are, there's a part of me that isn't in a huge rush to reenter the world,' he said

Despite his own recent struggles in Cerro Gordo, Underwood says he appreciates being cut off from the coronavirus crisis gripping the nation.

'If I don't look at my phone or my computer, it's like nothing happened,' he said.

'When I do look at the news and I see how chaotic and terrible things are, there's a part of me that isn't in a huge rush to reenter the world.'

He said he also takes comfort in the fact that the town has survived several similar crises over the years, including the 1918 Spanish influenza pandemic.

'It's been through many pandemics and it's still standing,' he said.

Underwood is spending his alone time hiking and doing maintenance in the town while taking inventory on artifacts he finds

He's also enjoyed exploring Cerro Gordo's abandoned silver mines, which he frequently features on his Instagram

Underwood is spending his alone time hiking and doing maintenance in the town while taking inventory on the various artifacts he finds in the process.

He also manages five employees at his marketing firm, Brass Check, in Austin, Texas, remotely via satellite internet.

Occasionally he's found himself consulting with two new employees - a pair of crows Desmarais named Heckle and Jeckyll.

'If I'm working through something at work, I'll tell Jekyll about it,' he says. 'I think I talk to myself through talking to the animals.'

He hopes to return to Austin as soon as the snow clears, but recognizes that his current digs offer a more effective environment to shelter-in-place.

In the meantime, he's sharing his experience on Instagram in hopes of attracting visitors to Cerro Gordo in the future.
Limbe locals flood scene of Sunday's tragic incident Facebook

Two ladies in their twenties have died in their sleep after a wall constructed for a fence collapsed on their two-room wooden house around 5.00 a.m. Sunday, April 19, 2020 at Caterpillar Field Quarter in Limbe.

Locals and municipal authorities raced to the scene at Caterpillar Field early Sunday morning and the pair was pronounced dead at the scene while a man trapped in the rumbles as a result of the collapse was rushed to hospital.

According to local sources, the deceased are Lum Edith Ngwa, 29 and Comfort Ngwegang Ngwa, 25. The duo, said to be natives of Bafut, Mezam Division of Cameroons North West Region, were displaced by the ongoing armed conflict in the countrys English speaking regions.

The third victim of the Sunday morning tragedy, Mbuh Emmanuel is said to be receiving emergency medical care at the Limbe Regional Hospital. Internally Displaced from Muyuka, he is said to be managing to eke out a living by pushing a two-wheeler cart at the Limbe Market.

At the scene of the incident, the City Mayor of Limbe, Motanga Andrew Monjimba said last nights rains, coupled with the poor construction of the collapsed fence were to blame for the tragedy.

Every year in Limbe, there is a story of mourning associated with rains and poor town planning. Municipal authorities have always promised to take measures to stem the tides, but the story has hardly ever changed.

Follow-up shows that after many years of misery from floods, often associated with lose of loved ones and property, people are currently rebuilding on the reclaimed land which was previously abandoned due to flooding and mudflows. Houses and related structures keep on sprouting in risk zones as officials watch on.

Although it is common knowledge that rains, and the floods and mudflow that sometimes accompany it, are natural phenomenon, the haphazard construction of homes and the indiscriminate dumping of household waste into waterways are to blame.
At least 51 workers at Safeways distribution center in Tracy have tested positive for the coronavirus, and one worker has died of COVID-19, the disease caused by the virus.

The infection affects 3% of the grocers 1,700-person staff at the facility, Safeway said. The center, a huge distribution hub measuring 2.2 million square feet that sits roughly 50 miles east of San Francisco, services all Safeway stores from Bakersfield to the Oregon border and parts of Nevada.

Pedro Zuniga, a longtime employee at the distribution center, died last week of COVID-19. His marked the second death of a grocery store worker in Northern California, along with a FoodMaxx worker in San Jose, during the pandemic.

We were saddened to learn that an associate at our Tracy Distribution Center has passed away due to complications related to COVID-19, Wendy Gutshall, a spokeswoman for Safeway, said in an email. We continue to reinforce with all associates the importance of social distancing as the most effective tool we have to combat the spread of COVID-19.

Food chain workers, including grocery store and supply chain employees, have risked exposure to the coronavirus as they work to make sure supplies reach store shelves for consumers. At least 30 grocery workers have died across the country, according to the United Food and Commercial Workers, which represents 1.3 million grocery store workers. The numbers could be higher if nonunion workers are taken into account.

Outbreaks affecting employees at distribution centers can impact the supply chain and the movement of goods more severely.

In general, distribution centers are more critical to the supply chain than any individual stores are, said Karan Girotra, a professor of operations and technology and an expert in supply chain management at Cornell Tech in New York City.

Distribution centers are important links in the supply chain and have centralized a lot of work, Girotra said. Safeways distribution center houses large inventories of its own private brand labels along with goods from farmers and packaged-food companies. Stores order supplies from centers like these.

While some warehouses have automation, most food facilities are still labor-intensive with people in large, but confined, spaces, Girotra said.

It becomes choke points if something like this (coronavirus infection) happens, Girotra said.

For Safeway, that may mean delays in stocking shelves in some stores. Safeway said its produce warehouse at the distribution center was running short on staff and needed to streamline operations. Shoppers have said on social media that the grocers produce section and other aisles have been bare for days.

People on social media have also expressed concern about food safety, but there is no evidence so far that food is a vector of transmission of the coronavirus, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The virus is thought to be mainly passed between people in proximity by respiratory droplets, such as coughs and sneezes, the CDC says.

The Food and Drug Administration does not anticipate recalling any food products from the market for reasons related to the outbreak even if a person who works in a human or animal food facility (e.g. a food packager) is confirmed to be positive for the COVID-19 virus, the federal agency said on its website.

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.

Safeway said it is expanding safety precautions at the distribution center, including temperature readings before workers enter the facility. Theyre also asking workers to stay home if they or their family members have symptoms of COVID-19.

But some say the measures arent enough.

Safeway could have done more, said Rome Aloise, president of Teamsters Joint Council 7, which represents tens of thousands of warehouse workers and truckers in Northern California and Nevada. I dont think anyone has evolved fast enough with their policies as the virus has spread.

Aloise said Safeway, plus other companies that are open and depend on warehouse workers, need to provide direct testing of the virus, and not just test for symptoms of the virus. The state is also mandating that food workers get an additional two weeks of paid leave if they contracted or were exposed to the virus, or have been ordered to isolate or quarantine at home.

We dont want you going to work if youre sick. And we want to make sure that you know that if youre sick, its OK to acknowledge it and its OK to let your employer know, California Gov. Gavin Newsom said at a news conference last week. The grocery lines are also the front lines in this pandemic.

Shwanika Narayan is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: shwanika.narayan@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @shwanika
Source: Xinhua| 2020-04-19 15:10:00|Editor: huaxia

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A team of medical experts sent by the Chinese government arrived here on Saturday to help Malaysia fight the COVID-19 pandemic. The eight-member expert team was received by the Chinese Ambassador to Malaysia Bai Tian and officials from Malaysia's Ministry of Health upon their arrival at the Kuala Lumpur International Airport. During the contingent's two-week stay in Malaysia, they will share experience and expertise on fighting COVID-19 with their Malaysian counterparts, which may help Malaysia's efforts against the pandemic, said the Chinese ambassador. "This is the time when governments and the people of China and Malaysia work together and look after each other to overcome the difficulties. It also demonstrates the deep and warm relationship between China and Malaysia," Bai added. Malaysian Health Ministry Director-General Noor Hisham Abdullah said the Chinese expert team and Malaysian experts would share and exchange experience and views regarding COVID-19. "We will discuss with our colleagues from China and we will see how we can cooperate, to improve our virus detection, our treatment and public health, and how we can work together with China," he told a daily press conference. The number of COVID-19 cases in Malaysia rose to 5,305 after 54 new cases were recorded on Saturday.
WASHINGTON  Former Secretary of State John Kerry charged Thursday that the Trump administration was using the coronavirus pandemic as a cover to weaken key environmental regulations that will kill more Americans.

Its a tragedy. Its stupid. Its absolutely counterproductive, Kerry said during an interview on Yahoo News Skullduggery podcast when asked about the Trump administrations controversial decision that day to loosen rules on the release of mercury and other toxic chemicals from coal and oil-fired power plants.

George Orwell never conceived of quite such a topsy-turvy situation, he added. And I dont think anybodys ever dreamt wed have a president whos quite such an enemy of common sense and facts and science.

Kerry, who recently launched a bipartisan coalition to fight climate change, made the comments during a lengthy interview in which he also lashed out at President Trumps decision to freeze funding for the World Health Organization. Kerry called it the last thing the president should be doing.

Noting Trumps criticism of the WHO for failing to adequately alert the world to the danger from the coronaviruss spread in China, Kerry responded: I wouldnt say our Congress is working very effectively. There are a whole bunch of institutions here that arent working effectively. And so dont be surprised that you find a hiccup here or there in some international institution.

But, he added, the WHO should actually be strengthened with more funding if the United States wants to be prepared for the next pandemic. This is the moment they need to be fully funded, and even plussed up in terms of their budget, Kerry said. And when the president pulls out support for the WHO, hes not just hurting them immediately in terms of their budget.  He is hurting us, because the World Health Organization is critical to managing the health crises of the world. And if you dont want the next pandemic to hurt us, the last thing you ought to do is be defunding the World Health Organization.

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Kerry, who served as President Barack Obamas chief diplomat and is now a strong backer of Joe Biden, founded his new bipartisan coalition, World War Zero, last fall in an effort to galvanize public support for programs to combat climate change, portraying it as both a national security and a public health crisis that poses an existential threat to the planet. He had recruited a wide variety of former public officials and celebrities to join the effort, including Democratic former Presidents Bill Clinton and Jimmy Carter and Republican former Govs. Arnold Schwarzenegger of California and John Kasich of Ohio with the call of holding town halls and other events around the country aimed at mobilizing public action.

Former Secretary of State John Kerry. (AP)

Kerry readily acknowledged that the coronavirus pandemic has cut off our ability to be able to do significant people events and forced his group to plan virtual events, including some planned for next week on the 50th anniversary of Earth Day.

He also acknowledged that the worldwide lockdowns to combat the virus have led to a recent drop in carbon emissions that could be helpful in the battle against climate change. People can see blue sky for the first time in years, he said. But, he added that these were only temporary moves that in no way negate the need for a similar wartime mobilization to achieve his groups goal of net zero carbon emissions in the United States by 2050.

But Kerry reserved his strongest criticism for the Trump administrations moves to loosen environmental rules, as most recently displayed in the weakening of regulations governing mercury emissions.

The EPA announced the proposed new rules on Thursday, saying that they were designed to recalculate the costs and benefits of curbing mercury pollution. EPA Administrator Andrew Wheeler insisted the new rules would not result in any increase in mercury emissions. But environmental lawyers said they would shift the way the benefits from curbing emissions are tallied, making it far easier to roll back regulations on emissions in ways that have been strongly advocated by coal industry executives.

There are reasons that those rules were put in place  because mercury kills people, because these pollutants kill people, Kerry said.

The insidiousness of the Trump administration using the coronavirus moment as cover  where people are highly preoccupied with health and safety and their lives  and theyre attacking these rules, he said.

_____

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:
Rapid City, S.D.  The Rapid City Police Department is currently investigating multiple early-morning burglaries. Sunday afternoon, one suspect has been taken into custody.

At around 3:55 a.m. on April 19, police were dispatched to 643 North Lacrosse St. for an alarm. On arrival, police observed that one of the businesss windows had been broken. Upon review of the businesss security footage, a suspect is seen breaking the window with a rock and rummaging through the interior.

At around 4:45 a.m., police responded to 406 E. North Street for a report of an alarm. On arrival, police located a window that had been shattered with a rock. On further investigation, it was determined that two suspects made entry into the business, and took multiple AR-15-style rifles before fleeing the scene.

At around 5:57 a.m., police responded to 2139 Jackson Boulevard for a report of a burglary. On arrival, police located a broken window, and cleared the building to ensure no one was still inside. The security footage shows a male suspect throwing a rock through one of the businesss windows. He entered the business and began searching a register for cash before fleeing the building on foot.

At around 6:24 a.m. on April 19, police responded to 3483 Sturgis Road for a report of a burglary. Police were informed that a suspect was still inside the business. On arrival, police could hear a crashing noise coming from inside. Police looked inside and observed a male suspect. He was ordered out of the business, but refused to comply with commands. He had made his way to a ledge inside the business and was attempting to break through a window near the ceiling with a crow bar. Police discharged rounds from the less-lethal beanbag shotgun at the suspect, causing him to drop the crowbar. The suspect was able to crawl through an air duct into another room. After spraying him with pepper spray and further physical resistance from the suspect, police were able to get him into custody. He was identified as 21-year-old Garrett Keegan of Rapid City.

Keegan was transported to the RCPDs Criminal Investigations Division to speak with detectives. Following his interview with detectives, he has been determined to be the suspect also responsible for the earlier burglaries of 643 North Lacrosse Street and 2139 Jackson Boulevard.

Keegan was placed under arrest for three counts of 3rd Degree Burglary, Felony Vandalism, Obstruction, Resisting Arrest, Possession of Burglary Tools, and a Probation Hold before being transported to the Pennington County Jail.

Police are continuing to investigate the firearms taken during the burglary of 409 E. North Street. The suspects are described as younger, possibly juvenile males, each standing about 57 to 61 tall, average build wearing lights grey hoodies, jeans, and bandannas over their faces.

Anyone with any information about this burglary, or the identity of the suspects involved should contact Det. Chris Holbrook at 394-4134. An anonymous tip can also be sent by texting the letters RCPD and the information to 847411.

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Last month, a media personality and a lieutenant governor both said older people should be willing to die of COVID-19 to open up our economy again.

Texas Lt. Governor Dan Patrick apparently led the way in this suggested blue-haired kamikaze. He said he was all in when it came to bringing back businesses, even if the result was more people dying of the new coronavirus. Oh, and lots of grandparents agreed with him, he claimed.

He didnt talk to any grandparents I know.

Glenn Beck, formerly a political commentator on Fox News, also announced, Even if we all get sick, Id rather die than kill the country.

Sorry, guys. Thats not the future Im hoping for. Sure, I am in one of the danger zones for fatal cases60 years and older. But must I give up living so people can get back to work? Nope.

Still, a part of me understood those feelings, if not the recommended actions. I dont mean sacrificing ourselves to open up our favorite restaurants and shops, though. I mean getting young people back into the world so they can move on with their lives.

Ive been thinking about how this invisible disease is affecting the generations younger than mine, and those to come. My adult children are in their early 30s, and my students in their 20s. This is a time when they should be blossoming, breaking out, exploding into the worldas artists, workers, professionalswhatever they choose. They should be going out into the night, exploring the world, and finding themselves.

Theirs is the age many of us oldsters began building our careers. For me, that meant writing late into the night between restaurant shifts. For some, it was hitchhiking or pushing our VW Beetles across country to teach, work in a hospital or on the docks. We jumped onto trains, planes and auto-buses to get away from home.

Some of us went back to grad school. Sure, young people can do that online now. But what of meeting your cohort, being challenged in-person by old-fashioned but genius professors who pushed us to think beyond our upbringings, or how about staying up with friends and a bottle of Gallo dissecting Shakespeare or Austin or nuclear physics? (I skipped that last one.)

My step-daughters son is 19 months old. He may not have noticed that his parents arent taking him to the playground. When they pass one on a walk, though, he pulls their hands toward the large toys, but they are blocked off. How can he understand? And she goes to work 40 hours a week at an essential job, but worries she might bring the virus home.

My older son was accepted into a graduate school he longed to attend, but now hes not so sure. Why learn from online classes when the experience was supposed to be on that green campus?

My younger son, an apprentice in the trades, was laid off. Sure, he has lots of time off now, and will receive unemployment benefits. But what of the trade? What of the feeling a young person gets going to work, learning something, being proud of their day? How can it be OK for a 30-year-old to stifle in his apartment room, trying to keep a safe distance from roommates?

Some of us are privileged in that we can work at home, receiving full salaries and benefits. Often that is because we are older, and our careers are well established.

For all of us, old, young and younger, employed, laid-off, retired or working as a baby, the time is here to look inwardly, and to serve outwardly.

But no self-destruction for me. Im praying that Im here for the long(er) haul, thank you. One reason? So I can help the next generation believe in their future.

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London: Being overweight has emerged as one of the most important risk factors in getting admitted to hospital with severe forms of coronavirus, according to the biggest study of British people with the disease.

The analysis of 15,100 hospitalised patients from across Britain has identified how carrying excess weight increases the likelihood that severe complications will develop from COVID-19, according to a report in the London Telegraph.

The study's author says while the exact reasons for overweight people experiencing more severe symptoms is not clear, it could be a result of greater inflammation in the fatty layers under the skin and around the internal organs. Credit:AP

Scientists from three universities have analysed data obtained from COVID-19 patients to draw up the most comprehensive profile yet of how the virus exploits age, sex and underlying health conditions.

The study, based on statistics and samples obtained from 177 British hospitals, has been analysed by scientists from Edinburgh and Liverpool Universities and Imperial College London and then compared with studies in China, where the coronavirus first emerged.
The Ramadan season is almost here and actress and social media influencer Efia Odo paid a visit to the national chief Imam to donate items to him and his outfit.

Efia Odo who in an earlier video mentioned that she does a lot of donations and giveaways and mostly she doesnt involve the media to cover them. One could say that this one them.

Efia Odo who after making the donations posted a picture with the national chief Imam and caption her photo, Went to give donations to The Chief Imam towards Ramadan

Efia Odo earlier this week made some donation to her fans and needy in society and also called on government to do more because people are suffering due to the pandemic.

Ramadan is the ninth month of the Islamic calendar, observed by Muslims worldwide as a month of fasting, prayer, reflection and community. The national chief Imam after receiving the items blessed Efia Odo and her team.

Watch video below
By Express News Service

BENGALURU: Bowing to public opinion, the state government on Saturday evening changed its decision taken earlier in the day to ease restrictions after April 20 to restart economic activities. For now, there is no change in the lockdown guidelines.

In view of the public opinion and after holding discussions with senior officers, we have reconsidered our decision on allowing two-wheeler movement. Use of two-wheelers is prohibited. There is no change in the lockdown guidelines, the chief minister stated.

Earlier in the day, the Chief Minister had announced that 33 per cent of staff at IT/BT firms could work from offices, industries located in Special Economic Zones would be allowed to start operations and also construction activities were allowed, provided workers stayed at construction sites. The government had also decided to consider Ramanagar, Bengaluru Urban and Bengaluru Rural districts as one district for the movement of industrial workers.

However, in view of increasing number of COVID-19 positive cases in the state in last few days and concerns over possible increase in the numbers if industries are allowed to reopen and if free movement of vehicles is allowed, the state government reconsidered its decision on easing the restrictions, a senior officer in the Chief Ministers Office said. The Government will take an appropriate decision on April 20, the official added.

The CM made it clear that prohibitory orders imposed across the state will continue till May 3 and malls, showrooms and other commercial establishments will remain closed. The ban on sale of liquor will also continue till May 3, he said. Yediyurappa said the government has decided to appoint incident commanders in containment zones to monitor the implementation of the lockdown guidelines. Assisted by police and health department officials, the incident commanders will be responsible for containing crowd movement and providing basic amenities in these areas and they will have magisterial powers, he said.
Every year, Fashion Revolution Week takes place in an effort to raise awareness of certain issues connected to the fashion industry, including impact on the environment and treatment of workers in retailers supply chains.

The event commemorates the Rana Plaza factory collapse in 2013, which killed 1,134 people in Dhaka District, Bangladesh.

Here is everything you need to know about Fashion Revolution Week:

What is it?

The organisation behind Fashion Revolution Week, Fashion Revolution, was launched in 2013 following the Rana Plaza factory collapse.

Recommended Coronavirus exposed the complicated truth about the fashion industry

The eight-storey garment factory collapsed after the upper four floors were built without permission, becoming the deadliest garment-factory disaster to ever occur.

In addition to those killed, 2,515 people were injured.

The first Fashion Revolution Day took place exactly a year on from the factory collapse.

Fashion Revolution Week was established two years later, with events taking place across the world to encourage conversations about how the fashion industry can improve in several areas.

We campaign for a clean, safe, fair, transparent and accountable fashion industry. We do this through research, education, collaboration, mobilisation and advocacy, Fashion Revolution states on its website.

With systemic and structural change, the fashion industry can lift millions of people out of poverty and provide them with decent and dignified livelihoods. It can conserve and restore our living planet. It can bring people together and be a great source of joy, creativity and expression for individuals and communities.

Extinction Rebellion block roads at London Fashion Week, February 2020 Show all 22 1 /22 Extinction Rebellion block roads at London Fashion Week, February 2020 Extinction Rebellion block roads at London Fashion Week, February 2020 PA Extinction Rebellion block roads at London Fashion Week, February 2020 PA Extinction Rebellion block roads at London Fashion Week, February 2020 PA Extinction Rebellion block roads at London Fashion Week, February 2020 REUTERS Extinction Rebellion block roads at London Fashion Week, February 2020 PA Extinction Rebellion block roads at London Fashion Week, February 2020 REUTERS Extinction Rebellion block roads at London Fashion Week, February 2020 PA Extinction Rebellion block roads at London Fashion Week, February 2020 REUTERS/Henry Nicholls Extinction Rebellion block roads at London Fashion Week, February 2020 REUTERS Extinction Rebellion block roads at London Fashion Week, February 2020 REUTERS Extinction Rebellion block roads at London Fashion Week, February 2020 REUTERS Extinction Rebellion block roads at London Fashion Week, February 2020 REUTERS Extinction Rebellion block roads at London Fashion Week, February 2020 PA Extinction Rebellion block roads at London Fashion Week, February 2020 PA Extinction Rebellion block roads at London Fashion Week, February 2020 REUTERS Extinction Rebellion block roads at London Fashion Week, February 2020 PA Extinction Rebellion block roads at London Fashion Week, February 2020 PA Extinction Rebellion block roads at London Fashion Week, February 2020 PA Extinction Rebellion block roads at London Fashion Week, February 2020 REUTERS Extinction Rebellion block roads at London Fashion Week, February 2020 REUTERS Extinction Rebellion block roads at London Fashion Week, February 2020 REUTERS Extinction Rebellion block roads at London Fashion Week, February 2020 REUTERS

According to charity The Waste and Resources Action Programme, approximately 140m worth of clothing goes into landfill each year.

In May 2019, a report published by academics at the Sheffield Political Economy Research Institute at the University of Sheffield concluded that several global fashion brands are failing to fulfil promises to provide workers with living wages.

When is it taking place?

This year, Fashion Revolution Week is taking place from Monday 20 April to Sunday 26 April.

Fashion Revolution Day, coincides with the collapse of the Rana Plaza factory, which occurred on 24 April 2013.

How is it being observed?

One of the ways in which Fashion Revolution Week is being observed is by the circulation of the hashtag #whomademyclothes.

The hashtag has been used by the organisation for several years as a way of holding retail companies accountable with regards to who manufactures the garments they are selling and how those workers are treated.

On the Fashion Revolution website, it offers visitors to press a button which says: Use your voice on Twitter.

A tweet then appears with several blank spaces for your specific details, which reads: Im name and I want to thank the people who made my clothes. Hi @brand, #whomademyclothes? Signed, email, country.

After filling out the blank spaces, you then have the option to publish the tweet.

Fashion Revolution has also composed an email that you can send to brands questioning them on the treatment of workers in their supply chains.

During Fashion Revolution Week, the organisation behind the event will publish its annual Fashion Transparency Index, which reviews and ranks 250 of the worlds biggest fashion brands and retailers according to how much they disclose about their social and environmental policies, practices, impacts and supply chain.
Tupac Shakur was warned to be careful of his thug pals two weeks before his death in 1996, it has been claimed.

The star, known as 2Pac and Makaveli, was just 25 when he was shot twice in the chest, once in the arm and once in the thigh following a drive-by shooting outside Las Vegas Club 662.

He died six days later on September 13 and this year marks 24 years since the rapper passed.

Now, over a decade later, American journalist Ed Gordon has told that he urged the Thug 4 Life hitmaker to be careful of the people around him.



Detailing how he became friends with the musician, Gordon told Page Six : The first time I interviewed him, he asked if he could have my cellphone number.

He told me, Youre not old enough to be my father, but youre old enough to have some wisdom that I dont have  and Im short of that. So he would call me every now and then.

Ed then added that just two weeks before Tupacs death, he said: I told him, The cats youre running around with are real thugs  you are not a thug.

Tupacs murder remains unsolved and the case open.

Over the years several people have claimed they have spotted Tupac, suggesting that he faked his own death.

Last year one of the original detectives on the case claimed the murder could finally get solved beause they have all the evidence they need to make an arrest.

Former LAPD homicide officer Greg Kading claims original suspect Orlando Andersons uncle Duane Keith Keefe D Davis holds the key to unlocking the truth.

The retired cop says Keefe D confessed to the killing when he questioned him over the murder of fellow rapper Biggie Smalls.

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High school students will be learning about 'Survival Day' rather than Australia Day during newly implemented politically-correct homeschool lessons.

The lessons have been set by Queensland Education for parents to complete with their children while doing distance learning during the coronavirus pandemic.

An English task aimed at Year Eight students asks them to analyse a news article written by The Koori Mail with the headline 'Groups set for Survival Day'.

The assessment task, which is available on Education Queensland's website, praises the article as 'reliable and credible' in its reporting of Aboriginal and Torres Straight Islander events and activities for 'Survival Day' on January 26 in 2011.

High school students will be learning about 'Survival Day' rather than Australia Day during newly implemented politically-correct homeschool lessons. Pictured: Protest marches in Sydney on January 26

The assessment task, which is available on Education Queensland's website, looks at an account of Aboriginal and Torres Straight Islander events and activities for 'Survival Day' on January 26 in 2011

'Note that 'Survival Day' refers to the public holiday often referred to as 'Australia Day',' the lesson sheet says.

'The use of the term 'Survival Day' acknowledges the Aboriginal history of Australia and highlights issues associated with European colonisation.'

Students are told the news article includes a 'credible and factual account of events' while scolding other news media 'in terms of their reliability, credibility and accuracy'.

Opposition leader Deb Frecklington called on the Queensland Labor government to 'get back to basics' rather than indoctrinate students.

An English task aimed at Year Eight students asks them to analyse a news article written by The Koori Mail with the headline 'Groups set for Survival Day'. Pictured: Women celebrating Australia Day

'The Labor government should not be forcing political viewpoints on our kids, especially during a worldwide pandemic,' she told reporters on Saturday, The Sunday Mail reported.

'The education system needs to get back to basics of English, maths and science rather than pushing ideological agendas. You don't have to tear down Australia Day to recognise achievements and history of indigenous Australians.'

Queensland Education Minister Grace Grace said the lesson was about interpreting the validity of content and evaluating credible sources, which is a part of 'politics and life in general'.

'It seems Ms Frecklington has failed to identify the bias in this exercise and subsequently flunked week one of Year 8 English,' she said.
At least two women have been hospitalized among seven new confirmed cases of the novel coronavirus in Montgomery County.

The countys total number of confirmed cases reported by the Montgomery County Public Health District has climbed to 377 cases, up seven cases from Friday and nearly 120 cases since last Saturday.

Montgomery County Public Health District, in conjunction with Montgomery County Office of Homeland Security and Emergency Management, can confirm there are now 377 total positive cases of COVID-19, up 7 cases from yesterday, the districts release stated.

The hospitalized New Caney woman, who is in her 80s, and The Woodlands woman, who is in her 50s, are also among 239 cases where the virus has been reportedly transmitted through community spread, which makes up about 63.4 percent of the countys total cases.

Montgomery County now has 270 active cases, 50 hospitalized, 100 recovered and 220 in self-isolation with seven deaths.

Montgomery County health officials confirmed the seventh death from COVID-19 on Friday. The woman, who was in her 80s, was a resident of The Conservatory at Alden Bridge. Five deaths in Montgomery County have been residents of the independent senior living community.

The updated number of cases by ZIP code is as follows: Conroe 107, The Woodlands 65, Spring 76, Montgomery 36, Porter 31, Magnolia 24, New Caney 13, Willis 14, Splendora two, Kingwood seven, Hockley one and Pinehurst one.

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, according to a previous Courier article.

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.

Details on Montgomery County cases can be found at https://mcphd-tx.org/coronavirus-covid-19/confirmed-cases/.
As part of efforts to reduce the impact of the Corona virus (CONVID-19) disease in Ghana, the Embassy of Palestine in Ghana is distributing six hundred (600) packages of food items to vulnerable groups within the Accra Metropolis.

The beneficiaries of the food packages, consisting of rice, canned fish, cooking oil, spaghetti and indomie, include Pastors, Imams, Churches, Muslim communities and very poor families.

Addressing the media at a ceremony at the Embassy to hand over the packages to leaders of the various groups in Accra on Saturday, April 18, 2020, His Excellency Abdulfattah Ahmed Khali Alsattari, Ambassador of the State of Palestine to Ghana, noted that even though the CONVID-19 disease was also present in Palestine, there was the need to be part of efforts by the Government of Ghana to prevent the infection from spreading and to reduce the impact of the disease on vulnerable groups.

Ambassador Abdulfattah Ahmed Khali Alsattari said although the Embassy had been making benevolent contributions to sections of the people of Ghana over the past five years, this donation was the first of its kind during the outbreak of Corona Virus pandemic in Ghana.

He said the donation was also a sign of gratitude to the Government of Ghana for voting in the Human Rights Council in favour of Palestine and for supporting the Palestinian cause in its quest for self-determination and the rejection of settlements on Palestinian lands.

He commended President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, President of the Republic of Ghana for his continued solidarity with the people of Palestine in their struggle for an independent State.

Ambassador Abdulfattah Ahmed Khali Alsattari equally commended the Ghanaian president for his efforts to contain the CONVID-19 disease and urged individuals, and institutions, such as the COVID-19 Trust Fund, Ghana Health Service and the security services to support the president in the endeavor.

He expressed optimism that efforts by the Ghana Government to contain the disease would yield positive results.
A fan made sketch of Dil Se Dil Tak stars Rashami Desai and Sidharth Shukla has gone viral on social media. After Dil Se Dil Tak, the on-screen couple also featured in Bigg Boss 13.

Rashami Desai and Sidharth Shukla are one of the most adored on-screen couples of the Indian Television Industry. Even though fans got to see a completely different avatar of the duo in Bigg Boss 13, they fondly remember their sizzling on-screen chemistry in Dil Se Dil Tak. It is this magic that they bring together that makes fans ship them as #SidRa and demand them to unite time and again on the small screen. Amid the coronavirus lockdown, a SidRa sketch has particularly gone viral on the Internet for all the right reasons.

Sketched by a fan called Anjali Singh, the artwork is made out of still from Dil Se Dil Tak sets in which the Sidharth can be seen embracing Rashami in his arms. The finesse with which the artwork has been made is commendable. Under the comment section of the post, fans have showered compliments on the art work.

Recently, reports were rife that Sidharth Shukla and Rashami Desai are all set to collaborate for the third time in Naagin 4. When asked about the same, Rashami said that Ekta Kapoor will take the call on casting. She is not aware if Sidharth has been finalised but if he does then they are going to have a lot of fun. Rashami Desai further expressed that they both are professionals and their chemistry is loved by the audiences.

Also Read: Mera Bharat Mahaan: John Abraham recites a heartfelt poem praising the frontline workers, watch

While Rashami Desai has officially joined the star-cast of Naagin 4 and shot for a few episodes, Sidharth Shukla has done a music video with Shehnaaz Gill titled Bhula Dunga. He is yet to announce his next project.

Also Read: Lockdown diaries: Kartik Aaryan turns Hrithik Roshan for recreating a scene from Koi Mil Gaya, watch hilarious video

Also Read: Bigg Boss 13: Vindu Dara Singh praises Sidharth Shuklas game, calls him a complete package

For all the latest Entertainment News, download NewsX App
By Arthur I. Cyr





On April 4, Sir Keir Starmer became leader of Britain's Labour Party, succeeding the hapless Jeremy Corbyn. Corbyn led the party into the political wilderness during his disastrous five-year tenure as leader.



That period culminated in the devastating loss of 60 seats in the House of Commons in last December's general election. The Conservative Party under Boris Johnson achieved a lock on British government policy with a decisive majority of 365 seats in the 650-seat House of Commons.



The Scottish National Party (SNP) also had a big win, securing 48 of the 59 House of Commons seats allocated to that region. Johnson has adamantly ruled out independence for Scotland, the prime goal of the SNP.



As Sir Keir's title implies, he is relatively moderate, in contrast to Corbyn's hard-line, doctrinaire socialism, which includes a commitment to nationalizing industry. Accusations of anti-Semitism also damaged Labour during Corbyn's tenure.



Starmer's moderate policy positions are reminiscent of Tony Blair, who led the party to three successive general election victories and served as Prime Minister for a decade  1997 to 2007. Starmer is widely respected as a defense lawyer specializing in human rights, and is a prestigious Queen's Counsel. He was elected to Parliament in 2015 and rose quickly in the Labour Party.



British politics has been fracturing into multiple parties, no longer two or even three. Brexit, the agonizing effort to break free of the European Union (EU), splintered the governing Conservative Party and then split the Labour Party.



In January last year, the colorful and controversial Nigel Farage announced the formation of his new Brexit Party. "Brexit" is shorthand for leaving the European Union. This single-issue extreme political formation also emphasizes hostility to immigration, the other side of the Brexit coin, and nationalism comparable to U.S. President Donald Trump's.



Last May, beleaguered Conservative Prime Minister Theresa May announced that she was stepping down as soon as her party chose a new leader. This followed three devastating parliamentary defeats of her complicated efforts to withdraw from the EU.



Her announcement came right after elections to the European Parliament. The radical Brexit Party was the main winner. However, the pro-Europe Liberal Democrats also did well, and when combined with the pro-Europe Greens/European Free Alliance was on a par with the Brexit Party.



Flamboyant Johnson's success in succeeding May surprised many, similar to Trump's election. Johnson quickly secured an agreement with Brussels to leave the EU  details to be worked out this year. Johnson gambled boldly by holding the December election and won again.



It is important to keep in mind that the British have preserved institutions and the rule of law, even as new political parties are emerging. In our time, the British have maintained stability through institutional as well as policy reforms, generally peacefully. Regional assemblies for Scotland and Wales are one result. But Scotland's strong public commitment to the EU guarantees continued controversy.



Professor John Curtice of Strathclyde University in Scotland argues that the election results show policy matters. Specifically, considerable public sympathy for Brexit drives the new party. Sir John is an increasingly visible and influential expert on politics and opinion trends.



Starmer has an opportunity to build a moderate pro-Europe alliance with the Liberal Democrats and the SNP. The Conservatives in 2019 won many Labour seats, which could easily be lost again.



While Britain's politics can baffle, the long-term success of representative government and party democracy stands.





Arthur I. Cyr (acyr@carthage.edu) is Clausen distinguished professor at Carthage College and author of "After the Cold War."


South Korea reported fewer than 10 new coronavirus cases Sunday for the first time in two months as US governors ease lockdowns amid pressure worldwide from businesses and the public to limit the pandemic's economic damage.

In Brazil, hundreds of people protested in major cities against anti-virus lockdowns.

France reported a decline in numbers of intensive care patients but its health agency warned the public to stick to strict isolation measures.

The pandemic that began in central China in December is believed to have infected more than 2.3 million people worldwide. While most recover, at least 155,000 have died, according to a tally by Johns Hopkins University.

South Korea reported eight new cases, raising its total to 10,661 with 234 deaths.

South Korea's toll of new cases has fallen from a peak of 909 on February 29.

But officials warn of the possibility of a "quiet spread" as people relax social distancing.

"We must not loosen our guard until the last confirmed patient is recovered," President Moon Jae-in said on Sunday.

China reported 16 new cases and no deaths in the 24 hours through midnight Saturday. That raised the official fatality toll to 4,632 - some three-quarters of them in the central city of Wuhan, where the virus emerged - among 82,735 confirmed cases.

Governments face pressure to reopen factories, shops, travel and public activities even as numbers of infections rise in the US and some other countries.

Shutdowns that began in China in late January and spread to the US, Europe and elsewhere have wiped out millions of jobs, plunging the world into its most painful economic slump since the Great Depression of the 1930s.

The International Monetary Fund expects the global economy to contract by an unprecedented 3% this year - a far bigger loss than 2009's 0.1% after the global financial crisis.

South Korea's Moon called for "public solidarity" to revitalize the economy. Government efforts alone aren't enough, he said.

On Saturday, Trump supporters protested in several states demanding governors end controls on public activity even as new case numbers surge.

The president on Twitter urged his supporters to liberate three states with Democratic governors.

Texas, Indiana and some other states have announced plans to allow some retailing and other activity to resume. Florida and South Carolina are reopening beaches.

New York Governor Andrew Cuomo, who has criticised the federal response as inadequate, rejected pressure to reopen businesses.

New York's daily death toll fell below 550 on Saturday for the first time in two weeks, but Cuomo said hospitals are reporting nearly 2,000 new patients a day.

Trump, whose administration waited months to add to stockpiles of key medical supplies and equipment, appeared to support protesters.

LIBERATE MINNESOTA! LIBERATE MICHIGAN! LIBERATE VIRGINIA, Trump said on Twitter.

He lashed out at Cuomo, saying he should spend more time 'doing' and less time 'complaining.'



Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro, who has criticized anti-virus shutdowns imposed by state governors, said on Saturday that he would recommend reopening its borders with Paraguay and Uruguay.

Bolsonaro has downplayed the threat of the disease. On Friday, the president fired his health minister, who supported anti-disease controls, and indicated he expects the new minister to protect the economy.

Trump is pushing to relax the US lockdown by May 1, a plan that hinges partly on more testing.

In Texas, several hundred people outside the state Capitol chanted, Let us work! Many clamored for an immediate lifting of restrictions in a state where more than 1 million have filed for unemployment.

In Indianapolis, more than 200 people stood close together outside the governor's mansion, carrying American flags and signs demanding that Governor Eric Holcomb lift restrictions.

Indiana's state health department reported 529 new cases between April 7 and midday Friday, raising the total to more than 10,600. The number of deaths rose by 26, to 545.

Elsewhere, demonstrators waved signs outside the Statehouse in New Hampshire, which has had nearly 1,300 cases and more than three dozen deaths.

Even if the virus were 10 times as dangerous as it is, I still wouldn't stay inside my home, said one of the protesters, talk show host Ian Freeman.

In Asia, Singapore on Saturday reported a one-day spike of 942 infections, the highest in Southeast Asia, mostly among foreign workers staying in crowded dormitories. That brought the total to almost 6,000 in the island nation of 6 million people.

South Korea's Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said 8,042 patients have recovered and been released from quarantine. Another 12,243 were being tested.

In Europe, there are tentative signs anti-disease curbs are working. France and Spain started dismantling some field hospitals. The number of active cases in Germany has declined over the past week as people recover.

Despite that, France's health agency urged the public to stick to confinement measures that have been extended until at least May 11: Don't relax our efforts at the moment when confinement is bearing fruit.

Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Snchez said his government wants to extend a state of emergency to May 9 but begin easing the total confinement of children beginning April 27.

Sanchez said the national lockdown will be rolled back only when Spain's embattled health system is ready for a possible rebound in infections.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Missoula nonprofits and community leaders scrambled to develop emergency child care centers for children of families working essential jobs during the COVID-19 pandemic, but providers say they have experienced less demand for care than they originally anticipated.

The Boys & Girls Club of Missoula County and the Missoula YMCA both said late last week that there are spots available in their emergency programs for children of families working essential jobs.

"We think it's a really positive thing that the numbers are lower," said Katie Moore, CEO of the Boys & Girls Club of Missoula County. "We also think it's really important that all of the community knows this is an option because people's jobs and living situations are shifting every single day."

The Missoula Area Emergency Child Care Task Force worked with the nonprofits to develop the emergency child care centers for school-aged children after Gov. Steve Bullock ordered all K-12 schools to close as the COVID-19 virus began to spread in Montana.

With more kids home from school during the day and many other child care providers who closed their doors due to health concerns, the task force anticipated a large need for services for families working essential jobs, such as health care workers, grocery store clerks, and city and county staff.

However, neither program is near capacity.

Heather Foster, CEO of the Missoula YMCA, said they could serve more children at either of their two sites. The Y's sites serve families in the Missoula County Public Schools district at Russell Elementary School and the Y's main campus so they are able to separate children of health care workers from children whose parents hold other essential jobs.

Foster said they only have four children at their Russell site, which serves children of health care workers, although the site has the capacity for over 30 children. The Y's main campus is currently full, with a total of 11 kids who are separated into two groups, but Foster said they have space to expand as soon as next week if necessary.

The Y is also opening an emergency program for children of essential workers, aged zero to 5, starting Monday, according to Foster. Three children are currently registered, but they have the capacity for 16 children who would also be separated in two rooms.

"I think the good news is we haven't seen the big push for our hospitals yet, and maybe we never will," Foster said. "I think a lot of families have just been able to figure out alternatives."

The Boys & Girls Club of Missoula County, which is open to all other children of essential workers who do not attend Missoula County Public Schools, has about six to eight children each day, said Micaela Baxter, one of the site's directors. However, that center can serve 24 children, who would be separated into smaller groups.

Moore said she thinks some families may think that all the spots are full, or that families are figuring out other care arrangements "because we're going in these two-week increments with closures and it continues to feel temporary."

"Families right now are sort of just figuring it out," Moore said. "They're trying really hard to keep their kids at home because they know that is the safest way to handle the situation."

On Thursday, a handful of kids ran and bounced between activities like an indoor slackline or playing foosball in the City Life Community Center, where the Boys & Girls Club program is located.

Baxter said they're ensuring the safety of kids and minimizing the spread of COVID-19 by checking kids' temperatures several times a day, requiring that kids wash their hands regularly and opting for outdoor activities.

"At the end of the day we stay for about an hour and clean, and we clean all the toys," Baxter said. "And then a janitor also comes in after us."

Despite the number of other child care facilities in Missoula who chose to close due to COVID-19, many of those that are still open are not at capacity, either.

"Many, many people are using some kind of informal care," said Kelly Rosenleaf, the executive director of Child Care Resources, Inc., which works to support families and child care providers in Missoula.

"With so many people home, even somebody who is a working parent who's in the essential workforce might have another parent at home," Rosenleaf said.

Rosenleaf said about 40% of providers have closed in Missoula, and about 30% have closed statewide.

Sonja Barone, the owner of a group program called Kids R Kids, said she chose to stay open because she didn't want parents who work as doctors, nurses, firefighters or contractors to have to find emergency care.

Kids R Kids normally serves about 12 kids a day, but she's currently down to eight to 10 kids each day. As COVID-19 began to spread through Montana, Barone decided to pare down her services to only provide care for essential workers for children already attending her program.

"I can't open my doors for emergency basis because it's way harder to regulate," Barone said.

Barone said she's increased sanitation practices, stayed in close contact with families to determine if children need to quarantine, and limited contact in ways such as requiring parents to drop off their kids without coming inside.

Child care facilities were declared an essential business in a directive from Gov. Steve Bullock on April 1, two weeks after Bullock ordered the closure of public schools on March 15. Until the directive, several providers the Missoulian spoke with said they received little guidance from the state on whether they should remain open.

Katie West, the executive director of Fort Courage Child Care, said she was frustrated by the state Department of Public Health and Human Services' delayed response to a letter that she and other providers sent asking for guidance on what actions providers should take to mitigate the spread of COVID-19.

West said Fort Courage had already decided to close by the time child care was deemed an essential business. The center normally provides care for about 70 children, and West said they didn't feel it was safe to continue operating.

"We know we're closed the next two weeks and then we're just trying to wait to see what's next," West said.

West said that although Fort Courage is located near Community Medical Center, they only had four children who needed emergency care. Overall, she said "the need just isn't there and pressing right now."

West said Fort Courage has advised employees to file for unemployment benefits while they remain closed.

Although Barone is still operating her program, she also said that money is tight with fewer children in attendance. Barone said she could only keep one staff member on in addition to herself. She's still waiting to hear back on the federal small business assistance loan she applied for in early March and her stimulus check, and said the Paycheck Protection Program had run out of funding when she applied.

Thankfully, she said her families who are watching their kids from home during COVID-19 closures offered to continue paying half or full tuition, as many families normally do in situations that require them to hold their spot in a program.

"I have been very fortunate. However, I know some programs have not been," Barone said.

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Thirty-two prisoners, including 16 arrested under the stringent Public Safety Act (PSA), were released to decongest jails across Jammu and Kashmir in the wake of COVID-19 pandemic, officials said on Sunday.

A total of 236 prisoners have been released this month by the Jammu and Kashmir administration on the directions of the Supreme Court.

Thirty-two more prisoners were released from various jails between April 14 and 17. They included 16 who were held under PSA and six under trial prisoners besides two who were released on parole, a senior government official told PTI.

He said the highest number of 11 prisoners including 10 PSA detainees were released from the Central Jail Kot Bhalwal in Jammu followed by eight from Central Jail Srinagar.

Those released from Central Jail Srinagar included three PSA detainees and an equal number of undertrials besides one who was set free on parole.

Three PSA detainees were released from sub-jail Hiranagar, district jail Anantnag and district jail Bhaderwah, while two undertrial prisoners were released from district jail Jammu and another undertrial from sub-jail Hiranagar, the official said.

He said another prisoner was released on parole from district jail Bhaderwah, while six other prisoners were released from special jail (correction home) Pulwama (two), district Jail Anantnag (two) and district jail Baramulla and district jail Udhampur (one each).

Earlier, 204 prisoners were released from various jails between April 1 and 13. They included 45 prisoners arrested under the PSA, 78 undertrials through the undertrial review committee, 9 undertrials falling under section 107, 109, 151 of the CrPC besides 16 prisoners who were released on parole.

On April 1, a three-member high powered committee headed by Executive Chairman J-K State Legal Services Authority (SLSA), Justice Rajesh Bindal along with Principal Secretary, Home Department, Shaleen Kabra and DGP (Prisons), V K Singh as its members, passed directions for the release of jail inmates except those involved in militancy related cases to decongest the prisons in the Union Territory.

The committee was constituted by the Jammu and Kashmir government following an order by the Supreme Court on March 23, directing the states and the UTs to decongest jails to ensure social distancing among the prisoners, while observing that overcrowding of prisons is a matter of serious concern in the wake of coronavirus outbreak.

The official said 132 prisoners were released from seven jails across Jammu region, 104 were set free from five jails in the valley including a special jail (correction home).

The highest number of 47 jail inmates were released from central Jail in Srinagar followed by 39 from Kot Bhalwal, 28 from district jail in Rajouri, 27 from district jail in Anantnag, 20 each from district jail in Udhampur and Jammu and 17 from sub-jail Hiranagar.

As many as 16 prisoners were released from district jail in Kupwara, 12 from special jail (correction home) in Pulwama, four each from district jail in Bhaderwah and Kathua and two from district jail in Baramulla, he said.

In addition, the official said the process for the release of 41 more prisoners from Kashmir, who are under detention in different jails outside Jammu and Kashmir since August last year, was also set into motion with the Home department revoking their PSA last week.

The prisoners included 15 from Baramulla, eight from Pulwama, seven from Anantnag, three from Kupwara, two each from Ganderbal, Bandipora and Budgam and one each from Kulgam and Srinagar, the official said.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Zhu Fenglian, a spokesperson for the State Council Taiwan Affairs Office, at a press conference. [Photo/Xinhua]

The claim by Taiwan's ruling Democratic Progressive Party that it informed the World Health Organization in December that COVID-19 can be transmitted from person-to-person is totally unfounded, the mainland's Taiwan affairs authority said on Friday.

Zhu Fenglian, a spokeswoman for the State Council Taiwan Affairs Office, condemned the DPP authority on fabricating facts and making use of the pandemic for political gain.

The DPP claimed recently that the island's outbreak prevention department had "warned" the WHO that the virus could be spread person-to-person in an email sent Dec 31, but the WHO didn't disclose the information to the world.

The WHO rejected the island's accusation, stating that the island did not inform it about person-to-person spread of the virus.

Chen Shih-chung, head of the island's health authority, posted the email the island sent to the WHO on Dec 31 online last week, declaring its reporting was an early warning.

Zhu said the email merely cited the Wuhan Health Commission in Hubei province where the earliest cases of COVID-19 were found on the mainland, and it didn't mention "humanto human transmission" at all.

Since the outbreak of COVID-19, the mainland has kept the WHO and relevant countries and regions informed of the outbreak in a timely manner, she said.

The health authority of Wuhan made public for the first time on Dec 31 news of some 27 infection cases on its website. The WHO received the information on the same day.

Also on Dec 31, the island's health authority inquired about the situation in Wuhan from the National Health Commission on the mainland, Zhu added.

"It is clear that the mainland released the information first and the island relayed it. There was no such thing as the island reporting to the WHO first," she said.

According to Zhu, the island's health authority issued news releases on Jan 4 and Jan 6, stating that "there is no obvious person-to-person transmission or infection among medical staff". However, it stated recently its email to the WHO on Dec 31 was the first "warning".

"The DPP was fabricating facts to play political tricks, and some foreign politicians spread the rumors to attack the mainland and the WHO. They have ulterior motives," she said.

In response to the DPP's declaration on many occasions that it lacks access to the WHO, Zhu said that the email proved such an assessment to be false.

As of Monday, the mainland had updated Taiwan on the status of the outbreak 127 times, Zhu said.

"The DPP ignored all these. It exposed that their purpose is not pandemic control but political gain," she added.
After calling fir the arrest and quarantine of those who attended the burial of late Chief of Staff, to the President, Nigerians are now demanding that the Government to apologise to Nollywood actress, Funke Akindele and her husband JJC who were arrested and punished for floating a lockdown rule.

They made the demands on social media while condemning the crowd that attended the burial.

See screenshot below:



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Michael Gove has backed a public debate over the lifting of lockdown measures as he warned pubs and restaurants would be among the last to see restrictions eased.

But he played down the idea schools could reopen in the middle of next month as part of a traffic light system.

Ministers are coming under increasing pressure from senior Conservatives and others to level with the public, amid accusations they are treating people like children.

Opposition parties have also called on the government to set out a strategy for how it will decide how and when to lift the coronavirus lockdown, which will see Britons asked to stay at home for at least another fortnight.

Mr Gove told Sky Newss Sophy Ridge on Sunday: It is the case that we are looking at all of the evidence, but we have set some tests which need to be passed before we can think of easing restrictions in this lockdown.

He added: It is entirely understandable, of course, that there should be a public debate about how we approach these difficult choices.

On schools he told BBC Ones The Andrew Marr Show: We have stressed that the reporting in todays newspapers that schools will reopen on May 11, that is not true, we have not made that decision.

In a blow to the UKs pubs and restaurants, set to lose billions of pounds because of the pandemic, Mr Gove said: Areas of hospitality will be among the last to exit the lockdown  yes, that is true.

Denmarks ambassador to the UK also called on ministers to be honest with the public about exit strategies.

Lars Thuesen told Sophy Ridge on Sunday on Sky News the Danish government had been upfront about how it would ease its lockdown.

The Danish government had agreed a sort-of pact with its people, he said.

He said: It does work. Before Easter, the Prime Minister told the Danes that it would be possible to ease some of the restrictions if they behaved during Easter time, during these wonderful summer temperatures, if they behaved responsibly, if they continued what they had done the first weeks, then we would be able to open up again. So it was sort of a pact between the government and the population.
THE Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) on Sunday, April 19, allayed fears of the public over the preparations they are making for the possible implementation of stricter quarantine measures.

AFP spokesperson Brigadier General Edgard Arevalo said the Office of the President has not given an order yet, but they were making preparations based on President Rodrigo Dutertes instruction to get ready for deployment.

Sa ngayon wala pa na namang utos ang Pangulo na magdeploy na, Arevalo said in a statement.

But it is incumbent and customary on the part of the leadership of the Philippine Air Force, and the AFP under General Felimon Santos Jr, for that matter, to exercise its initiative of alerting and preparing our personnel including ROE (rules of engagement), he added.

Arevalo issued the statement after an internal memorandum of the Philippine Army was leaked. The memorandum orders PAF personnel to be alert for the possible implementation of stricter quarantine measures.

The President, in a late night address on April 16, told the police and military to prepare for deployment because he will impose a de facto martial law if the public continues to defy quarantine measures aimed at preventing the further spread of the coronavirus disease (Covid-19).

Arevalo said there is no reason to be alarmed by their preparations.

We believe there is nothing to be alarmed about in this natural reaction of the AFP to prepare and deploy when it becomes necessary, said Arevalo.

What we should all be alarmed about instead is the fact that a lot of people are blatantly violating the law and disobeying the rules and health protocols which MUST be strictly enforced otherwise people die... Law abiding citizens and those who follow the rules should not worry. There is no reason to be alarmed, he added.

As of April 18, coronavirus infections in the Philippines have topped 6,000, with almost 400 deaths and over 500 recoveries. (SunStar Philippines)
Its a jungle out there.

Wildlife, including lions, crocodiles, bears, wild pigs and rats have taken advantage of quarantines around the world that have kept humans indoors in recent weeks thanks to the coronavirus pandemic. When people finally feel safe to roam outdoors again, it may require a little negotiating.

For New Yorkers, the most immediate threat appears to be desperate rats turning especially aggressive as food supplies, like restaurant trash, become increasingly scarce.

A restaurant, all of a sudden, closes now, which has happened by the thousands in not just New York City, but coast to coast and around the world, and those rats that were living by that restaurant, some place nearby, and perhaps for decades having generations of rats that depended on that restaurant food, urban rodent expert Bobby Corrigan told NBC News this week.

According to Corrigan, in order to survive, desperate rats resort to cannibalism, eat their young and engage in turf wars.

A new army of rats come in, and whichever army has the strongest rats is going to conquer that area, Corrigan said.

In other words, the post-pandemic rats that await the return of urban dwellers will be battle-hardened alphas. New York City, New Orleans, Washington D.C. and Baltimore are reportedly among the places where rat wars are most likely.

In South Africa, the king of the jungle now rules the roads.

A pride of lions travelled from park to park before napping in the middle of a street where they wouldnt normally be seen. The big cats didnt seem to have a care in the world Wednesday.

This lion pride are usually resident on Kempiana Contractual Park, an area Kruger tourists do not see, Kruger National Park ranger Richard Sowry tweeted along with a photo. This afternoon, they were lying on the tar road just outside of Orpen Rest Camp.

In Israel, while the people are away, the jackals and wild boar will play.

The roughly 100 jackals that occupy Hayarkon Park have started roaming further inland looking for food, according to Tel Aviv veterinary department director Zvi Galin.

Galin warns people against feeding the desperate wild dogs, who may kick their fear of people and get pushy.

Roughly an hours drive north of Tel Aviv, wild boars have reportedly been spotted exploring areas of Haifa that are normally occupied by humans.

Reuters described some of the big pigs, who have been making unusual daytime appearances, as being bulky as Rottweilers and travelling in family packs.

The emboldened animals are blamed for flipping over garbage bins and frightening locals like music instructor Meirav Litani.

We are scared to go out, even to throw out the garbage, Litani said as a boar roamed in the distance. I dont know which way the boars will come.

Yaron Hanan, 63, told Reuters he fears that even after the coronavirus pandemic ends, the wild boars will not practise social distancing from humans.

The boars will have gotten used to coming every day, every night, every hour, he said.

Haifa residents have historically enjoyed a mutually respectful relationship with the large swine. The citys rugby team is named the Wild Boars.

In Mexico, after a while, came the crocodiles.

The large, scaly reptiles have taken over beachfronts in La Ventanilla, Oaxaca.

Several of them were seen walking across a shoreline that would ordinarily be packed with tourists and sunbathing locals.

One croc reportedly had to be chased out of a lagoon adjacent to a beach usually popular with surfers in that same state last month.

The semi-aquatic carnivores in the area reportedly reach 4.5 metres in length.

According to Mexico News Daily, jaguars and leatherback sea turtles have encroached on once touristy areas of Cancun where such animals havent been seen in decades.

North of the border in Californias Yosemite National Park, bears have been making themselves especially at home while the tourists are away.

Weve been getting a lot of questions, actually, about what are the animals doing since the park has been closed? a park ranger said during a Facebook Live session. For the most part, I think theyre having a party.

The 300 to 500 black bears that live in Yosemite have been active lately according to the parks Instagram page.

That point was supported by video of a bear roaming about the nearly 3,100-square-kilometre park that was shut down to humans on March 20.

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Linkedin A. Muh. Ibnu Aqil (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta  Sun, April 19, 2020 14:34 633 fc6853813033f564188675f8bd2d4f0c 1 National work-from-home,social-distancing,#work-from-home,COVID-19,#COVID19,pandemic,privacy,#data-protection,data-protection,cyber-security,#CyberSecurity,zoom,Zoombombing,#Zoombombing Free

Social media analyst Ismail Fahmi was answering questions from participants during a Zoom webinar last Thursday when he noticed something was off.

Certain participants were regularly disrupting the session by hurling racial slurs and even displaying lewd images using Zooms screen-sharing feature.

I wanted to concentrate, but I couldnt because they were really disturbing, Ismail said.

What Ismail and the up to 100 participants experienced was an example of "Zoombombing", a type of cyberattack in which unknown users drop in on Zoom sessions, often uninvited, to disturb the meetings.

The webinar in which Ismail participated was organized by the National ICT Council (Wantiknas) to discuss how to handle online hoaxes and disinformation.

Gerry Firmansyah of Wantiknas said the organizer of the webinar had in fact taken security measures from the get-go, including by screening the participants, subscribing to the Zoom premium plan, using a unique password and IDs, as well as employing up to five cohosts to moderate the session.

Yet, it seems that some of them [Zoombombers] used the ID of other participants when they were leaving the session, he said.

Much to their surprise, an electronic flyer for the event they posted on social media that included the Zoom meeting ID and password helped the Zoombombers access the session.

Gerry apologized for the inconvenience caused to the participants, saying the Wantiknas would now reach out to Zoom for a review and clarification about the incident.

Read also: Video app Zoom rockets to fame, with some hiccups, amid pandemic

Teleconferencing platforms such as Zoom have become very popular during the COVID-19 outbreak in Indonesia, with companies implementing work-from-home policies.

Iqbal Dwiharianto, 25, a writer for a private company, has used Slack and Zoom for the past three weeks for videoconferencing to make up for the lack of in-person meetings.

He uses a premium Zoom account paid for by his employer.

Honestly, I havent read about all of that [security risks], or noticed anything weird when using Zoom on my laptop, Iqbal said. They [the office] have prepared several security protocols though, and we have been trained to follow them since the beginning.

Even lawmakers in Indonesia have used Zoom to host virtual hearings.

However, the United States-based platform is not free from security holes, and more and more entities around the world have begun looking for alternatives.

India, for instance, banned last week the use of Zoom for remote government meetings, saying it "is not a safe platform". The New York school system in the United States has also banned the use of the videoconferencing platform because of security concerns, while the FBI has warned of Zoom sessions being hijacked, the AFP reported.

According to a recent report by The Washington Post, up to 15,000 personal Zoom videos have been left viewable on the web.

Zoom videos from teleconferences are not recorded by default, however users who host or initiate a teleconference can choose to record any sessions and save them to Zoom servers or their own computers without the participants consent, although they are given a notification if a meeting is recorded. The videos on Zooms system might not be easily accessed, but some videos may be stored elsewhere without the participants consent, including on YouTube, The Washington Post reported.

Zoom did not respond to The Jakarta Post's email request for comment.

Read also: Zoom rolls out new measures as security fears mount

In a blog post from the company dated April 1, Zoom chief executive and founder Eric Yuan said that with usage of Zoom ballooning in recent weeks, the company felt an immense responsibility to it users and was striving to improve its services.

Around 200 million people used Zoom every day in March, up from an average of just 10 million per day in December.

Last week, Zoom rolled out measures to prevent Zoombombing and data hacking, saying it was building systems to "detect whether people are trying out username and password pairings and block them from trying again", AFP reported.

Improvements to Zooms security also include a toolbar to easily access features such as locking chats from strangers and making meeting password requirements a default setting as well as a new measure that allows paid account holders to select which regions their data is routed through during their sessions.

Zoom also said it was working with cyber-security firm Luta Security to overhaul processes and its "bug bounty" program, which pays rewards to researchers who find security flaws in its operations, according to AFP.

Unggul Sagena from digital rights group the Southeast Asia Freedom of Expression Network (SAFEnet) said the government had failed to anticipate cybersecurity risks and peoples reliance on technology to work remotely during the COVID-19 outbreak.

As a result, employers and companies have scrambled to find videoconferencing platforms that allow them to continue operating as smoothly as possible.

When people use applications, they dont always have enough awareness to ask simple questions about why they are using them in the first place. Not many basic users are aware of how safe the application is, Unggul said.

Teleconferencing applications typically access a computer's camera and microphone, enabling these applications to access data stored on the computer.

Unggul suggested that users weigh up the pros and cons of different services  such as whether they are made by corporations or by community developers with open source codes  before choosing the one with the best privacy protections.

[By comparing and scrutinizing the applications] at least we know the background of the company providing the applications, he said.

He also advised people to use open source applications, as it is easier to audit open codes to check if the programs contain suspicious activities, or opt for paid subscriptions to reduce cybersecurity risks.

As premium users, we [typically] also have better access to customers rights, he said, urging people to read the privacy policy of all services carefully.

Indonesia does not currently have a personal data protection law, with a bill still being deliberated by the House of Representatives.
People are sharing creative ways to support those most vulnerable to COVID-19 and its repercussions. These include grocery shopping for elderly neighbors to help limit their exposure to others, donating to nonprofits providing resources to families living paycheck to paycheck, and ordering takeout from restaurants to help reduce their financial shock as people stop patronizing stores. (Independent Womens Forum has collected several stories on this.)

Now that people are practicing social distancing, it has become more challenging to help children and families who may be struggling as schools have closed and unemployment numbers continue to skyrocket. Here are a few suggestions for ways you can safely support the children and families in your community.

1) Prepare a meal or a care package of basic supplies such as toilet paper, disinfectant, diapers, formula, and hand soap and drop it off on their doorstep. No human contact is required to leave a meal or supplies for those who may have lost their paycheck right now or have their hands full with children unexpectedly home from school or day care. For some people, getting to the store may be a challenge, and accessing products that are in high demand may be particularly difficult for them. (Try to get to stores when they open to better your chances of getting hard-to-find items like toilet paper and sanitizing wipes. But be mindful that some stores reserve the first hour theyre open for the elderly and immunocompromised.)

2) Give a gift card for a grocery store or neighborhood restaurants they can get meals for takeout or delivery. A gas card (if they have a car) could also be helpful to make sure they are able to access essential services or reach their place of employment. With gift cards, you can support local businesses while helping a family in need.

3) Check in with people. Reach out via text, phone call, email, or video chat to families who may be struggling. You can even play games online or through phone apps. (My family particularly enjoys gathering via Zoom and playing Drawful 2.) Even if you cant provide material assistance, listening and checking in with someone can help them cope with the stress they are facing and mitigate social isolation. Loneliness can be as damaging to a persons health as smoking 15 cigarettes a day, the Federal Health Resources & Services Administration warns. Social connections not only may benefit peoples mental health (including your own), but through them you may also be able to learn about particular challenges that families are facing and help them find innovative ways to address them.

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4) Help with child care. This one should be undertaken with caution and appropriate discretion, particularly given that outbreaks and restrictions will vary in different states and regions, as people are supposed to avoid gatherings and limit contact. Many child-care centers and schools are closed. While some people have jobs that can be done via telework, those who cant need reliable help so they can continue to provide for their family and to care for others.

This need is particularly urgent for low-income families as well as for people on the front lines such as medical personnel. (Check out how medical students in D.C. are helping provide child care for health-care professionals.) If you are well and live alone or in a small household, consider assisting one family with babysitting or child care so that the parents can still work, if they are able to. (Do not do this with multiple families; limit your exposure to other people.)

5) Become an online volunteer tutor. With many children home from school right now, educational supports may be particularly useful for some to make sure they continue to learn outside the classroom. There are several places online where you can sign up to become an online tutor and get matched with a student. (For example, some college students in Wisconsin are volunteering to tutor younger students online during the pandemic.)

6) Sponsor a college student. Many colleges have sent students home for the rest of the semester. For some students, such as those who have aged out of foster care, as well as international or low-income students who may not be able to travel home, this has presented a housing challenge. Several schools fortunately are making exceptions to allow those students to remain in the dorms, and the Department of Health and Human Services Childrens Bureau also has urged state agencies to work with colleges and universities to make sure that former foster youth have housing during this crisis. But there are still students in need.

Consider opening your home to one of these students. If you have children who have returned home from college, ask if they know of anyone who needs a place to stay. You also could reach out through your faith community to see if people know a student who could use a room. Students who have been able to remain on campus are likely facing extremely limited campus services and may have lost the campus jobs that helped pay for daily expenses. They could benefit from additional outside support such as meals or a check-in.

One organization that is mobilizing resources for students who are former foster youth is Together We Rise. Their website has an option for contributions to necessities such as groceries and laptops for displaced college students trying to continue their learning. It also has emergency-support forms both for students in need and for those who can help, such as people with available housing and businesses that would like to partner.

7) Support women facing unplanned pregnancies and single mothers. In the heightened stress of this pandemic  separation from friends and family, postponed pregnancy appointments, etc.  emotional and physical supports are critical for women as they try to prepare for an unexpected baby or provide for their children. Consider donating to or volunteering at crisis-pregnancy centers or efforts like LoveLine, which creates gift registries, helps pay rent, and connects women to local resources.

It will take all of us pitching in to weather this global health emergency. Thank you to the many people out there who are finding innovative ways to lend a helping hand to their neighbors in need.

More from National Review
In MP, farmers say sales under new 'Sauda Patrak' method below MSP; Haryana mustard farmers wait for their turn to sell.

Brajwasi Meena, a young farmer from Sheupur district in Madhya Pradesh, decided not to sell his 50 quintals of wheat as the trader was offering him a price which was almost Rs 250-350 quintal less than the minimum support price of Rs 1925 a quintal under a new system called, sauda patrak or parchi.

If I had sold the crop at the rate offered by the trader, I would have incurred a loss of almost Rs 11,000 in a trolley full of wheat, which weighs 50 quintals, Meena said.

Disappointed, he tried contacting the local officials who said there was little they could do as under the sauda parchi system, a farmer has to sell his wheat to the trader at whatever price he decides.

The system, which has been re-introduced in Madhya Pradesh, after a gap of several years, is a form of contract between a trader and farmer, and is issued by the Agriculture Produce Marketing Committees (APMC).

The farmer does not bring his entire produce to the mandi, but just a sample of the crop.

Based on the sample, the buyer purchases the crop from the farmers-doorstep or any other designated place outside the usual mandi, while the sales are recorded in the mandis records.

A trader can purchase 25-30 per cent of produce through the sauda patrak or parchi system.

The buyer is given custody of the produce only after he makes full payment.

The system was introduced in the state to expedite sale of wheat, which has suffered due to the COVID-19 lockdown.

This system was introduced as a reform measure to the APMC and to facilitate out of mandi sales by farmers and is meant for those farmers who are running short of cash and cant wait for their turn to sell in government registered procurement centres, said Bhagwan Meena, a young farmer leader from Madhya Pradesh.

He further said that if a farmer couldn't his basic MSP, what was the use of such a reform.

Although farmers sold to traders earlier too, that was largely through an auction process.

However, in order to avoid crowding in mandis this year, the state government introduced the system of sauda patrak or parchi.

"Private traders are also unwilling to offer a good price for the wheat due to unseasonal rains in early February, crops in some parts of MP have lost their lustre leading to a drop in its value," Bhagwan Meena said.

Meanwhile, Brajwasi Meena said that he would wait for his turn to sell in the government registered mandi as he had harvested around 350 quintals of wheat and without a good price, he would suffer a huge loss.

In Madhya Pradesh, in most government procurement centres, the number of which has been increased to over 4300, farmers are being called in two shifts to sell their wheat.

Only 20 farmers from each panchayat are allowed to sell in one shift to ensure that there is no overcrowding in the mandis.

While social distancing is needed control the spread of COVID-19, for many farmers the spectre of distress sale looms large as purchases have to be staggered over a period of time to ensure that few farmers gather at the mandis.

The annual purchases of major rabi crops in North India largely wheat, mustard and also chana to some extent have been delayed as most cereal mandis were closed in the aftermath of the nationwide coronavirus lockdown.

The relaxations given in the last few weeks have allowed to them to open but their functioning has been staggered to prevent crowding by farmers, traders, wage laborers and other.

So far, till Friday evening, the Central government had procured around 60,000 tonnes of wheat from the four major states of Punjab, Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan and Uttar Pradesh.

In Haryana, the procurement of wheat will start from April 20.

The government plans to purchase around 40 million tonnes of wheat from farmers this year of which Punjab is projected to buy around 14 million tonnes, Madhya Pradesh 10 million tonnes and UP another 5.5 million tonnes.

Haryana is planning to purchase around 7.5 million tonnes of wheat.

Together these four states account for over 90 per cent of the countrys annual wheat purchases at a fixed minimum support price.

In Punjab, procurement has also started on a slow pace largely due to the 50 quintal per farmer rule but we are hopeful that it will pick up pace in next 2-4 days, said Ghuman Singh, a farmer from Nabha near Patiala.

He said that the state government should sort out the issued with commission agents as they are an integral part of the procurement operations and could be of great help in this time of crisis.

In Haryana, where the state government has started the purchase of mustard ahead of the annual wheat procurement season, till Friday evening around 58,000 tonnes of mustard had been purchased from over 23,000 farmers.

Around 1.34 million tonnes of mustard has been registered for sale at the mandated MSP of Rs 4,425 a quintal.

Farmers are apprehensive and fear a repeat of last year when government promised that mustard procurement will re-start after wheat purchases is completed but it never happened and they were forced to sell their produce at Rs 800-1000 below the MSP, said Ramandeep Mann, prominent farmer leader.

He said if the same situation was repeated this year, farmers would face greater distress because the situation was completely different.

The sudden unseasonal rains on Friday evening has also increased their worries as it can damage the harvested crop.

In Uttar Pradesh, the wheat procurement will gather steam in the next 3-4 days.

The state plans to purchase 5.5 million tonnes of wheat from farmers this year.

Photograph: Reuters
Bollywood actors Shah Rukh Khan and Priyanka Chopra with Lady Gaga, Paul McCartney, Taylor Swift, Billie Eilish,The Rolling Stones and Beyonce kicked off a global special of music, comedy and personal stories in what Gaga called a love letter to front line workers battling the coronavirus pandemic. The two-hour One World:Together at Home, broadcast across multiple television channels all around the world, featured some of the biggest names of pop culture, with contributions, filmed from their homes.

Shah Rukh talked about the coronavirus situation in India. He said how with a population of over a billion people, India is bound to suffer a negative impact due to Covid-19. Shah Rukh added how he is working with a team to provide PPE kits and quarantine centres to health workers. Stay strong. I love you, he ended his message.

Priyanka, meanwhile, talked about the challenges faced by refugee camps all around the world. I have witnessed first hand the overcrowded and unliveable conditions in refugee camps, Priyanka says in her video. She said the camps need healthcare, clean water and sanitation to stand through the pandemic.

Gaga sang a few songs for her fans and delivered a message of hope. Im so grateful for the healthcare workers, the medical workers, all the grocery store workers and delivery people, the postal workers, all the other nonprofits that are working so hard, Gaga said. This is really a true love letter to all of you all over the world, and I hope a reminder of the kindness thats occurring right now, she added.

Beyonce did not perform but sent a video message in which she noted the disproportionately high death rates in the black American community due to Covid-19. This virus is killing black people at an alarming rate in America, she said, urging viewers to protect themselves.

Hosted by three of the biggest late night television show hosts in the United States - Jimmy Kimmel, Stephen Colbert and Jimmy Fallon - the special paid tribute to teachers and healthcare, grocery, delivery, postal and other workers. We arent asking for money tonight, said Colbert.

Also read: Karan Johar pens emotional note for daily wage workers, extends help to govt and NGOs to fight Covid-19

Stevie Wonder, in a tribute to Bill Withers who died two weeks ago, played Lean on Me, while McCartney, recalling that his mother was a nurse and midwife, sang Lady Madonna. You know the coronavirus is trouble when a Beatle gets involved, quipped Kimmel.

The event, organized by the World Health Organization (WHO) and the nonprofit group Global Citizen, was the biggest celebrity effort so far to mark the coronavirus pandemic that has killed more than 150,000 people worldwide.

(With inputs from Reuters)

Follow @htshowbiz for more
phanindra papasani By

Express News Service

VIJAYAWADA: To kill boredom in time of lockdown due to the dreaded virus, denizens must guard themselves from falling prey to online cheats. Two city girls have learnt it the hard way and are trying to come clean. Shailaja (name changed) is a software professional, who recently came to the city, and has been working from home due to the COVID-19 lockdown.

With the police not allowing people to venture out of their homes, the only daughter of her parents Shailaja to kill boredom has not only watched movies online, but went a step ahead and registered herself on a dating app Tinder and created an account without verifying it.

Not knowing that the dating app would bring unexpected troubles in her life, she uploaded her photos and accepted a request from a boy, who claimed to have created the profile for the same reason as Shailaja. The first week of their online friendship seemed to be normal, but the boy showed his true colours soon after she gave her number and made video calls to him.

The girl also shared personal photos with him, which worsened the situation as the boy started seeking sexual favours and money by blackmailing her. Afraid of her parents, Shailaja did not inform the incident either to her parents or friends and tried to handle the situation on her own, but her efforts went in vain. By the time, Shailaja realised that online dating apps are dangerous, she became a victim and is struggling to get out of the situation. Unfortunately, she did not lodge any complaint with the cybercrime police.

Similar is the case of another girl Deepika (name changed). She came across a website offering part-time jobs. In order to beat the loneliness and boredom, she registered for a job through the website and gave her details such as phone number and house address. Much to her shock, she received phone calls from various numbers seeking escort services. I could not understand whats going on in my life. I just enrolled for a job but instead, Im receiving calls from men seeking escort services and using abusive language. I lodged a complaint with Andhra Pradesh Police Cyber Women Safety helpline and waiting for the response, Deepika told TNIE.
Male Champions of Change Credit:Golding

How is it that decades after first realising gender inequity was a serious problem, the good burghers at the Commonwealth public service have yet to fix the issue? Not to worry, they can simply splash out to become Male Champions of Change.

The Australian Bureau of Statistics was the latest agency to fork out for the program, founded by former Sex Discrimination Commissioner Elizabeth Broderick some 11 years ago. Last week it handed over $55,000 for annual membership to the organisation, which aims to boost the number of women in executive positions with the help of male champions.

The Male Champions of Changes latest report on the ABS, for the record, notes women occupy 100 per cent of key management personnel positions. That might surprise Australian Statistician David Gruen, who took over from David Kalisch (also a man) last year.

At the very least, the representation of women at the top of the ABS is nearing parity. Just over 43 per cent of the 520 public servants on executive levels were women on June 30 last year according to the agencys annual report.
The coronavirus pandemic is still spreading and official data shows that the scourge is not stopping yet. Nigeria, like many other countries of the world, is yet to flatten the curve as the country recorded its highest weekly figure last week.

Also, last week, Nigeria recorded 223 coronavirus cases, 41 per cent of the total 542 recorded since the index case in February. The country also recorded nine deaths, almost half of the 19 deaths recorded so far.

The Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) has ascribed the increased number of cases to increased testing of suspected cases.

Nigerias tally of confirmed COVID-19 cases in the country rose to 542 cases on Saturday night.

Lagos State has now reported 306 cases, followed by FCT  81, Kano  37, Osun  20, Edo  15, Oyo  16, Ogun  12, Kwara  9, Katsina  9, Bauchi, Kaduna and Akwa Ibom  6, Delta and Ekiti  3, while Ondo has 3 cases. Enugu, Niger and Rivers have two cases each, while Benue and Anambra have recorded one each.

The Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) said so far, 542 cases of COVID-19 have been confirmed. Of these, 166 have been discharged while 19 people have died.

An analysis by PREMIUM TIMES revealed that Nigeria recorded the highest number of its weekly figures last week. Before this weeks 223 cases, the highest weekly figure was 104, from April 5 to April 11.

Also, the average daily figure of confirmed cases rose last week when compared with the previous weeks average daily figure. The average daily figure for last week was 32 compared to 15 for the previous week.

Last week, Nigeria recorded 223 cases, 9 deaths and 96 discharged patients, while the country recorded 104 cases, 5 deaths and 45 discharged the previous week.

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 in the state.

As of the time of reporting, 19 states and the FCT have confirmed at least a case of the virus.

Nonetheless, the Director-General of the agency, Chikwe Ihekweazu, said Nigerians should expect the virus to spread to all states.

Chikwe Ihekweazu, CEO, Nigeria Centre for Disease Control.

We have responded to Lassa smoothly and nobody shut down the country because it wasnt necessary, the response was fairly efficient.

Now, COVID-19 is on a much larger scale  at the moment in 22 states but it will grow to every state in Nigeria, there is no reason why it wont  it is a respiratory virus, Mr Ihekweazu stated.

He said NCDC will continue to be transparent with its operations and emphasised that the virus will circulate in Nigeria, absolutely no doubt.

PREMIUM TIMES, in this article, takes a look at how the cases increased last week.

Timeline

On Sunday, five new cases of coronavirus were reported 2 in Lagos, 2 in Kwara and 1 in Katsina.

As of 09:10 p.m. on April 12, there were 323 confirmed cases of #COVID19 reported in Nigeria. Eighty-five had been discharged with 10 deaths recorded.

On Monday, 20 new cases of coronavirus were reported as follows: 13 in Lagos, 2 in Edo, 2 in Kano, 2 in Ogun and 1 in Ondo.

As of 09:50 p.m. on April 13. there were 343 confirmed cases of #COVID19 reported in Nigeria. Of these, 91 had been discharged with 10 deaths recorded.

On Tuesday, 19 new cases of #COVID19 were reported as follows: 14 in Lagos, 2 in FCT, 1 in Kano, 1 in Akwa Ibom and 1 in Edo.

As of 09:20 p.m. on April 14, there were 362 confirmed cases of the pandemic reported in Nigeria. Of these, 99 had been discharged and 11 deaths recorded.

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On the same day, eleven new cases were reported in Lagos State.

Thus, as of 11:00 p.m. April 14, there were 373 confirmed cases of COVID-19 reported in Nigeria. Of these, 99 had been discharged with 11 deaths recorded.

On Wednesday, 34 new cases of COVID-19 were reported as follows: 18 in Lagos, 12 in Kano, 2 in Katsina, 1 in Delta and 1 in Niger.

As of 11:20 p.m. on April 15, there were 407 confirmed cases of COVID-19 reported in Nigeria. Of these, 128 had been discharged with 12 deaths recorded.

Infograph showing the constant rise in coronavirus cases in Nigeria.

On Thursday, 35 new cases of COVID-19 were reported as follows: 19 in Lagos, 9 in FCT, 5 in Kano and 2 in Oyo.

As of 10:20 p.m. on April 16, there were 442 confirmed cases of COVID-19 reported in Nigeria. Of these, 152 had been discharged with 13 deaths recorded.

On Friday, 51 new cases of COVID-19 were reported: 32 in Lagos, 6 in Kano, 5 in Kwara, 2 in FCT, 2 in Oyo, 2 in Katsina, 1 in Ogun and 1 in Ekiti.

As of 10:10 p.m. on April 17, there were 493 confirmed cases of COVID-19 in Nigeria; including 159 discharged and 17 deaths.

On Saturday, 43 new cases of the disease were reported: 23 in Lagos, 12 in FCT, 10 in Kano, 2 in Ogun and 1 in Oyo.

As of 10:40 p.m. on April 18, there were 542 confirmed cases of COVID-19 in Nigeria. While 166 patients have been discharged, a total of 19 have died.

Lockdown continues

Last Monday, President Muhammadu Buhari officially extended the lockdown in Abuja, Lagos and Ogun by another 14 days.

President Muhammadu Buhari

He said the rise in the figures necessitated the extension, adding that one million households would be been added to the previous 2.6 million vulnerable households to benefit from the governments palliatives.

Some states like Kwara and Osun also extended the lockdown by two weeks. They gave the residents at least two days to restock foodstuff and other essential commodities.

Too many deaths

Of the deaths reported last week are two medical doctors, Emeka Chugbo and Aliyu Yakubu. The Chief of Staff to President Muhammadu Buhari, Abba Kyari, also died during the week.

Abba Kyari laid to rest

Mr Chugbo was a medical doctor at a private facility who died after coming in contact with a coronavirus patient, PREMIUM TIMES reported.

Also, Mr Yakubu had travelled to Lagos and returned to Daura after which he fell sick and was later confirmed to be infected with the virus.

He was admitted at the Nigeria Air Force Reference Hospital, Daura where he died.

The Katsina State Government announced on Friday that the wife and two children of the medical doctor, had tested positive to the pandemic.

Mr Kyari, the presidential aide, died on Friday and was laid to rest after a private burial was conducted in Abuja on Saturday.

The death of the 67-year-old got attention from leaders across the world and major stakeholders who sympathised with Mr Buhari.

As of 9:38 a.m. on Sunday, 2,340,539 cases of the pandemic have been recorded globally leaving 160,896 persons dead, data from worldometer, a website dedicated to providing real-time statistics, showed.

Notwithstanding, 600,703 patients have recovered and have been discharged.
Pope Francis is urging the faithful to use the coronavirus pandemic's time of trial to prepare for a future where inequalities are abolished and the poorest are no longer left behind.

This is not some ideology, Francis said. It is Christianity. Francis traveled a few blocks outside the Vatican walls on Sunday to celebrate Mass at a nearby church to mark a special feast day dedicated to mercy. Only a few priests were in the pews given Italy's strict virus lockdown.

While people infected with the coronavirus often experience mild or moderate symptoms, possible complications like pneumonia can put their lives at risk.

In his homily, Francis said the grave, global toll of the pandemic has reminded the world that there are no borders between those who suffer, no differences in nationalities among those who are struck or spared.

We are all frail, all equal, all precious, he said.

May we be profoundly shaken by what is happening all around us," he said from the altar of the Santo Spirito church. The time has come to eliminate inequalities, to heal the injustice that is undermining the health of the entire human family!



Francis has been using his daily livestreamed Masses in the Vatican hotel where he lives to single out a particular group of people for prayers during the pandemic: the elderly, doctors and nurses, prisoners and those with disabilities.

On Sunday, he delivered a broader message about inequality and the need for a post-virus world to rethink its priorities. It's a theme that echoes the pre-pandemic preaching of the world's first Latin American pope, who has constantly demanded greater solidarity among rich and poor.

In recent days, Francis has proposed the creation of a universal basic wage to help those who have lost their jobs as a result of the virus economic shutdown to survive. On Sunday, he said there is a grave risk that while COVID-19 might eventually be tamed, the virus of selfishness indifference could take its place.

To combat that risk, he said: Let us welcome this time of trial as an opportunity to prepare for our collective future. Because without an all-embracing vision, there will be no future for anyone.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
The Swedish government has started the process for the sale of two second-hand A17 Sodermanland class Submarines to Poland. According to news published by the Polish military website Defence24, the Swedish government has asked the parliament to issue an approval of the sale of two used submarines to Poland including the HSwMS Sodermanland and the HSwMS Ostergotland.

The Swedish government has started the process for the sale of two second-hand A17 Sodermanland class Submarines to Poland. According to news published by the Polish military website Defence24, the Swedish government has asked the parliament to issue an approval of the sale of two used submarines to Poland including the HSwMS Sodermanland and the HSwMS Ostergotland.

HMS Sodermanland in Stockholm 2010. (Picture source Wikipedia)

The Swedish Sodermanland class of diesel-electric submarines consists of HSwMS Sodermanland and HSwMS Ostergotland. These two submarines were originally launched as Vastergotland-class submarines in 1987 and 1990, and have been relaunched as a new class after extensive modernization in 2003 and 2004 by Kockums AB.

The two Sodermanland Class diesel-electric submarines were upgraded in 2000. HMS Sodermanland was relaunched in September 2003 and returned to service in mid 2004. HMS Ostergotland was relaunched in September 2004 and returned to service in 2005. According to military navy sources, the upgraded submarines will be able to be operational for another 20 years without further modernisation.

In January 2006, Swedish Company Saab Systems has received an order from FMV, the Swedish Defence Materiel Administration, to modernize the command and control systems on Swedens Gotland and Sodermanland class submarines with the SESUB 960 providing network enabled defence capabilities to the submarines. In 2010, the submarines were also upgraded with new inertial navigation systems from Northrop Grumman.



The Sodermanland Class submarine is armed with six conventional 533 mm torpedo tubes and three 400 mm bow torpedo tubes. The 533 mm tubes can launch type 613 heavy-weight, anti-surface ship torpedoes. Type 613 can carry a 240 kg warhead up to a range of 20km. The 400 mm tubes can fire Type 43 lightweight anti-submarine torpedoes.

The Sodermanland Class submarine is powered by a diesel-electric and Stirling AIP system integrating two Hedemora diesel-electric engines and two Kockums v4-275R Sterling AIP units.
Pakistan has lifted restrictions on congregational prayers at mosques, but put in place a host of safety conditions to avert the further spread of the coronavirus in the country

Islamabad: Pakistan has lifted restrictions on congregational prayers at mosques, but put in place a host of safety conditions to avert the further spread of the coronavirus in the country, a statement said on Saturday.

The South Asian nation, the second most populous Muslim country in the world, imposed the restrictions less than a month ago, allowing only three to five people at mosques for prayers.

The decision to lift restrictions, taken in a meeting between Pakistani President Arif Alvi and religious leaders, comes less than a week before the Muslim holy month of Ramadan, in which the size of congregations typically increases.

Mosques are given permission conditional to taking due precautions, a statement following the meeting said, adding that it was mandatory for mosque visitors to wear masks.

Pakistan has registered 7,638 cases of the virus and 143 deaths and health experts warn that congregations pose the biggest threat to the limited healthcare infrastructure of a country of more than 200 million people.

According to the statement it was also decided worshippers would maintain a 6-foot (2-metre) distance from each other instead of the usual Muslim practice of praying shoulder-to-shoulder and that mosque administrations will disinfect premises regularly.

The government had been under pressure to reverse the congregation restrictions, and clashes between mosque attendees and police had been reported in Karachi, the countrys largest city.

Earlier this week renowned clerics threatened to violate the restrictions, saying prayers were essential for Muslims and should be allowed as long as safety measures were observed.

While the government has reversed the restrictions, the statement warned that it reserved the right to review the matter if guidelines were violated.

Prime Minister Imran Khan on Tuesday announced a 14-day extension to a countrywide lockdown, but eased curbs on essential industries to counter economic shocks as IMF and the World Bank gave bleak outlooks for the countrys economy.

Khan said in a televised briefing on Saturday that Pakistan could see a peak in the spread of the virus in mid May.
Source: Xinhua| 2020-04-19 11:13:55|Editor: huaxia

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BEIJING, April 19 (Xinhua) -- Chinese State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi said on Saturday that at the critical moment when the world is combating the COVID-19 pandemic, supporting the World Health Organization (WHO) and its director-general is to safeguard the philosophy and principle of multilateralism.

He made the remarks when holding a phone conversation with WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, noting that the support is also an act to secure the United Nations' status and role and maintain the international solidarity in the face of the disease.

Wang said he made the phone call to show that the Chinese government and people firmly support the WHO, expressing confidence that fair-minded people will tell right from wrong, and that the international community and people across the world hold the same attitude.

Noting that Tedros was elected as the WHO director-general with a large margin and has since won a high degree of trust of member states, Wang said that Tedros, as the first director-general from a developing country on the African continent in particular, also symbolizes the advancement and development of human civilization.

Since taking office, the director-general has been actively committed to the cause of global public health and done a great amount of creative work, which has been highly commended by various parties, Wang said.

Wang said the WHO is needed to continue to play its due and important role in the fight against the epidemic.

The smears and attacks against the WHO have no factual basis, and pressure and coercion will not enjoy popular support, he said, adding no country with conscience will support them.

Facing the epidemic, the WHO is needed by people of all countries, and is needed to save lives and eradicate the virus, said the Chinese foreign minister, expressing his belief that Tedros will lead the WHO to continue to coordinate the international community to jointly fight the epidemic in a professional and scientific manner.

China always attaches great importance to the status and role of the WHO and is willing to increase its support for the organization through various channels based on the current cooperation, Wang said.

Wang noted that Chinese President Xi Jinping has, on various occasions, made it clear to the world that the coronavirus is the common enemy of humanity, and that only with solidarity and coordination can the international community prevail over the epidemic.

He said China stands ready to work together with all countries to strengthen anti-epidemic cooperation and overcome existing difficulties through thick and thin until a complete victory over the virus globally.

For his part, Tedros thanked China for its continuous and firm support for the WHO.

Echoing the opinion that supporting the WHO is to safeguard multilateralism, the WHO chief said that currently it is vital for the international community to enhance solidarity as the world is at a crucial moment of the COVID-19 pandemic and viruses respect no borders.

Only by pulling together to fight the pandemic could the human race halt the spread of the virus, he noted, or the virus would exploit the vulnerability of a divided international community to accelerate its spread, with the pandemic prolonged and more human lives lost consequently.

Despite the various attacks and smears on himself and the WHO, Tedros expressed confidence that history would do us justice with the truth eventually coming to light as long as we uphold the truth and do the right thing. Enditem
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Feinstein, Warner Ask DOJ Watchdog to Review Barrs Comments on Atkinson Firing

Sens. Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.) and Mark Warner (D-Va.) have asked the Justice Department inspector general to review Attorney General William Barrs comments over the dismissal of the intelligence community watchdog, claiming that Barr misstated the facts about the firing.

The senators sent a letter to Inspector General Michael Horowitz and the acting director and chief counsel of the Office of Professional Responsibility, Jeffrey Ragsdale, on April 17, to express concern about statements Barr made in a recent interview with Fox News.

During that interview, Barr said the president was right to dismiss the intelligence community inspector general, Michael Atkinson, who handled the whistleblower complaint that sparked the impeachment proceedings against President Donald Trump.

Barr said Atkinson had exceeded his authority when he disclosed to Congress the whistleblower complaint that centered around a phone call Trump had with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky.

From the vantage point of the Department of Justice, he had interpreted his statutewhich is a fairly narrow statute that gave him jurisdiction over wrongdoing by intelligence peopleand tried to turn it into a commission to explore anything in the government and immediately reported to Congress, without letting the Executive Branch look at it and determine whether there was any problem, Barr said during the interview.

The senators alleged that Barr had misstated key facts, and that this raised broader questions about whether the attorney general was following Department policies and rules of professional conduct that demand candor and impartiality from lawyers, particularly those who serve the public trust.

The senators added that this wasnt the first time Barr had allegedly misstated facts in order to defend the president. They focused on Barrs assertions that the FBI opened a counterintelligence investigation into alleged Trump campaign ties with Russia in 2016 without any basis, saying that it was misstated because it ran contrary to Horowitzs conclusion that there was a legitimate legal and factual basis to investigate the Trump campaigns ties to Russia.

During that interview, Barr had said he was troubled by the findings from the ongoing investigation, led by U.S. Attorney John Durham, into the FBIs 2016 counterintelligence investigation on the Trump campaign, saying that the evidence shows that were not dealing with just the mistakes or sloppiness.

The letter also claimed that Barr had repeatedly mischaracterized key aspects of Special Counsel Muellers findings in letters to Congress and public statements.

It is critical that the American people have confidence in the work of the Justice Department, which requires that all of its employeesand most importantly, the Attorney Generalbe truthful and impartial, the senators wrote in the letter (pdf). Accordingly, we request that you investigate whether Attorney General Barrs statements in matters involving the interests of the President violate applicable Justice Department policies and rules of professional conduct.

The Justice Department didnt immediately respond to a request by The Epoch Times for comment.

The senators letter comes about two weeks after the president received criticism for firing Atkinson.

Atkinson played a central role in the series of events leading up to the impeachment effort against Trump last year. He vetted the anonymous whistleblower complaint and determined that it should be forwarded to Congress as a matter of urgency. The complaint contained allegations about Trumps conduct during a phone call with Zelensky last July.

House Democrats used the complaint as a basis to accuse Trump of leveraging his office and withholding U.S. aid to Ukraine to obtain dirt on a political opponent2020 Democratic candidate and former Vice President Joe Biden.

A transcript of the call, which was released by the White House shortly after the allegations were made, revealed that Trump had asked Zelensky to look into Bidens dealings in Ukraine but hadnt pressured him or used any quid pro quo in the call. Trump has repeatedly said there was nothing wrong with the call.

Earlier this month, House Intelligence Committee Chairman Adam Schiff (D-Calif.) sent a letter to acting Director of National Intelligence Richard Grenell raising concerns about recent staffing changes without congressional authorization.

In that letter, Schiff said that his committee was reviewing the circumstances of Mr. Atkinsons dismissal, including whether his termination was intended to curb any ongoing investigations or reviews being undertaken by his office.

Trump previously defended the firing, saying that Atkinson mishandled the whistleblower complaint, which he said didnt have to be rushed.

Hes a total disgrace, Trump said. Thats my decision. I have the absolute right.
In this article:

The LEGO Batman Movie, Hotel Mumbai, Napoleon Dynamite.

Deeply insightful gallows humour, nostalgic northern soul and island-bound psychological horror all feature today as TopFilmTip brings you the best films on TV for Sunday, 19 April.

Some films may require a Sky subscription.

Johnny Depp explores alienation, drenditic utensils and dirty dog grooming in Tim Burton's gothically iconic Edward Scissorhands 11am Film4

Wholly unique, hilarious, kitsch, endlessly quotable and profanity free fun as unknowingly uncool teen learns Rex Kwon Do, self actualises and gets the geek girl in Napoleon Dynamite 11:30am Comedy Central

Head-banging classic rock, nutty ex-GFs, geeky friends, puerile puns and guitar worship in catchphrase comedy rhapsody in Waynes World 1:30pm Comedy Central

The Towering Inferno, poster, top: Steve McQueen, Paul Newman, bottom l-r: William Holden, Faye Dunaway, Fred Astaire, Susan Blakely, Richard Chamberlain, Jennifer Jones, O.J. Simpson, Robert Vaughn, Robert Wagner on poster art, 1974. (Photo by LMPC via Getty Images)

Sky-scraping party-goers and residents face death at every turn when a health and safety mishap leads to a disastrous The Towering Inferno 1:35pm ITV4

Bill Paxton, Philip Seymour Hoffman and their eccentric friends chase cattle bemusing, father murdering tornadoes in meteorological fun Twister 12:50pm ITV 1

Read more: The best 4K TV deals

Wry, rage fuelled relationship avoider incorporates accidental adoptee in transdimensional villain vamoosement The Lego Batman Movie 4:30pm ITV 2

Chinese sheriff and American gigolo prat fall, kung fu and pillow fight around London in anachronistic action comedy Shanghai Knights 4:35pm Sony Movies

Clint Eastwood joins an operation to raid a nazi strong hold as plans within plans start to unravel in Where Eagles Dare 5:45pm ITV 4

Michael Tucci, Barry Pearl, Jeff Conaway, John Travolta and others dance in a scene from the film 'Grease', 1978. (Photo by Paramount/Getty Images)

Fast food, rude boys, gang fights, black tights, car races, girl chases, musical parley and a flying finale in Grease 5:50pm Channel 4

Dwayne The Rock Johnson rescues gangster's son from Christopher Walken's gold mine in toxic fruit-feeding, rebel-rousing fun Welcome To The Jungle 9pm Comedy Central

Amid island isolation and global pandemic, fraying miscarried marriage endures test of trust under yoke of menacing captor Retreat 9pm Horror Channel

Hundreds of guests and hotel staff endure long night's malevolent, unimpeded onslaught of violence and terror in brutally unflinching true story Hotel Mumbai 9:00pm Sky Atlantic

Story continues

Musically mused oedipal getaway kid defies his killer colleagues in deviously deft, funk-fuelled frenetic wheel spinner Baby Driver 9pm Sony Movies

Flaky drunk and cloistered mum inflict inadvertent reign of murderous chaos upon Colombian kidnappers in undignified comedy Snatched 9pm Film4

Pregnant policewoman tracks Minnesota murderers as a belittled son-in-law's simple plan unravels in the Coen brothers flawless film Fargo 10pm ITV 4

Close knit small town friend's lives are eviscerated by traumas of war in Russian rouletting, unsettling drama The Deer Hunter 11:30pm BBC 1

American actors John Cazale, Chuck Aspegren, Christopher Walken, Robert de Niro and John Savage on the set of The Deer Hunter, written and directed by Michael Cimino. (Photo by Sunset Boulevard/Corbis via Getty Images)

Jewish comedians explore how holocaust humour originated in the darkest of places to provide ultimate psychological revenge in taboo treading documentary The Last Laugh 00:00am Sky Arts 1

Admitted to psych-ward, disillusioned misfit free-loving 1960s teen befriends rebellious charismatic misanthrope Girl, Interrupted 1:10am Sony Movies

Lancashire lads chase dream of discovering rare Motown records in amphetamine-fuelled test of loyalty and friendship Northern Soul 00:25am Channel 4

Aspiring documentarian and her pubescent rap brother spend unsettling week with scuttling grandparents in Jungian creepfest The Visit 2:05am Film4

Everything new on streaming in April:

Netflix UK: Aprils new releases

Everything coming to Now TV in April

Amazon Prime Video UK: The biggest April releases

Everything coming to Disney+ in April

Follow TopFilmTip on Twitter for daily film recommendations.
As students across Illinois get accustomed to remote learning, state agencies have released a new tool aimed at connecting those who need internet to drive-up Wi-Fi hot spots.

The interactive map is searchable by ZIP code and municipality, and the hot spots contain information as to how internet service can be accessed. As of this week, the map had 200 hot spots aimed at allowing students and parents or guardians to continue social distancing by remaining in their cars while using the internet.
A doctor explains why there are conflicting opinions about the use of face masks to prevent the spread of COVID-19.

We have reached a strange point in time when it is rare to go on a trip to the supermarket or walk through the park without seeing people wearing surgical-style face masks.

The official advice about whether you should wear these mask varies from country to country, with the British government, for example, not advising the use of face masks for the general public, but the authorities in certain provinces of China making it compulsory.

The World Health Organization (WHO) recommends that, provided you are healthy, you do not need to wear a mask. People should, however, wear masks if they are caring for someone infected with the new coronavirus, or if they are unwell and coughing or sneezing.

There are a number of different masks available, ranging from basic cloth masks and surgical masks to higher-grade respirator masks.

Different masks are recommended for different risk levels. For instance, doctors seeing patients will only need to wear a surgical face mask for general consultations.

If they are carrying out aerosol-generating procedures, such as intubating (putting in a breathing tube), extubating (taking out a breathing tube), endoscopy (inserting a flexible tube with a light and camera) or bronchoscopy (a tube passed down the throat to view the lungs), then respirator masks are required.

The two main respirator masks used are the FFP3 (filtering face piece) and the N95 (not resistant to oil, filters 95 percent of airborne particles). These types are universal.

A surgical (non-respirator) face mask is loose-fitting and usually blue. It creates a barrier to airborne contaminants, whereas the respirator masks form a seal around the nose and mouth and have an efficient filtration system.

Despite discrepancies between different countries advice, all seem to agree that the respirator masks should be reserved for medical front-line staff only, and are not necessary for public use.

Which masks should the public use?

Many nations, including China, Hong Kong and Singapore, have taken the advice of WHO and advocated the use of surgical masks by those who have symptoms.

Other countries, such as the United Kingdom and Germany, have said if you have symptoms, you should be self-isolating at home and, therefore, there is little need to wear a mask other than to protect anyone that must enter your house, such as a carer.

Interestingly, while the United States Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) also does not specifically advocate the use of surgical masks, it does advise the use of simple cloth face coverings made from common household materials to slow the spread of the virus and prevent people who may have the virus and do not know it  known as asymptomatic shedders  from transmitting it to others.

Germany has followed suit. On April 1, the Robert Koch Institute (RKI), the German federal agency responsible for disease control, updated its advice to include wearing temporary textile masks when entering public places where it is not possible to maintain a safe distance of more than 2 metres (about 6 feet) from others. This includes public transport, grocery stores and workplaces.

This, too, is aimed at protecting the public from asymptomatic shedders. The RKI advises that the cover should be worn tightly over the mouth and nose, must not be touched with the hands by the wearer or anyone else while it is being worn, and must be changed if it gets wet.

There is a significant difference between the loose-fitting, usually blue surgical masks used by healthcare professionals and those that are made at home from household textiles.

Surgical masks require a layer of fabric made from an extremely fine mesh of synthetic polymer fibres for air filtration. Cotton is less dense and will, therefore, not be as efficient in filtering.

Who do masks protect?

There have been no studies or trials testing the efficacy of makeshift cloth masks that the CDC recommends for the general public.

There has, however, been a study of the use of cloth masks compared with surgical masks as standard practice for preventing influenza-like illness in healthcare staff.

This study found that cloth masks were the least effective but there was no true control in this study as the standard practice usually involved wearing a surgical face mask.

A robust study usually requires a control element to compare to, and that control element is often what would happen if you did nothing or, in this case, wore no mask at all.

But in this study, the control element was standard practice which means wearing a surgical face mask in some of the instances. Therefore, the scientists conducting the study were not able to truly compare the effect of a cloth mask or a surgical mask against not wearing anything.

The RKI states that, by covering the mouth and nose, cloth masks can trap infectious droplets that are expelled when the wearer is speaking, coughing or sneezing and, therefore, theoretically reduce the risk of infecting another person.

It also makes clear, however, that this protective effect has not yet been scientifically proven, though it appears plausible.

Can masks protect the wearer?

The RKI also says there is no evidence for self-protection, which essentially means that wearing a face mask is designed to protect others from you, rather than you from others.

There is, therefore, no significant evidence yet that cloth masks do much to protect wearers from catching coronavirus. Furthermore, the problem with members of the general public buying and using surgical masks instead is that there is then a significant shortage for those who need them the most  healthcare workers on the front line.

In March, WHO highlighted this shortage and called for a 40 percent increase in the production of protective equipment, including face masks.

There is evidence that using medical-grade masks can protect the wearer from catching the virus, in the right healthcare settings, but little to support it in the general public.

The most robust trial was a 2020 systematic review comparing surgical masks with respirator masks and no masks in the transmission of influenza.

This found there was a benefit in wearing a mask over no mask at all, but that there was no statistically significant benefit in wearing the specialist N95 masks over a surgical mask.

Previous laboratory studies had shown that N95 masks do provide greater protection. Therefore, experts suggested, when the specialist masks are taken out of the lab and into the real world, they are less effective  possibly because people are not using them properly as they can be very uncomfortable and painful at times.

The results of other studies have mimicked these findings. A 2010 systematic review of surgical masks and respirator masks in influenza epidemics, again found some benefit to wearing a mask, but only for those with respiratory symptoms. They found no benefit for those without symptoms, suggesting wearing a surgical or respirator mask during illness will protect others, but there is less evidence to support wearing them to prevent infection from others

This, therefore, suggests that masks provide some protection when it comes to transmitting the disease to others, but not so much when it comes to protecting the wearer from catching the virus.

The most recent study, published in April 2020, which is still in pre-print, examined the use of masks with a number of respiratory illnesses, including that of coronaviruses, and found again that there was no strong evidence to support the use of face masks by the general public.

While there may not be any significant evidence supporting the use of face masks by the general public, a lack of evidence is not necessarily evidence itself.

Are there downsides to wearing a mask?

Aside from the risk that the public buying masks will deplete the supply chain for those who really need them on the front line, there are some other negatives associated with the public wearing masks.

There are concerns that you may do more harm than good by wearing a mask, as you may not wear it properly and it may increase the chance of you repeatedly touching your mask and face.

The other concern is that wearing a mask may breed complacency by giving a false sense of security, leading to people disregarding other measures that we do have strong evidence for, like handwashing and social distancing.

While we await further trials to give us more robust evidence about the use of masks, ultimately, if you have symptoms, you should stay at home, self-isolating, and not go out in public potentially spreading it further.

If you are asymptomatic and are concerned you might be spreading it unknowingly, then you are unlikely to be coughing and sneezing, and therefore wearing a mask to protect others may not be necessary, especially if you are adhering to the guidelines to remain more than 2 metres away from others.

Remember that these textile and surgical masks are primarily designed to protect the environment from the wearer, not the other way around.
The latest IrishJobs.ie Job Index indicates recruitment is down but not out as the impact of the Coronavirus is felt by employers and workers across Ireland.

In a Covid-19 analysis, the e-recruitment platform tracked job activity in March 2020 and found that job listing had fallen by 37% overall.

Jobs increased rapidly in Nursing, Healthcare and Medical category (+77%). At the same time, vacancies remained steady in the Science, Pharmaceutical & Food (+1%) sector, which bodes well for a crucial Irish internationally traded sector over the coming weeks and months.

The economic shutdown has impacted livelihoods and job security in just a matter of weeks with certain sectors bearing the brunt of the health crisis. With jobs in Hotel & Catering (-66%), Tourism, Travel & Airlines (-63%) and Beauty, Hair Care & Leisure (-66%) all impacted.

The IrishJobs.ie Jobs Index found almost every county has been experienced a decrease in jobs with the countrys cities also feeling the impact of the coronavirus with jobs in Galway (-17%) Dublin (-16%) and Cork (-14%) all falling back.

Orla Moran, General Manager at IrishJob.ie, says recruitment may be down, but it is not out and believes resilient recruiters will rethink their hiring strategies.

There has been a marked change in the recruitment landscape since the 1st of March. Our Index is a barometer, reflecting this moment in time for the Irish job market. Sectors such as hospitality and tourism, are paused while others, such as medical and healthcare food retail and logistics are experiencing increased demand for staff.

IrishJobs.ie has over 20 years experience in the Irish market. We worked side by side with Irish recruiters through the crash and the recovery, so we know how incredibly resilient Irish businesses are. I believe that employers will transition to a new way of recruiting.

"Many leading companies had already increased their virtual hiring activities; for example, video interviews are now relatively common in certain industries. Now other businesses will also make the switch. It could also be time for companies to explore areas such as virtual onboarding. These methods will benefit a business, help reduce overall recruitment costs and improve hiring efficiency as well.

This is a real moment of truth for employer branding and people management. Focusing on retaining critical talent and improving internal communication is essential so all staff feel engaged and connected. A companys greatest advocates are its employees, so how a business treats its staff during this time matters. Employers should aim to have a positive brand legacy that will power talent acquisition to help recovery post Coronavirus.
Bhubaneswar, April 19 : Eight people were arrested for attacking two government officials who were enforcing Covid-19 guidelines in Odisha's Jajpur district, the police said here on Sunday.

Section 144 of CrPC has been imposed in the village after the incident.

Jajpur District Collector Ranjan Kumar Das said a group of villagers attacked the officials and held them captive at Gopinathpur in the Kuakhia police station area on Saturday. The officials were rescued later.

"The Block Development Officer and the tehsildar, on lockdown enforcement duty in the region, were checking people on the streets, when three men without masks fled on a motorbike towards Gopinathpur village," the Collector said.

As the officials pursued them, a group of 50 villagers attacked them.

During interrogation, it was found that one of the youth on the motorbike had attended the Tablighi Jamat congregation in Delhi's Nizamuddin in March. They thought the officials were trying to stop them due to their Nizamuddin link, said Das.

However, Jajpur Superintendent of Police (SP) Charan Singh Meena denied involvement of any Tablighi Jamat meeting returnee. "We have no information about involevement of Nizamuddin returnee in the incident," Meena told IANS.

Earlier, one Nizamuddin returnee from the Jajpur district had tested Covid-19 positive.
105 new cases of coronavirus reported statewide with 50 from Greater Chennai

Chennai: After a deceptive slide in the past seven days, Tamil Nadu witnessed a sharp spurt in new Covid-19 cases on Sunday with 105 new positive cases being reported.

The matter was serious enough for prime minister Narendra Modi to make a call to Tamil Nadu chief minister Edappadi Palaniswami, who underlined to him the urgent need for test kits.

Tamil Nadu now has 1,477 coronavirus cases with 16 deaths. A 60-year-old neurosurgeon was the lone victim to Covid-19 on Sunday. He had taken ill three days ago and hospital sources said the patient had other medical complications.

Significantly, Sunday's surge largely came from the Greater Chennai area with as many as 50 persons testing positive for the virus (ten primary contacts and 40 secondary), followed by Thanjavur district accounting for ten new cases today.

Among the 50 positives recorded in Chennai were two journalists, a reporter of a Tamil newspaper and a sub-editor of a Tamil news channel. The former was admitted to the Omandurar hospital and the latter to Stanley Medical College Hospital in Chennai.

Subsequent to this news, Sunday evening's media briefing was cancelled as the reporter had been attending it in recent days.

Other significant cases testing positive included a sub-inspector of police doing duty at Esplanade, leading to that police station being shut down. Others included four post-grad medical students, three from the Rajiv Gandhi Government General Hospital and another of Stanley Medical College Hospital.

In Thanjavur, ten more cases were confirmed positive on Sunday. Officials said, of them six infected persons belong to Adhirampattinam and others from Vallam, Kumbakonam, Neyvasal and Papanasam. With these the total number of corona infected cases shot up to 46 in that district.

In Tiruchy, two women staff of a pharmacy run by a person who was among the Tablighi Jamaat New Delhi meeting returnees tested positive for the virus on Sunday.

An official communique released after Narendra Modi's phone conversation with Palaniswami said the prime minister promised to send test kits to Tamil Nadu. Authorities said testing people rapid test kits to ascertain antibodies for the virus has been expanded across the state.
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The Akwa Ibom State Government said it is planning to embark on aggressive COVID-19 testing for residents of the state to help the government take a decision whether to re-open the state economy or not.

Akwa Ibom, like most states in Nigeria, has been in a lockdown to halt the spread of the new coronavirus. The lockdown in the oil-rich state was recently extended by one week.

The state has six confirmed cases of coronavirus.

The COVID-19 Team appeals to all residents to cooperate and offer themselves for testing even if they are yet to display symptoms, the Commissioner for Information in Akwa Ibom, Charles Udoh, said in a statement on Saturday.

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The Akwa Ibom government, however, did not explain, how it would carry out the aggressive testing for its over 3 million population.

The whole idea is to make sure everybody is safe, considering that safety is paramount to the state government.

Residents are enjoined to continue to observe stipulated personal and respiratory hygiene guidelines and practice social distancing, Mr Udoh said.
The Afghan Sikh community living in the United States has urged the Indian Government to help in the resettlement of the Sikhs living in Afghanistan, terming it to be the only 'viable' option for less than 650 families that are hard hit by the violence in the country.

Worried for the lives of the Sikh minorities living in Kabul, Jalalabad and Ghazi in Afghanistan, this minuscule Sikh community is seeking refuge in India.

Encouraged by the steps taken in the past by the Indian government, the Afghan Sikh community leaders have made an appeal to India to accommodate the Sikhs and Hindus from Afghanistan and grant them legal entry and political asylum with long term residency multiple entry visas.

The community leaders living in the United States said it is imperative to alleviate the dire situation of religious minorities in Afghanistan who look to India as the only safe haven in the region.

Speaking to ANI, Afghan American Paramjit Singh Bedi, Chairman of Afghanistan Committee for Global Sikh Council, said, "At a time when the attention is focused on the coronavirus pandemic and India is under lockdown, we understand India's worry but I still urge GoI to take quick action as we fear the safety of the Sikhs living in Afghanistan."

"We further request the Modi government to arrange a special flight from Kabul and request India to intervene as soon as possible on their (Sikhs in Afghanistan) behalf before it's too late," Bedi said.

Bedi laid out his concerns, highlighting the terror attack by ISIS March 25 that killed 25 Sikhs at their gurdwara in Kabul. "The victims included women, the elderly, and a four-year-old girl. They had gathered to pray that morning for the health and recovery of people afflicted with COVID-19, but their lives were cut short by religious bigotry," Bedi recounted the tragic terror attack.

Indian Ambassador to the US, Taranjit Singh Sandhu has expressed solidarity with Sikh community of Afghanistan. "India has always stood in solidarity with the Sikh and Hindu community in Afghanistan and extended help and refuge in difficult circumstances," he tweeted on Friday.

Meanwhile, ANI reached out to the US Department of State to understand US' commitment of bringing the persecuted Afghan Sikh and Hindu group to safety. A Department spokesperson told ANI that its leadership, including ambassador-at-Large for International Religious Freedom Samuel Brownback, are aware of the gravity of the Sikh community's situation in Afghanistan.

"I met last week with a number of members of the Sikh community in the United States about trying to help out with the resolution of the crisis for the Sikhs in Afghanistan. Those discussions are ongoing. I think they're ongoing with a number of branches within the U.S. Government," Ambassador Brownback told ANI

"I don't know of any decisions that have been reached at this time, but it is a dire situation for the Sikhs in Afghanistan, and many of them, if not the entire community, seeks to leave Afghanistan to get to a safer place for their community after these attacks have taken place. We will continue to work with them, but I don't have any announcements at this time," he added.

The Department of State's spokesperson also told ANI that it is deeply concerned about the violence perpetrated and threatened against Sikhs and other religious minorities in Afghanistan.

The spokesperson also added that Secretary of State, Mike Pompeo, has condemned the recent attacks against the Sikh community in Kabul and has urged all Afghans to come together to negotiate a political settlement to help confront the militant group that is threatening the safety of that community and others.

The spokesperson also informed ANI that the US Embassy in Kabul is in regular contact with the Sikh community and Afghan government regarding the Sikh community's concerns in Afghanistan.

"Sikhs constitute an important part of the fabric of Afghan society. We encourage and welcome outreach by the Government of Afghanistan to reassure the Sikh community of the importance attached to their safety and continued contribution to Afghanistan," the spokesperson further told ANI.

In the wake of the terror attack on a 400-year-old Gurdwara in Shor Bazar in Kabul on March 25, the United States had expressed concerns about the safety of the Sikh community in Afghanistan.

"I remain deeply concerned about the safety of the Sikh community in Afghanistan. Afghan Sikhs have long been an integral part of the multicultural tapestry of Afghanistan and Afghans must come together now to ensure the security of religious minorities," senior Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary Alice Wells tweeted.

US' House Foreign Affairs Committee has also urged Trump Administration to consider Afghan Sikhs and Hindus for emergency refugee protection under the Fiscal Year 2020 US Refugee Admissions Program.

"Concerned for the safety of the Sikh community in Afghanistan, recently targeted by ISIS, and urge the administration to consider Afghan Sikhs and Hindus for emergency refugee protection under the Fiscal Year 2020 U.S. Refugee Admissions Program," House Foreign Affairs Committee tweeted.

-ANI

Also Read: Coronavirus Crisis: Mosques to remain open in Pakistan despite surging virus threat
Labourers, who are stranded in different parts of the country due to the ongoing lockdown, will be allowed to go to their respective places of work within a state with certain conditions, the Union home ministry said.

IMAGE: Stranded migrant workers in Chennai wait for packaged food, distributed by Central Reserve Police Force, during the nationwide lockdown in the wake of coronavirus pandemic. Photograph: R Senthil Kumar/PTI Photo

Home Secretary Ajay Bhalla, however, made it clear that there will be no inter-state movement of workers during the lockdown, which has been extended till May 3.

The order issued by Bhalla said that due to the spread of coronavirus, workers employed in industry, agriculture, construction and other sectors have moved from their respective places of work and are housed in relief and shelter camps being run by state and UT governments.

Since additional activities, outside the containment zones, have been permitted in the consolidated revised guidelines with effect from April 20, these workers could be engaged in industrial, manufacturing, construction, farming and MNREGA works.

To facilitate their movement within the state or UT, the following guidelines may be followed:

The migrant labourers currently residing in relief and shelter camps in states and UTs should be registered with the concerned local authority and their skill mapping be carried out to find out their suitability for various kinds of works.

The SoP said in the event that a group of migrants wish to return to their places of work within the state where they are presently located, they would be screened and those who are asymptomatic would be transported to their respective places of work.

It may be noted that there shall be no movement of labour outside the state and UT from where they are currently located.

During the journey by bus, it would be ensured that safe social-distancing norms are followed and the buses used for transport are sanitized as per the guidelines of the health authorities.

The local authorities shall also provide for food and water etc., for the duration of their journey, the SOP said.

The lockdown was first announced by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on March 24 for 21 days in a bid to combat the coronavirus endemic. While extending the lockdown till May 3, the prime minister declared that select activities will open up from April 20 in identified areas.
Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan on Saturday said that the country will see an increased number of cases of Coronavirus during mid-May. He also said that his government took timely action, including an early lockdown, to contain the spread of Coronavirus, and asked the people to continue following the official guidelines, otherwise, it would be difficult to control the situation.

'Coronavirus cases are expected to increase'

Addressing media persons, Khan said, "The Coronavirus cases are expected to increase from May 15 to May 20. The hospitals as we were predicting earlier would have been under pressure April 15 onwards. However, that has moved forward by a month to May 15."

He also said that a bigger crisis of Coronavirus was averted due to the lockdown that the government initiated mid-March. Khan said, "50,000 cases were expected by April 25, but we were saved from the disaster as we implemented lockdown in March when there were only fewer cases in the country."

Khan also stressed that unemployment and hardships of daily wage labourers remain a challenge for his government. "The biggest problem is that labour workforce is not registered in our country," he said, adding, "The government opened the construction industry to protect people from unemployment and hunger."

Govt succumbs to pressure from hardline clerics

Pakistan on Saturday decided to let the Ramazan prayers go on in mosques despite Coronavirus cases in the country crossing the 7,500-mark. Pakistan President Arif Alvi said on Saturday that the mosques in the country would remain open during Ramzan but the people would have to follow strict guidelines that the government would release in regard to prayers in mosques, The Express Tribune reported.

READ | Swiss Alps light up in Indian tricolour to express message of solidarity amid COVID-19

READ | India revises FDI policy- govt nod required by all neighbouring nations to invest in cos

Alvi chaired a meeting of top religious scholars in the country on Saturday to arrive at the decision. He said: "The entire nation is looking towards the government and the religious scholars to come up with a consensus policy on the matter."

Meanwhile, it was reported that two women who returned to Pakistan from India via the Wagah border tested positive for the novel Coronavirus. They were among 41 people who returned to the country on Thursday, according to The Express Tribune newspaper. As of Saturday, Pakistan has reported 7,516 cases of Coronavirus. The toll due to COVID-19 stands at 143.

READ | BJP lashes out at BMC for tweaking testing norms, alleges failure in curbing COVID-19

READ | Pakistan struggles to rein in defiant clerics as COVID-19 cases near 7,500

(With agency inputs)
To support the export industry amid a difficult economic scenario,the government has been requested to utilise IFSC platform at the GIFT City toenable various international financial services at competitive cost, senior officials said.

Banking unitsandstock exchanges at IFSC, among other institutions, can play an important role towards this goal, the officials said.

IFSC wrote a letterto the Commerce Ministry earlier this month and suggested several measures forexport financing and export credit that need to be taken to support the industry amid nationwide lockdown to tackle the coronavirus pandemic, they said.

The proposal has been made in reply to suggestions sought by the ministry from the International Financial Services Centre (IFSC) in order to support exporters.

The officials said the current COVID-19 situation would have an impact on global trade.

Apart from this,they said there are other challenges which the Indian exporters face, including pressure from the WTO and international community to bring down incentives for exports.

Volatility in exchange rate andincreasedvigilance measures from the USFDA added to uncertainty about growthof Indian pharma exports particularly to the US, they added.

In the letter, the avenues suggested for competitive funding includepermitting Indian exporters to avail rupee denominated External Commercial Borrowings(ECBs)from IFSC banking units (IBU).The move can help Indian exportersmitigatethe currency risk, officials said.

IBUs should be permitted to providerupee denominated ECBs to Indian exporters.

Currently, foreign banks are allowed to providesuch afacility.

Further, it has been suggested thatthe governmentshould promote Indian exporters and importers to use IFSC exchanges for theirfund-raisingprogramme throughissuance and listing of foreign currency bonds orany other offshore instruments.

IFSCexchanges can provide access tointernational capital markets.There are already USD 48 billion of bonds, including masala bonds,listed at suchexchanges.

Besides, the government has reduced withholding tax to 4 per cent from 5 per cent on the interest payment of the bonds listed on IFSC exchanges.

In addition, export financing provided by IFSC banking units should be eligible under prime sector lending (PSL),the officials said.

The IFSC has suggested further that theexport lending by its banking units under PSL can be restricted to borrowers with turnoveruptoRs 500 croreto ensure that the benefit is spread out to a larger number of mid and small corporates.

Besides, interest equalisation scheme on pre and post shipment rupee export credit, which wasavailable to exporters till March 2020, should be extendedand enablepre-shipment financing,which is required by exporters primarily to fund the inventory and work-in-progress,through IFSC.

Currently, Indian exporters are permitted to avail post-shipment financing from offshore as well as onshore lenders. However, pre-shipment financing can be availed only from onshore lenders.

Also, it has beenrecommended to allowSEZ units to avail International financial services through IFSC banking units, which canprovide competitive pricing and products for Indian exporters.

At present, SEZ units are not permitted to avail banking services from IFSC banking units in SEZ IFSC.

Due to the prevailing COVID-19 situation, it is important to facilitate SEZ units which are mainly export units to avail full fledged banking services from SEZ IFSC.

The main objective of SEZ units is to promote exports which require various international banking services bank guarantee, pre-shipment financing and corporate banking services for their international financial needs. These services are provided in a limited way by Indian banks.

Itis important that such services are permitted to be availed from IFSC banking entitiesby all SEZ units in the country.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
It is not uncommon to see companies perform well in the years after insiders buy shares. The flip side of that is that there are more than a few examples of insiders dumping stock prior to a period of weak performance. So before you buy or sell Kwan On Holdings Limited (HKG:1559), you may well want to know whether insiders have been buying or selling.

What Is Insider Buying?

It's quite normal to see company insiders, such as board members, trading in company stock, from time to time. However, most countries require that the company discloses such transactions to the market.

Insider transactions are not the most important thing when it comes to long-term investing. But logic dictates you should pay some attention to whether insiders are buying or selling shares. For example, a Harvard University study found that 'insider purchases earn abnormal returns of more than 6% per year.

See our latest analysis for Kwan On Holdings

The Last 12 Months Of Insider Transactions At Kwan On Holdings

Over the last year, we can see that the biggest insider purchase was by insider Jiajun Sun for HK$26m worth of shares, at about HK$0.20 per share. So it's clear an insider wanted to buy, at around the current price, which is HK$0.20. Of course they may have changed their mind. But this suggests they are optimistic. While we always like to see insider buying, it's less meaningful if the purchases were made at much lower prices, as the opportunity they saw may have passed. In this case we're pleased to report that the insider bought shares at close to current prices. Jiajun Sun was the only individual insider to buy during the last year.

You can see the insider transactions (by individuals) over the last year depicted in the chart below. If you click on the chart, you can see all the individual transactions, including the share price, individual, and the date!

SEHK:1559 Recent Insider Trading April 18th 2020

There are always plenty of stocks that insiders are buying. So if that suits your style you could check each stock one by one or you could take a look at this free list of companies. (Hint: insiders have been buying them).

Story continues

Insider Ownership of Kwan On Holdings

I like to look at how many shares insiders own in a company, to help inform my view of how aligned they are with insiders. A high insider ownership often makes company leadership more mindful of shareholder interests. Kwan On Holdings insiders own about HK$81m worth of shares. That equates to 26% of the company. We've certainly seen higher levels of insider ownership elsewhere, but these holdings are enough to suggest alignment between insiders and the other shareholders.

So What Do The Kwan On Holdings Insider Transactions Indicate?

The recent insider purchase is heartening. And the longer term insider transactions also give us confidence. Given that insiders also own a fair bit of Kwan On Holdings we think they are probably pretty confident of a bright future. In addition to knowing about insider transactions going on, it's beneficial to identify the risks facing Kwan On Holdings. Case in point: We've spotted 6 warning signs for Kwan On Holdings you should be aware of, and 2 of these are potentially serious.

If you would prefer to check out another company -- one with potentially superior financials -- then do not miss this free list of interesting companies, that have HIGH return on equity and low debt.

For the purposes of this article, insiders are those individuals who report their transactions to the relevant regulatory body. We currently account for open market transactions and private dispositions, but not derivative transactions.

If you spot an error that warrants correction, please contact the editor at editorial-team@simplywallst.com. This article by Simply Wall St is general in nature. It does not constitute a recommendation to buy or sell any stock, and does not take account of your objectives, or your financial situation. Simply Wall St has no position in the stocks mentioned.



We aim to bring you long-term focused research analysis driven by fundamental data. Note that our analysis may not factor in the latest price-sensitive company announcements or qualitative material. Thank you for reading.
At his darkest moment with the coronavirus, Dr. Poorna Gunasekera glimpsed three rays of light.

Following a severe deterioration in his COVID-19 symptoms, Gunasekera was rushed to Derriford Hospital in Plymouth, southwest England, in the early hours of March 30, and three former students came to treat him.

Upon entering the red zone, which is one step below the intensive care unit, the 57-year-old associate professor of biomedical sciences at the city's university was put into isolation.

It was wonderful that during that time, two of my former students, who are doctors, and another, who is a nurse, actually came and they identified themselves, he told The Associated Press following his discharge from the hospital on April 9.

His voice choked with emotion as he remembered the encounters.

It made a world of a difference to me, he said. I couldn't have seen their faces, they were all in their protective things, but they came, and they not only treated me, they did some really difficult procedures ... it gave me so much strength to know that these wonderful people were actually there. The feeling of respect was mutual.

Gertrude Magama, a 45-year-old nurse from Zimbabwe who has known Gunasekera since she volunteered for one of his projects, said it was an honor to look after him.

I was touched when he reassured me that I was doing well when he was going through pain and discomfort, she said. In my eyes, he will forever be a valuable part of my future success in my nursing profession. Gunasekera, better known to friends and colleagues as P.G., grew up in Kandy, Sri Lanka, and led the Guard of Honour accorded to Queen Elizabeth II during her visit in October 1981.

He came to the UK in 1999 on a Commonwealth scholarship to study for a Master's at University College London and has been in the academic field ever since, and at Plymouth since 2012.

Medical knowledge doesn't necessarily bestow wisdom. He readily admits he underestimated his deterioration, even when his temperature soared above 39 C (102 F) and he lost 6.5 kilograms (around 14 pounds) with diarrhea.

While people infected with the coronavirus often experience mild or moderate symptoms, possible complications like pneumonia can put their lives at risk.

As he is a doctor and trains doctors on a daily basis, I trusted him and gave him the benefit of doubt when he told me he was slowly starting to feel better, said his 26-year-old daughter Saki.

In hindsight, I think he was just trying to channel crazy levels of positive thinking so as to calm both his and my own worries. Eventually, Saki, who had mild symptoms along with her boyfriend George, decided to overrule her father and had him rushed to hospital. It was a decision he acknowledges ultimately saved his life.

Gunasekera spent about a week hooked up to oxygen supplies as his lungs had taken a battering. Something curious occurred to Gunasekera on the crucial" third or fourth day. He entered a pain-free phase where the body stopped kind of talking to me and his sense of proprioception the awareness of one's body in space switched off too.

I wouldn't call it levitation, but I lost senses, he said. It was the most peaceful state in life I've ever been in. It was almost as if some authority up there said 'stop worrying' and it was so convincing I actually stopped worrying. He thinks it was a taste of nirvana, the ultimate goal of Buddhism when individuals enjoy indescribable peace.

It was a state of absolute bliss, he said.

Yet the worrying resurfaced as his health improved and a few days later, Gunasekera was moved to a ward with three other recovering patients: I was the baby of the bunch." On their first day, none could speak, since they were all hooked up to oxygen. But on the second day, an 80-year-old ex-Royal Navy officer, known only as Robert, single-handedly raised their spirits.

He was a piece of pure magic, Gunasekera said.

All four shared the same guilt of becoming new sources of outbreaks.

All of us were ready for a kind of stigmatization that could come and we understood it, he said. If the roles were reversed, I'd be careful of meeting someone who has been diagnosed as COVID-positive even if it was a long time ago.

Now he can't wait to see his new partner, Hayley, and her family again after his 14-day self-isolation is over.

He's recuperating with Saki and George and his dog Barney in the tiny village of Filham in south Devon, and reflecting on how fortunate he is to get a second chance, unlike so many thousands of others. Britain has already had more than 15,000 people die in the pandemic and expects eventually to have the worst death toll in Europe.

Gunasekera is especially admiring of the current generation of medical practitioners, of whom he has taught many, for being so much more "humble" than his.

Having gone through medical school myself, I remember we came out with this feeling that we are God's gift to humanity, we were the supreme beings, he said.

The new generation, he said, are taught to acknowledge that there is a limit to our knowledge, and that there is so much uncertainty out there.

Gunasekera hopes a more cohesive society will emerge that relates betterto the struggles of Britain's National Health Service and that bridges the gap between generations.

Social distancing, though it's physical distancing, the beauty is it's brought emotional connections, he said.

This is almost a reset button that society needed and perhaps we'll come out of this a far better society, far better group of people than ever.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
U.S. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi said she believed lawmakers are very close to a deal on approving extra money to help small businesses hurt by the coronavirus pandemic.

An agreement would end a stalemate that has lasted more than a week over President Donald Trump's request to add $250 billion to a small-business loan program. Congress set up the program last month as part of a $2.3 trillion coronavirus economic relief plan, but it has already run out of money.

"We're close," Pelosi said in an interview with ABC's "This Week" broadcast on Sunday. "I think we're very close to an agreement.

Pelosi and Senate Democratic leader Chuck Schumer say they favor more money for small businesses but also want more coronavirus response funds for state and local governments and hospitals, as well as food assistance for the poor.

"We want to make sure that it's reaching all of America's small businesses. And we also want to make sure that it's operating in a community where our police and fire, our health care workers, our doctors, nurses, our teachers, are being compensated for and not fired," Pelosi said.

"Thats why were asking for the additional funds in the package, as well as for hospitals so that we can do testing, testing, testing."

Governors of hard hit states such as New York and New Jersey have said they need more federal funding to significantly ramp up testing capacity.

Democratic lawmakers from battleground districts are already under attack by Republican campaign operatives because the emergency loans for small businesses have dried up. Last week some of these Democrats said their congressional leaders should prioritize the small business funding and get it flowing again.

Pelosi, however, said there was an opportunity to get money for the hospitals, teachers and firefighters in the interim funding bill. Congress plans to take up another major coronavirus relief legislation after the small business fund is replenished.

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Pope Francis celebrated Mass in the Church of the Holy Spirit in the Saxon District, in private, due to the quarantine imposed by the pandemic. The Feast of Divine Mercy was established 20 years ago by John Paul II. The Lord waits for us to offer him our failings so that he can help us experience his mercy, said the Pope. During this pandemic, there is a danger that we will forget those who are left behind. Instead, the time has come to eliminate inequalities, to heal the injustice that is undermining the health of the entire human family! To this end, let us not think only of our interests, our vested interests. Lest we forget, without an all-embracing vision, there will be no future for anyone. The pontiff extended his Easter greetings to the Eastern Churches.

Vatican City (AsiaNews)  Pope Francis celebrated Mass today, Divine Mercy Sunday. In his address, he noted that Divine Mercy does not abandon those who stay behind, people like Saint Thomas. Today, in the slow and arduous recovery from the pandemic, there is a risk that we may [. . .] be struck by an even worse virus, that of selfish indifference whereby we select one person over another, discarding the poor, and sacrificing those left behind on the altar of progress.

Pope Francis thus linked the Feast of Divine Mercy, which falls today, the second Sunday of Easter, to the coronavirus epidemic and the attempt to jumpstart society and the economy, after a long period of quarantine that is severely testing the prospects of prosperity and work in the world community.

The Feast of Divine Mercy was established 20 years ago by John Paul II, following the canonisation of Sister Faustina Kowalska. The Polish pope also chose the Chiesa del Santo Spirito in Sassia (Church of the Holy Spirit in the Saxon District), a few hundred metres from St Peters Basilica, as the church of Divine Mercy. It is here, today, that Pope Francis celebrated Mass without people, streamed live because of the quarantine imposed by the ongoing pandemic.

In his homily, the pontiff spoke first of the mercy that raises the disciple. Referring to the Apostle Thomas, who did not believe in the resurrection of Jesus and was absent from the upper room (cf. John 20, 19-31), he said: The resurrection of his disciple begins here, from this faithful and patient mercy, from the discovery that God never tires of reaching out to lift us up when we fall. He wants us to see him, not as a taskmaster with whom we have to settle accounts, but as our Father who always raises us up.

You may object: But I keep falling! The Lord knows this and he is always ready to raise you up. He does not want us to keep thinking about our failings; rather, he wants us to look to him. For when we fall, he sees children needing to be put back on their feet; in our failings he sees children in need of his merciful love.

The pope mentioned an incident in Saint Faustinas life, when Jesus asked her to give him everything, even her failings, adding We too can ask ourselves: Have I given my failings to the Lord? Have I let him see me fall so that he can raise me up? Or is there something I still keep inside me? A sin, a regret from the past, a wound that I have inside, a grudge against someone, an idea about a particular person . . . The Lord waits for us to offer him our failings so that he can help us experience his mercy.

Turning to the current situation, the pontiff said: Dear brothers and sisters, in the time of trial that we are presently undergoing, we too, like Thomas, with our fears and our doubts, have experienced our frailty. We need the Lord, who sees beyond that frailty an irrepressible beauty.

On this feast of Divine Mercy, the most beautiful message comes from Thomas, the disciple who arrived late; he was the only one missing. But the Lord waited for Thomas. Mercy does not abandon those who stay behind. Now, while we are looking forward to a slow and arduous recovery from the pandemic, there is a danger that we will forget those who are left behind. The risk is that we may then be struck by an even worse virus, that of selfish indifference.

May we be profoundly shaken by what is happening all around us: the time has come to eliminate inequalities, to heal the injustice that is undermining the health of the entire human family! Let us learn from the early Christian community described in the Acts of the Apostles. It received mercy and lived with mercy: All who believed were together and had all things in common; and they sold their possessions and goods and distributed them to all, as any had need (Acts 2:44-45). This is not some ideology: it is Christianity.

Saint Faustina, after meeting Jesus, wrote: In a soul that is suffering we should see Jesus on the cross, not a parasite and a burden. . . [Lord] you give us the chance to practise deeds of mercy, and we practise making judgements (Diary, 6 September 1937). Yet she herself complained one day to Jesus that, in being merciful, one is thought to be naive. She said, Lord, they often abuse my goodness. And Jesus replied: Never mind, dont let it bother you, just be merciful to everyone always (24 December 1937). To everyone: let us not think only of our interests, our vested interests. Let us welcome this time of trial as an opportunity to prepare for our collective future, a future for all without discarding anyone. Because without an all-embracing vision, there will be no future for anyone.

After communion, before the Regina Caeli antiphon, Francis stressed that "compassionate love between us and towards everyone" is not pietism, nor welfarism, but compassion, which comes from the heart. Divine Mercy comes from the Heart of Christ, the Risen Christ.

He added that Christian mercy also inspires proper sharing between peoples and their institutions, to face the current crisis in solidarity.

Noting that Orthodox Easter is celebrated today (according to the Julian calendar), the pontiff extended his greetings to to the brothers and sisters of the Eastern Churches who are celebrating Easter today. Together we proclaim that The Lord has truly been raised (Lk 24:34).

Especially at this time of trial, we feel as a great gift the hope that comes from being raised with Christ! In particular, I rejoice with the Eastern Catholic communities which, for ecumenical reasons, celebrate Easter together with the Orthodox ones. May this brotherhood be of comfort [in places] where Christians are a small minority.
The list of supplies needed to rob and blow up the pharmacists competition was tucked in a black leather-bound notebook, prosecutors say: face masks, duffle bags, a rental car, a canister of gasoline and at least four firearms.

For more than a year, the pharmacist, Hyrum T. Wilson, had been illegally selling prescription opioids from his shop, Hyrums Family Value Pharmacy in Auburn, Neb., on the dark web, according to federal prosecutors. But he needed more drugs to keep the illegal side business going.

So Wilson, 41, and a drug dealer who had been helping him run the illegal business hatched a plan to steal opioids from a rival pharmacy in Auburn and then firebomb it to cripple the business.

On Friday, Wilson was arrested and charged by federal prosecutors in Virginia with conspiracy to distribute controlled substances, conspiracy to use fire and explosives  including Molotov cocktails  and possession of firearms.

In an affidavit that detailed the plot, prosecutors said he planned the firebombing with William Anderson Burgamy IV, a drug dealer who had been illegally selling the prescription medication online for Wilson.

The side trade was going well, but Wilson had hit the limit for how much medication he could order for his pharmacy. He needed more volume, prosecutors said.

Wilson and Burgamy believed that the destruction of the Victim Pharmacy would cause Wilsons own pharmacy business to flourish, Samad D. Shahrani, a special agent with the FBI field office that conducted the investigation, wrote in a court affidavit. In turn, Wilsons distributor would increase the amount of controlled substances that Wilson could order to meet the increased demand.

Wilson, who did not have a lawyer listed in court documents, did not respond to requests for comment. Burgamy, who was arrested a week before Wilson, was ordered detained by a magistrate judge on April 13.

Burgamys lawyer, a federal public defender, declined to comment.

Prosecutors said Wilson had regularly mailed drugs from his pharmacy to Burgamy since at least last August.

Burgamy advertised and sold the drugs using encrypted email accounts on the dark web, giving a cut of the profits to Wilson through Bitcoin payments, wire transfers and bundles of cash sent through the mail, authorities said.

In court documents, the FBI said it started investigating Burgamy last December after learning about his account on the dark web. Unlike most sites on the traditional internet, the dark web uses technology that lets both sides of an online interaction hide their identity and location from each other and law enforcement.

In January, agents with the FBI and the U.S. Food and Drug Administration began making undercover purchases from Burgamy, who went by the name NeverPressedRx and had a reputation for selling high-quality drugs. The agents ordered the pills from Virginia, where they were also delivered.

In an email to an undercover agent, Burgamy said he was running a five-star business, according to court documents.

We will never succumb to purchasing drugs off the street that could be potentially tampered with for your safety, he wrote in his online profile, according to prosecutors.

He told potential buyers, all of our stock comes directly from a U.S. pharmacy.

That pharmacy, federal agents learned, was Hyrums Family Value Pharmacy.

On April 9, federal agents arrested Burgamy on drug charges and conducted a search of his Maryland home, where they found a cache of guns, thousands of prescription opioid pills and a notebook that referred to a plan called Operation Firewood.

Texts between the two men revealed that they had been planning the operation for months, according to prosecutors: Burgamy and another person, who was not named in court documents, would don skull masks, arm themselves with an assault rifle and a shotgun and hit the rival pharmacy at night.

Wilson gave Burgamy a getaway map showing the fastest routes to Kansas and Missouri after the firebombing, authorities said.

The men hoped destroying the rival business would send its clients to Wilson, who could then increase the amount of prescription drugs the pharmacy was allowed to order.

My wholesaler looks at my volume and determines how much oxy I can order every 30 days, he texted Burgamy. If I get all the pharmacy business, theyll bump my allotment up.

Burgamy later texted Wilson: Youll be sole pharmacy, you got my word.
This year, two crises coalesced in Wyoming. The world has been shying away from carbon-based energy sources and Wyomings revenue, overly dependent upon them, has withered. Then, a global pandemic hit. Oil prices plunged, the economy shut down, and in Wyoming, hundreds are projected to die from COVID-19. Whether it is not sufficiently diversifying revenue streams for our budget or failing to issue a statewide shelter-in-place order amid a pandemic, Wyomings elected officials have continued their pattern of kicking the can down the road. Now that road leads off a cliff, with COVID-19 hitting the accelerator. Whos on board with this trajectory?

These crises demand we reflect on who we are as a state. For a state claiming to be the energy capital of the U.S., Wyomings leadership has been inert about the bloodletting of our coffers before a really rainy day hit. Preliminary data from Power Wyoming gave our state only a few years of funding before we no longer have a penny to our name and we flat-line. This data did not include the COVID-19 pandemic, which makes this forecast seem like a pipe dream. Is the state that has been unable to stabilize revenue the same state we want fighting a pandemic? We had evidence the budget crisis was coming for years, and in that time, we failed to take adequate corrective action. The COVID-19 pandemic appeared in weeks; we have no time to spare. If Wyoming is to thrive, Wyoming must evolve  fast.

The actions we take now will define our state in years to come. Wyoming must determine if it will provide the services and infrastructure our citizens need through these crises and beyond, or if it will be a state that does not.

We believe that Wyoming must facilitate the well-being of its residents before, during and after crises develop. Wyomings State Legislature is anticipated to arrange a special session to allocate $1.25 billion in federal funds for COVID-19 efforts within Wyoming by the end of 2020. Responding sufficiently to COVID-19 and stabilizing afterward will take more than shiny new tech or another commissioned study, which historically have been how Wyoming has gotten by. With COVID-19, its time Wyoming accepts no less than getting the job done.

Rather than telling people and communities to fend for themselves or waiting until people start dying to take more definitive action, getting the job done requires anticipating and addressing citizens needs before they go unmet. With the last budget session, many proposed changes to our healthcare system were rejected with no alternative solutions implemented. A few weeks ago, we did not expand access to healthcare and make it more affordable. Now a pandemic threatens the physical, mental, emotional and financial well-being of our states residents.

Bold leadership is needed to make changes now. Wyoming has shown minimal change through existential economic busts. It may not change during a global health crisis. We would be disappointed if we were to see Wyoming not rise to this occasion. The Wyoming Medical Societys president, Dr. David Wheeler, was unheeded in his repeated public requests for a statewide shelter-in-place order so that Wyomings healthcare systems not be overwhelmed. Communities need robust, accessible and affordable healthcare and social services in order to provide high-quality care and developmental opportunities for people in need. The Wyoming Constitution mandates a balanced budget. History has its eyes on us, and were loath to see Wyoming be a state on its heels. Its time Wyomings elected officials stop kicking the can down the road, listen to our states experts about best public health measures, provide robust support to healthcare and social services and establish sustainable revenue for this infrastructure ,before people increasingly wither in place and needlessly die. If not for you, act for the folks who will have to address unfinished business in the months and years to come. Wyomings future  our future  depends on it.

Jonathan Updike, MD, MPH, is a resident physician from Banner. Tyler Cessor is an executive director in Casper. John Strandholm, PhD, is an assistant professor of economics from Sheridan. Shannon Wilson is a computer science student from Casper. The authors views are their own and do not represent any institution, state agency or federal agency.
Source: Xinhua| 2020-04-19 16:25:18|Editor: huaxia

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BEIJING, April 19 (Xinhua) -- The following are the highlights of China's key technology news from the past week:

AMPHIBIOUS AIRCRAFT

China's independently-developed AG600 large amphibious aircraft has conducted test flights over the sea, according to its developer Tuesday.

It represents a major step forward before the amphibious airplane model conducts its first taking off from the sea surface, which is planned within the year, said the state-owned plane maker Aviation Industry Corporation of China.

Through the test flights, crew members confirmed and familiarized themselves with the airspace and marine environment for the upcoming test flight missions.

AGRICULTURAL RESEARCH TASKS

The Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences (CAAS) Wednesday launched a number of major research tasks focusing on cutting-edge agricultural science and technology to meet the need of national strategy and modern agricultural development.

About 30 major scientific research tasks will be gradually carried out in the coming three years to help ensure national food security and agricultural ecological environment safety, said Ren Tianzhi, head of the Department of Research Management of CAAS.

5G IN XINJIANG

The communication operators in northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region will spend nearly 1.44 billion yuan (about 204 million U.S. dollars) on building 4,010 5G base stations this year.

The technology will be first applied in the industrial parks and tourist sites across the region, according to the regional communications administration.

By the end of this year, the number of 5G base stations in Xinjiang will reach 4,528, including 2,212 in Urumqi.

INTRAVITAL IMAGINE

Researchers from China and the United States have developed a system to achieve real-time observation of developing mouse embryos.

Researchers from Xi'an Jiaotong University, Duke University and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology reported in the journal Science that they implanted an imaging window to the mouse uterus to visualize the developing embryo from embryonic day 9.5 to birth.

The technology, called intravital imaging, allows the observation of the biological process in live animals at a high resolution. Enditem
Siddhanta Mishra By

NEW DELHI: The Delhi government on Saturday included police, firemen and civil defence officials in the Corona Warrior Martyr Scheme which provides a cover of Rs 1 crore to government officials who lose their lives while fighting the pandemic. Earlier, this scheme was restricted to only health workers.



We have decided that this scheme will be extended. There are other people too who are looking after corona patients  police, civil defence volunteers, teachers. If any of these individuals contract coronavirus and dies because of it their families will be provided Rs 1 crore, said Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal.



Kejriwal also said that in some COVID-19 containment zones people are not following social distancing guidelines strictly, which is worrying. While the number of containment zones has increased to 71 areas in the national capital, it has been observed by authorities that some people within these areas are not maintaining social distance which is proving to be a major headache for them.



In these containment zones, nobody can go inside or come outside. My appeal to all is that people within these containment zones should not visit each others house or come out of their own house. I am worried because people within some containment zones are not properly following the guidelines of social distancing. My appeal to all of you is that you should not be under this illusion that you will not be affected by COVID-19.

This virus is above any religion, caste, gender and it can happen to anyone and everybody has the same kind of vulnerability towards coronavirus infection, added the CM. As per the norms cent per cent lockdown is to be followed in containment zones, where no public movement is allowed and essentials such as food and medicines are provided door to door. The government officials take care of all the needs of essential services for the people. Entry and exits are also sealed.
Delhi on Sunday reported 110 new Covid-19 positive cases taking the total number of coronavirus cases in the national capital to 2,003 and breaching the 2000-mark, according to Delhi government data.

.A total of two deaths have been reported today and 45 people have died of the infectious disease in the national capital so far.

Taking into account 31 cases in an extended family in Jahangirpuri, which emerged over the weekend; Delhi saw a sharp spike in its total number of coronavirus positive cases, taking the count of positive patients to 2,003.

After Maharashtra, the national capital is the worst-hit in the Covid-19 pandemic.

Of the total 45 deaths reported till date, 25 of the victims were aged 60 and above and were senior citizens, the data indicated.

Ten coronavirus patients who succumbed to the disease were aged between 50-59 and 10 were aged less than 50 years, officials said.

A total of 83 people have been cured and discharged from Delhi hospitals in the last 24 hours, according to the Delhi Health Bulletin. Among the total patients, 290 were cured and discharged so far while one has migrated.

According to the health report, among the total cases, 1,080 patients are Positive cases under Special Operations, with no new addition in the last four days.

A total of 12,151 people are home quarantined across the city.

So far, Delhi has declared 79 containment zones across the city. Containment zones, also known as red zones, are the areas sealed by the district administrations after at least three coronavirus cases are found in the locality.

On Saturday night, the number of cases of the deadly virus in the city stood at 1,893 including 43 deaths.

With two more fatalities reported, the death toll from the Covid-19 disease in Delhi has jumped to 45.
Latest News Sydney property prices might not drop yet, as planning problems persist NSW planning approvals have fallen off a cliff since October, showing that the supply crisis might yet continue

The key trends for property investment in 2022 analysed The key trends for property investment in 2022 analysed, with rentvesting and borderless investing likely to surge

The impact of the increase in scheduled auction volumes following the Easter weekend slump was minimised by nearly 50% of the results coming back as having been withdrawn, according to CoreLogic data.

While 1,848 capital city homes were scheduled for auction this weekend as compared to the Easter period when just 634 homes were taken to auction, 50% of all results from this weekend were recorded as being withdrawn in the initial results collected.

Further, the new policies banning onsite auctions and inspections will continue to impede activity across the auction market, with low confidence and uncertain circumstances likely to see fewer vendors opting for auctions as their preferred method of sale with each subsequent week.

CoreLogic noted the number of auction results collected at a preliminary stage have been lower than usual as the status of scheduled auctions needs to be confirmed.

At this stage, the data shows that of the 356 properties that reported a sold result of the 1,848 scheduled for auction this weekend, 64% sold prior to the auction date.

In Melbourne, 73.2% of the successful auctions were sold prior to the scheduled auction date. Overall, 53% of auctions were withdrawn from the market.

The clearance rate was also skewed lower by a large proportion of withdrawn auctions in Sydney, with half of the results collected this week reported as being withdrawn.

Of the auctions that were successful, 60.2% were sold prior to the scheduled auction event.

Across the other cities, Canberra performed best with a 66.7% preliminary success rate and the lowest rate of withdrawn auctions at 25%.
It's the brew the nation always turns to in times of crisis  but now even the great British cuppa is coming under threat from the coronavirus.

Lockdowns in the world's biggest tea-producing regions are threatening global supplies, which means the cost of the daily brew is set to rise.

Buyers are scrambling to secure stocks of tea leaves as the pandemic strikes plantations in Kenya, the UK's largest tea supplier, and other African countries. It has already hit major producers in India, Sri Lanka and Malaysia.

Stock image of black tea in a cup and dried leaves on wooden background

Connoisseurs of premium teas such as Darjeeling face the biggest increases. Already the first harvest of those leaves has been missed, and prices for the fragrant 'champagne of teas' could quadruple.

But industry sources say that even an everyday packet of 40 tea bags could rise in price from an average of 1.35 to 1.40 at the supermarket.

When a strike hit Darjeeling supplies two years ago, market prices went up from 30 per kilogram to 150. 'We would expect to see the same level of increase if coronavirus affects tea harvests in the coming months,' one expert predicted.

Richard Smith, owner of the Kent and Sussex Tea and Coffee Company, said: 'This is a nervous time for the market. It is highly likely the chaos of coronavirus will affect the everyday price of a cup of tea.'

Dave Walsh, manager of Farrer's tea and coffee merchants in Cumbria, added: 'There has been some hysteria among traders and we are being watchful at the moment.'

And Jane Pettigrew, director of the UK Tea Academy, said: 'If tea production is hit by coronavirus, it will affect everyone in the industry.'

Kenya, which exports more than 62,000 tons of tea a year to the UK, is currently in lockdown although shipments are still leaving the port of Mombasa.

A farm worker harvests tea leaves using shears at a plantation in Kenya's Kericho highlands, Kericho county, in Kenya

About 100million cups of tea are consumed in the UK each day and, after a sharp increase in sales since the lockdown, companies are anxious to keep up with demand.

The effect of the latest price rise might be cushioned as many firms had already stockpiled before Brexit. Big brands tend to keep at least six months of stock while smaller firms work on a 16-week turnaround.

Tetley said it did not envisage any short-term interruption to supply but was monitoring developments. Unilever, which owns PG Tips, Liptons and Twinings, did not respond to a request for comment.

The warning comes ahead of a bid to set a world record for the largest virtual tea party on Tuesday to raise money for the Guide Dogs charity, backed by actor Martin Clunes.
Salma Hayek was once told by a director to 'sound dumber and speak faster.'

The Like a Boss actress recalled the incident while talking about the lessons she once learned from an old acting teacher in an interview with Total Film magazine.

Though she said the teacher inspired her to be passionate about every 'single detail' when she was still learning her craft back in Mexico, Salma, 53, admitted that lots of directors 'don't let her' exercise those talents.

Rude: Salma Hayek was once told by a director to 'sound dumber and speak faster.' She's seen at January's Golden Globes above

'Unfortunately, I never had a lot of chances to do parts where I could use a lot of the things I learned,' she lamented.

'Or you learn them and they don't let you.'

'I've had directors say to me, "Dumber and faster. Sound dumber and speak faster!"'

Still she was grateful for the mentor, who she said 'taught me so many wonderful things aside from acting.'

'You could never miss a class,' she recalled.

Inspired: She said an acting teacher she had when she was younger inspired her to be passionate about every 'single detail.' The starlet is seen back in 1996 above

'One time, one of the people in the class didn't come and showed up after three days with a paper from the doctor.

'He came over to him and said, "Is that your death certificate?"

'He said, "No."

'And he said, 'You can walk out and never come back.

'If you're doing theater, will you go to the audience and say you were sick?' the teacher asked. 'You were not sick enough.

'If you were in the hospital, I'd understand, but two days in bed ... don't show up with that paper to my class. This is not a joke.

Learning experience: she was grateful for the mentor, who she said 'taught me so many wonderful things aside from acting.' She's seen at February's Academy Awards above

'You are either committed to this class or you don't belong here.'

'I remember I was doing this one play.

'I started sweeping and he stopped and said, 'Sit down - you're not coming up here for two weeks because you don't sweet correctly.

'You have to do the research about every single detail. You have to love every single prop.'

Salma most recently appeared in The Roads Not Taken opposite Javier Bardem. Next she will star in the action-adventure comedy The Hitman's Wife's Bodyguard along with Ryan Reynolds, Morgan Freeman, Samuel L. Jackson and Antonio Banderas.
Former Karnataka Chief



Minister H D Kumaraswamy on Sunday thanked Chief Minister B S Yediyurappa for backing his family regarding his son Nikhil s wedding, which drew flak for allegedly violating lockdown norms.

Asserting that social distancing was maintained during the wedding, the JD(S) leader in a series of tweets hit out at those accusing his family of violating lockdown norms, by stating that they were doing it out of "political hate".

"Despite maintaining social distancing and following rules during Nikhil's marriage, there are discussion that norms were not followed.

Because of political hate, poisonous comments are being made about an auspicious event, but Chief Minister B S Yediyurappa by rejecting all this is standing by the truth," Kumaraswamy said in a tweet in Kannada.

He said, "heartfelt thanks to Yediyurappa for his statement that a big political family in the state has conducted the marriage ceremony in a simple way."



Nikhil, the grandson of former prime minister H D Deve Gowda, entered wedlock on Friday at a Bidadi farmhouse with Revathi, the grandniece of former Congress minister M Krishnappa.

On the day of the marriage several posts on social media, also media reports had criticised the Gowda family for violating locdown norms and social distancing during the event.

Coming to the defence of Gowda family, Yediyurappa in response to a question on Saturday told reporters "They (family) had all the permissions and the event was held in a simple fashion. There's no need to discuss this.

"Despite having many relatives, they stuck to the limitations. For this, I congratulate them," he had said.

Stating that lockdown rules were followed during Nikhil's marriage, Kumaraswamy said, "By looking for politics in Nikhil's marriage, certain faulty minds on social media are spewing venom that is in their mind."



Gowda family had scaled down Nikhil's wedding, which was earlier planned in a 95-acre land near Ramanagara with a lavish set, with lakhs of party workers and well-wishers in attendance, followed by a grand reception in Bengaluru.

Nikhil has acted in couple of Kannada films in the lead role.

He had contested the 2019 Lok Sabha polls from the party bastion of Mandya and had lost against multilingual actress Sumalatha Ambareesh, an independent candidate supported by BJP, in a bitterly contested polls.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Students taking group class online at U.S. Kuo Shu Academy During these unprecedented times, we are doing our best to help kids, parents, and families keep some form of normalcy by helping them stay active, engaged, and entertained, says 7th degree black sash Michael Huang, Head Instructor of USKSA.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

CONTACT

Ian Chisholm

Director of Kung Fu

410-852-0324 ichisholm@uskuoshu.com

Martial Arts Goes Online: U.S. Kuo Shu Academy Offers Virtual Lessons During the Coronavirus Shutdown

U.S. Kuo Shu Academy Launches Virtual USKSA, an Online Martial Arts and Leadership Training Platform for Kids and Families

OWINGS MILLS, MD: Hundreds of kids and families have signed up for Virtual USKSA, an online, interactive martial arts program that allows students to train from home during the COVID-19 shutdown. The program is free of charge to current students, and U.S. Kuo Shu Academy (USKSA) is offering two free weeks of online lessons to new students.

During these unprecedented times, we are doing our best to help kids, parents, and families keep some form of normalcy by helping them stay active, engaged, and entertained, says 7th degree black sash Michael Huang, Head Instructor of USKSA.

Parents are on board. "When the world got flipped upside-down, US Kuo Shu stepped up! Virtual classes have been great for keeping my daughter and I motivated, energized, and on track. Thank you for helping keep the community safe! says Mr. Justin Weeber of Owings Mills, following an online class.

The USKSA platform includes video tutorials of kung fu forms and technique combos, live virtual sash-rank classes, fitness challenges, leadership lessons, and homework. There are also Mat Chats on teamwork and keeping up a positive attitude at home. Students also participate in Reading with an Instructor, which includes related quizzes for kids.

Our goal is to make a positive impact for our students, says Huang. The platform is designed to mirror our comprehensive curriculum that focuses not just on physical fitness, but the mental and emotional aspects as well.

Students are on board. Ms. Shelly Henriquez-Neill gave praise for the recent conversion to interactive training. "The best thing about doing online classes is that we are able to practice social distancing without being socially distant. USKSA is not just a great martial arts school, it's a great community of genuinely caring people. Being able to find an instantly effective way to preserve that community and keep us all connected while training and maintaining our practice has been awesome!"

We want to focus on the solution and make lemonade out of lemons, says Huang. This is about supporting our community.

U.S. Kuo Shu Academy has been teaching Chinese martial arts since 1973. 7th degree black sash Michael Huang, a Maryland native, has been supporting the school since he was a kid. The schools, located in Marriottsville and Owings Mills, teach self-defense and a curriculum based on the Tien Shan Pai system first taught to Michael Huang by his father Grandmaster Huang, Chien Liang, Maker of Champions, Builder of Character. Learn more at freevirtualmartialarts.com.
Police and public officials keep issuing warnings to stay home amid the coronavirus pandemic and not gather in groups, but some New Jersey residents continue to not listen.

Attorney General Gurbir S. Grewal and Colonel Patrick J. Callahan, Superintendent of the New Jersey State Police, announced more charges against people who have violated Gov. Phil Murphys Executive Order 107 which prohibits large gatherings and requires residents to remain at home with limited exceptions.

One of the incidents happened on Friday in Tom River when a kitesurfer got caught in rough water off of Normandy Beach.

Police and rescue were called to the beach and found the man in distress about 50 yards off the shore as strong winds and current pulled him further out to sea, authorities said.

Local fire department rescue crews and another surfer were able to reach Geoffrey T. Vonderlinden, 51, of Basking Ridge and bring him safely back ashore. However, that did not stop police from charging him with violating the governors emergency orders.

CORONAVIRUS RESOURCES: Live map tracker | Businesses that are open | Homepage

Many miles away on the same day, police broke up a party at an Airbnb rental in Jersey City with 15 people in attendance, officials said.

Isaiah M. George, 33, Jabril Corley, 28, both of Jersey City, and Megan Stoddart, 29, of Howell, were charged by the Jersey City Police with violating the emergency orders, authorities said.

Corley and another man, Marc Y. Bruny, 33, of Jersey City, were also charged with disorderly conduct.

The people charged strictly with violating the emergency orders and who do not face more serious charges were charged by summons and were not arrested, according to a statement from Grewal and Callahan. Their cases will be adjudicated in municipal court.

Violations of the emergency orders constitute a disorderly persons offense carrying a potential sentence of up to six months in jail and a fine of up to $1,000, officials said.

Law enforcement and medical professionals are on the frontlines of this battle to protect the citizens of New Jersey from the COVID-19 virus, and we cannot stress enough how important it is that each person follow the guidelines set forth in the Executive Order, Callahan said. Because lives are at stake, enforcement action will be taken without hesitation against those who are blatantly placing the lives of others at risk.

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 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.
A sex trafficking survivor serving life in an Ohio prison for murder is set to be released after Kim Kardashian campaigned for her freedom.

Ohio Gov Mike DeWine on Friday commuted the sentence of Alexis Martin, who was 15 years old when she was convicted of plotting a robbery that resulted in the death of the man who trafficked her.

Martin, now 22 and five years into her life sentence, wrote to Kardashian pleading for help after the reality star helped secure the release of another inmate, Alice Marie Johnson, in 2018.

Kardashian, a fierce advocate for prison reform, drew attention to Martin's case by featuring her in her documentary 'Kim Kardashian: The Justice Project', which aired on Oxygen earlier this month.

Alexis Martin was sentenced to life in an Ohio prison for murdering her sex trafficker when she was 15 years old. The 22-year-old (pictured) was granted clemency on Friday, weeks after Kim Kardashian featured her case on her documentary: 'Kim Kardashian: The Justice Project'

In the Kardashian documentary, which aired earlier this month on Oxygen, Martin describes how she ended up behind bars for the murder of her pimp in November 2013, when she was 15

Less than two weeks later, Martin's prayers were answered as DeWine announced that she was among the seven inmates for whom he would grant clemency amid the coronavirus pandemic.

'The facts of her case are particularly, particularly unique,' the governor said, noting that Martin would be released to supervision at a group home.

Kardashian applauded the news on Twitter, writing: 'Alexis Martin is a sex traffic survivor and I was honored to be able to share her story on the Justice Project.

'Thank you Governor DeWine for commuting her sentence. @GovMikeDeWine.'

Lawyers who have been working to free Martin for the past two years also praised the decision.

'This is a brilliant young person who gets to live her life,' said Sasha Naiman, a lawyer for the nonprofit Ohio Justice & Policy Center who campaigned for Martin's release alongside Jennifer Kinsley, a private lawyer working pro bono.

DeWine on Friday announced that he was granting clemency to Martin and six other inmates, due in part to the coronavirus crisis

Kardashian applauded the news about Martin's release on Twitter

Martin explained her case to Kardashian during a meeting depicted in the Oxygen documentary.

She described how she was arrested at age 15 for aggravated murder for allegedly killing her pimp after suffering from years of sexual abuse beginning when she was nine.

Martin was born in Akron, Ohio, to parents with serious substance abuse issues. Her mother lost custody of Martin and her siblings several times while being jailed for drug trafficking.

Kardashian listened intently as Martin told how she did odd jobs at aged 11 to help pay the bills and then was molested by her mother's husband.

She revealed that she was raped four times starting at age nine - and that one attacker who raped her from ages nine to eleven was found not guilty despite semen being found in her panties.

'That breaks my heart, people shouldn't have to go through that. You called out for help from the authorities and people who could've protected you and they didn't,' Kardashian said after hearing the harrowing details.

Martin explained her case to Kardashian during a meeting depicted in the Oxygen documentary aired on April 5

Kardashian expressed heartbreak at Martin's experience and vowed to help get her out of jail

Martin then recounted how she got mixed up with drug dealer Angelo Kerney - who she claims raped her and began sex trafficking her when she was 14.

She said Kerney asked her to carry his drugs and guns from state to state while also renting her out to clients.

'I did like weird jobs that paid a lot. This guy came and he wanted me to wear a Hannah Montana nightgown with two pigtails. And while he had sex with me I was supposed to push him and scratch him and tell him, ''Oww daddy, you're hurting me'',' Martin said.

She said that when she refused sex work that Kerney would beat her and threaten to traffick her little sister.

In November 2013, Martin hatched a plan to rob Kerney at his home so she could get away from him.

She was in another room having sex with Kerney's brother, Alecio Samuel, when two of her accomplices, Travaski Jackson and Deshaun Spear, broke into the house and shot both brothers, killing Kerney and wounding Samuel.

Martin was convicted of murder in the death of Angelo Kerney (pictured), whom she claimed raped her and began sex trafficking her when she was 14

Martin's mother, Crystal Bowers, spoke in the Oxygen documentary about the moment she received a call from a detective who said her daughter was wanted for murder.

The mother said she blamed Kerney for leading her daughter to the lifestyle that ended with her in prison.

Prosecutors pushed to have Martin tried as an adult, despite her age and the circumstances that surrounded the crime.

She ultimately accepted a plea deal that included a life sentence with parole eligibility after 21 years.

Attorney Jennifer Kinsley, who took up Martin's case in 2018, also spoke in the documentary, revealing that the teen 'literally had nobody' when they first met.

Kinsley and a team of lawyers sought an appeal under a safe harbor law designed to help victims of sex trafficking.

When Kardashian caught wind of their efforts, she offered to help with Martin's upcoming clemency hearing and to write a letter to the parole board.

In the documentary she said she felt it was 'extremely important' for a judge to consider the circumstances that lead a person to commit a crime.

She also said she was touched by the efforts Martin has made to better herself behind bars - including mentoring other women who were sexual trafficking survivors and obtaining her GED.

'Every time I've brought up a sex trafficking case, there always seems to be some huge hurdle because there's no law in place that protects these children,' Kardashian said.

'The system will take on the case and try them as adults, and to me, that is so broken  no one is protecting them.'

Martin is one of nearly two dozen inmates Kardashian has helped release in the past two years. The socialite is seen at a press event for Kim Kardashian West: The Justice Project' in January

Martin is one of nearly two dozen inmates Kardashian has helped gain freedom.

Her foray into criminal justice reform began in 2018 when she petitioned President Donald Trump about Alice Marie Johnson, a 63-year-old grandmother who served 21 years in a Tennessee prison for a non-violent drug offense.

Since then Kardashian has been involved in a number of release campaigns, including for former sex slave Cyntoia Brown and nonviolent drug offender Jeffrey Stringer.

She also reportedly secretly funded a criminal justice campaign called the Buried Alive Project, which helped free 17 inmates who had been handed huge jail sentences for low-level drug offenses.
Beyonce warned the coronavirus was having a disproportionate impact on black Americans (Ian West/PA)

Beyonce warned the coronavirus was having a disproportionate impact on black Americans as she made an appearance during the One World: Together At Home concert.

The pop superstar paid tribute to medical staff who have been putting their lives at risk during the global pandemic, describing them as true heroes.

She singled out those in the food industry, delivery workers, mail carriers and sanitation employees and thanked them for their selfless service.

Expand Close Beyonce appeared on the One World: Together At Home and warned of coronaviruss impact on black Americans (PA Wire) / Facebook

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Whatsapp Beyonce appeared on the One World: Together At Home and warned of coronaviruss impact on black Americans (PA Wire)

Beyonce then highlighted the deadly impact of Covid-19 in Americas black communities, after several states and cities released worrying data earlier this week.

She said: Black Americans disproportionately belong to these essential parts of the workforce that do not have the luxury of working from home. African-American communities at large have been severely affected in this crisis.

Those with pre-existing conditions are at an even higher risk. This virus is killing black people at an alarmingly high rate here in America.

Beyonce then cited statistics from her home city of Houston, Texas, that showed 57% of fatal Covid-19 cases are African-American.

She added: Please protect yourselves. We are one family and we need you, we need your voices and your abilities and your strength all over this world.

I know its very hard but please be patient, stay encouraged, keep the faith, stay positive and continue to pray for our heroes. Good night, and God bless you.

Video of the Day

The One World: Together At Home concert was curated by Lady Gaga to support the Covid-19 Response Fund, set up by the UN Foundation.

Other stars to feature included Sir Paul McCartney, The Rolling Stones and Taylor Swift.
Experts are blaming globalisation for the spread of Covid-19. (By the way, I have absolutely no idea why in Spanish 'el virus', which is masculine, has suddenly mutated and become feminine as in 'la' Covid-19, but that's something we can investigate when this is all over).

Travel, whether for leisure or for business, is the nerve of globalisation. Then of course there is the phenomenon of migration, which also involves matters such as finance and travel, but that doesn't get mentioned nearly as often, especially in the press.

There are many human stories being told about the pandemic, and I take a special interest in those that serve as a lesson in life and arise out of paradoxes. For example, the "angels" that "saved the life" of British prime minister Boris Johnson, nurses Luis and Jenny, who, we learned, are from Portugal and New Zealand, respectively.

The British have always been great travellers, just like the Portugese, maybe because of their past as conquerers and colonisers of lands across the seas, including the New Zealand of the Maoris.

Of these two nurses Luis, the Portuguese, has received the most attention. It is worth bearing in mind that with Brexit in full force, the nurse from a small village near Porto would not have found it easy to work in the UK, where he arrived in 2014.

The fact that Johnson won the election and became prime minister because of his campaign for hard Brexit makes this a story with a moral. He now owes his life to the free movement of workers in the EU, something he so vociferously opposed.

The same thing applies to his alter ego DonaldTrump, who has had to bow his head and ask for help from foreign doctors and undocumented workers in the fight against Covid-19, those who until just one month ago he was pursuing relentlessly to throw them out of the country. Both used an unscrupulous populist nationalism for their own political ends.

Someone around here should take note.
THE remains of eight soldiers who were killed in an encounter with Abu Sayyaf rebels in Sulu were brought to Manila and accorded traditional military honors by ranking military officials upon arrival at the Villamor Airbase in Pasay City on Saturday evening, April 18.

The remains of three other soldiers who were also slain in the same encounter were brought to their families in Mindanao and Visayas.

The 11 soldiers were killed in an encounter with the Abu Sayyaf Group in Patikul, Sulu on April 17. Fourteen other soldiers were wounded.

They were 1st Lieutenant Rogelio Deligero Jr., Staff Sergeant Jayzon Gazzingan, Corporal John Michael Manodom, Corporal Jomar Ninalga, Corporal Rasul Ao-as, Corporal Mark Dexter Montenegro, Corporal Ernesto Bautista Jr., Private First Class Jomel Pagulayan, Private First Class Premark Vallecer, Private First Class Benson Bongguic and Private Jiydon Usman.

Lieutenant General Cirilito Sobejana, Western Mindanao Command (WestMinCom) chief, said the soldiers were brutally killed.

"These brave soldiers had left us physically but their heroism will remain in our hearts forever," Sobejana said in a statement.

"We pray for the eternal repose of their souls and for strength for the bereaved families," he added.

The Armed Forces of the Philippines has vowed to provide assistance and benefits to the families of the fallen soldiers.

Security operations have continued amid the governments battle against the coronavirus disease (Covid-19) epidemic in the country.

Sustain po yung ginagawa nating security operations. Ito nga to front nga yung in-address natin ngayon while we support local government units and the other agencies of the government in the fight against the COVID-19, Sobejana said.

Itong mga Abu Sayyaf, they continue sowing terror, he added.

Among those who rendered traditional arrival honors for the soldiers were Defense Secretary Delfin Lorenzana, AFP Chief of Staff Felimon Santos Jr., Philippine Army Commanding General Gilbert Gapay and Philippine Air Force Commanding General Allen Paredes.

Malacanang, the Philippine National Police and local government units condemned the attack staged by the Abu Sayyaf. (SunStar Philippines)
While everyone is busy focusing on handling measures against the coronavirus, seafaring robbers have taken advantage and hijacked ships and stole equipment.

However, this is not the first that this happened since the COVID-19 was declared a pandemic. Just in the previous week, some armed pirates attacked several ships in the same area at the Gulf of Mexico, and authorities have suggested that the same gang might have done all these.

Offshore 70 nautical miles from the coast of Puerto Dos Bocas, an Italian-owned supply vessel, REMAS, was seen defenseless against an armed robbery by three pirates who hijacked the ship. Two of the crew members were injured, and the security camera recorded most of what happened.

READ: Latin America Experiencing Numerous Challenges During the Pandemic





Security footage

From the footage from the security cameras in Remas, three masked men with firearms are gesturing at three of the unarmed crew. Without many options, one of them kneeled in front of the suspects. The assault was, however, not recorded in the video.



The suspects were said to have fired shots and took the crew as hostages to subdue resistance.

Not soon after, two of them suffered brutal blows that resulted in bruises, particularly on the head. The crew reported some of their belongings were robbed from them afterward, and then the suspects proceeded to steal the ship's navigation and communication equipment. Authorities believed these were popular in the black market.

This makes it the second time pirates attacked Remas. However, earlier this April, eight-armed suspects approached the ship, but the attempt was blotched.

Apparently, for crime in the sea, no procedures of prevention will be enough to stop the assaults by pirates. After this series of raids, the International Maritime Organization, or IMO, may declare the Campeche Sound as a legitimate piracy zone.

ALSO READ: Masks Are Now Mandatory in Mexico, Street Vendors Take Advantage





Series of sea robberies

Remas is only one of five other ships that were hijacked in a series of robberies by pirates. Authorities suspect they may be from the same group since these transpired days after one another in the same area.

Among the other ships attacked by a mob of sea criminals in the last month is the Mexican vessel Remington, the Panamanian ship Sapura 3500, and Vanuatu's Achiever.

Last April 10, Dryad Global, a maritime intelligence agency, explained that the Gulf of Mexico is still considered a stable nautical route, and suggested that recent reports of piracy activities might just be a product of underreporting.

Because the Gulf of Mexico was close to Pemex, the state-owned oil company in Mexico, Dryad said pirates might have always been lurking in the region.

"Despite the low risk, piracy incidents can be violent, often involving weapons and firearms with a willingness to shoot and intimidate. Despite the recent reporting, it is assessed that the Gulf of Mexico continues to present a low-risk trading option for commercial vessels.

READ NEXT: Mexico's Triumph Over OPEC+, What Will It Cost?
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Since his 2018 election, Jair Bolsonaro has pushed for opening up the Amazon to mining and making Brazils Indigenous population less like animals in a zoo. Now the government is helping those same communities seal themselves off from the outside world in a bid to hinder the coronavirus.

As the vast state of Amazonas becomes one of Brazils virus hot spots, many Indigenous leaders have blocked the entrances into their territories and, with support from federal police, are preventing passage. The number of COVID-19 cases has continued to climb all the same in those communities, which are spread widely across the country.

Those who live deep in the Amazon are especially vulnerable to coronavirus due to the difficulties inherent in being far from an urban centre. Requirements for maintaining sanitary conditions  including running water and sanitizing supplies  are often lacking and, for some, the closest medical help is an overburdened, ill-equipped hospital days away by boat.

Agents are keeping the communities isolated, distributing portions of pantry goods and doing whatever possible to impede both Indigenous people from leaving their tribes and outsiders from entering the communities, Justice Minister Sergio Moro, who co-ordinates Brazils Indigenous affairs agency, said in a text message Thursday. Government workers who deal directly with Indigenous people are using personal protection equipment such as masks and gloves.

Yet the governments efforts to shield Indigenous people from the worst ravages of the virus contrast with the presidents public disregard for their culture, and his eagerness to integrate them into broader society through, for instance, the introduction of a bill that allows for mining in Indigenous territories.

Emboldened by that stance, wildcat miners and illegal loggers caused deforestation in the Amazon region to jump 51 per cent in the first quarter of this year, compared with the first three months of 2019. That increase happened in part because the government shifted its focus to fighting the pandemic, according to Vice-President Hamilton Mourao. When one runs to one side, the group that wants to commit illegalities takes advantage, he said on Wednesday.

Indigenous leaders worry those wildcatters are bringing the virus closer to their communities, but even medical workers sent to help Indigenous communities have transmitted the illness.

Money intended to help informal workers could also represent a threat to Indigenous communities. In order to cash and spend the 600 real ($161) emergency payment provided by the government over the next three months, eligible members of the community will have to travel to the nearest town, quite possibly by crowded boat, mingling with people along the way and in lines at the banks and grocery stores that offer that service. So far, 23 million Brazilians, including 41,000 Indigenous people, have registered to receive the monthly stipend, nicknamed the coronavoucher.

Even Indigenous traditions regarding the dead are now a challenge. In the case of death from coronavirus, the governments isolation policy undermines grieving and burial rituals, which may include dancing and handling the body before its burned and turned into ashes.

The Yanomami have a ritual for death and burial, Damares Alves, minister for women, family and human rights, told journalists on Monday, referring to the virus-related death of a 15-year-old boy of the Yanomami tribe. How can we explain to the leaders that this body is not going to the village?

Brazils 800,000 Indigenous citizens are scattered among 690 territories covering about 13 per cent of Brazils land, almost all of them in the Amazon region. Efforts to demarcate their land have often set off violent confrontations, with many being killed by land grabbers in far-flung locations, sometimes out of the governments sight.

Most of Brazils cases of COVID-19 have been reported in the southeastern states of Sao Paulo and Rio de Janeiro. But more than 2,000 miles away, Amazonas has become a hot spot for the outbreak. With more than 1,800 cases and 145 deaths reported there, the hospitals of Manaus, the states capital, are being overwhelmed by the pandemic.

The principal Manaus hospital where COVID-19 cases are being treated announced April 10 that it had reached maximum operational capacity. A video filmed in another of the citys hospitals showed covered-up bodies alongside patients. At least 57 health workers have contracted the virus in the state, and on April 8 the state secretary of health was replaced. On April 12, the mayor of Manaus opened an emergency field hospital with 18 beds; it was inaugurated with a prayer.

Even those living in towns  around 60 per cent of Brazils Indigenous population do  face challenges.

They are historically at the back of the line, said Douglas Rodrigues, a doctor with the Preventative Medicine Department of the Federal University of Sao Paulo who has worked with isolated Indigenous communities in the Amazon for more than 50 years. And now that the line is long and the bottleneck is even worse, they will have a very hard time accessing hospitals.

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Facing criticism, President Trump both defended current testing capacity and promised to facilitate more.

President Trump on Sunday said the administration was preparing to use the Defense Production Act to compel an unspecified U.S. facility to increase production of test swabs by over 20 million per month.

The announcement came during his Sunday evening news conference, after he defended his response to the pandemic amid criticism from governors across the country claiming that there has been an insufficient amount of testing to justify reopening the economy any time soon.

We are calling in the Defense Production Act, Mr. Trump said. He added, Youll have so many swabs you wont know what to do with them.

He provided no details about what company he was referring to, or when the administration would invoke the act. And his aides did not immediately respond when asked to provide more details.
We are facing the biggest shock to the global economy in nearly a century and the agency leading the global health response is in crisis. We see threats to de-fund the World Health Organisation in the United States. Australian Foreign Affairs Minister Marise Payne has expressed her reservations and a former ambassador to China, Geoff Raby, is calling for the axing of WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus.

Raby says Ghebreyesus should resign immediately. He accuses him of naivety towards China and giving US President Donald Trump a gift to dismantle the UN system.

World Health Organisation Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus. Credit:Bloomberg

In truth, this is a much bigger story of geopolitics and a long-neglected institution. We blame the captain when we find our modest paddle-steamer unable to weather a hurricane.

The WHO's failings are by design. Singaporean diplomat Bilahari Kausikan says UN organisations work best when they do not work too well: well enough for major powers to find them useful, but not so well that they stymie the interests of those major powers.
A doctor working in a COVID-19



laboratory of the Madhya Pradesh government in Indore on Sunday tested positive for the coronavirus infection, a senior official said.

The doctor is responsible for maintaining details of the samples being tested for the coronavirus infection.

Indore, which has till now reported 890 cases, has been the state's worst hit district with 50 deaths so far.

"A doctor, who was working as a demonstrator in the Physiology Department, was posted in virology laboratory to maintain details related to COVID-19 sample testing. He was found positive for coronavirus," said Dr Jyoti Bindal, Dean, Government Mahatma Gandhi Memorial Medical College (MGMMC).

Dr Bindal clarified that the concerned doctor had nothing to do with the scientific work of examining the samples of patients in the virology laboratory.

"The condition of the doctor is fine. He has been directed to get admitted in hospital," the dean told PTI.

The college staff and others who came in contact with the infected doctor are being quarantined.

A large number of people have been tested for COVID-19 in the virology laboratory.

These include the samples of patients from Indore as well as other districts from western Madhya Pradesh.

In the past, coronavirus infection was also found in a female resident doctor, nurse and some other employees of the Maharaja Yashwantrao Hospital (MYH) which is attached with the MGM Medical College.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Agthia Group, one of the regions leading food and beverages companies, has approved a cash dividend of 15% totalling Dh90 million ($24.5 million) to shareholders at its 15th Annual General Meeting.

The AGM was held on April 16 virtually over video conference.

Among other published and approved agenda items, Agthia announced election results of its board. The groups board members now include, Khalifa Sultan AlSuwaidi, Salmeen Obaid Alameri, Khamis Mohamed Alshamsi, Khalaf Abdulla Alhammadi, Gianluca Fabbri, Saifuddin Rupawala, and Gil Adotevi.

Agthia Group previously reported net profit of Dh137 million, net revenues of Dh2.04 billion and a 2% year-on-year growth in revenue driven by geographic expansion and product category diversification.

The groups consumer-business contributed to Agthias top-line with an increase to 56% versus 54% from the previous year. This increase is driven by the groups 5-gallon Home and Office Delivery (HOD) business in the UAE, along with the food segment, as well as the companys Saudi Arabia and Kuwait operations, the company said.

Agthias Agri-business, which consists of Grand Mills Flour and Agrivita Animal Feed, met market expectation and was driven by the flour business, as volumes recorded strong growth in export sales, retail penetration specifically in the Northern Emirates, as well as wheat trading, it said.

Eng Dhafer Ayed Al Ahbabi, Agthia Group Chairman, said: Agthias 2019 financial results are a positive indicator of the groups relentless ability to preserve leading market share and post an increase in revenues, despite a rather challenging year across the region. This is a testament to the Groups resilience and its strength to uphold shareholder confidence, while continuing to align with the economic diversification agendas of the UAE and the foreign countries in which we operate in.

Eng Jamal Salem Al Dhaheri, Agthia Group Acting CEO, said: Our revenue growth demonstrates Agthias strength, led by our diversified product portfolio and increase in geographic footprint. Despite competitive and aggressive activity in various segments, we continue to lead the market share against a backdrop of price promotions and changing consumer habits.

Al Dhaheri added: Our continued cost optimisation efforts across the entire business and our focus on innovation is part of our commitment to sustainable revenue growth and remains our priority by providing our consumers with trusted quality foods, animal feed and beverages.

Key achievements from Agthia Group in 2019 include the inauguration of the companys new Packaging Technology Centre in Al Ain, which is dedicated to developing more sustainable packaging technologies and is part of the groups commitment to sustainability.

Agthia also announced the groups sustainability initiatives during Gulfood 2019 where it launched its new innovative product Al Ain Zero Bromate, the regions first zero-bromate-branded drinking water, , Al Ain Water Bag-in-Box, also a first in the region, alongside the regions first Vitamin D fortified flour, Grand Mills Vitamin D. - TradeArabia News Service
The leftist mindset apparently cant accept that Americans all over this land spontaneously would rise up in protest over being locked down, impoverished, and denied their civil rights over fears of an epidemic whose effects are heavily concentrated in a few urban areas. No, there must be sinister forces at work, coordinating it all.

Barbara McQaude, professor of Law at the University of Michigan, NBC News analyst, and former US Attorney (a position of incredible power and responsibility) is embracing the theory that Russia is behind the demonstrations in several state capitals protesting the lockdowns:

Mueller found that some 2016 political rallies in US were organized by Russians on social media. These active measures seek to divide and defeat us. Ask yourself who benefits from American deaths when protestors gather during COVID19. https://t.co/LGAjg4OOnx via @detroitnews  Barb McQuade (@BarbMcQuade) April 18, 2020

I wonder of Professor McQaude has asked herself the same question about the Mueller investigation and Crossfire Hurricane? Now, we know there is evidence that Russian disinformation was the basis for obtaining the FISA warrants.

Thats a lot more evidence than the fanciful notion that Idahoans, Michiganders, Wisconsinites, Minnesotans, and other heartland protestors, who are facing personal financial ruin over the arbitrary measures imposed by their governors, needed prompting from Putins minions to turn out and demonstrate.

The fact that this woman was in charge of deciding against whom to bring the mighty weight of the federal government until 2017 is frightening. Ask Roger Stone or General Flynn or Paul Manafort what happens when federal prosecutors decide to go after you.

Meanwhile, her commentator colleague in the NBC News empire, Joy Reid, thinks its not the Russkies, but rather the Confederates that are the puppet masters. Beth Baumann writes at Townhall:

According to MSNBC's Joy Reid and Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison (D), if you're someone who wants to see the economy reopen and get back to work, you must be some sort of Confederate racist. "Black people are being left in a situation where they're more vulnerable by default: less health care, jobs that are hourly, jobs where you're closer to people, stuck working near to each other," Reid said. "When you hear Donald Trump talking in this sort of faux-Confederate language about these lockdown orders  which are meant to save lives  and you see people with these instaprotests, paid for by activists for the super-rich, egging on this kind of activity that could get violent, what does that say to you?" Ellison said Trump is willing to put his supporters' lives on the line "so that he can have advantages like re-election and things like that."

Where is the evidence that the super-rich have paid for the protests? Reid evidently has no understanding of why people would want to demonstrate against arbitrary, unscientific, executive fiats that are destroying their financial loves, and in many cases, the businesses they have spent decades building. The same must go for McQaude, as well.This crisis is exposing the extremist ideology and lunatic paranoia of many members of the ruling class.

Photo credit: Twitter screen grab
M ore than 80 tonnes of personal protective equipment (PPE) are due to arrive in the UK on Sunday, amid fears hospitals could run out of critical supplies.

Communities Secretary Robert Jenrick said a major shipment containing 400,000 gowns is set to arrive in Britain from Turkey before the end of the weekend.

It comes as surgeons join other frontline health workers in being instructed not to risk their health by working without adequate protection.

The Royal College of Surgeons of England (RCS) said it was deeply disturbed that medics could be asked to reuse items or wear different kit when treating Covid-19 patients.

Healthcare staff treating positive patients are advised to wear long-sleeved disposable fluid-repellent gowns but, because of shortages, Public Health England (PHE) changed its guidance on Friday to indicate they could be asked to reuse PPE or wear aprons.

Dozens of NHS trusts have reported critical shortages of PPE / AP

The fear from medics comes as more than 15,000 patients have now died in hospital after testing positive for the disease in the UK, with thousands more deaths expected in care homes.

Professor Stephen Powis, the national medical director of NHS England, told Saturdays Downing Street briefing that it was absolutely critical above everything else that supplies were delivered to the front line so the guidance on on wearing gowns could be followed.

I know Government is working incredibly hard to get those procurements in as you have heard, he said.

But what I hear from my clinical colleagues is that what they need is PPE delivered to the front line to follow the guidance that was agreed with them two weeks ago.

Professor Powis (left) and Communities Secretary Robert Jenrick at Saturday's press briefing / PA

At the same televised conference, Mr Jenrick announced the imminent arrival of a consignment of 84 tonnes of PPE.

He said this shipment included 400,000 gowns  the supply of which NHS Providers, which represents hospital trusts, said on Saturday was now critical.

Supply in some areas, particularly gowns and certain types of masks and aprons, is in short supply at the moment, and that must be an extremely anxious time for people working on the front line, Mr Jenrick said,

But they should be assured that we are doing everything we can to correct this issue, and to get them the equipment that they need.

The guidance from PHE says that long-sleeved disposable fluid repellent gowns should be worn when treating Covid-19 patients.

However, if the gowns are not available, clinical staff have now been advised by the Department of Health to wear disposable, non-fluid repellent gowns or coveralls or washable surgical gowns, with aprons, and to wash their forearms afterwards.

It also says that staff should consider reusing PPE where necessary if supplies are low.

Professor Neil Mortensen, president-elect of the RCS, said the latest advice implied that surgeons may not require adequate PPE, which he called simply unacceptable.

He echoed advice from the Royal College of Nursing (RCN) that says nurses should refuse to treat patients as a last resort if they are not provided with adequate equipment.

If fluid repellent gowns or coveralls are not available, then surgeons should not risk their health, Prof Mortensen said in a statement.

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

In other developments:

 Mr Jenrick said he had made it clear to councils that all parks must remain open.

 It emerged that the Queens birthday will not be marked by gun salutes in what is believed to be a first due to the coronavirus crisis.

 99-year-old Captain Tom Moore has been invited to be guest of honour at the opening of the new Nightingale Hospital in Harrogate next week.

 Councils across England are to be given an extra 1.6 billion in funding to deal with the coronavirus emergency amid fears that services could suffer.

 Tributes have been paid to a British Transport Police detective, a member of police staff in Manchester and a North West Ambulance Service paramedic, who have all died after contracting Covid-19.

 The Foreign Office announced four charter flights from Bangladesh to the UK, repatriating up to 850 Britons.

A total of 15,464 patients have died in hospital after testing positive for coronavirus in the UK as of 5pm on Friday, the Department of Health said. This is up by 888 from 14,576 the day before.

The Government has been under fire for weeks over the distribution of PPE, with some frontline staff warning that they have had to work in situations where they feel unsafe.

A British Medical Association (BMA) survey of more than 6,000 doctors across the country said a significant amount of them remain without the protection they need to guard against Covid-19.

It echoed another survey of 14,000 medical staff by the RCN, which found half of nurses have felt pressure to work without appropriate protective equipment during the crisis.

Saffron Cordery, deputy chief executive of NHS Providers  which represents hospital trusts, said on Saturday that the supply of clinical gowns was critical, calling it an extremely worrying situation.

The absolute priority is for frontline staff to be able to feel safe and have access to the best possible PPE available, she said in a statement.

Trust and national leaders have been working around the clock to secure supplies of gowns, but the stock is just not yet available in the quantities needed.
WILLIAMSPORT-The state Supreme Court has disbarred a Lycoming County attorney serving a 3- to 8-year state prison sentence in a child pornography case.

Fridays order was anticipated because James R. Protasio, 67, had submitted his resignation from the bar acknowledging he could not because of his conviction successfully defend himself against the charge of professional misconduct.

Hundreds of images of child pornography were found in Protasios office in a garage behind his Cogan Station area home when a search warrant was executed on May 3, 2018.

Also discovered was a computer actively running BitTorrent, a network used to share child pornography.

Protasio, an attorney since 1978, pleaded guilty to 11 counts of sexual abuse of children, possession of child pornography.

Besides the jail term, the sentence imposed in November by Potter County Senior Judge John B. Leete included a $10,000 fine and 15 years of registration under Megans Law.

Leete went along with the plea agreement on the prison sentence but called it really minimal referring to 51 counts originally against former county conflicts attorney.

READ: Coronavirus silver lining: Crime and crashes plummet across Pa.
As the familiar pips signalled the opening of Radio 4s Today programme at dawn on Friday, the main story on the bulletin was astonishing: The boss of an NHS trust has asked the BBC to put him in touch with a fashion company making protective gowns because he fears he is about to run out.

Over on BBC TVs Breakfast, the same story led its bulletins too. This time a major NHS trust had contacted the BBC.

For hours, the chilling warning from this leading NHS figure was plastered across the BBC website and repeated every half-hour on the airwaves. But then it simply disappeared.

Blunder: Presenter Sarah Smith, above, announced the BBCs false news story over Barbour PPE. Last night, a major internal inquiry was under way amid a growing fake news row

By Friday evening, the BBC would be forced into a humiliating climbdown, clarifying that their anonymous NHS trust boss was no such thing. The story was a fabrication.

Last night, a major internal inquiry was under way amid a growing fake news row, with senior Tories contacting BBC Director-General Lord Hall to condemn the misleading coverage.

A senior Conservative source hit out at the slapdash piece of reporting and accused the BBC of failing to carry out the most basic checks. One BBC figure admitted the story a f*** up.

And Ministers have attacked the Corporations failure to apologise for the blunder  a clarification was put online and played during yesterdays Today programme, but no apology has been forthcoming.

On Thursday evening, Simon Browning  who BBC sources described last night as a junior reporter but whose title is actually senior business journalist  claimed he had been contacted by the boss of a major NHS trust in southern England in a desperate bid to contact fashion firms Burberry and Barbour, which are helping to make personal protective equipment for the NHS. He took to Twitter with the boast in a now-deleted post. This senior director, Browning claimed, wished to remain anonymous, but he feared his trust would run out of protective gowns within hours.

By Friday morning, BBC News editors had made the claim their lead story, with Browning appearing on air to talk about his scoop.

But it was the word director that piqued the attention of experts  NHS trusts do not have directors, rather chief executives.

In Westminster and at the BBC, questions were being raised about the story, and it was already being widely mocked on social media.

Simon Browning claimed he had been contacted by the boss of a major NHS trust in southern England in a desperate bid to contact fashion firms Burberry and Barbour

One senior Whitehall figure told the MoS: As soon as I heard it, I knew it sounded fishy.

Mr Brownings report was played across BBC TV news, radio and online, with the anonymous NHS boss accusing Health Secretary Matt Hancock of fantasy claims.

But Twitter users were quick to point out that if a well-remunerated NHS chief had to resort to calling the BBC to get a phone number, they were clearly not very good at their vital procurement role.

One user wrote: I got the number in about ten seconds from the Burberry website. Another added: This stinks. Why doesnt the BBC name the trust? And media source said: It was clear this one was going to go south very quickly.

It was also noticeable that the Today programme did not quiz Transport Secretary Grant Shapps about the claims when he appeared on the programme.

What happened in the next few hours remains a mystery, but is understood to be the focus of an BBC inquiry. But the story was already spreading like wildfire among other outlets, with Government critics quick to leap on the incendiary claims.

Left-wing radio host James OBrien told his 650,000 Twitter followers that the NHS boss had shone a light on a shambles.

The BBC last night admitted the story fell well short of its editorial standards but there was further mystery as to why the decision was taken to identify its previously anonymous source  revealing he was not an NHS trust boss.

He was later unveiled by the BBC News At One as senior health expert Paul Durrands. Mr Durrands, who has a doctorate in philosophy and molecular plant pathology, worked at the Department for Health for three years, where, his CV boasts, he led the largest privatisation in NHS history, headlined as a 22 billion deal.

He was later a commercial adviser to the NHS South Central, but left in 2011. Since then he has been the chief operating officer of the Oxford Academic Science Network, a publicly funded innovation exchange.

It is understood he has been helping NHS trusts seek PPE, but is not and has never been a major NHS trust boss. He did not respond to requests for comment last night.

At 7.10am yesterday, BBC newsreader Zeb Soanes repeated the short clarification, saying: On yesterdays programme we reported that the boss of an NHS trust in England had contacted the BBC We should clarify that the person concerned is not the boss of a trust but is a part of a network helping to source PPE for some NHS trusts.

Last night there was mounting fury in government over the BBCs error and its refusal to apologise for the blunder.

One Minister told The Mail on Sunday: It is absolutely disgraceful that this led their coverage all day and they then expect a four-line clarification to be acceptable. The story was wrong and if they were a newspaper they would be ordered to give an apology due prominence.

But as it is the BBC, they just make up their own rules.

Last night Lord Gilbert, chairman of the House of Lords Communications and Digital Committee, said the BBC must not damage trust in the media, adding: Journalists have a vital role reporting from the coronavirus front line and it is important we trust them. Anonymous sources are a stock in trade of political reporting but coronavirus shouldnt be reported in the same way as day-to-day political point-scoring.

During this crisis we need to be sure that anonymous sources have been thoroughly checked and accurately described. Journalists are right to hold Ministers to account but should be looking wider than Whitehall to ensure we learn the lessons of coronavirus.

The BBC said: This clearly did not meet the BBCs editorial standards. We have corrected our error online and on the broadcast outlets where we reported it.
(CNN)  Nearly 400 Rohingya refugees who left Bangladesh by boat nearly two months ago have been rescued at sea, the Bangladesh Coast Guard has said, while confirming that at least 32 people died on the journey.

The group, consisting mostly of women and children, set out in the Bay of Bengal on a large fishing trawler in mid-February, Bangladesh Coast Guard spokesman Hamidul Islam told CNN. They tried to reach Malaysia but were turned back, he said. The rescue took place on Wednesday or Thursday.

At least 32 people died and their bodies were thrown into the sea, Islam said, citing statements from the rescued refugees. "The deaths were due to several causes. Some died due to lack of food while some due to various illnesses," he said.

As the boat reached the Malaysian coast, it was turned back by the country's authorities, Islam said. The overcrowded trawler then traveled to Myanmar and tried to enter twice but was denied entry by the Myanmar navy, according to Islam.

The Malaysian coast guard has not yet responded to CNN's request for comment on Friday.

CNN also reached out on Friday to Myanmar's Foreign Ministry and its embassy in Dhaka, Bangladesh's capital, but has not received a response.

Bangladesh authorities found the trawler in the country's territorial waters late Wednesday  after spending 58 days adrift at sea  off the coast of the southern district of Cox's Bazar.

The spokesman said the rescued refugees, most of whom were starving and dehydrated, had been handed to the United Nations Refugee Agency to be quarantined for 14 days due to coronavirus concerns.

"We understand these men, women and children were at sea for nearly two months in harrowing conditions and that many of them are extremely malnourished and dehydrated," an official with the UN's refugee agency in Bangladesh said in a statement.

It added that the refugees disembarked from a distressed boat near Teknaf on Wednesday, close to the border with Myanmar.

"We dispatched staff to the site Thursday and are seeking further information from local authorities. Our primary concern is for people's immediate health and first aid needs. NGOs and partners on the ground have been providing food and other support overnight," the statement continued.

In early April, Bangladesh imposed lockdown restrictions in Cox's Bazar district, home to refugee camps housing around 1 million Rohingya refugees, in a bid to prevent the spread of coronavirus.

As of April 17, Bangladesh had 2,144 Covid-19 cases with 84 deaths, according to Johns Hopkins University.

Human Rights Watch urged Malaysia to allow Rohingya refugees ashore while putting in place systems to prevent the spread of the coronavirus.

"The Covid-19 pandemic has only intensified the misery of the Rohingya confined in Myanmar and in camps in Bangladesh," said Phil Robertson, deputy Asia director at Human Rights Watch.

"The Malaysian government can both protect against the spread of the virus and ensure that those risking their lives at sea are rescued and given a chance to seek asylum."

This story was first published on CNN.com, "Hundreds of Rohingya refugees rescued after two months at sea."
(Photo : REUTERS/Dado Ruvic/Illustration) The Twitter logo and binary cyber codes are seen in this illustration taken November 26, 2019.

Ending a six-year legal battle, Twitter cannot reveal surveillance requests it received from governments, a federal judge has ruled on Friday, Apr. 17, Reuters reported.

Judge Yvonne Gonzalez Rogers accepted the government's argument. She wrote in her order that Twitter's request to reveal part of its Draft Transparency Report would likely lead to grave or imminent harm to the national security.

In a statement emailed to The Verge on Saturday, Apr. 18, a Twitter spokesperson said the company was "disappointed" with the court's decision but that it would continue to fight for transparency. He adds that "freedom of expression is the cornerstone of why we exist."

"We believe it is vital that the public sees the demands we receive, and how we work to strike a balance between respecting local law, supporting people's ability to Tweet, and protecting people from harm," the statement said.

In 2014, Twitter sued the Justice Department, which hindered the release of its reports in the U.S. District Court for Northern California. In the complaint, Twitter said that current rules prevent it from even stating that it has not received any national security requests for user information.

Twitter argued that free speech rights were being violated since it was barred from revealing the number of government surveillance requests it receives. "This is an important issue for anyone who believes in a strong First Amendment, and we hope to be able to share our complete transparency report," said Twitter. This legal battle spawned over nearly six years, passing through four attorneys general.

"Seriously undermines transparency"

In early 2014, several other companies, including Google and Facebook, reached an agreement with the U.S. government earlier to disclose national security requests in broad numbers. This allows companies to publicly announce the number of FISA requests and national security letters they received as well as the total number of users affected in a certain year.

Yet, Twitter thought that measure was insufficient.

Former Twitter Policy Director Jeremy Kessel wrote that merely allowing Twitter, or any other company, to disclose national security requests within a broad range "seriously undermines the objective of transparency."

In a 2014 press release, Twitter disclosed a 66% increase in requests they received for account information, which impacted over 6,400 accounts worldwide. The requests come from more than 45 countries, but the bulk still came from the U.S. government, which is 59% in the last report. However, both numbers will still have to be reported in bands of 250 or 1000.

Meanwhile, Japan and Saudi Arabia have made 213 and 110 orders, respectively. Most of those requests, however, were not actually honored. The company also encouraged other companies to publish their own transparency reports.

The deal also applies to phone companies. Some companies have recently begun already began reporting law enforcement requests. In January 2014, Verizon released its transparency report that shows over 320,000 requests that they received from the government. The most common category was subpoena, providing the police with metadata and customer information.

Meanwhile, the Electronic Frontier Foundation, a nonprofit group that defends civil liberties online, as well as numerous privacy and free-speech organizations, expressed their disappointment that companies dropped their lawsuit for a little favor.

 2021 TECHTIMES.com All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission.
Police Officers escort Jimmy Lai out of his House on April 18, 2020 in Hong Kong, China. The Hong Kong police have arrested 14 people involved in last years anti-government protest including pan-democrat lawmakers.

Foreign governments criticized the arrest of 15 Hong Kong democracy activists in a police sweep on charges of organizing and participating in anti-government protests last year.

The arrests on Saturday were the biggest crackdown on the city's pro-democracy movement since the outbreak of mass protests last year.

The International Bar Association said the authorities should not encroach on human rights and the legal system must guard against any abuses of power when the world was preoccupied with the coronavirus pandemic.

"The United States condemns the arrest of pro-democracy advocates in Hong Kong," U.S Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said.

"Beijing and its representatives in Hong Kong continue to take actions inconsistent with commitments made under the Sino-British Joint Declaration that include transparency, the rule of law, and guarantees that Hong Kong will continue to 'enjoy a high degree of autonomy,'" he said.

The arrested supporters of the pro-democracy movement included Democratic Party founder and barrister Martin Lee, 81, millionaire publishing tycoon Jimmy Lai, 71, and former lawmaker and barrister Margaret Ng, 72.

Police said those arrested were aged between 24 and 81, and they were detained on charges of organizing and participating in "unlawful assemblies" on Aug. 18 and Oct. 1 and 20 last year.

Major and often violent demonstrations broke out across the former British colony on those days.

They were all due to appear in court on May 18. Police said more arrests were possible.

Some of those arrested were released on bail late on Saturday.

In Britain, a Foreign Office representative said the government expected any arrests and court procedures to be "conducted in a fair and transparent manner."
US May 'Hold China Accountable' After Investigation Into COVID-19 Outbreak Source Completed  Report

Sputnik News

13:34 GMT 18.04.2020

While analysts are now striving to create "an accurate picture of what happened" during the beginning of the coronavirus outbreak, it appears that US officials and the intelligence community have ruled out the possibility of the pathogen being man-made.

It seems that the United States authorities' interest in allegations regarding the origins of the ongoing coronavirus pandemic lying in a virology laboratory in China's Wuhan has now turned into a "full-scale investigation", Fox News reports citing its sources.

According to the media outlet, all information pertaining to the initial COVID-19 outbreak and to the laboratory in question is being gathered by intelligence operatives while analysts are busy "creating an accurate picture of what happened".

When the investigation is completed, which is apparently "expected to happen in the near-term", the findings will be presented to the Trump administration which will then use them "to determine how to hold the country accountable for the pandemic".

US officials and intelligence community have also apparently ruled out the possibility of the coronavirus being man-made, as the genome mapping "specifically shows it was not genetically altered", the media outlet notes.

Instead, the "investigation of open source and classified data" is apparently focused on the work conducted in the lab by a certain Dr. Shi Zhengli, which was related to "antivirals and immunizations for coronavirus, specifically with bats".

Fox News' sources reportedly said that US officials "are 100 percent confident China went to great lengths to cover up after the virus was out", and that the World Health Organization was apparently either complicit in said cover-up or "looked the other way".

 Sputnik

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Employees of Biogen, the company whose managers meeting in February became a super spreader event for coronavirus in Massachusetts, is now asking employees who were infected with COVID-19 to contribute blood samples for a biobank.

Biogen, the Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard and Partners HealthCare announced a consortium that will build and share a COVID-19 biobank.

There were several top managers of Biogen at a late February meeting at the Boston Marriott Long Wharf hotel. The managers, roughly 175, were able to leave Boston and spread the virus without knowing. Cases outside of Massachusetts popped up in connection with the conference including North Carolina, Tennessee and Indiana.

At one point, the Massachusetts Department of Public Health was including the number of COVID-19 cases connected to Biogen in the daily release of statistics.

The biobank will be used for scientists to study blood samples to search for potential vaccines and treatments, according to a news release.

Biogen will help employees who wish to volunteer connect with the project, the company said. The volunteers are among the first people in Massachusetts to be diagnosed with and recover from COVID-19, as well as close contacts of those individuals, including people who were not tested or who may not have had symptoms.

The clustered group of patients with a common exposure could offer valuable information into why some people showed signs of the virus while others were asymptomatic.

A study of the samples also may help researchers understand why some people had more severe symptoms compared to others.

The more than 100 people infected at the Biogen conference have recovered and researchers are looking to examine the blood samples from those recovered patients to evaluate the levels of neutralizing antibodies.

The COVID-19 pandemic has had a very direct, very personal impact on our Biogen community, said Dr. Maha Radhakrishnan, Chief Medical Officer at Biogen, a Cambridge-based company. We are uniquely positioned to contribute to advancing COVID-19 science in an organized and deliberate way so we can all gain a better understanding of this virus. Many Biogen colleagues have been eager to find ways to help others during this pandemic, and it is our hope that this biobank will provide hope and essential information during this difficult time. It is an opportunity to activate and bring together our commitment to science with the needs of humanity, and we are proud to participate.

Partners HealthCare, Massachusetts General Hospital and Brigham and Womens Hospital are coordinating the outreach and sample collection effort from Biogen employees who contracted and have recovered from COVID-19, as well as people identified as close contacts of those individuals, regardless of whether they were confirmed as having COVID-19.

The biobank will create an anonymous medical and biological data set that has the potential to shed light on the biology of the virus and illuminate pathways for potential vaccines, treatments, and other breakthroughs, the press release said.

It will also store frozen samples for possible future research.

Biogen will have the same level of access to the biobank as researchers around the world, which means it will not have access to identifiable information, nor will the company know which employees and close contacts volunteered to participate, the company wrote.

Biogen said the collaboration began when several employees, while recovering from COVID-19, began thinking of ways to help. Company leaders then reached out to several partners in the hospital and biomedical community.

Related Content:
The first shipment of medical equipment, carrying 5.5 million tablets of hydroxychloroquine is currently on its way to the United Arab Emirates (UAE) from India

New Delhi: The first shipment of medical equipment, carrying 5.5 million tablets of hydroxychloroquine - an anti-malarial drug identified by the US Food and Drug Administration as a possible treatment for the COVID-19 - is currently on its way to the United Arab Emirates (UAE) from India and will reach its destination soon.

"Under guidance of UAE leadership, @UAEembassyIndia succeeded in obtaining the approval of the Indian government to export adequate quantities of #Hydroxychloroquine to UAE," the Emirates' Mission in New Delhi said on its Twitter page.

"The first shipment of medicine, currently on its way to the #UAE, includes 5.5 million pills for treatment of patients with #Covid_19. We highly appreciate the cooperation of the Indian government in facilitating the procedures for obtaining the necessary approvals," it said further.

India, the major producer of hydroxychloroquine, has promised to supply the drug to 55 countries, including Bhutan, Bangladesh, Maldives, Sri Lanka, and Myanmar as well. The medication which is being used in COVID-19 therapy has already reached the United States, Afghanistan, Mauritius, Kazakhstan, Brazil, and Seychelles.

Another consignment of hydroxychloroquine is also on the way to Nepal.

Earlier this month, the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare had said that the government has more than enough stock of HCQ for meeting the current requirement. It had said that the Centre has done proper preparation and planning with respect to current and future requirements of the drug.
A four-month-old infant has been



killed and over 180 houses damaged when heavy rains accompanied by hailstorm and gusty wind hit Mizoram, an official said on Sunday.

The official of the state Disaster Management and Rehabilitation department said that about 35 houses were completely damaged and another 148 partially damaged in Aizawl, Saitual and Mamit districts in the rain and storm which hit the state on Saturday evening.

However, the figure could go up as reports from other districts are yet to come, he said.

Official sources said that more than 50 houses were either completely or partially damaged by heavy rains accompanied by gusty wind in several villages or localities within Aizawl East-I assembly constituency.

Chief Minister Zoramthanga, who was elected from Aizawl East-I seat, on Sunday visited the affected villages within his constituency and condoled the victim families.

The official also said that the four-month-old infant was killed in Sairang Village about 21 km from Aizawl and four others were reportedly injured when their houses collapsed in Sesawng and Seling villages respectively.

Sairang Village Council president Vanlalrammawia told PTI that the 4-month-old infant died when a fallen tree hit a house belonging to Bishnu Herman in Sairang's Dinthar locality.

The incident occurred on Saturday evening when the infant's mother was outside the house.

The infant was rushed to Sairang Community Health Centre where he succumbed to his injury, he said.

Vanlalrammawia also said that at least 14 houses were damaged by heavy rains accompanied by violent wind in Sairang and one of them has been completely damaged.

At least 6 houses were completely damaged and 10 others partially damaged at Dampui village in west Mizorams Mamit district on the Mizoram-Tripura-Bangladesh border, Mamit deputy commissioner Dr Lalrozama told PTI.

He said that two families have been evacuated to safer places.

The deputy commissioner said the figure could increase as reports from other villages are yet to come.

Sesawng, a village in Aizawl district about 40 km from the state capital was the hardest hit of Saturday storm.

Sesawng village council president Ralthansanga told PTI that at least 21 houses were completely damaged and 63 others partially damaged when heavy rain accompanied by hailstorm hit the village on Saturday evening.

He said that two person received minor injuries when their houses were destroyed by strong wind.

Sources said that two houses collapsed and five others heavily damaged in Seling village in Saitual district.

Eleven houses were also damaged in heavy rains and hailstorm at Tuikhurhlu and Thingsul-Tlangnual near Aizawl.

State assembly speaker and Chalfilh constituency MLA Lalrinliana Sailo and Mamit constituency MLA H. Lalzirliana also visited Sesawng and Dampui villages respectively on Sunday.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Chandigarh, April 19 : Punjab Chief Minister Amarinder Singh on Sunday ruled out any relaxation in the statewide curfew, except as needed to ensure COVID-19 free procurement of wheat, till May 3, when he will again review the situation.

Amarinder Singh ordered strict enforcement of the curfew in all districts with no relaxation or concessions whatsoever even during the Ramzan period beginning this week.

He also made it clear that no special curfew passes would be issued to the people on account of Ramzan.

The Chief Minister directed the Deputy Commissioners to take firm steps to ensure that there is no crowding at the grocery and other shops selling essentials at this time, and all norms of social distancing are strictly adhered to.

He took the decision after reviewing the current situation with senior officers from the administration and police department.

The decision assumes significance in the backdrop of various relaxations given by the Union Ministry of Home Affairs for non-containment zones in the country, effective April 20.

However, taking into consideration the ground situation, the Chief Minister is of the firm view that there should be no relaxation, except already announced by his government with respect to harvesting and procurement operations, as well as those relating to operations of certain industries, brick-kilns and construction activity, which are housing migrant labourers or have them on-site, an official spokesperson told the media.

Amid concerns that the hygiene conditions were not up to the mark in the 'mandis', the Chief Minister also ordered a health audit of these centres where 1.85 lakh metric tonnes of wheat is expected to arrive till June, when the procurement will come to an end.

This will infuse around Rs 35,000 crore, including the Cash Credit Limit payment of Rs 26,000 crore received from the Centre, into the state economy, thus giving it the much-needed support for fighting the COVID-19 battle effectively.

The spokesperson said the Chief Minister made it clear that all efforts should be focused, at the moment, on saving lives and on ensuring that the procurement operations are conducted smoothly and in a Covid-free environment.

Any decision on the way forward would be taken after May 3, taking into account the situation prevailing then and the report of the expert committee set up to formulate the state's exit strategy.

The committee is expected to submit its report this week.
New Delhi, India  Two weeks into Indias initial 21 day-lockdown  which has since been extended to six weeks  to prevent the spread of the coronavirus, Sunita Devi, a domestic worker in Nilothi area of Delhi is worried how to feed her four daughters through the rest of the shutdown.

Devi is one of the thousands of casual workers in Delhi who have run out of cash and are now surviving on food distributed by the government at public schools. We get small portions which I divide among four children. There is barely enough for all of us, Devi, a single parent, said.

Devi is from Fatehpur in northern Uttar Pradesh state about 560km (350 miles) from New Delhi. Her husband, a driver, died of tuberculosis two years ago. Before the lockdown, she earned Rs 5,500 monthly ($73) cleaning and cooking for three middle-class families in Paschim Vihar.

Paying Rs 2000 ($26) in rent, she and the girls survived on less than $2 a day for food and school expenses. Devi had barely any savings, and the lockdown had come as a blow. Her employers, who run businesses, had asked her to stop coming to work during this period without providing any pay to tide her over these six weeks.

I worked inside their houses, and now they have closed their doors on me. They claim I may infect them. I have a few rupees left. Do I use it to pay rent or do I buy milk, vegetables for my children? Devi told Al Jazeera.

She stood outside a school building in Nilothi at 4pm local time, an hour before long queues started forming  a common sight these days in big cities across India  for a meal of rice and legumes that evening.

In Kapasheda, 14 miles from Nilothi, Seema Sardar and Kanika Vishvas, both domestic workers, said their employers had turned them away without any pay to live on during the lockdown.

Sardars employers, who live in an upscale urban farmhouse, had left for the United States in early March without paying her for April. Vishvas, whose husband works as a waste-picker, said she swept and cooked for three men who shared an apartment in Surya Vihar a mile from the slum she lived in.

Seema Sardar, right, and Kanika Vishvas who work as domestic workers in Kapasheda in southwest Delhi said their employers had turned them out without any money to survive on in the lockdown [Anumeha Yadav/Al Jazeera]

They had not paid her for March or April. She cannot try to to walk to speak to them, because policemen had blocked the highway.

Nearly half of Indias workforce of 467 million is self-employed, 36 percent are casual wage workers, while only 17 percent are regular wage workers. Two-thirds of them work without contracts and more than 90 percent lack any social security or health benefits in the workplace. The coronavirus lockdown has made survival difficult for them.

On March 24, Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced one of strictest lockdowns in the world, shutting down public transport, but he did not say how the state would support the poor through it.

Tens of thousands of migrant workers fled the city, many of them walking hundreds of kilometres, to reach their homes as factories and businesses were shut as part of governments measures to fight the virus, which has killed more than 150,000 people worldwide.

The government later announced relief measures, providing each individual with 5 kilogrammes (11 pounds) of rice/wheat for the next three months, in addition to one kilogramme (2.2 pounds) of pulses per family.

In New Delhi, the state government announced it would also provide grains to 7.2 million people, or 40 percent of its population of some 20 million.

But academics and activists say that is not enough as millions of vulnerable families who are not on the Public Distribution System  a food ration scheme  registries will be left out.

Food queues as a community organisation food truck serves cooked meals in Kapasheda in Delhi [Anumeha Yadav/Al Jazeera]

The city-state government said it has distributed meals at 1,635 centres, including public schools and shelters for the homeless, to feed 1.2 million residents. But experts pointed out the number of those who need support is much higher during the ongoing crisis.

Dipa Sinha, a development economist at Ambedkar University, pointed out that the central government provision applies to the existing beneficiaries of the PDS under the National Food Security Act, 2013.

Delhis ration registry, like in most other states, is based on the 2011 census. The population has grown since then, it already leaves a large number of urban poor and migrants out, said Sinha.

Over 3 million workers survive on temporary and daily wage work in Indias capital. For many, the ration cards, if they have any, remain in villages with their families.





Nearly 70 percent of Delhis population, 13 million, live in slums. Only 7.2 million are registered as beneficiaries under the food security law, but an additional 6.5 million may need food support now as they lack social security and social networks in the city, said Amrita Johri, an activist with the Right to Food Campaign, a public campaign for policies against endemic undernutrition.

In slums adjoining rich and upper-middle-class areas of Delhi, people, particularly women and the elderly, said they are battling hunger and uncertainties as they cannot find work.

At a construction site at Anand Niketan in Chanakyapuri, where several government offices and international embassies are located, Rajkumar Oraon a worker from a central Indian Indigenous community, said 30 migrants, including women and children, had been stranded without food for three days following the lockdown.

Pockets of deep distress

We mixed rice with water and lived on it for three days. On March 28, after a local teacher found out, he organised a meal of rice and chickpeas for us, but the food van does not visit every day, said Oraon.

None of the families at the site have ration cards, which would give them access to food grain entitlements in Delhi.

Munni Chauhan, a widow in her 60s, who worked as a thread cutter for a daily wage in garment export firms, walked over a kilometre (about one mile) to the southwest Delhi district commissioners office, defying the lockdown.

She says she has run out of food and money. I said to myself, if the police wish to thrash me today, let them. I came here to ask the government, what should I eat? How should I pay rent? said an angry Chauhan.

She added that though she had enrolled in the Aadhaar, Indias biometric ID database which is mandatory to receive any social security benefits, she was not able to get a ration card to access subsidised grains.

Experts on social security schemes said there was no shortage of food stocks and the government must unlock the state food stores to give grains to the poor.

Rajkumar Oraon, a construction worker stranded at a worksite, said 30 people at the site had no food for three days [Anumeha Yadav/Al Jazeera]

The grain stocks of the [state-run] Food Corporation of India are now at over 77 million tonnes  three times more than the buffer stocks requirements, and adequate to meet the immediate food needs of millions of poor right now, explained Reetika Khera, an economist at the Indian Institute of Management, Ahmedabad.

The union government must commit to make these stocks available  free of cost  to state governments, set up a dense network of community kitchens, and provide grains to those without ration cards.

Jasmine Shah from the non-profit Delhi Dialogue and Development Commission said those without ration cards  issued by local authorities  would have to register for an electronic coupon.

Over 1.5 million have registered for an e-coupon in the past week, and 0.3 million have received rations under the new system, said Shah who works with the city-states governing Aam Aadmi Party.

But many workers Al Jazeera spoke to struggled to apply for the electronic-coupon as it requires a smartphone, which most do not have.





In Nilothi, Saira Khatun, a construction worker in her forties, said she could not apply as she did not know how to use a smartphone.

Jameesa Khatun, a domestic worker, who earned Rs 2000 ($27) a month cleaning houses before the lockdown, said agents who provide digital services ask for Rs 250-300($4) to help workers do this. How will we afford this when we can barely afford milk for infants at a time like this? she asked.

Mohammed Gulzar, a car mechanic, said he had a smartphone but was still not able to apply. He pointed to his mobile screen, which showed the website had crashed because of excessive traffic last week.

Shah of AAP told Al Jazeera the glitch had been resolved this week.

Johri, the food rights activist, called for a simpler system to register the needy in times of crisis like this.

Economists, including Nobel laureates Esther Duflo and Abhijit Bannerjee, are advising urgent measures at this time, and states should avoid trying being clever, setting up complex systems of targeting, said Johri.
(Newser)  Goodfellas wiseguy Vinny Asaro got a break Friday when he was released from prison over concerns about the coronavirus, the New York Post reports. The thinking: He's 85 and suffered a stroke just last year. "If Asaro were to contract COVID-19, given his age and current state, it is not unlikely that the consequences would be dire," said Brooklyn federal Judge Allyne Ross, who had sentenced the Bonanno family capo to eight years for a road-rage arson job in 2017. Asaro initially stood before Ross in 2015 on charges of participating in two crimesa gangland murder and the 1978 Lufthansa heist depicted in Martin Scorsese's Goodfellasbut Asaro beat both raps.

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Then Asaro was back in Ross' courtroom on charges of having goons torch the car of a driver who'd cut him off in Queens, the New York Times reported in 2017. "Asaro nursed enough of a grudge from simply being cut off in traffic that he not only followed a member of the public for an extended period, terrorizing him, but also had an associate find out his home address and then ordered the mans car to be burned to a crisp days later," said Ross in slapping him with an eight-year sentence, which she called a "death sentence" for the 82-year-old. There's no evidence of the coronavirus infecting the Missouri prison where Asaro was doing time, but Ross apparently showed him some compassion. (Read more mobsters stories.)
US President Donald Trump does not see an increase in military tension with Russia amid the pandemic and is convinced that the two countries have "a very good relationship." He stated this at a briefing for journalists in the White House on Saturday, Trend reports citing TASS.

When asked if "US opponents," such as the North Korea, Russia, China and Iran, are trying to take advantage of the coronavirus situation to the detriment of the United States, hampering Washingtons policies and creating military tension, Trump said:

"No, I dont see it. We have very good relationship with Russia. We worked together on the oil deal. That was a very important deal to them and to us and to Saudi Arabia."

"I worked with Putin and with the King [of Saudi Arabia] on that. President Putin was a total gentleman. It was very important to get that done. The King was great," Trump said.

At the same time he recalled the sanctions Washington had imposed against Moscow.

"Nobody was tougher with Putin than me. Look at the sanctions, look at what I did with their pipeline going into Europe (Nord Stream-2 pipeline - TASS). I exposed it. Now everyone talks about it. But at the same time I have a very good relationship with Putin. I was able to make a deal with Russia and Saudi Arabia,"Trump said adding that the deal will save the American oil industry and hundreds of thousands of jobs in the U.S.

On April 12, OPEC+ countries at an emergency meeting managed to finalize a deal on scaling back production in May-June.

The final quota of oil production cuts approved for these two months is not 10 mln barrels per day but 9.7 mln barrels per day, because Mexico agreed to reduce production by a smaller volume than it was expected. Under the new agreement, Russia and Saudi Arabia will cut their oil outputs equally by 2.5 mln barrels per day from the base level of 11 mln barrels per day.

The agreement will be valid for two years. From July to December 2020, the daily oil production reduction quota will be 7.7 mln barrels per day, and from January 2021 until the end of April 2022, it will be 5.8 mln barrels per day. The terms of the transaction can be revised in December 2021.
He had a great sense of humor, his son said. He very much believed in justice and equality. His mother died at an early age, in her 30s, when he was young. She always told him that he was as good as anybody else. In the segregated South that could sometimes get you in trouble, but he wanted to be treated equally.
US President Donald Trump on Saturday said he had recently received another letter from leader Kim Jong Un, praising his continued good relations with the North Korean leader, NK News reported.

Speaking at a daily briefing of the White House coronavirus task force, the President was asked to comment on whether US adversaries, including North Korea, were taking advantage of Washingtons current focus on stemming the spread of that virus.

I think we are doing fine, Trump insisted, dismissing a recent spate of North Korean short-range missile testing as something the country had been doing a long time.

I received a nice note from him recently, he added, apparently referring to the North Korean leader, reiterating claims that the two countries would have gone to war had he not been elected President.

I think right now you would be at war essentially in some form it would be raging with North Korea if I werent president, he claimed. We are doing just fine with North Korea, just fine. You will see how it all ends up.

But the President did not share any of the contents of the purported note, or when it was received.
CLEVELAND, Ohio  The 79-year-old man spends his days in bed, too weak to be among others.

He struggles to remember names and faces. His speech and thoughts are garbled, and he relies on aides to get him through the day, as he cannot walk. His attorneys say he has dementia.

And yet, James Frazier remains scheduled to be executed next year for a 2004 slaying.

Frazier is the oldest man on Ohios death row. While nearly all of the 138 felons sentenced to die are housed at the Chillicothe Correctional Institution, Frazier is at the prison systems Franklin Medical Center in Columbus, home to the states most feeble inmates.

He underscores a growing trend that is hitting prisons across the nation: Death-row populations are aging, fast becoming geriatric units filled with frail men and women, some of whom struggle to remember the crimes they committed and why they are behind bars, records and interviews show.

In Ohio, one in four inmates on death row is 60 or older.

The states figures mirror national numbers, as 675 of the 2,650 inmates on death row  or one in four  are 60 or older, according to the most recent figures from the Death Penalty Information Center in Washington, D.C.

This has become an important issue as inmates age, said Robert Dunham, the executive director of the center. Its a problem that we are going to see with increased frequency. Were concerned about this.

Because the death penalty in the judicial system has so many flaws, it has now also created physical and mental-health problems that may make it impossible for states to carry out even constitutionally imposed sentences.

Fraziers attorneys are fighting to keep him from lethal injection, which is scheduled in October 2021. They are part of a longstanding case in U.S. District Court in Columbus over the constitutionality of lethal injection.

Prosecutors are fighting Fraziers case. They have long held that the case and circumstances of each death-row inmate must be examined individually, no matter the felons age.

In court documents, lawyers for the Ohio Attorney Generals office called the claims brought by Fraziers attorneys nothing more than recycled allegations [that] have been rejected by the courts.

In many ways, Fraziers case is quite similar to that of Vernon Madison. Last year, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled that Madison, a 69-year-old Alabama man who was convicted of killing a police officer, could not be put to death because dementia had greatly diminished his cognitive abilities.

Ohio has not executed an inmate since July 2018, when Robert Van Hook of Cincinnati was put to death. The state has postponed executions until it can find new drugs needed for lethal injection.

Michael Benza, a Case Western Reserve University senior instructor in law, represents death-row inmates on appeal. He said the graying of death-row inmates is apparent. He also said it is clear how age-related issues could impact executions.

One of the side effects of the our death-penalty system is that it takes a long time, Benza said, referring to the appeals process. Were going to see more and more people like Vernon Madison and James Frazier, and we wont be able to carry out their executions.

Take George Skatzes.

At 74, Skatzes is one of the oldest inmates on death row. He was sentenced to death for his role in the 1993 Lucasville prison riot in which guard Robert Vallandingham and nine inmates were killed.

He was serving time at Lucasville because of a previous conviction of aggravated murder.

Skatzes appearance has faded rapidly in recent years; he is a shell of the large man he once was. He also suffers from severe psychiatric issues, according to federal court records.

His attorneys have cited those issues in arguments to prevent him from facing lethal injection. An execution date for Skatzes has not been set.

A rational understanding

Fraziers attorneys believe he had suffered a stroke in his cell at the Chillicothe prison. He later was moved to the prisons medical center on June 12, 2018, a prison spokeswoman said.

In the past three years, his physical and cognitive abilities have deteriorated, according to a report by Dr. Joette James, a neuropsychologist who has examined Frazier since 2016.

She found his speech and thought processes have diminished greatly, as they were rambling, disorganized and incoherent, the report said. He struggled with time issues and could not count backward from 20 or name the months of the year backward.

One of Fraziers attorneys, Lisa Lagos, filed the report in U.S. District Court in Columbus to bolster Fraziers case.

In documents, she said putting Frazier to death would constitute cruel and unusual punishment because he lacks a rational understanding of the states rationale for his execution.

If Ohio carries out Fraziers execution, he would become the second oldest inmate in the nation to be put to death.

The oldest was Walter Leroy Moody, an 83-year-old who killed a judge and a civil rights attorney with bombs in 1989. Alabama put him to death in 2018.

Frazier was sent to death row in 2005 after a jury convicted him in Lucas County Common Pleas Court in the slaying of Mary Stevenson, 49, who had suffered cerebral palsy.

Frazier lived in Stevensons apartment building in Toledo, and prosecutors said he strangled Stevenson and slashed her throat. He stole her purse and wallet to pay for cocaine.

Attempts to reach Lucas County Prosecutor Julia Bates were unsuccessful.

A spokesman for the Ohio Attorney Generals office, which has handled the case against Frazier, noted that state and federal appeals courts have rejected past attempts to overturn the conviction.

Fraziers attorneys, however, are focused on preventing him from lethal injection, saying it would be unconstitutional because of his mental and physical condition.

They have sought his medical records while in prison and have monitored his condition at the prisons medical center.

They also plan to bring up dementia again in a clemency petition that they will file in the months leading up to his execution.

Similar cases on death row

In 1985, Vernon Madison shot and killed Julius Schulte, a Mobile, Alabama, police officer during a domestic dispute. Madison was convicted and sentenced to death.

His attorneys argued that Madison suffered several strokes while in prison, and his cognitive abilities declined sharply, according to court records.

They said Madison had dementia and could not walk or see. In 2019, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled in his favor.

There are people on Alabamas death row who are frail and vulnerable and need protection, Angie Setzer, a lawyer for the Equal Justice Initiative that represented Madison, told The Plain Dealer.

What is the punitive value of executing someone like Mr. Madison, whose cognitive decline prevents him from understanding what is happening to him and why?

Schultes son, Michael, told the Associated Press that the long legal case failed to provide justice to his family.

What happened to my dad was cruel and unusual punishment, he told the wire service. He was shot twice in the head while he was trying to help somebody.

Madison died in prison of natural causes in February, nearly a year after the Supreme Courts decision.

Other prison-related stories:

There is no oversight: Staff cuts leave Ohio prison inspections to interns

Ohio lawmakers seek to stop sentences of life without parole for youth felons

Parenting in prison: Ohio nursery offers moms, children time to bond
The Volta Regional Minister, Hon Archibald Letsa, has embarked on a one day working visit to the Ketu South Municipal Assembly where he encouraged persons on both sides of the political divide to join hands in fight against the novel Coronavirus.

The minister led a team to the Ketu South Municipal Assembly for a brief meeting with the MUSEC as part of efforts to address issues relating to the fight against the spread of the Coronavirus in the Region.

The team is made up of Regional Commander of Police, DCOP Edward Oduro Kwarteng; the Commanding Officer of 66 Artillery Regiment, Lt. Col. Benard. B. Pantoah; the Regional Commander of Ghana Immigration Service, DCOI Peter Natuo; the Regional Security Liaison Officer, Mr. Apea Fenteng; the Chairman of Volta Caucus in Parliament who is also the Hon. Member of Parliament for Ho West, Hon. Emmanuel Bedzrah.

The Constituency Chairman of the New Patriotic Party, Mr Samuel Haligah and the Chairman of the National Democratic Congress (NDC), Mr. Bright Kwaku Kumordzi were a part of the team.

Speaking at that meeting, Hon. Bedzrah expressed his gratitude to the Regional Minister for recognizing the role of the MP's and PC's in the region and assured him of their willingness to join government to halt this disease from spreading in the Municipality.

He called for stringent measures to be instilled in ensuring that the disease does not spread any further, especially because the municipality falls within a place with high chances of the spread of the disease, due to the heavy vehicular and human movement in the area.

Hon Letsa asked that the Municipal Assembly to also explores the best options available to support the groups of persons directly affected by the closure of the border.

"Think outside the box and see what things can be done differently so that markets can still be open without them being overcrowded. This can be done in consultation with the chiefs," he added.

His next stop was at the Municipal hospital where he explained that transport arrangements will be made to move confirmed COVID-19 patients from the municipality to the Regional Quarantine Center.

On his part, the Vice-Chairman, Hon. Kobby Mensah Woyome, speaking on behalf of the Parliamentary Caucus at the end of the tour, appealed to the residents to embrace the directive to stay at home and to adhere to the other protocols such as regular handwashing.

The Minister further toured the Ghana-Togo Border at Aflao to assess how the directives by the president of the country are being carried out with regards to the closure of the border.

Interacting with the security personnel stationed at the entry point, Hon Letsa gave them the assurance of government effort to address their concerns.

He urges them to put up their best in ensuring that the country's borders are properly secured to prevents illegal migrants from sneaking into the country. He urges them to discharge their duties in a professional way.
Maharashtra Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray said that the state government will allow industries to resume operations from Monday in areas marked green and orange according to the spread of Covid-19 there. However, the industries will be allowed subject to certain limits, he added at a press briefing on Friday.

Tomorrow onwards were starting some financial activities. As we dont run our economy now, well be in financial crisis after we come out of coronavirus crisis. Were starting some business activities in a limited way. Fortunately,several of our districts have zero positive case, Thackeray said.

Maharashtra has been hardest hit by the Covid-19 pandemic, with the number of infected crossing 3,000.

In red zones, which are under strictest restrictions, there wont be any relaxation. Door-to-door delivery of newspapers would not be allowed in Mumbai and Pune which are in red zone, said the chief minister.

He also announced that no suburban train will operate till May 3, the date till which nationwide lockdown has been extended.

Thackeray also said that there is no need to be scared of the disease. 95 percent tests negative so people need not be scared of Covid-19. Do not hide it if you have symptoms and aproach government hospitals, said Thacekray.

No new cases of Covid-19 were recorded on Sunday morning in Maharashtra and the tally of Covid-19 cases remained at 3,648 cases and 211 deaths, state health department officials said.

After a relatively lower number of news cases on Thursday and Friday, the state recorded new 328 Covid-19 cases on Saturday.

Mumbai, which has the highest number of cases in the state, recorded 184 new cases on Saturday taking the tally to 2,268.The citys death toll is now 126 according to state health departments data.
I recently came across the title of an Arabic book, We will never live as Dhimmis (lan naish zimieen), written by a Lebanese Christian, Amin Naji, in 1979.

A Dhimmi is a Christian or Jew living in a region overrun by Muslim conquest who was accorded a protected status in exchange of a poll tax (Jizya), and allowed to retain his or her original faith.

Lebanon is an example. It was established after the collapse of the Ottoman Empire and the end of World War I in 1923. Since the majority there were Christians, unlike any other Middle Eastern land, the French mandated a Christian president and commander in chief. Then, on in April 13, 1975, a civil war broke out over the political privileges of Christians and the rights of Lebanese Muslims who had become the majority of the country.

In his book, Naji discusses the destruction of pre-civil war Lebanon by a coalition of Muslim militias and their Palestinian allies. He wrote of violence and annihilation. He also listed one of the tools that had been used, before the war, by Muslim conquerors. It is the Arabization via distorting history, changing the national identity, and destroying culture. This cultural jihad gets too little attention and is too little understood.

Some U.S. Muslims are applying this basic scheme here. They do not have adequate political control in the U.S. to simply impose a new Islamic culture on our society. But they are infiltrating the culture by claiming that Muslims and Islam have long been central contributors to American governance and culture.

Western audiences often hear these Muslim declarations as an appeal to the wider society to allow Muslims to be real participants in the E Pluribus Unum experiment that is America. We would do well to remind ourselves of the old Arabic proverb about the camels nose under the tent.



One egregious example of this groundwork for cultural Jihad appears in the PBS program History Detectives. It claims, When the first Muslims came to the land that would become the United States is unclear. Many historians claim that the earliest Muslims came from the Senegambian region of Africa in the early 14th century. It is believed they were Moors, expelled from Spain, who made their way to the Caribbean and possibly to the Gulf of Mexico.

PBS claims that when Columbus made his journey to the United States, he carried a book written by Portuguese Muslims who had navigated their way to the New World in the 12th century.

Others -- most notably a man named Istafan -- claim there were Muslims who accompanied the Spanish as a guide to the New World in their early 16th century conquest of what became Arizona and New Mexico.

The make-up of the first real wave of Muslims in the United States is clear. They were African slaves of whom ten to fifteen percent were said to be Muslims. It was difficult for them to maintain their religion and many were forcibly converted to Christianity. Any effort to practice Islam and keep the traditional clothing and names alive had to be done in secret.

Edwin's Gaustad, in his nearly encyclopedic book, A Documentary History of Religion in America to the Civil War (Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Company; 2nd edition (April 1993), does not mention any social, cultural, or intellectual contribution from Muslims to early America. Could the absence prove the point?

There are farcical claims that Thomas Jefferson relied on the Quran as a source of inspiration and insight regarding the writing of the American Constitution. One might well find Denise Spellbergs book Jeffersons Quran interesting -- though not insightful -- on the matter. However, nowhere in Jefferson's Constitution is there any overt quotation of or allusion to the Quran.

In his book, Jeffersons War, Joseph Wheelan noted that after Jefferson created an American Navy to combat Muslim pirates in North Africa, and American forces had their first major victory under Lieutenant Andrew Sterett, there was celebration in the United States at the defeat of the Muslim pirates. President Jefferson used the navy and marines to make real progress in defeating what was commonly called The Terror. (Wheelan, Joseph, Jeffersons War, Carroll and Graf Publishing, NY 2003, p. 119)

Nothing in Jeffersons combat against the Muslim corsairs of North Africa indicates any appreciation of Muslim culture or Islamic approach to governance.

In December 2019, the Muslim American Society (MAS)-Islamic Circle of North America (ICNA) held a convention in Chicago - the largest in the nation. At the convention, guest speaker Dalia Moghahed, gave a speech titled Muslims that Shaped America, captured on video. She began by responding to a plaintive cry from a Muslim American mother who asked, What can we do to help our children who face constant verbal attacks, name-calling, insults and micro aggressions at their schools against their identity; only because they are Muslims?

Ms. Mogahed said that Muslims need to be given the intellectual tools to confront the flawed and crooked framework that make up the ideas of Islamophobia. They are to teach that their roots as Muslims in this country run deep and This is their country, and no one has the right to tell them otherwise and no one should be waiting for a welcome to their own house. Ms. Mogahed also said, So if someone has a problem with our children being here, then they can go back to where they came from  This is not mere rhetoric, but historical fact.

There were Muslims with Christopher Columbus when he landed in the Americas and It is important to note that the first country to recognize the United States as an independent nation was Morocco. She also said, This is just to lay a framework to challenge the myth that there is an inherent and inevitable conflict between the values of the United States and the values of Muslim societies, civilizations or communities. It is simply not supported by logic or history. Furthermore, she said, Estimates range from 10 % to 30% of enslaved Africans brought to the United States were Muslims.

Ms. Mogaheds efforts are not sophisticated, but exemplify, at the popular level, the clash between Western open society and Muslim ideology today.

More eloquent and polished Islamist apologists and speakers are preparing their own versions of this Islamic claim. We cannot only worry about violent Jihad, we must recognize and confront the academic effort to lay claim to the United States as a legitimate possession of the House of Islam that is now temporarily controlled by the Kuffar (infidels).

Social and political theorist and philosopher Isaiah Berlin said in his lectures, the German poet Heine warned the French not to underestimate the power of ideas: philosophical concepts nurtured in the stillness of a professor's study could destroy a civilization. (Two Concepts of Liberty, Four Essays on Liberty, Oxford, England: Oxford University Press, 1969, p. 120)

To this thought about a professors power we must add or an imam. Distorting history by inserting Muslim memes into the nations historical ethos and shoving pre-Islamic society aside has worked before in Islamic history.

Now, they are applying this ideological approach as an initial blow for the Islamization of our society and to supplant our open society ideals.

Darrell Pack is an Arabist and a Member of the Islamic Reform Forum
Hyderabad: Forty-three fresh cases of COVID-19 have been reported in Telangana on Saturday, taking the number of active cases in the state to 605.

No death occurred on Saturday and the number of people who succumbed to the virus stood at 18, it said. With the addition of the fresh cases, the total number of infections reported in the state rose to 809, a media bulletin issued by the state government said.

It said 186 people have been cured/discharged till date from hospitals after recovery. Out of the 43 cases detected on Saturday, 31 are from the Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation (GHMC) area.

The Telangana cabinet would meet on Sunday to discuss the virus containment measures and whether to continue lockdown in the state strictly, as it is being implemented now, till May 3 or to give some concessions in line with the Centre's thinking.

An official release said chief minister K Chandrasekhar Rao, who held a meeting with ministers and officials today, directed that the measures to check the spread of virus be implemented effectively.

It should be ensured that no one remains without food due to the lockdown, Rao said.

He asked the officials to adopt an effective approach to contain the spread of the virus in the GHMC area where the majority of the cases are reported.

Rao suggested that those in containment zones should not be allowed to come out under any circumstances.

Effective strategies should be prepared to check the virus spread in other places in the state where positive cases have been detected, he added.

Suggesting that tests should be conducted, by making an accurate assessment on who might get infected from the COVID-19 patients, he said the government is ready to test and treat any number of people.

The state government has issued instructions to municipal commissioners and additional collectors of districts to ensure that all medical shops and pharmacists collect phone numbers of customers who buy medicines for fever, cough and cold, symptoms similar to COVID-19.

In a memo on Friday, Principal Secretary (Municipal Administration and Urban Development) Arvind Kumar said it has been observed that due to "hesitation and perceived social stigma", people suffering from fever or cold symptoms which might be similar to coronavirus are approaching medical shops directly on their own and asking for fever medicines.

"It is imperative that in a proactive manner we follow up on these cases which are having fever and other such symptoms which might be similar to those of coronavirus.

We should be able to contact these patients and get a test conducted depending upon the symptoms," the memo said.

Health minister E Rajender, who inaugurated a blood donation camp, referred to recent attacks on doctors, treating COVID-19 patients, and said the government would take tough action against those who indulged in such attacks.

Meanwhile, Telangana IT and Industries minister K T Rama Rao appealed to corporates and business houses in the state not to resort to layoff of employees.

Addressing the CII Telangana members over a video conference, Rama Rao said the government is putting in efforts to contain and flatten the COVID-19 pandemic curve and that the state is well prepared with sufficient quantities of PPEs, masks, testing kits and ventilators.

The state government has launched a helpline to address mental health and psychological problems that may arise during the COVID-19 lockdown period.
With each of his major competitors withdrawn from the race, Joe Biden has locked up the Democratic nomination for president. This week he got what his campaign had been waiting for, endorsements from his erstwhile rival, Bernice Sanders and his former boss, Barack Obama. One was too little, the other too late.

While Biden has bent over backwards to tilt further and further to the left to appease Sanders and his followers, theres no empirical data that shows its working.

In his endorsement message, Obama claimed that Biden has the most progressive platform of any major-party nominee in history. Imagine that! Its hard to conceive that rank-and-file Democrats really think a candidate further to the left than George McGovern is their best shot at talking the keys to 1600n Pennsylvania Avenue away from President Trump.

Despite the fact that the leftward plunge of Joe Biden is attractive to Barack Obama, it doesnt seem to be working for those its designed to attract. A survey taken last week showed that a plurality of Sanders supporters under 35 still hold a negative view of Joe Biden. An ABC poll revealed that 15 percent of Sanders supporters are willing to vote for Donald Trump in November.

Biden likewise is not fairing well with younger voters who were at the core of Bernies campaign. One of the reasons Sanders didnt do as well as he hoped was the fact that his youthful supporters didnt turn out to vote in numbers his campaign expected. For Biden thats going to be an even bigger challenge than it was for Sanders. Theres a distinct lack of enthusiasm for the oldest man ever to seek the presidency as a major party candidate.

The Sanders endorsement was too little to shore up those Biden weaknesses. At the same time it pointed out how un-centrist Joe Biden has become. Hes endorsed much of the Sanders agenda, including the war on oil, gas and coal. Thats going to hurt him in key states like Pennsylvania.

The Obama endorsement was a long time in coming. Not until after Bernie Sanders had withdrawn and announced his own endorsement did Obama come forth.

Its no secret that Obama was never enamored of Joe Bidens presidential ambitions. Biden was clearly not Obamas first choice. In fact, Obama talked Biden out of running in 2016 and tried to do it again for 2020. Biden himself admits that Obama pressured him not to run as his successor.

It says a lot that the man who chose Joe Biden to spend eight years a heartbeat away from the presidency has so many apparent reservations about him as a candidate.

The New York Times reported earlier this year that Obama told Bidens inner circle not to let the former Vice President embarrass himself. That was an apparent reference to the gaffe-laden trail Biden had already blazed. One can only imagine what Obama would now counsel in the wake of the often incoherent musings Joe has offered from his quarantine bunker.

What Obama provided was standard intra-party fluff. It was fully expected given that Biden was the last man standing. While it was delivered in typical Obama style, it was not with the riveting forcefulness with which Obama has campaigned for himself as well as others.

In fact, it exposed Bidens greatest weakness. Its not just that he has tilted so far to the left that Obama says he has the most liberal platform ever. Rather its just that Joe doesnt have much to offer.

People will rightly ask what Joe Biden did to help the nations fight against the Wuhan virus. Carping and complaining about the efforts of the president and isnt leadership.

Yet thats the central message of the Biden campaign. His pitch is focused on the fact that hes simply not Donald Trump. That plays well with the hard core anti-Trump base. But it doesnt do much to move the undecided and still persuadable voters who will decide the presidential election.

Obamas endorsement came too late to help Biden. It was the same endorsement hed have given to the Democratic nominee regardless of who it was. Theres a significant message in the lengthy reluctance of Obama to get behind his former Number Two man.

Meanwhile another Democrat was making an endorsement. Georgia State Representative Vernon Jones endorsed President Trump for re-election.

Jones, who is African American, said, There are a lot of African Americans who clearly see and appreciate hes doing something thats never been done before.

Jones cited Trumps handling of the economy and black employment as well as Trumps efforts on criminal justice reform as important reasons for his support.

The 2020 campaign is heating up as we slowly get back to normal.

CHARLIE GEROW is a Republican media strategist and CEO of Quantum Communications. He and Democrat Mark Singel write weekly for PennLive and appear each Sunday morning at 8:30 on CBS-21s Face the State.
Plus, Bill's Message of the Day, we are living in the United States of Propaganda.

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The Wickliffe City Council has passed a resolution publicly voicing their majority opposition to new marijuana guidelines issued to the citys chief of police from Mayor John Barbish.

The Mayor has issued a directive to the chief of police for Wickliffe, Randy Ice, which states that there are to be no arrests, citation for amounts of marijuana deemed for personal use. While this is in contradiction to standing state and federal laws regarding the drug, the Mayor has ability to issue directives for his chief of police to follow.

This is not the first time that council and the Mayor were found at odds over the issue. The decision to shift towards a no fine, no time policy has been challenged at previous meetings, most vocally by councilmembers Maria Salotto and Joseph Sakacs.

This is an acknowledgement to the residents that council, at least the ones who vote yes, are against the directive given to the police chief by the Mayor/Safety Director. Councilperson Sakacs stated during the meeting. I receive many phone calls from residents why we havent done something, seeing that it was state law. As law director (Scott Zele) was unable to make the call so this just puts it on record that we disagree with this.

Councilperson Salotto agreed with Sakacs that she too has received multiple complaints. It is very disturbing to many of the citizens of the city, and that is why we want to at least, those of us who believe this decision should not have been made, we should make that a statement for the record, she said.

The Mayor responded at the meeting by first quoting Winston Churchill before stating that it was a ridiculous resolution and that Sakacs was grandstanding. He also refuted the claim that numerous residents were calling to complain.

I believe that is a lie, The Mayor answered in response to Sakacs statement.

The resolution passed 5 to 1 with Councilmember Bogo not present and Councilmember Jason Biondolillo voting as the sole nay vote.
Azerbaijan recorded a 5.6 % year-over-year increase in military production in 2019 as the country's defense output exceeded $150 million, Ilham Karimli reports. The overall value of defensive output last year stood at $153.9 million compared to $145.8 million in 2018, according to government data published by Interfax Azerbaijan. Azerbaijan exports locally-made ammunition, modern small arms, UAVs, and armored vehicles to more than 10 countries, and the country's defense enterprises produce more than 700 items and their components.

Gurza armored patrol vehicle made in Azerbaijan (Picture source: ordu.az)

Azerbaijan's military ranks 64 globally among 138 countries in military strength, while the country leads the South Caucasus region in this category, according to Global Firepower's 2020 rankings. Georgia and Armenia rank 82 and 84, respectively. In 2019, the development work at the factories of Azerbaijan's Ministry of Defense Industry covered 112 products, while it was recommended that 9 types of products are put into service as preparation for production has already been completed. Currently, the ministry owns a robust production network that includes 23 different manufacturing units stationed across Azerbaijan. Domestic production portfolio includes 1,200 arms of various segments, such as Istiglal and Mubariz-12.7 anti-materiel rifles, Yirtiji-7.62, Yalguzag and Shimshak sniper rifles, UP-7.62 and HP-7.6v submachine guns  all of which are in line with NATO standards.

The ministry, together with the Armed Forces of Azerbaijan, put several weapons into serial production in recent years, including the national Yalguzag sniper rifles branded of 7,62-mm caliber, a special-purpose machine gun of 7,62-mm caliber, an automatic grenade launcher of 30-mm caliber, a manual grenade launcher of 40-mm caliber, as well as the hand grenade of F-1 type and mines of both M-6 and M-12 types.

Azerbaijan also manufactures the Gurza armored patrol vehicle and Tufan mine-resistant ambush-protected (MRAP) vehicle, the TR-107 and TRB-107 ground-to-ground missiles and the Zarba attack UAV  known as the kamikaze drone, which are considered to be state-of-the-art systems.

In addition to supplying Azerbaijan's national army, the country's Deputy Minister of Defence Industry Yahya Musayev said a certain portion of the domestically made weapons, including various types of ammunition, modern rifle and artillery weapons, armored vehicles and special purpose patrol vehicles, are exported to foreign markets.

Azerbaijan has been producing and exporting weapons to foreign countries since 2013, including the NATO member states such as the U.S. and Turkey, as well as Russia, Belarus, South Korea, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Pakistan and others. In 2016, the total volume of arms sales topped $120 million.

Rashad Suleymanov, a Baku-based military expert, told AzVision.az the purchase of Azerbaijan-made weapons by the U.S. military was first agreed to during the Special Operation Forces Exhibition in Jordan, adding that Baku began exporting to the U.S. back in 2013. Azerbaijan exports grenade launchers, mortars, mortar ammunition and some optical devices to the United States, Suleymanov said. "A representative of one of the U.S. [defense] companies noted that Azerbaijan's RPG-7V-2 grenade launchers are superior to those produced by the Bulgarian company Arsenal for its quality. The United States is also a supplier of these weapons to some countries. Some of these weapons remain in the United States, while others are sold to an allied country. Exports are made in the name of the United States," he added.
By PTI

NEW DELHI: The Retailers Association of India (RAI) on Sunday said the government's home delivery permissions need to be broad based and all types of retailers, including neighbourhood stores, should be allowed to operate.

The retailers' body said allowing neighbourhood stores and large essential products' chain retailers to do home delivery will help fulfil consumer needs in these trying times and play a part in enhancing social distancing.

"As RAI, we believe that to fulfil consumer needs in these trying times, rules for direct customer delivery need to be broad based and all types of retailers, including neighbourhood stores, should be allowed to operate," RAI Chief Executive Officer Kumar Rajagopalan said in a statement.

Such a move, he said, "will allow retailers to support smooth implementation of social distancing norms, through contactless delivery, strict hygiene and safety standards, for such work from home essentials as mobiles, laptops, infant garments and household supplies".

Arguing that neighbourhood stores and large essential products chain retailers have "done a great service to the nation thus far", he said that "widening of the essential products categories will help us support government's steps to ensure safety of its people while also enabling movement of goods required for economic activity".
As many as 125 Bahrain nationals stranded in Pune due to the Covid-19 outbreak were evacuated from Lohegaon airport on Saturday. A special flight of Gulf Air evacuated 125 Bahrain nationals from and flew them to Chennai to take others on board, said a senior official of the Pune International Airport.

One passenger with high temperature could not get on the plane and was referred to a city-based hospital for further tests.

According to Kuldeep Singh, Airport Director, Pune, arrangements were made with limited areas of the airport being open for the passengers movement to ensure focused cleaning. Flight GF-7753, A321 departed for Chennai with 125 passengers at 0436 pm with one passenger with high temperature detained and referred to a hospital, said Singh.

The entire operation to bring these nationals to the airport began at 7 am with tourist buses and taxis used to pick up the nationals from various parts of the city, most of them were picked up from Kondhwa.

Ali Abdulla Al Noaimi, Charge daffaires, Embassy of the Kingdom of Bahrain, New Delhi, said the Kingdom of Bahrain supports Indias efforts to combat the pandemic.

We had a list of all the Bahraini citizens who were in various parts of the country. Some were tourists, some seeking medical services, and most of the nationals were students, said Ali Abdulla Al Noaimi.

Across India, there are 167 Bahrain nationals in cities like Pune, Delhi, Chennai, Kochi, Hyderabad, and Mumbai. We began contacting them over the past two weeks and then decided to bring most to Pune as it had the largest contingency of Nationals (126) who were mostly students followed by Chennai which has 44 nationals for medical services, said Ali Abdulla Al Noaimi.

With all the information in place, the Ministry in Bahrain arranged a special flight in accordance with the Indian Ministry of External Affairs to arrive in Pune. The Consul General of the Kingdom of Bahrain, Mumbai, Ali Al Balooshi was in Pune to see to the travel safety of the nationals.
A controversial advertisement by a cancer specialist hospital in Uttar Pradesh's Meerut said Muslim patients and their caretakers coming to the hospital must test negative for Covid-19, failing which they won't be admitted.

The management of the hospital also asked Muslims to carry their coronavirus test reports as proof.



The advertisement by Valentis Cancer Hospital adds that in case of emergency, the patient and their attendants will be admitted but they will be tested for Covid-19 immediately. The cost for the test i.e., Rs 4,500 each will be taken from the patient. The reasons cited by the hospital included the alleged misbehaviour of the members of the 'Tablighi Jamaat' (TJ), who, the ad said, had contributed to the spread of coronavirus infection in the country.





The Uttar Pradesh Police has filed an FIR against the owner of Valentis Hospital over the matter.



Speaking to IANS, Meerut SSP Ajay Kumar Sahni said: "We have filed a case against the hospital for this inappropriate and communal advertisement and investigation is underway."



The quarter-page advertisement in a famous Hindi daily published on April 17 also described the Jain community as :miserly" and appealed to them to contribute to the PM-CARES Fund. However, a day later, the hospital issued another advertisement in the same paper where it regretted if the first advertisement hurt the feelings of any community.
El ministro @victorzamora junto a la presidenta de @EsSaludPeru brindaron detalles sobre la ampliacion del servicio a pacientes con #COVID19 en la Villa Panamericana. pic.twitter.com/F2I69B6D92
A dispute over the terms of the will of one of Ireland's wealthiest farmers was briefly mentioned in the High Court last week after his former wife, Rita O'Reilly, began proceedings against her two daughters Valerie and Susan O'Reilly.

She is seeking court orders against them relating to their duties as executors of the will of their multi-millionaire father, Tony O'Reilly.

Mr O'Reilly was one of Ireland's best-known tillage farmers, accumulating a 600 acre estate near Grange, Co Tipperary over a 45-year period.

He also owned a thousand- acre estate in Poland and was said to be one of the most progressive farmers in the country.

His farm was sold for more than 11m to the adjoining Coolmore farm, which was founded and is owned by reclusive billionaire art collector John Magnier.

Mr O'Reilly was described by the Irish Farmers Journal as "an icon of change and modernisation" in the farming industry in Ireland, and was widely known as one of the best tillage farmers in the country.

Mr O'Reilly and his wife Rita were married for 40 years.

Mrs O'Reilly (70) issued judicial separation proceedings in 2013 and the couple, who have four children, were divorced in 2016.

The dispute between the mother and two daughters revolves around 2.5m from the sale of a piggery which Mr O'Reilly retained after he sold his land holdings in Ireland to the Coolmore horse breeding conglomerate.

Before he died on July 11, 2018 at the age of 75, Mr O'Reilly made a will appointing his daughters Valerie, who lives in Dublin, and Susan, who lives in Cork, as his executors.

A grant of probate was issued "on or about April, 2019" so that his assets could be distributed.

But the executors' mother Rita O'Reilly now claims that the executors of her former husband's will "continue to frustrate her entitlements" and have not provided her with pertinent information in relation to "substantial" sums accrued from the sale of the piggery to a Mr Wright in 2018.

She initiated legal proceedings, seeking a Mareva Injunction to prevent assets being taken abroad and orders of discovery against her daughters. Papers have been lodged in the High Court but, as it was ''ex parte'', only Mrs O'Reilly's side of the story has emerged.

She is disputing certain sums of money associated with the piggery and claims she has an interest or entitlement to a percentage of the proceeds of the sale of the piggery.

Mrs O'Reilly has employed a forensic accountant to examine the books of the piggery and is now seeking orders of discovery of various documents including bank statements associated with the piggery, her daughters and the estate of her former husband.

Mrs O'Reilly's address is given on legal documents as Togher House, Drogheda Street, Monasterevin, Co Kildare, a 19th-Century villa described in the property pages as "a stunning period property" with 12 bedrooms set in 9.6 acres when it went up for sale some years ago. The famous Irish tenor Count John McCormack once lived there for two years while his nearby residence Moore Abbey was being renovated.

Mrs O'Reilly said last Friday she was just renting the house at the moment: "I don't own it."

The case of the mother as plaintiff and her daughters as defendants was mentioned in the High Court before Justice Mark Sanfey last Wednesday and is due for mention again at the end of the month.
A big draw

Rahul Gandhis video press conference on the coronavirus was a big draw. The former Congress president was charming and candid. He tried to sound familiar and chatty with scribes on his laptop window. The Wayanad MP, however, used the word, strategic too often. Rahul was neither belligerent nor harsh towards the Narendra Modi government but ably focussed on the lack of testing and the limitations of a countrywide lockdown. On the flip side, his praise for the Kerala government caught the rival Left parties attention, causing embarrassment to the Congress cadre in Left-ruled Kerala. It remains to be seen whether Rahul Gandhi can engage on social issues to deepen his partys engagement with civil society.

Iftar dilemmas

The Muslim holy month of fasting, Ramzan, starts this week. While the coronavirus pandemic has no effect on fasting obligations, community leaders and the Muslim clergy are worried over traditional communal services such as iftar, sahri and taravi. Iftar is the feast that marks the end of the fast, and sahri symbolises pre-fast, early-morning eating. Taravi is an age-old practice of reciting the Quran. While the Muslim clergy has banned the taravi congregation, community members wonder if the faithful will be able to enforce social distancing during roza-iftar. Since mosques are closed, there is an additional problem of feeding the poor and underprivileged that used to break their fast at mosques and community-held iftars. Often charitable organisations or individuals erect large tents where Muslims can gather and break the fast: these are open to all, allowing the less fortunate to also share a meal. It is not known what will happen to these. The real cause of concern is in the congested by-lanes of Delhi, Lucknow, Meerut, Bhopal, Patna, etc. where there is a tendency to invite neighours for iftar and joint prayers. This is where the government and law-enforcing agencies have severe limitations. For Muslims, Ramzan is the most revered month of the Islamic calendar in which God revealed the first verses of the Quran to the Prophet Muhammad. Muslims believe that through fasting, they are able to strengthen their relationship with God, practise will-power and empathise with the less fortunate.

Divided we fight

In Congress-ruled Chhattisgarh, corona politics is in full-swing. Chief minister Bhupesh Baghel is wary of health minister T.S. Singhdeo who was a strong contender for the chief ministers post in 2018 when Baghel bagged it. Now, a tussle is on to take credit of the fight against the coronavirus pandemic. Singhdeo started talking to all district collectors and health authorities till a missive came that only the CM had the mandate to convene meetings of central service employees, namely the IAS. Singhdeo then began giving interviews to national media, TV and print, to showcase Chhattisgarhs achievements in taming the coronavirus. The CMs public relations team went into overdrive, arranging video-conferences and online interviews that focussed on Baghel as a man in charge of fight against the coronavirus. Singhdeo, who is a former maharaja of Sarguja, is reportedly disappointed. It is unlikely that he would go the way of ex-maharaja of Gwalior [Joyiraditya Scindia] and quit the party, but the Congress in Chhattisgarh is far from united.

Uma not welcome

Firebrand sadhvi Uma Bharti has turned restless ever since Shivraj Singh Chouhan resumed his innings as chief minister of Madhya Pradesh. Uma ceased to be a central minister in the Narendra Modi government in May 2019 but now reportedly wants to contest as a BJP MLA. There are 23 byelections around the corner but Chouhan does not relish the prospect of having a rival in the MP Assembly. A cat and mouse game is on.

Her sisters voice?

Twitter has suspended Rangoli Chandels account on grounds of spreading hate but the drastic development is not the final word on social media. Many liberals want to drag Rangolis accomplished sister Kangana into the controversy alleging she may be using Rangolis twitter handle to air her thoughts. It sounds bizarre and unlikely. Rangoli recently shared a few pictures from her wedding where she seemed a lookalike of Kangana. But physical similarity does not mean a union of thoughts and expression. Rangoli was a picture of solidarity when Kangana had a protracted battle with actor Hrithik Roshan, Karan Johar and other Bollywood bigwigs. Her comments had reflected Kangana's thinking then.
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Hundreds attended Orthodox Easter celebrations in Georgia on Sunday despite a curfew imposed as a containment measures to slow the spread of the coronavirus. Georgia has declared a state of emergency, imposed a lockdown, a night curfew and a ban on gatherings of more than three people in a bid to contain the spread of the virus. But bowing to pressure from politically influential religious authorities, the government allowed Easter services to go ahead. Catholicos-Patriarch Ilia II, the head of Georgia's Orthodox Apostolic Church, led a service in Tbilisi's Holy Trinity Cathedral, one of the world's biggest Orthodox Christian churches. Around two hundred believers attended the solemn service that included ancient Georgian chants -- recognised on UNESCO's global intangible heritage list. Chanting "Christ is risen!" the parishioners held a procession around the perimeter of the cathedral as bells rang out. "With the Lord's help, thanks to the efforts of our doctors and the authorities, the pandemic has not led to grave consequences in our country," the octogenarian Patriarch said. "By God's will, Georgia and the entire world will soon overcome this trial." The small Black Sea nation has reported 388 virus cases and four deaths, one of the lowest rates in Europe, but medics warn its health service could not cope with a large outbreak. In the Church of the Transfiguration in Tbilisi, 58-year-old accountant Lamara Zhvania, said she attended the Easter mass "to pray for the coronavirus ordeal to end soon". "I could have stayed at home and watched the service on television, but only here in this holy church can I find true comfort," she told AFP. Georgia's leading doctors expressed outrage at the decision to go ahead with Easter celebrations -- which usually attract huge crowds of believers, -- saying they could fuel the spread of the coronavirus. In an emotional televised statement, deputy director of Georgia's National Centre for Disease Control, Paata Imnadze, asked people "not to go to churches," warning "the toll will be enormous, we will not survive if we don't stay home." Georgian President Salome Zurabishvili and Prime Minister Giorgi Gakharia said last week they would not be attending the celebrations, breaking long-standing tradition. Health Minister Ekaterine Tikaradze admitted last week Georgia's hospitals do not have enough intensive care doctors to treat thousands of patients in a serious condition. Bowing to pressure from religious authorities, the government allowed Easter services to go ahead in Georgia Georgian Orthodox believers keep social distance to attend a service on the eve of the Orthodox Easter in Tbilisi on April 18 Georgia's leading doctors were outraged by the decision to go ahead with Easter celebrations
As an ICU nurse treating patients with COVID-19, I have seen how my hospital in Houston has prepared for weeks for the inevitable spikes in cases. It is a constant shuffling of beds to preserve those precious negative pressure rooms. Our first response was to open one dedicated COVID-19 stepdown unit  between a general and intensive care  then two, then three, with plans to open more. Because our two intensive care units were at capacity with positive cases and those waiting for test results, we opened another ICU this past week. Our hospital has done a good job of anticipating the medical needs regarding numbers of beds, but there are limits.

This is why much of the public has had to adjust their lives during this pandemic and are being told to simply stay home, while health care workers across Houston have had to make huge sacrifices in personal safety that are completely outside of their control. Every day brings new guidelines stemming from a fickle CDC, which appears to be making decisions not based on clinical evidence but on shortages of PPE.

Here is how a typical 12-hour shift in a COVID-19 ICU unfolds. We arrive early to stand in lines to take our temperature and grab our one surgical mask that we wear all day except for a short lunch break. We enter our unit, get a quick update on our assignment and then are off to change our scrubs. We arrive back on our unit to obtain the rest of our personal protective equipment, or PPE, for the day. Those caring for positive and patients where the infection is unconfirmed receive one disposable N95 and face shield for the day, along with a paper bag to store their mask and shield. We were receiving a hair cap and shoe covers but the CDC recently stated this was not needed in light of shortages. Similar was their reversal on reuse of disposable N95s, which just two months ago would have been an absolute breach of protocol that would have warranted reprimand as it is an infection control risk. Most staff decline the paper bags, which may harbor the virus.. As we are seeing a rise of health care workers contracting COVID-19, we are getting creative with our own supplies. Many of us have reusable plastic sandwich containers to store our masks in between uses of what used to be a one-time use mask.

Many of the COVID-19 patients, ranging from their 20s to 60s, require ventilators and other life-resuscitating measures. We are putting many of these patients on their stomachs in an attempt to help oxygenate and ventilate those suffering from acute respiratory distress syndrome. They are on numerous intravenous drips from blood pressure meds to sedation as we see their lungs, heart, kidneys and other organs fail. We are having difficult conversations about decisions such as do not resuscitate  over the phone. Because visitations have been extremely limited, we are seeing patients die alone with no loved ones, no human touch except for the nurses treating them.

Due to the increase in patient volume, we have also taken on responsibilities of housekeeper, patient care assistant, speech therapist to limit risk to those staff and reduce the need for PPE. It is a relentless day, but it is not over at the end of the shift. Many of us then go home and strip down our clothes in the garage, go straight to wash them, and then quarantine ourselves from our families. We are in isolation to protect our loved ones until the next day and the next shift begins.

In addition to the stress of increased risk and being isolated from family, the new stresses impacting others hit us too. My family owns a wedding venue that is now shuttered.

Despite all of this, there are glimmers of hope and humanity. We have seen Astros players, along with many in the community, step up and support the restaurant industry with food orders to feed those on the front lines. We have seen the public practice social distancing in efforts to save lives and prevent overwhelming our medical facilities. We are thankful.

Being a COVID-19 ICU nurse, I am asking for specific help from the public. Limit the times you go to the store, dont have that crawfish boil for a group of friends or go to a neighbors house to hang out. I know it is hard; I watched my childs Easter egg hunt in our backyard from a distance. Without the publics help, we will see additional strain on our hospitals and increased deaths. We are all in this together and will prevail during these difficult times. One day, one shift at a time.

Parker has been an ICU nurse for 18 years in the Houston area.
This year marks the first time that Wyoming Democrats have used ranked-choice voting in their presidential nominating contest. The contest has traditionally been an in-person caucus, but because of the coronavirus, the state party switched to a vote-by-mail primary instead. The caucuses had originally been scheduled for April 4.
Following the presentation of evidence in President Trumps Senate trial, Senator Susan Collins argued that the president did not need to be removed from office because he has learned a pretty big lesson from his impeachment. The president did in fact learn lessons from his impeachment and acquittal, but all the wrong lessons, which he since has been applying in misleading the American people about the catastrophic pandemic, and exacerbating its devastating impact.

Mr. Trump was impeached because when confronted with an urgent crisis that threatened the security of our country  Russias hostile invasion of Ukraine  he put his personal and political interests over the interests of the country. He refused to protect the American people by releasing previously approved and desperately needed military aid for our vital ally unless that country agreed to help his re-election by announcing an investigation of his political rival Joe Biden.

While serving as special counsel to the House Judiciary Committee, I warned in my opening statement for the committees impeachment hearings that if the president got away with what he did, our imagination is the only limit to what President Trump may do next. Those concerns have unfortunately proved prescient, as the lesson Mr. Trump apparently learned from his Senate acquittal is that he could once again get away with putting his personal and political interests over the safety of the American people when confronted with an even more dire crisis.

The parallels are striking and, as with all recidivists, are particularly important for what they reveal about the presidents motives, intent and modus operandi. In other words, we have seen this movie before.
A team of the state health department was attacked in Indore while conducting a survey on Saturday, officials said.

The survey team in charge Praveen Chourey said, Our team of three was doing its work when a man, identified as Paras, attacked them. He hit them with stones and slapped them. He also damaged the mobile phone of one of the team members, Vandana.

Deputy inspector general (DIG) of police Harinarayan Chari Mishra said, Two neighbours in the locality had a dispute between them when the health departments survey team reached there. The accused thought the woman members was recording their dispute on her mobile phone, hence he snatched the mobile phone and damaged it.

Additional superintendent of police Jaiveer Singh Bhadauria said, An FIR has been lodged against the accused.

The incident has come on a day that the police arrested three people in connection with Fridays attack on sanitation workers in Dewas. In a video of Fridays incident, which has since gone viral, the sanitation workers are seen being abused and attacked.

Dewas police insector Sajjan Singh Mukati said, The complainant Ashish, a resident of Rajaur village told the police that he along with Deepak and Chunki was clearing a drain in Koyala locality when one Aadil Khan and some others attacked him with sharp edged weapons while alleging that clearing the drains daily caused foul smell in the area. The accused also attacked his companions too.
Arshad Khan By

Express News Service

NEW DELHI: According to leading footwear brand Bata, in its 126 years of history, the company has operated through world wars, natural disasters, had to move headquarters a couple of times, and has seen a few pandemics. The Covid-19 outbreak brings a new set of challenges for the legacy company. TNIE got in touch with Sandeep Kataria, CEO at Bata India, to discuss how the company plans to emerge from this crisis, rationalising its reach and more. Excerpts:

Do you think there is a greater need for you and the retail industry in general to upscale online presence?

With the national lockdown and work-from-home, people will order more online, keep off from malls and the high street stores for a certain shortterm period. It may take some time for people to feel comfortable again with visiting public spaces. As such, e-commerce will emerge and come to the forefront for fashion retailers. Bata has a robust e-commerce network that delivers to over 1,300 cities and towns across India, and we are working towards further strengthening it. In addition, we sell through our partners like Amazon, Flipkart, Myntra, Paytm, Tata Cliq and Ajio, to name a few. E-commerce contributes over 5 per cent of our overall sales.

What has been the impact of Covid-19 on Bata India and the footwear industry?

The complete shutdown has had a severe impact, as it has been for over three weeks now, and the cascading effect of coronavirus is crippling the footwear industry as well. If you look at the footwear and the leather industry, it directly employs about 45 lakh people in 15,000 MSMEs and retail network, and a lot of them are from the economically challenged sections of the society, including 30 per cent women workforce. It is important that they are looked after all throughout the crisis.

Do you think it is a good time to rationalise your physical presence and close some shops?

It is inevitable that stores that had lower performance during the pre-Covid period will feel the impact of lower footfalls post-Covid, and we will evaluate these stores case by case. The good news for a company like Bata is that we have a very broad portfolio and are in a unique position to service the consumer needs. However, owing to the current situation, there is certainly a need for us to revisit our expansion plan.

What is the status of the supply chain, especially for imported items?

Generally, most of our manufacturing takes place inside the country. We do secure some of the raw materials from China and Vietnam for certain products. Even for those, we were able to procure local substitutes. Owing to our manufacturing units, we will soon be able to ramp up production once things are back to normal and we have the necessary permissions granted.
Chen Tingting in Shanghai has not dined out since the outbreak of COVID-19, while Grace Ou in Hong Kong ate out only once during these months. "I remember I ate out twice, and only two or three tables were occupied," Yujin Kim, described what she saw in South Korea.

We are looking at empty restaurants and colorful pictures of homemade dishes on social media platforms  the highly contagious novel coronavirus disease has not only affected the health of over two million people worldwide, but also changed the attitudes and consumption behaviors of millions more.

According to a recent study by research company Nielsen, Asian consumers are unlikely to dine out as frequently as before the COVID-19 pandemic, and they would prefer takeaways and eating at home when life goes back to normal.

Per the study, 86 percent of respondents from the Chinese mainland said they ate at home more often than before the outbreak, and a similar trend was observed with 77 percent of those polled in Hong Kong. In other Asian markets like South Korea, Malaysia and Vietnam, the number is 62 percent.

Why are people eating at home more frequently?

"I am worried about the hygiene conditions of restaurants and I don't know who I may encounter when dining out," Ou told CGTN. Both Kim and Chen agree that safety is the first priority during the pandemic.

Kim also stressed that this kind of social distancing seems effective in limiting the spread of the coronavirus. "I believe the more intensively we join, the faster we will end this pandemic."

Eating at home is also more meaningful for Chen. "Cooking is a stress-relieving process for me, and it can be a way of passing time in self quarantine," she said.

"This is a very natural phenomenon," Professor Gao Xi from Fudan University's Department of History said in an interview with CGTN, adding that every time there is an epidemic, people dine out less, "but history also tells us this is normally a short-term change, not a long-term one."
PORTAPIQUE, N.S. - RCMP say 17 people are dead, including one of their officers, after a man who at one point wore a police uniform and drove a mock-up cruiser went on a rampage across northern Nova Scotia in one of the deadliest killing sprees in Canadian history.

Hey there, time traveller!

This article was published 19/4/2020 (632 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

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PORTAPIQUE, N.S. - RCMP say 17 people are dead, including one of their officers, after a man who at one point wore a police uniform and drove a mock-up cruiser went on a rampage across northern Nova Scotia in one of the deadliest killing sprees in Canadian history.

Police said Sunday night the suspected shooter, 51-year-old Gabriel Wortman, was killed after being intercepted by officers in Enfield, N.S.

Const. Heidi Stevenson, a 23-year member of the force and mother of two, was identified as the officer killed. A male officer suffered non-life threatening injuries.

"Our hearts are heavy with grief and sadness today as we have lost one of our own," said Brian Sauve, president of the union representing RCMP officers.

RCMP Commissioner Brenda Lucki confirmed to The Canadian Press late Sunday that the death toll had risen to 16, plus the shooter, which surpasses the 14 victims killed in the 1989 Polytechnique massacre in Montreal.

RCMP Chief Supt. Chris Leather earlier told an evening news conference that "in excess of 10 people" had been killed." Leather said it was hard to specify the exact number of victims, "because as we're standing here, the investigation continues into areas that we have not yet explored across the province."

He said the killings appear to be, "at least in part, very random in nature."

CP A tribute is seen at RCMP headquarters in Dartmouth, N.S. on Monday, April 20, 2020. Police say at least 17 people are dead, including RCMP Const. Heidi Stevenson, after a man, driving a restored police car, went on a murder spree in several Nova Scotia communities. Alleged killer Gabriel Wortman, 51, was shot and killed by police. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Andrew Vaughan

The first reports of an active shooter came from Portapique, a community that shaken residents described as a quiet place to live that attracts cottagers from Halifax in summer months.

Lee Bergerman, commanding officer for the RCMP in Nova Scotia, said the day's events have left many families in mourning. "The impact of this incident will extend from one end of the province to the other," she said.

The incident began with a firearms complaint late Saturday night from Portapique, about 40 kilometres west of Truro, where frightened residents witnessed police filling the streets and were advised to lock their homes and stay in their basements.

Leather confirmed that officers responded to a multiple 911 calls Saturday night. Upon arrival, they found "several casualties" inside and outside a Portapique residence, he said, but they could not locate the suspect. He added there were "multiple sites in the area including structures that were on fire."

By late Sunday morning, the suspect was stopped about 90 kilometres away in Enfield, a scene that was surrounded by a half dozen police vehicles. Yellow police tape surrounded the gas pumps, and a large silver-coloured SUV was being investigated by police.

A body was seen lying at the gas station. Police would not comment on whether it was Wortman.

Premier Stephen McNeil offered condolences to "families of the victims" and called the incident "one of the most senseless acts of violence in our province's history."

"I never imagined when I went to bed last night that I would wake up to the horrific news that an active shooter was on the loose in Nova Scotia," McNeil said in Halifax.

RCMP Const. Heidi Stevenson is shown in an RCMP handout photo. There is an outpouring of grief across Nova Scotia today as the names of victims of a weekend mass killing begin to emerge, ranging from a nurse to a teacher to an RCMP officer. THE CANADIAN PRESS/HO-RCMP MANDATORY CREDIT

"Words cannot console the families affected by what has transpired over the last 24 hours."

Through the morning, police updates about the active shooter investigation included warnings that Wortman was considered dangerous and may have been dressed as an RCMP officer in a lookalike RCMP vehicle.

Leather said this detail would be an important part of the investigation.

"The fact that this individual had a uniform and a police car at his disposal certainly speaks to it not being a random act," he said.

A Gabriel Wortman is listed as a denturist in Dartmouth, according to the Denturist Society of Nova Scotia website. A suspect photo issued by the RCMP matches video footage of a man being interviewed about dentures by CTV Atlantic in 2014.

Some Portapique residents who spoke with the The Canadian Press said they knew him in passing as a part-time resident who divided time between the Halifax area and his properties in the community.

David George Crockett, who lives a three-minute drive from Portapique Beach Road, the area where the first 911 calls originated, said Wortman once fixed his teeth at his home in Portapique.

"I'm very surprised," Crockett said in a brief interview outside his rural home as the sun was setting. "I never thought he would do something like that."

Gabriel Wortman is shown in this undated RCMP handout image take from their twitter post. A suspect in an active shooter investigation is in custody. RCMP Nova Scotia reports Wortman is now in custody. THE CANADIAN PRESS/HO-RCMP *MANDATORY CREDIT* EDS NOTE: best quality available

"From what I knew of him, he was quiet, gentle and very easy to talk to .... He was very nice. He kidded around a little bit. He seemed normal, not like someone who would do something like this."

Crockett said the horrific news that more than 10 people had been killed left him feeling overwhelmed, given the stress he and his family was already feeling because of the COVID-19 pandemic.

"It's very depressing to see someone do something like this."

A little farther down the rural road, another neighbour said he and Wortman were friends until the two had a falling out over a piece of nearby property.

The neighbour, who declined to give his name, said Wortman had burned an old shed that contained some property that belonged to the neighbour. The man said he was too overcome with emotion to say more about his relationship with Wortman or what might have motivated his rampage.

Lifelong Portapique resident Peter Hodge, 65, woke up at 1:30 a.m. and saw lights so bright, he thought it was a fire. He then realized that the bright lights were from "probably upwards of 14 police cars in the community."

Christine Mills, another resident, said it had been a frightening night for the community, which was suddenly filled with armed officers patrolling the streets. In the morning, helicopters flew overhead searching for the suspect.

She said she was fearful the shooter might have gone through the woods and attempted to enter her home.

RCMP officers prepare to take a person into custody at a gas station in Enfield, N.S. on Sunday April 19, 2020. A suspect in an active shooter investigation is in custody in Nova Scotia, with police saying several people were harmed before a man wearing police clothing was arrested. Gabriel Wortman was arrested by the RCMP at the Irving Big Stop in Enfield, N.S., about 35 km from downtown Halifax. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Tim Krochak

"It's nerve-wracking because you don't know if somebody has lost their mind and is going to beat in your front door," she said.

Tom Taggart, a councillor who represents the Portapique area in the Municipality of Colchester, said the quiet community is in shock.

"This is just an absolutely wonderful, peaceful quiet community, and the idea that this could happen in our community is unbelievable," Taggart said by phone from his home in Bass River, about three kilometres away from Portapique.

Mills said police officers walked through the community with their guns drawn through the night, and helicopters had been flying over homes on Sunday morning.

Taggart said he didn't know Wortman well, but spoke to him a few times when he telephoned about municipal issues, and described knowing Wortman's "lovely big home" on Portapique Beach Road.

Police publicly identified Wortman about nine hours after an initial tweet around midnight asking people to avoid the Portapique area and stay indoors as officers responded to a firearms complaint.

Cpl. Lisa Croteau, public information officer with the Nova Scotia force, said the police received a call about "a person with firearms" at around 10:30 p.m. on Saturday and the investigation "evolved into an active shooting investigation."

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau commented on the situation during his morning press conference focusing on the COVID-19 crisis.

"My heart goes out to everyone affected in what is a terrible situation," he said. "I want to thank the police for their hard work and people for co-operating with authorities."

 With files from Holly McKenzie-Sutter, Michael Tutton and Jim Bronskill.This report by The Canadian Press was first published April 19, 2020.
Hong Kong Police Arrest Martin Lee, 13 Other Pro-Democracy Figures

2020-04-18 -- Police in Hong Kong arrested 14 pro-democracy figures on Saturday, including Democratic Party founder Martin Lee, rights lawyer Albert Ho and media tycoon Jimmy Lai, for "illegal assembly" in connection with mass street protests last year.

Martin Lee is considered the grandfather of the Hong Kong democracy movement, while Lai owns the Apple Daily, the biggest pro democracy media organization in the city.

The group were arrested in a coordinated raid on Saturday, just days after Beijing dismissed a clause in the city's Basic Law proscribing Chinese government departments from interfering in the city's daily life.

The U.K.-based rights group Hong Kong Watch said the arrests were "politically motivated."

"The politically motivated arrests of 14 of the most prominent democracy campaigners in Hong Kong ... represents a concerted effort by the Chinese Communist Party to use the world's focus on the COVID-19 pandemic to strangle dissent in the city," the group said in a statement on Saturday.

It said the group of prominent activists and former pro-democracy lawmakers were arrested under the city's Public Order Ordinance, which allows police to describe public protests as "unlawful assemblies" at will, and then arrest people for taking part in them.

The practice has consistently been described by the United Nations as a clear breach of human rights, it said.

In Washington, U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said China and its "representatives" in Hong Kong were violating the terms underpinning the 1997 handover to China of the former British colony.

"The United States condemns the arrest of pro-democracy advocates in Hong Kong," he said in a written statement.

"Beijing and its representatives in Hong Kong continue to take actions inconsistent with commitments made under the Sino-British Joint Declaration that include transparency, the rule of law, and guarantees that Hong Kong will continue to 'enjoy a high degree of autonomy,'" added Pompeo.

Hong Kong police superintendent Lam Wing-ho confirmed that 14 people aged between 24 and 81 were arrested on charges of organizing and participating in "unlawful assemblies" on Aug. 18 and Oct. 1 and 20 last year, but declined to name any of the arrestees.

'Now I've finally become a defendant.'

Martin Lee, who was released on bail on Saturday, said he had no regrets.

"Over the months and years, I've felt bad to see so many outstanding youngsters being arrested and prosecuted, but I was not charged," Lee told journalists. "Now I've finally become a defendant."

"I'm proud to have the chance to walk our democracy road with Hong Kong's excellent young people," he said.

The arrestees stand accused of organizing a peaceful march on Aug. 18, 2019 against plans by Hong Kong's leader Carrie Lam to allow extradition of alleged criminal suspects to mainland China that saw 1.7 million people take to the city's streets.

Pro-democracy figures Yeung Sum, Sin Chung-kai, Lee Cheuk-yan, long-time social activist Leung Kwok-hung, known as "Long Hair," former lawmakers Au Nok-hin and Cyd Ho, march organizer Figo Chan and rights activists Raphael Wong, Avery Ng and Richard Tsoi were also arrested, along with barrister Margaret Ng.

Some charges also related to rallies held on Oct. 1 and Oct. 20, 2019.

Democratic lawmaker Claudia Mo said the government is trying "to introduce a reign of terror in Hong Kong."

"They are doing whatever they can to try to silence, to take down, the local opposition," Mo told RTHK.

Civic Party lawmaker Alvin Yeung said the authorities are exacting political revenge on the protest movement while the rest of the world is focused on the coronavirus pandemic.

"The Hong Kong government is making mass arrests at a time when lawmakers ... are tied up with epidemic prevention work and its funding package," Yeung said.

"Everyone else in Hong Kong is fighting the coronavirus pandemic, and they're making delayed revenge arrests? We see what you're doing," he said.

Another step towards 'burying handover terms

Dozens of supporters and members of the Confederation of Trade Unions (CTU), Labour Party and League of Social Democrats protested outside Cheung Sha Wan police station, where some of the arrestees were taken, government broadcaster RTHK reported.

The U.K. Foreign and Commonwealth Office said it was watching the cases closely.

"The right to peaceful protest is fundamental to Hong Kong's way of life," it said in a statement, citing the 1984 Sino-British Joint Declaration and the city's mini-constitution, the Basic Law, as legal protection for those rights.

"It is essential that any protests are conducted peacefully, and that the authorities avoid actions that inflame tensions," it said.

Lord Patten of Barnes, the last British governor of Hong Kong, said China had taken another step towards "burying" the terms of the 1997 handover of Hong Kong.

"The arrest of some of the most distinguished leaders over decades of the campaign for democracy and the rule of law in Hong Kong is an unprecedented assault on the values which have underpinned Hong Kong's way of life for years," Patten said.

"This is not the rule of law. This is what authoritarian governments do," he said, adding that Beijing was determined to "throttle Hong Kong."

Former U.K. foreign secretary Sir Malcolm Rifkind said the arrests were an "appalling attack" on the rule of law in Hong Kong.

"I know some of them personally and I know these individuals are not radicals or 'rioters', they are highly-respected internationally renowned establishment politicians known for their commitment to the rule of law and basic freedoms," Rifkind said.

Reported by Wong Lok-to for RFA's Cantonese Service. Translated and edited by Luisetta Mudie.

Copyright  1998-2020, RFA. Used with the permission of Radio Free Asia, 2025 M St. NW, Suite 300, Washington DC 20036. For any commercial use of RFA content please send an email to: mahajanr@rfa.org. RFA content April not be used in a manner which would give the appearance of any endorsement of any product or support of any issue or political position. Please read the full text of our Terms of Use.

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A Dhanbad court on Sunday sent ten nationals of Indonesia, who were caught hiding in a mosque here on return from Tablighi Jamaat congregation in Delhi last month, to jail after they completed the mandatory 14 days of quarantine, the police said.

The Gobindpur police produced them before the court of Judicial Magistrate, Ritwika Singh, which sent them in 14 days judicial custody, officer-in-charge of the police station Surendra Prasad Singh said. They were charged with violation of Foreign Visa Act and Disaster Management Act, 2005, he said.

The Indonesians, who had come to attend Tablighi Jamaat function in Delhi's Nizamuddin area, were caught hiding in a mosque on return from the national capital in Dhanbads Govindpur block, about 20 km from the coal city, on March 30 last, the police officer said. The Jamaat meet has emerged as a major source of spread of the virus in different parts of the country. Their passports were seized and all of them were sent to Patliputra Medical College Hospital in quarantine.

After end of the isolation period they were produced in the court during the day. Their samples have tested negative for coronavirus, he said. The Indonesian had not informed the police about their visit on a tourist visa.
This essay is part of our 'a summer without...' series. Read more here. *** EVERY YEAR, as the mercury rises to dizzying heights, hordes of people descend on Thrissur, the cultural capital of Kerala, to witness Thrissur Pooram  a spectacular festival of colour, light and sound, flags and festoons, caparisoned elephants and breathtaking pyrotechnics. The genesis of the Pooram can be traced back to the reign of Sakthan Thampuran, the erstwhile Maharaja of Kochi, who organised the post-harvest festival almost two centuries ago to cow down an insolent section of the priestly aristocracy. Another legend goes that he ordered a separate post- harvest festival in the Pooram of Arattupuzha, another temple in the neighbouring area, owing to rains. To facilitate the celebration, a vast expanse of dense teak forest around Vadakkunnathan Temple in Thrissur was cleared at his behest.

Above image: A durbar of caparisoned elephants For me, the Thrissur Pooram brings back childhood memories of friends and relatives arriving in droves from near and far at our ancestral home for the much-awaited festival. Attired in our best, we used to be chaperoned amidst jostling crowds to have a peek at the draped festoons, welcome arches, decorated pandals, illuminated temples, buildings and also the sample vedikkettu (a trial display of fireworks) two days prior to the actual event. The ritual also included a visit to the Pooram Exhibition and chamayam, which is the display of traditional decorative items, ornaments and freshly made umbrellas along with many other paraphernalia used in the Pooram procession. One has to be here during Pooram to experience the fierce pride of Trichurians in their glorious heritage, which they jealously guard. Gripped by Pooram fever, the conversation of the festivals fans revolves around only elephants, music, colour and rhythm, decorations, fireworks relating to the festival. When we would stroll around the Swaraj Round, wed hear their endless discussions and arguments over the beauty, majesty and size of the black-eyed, black-haired beauties that the contending parties mustered for the festival.

Seen here: Caparisoned elephants lined up outside Parmekkavu Temple The Pooram consists of elephant processions taken out from various temples in the vicinity of Thrissur. All the temple processions congregate at the sprawling Pooram Maidan around the 1,500-year old Vadakkunnathan Temple to pay obeisance to Lord Shiva, the presiding deity of the temple, who is supposed to host the other deities participating in the festival. It is the layout of the main temple, the sprawling Pooram Maidan (or Thekkinkadu Maidan) and the circular road around it that enhances the magnificence of the festival. The congregation of processions of richly caparisoned elephants is accompanied by chenda melam (an orchestra of percussion instruments) or panchavadyam (a percussion ensemble of five instruments) from various temples in the vicinity of Thrissur. The most impressive processions are those from the Krishna Temple at Thiruvambadi and the Devi Temple at Paramekkavu, both situated in the heart of the town itself, and whose respective groups nurse a friendly rivalry.

Kudamattom, the parasol exchange at twilight  the highlight of Thrissur Pooram The essence of the festival is the veneration of Lord Vadakkunnathan by the deities of Thiruvambadi and Paramekkavu temples, and the processions starting from these two temples deserve special mention. Each comprises specially selected elephants whose foreheads sport gold nettippattoms (a large cloth onto which are sewn around 600 gold-plated pieces of varying sizes) and the central elephant carrying the presiding deity of the temple to which the festival is dedicated. The gold-plated head dress of the elephants together with the multi-coloured silk parasols, circular peacock feather fans and swinging yak tail bunches constitute the Poorams most enduring image.

In this photo: Chamayam, a display of decorative items used in Thrissur Pooram The festival is a 30-hour-long show, starting at 6 am on the Pooram day and ending at noon on the following day. The processions of the minor participants converge on Pooram Maidan around the main temple between 6 am and noon on the festival day.

Above photo: Orchestra ensemble of percussion instruments The procession from the Paramekkavu temple begins by noon, as the lead elephant carrying the sacred thidambu of Paramekkavu Bhagavathy emerges out of the temple and assembles outside with 14 other elephants. This is followed by the thundering music of the pandi melam by drummers who pound away in energetic unison. By 2 pm, the procession from Paramekkavu enters the Vadakkunnathan Temple and takes its stand under the elanji tree where the renowned elanjithara melam is conducted. It is said that the sound vibration from the drum performance causes even the leaves to fall from the sacred tree. With 200 percussion artistes playing on different instruments, the elanjithara melam remains unrivalled in temple festivals. Entranced by the vibrant, pulsating orchestra, Pooram enthusiasts dance deliriously. The highlight of the festival is the kudamattam or the parasol exchange where 15 elephants from each devasom face each other and exchange parasols in front of the temple in the Thekkinkadu Maidan. The silk umbrellas held atop the array of gaily decorated elephants keep changing, one brilliant colour following another as rival temple groups compete with each other in waving the yak tail bunches and feathers atop the elephants, in unison with the beating of drums.

In this image: Sublime levels of sound As darkness descends, the night processions return to their respective temples and later re-join at the Maidan. The stage is set for the vedikettu, the spectacular pyrotechnics that start at dawn, creating a wonderland of light and sound, colour and brilliance. The rituals continue until noon the next day, when elephants lining up on each side outside the Vadakkunnathan Temple and the drumming begins once more, only to be drowned out by the last of the fireworks, signaling the end of the melam. With the cancellation of the much-awaited festival in the wake of the nationwide coronavirus lockdown  widely said to be a first in 58 years  Trichurians who have an emotional connect with the festival are a disappointed lot. A summer without Pooram is difficult to come to terms with, says M Madhavankutty, a member of the festivals organising committee. It will have a severe economic impact on the artisans involved in making umbrellas, fireworks and ornaments for the elephants; the mahouts, hoteliers and business community; the exhibitors at the Pooram Expo and vendors in the town, adds Unnikrishnan, a Pooram regular.

Seen here: Vedikettu or fireworks in Thekinkad Maidan It will be tough times ahead for the artistes who are dependent on festivals. We have requested the state government for a special financial package of Rs 1,000 a month, free rations, medicines and an interest-free loan of Rs 1 lakh a year for the performing artistes, Peruvanam Kutta Marar, chenda maestro of Kerala, notes. While Trichurians will miss the swirling colours, din and fervour of the Pooram, the captive jumbos are perhaps the happiest  rejoicing their vacation sans parades, temple festivals and the high sound decibels.  All photos courtesy Susheela Nair
Im thinking really seriously about what the online experience is for our clients, said Amy Cappellazzo, chairwoman of the Fine Art division of Sothebys. In effect, weve been in the live theater business. Now were segueing into what is more like live streaming. The truth is, that revolution has been underway for some time.

Art market veterans agree that the pandemic has accelerated changes that were underway  an effort by auction houses to build up private and online sales; to reduce costly and cumbersome catalogs; and to develop younger, nontraditional customers.

People who can change, adapt and innovate will be the ones best able to move forward, said Clare McAndrew, an art economist who puts out the annual Art Basel and UBS Art Market Report. The online segment could be a big winner here.

Auction houses have been trying to adjust quickly, though the uncertain trajectory of the virus makes it difficult to solidify plans. The most immediate question is the spring auctions, which anchor the art market calendar, along with the fall sales in November; last May, the five-day series of sales at Sothebys, Christies and Phillips raised a combined $2 billion.

Both Christies and Phillips have consolidated their New York Impressionist, Modern and contemporary art sales into one week of 20th-century auctions scheduled for the end of June that will also absorb the London June sales. The Hong Kong sales have been pushed to July, though that, too, may be wishful thinking.
Vesta Living, Ireland's first entirely online rental platform, is to develop a 290-unit site in north Dublin as part of an investment worth around 85m.

In an interview with the Sunday Independent, Rick Larkin, executive director of Vesta, confirmed that he had agreed to terms on a site near the company's 376 units in Clongriffin, Co Dublin. The development is currently at the legal stage, which has been made difficult due to the pandemic, but he hopes to formally announce the new site "within the next few weeks".

"We have agreed terms on another piece of land for about 300 apartments quite nearby," he said. "I can't say where exactly, as we don't have permission from the seller, but it is quite near [Clongriffin].

"It is quite difficult with the legal [side] now, but I hope that by the end of April, we will be able to announce it, so long as lawyers can get it together working from home."

Larkin, who is also a director with property company Twinlite, said Vesta had been working on acquiring more land before the pandemic. He said the firm was targeting developments in suburban Dublin aimed at commuters.

Since the start of the Covid-19 pandemic in Ireland, the development in Clongriffin has experienced a 12pc uptick in the number of leases signed over the first two weeks of April compared with February.

Larkin said this uptick is a result of the company's app, which allows renters to view their apartment, upload their documents, sign their lease, get a digital key and enter their apartment without physically meeting anyone.

"Real estate has been affected quite a bit," he said. "You can't have viewings, and you can't meet people. It's a very in-person industry.

"We are renting apartments almost every day without meeting anyone, and the leases are still rolling in. It's something we probably weren't expecting; people would typically put these decisions off in uncertain times. But it doesn't appear to be happening for us. That's probably a lot to do with the fact that, despite the pandemic, the housing crisis rumbles on."

With business performing better than expected, Larkin admitted there had been some interest in acquiring the Vesta platform.

"We are looking at licensing it, but it's probably a longer-term project because we have a lot on our plate," he said.

"We have been approached by a lot of people asking if they can have it, but so far we have said no to that."

Larkin added that Vesta feels it could occupy a good spot in the Irish rental marketplace, with the firm planning on developing 5,000 units over a 10-year timeline: "So long as we can keep attracting investment, we will keep on building."
Global COVID-19 deaths top 150,000, int'l coordinated response intensifying

People's Daily Online

(Xinhua) 08:54, April 18, 2020

WASHINGTON, April 17 (Xinhua) -- Global COVID-19 deaths surpassed 150,000 with over 2.2 million infections on Friday as international institutions are intensifying their collective efforts on battling the pandemic.

A total of 150,948 people have died of the disease as of 3:30 p.m. (1930 GMT) among 2,214,861 cases worldwide, according to the Center for Systems Science and Engineering (CSSE) at Johns Hopkins University.

The United States suffered the most fatalities at 34,575 as its total cases topped 683,000. Italy recorded 22,745 deaths and Spain reported 19,613 deaths. France and the United Kingdom also reported over 10,000 deaths, according to the CSSE.

The World Bank Group (WBG) is expected to launch health emergency programs in over 100 countries by the end of April to support the fight against COVID-19, with 64 already in operation, President David Malpass said Friday.

The WBG will work to deploy as much as 160 billion U.S. dollars over the next 15 months, tailored to the nature of the health, economic and social shocks that countries are facing during the pandemic, Malpass told a virtual press conference during the Spring Meetings of the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and the WBG.

Other multilateral development banks (MDBs), such as Asian Development Bank, and Inter-American Development Bank, have committed as a group to roughly 80 billion dollars over this period, bringing the total funding from MDBs to 240 billion dollars, Malpass said.

The World Bank president said he is pleased that Group of Twenty (G20) countries have recently decided to provide a suspension in debt service to bilateral creditors during the crisis, calling it "a powerful fast-acting initiative that can bring real benefits to the poor."

Noting that China is one of the big creditors, Malpass said China's support in the international agreement to allow a moratorium of debt repayments for the poorest countries is "important" and was "very welcome."

In response to a question from Xinhua regarding protectionism amid the pandemic, Malpass said big countries need to step forward and pledge not to use the crisis as a reason to close or block the markets.

"We should allow markets to function, markets to clear and the supplies to go to those most in need," said the World Bank president, adding that China is exporting medical supplies to the rest of the world, which is "very welcome."

Shortly before the briefing, a meeting of the Development Committee, the joint ministerial committee of the boards of governors of the WBG and the IMF, also urged countries to keep trade open.

The committee "ask that all countries ensure the flow of vital medical supplies, critical agricultural products, and other goods and services across borders, and that they work to resolve disruptions to the global supply chains, to support the recovery," it said in a statement.

The committee also urged the two institutions to work with countries to design and implement policies and programs that help lift the poorest households out of poverty and support small businesses.

The policy-setting body of the IMF on Thursday also pledged collective action to mitigate the health and economic impact of COVID-19.

"The fund has revamped the fund's toolkit by doubling access levels to emergency facilities, expanding the use of precautionary lines, establishing a new short-term liquidity line, and considering other options to help countries meet their financing needs," Lesetja Kganyago, International Monetary and Financial Committee chairman, told a news conference on Thursday.

The move came after G20 finance ministers and central bankers on Wednesday agreed to "support a time-bound suspension of debt service payments for the poorest countries that request forbearance" following a teleconference meeting.

"Just seeing how the G20 united around debt standstill for the poorest members gives me that confidence that whatever is necessary, we will collectively do in the face of this tremendous crisis," IMF Managing Director Kristalina Georgieva said Wednesday.

Speaking at the IMF and World Bank Group Spring Meeting's High-Level Virtual Event on "Mobilizing with Africa," United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres on Friday called for an "across-the-board debt standstill" for some developing countries in order to help them win the fight against the COVID-19 pandemic.

"I welcome G20 steps, including the suspension of debt service payments for all IDA (International Development Association) countries and Least Developed Countries," Guterres said.

Noting that this step is only "a start," he said that "the severity of the crisis demands more."

The UN chief commended "swift actions" by the IMF and World Bank Group to support member countries and the strong commitment of both the International Monetary and Financial Committee and the Development Committee to enhance access to facilities and tools.

"But we need greater resources for the IMF, including through the issuance of Special Drawing Rights, and enhanced support for the World Bank Group and other international financial institutions and bilateral mechanisms," he said.

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Mali headed into the final round of legislative elections Sunday, aiming to revive public faith in its embattled institutions despite a bloody jihadist conflict and looming viral pandemic.

Voters in the nation of 19 million will cast their ballots in the runoff for 147 seats in the National Assembly.

The elections have been repeatedly delayed, eroding trust in institutions as the country struggles with an Islamist revolt that has claimed thousands of lives and forced hundreds of thousands from their homes.

The first round on March 29 was disrupted by jihadist attacks and intimidation, including the kidnapping of opposition leader Soumaila Cisse.

The turnout nationwide averaged 35.6 percent, but was just 12.9 per cent in the capital Bamako.

It is the country's first parliamentary poll since 2013 when President Ibrahim Boubacar Keita's Rally for Mali party won a big majority.

The elections were meant to take place in late 2018 after Keita was returned to office but the poll was postponed several times, mainly because of security concerns.

A "national dialogue" staged last year to discuss Mali's spiral of violence called for the ballot to be completed by May.

The hope is that the new MPs will endorse changes to the constitution that will promote decentralisation.

That is the key to pushing ahead with the government's plans for peace -- it signed a deal with armed separatists in northern Mali in 2015 but the pact has largely stalled.

Violence in that region began in 2012 and was then fanned by jihadists.

Defying thousands of French and UN troops, the jihadists took their campaign into the centre of the country and now threaten neighbouring Burkina Faso and Niger.

Mali is one of the world's most impoverished nations.

Its conflict zones and poor healthcare infrastructure place it in the category of countries that health experts say are at high risk of coronavirus.

An election-monitoring NGO warned about social distancing in Sunday's vote. Keita said "every health and security" precaution will be "rigorously applied".

The country has officially recorded 13 deaths out of more than 200 cases.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Here are all the coronavirus updates you need to know this Sunday, April 19.

1. The number of cases in Kenya has hit 270 after eight more people tested positive for the virus.

2. Two more people have also succumbed to the virus raising to 14 the death toll while seven have also recovered bringing to 67, the total number of recoveries.

READ ALSO: Video of conductor 'caught' by police in traffic dancing to Utawezana goes viral

The government announced eight more cases of COVID-19. Photo: Ministry of Health.

Source: UGC

READ ALSO: 6 mourners who attended same funeral die from COVID-19

3. Seven people have been arrested in Kirinyaga en route to Garissa after sneaking from Nairobi.

4. Protesters in Texas, US have taken to the streets to demand an end of the lockdown.

5. President Donald Trump has said China might suffer consequences if it is found responsible for coronavirus.

6. The government has revealed plans to evacuate Kenyans stranded in the United Kingdom.

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.

Mulamwah and his girlfriend speak out for the first time after he quit comedy | Tuko TV

Source: TUKO.co.ke
Who would have foreseen that the publication of Malcolm Turnbull's memoirs would have led to the immediate outbreak of a Liberal Party culture war? Well, everyone.

Already the unauthorised distribution of A Bigger Picture, an e-book, which has been circulating political circles over the weekend, has dragged Prime Minister Scott Morrison's office into the controversy with an advisor targeted by lawyers acting for Turnbull and his publisher Sandy Grant.

Mathias Cormann, Malcolm Turnbull and Scott Morrison at a joint press conference in 2018. Credit:Alex Ellinghausen

Meanwhile, angry conservatives on the NSW Liberal executive this weekend appear to have lobbed a bomb in the direction of the ex-PM and his supporters among the party's moderate faction. They want him expelled.

A note circulated by Right-faction aligned member Christian Ellis to others on the state executive reads: "I intend to move for the immediate expulsion of Malcolm Turnbull from the Liberal Party. On top of this, as he may no longer be a member, I will move for a lifetime ban to be imposed on him."
The 1848 red-brick building has housed sex clubs and starred in movies including Fatal Attraction(Glenn Closes character had an apartment here).

Earlier, Little Flatiron contained factory space  in 1892, a shoe manufacturer employed 175 workers on the premises  so the face-shield operation has returned the building to its roots, if only temporarily.

To hire factory workers quickly, Consortium enlisted the Meatpacking Business Improvement District, the Fashion Institute of Technology and Women in Hospitality United, among other organizations, to get the word out. Its goal was to recruit 90 people to work in staggered shifts, as part of a seven-day-a-week operation.

An online application asked candidates to check off boxes consenting to statements like: I am willing and able to perform manual labor for an 8-hr work day.

Over 250 people applied. The first hire was an F.I.T. student, Vladislava Bulatnikova, 23, who emigrated from Russia six years ago and is wrapping up a degree in advertising and marketing communications.

She had already lined up an internship at Consortium for after graduation but jumped at the chance to join the assembly line. Its an amazing opportunity to help the community, Ms. Bulatnikova said.

On the job, she and other workers must observe social distancing, and then some. Upon arrival, they stash personal belongings, have their temperatures taken, slather on hand sanitizer, and don masks and gloves.
One of the houses burnt by 'General' Ayekeh of Ambazonia Facebook

Self-styled separatist General Ayekeh of the Alou Guerrilla Fighters, formerly known to belong to the Red Dragon of Oliver Lekeaka alias Field Marshall, is said to be running amok, causing untold suffering to locals of Banga, a community in Wabane Subdivision, Lebialem Division.

Video and voice clips making rounds on social media Sunday, April 19, 2020, are telling of the sorry situation that locals are now forced to deal with as the conflict in the North West and South West Regions digs in.

In a video believed to have been shot last week in Alou, General Ayekeh and his troops are seen setting houses on fire in a locality called Banga and destroying crops attacked, reducing to rubbles all they met on their way.

This is Banga on fire. The whole village is down to ashes. We dont need this name called Banga inside this land. Everything is down, fire left and right. Plantains are down. We dont need anything to exist again in Banga. You can see all houses have been set on fire because we have discovered that even civilians here are terrorists. So we have decided to cancel the name Banga in Lebialem. Soldiers are wounded, a voice believed to be that of Ayekeh is heard doing a voice over as armed fighters execute his instructions.

Cameroon-Infor.Net recalls that in another video recorded on September 7, 2019 in Alou, General Ayekeh and his troops are seen to have attacked Banga, killed and destroyed property.

Today, the 7th day of September 2019, after a serious bloody intervention last night by General Ayekeh and his troops at Banga, an unknown camp that came into Lebialem just to disturb freedom fighters. General Ayekeh successfully liberated four persons. This is one of the highest injured persons by name Mbah Cho Edwin who has several injuries on him to the extent that part of his body is even dead, someone who says he is Ayekehs Communication Secretary narrates at the beginning of the video as a naked man on drips is seen lying on a bed.

The narrator then asks the Governing Council and others to listen to General Ayekeh. In broken English, Ayekeh extends greetings to the diaspora and ground zero before explaining that the man lying on the bed with wounds and soars all over his body is one of his soldiers that was taken into custody by intruders.

He was kidnapped by Banga soldiers. He had been under their keeping for almost two weeks. I decided yesterday (September 6, 2019) to rescue four of them  one soldier and three civilians. I entered Banga just because of them Those promoting Banga soldiers to be carrying out this kind of activities should know that it is wrong. Im no longer begging them. At the end of the day, I burnt down the Banga prisons into ashes, said Ayekeh.

The Ambazonia General says some people called freedom fighters are now terrorists. He shows four persons believed to have been maimed by armed fighters in Banga.

this thing is too much. We dont know what to do. We are suffering. We are going through a lot because of terrorists calling themselves freedom fighters. The young man that is over there promoting them to be doing this should be ready for us now. Ill blow off all of them, said Ayekeh.

One of the freed hostages says he was taken hostage by armed men when he went demanding why they had killed his brother.

Towards the end of the video, Ayekeh thundered: Ill pause the war against La Republique and first hunt down Banga fighters. If it pains anyone of you out there, come and go through the suffering we are going through every day.

A 4 minutes 29 seconds audio clip follows the Ayekeh video. In the voice note, General Ayekeh is accused of looting and burning down Banga village in Wabane Subdivision in Lebialem Division.

My brothers and sisters in the diaspora, Im sending this message to you so you can see what Commander Ayekeh and his elements have done in Banga. We dont know the problem they have with the separatist fighters in Banga. They came to Banga and burnt all houses. They sent the locals fleeing into the bushes. In the absence of villagers, Ayekeh along with over 500-man troop looted houses in Banga ebfore setting them ablaze, the anonymous local said.

He begs that Ayekeh should be called to order before the suffering masses die. Diaspora, were begging. Please look into this problem. Ayekeh has destroyed all the oil mills and looted our cocoa. Why should Ayekeh put us through such pain?

Ambazonia activists we contacted refused to comment on the apparent implosion within the ranks of the separatist fighters in Lebialem Division.
Source: Xinhua| 2020-04-19 17:33:53|Editor: huaxia

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PHNOM PENH, April 19 (Xinhua) -- Cambodia and China's joint COVID-19 fight is an outstanding model of cooperation and a positive step towards building a global community of shared future, said a Cambodian ruling party spokesman.

In a recent interview with Xinhua, Cambodian People's Party (CPP) spokesman Suos Yara said that when China was facing the most difficult time in combating the COVID-19, Cambodian Prime Minister Samdech Techo Hun Sen made a special visit to Beijing on Feb. 5 to voice the kingdom's full support for China's fight against the virus.

When the situation of COVID-19 in China has stabilized, China has recently dispatched medical experts and supplies to Cambodia and other countries to help fight the pandemic, he said.

"A friend in need is a friend indeed," Yara said. "The presence of Chinese doctors has given us not only confidence but also warmth to the Cambodian doctors and people."

"This is an outstanding model of cooperation and a positive step towards the success in building a global community of shared future," he added.

Yara, who is also a member of parliament, said the Chinese doctors had brought to their Cambodian counterparts medical skills and techniques, experiences and practices of the laboratory management, outpatient management, strategies and plans to prevent and treat patients as well as the setting up of a remote health consultation system.

"It bares fruitful results as we can see that Cambodia has since the first stage taken an effective prevention measure to contain a possible spread in community level," he said.

Cambodia has so far recorded a total of 122 confirmed cases of the COVID-19, with 105 patients cured, according to a Ministry of Health statement on Sunday.

"As of today, most of the COVID-19 patients in Cambodia are imported cases from overseas," he said.

Sharing his view on China's strict measures to contain the COVID-19, Yara commended the Chinese people for their willingness to stay in the same boat and for their mutual support in the fight against COVID-19, and especially the people of Wuhan city for their cooperation during the lockdown.

"These measures have provided an example for all the nations in the world regardless of race, color, and geography to follow and apply," he said, adding that this was a brave and sharp decision to protect the lives and welfares of the Chinese people, despite having to sacrifice a heavy loss to the economy.

He said this decision has not only helped curtail the COVID-19 crisis in China, but it has also bought time for other countries to prepare themselves in devising response measures in a timely manner.

"It is also a test of the strength of China's internal solidarity," Yara said.

China has shared its own experiences in the fight against COVID-19 with the international community and has provided medical equipment to many countries, he said, adding that these indicated China's high responsibility for the world's development and building a shared future of humankind.

"The experience China has learned in combating the virus is truly vital for China itself as well as for other countries around the world," Yara said.

Given the uncertainty in the global situations, China's role is becoming increasingly important in multilateral system leadership and in the promotion of bilateral, regional and global trade, he added.

Commenting on China's economic situation this year, Yara said that despite the slowdown, China is still the locomotive to pull the world economy.

"I remain optimistic that the economy of China will continue to recover gradually and will remain strong, despite a relatively slow recovery of the global economy," Yara said. Enditem
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.
Armed bandits Saturday attacked communities in three local governments of Katsina State, killing 47 persons.

The Katsina State Police Command confirmed the early morning attacks and the casualty.

The commands spokesman, Gambo Isah, made this known in a statement made available to journalists on Sunday in Katsina.

He said that the bandits carried out the attacks in Dutsinma, Danmusa and Safana local government areas at about 00:30 hours on April 18.

The spokesman did not give further details, but said that police, army, air force, civil defence and SSS personnel had been deployed to restore normalcy in the affected communities.

In his reaction, President Muhammadu Buhari condemned the attacks.

According to a statement by his spokesperson, Garba Shehu, the president said that he is deeply saddened by the latest development, and called on Nigerians not to despair because this administration is ever determined to defeat and crush these criminal elements taking advantage of the lockdown to attack their victims.

According to Mr Shehu, President Buhari said he will not tolerate this large scale killing of innocent people by the bandits, adding that in line with my commitment to security of the people, these attacks will be met with decisive force.

The president directed the security agencies not to rest on their oars or lower their guard which will create a vacuum for the bandits to strike.

While extending his sympathies to the families of the victims, he called on the people to show more vigilance by reporting the activities of criminal elements in their midst.

Katsina is one of the Northwest states that has suffered attacks from bandits in the past few years.

Other states that have suffered similar attacks are Zamfara, Kaduna and Jigawa.
A person carries a sign at the beach in Jacksonville Beach, Florida, on April 17, 2020. (Sam Greenwood/Getty Images)

Hundreds of People Flock to Florida Beaches After Reopening

Hundreds of people swarmed Floridas beaches on Saturday after Gov. Ron DeSantis announced they would be reopened at local leaders discretion.

Photos and videos showed people walking along the beach, running, and swimming. Most of the images and footage were sourced from the beaches around Jacksonville.

It came after Jacksonville Mayor Lenny Curry announced that Duval Countys beaches would open weeks after they were shut down during the CCP (Chinese Communist Party) virus pandemic. The virus emerged from mainland China last year and causes the disease COVID-19.

A family runs on the beach in Jacksonville Beach, Florida, on April 17, 2020. (Sam Greenwood/Getty Images)

This can be the beginning of the pathway back to normal life, Curry said. Please respect and follow these limitations. Stay within the guidelines for your safety as well as for the safety of your neighbors.

Beaches will be open from 6 a.m. to 11 a.m. and from 5 p.m. to 8 p.m. every day with some restrictions, says Jacksonvilles government website.

Permitted recreational activities include biking, running, hiking, and swimming, according to the city.

Thank you Jacksonville. I appreciate your social distancing and responsible behavior as we opened our beaches for walking, swimming, running etc. No groups congregating. 5 pm to 8pm opening tonight. This is the 7pm shot from Councilman Diamond from the beach. Well done Jax https://t.co/VPVrhG40zC  Lenny Curry (@lennycurry) April 18, 2020

However, no sunbathing, towels, blankets, chairs, coolers, and grills are permitted on any Duvall County beaches, the website says.

Meanwhile, No organized group activities are permitted, and it includes picnics or gatherings, team sports, or any type of group activity, the website says, adding that restrooms, pavilions, and picnic areas will be shut down.

Some locals said they were excited about the return to normalcy.

People are seen at the beach in Jacksonville Beach, Florida, on April 17, 2020. (Sam Greenwood/Getty Images)

Im planning on going and riding my bicycle or surfing, Elliott Toney told local affiliate WJXT.

Miami-Dade Mayor Carlos Gimenez said Saturday that the county would move ahead with reopening beaches. However, he did not elaborate on a date.
With the sun splitting Dublin's stones for most of last week, Maire Ni Mhaolie, co-owner of the temporarily closed 57 The Headline Bar, was cursing her luck. It would be an ideal time for serving her thirsty customers some refreshing Aperol Spritz.

With bars across Ireland closed to patrons as a result of the Covid-19 pandemic, Ni Mhaolie and her husband Geoff Carty, who she owns the bar with, have been forced to get inventive to keep revenue flowing. The husband and wife duo have started selling and delivering boxes of craft beer, wines, and gin and tonics to locals eager for a tipple to help get through the lockdown period.

Last Wednesday, the publican discovered just how valued her services are by the locals, when she saved the day for a distressed bride-to-be.

"I did a delivery just there, a lady rang me up in a panic," she said. "They were feeling down in the dumps because her friend's wedding had just been cancelled.

"She asked if I could do a box of Dingle Gin with some tonic waters and I said, 'absolutely no problem'. She wanted me to write up a little message, which I did. When I delivered it over, her friend was delighted; it was just such a nice thing to be able to do."

Deliveries of the alcohol boxes have meant that 57 The Headline Bar has maintained 30pc of its average weekly revenue, meaning the owners were able to rehire a few members of staff. They have even reopened the kitchen, where they are running a click-and-collect food service.

However, delivering premium Irish gin to devastated brides-to-be won't be enough to save Ireland's stalled bar industry.

With Covid-19 restrictions and social distancing guidelines, Ni Mhaolie and many other publicans the length and breadth of the country share some common concerns.

When will pubs be allowed to reopen, how will the public's concerns over Covid-19 influence their future, and what will Irish pubs now look like?

Ireland's pubs aren't only an important part of the national psyche; they also account for a substantial portion of the economy.

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According to the Vinters' Federation of Ireland, there are 7,500 licensed premises in the country, employing approximately 50,000 people.

Its most recent figures for 2017 show that the bar and off-licence sectors were worth an estimated 6.84bn, with the areas spending around 1.3bn on services and material inputs.

Despite its hefty economic size, pubs were among the first causalities of the Covid-19 outbreak.

First, bars started enforcing limitations on the number of people allowed inside premises. Not long after that, the shutters were pulled down by the Government.

The closures came before St Patrick's Day; the annual gold rush for publicans across the island of Ireland.

Like most businesses, pubs will be shut until May 5 at least. However, there is a widespread expectation that they will be closed until a vaccine has been produced - something which could be several months away.

The situation has left publicans collectively scratching their heads, wondering when they might be allowed to pour creamy pints of Guinness to the nation - and if the days of buzzy bars full to the rafters with thirsty customers having the craic are effectively over.

So what is in store for Ireland's world-renowned pubs? John Ryan, director in the hotel and licensed team at commercial real estate services firm CBRE, said trends in the parts of Asia that are starting to reopen could give us a clue.

Ryan said that food and beverage services in some hotels across Hong Kong had started reopening, implementing restrictions that ensure customer safety and social distances are maintained. He said he understands that some places are booming.

"In Hong Kong, we are seeing maximum group bookings of four people, with the thinking that this is the typical size of the nuclear family. There is also spacing of 1.5 metres between tables.

"If you can imagine progressing that out a little bit, could a publican say, 'Yeah, I might not turn over as much as I could do, but at least I am back up and running and offering a service to my customers'?"

Ryan is hopeful that the Irish people will emulate their peers in Hong Kong and emerge from lockdown thirsty for socialising at the local pub. However, he believes that Ireland's pubs will need to implement measures to provide customers with a sense of safety when they do reopen.

Pubs may have to introduce services such as seat reservations and bookings, while also halting the walk-in trade to reduce overcrowding - big moves for a business proud of saying failte to as many people as possible. He also believes that the food and drink offering is going to be all the more critical once this pandemic passes, as well as offering click-and-collect services to keep the pennies rolling in now.

Looking further into the future, he accepts there will be casualties in the pub trade. He remains hopeful, however, and believes that pubs which adapt will survive.

"The pubs that are going to survive are those that constantly reinvent themselves and reinvest in their customer," he said.

"There are going to be lots of pubs not fit for purpose. We see that already with the number of pubs disappearing."

The thought of a post-lockdown reinvention isn't for everyone, particularly given the changes pubs have already had to make which have hit their bottom lines. The smoking ban of 2004 and the recession forced pubs into a rethink over how they do business.

The importance of outdoor space, putting on events and offering quality food service emerged from those periods of turbulence.

Pubs also cut costs to improve margins, with many believing that they had just got to a point last year where the industry was performing well.

Indeed, Limerick publican Thomas O'Sullivan, who runs The Still House Bar, Russells Select Bar, Hi Way Bar and Restaurant, and The Westward Ho Bar and Grill, said the sector had already cut its cloth as much as it could, with margins paper-thin.

O'Sullivan said the cost of running a pub, from paying staff to bills, rent, rates and taxes, could become overwhelming. He believes too many bars are reliant on the profitable and busy Friday to Sunday trade, covering the cost of the loss-making quieter periods.

"If you were saying to me that we had to cut the number of people we can have in the pub by half during that busy period, then the maths don't add up. It won't work."

O'Sullivan said it's unknown what the future will hold, but he acknowledged that change would have to come to ensure that customers feel safe when going to their favourite pub: "How we do business will have to change. Our people will have to sanitise, surfaces will have to be wiped down periodically, a heightened consciousness toward touch points. All these things will have to happen.

"If you have a crystal ball handy, you are looking in to see things that could happen. I don't think these things will work in an Irish bar."

Louis Fitzgerald, the owner of the Louis Fitzgerald Group of over 19 pubs, restaurants and hotels, is also worried about the effect this will have across his businesses.

"I think we have a major crisis in the hospitality business," he said. "I was 50 years in business last year. If someone was to ask, 'where are you now and where do you think you are going in the future?', I'd have to say, 'I'm at a crossroads and I don't have a map'. To me, it's like starting up a new business again."

Fitzgerald, who owns famous Dublin haunts including Kehoes and The Stag's Head, said he would like to see the industry reopen together, but doesn't envisage this happening for a long time. The experienced publican feels that pubs will undoubtedly have to restrict the number of people they let in, which he said could be achieved by updating maximum capacity figures on fire certificates. He also said some pubs might consider earlier closing times, such as finishing up at 9pm.

Distancing will also be a primary focus, said Fitzgerald, but he hopes that it won't last forever.

"We've worked out all the turbulence that faced us before this virus, we took them on board, and we worked them out. I think we will do that again, but there is a time factor.

"I do think that the business will never quite be the same again. Our premises will have to revert to dining and food. That trend has been knocking on the door for years."

Fitzgerald said the biggest problem facing the trade is the substantial fear factor that will surround going to the pub when they are allowed to reopen.

"We will train our staff to deal with the fear factor that is going to hit our premises. We have to ensure that we have given [the public] confidence and entice them back with open arms, and show them this is a safe environment for them."

The presumed losses this year won't stop Fitzgerald from investing in the business. Twelve of his premises are set for some renovations during the closed period.

He plans on forking out around 5m to improve the toilets and gear some of his establishments toward food.

Looking to the future, Fitzgerald, like many of the other publicans, is confident the industry is resilient enough to come through this period ready to go again.

While he acknowledges he has never seen anything like Covid-19 before, which has meant he has been unable to attend the funerals of some friends who have died in the past week, he is sure the sector will find its feet and continue to serve the Irish public - just like it has done for hundreds of years.

"It's going to be slow; we were happy enough with how we came out of the last recession as a group," he said.

"I think that after some time out, we will be back again. There is no reason in the world why not."
Cate Blanchett currently stars as 1970s anti-feminist Phyllis Schlafly on Foxtel's new mini-series, Mrs America.

But as an outspoken women's rights activist and UNHCR ambassador, her political views couldn't be further than her character.

In fact, Cate, 50, revealed that her journey to feminism began as a teenager when she was inspired by her school teacher mother, June.

Girl power! Australian actress Cate Blanchett, 50, revealed her school teacher mother, June, inspired her journey to feminism

'You know, there was a stigma around identifying as a self-actualised woman who felt like she could achieve anything in line with her male counterparts,' she told the Daily Telegraph on Sunday.

Cate continued: 'My mother grew up with that sensibility, even though she was a single working parent, with all of the challenges that entails.'

The Ocean's 8 star admitted while her mother didn't identify as a feminist, she did.

Inspiration: Speaking to the Daily Telegraph on Sunday, Cate admitted that her mother, June, grew up with the sensibility of identifying as a self-actualised woman who could achieve anything in line with her male counterparts. Pictured together in May 2015

And it appears the Academy Award-winning actress is making the most of her time in isolation, clocking in some family time with her family in East Sussex, England.

Regrettably her mother stays behind in Australia.

'Every day I think, ''I'm going to get up and read, I'm going to get up and exercise", but in the end, like today, I'm making foil unicorns with my daughter,' she later joked to the publication.

Family time: The actress is making the most of her time in isolation, clocking in some family time with her family in East Sussex, England. Pictured with her husband Andrew Upton

The iconic film star has been married to former Sydney Theatre director Andrew Upton since 1997.

The couple share three four children: sons Dashiell, 19, Roman, 16, Ignatius, 11 and adopted daughter, Edith, five.

Last month the pair appeared to be making their move to East Sussex official after they listed their remaining Sydney property for $12million (AUD).

Cate and Andrew originally purchased the property five years ago for $8million, potentially providing them with a $4million profit if sold for $12million, according to Domain.
FRIDAY, April 17, 2020 (HealthDay News) -- As U.S. hospitals deal with a continuing influx of COVID-19 patients, cardiologists are sounding an alarm: People may be ignoring heart attack symptoms in fear of going to the ER.

Since the coronavirus first hit the United States, doctors at a number of hospitals have noticed a pattern. Fewer patients are being treated for heart attacks at a time when -- if anything -- an increase would be expected.

"It started out anecdotally, with doctors talking about cases where patients are waiting so long to call 911 that all of the worst symptoms are manifesting," said Dr. Martha Gulati, editor-in-chief of CardioSmart.org, a patient education site run by the American College of Cardiology.

Heart specialists started taking to Twitter to share their experiences, she said. A cardiology community there -- Angioplasty.org -- even pulled together an informal poll that yielded striking results. The majority of doctors said their hospital had seen at least a 40% drop in admissions for heart attack.

But Twitter polls aren't the kind of hard evidence that comes from a formal study -- which, in the midst of the pandemic, did not exist.

That, Gulati said, changed last week. A study published in the Journal of the American College of Cardiology found that at each of nine large U.S. hospitals, the number of heart attack patients had dropped significantly.

Since March 1, the hospitals have seen an average 38% reduction in cardiac catheterization lab "activations." When patients are believed to be suffering a heart attack, it's routine to send them to the cath lab for a procedure that can find and clear any blockages in the arteries.

Dr. Santiago Garcia, a cardiologist and researcher at the Minneapolis Heart Institute Foundation, led the study.

"Every single center had a decline in heart attack patients," a pattern that is counterintuitive, Garcia said.

People with existing heart disease are at increased risk of a severe coronavirus infection, and heart complications are being seen with the disease. So the decline in heart attacks is puzzling.

Garcia said the next step is to investigate the reasons and study more hospitals to see how widespread the phenomenon is.

But he speculated that both fear and misunderstanding could be keeping some heart attack sufferers at home.

People may not only fear being exposed to COVID-19, Garcia noted, but also worry about being isolated from their families due to hospital restrictions.

Meanwhile, some people may be confused by all the stay-at-home messages, Gulati suggested.

"That's a good message for the general public," she said. "But it was not intended for people with heart attack symptoms. You can't treat a heart attack yourself."

Those symptoms can include pain or tightness in the chest, shortness of breath, dizziness, nausea and discomfort in the jaw, arm or upper back.

One problem: Breathlessness and chest pressure could easily be mistaken for COVID-19, Garcia said. But, either way, these symptoms need medical attention.

This week, CardioSmart.org launched a campaign warning that no one should "ignore" heart attack symptoms or signs of stroke. The latter includes sudden numbness or weakness in the face, arm or leg; loss of balance; and confusion or trouble speaking or understanding.

"Act quickly on those symptoms," Gulati said. "It could be the difference between life and death."

Both she and Garcia stressed that hospitals are taking steps to protect patients from exposure to the coronavirus. "We are open for business," Garcia said, "and we are safe."

No one knows yet what the full impact of the pandemic will be on heart patients, including rates of death from heart complications. But in New York City, emergency services have reported a spike in at-home cardiac arrests.

Cardiac arrest is not the same as a heart attack; it's a sudden loss of normal heart function that is quickly fatal without emergency medical care. But cardiac arrests are often preceded by a heart attack.

It's not clear what has sparked that increase in New York, Garcia said. But, he added, it may partly reflect delays in calling 911 for heart symptoms.

More information

CardioSmart.org has more on coronavirus and heart health.
The Keta Municipal Hospital is appealing to benevolent individuals for support in terms of protective clothing and other logistics to enable it carry out its duty effectively in the face of the Coronavirus pandemic.

In a circular issued on Friday, the hospital said such support was urgent.

These items are needed urgently to augment measures, activities and plans being carried out by the hospital to fight the Coronavirus pandemic, the circular said.

Items it is requesting include goggles, coverall, hand sanitizers, liquid soap, carbolic soap, face shield, gumboot, scrubs, N95 respirators, surgical face masks among others.

The medical superintendent, Dr. Anthony Ekuban who signed the circular said although it has through its own efforts procured some of the logistics and also received some of them as donations, it is in need of more for its staff.

The Hospital is a major facility serving the Keta community and other major communities nearby.

The outbreak of Coronavirus in Ghana has increased pressure on the facility like the many others across the country especially in dealing with suspected cases.

Two weeks ago, the hospital received a suspected COVID-19 case.

The suspect, a 41 years old sailor is said to have been at sea for over 30 days in a fishing vessel.

Fishermen who brought the man into town from the sea said some men believed to be Chinese in the fishing vessel pleaded with them [fishermen] to take the suspect together with some quantity of fish to the shore and upon reaching the shore, they should sell the fish and give the money to the suspect so he can go to his hometown.

He was however sent to the hospital and was quarantined. His sample was taken sent to Accra for testing. The result came back negative.

Government starts local production of PPEs

Meanwhile, the government has contracted about four local companies to produce about 3.6 million protective clothing for distribution to health workers across the country.

This is to help address the challenges of shortage of the essential material for the work of health workers and other service providers at the forefront of the COVID-19 fight.

---citinewsroom
MANZINI  They are sick and tired of governments inability to serve them with adequate personal protective equipment (PPE).



Following the Covid-19 (coronavirus) positive results of a nurse at RFM hospital and isolation of 10 others, nurses have instructed their union to take government to court for gross negligence.



The Times SUNDAY can reveal that the Swaziland Democratic Nurses Union (SWADNU) has already consulted with its attorney to move a court application directing government to, among other things, supply adequate PPEs to all health care workers.



Bheki Mamba, the President of SWADNU, confirmed that moves were afoot to sue the government for alleged failure to protect the lives of nurses deployed at Raleigh Fitkin Memorial (RFM) hospital and all health care workers across the country.



He indicated that they would move the urgent application this week. We have resolved to refer the matter of PPEs to court, he said.

Mamba pitied governments reluctance to prioritise the supply of the protective gear for those who were at the forefront, in the fight against the disease that has killed 154 468 people around the world. The virus has infected 2 287 324 people.



The president said the infected nurse would not have contracted the virus if two cabinet ministers had accepted professional health advice rendered to them free of charge when they visited the RFM hospital a couple of weeks ago.



He narrated that nurses complained to these ministers about governments unfortunate violation of the Occupational Safety and Health Act of 2001.

Mamba alleged that the politicians minced no words telling them that the Disaster Management Act had waived the validity of the Occupational Safety and Health Act.



He also blamed one of the countrys editors for siding with government when they called for the supply of the PPEs, even going to an extent of advising police to arrest him for allegedly advising nurses against going to work.



The president said there was an approved budget of E100 million, which they did not know how it was being utilised except for the purchase of water tanks.

He suggested that a portion of the money should have been set aside for the procurement of the protective gear for the health care workers. Mamba lashed out at Cabinet for what he described as laxity and lack of sound leadership.



He complained that neither the Ministry of Health nor Cabinet had responded to their concerns, which they reduced in writing and forwarded to them for swift consideration. He then said it was for this very reason that they resolved to pray to the court to show mercy to them by granting an Order that would force government to supply the protective gear.

As it were, he said all inhabitants in Eswatini were not free from the virus, which might be spread to them by the very people who were called by God to protect their lives.



He said people came to the hospital to recover from their illnesses, but it was a pity when they went to the medical institutions to contract viruses whose spread or circulation would have been avoided if the government of Eswatini had taken their concerns and suggestions seriously.

1 nurse can infect 200

Mamba put it to Cabinet to consider the fact that one nurse can infect 200 people. It effectively meant 10 nurses have the potential to infect 2 000, he lamented.



In a population of over a million people, with 2 000 infected and looking set to spread it to others, he decried the fact that a large number of inhabitants could contract the virus and render the economy dysfunctional in the process. Enough is enough, we cant expose ourselves and the patients to Covid-19 just because we have a government that doesnt want to accede to our grievances, he said.



He said it was untrue that health care workers did not want to cooperate with government in the fight against coronavirus. We have contributed immensely to the fight against previous viruses such as HIV. We have been there during the outbreak of cholera, measles and we offer health care service to TB patients, and many others, he said.



He said the coronavirus could paralyse all the facilities in the country if something tangible was not done, especially because the health care system in the country was weak.

He said the man who died of Covid-19 at Lubombo Referral Hospital would not have passed away if there was medication for diabetes. Medication in the countrys hospitals and clinics is insufficient, and the health care system is weak, he lamented.



Mamba also complained about the impromptu opening of the shops and allowing the construction industry to continue with business when workers in most of these building companies use the same pit latrines and share tools.

The president mentioned that there were no sanitisers given to workers in some construction sites. The virus will just spread uncontrollably in the country, Mamba said.



Asked what they have done with the PPEs from Chinese businessman Jack Ma, Mamba responded that the protective gear should not be overused. He said there came a time when gloves, masks, gowns were contaminated and needed to be changed. That is why the PPEs should be bought in bulks, and there should be plenty of them, he said.



Call for rfms closure



On a parting shot, he said RFM was no longer a safe place.

One of the weekly newspapers reported yesterday that 21 nurses and five doctors were chucked out of Siteki Hotel which they used as a quarantine centre for coronavirus patients.



They said they were told that government did not have a budget to pay for their stay at the hotel. They were, therefore, ordered to vacate the hotel with immediate effect.



Deputy Prime Minister Themba Masuku said nurses should tell them where to buy the PPEs if they decide to go to court. We dont have a problem at all. If they win they have to show us where to buy them. We really respect our nurses and my heart goes out to them but if they can tell us where to get the PPEs that would be fine, the DPM said.



Masuku pointed out that the Americans were also struggling to procure the equipment in bulk. They dont have to go to court, quite frankly; they just need to tell us where to buy them, insisted Masuku, who chairs the Task Team appointed to fight Covid-19 in the country.

He said going to court would be to force government to buy; but buy where?



He said the perception that government did not want to buy the PPEs was wrong. Right now everyone claims to have the PPEs, but when we ask them to deliver they tell us that they are waiting for their delivery from certain countries, he explained.



Lizzie Nkosi, the Minister of Health, commented on suggestions by health care workers that RFM hospital should be closed because it was not a safe place.

She said there was no way the hospital could be closed.

Nkosi mentioned that she would have accepted their advice if they had suggested that RFM be utilised for treatment and detection of the coronavirus. How do you close a hospital during an emergency? Where are they going to be treated if government closes the hospital, she wondered.

She said there was a lot they were doing on the ground to overcome all the challenges.
Police have booked the management of a cancer hospital in Meerut after it put out an advertisement saying it would treat Muslims only when they produce a report showing they have tested negative for coronavirus.

Image used for representational purposes only. Photograph: PTI Photo

The newspaper advertisement released by the Valentis Cancer Hospital on Friday also said most Hindus and Jains are misers, and asked them to contribute to the prime minister's fund to help fight coronavirus.

Facing flak on social media, the hospital came up with another advertisement on Sunday, carrying an apology.

The original advertisement blamed the Tablighi Jamaat -- whose congregation in Delhi last month was seen as a coronavirus hotspot -- for spreading the disease in the country and then set conditions for admitting Muslim patients.

They must get themselves and their attendants tested for coronavirus and bring the report along, it said.

Police have registered a case against hospital manager Amit Jain, Incholi SHO Brijesh Kumar Singh said on Sunday.

Asked to comment on the controversial advertisement, Meerut's Chief Medical Officer Raj Kumar said, This is certainly wrong and we are sending a notice to the administration of the concerned hospital.

He said further action will be taken after a reply is received from them.

In the second advertisement issued Sunday, the hospital said it apologises if anyone's sentiments are even slightly hurt.

Referring to the coronavirus pandemic, the hospital said it wanted people of all religions to fight the emergency together.

We never had the intention to hurt anyone's feelings. If anyone from the Hindu, Muslim, Jain, Sikh or Christian community has been hurt, we extend our heartfelt regrets.

The new advertisement said the hospital was wrong in calling Hindus and Jains misers.

The hospital administration could not be contacted despite several attempts.
STATEN ISLAND, Yes, comrade.

Mayor Bill de Blasio issued a shocking video on Saturday, encouraging city residents to rat out fellow New Yorkers who dont socially distance amid the COVID-19 pandemic.

Check it out for yourself, and youll see the true smiling face of Big Brother.

De Blasio starts off by saying that most New Yorkers have done a great job of social distancing, and how hard its been because were warm, emotional people, who are used to being close to each other.

Its not normal for us, but youve done it, de Blasio says.

But some people, the mayor adds ominously, still need to get the message. And that, de Blasio says, means we need to have enforcement to educate people, and make clear that we need to social distance.

Thats where you and I come in, comrades.

De Blasio says that whenever we see a crowd or a line of people thats not socially distanced, even a supermarket thats too crowded, anything, we should immediately report it to the authorities, so we can get help there to fix the problem.

And these days, the mayor says, its a simple as taking a photo.

So use your phone to take the snapshot, note the location, de Blasio says, and, bang, text the photo to 311-692, and action will ensue.

Well make sure that enforcement comes right away, he says.

Great. You can hardly get arrested in New York City for any infraction these days. And if you do actually get busted, youll likely be back out on the street in no time without having to post bail. Heck, you might have been among the lucky inmates given a get-out-of-jail-free card because of COVID-19.

But stand too close to someone in the supermarket? You can expect the law to land on you with both feet. Because, of course, for the good of all of us. We all have to stay healthy, dont we?

Its about saving lives, de Blasio says.

And we have to point out everybody whos not doing their part in this great COVID crusade. They are the enemy.

Imagine the levels of abuse this can be taken to. People peeking over the fence if they hear too many voices in the neighbors backyard. Good-hearted children snitching on their parents. People sending in photos of ex-wives and ex-husbands and others that they have grudges against, just for kicks. People sending in old group photos just to mess with folks.

And what happens to all those images that get sent in? How long will they be kept on file by the city? Who will have access to them?

And think of how this initiative can be expanded to be even more intrusive and repressive. If you see someone cough out in public, whether you know if they have the virus or not, send in their photo. Theyll get a visit. If you think your neighbor has recently been to a hot zone, send in their photo. Well follow up.

Surprising? Not at all. De Blasio is a left-wing ideologue. He supported the repressive, socialist, murderous, human-rights-violating Sandinista regime in Nicaragua. He honeymooned in Fidel Castros Cuba.

And as we know all too well, every crisis is an opportunity for someone. In this case, its a chance to increase government oversight and control of our lives, which is the very goal of socialism.

We already live in a huge bubble of surveillance in this country. Our cell phones and E-ZPasses track our every move. There are cameras in every doorbell, on every street corner and in every building.

Now we have to worry about our fellow New Yorkers peeping out from behind their curtains at us. All in the name of protecting the State.
Reporters wear masks practice social distancing while interviewing a man protesting against a Newbury Park church's decision to hold a Palm Sunday service on April 5 in spite of calls to cancel public gatherings. (Marcio Jose Sanchez / Associated Press)

California can manage the coronavirus by adapting a public health tool it pioneered  smog alerts. They have long been used to reduce the health consequences of air pollution, and instituting a system of virus alerts could do the same to regulate COVID risk by automatically reinstating shelter-in-place orders when infection or death rates get too high.

Epidemiologists predict that the virus can be contained but not eliminated. Some would have us shelter in place indefinitely. But lockdowns without a foreseeable end will ruin us. Putting a virus-alert system in place would reduce the danger of reopening the economy too early.

A cold-eyed reckoning is coming, in which leaders have to decide what risks are tolerable and how to limit them. We need to accept that COVID risk will be with us for some time. The goal is to manage that risk, not eliminate it.

Fortunately, when California faced these kinds of decisions in the past, it made sensible choices.

In the especially deadly 2017-18 flu season, about 56,000 people died from influenza in the U.S., including 6,900 in California. Hospitals erected tents outside emergency rooms and diverted ambulances to less-impacted facilities. Despite the death toll, no state or national lockdowns were imposed. This loss of life was implicitly considered acceptable.

In 1972, national motor vehicle fatalities peaked around 55,000 annually, and they remain high today. About 40,000 people died in car crashes in 2018, with more than 3,600 of those deaths in California. A draconian ban on all vehicular traffic could have saved these lives. Instead, this loss of life is tolerated as a necessary risk, while governments work to improve the safety of automobiles, enforce drunk driving laws and mandate the use of seat belts.

Similar measures could work against COVID-19 once shelter-in-place orders drive death rates down to what is considered a bearable level. The state economy could start to reopen in counties where death rates are relatively low. People could return to work while observing reasonable safety rules, such as wearing masks in public places and practicing social distancing in restaurants and workplaces.

Story continues

If deaths caused by COVID-19 start spiking again, that would trigger virus alerts just as increased smog triggers smog alerts. Smog alerts come in three stages of increased severity with increasing restrictions on activity. The last Stage 3 smog alert in California was in 1974 when smog was so bad that Gov. Ronald Reagan urged residents to limit all but absolutely necessary auto travel.

Similarly, virus-alert thresholds could be established, when necessary, in localities around the state.

A Stage 1 alert might mean that people over 65 should stay home, and a Stage 2 might direct those with underlying health conditions to stay home as well. The highest alert, a Stage 3, might be activated when a communitys average daily death rate from COVID-19 rises for three days above a 55,000 annual national threshold  adjusted for population  a level close to what we experience with bad seasonal flu.

Counties could reinstitute shelter-in-place ordinances and call for social distancing until the death rate falls below the threshold for a sustained period, perhaps two weeks.

As of early April, California was averaging 45 COVID-19 deaths a day, placing it above that theoretical Stage 3 virus alert level. But eventually it will fall below. When it does  and if virus alerts are in place  Californians could go back to work on a county-by-county basis.

That doesnt mean life would return to the way things were in the pre-coronavirus era, since that could lead to a sharp rebound in infections. Instead, just as its the law to wear a seat belt, as a general rule everyone should be required to wear masks in public and avoid shaking hands. Public service campaigns should keep reminding us to wash our hands, just as they do now to remind us to avoid texting while driving. And, testing, contact tracing and quarantining the sick remain vital.

By taking these steps, many California counties might never need to call a virus alert. And if they did, their lockdowns have a good chance of being short.

During Stage 3 virus-alert lockdowns, death rates may keep rising for a while because deaths are a lagging indicator of how many people are infected. But if periods of work involve requirements such as masks, social distancing and no shaking of hands, the rate of growth should not be ferocious. And once we have reliable random testing to gauge the infection rate by county, we could switch the trigger for calling alerts from deaths to infections, which would work more quickly to keep the disease from spreading.

To get the states economy back on its feet, California needs to establish a tolerable level of risk for dealing with the coronavirus and be able to monitor and enforce that standard. A system of virus alerts could help us all get back to work.

Aaron Edlin is a professor of economics and law at UC Berkeley. Dana Goldman is the director of the Schaeffer Center for Health Policy and Economics at USC.




Jose K Joseph By

Express News Service

TIRUCHY: Thousands of sanitation workers toil in the scorching heat and the inconveniences caused by the lockdown to ensure the city stays clean. A few of them accused the city Corporation of not taking enough care of them.

We are not being provided with food by the Corporation. We depend on NGOs who distribute food to the needy, said a sanitation worker working near the railway station. The accusation appears true as Corporation workers can also be seen waiting in the queues to receive a food packet distributed by NGOs and individuals near the railway station, bus stands.

Workers said the civic body must support those battling the summer heat. Most small shops are closed. So, if we get tired and thirsty after roaming all over the city, we request drinking water from residents. Though the civic body gave us gloves and masks, it has to realise our situation during this lockdown.

Unlike the previous summer, we cannot access any shops. There is not even a roadside refreshment stall. Only some NGOs and kind-hearted individuals are supporting us. They are offering us water and food, a sanitation worker working in the Cantonment area said.

Some residents also opined the Corporation should offer more assistance to the workers. They should consider distributing refreshments. Officials should understand that apart from food, workers should have access to drinking water. The lockdown has made their job more challenging, said Srirangam resident S

Narayanasmay.

Corporation Commissioner S Sivasubramaniam dismissed these allegations but assured he would make enquiries. We are distributing food to sanitation workers. We are also taking the necessary measures to ensure their safety. However, I will make enquiries and ensure all our sanitation workers are getting food, he said.


TDT | Manama

The Real Estate Regulatory Authority (RERA) has announced a number of measures to further strengthen the real estate valuation process and practice in the Kingdom. As per the Law 27 and with effect from May 2, all real estate valuations must be conducted by RERA-licensed real estate valuers. This includes valuations commissioned by government agencies, banks and other financial institutions licensed by the Central Bank of Bahrain (CBB), companies and private individuals. The implementation of this policy will lead to greater consistency, transparency and protection for all key stakeholders including investors, financial institutions, home buyers, and sellers of real estate. RERA is also introducing a Real Estate Valuation course designed specifically for bank and financial institutions employees who commission or require real estate valuation reports as part of their role, such as mortgage brokers, commercial lending managers, risk assessment, audit or asset managers.

The course will cover issues such as identification of the most appropriate valuation approaches, bases and methods of valuation, and the benefits and obligations of the recently introduced Bahrain Valuation Standards (BVS) for all stakeholders involved in the real estate sector and valuers in particular. Given the current challenges, the one-day course will be delivered by webinar in collaboration with RICS and BIBF. The first training session will take place on Tuesday from 9am to 5pm.

To register, e-mail realestate@ bibf.com. Speaking at the announcement, RERA CEO Shaikh Mohammed bin Khalifa Al Khalifa said: Valuers play a critical role in the real estate ecosystem and we are pleased to see the response from valuation practitioners who are embracing the changes recently implemented, including the adopting of the Bahrain Valuation Standards and the Professional Progression programme, which will provide valuers with the opportunity to attain qualifications that are internationally recognised. We are seeing increasing numbers undertaking the Continuous Professional Development training programmes which augurs well for the future of the real estate sector by building greater investor trust and confidence in the market. The RERA CEO added: Banks and financial institutions depend on professional, valid and reliable valuation reports to ensure the quality and accuracy of asset values on their loan books.

Increased confidence in the real estate valuation process will provide an impetus and encouragement for financial institutions to increase their levels of financing for real estate transactions, which will ultimately impact on the performance of the banks and financial institutions books and eventually of Bahrain economy. Unlicensed valuers are precluded from conducting real estate valuations and as per Resolution 2 of 2019, unlicensed real estate valuers will now be subject to sanctions and fines for non-compliance with the Law. Article 41 of Law 27 of 2017 promulgating the real estate regulation law outlined the requirement for valuers to be licensed and the fact that practicing real estate brokerage may not be combined with the practicing of real estate valuation.

Resolution 2 of 2019 on licensing of real estate valuers, issued in May 2019, outlined the requirements for those practising real estate valuation and allowed until November of last year to regularise their operations and apply for a real estate valuer license. To ensure the adoption of international best practices, RERA launched the Bahrain Valuation Standards in October 2019 and announced details of the real estate valuer training and professionalisation programmes. RERA website rera.gov.bh provides full details on the licensing process for real estate valuers and other information
President Muhammadu Buhari on Saturday paid special tribute to his late Chief of Staff, Abba Kyari, who died of coronavirus infection.

Buhari in a statement by his media aide, acknowledging the sad occasion of the demise of Abba Kyari, issued three directives.

First, that a tribute (below) be issued in recognition of the enormous sacrifices and contributions made by the deceased to the success of his politics and administration and to the overall development of the nation.

Second, the President wishes to direct strict observance of the social distancing rules as prescribed by the National Center for Disease Control, the Federal Ministry of Health; and other safe hygiene practices as advised by relevant local authorities.

In compliance with the social distancing, President Buhari will not be available for condolence visitors but urges, in place of that prayers be offered for the repose of soul of the departed Chief of Staff.

Third, the President conveyed deep appreciation to foreign leaders and all Nigerians, from whom stream of messages have been reaching him over this irreparable loss.

President Buhari prayed: Allah accept his soul.

The Presidents special tribute reads:

TO MY FRIEND, MALLAM ABBA KYARI

Mallam Abba Kyari, who died on 17th April, 2020, at the age of 67 from complications caused by the Coronavirus, was a true Nigerian patriot. My loyal friend and compatriot for the last 42 years  and latterly my Chief-of-Staff  he never wavered in his commitment to the betterment of every one of us.

He was only in his twenties when we first met. A diligent student, soon after he was blessed with the opportunity to study abroad  first at Warwick and then law at the University of Cambridge. But there was never any question Abba would bring his first-rate skills and newly acquired world-class knowledge back to Nigeria  which he did  immediately upon graduation.

Whilst possessing the sharpest legal and organisational mind, Abbas true focus was always the development of infrastructure and the assurance of security for the people of this nation he served so faithfully. For he knew that without both in tandem there can never be the development of the respectful society and vibrant economy that all Nigerian citizens deserve.

In political life, Abba never sought elective office for himself. Rather, he set himself against the view and conduct of two generations of Nigerias political establishment  who saw corruption as an entitlement and its practice a byproduct of possessing political office.

Becoming my Chief of Staff in 2015, he strove quietly and without any interest in publicity or personal gain to implement my agenda.

There are those who said of him that he must be secretive  because he did not have a high public profile. But Abba was the opposite: he simply had no need, nor did he seek, the cheap gratification of the crowd; for him, there was nothing to be found in popular adulation. He secured instead satisfaction and his reward solely and only from the improvement of the governance of this great country.

Working, without fail, seven days each and every week, he acted forcefully as a crucial gatekeeper to the presidency, ensuring no one  whether minister or governor had access beyond another  and that all those representing and serving our country were treated equally.

He made clear in his person and his practice, always, that every Nigerian  regardless of faith, family, fortune or frailty  was heard and treated respectfully and the same.

Mallam Abba Kyari was the very best of us. He was made of the stuff that makes Nigeria great. Rest In Peace, my dearest friend.

To his loving wife and doting family who survive him, I extend my heartfelt sorrow at your loss.

Muhammadu Buhari

President, Federal Republic of Nigeria




North Korea on Sunday denied any recent correspondence with U.S. President Donald Trump, less than a day after Trump mentioned having received a "nice note" from leader Kim Jong-un.







"The U.S. media reported Saturday that the U.S. President mentioned receiving a 'nice note' from our top leadership in a press conference," the North said in a statement carried by its outlet Korean Central News Agency.







"We cannot know for sure whether the U.S. president reminisced about past correspondence, but our leadership did not send any letter to the U.S. president recently."









Trump said during a daily White House press briefing on COVID-19 Saturday that he recently received a "nice note" from Kim, and insisted their relationship remains good.







The two countries have failed to make progress in denuclearization negotiations since a February 2019 summit between Trump and Kim ended without a deal.







But the leaders have maintained personal correspondence, with Trump sending a letter to Kim last month to offer U.S. assistance with the coronavirus pandemic. (Yonhap)


coronavirus depositphotos

The dynamics of the Covid-19 epidemic are almost the same in all countries, regardless of the severity of government measures. This was stated in the "Is there an exponential growth?" aricle written by Tel Aviv University professor Yitzhak Ben Israel, Israel News reports.

The scientist writes that in all countries the growth of the incidence rate increases in the first six weeks, and then stabilization and gradual decline begin, regardless of the start time and the severity of government restrictions on economic activity.

Moreover, in countries limited itselves by measures of social distance, the prohibition of mass events and hygiene (such as Sweden), the incidence curve does not fundamentally differ from countries whic are closing enterprises and freezing the economy.

Related: State will pay compensation to Ukrainian airlines for evacuation charter flights

"The graphs show that the incidence everywhere behaves the same - it grows, reaches a peak in the sixth week, and starting from the eighth week, it begins to fall rapidly. This happens in almost all countries where this disease is, almost regardless of the actions of their governments." says the scientist.

At the same time, the professor clarifies that closing the public space certainly helps to reduce the incidence, but it is important that even without these extremely expensive measures, the incidence begins to decline from the eighth week of the epidemic.
Tehran City Council Chairman Mohsen Hashemi says the number of those infected with the new coronavirus in Iran is "much higher" than the official figures released by the government.

He also called on the authorities to release the outbreak figures in Tehran separately, something the government has refused to do in the case of the two outbreak hotspots; the capital and the religious city of Qom.

Speaking at the Tehran City Council meeting on Sunday April 19, Hashemi cited "experts" and an estimate by the Iranian parliament's research center as his sources, adding that the Health Ministry generally agrees with his view on the extent of the epidemic.

Hashemi also summed up what many critics have previously said. "A delay in announcing the start of the outbreak in Iran, not taking into account the number of those who died before the announcement, lack of adequate test equipment, and presenting COVID-19 deaths as respiratory problems cases are among the reasons why the figures announced by the Health Ministry are much lower than actual numbers."

Meanwhile, stressing that the "actual numbers are several times higher than what is being announced by the government," Hashemi warned that the haste in lifting lockdown restrictions can lead to a new wave of infections.

He was referring to President Hassan Rouhani's initiatives to restart small businesses after just a few weeks of closure.

Last week, the Majles Research Center said in a report that the actual COVID-19 death toll is twice as much as the official figures and the number of infection cases is up to eight times higher. The latest Health Ministry Report put the death toll at over 5,100 and the number of infection cases at more than 82,000 on Sunday.

Despite the warnings, President Hassan Rouhani said at Sunday's meeting of the national task force to fight COVID-19 that he has brought forward the date for the reopening of religious sites and shrines by two weeks at the request of Alireza E'rafi the Dean of the Qom Seminary, who was also present at the task force meeting.

E'rafi is an influential figure appointed by Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei to oversee the religious schools in Qom where the outbreak is said to have started as early as in January.

Rouhani said that that religious sites which were meant to be re-opened by May 20, could be re-opened by late April or early May, although he added that in the meantime, the case will be reviewed.

Thousands of people visit to religious sites and shrines in Qom, Mashhad, Shiraz and elsewhere and clerical circles and businesses in those cities benefit from pilgrims.

Rouhani did not explain whether he has also sought the views of medical experts and local authorities on the early re-opening of those busy sites where frequent visits and large gatherings in small spaces make a further spread of the disease highly likely.

In mid-February, Khamenei's representative to Qom and the head of the IRGC intelligence had strongly opposed the closure of the shrine in Qom, but after a week of disputes, finally the government managed to shut the shrine to curb the spread of the virus.

Meanwhile, as the fasting month of Ramadan is approaching by or before April 25 (based on the sighting of the moon), Rouhani said that there will be no gatherings at homes and restaurants in the evenings of that month when traditionally religious people and government officials hold banquets.

Nevertheless, Rouhani who has already reopened what he called low-risk businesses, has ordered the imminent reopening of medium-risk businesses. As the only exception, he named restaurants as an example of high-risk businesses that should remain closed for the time being.

During the past week, people and officials have warned Rouhani that busy traffic and people working next to each other could increase the potential for a new wave of infections but the president seemed adamant to leave the partial lockdown behind without considering the risks.

He promised that people will be able to travel to other cities by Eid al-Fitr that marks the end of Ramadan, around May 23.

Last week, Tehran City Council member Mohammad Javad Haqshenas called on the Tehran Municipality to announce the real figures about COVID-19 deaths and infections "so that if the government does not care about people's health, people can decide to take care of themselves."

The Health Ministry does not announce the figures for Tehran, but Alireza Zali who leads the COVID-19 task force in the capital said on Friday said one third of COVID-19 deaths and infections take place in Tehran.

Nahid Khodakarami, another member of the Tehran City Council said on April in an interview with Sharq newspaper April 15 that currently between 70 to 100 people die of coronavirus in Tehran every day. She estimated the number of COVID-19 deaths in the capital alone since March as around 6,000.
The Finance Ministry said on Sunday that there would be no cuts in pensions to central government employees. The ministry clarified its position after reports said that the government was planning to cut pensions. "It is being reported that a 20 per cent cut in central government pensions is being planned. This news is false.

There will be no cut in pension disbursements. It is clarified that salaries and pensions will not be affected by government cash management instructions," the ministry said in a tweet. The ministry's tweet was also shared by Finance Minister ...
Kansas City Shares Love After Deadly Rehab Disaster

Kansas City folks rally around residents of rehab center devastated by COVID-19 KANSAS CITY, Kan. (NBC) - People in Kansas City, Kan. on Friday came out to support residents of a local rehabilitation center that has been devastated by the corona virus. The Wyandotte County-Kansas City Health Department said 19 people have died and more than 100 have tested positive for the coronavirus at the center, which, [...]

Helping Heartland Farmers

USDA Coronavirus Food Assistance Program to help Kansas, Missouri farmers and ranchers KANSAS CITY, Mo. - Farmers and ranchers in both Kansas and Missouri will get a little relief as the USDA announced $19 billion relief package on Friday. "I think Americans now know that more than ever the wholesome food that our families depend upon starts with America's farmers and ranchers," said USDA Secretary Sonny Perdue.

Crafting Kansas City Opportunities For Creators

Local group helping artists during pandemic KANSAS CITY, Mo. - ArtsKC and KC Crew are stepping up to help local artists. With the coronavirus pandemic and the stay-at-home order in place, artists who normally are in a gallery are showing off their paintings and pottery online. Each Friday, the two groups bring in all different kinds of artists on a Zoom call.

Kangaroos Cope With Lockdown

How students are handling everyday life amid COVID-19 It's been a month since UMKC moved all classes online to combat the spread of COVID-19, and since then students have had to adjust to life under quarantine. With no end in sight, students are weighing in on how they are coping with the sudden changes.

Hong Kong Crackdown

US says China 'can't be trusted' in response to arrests of 15 Hong Kong democracy activists Updated April 19, 2020 13:36:16 The US and British governments have condemned the arrests of 15 pro-democracy activists in Hong Kong, describing them as "inconsistent" with China's international commitments. "The United States condemns the arrest of pro-democracy advocates in Hong Kong," US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said.

Prez Trump Puts China On Notice As Coronavirus Worsens

Trump warns China over Covid-19 outbreak as Europe approaches 100,000 deaths Donald Trump has warned that China should face consequences if it was "knowingly responsible" for the coronavirus pandemic, as deaths in Europe from Covid-19 approached 100,000 "It could have been stopped in China before it started and it wasn't, and the whole world is suffering because of it," Trump said in his daily White House briefing, as US cases topped 730,000 and fatalities in the country approached 39,000.

Speaker Pelosi Promises More Small Biz Cash

Nancy Pelosi says agreement on small business relief 'will be soon' House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, in an interview set to air on " Fox News Sunday," said she believes Congress will "come to an agreement" on the $250 billion request to replenish the coronavirus small business loan program. "Is there gonna be a deal, and if so, how soon?"

Veep Backs Tweets

Pence defends Trump's 'LIBERATE' tweets Vice President Mike Pence on Sunday denied that President Donald Trump was trying to undermine pandemic mitigation efforts by stoking dissent against states' stay-at-home orders. On "Fox News Sunday" and NBC's "Meet the Press", Pence was pressed about Trump's comments on Twitter Friday that it was time to "LIBERATE" Minnesota, Michigan and Virginia.

Lockdown Endorsement???

Poll: Six-in-10 support keeping stay-at-home restrictions to fight coronavirus WASHINGTON - Nearly 60 percent of American voters say they are more concerned that a relaxation of stay-at-home restrictions would lead to more COVID-19 deaths than they are that those restrictions will hurt the U.S. economy, according to a new national NBC News/Wall Street Journal poll.

Chiefs Plan Dynasty

Does "running it back" work? A historical look As we all know, "running it back" is much harder than it sounds in the NFL. Since 1994, only two teams have managed to successfully defend their title - the 1998 Broncos and the 2004 Patriots.

Kansas City Bands Play On

Kansas City Musicians Win Grocery Money In Charlie Parker Song Contest One-hundred years after his birth, a Kansas City jazz legend is helping put money in the pockets of six area artists. The Charlie Parker Song Contest, sponsored by the American Jazz Museum and underwritten by the Metheny Music Foundation, inspired 16 musicians to compete for $1,000 in prize money.

Katie's Sunday Weather Look

Decreasing clouds, highs in mid-60s for Sunday Hide Transcript Show Transcript BAD WEEKEND DAY. NO. IT WILL BE FINE. ONCE THESE CLOUDS MOVE OUT WE'LL HAVE AT LEAST SOME SUNSHINE WORKING FROM THE NORTH TO THE SOUTH BUT WE'RE COMPLETELY OVERCAST NOW IN KANSAS CITY 47 THE WINDS HAVE TURNED TO THE NORTHEAST AT 5 MILES PER HOUR PRODUCING WIND CHILL BUT THAT'S ABOUT IT.

Just like, we offer this turnabout post with a quick peek at pop culture, community news and info from across the nation and around the world . . .is the song of the day and this is thefor right now . . .
Authorities in Bangladesh have removed a police officer for failing to prevent tens of thousands of people from defying a nationwide lockdown imposed in response to the coronavirus crisis and attending the funeral of a top Islamic cleric.

Shahadat Hossain Titu, the Officer-in-Charge of Sarail Police Station in Brahmanbaria, has been removed for allowing the people to gather for the funeral prayers, the police headquarters said in a statement on Saturday.

Titu's failure to take proper steps to prevent the gathering is the reason behind the decision to remove him, bdnews24.com reported.

Tens of thousands of people attended the funeral of Mawlana Jubayer Ahmed Ansari at a local madrasa on Saturday, defying a nationwide lockdown in the wake of the coronavirus outbreak that has killed 84 people and infected 2,144.

Ansari, 55, who was the nayeb-e-ameer (deputy) of Bangladesh Khelafat Majlish, died at Bertala village in Sarail upazila on Friday night.

His funeral took place just days after the government announced that the entire country was at risk of succumbing to the COVID-19 pandemic, which has killed 160,917 and infected over 2.3 million people worldwide.

The huge gathering at the funeral drew criticism on social media from locals as well as citizens from different parts of the country.

"50,000 people have gathered in Brahmanbaria, Bangladesh to attend the funeral prayer of a religious leader Moulana Zubair Amad Ansari, defying the ban on mass gatherings during the lockdown. Stupid govt didn't even try to stop these stupid people," author Taslima Nasreen tweeted.

"We did not think the gathering would be this big. Police could not do anything as the situation was out of control because of the massive gathering," a local police officer said.

Additional Superintendent of Police Md Alamgir Hossain said they had asked the madrasa authorities to maintain social distancing and ensure all preventative steps during the funeral.

Bangladesh imposed a nationwide lockdown on March 26 as coronavirus spread across the country.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Since 2009 when the Boko Haram group began a violent campaign in Nigeria, hundreds of lives have been lost and millions displaced. The continued bombings, killings, kidnappings, and the destruction of properties by Boko Haram have become of great concern to the Nigerian government and the international community. The activities of Boko Haram have effects on the economy and the people.

However, the year 2015 marked the beginning of a fresh offensive against the group by the administration of President Muhammadu Buhari. On assumption of office, President Muhammadu Buhari appointed new service chiefs and relocated the military command center dedicated to the fight against Boko Haram to the northeast and probed past weapons procurement.

This move was hailed in many quarters as a proactive approach needed to decimate the Boko Haram terrorist group. And true to the postulations, the Nigerian Military gained ascendency over the Boko Haram terrorist group by reclaiming territories in Nigeria hitherto under the control of the group. The operational headquarters of the group in Sambisa forest was also taken over by the Nigerian troops, and this saw to the Boko Haram group settling at the fringes of the Lake Chad Basin region from where they regroup and lunch offensives in Nigeria.

The Nigerian Army also led search and rescue operations that led to the rescue of a large number of the abducted Chibok girls to the admiration of all and sundry. According to Abel Unwauba, a professor of military History in the Nigerian Defense Academy, he stated that the Nigerian Military was able to gain ascendency over the Boko Haram group due to the commitment of the political leadership in the country at the time.

He further opined that President Muhammadu Buhari got it right with the quality of Service Chiefs who hit the ground running, given the precarious situation of things on the ground.

From 2016 to date, the Nigerian Military has continually engaged the Boko Haram group and, to a large extent, was able to confine their activities to fringes of the Lake Chad Basin region. Their ability to carry out suicidal attacks in most towns and cities were greatly hampered by the various measures put in place and the robust security coordination by the hierarchy of the Nigerian Military. This much was corroborated by the avalanche of commendations that poured in, saluting the efforts of the Nigerian Military thus far.

The recent news coming from the Boko Haram camp is an indication that the Nigerian Military has indeed lived up to expectations as far as the fight against terrorism in Nigeria is concerned. That no Nigerian territory is under the control of the Boko Haram group is an indication that in no distant time the Boko Haram group would be history and normalcy would return to North-East Nigeria.

In some quarters, it has been stated that the Boko Haram group is seeking a pardon from the federal government in the attempt to lay down their arms. The implication of this is that indeed the Boko Haram camp is experiencing a leadership crisis under Abubakar Shekau.

According to Dr. Eugene Iwodi, a lecturer in the department of International Relations of the Obafemi Awolowo University, the fact that some top commanders of the Boko Haram group are seeking for state pardon indicates that the tide has changed and what is left is for the Nigerian Military to go all out in clearance operations.

Dr. Iwodi further opined that the number of deaths recorded in North-East Nigeria due to the insurgency from 2016 to date is a fraction of what was recorded from 2009 to 2015. He stated that for the group to enlist the support of organizations such as the United Nations for state pardon indicates that what is left of the sect is a highly demoralized group of people seeking a way out of their predicament.

This is where the political authorities in Nigeria must be given credit. The administration of President Muhammadu has done well in this regard by ensuring that the Military is up to the task with regards to neutralizing the threats posed by the Boko Haram group.

As it stands, it is common knowledge that the Boko Haram group has been neutralized. This much is evident in the series of overtures extended to President Muhammadu Buhari for a state pardon. It is also on the heels that some of the top commanders of the Boko Haram group have expressly stated that they no longer want to be a part of the group. The implication is that Abubakar Shekau is a lone ranger and there is little he can do but to surrender.

The Nigerian Military must be commended for achieving this feat. Worthy of mention is the Chief of Army Staff, who has been leading the troops from the frontline. This is especially so given the fact that this recent posturing of Boko Haram commanders is occasioned by the recent relocation of the Chief of Army Staff to the Theater of Operations and credited to be leading the onslaught against the Boko Haram group.

It is thus apparent that if this present tempo is sustained, the end of Boko Haram might be in sight. All that is required in this current circumstance is for the military authorities to intensify efforts towards the final decimation of the Boko Haram group. The disposition of the Chief of Army Staff is worthy of commendation. It is hoped that the tempo is sustained to bring to an end to the Boko Haram crisis.

The political authorities must also take advantage of this present situation of Boko Haram commanders begging for mercy to do the needful in the overall interest of the country and the families and relatives of those that have paid the supreme price in service to fatherland.

Atojoko is a counter-terrorism expert and wrote from Lagos.
Researchers at the University of Oxford are confident of making available coronavirus vaccine by September while scientists around the world have not provided any specific timeline. Sarah Gilbert, the lead researcher of the vaccine development programme, reportedly told a virtual conference on April 17 that her team is confident about the efficacy of ChAdOx1 vaccine.

ChAdOx1 is one of the four vaccines that have entered the clinical trial phase but the other three groups, two from the United States and one from China, are likely to take 12 to 18 months to mass-produce the vaccine. The Oxford vaccine group has claimed that it will able to provide one million doses of the vaccine by September 2019 after getting clinical results by May end.

The team had already been working on a plan for an unknown disease, named Disease X, which would have caused a pandemic. Gilbert said that 12 clinical trials have already been conducted against different diseases by using ChAdOx1 technology and it has shown strong immune response with a single dose.

Read: Lecturers Says North Korea Has COVID-19 Infections While Officials Claim Zero Cases

Vaccine Taskforce

Meanwhile, the UK government has launched a new Vaccine Taskforce to expedite and co-ordinate efforts to research and then produce a coronavirus vaccine. The task force is being led by Chief Scientific Adviser Sir Patrick Vallance and Deputy Chief Medical Officer Professor Jonathan van Tam.

The UK is world-leading in developing vaccines. We are the biggest contributor to the global effort - and preparing to ensure we can manufacture vaccines here at home as soon as practically possible, said Health Secretary Matt Hancock in a statement.

Read: COVID-19: China Cancels Clinical Trials Due To Lack Of Testing Candidates

The task force will support the discovery of potential coronavirus vaccines by working with the public and private sector and rapidly mobilising funding. It is also working closely with the Bioindustry Association, which has set up an industry-led group, to accelerate vaccine development and manufacturing.

UK scientists are working as fast as they can to find a vaccine that fights coronavirus, saving and protecting peoples lives. We stand firmly behind them in their efforts, said Business Secretary Alok Sharma in a statement.

Read: UK Announces Coronavirus 'Vaccine Taskforce' 'to Beat Invisible Killer'

Read: UK Sets Up New Vaccine Taskforce As COVID-19 Death Toll Hits 14,576

(Representational Image: AP)
While it seems like it is human nature to blame someone when we are experiencing uncertainty, fear and pain, it really doesn't serve us very well to find solutions or to build community responses to problems.

I am concerned about the reports filed by the Asian-American community with the Minnesota Department of Human Rights. Apparently, Asian-Americans have been the target for people wanting to blame China for the origin or spread of COVID-19.

This is really not our best so-called Minnesota Nice by any means. I have seen so many positive things that people are doing to help each other as well as our city officials making decisions that help the most vulnerable of our community.

I am personally grateful to the Hmong farmers I hope to see again at our farmer's market, the many immigrants working in our fields, dairies and meat-packing plants that put food on our tables as well as all of the workers in our community who continue to work to keep us safe and healthy.

That includes health-care workers, social workers, grocery store workers, garbage collectors, mail personnel, factory workers, truck drivers, bus drivers, teachers figuring out a new way to teach; everyone who is out there helping to keep our country moving along as we all deal with the grief and uncertainty of this virus.

We are all one community and we will be stronger together.

Debi Niebuhr, Winona

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In normal times, a secret Portland restaurant opening from a nationally respected chef would be cause for intrigue, if not elation.

Yet the recent under-the-radar opening of Fuku, Momofuku restaurateur and Netflix host David Changs fried-chicken chain, felt less like an Easter egg hunt and more like a slap in the face, Portland chefs and restaurant industry advocates said.

On Thursday, food cart consultant Steven Shomler took to Facebook to call on Portland to say no to the restaurant, which opened this month through a partnership with a delivery-only operator of ghost kitchens." By Friday, the call for a temporary boycott had been shared by more than a dozen people in the Portland restaurant industry.

Their frustration stems from both the timing and manner of Fukus Portland launch, coming one month after Gov. Kate Brown banned on-premises dining at restaurants and bars across the state. The majority of Oregons 155,000 service industry employees were laid off in the days following that March 17 executive order.

I love David Chang, I just think this is in really poor form, Shomler said. I have too many friends who are food cart owners that are struggling, and some of them may never open again. The population only has so much income, most people are only going to do takeout and delivery as a treat, and Id rather see them spend that money with a local business.

A little more than a week ago, Fuku unexpectedly appeared on a handful of delivery apps, including Doordash, GrubHub and UberEats, drawing confusion and excitement from fast-food-savvy Portlanders curious to test out the up-and-coming brand. A few placed orders, and one curious customer biked down to see where the food was being prepared, finding two trailers, one plastered with the logos of a half-dozen virtual restaurant brands, the other with Reef Kitchens written in large letters on the side. Other addresses appeared to correspond to other trailers operated by Reef Kitchens, an offshoot of a Miami-based parking lot company that sets up virtual restaurants in container-style vessels, selling food exclusively through delivery apps.

Ok, so, I placed and order then hopped on my bike to do some recon!!!



I can confirm, as I suspected, this food is coming from one of these two REEF KITCHEN white label food trucks!?!



 pic.twitter.com/IIvDvKbi4m  Cabel (@cabel) April 11, 2020

At first, there was skepticism over whether this Fuku was the same one that garnered major media headlines after its 2015 launch, eventually drawing private investment backing from RSE Ventures. The restaurant currently lists just five brick-and-mortar locations on its website, in New York, Boston and Los Angeles, plus about 10 kiosks at stadiums across America, including Washington, D.C., Miami and Ann Arbor, Michigan. And Reef Kitchens had previously drawn criticism after one of its white-label restaurants appeared on delivery apps as a highly respected (and Michelin-starred) San Francisco Thai restaurant, Kin Khao. (Reef Kitchens says the confusion in the Bay Area was due to a mistake on the delivery apps part, not theirs.)

Adding to the intrigue, for the first five days after the launch, Fuku declined to respond to questions from The Oregonian/OregonLive seeking confirmation of the expansion. The only sign that the restaurant might be legit? A trio of emojis  a wink, sunglasses and fried chicken  posted by the companys Instagram account in response to the question, Is this real?

By mid-week, the mystery was solved.

It is us, yes, Fuku CEO Alex Munoz-Suarez confirmed in a phone interview Wednesday. We as a team at Fuku have been seeing the impact to delivery on our everyday operations, from something that was in the low single digits a year ago, its ballooned in some stores to over 30 percent of sales.

Munoz-Suarez said he met with four ghost kitchen outfits  Kitchen United, CloudKitchens, Zuul and Reef Kitchens  before awarding a three-month contract to Reef, citing the companys ability to quickly and inexpensively build their vessels and manage multiple brands within them.

The advantage Reef has, Munoz-Suarez said, is if you build this kitchen in a certain neighborhood and theres no business, they can physically move it a couple of blocks away and reestablish themselves in order to drive further sales.

According to Munoz-Suarez, Fuku looked to Portland for a number of reasons. His team was aware of Portlands cart-loving reputation and wanted to test delivery in a city where Fuku didnt already have a brick-and-mortar. And the larger Momofuku group already had an affinity for the Northwest  Chang met with several Portland chefs for the second season of his Netflix Show, Ugly Delicious.

If you live in downtown Portland, walking to a food truck and picking up food already makes a lot of sense, Munoz-Suarez said.

But Reef Kitchens vessels dont support walk-up business. And the vessels themselves tend to appear in parking lots with no advance notice, not unlike the mysterious obelisks in 2001: A Space Odyssey.

Justin Hintze, operator of Southeast Portlands Jojo food cart, which has spent the past month giving away more than 1,000 fried-chicken sandwiches to laid off service industry workers and others, was disappointed to see Changs name attached to the bizarre and secretive expansion.

We have high expectations for him, but this seems like sort of a nameless, faceless empire, Hintze said. They think Portland is a good market for them to target because its open to food trucks, but I think what theyre missing is that we like local food trucks. I dont think were very interested in having a national chain open a cart. Thats not fun or quirky.

You dont get the sense that theyre making these decisions on a human level.

Food cart owners werent the only ones perplexed by the timing.

This is weird to see as a restaurant thats struggling, said Maya Lovelace, chef at Northeast Portlands sister southern restaurants Yonder and Mae. We cant even sell fried chicken right now, because our staff isnt comfortable leaving their houses, and here come these people swooping in with a ghost kitchen format to sell apparently really bad fried chicken sandwiches with a brand name attached to them? Its just weird.

Munoz-Suarez said complaints about Fukus six-months-in-the-making rollout had some mitigating factors.

You mentioned unemployment and layoffs, Munoz-Suarez told The Oregonian/OregonLive. One thing that we could potentially be doing is providing opportunities for people to get back to work. I understand and am sensitive and super respectful to coming in as an additional competitor, but look at the other side, were potentially employing people in your hometown.

But it wasnt clear that Fukus new business model had actually added any Portland jobs. The restaurants chicken and sauces are being shipped in refrigerated trucks from New York, Munoz-Suarez said. And the existing Reef Kitchens sites  which already sport logos for a half-dozen restaurant brands each  are operating, like all Oregon businesses, under a state-mandated requirement to separate employees by at least six feet. Reef Kitchens did not respond to a request for comment Friday.

A downtown Portland truck operated by Reef Kitchens, a Miami-based operator of "ghost kitchens," which serve food from a half dozen virtual restaurants. Last week, the parking lot company spin-off launched a Portland partnership with Fuku, a fried-chicken restaurant from celebrity chef David Chang.Michael Russell | The Oregonian

Adding to the early missteps, customer reviews on social media described Fukus chicken as cold/chewy and dry, with many orders featuring missing or incorrect items. Responses were similarly harsh to an Instagram post from Fuku officially announcing the launch. According to Munoz-Suarez, Reef Kitchens cooks have undergone video training to help dial in the companys recipes during the soft launch.

On Thursday, I ordered Fuku delivery to my house, with the food arriving 10 minutes ahead of schedule, perhaps because of the uncharacteristic lack of traffic on local highways and roads due to Gov. Browns stay-at-home order. The Fuku bites were oddly gritty, and the waffle fries  Fukus direct shot at competitor Chick-fil-A  were missing entirely (our delivery driver, who wore a mask and gloves, said the trailer was all out). But the spicy fried chicken sandwich was warm, crisp enough and had a sheen reminiscent of tempura batter. It wasnt better than the fried-chicken sandwiches at local favorites Jojo, Basilisk or Yonder, but it was better than what I had seen on social media so far, and would rank ahead of most other fast-food sandwiches in its category.

Either way, Portland chefs say theyre ready to go head-to-head with Fuku once the crisis is over.

The Portland market doesnt shy away from competition, Lovelace said. But this is just kind of a kicking-us-when-were-down situation. If they had done a full launch with actually trained employees and a storefront, that would have been dope, I would have been excited.

Shomler agreed.

Once this is all cleared up, if someone else wants to move in here and open a restaurant, fantastic, he said. Im all for free enterprise. This is a different time.

Hintze said he hopes Fuku is listening to the criticism, but hes not worried about the competition for his cart Jojo, which was among Portlands best new food carts of 2019.

Were going to blow them out of the water, he said.

-- Michael Russell, mrussell@oregonian.com, @tdmrussell

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Vietnam strongly protests the establishment of the so-called Sansha city and related acts as they seriously violated Vietnams sovereignty, the spokesperson of Vietnams Foreign Ministry Le Thi Thu Hang said on April 19.

Hanoi,

Spokesperson Le Thi Thu Hang

On April 18, China announced the establishment of the so-called Xisha district at Vietnams Hoang Sa (Paracel) archipelago, and Nansha district at Vietnams Truong Sa (Spratly) archipelago, in the so-called Sansha city.

Vietnam has strongly affirmed many times that it has sufficient historical evidence and legal foundation to assert its sovereignty over the Hoang Sa and Truong Sa archipelagos, spokesperson Thu Hang said.

She stressed that those moves of China are invalid and unrecognized, and they are not favourable for the friendship among nations and further complicate the situation in the East Sea, the region and the world.

Vietnam demands that China respect Vietnams sovereignty, abolish its wrongful decisions related to the moves and not to commit similar acts in the future, the spokesperson asserted./.VNA
By Trend

Uzbekistan's officials held negotiations with Masahiro Yagi, the president of Yagiharu Co., Ltd trading company, which were organized via a videoconference, Trend reports with reference to the Embassy of Uzbekistan in Tokyo.

During the videoconference, the issues of supply of textile products to the Japanese market were discussed alongside options for exporting goods using different types of transportation.

Masahiro Yagi praised the quality of the textile products manufactured in Uzbekistan and noted the existing demand for Uzbek products in the Japanese market. He also informed that the trial batch from the country was successfully delivered to Japan.

Following the talks, an agreement was reached to continue joint work, including meeting via videoconference with participation of members of Uztextilprom Association.

The parties also considered the possibility of Masahiro Yagi's visit to Uzbekistan in September 2021 to continue negotiations and discuss relevant agreements.

---

Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz
GU75, Guernsey special event

The Guernsey Amateur Radio Society (GARS) will be running a special event station between May 6-12th (main days of operation are 8/9/10th), to mark the 75th anniversary of the Liberation of Guernsey from Occupying Forces.

The callsign will be GU75LIB.

Activity will be on the HF bands, all modes, QO100, and maybe some 2m/70cm activity as well, depending on conditions.

The station will operate from St. Peter Port, Guernsey.

QSL via the Bureau, or direct to Dave, GU8ITE (QTHR).
You know you are in totally new economic territory when it becomes apparent that nobody has a clue what is going to happen next with the coronavirus lockdown. 'It will be a V-shaped recovery' said most economic commentators about a month ago. 'It will be the biggest economic fall since the Great Depression' (IMF). 'It will be bigger than the Great Depression but bounce back more quickly' (Goldman Sachs).

'It will be a slow recovery but it could lead to a second economic fall even bigger than the Great Depression' (Economist Intelligence Unit).

Whatever about the dismal science of economics and predictions, people who know and understand their own industries somehow have to make intelligent decisions about how they will get back on track in the months ahead.

Yet there is total confusion here too. Take airlines, for example. EasyJet and Wizz Air have suggested they are open to keeping the middle seats free on planes when international travel resumes, in order to help with social distancing.

A "mad" proposal is how Ryanair's Michael O'Leary described it, and he is right. How could people travel to an airport on trains with limited or no social distancing only to feel safe on a plane by not having somebody in the centre seat?

How could they get through airports and on to those buses that sometimes take you to the terminal on arrival while observing two metres of social distancing?

O'Leary said it would be better to follow the Asian model where they are taking the temperature of passengers and insisting they wear masks.

Other airlines have said they don't expect a huge demand for international travel initially so they don't think they will have full flights. So why not keep the middle seat empty, given there will be spare capacity on the plane anyway?

But supply and demand has to come into this somewhere. If the planes are going out half-empty, then surely the airlines would cut back on capacity and flights.

O'Leary also pointed out that airlines couldn't afford to operate this way and therefore ticket prices would have to go up. In Ryanair's case, it argues that the best way to get people back flying is to sell the seats at knockdown prices.

But people will either want to fly or not in large numbers. If by this autumn or winter, international travel has been deemed safe, there may well be millions of people desperate to go on a holiday to somewhere.

If this is true, then high demand will drive up prices for consumers - not drive them down.

Ryanair's business model is based on cheap flights that are pretty much full as often as possible. Regulators who might insist on reducing the allowable passenger numbers on flights would punch a big hole in the low-cost operators' business models.

That is why O'Leary had a go at them last week, suggesting authorities were "floundering" and regulators were "sitting in their bedrooms inventing restrictions".

There is also the question of where we might all fly. There isn't much joy in running the Covid-19 gauntlet of going through airports, planes and buses to go on a holiday where you can't even enjoy a meal in a restaurant or visit a pub.

Different countries will open up at different times and with different restrictions in place.

Ryanair entered this crisis in one of the strongest financial positions in the industry. It owns its planes and had several billion in cash to see it through.

O'Leary might want to fall back on a price war as a way of finishing off some weaker competitors as travel gradually opens up.

And he may well succeed when the time comes. But for now, not even the best brains in aviation have a clue what is going to happen.

State may rue bank indecision

Back in November, I said that Paschal Donohoe's Exchequer cup was "overflowing". An extra 2bn came in last year from sources that were completely outside the Government's control: from additional corporation taxes, and IBRC, Central Bank and AIB dividends. This year will be a very different story.

It is clear that 2020 is a write-off. The debate is about what happens after that and how quickly the economy can recover.

A Great Depression-scale collapse will occur around the world, but given the unique nature of this crisis, the debate is about whether the recovery will come quickly, gradually or very slowly.

The Great Depression lasted about 11 years in the US. Central Bank Governor Gabriel Makhlouf has questioned the V-shaped rapid bounceback theory.

Others, such as the IMF and Goldman Sachs, see the downturn as rapid, deep and very serious, but there could be a relatively fast uptick even next year.

However, when you look at all the money that flowed into the Exchequer in 2019 that won't be coming back, it makes you wonder about how the State could have saved itself a few billion along the way.

AIB and Bank of Ireland dividends won't be happening this year. AIB's plan to buy back some of the State's shareholding won't be happening either.

In fact, the value of the State's shareholding in AIB has fallen from 11.5bn two years ago to just 1.8bn this week.

Back in 2018, when AIB shares were trading at 5.50, its chief executive at the time, Bernard Byrne, suggested that the State should sell down more of its 72pc holding. The stake was worth 11.5bn at the time.

Bank of Ireland, too, has seen its share price fall from 5.95 two years ago to 1.35 this week.

The State's 15pc shareholding in the group has fallen in value from 1bn two years ago to 157m today.

With the future outlook not appearing particularly good for the sector, that boat has truly sailed.

Virus bill appears endless

A word of caution for the Government when thinking of providing free loans to small businesses.

It may end up being necessary, but it is likely to cost a lot of money. In the US, the Trump administration announced a $350bn (323bn) loan package to small businesses.

Small firms could borrow the money from their local bank and as long as it was spent to cover costs associated with Covid-19, they didn't have to pay the cash back. Their bank will be reimbursed by the state.

After only 12 days in operation, $300bn of these loans were given out. Now the scheme has run out of money and is closed, pending a package of an additional $250bn from Congress which has yet to be agreed.

The Republicans want to go ahead with the extra cash, as do the Democrats, but they also want the package to include several hundred billion extra to fund hospital care, help state and local government in the US, and provide more food stamps.

A deal will be done pretty soon, and small businesses will end up with a $600bn cash injection from the state. But the Covid-19 bill just keeps rising.
The state Health Department has said it's too soon to tell whether the drop-off is a result of the testing change, though Gov. Mark Gordon has said that the projected peak of the disease in Wyoming has not yet arrived.

Patients have tested positive for coronavirus in 21 of Wyoming's 23 counties. Only Platte and Weston counties are without confirmed cases. Wyoming has the lowest recorded number of coronavirus deaths of any state. Alaska and South Dakota each have the second fewest deaths related to the virus, with seven each, according to the New York Times.

More than 16 percent of Wyoming's cases required a hospital stay. In about 4 percent of the cases, health officials don't know if the patient was hospitalized.

In almost 49 percent of the cases, the patient came in contact with a known case. In another 19.1 percent of the cases, the patient had traveled either domestically or internationally. Community spread has been attributed to nearly 12 percent of the cases. In 16.5 percent of Wyoming's cases, health officials don't how the person was exposed to the virus.
President Trump on Saturday claimed that states have been unfairly targeting Christians by not allowing religious gatherings due to the coronavirus pandemic while suggesting that they wont enforce the same rules with Muslims during Ramadan.

You know I just spoke with leaders and people that love mosques, the president said on Saturday.

They love mosques! And Im all in favor of that.

But I would say that there could be a difference. And well have to see what will happen.

Because I have seen a great disparity in this country. Ive seen a great disparity.

Trump on Saturday retweeted a post by a conservative author, Paul Sperry, who wrote: Lets see if authorities enforce the social-distancing orders for mosques during Ramadan (April 23  May 23) like they did churches during Easter.

President Trump (seen above at the White House on Saturday) said Democratic governors are biased against Christians and that he wonders if they will enforce social distancing guidelines on Muslims during Ramadan

Trump on Saturday retweeted a post by a conservative author who wrote: 'Let see if authorities enforce the social-distancing orders for mosques during Ramadan (April 23 - May 23) like they did churches during Easter'

A reporter asked the president about the tweet. Trump was also asked if he believed that imams would encourage their congregants to disobey social distancing guidelines.

I just had a call with imams, Trump said.

I just had a call with ministers, rabbis. We had a tremendous call with the faith leaders.

No, I dont think that at all. I am someone that believes in faith.

And it matters not what your faith is but our politicians seem to treat different faiths very differently.

And they seem to think and I dont know what happened with our country, but the Christian faith is treated much differently than it was, and I think its treated very unfairly.

Trump also criticized Democratic members of Congress known as the squad  Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, Ilhan Omar, Rashida Tlaib, and Ayanna Pressley  for what he called an anti-Israel bent.

The things that they say about Israel are so bad, Trump said. And I cant believe it.

It is unclear what Israel has to do with social distancing by Muslims in the United States during Ramadan, though Trump has tried to make Israel a wedge issue in politics by accusing Democrats of anti-Israel animus.

Muslims participate in an outdoor prayer event at Masjid Aqsa-Salam mosque in New York City in this June 2018 file photo. This week marks the start of the holy month of Ramadan

Trump then said that Democrats go after Christian churches but they dont tend to go after mosques.

The president then added: And I dont want them to go after mosques! But I do want to see what their event is.

Ramadan, which begins sundown this Thursday, is the holiest month in the Islamic calendar.

During Ramadan, Muslims do not eat or drink between dawn and sunset.

Several states have sought to crack down on public gatherings in order to stop the spread of the coronavirus.

During this past Easter holiday, states including Kansas, Kentucky, and others banned worshippers from attending church services due to the risk of spreading the virus.

But Republicans and their supporters on the religious right accused Democratic lawmakers and governors of infringing on their constitutional right to freely worship.

A federal judge in Kansas issued a temporary restraining order late on Saturday night blocking Governor Laura Kellys executive order limiting the size of church gatherings to no more than 10 people.

US District Judge John Broomes, a Trump appointee, said that Kellys orders expressly restrict religious activity.

A federal judge on Saturday blocked executive orders issued by Kansas' Democrat governor, Laura Kelly (seen above on Wednesday), banning religious gatherings over 10 people due to the coronavirus outbreak

Democratic Kentucky Governor Andy Beshear issued a statewide plan to order people into quarantine if they attend mass gatherings, including religious gatherings

Kelly said that coronavirus outbreaks in Kansas could be tied to five church gatherings which she claims resulted in six deaths and 80 infections.

In Kentucky, a Louisville church filed a lawsuit in federal court accusing Governor Andy Beshear, who like Kelly is a Democrat, of violating churchgoers constitutional rights.

The Maryville Baptist Church held an in-person church service on Easter Sunday in defiance of Beshears statewide ban on large gatherings during the coronavirus lockdown.

Beshear had warned that state police would record the license plates of churchgoers and inform them that they are to remain in quarantine for 14 days.

According to the lawsuit, Kentucky state police placed notices on the car windshields in the parking lot of the church.

The notices stated that health officials will be contacting those associated with this vehicle with self-quarantine documents, including an agreement requiring this vehicles occupants and anyone in the household to self-quarantine for 14 days.

Failure to sign or comply with the agreement may result in further enforcement measures, the notice stated.

Some worshippers stayed in their cars and listened to the service through loudspeakers that were set up near the parking lot.

The lawsuit indicates that the church plans to hold services this Sunday as well.

A federal judge has previously ruled that Louisville could not halt a local churchs Easter drive-in service.

In that case, Kentucky Attorney General Daniel Cameron, a Republican, has filed a brief that argues Beshear's state order is written broadly enough to unconstitutionally ban drive-in services, as well.

In a previous brief in the Louisville case, Beshear has said his order doesn't ban drive-thru church services, saying it is intended to prohibit person-to-person interaction, not interactions where people remain in a vehicle.

The state said Saturday that its death toll from the coronavirus has reached at least 144.

In all, there have been a total of more than 2,700 confirmed cases of COVID-19 since early March.

For most people, the coronavirus causes mild or moderate symptoms, such as fever and cough that clear up in a few weeks.

For some, especially older adults and people with existing health problems, it can cause more severe illness, including life-threatening pneumonia.
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By West Kentucky Star Staff

Apr. 01, 2020 | PADUCAH

By West Kentucky Star Staff Apr. 01, 2020 | 04:50 PM | PADUCAH

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A 41-year-old police inspector



and a 70-year-old woman succumbed to coronavirus in Indore city, taking the death toll in the Madhya Pradesh district to 49, officials said on Sunday.

This is the first case of a police officer dying of COVID-19 in the state, they said.

"The police officer died at a private hospital late Saturday night. He was struggling with the disease since hospitalisation about 20 days back," Superintendent of Police Maheshchandra Jain told PTI.

Doctors tried their best, but could not save him, Jain said, adding that the victim is survived by wife and two daughters.

The Indore police department mourned the death of the officer, while many residents took to social media to pay tributes to him and hailed him as the "COVID-19 warrior".

Besides, a 70-year-old woman also died of coronavirus in another private hospital on Friday, Chief Medical and Health Officer Praveen Jadia said.

The district, one of the worst affected by coronavirus in the country, has so far reported 890 COVID-19 cases, according to official figures.

According to an analysis, the death rate due to coronavirus in Indore is 5.5 per cent, much higher than that at the national level since the last several days.

The district administration has imposed curfew in the urban limits since March 25 after the coronavirus cases first came to light.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
The killers of Lyra McKee have again been urged to come forward and face justice for what they did.

Yesterday marked the first anniversary of the murder of the 29-year-old journalist in Creggan last year.

The New IRA admitted that one of its members killed the young Belfast woman who had been observing a riot when she was shot.

One man has been charged with murder in connection with Lyra's death.

Speaking at a memorial Mass in St Mary's Church in Creggan last night, Father Joe Gormley urged all those involved in the attack to come forward and face justice.

As a Christian community, on the feast of the divine mercy, we must pray that those who killed Lyra will be touched by the mercy of God to admit the truth of what they have done, he said.

By doing so they will reclaim for themselves their own eternal worth and value given to them by baptism.

Father Gormley, who gave Lyra the last rites on the night she died, said her death had devastated her family, partner Sara and Lyra's friends and colleagues.

Lyra's death brought the pain of all those who have suffered as a result of the conflict here to the fore once again, said the Creggan priest.

Lyra's death opened a vision of the past that was horrific, where people literally die on our streets.

That nightmarish vision challenges us all to shape the future.

Father Gormley said he was 'not blessed' to have known Lyra personally.

However, over the past year I have learned from her close family and friends that if Lyra had survived she would have wanted to meet the people who were behind her death.

This would not absolve them from their legal and moral responsibilities, rather it would help them to see that when they had met these responsibilities their lives could be a source of mercy and healing.

Father Gormley added: Lyra's sister, Nicola, at the end of the walk for Lyra last year said she was willing to stand with them and accompany them as they made that journey towards taking responsibility.

This is because that is what Lyra would have done.

If they were to embark on that journey it would be a powerful example that others who have done similar things could follow. Then Lyra's death and Christ's death on the cross would not have been in vain.

Derry SDLP councillor John Boyle, who was the city's Mayor last year at the time of Lyra's death and was a personal friend of the young journalist, also appealed for people with information about her death to give it to the police.

Often in life, we all remember where we were when we heard or saw something of significance. I recall, in acute and painful detail, where I was when I heard of the murder of Lyra, said Cllr Boyle.

The moments when I heard of the callous murder of a friend. The murder of a woman that I had mentored and encouraged as a teenager to follow her dream of becoming a journalist. Thinking of the harrowing future, immediate and long term, for her mother and her family.

Lyra's mother Joan tragically died less than a year after her daughter. I am certain that she died of a broken heart and as surely as the men who murdered Lyra on the 18th April 2019 on Fanad Drive were responsible for her death they also murdered Lyra's loving mother.

Cllr Boyle said those who had killed Lyra McKee had 'besmirched the good name and reputation of the people of Creggan'.

Lyra's murderers are only interested in shredding the hopes and aspirations of the people of Derry. They have nothing to offer beyond a narrow hate filled jingoism.

Lyra's murder was brutal and callous.

Many words have been spoken and written about Lyra McKee over the past twelve months.

Wee Lyra, as I knew her, was a ferocious and compassionate seeker of the truth.

She was a daughter, a sister, an aunt, a partner and friend. She was a friend to people less fortunate than herself.

She was kind to people who seemed to have no friends or family to turn to.

It is now time for those who cut her down in the prime of her life to face the truth.

Once again I appeal to our community to come together to expose the truth around Lyras tragic death.

Come forward and tell police what you saw or heard on the days before, on the night in question and in the days after. Do the right thing.
Education Secretary Gavin Williamson has said he cannot give a date for when schools will reopen following reports children could be back in the classroom in just three weeks.

Mr Williamson said he wanted nothing more than to see children return to school but warned any relaxing of the coronavirus lockdown measures could only be taken when five key tests have been met.

It came after Michael Gove denied suggestions the Government had drawn up plans for a three-tiered relaxation of restrictions.

The reports claimed a traffic light strategy was about to be brought in which would see some schools and businesses allowed to reopen in mid-May.

Speaking at the daily Downing Street press conference, Mr Williamson said: People are anxious to know when were going to relax restrictions, when schools are likely to be fully back and open again.

Of course, I want nothing more than to see schools back, get them back to normal, make sure the children are sat around learning, and experiencing the joy of being at school.

But I cant give you a date. Because before we do, we need to meet five tests.

The Education Secretary reiterated the five tests first outlined by Dominic Raab on Thursday, which include protecting the NHSs ability to cope, ensuring a drop in the daily death rates and having reliable data to show the rate of infection is decreasing to manageable levels.

The Government must also ensure sufficient testing capacity and PPE supplies, and be confident any change in the measures will not risk a second peak of infections, Mr Williamson said.

When we can be sure that we have met these five essential points, we can think about getting children into schools again, learning, mastering new ideas and being with their friends once more, he added.

The number of deaths in hospitals in the UK has now topped 16,000, with thousands more expected in care homes.

Story continues

(PA Graphics)

The Department of Health said a total of 16,060 had died in hospitals as of 5pm on Saturday, up by 596 from the day before.

Meanwhile, Mr Gove defended the Prime Minister for not attending five meetings of the key Government Cobra committee in the build-up to the coronavirus outbreak.

A wide-ranging report in The Sunday Times stated a number of opportunities were missed by the Government in January, February and March to try to lessen the impact of the gathering crisis.

Speaking on Sky Newss Sophy Ridge On Sunday programme, Mr Gove said: The idea that the Prime Minister skipped meetings that were vital to our response to the coronavirus, I think is grotesque.

The long-time ally of Mr Johnson later told BBC Ones The Andrew Marr Show that most Cobra meetings dont have the Prime Minister attending them.

Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster Michael Gove dismissed reports of a traffic lightstrategy for lifting the lockdown (Stefan Rousseau/PA)

In other developments on Sunday:

 A delivery of 84 tonnes of personal protective equipment (PPE) for frontline workers due to arrive in the UK from Turkey on Sunday was delayed;

 Sir Jeremy Farrar, a member of the Governments Scientific Advisory Group for Emergencies (Sage), said he is optimistic about finding a vaccine for Covid-19;

 Professor Sarah Gilbert, professor of vaccinology at Oxford University, who is leading a team developing a Covid-19 vaccine, said nobody can be sure it is possible to find a workable vaccine, but the prospects are very good;

 Scottish Health Secretary Jeane Freeman announced that an emergency hospital in Glasgow, named the NHS Louisa Jordan, will be ready to receive patients from Monday;

 A decision on whether Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffes temporary release from a prison in Iran will be extended was delayed again;

 Mr Gove reiterated the Government will meet its 100,000 daily testing target by the end of the month;

 The Cabinet Office Minister also said Mr Johnson is in cheerful spirits as he continued his recovery from coronavirus;

 The fundraising campaign for 99-year-old Captain Tom Moore passed 26 million in donations.
Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, April 18)  Major liquor makers in the country appealed on Saturday for the government to lift the total ban on alcoholic beverages amid the COVID-19 quarantine.

In a letter addressed to Department of Trade and Industry Secretary Ramon Lopez, the Center for Alcohol Research and Development Foundation Inc. said the alcohol beverage industry now bears the negative impacts in their businesses and among their workers.

We plead that you take into consideration the plight of our workers and the benefit that our industry provides to our nations economy, said in the letter signed by the foundations president Gerardo Tan Tee of Absolut Distillers Inc.

The declining market demand in alcohol, aggravated by the imposition of sin taxes or higher excise taxes on these products, also worsened when some local government units imposed their own total liquor ban.

We are pleading to let us thrive as a business, by allowing our products to exist in the market, with the same freedom of trade given to other goods and products, the statement reads.

The cities of Manila, Mandaluyong, Quezon City, and Muntinlupa and La Union province are some of the LGUs in the country which imposed a total ban on alcoholic beverages during the ECQ.

READ: Manila City imposes liquor ban during Luzon quarantine

The liquor makers recognized the governments concern on preventing alcohol intoxication amid the Luzon-wide enhanced community quarantine, which seeks to curb the spread of COVID-19 in the country. But they maintained that people can drink in moderation.

"The state of intoxication however is caused only when alcohol consumption is considered abusive, that is, consumption of higher amount of alcohol than the normal. Alcohol consumption can be taken in moderation by responsible individuals of the society who are accustomed to drinking alcohol," the group said in the letter.

CARD suggested a partial ban on sale of alcoholic beverages, which imposes a particular time when alcoholic products can be sold.

We are a legitimate business enterprise and banning the existence of our products in the market will only proliferate the existence of bootleggers who would take advantage of the prohibition by selling alcohol of inferior quality and standards, or of illegal drugs in place of our alcoholic beverages, further endangering the lives and health of the public, the letter noted.

The alcohol industry has been slapped by hefty taxes in the past years, especially under President Rodrigo Dutertes tax reform programs.

Last January, Duterte signed Republic Act 11467, which raises the excise taxes on alcohol products.

Under the law, distilled spirits like brandy, gin, vodka, tequila, and whiskey would be charged a specific tax of 42 per proof liter, on top of a 22 percent tax representing excise and value-added taxes. The duty will rise to 47 per liter next year, 52 per liter in 2022, 59 per liter by 2023, and 66 pesos by 2024.

For beer and other fermented liquor, the specific tax will rise to 35 per liter this 2020, and will add 2 per liter each succeeding year until 2024.

By January 1, 2025, the specific tax for these drinks will increase by 6 percent per year. Meanwhile, the tax on wines will rise to 50 per liter effective this year, and would add 6 percent per year, starting 2021.
But a pandemic makes the equation different and hard to predict.

Ed Glaeser, an economics professor at Harvard University and the author of Triumph of the City, said watching the virus rip through cities was like going back in time. It feels like its back to smallpox, its back to cholera, he said.

Cities were killing fields for centuries because of contagious disease, he said, noting that the life expectancy of a baby born in a city in 1900 was seven years less than one born in a rural area. That gap disappeared by the 1920s, with the advent of modern water and sewer systems.

Over time, density became a boon, economically, socially, intellectually. Living in a city became a way to encourage health. People could walk where they needed to go and support one another in tight-knit social networks.

As the threat of the coronavirus lessens, some who fled major cities might elect to stay away while others will want to flock back to the perks of urban living.

How people behave in a pandemic is probably not a great guide to how they want to live their lives in normal times, Mr. Kolko said. We are living in the middle of a grand forced experiment, but we really dont know how the experiment is going to play out.

So much is unknown. What will happen to housing prices, whose meteoric rise in cities was a big part of what was driving people away? Or immigration  one of the most important forces contributing to growth in cities? Already under the Trump administration those numbers were slowing. And cities themselves will likely look different, as they begin to plan for the possibility of pandemics.

One of the biggest questions for the future of cities is what becomes of low-wage workers, who are a big part of urban populations, but often work in jobs impossible to do from home. The restaurant industry, for example, employs more than 11 million people.
Turkish authorities blocked Saudi and United Arab Emirates news websites on Sunday, days after the sites of Turkey's state broadcaster and news agency were blocked in Saudi Arabia.

Internet users in Turkey trying to access the sites of Saudi news agency SPA, the UAE's WAM news agency and more than a dozen other sites saw a message saying that they were blocked under a law governing internet publications in Turkey.

A spokesman at Turkey's Justice Ministry declined to comment on the actions and Saudi Arabia's government media office did not immediately respond to a Reuters request for comment.

The Turkish website of the UK-based Independent newspaper, which is operated by a Saudi company, was one of the sites to blocked on Sunday, in a move that its editor said reflected political tensions between Saudi Arabia and Turkey.

"We believe the tensions between Saudi Arabia and Turkey reflected on us," editor Nevzat Cicek told Reuters. Sunday's decision appeared to be "retaliation against Saudi Arabia", he said.

Saudi Arabia had blocked access to several Turkish media websites a week earlier, including state broadcaster TRT and the state-owned Anadolu agency. Residents in the United Arab Emirates, a close ally of Saudi Arabia, said the Turkish websites were accessible on Sunday.

*This story was edited by AhramOnline.

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VN-Index rose approximately 9 points or 1.14 per cent to 789.6 points on April 17

Since early April when the local government declared social distancing across the country, the VN-Index recorded the only session of decline on April 10, while the rest of the 12 sessions until April 19 all closed in the green. The index regained 127 points in the first half of the month.

Ending the session on April 17, the VN-Index rose approximately 9 points or 1.14 per cent to 789.6 points. The index soared by 31.66 points during the last five sessions, signifying an added $4.8 billion of capitalisation.

Fuelling the rise was the renewal of a string of stocks. Accordingly, the stocks in the VN30 basket grew by nearly 40 points to 735 points. Sabeco (HSX: SAB) increased by 17.3 per cent to VND165,000 ($7.17) within a week, and by more than 48 per cent against its lowest price on March 24, which was VND111,500 ($4.85).

Retail stocks also had a strong streak as Mobile World (HSX: MWG) and FPT Digital Retail (HSX: FRT) hit their growth ceiling. In the first quarter of 2020, Phu Nhuan Jewelry JSC (HSX: PNJ) reached VND5 trillion ($217.4 million) in revenue, up 5 per cent on-year. However, its after-tax profit was VND411 billion ($17.87 million), slightly down 4 per cent. The gross margin during the timeline continued to remain at a high level  21.7 per cent.

Since the beginning of the year, PNJ launched two new watch stores and closed two jewellery stores. To date, the firm has opened 350 jewellery stores and 27 watch stores.

According to SSI Research, PNJ may not suffer a large impact from the health crisis because the second and third quarters are usually off-season in the jewellery business. Moreover, this is a good time for the company to gain market share from smaller jewellery brands ailing from the outbreak.

The VN-Index hike also saw a triple-digit increase against January 22, with FLC Mining Investment & Asset Management (HSX: GAB) and Saigon-Hanoi Commercial Joint Stock Bank (HSX: SHB) producing growth of 276 and 183 per cent to reach VND145,000 ($6.30) and VND18,000 ($78.26 US cents).
STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. -- In an effort to provide a sense of normalcy and connection for students while they are engaged in remote learning due to the coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak, many Staten Island schools are putting together videos featuring everything from dance moves to thank-you messages.

MORNING ANNOUNCEMENTS

Port Richmond High School continues to share its morning announcements daily through YouTube videos.

Each daily morning announcement video, which is created by the schools STEAM (science, technology, engineering, art, and mathematics) Media Arts students, begins with the Pledge of Allegiance, before moving on to typical morning announcements from students and Principal Andrew Greenfield.

Every morning, the students remotely do video morning announcements -- including the Pledge of Allegiance, any pertinent information and a message from myself, including College Acceptances, SAT words of the day and often a daily quote, Greenfield told the Advance/SILive.com.

Video morning announcements are sent to students each morning around 6:30 a.m. so that the kids can watch them when they log-in for remote learning each day.

I think its so important for students to have a sense of normalcy and routine during these times, and am so impressed by our amazing students for picking this together each day, said Greenfield.

You can find more videos on the PRHS TV YouTube channel.

Lisa M. Pollari, assistant principal for social studies, told the Advance/SILive.com that Greenfield has harnessed the strengths of the schools staff to coordinate moving online teaching as seamlessly as possible.

She said Greenfield has worked to distribute hundreds of pieces of technology for online learning, as well as training staff unfamiliar with Google Classroom. He has also ensured guidance counselor staff are supporting social and emotional needs of students virtually.

Pollari said staff have been using Google Meet to video conference with students and are implementing out-of-the-box differentiated instruction techniques with different resources to engage classes. Since Port Richmond is a community school, New York Center for Interpersonal Development mentors are also working as part of the effort.

*** CLICK HERE FOR COMPLETE COVERAGE OF CORONAVIRUS IN NEW YORK ***

We are sharing special editions of the In Class education column of the positive, uplifting, inspiring and fun activities that schools, teachers, and families are doing while schools are closed and moved to remote learning.

Do you have a story idea for the In Class education column? Email education reporter Annalise Knudson at aknudson@siadvance.com.

Heres a look at what other Staten Island schools are doing during remote learning.

SENDING A SPECIAL MESSAGE

Staff members at P373, co-located at PS 58 in New Springville, have created a dance video to send a special message to let students know they are loved and missed, according to teacher Vanessa Ventre.

Teachers at the school, which is dedicated to educating students with special needs, individually filmed themselves dancing to the song, Higher Love, by Kygo and Whitney Houston.

The administrators and staff of the PS373@PS58 school site are aware that many of their students might not understand why they were pulled away from their teachers and friends, so abruptly, said Ventre, who produced the video. We wanted to send a special message to let our students know that they are loved, and missed.

You can watch the video below.

The school has also collaborated to create a Pledge of Allegiance video, which includes several educators reciting the pledge in a video posted to YouTube.

Teacher Kim Russell said her daughter Carina helped put together the video of teachers and paraprofessionals saying the pledge.

The kids were so excited to see their teachers in this, said Russell. So the kids will say the pledge every day with us using this video.

You can watch the pledge created by educators at the school below.

STUDENTS THANK EDUCATORS

Students at New Dorp High School created a video of their own to thank staff at the school while also voicing how much they miss going to school and their classmates.

Teacher Christine Ann Varacalli sent the video to the Advance/SILive.com of how students are feeling during remote learning.

The NDHS [New Dorp High School] school community received a video from our students that moved me to tears, she said in an email.

Throughout the video, students shared how much they miss their New Dorp family, and encouraged their peers to be safe, stay home, and stay healthy.

I miss the normalcy of going to school and interacting with the teachers and your classmates, because its definitely not the same doing it over a computer screen, said one student in the video. But most importantly, I miss working with my peers and sharing ideas and thoughts during classwork discussion or independent work.

You can watch the video below.

INSPIRING SPECIAL EDUCATION STUDENTS

P373R Assistant Principal Christine Hoffman giving a virtual hug, top left, Special Education Teacher Christie Byrnes holding up message for students with Autism Heart, top right, paraprofessional Vanessa Ventre repping the schools motto Paw Power with her dog Gio, bottom left and art teacher Courtney Garofalo revealing her portrait painting for the students have high hopes with a rainbow, bottom right. (Courtesy/Christie Byrnes)Staten Island Advance

In keeping with all the restrictions imposed as a result of the coronavirus pandemic, P373R teacher Christie Byrnes, a special education teacher who frequently incorporates power points through music and dance, contacted Assistant Principal Christine Hoffman with the idea to create a tribute video for students who are learning remotely.

And since April is Autism Awareness month, Hoffman said she was naturally excited about the endeavor and believed it to be a great way to further connect with students and families during this unprecedented time.

You can watch the video below.

Special education teachers in the videos are: Christie Byrnes, Jamie Forlenza, and Christina Cafazzo who bring joy and laughter to the students by exhibiting some fun dance moves.

Ana DiStefano, a paraprofessional, can also be seen in the video dancing alongside her daughter, while paraprofessional Maryellen Borg, holds up a poster representing her class and dances with her dog and speech therapists, Tifani Natale and Lauren ONeill hold up signs showcasing how much they miss the students.

The school is part of Special Education/District 75, which is an integrated program co-located at Morris Intermediate School.

Other District 75 administrators also were inspired by the idea -- and before long all other sites for P373R began to incorporate individual videos into their virtual classrooms in order to demonstrate just how much teachers are missing and thinking of students during this trying time. P373R is the main site and mini-building, and six other co-located sites include PS 58, The Petrides School, PS 861, PS 48 and PS 6.

It was so special and Im so grateful to have a staff who wanted to put their time and effort in reaching out to the kids with a heartfelt message to let them know theyre still in our minds and hearts," said Hoffman. "And we are so happy to share the video with other sites. The reaction from parents and students as well is very rewarding knowing we are still out there for them, a great experience for everyone to participate in.

Byrnes went on to explain the videos allowed them to touch the hearts of students and families, and provided everyone with assurance that we are all in this together. Art teacher, Courtney Garofalo, and paraprofessional, Vanessa Ventre followed Byrnes lead after communicating with their administrators and created videos for the main site and PS 58.

Students and parents at home were very excited to see all the staff members and hear all of the songs theyre familiar with, and it proved to be an extremely uplifting experience, said Byrnes. I even had a couple of parents contact me to say just how exciting it was and that it brought tears to their eyes. And some students who saw it on the Google classroom mentioned how inspiring it all was as well.

This video was posted throughout all their Google classrooms for students to view whenever theyre missing their teachers, paraprofessionals and therapists.

All schools chose inspirational songs -- such as Call on Me, by Starley, Higher Love, by Kygo and Whitney Houston, and High Hopes, by Panic at the Disco.

This collaborative project had made a positive impact on students, and our organization," said Byrnes. We received comments stating that they are uplifting, heartwarming and it aided us in maintaining the connection we have with students, because unfortunately, at this time, our staff and students are heartbroken without each other. P373R would like their students to know we miss them every day and couldnt be more proud of them than we are now. We will get through this together because were are 373Strong."

-- Advance/SILive.com reporter Carol Ann Benanti contributed to this report.

APPLICATIONS OPEN FOR SCHOLARSHIPS

While schools are participating in remote learning, students can still apply for a scholarship to college.

Staten Island ACHIEVE Dollars for Scholarships annual scholarship awards application is open to graduating seniors from Staten Island high schools through May 1. The volunteer-based non-profit provides four-year scholarships and active mentorships to all winners.

The awards recognize the various achievements of Staten Island students, including those who have overcome personal significant personal obstacles, those who demonstrate high potential in STEM (science, technology, engineering, and math) and other fields, and those who are outstanding student-athletes. The awards are both need- and merit-based.

This year, the non-profit will award a minimum of seven four-year scholarships, ranging in value from $1,000 to $20,000. Additionally, three of these annual awards are provided through school-specific partnerships with Moore Catholic High School, Notre Dame Academy and Susan Wagner High School.

Since 2005, over $1 million has been awarded to 121 students from across nearly all Staten Island high schools, with a scholarship retention rate of 90%.

For more information, visit the organizations website at statenislandachieve.dollarsforscholars.org.

STAYING CONNECTED

Other schools across the borough have been working to keep everyone connected.

Last weeks column highlighted several Staten Island schools that made dance videos to bring joy to the school community.

PS/I.S. 48 in Concord made a dancing video to remind students that they are all in this together. Educators at the Concord school filmed themselves dancing, and third-grade teacher Melissa Maloy combined the clips to create a video that was sent to students and families with the phrase, Were all in this together" -- which comes from the Disney Channel movie High School Musical.

Moore Catholic High School in Graniteville, Morris Intermediate School (I.S. 61) in Brighton Heights, and P373R co-located at Morris Intermediate School (I.S. 61) in Brighton Heights, shared their own videos.

PS 29 put together their own dance video. A pre-K teacher and her two paraprofessionals brightened the day of their 18 students last week by visiting each of them simultaneously while doing a drive-by in their individual vehicles.

Francine Pappalardo, a teacher at PS 36 in Annadale, was joined by paras Barbara Reilly and Tara Barletti in not only stopping in front of each pupils home, but getting out and holding up a poster about how each child is missed.

70 Coronavirus in NYC: Photos show the fight against the pandemic

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The White House COVID-19 task force is closely monitoring testing capacity and the impact of the virus in a host of metropolitan and regional hotspots, including in Massachusetts, as governors and lawmakers push for an aggressive federal testing strategy and as President Donald Trump presses for the economy to reopen.

Were a series of small epidemics across the U.S., Dr. Deborah Birx, the White House task force coordinator, said on CBS News Face the Nation on Sunday. We watch every single metropolitan county in a very granular way. Were very much focused on Boston and across Massachusetts where its continued to spread, and were watching very closely in Chicago.

Pressed on why the U.S. hadnt established a national testing and contact tracing strategy, which Democratic lawmakers recently advocated during a conference call, Birx said the federal government had in fact laid out a testing strategy as part of new guidelines on the reopening of the economy released last week.

Birx said the goal is to monitory this virus community by community, by tracking emergency room patients with COVID-19 symptoms; by converting the influenza surveillance program to cover COVID-19 symptoms; and to focus critically where you start to see early evidence when it comes to testing.

Each epidemic will have a different testing need, she said. What were trying to do is look at this in very data-driven, granular, scientific methodologies to predict community by community the testing that is needed. At the same time, working with every laboratory director across the country that have these multiple platforms to really understand and find solutions for them on their issues related to supplies.

The Trump administration has said 4 million Americans have been tested, but many health experts and state officials have pushed for more widespread testing. Many governors have said their facilities face supply shortfalls hitting their testing capacity, but Trump has repeatedly emphasized that its up to governors to ramp up testing.

The States have to step up their TESTING!  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) April 17, 2020

Lawrence Gostin, a public health expert at Georgetown University, told The Associated Press that the lack of a national testing strategy will increase chances of prolonged spikes in deaths as well as chances the disease surges again months later.

Its impossible to get to the place where we want to be without a national testing strategy, Gostin said. With a state-by-state approach, it cant possibly work.

As of Sunday, nearly 725,000 people have contracted the disease and more than 34,000 have died in the U.S. More than 64,000 have recovered, according to Johns Hopkins University.

Birx said that Americans would be empowered with greater access to information; she cited the Florida public health website as a good example of showing their communities cases and test capacity county by county, zip code by zip code.

If you give Americans knowledge, they will translate that into protective actions, Birx said, noting that would provide state leaders and businesses information that would help make decisions on what can be opened and what needs to remain closed.

Massachusetts announced last week that it would start providing more detailed town-by-town breakdowns of COVID-19 data after weeks of releasing only county information, based in part over privacy concerns.

Related Content:
The coronavirus pandemic, which has claimed more than 20,000 lives nationwide, has put every state under a federal disaster declaration -- a first in the history of the United States.

President Donald Trump approved a disaster declaration Saturday for Wyoming, the final state to get one, along with the US Virgin Islands, the Northern Mariana Islands, the District of Columbia, Guam and Puerto Rico.

There are 529,951 coronavirus cases in the US and 20,608 fatalities, according to data from Johns Hopkins University. And states are feeling the impact of the pandemic in many ways.

Illinois announced its second highest day of deaths Saturday with 1,293 new reported cases and 81 additional deaths.

In South Florida, families lined up for up to five hours before food distribution even began outside Magic City Casino, according to CNN affiliate WPLG.

And in New Jersey, the state with the second highest number of coronavirus cases, Newark Mayor Ras Baraka is asking all businesses -- even those deemed essential -- to shut down for "Be Still Mondays."

The goal is to further limit the spread of the virus as the death toll rises in the state.

"We can get everything else back. What we can't get back is people's lives," Baraka said.

Justice Department pushing back against religious restrictions

With the Jewish holiday of Passover on Wednesday and Easter on Sunday, states are using new approaches to religious services at a time when social distancing is key in the fight against the virus.

Some families and congregations have gone online for celebrations and services, but others have continued to gather, which many local leaders have taken steps to stop.

In Kentucky, authorities will record license plates of those who show up to any gatherings and hand that information over to the local health department, which will require those individuals to stay quarantined for 14 days, Gov. Andy Beshear announced.

In New Mexico, Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham said the state amended a public health order banning mass gatherings to include houses of worship.

On Saturday night, the Justice Department said it would take action next week against regulations on religious institutions.

Various courts are already hearing cases about the regulations, but the department said it may file lawsuits alongside churches.

The mayor of Louisville, Kentucky, tried to stop a church from holding a drive-in Easter service, even though drive-in liquor stores are still permitted under the state's stay-at-home policy. A federal judge issued a temporary restraining order Saturday that overturned the effort.

Pushes to reopen risk cases rebounding

Trump said Saturday night that he hopes to make a decision "fairly soon" on when to reopen the country currently shutdown by the coronavirus pandemic. He said he will set up a council to examine the issue and will base his decision on "facts" and "instinct."

"I'm going to have to make a decision and I only hope to God that it's the right decision," the President said Friday. "But I would say without question it's the biggest decision I've ever had to make."

Two weeks ago, Trump said he wanted to open the country by Easter, but Friday he said he wouldn't do anything until he knew the country was healthy again. Internally, officials are pushing to reopen the country by next month, with specific discussions underway about May 1, a person familiar with the talks told CNN.

But government projections obtained by the New York Times show that if stay at home orders were lifted after a month, there would be a bump in demand for ventilators and the US death toll could see a dramatic increase to 200,000, the Times reported.

The Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation at the University of Washington projects that if the country keeps social distancing measures until the end of May, about 61,500 Americans will lose their lives to the virus by August.

"If we were to stop at the national level May 1, we're seeing (in models) a return to almost where we are now sometime in July, so a rebound," IHME Director Dr. Chris Murray told CNN. "There's a very substantial risk of rebound if we don't wait to the point where most transmission is near zero in each state."

New York City mayor, governor in dispute over school closures

In New York City, Mayor Bill de Blasio announced that schools there would remain closed through the end of the school year while students continued to receive remote instruction.

But that was soon undercut by Gov. Andrew Cuomo, who said that "no decision" had been made on closing schools through the end of the year, adding that he valued the mayor's "opinion."

"We may do that, but we're going to do it in a coordinated sense with the other localities," Cuomo said, adding: "It makes no sense for one locality to take an action that's not coordinated with the others."

De Blasio said Saturday evening he and the governor would always "work things through in the common interest of our people."

"But the bottom line is my responsibility is not to the federal government, the state government, my responsibility is not to another elected official. My responsibility is to those kids, those parents, those educators who need to be safe," de Blasio said.

Additionally, Cuomo said no decision has been made on when businesses will reopen. That step, he said, should be coordinated with schools.

The state will gather the best minds to study whether reopening the economy would trigger a "second wave" of infections, Cuomo said.

"The worst thing that can happen is we make a misstep and we let our emotions get ahead of our logic and fact, and we go through this again in any manner, shape or form," he said.
New York Governor Andrew Cuomo at his news conference on Wednesday, April 16, 2020, in state capital, Albany, where he announced he was extending the coronavirus restrictions till May 15. (Photo: NY Governor's Office/IANS). Image Source: IANS News

New York, April 19 : New York reported 540 more coronavirus deaths overnight, a reduction of 25 per cent from the previous day, Governor Andrew Cuomo said, but the state still remained the epicentre of the pandemic in the US, which currently accounts for the highest number of cases and fatalities in the world.

"If you look at the past three days, you could argue we are past the plateau and starting to descend," the Governor said on Saturday at his daily COVID-19 briefing.

"So, we're not at the plateau anymore, but we're still not in a good position." The state accounts for more than a third of the 38,910 US deaths from coronavirus, while the disease has claimed more than 8,400 lives just in New York City.

And while Friday saw the smallest number of new fatalities in two weeks, some 2,000 people with coronavirus symptoms were admitted to hospitals in the city, a figure comparable to the situation late last month, when the pandemic was growing at an alarming rate.

Cuomo said that authorities are particularly concerned about the threat posed by the COVID-19 to residents of nursing homes.

"Nursing homes are the single biggest fear in all of this. Vulnerable people in one place - it is the feeding frenzy for this virus, despite everything we can do and the best efforts of people working in those nursing homes," he said.

The virus is very dangerous to the elderly and 2,500 of the mortal victims in New York state have been people over 65.

In planning for the rollback of restrictions on people's movements and activity, the governor emphasized that a complete re-opening of the economy will only be possible with vastly expanded testing accompanied by tracing, which is very labour-intensive.

"The trick with testing is not that we don't know how to do it," Cuomo said. "It's bringing this up to scale." Following Friday's acrimonious exchange with President Donald Trump about the level of federal assistance to states dealing with the pandemic, the Governor limited himself to noting that certain aspects of the problem can only be addressed by Washington.

"I'm not asking the federal government to do more than they need to. But we do need their coordination. We need their partnership," Cuomo said, citing the example of difficulties in obtaining the chemical re-agents needed for testing.

"No one has the chemicals because everybody has been overrun with demand. And the chemicals come out of where? China," he said.

The governor said that his complaints about Trump's handling of the crisis were not politically motivated and repeated his denial of harbouring presidential ambitions.

"I'm not running for anything, I'm not going anywhere. I'm going to be governor of New York state until the people kick me out," Cuomo told reporters.
Nana Apiagyei Dakawoso I, President of the Ghana National Chamber of Commerce and Industries, has urged government to extend the food sharing programme to Orphanages to alleviate their sufferings.



He said inmates of orphanages remained vulnerable and were hard hit during the spread of the COVID-19 pandemic.



Nana Dakawoso I said this when he and Kinapharma and Healthy Life Company donated food items, beverages, sanitizers and medical items to the Countryside Children's Welfare Home (CCWH) at Bawjiase in the Central Region.



He said they were visiting the home twice a year to donate items to the also to ensure that the children had the best care.



"On February 22, we visited the home and organised a New Year Party for the children," he added.



"Today, we are here again, because we thought it prudent to get enough food items for storage to cater for the inmates during the restrictions on movement due to COVID-19 virus".



Nana Dakawoso I said last year, the Management of Kinapharma and Healthy Life Company enrolled the children on the National Health Insurance Scheme and "today they brought another money for the renewal of the scheme."



He, therefore, commended the Management and the media for supporting a good cause.



Mr Nuamah Eshun, the General Manager, Kinapharma and Healthy Life Company, pledged their continuous support for the home.







Source: GNA









Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority.

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By David Kocieniewski, Neil Weinberg and Josh Eidelson, Bloomberg News

The Department of Veterans Affairs is supposed to provide a safety net for the U.S. medical system in times of crisis.

Yet its hospitals have treated just 135 civilians afflicted with COVID-19, according to numbers released this week, even as coronavirus infections have pushed tens of thousands of Americans into the nations hospitals.

The limited response stems in part from efforts to rein in the VAs medical services, after a series of political battles over whether to privatize elements of the nations largest hospital network. In the early months of his term, President Donald Trump assigned an unconventional group to oversee the VA  his son-in-law, senior adviser Jared Kushner, and three political advisers who socialized at his Mar-a-Lago resort. Their involvement caused so much bureaucratic distress that the VA ended up with an assortment of vacancies in high-level management positions.

The Trump administration has been increasing funding for veterans to seek care from private doctors, while presiding over chronic staffing shortages within the VAs hospital system, the Veterans Health Administration. In the months since the coronavirus began threatening the U.S., the White House task force and agencies responding to the crisis have kept the VA largely on the sidelines.

That late and limited involvement is particularly surprising because the VA was among the first federal agencies brought in to monitor the virus. In early January, as the deadly new illness emerged in China, a VA doctor was embedded in the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to study its spread. By the end of January, a VA medical expert warned senior officials that the virus could devastate the U.S. medical system and economy and that VA hospitals needed more safety equipment.

Since then, VA employees have grappled with a shortage of protective gear, including for nonmedical workers whove been tapped to screen new patients, several of them said in interviews. Top VA political appointees nonetheless turned down offers of funding from Congress in early March to buy protective gear for medical staff of its 170 hospitals and 1,074 clinics. It wasnt until March 23, after a national emergency had been declared, that the agency released its COVID-19 response plan. It has treated more than 5,000 COVID-19 cases overall, almost exclusively among veterans.

With staff at VA hospitals struggling to anticipate the needs of veterans, the agency has taken only modest steps to fill its congressionally mandated fourth mission  providing a safety net for the civilian hospital system.

The VA provided 50 acute- and intensive-care beds in New York City, for example, as authorities there prepared to accommodate thousands of patients in parks and convention halls. Currently 37% of the VAs acute care and ICU beds are in use nationwide, according to a recent report to Congress reviewed by Bloomberg.

How can you expect them to carry out their fourth mission when youre busy taking away resources to carry out their first mission? asked Suzanne Gordon, a senior policy fellow at the Veterans Healthcare Policy Institute, who has written extensively about the VAs evolution.

In a written statement, the agency said it has appropriate protective gear for its workers. It said that while its response plan was made public in late March, planning began in early January before the first confirmed U.S. case. As for pitching in to help civilians under a national emergency, it said it responds to requests from states that are routed through the Federal Emergency Management Agency. The VA will only accept such assignments when they do not negatively impact veteran care, as taking care of veterans is always VAs first priority, according to the statement.

The VA this week broadened its policies on personal protective equipment to provide masks more frequently to some workers. It also underscored its commitment to civilians, with a statement outlining how it freed up a few hundred beds in hard hit areas including Louisiana and Illinois, lent several medical staffers to hot spots in Connecticut and Massachusetts, and dispatched a mobile pharmacy to Detroit.

VA is in this fight not only for the millions of veterans we serve each day; were in the fight for the people of the United States, VA Secretary Robert Wilkie said in the statement.

On paper, the VA should be poised to pitch in during a public health crisis. It has 8,862 acute care and 2,951 ICU beds and close to 3,000 ventilators. In recent years, public health studies have shown that VA hospitals often produce better treatment outcomes than their civilian counterparts. The agency is well positioned to be at the forefront of the nations response to the crisis, former VA head David Shulkin said this month.

Founded in 1930 and elevated to a cabinet-level agency in 1989, the VA has become one of the governments biggest agencies and a focus of budget battles. Years of efforts to privatize many of its functions have resulted in upheaval. The Trump administration expanded funding to steer veterans into private care, raising administrative costs without achieving the desired goal of shorter wait times for patients. The White House has said it has no intention of privatizing the current system, but Shulkin has written that he was ousted in 2018 by presidential tweet because he was viewed as an obstacle to privatization.

At the time the coronavirus crisis hit, the VA had a staff of about 400,000  and roughly 50,000 vacancies that include doctors and nurses, according to a June 2019 agency report. That means its bed count likely includes many it cant actually employ, said Marilyn Park, a legislative representative for the American Federation of Government Employees, or AFGE.

The staffing gaps extend to the top of the agency. The Undersecretary for Health position has been vacant for much of Trumps administration. The VAs Office of Emergency Management was left leaderless for months after its chief stepped down in 2018. VA officials testified to Congress that the vacancy, now filled, hobbled their ability to learn from missteps after 2017s Hurricane Maria left a VA facility as Puerto Ricos only functioning hospital.

The VA has reported that the agency has lower turnover than other cabinet agencies and the health care industry.

As the coronavirus pandemic spread, the agency sent mixed messages about its readiness and commitment to civilian hospitals. On March 4, an agency official assured Congress it had enough money, staffing and protective equipment. We are the nations surge force, Secretary Wilkie told National Public Radio two weeks later.

Wilkie later tempered those expectations, telling Congress and hospital officials that the VA needed approval from FEMA and the Department of Health and Human Services to treat civilians. The congressional relief bill passed in late March, the CARES Act, included $17 billion in additional funding for the VA to provide COVID-19 care.

As it scrambles to care for veterans, the VA is battling absenteeism. According to the COVID-19 readiness plan the VA published in late March, 40% of staffers could fail to report for duty in a severe outbreak due to illness, family-care duties or fear of contracting the virus.

Those fears are widespread. According to workers and union representatives, protective equipment has been in short supply at sites in California, Illinois, Missouri and Arkansas. The VA in Houston sent an email soliciting masks from the public. In Northern California, management sent employees a link to a video about how to make masks, and some staff members have started making their own protective gear out of T-shirts and bras, according to employees there.

Some of these people said that while doctors and nurses had access to masks, administrative employees didnt. In several locations, employees said, these unprotected workers were assigned to interview walk-in patients and in some cases take temperatures to screen for suspected Covid-19 cases. One worker in Illinois recounted how a colleague tearfully grappled with two bad options  getting written up for refusing to do work with potential virus exposure, or risking getting himself and his family sick.

The VA, which began virus screenings on March 11, said Monday that 1,530 of its workers have tested positive for COVID-19. Ten have died.

Employees know this is my job, but theyre terrified because they cant get the stuff they need, said Daniel Scott, the president of an AFGE local representing VA employees in Arkansas, Oklahoma and Missouri. Its like going into a combat zone and youre about to be attacked and they give you a hammer because youre out of machine guns, he said.

Following a complaint filed by AFGE, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration is opening an investigation concerning worker exposure to patients with COVID-19, according to a letter sent to the union by the agency.

Asked about the probe, an agency spokeswoman said the VA follows CDC guidance on personal protective equipment and that there is no truth to allegations that employees arent adequately protected. The VAs employee infection is less than 1%, she added, citing other facilities with higher rates.

Similar concerns arose in a review conducted in late March by the VAs inspector generals office. Agency managers were also worried about staff shortages and that their treatment strategy left gaps in its coordination with civilian health-care networks, the IG said.

Responding to the audit, VA officials said its emergency planning was sound. They criticized the inspector general for its unannounced visits to hospitals, which they said could have spread the virus. In a written statement, the VA added that its employees were performing amazingly well in a rapidly changing environment.

During the IG review last month, officials at most VA facilities said that if they are overwhelmed with veterans suffering from COVID-19, their fallback plan is the inverse of the fourth mission: they would send patients to the private, community and university hospitals theyre supposed to support, the inspector general found.

Its disturbing and infuriating that the VA has provided little aid to civilians and endangered its staff, many of whom are veterans who took an oath to support the public, said Kristofer Goldsmith, assistant policy director at Vietnam Veterans of America.

When you have a government being run by people who dont believe government works, you get a government that doesnt work, he said.
Pushkar Banakar By

NEW DELHI: Aarti is in her sixties, who works as a cleaner in a restaurant in Ghaziabad and hails from Meerut. She works seven days a week to make around Rs 4000 a month of which she sends around 30 per cent home for her ailing husband. Similar is the story of Bhajan Singh, who hails from Bulandshahr and works as a rickshaw puller in Ghaziabad. He sends about 15 per cent of his monthly wage home to cater to his old parents. Aarti and Singh are among the approximately 5 crore migrant workers who send remittances home but have been unable to do so owing to lockdown.

This, according to experts, will have a major impact on the rural economy and will also lead to a mismatch of workforce. There will be an oversupply of labour in rural areas and undersupply in urban areas for the next few months. Month of May will be particularly bad for both workers and firms due to this mismatch. From June, less so, because during the monsoon, migrant workers anyways spend time back home and many sectors like construction naturally slow down, Professor at the (IIM-A) and an expert on migrant workers Chinmay Tumbe said.

According to figures estimated from the 2011 Census, a total of Rs 32400 crore worth of remittances are sent in India annually. Over 25000 crore of these contribute to the rural economy. Tumbe expects a huge hit to rural economies dependent on remittances. This means economies particularly in eastern Uttar Pradesh, Bihar and coastal Odisha are likely to be hit greatly, he said.

The IIM-A professors views were echoed by a field officer of SHRAM, a Delhi-based NGO involved in the welfare of migrant workers.



People are talking extensively about the economy at large but there must be specific packages to help the rural economy recover. Apart from the contributions of agriculture, the economy runs majorly on remittances, which have drastically reduced due to the lockdown, she said and added that one of the most common problems that the migrant workers have narrated to her involve their inability to send remittances.

Like many others, the only concern on Aartis mind is not being able to send money home.





My husband is on the verge of being bed-ridden. I only have my daughter who is handicapped and cannot work. I am the sole bread earner in the family. What will my family do? My house is not even 100 km away but I cant go nor can I send money, she said. Tumbe suggests the rolling out of One Nation, One Ration card to deal with the looming crisis.



Roll out the One Nation, One Ration card scheme immediately and provide portability of social security for migrant workers. Housing allowance should now be factored in the informal workforce just like it is done in the formal sector, he said.
By Giselda Vagnoni and Valentina Za

ROME/MILAN (Reuters) - Weeks into Italy's coronavirus lockdown, thousands of Italian entrepreneurs have been given a bureaucratic shortcut to market.

The government last week extended non-essential business closures to May 3. But more than 100,000 mainly small- and medium-sized companies have applied to keep going or partially reopen.

In principle, a key hurdle for companies to do business should be that they can prove they are part of a supply chain to businesses that are deemed "essential" in a government decree, such as food, energy or pharmaceutical companies.

But the government, facing a backlog of applications, has clarified Italy's lockdown laws to say no companies need to wait for government approval to go ahead.

More than 105,000 firms have applied to be considered part of essential supply chains, the interior minister said on Wednesday, in a guideline on its website to clarify the lockdown rules.

Of those, just over 2,000 have been turned down and told to suspend their business. More than 38,000 are being investigated and the rest are waiting to be looked at.

The ministry said on Wednesday businesses that have previously submitted such requests can now "benefit from an immediate start" to their business.

So unless companies have been told they are not critical, all they need to do is to inform their local authority that they plan to reopen. Then, without waiting for an answer, they can go ahead.

The flood of notifications by Italian companies underscores the desperation of corporations to restart production. This is especially true in Italy where nearly 4 million companies employing fewer than 10 people make up the fabric of the economy. Italy's experience also highlights the challenge for governments across developed countries to oversee shutdowns that are crippling their economies.

The government will carry out inspections to make sure companies are not cheating the system, a spokesperson for the interior ministry told Reuters.

Story continues

Big swathes of Italy's economy are unable to get back to work. Almost half of the country's businesses from fashion to autos generating 1.3 trillion euros ($1.41 trillion) in annual turnover remain paralysed - the fashion industry, for instance, unable to claim an "essential" role, has taken out newspaper adverts to plead for a chance to reopen.

MASKS AND ONE-WAY PATHS

One company that has gone ahead is Gasparini S.p.A., a maker of metal processing machines in the northern region of Veneto where more than 14,600 people have tested positive for the virus.

Gasparini makes machines used to manufacture products from industrial shelving to components for electricity transmission and metal posts for vineyards.

It had to halt production for two weeks. But the company says some of its customers, which make power generation and distribution systems, are in "essential" supply chains. As a result, it has found a way back to work.

Its chief executive, Filippo Gasparini, told Reuters the company last week had sent a certified email to the Venice local authority or prefect, specifying the names of relevant clients and their sector of activity and saying it intended to resume supplies to them.

"Then we went ahead with it without hearing back."

Gasparini employs 120 staff, and said roughly a quarter of them are now working on the factory floor. It has stepped up sanitising activities, equipped workers with masks and gloves and has staff monitoring workers to ensure they keep their distance from each other.

Union representative Leonardo Pattarello said he was satisfied by the steps. "I feel safer here than when I go grocery shopping," he told Reuters, referring to the lockdown rule which imposes staggered entry programmes for supermarkets.

"We've created one-way paths inside the company so that people can't run into each other, we all have masks and latex gloves, there are bottles of hand sanitiser next to where people get water or coffee. They take our temperature in the morning."

An official at the Venice prefect's office said there had been a large number of applications so it was not immediately possible to provide information about a specific company.

Gasparini and the more than 100,000 businesses that have tapped local authorities are adding to political pressure on Rome to reopen Europe's No. 3 economy for business as new cases of COVID-19 have started to plateau. "I have the impression that at least 60% of companies have already opened," said Luca Zaia, governor of the Veneto region where Gasparini is based.

"It is useless that we continue to think of lockdown at a national level. We must not be hypocritical, the lockdown no longer exists."

COMPLEX PROCESS

More than 22,000 people in Italy have died with the virus, most in the wealthy north which makes up 45% of the country's economic output.

Last week, concerns that the disease could ravage Italy's poorer south, or afflict a new wave, led Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte to resist industrialists' pressure to ease restrictions.

Instead he extended the lockdown and said that a new committee of experts, chaired by former CEO of British phone company Vodafone Vittorio Colao, would advise his government on how to waive them. Colao has made no public comment so far.

In the town of Padua in the Veneto region, prefect Renato Franceschelli said he had received 4,500 requests from firms wanting to be classified as part of an essential supply chain. Of these, 3,400 had been examined and only very few told to suspend activities.

"We expect many more to come," he said.

Each case is complex and the supply chain is very long, he said: For example. It can include ink producers for labels for the pharmaceutical industry.

BIG BUSINESS CHAFES, MEDICS WORRY

Some big businesses are chafing. The fashion industry has said it has only a few days left to save its next season.

Home to the likes of Prada <1913.HK>, Armani and Moncler <MONC.MI>, Italy is second only to France among European countries for fashion and luxury goods sales. The business generated 90 billion euros ($98 billion) last year, or about 5% of GDP, according to the national fashion chamber, Camera Nazionale della Moda Italiana (CNMI).

It took out a full-page advert in the national press at the weekend to call for the government to allow it to resume business.

"If our factories do not reopen by April 20, we won't be able to deliver our Autumn/Winter collections which must be sent by July to our clients all over the world," CNMI head Carlo Capasa said in the advertisement. On Thursday, fashion lobby Confindustria Moda said it had signed an accord with unions over safety procedures to restart activity, when the government agrees.

And carmakers are raring to go. Fiat Chrysler Automobiles NV <FCHA.MI>, which has around 55,000 employees in Italy, last week also signed a safety protocol with trade unions with the aim of being ready to reopen when the government gives the greenlight.

Data released by the national statistics office on Thursday highlight the impact on Europe's third-largest economy: some 2.1 million companies - just under half of the national total - employing 7.1 million people are shuttered.

Two-thirds of them make goods for sale abroad, mainly to China.

The figures do not take into account companies that are back to work thanks to the bureaucratic shortcut.

The timing of Italy's exit from the lockdown is also closely watched by Europe's biggest economy, Germany, whose automotive, pharmaceutical and food industries are intertwined with Italy's.

The Federation of German industries recently wrote to its Italian counterpart Confindustria calling for a coordinated resumption of production over the coming weeks.

"German entrepreneurs call me to find out how Italy is doing, what is happening with the Italian production we are also dependent on," German ambassador to Rome Viktor Elbling said.

As companies return to business, their do-it-yourself approach is worrying medics.

On Tuesday, Massimo Galli, head of the infectious diseases at Milan's Sacco hospital, told Italian state broadcaster RAI he had received many requests for advice from companies on the use of instant test kits for coronavirus, hoping to check staff before allowing them to return to work.

"The number of requests ... is such that companies will organise on their own if (guidance) is not given," he said.

Next door to Veneto in Bologna, Marzocchi Pompe, a producer of high-performance gear pumps, said it was resuming production from Tuesday after receiving many requests from essential sectors such as manufacturers of machinery for hospitals.

It informed the local prefect and reopened.

"We considered it not only necessary but above all dutiful to start again," said CEO Gabriele Bonfiglioli.

(Additional reporting by Riccardo Bastianello in PADUA, Stephen Jewkes, Elvira Pollina and Gianluca Semeraro in MILAN; Edited by Sara Ledwith and Josephine Mason)
Private health care providers and the Guild of Medical Directors have expressed dissatisfaction with the decision of the Federal Government...

Minister of health

Private health care providers and the Guild of Medical Directors have expressed dissatisfaction with the decision of the Federal Government not to allow private hospitals without accreditation treat persons who test positive for the novel coronavirus disease.The private health care providers, under the aegis of Association of General and Private Medical Practitioners of Nigeria, and the GMD said it was wrong for the government to sideline them in the treatment of the COVID-19 patients.As of the time of filing this report, the number of cases in Nigeria had risen to 542, out of which 166 had been discharged while 19 persons, including the Chief of Staff to the President, Abba Kyari, had died.The Minister of State for Health, Olorunnimbe Mamora, announced recently that the ministry was working with relevant institutions to expedite the process of assessing and providing accreditation for private medical facilities with relevant capacity to manage COVID-19 cases. But the Minister of Health, Dr Ehanire Osagie, said on Friday at the task force briefing that none had been accredited so far.Ehanire stated, There is none (private hospital) that I know that has been accredited. If you as a private hospital want to run a treatment centre for coronavirus, you have to show first of all that you have the staff; a doctor who must be an infectious disease specialist and nurses and even cleaners who are trained in infection prevention protocol.The operations are different from what obtains in other hospitals. While this is not prohibited, there is no private hospital that has met those criteria at the moment.Also, at the PTFs media briefing on Thursday, Ehanire threatened that government would shut down private hospitals secretly treating COVID-19 patients. The Kano State Government also said it would shut any private hospital treating COVID-19 patients.Meanwhile, in their response to the governments decision, the two associations said it was unfortunate that the Federal Government did not recognise the contribution of the private sector to health care delivery in the country.The National President, AGPMPN, Dr Ugwu Odo, questioned why private hospitals needed to apply for accreditation before being allowed to treat COVID-19 patients.He said, Is that the way government collaborates with its people? Do we need to apply? Does every hospital apply anywhere in the world? Health care is predominantly a concern for public and private sectors and you cannot successfully separate them. That is why we now have the public-private partnership, knowing that no matter how wealthy or powerful a government is, it cannot do it alone.The Federal Government should not wait for us to apply, they should mobilise their human and material resources to support the public and private health care providers.It bothers us that even up till Thursday, our own minister is still making the world feel that the private sector is not part of this scheme and the private sector is to just identity possible or probable COVID-19 patients and refer to the nearest centre. Is that what the doctor has become?Its not done. The doctor has to be the doctor hes trained to be. He has to show compassion; the National Health Act which they are part of in putting in place recognises that doctors have to care, provide that initial emergency care, stabilise their patients before they make referral.He said the association had tried to engage the Federal Government, the health minister and the directors in the ministry on the need to protect, empower, motivate, encourage and pacify everyone to combat the pandemic.He explained that there is no private or public malaria and that no Nigerian who dies of COVID-19 would be said to have died a private or public death.Odo said a sector that takes care of the health of the over 70 per cent of Nigerians could not be sidelined at a time of national emergency, adding that about six to seven COVID-19 patients out of eight to 10 are most likely to first visit a private hospital. The point is that the private sector is still being sidelined; we are not getting the attention, we are not being encouraged and we are not even seen as stakeholders, he added.He said government should give the private sector the honour due to it.He said, We cannot be seen as a sacrificial lamb. When Ebola came a few years ago, it first landed in a private hospital. It took the courageous spirit of Dr Stella Adadevoh who obstructed that difficult case from leaving the hospital. She eventually paid with her life.As we speak, most of the Lassa fever cases that have been recorded in the country were reported in private hospitals. Our doctors and nurses are dying all over the places in private facilities. Our government should see the health sector as one, because indeed we are one.The data we raise speak for Nigeria as one, the success we record as a sector is seen as one anywhere in the world. This is not the time to divide the house, its a time to heal every wound and act in unity.Also, GMDs National President, Prof Femi Dokun-Babalola, corroborated Odos position, saying many COVID-19 patients first visit private medical facilities before being referred to the accredited government hospitals.He said it was therefore unfortunate that the Federal Government had not given the private hospitals the needed support in the management of COVID-19 patients.He stated, To the best of my knowledge, not much has been done to collaborate with us. We have had meeting with the Federal Government where we told the Minister of Health that we are not being carried along in management of COVID-19 in the country so far.One of the things we told the minister was that the private hospitals are always in the frontline of attack by these patients. They will come to the private hospitals without knowing they have COVID-19 before we start treating them.Even though we have warned our members to take precautions, you cannot really tell that a patient has COVID-19 until you have interacted with them during which period we may have been exposed to that patient.
President Donald Trump has blasted China's official coronavirus death statistics as 'impossible' with Dr Deborah Birx concurring that Beijing failed its 'moral obligation' for transparency in the pandemic.

At a White House briefing on Saturday, Dr Birx was presenting a chart with coronavirus mortality rates by country when Trump interjected, saying 'does anybody really believe this number?'

Trump pointed at China at the bottom of the bar chart, showing a mortality rate of 0.33 per 100,000 population, but marked with an asterisk to indicate the unreliability of the data.

China's rate is orders of magnitude below other countries, including the U.S. with 11.24 deaths per 100,000 people. Belgium topped the chart at a horrifying 45.2.

Birx, the administration's coronavirus response coordinator, immediately chimed in to back up Trump's skepticism, saying: 'I put China on there so basically you can see how unrealistic this would be.'

Dr Birx was presenting a chart with coronavirus mortality rates by country when Trump interjected, saying 'does anybody really believe this number?' The US bar is seen in blue

China's mortality rate was marked with an asterisk to indicate the unreliability of the data

Birx immediately chimed in to back up Trump's skepticism, saying: 'I put China on there so basically you can see how unrealistic this would be.'

'When highly developed healthcare delivery systems of the United Kindom and Belgium and France and Spain, with doctors and nurses and equipment, have case fatality rates in the 20s and up to 45 -- and Belgium has an extraordinarily competent healthcare delivery system, and then china at 0.33 you realize that these numbers...' Birx said, trailing off.

'And this includes the doubled numbers out of Wuhan,' she added.

On Friday, the central Chinese city of Wuhan, where the pandemic began, raised its number of COVID-19 fatalities by 1,290.

State media claimed the undercount had been due to the insufficient admission capabilities at overwhelmed medical facilities at the peak of the outbreak.

Wuhans revised official death toll of 3,869 is the most in China. Numbers of total cases in the city of 11 million were also raised by 325 to 50,333, accounting for about two-thirds of Chinas total 82,367 announced cases.

Questions have long swirled around the accuracy of Chinas case reporting, with Wuhan in particular going several days in January without reporting new cases or deaths.

Chinese leader Xi Jinping is seen in a file photo. Questions have long swirled around the accuracy of Chinas case reporting

That has led to accusations that Chinese officials were seeking to minimize the impact of the outbreak and wasting opportunities to bring it under control in a shorter time.

Birx, without calling out China by name, blasted the country's lack of transparency in the crisis.

'This is why the reporting is so important,' she said at the briefing. 'That alert came from our European allies on the front line. And that is why in a pandemic, with a new disease, it's really critical to have that level of transparency because it changes how we work as a nation.'

She credited data from Europe, saying 'it allowed us, on March 15, to make an alert out there about vulnerable individuals.'

'That information came from our European allies who were in the midst of a battle themselves,' she said.

Belgium has seen a horrifying mortality rate of 45.2 per 100,000 population. Pictured: Mortuary workers load in a hearse the coffin of a person who died of coronavirus after his funeral, in Charleroi, Belgium on Saturday

'So there is never an excuse to not share information. When you are the first country to have an outbreak, you really have a moral obligation to not only talk about it, but provide that information that's critical to the rest of the world to respond to this credibly,' Birx said.

'I really want to thank our European colleagues who really worked hard to get us that information even in the midst of their own crisis,' she added.

Trump added later in the briefing of the Chinese mortality data: 'The number is impossible. It's an impossible number to hit.'

Trump was asked if he believed the virus accidentally escaped from a lab in Wuhan that was known to be conducting experiments on coronaviruses and had been criticized for sloppy safety procedures.

'Well they've said they're doing an investigation, so let's see what happens with that investigation. But we're doing investigations also,' he said.
Lagos State Commissioner for Health, Akin Abayomi, said more isolation centres and holding facilities will be commissioned in the state in preparation for an increase in cases of COVID-19.

Mr Abayomi said at a press conference at the state secretariat on Sunday that Lagos is beginning to see more cases of infection in the community which might quickly overwhelm the states health system.

Giving an overview of what is happening in the state, Mr Abayomi said the number of cases recorded between April 1 and 8 showed that the virus tangent was being flattened, but as of April 18, a lot more cases have been recorded daily in the state.

We now have a consistent double digit in terms of new cases and those numbers seem to be increasing, he said.

Mr Abayomi said data from active case community search shows that in about one million households tested, 29 people had respiratory distress, while 1,000 people are with symptoms that could qualify for coronavirus.

He, however, said not all of the cases are related to COVID-19 because there are many other medical conditions with symptoms related to COVID-19.

Out of 300 cases sampled, only three patients have symptoms related to the COVID virus while others are said to have other causes.

The commissioner said if the state begins to record thousands of cases weekly, the health system will be overwhelmed, hence the need to increase isolation and holding capacity.

Giving a breakdown of the new facilities the state will commission in the coming weeks, Mr Abayomi said a 70-bed capacity isolation centre at Landmark, Eti-Osa local government, will be commissioned on Monday, while the Gbagada facility with 160-bed capacity will be ready soon.

Another 150-bed capacity is being set up at Infectious Disease Hospital, Yaba, and another 300-capacity permanent facility at the same hospital which will be ready in the next two to three months, the commissioner said.

Mr Abayomi added that some hotels are being converted to holding centres where individuals suspected to have symptoms of COVID-19 will be held until their status is confirmed.

He said three hotels in Epe area of the state had been approved to deal with travellers moving from one part of the country to another, while another hotel in Lekki was commissioned to hold mild cases of coronavirus.

We also have a hotel in Victoria Island as a holding centre, another hotel in Ikeja, one private medical facility at Ikoyi and one marine vessel that has been converted into a holding facility, he said.

As of Sunday, Lagos State has 306 confirmed cases of coronavirus, with 194 active cases, 93 recovered cases, two evacuated cases, three transferred cases and 14 deaths.
Hunger strikers at Mesa Verde ICE Processing Center in Bakersfield were photographed by a drone April 10. (California Committee for Immigrant Liberation)

On April 8, Jose Mendez, an immigrant held at Adelanto ICE Processing Center near Victorville, said things had noticeably changed at the facility: Some guards had started wearing masks, detainees could no longer leave their cells for yard time and meals were delivered to them.

Mendez said detainees had asked for their own masks, gloves and cleaning supplies to protect against the novel coronavirus, and facility staff promised theyd get some. But they were never delivered, he said. The 38-year-old had grown increasingly concerned about the virus, particularly because he has high blood pressure and diabetes. He wanted to get out but didn't have a lawyer.

Two days later, Mendez and other detainees in his pod complained to guards who werent wearing masks about the lack of protection against the virus. He said their complaints were never addressed.

We all collectively decided that wed start a hunger strike if they wont change, Mendez said. If one person becomes infected, we all do."

Advocates say hundreds of immigrants detained in California facilities are now on hunger strike over conditions that leave them vulnerable to contracting COVID-19.

But officials with Immigration and Customs Enforcement said Friday that two detainees are on hunger strike at Adelanto and none at any other facility. According to ICE policy, facility staff must record detainees not eating for 72 hours before designating a hunger strike.

"ICE does not retaliate in any way against hunger strikers," the agency said. "ICE explains the negative health effects of not eating to our detainees. For their health and safety, ICE closely monitors the food and water intake of those detainees identified as being on a hunger strike."

Across the country, 124 immigrants and 30 ICE employees at detention centers have tested positive for the virus. With 18 confirmed cases, the second-largest outbreak among ICE detainees at any facility is at Otay Mesa Detention Center in San Diego.

Story continues

Detainees have confirmed hunger strikes at Adelanto, Mesa Verde ICE Processing Facility in Bakersfield and Otay Mesa. Their demands include that ICE stop booking in new people, that all staff members wear masks and gloves, that detainees be provided with adequate hygiene supplies and that those experiencing coronavirus symptoms be tested.

ICE says detainees are regularly provided with soap and cleaning supplies. Facilities have increased social distancing by introducing staggered meals and recreation times, and suspending community service projects and social visits. The agency has released nearly 700 people deemed vulnerable and limited intake of new detainees. Nationwide, the detained population has dropped by 4,000 people since March 1  a 60% decrease in book-ins compared with the same time last year  to 32,300 people, according to ICE.

Detainees dispute ICE's assertions about prevention and containment efforts, saying they remain fearful for their lives. Lawyers have petitioned federal courts for the release of dozens of medically vulnerable detainees in California. Others have been released on bond or through humanitarian parole, which is free to people with a compelling emergency.

Citing violations of the 5th Amendment, the American Civil Liberties Union last week filed a class-action lawsuit against ICE to demand a drastic reduction in the number of detainees held at Adelanto amid the virus outbreak. With a capacity for nearly 2,000 detainees, Adelanto is one of the largest detention facilities in the country.

ICEs failure to take action to prevent the spread of COVID-19 at Adelanto puts immigrants detained there at grave risk of death or serious injury, said Jessica Karp Bansal, senior staff attorney at the ACLU of Southern California. It also threatens the surrounding communities, which are simply not equipped to handle a mass outbreak of COVID-19 at Adelanto.

Jose Topete, a 51-year-old from Mexico, said he was moved a few weeks ago to a dorm with older and medically compromised detainees at Adelanto. He has diabetes, thyroid issues, ulcers and high blood pressure.

Topete said he is in charge of cleaning the floors of his dorm but hadn't been provided with cleaning supplies.

"I've been mopping the floors with water only," he said. "The situation is bad. They know my defenses are low."

Also last week, California Atty. Gen. Xavier Becerra sent a letter to Chad Wolfe, the acting secretary of the Department of Homeland Security, urging the Trump administration to act immediately to minimize the spread of COVID-19 in immigration detention facilities and prevent "unnecessary loss of life."

Detainees on strike at Mesa Verde responded with their own letter to Becerra and California Gov. Gavin Newsom on Friday, asking them to inspect facilities across the state and document the conditions placing detainees at risk of contracting the virus.

Folks are outside Mesa Verde NOW, demanding a swifter response to #COVID19. @GavinNewsom, we need BOLD leadership in this pandemic! #FreeThemAll #FreeThemAllMesaVerde pic.twitter.com/6HFZsrIcib  CA Immigrant Youth (@CIYJA) April 17, 2020

In its initial denial that a hunger strike was taking place at Mesa Verde, ICE called the claims a "shameful, coordinated campaign against truth."

"This disgusting false propaganda being perpetrated by so-called advocacy groups under the premise of helping detainees does nothing more than spread misinformation that incites unnecessary fear throughout the community and among detainees," spokesman Jonathan Moor said in a statement April 10.

Donovan Grant, a 44-year-old from Jamaica held at Mesa Verde, said his dorm of 100 men started their strike April 10 after breakfast. As of last Monday afternoon, Grant had missed nine meals.

That day, he said, the warden and other officials told the strikers that if they didn't eat lunch, they would revoke their commissary. By that evening, officials told the strikers that they'd supply some of what they were asking, including paper towels and more soap. Grant said they put in one more soap dispenser but nothing else.

Feeling hopeful, a few men decided to eat dinner Monday night, Grant said. He didn't.

"I woke up this morning and there was a new guy that came in," Grant said Tuesday. "We're trying to figure out the next move we should take."

At Otay Mesa, a facility that holds immigrants for the purposes of deportation based on civil violations as well as inmates charged with federal immigration-related crimes, at least 18 ICE detainees and nine U.S. Marshals Service inmates have tested positive for coronavirus, the San Diego Union-Tribune reported.

On April 10, detainees there were told to sign contracts written only in English before receiving surgical masks. Some refused to sign. Facility staff members later did away with the waivers.

Sen. Kamala Harris (D-California) called for an investigation into the treatment of detainees at Otay Mesa after that incident was reported by the Union-Tribune.

Detainees throughout the facility protested and began hunger strikes last week, including a unit that holds female prisoners of the U.S. Marshals Service. The women spent several hours on Wednesday sitting on the floor to demand safeguards against coronavirus.

Ivan Nunez Guadian, 44, is being held at Otay Mesa on a drug charge. Nunez, a lawyer in his native Mexico, helped organize a hunger strike among about 100 inmates in his pod that started Wednesday.

He and other inmates who work in the kitchen refused to go after realizing that some of the plates they cleaned came from pods where there were confirmed COVID-19 cases. He knew the virus could survive for hours on plastic surfaces and asked that they begin serving food on disposable plates. Officials said no.

Nunez, who has diabetes and heart issues and has been sick with flu-like symptoms, was among those who signed the contract for a surgical mask, saying he was afraid to defy authority. But he was disappointed to learn that the thin mask was supposed to last two weeks.

"We live shoulder to shoulder, skin against skin," he said. "I have a cough. I want to know if I have the virus or not."

Nunez's lawyer, Marcus Bourassa of the Federal Defenders of San Diego, said Saturday that his client's pod was placed on a lockdown shortly after he spoke to The Times on Wednesday. Nunez missed a court hearing Friday because the Otay Mesa staff took him to a local hospital out of concern about new COVID-19 symptoms he was experiencing.

They returned him to the facility Friday afternoon, Bourassa said.
Virus Outbreak Trump Dr. Anthony Fauci, director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, appears at a news conference about the coronavirus in the James Brady Press Briefing Room of the White House, Thursday, April 9, 2020, in Washington. (AP Photo/Andrew Harnik)

WASHINGTON (AP)  For several months, President Donald Trump and his officials have cast a fog of promises meant to reassure a country in the throes of the coronavirus pandemic. Trump and his team haven't delivered on critical ones.

They talk numbers. Bewildering numbers about masks on the way. About tests being taken. About ships sailing to the rescue, breathing machines being built, aircraft laden with supplies from abroad, dollars flowing to crippled businesses.

Piercing that fog is the reality that Americans are going without the medical supplies and much of the financial help they most need from the government at the very time they need it most  and were told they'd have it.

The U.S. now is at or near the height of COVID-19 sickness and death, experts believe.

There's no question that on major fronts, the federal government is pushing hard now to get up to speed. But in large measure the supplies will arrive on the down slope of the pandemic, putting the U.S. in a better position should the same virus strike again while landing too late for this outbreak's lethal curve.

Concerning ventilators, for example, Trump recently allowed: A lot of them will be coming at a time when we wont need them as badly."

The U.S. testing system, key to containing infection, has been a failure in the crunch, as public health authorities (but never Trump) acknowledged in March.

A newly deployed rapid test could help change that. But it's not ready for actual use in great numbers. New Hampshire, for one, received 15 rapid-test machines but only enough cartridges to run two. Im banging my head against the wall," Republican Gov. Chris Sununu said Wednesday.

False starts and dead ends are inevitable in any crisis, especially one driven by a new virus. But bold promises have flowed day after day from a president who minimized the danger for months and exaggerates what Washington is doing about it.

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MASKS, GLOVES, GOWNS

Story continues

Doctors, nurses, flight attendants and other front-line workers have had to go begging for hospital staples: masks, gloves, other protective garb.

The mere scale of the pandemic stretched supplies even in better prepared countries. Yet the enduring shortages in the U.S. are not just from a lack of foresight, but also from hesitancy as the pandemic started to sicken and kill Americans.

It was not until mid-March, when some hospitals were already treating thousands of infected patients without enough equipment, that the government placed bulk orders for N95 masks and other necessities for its stockpile, The Associated Press reported. Washington dithered on supplies for two months after global alarm bells rang about a coming pandemic in January.

And the Strategic National Stockpile maxed out days ago, before the pandemic's U.S. peak.

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TESTS

Anybody that needs a test, gets a test," Trump said on March 6. "They have the tests. And the tests are beautiful. He said the same day, Anybody that wants a test can get a test.

Not true.

The greatly expanding but still vastly insufficient capacity to test people is steered mostly to those who are already sick or to essential workers at the most risk of exposure.

Within three weeks of China's New Year's Eve notification of mysterious pneumonia cases, China had sequenced the genetic makeup of the virus, German scientists had developed a test for detecting it and the World Health Organization had adopted the test and moved toward global distribution.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention bypassed the WHO. test and sponsored its own, which was flawed out of the gate. Trump said the WHO test was flawed but it wasn't.

Precious time was lost.

Germany, in contrast, raced ahead with aggressive testing of a broad segment of the population when it had fewer than 10 cases in January. It has experienced far fewer deaths proportionally than the United States.

There were many, many opportunities not to end up where we are, Dr. Ashish K. Jha, director of the Global Health Institute at Harvard, told AP.

Trump told Americans March 13 that a division of Google's parent company was coming out with a website that would let people determine online if they should get a test and, if so, swing by a nearby place to get one. Its going to be very quickly done, he said. The website is operational in just four California counties.

Drive-through sites that he promised would expedite testing were plagued with shortages and delays, such that many people with symptoms and a doctor's order were turned away.

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VENTILATORS

Trump invoked the Defense Production Act, empowering him to order companies to make what the country needs. This raised expectations that a new wave of emergency supplies generally and ventilators in particular could come to the aid of patients and the people looking after them.

Under the president's vigorous, swift order to General Motors, said Peter Navarro, White House point man on the emergency supply chain, new ventilators would be ready in Trump time, which is to say as fast as possible.

Yet Trump has held off on using his full powers. A directive to GM on ventilator manufacturing essentially told the company to do what it was already doing.

The ventilator shortfall has been the most frightening deficiency as more people get infected and die by the hour. In the current chaos, the size of the shortfall nationally is not known.

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WHERE'S THE MONEY?

This will deliver urgently needed relief, Trump said in signing an economic rescue package into law.

More than two weeks later, only a small fraction of business loans has been delivered. A website problem, delays in federal action and confusion among lenders and borrowers have slowed the aid. Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin had predicted same-day turnaround of applications and loans.

Yet because of pending loans, Congress is already having to find more money to help businesses cover payroll.

Meantime state officials are slammed as they try to administer expanded jobless benefits that Washington is paying for but having states manage.

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Associated Press writers Amanda Seitz in Chicago, Matthew Perrone and Michael Biesecker in Washington and Ken Sweet in New York contributed to this report.

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Follow AP coverage of the virus outbreak at https://apnews.com/VirusOutbreak and https://apnews.com/UnderstandingtheOutbreak
T he Government is to launch a review into why people from black, Asian and minority ethnic (BAME) backgrounds appear to be disproportionately affected by coronavirus.

Downing Street confirmed that the NHS and Public Health England will begin analysing the evidence, following pressure on ministers to launch an investigation.

While no date has been given on when the review will take place, the BBC has reported that Public Health England is to start recording coronavirus cases and deaths by ethnicity.

The latest figures released on Friday show that of 4,873 patients with Covid-19 in critical care, 1,681 were from the BAME community  accounting for 34.5 per cent of cases.

This is despite black and Asian people making up 10.8 per cent of the population, according to the 2011 UK census.

Addressing the matter at Saturday's Downing Street press briefing, Communities Secretary Robert Jenrick said: There does appear to be a disproportionate impact of the virus on those from BAME communities.

For that reason, the chief medical officer commissioned work from Public Health England to better understand this issue.

He said it was right that we do thorough research swiftly in order to better understand it.

Speaking alongside Mr Jenrick, Professor Stephen Powis, national medical director of NHS England, said: This is something that I am very concerned about, and I know that the chief medical officer is concerned about too.

And I think its absolutely right that hes asked Public Health England, who have the expertise  to look at this in detail and get a clear understanding of what might be accounting for increased risks and increased deaths in particular ethnic communities.

In NHS England, obviously, we have a number of our staff  come from those ethnic groups, and we are actively also looking ahead of that work, of what we have to do to support, and, perhaps, protect them specifically.

Of the 56 NHS workers confirmed to have died after contracting coronavirus, more than 30 were from BAME backgrounds.

However, England's chief medical officer, Professor Chris Whitty, said ethnicity is less clear than three others factors in determining who is most at risk.

This is something we are very keen to get extremely clear, he told the Downing Street press conference.

Weve asked Public Health England to look at this in some detail and then what we really want is, if we see any signal at all, we want to then know what next we can do about it to minimise risk.

He said over 90 per cent of people who have died with coronavirus in the UK had at least one other disease, while other factors included age and male sex.

The British Medical Association (BMA) welcomed the review but said must come up with quick solutions to address problems and be backed by real-time data.

Dr Chaand Nagpaul, chairman of the BMA council, said: 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 communities and healthcare workers.

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. That is why the Government must send a directive to every hospital telling them to record the ethnicity of patients who are admitted and succumb to COVID-19 immediately.

It also means taking vital steps now to protect our BAME communities until we can develop a detailed understanding of the threats they face. This could include that those at greatest risk, including older and retired doctors, are not working in potentially infectious settings.

Coronavirus in numbers: UK hospital death toll rises to 15,464

Health Secretary Matt Hancock said it was a really important thing to understand.

He told ITV News: We have seen both across the population as a whole, but also very much within those who work in the NHS who have died, a much higher proportion of people from minority ethnic backgrounds and that really worries me.

I pay tribute to the work that they have done, including both those who were born here and those who have moved here, and given that service to the NHS. Its a really, really important thing to make sure that we fully understand.

Shadow equalities secretary Marsha de Cordova welcomed the review into the disturbing impact Covid-19 is having on BAME communities, but said it was not yet clear whether it will be independent, when it will be concluded and who will be leading it.

The Government must ensure the review is robust and looks into the underlying structural economic and social inequalities that have affected BAME communities in this crisis, she said.

It must also urgently record data broken down by ethnicity on the number of people who have died as a result of Covid-19.
For now, fears of infection are keeping most people indoors. Strict controls imposed by governments and security forces deter the kind of organized protests that were sweeping the world from Hong Kong to Chile before the pandemic struck. The health crisis has come as a boon for some authoritarian leaders, empowering them to introduce the kind of controls on their citizens they could only have dreamed of before the spread of covid-19, the disease caused by the coronavirus.
Many workers are still on the job at San Francisco International Airport, facing potential exposure to the coronavirus to keep the facility running at a fraction of its normal capacity.

Workers screening bags, preparing meals for flight crews and cleaning airplanes said they are concerned about their employers failure to properly protect them from infection.

One worker is quitting to avoid getting sick, while others said they have to keep working despite the risks to support family members.

I still go to work because I need the money. Theres no money to take care of my daughter, said Yan Huan Chen, a flight coordinator with food service company Gate Gourmet and a member of the Unite Here Local 2 union.

Chen works on United Airlines flights to Tokyo and Sydney, climbing aboard different planes each day to coordinate deliveries of in-flight meals.

A single mom supporting her 10-year-old daughter and elderly parents, Chen said contracting the virus would mean weeks without pay, something she cant afford. She said the company did not provide her and her co-workers with masks until late in the week ending April 18. They previously bought masks for themselves to wear while at work.

Gate Gourmet did not respond to an emailed request for comment on working conditions at SFO.

SFO requires all airport employees including commission, tenants and contractors to wear face coverings in public facing areas of the airport, SFO spokesman Francis Tsang wrote in an email. Airport employees must practice social-distancing measures in all interactions, Tsang added. He noted the airport has added hand sanitizer stations and that more than 400 workers are telecommuting. The airport also plans to add Plexiglas barriers at Transportation Security Administration checkpoints and information booths, among other measures.

Victoria Martinez is a member of the Service Employees International Union and works for ABM Aviation, cleaning United airplanes between destinations. She told members of the media during a call that ABM informed her and her co-workers on April 3 that one of their colleagues had tested positive for the coronavirus on March 23, but that since they had passed the two-week mark without showing symptoms, she and others need not worry about infection.

Martinez also said the company had not been providing her and her co-workers with enough personal protective equipment, including masks, adding she planned to put in her two weeks notice because of her concerns.

Our team members safety is always our first priority, ABM spokeswoman Audrey Chang wrote in an email. Chang said company policy is to notify employees and clients of suspected or known COVID-19 exposure as soon the company becomes aware of the situation, while following privacy requirements. In addition, we follow OSHA and CDC guidance on cleaning for COVID-19, including the use of recommended chemicals and proper personal protective equipment when required.

Constanza Hevia H. / Special to The Chronicle

It may now be easier for employers to deny responsibility for a worker contracting the coronavirus on the job. Recently updated guidance from the Occupational Safety and Health Administration no longer requires employers to determine if an employee is infected at work unless there is objective evidence.

OSHA wants employers to focus on safety and cleanliness and not on work-related determinations, said Ashley Brightwell, a labor and employment attorney with the law firm Alston & Bird.

Brightwell said employers still have to make injury and illness determinations in other instances, but do not have to look into if someone contracted the virus at work unless it is somewhat obvious.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends that workers cleaning planes wear protective equipment, including disposable gowns and face shields, if passengers with COVID-19 symptoms are identified.

On top of facing infection from the pervasive virus, airport workers have also been working under the shadow of impending layoffs as air travel grinds to a halt, The Chronicle previously reported.

In March, 800 to 900 workers were expected to be laid off according to SEIU United Services Workers West. The Unite Here Local 2 Union said 250 airline catering workers were already let go.

United also said it plans to reduce its flight schedule by about 90% in May and likely into June as well, according to a memo sent by CEO Oscar Munoz and President Scott Kirby to employees.

One catering worker still on the job is Tony Vega, who has worked for Gate Gourmet for almost 40 years. Vega works at the airport making hot meals for cargo plane crews and preparing cold sandwiches. He said he works in close quarters with other workers, unable to observe social-distancing requirements, and has had his weekly hours cut  because of fewer flights and reduced demand for prepared food  when before he typically worked 10-hour days or more.

Im not doing that good because I had a few bills late already, Vega said.

He said the company has kept up supplies of hand sanitizer, soap and disposable gloves, but did not start handing out masks until recently.

Constanza Hevia H. / Special to The Chronicle

Vega said he is especially concerned about getting sick since five of his co-workers have already contracted the coronavirus. They should close the place down, he said of his workplace, adding the main difference since the infections has been management taking employee temperatures.

Air Quality Tracker Check levels down to the neighborhood Ratings for the Bay Area and California, updated every 10 minutes

Gate Gourmet did not respond to questions seeking to confirm Vegas characterization of the working conditions at the airport.

SFO has postponed its $1 billion Terminal 3 West Project and consolidated all flights in the International Terminal to a single concourse, but essential functions like bag screening and security are still operating with skeleton crews.

On the basement level of the airport, Lindz Scott works for contractor Covenant Aviation Security, screening checked bags even after she said a baggage supervisor died from COVID-19 in late March.

Scott said the company told them the next day that the supervisor had died, informing them they were in the clear because it had been two weeks since he contracted the virus.

Covenant did not respond to emails or calls.

Scott said the company has been enforcing social-distancing measures and has distributed N95 masks, but had not trained workers on how to use them properly.

Theyre supposed to provide proper fit testing and they havent done that at all, Scott said, adding the company has only handed out one size that does not fit her face to create a proper seal.

Also a member of SEIU, Scott said she and her union have attempted to contact Covenants leadership but have not heard back.

Open lines of communication are essential to ensuring safety at a large, complex workplace like SFO, according to Alexander Colvin, a professor of conflict resolution at Cornell University.

One thing that we know in terms of best practices for crisis management is the more communication, the better, Colvin said. He added that listening to employee concerns can allow companies to address problems proactively or before they arise, noting companies should use the knowledge and expertise of your employees, use their eyes and ears.

Chase DiFeliciantonio is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: chase.difeliciantonio@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @ChaseDiFelice

Correction: A previous version of this story contained an outdated description provided by Yan Huan Chen of Gate Gourmets mask policy. The company provided masks late in the week ending April 18, Chen said.
Coronavirus is dealing a gut punch to the illegal drug trade, paralyzing economies, closing borders and severing supply chains in China that traffickers rely on for the chemicals to make such profitable drugs as methamphetamine and fentanyl.

One of the main suppliers that shut down is in Wuhan, the epicenter of the global outbreak.

Associated Press interviews with nearly two dozen law enforcement officials and trafficking experts found Mexican and Colombian cartels are still plying their trade as evidenced by recent drug seizures but the lockdowns that have turned cities into ghost towns are disrupting everything from production to transport to sales.

Along the 2,000-mile U.S.-Mexico border through which the vast majority of illegal drugs cross, the normally bustling vehicle traffic that smugglers use for cover has slowed to a trickle. Bars, nightclubs and motels across the country that are ordinarily fertile marketplaces for drug dealers have shuttered. And prices for drugs in short supply have soared to gouging levels.

They are facing a supply problem and a demand problem, said Alejandro Hope, a security analyst and former official with CISEN, the Mexican intelligence agency. Once you get them to the market, who are you going to sell to?



Virtually every illicit drug has been impacted, with supply chain disruptions at both the wholesale and retail level. Traffickers are stockpiling narcotics and cash along the border, and the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration even reports a decrease in money laundering and online drug sales on the so-called dark web.

The godfathers of the cartels are scrambling, said Phil Jordan, a former director of the DEA's El Paso Intelligence Center.

Cocaine prices are up 20 percent or more in some cities. Heroin has become harder to find in Denver and Chicago, while supplies of fentanyl are falling in Houston and Philadelphia. In Los Angeles, the price of methamphetamine has more than doubled in recent weeks to $1,800 per pound.

You have shortages but also some greedy bastards who see an opportunity to make more money, said Jack Riley, the former deputy administrator of the DEA. The bad guys frequently use situations that affect the national conscience to raise prices.

Synthetic drugs such as methamphetamine and fentanyl have been among the most affected, in large part because they rely on precursor chemicals that Mexican cartels import from China, cook into drugs on an industrial scale and then ship to the U.S.

This is something we would use as a lesson learned for us, the head of the DEA, Uttam Dhillon, told AP.

If the disruption is that significant, we need to continue to work with our global partners to ensure that, once we come out of the pandemic, those precursor chemicals are not available to these drug-trafficking organizations.

Cartels are increasingly shifting away from drugs that require planting and growing seasons, like heroin and marijuana, in favor of synthetic opioids such as fentanyl, which can be cooked 24/7 throughout the year, are up to 50 times more powerful than heroin and produce a greater profit margin.

Though some clandestine labs that make fentanyl from scratch have popped up sporadically in Mexico, cartels are still very much reliant upon Chinese companies to get the precursor drugs.

Huge amounts of these mail-order components can be traced to a single, state-subsidized company in Wuhan that shut down after the outbreak earlier this year, said Louise Shelley, director of the Terrorism, Transnational Crime and Corruption Center at George Mason University, which monitors Chinese websites selling fentanyl.

The quarantine of Wuhan and all the chaos there definitely affected the fentanyl trade, particularly between China and Mexico, said Ben Westhoff, author of "Fentanyl, Inc."



The main reason China has been the main supplier is the main reason China is the supplier of everything it does it so cheaply, Westhoff said.

There was really no cost incentive for the cartels to develop this themselves. But costs have been rising and, as in many legitimate industries, the coronavirus is bringing about changes.

Advertised prices across China for precursors of fentanyl, methamphetamine and cutting agents have risen between 25% and 400% since late February, said Logan Pauley, an analyst at the Center for Advanced Defense Studies, a Washington-based security research nonprofit.

So even as drug precursor plants in China are slowly reopening after the worst of the coronavirus crisis there, some cartels have been taking steps to decrease their reliance on overseas suppliers by enlisting scientists to make their own precursor chemicals.

Because of the coronavirus they're starting to do it in house, added Westhoff.

Some Chinese companies that once pushed precursors are now advertising drugs like hydroxychloroquine, which President Donald Trump has promoted as potential treatment for COVID-19, as well as personal protective gear such as face masks and hand sanitizers.

Meanwhile, the gummed up situation on the U.S.-Mexico border resembles a stalled chess match where nobody, especially the traffickers, wants to make a wrong move, said Kyle Williamson, special agent in charge of the DEA's El Paso field division.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Source: Xinhua| 2020-04-18 23:32:57|Editor: huaxia

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HONG KONG, April 19 (Xinhua) -- The Liaison Office of the Central People's Government (LOCPG) in the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) is entrusted with the authority and responsibility to exercise supervisory power on major issues in Hong Kong, the HKSAR government said.

In response to media inquiries on recent remarks made by the Hong Kong and Macao Affairs Office of the State Council and the LOCPG in the HKSAR on the operation of the House Committee of the HKSAR Legislative Council (LegCo), a spokesman for the HKSAR government said the HKSAR is an inalienable part of China and a local administrative region that enjoys a high degree of autonomy and comes directly under the Central People's Government (CPG).

The spokesman said on Sunday that the LOCPG is an office set up in the HKSAR by the CPG, not "offices in the HKSAR set up by departments of the Central People's Government" as stated in Article 22(2) of the Basic Law.

The LOCPG is authorized by the CPG to have special responsibility to handle issues relating to Hong Kong.

"It is entrusted with the authority and responsibility to represent the CPG to express views and exercise supervisory power on major issues such as those concerning the relationship between the CPG and the SAR, the accurate implementation of the Basic Law, the proper operation of the political system and the well-being of the community as a whole," the spokesman said.

The LegCo House Committee has failed to elect its chairman after 15 meetings over the past six months, the spokesman noted.

The concerns expressed and comments made by the Hong Kong and Macao Affairs Office of the State Council and LOCPG on the matter are legitimate from the perspectives of the Constitution, governance and operation, and are in full compliance with the constitutional order under the "one country, two systems" principle, the spokesman said. Enditem
When the cases began decreasing in Wuhan, China, and the curve started climbing in Houston  thats when Deqing Yang and his fellow Tsinghua University alumni knew the tide had turned.

In January and February, members of the Houston chapter of the Tsinghua University Alumni Association had begun fundraising to send masks to Wuhan, worried about the country they had left behind. Then everything changed in March.

Yang, who presides over the Houston chapter, shifted his attention from helping strained hospitals and communities in China to fundraising to buy protective gear for health care workers in the Houston area, who have fretted over a lack of protective equipment and the risks of caring for those sickened by the new coronavirus.

This is our family, our home, where we are living and our hometown, Yang said. We need to come together to help.

Racist epithets and even a break-in at one of the sites where the group has stored personal protective equipment have not stopped them from doling out tens of thousands of masks to medical workers and first responders.

We bought a lot of merchandise to send to China, and we felt sorry that that had caused a shortage over here, he said.

CORONAVIRUS UPDATES: Stay informed with accurate reporting you can trust

Alumni from all over the globe, predominantly in China and the U.S., are donating cash to the Houston chapter to fund mask distributions. As of Friday, Yangs chapter had raised over $58,000 in combined U.S. dollars and Chinese renminbi to purchase disposable masks, N95 masks used to filter out small particles, protective hazmat suits and goggles after calls on Chinese social media apps such as WeChat and QQ.

The association has also received a donation of 50,000 masks from a manufacturing company in Dongguan, a city in Chinas Guangdong province.

The masks have gone to health care workers at many clinics and hospital departments that have had difficulty accessing them. The association has donated personal protective equipment to the Harris Health System, Houston Fire Department, Houston Police Department, Memorial Hermann Katy Hospital and Michael E. DeBakey VA Medical Center, according to Tsinghua University.

Medical staff can stop by to pick up masks at five distribution points in the Greater Houston area, sprinkled throughout Chinatown, Uptown, Sugar Land and two locations in Katy.

Some of those efforts have been in conjunction with Rep. Gene Wu, D-Houston, who has hosted weekly mask drive-thrus in his district, handing out two masks each to workers and vulnerable populations.

Wu, who had helped the Tsinghua University Alumni Association bring masks to first responders, began the popular drive-thrus in early April.

We had been getting more (masks), and individuals asking if we could get them some masks, the representative said. There were a lot of elderly and lower-income people who said that they tried to find some, but either it was too expensive or it was unavailable.

Like others, the association has ran into problems as it tries to find masks. Shipments overseas have slowed as demand skyrockets.

Before, itd take one week to be here, Yang said of overseas freight. Right now, it takes more than 10 days or two weeks.

Morning Report: Get the top stories on HoustonChronicle.com sent directly to your inbox

Another spooky setback: Last Monday, prowlers broke into one of the associations storage sites, the Pepper Twins restaurant in Uptown. Nothing was stolen, but association members are left wondering whether they were thieves searching for gear or money.

Other Asian American groups such as the Pearland Chinese Association and Sino Professionals Association are also scraping together masks and protective gear for health care workers and first responders during the pandemic.

And regardless of racist remarks blaming Chinese Americans for the rise of the novel coronavirus, Yang and his fellow alumni intend to keep donating masks.

Viruses dont have a border, Yang said. Theyre just natural, nonhuman-controlled things. That shouldnt be blamed on any country.

gwendolyn.wu@chron.com

twitter.com/gwendolynawu
The first country where a pandemic starts has a higher moral obligation to inform the rest of the world and maintain transparency as other countries are making decisions on the basis of that, a top White House official said on Sunday.

Deborah Birx, member of the White House Task Force on Coronavirus, made the comments during an interview to the ABC

It's always the first country that get exposed to the pandemic that has really a higher moral obligation on communicating on transparency because all the other countries around the world are making decisions on that, she said.

That's something that we can look into after this is over, she said.

By Sunday, the coronavirus, which originated in China, had infected more than 740,000 Americans and claimed the lives of 34,000 people in the US, the highest number of casualties for any country in the world.

I know the European countries are communicating very effectively with each other and with us. And when we get through this as a global community, we can figure out really what has to happen for first alerts and transparency and understanding very early on about how this virus and how incredibly contagious this virus is, Birx said.

Birx said that the level of transparency and communication that one needs during a pandemic is over-communication.

You have to communicate even the small nuances, she said.

You know, when you look at the outbreak that's been reported to China and you look at the outbreak that was able to be contained in South Korea and a series of Asian countries, you didn't see that kind of doubling rate, you didn't see that logarithmic increase that you see all throughout the developed countries of Europe and certainly in the United States, she noted.

So, when you look at those countries, it wasn't until the beginning of March that we could all fully see how contagious this virus was, how transmittable it was. I think that level between January when we had evidence of this apparently and when we really understood its level of transmissibility, she said.

The US, she said, is working on expanding testing strategy across the country in deep partnership with governors and more importantly, in partnership with the lab directors who actually know precisely what the issues are that need to be solved.

We preferentially put these tests where the outbreaks where so that people could be diagnosed, because the number one issue that the president want to address is make sure we were saving all the lives, he said.

So, he wanted to make sure that everyone who was sick had a test, and everyone who is sick that needed a hospital bed got a hospital bed, and everyone that needed a ventilator got a ventilator, Birx said.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Iran's Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif is scheduled to travel to the Syrian capital on April 20 for talks with President Bashar al-Assad, according the Iranian Foreign Ministry.

The ministry said on April 19 that Zarif will also meet with Syrian Foreign Minister Walid al-Muallem during his one-day trip to Damascus.

Talks will touch upon bilateral relations, regional developments, and Syria's "fight against terrorism, it said.

Zarif previously met Assad during a visit to Damascus a year ago.

Iran, along with Russia, has provided crucial military support to Assad during the countrys long civil war, which entered its 10th year last month.

More than 400,000 people have been killed and millions displaced since the conflict began with a crackdown on anti-government protesters in March 2011.

Iran, Russia, and Syria often refer to any armed opponents of the Syrian government as "terrorists."
Twenty-two ExxonMobil workers arrested on the orders of the Rivers State Governor, Nyesom Wike, have been set free.

A report by The Nation newspaper quoted the Commissioner of Justice in Rivers state, Zaccheus Adangor, as saying that the oil workers were released on Sunday.

The government did not press charges against the oil workers whom they had accused of entering Rivers State in violation of a lockdown order signed into law by Mr Wike to halt the spread of the new coronavirus.

The workers were arrested by the police on April 16 at a border town between Rivers and Akwa Ibom State. They were kept at the coronavirus screening centre at the Elekaya Stadium, Port Harcourt.

As a responsive government, we have quarantined them in line with the relevant health protocols and they will be charged to court, Governor Wike had said while briefing reporters on the arrest.

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, he said. This is because nobody is above the law.

Continuing, the governor said, 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.

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.

An oil workers association in Nigeria, PENGASSAN, had said that the workers did not break any law and that Governor Wike was using COVID-19 as a tool for muscle-flexing.

The arrest of the ExxonMobil workers came 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.

Amidst the disagreement, the police authorities Friday redeployed the commissioner of police in Rivers State.

Mustapha Dandaura was redeployed from Rivers to Abuja to serve as the provost, Force Headquarters, according to a statement issued on Friday by the spokesperson of the force headquarters, Frank Mba.

A new commissioner of police, Joseph Mukan, was posted to River State.
Federal Department of Home Affairs

Bern, 19.04.2020 - On Sunday, 19 April, Switzerland took part in a meeting of G20 health ministers. Discussions focused on the COVID-19 pandemic and addressed in particular the importance of international cooperation and the major role played by the World Health Organization.

The annual meeting of G20 health ministers took place on Sunday, 19 April. Switzerland took part in the video conference at the invitation of Saudi Arabia, which holds the G20 presidency this year.

Discussions focused on the current health emergency, namely the coronavirus pandemic. The G20 countries, and indeed Switzerland, stressed the importance of combining efforts to fight against the disease. In this respect, Switzerland reaffirmed the key role of the World Health Organization (WHO) in managing and coordinating the international response to pandemics.

The fight against COVID-19 requires international solidarity and a global response. This threat can only be dealt with by working together, stressed Federal Councillor Alain Berset. Cooperation between countries is proving to be essential in better managing health risks, as well as in developing a vaccine and ensuring the production and supply of vital medical products and personal protection equipment in the fight against COVID-19. International coordination is also indispensable with regard to mitigating the economic impact of the pandemic.

In terms of the current crisis, Switzerland emphasises the need to ensure robust healthcare systems and to guarantee universal healthcare coverage in such emergency situations so that all patients are able to receive the care they need.

Patient safety is also a priority of Saudi Arabias G20 presidency, an issue to which Switzerland is particularly committed. The COVID-19 pandemic clearly shows the importance of infection prevention and control.

Address for enquiries

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19 April 2020

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ENVIRONMENT: How can Irish agriculture reduce its carbon emissions  Donal OBrien gives information on Improving efficiencies, low emission technology and carbon sequestration.



Can Irish agriculture become carbon neutral i.e.net zero carbon emissions? Europes recent Green Deal aims to prevent climate change by bringing carbon emissions to zero by 2050. Beef and dairy production are the largest Irish agricultural industries and the main cause of the sectors emissions. Reducing the national herds carbon emissions close to zero, while feeding a growing population, will be very challenging. Currently the main strategies available to improve the herds carbon emissions/unit of output (i.e. carbon footprint) are 1) Improve efficiencies 2) Low emission technology 3) Carbon sequestration.

Improve efficiencies

Generally, a better ratio of output to input reduces carbon footprint and improves economic competitiveness. Decisions widely recognized to cut carbon footprint by improving the output input ratio include:

Increase genetic merit Optimize calving rate: 0.95-1 calf/cow Improve 200-day weaned weight/beef cow weight Reduce age at 1st calving to 22-26 months Rotationally graze cattle Spread slurry in spring

Low emission technologies

Many tools and additives are reported to reduce farm emissions, but few are effective permanently. Technologies recognized to reliably reduce carbon emissions are:

Protected urea: Stabilizing urea with NBPT/NBPT+NPPT/2-NPT moderates the rate nitrogen (N) is converted to nitrate by approximately 1-2 days, which substantially reduces N losses. Slightly slowing this process has no impact on grass yield. Applying protected urea instead of CAN to grassland reduces carbon emissions from fertilizer by 50% and is better value. Low emission slurry spreading (LESS): LESS machinery delivers slurry onto soil in narrow bands, which minimizes the surface area exposed to air, resulting in less N loss than a splash plate. The technique improves growth and displaces chemical N, which reduces carbon footprint. Hiring a contractor to spread slurry with their machinery minimizes the cost of changing to LESS.

Figure 1. Technologies for low emission farming: a) Trailing shoe b) Protected Urea (KaN)

Carbon sequestration

Grassland and hedgerows remove CO 2 from the air via photosynthesis and can store it in the soil by a process called sequestration. The soil process may be enhanced by:

Improving grassland productivity: Producing grass efficiently by liming soils to pH 6.3-6.5, and by applying fertilizers according to soil test results, is among the main practices to enhance soil carbon. Introducing white clover into swards can benefit sequestration too, when N fertilizer application is curtailed. Carbon gained by sequestration is easily lost by overstocking and deep ploughing. Both should be avoided. Planting hedgerows and trees: Preserving hedgerows by trimming to an appropriate height is maintains carbon in hedges. Planting hedgerows in areas unsuited to grassland or adding trees to existing habitats enhances sequestration.

Carbon action plan

Deploying each strategy as part of a carbon action plan can significantly improve the low carbon footprint of Irish beef and dairy (Figure 1). Based on current growth rates, these potential gains would enable agriculture meet national commitments for climate action plan 2019 and lay a foundation for achieving 2050 goals. Promising low emission technologies are starting to emerge, which could mean future Irish milk and beef will have little or no carbon footprint. Low carbon farming is likely to create new income streams and add value to milk and beef products.

Figure 2 Potential effect of improving efficiencies (EFFCY), low emission technologies (TECH) and enhancing carbon sequestration (C SEQ) on average carbon footprints of suckler beef and dairy farms.
This article by Jeff Schogol originally appeared on Task & Purpose, a digital news and culture publication dedicated to military and veterans issues.

A sailor who was investigated for allegedly serving as a recruiter for a neo-Nazi group has been administratively separated from the Navy, said Cmdr. Ron Flanders, a spokesman for Naval Air Forces.

David Cole Tarkington had been assigned to Strike Fighter Squadron VFA-41 at Naval Air Station Lemoore in California, Flanders told Task & Purpose on Friday.

Gizmodo reporters Tom McKay and Dhruv Mehrotra first brought to light in March that Tarkington was allegedly a prolific recruiter for Atomwaffen Division, a violent neo-Nazi organization.

Tarkington allegedly posted frequently on the now-defunct Iron March online forum, which was a hotbed of neo-Nazi activity until it was deactivated in November 2017, according to Gizmodo.

One of the Atomwaffen Division members whom Tarkington allegedly recruited was John Cameron Denton, who was arrested in February for allegedly targeting journalists, Gizmodo reported.

The Navy launched an investigation into Tarkington after the Gizmodo story ran on March 12, Flanders said. No information about the investigation was immediately available.

Flanders said he was unable to say whether Tarkington was separated specifically because of the investigation, which is now complete.

His separation was administrative in nature, and I am not able to go into details, Flanders said.

Tarkington joined the Navy in July 2019 and arrived at Naval Air Station Lemoore that December, according to his official biography, which does not include any military awards or decorations. He became an aviation machinists mate airman apprentice (E-2) and left the Navy at that rank.

Gizmodo was first to report on Friday that the Navy had removed Tarkington.

This article originally appeared at Task & Purpose. Follow Task & Purpose on Twitter.

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On Thursday, March 12, the day Hollywood shut down, Tessa Blake was crammed in a van with seven colleagues driving around New York. Blake, a television director, was in the middle of her seven-day prep before shooting began on an episode of the CBS series Bull, and as she drove around town scouting locations, she watched her line producer spend the day on her phone digesting the new, worse information coming from the media, from her colleagues, and from her bosses. The reality of the coronavirus, Blake said, swept over the industry like a tsunami, and decisions were made very, very fast. We flew the lead actor out for my episode on Thursday, she recalled. He got to New York at 8 at night, we got the call to cancel shooting from the line producer at 11:30, and they flew him back the next day.

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Now Blake, like everyone else in Hollywood, is sitting at home. Those who work in production, like Blake, are wondering when theyll be able to do their jobs again. But in conversations this week, agents, writers, and scouts across the industry suggest that even amid the pandemic, the machinery of Hollywood deal-making churns on, generating new deals, new material, and new scripts, in anticipation of the dayin July? August? The fall?when the starting gun fires and directors, actors, and below-the-line workers can get back on set. How that can be done safely, no one quite knows. In the meantime, though, Business has even stepped up a little bit, said one scout, because this is the part of the business that still can happen.

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Recent deals have been led, unsurprisingly, by the streaming networks. Its who you think, said an L.A. agent. Its Amazon, its Netflix, its Apple. Hulu has been investing heavily in new material, with, according to multiple sources, three big book-to-film purchases in the past few weeksincluding Zakiya Dalila Harris novel The Other Black Girl, which wont be published until 2021. Thats a big book, said the scout, and they snapped it up. The market is active enough that even companies with stacked-up development slates, like HBO Max, are shopping, said one Hollywood literary agent. They have FOMO, so theyre still taking Zoom pitches from writers.

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And, as the scout noted, even during a pandemic, Writers still have takes. Book submissions are up, several people in the book-to-film pipeline confirmed. That first week everyone was working from home, were all in our pajamas, dazed, wandering from room to room, said a development executive at a premium cable network. But I still had a gigantic memo of agent submissions that Friday! I guess people are trying to justify their jobs. MGM just bought Andy Weirs new novel for seven figures. Currently, action is heating up on a big submission written by David Wright Falade and represented by Endeavor: Nigh-On a Brother, a Civil War drama about a biracial sergeant in an all-black regiment. Its being compared to Cormac McCarthy, but not as dark, said the exec.

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Executives have FOMO , said one Hollywood literary agent, so theyre still taking Zoom pitches from writers.

Agents are sending out their writers to Zoom-pitch, and even submitting screenplays rather than the traditionally easier-to-sell pitches. One Hollywood agent said hed just sold a years-old script one of his writers took out of a drawer and polished up. Im out with six different things from writers, he added, and I dont normally go out with scripts because theyre so hard to sell, but right now people are reading and buying. Another agent agreed, to a point: Peoples lives are complicated, she said. Producers keep telling her I have so much time to read! and yet, when it comes down to it, theyre not reading more quickly. And who can blame them? She laughed as she mentioned her own reading pile and how she just ended up watching TV the night before. For once I dont feel bad about that.

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Complicated lives lead to complicated new work routines in a business built on personal relationships and the fabled power lunch. I never thought I would say that I am dying to take an executive to lunch, but here I am, one talent manager joked to an agent friend. The new era has yet to find an adequate substitute. I had a lunch scheduled with an agent and his assistant said to my assistant, Do they want to have a Zoom call instead?  a senior executive at a premium cable network recalled. And I was horrified. Internal department calls, sure. But I dont want to have a Zoom lunch. And while the pandemic has famously sent ordinary citizens back to their telephones, the coronavirus might be the one thing that can separate Hollywood deal-makers from theirs. I mean, I am on the phone. Im on the phone with you. But its all email now, said an agent. His assistant is in her house, not manning his office phones, so the usual daily dance of running through a call list and knowing whos waiting for him on the next line has been disrupted. If I really want to talk to someone, said the executive, I email.

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No one knows when the next season of television will start filming, but its being written right now. I was hired for a new job the day before the world shut down, one experienced comedy writer said. Im going to work in my garage every day, in a writers room on Zoom with some people I have never met in person. Another writer on a returning network drama has found that his writers room is benefiting, in some ways, from the quarantine, because his showrunnersusually so swamped with meetings and postproduction that they only have an hour or so to pop inare spending five hours a day with their writers mapping out the new season. (The dark joke among writers is that now that networks have experienced the joy of not having to buy a bunch of writers snacks, theyll never want to go back.)

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On March 12, the CWs Charmed was shooting Episode 20 in a 22-episode season. Showrunners Craig Shapiro and Liz Kruger then had to organize remote postproduction on the five episodes already in the can in a matter of days. It was like planning D-Day with two days notice, recalled Shapiro. The logistics were extremely challenging. Sound mixers worked from a small, unmanned studio; editors synced their computers up with Shapiros and Krugers. All these people still have a job, and are getting paid for this job, said Kruger.

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The final three episodes will make up the first part of next season, which, Shapiro and Kruger said, is still scheduled to start shooting at the end of July. Universal and CBS, said one agent, are sticking to July shoot dates; a more cautious Warner Bros. suggests August. It feels so impossible to predict, Blake, the Bull director, said.

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I have a gigantic memo of agent submissions, said a development executive at a premium cable network. I guess people are trying to justify their jobs.  A cable exec

One things for sure: When production finally begins, its going to be a total CF, said an agent. Leave aside the logjam as productions that were interrupted jockey with new shoots for studio space, below-the-line workers, equipment, and actors. Many networks and studios are still in arguments about how to pay for the production that was interrupted when everything shut down. According to multiple sources, the Directors Guild has told members they should be paid in full for unfinished episodes; needless to say, studios disagree. Warner Bros., sources said, is in dispute with the DGA for declaring their productions to have been halted by force majeure, a little-used clause in contracts covering, essentially, an act of God. Ive never had anyone invoke force majeure before, one New York agent said excitedly. Were living through a force majeure!

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What will it look like when production finally resumes? TV and film sets are notoriously up-close-and-personal spaces. When anyone gets a cold on a set, everyone else gets it immediately, Blake pointed out. How do you keep everyone safe? Its a question everyone in Hollywood is asking, and no one quite knows the answer. Is it masks and gloves on everyone? Do you quarantine as a group? asked Blake. On episodic television, a new director arrives every episode, new actors arrive almost every day. Sometimes, were casting right before we fit people for wardrobe. Wed have to alter how we do things considerably.

Maybe well reach a point where every day youre tested as you step onto set, suggested Craig Shapiro of Charmed. If youre cleared, you get to work. One script supervisor expressed how dubious many of her fellow below-the-line workers are about what sets will look like once production resumes: Studios will set the time, and the new safety and health regulations that will be put in place, she said bitterly. We only shut down when we did because of actors. They dont give a crap about us. She speculated that studios will continue hiring younger, less experienced crew members, who dont know the rules as well and are less likely to complain.

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And when this is all over, what kinds of stories will viewers want to see? Several agents and executives suggested that buyers, currently anxious and holed up at home, are looking for escapism and comfort. I have a couple of books that are post-apocalyptic, in a certain sense, due to climate change, said one L.A. literary agent, and Ive completely pulled back on that, because it feels tricky. The senior exec at a premium cable network suggested that stories about family felt particularly apt, because were all sort of experiencing family in a different way now.

Theres material floating around about the pandemic itselfa diary from Wuhan, China, serialized in the New York Times; David Quammens follow-up to Spillover, about epidemiologists fighting animal-to-human disease transmission; a book about the Trump coronavirus response from the Washington agents at Javelinbut no one seems interested in it yet. The premium cable executive had even heard that someone was shopping a Young Dr. Fauci story and said that for weeks now everyone she talks to has been asking, Whos playing Fauci? But not, like, in a real way, she hastened to add.

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And will there be any appetite for pandemic stories on the part of viewers? Everyone was dubious. The television shows that do ripped-from-the headlines thingsthe Chicago shows, the Law and Ordertype shows, theyll do coronavirus, said the comedy writer. But bigger projectsonce youre out of it, do people want to go back to that time? I think its all going to be lighter fare. Because the worlds so dark. Like how we got I Dream of Jeannie and Bewitched during Vietnam.

Whats tricky about the prospect of acquiring any pandemic-related material, one development exec said, is that we dont know how it ends. He considered for a moment. I do think that someone like a Netflix will probably take a flier.
Melbourne midwife Jacqueline Vella is devastated after losing thousands of dollars on a cancelled family holiday, but she and many other grounded travellers have nowhere to turn after the peak travel industry body last month suspended its complaints handling panel for months.

Ms Vella has been "crying for days" after losing about half the money she spent to book a dream $20,000 family holiday to Europe and Disneyland.

She said Flight Centre refunded her Emirates flights worth $10,705, minus $1500 in fees, but money spent on Disneyland tickets and accommodation in Paris and Rome put her losses at almost $10,000.

Thats so unjust considering the cancellation is due to the current COVID-19 circumstance, which is beyond our control, Ms Vella said.
TDT | Manama

Bahrain will join the Arab world in celebrating the 45th edition of Arab Deaf Week. This year, it is being held with the theme: The Right of the Deaf to an Easy Marriage Supported by Social Institutions. The event is observed in the last week of April every year as a reminder of the deaf in society, in line with the recommendations of the second conference of the Arab Federation of Deaf Organisations, which was held in Damascus in April 1974.

The event aims to raise awareness of deaf peoples rights and capabilities, and ways of preventing this handicap. It also seeks to cast light on ways of enabling the deaf and the associations in charge of them to play an active and positive role in comprehensive, sustainable economic and social development. Labour and Social Development Minister Jamil bin Mohammed Ali Humaidan stressed the great care accorded to the deaf by His Majesty King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa and the government, led by His Royal Highness the Prime Minister Prince Khalifa bin Salman Al Khalifa.

He also commended the support of His Royal Highness Prince Salman bin Hamad Al Khalifa, Crown Prince, Deputy Supreme Commander and First Deputy Premier. He pointed out concerted efforts to provide this category of people with the needed care and assistance to help them implement projects that are consistent with their capabilities.
A man has been captured after plain-clothes police saw him snatch a smartphone from a woman along a street in Ho Chi Minh City.

The municipal Department of Police confirmed on Saturday it had apprehended Phan Doan Vu, 31, who resides in District 10, for theft.

The crime took place in District 10 on the afternoon of the same day, according to preliminary information.

A team of undercover police officers were patrolling the neighborhood when they spotted Vu on his motorbike.

As the man was exhibiting some suspicious signs, the officers decided to secretly follow him.

Vu scouted the streets and targeted a woman who was checking her phone while sitting on her motorcycle along 3 Thang 2 Street.

He approached the victim, snatched her phone, and sped away, giving her no time to react.

The officers chased after Vu and were able to capture him shortly after.

At the police station, Vu claimed he had lost his job and ran out of money due to the novel coronavirus disease (COVID-19) epidemic, thus deciding to commit the crime.

Theft is punishable by one to five years in prison, according to Vietnam's Penal Code.

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A post from Prime Minister Boris Johnson's official office Twitter page urging Britons to stay home over the weekend has been derided for its poor use of Photoshop.

The Tweet shows two women sharing a bowl of popcorn on the sofa with their dog - and a mystery third person's hand.

People on social media have been quick to point out the weirdly-positioned arm and some have tried to make sense of it.

The Tweet reads: 'For staying safe, there's no place like home. Stay Home. Protect the NHS. Save Lives.'

The @10DowningStreet Twitter account posted this image on Friday urging people to stay indoors

People on social media have reacted in confusion due to a mysterious third person's arm seeming to come from under the dogs mouth

It shows the two women, one wearing a cream jumper and the other a yellow one, eating out of an orange bowl, while the mystery hand seems to have a black sleeve.

On closer inspection, the black sleeve appears to be an illusion created by a shadow cast by the couple's dog.

But that has not stopped people on social media debating the image and sharing jokes about what should have been an important message from the government.

Some compared the picture to the Alien and Addams Family films while others joked the dog must have eaten the neighbour.

One quipped that the couple may be flouting social distancing rules by allowing someone from outside the household in to their home.

People on social media were puzzled by the mystery third person's arm and mocked the Tweet for resembling popular movies series including Alien and the Addams Family

Boris Johnson has himself been staying inside at his Chequers countryside home since leaving St Thomas' Hospital last weekend.

Communities Secretary Robert Jenrick said Mr Johnson was resting and recuperating under doctors' advice rather than getting straight back to work.

Mr Jenrick said: 'He's resting and recuperating at Chequers. He's taking his doctor's advice.

'He has had some contact with ministers, but mostly with his private office here at Downing Street and that's absolutely right.

'We all wish him well and hope that he takes the time to get better as quickly as he possibly can in the interim.'

Prime Minister Boris Johnson records a video message on Easter Sunday at 10 Downing Street in Westminster after being release from St Thomas' Hospital before leaving for Chequers

Mr Johnson is recovering at the PM's country residence of Chequers, pictured on April 13

The number of cases of coronavirus in the UK has risen to 120,067 today. The number of deaths per day has fallen to 596, the lowest since April 6
WASHINGTON, April 17 (Reuters) - United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres on Friday urged creditors to grant a debt standstill for all developing countries, not just the poorest, warning that many faced debt distress due to a global recession triggered by the coronavirus pandemic.

Guterres told a virtual conference on Africa hosted by the World Bank and International Monetary Fund that the continent needed more than $200 billion to respond to the pandemic and mitigate its economic impact.

To mobilize more resources, he said the IMF should allocate new Special Drawing Rights (SDRs), a step that has been opposed by the United States. An SDR allocation is akin to a central bank "printing" new money. (Reporting by Andrea Shalal Editing by Paul Simao)
STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. -- As the city continues to deal with the coronavirus outbreak, certain communities are being affected more significantly than others.

In New York City, the Department of Health and Mental Hygiene published limited data -- reports for 33.4% of confirmed deaths are incomplete -- on April 13 showing disproportionate percentages deaths for black and Latino people compared to their total population.

Black and Latino people make up 29% and 31.9% of the citys confirmed deaths and account for 24.3% and 29.1% of the total population, respectively, according to the latest available city data and Census estimates.

White and Asian people make up 27.6% and 6.7% of the citys confirmed deaths, and account for 42.7% and 13.9% of the total population, respectively, according to the same information.

A spokesman for DOHMH said numbers specific to Staten Island are not yet available, but multiple local sources said the boroughs black and Latino populations are being hit particularly hard by the virus that has killed more than 12,000 New Yorkers.

The Centers for Disease Control published data Friday that found black Americans account for about 30% of all COVID-19 cases despite accounting for just about 13% of the total population. Latinos account for about 18% of all cases, and make up 18% of the population. Only about 24% of all U.S. cases had their ethnicities identified.

*** CLICK HERE FOR COMPLETE COVERAGE OF CORONAVIRUS IN NEW YORK ***

Dr. Philip Otterbeck, the chair of internal medicine at Richmond University Medical Center in West Brighton, said the hospital is seeing a higher number of black and Latino patients. Those patients are often more at risk due to a higher rate of preexisting conditions like diabetes and hypertension.

Communities of color -- African American and Hispanic patients -- these folks tend to have higher rates of diseases, relative to, say, other populations, he said. The possession of these conditions increases a patients likelihood of contracting the illness.

Otterbeck said a number of non-medical factors also put certain communities at higher risks. Generally dense populations, multi-generational families, and limited access to healthcare are some of those factors.

Comptroller Scott Stringer published a report Wednesday urging the city take further steps to aid people at-risk of contracting and dying from the disease.

His report found that the citys black and Latino populations have higher rates of ER visits related to asthma, and more often live in overcrowded multigenerational households. The city defines overcrowded housing as more than on person per room.

Communities that have had to breath foul air for decades are now the ones that are having deadly transmission of COVID, and we as a city have to factor in that kind of reality, he said.

Patients who dont have health insurance, or think their health insurance wont cover certain treatments tend to avoid the hospital until they are sicker putting them at greater risk, Otterbeck said. He added that many patients have jobs that dont provide sick days.

Factors like these often affect black and Latino populations at a greater rate across the country. Dr. Navarra Rodriguez, president and chief medical officer for AdvantageCare Physicians, said the pandemic is exacerbating those factors.

The virus and this crisis have really forced us to pay more attention and shine a light on what we can do as a community and as a nation to really address those health disparities, she said.

Councilwoman Debi Rose (D-North Shore) said the lack of a public hospital means poorer Staten Islanders, even those without health insurance, have to rely on the boroughs two private systems.

Both RUMC and Staten Island University Hospital have programs that offer financial assistance for people who dont have health insurance and are unable to pay their medical bills.

Rose along with her fellow elected officials on Staten Island had criticized the city for leaving Staten Island out of its plans to help the rest of the boroughs public hospitals, since the Island does not have one. On Monday, Mayor Bill de Blasio agreed to send more medical staff, coronavirus testing, and supplies to Staten Islands hospitals.

A lack of access to testing has also presented challenges in determining how Staten Islands poorer population is being affected by the virus. Outpatient facilities like the Beacon Christian Community Center have been helping to handle testing in Mariners Harbor.

The organizations CEO, Dr. David Kim, pointed out that Staten Islanders who dont have access to a car could not get tested at the drive-thru facility at the South Beach Psychiatric Center.

Theres a humongous amount of fear out there, Kim said. I also think that theres a tremendous lack, still, of understanding about what people need to do to learn about the disease, but also what people need to do to protect themselves from catching the disease.

One of the communities most in-need of consumable information on the virus is the citys population undocumented immigrants. Michelle Molina, the executive director of the Port-Richmond-based El Centro del Inmigrante, said the lack of information contributes to those people avoiding the healthcare system.

She said that some members of her organization are learning to write and read Spanish, because their dialects are unique to where they come from.

People are feeling left out in so many different ways, she said. The fact that the undocumented population doesnt have a safety net takes a really, really big toll on the community.

Molina said the economic impact of the virus is also hitting undocumented communities particularly hard. The need for food is a growing concern, and Molina said her organization helped 160 families meet their food needs in a single day.

The city has been working to address growing concerns about food, and on outreach to communities being harder hit by the outbreak. The mayor announced Monday that the city would be launching a $10,000,000 program aimed at slowing the spread of the virus in the citys 88-hardest-hit ZIP Codes.

What were announcing today is a new campaign and this one is laser-focused on the communities that have been hardest hit and where the disparities are greatest, he said. Weve got to reach out in a really compassionate open manner to communities that need a lot more information.

On Staten Island, all of those ZIP codes being focused on make up the islands North Shore.
BATHINDA

As the wheat harvesting is picking pace in the state, farmers who are not getting coupons to sell their crop in the grain markets are storing their produce at their houses to sell it later.

To avoid overcrowding at procurement centres in the wake of the Covid-19 outbreak, the state government is issuing limited number of coupons to farmers to bring their crop to mandis. The procurement started on April 15.

Karamjit Singh, a farmer from Jeond village in Bathinda, said he has already stored the wheat crop harvested from five acres. I have grown wheat over 60 acres and will have to store the entire produce at house if I dont get the coupons, he said.

A farmer from Pakho Kalan village said he has stored crop harvested from 25 acres in his house as he did not get coupons to take it to mandi. He said that it will be extra financial burden on farmers to take back the crop to mandis for sale in the coming days.

Bathinda district mandi officer Preet Kanwar Brar said they have to send many farmers back who bring their crop to mandis without coupons. To ensure that overcrowding doesnt take place we have to keep strict check on number of coupons being issued, he said. Coupons are issued three days in advance to farmers. In Bathinda, we have issued 32,840 coupons for procurement till April 21,he said.

BKU (Ekta-Ugrahan) leader Shingara Singh Mann said that farmers have no other option but to store the crop at their houses even as they will have to bear additional financial burden in the process.

He said that farmers should be provided gunny bags so that they can keep the produce packed at their houses. They should also be provided an incentive for storing the crop. He added that farm unions will hold a protest at their rooftops on April 25 to press for these demands.

To check overcrowding in the procurement centres, Punjab chief minister Capt Amarinder Singh has also written to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, seeking incentives to farmers to sell their crop after April 30.
English French

Implementation of a 500 million Term Loan facility guaranteed by the French State to secure cash flow and prepare activities recovery

Fnac Darty announces the signature of a 500 million credit agreement, guaranteed by the French State, with a pool of French banks.

This loan, which is part of a Term Loan facility guaranteed by the French State ("Pret Garanti par lEtat"), was implemented in the context of the Covid-19 crisis and is intended to secure the Group's liquidity and prepare for the recovery of Fnac Darty's activities.

This loan will be guaranteed up to 70% by the French State and will have a maturity of 1 year, with a 5-year extension option (April 2026). This new financing enables Fnac Darty to benefit from the support of leading French banking institutions in a context of an unprecedented crisis.

The Group has already a solid financing structure, balanced between bank debt and bonds. This financing enables the Group to significantly secure its cash position.

Bruno Le Maire, French Minister of Economy and Finance, declared:

I welcome the conclusion of this 500 million State-guaranteed loan issued to the benefit of Fnac Darty, the first of its kind granted by the French State to a large French company. With more than 20 billion of loans granted to 150,000 companies so far, the deployment of State-guaranteed loans is now a reality for French companies, regardless of their size. The State-guaranteed loan is a major lever to help them get through this difficult economic period smoothly

Enrique Martinez, Chief Executive Officer of Fnac Darty declared:

"I would like to thank the Minister, his teams and his administration for their strong commitment to companies and for the quality of the measures implemented. This operation also demonstrates the banks' support for Fnac Darty's business model. Once again, we have demonstrated our agility and capacity to adapt, which enabled us to execute a transaction within a very short timeframe and secure a long-term financing in an unprecedented market context."

Arkea Banque, Bred, BNP Paribas, CIC, Credit Agricole CIB, La Banque Postale, LCL, Natixis CIB and Societe Generale CIB acted as lending banks. Credit Agricole CIB coordinated the transaction. Rothschild&Co and Bredin Prat acted as advisors to Fnac Darty, White and Case as advisors to the banking partners.

CONTACTS



ANALYSTS / INVESTORS Stephanie Constand stephanie.constand@fnacdarty.com

+33 (0)1 55 21 18 63 Thibault Abeille Thibault.abeille@fnacdarty.com

+33 (0)1 55 21 84 41 PRESS Benjamin Perret benjamin.perret@fnacdarty.com

+33 (0)1 55 21 54 13 Audrey Bouchard audrey.bouchard@fnacdarty.com

+33 (0)6 17 25 03 77

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Police chiefs say Thomas Thabane was trying to intimidate them after they implicated him in the murder of his former wife.

Soldiers in Lesotho have returned to their barracks, hours after the countrys embattled prime minister ordered them to restore peace and order.

Police chiefs say Thomas Thabane was trying to intimidate them after they implicated him in the murder of his former wife.

Al Jazeeras Fahmida Miller has more from Johannesburg, South Africa.
Ben Affleck handed his jacket to daughter Violet as she felt the cold on a walk around their neighborhood on Saturday.

The 47-year-old Gone Girl star also made sure Violet, 14, Seraphina, 11, and Samuel, eight, all covered their faces with masks while going for a stroll in Los Angeles' Brentwood neighborhood.

Earlier in the day, Ben was spotted out in Santa Monica with his new love Ana de Armas.

Family outing: Ben Affleck, 47, covered up with a mask as he joined his children Violet, 14, Seraphina, 11, and Samuel, eight, for a walk in Los Angeles' Brentwood neighborhood

After a few warmer days, the weather turned chilly again, which seemed to take Violet by surprise.

Ben stuck with a casual charcoal shirt, gray jeans and gray sneakers, along with a navy coat, but he passed on the coat to Violet.

She had on a blue and white striped short sleeve shirt and a blue skirt, while Seraphina was suited up in a gray hoodie and matching sweatpants.

Samuel looked as if he was trying to match his father's style with a grayblue driving cap, a navy zip-up hoodie with a colorful striped chest and black sweatpants.

Doting father: Ben stuck with a casual charcoal shirt, gray jeans and gray sneakers, along with a navy coat, but he passed on the coat to warm up Violet

Casual looks: Seraphina wore gray sweats, while Samuel took a page from father's style book with a grayblue driving cap, a navy zip-up hoodie and black sweatpants

Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti's order for people in the city to wear masks only covers visits to public places, but Ben and his ex-wife Jennifer Garner, 47, have been playing it safe when it comes to outings with their children.

They've mostly been staying with their mother throughout the coronavirus quarantine.

After returning from a vacation with his girlfriend Ana de Armas last month, Ben stayed away from his children for 14 days to ensure he was free of infection. But since then he has been visiting regularly.

Loved-up couple: Before heading over to see them, Ben spent some time with his girlfriend Ana de Armas on the coast

Popular spot: The Way Back star is known for his Dunkin' Donuts fandom, but he and Ana tried out a different donut shop in Santa Monica, which had a line stretching down the block

Covered up: Ana, 31, was dressed in a white blouse that threatened to fall off her shoulders, along with a tan overcoat

Before heading over to see his children, the Way Back star and Ana tried out a popular gourmet donut shop in Santa Monica.

Ana, 31, was dressed in a white blouse that threatened to fall off her shoulders, along with a tan overcoat.

The two have been spotted together when taking breaks from social distancing together at Ben's home in Pacific Palisades.

'They order delivery food and groceries and only leave the house for walks around the neighborhood with their dogs. Ben looks incredibly happy. They are flirty and goofy,' a source told People.

Work romance: The lovers met on the set of their upcoming thriller Deep Water, though they only went public in March following a romantic trip to Ana's native Cuba; shown Thursday

The lovers met on the set of their upcoming thriller Deep Water, though they only went public in March following a romantic trip to Costa Rica and Ana's native Cuba.

A source previously told the magazine that they had an 'instant connection' while filming the movie.

'They had great chemistry right from the start,' the source said of Ben and Ana, who play a couple in the movie from Fatal Attraction director Adrian Lyne.

'Ben always seemed very relaxed and happy around Ana, but at the time there were no signs of romance. He was very focused on making a fantastic movie.'


New Haven is Connecticut's second largest city.

Dave Collins / Associated Press

A 42-year-old man from New Haven, Connecticut is accused of breaking into a restaurant that was closed due to the coronavirus and spending four days eating and drinking his fill.

New Haven police said Louis Ortiz gained access to the restaurant through a window on Saturday, April 11, and a manager found him sleeping inside on the morning of Tuesday, April 14.

The restaurant told police that Ortiz consumed several consumed several thousand dollars worth of food and drinks, including 70 bottles of liquor.

Visit Business Insider's homepage for more stories.

Related Video: What Could Be the Fastest Way to End the Coronavirus Crisis?

A 42-year-old Connecticut man was arrested on April 14 for breaking into a restaurant that was closed due to the coronavirus pandemic and allegedly spending four days eating and drinking his fill.

New Haven Police said a local man named Louis Ortiz stole and consumed several thousand dollars worth of food and drinks, including 70 bottles of liquor. Though police did not identify the restaurant in their report, Hartford Courant identified the eatery as Soul De Cuba Cafe.

According to police, a manager visiting the restaurant for a routine check found an unknown man asleep at about 11:30 a.m. and contacted the police. Officers responded and detained the man on the street, identifying him as Louis Ortiz on the street. Surveillance footage showed Ortiz gained access to the restaurant through a side window several days earlier, on Saturday.

"Ortiz helped himself over the course of four days to the restaurant's food, liquor, and beer," New Haven police said in an Instagram post. "In addition to eating and drinking at the restaurant, Ortiz removed beverages and property from the building."

Ortiz was arrested and charged with burglary, larceny, criminal mischief, and failure to appear in court for a separate warrant issued in East Haven, Connecticut. Ortiz was held overnight by New Haven police on $12,500 bail and arraigned in New Haven Superior Court on April 15.

Read the original article on Business Insider
Kolkata, April 19 : One person has been arrested in West Bengal's North 24 Parganas district in connection with an alleged fake video posted on the official Twitter handle of the BJP showing an old man pleading for food in the Covid-19 induced lockdown.

The old man was seen wailing, in the video, that he had gone without food for two days and asking Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee that he should either be given something to eat or shot dead.

The 52-second clip posted on the BJP's official Twitter handle on April 17 said: "A heart-wrenching video of a wailing old man who has not gotten any food for the last 2 days. This is @nusratchirps's constituency where TMC (Trinamool Congress) is busy siphoning off ration while the poor suffer." Incidentally, Nusratchirps is the Twitter handle of Basirhat MP Nusrat Jahan of Trinamool Congress.

After the post got a huge number of responses and retweets, the police swung into action and arrested folk theatre artist Mobarak Mondal who was purportedly seen begging for video in the clip.

"Jatra (folk theatre) artist in North 24 Parganas made to enact this fake information on the ration issue in Bengal. He has digital ration card and he received ration on 2nd April, 2020," the West Bengal Police said on its Twitter handle.

The state police also posted a video on its Twitter handle where the man said he was asked by some youths to enact the role of a hungry man a few days back.

"They videographed it," he said.

The video was later posted on social media.

The old man also said he has withdrawn his ration and had no complaints against the administration.

However, a senior BJP leader doubted the authenticity of the video posted by the police.

"It seems the man was coerced into saying all these. This government is known for this sort of mischief. They are even doctoring the death figure of Covid 19 patients," he said.
Two people were killed in a crash in Westborough Saturday night when a driver going the wrong way on Interstate 495 slammed head-on into another SUV, according to the Massachusetts State Police.

Troopers were called to I-495 southbound around 8:42 p.m. and were notified about a wrong-way driver in Hopkinton. Shortly after the first calls, troopers learned there was a head-on crash on the highway in Westborough.

Upon arrival, troopers discovered one of the two vehicles involved in the crash, matched the description of the wrong-way vehicle, state police said.

A preliminary investigation by troopers showed a 2017 Volvo XC60, driven by Viktoria I. Staskievich, 43, of Braintree, was heading northbound on I-495 southbound, when it struck a 2018 Chevrolet Trax head-on.

Staskievich was the only occupant of the Volvo. The Chevrolet was driven by Adam Nazare, 27, of Attleboro.

Staskievich was taken to UMass Memorial Medical Center in Worcester, where she was later pronounced dead. Nazare died at the scene of the crash.

Authorities said an 83-year-old woman from Attleboro, who was a passenger in Nazares SUV, was also taken to the Worcester hospital. She remains in critical condition, state police said.

All lanes in the area of the crash were closed until 11:47 p.m. The crash remains under investigation.
South Africans will see Eskom power cuts return in May, according to a report in the Sunday Times.

Eskoms head of power generation Bheki Nxumalo told the Sunday Times that power cuts would most likely resume once the national lockdown is lifted in May.

These cuts would then continue until August 2021.

Energy analysts quoted in the report said that while the national lockdown has reduced the demand for electricity, it has only allowed Eskom to conduct low-level and routine repairs.

Parts needed to conduct maintenance, such as turbines and controls systems, have also been difficult to procure thanks to global restrictions on production and trade.

The global lockdowns have also prevented Eskom from bringing in specialised engineers to work on the equipment, stated the report.

Eskom confirmed that it has not been able to conduct the deep-cycle maintenance which needs to take place. This maintenance will only start after the lockdown is over, and is expected to run until August 2021.

The maintenance needed is the kind where massive boiler and turbine components are replaced, especially at Kusile and Medupi power stations, said Eskom.

Only when the design defects at the Medupi and Kusile power stations have been corrected are we most likely to see the end of load-shedding.

Impact on economy

University of Johannesburg energy economist Johane Dikgang stated in the report the expected load-shedding will take place at the worst possible time.

Businesses have already been wiped out. This will be the kiss of death for those who have barely managed to survive the lockdown.

Efficient Group economist Dawie Roodt recently told MyBroadband that between 100,000 and 200,000 South African businesses could be shut down permanently due to the impact of COVID-19.

He estimated that 1 million jobs could be lost in South Africa in 2020, with the effects of the coronavirus outbreak taken into consideration.

Load-shedding

Eskom was implementing load-shedding at regular intervals in the country before the national lockdown started.

As recently as 11 March, stage 4 load-shedding was started due to a fault on the turbine section of Eskoms Koeberg Unit 1.

Eskom advised South Africans at the time that the stage of load-shedding may change at short notice because its ageing fleet was constrained, unpredictable, and vulnerable.

Eskom also stated in March that its maintenance plan must be supported by the government or South Africa could expect regular blackouts from power cuts of 8,000 megawatts by mid-2021.

Now read: What happened in each province after the lockdown
Gurinder Chadha has revealed that her aunt died of coronavirus-related complications on Sunday. The filmmaker also shared that though no one from the family could be there by her side in her final moments, her children were on video call with her and chanting prayers.

In a heartfelt Instagram post, Chadha shared the news and thanked the medical staff at the Surrey hospital in the UK for their efforts. Today we said goodbye to my dearest bhuaji /aunt from #covid19 complications. She was my dads little sister She is the aunt sitting down in these final pictures from #viceroyshouse and doted on me, she wrote.

Chadha added, She survived the Partiton of India and sadly for us, her family no one could be with her in person in her final moments. BUT two nurses in the Surrey hospital held her hand, FaceTimed her children who all chanted Sikh prayers during which her soul departed. God bless the #nhsheroes who made my dear aunts passing humane.

Also read | Kangana Ranaut defends sister, targets Farah Khan Ali again: Dont twist words to suit your distorted narrative

Chadha, who began her career as a news reporter, made her directorial debut with the comedy Bhaji on the Beach in 1993. She has directed films such as Bend It Like Beckham, Bride and Prejudice and Angus, Thongs and Perfect Snogging.

Follow @htshowbiz for more
An Idaho Republican lawmaker has said stay-at-home orders are 'no different' to sending Jews to concentration camps.

State representative Heather Scott also compared GOP Governor Brad Little to Adolf Hitler after he extended the statewide lockdowns until the end of April.

Speaking to Houston-based podcast host Jess Fields in the interview posted online Thursday Scott said: 'When you have government telling you that your business is essential or non-essential, yours is non-essential and someone else's is essential, we have a problem there.'

'I mean, that's no different than Nazi Germany where you had government telling people either you were an essential worker or a non-essential worker, and non-essential workers got put on a train', Scott said referencing the Holocaust.

More than 1,000 protesters gathered at the Idaho Statehouse Friday afternoon.

Scott said the Great Fire of 1910 - which killed 86 people - would have been an emergency worthy of the shut down order.

She added: 'You can't take away people's lives and property without compensation, and that's exactly what he would be doing. I mean, they are already calling him Little Hitler  Gov. Little Hitler.'

Video courtesy of The Jess Fields Show

State representative Heather Scott, left, was speaking after Governor Brad Little, right, extended the statewide lockdowns until the end of April on Wednesday

Scott also compared COVID-19 to the number of people killed by flu each year.

She noted around 34,000 people are estimated to have died in the US from the flu across the whole of last year.

COVID-19 has killed more than 40,000 Americans in around two months.

Little announced Wednesday that the order would extend to the end of April in the effort to slow the spread of coronavirus, although he lightened some restrictions so nonessential businesses could begin providing curbside service.

Still, the news was met with derision by some members of the far-right in Idaho, and some libertarian, gun-rights and anti-vaccine organizations began directing members to defy the order.

Scott added: 'I think people will start educating others, and people will be more and more vocal until they will say, 'Enough of this', and put the pressure - hopefully political pressure - on him. That's what I would hope for.

'We have real men in Idaho. We have some real men...we've got real men that know their rights and God-fearing men.'

More than 1,000 protesters gathered at the Idaho Statehouse Friday afternoon in defiance of Gov. Brad Little's extension of the statewide stay-at-home order

Little announced Wednesday that the order would extend to the end of April in the effort to slow the spread of coronavirus, although he lightened some restrictions so nonessential businesses could begin providing curbside service

Most at the protest were standing shoulder-to-shoulder and not wearing masks. Some carried signs claiming the coronavirus is a hoax, while others held signs with slogans like, 'All workers are essential' and 'Freedom not fear.'

Most at the Idaho protest were standing shoulder-to-shoulder and not wearing masks. Some carried signs claiming the coronavirus is a hoax, while others held signs with slogans like, 'All workers are essential' and 'Freedom not fear.'

The effect of the coronavirus on the economy has been dire. In Idaho, nearly 96,000 people have filed for unemployment since Little first declared a state of emergency on March 13. That's far more than the number of claims filed in Idaho during all of 2019.

Local human rights advocates called Scott's remarks offensive, The Spokesman-Review reported.

'Mass murder and genocide is not the same thing as deciding which businesses should essentially stay open and which should stay closed,' Rabbi Tamar Malino of Spokane's Temple Beth Shalom said.

Scott had earlier called the governmental response to the virus 'a way to chip away at the foundations of our Constitution to push a global, socialistic agenda while in the midst of a national emergency.'

Scott said calling businesses 'non essential' is 'no different than Nazi Germany'

Similar protests have been held across the country, with groups pushing back against stay-at-home orders in places like Michigan, Texas and Virginia.

Dozens circled Oregon's state Capitol in their vehicles Friday to protest that state's stay-at-home order.

In the southern Utah city of St. George, several dozen people protested Wednesday to show their displeasure with the closure of businesses.

The debate is not likely to end soon, with some health experts warning that returning to normal activity too early could lead to a resurgence of the virus.

More than 1,600 Idaho residents have COVID-19, according to a tally by Johns Hopkins University. At least 44 Idahoans have died.
Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, April 19)  The Armed Forces of the Philippines is deploying more troops to implement strict quarantine measures, Defense Secretary Delfin Lorenzana said on Sunday.

Lorenzana, who also heads the national task force against COVID-19, said he has directed AFP Chief of Staff Gen. Felimon Santos to help the police enforce lockdown protocols by sending more personnel to Metro Manila and other areas with high COVID-19 incidence.

These sights do not inspire confidence that we will achieve our objective by the end of this month, laments the defense chief, referring to the rampant violation of the stay-at-home order:

In a televised address on Thursday, President Rodrigo Duterte mentioned the possibility of the military and police taking over should the public continue to violate quarantine protocols.

AFP spokesperson Brig. Gen. Edgard Arevalo said there is nothing to be alarmed about the AFP preparing and deploying troops when it becomes necessary.

According to Arevalo, several local government units in Metro Manila have already sought assistance from the military in containing COVID-19.

What we should all be alarmed about instead is the fact that a lot of people are blatantly violating the law and disobeying the rules and health protocols which must be strictly enforced, otherwise people die, he said.

Talks on lockdown extension

Asked on his stance on the extension of the Luzon-wide lockdown, Lorenzana said the trend of coronavirus cases in the days leading to April 30 should be the final determinant.

Thats why these last 11 days of April are crucial in the decision-making process, he said. "We should see a tapering off or downward trend to warrant partial lifting, or continue with the lockdown if the trend continues to go up."

Senator Bong Go confirmed in a DZBB interview on Sunday that the President will be meeting with experts on Monday to assess if there is a need to extend, modify, or ease lockdown measures.

He also backed the order for stricter implementation of existing guidelines, saying the coronavirus developments in the coming days will be critical in deciding the next course of action.

Meanwhile, Justice Secretary Menardo Guevarra said it may not be advisable to wait until the entire country reaches a zero level of human transmission before lockdown is lifted.

By then we may have hit the tipping point where it would be extremely difficult to recover from the economic and social devastation, he said. We have to re-start somewhere sometime, taking all necessary measures to prevent a resurgence, and imploring the aid of divine providence to get us through.

Guevarra, however, added that he will support whatever the inter-agency task force decides on Monday.

The President had earlier ordered the extension of the Luzon lockdown until April 30, as the country continues to grapple with the continuous spread of the viral disease. As of April19, the health department has recorded 6,259 confirmed coronavirus cases, including 409 deaths and 572 recoveries.
The novel coronavirus has forced India into a mandatory lockdown in order to flatten the curve of the spread of Covid-19. This has forced people of all sections of society, except the frontline workers of Covid-19 who continue to do their noble jobs, inside their homes. And people are considerably bored, celebrities included. And one such celebrity is Bollywoods favourite fashion photographer Dabboo Ratnani who has been posting interesting and fun videos of himself getting bored in his house. Dabboo has also been sharing photos from the archives of his famous annual calendars for which the whos-who of Bollywood pose. Celebrating 25 years of Dabboo Ratnani, the photographer most recently posted a picture of King Khan, Shah Rukh Khan. SRK is shirtless in the black and white picture, slick with sweat (most definitely water) from what seems to be a wrestle. Shah Rukh can be seen sporting wrestling bands on his fisted hands and his low-rise track pants seem to be uncomfortably holding onto dear life, nonetheless making for a gorgeous photograph.

However, it was a previous photo of legendary Bollywood icon, the late actor Sridevi along with her producer husband Boney Kapoor and their two daughters, Khushi and Janhvi Kapoor. Captioning the Instagram post,  A Picture Is Worth A Thousand Words, But The Memories Are Priceless  #25yearsofdabbooratnani, the photo shows the entire Kapoor clan dressed in traditional attire. Sridevi looks stunning as ever in a beautiful Benarasi maroon saree, while a much younger Janhvi can be seen sporting a green and pink one, while a pre-teen looking Khushi wears a deep orange colour-ed saree with a blouse matching her mothers. Both the girls are seen wearing gajras. While Boney Kapoor is seen in a traditional black kurta with a multi- coloured shawl draped over his shoulders.

Dabboo Ratnani was last in the news for all the wrong reasons. He was called out by social media users who couldnt help but notice too much of a similarity between a shot that Dabboo took of Kabir Singh actor, Kiara Advani, for his 2020 calendar.

The Kiara shot was eerily similar to a picture of model Steph Taylor taken by photographer Marie Barsch last year. However, Dabboo held his ground and denied any plagiarism claims the internet had, claiming that the photograph of Kiara was inspired by a picture he took of Tabu for his 2002 calendar.

Sharing a picture of Tabu from the 2002 calendar, Dabboo wrote in an Instagram post, Beautiful @tabutiful for #dabbooratnanicalendar 2002. #lovenature This timeless & mesmerising shot of Tabu was taken in the year 2001 and it featured in my calendar in the year 2002. Theres been a lil noise about @kiaraaliaadvani s breathtaking 2020 calendar shot with leaf! Guess if I can reuse my camera, I can definitely repeat my own concept!

If at all that doesnt go well with trolls, then I admit to plagiarising MY OWN SELF #loveandpeace @dabbooratnani @manishadratnani Huge Thanks to my friends who trust me ! Thats all that matters, he added.
Blaze follows protests over death of asylum seeker who was cleared of the coronavirus but returned to the camp.

A fire has torn through one of Greeces largest refugee camps on Chios island, causing widespread damage and rendering up to hundreds of people homeless.

The blaze started following a protest over the death of a 47-year-old Iraqi asylum seeker who was cleared of having the coronavirus. But many residents at the overcrowded camp still believed she died of COVID-19, the disease caused by the virus.

The blaze late on Saturday at Vial camp destroyed the facilities of the European asylum service, a camp canteen, warehouse tents and many housing containers, Migration Ministry Secretary Manos Logothetis told the AFP news agency.

A large part of the camps administrative services was destroyed, said Logothetis, adding that no injuries were reported.

The UN refugee agencys spokesperson in Athens, Boris Cheshirkov, said the damage was still being evaluated but that many camp residents have likely been left homeless.

Authorities are still assessing the damage but a few hundred people are likely affected because their shelters have burned down. We have donated tents to the authorities which can quickly be put into use and we will assist in replacing the warehouse tents, he told the AFP.

At least three vehicles outside the camp were also gutted.

A police source in Athens said two Afghans and an Iraqi had been arrested in relation to the unrest following the womans death.

Fear of coronavirus

Reporting from Athens, Al Jazeeras John Psaropoulos said the woman had been taken with a fever to a hospital earlier this week. She had been tested for coronavirus but the result was negative.

This woman did not die of coronavirus, but perhaps the hospital should have done a more thorough examination of her, because she was sent back to the camp and she died there of other causes that are still being investigated, he said.





It appears that the fear that what she did die of may have been coronavirus is what triggered the rampage, the riots overnight, he said.

Authorities had brought the fire under control by early Sunday morning.

Camps in Greece have been under quarantine in recent weeks, with authorities trying to keep residents apart from locals.

The virus has so far killed 110 people in Greece. Another 67 are in intensive care.

While there have been coronavirus cases in two camps on the mainland, no cases have been reported in island camps so far.

Crowded camps

Psaropoulos noted that about 35,000 people live in the island camps, which are meant to house about 6,000. A total of about 100,000 asylum seekers are currently stranded in Greece after other European states closed their borders in 2016.

Children are seen at Malakasa refugee camp in Athens after it had been quarantined after a man tested positive for the coronavirus [Ayhan Mehmet/Getty Images]

As with all of Greeces island camps, Vial is severely overcrowded with more than 5,000 people living in a space intended for around 1,000.

[Authorities] do not want any cases getting out of control in the early stages, so they try immediately to jump on any signs of the coronavirus and also to trace the contacts that any coronavirus-positive patient has had, Psaropoulos said.

Greeces migration ministry has said it will begin moving hundreds of elderly and ailing asylum seekers out of the island camps to protect them from the coronavirus in coming days. A scheme to gradually relocate 1,600 unaccompanied minors from war-torn countries to other European nations also began this week.
A handful of clergymen marked Orthodox Easter at the Holy Sepulchre church in Jerusalem on Sunday as the coronavirus pandemic prevented worshippers from attending the festive Mass.

In previous years, large crowds attended the holy day celebrations, while those who could not get into the church would line up in the narrow alleyways of Jerusalem's Old City.

As of early Sunday Israel's Ministry of Health has confirmed 13,362 infections and 171 deaths due to the new virus.

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.
What began as a dream turned into a masterpiece for brothers Paul and Carlos Meyer.

Under the Cottonwood Tree: El Susto de la Curandera takes readers on a journey through the landscape, culture and colloquialisms that make northern New Mexico unique. The graphic novel is set in 1949 in the village of Algodones. Strange magic wakes the sleepy town when a boy transforms into a calf after taking a bite of an enchanted cookie. It is up to his older brother to find a way to change him back, which leads them on an enchanted adventure through a forest full of secrets.

The calf was a figment of Paul Meyers imagination. It was part of a dream after a day of corralling calfs that had gotten out of their enclosure. Carlos Meyer was raising the cattle in the large backyard where the brothers lived with their seven other siblings and parents in the then mostly rural North Valley in the 1970s. Pauls dream inspired the short story The Calf, the Caterpillar and Joey, which was published in 1984 in Grito del Sol, a publication in Berkeley, California. Carlos Meyer later transformed the short story into a screenplay as an assignment for a writing class he was taking while attending New Mexico Highlands University, in Las Vegas. By that time, Paul Meyer had moved to Los Angeles, but soon the brothers would be together again, shopping the screenplay around Hollywood. Interest in producing the project gained traction.

We had it greenlit for a certain budget, and then just like in Hollywood it fell apart, Paul Meyer said. I thought what can I do and how can Carlos and I take the story to at least some sort of fruition? So from then, eight years ago, I pursued some artists that could make it into a graphic novel.

The brothers wanted the storyline to capture a true depiction of the communities where the Meyer children were reared in the North Valley and the small towns of northern New Mexico where their parents were born.

My mom is from Anton Chico, New Mexico, and my dad is from Las Vegas, New Mexico, Carlos Meyer said. So they got together way up north, they got married and they moved to Mora, and that is, like, 30 minutes away from Las Vegas, up north. And, like, all these families, they needed to make a living, so my mom and dad moved to Alameda (in the North Valley). They bought an acre of land and they raised us all. At the time, it was just farmland; now its suburbia.  It was orchards and cornfields. This is where the story derived from, from my upbringing.

Setting the story in the 1940s when their parents were growing up was deliberately done to capture the culture of their communities.

Where our parents came from, its really a transitional culture, because its really these small villages that still were speaking Spanish, more of a Castilian-based Spanish, for hundreds of years, Paul Meyer said. Some of those villages are super-isolated, and they didnt transition into speaking English until probably the 1950s.  Were trying to capture a time and place that existed in the 1940s. Were shining a light on that culture and remembering how our parents grew up but adding fantasy to it, of course, in a comic book form.

The illustrations needed to match the quality of the storyline, and after an extensive search, Paul Meyer found illustrator Margaret Hardy in Los Angeles. The characters in Under the Cottonwood Tree: El Susto de la Curandera are all family members. Paul Meyer would provide old photos of his family, and Hardy would transform their images into illustrations. Photo books of New Mexico in the 1940s also were used for reference of peoples appearance, clothes and more. Hardy, who is from St. Louis, was able to capture the signature landscapes of the Land of Enchantment with the help of Carlos Meyers son, Esteban, who took photos of the Rio Grande, the bosque and homes in the vicinity.

He would go up and down the bosque and (take photos of) all these houses, Paul Meyer said. There is one house that is off of Alameda, and it kind of looked like the earth was reabsorbing the adobe. I think we used that for the basis of where the curandera supposedly lived in the forest there. Margaret was able to use

Estabans photos, and she really captured the images well. She did a great job.

Under the Cottonwood Tree: El Susto de la Curandera has received several accolades, including Best Graphic Novel, First Place, at the 2019 International Latino Book Awards, Best Graphic Novel, Gold Medal, at the 2019 Moonbeam Childrens Book Awards and Best Graphic Novel at the 2019 New Mexico/Arizona Book Awards. A number of local bookstores have purchased many copies of the novel, with Bookworks selling out of its copies shortly after putting them on display. Due to the recent closure of nonessential businesses, in-person purchases, promotional signings and a book tour are on hold. The novel is available online in a number of formats, including hardcover, softcover, digital and PDF. To purchase or for more information, visit underthecottonwoodtree.com.
The Centre on Sunday dispelled rumours regarding cutting down of pensions revealing that there was no such proposal or action being contemplated by the Government. The Ministry of Personnel, Public Grievances & Pensions said that the government's priority at the moment was to ensure the welfare of the senior citizens and that there would be no reduction in pensions due to the financial stress owing to the COVID-19 lockdown and pandemic.

Read: MHA Allows Intra-state Movement Of Asymptomatic Migrant Labourers After COVID-19 Screening

"As clarified earlier, it is being reiterated that there is no such proposal for reduction of pension and no action is contemplated by the Government in this respect. Instead, the Government is committed for the welfare and well being of the pensioners," said the Ministry of Personnel, Public Grievances and Pensions in a release.

Read: After FDI Move, Congress Also Takes Credit For Modi Govt's Bar On Non-essential E-commerce

Read: Congress Asks 'is Gehlot Better Or Modi?' Before Giving Covid Ration; Refuses Modi Answers

Union Minister Dr Jitendra Singh too, while speaking to news agency ANI, refuted any speculations regarding the cutting down of pensions saying that the Government has never considered cutting the pension of senior citizens or putting them at any discomfort during these testing times. "Government has neither held any discussion nor considered cutting the pension of senior citizens. Also, under Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the government can never take such an insensitive step of transferring the pension money of people above 80 years of age to COVID fund," he said.

Coronavirus in India

As of date, 12974 active cases have been reported of the pandemic Coronavirus (COVID-19) - 2230 have been discharged and Maharashtra reported the highest at 3651. 507 deaths have been reported to date. India has suspended all visas and barred travel from Afghanistan, Philippines, EU, UK, China, Malaysia and mandatory 14-day quarantine from several other countries. PM Modi has extended the lockdown till May 3, with a relaxation possibility in non-COVID hotspots after April 20.

(With inputs from ANI)

Read: Fact Check: Is Government Planning Pension Cuts Due To COVID? Finance Ministry Clarifies
An employee prepares a take away order at a fast food restaurant as the spread of the CCP virus affected local business in Roanoke, Va., on April 18, 2020. (Carlos Barria/Reuters)

Latest on the Spread of the CCP Virus Around the World

Here are the latest updates on the global spread of the CCP (Chinese Communist Party) virus, commonly known as novel coronavirus.

Americas

* U.S. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi said she believed lawmakers are very close to a deal on approving extra money to help small businesses hurt by the pandemic.

*Demonstrations to demand an end to stay-at-home measures that have pummeled the U.S. economy spread to Texas on Saturday as the governor at the epicenter of the U.S. CCP virus crisis said his state of New York may finally be past the worst.

* U.S. President Donald Trump warned China that it should face consequences if it was knowingly responsible for the coronavirus pandemic, as he ratcheted up criticism of Beijing over its handling of the outbreak.

* Mexican Deputy Health Minister Hugo Lopez-Gatell said on Saturday that Mexico has registered 7,497 confirmed virus cases and 650 deaths.

* Thirty-two Guatemalan illegal immigrants on a deportation flight from the United States earlier this week have now tested positive for the virus, according to the Central American nations health ministry.

* Lady Gaga, Taylor Swift, Paul McCartney, The Rolling Stones, Beyonce and Oprah Winfrey headlined a special broadcast of music, comedy and personal stories celebrating those around the world on the frontlines of the pandemic.

Europe

* President Vladimir Putin said that Russian authorities had the CCP virus crisis under full control and that everything would work out with Gods help. Russia on Sunday reported a record rise of 6,060 new virus cases over the previous 24 hours, bringing its nationwide tally to 42,853.

* Ireland is highly unlikely to allow large gatherings this year and the cocooning of people over 70 years old in their homes may persist for quite a while, Health Minister Simon Harris said.

* A delivery of protective equipment for British health workers that was due on Sunday from Turkey has been delayed, a British government official said, as medics on the frontline of the virus outbreak increasingly report shortages of gear.

* Britain is not considering lifting the lockdown imposed almost four weeks ago to control the virus outbreak given deeply worrying increases in the death toll, a senior minister said.

* Germanys confirmed virus cases have risen by 2,458 to 139,897, data from the Robert Koch Institute (RKI) for infectious diseases showed on Sunday. That was lower than a 3,609 increase reported on Saturday.

Asia-Pacific

* Chinese authorities remained on guard against a major resurgence and monitored the spread of CCP virus cases in Heilongjiang province.

* Australia added to growing pressure on China over its handling of the CCP virus, questioning its transparency and demanding an international investigation into the origins of the virus and how it spread.

* South Korea extended its social distancing policy for another 15 days but offered some relief for churches and sporting fixtures, as it reported just eight new coronavirus infections, the lowest in two months.

* Indonesias death toll from the virus has likely reached 1,000, nearly double the official figure of 535, Indonesian Doctors Association (IDI) chairman Daeng Faqih was quoted saying.

* Pakistan has lifted restrictions on congregational prayers at mosques, but put in place a host of safety conditions to avert the further spread of the virus in the country, a statement said.

Middle East and Africa

* Health ministers from the Group of 20 major economies began a virtual meeting on Sunday to work on a joint response to the pandemic, Saudi Arabian state television reported.

* Saudi Arabias highest religious body, the Council of Senior Scholars, urged Muslims worldwide to pray at home during Ramadan if their countries require social distancing to combat the virus, state news agency SPA reported.

* Turkeys confirmed virus cases have risen to 82,329, Health Minister Fahrettin Koca said.

* Iran has extended furloughs for prisoners for another month, Iranian President Hassan Rouhani said on Sunday, as the Islamic Republic endeavors to stem the spread of the virus in its crowded jails.

Economic Fallout

* Neiman Marcus Group is preparing to seek bankruptcy protection as soon as this week, becoming the first major U.S. department store operator to succumb to the economic fallout from the virus outbreak, people familiar with the matter said.

* The founder and director of top Singapore oil-trading company Hin Leong Trading Pte Ltd (HLT) directed the firm not to disclose hundreds of millions of dollars in losses over several years, he said in a court filing reviewed by Reuters.

*Europe will need at least another 500 billion euros from European Union institutions to finance its economic recovery after the virus pandemic, on top of the agreed half-a-trillion package, the head of the euro zone bailout fund said.

* Canada will invest C$2.5 billion ($1.8 billion) in measures to help the hard-hit oil and gas industry during the virus outbreak, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said.

* Global stocks rallied on President Donald Trumps plans to revive the virus-hit U.S. economy and a report about a clinical trial for a potential drug to treat COVID-19.

* Chinas economy contracted for the first time on record in the first quarter as the CCP virus shut down factories and shopping malls and put millions out of work.

Epoch Times staff contributed to this report
When Matthew Knight first heard the term mindfulness he wasn't so sure about it.

But now it's the very thing the principal of Cobram Primary School credits with beginning the struggling school's turnaround.

Cobram Primary School principal Matthew Knight has transformed his school.

"All our data was telling us our kids were really disengaged and not motivated and we needed to do something about it," he said.

"The kids' wellbeing had to be number one. We have a lot of kids who come to school in a state where they're not ready to learn so our job was to make sure from the start of the day they were ready and mindfulness was our vehicle to do that."
English French

Impacts of the COVID-19 crisis: Q1 2020 revenue down by -7.9% on a reported basis

Very strong growth in e-commerce, in all countries, during the lockdown period

Implementation of a 500 million Term Loan facility guaranteed by the French State to secure cash flow and prepare activities recovery

Q1 2020 revenue of 1,490 million, down -7.9% on a reported basis and -10.3% on a like-for-like basis

down -7.9% on a reported basis and -10.3% on a like-for-like basis Closure of almost all of the Group's physical stores from mid-March onwards, leading to a drop in Group sales of around 30% in March

leading to a drop in Group sales of around 30% in March Growth of cumulative revenue in January/February of +2.8% on a reported basis and stable on a like-for-like basis, in a consumer environment marked by continuing strikes in France and a shorter promotional sales period

and stable on a like-for-like basis, in a consumer environment marked by continuing strikes in France and a shorter promotional sales period Excellent operational execution on digital platforms that allow the Group to absorb a doubling of e-commerce sales, over the last 15 days of March and the first days of April

that allow the Group to absorb a doubling of e-commerce sales, over the last 15 days of March and the first days of April Plan for rapid adaptation to the new context Continuity plan to ensure the health and safety of employees and customers by providing the best possible service Rapid reallocation of the Group's resources to strengthen digital capacities and ensure the continuation of its service activities (after-sales service, deliveries, etc.) Cost readjustment plan with the implementation of temporary unemployment scheme for 80% of the workforce in France following the closure of stores, and downward adjustment of the Groups investments plan Implementation of 500 million Term Loan facility guaranteed by the French State (Pret Garanti par lEtat) to significantly strengthen financial liquidity Withdrawal of the proposed dividend payment of 1.50 per share for the 2019 financial year





Enrique Martinez, Chief Executive Officer of Fnac Darty, declared:

"Since the beginning of the Covid-19 crisis, our priority has been to guarantee the safety of our employees and our customers, through very rigorous procedures. Thanks to our preparation and the mobilization of our teams, Fnac Darty was able, from mid-March, to adapt to the closure of stores in all countries and to be fully operational as an e-commerce and services player. Faced with the need to take particularly tough decisions, the quality of social dialogue within the Group and the commitment of our employees enabled us to meet our customers' expectations and thus enable them to better live this period. Thanks to the rapid implementation of our action plan, and with the support of our banking partners, Fnac Darty is one of the first companies to benefit from a State-guaranteed Term Loan. I would like to thank all the Group's employees for their professionalism, all our customers for their trust, the public authorities for their support, and all our partners and suppliers for their sense of responsibility."

Q1 2020 REVENUE

Q1 2020

In m Change compared with Q1 2019 Reported growth



Like-for-Like growth1 France and Switzerland 1,206 -8.5% -11.1% Iberian Peninsula 140 -7.3% -9.8% Belgium and Luxembourg 144 -2.6% -3.5% Group 1,490 -7.9% -10.3%

Analysis of 1st quarter 2020 revenue

Group revenue reached 1,490 million in the first quarter of 2020, down -7.9% on a reported basis and -10.3% on like-for-like basis, following the closure of physical stores in March.

Since the beginning of 2020, the COVID-19 epidemic, which initially expanded in China, has subsequently spread to Europe and many other parts of the world.

In January and February, the Group reported revenue growth of +2.8% on a reported basis and stable on a like-for-like basis, in a consumer environment marked by prolonged strikes in France in January and a shorter promotional sales period.

In February 2020, the Group first had to deal with production delays due to disruptions in industrial bases in China. Demonstrating its ability to adapt quickly, Fnac Darty put in place mechanisms to adjust its supplies. In close collaboration with its suppliers, the Group drew up a tactical purchasing plan of around 80 million in key product categories, which was finally partially deployed. This measure ensured a good level of availability of these products and enabled the Group to meet the high demand on e-commerce platforms during the lockdown period.

The COVID-19 epidemic, which began in February, changed from a largely supply crisis into an unprecedented global health crisis in March 2020, with a sudden impact on the Group's business.

Due to the implementation of lockdown measures in all Group countries, in-store sales first fell sharply, then came to a complete shutdown.

Indeed, on the evening of 14 March, Fnac Darty closed all its physical stores in France and Spain. The stores in Switzerland and Belgium were closed on 17 March. Finally, the Group first partially closed its stores in Portugal on 19 March, before closing all its stores in that country on 31 March. As a result, the Group's revenue for the month of March was down around 30%, on a reported and like-for-like basis.

At the same time, thanks to the support of its customers and the excellent operational execution of its teams in a very difficult context, the Group managed to double its e-commerce sales in the last two weeks of March in all its countries.

Thanks to the agility of its unique omnichannel model, Fnac Darty has rapidly reallocated resources to strengthen its digital capabilities and service activities. The Group, 2nd largest e-commerce player in France, has relied on its powerful e-commerce platforms, which already accounted for 20% of its revenues in 2019, and which are sized to support very high levels of demand. Indeed, Fnac Darty's significant digital capacities, which have enabled it to achieve strong growth several times during periods such as Black Friday, and the dedicated commitment of its teams, enable it to meet very high product demand, despite a difficult operational context.

The Group's supply chain has also been adapted accordingly to meet and fulfil all orders as quickly as possible, while safeguarding the health and safety of its employees. Supplies are now exclusively redirected to the Group's central stock, to give capacity to the e-commerce platforms. Incentives, such as free home delivery for any purchase over 20 made on the fnac.com and darty.com websites, have been implemented and have sustained dynamic online sales.

As a result, online sales increased by c.19% during the quarter, and by more than 100% during the last 15 days of March.

All product categories were impacted by the closure of stores from mid-March onwards and are decreasing. Online sales showed strong momentum in Technical Products driven by the IT, linked to the development of telework, Telephony and Television segments, and in the Domestic Appliances category driven notably by refrigerators, freezers and washing machines. Editorial Products recorded double-digit growth in online sales of Books and Gaming. Services were strongly negatively impacted by the closure of stores, as well as Ticketing activities.

As lockdown measures have been imposed in all countries where the Group operates, all of the Group's geographical areas have been significantly impacted. The France-Switzerland region reported a decline in sales of -8.5% on a reported basis and -11.1% on a like-for-like basis to 1,206 million. The Iberian Peninsula recorded sales of 140 million, down -7.3% on a reported basis and -9.8% on a like-for-like basis. Finally, the Belgium-Luxembourg region reported a decline in revenue of -2.6% on a reported basis and -3.5% on a like-for-like basis to 144 million.

Gross margin trend in the first quarter 2020

The gross margin rate was up slightly in January and February, driven by a favourable product mix. The estimated gross margin rate deteriorated sharply in March due to store closures, which had a significant negative impact on the services/products mix.

Flexibility of the business model to limit the impact on profitability and cash flow

As of March 16, the Group has implemented a temporary unemployment scheme for 80% of its employees in France, and similar measures were subsequently applied in other countries as a result of the closure of its stores.

The Group is revaluing rental payments and postponing the payment of taxes and social security charges, in line with the measures introduced by the government, while adjusting its business model by optimising its current operating expenditure and capital expenditure.

Strengthening liquidity and financial flexibility

Given the sudden shutdown of the Group's in-store activities, which occurred at a normally low point in the annual cash cycle (always characterized by strong seasonality in the specialized retail sector), 400 million revolving facility was fully drawn down on a preventive basis in mid-March. At the end of March, the corresponding cash remained available. Fnac Darty is determined, as a matter of priority, to pursue a trusted partner relationship with its suppliers over the long term, and will continue to operate in a responsible way during the crisis.

At the same time, in an uncertain post-crisis context, the Group decided to use additional financing to secure its liquidity. Fnac Darty has put in place a 500 million Term Loan facility guaranteed by the French State with a maturity of 1 year and with a 5-year extension option.

The Group was supported by all its French banking partners, Arkea, BNP Paribas, Bred, CIC, Credit Agricole CIB, La Banque Postale, LCL, Natixis and Societe Generale. Credit Agricole CIB coordinated the transaction.

In addition, the Group obtained a commitment from the lenders to accept the suspension of its financial covenants for the months of June and December 2020.

The Group has once again demonstrated its agility in terms of execution by being among the first issuers in France to obtain access to this state-guaranteed credit line within a very short timeframe. The success of this operation also demonstrates the confidence of the banking partners in the Fnac Darty model.

Withdrawal of the proposed dividend for the 2019 financial year and management compensation

In view of the evolution of the COVID-19 epidemic and in accordance with the conditions imposed for the implementation of a State Guaranteed Term Loan, the Board of Directors has withdrawn the dividend proposal of 1.50 per share for 2019, and will not proceed with share buyback programs in 2020.

The long-term shareholder return policy is also suspended and will be reviewed at a later date.

Fnac Darty announced on 26 February 2020 the launch of a shareholder return policy, with a target payout ratio between 30% and 40%. For the 2019 financial year, the Group had planned to recommend to the General Shareholders Meeting on 28 May 2020, the distribution of an ordinary dividend of 1.50 per share, corresponding to a distribution rate of 35%, in line with the objectives.

In addition, the total compensation of the Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, paid in 2020, will be reduced by 25%, for the entire period during which the Group's employees are on temporary layoffs due to the COVID-19 crisis. The same measure will apply to the compensation allocated to the members of the Board of Directors paid in 2021 for 2020, and concomitantly the fixed compensation for 2020 for the members of the Executive Committee will be reduced by 15%, for the same period.

Enrique Martinez, Chief Executive Officer, has also chosen to reinvest in Group shares, 50% of his variable compensation for 2019 net of payroll taxes and taxes, paid in 2020, once it has been submitted and approved by the shareholders at the Annual General Meeting.

Financial objectives

The loss of in-store sales will have a material negative impact on the Group's financial results in 2020.

In this context, and in view of the significant impact of the epidemic on its activities, the Group had to announce on 17 March that it was no longer in a position to confirm its 2020 objectives, i.e a slight growth in revenue and current operating income in 2020 compared to 2019.

The evolution of the crisis linked to the spread of COVID-19 remains uncertain for the moment, and its consequences on the world economy are difficult to quantify. The magnitude of the impact on the Group's activities in 2020 will depend on the duration of the lockdown period, possible legal restrictions / operational challenges on deliveries and consumption recovery post lockdown period. To date, the Group is not in a position to update its 2020 and medium-term objectives. The Group continues to monitor and periodically re-evaluate, with the utmost attention, the evolution of the situation and its impact on its activities and results.

FIRST QUARTER 2020 REVENUE

Enrique Martinez, Chief Executive Officer and Jean-Brieuc Le Tinier, Chief Financial Officer, will host a conference call for investors and analysts on Monday, April 20, 2020 at 8:00 a.m. (CET); 7:00 a.m. (UK)

A live webcast of the Q1 2020 revenue presentation will be available by clicking here .

A replay will also be available on the Group's website.

Contact details for the conference call:

France: +33 (0) 1 7099 4740

UK: +44 (0) 20 3003 2666

Access code: Fnac Darty

CONTACTS



ANALYSTS / INVESTORS Stephanie Constand stephanie.constand@fnacdarty.com

+33 (0)1 55 21 18 63 Marina Louvard marina.louvard@fnacdarty.com

+33 (0)1 72 28 17 08 PRESS Benjamin Perret benjamin.perret@fnacdarty.com

+33 (0)1 55 21 54 13 Audrey Bouchard audrey.bouchard@fnacdarty.com

+33 (0)6 17 25 03 77











1 Like-for-like data: excluding effect of changes in foreign exchange rates, changes in scope, and the openings and closures of stores





Attachment
US President Donald Trump says the United States can give Iran ventilators to help treat COVID-19 patients, Sputnik reports.

"When I came in Iran was a terror," Trump said at the Saturday White House Coronavirus Task Force briefing, adding "Iran is a much different country than it was, when I first came in, Iran was going to take over the entire middle East, right now they just want to survive, they are having protests every week, they are loaded up with the plague, which I don't want, I've offered to help them if they want, if they need ventilators, which they do, I would send them ventilators, we have thousands of excess ventilators."

Iran, a country that is among the worst hit by the COVID-19 pandemic, has repeatedly said that US sanctions have hindered Tehran's efforts to combat the spread of the coronavirus and prevented the imports of essential medical goods to respond to the pandemic.

According to the latest data from Iran's health officials, the country has over 80,800 confirmed coronavirus cases and its death toll from COVID-19 has surpassed 5,000. Iran has become the epicenter of the coronavirus infection in its region, with most COVID-19 clusters in neighboring Middle Eastern countries tracing their first cases back to Iran.

In late March, permanent United Nations representatives of Russia, China, Syria, Cuba, North Korea, Iran, Nicaragua, and Venezuela sent a letter to UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres calling for the lifting of unilateral sanctions imposed on several countries amid the COVID-19 pandemic. A Russia-drafted General Assembly resolution calling for solidarity and global sanctions relief was blocked by the United States, the United Kingdom, the European Union and Georgia.
Source: Xinhua| 2020-04-20 01:38:58|Editor: huaxia

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DUBLIN, April 19 (Xinhua) -- The second batch of personal protective equipment (PPE) ordered from China is expected to arrive in Ireland soon, the Irish national radio and television broadcaster RTE reported on Sunday, quoting an official.

Paul Reid, head of the Health Service Executive (HSE), a state agency responsible for public health service in Ireland, was quoted as saying at an HSE weekly briefing that the delivery of the second batch of PPE ordered by the Irish government from China had commenced on Saturday.

He said that HSE has asked Chinese suppliers to add more items into the second batch of PPE ordered by Ireland as part of its efforts to accelerate the supply of such equipment which is badly needed by the country to cope with the COVID-19 pandemic.

The second batch of the goods ordered was originally worth 67 million euros (about 73 million U.S. dollars), but now is worth 130 million euros as more items have been added into it, said Reid.

The Irish government has ordered a total of 208 million euros worth of PPE from China, according to an earlier HSE announcement.

The first batch of PPE ordered from China, which is worth 31 million euros, has been fully distributed across the country, Reid added.

PPE ordered by Ireland from China include ventilators, emergency beds, surgical masks, gloves, gowns and eye shields, according to HSE. (1 euro = 1.087 U.S. dollars) Enditem
Former CNBC anchor Michelle Caruso-Cabrera is one of four Democratic primary challengers to Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez of New York. (CNBC)

For 20 years, Michelle Caruso-Cabrera was a familiar face to viewers tuning in for business news on cable network CNBC.

For a candidate for Congress, that visibility could normally prove an asset. But the rules of campaigning in the age of coronavirus have kept her from taking full advantage of it. Not to mention she is seeking to topple an incumbent who is probably even more of a familiar face: media-savvy progressive Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez of New York.

Last week, Caruso-Cabrera was unrecognizable under a black floppy rain hat and a face mask as she loaded aluminum trays of Mexican food into the back of her black Jeep Cherokee parked on a street in Astoria, Queens, while rainwater dripped down from the elevated subway platforms overhead. Instead of pressing the flesh with residents at community centers or outside of supermarkets, her public appearances have been limited to weekly trips to Mt. Sinai Queens, delivering meals she has purchased from local restaurants to the staff at the hospitals ICU unit.

Michelle Caruso-Cabrera shoots a campaign video on the fire escape of her apartment in Queens, N.Y. (Michelle Caruso-Cabrera campaign)

When I entered this race, I did not expect it to be in the epicenter of the epicenter of an international pandemic, said Caruso-Cabrera, 53. But that is absolutely what's going on here. I mean, this is the hardest-hit district in the entire country.

Caruso-Cabrera is one of five candidates running for the Democratic nomination for the seat representing the 14th Congressional District, made up of north-central Queens  which includes Elmhurst Hospital, where the crush of COVID-19 patients became a central image of the crisis back in March  and the eastern part of the Bronx.

The race would be a stretch for any politician, never mind a political newcomer who is a former Republican. Ocasio-Cortez, in the two years since her stunning upset win in 2018, has become one of the countrys most recognizable  and in some circles, revered  politicians. As of Wednesday, she had about $3.5 million on hand for her reelection campaign. In contrast, Caruso-Cabrera has raised about $1 million.

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Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-N.Y.) listens during a House Financial Services Committee hearing with leaders of major banks on April 10. (Patrick Semansky / Associated Press)

Caruso-Cabrera left her full-time role at CNBC in 2018 and has long considered running for political office. She says it was Ocasio-Cortezs vocal opposition to Amazons attempt to build a second headquarters in the Long Island City section of Queens with the help of $3 billion in city and state tax subsidies that gave her the motivation to enter the primary race.

She drove away 25,000 jobs from a district that has half the median income of the one right next door in Manhattan, Caruso-Cabrera said, in what has become a standard talking point in her pitch to voters.

Ocasio-Cortez has maintained that the Amazon deal was a giveaway of taxpayer money to the tech behemoth.

"The congresswoman opposed the original deal because it lacked transparency and handed billions in public dollars to a corporation that already makes massive profits, while mistreating its workers and paying zero in federal taxes," a representative for Ocasio-Cortez said.

Along with Caruso-Cabrera, Ocasio-Cortez has three other Democratic primary opponents  James Dillon, Badrun Khan and Jose Velazquez  while eight contenders are vying for the Republican nomination. The 14th Congressional District is a considered a safe seat for Democrats in the November general election, as the party's vote share skews 29 percentage points above the national average, according to Cook Political Report.

Caruso-Cabrera, who over two decades served as an anchor and international correspondent for CNBC and once worked as a producer for Spanish-language broadcaster Univision (her grandparents are Cuban), is the most prominent of the challengers. On paper, MCC, as Caruso-Cabrera calls herself, versus AOC is an ideological battle royal.

Both come from families with working-class backgrounds. MCC is a business advocate backed by the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, while AOC was the highest-profile supporter of democratic socialist Bernie Sanders' presidential campaign until he dropped out of the race April 8.

But social distancing guidelines and the stay-at-home order New York state set in place March 20 have put the retail politics typically involved in a local race on hold. Greeting commuters at subway stops, fundraisers at the homes of supporters, and candidate forums are all off the table. Meanwhile, Ocasio-Cortez  who has also been delivering meals to constituents  gets national exposure on cable news and talk shows such as The View.

Running her campaign out of her Sunnyside apartment, Caruso-Cabrera uses the fire escape  which offers a panoramic view of the Long Island City skyline  as the set for video messages shown on her website and social media pages. She also employs digital platforms to document how residents in the area are dealing with the pandemic.

I shoot video when I'm trying to go to the supermarket, said Caruso-Cabrera, who moved to Queens to Manhattan with her husband last year. And it's really important that people understand the reason this district is hit so hard is because you have multiple generations living in the same house.

"They don't have jobs where they can work from home, so they weren't able to stay home and isolate as soon as many other workers were able to do," she said. "And then up in the Bronx, a lot of first responders live in areas like Throgs Neck."

Throgs Neck has 22.7 coronavirus cases per thousand residents, which is 64% higher than the New York City average. In East Elmhurst, the figure is 28.6 per thousand, more than double the average, according to a ProPublica study.

On the ride to Mt. Sinai, a campaign staffer following behind in another vehicle calls Caruso-Cabrera. He advises her to keep her car windows open because a reporter is sitting in the back seat. Thats what theyre doing in Ubers, he tells her. Make sure you dont get sick.

When Caruso-Cabrera arrives at the hospital, Dr. Steve Kassapidis, dressed in scrubs, comes out to help receive the delivery along with the ICUs secretary Maureen Daly. A campaign volunteer, standing 10 feet away, takes photos for the candidate's website.

Mt. Sinai Queens ICU secretary Maureen Daly and Dr. Steve Kassapidis receive meals from Michelle Caruso-Cabrera. (Stephen Battaglio / Los Angeles Times)

Caruso-Cabrera first connected with Kassapidis after he put out a tweet asking for more ventilators for the hospital.

He was able to get the ventilators, so I asked him, 'Can I buy you lunch?' Caruso-Cabrera said. "That's how it started."

The candidate is looking to expand her efforts to other hospitals serving the district such as Elmhurst. The choice of restaurants is limited as many nearby are closed and those open have difficulty obtaining enough ingredients for a large order.

Elmhurst has actually got a coordinator for donations because they have so many people who want to help, she said. The reason Elmhurst Hospital made news is because it didnt have drive-through testing, so everybody was lined up down the block, and it became a very visual symbol of what was happening. But all of these hospitals, you talk to anyone who is working with them, is overwhelmed.

Daly, a staffer at Mt. Sinai for 33 years, said one of her cousins was a COVID-19 patient at the hospital who died the previous week.

Caruso-Cabrera said she is adapting her campaign as well as possible amid the unprecedented health emergency.

"Did I expect to be shaking more hands? Absolutely. But, no, I still think I can get my message out. And my primary focus really is that the constituents stay as healthy as possible and as safe as possible, and that's first and foremost when I'm thinking about how it is that we are going to reach them," she said.

She has organized web videoconferences with as many as 60 people, and even larger group phone calls, which are preferred by older voters not comfortable with Zoom, Cisco Webex or GoToMeeting. The stay-at-home orders have actually made them easy to reach, she said.

Instead of going to meetings with voters, I'm speaking with community groups, religious groups, civic associations, business associations over the phone in big group calls, she said. Before coronavirus all these meetings would've happened in the evening, after many voters got off work if they worked the day shift."

As the June 23 primary draws closer, Caruso-Cabrera says, she could start running television ads. She acknowledges there is a strong chance she will have to produce them herself with her smartphone and laptop computer. I know how to produce content, and I can create a lot of content to get my message out, she said.

Caruso-Cabrera says she is ready and willing to engage in a virtual debate with Ocascio-Cortez if social distancing remains in effect beyond the current May 15 end date recently set by New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo. Ocasio-Cortez's campaign said the incumbent will debate Caruso-Cabrera.
After having served meals to 11,900 marginalised poor and supplied grocery essentials to 2,600 needy families in the city, Saad Pratishthan Pune Trust has appealed to corporates for sponsorship to help additional 1,500-2,000 families with ration kits.

Marginalised people such as migrant labourers, homeless destitutes, scrap pickers, jobless daily wagers, commercial sex workers and others were the focus of attention for the relief work.

The trust received about Rs 50 lakhs in donations from individuals and organisations for relief work during the 21-day lockdown. Funding of Rs 5 lakhs from National Association of Software and Service Companies (Nasscom) was used to distribute 1,000 health kits to waste-pickers and policemen.

With the lockdown having been extended the NGO has appealed to new donors, especially corporate sponsorship. The trust volunteers fan out in different areas of the city and distribute ration kits and meal to the deserving poor and the needy.

On Friday, a car loaded with meals and ration kits meandered through the arterial areas of the city, distributing meals and ration kits to the poor. The distribution was undertaken near Sardar Vallabhai Patel Cantonment General Hospital where the hungry and the homeless were fed. The joy of the receivers knew no bounds upon receiving the food packets from volunteers Chinmay Damle and Sai Tamhane.

Speaking of the two worlds that exist in Indian society- one of abundance and the other poverty, Sai Tamhane said, There is a need to bridge the gulf between the haves and have-nots in the society. Our mission is to ensure that the vulnerable sections of the society dont stay hungry.

Damle said meals and rations were being distributed after due diligence and verification as per a list provided to them by credible NGOs.

Amit Dhole, trustee, Saad Pratishthan said. Our focus has been on reaching out to people whose names are not in the voters lists and people who dont have ration cards. While local corporators or MLAs often and to a large extent, take care of their voter base, this other section of the urban poor is the most vulnerable. Most of them are migrants and have no line of credit at the local store nor any formal channel through which they can access the government ration shop.

Saad has served 850-1,100 cooked meals daily with the help of Tiranga Bhuvan, Kothrud; Poona Guest House, Urban Foundry and Westin Hotel. Daily, around 400 ration kits weighing 30 kg each have been distributed across Pune and Pimpri-Chinchwad. These kits contain 10 kg rice, 10 kg wheat flour, 5 kg mix dal, 2 kg besan, 2 litres oil,  kilo spices , 1 kg salt and soap.

The trust has obtained police permission for four trucks and five private cars and a group of young men and women have been serving as volunteers. Some NGOs have provided assistance by identifying the most needy. Precaution is being taken in terms of hygiene and avoiding mass gatherings.

The trust was founded by Suhas Dhole, chairman, UGC Supply Chain Solutions Pvt Ltd as a social foundation to work towards humanitarian causes in Pune district.

We are grateful to our donors for enabling us to help the poorest of the poor in these testing times. With the funds ,we have collected so far, we hope to feed around 5,000 people. We plan to continue the initiative till a week after the lockdown ends, Suhas Dhole said.

BOX: Issues and Challenges

 Many beneficiaries attended to by Saad Trust unable to access governments food distribution network due to absence of ration cards

* Received support from NGOs like Robin Hood Army, Mashal, Samapathik Trust, Saheli, Janaseva Foundation, Manoday Vyasan Mukti Kendra and others.

* Marginalised communities which need attention: Potraj (Khadimachine chowk, Hadapsar SRA), Rajgond (Gosawi vasti), Pardhi (Bopodi), the LGBTHI (Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Hijara, Intersex) community across Pune through Samapathik Trust; Commercial sex workers (with the help of Saheli NGO and Faraskhana Police station), various nomadic tribes and daily wage labourers, migrant workers.

* Areas of operation: Sangvi,Yerawada, Pimpri, Charholi budruk, HInjewadi, Hadapsar, Sasanenagar, Vimannagar, Lohegaon and Katraj, among others
The year 1347 saw the beginning of one of historys most notorious spillovers.

Twelve ships arrived in Sicily from ports in the Black Sea. Most of the sailors aboard were dead and those still alive had ugly black boils.

The disease responsible for this horror would go on to kill one third of the European population. Nor was it the first such catastrophe; eight centuries earlier, the Plague of Justinian had killed millions.

The pandemic was caused by a bacterium, Yersinia pestis, which originated in Asia. Rats are usually blamed for introducing it. Some of them had become immune to the disease but those in Europe, its claimed, were not.

When they succumbed to the disease, their fleas jumped onto people. But, if rats were responsible, how did it spread so rapidly? Other commentators claim that the Black Death was carried from person to person by human fleas and body lice.

Nor are all spillovers destructive, as the subsequent history of plague in Europe shows; brown rats, arriving from the Asia in the 18th Century, ousted the black rat in a rodent spillover, reducing the frequency of outbreaks.

Rats are notorious vectors of disease. So are bats, implicated in the Covid-19 pandemic. Both belong to highly successful families; there are over 60 rat species worldwide and a quarter of all mammals are bats.

Exploiting man-made environments, urban and rural, rats have vastly increased their numbers and range. With the destruction of their traditional habitats, bats now roost and breed in buildings.

Creatures living in large concentrations close to people present spillover opportunities to viruses. Poultry in close proximity to soldiers may have caused the 1918 pandemic, killing more people than had died in the war preceding it. The culprit, an invisible antagonist, was a flu virus.

Christine Johnson is lead author of a paper just published on spillovers of infectious disease in mammals.

Her team examined 142 human viruses, known to have come from animals.

Pets and livestock, she found, carry eight times as many such viruses as wild mammals, a result of close contact with domesticated creatures.

Species in severe decline, from hunting habitat destruction or capture for the wildlife trade, may carry twice as many animal-derived viruses than those declining for other reasons.

Wild creatures, such as rats and bats, living in human-dominated environments, share more viruses with us than those keeping their distance. The risk of spillover increases when habitats are damaged and wild creatures are forced to live closer to humans.

"Infectious diseased that originate from animals", the authors write, "are one of the greatest challenges facing public health".

Disease spillover is probably vastly under-reported, particularly in remote regions where people have limited access to healthcare.

The study, the researchers hope, "provides new evidence for assessing spillover risk from mammalian species".

It highlights "processes whereby the causes of wildlife population declines have facilitated the transmission of rogue viruses to humans".

We have behaved abominably towards other creatures. Now the chickens are coming home to roost. What goes around comes around!
A research scholar at an institute in Wuhan in central China returned to his home in Nepal on January 9 to spend the Lunar New Year holiday with his family. The coronavirus had by then arrived in the Chicago of China but had not yet started its macabre dance of death. Dr Li Wenliang of Wuhan Central Hospital had blown the whistle on WeChat, but Chinese authorities had pounced on him and made him admit that he had just been spreading rumours.

Follow latest updates on the COVID-19 pandemic here

The Nepalese scholar did not know that the virus had claimed its first known victim in Wuhan the day he reached his home in Kathmandu. A 61-year-old died at the hospital, but China made his death public only on January 11. The deceased was found to have been a regular at the Huanan Seafood Wholesale Market in Wuhan  the ground zero of what would later turn into a pandemic. The 32-year-old Nepalese turned up at the Sukraraj Tropical and Infectious Disease Hospital in Kathmandu on January 13, with fever, cough and respiratory problems. He was admitted, cured and discharged on January 17. He was put in quarantine at home, though. His throat swab was sent to a lab in Hong Kong and, on January 24, the same was found to be Covid-19 positive  making him the first known case of infection by the virus not only in Nepal but in all of South Asia.

A 43-year-old tourist developed Covid-19 symptoms when she was about to leave for her home at Hubei in China on January 26 after a week-long tour of Sri Lanka. Hers was the first case in the Indian Ocean island nation. India reported its first case on January 30  a student who had returned home in Kerala from Wuhan recently following news of the coronavirus outbreak.

So, for three of the eight South Asian countries -- Nepal, Sri Lanka and India -- the first Covid-19 cases were all linked to the epicentre of the outbreak in China.

Afghanistan and Pakistan, however, got it from Iran  one of the worst affected countries outside China. A 35-year-old man was the first patient in Afghanistan. He tested positive on February 24, a few days after returning home in Herat from Qom in neighbouring Iran. Pakistan reported its first case on February 26, when a student at the University of Karachi tested positive. He had also recently returned from Iran.

The remaining three South Asian nations  Bhutan, Maldives and Bangladesh  reported their first cases between March 6 and 8. A tourist from the United States was the first Covid-19 patient in Bhutan. He tested positive on March 6. Two employees of a resort at Kuredhoo Island in Maldives were found to be infected on March 7. They apparently got it from an Italian, who had tested positive after returning home after a vacation in the archipelago. Two men and a woman, who tested positive on March 8, were the first cases in Bangladesh. They had recently returned from Italy.

Thus, in about 45 days from the time the first case was reported in Nepal, the coronavirus had spread its tentacles across South Asia  home to 21% of the global population.

The virus has so far infected at least 24,836 people in the regions eight countries, and 735 have died of it, according to the Situation Report of the SAARC Disaster Management Centre in Ahmedabad (as of 11 am, April 18). The region registered a mortality rate of less than 3%, while the global average is close to 7%.

India, of course, leads the tally with a total of 14378 Covid-19-positive patients and a death toll of 480. Pakistan follows with 7,481 patients and 143 deaths. The mortality rate has been higher in India (over 3%) than in Pakistan (nearly 2%).

Also Read: Coronavirus India update: State-wise total number of confirmed cases, deaths

Bangladesh and Afghanistan rank third and fourth with 1838 and 845 infected people and 75 and 30 deaths, respectively. Sri Lanka has recorded 244 cases and seven deaths. Maldives, Nepal and Bhutan have just 29, 16 and five patients, respectively, and no deaths due to the virus so far.

All the South Asian nations responded to the outbreak by banning international and domestic flight arrivals, closing land borders, and imposing restrictions on travel within their territories and, later, lockdowns.

India imposed country-wide lockdown on March 24, which continues till May 3, but with some relaxation post-April 20. Nepal, too, enforced nationwide lockdown on March 24 and has extended it till April 27. Bhutan imposed a lockdown on April 1 till April 21. Bangladesh extended its lockdown to April 25. Sri Lanka and Maldives responded with partial lockdowns. Maldives, however, is now mulling a complete lockdown, after detection of a few more Covid-19 cases in the country this week.

Unlike India, Pakistan did not evacuate its nationals studying in Wuhan, perhaps more to avoid offending its iron brother, than to avoid the risk of the outbreak. Prime Minister Imran Khans government, however, completely failed to manage the hundreds of pilgrims returning home from Iran. They were quarantined in a squalid camp at Taftan in Baluchistan after they crossed the Iran-Pakistan border. They were not screened or tested for Covid-19. Neither were the ones with Covid-19 symptoms segregated from others. When they were returned to the provinces they belonged to a couple of weeks later and were tested, nearly 600 of them were found infected.

Pakistan has extended its lockdown to April 30, but its implementation has not been effective. Khan himself is trying to convince a group of clerics who have been opposing the order of the government to avoid large congregation during prayers on Fridays and are also not keen to abide by any such restrictions during Ramzan.

The returnees from Iran and Pakistan contributed to the rise of Covid-19 infection in Afghanistan, too. The Afghan governments response to Covid-19 was somewhat stymied by the tussle between President Ashraf Ghani and his rival Abdullah Abdullah, who too staked claim to the top office in Kabul. The enforcement of the lockdown has varied from province to province. The Taliban, which is pursuing a peace process with the Afghan government, however, agreed to help healthcare professionals to fight the outbreak. But the countrys lack of testing kits and healthcare infrastructure as well as the continuing fight between security forces and militants have made the fight against the pandemic all the more difficult.

The pandemic and the lockdowns imposed to contain it have prompted the World Bank to revise the growth forecast for South Asian economies for 2020 from 6.3% to somewhere between 1.8% and 2.8%  signalling the worst slowdown in the region in almost four decades. A report by the World Bank noted that the impact of the crisis would hit low-income people hard, especially informal workers in the hospitality, retail trade, and transport sectors who have limited or no access to healthcare or social safety nets. It added that the Covid-19 shock would likely reinforce inequality in South Asia. The sudden and large-scale loss of low-paid work has driven a mass exodus of migrant workers from cities to rural areas, sparking fear that many of them will fall back into poverty, added the World Bank.

The priority for all South Asian governments is to contain the virus spread and protect their people, especially the poorest, who face considerably worse health and economic outcomes, said Hartwig Schafer, World Bank Vice President for the South Asia Region. The Covid-19 crisis is also an urgent call-to-action moment to pursue innovative policies and jumpstart South Asian economies once the crisis is over. Failure to do so can lead to long-term growth disruptions and reverse hard-won progress in reducing poverty.

The only glimmer of hope comes from Bhutan. The Himalayan Shangri La has not only been the least-affected country in South Asia but may also turn out to be first to get out of the shadow of Covid-19, with no case of infection being reported in the past 14 days.
More than 2,000 Israelis reportedly gathered for the Black Flag demonstration at Tel Aviv's Rabin Square on Sunday, April 19 to protest against alleged anti-democratic moves of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu amid the coronavirus crisis. The demonstrators maintained social distance, wore protective face masks and kept at least 2 meters apart in accordance with the health ministrys safety protocols.

In a bitter disagreement with the blue and white party, the political rally was reportedly organised to oppose Netanyahus attempt to form an emergency government in partnership with his chiel political rival Benny Gantz to deal with the COVID-19 disease crisis.

As per the local media reports, the alliance infuriated the pro-democratic forces who accused Netanyahu of evading trials to escape prosecution and corruption charges. The demonstrators converged at Tel Aviv's Rabin Square holding black flags, a symbol of their campaign against the government.

Read: Israel Test Booth Allows Staff-patient Separation

Read: Virus Patients At One Israeli Hospital Are Not Dying Alone

Trial postponed

Netanyahu has been accused of fraud, breach of justice and bribery, which the Israeli Prime Minister said was a setup by the hostile media and aggressive police and prosecutors. He had declared himself the victim denying all charges as the Ministry of Justice postponed the hearing two days before it was to begin until late May, according to media reports.

You dont fight corruption from within. If youre inside, youre part of it, Yair Lapid, Gantzs former political partner, who withdrew from the Blue and White alliance last month was quoted saying by the local media.

Read: Protest Outside Downing Street Over Lack Of PPE

Read: Hundreds Protest Against US Virus Rules Amid Spreading Resentment

(With AP Inputs)
An Alitalia employee with a face mask.

Marco Di Lauro/Getty

It is not a good idea to book a summer holiday amid ongoing uncertainty about the coronavirus pandemic, according to a UK government minister.

'I won't be booking a summer holiday at this point, let's put it that way,' Transport Secretary Grant Shapps said on Friday.

His comments suggest the current UK lockdown measures may be enforced until the autumn.

A group which represents the travel industry said Shapps' comments showed 'a complete disregard for the UK travel industry.'

Visit Business Insider's homepage for more stories.

The public should not book a summer holiday due to the ongoing coronavirus pandemic, according to the UK's Transport Secretary.

Grant Shapps advised against booking a summer break because the number of coronavirus cases had not dropped sufficiently to be sure that current restrictions would be lifted by then.

"On the travel advice  should you book your holidays?  clearly people will want to see what the trajectory of this disease is in the next few weeks," he told BBC Radio 4's Today programme.

"We've just started to see a flattening of that daily tragic curve which shows the deaths each day. But we're not seeing the declines yet."

"I won't be booking a summer holiday at this point, let's put it that way."

Shapps' comments suggest that government ministers believe the current lockdown measures may be enforced at least until the autumn.

His comments provoked a furious reaction from Abta, the chief lobby group for the travel industry.

A spokesperson said: "It was a thoughtless comment and not based on any facts about what we know today about the future of the pandemic, but it shows complete disregard for the UK travel industry, the hundreds of thousands of people it employs and the struggle it is facing in this current crisis."

They added: "It would be better if the government focused on taking the necessary steps to support the sector rather than undermining confidence in it."

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A spokesperson for Prime Minister Boris Johnson said that current guidelines did not allow for holidays.

"In terms of travelling... that is not something that current social distancing guidelines allow for," he said on Friday.

He added: "On travelling abroad the Foreign Office advice remains that you should only travel abroad if absolutely necessary... the current advice does not allow for going on holidays."

Dominic Raab, the foreign secretary who is deputising for Boris Johnson as he continues his recovery from the coronavirus, yesterday said the social distancing measures currently in place would continue for at least another three weeks until May 7, the longest time they can be legally extended.

Raab said there was "light at the end of the tunnel" because the UK was starting to see a flattening of the curve in the number of people dying from the coronavirus.

But he said lifting the measures now would "risk sacrificing all the progress we have made" because it would risk a "second peak" in a few months time, which would overwhelm the NHS.

Despite the announcement, there is growing pressure on the UK government to set out its exit strategy from the coronavirus lockdown.

Labour's leader Keir Starmer has called on the government to publish its strategy saying that the public "need a sense of what comes next."

Other European countries have already started to loosen their lockdown.

Germany's Chancellor Angela Merkel, who governs a country that has suffered less than a third of the deaths seen in the UK, this week announced a plan to reopen schools and shops and detailed a wider strategy to ease other restrictions.

But UK ministers have been reluctant to detail such a plan in the apparent belief that it would distract the public from intensive messaging urging them to stay at home.

The prime minister's spokesman on Thursday denied that it was "patronising" to suggest that the public was not capable of being informed about an exit strategy at the same time as respecting social distancing rules.

"Different countries are at different stages in the pandemic," said the prime minister's spokesperson Our focus has to be for now on slowing the rate of transmission and ensuring we have passed through the peak. Our focus is on building the capacity of the NHS and saving lives."

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As the novel coronavirus continues to spread throughout Iowa, public health officials are urging Iowans to observe social distancing by remaining at least 6 feet apart.

But at food processing plants throughout the state, workers continue to do their jobs while standing fewer than 6 inches apart.

A delicate balancing act is taking place at these plants: experts say the facilities must remain open in order to preserve the food supply chain, but because of the nature of the work done there, it can be difficult to adequately protect workers during a global pandemic.

Outbreaks of the novel coronavirus have occurred recently at three Iowa food processing plants in Iowa: at Tyson Foods plants in Waterloo and Columbus Junction, and at a National Beef Packing Co. plant in Tama. A fourth outbreak occurred at a Smithfield Foods plant just across Iowas northwest border in Sioux Falls.

Smithfield Foods representatives would not comment on the status of employees at the Mason City plant. Local plant officials referred questions to corporate public relations specialists

Two workers have died and more than 100 tested positive for the coronavirus as a result of the outbreak at the National Beef Columbus Junction plant.

Numerous workers at the Tama plant contracted the virus, company officials said.

And more than 600 cases of the virus were confirmed at the Sioux Falls plant.

All three plants have closed temporarily.

At the Waterloo plant, state and company officials have not published precise numbers, but local health officials told the Waterloo-Cedar Falls Courier that they have witnessed a surge in coronavirus cases as a result of the outbreak there. That plant remains open, although Waterloo mayor Quentin Hart on Friday called for the plant to close until it is clear that workers will be safe.

State officials and plant leaders say they are taking steps to protect workers at these food processing plants. State officials are sending thousands of test kits to the plants so the companies may more accurately determine the outbreaks scope. Company officials say they are working to get their employees safety equipment like face masks and shields, and are placing physical barriers between workers where possible.

There is a limit to how successful can be any prevention and mitigation efforts to protect workers at food processing plants, experts say.

We have witnessed the difficulty of social distancing in Tyson, Black Hawk County health director Nafissa Cisse Egbuonye told the Courier. Its a problem that I truly believe is very difficult for food production facilities.

The federal Occupational Safety and Health Administration, which provides oversight to ensure workers safety, did not respond to multiple messages seeking information on whether it has received complaints about the Iowa food processing facilities or has sent inspectors to the facilities since the outbreaks occurred.

Iowa elected officials have stressed a need to do what is necessary to protect workers and also get the closed plants reopened and operating.

Asked if she has spoken with groups that represent workers at Iowas food processing plants, Gov. Kim Reynolds said she focused her communication with plant managers.

I have really focused on (communicating with) the plant managers so that we can understand what the needs are, so we can first of all make sure that the employees are safe and that theyre working in a safe environment, Reynolds said. And testing is a critical component of that, so we can start to understand what the scope of the exposure has been and through contact tracing how we can get in front of that and hopefully protect the employees and ultimately keep the plants up and going so that we can keep the flow of food going out of Iowa and throughout the nation.

They are critical infrastructure and its essential that we do everything we can to protect the workforce while keeping these processing plants up and going.

During a tele-town hall with Iowa farmers, U.S. Sen. Joni Ernst and Iowa agriculture secretary Mike Naig said more testing and inspections are needed at packing facilities to help strike that balance between productive plants and protected workers.

State of Iowa is absolutely committed to working with packers to keep these plants moving while being absolutely protective of the workforce, Naig said.

But striking that balance may not be possible, said Patty Judge, a former Iowa agriculture secretary and lieutenant governor. She said the production lines at packing plants move rapidly, which requires workers to stand essentially shoulder-to-shoulder.

It may not be possible to keep those plants open. But if they are operating, they need to be taking all precautions, Judge said during a news conference. Its a big problem. I dont have any smooth answers. But the first thing that we have to do is make sure that we are protecting human life.

Judge said plants may need to slow those production lines in order to allow workers to stand apart. During the same news conference, former Iowa Gov. Tom Vilsack said it is incumbent upon food processing plant leaders to get creative by slowing down the production line or redesigning the manner in which workers handle the product.

As is always the case in a crisis situation, its going to be necessary for people to be incredibly creative. And I think the folks who run and operate those plants need to be thinking is there a way in which they can create products that is necessary for us to continue to have an adequate food supply and at the same time provide safety for workers, Vilsack said. If they make the determination that workers cant be safe, then I think they obviously are going to have to shut the plant down.

In a paper that was published April 10 -- just before the first outbreak in Iowa, at the Columbus Junction plant -- Melissa ORourke, a farm and agribusiness management specialist at Iowa State University, listed myriad steps agricultural businesses could take to protect their workers.

In her paper, ORourke also issued a warning.

Start planning now so that you have some level of preparation, ORourke wrote.

ORourke wrote that agribusiness can protect workers by having workers practice social distancing, constantly wash their hands and sanitize work areas, use protective equipment like masks, shields and gloves, and stay home when feeling sick.

But in those food processing plants, its the social distancing that is particularly challenging.

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A delivery of 84 tonnes of Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) for NHS staff on the frontline of the coronavirus outbreak has been delayed.

The shipment which included 400,000 gowns was due to arrive in the UK this afternoon from Turkey.

The reason for the delay is unclear and it is not known when the shipment will now arrive.

A Department of Health and Social Care spokesman told the Evening Standard the RAF is on standby to take off as soon as the shipment is ready.

"We are continuing to work to ensure the shipment is delivered as soon as possible," said the spokesman.

The RAF has also been contacted for comment.

The protective equipment is desperately needed by the NHS as providers have expressed concerns that they will run out of the protective equipment this weekend.

Speaking at yesterday's Downing Street press conference, Housing Secretary Robert Jenrick said: Today I can report that a very large consignment of PPE is due to arrive in the UK tomorrow from Turkey, which amounts to 84 tonnes of PPE and will include for example, 400,000 gowns  so a very significant additional shipment."

Personal Protection Equipment (PPE) for health workers / Press Association Images

Niall Dickson, chief executive of the NHS Confederation said the supply may be enough to avert an absolute crisis over this weekend, but added that it doesnt solve the longer term problem.

He said: The question really is how guaranteed are we that we will have similar shipments over the next few weeks and then will there be from May onwards a really guaranteed regular supply so we take away the levels of fear and anxiety which are existing in hospitals, but also crucially, in GP services and communities and social care as well?

So its across the whole health and care system that at the moment theres a supply problem and theres a confidence problem because the levels of fear and anxiety have risen over the last few days.

TODO: define component type apester

Mr Dickson said he understood why the Government issued advice about what staff should do if PPE supplies run out, but added: The reality is that again, that will have knocked the confidence of an awful lot of NHS staff who are faced with a situation when theyre going into work where they may feel they havent got the level of kit that they need.

London during Coronavirus lockdown - In pictures 1 /66 London during Coronavirus lockdown - In pictures A woman jogging near City Hall, London, the day after Prime Minister Boris Johnson put the UK in lockdown PA An image of Queen Elizabeth II and quotes from her broadcast on Sunday to the UK and the Commonwealth in relation to the coronavirus epidemic are displayed on lights in London's Piccadilly Circus PA A pedestrian walks past a billboard reading "Please believe these days will pass" on Broadway Market in east London AFP via Getty Images Military vehicles cross Westminster Bridge Getty Images Boris Johnson Jeremy Selwyn Sun-seekers cool off in the water and sunbathe on the riverbank at Hackney Marshes in east London AFP via Getty Images Ed Davey is shown on screens as he speaks via videolink during Prime Minister's Questions in the House of Commons, London PA A herd of fallow deer graze on the lawns in front of a housing estate in Harold Hill in east London AFP via Getty Images A woman wearing a mask crosses a bridge over Camden Lock, London PA An empty Millenium Bridge PA A sign advertising a book titled "How Will We Survive On Earth?" is seen on an underground station platform Getty Images People push to enter the Niketown shop in Londo AP Jo Proudlove and daughter Eve, 9, follow the daily online "PE with Joe" Joe Wickes' exercise class on "Fancy dress Friday Reuters Police in Westminster Jeremy Selwyn Waterloo station looking empty PA Getty Images A quiet Parliament Square Getty Images PABest A man walks along a passageway at London's Oxford Street Underground station the day after Prime Minister Boris Johnson put the UK in lockdown to help curb the spread of the Coronavirus PA Social distancing markers around the camel enclosure at ZSL London Zoo PA A police car patrols Greenwich Park in London PA The Premier League in action in front of empty stands AP Novikov restaurant in London with its shutters pulled down while the restaurant is closed. A deserted Piccadilly Circus PA A general view is seen of a deserted Trafalgar Square AFP via Getty Images Getty Images The iconic Abbey Road crossing is seen after a re-paint by a Highways Maintenance team as they take advantage of the COVID-19 coronavirus lockdown and quiet streets to refresh the markings Getty Images A view of 20 Fenchurch Street (the 'Walkie Talkie' building) in the City of London, the day after Prime Minister Boris Johnson put the UK in lockdown to help curb the spread of the coronavirus PA A deserted Chinatown PA A person looks at graffiti on a JD Wetherspoon pub in Crystal Palace, south London. Wetherspoons workers have described founder Tim Martin's lack of support for his chain's 40,000 employees as "absolutely outrageous" PA The London ExCel centre that has been turned into a makeshift NHS Hospital and critical care unit to cope with the Coronavirus pandemic PA The Palace Theatre, which usually shows the Harry Potter and the Cursed Child play, sits in a deserted Shaftesbury Avenue PA The Sondheim Theatre, which usually shows the Les Miserables musical, sits in a deserted Shaftesbury Avenue PA Two members of a British Army mounted regiment exercise their horses in Parliament Square AP Westminster Bridge is deserted PA A quiet Canary Wharf Underground Station PA An empty street and bus stop at St James's Park AFP via Getty Images Whitehall Jeremy Selwyn A quiet Canary Wharf Underground Station PA A single pedestrian walks past The national Gallery AFP via Getty Images London Bridge Station Jeremy Selwyn Kings Cross and St Pancras Jeremy Selwyn Buckingham Palace looking empty in London, PA London Bridge Station Jeremy Selwyn Kings Cross and St Pancras Jeremy Selwyn London Bridge Station Jeremy Selwyn London's Carnaby Street empty as shops closed after a lockdown was announced in the latest bid to stop the spread of coronavirus through the UK AP A quiet Jubilee line westbound train carriage PA A single pedestrian walks past The national Gallery AFP via Getty Images A quiet Canary Wharf Underground Station PA Empty Embankment Jeremy Selwyn

Thousands of doctors and nurses are concerned about the situation and a British Medical Association (BMA) survey said a significant amount of remain without the protection they need to guard against Covid-19.

Mr Jenrick admitted "demand is also very high" for PPE and explained that the Government is working with major fashion brands such as Burberry and Barbour to produce more of the vital equipment.

"We are working with British manufacturers to ensure that they can make a contribution, and youve heard of some of the more prominent ones like Burberry and Barbour but there are many SMEs as well being involved in that, and my department is also involved in trying to ensure that the supplies that we have get out, not just to the NHS, critical though that is, but also to social care, often to smaller establishments like care homes, all across the country." said Mr Jenrick.

Theres over 50,000 healthcare settings like that in the country, and were using local resilience forums, backed by almost 200 military planners to do the logistical task of taking the stocks that we do have, and getting them to the front line, but I completely accept that this is extremely challenging.

Listen to The Leader: Coronavirus Daily podcast
Ex Bigg Boss contestant Sofia Hayat is often hailed with immense disapproval as the reigning queen of controversy.

Even in such tough times, Sofia Hayat has created quite a stir by posting a butt-naked picture of herself, posing in front of an OM painting and making a complete mockery of the otherwise auspicious term.

Sofia Hayat / Instagram

Captioning her supremely controversial post by writing, "OM is the first erotic sound that came from the cosmos.. an expression of pure ecstasy and love!!! The Shakti of Shiva! I have given my sacred orgasm back to OM because OM gave all of you her sacred orgasm...the vibration of creation!!!!! The power behind the great Sun!!!!" ensured she is mercilessly slammed.

Sofia Hayat / Instagram

A plethora of Instagram users called Sofia Hayat out on how disrespectful she is towards the OM mantra. Some even told her how this was not a genuine or honest way of worshipping.

Sofia Hayat / Instagram

However, not taking this backlash lightly, Sofia Hayat actually had it in her to justify her actions. She replied to a comment saying she is the naked goddess.

Sofia Hayat / Instagram

While most people thought getting bashed on social media would be the end for Sofia Hayat's controversial posts but now it's being reported that cybercrime has filed a complaint against her.

On Twitter, a person took to inform that he has officially lodged a complaint against Sofia Hayat for hurting religious sentiments with her post.

Filed online complaint against @sofiahayat for hurting Hindu sentiments and insulting Hindu Gods and Goddesses on her @instagram

account

I really hope govt takes strict action against such people and accounts@ippatel @TajinderBagga @ShefVaidya @AskAnshul @MODIfiedVikas pic.twitter.com/qp4R41nIdf  Ramesh Solanki (@Rajput_Ramesh) April 18, 2020

Everyone has the right to follow a religion that resonates with them but making a mockery out of it is distasteful and uncalled for.




After India amended its foreign direct investment policy to prevent the hostile takeover of stressed firms amid the COVID-19 pandemic via the automatic FDI route, China seemingly responding to India's move said that it has done nothing but act as a 'responsible country' and has proven its international cooperation.

Chinese Ambassador to India Sun Weidong in a series of tweets said that China had been the first to alert the world regarding the pandemic and that it had helped become the 'world's factory' by decreasing the strain on global medical supplies. He stated that at a time like this 'cooperation' was needed instead of 'scapegoating'.

Read: India Revises FDI Policy- Govt Nod Required By All Neighbouring Nations To Invest In Cos

State Councilor #WangYi: #China has acted as a responsible country thru int'l cooperation & won high recognition.Leaders of over 170 countries & 50 orgs offered solidarity, over 70 countries & orgs sent assistance. The friendship will be remembered. https://t.co/O9flm2Gzul (1/6)  Sun Weidong (@China_Amb_India) April 18, 2020

Viruses respect no borders and epidemics do not distinguish between race. The only way to defeat them is through concerted efforts of all. This global public health crisis has driven home the urgency and importance of building a community with a shared future for mankind. (2/6)  Sun Weidong (@China_Amb_India) April 18, 2020

#Chinese govt has acted in an open, transparent & responsible manner, actively engaged in int'l cooperation to jointly meet the common threat and challenge. We are resolved to protect the lives & health of the Chinese & other people across the world. (3/6)  Sun Weidong (@China_Amb_India) April 18, 2020

"As the first country to alert the world about the virus & to grapple with a serious outbreak, China served as a crucial line of defence for the world. Fighting off the virus with strength, ingenuity & sacrifice, China boosted global confidence in an ultimate victory," tweeted Sun Weidong, the Chinese Ambassador to India quoting State Councilor and China's Finance Minister Wang Yi.

"China has managed to restore its economy and society step by step to normal. The early economic reopening of "the world's factory", has significantly eased the strained global medical supplies. It will also help bring the world economy back to normal at an early date," the ambassador added.

#China shouldered its responsibilities & provided strong support to other countries. China shared its experiences, sent teams of experts to front-line countries, mobilized manufacturers to produce & ship medical supplies to every corner of the globe. (4/6)  Sun Weidong (@China_Amb_India) April 18, 2020

#China has spoken up with its actions. History will give its objective & impartial verdict. No one could discredit or distort these facts or truths. To defeat the virus, mankind needs to choose confidence over panic, unity over division, cooperation over scapegoating. (5/6)  Sun Weidong (@China_Amb_India) April 18, 2020

To defeat #COVID19, we suggests: make a unified response; uphold multilateralism & improve global governance on public health; reinforce cooperation & build int'l consensus; better coordinate macro policies & counter the downward pressure on the world economy. (6/6)  Sun Weidong (@China_Amb_India) April 18, 2020

Read: As India Amends FDI Policy, Startup Investments Reveal Why Protection From China Is Needed

India amends its FDI policy

In massive development, the Centre on Saturday, amended the Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) policy to ensure no hostile takeover of firms facing stress due to ongoing COVID-19 lockdown. According to the amendment, neighbouring countries - including China, Nepal, Bangladesh, Pakistan will require government approval for investing into Indian companies. Centre has also prohibited Pakistan from investing in Indian sectors of defence, space, atomic energy and sectors/activities prohibited for foreign investment. Apart from India, EU, US, Australia have checked Chinese FDI amid COVID-19 crisis. China's People's Development Bank had just last week picked up an over 1% stake in India's largest private lender HDFC bank.

Read: This Is The Full Document Of India's Big Move To Block FDI From China Via Automatic Route
The special ASEAN and ASEAN+3 summits on COVID-19 were hosted entirely online by Vietnam

Leaders of the ASEAN member states and its three partners of China, Japan, and South Korea last week agreed to transparently exchange real-time information on the situation on the ground and measures taken by each country in combating COVID-19, as well as promoting mutual technical support in the prevention, containment, and control of transmission as well as clinical treatment of infected cases.

The commitment was made at two historic video summits, the Special ASEAN Summit on COVID-19 and the Special ASEAN+3 Summit with China, Japan, and South Korea on COVID-19. The summits were hosted by Vietnam as chair of the ASEAN.

In the context of the pandemic, the commitment is aimed to prioritise the wellbeing of people, and assisting both people and businesses suffering from the impacts, especially micro-, small- and medium-sized enterprises and vulnerable groups.

Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc Chairman, Special ASEAN and ASEAN+3 summits on COVID-19 The COVID-19 pandemic is the greatest challenge to humankind and an unprecedented global crisis since the Second World War, and also the biggest challenge to the ASEAN during its more than half a century history of formation and development. All member countries are forecast to suffer from a strong decrease in growth, and some will even face an economic decline. Regarding ASEAN co-operation, statistics of the ASEAN Secretariat showed more than 200 meetings of the bloc had to be postponed or cancelled. From the beginning of this year as chair of the ASEAN, Vietnam, together with other member countries, has actively and urgently made preparations for and got ready to organise activities during the ASEAN Chairmanship Year 2020. However, with the sudden outbreak of the pandemic and its unprecedented impacts in all fields, we had to make necessary adjustments to the plans for those activities. With the motto of putting peoples health first, and maintaining connectivity and close co-ordination in preventing and fighting the epidemic, ASEAN member countries have organised many important ministerial-level meetings in the form of video conferences, as well as meetings with partners such as China, the EU, the US, and important international organisations like the World Health Organization to share experience and help for the effective response to the epidemic. We will continue to consider holding important ASEAN events when the epidemic is put under control. Vietnam earlier issued an ASEAN chair statement on the blocs collective response to COVID-19 and held many important meetings among member states and between the group with its partners to ensure concerted co-ordination in epidemic prevention, and to share experience and support to effectively cope with the pandemic. If we unite, no danger can subdue us. The pandemic has proven that Vietnams theme Cohesive and Responsive for its ASEAN Chairmanship Year 2020 is timely and correct. Efforts by Vietnam as ASEAN chair have reflected the spirit of the theme and shown that Vietnam has turned words into actions. The way we are working together to tackle the pandemic will reaffirm the strength of the grouping.

[We will] intensify co-operation for adequate provision of medicines, essential medical supplies and equipment, including but not limited to diagnostic tools and personal protective equipment; and encourage the development of regional reserves of medical supplies as well as utilising relevant ASEAN reserve warehouses to support the needs of member states in public health emergencies, read the declaration of the Special ASEAN Summit on COVID-19.

Meanwhile, a joint statement of the Special ASEAN+3 summit reaffirmed commitments to keep markets open for trade and investment, and enhancing co-operation among the ASEAN+3 countries with a view to ensuring food security, such as utilisation of the Emergency Rice Reserve, and strengthening resiliency and sustainability of regional supply chains especially for essential goods such as food, commodities, medicines and medical supplies.

It continued that this would be carried out through smooth and continued operation of logistics networks, while ensuring that measures deemed necessary for public health emergency response are targeted, proportionate, transparent, and temporary, while not creating unnecessary barriers to trade or disruption to regional supply chains, and are consistent with World Trade Organization rules.

The leaders of the ASEAN and its partners vowed to strengthen efforts to stabilise the manufacturing and supply of essential goods and services, including vital medical supplies, critical agricultural products, maintaining necessary flow of goods and services, and sustaining supply chain connectivity within the region and beyond. This will be achieved by making the supply chain more resilient, sustainable, and less vulnerable to shocks in order to support economic development, reaffirming commitments described in the joint leaders statement on the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership released in 2019.

Particularly, the statements also pointed out the necessity to encourage the development of a post-pandemic recovery plan to share lessons learned and restore connectivity, tourism, normal business, and social activities, while preventing potential economic downturns.

Highly appreciating the success of the meetings, Singaporean Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong said that the declaration has shown the unity of the ASEAN region. According to him, as an area of 600 million people with four of the worlds 10 busiest air routes and two of the worlds busiest land crossings, each ASEAN country cannot be truly safe unless the entire region is safe.

COVID-19 is the gravest public health crisis that mankind is facing in a century. Its critical for us in the ASEAN to mount a united response because of how connected and interdependent our countries are, he stated.

He also emphasised that the agreement of participated countries in the meetings on keeping trade flowing is important. Many of us also export goods and agricultural products overseas. Closing our borders completely would therefore only deprive us of goods and products that we can produce together, hurting our economies and worsening unemployment, he said.

Meanwhile, Indonesian Foreign Minister Retno LP Marsudi stressed the importance of implementing the results of the meetings. I believe that through efforts to strengthen collaboration and a co-ordinated response in the region, we can win the war against COVID-19, she said.

Expressing satisfaction with the result of the summit, Japanese Prime Minister Abe Shinzo told the press that it is crucial for every country to keep trade routes open, especially for medical supplies and important goods, despite the pandemic. The establishment of an ASEAN centre for infectious diseases would be financed by the Japan-ASEAN Integration Fund, he said.

Meanwhile, Ambassador of South Korea to the ASEAN Lim Sungnam told the media, The G20 and the EU have held their summit meetings to discuss the impact of COVID-19 and the way forward. The ASEAN+3 were also one of the first to do so online, along with videoconferences to talk about the impacts and joint solutions for the problems. And these joint solutions have been very meaningful steps forward in our efforts to eradicate COVID-19, he said.

According to the Vietnamese government, the summits demonstrated the highest level of political commitment to solidarity and co-operation within the bloc as well as with partners amidst the pandemic. Individual efforts need to be reunited, becoming a joint action, it said. Timely response and close co-ordination in policy and action among the whole ASEAN bloc and its partners will be the decisive factor in containing the epidemic.

Deputy Prime Minister Pham Binh Minh said, Given its centrality in the region, ASEAN provides a common shelter for its member states to weather the storm. Throughout our history of development over the past five decades, whenever challenged or faced with a crisis, we emerge stronger. This time is no different. The ASEAN shall continue this time-tested value and fulfil its mission to support its member states during these circumstances of utmost hardship.

According to DPM Minh, ASEAN does not stand apart from the world, with the wellbeing of people and performance of economies closely linked to the East Asian region and the rest of the world. Countries in our region have all suffered severe consequences from COVID-19. Vietnam, as the ASEAN chair, has reflected the spirit of cohesiveness and responsiveness, he added. With the unity among ASEAN member states and the support and close co-operation of partners, Vietnam is confident that the region will join the world to emerge triumphant from this pandemic.

Over the last three months, the pandemic has caused devastating losses of human health and life as well as social and economic aspects, which are predicted to far surpass the impact of the 1997 financial crisis in Asia or the global crisis in 2008-2009.

By now, all countries in the ASEAN region have endured COVID-19 infections.
According to head of Ministry of Internal Affairs, fires arose due to strong dry wind, but there are other facts

Fires in the Zhytomyr region arose as a result of a strong dry wind, which cut off the electrical wires, but there are facts that suggest that this was a deliberate arson. Interior Minister Arsen Avakov said this during a meeting of the operational headquarters in Ovruch, the press service of the Ministry of Internal Affairs reports.

First of all, fires arose as a result of a strong dry wind that cut off the electric wires. However, we have certain facts that give reason to believe that there was a deliberate arson, he said.

At the same time, the minister emphasized that carelessness towards nature cannot be ruled out.

As we reported before, the chairman of the State Emergency Service, Mykola Chechotkin, states air pollution in Kyiv is not related to fires in the Chernobyl zone. He said this during a daily meeting chaired by the President of Ukraine

According to Chechotkin, the radiation background in the Exclusion Zone, Kyiv and the region is within normal limits and does not exceed normal values.
A 62-year-old woman, waiting in the queue for about two hours at a bank to draw Rs 500 from her Jan-Dhan account, died allegedly due to scorching heat, police said. Long queues outside banks in rural areas have been seen in the second phase of lockdown that started on April 15.

The death was reported from State Bank of Indias Common Service Centre at Ranighagar village under Masliya police station in Dumka district, around 300-km from capital Ranchi, on Saturday. The deceased was identified as Kaloni Tudu, resident of Kesho Raidih village.

Masliya police station in-charge Sanjay Kumar said, The woman went to draw Rs 500 from her Jan-Dhan account, which was credited by government. Tudu was in the queue for more than one and a half hour. She suddenly fainted and fell on the ground. Other persons who were in same queue sprayed water on her face but she did not wake up. Later, doctor declared her dead.

Her husband Karan Murmu said Tudu had left home with few other women of the village and joined the beeline before the CSC. The CSC lacks even basic facility like drinking water and shade. Customers stand in scorching heat to draw money, Murmu said.

SBIs Ranighagar branch manager Alok Kumar said the CSC was adjacent to the main branch. The CSC was set up recently and the person handling it is also new and not so experienced. Therefore, the main branch is handling most of the customers. The woman, who died in the queue, was third in the queue. But, she suddenly fainted and died.

The branch manager, however, rejected the charge that there was no shade or drinking water at the bank. We have ensured all basic facilities for customers in the CSC, he said.

From across the Hindi heartland of Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, Bihar, Odisha, Rajasthan and Haryana, there have been reports of women having to wait for hours to withdraw Rs 500 from their Jan Dhan accounts paid by the government as cash relief during lockdown. The money has been deposited in around 200 million Jan Dhan accounts till April 3, according to a statement issued by the finance ministry.

Bank officials in various states such as Madhya Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh and Odisha said the rush has increased in the second phase of the lockdown as the savings of most poor families may have exhausted. The officials said a rumour, that the government will take back the money if not withdrawn in April, also contributed to the rush.

In Jharkhand, a sexagenarian couple on Saturday walked for 10 kilometres to a bank branch to draw Rs 500 in Ranchis Lapung area. The woman Mangra Devi, who is visually impaired, walked to the branch with her husband Charku Paik using a stick. We walked back home safely, said Paik, happy to have got some money at the time of crisis.

In Madhya Pradesh, a 65-year-old woman, Laxmi Devi, failed to withdraw the relief money even after three visits. The queue is very long and the bank takes so much time to give the money. I did not get the chance and will go back again on Monday, she said, while complaining of no water facility or shade outside the bank.

Khushbu, 22, resident of Basini village in Bihars Kaimur district, walked 20 km, to withdraw Rs 500 on Saturday. I reached the branch at about 1 pm and waited in the queue for 2 hours under scorching heat but could not withdraw the amount. Then the manager came out and assured us that the amount will neither lapse nor be returned and asked me to return home if there was no emergency for money, she said.

Widow Ram Singari Kunwar, 88, of Parhuti village in Bihars Bhagwanpur block has not been able to reach the bank, 5 km away from her village, in absence of public transport.

Rural women across India are facing hardship in the process of withdrawing relief money from their Jan Dhan accounts.

The HT Guide to Coronavirus COVID-19

Raj Kumar Pandey, a CSC operator at Bihars Ramgarh district said there is not enough women police force to ensure social distancing and it takes some time to give money to each person as most of the women are semi-literate or illiterate.

Ajaz Hamid, lead bank manager in Rohtas district of Bihar said a lot of misinformation had also contributed to the sudden rush at the banks. As there is a rumour that if money is not withdrawn in April itself it would be taken back, women were thronging to the CSCs, he said.

Bank officials said that the rush increased in the last few days. Jharkhands State Level Bankers Committee (SLBC) senior manager Bibhaw Kumar said there was routine traffic of customers at the end of the first phase of lockdown. Between April 3 and April 9, a mere 15% to 16% of customers withdrew money.

Rush is being witnessed for the past three days in the second phase of lockdown. Withdrawal till April 18 reached 38%, he said.

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The Sharjah Chamber of Commerce & Industry, SCCI, has expressed its unstinting support to the Expo 2020 Dubai, emphasising that the event will be a global and an exceptional one whether itll be held in 2020 or 2021.

Underscoring that the SCCI will be an integral part of this event, Abdullah Sultan Al Owais, the SCCIs Chairman, said: We will be eagerly waiting for receiving our guests and visitors to show the world our ability to manage and organise such extraordinary events.

Well team up with the local enterprises and factories to develop plans and programmes to take advantage of this mega event, in addition to enhancing the participation of Emirati entrepreneurs. Also, we will work to make Emirati entrepreneurs a part of organizing this event to boost their skills and experiences, in addition to encouraging Sharjahs business sector to participate in Expo 2020 Dubai and grab all the available opportunities, he added.

Al Owais added: The global outbreak of the new coronavirus (Covid-19) requires all of us to further show solidarity and cooperation to overcome this pandemic. If Expo 2020 Dubai is postponed, this will give the participating countries and delegations an opportunity to reposition themselves and achieve the optimal participation of their economic sectors after overcoming the repercussions of this pandemic. This will also ensure that the participating countries and delegations will take part in the event in record numbers to shape the future and to help the global economy recover from the current crisis.

This will motivate all of us to work harder and to gear up for hosting the exhibition and securing all of its requirements, he concluded.

Mohammad Ahmed Amin Al-Awadi, SCCIs Director-General, said: We affirm our commitment and support to host this global event in the UAE and we are pleased to be a part of Expo 2020 Dubai which will give a strong impetus to the role of the UAE as an impactful power on the global map.

Commending the efforts exerted by the organising committee, Al-Awadi stressed that Expo 2020 Dubai will bring together all innovators and creatives from the UAE and the world, besides its important role in enhancing the spirit of cooperation and voluntary work, as well as highlighting the competent national human resources which will help achieve the communication of minds to shape the future.

Al-Awadi underlined that Expo 2020 Dubai is a national project for all the emirates of the country and its success is a success for everyone, pointing to the SCCs firm commitment to providing all the potential for the positive participation of the private sector and the entrepreneurs.

He shed light on the exceptional circumstances the global economy is passing through due to the Covid-19 pandemic, which led to rapid change in the priorities of the countries to focus only on the health and safety of their people.

The SCCIs Director-General pointed out that in the event of delaying Expo 2020 Dubai to 2021, this will be a different matter as it will be coinciding with the golden jubilee of the UAE and the kick-off of the march of the next 50 years.TradeArabia News Service
There will never be a good time to allow the United States Postal Service to run out of money with the intent of hastening its disappearance. But no time would be worse than during a historic pandemic that has disrupted life in the United States and isolated so many Americans.

Yet that is exactly what the Trump administration is threatening.

Because of COVID-19, mail volume has dropped by one-third from one year ago. Earlier this month, Postmaster General Megan Brennan told the House Oversight and Reform Committee that the economic consequences of the virus would cause USPS to lose $13 billion in fiscal year 2020 and run out of money before Sept. 30. She requested $75 billion in cash, grants and loans to keep the agency afloat.

According to the Washington Post, President Donald Trump not only blocked emergency funding for USPS but threatened to veto the recently passed $2.2 trillion stimulus package unless a $13 billion grant for USPS was removed. It was removed and replaced with a $10 billion loan. Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin has warned Trump will oppose future stimulus packages if relief for the Postal Service is included.

Privatization of the Postal Service has long been a tenet of some conservative ideology. But Trumps hostility toward USPS appears shaded by his belief the agency should charge Amazon higher rates for shipping its products. Amazon founder Jeff Bezos and his newspaper, the Washington Post, are frequent targets of Trumps ire.

That USPS delivers packages for private companies such as Amazon and FedEx illustrates how essential it is to our nation and how it consistently fulfills its universal service obligation to deliver mail everywhere, including places Amazon and FedEx wont.

The Postal Service connects rural and elderly Americans who arent online. Its essential to the dissemination of information  such as the millions of postcards with coronavirus guidelines sent by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention  and its essential to our democracy in facilitating mail-in and absentee balloting.

To date, more than 500 postal carriers have tested positive for COVID-19 and at least 19 have died. These are front-line workers bravely keeping this country going.

A 2019 Gallup poll found USPS is the most popular federal agency, with 74 percent saying its excellent or good. Through rain, sleet, snow and, now, pandemic, the postal service delivers and must be given the funding to continue delivering to its appointed rounds.
A break in supply of drugs in curfew-bound Punjab has given an impetus to the state's de-addiction measures, with over26,000 drug addicts joining the government-run de-addiction programme.

Punjab has been reeling under the drug menace for years and the recent lockdown due to coronavirus and the subsequent curfew in the state has broken the supply chain of narcotics to the state.

Health Minister Balbir Singh Sidhu said that on the directives of Chief Minister Amarinder Singh, a special campaign is being launched to register new patients under the de-addiction rogramme in the state.

"During the curfew period, more than 26,000 patients have been registered," he said.

As per the data available with the state health department, 4.14 lakh addicts were registered with it. These included 1.55 lakh at OutPatient Opioid Assisted Treatment (OOAT)centres, 2.15 lakh in de-addiction centres and more than 30,000 in rehabilitation centres before the lockdown.

Now the figure is 4.40 lakh, an increase of 26,000 patients in OOAT centres,the data reveals.

The highest increase is in Ludhiana 2,600, followed by Moga 2,200, Mohali 1,800, Patiala 1,600 and Sangrur 1,300.

Giving relief to those fighting addiction, 198 OOAT clinics, 35 Government De-Addiction Centers and 108 Licensed private De-addiction centers have been allowed to give the dose of buprenorphine and naloxone drugs to registered patients after being evaluated by a psychiatrist.

Sidhu said that in case of non-availability of therapeutic services, the patient is likely to leave treatment which can be fatal for the patient.

"Considering the circumstances, the take home dose is now extended for 21 days. The medicine is being released to the patient only after the advice of the psychiatrist," he said.

These centres have been strictly instructed to maintain social distancing while providing the treatment.

Patients are being sensitized that coronavirus is dangerous and if they have high fever, dry cough and difficulty in breathing, they should contact the nearest health centre.

He said that during this time of curfew and lockdown, the government has taken special initiative for the treatment and care of patients suffering from drug addiction so that maximum number of young people can get help.

He said panchayats, social service organizations and youth welfare clubs were being approached to encourage such patients to come to their respective centres and clinics so that the misguided youth could be cured.

Officials said the positive effect of the curfew-cum-lockdown in Punjab is that every day 1200 new drug addicts are joining the OutPatient Opioid Assisted Treatment (OOAT) centres across the state.

They said scarce availability of illicit drugs due to the coronavirus lockdown has forced drug addicts to get enrolled for treatment at government and private-run centres.

Additional DGP-cum-Chief of Special Task Force on Drugs, Harpreet Singh Sidhu said, "Owing to curfew as well as lockdown, the supply chain of drugs has been further constricted. Due to non-availability addicts are visiting drug de-addiction centres resulting in a significant increase in the number of patients.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
ALBANY  Every day, doctors, nurses and other health care professionals across New York risk potentially deadly exposure to COVID-19 as they work the front lines to treat coronavirus patients.

But they do not risk exposure to medical malpractice or other legal liability under New York state law -- even if they make errors that lead to fatalities -- unless they erred in a way that was grossly negligent, reckless, willful or criminal in nature.

Those protections, which apply to hospitals, nursing homes and other health care facilities, were enacted in the new state budget earlier this month and in an earlier executive order that Gov. Andrew Cuomo issued March 23,

The objective in implementing the protections is to encourage doctors, retired health care professionals and others in health care to join the fight against COVID-19 and not be dissuaded because they fear they will be sued for conditions beyond their control.

"In normal circumstances,, it would be unthinkable to confer immunity in this fashion," said Henry Greenberg, president of the New York State Bar Association."But now, in the midst of a global pandemic in which New York state is the epicenter, in which our health care providers are every day heroically putting themselves, their health and safety in harm's way, it's understandable that the governor would act in such fashion."

All physicians, physician assistants, specialist assistants, nurse practitioners, licensed registered professional nurses and licensed practical nurses are immune from civil liability for any injury or death allegedly sustained directly as the result of an act or omission by the person while providing medical services in the states response to COVID-19, according to Cuomo's order. The exceptions are if the injury or death was caused by the persons gross negligence.

While the executive order is set to end April 22, the exemptions in the budget continue until the disaster emergency ends -- and date back to March 7, when Cuomo declared a disaster emergency in the state.

The budget made any health care facility or health care professional immune from civil or criminal damages that were the result of an act or omission or if their error was made in good faith. The exceptions are for acts involving "willful or intentional criminal misconduct, gross negligence, reckless misconduct, or intentional infliction of harm by the health care facility or health care professional.

If the error was the result of a staffing shortage, it cannot be considered an exception.

At the federal level, the CARES (Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security) Act signed into law by President Donald Trump on March 27 provides similar immunity from legal liability for volunteer health care professionals.

Special Investigation 147 NY dams are 'unsound,' potentially dangerous Thousands of dams have not been inspected in over 20 years.

On March 10, the U.S. Department of Health & Human Services issued a declaration under the PREP (Public Readiness and Emergency Preparedness) Act to provide immunity against legal liability for people who manufacture, distribute, administer or use "medical countermeasures" against COVID-19. That covers the use of an "antiviral, any other drug, any biologic, any diagnostic, any other device, or any vaccine, used to treat, diagnose, cure, prevent, or mitigate COVID19, or the transmission of SARS-CoV2 or a virus mutating therefrom, or any device used in the administration of any such product, and all components and constituent materials of any such product," according to the federal agency.

Robert Rock, an attorney with the firm of Tully Rinckey who has previously represented physicians, hailed the changes as necessary to help health care providers in a time of crisis when lives are at stake.

Evelyn Tenenbaum, an Albany Law School professor and professor of bioethics at Albany Medical College, said Cuomo's executive order and the budget amendment were modeled on Good Samaritan laws, which she said were enacted to encourage doctors and others to provide emergency care, when needed.

The health care workers may not have enough time or resources to provide care that is needed at that moment, she said.

"For example, physicians should be encouraged to stop on the highway to help a person injured in a car accident. However, a physician driving on the highway may not have the equipment or back-up to provide optimal medical care," Tenenbaum explained. "To protect the Good Samaritan physician, these laws generally state that if a physician (or others, depending on the statute) provide emergency care, the physician is not liable unless there is gross negligence or willful or wanton acts or omissions. In other words, to encourage physicians to help those in need, the law protects the physician from lawsuits for negligence. The physician is only liable if his or her acts rise to the level of gross negligence."

The executive order and budget amendment are trying to accomplish a similar goal, she said. She said while Good Samaritan laws typically do not apply to healthcare settings, the COVID-19 pandemic has "created an emergency situation inside hospitals that is similar to emergencies outside of them."
Manipurs second Covid-19 patient has tested negative for the first time since undergoing treatment, according to official sources. The northeastern state has reported only two cases of coronavirus infection, according to the latest health ministry figures.

Prof Ch Arunkumar, medical superintendent of Regional Institute of Medical Sciences (RIMS) hospital in Imphal where the male patient is admitted, said on Sunday that the man tested negative in his fourth test. The test was conducted at Virus Research and Diagnostic Laboratories (VRDL) of RIMS and Jawaharlal Nehru Institute of Medical Sciences (JNIMS), another government hospital in the state capital.

As per the standing protocol, the repeat test will be conducted after 24 hours as two tests are required to be negative, Prof Arunkumar said. Based on its results, we may discuss and take future course of action, he added.

The man had tested positive for Covid-19 on April 2.

Dr Sasheekumar Mangang, additional director and spokesperson of state health department,also shared the news of the negative test of Manipurs second coronavirus case through a press release on Saturday. He said that the patient will likely be discharged soon if the next test result also comes out to be negative.

Manipurs first Covid-19 case, a female, was reported on March 24 following which she was treated at JNIMS and discharged on April 12 after being cured. She is now staying home for the mandatory 14 days quarantine.

Meanwhile, in a review meeting held in Imphal on Saturday, the state chief secretary appreciated the efforts of the health department and advised it to ramp up quarantine facilities and testing capabilities, according a press release by Covid-19 Common Control Room in Imphal.

At the same time the authorities of RIMS and JNIMS had been instructed not to curtail emergency services, the release said.

As on Saturday 1,92,335 persons were screened for coronavirus while 328 persons were tested for the disease in Manipur, as per status report of state surveillance officer Dr L Tomcha Khuman of Integrated Disease Surveillance Programme. In addition, 96 persons are staying at government quarantine centres while 263 of them have completed their quarantine.

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The death of Abba Kyari, the Chief of Staff to President Muhammadu Buhari weeks after the senior presidential aides infection with coronavirus, has undoubtedly created a void in the upper echelons of the current regime.

Based on their antecedents as some of Buharis closest associates, the following are the probable candidates for Kyaris replacement. According to government officials, any of these associates could land the top job.he death of Abba Kyari, the Chief of Staff to President Muhammadu Buhari weeks after the senior presidential aides infection with coronavirus, has undoubtedly created a void in the upper echelons of the current regime.

Muhammad Bello

The Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Alhaji Muhammad Bello, who hails from Adamawa State, was born on January 8, 1959.

An alumnus of the prestigious Barewa College, Zaria, the minister is a graduate of Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria, where he obtained a BSc. in Management with bias for Banking and Finance in 1980, as well as MBA in the same field.

Bello was in charge of credit and marketing at the ICON Merchant Bank Plc and later a director at Habib Bank Plc and several other firms.

Adamu Adamu

The Minister of Education, Adamu Adamu is an accountant, writer, former journalist and public analyst.

Adamu Adamu was appointed as Minister of Education by President Muhammadu Buhari in 2015. He studied Accountancy at the Ahmadu Bello University.

Upon receiving his university degree, Adamu was hired as an accountant at CCP, and then continued to work at the CNL in Bauchi State, before joining the local government in the same position.

Adamu began a career as a writer and a public analyst, later emerging a newspaper editor in 1984 and becoming a columnist for Daily Trust. His articles were also syndicated in several news outlets, including the London-based Crescent International.

READ ALSO: APC govt using ghost beneficiaries to siphon funds  PDP

Isa Pantami

The Minister of Communications and Digital Economy, Dr Isa Ali Pantami, hails from Pantami District of Gombe State. Pantami lectured at the Abubakar Tafawa Balewa University in Information Technology before joining the Islamic University of Madinah as Head of Technical Writing in 2014.

In 2016, he was appointed as the Director General/CEO of the National Information Technology Development Agency.

He attended Federal University of Technology, Bauchi (popularly known as Abubakar Tafawa Balewa University) where he obtained a BTech in Computer Science in 2003. He also obtained an MSc in Computer Science in 2009 and an MBA in Technology Management 2011 session from the same University.

Pantami also holds a PhD in Computer Information Systems and Postgraduate Certificate in Research Methods from Robert Gordon University, Aberdeen, United Kingdom.

Hameed Ali

The Comptroller General of the Nigerian Customs Service, Col. Hameed Ali, was born in Dass, Bauchi State on January 15, 1955.

Ali was commissioned in 1977 after he received his training at the Nigerian Defence Academy in Kaduna. He attended Sam Houston State University, Texas from 1984 to 1988 and holds bachelors and masters degrees in Criminology, and an educational certificate from the Nigeria Defence Academy.

After retirement, he became secretary of the apex northern sociopolitical group, Arewa Consultative Forum.

Ali is an All Progressives Congress member. He supported Buharis presidential bids from 2003 to 2019. On 27 August, 2015, Buhari appointed him the CG of Customs.

Kashim Shetimma

Kashim Shettima was born in Maiduguri, Borno State. He earned a BSc in Agricultural Economics from University of Maiduguri in 1989 and an MSc in Agricultural Economics from the University of Ibadan in 1991. Shettima joined the University of Maiduguri as a lecturer with the Department of Agricultural Economics and was in the academia from 1991 to 1993.

In 2011, he was elected governor of Borno State on the platform of the now defunct All Nigeria Peoples Party. In February 2019, he was elected the senator for Borno Central.

Babagana Kingibe

Ambassador Babagana Kingibe was born on June 25, 1945 in Borno. In 1960, he got a government scholarship to complete his Ordinary Levels and Advanced Levels at Bishops Stortford College, United Kingdom. In 1965, he received his bachelors degree in international relations from the University of Sussex.

In 1965, he returned to Nigeria and was employed as a researcher at Ahmadu Bello University in Zaria.

He was appointed the Ambassador to Greece, Cyprus and later Pakistan between 1981 and 1985. In 1986, Kingibe became a permanent secretary in the presidency of General Ibrahim Babangida.

Kingibe also served from October 2002 to September 2006 as the Special Envoy of the African Union to Sudan and subsequently Special Representative of the Chairperson of the African Union Commission and head of the African Union Mission in Sudan.

In June 2007, he was appointed Secretary to the Government of the Federation. Punch
Chhattisgarh Chief Minister



Bhupesh Baghel on Sunday said his government was considering starting several economic activities from Monday amid the lockdown for the coronavirus outbreak.

In a video address, Baghel said Chhattisgarh had set an example for the country by effectively controlling the COVID-19 pandemic, and thanked the people for their support.

"We are considering to start several economic activities in the state from April 20. MNREGA works have started in the villages. The complete information about which works can be taken up in the districts and directions in this regard are being provided to people. It is important for everyone to follow these guidelines," he said.

"The discipline, strength and grit shown by people over the last one month to tackle the coronavirus outbreak is unique. Chhattisgarh has set an example before the entire nation for effectively controlling the pandemic, which was possible due to dedication shown by people," he said.

He also thanked doctors, health workers, district and police administration and other departments and agencies in the frontline in the fight, adding that villages played a key role in stopping the spread of the virus.

"If you all follow physical distancing, maintain personal hygiene and avoid creating congestion, there will be no chance for further spread of the infection," he added.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
KANSAS CITY, Mo. - Protective masks have become a common sight around the metro, but not in low income areas. Leaders at AIM for Peace KC are asking the public's health in combating that problem. That non-profit, which has ties to the Kansas City Health Department, is requesting donated cloth masks, which will be given to east Kansas City families in need.
Days after the Home Ministry directed the states to screen Rohingyas for COVID-19, seven Rohingyas have been booked under section 188 IPC for lockdown violation in Narwal area of Jammu. Meanwhile, on April 17, about four to five Rohingyas in Hyderabad, who visited Ajmer and other places, have been advised home isolation. Health and police personnel would visit them to check their health status, police sources said, adding that no positive case has been reported with regard to Rohingyas.

READ | MHA directs states to screen Rohingyas for COVID, says they attended Nizamuddin meet

MHA directs states to screen Rohingyas

In a bid to contain the spread of coronavirus, the Home Ministry on Saturday has asked all states and Union Territories to screen Rohingyas living in their jurisdiction for COVID-19. The MHA states that the step is being taken as many of them had attended the Tablighi Jamaat congregation in Delhi's Nizamuddin, which was declared as a COVID hotspot. As per health ministry, Markaz related cases account for 30% of total cases in the country.

READ | Nizamuddin Markaz chief Maulana Saad issues statement: 'Not underground, framing response'

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 added that 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.

READ | Delhi Markaz's Maulana Saad booked for culpable homicide; LoC for 2000 foreign Tablighis

Who are Rohingyas?

Rohingyas are an ethnic minority in Myanmar residing in the Rakhine state of the country. While most of the Rohingyas are Muslims, very few are also Hindus. The Buddhist majority nation of Myanmar claims that Rohingyas are residents of Bangladesh and have denied them citizenship rights since 1962. In August 2017, a Rohingya militant group called Arakan Rohingya Salvation Army (ARSA) claimed responsibility for attacking police and army posts in Myanmar. This prompted action from the Myanmar army, which declared ARSA as a terrorist organisation and allegedly started a brutal campaign in Rakhine state, burning their houses, forcing almost seven hundred thousand Rohingya to leave the country. It was then that the Rohingyas slipped into neighbouring Bangladesh, India and few other countries to seek refuge.

The Indian government has, however, ordered to deport Rohingyas as they are illegal migrants. The Supreme Court too had in September 2018, deferred a plea filed by two Rohingya refugees challenging Centre's decision to deport them. As per reports, there are approximately 40,000 Rohingyas in India.

READ | Congress' Singhvi bashes both Rangoli Chandel & Ajaz Khan; says 'test their poison' also
Mr Moskovich is a well-known local who often exercises at Bondi's outdoor gym

Dozens of concerned locals watched on and filmed the dramatic arrest

Dimitri Moskovich, 54, was arrested on Sunday by two police officers in Bondi

A well-respected and 'polite' Bondi local who allegedly tried to go for a swim amid COVID-19 restrictions has been taken down by police in a dramatic arrest that's sparked outrage within the community.

Dimitri Moskovich, one of Sydney's eastern suburb's most recognisable residents, was handcuffed and taken away in a police van on Sunday.

The 54-year-old is accused of walking through a fenced-off area near Ben Buckler Point and ignoring signs saying the area was closed due to social distancing measures.

'Police attempted to speak to the man, however walked away. As police approached him again it is alleged he became quarrelsome and argumentative,' a NSW Police statement read.

Dozens of shocked locals watched on and filmed Mr Moskovich - wearing nothing but his signature red budgie smugglers - being arrested by two police officers.

Dozens of shocked and concerned locals watched on and filmed Dimitri Moskovich, one of Sydney's eastern suburb's most recognisable residents, being arrested by two police officers

Locals pleaded with police not to use handcuffs and let him walk with them to keep his 'dignity'

In the dramatic footage, Mr Moskovich was held down on the grass while the officers attempted to move his arms behind his back to handcuff him

In the dramatic footage, Mr Moskovich was held down on the grass while the officers attempted to move his arms behind his back to handcuff him.

'Just cooperate with us okay?' the female officers told Mr Moskovich, who called out to onlookers to film the incident.

The two officers continued to try and handcuff Mr Moskovich (pictured)

'Dimi, we're not going anywhere. We're here,' one bystander assured Mr Moskovich.

The two officers continued to try and handcuff Mr Moskovich, who defiantly clenched his hands together at his stomach to avoid being cuffed.

'Please guys, just stop. I'm not doing anything wrong,' he begged police.

'You started harassing me. You started with me about nothing.

'I'll come with you to the police station but I'm not giving you my arms.'

Locals pleaded with police not to use handcuffs and let him walk with them to keep his 'dignity'.

'He's not going anywhere, he's a local,' a supportive onlooker told the officers, who were on top of Mr Moskovich.

'He's the most well-known guy in Bondi. Just let him walk with you, he'll walk with you.'

'Just let him chill for a minute, he's not going anywhere,' another said.

A young boy then tried to convince police that Mr Moskovich meant no harm: 'He's a local, he's always at the gym.'

But the male officer continued to pin his knee into the back of Mr Moskovich's leg while demanding 'give me your arm'.

The two officers continued to try and handcuff Mr Moskovich, who defiantly clenched his hands together at his stomach to avoid being cuffed

Mr Moskovich was arrested and taken Waverley Police Station and is currently assisting with inquiries

Police eventually managed to handcuff Mr Moskovich before putting him in the back of their vehicle.

He was arrested and taken to Waverley Police Station and is currently assisting with inquiries.

Bondi 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 COVID-19.

The arrest has caused uproar among the community.

'The guy is not even moving and look at the cop's knees... that is completely unacceptable and can happen to anyone.'

However some viewers defended the police's actions in arresting Mr Moskovich.

'I think the cops could have handled it better, but the guy is clearly not cooperating,' one person commented.

Mr Moskovich is famous among the Bondi community, and is often seen working out on the famous promenade's outdoor gym.

Speedo-wearing Bondi identity renews calls for police horses to be banned from the iconic beach

Dimitri Moskovich, one of the Bondi's most recognisable citizens, in January renewed his campaign to rid Bondi of mounted police, claiming they treat the national icon as a 'horse toilet'.

Speedo-wearing Mr Moskovich works out every day at one of Sydney's most famous landmarks and is fed up with the sight of horse droppings on the beach.

The 54-year-old launched his latest call for action on social media accompanied by pictures of horse droppings befouling the promenade on January 26.

'Happy Australia Day from Australian Mounted Police!' his Facebook post begins.

'What a Fabulous Greeting! Thank you everybody on The Police Force For Such a Considerate Gesture!'

Mr Moskovich then addressed the police commissioner and commander of the New South Wales Mounted Police Unit, hoping his message would reach them.

'The Bondi Beach promenade has been covered in horse manure for most of Australia Day,' he wrote.

'If you can not adjust your police procedures and stop sending horses to the beach, make an effort in managing their s***, please.

A Bondi identity wants police horses banned from the beachfront after the animals covered the promenade in manure on Australia Day (pictured). Dimitri Moskovich, who works out at Bondi for up to six hours a day, claims mounted police use the national icon as a 'horse toilet'

Mr Moskovich wrote on Facebook that 'Bondi Beach promenade has been covered in horse manure for most of Australia Day.' Pictured are horses on promenade on January 26

'If you need somebody with brain to work out the logistic of the process, i am happy to assist.

'Today you had more police than visitors on the Beach. So just appoint one as a horse s***t manager and he or she can coordinate with the Council to get the s*** cleaned immediately.

'It is an absolute disgrace to have an Australian Icon on Australia Day covered in Australian Police horse s***!'

Mr Moskovich has been trying to get police horses banned from Bondi for years, once confronting then prime minister Malcolm Turnbull at the beach.

'Stop police horses coming here,' Mr Moskovich told Mr Turnbull in 2018. 'We don't need horses here. It's an abuse to our beach.'

Mr Moskovich has previously told Daily Mail Australia he complained about the horses to individual mounted officers, then Waverley Council, before taking it up with the prime minister.

The Russian-born fitness fanatic, who has been pictured voting in polling booths on election days wearing only his Speedos, considers Bondi Beach his office.

Mr Moskovich made headlines six years ago in a rope climbing accident at the beach when he fell seven metres while distracted by the sight of a 'very nice topless girl'. He suffered 20 fractures to both legs.
19362020

On Tuesday, March 17, Richard (Rich) Frank Moreno Sr. passed away at the age of 84 in Vancouver, WA, following a brief illness. He was a loving husband, father, and grandfather who was known for his kindness to others, generosity, and for having a great sense of humor.

Rich was born in Sacramento, CA on February 26, 1936 to Enrique Mario Moreno Sr. and Zella Mae (Imel) Moreno. Along with his older brother, Mario, and two sisters, Dolores and Marzella, Rich grew up in Sacramento, where he attended parochial schools, including Christian Brothers High School (CBHS), from which he graduated in 1954.

It was also during high school that he met the love of his life, Maureen Joanne OHare, who would become his wife and with whom he shared two children. Rich and Maureen lived in the Napa Valley for more than 50 years. In 2014, Rich and Maureen relocated to Vancouver WA to be closer to their daughter Pam.

Rich is survived by his wife, Maureen, two children, Richard Jr (Pamela) of Ellensburg WA and Pamela (Douglas) Dickey of Vancouver WA, his sister Dolores of Carson City Nevada, four grandchildrenHenry Moreno, Richard Dickey, Michelle Dickey, and Julia Moreno, and numerous nieces and nephews. He was predeceased by his brother, Enrique Mario Jr, and sister Marzella. In lieu of flowers, send donations to CBHS in memory of Richard F. Moreno Sr.

A celebration of Richs life has been put off until the coronavirus has run its course.
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.
Nigerian doctors have described the use of private hospitals for the management of coronavirus disease by prominent Nigerians, otherwise regarded as very important personalities (VIPs), as a public health threat.

They said the action poses severe consequences for the country, adding that the current lockdown across some states may eventually translate to nothing in the fight against the virus if the development is not urgently curbed.

The doctors were reacting to the use of a private hospital by the late chief of staff to President Muhammadu Buhari, Abba Kyari, and the isolation of governors, who contracted the dangerous disease, at isolation centres outside the designated public ones that are set up in their states.

Also, the confirmation by the Lagos State government that Mr Kyari was treated at the First Cardiology Consultants (FCC)- a private cardiology-focused hospital located in Ikoyi, has contradicted the position of the minister of health, Osagie Ehinare, on the same issue.

The leadership of the Nigeria Medical Association (NMA) and the National Association of Resident Doctors (NARD), body of doctors undergoing resident training in Nigerias tertiary health institutions, spoke to PREMIUM TIMES on behalf of their members.

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They described the development as a violation of the existing protocol in the fight against the novel virus.

What does the protocol say?

Investigations by our reporter reveals that there is yet to be a codified national protocol guiding the management of the disease in the country. There is, however, a developed document on strategies designed strictly for testing by the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC).

Willy Bassey, the director of press at the office of the secretary to the government of the federation (OSGF), who spoke with our reporter, said the documented protocol is just being developed into a proper rule to guide the disease management. The SGF, Boss Mustapha, doubles as the chairman of the presidential task force on COVID-19.

Mr Bassey said; Yes, there are guidelines guiding the management of the virus, but it is not yet concluded and prepared into a single document. The national coordinator of the task force, Dr. Sani Aliyu, is already working on one, and currently being reviewed by the members. You know the virus is novel, so the strategies are just evolving too.

However, the health minister, who is a key member of the task force, on Friday, said there is no private hospital registered to manage COVID-19 cases in Nigeria.

Mr Ehinare, who spoke at the daily press briefing by the task force, was responding to PREMIUM TIMES question on the development, and the committees earlier threat to shut down any unaccredited private hospital that manage patients confirmed of the virus.

He, however, explained that some private hospitals were already being considered in Lagos, and that one had already communicated to him to express willingness to be part of the process.

Osagie Ehanire [PHOTO CREDIT: @TheglobalhintC]

But as of Friday, the minister said; there was none that had met the criteria for accreditation.

The minister made this open claim in spite of the public knowledge that President Muhammadu Buharis chief of staff, Abba Kyari, was receiving treatment at a private hospital in Lagos.

Why Mr Kyari opted for private hospital

Earlier on March 29, about one week after he was confirmed positive for the virus, Mr Kyari issued a statement announcing his decision to relocate to Lagos for further test and observation.

He said he had made his own care arrangements to avoid further burdening the public health system, which faces so many pressures.

He further stated; This is a precautionary measure: I feel well, but last week I tested positive for Coronavirus, the pandemic that is sweeping the world. I have followed all protocols the government has announced to self-isolate and quarantine.

But the minister ignored this open announcement and told Nigerians that; As at today, there is no private hospital that has been accredited to manage COVID-19 case in Nigeria. There is none in Abuja here that I know of. But I think Lagos is looking at some accredited hospitals and there is one large hospital in Lagos that has called me that it wants to become a Coronavirus treatment centre.

He said the hospital was prepared to remove its other patients and attend to nothing except Coronavirus.

But if you as a private hospital want to run Coronavirus management, you have to show that you have a doctor who is an infectious disease specialist, nurses and even cleaners who are trained. This is because handling infectious hospitals is different from handling others. They need to be trained in infection prevention and protocols.

The facility would then be inspected by a team of accreditors who will give you the go-ahead to do it. But while it is not prohibited, there is no hospital that has met those criteria at the moment.

As of the time Mr Ehanire spoke on Friday, Mr Kyaris death had not been announced.

Late Abba Kyari

Lagos claims otherwise

Meanwhile, in a contrary position, the Lagos State government through its commissioner for health, Akin Abayomi, on Saturday evening, said the chief of staff, whose death was announced very late Friday night, was managed by an authorised private hospital.

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This was also the first time the Lagos government would acknowledge that it knew where the chief of staff was being treated.

Both Mr Abayomi and the governors spokesperson, Gboyega Akosile, had consistently maintained silence whenever asked the question.

But on Saturday, Mr. Abayomi said he was responding to enquiries by concerned individuals and authorities on the health facility that managed the former chief of staff.

He said; Following enquiries on the passing away of the Chief of Staff to the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, Mallam Abba Kyari on Friday 17th April 2020, the Lagos State Government states that:

Mallam Abba Kyari died from complications of Coronavirus infection at First Cardiology Consultants in Lagos. This hospital is a Lagos State designated high care, biosecurity-compliant, COVID-19 facility, accredited by the Health Facility Management and Accreditation Agency (HEFAMAA) of the Lagos State Ministry of Health.

The statement added that as a basis for its accreditation, the private hospital established a separate specialist wing with staff dedicated to the treatment of complicated cases of COVID-19, under the supervision of the Lagos State COVID-19 emergency response team.

The commissioners response was a confirmation of PREMIUM TIMES earlier exclusive report on where Mr Kyari was managed.

The governors

It is unclear where Governor Seyi Makinde was isolated but PREMIUM TIMES can confirm that the governor, who was confirmed positive on March 30, was not admitted at any of the three public isolation centres in his state, which are located at the University College Hospital (UCH), Jericho chest hospital, and maternity centre, Olodo, Ibadan.

Seyi Makinde: Oyo State Governor

But speaking with PREMIUM TIMES, the chief press secretary to the governor, Taiwo Adisa, said the choice of where to be isolated was not decided by the governor but by the COVID-19 management team in the state. The team, he noted, includes representatives of the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) and emergency centre operators.

He said; The governor did not choose where to be isolated but the COVID-19 management team used its prerogative to choose for the governor. And throughout his isolation period, none of us had access to him.

The committee considers various conditions before making its decision on where to isolate confirmed cases. Those with underlying medical conditions are taken to UCH. There are other cases who are isolated in other places outside these three public facilities. They take decisions as they deem necessary.

On his part, the chief press secretary to Governor Nasir El-Rufai, Ibrahim Musa, declined to speak on the matter.

Also the senior special adviser on media to Governor Bala Mohammed of Bauchi State, Mukthar Gidado, neither picked his call nor responded to text messages sent to his mobile line. He also failed to respond to WhatsApp messages.

Doctors kick

In separate telephone interviews with our reporter, the doctors said the challenges posed by patronising private hospitals other than government accredited centres, include difficulties in contact tracing, disease spread and management, and that it also reveals the governments distrust in its own efforts at addressing the pandemic.

Speaking with PREMIUM TIMES, the NMA president, Adedayo Faduyile, described the development as ill-motivated, ill-advised and disheartening, saying it poses great danger to the country.

Gov. Bala Mohammed of Bauchi State [Photo: Bussiness Day]

According to Mr Faduyile, a pathologist, the development is a reflection of the public officials disrespect for Nigerians and a distrust in their own capacity as heads of government.

He added that the use of public facilities would not only have boosted the morale of the workers but also other patients, and quicken their healing.

He said, Because there is now flight restrictions, they can no longer travel abroad as they are always wont to do. Now the government is accrediting private hospitals to manage this novel virus. No one knows the criteria for the accreditation and which hospitals are accredited.

The danger in this is that the private hospitals cannot handle this pandemic because it is novel. Aside from that, avoiding the spread would be difficult because the health workers there are not trained in this area. It isnt about facilities but what happens to contact tracing, waste disposal, among other containment procedures. So, we are against this practice and that only designated public isolation centres should be used.

In a similar development, the NARD president, Roland Aigbovo, said the development is a confirmation of his associations prolonged cry over poor investment in the public health sector by the government.

He said if not urgently curbed, Nigeria stands the risk of achieving nothing with the ongoing efforts to address the pandemic.

Mr Aigbovo said; This is a dangerous step being taken. This is the only country where all animals are not equal in the fight against the pandemic. And surprisingly, I can confirm to you that we have it on authority that there is now community spread, especially in Abuja here. Who says this isnt as a result of this breach of protocol by the government.

They are afraid of their own creations. They built a healthcare system that they dont trust, so they are forced to seek solutions where there is none. Instead of making efforts to right their wrongs, they keep running away from their shadows. This thing must be halted very urgently, because it is a public health threat that may lead to major crises.

Seek for prohibition law

Meanwhile, the NMA president has called on the national assembly to initiate a legislation that will bar anyone from patronising private hospitals for the management of the novel virus.

If it will require legislation, I think we must ensure that we push our lawmakers to do something about this. If not, Nigeria may be sitting on a keg of gunpowder, Mr Faduyile said.

Also speaking, the executive director of Civil Society Legislative Advocacy Centre (CISLAC), Auwal Musa, condemned the countrys handling of the disease.

Mr. Musa, who spoke on the telephone with our reporter, said the way everything is shrouded in secrecy and the manner of impunity of some unnamed individuals are all contradictions to the much touted integrity of the incumbent administration.

He said; Because they have stolen our money, Nigeria leaders arent interested in using facilities they set up for the public. This is how they view us; the poor Nigerians. They cant share space with us as their counterparts abroad do.

We all saw the UK Prime Minister, Boris Johnson, being wheeled into a public hospital and we received updates on his status every hour. But here, everything is secret. And that raises our fear over the monies and material gifts being donated for the fight against this disease.

Mr. Musa, who doubles as the CEO of Transparency International Nigeria (TI), urged the public to continue their push for accountability in governance.
A man on his balcony is seen applauding to pay tribute to health-care workers struggling to fight the coronavirus pandemic on on April 18, 2020 in Madrid, Spain. Spain is beginning to ease strict lockdown measures to ease its economy, people in some services including manufacturing, construction are being allowed to return to work but must adhere to strict safety guidelines.

Spain's Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez said on Saturday he would ask parliament for a 15-day extension until May 9 of the lockdown imposed in one of the world's worst coronavirus' outbreaks, but said the restrictions would be more flexible.

"We have left behind the most extreme moments," Sanchez said at a press briefing. But he added: "These achievements are still insufficient and above all fragile. We cannot put them at risk with hasty solutions."

Spain's death toll from the coronavirus rose at a slower pace on Saturday but surpassed 20,000 fatalities, the Health Ministry said. It increased by 565 deaths, down from 585 on Friday, while the number of coronavirus cases rose to 191,726 from 188,068.

Spain began this week to ease a strict lockdown imposed on March 14 by opening up some sectors of the economy, including manufacturing. But most people are still confined to their homes except for essential outings such as food shopping, and not even children are allowed out for exercise.

The country with the third highest coronavirus death toll will move slowly, carefully and progressively towards the "new normality", Sanchez said.

But he warned it would be a complex task and that the economic consequences of the outbreak will be "very negative."

Asked if citizens would be able to have regular summer holidays, the Socialist leader said he hoped so but that he could not give an answer, signalling the uncertainty on the scope of any de-escalation phase.

As he seeks a third parliamentary extension of the state of emergency, the next lockdown phase could start being "asymmetric" on April 27, meaning it could be more relaxed for some regions or groups, Sanchez said, without specifying.

For instance, children would be allowed out of their homes though it would be "limited and subject to conditions to avoid contagion," Sanchez said. The prime minister plans to define the criteria in coming days, including in a meeting on Sunday with Spain's 17 regional leaders.

Despite stressing an improvement in the figures and defending his government's measures, Sanchez said Western countries "reacted late" to the virus' outbreak. He also admitted Spain could not initially provide all the protective equipment needed for its health workers.

The health ministry plans to announce an order on Sunday to control and fix the prices of masks for citizens, Sanchez said.

Health emergency chief Fernando Simon earlier said he hoped to see soon a steeper decrease in the number of coronavirus deaths.

Simon said he expected a significant rise in registered coronavirus cases as the number of quick tests conducted has doubled in the past three weeks, but stressed that the tests have shown a lower infection rate among citizens.

Spain's labor minister Yolanda Diaz said on Friday her department was planning a two-phased economic resumption, the first for productive sectors up to the summer and a second for tourism and leisure which would last until the end of the year.

But any final decision would depend on health authorities, her office said in a statement.
Nigerian presidents chief of staff dies from coronavirus

President Muhammadu Buharis chief of staff, Abba Kyari, died on Friday from COVID-19, the presidency said.

Mr Kyari who died in a Lagos private hospital became the most high profile person in the country to die from the coronavirus outbreak.

As a close ally of the president, he acted as the gatekeeper to the president. Mr Buhari, after his re-election last year, ordered ministers to channel all communications through the 67-year-old.

South Africa coronavirus cases over 3,000

South Africa has recorded more than 3,000 cases of the COVID-19 pandemic despite its 21-day lockdown

South Africas health minister, Zweli Mkhize, said at a virtual press briefing on Saturday night that the country has 3,034 confirmed cases with death toll hitting 52.

This is an increase from the 50 COVID-19 related deaths and 2,783 confirmed positive infections announced on Friday.

Ghana coronavirus cases rise to 834

More than 800 Ghanaians have contracted the COVID-19 disease with nine people dying from it, data from Ghana Health Service (GHS) shows on Saturday.

Ghanas The Daily Graphic reports that the country saw an upsurge in the number of infections when 193 cases were announced on Saturday morning from 641 on Friday, bringing the countrys total to 834.

Spain coronavirus deaths hit 20,000

The coronavirus death toll in Spainone of the worlds worst-hit countries by the pandemic hit 20,000 after 565 new fatalities were recorded on Friday.

Map of Spain used to tell the story. [PHOTO CREDIT: 123RF.com]

The number of deaths from COVID-19 in the country hit 20,043 on Saturday.

UKs COVID-19 hospital death toll surpasses 15,000

In the United Kingdom, more than 15,000 have died from coronavirus as the country grapples with the shortage Personal Protective Equipment (PPE).

The death toll stands at15,464 Saturday morning.

UKs local government secretary, Robert Jenrick, said during the daily briefing that a significant consignment of PPE is due to arrive from Turkey on Sunday, which will include 400,000 gowns.

Pakistan lifts ban on congregational prayers in mosques

Pakistan says it will lift restrictions on congregational prayers at mosques but a host of safety conditions have been put in place to avert the further spread of coronavirus, the government announced on Saturday.

The country the second most populous Muslim country in the world, imposed the restrictions less than a month ago, allowing only three to five people at mosques for prayers.

The decision to lift restrictions, taken in a meeting between Pakistani president Arif Alvi and religious leaders, comes less than a week before the Muslim holy month of Ramadan, in which the size of congregations typically increases, Reuters reports.

Mosques are given permission conditional to taking due precautions, a statement following the meeting said, adding that it was mandatory for mosque visitors to wear masks.

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Pakistan has registered 7,638 cases of coronavirus and 143 deaths, with health experts warning that congregations pose the biggest threat to the limited healthcare infrastructure of the country of more than 200 million people.

According to the statement, worshippers will have to maintain a two-metre (6ft) distance from each other instead of the usual Muslim practice of praying shoulder-to-shoulder and mosque administrations will disinfect premises regularly.

The government had been under pressure to reverse the congregation restrictions, and clashes between mosque attendees and police had been reported in Karachi, the countrys largest city.

France relaxes lockdown restrictions for the aged

France will try to avoid setting different rules for elderly people once the government starts easing its coronavirus confinement measures, the presidents office said on Saturday.

There were concerns about the impact of the lockdown on the older generation when French president, Emmanuel Macron, days ago, said that older people, who are considered more vulnerable to the deadly virus, would be asked to stay home for longer.

The lockdown in France, which approached 19,000 COVID-19 deaths on Saturday, includes restrictions on store openings and peoples movements which will remain in place until at least May 11, Mr Macron has confirmed.

After that, schools and shops are set to reopen, though it is still unclear at what speed France will allow some businesses like hotels or cafes to restart, and whether it plans to lift home confinement recommendations for everyone at the same time.

Algeria extends coronavirus lockdown to April 29

Algeria announced a lockdown extension till April 29 as it tries to limit the spread of the coronavirus amid increases in deaths and confirmed cases, the prime ministers office said.

The government had imposed a full lockdown in the Blida area, south of the capital Algiers, and a night curfew in the countrys remaining 47 provinces until April 19.

Algeria has so far reported 2,418 infections and 364 deaths.

Croatia extends lockdown until May 4

Croatia has joined the league of countries extending their coronavirus lockdown.

A statement by the countrys Interior Minister, Davor Bozinovic, said the lockdown will be extended by another 15 days that should end by May 4

He added the government was looking at whether it was possible to gradually ease restrictions on movement.

A month ago, the government closed all the shops, bars, restaurants, schools and public transport leaving open only food stores, pharmacies and petrol stations.

Croats have been allowed to leave their homes to buy essentials or seek medical treatment, go for a walk or do an exercise, but not in a group and avoiding social contact. Many people have been working from home.

Croatia has recorded 1,832 cases of COVID-19, with 39 deaths. On Saturday, the number of new infections rose by 18 which is the lowest daily increase registered since March 17.

Singapore Coronavirus cases near 6,000

As more than 2 million have contracted the coronavirus pandemic globally, about 6,000 people in Singapore now have the disease.

The countrys health ministry on Saturday confirmed 942 new coronavirus infectionsthe biggest daily record in the country, taking the total number of COVID-19 cases in the city-state to 5,992.

The vast majority of the new cases are of work permit holders living in foreign worker dormitories, the health ministry said in a statement on Saturday.

Coronavirus cases in Japan hit 10,000

The number of confirmed novel coronavirus cases in Japan rose to 10,000, NHK public broadcaster said on Saturday, days after a state of emergency was extended to the entire nation in an attempt to slow the spread of the virus.

Over 200 people have died from the virus in Japan, but its capital city Tokyo remains the hardest-hit area, reporting 201 new infections on Friday alone and 181 new cases on Saturday, NHK reported.

As Japan scrambled to expand testing with drive-through facilities and general practitioners helping to collect samples, Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, on Friday, appealed to the nation to stay indoors as new cases hit a record in Tokyo.

Japan conducted about 52,000 polymerase chain reaction (PCR) tests in March, or just 16 per cent of the number carried out in South Korea, according to data from Oxford University.

South Korea shows lowest daily jump in virus cases since February 20

South Korea has reported 18 new cases of the coronavirus, its lowest daily jump since February 20, continuing a downward trend as officials discuss more sustainable forms of social distancing that allows for some communal and economic activity.

Figures released by South Koreas Centers for Disease Control and Prevention on Saturday brought national totals to 10,653 cases and 232 virus-related deaths, the Associated Press news agency reported.

At least 993 of overall infections have been linked to arrivals from overseas.
Bahrain Islamic Bank (BisB) announced a donation of BD250,000 to the Feena Khair National Campaign led by His Highness Shaikh Nasser bin Hamad Al Khalifa, Representative of His Majesty the King for Humanitarian and Youth Affairs, National Security Advisor and Chairman of the Board of Trustees of the Royal Humanitarian Foundation.

This donation follows on the heels of the Banks BD30,000 donation to its customers who are members of the medical teams working on the frontlines to combat COVID-19 at governmental hospitals and health centres, in addition to the BD30,000 donation to the Capital Governorates Together We Care campaign which was launched to support the underprivileged and those who have been adversely affected by the virus, by providing much-needed meals.

The Chairman of the Board of Directors of BisB, Dr Esam Abdulla Fakhro, said, We commend the efforts and achievements of the wise leadership in combating COVID-19 and remain committed to supporting these humanitarian initiatives, standing together in solidarity to overcome this crisis.
Three 10-dose influenza virus vaccine vials are seen at Ballin Pharmacy in Chicago, Illinois on October 8, 2004. (Tim Boyle/Getty Images)

More Flu Vaccines Helps Australian Health System

Flu vaccine manufacturing is being ramped up this season in the hope higher public immunity to influenza will free up hospitals to focus on COVID-19.

Melbourne manufacturer Seqirus has partnered with the federal government to make an additional two million influenza vaccines for the 2020 flu season, with nine million vaccines in total to be distributed across the country.

The company says there is already strong early demand for flu vaccines.

This is a positive trend, because we know that flu vaccination programs will be more important than ever due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Seqirus executive director Danielle Dowell said.

The additional vaccines will be available through GP clinics, pharmacies and immunisation providers.

By Andi Yu
The economic upheaval caused by the coronavirus pandemic risks creating another lost generation of young Japanese job seekers graduating into a deeply scarred economy.

The survivors of Japan's employment "ice age" of the 1990s and early 2000s, many of them still frozen out of the regular job market, demonstrate how long the damage can last.

Naoaki Kimura, who began working in January at the social services department of the city of Takarazuka, knows all too well how it feels to have one's life derailed by a bad economy.

More than 20 years of drifting through an unwelcoming job market now help him empathize with furious residents and consider the lives and family circumstances that have brought them to this point.

"I listen closely to what each and every person has to say while hoping to help them see things a little more positively," the 45-year-old said.

Kimura entered the job market in 1998, amid drastic cutbacks in corporate hiring that followed the bursting of the economic bubble of the '80s. The country was filled with students who had left school without a single job offer -- a grim fate in a market still heavily reliant on hiring of fresh college graduates.

Kimura tried applying to 50 or so companies, including in manufacturing and finance, hoping for a bite from a big employer. He received just one job offer -- from a company that he could not imagine himself working for.

The next year, Kimura sent out the same number of applications and did not end up with a single offer. After two years of searching, he was hired as a full-time employee at a convenience store and felt ready to begin working at last.

But he was not prepared for how it would affect his life. Kimura's phone rang early in the morning and late into the night with calls to rush over to his store. He even had to buy large numbers of Christmas cakes and seasonal summer gifts to meet sales quotas.

Unable to cope, Kimura quit and hopped between jobs as a contract employee. While searching for positions, he once had an interviewer take a call mid-interview. Naturally, he was not hired for that job.

Kimura began to resent the job shortage he had been thrust into, feeling that no one would listen to him.

He eventually found employment as a nonregular government worker, which came with constant worry about whether he would still have a job the following year. Ashamed of his inability to get his life off the ground, Kimura fell out of touch with friends from high school and college who had snagged full-time positions.
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.

Special Investigation 147 NY dams are 'unsound,' potentially dangerous Thousands of dams have not been inspected in over 20 years.

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?"
Photo credit: Bill Pierce - Getty Images

From Town & Country

"I never really thought it would take this long."

Those words were spoken by Sonia Pressman Fuentes, a cofounder of the National Organization for Women and acquaintance of Equal Rights Amendment author Alice Paul, to the Washington Post in 2018but they express a widely held sentiment. After the ERA began to gain traction in the early 1970s, it seemed like it would only be a few years before equal rights for women were upheld in the Constitution.

It did not turn out that way. But now, with the ERA back in the headlines, thanks to a renewed effort to get it ratifiedperhaps soon to be bolstered by the miniseries Mrs. America, which dramatizes conservative activist Phyllis Schlafly's fight to defeat the amendmentit's high time to revisit how the ERA was derailed in the first place.

Here, the history of the Equal Rights Amendment, from its first introduction in Congress to the contemporary legislative determining its future.



The Beginning

1923

National Women's Party founder Alice Paul introduces the first draft of the Equal Rights Amendmentthen called the "Lucretia Mott Amendment" after the early women's rights activist and abolitionistat a Seneca Falls gathering marking the 75th anniversary of the 1848 Woman's Rights Convention.

The original text stated, "Men and women shall have equal rights throughout the United States and every place subject to its jurisdiction." The amendment was introduced in Congress that same yearand would be introduced every year until it finally gained support in the 1970s.

The proposal fails to gain traction, largely due to class divisions in the women's movement. While more well-off women supported the amendment, working class women feared it would cut into hard-won labor protections that treated women differently than men. Race, too, lead to fractions in the coalition; as the Washington Post notes, black activist Mary Church Terrell tried to persuade Paul to pivot, and instead focus on shoring up voting rights for women of color at the state level. Paul, not understanding the inextricable nature of race and gender, refused.

Story continues

1940

The Republican Party adds the amendment to its platform. The Democratic Party did the same in 1944.

1943

Paul rewrites the amendment, and christens the new version the Alice Paul Amendment. It now reads, "Equality of rights under the law shall not be denied or abridged by the United States or by any state on account of sex."

Photo credit: Bettmann - Getty Images

The Second Push

1970

The effort to pass the amendment has regained momentumand this time, a broader base of support within the women's movement, which has also seen its power grow in the capital, with legislators like Shirley Chisholm winning elections.

Representative Martha Griffiths, a longtime champion of the ERA, files a discharge petition, forcing it out of committee to be reviewed by the full House. The proposed 27th Amendment passed the House, but was stymied in the Senate. Undaunted, she reintroduced it the following year, and it once again passed the House on October 12, 1971.

1972

The Senate passed the ERA with an overwhelming 84-8 vote on March 22, sending it to the states for ratificationbut with a deadline, requiring the requisite 38 states to ratify the amendment within seven years. (The Constitution requires amendments to be ratified by three-quarters of states before being adopted.) In the following nine-0dd months, 22 states vote to ratify the ERA as written:

Section 1: Equality of rights under the law shall not be denied or abridged by the United States or by any state on account of sex.



Section 2: The Congress shall have the power to enforce, by appropriate legislation, the provisions of this article.



Section 3: This amendment shall take effect two years after the date of ratification.

At the beginning, it doesn't seem like the ERA will become contentious. Gallup polls report that nearly 75% of Americans supported the amendment, and it was passed with bipartisan support in Congress.

But the opposition is already mobilizing: Phyllis Schlafly founds STOP ERA (short for "Stop Taking Our Privileges") in October.

1977

After the initial wave of state ratifications, the pace slows significantly. Eight states join in 1973, followed by three in 1974, one in 1975, and one more in 1977, stalling with a total of 35 states.

Now, with the seven-year time limit quickly running out, activists and politicians alike mobilize to get an extension.

At the first National Womens Conference in Houston, 2,000 delegates from the country call for the ERA's ratification. Back in D.C., Representative Elizabeth Holtzman of New York introduces a bill calling for an extension.

Photo credit: Michael Mauney - Getty Images

1978

On the first anniversary of Alice Paul's death, the National Organization of Women (NOW) organizes a historic march on Washington to show support for the ERA. "We hope to show the widespread grassroots support for the ERA and the extensionthat it is still not only viable, but growing in strength," NOW's president told the New York Times.

A few months later, Congress pushes the ERA's original ratification deadline back to June 30, 1982.

1980

The Republican Party removes support from the ERA from its platform. Ronald Reagan is elected president, solidifying the conservatives' rise in the political sphere.

1982

NOW and other organizations continue to demonstrate all over the country for the ERA, but to no avail. In the summer, the ERA's time officially runs out. Feminists despair; Phyllis Schlafly throws a lavish celebration, with the band playing "Over the Rainbow" and "Ding Dong, the Witch Is Dead."

The ERA is reintroduced in every session of Congress thereafter.

Photo credit: Bettmann - Getty Images

The Modern Resurgence

1992

The 27th Amendment (which prohibits Congress from giving themselves a midterm raise, and is known as the Madison Amendment) is ratified after first being sent to the states in 1789meaning it took over 200 years for the amendment to get there. This gives women's rights advocates hope that there might be a legal way to revive the ERA, as it seems to contradict an oft-cited precedent: the Supreme Court ruled in 1921 that amendments must be ratified within a "sufficiently contemporaneous" timeframe, which is determined by Congress.

1994

The first "Three-State Strategy" bill is introduced in Congress. It is designed to remove the ERA's 1982 deadline and pave the way for three additional states to ratify the amendment, thereby reaching the necessary 38 states.

Some legal scholars argue that because the deadline is not in the text of the amendment, it is within Congress's power to remove it. A 1939 Supreme Court decision, which states that ratification timelines are a "political question" that should be left to Congress, not courts, is sometimes brought up to bolster this argument.

2017

Nevada becomes the first state to ratify the ERA in 40 years, bringing the total to 36 states. (This isn't counting the five statesNebraska, Tennessee, Idaho, Kentucky, and South Dakotathat voted rescinded their ratifications in the years leading up to the ERA's 1982 deadline. Experts have differing opinions on the legality of this move.)

2018

IllinoisPhyllis Schlafly's home statebecomes the 37th to ratify the ERA.

Photo credit: Tasos Katopodis - Getty Images

2020

In January, the Justice Departments Office of Legal Counsel issues an opinion stating that the ERA cannot be adopted into the constitution if it is ratified by the requisite 38 states, as the deadline has long expired, and it "is no longer pending before the States." In response, the National Archives and Records Administration announces that the Archivist of the United States would not certify the ERA's adoption, should it be ratified in another state.

Later that month, Virginia becomes the pivotal 38th state to ratify the ERA; the requisite three-fourths of states have now approved the amendment.

In February, the House passes a resolution to eliminate the ERA deadline. A companion resolution has been introduced in the Senate, but it doesn't have bipartisan support.

Alongside the "Three-State Strategy," pro-ERA legislators are also pursuing another tactic, called the "Begin Anew Strategy" by the Alice Paul Institute. They've resubmitted an updated version of the amendment, which if passed by Congress, would once again be sent to the states for ratification. The text of the revised first section, below, recalls in Paul's original wording.

Women shall have equal rights in the United States and every place subject to its jurisdiction. Equality of rights under the law shall not be denied or abridged by the United States or by any State on account of sex.

The fight to enshrine equal rights for women in the Constitution has certainly taken longer than many predictedbut ERA advocates aren't showing any signs of slowing.

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Source: Xinhua| 2020-04-19 14:40:46|Editor: huaxia

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BEIJING, April 19 (Xinhua) -- Here are the latest developments on the novel coronavirus disease (COVID-19) in China:

-- The National Health Commission said Sunday that it received reports of 16 new confirmed COVID-19 cases on the mainland Saturday, of which nine were imported.

The other seven new cases were domestically transmitted, the National Health Commission said in a daily report, noting that six cases were reported in Heilongjiang Province and one in Guangdong Province.

-- The National Health Commission said as of Saturday, the mainland had reported a total of 1,575 imported cases. Of the cases, 728 had been discharged from hospitals after recovery, 847 were being treated with 47 in severe condition.

The overall confirmed cases on the mainland had reached 82,735 by Saturday, including 1,041 patients who were still being treated, 77,062 people who had been discharged after recovery, and 4,632 people who died of the disease, the commission said.

-- Shanghai reported seven imported cases of the novel coronavirus disease (COVID-19) on Saturday, the municipal health commission said Sunday.

All of them were Chinese citizens returning Shanghai from countries including Britain, the United States and Russia. They have been sent to designated medical institutions for treatment.

-- Beijing will recognize health status of personnel commuting from its neighboring regions as a way to facilitate their commute, local authorities said Saturday.

Beijing rolled out a mini-program showing health status and travel records for better epidemic management in early March. Only those without travel records outside the national capital can show "no sign of abnormality" on the app.

-- Wuhan, once the hardest-hit city by novel coronavirus disease, has been classified as a low-risk area of the outbreak as the city has met the criteria of no newly confirmed cases for the last 14 days, according to the latest assessment released Saturday by local authorities.

By the end of Friday, the central province of Hubei, which administers Wuhan, had 76 low-risk cities and counties and none with high risk or medium risk, according to the provincial COVID-19 epidemic prevention and control headquarters Saturday.

-- No new confirmed cases of the novel coronavirus disease were reported in Hubei Saturday, local health authority said Sunday.

On Saturday, the province reported no new deaths from COVID-19, and the death toll of the province stayed at 4,512. Enditem
A deeply psychological critic who wrote definitive portraits of Plath, Zelda Fitzgerald and other creative women warped by the men in their lives, Hardwick was especially concerned by limitations of the usual measures with which we tell stories of others: the subjectivity of personal impressions; the rigidity, or prurience, of biographical facts  insufficient measures for our complex fluidity of being. One wonders what, then, she would have thought about the future of collected letters in the 21st century. Whose will be our last  Philip Roths? Toni Morrisons? Its hard not to feel this is a loss  but at the same time, the carefully curated portrait of a writer that emerges in a letter collection feels not all that different from the way in which we all interact today, which is to say deliberately, methodically and probably not altogether honestly. Though heres the thing about the self: The more we try to deconstruct it, the more we notice the architecture and draperies.

Privacy, in the memoir age, has become almost quaint, and our contemporary literary forms blur all kinds of boundaries of truth and subjectivity. Personal narrative is often reframed and marketed these days as fiction (for both legal and other reasons)  Karl Ove Knausgaards My Struggle is but one example. And yet the debate endures over whether or not the personal outweighs the productive, as does our basic human need to record and confess. The self-exploration that once was poured into correspondence finds other outlets  namely, the infinite mischief of the auto-fictional novel. As such, were unlikely to need to read the correspondence of an author like Knausgaard, or any other author who has toyed with shedding artifice from the literary self-portrait, edging the mirror closer and closer to some kind of authentic self. What would be the point? At last, we simply do not need to know more.

Which is something that Hardwick, in the wake of her betrayal, understood better than most of us do now: that obliqueness is an under-sung tool of truth. Her letters with Lowell feel resonant today not only as a portrait of a marriage between two brilliant 20th-century writers but as an inquiry into the terms in which we compose the self in art  and of the ongoing effort of women to narrate themselves, to take up space in the cultural story rather than appear as supporting characters within it. Two years after Lowells death, Hardwick published her landmark autobiographical novel, 1979s Sleepless Nights, an essential precursor to todays auto-fictional movement: a self-portrait and an argument for privacy in one, filled with bladed understatement (Lowell appears in it mostly as an absence). Sometimes I resent the glossary, the concordance of truth, many have about my real life, have like an extra pair of spectacles, says the narrator, waking in the night to write letters to the friends she cant wait to call in the morning. Otherwise, I love to be known by those I care for.

At top: Margaret Howell cardigan, $385, margarethowell.co.uk; Lafayette 148 New York shirt, $448, lafayette148ny.com. Stylist: Angela Koh. Model: Charlotte ODonnell at Midland. Casting: Nicola Kast at Webber Represents. Photo assistant: Tim Soter.
While were all distracted by news about the coronavirus, lawmakers in Washington are attempting to sneak in one of the most draconian antigun bills that the country has ever seen.

Titled the Gun Violence Prevention and Community Safety Act of 2020, this bill would require all Americans to obtain a license before purchasing a firearm, treating our constitutional right to keep and bear arms as a privilege in which we must first get permission for from the federal government.

The bill, introduced on January 30th at the beginning of the pandemic, requires that a person must be 21 years or older to buy a gun, as well as go through a written and field test to demonstrate safe use of a firearm.

The lawmakers tout that their bill would require individuals to obtain a license, raise the minimum age from 18 to 21 years, establish new background check requirements, and create a statutory process for a family or household member to petition a court for an extreme risk protection order to remove firearms from an individual, among other things.

The purchaser must also hand over a photograph, giving the government valuable facial recognition data. Additionally, the license only lasts for 10 years and gun buyers could have their purchase delayed by up to 40 days before the Attorney General issues it to them.

The law would also make it illegal for a parent to pass down a gun to their children without going through time-consuming and costly legal hoops first, at threat of fines or jail time.

In other words, the bill includes everything that the most radical anti-gunners want, short of an outright ban and repeal of the second amendment. It includes new age limits, red flag confiscations, increased taxes on guns and ammunition, an arbitrary ban on nearly all semi-automatic rifles, and the requirement of a federal firearms license.

While also being what the Firearms Policy Coalition (FPC) calls, the worst anti-gun legislation that FPC have ever seen, the bill is illegal both in the letter and spirit of the second amendment.

On every question of construction let us carry ourselves back to the time when the Constitution was adopted, said Thomas Jefferson on interpreting the constitution. Recollect the spirit manifested in the debates, and instead of trying what meaning can be squeezed out of the text, or invented against it, conform to the probable one which was passed.

Its hard to imagine that the founding fathers, after fighting a brutal war for independence and passing the bill of rights specifically to protect the people against government overreach, intended for shall not be infringed to mean its okay if the federal government requires me to get a license, provide them with pictures, and pass their safety tests before I can exercise my right to keep and bear arms.

Nonetheless, that wont stop this coalition of 18 congressional Democrats from attempting to force their unconstitutional law on the American people.

If this bill were to pass, it would place the most draconian federal restrictions on access to firearms in the history of the country.

About the Author

Phillip Schneider is a student as well as a staff writer and assistant editor for Waking Times. If you would like to see more of his work, you can visit his website, or follow him on the free speech social network Minds.

This article (While America is on Lockdown New Bill Proposes Strictest Federal Gun Control Measures Ever) as originally created and published by Waking Times and is published here under a Creative Commons license with attribution to Phillip Schneider and WakingTimes.com. It may be re-posted freely with proper attribution, author bio, and this copyright statement.
National carrier Air India and largest private airline IndiGo announced that they will resume limited flight operations on 4th May, a day after the ongoing nationwide lockdown is scheduled to end.

BCCL

However, Union Civil Aviation Minister Hardeep Singh Puri has clarified that the government has not taken any decision as yet on the resumption of domestic or international flights. Read more

Artists Call Upon Delhi Police To Stop 'Witch-Hunt' Of Activists, Students During COVID-19

Calling it a "witch hunt", during the time of the coronavirus pandemic a group of artists and eminent citizens have condemned the recent arrest of anti-CAA, NRC protesters by the Delhi Police.

BCCL

Recently, the Delhi Police had arrested Sarfoora Zargar, the media coordinator of Jamia Coordination Committee, accused of organising anti-CAA protest in Delhi's north-east district and Meeran Haider, a PhD student at Jamia in connection with the protests. Read more

'If They Were Knowingly Responsible, There Will Be Consequences': Trump Warns China On COVID-19

US President, Donald Trump, has issued a warning to China of consequences if it was knowingly responsible for the spread of coronavirus.

AFP

While he slammed China on the way it handled the disease, Trump claimed that it was not cooperating with USA in the matter. Read more

COVID-19 Lockdown: Cops Come To The Rescue Of A Cancer Patient, Deliver Medicines 400 KM Away

It all began with a tweet on Saturday morning. A cancer patient in a Kannauj village needed a medicine which could not be found locally. The call for help by a friend of his son set the police wheels rolling in Noida.

BCCL

In 8 hours, the police arrived at the house of Phool Singh in Palpur, 400km away, with the required medicines. Read more

Two Men Strangle Another To Death, After He Forced Them To Sell Alcohol Amid COVID-19 Lockdown

A 30-year-old man was allegedly killed by strangulation by two others in Gurugram's Bilaspur, after forcing them to sell alcohol in the midst of the the coronavirus lockdown. Both the accused have been arrested by the police.

Representational Image

Their names are Hemant and Sandip and they hail from Nurpur village which is located in Bilaspur. Subhash Singh is the name of the victim who was also a local of the same village. Read more

Unable To Go Home Due To Lockdown, MP Man Offers His Tongue At Temple To Stop COVID-19 Spread

The desperation of one migrant worker took a tragic turn in Gujarat's Banaskantha district on Saturday after he chopped off his tongue, apparently to please the Gods to prevent the spread of COVID-19.

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Vivek Sharma was one of the eight stone sculptors who were working on the extension of the Bhavani Mata temple in Suigam for the past two months. Read more
.          ,       -            2017 .    -     2019 .   ,    2019 .   ,        ...
BERLIN  Felix Germann was not expecting anyone when his doorbell rang last week. Outside was a doctor who looked like she had just stepped out of an operating theater, green scrubs, face mask and all  and a policeman.

I didnt do it! Mr. Germann said, throwing up his hands, and everybody laughed.

The unusual visitors had come with an unusual proposal: Would he allow them to test his blood for Covid-19 antibodies? Every month? For a year? Starting next week?

He would be helping to further the science that would ultimately allow for a controlled lifting of social and economic restrictions and save lives.

Of course I said yes, said Mr. Germann, a 41-year-old project manager at a media company. I want to help. This is a collective crisis. The government is doing what it can. Everyone needs to do their bit.
Actors Ajay Devgn and Hrithik Roshan have encouraged Covid-19 survivors to donate blood to help fight the novel coronavirus. Both the actors shared details about the initiative on Twitter.

Ajay wrote, If youve recovered from COVID19, you are a Corona warrior. We need an army of such warriors to overcome this invisible enemy. Your blood contains the bullets that can kill the virus. Please donate your blood, so others, especially the serious ones can recover. Sign up now. He also tagged BMC and the office of chief minister of Maharashtra.

Hrithik also supported the initiative and shared more details on his Twitter page. Mumbais Kasturba Hospital is on a mission that needs the support of all those who have successfully recovered from the Coronavirus. If you have surpassed the 14 day quarantine after testing positive, and after the last negative result, your blood contains cells that can kill the virus. If you donate your blood others can recover too, especially those who are serious. Please sign up now to donate your blood and save lives. Contact: Dr Swapneil Parikh Email: dr. swapneilparikh@gmail.com No: 8369629902 , his note said.

Some, however, questioned the cure and wondered if it was corroborated by any medical specialist. One user wrote, After recovering again people infected.... Another user shared a news item where World Health Organisation had warned against the fake news that blood of Covid-19 survivors can help those fighting the disease.

After recovering again people infected....  Manoj Tiwari (@ManojTi01514734) April 19, 2020

Recently, Ajay had condemned the attack on doctors and cops who are risking their lives to fight Covid-19 pandemic. DISGUSTED & ANGRY to read reports of educated persons attacking doctors in their neighbourhood on baseless assumptions. Such insensitive people are the worst criminals #StaySafeStayHome #IndiaFightsCorona.

In his bid to help daily wage workers from his industry, Ajay came forward to donate Rs 51 lakh to the Federation of Western India Cine Employees (FWICE). Dear @ajaydevgn, we thank U for your generous contribution of Rs 51 lakhs towards @fwice_mum, for the benefit of our 5 lakh #CineWorkers. You have proved time and again, especially in times of crisis, that you are a real life #Singham. God bless you. #FWICEFightsCorona #IndiaFightsCorona, FWICE chief Ashoke Pandit had tweeted.

Follow @htshowbiz for more
Eastern and Central Massachusetts drivers stuck at home due to COVID-19 restrictions have cut highway trips by a whopping 68 percent compared to this time last year, according to one measure maintained by the Department of Transportation and provided in response to a request from State House News Service.

Slightly more than 3 million vehicles passed through 11 checkpoints the agency maintains on major highways from Saturday, April 4, through Friday, April 10, 2020. Those same checkpoints counted almost 10 million vehicles during the comparable week in 2019.

The checkpoints tally vehicles traveling in both directions, so one driver making a roundtrip along the same route would count twice. The same methodology was in effect in 2020 and 2019, however, so percentage changes are accurate.

Figures for the week that ended April 10, the most current available, are similar to those for the two prior weeks. Gov. Charlie Baker issued orders that began shutting down many businesses and schools effective March 24.

The highest traffic decline was in the Callahan and Sumner Tunnels between Boston and East Boston. Traffic was down almost 77 percent compared to the year-ago week. The neighboring Ted Williams Tunnel saw a 76 percent decrease in traffic. All three serve Logan International Airport, which like counterparts across the country has weathered a profound loss in air traffic due to COVID-19-related travel restrictions.

The counting point that produced the smallest change year-over-year was on I-290 in Auburn. The 264,295 vehicles that passed through represented almost half of the year-ago count.

Sundays across the state's highways tended to have the lowest traffic of any day of the week in 2020 or 2019. Sundays also saw the steepest decline of the week in almost every location in the wake of Baker's order.

By counting point:
Maharashtra Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray on Sunday assured migrant labourers in the state that his government would ensure that they are sent home once the lockdown is lifted.

I give you my word that the Maharashtra government will take you to your homes, the day this crisis ends. I believe that when you go back to your homes, you should go back happily and not out of fear, Thackeray said in a webcast, according to ANI.

Also read | Centre opens job avenue for migrant workers, bars inter-state movement of labourers

The assurance came four days after hundreds migrant workers in Mumbai thronged the Bandra West railway station despite the lockdown following rumours that the railways was about to start services to take stranded people home.

Follow coronavirus latest updates here.

The workers were also protesting the extension of the lockdown. They eventually dispersed after a lathi charge by the police.

The incident led to Union home minister calling Thackeray and telling him the protests against the lockdown weakened Indias fight against coronavirus disease and the administration needed to stay vigilant to avoid such incidents.

Also read | India under lockdown: Migrant labourer pedals 1,700 km in 7 days to reach home

After the incident on Tuesday, Thackeray had assured the workers that they were safe in Maharashtra and that he and the Centre would make arrangements for their return when the lockdown ends.

The Maharashtra government also ordered a probe into how the rumour spread. The police had also arrested a journalist of a Marathi news channel which ran a story about train services to evacuate stranded workers.
Police issued similar warnings Sunday morning. They identified Wortman as the suspect and tweeted out a photograph and description; at one point, they warned he might be wearing what appeared to be an RCMP uniform and driving what appeared to be an RCMP cruiser. They said he was not a member of the RCMP.
It has been announced that Scott Chaney has been appointed executive director of the California Horse Racing Board.

Chairman Greg Ferraro announced the news late last week.

Chaney, who assumed the post on Thursday, April 16, has replaced Rick Baedeker, who retired on March 31.

Chaney, who has been a steward in California since 2005, served initially on the Southern California Thoroughbred circuit and most recently at the Los Alamitos Quarter Horse meet. A graduate of Dartmouth, cum laude, Chaney went on to graduate with honours from the University of Southern California Law School. He remains a member of the State Bar of California.

Chaney grew up in Maryland, where his parents owned a few horses that raced at tracks in the state. With that background, and prior to becoming a steward, he groomed horses during summer breaks from law school, and then after graduation he became an assistant to trainer Darrell Vienna and travelled the country and world with horses.

CHRB commissioners and executives recognized Chaneys talents early on when they assigned him to complicated legal cases, research, and analysis of matters beyond the normal duties of stewards. He has been one of the CHRBs hearing officers since 2010.

I have known Scott since he first arrived at the racetrack, said Chairman Ferraro. I have followed his career and know him to be a person with an excellent mind, fair in his judgments, and totally committed to the integrity of horse racing. I look forward to working with him in his new position, and I know he will do a great job.

Chaneys office will be in Sacramento, but his relocation may be delayed due to COVID-19 and the statewide stay-at-home order.

When I became a steward, I saw my role as enforcing the rules in order to create a safe and fair environment for horses and licensees, as well as to protect the wagering public, said Chaney. As executive director, my duties become more expansive, but my basic role remains the same. Integrity, safety, and animal welfare are our principal concerns, especially in these challenging times."

(With files from the CHRB)
US President Donald Trump on Saturday said China should face consequences if it was found to have been knowingly responsible for the coronavirus outbreak.

It could have been stopped in China before it started and it wasnt, and the whole world is suffering because of it, Trump said at a briefing.

If it was a mistake, a mistake is a mistake, he said. But if they were knowingly responsible... then sure there should be consequences.

The US president offered no evidence to back his claim, but some sections of the media and his allies have recently contended that - with giving any proof - the virus escaped a virology laboratory in Wuhan, the epicentre of the outbreak in China.

There have been news reports of the lab receiving funding from the US, and American diplomats expressing concerns about safety measures in place at the facility. There have also been reports that US intelligence agencies have launched an investigation into the lab.

China has reacted sharply to Trumps charges. The director of the laboratory in Wuhan has rejected claims that it could be the source of the outbreak, calling it impossible.

In an interview with state media published on Saturday, Yuan Zhiming, the director of the laboratory at the Wuhan Institute of Virology, said that theres no way this virus came from us. None of his staff had been infected, he told state-backed media outlet CGTN, adding that the whole institute is carrying out research in different areas related to the coronavirus.

The origin of the pandemic has been traced to a wet market in Wuhan, where the Covid-19 virus is believed to have been transmitted to humans.

Deborah Birx, the White House coronavirus response coordinator, displayed a graph at a briefing attended by Trump that showed the death rates of various nations, and China was shown to be at the bottom with the lowest rate.

Birx said she included China in the chart to highlight how unrealisticits coronavirus numbers are. The US mortality rate is 11.24 per 100,000, which is much higher than Chinas reported rate of 0.33.
Source: Xinhua| 2020-04-20 00:31:31|Editor: huaxia

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by Xinhua writer Gao Lu

HOUSTON, April 19 (Xinhua) -- As the spring of 2020 comes, millions of people around the world stay at home rather than enjoy outdoor life. With more than 2.3 million confirmed cases of COVID-19 worldwide, anxiety and fear sometimes prevail.

"Everyone has talked about it. This comes for every session because the COVID-19 has affected everyone, at least all my patients," licensed psychotherapist Moni Tang told Xinhua in a recent telephone interview in U.S. city of Houston.

Following the Stay Home-Work Safe order by the city of Houston, Tang conducts most of her sessions through video or phone. "Some patients insisted in doing the session face to face and we did it by keeping a large physical distance," she said.

In an unprecedented crisis like this, Tang believed it's natural to feel anxious and even scared. But stress, anxiety and fear are not helpful to cope with the crisis. Tang said the first thing people should do is to change the mindset from negative to positive.

"My parents ordered a karaoke machine when they quarantine at home for several weeks. They entertained themselves," she talked about how her family spend their quarantine time in China. "I share that story with every single one of my clients and just want to tell them we will get through this and it's possible."

It might be easier said than done to lead a positive life at this moment. Tang provided some suggestions to follow.

"The first level is focusing and identifying things you have control when you are at home," she explained. "You can do meditation, you can do yoga, you can do bubble bath. You can invest time to do some of your hobbies that you have always been passionate about."

Instead of worrying about if you have enough toilet paper all day, focusing on spending quality time at home with the loved ones can help people ease the anxiety and the sense of being insecure.

In order to help people have an easy time at home, some experts suggested that making a schedule can be a good way. According to local media, Christopher Fagundes, an associate professor at Rice University's department of psychological sciences, advised setting a schedule for yourself while at home - even if it's an hour-by-hour one.

While agreeing that setting a schedule can be a good idea, Tang argued the schedule should be flexible rather than rigid.

"Rigidity triggers anxiety and frustration. So you want to have a general outline of what you're going to do, but not a rigid one," she said.

According to the professional, it is the time to have "a boundary between work life and personal life" when working from home. In another word, "allow yourself to take a break and relax."

There is no doubt that everyone's life is heavily impacted by the pandemic but Asian Americans have endure even more pressure from the increasing number of hate crimes.

Reports across the United States show that suspicious hate crimes against Asian Americans are increasing in the past weeks. On March 14, three Asian Americans, including a 2-year-old and a 6-year-old were stabbed at a Sam's Club in Midland, Texas. The suspect indicated that he attacked the family because he thought the family was Chinese, and infecting people with the coronavirus.

Local media quoted a FBI intelligence report as saying that "the FBI assesses hate crime incidents against Asian Americans likely will surge across the United States, due to the spread of coronavirus disease ... endangering Asian American communities."

To deal with the double layer of stress, Tang said Asian Americans should not exaggerate the fear and engage in catastrophic thinking.

"Not everyone on the street is going to discriminate you or attack you," she said. "Stress and anxiety are not good for our mental health and prevent us from thinking logically."

She advised people to come up with a safety plan to prepare for the worst. "If I encounter a dangerous situation, what should I do? Whom should I call?" This kind of preparedness can help people feel less anxious mentally.

According to Tang, expressing your anger and fear is also important. By encouraging her Asian American clients to talk their emotions, Tang said it really helped them defuse the anger. "I also help them cultivate a sense of understanding, almost a sense of compassion and empathy, to fight the fear," she continued.

With the epicenter of the pandemic shifted to the United States, about 400,000 Chinese students studying in the country face a dilemma: go back home or stay here. Reduced air flights and travel restrictions make the choice even harder.

An overseas student herself years ago, Tang fully understands the pressure, loneliness and uncertainty the young students are feeling now. To cope with situation, she suggested the Chinese student change their language from negative to positive first of all.

"Instead of thinking I'm stuck here, you should change the language to: I chose to be here to protect myself, my loved ones at home and the people who are going to take plane with me because I value my health as well as other people's," said Tang.

Besides, maintaining connection with people can help fight against loneness. "Maintain connection with your family back in China, your local friends, your international program office at school. Just make sure you are connected in some ways and you're not alone can be helpful in keeping you mentally healthy."

While spending time alone, Tang suggested Chinese students to take good care of themselves "just like your parents would do." To spend quality time at home, students should invest more time in "active" activities, such as journaling, playing music or physical exercise, rather than "passive" ones, like watching TV or playing video games. Enditem
A woman has claimed she found a dead moth inside a bag of Woolworths brand mixed nuts.

Marie Bennetti's husband made the shocking discovery while eating nuts they had bought from a Woolworths supermarket in Cowes in Victoria.

Ms Bennetti has a phobia of moths and told Yahoo News Australia she would have had a heart attack if she touched the insect.

'I am absolutely terrified of any type of moth. I screamed and shuddered at the very thought of me pulling it out of the bag,' she said.

The dead moth Ms Bennetti claims was inside a bag of Woolworths brand mixed nuts she bought in Victoria

'I would of had a heart attack if I had even touched that moth let alone put it in my mouth, which my hubby almost did.'

Woolworths have offered Ms Bennetti a full refund and a $10 voucher in apology for the incident.

They said they were unaware of any similar incidents with the nuts and would investigate how the moth got into the packaging.

'At Woolworths we take food safety and quality very seriously,' a Woolworths spokesperson said.

'We've contacted the customer to apologise and have arranged a full refund.

'We are not aware of any further reports of a similar nature at this time.'
Around 1,700 illegal migrants heading to the United States are being held in a jungle camp by Panama authorities after several cases of the new coronavirus were detected among them, an official source said.

They are being kept in La Penita, close to the Colombian border, in facilities designed to accommodate around 200 people.

"Seventeen migrants have been infected with the new coronavirus," the official source said on condition of anonymity.

The infected people have already been removed from the camp.

Red Cross personnel had to leave the area to be put in quarantine after being in contact with a local police officer who died from the coronavirus, said Walter Cotte, regional director of the International Federation of Red Cross for the Americas.

In Panama, which has 4,273 coronavirus infections and 120 deaths, migrants are treated at three temporary border posts where the government, UNICEF and the Red Cross provide them with water, food and medical care.

Despite the dangers, the border between Colombia and Panama has for years become a corridor for illegal immigration, mainly from Haiti, Cuba and Venezuela, but also more distant countries such as Bangladesh, Nepal, Congo and Cameroon.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Five more persons were



arrested on Sunday for their alleged involvement in the attack on two government officials who were enforcing the lockdown in Odishas Jajpur district, taking the total number of people arrested to eight, police said.

Kuakhia police arrested the five on Sunday, while three persons had been taken into custody in connection with the incident that took place in Rasulpur block areas in Jajpur district on Saturday, they said.

Police had arrested three persons soon after the incident which took place in Gopinathapur village under Kuakhia police station limits in Jajpur district on Saturday.

Kuakhia police station Inspector-in-charge Manoj Kumar Swain said, We have arrested five more people involved in assault on the government officials on COVID-19 duty. We arrested them after conducting several raids at their hideout in different location late Saturday night.

The arrested have been identified as Sultan Khan (23), Rabani Khan (24), Gufran Khan (22), Abdul Salam Khan (55), all belong to Gopinathapur village and Asraf Ali Khan (30), a resident of Binjharpur village in Jajpur district, police said.

The arrested persons were produced before a local court which remanded them to judicial custody for two weeks.

When asked whether one of the arrested persons is a Nizamuddin returnee, the IIC said investigation is in progress.

Rasulpur Block Development Officer Umakanta Parida and local Tahasildar Jyotikanta Bhujabal who were overseeing the lockdown situation near Madhuban area in the district on Saturday noticed three youths moving on a motorbike without any mask and helmet.

When the officials tried to stop them, the trio sped away and entered Gopinathpur village.

Both the BDO and Tahasildar followed the youths and intercepted them in the middle of the village.

As the officials reached there and started questioning, they were attacked by a group of around 50 villagers.

On receiving information, Jajpur Collector Ranjan Kumar Das reached the spot followed by a police team. Police rescued the two officers and arrested three accused persons.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
By Trend

EU assistance to Iran to fight coronavirus will soon amount to over 20 million euros, EU Spokesman Peter Stano told Trend.

"The EU cares for partners in need and continues to help the most affected countries by the coronavirus pandemic also outside of the EU. In case of Iran, as High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy/Vice-President of the Commission Josep Borrel said after the videoconference of the EU Foreign Ministers on 23 March, we as the EU need to make sure that legitimate humanitarian trade and assistance can proceed to Iran despite the existing US sanctions," he said.

Stano noted that EU assistance to Iran will soon amount to over 20 million euros. "With this we are responding to the needs of the health sector in the country and the most vulnerable groups (people with chronic disease, disabilities, elderly, Afghan refugees). Apart from this, the EU provides almost 300 million euros to the WHO with the understanding that Iran should get proportional part as one of the most affected countries."

More than 121 people died from the coronavirus (COVID 19) over the past day in Iran.

As many as 1,997 people have infected with the coronavirus in the past 24 hours.The condition of 3,956 people is critical.

So far, more than 220,000 tests have been conducted in Iran for the diagnosis of coronavirus.

Iran is one of the countries heavily affected by the rapidly-spreading coronavirus. According to recent reports from the Iranian officials, over 64,500 people have been infected, 3,993 people have already died. Meanwhile, over 29,800 have reportedly recovered from the disease.

The country continues to apply strict measures to contain the further spread. Reportedly, the disease was brought to Iran by a businessman from Iran's Qom city, who went on a business trip to China, despite official warnings. The man died later from the disease.

The Islamic Republic announced its first infections and deaths from the coronavirus on Feb. 19.

---

Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz
The tapestry, which depicts in 100 medieval panels the Book of Revelations, is a vivid glimpse into how people lived through plague and war. And: It is remarkable that the tapestry still exists, given that during the French Revolution it was looted, cut into pieces and used as floor mats and blankets for horses.  The Guardian (UK)
By Associated Press

TEHRAN: Irans paramilitary Revolutionary Guard acknowledged Sunday it had a tense encounter with US warships in the Persian Gulf last week, but alleged without offering evidence that American forces sparked the incident.

The incident Wednesday saw the US Navy release video of small Iranian fast boats coming close to American warships as they operated in the northern Persian Gulf near Kuwait, with US Army Apache helicopters.

In the Guard's telling, its forces were on a drill and faced the unprofessional and provocative actions of the United States and their indifference to warnings. It said the Americans later withdrew.

The Guard released no video or evidence to support its allegation. It also accused American forces of blocking Iranian warships on April 6 and April 7 as well.

Lt. Pete Pagano, a spokesman for the US Navy's Bahrain-based 5th Fleet, said the Navy stood by its earlier description of the incident Wednesday.

Regarding any other interactions with our ships, US forces continue to remain vigilant and are trained to act in a professional manner, Pagano told The Associated Press in reference to the Guard's claims of other recent incidents.

The incident comes amid still-heightened tensions between Iran and the US despite the ongoing coronavirus pandemic. Armed men boarded a Hong Kong-flagged tanker ship Tuesday off the coast of Iran near the crucial Strait of Hormuz, holding the ship for a short time near the Iranian coast before releasing it. Though Iran has not acknowledged the incident, private security firms say the Guard was behind the seizure.

In a tweet Sunday, Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif kept up his criticism of President Donald Trump, claiming Iran soon would export ventilators despite facing one of the worlds worst outbreaks.

All you need to do is stop interfering in the affairs of other nations; mine especially, Zarif wrote. And believe me, we do not take advice from ANY American politician.
Karnataka to undertake Triaging: What does it mean and how do you pronounce it

Delhi to ease restrictions, if Covid cases come down in next 2-3 days: Health Minister

Lata Mangeshkar health update: Doctor says,'She in ICU with Covid-19 and pneumonia, will be under observation'

Odisha landlord waives off rent for 7 tenants amid COVID-19 lockdown

India

oi-Briti Roy Barman

Bhubaneswar Apr 19: A landlord in Bhubaneswar has supported her tenants amid the major coronavirus pandemic in Odisha. The owner of a house with seven tenants,

Saudamini Samant Rai has waived off one month's rent for all her seven tenants.She said that the lockdown period is a tough time for everyone. She added that those who are living on rent have small scale businesses or are employees in small companies which may or may not pay salary this month.

Hence, she wanted to help them during this time and waives off their rent.

Coronavirus outbreak: Govt offices outside COVID-19 hotspots to resume work from Monday

She says to ANI,"Lockdown period is a tough time for everyone. Those living as tenants here have small scale businesses or are employees in small companies.I wanted to help them during this time".

Bhubaneswar: Saudamini Samant Rai,a landlord has waived off one month's rent for 7 tenants. She says,"Lockdown period is a tough time for everyone.Those living as tenants here have small scale businesses or are employees in small companies.I wanted to help them during this time". pic.twitter.com/fSdcz9cGlF  ANI (@ANI) April 19, 2020

Earlier, after the virus outbreak, landlords in several states threw out their tenants who were doctors and nurses and doing their duties in hospitals during the crisis.

This leads Union Home Minister Amit Shah speaking Delhi Commissioner of Police asking him to take strict action against landlords asking doctors and nurses who are treating Covid-19 patients to vacate residences.

Meanwhile, the Maharashtra government has asked landlords and house owners to consider deferring the recovery of rent payment by three months, and consequently, not evict tenants, as the nationwide lockdown has impacted incomes of many households and businesses.

The Noida administration also passed an order, asking landlords to collect rent from their worker-tenants only after a month.

For Breaking News and Instant Updates Allow Notifications

Story first published: Sunday, April 19, 2020, 12:57 [IST]
SEOUL, South Korea  Overlooking the busiest intersection in Seoul is an 82-foot traffic camera tower. At the top is Kim Yong-hee, a 60-year-old man with a sleeping bag, plastic sheeting and placards denouncing Samsung, South Koreas most powerful conglomerate.

He has been there for 315 days.

Things can hardly get worse than here, but I am ready to fight Samsung in worse conditions, Mr. Kim said by telephone from his midair protest camp, from which he can see the soaring towers of Samsungs headquarters. This is my last stand against that evil behemoth.

Mr. Kim said Samsung fired him in 1995 for doing what many others, before and since, have tried to do: organize an independent labor union. He has spent the past quarter-century trying to get his job back, as well as compensation and an apology from the company, whose influence is so pervasive that many see it as untouchable.

Known around the world for its smartphones, Samsung is the biggest of the chaebol, the family-controlled conglomerates that dominate South Koreas economy. And it stands out for another reason. Huge strikes have crippled operations at other chaebol, like the shipbuilding and automaking giant Hyundai, but Samsung has never experienced serious labor strife.
(Bloomberg Opinion) -- With the shutdown causing business losses to spiral  the National Restaurant Association, for instance, estimates that the shutdown will cost the industry some $225 billion through May  companies are naturally looking to their business interruption insurance for relief. What theyre discovering is that the typical policy excludes losses stemming from pandemics and, often, infectious diseases or new viruses.(1)

This is a problem, but we have to careful not to solve it by making things worse. A number of states are considering legislation that would order insurers to pay for businesses coronavirus losses no matter what the policy seems to say. President Donald Trump has hinted that he might be in support. But this would be a terrible response to a genuine crisis.(2)

Typical of this legislative blunderbuss is a bill recently introduced in South Carolina. The proposal, which makes no bones about its intention, would provide that all policies in the state that insure against a loss of use and occupancy, or business interruption must cover damages caused by the Covid-19 pandemic notwithstanding the terms of the policy. In plain English, the bill would rewrite the existing insurance contract. Other states considering similar legislation include Louisiana, New Jersey, New York, Ohio and Pennsylvania.

Nobody disputes that business are suffering, and if a state chooses to mandate that going forward all business interruption policies sold within its borders must cover pandemic losses, thats its privilege. But when the government instead purports to rewrite the terms of policies already in force, serious problems arise.

In the first place, as the legal scholar Michael Krauss has pointed out, a statute mandating so drastic a change in the meaning of an insurance policys language would probably be held to violate the U.S. Constitutions contracts clause. The clause has been interpreted to prohibit substantial impairments of existing contracts, except in cases of necessity. Its hard to imagine a more substantial impairment than rewriting a contract to force a party to pay money the contract says isnt due. And as to necessity, the courts say it doesnt exist when the state can accomplish its purpose through a more moderate means that doesnt interfere with contracts. In this case, an alternative exists: a state can offer its own subsidies to cover losses the business interruption policies exclude.

Story continues

The U.S. Supreme Court has held that the clause does not operate to obliterate the police power of the States, but federal courts have on a number of occasions used it to invalidate state legislative efforts to alter the terms of existing insurance contracts. Even so, as far as I can tell, the wholesale rewriting of insurance agreements now under consideration would be unprecedented.(3)

Even during the Second World War, with patriotic fervor at its height, no state gave serious consideration to nullifying the then-common clause in life insurance contracts that excluded deaths during military or naval service in time of war. The clauses sparked litigation aplenty, resulting in some important cases construing time of war, but nobody argued that the exclusion itself was somehow impermissible.

Even if we put aside the constitutional question, making pandemic exclusions in insurance contracts unenforceable would also be unwise. If insurers are forced to pay for what their policies expressly exclude, theyll have no reliable way of knowing what they must cover, and therefore no reliable way of pricing their coverage.

People buy insurance because they are risk averse. They transfer a part of the uncertainty about the future to a company that accepts the risk because it can make a profit doing so. The profit comes from the insurers ability to project likely payouts under its policies. Nowadays, insurance companies pay analysts to develop complex algorithms to help them make wise decisions about whom to insure and how much to charge.

But its hard to predict your losses when the government can willy-nilly rewrite your contracts. The entirely foreseeable result of such rewriting would be an across-the-board increase in the price of at least business interruption insurance and possibly other categories as well, to cover the risk that when the next disaster strikes, legislatures will decree that some other policy exclusion also cannot be enforced.

Supporters of the legislative proposals have argued that the losses from the coronavirus and the resulting shutdown were unforeseeable, but insurers did foresee them.(4) Policies protecting businesses against pandemic interruptions are available. There simply havent been many takers. We might expect more buyers going forward, but that depends on what happens next. If the states rewrite business interruption policies, potential buyers of pandemic policies may be dissuaded on the theory that if another pandemic arrives, the government will do the same thing again. Why pay for extra insurance when the insurers will be forced to cover your losses even at the lower price?

Theres an obvious alternative. Congress could enact a national pandemic insurance, on the model of the federal flood insurance program. Businesses wanting protection would pay in; the federal government would backstop the payouts. True, one hesitates to support creation of yet another new federal program, but its a far better idea than telling the insurance industry that its policies dont mean what they plainly say.

(1) The exclusion for pandemic losses is not some new thing recently spirited into policies without notice. Heres an advisory from reinsurance broker Willis back in 2006, during the avian flu scare: If 25 percent of the worlds workforce is struck down by a pandemic, by illness or death, business will certainly be interrupted on many levels. Will Property or Business Interruption coverage apply? Almost certainly not.

(2) Lawsuits have also been filed, but courts are unlikely to strike down express policy exclusions.

(3) Well, not entirely unprecedented. The abolition of slavery had the salutary effect of negating both contracts and wills that involved trafficking in human beings. If you think the cases are equivalent...

(4) Some business interruption policies may cover at least a part of losses resulting from official shutdown orders.

This column does not necessarily reflect the opinion of Bloomberg LP and its owners.

Stephen L. Carter is a Bloomberg Opinion columnist. He is a professor of law at Yale University and was a clerk to U.S. Supreme Court Justice Thurgood Marshall. His novels include The Emperor of Ocean Park, and his latest nonfiction book is Invisible: The Forgotten Story of the Black Woman Lawyer Who Took Down America's Most Powerful Mobster.

For more articles like this, please visit us at bloomberg.com/opinion

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2020 Bloomberg L.P.
A video of a woman heading for that perfect handstand would have been amazing and even somewhat motivating until a dog decided to walk in the scene and foil the attempt at fakery. The video of the pooch interrupting its humans work out has now left people in splits and all because it foils the fake plot behind that handstand.

In the video, a woman leans against the wall trying to do the posture perfectly. An elderly man is also seen sitting her on a chair reading a newspaper. The video is certainly awe-inspiring, until the four-legged fur ball enters the scene. In an instant it becomes clear that the woman is not leaning against the wall but lying on the floor and trying to record a fake handstand video.

The video is now viral and is being shared by many across various platforms. With millions of views, the clip is making people laugh out loud and theres a chance it will leave you in splits too. The comments express varied reactions too.

While some jokingly called it a spider dog, others pointed how the elderly man in the video slowly rolls over after the ploy is exposed.

Dad just rolls over like dang dog messed it up again, wrote a reddit user. Spider-Dog, joked another.

A few more observant redditors, however, claimed that they could identify the fake attempt long before the dog gave it away.

The mans movements and positioning really sell the illusion, except for the newspaper that seems to defy the law of gravity, expressed a third. Lighting gives it away long before the dog does, wrote a fourth.

Could you understand that the woman is faking it or is it the dog that gave it away?
19.04.2020 LISTEN

Ghanaian pastors in particular, and their Black African pastors in general, are conspicuously noted for preaching the word of fear into their congregations and their listeners. They have turned the gospel into some sort of a wicked monster and do portray God, the ever-loving, patient, enduring and kind Creator of humanity, into some sort of a callous and unforgiving Father ready to obliterate the existence of humanity from the surface of the earth.

The above has been the approach of most Ghanaian pastors and questionable prophets to communicating the word of God, thus the gospel, to Ghanaians. However, the pastors and the prophets are often found to be preaching these fear-instilling virtues in public while they themselves are actively practising vices openly or under the cover of darkness. To hell with these corrupt pastors and prophets that are feeding fat on the ignorance of Ghanaians and the abundant patience of God.

The economic downturn of most African countries must be blamed on their pastors who for the sake of collecting offertories and tithes, would have their church members troop into their churches seven days a week, and in the morning, afternoon and evening. How can these church members become economically productive to themselves and to the nation to generate the needed income to develop the nation? When by their succumbing actions to their oftentimes fake pastors and prophets they become poor, they turn around to blame the government and to seek freebies from the government. They then become envious of their successful hardworking neighbours and then resort to all evil means to bring genuinely successful persons down. Should I say, Na nie ma kaden Kaden to them? Is it a Hausa statement or what? I dont know but used to hear it when I was growing up as a child among the Hausa friends at Kumawu zongo.

How I wish President Paul Kagame of Rwanda had come to rule Ghana for a month to reform Ghanaians attitude to church service. There are more rogue pastors and prophets in Ghana and Africa than in the rest of the world put together.

I am highly pissed off to hear and read about one Ghanaian pastor or prophet called Oduro. He is proclaiming that the church is not a place to feed the church members or better put, a place where the church members can expect to receive distribution of food in the wake of crisis like the novel coronavirus (Covid-19) that is killing many people and brought about nation lockdowns to many countries in the world. For him, it is a place to feed the soul with the word of God but not physical food.

Does he really understand the gospel? When the soul is fed with the word of God and the body is hungry, what happens next? Can a hungry person assimilate the word of God when preached to him or her? No!

Why would Jesus feed the multitude as in Matthew 14:13-21 but not send them away after healing them? This is for the quack prophet himself to answer. As usual, let me reproduce the quoted bible verse(s) here by making it handy to many that have no bibles.

Matthew 14:13-21

Jesus Feeds the Five Thousand

13 When Jesus heard what had happened, he withdrew by boat privately to a solitary place. Hearing of this, the crowds followed him on foot from the towns. 14 When Jesus landed and saw a large crowd, he had compassion on them and healed their sick.

15 As evening approached, the disciples came to him and said, This is a remote place, and its already getting late. Send the crowds away, so they can go to the villages and buy themselves some food.

16 Jesus replied, They do not need to go away. You give them something to eat.

17 We have here only five loaves of bread and two fish, they answered.

18 Bring them here to me, he said. 19 And he directed the people to sit down on the grass. Taking the five loaves and the two fish and looking up to heaven, he gave thanks and broke the loaves. Then he gave them to the disciples, and the disciples gave them to the people. 20 They all ate and were satisfied, and the disciples picked up twelve basketfuls of broken pieces that were left over. 21 The number of those who ate was about five thousand men, besides women and children.

There is another pastor/prophet in Ghana who in this critical period of Covid-19 ravaging havoc on peoples lives is still requiring church members to send food to their pastors instead of expecting the pastors to dig deep into the already collected offertories and tithes to assist the church members most of whom cannot go to work under the nation lockdown. He claims the tithes and offertories are for God. It really gets to me to hear these crook Ghanaian pastors always finding ways to fleece their congregations.

Does God need money and if yes, for what? I know some ignoramuses will come to tell me the money is needed to spread the word of God. Are these pastors spreading any word of God or preaching prosperity with intent to exploit their hearers of the word and their false prophecies?

The bible says, he who claims to love God but hates his brother or neighbour is a liar. Again, these Ghanaian pastors who are not ready to help their poor church members from the already collected offertories and tithes but would want to keep them for themselves while expecting the church members to continue to fulfil their financial obligations to the church and pastors in this Covid-19 period, I have the following gospel message for you.

Matthew 25:31-46 New King James Version (NKJV)

The Son of Man Will Judge the Nations

31 When the Son of Man comes in His glory, and all the [a]holy angels with Him, then He will sit on the throne of His glory. 32 All the nations will be gathered before Him, and He will separate them one from another, as a shepherd divides his sheep from the goats. 33 And He will set the sheep on His right hand, but the goats on the left. 34 Then the King will say to those on His right hand, Come, you blessed of My Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world: 35 for I was hungry and you gave Me food; I was thirsty and you gave Me drink; I was a stranger and you took Me in; 36 I was naked and you clothed Me; I was sick and you visited Me; I was in prison and you came to Me.

37 Then the righteous will answer Him, saying, Lord, when did we see You hungry and feed You, or thirsty and give You drink? 38 When did we see You a stranger and take You in, or naked and clothe You? 39 Or when did we see You sick, or in prison, and come to You? 40 And the King will answer and say to them, Assuredly, I say to you, inasmuch as you did it to one of the least of these My brethren, you did it to Me.

41 Then He will also say to those on the left hand, Depart from Me, you cursed, into the everlasting fire prepared for the devil and his angels: 42 for I was hungry and you gave Me no food; I was thirsty and you gave Me no drink; 43 I was a stranger and you did not take Me in, naked and you did not clothe Me, sick and in prison and you did not visit Me.

44 Then they also will answer {b} Him, saying, Lord, when did we see You hungry or thirsty or a stranger or naked or sick or in prison, and did not minister to You? 45 Then He will answer them, saying, Assuredly, I say to you, inasmuch as you did not do it to one of the least of these, you did not do it to Me. 46 And these will go away into everlasting punishment, but the righteous into eternal life.

Dont get me wrong, there a few genuine Ghanaian pastors and prophets out there but they do not publicise themselves and they do not exploit people but share the little that they have with the poor and needy. Yes, these are the men of God that God Himself and sensible Ghanaians need but not those fake ones announcing themselves on the media all of the time.

Rockson Adofo

Sunday, 19 April 2020
A motorcyclist has died after colliding with a lamppost in east London.

The 37-year-old man was pronounced dead at the scene of the crash in Plashet Road near the junction with Lucas Avenue in Newham.

Emergency services were called to the scene shortly after 5.40pm on Saturday.

A Scotland Yard statement said: "Officers attended the location along with London Ambulance Service, where they found a male motorcyclist who had collided with a lamppost. The 37-year-old man was pronounced dead at the scene."

Enquiries into the incident are ongoing.

His family have been informed though there has not been formal identification yet.
As India boosts its export of hydroxychloroquine, Dominican Republic too received its share of HCQ pills. On Sunday, the country's Foreign Minister Miguel Vargas extended his gratitude to India. Vargas thanked India's External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar and Prime Minister Narendra Modi for the HCQ tablets.

READ: India Sends 1 Lakh Paracetamol, 5 Lakh Hydroxychloroquine Tablets To Afghanistan

Miguel Vargas thanks EAM Jaishankar, PM Modi

Taking to Twitter, Miguel Vargas thanked India on behalf of Dominican Republic after the country received a shipment of hydroxychloroquine tablets. According to Vargas, the tablets will be used for experimental treatment against the raging COVID-19. Vargas added that the move has cemented cooperation between India and Dominican Republic.

"On my behalf and from the government, thanks to India, Prime Minister Modi and External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar for the shipment of 200 pills of hydroxychloroquine for experimental treatment against COVID-19. True south-south cooperation!" said Miguel Vargas

READ: EAM Jaishankar Dials Iranian Counterpart Javad Zarif, Discusses Steps To Combat COVID-19

En mi nombre y del gobierno gracias a India , al primer ministro @narendramodi y al canciller @DrSJaishankar por envio recibido ayer de 200 mil pastillas de hidroxicloroquina para tratamiento experimental contra #Covid19 . Verdadera cooperacion sur-sur! #DiplomaciaDigitalRD pic.twitter.com/grEzWBTTh0  Miguel Vargas (@MiguelVargasM) April 18, 2020

READ: Jaishankar Holds Telephonic Talks With US Special Envoy For Afghanistan Khalilzad

Following his tweet, EAM Jaishankar replied and said:

"Thank you FM Miguel Vargas. India stands with its friends and partners in the collective fight against corona."

Gracias canciller @MiguelVargasM. India esta con sus amigos y socios en la lucha colectiva contra #corona.



Thank you FM @MiguelVargasM. India stands with its friends and partners in the collective fight against #corona. https://t.co/kG5y7ZN1Nz  Dr. S. Jaishankar (@DrSJaishankar) April 19, 2020

READ | COVID-19: Drugs With Less Than 60 Pc Shelf Life Allowed To Be Imported On Condition
Bob Odenkirks son Nathan is recovering after contracting the novel coronavirus (COVID-19). The star of the Breaking Bad prequel series Better Call Saul recently spoke out about his sons recovery and how the rest of the Odenkirk family is holding up in quarantine.

Nate Odenkirk

The Odenkirks are social distancing

Like the rest of the world, Odenkirk is practicing social distancing with his wife, Naomi, and two children, Nathan and Erin. Odenkirk has been putting his time in isolation to good use: Im writing every day. Im working out every day. Im walking my dog a lot, he told Variety.

Odenkirk also shared that he has been working on a comedy with fellow actor Dino Stamatopoulos, whom he worked with on Mr. Show. You have to develop your skills. And one thing you can always do is you can always work on yourself, Odenkirk added. Sheltering in place is the perfect time to do that.

Who is Nathan Odenkirk?

Nathan is Odenkirks eldest son. He is following in his fathers footsteps, performing stand up comedy and starring in projects like Melvin Goes to Dinner, an award-winning comedy directed by his father. Nate, as Odenkirk refers to him, has also had a few other acting roles in projects like Rat Bastard and Scrub.

According to his LinkedIn profile, the oldest Odenkirk child is studying political science at DePaul University in Chicago. In the past, he worked as a production assistant on Jimmy Kimmel Live!

In addition to pursuing his interest in comedy and acting, Odenkirks son runs an online magazine called The Inquirist, a premier source for thoughtful soft journalism, timely news bits, and life lessons. Earlier in March, the college student published an article about the spread of coronavirus jokes, writing: Scientists at the World Health Organization are racing to find a cure, or at least develop an actually funny Coronavirus joke. Progress on either front is slow.

Bob Odenkirk said Nate is recovering from the coronavirus

Odenkirk was a guest on The Late Late Show with James Corden, where he discussed his 21-year-old sons experience with the coronavirus. This was pretty early on, it was a couple weeks ago, and we were all learning about this thing, Odenkirk explained.

I had heard that young people dont get hit very hard. Since then, weve learned that thats very much a case-by-case basis, Odenkirk continued. He explained that his biggest concern with Nathan was that he had asthma. I worried that that would be an extra complication, Odenkirk said.

In the end, it was pretty bad, and it was worse than the flu. The pain in [Nathans] throat was the worst thing of all, Odenkirk reported, in addition to the fatigue and length of the illness. Id say [Nathan] got out pretty easily compared to a lot of people who suffer a lot and then worse. It got scarier the longer it went, and the further we got from it, I became aware that we were very lucky, Odenkirk concluded.
-As a specialized agency for public health, the WHO has striven to fulfill its purposes of collecting information on various infectious diseases globally and issuing timely warnings.

-As a key platform for multilateral cooperation mechanisms, the WHO has played an important role in coordinating international efforts to end the global fight.

-In addition to daily situation reports starting on Jan. 21, the organization has published practical guidance that covers all aspects of epidemic prevention and control on its website, including surveillance and case definitions, patient management, risk communication and community engagement, country-level coordination, planning and monitoring, and guidance for schools, workplaces and institutions.

GENEVA, April 19 (Xinhua) -- Since the onset of the COVID-19 outbreak, the World Health Organization (WHO) has taken timely and decisive measures with an objective, scientific and impartial response to guide global anti-epidemic cooperation, gaining wide recognition from the international community.

Despite the rapid spread of the pandemic, which, according to the latest figures of the WHO, has led to over 2.1 million cases and more than 146,000 deaths globally, the U.S. administration announced earlier this week that it is halting funding to the WHO, after weeks of criticism of the health organization and its handling of the outbreak.

World Health Organization (WHO) Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus attends a daily briefing. (Xinhua/Chen Junxia)

While some Western politicians have politicized the virus and smeared the efforts of the WHO, China has called for solidarity and cooperation in the global fight.

In an article published in the Qiushi Journal on Thursday, Chinese President Xi Jinping wrote that only with solidarity and cooperation can the international community prevail over the epidemic and protect humanity's common home.

TIMELY WARNINGS

As a specialized agency for public health, the WHO has striven to fulfill its purposes of collecting information on various infectious diseases globally and issuing timely warnings.

The WHO "has largely served its purpose well" in the COVID-19 crisis, said Thomas Bollyky, director of the global health program and senior fellow for global health, economics, and development at the Council on Foreign Relations, a U.S. think tank, urging Washington not to "degrade it amid a crisis."

On Jan. 5, the WHO published its first disease outbreak news on the new virus, including a risk assessment, advice, and China's reports on the virus, two days after China informed the organization of the outbreak, as well as relevant countries and regions.

On Jan. 12, the agency said in a press release that "China shared the genetic sequence of the novel coronavirus, which will be of great importance for other countries to use in developing specific diagnostic kits."

On Jan. 31, WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus declared the outbreak a Public Health Emergency of International Concern (PHEIC), sending the highest level of alarm.

On March 11, Ghebreyesus said at a press conference that "COVID-19 can be characterized as a pandemic."

The WHO quickly declared a PHEIC and classified COVID-19 a pandemic soon after, Lawrence Gostin, a public health law professor at Georgetown University, tweeted on April 8, adding that "US/Europe had time to prepare. They didn't! Easy to blame @WHO, but it's our fault."

U.S. President Donald Trump is attacking the WHO "because he loves to have international targets that deflect from his own performance on the pandemic," Darrell West, director of governance studies at Brookings Institution, a Washington D.C.-based think tank, told Xinhua.

In addition to sounding warnings at critical moments, the WHO always sends experts to virus-hit regions to collect information to better understand the situation.

On Jan. 28, a senior WHO delegation led by Ghebreyesus traveled to China's capital Beijing.

On Feb. 16, the WHO-China Joint Mission, consisting of 25 experts from eight countries and the WHO itself, began its nine-day field study trip in Beijing and the provinces of Guangdong, Sichuan and Hubei.

Bruce Aylward, an epidemiologist who led an advance team from the World Health Organization (WHO), speaks during a press conference of the China-WHO joint expert team in Beijing. (Xinhua/Xing Guangli)

"China's good cooperation with the World Health Organization has enabled various national authorities to prepare, as best as possible, for the difficulties brought by the wave of contamination," former French prime minister Jean-Pierre Raffarin told Xinhua.

ANTI-EPIDEMIC COORDINATOR

The pandemic is "a global emergency, and every aspect of the response needs coordination," said Dr. David Nabarro, co-director of the Institute of Global Health Innovation at Imperial College London, who has been appointed as a special envoy for the response to the coronavirus pandemic.

As a key platform for multilateral cooperation mechanisms, the WHO has played an important role in coordinating international efforts to end the global fight.

On Feb. 7, warning that the world is facing severe shortages of personal protection equipment (PPE), Ghebreyesus said the WHO is engaging more than ever with private sectors globally to send test kits, masks, gloves, respirators and medical gowns to every affected region.

According to a report published by the Brookings Center on Regulation and Markets late last month, the WHO had sent hundreds of thousands of tests to different countries by early February, but the United States insisted on developing its own test kits, delaying testing throughout nearly all of February -- "a lost month during a critical period."

So far, the organization has shipped more than 2 million items of PPE to 133 countries and regions, as well as over 1 million diagnostic tests to 126 countries, the WHO chief said at a news conference on April 8.

To fast-track global research on the disease, a two-day forum on COVID-19 coordinated by the WHO concluded in Geneva on Feb. 12, identifying nine thematic areas of research on the outbreak, such as vaccine research.

Noting that vaccine research "is an issue that must have strong global coordination," Nabarro said, "I'm very pleased the World Health Organization has established mechanisms for doing this and I hope that all nations will follow it."

On April 8, Ghebreyesus said that the WHO has pledged over 800 million U.S. dollars in response to the pandemic, including more than 140 million dollars raised through its COVID-19 Solidarity Response Fund launched in March.

Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus (L) speaks at a press conference. (Xinhua/Chen Junxia)

"Our position is that the UK has no plans to stop funding the WHO, which has an important role to play in leading the global health response," a spokesperson for British Prime Minister Boris Johnson said at a media briefing on Wednesday.

The British government on April 12 announced a donation of 65 million pounds (81 million dollars) to the WHO to support the anti-epidemic fight.

PRACTICAL GUIDANCE

The WHO played an important role in directing the global fight against COVID-19, said Takakage Fujita, director general of a Japanese civil group dedicated to upholding and developing the well-known Murayama Statement.

In addition to daily situation reports starting on Jan. 21, the organization has published practical guidance that covers all aspects of epidemic prevention and control on its website, including surveillance and case definitions, patient management, risk communication and community engagement, country-level coordination, planning and monitoring, and guidance for schools, workplaces and institutions.

On March 18, the WHO and its partners launched the Solidarity Trial, an international clinical trial to help find an effective treatment for COVID-19.

"I'm glad that many countries have joined the Solidarity Trial, that will help us to move with speed and volume," Ghebreyesus said at a news briefing on March 23.

Through its OpenWHO platform, the agency provides real-time training for medical workers with interactive and online courses in 43 languages, including public health expertise and in-depth discussion and feedback on key issues, which has attracted 1.2 million participants.

In a reply letter to Ghebreyesus, Xi said on March 26 that China will continue to firmly support Ghebreyesus and the WHO playing an active and leading role in the global fight.

"The WHO, with thousands of its staff, is on the front lines, supporting member states and their societies, especially the most vulnerable among them, with guidance, training, equipment and concrete life-saving services as they fight the virus," United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said in a statement on April 8.

Photo taken on April 3, 2020 shows UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres speaking at a virtual press briefing. (Xinhua/Xie E)

The UN chief on Tuesday noted that "now is the time for unity and for the international community to work together in solidarity to stop this virus and its shattering consequences."
Kommercial Kitchens has made its return to Beaumont and to a fully functional showroom during a tumultuous time for most of the retail sector across the country. Navigating disaster has unfortunately been the norm for Terry Woodward and his crew for the past few years.

Woodward, who founded the restaurant and kitchen supply company in 1991, had been working on the combined 44,000-square-foot Kommercial Kitchens building and adjacent strip center since late 2018 after Tropical Storm Harvey left his Rose City operation a total loss.

After more than a year of construction and more floods and delays in between, the company has a new home on Beaumonts section of the I-10 corridor and a new concept appealing to a wider customer base.

We have stuff here no one else has, and probably stuff the average home cook wouldnt think about, Woodard said. Now, we finally have the space to put that on display a little more.

The new building appears at first glance to be equal parts home goods store and industrial supply warehouse. The entrance of the brick and black metal building opens up to a large, central residential cooking accessory aisle with a vast number of tools and recipe packs for home cooks to try out.

Around the sides are the heavy duty items such as reinforced pots, pans and trays that have to stand up to the daily grind of a working kitchen. Shoppers will pass through shelves of everything a restaurant needs, from ketchup bottles to menu covers, until they reach the back, where large wooden pallets hold the fancy toys on display.

The back half of the open layout is for the large industrial grills, fryers, stoves and everything in between that Kommercial Kitchens regularly installs in restaurants and schools that make up its repeat clientele.

Woodard said he prided himself on seeing items for his shop in local restaurants, especially in the early days when he would look for things such as the brand of tables at a restaurant he was visiting, but the business probably spends most of its time supplying schools these days.

Even during quarantine, he said, sending the kind of supplies schools need to keep feeding kids during the coronavirus shutdown has kept business up. The occasional delivery to restaurants that are still open also has helped.

Since making sure that one of the monster stoves or grills he supplies will meet the needs of the customer is so crucial to making a sale, the company has devoted a special space next to the warehouse to giving demonstrations of the equipment.

The showroom looks like a normal kitchen with chairs on one side and a large marble countertop in front of a cooking space, but behind is a wall filled with almost every typical gas hookup and electrical outlet you could imagine finding in a commercial kitchen.

Woodard said he got the idea after seeing a showroom in Dallas, and felt like the next iteration of Kommercial Kitchens needed one as well.

It seemed like a simple solution once we got it worked out, he said. Typically, we can even call the factory and have them ship something out so the client can try it before they buy.

When not using the space as a showroom, Woodard plans on partnering with local stations to record cooking shows that would feature local restaurateurs pitting their signature dishes against each other.

He has been thinking about the concept since his days in Rose City but never had the space to do it.

In some ways, the buildings new location on I-10 is a connecting point for all the past iterations of the business. Woodards first storefront was on College Street in Beaumont but quickly outgrew the space and landed in Rose City, right on the highway. After Harvey in 2017, the company had to shift to a new location.

Woodard said the company was able to keep operating while trying to recover thanks to a quick move to a building the company already owned in Vidor, but that also came with its own challenges.

It was a fine building, just probably not for Kommercial Kitchens, he said.

When he started forming plans for a new place, Woodard said he knew he wanted to be on I-10 again.

The plot next to the feeder road used to be the site of the Ridgewood Retirement Home, which closed in 2013. The area has also seen other recent development with a new Burger King cropping up just off the exit on a plot next door.

I-10 has been a driver of recent growth in Beaumont and Southeast Texas as the Texas Department of Transportation moves to widen the highway. It is expected to become even more heavily trafficked if and when oil and gas heavies in the region complete the several billion dollars worth of expansions announced in 2019.

On Beaumonts southwestern corridor of the highways, three hotels gradually opened in the spring just before the coronavirus pandemic took hold in the region.

The traffic conduit has also inspired at least one large investment in Orange County this year with the founding of an industrial park on the far west side of Orange.

As more flood-weary business owners like Woodard rebuild their businesses, the corridor could see more growth from Orange to Beaumont.

Brad Haeggquist, general manager of the Mauriceville Municipal Utility District, said the coming business park in his area is just one example in a growing list of developments moving toward Orange Countys northwest side.

I get a lot of calls and activity from around that area, Haeggquist said in December. With everything that happened to us around the Rose City area, people are looking for places that wont flood.

jacob.dick@beaumontenterprise.com

twitter.com/jdickjournalism
After halting the US funding for the World Health Organisation (WHO), Donald Trump in his White House briefing on Saturday said that now the country could find ways to efficiently use the USD 500 million it allocated to the UN body.

The World Health Organization, were just finding more and more problems, there are other ways we can spend 500 million dollars but we can find other ways to spend it where people are going to be helped we think in a much greater way, we are doing some research on certain people who take a lot of credit for what they do, Trump said.

We can spend the $500 million using all of it in a much more efficient manner if we chose to do that, and it will be to the good of many more people, Trump added, criticizing the WHO for being against the United States closing off its borders to China when the coronavirus was just emerging.

READ | US president Trump announces relief package for farmers hit due to Covid lockdown

The novel Coronavirus, which has brought the entire world to a halt, first originated in China in December last year, has till now killed over 160,755 people worldwide. The United States till Sunday reported a total number of 738,792 cases 39,014 deaths. New York City remains the most affected by the coronavirus. Earlier on April 19, India amended the Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) policy to ensure no hostile takeover of firms facing stress due to ongoing COVID-19 lockdown. According to the amendment, neighbouring countries - including China, Nepal, Bangladesh, Pakistan will require government approval for investing into Indian companies.

READ | US presidential elections: Elizabeth Warren endorses Joe Biden

Trump warns China

In his briefing, US president Trump also has warned China of consequences if it was "knowingly responsible" for the spread of the novel coronavirus pandemic. He said that the death rate of China is higher than that of US, 'but no one is reporting it.'

"If they were knowingly responsible, yeah, then there should be consequences," he told reporters at a White House news conference on Saturday. "You're talking about, you know, potentially lives like nobody's seen since 1917. The relationship was good when we were signing that, but then, all of a sudden, you hear about this. So, it's a big difference. You know, the question was asked would you be angry at China. Well, the answer very well might be a very resounding, yes, but it depends," Trump said.

READ | 'China will find out': Donald Trump implies Coronavirus consequences; won't be precise

Trump halts WHO funding

Trump on Wednesday halted US funding to the UN body after alleging mismanaging the coronavirus crisis. Trump has blamed WHO's "very much sided" approach to China on coronavirus crisis, asserting that many people are unhappy with the global health agency and feel that "it's been very unfair". Trump said: "Today I am instructing my administration to halt the funding of WHO while the review is conducted is assessing WHO's role in severely mismanaging and covering up the spread of the Coronavirus.

In an obvious reference to China, he said: "Everybody knows what's going on there." American taxpayer provides about 400 million to 500 million dollars per year to WHO in contrast China contributes only 40 million dollars or less. As the highest contributor, it is our duty to insist on full accountability."

READ | China not excluded, as Donald Trump halts US funding for WHO alleging Covid mismanagement
The patients, both Vietnamese students in the U.K., were treated at the Bac Lieu General Hospital, the Health Ministry said.

"Patient 156," 21, a resident of the Mekong Delta's Tra Vinh Province, flew from the U.K. to Vietnam on March 23 and was confirmed positive on March 27.

"Patient 241" is a 20-year-old man from Saigon's District 2, whod flown in from the U.K. to Vietnam on March 22. He was confirmed positive on April 5.

Following the two discharges, Bac Lieu has no active Covid-19 cases left.

Of the 268 Covid-19 cases confirmed so far, Vietnam has discharged 203 and recorded no new infection in the last three days.
Outside the gates at Crossroads Correctional Center, a for-profit private prison in Toole County, the coronavirus outbreak has been especially pronounced, accounting for half of the state's nine COVID-19-related deaths.

The prison, operated by CoreCivic, has not seen a positive case yet, according to a company spokesman. It is one of the largest employers in the region, with more than 170 employees from the town of Shelby and the adjacent counties, a region known as the Golden Triangle for its strong wheat production.

Until recently, CoreCivic required inmates to sign a waiver in order to receive a face mask, which held the company harmless of any claims related to the masks. Ryan Gustin, a spokesperson for CoreCivic, said this week the company did away with the waiver on April 10.

"It was not the intent of the previous form to require inmates and detainees to relinquish all rights related to COVID-19," Gustin said in an email. "The use of the original form has been discontinued since Friday afternoon (April 10). Inmates and detainees are only required to initial documentation evidencing they were issued a mask."

Gustin was not able to cite the exact number of face masks available on Friday, but said all employees and inmates will receive masks, and added the prison has the resources to replenish supplies as necessary. The prison's bed capacity is 664.

The Montana Department of Corrections said Friday its inmate workers have been producing masks for inmates, who total about 1,800 between the Montana State Prison and State Women's Prison.

As soon as we received the patterns for masks, gowns and other utility PPE, and got the proper fabric in stock, our inmate workers were able to shift gears from sewing prison clothing to sewing and assembling PPE, said Montana Correctional Enterprises Administrator Gayle Butler in a press release. Over the past couple of weeks, they have produced about 5,300 cloth masks, 1,400 face shields, 350 shoe covers, 350 head covers, 400 gowns, 300 mask covers, and more.

Additionally, Butler said a 3-D printer acquired by the DOC in March was put to work last week to produce N95 masks, with 35 produced by Friday.

Providing masks to inmates goes beyond what was instructed of correctional facilities in Gov. Steve Bullock's April 1 directive to prevent prisons from becoming incubation pods. The directive limited inmate movement among facilities and expedited the parole board process for those at high risk for the illness. Department of Corrections Director Reginald Michael said in Friday's press release no inmates or staff have tested positive for the coronavirus. The DOC and CoreCivic had implemented federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention guidelines ahead of the governor's directive to prevent internal spread. Visitation at these facilities was suspended weeks earlier, about the time Montana saw its first positive coronavirus case.

Twenty-nine COVID-19 cases and four related deaths have struck Toole County, a Hi-Line jurisdiction of about 4,800 people. Compare that to Missoula County, population 119,000, where 34 people have tested positive for the virus and one has died. The Toole County cluster has been largely attributed to the Marias Medical Center and its assisted living center.

The Crossroads Correctional Center employs roughly 175 people, according to a 2015 report to the state Legislature by CoreCivic, then called Corrections Corporation of America. A survey of former inmates of the Shelby prison found that health care was one of the four biggest concerns, according to the 2016 performance audit by the Legislative Audit Committee. Additionally, the 2015 CoreCivic report noted approximately $160,500 was spent annually for health care services at Marias Medical Center, now the epicenter of the local COVID-19 outbreak.

Asked this week if CoreCivic will have to provide more health services to its inmates in light of the outbreak at Shelby's hospital, Gustin said CoreCivic has beefed up its hiring for many positions, including nurses, at all 73 locations across the United States. Indeed.com on Friday listed eight open nursing positions at the Shelby prison, although Gustin said there are fewer vacant nursing positions than the recruitment site reflects.

Doreen Mckelvey, executive director of the Shelby Chamber of Commerce, said Friday the prison remains one of the largest employers in Shelby and the region. Mckelvey said local officials have so far trusted the prison to take the necessary precautions to prevent someone from tracking the virus in or taking it to the next county over.

"I know they're taking precautions," Mckelvey said in a phone interview. "It is an isolated population. The only concern would be the people who work up there."

In town, Mckelvey said there are "two schools of thought" about what to do at this point when people she knew at the assisted living center have died, but the rhetoric to reopen the economy has been steadily growing.

"Some people are ready to get things going, but other people are just still extremely cautious," she said. "I know the businesses are suffering. It is a sad time but we're all in this together and hopefully things will be OK."

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First came reports of a deadly virus spreading quickly in China, then evacuation flights and two-week quarantines on a military base in Fairfield, then an outbreak on a cruise ship that had departed from San Francisco and, by late February, a small but growing number of cases of coronavirus in the Bay Area. Within weeks, 300 people had tested positive locally, and five had died.

There was no end in sight, and the path forward was unclear.

Thats when public officials in six Bay Area counties, who had been taking incremental steps to slow the virus spread, made the dramatic and unprecedented decision to order nearly 7 million residents to stay at home. Other counties followed, and on March 19, the state issued a stay-home order  making California first in the nation to enact such a measure.

Now, a month later, those orders remain in place but the Bay Area and California are in a much different place. More than 6,000 people have tested positive for coronavirus and nearly 200 have died, but the curve was relatively flat  meaning the rate of new cases and deaths did not climb as quickly and as high as many feared. That feat, widely credited to the quick action to close businesses and send people home, helped keep hospitals from being overwhelmed but also caused extensive job losses and financial distress.

Now officials are talking about when and how we can begin, slowly, to emerge.

Everyone else thought we were overreacting, said Warner Greene, a senior investigator with the Gladstone Institutes, a biomedical research organization. The Bay Area has done exceedingly well. They didnt flatten the curve, they crushed the curve, and we are all benefactors of that.

Still, so much isnt known: How many people have been infected? What percentage of people are asymptomatic? Why do some people get sicker than others? And perhaps now most important of all: When will it be safe to reopen society?

The virus isnt going away, for now, and the task of politicians and health care professionals is to determine when kids can safely return to school, adults can go back to work and what treatment is best for those who will fall ill.

Jessica Christian / The Chronicle

What happened? The almost complete shutdown of the Bay Area occurred in increments as the cases climbed, and began weeks before the shelter-in-place orders came. With every passing day, a new order was issued  each more radical than the one before  and residents were faced with a new reality.

On Feb. 10, Santa Clara County declared a local emergency. At the time, the county had confirmed that two residents tested positive after returning from Wuhan, China. On Feb. 25, San Francisco declared a state of emergency, even though the county didnt have any confirmed cases. On March 11, San Francisco banned public gatherings with 1,000 people, essentially halting Warriors games and other events at Chase Center. Two days later, schools throughout the Bay Area announced closures for at least a month.

The Bay Area shelter-in-place order came on March 16. On April 7, six Bay Area counties announced school closures through the end of the academic year.

Sometimes the public directives changed midstream, as scientists and doctors learned more about the virus.

For weeks public health authorities said the coronavirus risk to most people was extremely low. Then, they learned that it was circulating in U.S. communities and before long, asymptomatic people became a great concern. In February, people were told they shouldnt wear masks; starting this weekend, everyone in the Bay Area must wear a face covering under certain circumstances in public.

Public health experts say Californias incremental steps in addressing the coronavirus pandemic were deliberate and followed an existing playbook to reduce panic.

If you were to start from mid-March saying school is going to be closed for the rest of the year and we may consider reopening society sometime in June, I dont know that people would be very receptive to that. That might cause a little bit more hysteria, said Jahan Fahimi, an emergency physician at UCSF Medical Center. Its a thoughtful way of rolling this out, gathering data along the way.

What did we learn? Aggressive social distancing works. As a result of the order, the number of confirmed coronavirus patients in intensive care units in the nine Bay Area counties dropped by 10% on Friday compared with a week earlier. The total number of hospitalized patients was 405, down 11% from a week earlier.

Gabrielle Lurie / The Chronicle

We are very clear on the principles we need to apply, said Dr. Matt Willis, Marin Countys health officer. We know how this disease is transmitted and we know whats worked. We learned that, from a community standpoint, if we limit the number of interactions where the virus is transmitted, we limit incidents and we prevent surges, because that is whats happened.

If some restrictions are lifted, the likelihood of transmission will increase, Willis added. Thats why Bay Area counties and the governor are now building a framework to put in place for reopening society. Maintaining a 6-foot distance from others, frequent hand-washing and covering faces are key if parts of the order are lifted.

Nursing homes, jails and homeless populations are still the most at-risk, despite the order. An ongoing challenge will be how to address outbreaks at these facilities, Willis said.

Homeless residents and people in long-term care facilities make up 10% of all cases.

Despite its many successes, the shelter-in-place order has had a profound impact on the economy. During the past month, nearly 3 million Californians filed for unemployment benefits.

We recognize that there is significant social harm in the shelter-in-place order as it is, because of its impact on the economy, on education and especially on people with limited means, Willis said.

What we dont know: Widespread data on the virus is still unavailable. The medical community is continuing to debate how the virus is transmitted, for how long people are infectious and why some people never develop symptoms. And its still unclear how the virus will behave in warmer weather, Fahimi said.

Traditionally, coronaviruses in general, we do see that they tend to peak when other respiratory illnesses peak in the fall and winter, he said. But this virus is very different than a lot of other viruses that weve seen, so it may behave differently. We dont quite know what that is going to look like.

It also remains unclear whether those who have contracted the virus can develop antibodies to it and whether that can protect them from future infection. Will antibodies give people immunity? These are the questions that scientists are trying to answer now, Fahimi said.

Its likely that once someone contracts the virus, they have some form of immunity, said Bela Matyas, the Solano County health officer. The limited data that does exist hasnt shown evidence that people are contracting the virus more than once, 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.

Gabrielle Lurie / The Chronicle

The ones who have been hospitalized and weve tested, they are not coming back, he said. There is so little certainty with what we are dealing with, we have to do the best we can to ... draw conclusions from the limited data that are available.

Experts say the focus needs to be on developing antiviral treatments and ultimately, a vaccine. Those antiviral treatments will allow doctors and nurses to treat patients before their condition worsens and they end up in the ICU, said George Rutherford, a UCSF infectious disease specialist.

If we were able to find people early and treat them, that would be big, Rutherford said. Thats what we do for strep throat. We find people, we treat them and they dont get scarlet fever.

That treatment could occur in different phases, Rutherford said.

The first phase would be to treat people who are exposed before the infection takes hold. If people are infected, then they would be treated for the virus before it does any serious damage. And finally, once people are in the ICU, they can be treated before their immune system withers away, Rutherford said.

What we need to do: Gov. Gavin Newsom announced a road map to recovery with six requirements that must be met before basic activities can resume, including widespread testing so the state can isolate and quarantine people who contract the virus. Mass gatherings might be canceled until the state reaches herd immunity, Newsom said.

Experts say that testing needs to be expanded before restrictions can be lifted.

We will have to test, test, test, Greene said. Find it and isolate that person and potentially quarantine contacts.

Mark Ghaly, state health and human services secretary, said Wednesday that California has the technological capacity to do 94,000 coronavirus tests per day, though only a fraction of that is occurring now. Newsom said Thursday that the state is trying to scale up to 25,000 daily tests.

Jessica Christian / The Chronicle

Another medical breakthrough that seems out of reach for now: a vaccine.

I dont think we are going to be able to really get back to the normal that we are used to until we have a vaccine probably, said Dr. Maria Raven, the head of the Department of Emergency Medicine at UCSF.

That might mean continued use of face coverings while in public, social distancing in restaurants, no major public gatherings or sporting events. It could also mean a longer shift to using telehealth and telemedicine options, as well as working remotely, Raven added.

We will get control of this virus, said Greene, of the Gladstone Institutes. Now the question is when is the next one coming?

Sarah Ravani is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: sravani@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @SarRavani
Pastor Tim Keller on 'Gods message to the world' amid COVID-19, duty of the Church (pt. 1)

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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.
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The Uttar Pradesh government on Sunday decided to constitute a committee to look into generating employment opportunities for the state's labourers who are arriving back from other parts of the country in the wake of the coronavirus lockdown.

Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath issued directives to constitute the committee while reviewing the lockdown situation with authorities at his official residence here, a statement issued by the government said.

"The committee should ensure creation of employment under the ODOP (One District One Product) scheme of the UP government and also organise loans melas. The increase in the revolving fund of the Government of India should be used to encourage activities of women self-help groups to create employment," he said in the statement.

The chief minister also said that the products made by the women SHGs should be marketed through the ODOP scheme.

Adityanath said, "Following the imposition of the nationwide lockdown since March 25, there has been a problem of unemployment for rickshaw pullers, e-rickshaw operators, cart pullers, railway coolies and daily wage labourers. The UP government is extremely sensitive to this aspect and is making every effort to extend help to them."



He also issued orders for compulsory testing of COVID-19 suspects by keeping them in shelter homes and quarantining those who are coming from outside the state.

The CM instructed the Principal Secretary (Medical and Health) Amit Mohan Prasad to ensure that areas with more than 10 COVID-19 positive cases should not be opened.

Besides, Adityanath directed the district magistrates to make a concrete work plan to restart industries in the state from April 20 with certain conditions.

Efforts should be made to ensure that nutritional food items are delivered at the homes of pregnant women, young girls and children for their consumption.

Instructions were also issued to ensure that all the shelter homes are regularly sanitised and precautions are taken while operating the community kitchens, the statement said.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
William (Bill) Maurice Schuh, passed away on Friday, April 17, 2020 at his home surrounded by his loving family. Due to the COVID 19 epidemic, a private family Mass of Christian burial will be held Thursday, April 23, at Christ the King Catholic Church with internment to follow at Mandan Union Cemetery. The Mass will be livestreamed on 10:30 a.m. Thursday from William's obituary at Weigel Funeral Home's website.

Bill was born Jan. 17, 1948 to wonderful parents, Maurice Francis Schuh and Cecilia Mary Schad, in Rochester, Minn. He was raised in the Winona, Minn., area and graduated from Winona Cotter High School in 1966. He then attended St. Mary's College in Winona and the University of Minnesota until 1971, from which he graduated with a degree in English. He returned to the University of Minnesota to graduate with a master's in soil science in 1982. From the fall of 1981 to 1984, he managed an agricultural consulting cooperative, Centrol of Greenville in eastern Wisconsin.

In January of 1982, he married the love of his life, Chiu Chiung Chen Chen. Their first child, Mary Cecilia, was born on Dec. 17, 1982; their second child, John (Jack) Maurice, was born on Dec. 23, 1984; and their third child, Anne Marie, was born on Nov. 25, 1986. In 1984 he accepted a position with the North Dakota State Water Commission and the family moved to Mandan. Bill worked there for 34 years before retiring in 2018. He loved his career and working with an extraordinary group of colleagues.

A devout Catholic, he attended Christ the King Parish and was involved in the John Fischer Knights of Columbus Council. He served on the Mandan School Board and board of directors of Housing Industry Training (HIT). He cared deeply about issues of parental rights, the education of children, and the sanctity of human life. In his early years, he enjoyed fishing and hunting, and throughout his life, he enjoyed reading, canoeing and hiking.

He is survived by his wife, Chen; his son, Jack and his spouse, Mary; three grandchildren, Naomi, Casimir, and Mary (Em); his daughter, Anne; sisters, Anita (Joe) Sabol and Marianne Dussel; brother, Greg; and an extended family of cousins, nieces and nephews.

He is preceded in death by his beloved daughter, Mary.

Go to www.weigelfuneral.com to sign the guestbook and share memories with her family.
Instagram founders Kevin Systrom and Mike Krieger have teamed up to launch their first product together since leaving the Facebook mothership. Rt.live is an up-to-date tracker of how fast COVID-19 is spreading in each state.

"Rt" measures the average number of people who become infected by an infectious person. The higher above the number 1, the faster COVID-19 races through a population, while a number below one shows the virus receding. For example, Rt.live displays that Georgia has the highest, most dangerous Rt score of 1.5 while New York is down to 0.54 thanks to aggressive shelter-in-place orders.

Krieger tells me that "Kevin has been writing and publishing open-source data analysis notebooks on how to calculate Rt on a daily basis. We wanted to take that work and visualize it so anyone can see how their state is doing at curbing the spread." Krieger had meanwhile been pitching in by building SaveOurFaves, a directory of local Bay Area restaurants that are selling gift cards so patrons can keep them afloat during quarantine. Built with his wife, the Kriegers open sourced it so people can build similar sites for their communities.

Rt.live shows that as of yesterday, Texas and California are at or just under 1 and Vermont has the best score at 0.33. The charts over time reveal how Washington and Georgia were successfully fighting COVID-19, dipping beneath 1 until the virus bounced back recently. Data is sourced from the COVID Tracking Project and you can examine Rt.live's modeling system on GitHub.

"As states decide whether and how to open back up, they'll have to manage their infection rate carefully, and we hope dashboards like rt.live will be helpful in doing so" Krieger says. By better illustrating how even small differences in shelter-in-place policy and compliance can exponentially change the severity of the impact of the virus, it could help convince people to stay inside. This kind of tool could also be helpful for determining where it'd be safe to reactivate some businesses, and quickly catch if virality is spiking and strict social distancing needs to be reinstated.

Story continues

One fascinating feature of the site is the ability to filter by region so you can see how the Western states are doing better at suppressing COVID-19 than those in the South. You can also view the states with no shelter-in-place orders to see they're doing worse on average. The charts could help identify how different political orientations and their subsequent policies translate to infection outcomes.

It might seem out of character for the photo app moguls to be building a medical statistics site. But Systrom has long studied virality as part of his work that helped Instagram grow so fast. He began publishing his own statistical models for tracking coronavirus infections and deaths on March 19th. "We'd been talking about ways of working together and this came out of that  my first job out of school was actually doing data visualizations / analysis at Meebo so a blast from the past in more ways than one" Krieger tells me. While Systrom did the data analysis, Krieger built the site, mirroring their old front-end and back-end Instagram roles.

"We built Rt.live because we believe Rt  the effective infection rate  is one of the best ways to understand how COVID is spreading" Kreiger explains. "It was great to work together again  we were able to take it from idea to launch in just a few days because of all our history & shared context."
KAMPALATelecommunication company, Africell Uganda has furnished Uganda Blood Transfusion Services (UBTS) with a communication package to aid their activities against COVID-19.

As part of its initiatives in the fight against COVID-19, the telecom company donated a comprehensive communication solution to UBTS to facilitate key staff and facilities to communicate freely subsequent to a lockdown that restricted movement complicating operations most notably the collection of blood

As a critical national health agency with a vital role during public health emergencies, UBTS collects and stores blood using the latest medical technology and acts to replenish hospital supplies in times of crisis.

Edgar Karamagi, Africell Spokesperson, revealed that the comprehensive communication solution comprised 3 toll-free lines, 5 phones loaded with 700 minutes of talk-time plus 5GBs each and routers loaded with data to guarantee connectivity at the Blood Bank is accessible in this time

We are pleased to stand with our community at this time of collective uncertainty by offering a complete communication package that will enable people to reach out freely to Uganda Blood Transfusion Services, Karamagi said.

He added: Blood availability is a vital aspect of any public health response and is required to save lives. Africells mission is to connect communities and the partnership we are announcing today enhances our communitys ability to access the blood bank at all times.

Africell also pledged to support Uganda Blood Transfusion Services with the promotion of their services using Africells extensive digital advertising footprint and the campaigns directed by the telecoms marketing and communication experts to maximize impact.

Michael Mukundane, Public Relations Officer of UBTS, welcomed the partnership and emphasized the existing urgent need for fresh blood for among others, severely anaemic patients.

We currently have an urgent need for fresh blood from voluntary donors for, among others, severely anaemic patients that include mothers, accident victims, children, sickle cell and cancer patients, Mukundane stressed

Our daily need for Nakasero region alone is 300 safe units of blood, but at present, we are only able to issue 200 units. There is an urgent need for fresh blood to prepare blood components especially platelets for cancer patients. Platelets have a shelf life of 5 days and are prepared from fresh blood collected within 6 hours, Mukundane pointed out.

Mukundane praised Africell for enhancing their communication as an enabler for the call for continuous blood donation and encouraged the public to donate.

We encourage all volunteer donors to reach us on our toll-free lines as follows 0795109595, 0795109080, 0795108508, 0800122422 and 0414257155. Upon reaching us through these lines we will assess their viability and advise on how they can reach us or in some cases, we can reach them, Mukundane said.

Africell further disclosed that they were working with UBTSs partners, Blood 4 Uganda, an initiative of the Indian Association of Uganda, that prides itself in closing the gap between blood donors, patients and health centres and blood banks in Uganda.

for over 6 years, Blood 4 Uganda has been able to collect over 25000 units of blood and also to establish a standby team of donors who can be called upon to donate as and when needed.

Related
Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) members pack up after the search for Gabriel Wortman in Great Village, Nova Scotia, Canada on April 19, 2020. (John Morris/Reuters)

Gunman in Canada Kills More Than 10 People in Rampage

PORTAPIQUE, Nova ScotiaA gunman in the Canadian province of Nova Scotia killed more than 10 people, including a policewoman, during a 12-hour rampage, authorities said on Sunday, in the worst act of mass murder the country has seen in 30 years.

The Royal Canadian Mounted Police said 51-year-old Gabriel Wortmanwho had disguised his car to look like a police cruisershot people in several locations across the Atlantic province. Authorities said they were still trying to establish a final death toll.

Police added that Wortman was dead, but would not confirm a CTV report that he had been shot and killed by the RCMP.

Today is a devastating day for Nova Scotia, and it will remain etched in the minds for many years to come, Lee Bergerman, commanding officer of the RCMP in Nova Scotia, told reporters. The slain policewoman was an RCMP officer.

A Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) SUV pulls up to the end of Portapique Beach Road while an officer speaks with a man after the police finished their search for Gabriel Wortman, who they describe as a shooter of multiple victims, in Portapique, Nova Scotia, Canada on April 19, 2020. (John Morris/Reuters)

The massacre looked to be the worst of its kind since a gunman killed 15 women in Montreal in December 1989. A man driving a van deliberately ran over and killed 10 people in Toronto in April 2018.

Mass shootings are relatively rare in Canada.

Police said they discovered several bodies late on Saturday after being called to a disturbance in the small Atlantic coastal town of Portapique, about 130 km (80 miles) north of the provincial capital, Halifax.

Initial probes showed Wortman had also killed people in several other locations, said Chris Leather, the Nova Scotia RCMPs criminal operations officer.

In excess of 10 people have been killed, he said.

Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) monitor Portapique Beach Road, as a fire truck travels along it after searching for Gabriel Wortman, who the police describe as a shooter of multiple victims, in Portapique, Nova Scotia, Canada, on April 19, 2020. (John Morris/Reuters)

At one point, Wortman was seen wearing a police uniform, Leather said, but he did not specify whether the suspect had been disguised as an officer when the killings occurred.

Nova Scotia Premier Stephen McNeil said it was one of the most senseless acts of violence in our provinces history.

Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, speaking to reporters in Ottawa, deplored what he called a terrible situation.

A Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) officer returns a dog to an individual since the road is shut down after a manhunt for Gabriel Wortman, who they describe as a shooter of multiple victims, in Portapique, Nova Scotia, Canada on April 19, 2020. (John Morris/Reuters)

According to the websites of the Denturist Society of Nova Scotia and the provinces Better Business Bureau, Wortman operated a denture clinic in Dartmouth, close to Halifax.

Portapique residents said the first sign of trouble occurred on Saturday night when police urged everyone to stay indoors. One man said he saw at least three separate fires.

A local resident said she had come across two burning police vehicles while out driving on Sunday.

There was one officer we could see on scene and then all of a sudden, he went running toward one of the burning vehicles, Darcy Sack told the Canaidan Broadcasting Corp. We heard gunshots.

By John Morris
Two more people tested positive for coronavirus disease Covid-19 in Uttarakhand on Saturday, taking the states tally to 42 from 40. Both the cases are from Haridwar.

One of the two to test positive is a migrant labourer - the first such case in the state. The second patient is a close contact of a person who attended the event of Tablighi Jamaat in Delhi last month.

A 24-year-old migrant labourer who initially worked in Rishikesh, and a 45-year-old female who is a close contact of a Jamaat attendee tested positive for coronavirus. The migrant labourer had come to Rishikesh from Hathras area in Uttar Pradesh to work, but he was caught by officials on March 30 near Roorkee and sent to a relief camp. He was caught when he along with three others were going back to Hathras by taking lift from a truck driver. We have isolated 24 more people and sent their samples for testing who lived in the same relief camp with the patient, said Dr Saroj Naithani, chief medical officer (CMO) of Haridwar district.

The samples for the migrant labourer were sent for testing on April 16 after he complained of sore throat. Test results of three more people travelling with him are awaited.

Dr Naithani added that the second patient is a close contact of a Jamaat attendee who had tested positive earlier from the district.

We have isolated the 45-year-old lady who was staying in a quarantine centre since she was found to be a close contact of another positive Covid-19 patient. On Saturday, her two children were also isolated and their samples sent for testing. Her husband however, has tested negative but is still being monitored by health officials for any symptoms in future, said the CMO.

On Friday, a nine-month-old baby and a doctor from a military hospital in Dehradun tested positive along with another Jamaat attendee from Nainital district. On Tuesday, two Jamaat attendees from Haridwar district had tested positive for Covid-19.
Rep. Shim Jae-cheol, center, floor leader of the main opposition United Future Party, speaks during a ceremony to disband the party's election campaign committee at the National Assembly in Seoul, Friday, two days after the April 15 general election. While the UFP suffered a "crushing" defeat against the ruling Democratic Party of Korea, most of the current party leaders, including Shim and former party Chairman Hwang Kyo-ahn, also failed to win seats. Hwang resigned from the party post on Wednesday. Yonhap



By Jung Da-min



The future of the main opposition United Future Party (UFP) looks dim after it suffered a "crushing defeat" in the April 15 general election to form the 21st National Assembly.



Although the party intends to analyze the cause of the defeat and taking reform measures, the tasks are mounting due to the current leadership vacuum, and internal disputes are rising over who should take responsibility for the election results and who should take over party leadership.



Through the first-past-the-post vote in 253 constituencies, the UFP won 84 seats, while the ruling Democratic Party of Korea (DPK) won nearly double that number, taking 163 seats. In the proportional representation vote for the remaining 47 seats, the UFP's satellite Future Korea Party (FKP) garnered 19 seats, followed by the DPK's satellite party Civil Together which won 17.



With a total of 103 seats, the main opposition bloc has barely secured the 101-seat threshold it needs to challenge any potential changes to the Constitution, as such changes require a two-third majority to pass. Though the party is able to pose a challenge, the number of seats is far behind the ruling bloc's 180 seats, three-fifths of the 300 allotted to National Assembly members.



What the main opposition needs to do is reflect on the cause of its failure and reform the party accordingly. But the party has no one to take the helm, as many of its party leaders, including its former Chairman Hwang Kyo-ahn, failed to win seats in the next National Assembly. Hwang, who made a bid for Seoul's Jongno constituency, lost to Lee Nak-yon, former prime minster for President Moon Jae-in.



Taking responsibility for the UFP's defeat against the DPK, Hwang resigned from the party post.



"I feel sorry to the people for failing to stop the nation from going wrong at a critical moment  The party failed to give confidence to the people and it is my fault as the party chairman. I take full responsibility and am resigning from the post," Hwang said in a press conference at the National Assembly Library in Seoul, late Wednesday night after the election results came out. He said the UFP was established by uniting conservative forces, but the unification came too late to produce a truly unified power. He also urged people to prevent the Moon administration from driving the country in the wrong direction.



But Hwang's remarks drew criticism from within and outside the party for not reflecting the "real reasons" behind the party's defeat. Political watchers said the UFP failed to inspire the people as a "reliable alternative force" to hold the ruling bloc in check while giving the impression that its only focus was on criticizing the government.



The UFP offered vocal judgment of the "failure" of the liberal Moon government's income-led growth policy during its election campaign and also criticized the administration's diplomacy and security policies for being "pro-Chinese and pro-North Korean," but the conservative party received criticism for failing to present alternative policies.



Kim Chong-in, a veteran economist and politician, criticized the UFP following his three-week experience at the party as a co-head of its election campaign committee, saying the UFP is not thinking of making changes in its policies but only criticizing the ruling party.



"Times have changed and ideologies like conservatism and liberalism do not work anymore. Political parties need to present alternatives for the people but the UFP only repeated 'conservatism and conservatism' without any concrete content," Kim said. He said the party would need a new leader who was "born in the late 1970s and with qualities to lead innovation."



However, senior UFP members are considering having Kim, 80, take the party's emergency committee chief position to "straighten out" the main opposition bloc. He is known for his political career as a "kingmaker"  he helped the then-ruling conservative Saenuri Party, a predecessor to the UFP, win a majority in the 2012 general election, and also helped the then-main opposition DPK win a majority in the 2016 general election. Both of the victories led to the winning parties producing presidents, Park Geun-hye and Moon Jae-in.



Even after the emergency committee is set up, with or without Kim, the UFP is likely to undergo more trouble over how to choose the next party leader. Former party leader Hong Joon-pyo, who won in Daegu's Suseong-B constituency as an independent candidate after failing to get the UFP nomination, is expected to return to the main opposition party, but the party members remain split over his attempt to return.


As the weeks go on, a moral dilemma in the coronavirus pandemic is emerging. Do we save lives  and continue to force everyone indoors  or save jobs, livelihoods and the economy? Officials in charge of Irelands exit strategy stand between the devil and the deep blue sea. Other countries are having the discussion before future waves hit. Shouldnt we do the same?

We risk lives each day

The International Monetary Fund predicts that this will be the worst economic crash since the 1930s. Unemployment stands at 500,000  and is predicted to rise. Chief Medical Officer Dr Tony Holohan sent a chill through the country when he warned that we face restrictions for up to 18 months until a Covid-19 vaccine is mass-produced. So do we strike a balance between saving lives at all costs and avoiding an economic depression that will cost lives in countless other ways?

That is the really, really big question for society, says Gar Holohan, businessman and chairman of the Aura group, which has over 400 employees.

The thought of re-opening the economy at the risk of lives might sound unthinkable, but Mr Holohan says this approach to public health is taken every day: It is like if I said I have an invention that will revolutionise transport, but it will kill a certain number of people a year. This is about accepting there are risks and there are consequences and setting down a plan as to how we manage them.

Proportionately, we need to strike the right balance, protect the most vulnerable and not throw them to the wolves.

The sentiment is echoed in a memo circulated by Oaktree Capital, the global investment management firm operating in Ireland. In it, billionaire investor Howard Marks writes: How do we make the trade-off? There is no algorithm for deciding whether to favour life for a few (or for thousands) versus economic improvement for millions.

On the one hand, choosing the economy seems hard-hearted. On the other, we permit or even encourage many number of deaths such as driving.

And overall Marks says: The benefits from automobiles outweigh the costs. Individuals knowingly assume the risks.

Not for the squeamish

Lecturer at Technological University Dublin Conor Skehan says risk is calculated all the time when it comes to the cost of life: But the reality is that it normally occurs behind closed doors. Doing it explicitly in front of the whole country as Taoiseach is where it gets painful. You are deciding how safe is safe enough?

How many deaths are acceptable?

People are unaware of the fact that these big decisions are made about so many areas of our day-to-day life all the time. How much steel goes into a building, for example? How many rivets to put in for a plane?

In the insurance industry, he says, companies calculate dollar cost per life saved, and politicians do that, too. Relatively speaking, education costs almost nothing, but saves a lot of lives. Vaccines cost almost nothing but save a lot of lives. Whereas environmental stuff can cost a fortune and make very little difference but it makes us feel better about ourselves, you know? These are not conversations for the squeamish.

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It is naive to think choosing to lock down the economy doesnt brings a cost to life. Pain may be endured behind closed doors, or spread over years, but it is there.

We have already heard warnings that people suffering heart attacks and strokes are leaving it too late to seek medical help, cancer patients have had treatment postponed and thousands of women have to forgo their IVF treatment until society reopens, possibly missing the vital window to become mothers.

In the Mater, private hospital consultant Michael OKeefe expressed fears that some patients may go blind and others could die as a result of the States temporary takeover of the facilities.

We know too that the poor and vulnerable are hardest hit in a downturn. Disability services are impacted and domestic violence rises. Addiction also takes hold. Some areas of Dublin have already seen a resurgence in drug dealing in the most disadvantaged areas that took so long to regenerate.

In homes where there is alcohol dependency, Austin Prior, a psychotherapist and board member of Dublins Rutland treatment centre, says: I have heard from families where consumption has gone through the roof, the problem has been exacerbated. Under lockdown, its gone through the Richter scale.

The bonds that bind

Social isolation shouldnt be ignored. There are many stories of cocooned elderly people pleading with family members to flout rules, travel cross country and spend time with them. Adult children are irate when elderly parents quietly slip outdoors.

But perhaps they know a greater truth. There is trauma in separation. Psychoanalyst Anna Freud, in her book War and Children, famously found that during World War II, children were less upset by bombing than by evacuation to the country as a protection against it. Those who were sent away from their families to live in safe havens suffered more severe long-term trauma than the ones who stayed behind in the bombed city. Physical injury is not the worst fate that one can endure.

Waiting lists

One of the countrys leading insurance experts, Dermot Goode, says there will be significant knock-on health-related effects from continued lockdowns. If we are back to normal by September, around 60,000 people will have had procedures delayed and the waiting list gets exponentially longer after that.

Elsewhere, he says: We are hearing anecdotally that people are going to die needlessly because they are not getting the proactive medical treatment they need. Anyone who normally gets health screenings done, thats all parked.

And on mental health, Mr Goode adds: One private hospital has already told me the number of inquiries they are getting is way up. As this crisis becomes more prolonged, they say the demand for their services will be out of the door.

Irelands suicide rate rose 15pc at the height of the last recession. Those most affected are middle-aged. One man who knows all too well about the pain of a financial crash is well-known publican Martin Keane. I lost friends and acquaintances in the last recession, he says. Very successful businessmen and the pressure became too much. Alcohol took over with others. Another got stuck into the drugs. Nine years later, some are still suffering.

Regardless, Mr Keane says: I dont think business people should make the call. If it is to be that we have the worst recession or depression we have seen then we will have to do what we have always done but the decisions should be left to the medical experts.

Even scientists are not so sure if further lockdowns are for the greater good. Stanford epidemiologist John PA Ioannidis has warned that, with a case fatality rate of 0.05pc for Covid-19, lower than seasonal influenza, we are taking decisions that could be a fiasco in the making. Writing in Statnews, he said: Locking down the world with potentially tremendous social and financial consequences may be totally irrational. Its like an elephant being attacked by a house cat. Frustrated and trying to avoid the cat, the elephant accidentally jumps off a cliff and dies.

Consultant cardiac surgeon Jullien Gaer also posed an important philosophical question: What kind of society and economy do we want to leave to our children and grandchildren?

What about the young?

Economists predict that the bill to cover the fallout will be between 20bn and 40bn  a cost that will be handed down to the next generation. Harry McCann, a second-year student at UCC and founder of Trendster, says: Young people have been missed in this debate. A lot of my friends worry this is going to send us into a depression and its all going to fall back on us. Is 18 months of lockdowns something we should be considering? Can we continue to pay for it in the long run? The Government has spent 4bn in wages and benefits in just 12 weeks.

Mr McCann says: The conversation centres around the idea that if you are not considering the death toll you are heartless. But young people will suffer in different ways, too. I agree that its important to save as many lives as possible but we are not considering anything else. There is no space for it to be discussed.

He believes the older generation could carry on cocooning, while young people go out to work. Eventually we have to give the people who have the most likely chance of survival a chance to continue on in the world. We cant continue like this, its not realistic.
Mike Pence said Sunday that governors' concerns over availability of coronavirus tests are unwarranted, as he asserted there are enough resources that every state should begin 'phase one' of the administration's plan to reopen the country.

'There is a sufficient capacity of testing across the country today for any state in America to go to a phase one level,' Pence told NBC's Chuck Todd.

The vice president's comments come as governors have expressed that their respective states do not have the availability of testing kits for coronavirus necessary for the demand of people who need them.

'While our capabilities are there, these important supplies are not,' Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer told NBC's Meet the Press Sunday morning.

Whitmer and Ohio Governor Mike DeWine, a Democrat and Republican respectively, told NBC News that they have the capabilities to double or triple testing, but not the supplies needed to do so.

Vice President Mike Pence said Sunday that states have enough coronavirus tests, claiming they should be well on their way to implementing Phase One of the administration's plan to reopen the country

Donald Trump asserted in a tweet shortly after his vice president's comments that he is 'right on testing,' and that it's up to governors to step up and end lockdowns and stay-at-home orders

'There is a sufficient capacity of testing across the country today for any state in America to go to a phase one level,' Pence told NBC News Sunday morning

Democratic Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer (left) and Republican Ohio Governor Mike DeWine (right) claim they could double or triple testing if the supplies were available. 'While our capabilities are there, these important supplies are not,' Whitmer said

Shortly after the vice president's comments, Donald Trump tweeted that governors are the ones who need to step up, claiming they have enough testing kits.

'Just like I was right on Ventilators (our Country is now the 'King of Ventilators', other countries are calling asking for help-we will!), I am right on testing,' the president tweeted Sunday afternoon.

'Governors must be able to step up and get the job done. We will be with you ALL THE WAY!' he said, voicing his criticism and support for governors simultaneously.

Trump and many in his administration claim it's time to reopen the country, but several governors claim they need to have more testing supplies to make sure their states are waning in cases and deaths from coronavirus.

The White House task force released 'Guidelines for Opening Up American Again' this week to assist state and local governments in ending lockdowns, stay-at-home orders and social distancing guidelines.

Phase One details that individuals should continue social distancing, minimize all non-essential travel and keep social gatherings to 10 people or less.

It also details guidelines for employers, which loosens up on those already in place, but maintains a lot of what is already in place.

Most notably, Phase One of the plan would allow large venues, such as restaurants, churches, movie theaters and sporting venues to reopen, but maintain social distancing protocols.

It would also allow all elective surgeries to resume and for gyms to reopen  as long as social distancing guidelines are enforced.

Pence says all states have the testing capabilities and supplies that they should already be entering Phase One of the reopening plan.
Source: Xinhua| 2020-04-19 14:46:50|Editor: huaxia

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BISHKEK, April 19 (Xinhua) -- Kyrgyzstan reported 48 new COVID-19 cases on Sunday, bringing the tally in the country to 554.

The Asian country's Deputy Health Minister Nurbolot Usenbaev told a news briefing that of the 554 patients, 301 are women, 253 are men and 56 are children under 15 years of age.

He said that 18 more medical workers tested positive for the virus, bringing the count of health workers diagnosed with COVID-19 to 134.

Usenbaev said that with three more recoveries from COVID-19 in the past day throughout the country, the total number of recoveries reached 133.

"To date, 416 patients are in hospitals with coronavirus infection. Sixteen of them are in serious condition, nine are in intensive care," the deputy minister said. Enditem
The coronavirus pandemic continues to change daily life as everyone knows it. The same holds true for people wanting to speak with their doctors. Telemedicine is serving as a useful alternative to meeting with doctors..



Speaking at the launching ceremony, Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc said that that this platform and application will pave the way for digitalization in the health sector and the countrys digitalization orientation.

The telemedicine platform, developed by the Viettel Military Industry and Telecoms Group, includes health consultation, diagnosis and treatment, professional evaluation and operation consultation and technology transfer at a distance.

As the telemedicine will help to reduce the number of patients flocking to hospitals, it helps facilitate staffing of both large and small facilities that find themselves overwhelmed with patient overload; therefore, tens of thousands of Vietnam dong is saved yearly and people at every corner of the country will enjoy benefit of the new telemedicine.

At the event, doctors of the Hanoi Medical University Hospital used the remote medical examination and treatment platform to provide electrocardiographic consultation and ultrasound scans for people with chronic diseases to their peers in the general hospital of Muong Khuong district in the northern mountainous province of Lao Cai.

They also connected online with their peers in the general hospital of Ha Tinh City in the Central Province of Ha Tinh to evaluate the condition of patients suffering stroke, and offered online check-up for a patient in Quang Xuong district of central Thanh Hoa province.

In the next phase when commercial 5G wireless broadband service with and the Internet of Things (IoT) will be launched, the telemedicine will be further developed. At that time, good doctors in everywhere in the world can participate in treatment of Vietnamese patients.

Mr. Phuc highly valued the collaboration between the Information and Communications sector and the health sector to accelerate digitalization in the health sector in order to improve medical service quality and healthcare. He also hailed medical workers and technologists and technology companies which have joined in the battle against Covid-19.

PM Phuc proposed the two ministries to accelerate digitalization in the health sector gradually forming digitalized based treatment in infirmaries as well as develop technology platform for the healthcare. Moreover, ministries should complete legal corridor facilitating digitalization in the health sector. However, he reminded technology companies to take heed of protection of personal data.

The Ministry of Information and Communication and the government office must submit the national digitalization program to the Prime Minister in April. This is a significant step to help Vietnam accelerate digitalization in all fields of life.

By Tran Binh BInh - Translated by Uyen Phuong
Jacksonville School District 117 has announced no students grades will be negatively impacted by the remote learning system, which will continue through the end of the school year after Gov. J.B. Pritzker announced the closure of schools for the remainder of the school year.

Superintendent Steve Ptacek sent a note parents Wednesday, assuring them that while work will be looked at by teachers and learning will continue, students will not have to worry about their grades decreasing, though they can still improve.

It is Jacksonville School District 117s philosophy that remote learning during this pandemic will not harm students grades, Ptacek said in the letter. We are following the ISBEs guidance. This includes focusing on reinforcing a deeper understanding of our most important learning objectives instead of introducing new material during remote learning.

Pritzker announced Friday that the state would continue to use remote learning through the end of the school year.

Ive said time and time again, our decisions must follow the science and the science says our students cant go back to their normal routine this school year, Pritzker said. over the last month, Illinois schools have stepped up and faced the many challenges COVID-19 with generosity, creativity and a resolute focus on caring for students, parents and communities.

Currently, kindergarten through second grade students will receive scores of meeting or not meeting standards, while third through eighth will be pass or fail.

At the high school level all grades will be pass or fail and second semester grades will not be used in the calculations of GPA. Transcripts will include a note explaining why grades were not used.

At all grade levels, students in danger of receiving a failing grade can improve to passing.

Ptacek later clarified the districts position on GPAs in a Facebook post, stating many student situations are different and the district has to take that into consideration.

No matter how you look at it, GPA and class rank ultimately come down to a level of competition, and during this ordeal many of our students are not in the position to focus on grades, Ptacek said in the post. For example, we have high school students having to work substantial hours to support their families during this ordeal. At this time, during this pandemic, we are removing the stress created by academic competition.

We want our students to focus on more important items such as family, physical and emotional health, and preparation for the future through the reinforcement of foundational learning objectives, Ptacek said in the post.

Ptacek did not respond to an email or phone call Friday.
During the past month, Minnesota and our country have been focusing on two crises: the COVID-19 public health emergency, and an economy on life support.

Our state is taking the necessary steps to maintain public health by extending our stay-at-home order, and has taken significant steps to help small businesses by providing SBA loans and expanding unemployment insurance to make sure frontline workers who contract COVID-19 on the job have access to workers compensation.

But a number of our rural colleagues in the farming profession beset by plunging prices and the added stress of COVID-19 need another precious support: time. Specifically, an additional 180-day window to work through mediation before banks foreclose on their farm business.

This economic crisis comes at a time when requests for farm mediation are at their highest levels since the farm crisis of the 80s.

In recent years, 85% of farmers who have entered the mediation process have been able to make a deal with creditors to consolidate debts, avoid foreclosure and keep farming.

As maintain social distance, a farmer cannot have that critical face-to-face meeting with creditors.

As a result, if a notice from a creditor is received, it is much more likely that a foreclosure is imminent. Right now, we farmers need more time in that process. It would enable us to have these face-to-face meetings safely, reach agreement with creditors and keep farming.

The recently passed CARES Act has provided farmers some protections to counterbalance the current depressed markets.

A bright spot in this package is a dedicated pool of funding for farmers raising food for local markets. We need this now more than ever.

These farmers, representing a new and more diverse generation, are not as well protected by Farm Bill support programs as their more traditional farm colleagues.

They continue to create and build the local foods infrastructure based on community resilience and connection during this challenging time.

The CARES Act also steers financial support from the Commodity Credit Corporation to traditional family livestock and dairy farms, although just how this will be used and where it will be directed is not yet clear.

The need, however, is critical. The outbreak of COVID-19 has exacerbated the farm crisis that traditional small to mid-sized crop and livestock farm families have been navigating for more than six years.

The prices that farmers are getting for their products have been dropping. The largest loss is felt by milk producers  down 36%, even while demand for milk is high.

A similar situation is affecting beef producers. Processor margins have leapt with the soaring demand for beef due to the shelter-in-place orders, yet farmers who raise this beef are operating at a net loss.

Add to this an alarming disconnect between cattle cash and futures markets as well as a continued uphill fight by farmers for Country of Origin Labeling in order to gain more market access in a U.S. meat industry where just four companies control 85% of the marketplace.

That adds another layer of stress weighing on farmers who are talking to lenders in an attempt to farm another season.

At risk in this pandemic are the foundations of our rural communities  traditional small and mid-sized family farms, as well as a newer generation of farming professionals knitting together a stronger local foods economy.

During this crisis, we have seen incredible examples of leadership from our governor, local officials and a Legislature working in an unprecedented bipartisan manner to support those hardest hit by COVID-19.

We ask the governor and Legislature to impose an immediate time-out on farm foreclosures so that farm families can focus on staying healthy and weathering the worst of the depressed prices as they look to another farming season.

Again, 180 days for farmers in mediation to demonstrate a positive cash flow and come to an agreement with lenders could make all the difference.

We all need more farmers, not less. And COVID-19 should not be the reason that farmers already in economic crisis have to call it quits.

This column was submitted by Land Stewardship Project farmer members Mike Gilles, Ridgeway; Leon Plaetz, Wabasso; Nick Olson, Litchfield; Tom Nuessmeier, Le Sueur; Joel Odie Jansen, Danube.

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Malcolm Turnbull's publisher will escalate a legal row with the Morrison government over a "massive" breach of copyright by targeting senior ministers who received pirated copies of the former prime minister's new book.

Publishing company Hardie Grant will refer the breach to the Australian Federal Police and is considering whether to serve subpoenas on members of the government to force them to disclose the source of the illegal copies.

The move comes after Foreign Minister Marise Payne confirmed on Sunday she received a copy of the book but refused to name the person who sent it to her.

Booksellers and publishers on Sunday demanded Prime Minister Scott Morrison act on the problem at a time when the coronavirus crisis has closed stores and put livelihoods at risk.
The Police Command in Edo on Saturday recovered the bodies of two kidnapped victims allegedly killed by their abductors. According...





The Police Command in Edo on Saturday recovered the bodies of two kidnapped victims allegedly killed by their abductors.





According to the command, the deceased were kidnapped by suspected Fulani herders on Jan 1 and killed on Jan 7.





DSP Chidi Nwabuzor, the Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO) in the state, told newsmen during the exhuming of the bodies that the victims were on their way from the East to Lagos when they were kidnapped.





Nwabuzor said that on March 4, the commands Anti Kidnapping and Cyber Crime Unit, received a petition from a lawyer representing the Lords Chosen Church, in Lagos on the matter.

He said the petitioner had stated that on Jan 1, at about 2:30 a.m., two of the church members, Basil Odoji and Innocent Udoh, were kidnapped at Ahor By-pass on Benin-Auchi Expressway on their way to Lagos.





Our operatives swung into action and arrested one Abdullahi Usman, aged 22 years at Aduwawa, Benin, and recovered one itel phone belonging to Innocent Udoh, one of the victims.





The suspect confessed to being a kidnapper and said that he and his gang members killed Basil Odoji and Innocent Udoh after seven days of captivity.





Thereafter he led the police operatives to Ahor community where two of his gang members, Abdul Kadiri, aged 21 years; and Mohammed Lawan, aged 25 years, were arrested.





The three suspects confessed to kidnapping and murdering the victims, he said.





He further said that the Edo Commissioner of Police (CP), Lawan Jimeta, had sympathised with the families of the victims while assuring them that justice would take its course.





In spite of COVID-19, the command is still working and remains committed to ensuring that its constitutional duties are carried out, Nwabuzor said.





The suspects told newsmen in the jungle, about two kilometres from Ahor bye-pass, off Benin-Auchi Expressway where they killed the victims, that they committed the crime.





They claimed that they were from Kaduna State and had been in Edo for more than one year.





They also disclosed that they were herders before being recruited into the kidnap gang by the leaders who they simply identified as Musa and Bello, now at large.





The suspects also said that theirs was a seven-man gang, and claimed that the two victims were killed by one of the leaders because the victims shouted and tried to escape.





The bodies of the victims have been taken to a mortuary.




Actor Jamie Dornan says he was always keen to star in a comedy movie but his hopes were dashed after he portrayed a serial killer on the series "The Fall".

The 37-year-old actor will now fulfil his wish with upcoming movie "Barb and Star", co-starring Kristen Wiig and Annie Mumolo, which is set to release later this year.

"I'm so excited for people to see the movie. I'm so excited to see the movie myself. Years ago, when I first started in the industry, I kind of only really wanted to do comedy and I was sort of making good comedy connections, feeling like I was going to go down that path.

"And then I did 'The Fall' and if you're playing a serial killer, nobody's considering you for comedy," Dornan told Variety.

"The Fall", which ran for three seasons on BBC Two, featured Dornan as Paul Spector, a serial killer who targets young professional women. The show also featured Gillian Anderson.

The actor said it has taken him years to finally land a comedy project.

"I guess it's taken me a while to find my way back to that world. I've made enough people giggle along the way. It came about through the directors and producers having seen the chat stuff that I'd done like Graham Norton, where I've told loosely funny stories on a sofa during the job," Dornan said.

As for "Barb and Star", the actor said the film is "mind-blowing" and he had a wonderful time working with Wiig and Mumolo.

"We just had such a laugh making that movie in Mexico last summer. It's a trip, though. I really hope people respond to it. It's right up my street. They're some of the funniest days I've ever had in my life," Dornan added.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Ministers are at loggerheads over when children should be able to get back to school.

Friends of Education Secretary Gavin Williamson are privately arguing that pupils should begin returning from May 11  but that idea is meeting stiff resistance from lockdown doves who want any return delayed until June.

However, The Mail on Sunday understands both sides agree that any return must be phased, with potentially only 20 per cent of classes being allowed back to begin with.

Sources close to Education Secretary Gavin Williamson last night denied he was arguing for a particular date for children to return to school

Sources close to Mr Williamson last night denied he was arguing for a particular date, insisting no timetable had been set out.

The row emerged as the Education Secretary unveiled a multi-million-pound plan to distribute 200,000 free laptops and tablets to help vulnerable and disadvantaged pupils, including those who receive support from a social worker and those who have spent time in care.

Schools and colleges, which will distribute the laptops, will be able to keep them after they have reopened.

In addition, 4G routers will be provided to make sure disadvantaged secondary school pupils can access the internet even if there is no wifi at home.

And telecoms giants will not charge families any data fees to access selected educational resources.

The Mail on Sunday understands both sides agree that any return to school must be phased, with potentially only 20 per cent of classes being allowed back to begin with (stock photo)

From tomorrow, a new Government-backed Oak National Academy  which has been created by 40 teachers from some of the leading schools across England  will begin work to offer 180 video lessons a week in subjects including maths, art and languages, for children in reception classes through to Year 10.

Mr Williamson said: Schools will remain closed until the scientific advice changes, which is why we need to support the incredible work teachers are already doing to ensure children continue to receive the education they deserve and need.

In a tweet this morning, Mr Williamson added: No decision has been made on when we will reopen schools.

I can reassure schools and parents that they will only reopen when the scientific advice indicates it is the right time to do so.

A Department for Education spokesman said: Schools will remain closed until further notice, except for children of critical workers and the most vulnerable children.

We will only re-open schools when the scientific advice indicates it is the right time to do so, and will consult closely with the sector on our approach.
ALBANY  In the wake of Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo declaring a state of emergency on March 7, the Department of Heath spent $686 million for medical supplies amid a fierce global competition to obtain them, according to a Times Union review of available state records.

The extraordinary expenditures, which have greatly exceeded the state's needs, were made as Cuomo warned that the state's medical supply could reach a breaking point due to the rapid spread of COVID-19. That prompted public agencies to suspend normal protocols and take understandable if unpleasant risks in an effort to save lives  spending huge sums at a time the state is facing dire fiscal problems.

"We have a terrible economic deficit," Cuomo told reporters in Albany on Friday. "We're spending money every day we never dreamed of spending."

In an extreme sellers market for masks, gowns and ventilators, far-flung companies demanded payment upfront. But with hospitalization figures much lower than Cuomo had first predicted, many of the supplies purchased may never be needed. The Cuomo administration is now considering its options, including seeking to recoup hundreds-of-millions of dollars already paid.

As hospitals, states and other nations simultaneously competed for masks and ventilators, the companies had promised they could deliver quickly, ranging from a handful of Chinese importing and exporting firms, to several New York fashion companies that re-purposed their production lines. Some have delivered, but several of the highest-paid have not.

The Cuomo administration took steps to vet the sellers, including requiring evidence of government certifications for products and detailed delivery information. But competitive bidding was suspended for the emergency contracts, which was not ideal: Most of the $686 million went to a diverse array of little-known companies which had never done business with the state, according to spending records maintained by state Comptroller Thomas DiNapoli's office.

Online records dating to 2012 indicate 22 of the 25 largest payees the past five weeks had not been paid before by New Yorks government.

The crisis also prompted Cuomo to issue an executive order last month suspending the normal independent review of state contracts by DiNapoli's office in order to hasten purchases. Before issuing a payment to a contractor, DiNapoli's office would normally demand at least some information that services were being delivered as promised, according to spokeswoman Jennifer Freeman, but that step has also been suspended.

The shifting situation makes exact state spending totals difficult to pinpoint.

As of last Tuesday, state agencies collectively reported paying companies nearly $800 million for medical supplies, with the vast majority appearing related to the state's coronavirus response. By Friday, the amount was $718 million, largely because two firms originally listed as being paid $88 million had disappeared from state records. The Cuomo administration confirmed the two contracts worth $88 million had been canceled. And $56 million more, which still appeared in the comptroller's records as of Sunday, has also been returned to the state, the administration said.

It's not yet clear how much of the spending will result in equipment and materials in the hands of healthcare workers.

Cuomo senior adviser Richard Azzopardi said states were forced to "fend for themselves" to purchase the life-saving supplies. He also pointed to Centers for Disease Control and White House task force modeling, which predicted a more severe spread of the virus and far more hospitalizations and fatalities than ended up occurring.

"We had no choice but to overturn every rock to find ventilators and other needed equipment," Azzopardi said. "We were able to bend the curve and purchase adequate supplies to meet current needs and amid these extraordinary circumstances, contracts have been continuously re-evaluated. Some shipments we'll be accepting to handle the ongoing public health crisis and prepare for future emergencies and other agreements will be modified or canceled with money refunded to the state."

The top 25 largest payees

Company paid Amount paid DOME INTERNATIONAL INC $115,877,063 YARON OREN PINES $69,102,000 TRINITY PARTNERS LLC $56,148,750 SUNRISE GROUP CANADA INC $40,875,000 DTM HEALTHCARE INC $36,062,500 PREMIER ORTHOPEDIC SOLUTIONS INC $32,304,800 JCD DISTRIBUTION INC $21,600,000 JINAN DONGYUE INTERNATIONAL TRAD CO LTD $20,800,000 ZINNTEX LLC $19,750,000 SUUCHI INC $17,400,000 BESPOKE FASHION LLC $16,718,750 NEW YORK MICROSCOPE COMPANY INC $13,845,000 ETL RESPONSE LLC $13,680,000 SISLOY LLC $13,250,952 PLEASE ME LLC $12,500,000 HANGZHOU SUOYIN IMPORT & EXPORT CO LTD $11,810,000 NEW YORK IMAGING SERVICE INC $9,935,250 ZHEJIANG XINHONGZHOU TRADING CO LTD $9,500,000 MIDWEST BIOMEDICAL RESOURCES INC $9,387,900 STACI SNIDER DESIGNER $9,337,500 DESIGNERKORNER INC $9,000,000 THREAD COUNSEL INC $7,700,000 HILL-ROM COMPANY INC $7,580,904 HIGH HOPE GROUP JIANGSU TONGTAI CO LTD $7,475,000 NEW FORTUNE INC $7,172,000

Source: OpenBookNewYork.com

Some of the largest contracts have run into difficulties.

The biggest beneficiary of the supplies boom was Dome International, a small company based in Brooklyn that sells ventilators and was paid $116 million. The state ordered 5,700 ventilators from the company, but the contract now is being "reevaluated," according to the Cuomo administration. The administration declined to say whether the $116 million would now be returned by the company to the state, since negotiations with the Dome International were ongoing. The company's vice-president, David Chait, declined to comment.

The second-biggest payee is not a business, but a California businessman: "Yaron Oren Pines," who was issued a single payment of $69 million by the Department of Health. The Cuomo administration expects "partial delivery" of 1,450 ventilators next week. Oren-Pines declined to comment.

The third largest payee, Trinity Partners LLC, was paid $56 million for 750 ventilators, but that contract has now been "canceled," according to the Cuomo administration. The $56 million has been returned to the state, the administration said.

The governor's office said there has been a "high level of cooperation with the companies thus far."

"We have legal recourses if it comes to that," Azzopardi said.

The fifth largest payee at $36 million, DTM Healthcare, delivered 5.7 million masks to New York, Azzopardi said.

On April 2, as the crisis neared its apex and Cuomo said help from the federal government was not enough, he encouraged businesses to pitch the state with products.

If you have the capacity to make these products, we will purchase them, and we will pay a premium, and we will pay to convert or transition your manufacturing facility to a facility that can do this, Cuomo said. But, we need it, like, now, you know. We're not talking about two months, three months, four months. We need these materials now.

Please contact us, Cuomo said. We'll work with you, we'll work with you quickly, there'll be no bureaucracy, no red tape.

Cuomo also told reporters that day that the state projected exhausting its supply of ventilators in six days. Cuomo said he did not want to buy more ventilators than necessary, which was a possibility. But he believed he had no choice.

They are very expensive and the state is broke, so I have no desire to buy more ventilators than we need, the governor said. If a person comes in and needs a ventilator, and you don't have a ventilator, the person dies. That's the blunt equation here.

The ventilator purchases were made after President Donald J. Trump's administration declined to provide the tens-of-thousands Cuomo was requesting from a national stockpile, which prompted New York to look to the private marketplace. Trump had said New York would not need as many as Cuomo predicted, and the president has since noted "we were right."

The health department purchases include about $9.4 million paid to a small Illinois ventilator broker, Midwest Biomedical Resources Inc.

When company President Bill Rosas was approached by New Yorks government in mid-March, they quickly struck a deal for his company to supply 200 ventilators via a manufacturing company in Sweden that Rosas brokerage had long used. The price was about $6,900 each, he said.

RELATED:

Why have deaths in New York soared above other states?

Niskayuna facility had dozens of ventilators, difficulty giving them to state

NY misses deadline for 1.5M highly sought masks, company says

More coronavirus coverage in the Times Union

Rosas declined to front the money for buying the 200 medical devices, insisting that New York pay the up-front price tag. It proved a savvy business decision and one Rosas described as a no-brainer in the uncertain fiscal environment.

Indeed, as of mid-April, the Swedish supplier was inundated by requests and still had not delivered the 200 ventilators to the United States. By that time, New York no longer seemed to them.

On the week of April 6, in a phone call with the Midwest Biomedical sales team, Cuomo administration officials floated other options for the $9.4 million purchase, including sending the ventilators to another state in greater need, Rosas said.

Special Investigation 147 NY dams are 'unsound,' potentially dangerous Thousands of dams have not been inspected in over 20 years.

Rosas company also has tried to donate 40 of its own ventilators to relief efforts, although those also may be unnecessary in New York.

Ive been in this business 30 years, and this is the craziest thing that Ive ever seen in my life, Rosas said.

In other states that acted similarly in response to the crisis, stories of alleged graft have emerged.

The Los Angeles Times reported that a powerful California union, which claimed to have discovered 39 million masks for healthcare workers, was duped in an elaborate scam uncovered by FBI investigators involving a broker in Australia and a supplier in Kuwait, who are now both targets of an investigation. No money was exchanged before the deal unraveled.

On the federal level, a Georgia man faces wire fraud charges for trying to sell the government 125 million non-existent respirator masks that would have been worth more than $750 million.

For companies using New York's online portal, they were required to provide certifications from entities like the U.S. Food and Drug Administration and the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health. Brokers serving as middlemen were required to provide an official pricing quote and an estimated production schedule.

Manufacturers looking to retool had to be willing to seek required approvals. New York would only provide assistance in retooling facilities with New York-based production, the site noted.

Azzopardi said 25 state officials vetted the contractors and over 60 more worked on vendor outreach, negotiation and management, the emergency team often working 18-hour days, including weekends. The vetting included employees of the state inspector general's office, as well as outside law firms. At least one member of the team worked while recovering from COVID-19.

Most winning contractors went through the state's official portal, Azzorpardi said, and were picked for their ability to deliver needed products in a timely manner and at "best value" amid ever-changing market conditions. The state also got referrals from the federal government, the Chinese ambassador to the United States, and regional Chinese Departments of Commence with which the state had long-term relationships. Only about 10 percent of offers were pursued.

Online information maintained by DiNapoli's office lists vendors' names, payment amounts, and the fact that they are providing medical supplies or medical and dental acquisition. But it's difficult for the general public to identify who is behind many of the companies or the specific work they're doing, as there's nothing online about where they're located, the items they're meant to deliver, or the status of the orders.

The Cuomo administration's retraction of $88 million in state spending originally reported to DiNapoli's office included striking out a $46 million payment to The Blue Marble Group Inc. The Cuomo administration on Saturday said the state and company mutually agreed to cancel the contract after supply chain issues emerged, with the state recouping the $46 million.

Before that occurred, DiNapoli's office had already taken some preliminary steps to pay $46 million to Blue Marble Group, although there was some confusion about the identity of the low-profile firm.

Teddy George, a businessman in Massachusetts, recently got a phone call from an employee of DiNapolis office, who requested Georges employer identification number. But Georges firm, Blue Marble Group, is a real estate company that sells homes and had nothing to do with the relief efforts.

When the DiNapoli official read off part of the correct company's employer ID number, George relayed that his was not the correct firm.

"Wed love to be $46 million richer, George told the Times Union, laughing. But were just your honest, local real estate company.

As part of a routine independent verification process, Freeman said, the comptroller's office conducts Google searches of firms receiving state payments and calls the companies when multiple have similar names. She believed the correct Blue Marble Group is located in California and said there were multiple safeguards to ensure the wrong company isn't paid.

A company based in China, Bleam Group Limited, was also until recently listed as being paid $42 million by the Department of Health, but has also disappeared from state records. The Cuomo administration said the contract was canceled and money returned. The company did not have a comment last week.

A company that did speak to the Times Union, Snider Fashion, was among the manufacturers that heeded Cuomos call to repurpose.

Staci Snider, a native of Saratoga Springs who has a store on Congress St., typically produces high-end fashion products that are sold in stores across the country.

Her company quickly revamped to produce medical gowns, winning the business by applying through the state portal. The process of revamping simply required a different cut but was mostly seamless, Snider said. Her company was paid $9.3 million, which included the cost of materials.

Many items bought by the state, such as masks, infusion pumps, and X-ray machines, cost a premium as states and counties competed for them. Cuomo has said for weeks that the state was paying in certain instances $7.50 for a mask, about 15 times the usual price.

"The biggest challenge is that we are in this position at all," Azzopardi told the Times Union. "Either the federal government needs to reassert itself, or there needs to be a consortium of states to avoid every state government from competing for the same scarce resources and artificially increasing the price."
Former finance minister P Chidambaram has slammed the Modi government for failing to provide enough cash and food for the poor. Calling the current dispensation a "heartless government", Chidambaram said more people had run out of cash now and that the government should protect their dignity by "transferring cash" to the needy.

The ex-FM raised questions over the government's inability to distribute some portion of "77 million tonnes" grain stored in the Food Corporation of India facilities. "Why cannot government save them from hunger AND protect their dignity by transferring cash to every poor family? Why can't government distribute, free of cost, a small part of the 77 million tonnes of grain with FCI to families who need the grain to feed themselves?" he asked.

Why cannot government save them from hunger AND protect their dignity by transferring cash to every poor family?



Why cant government distribute, free of cost, a small part of the 77 million tonnes of grain with FCI to families who need the grain to feed themselves?  P. Chidambaram (@PChidambaram_IN) April 19, 2020

He also said both Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman had to failed address these issues as the "nation watches helplessly". As India remains under lockdown, Opposition has sharpened its attack on the government over issues such as shutting down of the economy, rising COVID-19 cases, inadequate testing, among others.

Last week, Congress leader Rahul Gandhi pitched a slew of suggestions on how the government should combat the coronavirus outbreak in the country. The Congress leader proposed scaling up of coronavirus testing and asked the centre to find out where the country stands in fighting the global outbreak. He said, "India's testing rate very low at 199 per million so far and the country needs to ramp up testing".

He said the entire country had to fight the crisis "unitedly" and the states needed to have adequate resources to deal with the crisis in a nuanced manner. He also suggested the implementation of the NYAY scheme -- a social welfare programme introduced by the party during the 2019 general elections.

Meanwhile, the coronavirus death toll has reached 507 in India, while total confirmed cases have touched 15,712. The latest Ministry of Health data suggests Maharashtra tops the tally with 3,651 cases and 211 deaths, followed by Delhi at 1,893 cases and 42 deaths.

Also read: Coronavirus: India plugs loophole in Chinese 'opportunistic takeover' of firms; govt nod must

Also read: Coronavirus India Live Updates: 15,712 cases in India; Maharashtra tops list with 3,651 cases
Vietnam on Sunday recorded no new case of novel coronavirus disease (COVID-19) while reporting one recovered patient having retested positive and two hospital discharges.

This is the third consecutive day the Southeast Asian country has confirmed zero new cases. The active cases currently stand at 66.

One recovered patient was retested on Friday as she had shown signs of illness, including a dry cough and chest tightness, health authorities in Hanoi said on Sunday, adding that the result came back positive on Saturday.

The patient, 44, was discharged from the hospital on Tuesday after having tested negative twice.

Her contacts, who are her husband and child, have been quarantined, as she had been told to self-isolate at home after the discharge.

Also on Sunday, two patients were released from a hospital in the southern province of Bac Lieu.

Both will self-isolate and have their health monitored for the next 14 days, pursuant to the Ministry of Healths regulations.

Vietnam has confirmed 268 COVID-19 cases to date, 202 of them having made a recovery, according to the health ministrys figures.

No virus-related death has been reported in the country as yet.

A total of 62,998 have been quarantined at home, hospitals, and other centralized facilities as of Sunday, the ministry said.

Infection rates have slowed since April 4, apparently thanks to social distancing measures, as five cases or fewer have been reported daily.

Vietnam has practiced intensive social distancing since April 1, with stores, clubs, karaoke parlors, and more closed while gatherings of more than two people in public are prohibited in many provinces and cities.

People are told not to leave the house unless under truly necessary circumstances and to keep a two-meter distance from one another in social interaction.

Inter-province travels are restricted whereas entry is denied to all foreigners.

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The Executive Director of Africa Centre for Peace Building, Mr Korsi Senyo, has called for unity in tackling hunger in deprived localities to avoid endangering health status of the populace during the coronavirus lockdown period.



He appealed to citizens and leaders in Ghana and Africa at large to take practical steps to deal with hunger in the wake of the Covid-19 outbreak in order not to plunge communities into another pandemic.



Mr Senyo, who is also the Project Coordinator of Ghana Covid-19 Relief Support, told the Ghana News Agency that, We must unite to fight hunger during these COVID-19 crises, otherwise, hunger could be the next pandemic in Africa after Covid-19.



He appealed to individuals and businesses to support the Africa Centre for Peace Buildings initiative - Ghana COVID-19 Relief Support Project, to complement efforts by government to stave off the coronavirus spread.



The COVID-19 situation [COVID-19], which has brought about lockdowns and social distancing directives has devastating effects on households, especially those whose daily bread depended on daily movements, he said.



This has inspired my decisions to lead a team of volunteers to launch the Ghana COVID-19 Relief Support project (GhanaCovid19.org).



The project is spearheaded by the Africa Centre for Peace Building  a peace & security focused non-governmental organisation, which has been operating in Ghana for the past 10 years.



Since the launch of the project, we have received some donations, which helped us to donate some food items to over 100 residents of Kasoa in the Central Region, Mr Senyo said.



As of today, we have over 1,000 people who have placed distressed calls for support. We also have some health centres in some villages in the COVID-19 positive regions who also called for support in the areas of PPE, he added.

Ghana, since March 12, 2020 has reported 641 confirmed cases of the deadly coronavirus, eight deaths and 17 recoveries.



In an attempt to contain the virus, Government has announced several measures including; partial lockdown in Kumasi and its contiguous areas, Accra, Tema and Kasoa as well as sharing of food to vulnerable people and in deprived localities.

Source: GNA









Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority.

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Daily reported COVID-19 deaths went down significantly from Friday to Saturday, April 18, with less than 800 new cases being reported through the state for the third day in a row.

Meanwhile, 17 residents at a nursing home reportedly died of COVID-19 and a major retailer ordered its employees to start wearing masks at work

Below is a look at the most recent coronavirus developments.

New Michigan coronavirus cases of 633 is daily low for month of April

The number of new COVID-19 cases reported by the state of Michigan have come in at less than 800 for the fourth day in a row.

Figures released Sunday, April 19, by the states Department of Health and Human Services show 633 new cases reported, more than 100 less than the 768 cases on Saturday and 760 on Friday.

Sundays numbers raise the total COVID-19 cases in Michigan to 31,424, with 2,391 deaths.

Daily Michigan coronavirus deaths at lowest level since early April

Data shows there were 81 new deaths for Saturday, April 18, down from 134 deaths the previous day. The new cases were at 768 for Saturday, up only slightly from 760 on Friday.

Michigan now has 2,308 deaths attributed to COVID-19 and 30,791 cases.

The 81 new deaths for Saturday was the lowest daily total since 77 new deaths on April 5.

Eastern Michigan University students, professors making masks, face shields for health care workers

People across the country have been creating face shields and masks for health care workers on the front lines of the coronavirus outbreak, and about 100 Eastern Michigan University community members are also getting in on the effort.

Students, faculty and staff at EMU are helping make personal protective equipment for St. Joseph Mercy Ann Arbor Hospital and other local institutions that have essential workers, according to Decky Alexander, a professor and director of academic programs at Engage@EMU.

Changes need to be made soon before its too late, Michigan House Speaker tells Gov. Whitmer

Michigans speaker of the House of Representatives is calling on Gov. Gretchen Whitmer to revise the states current stay-at-home order in a letter that offers three actions she can take to help reopen the state.

Speaker Lee Chatfield, R-Levering, sent the letter to Whitmers office Saturday, April 18, suggesting how the order, which has closed non-essential businesses in an attempt to prevent the spread of COVID-19, can be improved so workers can get back on the job, while still keeping people safe.

Though we disagree with many aspects of your recent orders, we still appreciate your service to our state and you performing your duties the best that you can," Chatfield wrote. "We do, however, believe that several changes need to be made soon before its too late.

Kent County judge defends order allowing emergency detainments for coronavirus reasons

A Kent County judge has come under criticism for issuing an order earlier this month that allows authorities to detain people up to 24 hours if they are believed ill from COVID-19 and refuse to isolate themselves.

The order, issued by Kent County Chief Circuit Court Judge Mark Trusock, has never been used since it was signed April 6 and officials do not expect it will be needed.

It simply allows for police or a health officer to involuntarily detain someone for up to 24 hours who shows signs of COVID-19 illness with a fever, has already tested positive in the last seven days or is awaiting test results. The person also must be unwilling to isolate themselves.

Walmart, Sams Club employees being required to wear face masks to work

Walmart and Sams Club have announced that all employees are being required to wear face masks to work starting Monday, April 20, in an effort to curb the spread of the novel coronavirus.

The retail giants announced the decision Friday, April 17, in a letter sent to employees from Walmart President/CEO John Furner and Sams Club President/CEO Kath McLay.

We have evolved our policy on face coverings from optional to mandatory as public health guidance has shifted," Furner and McLay wrote in the letter posted to the Walmart website.

Canadian border restrictions extended another month due to coronavirus pandemic

The border between Canada and the United States will remain closed to non-essential travel for another 30 days due to the ongoing coronavirus pandemic, Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau announced Saturday.

The prime minister said the travel ban extension, made in agreement between both countries, will stay in place for many, many weeks to come, the Associated Press reported April 18.

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Rite Aid to open 3 self-swab coronavirus testing sites in Michigan

Rite Aid pharmacy stores are opening three more COVID-19 testing sites in Michigan.

They are at 715 S. Main St. in Eaton Rapids, 9090 Miller Road in Swartz Creek, and 46977 Romeo Plank Road in Macomb.

The self-swab sites are opening in a partnership with the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. The tests will be administered in each stores parking lot and overseen by pharmacists.

Michigan Nursery association joins lawsuit fray against Whitmers coronavirus stay-home orders

The Michigan Nusery and Landscape Association has joined a host of other groups and individuals to recently file lawsuits against Whitmer for her stay-at-home orders in the coronavirus crisis.

The lawsuit was filed Friday, April 17, in U.S. District Court in Grand Rapids and seeks both an emergency injunction and compensation for unconstitutional takings because outdoor businesses deemed non-essential were forced to temporarily close.

Attorneys for the association and several other plaintiffs to the lawsuit complain that Whitmers order is not being applied fairly.

Clio nursing home has 17 residents die of coronavirus

More than a dozen residents of a Clio nursing home have died of COVID-19, officials report.

In a statement issued Saturday, April 18, executives of Maple Woods Manor, 13137 N. Clio Road, said 17 residents have died of the virus. An additional 24 residents have tested positive for coronavirus, seven of whom are hospitalized. Twenty-six employees have likewise tested positive.

The health department had previously confirmed that all 15 nursing homes in the county have seen coronavirus cases.

Days after celebratory discharge from hospital, 79-year-old coronavirus patient dies

On Easter Sunday, a couple days after 79-year-old Cathy Yeaw was discharged from a Grand Rapids hospital and on the mend from COVID-19, she chatted through a video link with her children.

She sounded very coherent. She was alert and talking. She couldnt wait to go home, daughter Marie Moran said of her mom, who was in a rehabilitation hospital at the time.

But just three days later, Yeaws condition took a turn for the worse. She died late Wednesday, April 15.

Detroit releases ZIP Code map of coronavirus cases

The hardest-hit area in Michigan for coronavirus COVID-19 cases and deaths is now showing the cases by ZIP Code and heat maps. The map was unveiled late Friday, April 17.

According to the state Department of Health and Human Services, Detroit has 7,414 cases and 582 deaths.

Michigan prisoner dies from coronavirus weeks away from parole after being locked up 44 years

A Wayne County man sentenced to life in prison as a 16-year-old wouldve walked free this month after spending four decades locked away. But just weeks away from his parole, he died of coronavirus.

William Garrison, 60, died Monday, April 13, after being sent to the hospital from the Macomb Correctional Facility. Prison officials said they learned Friday, April 17, that a postmortem test confirmed he had the novel coronavirus.

Coronavirus infections rise to 47 residents, workers at Shiawassee County senior center in Durand

Numbers of residents who have tested positive for COVID-19 at a Shiawassee County senior center are continuing to rise.

The Shiawassee County Health Department on the evening of Friday, April 17, confirmed an additional 28 people have tested positive for coronavirus at Durand Senior Care and Rehab, 8750 Monroe Road in Durand. This brings the total of confirmed infections at the facility to 47, which includes 26 residents, 21 employees.

No more extensions on stay-at-home order as is, senate majority leader says

Wisconsin has extended its stay-at-home order through May 26, but dont expect Michigan to do the same, Michigan Senate Majority Leader Mike Shirkey said Friday.

Michigan will likely have some form of restrictions beyond April 30  which is the current expiration date for the states stay-at-home order, said Shirkey, R-Clark Lake. The senator took questions during a online discussion with the Jackson County Chamber of Commerce on Friday, April 17.

Read all of MLives coverage on the coronavirus at mlive.com/coronavirus.

Additional information is available at Michigan.gov/Coronavirus and CDC.gov/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, counter tops) and when you go into places like stores.
Peter Trill, a Scottish health and biotech investor who sold Iomet Pharma to Merck for 276m (317m) in 2016, has emerged as a backer of Dublin-based business Reagent Genie.

Founded by Colm Ryan and Sean Mac Fhearraigh, it is known for being the maker of a 15-minute Covid-19 test.

Recent company filings in the UK indicate that Trill - or the investment firm he represents - has a stake of between 25pc and 50pc in a company registered there.

Trill and his Iomet co-founder, Oxford University scientist Dr Tom Brown, banked as much as 125m between them from the Iomet sale. They had founded the company in 2008 in Edinburgh to focus on cancer immunotherapy.

The filings indicate that Reagent Genie raised a Series C round of funding in December, and it is understood the firm had not previously raised more than 10m.

Its valuation is likely to have increased since it was founded. It said it had a policy of not commenting on its funding or investors.

Trill and a number of his former colleagues, including Barry McGuinness, a Trinity College graduate, operate together through a London firm, Duke Street Bio.

Reagent Genie was founded in 2017 and employs a number of scientists in Dublin. It distributes and sells over 30,000 antibodies, over 14,000 Elisa kits and around 700 assay (testing) kits - including the one for Covid-19 - that are used in R&D in about 40 countries. It is aiming to work with new partners in Indonesia, Russia, New Zealand, Israel and Switzerland.
Authorities in Madhya Pradesh ordered an inquiry on Saturday following a complaint by ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) workers that the district administration in Chhindwara allegedly bought substandard and overpriced ventilators and blood pressure machines after Congress lawmaker Nakul Nath released ~25 lakh for the purpose from his constituency development fund.

As per a district administration official, the amount from MPLAD fund was released to the administration which deputed the civil surgeon of the district hospital to purchase the machines.

However, the BJP workers have complained that the price quoted for the equipment is five times its original cost and that the number of machines supplied is also less than what was ordered.

On receiving the complaint, I ordered payment to the company concerned to be stopped immediately until an inquiry is conducted. I have ordered an inquiry into the matter. Its report is expected in two days, said Chhindwara collector Srinivas Sharma.

On his part, Nath said, Its unfortunate. If there has been any irregularity in the purchase of the machines, the guilty should be given stringent punishment.

Meanwhile, an inquiry has also been ordered in Gwalior following complaints that wheat flour bags being distributed among the poor hit hard by the Covid-19 lockdown weighed only 7.5 kg to 8 kg while their packing says they weigh 10 kg.
Mayor Bill de Blasio wants New Yorkers to rat out their fellow citizens who are not following social distancing orders during the coronavirus pandemic by taking a photo of the violators on their cell phones and texting it to the city.

'It's simple: just snap a photo and text it to 311-692,' the mayor tweeted Saturday.

In a video posted to his Twitter account, de Blasio praised the people of his city, saying: 'You have been extraordinary at social distancing.'

'It has taken every fiber of our beings to figure out how to do this because we're warm, emotional people,' he said.

'We're used to being close to each other.'

New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio posted a video message on Saturday asking city residents to 'snap a photo and text it' if they happen to see anyone failing to adhere to social distancing guidelines

New Yorkers were seen walking through Central Park wearing face masks on Saturday

One Twitter user said de Blasio's proposal 'is so un-American'

Another Twitter user noted that both Anne Frank and Harriet Tubman were in hiding and that de Blasio's proposal likely would have meant outing them

Others said that de Blasio's proposal is more suited to the Soviet Union, where citizens routinely snitched on one another

Another Twitter user told de Blasio: 'Your communist roots are showing'

Another Twitter user called the New York mayor 'a Karen' - a derogatory term given to someone who complains about minor things

But the mayor added that 'there's some people who need to get the message.'

'And that means sometimes making sure the enforcement is there to educate people and make clear we've got to have social distancing,' the mayor said.

'When you see a crowd, when you see a line that's not distanced, when you see a supermarket that's too crowded, you can report it right away so we can get there to help fix the problem.'

He added: 'That's going to stop spreading this disease. And that's going to save lives.'

The mayor's idea was not well-received on social media, where Twitter users blasted him for suggesting that city residents snitch on each other.

One Twitter user noted that Anne Frank and Harriet Tubman were also quarantined.

Tubman was an abolitionist who escaped slavery and then risked her life to help other slaves go free.

Frank was a Dutch Jewish girl whose family went into hiding during the Nazi occupation of Holland.

She was shipped off to the death camps after neighbors alerted the Nazi authorities to their hiding place.

Another Twitter user called the mayor a 'Karen'  a popular internet meme used to describe a person, usually a middle-aged white woman, who complains about usually minor things not being to their liking.

Another Twitter user said that de Blasio 'asking people to snitch' is 'so un-American.'

Others commented that de Blasio's message is more suited to Soviet Communism.

In the Soviet Union of the 1930s, citizens routinely snitched on one another to the authorities in an effort to improve their living conditions and curry favor with the government.

One Twitter user joked: 'Comrade citizen! Report all suspected anti-distancing activities to friendly New York Ministry of Social Cleanliness!'

Another Twitter user commented: 'Your communist roots are showing.

'I noticed you said 'enforcement' and not law enforcement.

'Is that because the cops in your own city hate your guts?'

Others on Twitter noted that de Blasio himself has been spotted out and about during the coronavirus lockdown.

The mayor, who lives in his official mansion on the Upper East Side of Manhattan, has been spotted going to his gym in Park Slope, Brooklyn.

He and his wife have also been spotted walking outside in public  even while he and other state, local, and national leaders have asked Americans to remain indoors during the pandemic.

New York Governor Andrew Cuomo announces state's LOWEST daily death rate since April 1 and reveals cases have declined for several days - then tells Trump it's 'no time for politics' and demands more federal funding for tests

New York Governor Andrew Cuomo took another swipe at Donald Trump on Saturday by channeling Abraham Lincoln saying there's 'no time for politics' as he announced the state's death rate has dropped to the lowest since April 1.

Speaking in his daily press briefing, Cuomo said he had some 'good news' for New Yorkers as he revealed that daily deaths, hospitalizations, intubations and ICU admissions continued to fall.

As the nation's crisis epicenter seems to have reached its peak, Cuomo announced that 504 people died from coronavirus Friday, the lowest death toll since April 1 and far lower than the state's peak of 806 on April 7.

The governor went on to make a series of thinly-veiled digs at Trump, in which he recited Lincoln's famous quote - 'a house divided itself cannot stand' - and reminded him 'that's why we're called the 'United' States.'

His comments come after he blasted the president Friday, mocking his demand for gratitude for federal help and saying: 'Thank you for doing your job'.

In Saturday's update, Cuomo warned that although the falling death toll is promising, New York still has some dark days ahead as '540 families' still lost their loved ones in a single day, including 36 across the state's nursing homes.

'It's not as high as it was but still 540 people died yesterday,' he said.

'It's 540 people, 540 families.'

New York Governor Andrew Cuomo said on Saturday in his daily briefing that 504 people died from coronavirus in the state on Friday, down from the state's peak death toll of 806 on April 7

Total hospitalizations are also down from around 18,000 to almost 16,000 and emergency rooms are less crowded, Cuomo continued.

'We increased hospital capacity by 53 percent' and that capacity is now falling, he said.

Cuomo said the figures show that New York has gone past its peak and is now on a curve down to where it was late-March when cases and deaths started to rise.

'We're down now for several days. The statisticians will say have we passed the apex? Have we hit the plateau and flattened for a period of time?' he said.

He added: 'If you look at the past three days you could argue that we are past the plateau and we're starting to descend which is very good news.'

The number of people being intubated when they come into the state's hospitals has also fallen which Cuomo said is 'very good news'.

'The probability is about 80 percent won't come off ventilators when they go on them so [the fall in numbers] is very good news,' he said.

ICU admissions have also fallen, Cuomo said, before adding that he does 'not know why we include this'.

But there was still some 'sobering news' he said.

'We still have about 2,000 people yesterday who were new admissions to hospitals or new COVID diagnoses,' he said. 'That is still overwhelming.'

Nursing homes continue to be a big concern, however, with Cuomo citing these 'the single biggest fear' because they cluster a lot of 'vulnerable people in one place'.

Nursing homes will be 'top of the list' for testing when the state reopens, he added.

After several weeks of locking heads with Trump, Cuomo went on to make yet another thinly-veiled dig at the president and his response to the pandemic telling him 'there's no time for politics' while Americans are dying.

'The emotion in this country is as high as I can recall... and on every level this is a terrible experience,' he said.

'It's disorientating, it threatens you to your core... It makes you reflect on your whole life, it's mentally very difficult... economically it's disastrous.

'But in the midst of this there is no time for politics. How does the situation get worse? If you politicize it.'

Cuomo reinforced his previous claims that he is not politically motivated and is not planning to run for president.

'I'm not running for anything, I'm not going anywhere. I'm going to be governor of New York state until the people kick me out,' he said.

'I have no political agenda and I've stayed 100 miles away from politics just so people know.'

In a rousing speech, Cuomo channeled Abraham Lincoln's famous quote 'A house divided against itself cannot stand' as he pleaded with the US to unite in its fight against the pandemic.

After several weeks of locking heads with Donald Trump, Cuomo made yet another thinly-veiled dig at the president and his response to the pandemic telling him 'there's no time for politics' as Americans are dying

Cuomo channeled Abraham Lincoln's famous quote 'A house divided against itself cannot stand' as he pleaded with the US to unite in its fight against the pandemic

'The house can also not stand up and rise against a situation as bad as we've seen since World War Two,' Cuomo said.

'That's why we're called the 'United' States and the 'United' is key.'

When pressed about his opinion on Trump's actions this week - including backing protesters calling for an end to lockdown - Cuomo remained fairly tight-lipped.

He pointed out that Trump said he would leave the decision around reopening to individual states and agreed that it should not be a nationwide reopening because different states have different levels of the pandemic.

'[Trump] did not say this is a nationwide program that he's asking governors to buy into,' said Cuomo.

When asked about the risk that lack of national guidance would mean people would be able to travel between states with different degrees of lockdowns, Cuomo admitted this is a 'downside'.

'Is that a downside of a 50-state strategy? You could say that,' he said.

Testing and contact tracing will be critical to reopening New York safely, to avoid a renewed spike in infections and deaths, Cuomo said.

'The tension on reopening is how can we reopen and what can we reopen without raising the infection rate,' he said.

Cuomo explained that the infection rate in New York has now fallen to one person infecting 0.9 other people, down from one person infecting 1.4 people.

The concern is that if the state reopens too soon, the rate will rise and there is a 'very tight window' before the rate would reach devastating levels once again.

'When you start to reopen businesses, you put people on subways, in a retail store... you're going to see more infections and see the infection rate rise,' said Cuomo.

'So how do we gauge this and calibrate that? It's all about the testing.'

The state has approached its top 50 labs asking what they would need to double the testing.

Cuomo said: 'They all said the same thing: They need more chemical reagents. We need the federal government to oversee the supply chain and help get labs what they need.'

Chemical reagents are critical to running coronavirus tests as they isolate the virus's genetic material so it can be tested.

But officials and the CDC have repeatedly warned the chemicals are in short supply.

Cuomo issued another plea for the government to work in partnership with states in sharing out the products needed to upscale testing and get the nation up and running.

'The federal government is telling companies who to give it to,' Cuomo said.

'We need help from the federal government, help with the supply chain, and coordination and basic partnership,' he said.

'I get that it's hard... I get that in this society it's going to be a blame game... that's the world we live in,' he said.

'But we need their coordination and we need their partnership. I get that we need to fund airlines and need to fund small businesses - I get that but we ned to fund state governments too.'

His comments come as worrying research from the National League of Cities and the US Conference of Mayors this week revealed that more than 2,100 US cities across the US are bracing for huge budget shortfalls that will lead to thousands of layoffs, cuts in vital services and less cops on the streets during the coronavirus pandemic.

Almost nine in 10 cities (88 percent), ranging from smaller cities with populations of less than 50,000 residents to the biggest metropolitan areas in the country, have said they are preparing for a revenue shortfall.

More than 1,100 cities are preparing to scale back their public services, and 600 say they may have to lay off some government workers as a result of lower budgets, which could have devastating consequences on public services including police forces.
You have the president saying 15 times, Its up to the governors, its up to the governors, its up to the governors,'" he said. "And then theyre going to pass a piece of legislation that gives you know what to states: zero, zilch, nada, niente. Whatever language you want to say it, nothing. But then how are the states supposed to do this?
What Stimulus Checks?

Over the past few weeks, struggling Americans have awaited deposits of relief funds from the Treasury Department  up to $1,200 per adult, with an additional $500 per child. But the rollout process has hit some snafus. Some check recipients reported errors in the amount. Others are still waiting. And many people with overdrawn checking accounts saw their stimulus money garnished by their bank  which is technically legal, but defeats the purpose of Americans putting the cash toward immediate needs like rent and food. Lawmakers called on banks to pause collections processes, and most agreed to comply. But the issue highlights a more insidious problem: Many Americans need a lot more help, and quickly.

Image Credit... Giacomo Bagnara

Whats Next? (April 19-25)

Every State for Itself

Even as coronavirus deaths continue to surge, President Trump unveiled guidelines this past Thursday for reopening the countrys economy, titled Opening Up America Again. Under his plan, most current social distancing practices could be lifted within four weeks. But ultimately, he wont make the decisions. He told governors to call your own shots in determining when to reopen businesses, schools and other everyday services in their states. That means some states could reopen by May 1, or even earlier if they wanted. But public health experts say that the country should not reopen until rapid-testing kits are widely available, and that Mr. Trumps plan could lead to a disastrous resurgence of infections.

But If You Do Feel Like Spending

At $399, Apples new iPhone SE isnt quite recession-friendly, but its still the companys cheapest smartphone in years. It will be available for purchase online this coming Friday. (Most Apple stores remain closed, of course.) Even if youre not buying, you can take this as a good sign: The rollout shows that Apples supply chain in China has resumed functioning, at least somewhat, amid the coronavirus pandemic. Conveniently, the new phone offers fingerprint authentication just in time for everyones face masks to throw a wrench in most other devices facial-recognition software.

Brexit Will Not Be Stopped

The coronavirus crisis has pushed Brexit procedures back into precarious territory. Trade negotiations were suspended in March because of the pandemic, but they are set to resume this week by videoconference. And as usual, time is tight: If the two sides dont make major headway in hammering out the economic details of their divorce by June, then Britain has said it will start preparing for a no-deal separation at the end of the year. (And yes, Britain did formally withdraw from the European Union already, but their new trade relationship  the business part of Brexit  still has to be worked out.) As if the global economy needed more uncertainty right now.
NEW YORK, N.Y. -- More than 900 staffers in the citys public hospitals have tested positive for the coronavirus (COVID-19) and at least 26 have died, according to new figures from NYC Health + Hospitals (H+H).

But its unclear exactly what kind of impact the virus is having on staffers from Staten Islands two private hospitals -- Richmond University Medical Center (RUMC) and Staten Island University Hospital (SIUH). The two private hospitals have provided few details about how the virus is impacting its workers.

As of Wednesday, about 3,000 H+H staffers called out sick in a 24 hour period, 924 of its staff tested positive for the virus and another 26 staffers died, H+H said. There are no city hospitals on Staten Island, but there are clinics.

Northwell Health, of which SIUH is a part, said this week more than 368 employees across its system have tested positive for coronavirus or have been exposed to the virus. But the hospital did not provide the Advance with a breakdown of the number SIUH-specific staff who have tested positive for the coronavirus or who have recently called out sick.

RUMC declined to release information about any of its staff when asked how many of its staffers had tested positive for the virus since the outbreak, how many may have died and how many of them had recently called out sick.

Northwell said at least two members of our hospital family at SIUH had died from COVID-19 at other hospitals. But the hospital did not elaborate on what type of capacity the staffers had worked, only saying they were team members who did not work in the main hospital or in the COVID-19 patient care areas, so it could not speak to where they contracted the virus.

Northwell Health said most of its staff who contracted the virus contracted it through communal spread."

Because RUMC and SIUH are not part of the city Health + Hospitals network, the city does not have information on staffers at private hospitals who may have tested positive for the virus or have died, because the city does not oversee private hospitals, City Hall said.

Though RUMC declined to provide any information about its staff, the Advance has reported about at least one RUMC staffers death.

Earlier this month, RUMC nurse Mary Ellen Porter died due to complications from the virus, according to friends and coworkers.

Porter, 65, was a veteran health care worker at the West Brighton hospital who was awarded recognition for her 25th year of service at RUMC in 2018.

On March 21, Porter had changed her Facebook profile picture to a photo of her wearing her hospital attire with the caption #ICannotStayAtHome, IAmANurse! before she died.

At SIUH, the Advance reported about at least one staffer, Dr. Michael Schirripa, an OB/GYN at Staten Island University Hospital, who tested positive for the virus.

Schirripa was recently released from SIUH earlier this month after spending 15 days in the hospital, three of which were in the intensive care unit.

As of Friday, the virus claimed the lives of 454 Staten Islanders.

As of 6 p.m. Thursday, there were 9,166 confirmed coronavirus cases on Staten Island, an uptick of 344, or 3.9%, from Wednesdays figure of 8,822.

FOLLOW SYDNEY KASHIWAGI ON TWITTER.

*** CLICK HERE FOR COMPLETE COVERAGE OF CORONAVIRUS IN NEW YORK ***
YWCAs across the country take a simultaneous Stand Against Racism every year during the third week in April. COVID-19 and the resulting public health and economic crises make our 2020 Stand Against Racism particularly complex, as well as critically important.

While we pray for the sick and dying, as well as support all health care workers on the front lines, we must examine two of the distressing racial justice setbacks of the current crisis. These setbacks are the increase in acts of bias against Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) communities and the racial health disparities exacerbated by the pandemic.

Civil rights and human rights organizations have reported an increase in hate speech and hate incidents aimed specifically at those of Chinese decent, as well as AAPI communities. Subways have been a hot spot for hate crimes, including physical assaults against AAPI persons on New York subways and a particularly awful racist rant against an AAPI woman on a Los Angeles subway. AAPI school-aged students are also reporting an increase in bias attacks, according to information from around the country assembled by YWCA USA.

It is natural to look to other pandemics to draw parallels, particularly in the experience of the LGBTQ+ communities during the HIV AIDS pandemic. Violence against this community spiked with the outbreak of AIDS, while the pandemic went far beyond the LGBTQ+ community. Undoing hateful associations and innuendo is nearly impossible  hate speech and hate crimes continue to plague LGBTQ+ persons today.

COVID-19 is also exposing profound and longstanding health disparities that cut across racial lines. According to a Reuters report, African Americans are dying of the coronavirus at a faster rate than any other demographic group in the country. This is widely attributed to pre-existing conditions such as diabetes, asthma and heart disease, which are far more prevalent among African Americans. The concentration of these pre-existing conditions among one racial group is also widely attributed to generations of disparities in social and economic factors that impact public and individual health.

International and domestic governmental and non-governmental organizations have long studied and shaped public policy around the social determinants of health: those qualities of ones working, living, social and community conditions that influence health outcomes. These determinants typically include: access to health care and insurance; education; employment and working conditions; food insecurity and food deserts; housing; social supports or exclusion; transportation; gender; race; and disability, among others. The longstanding clustering of these factors among African Americans creates heightened risk for COVID-19 and has the potential to further marginalize these communities going forward.

Lets take this moment to stand against the current hate and bias against AAPI communities and double down against all forms of discrimination. Lets turn this crisis into an opportunity to evaluate and address the social determinants of health in our communities and our policies. Lets prioritize health equity in a new way and address the systemic factors that create racial health disparities.

Please take a Stand Against Racism by joining me and Professor Gautam Mukunda on our social media platforms and at ywcagreenwich.org starting April 24 as we discuss the importance of civic engagement today. We will also showcase the individuals, organizations and public institutions in this community who have pledged to Stand Against Racism in 2020, including local students who will receive our annual Racial Justice Scholarship Awards. Take care and stay well.

Mary Lee A. Kiernan is president & CEO of YWCA Greenwich.
Scientists have recently discovered how to compute the age of whale sharks, Earths largest fish.

Researchers used information about radioactivity levels from Cold War-era atomic bomb testing. They determined that bands form in the shark vertebrae every year, like a trees growth rings.

They reached their conclusion by measuring levels of carbon-14. The naturally occurring radioactive element is also a product of nuclear explosions.

It was already known that these bands existed and increased in number as sharks aged. But it was unclear whether new rings appeared yearly or every six months.

The researchers compared carbon-14 levels in the rings to data on changes in carbon-14 levels over time. They compared them, especially, to the years of atmospheric nuclear tests in the 1950s and 1960s.

Joyce Ong is a marine scientist at Rutgers University in New Jersey. She was the lead author of the study that was published recently in the journal Frontiers in Marine Science.

These elevated levels of carbon-14 first saturated the atmosphere, then oceans and moved through food webs into animals, producing elevated levels in structures such as the vertebrae of whale sharks, Ong said.

Whale sharks have a brownish-grayish color on the back and sides with white spots. The largest ones measure some 18 meters in length. They swim great distances through the worlds tropical oceans to find food and feed on small organisms taken out of the water.

The discovery enables scientists to measure a whale sharks age after its death. But just as importantly, it shows that these endangered marine giants grow slowly.

Mark Meekan, a co-author, is with the Australian Institute of Marine Science in Perth. He said, For the management of any marine species, knowledge of growth rate is critical as it determines the resilience of populations to threats such as fishing.

Meekan said, We thought that it was possible that they could reach ages of as much as 100 years, but we werent really sure...

The researchers tested carbon-14 levels in long-dead whale sharks whose remains were stored in laboratories. The oldest one tested, stored in Pakistan, had lived 50 years.

Im John Russell.

Will Dunham reported on this story for Reuters. John Russell adapted it for Learning English. Hai Do was the editor.

_____________________________________________________________

Words in This Story

vertebrae  n. one of the small bones that are linked together to form the backbone

data -- n. facts or information used usually to calculate, analyze, or plan something

atmospheric -- adj. of or relating to the atmosphere of the Earth or another planet

elevated -- adj. higher than normal

saturate  v. to fill (something) completely with something

species -- n. a group of animals or plants that are similar and can produce young animals or plants : a group of related animals or plants that is smaller than a genus

resilience  n. the ability to become strong, healthy, or successful again after something bad happens
Iran on Saturday announced 73 new deaths from the coronavirus, raising the official toll to 5,031 as the government allowed small businesses to reopen in Tehran as they already have in the provinces. It was the seventh day that the number of deaths in the previous 24 hours had fallen. It was also the fifth straight day that the number of new deaths had stayed in double figures, ministry spokesman Kianoush Jahanpour told a news conference. "This (73) is a very low number compared to recent days," he said, hoping the downward trend would continue. Jahanpour said the "small victory" against the coronavirus had been won despite "enmities" towards Iran. He claimed that US sanctions had prevented Iran from buying virus testing kits from South Korea, but gve no further details. "This is despite all their false claims that trade in medicines is not covered by the sanctions," he said. "The world will judge such actions." Jahanpour added that 1,374 new infections had been confirmed in the previous 24 hours, taking the total to 80,860. Of those admitted to hospital, 55,987 have recovered and been discharged, while 3,513 remain in critical condition. According to a parliamentary report, the published figures are based only on those hospitalised with "severe symptoms". The report said the real death toll was estimated to be as much as 80 percent higher and infections "eight to 10 times" higher. The health ministry has confirmed the numbers may be higher due to limited testing. Tehran city councillor Nahid Khodakarami told the Shargh newspaperon Wednesday that the daily death toll in the capital ranged between 70 and more than 100. But a member of the national coronavirus taskforce, Masoud Mardani, dismissed the claim, stressing that "not every respiratory disease is coronavirus." Iran has struggled to contain the outbreak and keep Iran's 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. The government allowed small businesses in Tehran to reopen on Saturday, following a similar move in the provinces last week. There was a "significant" rise in the volume of traffic on the capital's streets on Saturday morning as many returned to work, Tehran's traffic police said.
Getty

Donald Trump capped another wild week of the coronavirus outbreak by again criticising some of the countrys governors and declaring the United States the king of ventilators and his public health team discounted governors claims on testing shortages  even as the coronavirus death toll topped 36,000 with 692,000 confirmed cases.

The president, oddly, did not directly answer questions about criticisms from some Democratic governors. Some have claimed his rooting on conservative protesters who have called for their governors to open their states amounts to him inciting domestic instability. But Mr Trump said the protesters, many clad in pro-Trump gear, look like pretty responsible people, to me.

Leading Democrats continue to claim the president and his administration oversaw a slow federal response and have done little to fill what they call an ongoing testing kit shortage. But that did not stop the president from declaring that the United States has tested more people per capita than other developed countries.

And Anthony Fauci, his leading infectious disease expert, sided with Mr Trump, despite being hailed as a truth-telling saviour by some Democrats. The thing that were hearing is testing is everything, he said, and it isnt.

Minutes later, vice president Mike Pence declared this: Our best scientists and health experts assess that states today have enough tests to implement the criteria of phase one if they choose to do so.

But Democratic governors, like New Yorks Andrew Cuomo, also have panned Mr Trump and the federal government for providing too few ventilators needed to treat Covid-19 patients for the respiratory disease, which victims report can feel as if it is suffocating them.

As he typically does, Mr Trump made a series of bold claims during his opening remarks, including saying the federal government now expects around 60,000, maybe 65,000 deaths inside the United States from the virus. Friday evenings briefing, which Mr Trump himself rescheduled form 5 pm to 6 pm local time, capped another wild week in Washington as the nationwide death toll topped 36,000, with over 692,000 confirmed coronavirus cases.

Story continues

That projection comes a few weeks after Mr Trump, citing estimates done by coronavirus task force member Deborah Birx, said as many as 200,000 Americans could die from Covid-19. The president on Friday night again used that 140,000 projected death difference as evidence, according to him, of the great job he and his administration have done fighting the pandemic.

Mr Trump, for a third night in a row, appeared to have his re-election campaign on his mind. After backing down three nights earlier from a threat to withhold federal funds unless state chiefs executive complied with a reopening order he said only he could give  before also walking away from that  he announced federal financial assistance for one of his key voting blocs: $19bn for US farmers.

Our farmers, ranchers ... great Americans. Never complain, he said. They never complain. They just do what they have to do.

Mr Trump began the week with a contentious Monday evening press conference during which he declared that he  and he alone  had the legal authority to give an order reopening individual states or the entire country.

In a remark that echoed former President Richard Nixons claim that if the president does it, its not illegal, Mr Trump angrily told reporters that, in his view, when somebody is the president of the United States, the authority is total.

That claim is false, as clearly stated in the constitution. About 24 hours later, the president climbed down from that claim by announcing during his Tuesday night press conference that state chiefs executive would decide when and how to open their state schools and businesses.

Youre going to call your own shots, Mr. Trump told governors on an afternoon teleconference. 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.

New plan, old plan

That prompted Hawaii senator Brian Schatz, a Democrat, to tell CNN that the White Houses new plan sounds like the old plan, which is to declare victory and engage in magical thinking to try to survive another 24-hour news cycle.

Political analysts said Mr Trumps latest policy reversal was mostly about his own re-election campaign, putting state leaders in a position to catch his blame if the American economy continues sputtering until election day.

The notion that Trump has an angle, a play, is always a good assumption to start with, said Marc Hetherington, a political science professor at the University of North Carolina.

Although such an approach fits perfectly to Trumps personal DNA, he is missing an incredible opportunity, Mr Hetherington said. If he were a normal president, he would try to rally the country, arguing we are all in this together. Governors who have followed this playbook have seen their approval ratings rise 20 points or more - even with thousands of people from their jurisdictions dying.

Trump, in contrast, continues to divide us on a daily basis, he added. In return, he got a paltry 5-point bounce, and it is already gone. In the end, presidents tend to get blamed for bad outcomes.

Political risks



Mr Trump's plan to put governors in charge of reopening their territories presents clear "political risks" for them, says one GOP insider.

The governors and their health secretaries will still be dependent on the data - like testing results, infection trends, hospitalisations and deaths - that I assume will still be provided mainly by the feds, the Republican insider, granted anonymity to be candid. I assume the states will differ in how they interpret the data, [so] there is a political risk.

But other sources noted that cuts both ways. Meaning it could backfire on Mr Trump if states interpret the data incorrectly or use parts of it to open too soon, leading to a new spread of Covid-19 in those states, including ones governed by GOP state executives.

As the president moved into re-election mode, the campaign for former vice president Joe Biden, the presumptive Democratic presidential nominee, criticised Mr Trump for what it sees as a lack of a federal testing program.

Mr Trump is pushing the country to reopen quickly even as the number of coronavirus tests completed plateaus at a pace far below what is needed, the Biden campaign said in a statement. Trumps initial failure to quickly develop and roll out an effective and reliable test resulted in a lost month and left America blind as the virus spread rapidly within the United States.

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President Donald Trump and his aides arent just weighing coronavirus infection rates as they push for a quick economic restart. They think its good politics, too.

Trump aides and allies say they are growing confident that an earlier restart amid the coronavirus pandemic could help the president in his reelection campaign, according to six people close to the White House or Trump campaign.

They point to emerging signs around the country. Trump-supported activists are protesting strict stay-at-home orders. Conservative groups internal polling in red-leaning and swing states show a significant uptick in Americans who favor reopening the country. A growing chorus of Republican lawmakers across the nation are on board.

If you don't see something start to happen  youre going to see a conservative revolt by our base, said Adam Brandon, president of FreedomWorks, a conservative group which recently polled on reopening the economy. The worst strategy for him is to keep things shut until August. Trump is basically going to win or lose his election right now, in the next month.

A swift economic restart, however, could backfire politically for Trump if it causes a flare up. Public health experts caution that the country currently lacks the robust testing capacity needed to relax social-distancing guidelines, and cases in many states have yet to peak.

But Trump allies are seizing on positive signs in numerous coronavirus hot spots, including a decrease in death rates in New York and indications that early social distancing flattened the spike of cases in California. And theyre telling the president to kickstart the economy  now.

The facts on the ground increasingly suggest a marked turn toward lower health risks, even in New York, according to a Republican who talks to Trump. I strongly urged the president personally to expedite the badly needed reopening of our country.

Hanging over the health data, however, is the politics of the situation. And many of Trumps political allies and outside advisers believe they have the public increasingly on their side.

Story continues

Conservative groups have noticed a change in polling in recent weeks when they ask respondents if they want to go back to work, even if they know the outbreak could continue to cause infections or deaths, and if they would be willing to wear protective gear, such as masks and gloves, in order to reopen the country. Some polls saw upticks as large as 20 percentage points of people willing to return to work, even with the caveats, according to said Brandon and others familiar with the polls. The FreedomWorks polling was conducted in suburban House districts in battleground states, including Florida, Pennsylvania, Wisconsin and Michigan.

The issue also has become partisan. Those identifying as conservative largely side with Trumps economic advisers worried about the ongoing harm to the countrys finances and favor a quicker economic restart, while those identifying as liberal largely side with public health officials and urge longer timelines.

Trump, himself, feels pretty good about the polling in his direction, said a Republican familiar with the White Houses deliberations. Its a winner for Trump if it becomes a partisan issue.

The hot spots for coronavirus so far have largely been blue states on the East and West Coasts, but public health officials say it is now spreading to swing states, including Florida and Michigan, and red states, including Indiana, Georgia and Louisiana. The virus is also predicted to hit blue-leaning states like Illinois, Colorado, Rhode Island and Massachusetts, as well as Washington, D.C.

After talking for weeks about reopening the country, first by mid-April and then by May 1, Trump released guidelines Thursday designed to gradually ease social distancing in three phases after regions meet certain criteria, including a downward trajectory of cases and an aggressive testing program.

We're opening up our country, Trump announced Thursday at a news conference. And we have to do that. America wants to be open, and Americans want to be open.

Texas Gov. Greg Abbott speaks about the state's response to COVID-19 during a news conference on Monday, April 13, 2020, in Austin, Texas. (Nick Wagner/Austin American-Statesman via AP)

The next day, Republican Texas Gov. Greg Abbott, whose approach Trump has praised, announced new deadlines to relax some restrictions on parks and retailers.

Its a high-wire act for the president. If the economy begins to recover with minimal additional infections, the president will take credit. But if infections spread or a second shut down is needed, he could be blamed. As a result, at least one person who speaks to Trump has urged him to not consider politics when it comes to lifting economic restrictions.

The Trump campaign declined to comment. The White House didnt respond to a request for comment.

Less than seven months before the November election, Trumps campaign has been completely transformed by the pandemic.

In a matter of weeks, Trump lost his central pitch for reelection  a strong economy and record stock market. And Democrats began hammering his handling of the coronavirus, including a failure to publicly acknowledge the seriousness of the outbreak and quickly distribute tests and medical supplies to states.

Were going to hold him accountable, said former Virginia Gov. Terry McAuliffe, who is advising likely Democratic nominee Joe Bidens campaign. He failed in the time of need for our country.

Thus far, the coronavirus has taken more than than 30,000 lives in the U.S., with more than 675,000 reported infections. While initial hot spots appear to have peaked, other locations are still weeks away from their own infection high points.

The Trump campaign, the Republican National Committee and conservative groups are defending the presidents handling of the pandemic through rapid-response emails to reporters, text messages to supporters and social media messages .

President Trump continues to lead our nation through these trying times and voters know that it is his leadership that will once again restore our country and economy to greatness once this crisis passes, said RNC national press secretary Mandi Merritt.

Trump received a small bump in his approval ratings after the coronavirus first hit but more recently multiple polls have shown more Americans say he isn't doing enough to combat the outbreak.

But Republicans are counting on Trumps handling of the coronavirus to be less important in November than how he restored the economy and helped the record 22 million Americans who have filed for unemployment in recent weeks.

Trumps electoral future is on the line, so hes obviously focused on that challenge, said Dan Eberhart, a major Republican donor and CEO of the drilling services company Canary, LLC who is in touch with the White House.

The Trump campaign and the RNC, which have shifted all campaign events online, held their first series of calls with donors since the outbreak to provide campaign updates from people, including Trumps son, Donald Trump Jr. and RNC Chairwoman Ronna McDaniel, according to two people familiar with the calls.

And in a recent call with surrogates, campaign communications director Tim Murtaugh explained that the president is on two tracks  protecting the health of Americans and safeguarding the economy, according to a person on the call. Trump campaign officials also referenced internal polling on Trumps job approval on coronavirus on the call.

The president knows America is not meant to be shut down for months at a time and go dormant for three, four, six, nine months, Murtaugh said on call. Thats why he wants to get this country moving again and moving quickly as possible but only when and where it is safe.

Across the nation, demonstrators have held protests in at least six states  Ohio, North Carolina, Kentucky, Utah, Virginia and Michigan  to object to state stay-at-home orders and school and business closures. More are expected.

Virginia cant go on like this, Senate Republican leaders wrote to Virginia Gov. Ralph Northam, a Democrat, on Wednesday. For the sake of our states economy and the quality of life of all Virginians, we need to prepare for a safely Reopened Virginia as soon as possible.

Trump said Thursday that the protesters share an affinity for him. I think they listen to me, he said. They seem to be protesters that like me. The next day in a series of tweets , he issued an online call to LIBERATE Minnesota, Michigan and Virginia  all states with Democratic governors.

"I don't think anyone should play games with that and we can't afford to play politics here, Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer, a Democrat who instituted strictest stay-at-home policies in the nation, said in an interview earlier this week. "We have to remember that the enemy is not one another, the enemy is the virus."

But conservative groups say polling shows Trump has public support for such moves.

Numbers that Im seeing show theres a steady movement toward the idea that the pandemic is slowly coming under control and its time to begin accelerating efforts to reopen the economy in a responsible way, said Tim Phillips, president of Americans for Prosperity, the flagship nonprofit of Charles Kochs political network.

David McIntosh, president of Club for Growth, a national network of 250,000 pro-growth, limited government Americans, found that likely voters, by a 2-to-1 margin, want Trump to slash regulations for businesses to boost the economy after it is restarted.

The president, McIntosh said, should show voters that he will lift the burden on employers so they can hire people and they can quickly get back to work.

Former House Speaker Newt Gingrich, a Trump ally, said the presidents reelection is now solely about continuing to combat the virus and opening the country successfully.

If those things happen, he'll win reelection, Gingrich said. The only candidate he has to run against is Donald Trump.

Gabby Orr contributed to this report.
By Trend

Azerbaijani-Georgian border will remain closed until May 4.

The corresponding order was signed by Azerbaijans Prime Minister Ali Asadov, Trend reports.

In accordance with Article 25 of the Law of the Republic of Azerbaijan On Sanitary and Epidemiological Well-Being, the special quarantine regime applied in the country was extended until 00:00, May 4, 2020. In this regard, the decision to temporarily close the state border between the Republic of Azerbaijan and Georgia was extended until 00:00, May 4, 2020.

---

Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz
This occurred when NAF Agusta 109E (M) helicopter, which was providing close air support to troops of the Land Component operating West of Gusau in Zamfara State, was redirected to Kurechi and Qurzan Maikuka following reports of an armed bandits attack on civilians at the two communities, he said.
Medical technology is big business. Annual sales topped 350 billion even before the coronavirus pandemic, and Ireland is one of the foremost players in the field.

Activity is concentrated around Limerick, Galway and Athlone, which between them form the biggest medical technology hub in Europe.

Some firms are homegrown. Many more are multi-nationals, choosing Ireland as their European hub because the workforce is highly educated, the government is welcoming and taxation is low. These companies need decent, well-located places to work and Yew Grove, a Dublin and AIM-listed business, provides them.

Growing market: Jonathan Laredo, above right, has expanded Yew Grove, buying property in key Irish locations

The shares are denominated in euros, priced at 88 cents (77p) and should increase in value over the next few years. Importantly, too, Yew Grove pays quarterly dividends and last week directors approved a 1.2 cent payment for the three months to March.

Equivalent to 1.05p for UK investors, the dividend will be paid on May 6 to all shareholders on the register by April 24. Rising payments are likely during the year, with brokers expecting a total 2020 payout of at least 5.5 cents (4.8p), putting the stock on a yield of more than 6 per cent.

Yew Grove was founded in 2014 when chief executive Jonathan Laredo spotted a gap in the Irish market.

A former banker with 27 years of investment experience, he saw that professional property firms in Ireland focused almost exclusively on Dublin, even though half the multinationals in the country are located outside the capital.

With a group of like-minded individuals, Laredo started to buy commercial property in key locations around Ireland, creating a portfolio of assets before floating on the stock market in 2018. Today, Yew Grove owns 27 properties, with a combined value of over 100 million.

From the start, Laredo and his team were determined to focus on high-quality tenants who were likely to stick around and could be relied upon to pay their rent. The group has stayed true to that initial plan. Just over a quarter of Yew's tenants are government bodies, such as the Electricity Supply Board.

Most of the rest are major corporations, focused around medical technology, pharmaceuticals and healthcare more broadly. And small businesses make up less than 5 per cent of the rent roll.

This spread of tenants gives Yew Grove an edge in the current crisis. In the three months to March 31, every tenant paid their rent on time and in full and in the quarter to June, the group expects to collect more than 95 per cent of the rent on time, with a similar percentage forecast for the rest of the year.

Looking ahead, Laredo is ambitious. Initially, he hoped to more than double Yew's portfolio by the end of next year. That timetable will almost certainly be delayed, as Covid-19 has stopped property markets in their tracks, but the direction of travel remains the same.

There may even be some bargains on offer, once the virus has abated and, as the business grows, profits will rise and dividends increase.

MIDAS VERDICT: Yew Grove was founded primarily to provide investors with steady income, in the form of generous dividends. In today's markets, that focus is more attractive than ever. At 88 cents, the shares make for a solid, long-term investment.

Traded on: AIM Ticker: YEW Contact: ygreit.com or 00 353 1 485 3950
It is day 20 of the lockdown, and the 5th consecutive Sunday that I have not joined others to fellowship at church.



I am certain that this fellowship is missed by many Christians among us and across the denominations of faith; and by our Muslim brethren who have similarly had to forego the observance of their obligatory Friday congregational prayer.



Like all of you, I remain confident in the assurance that God is in control of the affairs of this nation and will heal our land of this dreadful plague.



The lockdown is wearing out everyone, but this is a necessary pain we must bear to reinforce the great national effort against this virus. But we must not lose sight of the fact that some of our brothers and sisters are suffering its effects more acutely. I am talking about the poor, the vulnerable and the disabled.



We must each do more to support those who need it most in all the ways we can. I count myself fortunate in this respect for being able to share my widow's mite with some vulnerable households in our society. I hope to be able to continue to do so in the coming days and weeks.



Recent developments have made it clear, the extent of the spread of the virus. The last report put the number of confirmed cases at 834. Many health experts continue to suggest the necessity and appropriateness of an extension of the restrictions on movement.



Some are even advocating an expansion of the lockdown to other areas of the country, because the threat and consequence of horizontal transmission is becoming clearer by the day. It is my hope that any decision the President makes would be guided by science and what is in the national interest.



If this should be the case, I would urge government to be relentless in its efforts to scale up and improve the support to households to confront the attendant humanitarian crisis.



As I noted a few days ago, there is dissatisfaction with the quality and mode of distribution of the relief (food) packages. In some cases there have been reports of distributions along partisan lines.



The time has come for government to operationalize a partnership between our local assemblies, traditional authorities and community-based organisations to assist with the distribution process, in their various localities, in order to ensure transparency, trust and fairness.



These organisations have the insights needed to understand how we can achieve equity and fairness in distributing the desperately needed food and supplies.



This is a time to be innovative. We should also explore the use of the acquired competencies of some parastatals in utility bill distribution to help deliver food stuff directly to households with the support of security personnel.



I personally experimented the concept of handing over food items directly to households in two communities, and the process was smooth, well received and the items went directly to all who needed them.



It is clear also that the bulk of our people do not understand the concept of social distancing and have also begun a stigmatisation of the infection.



It will be useful to use our traditional and religious leaders in a massive educational campaign in all the major languages on the mode of transmission and nature of COVID-19.



A final thought. I received a suggestion on Facebook last week about reaching out directly to the President with the suggestions I have made in this series of posts.



Indeed, many of the recommendations I have made were drawn from the work of my COVID-19 Technical Advisory Team, which has already submitted these proposals to government in the form of two Policy Papers. The most recent one was delivered on Friday.



I encourage all to keep practicing the preventive measures such as handwashing with soap under running water, and to continue social distancing by staying at home.



These are not normal times and we must continue to stick together and united as one nation, one people with one destiny.



John Dramani Mahama

Cantonments- Accra

Sunday April 19, 2020

Source: johnmahama.org









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Featured Video
Jimmy Lai and several riot leaders arrested, released on bail later

Global Times

By Wan Lin Source:Global Times Published: 2020/4/18 23:24:55

15 Hong Kong riot leaders including Apple Daily founder Jimmy Lai Chee-ying and Hong Kong barrister Martin Lee Chu-ming were detained by police on Saturday for alleged organizing and participating in illegal assembly and were later released on bail, Hong Kong media reported.

The arrested individuals, aged between 24 and 81, were suspected of violating Hong Kong's Public Order Ordinance by organizing and taking part in unauthorized assemblies on August 18, October 1 and October 20, 2019, police said at a media briefing on Saturday afternoon.

Lai, owner of anti-establishment tabloid Apple Daily, was detained at roughly 3 pm on Saturday at his residence in Ho Man Tin. He was then released on bail at about 8:30 pm, accompanied by a lawyer, local media reported.

Other detained anti-establishment figures include Martin Lee and ex-legislators Lee Cheuk-yan and Yeung Sum, according to media reports.

Experts noted bail is part of the practice of Hong Kong's judicial system, and will not affect subsequent prosecutions.

"If the arrested demonstrate they will cooperate with the prosecution process, they can be released on bail," Tian Feilong, an associate professor at Beihang University in Beijing and a member of the Beijing-based Chinese Association of Hong Kong and Macao Studies, told the Global Times on Saturday.

The arrested are scheduled to appear before a court on May 18.

Tian noted they may not receive harsh sentences based on their current charges, which are considered misdemeanors under Hong Kong's criminal code, but judges might impose deterrent punishments as their actions are increasingly damaging to the rule of law and social order in Hong Kong.

Observers also pointed out that the arrest and prosecution of the riot leaders helps to clarify the legal boundaries of political participation rights in the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) and have sent a clear message to activists participating in the riots, that freedom of political participation can only be exercised within the scope of the law and that whomever crosses the legal boundaries will face legal proceedings.

The months-long violent protests in Hong Kong severely hurt social stability and hindered economic development in the region, for which these riot leaders and behind-the-scenes puppet masters should be held mainly responsible, Li Xiaobing, an expert on Hong Kong, Macao and Taiwan studies at Nankai University in Tianjin, told the Global Times on Saturday.

However, analysts noted that the impact of the arrests could be diverse and complicated.

Tian warned that the HKSAR government should be wary of a possible rebound from the extreme anti-establishment forces, which might lead to another wave of violent or extreme activities.

"The supporters and followers of these pan-democratic figures might play up the detention and heroize the individuals, breeding anti-government sentiment in the public and triggering further conflicts in the region," he said.

Tian suggested the HKSAR government should prepare for a more complex social movement in the future, upgrade legal responses and strengthen the education and mobilization of Hong Kong citizens to safeguard the social stability of the city.

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The Central government on Saturday made its prior approval mandatory for foreign investments from countries that share a land border with India to curb "opportunistic takeovers" of domestic firms following the COVID-19 pandemic, a move which will restrict FDI from China. Countries that share land borders with India are China, Bangladesh, Pakistan, Bhutan, Nepal, Myanmar, and Afghanistan.

Policy amended for curbing "opportunistic takeovers"

According to a press note issued by the Department for promotion of Industry and Internal Trade (DPIIT), "An entity of a country, which shares a land border with India or where the beneficial owner of investment into India is situated in or is a citizen of any such country, can invest only under the government route."

It said that the government has amended the FDI (foreign direct investment) policy to curb "opportunistic takeovers/acquisitions" of Indian companies on account of COVID-19 pandemic.

Here is the official statement released by DPIIT:

READ | 'India has enough stock of medicines, fertilizers, PPE': Union Min Gowda assures citizens

READ | 'COVID-19 cases have no impact on our operational capabilities': Deputy Chief of Navy

With 957 new cases of COVID-19 in the last 24 hours and 36 deaths, India's total count of Coronavirus cases has surged to 14,792, said the Union Ministry of Health and Family Welfare on Saturday. The total cases are inclusive of 2,014 cured and discharged patients, one migrated and 488 deaths. At present, there are 12,289 active COVID-19 cases in the country.

READ | Imran Khan says mid-May Pakistan will see more COVID-19 cases; cites 'biggest problem'

READ | US praises India's 'generous' efforts to help friends & partners in fight against COVID

(With inputs from Agencies)
Bindi Irwin and Chandler Powell haven't had the best start to married life.

As their Crikey! It's the Irwins TV wedding special finally premiered on Saturday night, the newlyweds have endured a backlash from fans in Australia.

Despite the ceremony happening at Australia Zoo on March 25, the episode aired exclusively in America, and won't be available Down Under until July 18.

'So weird': Bindi Irwin and Chandler Powell suffered a backlash from fans in Australia after their Crikey! It's the Irwins TV wedding special aired exclusively in America on Saturday

In another bizarre twist, the episode will already have aired in every other country by July 18, making Australians the last people in the world able to watch it.

It will air in the UK on May 3, Papua New Guinea, Cambodia, Hong Kong and other countries on May 18, Taiwan on May 23 and South Korea on July 3.

Only then will it broadcast on Animal Planet on Australia in mid-July.

'Aren't they Australian?' Despite the intimate ceremony happening at Australia Zoo on the Sunshine Coast on March 25, the episode will not air Down Under until July 18

Bottom of the list: In another bizarre twist, the episode will already have aired in every other country by then, making Australians the last people in the world able to watch it

'I'm so confused why Aussies have to wait the longest when you got married 40mins down the road from me? #rippedoff,' one Queenslander tweeted on Sunday.

'Omg it was in Australia and Australians don't even get to see it until July like if you're mad,' another person tweeted at Chandler as he revealed the airdates.

'I find it weird how the wedding took place in Australia and they're the LAST ones to see it,' mused a third fan of the famous family.

Many other people questioned why Australia is 'so late' and 'so behind'.

'Ripped off': Many Australians voiced their frustration on Twitter on Sunday morning

'Programming is out of our control': Chandler later responded to the backlash while thanking Americans for tuning in

Chandler later responded to the backlash while thanking Americans for tuning in.

He tweeted: 'Programming is out of our control as Animal Planet decides when to air the show. We will keep you posted as we find out more air dates!'

Terri Irwin also stepped in, as no airdate was announced for New Zealand.

'We have specifically asked @AnimalPlanet about the scheduled premiere of Bindi and Chandler's wedding special in New Zealand,' Terri began.

'We love our Wildlife Warriors neighbours! I'm sure they are doing their best to get the show to you as soon as possible. Stay healthy and happy!'

Bindi and Chandler got married at Australia Zoo on March 25. They had to change their plans at the last minute amid the COVID-19 pandemic.

'We love our Wildlife Warriors neighbours': Terri Irwin also stepped in, as no date airdate was announced for New Zealand
When the coronavirus outbreak hit one of the largest and most troubled nursing homes in the Northeast, coughing and feverish residents were segregated into a wing known as South 2. The sick quickly filled the beds there, so another wing, West 3, was also turned into a quarantine ward.

But the virus kept finding frail and older residents, and one culprit became clear: The workers themselves were likely spreading it as they moved between rooms and floors, outfitted with little or no protective equipment.

The nursing home, Andover Subacute and Rehabilitation Center II in Andover, N.J., which has 543 beds, was chronically short of staff and masks, and over the last two years it had received poor grades from federal and state inspectors. Residents were crowded three to a room, and as the outbreak worsened, so did sanitary conditions. Spilled food littered the floors.

Workers said they hurriedly made their rounds, dispensing medicine, changing bedsheets, feeding those who could not feed themselves and doing other tasks that brought them into close contact with residents.
BEIRUT -As more than half the people in the world hunker down under some form of enforced confinement, stirrings of political and social unrest are pointing to a new, potentially turbulent phase in the global effort to stem the coronavirus pandemic.

Already, protests spurred by the collapse of economic activity have erupted in scattered locations around the world. Tens of thousands of migrant laborers stranded without work or a way home staged demonstrations last week in the Indian city of Mumbai, crowding together in defiance of social distancing rules.

In locked-down Lebanon, which was confronting financial collapse even before the novel coronavirus paralyzed the economy, angry people have swarmed onto the streets in Beirut and the northern city of Tripoli on at least three occasions. In Iraq, where a six-month-old protest movement demanding political change fizzled in the face of the country's coronavirus curfew, there have been spontaneous but brief outbursts of rage in the city of Nasiriyah and the impoverished Baghdad neighborhood of Sadr City.

For now, fears of infection are keeping most people indoors. Strict controls imposed by governments and security forces deter the kind of organized protests that were sweeping the world from Hong Kong to Chile before the pandemic struck. The health crisis has come as a boon for some authoritarian leaders, empowering them to introduce the kind of controls on their citizens they could only have dreamed of before the spread of covid-19, the disease the novel coronavirus causes.

In Kenya as of Saturday, as many people had died in police crackdowns on citizens defying curfew as from covid-19, according to human rights groups and government statistics.

But the restrictions aimed at halting the coronavirus are also causing new poverty, new misery and new rumblings of discontent among the world's working poor, for whom hunger can appear to be a more immediate threat than being infected.

"I'd rather die of the virus than die of hunger, or see my son or my wife go hungry, but I can't provide them with food," said Hussein Fakher, 20, who used to earn a little less than $20 a day driving a tuk-tuk in a now-shuttered market in Baghdad. He got into a fight with police who tried to fine him for violating Iraq's curfew when he went out to seek work. "What should I do?" he asked. "Beg? Steal?"

The United Nations and the International Monetary Fund are among those that have warned in recent days that the pandemic could unleash what U.N. Secretary General Antonio Guterres called "a significant threat to the maintenance of international peace and security."

With the IMF forecasting the worst global recession in nearly a century, there is a risk of "an increase in social unrest and violence that would greatly undermine our ability to fight the disease," Guterres said.

Wealthier countries where workers are losing jobs by the millions are not immune. Conservative groups in the United States are organizing protests against lockdowns in several states, including Michigan, Minnesota and Virginia. In Germany, courts have ruled in favor of groups seeking to stage demonstrations in several towns and cities against coronavirus restrictions.

In Italy's relatively impoverished south, the lifting of restrictions earlier this month led to a crime wave that obliged police to guard supermarkets targeted for robberies by hungry citizens.

But it is the world's poorer nations, which can't afford subsidies for those who lose jobs, that are most vulnerable to heightened unrest, said Catia Batista, professor of economics at Lisbon's Nova University. More than 2 billion people worldwide depend on daywork to survive, according to the International Labor Organization, and for many of them, not working often means not eating.

A recent study by a U.N. think tank, the World Institute for Development Economics Research, warned that 500,000 people could slide into poverty as a result of the pandemic's restrictions, reversing three decades of progress in the war against poverty.

"If people don't work, they don't get paid, and there is a risk of hunger," said Batista. "The natural response is unrest."

The emerging economies of Africa will also be badly hit, she said. Relatively few coronavirus cases have been reported there so far, largely due to the lack of testing, but many Africans will be questioning why they are unable to work when there appears to be no immediate threat to their lives.

The Middle East, already ravaged by war, could be a key flash point, analysts say. The Arab Spring revolts of nearly a decade ago are still playing out in the ongoing conflicts in Syria, Yemen and Libya. A second wave of protests in Iraq, Lebanon and Algeria over the past year was tamped down by the restrictions aimed at halting the pandemic, but that quiet may not last.

Hardship has already triggered several individual acts of desperation. A video circulating on social media in Lebanon showed a man setting fire to his taxi after police ticketed him for breaking the lockdown. Another showed the flaming figure of a Syrian refugee running in a field, after he set himself on fire because he was unable to feed his family.

A man died after also setting himself on fire in Tunisia, where the spark of the Arab Spring was lit nearly a decade ago by the self-immolation of a fruit seller told by a policewoman that he was not allowed to sell on the streets.

The next round of unrest in the Arab world could be uglier and more violent than the organized protest movements that have sought political change, said Fawaz Gerges, professor of international relations at the London School of Economics.

"I fear social explosions," he said. "This will not be about democracy. This will be about abject poverty. This is where the danger lies. This will be about starvation."

Much will depend on how long the coronavirus pandemic lasts, said Ali Fathollah-Nejad of the Brookings Institution in Doha, Qatar, who studies Iran. There, anti-government protests that erupted last fall have subsided in the face of the worst outbreak of the coronavirus in the Middle East. A report by Iran's parliament publicized last week suggested Iran could have 10 times more than the official number of reported coronavirus cases, currently put at 79,494, and twice as many deaths as the 4,958 officially reported.

The dangers are deterring people from going onto the streets, and the authorities can point to the health risk posed by large gatherings to discourage people from participating. "But the root causes of the protests - the economy, poverty and corruption - are not going away," he said.

A second or third wave of coronavirus infections could rattle even authoritarian states such as China, whose ruling Communist Party has maintained a tight grip on its citizens for the past three decades by delivering soaring prosperity in return for political loyalty.

The announcement by the Chinese authorities on Friday that the Chinese economy had shrunk by 6.8% in the first quarter of 2020, marking the country's first recession since capitalist-style reforms unleashed explosive growth in the 1990s, was a reminder that the social contract could be at risk, said Yasheng Huang, a professor with the Sloan School of Management at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.

Dozens of people in the city of Wuhan, where the coronavirus first emerged late last year, took to the streets after lockdown restrictions were lifted earlier this month to demand rent forgiveness. Violent clashes erupted between police and protesters on the border between the provinces of Hubei and Jiangxi after lockdown restrictions were lifted in Hubei and police in the neighboring province refused to allow Hubei residents to enter.

Trust in the government is key for maintaining the loyalty of citizens who are forced to endure severe setbacks to their livelihoods for the sake of quelling the spread of infections for the populace at large, Huang said. That trust was eroded by clear evidence that the government sought to hide the initial severity of the coronavirus's spread, perhaps prolonging and deepening the economic costs to the country as a whole.

The struggle of the United States in managing its coronavirus outbreak, however, has tempered much of the frustration Chinese were feeling with their own government, he said. "The fact that the United States is failing at such a colossal level is actually helping the Chinese narrative, that they have the best system in the world to deal with this," Huang said.
By Easton Sanders Apr. 19, 2020 | 02:38 PM | MARSHALL COUNTY





After Marshall County Judge Executive Kevin Neal announced that the Civil War flags would be removed from the old courthouse grounds, officials say many Marshall County residents have suggested that the flags be flown at the plaza instead.





Lamb has proposed that the flags be flown during April annually. April holds significance in Civil War history, with the war beginning on April 12, 1862, and ending on April 9, 1865.







He said, "Our community doesn't need to be divided. It was never our intent to divide the community. We wanted to find a compromise and a solution that works for everybody."





Lamb said no official decisions will be made regarding the flags until policies and procedures are implemented by the Marshall County Fiscal Court.





"I appreciate everybody on both sides for giving me their feedback," Lamb said. "Good government is about finding common ground and making decisions that effect everybody in a positive way."

Marshall County Commissioner Justin Lamb is proposing that Civil War flags be flown at the Veteran's Memorial Plaza in Mike Miller Park during the month of April.

On the Net:
Next month, human spaceflight will return to US soil after nearly a decade.

NASA announced Friday that SpaceX will launch astronauts Doug Hurley and Bob Behnken on a mission to the International Space Station on Wednesday, May 27 at 4:32 p.m. ET. Liftoff will be from Florida's Kennedy Space Center  marking the first time a rocket will carry astronauts into orbit from the United States since NASA's Space Shuttle program retired in 2011.

It will also be the first crewed mission for SpaceX since its founding 18 years ago.

Because of Covid-19, however, there will be no crowds of spectators lining the beaches and viewing sites along Florida's Space Coast to watch the craft hurtle toward the ISS, as they have for the launch of nearly every crewed US mission since Alan Shepard became the first American to reach space in 1961.

Only a limited number of reporters will be allowed on site, and NASA said it will not hostany members of the public.
Sophie, Countess of Wessex has been helping to prepare food and care parcels for NHS workers amid the coronavirus pandemic.

On Friday, the countess  who is married to the Queens youngest son Prince Edward  joined other volunteers to help put together care packages for healthcare workers at her local hospital, Frimley Park, in Surrey.

Photographs of Sophie carrying out her volunteering service were shared on the royal familys official Instagram account.

In one picture, the countess is putting supplies together in a plastic bag while wearing blue latex gloves.

In another image, the royal is handing a prepared bag to a healthcare worker at the hospital.

In the Instagram post, the royal family paid tribute to all volunteers across the nation who have been supporting the NHS and vulnerable individuals.

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, it said.

The caption said the countess joined volunteers from the UK Army Cadet Force, Army Medical Services and the Frimley Health NHS foundation to package food and care parcels 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, it said.

A couple of days ago, the countess aided hospitality company Rhubarb to make food in the kitchen for hospital workers in the NHS.

Sophie was photographed preparing large quantities of spaghetti while wearing a mask as part of her culinary uniform.

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, the company wrote on Instagram.

Prince Charles opens NHS Nightingale Show all 12 1 /12 Prince Charles opens NHS Nightingale Prince Charles opens NHS Nightingale NHS staff gather ahead of the opening of the new Nightingale hospital at the ExCel centre in London. PA Prince Charles opens NHS Nightingale Health secretary Matt Hancock stand on socially-distanced marks for the official opening. PA Prince Charles opens NHS Nightingale 'A message of hope' Prince Charles opens NHS Nightingale Hospital by video link Reuters TV Prince Charles opens NHS Nightingale Natalie Grey, head of nursing at NHS Nightingale, unveils the plaque on behalf of the Prince of Wales PA Prince Charles opens NHS Nightingale Matt Hancock blows his nose during the opening ceremony AFP via Getty Images Prince Charles opens NHS Nightingale Staff put up signs before the arrival of the first patients REUTERS Prince Charles opens NHS Nightingale Medical equipment ready for use at the new hospital. AP Prince Charles opens NHS Nightingale Military personnel helped to set up the 4,000 bed temporary hospital AP Prince Charles opens NHS Nightingale Seven days ago Work began on turning the ExCel centre into a hospital last week - it took just nine days to complete Andalou/AFP/Getty Prince Charles opens NHS Nightingale Room for 4,000 beds The work continued throughout last week UK Ministry of Defence 2020 Prince Charles opens NHS Nightingale Beds and equipment are installed on 31 March AP Prince Charles opens NHS Nightingale Ambulances and tents outside the new hospital AP

Princess Sofia of Sweden is currently working in one of the countrys hospitals as a healthcare assistant.

The royal 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.
Taoiseach Leo Varadkar confirmed Ireland will make medical history by offering more than 1,000 intern positions this year to ensure every graduating doctor is offered a job within the healthcare system.

The vow came as Mr Varadkar delivered a special address to 197 young medical graduates at the first 'virtual' conferring in the 175-year history of University College Cork (UCC).

Most of the 197 graduates will deploy early to Irish hospitals to help in the pandemic battle - with their assignments being confirmed by May 6.

The Taoiseach also urged foreign-born doctors who studied in Ireland to consider remaining here for their intern year.

Mr Varadkar said Ireland owed an enormous debt of gratitude to healthcare workers engaged in the frontline of the battle against Covid-19.

"I know we're living in very strange times as a pandemic affects the world," he said.

"You are graduating early and you are doing so without being able to celebrate with your friends and your families as I know you'd like to.

"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."

He told them, in the meantime, they were needed to graduate early and to start work as interns because there is 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," he said.

"That pretty much means that everyone graduating this year will be offered an internship."

The speech by the Taoiseach, who is a qualified doctor, was delivered as the entire graduation ceremony was brought forward to allow the overwhelming majority of the 2020 class to begin work immediately in Irish hospitals.

Student doctors normally begin their internships in July but this was brought forward by three months at all university medical schools to provide Irish hospitals with vital extra medical resources.

While the majority of the class will now deploy to Irish hospitals, some will work at facilities in their native countries. Some 126 UCC medical graduates are Irish with the remaining 71 drawn from 10 different countries.

UCC president Professor Patrick O'Shea said it was a suitable occasion to recognise the courage of Ireland's frontline medical community.

Head of UCC's College of Medicine Professor Helen Whelton said the graduate doctors deserved tremendous credit.
New Delhi: The government should provide partial credit guarantee to banks as a shield from risk averseness arising out of lending to non-banking financial and microfinance companies, as liquidity is needed at a time when the economy is suffering a blow due to the global coronavirus outbreak, industry body CII said on Sunday.

Given the current crisis in the economy and the urgent need for liquidity to flow into non-banking financial companies (NBFCs) and microfinance institutions (MFIs), the Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) urged the government to provide partial backstop guarantees.

This will ensure banks to overcome their risk averseness and enable full fructification of the Reserve Bank of India's (RBI) timely intervention announced on Friday, it said in a release on Sunday.

The industry lobby hailed the second round of liquidity support for the financial sector, terming it "timely" and "far reaching".

It is targeted towards ensuring flow of credit towards the NBFCs that in turn lend to small and medium enterprises and the farm community.

To tackle the current crisis arisen from the COVID-19 outbreak and the consequent nationwide lockdown, the government and the RBI have announced many measures to ease the stress of businesses.

To instill the necessary confidence into the banking system to participate in the auction and lend to such entities, the CII recommended that the government should provide backstop facility in the form of the partial credit guarantee scheme with the amount of overall guarantee being limited to loss of up to 20-30 per cent of the amount being lent by the banks under the scheme.

There will be no immediate impact on the fiscal deficit, as this will be a contingent liability.

"This step will provide the necessary confidence and assurance to the banks and encourage them to participate in the auction and disburse much needed cash flows to the investment grade options of MFIs and NBFCs," said CII Director General Chandrajit Banerjee.

He said the measures announced by the RBI, particularly the targeted long-term repo operation 2.0 (TLTRO 2.0) which the central bank mandates an allocation of 50 per cent towards medium and small-sized NBFCs and MFIs, have come as big relief to them.

It is expected to provide access to the much-needed liquidity to these entities, Banerjee said.

The industry body said that under the prevailing scenario, the health of the industry and financial sector has taken a dip and the banks are becoming more and more risk averse.

Due to subdued risk appetite of banks, it is expected that the auctions under TLTRO 2.0 may see a lacklustre response from the banks, the CII said.

Also, taking cognisance from the results of the past auctions, it is likely that the intent of the RBI to infuse liquidity into the system through small- and medium-sized NBFCs and MFIs may not fructify.

"In this hour of need, NBFC and MFI sector has the ability to ensure smooth and continuous flow of credit, particularly to MSMEs (micro, small and medium enterprises), farm sector and retail sector and ensure that they are able to earn their livelihood, provide employment to lower income group, make timely payment of salary and wages and do not go through financial distress," it added.

The coronavirus pandemic has created an uncertainty which is hard to measure.

The impact of COVID-19 has been much worse than the financial crisis faced by the world including India in 2008. Along with the economic fallout, the current situation can be touted as the worst human catastrophe after the two world wars, the CII said.
I think we're all in agreement that living through the COVID-19 pandemic is a tumultuous ride. I've experienced more emotions in the past month that I would normally feel in an entire year . . . at least. I've felt true anxiety for the first time in my life. I've felt like I'm on the weirdest, sh*ttiest rollercoaster of all time, and I've felt even more untethered than I did when I packed up my entire life and moved from Sydney to London two years ago.

I can't speak for how anyone who's socially distancing in the same city as their family feels right now. I imagine you're all feeling the separation as deeply as I am. But I can speak with a fair amount of authority on what it's like to quarantine in a country that isn't your own, 17,000 kilometres from your family, and how it feels to watch the borders of your country close from afar.

I've watched friends pack up their lives and head back to Australia in under 24 hours after being laid off. I've seen other friends be furloughed and decide to wait it out, hoping it'll all work out and that their visas won't be terminated before they can return to work. If you, too, live overseas, then you've probably received similar messages from your family, like I have. Ranging from "come home" to "no seriously, don't you think it's time for you to come home?" I'd be lying if I said I haven't asked myself the same question more than once.

This year has been tough for Australians living overseas. First, we watched as our country burned in unprecedented bushfires that were like nothing we'd seen before (and let me tell you, us Australians are very well acquainted with fires). Then, the pandemic happened. The day after Justin Trudeau tore at our heart strings when he looked straight down the camera and told Canadians "it's time to come home," the Australian prime minister, Scott Morrison, made the same plea - admittedly with lot less charisma and emotion than Trudeau, but with the same urgency.

Story continues

I didn't go home . . . I watched from afar as the Australian borders closes, the flights dried up, and the lockdowns got tighter.

I didn't go home. My partner and I made the decision to sit tight in London and weather the storm on the opposite side of the world from our families. We have jobs here, an apartment, and at the time, I was also experiencing most of the COVID-19 symptoms, so I was in absolute lockdown inside my house. The idea of leaving my flat to go for a walk - let alone to travel back to the relative safety of Australia - was out of the question, regardless of what my family wanted and how strongly I felt the pull to run home to them.

So, I watched the borders close, the flights dry up, and the lockdowns get tighter. While living in London, I've always held onto the knowledge that if something terrible happened - if sh*t were to truly hit the fan - I could theoretically be with them in under 30 hours. Watching that option disappear - during a global health crisis, no less - was terrifying.

In the first week of lockdown, I kept telling my partner (from the deep, dark depths of my glass case of emotion) that I couldn't figure out what I was feeling, exactly. I knew that I felt unsafe, scared, uncomfortable in my skin, and so damn far from home. But I didn't realize that the overwhelming emotion I was feeling was (and is) grief until the Harvard Business Review (HBR) told me so. David Kessler, an expert on the topic, explained that we're feeling more than one type of grief because we realize that COVID-19 has changed the world as we know it, maybe forever. "The loss of normalcy; the fear of economic toll; the loss of connection. This is hitting us and we're grieving. Collectively," said Kessler.

So, how do we cope with the grief? Kessler said, "It's absurd to think we shouldn't feel grief right now. Let yourself feel the grief and keep going." I'm not an expert, but personally, in addition to feeling the feels, I'm searching for the glimmers of light shining through the madness, and that seems to be helping (even if only for a minute). I've laughed at countless dumb memes, and focused on the heartwarming stories circulating the internet. Like the WWII veteran from Yorkshire, Tom Moore, who's raised over 12 million for NHS charities by walking 100 laps around his back garden to celebrate his 100th birthday. I'm donating to Tom's cause, and staying grateful that I still have a job that allows me to do so.

I baked this.

But more than that, I'm trying to really take notice of all the little moments that make a huge difference to my mental health. Every Thursday night at 8 p.m., I hang out my window to clap for all of the essential workers, and to remind myself that there are real people behind all of the closed doors on my street - and that they're all staying home in a collective act of love for the community, like I am.

I walk around my local park during off-peak times, because I know that going at busy times will just add to my stress levels. I video chat with my family . . . a lot. I do a virtual pub quiz with a few friends every Friday night. I drink wine at home now, which I never did before, but it's making me happy. I'm limiting my news consumption to only once or twice a day. I almost exclusively watch nostalgic '00s movies and read feel-good romance novels. Yep, I've baked bread, too (the focaccia pictured above, to be exact). I'm seeking out Australian podcasts (like this one) and TV shows (PSA to Australians, an all-star season of MasterChef just started) that make me feel like I'm at home for a few minutes. My sister has started sending old photos of me with one of my nephews, and while I'm not convinced she knows this, it's having a hugely positive impact on my emotional state.

The coronavirus pandemic is horrific - no one can dispute that. But I think it's also appropriate, if not absolutely crucial, that we celebrate the beautifully pure human moments that are emerging as a result of this tragedy. During the Australian bushfire crisis earlier this year, I found hope by looking for the helpers in the midst of the crisis. This time around, I'm doing exactly the same thing, and I urge you to do the same.

Hang out your window and clap for the essential workers, bake banana bread (and then eat it all in one sitting), go for your daily government-sanctioned walk around the block, and if all that fails, I wholeheartedly recommend a Fast and Furious movie marathon. Nothing offers escapism quite as thoroughly as watching hours upon hours of these ridiculous movies does. But if cheesy action movies aren't your thing, remember that little pockets of joy exist everywhere; sometimes we just need to create them ourselves.
New Delhi, April 19 : Smartphone manufacturers who were taking baby steps to adjust to the new normal were left in lurch on Sunday after the government prohibited e-commerce platforms to sell non-essential items from April 20.

Chinese smartphone player Realme was all set to start online sales of its smartphones from April 20, along with launching Narzo smartphone series on April 21 through e-commerce platforms, which was the first launch post 21-day lockdown in the country.

The company told IANS that bearing in mind the current order from the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA), they are further evaluating the situation.

"The decision about the launch of the much-awaited Narzo series and online sales of our other smartphones will be made by tomorrow. People's health comes first at realme and we will follow the government's directives issued in best interests of the people," informed a company spokesperson.

The Centre allowed e-commerce companies and the vehicles used by operators of these units to supply only essential goods subject to "necessary permission" during the lockdown period. The supply of non-essential goods by e-commerce companies will remain prohibited during the 19-day lockdown ending May 3.

Manu Jain, Global Vice President, Xiaomi and Managing Director, Xiaomi India, tweeted that they have received an update from the MHA suspending e-commerce for non-essential items, "affecting our decision about operating from tomorrow".

"We are studying this, and will update you soon. We will, of course, follow all govt. guidelines," Jain said. The company had planned to resume sales on its own Mi.com from April 20.

The April 15 MHA guidelines had lifted restrictions from e-commerce majors to sell mobile phones and electronic items, including refrigerators, televisions, air conditioners, coolers along with stationery items.

According to Tarun Pathak, Associate Director, Counterpoint Research, this move will create more uncertainty in the market, especially among the suppliers and retailers.

"We have been hearing some absolute essential sales happened behind the scenes during the lockdown but yes, those will be in hundreds as against potential 11-12 million smartphone sales which happen in a normal month," Pathak told IANS.

"Phones should be among essential items as a lot happen though them," like digital payments, online ordering, connectivity and more, he added.

The smartphone production in India was set to decrease by nearly 30 per cent for the month of March. With the lockdown and new guidelines set to gobble up entire April, the writing is on the wall.

"The COVID19 pandemic is having a debilitating impact on consumer electronics sales. With both online and offline channels getting hit in April, consumer electronics brands have not been able to meet the usually peak summer demand," said Prabhu Ram, Head-Industry Intelligence Group (IIG), CMR.

Arvind Singhal who is CMD of Technopak, India's leading management consulting firm, said that e-commerce is an effective solution to practicing social distancing especially while retail stores are closed to minimize the movement of people outside their homes.

"It can serve the customers' need, and this should be enabled without defining the essentiality of goods. Consumption growth needn't be stopped and can be supported, backed by the capability of e-commerce companies to deliver," Singhal told IANS.
Nine residents and one employee of a Mobile nursing home who tested positive for coronavirus have died.

Crowne Health Care of Mobile, on Navco Road, says a total of 49 residents and 45 employees have tested positive for the virus since early March. CEO Bryan Jones, in a statement, said the facility currently has 23 positive cases, with 22 of them showing no symptoms and one with mild symptoms.

There are currently two employees in the hospital, with one in ICU. Neither is on a ventilator, Jones said.

COVID-19 has hit nursing homes nationwide particularly hard, and Alabama has not been immune. Last week, the Alabama Department of Public Health said 16 people living in nursing homes and assisted living facilities have died of the virus.

Of 641 Mobile County residents who have tested positive for COVID-19, 143 were over the age of 65, according to the Mobile County Health Department.

There are currently 16 Crowne Health Care of Mobile residents being hospitalized. One resident who tested positive earlier has tested negative, and two who were transferred to a hospital have returned.

Our employees at Crowne Health Care of Mobile are fighting a valiant fight against the most sinister threat we have ever faced, Jones said. We are deeply saddened by the passing of any of our residents at any time. Obviously, some of our residents come to us for the purpose of spending their last years in our care. But we are particularly stricken by the pain and anxiety that has been created by this pandemic.

According to Jones, there have been no new cases reported since April 13. On Monday, the facility will begin emptying a wing of the facility to have it professionally sanitized, then rehousing residents who have tested negative for the virus.

We plan to continue this process throughout our facility in an effort to confine and eradicate the virus from the building, he said.
The education secretary has been urged to do more to protect vulnerable pupils not currently recognised by the government, amid concerns some children will fall through the cracks as the coronavirus cripples the institutions that once supported them.

This weekend Gavin Williamson announced a raft of measures to support disadvantaged school children, including free laptops and internet access for care leavers, those with support workers and those due to sit their GCSEs who are in need of government help.

However, the minister has been urged to announce comprehensive support for school-age children who may lack access to the support the government has provided  amid warnings officials have no idea how many at-risk children there may be across the country.

Children could be at risk of harm, for example, through potential abuse and financial difficulty. The group also includes those in need of support from social services.

In a letter to Mr Williamson seen by The Independent, Liberal Democrat education spokesperson Layla Moran called on the government to create a network of background-checked volunteers, including substitute teachers and retired education professionals, tasked with identifying and reaching out to at-risk children and their families.

At the moment, we face two urgent problems, the letter to the minister states. Firstly, we do not even know who every vulnerable child is. Due to this pandemic in particular, many children will find themselves in this bracket for the first time, and they need urgent support. Secondly, we need to make sure the children we do know are vulnerable are receiving all the support we can provide as a society.

My deep worry is that I am hearing multiple agencies raise concerns about this issue including schools, police forces, local authorities, youth services and many others. Yet, to date, the government has not announced an adequate or comprehensive package of measures to help vulnerable children during this pandemic.

We know that children are prone to falling between the cracks in the system and I urge you today to take a clearer lead in ensuring no child becomes victim to circumstance at this difficult time.

The call for former professionals to step forward comes after the NHS saw its ranks bolstered by retired doctors and nurses who returned to the front lines of the nations response to Covid-19.

But away from its impact on medical institutions, the coronavirus has continued to disrupt institutions normally relied on by those in need  including schools, which would normally offer networks of care and support, safeguarding measures to identify those at risk of abuse, and free meals to ease financial burdens on low income families.

In the weeks since the lockdown began, food banks have seen surges in demand while the number of universal credit claimants has skyrocketed.

In turn the Department for Education has earmarked funds for the NSPCC and Childline to support their emergency phone lines while calling on local councils to ensure no one is forced to leave care while the outbreak continues.

However Ms Moran, who is also calling for the Department of Education to lead an emergency taskforce for vulnerable children to identify best practices, and for an immediate uplift in child benefit of 150 per month to be considered, described the number of unidentified children at risk in the country as the elephant in the room when it came to the governments response.

She told The Independent: This is a national emergency, and the government needs to take action to reflect that. Thats why the education secretary must urgently announce comprehensive support for vulnerable children, as has already been done for the vulnerable in other parts of society.

Its important that we recruit the trained, experienced volunteers we know we need to work with schools and local government to find and help these vulnerable children, and that a national emergency vulnerable children taskforce is convened to coordinate the governments approach.

An uplift in child benefit to leave no family hungry or without money to cover the costs of their kids being at home, echoing what has already been done in France, is also urgently needed.

I hope that the secretary of state takes affirmative action as a priority, and that the measures we have recommended are taken forward.

A DfE spokesperson said:"Being in school can keep vulnerable children and young people safe and ease pressure on families, which is why we have enabled these children to continue attending despite schools being closed for other pupils.

We thank schools and social workers for the work they are doing to keep vulnerable children safe and in school at this challenging time and we are supporting them to do this.
Melbourne University has now followed Monash in preventing students' marks falling after this semester.

Students have been fighting for an academic amnesty on their semester one grades, arguing that virus-driven disruptions could cause permanent damage to their study and work prospects.

They feared their weighted average marks, which are used for entry to post-graduate courses and some jobs, would suffer due to a disrupted semester that has now moved to online-only classes.

Today, Melbourne University announced the following guidelines for weighted average marks:

1. The Weighted Average Mark for programs that comprise 50 points or less in total will be calculated using normal practice, as a benchmark WAM based on prior study in that program for a student cannot be established.

2. No first semester 2020 subject will be included in the Weighted Average Mark calculation for a student who has yet to complete 50 points of study in their enrolled program prior to 2020, as a benchmark WAM for the student in that program cannot be established.
Bengaluru: Four fresh Corona positive cases have been reported in Karnataka on Sunday. All the four cases are from Mysuru, as per the mid-day health bulletin issued by the Department of Health and Family Welfare.

With this, the total Corona positive cases in the state are 384. Mysuru has the most active cases in the state with 62 cases, putting behind Bengaluru Urban district which has 44 active cases as on Sunday.

Of the total 89 positive cases in Bengaluru, 42 have been discharged, while Mysuru district with 84 positive cases has discharged 22 patients with 62 active cases.

Of the four cases reported on Sunday, two cases are- a 46-year-old male and 20-year-old male who have travel history to New Delhi.

The third case is a 39-year-old male, who was the secondary contact of Patient 52, the first case in the Nanjangudu cluster.

The fourth fresh is a 23-year-old female who was the primary contact of a positive patient.

All the four are admitted at the designated hospitals at Mysuru.
Never has the international community been so divided and so paralysed in the face of common threats to humanity. How did we get here? More importantly, where do we go from here?

We have been facing a synchronised global crisis for some time now. The crisis has entailed great power rivalry, conflict, terrorism, trade wars, climate change and now a pandemic: all occurring in synchronised fashion. In an ideal world, this level and scale of crisis might have elicited coordination and cooperation among all the stakeholders. Instead, what we are witnessing today is not just an absence of global cooperation but worse, finger pointing and blame game among major powers.

The UN Security Council has been in limbo for the last few years now. And given the state of relations between the US on the one hand and Russia/China on the other, the prospect of this forum doing anything meaningful is diminishing by the day. If the UNSC cannot get its act on Yemen, Libya and Afghanistan, then what hope for this conflict-ridden world?

The World Trade Organization (WTO), whose mandate it is to provide a predictable framework for international trade at a time like this, is itself facing a serious crisis. Powerful members of the WTO have to take the blame for bringing this organisation to a grinding halt. As for Climate change, the less said the better. There could not be a more existential threat to humanity, yet countries have behaved in a devil take the hindmost fashion that beggars belief.

It is against the above backdrop that the coronavirus hit the world, beginning with China. As outlined above, the timing could not have been worse. Already, the global institutions set up in the aftermath of World War II had atrophied to such an extent as to become dysfunctional. Add to that a high degree of mistrust between the great powers for a variety of reasons.

When the deadly virus happened, China committed the cardinal sin of trying to cover up. Authoritarian societies have both advantages and disadvantages. The advantage is ramming through measures and seeking compliance from its population. The disadvantages are lack of transparency, arguable accountability and absence of a vigilant press. China appears to have taken a huge gamble by seeking to cover up the truth in the beginning, hoping that the strong state can then beat this virus through draconian measures. It may have overlooked the fact that the coronavirus is an equal opportunity infector and does not spare anyone. If in late December or even early January, China had acknowledged the problem and sought international cooperation, things might have been different. But then, trust and confidence between major powers was so low that China may have been more keen on saving face and in asserting its great power status than in seeking outside help.

As often happens in such cases, the initial cover-up led to subsequent lies and subterfuge by the Chinese Communist Party. One of the most egregious things that China did was to either mislead the World Health Organization or worse, bulldoze the organisation into asserting in January that there was no evidence of human transmission by this dreaded virus. If this complicity is established, the WHO stands enormously diminished as an organisation whose fundamental objective (Article 1 of the WHO Constitution) is the attainment by all peoples of the highest possible level of health.

Then, there is the small matter of how or where this virus originated. Against massive evidence, China refuses to accept even to this day that the virus began in a wet market in Wuhan. Instead, it has consistently sought to change the narrative by floating outlandish theories that the virus may have had an American origin! China is currently desperate to prove that as a Great Power, it has brought the issue under control, even while the West is floundering around.

There is now little doubt that China will use this global crisis to gain geo-strategic advantage. Take the simple case of masks, of which there is a global shortage. China already produced 50 percent of world supply and is now all set to ramp up production. France, a country battling the coronavirus, for instance depends 100 per cent on China for supply of masks. Italy presents an interesting example of how China plays the strategic game. Just as the EU was dragging its feet in meeting Italys request, China rushed supplies and medical teams earning Italys gratitude. Chinese assistance, whether it is for Italy/France or indeed for Africa, is nevertheless based on quid pro quo rather than any altruism.

The world got here because the liberal international order was showing signs of collapse even before the coronavirus hit us. The fact that there was no global leadership at this juncture led to geo-strategic paralysis. Based on evidence so far, China will try to assume the mantle of global leadership but it is unlikely to be smooth going. Indeed, a leadership struggle in China is not inconceivable. Meanwhile, expect more churn, more disorder and more jostling for strategic influence by major powers. Can India, along with others like Japan, try and foster multilateral cooperation using the G-20 framework? It will be a long haul and success by no means guaranteed, but may be worth a try.

(Dr Mohan Kumar is a former Indian Foreign Service officer and retired as the Indian Ambassador to France)
The coronavirus crash has completely imploded some businesses while sparing others. This piece will have a look at two TSX stocks that have lost more than 70% of their value since the coronavirus crash begun on February 20.

Both names have since bounced back modestly, but with a coronavirus-induced recession (or depression) that will stick around after the coronavirus pandemic ends, investors may want to consider dollar-cost averaging into the beaten-up names if theyre on the hunt for deep value.

Without further ado, consider the following severely battered TSX stocks that brave value investors may want to consider nibbling on the way down.

Cenovus Energy

Cenovus Energy (TSX:CVE)(NYSE:CVE) has previously been a staple in many Canadian-centric mutual funds. The integrated oil company made some poorly timed moves in the past, and its been a perpetual falling knife ever since. The TSX stock has been crashing non-stop since the 2014 rout in oil prices. The 2020 oil crash caused by a demand shock from the coronavirus and Saudi-Russia tensions have caused Cenovus to implode further after years of share price consolidation.

The Saudi-Russia feud has been since resolved with a new deal to cut production, but that failed to move the needle on oil prices, with WTI briefly falling into the teens. For Albertan oil companies like Cenovus, theres pressure from all sides right now, and thats a huge reason why the TSX stock lost 81% of its value from peak to trough on the coronavirus crash, bringing shares now down well over 90% from their pre-2014 highs.

Cenovus has $8.6 billion worth of total debt sitting on its balance sheet, which is sizeable, but not detrimental to the firms future, even at todays depths. The company slashed its capital budget once again while axing its dividend to save more cash, as the tides go out further on the oil patch.

With oil prices as long as they are, there will be a slew of bankruptcies in the oil patch, but Cenovus looks to be in a position to survive long enough to ride a potential rebound, as the company is pulling out all the stops to remain liquid.

Story continues

At $3 and change, Cenovus is a name that represents very deep value at a staggering 0.2 times book. If deep value is what you want, Id nibble on the name here and on any further weakness.

NFI Group

NFI Group (TSX:NFI), a manufacturer of transit buses, fell over 71% from peak to trough on the coronavirus crash. The company was in a world of pain prior to the pandemic thanks to operational hiccups and a broader industry slowdown.

Altogether, NFI stock is down 76% from its all-time high at the time of writing and is back at lows not seen since 2015. As a producer of long-lived durable goods, its going to be a long road to recovery as the discretionary industrial as we head into a potentially severe recession.

Discretionaries like NFI ought to be avoided headed into an economic downturn. But as you may know, the stock market is forward-looking, and the extent of the recent damage done to the TSX stock may prove to be excessive, as more than just a recession looks to be baked in with NFI at $14 and change.

NFI is the type of discretionary play that could take more than five years to fully recover, but when the economy turns a corner, watch out, because the relief rally could be epic!

If you have five years to wait for the recession to come and go, you may want to nibble on NFI at weakness, while the stock trades at 0.8 times book. Thats deep value that only a crash can provide.

Stay hungry. Stay Foolish.

The post 2 TSX Stocks That Fell Over 70% on the Coronavirus Crash appeared first on The Motley Fool Canada.

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Fool contributor Joey Frenette has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool recommends NFI Group.

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
An 84-year-old NHS nurse who was still working night shifts has become the latest frontcare health worker to die from coronavirus.

Margaret Tapley passed away last night after catching the killer bug, according to a post shared by her devastated family on social media and reported by The Sun.

She becomes another name in a growing list of frontcare health workers who have died from Covid-19, with at least 61 dead.

Many had come out of retirement to help hospitals struggling to cope with the country's overwhelming and unprecedented coronavirus hospital admissions.

Margaret's heartbroken granddaughter said her grandma was like 'an additional parent'

Granddaughter Hannah Tapley posted an emotional tribute on social media.

She wrote: 'Unfortunately, last night my grandma passed away from COVID-19. She was 84 and the strongest woman I've ever met in my life.

'I considered her as an additional parent and I'd never be able to do anything I have done without her. I am so proud to call her my grandma. She was the most hard working, caring and perfect woman out there. Devoting her life to others and working for the NHS doing night shifts as a nurse at her age.

A further 596 deaths have been recorded as of April 19, bringing the cumulative total to more than 16,000

'So many people will have such amazing memories of her as she affected so many people's lives in such a positive way.

'One of my many favourites will be how excited she always got when we saw each other and the messages she would send me before every competition to motivate or calm me down.

'Everyday she would text and phone me sometimes talking about the most random things and I will miss this extremely. She was one of my biggest fans and would support me through everything.

'I'm not quite sure how to adapt to this but I know she will be watching everything and supporting myself and all my family just in a different place.

'She will never ever EVER be forgotten. We all loved her so much and she will be extremely missed. There won't be a day that goes by that we all won't miss her.'

Nurses and doctors have been advised to wear 'non-fluid repellant coveralls' with aprons and to wash their forearms after work. Nurse pictured at MOT testing centre in Northern Ireland

The Sun reported that another one of Margaret's grandchildren, Tom Wood who is also a nurse, said: 'She was a huge reason as to why I am a nurse today. She took huge pride in her work but was so humble. She embodied the nursing spirit.

For anyone who worked with her or knew her, that spirit that we all saw and felt lives on in us.

'Grandma may have been called home in what feels all too early for us left behind but the values, spirit and giving nature that she brought to the world is carried on in us that we're touched by her life.'

Fashion-Enter in Haringey, London, has started sewing together medical clothes for NHS workers to help combat shortages during the coronavirus outbreak

The government has faced growing criticism in recent days after it was revealed NHS frontlist staff have been told to 'wear aprons' to treat patients and reuse PPE with supplies at some hospitals due expected to run out by the end of the weekend.

The guidance, compiled by Public Health England, was issued in response to 'acute shortages of PPE'. It said the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) had approved reusing items and 'sessional' use  where one health care worker uses the same PPE for a whole shift. It said that even though items were designed for single use, 'HSE recognises that some compromise is needed to optimise the supply of PPE in times of extreme shortages'.

On Friday the Health Secretary Matt Hancock told the Commons health select commitee: 'The challenge of getting protective equipment out to everybody who needs it is an incredibly difficult one. As of this weekend we will have shipped one billion items of personal protective equipment across the UK. I take responsibility for getting PPE out to everyone.'

Asked if he would get gowns to those who needed them this weekend he said: 'That is what we are aiming to do.'
TVS Motor has clinched a $20 million (~Rs 153 Crore) deal to buy British brand Norton Motorcycles. The move now becomes the latest acquisition of a British auto manufacturer by an Indian entity, after Tata Motors acquired Jaguar Land Rover more than a decade earlier.

As part of a distressed sale, Indias third-largest motorbike manufacturer completed an all-cash transaction for the acquisition. As announced on Friday, TVS Motor will take control of the 122-year-old Leicestershire brand Norton Motorcycles for 16 million pounds ($19.98 million) through one of its overseas subsidiaries.

(Image: Norton Motorcycles)

Norton presents us with an immense opportunity to scale globally, TVS joint managing director Sudarshan Venu was quoted as saying in a Reuters report. Venu further assured that TVS Motor would provide full support for Norton to regain its full glory.



Going forward, TVS Motor will invest in Nortons lineup of motorcycles. The selective ones, of course, that will see the rekindled investment will likely by the most famous models like Commando, Dominator and V4 RR.

(Image: Norton Motorcycles)

As per Venu, TVS will also work closely with Nortons employees and customers to retain its identity. In addition, the motorcycle major will outline a specific business plan for the British firm.



Discussions for the takeover had begun earlier this year between TVS and accountancy firm BDO - which acted as Nortons administrator. This was after the British motorcycle maker, founded by James Lansdowne Norton in 1898, became insolvent and went under administration.
Brazil has the most confirmed coronavirus cases in Latin America  more than 36,500  and at least 2,347 deaths.

Hundreds of people have taken to the streets across large cities in Brazil, snarling traffic as they denounced pandemic lockdown measures opposed by President Jair Bolsonaro.

Protesters in trucks, cars and motorcycles, some wrapping in the countrys green and yellow flags, honked horns in the streets of Rio de Janeiro, Sao Paulo and the capital of Brasilia on Saturday, calling for governors to resign over measures that have forced most businesses to close for weeks.

Bolsonaro has been a fierce critic of the states stay-at-home measures, arguing that the economic harm could be more damaging than the illness.

The protests took place a day after Bolsonaro fired his health minister, Luiz Henrique Mandetta, who had been promoting isolation measures.

In Rio de Janeiro, about 100 vehicles took part in the gridlock, cruising down Atlantica Avenue, along the iconic and temporarily shut down Copacabana beach.

Either we just have the pandemic, which is already a lot, or we have the pandemic and chaos, said Anderson Moraes, a state legislator who had called for Rio residents to join the protest. For sure, lives are more important than anything else, but we cant take decisions today without thinking about tomorrow. Because tomorrow, I dont know how a family man will be when he sees his children going hungry.





In Brasilia, Bolsonaro reiterated his intention to start reopening the economy.

The fear was excessive, he said on Saturday, denouncing the greed of politicians who have shut down everything and created panic.

People want a return to normality, the president said in a Facebook Live session shortly before meeting with a small crowd of supporters who had gathered outside the Planalto presidential palace. Were going to start adding more flexibility.

Brazil has the most confirmed COVID-19 cases in Latin America  more than 36,500  and at least 2,347 deaths. That is a relatively low number in relation to the countrys population of 211 million, but the outbreaks peak is expected in May.

The pandemic that began in central China in December is believed to have infected more than 2.3 million people worldwide. At least 155,000 people have died, according to a tally by Johns Hopkins University.

Many countries are testing only the most serious cases and the number of confirmed infections is likely to be a fraction of the true total.

Governments are under pressure to reopen factories, shops, travel and public activities even as numbers of infections rise across most of the globe.

Shutdowns that began in China in late January and spread to the United States, Europe and elsewhere have wiped out millions of jobs, plunging the world into its most painful economic slump since the Great Depression of the 1930s.

The International Monetary Fund expects the global economy to contract by an unprecedented 3 percent this year  a far bigger loss than 2009s 0.1 percent after the global financial crisis.





On Saturday, supporters of US President Donald Trump also protested in several states demanding governors end controls on public activity even as new case numbers surge.

The president on Twitter urged his supporters to liberate three states with Democratic governors.

Texas, Indiana and some other states have announced plans to allow some retailing and other activity to resume. Florida and South Carolina are reopening beaches.

Most Americans, by two-to-one, disagree with the protesters, however. A new Pew survey found that most were more concerned about ending home confinement too soon rather than too late.

New York Governor Andrew Cuomo, who has criticised the federal response as inadequate, rejected pressure to reopen businesses.

New Yorks daily death toll fell below 550 on Saturday for the first time in two weeks, but Cuomo said hospitals are reporting nearly 2,000 new patients a day.

We are not at a point when we are going to be reopening anything immediately, Cuomo told reporters.

Mounting evidence suggests that social distancing slowed the pandemic after more than half of humanity  4.5 billion people  were confined to their homes.

Some countries  Spain, Japan, the United Kingdom and Mexico  have extended restrictions on movement.

But others are loosening restrictions amid signs the outbreak could be easing.

Switzerland, Denmark and Finland reopened shops and schools this week. And Germany, which has declared the virus under control after 3,400 deaths, allowed some shops to reopen and will let some children return to school within weeks.

Parts of Italy began emerging from lockdown too, with Venice residents strolling around quiet canals.

Iran also allowed some businesses in the capital, Tehran, to reopen on Saturday despite the Middle Easts deadliest outbreak.
(L) Prime Minister Scott Morrison at Parliament House in Canberra, Australia on Feb. 13, 2019. (R) Foreign Minister Marise Payne in Sydney, Australia on Feb. 1, 2019. (Tracey Nearmy/Getty Images)

Australia Demands CCP Virus Enquiry, Adding to Pressure on China

MELBOURNEAustralia on Sunday added to growing pressure on China over its handling of the CCP virus, questioning its transparency and demanding an international investigation into the origins of the virus and how it spread.

The CCP (Chinese Communist Party) virus, commonly known as novel coronavirus, which emerged from mainland China last year, causes the disease COVID-19.

Australias foreign minister, Marise Payne, said her concern about the Chinese regimes transparency was at a a very high point.

The issues around the coronavirus are issues for independent review, and I think that it is important that we do that, Payne told ABC television.

In fact, Australia will absolutely insist on that.

Australias Foreign Minister Marise Payne speaks during a news conference at Australian Embassy in Bangkok, Thailand, on Jan. 10, 2019. (Athit Perawongmetha/Reuters)

Australia has managed to get its epidemic under control before it strained its public health system, reporting 53 new cases on Sunday. They took its total to 6,586, according to the health ministry data.

There have been 71 deaths in Australia. The rate of increase in new cases has been below 1 percent for seven consecutive daysmuch lower than in many other countries.

Paynes call for an enquiry into the outbreak comes at time of tense ties between her country and its most important trading partner.

Relations have deteriorated amid Australian accusations of Chinese meddling in domestic affairs and concern about what Australia sees as the Chinese regimes growing, and undue, influence in the Pacific region.

My trust in China is predicated in the long-term, Payne said. My concern is around transparency and ensuring that we are able to engage openly.

People wait in line to enter Centrelink in Melbourne, Australia, on March 24, 2020. (Quinn Rooney/Getty Images)

Australias call for an investigation comes as President Donald Trump has been stepping up his criticism of China.

Trump and his senior aides have also accused China of a lack of transparency after the CCP virus broke out. On Saturday, Trump said China should face consequences if it was knowingly responsible for the pandemic.

China dismisses such criticism saying it has been open about the outbreak and in warning the world about it.

World Health Organization (WHO) Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus (R) and WHO Health Emergencies Programme Director Michael Ryan attend a press briefing on COVID-19 in Geneva, Switzerland, on March 6, 2020. (Fabrice Coffrini/AFP via Getty Images)

WHOs Response Didnt Help

Last week, Trump suspended aid to the World Health Organization (WHO) accusing it of being China-centric.

The Geneva-based agency rejected that but Australian Health Minister Greg Hunt also criticized it, saying some of its response to the CCP virus was not helpful.

What we saw from some officials in Geneva, we think was a response which didnt help the world, Hunt told a briefing.

We have done well because we made our own decisions as a country.

Australia went against the advice of the WHO on Feb. 1 and banned people arriving from China. It later closed its borders and imposed strict curbs on public movements.

Hunt said Australia was winning in its campaign against the virus but had not yet won.

We have to focus on containment and capacity, he said.

Neighboring New Zealand, which adopted one the worlds harshest lockdowns even before reporting a first death, has been even more successful in suppressing the virus.

There were four new confirmed cases in New Zealand on Sunday, bringing the total of infections to 1,098. Eleven people have died, health ministry data showed.

I know it hasnt been easy, but it has been working, Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern said at a televised briefing. She said her government will meet on Monday to decide whether to ease social distancing restrictions.

By Lidia Kelly

Epoch Times staff contributed to this report.
Banking and NBFC stocks will remain in focus as they are likely to benefit the most from the measures announced by the Reserve Bank of India (RBI), Gaurav Garg, Head of Research at CapitalVia Global Research Limited - Investment Advisor, said in an interview with Moneycontrols Kshitij Anand.

Garg also said that Bank Nifty is likely to test its level of 21,450 in the coming week.

Here are the edited excerpts:

Q. What are your views on the RBI bazooka 2.0? Is it enough to propel the economy or are these just some of the steps take in the right direction? What kind of impact will it have on the markets and what are the sectors that will benefit?

A. The RBI has announced the second tranche of measures to boost the liquidity into the system. In the case of liquidity measure, the central bank has majorly focused on two instruments.

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

As of April 15, the banks are having a surplus of Rs 6.9 lakh crore under reverse repo window and RBI has decided to inject this amount into the public by reducing the reverse repo rate 25 basis points or 0.25 percent which come down to 3.75 percent from 4 percent earlier and maintaining the repo rate at 4.4 percent.

It has announced Rs. 50,000 crore worth of Targeted Long Term Repo Operations (TLTRO) which will be mainly focused on the worst-hit NBFC sector.

In addition to that, the Reserve Bank has also reduced the requirement of Liquidity Coverage Ratio (LCR) of scheduled commercial banks to 80 percent from 100 percent which helps the financial institutions to lend more. This will be restored in two phases one in October 2020 by 90 percent and 100 percent by April 2021.

The RBI has stated that a special refinance facility worth of Rs 50,000 crores will be provided to the financial intuitions like NABARD, SIDBI and NHB to boost the liquidity in those sectors.

The announcement of the rate cut in reverse repo rate is much need for the economy to inject the liquidity into the financial institutions. NBFC and real estate sectors are highly likely to benefit.

Q. Do you think the markets await more fiscal measures that could support the economy?

A. The government is focusing on how to curb the spread of the novel coronavirus and to save lives of millions. The measures announced by the government majorly focus on the people who are not earning anything at all, and that number is very large.

The worst-hit sectors during this nationwide lockdown are aviation, transportation and tourism.

The companies in these sectors may become bankrupt if there is no relief package by the government which directly leads to the high NPA and impact on the banking sector.

Q. D-Street closed flat but there was a lot of volatility in the market. Stimulus hopes back home, as well as positive global cues, helped the markets. Do you think momentum is likely to sustain?

A. Positive global sentiments have given Nifty a push and placed it above the levels of 9,100-9,200, which it was unable to scale from past few sessions and though D-Street had a flat closing, the market was a roller coaster.

The market closed above the level of 9,200 and therefore this momentum is likely to sustain which has also been fueled by the policy introduced by RBI.

Q. What are the important levels which one should track in the coming week?

A. The liquidity-boosting measures announced by the RBI on the back of positive global cues boosted the markets on April 17.

These measures to ease liquidity and bolster some of the coronavirus pain helped the Sensex and the Nifty climb above crucial resistance levels. Nifty has formed a Hanging Man pattern in its daily charts.

However, Nifty has a support level at 9,090 followed by 8,820 whereas 9,320 and 9,510 would act as important resistance levels in the coming week.

Q. What is your call on NiftyBank, especially after the measures that could benefit the banking space/Nifty Financial services were announced?

A. The Reserve Bank'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 will be invested in small and mid-sized NBFCs and MFIs.

The RBI has also relaxed NPA recognition norms for NBFCs. Banks would also get relaxation on Special mentioned accounts, which are unpaid with 60-90 days as in March, but have to make 10 percent provisioning against such standstill accounts.

The 25 bps cut in reverse repo rate to 3.75 percent would further provide liquidity into the system as it would make banks reluctant to invest money at a lower rate with RBI.

Banking and NBFC stocks shall remain in focus as they are likely to benefit the most from the measures announced by the central bank. Bank Nifty is likely to test its level of 21,450 in the coming week.

Q. Small and midcaps outperform in the week gone by  what is leading to this outperformance? Is it the beaten-down nature or the possibility of stimulus measures that could support the broader markets?

A. Small and midcaps have taken a lot of toll in the past few months blood bath and have arrived at the level from where further downtrend is unlikely as they have gone too far from their fair value and the past week has also seen Nifty trying to recover and which aided in the rally.

The stimulus measures announced by the RBI Governor was also mainly focused on small and midcaps along with MSMEs and therefore it can be said that the stimulus measures taken played a role of catalyst and are likely to support broader markets.

Q. Any two-three stocks that are looking attractive for a medium to a long term time frame?

A. Stocks like Avenue Supermarts Limited, Reliance Industries Limited, Maruti Suzuki India Limited, SRF Limited, Tata Consultancy Services Limited and Indiabulls Housing Finance Limited can be considered as good buys for the near future, keeping in view their strong fundamentals, investor sentiments as well as their attractive valuations.

Disclaimer: The views and investment tips expressed by investment experts on Moneycontrol.com are their own and not that of the website or its management. Moneycontrol.com advises users to check with certified experts before taking any investment decisions.

: Reliance Industries Ltd, which owns Jio, is the sole beneficiary of Independent Media Trust which controls Network18 Media & Investments Ltd.
Italy is staring down the barrel of the worst recession since World War II, which could bolster the far-right and damage the country's love affair with the European Union, analysts say.

Much will depend on how Rome handles the easing of the national lockdown, how quickly it manages to get liquidity to suffering businesses, and how much solidarity it is seen to get from the EU at a key meeting next week.

The coronavirus emergency in Italy has fuelled not only national pride but also eurosceptic and populist narratives.

That brew could play right into the hands of Matteo Salvini, whose League party governed Italy in a coalition for a year until summer 2019 and who is determined to return quickly to power, to rule alone.

"The (economic) blow is going to be extremely hard, that's clear. But it can be merely extremely hard, or it can be exceptionally hard," Giovanni Orsina, professor of politics at Rome's LUISS University, told AFP.

"If people begin to suffer seriously, rage could spread throughout the country... at which point far-right propaganda becomes very effective", he said.

At the height of the health crisis, which has killed over 22,000 people and infected around 169,000, largely in the country's wealthy northern powerhouse, Italy's warring political parties called a temporary truce of sorts.

Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte's popularity shot up to a record high of around 63 percent, polls showed.

- Bitter spats -

But as preparations for relaunching parts of the economy begin, cracks have emerged in the already fragile ruling coalition, made up of the centre-left Democratic Party and anti-establishment Five Stars Movement.

And opposition leader Salvini has resumed his virulent attacks on the government, along with Giorgia Meloni, head of the small far-right Brothers of Italy party, which has been enjoying a sharp rise in popularity.

Bitter spats have broken out over the length of the economically-crippling lockdown, which has been extended by Conte and is currently due to be lifted on May 4, after a near two-month stoppage.

Millions of Italians are either furloughed or have lost their jobs, and the northern regions -- League strongholds -- are champing at the bit to re-open.

A delay in shutting several virus hotspots in the Lombardy region, home to the financial capital Milan, allowed the virus to spread and has sparked a row between the government and League -- with each blaming the other for failing to act.

The anti-populist, youth-driven Sardines movement -- founded last year to try and stop Salvini's rise -- is one of many left-wing voices calling on Conte to put the region under special commission for woeful crisis management.

The economic fallout forecast is mind-boggling. The International Monetary Fund expects Italy's economy to shrink by 9.1 percent in 2020 -- the worst peacetime decline in nearly a century.

The Confindustria big business lobby has said every week of the shutdown chops another 0.75 percent off GDP.

Yet Conte has hesitated over entering the so-called "Phase Two", the easing of the lockdown, amid advice from top scientists that the epidemic could flare up again, forcing him to shut down the country a second time.

He is banking on help from the EU to weather the storm.

- Anti-EU backlash -

Eurogroup finance ministers have approved a 500-billion-euro rescue package to help European countries hit hard by the pandemic -- but some Italians fear that the cross-border solidarity will come with strings attached.

The ministers have so far refused to counter a proposal from Italy, Spain, and France for a joint borrowing instrument, dubbed a "coronabond", that would have raised money towards a recovery after the outbreak.

The bonds could reduce Italy's borrowing costs, but northern nations say they unfairly help countries that had been spending beyond their means for years.

That has incensed many Italians.

Italy also felt abandoned at the start of the crisis, with European countries reluctant to share much-needed medical supplies, for which the EU Commission president offered a "heartfelt apology" this week.

A Tecne poll from April 9 and 10 found the share of Italians that would vote to leave the EU in a referendum was up by 20 percentage points to 49 percent, compared to a previous poll from the end of 2018.

Rome is reluctant to use the rescue plan, which includes loans from the financial-crisis-era European Stability Mechanism (ESM), despite an easing of the tough economic and fiscal reform usually tied to it as requirements.

The ESM evokes bad memories of Brussels dictating policy to bailed-out Greece, and Salvini and Meloni have both said Conte would be stripping Italy of its sovereignty if he uses it.

They also complain Italy is being offered a fraction of the money it pours into the EU, and will have to pay interest.

"It's stealing," Salvini said, sneering at the suggestion Italy had got a good deal in terms of the reduced conditions.

Meloni said using the mechanism was "worthy of a totalitarian regime" and "a democratic point of no return".

The government hopes it will score an important win on the question of joint bonds to finance reconstruction at a videoconference meeting of EU leaders next Thursday -- perhaps allowing it to avoid using the ESM.

Former Italian prime minister Enrico Letta implored Brussels, Berlin and Paris "not to underestimate... growing euro-frustration" among Italians. It would be "a big mistake", he tweeted.

- Risks -

Conte's problems are not limited to the far-right.

While the PD is in favour of using the ESM, part of the Five Stars Movement is stridently opposed, with party leader Vito Crimi saying in an interview on Wednesday that Conte's premiership was at risk over it.

Analysts say the PM is gambling on getting more attractive aid from the EU if he drags his feet over the ESM.

Conte said Wednesday no decision would be taken before the exact conditions are drawn up and can be studied by parliament. Italy has said it will use other resources on offer from the EU, such as unemployment support.

But it was not clear his assurance would soften the rumblings of discontent inside and outside the government.

According to political analyst Stefano Folli, a fracture like the one currently dividing the ruling majority "would usually have already toppled the government".

Conte has appeared "increasingly muddled" over the past couple of weeks, and his opponents were being given ammunition by his "mediocre handling of the emergency," he wrote in the Repubblica daily on Tuesday.

The PM has been accused of avoiding difficult decisions on lifting the lockdown by simply extending it.

- 'Serious trouble' -

He has called on Italians to be patient, saying financial aid was coming. But there are real fears that widespread job losses, poverty, homelessness and hunger could spark social unrest -- and a revolt against the government.

Media reports have flagged a rise in domestic abuse and suicides as quarantined families snap under the strain.

Italy's interior minister has put the police on alert. Particular attention will be paid to the poorer regions south of Rome, where the lockdown is costing some 10 billion euros a month in lost productivity, according to the SVIMEZ association.

Anger is rising there that an area already dogged with high unemployment has not been allowed to leave the lockdown early, despite having relatively few virus cases.

"If you have a very, very troubled country, you cannot have Salvini and Meloni fanning the flames," LUISS University's Orsina said.

"You risk serious trouble: very bad polling numbers for the government, people protesting in the streets, people stealing in supermarkets, a furious country," he said.

Orsina said Conte's only option at that point would be to bring Salvini's League and Meloni's Brothers of Italy party into a new, national unity government -- though it would be "an extremely complex operation".

"I don't think Conte is likely to be able to carry on" as things are, Orsina said.

Not all are as pessimistic.

The Stampa daily's commentator Ugo Magri said Salvini or Meloni were unlikely to go for Conte's jugular now, largely because they would be blamed if the manouevre slowed or hampered the easing of the lockdown.

"Conte will be politically untouchable throughout 'Phase 2', so until the autumn," he wrote.

And while fellow analyst Massimo Franco thought Italy's anti-European forces could prevail in the short term, he told AFP he believed Italians would soon realise their connection with Europe "is increasingly necessary and important".

"Problems like pandemics need a supranational effort. And Europe, in spite of everything, is doing what it can for Italy", he said.

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Some of Europe's leaders stand accused of taking advantage of a health crisis.

Iungary's Viktor Orban (left), Russia's Vladimir Putin and Turkey's Recep Tayyip Erdogan

Image copyright Reuters/EPA Some of Europe's leaders have been accused of taking advantage of a public health crisis to clamp down on dissent and bolster their power.



As Turkey arrests hundreds for social media posts and Russians are threatened with jail for anything considered fake news, there are fears that democracy is being jeopardised in Poland and that it has been swept away in Hungary.

BBC correspondents assess whether coronavirus is being used as cover for a power grab.

Hungary: 'Suicide' of parliament grants Orban extraordinary powers

Hungary's powerful Prime Minister Viktor Orban stands accused at home and abroad of using the coronavirus crisis to grab even more power, instead of uniting the country.

First his Fidesz government declared a state of danger on 11 March, winning valuable time to prepare for the pandemic. But it then used its majority in parliament to extend that indefinitely, so the government now has the power to rule by decree for as long as necessary and can decide itself when the danger is over.

Critics speak of an end to Hungary's democracy, but the justice minister insists the "Authorisation Act" will expire at the end of the emergency and it was both necessary and proportionate.

Is it the end of democracy? Constitutional law expert Prof Zoltan Szente warns the pandemic could easily be used to maintain the government's extraordinary powers.

As it is the exclusive power of the government to decide when to end the state of danger, he says parliament has actually "committed suicide" by waiving its right of control over the government.

In theory there are still three checks on Viktor Orban's power:

Parliament remains in session unless the pandemic stops it

The Constitutional Court still functions

A general election takes place in 2022

But Mr Orban's Fidesz party has a decisive majority in parliament and all by-elections and referendums are postponed until the end of the emergency.

The Constitutional Court is already packed with Orban favourites but the one remaining thorn in the prime minister's side is the largely independent judiciary.

The ruling party needs to maintain its two-thirds majority in parliament to appoint a new Supreme Court president at the end of 2020. Then Mr Orban's power would be almost unassailable.

Turkey: 'Moment of opportunity' for Erdogan

Turkey's combative leader, Recep Tayyip Erdogan, does not need to use the coronavirus outbreak to usurp power because he has so much already. That is the view of human rights campaigners here.

"There is such a centralised system there's no need to have a further power grab," says Emma Sinclair-Webb, Turkey Director for Human Rights Watch.

However, she says there was an opportunistic attempt to "test the water" with proposals to increase control on social media companies. They were "buried deep" in a bill dealing mainly with economic measures to cushion the impact of the virus.

The aim, she says, was "to strong-arm social media platforms to submit to government control and censorship". The draft amendments were suddenly dropped but Ms Sinclair-Webb expects them to make a comeback in the future.

Turkey's government is determined to control the narrative during the crisis. Hundreds have been arrested for "provocative posts" about Covid-19 on social media.

Few doctors have dared to speak out. "Hiding the facts and creating a monopoly of information unfortunately became the way this country is being ruled," says Ali Cerkezoglu of the Turkish Medical Association. "Doctors, nurses and health workers have got used to it in the past 20 years."

Lawyer Hurrem Sonmez worries the outbreak is a moment of opportunity for President Erdogan. "Society, and the opposition, are weaker because of the pandemic," says Ms Sonmez, who has represented defendants in free speech cases.

"Everyone has the same agenda - the virus. The priority is to survive. There is a serious concern that the situation can be misused by this government."

Russia: Pandemic frustrates Putin's ambitions

Back in January, the Kremlin thought it had everything worked out.

It would rewrite the Russian Constitution, primarily to allow Vladimir Putin to stand for two more terms in office. Then it would hold a triumphant "national vote" on 22 April for Russians to back the changes. The president's critics called it a "constitutional coup", but it seemed a done deal.

Covid-19, though, has put everything on hold. President Putin has had to postpone the ballot: after all, how can you call people to come out and vote in the middle of a pandemic? The Kremlin's problem now is that, if and when the ballot does take place, endorsing a new Constitution may well be the last thing on Russian minds.

Coronavirus lockdown is set to decimate the economy here, with predictions of a two-year long recession and millions of job losses.

Russians tend to blame local officials and bureaucrats, not central authority, for their everyday problems. But history shows that when people here experience acute personal economic pain, they turn their ire on their country's leader. Such pain now seems inevitable.

That may explain why the Kremlin leader recently delegated power to regional governors to fight the coronavirus: now they share the responsibility.

President Putin's supporters, including state media, will argue that in a national crisis Russia requires strong, stable leadership more than ever - in other words: that the Putin era should be extended. As for Kremlin critics, they have already accused the authorities of using the pandemic to tighten control.

A new law rushed through parliament imposes tough punishments on people convicted of spreading what is deemed to be false information about coronavirus: fines equivalent to $25,000 or up to five years in prison. There are concerns about surveillance systems being rolled out to enforce quarantine.

Lockdown also means that opposition protests cannot take place: mass gatherings are currently banned to prevent the spread of the virus.

Poland: Is government risking lives to keep hold on power?

Poland's governing party is being accused of recklessly endangering lives by pushing ahead with May presidential elections during the pandemic. President Andrzej Duda, a government ally, has seen his poll numbers rise during the pandemic and is clear favourite to win.

The ruling Law and Justice party argues it is constitutionally obliged to hold the election and a postal-only vote is the safest solution under lockdown.

That is its preferred option, but it is also backing a proposal to change the constitution to allow President Duda to serve another two years, as long as he cannot seek re-election.

The opposition says a postal vote risks voters, postal workers and election staff. The EU and Poland's own electoral commission have also raised concerns about holding the vote.

There is a legal way to wait, the opposition insists, by declaring a state of natural disaster that bans elections whilst extraordinary measures are in force and for 90 days afterwards. The government says declaring extraordinary measures would make it liable for crippling compensation claims.

If elections do go ahead in May, they would not be fair, human rights groups say, because candidates have suspended campaigning while the incumbent still enjoys widespread media coverage helping the government and visiting health care workers.

If the election were postponed, Poland may well be in the midst of a recession, and Mr Duda's chances of re-election could be substantially diminished. Were an opposition candidate elected, the new president's power of veto could significantly disrupt the government's ability to push through its programme for the next three and a half years.

"This is a text book example of how to gain the biggest benefit from the crisis and to remain in power," Malgorzata Szuleka, a lawyer for the Helsinski Foundation for Human Rights in Warsaw told the BBC. BBC
With her Instagram handle just a few weeks old, Kareena Kapoor Khan has already been crowned the queen of captions. On Saturday, she shared a selfie and some hilarious info about the pimple on her face.

The picture was clicked when her husband Saif Ali Khan and Taimur were busy painting the walls of their balcony. She made a funny face for the camera, in stark contrast to her usual, all-glam pout. One can even see a zit on her cheek. Meanwhile... I just sat there staring in wonder of what was being created. PS: The zit on my face didnt get the memo of no personal visits and social distancing #HugeMess, she captioned her post.

Television actor Karan Wahi exclaimed how even Bebo could also be human and relatable at times. Ur Human too #faints Phewwwww, he wrote. Kareena replied, Its cause I am not travelling from London to Mumbai every week.

Kareena was poking fun at her regular trips to London with her friends and family. Last year, she spent many months in London with Saif and Taimur. Her sister Karisma and Saifs sister Soha also paid them a visit with their families.

Also read: Kareena Kapoor shares Saif Ali Khan and son Taimurs pics as they paint flowers on their balcony wall. See photos

Other than Karan, even Ranveer Singh left some laughing emojis on her post and friend Amrita Arora said, Captions are lit bro. But with or without the zit, Kareenas fans still praised her beauty. You are so beautiful, wrote one. We still love you, wrote another.

Kareena has been updating the fans of her quarantine activities on Instagram. On Friday, the actor was seen binge-watching Four More Shots Please with her girl gang but at a social distance - with Amazons plug in feature that allows you to watch a series with fans.

Follow @htshowbiz for more
EDWARDSVILLE  Alderman SJ Morrison brought some diplomacy to Thursdays administrative and community service (ACS) meeting when he suggested area restaurants could choose which start date works best for them regarding the citys new food-and-beverage tax, July 1 or Sep. 1.

While he said he is still a proponent of delaying the taxs enactment to September, he recommends that the ordinance be amended to reflect that if restaurants want to start using the new tax on July 1, they are free to do so. The ordinance had its first reading Thursday.

The notion of pushing the taxs enactment back two months sprang out of Tuesdays finance committee meeting, where Morrison and Will Krause voted to delay it while Alderman Craig Louer dissented.

The idea behind it was to provide a little bit of a soft landing for restaurants and residents as they go back to eating out, Morrison explained to committee chair Art Risavy, who was not at Tuesdays meeting. Its a gesture that we believe, under the circumstances, is reasonable. Over the course of the past several days, there has been an effort made by the mayor and others to reach out to some the restaurants.

Morrison explained the outreach is due to restaurants also having to account for the impending home-rule sales tax hike in their point-of-sale software. At Tuesdays meeting, Patton reminded aldermen that the city told the restaurant community that they would only have to adjust or upgrade their software on July 1 for both taxes. If the food tax is delayed, those same owners or managers will have to revisit that software 60 days later.

Risavy then asked Louer for his comments.

I think its a financially empty gesture, Louer said. The tax isnt paid for by businesses; it is a tax on consumers. Its been expressed that there was some feeling that the tax would diminish sales. I find that very hard to believe and have seen no evidence of that.

Louer reminded everyone about the opportunity cost of delaying the taxs debut, or $60,000, which would negatively impact an item on the citys budget wish list - software for tracking employee hours.

If were going to make a gesture or do something for businesses, lets do something that matters, that puts money in their pocket or has something besides an emotional appeal, he said.

Earlier in the meeting, the committee gave first reading to an ordinance about the 2019 amendment to the TIF #2 project area. Karen Zimmerman, the citys self-appointed tax-increment financing (TIF) expert, emailed her comments about the ordinance, which City Planner Emily Fultz read into the record.

Zimmerman claims misrepresentation at the Joint Review Board (JRB) meeting in February because the Lewis and Clark Community College representative abstained from voting, the library districts representative, was absent and District 7 did not send a representative. Schardt emailed a reporter the day after the JRB meeting, explaining to her she was out of town and noted that she supports extending the TIF.

Zimmerman claims the only adjective that fits the amendment from a program and project management perspective is bizarre. She said that the biggest mystery was District 7s silence, which she claims is now solved. She accused the school district of using the TIF extension to perpetrate fraud on the Illinois State Board of Education and by extending the TIF, District 7 can continue to make itself look poorer than it really is and continued to receive state aid that rightfully so go to poorer school districts.

She then turned to the subject of city parking and the need for additional parking, she asked why the city is leasing parking to the owner of the Mark Twain complex? That office complex is on the west side of North Main Street, between St. Louis and West Vandalia streets.

Word on the street is the need for the proposed parking structure is because the owner of that complex is having issues with renting office space. If that is the case, why is it the taxpayers responsibility to finance a parking structure for that particular owner? she asked.

Krause replied to Zimmermans email.

This has been a project that has been discussed for well over 30 years  the need for downtown parking, he said. I have lived in Edwardsville since 2005 and it was discussed at that point in time. This is a parking system that is not meant for any one business owner downtown, but its purpose is to serve the entire downtown business community.

He added that it will hopefully enhance foot traffic downtown. In the pandemics wake, Krause thinks more pedestrian traffic will be needed downtown than ever.

Before the committee adjourned, it unanimously approved a three-year beverage sales agreement between the city and Pepsi for parks department concessions at five city park locations, including the Ed/Glen Pool and the Splash Pad at Leon Corlew Park. The agreement will now be forwarded to Tuesday, April 21s city council meeting for a vote.

Reach reporter Charles Bolinger at (618) 659-5735
Motilal Oswal Real Estate (MORE) has raised Rs 1,150 crore for its fourth realty fund from high net worth individuals to invest in housing and commercial projects across six major cities, a senior company official said.

The fund raising exercise for its India Realty Excellence Fund IV (IREF IV) started in September 2018, and now the final closure has been achieved with a commitment of Rs 1,150 crore.

"We have raised Rs 1,150 crore for our fourth fund during a very challenging period," MORE Director & CEO Sharad Mittal told PTI.

The company has already made an investment commitment of around Rs 550 crore in nine projects from this fourth fund, he added.

"Our average investment size is around Rs 75 crore. Around 80 per cent of our portfolio is residential projects and 20 per cent commercial," Mittal said adding the company targets upwards of 20 per cent return on its investment.

He said the company would be cautious in making further investments from its fourth fund and would wait and watch for at least next 4-5 months to understand the impact of global economic slowdown caused by the coronavirus outbreak.

"We will focus on managing assets under our portfolio," Mittal said.

The money has been raised primarily from high net worth individuals (HNIs) and family offices.

"Existing investors from our previous funds have provided commitments to this fund notwithstanding the NBFC crisis during which we have raised this IREF IV fund," Mittal said.

MORE had earlier raised around Rs 1,700 crore for three real estate funds.

MORE is part of Motilal Oswal Private Equity (MOPE), which is the alternative investments platform of Motilal Oswal Group. At present, the cumulative AUM (asset under management) under MORE stands at more than Rs 3,600 crore.

Vishal Tulsyan, MD & CEO, MOPE said, In our private equity business, we manage an AUM of more than Rs 7,000 crore, of which 50 per cent is growth capital and 50% is real estate. Over the last few years, we have raised 4 funds and have established a successful track record as a domestic fund manager."



"Investing in real estate is one of the group's core strategies and while we continue to focus on residential real estate, we will also evaluate investing in other asset classes as the sector transforms in the coming years," he said.

Mittal said the company has made investment in projects of Casagrand Group (Chennai), Shriram Properties (Bangalore), Phoenix Group (Hyderabad), Kolte Patil Developers (Pune), ATS Group (Delhi NCR), SD Corp (Mumbai).

"The impact of the recent COVID-19 pandemic has been unprecedented wherein trade and businesses worldwide have come to a halt. It has impacted all sectors, including real estate. In India, since the announcement of the nation-wide lockdown, construction and sales activity across the entire real estate sector has been on a pause," Mittal said.

He said the company is regularly reviewing the situation with developer partners to ensure proper cash flow management.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Guangzhou R&F Properties Co., Ltd. (HKG:2777) shareholders (or potential shareholders) will be happy to see that the Co-Founder & Chairman, Sze Lim Li, recently bought a whopping HK$20m worth of stock, at a price of HK$10.22. There's no denying a buy of that magnitude suggests conviction in a brighter future, although we do note that proportionally it only increased their holding by 8.7%.

View our latest analysis for Guangzhou R&F Properties

The Last 12 Months Of Insider Transactions At Guangzhou R&F Properties

In fact, the recent purchase by Sze Lim Li was the biggest purchase of Guangzhou R&F Properties shares made by an insider individual in the last twelve months, according to our records. So it's clear an insider wanted to buy, even at a higher price than the current share price (being HK$10.08). Their view may have changed since then, but at least it shows they felt optimistic at the time. To us, it's very important to consider the price insiders pay for shares is very important. Generally speaking, it catches our eye when an insider has purchased shares at above current prices, as it suggests they believed the shares were worth buying, even at a higher price. Sze Lim Li was the only individual insider to buy shares in the last twelve months.

Sze Lim Li bought a total of 4.00m shares over the year at an average price of HK$10.58. The chart below shows insider transactions (by individuals) over the last year. If you want to know exactly who sold, for how much, and when, simply click on the graph below!

SEHK:2777 Recent Insider Trading April 19th 2020

Guangzhou R&F Properties is not the only stock that insiders are buying. For those who like to find winning investments this free list of growing companies with recent insider purchasing, could be just the ticket.

Insider Ownership of Guangzhou R&F Properties

Looking at the total insider shareholdings in a company can help to inform your view of whether they are well aligned with common shareholders. Usually, the higher the insider ownership, the more likely it is that insiders will be incentivised to build the company for the long term. It's great to see that Guangzhou R&F Properties insiders own 62% of the company, worth about HK$22b. Most shareholders would be happy to see this sort of insider ownership, since it suggests that management incentives are well aligned with other shareholders.

Story continues

So What Does This Data Suggest About Guangzhou R&F Properties Insiders?

It is good to see the recent insider purchase. And an analysis of the transactions over the last year also gives us confidence. Along with the high insider ownership, this analysis suggests that insiders are quite bullish about Guangzhou R&F Properties. One for the watchlist, at least! While we like knowing what's going on with the insider's ownership and transactions, we make sure to also consider what risks are facing a stock before making any investment decision. When we did our research, we found 3 warning signs for Guangzhou R&F Properties (1 doesn't sit too well with us!) that we believe deserve your full attention.

If you would prefer to check out another company -- one with potentially superior financials -- then do not miss this free list of interesting companies, that have HIGH return on equity and low debt.

For the purposes of this article, insiders are those individuals who report their transactions to the relevant regulatory body. We currently account for open market transactions and private dispositions, but not derivative transactions.

If you spot an error that warrants correction, please contact the editor at editorial-team@simplywallst.com. This article by Simply Wall St is general in nature. It does not constitute a recommendation to buy or sell any stock, and does not take account of your objectives, or your financial situation. Simply Wall St has no position in the stocks mentioned.



We aim to bring you long-term focused research analysis driven by fundamental data. Note that our analysis may not factor in the latest price-sensitive company announcements or qualitative material. Thank you for reading.
Charleston County Sheriff's Office

If you happened upon an escort of dozens of police cars on Saturday night, there is a tragic reason why.

The patrol cars were escorting the body of South Carolina Deputy Jeremy LaDue from San Francisco International Airport to a Concord funeral home on Clayton Road, Claycord reports. LaDue, 29, died Monday in Charleston County when his patrol car collided with another vehicle on the highway. The driver of the other vehicle also died in the crash.
Much of the news business is being hammered by the decline in advertising because of Covid-19, just when the public most needs reliable information. While digital audiences are way up, the rapid contraction in revenue has so far caused 33,000 news media employees to be furloughed, to be laid off or to suffer reduced pay.

But in the midst of this crisis, something very good just happened for journalism: French antitrust authorities ordered Google to negotiate with publishers to pay for the news content shown in search results. It is the first time that a major digital platform has been required to pay for news anywhere.

Frances action stems from a new European Union Copyright Directive, and Germany and other countries will be next. This means that in the United States, the pressure to similarly compensate stressed local publishers will be extremely high.

There are several ways the pressure on Google could be brought to bear. If Congress passes the Journalism Competition and Preservation Act, publishers would be allowed to negotiate rates with Google as a group. Alternatively, publishers might finally be forced to undertake their own lengthy copyright litigation. In any case, I believe that Google will eventually be required to treat news publishers, like music publishers, as equals.
Science fiction may soon become a reality as the first steps to terraforming or making oxygen on Mars becomes possible using a gold box called Moxie (Mars Oxygen ISRU Experiment).

The machine will be part of the payload of the Perseverance Mars rover that will be sent to the Mars Jerero crater to map the surface of the Red Planet. This rover will feature upgrades over the Curiosity Mars rover.

Perseverance is getting its final fits at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory, so it makes its July 17 launch for a rendezvous with mars on Feb.18 2021, as part of NASA's Mars 2020 program to explore the red planet. The main objective of rover mission is to survey Martian rocks for traces of past life on mars.

NASA said,"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."

First steps to terraforming

One crucial experiment is using MOXIE to convert CO2 into breathable air, with encased machinery in a gold box that the rover has as one of its instruments.

According to analysis, the Mars atmosphere is 95% carbon dioxide, 2% nitrogen, with 2% argon. The objective is to create and validate a technology for oxygen conversion. It will help future Mars settlers to make their own oxygen when the first pioneers land on Mars.

MOXIE's principle investigator Michael Hecht said, "One idea would be to bring an empty oxygen tank and fill it up on Mars."

Also read: Curiosity Rover Finds Possible Proof of Life in Mars

MOXIE "uses solid oxide electrolysis, which is like a fuel cell in reverse." It takes low-pressure Martian gas and reduce the pressure to somewhat an earth type atmosphere pressure. The gold also lowers the temperature.

Inter-planetary pickup scheme

Another of NASA's ambitious projects is retrieving a sample and sending it back to earth, which has been mentioned many times, but this time they are dead serious.

But the logistic of creating the technology and engineering a way for the sample to get back home is daunting.

It was described by the lead scientist who told Nature, NASA and ESA's collaboration will be the most ambitious mission to the red planet so far.

The initial stage is getting the vehicle out there, that's where the Perseverance rover is a collector for such samples. Right now, it is getting fitted and tested for its maiden flight in July.

Once on Mars, the robotic device will drill and scoop samples in 30 small tubes, governed by the AI without human help. This will only be one of two robotic rovers on the Mars surface

A second interplanetary pick vehicle will be leaving earth in 2026 with an arrival date of 2028. It is another rover that will collect the contents of Perseverance into its chassis. Once collected, the machine will place all vials in a Mars ascent vehicle.

Before going to earth, another craft will meet the orbital craft, and sync up the to collect the retrieval craft. Next is a lengthy trip to earth with the arriving by 2031.

Related article: Mars Rover Perseverance Preps for Maiden Launch to Mars on July 17

@ 2022 HNGN, All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission.
Government offices across the country are set to become functional from Monday as states have allowed resumption of work for most departments, especially in the rural areas.

The Centre on Wednesday issued guidelines, which allowed activities like the conditional reopening of industries in rural areas and economic enclaves, to restart the economy from Monday outside the Covid-19 containment zones.

In states such as Karnataka, Rajasthan, West Bengal and Uttar Pradesh, the entire lower rung staff will return to work. Up to one-third of ministerial and subordinate staff will work on a rotation basis, orders issued by these state said.

Thermal scanners and sanitisers have been made mandatory at all government offices and social distancing will have to be practised. Each office will have a nodal officer to ensure hygiene and social distancing, said an order issued by the Uttar Pradesh government.

Karnataka chief minister B S Yediyurappa said two-wheelers in the state will be allowed to run without any passes even as interstate and interdistrict travel will remain prohibited.

Punjab chief secretary Keshni Anand Arora said the state government has issued about 4,000 transit permits to over 120 companies to restart work. Haryana has ordered that no toll tax will be collected along state highways.

To ensure a smooth supply of goods, restaurants, fuel stations and motor vehicle repair garages along highways have been allowed to function.

The National Highway Authority of India has also announced no collection of toll tax along highways during the lockdown period.

All mining activity in Jharkhand and Chhattisgarh would resume, officials in these states said.

While gatherings remain barred in most states, Uttarakhand has allowed weddings with just five guests. Sweet shops in West Bengal will open till 8 pm daily, whereas only takeaway restaurants have been allowed in other states.

Technology companies in Karnataka and Telangana will become fully operational with social distancing norms.

Construction works in all states would also resume with a condition of in-situ stay for workers at the construction sites. Contractors have been told to provide stranded migrant workers option to work at construction sites, if there is a shortage of labour.

Industry leaders have said to restart factories to ensure pre-lockdown production levels will take a few months, with many saying the full production would start only by June end. Many said that the condition that factory owners would be liable if a worker tests positive for Covid-19 is a hurdle to the resumption of the production.

Small and medium factory owners cannot get the workers tested and without the tests, there is a risk of getting booked. Many of my friends are scared to open factories in such a scenario, said a Jaipur-based factory owner, who was not willing to be named.

Factory owners echoed similar sentiments in Punjab also.

Many states have also allowed e-commerce companies to sell non-essential goods from Monday and prompted Congress leader Ajay Maken to demand that retailers in local markets be also allowed to open their shops.

States like Himachal Pradesh and Kerala have allowed stationery and electronic repair shops to open during certain days of the week.

As a large number of activities will start from Monday, state governments have issued instructions for enforcing the lockdown in the containment zones strictly. We will double the enhancement measures in the containment areas, Yediyurappa said.
North Korea on Sunday denied that its leader, Kim Jong Un, sent President Donald Trump a nice note," calling the claim ungrounded.

Trump said during a press briefing on the COVID-19 pandemic Saturday that I received a nice note from him recently. It was a nice note. I think were doing fine.

Trump also defended now-stalled nuclear diplomacy with Kim, saying the U.S. would have been at war with North Korea if he had not been elected.

North Koreas Foreign Ministry said in a statement that there was no letter addressed to Trump recently by the supreme leadership, a reference to Kim.

It said it would examine why the U.S. leadership released the ungrounded story to the media.

The relations between the top leaders of (North Korea) and the U.S. are not an issue to be taken up just for diversion nor it should be misused for meeting selfish purposes, the statement said.

Kim and Trump have met three times and exchanged letters and envoys on many occasions since 2018, when they began talks on North Koreas nuclear weapons program. The two leaders have built some personal relationships, and Trump once said that he and Kim fell in love.

The nuclear diplomacy has made little headway since the breakdown of their second summit in Vietnam in early 2019, when Trump rebuffed Kims calls for sweeping sanctions relief in return for a partial denuclearization step.

In March, North Korea said Trump sent a personal letter to Kim, seeking to maintain good relations and offer cooperation in fighting the coronavirus pandemic.

At the time, Kims sister and senior official, Kim Yo Jong, said that Trumps letter showed how special the relationship between the two leaders was, but that it wasnt a good idea to be optimistic about the prospects for bilateral relations between their countries. A senior Trump administration official confirmed that Trump sent a letter to Kim, saying it was consistent with Trumps efforts to engage world leaders during the pandemic.
Serbia has outlined plans for the phased reopening of the countrys economy from next Tuesday until mid-May, including its commercial airports. The controlled opening of the airports is expected to occur between the week of May 4 and May 11. Some commercial flights are expected to resume, however, they will be severely limited due to travel restrictions elsewhere, as well as the grounding of most European carriers. The reopening of the airports will be coordinated with other supporting infrastructure such as intercity transport and hotels. However, the plans could be halted if the number of coronavirus Covid-19 cases increases.





Foreigners are currently banned from entering Serbia. Serbian nationals arriving on repatriation flights at Belgrade Nikola Tesla Airport are transported to government-run facilities where they are tested for the virus. If the results come back negative, they are then obligated to self-isolate for 28 days. It hasnt been communicated whether these measures will continue to be enforced once the airports begin reopening next month. Air Serbia has scheduled flights from May and is selling tickets across its network, although it will be impossible for the carrier to maintain all of its operations. Wizz Air plans to resume flights from Basel, Dortmund and Memmingen to Nis Constantine the Great Airport from May 15. Services from Vienna and Malmo to the southeast Serbian city are due to restart on June 1. The budget airline will commence operations between London Luton and Belgrade in May, while all other services from its Belgrade base have been pushed back until June 1.





Outlining measures to reopen the economy, Serbias President, Aleksandar Vucic, again reiterated the countrys commitment to supporting Air Serbia. Those employed at Air Serbia shouldnt worry about their jobs. We will seriously strengthen the airline. Just recently, there were negotiations between the national carrier and JFK Airport in New York regarding the improvement of business terms and conditions. The airport said it sees a serious partner in the Serbian carrier because they know the state will never allow it to collapse. The European Union will now enable recapitalisation and state aid. Everything that wasnt allowed in the past will be from now on, the President noted.
Bahrain Institute for Political Development (BIPD) concluded the "Political Awareness" program with the participation of 819 people.

The program came within the framework of the Institute's keenness to continue developing political awareness in the Kingdom.

It aimed through the online lectures package, to strengthen the Institutes role in disseminating and educating political culture among citizens, in a way that contributes to consolidating the values of citizenship, tolerance and peaceful coexistence in society, and enriching community dialogue to achieve the goals and visions of the comprehensive development process of His Majesty King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa.
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.




Families raising children with Special Needs or disabilities have been left out in the Governments food distribution programme for COVID-19, Mrs Ellen Affam-Dadzie, Executive Director of With God Cerebral Palsy Centre has said.



Many families raising children with disabilities are unable to go out and collect the cooked food because of their peculiar situation, many are also not members of any organized church, making them totally left out in the management of Ghanas Covid-19 cases.



Mrs Affam-Dadzie said this during an online discussion on the Special Mothers Project Whatsapp platform.



The Special Mothers Project is an advocacy and awareness creation programme on Cerebral palsy issues and oth er issues affecting families raising children with Special Needs or disabilities.



Many of the Special Needs parents said they had exhausted all the avenues to enable them benefit from the Governments food distribution programme.



Madam Millicent Oboubi, a mother of a child with cerebral palsy, said she called a telephone number given out by the Ghana Federation of Disability Organisations to no avail.



I called the contact person for Okaikwei North, the person on the other side of the call picks the call but does not talk, I did this several times and gave up."



Another mother said, she was told to look for the nearest Methodist Church in her community to get the number of the presiding bishop, I felt they were just trying to put me off so I just ended the call, who do I leave my child with to go in search of food, "



Another Special Needs mother said after several calls to a church in her community, they brought her cooked food which wasnt so much needed at the time they brought it.



She added," Besides, my son with cerebral palsy cannot eat the cooked food they brought, they brought kenkey with pepper and sardine, I would have preferred being given corn dough to prepare porridge for him."



Mrs Hannah Awadzi, Executive Director of The Special Mothers Project, said there was the need for a coordinated effort to reach out to all Special Needs Families who may be in critical need at this time.



She urged government to bring the leadership of the various groups on children with Special Needs together and look at the best way forward to ensure families raising children with Special Needs are served in these unusual times.









Source: GNA









Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority.

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Noticeably absent from most official shelter-in-place orders, many San Francisco surfers arent sure what to do.

There have been no conclusive studies that the coronavirus can be transmitted through the ocean and its ability to transfer through sea spray is up for debate. But one recent L.A. Times article had many surfers concerned.

Kim Prather, an atmospheric chemist at the Scripps Institution of Oceanography, caught national attention for saying she wanted to tell those surfing off the San Diego coast, I wouldnt go in the water if you paid me $1 million right now, she said.

The quote was picked up by many news outlets, alarming surfers across the country. Prather later said in a Facebook post that the quote was taken out of context, writing, when I first read the opening lines in the article, I cringed and contacted the writer right away ...The point I was trying to make was I would not go in the ocean (here in SD) where it is polluted right now nor would I go to the crowded beaches. As I suspected would happen that quote about not going in the ocean has now been used for many headlines around the world and interpreted to mean I would not go in any ocean right now.

Peter Medine, a San Francisco high school teacher and frequent surfer, said the article had circulated among his surfing friends and it definitely kept him at home for a couple of days after he read it.

It didnt help that shortly after the article was published, Santa Cruz County officials issued a health order closing all parks and beaches through April 15, which specifically prohibited surfing. They have since reopened.

But Medine said he did some more research and the fear eventually wore off. He said theres a sort of unwritten rule that surfers should stay at least six feet from each other in the water anyway to prevent injury, so its actually the perfect sport for shelter-in-place. Obviously if the city had said to stay off the beach wed comply, Medine said. Surfing is pretty solitary and its easy to keep that six feet distance. Its also great for your mental health.

When asked if surfing goes against the current shelter-in-place order for San Francisco, the San Francisco Mayors office said, The shelter in place order allows outdoor exercise or essential needs. People should exercise for mental and physical health, but they should maintain social distance of at least six feet from others and not do it in a group. You should wash your hands after the activity, and if you do exercise with another individual, it should be with someone you are self-quarantining with at home.

Medine lives just a few blocks from Ocean Beach, making catching some waves something he can do without traveling too far.

Before the shelter-in-place, he typically surfed once or twice a week. Now, hes surfing at least three times a week depending on the weather and ocean conditions since, he said, hes just got so much more time to do it. There have been tons of surfers out there, Medine said. It seems to be business as usual for the surfing crowd.

Still, some surfers arent comfortable heading to the beach, especially since they werent quite sure whether it was allowed under the order. San Francisco resident Will McCarthy was surprised when I told him it wasnt against the order, but said it probably wouldnt change things for him. He said since he lives in Bernal Heights it would involve traveling outside his immediate area and he knows youre supposed to stay close to home.

He also said hes been following the news of the virus spiking in New York and thats been giving him pause. I just thought, you know what, Ill stop surfing and just take things really seriously, he said. Im kind of torn now.

While hes unsure about catching the virus while surfing, its more so about avoiding any potential for injury. McCarthy said he had a close-call accident a few weeks before the shelter-in-place and hes concerned that if it had been bad he would have ended up in the hospital. That could contribute to overwhelming the hospital system and/or putting him at a higher risk of contracting the virus there.

Palo Alto resident Maya Granit said she typically went to Santa Cruz to surf once or twice a week before shelter-in-place, but now shes sticking close to home and doesnt see the point in risking her life to surf.

I really miss the ocean, but its such a tiny sacrifice to make given what so many people are having to deal with, Granit said. The way I think of it is if staying home means saving one more nurse or doctor I can definitely sacrifice surfing for a couple of months.

She said she knows Santa Cruz also has significantly fewer ICU beds and she wouldnt want to overwhelm an already vulnerable community if something were to happen (Santa Cruz Countys hospitals typically have the capacity for just 25 intensive-care beds).

Granit said she wont get back on her board until Governor Gavin Newsom says its OK to take part in leisure travel.

But as the weather warms and the curve continues to stay flat, surfing could become more appealing for anyone looking to enjoy a nice day.

Surfing is very addictive, Medine said. Its extremely difficult to stare out at the ocean and have all this time and not go out into the ocean.

Tessa McLean is a digital editor with SFGATE. Email her at tessa.mclean@sfgate.com or follow her on Twitter @mcleantessa.
U.S. District Court Judge David O. Carter tours skid row in April. (Myung J. Chun/Los Angeles Times)

"Anybody want to test my accountability by walking with me in a few moments down to skid row?"

U.S. District Judge David O. Carter leveled the question at a room full of attorneys on a recent Tuesday afternoon.

"Do you all believe me, or do you want to see it?" he pressed. "Do you want to see it?"

At 76 years old, Carter knows he should be at home and away from people, not in a cavernous ballroom in the basement of the Alexandria Hotel surrounded by attorneys and journalists, or outside leading a tour of the largest concentration of homeless people in the country. Public officials have warned that his age puts him at high risk for contracting the coronavirus and dying of COVID-19.

U.S. District Judge David Carter, right, and U.S. District Judge Andre Birotte, Jr., leave a closed Federal court hearing to discuss possible immediate solutions to the Skid Row homeless crisis in light of the worsening coronavirus pandemic at the Alexandria Hotel in downtown Los Angeles. (Genaro Molina/Los Angeles Times)

But as the pandemic has unfolded, Carter, long known as brash, verbose and stubbornly hands-on, has been on a mission to force changes in the living conditions for the homeless people of L.A.

He is the judge assigned to a lawsuit filed last month against the city and county of Los Angeles by the L.A. Alliance for Human Rights. The group of business owners and downtown residents, among others, is demanding solutions to what they see as unsafe and inhumane conditions in encampments  especially given the pandemic.

On this particular Tuesday, two attorneys representing the county and several others representing advocacy groups decided to take Carter up on his offer to see whether the new hand-washing stations on skid row actually worked. In court, Carter had been frustrated that the stations the city was touting didn't have water in them. He knew many were empty because he had checked them earlier.

So for two hours, the group marched around the squalor of skid row in the rain. Carter's determined gait left other, much younger people scrambling to keep up, shivering in their soaked business attire.

He led them from station to station, demonstrating which ones worked and which ones didn't. He wore gloves, but then shook the hands of several homeless people. Although he had on an N95 mask, he would pull it back so people could hear him. He also often stood closer to others than the recommended distance of six feet.

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U.S. District Court Judge David O. Carter and Los Angeles Police Officer Deon Joseph check an empty water dispenser while touring skid row on April 3 in downtown Los Angeles. Joseph said he noticed it was empty about 1 1/2 weeks ago. (Myung J. Chun/Los Angeles Times)

Carter declined to explain on the record to The Times why he continues to put himself in danger, but he did say he has started getting tested regularly for the coronavirus (he's negative) and is taking social distancing seriously, along with wearing a mask and gloves.

His wife, Mary Ellen Carter, said she is sleeping in a separate bedroom as a precaution. Last month, their grandchildren left him a birthday gift on the front porch and then ran behind their picket fence to sing him happy birthday.

But she said those sacrifices were small compared with the size of her husband's mission.

"The fun thing about Dave is there's always change when he's involved. He reminded me, everyone [in government] says, well, they should be doing this and they should be doing that. There's no leadership," Mary Ellen Carter said. "They need some leader to take this on and say, 'OK, this is what we're going to do.' ...Because there's a lawsuit, it gives him a chance to come in and say this is what he needs done."

Carter's close associates, including a longtime friend from his stint as a Marine, suspect that the judge simply found it unacceptable to sit alone in his chambers or his house as the pandemic is playing out on the street.

Far from being a martyr, they say Carter merely sees the coronavirus as an opportunity to help homeless people in a way that hasn't happened through decades of public policy and litigation between advocates and the city and county.

"He's trying to impress on people that they can't be in a bubble when the people out there are not... This is real. This is flesh and blood," said Laurie Levenson, a professor at Loyola Law School at Loyola Marymount University. "This will be seen as masterful. As long as nobody [in his courtroom] gets sick."

::

Carter is known for wanting to be in the thick of things.

He's rarely content to sit back and just file rulings. He begins sending emails and making calls to elected officials and business leaders before the sun rises. In the past, he has convened his courtroom on a Santa Ana riverbed and he regularly visits homeless encampments.

A federal judge since 1999, Carter made a name for himself in 2018 when he presided over a case brought by homeless advocates in Orange County. The county and the cities of Anaheim, Costa Mesa and Orange wanted to clear encampments along a three-mile stretch of the Santa Ana River Trail in 2018. Advocates sued.

Carter helped oversee a settlement, in which more than a dozen cities in northern Orange County agreed to create enough shelter beds for a specific percentage of the local homeless population.

As a result of the lawsuit, about 1,200 beds have been added or are in the pipeline, even in cities that once resisted shelters, according to attorney Carol Sobel, who worked on behalf of advocates in the Orange County case and is now involved in the Los Angeles case. About 1,500 units of new permanent housing have been approved, she said.

Separately, Carter also tangled with several wealthy cities in southern Orange County that enforced anti-camping laws by sending homeless people to poorer parts of the county in the north. Those cities refused to settle, retained lawyers from Jones Day and succeeded in having Carter removed from the case, because he had made comments that could be perceived as biased and because of the way he communicated with public officials.

The case brought by cities in southern Orange County was later dismissed, though the plaintiffs are appealing.

U.S. District Judge David O. Carter greets Shane Allen, 36, who is homeless, while surveying an encampment along the Santa Ana River in Anaheim in 2018. (Gary Coronado / Los Angeles Times)

The thing about Judge Carter is he's a hands-on judge," Sobel said. He's been to skid row numerous times. He's been to Venice, San Pedro, Eagle Rock. He's been out and about more than the city officials are.

Carter, over the years, has made little attempt to disguise his efforts to improve conditions for homeless people. He sometimes acts more like a politician than a jurist  behavior that got him in trouble in Orange County.

Whether it's at a function or on skid row, Carter will shake every hand and engage everyone in conversation.

"People always say to him, 'Dave, you aren't running for Congress, you can sit down,' " his wife said. "That should've been his career. He would've been perfect at that."

Yet Sobel credited some of Carter's success to the connections he has cultivated with business leaders and public officials.

During a recent hearing in the Los Angeles case, for example, he insisted on getting L.A. City Atty. Mike Feuer's cellphone number and told lawyers that he and Mayor Eric Garcetti had been exchanging emails since 5:30 a.m. That's on top of meeting with almost all the members of the City Council and every member of the county Board of Supervisors.

"I'm going to call you Eric from now on, OK?," Carter asked the mayor from the bench during the first of what have been many appearances. "I'm Dave."

U.S. District Judge David O. Carter surveys a homeless encampment along the Santa Ana River in Anaheim in 2018. (Gary Coronado / Los Angeles Times)

These conversations inside and outside the courtroom appear to be having the intended effect, putting pressure on politicians who have long focused on homelessness, but with mixed success. It was why the plaintiffs initially pushed for Carter to hear the case, and why both city and county officials have willingly come to the table to talk about solutions.

Lately, the judge has taken a particular interest in how homeless people are getting to the city's new shelters in city recreation centers and how medical care is being provided there. One recent Sunday, he joined L.A. City Councilman Mike Bonin for a tour of shelters in Westchester and Westwood.

"He tried to not identify as a judge and told people he was my oldest staff member," Bonin said.

Carter practiced social distancing most of the time, Bonin said, but talked to almost everyone at the shelter and even measured the distance between the cots to make sure they were indeed six feet apart to slow the spread of the coronavirus. He then buttonholed a few Los Angeles police officers, peppering them with questions about why they were taking people's temperatures.

At first, the officers were reluctant to talk. "So he called Michel Moore," Bonin said, referring to the LAPD's chief.

The officers opened up, and Carter then joined them on a bus ride to pick up more homeless people.

::

Al Andersonn sent this art work to Carter aned his Marine friends. Anderson and carter met in the Marines during the Vietnam War.Carter's unit attempted to take a hill in the battle of Khe Sanh. He was badly wounded and spent the next year in the hospital. The experience, Anderson said, left Carter scarred, but also defined the rest of his life.. (AL ANDERSON)

One of Carter's friends, Al Anderson, isn't surprised the judge is risking his life for homeless people during the coronavirus pandemic.

The two met in the Marines during the Vietnam War. Fifty-two years ago this month, Carter's unit attempted to take a hill in the battle of Khe Sanh. He was badly wounded and spent the next year in the hospital. The experience, Anderson said, left Carter scarred, but also defined the rest of his life.

Anderson has watched Carter's star rise, presiding over trials involving the Mexican Mafia and Aryan Brotherhood. Carter, he said, has always been willing to put himself in harm's way for the right reasons.

"He has been making a mark, and he is more so doing it now, but in a different way," said Anderson, 76, who can't leave his home because he's had several bouts of pneumonia, putting him at high risk for severe COVID-19. "He's championing that part of society that has been overlooked and would be overlooked more if it wasn't for what he's doing."

Carter's wife echoed that, saying, "He's always told me, 'Mary Ellen, I shouldn't be here. I fought in the war and I'm not afraid like other people, this doesn't frighten me. I've been given this second chance.'"

Carter wears a Purple Heart Medal pin on the lapel of his suit jacket. He also earned a Bronze Star.

U.S. District Court Judge David O. Carter tours skid row with Los Angeles Police Officer Deon Joseph in downtown Los Angeles. (Myung J. Chun/Los Angeles Times)

Back on skid row, staring through the rain at tent after tent, he recounted to the attorneys following him how bullets killed many people in Khe Sanh, but it was the wet and cold that killed lots of the men in his battalion.

"When the wind, it hits you," he said, "you die of hypothermia."

As the rain began to slow, Carter became enraged that the sidewalks were full of tents, making them impassable.

As he walked down 5th Street toward San Pedro Street, homeless people began to come out of their tents and clap. He waved and smiled and shook some hands.

Carter has focused much of his attention on this center of Los Angeles' homeless community.

He has already helped facilitate some compromises. He is working on the broad contours of an agreement that would allow RVs and trailers to be parked near skid row on state-owned land and in a few parking lots that the city might lease. He also pushed the city to communicate that it wouldn't be issuing citations for sleeping in campers during the pandemic.

Garcetti has repeatedly mentioned Carter during his nightly briefing on the coronavirus, recently giving the judge some credit as he explained that hand-washing stations will now be checked daily to make sure there's water and soap, so homeless people can maintain basic hygiene.

These are all small deals, but they might lead to further cooperation between the city and county, and homeless advocates, some have speculated. That, in turn, could lead to more agreements that go beyond the response to the coronavirus crisis.

Still, Carter has acknowledged in court that no matter what they do, tens of thousands of people will continue to live on the streets, getting sick without adequate medical care and possibly spreading the coronavirus to others.

"By God, we're going to get criticized for the lives we didn't save. We're never going to be accountable or known for the lives we did save," he said. "You have got a chance for us to save an awful lot of lives."

Times staff writer Doug Smith contributed to this story.
By Kate Abnett and Simon Jessop

LONDON (Reuters) - Cement and steel companies are being warned by investors over their lobbying on planned European Union carbon costs, saying they are effectively asking to be compensated twice over.

A review of public consultation responses by Reuters shows lobbyists want the EU to maintain an existing scheme to support firms with carbon credits at the same time as it introduces a new carbon border tax to shield them from outside rivals.

Manufacturers of cement and steel contacted by Reuters said such concerns were misplaced and they are fully committed to the EU's goal to decarbonise its economy by 2050.

"We as a company welcome it," Cedric de Meeus, Swiss cement maker LafargeHolcim's head of public affairs, said.

"This is going to be a complex transition. We are prepared to play our part," de Meeus added.

Imposing carbon costs at its borders is a central pillar of EU chief executive Ursula von der Leyen's Green Deal policy and aims to protect firms who incur costs in meeting the target.

The fear is that competition from Chinese, Turkish, African firms and others subject to less stringent climate policies could prompt EU firms to relocate outside the bloc. This risks causing "carbon leakage", where emissions move elsewhere rather than falling in line with climate targets.

"Companies should not be compensated twice for the potential risks of carbon leakage," Institutional Investors Group on Climate Change chief executive Stephanie Pfeifer told Reuters.

This European group of mainly pension funds and insurers has some 30 trillion euros ($32.6 trillion) of assets under management, whose 230 investor members will hold shares and bonds in European steel and cement firms in their portfolios.

With climate change topping lists of investor concerns before the coronavirus crisis, money managers have become increasingly vocal over any perceived risk that corporate lobbying could undermine tougher action on emissions.

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"The decarbonisation pathway of this sector to-date already looks to miss the mark," Bruce Duguid head of stewardship at EOS, the corporate engagement arm of British asset manager Hermes told Reuters, referring to cement.

"We do not agree that it is necessary to have in place both free allocations and a border adjustment mechanism," he added.

The European Commission says it will publish a proposal in 2021 on the border charges and has therefore begun the consultations on the plans.

For an interactive version of the graphic, click here https://reut.rs/2wpzlqK

BATTLE LINES

Battle lines have been drawn in more than 200 responses submitted to a consultation by the European Commission on its planned carbon border charges last month over whether the measures would replace, or be applied on top of, existing industry support.

At present, the EU gives industry a share of free carbon credits under its emissions trading system (ETS), allowing them to produce a certain amount for free.

For an interactive version of the graphic, click here https://reut.rs/3e5gUsh

In responses reviewed by Reuters, groups including cement industry association CEMBUREAU, EUROFER, which represents steelmakers, and Aluminium Europe said the carbon border tax must complement, not replace, these free carbon credits.

Companies adopting this stance included LafargeHolcim and Luxembourg's ArcelorMittal, the world's largest steelmaker, while Germany's biggest steelmaker ThyssenKrupp told Reuters it holds the same position. ArcelorMittal submitted EUROFER's position paper in the consultation.

"It is essential that the free allocation of emissions allowances under the EU ETS up to 2030 be strengthened and continued, applying realistic benchmarks and with no additional reduction of allocations," ThyssenKrupp said.

EU carbon credits will drop as Brussels attempts to steer industry towards decarbonisation, although firms will continue to receive some free permits until at least the 2030s.

CEMBUREAU, EUROFER and LafargeHolcim all said they were not seeking double compensation, but instead proposing a hybrid system in which any new border mechanism avoided the same emissions being covered by both forms of protection.

Under their proposal, EU companies would continue to receive free carbon permits, while companies exporting into Europe would receive a comparable share of "free" emissions, and pay a carbon border tax for any extra emissions.

"What we ask for is that third country importers are treated equally to European producers," CEMBUREAU chief executive Koen Coppenholle told Reuters.

"There should be no double protection for the same emissions," a EUROFER spokesman said. "But there should be protection for those emissions costs that are not covered by free allocation."

Aluminium Europe said existing protections should remain untouched because a border tax could not fully address the sector's carbon costs, which are mostly incurred through the large amounts of electricity needed to make aluminium.

Some say such measures will only serve to delay action to phase out free allocations of carbon credits.

"We want disruptive change, we want new low-carbon alternatives," Georg Zachmann, senior fellow at Brussels think-tank Bruegel, said.

"Therefore, we should really shift away from any measure that protects investments into dirty technology.

(Writing by Matthew Green; Editing by Alexander Smith)
A Beechcraft B 200 aircraft, which was otherwise used as official transport by the chief minister and governor of Madhya Pradesh, has become a key element to the states fight against the coronavirus disease (Covid-19), according to people familiar with the matter.

Starting this week, the six-seater plane -- operated by pilots wearing hazmat suits -- is being used to carry test samples between big cities in the state and New Delhi to enable Madhya Pradesh go beyond its own testing capacity of 1,200 a day for the Sars-CoV-2, the virus which causes Covid-19.

We realized that some coronavirus patients were dying in MP just after three-four days of hospital stay, said Mohammed Suleiman, an IAS officer who last week took charge of the state health department. We realized that they were coming too late. So we decided to step up testing and thats why we need to send extra samples to ICMR (Indian Council of Medical Research) in Delhi.

In its third trip on Saturday, the Beechcraft carried 1,663 samples from Bhopal to Delhi, where they were taken to the National Centre for Disease Control (NCDC). Earlier in the week, 1,200 samples were carried from Indore to the national capital.

ICMR and NCDC have kindly agreed to test 1,400 samples of MP state daily, said the commissioner of the health department, Nishant Warwade. The strategy is to send samples of all suspects for testing so that no one remains untested.

Madhya Pradesh is not the only state to take the aerial route to enhance its testing capacity. While it has its own state plane, Assam has been using chartered planes to ferry samples at a time when all commercial and private flights were suspended following the imposition on March 25 by Prime Minister Narendra Modi of a 21-day national lockdown, which has not been extended till May 3.

The Assam government has also been hiring these planes at the cost of 70,000-90,000 rupees per hour to get supplies from the ICMR offices in Kolkata.

Weve been using a chartered plane since the beginning of the lockdown, said Assam health minister Himanta Biswa Sarma. We need to not just ferry samples for testing but also procure medical supplies from Kolkata, so we are using the plane on a daily basis.

While the exact number of samples that Assam has sent were not available, Sarma said they have been using it daily since the lockdown.

The chartered services is also sometimes being used to ferry medical personnel from one district to another, Sarma added.
MUSKEGON COUNTY, MI -- Looking back now, Sue Vayette realizes the signs of coronavirus were there  she just didnt want to believe she had the deadly disease.

The Norton Shores woman always considered herself healthy. She was the type who didnt get a cold when everyone else did.

So, she thought it was just a bug when she began feeling ill around March 31. It started with a sore throat, and slowly progressed.

She began to feel short of breath and was sleeping all the time when sweats and chills set in.

Even taking a shower became an ordeal, with the steam making it so difficult to breathe, Vayette had to move into her bedroom to towel off.

But it was when food started tasting strange that Vayette really became alarmed.

That, she said, was what drew my attention.

Peanut butter toast tasted like salt. Mint toothpaste was disgusting.

Then she felt excruciating chest and back pain, and she thought she must be having a heart attack.

So Vayette on April 3 finally decided to do what her family had been encouraging: She sought testing for COVID-19.

She got to the prescreening tent outside Mercy Healths Mercy Campus in Muskegon, but she never made it in to be tested. Instead, she was directed into the hospitals emergency room. Testing later confirmed she had the virus and she was admitted immediately.

I guess I was hoping I would sleep it away, Vayette said. Unfortunately, I got worse. I didnt realize how bad I was until I got to the hospital. Im so glad I went.

She had pictured patients lining the halls of the hospital, like those she had seen on TV in New York City. But it wasnt like that at Mercy.

It was nothing like that here, she said. I was in good hands.

Vayette remained hospitalized for four days, and, thankfully, never was hooked up to a ventilator. She was discharged April 7 with oxygen  which she continues to receive as home health care workers monitor her progress.

She remains uncertain how she caught COVID-19. When Gov. Gretchen Whitmer announced the closure of K-12 schools on March 16, Vayette said she loaded up on groceries and didnt leave home until her trip to the hospital more than two weeks later.

But her husband continued going to work in a warehouse where hes employed in shipping and is considered an essential worker. He has carefully removed his clothes in their garage when he comes home from his job, Vayette said. He has shown no signs of the virus.

Vayette said she is grateful for Whitmers stay-in-place and other orders, and she struggles to understand the protesters who demand restrictions be lifted.

It makes me sick theres people out there who dont believe in this, she said. I think gosh, I dont want them to get it, or a family member. Then theyll find out its real.

Vayettes ordeal brought clarity to what really matters in her life, especially her five grandchildren whom she hasnt been able to see for weeks. It has brought emotions to the surface, and they catch in her throat when she talks about the nurses who lined the hospital hallway and clapped as she was wheeled out on her way home.

I couldnt even talk, she said. I was speechless.

She fights tears as she talks about her caregivers at the hospital, and her gratitude for the sacrifices they are making for others.

Until you walk in those shoes, you just dont know, she said. I wish we could do more for the doctors and nurses because theyre really putting their lives on the line.

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:

Medical experts say Michigans coronavirus death count isnt accurate. But is it too high or too low?

I thought that was gonna be the end. Man with transplanted lungs among Michigans first coronavirus patients

5 things that need to happen for Michigan to reopen its economy after the coronavirus crisis
CLEVELAND, Ohio -- Although WOLFS Gallery in Larchmere has launched its first-ever online exhibition, the art and the artist are by no means virtual.

Clarence Holbrook Carter: Metamorphosis of an American Surrealist opened April 16 in full compliance with Ohios stay-at-home order due to the coronavirus pandemic.

Since you cant be here with us, we are bringing the opening to you, Michael Wolf announced as he introduced the gallerys first Zoom app interview, in which Cleveland-based art historian Marianne Berardi joined curator Lauren Lovings-Gomez to discuss a Cleveland School career that spanned more than 60 years.

The retrospective, featuring over 200 works coming directly from the Carter estate, chronicles the artist's dramatic journey through the ever-changing 20th century, Wolf noted.

"Carter (1904-2000) achieved a level of national artistic success that was nearly unprecedented among Cleveland School artists of his day, evolving from an exceptionally fine American Scene painter, capable of evoking deep reservoirs of mood, into an abstractionist with a strongly surrealist bent," Berardi wrote earlier.

Both of his parents encouraged his artistic abilities while he was growing up on the Ohio River. After the untimely death of his Portsmouth postmaster father from a stroke, Carters mother still found a way to send him to the Cleveland School of Art from 1923-27, where he studied under Henry Keller, Frank Wilcox and Paul Travis.

Thanks to Cleveland Museum of Art Director William Milliken lining up benefactors, Carter left to study in Europe, starting on the Island of Capri with modernist Hans Hofmann, then returning to Cleveland in 1929, where he had his first solo show, coinciding with the Great Depression.

Carter then taught studio classes at the Cleveland Museum of Art from 1930-37. Under the New Deals Public Works of Art Project (PWAP), he won a commission in 1934 to paint two murals in Clevelands Public Auditorium.

Murals followed in the post offices of Ravenna and his hometown of Portsmouth, where his father had worked. Carter later headed the Northeast Ohio division of the Federal Art Project, part of the Works Progress Administration (WPA).

"He undertook a really daunting job that was highly political, with loads of problems," Berardi noted. "But he was a very capable administrator, who made it a point to work only three days a week in the office, leaving two days to paint."

From there, Carter was off to Pittsburgh in 1938 to teach at the Carnegie Institute of Technology, now Carnegie Mellon University, until 1944.

"Carters 'American Scene' paintings of the 1930s and 40s, which launched his artistic star, are the works for which the artist remains best known," Berardi noted.

With the continuing rise of Abstract Expressionism during and immediately after World War II, Carter made a career shift to New York City's Madison Avenue and commercial art, where the hallmarks of his style were still in demand.

Thus, from 1944-59, Carter became a veritable Mad Man, designing ambitious series of advertisements for major corporations, which appeared in national magazines, Berardi said. He described this period as one of incredible inventiveness and imagination. It freed him up to be far more experimental in his approach to image making.

In the 1960s, Carter left the commercial career behind, returning solely to his own work.

Not surprisingly, he emerged a more cerebral and inspired artist, combining precisionism with a new ethereal language, Wolf said.

One of his recurring themes became the egg or "ovoid" shape, which was encouraged by Travis, who hailed from Wellsville, further north along the Ohio River.

Another hallmark is the Over and Above series of paintings, featuring impossibly large-scale creatures looming over high walls, the online introduction notes.

"At first glance, Carters artistic metamorphosis seems to drastically differ throughout the decades. However, upon taking a step back, we can see a common theme -- the artists grappling with life, death and the in-between.

Whether grounded in austere landscapes or surrealist mindscapes, Carter often leaves viewers holding their breath.

The Clarence Holbrook Carter exhibition can be viewed online at https://wolfsgallery.com/news-events/clarence-holbrook-carter-metamorphosis-of-an-american-surrealist

A fully illustrated catalog ($35) with essays by Berardi and the late author and art lover James A. Michener accompany the exhibition.

For sales inquiries, contact WOLFS at 216-721-6945 or info@wolfsgallery.com

View the WOLFS website at www.wolfsgallery.com or follow the gallery on Instagram @wolfsgallery or facebook.com/wolfsgallery

Read more from the Sun Press.
I dont think that these rules, knowing what we know now, were sufficient to ensure that sailors wouldnt bring the virus back aboard, General Lecointre also told the broadcaster TF1. The health of our men is the greatest good that we have, he said, adding that an essential and symbolic military tool was now unusable.

We have to restore this capability as quickly as possible, because its a vulnerability, he said.

The Defense Ministry has ordered an internal and an epidemiological investigation, with preliminary conclusions expected in several weeks.

More than 2,000 tests carried out among the 2,300 sailors in the carriers naval group, which includes support vessels like a frigate and a refueling ship, found 1,081 infected crew members. Almost all were from the Charles de Gaulle, representing nearly 60 percent of its 1,746 crew members.

The episode has left relatives of the crew members reeling and many questions unanswered.

Celyne Flandrin, 29, who is married to one of the infected sailors, said in a telephone interview on Saturday: I had been telling everybody, Im reassured, hes in the middle of the ocean. At least he wont get sick and I wont be worried. I was kind of surprised.

Ms. Flandrin, who lives in Toulon, the carriers home port, said that when her husband called after the ship returned to France last weekend, he had a cough and a sore throat. He tested positive after being hospitalized, but his health has improved and he is now in isolation on a navy base, she said.

Its scary, when you see the damage that it can do, Ms. Flandrin said of the virus.

France is not the only country dealing with an outbreak of Covid-19, the disease caused by the virus, on one of its ships. An American sailor has died and hundreds more were infected as the virus spread on the Theodore Roosevelt, another nuclear-powered aircraft carrier.
Keidy and Gene Palusky invested thousands to develop the XTorch after seeing a need for a reliable light and electricity source on mission trips. Read more

Minneapolis real estate entrepreneur Gene Palusky and his schoolteacher wife, Keidy, are using their business acumen and big hearts to light dark corners of the globe.

Palusky, 64, a once-struggling artist, started renovating old houses 30-plus years ago. That led to an apartment building redevelopment business. He liquidated the last of the buildings several years ago.

I dont need another million dollars, he said. I have everything I want and enough for the rest of my life.

Palusky and his wife, a native of the Dominican Republic, met years ago when he worked as a carpenter on a mission trip to the Dominican Republic. They live with their two children in a comfortable house in an old neighborhood in Edina, Minn.

Since 2015, the couple have invested hundreds of thousands of dollars in a business endeavor thats helping students and low-income families in the Dominican Republic, Haiti, and elsewhere achieve nighttime lighting and 24-hour communications, in partnership with grassroots nonprofit partners.

XTorch (xtorch.org) is a solar-powered flashlight, lantern, and cellphone charger. And its already a game-changer for hundreds for poor families around the globe.

The idea grew out of Paluskys months-long service in the Dominican Republic building a community center and teaching English. He was struck by the warmth of the people as well as the countrys outage-prone electrical system.

Kids there, in Haiti, and elsewhere without evening electricity often study by dangerous kerosene lamps or candles, he said. Moreover, people in developing countries are reliant on cellphones for small business communication. Reliable light leads to greater literacy, safety, and self-sufficiency, he said.

XTorch achieved modest sales in 2018 before a breakout 2019.

The Paluskys sold 1,100-plus XTorches on their website and Amazon for up to $60 each. Theyve tapped the markets of campers and homeowners, too, who like a long-lasting solar-powered lamp that also charges an iPhone.

Those profitable sales and a significant cash donation by the Palusky family enabled them to ship in March through their nonprofit partners about 2,000 XTorches to Haiti and to the Venezuelan border with Colombia. The torches are distributed directly to client families through XTorch partners Compassion International and Bethany Christian Services.

We have donated more than we have made in profit by a long shot, but now that we no longer need to invest in tooling and R&D for manufacturing, our profit margin should be much greater than last year, Palusky said.

They also are donating nearly 1,000 solar panels to Haiti, he said.

That means more light and power, he said. And they can sell some power to neighbors for 25 cents or so. That gives them a tiny business tool.

More revenue from XTorches means more donations.

Buoyed by continued strong sales and continuing demand, the Paluskys are hiring people with marketing skills and are venturing into selling through brick-and-mortar retailers.

Last year, a mother in Dominican Republic wrote to Keidy Palusky: Besides saving money by not having to buy candles  my children can do their homework at night  it helps me to make dinner and, as an added bonus, I can charge my phone.

This is turning out to be so much more work than we ever imagined, Keidy said. It has been five years since we started and are only now profitable. It seems to be working and we hope to grow sales about 350% in 2020. If we did not see the value in these efforts, we would not be doing it.
By Abhishek Banerjee

In what looks like a small village in Bengal, a group of humanists have gathered to distribute food rations to the poor. A man begins reading names from a list. One by one, the poor people of the village come up and collect their humble sack of grain. Hard times also bring out the best in the human spirit.

All of a sudden, the man with the list stops. He has noticed that certain persons have also joined the back of the line to receive food. He raises his voice and tells them to go away.

You are Hindus, he says, Go away. This is not for you. Dont put your names on the list.

See here (after 3:35).

Terrorism has no religion. But for some people, hunger certainly can. Anyway, I digress.

For now, you might be relieved to learn that this is happening in some village in East Bengal, now called Bangladesh. No such reports from West Bengal. At least not yet.

Borders are a funny thing, especially when drawn arbitrarily across a nation as ancient as Bharat, tearing it into pieces. We can pretend that this video does not matter simply because it is from Bangladesh and not from any part of the Republic of India. We can close our eyes. Or we could see it as a warning about the grim future of those who will not learn from history. The obsessively India hating Arund**ti Roy is right about one thing. The pandemic is a portal. But not in the way she wants us to believe. Through this time portal, we can see what lies on the other side of this tunnel called Ganga Jamuni Tehzeeb.

In the last two months, the world has been in the throes of the Wuhan Coronavirus pandemic. And a great crime against humanity has gone unnoticed. Pakistan and Bangladesh have been using this pandemic to starve their Hindu minority.

Do not believe even for a moment that the world is merely distracted, too busy looking at other things to care about a handful of people in a poor country. If media has time and space for silly articles suggesting that saying Bharat instead of India could be a conspiracy against the world, they surely have time to cover whats happening to Hindus in Pakistan or Bangladesh. The poison drip of Hinduphobia in the Western media has been up and running as if nothing has happened. A random hospital in India becomes the target of a fake story accusing Indias Hindu majority of intolerance. The story is flashed around the world in a matter of hours.

And its not like the world cared about Hindus in Pakistan or Bangladesh when things were normal.

The world is looking away from the plight of Hindus and deliberately so.

The interesting question is why Hindus of India also seem to be looking away, at best only vaguely aware of what is happening just across the border.

This is where narrative becomes so important. See, Indian liberals know perfectly well that nobody can threaten the citizenship any Indian, whether CAA or anything else. Indian liberals know perfectly well that India is not lynchistan. And that the recent riots in Delhi were obviously not a genocide.

Why then does the Indian liberal keep telling these lies? One part of it is a simple profit motive. There is a real desire out there to believe the worst about India. This is in countries which are insecure about India rising to the top 5 of world economies and demanding a place at the power table. And where there is a demand, there is always someone willing to sell. Even if it means selling out their own country. The world is a nasty place.

But the real motive goes beyond that. These lies serve a specific purpose. They keep Hindus on the defensive. Unable to see whats really happening to them. Unable to see how Hindus are being sent on a one way journey out of history. And definitely unable to hear the screams of Hindus across the border in Pakistan and Bangladesh. They are not spirits of the dead calling out to us from the other side. They are living breathing human beings. We have just learned to behave as if they are already dead.

Remember, every moment that we spend defending against liberal attacks on Hanuman stickers, or sarees, or rasam, is a moment we dont see the big picture of what is happening to us.

Liberals know perfectly well that sarees have nothing to do with so called Hindu nationalism. They are just baiting us, making us thrash around, tiring us out. When we focus our minds on small things, we miss the big picture. Thats their real strategy.

If one billion Hindus in India spoke up in one voice about what is happening to Hindus in Pakistan, would the world still be able to ignore it? Of course not. That is why they pull our leg, keeping us busy debunking absurd allegations of fascism and intolerance.

On CAA, for instance, they make us repeat over and over again, the same easy justification in favor of the law. They are not actually listening. They are buying time. With each passing day, Hindus in Pakistan and Bangladesh come one step closer to extinction. And we are one day late in realizing what could be coming to us.

Source : OpIndia
Millennials, Gen Zers showing greater interest in Gospel amid COVID-19 pandemic, Greg Laurie says A Great Awakening is at hand

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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.
What do you want me to do? I asked.

When everything is under control, Ill call you, she said. I havent heard from her since.

I considered myself to be part of her family. It hurt. My boss viewed me as an outsider  as a risk to her own health.

I live with my son, Emanuel, who is 6. Right now, we are just trying to survive. In my job, I made $80 per day. My hours were flexible. Sometimes I worked three days a week, sometimes four or five. When the family called me, I would go.

I never made enough to have savings. And I dont know how I will find another job now. Very few businesses in Miami are hiring. Restaurants are open only for takeout and have laid off many of their workers. A friend told me that working for Amazon might be a possibility. But the more I thought about it, the more I realized that working in a big warehouse with lots of other people could be a bad idea during a pandemic. I dont have any health insurance and I cant afford to get sick. Who would care for my son, especially now that his school has shut down? It just seemed too risky.

Rent for my apartment is $870 a month. It was due on April 1, but I wasnt able to pay. Ive never missed a payment before, and fortunately, my landlord has been understanding. She said that she would give me free time and I can pay her back when I find a job.
TRENTON, N.J.>> Using his cats blanket as green screen, history teacher Bill Smith recorded himself teaching a lesson on New Jerseys underground railroad, taking student viewers on a tour of sites including a river where slave hunters would try to reenslave people attempting crossings.

The lesson was broadcast over television airwaves for the states homebound students, part of an effort to keep children engaged in learning during the coronavirus outbreak.

This is such a weird, strange and tragic time, said Smith, a teacher at Southern Regional High School in Stafford Township, New Jersey. The televised lessons like the one he volunteered for can provide something that regardless of where a student is in the state of New Jersey, they can see a teacher and they can learn from them.

Teachers have begun recording classes at home, using whatever technology they can, for television in places including New Jersey, Nebraska and New Mexico, where officials have partnered with broadcasters to help students feel connected and to overcome hurdles with access to the technology needed for distance learning.

Its one approach among many that public media stations around the country are taking to boost the availability of educational programming while schools are closed.

New Jerseys televised lessons began April 6 in a partnership involving the state Education Department; the states biggest teachers union, the New Jersey Education Association; and the states public broadcaster, NJTV. The hourlong episodes air on weekdays for students in grades three through six. The NJTV staff, which is also working remotely, has produced the programs and put them on air.

We didnt know if we could. Whats the saying? Necessity is the mother of all invention, NJTV General Manager John Servidio said.

The broadcasts are resonating with students.

Colin Powers, 9, was so inspired by a teachers televised lesson that he wrote about a half-dozen of his own poems. In a phone interview, Colin and his dad, Tim Powers, pointed out one of their favorites, which evokes some of the new realities families face.

Kabam! The door slammed. Its me coming home from school. That does not happen in the time were living in, Colin, a fourth grader, read. The door only opens when youre going outside to play. Nocka Nocka! Its the mailman. We have to scrub, scrub the package.

Kimberly Dickstein Hughes, a high school English teacher in Haddonfield, New Jersey, helped to coordinate the project as part of her sabbatical after winning the State Teacher of Year award this year. On the day it launched, she got emotional seeing positive comments on social media about the lessons.

I was getting really choked up, she said. What it really reinforced for me was that the education community will really rally for children and do whatever it takes to ensure some sense of normalcy in an otherwise abnormal time.

The televised lessons are intended as a supplement to remote coursework that is happening simultaneously, according to the state Education Department. While most students have access to home internet and computers, some do not, and education officials note the public broadcast channel reaches statewide.

The lessons are tailored for grades three through six because students who are older appear to be getting more out of distance learning, and younger students might lack the attention span for an hourlong program, according to state education officials.

In cities including Boston and Los Angeles, broadcasters and educators are finding ways to emphasize programs that might have educational value for children, like Nova and Nature.

There are some upsides to being home, like getting to do schoolwork wherever he wants  even the front lawn sometimes, Colin Powers said. But he misses his friends.

Its pretty tough, but I think my family is going through it pretty well, he said, pointing out that no one in his family was sick.

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By Tracy Rucinski

(Reuters) - When Reuters photographer Carlos Barria boarded American Airlines flight 4511 from Washington Reagan National Airport to New Orleans on Friday for an assignment, he was the only passenger on the 76-seat jet.

"There were some awkward moments," Barria said.

Like when the gate agent announced a formal boarding process only to remember that Barria was the sole passenger who would board, or when the pilot approached his seat to personally explain a delay in take-off due to a mechanical issue, rather than speak over the PA system.

The two flight attendants invited Barria to sit in a first-class seat and went through the safety demonstration for Barria alone.

"I felt I had to pay attention," he said.

Nearly vacant flights have become the norm for U.S. airlines, despite a drastic reduction in the number of planes they put in the air each day as passenger traffic has diminished in the midst of the new coronavirus gripping countries across the globe.

American Airlines Group Inc <AAL.O> flew 119 flights out of Washington Reagan National on Friday; eight of those departures had only one passenger (including Barria's) and many had just a handful, an American official said. On the same day last year, American operated 254 flights out of the same airport.

"Pretty soon we'll even run out of people to cancel on U.S. airlines," American's senior vice president of network strategy Vasu Raja told Reuters on Thursday.

The U.S. Transportation Security Administration (TSA) screened 129,763 travelers on Friday versus 2.48 million on the same day a year ago, according to daily data it is providing on its website.

U.S. airlines, who say they are burning through cash every day, have applied for government aid meant to help them meet payroll and ensure they have trained staff available once the health crisis subsides and demand recovers.

The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) on Saturday reported 277,205 cases of the new coronavirus, an increase of 37,926 cases from its previous count, and said the number of deaths had risen by 1,150 to 6,593.

Story continues

Flight attendants continue to do their jobs, despite some telling Reuters that they fear contracting the virus and infecting at-risk family at home.

One of the flight attendants on Barria's flight said she would be flying from New Orleans on to her hometown Miami, where she was due to take her father for a cancer treatment after her four-day trip rotation that included sleeping in hotels every night.

"Our elected officials want us to continue to provide safe air travel through this crisiswe need to continue flying as requested and serving those that need to travel," American Chief Executive Officer Doug Parker said in a video message last week.

In an effort to protect passengers and crew, airlines have scaled back beverage and snack services, increased cabin cleaning procedures and allow flight attendants to wear gloves, though they are not given masks.

By the end of Barria's flight, he felt a camaraderie with the crew. "I was thanking them for what they do and they were thanking me for what I do," he said.

(Reporting by Tracy Rucinski; additional reporting by Maria Caspani; editing by Diane Craft)
Motor maker Weg emerges as battered Brazil stock market's champion FILE PHOTO: The company logo for Weg is displayed on a screen on the floor of Brazil's B3 Stock Exchange in Sao Paulo

By Paula Laier

SAO PAULO (Reuters) - In a bleak year that has seen Brazil's Bovespa <.BVSP> slump to the worst performance of any major world stock market amid a coronavirus-linked retreat from risk, electric motor maker Weg SA <WEGE3.SA> has been the index's improbable champion.

Traded on the Brazilian stock exchange for nearly a half century and part of the benchmark index as of 2016, Weg shares have risen over 10% so far in 2020, recovering from steep losses in March. The Bovespa has lost a third of its value in the same period and nearly half in dollar terms.

Weg, which makes everything from wind turbines to automotive paint, is one of just two Bovespa components to eke out gains this year. The runner up is e-commerce firm B2W Companhia Digital <BTOW3.SA>, whose shares are up 2.91% amid a boom in internet orders during the crisis.

Weg's resilience in midst of the coronavirus pandemic and ensuing economic downturn may reflect its ample exposure to countries beyond Brazil's commodities-linked economy, including China.

"It deserves it," said Werner Roger, founding partner at asset management firm Trigono Capital. "Weg is a leading company and is present in several countries, with more than half of its revenue coming from abroad," he said, citing growth that has been sustainable organically and also lifted by acquisitions, as well as good governance.

In 2019, Weg's net income rose 21% to 1.6 billion reais ($306.75 million) as revenue and margins improved in all markets.

The electric motor maker, which had a net cash position of 1.28 billion reais in December, is expected to report its first-quarter results on April 29.

Despite its strong cash position and a limited debt load, analyst Lucas Marquiori at investment bank BTG Pactual said Weg's operating margin could be impacted by global output stoppages caused by the pandemic.

The company temporarily cut its factory workforce in the southern Brazilian state of Santa Catarina in March while noting that it had kept its four Chinese factories running since Feb. 11.

Story continues

But analysts Victor Beyruti Guglielmi and Alejandro Ortiz, at brokerage Guide Investimentos, noted that Weg decided to not cut capital expenditures even during the crisis, which he said could give it a competitive advantage compared to its local peers.

A weaker Brazilian currency this year should also benefit Weg since much of its business is export-based, according to market participants.

(Reporting by Paula Arend Laier; Writing by Gabriela Mello; Editing by Christian Plumb and Lisa Shumaker)
President Donald Trump suggested on Saturday that he would re-evaluate the United Statess relationship with China after the outbreak of the CCP (Chinese Communist Party) virus, commonly known as novel coronavirus.

Our relationship with China was good until they did this. Look, we just made a trade deal with China to buy $250 billion a year our products, $40 to $50 billion from the farmers. Then all of a sudden you heard about this, he told the press during a White House Coronavirus Task Force briefing.

The question was asked: Would you be angry at China? The answer might be a very well resounding Yes.

But it depends. Was it a mistake that got out of control? Or was it done deliberately? In either event, they should have let us go in.

We asked to go in very early and they would not let us in, Trump said.

Its not clear if Trump was referring to the the origin of the CCP virus or the regimes lack of transparency about infections and deaths.

There are theories circulating that the virus may be connected to a biologic laboratory in Wuhanthe epicenter of the outbreak.

The United States is not the only country that has suggested it will review its relationship with the Chinese communist regime.

On Thursday, the UK foreign secretary and acting Prime Minister Dominic Raab said that the Britains relationship with Beijing will no longer be business as usual after the COVID-19 pandemic is over.

There absolutely needs to be a very, very deep dive after the event and review of the lessons, including of the outbreak of the virus, Raab said at a press conference in London. I dont think we can flinch from that at all.

When asked if there would be a reckoning with Beijing after the crisis ends, Raab, who is standing in for Prime Minister Boris Johnson as he recovers from the CCP virus, replied: Theres no doubt we cant have business as usual after this crisis, and well have to ask the hard questions about how it came about and how it could have been stopped earlier.

Top White House Doctor Debunks China Outbreak Data

The CCP virus, which causes the disease COVID-19, has been linked to at least 159,510 deaths globally and infected over 2.3 million people as of Saturday night, according to official government data collated 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 the regime ruling mainland China.

There are over 732,000 confirmed cases and 38,664 deaths in the United States, the data shows.

During the Task Force press briefing, a top doctor debunked the Chinese regimes data on the CCP virus outbreak.

Dr. Deborah Birx: China had a moral obligationnever an excuse to not share informationhttps://t.co/3zoBlvGUFz pic.twitter.com/Z0WIHZNPD7  RNC Research (@RNCResearch) April 18, 2020

Dr. Deborah Birx, the White House pandemic response coordinator who specializes in immunology, global health, and vaccine research, showed a slide with mortality rates for several countries.

According to the data, Belgium and Spain have reported the highest mortality rates, with 45.2 and 42.81 persons dying per 100,000 population respectively. The mortality rate for Italy, France, the United Kingdom, and the Netherlands are 37.64, 27.92, 21.97, and 20.14 respectively.

The mortality rate for the United States and Germany11.24 and 5.25 respectivelyfall at the lower end of reports.

However, Chinas reported mortality rate, which was singled out with an Asterix, is suspiciously low at 0.33.

I put China data there so you can see basically how unrealistic this could be, Birx said.

The data from China includes the CCPs recently revised numbers from Wuhan.

On Friday, Wuhan authorities increased their death toll reports by 1,290 to 3,869 cases. The authorities explained that the newly-added virus victims included some who died at home, The Epoch Times reported.

However, even with the revisions, Birx said she doubts that China could have a mortality rate magnitudes lower than the United Kingdom, France, Belgium, Italy, and Spain, given that they also have highly developed healthcare delivery systems, extraordinary doctors, nurses, and equipment.

Trump added that he believes the death toll in China should be much higher and the highest in the world: China is number one by a lot. They are way ahead of us in terms of death.

It is not even close, he added.

Cathy He contributed to this report.

From The Epoch Times
Isla Fisher is making the most of her downtime as she quarantines amid the growing coronavirus pandemic.

The actress is currently isolating at home with husband Sacha Baron Cohen and their three children.

She took precautions against COVID-19 Saturday as she donned a face mask while taking a jog in their Los Angeles neighborhood during a break from quarantine.

Breaking a sweat: Isla Fisher took precautions against COVID-19 Saturday as she donned a face mask while taking a jog in their Los Angeles neighborhood during a break from quarantine

The 44-year-old sported a white T-shirt with skintight blue track pants, featuring white stripes up the sides.

She finished the look with a blue and white trucker hat, round sunglasses and teal sneakers with orange laces.

Fisher listened to music on her earbuds, connected to her phone in a black and yellow belt bag.

She was recently filming her Disney+ movie Godmothered, which halted production amid the pandemic.

Activewear chic: The 44-year-old sported a white t-shirt with skintight blue track pants, featuring white stripes up the sides

Accessorizing: She finished the look with a blue and white trucker hat, round sunglasses and teal sneakers with orange laces

Also starring Jillian Bell, it follows an unskilled fairy godmother who sets out to help a girl whose wish was ignored.

They were previously spotted filming the Christmas movie in Boston, where Fisher shared some behind-the-scenes photos, including one with a pig.

She'll be ready to hit the ground running again after quarantine, as she's set to star in the CBS All Access series Guilty Party.

Fisher plays Beth Baker, a disgraced journalist who seeks to salvage her career by proving the innocence of a woman in jail for the murder of her husband.

The Australian actress also serves as executive producer for the half-hour dark comedy.
Photo credit: Chris Jackson - Getty Images

From ELLE

Prince Harry and Meghan Markle made the move to Los Angeles from their home in Vancouver at some point last month. They reportedly "have been living in a secluded compound," and there's a reason why they made the move right now. Per TMZ, Meghan was the "driving force" behind the couple's move to Tinseltown.

Meghan, who had a full-time career in acting before she married into the royal family, reportedly wants to be back in the Hollywood scene and is said to be working on a docuseries with Oprah Winfrey. TMZ says the pair decided to make the move to California shortly after their final royal appearances in London. They reportedly came home to Vancouver and then made the move to L.A. about two weeks later.

Although there is no confirmed information about all of the couples' plans in L.A., they seem to be keeping their focuses on COVID-19 relief efforts lately. Last week, Town & Country reported that they gave 90,000 ($112,000) to Feeding Britain, an organization that provides food to people living in poverty in the U.K.

The Archbishop of Canterbury, who presided over Meghan and Harry's wedding, is the president of the charity.

"The Duke and Duchess were able to speak to the Archbishop recently, and were moved to hear all about the work Feeding Britain was doing to support people during COVID-19," the couple's spokesperson said. "They have particularly fond memories of their visit to the citizens' supermarket in Birkenhead, especially the generosity and compassion of everyone working there to help others. They are delighted to be able to ensure this money is donated to such a great cause."

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With Trump and his team announcing a plan for reopening America and suffering Americans starting to put pressure on their governments to allow businesses to re-open, Democrats are panicking and rightly so. This is going to be the summer of sunlight for them: Sunlight that kills the Wuhan virus and, if Attorney General Bill Barr and Inspector General John Durham have their way, sunlight that exposes the Democrats and Deep States attempted coup against President Trump.

Judging by the Democrats' political conduct of late, they think the Wuhan flu has benefits for them. Theyre holding hurting Americans hostage in an effort to get their leftist policies enacted through the medium of a relief bill. Theyre also hoping that a recession will hurt Trump because so much of his presidency has been premised on a strong economy. Ordinary people, however, would rather have jobs than play politics. Thats why were starting to see protests all over.

It's therefore time to share the fact that there is good news about the Wuhan flu. First, although mass social distancing and shutdowns may have not been the best approach, we can see that theyve taken the pressure off of emergency rooms and given the medical community time to figure out better treatment options (e.g., hydroxychloroquine, Remdesivir, putting ventilated patients on their stomachs, and not using ventilators as much).

Also, Farrs law gives us hope. Michael Fumento, after castigating the expert models, all of which have proven false, explains that there is one model that works:

The only model with any success is actually quite accomplished and appeared in 1840, when a computer was an abacus. Its called Farrs Law, and is actually more of an observation that epidemics grow fastest at first and then slow to a peak, then decline in a more-or-less symmetrical pattern. As you might guess from the date, it precedes public health services and doesnt require lockdowns or really any interventions at all. Rather, the disease grabs the low-hanging fruit (with COVID-19 thats the elderly with co-morbid conditions) and finds it progressively harder to get more fruit.

So far, Wuhan Flu reflects Farrs law, for it's playing out at a predictable rate that spells its imminent end.

And then theres Trumps prediction (or hope) that the virus will end as the weather warms. It also turns out his instincts about warm weather were correct. The Wuhan flu, like other coronaviruses, doesnt like sunlight:

Government tests show sunlight rapidly destroys the CCP virus, according to a Department of Homeland Security science and technology report. Sunlight destroys the virus quickly, the report states. Researchers simulated sunlight and found it greatly increased the inactivation rate of the CCP (Chinese Communist Party) virus, a novel coronavirus that emerged from mainland China last year, on surfaces relative to darkness. The half-life of the virus was 2 minutes with full solar intensity, or similar to New York City or the District of Columbia during a clear day on summer solstice. Sunlight reduced infectious virus to undetectable levels after just 3 minutes of exposure to the solar equivalent of midday sun on a sunny day in the middle latitudes of the U.S., researchers wrote. Half solar intensity killed the virus in 3 minutes while quarter intensity, equivalent to a clear day at the end of February, inactivated it in 4 minutes.

Locking Americans inside as the weather warms is stupid. Its time to set us free because sunlight is literally the best disinfectant.

Figuratively, sunlight is also a great disinfectant, and were going to see that as AG Barr and IG Durham expose the Democrats machinations and start prosecuting bad actors. Weve already seen footnotes and interviews showing that the FBI knew that its justification for spying against Trump was garbage. More of that information is going to leak and some of it will be so bad that even a D.C. Grand Jury will find it almost impossible not to issue indictments.

Call me a cockeyed optimist, but I firmly believe that life in America is going to get better very quickly with a virus-less summer (followed by a vaccination), a resurgent economy, and a lot of perp walks in Washington.
Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro was greeted by hundreds of supporters gathered on Sunday outside the army headquarter in Brasilia on the country's national Army's Day.

The crowd was asking for a military intervention, the closing of the Supreme Court and for the "AI-5," a decree issued by the military dictatorship in 1968 to consolidate its power. It curtailed political and press freedoms, leading ultimately to the institutionalisation of censorship and torture.

Supporters shouted "Myth," a name used for Bolsonaro among his followers, and security forces had to form a line to stop the crowd from getting closer to the president.

In a short speech, Bolsonaro said he believed in them. "You are here because you believe in Brazil. We don't want to negotiate, we want action for Brazil," he told the crowd.

Bolsonaro's appearance at the event runs counter to measures of the World Health Organization and from his Health Ministry aimed at reducing the spread of the coronavirus, which include social distancing and avoiding crowds.

His appearance in Brasilia attracted hundreds of supporters.

Members of the Supreme Court, some governors and the head of the Brazilian Bar Association condemned the event.

Leaders of political parties and former presidents have also criticised the attitude of the current president of the country, and the demands of his supporter who attended the event in Brasilia.
Texas Governor Greg Abbott recently announced the economic response of the state to COVID-19 at a news conference held on Friday. The announcement included his plans to reopen businesses in the state amid the pandemic.

Relatively, the governor delivered three executive orders which outline how Texas is beginning to "reopen the businesses without stimulating the spread of the infectious disease."

Gov. Abbott elaborated, he formed a "strike force" composed of Speaker of the House Dennis Bonnen, Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick, Comptroller Glenn Hegar, and Attorney General Ken Paxton.

More so, this strike force, the governor said, will be joined by a team of specialists and state health officials. In addition, John Hellerstedt, the Texas Department of State Health Services Commissioner was appointed as the "strike force's chief medical officer," with Dr. Parker Hudson, Dr. Mark McClellan, and Dr. John Zerwas joining him for support.

The Strike Force's Function

The strike force was formed to develop a medical architecture that will allow the state to reopen safely while waiting for the COVID-19 immunizations to be developed, Gov. Abbott said.

Moreover, the team's role is to work in collaboration with the Texas entrepreneurs' advisory committee to advise on how to reopen safely and successfully the economy of Texas. Gov. Abbott also added Chairman James Huffines would operate strike force.

Currently, the government is into a discussion with the team on how the reopening will take place safely despite the COVID-19 outbreak.

According to the executive director for the Texas Public Policy Foundation, the task the team has over the next couple of days is to help both the governor and his advisers understand that there are portions of Texas where it "would be safe to open the businesses."

Opening of Businesses to Come in Stages

Gov. Abbott also said the reopening of the Texas economy is coming in stages. The first stage, which would have taken in effect on April 17, would include the reopening of businesses that posture small to zero-threat of spreading the infection.

Then, the second stage would include additional reopening of businesses after getting other inputs from the medical professionals.

This particular phase is expected to take place on April 27. Following this second stage are additional openings for the third phase, to be announced in May once it is determined that capabilities in testing can trace and control the outbreaks of this pandemic.

According to State Rep. Donna Howard, she is favoring the reopening of the Texas businesses again. However, she shares she still hesitates about moving too fast when no sufficient testing and data is being provided.

Howard added, "We are talking about ten days looking at this once more," probably, reopening more business. However, that is prior to the date that everybody has been told, "We can anticipate having more COVID-19 tests."

Check these out!
A t least 16 people have been killed and more injured after a mass shooting in Canada.

The gunman, who was disguised as a police officer, launched his deadly rampage over 12 hours in the rural town of Portapique, Nova Scotia.

The suspect, identified as 51-year-old Gabriel Wortman, was arrested at a petrol station in Enfield, north west of the provinces capital Halifax.

Police later announced that he too had died.

It is the deadliest such attack in Canadian history.

Medics and coroners were sent to the scene / AP

Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) Chief Superintendent Chris Leather said in a statement: In excess of 10 people have been killed.

We believe it to be one person who is responsible for all the killings and that he alone moved across the northern part of the province and committed what appears to be several homicides.

Brian Sauve, president of the National Police Federation union, said a police officer was among those killed and another was injured.

She was identified as Constable Heidi Stevenson, a mother of two who had served on the force for 23 years.

He said: Our hearts are heavy with grief and sadness today as we have lost one of our own. A second dedicated member was injured in the line of duty.

Royal Canadian Mounted Police officers arrested the suspect at a petrol station / AP

Police have not provided a motive for the attack. Mr Leather said many of the victims did not know the gunman.

That fact that this individual had a uniform and a police car at his disposal certainly speaks to it not being a random act, Mr Leather said.

He said they would investigate whether it had anything to do with the coronavirus pandemic.

We have not yet determined whether there is any link to the Covid-19 crisis, he said.

By late morning, there were half a dozen police vehicles at the scene. Yellow police tape surrounded the petrol pumps, and a large silver-coloured SUV was being investigated by police.

The incident started in the small, rural town of Portapique, with police advising residents to lock their homes and stay in their basements.

Several building fires were reported by residents as well.

Residents of the quiet Portapique community were left shaken by the atrocity / REUTERS

I never imagined when I went to bed last night that I would wake up to the horrific news that an active shooter was on the loose in Nova Scotia, Nova Scotia premier Stephen McNeil said.

This is one of the most senseless acts of violence in our provinces history, he said.

He said it was an additional heavy burden amid efforts to contain the new coronavirus.

Lisa Croteau, a spokeswoman with the provincial force, said police received a call about a person with firearms at around 10.30pm on Saturday and the investigation evolved into an active shooting investigation.
Republicans and Democrats agree coronavirus testing is a huge hurdle for President Donald Trump's vaunted reopening of the economy. But they disagree on what to do about it.

Democrats are pushing for a federal, centralized approach that would nationalize the distribution of millions of coronavirus tests to get people back to work and school, aiming to make it a hallmark of the next congressional response to the disease.

But plenty of Republicans say testing should be handled by states and the private sector.

The clash spilled out into the open Friday, as Senate Democrats pressed Vice President Mike Pence on testing during a heated caucus call in which Sen. Angus King (I-Maine) described it as a "dereliction of duty" for the administration to not have a national testing regime.

Even Senate Republicans pushed the administration on testing during another call with the president and Pence this week. Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas) said in an interview that he recommended that the administration focus on the distribution of tests that produce rapid results. Pence also told senators that, by the end of the month, the administration expects the production of 20 million antibody tests a month, Cruz recalled.

Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, walks on Capitol Hill in Washington after President Donald Trump was acquitted in an impeachment trial on charges of abuse of power and obstruction of Congress, Wednesday, Feb. 5, 2020. (AP Photo/Patrick Semansky)

They have mobilized enormous resources and have been vigorous and aggressive, but with a response to any crisis of course there are things that could have been done better," Cruz said. "It's not where it needs to be yet and so when I spoke with the president [Thursday] I urged him to do even more on testing."

The conflict over how to address stubborn test shortages comes as President Donald Trump and most congressional Republicans are pushing to re-open the economy as soon as May 1  even as infectious disease experts warn against doing so too soon. But that might be impossible until theres millions more tests available.

We know the kind of testing we are doing is so inadequate for what we need to do, said Sen. Mazie Hirono (D-Hawaii).

Story continues

If I were king for a day  I would concentrate on three things: testing, testing and testing, said Sen. John Kennedy (R-La.), who is itching to reopen the economy himself as the rate of infections slows in his state. There are tens of thousands, maybe millions of people walking around with the virus without symptoms, they may never have symptoms. Unfortunately theyre contagious as hell.

Whether states or the federal government take the lead depends in large part on how Congress legislates  and whether Republicans push Trump to federalize the testing program. And the argument highlights the central question facing the country: How to make people comfortable enough to resume daily life and avoid an economic depression while still limiting the spread of the deadly virus.

Delays in reaching consensus on testing could further stall businesses from reopening and even exacerbate the spread of the virus.

Amid the partisan clash over an interim relief package for small businesses, Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) and Senate Democrats are now insisting on $30 billion for a national testing plan. They argue that individual states are not equipped to provide the widespread testing needed, and the federal government should have more control over the medical equipment supply chain to avoid relying on other countries.

That spending ask comes on top of additional money from the three previous rescue packages that was allocated toward testing, including federal dollars for a coronavirus vaccine and provisions that ordered insurers cover the cost of tests for their customers, while Medicaid would fill in for the uninsured. The most recent spending package included $150 billion to assist hospitals and providers, some of which is intended for more testing. The package also included $4.3 billion for federal, state and local public health agencies responding to the virus.

Were testing right now about 150,000 tests a day in the United States and experts tell us we should be looking at at least 500,000 a day in order to know who is well and safe to go back to work, and who needs to be quarantined, said Sen. Debbie Stabenow (D-Mich.). Our federal government needs to play the lead.

Republicans, however, argue that private companies are best suited to find an innovative solution to the testing debacle, not the federal government. In addition, they say Congress already spent money on testing in the previous spending packages and should see the results before spending more. Meanwhile, Trump said Friday that governors are responsible for testing.

The key is going to be: How fast actually can the private sector ramp up testing? said Sen. Rick Scott (R-Fla.). It's not going to be the government doing it. It's the private sector doing it. They're the ones that do this well. And so how fast can they ramp it up?

But working with the federal government is also inevitable. Sen. Pat Toomey (R-Pa.) said that while hospitals in Pennsylvania are capable of developing their own test kits, they still need material from the Centers for Disease Control to develop tests.

Moreover, the GOP argues regulations have hindered the production of tests. Sen. Lamar Alexander (R-Tenn.), who is pushing a Manhattan Project-style effort to expand testing, said that if Trump is being blamed for the slow-footed testing response, then so should Congress.

The major reason we dont have enough tests is because Congress and the Food and Drug Administration have restricted development of tests by everyone except the Centers for Disease Control, he said. Lets just say thats everybodys fault.

But Democrats squarely blame Trump for a botched testing rollout earlier this year and a slower ramp-up than other countries like Germany, which is beginning to reopen its economy in part on the strength of its testing regime.

The White House on Thursday rolled out its own vision for reopening parts of the country in three phases. The guidelines, however, dont include a wide-scale plan for testing.

Nevertheless, Alexanders advocacy for dramatically expanding testing may be rubbing off on some of his Republican colleagues. Sen. John Thune (R-S.D.) said that Alexander's internal lobbying to raise the issue of testing made an impression with him.

The question everybodys going to be asking is: Whats an acceptable level of risk? And were not going to know that until we figure out who has it and who doesnt, Thune said. This testing issue has got to get solved. .. We ought to be putting a lot of resources on that because lord knows were spending on a lot of money on other stuff.


A possible community



transmission of the dreaded coronavirus in Vijayawada city has triggered a major scare even as the number of positive cases in Andhra Pradesh climbed further up on Sunday to 647 in the last 24 hours and the toll to 17.

In all, 44 new cases were added to the tally in the last 24 hours ending 9 am on Sunday, as the state government said a record 5,508 tests were carried out during the period.

With a total of 65 discharged and 17 deceased, the number of active coronavirus cases in the state stood at 565.

According to the state Covid-19 Dashboard, an aggregate of 26,958 tests were carried out till date, of which 26,311 turned negative.

Of the 75 coronavirus positive cases reported in Krishna district, Vijayawada alone had 60.

The entire city has been classified as red zone or containment zones with controlled movement of vehicles.

Authorities have identified a few major hotspots like Kummaripalem and Karmika Nagar where more than 10 cases each were registered so far.

"Of late, many cases are being reported from people whose family members had no foreign returnee or Tablighi Jamaat connection.

Their family had either drivers who had inter-state travel or people who move among public like ward secretary or fair price shop dealer," Krishna District Collector A Md Imtiaz pointed out.

He attributed the spread of the viral disease to violation of physical distancing norms by people, particularly in the small lanes and bylanes of the city.

"The worrisome factor is contacts of this category are mainly those people who live in the neighborhood of positive cases.

This clearly proves that social distancing in the small lanes and bylanes is not being followed by people at large," Imtiaz observed.

Vijayawada apart, Kurnool the other major hotbed of Covid-19 is also sending shivers among the administration as 26 fresh cases were added in the last 24 hours ending 9 am on Sunday.

Kurnool district tops the state with a total of 158 positive cases and four deaths so far.

The famous doctor in Kurnool city, who died of coronavirus early this week, was suspected to be a major carrier as many of his family members contracted the disease while the authorities were now busy tracing his other contacts.

"In the last few days, he treated over 1,000 people as out-patients while there were about 80 in-patients in his hospital. Besides, he had a staff of about 70 members.

So, now we are tracing and screening all of them," a top official of the health department said.

Kurnool district Collector G Veerapandian appealed to those who got treated by the doctor after March 20 to voluntarily get screened.

"Once these people are identified and tested, the number of cases may possibly spike," the top official said.

Meanwhile, 23 Covid-19 patients had fully recovered and been discharged from hospitals in different districts of the state.

Of those discharged, nine were from West Godavari district, six from Kadapa, three each from Visakhapatnam and Chittoor and two from East Godavari, according to the daily bulletin.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Pro-democracy supporters hold banners and shout slogans outside of the Western District police station in Hong Kong on April 18, 2020, after at least 14 pro-democracy veterans and supporters were arrested. (Anthony Kwan/Getty Images)

US, UK, Taiwan Condemn Hong Kongs Arrests of Pro-Democracy Activists

Government officials from the United States, the UK, and Taiwan have expressed concerns following the mass arrests of 15 pro-democracy activists in Hong Kong on April 18, the biggest crackdown on the citys pro-democracy movement since large-scale protests erupted in June last year.

Politicized law enforcement is inconsistent with universal values of freedom of expression, association, and peaceful assembly, tweeted U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo following the arrests.

In a statement, Pompeo criticized Beijing and the Hong Kong government for taking actions inconsistent with commitments made under the Sino-British Joint Declaration.

A treaty signed in 1984, the Declaration governed Hong Kongs transfer of sovereignty from British to Chinese rule in 1997. Both sides had promised to preserve the citys high degree of autonomy and essential freedoms.

The 15 activists were accused of organizing and taking part in unlawful assemblies on either Aug. 18, Oct. 1 or Oct. 20 last year. All of them have since been released on bail. They are scheduled to appear in court on May 18.

Among those detained were Martin Lee, 81, former lawmaker and founder of Hong Kongs Democratic Party; Jimmy Lai, founder of Hong Kongs pro-democracy newspaper Apple Daily; and current lawmaker Leung Yiu-chung.

Eight other former lawmakers were arrested, including Lee Cheuk-yan of the Labour Party; Albert Ho, Yeung Sum, and Au Nok-hin of the Democratic Party, and Margaret Ng of the Civic Party.

Lai, Lee, and Yeung were also arrested on Feb. 28 for taking part in an illegal assembly on Aug. 31 last year. They were previously released on bail and are scheduled to appear in court on May 5.

Others arrested were pro-democracy activists: Raphael Wong, Leung Kwok-hung, and Avery Ng, who are chair, vice-chair, and secretary-general, respectively, of local political party League of Social Democrats; and Figo Chan, vice convener of the Civil Human Rights Front (CHRF), a pro-democracy group that has organized several mass rallies last year.

Hong Kong Protests

Mass protests began in June last year over a since-scrapped extradition bill, as locals feared it would threaten the citys judicial autonomy. The protests have since evolved into calls for greater democracy, as well as opposition to police violence against protesters. In recent months, the protests have quieted down due to the pandemic.

On Aug. 18, more than 1.7 million people rallied at Hong Kongs Victoria Park to protest police violence, before taking to the streets in defiance of a police ban. On Oct. 1, thousands of protesters again defied a police ban and marched in central Hong Kong, urging Beijing to return power to the people on the day that the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) celebrated the anniversary of its takeover of China.

On Oct. 20, about 350,000 Hongkongers marched from Tsim Sha Tsui, though the organizer CHRF failed to secure police approval for the protest. At the time, Chan, Leung, Ho, and a fourth activist said they would lead the march instead.

On Saturday, Hong Kong police superintendent Lam Wing-ho said more arrests were possible.

Meanwhile, Hong Kongs Security Bureau stated that the arrests were made based on evidence from investigations and strictly according to the laws in force, in a press release.

Lee, a longtime democracy activist and politician, spoke to the press after being released on bail. Over the months and years, Ive felt bad to see so many outstanding youngsters being arrested and prosecuted, but I was not charged. Now Ive finally become a defendant. I feel proud that I have a chance to walk this path of democracy together with them, Lee said, according to local outlet RTHK.

Hong Kong police have arrested more than 7,800 people on protest-related charges, aged between 11 and 84, since June last year.

After the arrests, local lawmaker Claudia Mo criticized the Hong Kong government for trying very hard to introduce a reign of terror in Hong Kong, she said in a tweet.

US Condemnation

Aside from Pompeo, several other U.S. officials also expressed concerns, including Attorney General William P. Barr, Senators Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) and Marco Rubio (R-Fla.), and Representatives Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) and Jim McGovern (D-Mass.).

I condemn the latest assault on the rule of law and the liberty of the people of Hong Kong, Barr said in a statement.

Barr added: These actionsalong with its malign influence activity and industrial espionage here in the United Statesdemonstrate once again that the Chinese Communist Party cannot be trusted.

McConnell stated in a tweet: The Chinese Communist Party should not be allowed to use a pandemicwhich they exacerbated through secrecy and inactionas cover for its agents to arrest peaceful pro-democracy leaders.

Rubio tweeted: HKs leaders & Beijing are turning HKs justice system into a CCP farce.

The CCP virus, commonly known as the novel coronavirus, was initially covered up by the Chinese regime, when it silenced eight whistleblowers including ophthalmologist Li Wenliang. A recent report by the Associated Press showed that Beijing knew of the risk of the viruss human-to-human transmission for six days before publicly admitting it on Jan. 20.

Pelosi and McGovern called for the Trump administration to implement the Hong Kong Human Rights and Democracy Act.

The Act, signed into law by Trump on Nov. 27 last year, stipulates that sanctions be placed on Chinese and Hong Kong officials who have violated human rights in the city.

The Office of the Commissioner of Chinas Foreign Ministry in Hong Kong, in a statement on April 19, supported Hong Kong police for making the arrests, while criticizing U.S. politicians for blasphemy against the rule of law in support of the activists.

UK and Taiwan

The UKs Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) said that Hong Kong authorities should not inflame tension in a statement on Saturday.

We expect any arrests and judicial processes to be conducted in a fair and transparent manner, FCO stated, before adding, The right to peaceful protest is fundamental to Hong Kongs way of life and as such is protected in both the Joint Declaration and the Basic Law.

Two British MPs, Tom Tugendhat and Catherine West, also took to their Twitter accounts to express concerns.

Chris Patten, the last governor of Hong Kong before the handover, and Sir Malcolm Rifkind, former UK foreign secretary, condemned the arrests, according to London-based Hong Kong Watch.

With the worlds attention focused on the appalling COVID-19 epidemic, Beijing and its subservient government in Hong Kong have taken yet another step towards burying one-country, two-systems, Patten said, referring to the framework with which Beijing promised to rule Hong Kong.

Rifkind said the arrests were a truly appalling attack on the very heart of Hong Kongs freedoms, the rule of law, and autonomy guaranteed to the people of Hong Kong under the Joint Declaration and the Basic Law.

In Taiwan, the local branch of New York-based broadcaster NTD reported April 19 that four local political parties, as well as the Mainland Affairs Council, a government agency that deals with cross-strait affairs, have issued statements expressing concerns about the arrests.

Hong Kongs authorities arrest of leading pro-democracy figures is not going to silence freedom-loving people, tweeted local lawmaker Wang Ting-yu.
You are here: Business

The China-Europe freight trains made a total of 1,941 trips in the first quarter (Q1) of 2020, said an official with the China State Railway Group Co., Ltd.

The figure was increased by 15 percent from the same period last year, Zhao Jun, an official with the company, told a press conference held in Beijing Saturday.

In Q1, the China-Europe freight trains transported 174,000 TEUs (20-foot equivalent units) of freight, up 18 percent year on year.

In March alone, a total of 809 trips were made by the trains, transporting 73,000 TEUs of freight, expanding by 30 percent and 36 percent, respectively, Zhao said.

On April 14, a China-Europe freight train from Wuhan, the hardest-hit city by COVID-19 in China, arrived in the western German city of Duisburg.

By far, all Chinese cities operating the trains have resumed outbound transport, according to Zhao.
DALLAS  Even with only a handful of passengers on many of her flights, every cough or sneeze gets Darlene Sains attention.

Sain, a 23-year flight attendant at Southwest Airlines, said a passenger coughing in the front row of a recent flight caught icy stares from nearly everyone on the sparsely crowded Boeing 737 jet.

The first thing you think is that they should start wearing a mask, she said. But thats not fair. Its allergy season. I sneeze because I walk by someone with strong perfume in the grocery store.

Even as thousands of airline workers take voluntary time off or even early retirement, there are still thousands more left exposed at Southwest and American airlines and dealing with strangers every day in a world changed by the COVID-19 pandemic.

Leaders at American and Southwest are keeping the planes flying, not only to ensure that the airlines stay solvent, but also because they say jets are delivering essential supplies to needed regions. Theyre also shuttling doctors and researchers as well as people trying to get back home to see loved ones.

Three airline workers, including Sain, spoke about the eerieness of working in the aviation industry today. Others, warned by employers not to speak publicly during the COVID-19 crisis, share similar tales of anxiety, mixed with a sense of duty not only to passengers, but to keep working to help their employers.

Airline workers were among the first to raise alarms over the risk of COVID-19 when it was only an issue in China. American Airlines pilots and flight attendants wanted the carrier to more aggressively shut down routes to mainland China and Hong Kong, followed by flights to South Korea and Italy.

Now with the time for international containment passed, airline workers such as Sain are still in the air, although working in a much different capacity than just a few months ago.

There are 750,000 airline workers in the United States, usually serving about 2.5 million passengers a day this time of year. But that number dropped to its lowest point in decades last Wednesday, with only 94,931 passengers flying in the U.S., according to the Transportation Security Administration.

Sain has moved out of her home in Richwood, Texas, and into the apartment of another flight attendant. Her adult daughter who lives with her fell ill with chemical-induced pneumonia last fall from vaping.

Im staying away from my daughter because I have to fly and I am afraid to give (the virus) to her, Sain said.

Thats only the beginning of the changes in what had been Sains workdays. Aboard planes, flight attendants are no longer doing food and beverage service. Customer service is limited to pre-takeoff announcements and picking up garbage.

I have to say that most of us cant stand it, she said. Southwest has us so conditioned to give the best customer service, its hard for us to just sit down for the whole flight.

Skipping snack service and other tasks also makes flights seem longer to flight attendants who are used to the routines that pass the time on one- to five-hour trips, Sain said.

Several of her fellow flight attendants have ended up in quarantine because of exposure to COVID-19, and shes heard of others who have been diagnosed with the coronavirus itself.

Now every time she steps off a plane, walks out of the airport and gets in her car, the first thing she does is wipe herself and her belongings with disinfecting wipes.

I dont want to bring any of that with me, Sain said.

From cheery to social distancing

Tammy Woods is a regular in Dallas/Fort Worth International Airports international terminal when things go bad. As a customer service coordinator for American Airlines, its her job to provide assistance when flights are delayed or canceled or other problems arise that frustrate customers.

D36 is one of her gates, and its typically where a daily flight from Beijing arrives and departs. She was there when COVID-19, then known simply as the coronavirus, was isolated to China and there was paranoia over potential spread to the United States.

The human part of me is fearful, just like our entire country is, said Woods, whos also president of Communication Workers of America Local 6001, which represents about 10,000 gate and ramp workers at DFW. I have specialized training that I have to remain calm.

Woods said people are afraid of flying on airplanes and being in airports in such close contact with strangers from all over the country. She said her demeanor on the job can help calm down passengers or raise anxiety.

If there is something going on at a gate, you cannot lose your head, Woods said. You have to remain calm and cool.

Woods, too, has family at home. Her son was sent home from Texas A&M University because of the pandemic. She drove to College Station recently to help him pick up his stuff since he wont be returning this semester.

At DFW, shes helped coordinate a mask-making effort with the union to give some sort of personal protective equipment to workers who dont have it. American Airlines has started a similar effort as well at DFW since it is difficult to find masks on the open market.

We care about each other at American Airlines, Woods said. Our company must survive, there is no other thought otherwise. But its going to be a rough ride. Theres going to be turbulence.

Heading back into the danger zone

Southwest Airlines flight attendant Michelle Ryder found herself under quarantine in mid-March. She came in contact with someone with COVID-19 while visiting her mother at a hospital in Charlotte, N.C., after back surgery.

Quarantine, she said, has been monotonous.

Ryder didnt miss work because she was one of the thousands of workers who had taken the unpaid voluntary time off program. She plans to return at the end of May. She hopes the worst of the threat has passed by then.

She has stayed in contact with friends at Southwest and at American, which has one of its biggest hubs in Charlotte.

My concern is what this is going to do to jobs and the economy, said Ryder, a 15-year flight attendant at Southwest. I feel very fortunate to be with the airline Im with, but there is a lot of worry.

The experience teaches Ryder that while flight attendants are at risk, so is everyone else. She wants to go back to work so other flight attendants wont be burdened.

Hopefully, if everybodys predictions about this are correct, the peak will be past and well be flattened out by the time I head back, she said. Because when I hear from flight attendants, its horrible. I cant imagine working like this.

--Tribune News Service
It is important to stay united and have faith in each other to fight the coronavirus pandemic, veteran lyricist-screenwriter Javed Akhtar said on Sunday, expressing concerns over the attack on healthcare workers and cases of communal tension in the country.

In a video shared by Akhtar's wife, veteran actor Shabana Azmi on Twitter, the writer urged people to stand together in this time of crisis.

"The country is undergoing a crisis at this point of time. To fight this crisis called coronavirus, it is important for us to be united. If we will keep suspecting each other or won't understand each other's intentions, there will be no unity, then how will we fight it?



"You must salute these doctors who are endangering their lives to test you. Unless you get tested, you will not know whether you have the disease or not. You can be treated only after that. It's a matter of stupidity that, I've heard, people are pelting stones on those doctors. This should not be done," Akhtar said in the 2 minute-long clip.

The 75-year-old lyricist also said that targeting a particular community defeats the goal of unity.

"I also hear that shops of a particular community are being shut, 'thelas' are being overturned or people are hit so that they can flee. This is not how unity works. We will have to believe each other. We all are citizens of this country," he said.

Akhtar appealed to the Muslim community to offer prayers from home in the holy month of Ramzan, which will begin from April 24 or April 25.

"I request all the Muslim brothers that now that Ramzan is coming, please say your prayers but make sure that this doesn't cause problems to anyone else. The prayers that you do in the mosque, you can do that at home. According to you, the house, the ground, this all has been made by Him. Then you can do your prayers anywhere," he said.

"Ensure that your speech, slogans and deeds don't create any suspicion in the minds of others. And to all the other citizens of the country, I'd say please have faith in each other, practice unity, don't resort to hatred. Only with the help of love and trust, we will be able to fight with the coronavirus," he added.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, April 19)  Former Foreign Affairs Secretary Albert del Rosario is urging the government to protest Chinas creation of new districts that cover features in the South China Sea, including the Philippine-claimed Spratly Islands, Scarborough Shoal and Fiery Cross Reef.

Del Rosario said just as the Philippines protested Chinas reported sinking of a Vietnames fishing vessel, it should also protest its declaration of the new districts.

He added that these recent incidents involving China in the disputed waters should keep Filipinos vigilant, even as the world faces the coronavirus pandemic, which started in Wuhan, China.

These show that China has been relentless in exploiting the COVID-19 pandemic as it continues to pursue its illegal and expansive claims in the South China Sea to the prejudice of Filipinos, the ASEAN states and the international community as a whole, Del Rosario said.

Chinese State-owned China Global Television Network reported Saturday that China has established two new districts covering Paracel Islands, Zhongsha Islands, which is home to Scarborough Shoal, Woody Island, Spratly Islands, and Fiery Cross Reef.

The report said Xisha district will administer the Paracel and Zhongsha islands and its surrounding waters, while its government will hold office on Woody Island, which is claimed by both China and Vietnam.

The Paracel Islands are both claimed by China and Vietnam. The entirety of Zhongsha Islands is both claimed by China and Taiwan, while Scarborough Shoal is also claimed by the Philippines.

The CGTN report also said that another district, called Nansha, will be governing the Spratly Islands and its surrounding waters. Its government will hold office on Fiery Cross Reef.

China, the Philippines, Malaysia, Vietnam and Taiwan have overlapping claims over Spratly Islands. Fiery Cross Reef, meanwhile, is claimed by China, the Philippines, Vietnam and Taiwan.

Xisha and Nansha districts are both part of Sansha City, which administers the Paracel, Zhongsha and Spratly islands.

CGTN described the city as covering two million square square kilometers, but only covering 20 square kilometers of land. It also said some 1,800 people live in the city.

China has so far put up two research stations, and sank a Vietnamese fishing boat in the South China Sea amid the coronavirus pandemic.

While these actions were widely seen as China taking advantage of the global health crisis, "none of these [incidents] are new," according to Washington-based think-tank Asia Maritime Transparency Initiative.

"There's nothing different today that China wasn't doing six months ago," AMTI director Gregory Poling said in an online forum hosted by the Foreign Correspondents Association of the Philippines.

"It has been steadily increasing its presence... it's been steadily increasing the frequency of harassment of Southeast Asian oil and gas operations, fishing operations, etc.," Poling said, adding that China is showing no signs of stopping in order to establish control of contested waters.

"I think people are a little more scandalized. They have assumed that amid the global pandemic, we would see a calming and that hasn't happened," he added.

President Rodrigo Duterte has nurtured ties with China despite its continued aggression in the West Philippine Sea  areas Manila claims and occupies in the South China Sea.

A 2016 ruling by a Hague-based arbitral tribunal backed by the Permanent Court of Arbitration voided Chinas sweeping claims over virtually the entire South China Sea based on so-called historical rights, but Beijing continues to reject this decision.

Chinese President Xi Jinping has convinced Duterte to "shelve differences" to make way for joint oil and gas exploration.

CNN Philippines Tristan Nodalo and Eimor Santos contributed to this report.








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There are a lot of heroes emerging in the coronavirus pandemic  doctors, nurses, first responders, volunteers, essential workers, researchers, and for Stacy Czerniak from Lawrence Township  her 17-year-old son, Jack.

The Lawrence High School senior is balancing doing his virtual school work with working at the local ShopRite. Ever since this started, he has gone to work each day without complaints, she said. His mom said she knows that the social distancing shutdowns and uncertainty surrounding his senior year of high school have been tough, but this has not gotten him down.

Hes still going to work, making sure people are getting the essential groceries they need, and Stacy said she cant contain how proud she is.

As part of NJ.coms #TogetherNJ initiative, weve been asking readers to shout out New Jerseyans like Jack, who are doing what they can to give back, help out, or bring smiles to your faces. Let us know here about the people youd love to shout out, and check out all of the people who have done some pretty great things to keep us all going this week:

UV light machines donated by the Cherry Hill schools to the local police department.

The science class givers: The Cherry Hill Police Department put out a public thank you this week to Cherry Hill Schools Superintendent Joe Meloche and Director of Facilities Greg McCarthy for delivering a batch of UV light machines to the department. The machines are normally used to disinfect goggles for science classes when school is in session. Dr. Meloche is lending the equipment to CHPD to allow us to disinfect masks and goggles that our officers are currently using during the COVID-19 pandemic, the department wrote. These valuable pieces of equipment will allow us to extend the service life of our PPE.

Leah Crochunis sewing masks.

The little sewing fingers: Fifth grader Leah Crochunis of Allentown has been busy. Shes spent the last three weeks sewing cloth masks for the medical community, Anne Crochunis writes. She has sewn over 140 masks and touched the lives of nurses, pharmacists, technicians and more at 6 hospitals across the state. Way to go!

The musical docs: A bunch of musical students at Rutgers New Jersey Medical School virtually created a cover video of Ben E. Kings Stand by Me to post on YouTube. Music in medicine is such a powerful thing and we want to share that, Grace Ro, one of the students, wrote to NJ.com. For those who may not necessarily be musical per se, we hope to encourage them to find creative ways to use their skills and talents even during social distancing, to send a message and impact those around them.

Lisa Pisano's son dressed up as the Easter Bunny.

The Little Bunny: Who says you have to be a grown up to spread some Easter joy? Lisa Pisanos 9-year-old son was upset that the young kids in his Ho-Ho-Kus neighborhood were missing out on seeing the Easter Bunny this year. So, he dressed up in a bunny costume and took a socially-distant ride around his area, telling families that they could get a glimpse of the big rabbit. Many friends reached out to tell us how this lifted their spirits, his mom said.

The Good Clean Fun: Since 2017, SACK -- Supporting A Community with Kindness  has been donating knit and crocheted soap sacks, which are filled with soap, to those in need. Kristin Matteo writes to shout out the groups founder, Stacy Wiener. SACK has given away 55,000 donations so far, and has been donating her soap sacks to local hospital staff to show our appreciation for their efforts throughout the pandemic, she said.

The Facebook fairy: Thank you, Maureen McSpirit, for adding a little positivity to your neighbors feeds. Seeing how Bergen County front liners were handling this pandemic was so inspiring, she said. She created a Facebook page, Local Heroes, We thank you!, that highlights a hero in the community every day.

The teachers who are friends: The staff of Mullica Township schools created a Friends-inspired music video to tell students theyll be there for them.

Want to thank those missed connections who are making your self-quarantine a little brighter? Tell us who deserves a public shout-out here (well post these round-ups every week), and read more #TogetherNJ stories here. And, if you can help make someone smile today, please do!

Subscribe to the #TogetherNJ newsletter to get a weekly dose of these uplifting stories right to your inbox.

Find NJ.com on Facebook. Have a tip? Tell us. nj.com/tips.
The Rotary Club of Tulsa Foundation will donate almost $68,000 to help four local nonprofit organizations that provide necessary services to those in need.

Organizations apply each year for funds in order to meet specific needs. The four groups selected for this years gifts all were in need of assistance that would allow them to serve people more easily and efficiently.

The organizations are:

 Meals on Wheels of Metro Tulsa, which will receive $18,000 to replace existing kitchen equipment for higher-tech new state-of-the-art commercial kitchen equipment.

 Good Samaritan Health Services, Inc., which will receive $16,000 for vehicle maintenance and repairs to a large van that provides medical care to uninsured and underserved individuals living in the Tulsa area.

 A New Leaf, Inc. will receive $15,900 for the purchase of a commercial-grade refrigerator and two aquaponic systems.

 Iron Gate, Inc. will receive $18,000 to purchase a vehicle that will allow Iron Gate to increase the number and frequency of food pick-ups to supply daily meal and grocery pantry.

James D. Watts Jr. 918-581-8478 james.watts@tulsaworld.com Twitter: watzworld

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US President Donald Trump and his administrations consistent attacks on the World Health Organisation chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus have set up a face-off at the proposed annual meeting of the World Health Assembly on May 18.

Trump, who has long accused the Tedros-led WHO of playing into Chinas hands over the coronavirus disease, this week suspended funding to the global health body. By then, the Ethopian microbiologist who was elected to lead the WHO in 2017 with support from Xi Jinpings China, had already galvanised support from African and most Non-Aligned countries.

To be sure, diplomats based in Geneva where the annual meeting of the World Health Assembly take place told Hindustan Times that the three-hour long video conference would end up in an anodyne resolution calling for a global fight against the spread of Covid-19 with all member nations uploading their statements. Even the most hard-hit European countries and the UK have desisted from criticising the WHO director general at this point, saying this isnt the time to play politics but fight the virus.

Also Read: Geostrategic paralysis in face of Covid-19 could open a role for India | Opinion

However, every representative of the 194-member body is expected to scrutinise the US statement as President Donald Trump has led the attack against Dr Tedros Ghebreyesus, accusing him of playing into the hands of the Chinese government and downplaying the threat posed by the deadly virus that has claimed 157,000 lives worldwide.

President Trump on Sunday went a step ahead when he warned of consequences to the Xi Jinping regime if it was found that China had deliberately suppressed facts about the origin and spread of the virus that originated from Wuhan province.

The US charges against WHO were largely summed up by the Committee on Oversight and Reform of the US Congress, which in a letter on April 9 to Dr Ghebreyesus made it clear that the organisation was no longer serving the needs of the world and instead taking its cues from China.

Also Read: Reforming the World Health Organization | Opinion

While India has not formally taken a stand against Dr Ghebreyesus over its assessment that the focus should be Covid-19 and not WHO director general, Prime Minister Narendra Modi was first to indirectly question the body during a G-20 meeting last month when he wondered if a 20th century body would be able to handle the new-age diseases.

The US position is in contrast to the stand taken by African Union and countries and Non-Aligned Movement. Dr Ghebreyesus hails from Ethiopia, which has been a member of the movement for nearly 40 years.

The US is unhappy that as late as January 14, 2020, the WHO denied that there was community transmission in Wuhan despite warnings of human-to-human transmission by a non member Taiwan the previous month.

The WHO, the Trump administration believes, was late to declare Covid-19 as a public health emergency of international concern (PHEIC) January 30, 2020.

By this time the disease had infected almost 10,000 people. In fact, Dr Ghebreyesus congratulated the Chinese government for taking extraordinary measures to contain the outbreak.

The WHO, despite declaring Covid-19 a PHEIC and extensive evidence of transmission through travel, did not warn any country against travel, to or from China. Between December 31 and January 31, as many as 430,000 people flew on direct flights from China to the US.

Covid-19 was only declared a pandemic on March 11 after it had raced around the world, sickening nearly 120,000 people in 110 countries and killing close to 4,400.

However, much to the chagrin of Donald Trump and US lawmakers, WHO routinely praised China for its efforts to combat the spread of Covid-19 contrary to the accusations that Beijing had underreported the threat and gagged professionals such as doctors and journalists for speaking about the severity of the disease.

Even though the World Health Assembly in Geneva may end up in a very diluted outcome. diplomats expect that there would be increasing pressure on China to respond to criticism that it hasnt been transparent enough about the disease and the WHO, for the steps that it should have taken.

At the UN Security Council meeting that belatedly discussed the pandemic last week, the US drove home the point by calling for complete transparency in the reporting of coronavirus data, a clear reference to China.

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On Friday, the Delhi High Court dismissed an interim bail plea of a man who was arrested with a bag full of charas weighing up to 3.5 kg.

In his petition, he was seeking interim bail for 45 days on the basis that he was a handicapped person who also suffers from severe diabetes and high blood pressure and with the added pressure of the COVID-19 outbreak, he claimed that his health will be at risk.

The lawyer for the man argued that he was being falsely charged with case and all the allegations against him are false. His petition also mentioned how it is dangerous for the man to remain in jail since he is suffering from diabetes and hypertension, and the pandemic is bound to make it worse. His lawyer also stated that the petitioner was not receiving proper care in jail.



BCCL

According to ANI, the Additional Public Prosecutor claimed that the man was arrested when he was carrying 3.5 kg charas and that makes it a commercial quantity. He also mentioned that the man was being treated just fine behind bars, keeping his medical condition in mind.

He said, "All the tests as prescribed by RML Hospital and other doctors have been duly conducted on the petitioner and the condition of the petitioner is stable."

Once both sides presented their cases, the court decided that "keeping in view the allegations against the petitioner, the petitioner is not entitled to grant of interim bail as prayed, as in the present case the petitioner was found carrying 3.5 kg of charas which is a commercial quantity."

AFP

"The perusal of the report shows that all due medical attention and treatment has been given to the petitioner and all his complaints regarding his health have been duly attended and addressed. The petitioner was even taken to RML hospital where his 2D Echo Test was also carried out which showed his normal valve functions. The health status report of the petitioner reveals that haemogram, liver function test, kidney function test and lipid profile were all carried out and were found to be within normal limits," the court noted.



With inputs from ANI.
Even though its publication has been overshadowed by the coronavirus outbreak, Malcolm Turnbulls long-awaited memoir has sparked controversy, especially from the conservative side of politics.

Mr Turnbulls 700-page tome, A Bigger Picture, recounts his life-long career in public life and politics, right up to the brutal coup which ended his prime ministership almost two years ago.

In an interview with the Herald, Mr Turnbull denied the memoir is an act of revenge. But many believe writing a book so soon after his exit from politics he is just trying to settle scores.

Whatever Mr Turnbull hopes to achieve, the book provides a useful insight into the personal toll that political life exacts.

Despite his wealth and success, Mr Turnbull reveals he suffered bouts of depression after losing his job as leader of the opposition in 2009 to Tony Abbott and again in late 2018. He deserves credit for speaking openly about the difficult issue of mental health. Hopefully it encourages others to seek help for their own challenges while in office, rather than waiting until so long afterwards.
The number of deaths and cases from the coronavirus continues to rise in New Jersey as statewide positive tests hit 85,301 on Sunday, but the number of COVID-19 patients at the state hospitals has declined for the fourth consecutive day, according to a report from the state Department of Health.

Gov. Phil Murphy said Saturday the decrease in hospitalizations is one indication that gives health officials hope that the coronavirus outbreak curve shows signs of stabilizing after a month of stay-at-home orders and business closings.

Murphy announced Sunday deaths climbed to 4,202, while total coronavirus cases rose to 85,301, as 125 news deaths and 3,915 new positive tests were reported.

Its difficult to get a complete picture of exactly how many people in New Jersey currently have COVID-19 because officials say testing has been backlogged up to 14 days. The state also is not reporting significant increases in daily testing, so it is unclear exactly how quickly the virus is spreading.

The latest report shows there were 7,495 patients hospitalized as of 10 p.m. Saturday, according to the state Department of Health. Thats down from a high of 8,293 patients on Tuesday, and a single-day decline of 264 people hospitalized. Between 10 p.m. Friday and 10 p.m. Saturday, 780 coronavirus patients were discharged from hospitals.

In addition to discharged patients, however, the number of people being treated in hospitals also declines as people die of COVID-19, state officials have acknowledged. Since the peak in hospitalizations on Tuesday, 1,397 have people died from COVID-19, according to state data.

Of those 7,495 patients hospitalized, 1,940 are in critical or intensive care and 1,628 are on ventilators.

CORONAVIRUS RESOURCES: Live map tracker | Businesses that are open | Homepage

Murphy said at his last briefing on the outbreak Saturday "we are flattening the curve in the state.

This is a credit to each and every one of you who has taken to heart our aggressive social distancing measures and who continues to do your part, he said.

Murphy did not hold a daily coronavirus briefing on Sunday, as has been his practice in recent weeks.

Data from the state Department of Health.

The governor also warned were not out of the woods yet, and urged people to continue to adhere to his strict rules to limit the spread.

Heres the problem: The short connection between an abrupt change in human behavior and all those charts, graphs, and progress is shocking," Murphy said. In other words, if we let our guard down right now, we would literally see it tomorrow."

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.

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Seen above is Doosan Group headquarters in Seoul. Yonhap



By Lee Min-hyung





Bang Moon-kyu, CEO at Export-Import Bank of Korea
Youve read all about the $2 trillion stimulus package designed to offer financial help to Americans struggling in the wake of COVID-19. But you still have loads of questions about the economic relief plan, the biggest to be approved in the history of the United States. Namely, who gets what, when and how. Heres everything you need to know.

1. Q: How much can I expect to get back?

A: Most eligible adults will get $1,200 back. But it depends on your income, according to the IRS. Single adults who have an adjusted gross income of $75,000 or less will get the full amount while married couples (with no children) who filed a joint return and make less than $150,000 will receive a maximum amount of $2,400. If youre a head of household filer (for example, a single parent) who makes less than $112,500, you should also receive the full $1,200.

But if your filing status was single or married filing separately and your adjusted gross income is between $75,000 and $99,000, you will receive a reduced payment. Same goes for head of households who made between $112,500 and $136,500 or married couples who filed jointly and made between $150,000 and $198,000. (For an individual making more than $75,000 or for a couple making more than $150,000, the payment will decrease by $5 per every $100 an individual makes over $75,000.)

Once your adjusted gross income hits $99,000 for individuals or $198,000 for married couples filing jointly, payments stop altogether. Also, if someone claims you as a dependent, you are ineligible to receive a check. (You also have to have a valid Social Security number to be eligible.)

Still have questions about how much you can expect to receive? Check out this handy calculator from The Washington Post to figure out your likely payout.

2. Q: What if I have kids?

A: Parents with children who are less than 16 years of age will get an additional $500 per child, as long as youve claimed your kids as dependents on your tax return. If you share custody, the money will go to the parent who claimed the kids on their tax returns.

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According to the Senate Finance Committee, families with two children will no longer be eligible to receive a stimulus check if their income has surpassed $218,000.

3. Q: Do I have to apply to get paid?

A: No, the IRS will base payments off of the information they have from your 2019 or 2018 tax returns.

4. Q: What if I still havent filed my 2019 tax return?

A: In that case, the IRS will base the amount you receive on your 2018 return.

5. Q: Where will the money be deposited?

A: If youve set up direct deposit to receive a tax refund in the past, the IRS will use that same info to directly deposit the money into your account. But if you dont have direct deposit, you can expect a physical check in the mail.

For those that prefer the direct deposit option, but dont have it set up (or need to update the information currently on file), the IRS is working on setting up an online tool that will go live in late April where people can input their banking info, but also track the status of their deposit. (To stay up to date on when this is up and running, you can visit the section of the IRS website that is specifically devoted to COVID-19 relief efforts.)

For anyone on Social Security or disability, its the same as the abovethe IRS will directly put the money into your account based on the info it already has. (If you dont typically file a tax return, you can submit to receive a stimulus check via this website.)

6. Q: When will that money be deposited?

A: According to Vox, direct deposit stimulus payments have already started hitting taxpayer accounts. As for the paper checks? Those checks will start going out beginning April 24, per the IRS, but reports predict that, in actuality, it will take a long time for those to roll out. (The Washington Post predicts some checks arriving as late as September.)

7. Q: What if I get laid off? Does that make me eligible?

A: Unfortunately, if you get laid off during COVID-19, it doesnt change your eligibility status for the stimulus checks. Eligibility is based on your adjusted gross income pulled from your 2018 and 2019 returns, not your financial situation in 2020.

8. Q: What if Im expecting a payment, but dont see it in my account?

A: As previously mentioned, the IRS is building an online tool that will allow Americans to track the status of their stimulus check. This should go live in late April. In addition, you will receive a paper notice by mail a few weeks after the payment goes out. If you get a paper receipt, and still cant locate the payment, its time to reach out to the IRS.

9. Q: Do I have to pay taxes on the payment?

A: No, taxes not are required to be paid on the cash you receive via your stimulus check.

10. Q: How many payments will there be?

A: At this point in time, only one.

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Bengaluru, April 19 : Fearing Karnataka could be far behind in Covid-19 numbers, the opposition Congress on Sunday urged the state government to conduct more tests to ascertain how many people were affected by the pandemic.

"Testing, testing and testing is our mantra to the state government, as Karnataka is way behind others in knowing how many more people are affected by the virus and need treatment even 25 days after the lockdown began on March 25," Congress leader and former chief minister Siddaramiah told reporters here.

Citing the World Health Organisation (WHO) recommendation for conducting 10,000 tests for a million or 10 lakh population, Siddaramaiah said the southern state was testing only 152 per million.

"Lifting lockdown without adequate testing may give false sense of hope which can turn against us," asserted Siddaramaiah after submitting a memorandum to chief minister B.S. Yediyurappa here on tackling the unprecedented crisis.

Extending the party's support to the state government in its fight against the deadly disease, Siddaramaiah should it was the opposition party's duty to present facts to step up efforts to contain the virus spread and address the grave economic fallout of the virus in the state.

Noting that the state was short of adequate personal protective equipment (PPEs) to the healthcare workforce, Siddaramaiah said the state government should also get more masks, hydroxychloroquine tablets and testing kits.

"The state government should also set up more centres in the state to do more Covid-19 tests before the extended lockdown is lifted on May 4," he reiterated.

"We told the chief minister to get more medicines, medical equipment and other healthcare needs than wait for the Centre to send as many," he added.

Assuring the Congress delegation of studying its memo and taking action, Yediydurappa tweeted that healthy discussions were held with the opposition leaders on minimizing the damage from the virus to the people and the state's economy.

Though Karnataka is 12th among states, with 390 positive cases, 111 discharged and 16 deaths till date, it is yet to ramp up testing for want of more kits to ensure the virus chain is broken before lifting the lockdown across the state.
A luxury yacht suspected to be carrying hundreds of kilograms of meth has been raided by police.

The $250,000 vessel was intercepted by New South Wales Police in waters off Lake Macquarie, north of Sydney, at 4.30am on Saturday.

The 50-foot boat called La Fayette was escorted by a police vessel to Balmain in the city's inner west at 1.45pm that afternoon.

A New Zealand man, 33, and a UK-South African man, 34, have been arrested and charged with importing commercial quantities of border-controlled drugs.

The maximum sentence is life in jail.

Scroll down for video

Pictured: The $250,000 vessel being towed by a ship after it was stormed by police in Lake Macquarie

It was brought to Balmain in the city's west on Saturday morning for a full investigation

The luxury yacht was packed with hundreds of kilograms of suspected methamphetamine

Commercial quantities of suspected drugs will be unloaded as part of an investigation, Australian Federal Police said on Sunday.

Forensic teams and a hazardous materials crews with full protective equipment searched the deck.

NSW State Crime Commander, Assistant Commissioner Stuart Smith, said the crew members are being tested for COVID-19 and vessel has been decontaminated.

'With every seizure we make, a syndicate is taken down and it's evident this criminal network has gone to extreme measures to traffic drugs into NSW with current international travel restrictions,' he said.

Australian borders closed to non-residents on March 20 to curb the spread of the deadly virus.

The seizure came after an investigation including members of the Australian Federal Police, NSW Police, Border Force and authorities in the United Kingdom and New Caledonia.

A New Zealand man and a UK-South African man were arrested and will appear in court on Sunday

The two men can be seen being escorted off the boat and photographed by police in protective suits

Forensic teams and a hazardous materials crews with full protective equipment are pictured waiting by the water

New Caledonian authorities flagged a suspicious vessel with Australian officials on Thursday that had been in Mexico before entering Pacific waters.

Australian authorities then flagged a second boat - the La Fayette - that had allegedly been loaded with drugs near Norfolk Island in the South Pacific.

Australian Border Force's Marine Border Command tracked the boat on Friday and prepared the raid.

A water policeman watched the La Fayette get towed into Sydney by a police ship on Saturday

The crew will be tested for COVID-19 and the boat will be decontaminated. Investigators wore protective suits during the raid

It comes after musician Craig Lembke was jailed for six years on Friday after smuggling 700kg of cocaine from Tahiti to NSW in a catamaran - also moored at Lake Macquarie.

Lembke denied knowing the drugs were on board, but the court heard he was offered $500,000 to do the trip.

He was found guilty in October of importing a commercial quantity of cocaine, hidden in the twin hulls of the 13-metre catamaran Skarabej in late 2017.

The quantity of pure cocaine in the 700kg of white powder seized by police was 548kg, with a street value of $245 million.
Unionville Vineyards has joined a growing list of businesses who are providing funds and supplies to medical professionals by announcing that it will donate profits to support frontline healthcare workers.

Profits made from sales of dry Riesling in the months of April and May will go toward purchase lunches and other requested items for the nurses and doctors tending to COVID-19 cases at local hospitals. The Hunterdon County vineyard will use a different restaurant for each meal donation to also give a boost to those small businesses as well.

Its important to let our healthcare professionals know that they have support from their communities outside the hospital walls, said John Cifelli, the winerys general manager. Theyre caring for the friends and family members of the regions residents, often without proper protective equipment and doing so for long hours under physical and emotional duress. Donating a meal or sending a care package is a meaningful gesture we can make to remind them that all of New Jersey stands with them.

After announcing the campaign on social media in the beginning of the month, the vineyard has already raised thousands of dollars and made its first donation on Wednesday, April 8. Unionvilles wines can be ordered online at www.unionvillevineyards.com or over the phone by calling 908-788-0400 ex 2.

There is free shipping to anyone in New Jersey, Pennsylvania, or New York on purchases of six or more bottles. Contactless pickup at the winerys parking lot at 9 Rocktown Road in East Amwell is available seven days a week from noon to 5 p.m. Orders can also be picked up at Unionvilles wine bar at Ferry Market, 32 South Main Street in New Hope, from Thursday to Sunday, noon to 7p.m.

Unionville Vineyards produces wines from 47 acres of vineyard planted at sites in Ringoes, Hopewell, and Princeton. The winerys portfolio is focused on Chardonnay, Pinot Noir, Syrah, and Rhone-style blends.

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Brandon Gould covers Hunterdon County news for NJ.com and may be reached at bgould@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @BrandonGouldHS. Find NJ.com on Facebook.
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Some side effects, such as abdominal pain and nausea have been observed in healthcare workers, who are a part of the study being conducted in India, to look at the prophylactic (preventive) effects of the anti-malaria drug, hydroxychloroquine (HCQ), against the coronavirus disease (Covid-19), said the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) on Saturday.

The ICMR said that it was conducting a two-arm study on the prophylactic (prevention) and therapeutic (treatment) effects of HCQ against Covid-19.

The average age of those who showed side effects against the drug was 35 years. The most common complaint was of abdominal pain that was reported by about 10% of those who took the medicine; 6% reported experiencing nausea, and the other effects were of less proportion such as 1.3% complaining of hypoglycemia [low blood sugar levels], said Dr Raman R Gangakhedkar, head, epidemiology and communicable disease division, ICMR, who is supervising the trials on behalf of ICMR.

Of those healthcare workers who reported adverse drug reaction, about 22% suffered from some underlying medical conditions, such as diabetes, blood pressure, cardiovascular or respiratory disease.

We observed that despite being healthcare workers themselves, about 14% had not even got their ECGs done to check their heart function before. It seems they were aware of their health condition which made them volunteer to take the medicine so that they would get protection against infection, said Dr Gangakhedkar.

Another observational study is being done to know its treatment benefits among Covid-19 patients,

The observational study is being done in a cohort of 480 Covid-19 patients, who will be given a specific doze of HCQ along with the antibiotic, azithromycin, for eight weeks.

It will take about two and a half months to get done with the study and know the results as we are working under restricted research conditions because of the lockdown. The All India Institute of Medical Sciences is the nodal site for both the studies, said Gangakhedkar.

On whether any study was being done in India to check the efficacy of the anti-viral drug, Remdesivir, which has shown promise in stopping the replication mechanism of coronaviruses, including SARS-CoV-2, which causes Covid-19, Dr Gangakhedkar said that India was a part of World Health Organizations (WHO) SOLIDARITY trial, and Remdesivir was one of the trial arms.

It is the Gilead companys product, and they say in about 68% of the Covid-19 patients, it has been effective in reducing oxygen support. However, this conclusion is not a part of any clinical trial but an observational study for which the drug was given to patients on compassionate grounds. Now it has started a trial on 5,500 patients to check the dosage efficacy of five days vs. 10 days. However, even an interim analysis of it isnt out yet. There is some time before we get any concrete evidence, and in some time, if we find its working, we will act accordingly, said Gangakhedkar.

Though Gilead company has a patent on this drug molecule, during pandemic situations, companys charge some royalty from generic manufacturers and allow them to manufacture the drug, he added.

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A further 596 people have died after testing positive for coronavirus in the UK, bringing the countrys Covid-19 hospital death toll to 16,060, according to government data.

The latest figures from the Department of Health and Social Care showed 21,626 tests have been completed in the last 24 hours, of which 5,850 tests came back positive for Covid-19.

As of 9am on Sunday, 372,967 people have been tested for coronavirus in the UK, with 120,067 testing positive in total.

The daily figures came amid growing concern over reports suggesting the government failed to adequately prepare for the Covid-19 pandemic and claims that Boris Johnson, the prime minister, did not attend five emergency Cobra meetings in the build-up to the outbreak.

An investigation in The Sunday Times has quoted a Whitehall source who said the government missed the boat on testing and PPE (personal protective equipment) and just watched as the death toll mounted in China.

The report also alleged multiple opportunities were missed in January, February and March to try to lessen the impact of the crisis, which has claimed thousands of lives in the UK.

Michael Gove, the chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster, claimed on Sunday that the criticism of Mr Johnson was grotesque but confirmed the prime minister had not attended the emergency meetings.

Labours shadow health secretary, Jonathan Ashworth, said there were serious questions as to why the prime minister missed the meetings and suggested he had been missing in action during the early stages of the crisis.

We know that serious mistakes have been made, we know that our front-line NHS staff dont have the PPE, that theyve been told this weekend that they wont necessarily have the gowns which are vital to keep them safe, Mr Ashworth said.

We know that our testing capacity is not at the level that is needed.

We know that the ventilators that many hospitals have received are the wrong types of ventilators and there are big questions as to whether we went into this lockdown too slowly, and now we hear the prime minister missed five meetings at the start of this outbreak.

Meanwhile, the government is facing pressure to explain its exit strategy for the lockdown, which was extended by three weeks on Thursday.

Multiple newspapers have reported plans for a traffic light three-step strategy which is apparently being considered in government and would see some schools and businesses reopen in mid-May.

However, both Mr Gove and Gavin Williamson, the education secretary, have denied that a decision on schools has been made yet.

Mr Gove said ministers did not want to take steps too early, despite signs that the rate of Covid-19 infections appeared to be flattening.

Additional reporting by PA
Soon after he repurposed his 60-bed cardiac unit to accommodate covid-19 patients, Mount Sinai cardiovascular surgeon John Puskas was stumped: With nearly all the beds now occupied by victims of the novel coronavirus, where had all the heart patients gone?Even those left almost speechless by crushing chest pain weren't coming through the ER.

Variations on that question have puzzled clinicians not only in New York, the epicenter of the coronavirus outbreak, but across the country and in Spain, the United Kingdom and China. Five weeks into a nationwide coronavirus lockdown, many doctors believe the pandemic has produced a silent sub-epidemic of people who need care at hospitals but dare not come in. They include people with inflamed appendixes, infected gall bladders and bowel obstructions, and more ominously, chest pains and stroke symptoms, according to these physicians and early research.

"Everybody is frightened to come to the ER," Puskas said.

Some doctors worry that illness and mortality from unaddressed health issues may rival the carnage produced by the virus in regions less affected by covid-19, the disease the novel coronavirus causes. And some expect they will soon see patients who have dangerously delayed seeking care as ongoing symptoms force them to overcome their fear.

Evert Eriksson, trauma medical director at the Medical University of South Carolina, described a man in his 20s who tried to ignore the growing pain in his belly, toughing it out at home with the aid of over-the-counter painkillers. By the time he showed up at the hospital, perhaps 10 days after he should have, he had developed a large abscess, one that was gnawing through the muscle in his abdominal wall.

A fairly routine surgery and a night in the hospital had become a lengthy and difficult inpatient stay, with doctors operating and using antibiotics to control the widespread infection, according to Eriksson. Only after they succeed in vanquishing the infection can they address the appendix itself.

"That's going to be a real wound-care challenge for him moving forward," said Eriksson, who is treating the patient. "He said to me he could [imagine] the virus crawling on the hospital. He was just scared to come."

At MUSC, Eriksson's general surgery floor, which has 20 beds, housed as few as three people for two to three weeks, he said. Now the count is back over 20.

"What we're seeing is late presentation," he said. "I would say 70% of the appendicitis on my service right now are late presentations. What happens when you present late with appendicitis is we can't operate on you safely."

Yet the 700-bed hospital in Charleston is about 60% full, because like most facilities, MUSC discharged everyone it could to make room for the expected coronavirus surge. So far that hasn't materialized. The hospital has not had more than 10 covid-19 patients admitted at any time, he said.

"We have five covid patients in the hospital right now, and we have five appendicitis cases" with complications from waiting too long to come in for care, Eriksson said.

Much of the reporting about missing patients is anecdotal - in medical chat rooms and on doctors' social media accounts. Doctors say it's unlikely there has been a decline in most of these conditions, which suggests that at least a few people may be dying at home, although there is no data yet to corroborate that.

In the case of severe heart attacks, the evidence is mounting that a large percentage of patients with symptoms that typically prompt urgent interventions are simply not showing up.

A report to be published in the Journal of the American College of Cardiology on nine high-volume cardiac catheterization labs across the country from Jan. 1, 2019 to March 31, 2020 found a 38% drop in patients being treated for a life-threatening event known as a STEMI - the blockage of one of the major arteries that supplies oxygen-rich blood to the heart.

Those results - from hospitals across the country - are counterintuitive, physicians say. The stress caused by the pandemic would lead them to anticipate an increase in heart attacks. Covid-19 is also an inflammatory disease that can damage the heart muscle.

"We should have higher incidences of these events, but we are seeing dramatically fewer in the hospital system," Puskas said. "That has to mean they are at home or in the morgue."

A Gallup online poll taken March 28 to April 2 asked people with different conditions how concerned they would be about exposure to coronavirus if they needed "medical treatment right now" at a hospital or doctor's office. Eighty-six percent of people with heart disease said they would be either "very concerned" or "moderately concerned." Among people with high blood pressure, the figure was 83%.

With elective surgeries on hold, many hospitals, such as Brigham and Women's in Boston, have found themselves trading treatment of traditional heart attacks for the complex assaults the novel coronavirus is making on the organ and the body's ability to clot blood.

"People with smaller heart attacks, they may say, 'Well I hope this is just indigestion,' " said Gregory Piazza, one of the hospital's cardiovascular specialists.

At MUSC, another doctor worried that mild stroke patients are enduring symptoms such as numbness, loss of sensation or weakness on one side of their body at home. Symptoms of small strokes can be transient, but they also can be warnings of larger strokes to come.

MUSC, a major stroke center, averaged 550 calls per month over the past four months about possible stroke patients from the 45 to 50 emergency rooms that refer patients. But it has seen 100 in the first half of April, said Alex Spiotta, director of neurovascular surgery. Phone calls from patients to MUSC's telestroke program dropped from as many as 20 daily to about nine in mid-April.

"That's literally patients and their families who fear that it's dangerous" to go to the hospital, he said. "We are worried that there might be a higher death toll from neglect of other diseases" than from covid-19.

At the University of Miami-Jackson Memorial Comprehensive Stroke Center, the March census of stroke patients is down almost 30% from February's, said Ralph Sacco, chairman of neurology and former president of the American Academy of Neurology.

"What we would surmise is that more mild to moderate cases are not calling 911, or are afraid to come into the hospitals," Sacco said.

The hospitals are beginning to reach out to the public through social media and public service announcements to ease fears about hospital safety.

"We've changed what we do," to keep patients safe from the virus, Sacco said. "But we're still able to care for people."

The possibility that patients may be suffering - and even dying - at home rather than going to the hospital led the American College of Cardiology to launch a "Cardiosmart" campaign last week, attempting to reassure a wary population and encourage those with symptoms to call 911 for urgent care and to continue routine appointments, when practical through telemedicine: "Hospitals have safety measures to protect you from infection," it reads.

"The emphasis here is safety," said Harlan Krumholz, a cardiologist and health-care researcher at Yale University and Yale New Haven Hospital, who advised on the campaign. "We want to make sure preventable deaths aren't happening."

There is no pill, no action, no behavior, he said, that could account for the almost 40% drop in STEMI patients. "We don't have a means to cut your risk in half," he said. "Not even primary angioplasty or stopping smoking."

Still the shift has many doctors looking for other explanations, including the massive behavioral overhaul caused by the lockdown.

MUSC has seen a steep drop in trauma from car accidents, for example, because fewer people are driving, but no reduction in domestic violence or assaults among people who don't live together, Eriksson said.

Many people who suffer from exertional angina are now sitting at home rather than climbing the subway stairs every day, and the threshold of discomfort that would drive them to seek care is likely far higher.

Joseph Puma, an interventional cardiologist at Mount Sinai in New York, believes multiple changes created by the lockdown may be playing a role, including a decrease in air pollution and fewer high-fat restaurant meals after work.

"The plaques in arteries have not gone away," he said. "You can argue that forced behavioral modifications may have taken away the triggers" that release them into the bloodstream.

And these days, some people who suffer major heart attacks never make it to the hospital in New York, where EMTs no longer perform CPR on people who have arrested - a procedure that has a low success rate and carries great risk of infecting first responders if the victim is coronavirus-positive.

Puskas, the Mount Sinai cardiovascular surgeon, whose unit is now occupied entirely by covid-19 patients, suspects a few of the heart patients may not be missing but right there among the most seriously ill people in his new unit.

The virus strikes most harshly among people suffering from diabetes, obesity and high blood pressure - the same conditions that predispose people to strokes and heart attacks and that are most prevalent among blacks and Hispanics.

"Some of them may be under our noses," he said.

The role those factors may be playing will emerge over time from studies and shoe-leather epidemiology. But for now, Krumholz said, the key is to make sure people with symptoms overcome their fears and get prompt treatment that may save their lives or avoid long-term complications.

"Don't delay," he said.

- - -

The Washington Post's Scott Clement and Emily Guskin contributed to this report.
MOSCOW  On April 13, ambulance driver Dmitry Belyakov rushed to Zheleznodorozhny, a city just outside Moscow, to pick up a woman in her early 40s with a suspected coronavirus infection.

A central hotline directed him to a hospital in Voskresensk, a suburb 90 kilometers away, that specializes in COVID-19 cases. But when he got there, he was told six other ambulances had arrived in the meantime and there were now no free beds.

We waited there for over an hour, making calls and trying to find a hospital that would take us, Belyakov said in a phone interview. In the end, they told me: Figure it out yourself.

His direct supervisor eventually called to say the Zheleznodorozhny inpatient clinic would make space for the patient. Belyakov set off on his way back to the city he had left hours earlier. He was home by midnight.

Belyakov, an 18-year veteran of Moscows ambulance service, considers himself lucky. Some colleagues have made longer journeys to find places for patients, he said, trying hospitals in three towns; one reported traveling 190 kilometers to find a medical facility that was not full to capacity.

Russia seemed like an outlier for weeks as the coronavirus spread across Europe, the United States, and elsewhere. But since early April, the illness has taken a firm hold in the worlds largest country, with the official number of confirmed cases rising each day  even as suspicions persist that those official figures may not reflect the real scale of the epidemic within its borders.

Now, with confirmed cases exceeding 42,000 and the official death toll from the virus at 361, medical workers across the country are scrambling to keep pace. In Moscow, where over half of the cases have been registered, the health-care system is already being stretched to the limit.

A month ago, President Vladimir Putin insisted his government had managed to prevent the mass penetration and spread of the illness in Russia. But on the same day that Belyakov struggled to place his patient, Putin reversed his tone, painting a much bleaker picture of Russias battle with the virus.

We have many problems and nothing to brag about here. And theres no point in relaxing, Putin said in a video call with regional governors from his official residence outside Moscow. We have not passed the peak of this epidemic.

Putin spoke the same day Russia recorded what was then its highest single-day spike in cases, with 2,558 new patients. By April 17, a new record  more than 4,000 new cases -- had been set.

All of Moscows inpatient and intensive and emergency units are working to extra capacity, an official at the citys coronavirus crisis center was cited as saying by the newspaper RBC on April 11. All patients delivered by ambulance will be placed under care and will receive the necessary medical assistance.

Moscows Health Department said on April 14 that at least two dozen hospitals in the city were being transformed into dedicated coronavirus treatment centers. The city could run out of hospital beds within two or three weeks, it warned.

At Hospital No. 15 in western Moscow, doctor Irina Sheikina says beds have already run out. The hospital had 1,492 patients as of April 17 and only 1,300 beds. Wards were being expanded to accommodate the influx, almost all of which is due to COVID-19, she said.

We currently have 501 patients with lab-confirmed COVID-19 infections, Sheikina told RFE/RL. And pretty much all of them have COVID symptoms and CT scans [typical of COVID patients].

Fortunately, she said, there is no shortage in her hospital of personal protective equipment (PPE), and medical students and volunteers are helping staff bear the burden. Sheikina herself is a pediatrician by training who transferred from another center to help at Hospital No. 15.

Although the hospital has too few nurses and orderlies, she said spirits are high.

We are focused on the job, and while were tired morally and physically, were not wilting, she said.

On April 14, Moscow Mayor Sergei Sobyanin suggested that the worst was still to come, estimating that so far Russias capital was only in the foothills of the contagions peak.

But Moscow is Russias richest city by far. Elsewhere across the country, experts say the outlook is dire, with under-equipped medical staff steeling for an influx of patients. Controversial reforms to the health-care system in recent years have cut back the number of hospitals in the country.

According to a 2017 analysis of government figures by the Center for Economic and Political Reforms, a Moscow think tank, the number of hospitals in Russia halved between 2000, Putins first year as president, and 2015.

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.

The official justification for many of the closures is a so-called optimization of health care into a smaller network of high-tech institutions -- but for Russias provinces, where many live in poverty, the disappearance of clinics can spell the end to affordable, accessible care, and a serious liability when epidemics like this one hit.

At one hospital in Ufa, in the Bashkortostan region, doctors faced with a sudden influx of patients with severe pneumonia have complained of inadequate PPE supplies and indifference from hospital management.

Weve been reporting to our management at every stage, but it took no measures, Rimma Kamalova, a rheumatologist at the Kuvatov Clinical Hospital, told RFE/RLs Tatar-Bashkir Service. They told us were working badly.

But it is Moscow that has so far been hit hardest by the coronavirus, and where the attention of the medical community is focused.

Over the past week, as COVID-19 cases spiked in the city, social-media users have been fed jarring images showing a concerning pattern: rows of ambulances standing in long lines outside hospitals full with patients.

In one widely shared video, an ambulance driver leaves a hospital outside Moscow after a nine-hour wait to deliver a patient, and the camera pans round to show a huge line of other ambulances waiting to enter.

Belyakov said the lines were a temporary bottleneck resulting from the opening of two hospitals north of Moscow that are dedicated to treating COVID-19.

All the drivers from Moscow and the region flocked there, he said, adding that the situation has since improved.

He has now been assigned to a special ambulance brigade handling patients with suspected COVID-19. But hes still faced with the same problems, he says: All the hospitals are full.

Plans are in place to turn a maternity clinic in Zheleznodorozhny into a COVID-19 hospital, which Belyakov says is his only hope.

Until that happens, hes been taking to the road in hopes that the hospital hes directed to will still have a free bed when he, and his patient, arrive.
Germany's Major Shipbuilders Are Reportedly Negotiating Merging Into Naval Conglomerate

Sputnik News

13:10 GMT 18.04.2020

It was earlier reported that two major shipbuilders in the country, ThyssenKrupp Marine Systems and German Naval Yards Kiel, had lost a multi-billion-euro defence contract to the Dutch-led consortium, allegedly calling the competitive potential of the national industry into question.

The German government is brokering a deal between three major shipbuilding companies in the country, ThyssenKrupp Marine Systems (TKMS), Lurssen and German Naval Yards Kiel (GNYK), which are about to merge into a giant national conglomerate, NDR first reported. According to the outlet, the consolidation talks between the major players and current competitors in the national naval industry have been going on since the start of the year, with the move being seen as an important measure to preserve thousands of jobs.

"We consider a consolidation of system houses in German naval shipbuilding to be sensible and necessary in order to sustainably strengthen international competitiveness," the representative from Lurssen told NDR.

This was echoed by Jorg Herwig, GNYK CEO, who stressed that "only a strong German player will strengthen and expand the maritime German high technology sector".

The details about the emerging German shipyard group and its legal status are still unclear, but the participants hope that it will be able to copy the experience of international shipbuilding giants, including Naval Group in France, as the French government is believed to be almost exclusively working with national contractors when it comes to large projects.

The report comes following news that a recent 5.5-billion-euro contract for the building of a new Germany Navy combat ship, dubbed the MKS 180, was awarded to the Dutch company Damen Shipyards, which paired with Lurssen to carry out the project.

GNYK and TKMS both competed for the order of four MSK 180 ships, resulting in multi-billion-euro losses and major criticisms from the industry lobbyists who questioned Berlin's good-hearted efforts to engage with EU companies instead of providing national shipbuilders with work. Previously all large German Navy defence ships had been mostly built by national contractors.

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O xford graduate Floris ten Nijenhuis was travelling in South America when he had to return home due to the developing coronavirus pandemic.

While between jobs and with free time, he wanted to help the NHS as much as possible. Reaching out to a doctor friend, he found they were after simple, nutritious, evening meals.

I started cooking and delivering meals to a London hospital. But after a couple of days, I couldnt do it all myself. So I asked for some help, and everyone who responded turned out to be furloughed. And so, with the help of Floriss friend Chloe Hall and her marketing skills, Furloughed Foodies was born.

Its a simple and effective idea  workers who have been placed on furlough volunteer their time to shop and batch cook meals. They are linked up with a driver in the local area who will drop the meals to NHS staff in a hospital, and all volunteers are reimbursed through donations.

NHS staff receive food from volunteers / Instagram / @furloughedfoodieslondon

The operation is split between hospitals in north, east, south and west London, including Chelsea and Westminster Hospital, North Middlesex University Hospital, and St Thomas'.

Within 48 hours of launching Furloughed Foodies, there were 2,000 in donations, which reached 5,000 in one week. They also gained 120 volunteers and managed delivery to 15 hospitals. I see the donations now as an incentive to do more, says Floris, we are always trying to add more hospitals, and were beginning to add homeless shelters and any other places that might need the food as well.

The whole operation is run following social distancing guidelines  chefs buy food in their weekly shop, leave cooked meals outside their houses, which are collected by drivers and picked up by NHS staff in the car park of a hospital.

Dr Max Brodermann, a junior doctor working in Accident & Emergency, has been on the receiving end of Furloughed Foodies meals: At a time where NHS workers are feeling the physical and particularly emotional strain of the coronavirus pandemic, it's been more important than ever to make the most of short breaks on shift. The meals donated boost morale exponentially and bring staff across the hospital together to support each other.

"A healthy meal goes a really long way" / Instagram / @furloughedfoodieslondon

After speaking to NHS workers about how volunteers could help, it was found doctors are receiving lots of cakes and snacks, or fast food like pizza. It's been amazing how much support NHS staff have had, says Dr Brodermann, We've been lucky to receive pizzas and cakes and brownies and all sorts of foods, which are wonderful. But every now and then, a healthy meal goes a really long way. Furloughed Foodie favourites therefore include roast dinners, pasta salads, and healthy and hearty meals like casseroles.

Dr Max Brodermann (centre) and his colleagues receive meals / Instagram / @furloughedfoodieslondon

Deliveries from the foodies often take place in the evening. Canteens in several hospitals shut at 5pm, or are overtaken by huge queues. Staff working in Covid-19 wards often are not allowed into other areas of the hospital, leaving staff struggling for options when it comes to evening meals. Having our drop offs in the evenings has been fantastic, says Dr Brodermann, because then the evening stuff can have dinner, and the night staff who start about 8pm have something prepared for them ready to go.

We are starting to see a reduction in A&E attendances from coronavirus, which hopefully signals the social distancing measures are working. But I think we've got a long way to go. In the meantime, its great to see everyone playing their role, and were hugely grateful to all volunteers, people who have donated, and all food companies that provide ingredients to make Furloughed Foodies work so well.

I thought about calling the project Whats the good news?, says Floris. While travelling and waiting to see if he had to return to the UK, Floris would struggle to find good news stories  so he made some himself. Being able to feed 2,000  hopefully more  NHS staff a week is something that hopefully we can look back on and say, we brought some positivity.
Dominik Shine has re-signed with the Grand Rapids Griffins with a one-year contract for the 2020-21 season.

Shine has 14 points (4-10-14)  two shy of equaling his career best he set as a rookie  in 50 games for Grand Rapids with career highs with 10 assists and 57 penalty minutes.

Shine, a Detroit native in his third season, made his pro debut with the Griffins on March 19, 2017 at Milwaukee and has logged 188 regular-season games with the Griffins, netting 44 points (18-26-44) and 171 PIM. He has two points (1-1-2) and four PIM in 10 Calder Cup Playoff appearances.

Before turning pro, Shine spent four seasons (2013-17) at Northern Michigan University, where he had 97 points (48-49-97) and 185 PIM in 131 games and served as a two-time alternate captain. During his senior year in 2016-17, Shine paced the conference with 20 goals in 33 contests en route to his second consecutive 30-point season and was named to the All-WCHA Third Team.

Shine also played four seasons for the USHLs Lincoln Stars from 2009-13 and served as captain during his final two years. He totaled 134 career points (64-70-134) and 503 PIM in 188 regular season contests while chipping in five points (2-3-5) and 22 PIM in 15 postseason appearances.
UPDATE: Help sought in Bethlehem boys fight for life after suspected drunken driving crash

A 42-year-old Bethlehem man is charged with aggravated assault while driving drunk and related offenses after striking a juvenile bicyclist Saturday along Freemansburg Avenue in Bethlehem Township, police said.

Quincy Paul Johnson, of the 500 block of Seneca Street, also is facing another felony count of hurting someone in a crash while driving without a license, as well as misdemeanor DUI involving a controlled substance and summary charges of possession of an open container of alcohol while driving and being an unlicensed driver. He was arraigned Sunday before District Judge Alicia Zito, who set bail at $75,000. In lieu of bail, Johnson was taken to Northampton County Prison.

Police said Johnson at about 4 p.m. was headed east in a 2014 BMW in the area of the 1600 block of Freemansburg Avenue. The 13-year-old boy, who lives in Bethlehem, also was headed east on a bike when he was struck by the BMW, according to police.

The child was taken to Lehigh Valley Hospital-Cedar Crest in Salisbury Township with what police are describing as a traumatic brain injury. The boy was listed in serious condition Sunday, said Police Sgt. Shaun Powell.

Witnesses told investigators they saw Johnson leave the drivers side of the car after the crash and allegedly toss a beer can on the side of the road. Johnson had the odor of an alcoholic beverage coming from his breath and the car smelled of marijuana, police said in court records.

Johnson allegedly admitted to investigators of drinking from the beer can tossed and smoking marijuana that day prior to the accident.

This isnt Johnsons first brush with the law.

His drivers license was suspended in 2012 due to a driving under the influence conviction. He hasnt had a valid drivers license in Pennsylvania since at least 2001 and has been convicted of driving without a license seven times since 2012, according to court records. Additionally, records state Johnson has two drunken driving conditions -- one in 2009 and another, in 2012.

Pamela Sroka-Holzmann may be reached at pholzmann@lehighvalleylive.com. If theres anything about this story that needs attention, please email her. Follow her on Twitter @pamholzmann. Find lehighvalleylive.com on Facebook.
So far in the COVID-19 crisis, the Canadian governments approach for helping ailing firms has been focused on wage subsidy programs in lieu of a U.S.-style big bailout package.

The Canada Emergency Wage Subsidy (CEWS) program, which has been approved for a period of 12 weeks until June 6, allows firms whose revenues have dropped by 15 per cent or more, to receive a 75 per cent wage subsidy, capped at $847 per week per employee.

Once CEWS was introduced, many firms immediately took advantage, and rehired the employees who were laid off just weeks earlier. Air Canada and WestJet , for example, rehired 16,500 and 6,400 employees, respectively.

While the CEWS program helps by removing some of the immediate need for cash, it is only temporary, and it is clear that many industries are not going to go back to normal by early June.

As such, Prime Minister Trudeau signalled recently that additional measures are in the works saying: We are looking at more specific sector-related relief and supports for those sectors that are hardest hit  whether its the tourism sector, the airline sector or the oil and gas industry. These measures could include direct cash injections to struggling companies in the form of grants, loans, or other investments.

This wouldnt be the first time the government is providing bailout money to companies on the verge of collapse. Examples include the $13.7 billion the federal and Ontario governments invested in General Motors and Chrysler in 2009; A joint federal and Quebec government $1.3 billion lifeline to Bombardier in 2017; and government support to Air Canada in 2013 when the company had a $4.2 billion funding shortfall in its employees pension plan.

There is no doubt that the epidemic made it extremely challenging to operate in some industries. The oil and gas industry is now caught in a double crisis  a global recession and a collapse in oil prices. The airline industry is also hard hit with its schedule reduced by 90 per cent almost overnight. But while rare and exceptional in magnitude, the current crisis is after all part of the business risk. Therefore, companies which will be requiring direct government assistance shouldnt be treated as any other company. Bailout money is effectively an insurance. As such, it should come with strict limitations.

As a general rule, the following conditions should apply on whomever receives direct government aid:

First, executive compensation must be capped. Managers whose companies are too big to fail, cant take home massive amounts of money. Any specific cap on pay would be arbitrary, but limiting CEO pay to 30 times the median pay within the company seems reasonable.

Second, firms wont be able to pay dividends to shareholders while they are supported and for at least three years thereafter. They need to build a significant cash cushion before paying shareholders.

Third, and related, companies receiving aid should be permanently prohibited from engaging in share buybacks. The popular practice reduces the number of shares outstanding and increases earnings per share, which results in higher stock valuations. It also produces artificial demand for the stock and helps supporting its price.

Data from the U.S. shows that S&P 500 firms spent $2 trillion (U.S.) over the past three years on share repurchases  an amount equivalent to the Trump administration stimulus package. To make things even worse, much of the amount spent on buybacks was raised through debt. Firms that irresponsibly drained their cash reserves due to leveraged buybacks now ask for help.

Lastly, where appropriate, the government should get an equity stake in companies it is bailing out. A federal injection of a few billion dollars to an ailing company should be viewed as a risky investment and not as a temporary loan. Thus, the government should be compensated for the risk its bearing. Shares offer an upside.

The government should be able to convert the loans it is providing into shares in those companies under pre-specified terms. The U.S. Treasury Department included a similar feature, albeit pale, in its $25-billion aid package for its airline industry approved recently. A Canadian plan should be much bolder, allowing a bigger upside for Canadians on their tax money once we are beyond the crisis.

The coronavirus crisis emerged suddenly and caught many firms off guard. It now seems that some companies are not going to make it without direct cash transfers. If that is indeed the case, the government should step in and help. But careful consideration should be given to every case, and strict limitations on unacceptable corporate practices must be imposed. These include capping executive compensation, limiting dividend payment, prohibiting share buybacks and receiving equity stakes in bailed out firms. No blank checks should be provided.
The total number of COVID-19 cases crossed the 2,000-mark in the national capital on Sunday, even as Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal said the Delhi government will not relax the lockdown for at least a week as the coronavirus spread appears to have gained pace.

According to a bulletin issued by the Delhi health department, 110 fresh cases were reported, taking the tally in the national capital to 2,003. With two deaths, the fatalities jumped to 45.

A month-and-a-half-old baby has also died of the dreaded virus, becoming its youngest victim.

The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) government in the city has started rapid testing in 78 COVID-19 containment zones and acquired 42,000 rapid-test kits.

In a containment zone in south Delhi's Tughlakabad Extension, 35 more people have tested positive for the virus, authorities said, making it possibly one of the largest such zones in the national capital in terms of number of cases.

Earlier, three coronavirus cases were reported from the neighbourhood, prompting the authorities to declare it a containment zone.

"After 35 new cases were found, some more lanes in Tughlakabad have been sealed," Deputy Commissioner of Police (South East) R P Meena said.

Addressing an online briefing, Kejriwal said the national capital has "borne the maximum burnt" while containing the crisis.

He, however, asserted that the situation is under control and that his government will reassess it after a week to see what relaxations can be given.

An order by Chief Secretary Vijay Dev said the administration will review the situation on April 27.

"The situation of COVID-19 has been assessed and in view of the present scenario, it appears to be necessary to maintain status quo in larger public interest," it said.

The Delhi Police issued an advisory to its personnel, instructing them not to allow "additional activities" till a further comprehensive assessment is done by the city government.

The AAP government issued an order on Saturday to maintain status quo in the functioning of its departments. There are 70 Delhi government departments that have 1,500 offices.

Meanwhile, all central government officers of the deputy secretary level and above will join office from Monday.

During the briefing, Kejriwal cited last month's Tablighi Jamaat congregation in Nizamuddin West, a major hotspot, and the large inflow of travellers from other countries to the national capital as reasons for the spread of the virus, and said Delhi was "fighting a difficult battle".

"Delhi bore the maximum burnt (sabse zyada maar Delhi ko bardhasht karni padi)," he said.

"Delhi also bore the brunt due to the markaz incident," he added.

The chief minister also acknowledged the difficulties being faced by people during the lockdown.

"We want to relax it, but if we give relaxations and there is a shortage of ICUs, ventilators, oxygen in hospitals and people lose their lives, we will not be able to forgive ourselves," he said.

"Had there been no lockdown, the situation here would have been similar to Italy and Spain," Kejriwal warned, while pointing out that Delhi accounts for two per cent of India's population but 12 per cent of the COVID-19 cases in the country.

According to a PTI tally, Delhi has the highest number of COVID-19 cases in the country after Maharashtra.

Citing instances of asymptomatic people testing positive for the virus, Kejriwal said of the 736 samples collected recently, 186 were found to be COVID-19 positive and these people did not know that they were carrying the virus.

He said rapid testing of all people engaged in food distribution at the government-run centres will be carried out after one of them tested positive.

Talking about the asymptotic cases, Kejriwal said, "When we talked to one of them, he said he was engaged in serving food at a government-run centre. I have ordered rapid-testing of all those who visited the centre. We will also do rapid-testing of all people engaged in food distribution at government-run centres."



He had previously said his government was serving food to around 10 lakh people daily.

Meanwhile, Delhi district officials deployed in the coronavirus containment zones and quarantine centres said a number of residents have flooded them with odd demands, including for chicken biryani, mutton, pizza, sweets and hot samosas, keeping them on their toes during the lockdown.

In a containment zone, people are not allowed to step out of their houses and the government ensures delivery of essential items at their doorstep. Once an area is declared a containment zone, the administration and police officials create a WhatsApp group where people place requests for essential items and the authorities ensure delivery at their doorstep.

A Delhi Police constable has also tested positive for the virus, taking the number of affected personnel in the force to eight.

Meanwhile, 10 staff members of the Alshifa Hospital in southeast Delhi's Okhla have been quarantined after they attended to a COVID-19 patient.

A doctor at the hospital tested positive for the virus after he treated a female COVID-19 patient on April 5.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
May Day: Honoring Frontline Workers in the Pandemic by Sharat G. Lin

Saturday Apr 18th, 2020 10:38 PM

The COVID-19 pandemic makes abundantly clear that some of the lowest-paid workers are, in fact, the most essential frontline workers. Let's honor them on May Day - International Workers' Day!

In this unprecedented moment of the COVID-19 pandemic and sheltering-in-place, we honor all frontline workers! These are the farmworkers who grow our food, health care workers who face the virus daily, transport workers who deliver essential supplies, grocery workers, utility workers who ensure we have electricity and safe water, sanitation workers who dispose of infectious waste, and all the essential workers who do not have the luxury of sheltering-in-place!



Paradoxically, these essential workers are among the lowest paid. Many, like farmworkers and gig workers, may not even have the statutory benefits accorded other workers  minimum wage, health care, paid sick leave, security of residence. Many are undocumented  farmworkers, personal caregivers, janitors. But just imagine a day without essential workers!



May Day  May 1, 2020  is a day to honor these frontline workers and all workers who make our society run and who are the real creators of all wealth! May Day is celebrated in most countries around the world as International Workers Day.



May Day has not been generally recognized as a special day or a holiday in the United States because of conscious efforts by ruling elites to suppress labor activism. But on May 1, 2006, May Day was reborn in the U.S. out of fear that undocumented workers, most of whom are frontline workers, would be criminalized by a new bill (HR 4437) passed in the House of Representatives in December 2005. The nationwide protests, collectively one of the largest mobilizations in U.S. history, killed the bill in the Senate.



Ever since 2006, the May Day marches for workers rights and immigration reform have become a revived tradition in this country. Although May 1 was chosen because immigrant communities remember the celebrations of International Workers Day on this date in their countries of origin, May First is not new to the United States. International Workers Day on May 1 was, in fact, not only born in the United States, but born out of fear of police raids on immigrant workers.



In 1884 the Federation of Organized Trades and Labor Unions, predecessor of the American Federation of Labor (AFL), called for an eight-hour workday. When implementation appeared unlikely, a general strike was called in Chicago on May 1, 1886. On that day, some 80,000 workers marched down Chicago s Michigan Avenue in what is generally recognized as the first May Day parade. In the succeeding days, supporting strikes broke out in other cities, such as Milwaukee, Cincinnati, and New York City.



On May 3, four striking workers were killed by police at the McCormick Reaper Works in Chicago. At an evening rally on May 4 in Haymarket Square, called to protest the killings, police moved in to disperse the crowd when a bomb went off, killing seven policemen. Police retaliated by firing into the crowd of workers, killing and wounding an unknown number of civilians.



Determined to crush the labor agitations, police interrogations and arrests went on through the night and the ensuing days. Homes of workers, most of whom were immigrants from Europe, were raided in the middle of the night. Many innocent people were arrested without charges. A police reign of terror descended on the organized workers of Chicago.



Eight people were eventually charged and convicted for the deaths of the policemen, even though no evidence was ever presented directly linking them to the bombing in Haymarket Square. Four of the defendants were publicly hanged in 1887.



In Paris in 1889, the International Workingmens Association (Second International) called for worldwide demonstrations on May 1, 1890, commemorating the struggle of Chicago workers. The international tradition of May Day was born.



It took another three decades for workers to incrementally win the eight-hour workday through struggles with individual companies. Finally, the Adamson Act was passed by Congress in 1916, establishing a statutory eight-hour working day for railway workers with additional pay for overtime work.



May First, because of its deep roots in U.S. working class struggle, is richly symbolic of labor activism. Contrary to popular myth in the U.S., May First did not originate abroad or from countries in revolution, but rather from the very U.S. trade union movement that brought about the basic eight-hour working day that is today so much taken for granted.



Throughout U.S. history the working class has been under attack  slavery, immigration bans, anti-union right-to-work laws, and now immigration detention camps, cages, and deportations. The struggle for immigrants rights is integral to the struggle for workers rights. Just as the COVID-19 virus has no borders, the workers struggle has no borders.



In the desperation of the COVID-19 pandemic there is a flurry of activity around the world to make health care universally accessible, offer paid sick leave, provide financial relief for workers suddenly thrown out of work by lockdowns, release prisoners charged with nonviolent crimes, stop evictions, find shelter for the unhoused, and so on. But these actions should also be the standard priorities in normal times!



So on May 1, 2020 we will celebrate remotely with physical distancing and social solidarity the contributions of all workers, and especially the frontline workers of the world, for all times!



#mayday2020

#WeAreAlwaysEssential

#SiempreSomosEsenciales

IG: @sanjose.mayday

FB: @sanjosemayday
US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo on Saturday criticized the arrests of several high-profile democracy campaigners in Hong Kong, saying they were deeply concerning.

Earlier in the day, police in the Asian financial hub rounded up 15 activists on charges related to massive demonstrations that rocked the city last year.

Arrests of pro-democracy activists in Hong Kong are deeply concerning -- politicized law enforcement is inconsistent with universal values of freedom of expression, association, and peaceful assembly, Pompeo said in a tweet.
Sampurna Behura By

Coronavirus is the biggest social, medical and economic crisis the world has been faced with since the end of World War II. While we continue to fight the pandemic, it is important to keep in mind, the sufferings that our children might go through directly as a result of COVID-19. Although, the mortality rate of children is not expected to be high, the economic effect of the situation on them would be huge.

Even as more and more people get effected by COVID-19, there will be a huge impact on the global economy and, according to International Monetary Fund (IMF), a global recession is now inevitable.

However, a recovery will be possible only if we can control the pandemic soon. The recession this time is expected to be worse than that of 1998 and 2008. In both the previous situations, India was less severely affected. But this time around, it is predicted that the economies of the developing countries, including those in South East Asia, will also suffer the most.

Indias GDP growth is expected to be merely 2.5 percent this year, a drop from the estimated 5 percent in 2019. Global GDP growth is estimated to be as low as 1.5 percent. This will result in huge job losses across the world. Around 8.8 million jobs were lost during the 2008 recession. This time it is expected to be much worse136 million people already risk losing jobs in India.

The experience from 1998 and 2008 has shown that recession leads to large-scale indebtedness. Its impact on children, especially in developing economies, was severe. The children of developed economies are often protected by state-sponsored social security programmes elsewhere. However, children in economies such as India are not that fortunate.

The indebtedness at the time of recession is both at national and family level. According a 2009 World Bank and IMF report, the 2008 recession made many developing countries such as Afghanistan, Ethiopia, Malawi, Mali, Sierra Leone and others vulnerable to indebtedness. With the Indian economy, which was already in a slowdown, any major economic shock now will cause long-term damage. Indebtedness at the national level means that the nations lack resources.

This directly impacts public welfare programmes, including education and health, in economically weaker countries. After the 1998 recession, Asian countries, including India, saw huge cuts in their education and health budgets. This means that the mid-day meal scheme and its funding by the states will take a hit.

India is a country with high population density. So, COVID-19s community transmission, which seems to have already started, will put extreme pressure on the economy. There is a possibility that allocations for programmes related to childrens health might be diverted to fight the threat arising out of Covid-19. It will distract attention of policymakers from the education budget too.

Unemployment due to global recession leads to indebtedness at the family level. Large scale unemployment will mean that children will be forced out of classrooms and contribute towards household incomes, directly resulting in a spike in child labour. The world experienced a rise of child labour in East Asian countries during the 2008 economic crisis. India risks a huge increase in child labour in the coming months.

It is estimated that every 1 percent drop in the global GDP results in 14 million additional poor people. The 1998 recession drove 50 percent of Indonesias population to poverty while urban poverty doubled in South Korea, as also in India, forcing people to commit suicide. Recession also causes expansion of the informal sector. Informalisation of employment along with growing poverty deepens child labour and forces them to be trafficked for modern-day slavery.

The 2008 recession led to one billion malnourished people and five million more hungry children by 2010 only in Africa. In India, 19.8 million children below the age of six are victims of malnutrition. Infant mortality rate is 32 per thousand. If policymakers do not take this into account, the pandemic will only cause greater sufferings for our children. This will push the country 20 years back and destabilise the countrys growth.

Another cause for concern is that foreign aid shrinks at the time of global economic shocks. International funding agencies such as World Bank and UN organisations are dependent on grants from wealthy countries. When the economies of these countries are severely affected, there is contraction in their funding contributions. This directly affects the children of the developing countries.

There is a big risk that Indias foreign funding for key development programmes might be reduced in the coming months. This will directly impact civil society organisations, including those working among children. It is important for all stakeholders in India, including the central and state governments, civil society organisations and funding agencies to come together to ensure that children are protected and not pushed into a world of exploitation, insecurity and poverty.

(The writer is Director (Legal), Bachpan Bachao Andolan and can be contacted at sampurna.behura@bba.org.in)
What do Senator Elizabeth Warren and pop star Miley Cyrus have in common? Aside from blue eyes and being from landlocked southern states, there arent many identifiable characteristics that they share. But nevertheless, the two recently had a very productive video call.

L: Elizabeth Warren | Ethan Miller/Getty Images, R: Miley Cyrus | Steve Granitz/WireImage

Warren appeared on Miley Cyrus Instagram Live show, Bright Minded: Live with Miley on April 16, 2020. Read on to discover what they talked about, how they first met, and the intriguing common thread between their two encounters.

Miley Cyrus Instagram Show

In March 2020, people across the U.S. began to follow Safer at Home measures to shelter in place during the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic. Cyrus, sadly, had to cancel a scheduled benefit concert in Australia, and soon, other gigs she had lined up followed.

In order to remain positive and keep in contact with her fans, she started Bright Minded: Live with Miley, a daily Instagram Live show. At first, she had on many celebrity guests, like her former Disney co-star Demi Lovato. She then hosted a special Highlighting Heroes week where she invited guests to speak on important issues, from healthcare to policy. (The latter is where Warren comes in.)

She and Warren previously appeared on Jimmy Kimmel Live on the same night

Tonight well decide which one of these two gets the 2020 Democratic nomination for president! @ElizabethForMA @MileyCyrus pic.twitter.com/qoJNHW6WKI  Jimmy Kimmel Live (@JimmyKimmelLive) May 2, 2018

This is not the first time that the two women had met. On May 1, 2018, Cyrus and Warren were on Jimmy Kimmel Live as guests. Though they didnt interact on camera, the two saw one another backstage and took photos together. Warren shared one in which her two granddaughters, Octavia and Lavinia, are posing with her and Cyrus. The day I officially became a cool grandma, she captioned it.

While appearing on Jimmy Kimmel Live that night, Cyrus talked about how she tries to think about the future, not the past, saying, I try to not even think about yesterday because its such a waste of time. Today and tomorrow are way more exciting. Because I can do something today.

Warren on Bright Minded

In the present, Cyrus called it seriously amazing to have Warren on her show, adding that she is one of her personal heroes. Warren said she was delighted to be there, calling the show pretty fabulous. Ive just been so inspired by you and all of your work fighting for the most vulnerable populations, added Cyrus. Thats something thats been really important for this show to highlight.

They then talked about the coronavirus relief packages, with Warren highlighting the measures to protect healthcare workers, her essential workers bill of rights, and supporting small businesses. She also enforced how these are measures she wants to keep in place, saying, Now you know me, I want to see us make that permanent, of expanding unemployment benefits.

Cyrus noted this last statement, saying, Weve talked on this show a lot about the [world] pre-COVID-19 and saying, I want to go back to last year. Well, we dont want to go back to last year. We never want to go back to even yesterday. We want to go to tomorrow. Let this be a lesson to those that say shes inconsistent  Cyrus, like Warren, has always been a forward-thinker.
Geneva, April 20 : World Health Organization (WHO) Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said on Sunday that lifting lockdown restrictions for COVID-19 is not the end of the epidemic, it's just the beginning of the next phase.

Speaking at the Group of 20 (G20) Health Ministers virtual meeting from Geneva, the WHO chief said it's vital in this next phase that countries educate, engage and empower their people to prevent and respond rapidly to any resurgence, Xinhua reported.

"We are encouraged that several G20 countries are now starting to plan how to ease social restrictions. It is critical that these measures are a phased process," he said.

Tedros told the health ministers that the WHO is deeply concerned that the virus now appears to be gathering pace in countries that lack the capacity of many G20 countries to respond to it.

"Urgent support is needed, not only to support countries to respond to COVID-19, but to ensure other essential health services continue," he said.

Tedros also took the opportunity to thank Saudi Arabia for its support to the global fight against the virus. Saudi Arabia announced Thursday a $500 million donation to relevant international organizations to support global efforts in combating the COVID-19.

"The COVID-19 pandemic has reminded us of a simple truth: we are one humanity. We share the same planet. We share the same hopes and dreams. We share the same destiny," the WHO chief said.

-- The story has been published from a wire feed without any modifications to the text
BRIMFIELD  A man who was accused of threatening a police officer with a three-foot sword and then lunging at him faces a variety of charges including assault with a dangerous weapon.

Michael Jablonski, 46, was arrested on Friday and charged with two counts of assault with a dangerous weapon, two counts of assault and battery on a police officer, two counts of resisting arrest and disorderly conduct, police said.

Police initially responded to a call of an intoxicated man waving a samurai-style sword and blocking traffic on Holland Road. The first officer who arrived was confronted by Jablonski who was carrying the sword, police said.

That officer pulled out his gun and convinced Jablonski to drop the weapon. The subject then lunged at the officer, police said.

The officer and a second who arrived to assist were able to subdue Jablonski and take him into custody, police said.
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Linkedin News Desk (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta  Sun, April 19, 2020 15:14 633 fc6853813033f564188675f8bd2d61e5 1 Lifestyle Casio,G-Shock,Dominate,streetwear,Watch,fashion,Hypebeast Free

Casio, in collaboration with Indonesian streetwear label Dominate, has launched the G-SHOCK x Dominate watch, DW-5600P.

Made of matte black resin and sporting a black strap that features the words BRIGADE and DOMINATE in orange, the DW-5600P is also equipped with bulbar protectors.

Riry Silalahi of Casio said that the brands shared similarities in visions and their familiarity with sports, music, art and fashion. [We] see how Dominate is embraced by streetwear fans in Indonesia, and surely the DW-5600P goes very well with streetwear style, she said.

Dominates co-owner Nayarana Paramasatya said, [Were] very excited, as the watch is a mixture of all lifestyle elements embodied in Dominate and G-SHOCK.

Read also: Casio returns to 1990s with G-Shock GA-140

As many as 200 DW-5600P were made, with 100 of them going for sale or sent to influencers, while another 100 were sold on the websites of Dominate and Atmos. The online sale began on Friday at 3 p.m. and the pieces were sold out in under one hour. The DW-5600P is priced at Rp 2,499,000 (US$161.18).

This marks G-SHOCK's second collaboration with an Indonesian brand, having previously teamed up with mural artist Darbotz in 2018.

Founded in 2013, Jakarta-based Dominate made a splash when it was featured on the online streetwear platform Hypebeast. According to Vice Indonesia, the brand also collaborated with Taiwanese label Taiwans Less and Urban Outfitter Europe in 2017.

For more information and updates about the DW-5600P, keep an eye out on the Instagram accounts of G-SHOCK, Dominate and Atmos. (wng)
Thousands of people on Saturday defied the countrywide lockdown to attend the funeral of a Muslim cleric in Bangladesh, triggering fears of rapid spread of the coronavirus pandemic.

The news media in Bangladesh reported that thousands of people, without masks and in clear violations of social distancing, participated in the funeral prayers of Khelafat Majlish's 'Nayeb-e Amir' Maulana Zubayer Ahmad Ansari, held at a madrasa in Bertola village under Sorail Upazila of Brahmanbaria district. The cleric had passed away at his home last night.



The gathering was so large that the authorities did not bother to stop it, media reports said.





Noted Bangladeshi author who lives in exile in Sweden, Taslima Nasreen tweeted that 50,000 people had attended the funeral prayers, defying the ban on mass gatherings during the lockdown. "Stupid government didn't even try to stop these stupid people," she tweeted.



Nasreen was driven out by religious fundamentalists for her critical commentary on Islam and Muslims in her 1993 book 'Shame'.



Like many other Muslim majority countries where religious congregations are turning out to be a major multiplier in the coronavirus pandemic, the Saturday funeral gathering could become Bangladesh's hotspot for the outbreak. So far, over 2,100 people have tested positive and 84 have died due to coronavirus in Bangladesh.



Religious hardliners have thrown a major challenge in Muslim majority countries. For example, in Iran, hardline Shia Muslims stormed shrines even as they were shut after hundreds had tested positive for Covid-19. A group of over 53 senior clerics in Pakistan recently warned the Imran Khan government against the ban on religious congregations during the lockdown.
From left, Emma Borden (Kim Ryeo-won), Bridget Sullivan (Lee Young-mi), Lizzie Borden (Na Ha-na) and Alice Russell (Choi Soo-jin) perform in a scene from the rock musical "Lizzie" at Dream Art Center in downtown Seoul. Courtesy of Shownote



By Kwon Mee-yoo



The tale of Lizzie Borden, one of the most notorious cold cases in American criminal history, arrived in Seoul with ferocious rock music in the musical "Lizzie," staged at Dream Art Center in Daehangno, central Seoul.



"Lizzie" is one of the few all-women rock musicals, but it explodes with energy coming from punk music and the power of sisterhood.



With music by Steven Cheslik-DeMeyer and Alan Stevens Hewitt, lyrics by Cheslik-DeMeyer and Tim Maner and book by Maner, "Lizzie" was initiated from a four-song experimental rock cycle in 1990 and premiered in a musical format on Off-Off-Broadway in 2009.



The musical centers around Lizzie Borden, the second daughter of the Borden family and prime suspect in double axe murders of her stepmother Abby and father Andrew. Her elder sister Emma Borden, the Bordens' maid Bridget Sullivan and their neighbor Alice Russell testify for Lizzie at her trial, in which she was acquitted.



Set in Fall River, Massachusetts in summer of 1892, the show begins with "Forty Whacks (Prologue)," a rendition of a children's skipping-rope rhyme  Lizzie Borden took an axe, gave her mother 40 whacks. When she saw what she had done, she gave her father 41.



After this infamous yet catchy tune, "Lizzie" reveals its true colors  blistering punk rock telling of the notorious double axe murderer  as Bridget introduces the family in "The House of Borden."



The musical, which premiered over a decade ago based on a 19th century murder case, tries to relate to contemporary issues. Instead of looking for the truth about the murder, the musical assumes that Lizzie did axe her stepmother and father and tries to fathom why she did so.





Hong Seo-yeong, top, as Emma Borden, left, and Yu Ri-a as Lizzie Borden in musical "Lizzie" / Courtesy of Shownote



The creators of the musical "Lizzie" interpreted that the Borden sisters were sexually abused by their father and Lizzie was a lesbian who was mistreated by her family for it, which gave spurs to the murder.



Lizzie, played by Yu Ri-a and Na Ha-na, sings on her father's sexual molestation in "This Is Not Love" before shouting out "Gotta Get Out of Here." Lizzie's revolt against her sexually abusive father is represented in the axe murder, which could sound the alarm among many sex criminals these days, including the Nth Room case.



"Somebody Will Do Something," the high-energy final score of the first act, was inspired by Lizzie's actual remarks after seeing her father's dead body  "Somebody came in and killed him."



Emma, alternated by Kim Ryeo-won and Hong Seo-yeong, is portrayed as a high-handed older sister, but shows twisted affection in the song "Sweet Little Sister."



The relationship between Lizzie and Alice (J-Min and Choi Soo-jin) is described symbolically such as the two biting off pears.





Na Ha-na as Lizzie Borden, left, and Kim Rye-won as Emma Borden / Courtesy of Shownote
Source: Xinhua| 2020-04-19 07:03:19|Editor: huaxia

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SAN FRANCISCO, April 18 (Xinhua) -- Boeing completed its first COVID-19 transport mission on Saturday, using a 737-700 aircraft from its corporate fleet to bring personal protective equipment (PPE) from China to the United States.

Working in partnership with FIRST Robotics founder Dean Kamen, the company transported 540,000 medical-grade face masks that will be delivered to healthcare professionals battling COVID-19 in New Hampshire, according to a statement from Boeing.

Kamen worked with DEKA Research & Development Corporation to secure the face masks from manufacturers in China and turned to Boeing to facilitate their transport, the statement said.

"Another life-saving delivery of PPE has arrived in New Hampshire," confirmed Governor of New Hampshire Chris Sununu, adding that the masks will be delivered to the greatest areas of need across the state.

Boeing said it will continue to support local communities and the healthcare professionals to stop the spread of COVID-19. Additional airlift transport missions with the Boeing Dreamlifter and ecoDemonstrator are planned in the future. Boeing is coordinating closely with U.S. government officials on how to best assist areas with the greatest need.

"We are honored to have conducted today's airlift mission and we look forward to providing continued support in the fight against this pandemic," said Dave Calhoun, Boeing president and CEO.
Source: Xinhua| 2020-04-20 01:35:05|Editor: huaxia

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SANAA, April 19 (Xinhua) -- Yemeni Information Minister Moammar al-Eryani said ex-minister of culture was "abducted" early Sunday from his home by the Houthi rebel group, which controls the capital Sanaa.

"We strongly condemn the abduction of writer, poet, and great national figure Khaled Al-Ruwaishan, ex-minister of culture and member of Shura Council, today by ... Houthis militia," al-Eryani tweeted.

He called on the United Nations to press the Houthi group to release "all abductees."

Al-Ruwaishan is known for his outspoken comments since the Houthi group seized control of Sanaa five years ago.

Yemen has been mired in a civil war since late 2014, when the Iran-backed Houthi rebels seized control of much of the country's north and forced the Saudi-backed government of President Abd-Rabbu Mansour Hadi out of Sanaa. Enditem
Lucknow, April 19 : Lockdown will not be lifted in 19 districts that have reported more than ten Corona positive cases, UP Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath said in a meeting conducted through video conferencing with all District Magistrates and police chiefs on Sunday evening.

He said that in the remaining districts, the District Magistrates will take a decision whether or not to allow relaxation in lockdown rules. No relaxation will be permitted in the sealed hotspots.

The district officials will work out the modalities regarding opening of specified industries, banks and other units in the 56 districts that have reported less than 10 Corona cases.

The Chief Minister, according to the government spokesman, asked all District Magistrates to ensure that safety protocols are strictly followed in their areas and social distancing is maintained even in districts where lockdown is lifted.

He also gave guidelines for factories and industries where work is to resume on Monday.

The Chief Minister asked the officials to ensure that the employers take care of social distancing, sanitisers and masks for employees.

The corona count in Uttar Pradesh on Sunday went up to 1,084 with 115 new cases being added.

More than 108 corona patients have so far been successfully treated, according to the Health Department release.

The virus has claimed 17 lives in the state so far.

Earlier in the day, the Chief Minister had set up a five-member committee to ensure employment opportunities for the labourers returning to the state from other parts of the country in the wake of the Corona virus lockdown.

The committee will be headed by the Agriculture Production Commissioner and will include the Principal Secretaries of the Departments of Rural Development, Panchayati Raj, Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises and Skill Development.

"Following the imposition of the nationwide lockdown since March 25, there has been a problem of unemployment for rickshaw-pullers, e-rickshaw operators, cart pullers, railway coolies and daily wage labourers. The UP government is extremely sensitive to this aspect and is making every effort to extend help to them," he said in the statement.

The Chief Minister also asked the committee to probe possibility of providing employment to migrant workers under the 'One district, one product' (ODOP) scheme so that the workers do not have to go out of the state to find work.

He further asked the committee to organize Rozgar Melas' after the lockdown is lifted.

The Chief Minister said that women's self-help groups will also be involved in this exercise to create maximum employment.

The marketing of the products will be done through ODOP scheme.

According to the government spokesman, Adityanath, while addressing a meeting of Team 11 officials on Sunday, further said that doorstep delivery of nutritious food for children, girls, pregnant women and young mothers should be ensured during the lockdown period.

He underlined the need for increasing testing of Corona suspects and keeping shelter homes ready for them. He said that all those coming from outside the state should be quarantined for the specific period in order to check spreading of the virus.
German Chancellor Angela Merkel briefs the media about measures of the German government to avoid further spread of the coronavirus on April 9, 2020 at the chancellery in Berlin.

Politicians in German Chancellor Angela Merkel's coalition government on Sunday signaled further support for struggling businesses and consumers in the coronavirus crisis, focusing on hotels, restaurants and pay for short-time workers.

Dehoga, an industry association that includes a large share of often small family-owned operations, told Bild am Sonntag that some 70,000 restaurant and hotel operators, which employ 223,000 people, could face insolvency as they stood to lose up to 10 billion euros of sales by the end of April.

Economy Minister Peter Altmaier of Merkel's conservative party said in an interview with the same newspaper he agreed the sector needed support to get up on its feet again.

"It is clear that we will need additional help to prevent a large part of these companies giving up and disappearing from the market," he said.

Altmaier said he would look into possibly lowering value-added taxes for the industry, but he could also imagine concrete grants to pay for modernization and cost savings measures.

New coronavirus infections and recovery numbers in Germany have been looking more manageable in recent days.

But politicians and authorities agree that economic life can only restart very gradually to avoid fresh waves of rapid infections, leaving businesses starved of turnover.

Finance minister Olaf Scholz, who represents the Social Democratic party (SPD), also included hotels in those industries that he believed should receive targeted aid in an interview with Welt am Sonntag.

But Altmaier differed from Scholz, who had proposed taxing high earners more to help financial aid programs.

"Higher state revenues are achieved predominantly through more powerful growth and investments," Altmaier said.

Merkel's chief of staff, Helge Braun, said in the Rheinische Post and General Anzeiger papers on Saturday he would not rule out the government making available further aid within weeks to support the economy at large.

The government was also discussing increases to state-aided short-time workers' pay in order to boost spending power, Labor Minister Hubertus Heil of the SPD said.

Short-time working is a scheme which allows employers to cut their outlays as employees partly receive state pay, but are kept on the payroll.

Heil said he had proposed raising the state share of short-time pay for the three months of May, June and July.

"I am confident we will produce results here," he said in a Saturday interview by broadcasters ntv and the Welt newspaper.
Donald Trump blasted House Speaker Nancy Pelosi on Sunday morning, calling her 'dumb' and asserting she will not be in her position for much longer after she said he is 'weak.'

'Nervous Nancy is an inherently 'dumb' person. She wasted all of her time on the Impeachment Hoax,' the president tweeted Sunday.

'She will be overthrown, either by inside or out, just like her last time as 'Speaker',' he continued, adding an insult at his one-favorite news network: 'Wallace & @FoxNews are on a bad path, watch!'

Pelosi appeared on Fox News Sunday in a virtual interview with host Chris Wallace to discuss coronavirus and the federal government's response, including Pelosi's feud with the president over the handling of the pandemic.

When asked about testing supplies and capabilities, Pelosi gave the president an 'F.'

'We're way late on it. And that is the failure,' she told Wallace. 'President gets an 'F.' A failure on the testing.'

Donald Trump lambasted House Speaker Nancy Pelosi Sunday afternoon, calling her 'dumb' and calling for her to be 'overthrown'

'Nervous Nancy is an inherently 'dumb' person. She wasted all of her time on the Impeachment Hoax,' the president tweeted of the California Democrat. He also bashed his favorite network, Fox News, for interviewing her about the coronavirus crisis

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi told Fox News Sunday morning that she doesn't understand those protesting coronavirus lockdowns, claiming 'we all want out'

Trump has tweeted several times about the House speaker over the past few days after she released a 'dear colleague' letter this week claiming Trump has lied to the American people about coronavirus from the start.

The president lambasted Pelosi in a tweet following the letter, calling her a 'weak and pathetic puppet' of the far left wing of the Democratic Party.

But Pelosi told ABC News' George Stephenopoulos Sunday morning that the reason she sent the letter to her Democratic colleagues was because she was 'afraid' the president would treat coronavirus as a 'hoax' as he has with other topics like his impeachment and the Russia investigation.

'I'm afraid that he's going to act on the same basis of what he's acted before: 'it's a hoax,' 'it's magically going to disappear,'' Pelosi said.

'And that's why I sent out the letter that I did after Easter, because Easter gave me time for reflection and prayerfulness about, 'Ok, we don't want to keep harping on what he did wrong.' Plus he failed,' she continued.

Pelosi also put protesters on blast during her Fox News Sunday interview.

She told the network that people protesting lockdowns are a 'distraction' from the real threats of coronavirus, claiming she doesn't understand why they are against stay-at-home orders, which most states have been enforcing for a month now.

'People will do what they do. But the fact is, we're all impatient. We all want out. But what they're doing is really unfortunate,' the House Speaker told Fox News Sunday host Chris Wallace.

'People are taking to the streets, pushing back against some of the more stringent restrictions in some states. Can you understand why they're doing that?' Wallace asked Pelosi.

'No, not, not really,' she admitted.

'What we have to do is, is, is shelter in place. That is really the answer,' Pelosi continued.

Pelosi told Fox News Sunday that she doesn't understand those protesting coronavirus lockdowns, claiming 'we all want out.' Protest broke out across the country this last week of crowds demanding an end to lockdown and stay-at-home orders and for their states to reopen

In a separate interview with ABC News that aired Sunday morning Pelosi also tried to play down the demonstrations

'I wouldn't over exaggerate the protests across the country,' she said. 'But I think of it largely as a distraction  and the president's embrace of it as a distraction from the fact that he has not appropriately done testing, treatment, contact tracing and quarantine'

'This is not the time for protests,' Virginia Governor Ralph Northam, a Democrat, told CNN Sunday morning

Democrats claim the country should not be reopened until the outbreak has seen a sharp decline in new cases and deaths. As of Sunday morning, the death toll in the U.S. nears 40,000

She also told ABC's This Week on Sunday morning that the demonstrations are exaggerated in the media and a distraction from the fact that there needs to be more testing.

Protests broke out in several states this last week, with people claiming the government was overreaching by issuing orders that they remain in their homes except for essential reasons like grocery shopping and going to the doctor.

Virginia Governor Ralph Northam claimed 'this is not the time for protests.'

'Our president has been unable to deliver on tests, now he has chosen to focus on protests,' Northam told CNN's State of the Union Sunday morning. 'And this is not the time for protests, and this is not the time for divisiveness.'

'This is time for leadership that will stand up and provide empathy,' the Democratic governor continued. 'It's the time for truth.'

Maryland's governor Larry Hogan, who serves as the chair of the National Governors Association, agreed.

The Democrat claimed his state is 'not at the point yet' where it can reopen its economy.

'My goal is to try to get us open as quickly as we possibly can, but in a safe way,' Hogan told CNN's Jake Tapper Sunday morning.

'The president's own guidelines say that you should have 14 days of declining numbers before you start to consider phase one of a reopening and we have increasing numbers every day in the Washington region,' he continued.

'We're not at a point yet where we can, but we have a very detailed reopening plan,' the governor said.

Pelosi claimed protests aren't as big of a deal as they appear.

'I wouldn't over exaggerate the protests across the country. There are some in some places, largely where there is a Democratic governor,' Pelosi told ABC's George Stephenapoulos.

'But I think of it largely as a distraction  and the president's embrace of it as a distraction from the fact that he has not appropriately done testing, treatment, contact tracing and quarantine,' she continued.

Thousands of people across the country descended on their respective states' capitals demanding governors reopen the economy and lift lockdown orders.

While Donald Trump supports reopening the country as soon as possible  and has even proposed states end lockdowns as soon as May 1, Pelosi and other Democrats want the lockdowns to continue to make sure coronavirus threats are under control.

Maryland Governor Larry Hogan (right) reminded CNN's Jake Tapper Sunday morning that the Trump administration's guidelines say lockdowns shouldn't end until there are 14 days of continuous decreases in deaths and cases of coronavirus

Protests broke out in several states with both Republican and Democrat governors

They claim businesses should be allowed to reopen as more than 22 million Americans applied for unemployment benefits in the last four weekly filing periods

Trump has even thrown his support behind demonstrators, tweeting on Friday 'LIBERATE MICHIGAN!'

He also made a call to 'LIBERATE VIRGINIA,' asserting they 'save your great 2nd Amendment. It is under siege!'

'They seem to be very responsible people to me,' the president said during a White House press briefing of the protesters. 'They've been treated a little bit rough.'

The president's claims come as his own administration's task force has recommended social distancing guidelines and issued stay-at-home orders.

Protesters have popped up in several states, including Michigan, Ohio, Maryland, Texas, Utah and several others.

Michigan's governor, Gretchen Whitmer, has become a target of Trump's as she was floated as being on the short list for former Vice President Joe Biden's running mate.
Photograph: Sarah Silbiger/Getty Images

He bashed Sleepy Joe Biden. He railed against the Russia investigation and fake people in the media. He predicted that had he not been elected, the world might have ended.

And somewhere along the way, he talked about the coronavirus.

The past few weeks have seen a battle between Donald Trump, the president, and Donald Trump, the candidate. He has always been more comfortable in campaign mode and, slowly but surely, Trump the candidate is winning the struggle. Saturday was one of those days.

Its called the James S Brady briefing room, not the James S Brady rally room, but today it was hard to tell the difference, Robert Gibbs, a former White House press secretary, told the MSNBC network.

I was among an unlucky 13 reporters sitting in that room on Saturday, along with one standing at the back from Trumps beloved One America News Network which, having flouted reporters agreed physical distancing guidelines, is there at the invitation of the White House.

Laptops on knees, with several seats between us to maintain physical distancing, we were hardly a typical Make America Great Again crowd. But tellingly, while there was no sign of Dr Anthony Faucis reassuring presence, the seats to Trumps right included Mark Meadows, a vocal ally in Congress recently appointed White House chief of staff, and Kayleigh McEnany, the Trump 2020 campaign national spokesperson turned White House press secretary.

Both gazed up at their boss reverently and smiled at his jokes. Meanwhile Dr Deborah Birx, response coordinator on the coronavirus taskforce, stood on the podium and spent long periods staring expressionless into the middle distance as Trump reeled off some golden oldies.

We had the best economy in the history of the world, better than China, better than any country in the world, better than any countrys ever had, he said, waving his hand at what was ostensibly a coronavirus taskforce briefing. We had the highest stock market in history by far, and Im honoured by the fact its started to go up very substantially.

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Wearing a blue suit, white shirt and red tie, Trump added: We have a big election coming up but I think we have tremendous momentum. First we get rid of the plague.

Across the country, the Trump movement is stirring again. Protests against the tyranny of lockdown measures have featured Trump campaign regalia, Confederate flags, guns and placards such as Social distancing = communism. The Trump adviser Stephen Moore has compared the protesters to Rosa Parks, the civil rights activist arrested for refusing to surrender her seat on a crowded bus to a white passenger in Montgomery, Alabama, in 1955.

What did Trump think of that? Well, there is a lot of injustice. When you look at Virginia, where they want to take your guns away, they want to violate your second amendment ... I just think some of the governors have gotten carried away  Its a strong statement but I can see where hes coming from.

Related: Protesters decry stay-at-home orders in Maryland, Texas and Ohio capitals

As at a rally, he hymned the praise of his vice-president, Mike Pence, then went after Democratic senators who were on a call to Pence on Friday as rude and nasty, adding: All you have to do is look at the big V for victory, or V for ventilator. Take a look at it. Everybody said they had us on that. They thought they had us but we got em done in numbers that nobody would believe.

The comment suggested Trump viewed the race for ventilators as a political trap that he had managed to avoid, not a humanitarian emergency. But Democrats are also concerned about Trumps youre-on-your-own message to states when it comes to testing. He complained: You hear so much about testing. What weve done has been incredible on testing. And in a swipe at Barack Obama: I inherited broken junk.

No Trump rally is complete without him playing the victim  one sure to prevail heroically in the final act  and goading the media, usually a cue for his supporters to turn and and jeer the press pen. This time the president took aim at a reporter who was not in the room: Maggie Haberman of the New York Times.

Shes a third-rate reporter, he lamented, going on a long riff to make the baseless allegation that a Haberman story, which said Meadows had cried during meetings with White House staff, was motivated by retribution. Trump insisted: Hes not a cryer.

Extraordinarily, the president of the United States spent more time on this personal grievance against a journalist with whom he has a long history than on the unimaginable scale of death and grief across the nation. On the eve of the 25th anniversary of the Oklahoma City bombing, it was quite a contrast from the days when Bill Clinton was hailed the consoler-in-chief.

When Birx finally got her turn, she praised the amazing work of the American people, particularly in cities such as Detroit, to observe social distancing. But when she pointed to a graphic of international comparisons on screens behind the podium, Trump could not resist butting in and pointing to Chinas claim of 0.33 deaths per 100,000 people (Americas is 11.24, the UKs is 21.97). Excuse me, does anybody really believe this number? he demanded, later asking the same about Iran.

Related: Operation reopen America: are we about to witness a second historic failure of leadership from Trump?

It was another cudgel with which to beat the media. Why didnt you people figure that out, though? he demanded. Unfortunately for Trump, the Biden campaign had just released a video stating: When Trump rolled over for the Chinese, he took their word for it. Trump praised the Chinese 15 times in January and February as the coronavirus spread across the world.

The president ended the briefing-cum-rally as he began, talking about anything but the coronavirus. He attacked the Democratic congresswomen Ilhan Omar and Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez as having a very strong anti-Israel bent. He said of North Korea: Look, if I wasnt elected, you would right now  maybe the world  would be over.

He added falsely, for good measure: When I first came in, we didnt have ammunition, not a good way to fight a war. President Obama left us no ammunition. He declared that no one had been tougher on Russias Vladimir Putin than he has been and recycled old gripes about the Iran nuclear deal and Chinese tariffs.

Maybe Sleepy Joe Bidens gonna win, he said. And if Sleepy Joe Biden wins youll own the United States. And China will own the United States.

With mendacity and menace, the 2020 election campaign was back under way. The president is eager to become a candidate again and move on. With nearly 40,000 Americans dead from the virus, perhaps no one should be surprised.
A Facebook friend likened the President to Bugs Bunny, chomping on his carrot and making fun of his enemies. And this week it certainly seems that way as the page flips from "everybodysan-epidemiology expert" to "we are now all constitutional scholars."

On April 14 Trump said he was the absolute authority on when to relax the shutdown and two days later, based on fact, he noted that the virus seemed to have peaked, circumstances were different in different places of the country, and it was up to the governors of each state to determine mitigation strategies appropriate for their states following some national guidelines.

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."

Places with declining infections and strong testing would begin a three-phase gradual reopening of businesses and schools.

I know it wont surprise you to know that people like New Yorks Governor Andrew Cuomo who pegged the earlier statement as dictatorial now accuse Trump of passing the buck. Actually, its a bit late for civics lessons, but we still live in a federal republic, a form of government best suited to such a vast country with disparate needs and circumstances.

Some governors responded rather quickly. A number of large beaches in Florida were reopened by Governor Ron DeSantis (Not only does this restore a measure of freedom for locked in Floridians, but as well seems likely to have health benefits. DHS Biodefense Lab finds in preliminary tests that sunlight kills the virus quickly and COVID-19 does not survive long under high temperatures or high humidity.)

Governor Greg Abbott announced plans to begin opening up Texas.

The Pennsylvania State Senate on Wednesday sent a bill that would partially lift the lockdown on most of the states businesses to Gov. Tom Wolfs (D) desk.

The less pragmatic governors of Wisconsin, Minnesota, and Michigan (the latter headed by Governor Gretchen Whitmer, who bears a striking resemblance to Richard III and whose nonsensical bans and edicts brought her a lot of media attention but I think not the kind she was aiming for) are facing rebellions of citizens sick of their overreaching .

The most persuasive arguments I can find for opening up the country are those of Jeffrey A. Tucker. I urge you to read it all. He notes:

The lockdowns were presented to us under the need to flatten the curve for hospital capacity, but there isnt one curve and we didnt have enough information even to say where one city was on any curve. There were some days of difficulty in hot spots but many hospitals in the country, due to the order that they not do elective surgeries, started furloughing workers. The reality of many empty hospitals in the middle of a pandemic was too much to process. So we spent the next two weeks searching for new justifications to keep the lockdown in place. Those started to sound affected and even fraudulent very quickly. Whats important about the three-phase process that Trump enumerated with no set time timetable is that it flips the burden of proof. We have suddenly gone from a world in which governors have presumed that cracking down, forbidding, suppressing, denouncing, shutting down, arresting, and jailing are presumed to be good medicine, to a world in which we treat a virus as a disease to mitigate and the suppressors have to justify their actions else face the wrath of the tens of millions of victims. In many ways, it was a brilliant move. In short, the hounds have been called off. Let us not underestimate what this could mean. Another important point about the three-phase plan: it is focused on the facts of the case. Not model-based predictions. Not someones ideology. Not political posturing. Not the fallacy of authority. The opening is based on the on-the-ground realities. The facts have never justified the suppression. Nor do they justify continued suppression for one hour more. The facts will set us free.

Of course, this doesnt mean an end to political posturing. The virus of identity politics still has no vaccine .The most insidious is the unity destroying claim by Senators Kamala Harris, Cory Booker, Elizabeth Warren, and Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez that the disparate impact of the virus by race and ethnicity is part of some plan or deliberate negligence. The very brilliant Daniel Greenfield demolishes that argument.

He lists the factors that we know disparately affect the coronavirus transmission and mortality figures:

Age. The elderly are most affected. He observes: Bel Air has the fourth highest average age in Los Angeles. So its not surprising that it is among the places hardest hit by the coronavirus.

Intergenerational households, more common in Asian and African-American households than in white ones. A more traditional way of life which he notes is also more common among Orthodox Jews and some Italian-Americans than the wealthy white elites who are Warren and AOCS biggest backers.

Indeed, contrary to these promoters of identity politics, their own fellow Democrats and backers racism has a great deal to do with the larger number of blacks sickened by the virus:

"Something that is scaring me, when I read the comments and some of the reactions, my people, black people, please, please understand that coronavirus is... you can get it," Idris Elba had posted on social media after coming down with the virus. "There are so many stupid, ridiculous conspiracy theories about black people not being able to get it... That is the quickest way to get more black people killed."



Elba was addressing the widespread memes on social media which claimed that black people were immune because of melanin. Memes falsely claimed that there were no coronavirus cases in Africa. Media editorials by African-American writers urged black people not to believe that they were immune.



The real racism was an internal belief in racial superiority spread by hate groups like the Nation of Islam.



The good news is, we should not be overly anxious about an attack or about a virus, but what we should be anxious about is our slowness to disconnect ourselves from a nation that is in the crosshairs of the Lord of the worlds," Farrakhan's spokeswoman, Minister Ava Muhammad of the NOI, had claimed.



Democrats, including Barack Obama and Rep. Jim Clyburn, a close Biden ally and the third-ranking House Democrat, who is in charge of coronavirus stimulus oversight, have met with the hate group leader.



In Milwaukee, ProPublica, a left-wing site, documented a higher black death rate even as it noted the, pushback among those who recalled other painful government restrictions -- including segregation and mass incarceration -- on where black people could walk and gather."



This is an attempt at racializing cultural differences and then blaming racism. [snip]



Instead of healing the nation, Warren, Harris, Booker, Cortez, and other Democrats divide it even more.



At a time when the country should be coming together, their only thought is of how to tear it apart for their political profit, racializing the virus and then blaming it on racism, instead of on Communist China, which lied about the pandemic, may have created it, and then cornered the market on protective gear. [/quote]

About 22 million Americans are now out of work. Hospitals are also suffering great losses and some may shutter, a serious loss not only to the staffs, but also in particular to those living in affected rural areas who need them. The hospitals were ordered to handle only emergency surgeries to make room for a feared tsunami of coronavirus patients that never appeared. Students are missing months of schooling. On the other hand, various drug treatments seem to be proving efficacious, as have other techniques (for example having sufferers lie face down and legs elevated instead of putting them on ventilators). In any event the number of hospitalizations -- the reason for the national shutdown -- never reached the modeled hospitalization numbers and mortality figures even in the worst-hit areas remain not particularly large. In sum, there is every reason to open up most of the country, monitoring through increased (and increasingly available) testing, and studying more accurate records of hospitalizations. We can return to more stringent distancing rules in areas where we need to if warranted by fact. Pragmatic solutions which balance costs (psychological, physical, and economic) against theoretical models are now called for. If this causes a second wave, we are far more prepared and experienced in treating it than we were on March 13, just weeks ago.
Iraqi parliament demands Baghdad's procurement of Russia's S-400 missile system

Iran Press TV

Saturday, 18 April 2020 2:14 PM

The Iraqi parliament's security and defense committee has submitted an in-depth study to the country's caretaker prime minister Adel Abdul-Mahdi, requesting the procurement of the Russian-built long-range, surface-to-air S-400 missile defense system.

"The committee has presented a comprehensive study to the prime minister, demanding approval for the purchase of the advanced S-400 air defense system. The issue has already been discussed with relevant figures at the General Command of Armed Forces, and now awaits the premier's agreement," Badr al-Ziyadi, a member of the committee, told Arabic-language al-Sabaah newspaper.

He emphasized that the purchase of the S-400 missile system, with the aim of boosting the country's defense capabilities, will be finalized once the next Iraqi government is formed and it ratifies procurement of the system.

"The approval to acquire such a sophisticated system requires large financial allocations and a political decision in order to diversify the sources to get the weapons as we cannot just rely on the Western camp, but rather need to incline towards the Eastern camp as well," Ziyadi pointed out.

The Iraqi lawmaker went on to say that his parliamentary committee "will support the next Iraqi government's decisions in this regard, and will present relevant proposals and pieces of advice to it."

Back on March 18, Ziayadi said US and Israeli arms firms were putting pressure on the Baghdad government not to discuss the purchase of sophisticated military equipment with other states, and sign arms contracts with them.

"There are companies and traders pushing to prevent Iraq from concluding contracts to purchase weapons from developed countries," he told Arabic-language al-Maalomah news agency in an exclusive interview at the time.

The same Iraqi parliamentarian said on January 20 that the Baghdad government was planning to send delegations to Russia, China and Ukraine to hold negotiations over the acquisition of advanced air defense missile systems to protect its territory from any possible act of aggression.

"The delegations intend to visit countries like Russia, China and Ukraine to negotiate the purchase of modern systems to protect Iraq's airspace," he told al-Sabaah daily then.

The lawmaker added, "The Iraqi parliament is right now forming a joint executive and legislative delegation to visit developed countries and sign contracts on procuring advanced weapons."

The United States has already warned Iraq of the consequences of extending military cooperation with Russia, and striking deals to purchase advanced weaponry, particularly S-400 missile systems.

Former US State Department spokeswoman Heather Nauert said on February 22, 2018 that Washington has contacted many countries, including Iraq, to explain the significance of the Countering America's Adversaries Through Sanctions Act (CAATSA), and possible consequences that would arise in the wake of defense agreements with Moscow.

On August 2, 2017, US President Donald Trump signed into law the CAATSA that imposed sanctions on Iran, North Korea, and Russia.

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Prince Harry and Meghan Markle have had a hard time finding their way with the public ever since the two started dating back in 2016. Prior to meeting Meghan, Harry was one of the most well-liked royals in the family. But with all of the changes that have occurred since he and Meghan wed, the British public has finally made it clear that their approval of the prince has dropped tremendously.

Prince Harry | Max Mumby/Indigo/Getty Images

Prince Harry and Meghan Markle are carving their own path

When Harry and Meghan wed, they immediately decided to start doing things differently. Since Harry will likely never be king, it was easier for the two to change the rules a bit when it came to how they handled royalty. They worked with unique charities and launched new initiatives, and Meghan even explored guest editing British Vogue.

As Harry and Meghan were working hard to leave their own legacy within the royal family, they were working just as hard to develop the kind of relationship with the public that Prince William and Kate Middleton have.

The two have found it difficult to win over the public

From the moment Meghan and Harry met, the British press started giving her a hard time. They dug into Meghans family life and revealed her troubled relationships with her father and half siblings. Plus, Meghan was constantly at the root of negative headlines, and the more rumors the public read about her, the more their opinion of her began to shift from positive to negative.

It started to get to the point where Meghan and Harry were having a very difficult time winning over the public. The two took an important trip to Africa last fall, which seemed to go over well among the British people. But the release of their difficult interview shortly after, which exposed the feud between Harry and his brother and largely painted Harry and Meghan as victims, pretty much overshadowed the good they had done on their trip.

Harrys public approval rating has plummeted

Things havent been easy for Harry since he got married. But now that hes left the royal family, his approval rating has dropped sharply  and royal fans have made it clear theyre not happy with him. Express reported that a poll conducted by Redfield & Wilton Strategies found that, out of 1,500 participants, 54% did not wish to see Harry and Meghan ever resume their royal duties. 18% said they didnt know, while 28% said theyd like to see the couple return.

Fewer than one third of those who participated in the study were hoping the couple would rejoin the family. At one point, Harry was the third-most-liked royal in the family behind his brother and the queen  and his approval rating was at nearly 90%. But with all thats gone on, the public has made it clear that theyve changed their minds about him. Surprisingly, 33% of those polled said that the coronavirus pandemic caused them to have an even worse view of the prince.

Its unclear whether the two will be able to rebuild their reputation

Meghan and Harry are trying to start over. They recently announced their new charity initiative, Archewell, and they helped deliver meals to those in need during the coronavirus pandemic. But still, people seem to be at odds with the two  and its unclear what exactly it will take to get the public back on their side.

With everything at a standstill these days, Harry and Meghan likely wont be doing too much charity work any time soon, though Archewell might be the key to showcasing the good theyre doing in the world  and to getting people back on their side.
Alisha Rahaman Sarkar By

Online Desk

KOLKATA: The unprecedented lockdown in a bid to prevent the spread of coronavirus in India, has given rise to a humanitarian crisis, where thousands are going to sleep every night without a morsel of food in their stomach. Amidst the crisis, several good samaritans have come forward to do their bit to help the starving souls.

In Kolkata, a group of six friends have come together to feed villagers in the state. The group has so far raised more than Rs 4,000,00 through donations from their friends and colleagues and fed 1200 families in West Bengal.

Ritambar Das, Arijit Roy Chowdhury, Preetom Bhattacharya, Abhijit Sarkar, Sukanya Dutta and Rovers Chatterjee with the help of their friends from other cities in India, US and UK have been delivering ration to families in four villages which are completely cut off from the cities amid lockdown.



Three kilograms of rice, one kilogram of potato and some lentils go into a bag that is then distributed among the villagers. So far the group has managed to help people in Mallickpur, Joytola, Piyali and Betberia. From procuring the ration to distribution, these six people have been doing it all on their own with the help of local police.



We decided to take this initiative after one of Rritambars employees asked for financial support for the people of his village. But for him, it was not possible to take the responsibility of the entire village. So he pitched the idea to some of us and we decided pool money and help them, said one of the members of the team.



This group of young professionals have also started a Facebook page Feed the Need- by willing souls to spread the word and collect funds. The members of the group added that its a close circuit network but they are deliberating the option of crowdfunding.



We initially had a target to collect Rs 15,000 so that we could feed at least 150 families.Our friends passed on the information to their friends who started donating. We coordinate everything through a WhatsApp group. We add every donor to the group to keep them updated, he added.

The group recently held a thanksgiving event in South Kolkata for the essential service providers(police, delivery agents, et al) where they were given snacks and energy drinks.

We have been distributing these rations on our own with the support from the local police. However, we have decided to engage daily wage labourers in distributing work so that we can pay them a fee to sustain themselves, a member added.

We are not doing any religion-based distribution, the group maintains adding that it is imperative to look beyond such petty issues and help everyone who is less fortunate.

The group is scheduled to distribute more rations among the families of three more villages in South 24 Parganas district.
Outgoing California Mayor Dies in Plane Crash Near Airport: Officials

Dr. Bill Kirby had recently said he would resign after making anti-Trump posts on social media

The outgoing mayor of a Northern California city who stepped down died Saturday in a plane crash, according to officials.

Dr. William Bill Kirby, who was the mayor of Auburn, died near the Auburn Municipal Airport, officials told the Sacramento Bee newspaper.

Kirby, a urologist, was also the pilot of the plane when it crashed shortly after 11 a.m., said authorities. A passenger in the plane suffered minor injuries and was taken to a hospital, said the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection in the report.

Sacramento political consultant Jeff Raimundo issued a statement on behalf of Kirbys family.

Our family is devastated by this tragic news, the statement by the family said, according to another local news outlet, Gold County Media. Bill devoted decades of enthusiastic and loving support to his family, his patients and the Auburn community he loved so much. We will miss him immensely but take comfort in knowing he died while flyingone of the other loves of his life.

Before the crash, Kirby drew headlines after he criticized President Donald Trumps response to the COVID-19 pandemic, comparing Trump supporters to members of the Ku Klux Klan, or KKK. After his posts, a number of people demanded that he step down from office. He said that the social media posts had nothing to do with my job. I reposted it, reported The Associated Press.

Last week, he announced that he was stepping aside from his post as mayor of Auburn. On April 13, Kirby said he would nominate Councilman Daniel Berlant to serve as mayor for the term, local media reported.

He is survived by two children and several grandchildren.

He loved his family, especially his two granddaughters, his familys statement read. He poured his passion into life and the world is a better place because of him.

The Epoch Times refers to the novel coronavirus, which causes the disease COVID-19, as the CCP virus because the Chinese Communist Partys coverup and mismanagement allowed the virus to spread throughout China before it was transmitted worldwide.
Source: Xinhua| 2020-04-19 21:01:35|Editor: huaxia

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LONDON, April 19 (Xinhua) -- Will Britain in the grip of the COVID-19 crisis still have the time and energy to broker a new trade deal with the European Union (EU) by Dec. 31?

Convalescing Prime Minister Boris Johnson, recovering from a life threatening fight with Coronavirus, insists the deadline will not be changed.

His chief Brexit negotiator David Frost will head a team this week in the first of three rounds of negotiations with their opposite numbers from Brussels.

Instead of the usual face-to-face exchanges, the meetings will be via video link.

If any extension beyond December is to be agreed, the two sides have until June 30 to settle a new, later date.

There are mixed feelings among politicians and commentators over whether Britain should in the wake of the pandemic stay allied to EU rules for longer.

The Sunday Telegraph reported that Downing Street's refusal to extend the Brexit transition period is partly based on a concern that the EU will demand massive payments to help deal with the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Anthony Glees, a professor from the University of Buckingham and a leading political expert, told Xinhua that a delay of up to five years may be necessary.

It was at 11 p.m. on Jan. 31 when the face of London's famous Big Ben clock was projected onto the front of 10 Downing Street. It marked the end of almost half a century of Britain's membership of the EU.

There were cheers as the bongs of Big Ben reverberated along Whitehall, while in nearby Parliament Square crowds sang the British national anthem.

Those chimes signaled the start of what was described by political commentators as a roller-coaster journey, with Britain and Brussels tasked with brokering a new deal to form a future permanent trade relationship between the two sides.

Johnson, then just weeks into his new job as prime minister, buoyed by an 80-seat majority in the House of Commons, declared Britain would continue to abide by EU rules as part of a transition period until Dec. 31, and then it would be goodbye, deal or no deal.

Another story dominated the headlines in Britain on that historic final January day, when the first two cases of COVID-19 were reported in the country.

Little was it realised as Britain severed its links with Brussels that within a matter of weeks a global pandemic would change everything.

The big question today is whether the British government's cast-iron, written-in-law guarantee that the Dec. 31 deadline will survive the impact of COVID-19.

Added to the drama has been Johnson's own life-or-death battle against COVID-19 in a hospital intensive care unit where he underwent emergency treatment with only a 50-50 chance of survival.

Johnson pulled through, but with Britain entering the fifth week of a virus-imposed lockdown, the same can't be said about his Dec. 31 deadline.

The fresh talks between British and EU negotiators to seek a permanent trade deal will resume in the week starting April 20 after being put on hold for almost two months because of the COVID-19 pandemic.

While Johnson's official spokesperson continues to insist the Dec. 31 deadline remains, seasoned political commentators believe the pandemic will force a change in the deadline, with the transition period continuing into 2021 or even later.

Last week, David Frost and his opposite number in Brussels, Michel Barnier, agreed that both teams should restart online negotiations after two months with little contact.

Yet few diplomats expect the process to narrow the gaps between the two sides, said the British journal the Economist in a recent commentary.

The Economist added that it makes the December deadline for a trade deal more problematic, with little more than six months left to strike a deal.

Experience suggests that it is too short a period both to negotiate and to ratify a deal, the Economist commentary said.

With COVID-19 already leading to the postponement of the Olympics Games and the COP 26 global climate summit, why not use a clause in the Brexit withdrawal treaty for the deadline to be extended by mutual agreement for up to one or two years, asked the Economist.

Although the current transition period expires on Dec. 31, an extension would have to be agreed upon in a matter of weeks, by this coming June at the latest.

Glees describes as horrendous, the big hit in costs that Brexit alone will have on the British economy, with the added cost of the ongoing pandemic.

"One might suppose reason would dictate postponing any Brexit deal until after the pandemic has been sorted in economic terms, perhaps waiting as long as five years," Glees said.

However, Glees added, the British government has made it entirely plain that it will not ask for an extension, nor would it agree to one if it this were proposed by the EU.

Glees believes that Brexit, and if necessary a no-deal Brexit and trading under WTO rules, are not just an ideological fixed point, but also the glue that holds Johnson's government together.

"My suspicion is that although Brexiters realise they're about to inflict a double whammy on the stricken British people, they will reckon that the Brexit hit will be effectively concealed by the COVID-19 hit, and that since the UK will be hit so hard by the latter, no one will notice the former," Glees said.

Before the COVID-19 outbreak, supporters of Brexit suggested, said Glees, that there would be huge growth post-Brexit by trading in world markets and buying cheap food globally.

"But COVID-19 has scuppered this aim. World markets will be in disarray, and each nation will look to its own industries first. It cannot be otherwise," said Glees.

In a joint article published Sunday in the Observer, Anand Menon, director of the UK in a Changing Europe initiative and Angus Armstrong from the Rebuilding Macroeconomics network said pandemic disruption makes it unlikely that a comprehensive trade deal can be secured before the transition period ends.

"It makes sense to take advantage of the opportunity to extend," they say, citing a recent opinion poll showing twice as many British public think Johnson should amend the December deadline.

London's Labour mayor Sadiq Khan has become the latest politician to intervene.

Khan, accusing the Conservative government of putting dogma ahead of the national interest, has urged ministers to agree a Brexit transition period extension with the EU.

Daily Telegraph political commentator Asa Bennett wrote that "Brexit may have been sidelined by coronavirus in recent weeks, but the clock has not stopped ticking down on the UK's transition period out of the European Union."

Downing Street, said Bennett, has gone to great lengths to rubbish the idea of an extension, making clear Britain will not ask for an extension and will say no if the EU requests one in turn, thereby keeping the issue off the table.

In a joint communique last week, Downing Street and Brussels said the two sides had agreed on the need to organise further negotiating rounds in order to make real, tangible progress in the negotiations by June.

Only then will it become clearer whether the final goodbye will by the Dec. 31 deadline, or whether the COVID-19 pandemic will force a change of strategy. Enditem
Electricity of Vietnam (EVN) group has required the Ministry of Industyr and Trade (MoIT) to publish the list of grid-connected solar power projects which were added to the power planning of Ninh Thuan.

EVN wants to publish the list of planned solar power projects in Ninh Thuan

In addition, Electricity of Vietnam (EVN) proposed the MoIT to issue detailed guidance about which projects need to use MWac or MWp.

Previously, the government officially approved a new feed-in-tariff (FiT) mechanism to encourage the development of solar power in Vietnam.

Accordingly, EVN proposed unique mechanisms for this particular province. Notably, grid-connected solar power projects in the province that are included in the planning and are reaching commercial operation date before January 1, 2021 with the total cumulative capacity of not more than 2,000MW will be entitled to a preferential price of 9.35 US cents per kWh.

The reason for EVN"s proposal is that before the 450MW solar power project invested by Trung Nam Group was added to the power planning in January 2020, the prime minister and the MoIT approved to add numerous solar power farms with the total capacity of 1,966MW. Among these projects, Ninh Thuan Peoples Committee granted investment licenses for 31 projects with the capacity of 1,816MW and total investment capital of VND49.99 trillion ($2.17 billion). Thus, the capacity of added projects exceeded the permitted level of 2,000MW. As a result, there may be a number of projects which cannot start operation before January 1, 2021 but will still be able to enjoy the preferential FiT of 9.35 US cents per kWh.

As of the end of February 2020, 17 projects have come into operation with the capacity of 1,100MW.

During the wait for a guiding circular and a model contract, EVN will still be proactive and assign units to sign connection agreements as well as technical agreements with investors.

The government has fixed the tariffs for rooftop solar at 8.38 US cents, floating solar at 7.69 US cents, and ground-mounted solar power projects at around US 7.09 cents per kWh. Solar projects approved before November 23, 2019 and starting commercial operations between July 1, 2019 and December 31, 2020 will enjoy the new tariffs. VIR

Thanh Huong

New tariff scheme approved to encourage solar development The Government has officially decided to approve a new feed-in-tariff mechanism to encourage development of solar power in Vietnam.
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STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. -- Social media continues to circulate a viral meme that theorizes a 1993 episode of The Simpsons predicted the COVID-19 pandemic.

The viral post (no pun intended), a four-paneled meme that references past episodes, has been shared tens of thousands of times on Facebook and Twitter. Alas, its all in jest, but the coincidence is entertaining, nonetheless.

* * * Stream The Simpsons on Disney+ by clicking here.

The coronavirus meme references episode #21 of season #4 of The Simpsons, titled Marge in Chains," in which the fictional Osaka flu -- not the specific novel coronavirus-- is talked about.

The episode shows the Osaka flu infecting Springfield from Japan, via a package, wherein a cough is trapped inside. However, the viral Simpsons image was doctored to appear the episode was about the coronavirus.

Bill Oakley, one of the two writers of the 1993 episode, described the claim to Reuters as a stretch." Apparently, the episode was based on events of the past, and were not meant as predictions of events in the future.

Keep in mind the world has seen pandemics before, including the Spanish flu, the Hong Kong flu and the Asian flu.

The long-running cartoon series -- in its 32nd year and created by Matt Groening -- is known to have predicted world events years before they happened, including Donald Trumps presidential election, the economic collapse of Greece, and the American Olympic curling team beating the Swedish team.
REDDING, Calif. - Redding Police say they arrested a man after he reportedly fired a gun into the floor of a residence following a domestic dispute.

According to officials, this occurred on Sunday, April 19 at approximately 12:30 a.m., when officers from the Redding Police Department responded to the Shady Oak Mobile Home Park located at 5812 Cedars Road on the report of a verbal altercation as well as a gunshot inside of a residence.

Officials say that upon arrival, RPD Officers quickly contained the area and contacted three subjects who were all involved in the altercation. An investigation of the incident revealed that Mark Turnbaugh, 53, of Redding engaged in a verbal and physical altercation with his girlfriend inside of their residence.

Police say as the situation escalated, Turnbaugh retrieved a semi-automatic handgun from within a bedroom in the residence and discharged one bullet into the floor.

Officials say Mark Turnbaugh was booked into the Shasta County Jail for the following: willful/negligent discharge of a firearm, domestic violence, brandishing a firearm, criminal/terrorist threats and illegal possession of an assault rifle.
During The Challenge 35: Total Madness Episode 3, Aneesa Ferreira jokingly made fun of a picture-filled blanket belonging to married rookies Bayleigh Dayton and Chris Swaggy C Williams. The couple took to YouTube to explain the significance of the blanket and why they bring it everywhere.

Chris Swaggy C Williams and Bayleigh Dayton | Robyn Beck

Bayleigh Dayton and Swaggy C on Big Brother 20

In 2018, Maryland-based flight attendant Bayleigh Dayton and day trader from Connecticut, Chris Swaggy C Williams, both competed on Big Brother 20. They quickly fell for each other and formed a showmance.

The couple aligned with the doomed FOUTTE alliance, who almost immediately betrayed the showmance and backdoored Swaggy C in the second week.

Due to his elimination, America granted the flight attendant a Power App, titled Identity Theft, which allowed her to change the nominations at any ceremony until eight houseguests remained.

Bayleigh and Swaggy C are cute together. Don't @ me. #BB20 pic.twitter.com/ADBzMyqqfj  Global Goes Gaga (@GlobalTV) July 9, 2018

As Head of Household in Week 5, Bayleigh attempted to reassure Rachel Swindler about being nominated as a pawn by revealing her Power App. Rachel then told rival alliance Level Six, who used the information to convince Bayleigh shes safe.

Therefore, she didnt use her power in Week 6, and the house voted to evict her 6-1, becoming the first member of the jury. Swaggy C then proposed to Bayleigh at the finale.

After filming, Bayleigh revealed she and Swaggy C conceived a child in the Big Brother house, but she miscarried in the jury house. A few months after their engagement, the couple secretly married on his birthday in February 2019.

A year later, they announced the marriage and began wearing their rings.

Bayleigh Dayton and Swaggy C on The Challenge 35

The Big Brother couple is currently competing on MTV reality competition series The Challenge 35: Total Madness alongside former housemates Fessy Shafaat and Kaycee Clark.

During the first episode, Bayleigh showed everyone she has her husbands back by popping off on rookie Jay Starrett when she thought he threw her man under the bus.

Swaggy C won the second daily challenge, alongside Cory Wharton and Dee Nguyen, and the three made up the Tribunal. In the following episode, Bayleigh and CT Tamburello won the challenge, and they picked Swaggy C to join them.

So far, the couple is not on anyones radar, has a close alliance with their Big Brother co-stars and other rookies, and is performing well.

Bayleigh Dayton and Swaggy C on the significance of their blanket

In The Challenge 35 Episode 3, Swaggy C woke up his wife, who slept soundly under a blanket covered in several pictures of themselves. One of their roommates, Aneesa Ferreira, offered funny commentary on the two in her confessional and admitted she thought it was a little weird.

After the episode aired, the couple took to their YouTube channel to explain why the blanket is so important to them. According to Bayleigh and Swaggy C, a fan gifted it to them after they filmed Big Brother 20 as their way of saying they love and appreciate the couple.

My response to all the couples posting their First Pic Together. #TheChallenge35 pic.twitter.com/l141Wqeu8V  challengemtv (@ChallengeMTV) April 16, 2020

Therefore, the couple brings it everywhere with them, including on plane rides and vacations. Bayleigh also noted it was a good idea for them to bring the blanket to remind themselves of each other if one gets eliminated.

Additionally, the flight attendant explained she genuinely loves it and looks at it often, even if shes with Swaggy C. The Challenge 35: Total Madness airs Wednesdays at 8 p.m. EST on MTV.
Until we have a vaccine, testing is the key to restarting the economy shut down by the coronavirus. Yet the nation doesnt have enough capacity to routinely test patients with the symptoms of COVID-19  let alone the silent spreaders or the people who have recovered from the illness and may have immunity.

President Donald Trump is right to leave it up to governors to decide when to reopen their states. He is wrong to leave it up to them to figure out testing. The federal government must take on that responsibility.

Only the federal government can organize the scattershot testing efforts at public and private labs across the country, and require them to collaborate. Only the federal government, using the Defense Production Act, can compel manufacturers to make the testing swabs, reagents and test kits in huge quantities. Only the federal government can stop the wasteful and counterproductive competition among states for tests.

The alternative is what happened with scarce personal protective equipment and ventilators: Bidding wars erupted that drove up costs, invited scams and left healthcare workers and patients hanging.

The states are doing what they can to ramp up testing on their own. Last week, Gov. Andrew Cuomo said New York is awaiting federal approval of a rapid blood test that could be performed on 100,000 people per day. In just five days, the state would equal the number of tests performed over the past six weeks.

That would be a huge breakthrough in testing capacity, but its nowhere near enough to reassure 19 million New Yorkers that going back to work, school and daily life is reasonably safe.

Testing is only the first step in containing the coronavirus and preventing future outbreaks. When an infected person tests positive for the virus, that person must be isolated for 14 days, and then all the people she has been in contact with since she became ill (and possibly before) must be isolated for 14 days.

We need an army to trace all of those contacts, Cuomo said. If hes looking for enlistees, we know of about a million unemployed New Yorkers who could use a paycheck right about now.

The test-trace-isolate strategy is public health 101. It works. China did it. South Korea did it. Germany is doing it. But the key is fast, reliable and plentiful testing.

Governments, businesses and workers are eager to get back to work. The coronavirus pandemic has taken a wrecking ball to our health, jobs, profits, tax revenues and family finances. We are also bearing the emotional and social costs of isolation and fear.

A viable test-trace-isolate strategy is necessary to restart the economy with the confidence that once we get back to business, we can stay in business.

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19.04.2020 LISTEN

Almost 3 billion people still rely on open fires or inefficient stoves to cook, filling their homes with harmful smoke and increasing their vulnerability to respiratory infections

People exposed to air pollution are more likely to die from COVID-19 than people living in areas with cleaner air, according to a new study. Though the study's findings focus on the United States, they align with similar results from Italy.

This research is an ominous sign for many developing countries, where air pollution levels often far exceed World Health Organization guidelines. More worrying still, air quality inside people's homes can be magnitudes worse than the air they breathe outside, due in large part to how people cook.

Globally, almost three billion people still rely on open fires or inefficient stoves to cook their food, filling their homes with dangerous levels of smoke. It is well documented that household air pollution from cooking increases susceptibility to respiratory infections such as pneumonia and aggravates respiratory illnesses like asthma  which may, in turn, lead to poorer outcomes after a COVID-19 infection.

Not only does cooking with polluting fuels and technologies increase people's vulnerability to COVID-19, but effective social distancing is a significant challenge in countries dominated by informal job markets or overcrowded urban settlements.

On top of that, many families face the impossible decision of risking increased exposure to the virus  including to collect or purchase cooking fuel  or foregoing the income needed to buy other necessities.

Even for households that have already transitioned to cleaner cooking fuels like electricity, LPG, or ethanol, the current economic slowdown could mean a necessary return to firewood or other polluting cooking methods.

But while COVID-19 is an unprecedented challenge, there are proven methods to boost access to clean cooking, which can be incorporated into broader containment and response efforts.

CLEANER FUEL SUPPORT

Governments in developing countries can tackle this issue on two fronts. First, they must make clean cooking part of their pandemic emergency response plans.

India's government has already announced that it will give away millions of cylinders of cooking gas to those in need. In Ghana, the government's COVID-19 relief package subsidizes electricity for three months, fully absorbing electricity costs for the poorest consumers (those using up to 50 kilowatt hours per month), and providing all other consumers with a 50 percent discount.

Other governments should follow their lead, while also ensuring that clean cooking fuel providers are categorized as essential and provided with the critical resources needed to minimize supply chain disruptions.

Second, governments must not allow short-term responses to the pandemic to undermine long-term health goals. For example, to support costs of its COVID-response, the Kenyan government is considering tax hikes on cooking gas and stoves, which could slow the uptake of clean cooking.

As the new COVID-19 study shows, even a slight increase in air pollution in the years before the emergence of virus is associated with higher death rates. Clean cooking solutions are critical to reducing household air pollution and building people's longstanding resilience to respiratory illnesses.

FINANCE CRITICAL

As they juggle competing demands in responding to the pandemic, developing countries are going to need strong support.

Developed-country governments, multilateral organizations and other donors must help fill the gap.

Countries such as the Netherlands, Norway and Britain are already strong supporters of efforts to build markets for clean cooking solutions, as are groups such as the World Health Organization and the World Bank. This support must continue, and where possible be expanded, while new donors must step up to join their efforts to address the household air pollution crisis.

This issue is more critical than ever, and cannot be solved without concessional, public sector finance.

Public and private capital providers also have an important role to play. Many clean cooking businesses are pioneering scalable business models and high-impact technologies, but are at a pivotal stage of development. Impact investors must urgently offer those businesses the financial resources to ensure their long-term sustainability and ability to provide a growing market with modern cooking solutions.

We know that a person exposed to household air pollution will likely have a worse outcome if they are exposed to the coronavirus. As we brace ourselves for the next wave of the current pandemic  and possibly future pandemics of an unknown nature  it is more important than ever for governments, donors, investors and others to continue their work to bring clean, affordable and appropriate cooking solutions to the three billion people who live each day without them.

Providing emergency solutions for clean fuels while reducing household air pollution is not only critical to saving lives, but also to promoting resilience and recovery in this changing landscape.

Hajia Samira Bawumia is the Second Lady of Ghana, and Dymphna van der Lans is CEO of the Clean Cooking Alliance.

By: Hajia Samira Bawumia & Dymphna van der
Bengaluru, April 19 : Karnataka reported four new coronavirus positive cases in the past 19 hours, raising the state's tally to 388, an official said on Sunday.

Among the four new patients, three are men and one woman, all from Mysuru.

"The total 388 cases includes 14 deaths and 105 discharged patients," said a health official.

In the past 19 hours, only one patient has been discharged.

Of the new cases, two men have travel history to Delhi while the other two are contacts of earlier case, one of the pharmaceutical company employee.
(L-R) Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, Secretary of Treasury Steven Mnuchin, and Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer hold a meeting to discuss a potential economic bill in response to the coronavirus, COVID-19, in Washington, DC, on March 20, 2019.

Senate Democrats and Republicans are nearing a deal Sunday that could inject roughly $370 billion into loan programs for small businesses, a person familiar with the negotiations told CNBC.

The talks come after the $349 billion Paycheck Protection Program, which offers forgivable loans to small businesses, ran out of money on Thursday. Democrats rejected a proposal to refill the fund two weeks ago. They instead argued for changes, including adding more money to support federal testing, hospitals and local governments. They've also pushed to ensure groups without banking relationships get access to the program and SNAP benefits.

As of Sunday night, Democrats and Republicans were negotiating a deal that would allocate $310 billion more into the Paycheck Protection Program, setting aside $60 billion of that sum for rural and minority groups. Another $60 billion would go to the Economic Injury Disaster Loan program, a separate program offering loans for small businesses administered by the Small Business Association.

Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-KY, hosted a call Sunday afternoon to provide an update on the package for members, along with President Donald Trump, Chief of Staff Mark Meadows and Treasury Secretary Steve Mnuchin, a senior Republican aide told CNBC.

In the call, Mnuchin said the program will not include the Democrats' push for state and local government funding, the senior Republican aide said. Democrats are still pushing for state and local funding, the person familiar with the negotiations said.

Mnuchin also said SNAP demands will not be in the package, the senior Republican aide said. He said discussions continue over federal funding for coronavirus testing, which he is discussing with McConnell, Sen. Lamar Alexander, R-TN, and Sen. Roy Blunt, R-MO.

Earlier in the day, Mnuchin said the deal could include $75 billion in funding for hospitals and $25 billion in funding for testing.

Rep. Steny Hoyer, D-MD, sent out a note Sunday evening saying "pending agreement" the House could take up the bill as soon as Wednesday.
Child welfare agencies have lost some of their best "eyes and ears" for reporting abuse and neglect as a result of school closures, AP reports.

Why it matters: April is Child Abuse Prevention Month. Across the country, states are reporting fewer calls to child abuse hotlines, which officials believe is a sign that many cases are going unreported.

By the numbers: Washington states child abuse hotline witnessed a 50% drop in calls, while Montana, Oklahoma and Louisiana are reporting about a 45% reduction.

Arizonas calls are down one-third compared with previous weeks, and Nevada has seen a 14% drop compared to March 2019.

What they're saying: "That means many children are suffering in silence," Darren DaRonco, spokesperson for the Arizona Department of Child Safety, told AP.

When there are large-scale job losses in communities, child maltreatment rates go up," said Anna Gassman-Pines, a Duke University public policy professor whose expertise includes the effect of unemployment on children.

Jill Cook, assistant director of the American School Counselor Association in Virginia, said calls to domestic violence hotlines are rising, which indicates that some children may be in unsafe homes.

The big picture: The coronavirus pandemic has upended millions of Americans' routines and inflamed stresses that contribute to child abuse.

Marti Vining, Montanas Child and Family Services administrator, said overwhelmed families should call their state hotlines for help with public assistance, possible child care and a plan to help reduce stress.

Go deeper: Virus vices take a toll on Americans
(Natural News) A new study shows that coronavirus (COVID-19) can impair the neurological functions of patients with the disease. Researchers from the Huanzhong University of Science and Technology in Wuhan, China looked at case records of COVID-19 patients and found symptoms of brain and nerve problems in over a third of COVID-19 patients and in nearly half of those with severe infections, which include headaches, stumbling, nerve pain, slurred speech and seizures. According to the team, the presence of these symptoms can indicate that a person is more likely to deteriorate from COVID-19 and even die sooner.

Coronavirus-related neurological ailments have been reported before

Around the world, neurologists had observed that some coronavirus patients were developing serious impairments of the brain. In early March, a 74-year-old man was brought into the emergency room in Boca Raton, Florida, twice after he had a fever and trouble breathing. During his second visit, the man had somehow lost the ability to speak and couldnt tell doctors what was wrong with him or even just his name. Tests eventually showed that the man was infected with the coronavirus.

Meanwhile, a female airline pilot with coronavirus was confused and complained of a headache. She was only able to tell healthcare workers her name and little else. As she became less responsive over time, her brain scan revealed a case of acute necrotizing encephalopathy, a rare brain condition linked to influenza and other viral infections. Parts of her brain showed abnormal swelling and inflammation, with smaller areas where some cells had died.

Doctors in Italy have also made similar observations regarding neurological impairment in coronavirus patients. Dr. Alessandro Padovani from the University of Brescia noted that some patients became delirious even before developing respiratory ailments. The universitys hospital has since opened a separate NeuroCovid unit to care for patients with neurological symptoms.

Neurological ailments as an indicator of risk

To learn more about the link between coronavirus and neurological impairment, researchers analyzed 214 patients from Wuhan, China, who were treated in one of three special care centers in the universitys Union Hospital. Here, patients neurological symptoms were sorted into one of three categories. (Related: Some patients experiencing an unusual coronavirus symptom known as fizzing.)

The first of these categories was for central nervous system manifestations such as headaches, dizziness, impaired consciousness, acute cerebrovascular disease, ataxia and seizure. The other two were skeletal muscular injury manifestations and peripheral nervous system manifestations, including impairment of vision, smell and taste.

Of the 214 patients that the researchers observed, 78 patients  36.4 percent  had neurologic manifestations. More importantly, these patients had shown fewer of the typical symptoms of coronavirus infection, despite being older and having more pre-existing health problems.

Compared with patients with non-severe infection, patients with severe infection were older, had more underlying disorders, especially hypertension, and showed fewer typical symptoms of COVID-19, such as fever and cough, stated the researchers.

Based on their findings, the researchers suggest that healthcare workers consider patients with neurological symptoms to be potentially infected with the coronavirus. According to the researchers, this would allow the coronavirus to be detected early and help prevent further transmission.

Establishing the link further

While scientists found the study noteworthy, they also stressed that respiratory symptoms should still be the main focus of the pathology of the coronavirus.

The observations of neurological complications in a subset of COVID-19 positive patients [are] worthy of note but should not distract from a focus on the main pathology of respiratory distress, said Ian Jones, a virologist at the University of Reading in England who was not involved in the study. Almost half of the patients described here had underlying health issues and there is no direct data given on the presence of [the] virus at neurological sites.

He also states that at the moment, the neurological complications might be a consequence of a severe coronavirus infection  instead of a new concern.

Viraemia, the presence of virus in the bloodstream, from where it can access neuronal tissue, was described for SARS but not in all patients and then only transiently, he explained. It happens, but is generally not what coronaviruses do.

Neurologists admit that there is still much to learn about how these neurological symptoms are related to the coronavirus, with other teams doing studies similar to that of the researchers from Huanzhong University. For instance, Dr. Sherry Chou, a neurologist at the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, is leading a team of investigators at the Neurological Care Society. Chou emphasized the importance of these neurological studies, as helping someone with these ailments isnt as simple as addressing respiratory ones.

We absolutely need to have an information finding mission, otherwise were flying blind, said Chou. Theres no ventilator for the brain. If the lungs are broken we can put the patient on a ventilator and hope for recovery.

We dont have that luxury with the brain.

Sources include:

DailyMail.co.uk

NYTimes.com
ST. LOUIS  Two years before they sail, Viking has already sold out one of its six cruises planned on the upper Mississippi River during its inaugural season in 2022.

On Thursday, Viking began taking reservations for its new vessel, Viking Mississippi, set to debut in August 2022 with voyages between New Orleans and St. Paul. A 15-day October 2022 cruise already has been sold out, according to the companys website, with sales strong for its five other excursions in 2022.

Viking will join American Cruise Lines and the American Queen Steamboat Co. in cruising the upper Mississippi River. Last year American Cruise Lines announced Alton would be its midriver hub for such cruises.

At a time where many of us are at home, looking for inspiration to travel in the future, I am pleased to introduce a new, modern way to explore this great river, said Viking Chairman Torstein Hagen. Our guests are curious travelers, and they continue to tell us that the Mississippi is the river they most want to sail with us.

St. Louis is the only local port of call listed for Vikings inaugural year on the Mississippi. Other planned ports of call include Hannibal; Baton Rouge, Darrow, New Orleans and St. Francisville in Louisiana; Natchez and Vicksburg in Mississippi; Memphis; Burlington, Dubuque and Davenport in Iowa; LaCrosse, Wisconsin; and Red Wing and St. Paul in Minnesota.

Hagen said past Viking guests have been able to book the new Mississippi River cruises since March 30, with bookings still available for five of the six cruises during the inaugural season of Viking Mississippi.

The five-story cruise ship can host 386 guests in 193 all outside staterooms. The ship, currently under construction in Louisiana, offers suites of 268 to 1,024 square feet  all with a private veranda or French balcony.

The ship also will feature a lounge, a top deck cafe, a casual dining area offering an American barbecue experience, a main restaurant and an infinity plunge pool. It includes sustainable energy features such as solar panels, LED lighting and an energy-efficient hybrid propulsion system will make Viking Mississippi the most environmentally friendly passenger ship on the Mississippi River, according to Viking.

Vikings inaugural cruises planned on the upper Mississippi River include three eight-day Americas Heartland trips between St. Louis and St. Paul, featuring talks on Lewis & Clark, and three 15-day Americas Great River excursions between New Orleans and St. Paul.
New White House guidelines outline a phased approach to restoring normal commerce and services, but only for places with strong testing and seeing a decrease in Covid-19 cases. President Donald Trump unveiled his administration's plans to ease social distancing requirements in a call on Thursday with the nation's governors. The new guidelines are aimed at clearing the way for an easing of restrictions in areas with low transmission of the coronavirus, while keeping them in place in harder-hit places.
The United States of America reported 1,891 new fatalities in 24 hours on April 18 taking the nationwide death toll to 38,664, international media reported citing a tally by John Hopkins University. As of April 19, the Baltimore based university reported that a total of 7,38, 913 people have tested positive for coronavirus across the American mainland. The COVID-19 infection which originated in the Chinese city of Wuhan has now swelled up to infect a total of 23,32, 036 across the globe.

The US has till now reported the highest number of coronavirus infections in the world. Out of the total, 68,285 people have recovered. New York continues to be the worst affected state with 241,041 infections and 17,671 deaths as of April 19. The state governor Andrew Cuomo on April 17 made it mandatory for people to wear masks in public places and public transports. The second worse hit state is the northeastern state of New Jersey which has reported 81,420 positive cases and 4,070 fatalities. It is followed by Massachusetts which has reported 36,372 infections and 1,560 deaths.

Read: Andhra Dy CM Accuses Naidu Of Politicising Covid, 'acting Vindictively' Against Andhraites

Read: US Funding For WHO Blocked, Trump Wonders What To Do With $500M Saved; Eyes 'research'

Nationwide demonstrations

Meanwhile, American citizens have now taken to streets to protest against coronavirus-related stay-at-home rules as resentment against prolonged confinement grew. These protesters have reportedly got explicit encouragement of President Donald Trump and drew encouragement in certain Democratic-led states from tweets by him.

An estimated 400 people gathered under cold rain in Concord, New Hampshire -- many on foot while others remained in their cars -- to send a message that extended quarantines were not necessary in a state with relatively few confirmed cases of COVID-19, a new agency reported. A similar rally outside Maryland's colonial-era statehouse in Annapolis drew around 200 protesters. And more than 250 people showed up in the Texas capital of Austin, as such protests continued to spread.

Read: Hundreds Protest Against US Virus Rules Amid Spreading Resentment

Read: Donald Trump Now Consults Religious Leaders On Phased-in Reopening Of US Amid Covid

(Image credits: AP)
As the threat of coronavirus continues to rise, governments across the world have taken draconian measures to curb its spread. The strict lockdown and quarantine measures have forced people to remain at home. However, the empty and deserted streets are now being frequently visited by a multitude of animal species including elephants to horses to penguins.

Recently, IFS officer Susanta Nanda took to Twitter to share a video of three penguins who took to the streets in Cape Town, South Africa. The video shows a penguin vigilantly strolling on the streets while two others follow him. It further shows the leading penguin making a halt to look left and right as if searching for something. Nanda, in the caption of the video, speculated that they might be on the street searching for humans. He also mistakenly mentioned the location of the event as Auckland which he later corrected.

'Checking the streets'

Read: Club Penguin Makes Comeback With 6 Million Registered Users, Netizens Feel Nostalgic

Read: Thailand: Herd Of Elephants Crosses Highway, Traffic Stops To Watch The 'amazing Sight'

The 26-second clip has taken the internet by storm garnering 3.6 since posted on April 19. It has also racked up 615 likes and a bandwagon of comments from curious netizens. While many opined that lockdown has resulted in a different kind of zoo with humans inside 'cages' others have called it a beautiful scene.

Penguins check the streets of Auckland, searching for the humans pic.twitter.com/lEsiGSPes3  Susanta Nanda IFS (@susantananda3) April 19, 2020

New Order.... Humans in Homely Cages,

Animals Come to See. https://t.co/JWNEOmILR5  Pankaj Thapliyal (@PankajT04765688) April 19, 2020

They have come to zoo for the humans     (@iam_Sudip) April 19, 2020

They have come to zoo for the humans     (@iam_Sudip) April 19, 2020

Maybe these are Skipper, Rico and Kowalski in search of agent Private  #Penguinsofmadagascar  Abaayam (@MeenakshiSeeni) April 19, 2020

This is so beautiful...keep sharing such wonderful videos sir..  Mangesh (@iammangs) April 19, 2020

This is Cape Town  @SANCCOB !!!  Vaneshree Naidoo (@Vaneshree02) April 19, 2020

Read: Injured Penguins F Guentzel On Schedule For Possible Return

Read: Penguins Roam Around Freely In Chicago Aquarium After It Was Shut Down For Visitors
An Australian-made slipper has become the must-have accessory for women in isolation as thousands of posts about the sheepskin design flood Instagram.

EMU Australia is behind the iconic Mayberry shoe, selling the crossover-toed, fluffy footwear for $59.95 in seven different colours.

Some of the colourways aren't available to ship until mid-May and June because of how popular they are, but darker tints like black and charcoal are ready to be purchased - and there is currently a buy one and get the second half price deal on the website.

An Australian-made slipper has become the must-have accessory for women in isolation as thousands of posts about the sheepskin design flood Instagram

EMU Australia is behind the iconic Mayberry shoe , selling the crossover-toed, fluffy footwear for $59.95 in seven different colours

More than 360 five-star reviews have been written in ode to the Mayberry (pictured in pink)

More than 360 five-star reviews have been written in ode to the Mayberry, which features 'breathable sheepskin that naturally wicks away moisture for odourless footwear' and 'keeps feet cool in summer and warm in colder winter months'.

'Bought two pairs of Mayberry for my husband and myself, we both simply love it! It's so warm and comfy, I loved how it looks on our feet,' one woman said.

'I rarely purchase slippers as they tend to be flimsy. These are definitely not. You can wear them inside or outside. The colour I selected is a lovely grey and I feel fabulous when I wear them,' said another.

A third added: 'As soon as I put these slippers on I knew I'd love them. They are soft and keep my feet warm. They are easy to pull on and off yet they don't slip off when I walk in them'.

'Bought two pairs of Mayberry for my husband and myself, we both simply love it! It's so warm and comfy, I loved how it looks on our feet,' one woman said

The slippers have been paired with everything from jeans to tracksuits as women across the United Kingdom, the United States and Australia bunker down in their cosy best

The slippers have been paired with everything from jeans to tracksuits as women across the United Kingdom, the United States and Australia bunker down in their cosy best.

'Fluffy and cosy, the women's Mayberry slider slipper encloses your feet in year-round luxury,' the website describes one of its most sold-out designs.

'Wide crossover straps made with the softest real Australian sheepskin wrap feet in comfort while the lightweight flexible rubber outsole provides traction indoors and out.

'It's trendy and fashionable, but also super comfortable and warm. The crossover design makes for easy wear, not to mention it's super soft, and also Woolmark accredited.'

It's important to note there has been some confusion around sizing of the Mayberry variety, as they run smaller than many people suspect

EMU Australia recommends sizing up if you're between sizes generally, but some women with wider feet have even had to size up one or two full sizes

The brand has now created the Mayberry Pop - with two crossover colours - a Mayberry Animal which features an animal print and Mayberry Frost with white-tipped wool to keep up with demand.

It's important to note there has been some confusion around sizing of the Mayberry variety, as they run smaller than many people suspect.

EMU Australia recommends sizing up if you're between sizes generally, but some women with wider feet have even had to size up one or two full sizes.

Overall it's best to measure your feet to know, in inches, how long you need the slipper to be so you can make the correct choice.
Gunmen have killed an Inspector of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) in Benue State.

This was disclosed by the security agency in a Sunday statement by Ekunola Gbenga, the Media Assistant to the Commandant General of the NSCDC.

The victim was identified as Joseph Ochogwu, an Idoma man from Benue South senatorial zone. Although he was murdered a fortnight ago, news of his killing was only disclosed Sunday morning by Mr Gbenga.

The NSCDC said the attackers are suspected to be Fulani herdsmen.

According to Mr Gbenga, the Commandant of the corps in the state, Isah Ado, confirmed the killing during the handing over of over 460 cows belonging to Fulani herdsmen that were impounded by the Livestock Guards for violating the anti-grazing law of the state.

Benue has a controversial anti-open grazing law that bans open grazing by cattle. Hundreds of cattle have been seized by authorities for alleged violation of the law. The cattle are sometimes returned to defaulters who are told not to openly graze in the state anymore.

Speaking on his officers murder, Mr Ado said Mr Ochogwu was killed in Guma Local Government Area in his line of duty, a fortnight ago.

He said an investigative panel has been set up to investigate the murder of the gallant officer whose corpse, he said, had been deposited in the mortuary awaiting burial on April 30 this year.

He said the North Central Zonal Chairman of Miyetti Allah Cattle Breeders Association of Nigeria (MACBAN), Danladi Ciroma, was cooperating with the corps to apprehend the perpetrators for possible prosecution.

Mr Ciroma, who also reportedly confirmed the killing of the NSCDC officer, said Mr Ochogwu was murdered while trying to ensure peace in the state.

Hundreds of people have been killed in Benue in the past few years, often in conflicts between armed herders and farming communities.

Cows used to illustrate the story.

The killings have continued in rural communities, although at a much lower scale than before. Many of the recent violence go unreported due to lack of access to such remote communities by journalists.

PREMIUM TIMES reported how six people were killed on March 3 by suspected herders in Abaji, a rural farming community in Kwande Local Government Area of Benue. Six people were also missing from the attack.

Signed

Ekunola Gbenga

Media Assistant to the Commandant General
Chen Chien-jen, Vice President of Taiwan

Patient zero, the source of the Covid-19 pandemic that has killed more than 150,000 people worldwide, may never be found, Taiwans vice-president, a renowned epidemiologist, has warned.

In an interview with the Sunday Telegraph on how to beat Covid-19, Vice President Chen Chien-jen said strong doubts hung over the common belief that the Huanan seafood market in the Chinese city of Wuhan was the source of the virus.

If we look at the first 42 cases published in academic journals, around ten have no history of going there. This is a very important hint that the market may not be the origin of this infection, he said.

When we try to trace back to the [index] case it is very difficult. If the case had a mild disease you can never find it.

Identifying patient zero is important not only for the prevention of future pandemics but also politically. The origin of Covid-19 has already caused a diplomatic spat between the US and China as Beijing seeks to shift the blame and liability for the global catastrophe.

Taiwan, just 80 miles from China, has been praised for setting a gold standard in tackling Covid-19, with just 398 infections and six deaths.

One key to its success was early intervention after a sharp-eyed health official spotted an alarming notice from Wuhan on a Taiwanese internet forum on December 31, said the vice-president.

The notice said there are seven cases of atypical pneumonia patients but it was not considered to be SARS and the specimen has been tested for possible causes. However, all these patients are isolated for treatment, he revealed.

Taiwan immediately alerted Chinas CDC and the World Health Organisation but received no response.

The WHO denies any failure, but Taiwan says the message should have raised an immediate red flag about human to human transmission.

Vice-President Chen accused the WHO of acting too late despite reports of a mystery virus in early to mid-December.

Story continues

Taiwanese experts who visited Wuhan hospitals in mid-January said total isolation of the city was being discussed. It was not imposed until January 23.

I dont know why the WHO did not take actions as quickly as they did for H1N1 or SARS, said Mr Chen. Taiwans participation in the WHO has been blocked by China.

A Public Health Emergency of International Concern was announced at the end of January. Even worse, they still did not consider any kind of travel alert19 countries were already affected with more than 8,000 confirmed cases, so it was too late.

Read the full interview with Vice President Chen Chien-jen

Protect yourself and your family by learning more about Global Health Security
Following the imposition of COVID-19 restrictions on March 27, and the placing of the local authority at the centre of the local response, a Community Response Support Forum was established by Laois County Council.

Convened on March 29 under the Chairmanship of Laois County Council Chief Executive, John Mulholland, the Forum is comprised of an extensive list of state and voluntary organisations, and the Council is tasked with coordinating and connecting the wide range of supports and services that are available.

As well as the Cathaoirleach and management and staff of the Council directly involved in the response effort, the membership of the Forum extends to include a local Community Champion, Paddy Buggy, and representation from a range of statutory agencies and voluntary community organisations including: HSE, An Garda Siochana, Laois Partnership Company, An Post, Tusla, Laois Public Participation Network, LocalLink Rural Transport Company, GAA, IFA, Citizens Information, Laois Chamber of Commerce, Laois Volunteer Centre, Age Friendly Alliance, ALONE, Order of Malta, Laois Asylum Migrant Integration Service and Voice of Migrants Ireland.

The council says the Forum has convened on a twice weekly basis since formation, while continuing to observe social distancing requirements, sharing all relevant information and consolidating and ensuring that the response at local level is delivered in an organised, collaborative and targeted way.

The council says all of the organisations involved are key players in terms of mobilising their own resources within Laois to address the challenges posed by COVID-19 and ensuring assistance is readily available to the most vulnerable within our community.

As well as the essential front line activities of the HSE, other services include those offered by An Post like Request a Check in, and newspaper deliveries, and revised arrangements for pension collections, the delivery of test samples and essential medications by Laois Civil Defence, the supports offered by the Laois Partnership Company as part of an enhanced response under social inclusion measures, the engagement by local GAA clubs with major supermarket chains for delivery of essential groceries, and the level of response to the unprecedented circumstances.

A key element of the overall response was the establishment by the Council of a dedicated Laois Covid-19 Community Response Helpline available 8am to 8pm, seven days a week, to facilitate the most appropriate community response to the needs of vulnerable people living in the community where their usual sources of support have become unavailable due to the virus.

The council says this confidential free helpline service is focused first and foremost on ensuring that vulnerable members of the community or those living alone can access deliveries of groceries, medicine and fuel.

Work on establishment of the helpline commenced on the night of Friday, March 27 and continued over the weekend with the Councils ICT staff installing a new Customer Relationship Management (CRM) system capable of being operated remotely in accordance with social distancing guidelines.

Over that weekend with most businesses closed, suppliers were sourced, system installation and set up commenced, delivery of a new 1800 number was arranged, and equipment deliveries arrived.

The council's Community Department staff devised the training and operating guidelines for helpline staff on management of calls and gathered the wealth of information that the helpline operator needs to have available to arrange the most appropriate response for each individual caller.

The helpline was widely publicised through the Councils website and social media pages, as well as by erection of signage on major roads in the county, and continues to be manned remotely by council staff, many working from their own homes, on a daily basis.

Up to Easter Sunday the helpline has received 184 calls. 25% of calls received to date are from vulnerable individuals seeking collection/delivery of groceries/medicines/fuel. 9 % have been from individuals experiencing social isolation or expressing concerns with regard to someone who may be in that situation, and seeking information on supports and engagement with specialist service providers such as ALONE. 8% were medically related queries and referred to HSE, with Meals on Wheels service and An Garda Siochana related support requests making up a further 5%.

Overall, 53% of calls received to the Helpline, are coming from individuals, not seeking help, but rather wishing to volunteer to help with the response effort, and these callers are redirected to the local volunteer centre.

The council says that the quantity of calls received is not the key concern, but more importantly that the public are aware and especially the most vulnerable members, that help is at hand and that someone is there to listen and to assist you with your particular concern. As the Easter Weekend approached, the Laois Volunteer Centre reported 160 volunteers have applied specifically to assist with Covid-19 activity and the skillsets of those volunteers include nursing / healthcare, engineering, first aid, teaching, counselling, trades and IT skills.

Such a response is testimony to the tremendous community spirit at play in our county at this difficult time.

Likewise, the Laois Public Participation Network has set up and widely publicised an interactive map of the County showing Community Groups that are offering supports during Covid-19 to the elderly and vulnerable in the county. At the last count 87 different community groups had registered for inclusion.

The map can be accessed on the Laois PPN website laoisppn.ie

The council says that most importantly however is that the Community Response Forum has been at pains to ensure that volunteers do not put themselves in harm's way and that they adhere strictly to public health guidance in the course of volunteering activities.

As the current Covid-19 restrictions continue until May 5, the Community Response Forum and Helpline will remain in place to monitor developments and deliver an appropriate response to this constantly evolving situation.

Laois County Council also participated in the #shineyourlight initiative on Saturday, April 11 at 9pm by lighting up some key Council buildings in a show of solidarity to honour all the sick, those who have lost their lives, frontline staff and healthcare workers during the Covid-19 pandemic.

A link to the Community Response Support page is included at www. laois.ie
Source: Xinhua| 2020-04-19 00:15:20|Editor: huaxia

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Medical experts attend a departure ceremony at the airport in Urumqi, northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, March 28, 2020. (Xinhua/Sadat)

During their stay, the team of eight experts of different fields of medical expertise gave advise and shared experience on how to cope with the virus with Pakistani medics and officials.



URUMQI, April 18 (Xinhua) -- A medical team of eight experts who aided Pakistan's fight against COVID-19 returned Friday night to Urumqi, capital of northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region.

The team, consisting of experts in various fields including respiratory, critical care and traditional Chinese medicine (TCM), arrived in Pakistan on March 28 and visited cities of Islamabad, Lahore and Karachi.

The Chinese experts communicated with the Pakistani federal government, national and local health authorities, hospitals and medical schools, as well as the Red Crescent.

The team members shared their experience through several video conferences and offered practical, specific suggestions to their Pakistani peers concerning the diagnosis, clinical treatment and epidemiologic study of COVID-19, and the application of TCM, hospital infection control and the construction of temporary hospitals.

Chinese medical experts introduce epidemic prevention measures to the representatives of overseas Chinese and students as well as China-invested enterprises during a video conference held in the Chinese Embassy in Pakistan in Islamabad, Pakistan, March 29, 2020. (Xinhua/Liu Tian)

The team also assisted with improving Pakistan's guidelines on diagnosis and treatment of COVID-19 to help build an efficient epidemic prevention and control system in Pakistan and enhance its screening and testing capabilities.

Meanwhile, the experts carried out epidemic prevention guidance and popular science education for the Chinese embassy in Pakistan, Chinese enterprises, overseas Chinese and Chinese students in the country. 
Crashing oil prices, a coronavirus pandemic and projections of a $2 billion to $3 billion state budget deficit mean New Mexico needs its lawmakers to rein in spending during an emergency special session.

The state spending plan for 2020-2021, set to kick in July 1, was based on $52-a-barrel oil and businesses raking in gross receipts tax. Oil is now around $20 a barrel on a good day, and mandatory business shutdowns have virtually stopped the flow of GRT.

And that means promises made in the $7.6 billion budget plan adopted by state lawmakers in February simply cannot be kept. That budget increased spending by $535 million  on top of this years budget that saw a $663 million spending increase over the previous year. New Mexico needs to hit the brakes before this latest spending train leaves various department and agency stations.

For every $1 drop in oil price, the state loses on average about $22 million in revenue over a year. Sen. John Arthur Smith, D-Deming and chairman of the Legislative Finance Committee, now says the state is facing $2 billion in lost revenue in the new fiscal year that begins July 1. Thats up from a previous deficit estimate in mid-March of about $1 billion. Smith says prolonged oil prices at current levels could result in a $3 billion hit to state revenues.

And here is a good place to recognize the pragmatism of those lawmakers who advocated for shoring up reserves to 25% of the budget  reserves that now total around $1.7 billion  as well as those who supported 2017 legislation sponsored by the late Rep. Lorenzo Larry Larranaga that called for some oil and natural gas taxes and royalties to be set aside in cash-flush years. The tax stabilization reserve fund is projected to have more than $1.3 billion.

Its also a good place to breathe a sigh of relief that the Legislatures better angels have continually safeguarded the Land Grand Permanent Fund, which was designed to fund state government not only today but for many tomorrows when our extractive industries revenue dries up. The LGPF funds 15% of the state budget and keeps our schools, hospitals and prisons running. So thank you to the fiscal hawks in the Roundhouse who have truly made sure New Mexico has something put by to weather a storm.

Even with these precautions in place, the 2020-2021 budget as passed is a nonstarter. And it would be fiscally irresponsible to allow it to remain in place much longer. Thats why a one-day special session should be held in May to roll back the 2021 budget to 2020 levels  just as a stopgap measure until a longer special session can be held.

Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham said Friday she does not intend to call a special session anytime soon  in large part because of safety concerns and the fact its too soon to know what the revenue picture really looks like. Yet the Roundhouse is a big place, and lawmakers should be able to comply with all public health guidelines, including social distancing. They can enter their respective chambers staggered wearing personal protective equipment and get a vote done quickly.

The economy is in free-fall. The state cannot afford to start funding all of the new programs in the 2021 budget such as pay raises, $320 million for a new early childhood trust fund, a free-college-for-all program and $180 million for statewide road repairs. Once these start it would be tough to pull them back. And this is no time to even consider higher taxes to pay for new programs.

It would be painful to put some of these programs on a temporary hold, but a simple vote to revert to the 2020 budget would put N.M. on firmer fiscal ground and lawmakers on the highway headed home.

Later in the year, when revenue streams are clearer and lawmakers can safely convene without the worry of spreading coronavirus, a longer special session can be held to craft a budget based on those new numbers. They can also consider then an economic stimulus plan.

And when budget talks begin in earnest everything in that 2021 budget needs to be on the table.

New Mexico needs extraordinary leadership from the governor at this time, as well as from House and Senate leaders. The governor who moved New Mexico to carbon-free electricity by 2040 is not only aspirational but also realistic. She knows that while it is possible to preserve one or more of her top priorities, a half-a-billion spending increase in these times is simply a nonstarter. Something has got to give to avoid widespread cuts of essential services, mandatory furloughs or tax increases amid record unemployment and an economic emergency.

The governors leadership on state spending is critical to ensure New Mexicos fiscal health as well as its residents physical well-being.

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.
Union minister Prakash Javadekar made it clear on Sunday that the central government has so far not taken any decision on starting train or airline services, asserting that any discussion on the issue is futile.

Asked if the government is looking at any timeline to start passenger transport services like trains or airlines, he told PTI, It has to start one day but which is that one day you dont know at this moment. Discussion about it is futile because we are examining the situation every day and drawing new lessons.

Some airlines, Javadekar said, decided on their own to start bookings from May 4, and noted that Civil Aviation Minister Hardeep Singh Puri has already clarified that the government has not taken any decision in this regard.

A final decision on the issue will be taken by the government, he said, advising against any speculation over the matter.

The ongoing nation-wide lockdown to combat the coronavirus pandemic is scheduled to end on May 3. Some airlines, including Air India, had opened bookings on select domestic routes from May 4, prompting Puri to advise them 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... Airlines are advised to open their bookings only after a decision in this regard has been taken by the government, Puri had said on Saturday.

Railways had stopped booking passenger tickets since Prime Minister Narendra Modis address to the nation on April 14 in which he extended the lockdown to May 3.
CAIRO (Reuters) - Egypt confirmed 188 new cases of the novel coronavirus on Saturday, bringing the total to 3,032, according to a health ministry statement.

Nineteen new deaths caused by the illness were reported, raising the total to 224.

Egypt has imposed a night curfew since March 25 and will halt public transport on Monday during a public holiday in an effort to contain the spread of the virus.

(Writing by Aidan Lewis; Editing by Andrew Heavens)
Protesters at a Texas rally against coronavirus lock-down orders chanted for the countrys top infectious disease expert to be fired on Saturday, as conspiracy theorist Alex Jones addressed a small crowd.

Several similar protests calling for an end to nationwide stay-at-home orders have occurred in state capitals across the country, attended mostly by supporters of Donald Trump.

Dr Anthony Fauci, director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases and a key member of the White House coronavirus task force, has become a target of right wing ire in recent weeks for occasionally correcting Mr Trumps coronavirus advice.

Hundreds gathered in Austin, Texas for the You Cant Close America demonstration, organised by a host of Joness Infowars. Jones, a conspiracy theorist of whom Mr Trump has spoken approvingly in the past, was also in attendance. He told the crowd that Texas is leading the way against the tyrants.

Jones is being sued in Austin for using his show to promote falsehoods that the 2012 Sandy Hook school massacre in Connecticut was a hoax.

Many of the protesters are seeking an immediate lifting of restrictions that have been successful in stopping the spread of the coronavirus. Some protesters chanted Let us work.

The crowd included anti-vaccine activists and was no larger than a typical weekday rally over issues such as guns or teacher pay, when the Legislature is in session.

Elsewhere, a few hundred demonstrators cheered and waved signs outside the Statehouse in New Hampshire, which has had nearly 1,300 cases of the virus and more than three dozen deaths through Friday.

Mr Trump is pushing to relax the US lockdown by May 1, but health officials have cautioned against rushing to withdraw stay-at-home orders without a significant testing programme in place.

The president, whose administration waited months to bolster stockpiles of key medical supplies and equipment, has publicly backed protesters.

"LIBERATE MINNESOTA!" "LIBERATE MICHIGAN!" "LIBERATE VIRGINIA, " he said in a tweet-storm in which he also lashed out at New York Governor Andrew Cuomo, a Democrat, for criticizing the federal response.

Protesters walk towards the Texas State Capital building on April 18, 2020 in Austin, Texas. The protest was organized by Infowars host Owen Shroyer who is joining other protesters across the country in taking to the streets to call for the country to be opened up despite the risk of Covid-19. (Getty Images / Sergio Flores)

More than one million people have filed for unemployment in Texas since the crisis began. A day before the protests, images showed hundreds of cars lined up outside a food bank in San Antonio.

The number of confirmed cases of the coronavirus in the US passed 700,000 on Saturday. More than 37,000 people have died.
EU Conservatives Call For Investigation into China's Handling of COVID-19

Sputnik News

13:42 GMT 18.04.2020

Across the Western world and beyond, voices continue to grow louder calling for an investigation into whether China's early handling of the Coronavirus outbreak contributed to the current pandemic.

The European Conservatives and Reformists Group in the European Parliament has called for the launching of a major international investigation into China's handling of the COVID-19 crisis.

The Swedish parliament's Charlie Weimers, who appears to be at the forefront of calling for the investigation, has accused the China of knowing about the emergence of COVID-19 as far back as December 2019, but said that it concealed the truth from audiences both at home and abroad.

Mr Weimer's comments come amidst increasing reports that the Chinese government tried to cover up the true scale of Coronavirus in the country. According to those reports, Chinese doctors had tried to raise the alarm as early on as November 2019, but were silenced by Beijing.

A number of other Western statesmen have called for an international investigation into a possible Chinese coverup.

The UK's former Foreign Secretary, Lord William Hague, said recently on the BBC's Today Programme that he also believes China should be subject to an investigation.

"It would be very good to have an international investigation and above all of course we need an international agreement for the rigorous enforcement of the closure of live wildlife markets," said Lord Hague.

In the United States, a number of Republican senators have also echoed calls for an investigation into China's handling of the epidemic.

Sen. Josh Hawley, a Trump ally and representative for the state of Missouri, introduced a resolution to the Senate saying that the US and other countries should investigate how China may have contributed through its negligence to the wildfire spread of COVID-19.

Hawley called for Beijing to be held "accountable" and said that the world should "force it to pay for the lives and livelihoods that it has destroyed."

"We need to know exactly what the Party knew, when it knew it, and how the Party's decisions to try and hide the virus allowed it to spread and kept the United States and other nations from protecting ourselves sooner," Hawley wrote in an op-ed article for Fox News.

President Donald Trump has also said on multiple occasions that he believes China is engaged in an effort to hide the true number of people infected across the country.

In Australia, a number of politicians from across the political spectrum have also called for an investigation into China's early handling of the crisis. Member of the Australian Liberal Party, Tim Wilson, reportedly said that "the Chinese Communist Party's deliberate strategy to suppress awareness of the virus led to this pandemic, it will not be forgotten and has shredded their credibility across the globe."

For its party, China has admitted to some "shortcomings and deficiencies" in its response to the deadly virus.

"In response to the shortcomings and deficiencies... we must improve our national emergency management system and improve our abilities in handling urgent and dangerous tasks. It is necessary to strengthen market supervision, resolutely ban and severely crack down on illegal wildlife markets and trade," Beijing said.

Yet, China has furiously dismissed claims that it reacted too slowly, or tried to cover up, the initial outbreak of Coronavirus on its soil. In late March, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokeswoman, Hua Chunying, told reporters that, "the comments made by those US politicians are just shameless and morally repulsive. They should abandon such politicising of public health issues."

 Sputnik

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'They are all worried about one thing -- what about tomorrow?'

IMAGE: Families of daily wage workers outside the Bandra railway station in north west Mumbai as migrant workers and labourers gathered to find a way to return to their villages, April 14, 2020. Photograph: PTI

More than 1,000 migrant workers from Uttar Pradesh, Bihar and Bengal assembled outside the Bandra railway station in north west Mumbai on Tuesday, April 14, hoping that they would somehow get trains to return to their respective states.

Zeeshan Siddique, the Congress MLA from the Bandra East assembly consituency, was one of the first politicians to reach the site.

Zeeshan and his father Baba Siddique, a former Congress minister, pleaded with the gathered migrants to return to their homes in Mumbai, assuring them that all their needs would be taken care of.

Zeeshan, 27, is the youngest MLA in Maharashtra. Along with his father, he says he has helped around 60,000 families in Mumbai while also serving cooked food twice a day to nearly 6,000 homeless people.

"If the lockdown continues to extend, then we should speak to the Centre. There should be some way in which we make sure that they (migrant labour) can safely return home," Zeeshan tells Rediff.com's Harish Kotian.

What was the trigger for so many people to suddenly gather outside the Bandra railway station on Tuesday.

Do you think it was planned to disrupt peace in Mumbai?

I don't think anything was planned or there was any conspiracy.

The railways shouldn't have taken any bookings. If you give them a ray of hope that there could be a chance they could go home, many people started getting out.

And that locality (Bandra West) there are many houses in that small space, so 10 can lead to 100 and 100 can lead to 1,000 and 1,000 to 5,000 very easily.

When I went there and spoke to those people, their only request was that they wanted to go home.

We have been giving them ration, we have been giving them cooked food to eat, but they were all worried about one thing -- what about tomorrow?

As of now, they have the ration, but if the lockdown gets extended -- like it happened from April 14th it got extended to May 3rd -- so what if this keeps going on and what if tomorrow we run out of supplies?

We assured them that we will continue to help them.

They stay in small houses -- 8 to 10 people in a small one-room house -- so they are not able to maintain social distancing anyway.

So why not allow them to just go home?

What happened that day was a few people initially got out saying our railway tickets haven't been refunded and they were saying 'What's going on?'.

Seeing them, their neighbours also came out and joined them. Basically, everyone just wanted some freedom, they were all feeling suffocated inside their houses.

We requested them and they listened to us because we have been helping them out. They went back to their houses and the situation was calm after that.

But not everyone was willing to go back. The police had to resort to a lathi-charge to disperse the crowd.

If there are around 4,000 people, you will always find that there are 50 to 100 people who are out to create some mischief.

The police dealt with them in a stern manner. If you see, around 90 to 95 percent of people went away peacefully after we spoke to them and reasoned with them that for the betterment of Mumbai, the state and the country and for their own security it would be better if they go back to their respectively houses till we don't make arrangements for them to go back to their states.

You met Maharashtra Home Minister Anil Deshmukh along with Mumbai Police Commissioner Param Bir Singh to discuss the incident in Bandra. What was discussed and planned to ensure that such an incident doesn't occur again?

We spoke to the home minister and the police commissioner. We discussed what happened in detail. The police will do their own investigation.

From what we spoke, we realised it was not a conspiracy, it could have been instigated. And if people have been instigated, then the law will take its course.

From what I know, people were just suffocated, so they came out. We reasoned with them and they went back to their houses.

I don't think such a situation will arise again because we told them that the help we are giving them, we will continue to provide. We will make sure that nobody stays hungry.

How is the mood among the migrants at the moment? Are they still desperate to go back to their villages at the earliest?

They are all calm now, they are all content.

Hopefully, when the lockdown relaxes and we let them go back to their states it will be good. Till then, we will keep providing help, whatever is needed.

Do you think there is a danger that this scenario could repeat after May 3 after the current lockdown ends? Is the state government working on a plan for the same?

As much as you keep extending a lockdown, you have to understand that there is some fear amongst these people.

Fear can make you do things which you wouldn't do otherwise.

If the lockdown continues to extend, then we should speak to the Centre. There should be some way in which we make sure that they (migrant labour) can safely return home. Obviously, taking into account all the medical procedures and the safety of everyone.

IMAGE: Congress MLA Zeeshan Siddique has provided essential supplies to around 60,000 families in the Bandra-Khar-Santacruz region in north west Mumbai while also serving cooked food twice a day to nearly 6,000 homeless people. Photograph: Zeeshan Siddique/Instagram

How did you arrange supplies so quickly despite the lockdown?

As soon as the lockdown was imposed, I started getting a lot of calls from my assembly. In Bandra East, there are a lot of factories. So many people were not able to source food a day or two after the lockdown.

First, I started off giving 700 to 800 grocery kits every day, but then the demand kept increasing.

Seeing me in Bandra East, dad thought of doing it as he was also getting lots of requests in Bandra West.

Now Bandra West, Santacruz West and Khar West is handled by dad. He is giving about 2,500 packets every day in Bandra West. Around 2,000 is given by me in Bandra East.

We have sent three trucks to Nanded and Akola. Now we are going to send it to Hingoli because lots of people are calling us.

That day I sent a truck to Palghar for 200 Adivasi families.

Three members of Parliament from Bengal called me that people from their constituency Malda were struck in Behrampada (a shanty town in Bandra), so we made sure we reached them. They were about 400 to 500 people there.

People from UP are calling me. I am also getting calls from Bihar and Rajasthan because many people from their states are stuck here.

It's our duty. They shouldn't go hungry. They can't go back for a while so we have to make sure that they are taken care of.

Salman Khan has arranged for food packets to be distributed to the needy through you.

Salmanbhai has been of great help. Salmanbhai said 'I will take care of some families.'

We have touched 26,000 families in Bandra West. We have reached around 19,000 families in Bandra East. We have reached about 60,000 families all across Mumbai.

Salmanbhai saw it and said, 'I will help you, I will take care of so many families.'

Jacqueline (Fernandes) said, 'I will help you'. Both of them have been of great help.

The Maharashtra government is a coalition of three parties. Everyone has functioned as a single unit to help people across the state.

You mentioned that even leaders from the opposition BJP are calling you to help people in need.

This crisis has brought together everyone irrespective of their political preferences, isn't it?

On Twitter, when somebody sends me a request, I don't see whether his profile is from thre BJP or Congress or Shiv Sena.

After I responded to a BJP member, someone highlighted that the BJP has requested help from the Congress.

To tell you the fact, I did not even know he is from the BJP. Even if I knew that, it wouldn't change my stance because currently we are all in a crisis and we have to think beyond party lines.

We should not communalise the virus, definitely not do anything to worsen the situation.

We are all Indians, and we have to make sure we defeat the virus and make sure no one sleeps hungry.

IMAGE: Zeeshan Siddique supervises sanitiation in a housing complex in Bandra. Photograph: Zeeshan Siddique/Instagram

How would you say Maharashtra Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray has handled such a tough challenge which has come up only a few months after he took charge?

His poise and calm have been very refreshing for a youngster like me. He is handling it very well and I appreciate all the efforts being taken by him and the entire government.

Will Mumbai and Maharashtra be in a much better situation on May 3?

We should be in a better position, but for that the people need to help.

People can help us by staying at home because we have to break the chain.

I think 20 days is good enough to break the chain.

The people who have tested positive will be taken care of and will be treated.

If people stay at home, they will help break the chain.
Residents express deep concern about planned relocation as aid groups say the move risks exposure to COVID-19.

Ethiopia is stepping up preparations to go ahead with a planned closure of a camp for Eritrean refugees, despite concerns among residents and calls by aid agencies to halt their relocation over coronavirus fears.

Home to some 26,000 people, including some 1,600 minors, Hitsats is one of four camps in the northern Tigray region hosting nearly 100,000 Eritrean refugees, according to the United Nations refugee agency (UNHCR).

Earlier this month, Ethiopias Agency for Refugee and Returnee Affairs (ARRA) announced to residents in Hitsats camp that the federal government had decided to relocate them to Mai Aini and Adi Harush camps, or offer them the possibility to live in towns.

The plan has yet to be executed amid the coronavirus pandemic, but officials say preparations continue.

We are ready to start the relocation at any time, Eyob Awoke, deputy director general of ARRA, told Al Jazeera, noting that the declaration of a state of emergency last week due to the pandemic had forced authorities to timely adapt the initial plan.

External factors are hampering us, Eyob added, but we can start with small numbers.

Hitsats refugees are suffering a lot from shortage of water, shelter and access to electricity, Eyob said. Merging of these camps is mainly required to ensure efficient and effective use of available resources.

COVID-19 risk

The timeline and measures for the closure have not been shared with the UNHCR and other partners.

Yet, there are concerns that Mai Aini and Adi Harush camps are almost full and lack the infrastructure needed to cope with new arrivals, including sub-standard access to water.

In a statement sent to Al Jazeera on Friday, the UNHCR urged the government to put on hold any relocation effort, saying it risked making refugees vulnerable to COVID-19, the highly infectious respiratory disease caused by the new coronavirus.

Any large-scale movement now will expose the refugees to risk of COVID-19 outbreak in camps, the agency said.

ARRA assured that the transfer of the refugees would be carried out in a coordinated way. As of April 19, Ethiopia had 108 confirmed coronavirus cases, including three deaths.

In a letter sent to the UN at the end of March, refugees in Hitsats camp had also expressed deep concern about the prospect of the camps closure.

We are in a deep fear, psychological stress and we need protection, read the letter, which was seen by Al Jazeera.

We feel threatened. They told us that if we decide to stay, we will lose any kind of support, a refugee living in Hitsats camp told Al Jazeera.

Currently, only critical humanitarian and life-saving activities are running at the camp, as well as awareness-raising activities to prevent the spread of COVID-19. At the beginning of the month, the UNHCR and the World Food Programme reported that residents in Hitsats received a food ration for April.





Eritrean refugees are also allowed to live outside camps, but many do not want to leave Hitsats.

Other refugees eventually settle in the capital, Addis Ababa, but struggle to make a living and are highly dependent on external aid.

So far this year, ARRA has issued 5,000 official permits for refugees to live outside camps, according to the UNHCR, mainly for Eritreans in Hitsats and other camps in Tigray.

In light of the current rush to close the camp, one is compelled to ponder whether the decision is more political as opposed to an operational one? said Mehari Taddele Maru, a professor at the European University Institute.

The UNHCR, in its statement to Al Jazeera, said it could not speculate about the governments rationale for closing the camp.

In a letter dated April 9, 2020 that was seen by Al Jazeera, ARRA communicated to all humanitarian partners that new arrivals from neighbouring Eritrea would no longer be offered prima facie refugee status, revisiting a longstanding policy of automatically granting all Eritrean asylum seekers the right to stay.

We will have to narrow down the criteria for accepting Eritrean asylum claims, they have to demonstrate a personal fear of persecution based on political or religious action or association or military position, Eyob said.

Today, the situation is not like before, many people are coming to Ethiopia and going back to Eritrea.

Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed sparked an historic rapprochement with Eritrea soon after taking office in April 2018, restoring ties that had been frozen since a 1998-2000 border war. His efforts in ending two decades of hostilities were cited by the Norwegian Nobel Committee as one of the main reasons for awarding Abiy the Nobel Peace Prize last year.

The rapprochement, however, has yet to lead to the full normalisation of the two neighbours ties, while activists hopes that the peace process would lead to major policy reforms within Eritrea have been largely dashed. The long-criticised universal conscription is still in place while crippling restrictions on press freedom and freedom of expression continue.

We cannot return to Eritrea, a refugee in Hitsats told Al Jazeera.

For Eritreans, fleeing is one of the only real options to escape their governments repression, Laetitia Bader, a senior researcher for Human Rights Watch, said.

Any policy shifts are definitely a risk to Eritreans right to asylum, Bader said.
A n all-star staged concert version of Les Miserables will be available to watch online from tomorrow.

A recording of the West End production, which ran at the Gielgud Theatre last year , will be available for digital download with funds going to a number of charities supporting the NHS and theatre industry.

Alfie Boe, Michael Ball, Matt Lucas and Carrie Hope Fletcher were among the cast members who performed in the show, which took place while the long-running production underwent a major refurbishment. It reopened in December last year in the newly renamed Sondheim Theatre .

The performance will be available to download for 9.99, with a specially-created mini-documentary featuring backstage footage and the cast talking about their memories of the show.

The shows producer Cameron Mackintosh announced that for every download, his foundation would separately donate 5 to be shared among the Acting For Others charity, the Musicians Union Coronavirus Hardship Fund and Captain Tom Moores Walk for the NHS fund. He has launched the fundraising today by donating 100,000 from his foundation.

Michael Ball performs as Javert in the staged concert production of Les Mis / Matt Murphy

He said: In these extraordinary times we hope that fans and everyone who loves the theatre will be reminded of how special a theatrical experience can be, going to the very heart of our British culture, which make our nation so special and unique.

I am exceptionally proud of everyone involved in the making of the concert and very much hope my foundation will be able to help raise a considerable amount of money for these deserving charities.

It was also confirmed that "plans are in place" for the show to reopen in the autumn when the lockdown is over and government guidance on social distancing is relaxed.

With a record-breaking run of 35 years, Les Miserables is the longest-running show in Londons West End. The staged concert had a sold-out run for 16 weeks, with demand so high that the ticket-booking site crashed.

Many have turned to the show's famous score for comfort during the coronavirus crisis. A family in Kent went viral after writing their own version of One Day More, while West End supergroup The Barricade Boys released their own version of Bring Him Home in tribute to the NHS.
by

Back in the 1930s, American radio  that is, American commercial radio, which is all we had  knew that listeners were amenable to paying attention to what they were hearing and nothing else. A long attention span was assumed.

Commensurately, the airwaves were full of classical music  a phenomenon I pondered in my most reviled book, Understanding Toscanini (1987). (Reviled because I foresaw the swift marginalization of classical music, but never mind.) I wrote:

As Toscaninis celebrity attested, cultures new audience, tutored by Will Durant, H. G. Wells, the University of Chicago Round Table, and Billy Phelps of Yale, feasted on great music. Radio offered the Metropolitan Opera and the NBC Symphony on Saturdays, the New York Philharmonic and The Ford Hour on Sundays: as of 1939, these four well-known longhair broadcasts were said to reach more than 10 million families a week. Additional live broadcast concerts and operas, and portions of serious music emanating from network studios, had diminished since the early thirties. Still, an average Sunday afternoon gave New York City radio listeners perhaps three light classical studio concerts and as many studio recitals in addition to the Philharmonic broadcasts; an average Sunday evening added three or four more live concerts and recitals in addition to The Ford Hour; and the weekday schedule might include more than a dozen live broadcasts of hinterlands orchestras, studio orchestras, and studio recitals.

An audience study conducted in 1939 showed that in cities (population 100,000 or more), 62 per cent of college graduates liked listening to classical music in the evening. For town of 2,500 and under, and farms, the percentage was 49.

You could also tune into Abram Chasins, whose Piano pointers on CBS and Chasins Music Series on NBC  commercial radio, ambitiously masterminded by William Paley and David Sarnoff  were workshops for amateur pianists.

That was then and now is now. And yet I read that a new survey of public radio stations shows that listeners are keen to find distractions from COVID 19. And for some time youtube has been discovering an appetite for long form content: two hours of talking and more.

I also read that in Germanys minister of culture, Monika Grutters, has recommended an expenditure of 50 billion euros ($54 billion) for Germanys creative and cultural sectors. She says: Our democratic society needs its unique and diverse cultural and media landscape in this historic situation, which was unimaginable until recently. . . artists are not only indispensable, but also vital, especially now.

At a moment when Americas performing arts institutions are challenged not merely to continue to function but to function in new ways, PostClassical Ensemble  the experimental DC-based chamber orchestra I co-founded 17 years ago with the wonderful Angel Gil-Ordonez  will undertake a series of videos exploring the role of music in society. Weve tentatively christened it PostClassical: More than Music.

This initiative comes easily to us, as our programming has typically focused on music as an instrument for mutual understanding and human betterment. In fact, our library of two-hour WWFM webcasts, inimitably hosted by Bill McGlaughlin, is our starting point in this new venture, in which we are partnered by the film-maker Behrouz Jamali and the enterprising journal of politics, government, and culture The American Interest.

Our two most recent projects, before the virus changed everything, were An Armenian Odyssey, at the Washington National Cathedral, and Furtwangler in Wartime, via WWFM. The former explored the power of music to forge inspirational cultural synergies. The latter explored the power of music to bear witness during World War II.

We begin posting our new More than Music videos today with Deep River: The Art of the Spiritual, in which we are joined by PCE Resident Artist Kevin Deas.

Forthcoming programs will include Shostakovich and the State (with Solomon Volkov), Arthur Farwell and the Indianists, The Russian Gershwin, and Dvorak and America. The topics at hand are What is the role of culture in a nations life? and Who is an American?

For decades, conventional wisdom about the airwaves has been classical music radio stations dont want talking and avoid the unfamiliar.

If that is ever to change, now is the time.
During the White House press briefing, President Donald Trump was asked why he retweeted a message from former Washington bureau chief for Investors Business Daily Paul Sperry asking if authorities enforce the social-distancing orders for mosques during Ramadan.

I would like to see that, said Trump on Saturday. I just spoke with leaders and people that love mosques. I love mosques and I'm all in favor of that. But I would say that there could be a difference and we'll have to see what will happen.

Trump held a call with faith leaders on Friday that included discussion about a phased-in return to broader in-person worship after weeks of religious services largely shifting online in response to the coronavirus pandemic.

Trump then turned to allege an anti-semitic feeling among a group of Democrats.

Ive seen a great disparity in this country, Ive seen a great disparity. I mean, Ive seen a very strong anti-Israel bent in congress with Democrats, said Trump. It was unthinkable seven, eight or 10 years ago, and now theyre into a whole different thing between [Rep. Ilhan] Omar and [Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez].

This is not the first time the president has lashed out at the members of the squad, which consist of four congresswomen; Reps. Ilhan Omar of Minnesota, Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez of New York, Rashida Tlaib of Michigan and Ayanna Pressley of Massachusetts.

These people hate Israel. They hate Jewish people, Trump said at a campaign event in Miami launching his Evangelicals for Trump coalition in January.

Trump also caused outraged in August when he said Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu should block Rep. Rashida Tlaib and Omar from visiting the country.

I mean the things that they say about Israel are so bad and I can't believe it, said Trump. So I would be interested to see that. They go after Christian churches, but they don't tend to go after mosques, and I don't want it to go after mosques.

Democrats defended the four Representatives. Sen. Elizabeth Warren released a statement to The Hill in March 2019.

We have a moral duty to combat hateful ideologies in our own country and around the world--and that includes both anti-Semitism and Islamophobia. In a democracy, we can and should have an open, respectful debate about the Middle East that focuses on policy, said Warren. Branding criticism of Israel as automatically anti-Semitic has a chilling effect on our public discourse and makes it harder to achieve a peaceful solution between Israelis and Palestinians. Threats of violence, like those made against Rep. Omar, are never acceptable.

The president not only stated that he believes that the Christian faith is treated unfairly but this treatment has changed recently.

The Christian faith is treated much differently than it was and I think its treated very unfairly, added the president.

Let's see if authorities enforce the social-distancing orders for mosques during Ramadan (April 23-May 23) like they did churches during Easter  Paul Sperry (@paulsperry_) April 15, 2020

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Most people arent leaving their homes in Abu Sayeed Ahmeds Khairabari village in Assams Barpeta district. They are following the official guidelines  washing their hands, sanitising their homes, sewing their masks, said the 20-year-old. But a few people step out every day fearing they would die of hunger if they stayed in.Ghar pe rahenge toh mar jayange (If we stay home, we will die). There must be nearly 4,000 people across villages in this district who eat at night based on what they earn during the day. So, they have been forced to come out and knock on other peoples doors, he said.

For Indias estimated 260 million rural poor, hunger is the biggest challenge thrown up by Covid-19 lockdowns. In March, the Narendra Modi government initiated bank transfers of Rs 500 rupees for 200 million poor women as part of a $23 billion relief package. But going out to withdraw this cash from their bank accounts is fraught with risk for many beneficiaries. I happened to be in the market when the police beat up a bunch of people going to the bank to take out Rs 500 from their accounts. I ran for my own life, Sayeed said.

There might have been some aberrations in the beginning. The police acted with sakhti (firmness) initially, but theres really no need now. Thousands of people were going to the mandis (markets), so we had to shut them down. We dont need to use violence or force. People in Assam have acted very maturely, said Harmeet Singh, an additional general of police (ADGP) in Assam. We have 13 helplines running for relief and 6 for psychological counselling. The police force has been turned into a relief force.

The district hasnt registered any positive case of the coronavirus infection so far, but the villages have been nearly sealed. Apart from the police patrolling the borders, Sayeed said, each village has put up its own barricade to prevent the entry of outsiders. Even the returning migrant workers cant reach home anymore.

This situation isnt unique to this village in Barpeta. As infections spread across cities and sometimes outside them, rural areas are facing multiple crises at once: from poverty to poor healthcare, from farm closures to fake news, from administrative gaps to police excess, from sweeping hunger to mass reverse migration.

As the pandemic rips across the globe, infecting over two million people so far and confining the rest, it has thrown up challenges that even the richest and most resourceful nations apparently cant overcome.In India, where the toll stands at 17,252 positive cases and 558 deaths, containing the numbers is as acute a need as feeding people and stopping the rumours.

On April 1, as the pandemic entered its fourth month, the director-general of the World Health Organisation warned the world leaders of its unintended consequences for the poorest and the most vulnerable. The words bode ominously for many of Indias 649,481 villages where each new day of the epidemic marks a battle between self-sufficiency and disaster. As they tackle one problem after another, many people in the villages say they can at least rely on each other.

ARMS DISTANCE

Take social distancing. In Rajasthans Viratnagar, the evening addas (get-togethers) are already a thing of the past, says Manish Naik, a social worker. The shops open once a day between 6pm and 7 pm, and thats the only time people see each other, but they are exchanging updates while keeping an arms distance. In Ateli in Haryanas Mahendragarh, neighbors are catching up roof-to-roof while wearing masks, says Komal Aggarwal, a college student. Even inside the house, where 21 people live as part of her joint family, new rules of interaction have been set. We pass time by playing games, whether its carom board or antakshari, but we sit apart from each other while wearing masks. Even in the kitchen, where everyone is pitching in to cook, no more than three or four people go in at a time. In Jharkhands Gumla district, villagers coming to the common service centre to collect cash sent to their Jan Dhan accounts. They stand in the spots allocated to them, says Kanchan Keshri, who runs the centre. No one wants to touch another person, Keshri added.

The idea of physical distance has reached the remotest of places, but its execution varies widely. In Karnatakas Challakere taluka, Naveen MS, a civil service aspirant, says many villages are grappling with the concept. They just dont know the meaning of it. In the slum areas, people are in close contact with each other. The men are still gathering under the trees in the evening to play their usual game of dice. In higher-income areas, he said, some distance is being maintained between homes, but not inside the homes where the emotional bonds are very tight.

People baulk at the idea of social distance between mother and son, brother and sister, he added.

The outbreak has now spread to 364 of Indias 720 districts according to union health ministry data. As the numbers rise, many villages are securing their borders. Some panchayats are erecting bamboo barricades, and some are even setting up local task forces to stand guard. In a village in Maharashtras Satara district, says Prabhakar Sonwane, a lawyer, residents dug a moat to prevent entry and exit. This old man who had a health emergency and was being taken to the hospital on a scooter fell into the trench and later died, he said.

RUMOUR MILLS

In Jharkhands Gumla district, on April 8, a village mob attacked Anis Ansari from Basia Road for entering neighboring Bhadauli. Rumours have gone viral in this area that infected Muslims are intentionally spreading the virus, said Kanchan Keshri. While the seriously injured Ansari was taken to a hospital in Ranchi, a mob from Basia Road killed Bolwa Oraon from Bhadauli on suspicion of spreading these rumours. Three other men from Bhadauli were also attacked and suffered injuries. Jharkhands ADGP, ML Meena, confirmed the casualties.

Such rumours are swirling across rural India. WhatsApp, radio, television  there is no source of news that you can trust, said Sonwane. We have no idea what the situation is in Assam. One day you hear that there isnt a single positive case in the state, next day you hear that there are 20 cases. On top of that, many people are using social media to create hatred between Hindus and Muslims, said Sayeed. The [state] government is using Twitter to release official information and bunk rumors, but only urban and educated people benefit from that. I think they should find a platform where everyone can access information equally and at the same time, said Naveen MS.

To make sure information reaches the last man, says Harmeet Singh, an additional director general of police in Assam, it must be circulated via multiple platforms. In Assam, we first release the official statements on Twitter and Facebook and then take it further via YouTube, television and mobile phones including WhatsApp groups for every district. The police personnel are also asked to circulate the same information in their own personal networks. Early on, we released a very clear advisory for the public on how to deal with fake news, he said. Initially, he said, there was a bit of rumormongering. For example, there were posts exaggerating the number of those affected, which would cause confusion. These were pulled down. As of today, 40 odd people have been booked for spreading fake news and 200 counselled.

STRANDED MIRGANTS

Worries about how their migrant-worker family members will make it back home, and how long they will have to spend in make-shift quarantine centres, are aggravating an already tense atmosphere in the villages. In the days following March 24, when the Prime Minister announced a three-week national lockdown, nearly 300,000 fled the cities even as road and rail transport halted.

In west UPs Hathras, Dalit-rights activist Sanjay Jatav says hundreds of wage workers have journeyed home. Some of them walked from Delhi and Haryana. It took them three days to get here, he said. Many of the returning migrants are kept in the district administrations quarantine centres. On April 3, a migrant worker in Lakhimpur Kheri, Roshan Lal, killed himself after being allegedly beaten up by a police officer for missing quarantine attendance. Lals sister told reporters afterwards that he had left the centre to arrange for food for his family.

Jatav and others in Hathras are also concerned about friends and family members stranded in the cities. My brother is a machine operator at a factory in Badarpur in Delhi, and he hasnt been able to come back since the factory closed. I wish someone would help him. In his village in Laturs Hisori taluka, Sonwane said, There are around 1000 people and leaving aside 10 to 15 percent, everyone had migrated for work. Now, 95 percent of them have come back, but five percent are stuck in the cities without work or ration. In Viratnagar, Naik says people are glad that wage workers have come back, but they are scared about the state of those in quarantine.

There are 25 people who came from Mumbai, and they are still being kept in a hostel outside the village. Their family members dont know whats going on, and they are very worried, he added. Near his village, Domba, Keshri said two quarantine centres have come up. But we dont know if they have sufficient number of beds or if provision for regular meals.

In its response to a PIL filed at the Supreme Court, the home ministry acknowledged the scale of the problem. This migration is not only dangerous for the migrant workers but also for rural India for which they have started the journey, noted the status report filed on 27 March. The ministry estimates that 1.3 million people are housed in relief camps and shelter homes across India. It has ordered the local governments to use the state disaster relief fund to provide them food, shelter, clothing and medical aid wherever there are. The ministry has also instructed their employers to continue to pay their wages during the lockdown. The district officials are to screen and quarantine those workers who have already reached their destination as per standard health protocol. The Government will shortly implement a system whereby the panic in the minds of these migrant workers is addressed keeping in view the socio-psychological issues, the status report sent to the SC noted.

There isnt anything that their families can do in the meantime but sit at home. The countrys 3 million police officers must ensure that 1.3 billion people stay in, and many of them are using violence to get the job done. The police patrolling is constant. Kaafi pitali ho rahi hai. (A lot of people are getting beaten up), said Manish Naik about Viratnagar.

In Ateli, shops are allowed to open between 9am and 11am and people go out to buy essential supplies, but no one dares leave home after that, said Komal Aggrawal. People are being thrashed by the police if they are seen outside no matter how urgent their need, said Sanjay Jatav about Hathras.

FARM FEARS

Cut off from their sources of income, people in the villages wonder how long they can carry on. An estimated 30% of Indias rural population falls below the poverty line according to a Mint analysis of the official figures. The average monthly surplus for rural households is limited to Rs 1,413.

More than half of Indias workforce is engaged in farming, and the lockdown has affected every aspect of their work cycle: harvest, planting, procurement, labour, markets. Kisan ka kamar toot gayi (this virus has broken the farmers back), said Keshri. People are harvesting their sugarcane crop in the villages here, but they cant access the markets, said Sonwane. The farmers had taken private loans on high interest for the current crop, and those loans are not going to be waived.

They are in great trouble, said Sayeed. I am harvesting the wheat crop in my own fields. We cant employ farm labourers at this time. They are out of work completely, said Manish Naik. In Challakere taluk, Naveen MS said the out-of-work labourers used up their savings to buy small stocks of essentials  vegetables, coconut  that they sold locally. Now, they are borrowing from local moneylenders to continue the work.

Hunger is being discussed everywhere. Majdoori nahin toh paise nahin. Paise nahin toh khana nahin. (No labour means no money and no money means no food), said Jatav. Morning to evening, people only talk about one thing here: how long will we survive if this continues, Manish Naik.

On 11 April, the All India Kisan Sabha (AIKS) made a set of suggestions to the central government in anticipation of an extended lockdown. We have requested that agriculture be given a relaxation or else the food security of India will be very adversely impacted. The wheat and rice crop is ready, but there is no labour available for harvest. If the farm produce doesnt reach the markets and godowns, we are staring at a deep crisis of hunger, said Ashok Dhavale, AIKS president. He pointed out that farmers, farm workers and unorganised labourers will be the first to face it. We are demanding that 5 kilo of free ration be given to all of them for the next six months irrespective of whether they have ration cards or whether they are registered under this or that scheme, he said.

As part of the Indian governments $22.6 billion economic stimulus plan, free food is to be distributed to 800 million families and free gas cylinders to registered beneficiaries. The measure signifies a huge relief for rural areas, but its all on the execution. The free ration is reaching some villages but not the others; some of the authorised shops are either hoarding it or charging people for it; some are distributing it selectively; and in some areas, the beneficiaries have no information about their entitlement.

In the rural pockets of UP, Sumantra Goswami, an officer with the Prayaagraj district administration, says the delivery of free rations can be tricky. Every day we are supplying bags of ration to multiple villages, but its difficult to reach some. At times, it takes us from morning to evening. Some areas are so remote, or the roads leading to them are in such bad shape, that no one agrees to carry the ration for fear that if their vehicle breaks down, they wont find anyone to repair it because of the lockdown. We usually deliver the ration through our contacts in the relevant block or panchayat or police office, but the thing about UP is that unless you belong to the dominant caste or community in a village or have the support of the local political operators, you arent allowed to go in and intervene. In some cases, we also found that the village chiefs hoarded half of the relief supply sent to them to distribute, Goswami said. As a result, he said, we have villages where enough ration has reached to last two or three months, and then there are those that havent received any.

The AIKS has also demanded that the cash benefit to those below the poverty line be increased to R 5,000 per month. Government is giving them grains, but families also need other essentials like milk and soap. How are whole families supposed to survive on R 500 a month. This is a cruel joke, Ashok Dhavale said.

Left to their own devices, many in Indias rural areas are drawing solace from knowing that they have each other. My father grows his own vegetables, so when the neighbours cant go to the market, they come to us, said Komal Aggarwal from Ateli. Prabhakar Sonwane from Latur believes this lockdown is best survived in a village. You have wide open spaces which reduce the risk of infection. And, in a village, one family can ask another for help.

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During its creation in 1948, the World Health Organization faced attacks from American conservatives, just as it has become a target for President Donald Trump amid the coronavirus pandemic.

Back then, some Republicans suspected the WHO would be influenced by the Soviet Union, already a charter member.

Now Trump is threatening to freeze U.S. funding to the WHO, claiming it kowtowed to another communist nation, China, by releasing false information at the start of the novel coronavirus. His claim is undercut by the presence of U.S. doctors and researchers who were working at the WHO's headquarters in Geneva at the time.

On Saturday night, a two-hour TV special, "One World: Together At Home," celebrated the WHO's pandemic response with performances by Beyonce, the Rolling Stones and Taylor Swift and appearances by Michelle Obama, Laura Bush, Oprah Winfrey and Bill Gates. No one uttered Trump's name.

Talk of forming an international health group began after World War II. The declared purpose was to combat diseases such as cholera and malaria, to promote medical research, and to advise governments on sanitation, nutrition and other health measures. It began in Geneva on interim basis in 1946. But to become operational, the WHO had to be ratified by 26 nations by June of 1948.

In March of 1947, President Harry Truman asked Congress to approve the United States joining the new health organization. "I am sure it will make a substantial contribution to the improvement of world health through the years," Truman said.

The House and Senate introduced measures to provide $1.9 million a year to the WHO, or $20.6 million in current dollars. The Senate passed the bill and so did the House Foreign Relations Committee. Then without explanation the House Rules Committee blocked the bill for nearly a year.

Opponents charged that the United States would wind up paying a disproportionate share of the WHO's budget.

"Republican leaders who would not allow their names to be used said they considered the bill an opening wedge in a campaign to have Uncle Sam foot the medical bills of the entire world," The Washington Post reported in late March of 1948.

The delay drew criticism. "The prevention and control of epidemics is one of those international undertakings which have remained free from East-West rivalry," The Post editorialized. "The effect of the Rules Committee's intransigence is to have American medicine lagging behind Russian in a strictly humanitarian field."

In May, Morris Fishbein, editor of the Journal of the American Medical Association, urged congressional passage. "It is vital for the United States to join this great effort because we have obtained leadership in world health." Fishbein told The Post in an interview.

As for warnings of opening the door to socialized medicine, he said with a dry smile, "The American Medical Association does not propose to advocate anything which would permit an outsider to come in and tell us what to do within our borders."

Few details were published about the behind-the-scenes opposition. In 1946 Republicans, including many anti-Communist isolationists, had taken control of both the House and Senate. Their suspicions about naive supporters of the United Nations were supported by former surgeon general Hugh Cummings. He urged Truman not to join the support for the WHO, which he said reflected "the dominance of star gazers and political and social up lifters."

Then "ignorant and prejudiced members" of the House Rules Committee blocked the measure, said Canadian psychiatrist Brock Chisholm, the WHO's first director general, according to the book "Brock Chisholm. The World Health Organization & the Cold War" by John Farley.

Finally, in May, the House Rules Committee agreed by a 6-to-3 vote to a revised bill by Rep. Walter Judd, R-Minn. "There has never been an explanation of the Rules Committee's perverse action in refusing to report the bill out," the New York Times reported. "We say perverse because just three months ago at Geneva, this country inspired the world with its statesmanship when its delegation made the child health and anti-malaria campaigns its major targets in the coming world crusade for health. "

The revised bill hinted at the reasons for opposition. For one, it put the $1.9 million funding as an annual limit. The committee said "This would keep the United States from having to foot the bill if in future years there should be some great and costly epidemic," the Times reported.

Second, the bill required that any U.S. physician appointed to the WHO's executive board have at least 10 years experience. "This was said to rule out public health service physicians, in favor of those representing organized medicine," the Times reported.

In 1950, as the "Red Scare" spread in Congress and Sen. Joseph McCarthy, R-Wis., charged that the United Nations was infiltrated by communists, a provision was added: American appointees to the WHO couldn't serve "until such person has been investigated as to loyalty and security by the Federal Bureau of Investigation," then headed by J. Edgar Hoover.

Finally, the bill specified that nothing in the WHO's constitution committed the United States to pass any legislation connected to the WHO's guiding principles. "This was said to be intended to make certain that this country would not engage in any socialized medicine," the New York Times reported.

Congress quickly passed the final bill, and Truman signed it into law. In June, the United States sent a 21-member delegation to Geneva for the WHO's first official assembly.

In July, the WHO ended its first annual session, the Associated Press reported, "after agreeing to have the United States foot 40% of its bills. The U.S. delegation sought to cut its contribution to 25 percent. The United States cast the only dissenting vote."

Ironically, in 1949, the Soviet Union dropped out of the WHO, claiming it was "inefficient and overexpensive." It rejoined in 1956.

Today, U.S. payments to the WHO total more than $440 million a year and account for about 20 percent of the organization's budget. Responding to Trump's funding threat, in Geneva, WHO Director General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said, "For now, our focus, my focus, is on stopping this virus and saving lives."

- - -

Shafer is a former editor at the Wall Street Journal and the author of "The Carnival Campaign: How The Rollicking 1840 Campaign of Tippecanoe and Tyler Too Changed Presidential Elections Forever."
One of the world's largest meat-processing companies was forced to shutter two of its US plants this week after four of its workers died from coronavirus and more than 100 tested positive - but the pandemic isn't the only entanglement the company's facing.

Last week, JBS - owned by Brazilian billionaire brothers Wesley and Joesley Batista - announced plans to close a plant in Greeley, Colorado, after four of its workers died of coronavirus, including long-term employee, 78-year-old Saul Sanchez.

A subsequent investigation carried out by the Weld County Department of Public Health and Environment attributed the company's 'work while sick culture' as the catalyst behind the meat-packing plant becoming a COVID-19 hotspot.

County Health Officer Dr. Mark Wallace wrote to the plant on April 2 - five days before the first reported death among its employees - warning that some of the plant's laborers felt forced to keep up attendance even when they felt ill.

'These concerns expressed to clinicians included a perception by employees of a 'work while sick' culture that included managers and supervisors coming to work while sick,' Wallace wrote in the letter, as first reported by KDVR.

The Brazilian billionaire brother owners of JBS, (left to right) Wesley and Joesley Batista, have now been linked to a high-level government corruption scheme that has stunned the South American country

JBS was forced to shutter some of its US plants this week after more than 100 of its workers tested positive for coronavirus and four died (Pictured: the now close Greeley, CO, plant)

In his April 2 letter, Wallace ordered the company to take employee's temperatures as they arrived on site, implement social distancing protocols, and direct anyone exhibiting symptoms to self-isolate at home.

'If I find evidence of continued violations,' Wallace wrote. 'I will seek assistance from the District Attorney to consider criminal actions against you and your staff and/or the Weld County attorney to seek injunctive relief against your company.'

JBS eventually idled operations at the beef processing plant on April 15, but not before dozens more of its 4,500 workers became infected with the virus and at least four died.

A JBS plant in Souderton, Pennsylvania, was also forced to close up shop last month after dozens of workers came down with flu-like symptoms, but the company announced plans to reopen the plant on Monday.

The company has since denied obligating or encouraging workers to show up while exhibiting symptoms.

'No one is forced to come to work and no one is punished for being absent for health reasons. If someone is sick or lives with someone who is sick, we send them home,; spokesperson Nikki Richardson told The Daily Beast. 'The health and safety of our team members is our number one priority.'

Richardson further noted that the federal government has sought to keep food supply chains running amid the pandemic, citing them to be essential businesses.

Last week, JBS - which sells beef and chicken under its Pilgrim Pride and Swift Labels - announced plans to close a plant in Greeley, Colorado, after four of its workers died of coronavirus, including long-term employee, 78-year-old Saul Sanchez (shown in photograph)

'When I called to let them know that he was sick, and to let the rest of the employees know he was positive, I got no response,' his daughter Beatriz Rangel said, adding that Sanchez was willing to work at the plant even during the outbreak because he trusted his employer

In addition to the JBS' coronavirus woes, its' parent company, J&F Investments, has now reportedly fallen subject to a US Justice Department and Securities and Exchange Commission investigation into claims of alleged bribery.

In October, Florida Sen. Marco Rubio and New Jersey Sen. Bob Menendez urged the federal government to investigate the beef conglomerate and its alleged dealings with the Venezuelan government after the company established a business relationship with the country's president, Nicolas Maduro - who the US has levied sanctions against.

Those calls were renewed last week by Senate Finance Chairman Chuck Grassley, who has accused JBS - which slaughters over 13 million animals a day and made profits of $51 billion last year- of price-gauging US cattle producers amid the coronavirus epidemic.

An investigation carried out by the Weld County Department of Public Health and Environment found that a 'work while sick culture' may spurred the meat-packing plant into becoming a COVID-19 hotspot (pictured: Protestant Vampire Gown of President Michel Temer Protests in front of the Office of the Presidency of the Republic on August 2, 2017 in Sao Paulo, Brazil)

A JBS plant in Souderton, Pennsylvania, was also forced to close up shop last month after dozens of workers came down with flu-like symptoms, but the company announced plans to reopen the plant on Monday

The Batista brother's legal problems have been prevalent at home too. Both Joseley and Welsey, who are known to live lavishly, both spent six months in a Brazillian jail after being charged with insider trading.

They admitted to bribing nearly 2,000 elected officials in Brazil in order to secure government funding to fuel their companys US expansion a few years ago, and were issued more than $3.2 billion in fines in 2017, the highest in the countrys history.

The following year, the brothers sold a 7,000-square-foot apartment they owned in the Baccarat hotel for $11 million, allegedly to help pay off the aforementioned fines and subsequent legal costs.

And now, a Brazilian jurist is working to recoup billions of dollars in public funds the Batista brothers obtained through 'illicit' means.

The legal expert recently wrote to New York's Attorney General, urging them to launch an investigation into the alleged activity as JBS touts the idea of going public on the New York Stock Exchange, billing them to be an 'imminent threat'.

The Batista brother's successive woes have led to calls for New York General Attorney General Letitia James to investigate their company as an 'imminent threat' before it begins publicly trading on Wall Street

The Batista brother's legal problems have been prevalent at home too. Both Joseley and Welsey, who are known to live lavishly, both spent six months in a Brazil jail after being charged with insider trading (pictured: Joesley Batista disembarks from a Brazilian Federal Police airplane at Brasilia's International Airport on September 11, 2017)

They admitted to bribing nearly 2,000 elected officials in Brazil in order to secure government funding to fuel their companys US expansion a few years ago, and were issued more than $3.2 billion in fines in 2017, the highest in the countrys history

'We write to bring to the attention  these troubling issues because they potentially pose an imminent threat to New York residents, investors and financial institutions, said a Dec. 20, 2019 letter to New York Attorney General Letitia James, the NY Post reported.

'This proposed transaction is effectively an attempt by the Batistas to raise funds to pay their multi-billion dollar fines and to legitimize themselves and their companies through a US-sanctioned IPO,' said lawyers for Mauricio Mota, a Brazilian law professor.

The Attorney General's office has not yet commented on the claims, but a spokesperson for JBS USA told the outlet that the company has 'not been informed of any such request'.

'[JBS] has not been accused of any wrongdoing,' said Nikki Richardson. 'JBS has fully cooperated with all the relevant authorities in the United States regarding events that took place in Brazil nearly three years ago. All investigations to date have focused on events in Brazil, and the company will continue to cooperate and respond to any subsequent inquiries.'
TOKYOJapanese health ministry said Sunday that 568 new cases of the CCP (Chinese Communist Party) virus, commonly known as novel coronavirus, were reported the day before, bringing a domestic total to 10,361.

A combined total including 712 others from a cruise ship quarantined near Tokyo earlier this year came to 11,073, with 174 deaths.

The number of cases is still relatively small compared to the United States and Europe, but thats only as many as Japans limited testing has detected and actual infections are believed to be far more widespread.

Japan has finally started setting up additional testing centers in Tokyo and elsewhere, allowing primary care doctors to send suspected patients directly to testing stations rather than having them go through public health centers to screen eligibility, an earlier requirement that had prevented and delayed testing and treatment of many people.

Experts have noted that their strategy of going after clusters to trace infections is no longer effective to keep up with the surging cases and more tests are needed.

Prime Minister Shinzo Abe on Thursday expanded a state of emergency, which was limited to Tokyo and six other urban areas, to all of Japan, in a bid to prevent further spread of the virus nationwide amid concerns that hospitals are already overburdened with influx of patients.

It took two months for the cases to reach 1,000 since the first case was detected in mid-January, but the spread of the infections has accelerated in recent weeks and the number doubled from around 5,000 in just 10 days.

NTD staff contributed to this report
J-pop megastar returns to the central Japan mountain range with aDare ni mo Iwanaia (aI Wonat Tell Anybodya).

J-pop recording starsa careers often burn bright and fast, as they pump out a high-content flow of new singles in the time until their fame runs dry. Hikaru Utada, though, has taken the opposite approach for most of her career. Despite being one of the most revered artists in the industry, Utadaas releases are few and far between, and when she does decide to grace listenersa ears with a new song, itas a major event, often with partners eager to help get her sound out there.

Utadaas latest song is titled aDare ni mo Iwanaia (aI Wonat Tell Anybodya), and sheas giving fans a preview in a beautifully shot video thatas also an ad for beverage company Suntoryas Tennensui bottled water.
A scientist presents an antibody test for coronavirus.

Associated Press

New York Governor Andrew Cuomo said Sunday that the state is set to roll out antibody testing to survey the state's population and determine how many people have been exposed to the novel coronavirus.

The plan comes as New York has seen hospitalization rates fall in recent days.

There were 507 deaths related to COVID-19 reported in New York on Saturday, 33 of which occurred in nursing homes, down from 540 on Friday.

Visit Business Insider's homepage for more stories.

New York is set to start statewide antibody testing, Governor Andrew Cuomo said on Sunday.

The testing will serve as a "baseline" to see how many people have been infected with the novel coronavirus, Cuomo said.

The test will draw from a random sample of people, and the state currently has the ability to run 2,000 tests per day, 14,000 a week. Cuomo said he anticipates it'll be the "largest survey of any state population that's been done." On Twitter, the governor called it the "most aggressive" statewide antibody testing survey in the nation.

Knowing how many people have been infected with the novel coronavirus will be key to allowing Americans to go back to work and lessening social distancing measures meant to suppress the spread of the virus.

To pull off the widespread testing, however, Cuomo said the state will need support from the national government to ensure supplies needed to perform the tests are available.

The move to begin antibody testing is happening at a time when hospitalization rates related to COVID-19, the disease caused by the novel coronavirus, are down. As of Saturday, 16,213 people in the state were hospitalized.

"If the data holds and if this trend holds, we are past the high point and all indications at this pot are that we're on a descent," Cuomo said. "Whether or not that continues depends on what we do."

There were 507 deaths related to COVID-19 reported in New York on Saturday, 33 of which occurred in nursing homes, down from 540 on Friday.

Story continues

Read more: Tests that can tell if you're immune to the coronavirus are on the way. Here are the companies racing to bring them to the US healthcare system.

Here are some of the other takeaways from Cuomo's daily briefing:

New York has slowed the rate of transmission so that every 10 people are infecting 9 people. But that leaves only a "small margin of error," Cuomo said. Should that number get up to every 10 people infecting 12 people, the outbreak is back to being "out of control," he said.

While the rate of hospitalizations is down, on Saturday, an additional 1,384 people were admitted into hospitals in New York.

Nursing homes remain the top concern, Cuomo said. "The nursing home is the optimum feeding ground for this virus," he said. Cuomo noted that the state had "disturbing situations" in nursing homes.

The state plans to help out and pass along supplies to other states in need as they tackle the outbreak. Cuomo noted that Massachusetts might need 400 ventilators. He said the state's identified 400 ventilators will send them on a day's notice when needed.

The state is looking for federal assistance. Nationally, the National Governors Association has asked for $500 billion from the national government.

Cuomo said he's been fielding questions about whether cities should reopen schools and public places like beaches. He said he advises local officials to blame him for not opening back up. "It's true, it's right, it's the state law, and I don't have any issue with that," Cuomo said.

Cuomo also spoke about his plans to have a Sunday dinner, complete with spaghetti and meatballs, now that his three daughters are home as part of the quarantine. One of his daughters, Maria Kennedy Cuomo, joined him at the press conference Sunday. Her boyfriend has come to stay with the family as well. "We like the boyfriend," Cuomo said.

Following up on an executive order Saturday that allowed clerks to perform marriages online, on Sunday, the governor is expected to sign an executive order allowing anyone licensed to perform a marriage to be able to do so online. Cuomo noted that he's gotten the "most amount of grief" from his decisions to let marriages be performed online.

Read the original article on Business Insider
Chandigarh With the state government making norms for allowing industrial activities from April 20 more stringent amid the covid-19 crisis, most industries in Punjab are unsure about resuming operations.

The stricter government guidelines, coupled with supply chain disruptions, retail still not being open and the prevailing business environment, have left a majority of them in doubt about restarting their production, according to industry leaders in different parts of the state.

The Centre had announced the relaxations four days ago. The states home department, which imposed additional conditions on Saturday for permitting industrial activities outside the containment zones, has made it mandatory for all categories of industries and industrial establishments employing 10 or more persons to make boarding and lodging arrangements on their factory premises for workers, or provide transport.

The Union ministry of home affairs (MHA) had, in its guidelines issued on April 15, imposed this condition only on manufacturing and other industrial establishments in Special Economic Zones (SEZs) and Export Oriented Units (EoUs), industrial estates and industrial townships.

Additional chief secretary, industries, Vini Mahajan, said the government is being cautious to make sure the situation does not get out of hand. We want to see industries restart operations, but have to focus on containing covid-19 spread at the same time. If necessary, some recalibration can be done, she said.

CHALLENGING SITUATION, TOUGH GUIDELINES

Raman Batta, president, Bathinda Chamber of Commerce and Industries, said district authorities are not allowing industries to transport workers and asking them to be accommodated within factory premises. How many medium-scale factories have the space and facilities for boarding and lodging 100-150 workers? In this situation, only 10-12% of units will resume production, he said.

Badish Jindal, president of Federation of Punjab Small Industries Association (FASII), and Upkar Singh Ahuja, chairman of Chamber of Industrial and Commercial Undertaking (CICU), said strict conditions, such as accommodating labour within the factory premises and holding the owner responsible if any worker contracts the infection, have also made many owners reluctant. If authorities want industry to work, these guidelines will have to be changed, Ahuja said.

Of 2.52 lakh registered industrial units, roughly 2,200  a tad less than 1% - have been running their operations after the state government, on March 29, asked industrial units to start operations with conditions related to boarding and lodging of labour, to prevent the exodus of migrant workers. Things have not been smooth for them.

Ashok Sethi, director, Punjab Rice Millers and Exporters Association, said rice shellers started operations about 10 days ago at 20% capacity and faced many challenges, including operational difficulties, supply chain issues, cancellation of orders and payments. We are only doing packing right now, but still it is tough. If I can achieve 50% of my production target this year, it will be an achievement, said Sethi who is a member of the 20-member task force set up by the state government on covid-19.

OFFICIALS HEDGE BETS ON RESPONSE

Initially, state government officials expected 40% industrial units to resume operations from Monday onwards, but have scaled down expectations after the state home departments order on consolidated guidelines with additional riders. Our expectations were in line with the guidance given by the Centre, but the state guidelines were issued on Saturday. We will have to wait until Monday to see how many industrial units resume operations. Also, our hotspots and containment zones are mostly in industrial towns, said industries director C Sibin, refusing to hazard a guess on the response.

TWO-THIRDS OF COVID-19 CASES

FROM INDUSTRIAL DISTRICTS

SAS Nagar (Mohali), Jalandhar, Patiala, Ludhiana, and Amritsar districts, where most of the micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs) are located, account for two-thirds (66%) of 234 Covid-19 cases in the state to date.

In Ludhiana, 650 of 95,000-odd units have taken permission in the past two weeks to operate. Most of those granted permission are running their operations, but not many fresh applications for permission have been received, a district official said.

Of 12,000-odd units (mostly MSMEs) in Mohali, 65 are operational. HS Pannu, general manager, district industries centre (DIC), said he had received 10-12 queries in the past 24 hours. Mohali has the maximum number of 61 positive cases in the state.

Strap/Blurb

WAIT AND WATCH

Initially, even govt officials expected 40% industrial units to resume operations, but have scaled down expectation after state home depts order on consolidated guidelines with additional riders

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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."

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Several agencies exist to enforce rules against public corruption in D.C. government, but the results  and were being charitable here  have been mixed. The office that is supposed to enforce campaign finance laws lacks any real initiative and tends to be lenient in its treatment of violations. The ethics and government accountability board that started out with such great promise seems to have lost its vigor and sense of mission. And the U.S. attorneys office that has the clout and authority to crack down on local corruption runs hot and cold as national and international matters compete for its attention. Good, then, that D.C. Attorney General Karl A. Racine has signaled his plans to make this issue a priority.
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Medical professionals listen to instructions from Scott Woodside, Director for Student Health Services at Rowan University, (right) before the start.(Michael Mancuso | NJ Advance Media for NJ.com)

Early in the morning on Thursday, Scott Woodside, the director for student health services at Rowan University told workers at the drive-thru coronavirus testing site that their mission was to test as many residents as possible.

For those that are new, we're not building relationships here," he told the workers through a mask.

"You're identifying the patient. You're identifying the test kit... We are going to try to maximize what we're doing so we're going to see a lot more efficiency today.

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Annemarie Ruiz, seated, Health Officer, Gloucester County Health Department, suits up before the start. Standing to her left is Josephine DeMareo - Certified School Nurse, Gloucester County Institute of Technology. (Michael Mancuso | NJ Advance Media for NJ.com)

Though they're not able to make personal connections with patients, workers said they knew the work they were doing was making a difference.

Annemarie Ruiz, the health officer for Gloucester County's Health Department, called the work she and her colleagues are doing a show of solidarity as she suited up in Tyvek.

"This is just a great opportunity for us to be out here for our community," she said.

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Josephine DeMareo - Certified School Nurse, Gloucester County Institute of Technology. (Michael Mancuso | NJ Advance Media for NJ.com)

Josephine DeMareo said she was very proud as a school nurse to be here in my own community, Gloucester County.

During this era of social distancing, leaving the house can be dangerous. But when asked if she was concerned about the personal danger, DeMareo said, of course safety is a factor. As a nurse over 30 years, I know that infection control is paramount, but I know they're really taking care of us here, supplying us with all the PPE that we need and instruction, so I feel very confident that we're as protected as we can be.

Nursing is a calling and when were neededwe just really want to be of service.

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The testing opened at 10am, but cars started lining up on Tanyard Road by 8:30am. (Michael Mancuso | NJ Advance Media for NJ.com)

The testing site, which will open again on April 23 at 10 a.m., tested 108 Gloucester County residents Thursday, Freeholder Director Robert M. Damminger said. The county's first testing site on April 8, tested 62 residents, he said. Of those residents, 16 tested positive with COVID-19 and 46 were negative, he said.

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Cars drive under a tent for the testing. (Michael Mancuso | NJ Advance Media for NJ.com)

The testing site, which opens on specific days at Rowan College of South Jersey's Sewell Campus, is open to symptomatic Gloucester County residents only, with an appointment and doctor's prescription.

The site is a partnership between Dr. Josette Palmer of Happy Healthy You Medical Practice, Inspira Health, Rowan University School of Osteopathic Medicine, Cooper University Health Care, the Gloucester County Board of Chosen Freeholders, the Gloucester County Department of Health and the Gloucester County Office of Emergency Management.

"Rowan Medicine is excited to partner with Gloucester County to be able to screen county residents for COVID-19 via telehealth visits," said Alison Mancuso, DO FACOFP, who is Lead on Gloucester County/Rowan Medicine COVID-19 Test Site collaboration and Vice Chair and Associate Professor of Family Medicine.

"It is Rowan Medicine's mission to provide access to all kinds of healthcare for those who live in our region."

Scroll to see more of what the testing site looks like.

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Workers listen to instructions before suiting up. (Michael Mancuso | NJ Advance Media for NJ.com)

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(Michael Mancuso | NJ Advance Media for NJ.com)

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Detail from a work area inside the tent. (Michael Mancuso | NJ Advance Media for NJ.com)

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Workers prepare for visitors, writing their names on their Tyvek suits. (Michael Mancuso | NJ Advance Media for NJ.com)

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(Michael Mancuso | NJ Advance Media for NJ.com)

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(Michael Mancuso | NJ Advance Media for NJ.com)

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Thomas Dugan, RN Medical Reserve Corp, wraps adhesive to close the gap between his glove and Tyvek. (Michael Mancuso | NJ Advance Media for NJ.com)

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Authorities in Uttarakhand have designated Haridwar and Nainital as red zones or hotspots after a spike in the number of coronavirus disease (Covid-19) cases in these two districts, news agency ANI reported on Sunday.

Two more people, both in Haridwar had tested positive for the coronavirus disease (Covid-19) in the hill state on Saturday, taking the states tally to 42.

Yugal Kishor Pant, additional secretary (Health), said that 80% of the Covid-19 cases in the state are from Dehradun, Haridwar and Nainital districts. The state capital, Dehradun, has already been classified as a red zone.

Earlier this week, the government divided the country into colour-coded areas depending on the level of infection red zones indicate infection hotspots, orange some infection, while green denotes an area with no infections.

The Union health ministry had declared 170 hotspots123 hotspot districts with large outbreaks and 47 hotspot districts with clustersin 25 states and Union territories.

The districts seeing a high number of cases or high growth rate of infections were marked as hotspots; districts where some cases have been found as non-hotspots; and those which have reported no cases as green zones.

The districts or cities contributing to more than 80% of the cases in the country or the state will be classified as hotspots (red zone), according to the government. Places that show a high rate of infection with a doubling rate of less than four days will also be in this category.

All six metrosDelhi, Mumbai, Kolkata, Chennai, Bengaluru and Hyderabadcurrently have a high number of cases.

Apart from the 123 hotspots, 47 districts were marked under cluster outbreaks, where the virus spreads in clusters, more than 15 cases are reported and the infection shows no sign of stopping.

Furthermore, 207 districts have been identified as potential hotspots or where there have been cases but the numbers were limited.

Officials said on Saturday that one of the two people to test positive for the coronavirus disease is a migrant labourerthe first such case in the state. The second patient is a close contact of a person who attended the event of Tablighi Jamaat in Delhi last month.

A 24-year-old migrant labourer, who initially worked in Rishikesh, and a 45-year-old female who is a close contact of a Jamaat attendee tested positive for coronavirus, Dr Saroj Naithani, chief medical officer (CMO) of Haridwar district, said.

The migrant labourer had come to Rishikesh from Hathras area in Uttar Pradesh to work, but he was caught by officials on March 30 near Roorkee and sent to a relief camp. He was caught when he along with three others were going back to Hathras by taking a lift from a truck driver, Dr Naithani added.

The samples of the migrant labourer were sent for testing on April 16 after he complained of sore throat. Test results of three more people travelling with him are awaited.

Dr Naithani said they have isolated the 45-year-old woman, who was already staying in a quarantine centre since she was found to be a close contact of another positive Covid-19 patient.

On Saturday, her two children were also isolated and their samples sent for testing. Her husband, however, has tested negative but is still being monitored by health officials for any symptoms in future, he said.
And in all the six appointments scheduled to see me 8am in his office at the Villa and surprisingly, all the times, I was there before the time and there was never a time I met his absence.
Not so long ago, milkmen, gas station attendants, and movie theater projectionists, for instance, were common professions; but then at some point in our technological progression, they became irrelevant.

And today, there are a lot of seemingly pointless jobs that COVID-19 may rule eternally pointless.

Even COVID-infected darling Chris Cuomo thinks his job is pointless.

My job is pointless and I cant stand it, Cuomo said on his SiriusXM show while speaking about his job as host of CNNs Cuomo Prime Time. He said his battle with coronavirus had made him rethink his values and question his position as a public figure.

"I don't like what I do professionallyI don't think it's worth my time, Cuomo said on Monday talking about his critics, Republicans, Democrats and the President whose remarks he called "full of s--- by design."

Still, whether the public agreed with him or not, the following day Cuomo said he was sticking with his job, but still questioning whether his work makes a difference.

For many others, there is no such luxury of choice.

Almost 22 million people have filed for US unemployment benefits in the last four weeks, which suggests a rate of joblessness that hovers around 17%. Goldman Sachs analysts are expecting that US total unemployment claims could reach 37 million by the end of May.

Many of those will return to their jobs such as pilots, construction workers, restaurant servers, hoteliers.

Once the pandemic is over and social distancing policies are relaxed, the economy will likely bounce back. For employment, that could mean a rapid rebound as well. But only for some. Not all jobs will reappear at once.

Former presidential candidate Andrew Yang told Business Insider last week that many people being laid off during the coronavirus pandemic may not have jobs to return to.

Yang said that a lot of companies that furloughed their workers are already automating many of their processes, while many public-facing businesses aren't going to come back at full steam.

The fact is right now this virus is the perfect environment for companies to get rid of people, bring in robots and machines, and figure out how they can operate more efficiently, Yang said

"Were going to see 10 years worth of change in 10 weeks," Yang said, with companies adapting to fewer workers.

It is possible that the pandemic will speed up the process and reveal whether cashiers, waitstaff, janitors, dental assistants and others will meet a similar fate as the milkman.

A recent Axios-Harris survey showed that 31% of respondents ages 18 to 34 had either been laid off or put on temporary leave because of the outbreak, compared with 22% of those 35 to 49 and 15% of those 50 to 64.

Feeling easily replaceable and unnecessary, it is possible that many of those younger people will seek a change in profession.

As a matter of fact, even before the pandemic many Millennials and younger Generation X members were not thrilled with their jobs.

According to a Gallup poll from 2016, 71% of the members of these generations werent engaged at work ? and at least 60% were open to new job opportunities.

Gallups research found that the millennial workforce was mostly checked out. And then last year, a Deloitte Millennial Survey showed that 49% of Millennials would quit their job within the next two years.

The main thesis of a book titled Bulls**t Jobs by anthropologist David Graeber is that 40% of jobs in America are meaningless.

And meaninglessness is also a global pandemic.

In 2015, YouGov, a market research company, conducted a poll with the question for British workers, "Is your job making a meaningful contribution to the world?" Some 37% of respondents said no. In a similar poll, 40% of Dutch workers reported that their jobs had no good reason to exist.

A lot will change when the economy is opened up, and if Yang is right--changes that we were expecting to sort of gradually work them way into the labor force will come rather abruptly. Whether its that both workers and employers have grown used to remote jobs and the lower overhead they bring, or whether its that employers realize that they can function without positions that seemed important prior to the COVID-19 outbreak--were in for a major reality check.

By Josh Owens for Safehaven.com

More Top Reads From Safehaven.com:
Wide-awake in the middle of the night, Angela Magno, eight months pregnant and diabetic, found that only one thing could take her mind off the coronavirus pandemic. With a bottle of Pine-Sol and a bucket of hot water, she repeatedly cleaned her home: wiping baseboards and handrails, washing walls and mopping floors.

"I was petrified," said Magno, a school clerk in Bakersfield, California, whose daughter Madelyn was born safely on April 7. "What if I got it? What if I gave it to the baby?"

As if being pregnant weren't enough all by itself to make you nervous, covid-19 has raised a brood of scary new questions. Experts acknowledge there are still enough unknowns about the virus and its impact on pregnancy to keep expectant mothers - and their doctors - up at night.

"We are operating in a data-free zone," said Yalda Afshar, an obstetrician and gynecologist at UCLA Health in Los Angeles. "People are appropriately scared because when we can't counsel them with good evidence-backed data the unknowns are very intimidating."

U.S. doctors have been relying to date on small studies from China and hypotheses based on experience with other illnesses to inform their guidance to patients, Afshar said. But she and her multidisciplinary team of colleagues hope to change that in a hurry, as they compile a new national registry of pregnant women and new mothers who have tested positive or are being evaluated for covid-19.

They plan to follow the women and their babies for up to one year, culling data about symptoms and outcomes.

The response to their call for participants has been "incredibly humbling," Afshar said. Within three weeks of their launch, about 1,000 women have signed up for the Pregnancy Coronavirus Outcomes Registry (PRIORITY), coordinated through UCLA and the University of California, San Francisco (UCSF).

Normally, this kind of project can take a year or more to start providing data, Afshar said, but her team intends to start announcing findings this spring to help doctors coping with the void.

While awaiting more certainty, researchers and front-line obstetricians have been advising patients as best they can and adapting policies as new evidence emerges. Several paused to respond to some of the most frequent questions they are hearing from worried pregnant women.

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What can I do to protect myself and my baby while I'm pregnant?

Major national health organizations advise that pregnant women take the same precautions as everyone else. The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG) says you should:

Avoid anyone who is sick.

Stay home as much as possible.

Stay at least six feet away from other people.

Frequently wash your hands with soap and water, for at least 20 seconds.

If you cannot wash, use a hand sanitizer containing at least 60% alcohol.

Avoid touching your eyes, nose and mouth.

As of April 3, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has been advising that everyone, including pregnant women, also cover their nose and mouth in public with a cloth face mask.

In New York, Silvana Vergara, who is 22 weeks pregnant, said she and her husband took every precaution - working from home, avoiding public transportation and wearing gloves and masks - yet both still caught the virus. Coughing "24/7" and short of breath, she said she called the emergency room at her hospital but was informed that they didn't have any tests. It was only after she made a second call to the same hospital's maternity ward that she was told to come in, was tested and was also reassured. "I just want everyone to know how contagious this is and how unprepared our medical system is," she said.

While pregnant women have no special tools to fight the virus, they may reap extra benefits from being more vigilant, since doing so also protects them from influenza and other contagious diseases.

"The quarantine is kind of working out for me," said Sharon Devendorf, a Dallas marketing consultant who is 37 weeks pregnant. Disappointed that she had to host her 42 baby shower guests on Zoom instead of in person, Devendorf said she was also grateful for having to shelter at home earlier than planned, thus avoiding co-workers who might be ill, adding: "As it was, I was worried about every little cough or sneeze."

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Does being pregnant put me at more risk of complications from covid-19?

There's some encouraging news on this front. Pregnant women are unlikely to suffer more severe effects than anyone else from covid-19, according to an April 9 study in the American Journal of Obstetrics & Gynecology MFM. The report involves the largest U.S. sample of its kind to date, with researchers having observed 43 pregnant women diagnosed with covid-19 at two New York hospitals. The breakdown of the severity of the cases closely resembled the pattern for patients who are not pregnant, with 86% of cases being mild and only 14% severe or critical.

Still, that's no reason to throw away the masks, particularly since other research suggests that pregnant women hospitalized for severe or critical cases of respiratory illnesses including covid-19 infection may be at greater risk of pregnancy complications. A new meta-analysis combining a variety of studies of the severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS), the Middle East respiratory syndrome (MERS), and different types of coronavirus infections among pregnant women suggested that in severe cases, most of which included pneumonia, these illnesses can cause greater risks of pre-term births, preclampsia, C-sections and perinatal death.

- - -

What should I do if I get covid-19 while pregnant?

Once again, major U.S. health organizations offer no separate guidance for pregnant women other than to stay in close touch with their doctors. The CDC guidelines for anyone infected with the virus say you should:

Stay home except to get essential medical care.

Avoid public transportation.

Consult with your health-care team by phone before going to the office.

Get care right away if you feel worse.

Separate yourself from other people in your home.

Wear a face mask whenever you are with other people.

- - -

If I do get the virus while pregnant, will I give it to my baby?

Mother-to-child transmission of coronavirus during pregnancy is unlikely, according to the CDC. The virus has not been detected in amniotic fluid, and none of the babies in the recent New York study tested positive immediately after birth.

Doctors had worried about reports that some babies in China had tested positive for the virus shortly after birth, yet it is still unclear when those babies became ill, said Neil Silverman, an expert on obstetric infectious diseases at the David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA. In this case, experience with other illnesses is promising.

"As a respiratory disease, the coronavirus is different than HIV and hepatitis B, both of which carry risks of high levels of virus in the mother's bloodstream that can pass the infection from the mother to the baby," Silverman said. He added that a "big takeaway" from the latest information is that "there is no evidence of direct fetal infection or birth defect due to this virus."

- - -

Should I see my doctor less often while I'm pregnant?

Delivering babies is still considered an essential service - but yes, experts say that as long as you and your future offspring are in good health, you can and should - for the time being at least - skip several of the conventional once-a-month in-person appointments, keeping in touch with your doctor instead by phone and online. This will minimize your risk of catching the virus.

"During the covid-19 pandemic, we're advising women with low-risk pregnancies to come in at about 12, 20, 28 and 36 weeks," said Vincenzo Berghella, director of the Maternal-Fetal Medicine division at Thomas Jefferson University in Philadelphia and editor in chief of the American Journal of Obstetrics & Gynecology MFM.

"Pretty much every one of our obstetrical provider colleagues has dramatically decreased the amount of in-person prenatal care visits," Berghella said.

Afshar, at UCLA, said many doctors' offices throughout the country have come up with new protocols to protect expectant mothers' health.

"We ask women to come by themselves to the prenatal visits, and we check their temperatures when they arrive," she said. "We also space out visits and let them wait in their cars until we call them in, so they don't have to wait in the waiting rooms."

For pregnant women without access to a primary health-care provider, Planned Parenthood, which offers prenatal care up to but not including delivery, recently announced it is expanding telehealth services to all 50 states.

- - -

Wouldn't it be safer to give birth at home?

No, warns the ACOG, which notably is not an indifferent party. Even when not amid a pandemic, the safest place to give birth is in a hospital or hospital-based birth center or accredited free-standing birth center, where professionals and appropriate technology are available in case anything goes awry, the organization says.

International studies have found that home births with professional midwives can be just as safe as hospital births for women with low-risk pregnancies - meaning, among other things, no high blood pressure, diabetes, or previous C-sections. Still, those conditions often don't apply to the estimated one-fourth of all home births that are unplanned.

Research promoted by the ACOG has found that giving birth at home is linked to a twofold risk of perinatal death and threefold increased risk of neonatal seizures or "serious neurological dysfunction."

Other research suggests that many women who plan to give birth at home still end up in the hospital. One meta-analysis found that between roughly 10 and 32% of women attempting home births are hospitalized due to reasons including postpartum bleeding and fetal distress. What's more, giving birth at home can be more painful, without top-of-the-line anesthesia, and may be more expensive because insurance plans may not cover it.

The total number of U.S. home births is still small - just about 35,000 per year, or less than 1%, but it has been rising in recent years. The pandemic could offer an additional boost, as advocates argue that home births could help protect low-risk mothers and babies and relieve the stress on hospitals crowded with covid-19 patients. ACOG advises that any women considering giving birth at home should first talk to their OB/GYN about the risks and benefits.

- - -

What about a C-section?

Not unless it's medically justified, says the World Health Organization. And testing positive for covid-19 isn't by itself a justification.

Silverman said a C-section might be unavoidable for a pregnant woman who was so severely ill that she required mechanical ventilation. But offering a C-section to try to minimize the chance of an infection was not a good idea, he said, adding that it often required a longer hospital stay for the mother.

- - -

Should I consider induced labor?

ACOG guidelines say that women can be induced artificially, with hormones or other treatment, for nonmedical reasons after 39 weeks, one week short of a normal term. This question might arise for women who live far away from a hospital - or who want to have their babies and leave before an expected surge of women testing positive for the virus. But the ACOG warns that inductions carry risks that include infecting the mother and fetus, rupturing the uterus and making a C-section more likely.

Doctors who have debated the question say elective induced labor at 39 weeks can be a safe option for healthy women, and many insurance plans will cover it.

- - -

Can I have a support person with me during my labor?

In the first panicked weeks of the pandemic, some hospitals barred all visitors from delivery rooms, infuriating many parents-to-be.

That harsh rule has since been overturned. Magno, who gave birth at the UCLA medical center, said her baby's father could stay with her during the delivery, although he had to leave two hours later. Some variant of that limit is now standard practice for many hospitals, said Silverman at UCLA. Women are limited to just one support person, be it a spouse, relative, friend or doula, who will be given a mask and told to stay in the room for the duration - no pacing the corridors. In most cases, hospitals also will not allow postpartum visitors.

At UCLA and elsewhere, Afshar said hospitals are trying to soften the effect of their newly strict rules by having nurses spend more time with the expectant mothers and by discharging patients sooner than normal, providing they are stable.

- - -

How can I feel safe while giving birth in a hospital crowded with coronavirus patients?

Hospital directors throughout the country have been working overtime on this question, even while coping with the notorious shortages of diagnostic tests and personal protective equipment (PPE) for providers, Silverman said.

"For deliveries, we have always worn standard surgical masks, face shields and gloves," he said. "What's a little different now is that everyone in the hospital is wearing standard surgical masks." At the UCLA hospital and many other facilities, expectant women enter the hospital through a door far away from the emergency entrance and are immediately given a mask to wear.

At Sibley Memorial Hospital in Washington, maternity patients enter through the front door, avoiding the emergency room, and they must then be buzzed through to the labor and delivery unit, said Constance Bohon, an obstetrician-gynecologist in the District. Bohon said all obstetric patients are masked until their covid-19 test results are available, typically within two to four hours. All providers and staff in labor and delivery units wear masks at all times, and both masks and face shields are used by anyone within six feet of the patient when she is in the active stage of labor.

Many U.S. hospitals now require that all incoming patients have their temperatures taken and symptoms screened at the door.

As tests for the virus become more available and in more common use at metropolitan hospitals, some doctors urge they should be standard practice everywhere.

"This is a hot topic among hospitals now," said Char-Dong Hsu, chair of the Wayne State University Obstetrics and Gynecology Department in Detroit. Similarly to the population at large, as many as eight out of ten pregnant women who have covid-19 may be asymptomatic yet contagious, he noted, meaning they could pose an extra danger to other women and providers if they aren't identified.

- - -

How will my delivery be different if I have the virus?

Typically, hospitals now have special isolation rooms for women in labor who have tested positive for covid-19, Silverman said. Some are equipped with "negative pressure," meaning that the ventilation system is sealed off from the rest of the building.

Hospital policies vary throughout the country, but in some cases, due to the risk of infection for babies, new mothers testing positive for covid-19 may be separated from their newborns for up to two weeks, Silverman said, with the separation ending once the test comes back negative.

This too is controversial, given the many benefits of skin-to-skin contact between a mother and a newborn. The CDC says such separations should be made on a case-by-case basis, with input from both the mother and health-care providers. Factors that should be weighed include the likelihood of healthy breast-feeding and whether the newborn has tested positive (which would make separation unnecessary).

- - -

Should I breast-feed?

Yes, if you can, is the mainstream consensus. Breast milk is still the best source of nutrition for most infants, according to the CDC, and it helps protect against many illnesses. That initial close contact between mother and newborn also helps babies thrive.

If a mother has tested positive for covid-19, she doesn't need to worry about infecting her baby with her milk because research suggests the virus doesn't appear to be transmitted that way. But she will have to take special care during feedings, making sure she wears a mask and has washed her face and hands.

Many doctors are encouraging women to buy a breast pump, which is covered by most insurance plans, and it can be used if the mother tests positive for the virus and needs to limit contact. Expressing breast milk also helps establish breast-feeding and maintains your supply.

- - -

Besides deep-cleaning my house, what can I do with all this stress?

"Stress and anxiety in general is never good for anyone, and all of us are feeling it to varying degrees right now," Silverman said. While stress doesn't appear to increase complications such as hypertension, he said, he is encouraging his patients with histories of anxiety to consider counseling and advising them that the majority of anti-anxiety medications and antidepressants can be taken safely during pregnancy.

The ACOG website includes a breathing exercise for expectant mothers coping with stress: Breathe in for 4 seconds, hold for 7 seconds, and breathe out for 8 seconds. Repeat three times.

It's something that may come in handy again over the next 20 or 30 years.

- - -

Ellison is the author, among other books, of The Mommy Brain: How Motherhood Makes You Smarter."
A 36-year-old North Carolina man was shot and killed Friday afternoon in Newark, authorities said.

Khalif T. Ransom, of Durham, was found on the 200 block of West Runyon Street and pronounced dead at about 3:40 p.m., the Essex County Prosecutors Office said early Sunday.

No arrests have been made as the investigation continues.

Ransom was the second person to be shot and killed in the city in as many days and the third of the week. A 17-year-old from Newark was shot Thursday afternoon on the 300 block of 14th Avenue. He was pronounced dead minutes later at University Hospital.

On Easter Sunday, a 30-year-old Paterson man was gunned down on the 900 block of Frelinghuysen Avenue.

Anyone with information about any of the shootings is asked to contact the Essex County Prosecutors Office tips line at 1-877-847-7432. Calls will be kept confidential.

Jeff Goldman may be reached at jeff_goldman@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @JeffSGoldman. Find NJ.com on Facebook.

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GURUGRAM, India, April 20, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- VVDN Technologies, a leading premier product engineering, cloud and manufacturing company, announced the opening of its 10 Acre Global Innovation Park at Manesar, Gurugram, India. This announcement comes as a part of the company's plan to further strengthen its engineering service offerings and increasing its manufacturing capacity by adding to the infrastructure.

VVDN's new Global Innovation Park at Manesar is spread over 10 acres. This large campus has a planned capacity of approximately 100,000 employees and will be operational by the middle of May, 2020. The new campus facility, part of the previously announced expansion plan to dramatically increase capacity for the manufacturing of next generation technology solutions, will be a bigger world class factory with a greater production output.

The Global Innovation Park currently houses the following:

VVDN Production Hub : Aimed to increase the quality and capacity of its global electronic product manufacturing, VVDN's new facility is equipped with world class SMT, Product assembly areas, ISO Class 6 and 8 Clean Room, as well as Testing and Validation Infrastructure

: Aimed to increase the quality and capacity of its global electronic product manufacturing, VVDN's new facility is equipped with world class SMT, Product assembly areas, ISO Class 6 and 8 Clean Room, as well as Testing and Validation Infrastructure VVDN Experience Center : Dedicated to VVDN's history as well as innovative solutions designed, developed and manufactured by the company to engage customers and partners

: Dedicated to VVDN's history as well as innovative solutions designed, developed and manufactured by the company to engage customers and partners VVDN R&D and Testing Lab: Next generation innovation R&D and Testing lab to promote agile product development and support global clients in their digital transformation journey

Today, VVDN produces a wide range of innovative versatile solutions such as Trackers, Dashcams, Cameras, Wi-Fi Access Points and 5G equipment. With this new campus, VVDN has strengthened its manufacturing position in India by being one of the leading ODMs, which can serve the global customer's needs of electronic manufacturing of innovative solutions.

Reflecting on the growth and continued investment Bhupender Saharan, CEO, said, "VVDN's growth is a landmark of a unique transformation in the company's history. VVDN launching a major global expansion of its manufacturing efforts in India, underscores the company's commitment to be India's Premier ODM company catering to both the domestic and global market's needs."

Saharan continued, "This manufacturing expansion has occurred at a unique time when the world is looking for manufacturing alternatives, and VVDN is now determined to offer its global customers a world class manufacturing capability with an excellent quality level. The electronics manufacturing world is rapidly evolving and VVDN is ready to meet the needs of the new normal of the world with its advanced and sustainable infrastructure, capacity and manpower."

About VVDN

VVDN is a Product Engineering & Manufacturing company focused on designing & manufacturing end-to-end products across several technology vertical markets (5G, Data Center, Vision, Networking, Wi-Fi, IoT, Defense, Cloud & Apps). VVDN's India HQ is located at Gurgaon, India and its North America HQ's is located in San Jose, CA, USA. VVDN serves global customers across several regions including US, Canada, Europe, India, Vietnam, Korea and Japan. VVDN's business model includes Product Engineering Services and ODM Services.

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Contact:

Anushree Mittal

anushree.mittal@vvdntech.in

+91-9619903712
A man has been shot dead after allegedly threatening officers with a meat tenderiser and a hammer at Rockdale in Sydney's south.

Police say they were called on Sunday night when a 51-year-old man made a threatening phone call to someone from his Brighton-Le-Sands home.

On arriving at the man's home, officers could not locate him and began a search. Police eventually tracked the man via his phone to Bay Street in Rockdale just before midnight, where they began a search for him in nearby bush land.

Police say when the man was located, he lunged at officers, who then attempted to Taser him. Police then fired a single shot into the man's chest.
OTTAWAIts the question weve all been asking.

When can life in Canada return to something resembling normal?

Public health experts have been categorical: countries should not stop social distancing and self-isolation until they can conduct widespread testing for COVID-19. Another key component is improved contact tracing, the practice of identifying infected Canadians and tracking back to others who they may have interacted with.

Its unlikely governments will allow most citizens to be phased back to public life until those measures are in place and working. And both are areas where provincial and local health officials have struggled to keep up with the pace of the pandemics spread.

How soon the lockdown is lifted may depend on how quickly governments can build capacity in these two areas.

Contact tracing

Some countries have employed aggressive  and invasive  methods of tracking their citizens contacts, including the use of cellphone location data. The idea is if you can identify those who came in contact with the virus, you can directly intervene  warn them to self-isolate and target your testing.

As of Friday afternoon, 36,000 volunteers had signed up to a federal program to support provinces and territories with contact tracing efforts.

(Provinces and territories) have identified contact tracing and case recording as areas where they require assistance, wrote Natalie Mohamed, a spokesperson for Health Canada, in a statement on Friday.

As needs evolve, support in other areas requiring assistance will be provided.

The federal minister of science and industry, Navdeep Bains, said that the federal government is already talking with companies promising technological solutions for contact tracing.

Were looking at other jurisdictions, we want to make sure that if we are moving forward in that area that we also deal with issues with respect to privacy in a meaningful way, Bains told a press conference in Ottawa.

Its still early stages, and weve been engaged with a robust group of people across the country that are working on some early stage technology projects, but we havent made any final determination in terms of what we want to support and move forward with.

Contact tracing has been employed by some countries in order to limit the spread of COVID-19. In a handful of Asian countries, the practice has been a marriage between tech  such as an app that uses Bluetooth technology to measure the distance between people and track contacts  and a level of government intrusion Canadians arent used to.

But the use of cellphone data has raised privacy concerns in democratic states.

The federal privacy commissioner, Daniel Therrien, told the Star Friday that while citizens might be more accepting of invasive methods of surveillance during a crisis, those exceptional measures should be limited to the crisis.

Privacy is not an impediment to saving lives, Therrien said.

Even though were applying what were calling a flexible and contextual approach to the interpretation of privacy laws, the context does not said aside privacy altogether.

Therriens office released a framework for governments on respecting privacy rights despite provincial declarations of emergencies and the interest in surveillance to combat COVID-19.

It includes making sure proposed policies have a clear legal basis, that theyre necessary and proportionate, and to have a time limit for exceptional measures, with the collected data being destroyed when the pandemic passes.

Some tech companies are already turning to the next set of questions facing the government after the peak of COVID-19s first wave recedes in Canada  how to safely get people back into public spaces.

Leah Hanvey, the business development manager at Urban Logiq, said the company is working with municipal and provincial governments to combine government-held data with publicly-available information to map out a post-pandemic plan.

While most attention has been focused on government collecting cellphone data like locations visited and contacts, Hanveys company is looking at things like traffic patterns to map out what a recovery could look like.

Urban Logiq is currently in talks with the B.C. government to provide analysis of mapping data  how people move around cities like Vancouver or Surrey  to inform plans on how to re-introduce citizens to spaces outside their homes.

The conversation has moved decidedly to recovery, Hanvey, a former federal Liberal staffer, said in an interview.

Widespread testing

Testing has been the topic of much debate throughout the COVID-19 battle and some argue a national consensus is needed before strict public health measures can be eased.

Each province and territory seems to define widespread testing in different ways  each employs its own testing strategies targeting certain high-risk populations, such as front-line health workers and residents of long-term care facilities.

Reporting of test results is also not uniform; for example, Alberta reports both the number of samples collected and persons tested, whereas Ontario this week switched from reporting the number of patients tested to simply the number of samples tested.

Experts agree more testing is required. But some argue that no feasible amount of testing of the population at large would be widespread enough.

Testing everyone is an unrealistic goal, said University of Montreal epidemiology professor Jack Siemiatycki.

Siemiatycki and others say there may be another solution: random sampling that is representative of the Canadian population on a national and regional basis.

The approach, akin to scientific polling, could give a more accurate assessment of COVID-19 infections and help offset shortages of testing equipment.

It would actually take very few tests per day to provide a quite accurate estimate of the prevalence of the virus infection in Ontario, and its trajectory over time, Siemiatycki said. If the authorities choose a representative sample of about 100 to 400 people in total  and I think this should be initially limited to residents of the urban centres in which current testing procedures are conducted  and if this were repeated with a new sample every day for as long as the epidemic lasts in Ontario, then we would have an excellent estimate of the extent of the epidemic and its trajectory over time.

Siemiatycki added that the widely published daily counts of confirmed cases, deaths and hospitalizations are vulnerable to all kinds of biases and distortions.

The number of cases that are confirmed is just a function of how many test kits there are in the country or province, he said, adding that varying criteria among provinces for testing can also make the data problematic, as well as the fact that the criteria change frequently.

In some places you have to be deadly sick to get tested. In other places, mild symptoms can get you tested, he said. So those counts are pretty useless actually for this purpose.

Colin Furness, an infection control epidemiologist at the University of Toronto, said testing strategy is whats important, rather than the sheer number of tests. Furness said jurisdictions like Ontario appear to design their testing approach around those who show virus symptoms even while a segment of the infected population shows none.

The single-minded focus on a number of tests without articulating a strategy to combat asymptomatic transmission is a problem, Furness said.

The appropriate strategy for asymptomatic spread is to target those who are most likely to get (or be) infected, based on sheer amount of contact with people (such as grocery store clerks) and those who have contact with vulnerable populations (such as long-term care staff and homeless support workers), he continued, adding he would test these kinds of workers frequently, as often as every other day.
In context: In 2014, Twitter sued the US Department of Justice for forcing them to conceal everything the government asks them about. On Friday, District Judge Yvonne Gonzalez Rogers dismissed their lawsuit on the ground that all information relates directly to national security.

Seven years ago, NSA contractor and CIA employee Edward Snowden exposed the US governments extensive surveillance programs, which involve information taken from social media sites. Requests for information are known to involve things like private conversations and location data but could reasonably extend to full-blown psychological profiles built on social media data.

Twitter hasnt outright objected to these practices  which is understandable, given they can be important to preventing serious crime  but they have fought for transparency since Snowden. Their first goal was to reveal the number of information requests the government makes or a general categorization of the volume, under a Draft Transparency Report.

Even this simple request has been dismissed, on the grounds that such action would be likely to lead to grave or imminent harm to the national security, according to the judge. Her decision was reportedly based on confidential declarations from senior officials. It was ultimately unsurprising, as Twitters legal argument was premised on their right to free speech, which, justifiably or otherwise, is often disregarded when national security is leveled at it.

Twitter says they will continue to fight for transparency, but havent specified what that means. The dismissal was ruled in the District Court for Northern California, so perhaps they can appeal the decision, or approach from a new angle in a national court. Meanwhile, stick to encrypted messaging services like Telegram or secured networks like Tor for illegal business (thats a joke).

Image credit: Claudio Schwarz
A California doctor has been charged with fraud for allegedly selling "Covid-19 Treatment Packs" he claimed could be a "miracle cure" for people who contract the novel virus.

Jennings Ryan Staley, 44, of San Diego, who runs Skinny Beach Med Spa, was arrested on Thursday for mail fraud, according to the United States Attorney's Office for the Southern District of California.

The FBI received a tip about the treatment packs being sold by the med spa after the business sent emails advertising them in March, and the doctor allegedly tried to sell one to an undercover agent.

The treatment packs included medications like hydroxychloroquine and azithromycin, which have been boasted by the likes of the president to potentially treat the coronavirus.

Health experts have warned sufficient evidence is still not available on the benefits the drug combination could have for Covid-19 patients. The drug combo has a known side effect of causing heart arrhythmias in some patients.

Also included with the treatment pack was access to Dr Staley for any 'anti-anxiety treatments' that would help buyers avoid panic during the pandemic. These packs retailed at $3,995 for a family of four.

When speaking to the undercover FBI agent, Dr Staley allegedly described the medication as a "miracle cure" that would cure "100 per cent" of the novel virus.

"You're immune for at least six weeks," he claimed. The medication was also referred to as a "magic bullet".

"If I'm hearing you right, if I buy these kits from you, then that's going to pretty much guarantee that neither my kids, my dad, my wife, any of us get sick, and if we are, it's going to cure us right?" the doctor was asked by the agent on a phone call, according to the criminal complaint obtained by BuzzFeed News.

Dr Stanley said he "guaranteed" the agent's family would not get sick.

"We will not tolerate Covid-19 fraudsters who try to profit and take advantage of the pandemic fear to cheat, steal and harm others," US Attorney Robert Brewer, Jr. said. "Rest assured: those who engage in this despicable conduct will find themselves in the crosshairs of federal prosecutors."

The man has since denied he made any of those guarantees when speaking to the undercover agent.

Deputy Attorney Rob Huie called the doctor a danger to the public during the initial hearing, which was held over the phone. He asked for $100,000 surety bond for the doctor to remain free during this time

Dr Staley's lawyer Patrick Griffin has said the situation has been "a bit sensationalised" and his client was not a threat to the public. Also the lawyer said the doctor acquired the drugs he's accused of selling from a pharmacy.

"Our case is not about the doctor touting drugs," Mr Huie told the New York Times. "It's not about whether drugs are good or bad, it's about him telling patients, telling would-be customers, in an effort to sell his services, that what he's offering is a 100 percent cure and it confers temporary immunity."

If charged, Dr Staley could face up to 20 years in prison.
(Natural News) The coronavirus continues to devastate the world. The latest tally from Johns Hopkins University reveals that the global caseload is now past 2.1 million, four months after it was first detected in the Chinese city of Wuhan.

According to Beijings official timeline, however, the last part of that sentence should be revised to late December 2019, after which it shared the results to the World Health Organization as it attempts to rewrite the coronavirus narrative. The government has been aggressively pushing its mask diplomacy strategy in Eastern Europe, with leaders from Serbia, Hungary and the Czech Republic heaping praises on China.

Wheres Waldo, the whistleblower edition

Back home, authorities are still hard at work, silencing whistleblowers or, like what happened with Dr. Li Wenliang, spinning the narrative in their favor. On April 2, the Chinese Communist Party named Li  the whistleblower doctor who sounded the alarm on coronavirus before dying from the disease in February  a martyr, the highest honor the party can confer on a citizen who died working to serve China.

The same cant be said for two other whistleblowers, who also exposed the gaps in Beijings response to the coronavirus outbreak, and remain missing to this day.

Chen Qiushi and Fang Bin vanished from the public sight in February after uploading videos that showed the situation in Wuhan. Another whistleblowing doctor, Ai Fen, was noted to be unreachable from March 29, but has since been confirmed to be working again at Wuhan Hospital this weekend.

According to Pierre Haski, president of Reporters Without Borders, while the information of the current whereabouts of the two is very limited, he is certain that they are in the hands of the Chinese authorities.

Chen, a human rights lawyer and a citizen journalist, arrived at Wuhan on Jan. 24, a day after the city was placed on lockdown. In Wuhan, he captured footage of overflowing hospitals, funeral homes and isolation wards, offering a glimpse into the grim reality of the pandemics epicenter.



By Feb. 6, Chens Weibo account had been deleted and his parents had been notified by authorities he had been put in quarantine, despite being in good health. He hasnt been seen since.

Who can tell us where and how Chen Qiushi is now? When will anyone get to speak with him again? Chen Qiushi has been out of contact for 69 days after covering coronavirus in Wuhan. Please save him!!!@POTUS@Mike_Pence@SecPompeo@marcorubio#FindQiushi https://t.co/nyKyjGyLKV   (@chenqiushi404) April 16, 2020

Bin, a clothing store manager from Wuhan, went missing on Feb. 9. Before he vanished, he posted a series of videos that showed piles of dead bodies found in front of or inside a city hospital. His last video showed men in protective suits knocking on his door to measure his body temperature. In the video, Bin was shown trying to fend off authorities by saying that his temperature was normal. (Related: If you film dead bodies in China, the police will arrive at your front door and arrest you total censorship, total cover-up of coronavirus outbreak.)

His family remains, to this day, without news, Haski said.

Extra checks, approvals in place for coronavirus research

In addition, the Chinese government has imposed new restrictions on scientists looking to study how COVID-19 originated. Experts believe this is another attempt to control the narrative when it comes to the global pandemic. Under the new guidelines, all papers that explore the origins of the coronavirus will be subject to extra vetting and should be approved by the government.

Prior to the new directive, Chinese researchers had already published studies criticizing the governments initial action of the crisis.

In an interview with CNN, a researcher, who wished to remain anonymous for fear of government reprisal, accused the government of trying to control [the] narrative and paint it as if the outbreak did not originate in China.

The instructions were first published on Fudan Universitys website before it was taken down. A similar notice also appeared on the pages of the China University of Geoscience, which was also deleted.

Learn more about the ongoing coronavirus pandemic at Pandemic.news.

Sources include:

Brighteon.com

Coronavirus.JHU.edu

VOANews.com

APNews.com

BusinessInsider.com

Mirror.co.uk

Edition.CNN.com

Twitter.com
The Oyo State Government says it has concluded arrangements for local production of one million face masks for the people of the state even as it confirmed another case of coronavirus in the state on Saturday.

Governor Seyi Makinde announced the developments in Ibadan, the state capital on Saturday.

The government wants to introduce compulsory use of face masks in public in a state with a population of 5,580,894, according to the 2006 population census.

Mr Makinde said the new confirmed case is a medical doctor at the University College Hospital (UCH) Ibadan.

In a related development, the UCH said the Chairman of its Board of Management, Ibrahim Shettima, has tested negative to the disease, three weeks after earlier testing positive.

Mr Makinde said the medical doctor has been taken into isolation while contact tracing has commenced in respect of the case.

Oyo State now has eight active cases of coronavirus.

Mr Makinde said the state government would commission 100 tailors to produce the one million face masks.

As I stated in an earlier interview, one of the measures we considered to prevent, contain and control the spread of COVID-19 in Oyo State is the compulsory use of face masks in the public. We reached a decision to implement this measure. What we are saying is, if you must leave your house and come to any public place, you must wear face mask.

We know that we are in a very tough economic environment right now. So, what Oyo State government wants to do is to produce an initial one million face masks to kick start masks in public place policy in Oyo State. What we have also done is to link up with the artisans; 100 of the tailors will be commissioned by Monday, 20th of April, to make 10,000 face masks each.

We are collaborating with experts who have already designed these face masks to train the tailors on how to make them. They will also employ some more tailors to join them so that they can, on a daily basis, produce 2,000 face masks, so that within the week, they can hit the 10,000 target.

The governor said the ongoing massive Drive-Through/Walk-Through Testing at the Lekan Salami Stadium, Adamasingba, Ibadan, was already yielding results. He said the test would provide the state government a scientific base to understand the behaviour of the virus in the state.

He said that with four new cases confirmed from the tests, the state would be in a position to understand the pattern of the virus and come up with matching measures to contain it.

Mr Makinde also announced a postponement by one week of the resumption of workers at the state secretariat from April 20 to April 27.

On the new confirmed case, he said: The COVID-19 confirmation test for one suspected case, a doctor at the University College Hospital, Ibadan, came back POSITIVE, today. Isolation and contact tracing have commenced. So, there are currently eight active cases in Oyo State.

We invite the following categories of people who have not already done so, to register with the Emergency Operations Centre on 08095394000 / 08095863000 / 08078288999 / 08078288800, for the ongoing drive through/walk through testing at Adamasingba Stadium;

People who believe they could have come into contact with a COVID-19 case in Oyo State; People who returned to Nigeria from abroad within the last one month and their contacts;

Please, keep following the directives of the Oyo State COVID-19 Task Force. Wash your hands with soap and water or use an alcohol-based hand sanitizer, regularly. Also, continue to maintain social distancing. Gatherings in Oyo State are limited to a maximum of 10 persons.

Meanwhile, the Chairman of the Board of Management of UCH, Mr Shettima, was on Sunday confirmed to have tested negative for coronavirus, three weeks after he tested positive.

Following his earlier test result, Mr Shettima was quarantined for three weeks.

But the spokesperson of the hospital, Toye Akinrinlola, on Sunday, announced that two further tests on Mr Shettima have returned negative.

I have the pleasure to announce that after three weeks of being in quarantine, the Chairman of the Board of Management of the University College Hospital (UCH) , Ibadan, Alhaji Shettima Ibrahim Bako Bagudu has tested negative to the coronavirus (COVID 19), Mr Akinrinlola said in a statement.

Two tests were carried out on him and both returned negative. With this, he now has a clean bill of health.

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The Chairman, Alhaji Shettima has urged Nigerians to observe the guidelines laid down by the World Health Organization (WHO) and the National Centre for Disease Control (NCDC).

He thanked the UCH community for their support and encouragement during the trying period. He also expressed his appreciation to the CMD, Professor Jesse Otegbayo, the Management of the Hospital and all the medical personnel that attended to him while on the quarantine.

Premium Times reported that some officials of the hospital, including the Chief Medical Director, Jesse Otegbayo, who had earlier tested positive, had their status reversed a few days afterwards.
White House trade adviser Peter Navarro listens to a news conference about a presidential executive order relating to military veterans outside of the West Wing of the White House in Washington on March 4, 2019. (Leah Millis/Reuters)

Peter Navarro: China Is Hoarding Masks, Equipment During Pandemic

White House trade adviser Peter Navarro said the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) has hoarded personal protective equipment (PPE) and is profiting from the pandemic.

First of all, the virus was spawned in China. Second of all, they hid the virus behind the shield of the World Health Organization (WHO). The third thing they did was basically hoard personal protective equipment and now theyre profiteering from it, Navarro said in an interview with Fox News on Sunday.

U.S. exports of surgical masks, ventilators, and other medical equipment to China increased dramatically in January and February, according to a USA Today report. During that time, CCP officials were attempting to grapple with an outbreak centered in Wuhan, Hubei Province.

This was a time where that virus could have been contained in Wuhan, Navarro told Fox. Instead, 5 million Chinese people went out from Wuhan and propagated the virus around the world.

Medical staff wear protective clothing to protect against a CCP virus patient at the Wuhan Red Cross Hospital in Wuhan, China, on Jan. 25, 2020. (Hector Retamal/AFP via Getty Images)

The CCP, he said, swayed the WHO in an attempt to cover up the virus from the rest of the world. At the same time, China became a net importer of PPE despite being the largest producer of PPE in the world, he said.

During that period of time, that six-week interval when they were hiding this virus from the world, China went from a net exporter of personal protective equipment, they are the largest producer of that in the world, to a large net importer, Navarro said. They basically went around and vacuumed up virtually all of the PPE around the world, including a lot from this country, which was for humanitarian reasons sharing our PPE with them, and what that did was leave people in New York, Milan, and everywhere in-between defenseless when it came time to have that PPE.

Masks made in China that are normally sold for 50 cents are now being sold to hospitals here in America for as much as $8, Navarro said.

China is sitting on that hoard of PPE where it cornered the market and is profiteering, he added.

A worker producing protective masks at a factory in Handan city, Hebei province, China, on Feb. 28, 2020. (Str/AFP via Getty Images)

Navarros Sunday remarks follow a pattern of comments that were made by senior administration officials, including President Donald Trump himself, suggesting that the Chinese regime has covered up the scope of the outbreak.

Was it a mistake that got out of control? Or was it done deliberately? In either event, they should have let us go in, Trump said of China during a Saturday press briefing. We asked to go in very early and they would not let us in, he added.

At the onset of the outbreak, either the CCP or WHO knew about human-to-human transmission of the CCP virus, a type of novel coronavirus that causes the disease COVID-19, in Wuhan before Chinese regime officials misled the world months ago when reporting that only animal-to-human transmission was occurring, said White House task force member Dr. Deborah Birx last week.

I think once this is over, well be able to look back and see, Did China and the WHO say and do everything to alert the rest of the world to the nuances of this virusbecause when it first explodes someone had to have known that there was human-to-human transmission, Birx told ABCs The View.

The United States isnt the only country questioning the CCPs response and transparency.

UK foreign secretary and acting Prime Minister Dominic Raab said the UKs relationship wont be business as usual once the pandemic subsides.
The move, expected to take place in early May by Heritage Movers, will place the church building onto a new foundation adjacent to a recently constructed facility that is already home to offices, classrooms, meeting space and a kitchen. If all goes as planned, and the COVID-19 coronavirus pandemic has flattened and allows for group gatherings, the first service could take place there sometime in August.

Two Sunday services and two Wednesday Lenten services were held in the new fellowship hall after the church building was closed to prepare it for the move but since mid -March, services, including Easter, have been online affairs for Pastor Robert Neubert and his 250 members.

Its frustrating when you cant have personal contact with your congregants, said Neubert, who has been leading the Evangelical Lutheran Church of America congregation for the past five years. Being a smaller church, were big on community.
Police have charged a woman following an alleged assault in a busy CBD street.

Police say two female international students were walking along Elizabeth Street about 5.30pm on Wednesday when they were confronted by a group including two women in their 20s and a male.

The students were told to "go back to China" and were taunted about coronavirus.

The 18 and 20-year-old Melbourne University students responded to the taunt and were then attacked by one of the women from the group

A 21-year-old Melbourne woman has been charged with recklessly cause injury and commit indictable offence while on bail.
Five Afghan schoolgirls are spending their days on a lifesaving mission to build a ventilator from car parts as the war-stricken country battles coronavirus.

Nearly every morning, Somaya Farooqi and four other members of Afghanistans prize-winning girls robotics team pile into her fathers car and head to a mechanics workshop.

They use back roads to avoid police checkpoints set up to enforce a lockdown in their city of Herat, one of Afghanistans hotspots of the coronavirus pandemic.

If we even save one life with our device, we will be proud, said 17-year-old Somaya.

Their pursuit is particularly remarkable in conservative Afghanistan. Only a generation ago, during the rule of the Islamic fundamentalist Taliban in the late 1990s, girls were not allowed to go to school, and Somayas own mother was pulled out of classes at a young age.

After the US invasion of Afghanistan in 2001, girls returned to schools, but gaining equal rights remains a struggle.

The girls are developing two types of ventilator device using car parts (Hamed Safarazi/AP)

Somaya is undaunted. We are the new generation, she said in a phone interview. We fight and work for people. Girl and boy, it does not matter anymore.

Afghanistan faces the pandemic nearly empty-handed. It has only 400 ventilators for a population of more than 36.6 million. So far, it has reported just over 900 coronavirus cases, including 30 deaths, but the actual number is suspected to be much higher since test kits are in short supply.

The Herat province in western Afghanistan is one of the nations hotspots because of its proximity to Iran, the regions epicentre of the outbreak.

This has spurred Somaya and her team, aged 14 to 17, to help come up with a solution.

At their workshop, the team is experimenting with two designs, including an open-source blueprint from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.

The parts being used include the motor of a Toyota windshield wiper, batteries and sets of bag valve masks, or manual oxygen pumps. A group of mechanics helps them build the frame of a ventilator.

Story continues

The girls are all part of Afghanistans prize-winning girls robotics team (Hamed Sarfarazi/AP)

Daniela Rus, a professor at MIT, welcomed the teams initiative to develop the prototype. It will be excellent to see it tested and locally produced, she said.

Tech entrepreneur Roya Mahboob, who founded the team and raises funds to empower girls, said she hopes Somayas group will finish building a prototype by May or June. In all, the team has 15 members who work on various projects.

The ventilator model, once completed, would then be sent to the Health Ministry for testing, initially on animals, said spokesman Wahid Mayar.

Somaya, who was just 14 when she participated in the first World Robot Olympiad in the US in 2017, said she and her team members hope to make a contribution.

Afghans should be helping Afghanistan in this pandemic, she said. We should not wait for others.
Tripura minister



Ratan Lal Nath on Sunday said all students of Class 1 to 9 and 11 have been promoted to the next class and virtual classes started for state school students in view of the coronavirus pandemic.

Virtual classes for all students of the state schools up to higher secondary level started from Sunday in 14 local cable channels as all schools are closed due to COVID-19 pandemic, Nath said.

He said pre-recorded classes are already available in the 'Youtube' under the title of 'Tripura Shiksha Bandhu'.

"All examinations were conducted before announcement of the lockdown. Unless classes are started, the students would face problem, so we have decided to impart through apps and local TV channels. Regular classes in the schools would be start from May 4 after lockdown period", he told reporters at the civil secretariat.

District Officers (DEOs) and Inspector of Schools (IS) were asked to instruct the Headmasters and teachers to upload the result sheets through EmpowerU app by April 25 next, he added.

The minister said that the evaluation of answer sheets of classes 10 and 12 conducted by the Tripura Board of Secondary Education (TBSE) will start from April 24 at 13 centres here in Agartala where teachers will maintain social distancing while checking the answer sheets.

Nath said 22 general degree colleges and seven technical institutions had already started online classes and WhatsApp group has also been created on subjects and semester wise. If any student is willing to clear doubt, then he or she can call the teacher or email them.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
19.04.2020 LISTEN

South Koreans who are 19 years of age (legal age for voting) and above cast their ballots on Wednesday, April 15, 2020, starting at 6 am, in the country's parliamentary elections despite the ongoing coronavirus pandemic.

The Korean government decided to temporarily suspend the quarantine rules today in order to permit persons undergoing self-quarantine to also exercise their voting rights. Every single voter wearing mouth-nose covered masks would have their temperatures checked at the entrance of the poll station. Every electorate would also disinfect their hands with sanitizers and put on plastic gloves provided by the government to all electorates before casting ballots. To strictly ensure social distancing rules, voters would to stand at least 1 meter apart from others; such logistics Ghanas Electoral Commission (EC) ought to prepare and make available ahead of the December 7, 2020, general elections in Ghana.

In South Korea voting kicks off at 6 a.m. until 6 p.m. at all 14,330 polling stations across the nation, according to the National Election Commission (NEC) of Korea. The number of eligible voters in South Korea is also around 44 million out of the 51,259,914 million population of the country.

Also, did you know, that, South Korea holds the quadrennial parliamentary elections to fill their 300-seat unicameral National Assembly with 253 directly elected seats and 47 proportional representation slots? Yes, it is!

The country has gone ahead with the elections amid the Coronavirus pandemic because of its proactively-effective mass testing strategy in handling the outbreak since February, 2020, the massive and rapid testing and quarantine efforts glaringly slowed the spread of COVID-19. This has paved way for their citizens to freely exercise their sacred democratic rights even at a time that the rest of the world struggles in lockdown attempt to contain the situation.

It is very evidential, that, Koreans paid the price for it; the pain of discipline in abiding by the initial lockdown directives from the government, thus yielding todays positive outcomes.

It is my fervent hope that my fellow Ghanaian citizens take President Akuffo-Addos COVID-19 directives more seriously by staying home as declared in Ghana, for there will come a time (probably July ending) when the impact would be felt positively or negatively depending on how you the citizens abide by the declaration efforts of our President. Indeed, He is the right President at the right time but, how you adhere to his directives can porously undermine his globally touted leadership credentials in this fight. We ought to be more patriotic by exhibiting matured citizenship today than ever.

From the plethora above, the, December 7, 2020, general elections in Ghana could be held like its happening today in Korea only if we listen and adhere to all the declared measures while making logistical provisions for the citizens at the polls.

I again would appeal to our Ghana President, H.E. Nana Akuffo-Addo, and the government apparatus to get closer to Korea and tap into the reasons for the over 70% recovery cases in the country thus far; worthy of emulation with South Korea continuing to see a low amount of new COVID-19 infections.

South Korea now has a total of 10,564 cases with 7,368 recoveries as I pen down this article, Wednesday, Aril 15, 2020, for my beloved Ghana.

Fellow Ghanaians and friends of Ghana, lets keep social distancing, avoid unnecessary movements, wash hands with soap regularly, stay home, reach out for help through the appropriate designated emergency call lines, support one another and keep praying.

Elephant Regards from the land of the morning calm, South Korea. Yes, Ghana, we can also do it.

signed

Zinleri Richard

[email protected]

2020.04.16

About the author

He is a budding thought advocate, youth leader, political activist, writer, businessman and a former Human Resources Manager from Ghana, with the Local Government Service. Mr. Zinleri, is a native of Boo-Lawra in the Upper West region of Ghana, born and raised in Mamprobi-Dansoman, Accra, a proud old vandal, holds a B.A. in Political Science from the University of Ghana, M.A. in International Development Cooperation from the Yeungnam University in Korea and currently a Foreign trade liaison officer with Semyeong Trading Plaza and the NPP Branch Chairman in South Korea.
Logo of the Exxon Mobil Corp is seen at the Rio Oil and Gas Expo and Conference in Rio de Janeiro

PORT HARCOURT, Nigeria (Reuters) - Nigeria's Rivers State has quarantined 22 Exxon Mobil Corp. employees for violating an order introduced last month restricting movement into the state to curb the spread of the coronavirus, its governor said on Friday.

River State's capital Port Harcourt is the hub of the oil industry in Africa's biggest producer of crude.

"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," Governor Nyesom Wike said. "We do not know the coronavirus status of these individuals."

Wike said the workers were quarantined in line with relevant health protocols and will be charged in court. The state has recorded two cases of coronavirus so far.

Exxon Mobil said in a statement it was working with the Rivers State government to resolve the matter.

An oil workers union said Exxon staff coming into Port Harcourt on essential duty had been arrested and quarantined. It demanded the establishment of testing centres in Port Harcourt so oil workers going to rigs could be tested, rather than being held in quarantine for two weeks first.

On Monday, Nigeria extended lockdowns in Lagos, Abuja and Ogun State for an additional 14 days to combat the virus. The West African country has closed its air and land borders and imposed curbs on cargo vessels allowed to dock at its ports.

The number of cases has been rising in Nigeria, with 442 cases so far and 13 deaths.

Nigeria's petroleum regulator has ordered oil and gas companies to reduce their offshore workforce and move to 28-day staff rotations instead of the usual 14 days as part of measures to curb the spread of the coronavirus.

(Reporting by Tife Owolabi, Camillus Eboh and Libby George; Writing by Chijioke Ohuocha; Editing by David Clarke)
Indore, April 19 : A police inspector in Indore is the latest victim of coronavirus which has ravaged the commercial capital of Madhya Pradesh. Station Head Officer of Juni police station Devendra Kumar Chandravanshi died due to the virus on Saturday night.

Health officials said though Chandravanshi had tested positive but his last report came negative.

Harinarayanchari Mishra, the DIG of Indore range, told IANS, "Chandravanshi was suffering from Covid-19. But surprisingly his last report came negative. He was recovering well, but suddenly last night he fell ill again and died. " Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan expressed anguish over the death. He tweeted: "In the war against coronavirus, a member of Indore police team Devendra Kumar sacrificed his life. I pay my homage to him. I and the whole state is standing with his family members in this hour of crisis." The chief minister announced a compensation of RS 50 lakh to the family members and a government job to his wife.

Former state Congress president Arun Yadav also condoled Devendra Chandravanshi's death.

Coronavirus cases have been reported from 25 out of the 52 districts of Madhya Pradesh so far. Indore is the worst affected by the pandemic, 49 new cases were found on Saturday taking the number of cases to 891 in the city.

Latest updates on Coronavirus (COVID-19)




Good morning, Nigeria, welcome to Naija News roundup of top Newspaper Headlines in Nigeria for today Sunday, 19th April 2020.

Here Are The Major Nigerian Newspaper Headlines.

The Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) on Saturday, April 18 reported confirmed forty-nine new cases of novel Coronavirus. According to the report made available on the microblogging site account of the health sector, the new cases include 23 in Lagos, 12 in FCT, 10 in Kano, 2 in Ogun, 1 in Oyo, 1 in Ekiti.

Chief of Staff to President Muhammadu Buhari, Mallam Abba Kyari is dead. He was a powerful figure in President Buharis government. A native of Borno State in the northeast. Kyari was a journalist and former banker, who held senior positions in some of the countrys banks.

Abba Kyari, Chief of Staff to the president of Nigeria, died on Friday in Lagos, Nigeria after battling the deadly coronavirus for over a year. Kyari was a journalist and former banker, who held senior positions in some of the countrys banks.

The need to observe social distancing has been highlighted as an effective way to avoid the spread of the deadly Coronavirus (COVID-19). But this was not seen to be observed during the burial of President Muhammadu Buharis Chief of Staff, Abba Kyari, on Saturday.

The ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) has reacted to the death of Mallam Abba Kyari, who was the Chief of Staff to President Muhammadu Buhari until his death. As earlier reported by Naija News, Kyari died on Friday, 17th April 2020 and his death was confirmed by the presidency on Saturday, 18th April.

President Muhammadu Buhari has written a heartfelt message to his late Chief of Staff, Mallam Abba Kyari, who died of Coronavirus yesterday. Buhari explained that he had known the deceased since his twenties.

Governor Abdullahi Ganduje of Kano State has relieved the Commissioner of Works and Infrastructure, Muazu Magaji, of his appointment following his reaction to the death of President Muhammadu Buharis Chief of Staff, Abba Kyari. Recall that Magaji had on his Facebook account sympathised with the Federal government, his family over the death of Abba Kyari.

The leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), Nnamdi Kanu, says with the death of Abba Kayri, China will go on more burnings of Nigerias public institutions. Naija News had reported earlier that Abba Kyari, the Chief of Staff to President Muhammadu Buhari, died of Coronavirus (COVID-19) on Friday, April 17.

Premier League games might restart from June 8 amidst the tension of COVID-19 pandemic and when the virus will come to an end in England. Naija News learnt that That date was set by the clubs as the best-case scenario for the pandemic to subside or end to close the 2019/2020 season as clubs training were also fixed to start again from May 18.

The need to observe social distancing has been highlighted as an effective way to avoid the spread of the deadly Coronavirus (COVID-19). But this was not seen to be observed during the burial of President Muhammadu Buharis Chief of Staff, Abba Kyari, earlier today

Thats the Nigerian Newspaper headlines for today. Read more Nigerian news on Naija News. See you again tomorrow.

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Throughout March, sirens blared day and night in Brooklyn, as paramedics responded to the Cobble Hill Health Center. In Virginia's Henrico County, firefighters saw 911 calls spike from nearby Canterbury Rehabilitation & Healthcare Center. And in rural western New Jersey, an anonymous tip came to police about a body being stored in a shed outside the Andover Subacute and Rehabilitation Center.

These were some of the early signs of what is now a grim but clear reality: The novel coronavirus is exacting an enormous toll on nursing homes around the U.S., turning bingo rooms and fluorescent-lit cafeterias into viral stalking grounds for some of the nation's most frail and elderly citizens.

MORE: Silent killer: Inside the coronavirus outbreak at the Canterbury nursing home

Now, that toll is impossible to miss. At least 7,300 people living in long-term care have died in the COVID-19 outbreak, a survey of state records by ABC News found. The actual count is very likely far higher, advocates for seniors believe, in part because the available data only covers 19 states where governors' offices and state departments of health have kept track. Other states do not yet report this data and did not reply to requests for this information.

As shocking reports of new clusters surface, lawmakers are demanding answers and advocates for the elderly are pleading for action to halt a rising death toll they called "absolutely devastating."

"I've never been so concerned about anything in my career," said Richard Mollot, executive director of the Long Term Care Community Coalition.

PHOTO: A medic from Empress EMS loads a suspected COVID-19 patient from the Regency Extended Care Center into an ambulance, April 7, 2020, in Yonkers, New York. (John Moore/Getty Images)

The numbers, bleak as they are, do not tell the story of worry, grief and fear that has faced those living in long term care and the relatives who wait outside, often with limited information about their loved ones.

With family members held at bay, unable to visit their loved ones, Carol Herman, president of the Foundation Aiding The Elderly, said the loss of life has only been exacerbated by a lack of information -- which nursing home officials have blamed on an inability to keep up with requests due to a combination of staff shortages and urgent care demands.

Story continues

Imagine, she said, the distress of relatives who remain "in the dark about how nursing home patients are being protected."

By Thursday, Francesca Veen had spent two weeks trying to reach her grandmother Francesca Pensallorto, who lives at the Andover Subacute and Rehabilitation Center in New Jersey, where 68 residents have died since January and, more recently, where 17 bodies were discovered.

"I call and they ring, ring, ring and they transfer, transfer, transfer," Veen said. "We do not know if she's still with us. Unfortunately, she could be one of those bodies that they let pile up. ... How do you allow this?"

Nursing home officials, like Mutty Scheinbaum, who owns the 500-bed facility in Andover, have described what they say are "heroic" unseen efforts going on inside the homes to try and prevent loss of life. They "have been working relentlessly to contain the virus and safeguard our residents and staff," Scheinbaum said in a statement.

"It's been really, really tough," said Dr. Jim Wright, the medical director at the Canterbury home near Richmond, where 49 residents died over three weeks. "Patients were crashing and dying."

Homes appear to be quickly overwhelmed. In New Jersey, where 1,655 have died in 413 long-term care facilities, Gov. Phil Murphy said the disease "ignites."

"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," Murphy said.

The federal agency that regulates nursing homes would not say if they are tracking the death toll, and advocates for the elderly allege the agency has not provided enough guidance to the homes for how to prevent and combat the spread.

On a conference call Wednesday, the Trump administration's head of the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, Seema Verma, said her agency has tried to guide homes on infection control and emphasized new policies that encourage facilities to move quickly to relocate patients if needed.

PHOTO: Medical workers put on masks and personal protective equipment (PPE) while preparing to transport a deceased body at Andover Subacute and Rehabilitation Center on April 16, 2020 in Andover, N.J. (Eduardo Munoz Alvarez/Getty Images)

Senior members of Congress from both parties, alarmed by the rapid spread of cases, sent letters and signaled they would be planning hearings to air their concerns that the Trump administration response has been flat footed.

Republican Sen. Charles Grassley of Iowa said he was troubled by death toll, saying it was "especially concerning" given that "nearly two-thirds of the nation's nursing homes were cited for infection control failures in the recent past." Democratic Rep. Bennie Thompson of Mississippi wrote to the health secretary that the administration's efforts to ensure nursing homes have sufficient supplies "remains a mystery shrouded in confusion."

And Sens. Ron Wyden, D-Ore., and Bob Casey, D-Pa., wrote to Verma to ask why the administration "refuses to publicly disclose the names of nursing homes with cases of COVID-19. Not only is this information important for families, workers, first responders and community members, it is critical for public health experts so they can direct resources and help these facilities slow the spread of this terrible virus."

MORE: Disaster relief groups forced to adapt during coronavirus pandemic

Mollot said that federal oversight of nursing homes has also been an increasing concern, even before the coronavirus pandemic.

"Oversight has always been poor, but over the last three years we've seen a tremendous decrease in both the strength of the rules and how they're enforced," he said. "Of course now we're seeing the repercussions of that. ... This is what has happened when we have good rules and standards that allow for dignity, that provide for adequate care, that can be tailored to the resident and his or her needs. And when those rules are flouted everyday with impunity and providers are rewarded for doing so, then we see what the outcome is ... a lot of harm, a lot of heartbreak that is unnecessary and preventable."

Verma has defended her agency's efforts to bolster infection control and said her agency is working urgently to improve the flow of information from long-term care facilities to both relatives and to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

"I think we recognize that there should be some more reporting so we are currently engaged with the CDC around efforts to increase reporting of outbreaks specifically of COVID," Verma said on a conference call this week. "We want to make sure that we all have real time information about the status of COVID virus and nursing home."

PHOTO: A view of the Pleasant View Nursing Home, March 30, 2020, in Mount Airy, Md. (Drew Angerer/Getty Images)

What is becoming clear as the scale of the problem is sinking in, measures must be taken to protect the well-being of vulnerable nursing home residents, said Robyn Grant, director of Public Policy and Advocacy with National Consumer Voice for Quality Long Term Care.

"We're concerned that the residents that don't have the virus need to be protected from it," Grant said. "At the same time we want to make sure that those who are getting [COVID-19] are getting the proper care that they need."

Grant said she is worried about the sense of isolation gripping nursing home residents right now.

"They're shut off from family in terms of visits," she said. "It may even be difficult for them to communicate with the outside world."

There was one glimmer of good news on Friday for Francesca Veen, the 25-year-old who had spent two weeks trying to reach her grandmother in the Andover facility. After dialing and dialing, she told ABC News, she learned that her grandmother was alive.

The two connected on FaceTime and shared a cry.

ABC News' Nadine G. Shubailat and Aaron Katersky contributed to this report.

Inside nursing homes, coronavirus brings isolation and 7,300 deaths; Outside, families yearn for news originally appeared on abcnews.go.com
556321.hzzycm.com scored 40 Social Media Impact. Social Media Impact score is a measure of how much a site is popular on social networks. 2/5.0 Stars by Social Team

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The central government opened on Sunday an employment avenue for migrant labourers in states where they are stranded, while also making it clear that they will not have permission for interstate travel during the nationwide lockdown announced to stop the spread of the coronavirus disease (Covid-19).

With the government relaxing lockdown guidelines in select areas and allowing limited activities, stranded labourers could be engaged in industrial, manufacturing, construction, farming and MGNREGA (Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act) works, according to a government order.

Thousands of migrant labourers walking on Indias streets to reach their hometowns hundreds of kilometers away emerged as a symbolic image of the nationwide lockdown imposed on March 25 during its initial days. Unemployed, a large section of these migrant labourers is at present housed in shelters run by state governments and Union Territories (UTs).

Such workers stranded in states and UTs should be registered with local authorities, and an assessment of their skills should be carried out, the home ministry order said. If these people want to return to their workplace within the state where they are stranded, a screening would be done and those not showing symptoms of Covid-19 will be ferried to the factory or the unit concerned.

During the bus journey, social distancing norms will be followed, and local authorities should give them food and water for the road trip. The order also said federal guidelines issued on April 15, in which the government laid down the terms for conditional resumption of activities in certain areas, should be strictly followed.

Late last month, the Uttar Pradesh government evacuated thousands of its workers from Delhi and the National Capital region who were stranded due to the lockdown.
Dermot O'Leary turned wedding planner on Sunday night to help one fan pull off a surprise for his wife-to-be during the UK broadcast of One World: Together At Home.

One couple Alice and Rob were forced to cancel their wedding because of the coronavirus pandemic and on what would have been their wedding day, NHS nurse, Alice had to work instead.

Dermot took it upon himself to help Rob plan a wedding surprise for Alice when she returned home, including surprise virtual appearances from a host of stars including Nadiya Hussain, movie star Richard E Grant and Skip Marley.

What a gent: Dermot O'Leary helped one fan pull off a wedding surprise for his NHS worker wife during the UK's broadcast of One World: Together At Home on Sunday night

During a video call with Dermot, Rob explained that he and Alice had been forced to postpone their wedding two or three weeks before it was set to take place.

He revealed Alice has since been working flat out for the NHS during the COVID-19 crisis, with Alice saying in a candid VT: 'You start to think about what the whole country is going through, I couldn't be prouder of the NHS.

'For now the important thing is to focus on making sure our families and friends stay healthy and we get through the next however long together.'

Sweet: Alice and Rob were forced to postpone their wedding day due to coronavirus, so Dermot pulled a few strings to help them recreate it on what would have been their big day

Surprise! It included a surprise virtual appearance from Richard E. Grant who delivered a best man's speech for the couple, as they sipped on champagne watching

After pulling together a special celebration to mark what would have been their big day, Dermot was seen telling Rob: 'Good luck buddy, hope she absolutely loves it.'

Decking out their living room with decorations, Rob popped a bottle of champagne as Alice returned home and they sat down to watch video messages from friends and families.

Included in those messages was former Great British Bake Off winner Nadiya Hussain, who revealed: 'I did pull a few strings and there's a cake outside your door right now.'

Tasty: Nadiya Hussain revealed she had baked a wedding cake for Alice and Rob, which was promptly delivered to their front door

Shock: Alice couldn't believe the star-studded surprises Rob had lined up for her with Dermot's help, as they watched on from their sofa

It was a little sweet treat for the couple to enjoy as they watched Richard E Grant then deliver a best man's speech for Rob.

He began: 'Hello everyone, hello Rob my old mucker, I've got some epic tales from our days in Horsham, I'd love to share them with you now, but sadly I can't, it's a family show.'

Richard continued: 'Seriously, though, Alice, the work that you and the NHS are doing is extraordinary, we're so grateful for you all. I wish you a lifetime of love and happiness.'

Big day: Rob was seen popping champagne as he kicked off the wedding surprise on Alice's return home from working in the hospital

Attention to detail: She had no idea he had been setting the whole thing up with Dermot

Lovely touch: When Rob revealed the pair's first dance is Bob Marley's I Wanna Love You, Dermot organised for the reggae legend's grandson Skip Marley to sing it for Alice and Rob

He then raised a glass to the couple, while their friends and families joined in.

But, the surprises didn't stop there. Dermot had asked Rob what he wanted to be his and Alice's first dance and he replied Bob Marley's hit I Wanna Love You - explaining that he and Alice had met at Notting Hill Carnival and got together shortly after.

Dermot organised for Skip Marley, Bob Marley's grandson, to sing the hit via video link for the couple as they danced in their living room.

In the moment: Alice and Rob were seen dancing along to Skip in their living room

Elsewhere in the show, Rupert Grint and Miriam Margolyes surprised an NHS midwife in Birmingham, who is also a huge Harry Potter fan, as she has been forced to isolate away from her family, so not to put them at risk of contracting COVID-19, while she continues to work in hospital.

Little Mix kicked off the virtual performances, while Jess Glynne, Rag'n'Bone Man and Tom Jones also performed.

The broadcast also included highlights from the US version of the show that saw the likes of Jennifer Lopez, John Legend and Sam Smith, Sir Elton John and The Rolling Stones perform.
The United Arab Emirates will fine people up to 20,000 dirhams ($5,500) if they share medical information about the coronavirus that contradicts official statements, state news agency WAM reported on Saturday.

The move appears to be aimed at containing the spread of misinformation and rumours related to the COVID-19 outbreak that has claimed 37 lives in the Gulf Arab state, with 6,300 confirmed infections as of Friday.

"It is forbidden for any individual to publish, re-publish or circulate medical information or guidance which is false, misleading or which hasn't been announced officially ... using print, audiovisual or social media, or online websites or any other way of publication or circulation," WAM reported, citing the government directive.

The text of the government decision refers only to "individuals", without specifying whether journalists and media professionals are included.
Source: Xinhua| 2020-04-19 20:33:51|Editor: huaxia

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-As a specialized agency for public health, the WHO has striven to fulfill its purposes of collecting information on various infectious diseases globally and issuing timely warnings.

-As a key platform for multilateral cooperation mechanisms, the WHO has played an important role in coordinating international efforts to end the global fight.

-In addition to daily situation reports starting on Jan. 21, the organization has published practical guidance that covers all aspects of epidemic prevention and control on its website, including surveillance and case definitions, patient management, risk communication and community engagement, country-level coordination, planning and monitoring, and guidance for schools, workplaces and institutions.

GENEVA, April 19 (Xinhua) -- Since the onset of the COVID-19 outbreak, the World Health Organization (WHO) has taken timely and decisive measures with an objective, scientific and impartial response to guide global anti-epidemic cooperation, gaining wide recognition from the international community.

Despite the rapid spread of the pandemic, which, according to the latest figures of the WHO, has led to over 2.1 million cases and more than 146,000 deaths globally, the U.S. administration announced earlier this week that it is halting funding to the WHO, after weeks of criticism of the health organization and its handling of the outbreak.

World Health Organization (WHO) Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus attends a daily briefing. (Xinhua/Chen Junxia)

While some Western politicians have politicized the virus and smeared the efforts of the WHO, China has called for solidarity and cooperation in the global fight.

In an article published in the Qiushi Journal on Thursday, Chinese President Xi Jinping wrote that only with solidarity and cooperation can the international community prevail over the epidemic and protect humanity's common home.

TIMELY WARNINGS

As a specialized agency for public health, the WHO has striven to fulfill its purposes of collecting information on various infectious diseases globally and issuing timely warnings.

The WHO "has largely served its purpose well" in the COVID-19 crisis, said Thomas Bollyky, director of the global health program and senior fellow for global health, economics, and development at the Council on Foreign Relations, a U.S. think tank, urging Washington not to "degrade it amid a crisis."

On Jan. 5, the WHO published its first disease outbreak news on the new virus, including a risk assessment, advice, and China's reports on the virus, two days after China informed the organization of the outbreak, as well as relevant countries and regions.

On Jan. 12, the agency said in a press release that "China shared the genetic sequence of the novel coronavirus, which will be of great importance for other countries to use in developing specific diagnostic kits."

On Jan. 31, WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus declared the outbreak a Public Health Emergency of International Concern (PHEIC), sending the highest level of alarm.

On March 11, Ghebreyesus said at a press conference that "COVID-19 can be characterized as a pandemic."

The WHO quickly declared a PHEIC and classified COVID-19 a pandemic soon after, Lawrence Gostin, a public health law professor at Georgetown University, tweeted on April 8, adding that "US/Europe had time to prepare. They didn't! Easy to blame @WHO, but it's our fault."

U.S. President Donald Trump is attacking the WHO "because he loves to have international targets that deflect from his own performance on the pandemic," Darrell West, director of governance studies at Brookings Institution, a Washington D.C.-based think tank, told Xinhua.

In addition to sounding warnings at critical moments, the WHO always sends experts to virus-hit regions to collect information to better understand the situation.

On Jan. 28, a senior WHO delegation led by Ghebreyesus traveled to China's capital Beijing.

On Feb. 16, the WHO-China Joint Mission, consisting of 25 experts from eight countries and the WHO itself, began its nine-day field study trip in Beijing and the provinces of Guangdong, Sichuan and Hubei.

Bruce Aylward, an epidemiologist who led an advance team from the World Health Organization (WHO), speaks during a press conference of the China-WHO joint expert team in Beijing. (Xinhua/Xing Guangli)

"China's good cooperation with the World Health Organization has enabled various national authorities to prepare, as best as possible, for the difficulties brought by the wave of contamination," former French prime minister Jean-Pierre Raffarin told Xinhua.

ANTI-EPIDEMIC COORDINATOR

The pandemic is "a global emergency, and every aspect of the response needs coordination," said Dr. David Nabarro, co-director of the Institute of Global Health Innovation at Imperial College London, who has been appointed as a special envoy for the response to the coronavirus pandemic.

As a key platform for multilateral cooperation mechanisms, the WHO has played an important role in coordinating international efforts to end the global fight.

On Feb. 7, warning that the world is facing severe shortages of personal protection equipment (PPE), Ghebreyesus said the WHO is engaging more than ever with private sectors globally to send test kits, masks, gloves, respirators and medical gowns to every affected region.

According to a report published by the Brookings Center on Regulation and Markets late last month, the WHO had sent hundreds of thousands of tests to different countries by early February, but the United States insisted on developing its own test kits, delaying testing throughout nearly all of February -- "a lost month during a critical period."

So far, the organization has shipped more than 2 million items of PPE to 133 countries and regions, as well as over 1 million diagnostic tests to 126 countries, the WHO chief said at a news conference on April 8.

To fast-track global research on the disease, a two-day forum on COVID-19 coordinated by the WHO concluded in Geneva on Feb. 12, identifying nine thematic areas of research on the outbreak, such as vaccine research.

Noting that vaccine research "is an issue that must have strong global coordination," Nabarro said, "I'm very pleased the World Health Organization has established mechanisms for doing this and I hope that all nations will follow it."

On April 8, Ghebreyesus said that the WHO has pledged over 800 million U.S. dollars in response to the pandemic, including more than 140 million dollars raised through its COVID-19 Solidarity Response Fund launched in March.

Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus (L) speaks at a press conference. (Xinhua/Chen Junxia)

"Our position is that the UK has no plans to stop funding the WHO, which has an important role to play in leading the global health response," a spokesperson for British Prime Minister Boris Johnson said at a media briefing on Wednesday.

The British government on April 12 announced a donation of 65 million pounds (81 million dollars) to the WHO to support the anti-epidemic fight.

PRACTICAL GUIDANCE

The WHO played an important role in directing the global fight against COVID-19, said Takakage Fujita, director general of a Japanese civil group dedicated to upholding and developing the well-known Murayama Statement.

In addition to daily situation reports starting on Jan. 21, the organization has published practical guidance that covers all aspects of epidemic prevention and control on its website, including surveillance and case definitions, patient management, risk communication and community engagement, country-level coordination, planning and monitoring, and guidance for schools, workplaces and institutions.

On March 18, the WHO and its partners launched the Solidarity Trial, an international clinical trial to help find an effective treatment for COVID-19.

"I'm glad that many countries have joined the Solidarity Trial, that will help us to move with speed and volume," Ghebreyesus said at a news briefing on March 23.

Through its OpenWHO platform, the agency provides real-time training for medical workers with interactive and online courses in 43 languages, including public health expertise and in-depth discussion and feedback on key issues, which has attracted 1.2 million participants.

In a reply letter to Ghebreyesus, Xi said on March 26 that China will continue to firmly support Ghebreyesus and the WHO playing an active and leading role in the global fight.

"The WHO, with thousands of its staff, is on the front lines, supporting member states and their societies, especially the most vulnerable among them, with guidance, training, equipment and concrete life-saving services as they fight the virus," United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said in a statement on April 8.

Photo taken on April 3, 2020 shows UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres speaking at a virtual press briefing. (Xinhua/Xie E)

The UN chief on Tuesday noted that "now is the time for unity and for the international community to work together in solidarity to stop this virus and its shattering consequences."

(Xinhua writers Tan Jingjing and Liu Pinran in Washington, Liu Fang and Xu Yongchun in Paris, Ye Shan and Jiang Qiaomei in Tokyo also contributed to the story.)

(Video reporters Du Yang, Liu Qu, Zhao Yuchao, Lin Jing, Shen Zhonghao, Liang Xizhi, Zhang Jiawei, Gui Tao, Xie E, Shang Xuqian and Han Chong)

(Video editor Wu Yao)
- Several Chinese medical experts came to the Philippines to help in combatting the novel coronavirus disease

- A few days after they visited several hospitals, they finally aired their suggestions

- One of their recommendations was to build more medical and quarantine sites for infected people

- Meanwhile, the Chinese Ambassador to the Philippines stated that China commends the anti-epidemic measures in the country

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The Chinese medical experts who arrived in the Philippines a few days ago have given their suggestions on how to improve the countrys situation amid the novel coronavirus crisis.

KAMI learned that the Philippines is one of the countries that is greatly affected by the pandemic. It already has 6,259 confirmed cases and 409 fatalities as of April 19.

Huang Xilian, the Chinese ambassador to the Philippines, initially stated that the country has taken strong measures to fight the dreadful and fatal disease.

He also mentioned that upon visiting at least 10 medical agencies, the team of Chinese experts suggested that the diagnosis and treatment capabilities must be improved.

There should also be more medical and quarantine sites, and the source of all suspected cases must be traced.

Based on Chinas anti-epidemic experience, the China medical expert team has also put forward some technical suggestions with regard to improving diagnosis and treatment capabilities, building more medical and quarantine sites and tracing the source of all suspected cases, for the reference of the Philippines to fight against the epidemic effectively, the ambassador said.

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Huang further quipped that the government of China lauds the efforts of the Philippines in terms of combatting COVID-19.

In a previous article by, the new recorded cases of COVID-19 in the Philippines on April 19 was the lowest in nine days.

The novel coronavirus disease has so far infected more than 2 million people around the world. In the Philippines, the number of recoveries has just surpassed the number of deaths.

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A Filipino found his own way to help frontliners amid pandemic. They had to walk an hour, an hour and a half to get to work. I mean, coming from an 8-hour shift sa hospital, tapos palalakarin mo pa yung nurse o kahit security guard. Parang hindi makatarungan, diba?  on HumanMeter!

Source: KAMI.com.gh
The Nigerian journalist who was arrested on the order of a state governor has been released after he was pardoned by the governor.

The Sun Newspaper reporter, Chijioke Agwu, who was arrested on Saturday afternoon by the police on the order of Ebonyi State Governor, David Umahi, was released Saturday night around 10 p.m.

While the state government accused the journalist of reporting falsehood, the newspaper said it stands by its accurate report which narrated the anxiety among residents of Ebonyi amid the Lassa fever outbreak in the state.

Mr Agwu confirmed his release to PREMIUM TIMES on Sunday morning.

He said he was treated with respect by the police while at the police station.

He, however, said his phone was damaged after it was taken from him by the police officers.

I dont think it was intentional though. I think someone mistakingly sat on it or it fell from someones hand and the screen got damaged because they were courteous in dealing with me even when they collected the phone they did it in a professional manner and I was never manhandled, he said.

The Pardon

Meanwhile, Ebonyi State Government said it ordered the release of the reporter.

The Commissioner for Information, Uchenna Orji, said this in a statement sent to PREMIUM TIMES.

He said the governor pardoned the reporter.

According to him, the reporter was to be charged under the Ebonyi State Coronavirus and Other Dangerous (Infectious) Diseases and Related Matters Law (No. 005) 2020 for giving false and damaging reports about Lassa fever outbreak in the state.

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But following pleas from the leadership of the Nigerian Union of Journalists (NUJ), Guild of Editors and the Ministry of Information, the governor decided to pardon the reporter, he said.

The commissioner, however, warned that the state government will no longer tolerate unverified damaging reports about the state.

The Governor of Ebonyi State, David Nweze Umahi, in compassionate consideration of the pleas of the leadership of Nigeria Union of Journalism (NUJ), Guild of Editors and Ministry of Information and State Orientation has directed the pardon of the SUN Newspaper correspondent, Mr Chijioke Agwu who was to be charged under Ebonyi State Coronavirus and Other Dangerous (Infectious) Diseases and Related Matters Law (No. 005) 2020 for giving false and damaging reports about Lassa Fever out break in Ebonyi State, published in Sun Newspaper of 17th April 2020.

However, all Media operators and correspondents are by this notice warned that Ebonyi State Government will no longer tolerate the damaging stinkers of unverified reports about happenings in Ebonyi State, read the statement.

Earlier, PREMIUM TIMES reported how The Sun newspaper accused the Ebonyi government of stifling critical report in the state.

Sources say any time report on an issue in the state is published, the governor sometimes personally harasses and threatens reporters, the paper wrote in its reaction to Mr Agwus arrest.

The paper further quoted unnamed sources as stating that the governor does not want any report on the failure of his government reported by the media. When there is a communal clash, robbery, killings in the state, and they are reported, he gets offended. These things are replete in the state and it is the duty of the media to report them.

We Stand By Our Report  The Sun

Meanwhile, the management of The Sun newspaper said it stands by the content of the story that led to the arrest of the reporter.

The newspaper said the report, titled Anxiety, fear as Lassa Fever wrecks havoc in Ebonyi, is factual and verifiable.

The South East Bureau Chief of the Newspaper, Magnus Eze, said the figures used in the story were drawn from the Nigeria Center for Disease Controls weekly report on Lassa fever.

He noted that Ebonyi ranks third after Edo and Ondo states in the ranking of most endemic states for Lassa fever, according to the NCDC.

Anybody with access to internet can easily search and access the report. And what we presented in the report is based on that report by NCDC. We have no intention of issuing a retraction of that report, Mr Eze said.
President Nicholas Maduro of Venezuela appealed to the country's top court to postpone the parliamentary elections that were scheduled to be held in December this year. According to reports, Maduro urged the apex court to postpone the elections until January 2021 due to the coronavirus outbreak. Maduro during a radio interview said that it would be irresponsible on his part to call for the elections to be held everywhere amid the health crisis.

Read: Mumbai Police's 'You & I Will Meet Again' Tweet Spreads Smiles Amid COVID-19 Lockdown

Maduro during the interview said that the Supreme Justice Tribunal would have to make the decision and added that the pro-government National Constituent Assembly could extend its mandate past December. Maduro in 2018 was able to postpone elections after making a pact with some opposition parties. Western nations including dozens of South American countries criticised Maduro and accused his government of creating unfair conditions for the vote. The United States and Canada had imposed tough sanctions on Maduro's government accusing it of systemic corruption, narcotrafficking and stealing billions of dollars in state funds.

Read: Assam Police Use Jim Carrey's 'The Mask' Reference To Spread COVID-19 Awareness

However, Maduro insists that the postponement of elections request is solely based on the coronavirus outbreak that has currently gripped the world by its throat. According to data by worldometer, Venezuela has recorded 227 confirmed coronavirus cases so far, of which nine people have lost their lives. There are 101 active cases in the country as of April 19 with four of them under critical conditions.

Read: COVID-19: WHO Warns There Is No Evidence That Antibody Tests Can Show Immunity

Coronavirus outbreak

The coronavirus pandemic has infected over 2.33 million people globally and has killed nearly 1,60,000 patients since it first broke out in December 2019. The virus is believed to have originated from a seafood market in the Chinese city of Wuhan, the initial epicentre of the disease, where animals were reportedly being traded illegally. Currently, the United States, Italy, Spain, France and the United Kingdom are the most affected countries in the world with a recorded death toll of 14,000 and above.

Read: Coronavirus: Switzerland's Matterhorn Mountain Lights Up To Send Message Of Hope

(Image Credit: AP)
Samuel Enrique Lopez (pictured) was arrested in connection to the death of of four Texas family members, including a toddler

A man has been accused of killing four members of a Texas family, including a two-year-old toddler, after their bodies were discovered in vacant lots.

Samuel Enrique Lopez, 20, was booked into the Webb County Jail in Laredo on two counts of capital murder, one involving multiple victims and another involving a child younger than age 10. He is being held without bond.

If convicted, Lopez could face life imprisonment without parole or death by lethal injection.

A motive for the slayings or Lopez's connection to the family have not been revealed.

The Laredo Police Department dispatched to the 4500 block of Vanessita Court on April 16 after they received a report of a deceased person at a house.

Officers arrived to find signs of a possible crime scene, but none of the family members were present inside the home.

Officers with the Laredo Police Department (pictured) responded to a report of a dead body in the 500 block of Vanessita Court on Thursday

KGNS-TV reports that a search of the area unearthed one dead body, prompting authorities to contact the Criminal Investigative Division for assistance.

Three publicly unidentified bodies were found in the vacant life.

After Lopez was identified as a person of interest in the murders, he was brought into police custody for questioning.

This led authorities to another vacant lot in the 4700 block of Arias Court where a toddler's body was discovered about one mile away from the initial crime scene.

Authorities discovered the bodies of three family members buried in a vacant lot near the home

The body of a two-year-old toddler was later discovered in a different lot about one mile from the initial crime scene

Neighbors of the victims were shocked by the brutal crime.

'I do feel bad. I knew the baby. Well, I knew all four of them as my neighbors,' one person said.

'Sad, just sad about what is happening . I don't know why it happened but it is very ugly,' another added.

Laredo experienced a peak in heinous crimes this week as a CBP officer was arrested in connection to the death of a firefighter on Wednesday.

That was the third murder recorded in Laredo this year before Lopez's recent arrest.
The Delhi Police came to the rescue of three Manipuri students staying in the national capital by providing them free ration after they ran out of food and money amid the ongoing lockdown, a senior police officer said.

The male students are pursuing their graduation from a Delhi University college and staying at a rented accommodation in Chirag Delhi, police said.

On Saturday, an SOS was received through Manipur Police following which the students were contacted, they said.

"The students told us they were running out of essentials and did not have money to buy food or grocery. A police team from Malviya Nagar immediately visited them and gave them the required ration," the officer said.

The students were provided with 15 kg rice, flour, dal, oil and other essentials and were told to contact police in case of any emergency or distress, he said.

On Tuesday, Prime Minister Narendra Modi extended the lockdown till May 3, saying it was very necessary to contain the spread of the coronavirus pandemic in the country.

The country has been under lockdown since March 24.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Minutes after announcing that New Jerseys coronavirus death total climbed above 4,000, Gov. Phil Murphy ripped an Atlantic County surrogate who wrote on a social media website that officials in his county need to sound the alarm" and demand that the state be re-opened immediately.

Reopen New Jersey immediately without restrictions, Atlantic County Surrogate James Curcio, a Republican, wrote on Facebook. Trust American freedom ingenuity and the U.S. Constitution. Untie the hands of the Private Sector so it can rescue NJ from this nightmare.

Murphy called the post "irresponsible, at the end of his daily coronavirus press briefing in Trenton. We quote-unquote untie the system right now, there will be blood on our hands. And I want to make sure folks understand that. This is literally life and death.

Though Murphy said progress is being made in slowing a virus that has infected at least 81,420 in New Jersey, he again cautioned that New Jerseyans must continue to stay home and stay away from each other to avoid another outbreak of COVID-19.

CORONAVIRUS RESOURCES: Live map tracker | Businesses that are open | Homepage

A roundup of coronavirus news:

387 infected, 11 dead from the coronavirus at N.J. state psychiatric hospitals: The number of people who work or live at New Jerseys four state-run psychiatric hospitals and tested positive for the coronavirus rose 38% this week to 387, according to the state Department of Health.

Two patients died in the last week, adding to the five who died from the coronavirus outbreak, for a total of seven patient fatalities, Health Department spokeswoman Dawn Thomas said.

Cops arent kidding about social distancing. Kitesurfer, partygoers will pay up: A kitesurfer who needed to be rescued off Normandy Beach in Toms River and a group of people partying at an Airbnb rental in Jersey City are among the latest charged with violating Murphys executive order which prohibits large gatherings and requires residents to remain at home with limited exceptions.

N.J. is still woefully behind on coronavirus testing. And Murphy wont give specifics on fixing it: New Jersey has failed to significantly increase its daily testing, according to an analysis of data by NJ Advance Media, and no one has clearly communicated how it plans to do so. Officials also have not said what the maximum testing capacity is in the state and have been vague in what has caused New Jersey to test at a far lower rate than neighboring New York.

Historic N.J. public worker layoffs coming if no new coronavirus aid from feds, Murphy says: Murphy painted a dire outlook for New Jersey public-worker jobs on Saturday afternoon, pleading for more financial aid to lift a state economy that has been cratered by the coronavirus.

We will have layoffs that will be historic, Murphy warned, as he called for Congress to send more direct aid to states, and as he urged state lawmakers to help him borrow billions of dollars. He added that the layoffs would be felt through New Jersey, at the state, county and local levels.

Family delivering food to relative escapes car seconds before it bursts into flames: Quick-thinking by a family delivering food to a relative in South Brunswick during the coronavirus pandemic may have saved them from serious injury. While driving on Ridge Road on Saturday, a family member heard the car make a noise and decided to pull over and get out, South Brunswick police said. Seconds later, their car burst into flames, police said.

N.J. man charged after grocery store altercation over wearing coronavirus mask: A Sparta man was charged with making terroristic threats during an emergency, aggravated assault of a police officer and other offenses stemming from an incident at a grocery store in the Sussex County town.

Wadim Sakiewicz, 73, of Sparta, entered the Stop & Shop without a face mask on April 15, authorities said. Police said an employee asked him to leave, and he became combative. While being escorted from the store, Sakiewicz allegedly coughed on an employee while claiming to be positive for the coronavirus.

Worldwide coronavirus cases: More than 161,000 of the 2.43 million who tested positive have died as of 7 a.m. Sunday, according to the Center for Systems Science and Engineering at Johns Hopkins University. About 603,000 have recovered.

U.S. cases: More than 33,900 have died of COVID-19 related causes in the U.S, the center said. Nearly 65,000 of the almost 723,000 infected have recovered as of early Sunday

NJ Advance Media staff writers Payton Guion, Brent Johnson, Susan K. Livio, Chris Ryan, Chris Sheldon and Michael Sol Warren 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.
In Parliament today: Bill to amend CVC and Delhi Police Special Act to be tabled today

With a poem, Delhi cops urges people to follow lockdown

India

oi-Briti Roy Barman

New Delhi, Apr 19: When the country is battling with the coronavirus pandemic with hundreds to deaths and thousands of positive cases, polices are one of them who are being hailed as forefront warriors. Inspector Suhaib Farooqui is also among them but this time he penned down a poem in a bid to inspire people to follow lockdown.

The Station House Officer (SHO) of New Delhi's South Avenue Police Station, Inspector Suhaib Farooqui enjoys reading and writing poetry in his free time.

31 of extended family test positive for COVID-19 in Delhi

His poetry titled ''Hai Waqt yeh Inquilab, Corona Se Jung hai" advises citizens to stay indoors and take precautions to be safe from the coronavirus. The poem is making rounds on social media and is widely liked and shared by the netizens.

Farooqui appeals to people to wear a mask, stay at their home and only step out in case of an emergency, through his poem.

While reciting a few lines of his poem, Farooqui told ANI, "It is a very crucial time for the nation. We need to spread awareness among people and boost their morale and confidence. Keeping this in mind, I wrote a small poem that got viral on social media and people have liked it."

Delhi cop pens down poem to instil confidence, inspire people to follow lockdown



Read @ANI story | https://t.co/s46m7R4QCi pic.twitter.com/1QOC7GSnkP  ANI Digital (@ani_digital) April 18, 2020

Farooqui was widely appreciated for his poem on social media and people are downloading and sharing it. He urged people to support the corona warriors and strictly follow lockdown restrictions.

The poem got viral on social media and people are downloading and sharing it with giving appreciation notes to the poet.

Farooqui urged people to support the corona warriors and strictly follow lockdown restrictions. "We are fighting at the front, you fight while staying home. Pray for us," he said.

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Story first published: Sunday, April 19, 2020, 12:17 [IST]
Pope Tawadros II led the mass at the desert Monastery of Saint Bishoy in Wadi El-Natrun, praying for God to lift the current fears and troubles

Head of Egypts Coptic Orthodox Church Pope Tawadros II led Easter mass without attendees late on Saturday under unprecedented measures undertaken to stem the spread of the coronavirus in the country.

Pope Tawadros II led the mass at the desert Monastery of Saint Bishoy in Wadi El-Natrun, praying for God to lift the current fears and troubles.

Despite the circumstances that have not allowed us to fully celebrate in our churches, we have celebrated spiritually at our homes, he said.

Coptic Orthodox Christians  who comprise a substantial majority of Christians in Egypt  celebrate Easter on Sunday.

However, this year, the coronavirus outbreak has forced Copts to celebrate Easter at home, as Egypt continues with its unprecedented measures to stem the spread of the virus, including a nationwide night-time curfew and suspension of prayers and activities at all houses of worship.

This is the first time that Easter mass was held under the current patriarch at a location other than Cairos Saint Mark's Cathedral and without attendants or worshippers.

The pope did not receive guests at the Cairo Cathedral in light of the preventative measures taken to curb the spread of the virus, a spokesman for the Egyptian Coptic Orthodox Church said in earlier press statements.

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One of Australia's most prominent investment outfits, Regal Funds Management, has posted a shock 59 per cent slide in its high-performance hedge fund during March, leaving some investors fuming.

The ASX 200 fell more than 20 per cent and Wall Street slid 18 per cent in March. Credit:AAP

Regal's chief investment officer Phil King told clients in a note distributed late last week that he had "underestimated the speed and scale" of the coronavirus pandemic, leaving a portfolio of stocks owned by the company's Atlantic Absolute Returns Fund exposed to savage share price falls.

March was a difficult month for investors, with the ASX 200 falling more than 20 per cent and Wall Street sliding 18 per cent. But Regal's performance was significantly worse than some of Mr King's competitors, with local hedge fund VGI Partners posting a 1.4 per cent return and Totus Capital's Alpha Fund rising 10.4 per cent.

Caledonia Investments, which manages money for a number of wealthy families, declined 22.5 per cent in March.
Karnataka to undertake Triaging: What does it mean and how do you pronounce it

Omicron quickly overtaking Delta globally in terms of circulation: WHO

Delhi to ease restrictions, if Covid cases come down in next 2-3 days: Health Minister

Lata Mangeshkar health update: Doctor says,'She in ICU with Covid-19 and pneumonia, will be under observation'

Fight against COVID-19 biggest invisible war: Rajnath Singh

India

oi-PTI

New Delhi, Apr 19: Fight against Covid-19 is biggest invisible war in our lifetime; a war against humanity, defence minister Rajnath Singh told PTI on Sunday.

He said that India is fighting Covid-19 crisis on war footing and all government agencies are working in close coordination.

Expertise of armed forces in communications, supply chain management, medical support and engineering being used, he added saying "Armed forces are taking steps like curtailing troop movement, restricting leave, enforcing and work from home to check coronavirus."

For Breaking News and Instant Updates Allow Notifications

Story first published: Sunday, April 19, 2020, 14:32 [IST]
Paris/IBNS: A Nobel Prize-winning French virologist has said he believes that the COVID-19 was developed in a laboratory in the Chinese city of Wuhan.

Wuhan is the Chinese city from where the disease is believed to have originated.

Luc Montagnier, who had won the Nobel Prize for the discovery of HIV in 2008, said the COVID-19 does not have a natural origin.

"It [the virus] is of artificial origin, it is the work of molecular biologists," Montagnier said in an interview with Pourquoi docteur newspaper as quoted by Sputnik news agency.

The scientist said the Wuhan laboratory specialized in these coronaviruses since the early 2000s and its employees had expertise in this area.

The reports that the virus originated in the so-called wet market in China is "a beautiful legend," as COVID-19 was developed in the laboratory, he was quoted as saying.

COVID-19 has now spread across different parts of the world.

Meanwhile, China registered 16 coronavirus cases in the past 24 hours, 33 more people have recovered from COVID-19 in the same period, while the death toll remains the same as a day ago, the countrys National Health Commission said on Sunday, reported Sputnik news agency.

Out of the 16 new cases, nine are imported. According to the commission, China now has 82,735 confirmed coronavirus cases. The countrys death toll is 4,632; over 77,000 COVID-19 patients have been released from hospitals.

China registered 44 asymptomatic coronavirus cases in the past 24 hours, three of them imported.

On Saturday, Chinas health authorities said 17 new imported cases of COVID-19 and 10 new cases of internal transmission had been registered, with no new deaths reported.
KAMPALA  Bank of Uganda (BoU) has explained that the current credit relief measures to mitigate the adverse effects of the COVID-19 pandemic must not exceed 12 months.

BoU further insists that the credit relief measures do not eliminate the debtors obligation to repay borrowed funds.

BoU in its Monetary Policy Statement of April 06, 2020 issued credit relief measures to mitigate the adverse effects of the COVID-19 pandemic, ensuring financial sector stability, and facilitating the financial intermediation process during this pandemic period.

But on Friday, April 17, BoU acting Deputy Governor Dr Adam Mugume, said that the loan repayment holidays are for a maximum of 12 months.

These credit reliefs shall only be granted within the 12 month period with effect from April 01, 2020, he said in a statement.

Dr Mugume added that the credit status at the time of granting a repayment holiday shall remain unchanged for the duration of the said repayment holiday.

He also said that the prepayment of arrears as a condition for restructuring a credit facility is suspended for 12 months with effect from April 01, 2020

He issued other directives, which include; consumer protection remains paramount, and any credit relief(s) offered must be in the best interest of customers, and with full disclosure.

The decision to offer a credit relief to a customer or decline a request for a credit relief from a customer is the responsibility of the Supervised Financial Institution (SFI).

Borrowers are encouraged to request, and SFIs may offer, credit relief. In either case, the borrower must consent to any credit relief granted.

The credit relief measures contained herein, do not eliminate the debtors obligation to repay borrowed funds. Furthermore, these credit reliefs are to be extended to borrowers of Commercial Banks, Credit Institutions, and Microfinance Deposit Taking Institutions (MDIs) supervised and licensed by BoU. The allowable credit relief measures and terms thereof include:-

Bank of Uganda assures the public of its commitment to safeguard financial sector stability. The application of these credit relief measures shall be monitored, and BoU stands ready to issue additional measures as risks from the COVID-19 pandemic evolve. For more information, please contact the Director, Communications Department via telephone +256(0)414258441/6 OR e-mail info@bou.or.ug AND fcem@bou.or.ug, he said.

Related
The Central Crime Branch (CCB) has arrested a bar employee on the charge of illegally selling liquor in a commercial building in Electronics City, South Bengaluru.

Preetham Kumar H R, 26, had allegedly stocked hundreds of alcohol bottles in the basement parking lot of Ananda Reddy Complex in Electronics City 2nd Phase at his boss behest and intended to sell it for a higher price. Police said Kumar, who hails from Hassan district, had been supplying alcohol to Chinmayee Bar and Restaurant, Electronics City, which is owned by one Manjunath M C.

After receiving a tip about the alcohol stash, a CCB team led by inspector Mohammad Siraj raided the place and caught Kumar red-handed, police said, adding that as many as 236 alcohol bottles of various brands worth Rs 33,000 and Rs 6,000 in cash had been seized.

We have confiscated 236 bottles of alcohol. Kumar has confessed to selling alcohol at the behest of Manjunath, an investigating officer said.

Realising that his bar would be shuttered during the Covid-19 lockdown, Manjunath took Kumars help to stock the bottles in the parking lot. He wanted to use the alcohol ban to his advantage and fleece customers.

We have registered a case under various sections of the IPC and the Karnataka Excise Act against two suspects. The case has been handed over to the jurisdictional Parappana Agrahara police for further investigation, the officer said.

Manjunath remains at large, and the police are making efforts to track him down, the officer added.
The Union Health Ministry on Sunday advised all its employees to take precautionary measures at work from April 20 onwards in order to contain the spread of COVID-19.

The ministry has directed that all its employees should cover their faces with a reusable mask while going to work and follow the guidelines of the state governments concerned on movement in containment zones.

In an office memorandum, the Health Ministry said, "All the employees coming to office must use reusable face cover. Those employees who are residing in notified containment zones are required to follow the guidelines of the concerned state government regarding movement in these containment zones and join office only when they are allowed to do so."



The memorandum was issued in reference to the Ministry of Home Affairs consolidated revised guidelines on the measures to be taken by the ministries/state governments and departments for containment of COVID-19.

It has directed the officials from all departments under the health ministry, to ensure proper cleaning and frequent sanitisation of the workplace particularly of the frequently touched surfaces.

The government has also asked the employees to maintain personal hygiene and physical distancing besides following strict disinfection protocols as per guidelines.

"Practise frequent handwashing with soap and water or use alcohol-based hand sanitisers.

"Seating arrangements in rooms may be made to ensure adequate distance between officials in the rooms. Gatherings, especially in canteens, must be avoided. Gathering of five or more persons at any place in the office should be avoided," it said.

The Health Ministry has also directed that all meetings be held through video conferencing only.

It said all employees who are at higher risk, that is, older employees, pregnant employees and those who have underlying medical conditions should take extra precautions.

"These employees should not be exposed to any frontline work requiring direct contact with the public," it said.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
By Trend

Azerbaijani-Iranian border will remain closed until May 4.

The corresponding order was signed by Azerbaijans Prime Minister Ali Asadov, Trend reports.

In accordance with Article 25 of the Law of the Republic of Azerbaijan On Sanitary and Epidemiological Well-Being, the special quarantine regime applied in the country was extended until 00:00, May 4, 2020. In this regard, the decision to temporarily close the state border between the Republic of Azerbaijan and Iran was extended until 00:00, May 4, 2020.

---

Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz
For Anthony, a 22-year-old senior business major at Montclair State University, the coronavirus shutdown of college campuses couldnt mean just going home to do the rest of his schoolwork online.

His father, he said, died when he was 5, then his mother died of cancer when he was teenager. She had lost custody of him when he was 12 or 13, he said.

I got taken away and I was eventually adopted by my aunt and uncle, the brother of my father, said Anthony, who asked that his last name not be used. The familys support ended after high school, he said, And I was kind of on my own.

He had been living with classmates in an off-campus house about 15 minutes away in order to save money  on-campus housing was too expensive, he said  when virus-related closings cost him his two off-campus jobs in a restaurant and a bar.

It also forced him to move out of the house hed been sharing Wayne, after his classmates went home and he couldnt pay the full rent alone. Hes now living with an older sister in Pennsylvania.

Anthony didnt have his own computer, and he struggled to do his class work on his sisters aging machine.

Its a common problem for students like Anthony, and those who have been through the foster care system, already beating the odds just by getting to college after an unstable home life and little or no financial support, their campus shutdown threw up yet another obstacle between them and the college degree that might mean a brighter future.

They dont have the luxury that so many other people have to just call up their parents and say, Hey, I need to come home, said Danielle Gletow, founder of New Jersey-based One Simple Wish, a national non-profit service that matches the wishes of children in foster care or young adults who have recently aged out of the system with donors who grant them.

They may not have their own laptops, Gletow added, citing one of the most common problems for students.

Not having a laptop is a potentially crippling problem for a student when all classes are online and computer labs and libraries on and off campus have been ordered closed under a March 21 executive order by Gov. Phil Murphy intended to slow the spread of the coronavirus. As a result, Gletow said wishes for laptops and other essentials have tripled for the period of March 1 through April 10, from 250 to 750.

The 41-year-old former pharmaceutical marketing rep and mother of two in Jackson, founded One Simple Wish after she and her husband, a pharma research scientist, were foster parents to a baby girl they then adopted.

Their situation is a happy one. But it made Gletow all the more concerned for the children who dont connect permanently with their foster families or reconnect with their biological ones. When it comes to college, Gletow said, only 4% of young adults who age out of foster care go on to earn a bachelors degree or beyond.

So Gletow used her marketing skills to put together an online platform that matches the simple wishes of former foster care children with donors who grant them. Students in need post wishes on the One Simple Wish website, where donors can go to browse the posted wishes and grant the one, or any number, that they want.

Wishes posted on Wednesday, for example, included a Laptop for Aryana to support remote learning, at a cost of $300, or Wifi Access for Xiomara to stay connected to her team and schoolwork, for $230.

Laptops are the most common wishes  typically with a $300 cash equivalent  though they also include gift cards of varying dollar amounts for food, gasoline, or rent subsidies.

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Gletow and other advocates for disadvantaged students said campus closures have forced some to find alternative housing that may entail added expenses. But even when students are granted special permission to remain on campus, as some international and domestic students have been, the closing of dorms, dining halls, bookstores, gyms and other university facilities has meant the loss of a campus jobs badly needed to help make ends meet. The same is true for students who had been living and working off campus.

Ninety percent of our students lost their jobs when all of this happened, said Adam Staats, a senior program administrator at the Rutgers University campus in New Brunswick, who works with disadvantaged students including those who had been in foster care. Our students still have phone bills, some have their own cars, sometimes they need $400 software for a particular class. Books are expensive.

One Simple Wish provided a total of $5,000 in food gift cards to 25 Rutgers students, or $200 each.

That $200 can get them by for a month, Staats said.

In addition to One Simple Wish, Staats works with another non-profit that helps disadvantaged college students, the Price Family Foundation, which provides cash assistance to a broader range of students from various backgrounds, to help pay rent, for food, books or miscellaneous living expenses.

Mary Anne Fanning position at Montclair State is similar to Adam Staats at Rutgers. Anthony refers to her as the guardian angel of Montclair State.

Fanning also works with One Simple Wish, which helped provide Anthony with gift cards for food.

One student at Montclair State University said he lost his two jobs and his off-campus housing amid the coronavirus outbreak. (Aliza Sherman for NJ Advance Media)

For a computer, Fanning hooked Anthony up with a different non-profit, Montclair-based Laptop Upcycle. The organization, which takes requests and offers on its website, teaches local high school students to completely scrub the memories of laptops, refurbish, enhance and polish them, before theyre given to college and middle and high school students who need them.

Working partly out of the United Way of Northern New Jersey office in Montclair, Laptop Upcycle has refurbished and given away 620 laptops to date, many of them since COVID-19 forced classes to go online.

This whole thing with the coronavirus has really kicked things up, said Mike Brown, a retired marketing executive with a computer science background who co-founded the organization. We gave away 87 computers last month.

One of them was a Lenovo ThinkPad that Anthony will use to finish up his business degree this fall after just one more semester at Montclair State.

The computer I have now? he said. It works perfectly.

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.

Steve Strunsky may be reached at sstrunsky@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @SteveStrunsky. Find NJ.com on Facebook. Have a tip? Tell us. nj.com/tips
Around the last week of February, Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe announced the nationwide closure of schools until further notice. However, despite that announcement, some schools have decided to re-open early.

And now the same is happening for schools in Ibaraki prefecture, except students at one particular high school have decided to protest by willfully not attending.

While there are only 80 third-year students protesting, they managed to mobilize and went as far as submitting a statement to the prefectural board of education. Weave compiled their two main demands here:

1. Until the prefecture is able to adequately supply all students with masks, schools should remain closed for the time being.

2. During school closure, an online system should be created so we can continue receiving our education without the risk of getting infected/infecting others.

Ibaraki prefecture has roughly 125 confirmed cases and isnat the worst hit prefecture in Japan, but the alarm and dissent expressed by the students is understandable. Considering the large number of students packed in each class and the amount of bodies coming and going through school buildings, educational institutions are logically a prime hotspot during an epidemic.
Taken together, court records and CBP announcements showed about 20 drug busts along the border near Tucson from March 21 to April 17, compared with about 40 drug busts from Feb. 22 to March 20. Those tallies may be an undercount because CBP officials do not announce every bust they make. CBP referred questions to HSI.

One byproduct of the new situation is that fewer U.S. citizens are being prosecuted for drug smuggling, compared with citizens of Mexico, Honduras and other countries, court records show.

In the weeks before the travel restrictions, U.S. citizens made up about half of the suspected drug smugglers who faced federal charges, court records show. Since then, only two were prosecuted, out of 19 total defendants.

In the case of marijuana backpackers, their cases often go to court as they normally would because most of them are not U.S. citizens and dont have ties to Arizona, which means they likely will be harder to track down later, Brown said.

So far, federal prosecutors are not leaning on state courts to handle drug busts at ports of entry. The Santa Cruz County Attorneys Office, which prosecutes some cases from the Nogales ports, said federal agencies had not sent them a port bust case since March 19.
Only through solidarity can world beat COVID-19: Chinese FM

Global Times

Source:Xinhua Published: 2020/4/18 17:02:16

Chinese State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi on Friday said only through solidarity can the international community win the battle against COVID-19.

Wang made the remark in a phone conversation with Emmanuel Bonne, diplomatic counselor to French President Emmanuel Macron.

Wang said China is paying great attention to the development of the epidemic situation in France and Europe, and the series of prevention and control measures taken by the French government are delivering positive results.

The Chinese foreign minister said he believes that under the strong leadership of President Macron, the French side will surely overcome the epidemic at an early date.

Recently, despite the difficulties it faces, China has been doing its best to provide assistances to France in purchasing medical and epidemic prevention materials in China and transporting them to France, Wang noted.

He said China will continue to provide firm support for France's fight against the epidemic until the end.

Wang pointed out that China and France, both as permanent members of the UN Security Council, should maintain mutual understanding, mutual trust and mutual support at this critical moment for the human society and play their due roles in international cooperation against COVID-19.

China fully agrees with France's appeal for international solidarity in this global fight, as the virus is a common threat to the health security of mankind, said Wang.

Any attempt to undermine unity and mutual trust or even the act of buck-passing is detrimental to the domestic fight against COVID-19, and also hurts international anti-pandemic cooperation, he added.

Wang noted that the World Health Organization (WHO), as a specialized agency of the United Nations (UN), has been playing a positive leading role in response to COVID-19.

China and France are both staunch supporters of multilateralism, said Wang, adding that supporting the WHO means supporting multilateralism and also supporting the UN.

He said China and France need to continue to safeguard the status of the WHO and encourage the agency to play a due role in international anti-pandemic cooperation.

For his part, Bonne thanked China for its support for France's purchase of medical materials in China.

The French side has called on all countries to be united in the fight against the pandemic, said Bonne, adding that France, like China, firmly supports the work of the WHO and its director-general Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus.

France stands ready to work with China to enhance cooperation in the global COVID-19 fight, discuss the drafting of an action plan on uniting the world, and enhance communication and coordination in multilateral mechanisms such as the UN Security Council.

The two sides also exchanged views on how to enhance cooperation between the UN Security Council permanent members in the global COVID-19 fight.

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Clinical laboratory physicians and scientists at UC San Diego Health have launched a pair of serological tests that will look for novel coronavirus antibodies -- evidence in persons tested that they have previously been infected by SARS-CoV-2, the viral cause of COVID-19, even if they never experienced tell-tale symptoms.

The effort will be overseen by the UC San Diego Center for Advanced Laboratory Medicine (CALM), which houses the majority of UC San Diego Health's Clinical Laboratories and related research activities and is already the hub for the health system's in-house PCR-based diagnostic testing of patients and persons suspected of having COVID-19.

This is part of the next wave of testing. It's intended to answer those growing questions about who has been infected and who might still be vulnerable to exposure." Ronald W. McLawhon, MD, PhD, director of CALM and UC San Diego Clinical Laboratories and chief of the Division of Laboratory and Genomic Medicine

The effort is built upon two assays developed by Diazyme Laboratories, Inc., a division of General Atomics, based in Poway, Ca. The tests analyze blood samples, similar to those taken for routine clinical reasons, for the presence of two of the body's five classes of antibodies: IgG and IgM. Antibodies are proteins used by the immune system to recognize and help neutralize pathogenic invaders, such as viruses or bacteria. The IgG antibody is the most abundant type; IgM is one of the first antibody types produced by the body's immune system to fight a new infection. Looking for these two types of antibodies together, rather than one, increases the treating physician's confidence in being able to differentiate between a recent infection versus a past exposure to the SARS-CoV-2 virus.

"These tests have already gone through an initial assessment and validation by Diazyme," said Robert Fitzgerald, PhD, professor of clinical pathology at UC San Diego School of Medicine and director of the Toxicology Laboratory and associate director of Clinical Chemistry Laboratory at UC San Diego Health. "We've put them through our validation processes as well, including comparing samples from patients known to have COVID-19, healthy volunteers and blood samples from 2018, long before the virus appeared."

McLawhon said initial capacity for serological testing will be a combination of up to 1,200 of IgM or IgG antibody tests per day, with results within 24 hours. The system, he said, is scalable.

The presence of novel coronavirus antibodies can reveal persons who may have unknowingly contracted COVID-19 and recovered, but never showed signs of infection. The first testing cohort will likely be health care workers, which will help identify who are now in a convalescent phase after a documented exposure and, perhaps, may have acquired at least some degree of immunological protection. At this point, it has not been established whether the presence of IgG antibodies is an indicator of immunity to SARS-CoV-2 infection or re-infection, as seen with many other viral infectious diseases.

Serological testing will also be used to assess health care workers who are suspected of having COVID-19, but not tested by PCR and are recovering at home under quarantine.

McLawhon said the twin Diazyme tests have shown high sensitivity and specificity, particularly compared to most point-of-care, rapid-response serological tests for novel coronavirus now flooding the international market. Thus far, only one rapid serological test, which claims a result within 15 to 20 minutes, has received Emergency Use Authorization from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA).

"There are a lot of these unproven rapid tests out there. Some are performed using technology found in today's pregnancy tests, using a drop of blood," said McLawhon. "But none have gone through FDA review nor have they been validated in terms of their clinical performance. Many do not perform well. The results aren't clear-cut. There's a lot of subjectivity in user interpretation. And, they can do only one sample at a time, which means a staff member might reasonably be able to collect and complete between four to a dozen tests in an hour."

Aside from identifying past coronavirus exposure, serological testing will likely be a valuable epidemiological tool. There are expansive plans to use blood tests to map where the virus has spread, which cities, states and regions may have developed some degree of "herd immunity" to future outbreaks and which places and populations remain at greatest risk. The Centers for Disease Control has announced plans for three such clinical trials across the country.

Serological (antibody) tests are not considered frontline tests for detecting a current or active infection. They have clear limitations for diagnosing new coronavirus infections because the immune response and antibody production varies by individual. There is often a lag of several days -- as much as five to 10 days -- between initial virus exposure and the first produced antibodies detected in the blood. During this time, called the "window period," an infected person can be contagious, but may not be displaying any symptoms.

"You can't use the serological testing to differentiate timing of infection," said Michael J. Kelner, MD, director of the Clinical Chemistry Laboratory at UC San Diego Health. "They can't be done in lieu of a PCR test. But they can tell us who has been exposed -- or not -- and that's important. As we go forward, we'll see if they can help answer more questions."

The coronavirus blood testing program at UC San Diego Health is, for now, open-ended.

"The greatest strength of our laboratory program at CALM is the team of clinicians who bring different expertise to the problem of managing this pandemic," said Steve Gonias, MD, PhD, chair and chief of the Department of Pathology at UC San Diego School of Medicine. "As a team, our goal is to continue to develop the most advanced assortment of diagnostic laboratory tests to assess COVID-19 in the state."

"There are worries about subsequent waves of outbreaks elsewhere or that the virus might reappear in places," said McLawhon. "No one can yet say what will happen. Right now, I'm guessing we'll be doing this type of testing for at least another 18 months. Or until a vaccine is developed. Or for as long as there continues to be a global pandemic."
Source: Xinhua| 2020-04-18 23:47:00|Editor: huaxia

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URUMQI, April 18 (Xinhua) -- A medical team of eight experts who aided Pakistan's fight against COVID-19 returned Friday night to Urumqi, capital of northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region.

The team, consisting of experts in various fields including respiratory, critical care and traditional Chinese medicine (TCM), arrived in Pakistan on March 28 and visited cities of Islamabad, Lahore and Karachi.

The Chinese experts communicated with the Pakistani federal government, national and local health authorities, hospitals and medical schools, as well as the Red Crescent.

The team members shared their experience through several video conferences and offered practical, specific suggestions to their Pakistani peers concerning the diagnosis, clinical treatment and epidemiologic study of COVID-19, and the application of TCM, hospital infection control and the construction of temporary hospitals.

The team also assisted with improving Pakistan's guidelines on diagnosis and treatment of COVID-19 to help build an efficient epidemic prevention and control system in Pakistan and enhance its screening and testing capabilities.

Meanwhile, the experts carried out epidemic prevention guidance and popular science education for the Chinese embassy in Pakistan, Chinese enterprises, overseas Chinese and Chinese students in the country. Enditem
There has been unstoppable scrutiny of the Ruby Princess ship that docked in Sydney Harbour on March 19, and has since led to 600 COVID-19 infections and 21 deaths.

Teacher Nicole Dillon has been watching the fiasco unfold from her home in Kiama, on the south coast of New South Wales, and felt bad about the negative attention the 1,100 crew members left on board were receiving.

'Imagine them hearing that each day someone they spent time with and worked for on the ship has been infected, or died?' the 54-year-old told FEMAIL.

'It must be devastating. And they are all isolating in separate rooms, with a lot of them probably not able to get the data or overseas access they need to check in on family all the time.

Teacher Nicole Dillon (right) has been watching the fiasco unfold from her home in Kiama, on the south coast of New South Wales (pictured with Alison Covington CEO and Founder of Good360, John Kewa from Mission to Seafarers and Paul Scully MP)

'Imagine them hearing that each day someone they spent time with and worked for on the ship has been infected, or died?' the 54-year-old told FEMAIL. 'It must be devastating'

'It's not their fault. Nobody willingly passes coronavirus on.'

With that in mind she wanted to make their time in Port Kembla in Wollongong, where the ship is currently docked, a little bit better with a care package.

Drawing on the same idea many Australians had during the bushfire season, Mrs Dillon looked to her community for support in getting the goods and personalised notes on board - and wasn't disappointed.

'Tourism Illawarra contacted me and asked how they could help. An amazing group of people came together, packed it up and got it all done in a few days,' she said.

'Tourism Illawarra contacted me and asked how they could help. An amazing group of people came together, packed it up and got it all done in a few days,' she said

Plenty of people who dropped off food and beverages accompanied those with notes, while a school in Mrs Dillon's area organised for the children to draw pictures

'I asked people to bring Australian-themed things like Tim Tams, Jumpys, Caramello Koalas, Vegemite - some people on the ship asked for Vegemite - and we did special bags for the four people who were vegetarian and one who was gluten free.

'Good Friday and Saturday we spent packaging, pick up of the boxes was on Tuesday and they were handed out on Wednesday.'

Plenty of people who dropped off food and beverages accompanied those with notes, while a school in Mrs Dillon's area organised for the children to draw pictures.

She has even set up an email address (rubycrewletters@gmail.com) that strangers can write their letters of support to, and they are read out on the ship each evening.

She has even set up an email address (rubycrewletters@gmail.com) that strangers can write their letters of support to, and they are read out on the ship each evening

When Kollaras & Co were asked to support by donating pallets, boxes, a truck, and their help in coordinating the logistics of the initiative, they were only too happy to help

Georgia Kollaras from Kollaras & Co is the leading beverage supplier to the cruise industry worldwide, servicing brands like Royal Caribbean, P&O, Carnival, Cunard and Celebrity.

When Kollaras & Co were asked to support by donating pallets, boxes, a truck, and their help in coordinating the logistics of the initiative, they were only too happy to help.

'After the announcement of a two to six month hiatus on cruises, our cruise channel was sadly decimated, and we therefore felt compelled to support those that have supported us over the years,' Managing Director John Kollaras told FEMAIL.

'Although our contribution was minor in the grand scheme of things, we are a family business who appreciates how unsettled the crew must feel, being away from their own families during a dark time.

'Rough seas create great sailors, just like tough times build greater people, and we are with them every step of the way,' Managing Director John Kollaras told FEMAIL (the packages pictured)

'Therefore, although only a small token of our appreciation - we were humbled to be involved in what is hopefully a reminder to the crew that people truly care.

'Rough seas create great sailors, just like tough times build greater people, and we are with them every step of the way.'

The Ruby Princess, which was supposed to set sail on Sunday, will stay docked in Australia until health authorities can work out how to get the crew safely home.

About 1,100 crew members are still on board, 153 of whom have coronavirus, and rigorous medical checks have delayed its departure.

NSW Police Commissioner Mick Fuller has been negotiating with the crew's home countries for the past week about mass repatriation on chartered flights.

Ruby Princess (pictured on Sunday morning) is held in quarantine at Port Kembla in Wollongong until health officials work out how to get everyone home safely

The Ruby Princess would then be sailed back to its port of origin by a skeleton crew, who are immune to the virus having already recovered from it.

An antibody test developed by Westmead Hospital in Sydney is being used to screen crew members for signs they once had coronavirus.

However, they are struggling to find enough of them to pilot the ship home, which is further delaying its departure.

All other cruise ships moored off NSW left earlier this month after crew were swapped between the vessels by police boats in the dead of night.

More than 600 infections and 21 deaths are linked to the Ruby Princess after almost 2,700 passengers were allowed to disembark in Sydney Harbour on March 19.

The ship, currently being held in quarantine at Port Kembla, New South Wales, was supposed to set sail on Sunday under a police order

Giselle O'Meara (pictured) is a performer on the Ruby Princess cruise ship and appealed for help with the deteriorating situation on board with 153 crew members infected

No health checks were done on any of the passengers and many got on domestic flights or cross-state trains while unknowingly infected.

Coronavirus spread quickly and easily on board as passengers said they were not told it might be on board or that social distancing was necessary.

Photos also showed hundreds of passengers crowding together to applaud kitchen staff, and crew partying with passengers the day before it docked in Sydney.

This was despite the crew taking dozens of swabs from passengers with flu-like symptoms to be tested after the ship returned to port.

Three patients who died in Tasmania are believed to be the source of an outbreak that infected 45 medical staff and shut down two hospitals in Burnie last week.

Others had to be tracked down all over Australia and some even flew home overseas.

Passengers Steve Lazaru and Chung Chen, 64, died after returning to the U.S. and Mr Chen's family is suing the ship's operator Princess Cruises.

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

NSW Police are conducting a homicide investigation into the fiasco, raiding the ship and surveying passengers on two recent cruises.

They were asked whether they saw signs of anyone with coronavirus symptoms on board, about cleaning standards, and if they have videos from the voyage.

Mr Fuller said his team had already identified the likely source of the virus on the ship.

'At this stage, we would think that it was probably a crew member working in the galley,' he said earlier this week.

However, legal experts told Daily Mail Australia the investigation would not lead to any criminal charges and it was unclear why police were investigating at all.

There are three cruise ships in quarantine in Australian waters - the Ruby Princess, the Artania, and the Caledonian Sky.

Chung Chen, 64, died on April 4 in Los Angeles from COVID-19 after travelling on the Ruby Princess, which finished its voyage in Sydney. Pictured with his wife and daughter
(Photo : Peter K. Levy/WIKI Commons) Jim Bakker during a PTL broadcast with his wife Tammy Faye, 1986.

A federal judge in Florida ordered a televangelist to stop selling a bleach-based cure, which claims to cure coronavirus.

Florida-based U.S. District Judge Kathleen M. Williams issued a temporary restraining order against Genesis II Church of Health and Healing (Genesis) to halt the distribution of the "Miracle Mineral Solution" (MMS) until May 1.

Also, four individuals linked to MMS, namely Mark Grenon, Joseph Grenon, Jordan Grenon, and Jonathan Grenon, were asked to do the same. A hearing on the government's request to extend the injunction will then be held next month.

A church led by Jim Bakker claimed that MMS could cure coronavirus, which is not yet validated by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA). Genesis markets the MMS as a cure for numerous diseases, including allergies, influenza, malaria, cancer, blood infections, Lyme disease, and even coronavirus. One can purchase a four-ounce bottle for $28 each.

However, as of today, there is still no known cure to coronavirus, which has already infected over 2 million people worldwide.

READ ALSO: Experts Cry Fraud Over Televangelist Jim Bakker's 'Coronavirus Cure' Named 'Silver Solution'

Temporary restraining order filed

FDA warns the public that the solution contains chlorine dioxide will turn into bleach when mixed with other materials. On Monday, Apr. 13, it was appealed to the public to stop taking this deadly dangerous cocktail after receiving reports of people experiencing severe vomiting, diarrhea, and acute liver failure after drinking it.

The FDA has already warned Bakker and his church on Apr. 8 to stop selling MMS, but they have continuously defied the authorities. Last month, attorneys general from New York and Missouri issued separate orders for Bakker and other companies to cease from selling unverified medication.

"Falsely marketing products as a treatment for a serious disease and charging steep prices is deeply unethical and unlawful," New York Attorney General Letitia James said in a statement on Wednesday.

The Jim Bakker Show

During a Feb. 12 episode of the "The Jim Bakker Show," Sherrill Sellman, a board-certified integrative naturopathic doctor, claimed MMS was able to eliminate some strains of coronavirus.

She said that while it has not been tested on the novel coronavirus, "but it has been tested on other strains of the coronavirus and has been able to eliminate it within 12 hours," boasts Sellman.

However, in a statement, FDA says it has not approved Genesis' product for any use, although Bakker claims that it can cure coronavirus, among other illnesses.

The complaint adds that the "church," which is a secular group, is dangerous. The group shows no testing or clinical review to support its claims.

The FDA previously sent a letter on Apr. 8 warning the group not to sell its product as a coronavirus cure.

As of this date, unverified coronavirus cures have already claimed hundreds of lives. In Iran, methanol was marketed as a miracle cure. However, this resulted in hundreds of deaths as people consumed the unfiltered chemical.

In 1989, Bakker was convicted on multiple counts of fraud after he stole millions of dollars in a fundraising scandal. He then spent five years in prison, then returned to TV in 2003.

Read also: Artificial Intelligence Might Have Found Potential Cure For COVID-19 And Clinical Trials Will Start Soon

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(Bloomberg Opinion) -- A New York Times article published earlier this month proclaimed that, according to scientists, never before have so many of the worlds researchers focused so urgently on a single topic. It went on to describe the race to develop a coronavirus vaccine and drugs for treating it, involving global collaborations of medical researchers. Epidemiologists are also laboring tirelessly to save us from the virus by modeling its spread and directing mitigation efforts. Meanwhile, some macroeconomists are working overtime to save us from the epidemiologists.

But that hardly accounts for most of the worlds researchers, who specialize in disciplines as alphabetically diverse as aerobiology and zoopathology. In the U.S. alone there are likely hundreds of thousands of scientists and engineers who have the desire and knowledge to contribute to the fight against the coronavirus. And those of us working in academia continue to command the resources and professional autonomy needed to refocus our work, despite having decamped from proverbial ivory towers to dingy basements.

So why haven't we seen a dramatic shift in academic research priorities across all disciplines? One reason may be lack of coordination.

Under normal circumstances, science works remarkably well as a decentralized process, where researchers identify problems theyre passionate about, study them with very little oversight, and then hope to convince their peers that their work is inspiring, profound or useful. Good research projects are deliberative and careful, often taking years from conception to publication.

In a crisis, however, the usual scientific process is inadequate. When it comes to dealing with the coronavirus, time is of the essence, and the relevance of a project is determined by its potential to save lives, aid mitigation efforts, or alleviate the epidemics damage to society.

Scientists need an up-to-date, detailed understanding of the situation on the ground in order to pinpoint feasible problems whose solutions truly matter. This understanding, in turn, can only arise from a system for large-scale coordination and information sharing between the scientific community and those managing the response to the pandemic at all levels  which doesnt exist (at least in the U.S.).

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It would be a mistake to dismiss the absence of such a system as yet another way in which we were woefully unprepared for a pandemic. Admittedly, until a few months ago pandemics were roughly in the same category as sharknadoes from the publics perspective: Most people who feared these potential catastrophes were film critics. But coordination and information-sharing are also required if scientists are to effectively respond to more familiar disasters like earthquakes, hurricanes, floods, wildfires and oil spills.

This exact point is one of the key conclusions of a prescient report, Science During Crisis, which was published last year by the American Academy of Arts and Sciences. At the onset of a crisis, the authors wrote, a central curated clearinghouse developed in advance should be activated to collect, disseminate, and coordinate relevant scientific information. The report makes a number of sensible and equally unimplemented recommendations, but I believe this is the one that would have made the biggest difference (and can still make a difference in the future).

To be sure, despite the difficulties there already are plenty of valuable contributions from scientists and engineers across many disciplines. To ease the shortage of medical devices, economists from Boston College and MIT put forward a clever triage protocol, and engineers from the University of California, Berkeley, are designing kits that convert sleep apnea devices into ventilators. As another example, several apps created by computer scientists and mathematicians anonymously trace users exposure to the coronavirus. Applications of artificial intelligence are somewhat less sporadic; in fact, a new public-private consortium plans to invest $367 million in harnessing AI against the virus.

But the scale of these timely initiatives is still tiny relative to grand scientific endeavors like the Apollo program, which has made numerous cameos in commentary about the pandemic. Even in the longer term I expect we wont be seeing the epic mobilization of scientists that perhaps would have been possible with better preparation and coordination. That doesnt mean scientists wont play a key role in defeating the coronavirus. The goal shouldnt be to land on the moon, but merely to land on our feet.

This column does not necessarily reflect the opinion of Bloomberg LP and its owners.

Ariel Procaccia is Gordon McKay Professor of Computer Science at Harvard University. His areas of expertise include artificial intelligence, theoretical computer science and algorithmic game theory.

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An ambulance arrives at Emory University Hospital in Atlanta, Ga., on Oct. 15, 2014. (Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images)

Ranjit Chowdhry, The Office Actor, Dies at 64: Family

Ranjit Chowdhry, who appeared in The Office and Prison Break, has died at age 64, according to his family.

For all those who knew Ranjit, the funeral will be held tomorrow and a gathering to celebrate his life and share stories on May 5th. With love, Raell, the actors half-sister wrote on Instagram.

Chowdhry had lived in New York City and went back to India but wasnt able to return to the United States during the pandemic.

Chowdhry died Wednesday during emergency surgery for a ruptured ulcer in his stomach, EW reported.

He appeared in a number of Indian movies but had roles on shows such as NYPD Blue, Prison Break, The Office, Cosby, and Law & Order, according to his IMDB page. He is likely best known in the United States for his role in The Office.

This guy made magic out of nothing, filling paper thin roles with so much depth, actress Poorna Jagannathan wrote on Twitter on Wednesday. I always saw my father when I was with him- the same humor, stubbornness and brilliance. Heartbroken, dear friend. RIP.

Director Sanjay Gupta, who worked with Chowdhry in a 2002 movie, wrote on Twitter: RIP my friend Ranjit Chaudhury. Had the pleasure of working with you in KAANTE, Gupta wrote. Thank you for the joy you gave us through your performances. KHATTA MEETHA is my favourite. Keep smiling wherever you are.
A couple from Kentucky have been accused of abusing their 12-year-old adopted son by locking him inside his bedroom with only a bucket to use as a toilet and starving him.

Marvin Reynolds, 46, and Laura Reynolds, 45, of Logan County, were booked into the Logan County Detention Center after local authorities found evidence that their adopted son had been abused.

The investigation began April 14 after the boy ran away from the family's home and was later found by emergency personnel.

The Reynolds did not report the boy missing until three hours after he ran away, according to an arrest warrant obtained by News-Democrat & Leader.

Authorities arrested Marvin Reynolds (left) and Laura Reynolds (right) after they were accused of abusing their 12-year-old son

Deputies with the Logan County Sheriff's Department soon learned the boy was allegedly living in horrid circumstances with the Reynolds.

Allegations included abuse, unsanitary living conditions and the boy being locked inside his bedroom all day while the window was nailed shut with pieces of 2x4 wood.

The victim's brothers, who lived in the same home as him, confirmed with authorities that he was locked inside his room and only given a five-gallon bucket to use as a toilet.

They also said the boy was starved and typically only fed once a day.

Authorities said multiple family members came forward and revealed the boy was 'treated like an animal' by the Reynolds since they adopted him at five years old.

Deputies who inspected the couple's home reportedly found it to be overall clean, except for the 12-year-old's bedroom.

There, deputies were met with the stench of feces and urine, as well as the bedroom window boarded up, the wood floor heavily stained and no carpet throughout the room.

Marvin and Laura (left to right) allegedly locked their adopted son inside his bedroom all day with only a five-gallon bucket to use as a toilet

A single twin mattress with no box spring or frame was also found inside the bedroom.

Laura reportedly told deputies that the bedroom window was secured with wood because the boy tried to sneak out of it.

She added that there was once a piece of plywood over the window, but the boy allegedly ripped it off and destroyed his room.

The carpet was removed because the boy urinated on the floor and ruined it, according to Reynolds in the arrest warrant.

When deputies asked if the boy was locked inside his bedroom and given a bucket to relieve himself, Laura said her son was the only person who could lock his bedroom door and there weren't other locks.

Authorities arrested the couple after believing they had enough evidence to prove the boy was malnourished, neglected and imprisoned inside his bedroom.

The boy corroborated witness accounts and revealed additional evidence with his assigned therapist at Lifeskills.

The couple was charged with wanton endangerment, unlawful imprisonment and criminal abuse.

Both received a cash bond of $10,000 and were released on Thursday after posting bail.
Vice President Mike Pence addressed Air Force Academy graduates on Saturday in Colorado Springs, Colorado.

US Air Force Academy/YouTube

Vice President Mike Pence addressed the Air Force Academy's graduating class Saturday at an altered ceremony amid the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.

The academy's graduates sat eight feet apart and marched six feet apart to adhere to social distancing requirements.

Pence called out the 86 graduates who would become the first Academy graduates to join President Donald Trump's Space Force, which was officially established less than four months ago.

"The American people are doing their duty now comes your turn to do yours: to defend the people of this nation, and this we know you will do. For long after the coronavirus is defeated, your mission will go on," Pence said.

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Vice President Mike Pence, the head of the White House Coronavirus Task Force, delivered on Saturday the commencement address to the 62nd class of Air Force Academy graduates, which was modified due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

"America is being tested," Pence said. "While there are signs we are making progress in slowing the spread, as we stand here today, more than 700,000 Americans have contracted the coronavirus, and tragically, more than 30,000 of our countrymen have lost our lives."

He added: "But as each of you has shown in your time here, and as the American people always show in challenging times, when hardship comes, American comes together. We rise to the challenge and the courage and compassion and generosity of the nation you will defend are shining through every day."

Pence's remarks came the same day as New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo said in New York, the US state hardest hit by COVID-19 pandemic, was "past the plateau" as the number of hospitalizations resulting from the novel coronavirus has continued to fall.

The vice president told the graduates they would now "commence [their] duties to defend this nation against all enemies foreign to us," evoking President Trump and calling the novel coronavirus the "invisible enemy."

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Pence addressed the academy's 2020 class in person at the Saturday afternoon ceremony, which occurred on US Air Force grounds in Colorado Springs, Colorado despite past reports that the vice president had considered sending pre-taped video remarks in lieu of an in-person appearance, according to CNN.

All gatherings in Colorado are currently prohibited under Gov. Jared Polis' stay-at-home order.

To comply with social distancing, the Air Force Academy graduates marched into the ceremony six feet apart and were seated eight feet apart. No family members or other spectators were allowed to attend the closed ceremony. The ceremony, which lasted about an hour and thirty minutes, was previously scheduled to occur on May 28 but occurred Saturday  six weeks earlier than scheduled.

"You know your family couldn't be here because of the extraordinary times in which we live," Pence said. "We know they're watching from afar."

The ceremony was live-streamed on Facebook and YouTube so spectators could tune-in.

Pence brought attention to the 86 graduates who would become the first Air Force Academy graduates to work as part of President Trump's Space Force, which was officially established at the end of last year.

"We are a nation of courage," the vice president said. "With the courage strength and compassion of the American people, we will get through this. We will protect the most vulnerable and we will heal our land."

He added: "The American people are doing their duty now comes your turn to do yours: to defend the people of this nation, and this we know you will do. For long after the coronavirus is defeated, your mission will go on."

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Underlining that the lockdown situation was "extremely dynamic", the Home Ministry on Sunday said the decision to allow non-essential goods through e-commerce was withdrawn after it was felt that the list of goods was extensive and may impact the curbs imposed to fight COVID-19.

Addressing a press conference, MHA Joint Secretary Punya Salila Srivastava said the situation was "extremely dynamic" and decisions are being reviewed "almost on a daily basis".

"As you realise, some restrictions are necessary in our campaign against coronavirus. When the list of non-essential goods and overall situation was reviewed, it was felt that the list was pretty extensive. If we permit all goods, it may impact lockdown. Accordingly, the decision was reviewed," she said.

When asked about the measures for stranded students and labourers incase the lockdown is extended beyond May 3, she said the ministry will issue appropriate guidelines at the right time.

Union Home Secretary Ajay Bhalla issued an order excluding the non-essential items from sale by the e-commerce companies from the consolidated revised guidelines, which listed the exemption given to the services and people from the purview of the lockdown.

The order said the clause -- "E-commerce companies. Vehicles used by e-commerce operators will be allowed to ply with necessary permissions" -- is excluded from the guidelines.

The previous order had said such items were allowed for sale through e-commerce platforms from April 20.

She said Home Minister Amit Shah reviewed the situation with the officer where he stated that extra care must be taken in areas not coming under clusters, hotspots and containment zones where some activities will be allowed.

It must be ensured that any relief should be given only after correct assessment of the ground situation, he said.

District magistrates should ensure patrolling in rural areas with the help of police, panchayat, and revenue officials to ensure strict implementation of national directives, like maintaining social distancing and wearing masks among others, issued by the Union Home Ministry in its recent order on lockdown.

After economic activities have been permitted in rural areas, district magistrates should coordinate with industries to transfer labourers to their workplace within the state in order to boost economic activity and rural employment, Srivastava said citing directives given by the MHA.

Special emphasis must be paid to parameters such as quality of food served in camps for migrant labourers, she said.

Medical teams going for community testing of coronavirus must be given adequate security and community leaders and peace committees must be roped in by police before taking the exercise, she said.

According to the Union Health Ministry, the death toll due to COVID-19 rose to 507 and the number of cases to 15,712 in the country on Sunday.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
South Korea reported eight new coronavirus cases on April 19 marking the first day when new infections fell to single digits since the outbreak of the pandemic. As of now, South Korea has reported 10,661 positive cases of COVID-19 infections out of which 8,042 have recovered. Also, the death toll rose by two taking the nationwide tally to 234 fatalities.

President Moon Jae-in commenting on the achievement, reportedly said that his countrys progress gave hope that the COVID-19 outbreak was surmountable in other parts of the world as well. The infection which originated in China has now infected nearly 2,332,568 and killed over 160,791 worldwide. South Korea initially had the largest positive cases outside china however, its strict measures helped it to reduce the rate. Currently, the US tops the list of infections with 7,38,923 cases.

Further in his address, Moon said that the South Korean government will prepare for new daily lives and the new world order 'post-COVID' with the unified power of the citizens. South Korea reported its first case in January however, numbers remained in single digits till mid-February. However, from February 19 onwards, the numbers started skyrocketing. The number of infection peaked on February 29 with 909cases but strict lockdown measures, contact tracing, and mass testing helped Seoul bring back the number of infected to single digits.

Read: North Korean Defector Wins Gangnam Constituency Seat In South Korea

Read: US Lauds South Korea For Successfully Holding Elections Amid Pandemic

US lauds S Korea

Earlier this week, the United States congratulated South Korea after the latter successfully held legislative elections. The Trump administration also lauded its dedication to democratic values in the face of coronavirus pandemic. US State Secretary Mike Pompeo said in a statement that Seouls dedication to democratic values is a hallmark of a truly free, open, and transparent society.

The United States congratulated South Korea for successfully holding legislative elections and lauded its dedication to democratic values in the face of a pandemic. US State Secretary Mike Pompeo said in a statement that Seouls dedication to democratic values is a hallmark of a truly free, open, and transparent society.

Read: Salman Khan Starrer 'Bharat' An Official Adaptation Of South Korean Film | Read Trivia

Read: Lecturers Says North Korea Has COVID-19 Infections While Officials Claim Zero Cases

(Image credits: AP)
By Lisa Baertlein

LOS ANGELES, April 11 (Reuters) - Big rig driver Tanuya White was running essential products from Chicago to Shreveport, Louisiana, on Saturday when she stopped to sample food truck fare at a rest stop on Interstate 30 near Social Hill, Arkansas.

It was a welcome respite for White, who like other U.S. truck drivers is scrambling to find food - as well as bathrooms, showers and protective gear - after millions of businesses closed to help contain the spread of COVID-19 infections.

The Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) on April 3 gave mobile restaurants temporary permission to use Interstate rest areas to feed truckers who are transporting vital food, personal protective equipment and medical devices during the COVID-19 pandemic that has killed more than 20,000 people in the United States.

"This is so needed," White, 51, told Reuters via cellphone.

During her rest stop break, White grabbed a hot dog, french fries, funnel cake and a pot roast dinner to go.

"I haven't had a funnel cake since I was a teenager," White said. "I was smiling the whole time they were cooking it."

U.S. restaurants have shuttered or switched to limited service due to stay-at-home orders covering most of the country.

While many fast-food service windows are open, truckers told Reuters their tractor-trailers don't fit in drive-through lanes and walk-up orders are not allowed.

"Sometimes you just want a decent meal," said trucker Rodney Tweedie, 52, who transports everything from produce to beer in his "reefer" - as refrigerated trailers are known.

"Food trucks may provide vital sustenance for interstate commercial truck drivers and others who are critical to the nation's continued ability to deliver needed food and relief supplies to the communities impacted by the economic disruptions and healthcare strains caused by COVID-19," FHWA said in its notice.

States like Arkansas, Ohio, Indiana and Florida are rushing to issue temporary permits to get the emergency food truck program rolling.

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Jennifer McKinzie said it took just hours to get the permission she needed to operate BowMcks Rolling Cuisine at two Arkansas rest stops. A few days later, McKinzie and her husband were selling a $10 pot roast dinner with potatoes, salad, gravy, bread and a drink to White and other drivers.

"I'm sure they're tired," said McKinzie, who enjoys giving truckers what they need to recharge.

"Yesterday, we heard a guy say, 'I just need a Monster (energy drink).' Today we have Monsters," McKinzie said.

The National Association of Truck Stop Operators (NATSO) is lobbying the FHWA and governors to hit the brakes on the program. NATSO represents the interests of companies like TravelCenters of America Inc and Pilot Flying J, which is partly owned by Warren Buffett's Berkshire Hathaway Inc .

The National Restaurant Association and the organization that represents blind vendors, who are allowed to manage vending machines at rest areas along federal Interstates, have joined NATSO's protest.

Angie Werner, co-owner of The Meat Guy's BBQ Shack, says she's been blocked from serving food in rest stops.

"We want to, but the state of Michigan says we can't," Werner said. (Reporting by Lisa Baertlein in Los Angeles)
By Scott Murdoch

HONG KONG, April 19 (Reuters) - United Airlines will sell and lease back 22 planes to Bank of China (BOC) Aviation, a statement from the aircraft investor released to the Hong Kong Stock Exchange said on Sunday.

The deal involves six Boeing 787-9 aircraft and 16 Boeing 737-9 MAX aircraft from United Airlines, the statement said.

The Singapore-based BOC Aviation did not reveal how much the purchase was worth but said the planes would be leased back to United on long-term agreements.

United said on Wednesday it had reduced its flight schedule in May by 90% and expects similar cuts for June as a result of the coronavirus pandemic.

The U.S. airline also said it flew less than 200,000 people in the first two weeks of April, a 97% drop from the more than 6 million people it flew during the same time in 2019.

BOC Aviation, which focuses on aircraft leasing, has a fleet of 567 planes owned, managed or on order as at the end of March, the statement said

The transaction was finalised on Friday and the deal is expected to close later this year, the statement said. (Reporting by Scott Murdoch. Editing by Jane Merriman)